Fenofibrate inhibits adipocyte hypertrophy and insulin resistance by activating adipose PPAR�� in high fat diet-induced obese mice

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) activation in rodents is thought to improve insulin sensitivity by decreasing ectopic lipids in non-adipose tissues. Fenofibrate, a lipid-modifying agent that acts as a PPARα agonist, may prevent adipocyte hypertrophy and insulin resistance by increasing intracellular lipolysis from adipose tissue. Consistent with this hypothesis, fenofibrate decreased visceral fat mass and adipocyte size in high fat diet-fed obese mice, and concomitantly increased the expression of PPARα target genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation in both epididymal adipose tissue and differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. However, mRNA levels of adipose marker genes, such as leptin and TNFα, were decreased in epididymal adipose tissue by fenofibrate treatment. Fenofibrate not only reduced circulating levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides, but also normalized hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in obese mice. Blood glucose levels of fenofibrate-treated mice were significantly reduced during intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test compared with obese controls. These results suggest that fenofibrate-induced fatty acid β-oxidation in visceral adipose tissue may be one of the major factors leading to decreased adipocyte size and improved insulin sensitivity.     

Potential role of HMG CoA reductase inhibitor on oxidative stress induced by advanced glycation endproducts in vascular smooth muscle cells of diabetic vasculopathy

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs)-induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMCs) proliferation and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are emerging as one of the important mechanisms of diabetic vasculopathy but little is known about the antioxidative action of HMG CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) on AGEs. We hypothesized that statin might reduce AGEs-induced intracellular ROS of VSMCs and analyzed the possible mechanism of action of statin in AGEs-induced cellular signaling. Aortic smooth muscle cell of Sprague-Dawley rat (RASMC) culture was done using the different levels of AGEs stimulation in the presence or absence of statin. The proliferation of RASMC, ROS formation and cellular signaling was evaluated and neointimal formation after balloon injury in diabetic rats was analyzed. Increasing concentration of AGEs stimulation was associated with increased RASMC proliferation and increased ROS formation and they were decreased with statin in a dose-dependent manner. Increased NF-κB p65, phosphorylated ERK, phosphorylated p38 MAPK, cyclooxygenase-2, and c-jun by AGEs stimulation were noted and their expression was inhibited by statin. Neointimal formation after balloon injury was much thicker in diabetic rats than the sham-treated group but less neointimal growth was observed in those treated with statin after balloon injury. Increased ROS formation, subsequent activation of MAPK system and increased VSMC proliferation may be possible mechanisms of diabetic vasculopathy induced by AGEs and statin may play a key role in the treatment of AGEs-induced diabetic atherosclerosis.     

Inclusion Behavior of β‐Cyclodextrin with Bipyridine Molecules: Factors Governing Host‐Guest Inclusion Geometries

Guest Effect : The differences of nitrogen atom positions and the bridge bonds linked to two pyridine rings of some bipyridine guests can significantly affect the binding abilities and inclusion geometries of β‐cyclodextrin with the guests in both the solution and solid states.

     

Preparation process for improving cathode electrode structure in direct methanol fuel cell

The cathode electrode structure of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was improved by a novel catalyst ink preparation method. Regulation of the solvent polarity in the cathode catalyst ink caused increases in the electrochemical active surface (EAS) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as well as decreases in the methanol crossover effect. In a two-step preparation, agglomerates consisting of catalyst and Nafion ionomers were decreased in size, and polar groups in the ionomers formed organized networks in the cathode catalyst layer. Despite Pt catalysts in the cathode being only 0.5 mg cm^? 2, the maximum power density of the improved membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was 120 mW cm^? 2, at 3 M methanol, which was much larger than that of traditional MEA (67 mW cm^? 2).     

Control of Wall Thickness and Extraordinarily High Hydrothermal Stability of Nanoporous MCM‐41 Silica

Wall thickness of siliceous MCM‐41 could be controlled systematically up to 36.1 Å. A reasonable model explaining formation of thicker MCM‐41 walls, not enlarging pore channel is proposed on the basis of TGA and ¹³C MAS NMR data of samples. Thermal restructuring process under mild basic condition favors the silica redeposition on silica wall and building up thicker wall. Most mesostructure of calcined MCM‐41 with thicker wall was retained even after hydrothermal treatment in boiling water for 14 days. To our best knowledge, the excellent hydrothermal stability of the MCM‐41 silica reported herein has not been described before and facilitates practical applications of mesoporous molecular sieves in future.     

Phospholipase D is activated and phosphorylated by casein kinase-II in human U87 astroglioma cells

Elevated expression of protein casein kinase II (CKII) stimulated basal phospholipase D (PLD) activity as well as PMA-induced PLD activation in human U87 astroglioma cells. Moreover, CKII-selective inhibitor, emodin and apigenin suppressed PMA-induced PLD activation in a dose-dependent manner as well as basal PLD activity, suggesting the involvement of CKII in the activation of both PLD1 and PLD2. CKII was associated with PLD1 and PLD2 in co-transfection experiments. Furthermore, CKII induced serine/threonine phosphorylation of PLD2 in vivo, and the multiple regions of PLD2 were phosphorylated by CKII in vitro kinase assay using glutathione S-transferase-PLD2 fusion protein fragments. Elevated expression of CKII or PLD increased cell proliferation but pretreatment of cells with 1-butanol suppressed CKII-induced cell proliferation. These results suggest that CKII is involved in proliferation of U87 cells at least in part, through stimulation of PLD activity.     

Synthesis of uniform-sized bimetallic iron–nickel phosphide nanorods

We synthesized uniform-sized nanorods of iron–nickel phosphides from the thermal decomposition of metal–phosphine complexes. Uniform-sized (Fe_xNi_1−x)₂P nanorods (0x1) of various compositions were synthesized by thermal decomposition of Ni–trioctylphosphine (TOP) complex and Fe–TOP complex. By measuring magnetic properties, we found that blocking temperature and coercive field depend on Ni content in the nanorods. Both parameters were more sensitive to doping compared with bulk samples.     

Factors Affecting the Branching Ratio of Photodissociation: Thiophenol Studied through Quantum Wavepacket Dynamics

The photodissociation dynamics of thiophenol (PhSH) excited to the 1¹ππ* state was investigated by time‐dependent quantum wavepacket propagation within two‐dimensional (2D) space consisting of the S?H bond and ?SH torsion. We systematically studied the dependence of the branching ratio ${\left( {{{{\rm{\tilde A}}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{{\rm{\tilde A}}} {{\rm{\tilde X}}}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {{\rm{\tilde X}}}}} \right)}$ between the two electronic states of the phenylthiyl radical (PhS^.) on several factors of the 2D potential energy surfaces (PESs). The effect of a reduced initial barrier to the first ππ*/πσ* conical intersection (CI) was found to be marginal, whereas the effects of a reduced torsional barrier of ?SH on the excited ππ* state and the mitigated slope of the πσ* PES between the first (ππ*/πσ*) and the second (πσ*/S₀) CIs were noticeable. The effect of the slope on the branching ratio has never been previously noticed. It was shown that the branching ratio can be sufficiently above unity without pre‐excitation of the torsion mode of ?SH, which has been assumed so far.     

Chemical‐Bath‐Deposited Indium Oxide Microcubes for Solar Water Splitting

We fabricated films of cubic indium oxide (In₂O₃) by chemical bath deposition (CBD) for solar water splitting. The fabricated films were characterized by X‐ray diffraction analysis, Raman scattering, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, and the three‐dimensional microstructure of the In₂O₃ cubes was elucidated. The CBD deposition time was varied, to study its effect on the growth of the In₂O₃ microcubes. The optimal deposition time was determined to be 24 h, and the corresponding film exhibited a photocurrent density of 0.55 mA cm^?2. Finally, the film stability was tested by illuminating the films with light from an AM 1.5 filter with an intensity of 100 mW cm^?2.