Report of intersex individuals from a southeastern Chinese Choroterpes facialis (Gillies, 1951) population (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae).

Previously there were only three cases of mayfly gynandromorphism reported from Asia, occurring in the families Baetidae and Heptageniidae. Here, we report two intersex individuals of Choroterpes facialis (Gillies, 1951) (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) from southeastern China. They have similar external morphologies (each having two different eyes, two shortened penes, and female sternum IX) but with one being predominately male and the other being predominately female (one with eggs in the abdomen, but the other apparently with sperm). We believe this to be the first report of a feminized male individual. This phenomenon implies their intersexuality is caused by some similar reasons, such as temperature or parasitism. Remarkably, two intersex specimens found among 1,736 normal individuals shows that gynandromorphism does occur rarely, and only six normal males in the sampling suggest the species C. facialis is partially parthenogenetic at least.

A new Neoleptophlebia Kluge, 1997 species from eastern China (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae).

The genus Neoleptophlebia Kluge, 1997 includes five Asian species. Three of them were reported from northeastern Asia and two were found from Chinese Taiwan Island, leaving a huge geographic gap on the Chinese mainland. Here we find a new one, which is named N. uncinata Zhou sp. nov., from Nanjing municipality, eastern China. Via field collecting and indoor rearing, all life stages were obtained, and its nymphs are found living in small creeks (with a width less than 1 m) and shallow waters (with a depth less than 30 cm). Diagnostically, the imago of this new species has larger lateral penial appendages than its congeners, and its nymph has subequal broadened segments II and III of maxillary and labial palpi. Biogeographically, this species bridges two northern and southern groups of the genus.

MiR-22 restrains proliferation of rheumatoid arthritis by targeting IL6R and may be concerned with the suppression of NF-κB pathway.

It has demonstrated that miR-22 overexpression can suppress the inflammation process of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in synoviocytes. But, the underlying mechanism of miR-22 expression in regulating RA is still not well illustrated. In this study, we investigated the functional role and underlying mechanism of miR-22 in regulating RA. Human RA fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) cell line MH7A cells was transfected by miR-22 mimic and its control. CCK8 was utilized to detect cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. MH7A cells stimulating with interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) were transfected with miR-22 mimic. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot assays were utilized to detect mRNA and protein expression. miR-22 targets were predicted and validated by Targetscan and luciferase reporter assay. We revealed that miR-22 showed downregulated expression in MH7A after stimulation with IL-1ß. Additionally, miR-22 overexpression suppressed the proliferation and facilitated apoptosis in MH7A cells. IL6R was a target of miR-22. Besides, miR-22 overexpression inhibited the expression of IL6R and also suppressed inflammatory pathway NF-κB. These results indicated that miR-22 overexpression could restrain the activity of inflammation cells in RA by targeting IL6R and might be concerned with the inhibition of NF-κB pathway.

Investigation of inclusion complex of epothilone A with cyclodextrins.

The inclusion complexation of Epothilone A with native cyclodextrin (ß- or γ-CD) and its derivative hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPßCD) were prepared. Their behavior, characterization, and binding ability were investigated in both solution and the solid state by means of UV-vis, NMR, XRD, DSC and SEM. The results show that the water solubility and solution stability obviously increased in the inclusion complex with cyclodextrins. Meanwhile, the inclusion complexes still retained anticancer activity against A549 and MCF-7 cells, similar to free Epothilone A. This satisfactory water solubility, high solution stability, and high anticancer activity of the Epothilone A/CD complexes will be potentially useful as an anticancer therapy.

Study on the binding mode of zinc(II) protoporphyrin and ctDNA in water.

Spectroscopic property of a commercially available luminescent reagent Zinc(II) protoporphyrin (ZnPP) was studied. Dissociation constants of the two protons on the peripheral groups of porphyrin ring of ZnPP were determined as pK(a1)=6.31, pK(a2)=9.37. Binding evidence of ZnPP with ctDNA was found by the phosphorescence intensity change on a filter paper around pH 6.5-9.3 with the association constant being 9.1x10(3) dm(3)/mol. A novel binding mode for ZnPP and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) suggested that the monomer ZnPP which has no axial coordination, slips into the groove of DNA and interacts with the bases of polynucleotide by zinc coordination and hydrogen bonding between H atom on carboxyl group of ZnPP and O atom on the bases.