Antrodia Cinnamomea ameliorates neointimal formation by inhibiting infl ammatory cell infi ltration through downregulation of adhesion molecule expression in vitro and in vivo

The increased vascular infl ammation is a key event in the development of atherosclerotic lesions.Antrodia cinnamomea has been shown to promote anticancerogenic activity through decreasing infl ammation.However,the potential role of A.cinnamomea in cardiovascular diseases remains unexplored.Herein,using carotid arterial ligation models,we found that ethanol extract from A.cinnamomea(EEAC)signifi cantly inhibited neointimal hyperplasia in a dose-dependent manner,accompanied with the reduced expression of activated p65 and infl ammatory cytokines.We also show that EEAC ameliorated TNF-α-induced phosphorylation of p65 and pro-infl ammatory cytokine expression in both vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)and macrophages in vitro.Mechanistically,EEAC suppressed expression levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)and vascular cell adhesion molecule(VCAM-1)in VSMCs,which attenuates the ability of monocytes/macrophages adhesion to VSMCs.Furthermore,the expression level of these adhesion molecules and infi ltration of monocytes/macrophages were also decreased in neointimal VSMCs of arteries pretreated with EEAC.Altogether,our results reveal a novel function of A.cinnamomea in suppressing vascular infl ammation upon ligation injury during neointimal formation,likely through inhibition of infl ammatory cell infi ltration via downregulating the adhesion molecules in VSMCs.Thus,A.cinnamomea may offer a pharmacological therapy to slow down disease progression in patients with vascular injury.

Update on the STING Signaling Pathway in Developing Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is a prevalent chronic liver condition with limited treatment options.Inflammation caused by metabolic disturbances plays a significant role in NAFLD development.Stimulator of interferon gene(STING),a critical regulator of innate immunity,induces the production of interferons and other pro-inflammatory factors by recognizing cytoplasmic DNA to defend against pathogen infection.The STING-mediated signaling pathway appears to play a vital role in hepatic inflammation,metabolic disorders,and even carcinogenesis.Promisingly,pharmacological interventions targeting STING have shown improvements in the pathological state of NAFLD.Macrophages,dendritic cells,natural killer cells,and T cell pathways regulated by STING present potential novel druggable targets for NAFLD treatment.Further research and development in this area may offer new therapeutic options for managing NAFLD effectively.

Sn02 nanoparticles anchored on graphene oxide as advanced anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with high energy density have attracted great attention for their wide applications in electric vehicles, and the exploration of the nextgeneration anode materials with high theoretical capacity is highly desired. In this work, Sn02 nanoparticles with the particle size of 200 nm uniformly anchored on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by combination of the ultrasonic method and the following calcination process. The Sn02/GO composite with the weight ratio of Sn02 to GO at 4:1 exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, which originates from the synergistic effects between GO and Sn02 nanoparticles. A high discharge capacity of 492 mA·h·g^-1 can be obtained after 100 cycles at 0.2C, and after cycling at higher current densities of 1C and 2C, a discharge capacity of 641 mA·h·g^-1 can be restored when the current density goes back to 0.1C. The superior electrochemical performance and simple synthesis process make it a very promising candidate as anode materials for LIBs.

MOF-derived Co_(9)S_(8) nano-flower cluster array modified separator towards superior lithium sulfur battery

Lithium sulfur batteries with high energy density are thought to be the most potential energy storage technology that can be commercialized.However,the shuttle effect of polysulfides deteriorates its electrochemical performance.Herein,a novel Co_(9)S_(8)nanostructure derived from metal organic framework material(MOF)was explored by simple liquid phase reaction and heat vulcanization of2-methylimidazole and Co(NO_(3))_(2)·6 H_(2)O on the surface of the original PP separator.The Co_(9)S_(8)nano-flower cluster array wall was vertically and closely arranged with the thickness of 200 nm,and the polysulfide can be adsorbed by its physical and chemical action to slow down the"shuttle effect".It is found that the cell with the modified separator can achieve an ideal discharge capacity of about 600 mAh/g at 1 C.The specific capacity is maintained at 500 mAh/g after 200 cycles,with only 0.11%of capacity decay per cycle.It provides a new way for the utilization of MOF material derivatives to modify the separator in order to improve the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur batteries.

Efficient and cost-effective method to synthesize highly purified Ti_(4)AlN_(3) and Ti_(2)AlN

Nitrides MAX have attracted ever-growing interest owing to its unique metallic and ceramic characteristics and properties.Here,we report on the synthesis of highly purified Ti_(2)AlN and Ti_(4)AlN_(3) powders from Ti,Al and TiN powders by a facile atmosphere sintering method.The obtained nitrides show highly pure phase and excellent layered structure.Except for the composition difference of raw materials,both the nitrides can be sintered and obtained by same sintering temperature and holding time,which thus makes less processing time and less usage of synthesis parameters as compared to previously synthesis methods.To our knowledge,present work is one of the few reports on synthesis of Ti_(4)AlN_(3) and Ti_(2)AlN using atmosphere sintering method.Furthermore,the lattice changes of the layered structure of Ti_(2)AlX(X/C=N)were studied by changing the composition of X position from the synthesis of Ti_(2)AlCN and Ti_(2)AlC,and the optimal formulation and synthesis mechanism of Ti_(4)AlN_(3) were also studied.

PVdF-HFP-Based Gel Polymer Electrolyte with Semi-Interpenetrating Networks For Dendrite-Free Lithium Metal Battery

The safety issues and lower energy density of the lithium metal batteries are the two main challenges that hinder their applications in the fields of electric vehicles and portable devices.In this work,the semi-interpenetrated polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene(PVdF-HFP)-based gel polymer electrolyte was synthesized through UV-curing method by employing the ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate(ETPTA)monomer.The semi-interpenetrating networks formed by polymerization of ETPTA and the high liquid absorption rate of the PVdF-HFP impart the as-prepared electrolyte with a high room temperature ionic conductivity of 3.17×10-3 s cm^(-1)and a high mechanical strength of 3.46 MPa.LiFePO4 was selected as cathode materials,and the active material loading of the cathode is about 4.2 mg cm-2.The electrolyte shows superior long-term cycling properties(127 mAh g^(-1)after 200 cycles at 0.5 C),excellent rate performance(113 mAh g^(-1)at1 C,80 mAh g^(-1)at 2 C,and the discharge capacity of 135 mAh g^(-1)can be restored when the rate goes back to 0.1 C)as well as good ability to inhibit the growth of lithium dendrite(about 150 h).The facile synthesis strategy and great electrochemical performance of the electrolyte make it a potential candidate for lithium metal batteries.

A novel two-dimensional accordion-like titanium carbide (MXene) for adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution

Herein,we report on a novel two-dimensional(2D)material application,which shows that an accordion-like layered Ti_(3)C_(2) nanomaterial(MXene)with an excellent adsorption capacity of Cr(VI)from aqueous solution was prepared by etching Al layer from Ti3AlC2 phase in hydrofluoric acid(HF)solution.Ti_(3)C_(2) nanopowders were well characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and the physical property of as-obtained samples was studied by UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra(DRS).After HF treatment,Ti3AlC2 not only has a phase transition from one crystal to another,but surprisingly,its microstructure is also undergoing an obvious change.Ti_(3)C_(2) with product of change possesses an accordion-like multilayer structure,and a relatively higher specific surface area(SSA)than untreated Ti3AlC2.Then,accordionlike Ti_(3)C_(2) with a high SSA provides abundant active sites for pollutant removal and functionalization.Accordion-like Ti_(3)C_(2) nanomaterial exhibits a stable adsorption capacity,and 1 g as-prepared accordion-like Ti_(3)C_(2) powders can remove about 80 mg potassium dichromate.Therefore,the results suggest that 2D MXenes are promising as an effective nanoadsorbent in heavy metal removal from the wastewater.