Inhibition of xanthine oxidase alleviated pancreatic necrosis via HIF-1α-regulated LDHA and NLRP3 signaling pathway in acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a potentially fatal condition with no targeted treatment options.Although inhibiting xanthine oxidase(XO)in the treatment of AP has been studied in several experimental models and clinical trials,whether XO is a target of AP and what its the main mechanism of action is remains unclear.Here,we aimed to re-evaluate whether XO is a target aggravating AP other than merely generating reactive oxygen species that trigger AP.We first revealed that XO expression and enzyme activity were significantly elevated in the serum and pancreas of necrotizing AP models.We also found that allopurinol and febuxostat,as purine-like and non-purine XO inhibitors,respectively,exhibited protective effects against pancreatic acinar cell death in vitro and pancreatic damage in vivo at different doses and treatment time points.Moreover,we observed that conditional Xdh overexpression aggravated pancreatic necrosis and severity.Further mechanism analysis showed that XO inhibition restored the hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha(HIF-1α)-regulated lactate dehydrogenase A(LDHA)and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)signaling pathways and reduced the enrichment of^(13)C_(6)-glucose to^(13)C_(3)-lactate.Lastly,we observed that clinical circulatory XO activity was significantly elevated in severe cases and correlated with C-reactive protein levels,while pancreatic XO and urate were also increased in severe AP patients.These results together indicated that proper inhibition of XO might be a promising therapeutic strategy for alleviating pancreatic necrosis and preventing progression of severe AP by downregulating HIF-1α-mediated LDHA and NLRP3 signaling pathways.

Dual-functional photocatalysis boosted by electrostatic assembly of porphyrinic metal-organic framework heterojunction composites with CdS quantum dots

Photocatalytic dual-functional reaction under visible light irradiation represents a sustainable development strategy.In detail,H2production coupled with benzylamine oxidation can remarkably lower the cost by replacing sacrificial agents.In this work,Cd S quantum dots(Cd S QDs)were successfully loaded onto the surface of a porphyrinic metal-organic framework(Pd-PCN-222)by the electrostatic selfassembly at room temperature.The consequent Pd-PCN-222/CdS heterojunction composites displayed superb photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation,achieving a H2production and benzylamine oxidation rate of 5069 and 3717μmol g^(-1)h^(-1)with>99%selectivity in 3 h.There is no noticeable loss of catalytic capability during three successive runs.Mechanistic studies by in situ electron spin resonance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy disclosed that CdS QDs injected photoexcited electrons to Pd-PCN-222 and then Zr6clusters under visible-light irradiation,and thus Cd S QDs and Zr6clusters behave as the photocatalytic oxidation and reduction centers,respectively.

Adenosine triphosphate-based tumor chemosensitivity assay may predict the clinical outcomes of gastric cancer patients receiving taxane-based post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy

To the Editor:Gastric cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the world.For patients with a pathological tumor-node-metastasis stage of II or III,postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is generally required to reduce recurrence risk by controlling residual tumor cells following curative resection.[1]Although taxanes have recently shown promising activity in gastric cancer,[2,3]non-responders may incur costs and experience adverse reactions without clinical benefit,and efforts to select effective regimens for individuals are very important.The application of in vitro chemosensitivity assays as predictive markers in personalized cancer treatment has been investigated in several studies.[4]However,the heterogeneity of the gastric cancer response to taxane-based chemotherapy and the correlation between in vitro chemosensitivity and clinical outcomes remain unclear.