The interaction between polyphyllin I and SQLE protein induces hepatotoxicity through SREBP-2/HMGCR/SQLE/LSS pathway

Polyphyllin I(PPI)and polyphyllin II(PII)are the main active substances in the Paris polyphylla.However,liver toxicity of these compounds has impeded their clinical application and the potential hepatotoxicity mechanisms remain to be elucidated.In this work,we found that PPI and PII exposure could induce significant hepatotoxicity in human liver cell line L-02 and zebrafish in a dose-dependent manner.The results of the proteomic analysis in L-02 cells and transcriptome in zebrafish indicated that the hepatotoxicity of PPI and PII was associated with the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway disorders,which were alleviated by the cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor lovastatin.Additionally,3-hydroxy-3-methy-lglutaryl CoA reductase(HMGCR)and squalene epoxidase(SQLE),the two rate-limiting enzymes in the cholesterol synthesis,selected as the potential targets,were confirmed by the molecular docking,the overexpression,and knockdown of HMGCR or SQLE with siRNA.Finally,the pull-down and surface plasmon resonance technology revealed that PPI could directly bind with SQLE but not with HMGCR.Collectively,these data demonstrated that PPI-induced hepatotoxicity resulted from the direct binding with SQLE protein and impaired the sterol-regulatory element binding protein 2/HMGCR/SQLE/lanosterol synthase pathways,thus disturbing the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway.The findings of this research can contribute to a better understanding of the key role of SQLE as a potential target in drug-induced hepatotoxicity and provide a therapeutic strategy for the prevention of drug toxic effects with similar structures in the future.

Synthesis of hierarchical transition metal oxyhydroxides in aqueous solution at ambient temperature and their application as OER electrocatalysts

First-row(3 d)transition metal oxyhydroxides have attracted increasing attention due to their various advantages.Although investigating the oxidation mechanism and processing such materials into hierarchical architectures are greatly desired for their further development,it remains unclear how the oxidation state change occurs,and efforts to produce hierarchical oxyhydroxides in compliance with high ecological and economic standards have progressed slowly.Here,we describe a facile one-step coprecipitation route for the preparation of hierarchical CoOOH,NiOOH and MnOOH,which involves the diffusion of NH_(3)originating from ammonium hydroxide solution into an aqueous solution containing metal ion salts and K_(2)S_(2)O_(8).Comprehensive characterizations by scanning electron microscope,transmission electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction analysis,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and in situ p H measurement demonstrated that K_(2)S_(2)O_(8)induces the oxidation state change of metal ion species after the start of hydrolysis.Meanwhile,it was found that,benefiting from the OH–concentration gradient created by the NH_(3)diffusion method and the suitable growth environment provided by the presence of K_(2)S_(2)O_(8)(high nucleation rate and secondary nucleation),the formation of hierarchical oxyhydroxide structures can be realized in aqueous solution at ambient temperature without the use of heat energy and additional structure-directing agents.The hierarchical CoOOH structures are performed as the electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media,which exhibit good activity with an overpotential of 320 m V at 10 m A cm^(-2)and a low Tafel slope of 59.6 m V dec^(–1),outperforming many congeneric electrocatalysts.Overall,our study not only provides important insights to understand the formation mechanism of hierarchical oxyhydroxides,but also opens up new opportunities for the preparation of hierarchical oxyhydroxides via a facile,green and low-cost method.

Glycosylation of dentin matrix protein 1 is critical for fracture healing via promoting chondrogenesis

Fractures are frequently occurring diseases that endanger human health. Crucial to fracture healing is cartilage formation, which provides a bone-regeneration environment. Cartilage consists of both chondrocytes and extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM of cartilage includes collagens and various types of proteoglycans (PGs), which play important roles in maintaining primary stability in fracture healing. The PG form of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1-PG) is involved in maintaining the health of articular cartilage and bone. Our previous data have shown that DMP1-PG is richly expressed in the cartilaginous calluses of fracture sites. However, the possible significant role of DMP1-PG in chondrogenesis and fracture healing is unknown. To further detect the potential role of DMP1-PG in fracture repair, we established a mouse fracture model by using a glycosylation site mutant DMP1 mouse (S89G-DMP1 mouse). Upon inspection, fewer cartilaginous calluses and down-regulated expression levels of chondrogenesis genes were observed in the fracture sites of S89G-DMP1 mice. Given the deficiency of DMP1-PG, the impaired IL-6/JAK/STAT signaling pathway was observed to affect the chondrogenesis of fracture healing. Overall, these results suggest that DMP1-PG is an indispensable proteoglycan in chondrogenesis during fracture healing.

Novel Total Synthesis of Mansouramycin B

A novel total synthesis of Mansouramycin B （1） was performed via 10 steps in 28% overall yield starting from the readily available and cheap salicylaldehyde. Two key steps of this total synthesis are noteworthy. The first one is base-promoted one-pot aerobic aromatization of N-tosyltetrahydroisoquinoline 6, the second one is oxidation of 5-hydroxy-3-methyl-isoquinoline 8 with iodobenzene diacetate [PhI（OAc）2].