Differential Characteristics of the Metabolic Profiles and Microbial Community between Superior and Normal Grades of Nongxiangxing-daqu.

Nongxiangxing-daqu (NXDQ), as a saccharification and fermentation agent, directly affects the flavor and yield of fresh Nongxiangxing Baijiu (NXBJ). The difference in fermentation temperature owing to the artificial turning operation leads to the formation of superior (S) and normal (N) grades of NXDQ. Here, aiming to explore the discriminant characteristics of two grades of NXDQ, we studied the physicochemical properties, volatile compounds and microbial communities using HS-SPME-GC/MS and high-throughput sequencing technology. The NXDQ grades presented different physicochemical properties. Staphylococcus, Weissella, Lactobacillus and Thermoascus were dominant in the S grade (S-NXDQ), while Bacillus, Thermoactinomyces and Aspergillus were predominant in the N grade (N-NXDQ). Higher alcohols, aldehydes and ketones positively correlated with the bacterial biomarkers could be used as metabolic biomarkers for N-NXDQ; the S-NXDQ had a higher abundance of key enzymes involved in lactic acid and ethanol fermentation, while N-NXDQ had a higher abundance of key enzymes involved in amino acid synthesis and long-chain fatty acid and lipid metabolism. N-NXDQ and S-NXDQ had different microbial and metabolic biomarkers. These findings provide insight into the discriminant characteristics of different grades of NXDQ, a theoretical basis for rational evaluation of NXDQ, and effective information for quality improvement of daqu.

Distribution of perfluorinated compounds in surface water from Hanjiang River in Wuhan, China.

This study provided the first spatial distribution of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in Hanjiang River in Wuhan, China (HR). Surface water samples, collected from 23 sites in HR were analyzed for eight PFCs. The total concentrations of PFCs ranged from 8.90 to 568 ng L(-1), while perfluoropentanoic acid (PFOA,

Thermal injuries induce gene expression of endogenous c-fos, c-myc and bFGF in burned tissues.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression sequence and distribution characteristics of the protooncogenes c-fos, c-myc and endogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) genes in burned tissues, and to explore the possible effects of changes in these genes' functions on wound healing. METHODS: Partial-thickness burns of 30% TBSA were established on backs of Wistar rats. In situ hybridization and histological methods were used to detect expression of c-fos, c-myc and bFGF genes in normal and burned tissue at 3 h, 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d and 14 d postburn. RESULTS: Although expression of c-fos and c-myc genes and bFGF gene could be found in normal skin, the expression of all three were markedly induced by burn wounds and the expression models in sequence and distribution were quite different. Expression of c-fos gene increased and peaked at 6 h. Signals were mainly localized in both nuclei of dermal fibroblasts and monocytes. The expression of bFGF gene increased at 6 h and peaked at 1 d postburn, and was distributed in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts. C-myc gene peaked 3 d postburn and was also distributed in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that thermal injury could induce the expression of c-fos, c-myc and bFGF at gene level, showing phasic control and regional distribution. The phasic expression of these genes suggests that there is an interaction between protooncogenes and bFGF, which may play an important role in wound healing. The different expressions of c-fos and c-myc play an inducing role in regulating bFGF, and in turn affect wound healing.

[The regulation mechanisms of MMP-1,2 and TIMP-1,2 on wound healing after partial thickness scald].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of matrix metalloproteinase-1,2/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1,2 (MMP-1,2 and TIMP-1,2) in granulation tissue after 30% TBSA deeper partial thickness scald, and explore the regulation mechanism of MMP-2/TIMP-2 during wound healing. METHODS: 150 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups as follows: (1) normal control (n = 6); (2) injured control group (n = 36): which is subdivided into postburn 3 h, 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d and 14 d groups, respectively; (3) BDM group (n = 36): intravenous injected of 400 mg 2,3-butanedione monoxime in each rat was done after anesthesia; (4) H7 group (n = 36): Each rat was intravenous injected of 0.2 mg 1-5-isoquinolinyl-sulfony-2-methylpiperazine after anesthesia; (5) anti-c-fos group (n = 36): Each rat was intravenous injected of 5 microg c-fos monoclony antibody after anesthesia. The immunohistochemistry staining technique and the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used for detecting. RESULTS: The expression of c-fos mRNA and protein was increased from 3 to 6 hours post-burn, and then decreased. The expression of MMP-1,2/TIMP-1,2 was delayed to 3 days post-burn compared with the expression of c-fos mRNA and protein. Treatment with BDM induced to raise c-fos mRNA and protein expression. The expression of MMP-1,2/TIMP-1,2 was also increased accordingly. However, following treatment with H7 inhibited the expression of c-fos mRNA and protein, MMP-1,2/TIMP-1,2 proteins expression decreased. Exogenous c-fos antibody could inhibit endogenous c-fos protein expression and the expression of MMP-1/TIMP-1,2 decreased, but MMP-2 has no notable changes. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of MMP-1,2 and TIMP-1,2 has closely relation protein kinases activated signaling pathways. The expression changes of MMP-1 and TIMP-1/TIMP-2 depend on c-fos expression. Oncogenes play an important role in the change process of wound matrix degradation and remodeling.

[Effects of basic fibroblast growth factor on the matrix metalloproteinase-2,7 and its tissue inhibitor on deep partial thickness burn wounds in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes in matrix metalloproteinase-2,7 (MMP-2,7) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) in deep partial thickness burn during the process of wound healing, and the effects of bFGF on wound healing. METHODS: The rats inflicted by 30% TBSA deep partial thickness burn were randomly divided into simple scald and bFGF treatment groups. Biopsies from wound skin were harvested at 3 and 6PBHs and 1, 3, 7, 14 PBDs for the detection of the epithelialization rate and collagen content. The above indices were also detected in the skin of another 6 normal rats as normal control. RESULTS: (1) The epithelialization rate in bFGF treatment group was higher than that in simple scald group during 3PBH to 14 PBD. (2) The collagen contents in both bFGF treatment group and simple scald group were continually decreased during 3 PBH to 3 PBD, and increased from 7 to 14 PBD, but still lower than that in normal control (P < 0.05). (3) The expression of MMP-2,7 and TIMP-2 in simple scald group enhanced from 1 to 14 PBD, and peaked on 7 PBD. (4) The expression of MMP-2,7 in bFGF treatment group was similar to that in simple scald group from 3 to 6 PBH, while the expressions of MMP-2,7 and TIMP-2 was higher than those in simple scald group from 1 to 14 PBD. CONCLUSION: The collagen deposition would be affected by the activities of extracellular matrix in scald wound in rats. Changes in MMP-2,7 and TIMP-2 expressions were an important process of wound repair, which was closely related to the acceleration of wound healing by the application of bFGF.

[The effect of basic fibroblast growth factor on myofibroblasts and its significance on wound healing].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the outcome of myofibroblasts in burn wounds, and to further explore the mechanism of bFGF on wound healing. METHODS: Seventy-two Wistar rats were anaesthetized and put into hot water at the temperature of 98 degrees C with their back hair cut so as to cause full-thickness scald injury with an area of 30% of the total body surface. Then the rats were randomly divided into two groups of 36 mice: pure thermal injury group (administered with sterilization and dressing every other day for three times) and bFGF treatment group (administered locally with bFGF every other day in addition to the routine dressing). Three hours, six hours, one day, three days, seven days, and fourteen days after scalding samples of skin wound was taken, six rats for each time-point. Six rats were put into water at the temperature of 37 degrees C as controls and their skin samples were taken 8s after. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical techniques were employed to detect the expression of caspase mRNA and proteins. alpha-smooth muscle actin (ASMA), and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) were detected by immunohistochemical staining at different time points after scalding. RESULTS: No obvious difference of ASMA expression in dermal tissues was seen at the early stage of injury. The number of cells with positive ASMA expression began to increase 1 approximately 3 days after and reached the peak by the 7th day after scalding, and then decreased gradually. The ASMA expression in bFGF group was remarkably increased by the 7th day, significantly higher than that in the pure thermal injury group (P < 0.05). By the 14th day, the ASMA expression in the bFGF group was still significantly higher than that in pure thermal injury group (P < 0.01), however, it was much lower than that in the bFGF group by the 7th day. By the 14th days after scald injury. The number of TGF-beta1 positive cells began to increase since the 3rd hour after scald injury and began to decrease by the 14th day in both experimental groups. However, the TGF-beta1 expression in bFGF group was stronger than that in pure thermal injury group. The expressions of caspase-3 mRNA and protein in bFGF group changed in the same way as in the simple injured group. Three hours after injury, the expression of caspase-3 mRNA was lower in bFGF group than in pure injury group (P < 0.05). Then the expression decreased till the 3rd day. Six hours after injury, no difference in the expression of caspase-3 mRNA was found between the two experimental groups. The expression of caspase-3 reached its second peak by the 7th day and then decreased again. However, the first expression peak of the bFGF group was lower than that of the pure thermal injury group, however, the second peak of the bFGF group was higher. CONCLUSION: Myofibroblasts may play a critical role in wound closure and healing. bFGF treatment may increase the expression of TGF-beta1 and have a potential synergistic effect with other growth factors to stimulate the apoptosis of myofibroblasts during wound healing.

[The characteristics of PCNA expression in hypertrophic scars and chronic ulcers and implication of the expression].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of PCNA expression in hypertrophic scars and chronic ulcers and to discuss its relation to their formation. METHODS: The expressive quantity and sites of PCNA were detected with the immunohistochemical SP method. RESULTS: PCNA was expressed in all samples. The expressive quantity in hypertrophic scars was higher than chronic ulcers(P < 0.01). The expressive sites of all samples were in the nucleus of fibroblasts and capillary endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: The expressive quantity of PCNA was more in hypertrophic scars and less n chronic ulcers. The quantitative difference of expression between hypertrophic scars and chronic ulcers may be correlated to their formation.

[Epidermal growth factor stimulates tissue repair in skin through skin stem cell activation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the possible mechanisms of skin regeneration through the epidermal stem cells stimulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF). METHODS: At 8 and 14 days after treatment with EGF, the tissue specimens from 8 skin ulcered patients who were treated with EGF were used to evaluate the distribution and differentiation of epidermal stem cells. The expression of beta 1 integrin, keratin 19 (K19), keratin 14(K14) and keratin 10 (K10) in skin was detected with SP immunohistochemical methods. Hematoxylin and eosin staining method were used to observe the tissue structure. Another 7 biopsies from ulcered patients without EGF management were used as the control. RESULTS: The results from the hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that the epidermis in EGF treated wounds was thick and the epidermal ridges were enlarged both in 8 and 14 days compared with those in control skin. Immunohistochemical staining from beta 1 integrin and K 19 showed that all tissues treated with EGF were rich in epidermal stem cells both in 8 and 14 days. These stem cells were bigger in size and larger in number and localized at the base of the epidermis. In contrast, the positive expression cells of beta 1 integrin and K 19 in control group in the same time were scanty. It was found that there were some stem cell islands in epidermis treated with EGF in day 14 and absent from the control group. The expression of K14 and K10 could be observed in those terminally differentiating epidermal cells in both groups. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the possible mechanisms of skin regeneration stimulated by EGF comes from the mitogenic effects and differentiation of skin stem cells.

mRNA and protein expression of transcription factor c-fos in burned rats and their effects on wound healing.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of mRNA and its protein in burned rats and their effects on burn wound healing. METHODS: A partial-thickness burn of 30% total body surface ar ea was created on the back of 40 Wistar rats. In situ hybridization and immunohi stochemical methods were used to evaluate the location and the amount of the c-fos mRNA and its protein in normal skin and the burned skin, respectively, at 3 h, 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d and 14 d after burn. RESULTS: Under a light microscope, both the expression of c-fo s mRNA and its protein could be found in the normal skin, but their induction le vels were much higher in the burned skin. The level of fos protein expression reached peak at 3 h after burn while that of c-fos mRNA reached peak at 6 h aft er burn. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of c-fos can be induced by burns. And the peak level expression of c-fos mRNA comes later than that of c-fos p rotein. It indicates that the action of fos protein is induced by post-translat ional modification of pre-existing fos molecules.

Effect of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion on expressions of endogenous basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor betain lung and its relation with lung repair.

AIM:To study the changes of endogenous transforming growth factor beta(TGFbeta) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in lung following intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury and their effects on lung injury and repair.METHODS:Sixty Wistar rats were divided into five groups, which underwent sham-operation, ischemia (45 minutes), and reperfusion (6, 24 and 48 hours, respectively) after ischemia (45 minutes). Immunohistochemical method was used to observe the localization and amounts of both growth factors.RESULTS:Positive signals of both growth factors could be found in normal lung, mainly in alveolar cells and endothelial cells of vein. After ischemia and reperfusion insult, expressions of both growth factors were increased and their amounts at 6 hours were larger than those of normal control or of 24 and 48 hours after insult.CONCLUSION:The endogenous bFGF and TGF beta expression appears to be upregulated in the lung following intestinal ischemia and reperfusion, suggesting that both growth factors may be involved in the process of lung injury and repair.