Search Results (190)

A facile way to prepare Cu(OH)₂ inorganic nanofiltration membranes with neatly arranged multilayers has been developed based on the reaction of a sodium hydroxide solution and a copper ammonia solution at the liquid–liquid interfaces. The effects of the concentration, temperature, and time of the liquid–liquid reaction on membrane structure and pore sizes were studied by SEM, TEM, and X-ray diffraction. The growth mechanism of the membrane was discussed and the formation process model was proposed. It was found that the reaction temperature was a key factor in obtaining a Cu(OH)₂ monolayer, and this could be used to adjust the thickness and pore size of the monolayer. The as-prepared Cu(OH)₂ membranes exhibited excellent filtration performance with the pure water fluxes of 156.2 L·m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹ and retention rates of 100% for methylene blue (50 ppm) at a pressure of 0.1 MPa. This successfully opens up a new method of synthesizing multilayer nanoarrays’ Cu(OH)₂ structure for nanofiltration. Full article

Aflatoxin contamination poses a significant food safety risk, particularly during the storage of dried chili peppers. This study evaluated the efficacy of formic acid treatment, ultraviolet (UV) treatment, and combined UV-formic acid treatment in both preventing and controlling Aspergillus flavus in dried red chili powder. Efficacy was assessed by measuring the growth diameter of A. flavus colonies on un-colonized and already colonized dried red chili powder. The optimal treatment conditions for the UV-formic acid combination were determined through single-factor experiments, orthogonal experiments, and quality assessment. Finally, the effects of the UV-formic acid combination on the cell membrane, antioxidant system, and energy metabolism of A. flavus were investigated. The results revealed that fumigation of un-colonized dried red chili powder with 5% formic acid for 24 h inhibited A. flavus growth by 93.29% and toxin synthesis by 99.41%. In contrast, treatment of already colonized chili powder with 10% formic acid inhibited A. flavus colony growth by 50%. Through a three-factor, three-level orthogonal experiment followed by quality testing, the optimal conditions were determined to be 8% formic acid concentration, a UV irradiation distance of 15 cm, and a treatment time of 75 min. This optimized combined treatment reduced the required fumigation time from 24 h to 1.25 h. This technique achieved complete suppression of aflatoxin B₁ synthesis on un-colonized dried red chili powder. On already colonized chili powder, the mycelial growth inhibition rate was 48.05 ± 6.68%, and aflatoxin B₁ synthesis was inhibited by 91.32 ± 3.15%. Quality assessment revealed that the UV-formic acid co-treatment parameters did not significantly affect key quality indicators including color, capsaicin content, total phenolic content (p > 0.05). Furthermore, UV-formic acid treatment disrupt the cell membrane structure of A. flavus, impairs its antioxidant and energy metabolism systems, and induces mitochondrial dysfunction. The study confirmed the synergistic antifungal effect of formic acid and UV, providing a potential industrialized solution for enhancing the safety and storage stability of dried chili products. Full article

Background/Objectives: Uric acid can act as a prooxidant or an antioxidant; therefore, its effects on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were investigated to better understand its role in promoting cellular senescence and vascular dysfunction. Methods: HUVECs were exposed to different concentrations of exogenous uric acid levels typically found in patients with cardiovascular conditions (5 mg/dL, 7.5 mg/dL, and 10 mg/dL) to assess cell viability, proliferation, and senescence markers including SA-β-Gal activity, γ-H2A.X and 53BP1 expression, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction parameters such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial mass, and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Additionally, the secretion of factors related to the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) was quantified. Results: Uric acid concentrations of 7.5 mg/dL and above significantly reduced HUVEC viability, enhanced proliferation, and increased markers of cellular senescence, including SA-β-Gal activity and γ-H2A.X/53BP1 expression. Higher uric acid levels also led to increased ROS production, increased mitochondrial mass, and reduced membrane potential. Uric acid also dose-dependently increased IL-6, IL-8, HGF, GRO-1, and TGF-β1 levels. Conclusions: High uric acid concentrations (≥7.5 mg/dL) promote HUVEC senescence, possibly due to ROS-induced DNA damage. In addition, uric acid triggers the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. Full article

Background/Objectives: Drought stress is a significant environmental challenge that affects plant growth and productivity. Methods: In this study, an underutilized and better drought stress tolerance genotype of Cucumis melo var. melo, i.e., AHK-200, was investigated for drought tolerance potential, with special emphasis on various morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular parameters. Results: Our findings show that AHK-200 demonstrates superior drought tolerance with an enhanced root length, better water retention capacity, and stable cell membrane integrity under water deficit conditions. Physiologically, AHK-200 exhibited minimal reduction in relative water content (RWC) and photosynthetic efficiency (PN), along with increased stomatal conductance (gs) and chlorophyll content and reduced photoinhibition under drought stress. Biochemically, AHK-200 showed higher antioxidant enzyme activity (APX, CAT, SOD, GR, POD) and osmolyte accumulation (proline), which are critical for mitigating oxidative stress. At the molecular level, drought-related genes such as DREB2C, DREB2D, and RD22 were upregulated, supporting AHK-200 resilience to drought stress. Additionally, AHK-200 displayed elevated mineral concentrations, including Na, K, Ca, and Fe, which are essential for cellular homeostasis and stress adaptation. Conclusions: Overall, our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the drought tolerance mechanisms in AHK-200, highlighting its potential for use in breeding drought-tolerant genotypes in cucurbits and related crops. This research could guide future efforts in gene manipulation and transgenic development aimed at enhancing drought resistance and yield potential in crop plants. Furthermore, DREB2C, DREB2D, and RD22 transcription factors regulate many pathways related to stress; the overexpression of these genes may open a new avenue in melon improvement against drought stress. Full article

Shading stress is a major negative abiotic environmental factor seriously affecting peanut growth, development, and ultimately resulting in a yield decrease in peanut in peanut/maize intercropping systems. However, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a potential plant growth regulator that can enhance its tolerance to various abiotic stresses. However, there is limited information on how ALA affects plant physiology and molecular mechanisms under shading stress. To address this, field experiments were designed involving two shading conditions (CK and AS0, no shading; S40 and AS40, 40% shading) and two ALA foliar sprayed levels (CK and S40, no ALA application; AS0 and AS40, 20 mg L⁻¹ (0.15 mM) ALA application) to investigate the effects of the exogenous application of ALA under shading stress via the evaluation of both transcriptome and metabolome. The research results suggested that the exogenous ALA application under normal light conditions significantly enhanced photosynthesis, while exogenous ALA application could improve the stability of the cell membrane structure and biological function in response to shading stress and thereby enhance shading tolerance of the plant. The results also implied that exogenous ALA regulates the adaptability of peanuts under different light conditions by affecting the concentration of endogenous ALA. This finding improves the understanding of ALA’s regulatory molecular mechanisms and the metabolic pathways of peanuts under shading stress. Our results extend the application of ALA in agricultural production and will provide a reference for crop cultivation, especially for peanut/maize intercropping systems. Full article

Background: Lidocaine (LIDO) toxicity is a critical concern in regional anesthesia, with no specific antidote currently available. While lipid emulsions are commonly used as rescue agents in cases of local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST), their efficacy is inconsistent, and their safety remains controversial. AmnioMax^® (AMX), a specialized cell culture medium enriched with growth factors and bioactive molecules, has the potential to offer cytoprotective effects. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of AMX in mitigating lidocaine-induced cytotoxicity and to explore its protective mechanisms at the cellular level. Methods: Healthy colon cells (CCD-18Co) were used in this study. Four experimental groups were established as follows: control, LIDO, AMX, and LIDO + AMX. Cellular viability in the control group was set at 100%. LIDO was administered at concentrations ranging from 0.06 to 10%, AMX at 0.625–100%, and LIDO + AMX at 60% of the half-maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) combined with LIDO (0.06–10%). Cells were incubated for 24 h, after which cellular viability, DNA damage, apoptosis, intracellular reactive oxygen species (iROS), intracellular calcium (Ca), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and glutathione (GSH) were evaluated. Results: LIDO exposure led to a concentration-dependent decrease in viability compared to the control group (p < 0.001), while AMX significantly increased viability (p < 0.001). In the LIDO + AMX group, viability was also reduced (p < 0.001); however, cytotoxicity was significantly lower than in the LIDO group (p < 0.05). Both the LIDO and LIDO + AMX groups showed increased iROS levels, DNA damage, and apoptosis (p < 0.001), along with the decreased MMP and GSH levels (p < 0.001) compared to the control. However, in the LIDO + AMX group, iROS, DNA damage, and apoptosis were significantly lower than in the LIDO group (p < 0.01), MMP levels were increased (p < 0.001), and no significant difference was observed in GSH levels. Conclusions: AMX demonstrated cytoprotective effects against LIDO-induced cytotoxicity, suggesting its potential as an alternative therapeutic agent for LAST. Full article

Human placental-derived allografts are biomaterials categorized as cellular, acellular, matrix-like products (CAMPs) that can serve as wound coverings due to placenta tissue’s innate barrier function. The placental membrane consists of three layers, the amnion, the intermediate layer (IL), and the chorion, each contributing distinct functional and biological properties. This study investigates how variations in layer composition influence the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) and growth factor profiles of placental allografts. We compared Dual Layer (amnion–amnion), Full Thickness (amnion–intermediate–chorion, FT), and a novel four-layer allograft configuration (amnion–intermediate–chorion–amnion, ACA). Histological analyses using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson’s trichrome staining revealed distinct structural architecture among the three allografts, with FT and ACA exhibiting 4.9 times and 5.7 times greater thickness as compared with the Dual Layer, respectively. Compositional studies revealed different concentrations of key ECM components (collagen, elastin, proteoglycans, hyaluronic acid) and growth factors (ANG-2, EGF, PDGF-AA, VEGF) across allografts. The collagen concentration was two times higher in ACA as compared with the Dual Layer and FT. Additionally, FT and ACA demonstrated higher levels of growth factors and other ECM components, underscoring their biochemical diversity. These findings highlight the fact that the structural and biochemical properties of placental-derived allografts depend on their layer composition. This study underscores the importance of tailoring layer configurations that are optimized for clinical applications of CAMPs, enabling clinicians to select the most suitable grafts for clinical use, such as for wound management. Full article

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) membranes are a biomaterial derived from the patient’s own blood, used in different medical and dental areas for their ability to promote healing, tissue regeneration, and reduce inflammation. They are obtained by centrifuging the blood, which separates the components and concentrates the platelets and growth factors in a fibrin matrix. This material is then moulded into a membrane that can be applied directly to tissues. The use of these PRF membranes is often associated with the use of different biomimetic materials such as deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), enamel matrix derivative (EMD), and hydroxyapatite (HA). Different indications of PRF membranes have been proposed, like alveolar ridge preservation, alveolar ridge augmentation, guided tissue regeneration (GTR), and sinus floor augmentation. The aim of this narrative review is to check the state-of-the-art and to analyze the existing gaps in the use of PRF membranes in combination with biomimetic materials in alveolar ridge preservation, alveolar ridge augmentation, guided tissue regeneration (GTR), and sinus floor augmentation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and the use of various grafting materials and platelet concentrates have emerged as promising adjunctive techniques in endodontic surgery to enhance bone regeneration and improve healing outcomes, although evidence regarding their consistent effectiveness remains inconclusive. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective clinical trials to determine the efficacy of bone grafts, membranes, or platelet concentrates on outcomes in endodontic periapical surgery, employing a robust evidence-based approach. Methods: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, and gray literature databases from their inception until March 2024. Study selection and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers. Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective clinical trials underwent critical appraisal for risk of bias and quality of evidence and were subjected to meta-analysis to determine treatment effects. Results: Twelve studies were included. The pool success rate for periapical surgery using any regenerative material (bone graft, membrane, or platelet concentrate) was 2.48 (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.42–4.34). Multiple subgroup analyses based on the type of regenerative material used during treatment were performed, presenting high certainty of evidence. The subgroup analysis, which examined bone graft only, bone graft with membrane, membrane only, concentrated growth factor only, and concentrated growth factor with bone graft, yielded significant results only for concentrated growth factor with bone graft (OR: 15.01, 95% CI: 1.12–271.70). While the success rate of periapical surgery with other regenerative materials did not reach statistical significance, the effect size was substantial. Conclusions: Overall, the findings indicate that utilizing a concentrated growth factor with a bone graft significantly improves the success of bone regeneration procedures over a 12-month follow-up period compared to interventions without these components. However, more research will be needed with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up times. Full article

Nanoplastics (NPs) can cross cellular membranes and affect cellular performance. This study aims to determine the effects of polystyrene NPs (PS-NPs, 44 nm) on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) exposed for 14 days to 100 μg/L PS-NPs. The results show that biometric indicators (weight, length, Fulton’s condition factor, and hepatosomatic index) were not affected after the experimental exposures. No significant effects were observed on white blood cell count, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, or platelets compared to the control group. However, there was a significant decrease in hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit values, and mean corpuscular cell volume in fish exposed to PS-NPs. There were no significant effects on plasmatic cholesterol, triglyceride, alkaline phosphatase, or aspartate aminotransferase levels. The histological anatomy of both the gills and the intestine revealed no obvious signs of cellular damage, excessive mucous, or inflammation in the PS-NP group. The expression of transcripts related to lipid metabolism (pparα, pparβ), growth and development (igf1), detoxification (bche), and oxidative stress (sod, gpx1) were significantly downregulated in animals exposed to PS-NPs, indicating a slight impairment in lipid homeostasis and antioxidant response. Full article

Nitrogen source is a necessary nutrient factor in the process of mycelial growth and metabolite synthesis. To improve the yield of ergosterol, in the previous study, we used transcriptome technology to explore the difference in gene expression of Cordyceps cicadae by CO(NH₂)₂ (urea) in the process of synthesizing ergosterol. In the present study, CO(NH₂)₂ was used to examine its effects on cell membrane permeability and metabolic flow in the process of C. cicadae fermentation and ergosterol synthesis. Metabonomic results showed that CO(NH₂)₂ supplementation caused significant changes in five aspects: (1) CO(NH₂)₂ notably increased biomass growth and extracellular ergosterol, and decreased intracellular ergosterol concentration; (2) CO(NH₂)₂ boosted the level of inositol 1,4-bisphosphate, which implied the acceleration of cell membrane decomposition, the weakening of integrity, and the increase in permeability and change in metabolic regionalization; (3) CO(NH₂)₂ changed the metabolic fluxes and metabolic speed, including increasing the levels of amino acids, vitamins, hormones, and nucleotides, which exhibited an elevated biomass growth, promoting the synthesis of intracellular flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenes, facilitating extracellular ergosterol synthesis and decreasing the degradation of ergosterol; (4) in the fermentation anaphase, CO(NH₂)₂ caused the inhibition of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activities, decreased NADPH, NADH, and ATP synthesis, and finally inhibited biomass growth and ergosterol synthesis. Collectively, metabonomics was a valuable strategy to study the regulatory effects of medium composition and incubation conditions on ergosterol synthesis by C. cicadae. Full article

Previous studies have demonstrated corilagin’s inhibitory effects on the growth of various cancer cells. Given the limited research on corilagin’s impact on ovarian cancer, a particularly deadly gynecological malignancy, this study aimed to investigate corilagin’s influence on A2780 ovarian cancer cell apoptosis and its underlying mechanisms. The goal was to evaluate corilagin’s potential as a therapeutic agent for ovarian cancer. The results of the CCK-8 assay showed that corilagin inhibited the proliferation of A2780 ovarian cancer cells while exhibiting lower toxicity to normal ovarian surface epithelial cells (IOSE-80). We found that corilagin significantly altered the A2780 cell cycle, decreasing the proportion of cells in the G₀/G₁ and G₂/M phases and inducing cell cycle arrest in the S phase. At low concentrations, corilagin induced apoptosis in A2780 cells, accompanied by a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential and calcium influx. Transcriptome sequencing analysis identified differentially expressed apoptosis-related genes in corilagin-treated A2780 cells, primarily within the PI3K-AKT pathway. Furthermore, qPCR and Western blot results confirmed the upregulation of p53 and Bax genes and the downregulation of BCL-2. Corilagin also increased the expression of apoptotic factors caspase-9, caspase-3, PUMA, and cytochrome C, indicating its ability to induce apoptosis. Overall, corilagin effectively inhibited A2780 cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest, and triggered apoptosis. Its anti-tumor effect in vitro suggests its potential as a therapeutic agent for ovarian cancer A2780, especially through the PI3K/p53 pathway. Full article

Collagen and its peptides exhibit remarkable antioxidant activity, superior biocompatibility, and water solubility, making them a significant research focus in skin care. Hence, the recombinant humanized collagen types I, III, and XVII complexed with niacinamide were developed to address damage in human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF-1) caused by ultraviolet radiation and to evaluate basement membrane proteins in a rat skin model. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay showed that higher concentrations of the complex increased the survival of damaged cells by approximately 10% and 22%, respectively, compared to the normal group after 16 and 48 h of treatment. Further biochemical analyses using ELISA and immunofluorescence (IF) confirmed that the complex enhanced the expression of collagen type IV, laminin, P63, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in the damaged cells. Additionally, the complex boosted the activity of the basement membrane in rat skin and stimulated the secretion of integrin, laminin, and perlecan. Overall, the recombinant humanized collagen complex effectively reinforced the skin’s basement membrane. Full article

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are leading global causes of morbidity and mortality, necessitating advances in diagnosis and treatment. Doxorubicin (Doxo), a potent chemotherapy drug, causes long-term heart damage due to cardiotoxicity. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) carry bioactive molecules—such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids—that can modulate gene expression and signaling pathways in recipient cells, including cardiomyocytes. Through the delivery of cytokines, microRNAs, and growth factors, sEVs can influence cell survival, which plays a critical role in the development of cardiotoxicity. This study investigates the role of sEVs derived from breast cancer cells treated or not with Doxo and their potential to induce cardiomyocyte damage, thereby contributing to cardiotoxicity. We isolated sEVs from MCF-7 cells treated or not to Doxo using ultracentrifugation and characterized them through Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Western Blotting (WB) for the markers CD63, CD81, and TSG101. We analyzed cytokine profiles using a Multiplex Assay and Cytokine Membrane Array. We exposed Guinea pig cardiomyocytes to different concentrations of sEVs. We assessed their viability (MTT assay), shortening, reactive oxygen species (ROS–DHE dye) production, mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1 dye), and calcium dynamics (FLUO-4 dye). We performed statistical analyses, including t-tests, ANOVA, Cohen’s d, and η² to validate the robustness of the results. Treatment of MCF-7 cells with 0.01 μM Doxorubicin resulted in increased sEVs production, particularly after 48 h of exposure (~1.79 × 10⁸ ± 2.77 × 10⁷ vs. ~5.1 × 10⁷ ± 1.28 × 10⁷ particles/mL, n = 3, p = 0.0019). These sEVs exhibited protein profiles in the 130–25 kDa range and 93–123 nm sizes. They carried cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-10. Exposure of cardiomyocytes to sEVs (0.025 μg/mL to 2.5 μg/mL) from both Doxo-treated and untreated cells significantly reduced cardiomyocyte viability, shortened cell length by up to 20%, increased ROS production, and disrupted calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating severe cellular stress and cardiotoxicity. These findings suggest that Doxo enhances sEVs production from breast cancer cells, which plays a key role in cardiotoxicity through their cytokine cargo. The study highlights the potential of these sEVs as biomarkers for early cardiotoxicity detection and as therapeutic targets to mitigate cardiovascular risks in chemotherapy patients. Future research should focus on understanding the mechanisms by which Doxorubicin-induced sEVs contribute to cardiotoxicity and exploring their diagnostic and therapeutic potential to improve patient safety and outcomes in cancer therapy. Full article

Onychostoma macrolepis is not only a protected Cyprinid species in the wild but also an emerging commercial aquaculture fish in China. The objective of this research was to genetically modify the genes associated with commercial traits by CRISPR/Cas9 for the protection and utilization of the germplasm resources of O. macrolepis. To that end, one-cell stage embryos were obtained via hormone-induced ovulation and artificial insemination in O. macrolepis. Eight genes related to body color, growth, intermuscular bone, and sex differentiation were mutated in O. macrolepis using the CRISPR/Cas9 system by microinjection of gRNA/Cas9 mRNA. The optimal dose of gRNA/Cas9 mRNA was determined by injection of different concentrations of tyr (tyrosinase)-gRNA/Cas9 and examination of the mutation rate and hatching rate of embryos. Indels were detected by T7 endonuclease I digestion and Sanger sequencing. F0 mutants with high mutation rates were selected for phenotype analyses. Disruption of body color gene tyr, mpv17 (mitochondrial inner membrane protein MPV17), and csf1ra (colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor, a) resulted in obvious phenotype with decreased or even absence of melanophores, iridophores, and xanthophores, respectively. Mutation of mstnb (myostatin b) led to improved growth performance. Mutation of mc4r (melanocortin 4 receptor) led to no obvious phenotype. Mutation of runx2b (RUNX family transcription factor 2b) and bmp6 (bone morphogenetic protein 6) resulted in decreased or absence of intermuscular bones, as revealed by alizarin red S staining. Mutation of cyp19a1a (cytochrome P450, family 19, subfamily A, polypeptide 1a) resulted in ovarian degeneration as revealed by gonadal histological examination. Therefore, this study successfully obtained mutants with obvious phenotypes of genes associated with body color, growth, intermuscular bone, and sex differentiation by CRISPR/Cas9 in O. macrolepis. Full article