Lithium attenuates ketamine-induced long-term neurotoxicity through DISC1-mediated GSK-3β/β-catenin and ERK/CREB pathways.

Ketamine, an antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, is extensively employed in pediatric anesthesia. Multiple studies have shown that repeated ketamine exposure induces neuroapoptosis, synaptic changes and cognitive deficits during neurodevelopment. Therefore, it is essential to elucidate the mechanisms of ketamine-induced neurotoxicity and develop therapies to mitigate its harmful effects.

Hydrogen decreases susceptibility to AngII-induced atrial fibrillation and atrial fibrosis via the NOX4/ROS/NLRP3 and TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathways.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents the commonly occurring cardiac arrhythmia and the main factor leading to stroke and heart failure. Hydrogen (H2) is a gaseous signaling molecule that has the effects of anti-inflammation and antioxidation. Our study provides evidence that hydrogen decreases susceptibility to AngII-mediated AF together with atrial fibrosis.

Photothermal Miniemulsion Polymerization by Amphiphilic Gold Nanoclusters.

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), which are approximately 2 nm in size, exhibit distinctive photophysical and catalytic properties, but their performance is often compromised by environmental factors. To mitigate these challenges, attempts have been made to incorporate AuNCs into polymer matrices to enhance their stability. Miniemulsion polymerization has proven to be an effective method for fabricating organic-inorganic composites.

A Montmorillonite-Based Pickering Nanoemulsion for the Integration of Photothermal Therapy and NIR-Responsive Drug Delivery.

Chemo/photothermal combination therapy is a promising and practical approach for cancer treatment which calls for certain nanovehicles to achieve the spatiotemporal co-occurrence of photothermal conversion and drug delivery. Herein, we developed a montmorillonite-based Pickering emulsion equipped with a near-infrared photothermal agent (indocyanine green, ICG) and anticarcinogen (paclitaxel, PTX). With both montmorillonite and ICG functioning as interfacial stabilizers, the Pickering emulsion showed good stability and nanoscale droplet size, which were favored for cellular applications.

The High-Quality Genome Sequencing and Analysis of Red Raspberry ( L.).

Red raspberry ( L.), which is an important nutritional source for human health, belongs to fruit crops of the Rosaceae family. Here, we used Pacific Biosciences single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) sequencing technologies to assemble genomes and reported a high-quality L.

Impact of Imperata Cylindrica polysaccharide on liver lipid metabolism disorders caused by hyperuricemia.

Elevated uric acid levels are associated with lipid metabolism disorders. The effects of Imperata cylindrica polysaccharide (ICPC-a) were explored using a hyperuricemia mouse model and a uric acid-induced HepG2 hepatocyte model. ICPC-a significantly improved total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein levels, and hepatic lipid deposition in hyperuricemia mice.

Modular Assembly of Photoactive Lipid Nanoparticles on Red Blood Cells toward Enhanced Phototherapy Efficacy.

Photodynamic therapy has been developed as a promising treatment for malignant tumors, which inspires research into photosensitizers. However, the therapeutic efficacy of individual photosensitizers is often hampered by the physiological environment. The assembly of biological materials with synthetic molecules offers a strategy to enhance functionality while improving tolerance to varying physiological conditions.

Dexmedetomidine Alleviates the Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Toxicity Induced by Sevoflurane in the Developing Brain.

Introduction: Sevoflurane is an extensively used anesthetic for pediatric patients; however, numerous studies showed that sevoflurane (SEVO) may cause long-term neurodevelopmental toxicity. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been shown to be protective against SEVO-induced neurotoxicity, but the mechanism remains unclear. The effects and mechanisms of different DEX administration routes on SEVO-induced neurotoxicity and long-term cognitive defects were determined and further investigated the role of sex in these processes.

β-Ionone enhances the inhibitory effects of 5-fluorouracil on the proliferation of gastric adenocarcinoma cells by the GSK-3β signaling pathway.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is widely used in the treatment of gastric cancer, and the emergence of drug resistance and toxic effects has limited its application. Therefore, there is an urgent need for safe and effective novel drugs or new therapies. β-Ionone (BI) is found in vegetables and fruits and possesses an inhibitory proliferation of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.

In vivo absorption, in vitro simulated digestion, and fecal fermentation properties of Imperata cylindrica polysaccharides and their effects on gut microbiota.

Recently we have investigated polysaccharide from Imperata cylindrica (ICP) for its physicochemical structure and biological activities. However, the digestion characteristics have yet to be understood. This study investigated the digestion and metabolism characteristics of ICP through in vivo fluorescence tracking, in vitro simulated digestion, fecal fermentation experiments, and microbial sequencing.

Intracellular Gold Nanocluster/Organic Semiconductor Heterostructure for Enhancing Photosynthesis.

Photosynthetic microorganisms, which rely on light-driven electron transfer, store solar energy in self-energy carriers and convert it into bioenergy. Although these microorganisms can operate light-induced charge separation with nearly 100 % quantum efficiency, their practical applications are inherently limited by the photosynthetic energy conversion efficiency. Artificial semiconductors can induce an electronic response to photoexcitation, providing additional excited electrons for natural photosynthesis to improve solar conversion efficiency.

Imperata cylindrica polysaccharide ameliorates intestinal dysbiosis and damage in hyperuricemic nephropathy.

In this study, a combination of adenine and potassium oxonate was utilized to establish a hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN) mouse model, aiming to elucidate the effect through which Imperata Cylindrica polysaccharide (ICPC-a) ameliorates HN. In HN mice, an elevation in the abundance of Erysipelatoclostridium, Enterococcus, Prevotella, and Escherichia-Shigella was observed, whereas Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium declined. Additionally, the systemic reductions in the levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, along with a significant increase in indole content, were noted.

γ-Tocotrienol enhances autophagy of gastric cancer cells by the regulation of GSK3β/β-Catenin pathway.

γ-Tocotrienol (γ-T3) is a major subtype of vitamin E, mainly extracted from palm trees, barley, walnuts, and other plants. γ-T3 has effects on anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and potential chemoprevention against malignancies. It is still uncompleted to understand the effect of γ-T3 on the inhibitory mechanism of cancer.

Long-term straw returning increased soil aggregation and aggregate associated organic carbon fractions in a paddy soil.

Despite the well-documentation of the effects of straw returning on soil structural stability and fertility, its long-term impacts on profile aggregate size composition and organic carbon (OC) fractions remain poorly investigated. To address this research gap, the present nine-year field trial explored the co-effects of straw returning and chemical fertilization on soil total OC (TOC), dissolved OC (DOC), resistant OC (ROC), easily oxidative OC (EOC), as well as soil aggregate size composition of different soil depths (0-15, 15-30, and 30-50 cm) in a paddy field, East China. To do so, four different treatments were set up, including no straw returning plus no fertilization (CK), conventional fertilization (F), straw returning plus conventional fertilization (SF), and straw returning plus 80 % conventional fertilization (SDF).

Ketamine modulates disrupted in schizophrenia-1/glycogen synthase kinase-3β interaction.

Introduction: Disrupted in schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) is a scaffolding protein whose mutated form has been linked to schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorders, and recurrent major depression. DISC1 regulates multiple signaling pathways involved in neurite outgrowth and cortical development and binds directly to glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). Since ketamine activates GSK-3β, we examined the impact of ketamine on DISC1 and GSK-3β expression.

Magnesium implantation as a continuous hydrogen production generator for the treatment of myocardial infarction in rats.

Molecular hydrogen is an emerging broad-spectrum antioxidant molecule that can be used to treat myocardial infarction (MI). However, with hydrogen inhalation, the concentration that can be reached within target organs is low and the duration of action is short, which makes it difficult to achieve high dose targeted delivery of hydrogen to the heart, seriously limiting the therapeutic potential of hydrogen for MI. As a result of reactions with the internal environment of the body, subcutaneous implantation of magnesium slices leads to continuous endogenous hydrogen production, leading to a higher hydrogen concentration and a longer duration of action in target organs.

Photofunctional Gold Nanocluster Composites for Bioapplications.

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), with customized structures and diverse optical properties, are promising optical materials. Constructing composite systems by the assembly and incorporation of AuNCs can utilize their optical properties to achieve diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the biological field. Therefore, the exploration of the assembly behaviors of AuNCs and the enhancement of their performance has attracted widespread interest.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of Imperata cylindrica polysaccharides and evaluation of its anti-oxidant and amelioration of uric acid stimulated cell apoptosis.

An efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly ultrasound-assisted hot water method for Imperata cylindrica polysaccharide (ICPs) extraction was developed. According to the response surface results, the optimal ultrasonic time was 85 min, ultrasonic power was 192.75 W, temperature was 90.

Performance Investigations of InAs/InP Quantum-Dash Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers with Different Numbers of Dash Layers.

We present here a performance comparison of quantum-dash (Qdash) semiconductor amplifiers (SOAs) with three, five, eight, and twelve InAs dash layers grown on InP substrates. Other than the number of Qdash layers, the structures were identical. The eight-layer Qdash SOA gave the highest amplified spontaneous emission power (4.