Search

This study was conducted to explore the therapeutic effect of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 on inflammatory bowel disease. A model of ulcerative colitis (UC) was induced in C57BL/6 mice by administering of 2.5% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) for 8 days. After developing UC, some mice were treated via intragastric administration of BLa80 at a dose of 109 colony-forming units to assess the preventive effects of BLa80 on DSS-induced UC. Compared with non-treated UC model mice, BLa80-treated mice had reduced colon shortening and improvements in colonic tissue structure. Treatment with BLa80 also decreased the serum concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL) 6 and IL-17 in mice. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that BLa80 increased gut microbial diversity in mice and modulated UC-associated imbalances in the gut microbiota. BLa80 selectively promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria, including Romboutsia and Adlercreutzia, the abundances of which were negatively correlated with concentration of cellular inflammatory factors. In summary, the study results demonstrated that pretreatment with B. lactis BLa80 reduced intestinal inflammation and altered the gut microbiota, implying that BLa80 is a promising probiotic strain with potential therapeutic function in UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to explore the therapeutic effect of the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BLa80 on inflammatory bowel disease. A model of ulcerative colitis (UC) was induced in C57BL/6 mice by administering of 2.5% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) for 8 days. After developing UC, some mice were treated via intragastric administration of BLa80 at a dose of 109 colony-forming units to assess the preventive effects of BLa80 on DSS-induced UC. Compared with non-treated UC model mice, BLa80-treated mice had reduced colon shortening and improvements in colonic tissue structure. Treatment with BLa80 also decreased the serum concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL) 6 and IL-17 in mice. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that BLa80 increased gut microbial diversity in mice and modulated UC-associated imbalances in the gut microbiota. BLa80 selectively promoted the growth of beneficial bacteria, including Romboutsia and Adlercreutzia, the abundances of which were negatively correlated with concentration of cellular inflammatory factors. In summary, the study results demonstrated that pretreatment with B. lactis BLa80 reduced intestinal inflammation and altered the gut microbiota, implying that BLa80 is a promising probiotic strain with potential therapeutic function in UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germ cell-specific genes play an important role in establishing the reproductive system in sexual organisms and have been used as valuable markers for studying gametogenesis and sex differentiation. Previously, we isolated a vasa transcript as a germ cell marker to trace the origin and migration of germ cells in the oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense. Here, we identified a new germ cell-specific marker MnTdrd RNA and assessed its temporal and spatial expression during oogenesis and embryogenesis. MnTdrd transcripts were expressed in high abundance in unfertilized eggs and embryos at cleavage stage and then dropped significantly during late embryogenesis, suggesting that MnTdrd mRNA is maternally inherited. In situ hybridization of ovarian tissue showed that MnTdrd mRNA was initially present in the cytoplasm of previtellogenic oocyte and localized to the perinuclear region as the accumulation of yolk in vitellogenic oocyte. Whole-mount in situ hybridization of embryos showed that MnTdrd-positive signals were only localized in one blastomere until 16-cell stage. In the blastula, there were approximately 16 MnTdrd-positive blastomeres. During embryonized-zoea stage, the MnTdrd-positive cells aggregated as a cluster and migrated to the genital rudiment which would develop into primordial germ cells (PGCs). The localized expression pattern of MnTdrd transcripts resembled that of the previously identified germ cell marker vasa, supporting the preformation mode of germ cell specification. Therefore, we concluded that MnTdrd, together with vasa, is a component of the germ plasm and might have critical roles in germ cell formation and differentiation in the prawn. Thus, MnTdrd can be used as a novel germ cell marker to trace the origin and migration of germ cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: LncRNA CASC2 plays a role as tumor suppressor gene in different types of human malignancies, while its involvement in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the involvement of lncRNA CASC2 in OSCC.Methods: In this study, the expression of lncRNA CASC2 in tumor tissues, adjacent healthy tissues, and plasma of 122 OSCC patients as well as in plasma of 52 healthy controls was detected by RT-qPCR. Diagnostic value of lncRNA CASC2 for OSCC was evaluated by ROC curve analysis. Patients were followed up for 5 years to record recurrence. LncRNA CASC2 expression vectors were transfected into cells of human OSCC cell lines, and the effects on cancer cell proliferation and miRNA-21 expression were analyzed by CCK-8 assay and RT-qPCR, respectively.Results: We found that CASC2 was significantly downregulated in OSCC patients than in healthy controls. Downregulation of CASC2 distinguished OSCC patients from healthy controls. Local recurrence was observed in 26 out of 122 patients and no distant recurrence was observed during follow-up. Compared with pretreatment levels, plasma levels of CASC2 were significantly increased in patients with local recurrence than in patients without recurrence. Transfection of CASC2 expression vectors led to significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation and reduced miRNA-21 expression levels.Conclusions: We, therefore, conclude that downregulation of lncRNA CASC2 may participate in the postoperative local recurrence of early OSCC through miRNA-21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the aqueous solubility and cancer targeting of the photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT), we encapsulated the photosensitizer in a biocompatibility and pH-sensitive drug delivery system, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8) nanospheres. Powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy show that our nanospheres are uniform and single-crystalline particles. Owing to the cleavage of zinc-ligand coordination bonds, more ZnPc-COOH were released much faster in the mild acidic conditions (pH 5.0 and 6.0) in comparison with physiological environment (pH 7.4). By incorporating ZnPc-COOH in ZIF-8, our nanospheres exhibited high singlet oxygen quantum yield and intracellular ROS generation. Cell viability experiments toward HepG2 cells demonstrated the low toxicity of ZIF-8 and the good anticancer efficacy of the nanospheres with low IC values (4.2-4.9 μg/mL) under light illumination (670 nm, 1.5 J/cm). Collectively, these results suggested that our nanospheres are the promising pH-responsive drug delivery systems for PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that scutellarin inhibits the excessive activation of microglia, reduces neuronal apoptosis, and exerts neuroprotective effects. However, whether scutellarin regulates activated microglia-mediated neuronal apoptosis and its mechanisms remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether scutellarin can attenuate PC12 cell apoptosis induced by activated microglia via the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway. Microglia were cultured in oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) medium, which acted as a conditioning medium (CM) to activate PC12 cells, to investigate the expression of apoptosis and JAK2/STAT3 signalling-related proteins. We observed that PC12 cells apoptosis in CM was significantly increased, the expression and fluorescence intensity of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and apoptosis-related protein cleaved caspase-3 were increased, and expression of the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) was decreased. Phosphorylation levels and fluorescence intensity of the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway-related proteins JAK2 and STAT3 decreased. After treatment with scutellarin, PC12 cells apoptosis as well as cleaved caspase-3 and Bax protein expression and fluorescence intensity decreased. The expression and fluorescence intensity of Bcl-2, phosphorylated JAK2, and STAT3 increased. AG490, a specific inhibitor of the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway, was used. Our findings suggest that AG490 attenuates the effects of scutellarin. Our study revealed that scutellarin inhibited OGD-activated microglia-mediated PC12 cells apoptosis which was regulated via the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the maximal atom utilization, high activity, and selectivity, the two-dimensional (2D) matrix supported single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted substantial research interests. In this work, we carried out the theoretical study on the stability, activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and its dependence on the electronic structure of transition metal (TM) anchored on two types of borophene (called β12 and χ3) by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results show that the early− and VIII−TM anchored β12 and χ3 borophenes are structurally and thermodynamically stable. The overpotentials of OER (ηOER) over the Ni supported on β12 and χ3 borophene SACs, designated as β12−Ni and χ3−Ni, are 0.38 and 0.35 V, respectively. The ηORR of β12−Ni and χ3−Ni are estimated to be as low as 0.34 and 0.39 V, respectively. The OER/ORR activity of the SACs can be well correlated with their electronic structures. The high ηOER values of early TM supported on borophene SACs correspond to high d-band center of TM. Both β12−Ni and χ3−Ni have a moderate d-band center. Since the overpotentials for OER and ORR on β12−Ni and χ3−Ni are comparable to those of Pt group metals and their oxides, β12−Ni and χ3−Ni can be considered as the promising bifunctional catalysts for OER and ORR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut dysbiosis causes damage to the intestinal barrier and is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We tested the potential protective effects of probiotic BL21 and LRa05 on gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes mellitus mice and determined whether these effects were related to the modulation of gut microbiota.Thirty specific pathogen-free C57BL/6J mice were randomly allocated to three groups—the (CTL) control group, HFD/STZ model (T2DM) group, and HFD/STZ-probiotic intervention (PRO) group—and intragastrically administered strains BL21 and LRa05 for 11 weeks. The administration of strains BL21 and LRa05 significantly regulated blood glucose levels, accompanied by ameliorated oxidative stress in mice. The BL21/LRa05-treated mice were protected from liver, cecal, and colon damage. Microbiota analysis showed that the cecal and fecal microbiota of the mice presented significantly different spatial distributions from one another. Principal coordinate analysis results indicated that both T2DM and the BL21/LRa05 intervention had significant effects on the cecal contents and fecal microbiota structure. In terms of the fecal microbiota, an abundance of Akkermansia and Anaeroplasma was noted in the PRO group. In terms of the cecal content microbiota, enrichment of Akkermansia, Desulfovibrio, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Limosilactobacillus was noted in the PRO group. The probiotics BL21 and LRa05 prevent or ameliorate T2DM by regulating the intestinal flora and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Our results suggest that BL21 and LRa05 colonize in the cecum. Thus, BL21/LRa05 combined with probiotics having a strong ability to colonize in the colon may achieve better therapeutic effects in T2DM. Our study illustrated the feasibility and benefits of the combined use of probiotics and implied the importance of intervening at multiple intestinal sites in T2DM mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely known that an optimal nucleotide sequence context immediately upstream of the AUG start codon greatly improves the efficiency of translation initiation of mRNA in mammalian and plant somatic cells, which in turn increases protein levels. However, it is still unclear whether a similar regulatory mechanism is also present in highly differentiated cells. Here, we surveyed this issue in Arabidopsis thaliana sperm cells and found that the sequence context-mediated regulation of translation initiation in sperm cells is generally similar to that in somatic cells. A simple motif of four adenine nucleotides at positions − 1 to − 4 greatly improved the efficiency of translation initiation, and when the motif was present there, translation was even initiated at some non-AUG codons in sperm cells. However, unlike that in mammalian cells, a mainly effective nucleotide site to regulate the efficiency of translation initiation was not present at positions − 1 to − 4 in sperm cells. Meanwhile, different from somatic cells, sperm cells did not use eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1 to regulate the efficiency in a poor context consisting of the lowest frequency nucleotides. All these results contribute to our understanding of the cytoplasmic event of translation initiation in highly differentiated sperm cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific and public interest in acid deposition and its ecological impacts have increased throughout 1990s in East Asia (Northeast and Southeast Asia). After being established in 2001, the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) celebrates the 20th anniversary in 2021, and is now being expanded in scope reflecting the shifting social concern from acid deposition to broader air quality and climate change in recent years. This paper reviews the past 30 years of development of scientific research and policy related to acid deposition in East Asia. Since the onset of the twenty-first century, East Asia has had the highest SO2 and NOx emissions in the world by continents, with substantial economic developmental inequality among countries. An overview of studies on sulfur and nitrogen deposition, the acidification of inland water and forest soil, and forest decline reveal that although limited acidification of inland water and forest soils have been documented, no decline in the populations of fish and other aquatic biota has been reported in East Asia. After a review of policy-oriented modeling studies on source receptor relationships and the critical loads of sulfur and nitrogen in East Asia, the history of EANET and its success and challenges are discussed. Finally, the importance of epistemic communities as the interface between science and policy in the region is discussed. Regional governance and cooperation are essential for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, especially short-lived climate pollutants and atmospheric pollutants to realize the co-benefits of global climate change mitigation and improved air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolution of the spread strategies of plant pathogens may be described using the vector manipulation hypothesis (VMH), which posits that pathogens can enhance their transmission to new host plants through their effects on mobile vectors. Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) transmitted by aphid vectors in wheat has become increasingly important as a model pathosystem. However, the role of alate aphids in virus spread has attracted little attention although the migratory morph is a key vector for the long-distance dispersal of plant pathogens. Herein, we first examined the selection preferences of alate or aptera morphs of the vector Schizaphis graminum for healthy/mock-inoculated/BYDV-infected wheat plants and then identified possible volatile components that influenced alate S. graminum selection behavior. The results showed that noninfective S. graminum (either alate or aptera) mainly tended to select BYDV-infected wheat while infective S. graminum (only aptera) preferentially selected noninfected wheat. In addition, we found that the BYDV-infected plants showed significant differences in the content and quantity of volatiles compared with healthy or mock-inoculated wheat plants and that the increased volatiles (trans-2-hexen-1-al or decanal) released by BYDV-infected plants may play a critical role in attracting noninfective alate aphids in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings describe a novel mechanism by which the volatile profiles released by virus-infected plants may influence alate aphid colonization preference, providing further or new evidences for the VMH. This study extends our knowledge base on plant virus transmission to new host plants with potential ramifications for the integrated management of both the vector and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magnetic biochar sulfonic acid was prepared and characterized by fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder x-ray diffraction technology, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and vibrating sample magnetometer techniques. The prepared catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity for synthesis of spiro-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine derivatives via one-pot three-component reaction of 1H-pyrazol-5-amine, isatin and 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanenitrile. The catalyst could be readily recovered and reused several times without an obvious decay of catalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a high-efficienct, low-cost and stable non-noble-metal-based bifunctional electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as oxygen electrode material in the rechargeable zinc–air battery is crucial in renewable energy conversion technologies. In this work, nitrogen-doped hollow carbon sphere (NHCS) decorated with various nickel selenide (NixSe) nanoparticles had been designed and successfully prepared. Among them, the Ni0.85Se–NHCS with the highest percentage of Ni3+ could serve as a new efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst toward ORR/OER (with an onset potential of 0.850 V for ORR and a potential of 1.583 V at 10 mA·cm−2 for OER) in an alkaline medium. Furthermore, the assembled Zn–air battery coupled with Ni0.85Se–NHCS electrode has excellent discharging–charging performance and long lifetime. This work provides a valuable understanding on transition metal non-oxide electrocatalysts and expands the applications of selenide-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscle growth and development from fetal to neonatal stages consist of a series of delicately regulated and orchestrated changes in expression of genes. In this study, we performed whole transcriptome profiling based on RNA-Seq of caprine longissimus dorsi muscle tissue obtained from prenatal stages (days 45, 60, and 105 of gestation) and neonatal stage (the 3-day-old newborn) to identify genes that are differentially expressed and investigate their temporal expression profiles. A total of 3276 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified ( Q value < 0.01). Time-series expression profile clustering analysis indicated that DEGs were significantly clustered into eight clusters which can be divided into two classes ( Q value < 0.05), class I profiles with downregulated patterns and class II profiles with upregulated patterns. Based on cluster analysis, GO enrichment analysis found that 75, 25, and 8 terms to be significantly enriched in biological process (BP), cellular component (CC), and molecular function (MF) categories in class I profiles, while 35, 21, and 8 terms to be significantly enriched in BP, CC, and MF in class II profiles. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that DEGs from class I profiles were significantly enriched in 22 pathways and the most enriched pathway was Rap1 signaling pathway. DEGs from class II profiles were significantly enriched in 17 pathways and the mainly enriched pathway was AMPK signaling pathway. Finally, six selected DEGs from our sequencing results were confirmed by qPCR. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms during goat skeletal muscle development from fetal to neonatal stages and valuable information for future studies of muscle development in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nanofluid as a pivotal role in heat transfer system has attracted more and more attention. Herein, the stearic acid-modified CuS (SA-CuS) nanoparticles with a uniform diameter of 60 nm were synthesized successfully by a facile two-phase approach. Accordingly, the CuS-oil nanofluids, with SA-CuS concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.04 vol%, were prepared by a one-step method in the heat transfer oil. These CuS-oil nanofluids exhibit good stability and considerable enhanced thermal conductivity. The improvement is even up to 20.5% with a volume fraction of 0.04 vol% at 30 °C. Furthermore, the effect of volume fraction and temperature on the viscosity of the nanofluids was also systematically investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gene encoding Hordeum vulgare dehydration-responsive element binding protein 1 ( HvDREB1), a member of the A-2 subgroup of the DREB subfamily, was isolated from barley seedlings. A subcellular localization assay revealed accumulation of HvDREB1 protein in the nucleus. As a trans-acting factor, HvDREB1 was able to bind to DRE/CRT elements and transactivate reporter gene expression in yeast cells. A study of various deletion mutants of HvDREB1 proteins indicated that the transactivation activity was localized to the N-terminal region. Expression of the HvDREB1 gene in barley leaves was significantly induced by salt, drought, and low-temperature. In contrast to most A-2 subgroup members in Arabidopsis thaliana, HvDREB1 also responded to exogenous ABA. Overexpression of HvDREB1 activated a downstream gene, RD29A, under normal growth conditions and led to increased tolerance to salt stress in Arabidopsis plants. These results suggest that HvDREB1 produces a DRE-/CRT-binding transcription factor that may have an important role in improving salt tolerance in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]