Temporal Distribution Patterns of Cryptic Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera) Species in Relation to Biogeographical Gradient Associated with Latitude.

Sympatric distribution and temporal overlap of cryptic zooplankton species pose a challenge to the framework of the niche differentiation theory and the mechanisms allowing competitor coexistence. We applied the methods of phylogenetic analysis, DNA taxonomy, and statistical analysis to study the temporal distribution patterns of the cryptic B. calyciflorus species, an excellent model, in three lakes, and to explore the putative mechanisms for their seasonal succession and temporal overlap. The results showed that in the warm-temperate Lake Yunlong, B. fernandoi and B. calyciflorus s.s. underwent a seasonal succession, which was largely attributed to their differential adaptation to water temperature. In the subtropical Lake Jinghu, B. fernandoi, B. calyciflorus s.s., and B. dorcas exhibited both seasonal succession and temporal overlap. Seasonal successions were largely attributed to their differential adaptation to temperature, and temporal overlap resulted from their differential responses to algal food concentration. In the tropical Lake Jinniu, B. calyciflorus s.s. persisted throughout the year and overlapped with B. dorcas for 5 months. The temporal overlap resulted from their differential responses to copepod predation. These results indicated that the temporal distribution pattern of the cryptic B. calyciforus species and the mechanism that allows competitor coexistence vary with different climate zones.

Advances in cGAS-STING pathway and its inhibitors in immune and inflammatory diseases / 中国药理学通报

The cGAS-STING signaling pathway is one of the main pathways of immune defense against many types of pathogens. cGAS catalyzes the production of the second messenger cGAMP (cyclic GMP-tVMP) by recognizing plasma DNA and cGAMP subsequently binds to the interferon gene stimulating factor (STING). The pathway induces the production of type I interferon (IFN-I) and activates the innate immune system. The activation of the cGAS-STI]NG pathway could facilitate self-protection,thus STI]NG agonists for tumor immunotherapy have attracted much attention in recent years,and several drug candidates have been in clinical trials. Meanwhile,aberrant activation of cGAS-STI]NG could lead to autoimmune diseases and has attracted extensive interest in developing its inhibitors. This paper summarizes the mechanism and regulatory sites of the cGAS-STI]NG pathway,and outlines the research progress of cGAS-STING pathway-related immune and inflammatory diseases and its inhibitors.

The neuroprotective effect of sodium pyruvate on mouse hippocampal neural HT22 cells / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the effect of sodium pyruvate on apoptosis and autophagy of HT22 in mouse hippocampal neuronal cells under hypoxia conditions. Methods HT22 cells were incubated with different concentrations of sodium pyruvate to detect their cellular activity by MTS; iron staining was used to further observe the effect of sodium pyruvate on HT22 cells in mitochondrial metabolism; lysosomal staining was applied to detect the lysosomal changes of sodium pyruvate on HT22 cells; Western blot was used to detect the expression of Bcl-2, Bax and LC3-II/LC3- I proteins. Results To verify whether sodium pyruvate exerted neuroprotective effects on mouse hippocampal HT22 cells through affecting mitochondrial apoptosis and autophagy pathways, which were improved by administration of sodium pyruvate. Conclusions Sodium pyruvate administration under hypoxic conditions can reduce the neuroprotective effect of hypoxic injury by reducing apoptosis and activating autophagy in HT22 cells.

Molecular regulation after mucosal injury and regeneration in ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic nonspecific inflammatory disease with a complex etiology. Intestinal mucosal injury is an important pathological change in individuals with UC. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5+) intestinal stem cells (ISCs) exhibit self-renewal and high differentiation potential and play important roles in the repair of intestinal mucosal injury. Moreover, LGR5+ ISCs are intricately regulated by both the Wnt/ß-catenin and Notch signaling pathways, which jointly maintain the function of LGR5+ ISCs. Combination therapy targeting multiple signaling pathways and transplantation of LGR5+ ISCs may lead to the development of new clinical therapies for UC.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking reveal zedoary turmeric-trisomes in Inflammatory bowel disease with intestinal fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex chronic IBD that is closely associated with risk factors such as environment, diet, medications and lifestyle that may influence the host microbiome or immune response to antigens. At present, with the increasing incidence of IBD worldwide, it is of great significance to further study the pathogenesis of IBD and seek new therapeutic targets. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment of diseases is characterized by multiple approaches and multiple targets and has a long history of clinical application in China. The mechanism underlying the effect of zedoary turmeric-trisomes on inducing mucosal healing in IBD is not clear. AIM: To explore the effective components and potential mechanism of zedoary turmeric-trisomes in the treatment of IBD with intestinal fibrosis using network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques. METHODS: The chemical constituents and targets of Rhizoma zedoary and Rhizoma sanarum were screened using the TCMSP database. The GeneCards database was searched to identify targets associated with intestinal fibrosis in IBD. The intersection of chemical component targets and disease targets was obtained using the Venny 2.1 online analysis platform, and the common targets were imported into the STRING 11.0 database to construct a protein interaction regulatory network. A "zedoary turmeric-trisomes-chemical composition-target-disease" network diagram was subsequently constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software, and the topological properties of the network were analyzed using the "Network Analysis" plug-in. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of the common targets were performed using the DAVID 6.8 database to elucidate the mechanism of zedoary turmeric-trisomes in the treatment of IBD. Subsequently, molecular docking of the compounds and targets with the highest intermediate values in the "zedoary turmeric-trisomes-chemical composition-target-disease" network was performed using Sybyl-x 2.1.1 software. RESULTS: A total of 5 chemical components with 60 targets were identified, as well as 3153 targets related to IBD and 44 common targets. The protein-protein interaction network showed that the core therapeutic targets included JUN, MAPK14, CASP3, AR, and PTGS2. The GO enrichment analysis identified 759 items, and the KEGG enrichment analysis yielded 52 items, including the cancer pathway, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, hepatitis B, and the calcium signaling pathway, reflecting the complex biological processes of the multicomponent, multitarget and multipathway treatment of diseases with zedoary turmeric-trisomes. Molecular docking showed that the compound bonded with the target through hydrogen bond interactions and exhibited good docking activity. CONCLUSION: This study identified the potential mechanism of action of zedoary turmeric-trisomes in the treatment of inflammatory bowel fibrosis using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, providing a scientific basis for further expansion of their clinical use.

Fecal microbiota transplantation in the metabolic diseases: Current status and perspectives.

With the development of microbiology and metabolomics, the relationship between the intestinal microbiome and intestinal diseases has been revealed. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), as a new treatment method, can affect the course of many chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, malignant tumor, autoimmune disease and nervous system disease. Although the mechanism of action of FMT is now well understood, there is some controversy in metabolic diseases, so its clinical application may be limited. Microflora transplantation is recommended by clinical medical guidelines and consensus for the treatment of recurrent or refractory Clostridium difficile infection, and has been gradually promoted for the treatment of other intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. However, the initial results are varied, suggesting that the heterogeneity of the donor stools may affect the efficacy of FMT. The success of FMT depends on the microbial diversity and composition of donor feces. Therefore, clinical trials may fail due to the selection of ineffective donors, and not to faulty indication selection for FMT. A new understanding is that FMT not only improves insulin sensitivity, but may also alter the natural course of type 1 diabetes by modulating autoimmunity. In this review, we focus on the main mechanisms and deficiencies of FMT, and explore the optimal design of FMT research, especially in the field of cardiometabolic diseases.

Transcriptome alterations in zebrafish gill after exposure to different sizes of microplastics.

Most studies on microplastics (MPs) focused on gut, liver, and brain, and MPs toxicity was size-dependent, but less has been reported on gill. Here, zebrafish were exposed to three sizes of MPs (45-53 µm, 90-106 µm, and 250-300 µm). Next, comparative transcriptome analysis and determination of physiological indices were performed in zebrafish gills to elucidate the size-associated toxicity of MPs to fish gills. Compared with the control, 60, 344, and 802 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified after exposure to 45-53 µm, 90-106 µm, and 250-300 µm MPs for 5 days, respectively. More DEGs in treatment with bigger MPs suggested that bigger MPs might induce more changes in zebrafish gills than smaller ones. These DEGs were significantly enriched in the FoxO signaling, cellular senescence, circadian rhythm and p53 signaling pathways. Besides, 90-106 µm and 250-300 µm MPs treatments inhibited the cell cycle and prevented the apoptosis. The GSH content significantly increased after MPs exposure, suggesting the induction of oxidative stress. AChE and Na+/K+-ATPase activities were significantly lowered in all MPs treatments than in the control, suggesting the inhibition of neurotransmission and ion regulation. These changes might negatively influence the normal functioning of gills, such as osmoregulation, ion regulation, and respiration.

Role of metabolites derived from gut microbiota in inflammatory bowel disease.

Over the past two decades, it is improved gut microbiota plays an important role in the health and disease pathogenesis. Metabolites, small molecules produced as intermediate or end products of microbial metabolism, is considered as one of the major interaction way for gut microbiota with the host. Bacterial metabolisms of dietary substrates, modification of host molecules or bacteria are the major source of metabolites. Signals from microbial metabolites affect immune maturation and homeostasis, host energy metabolism as well as mucosal integrity maintenance. Based on many researches, the composition and function of the microbiota can be changed, which is also seen in the metabolite profiles of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Additionally, some specific classes of metabolites also can trigger IBD. In this paper, definition of the key classes of microbial-derived metabolites which are changed in IBD, description of the pathophysiological basis of association and identification of the precision therapeutic modulation in the future are the major contents.

Mechanism of Jianpi Qingchang Huashi Recipe in treating ulcerative colitis: A study based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a refractory intestinal disease with alternating onset and remission and a long disease course, which seriously affects the health and quality of life of patients. The goal of treatment is to control clinical symptoms, induce and maintain remission, promote mucosal healing, and reduce recurrence. Clinical trials have shown unsatisfactory clinical response rates. As a supplementary alternative medicine, traditional Chinese medicine has a rich history and has shown good results in the treatment of UC. Because of the quality of herbal medicine and other factors, the curative effect of traditional Chinese medicine is not stable enough. The mechanism underlying the effect of Jianpi Qingchang Huashi Recipe (JPQCHSR) on inducing UC mucosal healing is not clear. AIM: To investigate the potential mechanism of JPQCHSR for the treatment of UC based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. METHODS: Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform was used to extract the active components and action targets of JPQCHSR, and the target names were standardized and corrected through UniProt database. The related targets of UC were obtained through GeneCards database, and the intersection targets of drugs and diseases were screened by jvenn online analysis tool. The visual regulatory network of "Traditional Chinese medicine-active components-target-disease" was constructed using Cytoscape software, the protein interaction network was constructed using STRING database, and enrichment analysis of gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways was conducted through R software. At last, the active components were docked with the core target through SYBYL-X 2.1.1 software. RESULTS: Through database analysis, a total of 181 active components, 302 targets and 205 therapeutic targets were obtained for JPQCHSR. The key compounds include quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, etc. The core targets involved STAT3, AKT1, TP53, MAPK1, MAPK3, JUN, TNF, etc. A total of 2861 items were obtained by GO enrichment analysis, and 171 items were obtained by KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway enrichment analysis. The results of molecular docking showed that the key active components in JPQCHSR had certain affinity with the core target. CONCLUSION: The treatment of UC with JPQCHSR is a complex process of multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway regulation. The mechanism of this Recipe in the treatment of UC can be predicted through network pharmacology and molecular docking, so as to provide theoretical reference for it to better play its therapeutic role.

The time-dependent variations of zebrafish intestine and gill after polyethylene microplastics exposure.

Microplastics (MPs) are common environmental contaminants that present a growing health concern due to their increasing presence in aquatic and human systems. However, the mechanisms behind MP effects on organisms are unclear. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were used as an in vivo model to investigate the potential risks and molecular mechanisms of the toxic effects of polyethylene MPs (45-53 µm). In the zebrafish intestine, 6, 5, and 186 genes showed differential expression after MP treatment for 1, 5, and 10 days, respectively. In the gills, 318, 92, and 484 genes showed differential expression after MP treatment for 1, 5, and 10 days, respectively. In both the intestine and the gills, Gene Ontology (GO) annotation showed that the main enriched terms were biological regulation, cellular process, metabolic process, cellular anatomical entity, and binding. KEGG enrichment analysis on DEGs revealed that the dominant pathways were carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism, which were strongly influenced by MPs in the intestine. The dominant pathways in the gills were immune and lipid metabolism. The respiratory rate of gills, the activity of SOD and GSH in the intestine significantly increased after exposure to MPs compared with the control (p < 0.05), while the activity of SOD did not change in the gills. GSH activity was only significantly increased after MP exposure for 5 days. Also, the MDA content was not changed in the intestine but was significantly decreased in the gills after MP exposure. The activity of AChE significantly decreased only after MPs exposure for 5 days. Overall, these results indicated that MPs pollution significantly induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, increased respiratory rate, disturbed energy metabolism and stimulated immune function in fish, displaying an environmental risk of MPs to aquatic ecosystems.

Gut microbiota and inflammatory bowel disease: The current status and perspectives.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune-mediated disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is argued that environment, microbiome, and immune-mediated factors interact in a genetically susceptible host to trigger IBD. Recently, there has been increased interest in the development, progression, and treatment of IBD because of our understanding of the microbiome. Researchers have proved that some factors can alter the microbiome and the pathogenesis of IBD. As a result, there has been increasing interest in the application of probiotics, prebiotics, antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and gene manipulation in treating IBD because of the possible curative effect of microbiome-modulating interventions. In this review, we summarize the findings from human and animal studies and discuss the effect of the gut microbiome in treating patients with IBD.

Algal density affects the influences of polyethylene microplastics on the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus.

Most previous researches focused on the toxicity of polystyrene microplastics (MPs) to marine organisms, but less on polyethylene MPs and freshwater zooplanktons. The present study aims to elucidate the toxicity of polyethylene (PE) MPs (diameter = 10-22 µm) to the typical freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Firstly, fluorescent microscope observation showed that rotifers could ingest PE MPs and accumulate them in their digestive tracts. Life-table experiments revealed that exposure to 0.5 × 103, 2.5 × 103, and 1.25 × 104 particles/mL PE MPs significantly reduced net reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of pollution increase of rotifers under algal densities (Scenedesmus obliquus) of 0.1 × 106, and 0.5 × 106 cells/mL, but no significant effects were observed under 2.5 × 106 cells/mL algal density. These results showed that PE MPs suppressed the reproduction of rotifer and this negative effect could be alleviated by increasing food supply. The swimming linear speed of rotifers significantly decreased with increasing MP concentrations. The activities of superoxide dismutase and Na+-K+-ATPase significantly decreased in treatments with high concentration of PE MPs under 0.1 × 106 cells/mL algal density, but did not change significantly in MP treatments under 0.5 × 106 and 2.5 × 106 cells/mL, compared to the control. Glutathione peroxidase activity significantly increased in treatments with 1.25 × 104 particles/mL and 2.5 × 103 particles/mL under 0.1 × 106 and 0.5 × 106 cells/mL algal density, respectively, but did not change significantly in all MP treatments under 2.5 × 106 cells/mL. Exposure to PE MPs might lower the gathering capacity of algae, induce oxidative stress, trigger cell membrane damages and disturb energy metabolism in rotifers, which can explain the PE MPs toxicity to rotifer reproduction.

MYOZ2 Promoted Adipogenic Differentiation of C3H10T1 / 2 Cells by Negatively Regulating the Expression of TCAP / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

The objective of this study was to investigate the expression profile of the myozenin2 (MYOZ2) gene and elucidate its effect on adipogenic differentiation of C3H10T1 / 2 cells and its possible mechanism∙ The longissimus dorsi‚ subcutaneous fat and liver tissue was collected from 180-day-old Mashen pigs‚ 60-day-old ICR mice‚ 35-day-old Ross broiler and 12-month-old Small tail han sheep‚ and the expression profile of the MYOZ2 gene mRNA was detected∙ The results showed that the MYOZ2 gene has similar patterns of tissue expression in examined species‚ with the highest expression level in longissimus dorsi‚ and a small amount of expression in the subcutaneous fat and liver tissue∙ After the MYOZ2 gene was silenced in C3H10T1 / 2 cells‚ qRT-PCR results showed that the expression levels of key adipogenic genes PPARγ and FABP4 were significantly down-regulated compared with the control group (P < 0∙ 01) ; Western Blotting results showed that the PPARγ protein content was significantly decreased (P < 0∙ 05) ; Oil red O staining showed that the number of lipid droplets and the content of triglyceride were significantly decreased after silencing MYOZ2 (P < 0∙ 05) ∙ The expression of fatty acid metabolism related genes SCD‚ FASN‚ SREBP1‚ NR1H3‚ DGAT1‚ PNPLA2‚ HSL‚ CES1‚ CPT1 after MYOZ2 silencing were detected by qRT-PCR∙ The results showed that SCD‚ FASN‚ SREBP1‚ PNPLA2 and HSL were significantly down-regulated (P < 0∙ 01) ‚ NR1H3 was significantly reduced (P < 0∙ 05) ‚ DGAT1 expression was down-regulated but the difference was not significant‚ CES1 and CPT1 were significantly up-regulated (P < 0∙ 05) ∙ The STRING database was used to construct a MYOZ2-related protein interaction network map‚ and it was found that MYOZ2 may affect the adipogenic differentiation through the interaction of titin-cap (TCAP) and PPARγ∙ After silencing TCAP‚ qRT-PCR results showed that compared with the control group‚ the expression of key adipogenic genes PPARγ and FABP4 were significantly up-regulated (P < 0∙ 01) ; Western Blotting results showed that PPARγ protein was significantly increased (P< 0∙ 05) ; Oil red O staining showed that the number of lipid droplets and the content of triglyceride were significantly increased after TCAP silencing (P < 0∙ 05) ∙ qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of TCAP after silencing MYOZ2‚ and the results showed that the expression of TCAP was significantly increased (P<0∙ 01) ∙ In summary‚ MYOZ2 was highly expressed in longissimus dorsi and lower expressed in subcutaneous fat and liver tissues∙ In addition‚ MYOZ2 may regulate the expression of key adipogenic genes PPARγ and FABP4 through the interaction of MYOZ2-TCAP -PPARγ‚ and to further regulate the expression of fatty acid metabolism related genes SCD‚ FASN‚ SREBP1‚ NR1H3‚ DGAT1‚ PNPLA2‚ HSL‚ CES1 and CPT1‚ thus playing an important role in the process of adipogenic differentiation∙

Clinical evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine on mild active ulcerative colitis: A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by a relapsing-remitting course owing to recurrent intestinal inflammation. UC often has symptoms such as intermittent rectal bleeding, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. As the precise etiology of UC has not completely clarified, UC has become a public health challenge worldwide. According to an epidemiological survey, there were about 350,000 new cases of IBD in China from 2005 to 2014. By 2025, the number of IBD patients in China will reach 1.5 million. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used to treat UC in China, however, it is still challenging to systematically determine the efficacy of in UC. Therefore, this trial aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of CHM in the treatment of mild active UC patients. METHODS: A multi-center, double-blinding, double-dummy, active-controlled, randomized trial will be established. A total of 240 patients in 6 centers with mild active UC (Mayo score is 3-5 points) and TCM syndrome of damp-heat stasis blocking and spleen-qi deficiency will be randomly allocated in the ratio of 1:1 to 2 groups: the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group will receive Hudi enteric-coated capsules (HEC) and enteric-coated mesalazine tablets placebo; the control group will receive enteric-coated mesalazine tablets and HEC placebo. Each group will be treated for 8 weeks. The primary therapeutic outcome: the rate of clinical efficacy and clinical remission at 8 weeks of treatment (last survey point) according to the modified Mayo score. The secondary outcomes: individual symptom score, TCM syndrome score, endoscopic response rate, mucosal healing rate, and quality of life scale score. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and the end of the trial. Besides, intestinal mucosa, stools and blood biopsies from the mild active UC patients before and after treatment will be collected to reveal the underlying mechanisms. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will provide compelling evidence of the efficacy and safety of HEC for treatment of mild active UC and preliminarily show the potential mechanism of how HEC acts. Finally, it will widen treatment options for patients with mild active UC.

Clinical characteristics and plasma antibody titer of patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang, China / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which first affected humans in China on December 31, 2019 (Shi et al., 2020). Coronaviruses generally cause mild, self-limiting upper respiratory tract infections in humans, such as the common cold, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis (To et al., 2013; Berry et al., 2015; Chan et al., 2015). According to the Report of the World Health Organization (WHO)-China Joint Mission on COVID-19 (WHO, 2020), the case fatality rate of COVID-19 increases with age, while the rate among males is higher than that among females (4.7% and 2.8%, respectively). Since an effective vaccine and specific anti-viral drugs are still under development, passive immunization using the convalescent plasma (CP) of recovered COVID-19 donors may offer a suitable therapeutic strategy for severely ill patients in the meantime. So far, several studies have shown therapeutic efficacy of CP transfusion in treating COVID-19 cases. A pilot study first reported that transfusion of CP with neutralizing antibody titers above 1:640 was well tolerated and could potentially improve clinical outcomes through neutralizing viremia in severe COVID-19 cases (Chen et al., 2020). Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM are the most abundant and important antibodies in protecting the human body from viral attack (Arabi et al., 2015; Marano et al., 2016). Our study aimed to understand the aspects of plasma antibody titer levels in convalescent patients, as well as assessing the clinical characteristics of normal, severely ill, and critically ill patients, and thus provide a basis for guiding CP therapy. We also hoped to find indicators which could serve as a reference in predicting the progression of the disease.

Combined Effects of Temperature and the Microcystin MC-LR on the Feeding Behavior of the Rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus.

The aim of this study was to investigate the responses in filtration and grazing rates of five rotifer strains of the species Brachionus calyciflorus under different temperatures and MC-LR concentrations. The results showed that strain identity, MC-LR concentration, temperature, and the interactions of these factors significantly affected both response variables, with the exception of the interaction of strain and MC-LR on the grazing rates. At low MC-LR concentrations and for the control group, the filtration and grazing rates increased with increasing temperature. The filtering and grazing rates of B. calyciflorus exposed to higher MC-LR concentrations, however, showed no evident enhancement with increasing of temperature. At high temperatures, the filtration and grazing rates of all rotifer strains decreased significantly with increasing concentration of MC-LR, however B. calyciflorus exhibited a refractory stability in the presence of increased MC-LR levels at lower temperatures.

Application of Enhanced MR Multi-Phase Dynamic Scanning with 3D-VIBE Sequence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

[Objective]To investigate the value of multi-phase dynamic enhanced MR scanning with 3D-VIBE sequence in HCC by comparing with enhanced multiple slice computer tomography(MSCT)scanning.[Method]23 patients who were pathologi?cally proven of HCC,and underwent both abdominal enhanced 3.0T MR multi-phase dynamic scanning with 3D-VIBE sequence and enhanced MSCT scanning were enrolled. The enhancement features of HCC on enhanced MR multi-phase dynamic scanning and en?hanced CT scanning were compared.[Results]There were 23 lesions confirmed by pathology. All the 23 lesions were detected by en?hanced MR multi-phase dynamic scanning with 3D-VIBE sequence,and 21 lesions were detected by enhanced MSCT scanning. The enhanced features of"fast enhanced and fast washout"in HCC can be observed more frequently on enhanced MR multi-phase dynam?ic scanning with 3D-VIBE sequence than enhanced MSCT scanning (78.3% vs 54.5%). Obvious enhancement feature can be ob?served more frequently on the enhanced MR multi-phase dynamic scanning when the tumor diameter ≤ 3 cm(P=0.037).[Conclu?sion]The enhanced MR multi-phase dynamic scanning with 3D-VIBE sequence can greatly improve the sensitivity and accuracy of HCC diagnosis,especially for the small HCC(tumor diameter≤3 cm).

Estrogen aggravates inflammatory bowel disease in rats through estrogen receptor alpha / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To explore the specific mechanism by which estrogen affects the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in rats. Methods The model of IBD in rats was established with 30% of 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) ethanol solution through the rectocolon. The body weight, disease activity index(DAI) score, colorectal length, myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration, and H-E staining were used to verify the successful IBD model. The IBD rats were separately treated with saline(500 μL), estrogen(1 mg/kg,in 500 μL normal saline), and PPT, a specific agonist of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα; 3 mg/kg, in 500 μL normal saline), or estrogen(1 mg/kg,in 500 μL normal saline) + ERα specific antagonist MPP(3 mg/kg, in 500 μL normal saline). And the inflammation status was observed. Results The model of IBD in rats was successfully induced by TNBS. Compared with the normal saline group, rats in TNBS group had significantly reduced body weight and increased DAI scores, with MPO value increased and with notable inflammatory response of the rectocolon. Compared with normal saline group, estrogen or PPT significantly aggravated the inflammation response. Estrogen treatment significantly reduced the body weight of IBD rats, increased DAI scores, and aggravated the inflammatory response, with the colorectal length reduced; PPT reduced the colorectal length. MPP treatment reversed the effect of estrogen. Compared with the estrogen group, MPP+estrogen treatment significantly increased the body weight and reduced the DAI scores, with colorectal length increased. Conclusion Estrogen can promote the development and progression of TNBS-induced IBD, which might be mediated through ERα.

Coal fly ash effluent affects the distributions of Brachionus calyciflorus sibling species.

Fly ash, a coal combustion residue of thermal power plants and a source of multiple pollutants, has been recognized as an environmental hazard all over the world. Although it is known that fly ash effluent affects density, diversity and distribution of rotifers in drainage systems and receiving water bodies, the effect of fly ash effluent on the distributions of highly similar rotifer species remains unknown. In this study, the mtDNA COI genes of 90 individuals in Brachionus calyciflorus complex from Lake Hui (as a fly ash discharge water pond) and other two neighboring lakes (Lake Fengming and Lake Tingtang) were sequenced and analyzed, and the responses in selected life table demographic parameters (life expectancy at hatching, net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of population increase and proportion of sexual offspring) of different rotifer populations to fly ash effluent were investigated. Overall, 72 mtDNA haplotypes were defined, and were split into two clades by the phylogenetic trees. The divergence of COI gene sequences between the two clades ranged from 11.8% to17.8%, indicating the occurrence of two sibling species (sibling species I and sibling species II). Sibling species I distributed in all the three lakes, showing strong capabilities for dispersal and colonization, which were supported by its higher level of gene flow (2.60-4.04) between the populations from Lake Hui and each of the other two lakes, longer life expectancy at hatching (101.6-148.2 h), and higher net reproductive rate (4.4-16.4 offspring/female) and intrinsic rate of population increase (0.60-0.98/d) when cultured in aerated tap water and fly ash effluent. Sibling species II distributed in both Lake Tingtang and Lake Fengming, showing that its dispersal existed between the two lakes. Considering that the distance between Lake Hui and Lake Fengming is shorter than that between Lake Tingtang and Lake Fengming, sibling species II is able to disperse at least from Lake Fengming to Lake Hui. The restricted distribution of sibling species II in Lake Hui might be attributed to its lower intrinsic rate of population increase (0.34-0.39/d) when cultured in aerated tap water and fiy ash effluent, which might be further lowered by the lower algal food level and quality in Lake Hui.

Pteridic acid hydrate and pteridic acid C produced by StreStreptomyces pseudoverticillus YN17707 induce cell cycle arrest / 中国天然药物

The present study aimed at identifying cell cycle inhibitors from the fermentation broth of Streptomyces pseudoverticillus YN17707. Activity-guided isolation was performed on tsFT210 cells. Compounds were isolated through various chromatographic methods and elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the cell cycle inhibitory activities of the fractions and compounds. Two compounds were obtained and identified as pteridic acid hydrate (1) and pteridic acid C (2), which arrested the tsFT210 cells at the G0/G1 phase with the MIC values being 32.8 and 68.9 μmol·L(-1), respectively. These results provide a basis for future development of Compounds 1 and 2 as novel cell cycle inhibitors for cancer therapy.