Baohuoside I suppresses the NLRP3 inflammasome activation via targeting GPER to fight against Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence indicates the crucial role of microglia-mediated inflammation and the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Baohuoside I, a natural flavonoid extracted from Herba Epimedii, has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory effects, but its potential neuroprotective effects and mechanism against PD have not been documented.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The anti-inflammatory effects of Baohuoside I were evaluated by LPS-induced BV2 cells or primary microglia isolated from wide type or G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) gene knockout mice. The underlying mechanism related to GPER-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition was further explored using LPS-induced GPER+/+ or GPER-/- mouse models of PD. The neuroprotective effects of Baohuoside I were detected through western blot analysis, real-time PCR, molecular docking, mouse behavioral tests, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Baohuoside I significantly alleviated LPS-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signal and the increase of pyroptosis levels as evidenced by the downregulated expression of pyroptosis-related proteins (NLRP3, ASC, pro-Caspase-1, IL-1β) in microglia cells. Intragastric administration of Baohuoside I protected against LPS-induced motor dysfunction and loss of dopaminergic neurons, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines expressions, and inhibited microglial (Iba-1) and astrocyte (GFAP) activation in the nigrostriatal pathway in LPS-induced mouse model of PD. Pretreatment with GPER antagonist G15 in microglia cells or GPER gene deletion in mice significantly blocked the inhibitory effects of Baohuoside I on LPS-induced neuroinflammation and activation of the NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 pathway. Molecular docking further indicated that Baohuoside I might bind to GPER directly with a binding energy of -10.4 kcal/mol.

CONCLUSION

Baohuoside I provides neuroprotective effects against PD by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB signal and NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 pathway. The molecular target for its anti-inflammatory effects is proved to be GPER in the PD mouse model. Baohuoside I may be a valuable anti-neuroinflammatory agent and a drug with well-defined target for the treatment of PD.

Inhibition of calcium-sensing receptor by its antagonist promotes gastrointestinal motility in a Parkinson's disease mouse model

BACKGROUND

The Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) participates in the regulation of gastrointestinal (GI) motility under normal conditions and might be involved in the regulation of GI dysmotility in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS

CaSR antagonist-NPS-2143 was applied in in vivo and ex vivo experiments to study the effect and underlying mechanisms of CaSR inhibition on GI dysmotility in the MPTP-induced PD mouse model.

FINDINGS

Oral intake of NPS-2143 promoted GI motility in PD mice as shown by the increased gastric emptying rate and shortened whole gut transit time together with improved weight and water content in the feces of PD mice, and the lack of influence on normal mice. Meanwhile, the number of cholinergic neurons, the proportion of serotonergic neurons, as well as the levels of acetylcholine and serotonin increased, but the numbers of nitrergic and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons, and the levels of nitric oxide synthase and dopamine decreased in the myenteric plexus in the gastric antrum and colon of PD mice in response to NPS-2143 treatment. Furthermore, the numbers of c-fos positive neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and cholinergic neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) increased in NPS-2143 treated PD mice, suggesting the involvement of both the enteric (ENS) and central (CNS) nervous systems. However, ex vivo results showed that NPS-2143 directly inhibited the contractility of antral and colonic strips in PD mice via a non-ENS mediated mechanism. Further studies revealed that NPS-2143 directly inhibited the voltage gated Ca2+ channels, which might, at least in part, explain its direct inhibitory effects on the GI muscle strips.

INTERPRETATION

CaSR inhibition by its antagonist ameliorated GI dysmotility in PD mice via coordinated neuronal regulation by both ENS and CNS in vivo, although the direct effects of CaSR inhibition on GI muscle strips were suppressive.

Low and high doses of oral maslinic acid protect against Parkinson's disease via distinct gut microbiota-related mechanisms

The use of oral agents that can modify the gut microbiota (GM) could be a novel preventative or therapeutic option for Parkinson's disease (PD). Maslinic acid (MA), a pentacyclic triterpene acid with GM-dependent biological activities when it is taken orally, has not yet been reported to be effective against PD. The present study found both low and high dose MA treatment significantly prevented dopaminergic neuronal loss in a classical chronic PD mouse model by ameliorating motor functions and improving tyrosine hydroxylase expressions in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and increasing dopamine and its metabolite homovanillic acid levels in the striatum. However, the effects of MA in PD mice were not dose-responsive, since similar beneficial effects for low and high doses of MA were observed. Further mechanism studies indicated that low dose MA administration favored probiotic bacterial growth in PD mice, which helped to increase striatal serotonin, 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid, and γ-aminobutyric acid levels. High dose MA treatment did not influence GM composition in PD mice but significantly inhibited neuroinflammation as indicated by reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1β in the SNpc; moreover, these effects were mainly mediated by microbially-derived acetic acid in the colon. In conclusion, oral MA at different doses protected against PD via distinct mechanisms related to GM. Nevertheless, our study lacked in-depth investigations of the underlying mechanisms involved; future studies will be designed to further delineate the signaling pathways involved in the interactive actions between different doses of MA and GM.

Dietary isoleucine supplementation enhances growth performance, modulates the expression of genes related to amino acid transporters and protein metabolism, and gut microbiota in yellow-feathered chickens

This study investigated the effects of dietary isoleucine (Ile) on growth performance, intestinal expression of amino acid transporters, protein metabolism-related genes and intestinal microbiota in starter phase Chinese yellow-feathered chickens. Female Xinguang yellow-feathered chickens (n = 1,080, aged 1 d) were randomly distributed to 6 treatments, each with 6 replicates of 30 birds. Chickens were fed diets with 6 levels of total Ile (6.8, 7.6, 8.4, 9.2, 10.0, and 10.8 g/kg) for 30 d. The average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were improved with dietary Ile levels (P < 0.05). Plasma uric acid content and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase activity were linearly and quadratically decreased with increasing dietary Ile inclusion (P < 0.05). Dietary Ile level had a linear (P < 0.05) or quadratic (P < 0.05) effect on the jejunal expression of ribosomal protein S6 kinase B1 and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1. The relative expression of jejunal 20S proteasome subunit C2 and ileal muscle ring finger-containing protein 1 decreased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary Ile levels. Dietary Ile level had a linear (P = 0.069) or quadratic (P < 0.05) effect on the gene expression of solute carrier family 15 member 1 in jejunum and solute carrier family 7 member 1 in ileum. In addition, bacterial 16S rDNA full-length sequencing showed that dietary Ile increased the cecal abundances of the Firmicutes phylum, and Blautia, Lactobacillus, and unclassified_Lachnospiraceae genera, while decreased that of Proteobacteria, Alistipes, and Shigella. Dietary Ile levels affected growth performance and modulated gut microbiota in yellow-feathered chickens. The appropriate level of dietary Ile can upregulate the expression of intestinal protein synthesis-related protein kinase genes and concomitantly inhibit the expression of proteolysis-related cathepsin genes.

Pressure-Induced Superconductivity up to 9 K in the Quasi-One-Dimensional KMn_{6}Bi_{5}

The Mn-based superconductor is rare owing to the strong magnetic pair-breaking effect. Here we report on the discovery of pressure-induced superconductivity in KMn_{6}Bi_{5}, which becomes the first ternary Mn-based superconductor. At ambient pressure, the quasi-one-dimensional KMn_{6}Bi_{5} is an antiferromagnetic metal with T_{N}≈75  K. By measuring resistance and ac magnetic susceptibility under hydrostatic pressures up to 14.2 GPa in a cubic anvil cell apparatus, we find that its antiferromagnetic transition can be suppressed completely at a critical pressure of P_{c}≈13  GPa, around which bulk superconductivity emerges and displays a superconducting dome with the maximal T_{c}^{onset}=9.3  K achieved at about 14 GPa. The close proximity of superconductivity to a magnetic instability in the temperature-pressure phase diagram of KMn_{6}Bi_{5} and an unusually large μ_{0}H_{c2}(0) exceeding the Pauli paramagnetic limit suggests an unconventional magnetism-mediated paring mechanism. In contrast to the binary MnP, the flexibility of the crystal structure and chemical compositions in the ternary AMn_{6}Bi_{5} (A=alkali metal) can open a new avenue for finding more Mn-based superconductors.

Solid-state-cultured mycelium of Antrodia camphorata exerts potential neuroprotective activities against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced toxicity in PC12 cells

Antrodia camphorata (A. camphorata) is an edible fungus containing various bioactive compounds generally used for health benefits. This study aimed to explore the potential neuroprotective activities of solid-state-cultured mycelium of A. camphorata (SCMAC) against Parkinson's disease (PD), as well as the underlying mechanism using an in vitro 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PC12 cell model. The results showed that SCMAC extracts alleviated cell toxicity induced by 6-OHDA and the loss of dopaminergic neurons, which was confirmed by the increase of cell viabilities, inhibition of cell apoptosis, the upregulation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT) levels and the downregulation of α-Synuclein level. After purification, 11 compounds were identified by the NMR technique, including a quinone, four phenolic acid derivatives, three ubiquinone derivatives, two alkaloids, and a triterpenoid. The present study suggests that SCMAC could be an attractive candidate for the prevention or treatment of PD. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Parkinson's disease seriously affects the lifetime and quality of the elder population for a long history. Long-term consumption of L-DOPA will result in side effects, such as developing abnormal involuntary movements called dyskinesia. This study showed that natural SCMAC extracts could be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorder.

Methane-dependent selenate reduction by a bacterial consortium

Methanotrophic microorganisms play a critical role in controlling the flux of methane from natural sediments into the atmosphere. Methanotrophs have been shown to couple the oxidation of methane to the reduction of diverse electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen, sulfate, nitrate, and metal oxides), either independently or in consortia with other microbial partners. Although several studies have reported the phenomenon of methane oxidation linked to selenate reduction, neither the microorganisms involved nor the underlying trophic interaction has been clearly identified. Here, we provide the first detailed evidence for interspecies electron transfer between bacterial populations in a bioreactor community where the reduction of selenate is linked to methane oxidation. Metagenomic and metaproteomic analyses of the community revealed a novel species of Methylocystis as the most abundant methanotroph, which actively expressed proteins for oxygen-dependent methane oxidation and fermentation pathways, but lacked the genetic potential for selenate reduction. Pseudoxanthomonas, Piscinibacter, and Rhodocyclaceae populations appeared to be responsible for the observed selenate reduction using proteins initially annotated as periplasmic nitrate reductases, with fermentation by-products released by the methanotrophs as electron donors. The ability for the annotated nitrate reductases to reduce selenate was confirmed by gene knockout studies in an isolate of Pseudoxanthomonas. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the metabolic flexibility of the aerobic methanotrophs that likely allows them to thrive across natural oxygen gradients, and highlights the potential role for similar microbial consortia in linking methane and other biogeochemical cycles in environments where oxygen is limited.

Alginate and its Two Components Acted Differently Against Dopaminergic Neuronal Loss in Parkinson's Disease Mice Model

SCOPE

This study aims to investigate and compare the potentially neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanisms for brown seaweed polysaccharides (PS) of Alginate (Alg) and its two components, including polymannuronic acid (PM) and polyguluronic acid (PG), against Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Model mice of PD are pretreated with Alg or PM or PG, separately via oral gavage once per day for four weeks. Our results found PM improved motor functions of PD mice, but Alg or PG did not. PM or PG, but not Alg, can prevent dopaminergic neuronal loss by increasing tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expressions in midbrain of PD mice. The neuroprotective effects of PM rely on its anti-inflammation effects and its ability to improve striatal neurotransmitters (serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA)) levels in PD mice. PM inhibits inflammation, but PG or Alg induces inflammation in systemic circulation of PD mice. The neuroprotection provided by PG might be related to its ability to increase striatal neurotransmitter of 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid levels in PD mice.

CONCLUSION

PM plays better than PG to provide neuroprotection, but Alg did not show any neuroprotection against PD. Alg and its two components acted differently in preventing dopaminergic neuronal loss in PD mice.

An Investigation of the Risk Factors Associated With Anti-Tuberculosis Drug-Induced Liver Injury or Abnormal Liver Functioning in 757 Patients With Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Objectives: To identify the risk factors associated with anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury (AT-DILI) or abnormal living functioning from 757 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) registered at Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control (Nanshan CCDC), Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Design and methods: We identified 757 TB patients who met our inclusion criteria by screening the Hospital Information System (HIS) at Nanshan CCDC. Next, we identified positive cases of AT-DILI or abnormal liver functioning based on results of the first-time liver function tests (LFTs) after taking anti-TB drugs. The χ2 test was used to relate the positive rate with a variety of factors. A logistic regression model was also used to identify statistically significant risk factors. Results: Of the 757 patients, the positive rate of AT-DILI or abnormal liver functioning was 37.9% (287/757). Univariate analysis revealed that the positive rate was 42.91% (212/494) for males and 28.52% (75/263) for females. The positive rate was significantly higher in males (p <0.001). Patients with an annual income of 9,231-13,845 USD had a significantly higher positive rate (67.35%; 33/49) than those with an income of 1,540-4616 USD (37.97%; 30/79) (p = 0.022). The most frequent prescription regime among positive cases was a 2 months supply of fixed dose combination Ethambutol Hydrochloride, Pyrazinamide, Rifampicin and Isoniazid Tablets (Ⅱ) 450 mg) followed by a 4 months supply of fixed dose combination Rifampin and Isoniazid Capsules (2FDC-HRZE half/4FDC-HR) at 56.03% (144/257). The least frequent prescription regime was a 2 months supply of fixed dose combination Rifampin, Isoniazid and Pyrazinamide Capsules with Ethambutol independently followed by a 4 months supply of fixed dose combination Rifampin and Isoniazid Capsules (2FDC-HRZ + EMB/4FDC-HR) at 24.27% (25/103). The difference between these two different regimes was significant (p = 0.022). With an increase in the duration of medication, patients under various prescription regimes all showed a gradual increase in the positive rate of AT-DILI or abnormal liver functioning. Conclusion: We identified several risk factors for the occurrence of AT-DILI or abnormal liver functioning, including gender, annual income, prescription regime, dosage, and treatment time.

Correction: A lithium air battery with a lithiated Al-carbon anode

Correction for 'A lithium air battery with a lithiated Al-carbon anode' by Ziyang Guo et al., Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 676-678, DOI: .

Colonic Dopaminergic Neurons Changed Reversely With Those in the Midbrain via Gut Microbiota-Mediated Autophagy in a Chronic Parkinson's Disease Mice Model

The role of gut-brain axis in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) have become a research hotspot, appropriate animal model to study gut-brain axis in PD is yet to be confirmed. Our study employed a classical PD mice model achieved by chronic MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) injection to study concurrent changes of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain and the colon of mice. Our results showed such a PD model exhibited apparent locomotor deficits but not gastrointestinal dysfunction. Tyrosine hydroxylase expressions and dopamine content reduced greatly in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) or striatum, but increased in the colon of PD mice. Mechanism investigation indicated autophagy activity and apoptosis were stimulated in the SNpc, but inhibited in the colon of PD mice. Interplay of gut microbiota (GM) and autophagy in response to chronic MPTP injection led to GM dysbiosis and defective autophagy in mice colon. Meanwhile, fecal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), acetate and propionate in particular, declined greatly in PD mice, which could be attributed to the decreased bacteria abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes, but increased abundance of phylum Firmicutes. GM dysbiosis derived fecal SCFAs might be one of the mediators of downregulated autophagy in the colon of PD mice. In conclusion, colonic dopaminergic neurons changed in the opposition direction with those in the midbrain via GM dysbiosis-mediated autophagy inhibition followed by suppressed apoptosis in response to chronic MPTP injection. Such a chronic PD mice model might not be an ideal model to study role of gut-brain axis in PD progression.

Raman Study of Cooper Pairing Instabilities in (Li_{1-x}Fe_{x})OHFeSe

We studied the electronic Raman spectra of (Li_{1-x}Fe_{x})OHFeSe as a function of light polarization and temperature. In the B_{1g} spectra alone we observe the redistribution of spectral weight expected for a superconductor and two well-resolved peaks below T_{c}. The nearly resolution-limited peak at 110  cm^{-1} (13.6 meV) is identified as a collective mode. The peak at 190  cm^{-1} (23.6 meV) is presumably another collective mode since the line is symmetric and its energy is significantly below the gap energy observed by single-particle spectroscopies. Given the experimental band structure of (Li_{1-x}Fe_{x})OHFeSe, the most plausible explanations include conventional spin-fluctuation pairing between the electron bands and the incipient hole band and pairing between the hybridized electron bands. The absence of gap features in A_{1g} and B_{2g} symmetry favors the second case. Thus, in spite of various differences between the pnictides and chalcogenides, this Letter demonstrates the proximity of pairing states and the importance of band structure effects in the Fe-based compounds.

[Observation and analysis of lens turbidity lesion induced by low intensity 635 nm laser radiation]

Objective: To study the characteristics of the lens turbidity after long-term exposure to low intensity 635nm laser. Methods: Cluster sampling method was adopted to select 812 employees in a laser leveler workshop in a city of Guangdong Province from January 2014 to December 2018. They were divided into the control group, diffuse reflection (DR) group and direct vision (DV) group for retrospective observation and analysis of lens turbidity. The laser irradiation intensity of each group was investigated, the position and shape of lens opacity were analyzed, and the influencing factors were statistically analyzed with the repeated measurement data of dichotomy. Results: The laser irradiance and radiant exposure of DV group were between 0.72×10(-4) and 9.92×10(-4) mW/cm(2) and between 2.61×10(-2) and 1.53 J/cm(2), respectively. The subjects were mainly diagnosed with lens turbidity lesion, especially for the DV group. Most of lesions occurred in the pole and periphery of the anterior cortex. The lesions exhibited multipoint patterns with greyish white color. The turbidity rates in DV group (before work and work for 1, 2, 3 years) were 0%, 1.99% (8/402) , 4.98% (20/402) and 6.72% (27/402) , respectively, in the order of observation points. The statistical analysis of single factor effect showed that the turbidity rate was higher in DV group and higher in the second year in the DV group (P<0.01) . Multi-factor analysis of the laser effect on the lens showed that the main effect between groups, between the observation point were statistically significant (P<0.05) , but no statistical significance in the interaction between group×observation points (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Lens turbidity lesion can be caused by long-term exposure to low intensity 635 nm laser, so the product safety classification should be strictly strengthened. It is necessary to strengthen the protection of laser photochemical damage in the production process.

Chuanxiong (Rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong) Protects Ovariectomized Hyperlipidemic Rats from Bone Loss

Oxidative stress (OS) is the common mechanism for age-related diseases. The co-occurrence of osteoporosis (OP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in postmenopausal women makes it warranted to find a holistic approach for treatment of multiple diseases or conditions. The rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (CX), which has high anti-oxidant properties and is widely used for CVD treatment in China, might be the potential candidate. In the present study, CX ethanol extract (CXE) was applied to H₂O₂ induced MG63 cells to study its effects and mechanisms on osteoblastogenesis against OS. CXE was then administered to six-month-old Sprague Dawley sham or ovariectomized (OVX) rats fed either a low saturated fat-sucrose (LFS) or a high fat-sucrose (HFS) diet for 12 weeks, to confirm its anti-osteoporotic effects. The results demonstrated that CXE directly improved proliferation and differentiation in vitro in an H₂O₂-induced osteoblast cell model by attenuating cellular reactive oxygen species levels and inhibiting osteoblast apoptosis via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. CXE significantly improved bone properties as revealed by the increase in trabecular bone mineral density and decrease in trabecular separation at proximal metaphysis of the tibia (PT) in HFS-fed OVX rats but not in LFS-fed OVX rats. CXE ameliorated dyslipidemia, greatly reduced lipid deposition and malondialdehyde levels, improved activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in the livers of HFS-fed OVX rats. In conclusion, CXE could favor osteoblastogenesis against OS. The ability of CXE to reduce bone loss in HFS-fed OVX rats was associated with its abilities to correct dyslipidemia, and reduce lipid deposition and OS levels.

Effect of N-acetyl-l-methionine supplementation on lactation performance and plasma variables in mid-lactating dairy cows

The objective of current study was to investigate the effect of N-acetyl-l-methionine (NALM) supplementation on lactation performance and plasma variables in mid-lactating dairy cows. Forty-eight multiparous cows were blocked into 12 groups based on parity, days in milk, and milk production and were randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 treatments: 0, 15, 30, or 60 g/d of NALM per cow to supplement the basal diet. The experiment was conducted over a 13-wk period, with the first week as adaptation. The yields of milk, fat-corrected milk, and milk lactose were increased quadratically, and energy-corrected milk yield tended to increase with increased NALM supplementation in a quadratic manner. The dry matter intake, milk protein yield, milk fat yield, contents of milk composition (protein, fat, lactose, total solids, and milk urea nitrogen), feed efficiency, and body weight change were not affected by NALM supplementation. In addition, plasma methionine concentration was increased quadratically, and proline, total nonessential AA, and total AA concentrations were significantly higher in the 30 g/d group compared with that of the control group. However, other AA and total essential AA concentrations were not affected with supplementation of NALM. Adding NALM increased concentrations of total protein and globulin in plasma, but decreased plasma urea nitrogen concentration in a quadratic manner. Meanwhile, plasma malonaldehyde concentration decreased linearly as doses of NALM addition increased. Our results suggested that the supplementation of NALM improved milk yield and protein synthesis in the liver, and lowered lipid peroxidation in mid-lactating dairy cows.

Nocardiosis in Kidney Disease Patients under Immunosuppressive Therapy: Case Report and Literature Review

The increased use of novel and powerful immunosuppressive drugs in kidney diseases may concomitantly expose the patients to higher risk of opportunistic infections, some of which still remain underdiagnosed thus mishandled. As such, we recently had a less prepared encounter of pulmonary nocardial infection in an ANCA-associated renal vasculitis patient under steroid therapy. Despite the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials including micafungin, the infection was still unbridled and eventually culminated in lethal brain abscess. We thus chose to renew the knowledge of the clinical features, imaging manifestations, differential diagnosis, specific laboratory tests and unique treatment about this rare infection in kidney diseases patients under immunosuppressive therapy. In addition, CT images of easily confused pulmonary lesions superimposed on kidney diseases were also retrieved from our depository. Moreover, impaired renal function as a risk factor for infection and pharmacological options for the treatment were also focused. By sharing our hard-learnt experience and reviewing the literatures, our report may contribute to the awareness among the clinicians in general and nephrologists in particular of this rare disease in susceptible patients and facilitate a swift thus life-saving treatment.

Oleanolic Acid and Ursolic Acid Improve Bone Properties and Calcium Balance and Modulate Vitamin D Metabolism in Aged Female Rats

Oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) are the major chemical constituents in Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL), a kidney-tonifying Chinese herb that is previously shown to improve bone properties and enhance calcium balance in aged female rats. The present study was designed to study if OA and UA act as the active ingredients in FLL to exert the positive effects on bone and mineral metabolism in aged rats. Aged (13-month-old) Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly assigned to four groups with oral administration of drug or vehicle treatment for 12 weeks: medium calcium diet (MCD, 0.6% calcium), high calcium diet (HCD, 1.2% calcium), MCD + FLL (700 mg/kg/day), MCD + OA (23.6 mg/kg/day) + UA (8.6 mg/kg/day). A group of mature (3-month-old) female rats fed with MCD was included as positive control. The results demonstrated that FLL and OA+UA increased bone mineral density and improved microarchitectural properties of aged female rats. The osteoprotective effects of FLL and OA+UA might be, at least in part, associated with their actions on enhancing calcium balance and suppressing age-induced secondary hyperparathyroidism in aged female rats. FLL and OA+UA also significantly induced renal CYP27B1 protein expression and OA+UA treatment decreased CYP24A1 mRNA and protein expressions in aged female rats. In addition, FLL and OA+UA significantly increased the promoter activity, mRNA and protein expressions of renal CYP27B1 in vitro in human proximal tubule HKC-8 cells. The present findings suggest that OA+UA can be regarded as the active ingredients of FLL and might be a potential drug candidate for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Bone Protective Effects of Danggui Buxue Tang Alone and in Combination With Tamoxifen or Raloxifene in vivo and in vitro

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a traditional Chinese Medicine decoction containing Astragali Radix (AR) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), is commonly prescribed for women in China as a remedy for menopausal symptoms. Previous study indicated that DBT stimulated cell growth and differentiation of human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells and exhibited estrogenic properties via estrogen receptors (ERs). The present study aimed to study the bone protective effects of DBT and its potential interactions with selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs, tamoxifen and raloxifene) in both in vivo and in vitro models as they act via similar ERs. Six-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the following treatments for 12 weeks: (1) sham-operated control group with vehicle (sham), (2) ovariectomized group with vehicle (OVX), (3) OVX with 17β-estradiol (E2, 2.0 mg/kg day), (4) OVX with tamoxifen (Tamo, 1.0 mg/kg day), (5) OVX with raloxifene (Ralo, 3.0 mg/kg day), (6) OVX with DBT (DBT, 3.0 g/kg day), (7) OVX with DBT+Tamoxifen (DBT+Tamo), and (8) OVX with DBT+Raloxifene (DBT+Ralo). Effects of DBT and potential interactions between DBT and SERMs were also evaluated in MG-63 cells. DBT, tamoxifen, raloxifene, and their combinations significantly increased bone mineral density (BMD) and improved trabecular bone properties, including bone surface (BS), trabecular bone number (Tb.N), and trabecular bone separation (Tb.Sp), as well as restored changes in bone turnover biomarkers and mRNA expression of genes involved in bone metabolism in OVX rats. Furthermore, DBT, SERMs, and their combinations significantly increased serum estradiol and suppressed follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in OVX rats, suggesting the possible involvement of the hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis in mediating their bone protective effects. However, SERMs, but not DBT, significantly increased uterus index in OVX rats. DBT significantly induced ALP activity and estrogen response element-dependent transcription in MG-63 cells. Our study demonstrated that DBT alone and in combinations with SERMs could exert bone protective effects in vitro and in vivo.

Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) protects ovariectomized rats fed with high-saturated fat-sucrose diet from bone loss

Dietary patterns may interfere with the efficacy of herbal intervention. Our results demonstrated the protective effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza aqueous extract (SMA) on bone metabolism were influenced by levels of dietary fat and sucrose in ovariectomized (OVX) rats through its actions on attenuating lipid deposition and oxidative stress in rats.

INTRODUCTION

Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM), also known as Danshen, has been tested as an osteoporosis treatment in a series of small, short human trials that generally report improvements in bone property. However, dietary patterns may interfere with the effects of herbal intervention. We hypothesized that dietary fat and sucrose levels could influence the effects of SM supplementation on bone in estrogen-deficient animals.

METHODS

Six-month-old Sprague-Dawley sham or OVX rats were fed either a low-saturated fat-sucrose (LFS, a diet that was similar in composition to normal rat chow) or a high-fat-sucrose (HFS) diet and OVX rats were treated (8 rats/group) with SM aqueous extract (SMA, 600 mg/kg/day), 17β-estradiol (1 mg/kg/day), or vehicle for 12 weeks.

RESULTS

SMA significantly improved bone properties as revealed by the increase in trabecular bone mineral density and decrease in trabecular separation at proximal metaphysis of the tibia (PT) in HFS-fed OVX rats, but not in LFS-fed OVX rats. SMA greatly reduced lipid deposition and malondialdehyde levels, improved the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase in the livers of HFS-fed OVX rats. SMA could directly improve the proliferation and differentiation in vitro in an H₂O₂-induced preosteoblast cell model by attenuating cellular reactive oxygen species levels.

CONCLUSIONS

The protective effects of SMA on bone metabolism were influenced by dietary fat and sucrose levels in OVX rats. The ability of SMA to reduce bone loss in HFS-fed OVX rats was associated with the attenuation of lipid deposition and oxidative stress levels.

[Association between body mass index and its change and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk in a prospective study]

Objective: To investigate the influence of body mass index (BMI) and its change on the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in an adult cohort. Methods: A total of 3 043 subjects randomly selected among those without T2DM at baseline survey from the Rural Deqing Health Cohort Study were included into this study and follow up was conducted for 1 867 of them from July to November 2015. The subjects were divided into 3 groups according to their baseline BMI, normal group (BMI<24.0), overweight group (BMI: 24.0-27.9) and obese group (BMI≥28.0) and the subjects with stable weight (BMI change of-0.05 to + 0.05 per year) were used as the referent category. Cox proportional model was used to estimate associations between BMI, its changes and T2DM. Results: With an average of (8.68±1.25) person years, 213 new T2DM cases, including 125 females were detected, and incidence density was 13.14 per 1 000 person years. After adjusted for other covariates, the risk for incidence of T2DM was significantly higher in subjects with baseline BMI≥28.0 kg/m² than those with baseline BMI<24.0 kg/m² (aHR=2.12, 95% CI: 1.22-3.68), and weight gains were strongly associated with the incidence of T2DM in those with baseline BMI< 24.0 kg/m² (aHR=2.21, 95%CI:1.17-4.17). Conclusion: Both BMI and its change were significantly associated with incidence of T2DM, especially in the population with BMI<24.0 kg/m² at baseline.

[Study on the difference of blood coagulation function in patients with traumatic brain injury in plain and plateau area]

Objective: In this study, we tested platelet count (PC), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and other indicators of coagulation function, and revealed their difference in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) between plain and plateau area. Base on the results, we may provide research basis for the therapy of TBI associated coagulopathy in different areas. Methods: 151 TBI patients from Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, and 74 from People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region in the period from Dec 2013 to Dec 2015 were enrolled.Coagulation function, including PC, platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet - large cell ratio (P- LCR), PT, APTT, fibrinogen (FIB), and D- Dimer were tested within 8 h. The difference in patients with TBI between plain and plateau areas were compared and analyzed. Results: Compared with plain area, the PC of patients with TBI in plateau area is lower [(168±49)×10⁹/L vs (196±72)×10⁹/L, P<0.05], while PT and APTT were extended [(13.5±1.3) s vs (12.0±4.0) s, (38±4) s vs(27±6) s, P<0.01]. On the other hand, FIB increases [(3.1±1.2) g/L vs (2.6±1.0) g/L, P<0.01] and D-Dimer decreases [(3.1±3.3) μg/L vs (4.7±3.6) μg/L, P<0.01] in plateau area compared with plain area. Conclusion: Due to the people of plateau area living in hypoxia state, the coagulation function is activated for a long time.Once TBI happens, the platelets and coagulation factors may be excessive consumption, resulting in hypocoagulable state and high risk of rebleeding, while the fibrinolysis system in patients with TBI of plateau area is not activated obviously.Therefore, it should give full consideration to these differences in the treatment of patients with TBI in plateau area, instead of directly copying the standard therapy of the people in plain area.The treatment recommendations should primarily supplement coagulation materials, and antifibrinolytics may unlikely have the therapy effect.

Ethanol Extract of Fructus ligustri lucidi Increased Circulating 1,25(OH)2D3Levels, but Did Not Improve Calcium Balance in Mature Ovariectomized Rats

Our previous studies found that different extracts or fractions of Fructus ligustri lucidi (FLL) played different roles in altering the regulation of bone and mineral metabolism in different animal models. The present study was designed to compare the actions of FLL ethanol (EE) and water extracts (WE) on bone and mineral metabolism in a 6-month-old mature ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. Our results showed that FLL extracts did not significantly improve systematic Ca balance in mature OVX rats. However, EE, but not WE treatment, significantly increased serum 1,25(OH)2D3levels in mature OVX rats. An in vitro study using human proximal tubule (HKC-8) cells showed that EE, but not WE, significantly enhanced renal 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-1[Formula: see text]-hydroxylase (1-OHase) mRNA expressions and simultaneously repressed renal 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase (24-OHase) mRNA expressions. Further investigation indicated that EE could significantly induce the protein expression of 1-OHase, but did not alter 24-OHase expression in HKC-8 cells. Our results demonstrated that EE increased circulating 1,25(OH)2D3levels in OVX rats, possibly via upregulation of renal 1-OHase expressions in renal proximal tubule cells. Our study indicates that FLL is a natural oral agent that could directly regulate renal vitamin D metabolism in vivo and in vitro.

A High-Saturated-Fat, High-Sucrose Diet Aggravates Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Female Rats

BACKGROUND

Estrogen deficiency in women and high-saturated fat, high-sucrose (HFS) diets have both been recognized as risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Studies on the combined actions of these 2 detrimental factors on the bone in females are limited.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the interactive actions of estrogen deficiency and an HFS diet on bone properties and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Six-month-old Sprague Dawley sham or ovariectomized (OVX) rats were pair fed the same amount of either a low-saturated-fat, low-sucrose (LFS) diet (13% fat calories; 15% sucrose calories) or an HFS diet (42% fat calories; 30% sucrose calories) for 12 wk. Blood, liver, and bone were collected for correspondent parameters measurement.

RESULTS

Ovariectomy decreased bone mineral density in the tibia head (TH) by 62% and the femoral end (FE) by 49% (P < 0.0001). The HFS diet aggravated bone loss in OVX rats by an additional 41% in the TH and 37% in the FE (P < 0.05). Bone loss in the HFS-OVX rats was accompanied by increased urinary deoxypyridinoline concentrations by 28% (P < 0.05). The HFS diet induced cathepsin K by 145% but reduced osteoprotegerin mRNA expression at the FE of the HFS-sham rats by 71% (P < 0.05). Ovariectomy significantly increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ mRNA expression by 136% and 170% at the FE of the LFS- and HFS-OVX rats, respectively (P < 0.05). The HFS diet aggravated ovariectomy-induced lipid deposition and oxidative stress (OS) in rat livers (P < 0.05). Trabecular bone mineral density at the FE was negatively correlated with rat liver malondialdehyde concentrations (R(2) = 0.39; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The detrimental actions of the HFS diet and ovariectomy on bone properties in rats occurred mainly in cancellous bones and were characterized by a high degree of bone resorption and alterations in OS.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of testes and ovaries for the discovery of novel genes from Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii)

Sturgeons (Acipenser schrenckii) are of high evolutionary, economic, and conservation value, and caviar isone of the most valuable animal food products in the world. The Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencing platform was used to construct testicular and ovarian transcriptomes to identify genes involved in reproduction and sex determination in A. schrenckii. A total of 122,381 and 114,527 unigenes were obtained in the testicular and ovarian transcriptomes, respectively, with average lengths of 748 and 697 bp. A total of 46,179 genes were matched to the non-redundant nr database. GO (31,266), KEGG (39,712), and COG analyses (20,126) were performed to identify potential genes and their functions. Twenty-six gene families involved in reproduction and sex determination were identified from the A. schrenckii testicular and ovarian transcriptomes based on functional annotation of non-redundant transcripts and comparisons with the published literature. Furthermore, 1309 unigenes showed significant differences between the testes and ovaries, including 782 genes that were up-regulated in the testes and 527 that were up-regulated in the ovaries. Eleven genes were involved in reproduction and sex determination mechanisms. Furthermore, 19,065 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in the expressed sequence tagged dataset, and 190,863 and 193,258 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained from the testicular and ovarian transcriptomic databases, respectively. This study provides new sequence information about A. schrenckii, which will provide a basis for the further study of reproduction and sex determination mechanisms in Acipenser species. The potential SSR and SNP markers isolated from the transcriptome may shed light on the evolution and molecular ecology of Acipenser species.

Giant barocaloric effect in hexagonal Ni2In-type Mn-Co-Ge-In compounds around room temperature

The most widespread cooling techniques based on gas compression/expansion encounter environmental problems. Thus, tremendous effort has been dedicated to develop alternative cooling technique and search for solid state materials that show large caloric effects. An application of pressure to a material can cause a change in temperature, which is called the barocaloric effect. Here we report the giant barocaloric effect in a hexagonal Ni₂In-type MnCoGe_0.99In_0.01 compound involving magnetostructural transformation, T_mstr, which is accompanied with a big difference in the internal energy due to a great negative lattice expansion(ΔV/V ~ 3.9%). High resolution neutron diffraction experiments reveal that the hydrostatic pressure can push the T_mstr to a lower temperature at a rate of 7.7 K/kbar, resulting in a giant barocaloric effect. The entropy change under a moderate pressure of 3 kbar reaches 52 Jkg⁻¹K⁻¹, which exceeds that of most materials, including the reported giant magnetocaloric effect driven by 5 T magnetic field that is available only by superconducting magnets.

A lithium air battery with a lithiated Al–carbon anode

A lithiated Al–carbon electrode was coupled with an O₂ catalytic electrode to form a rechargeable Li–O₂ (or air) battery.

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate attenuates radiation-induced fibrosis damage in cardiac fibroblasts

The main pathological change in radiation-induced heart disease is fibrosis. Emerging evidence has indicated that sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) was used for treating fibrosis diseases. The present study was undertaken to characterize the effect of STS on radiation-induced cardiac fibrosis (RICF) on cultured cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). CFs were irradiated with 1 or 2 Gy X-rays, and the expression of TGF-β1 and collagen I (Col-1) increased, indicating that low-dose X-rays promoted fibrosis damage effect. The fibrosis damage was accompanied by morphologic changes in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), as well as an increase in the expression of the ER stress-related molecules, GRP78 and CHOP. Administration of STS reduced ROS production and decreased the expression of Col-1, TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3, GRP78, and CHOP in irradiated CFs, thus weakening the radiation-induced fibrosis damage and ER stress. Radiation-induced fibrosis damage was observed on a cellular level. The involvement of ER stress in radiation-induced fibrosis damage was demonstrated for the first time. STS attenuated the fibrosis damage effect in CFs and this effect may be related to its antioxidant action, and also related to its inhibition of ER stress and TGF-β1-Smad pathway. These results suggest that STS shows a good prospect in clinical prevention and treatment of RICF.

Acremonium Brown Spot, a New Disease Caused by Acremonium sclerotigenum on Bagged Apple Fruit in China

In China, covering developing apple (Malus × domestica) fruit with paper bags is a standard production practice. The fruit are usually covered from May to October to exclude pests and rain-dispersed pathogens and reduce pesticide residue at harvest. From 2010 to 2012, a fruit spot disease was observed on bagged fruit and caused 1 to 30% annual yield losses in most orchards in Shandong Province. Affected fruit were covered with red-brown, sunken, circular lesions 2 to 20 mm in diameter with dark violet edges often surrounded by a red halo. In many cases, the lesion cracked and pinkish mycelium was observed within the cracks. Isolations were made from bagged fruit from 12 orchards in October 2010 to 2012. Fungal isolations were made onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Two strains were consistently obtained from isolates. Strain 1 produced conidia assembled in head. Conidia were ellipsoidal to ovoid and 2.1 to 7.5 × 1.1 to 3.0 μm. Colonies were whitish with some pink and powdery on PDA. String 2 produced conidia in a long chain. Conidia were spindle-shaped with apiculate at both ends and 2.1 to 6.6 × 1.3 to 3.8 μm. Colonies were whitish at the beginning and grayish later and powdery on PDA. To further confirm the identity of the isolated fungus, the large subunit (LSU), the small subunit (SSU), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of ribosomal DNA, and the β-tubulin gene (β-tubulin), were amplified and sequenced with the primers V9G/LR5, NS1/NS24, ITS1/ITS4, and Bt1a/Bt1b, respectively. LSU (GenBank Accession Nos. KJ194115 and KJ194116), SSU (KJ194117 and KJ194118), ITS (KF225143 and KF225144), and β-tubulin (KF225145 and KF225146) sequences didn't have any variation between the two strains sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of each of the examined genes indicated a high similarity (>99%) with Acremonium sclerotigenum (CBS 384.65 HQ232129). Based on the sequence data and the morphology, we identified the fungus as A. sclerotigenum (1,2). To confirm pathogenicity, a spore suspension (1 × 10⁴ conidia per ml) was made from each of the strains isolated. Strains were subsequently inoculated on to 10 mature apple fruit by wounding them to a depth of 2 mm with an acupuncture needle. Inoculation with sterile distilled water was included as a control. Prior to inoculation, all fruit were surface-sterilized with 75% alcohol. Lesions developed on fruit inoculated with the putative pathogen 10 days after incubation in >90% humidity chamber at 25°C. The fungi that were isolated from the infected fruit were identical to the inoculated strains. No lesions developed on the control fruit. This is the first report of brown spot disease caused by A. sclerotigenum in apple and in bagged fruit production. Given that brown spot disease symptoms were usually observed in September after long periods of rain, management efforts need to focus on protecting bagged fruit before harvest. References: (1) H. Perdomo et al. J. Clin. Microbiol. 49:243, 2011. (2) R. C. Summerell et al. Stud. Mycol. 68:139, 2011.

Ethanolic extract of rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (chuanxiong) enhances endothelium-dependent vascular reactivity in ovariectomized rats fed with high-fat diet

Rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (LC), also known as chuanxiong, is a very common herb widely used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Estrogen deficiency-induced Ca balance impairment is associated with decrease in expression of epithelial Ca transport proteins in aged female rats

AIMS

The study is designed to determine whether estrogen and vitamin D endocrine systems interact to regulate calcium (Ca) balance as well as changes in mRNA expression of epithelial Ca transport proteins involved in intestinal and renal Ca transport in aging animals in response to ovariectomy and low dietary Ca intake.

MAIN METHODS

Eleven-month-old female sham or ovariectomized (OVX) rats were divided into four groups and fed with either a low-Ca (LCD; 0.1% Ca, 0.65% P) or a high-Ca (HCD; 1.2% Ca, 0.65% P) diet for 12weeks. Ca balance and mRNA expression of Ca transport proteins in the intestine and kidney from rats were systematically studied.

KEY FINDINGS

OVX rats fed with LCD resulted in a negative Ca balance. LCD suppressed serum Ca in OVX but not sham rats, resulting in an induction of serum PTH and 1,25(OH)2D3 levels. The surge in serum 1,25(OH)2D3 levels in LCD-fed OVX rats was associated with an increase in mRNA expression of intestinal transient receptor potential cation channel (TRPV6) and calbindin D9k (CaBP9k) as well as renal vitamin D receptor (VDR), but such an induction was unable to restore Ca balance in vivo. In contrast, the negative Ca balance was associated with suppression of intestinal plasma membrane Ca pump (PMCA1b) and renal transient receptor potential cation channel (TRPV5), calbindin D28k (CaBP28k) and PMCA1b mRNA expression in aged OVX rats.

SIGNIFICANCE

Negative Ca balance in aged female OVX rats is associated with estrogen-dependent and vitamin D-independent downregulation of epithelial Ca transport protein mRNA expression.

Complete mitogenome sequences of four flatfishes (Pleuronectiformes) reveal a novel gene arrangement of L-strand coding genes

Background

Few mitochondrial gene rearrangements are found in vertebrates and large-scale changes in these genomes occur even less frequently. It is difficult, therefore, to propose a mechanism to account for observed changes in mitogenome structure. Mitochondrial gene rearrangements are usually explained by the recombination model or tandem duplication and random loss model.

Results

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genomes of four flatfishes, Crossorhombus azureus (blue flounder), Grammatobothus krempfi, Pleuronichthys cornutus, and Platichthys stellatus were determined. A striking finding is that eight genes in the C. azureus mitogenome are located in a novel position, differing from that of available vertebrate mitogenomes. Specifically, the ND6 and seven tRNA genes (the Q, A, C, Y, S₁, E, P genes) encoded by the L-strand have been translocated to a position between tRNA-T and tRNA-F though the original order of the genes is maintained.

Conclusions

These special features are used to suggest a mechanism for C. azureus mitogenome rearrangement. First, a dimeric molecule was formed by two monomers linked head-to-tail, then one of the two sets of promoters lost function and the genes controlled by the disabled promoters became pseudogenes, non-coding sequences, and even were lost from the genome. This study provides a new gene-rearrangement model that accounts for the events of gene-rearrangement in a vertebrate mitogenome.

Ligusticum chuanxiong Prevents Ovariectomy-Induced Liver and Vascular Damage in Rats

Post-menopause, there is an increase in body weight, visceral adiposity, and risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which leads to various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Some natural products have proven useful for counteracting the detrimental effects of menopause. The rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (LC) is a well-known medicinal herb widely used in Chinese communities for the treatment of CVDs. The hepatic and vascular protective effects of LC ethanolic extract under postmenopausal conditions were investigated on ovariectomized (OVX) rats supplemented with or without LC ethanolic extract (600 mg/kg body weight/day, p.o.) or 17β-estradiol (1 mg/kg body weight/day, p.o.) for 12 weeks. The current findings demonstrated that consumption of LC ethanolic extract could reduce the body weight gain, improve serum lipid profile (lowering low density lipoprotein cholesterol but raising high density lipoprotein cholesterol), combat NAFLD, and protect vascular endothelium in the OVX rats. The beneficial effects of LC may be associated with its antioxidant or vasorelaxant compounds, which enhance the levels of hepatic antioxidant enzymes and up-regulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA expression, respectively. Taken together, LC may be a promising natural supplement for postmenopausal women to prevent NAFLD and CVDs.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Acipenser schrenckii (Acipenseriformes, Acipenseridae)

Abstract The complete nucleotide sequence of Acipenser schrenckii mtDNA is 16,592 bp long (Accession No. KC820796). The total mitochondrial genome is consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region. The gene organization and arrangement is identical to typical vertebrates.

[Effect of acupuncture combined language training on cerebral palsy children with language retardation]

OBJECTIVE

To observe effects of acupuncture combined speech therapy for cerebral palsy children with linguistic retardation.

METHODS

Totally 132 cerebral palsy children were randomly assigned to the speech training group (Group A, 44 cases) and the routine acupuncture combined speech training group (Group B, 44 cases), and the acupuncture combined speech training group (Group C, 44 cases). Patients in Group A received one to one training including game therapy, therapy of communication attitudes, and so on. Those in the other two groups were needed at Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), the first language zone, the second language zone, and the third language zone. Those in Group B were treated with electric needling and then speech training. Those in Group C were treated with language training, while needling with needle maintaining for 40 min. All patients were treated once daily, 5 times per week, 20 times as one course of treatment, 6 courses in total. The efficacy was assessed using S-S phonetic speech developmental retardation examination (CRRC version). The development quotient (DQ) was observed referring to the Gesell intellectual development scale before treatment, after 3 and 6 treatment courses.

RESULTS

Compared with Group A (the total effective rate: 51.3%, DQ value: 58.1 +/- 13.3), better effects were obtained in Group B (the total effective rate: 77.5%, DQ value: 60.4 +/- 13.5) and Group C (the total effective rate: 81.0%, DQ value: 64.0 +/- 11.6) (all P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the total effective rate or post-treatment DQ value between Group B and Group C (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Acupuncture combined speech therapy showed obvious effects on cerebral palsy children with linguistic retardation.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Barbus capito (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae)

The mitogenome of Barbus capito was 16,603 bp long containing 1 D-loop region, 2 rRNA, 22 tRNA, and 13 protein-coding genes. Eight tRNA genes and one protein-coding gene were encoded on light strand, the others on heavy strand. The base composition and gene arrangement of B. capito mitogenome were identical to typical vertebrate.

Detection of C-MYC oncogene translocation and copy number change in the normal-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence of the larynx by fluorescence in situ hybridization

The aim of this study was to determine the translocation and copy number change of the C-MYC gene in patients with laryngeal dysplasia and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), and to evaluate the prevalence of such expression in relation to the normal-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of 93 laryngeal lesion specimens (14 normal epithelium, 15 mild dysplasia, 18 moderate dysplasia, 16 severe dysplasia, 9 carcinoma in situ, and 21 invasive carcinoma). C-MYC translocation was not observed in all laryngeal tissue. The high frequency for C-MYC copy-number increased (100%) in invasive carcinoma: 57.14% amplifications and 42.86% gains, and the positive rate of C-MYC amplification and copy-number change increased with the increasing severity of laryngeal lesions (P < 0.0001). The results suggest that C-MYC may be activated by gain/amplification in LSCC and precancerous lesions. Thus, C-MYC may play an important role in promoting LSCC progression, and early FISH detection of C-MYC may be exploited to set a screening test for laryngeal dysplasia.

First Report of Glomerella Leaf Spot of Apple Caused by Glomerella cingulata in China

A new destructive apple disease, causing black spots and necrotic lesions on leaves and defoliation on cvs. Gala and Golden Delicious (Malus × domestica Borkh.), was observed in August 2011 in Fengxian, Jiangsu Province, China. More than 90% of trees of those cultivars in the area were defoliated by the disease and almost no leaves were left on trees before harvest. The disease was similar to Glomerella leaf spot reported first in Brazil in 1988 (2) and in the United States in 1998 (1) on cvs. Gala and Golden Delicious. The initial symptom was small black lesions on leaves. Above 30°C, the lesions developed quickly and grew to 2 to 3 cm, with a blurred edge. Diseased leaves became dark and were shed. At lower temperatures, the black lesions stopped enlarging after 5 to 6 days and formed large necrotic spots with clear edges; these leaves gradually grew yellow and were shed. When incubated at 30°C and 100% relative humidity for 1 to 2 days, the black lesions produced a mass of saffron-yellow conidia. On fruit, the pathogen only caused circular, necrotic, sunken, red-bordered lesions 2 to 3 mm in diameter, which was different from bitter rot. Three monospored cultures were isolated from diseased leaves and new conidia were obtained from isolates. The colony, with abundant mycelium, was white but turned gray to black. Conidia were 12 to 17 × 5 to 7 μm, and were cylindrical with rounded ends. After germination, conidia formed appressoria, oval, or circular cells with black thick walls 7 to 12 × 5 to 7 um. Based on morphological characteristics, the pathogen was putatively identified as Glomerella cingulata. The conidia were inoculated in vitro on leaves of cvs. Gala and Fuji by dripping a suspension of about 10⁴ conidia/ml of water onto upper leaf surfaces. Dark necrotic lesions were observed on all inoculated Gala leaves, which were similar to those observed in orchards, after 4 days incubation in a chamber at 30°C with 100% humidity. Only small black lesions, about 1 to 2 mm in diameter, were observed on Fuji leaves. No symptoms developed on leaves inoculated with distilled water. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA and part of the 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA of the three isolates were amplified with the universal primers ITS1 (5'-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3') and ITS4 (5'-CCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3'). The amplified ITS sequences confirmed that the three isolates belonged to the same species, with only one base pair variation among sequences. The nucleotide sequence of isolate 1 and 2 was deposited in GenBank (JN714400 and JN714401). BLAST analysis showed that the sequence had 99% homology with the sequence of G. cingulata (EU008836), the causal agent of Glomerella leaf spot. However, the sequence of isolate 1 had 100% homology with that of G. cingulata (HQ845103.1) isolated from walnut in Shandong, China, while the sequence of isolate 2 had 100% homology with that of G. cingulata (HM015004.1) isolated from sweet pepper in Taiwan. Results suggested the disease is Glomerella leaf spot and the causal agent is G. cingulata. The disease will eliminate sensitive apple cultivars, such as Gala, from wet, warm production areas if effective control measures are not developed within a few years. To our knowledge, this was the first finding of the disease in China and will provide useful information for developing effective control strategies. References: (1) E. González and T. B. Sutton. Plant Dis. 83:1074, 1999. (2) T. B. Sutton and R. M. Sanhueza. Plant Dis. 82:267, 1998.

Microwave absorption of gamma'-Fe2.6 Ni1.4N nanoparticles derived from nitriding counterpart precursor

Gamma-Fe2.6Ni1.4 nanoparticles were prepared by the arc-discharge method as the precursor and its nitride counterpart of gamma'-Fe2.6Ni14N nanoparticles was synthesized directly through a thermal ammonolysis reaction at the temperature of 673 K for two hours. The resultant product was identified as a homogeneous ternary nitride with nearly spherical shape and average size of about 60.0 nm. The electromagnetic characteristics of gamma'-Fe2.6Ni1.4N derivant and gamma-Fe2.6Ni1.4 precursor have been studied in the frequency range of 2-18 GHz. Compared with the precursor, gamma'-Fe2.6Ni1.4N nanoparticles exhibits an enhanced electromagnetic absorption property resulted from the increased dielectric loss by nitriding process. The optimal reflection loss (RL) of gamma'-Fe2.6Ni1.4N nanoparticles/paraffin composite can reach -39.9 dB at 5.2 GHz in a thickness of 2.29 mm, and the frequency band corresponding RL < -10 dB is over 2.6-18 GHz in the thickness range of 0.78-4.20 mm.

Hypoxia decreased chemosensitivity of breast cancer cell line MCF-7 to paclitaxel through cyclin B1

Hypoxia, frequently found in the center of solid tumors, may lead to enhance the production of key factor in cell survival, invasion, angiogenesis and loss of apoptosis. The low oxygen tension in hypoxic tumors is also known to interfere with the efficacy of chemotherapy, but the underlying mechanisms are not very clear. Paclitaxel (PTX) is an active agent used in breast cancer chemotherapy, which disturbs microtubule dynamics and impairs the transition of cells from metaphase to anaphase in mitosis, leading to cell death by apoptosis. In the present study, we try to determine whether hypoxia can decrease the chemosensitivity of human breast carcinoma cells to PTX and elucidate the underlying mechanism. We found that hypoxia could decrease PTX-induced cell death and G(2)/M arrest. Furthermore, our results showed that hypoxia inhibit PTX-induced soluble tubulin polymerized. In addition, we also found hypoxia could suppress PTX-induced cell cycle protein-cyclin B1 expression in MCF-7 cells. To further investigate whether the inhibitory effect of hypoxia on PTX-induced cell death is mediated by decreasing levels of cyclin B1, cyclin B1-transfected MCF-7 cells were used under hypoxic condition. The data showed that the hypoxia-based decreasing chemosensitivity of breast cancer cells to PTX was reversed by cyclin B1. We also found that overexpression of cyclin B1 could significantly increase the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to PTX by stimulating soluble polymerized tubulin. Overall, hypoxia decreases cyclin B1, which could in turn reverse hypoxia-induced decreasing chemosensitivity to PTX in breast cancer cell line MCF-7.

Angiotensin IV protects against angiotensin II-induced cardiac injury via AT4 receptor

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is an important regulator of cardiac function and injury in hypertension. The novel Ang IV peptide/AT4 receptor system has been implicated in several physiological functions and has some effects opposite to those of Ang II. However, little is known about the role of this system in Ang II-induced cardiac injury. Here we studied the effect of Ang IV on Ang II-induced cardiac dysfunction and injury using isolated rat hearts, neonatal cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts. We found that Ang IV significantly improved Ang II-induced cardiac dysfunction and injury in the isolated heart in response to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Moreover, Ang IV inhibited Ang II-induced cardiac cell apoptosis, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and proliferation and collagen synthesis of cardiac fibroblasts; these effects were mediated through the AT4 receptor as confirmed by siRNA knockdown. These findings suggest that Ang IV may have a protective effect on Ang II-induced cardiac injury and dysfunction and may be a novel therapeutic target for hypertensive heart disease.

First Report of Stem Canker on Cherry Caused by Phomopsis perniciosa in Shandong Peninsula, Eastern China

Cherry is a main fruit tree species in Shandong Peninsula, which is one of the most important cherry-production areas of China. A stem canker disease was first noted in a 15-year-old cherry orchard in Yantai, Shandong Peninsula in May 2009. Canker and branch dieback were the main symptoms of the disease and cracks often appeared at the margins of sunken cankers, which exposed the wooden stem. In later stages from April to May, black pycnidia were observed on the surface of cankered bark and cirri containing α-conidia were extruded under wet conditions. Wooden tissue under the diseased bark was dark brown, in contrast to the healthy tissue that was yellowish green. On the basis of morphological characteristics, the pathogen was putatively identified as Phomopsis perniciosa (1). Pycnidia were smaller in naturally infected branches than when produced on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium (180 to 365 × 65 to 226 μm). Cultures of the pathogen appeared creamy white with concentric rings on PDA at 25°C and a mass of α-conidia (5.75 to 11.13 × 2.08 to 3.46 μm) and β-conidia (31.24 to 34.68 × 1.45 to 1.82 μm) were produced within 3 weeks. Alpha-conidia were hyaline, fusiform-elliptic to oblong-elliptic, and biguttulate. Beta-conidia were hyaline and unicellular, filiformia, leviter arcuata vel hamata. Total DNA was extracted from three monoconidial isolates collected from different infected trees. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified using the universal primers ITS1 (5'-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3') and ITS4 (5'-CCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3'). The ITS amplicons were sequenced (582 bp) from three isolates and no nucleotide variation was observed. BLAST analysis of the obtained ITS sequences showed that isolate 230101 had 99% homology with a Phomopsis sp. (GenBank Accession No. AB302248) isolated from fruit trees in Japan. The nucleotide sequence from isolate 230101 has been deposited in GenBank (Accession No. JF812647). Pathogenicity of the isolate was confirmed by inoculating branches of 3-year-old cherry trees with either conidia or hyphae. Inoculations were performed by making an incision with a sterile scalpel at the dissected area to expose the tissue under the bark. An agar plug (4 × 4 mm) containing 5-day-old cultured hyphae or 50 μl of a conidium suspension containing 10⁶ α-conidia per ml was placed on each of the inoculation sites, wrapped with moist cheesecloth, and sealed with Parafilm. Control trees were treated similarly with sterile blocks of PDA or water, respectively. For each inoculation technique, five shoots were inoculated and the inoculation treatments were replicated three times. All inoculated and control trees were kept in a greenhouse and watered as needed. After 10 days, cankers and necrotic lesions developed on all shoots inoculated with P. perniciosa and the control trees did not display any symptoms. The same pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic branches. Phomopsis spp. are known to cause cankers and dieback of several woody hosts (2), but no reports have been found that the pathogen causes cherry canker and dieback in China. References: (1) P. K. Chi et al. Flora Fungorum Sinicorum-Phomopsis 34:127, 2007. (2) D. P. Weingartner and E. J. Klos. Phytopathology 65:105, 1975.

[Effects of BNP preconditioning on myocardial cell apoptosis and expressions of bcl-2 and Bax during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effects of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) preconditioning on the apoptosis and expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in rat cardiomyocytes during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.

METHODS

Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing (250 ± 50) g were randomly divided into 3 groups of sham operation (SHAM), ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). A rat model of in vivo myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery for 35 minutes and then reperfusing for 240 minutes. The apoptosis of myocardial cell was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to detect the expression changes of Bcl-2 and Bax in rat ischemia myocardium.

RESULTS

The apoptotic indices of SHAM, BNP and I/R groups were 5.4% ± 4.2%, 22.5% ± 9.5% and 45.2% ± 13.0% respectively (P < 0.05). The Bcl-2 protein expression of SHAM, BNP and I/R groups were 0.87 ± 0.09, 0.70 ± 0.07 and 0.38 ± 0.09 respectively (P < 0.05). The Bax protein expression of SHAM, BNP and I/R groups were 0.08 ± 0.04, 0.39 ± 0.09 and 0.71 ± 0.18 respectively (P < 0.01). The Bcl-2/Bax mRNA ratio of SHAN, BNP and I/R groups were 0.763 ± 0.154, 0.099 ± 0.025 and 0.022 ± 0.024 respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The BNP preconditioning can decrease the myocardial apoptosis induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury. The mechanisms may be associated with an elevated expression of Bcl-2, an increased ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and a lowered expression of Bax.

Construction of two BAC libraries from half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis and identification of clones containing candidate sex-determination genes

Half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) is an increasingly important aquaculture species in China. It is also a tractable model to study sex chromosome evolution and to further elucidate the mechanism of sex determination in teleosts. Two bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries for C. semilaevis, with large, high-quality inserts and deep coverage, were constructed in the BamHI and HindIII sites of the vector pECBAC1. The two libraries contain a total of 55,296 BAC clones arrayed in 144 384-well microtiter plates and correspond to 13.36 haploid genome equivalents. The combined libraries have a greater than 99% probability of containing any single-copy sequence. Screening high-density arrays of the libraries with probes for female-specific markers and sex-related genes generated between 4-46 primary positive clones per probe. Thus, the two BAC libraries of C. semilaevis provided a readily useable platform for genomics research, illustrated by the isolation of sex determination gene(s).

Cloning, characterization, and expression analysis of a CC chemokine gene from turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

The chemokines are a superfamily of chemotactic cytokines playing an important role in leukocyte chemotaxis. Here, a turbot head kidney cDNA library was constructed in which KC70 was identified as a CC chemokine. Unknown 5' and 3' parts of the cDNA were amplified by 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The complete cDNA of KC70 contains a 59-bp 5' UTR, a 336-bp ORF, and a 152-bp 3' UTR. Four exons and three introns were identified in KC70. Phylogenetic analysis showed that KC70 was similar to CCL19. In normal turbot KC70 was expressed in all tissues except brain and skin. Infection of turbot with pathogenic bacteria significantly increased expression of KC70 in the liver. Expression of KC70 in head kidney first increased and then decreased after bacterial challenge. No significant change was observed in the spleen after bacterial challenge. During embryonic development, KC70 was highly expressed after the gastrula stage. These results indicated KC70 plays important and multiple roles in turbot immune response.