Mechanisms of action of berberine hydrochloride in planktonic cells and biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The increasing prevalence of extensively drug- and pan-drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major concern for global public health. Therefore, it is crucial to develop novel antimicrobials that specifically target P. aeruginosa and its biofilms. In the present study, we determined that berberine hydrochloride inhibited the growth of planktonic bacteria as well as prevented the formation of biofilms. Moreover, we observed downregulation in the expression of pslA and pelA biofilm-related genes. Compared with existing antibiotics, berberine hydrochloride exhibits multiple modes of action against P. aeruginosa. Our findings suggest that berberine hydrochloride exerts its antimicrobial effects by damaging bacterial cell membranes, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reducing intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. Furthermore, berberine hydrochloride showed minimal cytotoxicity and reduced susceptibility to drug resistance. In a mouse model of peritonitis, it significantly inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa and exhibited a strong bacteriostatic action. In conclusion, berberine hydrochloride is a safe and effective antibacterial agent that inhibits the growth of P. aeruginosa.

Design and experiment of a soybean shaftless spiral seed discharge and seed delivery device.

When the driven stubble-breaking and anti-blocking no-till planter operates in the Southwest China, the stubble-breaking blades will impact with the ground as they cut through the soil and straw stubble, causing the planter to vibrate. This results in poor performances of the seed discharge by seed discharger and the seed guide by the seed guide tube. Based on the principle of spiral conveying, a soybean shaftless spiral seed discharge and seed delivery device was designed. The optimum seed filling size and speed range of the spiral blade were obtained by analyzing the size, force, and motion of soybean seeds of "ZhongHuang 37". The quadratic regression orthogonal rotation test and response surface method were used to analyze the operating parameters of the shaftless spiral seed discharge and seed delivery device by joint EDEM (Discrete Element Method)-RecurDyn simulation. The optimum parameters were obtained: the spacing of spiral was 11.4 mm, spiral outer radius was 5.5 mm, spiral inner radius was 2.9 mm and rotation speed was 10.4 r·s-1. Based on simulation and optimization results, the device was trialed and its field performance was tested. The results showed that at a surface slope of 16.1°, an average surface flatness of 8.9 cm, an average planter vibration frequency of 75.2 Hz, and an average amplitude of 7.2 mm, the average seeding qualification index, multiple index, missing seeding index, and damage index of the shaftless spiral seed discharge and seed delivery device were 92.6%, 5.03%, 2.4% and 0.92%, respectively, which were in line with the local agronomic requirements. The designed soybean shaftless spiral seed discharge and seed delivery device meets the requirements of the quality of no-till seeding and can provide a reference for the design and improvement of seed discharger and seed guide tube under poor ground leveling and long-distance seed delivery conditions.

Characteristic fragmentation of polyunsaturated fatty acids with allylic vicinal diols in positive-ion LC/ESI-MS/MS.

A characteristic fragmentation was observed for PUFAs that contain allylic vicinal diol groups (resolvin D1, D2, D4, E3, lipoxin A4, B4, and maresin 2), which were derivatized with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (DMED), in positive-ion ESI-MS/MS. The findings indicate that when these compounds contain an allylic hydroxyl group that is located distal to the terminal DMED moiety in the case of resolvin D1, D4, and lipoxin A4, an aldehyde (-CH=O) is predominately formed, which arises from the breakdown in between vicinal diols, whereas, in the case of an allylic hydroxyl group that is located proximal to the DMED moiety, as in resolvin D2, E3, lipoxin B4, and maresin 2, an allylic carbene (-CH=CH-CH:) is formed. These specific fragmentations could be used as diagnostic ions for characterizing the above seven PUFAs. As a result, it was possible to detect resolvin D1, D2, E3, lipoxin A4, and B4 in sera (20 µl) obtained from healthy volunteers by multiple-reaction monitoring using LC/ESI-MS/MS.

Bearing Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Improved Singular Value Decomposition Package.

The singular value decomposition package (SVDP) is often used for signal decomposition and feature extraction. At present, the general SVDP has insufficient feature extraction ability due to the two-row structure of the Hankel matrix, which leads to mode mixing. In this paper, an improved singular value decomposition packet (ISVDP) algorithm is proposed: the feature extraction ability is improved by changing the structure of the Hankel matrix, and similar signal sub-components are selected by similarity to avoid having the same frequency component signals being decomposed into different sub-signals. In this paper, the effectiveness of ISVDP is illustrated by a set of simulation signals, and it is utilized in fault diagnosis of bearing data. The results show that ISVDP can effectively suppress the model-mixing phenomenon and can extract the fault features in bearing vibration signals more accurately.

Design and experimental study on pruning machine of Yunnan edible rose.

Edible rose is one of the main cash crops in Yunnan, China. Due to the high degree of lignification of rose stalks which is difficult to cut, and roses can only be pruned by hand after picking. Most of Yunnan Province is hilly landscape. Therefore, it is necessary to design an efficient small rose pruner for hills. Based on the experimental results of the physical and mechanical properties of rose stems, a simulation experiment of three different cutting methods was conducted to determine the optimal scheme. The results showed that single disc cutter is the best cutting method. An improved disc cutter with variable sliding angle is designed. In order to study the effects of the different structure parameters on the performance of the pruning machine and get the optimal combination of parameters, the orthogonal test was conducted. Forward speed, rotational speed of cutter, number of blades, cutting angle and knife-edge angle as factors, and the quality of pruning was selected as the evaluation index. The experiment results indicated that the working performance of machine was the highest when the number of blades was 6, rotational speed of cutter was 2000 rpm, cutting angle was 20°, knife-edge angle was 10°, forward speed was 0.5 m s-1. The average quality of pruning index, miss cutting index and tearing index were 90.6%, 5.68% and 3.72%, respectively. The designed machine can meet the agronomic requirements of Yunnan edible rose pruning operation. The research provides a reference for the design and extending of the pruning machine for edible rose.

Polysaccharides from Panax ginseng promote intestinal epithelial cell migration through affecting the Ca2+ related regulators.

Background and aim: Panax ginseng, a key herbal medicine of replenishing Qi and tonifying Spleen, is widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in East Asia. In this study, we aim to investigate the potential effects and mechanisms of polysaccharides from P. ginseng (PGP) on intestinal mucosal restitution which is one of the crucial repair modalities during the recovery of mucosal injury controlled by the Ca2+ signaling. Methods: Rat model of intestinal mucosal injury was induced by indomethacin. The fractional cell migration was carried out by immunohistochemistry staining with BrdU. The morphological observations on intestinal mucosal injury were also performed. Intestinal epithelial cell (IEC-6) migration in vitro was conducted by scratch method. Western-blot was adopted to determine the expressions of PLC-γ1, Rac1, TRPC1, RhoA and Cav-1. Immunoprecipitation was used to evaluate the levels of Rac1/PLC-γ1, RhoA/TRPC1 and Cav-1/TRPC1. Results: The results showed that PGP effectively reduced the assessment of intestinal mucosal injury, reversed the inhibition of epithelial cell migration induced by Indomethacin, and increased the level of Ca2+ in intestinal mucosa in vivo. Moreover, PGP dramatically promoted IEC-6 cell migration, the expression of Ca2+ regulators (PLC-γ1, Rac1, TRPC1, Cav-1 and RhoA) as well as protein complexes (Rac1/PLC-γ1, Cav-1/TRPC1 and RhoA/TRPC1) in vitro. Conclusion: PGP increases the Ca2+ content in intestinal mucosa partly through controlling the regulators of Ca2+ mobilization, subsequently promotes intestinal epithelial cell migration, and then prevents intestinal mucosal injury induced by indomethacin.

YOLOX-based blue laser weeding robot in corn field.

A YOLOX convolutional neural network-based weeding robot was designed for weed removal in corn seedling fields, while verifying the feasibility of a blue light laser as a non-contact weeding tool. The robot includes a tracked mobile platform module, a weed identification module, and a robotic arm laser emitter module. Five-degree-of-freedom robotic arm designed according to the actual weeding operation requirements to achieve precise alignment of the laser. When the robot is in operation, it uses the texture and shape of the plants to differentiate between weeds and corn seedlings. The robot then uses monocular ranging to calculate the coordinates of the weeds using the triangle similarity principle, and it controls the end actuator of the robotic arm to emit the laser to kill the weeds. At a driving speed of 0.2 m·s-1 on flat ground, the weed robot's average detection rate for corn seedlings and weeds was 92.45% and 88.94%, respectively. The average weed dry weight prevention efficacy was 85%, and the average seedling injury rate was 4.68%. The results show that the robot can accurately detect weeds in corn fields, and the robotic arm can precisely align the weed position and the blue light laser is effective in removing weeds.

The role of Astragalus polysaccharides in promoting IEC-6 cell migration from polyamine-mediated Ca2+ regulation.

Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) has a protective effect on injured intestinal mucosa by promoting intestinal cell migration, but the specific mechanism is unclear. The polyamine-mediated calcium signaling pathway is an important mechanism of cell migration, generally, and we tested the hypothesis that APS can protect damaged intestinal mucosa through the polyamine-mediated calcium signaling pathway. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), infrared chromatography, cell scratch test, Western blot, co-immunoprecipitation, polyamine inhibitor (DFMO), si-Cav1, RhoA inhibitor (Rhosin) and Rac1 inhibitor (NSC23766) were used to detect the pharmacodynamic of APS. The results show that APS can promote cell migration. In addition, APS increased the formations of RhoA/TRPC1, Cav1/TRPC1, and Rac1/PLCγ-1 complexes as well as the expressions of TRPC1, PLCγ-1, RhoA, Cav1, and Rac1, and it reversed the inhibitory effect of DFMO on the above factors. APS also reversed the inhibitory effect of si-Cav1 on Cav1 expression, cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]cyt), and cell migration. Moreover, APS removed the inhibition of NSC23766 and Rhosin on [Ca2+]cyt and cell migration. In vivo study, the water extract of Astragalus membranaceus (WEA) (15 g/kg) reduced the indomethacin-induced injury of intestinal mucosa as well. These observations suggest that APS can treat gastrointestinal mucosal injury through the polyamine calcium signaling pathway.

Total ginsenosides promote the IEC-6 cell proliferation via affecting the regulatory mechanism mediated by polyamines.

Epithelial cell proliferation has been demonstrated to be a critical modality for mucosal repair after gastrointestinal mucosal injury. This research aimed to investigate the effect of total ginsenosides upon the proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6), and elucidate its potential mechanisms through polyamine-regulated pathway including the expression of proliferation-related proteins. Total ginsenosides (PGE3) were extracted from Panax ginseng, a Chinese herbal medicine, whose chromatogram was obtained by high performance liquid chromatographic method with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD). The cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution and the level of c-Myc, RhoA, Cdk2 proteins were detected to determine the effects of PGE3 at 25, 50 and100 mg/l doses on IEC-6. Furthermore, rats model of intestinal mucosal injury were induced by the subcutaneous injection of indomethacin, and the effect of Panax ginseng aqueous extracts (PGE1) on intestinal mucosal injury was observed. PGE3 could promote IEC-6 cell proliferation, reduce the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells and elevate the proportion of G2/M + S phase cells, and revert the proliferation and cell cycle arrest induced by DFMO (DL-a-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of polyamines synthesis). PGE3 exposure enhanced the level of c-Myc, RhoA and Cdk2 proteins, and reversed the inhibition of these proteins expression induced by DFMO. The results of gross and pathological scores showed administration of PGE1 significantly alleviated intestinal mucosal injury of rats. Our findings indicate that total ginsenosides promoted the IEC-6 proliferation presumably via its regulation on cell cycle and the expression of proliferation-related proteins regulated by polyamines, and provided a novel perspective for exploring the repair effect of Panax ginseng upon gastrointestinal mucosal injury.

Bearing Fault Feature Extraction and Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Feature Fusion.

Bearing is one of the most important parts of rotating machinery with high failure rate, and its working state directly affects the performance of the entire equipment. Hence, it is of great significance to diagnose bearing faults, which can contribute to guaranteeing running stability and maintenance, thus promoting production efficiency and economic benefits. Usually, the bearing fault features are difficult to extract effectively, which results in low diagnosis performance. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a bearing fault feature extraction method and it establishes a bearing fault diagnosis method that is based on feature fusion. The basic idea of the method is as follows: firstly, the time-frequency feature of the bearing signal is extracted through Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) to form the time-frequency characteristic matrix of the signal; secondly, the Multi-Weight Singular Value Decomposition (MWSVD) is constructed by singular value contribution rate and entropy weight. The features of the time-frequency feature matrix obtained by WPT are further extracted, and the features that are sensitive to fault in the time-frequency feature matrix are retained while the insensitive features are removed; finally, the extracted feature matrix is used as the input of the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for bearing fault diagnosis. The proposed method is validated by data sets from the time-varying bearing data from the University of Ottawa and Case Western Reserve University Bearing Data Center. The results show that the algorithm can effectively diagnose the bearing under the steady-state and unsteady state. This paper proposes that the algorithm has better fault diagnosis capabilities and feature extraction capabilities when compared with methods that aree based on traditional feature technology.

Effect of polysaccharides from Sijunzi decoction on Ca2+ related regulators during intestinal mucosal restitution.

BACKGROUND: Sijunzi decoction, a representative Chinese herbal formula of reinforcing Qi strengthening spleen, has been widely used for treating patients with gastrointestinal diseases and spleen-deficiency syndrome, however, the exact effects and mechanisms are remained unclear. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: The migration of intestinal epithelial (IEC-6) cells has been demonstrated to be one of the major repair modalities during the healing of mucosal wounds. Ca2+ is the key factor in regulating cell migration. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the potential effects and mechanisms of polysaccharides (SJZDP) extracted from Sijunzi decoction in intestinal mucosal restitution. METHOD: Cell migration was detected by scratch method with micropipette tip. Western blotting was adopted to evaluate the expression of STIM1 and STIM2 proteins. Immunofluorescence was carried out to assess the translocation of STIM1 protein. Immunoprecipitation was used to determine the levels of STIM1/TRPC1 and STIM1/STIM2 complexes. A indomethacin-induced intestinal mucosal injury rat model was applied. The content of polyamines in intestinal mucosa was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. The morphological changes in the intestinal mucosa were observed at the end of animal experiment. RESULTS: The results showed that treatment with SJZDP significantly promoted cell migration, enhanced the level of STIM1 protein and STIM1/TRPC1 complexes, reduced the level of STIM2 protein and STIM1/STIM2 complexes. Further more, SJZDP exposure promoted the translocation of STIM1 to the plasma membrane. In vivo experiment results, the administration of SJZDP effectively reduced intestinal mucosal injury. CONCLUSION: These results revealed that SJZDP promotes intestinal epithelial restitution after wounding, presumably by regulating cellular levels of STIM1 and STIM2 differentially, stimulating the translocation of STIM1, and inducing STIM1/TRPC1 association as well as decreasing the level of STIM1/STIM2.

Progress in multiple genetically modified minipigs for xenotransplantation in China.

Pig-to-human organ transplantation provides an alternative for critical shortage of human organs worldwide. Genetically modified pigs are promising donors for xenotransplantation as they show many anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. However, immunological rejection including hyperacute rejection (HAR), acute humoral xenograft rejection (AHXR), immune cell-mediated rejection, and other barriers associated with xenotransplantation must be overcome with various strategies for the genetic modification of pigs. In this review, we summarize the outcomes of genetically modified and cloned pigs achieved by Chinese scientists to resolve the above-mentioned problems in xenotransplantation. It is now possible to knockout several porcine genes associated with the expression of sugar residues, antigens for (naturally) existing antibodies in humans, including GGTA1, CMAH, and ß4GalNT2, and thereby preventing the antigen-antibody response. Moreover, insertion of human complement- and coagulation-regulatory transgenes, such as CD46, CD55, CD59, and hTBM, can further overcome effects of the humoral immune response and coagulation dysfunction, while expression of regulatory factors of immune responses can inhibit the adaptive immune rejection. Furthermore, transgenic strategies have been developed by Chinese scientists to reduce the potential risk of infections by endogenous porcine retroviruses (PERVs). Breeding of multi-gene low-immunogenicity pigs in China is also presented in this review. Lastly, we will briefly mention the preclinical studies on pig-to-non-human primate xenotransplantation conducted in several centers in China.

Full-Length Transcriptome Sequencing and Modular Organization Analysis of the Naringin/Neoeriocitrin-Related Gene Expression Pattern in Drynaria roosii.

Drynaria roosii (Nakaike) is a traditional Chinese medicinal fern, known as 'GuSuiBu'. The effective components, naringin and neoeriocitrin, share a highly similar chemical structure and medicinal function. Our HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) results showed that the accumulation of naringin/neoeriocitrin depended on specific tissues or ages. However, little was known about the expression patterns of naringin/neoeriocitrin-related genes involved in their regulatory pathways. Due to a lack of basic genetic information, we applied a combination of single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and second-generation sequencing (SGS) to generate the complete and full-length transcriptome of D. roosii. According to the SGS data, the differentially expressed gene (DEG)-based heat map analysis revealed that naringin/neoeriocitrin-related gene expression exhibited obvious tissue- and time-specific transcriptomic differences. Using the systems biology method of modular organization analysis, we clustered 16,472 DEGs into 17 gene modules and studied the relationships between modules and tissue/time point samples, as well as modules and naringin/neoeriocitrin contents. We found that naringin/neoeriocitrin-related DEGs distributed in nine distinct modules, and DEGs in these modules showed significantly different patterns of transcript abundance to be linked to specific tissues or ages. Moreover, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) results further identified that PAL, 4CL and C4H, and C3H and HCT acted as the major hub genes involved in naringin and neoeriocitrin synthesis, respectively, and exhibited high co-expression with MYB- and basic helix-leucine-helix (bHLH)-regulated genes. In this work, modular organization and co-expression networks elucidated the tissue and time specificity of the gene expression pattern, as well as hub genes associated with naringin/neoeriocitrin synthesis in D. roosii. Simultaneously, the comprehensive transcriptome data set provided important genetic information for further research on D. roosii.

[Effect of Chinese Herbal Extract HNA-1 on the Thymic Output Function in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Chronically Infected Chinese Rhesus Macaques].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Chinese herbal extract HuNan A-1 (HNA-1) on the thymic output function in Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) chronically infected rhesus macaques. METHODS: Eight Chinese rhesus macaques had been infected by SIVmac239 for 16 to 21 months, and then they were randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group, 4 in each group. Monkeys in the treatment group were administered with HNA-1 by gastrogavage, once daily for 2 successive months, while those in the control group were administered with equal volume of normal saline by gastrogavage, once daily for 2 successive months. The general condition and body weight of monkeys were observed. Plasma viral loads were detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR assay. CD4 percentages and counts, as well as naive CD subsets were detected using flow cytometry. T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) were detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR assay. The thymus tissue was pathologically observed using routine HE staining. The correlation between lesions of the thymus tissue, CD4 counts, naive CD counts, and TREC were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in body weight, viral loads, absolute CD ratios between the two groups after treatment (P > 0.05). The altered TREC multiple showed an obvious decreasing tendency in the control group, while it showed an increasing tendency in the treatment group (P < 0.05). In both groups, destroyed structures of the thymus tissue could be seen, filled with pink unstructured material. Increased connective tissues, lowered connective cell density, and confused arrangement could also be seen in the two groups, with no obvious difference. TREC contents were positively correlated with naive CD4 counts after removing extremum (r = 0.926, P = 0.001). Naive CD4 counts were positively correlated with CD4 counts (r = 0.961, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: TREC content determination, as a marker of newly thymic emigrants, could be taken as a testing method for evaluating the thymic output function. Besides, HNA-1 treatment increased the thymic output significantly in SIV chronically infected monkeys. Correlation existed among TREC contents, naive CD4 counts, and pathologies of thymus tissues, especially in late infection stage.

[Oncomelania hupensis snail situation in wetlands surrounding reservoirs in hilly areas in Danling County].

OBJECTIVE: To master the Oncomelania hupensis snail situation in wetlands surrounding reservoirs in hilly areas in Danling County, Sichuan Province, so as to provide the reference for improving the snail control in these areas. METHODS: A medium-sized reservoir (Meiwan Reservoir) and a small-sized reservoir (Zhulinkan Reservoir) were chosen respectively , and the snail situation of the environments surrounding the reservoirs were investigated , the indexes such as the occurrence rate of frames with snails and the density of living snails at the upstream and downstream of the reservoirs as well as the surrounding environments were calculated and compared. Meanwhile , the data of the snail situation of the adjacent villages in the irrigation district at the downstream of the reservoirs year by year were collected to analyze the variation trend. RESULTS: The Meiwan Reservoir was located in the deep hill, the occurrence rate of frames with snails was 4.29%, the highest and average densities of living snails were 28.00 snails/0.1 m2 and 0.38 snails/0.1 m2, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the occurrence rates of frames with snails at the upstream and downstream, which were 0.17% and 22.16%, respectively (χ2 = 1,267.40, P < 0.05), and the rate of spillway was the highest (51.69%). The highest and average densities of living snails in the downstream were 7.00 and 656.10 times higher than those in the upstream respectively. The Zhulinkan Reservoir was located in the shallow hill, the occurrence rate of frames with snails was 17.29%, and the highest and average densities of the living snails were 38.00 snails/0.1 m2 and 0.61 snails/0.1 in 2, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the occurrence rates of frames with snails at the upstream and the downstream, which were 12.95% and 50.92% respectively (χ2 = 194.68, P < 0.05), and the rate of spillway was the highest (65.74%). The highest and average densities of living snails in the downstream were 5.43 and 10.00 times higher than those in the upstream respectively. After the construction of the two reservoirs, the snail area in the irrigation districts of the adjacent villages at the downstream was 57.26% of that before and after the construction (398,030 m2/695 160 m2). The snail area showed a down-ward tendency with repeatedly rebound since the 1990s. CONCLUSIONS: The wetland surrounding the reservoir in hilly region is suitable for snail breeding, and the snail situation in the shallow hill is more serious than that in the deep hill. There exists a risk for the repeatability of snail situation in this type of area where the snails can easily diffuse.

[Regulation of naotai recipe on the expression of HIF-lα/VEGF signaling pathway in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic angiogenesis effect of naotai recipe (NR) on local ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of rats by observing signaling pathway of hypoxia-inducible factor-lα (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). METHODS: Totally 120 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, namely, the normal control group (n =12), the sham-operation group (n =12), the I/R model group (n =48), and the NR group (n =48). Cerebral I/R injury models were established using thread suture method. Rats in the I/R model group and the NR group were sub-divided into 4 sub-groups according to the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th I/R day (n =12). The phenomenon of neovasculization was observed by immunofluorescence staining. The protein and mRNA expression levels of HIF-la, VEGF-A, and VEGFR II receptor were detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: There were a large amount of labels for neovasculization in the ischemic area of the NR group. Double-immunofluorescence labeling [vWF (red) and BrdU (green)] was observed in the NR group. Compared with the model group, the HIF-1α protein expression was obviously enhanced on the 1 st day of I/R (P <0.01), and the VEGF protein expression started to enhance on the 3rd day in the NR group (P <0.01). The VEGFR protein expression level was the highest in the NR group on the 5th day of I/R (P <0.01). The protein expression of VEGF and HIF-1α started to decrease on the 7th day of I/R. CONCLUSION: NR could strengthen angiogenesis after I/R by elevating the expression of HIF-lα and activating HIF-lα/VEGF signaling pathway.

[Surveillance of schistosome antibodies in population in mountainous schistosomiasis endemic regions in China].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the dynamics of schistosome antibodies in population in mountainous schistosomiasis low endemic regions, China, so as to provide the evaluation reference for immunodiagnosis. METHODS: The people who consecutively received the indirect heamagglutination assay (IHA) for schistosomiasis and Kato-Katz technique were enrolled in this study in Guixiang Village, Danling County, Sichuan Province from 2006 to 2011. The positive rates for schistosome antibodies, antibody titers and eggs per gram (EPG) were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 353 people were investigated in this study from 2006 to 2011. The positive rates for schistosome antibodies decreased from 20.73% to 13.67%, and the geometric mean reciprocal titer (GMRT) decreased from 1.63 to 1.06. The antibodies tended to be negative in most antibody-positive people and the GMRT decreased gradually. The antibodies remained negative in most antibody-negative people. After chemotherapy in parasitology confirmed patients, the positive rate for schistosome antibodies decreased from 100% to 20%, and the GMRT decreased from 34.29 to 1.58. There was a highly positive correlation between GMRT and EPG (r = 0.94, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The positive rate for schistosome antibodies in population in mountainous schistosomiasis low endemic regions is relatively high (13.67%). The standardization of immunodiagnostic methods is necessary and the suitable diagnostic reagents should be developed in this region.

[Effects of 5-Aza-2-deoxycytidine on DNA methylation of anti-oncogenes in non-small cell lung cancer cells].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of SFRP1 gene methylation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and study the effect of 5-Aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) on DNA methylation and expression of SFRP1, p16 and MGMT genes in the human lung cancer cell line SPC-A-1 cells. METHODS: SP immunohistochemistry and methylation-specific PCR were used to detect the SFRP1 methylation in 60 NSCLC cases, and 21 cases of benign lung diseases were used as control group. SPC-A-1 cells were cultured and treated with 5-Aza-CdR. The promoter methylation status of SFRP1, p16 and MGMT genes were detected by methylation-specific polymerase (MSP) chain reaction, and mRNAs were detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The positive rate of SFRP1 gene methylation in NSCLC was significantly higher than that in normal lung tissue (58.3% vs. 14.3%; χ(2) = 12.118, P = 0.001). SFRP1 gene methylation was closely correlated with lymph node metastasis and degree of differentiation in NSCLC (P < 0.05). SFRP1 protein expression was correlated with clinical stage, degree of differentiation and lymph node metastasis in NSCLC (P < 0.05). The positive expression of SFRP1 protein in 30 cases of NSCLC tissue containing SFRP1 gene methylation was significantly higher than that in non-methylated NSCLC (68.6% vs. 24.0%; χ(2) = 9.613, P = 0.002). SFRP1 gene methylation was closely correlated with SFRP1 gene protein expression in NSCLC (P < 0.05). Negative expression of SFRP1 protein was correlated with the differentiation, clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis in NSCLC (all P < 0.05). Without 5-Aza-CdR treatment, the expressions of methylation of SFRP1, p16 and MGMT genes and their mRNA were low. After 5-Aza-CdR treatment at different concentrations, their expressions were significantly elevated (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SFRP1 gene methylation is closely associated with carcinogenesis and development of NSCLC. 5-Aza-CdR may reverse the methylation of SFRP1, p16 and MGMT genes, and facilitate the re-expression of the anti-oncogenes.

[Effect of comprehensive control pattern on soil-transmitted nematodiasis in Danling County].

The comprehensive control pattern centering on health education, deworming and improving drinking water and lavatories was adopted to control soil-transmitted nematodiasis in Danling County, Sichuan Province from 2007-2009. In 2009, the infection rate of soil-transmitted nematodes decreased from 57.12% of the baseline survey in 2006 to 10.06%.