The characteristics of excitatory lineage differentiation and the developmental conservation in Reeler neocortex.

The majority of neocortical projection neurons are generated indirectly from radial glial cells (RGCs) mediated by intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) in mice. IPCs are thought to be a great breakthrough in the evolutionary expansion of the mammalian neocortex. However, the precise ratio of neuron production from IPCs and characteristics of RGC differentiation process are still unclear. Our study revealed that direct neurogenesis was seldom observed and increased slightly at late embryonic stage. Besides, we conducted retrovirus sparse labelling combined carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimide ester (CFSE) and Tbr2-CreER strain to reconstruct individual lineage tree in situ. The lineage trees simulated the output of RGCs at per round of division in sequence with high temporal, spatial and cellular resolution at P7. We then demonstrated that only 1.90% of neurons emanated from RGCs directly in mouse cerebral neocortex and 79.33% of RGCs contributed to the whole clones through IPCs. The contribution of indirect neurogenesis was underestimated previously because approximately a quarter of IPC-derived neurons underwent apoptosis. Here, we also showed that abundant IPCs from first-generation underwent self-renewing division and generated four neurons ultimately. We confirmed that the intermediate proliferative progenitors expressed higher Cux2 characteristically at early embryonic stage. Finally, we validated that the characteristics of neurogenetic process in lineages and developmental fate of neurons were conserved in Reeler mice. This study contributes to further understanding of neurogenesis in neocortical development.

Paeoniflorin ameliorates depressive-like behavior in prenatally stressed offspring by restoring the HPA axis- and glucocorticoid receptor- associated dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal stress (PS) can increase the risk of nervous, endocrine and metabolic diseases and induce depression in offspring. Paeoniflorin (PA) is an amorphous glucoside isolated from the aqueous extract of roots of the peony plant (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) and exerts various pharmacological effects in the nervous system. METHODS: Male prenatally stressed offspring were used to investigate the antidepression-like effects and possible mechanism of PA. We measured animal behavior, HPA axis, Nissil staining, and Ng expression. Additionally, we assessed the modulation of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors (GR) nuclear translocation and SNARE complex expression by western blotting. RESULTS: The results showed that administration of PA (15, 30, and 60 mg/kg/day, i.g.) for 28 days markedly increased sucrose intake and decreased the immobility time and the total number of crossings, center crossings, rearing, and grooming in male PS offspring. Moreover, PA significantly reduced the serum corticosterone (CORT), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and hippocampal glutamate (Glu) levels in male PS offspring, which were stimulated by an increase of GR nuclear translocation. Furthermore, PA markedly increased neurogranin (Ng) protein expression in the hippocampus CA3 region in offspring. PA also markedly decreased hippocampal Glu by inhibiting SNAP25, VAMP2, Syntaxin1a and related protein expression; SNARE complex formation; and EAAT2/3, NR1, NR2A, and FKBP5 protein expression. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results of this study show that PA has antidepression-like effects in male PS offspring, partially due to the HPA axis, GR dysfunction and Glu transport system.

Icariin ameliorates learning and memory impairments through ERK/CaMKIIα/CREB signaling and HPA axis in prenatally stressed female offspring.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal stress (PS) leads to a wide variety of behavioral and emotional aberration observed in later life, particularly in the impairment of spatial learning and memory in offspring. Icariin (ICA) is a naturally occurring furanocoumarin and exhibits many pharmacological properties, including potent improvement on learning and memory. PURPOSE: We pretend to investigate the improvement of ICA on learning and memory impairment in PS. METHODS: Female PS offspring rats were used to explore the effects of ICA on learning and memory impairment. After 28 days of ICA (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg/day) treatment, we measured Morris water maze and 8-Arm Maze, the HPA axis and the related pathway in the hippocampus. RESULTS: We reported that ICA ameliorated the spatial learning and memory and working memory impairment in the female offspring rats. Correspondingly, ICA prevented adverse changes in the dendritic morphology of CA3 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus. ICA significantly decreased the serum adrenocorticotropin, corticotropin-releasing hormone and corticosterone levels in offspring rats exposed to PS, associated with increased GR expression. Additionally, ICA treatment significantly increased the neurogranin (Ng) and c-fos protein expression of hippocampus in the offspring rats. Furthermore, the protein of relative content of p-EKR/ERK, p-CaMKIIα/CaMKIIα, p-CREB/CREB were remarkably increased after ICA treatment in the offspring rats. CONCLUSION: Taken together, ICA may be an effective therapeutic for learning and memory dysfunction in female offspring exposed to PS, its neuroprotective effect was mediated in part by normalizing the HPA axis and up-regulating of ERK/CaMKIIα/CREB signaling, Ng and c-fos protein.

[Excitation-Emission Matrix Fluorescence Spectra Characteristics of DOM in Integrated Verical Flow Constructed Wetland for Treating Eutrophic Water].

Three-dimensional fluorescence parameters can reflect classification, properties and content change of pollutants in wastewater treatment. In the present paper, by using three-dimensional fluorescence characteristic analysis, comparative analysis of conventional organic pollutants such as COD, TN and TP, and three dimensional fluorescence spectrum analysis, the classification and content of dissolved organic pollutants were identified. We studied fluorescence spectra, fluorescence peak (R. U.), fluorescence index (FI), humification index (HIX) of DOM's four components in the entrance and effluent water and interstitial water, as well as the correlation between these four components and COD, TN and TP. The results showed that the position and intensity of the characteristic fluorescence peak center changed significantly before and after sewage treatment, indicating that the relative composition and content of the organic wastewater varied with wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the test results presented that humic-like composition was not degraded significantly, while protein-like composition was degraded significantly. And the protein-like component and COD, TN and TP presented significant positive correlation. This paper analyzed the fluorescence characteristics changes of dissolved organic matter in sewage treatment by using three-dimensional fluorescence spectrometry, and discussed the feasibility of three-dimensional fluorescence technique applied for description of dissolved organic pollutant degradation rule in the wastewater treatment process.

[Residence time distributions and spatial variation of N, P in the subsurface-flow constructed wetlands for purification of eutrophic aquaculture water].

Hydraulic residence time distributions (RTD) and spatial variations of N, P were studied in a small-scale horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands (HSFCWs) planted with Cyperous alternifolius and Typha angustifolia respectively for purification of eutrophic aquaculture water. The results show that the residence time distribution curves of the investigated HSFCWs lie between plug-flow and completely mixed model with characteristic values (sigma2) of 0.3246 and 0.4108, respectively. Compared with Typha angustifolia, Cyperous alternifolius wetland shows fine flow pattern with characteristics of smoother RTD curve and weaker vertical mixed flow. Total nitrogen (TN) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) show stratified distributions in the two HSFCWs, especially in the front end of the wetland beds. TN in the lower layer is higher than that in the upper, while NH4+-N in the middle layer is the lowest in all the sampling layers. Total phosphorus (TP) and phosphate (PO4(3-)-P) increases with sampling depth. Differences in TP and PO4(3-)-P between the layers decrease gradually along distance. Cyperous alternifolius wetland shows better stratification distributions of N, P, as compared with Typha angustifolia, which is mainly contributed to the difference in flow patterns between the two HSFCWs. On average, concentrations of TN and TP in the rear end of the Cyperous alternifolius wetland are 19.3% and 12.5% lower, respectively, as compared to the Typha angustifolia wetland, suggesting that removal efficiencies of the Cyperous alternifolius wetland for purification of eutrophic aquaculture water is higher than those of the Typha angustifolia.

[Electrofusion of building coupling system for degrading anthracene and fusants' choices].

Some researches have been carried out for the electro fusion of building coupling system for degrading anthracene and the choices of fusants. During the experiments, total rate of fusion stable in alternation current frequency 500 kHz, impulse intensity 300 V/cm, impulse width 5 micros, amount of impulse 2 and alternation current intensity 20-40 V/cm were found. The resistant plate with erythromycin and ampicillin can screen the fusant of autochthonous bacterium and surfactant-producing bacterium. The resistant plate with anthracene and karnamicin can screen the fusant of autochthonous bacterium and efficient anthracene-degradation bacterium. The new fusants were found to have stable fluorescent characteristics.