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Summary: Migraines are a common medical condition. From a basic science point of view, the central mechanism for migraine and headache is largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that cortical excitatory transmission is significantly enhanced in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)—a brain region which is critical for pain perception. Biochemical studies found that the phosphorylation levels of both the NMDA receptor GluN2B and AMPA receptor GluA1 were enhanced in ACC of migraine rats. Both the presynaptic release of glutamate and postsynaptic responses of AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors were enhanced. Synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) was occluded. Furthermore, behavioral anxiety and nociceptive responses were increased, which were reversed by application of AC1 inhibitor NB001 within ACC. Our results provide strong evidence that cortical LTPs contribute to migraine-related pain and anxiety. Drugs that inhibit cortical excitation such as NB001 may serve as potential medicines for treating migraine in the future.

Under global change scenarios, climate change and habitat loss or alteration as a result of human activities are regarded as two important factors affecting species’ distributions and in situ conservation. Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng, a living fossil, occurs naturally only in a small region in Central China, with most individuals now growing near human settlements. The climate in the native range is poorly characterized, and little is known regarding what potential factors (e.g. climate variables) explain variation in the sizes of M. glyptostroboides trees. Here, we found that climate variables were not, or only very weakly, related to three measures of tree sizes: canopy sizes, DBHs (diameter at breast heights) and heights. As elevations increased, tree heights and canopy sizes decreased significantly, but no relationship was found with DBHs. On average, M. glyptostroboides trees were larger, in terms of DBHs and heights, when growing within 30 m of a house, road or farmland versus more than 30 m from one or more of these features; however, canopy sizes showed the opposite trend for trees growing near roads and farmlands. Climate variables, elevations, and human disturbance explained little variations in tree canopy sizes, DBHs or heights, though human disturbance was the most important factor of the tree for DBHs. Elevations, mean annual temperature, and precipitation in the wettest quarter explained the most variation in tree heights, while elevations, precipitation in the wettest quarter and the distance to farmland affected canopy sizes. Due to its poor natural regeneration in the native range, more effective in situ conservation is urgently needed for the existing small M. glyptostroboides populations. Keywords: Native range, Diameter at breast heights, Tree heights, Canopy sizes, Elevations

Abstracts: Objective: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. The pathophysiological changes in platelet function and the hypercoagulable state associated with DKD are closely linked to inflammatory processes. Poecilobdella manillensis (PM), a type of leech known for its anticoagulant and antithrombotic properties, has the potential to modulate the inflammatory response in DKD. This study aims to investigate the effect of freeze-dried powder of PM on improving inflammatory injury in rat glomerular mesangial cells and to explore its underlying mechanism. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated HBZY-1 rat mesangial cells to establish an in vitro DKD inflammation model. After the intervention with the water extract of freeze-dried powder of PM (FDPM), cell viability, NO content, and the levels of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α were assessed. Finally, utilizing transcriptomics technology, RT-qPCR, and Western blot methods, the mechanism by which FDPM improves inflammatory injury in rat glomerular mesangial cells was explored and preliminarily validated. Results: FDPM effectively enhances cell viability and inhibits the production of NO and related inflammatory factors. Transcriptomic analysis suggests that FDPM may exert these effects by regulating the TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling pathway. The mRNA and protein expressions of TXNIP, NLRP3, and MCP-1 in the model cells were reversed by FDPM. Conclusion: FDPM may improve the micro-inflammatory state of DKD and slow the progression of the disease by regulating the TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling pathway. This study provides a scientific basis for the clinical application of PM DKD treatment.