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Biomedical subjects

Zhiyu Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Zhiyu Zhang.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Association between residential greenness and coronary heart disease: A proteomics and miRNA microarray analysis.

Greenness has been linked to cardiovascular disease. However, the specific biological mechanisms through which greenness impacts coronary heart disease (CHD) remain unclear. We aim to explore the underlying epigenetic mechanisms linking greenness and CHD by using proteomics and miRNA microarray. A total of 2387 participants were included in the population study, 816 of whom were diagnosed with CHD. Residential greenness exposure was characterized using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Generalized additive models and restricted cubic splines investigated the association between greenness and CHD. Mediation analysis examined whether cardiovascular metabolic risk factors (blood pressure, inflammation indicators, and glucose) mediated the association. After proteomics and miRNA microarray screening, Elisa and qRT-PCR validated selected proteins (THBS1, FCN3, and LTBP1) and miRNAs (miR-671-5p, miR-124-3p, and miR-379-5p) in CHD. Among these, LTBP1 and miR-379-5p showed significant differential expression (P&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.05) and were examined as potential molecular mediators. Higher greenness exposure within a 1000-m area was associated with a lower risk of CHD (OR: 0.86, 95&#xa0;% CI: 0.81, 0.92). Systolic blood pressure (6.32&#xa0;% [95&#xa0;% CI: 1.49&#xa0;%, 13.12&#xa0;%]), lymphocyte (10.98&#xa0;% [95&#xa0;% CI: 3.76&#xa0;%, 22.00&#xa0;%]), monocyte (9.94&#xa0;% [95&#xa0;% CI: 3.42&#xa0;%, 20.87&#xa0;%]), and fasting blood glucose (3.41&#xa0;% [95&#xa0;% CI: 0.56&#xa0;%, 7.84&#xa0;%]) mediated this association. LTBP1 and miR-379-5p were differentially expressed in CHD and mediated 7.19&#xa0;% [95&#xa0;% CI: 0.01&#xa0;%, 23.37&#xa0;%] and 20.03&#xa0;% [95&#xa0;% CI: 2.85&#xa0;%, 69.71&#xa0;%] of greenness effect on CHD, respectively. Combining the population study and experiments, we found that miR-379-5p and LTBP1 may jointly modulate vascular constriction and immune inflammation in the association between greenness and CHD.

Humans↗

Uric Acid Levels and Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between uric acid (UA) levels and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CCVD) is controversial. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted to explore the causal effects of UA levels on CCVD. METHODS: Genetic variants strongly associated with UA levels were selected as instrumental variables from the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) dataset. The GWAS data, sourced from the Global Urate Genetics Consortium (GUGC), comprised a sample size of 110,347 individuals. The selected CCVD outcomes included stroke, coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as atrial fibrillation and flutter. The primary analytical approach employed the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, supplemented by MR-Egger and weighted median as complementary methods. Sensitivity analysis was performed to test heterogeneity and pleiotropy. RESULTS: The MR analysis results indicated a causal association between UA levels and stroke (odds ratio [OR]: 1.002; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.000-1.003; p = 0.036), CAD (OR: 1.118; 95% CI: 1.044-1.197; p = 0.001), as well as atrial fibrillation and flutter (OR: 1.141; 95% CI: 1.037-1.256; p = 0.007). The results of MR-Egger and weighted median methods confirmed the direction of the IVW results, enhancing the robustness of the findings. No significant anomalies were detected in the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSION: The MR study suggests that UA levels exert causal effects on stroke, CAD, as well as atrial fibrillation and flutter.

Humans↗

Oxonitriles: a grignard addition-acylation route to enamides.

[reaction: see text] Sequential addition of three different Grignard reagents and pivaloyl chloride to 3-oxo-1-cyclohexene-1-carbonitrile installs four new bonds to generate a diverse array of cyclic enamides. Remarkably, formation of the C-magnesiated nitrile intermediate is followed by preferential acylation by pivaloyl chloride rather than consumption by an in situ Grignard reagent. Rapid N-acylation of the C-magnesiated nitrile generates an acyl ketenimine that reacts readily with Grignard reagents or a trialkylzincate, effectively assembling highly substituted, cyclic enamides.

Acylation↗

Microchemostat-microbial continuous culture in a polymer-based, instrumented microbioreactor.

In a chemostat, microbial cells reach a steady state condition at which cell biomass production, substrates and the product concentrations remain constant. These features make continuous culture a unique and powerful tool for biological and physiological research. We present a polymer-based microbioreactor system integrated with optical density (OD), pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) real-time measurements for continuous cultivation of microbial cells. Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells are continuously cultured in a 150 microL, membrane-aerated, well-mixed microbioreactor fed by a pressure-driven flow of fresh medium through a microchannel. Chemotaxisial back growth of bacterial cells into the medium feed channel is prevented by local heating. Using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-grafted poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) copolymer films, the inner surfaces of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) of the microbioreactor are modified to generate bio-inert surfaces resistant to non-specific protein adsorption and cell adhesion. The modified surfaces of microbioreactor effectively reduce wall growth of E. coli for a prolonged period of cultivation. Steady state conditions at different dilution rates are demonstrated and characterized by steady OD, pH, and DO levels.

Acrylic Resins↗

C-metalated nitriles: electrophile-dependent alkylations and acylations.

Sequential carbonyl addition-conjugate addition of Grignard reagents to 3-oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonitrile generates C-magnesiated nitriles whose alkylation stereoselectivities intimately depend on the nature of the electrophile. The alkylation of these C-magnesiated nitriles with alkyl halides, sulfonates, and unstrained ketones occurs with the retention of the C-Mg configuration, whereas aldehyde and acyl cyanide acylations proceed with inversion of the stereochemistry. Mechanistic probes indicate that the stereoselectivity is controlled by stereoelectronic effects for most electrophiles, except allylic, benzylic, and cyclopropyl halides where single-electron-transfer processes intervene. Screening numerous alkylations of C-magnesiated nitriles with a diverse range of electrophiles reveals the reaction scope and delineates the fundamental stereoelectronic effects responsible for the highly unusual electrophile-dependent alkylations.

Acylation↗

A well-mixed, polymer-based microbioreactor with integrated optical measurements.

We describe a 150 microL microbioreactor fabricated in poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to cultivate microbial cell cultures. Mixing is achieved by a small magnetic stir bar and fluorescent sensors are integrated for on-line measurement of pH and dissolved oxygen. Optical transmission measurements are used for cell density. The body of the reactor is poly(methylmethacrylate) with a thin layer of poly (dimethylsiloxane) for aeration, oxygen diffuses through this gas-permeable membrane into the microbioreactor to support metabolism of bacterial cells. Mixing in the reactor is characterized by observation of mixing of dyes and computational fluid dynamics simulations. The oxygenation is described in terms of measured K(L)a values for microbioreactor, 20-75/h corresponding to increasing stirring speed 200-800 rpm. Escherichia coli cell growth in the microbioreactor is demonstrated and the growth behavior is benchmarked with conventional bench-scale bioreactors, flasks and tubes. Batch culture experiments with Saccharomyces cerevisiae further demonstrate the reproducibility and flexibility of the microbioreactor system.

Bioreactors↗

Development of a multiplexed microbioreactor system for high-throughput bioprocessing.

A multiplexed microbioreactor system for parallel operation of multiple microbial fermentation is described. The system includes miniature motors for magnetic stirring of the microbioreactors and optics to monitor the fermentation parameters optical density (OD), dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH, in-situ and in real time. The microbioreactors are fabricated out of poly(methylmethacrylate)(PMMA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS), and have a working volume of 150 microl. Oxygenation of the cells occurs through a thin PDMS membrane at the top of the reactor chamber. Stirring is achieved with a magnetic spin bar in the reactor chamber. Parallel microbial fermentations with Escherichia coli are carried out in four stirred microbioreactors and demonstrate the reproducible performance of the multiplexed system. The profiles for OD, DO, and pH compare favourably to fermentations performed in bioreactor systems with multiple bench-scale reactors. Finally, the multiplexed system is used to compare two different reactor designs, demonstrating that the reproducibility of the system permits the quantification of microbioreactor performance.

Bioreactors↗

Cyclic nitriles: diastereoselective alkylations.

[reaction: see text] Diastereoselective alkylations of metalated conformationally locked 4-tert-butylcyclohexanecarbonitrile are highly diastereoselective with magnesium and copper counterions but only modestly diastereoselective with lithium as the counterion. Selective generation of diverse metalated nitriles is readily achieved through bromine-magnesium, -copper, and -lithium exchange reactions of the corresponding bromonitrile or, for lithium, by deprotonating the parent nitrile with lithium diethylamide. Collectively, high alkylation stereoselectivities correlate with the retentive alkylations of C-metalated nitriles, whereas N-lithiated nitriles alkylate with modest selectivity, reflecting minimal steric differences in the corresponding axial and equatorial electrophile trajectories.

Journal Article↗

Metalated nitriles: organolithium, -magnesium, and -copper exchange of alpha-halonitriles.

[reaction: see text] alpha-Halonitriles react with alkyllithium, organomagnesium, and lithium dimethylcuprate reagents generating reactive, metalated nitriles. The rapid halogen-metal exchange with alkyllithium and Grignard reagents allows selective exchange in the presence of reactive carbonyl electrophiles, including aldehydes, providing a high-yielding alkylation protocol. Lithiated and magnesiated nitriles react with propargyl bromide by S(N)2 displacement whereas organocopper nitriles react by S(N)2' displacement, correlating with the formation of a C-metalated nitrile.

Copper↗

Metalated nitriles: electrophile-dependent alkylations.

[reaction: see text] Sequential carbonyl addition-conjugate addition to oxonitriles generates a C-magnesiated nitrile exhibiting electrophile-dependent alkylation stereoselectivities. Alkylations with alkyl halides, sulfonates, and ketones proceed with retention of stereochemistry, whereas aldehyde and acyl cyanide acylations proceed with inversion of stereochemistry. BuLi-initiated conversion of the C-magnesiated nitrile to the corresponding N-lithiated nitrile reverses the alkylation stereoselectivity, providing a facile route to diastereomeric nitriles that vary at a single, quaternary stereocenter.

Aldehydes↗

Metalated nitriles: halogen-metal exchange with alpha-halonitriles.

[reaction: see text] Alpha-halonitriles react with organometallic reagents in a facile halogen-metal exchange. The halogen-metal exchange is extremely fast with Grignard and alkyllithium reagents, generating metalated nitriles in situ with aldehyde, ketone, acid chloride, and acyl cyanide electrophiles. Sequential halogen-metal exchange and methylation of conformationally constrained nitriles is highly stereoselective and consistent with a retentive alkylation of a C-magnesiated nitrile.

Journal Article↗

Cyclic alkenenitriles: synthesis, conjugate addition, and stereoselective annulation.

O-Alkylation of unsaturated silyl cyanohydrins with DMSO-Ac2O triggers a rearrangement to methylthiomethyl-protected hydroxyalkenenitriles that are easily hydrolyzed for subsequent annulations with omega-chloroalkyl Grignard reagents. Deprotonating the gamma-hydroxyalkenenitriles with t-BuMgCl followed by addition of omega-chloroalkyl Grignard reagents triggers a conjugate addition-alkylation sequence leading exclusively to cis-octalins, hydrindanes, and decalins. Stereoelectronic control favors an axial conjugate addition leading to a particularly reactive conformer that rapidly cyclizes to cis-fused bicyclic nitriles, whereas generating the ring-flipped conformer, through a stepwise sequence, allows access to the diastereomeric trans-decalin. Collectively, the rearrangement-annulation sequence represents the first general annulation of alkenenitriles to assemble diverse bicyclic nitriles with complete control over the two newly installed stereocenters.

Alkenes↗

Gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-alkenenitriles: chelation-controlled conjugate additions.

Temporarily anchoring Grignard and organolithium reagents to gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-alkenenitriles promotes efficient conjugate additions to what are otherwise recalcitrant Michael acceptors. Sequential deprotonation and addition of a modest excess of a second Grignard reagent allows effective conjugate delivery of alkyl groups to cyclic and acyclic alkenenitriles. Mechanistically, conjugate additions proceed through alkylmagnesium alkoxide complexes for all but the more substituted alkenenitriles that require alkyl transfers from the more reactive ate complexes. Synthetically, chelation-controlled conjugate additions rapidly, and stereoselectively, assemble substituted nitriles, installing up to two new stereocenters in a single synthetic operation.

Alkenes↗

Alkenenitriles: annulations with omega-chloro Grignard reagents.

[reaction: see text] omega-Chloro Grignard reagents chelate with cyclic gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-alkenenitriles to trigger a conjugate addition-alkylation annulation. The chelation-controlled conjugate addition-alkylation is the first anionic annulation with alpha, beta-alkenenitriles, providing cis bicyclo[3.3.0]octane, hydrindane, and decalin ring systems in a single synthetic operation.

Alkenes↗

Differential gene expression profiles and real-time measurements of growth parameters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in microliter-scale bioreactors equipped with internal stirring.

Combining real-time growth kinetics measurements with global gene expression analysis of microbial cultures is of significant value for high-throughput biological research. We have performed differential gene expression analysis in the eukaryotic model Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in galactose and glucose media in 150 muL bioreactors equipped with sensors for in situ and real-time measurements of optical density (OD), pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The microbioreactors were fabricated from poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and equipped with internal magnetic ministirrers and evaporation compensation by water replacement. In galactose-grown cells, the core genes of the GAL operon GAL2, GAL1, GAL7, and GAL10 were upregulated at least 100-fold relative to glucose-grown cells. These differential gene expression levels were similar to those observed in large-scale culture vessels. The increasing rate at which complete genomic sequences of microorganisms are becoming available offers an unprecedented opportunity for comparative investigations of these organisms. Our results from S. cerevisiae cultures grown in instrumented microbioreactors show that it is possible to integrate high-throughput studies of growth physiology with global gene expression analysis of microorganisms.

Bioreactors↗