Zinc-ZIP8-MTF1信号通路调控骨性关节炎发生、发展及中医药作用机制的研究进展

综述锌离子-锌离子转运蛋白8-金属调节转录因子1(Zinc-ZIP8-MTF1)信号通路调控骨性关节炎发生发展及中医药作用机制的研究进展。Zn^2+稳态、锌转运蛋白以及锌离子依赖性转录因子与软骨损伤密切相关,Zinc-ZIP8-MTF1信号通路可调控骨性关节炎的发生、发展。目前中医药领域的相关研究局限于对Zn^2+水平的调控,未涉及对ZIP8和MTF1的影响,因此研究中医药对Zinc-ZIP8-MTF1信号通路的影响对治疗骨性关节炎有重要意义。

基于Zinc-ZIP8-MTF1轴研究独活寄生汤治疗膝骨关节炎的作用机制

目的观察独活寄生汤调控Zinc-ZIP8-MTF1轴,探讨独活寄生汤治疗膝骨关节炎的作用机制。方法选用54只小鼠,分为独活寄生汤组(DHJST组)、对照组(Model组)、空白组(Control组),每组18只,Model组、DHJST组构建小鼠膝骨关节炎模型,DHJST组予独活寄生汤,另两组予生理盐水,观察小鼠膝关节软骨病理改变,检测软骨细胞内Zn^(2+)浓度及锌转运蛋白(ZIP8、ZNT9)、金属调节转录因子(MTF1)、基质金属蛋白酶-3(MMP3)、基质金属蛋白酶-13(MMP13)表达。结果与Model组比较,DHJST组小鼠软骨组织病理学评分明显下降,软骨细胞内Zn^(2+)含量大幅减少,软骨组织中ZIP8、ZNT9、MTF1、MMP3、MMP13 mRNA表达降低(P<0.05)。结论Zinc-ZIP8-MTF1轴在独活寄生汤治疗KOA的机制中发挥了一定作用,但独活寄生汤对Zn2+进出软骨细胞的关键环节没有明显影响。

Zinc-α2-glycoprotein 1 attenuates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by negatively regulating tumour necrosis factor-α

BACKGROUND Zinc-α2-glycoprotein 1 (AZGP1) plays important roles in metabolism-related diseases. The underlying molecular mechanisms and therapeutic effects of AZGP1 remain unknown in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). AIM To explore the effects and potential mechanism of AZGP1 on NAFLD in vivo and in vitro. METHODS The expression of AZGP1 and its effects on hepatocytes were examined in NAFLD patients, CCl4-treated mice fed a high fat diet (HFD), and human LO2 cells. RESULTS AZGP1 levels were significantly decreased in liver tissues of NAFLD patients and mice. AZGP1 knockdown was found to activate inflammation;enhance steatogenesis, including promoting lipogenesis [sterol regulatory elementbinding protein (SREBP)-1c, liver X receptor (LXR), fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), and stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (SCD)-1], increasing lipid transport and accumulation [fatty acid transport protein (FATP), carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT)-1A, and adiponectin], and reducing fatty acid β-oxidation [farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α];accelerate proliferation;and reverse apoptosis in LO2 cells. AZGP1 overexpression (OV-AZGP1) had the opposite effects. Furthermore, AZGP1 alleviated NAFLD by blocking TNF-α-mediated inflammation and intracellular lipid deposition, promoting proliferation, and inhibiting apoptosis in LO2 cells. Finally, treatment with OV-AZGP1 plasmid dramatically improved liver injury and eliminated liver fat in NAFLD mice. CONCLUSION AZGP1 attenuates NAFLD with regard to ameliorating inflammation, accelerating lipolysis, promoting proliferation, and reducing apoptosis by negatively regulating TNF-α. AZGP1 is suggested to be a novel promising therapeutic target for NAFLD.

Recent Progress on Zinc-Ion Rechargeable Batteries

The increasing demands for environmentally friendly grid-scale electric energy storage devices with high energy density and low cost have stimulated the rapid development of various energy storage systems,due to the environmental pollution and energy crisis caused by traditional energy storage technologies.As one of the new and most promising alternative energy storage technologies,zinc-ion rechargeable batteries have recently received much attention owing to their high abundance of zinc in natural resources,intrinsic safety,and cost effectiveness,when compared with the popular,but unsafe and expensive lithium-ion batteries.In particular,the use of mild aqueous electrolytes in zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)demonstrates high potential for portable electronic applications and large-scale energy storage systems.Moreover,the development of superior electrolyte operating at either high temperature or subzero condition is crucial for practical applications of ZIBs in harsh environments,such as aerospace,airplanes,or submarines.However,there are still many existing challenges that need to be resolved.This paper presents a timely review on recent progresses and challenges in various cathode materials and electrolytes(aqueous,organic,and solid-state electrolytes)in ZIBs.Design and synthesis of zinc-based anode materials and separators are also briefly discussed.

γ-MnO2 nanorods/graphene composite as efficient cathode for advanced rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion battery

Aqueous Zn//MnO2 batteries are emerging as promising large-scale energy storage devices owing to their cost-effectiveness,high safety,high output voltage,and energy density.However,the MnO2 cathode suffers from intrinsically poor rate performance and rapid capacity deterioration.Here,we remove the roadblock by compositing MnO2 nanorods with highly conductive graphene,which remarkably enhances the electrochemical properties of the MnO2 cathode.Benefiting from the boosted electric conductivity and ion diffusion rate as well as the structural protection of graphene,the Zn//MnO2-graphene battery presents an admirable capacity of 301 mAh g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1,corresponding to a high energy density of 411.6 Wh kg^-1.Even at a high current density of 10 A g^-1,a decent capacity of 95.8 mAh g^-1 is still obtained,manifesting its excellent rate property.Furthermore,an impressive power density of 15 kW kg^-1 is achieved by the Zn//MnO2-graphene battery.

Porous V2O5 nanofibers as cathode materials for rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries are recently gaining incremental attention because of low cost and material abundance, but their development is plagued by limited choice of cathode materials with satisfactory cycling performance. Here, we report a porous V2O5 nanofibers cathode with high Znstorage performance in an aqueous Zn(CF3SO3)2 electrolyte. We propose a reaction mechanism based on phase transition from orthorhombic V2O5 to zinc pyrovanadate on first discharging and reversible Zn^2+ (de)intercalation in the open-structured hosts during subsequent cycling. This open and stable architecture enables a high reversible capacity of 319 mAh g^-1 at 20 mAg^-1 and a capacity retention of 81% over 500 cycles. The remarkable electrochemical performance makes V2O5 a promising cathode for aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

V2O5 Nanospheres with Mixed Vanadium Valences as High Electrochemically Active Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery Cathode

AV4+-V2O5 cathode with mixed vanadium valences was prepared via a novel synthetic method using VOOH as the precursor,and its zinc-ion storage performance was evaluated.The products are hollow spheres consisting of nanoflakes.The V4+-V2O5 cathode exhibits a prominent cycling performance,with a specific capacity of 140 mAhg-1 after 1000 cycles at 10 A g.1,and an excellent rate capability.The good electrochemical performance is attributed to the presence of V4+,which leads to higher electrochemical activity,lower polarization,faster ion diffusion,and higher electrical conductivity than V2O5 without V4+.This engineering strategy of valence state manipulation may pave the way for designing high-performance cathodes for elucidating advanced battery chemistry.

High-Power and Ultralong-Life Aqueous Zinc-Ion Hybrid Capacitors Based on Pseudocapacitive Charge Storage

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion hybrid capacitors and zincion batteries are promising safe energy storage systems.In this study,amorphous RuO2·H2O for the first time was employed to achieve fast and ultralong-life Zn2+storage based on a pseudocapacitive storage mechanism.In the RuO2·H2O||Zn zinc-ion hybrid capacitors with Zn(CF3SO3)2 aqueous electrolyte,the RuO2·H2O cathode can reversibly store Zn2+in a voltage window of 0.4-1.6 V(vs.Zn/Zn2+),delivering a high discharge capacity of 122 mAh g?1.In particular,the zinc-ion hybrid capacitors can be rapidly charged/discharged within 36 s with a very high power density of 16.74 kW kg?1 and a high energy density of 82 Wh kg?1.Besides,the zinc-ion hybrid capacitors demonstrate an ultralong cycle life(over 10,000 charge/discharge cycles).The kinetic analysis elucidates that the ultrafast Zn2+storage in the RuO2·H2O cathode originates from redox pseudocapacitive reactions.This work could greatly facilitate the development of high-power and safe electrochemical energy storage.

Ultra-High Mass-Loading Cathode for Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery Based on Graphene-Wrapped Aluminum Vanadate Nanobelts

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs)have their unique advantages of cost efficiency,high safety,and environmental friendliness.However,challenges facing the cathode materials include whether they can remain chemically stable in aqueous electrolyte and provide a robust structure for the storage of Zn2+.Here,we report on H11Al2V6O23.2@graphene(HAVO@G)with exceptionally large layer spacing of(001)plane(13.36?).The graphene-wrapped structure can keep the structure stable during discharge/charge process,thereby promoting the inhibition of the dissolution of elements in the aqueous electrolyte.While used as cathode for AZIBs,HAVO@G electrode delivers ideal rate performance(reversible capacity of 305.4,276.6,230.0,201.7,180.6 mAh g?1 at current densities between 1 and 10 A g?1).Remarkably,the electrode exhibits excellent and stable cycling stability even at a high loading mass of^15.7 mg cm?2,with an ideal reversible capacity of 131.7 mAh g?1 after 400 cycles at 2 A g?1.

Carbon-coated manganese dioxide nanoparticles and their enhanced electrochemical properties for zinc-ion battery applications

In this study, we report the cost-effective and simple synthesis of carbon-coated α-MnOnanoparticles(α-MnO@C) for use as cathodes of aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs) for the first time. α-MnO@C was prepared via a gel formation, using maleic acid(CHO) as the carbon source, followed by annealing at low temperature of 270 °C. A uniform carbon network among the α-MnOnanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscopy. When tested in a zinc cell, the α-MnO@C exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 272 m Ah/g under 66 m A/g current density compared to 213 m Ah/g, at the same current density, displayed by the pristine sample. Further, α-MnO@C demonstrated superior cycleability compared to the pristine samples. This study may pave the way for the utilizing carbon-coated MnOelectrodes for aqueous ZIB applications and thereby contribute to realizing high performance eco-friendly batteries.

Na2V6O16·2.14H2O nanobelts as a stable cathode for aqueous zinc-ion batteries with long-term cycling performance

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs) have been considered as one of the most promising electrochemical devices for large-scale energy storage system owing to their low cost and high safety. Herein, Na2V6O16·2.14H2O nanobelts are synthesized and applied as cathode material for ZIBs. The sample displays a high capacity of 466 m Ahg^-1 at 100 mAg^-1 and stable cycling performance with a capacity retention of 90% over 20 0 0 cycles at the 20 Ag^-1. Moreover, Na2V6O16·2.14H2O presents a capable rate ability and a high energy density of 312 Wh kg^-1 at a specific power of 70 Wkg^-1. The superior electrochemical performance is attributed to the large interlayer spacing and outstanding structure stability, which promise the highly reversible intercalation and extraction of zinc ion. The electrochemical kinetics and zinc ion storage mechanism are also investigated. This work demonstrates that nanoscale electrode materials with large interlayer spacing can effectively enhance the electrochemical performance of aqueous ZIBs, which can be extended to other metal ion batteries, such as magnesium ion batteries and aluminum ion batteries.

Layered Birnessite Cathode with a Displacement/Intercalation Mechanism for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Mn-based rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)are highly promising because of their high operating voltages,attractive energy densities,and eco-friendliness.However,the electrochemical performances of Mn-based cathodes usually suffer from their serious structure transformation upon charge/discharge cycling.Herein,we report a layered sodium-ion/crystal water co-intercalated Birnessite cathode with the formula of Na0.55Mn2O4·0.57H2O(NMOH)for high-performance aqueous ZIBs.A displacement/intercalation electrochemical mechanism was confirmed in the Mn-based cathode for the first time.Na+and crystal water enlarge the interlayer distance to enhance the insertion of Zn^2+,and some sodium ions are replaced with Zn^2+ in the first cycle to further stabilize the layered structure for subsequent reversible Zn^2+/H^+ insertion/extraction,resulting in exceptional specific capacities and satisfactory structural stabilities.Additionally,a pseudo-capacitance derived from the surface-adsorbed Na^+ also contributes to the electrochemical performances.The NMOH cathode not only delivers high reversible capacities of 389.8 and 87.1 mA h g^−1 at current densities of 200 and 1500 mA g^−1,respectively,but also maintains a good long-cycling performance of 201.6 mA h g^−1 at a high current density of 500 mA g^−1 after 400 cycles,which makes the NMOH cathode competitive for practical applications.

Investigation of sodium vanadate as a high-performance aqueous zinc-ion battery cathode

Due to the intrinsic advantages of nontoxicity, low-cost, and abundant resource of metallic zinc, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted universal interest [1,2]. Tremendous cathode materials have been exploited in aqueous ZIBs, such as manganese-based materials [3-11], Co-based materials [12,13] and vanadium-based materials [14-21].

Dynamic simulation of resistance spot welding of zinc-coated steels

A model was developed to simulate the temperature distribution and nugget formation during resistance spot welding （ RS1V） of zinc-coated steels. It employs a coupled thermal-electrical-mechanical analysis simulating the dynamic RSW process. Temperature-dependent thermal-electrical-mechanical material properties were considered including contact-resistance. The contact area was determined from a coupled thermal-mechanical analysis. A layer of transition elements was used to represent the change of contact area by killing or activating elements. The heat generation and temperature field were computed in a coupled thermal-electrical model. All these analyses were solved using the commercial finite element method （FEM） based on ANSYS code, and some advanced functions were used by writing a paragraph of codes by the authors. Compared with the results from only coupled thermal-electrical model in which contact area was uniform during the whole process, the result matches better to the experimental results.

Flexible Zinc-Manganese Dioxide Alkaline Batteries Based on Kelp Electrolytes

Flexible energy-storage devices play a critical role in the development of portable, flexible and wearable electronics. In addition, biological materials including plants or plant-based materials are known for their safety, biodegradability, biocompatibility, environmental benignancy, and low cost. With respect to these advances, a flexible alkaline zinc-manganese dioxide (Zn-MnO2) battery is fabricated with a kelp-based electrolyte in this study. To the best of our knowledge, pure kelp is utilized as a semi-solid electrolyte for flexible Zn-MnO2 alkaline batteries for the first time, with which the as-assembled battery exhibited a specific capacity of 60 mA&#183;h and could discharge for 120 h. Furthermore, the as-assembled Zn-MnO2 battery can be bent into a ring-shape and power a light-emitting diode screen, showing promising potential for the practical application in the future flexible, portable and biodegradable electronic devices.

3D hollow sphere Co_3O_4/MnO_2-CNTs:Its high-performance bi-functional cathode catalysis and application in rechargeable zinc-air battery

There has been a continuous need for high active, excellently durable and low-cost electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries. Among many low-cost metal based candidates, transition metal oxides with the CNTs composite have gained increasing attention. In this paper, the 3-D hollow sphere MnO_2 nanotube-supported Co_3O_4 nanoparticles and its carbon nanotubes hybrid material(Co_3 O_4/MnO_2-CNTs) have been synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method combined with post-heat treatment. The morphology and composition of the catalysts are thoroughly analyzed through SEM, TEM, TEM-mapping, XRD, EDX and XPS. In comparison with the commercial 20% Pt/C, Co_3O_4/MnO_2,bare MnO_2 nanotubes and CNTs, the hybrid Co_3O_4/MnO_2-CNTs-350 exhibits perfect bi-functional catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction under alkaline condition(0.1 M KOH). Therefore, high cell performances are achieved which result in an appropriate open circuit voltage(～1.47 V),a high discharge peak power density(340 mW cm^(-2)) and a large specific capacity(775 mAh g^(-1) at 10 mA cm^(-2)) for the primary Zn-air battery, a small charge-discharge voltage gap and a high cycle-life(504 cycles at 10 mA cm^(-2) with 10 min per cycle) for the rechargeable Zn-air battery. In particular, the simple synthesis method is suitable for a large-scale production of this bifunctional material due to a green, cost effective and readily available process.

Effect of Rare Earth on the Corrosion-Resisting Performance of Zinc-Based Alloy Coatings

The corrosion behavior of coatings of pure zinc and Zn-Al,Zn-Al-RE alloys in NaCl solu- tions was studied by salt-spray experiments,even corrosion experiments and electrochemical measurements of bi-directional polarization curves and a.c.impedance in weak polarization region consistent regularities were obtained by these different methods,viz.,the corrosion resistance of Zn could be enhanced by alloying it with Al,and particularly with Al-RE.The causes of enhancement of corrosion resistance by RE were also discussed.

Enhanced Work Function of Al-Doped Zinc-Oxide Thin Films by Oxygen Inductively Coupled Plasma Treatment

Al-doped zinc-oxide （AZO） thin films treated by oxygen and chlorine inductively coupled plasma （ICP） were compared. Kelvin probe （KP） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） were employed to characterize the effect of treatment. The results of KP measurement show that the surface work function of AZO thin films can increase up to 5.92 eV after oxygen ICP （O-ICP）＇s treatment, which means that the work function was increased by at least 1.1 eV. However, after the treatment of chlorine ICP （CI-ICP）, the work function increased to 5.44 eV, and the increment was 0.6 eV. And 10 days later, the work function increment was still 0.4 eV after O-ICP＇s treatment, while the work function after Cl-ICP＇s treatment came back to the original value only after 48 hours. The XPS results suggested that the O-ICP treatment was more effective than CI-ICP for enhancing the work function of AZO films, which is well consistent with KP results.

High levels of Zinc-α-2-Glycoprotein among Omani AIDS patients on combined antiretroviral therapy

Objective:To investigate the levels of zinc-α-2-glycoprotein(ZAG) among Omani AIDS patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy(cART).Methods:A total of 80 Omani AIDS patients(45 males and 33 females),average age of 36 vears.who were receiving cART at the Saltan Qaboos University Hospital(SQUH).Muscat,Oman,were tested for the levels of ZAG.In addition,SO healthy blood donors(46 males and 34 females),average age of 26 years,attending the SOUH Blood Bank,were tested in parallel as a control group.Measurement of the ZAG levels was performed using a competitive enzyme—linked immunosorbent assay and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.Results:The ZAG levels were found to he significantly higher among AIDS patients compared to the healthy individuals(P=0.033).A total of 56(70%) of the AIDS patients were found to have higher levels of ZAG and 16(20%) AIDS patients were found to have high ZAG levels,which are significantly(P>0.031) associated with weight loss.Conclusions:ZAG levels are high among Omani AIDS patients on cART and this necessitales the measurement of ZAG on routine basis,as it is associated with weight loss.

In vitro demonstration of interactions among zinc-binding domains of cellulose synthases in Arabidopsis and aspen

Plant cellulose synthases (CesAs) are the key enzymes necessary for cellulose biosynthesis. In Arabidopsis, two distinct groups of three CesAs each are necessary for cellulose synthesis during primary and secondary cell wall formation. It has also been suggested that such three CesAs interact with each other to form plasma-membrane bound rosette complexes that are functional during cellulose production. However, in vivo demonstration of such assemblies of three CesAs into rosettes has not been possible. We used yeast two-hybrid assays to demonstrate the possible interactions among several CesAs from Arabidopsis and aspen via their N-terminal zinc-binding domains (ZnBDs). While strong positive interactions were detected among ZnBDs from secondary wall associated CesAs of both Arabidopsis and aspen, the intergeneric interactions between Arabidopsis and aspen CesAs were weak. Moreover, in aspen, three primary wall associated CesA ZnBDs positively interacted with each other as well as with secondary CesAs. These results suggest that ZnBDs from either primary or secondary CesAs, and even from different plant species could interact but are perhaps insufficient for specificities of such interactions among CesAs. These observations suggest that some other more specific interacting regions might exist within CesAs. It is also possible that some hitherto unknown mechanism exists in plants for assembling the rosette complexes with different compositions of CesAs. Understanding how cellulose is synthesized will have a direct impact on utilization of lignocellulosic biomass for bioenergy production.