Salusin-ß, a TOR2A gene product, promotes proliferation, migration, fibrosis, and calcification of smooth muscle cells and accelerates the imbalance of vasomotor function and vascular remodeling in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertensive rats.

Purpose: The hyper-proliferation, promoted migration, fibrosis, and calcification of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) play critical roles in pulmonary artery (PA) continuous contraction and vascular remodeling, leading to elevated pulmonary arterial resistance and pulmonary hypertension (PH). In this study, we sought to ascertain the effects of a TOR2A gene product, salusin-ß, on PASMCs' proliferation, migration, fibrosis, calcification, and the imbalance of vasomotor function as well as pulmonary vascular remodeling in monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PH rats and their underlying mechanisms. Methods: Knockdown or overexpression of salusin-ß in rats or PASMCs was performed through tail vein injection or cell transfection of virus. The right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) of the rat was measured by right ventricle catheterization. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or acetylcholine (ACh)-induced dose-dependent relaxation was used to evaluate the vasodilatation function. Primary PASMCs were isolated from the PAs of control and PH rats. Results: The salusin-ß protein expressions were significantly increased in PAs and PASMCs isolated from PH rats compared with control rats. Knockdown of salusin-ß in rats decreased high K+ solution-induced contraction, RVSP and RV hypertrophy index, improved SNP or ACh-induced vascular relaxation of PAs, and relieved vascular remodeling and calcification of PAs from PH rats. Silencing salusin-ß in PASMCs isolated from PH rats alleviated the proliferation, migration, fibrosis, and calcification, as well as the NAD(P)H oxidase activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Overexpression of salusin-ß exerted the opposite effects on vasomotor function and vascular remodeling, and PASMCs proliferation, migration, fibrosis and calcification. Conclusion: Increased salusin-ß activity in PAs from PH rats contributes to PASMCs proliferation, migration, fibrosis, and calcification, leading to the imbalance of vascular contraction and relaxation and vascular remodeling through stimulating the production of NAD(P)H oxidase derived ROS.

Efficient coupling of MnO2/TiN on carbon cloth positive electrode and Fe2O3/TiN on carbon cloth negative electrode for flexible ultra-fast hybrid supercapacitors.

Recent research and development of energy storage devices has focused on new electrode materials because of the critical effects on the electrochemical properties of supercapacitors. In particular, MnO2 and Fe2O3 have drawn extensive attention because of their low cost, high theoretical specific capacity, environmental friendliness, and natural abundance. In this study, MnO2 ultrathin nanosheet arrays and Fe2O3 nanoparticles are fabricated on TiN nanowires to produce binder-free core-shell positive and negative electrodes for a flexible and ultra-fast hybrid supercapacitor. The MnO2/TiN/CC electrode shows larger pseudocapacitance contributions than MnO2/CC. For example, at a scanning rate of 2 mV s-1, the pseudocapacitance contribution of MnO2/TiN/CC is 87.81% which is nearly 25% bigger than that of MnO2/CC (71.26%). The supercapacitor can withstand a high scanning rate of 5000 mV s-1 in the 2 V window and exhibits a maximum energy density of 71.19 W h kg-1 at a power density of 499.79 W kg-1. Even at 5999.99 W kg-1, it still shows an energy density of 31.3 W h kg-1 and after 10 000 cycles, the device retains 81.16% of the initial specific capacitance. The activation mechanism is explored and explained.

Genipin improves reproductive health problems caused by circadian disruption in male mice.

BACKGROUND: Circadian rhythm disruption impacts a wide range of physiological processes, including fertility. However, the effect of circadian disruption on male spermatogenesis and fertility, and treatments for these effects have been largely unexplored at the molecular level. METHODS: In this study, we examined the effects of genipin on improving the reproductive health problems caused by circadian disruption. Three groups of animals were fed under different conditions: control group (normal T cycle with saline), group of shortened T cycles (Light/Dark = 4 hours/4 hours) with saline, and a group of shortened T cycles with genipin by oral gavage. The male fertility was evaluated by fertility study and pups parameters analysis after successful sexual behavior and mating with female mice. We sacrificed the treated animals after 5 or 10 weeks and collected the testis, sperm and serum for histological analysis, sperm motility assay, and serum hormone detection, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of genipin was assessed by detection of progesterone secretion and steroidogenic key proteins expression, including StAR and CYP11A1, in mouse Leydig tumor MLTC-1 cells. RESULTS: Male mice exposed to shortened light-dark cycles, much shorter than 24 hours, had reduced fertility with decreased sperm concentrations and sperm motility. Male mice under circadian disruption have reduced testis size and abnormal morphology, leading to lower fertility rates, reduced litter size and pup body weight. Treatment with exogenous genipin, a natural plant-derived compound, alleviated circadian disruption-induced damage to fertility and spermatogenesis and normalized testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and androstenedione (ASD) levels in the male mice. The levels of key proteins involved in steroidogenesis, StAR and CYP11A1, were reduced in mouse testes after the circadian disruption, but genipin treatment restored the reduction. The mRNA expression of SRD5A1, which encodes an androgen synthesis enzyme, was also upregulated by genipin treatment. Furthermore, genipin treatment showed a positive effect on steroidogenesis in MLTC-1 cells, resulting in an increase in hormone secretion and the upregulation of StAR and CYP11A1. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed an association between circadian disruption and reproductive health problems in male mice and indicated that treatments with genipin have positive effects on the reproductive health of male mice with circadian rhythm disorders.

Mechanical Properties of Nano SiO2 and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Concrete after Exposure to High Temperatures.

This study presents the key mechanical and residual properties after high-temperature of different Nano SiO2 carbon fiber-reinforced concrete (NSCFRC) mixtures. A total of seven NSCFRC mixtures incorporating 0%-0.35% of carbon fiber by volume of concrete and 0%-2% Nano SiO2 by weight of the binder were studied. The key mechanical properties such as compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength of NSCFRC with 0.25% carbon fiber and 1% NS were 6.8%, 20.3%, and 11.7% higher than PC (0% CFs, 0% NS), respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) shows that Nano SiO2 reduced the internal porosity and increased the compactness of the concrete matrix. Furthermore, the experimental result demonstrates that NSCFRC can improve the mechanical properties of concrete after high-temperature and equations were obtained to describe the evolution of residual properties at elevated temperatures. Results suggested that the effect of carbon fibers on the residual properties of concrete after high-temperature is less than steel fiber and polypropylene fiber. It was also indicated that adding appropriate Nano SiO2 to concrete is an effective means to improve the residual performance after high-temperature.