Juvenile Hormone Is an Important Factor in Regulating Aspongopus chinensis Dallas Diapause.

Aspongopus chinensis is a Chinese traditional edible and medicinal insect, which is in great demand in the society. This insect reproduces once a year which is caused by reproductive diapause resulting in insufficient production in wild resources. However, the mechanism of diapause in A. chinensis is still unclear. In this study, we focus on the relationship between juvenile hormones (JHs) and A. chinensis diapause. The results showed that JHIII concentration in diapause adult individuals was significantly lower than that in diapause termination adult individuals. When exogenous JHⅢ was injected into diapause adults, the rate of mating was increased significantly, development of the reproductive systems was accelerated, consumption of fat intensified, the expression of juvenile hormone acid o-methyl-transferase (JHAMT) was upregulated, and juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase (JHEH) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) gene expressions were downregulated. In addition, RNAi of JHAMT decreased JH concentration, delayed the development of reproductive systems, slowed down fat consumption, and delayed the mean mating occurrence time significantly. Conversely, RNAi of JHEH resulted in an increased concentration of JH, development of reproductive systems was accelerated, consumption of fat was intensified, and mean mating occurrence time advanced significantly. Taken together, these findings uncovered that JH plays an important role in regulating reproductive diapause in A. chinensis and, thus, could provide a theoretical basis for further research on the diapause of A. chinensis.

Redescription and new record of Odontoscirus nipponicus Shiba, 1985 (Bdellidae: Odontoscirinae) from China with a description of its ontogeny.

Odontoscirus nipponicus Shiba, 1985 is recorded from China and is redescribed; male, tritonymph, deutonymph, protonymph, and larva are described and illustrated for the first time. Morphological observations on the ontogeny of this species are also provided.

In vivo and in vitro antiproliferative and antimetastatic effects of hemolymph of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas on breast cancer cell.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Aspongopus（A.）chinensis hemolymph on the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells. METHODS: The in vitro effects of A. chinensis hemolymph were investigated in murine (4T1) and human (HCC1937) breast cancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity, cell apoptosis, and cell migration were evaluated by using the cell counting kit-8 assay, Hoechst staining, and wound healing experiments, respectively. A syngeneic mouse model was established to evaluate the in vivo effects of the hemolymph extract on tumor growth and metastasis. Mouse body weight, tumor size, blood levels of function-related enzymes, and pathological features of the liver and kidney tissues were evaluated. RESULTS: The hemolymph of A. chinensis significantly inhibited in vitro tumor cell migration and viability while inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, it inhibited in vivo tumor growth and metastasis with a minimal effect on mouse body weight, and did not induce liver or kidney damage. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the A.chinensis hemolymph has antitumorigenic properties, suggesting it has potential as a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

First description of immature stages and redescription of female Bdella longicornis (Acari: Prostigmata: Bdellidae), with an ontogeny of chaetotaxy.

Bdella longicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) is a widespread species. There has been no description of its immature stages before. In this paper, we redescribe its female adult and describe its four immature stages for the first time based on the specimens from P. R. China. Meanwhile, the ontogeny of chaetotaxy in B. longicornis is discussed.

[Long-range transport potential of typical organic pollutants in Nanjing].

In this study, the long-range transport potentials (LRTP) of typical organic pollutants including p,p'-DDT, gamma-HCH, BaP and HCB in air and water of Nanjing were estimated using the TaPL3 model. The research results showed that the characteristic travel distances (CTD) of BaP and p,p'-DDT through air were relatively low, 198 km and 255 km, respectively, indicating relatively low LRTP and difficulty in pollution dispersion. In contrast, gamma-HCH and HCB tended to transport over longer distances through water and air, with CTD values of 91 558 km and 19 056 km in water and 1 858 km and 21 104 km in air, respectively, indicating that the dispersion of pollution in air and water of the studied area was relatively easy. Furthermore, the stickiness of gamma-HCH and HCB in water was negative, and the values were -2.1 and -54.86, respectively, indicating that gamma-HCH and HCB tended to remain in the atmosphere. The mass fractions in air after they passed air and achieved the steady state were 0.551% and 2.2%, respectively, whereas the mass fractions in air after they passed water and achieved the steady state were 0. 149% and 1.05% , respectively, which were higher than those of p,p'-DDT and BaP.