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The World Journal of Men's Health May 2024Physiological aging is associated with microvascular dysfunction, including in the penis, and this may contribute to age-related erectile dysfunction (ED). Low-intensity...
Radial Type Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Enhances Penile Microvascular Perfusion in an Aging Rat Model: A Novel Interventional Strategy to Treat Erectile Dysfunction.
PURPOSE
Physiological aging is associated with microvascular dysfunction, including in the penis, and this may contribute to age-related erectile dysfunction (ED). Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT) is a non-invasive intervention for ED, but its effect on penile microvascular function, remains unclear. Our objectives are to (i) evaluate the effect of Li-ESWT (specifically radial type ESWT [rESWT]) on penile microvascular perfusion (PMP) in aging rats, (ii) elucidate a possible mechanism, and (iii) evaluate its impact on angiogenic and smooth muscle biomarkers in cavernosal tissue.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Male rats (n=9; 15-18 months) were anesthetized and subjected to rESWT while monitoring PMP. The nitric oxide (NO) pathway involvement was assessed by measuring the effect of rESWT on PMP following an intracavernosal injection of N(G)-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (NO synthase inhibitor). To elucidate the cellular mechanism, another group of rats received repeated rESWT (n=4) or no treatment (n=4) three times/week for two weeks. Rats were euthanized at the end of the study and penile tissues were analyzed for angiogenic markers (vascular endothelial growth factor-A [VEGF-A], endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]) and smooth muscle content (α-actin) using immunostaining, Western blot, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).
RESULTS
rESWT resulted in more than a 2-fold increase in PMP (from 68.5 arbitrary units; 163.7 AU). L-NAME injection produced a <40%-50% decrease (185.3 to 101.0 AU) in rESWT-induced PMP response. Immunostaining revealed increased α-actin, eNOS, and VEGF-A in the cavernosum and these findings were confirmed by qPCR and Western blot results.
CONCLUSIONS
rESWT improved PMP, which may be mediated increased VEGF expression, which stimulates the NO/cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway, resulting in sustained PMP. rESWT devices could offer a safe, non-invasive treatment for age-related ED.
PubMed: 38863376
DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.240032 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Jun 2024This study confirmed a field population of American sloughgrass ( (Steud.) Fernald) that developed simultaneously high levels of resistance (resistance index >10) to...
This study confirmed a field population of American sloughgrass ( (Steud.) Fernald) that developed simultaneously high levels of resistance (resistance index >10) to three divergent modes of action herbicides: fenoxaprop--ethyl, mesosulfuron-methyl, and isoproturon. The resistance phenotype observed in this population was not attributed to target-site alterations; rather, the resistant plants exhibited a significant increase in the activity of cytochrome P450s (P450s) and enhanced metabolism rates for all three herbicides. RNA sequencing revealed significant upregulation of two P450s, and , in the resistant plants both before and after herbicide treatments. Molecular docking predicted that the homology models of these P450s should exhibit a binding affinity for a range of herbicides. The heterologous expression of the identified P450s in yeast cells indicated improved growth in the presence of all three of the aforementioned herbicides. Collectively, the increased expression of and likely contributed to the P450s-mediated enhanced metabolism, thereby conferring multiple herbicide resistance in .
Topics: Herbicide Resistance; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Herbicides; Plant Proteins; Molecular Docking Simulation; Poaceae
PubMed: 38861684
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c02674 -
Microscopy Research and Technique Jun 2024Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO) were made by reacting graphene oxide (GO) with Lawsonia inermis leaf extract. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed...
Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO) were made by reacting graphene oxide (GO) with Lawsonia inermis leaf extract. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed crystalline TiO doped GO nanoparticles composed of a variety of anatase phases. Initially, UV-vis spectroscopy was performed to confirm the biogenesis of TiO doped GO nanoparticles (NP's). Using SEM, the research showed that the biosynthesized TiO nanoparticles were mostly spherical, polydispersed, and of a nanoscale size. Because of the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) pattern, distinct and robust peaks of titanium (Ti) and oxygen (O) were observed, which were supportive of the formation of TiO nanoparticles. By using fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, it was demonstrated that terpenoids, flavonoids, and proteins are involved in the biosynthesis and production of TiO doped GO nanoparticles. 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays were conducted to evaluate the free radical scavenging activity of TiO doped GO nanoparticles. Additionally, the TiO doped GO NPs had enhanced antioxidant activity when compared with the TiO matrix. A series of pure TiO and TiO doped GO nanoparticles (5, 10, 50, and 100 mg/mL) solutions were investigated for their antibacterial activities. In the current study, zebrafish embryos exposed to pure TiO and TiO doped GO nanoparticles were toxic and suffered a low survival rate based on concentration. During photocatalysis, O˙ and ˙OH radicals are rapidly produced because of the reactive species trapping experiment. It was estimated that pure TiO nanoparticles and those doped with GO were 80% effective in degrading methyl orange(MO) after 120 min, respectively. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The UV-vis absorption spectra showed a maximum absorbance peak at 290 nm. SEM, the pure TiO doped GO NPs exhibit agglomeration and spherical shape. When tested in zebrafish embryos, TiO NPs are toxic at high concentrations. GO nanoparticles showed better antioxidant activity. NPs exhibited concentration dependent antioxidative activity.
PubMed: 38845108
DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24625 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024Despite the widespread utilization of nano silver composites in the domain of catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic pollutants in wastewater, certain challenges persist,...
Despite the widespread utilization of nano silver composites in the domain of catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic pollutants in wastewater, certain challenges persist, including the excessive consumption of chemical reagents during the preparation process and the difficulty in recycling. In this study, silver ions were reduced in-situ by taking advantage of the adsorptive and reducing capacities of hydroxyls and amino groups on lignin porous microspheres (LPMs) under mild ultrasonic conditions, and lignin porous microspheres loaded with silver nanoparticles (Ag@LPMs) were conveniently prepared. Ag@LPMs had excellent catalytic and cycling performances for p-nitrophenol (4-NP), methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO). The 4-NP could be completely reduced to 4-AP within 155 s under the catalysis of Ag@LPMs, with a pseudo-first-order kinetic constant of 1.28 min. Furthermore, Ag@LPMs could still complete the catalytic reduction of 4-NP within 10 min after five cycles. Ag@LPMs with the particle size ranging from 100 to 200 μm conferred ease of recycling, and the porous structure effectively resolved the issue of sluggish mass transfer encountered during the catalytic process. At the same time, the binding force of nano silver and LPMs obtained by ultrasonic was stronger than that of heating, so the materials prepared by ultrasonic had better cycling performance. Silver ions concentration and pH value in the preparation process affected the catalytic performance of Ag@LPMs, 50 mmol/L Ag and pH value of 7 turned out to be the optimization conditions.
PubMed: 38844275
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132899 -
Plant Molecular Biology Jun 2024Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is an important horticultural and economic crop. ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR1 (ERF1) plays an important role in regulating plant development, and...
Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is an important horticultural and economic crop. ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR1 (ERF1) plays an important role in regulating plant development, and the resistance to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, developmental biology, molecular biology and biochemical assays were performed to explore the biological function of CmERF1 in melon. Abundant transcripts of CmERF1 were found in ovary at green-yellow bud (GYB) and rapid enlargement (ORE) stages. In CmERF1 promoter, the cis-regulatory elements for indoleacetic acid (IAA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA), abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellic acid (GA), light and low temperature responses were found. CmERF1 could be significantly induced by ethylene, IAA, MeJA, SA, ABA, and respond to continuous light and low temperature stresses in melon. Ectopic expression of CmERF1 increased the length of siliqua and carpopodium, and expanded the size of leaves in Arabidopsis. Knockdown of CmERF1 led to smaller ovary at anthesis, mature fruit and leaves in melon. In CmERF1-RNAi #2 plants, 75 genes were differently expressed compared with control, and the promoter regions of 28 differential expression genes (DEGs) contained the GCC-box (AGCCGCC) or DRE (A/GCCGAC) cis-acting elements of CmERF1. A homolog of cell division cycle protein 48 (CmCDC48) was proved to be the direct target of CmERF1 by the yeast one-hybrid assay and dual-luciferase (LUC) reporter (DLR) system. These results indicated that CmERF1 was able to promote the growth of fruits and leaves, and involved in multiple hormones and environmental signaling pathways in melon.
Topics: Cucumis melo; Plant Leaves; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins; Plant Growth Regulators; Fruit; Plants, Genetically Modified; Cyclopentanes; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Oxylipins; Abscisic Acid; Arabidopsis; Indoleacetic Acids; Acetates; Salicylic Acid
PubMed: 38842600
DOI: 10.1007/s11103-024-01468-3 -
RSC Advances May 2024To enhance the efficiency of processes by decreasing the reaction severity and energy consumption, and reducing the equipment size, facilities' space and operation cost,...
Optimization of the catalytic production of methyl stearate by applying response surface Box-Behnken design: an intensified green option for high-cetane biofuel manufacture.
To enhance the efficiency of processes by decreasing the reaction severity and energy consumption, and reducing the equipment size, facilities' space and operation cost, process intensification is an increasingly used option in the chemical industry. Within this framework and in agreement with some of the green chemistry principles (design for energy efficiency and use of renewable feedstocks), this work deals with the implementation of high-shear mixing (HSM) to intensify the homogeneous esterification of stearic acid (SA) with methanol to methyl stearate, a high-cetane number alkyl ester suitable to be added into biofuel streams. The response surface Box-Behnken design (BBD) is applied to quantify the main effects and two-way interactions of four key input reaction factors: methanol : SA ratio (7-16 mol mol), catalyst mass (0.25-4.0 wt%), temperature (40-60 °C), time (1-12 min), and to approximate the optimal conditions on the intensified SA esterification. The statistical BBD results indicates that the four linear effects, two of the four possible quadratic effects (catalyst mass and temperature) and only one (catalyst mass-time) of the six existing two-way interactions are statistically relevant at the 95% confidence level. Catalyst mass is the most influencing factor in the reaction, followed by methanol : SA ratio, temperature, and time. The proposed second-order regression model predicts that the intensified esterification requires only 12 min to practically convert all SA (99% ± 6.8%) running the reaction at 12.4 methanol : SA ratio, 4 wt% catalyst mass, 60 °C and 500 rpm, a value experimentally validated (93.2% ± 0.7%). Under these conditions and with the assistance of HSM, the typical reaction length of conventional heterogeneous and homogeneous-phase esterification processes decreases from 5 to 117 and 35 to 90 times, respectively.
PubMed: 38841395
DOI: 10.1039/d4ra02750g -
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry : PPB Jul 2024Identifying green and effective measures for reducing wheat Cd toxicity and grain Cd accumulation is crucial. This study used seedling sand culture and full-grown pot...
Identifying green and effective measures for reducing wheat Cd toxicity and grain Cd accumulation is crucial. This study used seedling sand culture and full-grown pot experiments of wheat cultivars 'Luomai23' (LM) and 'Zhongyu10' (ZY). The purpose was to determine the effects of exogenous MeJA on the phenotype, photosynthesis, antioxidant system, Cd accumulation and distribution, transporter gene expression, and cell wall properties of Cd-stressed wheat. Compared with Cd treatment alone, the plant height and maximum root length treated with 0.001 μM MeJA increased by more than 6.3% and 16.6%, respectively. Under 5 mg⋅kg Cd treatment, spraying 10 μM MeJA increased the photosynthetic rate of LM and ZY by 23.5% and 35.8% at the filling stage, respectively. Methyl jasmonate significantly reduced the HO and MDA contents by increasing the activities of POD, DHAR, MDHAR, and GR and the contents of AsA and GSH. Applicating MeJA increased the content of chelate substances, cell wall polysaccharides, and cell wall functional groups. Besides, MeJA regulated the expression of Cd transporter genes, with shoot and root Cd content decreasing by 46.7% and 27.9% in LM, respectively. Spraying 10 μM MeJA reduced Cd absorption and translocation from vegetative organs to grains, thus reducing the grain Cd content of LM and ZY by 36.1 and 39.9% under 5 mg⋅kg Cd treatment, respectively. Overexpressing TaJMT significantly increased the MeJA content and Cd tolerance of Arabidopsis. These results have improved the understanding of the mechanism through which MeJA alleviates Cd toxicity and reduces Cd accumulation in wheat.
Topics: Triticum; Cyclopentanes; Oxylipins; Acetates; Cadmium; Antioxidants; Cell Wall; Photosynthesis; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Roots; Stress, Physiological; Plant Proteins
PubMed: 38830276
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108788 -
Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2024We have developed a series of 2-monoaryl-5-diarylmethylene analogs of the green fluorescent protein chromophore to study their viscosity-induced emission (VIE)...
We have developed a series of 2-monoaryl-5-diarylmethylene analogs of the green fluorescent protein chromophore to study their viscosity-induced emission (VIE) properties. The analogs were synthesized by a condensation with methyl imidate and N-(diarylmethylene)glycinate. Among the analogs, the N-methylpyrrol-2-yl-substituted analog 1h induced the most remarkable VIE behavior in triglyceride and lipid bilayers probably due to the high π-electron-rich property of the pyrrole ring. The pyrrole substituent in imidazolone analogs can be expected to become a common template for introducing VIE behavior.
Topics: Pyrroles; Viscosity; Imidazoles; Molecular Structure; Lipid Bilayers; Green Fluorescent Proteins
PubMed: 38825446
DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c24-00143 -
Microbial Cell Factories Jun 2024Syringic acid (SA) is a high-value natural compound with diverse biological activities and wide applications, commonly found in fruits, vegetables, and herbs. SA is...
BACKGROUND
Syringic acid (SA) is a high-value natural compound with diverse biological activities and wide applications, commonly found in fruits, vegetables, and herbs. SA is primarily produced through chemical synthesis, nonetheless, these chemical methods have many drawbacks, such as considerable equipment requirements, harsh reaction conditions, expensive catalysts, and numerous by-products. Therefore, in this study, a novel biotransformation route for SA production was designed and developed by using engineered whole cells.
RESULTS
An O-methyltransferase from Desulfuromonas acetoxidans (DesAOMT), which preferentially catalyzes a methyl transfer reaction on the meta-hydroxyl group of catechol analogues, was identified. The whole cells expressing DesAOMT can transform gallic acid (GA) into SA when S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) is used as a methyl donor. We constructed a multi-enzyme cascade reaction in Escherichia coli, containing an endogenous shikimate kinase (AroL) and a chorismate lyase (UbiC), along with a p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase mutant (PobA) from Pseudomonas fluorescens, and DesAOMT; SA was biosynthesized from shikimic acid (SHA) by using whole cells catalysis. The metabolic system of chassis cells also affected the efficiency of SA biosynthesis, blocking the chorismate metabolism pathway improved SA production. When the supply of the cofactor NADPH was optimized, the titer of SA reached 133 μM (26.2 mg/L).
CONCLUSION
Overall, we designed a multi-enzyme cascade in E. coli for SA biosynthesis by using resting or growing whole cells. This work identified an O-methyltransferase (DesAOMT), which can catalyze the methylation of GA to produce SA. The multi-enzyme cascade containing four enzymes expressed in an engineered E. coli for synthesizing of SA from SHA. The metabolic system of the strain and biotransformation conditions influenced catalytic efficiency. This study provides a new green route for SA biosynthesis.
Topics: Gallic Acid; Biocatalysis; Escherichia coli; Metabolic Engineering; Methyltransferases; Shikimic Acid; Pseudomonas fluorescens; Biotransformation
PubMed: 38824548
DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02441-x -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024This study presents an environmentally friendly method for extracting cellulose acetate (CA) from discarded cigarette filters, which is then utilized in the fabrication...
This study presents an environmentally friendly method for extracting cellulose acetate (CA) from discarded cigarette filters, which is then utilized in the fabrication of cellulose-based membranes designed for high flux and rejection rates. CA membranes are likeable to separate dyes and ions, but their separation efficiency is exposed when the contaminant concentration is very low. So, we have integrated graphene oxide (GO) and carboxylated titanium dioxide (COOH-TiO) in CA to develop mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) and studied them against dyes and most used salts. The CA has been extracted from these butts and added GO and COOH-TiO nanoparticles to develop MMMs. The present work administers the effective separation of five dyes (methyl orange, methyl violet, methylene blue, cresol red, and malachite green) and salts (NaCl and NaSO) along with the high efficiency of water flux by prepared CA membranes. The prepared membranes rejected up to 94.94 % methyl violet, 91.28 % methyl orange, 88.28 % methylene blue, 89.91 % cresol red, and 91.70 % malachite green dye. Along with the dyes, the membranes showed ∼40.40 % and ∼ 42.97 % rejection of NaCl and NaSO salts, respectively. Additionally, these membranes have tensile strength up to 1.54 MPa. Various characterization techniques were performed on all prepared CA membranes to comprehend their behaviour. The antibacterial activity of MMMs was investigated using the Muller-Hinton-Disk diffusion method against the gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli). We believe the present work is an approach to utilizing waste materials into valuable products for environmental care.
Topics: Cellulose; Membranes, Artificial; Graphite; Filtration; Coloring Agents; Titanium; Staphylococcus aureus; Escherichia coli
PubMed: 38821793
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132197