Membrane Concentration Research Articles

Collagen face spray: facial moisturizer from chicken egg shell membrane to prevent premature aging

Skin is often exposed to various factors, so the premature aging process become one of the public’s concerns. One of the efforts to maintain skin beauty and prevent premature aging is to fulfil the intake of collagen in the skin. Collagen is a protein, which one is found at chicken egg shells membrane. So far, chicken egg shells are only seen as waste, pollute the environment and are not used properly. Therefore, this innovation to making face spray cosmetic products appears to be a new breakthrough in the utilization and waste treatment. It can function to moisturize and nourish the skin, soothe facial skin, anti-aging, relieves redness on sensitive skin and can give a smooth impression on makeup. The method used in this research is an experiment, the results based on anatomical pathology tests using microscopic 400x magnification with Sirius red staining obtained 52.8% collagen content in egg shell membrane, and pH test obtained value of pH 5.4 which meets the requirements for the safe value for the skin pH 4.5-6.5 and the results of the organoleptic test on collagen face spray product are odorless, colorless, and the material is in the form of a liquid face spray cosmetic.

Hemodynamic Forces, Endothelial Mechanotransduction, and Vascular Diseases.

Cells in the tissues and organs of a living body are subjected to mechanical forces, such as pressure, friction, and tension from their surrounding environment. Cells are equipped with a mechanotransduction mechanism by which they perceive mechanical forces and transmit information into the cell interior, thereby causing physiological or pathogenetic mechano-responses. Endothelial cells (ECs) lining the inner surface of blood vessels are constantly exposed to shear stress caused by blood flow and a cyclic strain caused by intravascular pressure. A number of studies have shown that ECs are sensitive to changes in these hemodynamic forces and alter their morphology and function, sometimes by modifying gene expression. The mechanism of endothelial mechanotransduction has been elucidated, and the plasma membrane has recently been shown to act as a mechanosensor. The lipid order and cholesterol content of plasma membranes change immediately upon the exposure of ECs to hemodynamic forces, resulting in a change in membrane fluidity. These changes in a plasma membrane's physical properties affect the conformation and function of various ion channels, receptors, and microdomains (such as caveolae and primary cilia), thereby activating a wide variety of downstream signaling pathways. Such endothelial mechanotransduction works to maintain circulatory homeostasis; however, errors in endothelial mechanotransduction can cause abnormalities in vascular physiological function, leading to the initiation and progression of various vascular diseases, such as hypertension, thrombosis, aneurysms, and atherosclerosis. Recent advances in detailed imaging technology and computational fluid dynamics analysis have enabled us to evaluate the hemodynamic forces acting on vascular tissue accurately, contributing greatly to our understanding of vascular mechanotransduction and the pathogenesis of vascular diseases, as well as the development of new therapies for vascular diseases.

Mechanistic Insight of the Antifungal Potential of Green Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles against Alternaria brassicae

Alternaria brassicae is a necrotrophic fungus causes Alternaria blight disease in oilseed mustard crop. There is a 47% loss of the mustard crop due to the Alternaria blight disease. To control this disease, various chemical fungicides have been used till date which are harmful to our environment. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles synthesized from Terminalia bellerica have been reported to have significant antifungal potential against A. brassicae at 200 ppm concentration. In the present study, the effect of green synthesized zinc oxide (Tb‐ZnO) nanoparticles, chemically synthesized ZnO nanoparticles, and chemical fungicides on A. brassicae has been anticipated by analysing changes in cytomorphology characteristics, biochemical constituent, and stress enzymes of A. brassicae. Cytomorphological studies by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy have shown the complete disintegration of cell wall, cell membrane, and cytoplasmic content at 200 ppm concentration of Tb‐ZnO nanoparticles. Decrement in biochemical constituents and changes in activity of stress enzymes in Tb‐ZnO nanoparticles treated cell confirm the toxicity of nanoparticles at 200 ppm concentrations. Hence, on the basis of all these results, the mechanism of action of Tb‐ZnO nanofungicides on A. brassicae has been hypothesized in the present study. This study confirms how nanoparticles inhibit the growth of A. brassicae and suggested the use of nanofungicides.

Liquid Biopsies: Flowing Biomarkers.

Metastatic dissemination accounts for most of the death in patients during cancer progression. There is thus an urge to identify specific biomarkers as proxies for cancer progression and assessment of treatment efficiency. Cancer is a systemic disease involving the shuttling of tumor cells and tumor secreted factors to distant organs, mostly via biofluids. During this transfer, these factors are accessible for easy sampling and therefore constitute a unique source of information witnessing the presence and the evolution of the disease. Hence, liquid biopsies offer multiple advantages, including simple and low-invasive sampling procedures, low cost, and higher compliance. Importantly, liquid biopsies are adapted to personalized medicine allowing a longitudinal follow-up to monitor treatment efficiency or resistance, and risk of relapse.The evolution of methodologies to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) from blood samples associated with the characterization of their membrane surface repertoire and content have been instrumental in the emergence of liquid biopsies as an easy and non-invasive alternative as opposed to classical surgery-mediated tumor biopsies.In this chapter, we comment on CTCs and EVs carrying features with great potential as cancer biomarkers. More specifically, we focus on the adhesive and mechanical properties of CTCs as metastatic markers. We also consider the recent development of EVs isolation methods and the identification of new biomarkers. Finally, we discuss their relevance as cancer prognosis tools.

Interaction with mammalian enteric viruses alters outer membrane vesicle production and content by commensal bacteria.

Intestinal commensal bacteria contribute to maintaining gut homeostasis. Disruptions to the commensal flora are linked to the development and persistence of disease. The importance of these organisms is further demonstrated by the widespread ability of enteric viruses to exploit commensal bacteria to enhance viral infection. These viruses interact directly with commensal bacteria, and while the impact of this interaction on viral infection is well described for several viruses, the impact on the commensal bacteria has yet to be explored. In this article, we demonstrate, for the first time, that enteric viruses alter the gene expression and phenotype of individual commensal bacteria. Human and murine norovirus interaction with bacteria resulted in genome‐wide differential gene expression and marked changes in the surface architecture of the bacterial cells. Furthermore, the interaction of the virus with bacteria led to increased production of smaller outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Enhanced production of smaller vesicles was also observed when noroviruses were incubated with other commensal bacteria, indicating a potentially broad impact of norovirus interaction. The vesicle production observed in the in vivo model followed a similar trend where an increased quantity of smaller bacterial vesicles was observed in stool collected from virus‐infected mice compared to mock‐infected mice. Furthermore, changes in vesicle size were linked to changes in protein content and abundance, indicating that viral binding induced a shift in the mechanism of the OMV biogenesis. Collectively, these data demonstrate that enteric viruses induce specific changes in bacterial gene expression, leading to changes in bacterial extracellular vesicle production that can potentially impact host responses to infection.

A proteomic approach to identify digestive enzymes, their exocytic and microapocrine secretory routes and their compartmentalization in the midgut of Spodoptera frugiperda.

A proteomic approach was used to identify the digestive enzymes secreted by exocytosis and by microapocrine vesicles and enzyme midgut compartmentalization in Spodoptera frugiperda larvae. For this, proteomic analyses were performed in isolated midgut enterocyte microvillar membrane, in a fraction enriched in microapocrine vesicles (separated in soluble and membrane fractions), in the washings of the peritrophic membrane to isolate its loosely- and tightly-bound proteins, and in the peritrophic membrane contents. PM washings correspond to proteins extracted from the mucus layer surrounding PM. Serine endopeptidases (trypsins, chymotrypsins and serine endopeptidase homologs that have substitutions in the catalytic residues) and lipases are mainly secreted by exocytosis. Aminopeptidases are mainly microvillar enzymes and some are secreted membrane-bound to microapocrine vesicles, whereas carboxypeptidase isoforms follow different secretory routes. The results also showed that most polymer hydrolases (such as amylase and endopeptidases) are not retained in the ectoperitrophic fluid (found in PM washings but absent from PM contents). On the contrary, most enzymes involved in intermediate digestion (exemplified by carboxypeptidase and aminopeptidase) do not pass through the peritrophic membrane. Finally, the data revealed that the protein composition of PM includes peritrophins classified as peritrophic membrane proteins, PMP, and chitin deacetylase.

Phospholipase D1-generated phosphatidic acid modulates secretory granule trafficking from biogenesis to compensatory endocytosis in neuroendocrine cells.

Calcium-regulated exocytosis is a multi-step process that allows specialized secretory cells to release informative molecules such as neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and hormones for intercellular communication. The biogenesis of secretory vesicles from the Golgi cisternae is followed by their transport towards the cell periphery and their docking and fusion to the exocytic sites of the plasma membrane allowing release of vesicular content. Subsequent compensatory endocytosis of the protein and lipidic constituents of the vesicles maintains cell homeostasis. Despite the fact that lipids represent the majority of membrane constituents, little is known about their contribution to these processes. Using a combination of electrochemical measurement of single chromaffin cell catecholamine secretion and electron microscopy of roof-top membrane sheets associated with genetic, silencing and pharmacological approaches, we recently reported that diverse phosphatidic acid (PA) species regulates catecholamine release efficiency by controlling granule docking and fusion kinetics. The enzyme phospholipase D1 (PLD1), producing PA from phosphatidylcholine, seems to be the major responsible of these effects in this model. Here, we extended this work using spinning disk confocal microscopy showing that inhibition of PLD activity also reduced the velocity of granules undergoing a directed motion. Furthermore, a dopamine β-hydroxylase (DβH) internalization assay revealed that PA produced by PLD is required for an optimal recovery of vesicular membrane content by compensatory endocytosis. Thus, among numerous roles that have been attributed to PA our work gives core to the key regulatory role in secretion that has been proposed in different cell models. Few leads to explain these multiple functions of PA along the secretory pathway are discussed.

Preparation of seaweed polysaccharide based hydrophobic composite membranes for the separation of oil/water emulsion and protein

Agarose is a seaweed-based polysaccharide and is widely used for the separation of nucleic acids in molecular biology. Cross-linked agarose beads are also used as solid-phase matrices in size exclusion chromatography for the separation of proteins. To find the application of agarose for the separation of oil/water emulsion and protein, herein hydrophobic derivative of the seaweed biopolymer [MW (1.27 ± 0.17) × 10 5 g/mol; sulphate content (0.29 ± 0.09) %, gel strength (2242 ± 21) g/cm2] is prepared by reacting the biopolymer with stearic acid and was used to prepare a composite membrane on polyester fabric. The oil and BSA rejection performance of the composite membrane was greater than 98%. The rejection rate increased with the increase in polymer content in the respective membranes for both oil/water and protein separation. The composite membrane showed a stable oil/water emulsion and protein separation performance over a period of six hours. Due to the biodegradable nature of the major components of the membrane, it has the potential for industrial applications.

The Compound U18666A Inhibits the Intoxication of Cells by Clostridioides difficile Toxins TcdA and TcdB.

The intestinal pathogen Clostridioides (C.) difficile is a major cause of diarrhea both in hospitals and outpatient in industrialized countries. This bacterium produces two large exotoxins, toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB), which are directly responsible for the onset of clinical symptoms of C. difficile-associated diseases (CDADs), such as antibiotics-associated diarrhea and the severe, life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis. Both toxins are multidomain proteins and taken up into host eukaryotic cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Within the cell, TcdA and TcdB inactivate Rho and/or Ras protein family members by glucosylation, which eventually results in cell death. The cytotoxic mode of action of the toxins is the main reason for the disease. Thus, compounds capable of inhibiting the cellular uptake and/or mode-of-action of both toxins are of high therapeutic interest. Recently, we found that the sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP-2) pathway, which regulates cholesterol content in membranes, is crucial for the intoxication of cells by TcdA and TcdB. Furthermore, it has been shown that membrane cholesterol is required for TcdA- as well as TcdB-mediated pore formation in endosomal membranes, which is a key step during the translocation of the glucosyltransferase domain of both toxins from endocytic vesicles into the cytosol of host cells. In the current study, we demonstrate that intoxication by TcdA and TcdB is diminished in cultured cells preincubated with the compound U18666A, an established inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis and/or intracellular transport. U18666A-pretreated cells were also less sensitive against TcdA and TcdB variants from the epidemic NAP1/027 C. difficile strain. Our study corroborates the crucial role of membrane cholesterol for cell entry of TcdA and TcdB, thus providing a valuable basis for the development of novel antitoxin strategies in the context of CDADs.

Omega-3 index is directly associated with a healthy red blood cell distribution width

Low red blood cell (RBC) membrane content of EPA and DHA, i.e., the omega-3 index (O3I), and elevated RBC distribution width (RDW) are risk factors for all-cause mortality. O3I and RDW are related with membrane fluidity and deformability. Our objective was to determine if there is a relationship between O3I and RDW in healthy adults. Subjects without inflammation or anemia, and with values for O3I, RDW, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), body mass index (BMI), age and sex were identified (n = 25,485) from a clinical laboratory dataset of > 45,000 individuals. RDW was inversely associated with O3I in both sexes before and after (both p < 0.00001) adjusting models for sex, age, BMI and CRP. Stratification by sex revealed a sex-O3I interaction with the RDW-O3I slope (p < 0.00066) being especially steep in females with O3I ≤ 5.6%. In healthy adults of both sexes, the data suggested that an O3I of > 5.6% may help maintain normal RBC structural and functional integrity.

Quantifying proton diffusion in acid-functionalized chitosan membranes

We explore proton diffusion in hydrated, maleic-acid-functionalized chitosan membranes using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. Our simulations show that more frequent proton hopping between water molecules leads to an increase in the proton diffusion coefficient at higher water content in membranes based on 50 and 100% de-acetylated maleic chitosan. Moreover, mobile protons interact with the oxygen atoms of the 50% de-acetylated polymer’s acetyl groups, making them susceptible to protonation. The maleic acid group’s three oxygen atoms hydrogen-bond to water molecules in the membrane channels and are protonated less frequently than the acetyl groups.

Early Endosomal GTPase Rab5 (Ras-Related Protein in Brain 5) Regulates GPIbβ (Glycoprotein Ib Subunit β) Trafficking and Platelet Production In Vitro.

Maturation of megakaryocytes culminates with extensive membrane rearrangements necessary for proplatelet formation. Mechanisms required for proplatelet extension and origin of membranes are still poorly understood. GTPase Rab5 (Ras-related protein in brain 5) regulates endocytic uptake and homotypic fusion of early endosomes and regulates phosphatidylinositol 3-monophosphate production important for binding of effector proteins during early-to-late endosomal/lysosomal maturation. Approach and Results: To investigate the role of Rab5 in megakaryocytes, we expressed GFP (green fluorescent protein)-coupled Rab5 wild type and its point mutants Q79L (active) and N133L (inactive) in primary murine fetal liver-derived megakaryocytes. Active Rab5 Q79L induced the formation of enlarged early endosomes, while inactive Rab5 N133L caused endosomal fragmentation. Consistently, an increased amount of transferrin internalization in Rab5 Q79L was impaired in Rab5 N133L expressing megakaryocytes, when compared with GFP or Rab5 wild type. Moreover, trafficking of GPIbβ (glycoprotein Ib subunit beta), a subunit of major megakaryocytes receptor and membrane marker, was found to be mediated by Rab5 activity. While GPIbβ was mostly present along the plasma membrane, and within cytoplasmic vesicles in Rab5 wild type megakaryocytes, it accumulated in the majority of Rab5 Q79L enlarged endosomes. Conversely, Rab5 N133L caused mostly GPIbβ plasma membrane retention. Furthermore, Rab5 Q79L expression increased incorporation of the membrane dye (PKH26), indicating higher membrane content. Finally, while Rab5 Q79L increased proplatelet production, inactive Rab5 N133L strongly inhibited it and was coupled with a decrease in late endosomes/lysosomes. Localization of GPIbβ in enlarged endosomes was phosphatidylinositol 3-monophosphate dependent. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Rab5-dependent endocytosis plays an important role in megakaryocytes receptor trafficking, membrane formation, and thrombopoiesis.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ОДЕРЖАННЯ ТА ВЛАСТИВОСТІ КОМБІНОВАНИХ ГІДРОГЕЛЕВИХ МЕМБРАН НА ОСНОВІ ПОЛІКАПРОАМІДУ І КОПОЛІМЕРІВ ПОЛІВІНІЛПІРОЛІДОНУ

The research results of surface adsorption magnitude and tensile strength of combined polyamide-hydrogel membranes, depending on the content of the hydrogel lining membrane are presented in the article. It was found that the molecular weight variation of PVP, both in the structure of copolymer and in modifying blend, as well as the time of staying hydrogel film in the modifying solution allow to regulate the properties of combined membranes directly, in particular, its strength and permeability.

Taking Advantage of the Renewable Forest Bioresource Turpentine to Prepare α,β-Unsaturated Compounds as Highly Efficient Fungicidal Candidates.

In a continuous study on the high-value-added exploration of a renewable forest bioresource turpentine in modern organic agriculture, two series of α-pinene derivatives containing amide and α,β-unsaturated ketone pharmacophores were prepared. Through an in-depth fungicidal activity study, the title compounds presented excellent inhibitory activity against common crop fungi, especially Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and the notable EC50 values of α,β-unsaturated compounds 3u (funan containing) and 3v (thiophene containing) were 1.657 and 1.749 μg/mL, respectively. Further physiological and biochemical studies on S. sclerotiorum revealed that compounds 3u and 3v reduced the ergosterol content in the cell membrane and increased the permeability of the cell membrane. In combination with their effect on mycelial morphology, the title compounds might have inhibitory effects on the biosynthesis of ergosterol, which is a paramount component of the target cell membrane. Moreover, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and SAR studies revealed that the charge distribution of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl ketone derivatives played an important role in the observed fungicidal activity. In summary, this study highlights the design and development of novel high-efficacy turpentine-based antifungal agents.

Re-Envisioning the History of Cellular and Molecular Biology

Re-Envisioning the History of Cellular and Molecular Biology

Hydrogen Crossover through a Nafion Membrane and a Membrane Electrode Assembly of PEFC at High Temperature

IntroductionIt is obvious that cell temperature plays an important role on the performance of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) and durability of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). This issue is more common in Nafion membrane due to its limitation at higher temperature (above 90 oC at a low humidity level) [1]. One of the outcomes of high-temperature operation is membrane degradation that can increase fuel crossover. Great amount of studies has focused on effects of temperature incorporating other parameters such as relative humidity or total pressure gradient between electrodes on either proton exchange membrane (PEM) or MEA [2,3]. The difference between a PEM and a membrane with catalyst layers could be related to the steps during MEA production techniques [4]. However, the distinction of a PEM and an MEA in terms of degradation has not been clear yet. In the current study, we studied hydrogen crossover through a Nafion membrane and a Nafion membrane with catalyst layer at various cell temperatures and varied hydrogen partial pressure gradient.ExperimentalHydrogen crossover was measured using 4 MEAs (containing NR-211, NR-212, N-115 and N-117) at Pt loading of 0.36 mg/cm2 (anode) and 0.38 mg/cm2 (cathode) with the same catalyst layer thickness (10 μm) and the 2 Nafion membranes (NR-211 and NR-212). The MEAs/PEMs were evaluated in a modified Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI) standard cell with parallel flow channels (active surface area of 4 cm2). Gas crossover was tested at cell temperature 59 oC – 94 oC and atmospheric pressure with the desired fixed inlet relative humidity (70 % – 79 %).Hydrogen and nitrogen were supplied to one side of the cell to control a hydrogen partial pressure and only nitrogen was supplied to the other side. The gas was collected from the cell outlet for gas chromatography analysis (GC-12A, Shimadzu).A pristine PEM was exposed to heat for 6 min at 120 oC and 140 oC for comparison of the MEA that experienced heat treatment during MEA fabrication. An X-ray diffractometer (Ultima IV, Rigaku) with a scanning rate at 2 o min-1, a differential scanning calorimeter (TGA/DSC 3+ STARe System, Mettler Toledo), and a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA-50, Shimadzu) with a heating rate of 10 oC min-1 were used for characterization of membranes.Results and DiscussionHydrogen gradient between the anode and cathode drives the crossover as follows: N H (M) = k pH (M) Δ p H (1)where k pH (M) represents the permeance of hydrogen andΔ p H represents the difference in the hydrogen partial pressures at both sides. Hydrogen crossover flux N H (M) measured by the gas chromatography proves that the hydrogen permeation through the PEM and MEA is highly temperature dependent (Fig. 1). The activation energy of k pH (M) was 24.0 kJ/mol.Measurements using PEM (25.4 μm and 50.8 μm) and MEA (with PEM thickness 25.4 μm, 50.8 μm, 127 μm and 183 μm) showed, as expected, increasing the PEM thickness in MEA resulted in more resistance (1/k pH (M)) to hydrogen crossover as shown in Fig. 2. The similar behavior was observed in PEM itself. It should be noted that PEM and PEM in MEA showed different crossover resistance per unit thickness. Heat treatment of PEM did not affect the crossover considerably, although the crystal structure change was observed by XRD. The broad peak around 2θ = 17.5 ° assigned to a crystalline region [5] was reduced during heat treatment at 140 oC.Fig. 3 shows the effects of the moisture content of membranes on the hydrogen crossover. The moisture content slightly enhanced crossover through the PEM by itself as reported [6]. Increase in the moisture content reduced hydrogen crossover through the MEA. Confinement of the PEM in the MEA might cause swelling of PEM in the through-plane direction, reducing crossover flux.ConclusionsIncreasing cell temperature activated hydrogen permeation. Unlike a pristine PEM, an MEA containing the same membrane indicated ca. 2 times faster crossover.

Effect of Oxide Content of Graphene Oxide Membrane on Remarkable Adsorption for Calcium IonsSupported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11675246).

Graphene oxide membranes (GOMs), as one of the most promising novel materials, have gained great interest in the field of adsorption. However, the oxygen content of graphene oxide is directly related to its adsorption properties, such as suspension stability, adsorption capacity, and reusability of GOMs. Here, a series of reduced GOMs with oxygen content from 28% to 12% were conveniently prepared by the thermally reduced and the corresponding interlayer spacing of these membranes changed from 8.0 Å to 3.7 Å. These prepared GOMs have remarkable Ca2+ adsorption capacity, which increases with the oxygen content or interlayer spacing of GOMs. Importantly, the max adsorption capacity of the mass ratio between adsorbed Ca2+ and pristine GOMs can reach up to 0.481 g/g, which is about one order of magnitude higher than the adsorption capacity of activated sludge, magnetic Fe3O4, functionalized silica, zeolite molecular sieve, and other reported previously. Moreover, GOMs show excellent stability and the Ca2+ can be easily desorbed by water, so that the GOMs can be reused. Our previous theoretical analysis suggests that this remarkable adsorption is attributable to the strong interactions between Ca2+ and GO sheets, including the ion-π interactions between Ca2+ and aromatic graphitic rings as well as the electrostatic interaction between Ca2+ and oxygen-containing groups.

Cholesterol in Synaptic Vesicle Membranes Regulates the Vesicle-Binding, Function, and Aggregation of α-Synuclein.

Loss of function and aggregation of the neuronal protein α-Synuclein (A-Syn) underlies the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), and both the function and aggregation of this protein happen to be mediated via its binding to the synaptic vesicles (SVs) at the presynaptic termini. An essential constituent of SV membranes is cholesterol, with which A-Syn directly interacts while binding to membranes. Thus, cholesterol content in SV membranes is likely to affect the binding of A-Syn to these vesicles and consequently its functional and pathogenic behaviors. Interestingly, the dyshomeostasis of cholesterol has often been associated with PD, with reports linking both high and low cholesterol levels to an increased risk of neurodegeneration. Herein, using SV-mimicking liposomes containing increasing percentages of membrane cholesterol, we show (with mathematical interpretation) that the binding of A-Syn to synaptic-like vesicles is strongest in the presence of an optimum cholesterol content, which correlates to its maximum function and minimum aggregation. This implicates a minimum risk of neurodegeneration at optimum cholesterol levels and rationalizes the existing controversial relationship between cholesterol levels and PD. Increased membrane cholesterol was, however, found to protect against damage caused by aggregated A-Syn, complementing previous reports and portraying one advantage of high cholesterol over low.

Silver nanoparticles offer a synergistic effect with fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans by abrogating drug efflux pumps and increasing endogenous ROS.

A frequent emergence of drug resistance has been observed and posed great threat to global public health recently. This work aimed to investigate the potential synergistic effect and the underlying mechanisms of AgNPs-fluconazole combination more extensively through 2 clinically isolated fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans (C. albicans) strains. Antifungal properties of AgNPs and fluconazole alone or together against planktonic cells and biofilms were tested. Cellular and molecular targets associated with fluconazole resistance were monitored after AgNPs treatment. Antifungal potential of AgNPs-fluconazole combination was also explored in vivo using a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis. Tissue burden and survival rate were analyzed. The results indicated that AgNPs worked synergistically with fluconazole against both planktonic cells of fluconazole-resistant C. albicans and biofilms formed <12h. AgNPs treatment down-regulated ERG1, ERG11, ERG25, and CDR2, decreased membrane ergosterol levels and membrane fluidity, reduced membrane content of Cdr1p, Cdr2p, and thus efflux bump activity. The elevated ROS production was also a likely cause of the synergistic effect. In vivo, AgNPs and fluconazole combination significantly decreased the fungal burden and improved the survival rate of infected mice. In conclusion, these results further confirm that AgNPs-fluconazole combination is a hopeful strategy for the treatment of fluconazole-resistant fungal infections.

Self-Healing Hydrophilic Porous Photothermal Membranes for Durable and Highly Efficient Solar-Driven Interfacial Water Evaporation

Self-Healing Hydrophilic Porous Photothermal Membranes for Durable and Highly Efficient Solar-Driven Interfacial Water Evaporation