Myricetin alleviates renal tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition via NOX4/NF-B/snail axis in diabetic nephropathy based on network pharmacology analysis.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a leading cause of end-stage renal disease, remains a formidable challenge in diabetes management due to the complex nature of its pathogenesis, particularly the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Our innovative study leverages network pharmacology to explore the therapeutic potentials of Myricetin, a natural flavonoid, focusing on its effects against NOX4, a critical mediator in DN progression. This investigation marks a pioneering approach by integrating network pharmacology to predict and elucidate the inhibitory relationship between Myricetin and NOX4.

Danggui-Shaoyao San alleviates cognitive impairment via enhancing HIF-1α/EPO axis in vascular dementia rats.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Invigorating blood circulation to remove blood stasis is a primary strategy in TCM for treating vascular dementia (VaD). Danggui-Shaoyao San (DSS), as a traditional prescription for neuroprotective activity, has been proved to be effective in VaD treatment. However, its precise molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

HuoXueTongFu formula induces M2c macrophages via the MerTK/PI3K/AKT pathway to eliminate NETs in intraperitoneal adhesion in mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: HuoXueTongFu Formula (HXTF) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that has been used as a supplement and alternative therapy for intraperitoneal adhesion (IA). However, its specific mechanism of action has not been fully understood.

Aim Of The Study: In surgery, IA presents an inevitable challenge, significantly impacting patients' physical and mental well-being and increasing the financial burden.

Caffeic acid alleviates skeletal muscle atrophy in 5/6 nephrectomy rats through the TLR4/MYD88/NF-kB pathway.

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that affects the quality of life and prognosis of patients. We aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of caffeic acid (CA), a natural phenolic compound, on skeletal muscle atrophy in CKD rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 5/6 nephrectomy (NPM) and were treated with CA (20, 40, or 80 mg/kg/day) for 10 weeks.

SKP alleviates the ferroptosis in diabetic kidney disease through suppression of HIF-1α/HO-1 pathway based on network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation.

Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) represents a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. Shenkang Pills (SKP), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been widely used in the treatment of DKD and has obvious antioxidant effect. Ferroptosis, a novel mode of cell death due to iron overload, has been shown to be associated with DKD.

Precise quantification of microRNAs based on proximity ligation of AuNPs-immobilized DNA probes.

MiRNAs are critical regulators of target gene expression in many biological processes and are considered promising biomarkers for diseases. In this study, we developed a simple, specific, and sensitive miRNA detection method based on proximity ligation reaction, which is easy to operate. The method uses a pair of target-specific DNA probes immobilized on the same gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which hybridize to the target miRNA.

Targeting ROCK1 in diabetic kidney disease: Unraveling mesangial fibrosis mechanisms and introducing myricetin as a novel antagonist.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) stands as a pressing health challenge, with mesangial cell fibrosis identified as a pivotal hallmark leading to glomerular sclerosis. Gaining a deeper grasp on the molecular dynamics behind this can potentially introduce groundbreaking therapeutic avenues. Recent revelations from studies on ROCK1-deficient mice, which displayed resilience against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced glomerulosclerosis and mitochondrial fragmentation, spurred our hypothesis regarding ROCK1's potential role in mesangial cell fibrosis.

Chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid and other novel multifunctional hydrogel dressings for wound healing: A review.

Wound healing is a complex project, and effectively promoting skin repair is a huge clinical challenge. Hydrogels have great prospect in the field of wound dressings because their physical properties are very similar to those of living tissue and have excellent properties such as high water content, oxygen permeability and softness. However, the single performance of traditional hydrogels limits their application as wound dressings.

Glycyrrhizic acid alleviates liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo via activating CUGBP1-mediated IFN-γ/STAT1/Smad7 pathway.

Background: Hepatic fibrosis, a common pathological feature of chronic liver injuries, is a serious public health problem and lacks effective therapy. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is a bioactive ingredient in the root of traditional Chinese medicine licorice, and exhibits remarkable anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective actions.

Purpose: Here we aimed to investigated whether GA provided a therapeutic efficacy in hepatic fibrosis and uncover its molecular mechanisms.

Research Advances in Mechanical Properties and Applications of Dual Network Hydrogels.

Hydrogels with a three-dimensional network structure are particularly outstanding in water absorption and water retention because water exists stably in the interior, making the gel appear elastic and solid. Although traditional hydrogels have good water absorption and high water content, they have poor mechanical properties and are not strong enough to be applied in some scenarios today. The proposal of double-network hydrogels has dramatically improved the toughness and mechanical strength of hydrogels that can adapt to different environments.

rs1800504 Polymorphism Is Associated With the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Diabetic vascular complications are one of the main causes of death and disability. Previous studies have reported that genetic variation is associated with diabetic vascular complications. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between polymorphisms and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) vascular complications.

Lycorine, a natural alkaloid, promotes the degradation of alpha-synuclein via PKA-mediated UPS activation in transgenic Parkinson's disease models.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative motor disorders, and is characterized by the presence of Lewy bodies containing misfolded α-synuclein (α-syn) and by selective degeneration of midbrain dopamine neurons. Studies have shown that upregulation of ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) activity promotes the clearance of aggregation-prone proteins such as α-syn and Tau, so as to alleviate the neuropathology of neurodegenerative diseases.

Purpose: To identify and investigate lycorine as a UPS enhancer able to decrease α-syn in transgenic PD models.

miR-141-3p Reduces Cell Migration and Proliferation in an Modelof Atherosclerosis by Targeting Wnt5a.

Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is a type of chronic vascular disease that is also a leading cause of numerous cardiovascular diseases in humans. The biomolecules responsible for the roles of microRNA (miR)-141-3p during AS development are less understood.

Methods: The relation between Wnt5a and miR-141-3p was predicted using bioinformatics software TargetScan 7.

Visible Light-Driven Micromotor with Incident-Angle-Controlled Motion and Dynamic Collective Behavior.

Light-driven micromotor has become one of the research focuses in the past decade, and its motion behavior is usually controlled by light intensity, polarization, and light wavelength. Herein, the light incident angle is utilized to control the motion behavior of silica/Au/pentacene (SiO/Au/PEN) spherical Janus micromotor. Under tilted irradiation, a single micromotor shows positive phototactic moving behavior without the addition of external chemical fuels, which relies on the photocatalytic reactions and the self-electrophoresis mechanism.

Synthesis, characterization and computational studies of Zn complex based on the 8-hydroxyquinoline group containing benzimidazole.

A novel fluorescent zinc complex with 8-hydroxyquinoline containing benzimidazole ligands has been designed and synthesized. Its emission, IR spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis as well as electrochemical properties have been studied. The solid-state structures were determined single crystal X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction.

NRBF2 is a RAB7 effector required for autophagosome maturation and mediates the association of APP-CTFs with active form of RAB7 for degradation.

NRBF2 is a component of the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns3K) complex. Our previous study has revealed its role in regulating ATG14-associated PtdIns3K activity for autophagosome initiation. In this study, we revealed an unknown mechanism by which NRBF2 modulates autophagosome maturation and APP-C-terminal fragment (CTF) degradation.

EMB-7L is required for embryogenesis and plant development in maize involved in RNA splicing of multiple chloroplast genes.

Embryo and endosperm originate from the double fertilization, but they have different developmental fates and biological functions. We identified a previously undescribed maize seed mutant, wherein the embryo appears to be more severely affected than the endosperm (embryo-specific, emb). In the W22 background, the emb embryo arrests at the transition stage whereas its endosperm appears nearly normal in size.

Neuroprotective effects of berberine in animal models of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of pre-clinical studies.

Background: Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from various Berberis species which is widely used in East Asia for a wide range of symptoms. Recently, neuroprotective effects of berberine in Alzheimer's disease (AD) animal models are being extensively reported. So far, no clinical trial has been carried out on the neuroprotective effects of berberine.

Natural alkaloid harmine promotes degradation of alpha-synuclein via PKA-mediated ubiquitin-proteasome system activation.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-dependent progressive movement disorder characterized by a profound and selective loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Accumulation of -synuclein (-syn) positive protein aggregates in the substantia nigra is a pathological hallmark of PD, indicating that protein turnover defect is implicated in PD pathogenesis.

Purpose: This study aims to identify neuroprotective compounds which can alleviate the accumulation of -syn in neuronal cells and dissect the underlying mechanisms.

Air-Stable N, N'-Dihydroporphycene: A Quinoxaline-Fused Tetrapyrrolic Macrocycle That Detects Fluoride Anion via Deprotonation.

An air-stable N, N'-dihydroporphycene, the two-electron reduced form of porphycene, possessing two quinoxaline moieties fused at meso positions, was prepared and characterized. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultraviolet-visible light (UV-vis) spectroscopic studies and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses support its formulation as a nonaromatic species. Upon treatment with tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) in chloroform, a color change is produced that is consistent with deprotonation.

Canthin-6-One Accelerates Alpha-Synuclein Degradation by Enhancing UPS Activity: Drug Target Identification by CRISPR-Cas9 Whole Genome-Wide Screening Technology.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of protein aggregates (namely Lewy bodies) in dopaminergic neurons in the region of the brain. Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is the major component of Lewy bodies in PD patients, and impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome system has been linked to its accumulation. In this work, we developed a tetracycline-inducible expression system, with simultaneous induced expression of α-syn-EGFP and a bright red fluorescent protein marker (mCherry) to screen for potential compounds for degrading α-syn.

Studies on the Bridge Dependence of Bis(triarylamine) Diradical Dications: Long-Range π-Conjugation and π-π Coupling Systems.

Three bis(triarylamine) dications bridged with 2,2'-bithienyl group (1), biphenyl group (2) and [2,2]paracyclophane (3) have been successfully isolated. The electronic structures of 1 - 3 show bridge dependence. Magnetic studies and DFT calculations show that dications 1 - 3 possess an open-shell singlet ground state with a thermally excited triplet state.

Synthesis and properties of blue luminescent bipolar materials constructed with carbazole and anthracene units with 4-cyanophenyl substitute at the 9-position of the carbazole unit.

With carbazole and p-cyanobromobenzene as raw materials, 4-(3,6-di (anthracen-9-yl)-9H-carbazol-9-yl)benzonitrile (DACB) and 4-(3,6-bis(anthracene -9-ylethynyl)-9H-carbazol-9-yl)benzonitrile (BACB) were synthesized through the Suzuki coupling reaction and the Sonogashira coupling reaction, respectively. These structures were characterized using H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. Their thermal properties, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption, fluorescence emission, fluorescence quantum yields and electrochemical properties were also investigated systematically.

A boron-centered radical: a potassium-crown ether stabilized boryl radical anion.

A boron radical contact ion-pair MesB{4-(3,5-dimethylpyridinyl)}K(18-crown-6)(THF) (1K) has been isolated and characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The geometry, bonding and spin density distribution are shown to be affected by the NK interaction. The unpaired electron resides mainly on the boron atom and falls between those of triarylboron radical anions and neutral boron radicals.