Palmatine activation of TFEB enhances autophagy and alleviates endoplasmic reticulum stress in intervertebral disc degeneration.

Background: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is integral in lower back pain and involves complex pathophysiological processes, including nucleus pulposus (NP) cell apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) breakdown. Palmatine (PLT), an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Fibraurea recisa Pierre of the family Menispermaceae, is recognised for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. Nevertheless, researches have not well explored the impact of PLT on IDD.

Ginkgolide A enhances FoxO1 expression and reduces endoplasmic reticulum stress to mitigate osteoarthritis in mice.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Ginkgolide A (GA) on chondrocytes under oxidative stress and to elucidate its potential molecular mechanisms. Using a destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) model in mice and an in vitro osteoarthritis (OA) model induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) in chondrocytes, we validated the therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms of GA. Potential OA targets of GA were identified through network pharmacology, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis.

Presenting dual-functional peptides on implant surface to direct in vitro osteogenesis and in vivo osteointegration.

The complex biological process of osseointegration and the bio-inertness of bone implants are the major reasons for the high failure rate of long-term implants, and have also promoted the rapid development of multifunctional implant coatings in recent years. Herein, through the special design of peptides, we use layer-by-layer assembly technology to simultaneously display two peptides with different biological functions on the implant surface to address this issue. A variety of surface characterization techniques (ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, dissipation-quartz crystal microbalance) were used to study in detail the preparation process of the dual peptide functional coating and the physical and chemical properties, such as the composition, mechanical modulus, stability, and roughness of the coating.

PPAR γ activation in chondrocytes alleviates glucocorticoid-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial impairment, and pyroptosis via autophagic flow enhancement.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive age-related disease characterised by pathological changes in the synovium, articular cartilage, and subchondral bone, significantly reducing the patients' quality of life. This study investigated the role of glucocorticoids, specifically dexamethasone, in OA progression, with a particular focus on their effects on chondrocytes. Although glucocorticoids are commonly used for OA pain relief, our research demonstrated that high concentrations of dexamethasone may accelerate OA progression by enhancing the ability of reactive oxygen species to inhibit chondrocyte autophagy, resulting in cell death and accelerated cartilage degeneration.

GenX analogs exposure induced greater hepatotoxicity than GenX mainly via activation of PPARα pathway while caused hepatomegaly in the absence of PPARα in female mice.

Despite their use as substitutes for perfluorooctanoic acid, the potential toxicities of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commercial name: GenX) and its analogs (PFDMOHxA, PFDMO2HpA, and PFDMO2OA) remain poorly understood. To assess the hepatotoxicity of these chemicals on females, each chemical was orally administered to female C57BL/6 mice at the dosage of 0.5 mg/kg/d for 28 d.

High-Performance GaO Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

There is a great deal of interest in developing battery systems that can exhibit self-healing behavior, thus enhancing cyclability and stability. Given that gallium (Ga) is a metal that melts near room temperature, we wanted to test if it could be employed as a self-healing anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, Ga nanoparticles (NPs), when directly applied, tended to aggregate upon charge/discharge cycling.