Screening of polysaccharides from the differently processed products of Angelica sinensis with the best liver protection effect on chicken and the intervention mechanism study based on tandem mass tag proteomics and multiple reaction monitoring approach

The incidence of colibacillosis in poultry is on the rise, significantly affecting the chicken industry. Ceftiofur sodium (CS) is frequently employed to treat this disease, resulting in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) buildup. Processing plays a vital role in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. The potential intervention in liver injury by polysaccharides from the differently processed products of Angelica sinensis (PDPPAS) induced by combined CS and LPS remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of PDPPAS on chicken liver injury caused by CS combined with LPS buildup and further identify the polysaccharides with the highest hepatoprotective activity in chickens. Furthermore, the study elucidates polysaccharides' intervention mechanism using tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) methods. A total of 190 1-day-old layer chickens were randomly assigned into 12 groups, of which 14 chickens were in the control group and 16 in other groups, for a 10-day trial. The screening results showed that charred A. sinensis polysaccharide (CASP) had the most effective and the best hepatoprotective effect at 48 h. TMT proteomics and MRM validation results demonstrated that the intervention mechanism of the CASP high-dose (CASPH) intervention group was closely related to the protein expressions of FCER2, TBXAS1, CD34, AGXT, GCAT, COX7A2L, and CYP2AC1. Conclusively, the intervention mechanism of CASPH had multitarget, multicenter regulatory features.

Mechanisms predictive of Tibetan Medicine Sophora moorcroftiana alkaloids for treatment of lung cancer based on the network pharmacology and molecular docking

BACKGROUND

Leguminous Sophora moorcroftiana (SM) is a genuine medicinal material in Tibet. Many research results have reveal the Sophora moorcroftiana alkaloids (SMA), as the main active substance, have a wide range of effects, such as antibacterial, antitumor and antiparasitic effects. However, there are few reports on the inhibition of lung cancer (LC) and its inhibitory mechanism, and the pharmacological mechanism of SMA is still unclear, Therefore, exploring its mechanism of action is of great significance.

METHODS

The SMA active components were obtained from the literature database. Whereas the corresponding targets were screened from the PubChem and PharmMapper database, UniProt database were conducted the correction and transformation of UniProt ID on the obtained targets. The GeneCards and OMIM databases identified targets associated with LC. Venny tools obtained the intersection targets of SMA and LC. R language and Cytoscape software constructed the visual of SMA - intersection targets - LC disease network. The intersection targets protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were built by the STRING database. The functions and pathways of the common targets of SMA and LC were enriched by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Subsequently, molecular docking And A549 cells vitro experiment were performed to further validate our finding.

RESULTS

We obtained six kinds of alkaloids in SM, 635 potential targets for these compounds, and 1,303 genes related to LC. SMA and LC intersection targets was 33, including ALB, CCND1, ESR1, NOTCH1 and AR. GO enrichment indicated that biological process of SMA was mainly involved in the positive regulation of transcription and nitric oxide biosynthetic process, and DNA-templated, etc. Biological functions were mainly involved in transcription factor binding and enzyme binding, etc. Cell components were mainly involved in protein complexes, extracellular exosome, cytoplasm and nuclear chromatin, etc., Which may be associated with its anti-LC effects. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that main pathways involved in the anti-LC effects of SMA, including pathway in cancer, non small-cell lung cancer, p53, PI3K-Akt and FOXO signaling pathways. Molecular docking analyses revealed that the six active compounds had a good binding activity with the main therapeutic targets 2W96, 2CCH and 1O96. Experiments in vitro proved that SMA inhibited the proliferation of LC A549 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of the present study, we have successfully revealed the SMA compounds had a multi-target and multi-channel regulatory mechanism in treatment LC, These findings provided a solid theoretical reference of SMA in the clinical treatment of LC.

[Clinical analysis of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis in patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective: To analyze the incidence and the related risk factors of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis in patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, evaluate the accuracy of preoperative enhanced CT in judging retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis, and investigate the impact of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis on the prognosis. Methods: Retrospective analyses were made on 398 patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent surgery as the primary therapy and accepted retropharyngeal lymph node exploration and clearance during surgery in Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from January 2014 to December 2019. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to clarify the related risk factors of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the impact of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis on prognosis. The retropharyngeal lymph nodes of 218 cases with available preoperative enhanced CT images were evaluated by two experienced radiologists and compared with postoperative pathological results. Results: Retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis were confirmed in 54 of 398 (13.6%) cases according to postoperative pathology. The sensitivity and specificity of preoperative enhanced CT in the diagnosis of retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis were 34.6% and 91.1%, respectively, and the overall accuracy was 84.4%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the site of the primary lesion and pathological N stage were independent risk factors for retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Patients with primary lesion located in the posterior wall of hypopharynx (OR=4.83, 95% CI: 1.27-18.40), N2 stage (OR=6.30, 95% CI: 2.25-17.67), and N3 stage (OR=26.89, 95% CI: 5.76-125.58) were prone to retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. The 5-year overall survival rate of the 398 patients was 50.4%, and the 5-year disease-free survival rate was 48.3%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that T stage, N stage, retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis, and radiotherapy were independent influencing factors for overall survival (T stage: HR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.06-1.54; N stage: HR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.14-1.40; retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis: HR=2.13, 95% CI: 1.47-3.08; radiotherapy: HR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.38-0.76) and disease-free survival of patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (T stage: HR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.06-1.51; N stage: HR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.13-1.37; retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis: HR=2.24, 95% CI: 1.56-3.21; radiotherapy: HR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.40-0.77). Conclusions: Metastasis of retropharyngeal lymph nodes in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is not rare. Enhanced CT is of low accuracy and limited value in diagnosing retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. Primary lesions located in the posterior wall of the hypopharyngx, N2 stage, and N3 stage are independent high-risk factors for retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. The prognosis of hypopharyngeal cancer patients with retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis is worse, and active surgical exploration and clearance can effectively reduce the mortality caused by retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis.

Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis: a review of its research progress of active metabolites and pharmacological effects

Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis is the aboveground stem part of the Lonicera Japonica Thunb, which belongs to the medicine food homology species in China. It has the effects of clearing away heat, toxic material, dredging wind and unblocking collaterals. Modern research shows that it contains various active metabolites and a wide range of pharmacological effects, which is of great research and clinical application value. It mainly contains organic acids, volatile oils, flavonoids, triterpenes, triterpene saponins and other active metabolites. Its pharmacological effects mainly include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, and repairing bone and soft tissue. Based on the literature reports in recent years, the active metabolites, pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis were sorted out and summarized. It lays a foundation for explaining the efficacy material basis and application value of Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis. It aims to provide a reference for the in-depth research, development and utilization of Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis.

Exploration of the Potential Mechanism of Yujin Powder treating Dampness-heat Diarrhea by Integrating UPLC-MS/MS and Network Pharmacology Prediction

BACKGROUND

Yujin powder (YJP) is a classic prescription for treating dampness-heat diarrhea (DHD) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but the main functional active ingredients and the exact mechanisms have not been systematically studied.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to preliminarily explore the potential mechanisms of YJP for treating DHD by integrating UPLC-MS/MS and network pharmacology methods.

METHODS

Ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technology was used to determine the ingredients of YJP. And then, the targets of these components were predicted and screened from TCMSP, SwissTargetPrediction databases. The disease targets related to DHD were obtained by using the databases of GeneCards, OMIM, DisGeNET, TTD, and DrugBank. The protein-protein interaction networks (PPI) of YJP-DHD were constructed using the STRING database and Origin 2022 software to identify the cross-targets by screening the core-acting targets and a network diagram by Cytoscape 3.8.2 software was also constructed. Metascape database was used for performing GO and KEGG enrichment anlysis on the core genes. Finally, molecular docking was used to verify the results with AutoDock 4.2.6, AutoDock Tools 1.5.6, PyMOL 2.4.0, and Open Babel 2.3.2 software.

RESULTS

597 components in YJP were detected, and 153 active components were obtained through database screening, among them the key active ingredients include coptisine, berberine, baicalein, etc. There were 362 targets treating DHD, among them the core targets included TNF, IL-6, ALB, etc. The enriched KEGG pathways mainly involve PI3K-Akt, TNF, MAPK, etc. Molecular docking results showed that coptisine, berberine, baicalein, etc., had a strong affinity with TNF, IL-6, and MAPK14. Therefore, TNF, IL-6, MAPK14, ALB, etc., are the key targets of the active ingredients of YJP coptisine, baicalein, and berberine, etc. They have the potential to regulate PI3K-Akt, MAPK, and TNF signalling pathways. The component-target-disease network diagram revealed that YJP treated DHD through the effects of anti-inflammation, anti-diarrhea, immunoregulation, and improving intestinal mucosal injury.

CONCLUSION

It is demonstrated that YJP treats DHD mainly through the main active ingredients coptisine, berberine, baicalein, etc. comprehensively exerting the effects of anti-inflammation, anti-diarrhea, immunoregulation, and improving intestinal mucosal injury, which will provide evidence for further in-depth studying the mechanism of YJP treating DHD.

Individualized Delivery of Vancomycin by Model-Informed Bayesian Dosing Approach to Maintain an AUC24 Target in Critically Ill Patients

INTRODUCTION

Monitoring of AUC24 was updated recommendation in the guideline for the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of vancomycin in Chinese pharmacological society published in 2020. Vancomycin pharmacokinetic profiles are diverse and unique in critically ill patients because of the drastic variability of the patients' physiological parameters, while the study for population pharmacokinetic (PPK) models in Chinese critically ill patients has been rarely reported. The objectives of this study were to construct a PPK model to describe the pharmacokinetic characteristics of vancomycin in critically ill patients and to individualize vancomycin dosing by model-informed Bayesian estimation for maintenance of AUC24 target at 400-650 mg h/L recommended by the 2020 guideline.

METHODS

Vancomycin with different dosing was administered intravenously over 1 h for critically ill patients, TDM was started at 48 h or 72 h since initiation of vancomycin therapy for patients. Blood samples were collected from patients for trough concentrations or Cmax. Vancomycin concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection. PPK model was performed using the nonlinear mixed-effect model (NONMEM®). Individual PK parameters for critically ill patients treated with vancomycin were estimated using a post hoc empirical Bayesian method based on the final PPK model. AUC24 was calculated as the total daily dose divided by the clearance (L/h).

RESULTS

The PPK of vancomycin was determined by a one-compartment model with creatinine clearance as fixed effects. The PK estimates in the final model generally agreed with the median estimates and were contained within the 95% CI generated from the bootstrap results, indicating good precision and stability in the final model. The visual predictive check plots showed the adequate predictive performance of the final PK model and supported a good model fit. The model-informed Bayesian estimation was used to predict the AUC24 of critically ill patient by the acquired TDM results, and the dosing adjustment by maintenance of AUC24 at 400-650 mg h/L had made a great therapeutic effect for the case.

CONCLUSION

This study established a PPK model of vancomycin in Chinese critically ill patients, and individualized dosing of vancomycin by model-informed Bayesian estimation to maintain an AUC24 target at 400-650 mg h/L has been successfully applied in clinic. This result supports the continued use of model-informed Bayesian estimation to vancomycin treatment in critically ill patients.

Pulsatilla decoction improves DSS-induced colitis via modulation of fecal-bacteria-related short-chain fatty acids and intestinal barrier integrity

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Pulsatilla decoction (PD), is an herbal formula commonly used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical practice, but the mechanism of PD alters the colitis remains elusive.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the intervention effect of PD on Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS)-induced UC based on gut microbiota and intestinal short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) metabolism, and to investigate the mechanism of action of PD in treating UC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 3% (wt/vol) DSS-induced ulcerative colitis model in C57BL/6 male mice was used to evaluate the effect of oral PD in treating UC. The changes in gut microbiota in mice were analyzed by 16SrDNA gene sequencing, and the content of SCFAs in the intestinal contents of mice was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to analyze the expression of inflammatory cytokines in serum and colonic tissues, and western blotting (WB) was applied to analyze the expression of tight junction proteins in colonic tissues.

RESULTS

PD can alleviate the symptoms of UC mice, Pulsatilla Decoction high dose treatment group (PDHT) shows the best effect. Compared with the DSS group, the PDHT had significantly lower body mass, disease activity index (DAI) score, colonic macroscopic damage index (CMDI) score, and pathological damage score, at the phylum level, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes increased while that of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria decreased, at the Genus level, the abundance of Bacteroides and Lachnospiraceae.NK4A136.group increased while that of Clostridium. sensu.stricto。, Escherichia. shigella and Turicibacter decreased. Compared with the DSS group, acetate, propionate, and total SCFAs in the PDHT with significantly higher levels. The concentrations of interleukin-1β (L-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-17 (IL-17) decreased whereby the concentration of interleukin-10 (IL-10) increased in the PDHT group. The expression levels of Occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), Claudin1, Claudin5, G protein-coupled receptor43 (GPR43) protein, and the relative expression of ZO-1 and Occludin mRNA were significantly increased PDHT group.

CONCLUSIONS

PD has a good therapeutic effect on UC mice. The pharmacological mechanism is probably maintaining the homeostasis and diversity of gut microbiota, increasing the content of SCFAs, and repairing the colonic mucosal barrier.

[Exploration on appropriate fetal weight of twin pregnancies at different gestational weeks and pregnancy complications and outcomes]

Objective: To explore the appropriate fetal weight of twin pregnancies at different gestational weeks and the association with pregnancy complications and outcomes. Methods: Fetal weight at different gestational weeks and related pregnancy complications and outcomes from 1 225 twin pregnancies, who gave birth at Peking University First Hospital from January 2004 to December 2020, were analyzed in this study, including hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), fetal growth restriction (FGR), fetal distress, preterm birth and neonatal asphyxia. The appropriate fetal weight of twin pregnancies at different gestational weeks were analysed based on the information from 616 twin pregnancies without complications (except preterm birth), and were expressed as P₁₀~P₉₀. The chi-square test was used to compare the risk of pregnancy complications and adverse outcomes in large for gestational age (LGA), appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) twin pregnancies and the difference in incidence of pregnancy complications and adverse outcomes in different years. Results: The appropriate fetal weights of normal twin pregnancies at 28 to 37 weeks and 38-40 weeks of gestation were 910-1 255 g, 996-1 518 g, 1 105-1 785 g, 1 295-1 825 g, 1 336-2 000 g, 1 754-2 321 g, 1 842-2 591 g, 1 913-2 615 g, 2 150-2 847 g, 2 350-3 130 g and 2 450-3 250 g, respectively. The incidences of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, FGR, fetal distress and neonatal asphyxia related to SGA twin pregnancies were significantly higher than AGA twin pregnancies (all P<0.05). The incidence of GDM in twin pregnant from 2017 to 2020 was higher than that from 2004 to 2009 or from 2010 to 2016, but the incidence of fetal distress and neonatal asphyxia were lower than those from 2010 to 2016, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The appropriate weights of twin fetuses at different gestational weeks are different from singleton. The incidence of pregnancy complications and adverse outcomes in AGA fetuses is significantly lower than that in SGA fetuses under the specific weight standard for twin fetuses, which could provide a practical basis for clinical management of twin pregnancy.

[Comparison of four-coagulation-tests values in normal pregnant women during early and late pregnancy and the influence of age]

Objective: To explore and compare the reference ranges of four coagulation tests in normal pregnant women during early and late pregnancy and the influence of age. Methods: Values of four coagulation tests from 4 974 pregnant women, who gave single birth at Peking University First Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, West China Second University Hospital, Peking University Third Hospital and Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from February 2017 to July 2020, were measured and analyzed in this study, including prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fib) and thrombin time (TT). The four normal reference ranges of coagulation during early and late pregnancy phases were expressed as P_2.5-P_97.5. The difference of two pregnancy phases was compared by non-parametric test of two related samples. And the difference between pregnant women of advanced and non-advanced age in the same pregnancy phase was compared by independent sample non-parametric test. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidence of pregnancy complications in different coagulation reference ranges. Results: The reference ranges of PT of normal pregnant women's early and late pregnancy were 10.0-13.9 s and 9.6-12.3 s, the reference ranges of APTT were 22.6-35.3 s and 22.4-30.9 s, the reference ranges of Fib were 2.4-5.0 g/L and 3.0-5.7 g/L, the reference ranges of TT were 12.0-19.0 s and 11.5-18.4 s. Compared with early pregnancy, PT, APTT and TT shortened significantly, while the Fib significantly increased in late pregnancy (all P<0.001). PT, APTT and TT of advanced and non-advanced age pregnant women were significantly different (all P<0.01). Compared with the ranges of non-pregnant population, more pregnant women were included in the normal pregnant reference ranges of PT in early pregnancy and APTT in the early and late pregnancy, while the incidence of pregnancy complications had no significant differences (all P>0.05). The incidence of fetal distress was higher and the incidence of preterm birth was lower in the reference range of PT in late pregnancy. The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus was higher in the early and late gestational Fib reference ranges, and the incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy was higher in the late gestational Fib reference range (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The coagulation function of pregnant women increases significantly with the growth of pregnancy, and there is a significant difference between advanced significantly and non-advanced age pregnant women. The recommended ranges of normal pregnant women's early and late pregnancy PT are 10.0-13.9 s and 9.6-12.3 s, the recommended ranges of APTT are 22.6-35.3 s and 22.4-30.9 s, the recommended ranges of TT are 12.0-19.0 s and 11.5-18.4 s. The appropriate ranges of normal pregnant women's early and late pregnancy Fib still need further exploration.

[Protective effects of hydroxysafflower yellow A on pulmonary fibrosis in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of hydroxysafflower yellow A (HSYA) on pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mice and transforming growth factor β 1(TGF-β1) /Smad signal transduction pathway regulation.

METHODS

The pulmonary fibrosis model was prepared by intranasal injection of bleomycin 50 μl (15 mg/kg). ICR mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, HSYA group(6 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (Dex) group(3 mg/kg), with 15 mice in each group. From the next day of modeling, HSYA and Dex groups were intraperitoneally injected with corresponding drugs, while the control group and model group were intraperitoneally injected with the same volume of normal saline, once a day, for 28 consecutive days. After 4 weeks, the mice were sacrificed and the lungs were collected. HE and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological damage of lung tissue; Immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway in lung tissues.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the model group showed severe alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis. The mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad3 in lung tissues were increased significantly (P＜0.01), while the mRNA and protein expressions of Smad7 were decreased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with the model group, the degree of alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis in the HSYA and Dex groups was reduced significantly. The mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-β1 and Smad3 in lung tissues of HSYA and Dex groups were decreased significantly (P＜0.01), while the mRNA and protein expressions of Smad7 were increased significantly(P＜0.01).

CONCLUSION

HSYA can alleviate the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

[The effect of cervical lymph node metastasis density on prognosis of hypopharyngeal carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the cervical lymph node density (LND) and the prognosis of hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 241 patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent surgery in Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from January 2014 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, including 229 males and 12 females, aged 37-81 years. The LND was calculated, i.e. the ratio of the number of lymph nodes with metastasis to the total number of lymph nodes removed. The patients were divided into low LND group and high LND group based on the cutoff value of LND determined by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve). The univariate and multivariate analyses of the disease-free survival (DFS) and the overall survival (OS) were performed in two groups. Results: With the cutoff value of 0.068, 165 patients were in the low LND group (<0.068) and 76 patients in the high LND group (≥0.068). T stage, N stage, maximum lymph node diameter, extracellular invasion of lymph node, and postpharyngeal lymph node metastasis were associated with LND (statistical values were -3.15, -6.82, 23.37, 20.44, and 30.18, respectively, all P values were<0.05). The univariate analysis showed that age, T stage, N stage, maximum diameter of cervical lymph nodes, extracapsular invasion, retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis and LND were the main factors affecting the patients' DFS (χ²=9.31, 7.30, 20.09, 15.30, 9.04, 19.44, 50.27, all P values<0.05) and OS (χ² were 5.02, 12.94, 18.28, 15.91, 7.95, 16.88, 49.45, all P values<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that patients with age≤60 years old and LND≥0.068 had reduced DFS [HR values were 0.61 (95%CI 0.43-0.88) and 2.23 (95%CI 1.44-3.45), both P values<0.05]; patients with advanced T stage and LND≥0.068 had reduced OS [HR values were 1.73 (95%CI 1.02-2.93) and 2.39 (95%CI 1.51-3.80), both P values<0.05]. Conclusion: LND is a prognostic factor for patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma after surgery, with worse prognosis in patients with LND≥0.068.

[Integrated strategy for mechanism of Baitouweng Decoction in treating dampness-heat diarrhea based on urine metabolomics coupled with network pharmacology]

Baitouweng Decoction is a famous Chinese medicinal decoction that has been used to treat diarrhea over thousands of years. In this study, we investigated the effect and mechanism of Baitouweng Decoction in the treatment of diarrhea. Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups: control group, dampness-heat diarrhea model group(modeling by complex factors including high-sugar and high-fat diet, improper diet, hot and humid environment, drinking and intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli), Baitouweng Decoction(3.6 g·kg~(-1)) group, and self-healing group. A urine metabolomics approach was developed with ultra liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) for metabolic profiling. The differential metabolites were screened out by the multivariate comparison between groups. Diarrhea-related protein targets and the active compounds of Baitouweng Decoction were used to predict the protein targets of Baitouweng Decoction. Cytoscape 3.2.1 was employed to establish a active component-target protein interaction network. Three protein-protein interaction(PPI) networks of component target proteins, diarrhea-related proteins, and differential metabolite-related proteins were established and then merged by BisoGenet. ClueGO was used to perform the gene enrichment based on the genetic similarity. The results showed that Baitouweng Decoction effectively treated dampness-heat diarrhea in vivo. N-acetylserotonin, L-gamma-glutamylcysteine, glutathione, retinoate, melatonin, indole-3-acetaldehyde, L-cystine, biotin, and L-tryptophan were screened as differential metabolites in dampness-heat diarrhea model group. Tryptophan metabolism, glutathione metabolism, biotin metabolism, retinol metabolism, and cysteine and methionine metabolism were involved in the therapeutic effect of Baitouweng Decoction in vivo. A total of 167 targets were identified as major candidates for diarrhea progression. The gene-set enrichment revealed that the targets were involved in reactive oxygen species production, inflammation, and apoptosis. Baitouweng Decoction can restrain inflammation, production of reactive oxygen, and block apoptosis, thereby contributing to the treatment of dampness-heat diarrhea.

A new method providing complementary explanation of the blood-enriching function and mechanism of unprocessed Angelica sinensis and its four kinds of processed products based on tissue-integrated metabolomics and confirmatory analysis

Angelica sinensis (AS) is a common Traditional Chinese Medicine used for tonifying blood in China. Unprocessed AS and its four kinds of processed products (ASs) are used to treat blood deficiency syndrome in the country. The different blood-tonifying mechanisms of ASs remain unclear. In this work, a novel method integrating metabolomics and hematological and biochemical parameters was established to provide a complementary explanation of blood supplementation mechanism of ASs. Our results revealed that different ASs exhibited various blood supplementation effect, and that AS parched with alcohol demonstrated the best blood supplementation effect. Eight metabolites from liver tissue and 12 metabolites from spleen tissue were considered to be potential biomarkers. These biomarkers were involved in four metabolic pathways. Correlation analysis results showed that l-aspartic acid and l-alanine (spleen tissue), linoleic acid, and l-cystathionine (liver tissue) exhibited a high positive or negative correlation with the aforesaid biochemical indicators. The blood-supplementation effect mechanism of ASs were related to four metabolic pathways. l-Aspartic acid and l-alanine (spleen tissue), linoleic acid, and l-cystathionine (liver tissue) were the four key metabolites associated with the blood supplementation effect of ASs. This study gives a complementary explanation of the blood supplementation effect and mechanism of action of ASs.

[Establishment and preliminary application of a recombinase-aided isothermal amplification assay-based multiplex nucleic acid assay for detection of three Echinococcus species]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a multiplex nucleic acid assay for rapid detection of Echinococcus multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus based on the recombinase-aided isothermal amplification assay (RAA) and to preliminarily assess its diagnostic efficiency.

METHODS

The mitochondrial genomic sequences of E. multilocularis (GenBank accession number: NC_000928), E. granulosus (GenBank accession number: NC_044548) and E. shiquicus (GenBank accession number: NC_009460) were used as target sequences, and three pairs of primers were designed based on the RAA primer design principle and synthesized for the subsequent multiple RAA amplification. The genomic DNA of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus at different concentrations and the recombinant plasmids containing the target gene at various concentrations were amplified to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of the multiplex RAA assay, and the genomic DNA of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus, E. shiquicus, Taenia multiceps, T. saginata, T. asiatica, Dipylidium caninum, T. hydatigena, Toxocara canis, Fasciola hepatica, T. pisiformis, Mesocestoides lineatus and Cryptosporidiumn canis was detected using the multiplex RAA assay to evaluate its specificity. In addition, the reaction condition of the multiplex RAA assay was optimized, and was then employed to detect the tissues with echinococcosis lesions, simulated canine fecal samples and field captured fox fecal samples to examine its application values.

RESULTS

The multiplex RAA assay was effective to specifically amplify the mitochondrial gene fragments of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus within 40 min at 39 °C, with sequence lengths of 540, 430 bp and 200 bp, respectively. This multiplex RAA assay showed the minimum detection limits of 2.0, 2.5 pg/μL and 3.1 pg/μL for detection of the genomic DNA of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus, and presented the minimum detection limit of 200 copies/μL for detection of the recombinant plasmids containing E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus target genes. This multiplex RAA assay was effective to simultaneously detect single and multiple infections with E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus, but failed to amplify the genomic DNA of T. multiceps, T. saginata, T. asiatica, D. caninum, T. hydatigena, T. canis, F. hepatica, T. pisiformis, M. lineatus and C. canis. In addition, the optimized multiplex RAA assay was effective to detect all positive samples from the tissue samples with echinococcosis lesions, simulated canine fecal samples and field captured fox fecal samples, which was fully consistent with the detection of the single PCR assay.

CONCLUSIONS

A sensitive and specific multiplex nucleic acid assay for rapid detection of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus and E. shiquicus has been successfully established.

[Effects of interpregnancy interval on pregnancy outcomes of subsequent pregnancy: a multicenter retrospective study]

Objective: To explore the effects of interpregnancy interval (IPI) on pregnancy outcomes of subsequent pregnancy. Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted in 21 hospitals in China. Information of age, height, pre-pregnancy weight, IPI, history of diseases, complications of pregnancy, gestational age of delivery, delivery mode, and pregnancy outcomes of the participants were collected by consulting medical records of pregnant women who had two consecutive deliveries in the same hospital during 2011 to 2018. The participants were divided into 4 groups according to IPI:<18 months, 18-23 months, 24-59 months and ≥60 months. According to the WHO's recommendation, with the IPI of 24-59 months group as a reference, to the effects of IPI on pregnancy outcomes of subsequent pregnancy were analyzed. Stratified analysis was further carried out based on age, history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), macrosomia, and premature delivery, to explore the differences in the effects of IPI on pregnancy outcomes among women with different characteristics. Results: A total of 8 026 women were included in this study. There were 423, 623, 5 512 and 1 468 participants in <18 months group, 18-23 months group, 24-59 months group and ≥60 months group, respectively. (1) The age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), history of cesarean section, GDM, gestational hypertension and cesarean section delivery rate of <18 months group, 18-23 months group, 24-59 months group and ≥60 months group were gradually increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). (2) After adjusting for potential confounding factors, compared with women in the IPI of 24-59 months group, the risk of premature delivery, premature rupture of membranes, and oligohydramnios were increased by 42% (OR=1.42, 95%CI: 1.07-1.88, P=0.015), 46% (OR=1.46, 95%CI: 1.13-1.88, P=0.004), and 64% (OR=1.64, 95%CI: 1.13-2.38, P=0.009) respectively for women in the IPI≥60 months group. No effects of IPI on other pregnancy outcomes were found in this study (P>0.05). (3) After stratified by age and adjusted for confounding factors, compared with women in the IPI of 24-59 months group, IPI≥60 months would significantly increase the risk of oligohydramnios for women with advanced age (OR=2.87, 95%CI: 1.41-5.83, P=0.004); and <18 months could increase the risk of premature rupture of membranes for women under the age of 35 (OR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.04-2.43, P=0.032). Both the risk of premature rupture of membranes (OR=1.58, 95%CI: 1.18-2.13, P=0.002) and premature delivery (OR=1.52, 95%CI: 1.07-2.17, P=0.020) were significantly increased in the IPI≥60 months group. After stratified by history of GDM and adjusted for confounding factors, compared with women in the IPI of 24-59 months group, IPI≥60 months would lead to an increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage for women with a history of GDM (OR=5.34, 95%CI: 1.45-19.70, P=0.012) and an increased risk of premature rupture of membranes for women without a history of GDM (OR=1.44, 95%CI: 1.10-1.90, P=0.009). After stratified by history of macrosomia and adjusted for confounding factors, compared with women in the IPI of 24-59 months group, IPI≥60 months could increase the proportion of cesarean section for women with a history of macrosomia (OR=4.11, 95%CI: 1.18-14.27, P=0.026) and the risk of premature rupture of membranes for women without a history of macrosomia (OR=1.46, 95%CI: 1.12-1.89, P=0.005). After stratified by history of premature delivery and adjusted for confounding factors, compared with women in the IPI of 24-59 months group, IPI≥60 months would significantly increase the risk of premature rupture of membranes for women without a history of premature delivery (OR=1.47, 95%CI: 1.13-1.92, P=0.004). Conclusions: Both IPI≥60 months and <18 months would increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the subsequent pregnancy. Healthcare education and consultation should be conducted for women of reproductive age to maintain an appropriate IPI when they plan to pregnant again, to reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the subsequent pregnancy.

Baitouweng Tang ameliorates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis through the regulation of the gut microbiota and bile acids via pathways involving FXR and TGR5

In China, Baitouweng Tang (BTWT) is a commonly prescribed remedy for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). Herein, the present study aims to assess the anti-colitis activity of BTWT and its underlying mechanisms in UC BALB/c mice. Induction of UC in BALB/c mice was carried out by adding 3.5% DSS in the drinking water of underlined mice. After UC induction, the mice were administrated with BTWT for 7 days. Clinical symptoms were assessed, followed by analyzing the bile acids (BAs) in serum, liver, colon, bile, and feces of UC mice through UPLC-MS/MS. The modified 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing was carried out to examine the gut microbiota of feces. BTWT significantly improved the clinical symptoms such as and histological injury and colon shortening in UC induced mice. Furthermore, BTWT remarkably ameliorated colonic inflammatory response. After BTWT treatment, the increased concentrations of UDCA, HDCA, αMCA, βMCA, CA, and GLCA in UC were decreased, and the levels of some BAs, especially CA, αMCA, and βMCA were normalized. Moreover, the relative species abundance and gut microbiota diversity in the BTWT-exposed groups were found to be considerably elevated than those in the DSS-treated group. BTWT increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Tenericutes, and TM7, which were statistically lower in the fecal microbiota of UC mice. The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was found to be elevated in the DSS group and normalized after BTWT treatment. BTWT increased the expression of FXR and TGR5 in the liver. BTWT administration improved DSS-induced mice signs by increasing the TGR5 and FXR expression levels. This result was achieved by the regulation of the BAs and gut microbiota.

[Effect of glucose on Akt2 mRNA and methylation level and the association between early-pregnancy Akt2 mRNA level in peripheral blood and pre-pregnancy BMI and GDM]

Objective: To explore the effect of glucose on Akt2 gene methylation and mRNA level in the trophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo and the association between first-trimester Akt2 mRNA level in peripheral blood and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: The cell model of intrauterine hyperglycemia in pregnant women with GDM was established, and divided into 5 groups based on the different glucose concentrations (2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 25.0, and 40.0 mmol/L). The mRNA levels of Akt2 gene were detected by real-time quantitative PCR, and the methylation levels of Akt2 gene promoter region were detected by mass spectrometry. According to pre-pregnancy BMI and diagnosis of GDM, 60 pregnant women who had given birth at Peking University First Hospital during December 2014 to July 2016 were classified into overweight non-GDM group, overweight GDM group, obese non-GDM group and obese GDM group. Real-time quantitative PCR analyses were used to detect the levels of Akt2 mRNA in first-trimester peripheral blood of the 4 groups. Results: (1) Level of Akt2 mRNA significantly rose with the glucose concentration of medium increased, showing concentration dependency (all P<0.05). Compared with the 25.0 mmol/L group, the following methylation levels changed significantly (all P<0.05): cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) 10, CpG23, and CpG24.5 of Akt2 gene promoter region in the 5.0 mmol/L group, CpG23 and CpG24.5 in the 2.5 mmol/L group, and CpG10 in the 10.0 mmol/L group. Compared with the 5.0 mmol/L group, CpG10 in the 40.0 mmol/L group showed methylation change (P<0.05). (2) Compared with the overweight non-GDM group [1.04(0.90~1.26)], overweight GDM group [2.10(1.85~2.28)] and obese GDM group [1.68(0.82~2.43)] all had higher Akt2 mRNA levels and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared to obese GDM group [1.68(0.82~2.43)], the level of Akt2 mRNA was higher in overweight GDM group [2.10(1.85~2.28)] and lower in obese non-GDM group [1.00(0.71~2.17)], but the differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Glucose might affect Akt2 mRNA level by changing the methylation of Akt2 gene promoter region, and the change might appear in the first trimester of pregnant women with GDM, especially for women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI.

Total alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides L. ameliorated murine colitis by regulating bile acid metabolism and gut microbiota

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Sophora alopecuroides L. is one of the most commonly used plants in traditional medicine for the management conditions including inflammatory and gastrointestinal disease. However, the therapeutic mechanism of Sophora alopecuroides L.particularly in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the treatment effects of total alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides L. in ulcerative colitis (UC) mice model and explore the therapeutic mechanism of KDZ on UC based on bile acid metabolism and gut microbiota.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Colitis were induced in BALB/c mice by administering 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water for 7 days. The mice were then given KDZ (300, 150 and 75 mg/kg) and the positive drug sulfasalazine (SASP, 450 mg/kg) via oral administration for 7 days. The levels of 23 bile acids in the liver, bile, serum, cecum content and colon were determined through ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The cecum microbiota was characterized through high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing.

RESULTS

KDZ treatment significantly decreased the disease activity index (DAI) scores and ameliorated colonic injury in DSS-treated mice. The expression of IL-1β and TGF-β1 were suppressed, yet, IL-10 was up-regulated by KDZ and SASP treatment compared with those in the model group. Meanwhile, the serum contents of total bile acid and total cholesterol in the DSS group increased significantly compared with those in the control group, but reversed by SASP and KDZ. The relative abundance of Firmicutes increased after KDZ was administration, whereas the abundance of Bacteroidetes decreased. αMCA, βMCA, ωMCA and CA in the SASP and KDZ groups did not differ from those in the control group, whereas these parameters significantly increased in the DSS group.

CONCLUSIONS

KDZ had a protective effect on DSS-induced colitis by mitigating colonic injury, preventing gut microbiota dysbiosis and regulating bile acid metabolism.

Pulsatilla Decoction Can Treat the Dampness-Heat Diarrhea Rat Model by Regulating Glycerinphospholipid Metabolism Based Lipidomics Approach

Ethnopharmacological Relevance

Diarrhea is a major medical problem in clinical practice. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), different types of diarrhea should be treated with different TCM formulations based on the targeted medical condition. Dampness-heat diarrhea (DHD) is a serious diarrheal disease and Pulsatilla decoction (PD), a TCM, has been found effective against DHD.

Objective

The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanism of action of PD in DHD using an untargeted lipidomics strategy.

Materials and Methods

Wistar rats were randomized to four groups, including the control group, model group, PD groups and self-healing group. The PD groups were given a daily intragastric gavage of PD at doses of 3.76 g/kg. The rat model of DHD established by such complex factors as high-sugar and high-fat diet, improper diet, high temperature and humidity environment, drinking and intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli., which imitated the inducing conditions of DHD. Then the clinical symptoms and signs, blood routine, serum inflammatory cytokines levels and the histopathological changes of main organs were detected and observed to evaluate DHD model and therapeutic effect of PD. Lipid biomarkers of DHD were selected by comparing the control and model groups with the colon lipidomics technology and an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with Q Exactive plus mass analyzer. Multivariate statistical analysis and pattern recognition were employed to examine different lipids within the colon of PD-treated rats.

Results

The clinical symptoms and signs of the model rats were consistent with the diagnostic criteria of DHD. After treatment with PD, the clinical symptoms and signs of the rats with DHD were improved; the indexes of blood routine and inflammatory cytokines levels tended to be normal. The lipidomics profile of the model group were evidently disordered when compared to the control group. A total of 42 significantly altered lipids between the model-control groups were identified by multivariate statistical analysis. DHD may result from such lipid disorders which are related to glycerophospholipid metabolism, arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism. After PD treatment, the lipidomic profiles of the disorders tended to recover when compared to the model group. Twenty lipid molecules were identified and some glycerophospholipids and AA levels returned close to the normal level.

Conclusion

Glycerophospholipid metabolism may play an important role in the treatment of dampness-heat induced diarrhea using PD.

Effects of main cereal type and feed form on production performance, egg quality and egg sanitary indices of laying hens

1. The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of cereal types (maize or wheat) and feed forms (pelleted or mash feed) on production performance, egg quality and egg sanitary indices in laying hens.2. Three hundred and sixty hens (Jinghong No. 1) at 18 weeks of age were randomly assigned to four treatments with six replicates of 15 hens per replicate according to a 2 × 2 factorial design with two cereal types (maize or wheat) and two feed forms (pelleted or mash feed).3. Compared with the wheat-based diet, the maize-based diet improved (P < 0.05) average egg weight of laying hens. Yolk colour of hens fed with the maize-based diet was higher (P < 0.05) in comparison to those fed the wheat-based diet, while Haugh units were lower (P < 0.05) for the maize-based treatment. Egg mass and average daily feed intake of hens fed the pelleted diet were higher (P < 0.05) than of those fed the mash diet. However, the mash diet improved (P < 0.05) yolk colour compared with the pelleted diet. The percentage of dirty eggs for the wheat-based diet was higher (P < 0.05) than for the maize-based diet. The percentage of dirty eggs was higher (P < 0.05) in birds fed the pelleted diet compared with those fed the mash diet. There were interactions (P < 0.05) between cereal type and feed form, with regard to average egg weight and shell thickness.4. In conclusion, dietary cereal type affected average egg weight, yolk colour and Haugh units in eggs, while feed form influenced egg mass, average daily feed intake and yolk colour.

A novel approach based on metabolomics coupled with network pharmacology to explain the effect mechanisms of Danggui Buxue Tang in anaemia

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is a famous Chinese medicinal decoction. Mechanism of DBT action is wide ranging and unclear. Exploring new ways of treatment with DBT is useful. Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups including control (NC, Saline), the DBT (at a dose of 8.10 g^-1), and blood deficiency(BD) (Cyclophosphamide (APH)-andCyclophosphamide(CTX)-induced anaemia). A metabolomics approach using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight/Mass Spectrometry (LC/Q-TOFMS) was developed to perform the plasma metabolic profiling analysis and differential metaboliteswerescreened according to the multivariate statistical analysiscomparing the NC and BD groups, andthe hub metabolites were outliers with high scores of the centrality indices. Anaemia disease-related protein target and compound of DBT databases were constructed. The TCMSP, ChemMapper and STITCH databases were used to predict the protein targets of DBT. Using the Cytoscape 3.2.1 to establish a phytochemical component-target protein interaction network and establish a component, protein and hub metabolite protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and merging the three PPI networks basing on BisoGenet. The gene enrichment analysis was used to analyse the relationship between proteins based on the relevant genetic similarity by ClueGO. The results shown DBT effectively treated anaemia in vivo. 11 metabolic pathways are involved in the therapeutic effect of DBT in vivo; S-adenosyl-l-methionine, glycine, l-cysteine, arachidonic acid (AA) and phosphatidylcholine(PC) were screened as hub metabolites in APH-and CTX-induced anaemia. A total of 288 targets were identified as major candidates for anaemia progression. The gene-set enrichment analysis revealed that the targets are involved in iron ion binding, haemopoiesis, reactive oxygen species production, inflammation and apoptosis. The results also showed that these targets were associated with iron ion binding, haemopoiesis, ROS production, apoptosis, inflammation and related signalling pathways. DBT can promote iron ion binding and haemopoiesis activities, restrain inflammation, production of reactive oxygen, block apoptosis, and contribute significantly to the DBT treat anaemia.

[Spatial-temporal cluster of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Hebei province, 2005-2016]

Objective: To explore the spatial-temporal distribution and epidemic characteristics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Hebei province from 2005 to 2016. Methods: Records of HFRS cases reported from each county in Hebei during January 2005 to December 2016 were collected from National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS). Global and local spatial association statistics were used to measure the spatial autocorrelation and software GeoDa 1.2.0. Software SaTScan 9.4.1 was used to analyze spatiotemporal clusters. Software ArcGIS 10.2 was used to visualize the yearly scan results. Results: In Hebei province, a total of 8 437 human HFRS cases reported from 170 counties with an annual incidence rate of 0.99/100 000 population during 2005-2016. The peak incidence season was spring. Global spatial autocorrelation analysis on the incidence of HFRS at county-level showed that the value of Moran's I were all above 0 (P<0.05), indicating that the significant spatial cluster. The result of local indicators on spatial association (LISA) analysis revealed that identified hot spots were mainly in northeastern area, while cold spots were found in some counties of central and southern areas. Spatial-temporal scan detected that the primary cluster of HFRS incidence was mainly distributed in Qinhuangdao city and Tangshan city, including 11 counties (city/district): Beidaihe district, Haigang district, Funing district, Shanhaiguan district, Changli county, Lulong county and Qinglong Manchu autonomous county in Qinhuangdao city, and Qian'an city, Laoting county, Luanzhou city and Luannan county in Tangshan city (RR=39.64, P<0.001), during January-July in 2005. Conclusions: There were significant spatial-temporal cluster of HFRS in Hebei from 2005 to 2016. The cluster areas of HFRS were mainly in northeastern Hebei, it is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control programs of HFRS in these areas.

Metabolomics analysis of Pulsatilla decoction on treatment of wetness-heat-induced diarrhea in rats based on UPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS

Pulsatilla decoction (PD) is a classical prescription in traditional Chinese medicine that has therapeutic effects on wetness-heat-induced diarrhea (WHD). To investigate the therapeutic effects of PD in the treatment of WHD and elucidate the potential mechanism, we used a metabolomics strategy on the base of ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS) and analyzed the serum samples of 32 rats to identify differential metabolites and pathways associated with the PD treatment of WHD. With variable importance for projection >1.0 in the Orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA ) models and FC ≥1.2 or ≤0.8, 67 differential metabolites in the model and control groups and 33 differential metabolites in the model and PD groups were screened. A total of 23 differential metabolites were selected based on Venny analysis. Functional analysis showed that the differential metabolites identified were primarily involved in pentose and glucuronate interconversions, glycerophospholipid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, and glycerolipid metabolism. This study suggested that PD exerts inhibitory effects on WHD. In particular, the significant roles of PD for treating WHD lie in regulating perturbed energy metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism and glycerolipid metabolism, and promoting lysoPC production restoring the function of intestinal tract.

[Purification and biochemical function of Astragalus membtanaceus pathogenesis-related protein 10]

Astragalus membranaceus pathogenesis-related protein 10 (AmPR-10) is largely expressed in case of environmental pressure and pathogen invasion. This study aims to explore the biochemical functions of AmPR-10. The dried root of Astragalus membranaceus was mechanically homogenized and extracted by Tris-HCl buffer to obtain its crude extract, which was then purified by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography to obtain electrophoretically pure AmPR-10. The nuclease activity of AmPR-10 was tested with different RNAs by detecting the absorption value at 260 nm. The results demonstrated potent nuclease activity toward yeast tRNA, yeast RNA, Poly (A) and Poly (C). The optimum reaction temperature was 50 °C and pH was 7-8. EDTA showed no effect on its activity, while Mg²⁺ exhibited potent activation effect on the activity, and Co²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Zn²⁺ manifested moderately inhibition of the activity. Since AmPR-10 had no sequence homology with other known nucleases, AmPR-10 was probably a novel nuclease. The inhibition kinetic data against papain was analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots, and the results showed that the inhibition of papain followed noncompetitive-type kinetics. AmPR-10 played an important role in Astragalus membranaceus defense mechanism against environmental pressure and pathogen invasion, which may be achieved by inhibiting cycteine enzymes activity.

Urinary metabolomics analysis reveals the effect of volatile oil from Angelica sinensis on LPS-induced inflammation rats

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation occurs commonly and volatile oil from Angelica sinensis (VOAS) can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent. The molecular mechanisms that allow the anti-inflammatory factors to be expressed are still unknown. In this paper, we applied gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q/TOF-MS) based on a metabolomics platform coupled with a network approach to analyze urine samples in three groups of rats: one with LPS-induced inflammation (MI); one with intervention with VOAS; and normal controls (NC). Our study found definite metabolic footprints of inflammation and showed that all three groups of rats, MI, intervention with VOAS and NC have distinct metabolic profiles in urine. The concentrations of 48 metabolites differed significantly among the three groups. The metabolites in urine were screened by the GC-MS and LC-Q/TOF-MS methods. The significantly changed metabolites (p < 0.05, variable importance in projection > 1.5) between MI, NC and VOAS were included in the metabolic networks. Finally, hub metabolites were screened, including glycine, arachidonic acid, l-glutamate, pyruvate and succinate, which have high values of degree (k). the Results suggest that disorders of glycine, arachidonic acid, l-glutamate, pyruvate and succinate metabolism might play an important part in the predisposition and development of LPS-induced inflammation. By applying metabolomics with network methods, the mechanisms of diseases are clearly elucidated.

Effects of Tao-Hong-Si-Wu decoction on acute blood stasis in rats based on a LC-Q/TOF-MS metabolomics and network approach

A novel approach using metabolomics coupled with a metabolic network was used to investigate the effects of Tao-Hong-Si-Wu decoction (THSWD) on the rat model of acute blood stasis syndrome. Acute blood stasis syndrome was induced by placing the rats in ice-cold water following two injections with epinephrine. The hemorheological indicators [whole blood viscosity (WBV) and plasma viscosity (PV)] and the blood coagulation indicators [thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and fibrinogen (FIB)] were detected. The nonparametric univariate method and multivariate statistical analysis were performed for determining the potential biomarkers. A correlation map was structured between biochemical indicators and hub metabolites to explain the effects mechanism of THSWD. After the administration of THSWD, the levels of WBV, PV, TT, APTT and FIB returned to levels observed in the control group. According to metabolomics coupled with metabolic network analysis, the intervention of THSWD in rats with acute blood stasis syndrome induced substantial and characteristic changes in their metabolic profiles. Fifteen metabolites were screened, which mainly involved 10 pathways and five hub metabolites, namely, l-glutamate, l-phenylalanine, N-acylsphingosine, arachidonic acid and phosphatidate. The biochemical indicators and hub metabolites could be adjusted to close to normal levels by THSWD. Therefore, combining metabolomics and metabolic network helped to evaluate the effects of THSWD on acute blood stasis.

[Characteristics of pre-gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosed during pregnancy and the effects on pregnancy outcomes]

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) diagnosed during pregnancy (missed diagnosis before pregnancy), and to evaluate the effects of diagnostic time on pregnancy outcomes. Methods: A retrospective study of 746 pregnant women who were diagnosed PGDM and delivered in Peking University First Hospital from January 1st, 2005 to December 31st, 2015 was conducted. The patients were divided into 2 group. Those diagnosed PGDM before pregnancy were defined as Group diagnosed before pregnancy, and those diagnosed during pregnancy were defined as Group diagnosed during pregnancy. In Group diagnosed during pregnancy, those diagnosed before 24 gestational weeks were defined as Group diagnosed during pregnancy A, and those diagnosed after 24 weeks were defined as Group diagnosed during pregnancy B. The prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in each group were analyzed. Results: (1) Rate of missed diagnosis for PGDM: the incidence of PGDM diagnosed before pregnancy was 32.2% (240/746), and those diagnosed during pregnancy (missed diagnosis before pregnancy) was 67.8% (506/746). (2) Blood glucose control during pregnancy: ①Group diagnosed before pregnancy and Group diagnosed during pregnancy: the highest glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in Group diagnosed before pregnancy was (6.6±1.1)%, higher than that in Group diagnosed during pregnancy [(6.3±1.0)%, P=0.019]. However, there was no significant difference in the average HbA1c level between the 2 groups (P=0.616). The insulin needed percentage [90.8%(218/240) vs. 53.8%(272/506)] in Group diagnosed before pregnancy were higher than that in Group diagnosed during pregnancy (P<0.01). ②Group diagnosed during pregnancy A and B: the highest HbA1c in Group diagnosed during pregnancy A was (6.9±1.3)%, higher than that in Group diagnosed during pregnancy B [(6.1±0.8)%, P<0.05]. And the average HbA1c in Group diagnosed during pregnancy A [(6.4±0.8)%] was also higher than that in Group diagnosed during pregnancy B [(6.0±0.8)%, P<0.05]. In Group diagnosed during pregnancy B, 46.1% (187/406) used insulin, lower than the percentage in Group diagnosed during pregnancy A (85.0%, 85/100; P<0.01). ③There were no significant differences in the highest HbA1c and the average HbA1c between Group diagnosed during pregnancy A and Group diagnosed before pregnancy (P=0.020, P=0.037). There was neither no significant difference in the percentage used insulin during pregnancy between them (P=0.128). There were significant differences in the highest HbA1c and the average HbA1c between Group diagnosed during pregnancy B and Group diagnosed before pregnancy (P<0.01, P=0.014). There was also significant difference in the percentage used insulin during pregnancy between them (P<0.01). (3) Pregnancy outcome: ①Group diagnosed before pregnancy and Group diagnosed during pregnancy: the cesarean section rate [72.5% (174/240) vs. 59.7% (302/506)] in Group diagnosed before pregnancy were higher than those in Group diagnosed during pregnancy (P<0.01). However, there were no significant differences in preterm birth rate, pre-eclampsia, macrosomia percentage, percentage of neonates being hospitalized between the 2 groups (P=0.546, P=1.000, P=0.671, P=0.804) . ②There was no significant difference in preterm birth rate,cesarean delivery rate, macrosomia percentage, pre-eclampsia rate, percentage of neonates being hospitalized between Group diagnosed during pregnancy A and Group diagnosed during pregnancy B (P=0.887, P=0.495, P=0.841, P=1.000, P=1.000).③There was no significant difference in preterm birth rate, cesarean delivery rate, macrosomia percentage, pre-eclampsia rate, percentage of neonates being hospitalized between Group diagnosed during pregnancy A and Group diagnosed before pregnancy (P=0.875, P=0.093, P=0.662, P=1.000, P=0.837). The cesarean delivery rate was lower in Group diagnosed during pregnancy B than that in Group diagnosed before pregnancy (P=0.001). However, there were no significant differences in preterm birth rate, macrosomia percentage, pre-eclampsia rate, percentage of neonates being hospitalized between them (P=0.530, P=0.776, P=1.000, P=0.797). Conclusions: The diagnosis of PGDM is commonly missed before pregnancy. Fasting plasma glucose should be used as screening test to identify PGDM at pre-pregnancy examination or first antenatal care. Using abnormal value of 2-hour glucose after 24 gestational weeks as the only way to diagnose PGDM is not suitable.

Comparison of Mitochondrial Function in Boar and Bull Spermatozoa Throughout Cryopreservation Based on JC-1 Staining

BACKGROUND

Poor reproductivity hampers the commercialization of cryopreserved boar semen.

OBJECTIVE

This study was to determine the differences in the sperm mitochondrial function between boar and bull semen at different cryopreservation stages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Boar and bull fresh, equilibrated, and frozen-thawed spermatozoa were evaluated for mitochondrial function using JC-1 under a fluorescent microscope.

RESULTS

Bull and boar percentage of spermatozoa staining green (PSSG) showed no difference between fresh and equilibrated semen (P> 0.05). However, frozen-thawed bull and boar semen demonstrated significantly higher PSSG (P < 0.01) than fresh and equilibrated semen. Frozen-thawed boar semen represented a significantly higher PSSG (P < 0.01) than bull semen.

CONCLUSION

Negative cryopreservation influence on boar and bull spermatozoa was not significantly produced by pre-freezing procedures, but rather by freezing and thawing. Cryopreservation has more pronounced negative effects on boar than on bull spermatozoa, which partly explains lagged commercialization of frozen boar semen.

Urine metabonomic study for blood-replenishing mechanism of Angelica sinensis in a blood-deficient mouse model

This study aimed at determining the effects of Angelica sinensis (AS) on urinary metabolites in blood deficiency mice and exploring its replenishing blood mechanism. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to detect metabolites in the urine samples in different collection periods. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to investigate the differences in metabolic profiles among control group (CG), blood deficiency model group (MG), AS groups, and Colla Corii Asini group (CCAG). The potential biomarkers were identified based on the variable importance in the projection (VIP), T-test, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and mass spectra library. The metabolites were analyzed using metabolomics pathway analysis (MetPA) to build the metabolic pathways. Our results indicated that, on the seventh day, the levels of glucose, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, alanine, acetoacetic acid, and citric acid changed significantly in blood deficiency mice. However, these metabolic deviations came to closer to normal levels after AS intervention. The reversing blood-deficiency mechanism of AS might involve regulating synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, Pyruvate metabolism, TCA cycle, and Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis. In conclusion, metabonomics is a robust and promising means for the identification of biomarkers and elucidation of the mechanisms of a disease, thereby highlighting its importance in drug discovery.

[Incidence of singleton macrosomia in Beijing and its risk factors]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of macrosomia in Beijing in 2013 and identify its risk factors.

METHODS

Retrospective six months analysis of 14 188 full-term singleton pregnant women from 15 hospitals with different levels in Beijing in 2013. Each participant's demographic data and medical information were collected individually by questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between variables and the risk of macrosomia.

RESULTS

(1)The total prevalence of macrosomia was 7.069% (1 003/14 188) in Beijing in 2013. (2)The prevalence varied between the 15 hospitals, the lowest was 5.36% (89/1 659), while the highest reached 8.80%(46/523). Furthermore, the incidence of macrosomia was 1.284 times (95% CI: 1.114- 1.480, P=0.001) higher in the second graded hospitals than that in the tertiary hospitals. (3) Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that risk factors for macrosomia were maternal height≥160 cm (adjusted OR=1.875, 95% CI: 1.559- 2.256), pre-pregnant body mass index (p-BMI) ≥24.0 kg/m(2) (24.0- 27.9 kg/m(2): adjusted OR=1.696, 95% CI: 1.426- 2.018; p-BMI≥28.0 kg/m(2): adjusted OR=2.393, 95% CI: 1.831- 3.127), gestational weight gain (GWG) ≥15.9 kg (adjusted OR=2.462, 95% CI: 2.125- 2.853), gravidity>1 (adjusted OR=1.408, 95% CI: 1.224- 1.620), gestational weeks≥40 (adjusted OR=2.007, 95%CI: 1.745-2.308) and gestational diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR=1.522, 95%CI: 1.298-1.784). GWG≥15.9 kg, p-BMI≥28.0 kg/m(2) and gestational weeks≥40 were three risk factors that had the strongest associations with macrosomia (all P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of macrosomia in hospitals with different levels is obvious different. Gestational weeks, p-BMI and GWG are three main controllable risk factors for macrosomia, thus should receive more attentions.

Second harmonic generation from an individual amorphous selenium nanosphere

Among the numerous nonlinear optics effects, second harmonic generation (SHG) is always a hotspot and it is extensively used for optical frequency conversion, biomedical imaging, etc. However, SHG is forbidden in a medium with inversion symmetry under the electric-dipole approximation. Here, we demonstrated SHG from a single amorphous selenium (a-Se) nanosphere under near-infrared femtosecond pulse excitation. It was found that SH spectra are tunable with the size of a-Se nanospheres and the SHG efficiency of a single a-Se sphere with a diameter over 300 nm is estimated at 10(-8). We also established two physical mechanisms of SHG from the amorphous nanospheres. There is an electric-dipole contribution to the second-order nonlinearity in view of the inevitable structural discontinuity at the surface. The discontinuity of the normal component of the electric field strength leads to the quadrupole-type contributions arising from the large electric field gradient. The SHG process can be enhanced by resonance near the fundamental wavelength, giving rise to the detectable second harmonic (SH) spectra of a single a-Se nanosphere (d > 300 nm) or two small a-Se nanospheres (d = 200 nm) aggregated into a dimer, while the single nanosphere with smaller size (d > 300 nm) is undetectable. As an essential trace element for animals, a-Se features unique biological compatibility and has specific properties of optical nonlinearity within the optical window in biological tissue. This discovery makes a-Se nanospheres promising both in nonlinear optics and biomedicine.

Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oils from processed products of Angelica sinensis radix by GC-MS-based metabolomics

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Roots of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (AS) a commonly used herbal, always act as an anti-inflammatory drug in Chinese traditional therapy. In clinical use, AS is always processed before being used for the reason that processing can increase its therapeutic effect. Recent studies have shown that volatile oil of AS (VOAS), an important component in AS, has evident anti-inflammatory activities.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, our aim is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of volatile oils from processed products of AS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this paper, volatile oils from stir-fried AS (C-VOAS), parched AS with alcohol (J-VOAS), parched AS with soil (T-VOAS), and parched AS with sesame oil (Y-VOAS) were applied to intervene the carrageenan-induced acute inflammation model rats. GC-MS based metabolomics was utilized to determine different metabolites in the inflammatory exudate and plasma samples.

RESULTS

The results showed that VOASs could significantly inhibit the release of PGE2, HIS, 5-HT and TNF-α, among which C-VOAS and J-VOAS expressed better effect. Otherwise, 14 potential biomarkers were identified respectively in inflammatory exudate and plasma, which changed highly significantly (P<0.01) in C-VOAS and J-VOAS groups.

CONCLUSIONS

We inferred that the anti-inflammatory effect of C-VOAS and J-VOAS were superior to other VOASs.

Effectiveness of a 95 SNP panel for the screening of breed label fraud in the Chinese meat market

Breed assignment has proved to be useful to control meat trade and protect the value of special productions. Meat-related frauds have been detected in China; therefore, 95 SNPs selected from the ISAG core panel were evaluated to develop an automated and technologically updated tool to screen breed label fraud in the Chinese meat market. A total of 271 animals from four Chinese yellow cattle (CYC) populations, six Bos taurus breeds, two Bos indicus and one composite were used. The allocation test distinguished European, Japanese and Zebu breeds, and two Chinese genetic components. It correctly allocated Japanese Black, Zebu and British breeds in 100, 90 and 89% of samples, respectively. CYC evidenced the Zebu, Holstein and Limousin introgression. The test did not detect CYC components in any of the 25 samples from Argentinean butchers. The method could be useful to certify Angus, Hereford and Japanese Black meat, but a modification in the panel would be needed to differentiate other breeds.

First Report on the Occurrence of Cucumber mosaic virus on Fragaria ananassa in China

More than 20 viruses are known to infect strawberry (Fragaria ananassa), and a substantial number of these include new viruses identified since 2000 that can contribute to disease complexes (2). The most serious virus related losses in commercial strawberries are caused by aphid transmitted viruses (3,4,5). A survey was undertaken from 2012 to 2013 to investigate virus prevalence in commercial strawberries in rural areas of Hebei Province around Beijing, China, that were exhibiting virus symptoms. Visual observations revealed that the incidence of virus-like symptoms ranged from 30 to 50% of the plants and these symptoms included yellowing, leaf malformation, sometimes combined with severe stunting and deformed flowers or fruits. Leaf samples were tested for Strawberry vein banding virus (SVBV), Strawberry mottle virus (SMoV), Strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV), and Strawberry crinkle virus (SCV), which are the four most prevalent aphid-transmitted viruses in single or mixed infections (2). Testing was conducted by RT-PCR using total RNA extracted from fresh symptomatic strawberry leaves (3). SVBV was detected in 58 of 190 samples, but all of the samples tested negative for SMoV, SMYEV, and SCV. Aphids were present on many of the plants, so the samples were tested for Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) because CMV is prevalent in Beijing gardens and farms, and recently had been shown to infect maize in China (5). This RT-PCR was carried out with the CMV primer pair CM420-F (5'-TGATTCTACCGTGTGGGTGA-3') and CM420-R (5'-CCGTAAGCTGGATGGACAAC-3') to amplify a portion of the capsid protein coding region and the conserved 3'non-translated regions of the genomic RNAs. This test revealed the presence of 43 CMV-positives out of 190 samples, and only 16 of these samples were co-infected with both SVBV and CMV. Samples infected with CMV only had leaf malformations and yellowing, while no CMV was found in symptomless samples. One of the amplified, CMV-specific DNA fragments was sequenced directly from the PCR product and showed 93.8% nucleotide sequence identity and 100% amino acid sequence identity to the CMV subgroup I (GenBank Accession No. D10538) (1). Subsequent ELISA tests for the CMV presence verified the RT-PCR results (Agdia, Elkhart, IN), and transmission electron microscopy observations revealed 28 nm spherical particles characteristic of CMV in strawberry samples tested positive for CMV. However, we were unable to detect either CMV or SVBV in 89 of the 169 samples from symptomatic plants, which suggested possible presence of the other pathogen(s). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of natural infections of CMV in strawberry plants. These data suggests that CMV is a potential threat to strawberry production. References: (1) M. Q. K. Andrew et al. Virus taxonomy: IXth Report of the ICTV, 970, Elsevier, 2012. (2) R. R. Martin and I. E. Tzanetakis. Plant Dis. 97:1358, 2013. (3) J. R. Thompson et al. J. Virol. Methods 111:85, 2003. (4) I. E. Tzanetakis et al. Plant Dis. 90:1343, 2006. (5) R. Wang et al. J. Phytopathol. 161: 880, 2013.

[Discrimination of polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis and its different processed products based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy]

A new rapid and nondestructive method for identifying polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis and its different processed products was developed, and this method was based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In the clinic of traditional Chinese medicine, unprocessed Angelica sinensis(UAS) is of ten used after processed, the common processed products are Angelica sinensis parched with wine(WAS), Angelica sinensis parched with soil(SAS), Angelica sinensis parched with oil(OAS) and Charred Angelica sinensis(CAS). In order to use polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis and its processed products effectively and reasonably in clinic, it is very necessary to identify them. FTIR of polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis and its different processed products was determined, and then it was decomposed by discrete wavelet transform (DWT). The high frequency information in scale 2, 3 and 4 was selected as feature information, from which the each wavelet entropy was extracted as characteristic value. BP neural network was trained with these characteristic values. The trained BP neural network was used to identify polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis and its different processed products. According to 30 prediction samples, the correct rate for recognition was 93. 3%, which indicates that: it has better feasibility to identify polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis and its different processed products by this method, which is based on FTIR, discrete wavelet transform and BP neural network

[Comparative metabonomics study on urine in rat treated by Angelica sinensis volatile oil]

Metabonomics was employed to investigate the effect of Angelica sinensis volatile oil (ASVO) to the endogenous metabolites of normal rats, and to reveal the possible ways of metabolism in rats caused by ASVO. The fifty male Waster rats were randomly divided into five groups (each consists of 10 rats), such as control group, high dose group of ASVO, middle dose group of ASVO, low dose group of ASVO, and Aspirin group. They were given 0.9% saline, 0.352 mL x kg(-1) ASVO, 0.176 mL x kg(-1) ASVO, 0.088 mL x kg(-1) ASVO and ASP respectively with the equal volume of 0.2 mL. Drugs and vehicle were given for 3 successive days. The urine was collected at 12, 24, 36, 48 h after modeling with metabolic cages. Rat urine metabolic fingerprint in different stages was analyzed using GC-MS, based on which the principal component analysis (PCA)and orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models were established for metabonomic analysis. Potential biomarkers were screened by using variable importance in the projection (VIP) and T test. It was revealed that the middle dose of ASVO at 36 h induces a substantial change in rat urine. Compared with control group, seven kinds of endogenous metabolites in ASP group and ASVO group change significantly (P < 0.05), among which aconitic acid, succinic acid, citric acid, alpha-ketone glutaric acid, glycine and malic acid content had an upward trend (P < 0.05) and prostaglandin content had a downward trend (P < 0.01). The mechanism of ASVO and ASP have the similarity. It is likely that ASVO intervenes the metabolic process by affecting the energy, amino acid and lipid metabolism. Our work also indicates that rats administrated with ASVO can increase the energy metabolism of the body, induce the production of inflammatory substances and strengthen the body's immune ability. The result has also provide a proof for futher interpret ASVO pharmacological effects.

TaALMT1 promoter sequence compositions, acid tolerance, and Al tolerance in wheat cultivars and landraces from Sichuan in China

Previous genetic studies on wheat from various sources have indicated that aluminum (Al) tolerance may have originated independently in USA, Brazil, and China. Here, TaALMT1 promoter sequences of 92 landraces and cultivars from Sichuan, China, were sequenced. Five promoter types (I', II, III, IV, and V) were observed in 39 cultivars, and only three promoter types (I, II, and III) were observed in 53 landraces. Among the wheat collections worldwide, only the Chinese Spring (CS) landrace native to Sichuan, China, carried the TaALMT1 promoter type III. Besides CS, two other Sichuan-bred landraces and six cultivars with TaALMT1 promoter type III were identified in this study. In the phylogenetic tree constructed based on the TaALMT1 promoter sequences, type III formed a separate branch, which was supported by a high bootstrap value. It is likely that TaALMT1 promoter type III originated from Sichuan-bred wheat landraces of China. In addition, the landraces with promoter type I showed the lowest Al tolerance among all landraces and cultivars. Furthermore, the cultivars with promoter type IV showed better Al tolerance than landraces with promoter type II. A comparison of acid tolerance and Al tolerance between cultivars and landraces showed that the landraces had better acid tolerance than the cultivars, whereas the cultivars showed better Al tolerance than the landraces. Moreover, significant difference in Al tolerance was also observed between the cultivars raised by the National Ministry of Agriculture and by Sichuan Province. Among the landraces from different regions, those from the East showed better acid tolerance and Al tolerance than those from the South and West of Sichuan. Additional Al-tolerant and acid-tolerant wheat lines were also identified.

Aberrant gene expression profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma detected by microdissection

The aim of this study was to identify genomic aberrations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by using laser capture microdissection (LCM) combined with microarray analysis. Samples were procured by LCM from HCC and patient-matched normal liver tissue surgically resected from 4 patients. RNA was isolated from the samples and reverse transcribed into cDNA. After 2-cycle linear amplification and 2-color fluorescent labeling, the cRNA was hybridized onto a whole genome microarray. All genes expressed in the normal and HCC samples were counted and analyzed. Differentially expressed genes were identified and the top 10 up and downregulated genes (totally 20 genes) were further evaluated. LCM was able to accurately capture 50-200 cells from HCC and control tissues. The microarray spectrum showed satisfactory detection of HCC-enriched genes. A total of 1361 differentially expressed genes were identified, among which, 607 were upregulated and 754 were downregulated. Among the top 20 up and downregulated genes, 4 genes had not been documented in the literature as being differentially expressed in any tumors. Thus, LCM is an effective approach for identifying aberrantly expressed genes in HCC, and may lead to the discovery of biomarkers for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Major QTL for Fusarium crown rot resistance in a barley landrace

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a serious cereal disease in semi-arid regions worldwide. In assisting the effort of breeding cultivars with enhanced resistance, we identified several barley genotypes with high levels of FCR resistance. One of these genotypes, AWCS079 which is a barley landrace originating from Japan, was investigated by developing and assessing three populations of recombinant inbred lines. Two QTL, one located on the long arm of chromosome 1H (designated as Qcrs.cpi-1H) and the other on 3HL (designated as Qcrs.cpi-3H), were found to be responsible for the FCR resistance of this genotype. Qcrs.cpi-1H is novel as no other FCR loci have been reported on this chromosome arm. Qcrs.cpi-3H co-located with a reduced height (Rht) locus and the effectiveness of the former was significantly affected by the latter. The total phenotypic variance explained by these two QTL was over 60 %. Significant effects were detected for each of the QTL in each of the three populations assessed. The existence of these loci with major effects should not only facilitate breeding and exploitation of FCR-resistant barley cultivars but also their further characterization based on fine mapping and map-based gene cloning.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation of the Taxol-producing endophytic fungus Ozonium sp EFY21

An efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation method was successfully established for a newly isolated Taxol-producing fungus, Ozonium sp EFY21. A specific hygromycin B resistance expression vector, pCAMBIA1304'AN7-1, was constructed for fungal transformation. Key factors affecting transformation efficiency were thoroughly investigated and optimized. PCR amplification and Southern hybridization were used to verify the transformation events. This study should pave the way for future genetic modification studies of Ozonium sp EFY21.

Characterization of a QTL affecting spike morphology on the long arm of chromosome 3H in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) based on near isogenic lines and a NIL-derived population

Traits related to spike morphology (SM), including grain density (GD), spike length (SL) and awn length (AL), are of central importance in cereal improvement. A recent study based on a two-row landrace of barley, TX9425, detected QTL controlling all of the three traits in a similar region on the long arm of chromosome 3H. To further characterize this chromosomal region, 12 pairs of near isogenic lines (NILs) for GD were generated from two populations between TX9425 and two different commercial cultivars. A population consisting of 1,028 lines segregating primarily for the target region was also developed using materials generated during the production of these NILs. Results from the analysis of the NILs and the NIL-derived population showed that these three traits were likely controlled by a single-locus which was mapped to a 2.84 cM interval between two SSR markers, GBM1495 and HVM33. Across the 12 pairs of NILs, the presence of the 3HL locus increased GD by 53.4 %, reduced SL and AL by 38.8 % and 62.7 %, respectively. In the NIL-derived population, the presence of the 3HL locus increased GD by 64.6 %, reduced SL and AL by 33.7 % and 62.6 %, respectively. An interesting question arising from this research is why some loci such as the one reported here affect several SM-related traits while others appear to affect one of these traits only. The NILs and the NIL-derived population generated in this study will help answer such questions by providing the germplasm to enable cloning and comparative analysis of the genes responsible for these SM-related traits.

First Report of Pilidium concavum Causing Tan-Brown Leaf Spot on Strawberry in China

In April 2011, a survey of diseases was conducted on strawberry plants grown in greenhouses in the town of Xingshou, Changping District, Beijing, China. A tan-brown leaf spot with the presence of pink spore masses was observed on older leaves of strawberry plants. In general, the leaf spots began as small, round, water-soaked lesions in the middle or on the margin of leaves, which enlarged gradually up to 1 to 3 cm in diameter and were circular or irregular and brown to dark brown. Occasionally, the center of some spots cracked in the middle lesion under dry conditions. Eventually, black sporodochia were produced on the upper surface of spots and exuded pink conidial masses under humid conditions. Fungal structures were taken directly from the diseased leaves and examined microscopically for morphological characteristics. Sporodochia, 172 to 451 × 138 to 343 μm, were dark and suborbicular. Conidiophores, 8.4 to 48.3 × 0.8 to 2.1 μm, were hyaline, unicellular, and cylindrical. Conidia, 3.1 to 10.2 × 1.5 to 3.0 μm, were hyaline, aseptate, and canoe-shaped to allantoid, forming singly. For further study, the fungus was isolated in pure culture on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium from symptomatic leaf tissue. In culture, the mycelium was white at first and then changed to brownish. The sporodochia were light colored at first and turned brownish or almost black in older cultures. To identify the fungus, the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region of the isolate was amplified by PCR with primers ITS1 (5'-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3') and ITS4 (5'-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3') and sequenced. The 462-nt sequence (GenBank Accession No. JQ995228) was identical to that of Pilidium concavum (1). To validate Koch's postulates, pathogenicity was tested by inoculating 20 leaves on 10 healthy strawberry plants with a mycelial plug from a 15-day-old colony (0.5 cm in diameter). Controls were treated with plugs of PDA medium. The inoculated and control plants were then maintained in growth chambers at 25°C (12 h of light per day, 80% humidity). After 12 days, 100% of the inoculated leaves showed symptoms identical to those observed on leaves in the field while the control leaves remained healthy. The original fungus was reisolated from inoculated leaves showing the symptoms. Thus, it was concluded that the fungus was the causal organism of the leaf spot. On the basis of morphological characteristics, molecular features, and pathogenicity tests, the pathogen of tan-brown leaf spot on strawberry was identified as P. concavum. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. concavum causing tan-brown leaf spot on strawberry in China. This fungus was reported to cause leaf spot on Paeonia suffruticosa in China (2). It also caused tan-brown rot on strawberry fruit in our pathogenicity test. References: (1) L. Cardin et al. Plant Dis. 93:548, 2009. (2) Y. B. Duan et al. Plant Dis. 94:271, 2010.

Evaluation of the compositional and nutritional values of phytase transgenic corn to conventional corn in roosters

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the compositional and nutritional values of corn grains [phytase transgenic corn (PTC) and isogenic conventional corn (CC)] and compare the efficacy of corn-based phytase and extraneous microbial phytase for enhancing the utilization of phytate phosphorus (P) in single corn or corn-soybean mixed meals (corn:soybean = 2.5:1, wt:wt) fed to roosters. Following a 48-h fasting period, 16 roosters were given 50 g of each sample via crop intubation and excreta were collected for 48 h. Nitrogen-free and phosphorus-free diets were used to evaluate endogenous amino acid and endogenous P losses, respectively. Chemical composition was not different between PTC and CC, whereas the phytase content for PTC was greater than CC (8,047 vs. 37 FTU/kg of corn, DM basis; P < 0.001). No difference was observed in the TME and true amino acid availability values between the PTC and CC in roosters. The true P utilization for PTC was greater than CC (37.92 vs. 55.85%; P < 0.001), and CC and PTC contained 0.13 and 0.19% available P (AP, DM basis; P < 0.001), respectively. There was no difference in P utilization (72.76 vs. 70.23%; P > 0.05) between roosters fed PTC and extraneous microbial phytase in equivalent FTU/kg of diets. The results of this study indicated that the chemical composition, TME, and true amino acid availability in PTC are essentially equivalent to that in CC, and the true P utilization for roosters is higher in PTC than in CC. Corn expressing phytase is as efficacious as equivalent microbial phytase when supplemented in corn-soybean diets for chickens.

Immunisation against inhibin enhances follicular development, oocyte maturation and superovulatory response in water buffaloes

This study was carried out to test the feasibility of enhancing embryo production in vivo and in vitro by immunoneutralisation against inhibin or follistatin. In Experiment 1, multi-parity buffaloes were assigned into three groups: High group (n=8), which received one primary (2mg) and two booster (1mg) vaccinations (28-day intervals) with a recombinant inhibin α subunit in 1 mL of white oil adjuvant; Low group (n=8), which received half that dose; and Control group (n=7), which received only adjuvant. Immunisation against inhibin stimulated development of ovarian follicles. Following superovulation and artificial insemination, inhibin-immunised buffaloes had more developing follicles than the Control buffaloes. The average number of embryos and unfertilised ova (4.5±0.6, n=6) in the High group was higher (P<0.05) than in the Control group (2.8±0.6, n=5) and was intermediate (4.1±0.7, n=7) in the Low group. The pooled number of transferable embryos of the High and Low groups (3.2±0.5, n=13) was also higher (P<0.05) than that (1.6±0.7, n=5) of the controls. The immunised groups also had higher plasma concentrations of activin, oestradiol and progesterone. In Experiment 2, the addition of anti-inhibin or anti-follistatin antibodies into buffalo oocyte IVM maturation medium significantly improved oocyte maturation and cleavage rates following parthenogenic activation. Treatment with anti-follistatin antibody also doubled the blastocyst yield from activated embryos. These results demonstrated that immunisation against inhibin stimulated follicular development, enhanced oocyte quality and maturation competence, yielded more and better embryos both in vivo and in vitro.

Plant height affects Fusarium crown rot severity in wheat

Effects of plant height on Fusarium crown rot (FCR) disease severity were investigated using 12 pairs of near-isogenic lines (NILs) for six different reduced height (Rht) genes in wheat. The dwarf isolines all gave better FCR resistance when compared with their respective tall counterparts, although the Rht genes involved in these NILs are located on several different chromosomes. Treating plants with exogenous gibberellin increased FCR severity as well as seedling lengths in all of the isolines tested. Analysis of the expression of several defense genes with known correlation with resistance to FCR pathogens between the Rht isolines following FCR inoculation indicated that the better resistance of the dwarf isolines was not due to enhanced defense gene induction. These results suggested that the difference in FCR severity between the tall and dwarf isolines is likely due to their height difference per se or to some physiological and structural consequences of reduced height. Thus, caution should be taken when considering to exploit any FCR locus located near a height gene.

[Study on quality standard of oil-processed Radix Angelica sinensis]

OBJECTIVE

To establish the quality standard of oil-processed Radix Angelica sinensis.

METHODS

Combined traditional identification, TLC and fingerprints of wine-processed Radix Angelica sinensis to control quality of oil-processed Radix Angelica sinensis. And referring to China Pharmacopoeia of 2005 edition, water, ash, and extract were also detected.

RESULTS

The content of water, total ash, extract representatively was 7.30%, 8.70% and 50.9%. Eleven fingerprint peaks were defined, The eleven common peaks were appointed as fingerprint peaks by analyzing 14 representative samples, all the fingerprint peaks were quantified grounded on the peak of Ferulic acid. and quantified rested on the peak of ferulic acid.

CONCLUSION

A multicomponent quantitative method for oil-processed Radix Angelica sinensis is established. The established method is feasible. The quality control standards of the oil-processed Radix Angelica sinensis is normative, systematic and accurate.

Characterization of alpha-gliadin genes from diploid wheats and the comparative analysis with those from polyploid wheats

To carry out the comparative analysis of alpha-gliadin genes on A genomes of diploid and polyploid wheats, 8 full-length alpha-gliadin genes, including 3 functional genes and 5 pseudogenes, were obtained from diploid wheats, among which 2, 2 and 4 alpha-gliadin genes were isolated from T. urartu, T. monococcum and T. boeoticum, respectively. The results indicated that higher number of alpha-gliadin pseudogenes have been present in diploid wheats before the formation of polyploid wheats. Amino acid sequence comparative analysis among 26 alpha-gliadin genes, including 16 functional genes and 10 pseudogenes, from diploid and polyploid wheats was conducted. The results indicated that all alpha-gliadins contained four coeliac toxic peptide sequences (i.e., PSQQ, QQQP, QQPY and QPYP). The polyglutamine domains are highly variable, and the second polyglutamine stretch is usually disrupted by the lysine or arginine residue at the fourth position. The unique domain I is the most conserved domain. There are 4 and 2 conserved cysteine residues in the unique domains I and II, respectively. Comparative analysis indicated that the functional alpha-gliadin genes from A genome are highly conserved, whereas the identity of pseudogenes in diploid wheats are higher than those in hexaploid wheats. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the analyzed functional alpha-gliadin genes could be clustered into two major groups, among which one group could be further divided into 5 subgroups. The origin of alpha-gliadin pseudogene and functional genes were also discussed.