Mesenchymal stem cells based therapy has been used in clinic for almost 20 years and has shown encouraging effects in treating a wide range of diseases. However, the underlying mechanism is far more complicated than it was previously assumed. Mitochondria transfer is one way that recently found to be employed by mesenchymal stem cells to exert its biological effects. As one way of exchanging mitochondrial components, mitochondria transfer determines both mesenchymal stem cells and recipient cell fates. In this review, we describe the factors that contribute to MSCs-MT. Then, the routes and mechanisms of MSCs-MT are summarized to provide a theoretical basis for MSCs therapy. Besides, the advantages and disadvantages of MSCs-MT in clinical application are analyzed.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignant digestive tumor. Numerous genetic mutations have been documented in HCC, yet the clinical significance of these mutations remains largely unexplored. The objective of this study is to ascertain the clinical value and biological effects of xin actin binding repeat containing 2 (XIRP2) mutation in HCC. The gene mutation landscape of HCC was examined using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and the International Cancer Genome Consortium databases. The prognostic significance of the XIRP2 mutation was assessed through KM plot analysis. The association between drug sensitivity and the XIRP2 mutation was investigated using the TIDE algorithm and CCK-8 experiments. The biological effects of the XIRP2 mutation were evaluated through qRT-PCR, protein stability experiments, and relevant biological experiments. The XIRP2 mutation is one of the high-frequency mutations in HCC, and is associated with poor prognosis. A total of 72 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in HCC tissues with the XIRP2 mutation as compared to those with the XIRP2 wildtype, and these DEGs were closely related to ion metabolic processes. The XIRP2 mutation was linked to alterations in the sensitivity of fludarabine, oxaliplatin, WEHI-539, and LCL-161. CCK-8 assays demonstrated that HCC cells carrying the XIRP2 mutation exhibited increased resistance to fludarabine and oxaliplatin, but enhanced sensitivity to WEHI-539 and LCL-161 as compared with those HCC cells with the XIRP2 wildtype. The XIRP2 mutation was found to have no impact on the mRNA levels of XIRP2 in tissues and cells, but it did enhance the stability of the XIRP2 protein. Mechanically, the inhibition of XIRP2 resulted in a significant increase in sensitivity to oxaliplatin through an elevation in zinc ions and a calcium ion overload. In conclusion, the XIRP2 mutation holds potential as a biomarker for predicting the prognosis and drug sensitivity of HCC and serves as a therapeutic target to enhance the efficacy of oxaliplatin.

UNASSIGNED: The widespread use of radiofrequency (RF) sources, ranging from household appliances to telecommunications devices and military equipment, raises concerns among people and regulatory agencies about the potential health risks of RF exposure. Consequently, several in vitro and in vivo studies have been done to investigate the biological effects, in particular non-thermal, of this non-ionizing radiation. To date, this issue is still being debated due to the controversial results that have been reported. Furthermore, the impact of different RF signal modulations on biological systems remains poorly investigated. The present in vitro study aims to evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of continuous or pulsed 1.6 GHz RF in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF).
UNASSIGNED: HDF cultures were exposed to continuous and pulsed 1.6 GHz RF, for 2 h, with Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of 0.4 W/kg. The potential biological effects of 1.6 GHz RF on HDF were assessed with a multi-methodological approach, analyzing the effects on cell cycle, ultrastructure, protein expression, mitotic spindle, CREST stained micronuclei, chromosome segregation and γ-H2AX/53BP1 foci.
UNASSIGNED: 1.6 GHz RF exposure modified proteins expression and morphology of HDF. Specifically, the expression of different heat-shock proteins (HSP) (i.e., HSP-90, HSP-60, and HSP-25) and phospho-AKT were affected. In addition, both continuous and pulsed RF modified the cytoskeletal organization in HDF and increased the number of lysosomes, while the formation of autophagosomes was observed only after pulsed RF exposure. Mitotic spindle anomalies were also found after exposure. However, no significant effect was observed on cell cycle, chromosome segregation, CREST-stained micronuclei and γ-H2AX/53BP1 foci.
UNASSIGNED: The results of the present study show the absence of genotoxic damage in 1.6 GHz RF exposed HDF and, although mitotic spindle alterations were observed, they did not have an aneugenic effect. On the other hand, changes in some proteins expression and cell ultrastructure in exposed HDF suggest that RF can potentially induce cell alterations at the morphological and molecular levels.

The interaction and combination of nanoplastics with microorganisms, enzymes, plant proteins, and other substances have garnered considerable attention in current research. This study specifically examined the interaction and biological effects of NPs and proteins. The findings indicated that the presence of externally wrapped proteins alters the original morphology and surface roughness of nanoplastics, leading to the formation of unevenly distributed coronas on the surface. This confirms that nanoplastics can interact with proteins to form protein coronas. The study characterized the adsorption behavior of bacterial proteins on unmodified, amino-modified, and carboxyl-modified nanoplastics using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, showing that the adsorption process of the three nanoplastics on bacterial proteins was mainly controlled by chemisorption. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed a higher binding affinity of unmodified nanoplastics. Nearly 40 % of the proteins in the protein corona of unmodified NPs are involved in metabolite production and electron transport processes. Nearly 50 % of the proteins in the protein corona of amino-modified NPs are involved in cellular metabolic processes, followed by enzymes that carry out redox reactions. The protein corona of carboxyl-modified NPs has the highest number of proteins involved in metabolic pathways, followed by proteins involved in energy-electron transfer. The formation of protein coronas on NPs with different surface modifications can reduce the toxicity of nanoplastics to bacteria to a certain extent compared to pure nanoplastics, especially amino-modified NPs, which show a significant increase in bacterial survival. The formation of protein coronas on NPs leads to varying degrees of decrease in bacterial ROS and MDA generation, with amino-modified NPs showing the most reduction; SOD and CAT exhibit varying degrees of increase and decrease. These findings not only advance our understanding of the biological impacts of NPs but also provide a basis for future in-depth investigations into the pathways of NP contamination in real environments.

Biophysical and clinical medical studies have confirmed that biological tissue lesions and trauma are related to the damage of an intrinsic electret (i.e., endogenous electric field), such as wound healing, embryonic development, the occurrence of various diseases, immune regulation, tissue regeneration, and cancer metastasis. As exogenous electrical signals, such as conductivity, piezoelectricity, ferroelectricity, and pyroelectricity, bioelectroactives can regulate the endogenous electric field, thus controlling the function of cells and promoting the repair and regeneration of tissues. Materials, once polarized, can harness their inherent polarized static electric fields to generate an electric field through direct stimulation or indirect interactions facilitated by physical signals, such as friction, ultrasound, or mechanical stimulation. The interaction with the biological microenvironment allows for the regulation and compensation of polarized electric signals in damaged tissue microenvironments, leading to tissue regeneration and repair. The technique shows great promise for applications in the field of tissue regeneration. In this paper, the generation and change of the endogenous electric field and the regulation of exogenous electroactive substances are expounded, and the latest research progress of the electret and its biological effects in the field of tissue repair include bone repair, nerve repair, drug penetration promotion, wound healing, etc. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of electret materials in tissue repair were summarized. Exploring the research and development of new polarized materials and the mechanism of regulating endogenous electric field changes may provide new insights and innovative methods for tissue repair and disease treatment in biological applications.

Specialized chemicals are used for intensifying food production, including boosting meat and crop yields. Among the applied formulations, antibiotics and pesticides pose a severe threat to the natural balance of the ecosystem, as they either contribute to the development of multidrug resistance among pathogens or exhibit ecotoxic and mutagenic actions of a persistent character. Recently, cold atmospheric pressure plasmas (CAPPs) have emerged as promising technologies for degradation of these organic pollutants. CAPP-based technologies show eco-friendliness and potency for the removal of organic pollutants of diverse chemical formulas and different modes of action. For this reason, various types of CAPP-based systems are presented in this review and assessed in terms of their constructions, types of discharges, operating parameters, and efficiencies in the degradation of antibiotics and persistent organic pollutants. Additionally, the key role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) is highlighted. Moreover, optimization of the CAPP operating parameters seems crucial to effectively remove contaminants. Finally, the CAPP-related paths and technologies are further considered in terms of biological and environmental effects associated with the treatments, including changes in antibacterial properties and toxicity of the exposed solutions, as well as the potential of the CAPP-based strategies for limiting the spread of multidrug resistance.

BACKGROUND: Plants have been used for a long time in traditional medicine to treat many diseases. The genus Prangos belongs to the Apiaceae family and has various medicinal and aromatic species. Since ancient times, Prangos species have been employed extensively in traditional medicine for different purposes and are especially popular for their aphrodisiac effects.
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this paper is to represent a systematic review of the species in the genus Prangos, including their botanical characteristics, uses in traditional medicine, phytochemical constituents, the composition of the essential oils produced, and the biological properties.
METHODS: The articles regarding traditional uses and bioactivities of Prangos species were evaluated using electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. Use of the World Flora Online (WFO) - The Plant List, The International Plant Names Index, the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (2024), and ChemDraw Professional helped complete this compilation.
RESULTS: Phytochemical investigations have indicated that coumarins are characteristic constituents of Prangos species, especially prenylated simple coumarins and furanocoumarins, and also flavonoids, terpenoids, and phytosterols occur in this genus. In addition, the essential oils of these plants have been examined. The biological properties of the Prangos species seem worthy of further investigation. Also, some information about the toxicity of these species and their use as ingredients in food products is presented.
CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the evaluation of traditional knowledge, phytochemical profiles, biological activities, and potential uses of Prangos species as foods and spices. Many pharmacological activities have been performed related to their traditional uses, but frequently, the exact mechanism of action remains scientifically unproven. This review has compiled data on the phytochemistry, the active secondary metabolites, the biological properties, and recent advances in Prangos species.

The article discusses the issue of extensive use of detergents and sanitizers in the time of new challenges associated with the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. These agents could pose threats to the existence of free-living invertebrates as essential components of the ecosystem. The biological effects of the mentioned classes of substances, their metabolites, and combined effects in the mixture have not been studied enough. The main challenges in trying to balance the threats and benefits of using such substances are the lack of knowledge of the biological effects of these products, the gaps in testing invertebrates\' responses, and changes in environment-related regulations to minimize risks to animals and humans. Numerous studies in this field still leave research gaps, particularly concerning the combined toxicity of well-known and widely used disinfectants, surfactants, and heavy metals, posing potential future challenges. Additionally, the review identified the need for additional testing of invertebrates for their sensitivity to disinfectants and surfactants of different compositions, including improved (non-invasive) methods, studies for early life stages, and comparative studies of species resilience.

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Fenpropidin (FPD), a widely employed chiral fungicide, is frequently detected in diverse environments. In an in vitro rat liver microsomes cultivation (RLMs), the metabolism exhibited the order of R-FPD > S-FPD, with respective half-lives of 10.42 ± 0.11 and 12.06 ± 0.15 min, aligning with kinetic analysis results. CYP3A2 has been demonstrated to be the most significant oxidative enzyme through CYP450 enzyme inhibition experiments. Molecular dynamics simulations unveiled the enantioselective metabolic mechanism, demonstrating that R-FPD forms hydrogen bonds with the CYP3A2 protein, resulting in a higher binding affinity (-6.58 kcal mol-1) than S-FPD. Seven new metabolites were identified by Liquid chromatography time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry, which were mainly generated through oxidation, reduction, hydroxylation, and N-dealkylation reactions. The toxicity of the major metabolites predicted by the TEST procedure was found to be stronger than the predicted toxicity of FPD. Moreover, the enantioselective fate of FPD was studied by examining its degradation in three soils with varying physical and chemical properties under aerobic, anaerobic, and sterile conditions. Enantioselective degradation of FPD occurred in soils without enantiomeric transformation, displaying a preference for R-FPD degradation. R-FPD is a low-risk stereoisomer both in the environment and in mammals. The research presented a systematic and comprehensive method for analyzing the metabolic and degradation system of FPD enantiomers. This approach aids in understanding the behavior of FPD in the environment and provides valuable insights into their potential risks to human health.