Elaidic acid-induced intestinal barrier damage led to gut-liver axis derangement and triggered NLRP3 inflammasome in the liver of SD rats

Previous studies have shown that trans fatty acids(TFA) are associated with several chronic diseases,the gut microbiota is directly influenced by dietary components and linked to chronic diseases.Our research investigated the effects of elaidic acid(EA),a typical TFA,on the gut microbiota to understand the underlying mechanisms of TFA-related chronic diseases.16S rDNA gene sequencing on faecal samples from Sprague-Dawley rats were performed to explore the composition change of the gut microbiota by EA gavage for 4 weeks.The results showed that the intake of EA increased the abundance of well-documented harmful bacteria,such as Proteobacteria,Anaerotruncus,Oscillibacter and Desulfovibrionaceae.Plus,EA induced translocation of lipopolysaccharides(LPS) and the above pathogenic bacteria,disrupted the intestinal barrier,led to gut-liver axis derangement and TLR4 pathway activation in the liver.Overall,EA induced intestinal barrier damage and regulated TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB/MAPK pathways in the liver of SD rats,leading to the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and inflammatory liver damage.

FaSnRK1a mediates salicylic acid pathways to enhance strawberry resistance to Botrytis cinerea

Strawberry is a major fruit crop worldwide because its nutritional and health benefits to human health,but its productivity is limited by Botrytis cinerea.Sucrose nonfermentation 1-related protein kinase 1(SnRK1)has a defense function against pathogens,but the function of SnRK1 in the defense response to B.cinerea in plants is still unclear.In this study,FaSnRK1a-OE and RNAi fruits were constructed and then inoculated with B.cinerea.The result reveals a positive role of Fa SnRK1a in the regulation of resistance to gray mold.FaSnRK1a affects SA content by regulating FaPAL1 and FaPAL2 expressions.The genes related to the SA signaling pathway(FaTGA1 and FaTGA2.1)were significantly increased/decreased in FaSnRK1a-OE or FaSnRK1a-RNAi fruit,respectively.FaSnRK1a interacted with the FaWRKY33.2 protein and negatively regulated FaWRKY33.2 expression,and FaWRKY33.2 acts as a repressor of disease resistance to B.cinerea.Finally,FaSnRK1a regulates the expression of six PR genes and the activities of antioxidant enzymes to boost defense response after B.cinerea inoculation.Our findings showed that FaSnRK1a increases the resistance of strawberry fruit to B.cinerea via SA signaling pathway and interaction with the FaWRKY33.2 transcription factor.

Red Yeast Rice Increases Excretion of Bile Acids in Hamsters

Objective To investigate the hypocholesterolemic activity of red yeast rice （RYR） and its underlying mechanism. Methods Three groups of hamsters were fed either the control diet or one of the two experimental diets containing by weight 0.1% RYR （0.1RYR） or 0.3% RYR （0.3RYR）. Blood （0.5 mL） was collected from the retro-orbital sinus into a heparinized capillary tube at the end of week 0, 3, and 6. Plasma lipoproteins were measured using enzymatic kits, while fecal neutral and acidic sterols were quantified using a gas-liquid chromatography. Results Plasma total cholesterol was reduced by 12% in 0.1RYR group and by 18% in 0.3RYR group compared with the control value. Similarly, plasma triacylglycerol was decreased by 11% in 0.1RYR group and by 24% in 0.3RYR group. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that RYR had no effect on sterol regulatory element binding protein 2, fiver X receptor, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutary-CoA reductase, LDL receptor, and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase. HPLC analysis confirmed that RYR contained 0.88% monacolin K. It was recently found that RYR supplementation increased excretion of fecal acidic sterols by 34 folds compared with the conlrol value. Conclusion Hypocholesterolemic activity of RYR is mediated at least partially by enhancement of acidic sterol excretion.

Adsorption behavior of Azo Dye C. I. Acid Red 14 in aqueous solution on surface soils

Azo dyes have received considerable attention because of their association with various human health problems. The aim of the investigation is to determine the adsorption behavior ofazo dyes in aqueous solution on DG06, GSE17200, and GSE17201 soils using C. I. Acid Red 14 （AR14） as example. The experimental results indicate that the Freundlich model expresses the adsorption isotherm better than the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order model achieves adsorption of AR14 on the three soils well. Based on the pseudo-second-order model, the adsorption thermodynamic of AR14 on DG06 soil have been studied and the thermodynamics parameter of AGO is determined and AGO value shows the adsorption process of AR14 on DG06 is mainly physical in nature. Furthermore, the effects of temperature, pH and salinity （NaC1） on adsorption have been investigated. The decrease in pH or the increase in salinity enhances the adsorption of AR14 by DG06, GSE17200, and GSE17201.

Effect of copper on phospholipid fatty acid composition of microbial communities in two red soils

The phospholipid fatty acid （PLFA） composition was analyzed in two red soils experimentally contaminated with copper at different concentrations. The total amounts ofphospholipid fatty acids （PLFAs） in both red soils were significantly correlated with soil microbial biomass C and N, which decreased consistently with increasing levels of copper. The relative quantities of the PLFAs 17：0 （10 Me）, i16：0, il 5：0 and 16：1w5c, decreased with increasing heavy metal concentration, while those of cyl7：0, which is an indicator of gram-negative bacteria, increased. The Shannon index calculated from the PLFA data indicated that Cu addition in the red soils decreased the population diversity of soil microbial communities. Multivariate analysis of PLFA data demonstrated that high levels of Cu application had a significant impact on microbial community structure and there is a threshold metal concentration for PLFA composition. Comparatively higher toxic effect on microbial biomass and community structure were found in the red sandy soil than those in the red clayey soil. The differential effect of Cu addition on microbial communities in the two soils may be due to differences in soil texture and cation exchange capacity.

Fluorescence Microscopic Image Analysis of Nucleic Acids Based on The Capillary Flow Directed Assembly Ring of Neutral Red-nucleic Acid Supramolecular Complexes

It is critical to establish a direct and precise method with a high sensitivity and selectivity in analytical chemistry. In this research, making use of a well known phenomenon of capillary flow, we have proposed an image analysis method of nucleic acids at the price of a small amount of sample. When a droplet of the supramolecular complex solution, formed by neutral red and nucleic acids(NA) under an approximate neutral condition, was placed on the hydrophobic surface of dimethyl dichlorosilane pretreated glass slides, and it was evaporated, the supramolecular complex exhibited the periphery of the droplet due to the capillary effect, and accumulated there to form a red capillary flow directed assembly ring(CFDAR). A typical CFDAR has an outer diameter of (2 r ) about 1.18 mm and a ring width(2 δ ) of about 41 μm. Depending on the experimental conditions, a variety of CFDAR can be assembled. The experimental results are in agreement with our former theoretical discussion. It was found that when a droplet volume is 0.1 μL, the fluorescence intensity of the CFDAR formed by the NR NA is in proportion to the content of calf thymus DNA in the range of 0-0.28 ng, fish sperm DNA of 0-0.24 ng and yeast RNA of 0-0.16 ng with the limit of detection(3 σ ) of 1 7, 1.4 and 0.9 pg, respectively for the three nucleic acids.

Lactic Acid Reduces LPS-Induced TNF-a and IL-6 mRNA Levels Through Decreasing I?Ba Phosphorylation

This study explored the effects over time of lactic acid （LA） on IκBα phosphorylation and nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） p65 protein expression, and on tumor necrosis factor a （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） mRNA levels in rat intestinal mucosa microvascular endothelial cells （RIMMVECs） stimulated by lipopolysaccharide （LPS）. I？Ba, phosphorylated IκBa （p-IκBa） and p65 protein levels were monitored by Western blot analysis, and TNF-a and IL-6 mRNA levels were analyzed using real-time PCR. LA treatment reduced TNF-a and IL-6 mRNA levels in LPS-stimulated RIMMVECs, with the greatest effect being after 3 h. The highest inhibitory effect of LA on IκBa phosphorylation to prevent activation of NF-κB was after 6 h. These results suggest that LA reduces TNF-a and IL-6 mRNA levels through decreasing IκBa phosphorylation and blocking the dissociation of IKK complex, which prevents activation of NF-κB.

Salvianolic acid B protects the myelin sheath around injured spinal cord axons

Salvianolic acid B,an active pharmaceutical compound present in Salvia miltiorrhiza,exerts a neuroprotective effect in animal models of brain and spinal cord injury.Salvianolic acid B can promote recovery of neurological function;however,its protective effect on the myelin sheath after spinal cord injury remains poorly understood.Thus,in this study,in vitro tests showed that salvianolic acid B contributed to oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation,and the most effective dose was 20 μg/m L.For in vivo investigation,rats with spinal cord injury were intraperitoneally injected with 20 mg/kg salvianolic acid B for 8 weeks.The amount of myelin sheath and the number of regenerating axons increased,neurological function recovered,and caspase-3 expression was decreased in the spinal cord of salvianolic acid B-treated animals compared with untreated control rats.These results indicate that salvianolic acid B can protect axons and the myelin sheath,and can promote the recovery of neurological function.Its mechanism of action is likely to be associated with inhibiting apoptosis and promoting the differentiation and maturation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells.

Alleviation of Subsoil Acidity of Red Soil in Southeast China with Lime and Gypsum *1

Application of lime or gypsum is a common agricultural practice to ameliorate soils with low pH which prohibits crop production. Its integrated effect on soil properties in a red soil derived from Quaternary red clay in Southeast China is discussed in this paper. Application of gypsum in the topsoil without leaching raised soil pH and promoted the production of soil NH 4, but lime addition had a contrary effect. Generally, application of lime and/or gypsum has little effect on soil electrical properties. Gypsum had a little effect on soil exchange complex and its effect went down to 30 cm in depth. The effect of lime reached only to 5 cm below its application layer. With leaching, Ca transferred from top soil to subsoil and decreased exchangeable Al in subsoil. Gypsum application led to a sharp decrease in soil exchangeable Mg but had no effect on K.

Protective effects of Bifi dobacterium breve on imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice through secondary bile acid production and FXR-TLR4/NF-κB pathway

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Bifi dobacterium breve CCFM683 on psoriasis and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.B.breve CCFM683 significantly ameliorated psoriasis in mice as well as elevated the deoxycholic acid(DCA)and lithocholic acid(LCA)in the colon compared with those of the imiquimod(IMQ)-treated mice.Meanwhile,B.breve CCFM683 increased the relative abundance of DCA-producing Lachnoclostridium and diminished the harmful Desulfovibrio and Prevotellaceae UCG001.Additionally,the farnesoid X receptor(FXR)in the skin was activated and the expression of the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)pathway was inhibited,and the downstream interleukin(IL)-17 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αwere downregulated whereas IL-10 was up-regulated.Moreover,the subsequent hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and the dysfunction of the epidermal barrier were improved.In conclusion,CCFM683 administration ameliorated IMQ-induced psoriasis via modulating gut microbiota,promoting the DCA production,regulating the FXR-TLR4/NF-κB pathway,diminishing proinflammatory cytokines,and regulating keratinocytes and epidermal barrier.These findings may be conducive to elucidating the mechanism for probiotics to ameliorate psoriasis and to promote its clinical trials in skin disease.

Pachymic acid exerts antitumor activities by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via targeting PTP1B

Objective:To determine the inhibitory effects of pachymic acid on lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD)cells and elucidate its underlying mechanism.Methods:CCK-8,wound healing,Transwell,Western blot,tube formation,and immunofluorescence assays were carried out to measure the effects of various concentrations of pachymic acid on LUAD cell proliferation,metastasis,angiogenesis as well as autophagy.Subsequently,molecular docking technology was used to detect the potential targeted binding association between pachymic acid and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B(PTP1B).Moreover,PTP1B was overexpressed in A549 cells to detect the specific mechanisms of pachymic acid.Results:Pachymic acid suppressed LUAD cell viability,metastasis as well as angiogenesis while inducing cell autophagy.It also targeted PTP1B and lowered PTP1B expression.However,PTP1B overexpression reversed the effects of pachymic acid on metastasis,angiogenesis,and autophagy as well as the expression of Wnt3a andβ-catenin in LUAD cells.Conclusions:Pachymic acid inhibits metastasis and angiogenesis,and promotes autophagy in LUAD cells by modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via targeting PTP1B.

Photo-degradation of Acid-red 3B dye catalyzed by TiO_2 nanotubes

TiO2 nanotube precursor was synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction of TiO2 powders with NaOH solution and the properties of the nanotube materials were tuned using different post-treatments. Transmission electron microscopic （TEM） observation revealed that the nanotube could be obtained by either a direct rinse with acid solution or rinse with distilled water followed by acid solution. The results of X-ray diffraction （XRD） and inductively coupled plasma （ICP） analysis indicated that the nanotube material was composed of H2Ti2O5·H2O. In addition, the photocatalytic activities of the resulting catalysts were found to be strongly dependent on the post-treatment. The results of the photocatalytic reaction showed that the degradation of Acid-red 3B dye fitted pseudo-zero-order kinetics and TiO2 nanotube prepared under direct rinse with acid solution exhibited a higher catalytic efficiency compared to other catalysts.

Branched-chain fatty acids from goat milk alleviate ulcerative colitis via the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway

Branched-chain fatty acids(BCFAs)are new bioactive fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties.However,the role of BCFAs in alleviating ulcerative colitis has not been clarified.Herein,we evaluated the protective effect of BCFAs from goat milk in mice with colitis induced using dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)and explored the corresponding mechanism.These results show that BCFAs extracted from goat milk can significantly alleviate weight loss in mice,and reduce the disease activity index and the activity of myeloperoxidase while increasing the content of antioxidant enzymes in colon tissue and reducing the oxidation stress response.These data also show that BCFAs can down-regulate the gene and protein expression of the toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factorκB p65(NF-κB p65)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)signaling pathway,and at the same time significantly reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α),interleukin 1β(IL-1β),and IL-18 in colon tissue,and significantly increase the expression of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10.In conclusion,these results demonstrated that BCFAs in goat milk exerted effects on colitis-related inflammatory cytokines and inhibited inflammation by inducing the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway to alleviate DSS-induced ulcerative colitis.This study provides evidence for the potential of BCFAs as bioactive fatty acids in food products and to ameliorate ulcerative colitis development in mice.

Determination of Salvianolic Acid B in Yiqi Huayu Prescription by HPLC

[Objectives]To determine the content of salvianolic acid B in Yiqi Huayu Prescription by HPLC.[Methods]The chromatographic column was ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C 18(4.6 nm×250 nm,5μm);the mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.1%phosphoric acid(21:79),the detection wavelength was 286 nm,the column temperature was 30℃,and the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min.A method for determination of salvianolic acid B in Yiqi Huayu Prescription was established.[Results]The linear relationship of salvianolic acid B was good in the range of 0.0214-0.4064 mg/mL.The regression equation was Y=5995.98984 X-0.07332,r=0.9999.The average recovery rate was 98.88%(RSD=1.6%).[Conclusions]The method is reliable,accurate and specific,and can be used for the determination of salvianolic acid B in Yiqi Huayu Prescription.

Research Progress on Neuroprotective Effects of Salvianolic Acid B in an Animal Model of Parkinson's Disease

As an active ingredient extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza,the neuroprotective effects of salvianolic acid B in Parkinson's disease include antioxidation,improvement of mitochondrial function,modulation of neuroinflammation,inhibition of apoptosis,promotion of neuronal differentiation and proliferation,and influence on intestinal flora.As an adjuvant drug,salbutamol B can be used in combination with conventional therapeutic drugs to enhance the efficacy and minimize the side effects,which provides a method and basis for the early diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease in clinical practice.

Electrochemical Corrosion Behavior of Nd-Fe-B Sintered Magnets in Different Acid Solutions

Electrochemical corrosion behavior of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets in nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphate acid and in oxalic acid was studied. Potentiodynamic polarization curves and immersion time dependence of corrosion rates of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets in different acid solutions were tested. Microstructures of corroded Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets were investigated by means of SEM and AFM. The results indicate that in strong acid solutions of similar hydrogen ion concentration, the corrosion current increases in the order of HCl 〉 H3SO4 〉 HNO3 solution and Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets are passivated in phosphate acid and oxalic acid. Within 25 min, the corrosion rates of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets in H2SO4 and H3PO4 solutions show a declining trend with immersion time, while in HNO3 and HCl solutions the corrosion rates are rising. And in H2C2O4 solution, weight of the magnets increases. The brim of Nd-Fe-B sintered magnets is corroded rather seriously and the size of the magnets changed greatly in nitric acid. The surfaces of the corroded magnets in the above mentioned acid solutions are all coarse.

4-Hydroxycinnamic acid attenuates neuronal cell death by inducing expression of plasma membrane redox enzymes and improving mitochondrial functions

Many approaches to neurodegenerative diseases that focus on amyloid-βclearance and gene therapy have not been successful.Some therapeutic applications focus on enhancing neuronal cell survival during the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases,including mitochondrial dysfunction.Plasma membrane(PM)redox enzymes are crucial in maintaining cellular physiology and redox homeostasis in response to mitochondrial dysfunction.Neurohormetic phytochemicals are known to induce the expression of detoxifying enzymes under stress conditions.In this study,mechanisms of neuroprotective effects of 4-hydroxycinnamic acid(HCA)were examined by analyzing cell survival,levels of abnormal proteins,and mitochondrial functions in two different neuronal cells.HCA protected two neuronal cells exhibited high expression of PM redox enzymes and the consequent increase in the NAD^(+)/NADH ratio.Cells cultured with HCA showed delayed apoptosis and decreased oxidative/nitrative damage accompanied by decreased ROS production in the mitochondria.HCA increased the mitochondrial complexes I and II activities and ATP production.Also,HCA increased mitochondrial fusion and decreased mitochondrial fission.Overall,HCA maintains redox homeostasis and energy metabolism under oxidative/metabolic stress conditions.These findings suggest that HCA could be a promising therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases.

Lipids and Fatty Acid Composition of Dried Edible Red and Black Ants

Total lipid contents,lipid classes and fatty acid compositions of hot-air dried edible black ants（Polyrhachis vicina Roger） from Wenzhou and Guizhou,China,and edible red ant（Oecophylla smaragdina Fabricius） from Thailand were determined.The major lipid components were triacylglycerol（43.4-79.4% of total lipid）,followed by phospholipids（6.1-21.5%）,diacylglycerol（6.1-18.1%） and cholesterol ester（4.9-13.5%） while free fatty acids（1.8-2.9%） and sterol（0.5-0.8%） were the minor components.Oleic acid（C18：1） was the most predominant fatty acid,accounting for 3 407.8,9 098.8 and 3 790.1 mg 100 g-1 in Wenzhou and Guizhou black ants,and Thai red ant,respectively.Followed by palmitic acid（C16：0）,922.9,2 523.3 and 1 511.8 mg 100 g-1;linoleic acid（C18：2n-6）,133.7,305.2 and 506.4 mg 100 g-1;α-linolenic acid（C18：3n-3）,35.1,138.0 and 52.5 mg 100 g-1;eicosapentaenoic acid（C20：5n-3） was 19.1,15.0 and 20.0 mg 100 g-1 in Wenzhou and Guizhou black ants,and Thai red ant,respectively.Docosapentaenoic acid（C22：5n-3） was only found in black ants,7.0 and 7.3 mg 100 g-1 for Wenzhou and Guizhou ants,respectively.The edible black and red ants were shown to be a good source of unsaturated fatty acid.

Fatty Acid Profiles of Livers from Two Marine Fishes Inhabiting Sudanese Red Sea Coast

Fish livers a good source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega 3, are usually discarded as a waste when fish are processed for human consumption in Sudan. Highly fresh Triaenodon obesus and Hipposcarus harid fish were purchased from Port Sudan fish central market during December 2014. The fatty acid profiles of the livers of these commercially important fish were determined. The polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids ratio in the livers oil of T. obesus and H. harid was 1:2.2 and 1:1.38, respectively. The Palmatic (16:0), Pentadecenoic (12:0) and Arachidic acids were the highest in both species. The poly chain unsaturated fatty acids Linolenic (18:3n - 3), Eicosapentaenoic (20:5n - 3) and Docosahexaenoic (22:6n - 3) were detected in the liver of both species. The highest values of above poly chain unsaturated fatty acids were detected in T. obesus.

Titratable Acidity and Alkalinity of Red Soil Surfaces

The surfaces of red soils have an apparent amphotenc character, carrying titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity simultaneously. The titratable acidity arises from deprotonation of hydroxyl groups of hydrous oxide-type surfaces and dissociation of weak-acid functional groups of soil organic matter, while the titratable alkalinity is derived from release of hydroxyl groups of hydrous oxide-type surfaces. The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity mainly depended on the composition and content of iron and aluminum oxides in the soils. The results showed that the titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity were in significantly positive correlation not only with the content of amorphous aluminum oxide(Alo) and iron oxide(Feo) extracted with acid ammonium oxalate solution, free iron ox-ide(Fed) extracted with sodium dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) and clays, but also with the zero point of charge (ZPC) of the samples. Organic matter made an important contribution to the titratable acidity. The titratable alkalinity was closely correlated with the amount of fluoride ions adsorbed. The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity of red soils were influenced by parent materials, being in the order of red soil derived from basalt > that from tuff > that from granite. The titratable acidity and titratable alkalinity were closely related with origination of the variable charges of red soils, and to a certain extent were responsible for variable negative and positive charges of the soils.