Depressive symptoms of older adults with chronic diseases: the mediating roles of activities of daily living and economic burden of diseases.

Objective: To explore the mediating roles of activities of daily living (ADL) and economic burden of diseases in the relationship between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms of older adults. Methods: The data were sourced from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The number of chronic diseases, ADL, out-of-pocket medical expenses and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were selected as measuring indexes. Mediation analysis was conducted to explore the potential mediating roles of ADL and economic burden of diseases in the association between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms. Results: The number of chronic diseases, ADL, economic burden of diseases and depressive symptoms of older adults were significantly correlated with each other. ADL and economic burden of diseases individually mediated the relationship between the number of chronic diseases and depressive symptoms, accounting for 31.460% and 5.471% of the total effect, respectively. Additionally, ADL and economic burden of diseases demonstrated a chain mediating effect in this relationship, contributing to 0.759% of the total effect. Conclusion: The chain-mediated model effectively elucidated the mediating roles of ADL and economic burden of diseases in the association between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms among older adults. The study underscores the need for policymakers to focus attentively on the mental health of older adults with chronic diseases. Enhancing the capacity for ADL and strengthening social security to mitigate the economic burden of diseases are recommended strategies to alleviate depressive symptoms in older adults.

The effect of centromere protein Fta2 phosphorylation during meiosis.

During meiosis, defects in cohesin localization within the centromere region can result in various diseases. Accurate cohesin localization depends on the Mis4-Ssl3 loading complex. Although it is known that cohesin completes the loading process with the help of the loading complex, the mechanisms underlying its localization in the centromere region remain unclear. Previous studies suggest cohesin localization in the centromere is mediated by phosphorylation of centromeric proteins. In this study, we focused on the Fta2 protein, a component of the Sim4 centromere protein complex. Using bioinformatics methods, potential phosphorylation sites were identified, and fta2-9A and fta2-9D mutants were constructed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The phenotypes of these mutants were characterized through testing thiabendazole (TBZ) sensitivity and fluorescent microscopy localization. Results indicated that Fta2 phosphorylation did not impact mitosis but affected chromosome segregation during meiosis. This study suggests that Fta2 phosphorylation is vital for meiosis and may be related to the specific localization of cohesin during this process.

Copper Chelation Therapy Attenuates Periodontitis Inflammation through the Cuproptosis/Autophagy/Lysosome Axis.

Periodontitis development arises from the intricate interplay between bacterial biofilms and the host's immune response, where macrophages serve pivotal roles in defense and tissue homeostasis. Here, we uncover the mitigative effect of copper chelator Tetrathiomolybdate (TTM) on periodontitis through inhibiting cuproptosis, a newly identified form of cell death which is dependent on copper. Our study reveals concurrent cuproptosis and a macrophage marker within murine models. In response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, macrophages exhibit elevated cuproptosis-associated markers, which are mitigated by the administration of TTM. TTM treatment enhances autophagosome expression and mitophagy-related gene expression, countering the LPS-induced inhibition of autophagy flux. TTM also attenuates the LPS-induced fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes, the degradation of lysosomal acidic environments, lysosomal membrane permeability increase, and cathepsin B secretion. In mice with periodontitis, TTM reduces cuproptosis, enhances autophagy flux, and decreases Ctsb levels. Our findings underscore the crucial role of copper-chelating agent TTM in regulating the cuproptosis/mitophagy/lysosome pathway during periodontitis inflammation, suggesting TTM as a promising approach to alleviate macrophage dysfunction. Modulating cuproptosis through TTM treatment holds potential for periodontitis intervention.

Multifunctional Sr/Se co-doped ZIF-8 nanozyme for chemo/chemodynamic synergistic tumor therapy via apoptosis and ferroptosis.

Rationale: Cancer continues to be a significant public health issue. Traditional treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy often fall short because of intrinsic issues such as lack of specificity and poor drug delivery, leading to insufficient drug concentration at the tumor site and/or potential side effects. Consequently, improving the delivery of conventional chemotherapy drugs like doxorubicin (DOX) is crucial for their therapeutic efficacy. Successful cancer treatment is achieved when regulated cell death (RCD) of cancer cells, which includes apoptotic and non-apoptotic processes such as ferroptosis, is fundamental to successful cancer treatment. The developing field of nanozymes holds considerable promise for innovative cancer treatment approaches. Methods: A dual-metallic nanozyme system encapsulated with DOX was created, derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), designed to combat tumors by depleting glutathione (GSH) and concurrently liberating DOX. The initial phase of the study examined the GSH oxidase-mimicking function of the dimetallic nanozyme (ZIF-8/SrSe) through enzyme kinetic assays and Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations. Following this, we probed the ability of ZIF-8/SrSe@DOX to release DOX in response to the tumor microenvironment in vitro, alongside examining its anticancer capabilities and mechanisms prompting apoptosis or ferroptosis in cancer cells. Moreover, we established tumor-bearing animal models to corroborate the anti-tumor effectiveness of our nanozyme complex and to identify the involved apoptotic and ferroptotic pathways implicated. Results: Enzyme kinetic analyses demonstrated that the ZIF-8/SrSe nanozyme exhibits substantial GSH oxidase-like activity, effectively oxidizing reduced GSH to glutathione disulfide (GSSG), while also inhibiting glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11). This inhibition led to an imbalance in iron homeostasis, pronounced caspase activation, and subsequent induction of apoptosis and ferroptosis in tumor cells. Additionally, the ZIF-8/SrSe@DOX nanoparticles efficiently delivered DOX, causing DNA damage and further promoting apoptotic and ferroptotic pathways. Conclusions: This research outlines the design of a novel platform that combines chemotherapeutic agents with a Fenton reaction catalyst, offering a promising strategy for cancer therapy that leverages the synergistic effects of apoptosis and ferroptosis.

Efficient synthesis of rebaudioside D2 through UGT94D1-catalyzed regio-selective glycosylation.

Steviol glycosides have been widely applied as new sweeteners in food, beverages, health care, and daily chemical industry owing to the properties of high-intensity sweetness, low calorie, and good physiological characteristics. However, most of steviol glycosides have a bitter taste. Their organoleptic properties can be effectively improved by modifying the linked glycosyl units. In this study, UGT94D1, a uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferase from Sesamum indicum, was reported to selectively glycosylate rebaudioside A (Reb A) for the synthesis of rebaudioside D2 (Reb D2). Furthermore, a cascade reaction system was constructed to synthesize Reb D2 with 94.66% yield by coupling UGT94D1 with sucrose synthase AtSuSy from Arabidopsis thaliana. Thus, our study not only introduced a practical method for the synthesis of steviol glycosides but also provided the possibility for further exploration of Reb D2.