Numerical Simulation Study on Spatial Diffusion Behavior of Non-Point Source Fugitive Dust under Different Enclosure Heights.

Non-point source fugitive dust produced during municipal road construction is one of the main ambient air pollutants gravely threatening the life and health of construction workers and residents around construction areas. In this study, a gas-solid two-phase flow model is used to simulate the diffusion behavior of non-point source dust with different enclosure heights under wind loads. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of the enclosure on the diffusion of non-point source dust from construction to residential areas is analyzed. The results show that the physical blocking and reflux effects of the enclosure can effectively restrain dust diffusion. When the enclosure height is 3-3.5 m, the concentration of particulate matter in most sections of residential areas can be reduced to less than 40 µg/m3. Moreover, when the wind speed is 1-5 m/s and the enclosure height is 2-3.5 m, the diffusion height of non-point source dust particles above the enclosure is concentrated in the range 1.5-2 m. This study provides a scientific basis for setting the heights of enclosures and atomization sprinklers at construction sites. Further, effective measures are proposed to reduce the impact of non-point source dust on the air environment of residential areas and health of residents.

Effects of collagen peptides from Micropterus salmoides skin on oxidative damage induced by cyclophosphamide in mice.

To investigate the protective effect of collagen peptide from Micropterus salmoides skin (CPMs) on oxidative damage induced by cyclophosphamide in mice. Balb/c female mice were divided into blank, model (cyclophosphamide, CTX), positive control (levamisole hydrochloride), and collagen peptide low-, medium-, and high-dose groups. The results showed that CPMs increase the body mass and immune-related organ indexes, such as liver and kidneys of immunosuppressed mice. The activities of ALT, AST, UA, BUN, and MDA in the liver and kidney tissues decreased significantly, while those of SOD and GSH-Px increased significantly. CPMs can relieve the pathological damage to immune organs. CPMs significantly increase the activities of IL-2, IgG, and TNF-α in serum and SOD activity, while the MDA content was decreased compared to the model group. CPMs can exert a protective effect on cyclophosphamide-induced oxidative damage and have application prospects in the field of health food.

Characterization of exosomes derived from IPEC-J2 treated with probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SC06 and its regulation of macrophage functions.

Probiotics can maintain or improve health by modulating the response of immune cells in the gastrointestinal tract. However, the mechanisms by which probiotics promote macrophage (Mφ) activity are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated exosomes derived from intestinal epithelial cells treated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SC06 (Ba) and investigated the regulation of Mφ phagocytosis, apoptosis, and polarization. We isolated two exosomes from intestinal porcine epithelial cell lines (IPEC-J2) with or without Ba-treatment, named Ba-Exo and Exo, respectively. They had typical sizes and a cup-shaped morphology, and their surfaces presented typical exosomes-associated proteins, including CD63, ALIX, and TSG101. Ba-Exo and Exo could entrer Mφ (3D4/21 cells) effectively. Moreover, an in vitro phagocytosis assay demonstrated that Ba-Exo can promote phagocytosis of Mφ. Similar to Exo, Ba-Exo had no effect on Mφ apoptosis. Furthermore, Ba-Exo significantly increased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), declined the expression of arginase 1 (Arg1) in Mφ, and stimulated Mφ polarization to M1. To explore the differences in the regulation of Mφ polarization between Ba-Exo and Exo, we performed reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of the small RNAs and found that miR-222 increased in the Ba-Exo group compared to that in the Exo group. These results provide a new perspective on the relationship between probiotics and intestinal immunity.

Structural Characterization of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis Polysaccharide and Its Property in Delaying Cellular Senescence.

The sulfated polysaccharide was isolated from the purified G. lemaneiformis polysaccharide (PGP), and its property in delaying H2O2-induced 2BS cellular senescence was studied. The results showed that PGP was a linear polysaccharide containing alternating α-(1 → 3)- and ß-(1 → 4)-galactopyranose units. Most of the sulfate groups are at C6 of the -(1 → 4)-α-D-Galp, and a small part of them are at C3 and C6. PGP pretreatment could decrease SA-ß-gal-positive cells and prevent the formation of senescence-associated heterochromatic foci (SAHF) induced by H2O2 in a dose-dependent manner. It is speculated that PGP may delay aging by downregulating the expression of p21 and p53 genes. The finding provides new insights into the beneficial role of G. lemaneiformis polysaccharide (GP) on retarding senescence process.

Structural characterization and antagonistic effect against P-selectin-mediated function of SFF-32, a fucoidan fraction from Sargassum fusiforme.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sargassum fusiforme (Harvey) Setchell, or Haizao, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since at least the eighth century a.d. S. fusiforme is an essential component of several Chinese formulas, including Haizao Yuhu Decoction, used to treat goiter, and Neixiao Lei Li Wan used to treat scrofuloderma. The pharmacological efficacy of S. fusiforme may be related to its anti-inflammatory effect. AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine the structural characteristics of SFF-32, a fucoidan fraction from S. fusiforme, and its antagonistic effect against P-selectin mediated function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary structure of SFF-32 was determined using methylation/GC-MS and NMR analysis. Surface morphology and solution conformation of SFF-32 were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Congo red test, and circular dichroic (CD) chromatography, respectively. The inhibitory effects of SFF-32 against the binding of P-selectin to HL-60 cells were evaluated using flow cytometry, static adhesion assay, and parallel-plate flow chamber assay. Furthermore, the blocking effect of SFF-32 on the interaction between P-selectin and PSGL-1 was evaluated using an in vitro protein binding assay. RESULTS: The main linkage types of SFF-32 were proven to →[3)-α-l-Fucp-(1→3,4)-α-l-Fucp-(1]2→[4)-ß-d-Manp-(1→3)-d-GlcAp-(1]2→4)-ß-d-Manp-(1→3)-ß-d-Glcp-(1→4)-ß-d-Manp-(1→2,3)-ß-d-Galp-(1→4)-ß-d-Manp-(1→[4)-α-l-Rhap-(1]3→. The sulfated unit or terminal xylose residues were attached to the backbone through the C-3 of some fucose residues and terminal xylose residues were attached to C-3 of galactose residues. Moreover, SFF-32 disrupted P-selectin-mediated cell adhesion and rolling as well as blocked the interaction between P-selectin and its physiological ligand PSGL-1 in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: Blocking the binding between P-selectin and PSGL-1 is the possible underlying mechanism by which SFF-32 inhibits P-selectin-mediated function, which demonstrated that SFF-32 may be a potential anti-inflammatory lead compound.

Atomic Layer Assembly Based on Sacrificial Templates for 3D Nanofabrication.

Three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures have attracted widespread attention in physics, chemistry, engineering sciences, and biology devices due to excellent functionalities which planar nanostructures cannot achieve. However, the fabrication of 3D nanostructures is still challenging at present. Reliable fabrication, improved controllability, and multifunction integration are desired for further applications in commercial devices. In this review, a powerful fabrication method to realize 3D nanostructures is introduced and reviewed thoroughly, which is based on atomic layer deposition assisted 3D assembly through various sacrificial templates. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of 3D nanofabrication based on atomic layer assembly (ALA) in multifarious sacrificial templates for 3D nanostructures and to present recent advancements, with the ultimate aim to further unlock more potential of this method for nanodevice applications.

Sulforaphane alleviates high fat diet-induced insulin resistance via AMPK/Nrf2/GPx4 axis.

Insulin resistance is a characteristic feature of type 2 diabetes. Sulforaphane (SFN) is a natural antioxidant extracted from the cruciferous vegetables. Recent study reported that SFN exhibits excellent anti-diabetic effects, however, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of SFN on a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance and potential mechanism. SFN was found to effectively reduce body weight, fasting blood glucose and hyperlipidemia, and improve liver function in HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, SFN effectively increased glucose uptake and improved insulin signaling in palmitic acid (PA)-induced HepG2 cells. SFN also led to increased expression of antioxidant genes downstream of Nrf2 and decreased accumulation of lipid peroxides MDA and 4-HNE, both in vivo and in vitro. Further studies revealed that SFN significantly reduced glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) inactivation-mediated oxidative stress by activating the AMPK and Nrf2 signaling pathways. In PA-induced HepG2 cells and flies, the alleviation of insulin resistance by SFN was diminished by GPx4 inhibitor. Taken together, SFN ameliorated HFD-induced insulin resistance by activating the AMPK-Nrf2-GPx4 pathway, providing new insights into SFN as a therapeutic compound for the alleviation of insulin resistance.

Highly Enhanced Photoluminescence of Monolayer MoS2 in Plasmonic Hybrids with Double-Layer Stacked Ag Nanoparticles.

In this work, a feasible method was proposed to prepare MoS2-based plasmonic hybrid systems with high photoluminescence (PL) emission enhancement. The enhancement effect of plasmonic hybrids on the PL emission of MoS2 has been systematically studied on MoS2/Ag spherical nanoparticle (SP) hybrid systems with different architectures by changing the stacking position of Ag SPs. It is demonstrated that the sandwich-like hybrid composed of monolayer MoS2 and dielectric Al2O3 layer between two layers of Ag SPs has the highest PL enhancement. Remarkably, after adding an Al2O3 layer under MoS2, the PL intensity enhancement up to 209 times was achieved in the sandwich-like hybrid system. Compared with the hybrid with single-layer SPs, the sandwich-like hybrid system with double-layer Ag SPs exhibited an obvious blue shift as a result of the selective enhancement of the A0 exciton in MoS2. These results demonstrate that MoS2/Ag SP hybrid nanosystems have significant implications for sensing and photoelectronic devices.

Telemedicine interventions to reduce blood pressure in a chronic disease population: A meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a leading risk factor for many chronic diseases. Many investigations conducted using telemedicine (TM)-based interventions have the potential to control BP. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of TM-based interventions in reducing BP. METHODS: Studies were selected from PubMed, PMC, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The mean and standard deviation changes in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were analysed using standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with a random-effects model or fixed-effects model to assess the efficiency of controlling BP. Subgroup analysis, influence analysis and publication bias analysis were also conducted. RESULTS: Sixteen randomised clinical trials were included in this meta-analysis. A TM-based lifestyle intervention significantly reduced daytime SBP (SMD = -0.18, 95% CI -0.27 to -0.10; p < 0.001) and DBP (SMD = -0.18, 95% CI -0.27 to -0.09; p < 0.001). The results of subgroup analysis indicated that this reduction in BP was reliable when BP interventions lasted for 6 months or longer in populations with cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Moreover, the detection data should be delivered by a device system to ensure accuracy. DISCUSSION: A TM-based intervention could reduce daytime SBP and DBP in populations with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This review provides intuitive evidence of a reduction in BP using TM-based interventions.

Sulphated glucuronomannan tetramer and hexamer from Sargassum thunbergii exhibit anti-human cytomegalovirus activity by blocking viral entry.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) remains a major public health burden worldwide. The anti-HCMV activity of glucuronomannan oligosaccharides (Gs) and sulphated glucuronomannan oligosaccharides (SGs) was investigated. Among these Gs and SGs, G4S1 and G6S1 (higher sulphated glucuronomannan tetramer and hexamer) showed satisfactory anti-HCMV activity starting at 50 µg/mL and 10 µg/mL, respectively. The results of the morphology, western blotting, qPCR and TCID50 assay showed that they prevented lytic cytopathic changes, inhibited the expression of IE1/2 and UL44, and reduced the UL123 copy number and virus titre significantly. It was interesting to note that degree of sulphation and polymerization was more important for anti-HCMV activity. Moreover, the anti-HCMV activities of G4S1 and G6S1 were stable when stored at 4 °C, -20 °C, and -80 °C for at least three months and mainly occurred in the early stage of HCMV infection through the negative charge of the sulphate groups and the interaction between SGs and the host cells.

Ethanol extract of Sargarsum fusiforme alleviates HFD/STZ-induced hyperglycemia in association with modulation of gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites in type 2 diabetic mice.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered a rapidly growing chronic disease that threatens human health worldwide. Extracts of various seaweeds have been shown to have anti-diabetic activity. Sargarsum fusiforme, an edible brown seaweed, has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-obesity activities. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effect of an ethanol extract of S. fusiforme (EE) on type 2 diabetes in mice induced with high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ). Administering EE to the diabetic mice significantly reduced food intake, water intake and fasting blood glucose (FBG), while improving glucose tolerance, lipid profile and ameliorating hepatic oxidative stress. Furthermore, these animals also exhibited significantly diminished epididymal fat deposition, as well as less pathological changes in the heart and liver tissues, while displaying some highly enriched benign gut bacteria (e.g., Intestinimonas, Oscillibacter, Lachnoclostridium, unidentified_Lachnospiraceae, Roseburia and Anaerotruncus) and a lower abundance of bacteria associated with diabetes or other metabolic diseases (e.g., Enterorhabdus and Romboutsia). Metabolomic analysis revealed reduced levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), such as l-valine and l-isoleucine, aromatic amino acids (AAA), such as l-tyrosine and l-phenylalanine, and increased levels of 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (4-HPA) in the gut content, suggesting that EE may impact T2DM through modulation of these compounds in the gut of the animals. Taken together, the results implied that S. fusiforme may contain valuable active components other than polysaccharides that have potential benefit in alleviating T2DM.

Antiaging compounds from marine organisms.

Marine organisms have received mounting attention in antiaging activity due to their exclusive chemicals. This review aims at revealing and discussing prospective antiaging substance from marine macroalgae, micaroalgae, invertebrate and vertebrate. The activity and mechanism of the carbohydrate, protein, pigment, flavonoids, fatty acids, phenols from marine organisms were revealed through a variety of antiaging experimental models such as rats, Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. And meanwhile, the problems and prospects aspects were discussed for future research in this field. It was suggested that the antiaging functional ingredients from these marine organisms are alternative sources for synthetic ingredients that can contribute to consumer's well-being, as part of nutraceuticals, functional foods and cosmetics.

Sargassum fusiforme fucoidan modifies gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites during alleviation of hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetic mice.

Type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) is a complicated metabolic disorder that is now considered as a major global public health problem. Fucoidan exhibits diverse biological activities, especially prevention of metabolic diseases. In this regard, we herein aimed to reveal the beneficial effect of Sargassum fusiforme fucoidan (SFF) on high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) induced T2DM mice. We noted that on the one hand, SFF significantly decreased fasting blood glucose, diet and water intake, and hyperlipidemia, while on the other hand, it improved glucose tolerance. Furthermore, SFF reduced epididymal fat deposition, attenuated the pathological changes in heart and liver tissues, and decreased oxidative stress in diabetic mice. To explore the underlying mechanisms of these ameliorative effects, the gut microbiota was analyzed. Notably, SFF highly enriched benign microbes including Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium and Blautia, as well as increased levels of (R)-carnitine and choline in the colon of diabetic mice. This may be a potential mechanism for alleviating T2DM, thus implying the benefits of SFF as an adjuvant agent for T2DM treatment. Taken together, this study demonstrated a promising application of fucoidan as one of the adjuvant agents for the management of T2DM in the future.

The Diagnostic Value of Exosome-Derived Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnoses once depended on neuropathologic examination. Now, many widely used, validated biomarkers benefits for monitoring of AD neuropathologic changes. Exosome-derived biomarker studies have reported them to be significantly related to AD's early occurrence and development, although the findings are inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis was to identify exosome-derived biomarkers for the diagnosis of AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) were searched for studies assessing the diagnostic value of biomarkers, including data describing the pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive diagnostic likelihood ratio (DLR+), negative diagnostic likelihood ratio (DLR-), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC). The quality of the included studies was assessed using RevMan 5.3 software. Publication bias was analyzed. Results: In total, 19 eligible studies, including 3,742 patients, were selected for this meta-analysis. The SEN, SPE, DLR+, DLR-, DOR, and AUC (95% confidence intervals) of exosome-derived biomarkers in the diagnosis of AD or MCI were 0.83 (0.76-0.87), 0.82 (0.77-0.86), 4.53 (3.46-5.93), 0.21 (0.15-0.29), 17.27 (11.41-26.14), and 0.89 (0.86-0.92), respectively. Sub-group analyses revealed that studies based on serum or microRNA (miRNA) analysis, and those of Caucasian populations, AD patients, patient sample size >50, neuron-derived exosomes (NDE) from plasma and p-tau had higher sensitivity, specificity, and AUC values. Conclusion: Exosome-derived biomarkers have shown potential diagnostic value in AD and MCI, although further research is required for confirmation.

Polysaccharides from Hemp Seed Protect against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Intestinal Oxidative Damage via Nrf2-Keap1 Signaling Pathway in Mice.

Hemp seed has been used as a traditional oriental medicine and health food in China for centuries. Polysaccharides from hemp seed (HSP) exhibit important properties of intestinal protection, but there are limited data on the specific underlying mechanism. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the protective effect of HSP on intestinal oxidative damage induced by cyclophosphamide (Cy) in mice. The results showed that pretreatment with HSP significantly increased the average daily gain, thymus index, spleen index, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in serum and ileal homogenate and significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content in ileal homogenate. In addition, the expression levels of SOD, GSH-Px, Nrf2, heme oxidase-1 (HO-1), and quinoneoxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) mRNA in ileal homogenate were significantly increased. Western blot results showed that HSP significantly upregulated the expression of Nrf2 protein and downregulated the expression of Keap1 protein in the ileum. Collectively, our findings indicated that HSP had protective effects on intestinal oxidative damage induced by Cy in mice, and its mechanism might be related to the activation of Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway.

Neurofilament light chain level in traumatic brain injury: A system review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Neurofilament light (NfL) level was obviously increased in traumatic brain injury (TBI) individuals. But, no comprehensive meta-analysis has ever been conducted to assess the diagnostic performance of NfL. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between NfL level and TBI through a meta-analysis. METHODS: Studies were selected from Pubmed, Web of science, Embase, Google Scholar, PMC and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) through inclusion and exclusion criteria. The standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the random-effect model or fixed-effect model to assess the association between NfL level and TBI. Subgroup analysis according to sample collection time, sample type and detection method was performed. The influence analysis and publication bias was also conducted. All analyses were performed using the RevMan 5.3 and Stata 12 software. RESULTS: A total of 9 studies were included. Results indicated that TBI individuals had a higher NfL expression level compared with the non-TBI individuals (SMD = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.52-3.43, I = 96%, P < .01). Similar NfL increasing was also observed in Caucasian population, 0-48 hour and 6-10 days sample collection time, as well as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum, plasma sample subgroup analysis. Moreover, the NfL increasing still existed no matter the NfL expression level was detected by ELISA or Simoa assay. CONCLUSION: NfL expression level was increased in TBI individuals, which indicated that NfL could be a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of TBI and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Comparative analysis of maca (Lepidium meyenii) proteome profiles reveals insights into response mechanisms of herbal plants to high-temperature stress.

BACKGROUND: High-temperature stress (HTS) is one of the main environmental stresses that limit plant growth and crop production in agricultural systems. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is an important high-altitude herbaceous plant adapted to a wide range of environmental stimuli such as cold, strong wind and UV-B exposure. However, it is an extremely HTS-sensitive plant species. Thus far, there is limited information about gene/protein regulation and signaling pathways related to the heat stress responses in maca. In this study, proteome profiles of maca seedlings exposed to HTS for 12 h were investigated using a tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomic approach. RESULTS: In total, 6966 proteins were identified, of which 300 showed significant alterations in expression following HTS. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum was the most significantly up-regulated metabolic pathway following HTS. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that the expression levels of 19 genes encoding proteins mapped to this pathway were significantly up-regulated under HTS. These results show that protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum may play a crucial role in the responses of maca to HTS. CONCLUSIONS: Our proteomic data can be a good resource for functional proteomics of maca and our results may provide useful insights into the molecular response mechanisms underlying herbal plants to HTS.

Inhibition of glucuronomannan hexamer on the proliferation of lung cancer through binding with immunoglobulin G.

The anti-lung cancer activity of oligosaccharides derived from glucuronomannan was investigated. The inhibition of A549 cell proliferation by glucuronomannan (Gn) and its oligomers (dimer (G2), tetramer (G4) and hexamer (G6)) were concentration dependent. In vivo activities on the A549-derived tumor xenografts showed the tumor inhibition of G2, G4 and G6 were 17 %, 40 % and 46 %, respectively. Organ coefficients in nude mice showed an increase in the kidney with G4, the brain with G6, and the spleen with G6. An advanced tandem mass tag labeled proteomics approach was performed. A significant differential expression was found in 59 out of the 4371 proteins, which involved the immune system. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) studies revealed G6 was strongly bound to immunoglobulin G. This suggests that glucuronomannan hexamer inhibits the proliferation of lung cancer through its binding to immunoglobulin.

Agonistic behaviors and neuronal activation in sexually naïve female Mongolian gerbils.

Agonistic interaction is important for establishing social hierarchy and determining access to limited resources. Although there are substantial studies investigating the neural mechanisms of aggressive or defensive behavior in male rodents, little attention has been paid to the mechanisms underlying agonistic behaviors in females. In the present study, we depicted patterns of agonistic behaviors in sexually naïve female Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and examined the neuronal activation in the brain by Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) staining. We found that the winner-loser relationship was established rapidly. Winners displayed higher levels of aggression, environmental exploration, scent marking, and self-grooming, but less defensive behavior, in comparison to losers. Several patterns of Fos-ir expression emerged following agonistic interactions. Winners had the number of Fos-ir cells in the ventrolateral subnucleus of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl) and dorsal periaqueductal grey (PAGd) more than the controls but less than the losers. Losers also had more Fos-ir cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), anterior medial (BSTam) and anteriolateral (BSTal) subnuclei of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), and the ventral subnucleus of the lateral septum (LSv), as well as less Fos-ir cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG), compared to the controls. In addition, the number of Fos-ir cells showed similar increases in the principal nucleus (BSTpr) and interfascicular nucleus (BSTif) of the BST and amygdala (AMYG) in both the winners and losers, compared to the controls. Together, these data illustrate the patterns of altered neuronal activation in a behavior-, social status-, and brain region-specific manner, implicating potential roles of the brain neural circuit in mediating agonistic interactions in female Mongolian gerbils.

Structural characteristics and anti-complement activities of polysaccharides from Sargassum hemiphyllum.

Three polysaccharides (SH-1, SH-2 and SH-3) were purified from a brown macroalgea, Sargassum hemiphyllum. The autohydrolysis products from each polysaccharide were separated to three fractions (S fractions as oligomers, L fractions as low molecular weight polysaccharides and H fractions as high molecular weight polysaccharides). Mass spectroscopy of S fractions (SH-1-S, SH-2-S and SH-3-S) showed that these three polymers all contained short stretches of sulfated fucose. The structures of L fractions (SH-1-L, SH-2-L and SH-3-L) were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). SH-1-L was composed of two units, unit A (sulfated galactofucan) and unit B (sulfated xylo-glucuronomannan). Unit A contained a backbone of (1, 6-linked ß-D-Gal) n1, (1, 3-linked 4-sulfated α-L-Fuc) n2, (1, 3-linked 2, 4-di-sulfated α-L-Fuc) n3, (1, 4-linked α-L-Fuc) n4 and (1, 3-linked ß-D-Gal) n5, accompanied by some branches, such as sulfated fuco-oligomers, sulfated galacto-oligomers or sulfated galacto-fuco-oligomers. And unit B consisted of alternating 1, 4-linked ß-D-glucuronic acid (GlcA) and 1, 2-linked α-D-mannose (Man) with the Man residues randomly sulfated at C6 or branched with xylose (Xyl) at C3. Both SH-2-L and SH-3-L were composed of unit A and their difference was attributed to the ratio of n1: n2: n3: n4: n5. Based on monosaccharide analysis, we hypothesize that both SH-1-H and SH-2-H contained unit A and unit B while SH-3-H had a structure similar to SH-3-L. An assessment of anti-complement activities showed that the sulfated galactofucan had higher activities than sulfated galacto-fuco-xylo-glucuronomannan. These results suggest that the sulfated galactofucans might be a good candidate for anti-complement drugs.