BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
·
2018
·
IF 4.235
Zhihua Wang,Sheng Yuan,Yanbing Li,Zhe Zhang,Wei Xiao,Dan Tang,Kaihe Ye,Zhijun Liu,Congcong Wang,Yixiong Zheng,Hong Nie,Heru Chen
( R , E )- N -(3-(2-acetamido-3-(benzyloxy) propanamido)propyl)-2-cyano-3-(4-hydroxy phenyl)acrylamide ( hr5F ) was design-synthesized based on bioactivity focus strategy as a potential agent to treat diabetic complicates. With in vitro enzyme assay, it is confirmed that hr5F is an effective ALR2 inhibitor with IC 50 value of 2.60 ± 0.15 nM, and selectivity index of 86.0 over ALR1, which is a little bit better than the reference Epalrestat (Epa). hr5F inhibits the increase of ALR2 enzyme activity and expression in human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) induced by high glucose. By applying western blot , it was found that hr5F alleviates the high glucose-induced superoxide overproduction insults by regulating SIRT1-PGC-1α/Nrf2 pathway, together with regulating NRF-1, mtTFA , Bax/Bcl-2 to ameliorate cell apoptosis . The in vivo effects of hr5F on short term streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice confirm the same functions disclosed in vitro . All the evidences support that hr5F may serve as a promising agent in the treatment of diabetic complications with close efficacy and broader indication than the reference Epa.
研究领域:
药理学
·
糖尿病
·
分子生物学
·
细胞生物学
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高影响因子
Antioxidants
·
2023
·Vol. 12
·期 1
·194
·
IF 7
Chongshan Dai,Xueyong Zhang,Jiahao Lin,Jianzhong Shen
Acute liver injury is a type of liver diseases, and it has raised concerns worldwide due to the lack of effective therapies. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of nootkatone (NOOT) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-caused acute liver injury in mice. Mice were randomly divided into control, CCl4model, NOOT, and NOOT (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day) plus CCl4groups, respectively. Mice in the CCl4plus NOOT groups were orally administrated with NOOT at 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/days for seven days prior to 0.3% CCl4injection at 10 mL/kg body weight, respectively. Our results showed that NOOT supplementation significantly ameliorated CCl4-induced increases of serum AST and ALT levels, hepatocyte necrosis, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and caspases-9 and -3 activities in the livers of mice. Moreover, NOOT supplementation significantly upregulated the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 mRNAs but downregulated the expression of NF-κB mRNAs and the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α proteins in the liver tissues, compared to those in the CCl4model group. In conclusion, for the first time, our results reveal that NOOT could offer protective effects against CCl4-caused oxidative stress and inflammatory response via the opposite regulation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and NF-κB pathway.Keywords:nootkatone;oxidative stress;acute liver injury;Nrf2/HO-1 pathway;NF-κB pathway
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NEUROTOXICITY RESEARCH
·
2020
·Vol. 38
·期 1
·59-73
·
IF 2.992
Wen Caiyan,Huang Cuiqin,Yang Mei,Fan Chongzhu,Li Qin,Zhao Jiayi,Gan Danhui,Li An,Zhu Lihong,Lu Daxiang
Oxidative stress is a potential pathological mechanism of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Berberine (BBR) can improve antioxidative capacity and inhibit Aβ protein aggregation and tau protein hyperphosphorylation in AD, and stem cell therapy is also increasingly recognized as a therapy for AD. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have many advantages, as they exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and secrete a variety of neurotrophic factors, and play important roles in neurodegenerative disease treatment. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of secretions from BMSCs pretreated with BBR on tert -butyl hydroperoxide ( t -BHP)–damaged neurons. We demonstrated that BBR can enhance BMSC viability and the secretion of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), both of which are vital neurotrophic factors that maintain neuronal growth. Moreover, conditioned medium from BBR-treated BMSCs (BBR-BMSC-CM) reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, attenuated a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and ameliorated neuronal apoptosis by decreasing levels of the apoptotic proteins Bax/Bcl-2, cytochrome c, and cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3. In addition, increased synaptophysin (SYP) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) levels indicated that neuronal synaptic function was restored. Further study revealed that BBR-BMSC-CM activated the antioxidant proteins Keap1, Nrf2, and HO-1. In conclusion, our results showed that BBR-BMSC-CM attenuated apoptosis and oxidative damage in neurons by activating the Keap1-Nrf2-HO-1 signaling pathway. Taken together, these results also suggest BBR as a drug to stimulate the secretion of nutritional cytokines with the potential to treat AD.
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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
·
2020
·Vol. 27
·期 28
·35261-35271
·
IF 3.056
Zhao Tian-Xin,Wei Yue-Xin,Wang Jun-Ke,Han Lin-Dong,Sun Mang,Wu Yu-Hao,Shen Lian-Ju,Long Chun-Lan,Wu Sheng-De,Wei Guang-Hui
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a common plasticizer, which is known to be an environmental endocrine-disrupting chemical that can jeopardize the male reproductive system. Prepuberal exposure to DEHP leads to steroidogenesis disorders. However, the specific mechanism remains ambiguous. Therefore, Sprague Dawley (SD) rats underwent prepuberal DEHP exposure at a dose of 500 mg/kg per day through gavage. Additionally, the resulting testicular injury was evaluated to confirm the disturbed steroidogenesis. Changes in testicular histology, significant reduction of serum testosterone ( P < 0.01) and luteinizing hormone ( P < 0.001), and significantly decreased expressions of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein ( P < 0.01) and 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase ( P < 0.05) were found in DEHP-treated rats. DEHP exposure resulted in obvious intestinal damage and oxidative stress imbalance, primarily in the jejunum. Both the activation of the nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway and alterations of microbiota profiles were observed in all three gut specimens, but were most notable in the jejunum. We hypothesize that the gut-microbiota-testis axis, which is mediated by the activation of the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway, could be involved in the dysfunction of prepuberal steroidogenesis induced by DEHP.
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ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
·
2023
·
IF 6.8
Bo Xu,Tiantian He,Hong Yang,Wenjie Dai,Ling Liu,Xiaoqian Ma,Jiaxue Ma,Guoqin Yang,Rui Si,Xing Du,Xufeng Fu,Xiuying Pei
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is widely used in various plastics but has been demonstrated to cause female reproductive toxicity. However, the exact mechanism underlying the ovarian damage induced by DEHP remains unclear. In this study, DEHP was administered orally to 5-week-old female mice for 30 days at doses of 0, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg/day. The findings demonstrated that DEHP exposure disrupted ovarian function and follicular development as well as induced oxidative stress and autophagy in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs). Further, 200 µM mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), the primary metabolite of DEHP in vivo , induced autophagy in both human ovarian granulosa cells line (KGN) and mouse primary GCs within 24 h in vitro . However, it did not affect the p62-dependent autophagy flux. Furthermore, MEHP-induced autophagy was inhibited by the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA and exacerbated by the autophagy activator rapamycin, indicating that MEHP induces excessive autophagy in GCs. Subsequently, we found that MEHP-induced autophagic cell death was primarily attributed to oxidative damage from elevated intracellular ROS levels. Meanwhile, MEHP exposure induced nuclear translocation of erythroid-derived factor 2-related factor (Nrf2), a key regulator of antioxidant activity resulting in activating antioxidant effects. Interestingly, we also found that MEHP-induced increase in p62 competitively binds Keap1, thereby facilitating nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and establishing a positive feedback loop in antioxidant regulation. Therefore, this study demonstrated that inhibition of Nrf2 could aggravate oxidative damage and enhance excessive autophagy caused by MEHP, while activation of Nrf2 could reverse the trend. These findings have also been reinforced in studies of cultured ovaries in vitro . Our study suggests that the p62-Keap1-Nrf2 pathway may serve as a potential protective mechanism against DEHP-induced oxidative stress and excessive autophagy in mouse GCs.
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PHYTOMEDICINE
·
2023
·
IF 7.9
Mei-Qi Wang,Kai-Hui Zhang,Fang-Le Liu,Rui Zhou,Yun Zeng,A-Li Chen,Yang Yu,Quan Xia,Chen-Chen Zhu,Chao-Zhan Lin
Background : Cholestatic liver diseases (CLD) comprise a variety of disorders of bile formation, which causes chronic exposure to bile acid (BA) in the liver generally and results in hepatotoxicity and progressive hepatobiliary injury. Wedelolactone (7-methoxy-5, 11, 12-trihydroxy-coumestan, WED), the natural active compound derived from Ecliptae Herba, has been reported with valuable bioactivity for liver protection. Nevertheless, the effect of WED on cholestatic liver injury (CLI) remains unexplored. Purpose : The present study aims to elucidate the protective effect of WED on Alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced CLI mice, and to investigate its potential pharmacological mechanism. Methods : The anti-cholestasis and hepatoprotective effects of WED were evaluated in ANIT-induced CLI mice. Non-targeted metabolomics study combined with ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) was used to explore the key mechanism of WED. The BA metabolic profile in enterohepatic circulation was analyzed to evaluate the effect of WED in regulating BA metabolism. Further, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) were used to simulate and verify the targeting activation of WED on the Farnesoid X receptor (FXR). The core role of FXR in WED promoting BA transportation, and alleviating BA accumulation-induced hepatotoxicity was further evaluated in WT and FXR knockout mice or hepatocytes. Results : WED dose-dependently alleviated ANIT-induced cholestasis and liver injury in mice, and simultaneously suppressed the nuclear signaling pathway of factor-kappa B/nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NF-κB/NRF2) to relieve inflammation and oxidative stress. At the metabolite level, WED improved the metabolic disorder in CLI mice focusing on the metabolism of BA, arachidonic acid, and glycerophospholipid, closely related to the process of BA regulation, inflammation, and oxidative damage. WED targeting activated FXR, which then transcribed its target genes, including the bile salt export pump (BSEP) and the BA transporter, which subsequently increased BA transportation to restore the damaged enterohepatic circulation of BA. Meanwhile, WED alleviated hepatic BA accumulation and protected the liver from BA-induced damage via NF-κB/NRF2 signaling pathway. Furthermore, FXR deficiency suppressed the protective effect of WED in vitro and in vivo . Conclusion : WED regulated BA metabolism and alleviated hepatic damage in cholestasis. It protected the liver according to adjusted BA transportation and relieved BA accumulation-related hepatotoxicity via FXR-bile acid-NF-κB/NRF2 axis. Our study provides novel insights that WED might be a promising strategy for cholestatic liver disease.
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高影响因子
RSC Advances
·
2017
·Vol. 7
·期 55
·34846-34856
·
IF 3.108
Ye Tian,Zheng Li,Bingyu Shen,Lin Wu,Lu Han,Qiaoling Zhang,Haihua Feng
Shikonin (SHK) has various biological and pharmacological activities, including anticancer, antibacterial and anti-inflammation activities. However, the protective effects and mechanism of SHK on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and D-galactosamine (D-GalN) induced acute liver injury remain unclear. In this study, LPS/D-GalN caused acute liver injury by intraperitoneal injection. SHK was administrated for 1 h. Then, LPS/D-GalN was given to C57BL/6 mice for 3 h. Our results showed that SHK treatment distinctly decreased serum TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-γ inflammatory cytokine production, reduced serum ALT, AST, hepatic MPO and ROS production levels, and tissue histology harmful effects, inhibited JNK1/2, ERK1/2, p38 and NF-κB (p65) phosphorylation, and suppressed IκBα phosphorylation and degradation. Furthermore, our research showed that SHK could dramatically increase SOD and GSH production, as well as reduce ROS production, through up-regulating the protein expression of HO-1, Nqo1, Gclc and Gclm, which was related to the induction of Nrf2 nuclear translocation. These results showed that SHK exerted anti-inflammatory activity, which was associated to the inhibition of inflammatory production via down-regulation of the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, and anti-oxidative effects were connected with GSH and SOD activation through up-regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathways.
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高影响因子
PHYTOMEDICINE
·
2024
·
IF 6.7
Wen-lin Li,Ke Li,Wen-guang Chang,Hui Shi,Wen-xuan Zhang,Zi Wang,Wei Li
Background Although our previous work confirmed 20(R)-ginsenoside Rg3 (R-Rg3), which is an active ingredient in the Panax Ginseng C.A. Meyer, to have good anti-diabetic activity, its beneficial effect on diabetic retinal injury was found to be limited. Purpose This study aims to investigate the protective effects of R-Rg3 on diabetes-induced retinal injury and the associated molecular mechanisms of action. Methods Diabetic retinal injury was induced in mice using a combination of a high-fat diet (HFD) and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). R-Rg3 (10 and 20 mg/kg) was subsequently administered for 6 weeks. The human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) were subjected to high glucose (HG)-induced injury for the in vitro analysis and treated with R-Rg3 (4, 8, 16 μM), antioxidant N-Acetylcysteine (NAC, 1 mM) and Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 (5 μM). The mice retinas then underwent functional and histopathological analysis. Expression levels of proteins related to the Nrf2/HO-1 axis, tight junction proteins, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the apoptosis in retinal tissue and HRECs were determined by western blot. Expressions of ZO-1 and Nrf2 in the retina and HRECs were assessed by immunofluorescence. Additional evaluations included measuring body weights, fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid levels and oxidative markers. Results The results showed 6 weeks of R-Rg3 treatment significantly restored the functional changes and redox system imbalance that was induced by HFD/STZ in mice. R-Rg3 was also found to significantly reduce retinal barrier damage and thickness changes resulting from hyperglycaemia exposure. At the same time, R-Rg3 also protected HRECs from HG-induced damage. R-Rg3 could also activate Nrf2/HO-1 axis and inhibit endoplasmic reticulum stress as a means of alleviating retinal endothelial cells apoptosis. The molecular docking results also demonstrated that R-Rg3 had a good binding ability with Nrf2. Conclusion Our study suggested Nrf2/HO-1 axis might be crucial for the ability of R-Rg3 to prevent diabetic retinal injury.
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高影响因子
Frontiers in Pharmacology
·
2025
·
IF 4.8
Sheng Li,Shiyi Lu,Jiahui Xiong,Liang Chen,Yanting Lin,Xiaohui Chen,Xinyi Wang,Lijing Lin,Xiaoliang Cai,Xiaoyu Yang
Here, we systematically evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms of action of in-house synthesized hydroxyethyl starch-curcumin nanoparticles (HES-CUR NPs) in ulcerative colitis (UC). Using a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced UC mouse model, we analyzed the effect of HES-CUR NPs on colonic tissue and the gut microbiota through the assessment of organ indices and serum biochemical markers, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and 16S rRNA sequencing. We found that HES-CUR NPs significantly suppressed the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway (downregulated TLR4, p-IKKβ, IL-1β, IL-6, NFKB, MyD88, and p-IKKB/IKKB; p < 0.01), activated the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway (enhanced Nrf2 nuclear translocation and HO-1 expression), and upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins (claudin-1, occludin, ZO-1), thereby restoring intestinal barrier integrity. Microbiota analysis revealed that HES-CUR NPs increased gut microbiota diversity (elevated Chao1, Shannon, and ACE indices) and enriched beneficial bacteria abundance (Ligilactobacillus murinus, Lactobacillus johnsonii). Antibiotic intervention partially attenuated the therapeutic effects of the HES-CUR NPs, confirming that their effects involved microbiota-dependent mechanisms. Compared to CUR and SASP, HES-CUR NPs exhibited significantly enhanced bioavailability and efficacy (p < 0.01), attributed to the targeted delivery and sustained-release properties of the hydroxyethyl starch nanocarrier. No toxicity was observed, as indicated by normal spleen, liver, and thymus indices and stable levels of TP, ALT, AST, ALB, GLB, and ALB/GLB. Our findings indicated that HES-CUR alleviates UC through a synergistic, multi-target mechanism involving inflammatory pathway suppression, antioxidant pathway activation, intestinal barrier repair, and microbiota modulation, providing a theoretical foundation for developing efficient and safe natural nanomedicines targeting UC.
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高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE
·
2025
·Vol. 55
·期 3
·1-15
·
IF 5.8
Congna Zi,Yulei Wei,Ying Zhu,Juan Fan
Regulator of G‑protein signaling 12 (RGS12) is a regulatory factor that is involved in various physiological processes. However, the role of RGS12 in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) currently remains unclear. The present study established a mouse model of MIRI by ligating the left main coronary artery followed by reperfusion. In addition, mouse HL‑1 cells were cultured in a hypoxic and serum‑free medium, followed by reoxygenation to establish an in vitro cell model of hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Adenoviruses targeting RGS12 were subsequently used to either overexpress or silence RGS12 expression. RGS12 was highly expressed in both the myocardial tissues of mice with MIRI and HL‑1 cells subjected to H/R. The results from the in vitro experiments demonstrated that the knockdown of RGS12 reduced oxidative stress under a pathological environment, as indicated by decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and malondialdehyde activity and increased activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Furthermore, mice with MIRI and HL‑1 cells that underwent H/R stimulation exhibited increased ferroptosis, whereas RGS12 knockdown reversed these changes. These results showed that post‑RGS12 silencing the levels of Fe2+ and lipid ROS were decreased, the expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 and cystine transporter solute carrier family 7 member 11 were increased and mitochondrial structure was improved by preventing the loss of the mitochondrial crest. Mechanistically, the nuclear factor erythroid 2‑related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway with anti‑ferroptosis and anti‑oxidative stress capacities was activated by RGS12 knockdown. Conversely, RGS12 overexpression exerted the opposite effects both in vivo and in vitro. Notably, it was demonstrated that penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC), known to block the MIRI process, decreased RGS12 expression levels both in vivo and in vitro, and RGS12 overexpression inhibited the therapeutic effects of PHC on MIRI. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that RGS12, a target of PHC, potentially enhanced the progression of MIRI by promoting oxidative stress and ferroptosis, and this effect may involve the regulation of the Nrf2 pathway.
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SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
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2025
·
IF 7.7
Lei Shen,Ze Zhang,Xinying Guo,Zelin Zhong,Jia Zhang,Chengcheng Zhang,Hongmei Liu,Shuxiang Wang,Jinchao Zhang,Caixia Yin,Yutao Yang
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease with various causes, among which oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage is a significant pathological factor and has been widely studied as one of the key pathogenic mechanisms. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), a representative reactive oxygen species (ROS), plays an important role in epilepsy. However, real-time imaging capable of revealing the distribution of H₂O₂ in the living brain remains limited. To address this, we developed a feasible fluorescent probe library based on the unique reaction between the α-ketoester moiety and H₂O₂, combined with dicyanoisophorone derivatives possessing excellent optical performance. In consequence, DCI-BT-PY was optimized as a novel fluorescent probe for H₂O₂ through parallel testing of its physicochemical and optical properties. Notably, due to its good blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, DCI-BT-PY was used to monitor H₂O₂ upregulation in the brains of epileptic mice, revealing a close relationship between H₂O₂ and epilepsy. Furthermore, using the Sombati epilepsy model of hippocampal neuronal cells and the mouse model of epilepsy, the neuroprotective effect of curcumin on oxidative stress injury of nerve cells was explored, showing that it may alleviate epilepsy by activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway for suppressing the neurotoxic damage. This finding offers new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of epilepsy. Additionally, this work provides a reliable tool for evaluating H 2 O 2 fluctuations in the brains of epilepsy-induced mice, thereby establishing a solid foundation for antioxidant therapies targeting epilepsy.
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
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2019
·
IF 4.784
Qiang Chu,Shuang Zhang,Lushuang Yu,Yonglu Li,Yangyang Liu,Xiang Ye,Xiaodong Zheng
The tubers of Apios americana Medikus possess high nutritional value and have been used as food in many countries for a long time. However, few researches have focused on the tuber polysaccharides. In the present study, a purified polysaccharide (ATP-1) was isolated with the average molecular weights of 12.16 kDa. ATP-1 significantly suppressed the release of nitric oxide (NO) and inflammatory cytokines from LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, as well as oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Meanwhile, ATP-1 reduced oxidative damage via the NF-κB, MAPKs and Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathways in RAW264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, autophagy was activated by HMGB1-Beclin1, Sirt1-FoxO1 and Akt-mTOR signaling pathways, leading to a relief of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation and an expression enhancement of autophagy-related proteins, such as LC3, Beclin1, Atg4, Atg5, and Atg7. In summary, our results suggested that ATP-1 might help to activate the anti-inflammation system,resulting in prevention of LPS-induced damage in RAW264.7 cells.
研究领域:
药理学
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免疫学
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细胞生物学
·
生物化学
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