Targeting S100A9 Reduces Neutrophil Recruitment, Inflammation and Lung Damage in Abdominal Sepsis

S100A9, a pro-inflammatory alarmin, is up-regulated in inflamed tissues. However, the role of S100A9 in regulating neutrophil activation, inflammation and lung damage in sepsis is not known. Herein, we hypothesized that blocking S100A9 function may attenuate neutrophil recruitment in septic lung injury. Male C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with the S100A9 inhibitor ABR-238901 (10 mg/kg), prior to cercal ligation and puncture (CLP). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were harvested for analysis of neutrophil infiltration as well as edema and CXC chemokine production. Blood was collected for analysis of membrane-activated complex-1 (Mac-1) expression on neutrophils as well as CXC chemokines and IL-6 in plasma. Induction of CLP markedly increased plasma levels of S100A9. ABR-238901 decreased CLP-induced neutrophil infiltration and edema formation in the lung. In addition, inhibition of S100A9 decreased the CLP-induced up-regulation of Mac-1 on neutrophils. Administration of ABR-238901 also inhibited the CLP-induced increase of CXCL-1, CXCL-2 and IL-6 in plasma and lungs. Our results suggest that S100A9 promotes neutrophil activation and pulmonary accumulation in sepsis. Targeting S100A9 function decreased formation of CXC chemokines in circulation and lungs and attenuated sepsis-induced lung damage. These novel findings suggest that S100A9 plays an important pro-inflammatory role in sepsis and could be a useful target to protect against the excessive inflammation and lung damage associated with the disease.

Relative Contributions of Mg Hydration and Molecular Structural Restraints to the Barrier of Dolomite Crystallization: A Comparison of Aqueous and Non-Aqueous Crystallization in (BaMg)CO3 and (CaMg)CO3 Systems

Carbonate mineralization is reasonably well-understood in the Ca–CO2–H2O system but continuously poses difficulties to grasp when Mg is present. One of the outstanding questions is the lack of success in dolomite MgCa(CO3)2 crystallization at atmospheric conditions. The conventional view holds that hydration retards the reactivity of Mg2+ and is supported by solvation shell chemistry. This theory however is at odds with the easy formation of norsethite MgBa(CO3)2, a structural analogue of dolomite, leading to the premise that crystal or molecular structural constrains may also be at play. The present study represents our attempts to evaluate the separate contributions of the two barriers. Crystallization in the Mg–Ba–CO2 system was examined in a non-aqueous environment and in H2O to isolate the effect of hydration by determining the minimal relative abundance of Mg required for norsethite formation. The results, showing an increase from 1:5 to 6:4 in the solution Mg/Ba ratio, represented a ~88% reduction in Mg2+ reactivity, presumably due to the hydration effect. Further analyses in the context of transition state theory indicated that the decreased Mg2+ reactivity in aqueous solutions was equivalent to an approximately 5 kJ/mol energy penalty for the formation of the activated complex. Assuming the inability of dolomite to crystallizes in aqueous solutions originates from the ~40 kJ/mol higher (relative to norsethite) Gibbs energy of formation for the activated complex, a hydration effect was estimated to account for ~12% of the energy barrier. The analyses present here may be simplistic but nevertheless consistent with the available thermodynamic data that show the activated complex of dolomite crystallization reaction is entropically favored in comparison with that of norsethite formation but is significantly less stable due to the weak chemical bonding state.

Long Noncoding RNA NTT Context-Dependently Regulates MYB by Interacting With Activated Complex in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

BackgroundLong noncoding RNA (lncRNA) mediates the pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular, infectious, and metabolic diseases. This study examined the role of lncRNA NTT in the development and progression of cancer.MethodsThe expression of NTT was determined using tissues containing complementary DNA (cDNA) from patients with liver, lung, kidney, oral, and colon cancers. The expression of cis-acting genes adjacent to the NTT locus (CTGF, STX7, MYB, BCLAF1, IFNGR1, TNFAIP3, and HIVEP2) was also assessed. We used knockdown and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays to identify the cis-acting genes that interact with NTT.ResultsNTT was most significantly downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), while a higher NTT level correlated with a shorter survival time of patients with HCC. Multivariate analysis indicated NTT was not an independent predictor for overall survival. MYB was significantly upregulated, and its increased expression was associated with dismal survival in HCC patients, similar to the results for NTT. NTT knockdown significantly decreased cellular migration. ChIP of HCC cell lines revealed that NTT is regulated by the transcription factor ATF3 and binds to the MYB promoter via the activated complex. Additionally, when NTT was knocked down, the expression of MYB target genes such as Bcl-xL, cyclinD1, and VEGF was also downregulated. NTT could play a positive or negative regulator for MYB with a context-dependent manner in both HCC tissues and animal model.ConclusionOur study suggests that NTT plays a key role in HCC progression via MYB-regulated target genes and may serve as a novel therapeutic target.

A Study on Liner-Reaction Speed based on the Aging of a Curing System

In this study, the hardening reaction speed of a rocket motor liner based on the aging of a curing system comprised of a hardener and hardening catalyst was observed. It was indicated that as the aging time of the curing system increased, the liner viscosity build-up was accelerated. The raw material having the biggest impact on the hardening reaction of the curing system’s liner was triphenylbismuth (TPB). Stirring isophorone diisocyanate and TPB forms activated complex, and the activated complex facilitates urethane reaction. If TPB is ligand bound with isocyanate, it forms TPB-isocyanate complex. This is a type of TPB’s oxide, and the formation of activated complex through changes in its color. In addition, lining hardening time can be adjusted by the aging period of the curing system through this study, and adhesive strength with the liner and propellant can be improved.

Kinetics of Electron Transfer Reaction between Co(II) and Chlorate Ions: Experimental and Modeling Study

This research article reports original experimental and modeling detail of kinetics of the electron transfer reaction between Co(II) and chlorate ions in acetic acid solution. Design of experiment methodology has been employed to elucidate the effects of temperature and initial concentrations of reactants on the rate of reaction. Levenberg-Marquardt method has been used to fit processed kinetic data (temperatures, initial concentrations of reactants, and concentrations and rates of production of Co(III)) on to various possible rate equations. This algorithm provides a proficient mean for compensating the capricious effects of the experimental process variables and results in the maximum likelihood estimates of the kinetic parameters. The most significant rate law has been selected, on the basis of statistical analyses of the residuals between the predicted and experimental rates. The analyses suggest that the intrinsic rate of reaction is proportional to first power of chlorate concentration but for Co(II) the order is fractional (0.7455 ≈ and#190;). The effect of temperature on the observed rate constant (precision = 0.02 %) is excellently described by the Arrhenius and Eyring equations and the sluggish nature of the reaction is clearly manifested by the high energy (andgt; 93 kJ/mol), negative entropy (-28.5286 J/mol-K) and very small equilibrium constant of activation. Further fairly negative standard entropy of activation shows there is usually considerable rearrangement of energy among various degrees of freedom during the formation of activated complex and proposes an associative mechanism for formation of the activated complex. This research is performed to develop a kinetic model for the electron transfer reaction between Co(II) and chlorate ion. As a result, a redox couple of Co(II)/Co(III) has been formed which is used as a potent oxidation catalyst in chemical industries.

Regioselective B(3)–H bond activation based on an o-carboranyl dithiocarboxylate ligand and its derivatives

Using methyldithiocarboxyl as the directing group, together with [Cp*IrCl2]2, selective B(3)–H activation occurs at o-carborane. A series of substitution complexes have been prepared from the B(3)–H activated complex.

Studies on the effect of Dielectric constants of Aquo-DMF Solvent- System of the Solvolysis Products of Nicotinates

From the eenhancement observed in G* values with simultaneous decrease in the values of H and S* of the reaction, it is concluded that the organic co-solvent dimethyl formamide (DMF) acts as entropy controller and enthalpy stimulator solvent for alkali catalysed solvolysis of Methyl nicotinate. Form the evaluated values of water molecules associated with the activated complex of the reaction which are found to increase with increase in the temperature of the reaction, it is inferred that the bimolecular mechanistic path is changed to unimolecular in presence of the organic component (DMF) of the reaction media. The numerical value of Iso-Kinetic temperature of the reaction which comes to be nearly 287.5 (below 300) indicates that there is weak but considerable solvent-solute interaction in the aquo-DMF solvent system.