Fecal microbiota transplantation from HUC-MSC-treated mice alleviates acute lung injury in mice through anti-inflammation and gut microbiota modulation

IntroductionAcute lung injury (ALI) is a severe respiratory tract disorder facilitated by dysregulated inflammation, oxidative stress and intestinal ecosystem. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a rapid method for gut microbiota (GM) reconstruction. Furthermore, our previous studies have confirmed that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (HUC-MSCs) can alleviate ALI by improving GM composition. Therefore, we aimed to explore the efficacy and mechanism of FMT from HUC-MSCs-treated mice on ALI.MethodsIn brief, fresh feces from HUC-MSCs-treated mice were collected for FMT, and the mice were randomly assigned into NC, FMT, LPS, ABX-LPS, and ABX-LPS-FMT groups (n = 12/group). Subsequently, the mice were administrated with antibiotic mixtures to deplete GM, and given lipopolysaccharide and FMT to induce ALI and rebuild GM. Next, the therapeutic effect was evaluated by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and histopathology. Immune cells in peripheral blood and apoptosis in lung tissues were measured. Furthermore, oxidative stress- and inflammation-related parameter levels were tested in BALF, serum, lung and ileal tissues. The expressions of apoptosis-associated, TLR4/NF-κB pathway-associated, Nrf2/HO-1 pathway related and tightly linked proteins in the lung and ileal tissues were assessed. Moreover, 16S rRNA was conducted to assess GM composition and distribution.ResultsOur results revealed that FMT obviously improved the pathological damage of lung and ileum, recovered the immune system of peripheral blood, decreased the cell apoptosis of lung, and inhibited inflammation and oxidative stress in BALF, serum, lung and ileum tissues. Moreover, FMT also elevated ZO-1, claudin-1, and occludin protein expressions, activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway but hindering the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. Of note, the relative abundances of Bacteroides, Christensenella, Coprococcus, and Roseburia were decreased, while the relative abundances of Xenorhabdus, Sutterella, and Acinetobacter were increased in the ABX-LPS-FMT group.ConclusionFMT from HUC-MSCs-treated mice may alleviate ALI by inhibiting inflammation and reconstructing GM, additionally, we also found that the TLR4/NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways may involve in the improvement of FMT on ALI, which offers novel insights for the functions and mechanisms of FMT from HUC-MSCs-treated mice on ALI

Development of Environmentally Friendly Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is one of the most successful techniques for the preparation of well-defined polymers with controllable molecular weights, narrow molecular weight distributions, specific macromolecular architectures, and precisely designed functionalities. ATRP usually involves transition-metal complex as catalyst. As the most commonly used copper complex catalyst is usually biologically toxic and environmentally unsafe, considerable interest has been focused on iron complex, enzyme, and metal-free catalysts owing to their low toxicity, inexpensive cost, commercial availability and environmental friendliness. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of iron catalyst used in normal, reverse, AGET, ICAR, GAMA, and SARA ATRP, enzyme as well as metal-free catalyst mediated ATRP in the point of view of catalytic activity, initiation efficiency, and polymerization controllability. The principle of ATRP and the development of iron ligand are briefly discussed. The recent development of enzyme-mediated ATRP, the latest research progress on metal-free ATRP, and the application of metal-free ATRP in interdisciplinary areas are highlighted in sections. The prospects and challenges of these three ATRP techniques are also described in the review

The association between aortic calcification and fracture risk in postmenopausal women in China: the prospective Chongqing osteoporosis study.

PURPOSE: Fractures are associated with cardiovascular diseases in the elderly. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between aortic calcification (AC) and the risk of vertebral fractures in postmenopausal Chinese women. METHODS: A prospective study with 5 years of follow-up in 1724 postmenopausal women (aged 50 years old and older) was conducted from July 2005 to June 2010. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was utilized to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD). Aortic calcification score (ACS) was determined by a semi-quantitative method and was further categorized into four groups. Cox proportional hazards models were established to assess the association between AC and the risk of vertebral fractures. RESULTS: For subjects with AC, the incidence of vertebral fractures was higher than that of those without AC (p<0.01). After adjustment for age and other potential confounders, it was found that severe AC (G4, ACS>6; G3, ACS = 3-6) was associated with vertebral fractures. Severe AC (G4) was associated with non-vertebral fractures. There were higher risk for the vertebral fractures in two groups and higher risk for non-vertebral fractures in one group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study indicate that severe AC is associated with a significantly increased risk of vertebral fractures and non-vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women in China

Facile Synthesis of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) by Organic Halides in the Presence of Palladium Nanoparticles

A facile and versatile approach for the synthesis of ultrahigh molecular weight poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at mild conditions was developed. Certain organic halides combined with a catalytical amount of palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) were found to be very effective in initiating polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA), methyl acrylate, vinyl acetate and other vinyl monomers. An ultrahigh molecular weight PMMA with a number-average molecular weight of 4.65 &times; 106 Da and a weight-average molecular weight of 8.08 &times; 106 Da was synthesized at 70 &deg;C using 2-bromoisobutyric acid ethyl ester (EBiB) as an initiator in the presence of catalytical amount (10.1 ppm) of Pd NPs. A kinetic investigation found that the orders of polymerization with respect to EBiB, Pd NP and MMA were 0.23, 0.50, and 0.58, respectively. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were used to prove that the macromolecular chain had an end-group of EBiB residue. The electron spin resonance (ESR), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal that the reaction of EBiB with Pd NPs caused a bromo atom (Br) transfer from EBiB to Pd NPs and resulted in the generation of EBiB residue radical to initiate the polymerization of MMA and the formation of PdIIBr2 on the surface of Pd nanoparticles

Optimum Multiparameter Analysis of Water Mass Structure off Western Guangdong during Spring Monsoon Transition

Water masses and their variability play vital roles in regulating ocean circulation, material exchanges and biogeochemical processes. However, there is still a lack of quantitative analysis of water mass distributions in coastal waters of the South China Sea. Here, two oceanographic cruise observations in April and May 2016 are used to quantify water mass distributions, pathways and mixture, and their intraseasonal variability off western Guangdong during the spring monsoon transition. Temperature and salinity observations qualitatively reveal that there are three types of water masses: the Pearl River diluted water (PRDW, salinity (S) = 22 psu, potential temperature (θ) = 25 °C), the South China Sea surface water (SCSSW, S = 34 psu, θ = 28 °C) and the South China Sea subsurface water mass (SCSSUW, S = 34.5 psu, θ = 17 °C). Their relative contributions and intraseasonal variability are quantified using the Optimum Multiparameter (OMP) method. The PRDW is largely confined to the upper 10 m layer in shallow nearshore waters (depths 90% near the Pearl River Estuary. The SCSSW mainly dominates the rest of the surface layer above 20 m, with a contribution >50% in offshore regions. The layer below 20 m is primarily composed of ~60% SCSSW and ~40% SCSSUW. A comparison between the two different observations suggests that the PRDW tends to expand southwestward and the SCSSUW spreads offshore, whereas the SCSSW moves landward and is situated underneath the surface fresh PRDW. These characteristics are very likely associated with the wind transition from weak southeasterly in April to strong northeasterly in May, which enhances the southwestward coastal current and the onshore surface Ekman transport from offshore waters

Semisynthesis and pharmacological activities of thyroxine analogs: Development of new angiogenesis modulators

Novel thyroxine analogs with hindered phenol, amino and carboxylic acid groups have been synthesized and the effects of the synthesized compounds on angiogenesis using the chick chorioallantoic membrane and mouse matrigel models have been tested. Pharmacological profiles revealed that thyroxine tolerates numerous modifications on the amino group and remains active. These results provide the rationale for the selection of a novel thyroxine nanoparticle precursor.Charitable Leadership FoundationMedical Technology Acceleration ProgramPharmaceutical Research Institut

Optimum Multiparameter Analysis of Water Mass Structure off Western Guangdong during Spring Monsoon Transition

Water masses and their variability play vital roles in regulating ocean circulation, material exchanges and biogeochemical processes. However, there is still a lack of quantitative analysis of water mass distributions in coastal waters of the South China Sea. Here, two oceanographic cruise observations in April and May 2016 are used to quantify water mass distributions, pathways and mixture, and their intraseasonal variability off western Guangdong during the spring monsoon transition. Temperature and salinity observations qualitatively reveal that there are three types of water masses: the Pearl River diluted water (PRDW, salinity (S) = 22 psu, potential temperature (&theta;) = 25 &deg;C), the South China Sea surface water (SCSSW, S = 34 psu, &theta; = 28 &deg;C) and the South China Sea subsurface water mass (SCSSUW, S = 34.5 psu, &theta; = 17 &deg;C). Their relative contributions and intraseasonal variability are quantified using the Optimum Multiparameter (OMP) method. The PRDW is largely confined to the upper 10 m layer in shallow nearshore waters (depths &lt; 30 m), with a maximum contribution &gt;90% near the Pearl River Estuary. The SCSSW mainly dominates the rest of the surface layer above 20 m, with a contribution &gt;50% in offshore regions. The layer below 20 m is primarily composed of ~60% SCSSW and ~40% SCSSUW. A comparison between the two different observations suggests that the PRDW tends to expand southwestward and the SCSSUW spreads offshore, whereas the SCSSW moves landward and is situated underneath the surface fresh PRDW. These characteristics are very likely associated with the wind transition from weak southeasterly in April to strong northeasterly in May, which enhances the southwestward coastal current and the onshore surface Ekman transport from offshore waters

Thymoquinone Modulates Blood Coagulation in Vitro via Its Effects on Inflammatory and Coagulation Pathways

Thymoquinone (THQ) is a major component of black seeds. Given that both THQ and black seeds exhibit anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities, we hypothesized that THQ will affect cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), which is primarily triggered by tissue factor (TF) and inflammation. The effect of both black seed-extracted and purchased (“pure”) THQ on normal blood coagulation was tested with in vitro thromboelastography (TEG) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) coagulation assays. The effect of pure THQ on CAT was tested with aPTT assay using pancreatic cancer cell lines that are either positive or negative for TF, and with TEG assay using lipopolysaccharide as an inflammatory trigger. Additionally, the direct effect of THQ on the inactivation of factors IIa and Xa was assessed. Since TNF-α facilitates crosstalk between inflammation and thrombosis by triggering the NF-κB pathway, we tested THQ’s ability to interfere with this communication with a luciferase assay. Both extracted and pure THQ had minimal effects on normal blood coagulation. Pure THQ reversed CAT initiated by both TF and inflammation to basal levels (p &lt; 0.001). Mechanistically, while THQ had minimal to no effect on factor IIa and Xa inactivation, it strongly reduced the effects of TNF-α on NF-κB elements (p &lt; 0.001). THQ has a minimal effect on basal coagulation and can reverse CAT in vitro, possibly by interfering with the crosstalk between inflammation and coagulation. This study suggests the utility of THQ as a preventative anticoagulant and/or as a supplement to existing chemotherapies and anticoagulant therapies