Generation Of Species Research Articles

A combination of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I overexpression and type I interferon induce mitochondrial dysfunction in human skeletal myoblasts.

The overexpression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I on the surface of muscle fibers is a characteristic hallmark of the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), collectively termed myositis. Alongside MHC-I overexpression, subtypes of myositis, display a distinct type I interferon (IFN) signature. This study examined the combinational effects of elevated MHC-I and type I IFNs (IFNα/β) on mitochondrial function, as mitochondrial dysfunction is often seen in IIMs. Human skeletal muscle myoblasts were transfected with an MHC-I isoform using the mammalian HLA-A2/Kb vector. Mitochondrial respiration, mitochondrial membrane potential, and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species generation were assessed with or without IFNα and IFNβ. We show that MHC-I overexpression in human skeletal muscle myoblasts led to decreased basal glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, cellular spare respiratory capacity, adenosine triphosphate-linked respiration, and an increased proton leak, which were all exaggerated by type I IFNs. Mitochondrial membrane depolarization was induced by MHC-I overexpression both in absence and presence of type I IFNs. Human myoblasts overexpressing MHC-I showed elevated nitric oxide generation that was abolished when combined with IFN. MHC-I on its own did not result in an increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, but IFN on their own, or combined with MHC-I overexpression did induce elevated ROS generation. Surprisingly, we observed no gross changes in mitochondrial reticular structure or markers of mitochondrial dynamics. We present new evidence that MHC-I overexpression and type I IFNs aggravate the effects each has on mitochondrial function in human skeletal muscle cells, providing novel insights into their mechanisms of action and suggesting important implications in the further study of myositis pathogenesis.

Unveiling chlorine's role: How it shapes the formation and light-activated oxygen dynamics of chlorophenol-derived environmental persistent free radicals

Environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs) derived from chlorophenols, triggered by light or heat exposure, pose significant ecological concerns, yet the impact of chlorine substituents on EPFRs formation and reactivity remains inadequately understood. Through an intentional synthesis of chlorophenol-derived EPFRs with varying chlorine contents and positioning, we elucidated the role of chlorine in the photoactivation of molecular oxygen. Our combined experimental and theoretical analysis reveals that these EPFRs are primarily oxygen-centered phenoxy radicals, establishing a direct link between chlorine substitution patterns and their ability to activate molecular oxygen under visible light. Increased chlorine content enhances EPFRs formation by elevating the positive charge on the phenolic hydroxyl group’s hydrogen atom, facilitating its removal. Moreover, the capability of EPFRs to activate molecular oxygen was directly correlated with chlorine content, with 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenol-derived EPFRs showcasing the highest activity. This activity is attributed to their structural propensity for TCSQ·- species generation. Furthermore, our study established a significant correlation between the toxicity and activity of EPFRs, emphasizing the critical role of halogen substituents in determining the reactivity of EPFRs. These insights contribute to our understanding of their environmental and toxicological ramifications, underscoring the imperative for continued research aimed at mitigating their detrimental impacts.

Plasma heating characterization of the large area inductively coupled plasma etchers with the plasma information for managing the mass production

Meter-scale of the large area inductively coupled plasma etchers with the capacitive power coupling are widely applied for the mass production of OLED (organic light emitting diode) display panels. Because of the large area-to-volume ratio of the etcher, the balance between the power loss and absorption is easily located in the capacitive coupling mode rather than the ideal inductively coupled mode. Therefore, the process results are sensitively governed by the power absorption and plasma heating properties of the reactors. We have introduced a new PI (plasma information) parameter, the ratio of the stochastic heating to Ohmic heating of the plasmas, which is monitorable by using the optical emission spectroscopy data of the processing etchers. With the help of this plasma heating characteristic index, we could optimize the process recipes with the detailed control of the etched hole sidewall passivation and related species generation rate in the plasmas; thus, chamber-to-chamber matching in the huge mass production fab with the higher efficiency was possible. It was demonstrated that the introduced PI index with plasma heating mechanism characterization could be applicable to the VM (virtual metrology) modeling as one of the good information supplying core variables. This PI index has shown a very high correlation with the plasma sheath and ion flux governing phenomena for a large number of mass-produced OLED display glasses. From these results, the introduced plasma heating mechanism-based PI index is expected to be utilized as a good reference index for their performance analysis or PI-VM modelings.

Temporal variations in NO, N2O, and NO2 generation in filament-induced atmospheric plasmas

Ultra-short pulse lasers generate filaments in air, inducing changes in molecular concentration and the formation of new molecules. However, our understanding of the specific chemical reactions triggered by these filaments remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the NxOy species produced by femtosecond laser filaments in a sealed chamber. We employed mid-infrared laser spectroscopy to analyze the resulting products over the reaction time. The research revealed that filament plasma generates NO, N2O, and NO2. Notably, N2O was detected for the first time in filament plasmas generated in the air. The production of NxOy species depends on the initial pressure and is influenced by factors such as plasma properties and molecular collisions. We measured the equilibrium concentrations of NO, N2O, and NO2 under atmospheric conditions, finding them to be 67, 38, and 518 ppm, respectively. Furthermore, comparative experiments conducted in zero air illustrated significantly higher concentrations of NO and NO2 under identical pressure conditions, indicating a significant negative impact of other air molecules on the generation of these species. These findings provide valuable insight into the understanding of filament-induced atmospheric chemical reactions and the generation of NxOy species.

Characterization of OH species in kHz air/H2O atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharges

This work numerically studies densities and reaction mechanisms of OH species generated in atmospheric–pressure air dielectric barrier discharges with the model validated by experiments. The power consumption is measured, and the number of microdischarges (MDs) generated within a half period is captured by an intensified charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The OH densities of cases with various H2O concentrations are measured using ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. The numerical model integrating the 1.5D discharge fluid model and 3D background gas model (BGM) is adopted to predict the MD behavior and the generation of species related to OH generation. The simulated OH densities cover the range of 1.1 × 1019 and 1.6 × 1019 m−3 in the cases studied, agreeing with those measured. The simulated results show that most OH radicals are generated in MDs, while the reactive section contributes around 2% of the total OH generation. The detailed analysis shows that atomic oxygen (O(1D) and O) and O3 contribute most of the OH generation in the MDs. In contrast, the self-association reactions (i.e. 2OH + M → H2O2 + M and 2OH → O + H2O) and NO x species consume more than 64% of OH radicals generated in MDs. In the BGM, it is interesting to find that reactive species NO x play significant roles in both the OH generation and depletion in the reactive section. The distributions of species related to the OH species obtained by the BGM are presented to elucidate the detailed chemistry of OH species in the reactive section.

Cannabidivarin and cannabigerol induce unfolded protein response and angiogenesis dysregulation in placental trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells

Cannabidivarin (CBDV) and cannabigerol (CBG) are minor phytocannabinoids from Cannabis sativa, whose health benefits have been reported. However, studies about the impact of these cannabinoids on fundamental cellular processes in placentation are scarce. Placental development involves physiological endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, however when exacerbated it can lead to altered angiogenesis and pregnancy disorders, such as intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia. In this work, the effects of CBDV and CBG (1–10 µM) on placental extravillous trophoblasts were studied, using the in vitro model HTR-8/SVneo cells. Both cannabinoids induced anti-proliferative effects and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species generation, which was dependent on transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) activation. Moreover, CBDV and CBG significantly upregulated, in a TRPV-1 dependent manner, the gene expression of HSPA5/Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78/BiP), a critical chaperone involved in ER stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) activation. Nevertheless, the UPR pathways were differentially activated. Both cannabinoids were able to recruit the IRE branch, while only CBDV enhanced the expression of downstream effectors of the PERK pathway, namely p-eIF2α, ATF4 and CHOP. It also augmented the activity of the apoptotic initiator caspases-8 and -9, though the effector caspases-3/-7 were not activated. TRB3 expression was increased by CBDV, which may hinder apoptosis termination. Moreover, both compounds upregulated the mRNA levels of the angiogenic factors VEGFA, PGF and sFLT1, and disrupted the endothelial-like behavior of HTR-8/SVneo cells, by reducing tube formation. Thus, CBDV and CBG treatment interferes with EVTs functions and may have a negative impact in placentation and in pregnancy outcome.

Bio-Coated Graphitic Carbon Nitrides for Enhanced Nitrobenzene Degradation: Roles of Extracellular Electron Transfer

Graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) and microorganisms could collaboratively enhance photocatalytic properties or facilitate environmental depollution through coupled photocatalytic and biological reactions, which prevented the destruction of photocatalytic stresses to ecological systems and resulted in a sustainable technology for water remediation in rivers and lakes. However, the roles of bio-substances as well as electronic interactions between inorganic and organic systems were still unclear. Herein, g-C3N4, nitrogen-deficient g-C3N4 (ND-g-C3N4), and fluorinated g-C3N4 (F-g-C3N4) were coated with representative bacteria, i.e., Escherichia coli MG 1655, and characterized using integrated spectroscopic techniques. Photocatalytic activities were then evaluated through nitrobenzene degradation performance in an aqueous solution under visible light illumination. Nano-photocatalysts were observed to be adsorbed onto bio-aggregates, and surface hydrophilicity was convinced to be determined in the toxicity of photocatalysts in dark environments. Layered structures of ND-g-C3N4 and F-g-C3N4 were revealed in XRD spectra, and surface coverage of the Luria–Bertani medium was eliminated during E. coli cultivation. Hetero-junctions between photocatalysts and bio-substances were indicated in XPS results. Red-shifts for g-C3N4 and F-g-C3N4 materials as well as a slight blue-shift for ND-g-C3N4 were demonstrated in UV-vis spectra, which might be attributed to the destruction of nitrogen defects on ND-g-C3N4. Owing to the attached bio-substances, nitrobenzene removal could reach twice that with pristine photocatalysts, and ROS quantitative analysis confirmed that hydroxyl radicals were the determined reactive species degrading nitrobenzene in the water solution. The observation of more OH species generation indicated that extracellular electron transfer of E. coli reduced electron–hole recombination and provided reduction sites during photocatalytic degradation of nitrobenzene. This work proved additional electron-transfer paths and reaction mechanisms in hybridized photocatalytic and biological processes, which indicated that bio-activities could be a great promoter of material modification and the incorporation between inorganic and organic systems successfully showed an eco-friendly and sustainable pathway to utilize photocatalysts in natural water.

Ni3X-type alloy catalysts for dry reforming of methane with high catalytic activity and stability: A density functional theory study

Ni-based catalysts are considered as one of the most promising Methane dry reforming (DRM) reaction catalysts for large-scale industrial applications due to their low cost and high efficiency. However, the inactivation problem caused by carbon deposition limits their application. In this study, we calculated the catalytic activity and carbon deposition resistance of 14 Ni3X-type (X = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Nb, Mo, Rh, Sn, Sb) alloy catalysts by density functional theory (DFT). Ni-based catalysts with high catalytic activity were predicted based on the reactants activation ability of the catalysts. Carbon deposition resistance of the catalysts is predicted from three aspects: the difficulty of C species generation, the difficulty of C species removal and the difference of C* and O* generation ability. We also explored the measurement of catalyst activity and stability through descriptors. Finally, Ni3X alloys with high activity and stability, such as Ni3V, Ni3Cr, Ni3Mn, Ni3Nb, and Ni3Mo, were selected and considered to have high potential application value. Among them, the superiority of Ni3Mo catalytic performance was further verified through reaction mechanism and microkinetic modeling. Our work can explain some existing studies and provide new insights for the research of new Ni-based catalysts.

Effect of Plasma-Activated Time for Ozone Generation in SDBD System Under Pulse and Sinusoidal Excitation

In the surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) excitation schema, different power source topologies, such as the pulse and sinusoidal voltage inverters, are used to obtain the plasma. The inverter design is a critical element for consumer applications. However, some works in the literature have explained plasma properties and high-voltage excitation, but no clear definition has been identified to select a plasma property for a particular application. In general, SDBD is used for nonthermal plasma applications such as air purification and sterilization. Plasma generates reactive species that can react with target substances. Therefore, the reactive species generation rate greatly affects the plasma reaction performance. In addition, some researchers compare the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm{O}_3$</tex-math> </inline-formula> generation rate with sinusoidal and pulse power supply, but they do not focus enough on the plasma which determines the electrical properties. In this study, the plasma-activated time (PAT) is introduced to link the plasma properties and electrical parameters. Sinusoidal and pulse voltage excitation characteristics and <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm{O}_3$</tex-math> </inline-formula> generation rates are used to experiment with this concept. The generation of reactive species is tested by measuring the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm{O}_3$</tex-math> </inline-formula> generation rate under fixed electrical and environmental conditions such as voltage, temperature, humidity, frequency, and PAT.

Methodology for Solving Engineering Problems of Burgers–Huxley Coupled with Symmetric Boundary Conditions by Means of the Network Simulation Method

The Burgers–Huxley equation is a partial differential equation which is based on the Burgers equation, involving diffusion, accumulation, drag, and species generation or sink phenomena. This equation is commonly used in fluid mechanics, air pollutant emissions, chloride diffusion in concrete, non-linear acoustics, and other areas. A general methodology is proposed in this work to solve the mentioned equation or coupled systems formed by it using the network simulation method. Additionally, the implementation of the most common possible boundary conditions in different engineering problems is indicated, including the Neumann condition that enables symmetry to be applied to the problem, reducing computation times. The method consists mainly of establishing an analogy between the variables of the differential equations and the electrical voltage at a central node. The methodology is also explained in detail, facilitating its implementation to similar engineering problems, since the equivalence, for example, between the different types of spatial and time derivatives and its correspondence with the electrical device is detailed. As an example, several cases of both the equation and a coupled system are solved by varying the boundary conditions on one side and applying symmetry on the other.

3D Hierarchical-Architectured Nanoarray Electrode for Boosted and Sustained Urea Electro-Oxidation.

Exploring active and durable Ni-based materials with optimized electronic and architectural engineering to promote the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is pivotal for the urea-related technologies. Herein a 3D self-supported hierarchical-architectured nanoarray electrode (CC/MnNi@NC) is proposed in which 1D N-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) with 0D MnNi nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulation are intertwined into 2D nanosheet aligned on the carbon cloth for prominently boosted and sustained UOR electrocatalysis. From combined experimental and theoretical investigations, Mn-alloying can regulate Ni electronic state with downshift of the d-band center, facilitating active Ni3+ species generation and prompting the rate-determining step (*COO intermediate desorption). Meanwhile, the micro/nano-hierarchical nanoarray configuration with N-CNTs encapsulating MnNi NPs can not only endow strong operational durability against metal corrosion/agglomeration and enrich the density of active sites, but also accelerate electron transfer, and more intriguingly, promote mass transfer as a result of desirable superhydrophilic and quasi-superaerophobic characteristics. Therefore, with such elegant integration of 0D, 1D and 2D motifs into 3D micro/nano-hierarchical architecture, the resulting CC/MnNi@NC can deliver admirable UOR performance, favorably comparable to the best-performing UOR electrocatalysts reported thus far. This work opens a fresh prospect in developing advanced electrocatalysts via electronic manipulation coupled with architectural engineering for various energy conversion technologies.

Ultra-Small Nano-Assemblies as Tumor-Targeted and Renal Clearable Theranostic Agent for Photodynamic Therapy.

It is a challenge to design photosensitizers to balance between the tumor-targeting enrichment for precise treatment and efficient clearance within a reasonable timescale for reducing side effects. Herein, an ultra-small nano-photosensitizer 1a with excellent tumor-specific accumulation and renal clearance is reported. It is formed from the self-assembly of compound 1 bearing three triethylene glycol (TEG) armsand two pyridinium groups in water. The positively charged surface with neutral TEG coating enables 1a to efficiently target the tumor, with the signal-to-background ratio reaching as high as 11.5 after tail intravenous injection. The ultra-small size of 1a with an average diameter of 5.6nm allows its fast clearance through kidney. Self-assembly also endows 1a with an 18.2-fold enhancement of reactive oxygygen species generation rate compared to compound 1 in organic solution. Nano-PS 1a manifests an excellent photodynamic therapy efficacy on tumor-bearing mouse models. This work provides a promising design strategy of photosensitizers with renal clearable and tumor-targeting ability.

Building Highly Light‐Harvesting Near‐Infrared AIEgens Using Triazole‐Based Luminescent Core for Improved Intravital Afterglow Imaging

AbstractDevelopment of the powerful building block is of great significance to construct materials with advanced properties. Herein, for the first time, a triazole‐based luminescent core with balanced twist and conjugation is reported, which is explored to construct a D‐A near‐infrared (NIR) aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (TPT‐DCM) with high molar extinction coefficient, good brightness and excellent reactive oxygen species generation rate. These features enable it to function as a nanoprobe with ultralong NIR afterglow luminescence (up to 20 days) and ultrahigh tumor‐to‐liver signal ratio (up to 187) for in vivo deep‐tissue afterglow imaging (with depth reaching 1.6 cm), in combination with chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer aided by active Schaap's dioxetane. Moreover, thanks to the excellent properties of the nanoprobe, the afterglow imaging‐guided surgery navigation can be successfully conduced to remove the tumors especially with tiny size of &lt; 1 mm. This is particularly useful to eliminate tumor residuals and prevent the cancer recurrence after surgery.

Enhanced Direct Electron Transfer Mediated Contaminant Degradation by Fe(IV) Using a Carbon Black-Supported Fe(III)-TAML Suspension Electrode System.

Iron complexes of tetra-amido macrocyclic ligands (Fe-TAML) are recognized to be effective catalysts for the degradation of a wide range of organic contaminants in homogeneous conditions with the high valent Fe(IV) and Fe(V) species generated on activation of the Fe-TAML complex by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) recognized to be powerful oxidants. Electrochemical activation of Fe-TAML would appear an attractive alternative to H2O2 activation, especially if the Fe-TAML complex could be attached to the anode, as this would enable formation of high valent iron species at the anode and, importantly, retention of the valuable Fe-TAML complex within the reaction system. In this work, we affix Fe-TAML to the surface of carbon black particles and apply this "suspension anode" process to oxidize selected target compounds via generation of high valent iron species. We show that the overpotential for Fe(IV) formation is 0.17 V lower than the potential required to generate Fe(IV) electrochemically in homogeneous solution and also show that the stability of the Fe(IV) species is enhanced considerably compared to the homogeneous Fe-TAML case. Application of the carbon black-supported Fe-TAML suspension anode reactor to degradation of oxalate and hydroquinone with an initial pH value of 3 resulted in oxidation rate constants that were up to three times higher than could be achieved by anodic oxidation in the absence of Fe-TAML and at energy consumptions per order of removal substantially lower than could be achieved by alternate technologies.

Lightning-Rod Effect on Nanowire Tips Reinforces Electroporation and Electrochemical Oxidation: An Efficient Strategy for Eliminating Intracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes.

Conventional oxidative disinfection methods are usually inefficient to eliminate intracellular antibiotic resistance genes (i-ARGs) due to competitive oxidation of cellular components of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), resulting in the ubiquitous occurrence of ARGs in drinking water systems. Herein, we developed the strategy of coupling electroporation and electrochemical oxidation on a Co3O4-nanowires-modified electrode to destroy the multiresistant Escherichia coli cells and promote subsequent i-ARG (blaTEM-1 and aac(3)-II) degradation. The lightning-rod effect over nanowire tips can form finite regions with a locally enhanced electric field and highly concentrated charge density, in turn facilitating the electroporation for ARB cell damage and electrochemical reactivity for reactive chlorine/oxygen species generation. Characterization of the ARB membrane integrity and morphology revealed that electroporation-induced cell pores were further enlarged by the oxidation of reactive species, resulting in i-ARG removal at lower applied voltages and with 6-9 times lower energy consumption than the conventional electrochemical oxidation approach with a Co3O4-film-modified electrode. The satisfactory application and effective inhibition of horizontal gene transfer in tap water further demonstrated the great potential of our strategy in the control of the ARG dissemination risk in drinking water systems.

Schlieren imaging and spectroscopic approximation of the rotational-vibrational temperatures of a microwave discharge igniter with a resonating cavity.

A microwave discharge igniter (MDI) with a resonating cavity was developed and optimized for practical applications in an internal combustion engine. In contrast to the typical microwave ignition, the resonating cavity of the MDI induces a discharge through dielectric resonance. Its source of microwave (MW) is a 2.45GHz semiconductor oscillator that is capable of numerous oscillation patterns. To verify and demonstrate the optimum ignition performance and combustion, we varied the oscillation parameters (signal factors) of the MW to optimize the performance of the MDI using the Taguchi method. Plasma spectroscopy was used for ignition condition analysis. Two sets of microwave pulses, a first pulse followed by a second set of pulse bursts, were used to ignite a propane-air fuel. The flame kernel growth rate and O I species generation were used as the response outputs, which were obtained, respectively from Schlieren imaging and emission spectroscopy experiments. The extended pulse periods and higher MW pulse numbers of the second set of pulses improved the response outputs of the MDI. To further analyze the effect of MW oscillation patterns on plasma properties and performance, measurements were done on MW superimposed operation with the high-voltage ignition from spark plugs. The MW transmission on a typical spark plug enhanced the air plasma ignition. Higher input MW energy and more extended MW pulse widths results in increased spectral intensity and radical generation of OH, O, and N 2. An inverse relation between the temperature and spectral intensity functions of the MW pulse width was observed, which was attributed to the cutoff density of the MW-enhanced plasma.

Fully resolved direct numerical simulation of single coal particle gasification in supercritical water

Supercritical water gasification is a promising technology in the context of carbon neutrality, since it converts coal into hydrogen and easily-captured CO2. A fully resolved direct numerical simulation of single particle gasification in supercritical water is conducted in this paper in order to investigate process details at particle scale. To handle the shrinking reactive particle, a directional ghost-cell immersed boundary method is used with a general Robin-type boundary condition at the interface. Detailed flow field and interphase heat/mass transfer near the reactive coal particle are revealed and compared with standard non-reactive cases – used for validation. They are found to be significantly affected by the combined effect of the reaction-induced Stefan flow, particle shrinking, species generation or destruction, and reaction heat release. The chemical processes are then studied with special attention on the gas-phase reaction time-scale. This study delivers a detailed understanding of coal particle gasification in supercritical water, and provides a first successful test of efficient numerical methods needed for large-scale supercritical water gasification simulations.

Prevention of diabetic cardiomyopathy through metabolic amendments of myocardium by melatonin: a role beyond antioxidative efficiency

The alarming rise in diabetes throughout the world brings the scientist at the brink of finding a suitable compound that can impede glucotoxicity and insulin resistance involved development as well as progression of diabetes. Either devoid of insulin or resistance of cells to insulin brings forward the pancreatic tissue as the most vulnerably affected system. However, cardiac tissue, being the most exposed to circulation with high glucose content, is another target of hyperglycaemia. The remodelling of cardiac tissue in insulin resistant diabetic individuals includes cardiac hypertrophy along with misaligned diastolic and systolic functions. All these amendments cause declined cardiac contractility, the major indication of heart failure. The search for rationale behind such undesirable alterations put forward the involvement of altered cardiac metabolism in diabetes. Both carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism have been found to be affected in diabetic individuals with declined glycolysis alongwith escalated lipolysis leading toward rise in fatty acid oxidation. Melatonin, with its antioxidative virtue prevents glucotoxicity induced excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation to afford protection to cellular systems. Nevertheless, the indole hinders ROS production by lowering both glucose and fatty acid accumulation through augmenting glycolysis along with diminishing lipolysis. Melatonin also expands its worth by keeping in order gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis pathways of metabolism in diabetic myocardium. The regulation of important metabolic pathways by melatonin in hyperglycaemic cardiac tissue assists the myocardium to maintain energy balance, the primary need for contractile behaviour. Hence, this review focuses on metabolic modulatory actions of melatonin in diabetic myocardium, which may encourage its usage as a saviour for diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Attenuation of Pro-inflammatory and Oxidative free radicals by Methanolic extract of Costus pictus in RAW 264.7 Macrophages

The effects of Methanolic extract of Costus pictus (CPME) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced vascular oxidative stress and inflammation in cultured RAW 264.7 macrophages were studied. Treatment of with varying concentration of CPME (1ng to 10µg/ml) did not alter the cell viability indicating that they were not cytotoxic even at the highest concentration tested. CPME showed dose dependent suppression on LPS-induced production of NO with a highest at 10µg/mL. ROS plays a vital role in the reduction of antioxidant potency and increases DNA loss and the underlying reason for many diseases such as cardiovascular, inflammatory, diabetic, neurological, and lipid peroxidation. ROS performs a substantial character in organ injury such as brain and uterus since the uplifted value of ROS is associated with a reduction in the overall antioxidant ability and a notable increase in DNA disruption. In this context, SOD, Peroxidase, GPX and GSH are vital elements of the antioxidant defense system were studied, whose inhibition of this mechanism ends in increased vulnerability to free radical cellular damage. DCF-DA staining substantiated the protective influence of CPME against LPS-induced ROS generation which was confirmed by elevated fluorescence signals in LPS stimulated control unlike the treatment groups. The protective effects were measured using cell viability, a MTT assay and the anti-oxidative activity was determined by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, oxidative products and endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities proves CPME to be a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant principle containing extract.

In vitro photodynamic therapy of methylene blue-loaded acetyl resistant starch nanoparticles

BackgroundCombination therapies comprising multiple methods, such as photodynamic therapy have been applied to be complements chemotherapy as they increase the therapeutic efficiency by enabling the intelligent drug delivery to target sites by exposing the photosensitizer to light and activating it in the tumor tissue. This study evaluated in vitro photodynamic therapy of methylene blue (MB)-loaded acetyl resistant starch (ARS) nanoparticles (NPs).MethodsARS was synthesized by the reaction between resistant starch (RS) and acetic anhydride. MB-loaded ARS NPs and ARS NPs were prepared by a single emulsion method. Synthesized ARS was measured by NMR. Prepared ARS NPs and MB-loaded ARS NPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction, UV/Vis, and circular dichroism (CD). MB-loaded ARS NPs were treated in mouse colon cancer cells (CT-26) and they were treated under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation.ResultsSynthesis of ARS was confirmed by NMR and the degree of substitutions in the ARS was 7.1. The morphologies of ARS NPs observed by TEM were spherical shapes and the particle sizes of ARS NPs were 173.4 nm with a surface charge of − 17.24 mV. The d-spacing of ARS NPs was smaller than those of RS and the conformational changes of RS occurred by the formation of self-assembled polymeric NPs with induction of CD of the MB by chiral ARS NPs. The phototoxicity of CT-26 cells treated by MB-loaded ARS NPs dramatically decreased in a dose-dependent manner under NIR laser irradiation compared to free MB.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the ordered nanosized structures in the ARS NPs and conformational change from random coil structure of RS to alpha-helices one of ARS occurred and CD of the achiral MB was induced. The MB-loaded ARS NPs showed a higher generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the CT-26 cells than free MB with the NIR laser irradiation and resulting in phototoxicity under irradiation.