Nanocapsule-mediated sustained H2 release in the gut ameliorates metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

Hydrogen therapy: recent advances and emerging materials

Hydrogen therapy, leveraging its selective attenuation of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) and ONOO-, has emerged as a pivotal pathophysiological modulator with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic attributes. Hydrogen therapy has been extensively studied both preclinically and clinically, especially in diseases with an inflammatory nature. Despite the substantial progress, challenges persist in achieving high hydrogen concentrations in target lesions, especially in cancer treatment. A notable breakthrough lies in water/acid reactive materials, offering enhanced hydrogen generation and sustained release potential. However, limitations include hydrogen termination upon material depletion and reduced bioavailability at targeted lesions. To overcome these challenges, catalytic materials like photocatalytic and sonocatalytic materials have surfaced as promising solutions. With enhanced permeability and retention effects, these materials exhibit targeted delivery and sustained stimuli-reactive hydrogen release. The future of hydrogen therapy hinges on continuous exploration and modification of catalytic materials. Researchers are urged to prioritize improved catalytic efficiency, enhanced lesion targeting effects, and heightened biosafety and biocompatibility in future development.

Recent Progress of Oral Functional Nanomaterials for Intestinal Microbiota Regulation

The gut microbiota is closely associated with human health, and alterations in gut microbiota can influence various physiological and pathological activities in the human body. Therefore, microbiota regulation has become an important strategy in current disease treatment, albeit facing numerous challenges. Nanomaterials, owing to their excellent protective properties, drug release capabilities, targeting abilities, and good biocompatibility, have been widely developed and utilized in pharmaceuticals and dietary fields. In recent years, significant progress has been made in research on utilizing nanomaterials to assist in regulating gut microbiota for disease intervention. This review explores the latest advancements in the application of nanomaterials for microbiota regulation and offers insights into the future development of nanomaterials in modulating gut microbiota.

A Novel Antioxidant, Hydrogen-Rich Coral Calcium Alters Gut Microbiome and Bile Acid Synthesis to Improve Methionine-and-Choline-Deficient Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has dramatically increased in recent years, and it is highly associated with metabolic diseases, as well as the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, effective therapeutic strategies for the treatment of NAFLD are still scarce. Although hydrogen-rich water shows beneficial effects for hepatic steatosis, the inconvenience limits the application of this antioxidant. In light of this, hydrogen-rich coral calcium (HRCC) was developed due to its convenience and quantifiable characteristics. However, the effects of HRCC on NAFLD are still unknown. In the present study, we found that HRCC treatment improved methionine-and-choline-deficient diet (MCD)-induced hepatic steatosis, increased aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, and elevated hepatic inflammatory factor expressions in mice. In addition to the increased expressions of antioxidative enzymes, we found that HRCC increased the expressions of bile acid biosynthesis-related genes, including Cyp8b1 and Cyp27a1. Increased hepatic bile acid contents, such as muricholic acids, 23 nor-deoxycholic acid, glycoursodeoxycholic acid, and cholic acids, were also confirmed in MCD mice treated with HRCC. Since the biogenesis of bile acids is associated with the constitution of gut microbiome, the alterations in gut microbiome by HRCC were evaluated. We found that HRCC significantly changed the constitution of gut microbiome in MCD mice and increased the contents of Anaerobacterium, Acutalibacter, Anaerosacchariphilus, and Corynebacterium. Taken together, HRCC improved MCD-induced NAFLD through anti-inflammatory mechanisms and by increasing antioxidative activities. Additionally, HRCC might alter gut microbiome to change hepatic bile acid contents, exerting beneficial effects for the treatment of NAFLD.

Zn-Fe primary battery-enabled controlled hydrogen release in stomach for improving insulin resistance in obesity-associated type 2 diabetes

Chronic systemic inflammation in obesity-associated type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a key inducing factor of insulin resistance (IR). Hydrogen molecule (H2) has been proved to be a safe and effective anti-inflammatory agent, but conventional H2 administration methods cannot provide a high dosage and a long duration of H2 treatment in IR-related tissues and thus lead to limited therapeutic efficacies. We here propose a new strategy of controlled H2 release to match the time window of gastric emptying for maximizing the bioavailability and therapeutic outcome of H2. This work enhances the hydrolysis rate of Zn by constructing a Zn-Fe primary-battery micro-/nano-structure, and the H2-releasing rate is adjusted by tuning the ratio of Zn to Fe. The Zn-Fe micro-/nano-structure is orally administrated once daily to alleviate obesity-associated T2D in a leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mouse model. The H2 generation time of the Zn-Fe primary-battery micro-/nano-structure with the Fe/Zn ratio of 1:100 in gastric acid is about 3 h, just matching with the time window of gastric emptying in mice. In vivo monitoring results show that H2 generated by Zn-Fe micro-/nano-structure in stomach can effectively accumulate in major IR-sited tissues including liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle at a high dose for a relatively long time compared to H2-rich water drinking. Oral administration of Zn-Fe micro-/nano-structure at 200 mg/kg body weight has realized an efficient IR improvement and remarkably ameliorated systemic inflammation in ob/ob mice. In addition, a high-dose administration of Zn-Fe shows no visible toxicity in mice. This work provides a new strategy to maximize the outcome of hydrogen therapy.

Advancing piezoelectric 2D nanomaterials for applications in drug delivery systems and therapeutic approaches

Precision drug delivery and multimodal synergistic therapy are crucial in treating diverse ailments, such as cancer, tissue damage, and degenerative diseases. Electrodes that emit electric pulses have proven effective in enhancing molecule release and permeability in drug delivery systems. Moreover, the physiological electrical microenvironment plays a vital role in regulating biological functions and triggering action potentials in neural and muscular tissues. Due to their unique noncentrosymmetric structures, many 2D materials exhibit outstanding piezoelectric performance, generating positive and negative charges under mechanical forces. This ability facilitates precise drug targeting and ensures high stimulus responsiveness, thereby controlling cellular destinies. Additionally, the abundant active sites within piezoelectric 2D materials facilitate efficient catalysis through piezochemical coupling, offering multimodal synergistic therapeutic strategies. However, the full potential of piezoelectric 2D nanomaterials in drug delivery system design remains underexplored due to research gaps. In this context, the current applications of piezoelectric 2D materials in disease management are summarized in this review, and the development of drug delivery systems influenced by these materials is forecast.

Amorphous silica nanoparticles and the human gut microbiota: a relationship with multiple implications

Amorphous silica nanoparticles (ASNP) are among the nanomaterials that are produced in large quantities. ASNP have been present for a long time in several fast-moving consumer products, several of which imply exposure of the gastrointestinal tract, such as toothpastes, food additives, drug excipients, and carriers. Consolidated use and experimental evidence have consistently pointed to the very low acute toxicity and limited absorption of ASNP. However, slow absorption implies prolonged exposure of the intestinal epithelium to ASNP, with documented effects on intestinal permeability and immune gut homeostasis. These effects could explain the hepatic toxicity observed after oral administration of ASNP in animals. More recently, the role of microbiota in these and other ASNP effects has attracted increasing interest in parallel with the recognition of the role of microbiota in a variety of conditions. Although evidence for nanomaterial effects on microbiota is particularly abundant for materials endowed with bactericidal activities, a growing body of recent experimental data indicates that ASNPs also modify microbiota. The implications of these effects are recounted in this contribution, along with a discussion of the more important open issues and recommendations for future research.

Oral nanomedicine biointeractions in the gastrointestinal tract in health and disease

Oral administration is the preferred route of administration based on the convenience for and compliance of the patient. Oral nanomedicines have been developed to overcome the limitations of free drugs and overcome gastrointestinal (GI) barriers, which are heterogeneous across healthy and diseased populations. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview and comparison of the oral nanomedicine biointeractions in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in health and disease (GI and extra-GI diseases) and highlight emerging strategies that exploit these differences for oral nanomedicine-based treatment. We introduce the key GI barriers related to oral delivery and summarize their pathological changes in various diseases. We discuss nanomedicine biointeractions in the GIT in health by describing the general biointeractions based on the type of oral nanomedicine and advanced biointeractions facilitated by advanced strategies applied in this field. We then discuss nanomedicine biointeractions in different diseases and explore how pathological characteristics have been harnessed to advance the development of oral nanomedicine.

Inhibition of free heme-catalyzed Fenton-like reaction prevents non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by hepatocyte-targeted hydrogen delivery

The metabolic disorder of hepatocytes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) leads to the formation of an iron pool which induces the Fenton reaction-derived ferroptosis and the deterioration of liver disease. The elimination of the iron pool for the removal of Fenton reactions is vitally important to prevent the evolution of NAFLD, but quite challenging. In this work, we discover that free heme in the iron pool of NAFLD can catalyze the hydrogenation of H2O2/‧OH to block the heme-based Fenton reaction for the first time, and therefore develop a novel hepatocyte-targeted hydrogen delivery system (MSN-Glu) by modifying magnesium silicide nanosheets (MSN) with N-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) gluconamide to block the heme-catalyzed vicious circle of liver disease. The developed MSN-Glu nanomedicine exhibits a high hydrogen delivery capacity as well as sustained hydrogen release and hepatocyte-targeting behaviors, and remarkably improves the metabolic function of the liver in a NAFLD mouse model by the relief of oxidative stress and the prevention of ferroptosis in hepatocytes, accelerating the removal of the iron pool in fundamental support of NAFLD prevention. The proposed prevention strategy based on the mechanisms of NAFLD disease and hydrogen medicine will provide an inspiration for inflammation-related disease prevention.

Redox-Mechanisms of Molecular Hydrogen Promote Healthful Longevity

Age-related diseases represent the largest threat to public health. Aging is a degenerative, systemic, multifactorial and progressive process, coupled with progressive loss of function and eventually leading to high mortality rates. Excessive levels of both pro- and anti-oxidant species qualify as oxidative stress (OS) and result in damage to molecules and cells. OS plays a crucial role in the development of age-related diseases. In fact, damage due to oxidation depends strongly on the inherited or acquired defects of the redox-mediated enzymes. Molecular hydrogen (H2) has recently been reported to function as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of several oxidative stress and aging-related diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer and osteoporosis. Additionally, H2 promotes healthy aging, increases the number of good germs in the intestine that produce more intestinal hydrogen and reduces oxidative stress through its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This review focuses on the therapeutic role of H2 in the treatment of neurological diseases. This review manuscript would be useful in knowing the role of H2 in the redox mechanisms for promoting healthful longevity.

Therapeutic Potential of Molecular Hydrogen in Metabolic Diseases from Bench to Bedside

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases, including diabetes mellitus (DM), metabolic syndrome (MS), fatty liver (FL), atherosclerosis (AS), and obesity. Molecular hydrogen (H₂) has long been considered a physiologically inert gas. In the last two decades, accumulating evidence from pre-clinical and clinical studies has indicated that H₂ may act as an antioxidant to exert therapeutic and preventive effects on various disorders, including metabolic diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying the action of H₂ remain unclear. The purpose of this review was to (1) provide an overview of the current research on the potential effects of H₂ on metabolic diseases; (2) discuss the possible mechanisms underlying these effects, including the canonical anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects, as well as suppression of ER stress, activation of autophagy, improvement of mitochondrial function, regulation of gut microbiota, and other possible mechanisms. The potential target molecules of H₂ will also be discussed. With more high-quality clinical trials and in-depth mechanism research, it is believed that H₂ will eventually be applied to clinical practice in the future, to benefit more patients with metabolic disease.

Rapidly Blocking the Calcium Overload/ROS Production Feedback Loop to Alleviate Acute Kidney Injury via Microenvironment-Responsive BAPTA-AM/BAC Co-Delivery Nanosystem

Calcium overload and ROS overproduction, two major triggers of acute kidney injury (AKI), are self-amplifying and mutually reinforcing, forming a complicated cascading feedback loop that induces kidney cell "suicide" and ultimately renal failure. There are currently no clinically effective drugs for the treatment of AKI, excluding adjuvant therapy. In this study, a porous silicon-based nanocarrier rich in disulfide bond skeleton (<50 nm) is developed that enables efficient co-loading of the hydrophilic drug borane amino complex and the hydrophobic drug BAPTA-AM, with its outer layer sealed by the renal tubule-targeting peptide PEG-LTH. Once targeted to the kidney injured site, the nanocarrier structure collapses in the high glutathione environment of the early stage of AKI, releasing the drugs. Under the action of the slightly acidic inflammatory environment and intracellular esterase, the released drugs produce hydrogen and BAPTA, which can rapidly eliminate the excess ROS and overloaded Ca²⁺ , blocking endoplasmic reticulum/mitochondrial apoptosis pathway (ATF4-CHOP-Bax axis, Casp-12-Casp-3 axis, Cyt-C-Casp-3 axis) and inflammatory pathway (TNF-α-NF-κB axis) from the source, thus rescuing the renal cells in the "critical survival" state and further restoring the kidney function. Overall, this nanoparticle shows substantial clinical promise as a potential therapeutic strategy for I/R injury-related diseases.

Hydrogen inhalation ameliorates hepatic inflammation and modulates gut microbiota in rats with high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multisystem metabolic disease associated with gut microflora dysbiosis and inflammation. Hydrogen (H₂) is a novel and effective antiinflammatory agent. The present study was aimed to clarify the effects of 4% hydrogen (H₂) inhalation on NAFLD and its mechanism of action. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet for 10 weeks to induce NAFLD. Rats in treatment group inhaled 4% H₂ each day for 2 h. The protective effects on hepatic histopathology, glucose tolerance, inflammatory markers, and intestinal epithelial tight junctions were assessed. Transcriptome sequencing of liver and 16 S-seq of cecal contents were also performed to explore the related mechanisms of H₂ inhalation. H₂ improved the hepatic histological changes and glucose tolerance, decreased the liver function parameters of plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and relieved liver inflammation. Liver transcriptomic data suggested that H₂ treatment significantly downregulated inflammatory response genes, and the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4/nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway might be involved, and the expressions of critical proteins were further validated. Meanwhile, the plasma LPS level was significantly decreased by the H₂ intervention. H₂ also improved the intestinal tight junction barrier by enhancing the expressions of zonula occludens-1 and occluding. Based on 16 S rRNA sequencing, H₂ altered the composition of gut microbiota, improving the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes-to-Firmicutes. Collectively, our data show that H₂ could prevent NAFLD induced by high-fat diet, and the anti-NAFLD effect is associated with the modulation of gut microbiota and inhibition of LPS/TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway.

Intelligent microneedle patch with prolonged local release of hydrogen and magnesium ions for diabetic wound healing

Diabetes mellitus, an epidemic with a rapidly increasing number of patients, always leads to delayed wound healing associated with consistent pro-inflammatory M1 polarization, decreased angiogenesis and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the microenvironment. Herein, a poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based microneedle patch loaded with magnesium hydride (MgH₂) (MN-MgH₂) is manufactured for defeating diabetic wounds. The application of microneedle patch contributes to the transdermal delivery and the prolonged release of MgH₂ that can generate hydrogen (H₂) and magnesium ions (Mg²⁺) after reaction with body fluids. The released H₂ reduces the production of ROS, transforming the pathological microenvironment induced by diabetes mellitus. Meanwhile, the released Mg²⁺ promotes the polarization of pro-healing M2 macrophages. Consequently, cell proliferation and migration are improved, and angiogenesis and tissue regeneration are enhanced. Such intelligent microneedle patch provides a novel way for accelerating wound healing through steadily preserving and releasing of H₂ and Mg²⁺ locally and sustainably.

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles-Based Nanoplatforms: Basic Construction, Current State, and Emerging Applications in Anticancer Therapeutics

In recent years, researchers are developing novel nanoparticles for diagnostic applications using imaging techniques and for therapeutic purposes through drug delivery techniques. The unique physical and chemical properties of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) make it possible to integrate a variety of commonly used therapeutic and imaging agents to construct a multimodal synergistic anticancer drug delivery system. Herein, recent advances in MSNs synthesis for drug delivery and smart response applications are reviewed. First, synthetic strategies for the fabrication of ordered MSNs, hollow MSNs, core-shell structured MSNs, dendritic MSNs, and biodegradable MSNs are outlined. Then, the recent research progress in designing functional MSN materials with various controlled release mechanisms in anticancer therapy is discussed, and new properties are introduced to suggest the latest design requirements as drug delivery materials. The review also highlights significant achievements in bioimaging using MSNs and their multifunctional counterparts as delivery vehicles. Finally, personal views on key directions for future work in this area are presented.

Ameliorating Role of Hydrogen-Rich Water Against NSAID-Induced Enteropathy via Reduction of ROS and Production of Short-Chain Fatty Acids

BACKGROUND

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced enteropathy, the mechanism of which is involved in oxidative stress, can be lethal due to hemorrhage. Thus, we aimed to investigate the effect of hydrogen-rich water (HRW), in terms of oxidative stress, on intestinal mucosal damage as well as changes in the gut microbiome and the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) content in feces.

METHODS

Hydrogen-rich water was orally administered for 5 days to investigate the effectiveness of indomethacin-induced enteropathy in mice. Small intestinal damage and luminal reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated to investigate the ameliorating effects of hydrogen. Then, components of the gut microbiome were analyzed; fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was performed using the cecal contents obtained from mice drinking HRW. The cecal contents were analyzed for the SCFAs content. Finally, cells from the macrophage cell line RAW264 were co-cultured with the supernatants of cecal contents.

RESULTS

Hydrogen-rich water significantly ameliorated IND-induced enteropathy histologically and reduced the expression of IND-induced inflammatory cytokines. Microscopic evaluation revealed that luminal ROS was significantly reduced and that HRW did not change the gut microbiota; however, FMT from HRW-treated animals ameliorated IND-induced enteropathy. The SCFA content in the cecal contents of HRW-treated animals was significantly higher than that in control animals. The supernatant had significantly increased interleukin-10 expression in RAW264 cells in vitro.

CONCLUSION

Hydrogen-rich water ameliorated NSAID-induced enteropathy, not only via direct antioxidant effects but also via anti-inflammatory effects by increasing luminal SCFAs. These results suggest that hydrogen may have therapeutic potential in small intestinal inflammatory diseases.

Photocatalytic glucose depletion and hydrogen generation for diabetic wound healing

High-glucose microenvironment in the diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) causes excessive glycation and induces chronic inflammation, leading to the difficulty of DFU healing. Hydrogen-rich water bath can promote the healing of DFU in clinic by virtue of the anti-inflammatory effect of hydrogen molecules, but the long-term daily soaking counts against the formation of a scab and cannot change the high-glucose microenvironment, limiting the outcome of DFU therapy. In this work, photocatalytic therapy of diabetic wound is proposed for sustainable hydrogen generation and local glucose depletion by utilizing glucose in the high-glucose microenvironment as a sacrificial agent. Hydrogen-incorporated titanium oxide nanorods are developed to realize efficient visible light (VIS)-responsive photocatalysis for glucose depletion and hydrogen generation, achieving a high efficacy of diabetic wound healing. Mechanistically, local glucose depletion and hydrogen generation jointly attenuate the apoptosis of skin cells and promote their proliferation and migration by inhibiting the synthesis of advanced glycation end products and the expression of their receptors, respectively. The proposed VIS-photocatalytic strategy provides a solution for facile, safe and efficient treatment of DFU.

Hydrogenation is a treatment for chronic inflammation caused by high glucose levels in diabetic ulcers, However, current therapies have limitations. Here, the authors report on the creation of a visible light photocatalytic agent which depletes glucose in the wound and generates hydrogen to aid in diabetic wound healing.

Silica nanoparticles: Biomedical applications and toxicity

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are composed of silicon dioxide, the most abundant compound on Earth, and are used widely in many applications including the food industry, synthetic processes, medical diagnosis, and drug delivery due to their controllable particle size, large surface area, and great biocompatibility. Building on basic synthetic methods, convenient and economical strategies have been developed for the synthesis of SiNPs. Numerous studies have assessed the biomedical applications of SiNPs, including the surface and structural modification of SiNPs to target various cancers and diagnose diseases. However, studies on the in vitro and in vivo toxicity of SiNPs remain in the exploratory stage, and the toxicity mechanisms of SiNPs are poorly understood. This review covers recent studies on the biomedical applications of SiNPs, including their uses in drug delivery systems to diagnose and treat various diseases in the human body. SiNP toxicity is discussed in terms of the different systems of the human body and the individual organs in those systems. This comprehensive review includes both fundamental discoveries and exploratory progress in SiNP research that may lead to practical developments in the future.

The Advancement of Gas-Generating Nanoplatforms in Biomedical Fields: Current Frontiers and Future Perspectives

Diverse gases (NO, CO, H₂ S, H₂ , etc.) have been widely applied in the medical intervention of various diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, ischemia-reperfusion injury, bacterial infection, etc., attributing to their inherent biomedical activities. Although many gases have many biomedical activities, their clinical use is still limited due to the rapid and free diffusion behavior of these gases molecules, which may cause potential side effects and/or ineffective treatment. Gas-generating nanoplatforms (GGNs) are effective strategies to address the aforementioned challenges of gas therapy by preventing gas production or release at nonspecific sites, enhancing GGNs accumulation at targeted sites, and controlling gas release in response to exogenous (UV, NIR, US, etc.) or endogenous (H₂ O₂ , GSH, pH, etc.) stimuli at the lesion site, further maintaining gas concentration within the effective range and achieving the purpose of disease treatment. This review comprehensively summarizes the advancements of "state-of-the-art" GGNs in the recent three years, with emphasis on the composition, structure, preparation process, and gas release mechanism of the nanocarriers. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects and limitations of GGNs in preclinical studies using cell/animal models are discussed. Overall, this review enlightens the further development of this field and promotes the clinical transformation of gas therapy.

Different effects of hydrogen-rich water intake and hydrogen gas inhalation on gut microbiome and plasma metabolites of rats in health status

The potential for preventive and therapeutic applications of H₂ have now been confirmed in various disease. However, the effects of H₂ on health status have not been fully elucidated. Our previous study reported changes in the body weight and 13 serum biochemical parameters during the six-month hydrogen intervention. To obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of long-term hydrogen consumption, the plasma metabolome and gut microbiota were investigated in this study. Compared with the control group, 14 and 10 differential metabolites (DMs) were identified in hydrogen-rich water (HRW) and hydrogen inhalation (HI) group, respectively. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that HRW intake mainly affected starch and sucrose metabolism, and DMs in HI group were mainly enriched in arginine biosynthesis. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that HRW intake induced significant changes in the structure of gut microbiota, while no marked bacterial community differences was observed in HI group. HRW intake mainly induced significant increase in the abundance of Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, Clostridium XI, and decrease in Bacteroides. HI mainly induced decreased abundances of Blautia and Paraprevotella. The metabolic function was determined by metabolic cage analysis and showed that HI decreased the voluntary intake and excretions of rats, while HRW intake did not. The results of this study provide basic data for further research on hydrogen medicine. Determination of the effects of hydrogen intervention on microbiota profiles could also shed light on identification of mechanism underlying the biological effects of molecular hydrogen.

Multi-Omics Characterizes the Effects and Mechanisms of CD1d in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Development

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a class of metabolic-associated liver diseases. Aberrant lipid consumption plays an important role in NAFLD pathogenesis. It has been shown CD1d can bind to multiple different lysophospholipids and associated with NAFLD progression. However, the mechanism of CD1d regulation in NAFLD is not completely understood. In this study, we established a NAFLD mouse model by feeding C57/BL6J mice a high-fat diet (HFD) for 24 weeks. Subsequently, we performed integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses to thoroughly probe the role of CD1d in NAFLD progression. In the present study, we demonstrate that CD1d expression was significantly decreased in our murine model of NAFLD. Additionally, we show CD1d knockdown (CD1d KO) in HFD-fed wild-type (WT) mice induced NAFLD, which resulted in weight gain, exaggerated liver injury, and hepatic steatosis. We uncover the crucial roles of CD1d deficiency results in accumulated lipid accumulation. We further explored the CD1d deficiency in NAFLD regarding the transcriptional landscapes, microbiota environment, metabolomics change, and transcriptomics differences. In conclusion, our data demonstrate CD1d plays an important role in NAFLD pathogenesis and may represent a potential therapeutic target for the further therapy.

Hydrogen-rich water partially alleviate inflammation, oxidative stress and intestinal flora dysbiosis in DSS-induced chronic ulcerative colitis mice

PURPOSE

Oxidative damage and intestinal flora dysbiosis play important roles in the progression of chronic ulcerative colitis (UC). This study explored the effect and mechanism of molecular hydrogen in chronic UC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male C57BL/6 mice (19.6 ​± ​0.4 ​g, 7 weeks) were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control (NC) group, UC (Dextran Sulfate Sodium, DSS) group, and hydrogen-rich water (HRW, 0.8 ​ppm)-treated UC (DSS ​+ ​HRW) group. Mice in the DSS treatment group were treated with DSS for the following 3 cycles to establish chronic UC model: the first 2 cycles consisted of 2.5% DSS for 5 days, followed by drinking water for 16 days, and a third cycle consisted of 2% DSS for 4 days, followed by drinking water for 10 days. The mice in the DSS ​+ ​HRW group were administered HRW daily throughout the experiment.

RESULTS

The mice in the DSS groups developed typical clinical signs of colitis. HRW treatment partially ameliorated colitis symptoms, improved histopathological changes, significantly increased glutathione (GSH) concentration and decreased TNF-α level. Notably, HRW treatment significantly inhibited the growth of Enterococcus faecalis, Clostridium perfringens and Bacteroides fragilis (P ​< ​0.05 vs. DSS group), with the relative abundance that was close to the levels in the NC group. Microarray analysis revealed that 252 genes were significantly modified after HRW treatment compared with those in the DSS treatment alone group, and 17 genes were related to inflammation, including 9 interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs).

CONCLUSIONS

Hydrogen-rich water partially alleviates inflammation, oxidative stress and intestinal flora dysbiosis in DSS-induced chronic UC mice.

Lingguizhugan Decoction Targets Intestinal Microbiota and Metabolites to Reduce Insulin Resistance in High-Fat Diet Rats

BACKGROUND

The increasing incidence of obesity and its complications has become a global public health problem. Lingguizhugan decoction (LGZGD) is a representative compound of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for metabolic diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but its role in insulin resistance (IR) treatment is still less known. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic properties of LGZGD on obesity-induced IR and explore the potential mechanism of LGZGD on gut microbiota and its metabolites in the treatment of IR.

METHODS

In this study, we induced an IR model in the form of high-fat diet (HFD) rats gavaged with LGZGD (1.64 g/kg BW) for three weeks. The IR status was measured by biochemical assays and oral glucose tolerance tests. The degrees of damage to liver function and the intestinal barrier were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry. Alterations in intestinal microbiota and metabolites were assessed by 16S rRNA and an untargeted metabolomics platform.

RESULTS

Our results showed that after LGZGD treatment, the body weight, plasma insulin concentration and blood lipids were significantly decreased, and glucose tolerance and hepatic steatosis were ameliorated. In addition, small intestinal villi were restored, and the expression of Occludin was upregulated. The relative abundance of Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium and Phascolarctobacterium in the HFD-LGZG group was upregulated. Obesity-related metabolic pathways, such as bile secretion, biosynthesis of amino acids, phenylalanine metabolism, serotonergic synapse, protein digestion and absorption, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and primary bile acid biosynthesis, were changed. After LGZGD intervention, metabolites developed toward the healthy control group. In addition, the expression of bile acid metabolism related genes was also regulated in IR rats.

CONCLUSION

We showed that LGZGD relieved IR, possibly by regulating the composition of the fecal microbiota and its metabolites. The above studies provide a basis for further study of LGZGD in the treatment of IR and its clinical application.

An Activity-Based Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for In Vivo Real-Time Imaging of Hydrogen Molecules

To reveal the biomedical effects and mechanisms of hydrogen molecules urgently needs hydrogen molecular imaging probes as an imperative tool, but the development of these probes is extremely challenging. In this work, a catalytic hydrogenation strategy is proposed to design and synthesize a ratiometric fluorescent probe by encapsulating Pd nanoparticles and conjugating azido-/coumarin-modified fluorophore into mesoporous silica nanoparticles, realizing in vitro and in vivo fluorescence imaging of hydrogen molecules. The developed hydrogen probe exhibits high sensitivity, rapid responsivity, high selectivity and low detection limit, enabling rapid and real-time detection of hydrogen molecules both in cells and in the body of animal and plant. By application of the developed fluorescent probe, we have directly observed superhigh transmembrane and ultrafast transport abilities of hydrogen molecules in cell, animal and plant, and discovered in vivo high diffusion of hydrogen molecules.