Maslinic acid alleviates ulcerative colitis by inhibiting the colitis-aggravating pathogen Clostridium perfringens and modulating gut microbiota.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC), a prevalent form of inflammatory bowel disease, continues to pose therapeutic challenges due to the limitations of conventional drugs and their inability to prevent relapse. Emerging evidence highlights the crucial role of gut microbiota dysbiosis in UC pathogenesis, yet our understanding of specific harmful microbes and their contributions to disease development remains limited.

Purpose: This study aims to (1) investigate the therapeutic potential of maslinic acid (MA), a food-derived natural compound, in colitis mice models; (2) elucidate the previously underestimated pathogenic role of Clostridium perfringens in UC development; and (3) reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying both C.

The pivotal role of SFRP2 in promoting glycolysis and progression in the high-risk group based on the glycometabolism prognostic model for colorectal cancer.

Background: Reprogramming glucose metabolism is a hallmark of human cancer during its occurrence and development. However, the comprehensive glycometabolism signature and underlying mechanism in CRC prognosis and immune response remind to be elucidated.

Methods: A prognostic model derived from 297 glycometabolism-related genes (GRGs) was developed using LASSO-Cox and nomogram algorithms.

Natural small-molecule compounds targeting Helicobacter pylori virulence factors: A promising strategy for overcoming antibiotic resistance.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is an important causal factor of gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. High infection rates and the increasing challenge of antibiotic resistance worldwide have prompted an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic options and antimicrobial agents.

Terahertz Wave Desensitizes Ferroptosis by Inhibiting the Binding of Ferric Ions to the Transferrin.

Ferroptosis is a classic type of programmed cell death characterized by iron dependence, which is closely associated with many diseases such as cancer, intestinal ischemic diseases, and nervous system diseases. Transferrin (Tf) is responsible for ferric-ion delivery owing to its natural Fe binding ability and plays a crucial role in ferroptosis. However, Tf is not considered as a classic druggable target for ferroptosis-associated diseases since systemic perturbation of Tf would dramatically disrupt blood iron homeostasis.

RIOK3 sustains colorectal cancer cell survival under glucose deprivation via an HSP90α-dependent pathway.

Glucose oxidation via the pentose phosphate pathway serves as the primary cellular mechanism for generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). The central regions of solid tumors typically experience glucose deficiency, emphasizing the need for sustained NADPH production crucial to tumor cell survival. This study highlights the crucial role of RIOK3 in maintaining NADPH production and colorectal cancer (CRC) cell survival during glucose deficiency.

Hinokitiol protects gastric injury from ethanol exposure via its iron sequestration capacity.

Hinokitiol is a natural bioactive tropolone derivative isolated from Chamaecyparis obtusa and Thuja plicata, which exhibits promising potential in terms of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and possesses potent iron-binding capacity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential role of hinokitiol in protecting against ethanol-induced gastric injury and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Our results demonstrated that hinokitiol effectively attenuated hemorrhagic gastric lesions, epithelial cell loss, and inflammatory response in mice with ethanol-induced gastric injury.

Moluodan promotes DSS-induced intestinal inflammation involving the reprogram of macrophage function and polarization.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Moluodan (MLD) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is composed of 18 herbal medicines based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and practice. It has long been used in treating chronic gastritis and its components were traditionally used in dealing with intestinal inflammation. However, its specific pharmacological mechanism is still unclear.

IL-8-mediated overexpression of ZNF274 promotes the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells through the transactivation of MRPL40.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. ZNF274, a member of the zinc-finger-protein family of transcription factors, is critical in chromosomal remodelling and tumorigenesis. However, the role of ZNF274 in CRC and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Pseudotyped Viruses for Orthohantavirus.

Orthohantaviruses, members of the Orthohantavirus genus of Hantaviridae family of the Bunyavirales order, are enveloped, negative-sense, single-stranded, tripartite RNA viruses. They are emerging zoonotic pathogens carried by small mammals including rodents, moles, shrews, and bats and are the etiologic agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) among humans. With the characteristics of low biological risk but strong operability, a variety of pseudotyped viruses have been constructed as alternatives to authentic orthohantaviruses to help delineate the roles of host factors in viral entry and other virus-host interactions, to assist in deciphering mechanisms of immune response and correlates of protection, to enhance our understanding of viral antigenic property, to characterize viral entry inhibitors, and to be developed as vaccines.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of octahedral Rh nanocrystals and their performance for electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid.

Uniform and well-defined octahedral Rh nanocrystals were rapidly synthesized in a domestic microwave oven for only 140 s of irradiation by reducing Rh(acac) with tetraethylene glycol (TEG) as both a solvent and a reducing agent in the presence of an appropriate amount of KI, didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC), ethylene diamine (EDA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). KI, DDAC and EDA were essential for the creation of octahedral Rh nanocrystals. Electrochemical measurements showed a significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability for the as-prepared octahedral Rh nanocrystals compared with commercial Rh black.

M2 Macrophage-Derived Exosomal Ferritin Heavy Chain Promotes Colon Cancer Cell Proliferation.

Colon cancer is a widespread life-threatening malignancy with complex and multifactorial etiology. Both epidemiological cohort studies and basic research support the substantial role of iron metabolism in colon cancer. Thus, understanding the mechanisms of how essential iron metabolic proteins are dysregulated may provide new treatment strategies for colon cancer.

PGM3 regulates beta-catenin activity to promote colorectal cancer cell progression.

The hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) is connected to abnormal N- and O-linked protein glycosylation in cancer, which performs critical roles in tumorigenesis. However, the regulation mechanisms of HBP and its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression remain unexplained. This study analyzed the expression level of phosphoglucomutase 3 (PGM3), a key enzyme in HBP, and identified its function in CRC cell lines.

Pantothenate kinase 2 interacts with PINK1 to regulate mitochondrial quality control via acetyl-CoA metabolism.

Human neurodegenerative disorders often exhibit similar pathologies, suggesting a shared aetiology. Key pathological features of Parkinson's disease (PD) are also observed in other neurodegenerative diseases. Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN) is caused by mutations in the human PANK2 gene, which catalyzes the initial step of de novo CoA synthesis.

Ferrostatin-1 alleviated TNBS induced colitis via the inhibition of ferroptosis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), consisting of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), is a chronic relapsing and life-threatening inflammatory disorder that mainly affect the intestinal tract. The mainstream therapies for moderate to severe IBD lie in the use of immunosuppressive agents. However, it encountered the problem of drug tolerance and significant adverse events.

Lysophosphatidic acid mediated PI3K/Akt activation contributed to esophageal squamous cell cancer progression.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and its G-protein-coupled receptors (Lpar1-Lpar6) mediate a plethora of activities associated with cancer growth and progression. However, there is no systematic study about whether and how LPA promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Here, we show that autotaxin (ATX), a primary LPA-producing enzyme, is highly expressed in ESCC, and overexpressed ATX is associated with the poor outcome of ESCC patients.

Elevating bioavailable iron levels in mitochondria suppresses the defective phenotypes caused by PINK1 loss-of-function in Drosophila melanogaster.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common progressive neurodegenerative disease, which is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Iron deposit was found in the SNpc of PD patients and animal models, however, the mechanisms involved in disturbed iron metabolism remain unknown. Identifying the relationship between iron metabolism and PD is important for finding new therapeutic strategies.

Drosophila ZIP13 is posttranslationally regulated by iron-mediated stabilization.

Drosophila ZIP13 (dZIP13, CG7816/ZIP99C) belongs to the SLC39A family and is connected to iron homeostasis in the fruit fly. In this study, we show that dZIP13 level is strongly regulated by iron. In addition to a mild response to iron at the mRNA level, dZIP13 is strongly regulated at the protein level.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of mutually embedded Rh concave nanocubes with enhanced electrocatalytic activity.

Novel mutually embedded Rh concave nanocubes were synthesized by reducing Rh(acac) in tetraethylene glycol in the presence of benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium, KI and polyvinylpyrrolidone under microwave irradiation for 120 s. KI and HDBAC were crucial to the formation of mutually embedded nanostructures. The as-prepared Rh nanocrystals exhibited higher electrocatalytic activity and stability.