This study examined the hepatoprotective effects of lupeol (1, a major active triterpenoid isolated from Adenophora triphylla var. japonica) against d-galactosamine (GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced fulminant hepatic failure. Mice were orally administered 1 (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg; dissolved in olive oil) 1 h before GalN (800 mg/kg)/LPS (40 μg/kg) treatment. Treatment with GalN/LPS resulted in increased levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6, as well as increased mortality, all of which were attenuated by treatment with 1. In addition, levels of toll-like receptor (TLR)4, myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88, TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF), IL-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)-1, and TNF receptor associated factor 6 protein expression were increased by GalN/LPS. These increases, except TRIF, were attenuated by 1. Interestingly, 1 augmented GalN/LPS-mediated increases in the protein expression of IRAK-M, a negative regulator of TLR signaling. Following GalN/LPS treatment, nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression increased, which were attenuated by 1. Together, the present findings suggest that lupeol (1) ameliorates GalN/LPS-induced liver injury, which may be due to inhibition of IRAK-mediated TLR inflammatory signaling.

β-caryophyllene (4,11,11-trimethyl-8-methylene-bicyclo[7.2.0]undec-4-ene) is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene isolated from Agastache rugosa (Fisch. et Meyer) O. Kuntze (Labiatae) has been shown to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a dramatic clinical syndrome characterized by massive inflammation and hepatocellular death. Inflammasome plays an important role in the regulation of cellular redox balance, apoptosis, and inflammation in the FHF. In this study, we examined the hepatoprotective mechanisms of β-caryophyllene against D-galactosamine (GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced hepatic failure. Mice were given an intraperitoneal injection of β-caryophyllene (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) or vehicle alone (10% Tween 80 saline) 1h before GalN (800 mg/kg)/LPS (40 µg/kg), and sacrificed at 1 and 6h after GalN/LPS injection. GalN/LPS markedly increased mortality and serum aminotransferase activity, which were attenuated by β-caryophyllene. GalN/LPS increased serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 levels, and these increases were attenuated by β-caryophyllene. GalN/LPS significantly increased protein expression of toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 and TNF receptor-associated factor 6, nuclear protein expression of nuclear factor kB, and these increases were attenuated by β-caryophyllene. GalN/LPS activated NLRP3 (NACHT, LRR, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3) inflammasome as indicated by increased mature IL-1β, caspase-1, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD, and NLRP3 protein expressions. This activation was attenuated by β-caryophyllene. Our finding suggests that β-caryophyllene protects against GalN/LPS-induced liver injury through suppression of TLR4 signaling and inflammasome pathway.

Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a life-threatening clinical syndrome that results from severe impairment of liver function. Recently, reduced hepatic damage against FHF model was found in toll-like receptor (TLR) 4-null mice, implicating TLR4 as a potential therapeutic target in FHF. Lupeol is one of the major triterpenoid constitutions of Adenophora triphylla var. japonica which has been shown to exhibit antihepatotoxic and antioxidant properties. This study examined the protective effect of lupeol against D-galactosamine (GalN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced hepatic failure. Mice were treated with lupeol at 100 mg/kg orally (dissolved in olive oil) 1 h before the GalN (800 mg/kg)/LPS (40 µg/kg) injection. Mice were sacrificed, and liver and blood samples were collected 6 h after GalN/LPS injection. The survival rate of the lupeol-treated group was significantly higher than the control. GalN/LPS significantly increased serum aminotransferase activities and interleukin (IL)-6 level. These increases were attenuated by lupeol. Lupeol reduced the levels of IL-6, interferon-β and tumor necrosis factor-α mRNA expression, which were increased by GalN/LPS. Moreover, lupeol attenuated the increased levels of TLR4, MyD88 and TRIF protein expressions. Our findings suggest that lupeol protects against FHF-induced damage by suppressing TLR4-mediated signaling pathways.

Agastache rugosa (Fisch. et Meyer) O. Kuntze., commonly known as Korean mint, is a perennial herb in the family Labiatae which is distributed in Korea, China, Japan and Russia. The herb has been used for the treatment of summer flu, summer cold, headache, stomachache, nausea, vomiting, and dyspepsia in Chinese and Korean traditional medicines. Previous studies on A. rugosa, have investigated several biological activities including antioxidative, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and anticancer activities. In continuation of our search for anti-allergic compound from natural products, we have found that the hexane extract of A. rugosa has anti-allergic activity. The dried aerial part of A. rugosa was extracted with hexane. The anti-allergic activity of the hexane extract was comparatively higher than that of second-generation H1-antihistamine ketotifen as positive control. Twelve terpenes and phenolic compounds were isolated from the hexane extract. The structures of isolated compounds were identified as linalool, trans-isopulegone, linalyl acetate, β-caryophyllene, eugenol, estragole, cis-jasmone, phytol, l-menthone, methyl eugenol, and trans-carveol by comparison of their spectral data with literature values. The anti-allergic activity of isolated compounds was evaluated in an in vitro assay on β-hexosaminidase release inhibition using RBL-2H3 cells stimulated by DNP-BSA.

The electrical and optical properties of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) with bis(ethylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF)-doped 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen) electron transport layers (ETLs) were investigated. The current density–voltage characteristics of the OLEDs with BEDT-TTF-doped BPhen ETLs and electron only devices with BEDT-TTF-doped BPhen layers showed that the electrons injected from the cathode were increased by inserting a BEDT-TTF-doped BPhen layer. OLEDs containing BEDT-TTF-doped BPhen layers at a doping concentration of 1wt.% demonstrated the highest current density and luminance values. Enhancements of the electron injection and luminance as well as a decrease in the operating voltage of the OLEDs were achieved by inserting a BEDT-TTF-doped BPhen layer.

The optical and electronic properties in an InGaP/InGaAIP multiple quantum well (MQW) grown by using molecular-beam epitaxy utilizing the digital alloy technique were investigated through temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements and numerical calculations. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images showed that the sample clearly displayed the InGaP wells and the InGaAIP barriers and separate confinement heterostructure layers. The PL measurements at various temperatures were performed to investigate the interband transitions of the InGaP/InGaAIP MQW. The electronic subband energies and the wavefunctions in the InGaP/InGaAIP MQW at several temperatures were determined by using a finite element method employing the standard 8-band k x p Lagrangian. The numerical results for optical interband transition energies from the ground state electron subband to the ground state heavy-hole subband of the InGaP/InGaAIP MQW at various temperatures were in reasonable agreement with the excitonic transition energies observed in the PL measurements.

InxGa1−xN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) were grown on sapphire substrates by using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The optical and electrical properties of the MQWs were investigated photoluminescence (PL) and Hall measurements, respectively. The electronic subband energies, the wave functions, and the Fermi energy in the In0.1Ga0.9N/GaN MQWs were calculated by using a multi-band k→⋅p→ theory and considering the strain due to the lattice mismatch and the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations. The potential due to free carriers observed in the Hall measurement was also taken into account in solving the Schrödinger equation and the Pöisson equation self-consistently. The calculated interband transition energy was compared with the PL data. The calculated electronic structure of the In0.1Ga0.9N/GaN MQWs showed that only one subband below the Fermi level was occupied by the electrons.

An X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) showed that GaN nanorods grown on Si(111) substrates were preferentially oriented along the [0001] direction. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the side facet planes of the tip region for the GaN nanorods consisted of (1100) and 01021 planes. The disordered nuclei of the GaN nanorods produced a two-dimensional thin-film layer near the GaN/Si(111) interfacial region. The relation between the microstructural properties and the geometry factors of the tip region for GaN nanorods formed on Si(111) substrates is described on the basis of the XRD and TEM results. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An InxGa1-xN/GaN single quantum well (SQW) was grown and was investigated by X-ray diffraction (MID), photoluminescence (PL), and Hall measurements. The In composition of the InxGa1-xN layer was determined to be 30% from the XRD data. The activation energy of the excitons confined in the In0.3Ga0.7N/GaN SQWs: as obtained from the temperature-dependent PL spectra, was 70 meV. The electron and the hole states were calculated by using a multi-band (k) over right arrow . (p) over right arrow theory and considering the strain due to the lattice mismatch and the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations, and the results were compared with the PL data. The potential due to free carriers observed in the Hall measurement was also taken into account by solving the Schrodinger equation and the Poisson equation self-consistently. The calculated electronic structure of the In0.3Ga0.7N/GaN SQW showed that only one subband below the Fermi level was occupied by the elections. The present results help improve understanding of the electronic structures in InxGa1-x/GaN SQWs.

Optical gains and interband transition energies for CdTe/ZnTe single quantum wells (SQWs) with different CdTe well widths were investigated. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra for CdTe/ZnTe SQWs at various temperatures were experimentally obtained, and the corresponding optical gains were calculated by using an interacting pair Green's function and by using an energy space integrated function. The peak energies in the gain spectra that take the Coulomb interaction between the electron and the hole into account were in qualitatively reasonable agreement with those determined from the PL spectra.

20 nm diameter SiO2 nanopore arrays on gradient-thickness membranes were formed by a focused electron beam with in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanopore shrinkage was seen in nanopores on thicker membranes, with the rate of diameter change remaining constant during the shrinkage process. In contrast, pore expansion was observed in thinner membranes, with the expansion rate being constant at the initial stage but with a slight increase at the later stage. The geometry model of shrinkage and expansion of the nanopores in relation to the electron irradiation time was investigated by utilizing the TEM tilting method.

X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy images, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that one-dimensional GaN nanorods grown on Si (1 1 1) substarates by using hydride vapor phase epitaxy had crystalline wurzite structures and were preferentially oriented along the [0 0 0 1] direction. The high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images showed that the side facet planes of the tip region for the GaN nanorods consisted of {1¯ 1 0 0}, {1¯ 1 0 2}, and {1¯ 1 0 3} planes. The structural properties of the GaN nanorods were significantly affected by the gas-mixing and the substrate temperatures in the final growth zone.

The optical gains of the CdTe/ZnTe single quantum wells with various CdTe widths were calculated by using a non-interacting pair Green's function and by an energy space integrated function. The interband transition energies from the ground electronic subband to the ground heavy-hole subband calculated taking into account optical gains were in qualitatively reasonable agreement with those determined from the PL spectra.

The influence of the presence of a double emitting layer (DEL) consisting of 4,4'-Bis(carbazol-9-yl)bipheny1 (CBP) and 4,4'-Bis(2,2-diphenyl-ethen-1-yl)diphenyl (DPVBi) acting as electron and hole trapping layers in the organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) was studied. While the luminance efficiency of the OLEDs with a DEL was very stable, regardless of variations in the applied voltage, that of the OLEDs with a CBP or a DPVBi emitting layer varied with the applied voltage. The rate of decrease is smaller than the single emitting layer, about 30%. The dominant peak corresponding to the CBP layer, in the electroluminescence spectrum for the OLEDs with a DEL appeared at 451 nm, which is in the deep-blue region. The Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of the OLEDs with a DEL at 11 V were (0.150, 0.137), indicative of a deep, stabilized blue color. These results indicate that luminance efficiency-stabilized blue OLEDs can be fabricated using a CBP/DPVBi DEL acting as electron and hole trapping layers. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This study examined the effects of ferulic acid, a bioactive compound isolated from Scrophulariae Radix, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury. The mice were treated intraperitoneally with 20µl/kg CCl4. They received 10, 20, 40, and 80mg/kg ferulic acid 1h before and 2h after the CCl4 treatment. And a positive control group was treated with 800mg/kg silymarin. At 24h after the CCl4 treatment, the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, serum aspartate aminotransferase and lipid peroxidation were significantly elevated, whereas the hepatic glutathione content was decreased. These changes were attenuated by ferulic acid. The mRNA expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2, proinflammatory mediators, were markedly increased by the CCl4 treatment but this increase was suppressed by ferulic acid treatment. In contrast, the mRNA expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a defense protein against oxidative damages, was augmented by treatment of ferulic acid. These findings suggest that ferulic acid protects hepatocytes from the oxidative damage caused by CCl4 and its protection is likely due to the induction of HO-1 and the downregulation of proinflammatory mediators.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, and selected area electron diffraction pattern (SADP) images showed that one-dimensional GaN nanorods with c-axis-oriented single-crystalline wurzite structures were grown on Si (111) substrates by using improved hydride vapor phase epitaxy. The high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images showed that the crystallized GaN nanorods contained very few defects. The atomic arrangements for the GaN nanorods grown on the Si (111) substrates are described on the basis of the XRD, the TEM, the SADP, and the HRTEM results.

The x-ray diffraction patterns, transmission electron microscopy images, and selected-area electron diffraction patterns for the ZnO∕Si heterostructures annealed at 900°C showed that orthorhombic ZnSiO3 nanoparticles were formed in the amorphous layer between the ZnO film and the Si substrate, resulting from the interdiffusion between the ZnO film and the Si substrate due to thermal treatment. Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiles for the ZnO∕Si heterostructures annealed at 900°C demonstrated the formation of amorphous Zn2xSi1−xO2, an interfacial layer. A formation mechanism for the orthorhombic ZnSiO3 nanoparticles embedded in the amorphous Zn2xSi1−xO2 layer is described on the basis of the experimental results.