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The paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) leaf is rich in alkaloids and flavonoids, which has high medicinal and feeding value. We aimed to analyze the effects of B. papyrifera leaf extract on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune functions, and fecal microflora of weaned piglets. Thirty healthy, 28-day-old piglets were randomly assigned to three groups and fed with a basal diet supplemented with 0, 150, and 300 g/t B. papyrifera leaf extract for 42 days (control group, group I, and group II) separately. The result revealed that the final weight of piglets in group II was higher than the other groups, and the diarrhea rate in this group was 62.9% lower than in the control group. The feed conversion ratio in group I was significantly lower than the other two groups. Higher blood urine nitrogen concentration was noted in group II, higher glutathione peroxidase and catalase in group II, higher superoxide dismutase in the control group, and higher immune globulins (Ig) IgG, IgA, and IgM in group II. There was no significant difference in community richness and community diversity among the three groups of fecal samples. The relative level of Roseburia was higher in groups I and II, while Lactobacillus was higher in the control group. In conclusion, supplementation with B. papyrifera leaf extract at a certain dosage can increase growth performance and antioxidant capacity of weaned piglets, reduce the occurrence of diarrhea, enhance immune functions and disease resistance, and affect the composition of fecal microflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) leaf is rich in alkaloids and flavonoids, which has high medicinal and feeding value. We aimed to analyze the effects of B. papyrifera leaf extract on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, immune functions, and fecal microflora of weaned piglets. Thirty healthy, 28-day-old piglets were randomly assigned to three groups and fed with a basal diet supplemented with 0, 150, and 300 g/t B. papyrifera leaf extract for 42 days (control group, group I, and group II) separately. The result revealed that the final weight of piglets in group II was higher than the other groups, and the diarrhea rate in this group was 62.9% lower than in the control group. The feed conversion ratio in group I was significantly lower than the other two groups. Higher blood urine nitrogen concentration was noted in group II, higher glutathione peroxidase and catalase in group II, higher superoxide dismutase in the control group, and higher immune globulins (Ig) IgG, IgA, and IgM in group II. There was no significant difference in community richness and community diversity among the three groups of fecal samples. The relative level of Roseburia was higher in groups I and II, while Lactobacillus was higher in the control group. In conclusion, supplementation with B. papyrifera leaf extract at a certain dosage can increase growth performance and antioxidant capacity of weaned piglets, reduce the occurrence of diarrhea, enhance immune functions and disease resistance, and affect the composition of fecal microflora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to explore the mechanism of bladder meridian massage (BMM) on anxiety in rats with chronic stress. Chronic stress induced rats to establish rat anxiety model. The sugar water preference (SPF), tail suspension time (TST), and forced swimming time (FST) of rats were measured. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and inflammatory cytokines in serum and hippocampus of rats were detected. Brain neurotransmitters (dopamine (DA), 5- hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and norepinephrine (NE)) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to detect autophagy protein expression in hippocampus of rats. BMM significantly increased SPF, decreased TST and FST, increased SOD level in serum and hippocampus, and decreased MDA level and cytokine level. BMM reversed the changes of neurotransmitters. At the same time, BMM significantly decreased autophagy protein expression in hippocampus of rats. The above results show that BMM significantly relieve anxiety induced by chronic stress in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This paper aims to explore novel ferroptosis-related biomarkers for acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods. Various bioinformatic methods, such as differential expression analysis, functional annotation analysis, machine learning, and chemical-gene network analysis, were used in this study. Furthermore, the expression and proferroptotic role of RPS7 were validated with further bioinformatics analysis and biochemical experiments. Results. GSE30718 dataset and GSE139061 dataset were used, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened. The DEGs were overlapped with ferroptosis-related genes and genes associated with AKI, which led to the identification of four candidate genes. Machine learning and ROC curve analysis were conducted, and RPS7 and TRIB3 were selected for diagnostic model analysis and functional analysis. Finally, the upregulation of RSP7 in cisplatin-induced AKI was validated in cisplatin-induced AKI, and its proferroptotic role was confirmed in cisplatin-treated proximal tubular cells. Conclusion. Our results indicated that RPS7 might present as a novel ferroptosis-related biomarker for AKI, and it derived ferroptosis to accentuate cisplatin-induced AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the popularity of sports has been increasing. In the high-intensity competition, many players have been injured; most of them are myocardial ischemia. With the development of medical science and technology, myocardial ischemia can be reperfusion. However, sometimes, the function of tissues and organs cannot be restored, but the dysfunction and structural damage of tissues and organs can be aggravated. Therefore, it is necessary to actively carry out intermittent exercise to protect players from myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. The purpose of this paper is to explore the protective effect of intermittent exercise on the myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury of players. 60 clean male Sprague Dawley (SD) old rats were selected as the research objects, which were divided into control group, ischemia/reperfusion model group, intermittent exercise + model group, and intermittent exercise + control group, and compared the parameters of heart function indexes of each group. The results showed that the creatine kinase (CK) content of control group was 0.577 ± 0.176 u / ml , lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content was 7.834 ± 1.507 u / ml , model group was 1.257 ± 0.113 u / ml , lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content was 14.441 ± 1.793 u / ml , intermittent exercise + model group was 0.987 ± 0.127 u / ml , lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content was 11.714 ± 3.017 u / ml , intermittent exercise + control group was 1.103 ± 0.125 u / ml , and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content was 14.647 ± 2.575 u / ml. It can be seen that intermittent exercise has a good protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. If the interval exercise method is integrated into the daily training of athletes, it can effectively improve the perfusion injury caused by myocardial ischemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (GRER) has been used as a medicinal plant and dietary supplements for its beneficial effect in immunomodulatory effects. Sulfur fumigation (SF) processing was widely used in the storage and maintenance of Chinese medicine because of its convenience and cheapness. However, the disadvantage of SF has been reported, but the systematic study of SF on GRER was deficient. In this paper, the active ingredients, sulfur-fumigated products, immunomodulatory effect, and liver injury of SF-GRER were studied. After SF, the liquiritin decreased from 4.49 ± 0.03 mg/g to 3.94 ± 0.08 mg/g (P < 0.01). Compared with the NSF-GRER group, the SF-GRER group showed a decreased immunoregulation in the thymus index, spleen index, and serum IL-6 and SOD levels (P < 0.05). After 2 weeks of continuous intragastric administration of SF-GRER in healthy mice, the level of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) significantly increased (P < 0.05) and the area of liver lesion significantly increased compared with the NSF-GRER (P < 0.05) group. The sulfonated products (m/z, 631.13) corresponding to liquiritin apioside (m/z, 551.17) and isoliquiritin apioside (m/z, 551.17) were screened out in SF-GRER by using UPLC-Orbitrap-MS. The sulfonated products provided in this paper were discovered for the first time and could be powerfully applied for the identification of SF-GRER. SF destroyed the chemical composition of GRER, inhibited immunoregulation, and induced liver injury. The feasibility of this processing method needs to be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method with a rapid analysis of 6 min to determine the concentration of galgravin in rat plasma so as to study its pharmacokinetic features and bioavailability in vivo. Schisandrin was selected as the internal standard (IS). After extracting the analyte from plasma samples with ethyl acetate, methanol-H2O (0.1% formic acid) (85 : 15, v / v) was used as mobile phase to achieve chromatographic separation on a C18 reversed phase column. The MS detection was performed in positive ion mode using electrospray ionization (ESI) source. This method showed good linearity over the range of 1~500 ng/mL ( R 2 > 0.999), and the lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) was 1.0 ng/mL. The intraday precision and interday precision were both within 8.5%, whereas the accuracies were in the range of -2.6%–6.0%. The average recoveries of galgravin in rat plasma were between 92.3% and 99.3%. Moreover, galgravin was stable throughout storage and processing with all RSDs below 12.1%. After the successful application of this optimized method, the oral bioavailability of galgravin was determined to be 8.5%. This study will be helpful to the future research and development of galgravin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2) were used in various fields such as food industry, cosmetics, medicine, and agriculture. Despite the many advantages of nanotechnology, the adverse effects of nanoparticles are inevitable. The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of bee bread on titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle toxicity. Male rats were randomly divided into four groups: Group 1 received daily by gavage (10 mL/kg bw) of distilled water, Group 2 received bee bread ethanolic extract (100 mg/kg bw), Group 3 received TiO2 (100 mg/kg bw) and distilled water (10 mL/kg bw), and Group 4 received TiO2 (100 mg/kg bw) and bee bread ethanolic extract (100 mg/kg bw). All treatments were given daily by gavage during 30 days. At the end of the experiment period, blood samples were collected to analyze fasting blood glucose, lipid profile (TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, and VLDL-C), liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and LDH), total protein, urea, albumin, creatinine, sodium, potassium, and chloride ions. In addition, histological examinations of the kidneys, liver, and brain were investigated. The results showed that the subacute administration of TiO2 alone (100 mg/kg bw) had induced hyperglycemia (309 ± 5 mg/dL) and elevation of hepatic enzyme levels, accompanied by a change in both lipid profile and renal biomarkers as well as induced congestion and dilatation in the hepatic central vein and congestion in kidney and brain tissues. However, the cotreatment with bee bread extract restored these biochemical parameters and attenuated the deleterious effects of titanium nanoparticles on brain, liver, and kidney functions which could be due to its rich content on functional molecules. The findings of this paper could make an important contribution to the field of using bee bread as a detoxifying agent against titanium dioxide nanoparticles and other xenobiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of important epigenetic modifications, DNA N4-methylcytosine (4mC) plays a crucial role in controlling gene replication, expression, cell cycle, DNA replication, and differentiation. The accurate identification of 4mC sites is necessary to understand biological functions. In the paper, we use ensemble learning to develop a model named i4mC-EL to identify 4mC sites in the mouse genome. Firstly, a multifeature encoding scheme consisting of Kmer and EIIP was adopted to describe the DNA sequences. Secondly, on the basis of the multifeature encoding scheme, we developed a stacked ensemble model, in which four machine learning algorithms, namely, BayesNet, NaiveBayes, LibSVM, and Voted Perceptron, were utilized to implement an ensemble of base classifiers that produce intermediate results as input of the metaclassifier, Logistic. The experimental results on the independent test dataset demonstrate that the overall rate of predictive accurate of i4mC-EL is 82.19%, which is better than the existing methods. The user-friendly website implementing i4mC-EL can be accessed freely at the following. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin is an antitumor drug used in the treatment of a wide variety of malignancies. However, its primary dose-limiting side effect is kidney injury, which is a major clinical concern. To help understand mechanisms involved in the development of kidney injury, cisplatin rodent model has been developed. Given the complex pathogenesis of kidney injury, which involves both local events in the kidney and interconnected and interdependent systemic effects in the body, cisplatin rodent model is indispensable in the investigation of underlying mechanisms and potential treatment strategies of both acute and chronic kidney injury. Cisplatin rodent model is well appreciated and widely used model due to its simplicity. It has many similarities to human cisplatin nephrotoxicity, which are mentioned in the paper. In spite of its simplicity and wide applicability, there are also traps that need to be taken into account when using cisplatin model. The present paper is aimed at giving a concise insight into the complex characteristics of cisplatin rodent model and heterogeneity of cisplatin dosage regimens as well as outlining factors that can severely influence the outcome of the model and the study. Challenges for future research are also mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a progress in the study of glycation reaction which is one the possible reason for multiple metabolic disorders. Glycation is a nonenzymatic reaction between nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins resulting into the formation of early glycation products that may further lead to the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The precipitation of AGEs in various cells, tissues, and organs is one of the factors for the initiation and progression of various metabolic derangements including the cancer. The AGE interaction with its receptor "RAGE" activates the inflammatory pathway; yet, the downregulation of RAGE and its role in these pathways are not clear. We explore the effect of anticancer novel nanoassemblies on AGEs to determine its role in the regulation of the expression of RAGE, NFƙB, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. This paper is based on the in vivo and in vitro study in glycation and lung cancer model systems. Upon the treatment of nanoassemblies in both the model systems, we observed a protective effect of nanoassemblies over the inhibition of glycative and oxidative stress via mRNA expression analysis. The mRNA expression results corroborated with the reactive oxygen species (ROS), carboxy-methyl-lysine (CML), and fluorescence studies. In this study, we found that the presence of common factors for glycation and lung cancer is oxidative and glycative stress. This oxidation and glycation might be responsible for the initiation of inflammation which may further lead to uncontrolled growth of cells leading to cancer. This can be a strong association between lung cancer and glycation reaction. The intervention of the anticancer and antiglycation effects of multimodal nanoassemblies throughout the study promises a new pathway for cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung injury was the common and serious complication of sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response syndrome caused by severe infections. Chinese medicine had unique advantages in attenuating inflammatory response, such as Zuojinfang (ZJF). ZJF was a classical compound herb formula composed of Coptidis Rhizoma and Euodiae Fructus in a ratio of 6: 1. In this paper, 15 ingredients in ZJF were identified and 8 of them absorbed into rat's serum were quantified by HPLC-MS/MS. Subsequently, sepsis-induced lung injury model was replicated in rats by cecal ligation and puncture. 60 SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n = 10): control group (CON), sham group (Sham), model group (MOD), ZJF low-dose group (ZJF-L), ZJF high-dose group (ZJF-H), and prednisolone group (PNSL). Within the next 24 h, the levels of inflammatory factors, correlation between active ingredients and inflammatory cytokines, the pathological changes of lung tissue, and protein expression of the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathways were analyzed one by one. Finally, the concentration order of components absorbed in rat serum was berberine > palmatine > jatrorrhizine > coptisine > evodin > chlorogenic acid > evodiamine. Compared with the MOD group, the TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ in the ZJF-H group were significantly reduced (p < 0:05). Moreover, the TNF-α decreased significantly accompanied by the increase of berberine, chlorogenic acid, jatrorrhizine, palmatine, evodin, and evodiamine in serum (negative correlation, p < 0:05). Compared with the MOD, the area of lung injury, the expressions of JAK1, p-JAK1, STAT3, and p-STAT3 were significantly decreased under the treatment of ZJF (p < 0:05). Therefore, downregulating the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathways was a potential avenue of ZJF in reversing lung injury induced by sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first used recombinant influenza viral vector (rIVV) subtype H5N1 expressing from the open reading frame of NS1 80 and NS1 124 amino acids of Brucella outer membrane proteins (Omp) 16 and 19, ribosomal L7/L12, and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) proteins to develop a human brucellosis vaccine. We made 18 combinations of IVVs in mono-, bi-, and tetravalent vaccine formulations and tested them on mice to select the safest and most effective vaccine samples. Then, the most effective vaccine candidates were further tested on guinea pigs. Safety of the rIVV-based vaccine candidate was evaluated by a mouse weight-gain test. Mice and guinea pigs were challenged with the virulent strain B. melitensis 16M. The protective effect of the rIVV-based vaccine candidate was assessed by quantitation of Brucella colonization in tissues and organs of challenged animals. All vaccine formulations were safe in mice. Tested vaccine formulations, as well as the commercial B. melitensis Rev.1 vaccine, have been found to protect mice from B. melitensis 16M infection within the range of 1.6 to 2.97 log10 units (P < 0.05). Tetravalent vaccine formulations from the position of NS1 80 amino acids (0.2 ± 0.4), as well as the commercial B. melitensis Rev.1 vaccine (1.2 ± 2.6), have been found to protect guinea pigs from B. melitensis 16M infection at a significant level (P < 0.05). Thus, tetravalent vaccine formulation Flu-NS1-80-Omp16+Flu-NS1-80-L7/L12+Flu-NS1-80-Omp19+Flu-NS1-80-SOD was chosen as a potential vaccine candidate for further development of an effective human vaccine against brucellosis. These results show a promising future for the development of a safe human vaccine against brucellosis based on rIVVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is one of the most harmful ectoparasites affecting bovines worldwide. It represents a major threat to livestock industry due to the economic losses caused and diseases associated with these ticks. The most important tick control strategy has been the use of ixodicides, resulting in chemically resistant tick populations. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms that result in resistance so as to create new strategies increasing the lifespan of ixodicides or finding alternative targets to produce new acaricides. In this paper, in order to obtain an insight into the mechanisms that govern ixodicides resistance, we will compare the hemolymph proteome of two tick R. microplus strains, one susceptible (MJ) and one resistant (SA) to ixodicides, using HPLC and 2D electrophoresis. Significant differences were found in protein content between strains using HPLC. 2D electrophoresis revealed that 68 hemolymph protein spots were common between strains; however, 26 spots were unique to the susceptible strain MJ and 5 to the resistant strain SA. The most distinctive protein spots on the preparative gels were selected for further analyses. Nine protein spots were identified by mass fingerprinting, 
revealing proteins that may have a role in the ixodicides resistance or susceptibility. In this paper, we present the tick hemolymph proteome revealing a set of proteins which suggest a possible role in tick detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Surgical wounds resulting from biofilm-producing microorganisms represent a major healthcare problem that requires new and innovative treatment methods. Rifampin is one of a small number of antibiotics that is able to penetrate such biofilms, and its local administration has the potential to serve as an ideal surgical site infection protection and/or treatment agent. This paper presents two types (homogeneous and sandwich structured) of rifampin-releasing carbodiimide-cross-linked fresh water fish collagen wound dressings. Methods. The dressings were prepared by means of the double-lyophilization method and sterilized via gamma irradiation so as to allow for testing in a form that is able to serve for direct clinical use. The mechanical properties were studied via the uniaxial tensile testing method. The in vivo rifampin-release properties were tested by means of a series of incubations in phosphate-buffered saline. The microbiological activity was tested against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) employing disc diffusion tests, and the in vivo pharmacokinetics was tested using a rat model. A histological examination was conducted for the study of the biocompatibility of the dressings. Results. The sandwich-structured dressing demonstrated better mechanical properties due to its exhibiting ability to bear a higher load than the homogeneous sponges, a property that was further improved via the addition of rifampin. The sponges retarded the release of rifampin in vitro, which translated into at least 22 hours of rifampin release in the rat model. This was significantly longer than was achieved via the administration of a subcutaneous rifampin solution. Microbiological activity was proven by the results of the disc diffusion tests. Both sponges exhibited excellent biocompatibility as the cells penetrated into the scaffold, and virtually no signs of local irritation were observed. Conclusions. We present a novel rifampin-releasing sandwich-structured fresh water fish collagen wound dressing that has the potential to serve as an ideal surgical site infection protection and/or treatment agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study was aimed at observing the effect Jiao-Tai-Wan in menopausal depression. Methods. In this paper, we used ovariectomized mice subjected to chronic unpredictable stress as a menopausal depression model. After the chronic stress, mice were administrated with JTW (3.3 and 6.6mg/kg) and imipramine (10 mg/kg) for 14 days. On the 14th day, mice were subjected to the behavior test like the forced swim test, tail suspension test, and locomotor activity or were sacrificed to assess the protein changes in different brain regions. Results. The administration of JTW at doses of 3.3 and 6.6mg/kg (p.o.) significantly shortened the duration of immobility in forced swim and tail suspension tests. There was no obvious difference in locomotor activity among all the groups. The western blot analysis data indicated that treatment with JTW (3.3 and 6.6 mg/kg, p.o.) prominently increased the A1R protein and the downstream protein ERK1/2 levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. However, the administration of JTW did not influence c-Fos protein in either the prefrontal cortex or hippocampus. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that JTW plays a vital role in ameliorating menopausal depression symptoms in the A1R-ERK1/2 pathway in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid and reliable UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of thirteen bioactive compounds (luteolin, cynaroside, luteolin 7-O-glucuronide, isochlorogenic acid C, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, apigenin, apigenin 7-glucoside, acacetin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, tilianin, and hesperidin) in rat plasma. The compounds were separated on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm , 1.7 μm) with a gradient mobile phase system of acetonitrile and 0.1% (v / v) formic acid aqueous solution at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. All compounds were quantitated using Agilent Jet Stream electrospray ionization (AJS ESI) in a negative ion mode. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for all compounds was below 5 ng/mL. The intra- and interday accuracy ranged from -13.0% to 14.0%, and precisions were less than 12.2%. The extraction recoveries of the compounds were in the range of 56.9% to 95.0%, and the matrix effect ranged between 71.6% and 109.3%. Stability studies proved that the thirteen compounds were stable under tested conditions, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 11.4%. This developed method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of the 13 bioactive compounds after oral administration of Flos Chrysanthemi extract in rat by UPLC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters of 8 out of the 13 compounds investigated are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) has emerged as a promising tool for hepatocellular carcinoma ablation recently. However, little is known about how nsPEF affects liver regeneration while being applied to eliminate liver lesions. Besides, the impact of nsPEF ablation on liver function should also be taken into consideration in the process. In this paper, we study the impact of nsPEF ablation on liver function by the measurement of serum levels of AST and ALT as well as liver regeneration and relevant molecular mechanisms in vivo. We found that mouse liver function exhibited a temporary injury without weight loss after ablation. In addition, local hepatic nsPEF ablation promoted significant proliferation of hepatocytes of the whole liver with an increase in HGF level. Moreover, the proliferation of hepatocytes was dramatically inhibited by the inhibitor of c-Met. Of interest, the periablational area is characterized by high level of PDGF and a large amount of activated hepatic stellate cells. Furthermore, neutralizing PDGF was able to significantly inhibit liver regeneration, the increased HGF level, and the accumulation of activated HSCs. Our findings demonstrated that nsPEF not only was a safe ablation approach but also could stimulate the regeneration of the whole liver through the activation of the HGF/c-Met pathway by upregulation of PDGF within the periablational zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of surface contouring of chondromalacic cartilage by bipolar radio frequency energy using different treatment patterns in an animal model, as well as examining the impact of the treatment onto chondrocyte viability by two different methods. Our experiments were conducted on 36 fresh osteochondral sections from the tibia plateau of slaughtered 6-month-old pigs, where the thickness of the cartilage is similar to that of human wrist cartilage. An area of 1 cm2 was first treated with emery paper to simulate the chondromalacic cartilage. Then, the treatment with RFE followed in 6 different patterns. The osteochondral sections were assessed for cellular viability (live/dead assay, caspase (cell apoptosis marker) staining, and quantitative analysed images obtained by fluorescent microscopy). For a quantitative characterization of none or treated cartilage surfaces, various roughness parameters were measured using confocal laser scanning microscopy (Olympus LEXT OLS 4000 3D). To describe the roughness, the Root-Mean-Square parameter (Sq) was calculated. A smoothing effect of the cartilage surface was detectable upon each pattern of RFE treatment. The Sq for native cartilage was Sq = 3.8 ± 1.1 μ m. The best smoothing pattern was seen for two RFE passes and a 2-second pulsed mode (B2p2) with an Sq = 27.3 ± 4.9 μ m. However, with increased smoothing, an augmentation in chondrocyte death up to 95% was detected. Using bipolar RFE treatment in arthroscopy for small joints like the wrist or MCP joints should be used with caution. In the case of chondroplasty, there is a high chance to destroy the joint cartilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review describes what "the cutting edge vaccines for Aeromonas hydrophila are". The focus is on types of high tech biotechnological based vaccines, target gene or antigen in developing these vaccines, and challenge model fish species used in vaccines efficacy testing. Vaccines delivery methods, immune response, and their efficacy, adjuvant or carrier systems used, and the overall experimental setup or design of the vaccines under investigation are also described. The search for the original papers published between 2009 and 2018 was conducted in June of 2018, using the PubMed and Google scholar electronic database. Twenty-three (23/4386) studies were included in the final assembly using PRISMA guidelines (Protocol not registered). Recombinant protein vaccines were the highly experimented type of the modern biotechnological based vaccines identified in the selected studies (16/23; 70%). Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of different β-barrels were shown to be a potential antigenic entity for A. hydrophila vaccines (57%). Intraperitoneal route with conventional carries or adjuvants was the highly applied delivery system while very few studies used herbal based vaccine adjuvants and nanomaterial as a vaccine carrier. Variation was observed in terms of protection levels in the selected studies. The experimental designs partly contributed to the observed variation. Therefore, recombinant vaccines that use new carrier system technologies and delivered through oral route in feeds would have been of great value for use in the prevention and control of A. hydrophila infections in fish. Despite the usefulness as academic tools to identify what is important in pathogenicity of the etiological agent to the host fish, these vaccines are only economically viable in very high-value animals. Therefore, if vaccination is a good option for A. hydrophila group, then simple autogenous vaccines based on accurate typing and evidence-based definition of the epidemiological unit for their use would be the most viable approach in terms of both efficacy and economic feasibility especially in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resurfacing hip and knee endoprostheses are generally embedded in shallow, prepared areas in the bone and secured with cement. Massive cement penetration into periarticular bone, although it provides sufficient primary fixation, leads to the progressive weakening of peri-implant bone and results in failures. The aim of this paper was to investigate in an animal model the first biomimetic fixation of components of resurfacing arthroplasty endoprostheses by means of the innovative multispiked connecting scaffold (MSC-Scaffold). The partial resurfacing knee arthroplasty (RKA) endoprosthesis working prototype with the MSC-Scaffold was designed for biomimetic fixation investigations using reverse engineering methods and manufactured by selective laser melting. After Ca-P surface modification of bone contacting surfaces of the MSC-Scaffold, the working prototypes were implanted in 10 swines. Radiological, histopathological, and micro-CT examinations were performed on retrieved bone-implant specimens. Clinical examination confirmed very good stability (4 in 5-point Likert scale) of the operated knee joints. Radiological examinations showed good implant fixation (radiolucency less than 2 mm) without any signs of migration. Spaces between the MSC-Scaffold spikes were penetrated by bone tissue. The histological sections showed newly formed trabecular bone tissue between the spikes, and the trabeculae of periscaffold bone were seen in contact with the spikes. The micro-CT results showed the highest percentage of bone tissue ingrowths into the MSC-Scaffold at a distance of 2.5÷3.0 mm from the spikes bases. The first biomimetic fixation for resurfacing arthroplasty was successfully verified in 10 swines investigations using RKA endoprosthesis working prototypes. The performed research shows that the MSC-Scaffold allows for cementless and biomimetic fixation of resurfacing endoprosthesis components in periarticular cancellous bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuphea aequipetala (C. aequipetala) has been used in Mexican traditional medicine since prehispanic times to treat tumors. In this paper, we evaluated the antiproliferative and apoptotic effect of the methanolic and aqueous extracts of C. aequipetala on several cancer cell lines including the B16F10 cell line of murine melanoma and carried a murine model assay. In vitro assay analyzed the effect in the cellular cycle and several indicators of apoptosis, such as the caspase-3 activity, DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine exposure (Annexin-V), and induction of cell membrane permeabilization (propidium iodide) in the B16F10 cells. In vivo, groups of C57BL/6 female mice were subcutaneously injected with 5x105 B16F10 cells and treated with 25 mg/mL of C. aequipetala extracts via oral. Aqueous and methanolic extracts showed a cytotoxic effect in MCF-7, HepG2, and B16F10 cell lines. The methanolic extract showed more antiproliferative effect with less concentration, and for this reason, the in vitro experiments were only continued with it. This extract was able to induce accumulation of cells on G1 phase of the cell cycle; moreover, it was able to induce DNA fragmentation and increase the activity of caspase-3 in B16F10 cells. On the other hand, in the murine model of melanoma, the aqueous extract showed a greater reduction of tumor size in comparison with the methanolic extract, showing an 80% reduction versus one of around 31%, both compared with the untreated control, indicating a better antitumor effect of C. aequipetala aqueous extract via oral administration. In conclusion, the in vitro data showed that both C. aequipetala extracts were able to induce cytotoxicity through the apoptosis pathway in B16F10 cells, and in vivo, the oral administration of aqueous extract reduces the melanoma tumoral mass, suggesting an important antitumoral effect and the perspective to search for effector molecules involved in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photon-counting detector (PCD) can identify absorption features in the multiple ranges of photon energies, which has a great potential in material discrimination. In this paper, we focused on in vivo dual-energy CT imaging to characterize different biomedical compositions. The precision of material decomposition in post-reconstruction space depends on the quality of reconstructed CT images; we used the locally linear embedding (LLE) based online geometric calibration method and GPU-based reconstruction toolbox to reconstruct high-quality CT images. Then, we performed the real experiment and studied materials decomposition with basis material model to discriminate soft tissue and cortical bone of small animal. Finally, the experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method could reconstruct small animal CT images with more slim structures and details, and improve the precision of materials decomposition in dual-energy CT imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic agonistic interactions promote the development of experimental psychopathologies in animals: a depression-like state in chronically defeated mice and the pathology of aggressive behavior in the mice with repeated wins. The abundant research data indicate that such psychopathological states are associated with significant molecular and cellular changes in the brain. This paper aims to study the influence of a 20-day period of agonistic interactions on the expression patterns of collagen family genes encoding the proteins which are basic components of extracellular matrix (ECM) in different brain regions of mice using the RNA-Seq database. Most of differentially expressed collagen genes were shown to be upregulated in the hypothalamus and striatum of chronically aggressive and defeated mice and in the hippocampus of defeated mice, whereas downregulation of collagen genes was demonstrated in the ventral tegmental areas in both experimental groups. Aberrant expression of collagen genes induced by chronic agonistic interactions may be indicative of specific ECM defects in the brain regions of mice with alternative social experience. This is the first study demonstrating remodeling of ECM under the development of experimental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, in many countries, various parts of the Adansonia digitata (A. digitata) tree have been used in the treatment of many clinical ailments including diarrhea and dysentery. The phytochemical screening has indicated that the leaf extract of A. digitata contains flavonoids, saponins, mucilage, steroids, and alkaloids. Thus, this paper aims to evaluate the hyperglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of methanolic extract of A. digitata leaves (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) in diabetic rats. The extract was administered orally for six weeks in the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The treatment with the extract caused a significant reduction in the blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by 46.7%, 46.15%, 48.91%, 43%, 60%, 66%, 45.45%, and 30.4%, respectively, as compared to the diabetic group after the sixth week of treatment. The leaf extract also mitigated the decline of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level, RBCs count, hemoglobin level, packed cell volume (PCV %), and erythropoietin concentration in diabetic rats by 31%, 33.25%, 24.72%, 51.42%, and 220.68% with respect to the diabetic group. Also, the extract maintained the level of antioxidant enzymes, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the diabetic rats. It also reduced the elevation in the white blood corpuscles (WBC) count in the STZ-induced diabetic rats. Our study, therefore, indicates that methanolic extract of A. digitata leaf exerts strong antidiabetic and hypolipidaemic properties in a dose-dependent manner by improving the hematological properties and redox parameters in the experimental diabetic rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) shows significant values in both brain research and therapeutic applications of cognitive neuroscience, neurophysiology, and psychiatry. Animal studies of TMS provide a potential way for learning the biological mechanisms of actions of TMS. In this paper, we presented the comparison of human TMS and rat TMS by using the conventional figure-of-eight coil for the first time. Three-dimensional distributions of magnetic flux density and induced electric field in both virtual human and rat heads were obtained through the 3D impedance method. The results indicated that smaller TMS coils are needed for stimulation of the rat brain. A rat-specific figure-of-eight coil was designed by considering the coil radii, number of coil turns, and the injected coil currents. We found that the numerically designed Fo8 coil can be applied to the rat TMS with improved focality while also keeping high stimulation intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Several mutations in voltage gated sodium channel (NaV) have been identified in Aedes aegypti populations worldwide. However, only few are related to knockdown resistance to pyrethroids, most of which with variations in the 1016 and 1534 NaV sites. In Brazil, at least two NaV alleles are known: NaVR1, with a substitution in the 1534 (1016 Val+ + 1534 Ilekdr) and NaVR2, with substitutions in both 1016 and sites (1016Ilekdr + 1534Cyskdr). There is also the duplication in the NaV gene, with one copy carrying the substitution Ile1011Met, although its effects on pyrethroid resistance remain to be clarified. Our goals in this study were (1) to determine the role of each kdr NaV allele and the duplication on pyrethroid resistance and (2) to screen the frequency of the kdr alleles in 27 several natural Ae. aegypti populations from the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. Methods. Pyrethroid resistance was evaluated by a knockdown time (KdT) assay, an adaptation of the WHO test tubes with paper impregnated with deltamethrin. We used laboratory-selected Ae. aegypti lineages: R1R1 and R2R2 (homozygous for the kdr NaVR1 and NaVR2 alleles, respectively), Dup (with duplication in the NaV gene), Rockefeller (the susceptibility reference control), and F1 hybrids among them. Genotyping of both 1016 and 1534 NaV sites was performed in 811 Ae. aegypti sampled from 27 localities from Rio de Janeiro (17), Niterói (6) and Nova Iguaçu (4) cities, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, with a TaqMan real time PCR approach. Results. The laboratory lineages R1R1, R2R2, and R1R2 were the only ones that needed more than 60 minutes to knock down all the insects exposed to the pyrethroid, being the KdT R2R2 > R1R2 > R1R1, corroborating the recessive nature of the kdr mutations. Frequency of kdr alleles NaVR1 and NaVR2 in field-caught mosquitoes varied from 0 to 52% and 43 to 86%, respectively, evidencing high levels of “resistant genotypes” (R1R1, R1R2, and R2R2), which together summed 60 to 100% in Ae. aegypti populations from Rio de Janeiro. Conclusions. The NaVR1 and NaVR2 kdr alleles confer resistance to the pyrethroid deltamethrin in homozygotes and R1R2 heterozygotes, being the R2R2 most resistant genotype. The allele containing duplication in the NaV gene, with a mutation in the 1011 site, did not confer resistance under the tested conditions. The frequencies of the “resistant genotypes” are elevated in Ae. aegypti natural populations from Rio de Janeiro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucocorticoids intake is the most common cause of secondary osteoporosis. Clinical studies have shown that 50% patients develop glucocorticoids-induced osteoporosis (GCIOP) after taking glucocorticoids for more than 6 months. Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HYA) is one main active ingredient in Carthamus tinctorius L. Previous studies have shown that HYA promoted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into osteoblasts which promoted bone formation. Therefore, we speculated that HYA has a therapeutic effect on GCIOP. However, there is no in vivo evidence about the anti-GCIOP effect of HYA. In this paper, the effect of HYA (0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 μM) on bone formation in normal zebrafish was investigated firstly. Secondly, the reversal effect of HYA on GCIOP was also evaluated by zebrafish model. It is demonstrated that HYA not only promoted bone formation in normal zebrafish (compared to Control group), but also reversed glucocorticoid induced bone loss (compared to Prednisolone group) according to the intervention of HYA in upregulating the area of mineralized bones (p < 0.01), increasing cumulative optical density (p < 0.01), promoting bone formation related gene expression (AKP, Type I, Runx2, OPG, and OCN, p < 0.01), inhibiting bone resorption related gene expression (TRACP, p < 0.01), and elevating whole-body trace mineral elements (Ca, P, K, Mg, Zn, and Fe) levels (p < 0.01). In conclusion, HYA had the potential to prevent and heal GCIOP by promoting bone mineralization, osteoblasts viability, and bone collagen expression and inhibiting bone resorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Peri-implantitis is one of the late complications that leads to implant failure and is associated with specific microorganisms identified as periodontopathic bacteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the different implant surfaces and number of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Treponema denticola using TaqMan PCR assay after peri-implantitis treatment using photodynamic therapy. Method. Forty-eight dental implants with four different surface treatments (M: machined; SA: sandblasted acid-etched; S: 1 µm sputter HA-coated; and P: plasma spraying HA-coated) were inserted in six beagle dogs. After nine months of peri-implantitis induction, a split mouth design was used; on control side decontamination was performed using open flap mechanical debridement OFD with plastic curette, while photodynamic therapy PDT using diode laser (Ga Al As 830-nm) was used in the test side. For the following 2 weeks low-level laser therapy LLLT (10mW) was applied for the test side on alternative days for 6 sec on each implant side. Peri-implant microbial samples were collected using paper points and analyzed using TaqMan PCR before peri-implantitis treatment, immediately after treatment and 5 months posttreatment. Results. Both treatment modalities showed significant decrease in all bacterial count from baseline to immediately after treatment (P< 0.0001). The count increased between immediately after treatment to 5 months after treatment (P< 0.0001); however, the count after 5 months was significantly lower than at baseline. PDT had a stronger effect on reducing P. gingivalis count than T. denticola and T. forsythia compared to OFD. For T. forsythia, implant surface treatment had the greatest effect which was also statistically significant (P= 0.02) with considerably lower effect of PDT or their interaction. Conclusion. The results suggest that PDT and OFD have significant benefits in peri-implantitis treatment by reducing bacterial count. The presence of bacterial complex with different response to therapeutic modality suggests the use of combined decontamination methods for peri-implantitis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper investigated the efficiency of Urtica dioica (U. dioica) on hemostatic and wound healing activities. U. dioica leaf extracts were evaluated for their antibacterial and antioxidant effects as well as their flavonoid and polyphenol content. The hydroethanolic extract (EtOH-H2OE), showing the most potent antibacterial and antioxidant activities in vitro, thanks to its flavonoid and polyphenol richness, was selected for hemostatic and wound healing evaluation. Twenty-four rats completing full-thickness wounds were split into four groups. The wounds were topically treated with saline solution, glycerol, “CICAFLORA,” and U. dioica EtOH-H2OE (50 µL/mm2) until day 11. The wound healing effect was assessed by macroscopic, histological, and biochemical parameters. Rats treated with EtOH-H2OE showed fast wound closure (92.39%) compared to the control animals (60.91%) on the 11th day of wounding (P<0.01). Histopathological and biochemical explorations showed full epidermal regeneration and an improvement of the hydroxyproline content in the U. dioica EtOH-H2OE treated rats. Analysis of fatty acids and sterols by GC-MS showed the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and a high concentration of lupeol known for their involvement in reepithelialization. These results prove the efficiency of U. dioica EtOH-H2OE in wound healing and supported its traditional use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In clinical practice at Tibetan area of China, Traditional Tibetan Medicine formula Wuwei-Ganlu-Yaoyu-Keli (WGYK) is commonly added in warm water of bath therapy to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, its mechanism of action is not well interpreted yet. In this paper, we first verify WGYK’s anti-RA effect by an animal experiment. Then, based on gene expression data from microarray experiments, we apply approaches of network pharmacology to further reveal the mechanism of action for WGYK to treat RA by analyzing protein-protein interactions and pathways. This study may facilitate our understanding of anti-RA effect of WGYK from perspective of network pharmacology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since conserved viral proteins of influenza virus, such as nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix 1 protein, are the main targets for virus-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), we hypothesized that introduction of the NP gene of wild-type virus into the genome of vaccine reassortants could lead to better immunogenicity and afford better protection. This paper describes in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies of two new reassortants of pandemic H1N1 live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) candidates. One had the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes from A/South Africa/3626/2013 H1N1 wild-type virus on the A/Leningrad/134/17/57 master donor virus backbone (6 : 2 formulation) while the second had the HA, NA, and NP genes of the wild-type virus on the same backbone (5 : 3 formulation). Although both LAIVs induced similar antibody immune responses, the 5 : 3 LAIV provoked greater production of virus-specific CTLs than the 6 : 2 variant. Furthermore, the 5 : 3 LAIV-induced CTLs had higher in vivo cytotoxic activity, compared to 6 : 2 LAIV. Finally, the 5 : 3 LAIV candidate afforded greater protection against infection and severe illness than the 6 : 2 LAIV. Inclusion in LAIV of the NP gene from wild-type influenza virus is a new approach to inducing cross-reactive cell-mediated immune responses and cross protection against pandemic influenza. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparse reconstruction inspired by compressed sensing has attracted considerable attention in fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT). However, the columns of system matrix used for FMT reconstruction tend to be highly coherent, which means L1 minimization may not produce the sparsest solution. In this paper, we propose a novel reconstruction method by minimization of the difference of L1 and L2 norms. To solve the nonconvex L1-2 minimization problem, an iterative method based on the difference of convex algorithm (DCA) is presented. In each DCA iteration, the update of solution involves an L1 minimization subproblem, which is solved by the alternating direction method of multipliers with an adaptive penalty. We investigated the performance of the proposed method with both simulated data and in vivo experimental data. The results demonstrate that the DCA for L1-2 minimization outperforms the representative algorithms for L1, L2, L1/2, and L0 when the system matrix is highly coherent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the protective effect of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) released from hyaluronic acid chitosan (HA-CS) microspheres in a controlled manner on IL-1β-induced inflammation and apoptosis in chondrocytes. The IL-1Ra release kinetics was characterized by an initial burst release, which was reduced to a linear release over eight days. Chondrocytes were stimulated with 10 ng/ml IL-1β and subsequently incubated with HA-CS-IL-1Ra microspheres. The cell viability was decreased by IL-1β, which was attenuated by HA-CS-IL-1Ra microspheres as indicated by an MTT assay. ELISA showed that HA-CS-IL-1Ra microspheres inhibited IL-1β-induced inflammation by attenuating increases in NO2- and prostaglandin E2 levels as well as increase in glycosaminoglycan release. A terminal deoxyribonucleotide transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling assay revealed that the IL-1β-induced chondrocyte apoptosis was decreased by HA-CS-IL-1Ra microspheres. Moreover, HA-CS-IL-1Ra microspheres blocked IL-1β-induced chondrocyte apoptosis by increasing B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and decreasing Bcl-2-associated X protein and caspase-3 expressions at mRNA and protein levels, as indicated by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. The results of the present study indicated that HA-CS-IL-1Ra microspheres as a controlled release system of IL-1Ra possess potential anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties in rat chondrocytes due to their ability to regulate inflammatory factors and apoptosis associated genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficacy and toxicity of aqueous and organic solvents extracts of Maerua edulis against ticks and mice, respectively, were determined. Ground leaves were extracted separately using cold water, cold water plus surfactant (1% v/v liquid soap), hot water plus surfactant, hexane, or methanol to make 25% w/v stock solutions from which serial dilutions of 5, 10, 20, and 25% were made. For each concentration, 20 Rhipicephalus decoloratus tick larvae were put in filter papers impregnated with extracts and incubated for 48 h at 27°C and 85–90% RH for mortality observation after 24 h and 48 h. In the toxicity experiment, hot water plus surfactant treatments of 5, 10, 20, and 25% (w/v) M. edulis were administered in suspension per os to sexually mature Balb/C mice and observed for clinical signs and mortality for 72 h. Larvae mortality was highest (>98%) in methanol-extracted M. edulis treatments (20 and 25%), which was not different from the amitraz-based control (Tickbuster®). Mortality was also higher in the hot water than in cold water plus surfactant treatments (P<0.05). No postadministration adverse health effects were observed in the mice. These results suggest that M. edulis is an effective tick remedy best extracted using methanol or hot water plus surfactant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As reconstructive transplantation is gaining popularity as a viable alternative for upper limb amputees, it is becoming increasingly important for plastic surgeons to renew surgical skills and knowledge of this area. Forelimb allotransplantation research has been performed previously in rodent and swine models. However, preclinical canine forelimb allotransplantation studies are lacking in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the surgical skills necessary to successfully perform forelimb transplantation in canines as a means to prepare for clinical application. A total of 18 transplantation operations on canines were performed. The recipient limb was shortened at the one-third proximal forearm level. The operation was performed in the following order: bones (two reconstructive plates), muscles and tendons (separately sutured), nerves (median, ulnar, and radial nerve), arteries (two), and veins (two). The total mean time of transplantation was 5 hours ± 30 minutes. All of the animals that received transplantation were treated with FK-506 (tacrolimus, 2 mg/kg) for 7 days after surgery. Most allografts survived with perfect viability without vascular problems during the early postoperative period. The canine forelimb allotransplantation model is well qualified to be a suitable training model for standard transplantation and future research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of rhythmic gene expression from metabolic cycles to circadian rhythms is crucial for understanding the gene regulatory networks and functions of these biological processes. Recently, two algorithms, JTK_CYCLE and ARSER, have been developed to estimate periodicity of rhythmic gene expression. JTK_CYCLE performs well for long or less noisy time series, while ARSER performs well for detecting a single rhythmic category. However, observing gene expression at high temporal resolution is not always feasible, and many scientists are interested in exploring both ultradian and circadian rhythmic categories simultaneously. In this paper, a new algorithm, named autoregressive Bayesian spectral regression (ABSR), is proposed. It estimates the period of time-course experimental data and classifies gene expression profiles into multiple rhythmic categories simultaneously. Through the simulation studies, it is shown that ABSR substantially improves the accuracy of periodicity estimation and clustering of rhythmic categories as compared to JTK_CYCLE and ARSER for the data with low temporal resolution. Moreover, ABSR is insensitive to rhythmic patterns. This new scheme is applied to existing time-course mouse liver data to estimate period of rhythms and classify the genes into ultradian, circadian, and arrhythmic categories. It is observed that 49.2% of the circadian profiles detected by JTK_CYCLE with 1-hour resolution are also detected by ABSR with only 4-hour resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), the main hypoglycemic constituent in mulberry (Morus alba) latex, has been extensively researched. Although there is considerable interest in the biological effects of DNJ, the roles of 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) in glycometabolism and energy metabolism in insects have received little attention. In this paper, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) based metabonomic was performed to study the effects of the oral supplementation of 0.25% DNJ, 0.5% DNJ, latex, and the mixture of 0.5% DNJ and latex (1 : 1) on the fat body glycometabolism and energy metabolism of the fourth-instar larvae of Eri silkworms, Samia cynthia ricini. Metabolic pattern recognition analysis (partial least square-discriminant analysis, PLS-DA) of fat body extracts indicated that the groups of 0.25% DNJ, 0.5% DNJ, latex, and the mixture of 0.5% DNJ and latex (1 : 1) were significantly different from the control group. Further, compared to the control group, the metabolites levels of lactate, trehalose, succinate, malate, and fumarate were remarkably changed in experimental groups, which were involved in glycolysis, hydrolysis of trehalose, and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Our results indicate that DNJ has a positive impact on the reverse energy metabolism of Eri silkworms and metabonomic analysis based on NMR can be used as a tool to identify potential biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an original research of penis allotransplantation. The paper presents an experiment allogenic penis transplantation model in Beagles, with a focus on recovery of blood supply and changes in tissue architecture. Twenty adult Beagles were allocated to 10 pairs for penile transplantation. After operation, the skin and glans were observed. If adverse symptoms occurred, the transplanted penis was resected and pathologically examined. Frequency of urination, urinary stream, and patency level were recorded 7 days after transplantation. Cystourethrography was performed on Day 10. The transplanted penises were resected on Day 14 for pathological examination. The research showed that transplanted penises survived after allotransplantation, and the dogs regained urination ability. Penis autotransplantation in Beagles is feasible. This preliminary study shows a potential for application of this new procedure for penis transplantation in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermopsideae has 45 species and exhibits a series of interesting biogeographical distribution patterns, such as Madrean-Tethyan disjunction and East Asia-North America disjunction, with a center of endemism in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (QTP) and Central Asia. Phylogenetic analysis in this paper employed maximum likelihood using ITS, rps16, psbA-trnH, and trnL-F sequence data; biogeographical approaches included BEAST molecular dating and Bayesian dispersal and vicariance analysis (S-DIVA). The results indicate that the core genistoides most likely originated in Africa during the Eocene to Oligocene, ca. 55-30 Ma, and dispersed eastward to Central Asia at ca. 33.47 Ma. The origin of Thermopsideae is inferred as Central Asian and dated to ca. 28.81 Ma. Ammopiptanthus is revealed to be a relic. Birth of the ancestor of Thermopsideae coincided with shrinkage of the Paratethys Sea at ca. 30 Ma in the Oligocene. The Himalayan motion of QTP uplift of ca. 20 Ma most likely drove the diversification between Central Asia and North America. Divergences in East Asia, Central Asia, the Mediterranean, and so forth, within Eurasia, except for Ammopiptanthus, are shown to be dispersals from the QTP. The onset of adaptive radiation at the center of the tribe, with diversification of most species in Thermopsis and Piptanthus at ca. 4-0.85 Ma in Tibet and adjacent regions, seems to have resulted from intense northern QTP uplift during the latter Miocene to Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the control, epidemiological, pathological, and molecular aspects of an outbreak of meningoencephalitis in calves due to bovine herpesvirus 5 at a feedlot with 540 animals in São Paulo State, Brazil. The introduction of new animals and contact between the resident animals and the introduced ones were most likely responsible for virus transmission. Bovine herpesvirus 1 vaccine was used, resulting in the efficacy of the outbreak control, although two bovine herpesvirus 1 positive animals, vaccinated and revaccinated, presented meningoencephalitis, thereby characterizing vaccinal failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory disorders affect many people worldwide, and medicinal plants are used to ameliorate these health problems. This paper reports the antiedematogenic and analgesic evaluation of Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. leaves hydroethanolic extract (Cop) and two of its isolated compounds: quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (quercitrin) and kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (afzelin). For that, the following experimental protocols were undertaken locomotor performance, writhing induced by acetic acid, antinociceptivity induced by formalin, hot plate latency, paw oedema induced by carrageenan and dextran, and cell migration induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as well as the measurement of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in macrophages. Neither the extract nor the isolated compounds displayed analgesic activity. The obtained results showed that C. langsdorffii extract possesses antiedematogenic properties acting on peripheral sites, whereas quercitrin and afzelin are not involved. Moreover, these properties are not associated with cell migration inhibition, TNF-α, IL-6, or IL-10 regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blood-brain barrier prevents the passage of many drugs that target the central nervous system. This paper presents the preparation and characterization of silica-based nanocarriers loaded with piracetam, pentoxifylline, and pyridoxine (drugs from the class of nootropics), which are designed to enhance the permeation of the drugs from the circulatory system through the blood-brain barrier. Their permeation was compared with non-nanoparticle drug substances (bulk materials) by means of an in vivo model of rat brain perfusion. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The content of the drug substances in silica-based nanocarriers was analysed by elemental analysis and UV spectrometry. Microscopic analysis of visualized silica nanocarriers in the perfused brain tissue was performed. The concentration of the drug substances in the tissue was determined by means of UHPLC-DAD/HRMS LTQ Orbitrap XL. It was found that the drug substances in silica-based nanocarriers permeated through the blood brain barrier to the brain tissue, whereas bulk materials were not detected in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferons, as the first line of defense against the viral infection, play an important role in innate immune responses. Type III interferon (IFN-λ) was a newly identified member of IFN family, which plays IFN-like antiviral activity. Towards a better understanding of the type III interferon system in birds, type III interferon lambda receptor (IFNLR1) was first identified in the Chinese goose. In this paper, we had cloned 1952 bp for goose IFNLR1 (goIFNLR1), including an ORF of 1539 bp, encoding a 512-amino acid protein with a 20 aa predict signal peptide at its N terminal and a 23 aa transmembrane region. The predicted amino acid sequence of goIFNLR1 has 90%, 73%, and 34% identity with duck IFNLR1 (predicted sequence), chicken IFNLR1, and human IFNLR1, respectively. And the age-related tissue distribution of goIFNLR1 was identified by Real Time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), we found that the goIFNLR1 has a mainly expression in epithelium-rich tissues similar to other species’, such as small intestinal, lung, liver, and stomach. Moreover, a relatively high expression of goIFNLR1 was also observed in the secondary immune tissues (harderian gland and cecal tonsil). The identification and tissue distribution of goIFNLR1 will facilitate further study of the role of IFN-λ in goose antiviral defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major healthcare problem with increasing prevalence in the population. CKD leads to end stage renal disease and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. As such, it is important to study the mechanisms underlying CKD progression. To this end, an animal model was developed to allow the testing of new treatment strategies or molecular targets for CKD prevention. Many underlying risk factors result in CKD but the disease itself has common features, including renal interstitial fibrosis, tubular epithelial cell loss through apoptosis, glomerular damage, and renal inflammation. Further, CKD shows differences in prevalence between the genders with premenopausal women being relatively resistant to CKD. We sought to develop and characterize an animal model with these common features of human CKD in the C57BL/6 mouse. Mice of this genetic background have been used to produce transgenic strains that are commercially available. Thus, a CKD model in this strain would allow the testing of the effects of numerous genes on the severity or progression of CKD with minimal cost. This paper describes such a mouse model of CKD utilizing angiotensin II and deoxycorticosterone acetate as inducers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mouse models have provided an essential platform to investigate facets of human diseases, from etiology, diagnosis, and prognosis, to potential treatments. Muscular dystrophy (MD) is the most common human genetic disease occurring in approximately 1 in 2500 births. The mdx mouse, which is dystrophin-deficient, has long been used to model this disease. However, this mouse strain displays a rather mild disease course compared to human patients. The mdx mice have been bred to additional genetically engineered mice to worsen the disease. Alternatively, other genes which cause human MD have been genetically disrupted in mice. We are now comparing disease progression from one of these alternative gene disruptions, the γ-sarcoglycan null mouse Sgcg−/− on the DBA2/J background, to the mdx mouse line. This paper aims to assess the time-course severity of the disease in the mouse models and determine which is best for MD research. The Sgcg−/− mice have a more severe phenotype than the mdx mice. Muscle function was assessed by plethysmography and echocardiography. Histologically the Sgcg−/− mice displayed increased fibrosis and variable fiber size. By quantitative Evan’s blue dye uptake and hydroxyproline content two key disease determinants, membrane permeability and fibrosis respectively, were also proven worse in the Sgcg−/− mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artificial bee colony (ABC) is a relatively recent swarm intelligence optimization approach. In this paper, we propose the first attempt at applying ABC algorithm in analyzing a microarray gene expression profile. In addition, we propose an innovative feature selection algorithm, minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR), and combine it with an ABC algorithm, mRMR-ABC, to select informative genes from microarray profile. The new approach is based on a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to measure the classification accuracy for selected genes. We evaluate the performance of the proposed mRMR-ABC algorithm by conducting extensive experiments on six binary and multiclass gene expression microarray datasets. Furthermore, we compare our proposed mRMR-ABC algorithm with previously known techniques. We reimplemented two of these techniques for the sake of a fair comparison using the same parameters. These two techniques are mRMR when combined with a genetic algorithm (mRMR-GA) and mRMR when combined with a particle swarm optimization algorithm (mRMR-PSO). The experimental results prove that the proposed mRMR-ABC algorithm achieves accurate classification performance using small number of predictive genes when tested using both datasets and compared to previously suggested methods. This shows that mRMR-ABC is a promising approach for solving gene selection and cancer classification problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel small-molecular apoptotic PET imaging probe, 18F-ML-8 with a malonate motif structure, is presented and discussed. After study, the small tracer that belongs to a member of ApoSense family is proved to be capable of imaging merely apoptotic regions in the CTX treated tumor-bearing mice. The experimental result is further confirmed by in vitro cell binding assays and TUNEL staining assay. As a result, 18F-ML-8 could be used for noninvasive visualization of apoptosis induced by antitumor chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PAI-1 prevents lysis of blood clot by inhibiting the urokinase and tPA induced conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. VLHL PAI-1 protein mutant was created to extend half-life over 700 hours. The objective of this paper was to test VLHL PAI-1 effects on bleeding during partial nephrectomy in mice. All animals had a left partial nephrectomy after intravenous infusion of saline or tPA. The animals were divided into four groups. Group 1 was infused with saline and kidney was exposed to saline too; Group 2 was infused with saline and kidney was exposed to PAI-1. Group 3 was infused with tPA and kidney was exposed to saline, while Group 4 was infused with tPA and kidney was exposed to PAI-1. Preweighed gauze containing PAI-1 or saline was then applied to the kidney for 30 minutes. The gauze was afterward weighed and blood loss was measured by subtracting the preweight of gauze from the final weight. We have observed a statistically significant (P≤0.05) reduction of bleeding in PAI-1-treated group in comparison to saline and tPA-treated groups. Based on these results we propose that VLHL PAI-1 can be used therapeutically in limiting the flow of blood from renal wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of crocetin (C20H24O4) on methylcholanthrene- (MCA-) induced uterine cervical cancer in mice was studied in this paper. After the mice were treated orally with crocetin, maleic dialdehyde (MDA), polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were examined by ELISA or immunohistochemistry. The inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activation in HeLa cells was analyzed using fluorescence microscopy for light microscopic examination. The MCA mice showed a significant increase in plasma MDA, PMN, IL-1β, TNF-α, and nitrates levels. At the same time, the mRNA level of COX-2 in HeLa cells was also significantly increased. These changes were attenuated by crocetin supplementation in the MCA mice. Crocetin supplementation in the MCA mice also showed protection against cervical cancer. These results suggest that crocetin may act as a chemopreventive and an anti-inflammatory agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]