Shenyang Medical College

As a green sustainable alternative technology, synthesizing nitrate by electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) can replace the traditional energy-intensive Ostwald process. But low nitrogen fixation yields and poor selectivity due to the high bond energy of the N≡N bond and competition from the oxygen evolution reaction in the electrolyte restrict its application. On the other hand, two-dimensional (2D) PdS2 as a member in the family of group-10 novel transition metal dichalcogenides (NTMDs) presents the interesting optical and electronic properties due to its novel folded pentagonal structure, but few researches involve to its fabrication and application. Herein, unique imitating growth feature for PdS2 on different 2D substrates has been firstly discovered for constructing 2D/2D heterostructures by interface engineering. Due to the different exposed chemical groups on the substrates, PdS2 grows as the imitation to the morphologies of the substrates and presents different thickness, size, shape and the degree of oxidation, resulting in the significant difference in the NOR activity and stability of the obtained composite catalysts. Especially, the thin and small PdS2 nanoplates with more defects can be obtained by decorating poly(1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide) on the 2D substrate, easily oxidized during the preparation process, resulting in the in situ generation of SO42−, which plays a crucial role in reducing the activation energy of the NOR process, leading to improved efficiency for nitrate production, verified by theoretical calculation. This research provides valuable insights for the development of novel electrocatalysts based on NTMDs for NOR and highlights the importance of interface engineering in enhancing catalytic performance.

Small-molecule self-assembled nanomedicines have shown considerable promise in anticancer therapy. However, the majority of these drugs are composed of the active drug, tumor-responsive chemical linkers, and assembly modules, which significantly complicate the synthesis process. Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying the cellular uptake and drug release of these tumor-responsive self-assembled nanodrugs remain unclear. To overcome these challenges, we exploit a differentially engineered nano-tracker, allowing real-time monitoring of changes in fluorescence intensity. The nano-tracker is elaborately self-assembled by a functional conjugate (artesunate-tetraphenylethylene, Art-TPE), which eliminates the sensitive linkers. Notably, such a functional conjugate not only retains effective anti-tumor activity, but renders a 2-fold aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect enhancement compared to TPE. As expected, such a differentially engineered nano-tracker displays effective anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo. This study offers valuable insights into the development of small-molecule-based nanomedicines for more efficient diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

This study aims to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the enhancement of fluorouracil (5-Fu) efficacy by Xiaojianzhong decoction (XJZD) in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC).

Network pharmacology was utilized to assess the therapeutic pathways of XJZD in the treatment of GC. The results from the network pharmacology analysis were validated through MTT assays, flow cytometry, qPCR, and ELISA experiments. Additionally, metabolomics was applied to identify differential metabolites and clarify the primary metabolic pathways involved.

XJZD inhibited the proliferation of GC-803 cells and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the combination of XJZD with 5-Fu significantly upregulated the mRNA levels of JNK1, JNK2, while downregulating the mRNA levels of ERK1, ERK2 and p38. Additionally, XJZD +5-Fu treatment reduced the expression of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR in GC-803 cells, suggesting that XJZD enhances the therapeutic effect of 5-Fu by inducing apoptosis and modulating the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. Metabolomics analysis identified 16 key metabolites that primarily influence amino acid and energy metabolism.

In this study, the potential therapeutic pathway of XJZD in combination with 5-Fu for the treatment of GC was identified through network pharmacology, in vitro validation, and metabolomics. The therapeutic mechanism of XJZD in GC involves the synergistic effects of multiple active ingredients, targets, and signaling pathways, as well as the modulation of amino acid and energy metabolism. These findings provide new insights into the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the combination of XJZD and 5-Fu in the treatment of GC.