Trimethylamine N-oxide: a meta-organismal axis linking the gut and fibrosis.

Background: Tissue fibrosis is a common pathway to failure in many organ systems and is the cellular and molecular driver of myriad chronic diseases that are incompletely understood and lack effective treatment. Recent studies suggest that gut microbe-dependent metabolites might be involved in the initiation and progression of fibrosis in multiple organ systems.

Main Body Of The Manuscript: In a meta-organismal pathway that begins in the gut, gut microbiota convert dietary precursors such as choline, phosphatidylcholine, and L-carnitine into trimethylamine (TMA), which is absorbed and subsequently converted to trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) via the host enzyme flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) in the liver.

Ratiometric photothermal detection of silver ions using diimmonium salts.

Selective detection and determination of silver ions are tricky due to the poor reactivity and the interference of various metal ions and halides. Only a few cases have been reported concerning sulfur-based functionality. This work proposes silver-selective probes exhibiting peculiar colorimetric and photothermal responses without the need for sulfur-functional groups.

Rac1 mediates cadherin-11 induced cellular pathogenic processes in aortic valve calcification.

Background: Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), a major cause for surgical aortic valve replacement, currently lacks available pharmacological treatments. Cadherin-11 (Cad11), a promising therapeutic target, promotes aortic valve calcification in vivo, but direct Cad11 inhibition in clinical trials has been unsuccessful. Targeting of downstream Cad11 effectors instead may be clinically useful; however, the downstream effectors that mediate Cad11-induced aortic valve cellular pathogenesis have not been investigated.