Composition Characterization of Crossostephium chinense Leaf Essential Oil and Its Anti-Inflammatory Activity Mechanisms.

This study investigates the composition characteristics and anti-inflammatory activity mechanisms of the essential oil from the leaves of Crossostephium chinense. C. chinense is a perennial herb commonly found in East Asia, traditionally used to treat various ailments. The essential oil extracted through water distillation, primarily contains 1,8-cineole (13.73%), santolina triene (13.53%), and germacrene D (10.67%). Three compounds were identified from the essential oil, namely 1-acetoxy-2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-5-methylhex-3,5-diene, 1-acetoxy-isopyliden-hex-5-en-4-one, and chrysanthemyl acetate, with the first two being newly discovered compounds. Then, the essential oil of C. chinense exhibits significant anti-inflammatory effects on RAW264.7 macrophages, effectively inhibiting the production of NO and ROS, with the IC50 value of 10.3 µg/mL. Furthermore, the essential oil reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß. Mechanistic studies indicate that the essential oil affects the inflammatory response by inhibiting the expression of iNOS but has no significant impact on COX-2. Further analysis suggests that the essential oil may regulate the inflammatory response through the ERK protein in the MAPK pathway and IκBα in the NF-κB pathway, while also promoting the activity of the NRF2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway, enhancing the cell's antioxidant capacity, thereby achieving an effect of inhibiting the inflammatory response. These results highlight the potential application value of C. chinense leaf essential oil in the medical and healthcare fields.

Composition Characterization of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kanehira Hydrosol and Its Enhanced Effects on Erectile Function.

Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kanehira (CO) is an endemic species of Taiwan. This study elucidated the composition of CO hydrosol, revealing trans-cinnamaldehyde (65.03%), trans-cinnamyl acetate (7.57%), and coumarin (4.31%) as the main volatile compounds. Seven compounds were identified in the water fraction of hydrosol, including a novel compound, 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)oxetan-3-ol. This marks the first investigation into high-polarity compounds in hydrosol, extending beyond the volatile components. Notably, two compounds, trans-phenyloxetan-3-ol and cis-phenyloxetan-3-ol, demonstrated significant inhibition activity against phosphodiesterase type five (PDE5), with IC50 values of 4.37 µM and 3.40 µM, respectively, indicating their potential as novel PDE5 inhibitors. Furthermore, CO hydrosol was evaluated against enzymes associated with erectile dysfunction, namely acetylcholinesterase (AChE), angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE), and arginase type 2 (ARG2). These findings underscore the potential of CO hydrosol to modulate erectile function through diverse physiological pathways, hinting at its prospects for future development in a beverage or additive with enhanced effects on erectile function.

Elevated Plasma Levels of Gas6 Are Associated with Acute Lung Injury in Patients with Severe Sepsis.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is one of the complications of severe sepsis, causing sudden deaths. However, information regarding predictive factors for the onset of ALI in severe sepsis is limited. Growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) is secreted by endothelial cells and is important for the activation of endothelium during inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the predictive effect of plasma Gas6 in patients with severe sepsis. Collection of plasma samples was carried out from 129 participants with severe sepsis following with or without ALI development. We found that the elevated levels of Gas6, interleukin-6 and -8 (IL-6 and IL-8) in plasma were associated with the ALI development (P = 0.003, 0.002, and 0.004, respectively). We also observed the robust correlation between the plasma level of Gas6 and the following ALI development to adjustment for sepsis and administration of vasopressor. Between patients with ALI (n = 18) and those without ALI (n = 111), Gas6 and the Lung Injury Prediction Score (LIPS) showed promising discrimination (AUROC, 0.74 and 0.68, respectively), and in combination with these two indexes, the AUROC was increased to 0.86 (vs. 0.74, P = 0.05), while soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) and Willebrand factor (vWF) in plasma showed no predictive value for of ALI. Collectively, our findings indicate that higher levels of Gas6 in plasma are obviously correlated with ALI development. An early increase in the plasma Gas6 level suggests that endothelial injury is a key link in the pathogenesis of ALI.

Gate effects on DNA translocation through silicon dioxide nanopore.

The effects of gate voltage on the translocation of DNA molecules through a nanopore are studied. A twenty-fold increase in the translocation time is observed with a positive gate voltage applied, without changing too much of the ionic current. The amplitude of the current blockage by the DNA molecules was reduced by roughly the same factor. At the same time, the number of the blocking events decreases significantly. The applied gate voltage also modulates the scatter plot of the amplitude of the current blockage against the dwell time. The observations are consistent with the recent theoretical results.