Trimethylamine N-oxide attenuates high-fat high-cholesterol dietinduced steatohepatitis by reducing hepatic cholesterol overload in rats

BACKGROUND Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) has been shown to be involved in cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, its role in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is unknown. AIM To determine the effect of TMAO on the progression of NASH. METHODS A rat model was induced by 16-wk high-fat high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet feeding and TMAO was administrated by daily oral gavage for 8 wk. RESULTS Oral TMAO intervention attenuated HFHC diet-induced steatohepatitis in rats. Histological evaluation showed that TMAO treatment significantly alleviated lobular inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning in the livers of rats fed a HFHC diet. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were also decreased by TMAO treatment. Moreover, hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and cell death were mitigated in HFHC diet-fed TMAOtreated rats. Hepatic and serum levels of cholesterol were both decreased by TMAO treatment in rats fed a HFHC diet. Furthermore, the expression levels of intestinal cholesterol transporters were detected. Interestingly, cholesterol influxrelated Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 was downregulated and cholesterol efflux-related ABCG5/8 were upregulated by TMAO treatment in the small intestine. Gut microbiota analysis showed that TMAO could alter the gut microbial profile and restore the diversity of gut flora. CONCLUSION These data suggest that TMAO may modulate the gut microbiota, inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption, and ameliorate hepatic ER stress and cell death under cholesterol overload, thereby attenuating HFHC diet-induced steatohepatitis in rats. Further studies are needed to evaluate the influence on CVD and define the safe does of TMAO treatment.

Distinct influence of trimethylamine N-oxide and high hydrostatic pressure on community structure and culturable deep-sea bacteria

Trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO)is one of the most important nutrients for bacteria in the deep-sea environment and is capable of improving pressure tolerance of certain bacterial strains.To assess the impact of TMAO on marine microorganisms,especially those dwelling in the deep-sea environment,we analyzed the bacterial community structure of deep-sea sediments after incubated under different conditions.Enrichments at 50 MPa and 0.1 MPa revealed that TMAO imposed a greater influence on bacterial diversity and community composition at atmospheric pressure condition than that under high hydrostatic pressure(HHP).We found that pressure was the primary factor that determines the bacterial community.Meanwhile,in total,238 bacterial strains were isolated from the enrichments,including 112 strains a ffiliated to 16 genera of 4 phyla from the Yap Trench and 126 strains a ffiliated to 11 genera of 2 phyla from the Mariana Trench.Treatment of HHP reduced both abundance and diversity of isolates,while the presence of TMAO mainly af fected the diversity of isolates obtained.In addition,certain genera were isolated only when TMAO was supplemented.Taken together,we demonstrated that pressure primarily defines the bacterial community and culturable bacterial isolates.Furthermore,we showed for the first time that TMAO had distinct influences on bacterial community depending on the pressure condition.The results enriched the understanding of the significance of TMAO in bacterial adaptation to the deep-sea environment.

Contribution of trimethylamine N-oxide on the growth and pressure tolerance of deep-sea bacteria

Trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO) is widely dispersed in marine environments and plays an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen. Diverse marine bacteria utilize TMAO as carbon and nitrogen sources or as electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration. Alteration of respiratory component according to the pressure is a common trait of deep-sea bacteria. Deep-sea bacteria from dif ferent genera harbor high hydrostatic pressure(HHP) inducible TMAO reductases that are assumed to be constitutively expressed in the deep-sea piezosphere and facilitating quick reaction to TMAO released from ?sh which is a potential nutrient for bacterial growth. However, whether deep-sea bacteria universally employ this strategy remains unknown. In this study, 237 bacterial strains affliated to 23 genera of Proteobacteria,Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were isolated from seawater, sediment or amphipods collected at dif ferent depths. The pressure tolerance and the utilization of TMAO were examined in 74 strains. The results demonstrated no apparent correlation between the depth where the bacteria inhabit and their pressure tolerance, regarding to our samples. Several deep-sea strains from the genera of Alteromonas, Halomonas,Marinobacter, Photobacterium, and Vibrio showed capacity of TMAO utilization, but none of the isolated Acinebacter, Bacillus, Brevundimonas, Muricauda, Novosphingobium, Rheinheimera, Sphingobium and Stenotrophomonas did, indicating the utilization of TMAO is a species-speci?c feature. Furthermore, we noticed that the ability of TMAO utilization varied among strains of the same species. TMAO has greater impact on the growth of deep-sea isolates of Vibrio neocaledonicus than shallow-water isolates. Taken together, the results describe for the ?rst time the TMAO utilization in deep-sea bacterial strains, and expand our understanding of the physiological characteristic of marine bacteria.

Activation of Transition Metal(Fe,Co and Ni)-Oxide Nanoclusters by Nitrogen Defects in Carbon Nanotube for Selective CO_(2) Reduction Reaction

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR),which can produce value-added chemical feedstocks,is a proton-coupled-electron process with sluggish kinetics.Thus,highly efficient,cheap catalysts are urgently required.Transition metal oxides such as CoO_(x),FeO_(x),and NiO_(x)are low-cost,low toxicity,and abundant materials for a wide range of electrochemical reactions,but are almost inert for CO_(2)RR.Here,we report for the first time that nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes(N-CNT)have a surprising activation effect on the activity and selectivity of transition metal-oxide(MO_(x)where M=Fe,Ni,and Co)nanoclusters for CO_(2)RR.MO_(x)supported on N-CNT,MO_(x)/N-CNT,achieves a CO yield of 2.6–2.8 mmol cm−2 min−1 at an overpotential of−0.55 V,which is two orders of magnitude higher than MO_(x)supported on acid treated CNTs(MO_(x)/O-CNT)and four times higher than pristine N-CNT.The faraday efficiency for electrochemical CO_(2)-to-CO conversion is as high as 90.3%at overpotential of 0.44 V.Both in-situ XAS measurements and DFT calculations disclose that MO_(x)nanoclusters can be hydrated in CO_(2)saturated KHCO_(3),and the N defects of N-CNT effectively stabilize these metal hydroxyl species under carbon dioxide reduction reaction conditions,which can split the water molecules and provide local protons to inhibit the poisoning of active sites under carbon dioxide reduction reaction conditions.

Manufacturing N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan-reduced graphene oxide under freeze-dying for performance improvement of Li-S battery

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries can provide far higher energy density than currently commercialized lithium ion batteries, but challenges remain before it they are used in practice.One of the challenges is the shuttle effect that originates from soluble intermediates, like lithium polysulfides. To address this issue, we report a novel laminar composite, N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan-reduced graphene oxide(CC-rGO), which is manufactured via the self-assembly of CC onto GO and subsequent reduction of GO under an extreme condition of 1 Pa and-50°C. The synthesized laminar CC-rGO composite is mixed with acetylene black(AB) and coated on a commercial polypropylene(PP) membrane, resulting in a separator(CC-rGO/AB/PP) that can not only completely suppress the polysulfides penetration, but also can accelerate the lithium ion transportation, providing a Li-S battery with excellent cyclic stability and rate capability. As confirmed by theoretic simulations, this unique feature of CC-rGO is attributed to its strong repulsive interaction to polysulfide anions and its benefit for fast lithium ion transportation through the paths paved by the heteroatoms in CC.

两种咔唑基-吡啶-N-氧化物内盐荧光极性探针研究

合成了4-(9H-咔唑-9-基)吡啶1-氧化物(CPNO)和4-(4-(9H-咔唑-9-基)苯基)吡啶1-氧化物(CPPNO)两种咔唑基-吡啶-N-氧化物内盐,测定了它们在不同溶剂中的紫外-可见吸收和荧光光谱,均表现出对溶剂极性较好的敏感性。计算表明,两个化合物都具有较大的激发态偶极矩,是化合物溶剂极性敏感性的原因。研究为开发新型的荧光极性探针提供了一种新思路。

N-Oxides制备方法

综述了吡啶类衍生物、喹啉类衍生物等杂环含氮化合物,仲胺以及叔胺被氧化成为相应的氮氧化合物的方法。

肠道菌群代谢产物氧化三甲胺通过抑制Keap1/Nrf2信号通路激活发挥促动脉粥样硬化作用

目的:研究肠道菌群(GM)代谢产物氧化三甲胺(TMAO)对动脉粥样硬化(AS)的影响及其相关机制。方法:按照随机数字表法将雄性小鼠分为对照组、模型组、TMAO组、Keap1/Nrf2激动剂RTA-408组和TMAO+RTA-408组,每组12只。其中,模型组小鼠采用高脂饲料喂养,TMAO组小鼠在高脂饲料中加1%胆碱,造模周期为12周。造模结束后,RTA-408组和TMAO+RTA-408组小鼠每天腹腔单次注射RTA-408(100μg/kg),持续给药14d,期间其他各组小鼠腹腔注射等量的生理盐水。采用生化分析法定量测定TG、TC、LDL-C和HDL-C的水平。通过HE、Masson三色和油红O染色检测主动脉的组织学改变。通过ELISA检测血清中白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β)、活性氧(ROS)和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)的水平。超高液相色谱串联质谱法(UHPLC-MS/MS)检测小鼠血浆中TMAO含量;荧光探针法检测主动脉ROS的荧光强度;qRT-PCR、Western blot分别检测小鼠主动脉组织中Keap1、Nrf2、HO-1的mRNA和蛋白表达水平;免疫荧光观察Nrf2的核易位情况。结果:AS小鼠血清TC、TG、LDL-C浓度相较于对照组升高,HDL-C浓度则降低(P<0.01)。此外,模型组显示广泛的主动脉内膜增厚,明显的泡沫细胞形成,动脉壁胶原沉积增加。此外,血清中IL-1β、ROS和TMAO水平显著升高(P<0.01),SOD活性显著降低(P<0.01),主动脉中ROS含量增加、Nrf2核转位显著抑制(P<0.01),Keap1、Nrf2和HO-1 mRNA与蛋白表达水平升高(P<0.01)。与AS小鼠相比,TMAO处理进一步加重对应指标上述变化趋势(P<0.05);RTA-408则取消TMAO对AS小鼠的加重作用(P<0.05)。结论:TMAO可能通过抑制Keap1/Nrf2信号通路激活对AS小鼠的主动脉病理改变、炎症反应和内皮损伤发挥加重作用。

微液滴中N,N-二甲基苯胺类化合物的氧化行为研究

小尺寸、高电场的微液滴具有独特的化学性质,可以加速化学反应或实现液相中一些无法进行的反应。本文基于微液滴的化学特点,搭建了微液滴喷雾质谱平台,研究N,N-二甲基苯胺(DMA)类化合物的氧化行为和裂解反应。利用微液滴在空气-水界面自发产生的超高电场,使DMA类化合物发生氧化反应,形成了丰富的、其他手段难以获得的高活性自由基阳离子(DMA^(+·)),发现在整个微液滴反应中,DMA^(+·)占据主导地位,引导其他氧化反应进行。另外,通过改变DMA反应条件,探究实验条件和取代基模式对产生DMA^(+·)丰度和稳定性的影响,结果表明,对位有供电子基团有利于自由基阳离子的稳定。此外,DMA^(+·)解离后主要丢失氢自由基以及进一步发生甲基迁移反应丢失HC≡N,当DMA的对位连有供电子基团时,会促进该迁移反应的发生。该研究有助于加深对水微滴化学促进氧化反应特性的理解,有望将制备的高活性自由基阳离子等活性物种应用于化工或制药等领域。

Boosted urea electro-oxidation over Ni_(3)N-based nanocomposite via systematic regulation tactic

Exploiting high-efficiency Ni-based materials for electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction(UOR) is critical for urea-related technologies.The catalytic site density,intrinsic activity,charge transfer,and mass diffusion determine overall electrocatalytic efficiency.Simultaneous modulation over the above four factors promises advanced electrocatalysis,yet challenging.Herein we propose a systematic regulation tactic over composition and geometric structure,constructing a nanocomposite comprising Mn doped Ni_(3)N nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide(rGO/Mn-Ni_(3)N),achieving elegant integration of four design principles into one,thereby eminently boosting UOR.Particularly,Mn doping in Ni_(3)N can modulate electronic state to induce intrinsic activity regulation.Combining metallic Mn-Ni_(3)N with rGO to engineer hierarchical architecture not only promotes charge transfer,but also enriches active site population.Intriguingly,improved hydrophilicity could impart better electrolyte penetration and gas escape.Consequently,such system-optimized rGO/Mn-Ni_(3)N demonstrates state-of-the-art-level UOR electrocatalysis.This work offers a novel paradigm to create advanced catalysts via systematic and integrated modulation.

Reduced graphene oxide-based materials for electrochemical energy conversion reactions

There have been ever-growing demands to develop advanced electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion over the past decade.As a promising platform for advanced electrocatalysts,reduced graphene oxide(rGO)has attracted substantial research interests in a variety of electrochemical energy conversion reactions.Its versatile utility is mainly attributed to unique physical and chemical properties,such as high specific surface area,tunable electronic structure,and the feasibility of structural modification and functionalization.Here,a comprehensive discussion is provided upon recent advances in the material preparation,characterization,and the catalytic activity of rGO-based electrocatalysts for various electrochemical energy conversion reactions(water splitting,CO2 reduction reaction,N2 reduction reaction,and O2 reduction reaction).Major advantages of rGO and the related challenges for enhancing their catalytic performance are addressed.

Roles of rare earth oxide additives in millimeter-wave sintering of AlN

Roles of rare earth oxide （RE2O3） additives in millimeter-wave（MM） sintering of AIN were investigated from the standpoints of phase diagram, heating characteristics of rare earth oxides, and morphology of intergranular oxide phase. In the millimeter-wave sintering of AIN, densification temperature decreased with the decrease of the ionic radius of rare earth ion and was closely related with the eutectic temperature in the RE2Oa-Al2O3 binary system. The lowest densification temperature in the millimeter-wave sintering of AIN with Yb2O3 additive was attributed to the largest heating rate of Yb2O3-Al2O3 binary oxide under millimeter-wave radiation. Furthermore, the lowest densification temperature could be attained while selecting the Yb2O3 content so as to form the intergranular phase with the eutectic composition in the Yb2O3-Al2O3 binary system. The result showed good agreement with the above mentioned during the sintering of Si3N4 with Yb2O3-Al2O3 additive. From TEM observation, it was verified that film-like intergranular oxide phase formed under millimeter-wave radiation was favorable for attaining high thermal conductivity in the Yb2O3 added AINs.

Super-hydrophobic and super-lipophilic functionalized graphene oxide/polyurethane sponge applied for oil/water separation

Nowadays, oil spills have led to a serious environmental crisis of the world. To deal with this problem, inspired from super-hydrophobic lotus leaf, this study fabricated super-hydrophobic and super-lipophilic functionalized graphene oxide/polyurethane(FGP) sponge by a simple and inexpensive dip coating method. The resulting FGP sponge was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and water contact angle. The results expressed that FGP sponge exhibited a similar surface structure to that of a lotus leaf, and possessed the super-hydrophobic characteristic with the water contact angle(WAC) of 152°±1°. The absorption capacity and reusability were also investigated. It can be seen that, the FGP sponge can remove a wide range of oils and organic solvents from water with good absorption capacities(up to 35 times of its own mass). Significantly, after 10 cycles the absorption capacity of the oils and organic solvents was higher than 90%for the reused FGP sponge, demonstrating the good reusability of the FGP sponge. Therefore, this study probably provided a simple way to remove the pollutions of oil spills and toxic organism from water.

Organic Manures and Crop Residues as Fertilizer Substitutes: Impact on Nitrous Oxide Emission, Plant Growth and Grain Yield in Pre-Monsoon Rice Cropping System

It has been previously argued that application of organic residues added in soils has a great impact on soil quality, grain productivity as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Substitution of chemical fertilizers has become a common practice in agricultural systems which consequently affect the greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural fields. To observe the effects of organic manures and crop residues amendments, five fertilizer treatments including conventional inorganic nitrogen fertilizer—NPK, cow manure, rice straw, poultry manure and sugarcane bagasse were applied in the field for two consecutive pre-monsoon rice seasons. Addition of rice straw, poultry manure and sugarcane bagasse decreased the cumulative N2O emissions by 14% and 31%, and by 1% and 7% and 5% and 3% in 2012 and 2013 respectively when compared with conventional fertilizer treatment (NPK) in both the seasons. Yield differences were not significant (p > 0.005) amongst the treatments, however, a slight increase was observed due to rice straw amendment over control. Soil organic carbon decreased by 11% - 17% under the application of organic residues which might have contributed to lower N2O emissions from the plots. Results of carbon equivalent emission (CEE) and carbon efficiency ratio (CER) indicated that incorporation of rice straw during pre-monsoon rice season had the potential to reduce the N2O emissions and yield scaled emissions of rice production at lower level than the conventional farmers’ practice of using chemical fertilizers (NPK).

Effect of nickel oxide morphology on the nitrogen electrochemical reduction reaction

In order to study the effect of catalysts’morphology on the electrochemical reduction of nitrogen gas,sample catalysts of NiO with four different morphologies(hollow spherical,sea urchin-shape,cubic block,and rod-like)were prepared.Characterization of the NiO catalysts was carried out using SEM,BET,XRD and electrochemical investigation techniques.The results indicated that the nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)is strictly dependent on the morphology of the NiO catalysts,as the hollow spherical NiO showed the best electrochemical NRR performance of NH3 yield rate(3.21μg h^-1 mg^-1 cat.,4.1910^-11 mol cm^-2 s^-1)and Faradaic efficiency(1.37%),which was higher than the yields and efficiencies of the rod-NiO(1.8μg h^-1 mg^-1 cat.,3.2410^-11 mol cm^-2 s^-1,1.17%),sea urchin-NiO(1.66μg h^-1 mg^-1 cat.,2.4410^-11 mol cm^-2 s^-1,1.08%)and cubic block-NiO(1.32μg h^-1 mg^-1 cat.,2.1410^-11 mol cm^-2 s^-1,0.81%),respectively.These results match the order of the specific surface area of the NiO samples,with hollow spherical(113.91 m^2 g^-1)>rod-NiO(55.12 m^2 g^-1)sea urchin-NiO(55.29 m^2 g^-1)>cubic block-NiO(38.57 m^2 g^-1).This correlation can be attributed to the fact that large specific surface areas can provide more active sites for electrocatalysis.This work demonstrates the effect of the morphology of the NiO catalysts on its electrochemical NRR properties,which could offer some opportunity for the preparation of new electrode materials with improved electrocatalytic properties.

CuCl-catalyzed Oxidative N-Demethylation of Arylamines with tButyl Hydroperoxide

CuCl-catalyzed oxidative N-demethylation of arylamines proceeded in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide. The one-electron transfer route of oxidative N-demethylation competed favorably with the H-atom abstraction route.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a Zinc(II) Complex Salt with the Schiff Base of Picolinaldehyde N-oxide and Semicarbazone

The title zinc（Ⅱ） complex salt [Zn（H2O）6]（ClO4）2-（PNOS）4, where PNOS is derived from picolinaldehyde N-oxide with semicarbazone, has been prepared and structurally characterized by X-ray single-crystal analysis. It crystallizes in triclinic, space group PI with a = 7.529（3）, b = 10.206（4）, c = 14.678（6）A, a = 86.293（6）, β= 87.686（7）, γ= 81.382（6）°, C28H44Cl2N16O22Zn, Mr = 1093.06, V = 1112.3（8） ,A^3 Z = 1, Dc = 1.632 g/cm^3, S = 1.089, μ（MoKa） = 0.773 mm^-1, F（000） = 564, the final R = 0.0438 and wR = 0.1076 for 3888 independent reflections with Rint = 0.0224. The crystal structure possesses a [Zn（H2O）6]^2＋ cation, two ClO4^- anions and four PNOSs. In the crystal structure, Zn^2＋ cation is located at the symcenter and coordinated by six water molecules. In [Zn（H2O）6]^2＋, an elongate octahedral complex cation, the average Zn-O bond length is 2.087（2） A. There exist a lot of H bonds in the structure, linking the cation [Zn（H2O）6]^2＋, anion ClO4^- and PNOS to form a 3D network.

Mass Spectrometric Studies of Selective Oxidation of n-Butane over a Vanadium Phosphorus Oxide Catalyst

The selective oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride (MA) on a vanadium-phosphorus oxide (VPO)catalyst was studied using on-line gas-chromatography combined with mass spectrometry(GC-MS) and transientresponse technique. The reaction intermediates, butene and furan, were found in the reaction effluent under nearindustrial feed condition (3% butane+15%O2), while dihydrofuran was detected at high butane concentration (12%butane, 5%O2). Some intermediates of MA decomposition were also identified. Detection of these intermediatesshows that the vanadium phosphorus oxides are able to dehydrogenate butane to butene, and butene further to formMA. Based on these observations, a modified scheme of reaction network is proposed. The transient experimentsshow that butane in the gas phase may directly react with oxygen both on the surface and from the metal oxidelattice, without a proceeding adsorption step. Gas phase oxygen can be adsorbed and transformed to surface latticeoxygen but it can not participate in selective oxidation. Adsorbed oxygen leads to deep oxidation, while latticeoxygen leads to selective oxidation.

Semi-synthesis and Crystal Structure of Sophoridine N-oxide

Sophoridine N-oxide was synthesized and characterized by 1H-NMR,EI-MS,IR and elemental analysis,together with X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis,and its crystal structure was reported for the first time.The crystal belongs to the orthorhombic system,space group P212121 with a = 8.321（2）,b = 15.650（3）,c = 24.352（5） ,V = 3171.1（11） 3,Z = 8,Dc = 1.258 g/cm3,λ（CuKα） = 1.54178,F（000） = 1440,the final R = 0.0351 and wR = 0.0970.The crystal structure shows Sophoridine N-oxide crystallizes with two host molecules of similar conformation and four water solvent molecules in the asymmetric unit.In the crystal structure,intermolecular O-H…O hydrogen bonds link the constituent molecules into a 2D layer structure,which further extends to a 3D supramolecular architecture via Van der Waals interactions and intermolecular O-H…O hydrogen bonds.

Synthesis and Structure of the Manganese Complexwith 2-Aminopyridine N-oxide

The complex Mn(apo)6Cl2 (apo=2-aminopyridine N-oxide) was obtained by the reaction of MnCl2(4H2O with apo(HCl and NaOH in ethanol. A single-crystal X-ray study shows that the complex is mononuclear with octahedral coordination environment (MnC30H36N12O6Cl2). The oxygen atoms from apo ligands coordinate to the manganese atom forming Mn(apo)6Cl2. The compound Mn(apo)6Cl2 is hexagonally symmetric with space group R3, lattice constants: a = 12.010(2), b = 12.010(2), c = 20.232(4) ?, ( = 120(, V= 2527.4(7) ?3, Z=3, Mr =786.55, Dc=1.550 g/cm3, (= 0.614mm-1, F(000) = 1221, R = 0.0541, Rw = 0.0580 for 1229 reflections with I>2((I). The distances between Mn(II) and O atoms are in the range from 2.171(5) to 2.184(5) ?, and the distance between the chlorine anion and N atom of amido group is 3.3 ?. The dihedral angle between two adjacent pyridine ring planes is 59.19 (0.17)°.