Search

Chronic inflammation is increasingly considered as the most important component of vascular aging, contributing to the progression of age‐related cardiovascular diseases. To delay the process of vascular aging, anti‐inflammation may be an effective measure. The anti‐inflammatory factor annexin A1 (ANXA1) is shown to participate in several age‐related diseases; however, its function during vascular aging remains unclear. Here, an ANXA1 knockout (ANXA1−/−) and an endothelial cell‐specific ANXA1 deletion mouse (ANXA1△EC) model are used to investigate the role of ANXA1 in vascular aging. ANXA1 depletion exacerbates vascular remodeling and dysfunction while upregulates age‐ and inflammation‐related protein expression. Conversely, Ac2‐26 (a mimetic peptide of ANXA1) supplementation reverses this phenomenon. Furthermore, long‐term tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) induction of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) increases cell senescence. Finally, the senescence‐associated secretory phenotype and senescence‐related protein expression, rates of senescence‐β‐galactosidase positivity, cell cycle arrest, cell migration, and tube formation ability are observed in both ANXA1‐knockdown HUVECs and overexpressed ANXA1‐TNF‐α induced senescent HUVECs. They also explore the impact of formyl peptide receptor 2 (a receptor of ANXA1) in an ANXA1 overexpression inflammatory model. These data provide compelling evidence that age‐related inflammation in arteries contributes to senescent endothelial cells that promote vascular aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Gut microbiota can influence the aging process and may modulate aging‐related changes in cognitive function. Trimethylamine‐N‐oxide (TMAO), a metabolite of intestinal flora, has been shown to be closely associated with cardiovascular disease and other diseases. However, the relationship between TMAO and aging, especially brain aging, has not been fully elucidated. To explore the relationship between TMAO and brain aging, we analysed the plasma levels of TMAO in both humans and mice and administered exogenous TMAO to 24‐week‐old senescence‐accelerated prone mouse strain 8 (SAMP8) and age‐matched senescence‐accelerated mouse resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice for 16 weeks. We found that the plasma levels of TMAO increased in both the elderly and the aged mice. Compared with SAMR1‐control mice, SAMP8‐control mice exhibited a brain aging phenotype characterized by more senescent cells in the hippocampal CA3 region and cognitive dysfunction. Surprisingly, TMAO treatment increased the number of senescent cells, which were primarily neurons, and enhanced the mitochondrial impairments and superoxide production. Moreover, we observed that TMAO treatment increased synaptic damage and reduced the expression levels of synaptic plasticity‐related proteins by inhibiting the mTOR signalling pathway, which induces and aggravates aging‐related cognitive dysfunction in SAMR1 and SAMP8 mice, respectively. Our findings suggested that TMAO could induce brain aging and age‐related cognitive dysfunction in SAMR1 mice and aggravate the cerebral aging process of SAMP8 mice, which might provide new insight into the effects of intestinal microbiota on the brain aging process and help to delay senescence by regulating intestinal flora metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deer antlers are the only mammalian appendages to display an annual cycle of full regeneration. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of antler regeneration. Our previous study has demonstrated that parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) can promote proliferation of antler chondrocytes and inhibit its differentiation, but the mechanism underlying such regulation is not fully understood. We have determined the role of PTHrP on the mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and MMP13 in the antler chondrocytes. The possible pathways that transduce PTHrP effects were examined. In situ hybridization showed that MMP9 and MMP13 were mainly localized in the dermal fibroblasts, perichondrium, and cartilage in the sika deer antler, of which MMP9 and MMP13 were highly expressed in the chondrocytes. Exogenous PTHrP could inhibit the expression of MMP9 and MMP13 in the antler chondrocytes. The inhibitory effect of PTHrP on MMP9 was abolished by JNK inhibitor, SP600125, while P38MAPK inhibitor SB203850 and PKC inhibitor GF109203X could rescue the inhibitory effect of PTHrP on MMP13. The results suggest that PTHrP can inhibit MMP9 expression by JNK signaling pathway and MMP13 expression by p38MAPK and PKC signaling pathways in the antler chondrocytes. Thus PTHrP is involved in the control of antler chondrocytes maturation and cartilage matrix degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Angiogenesis is necessary for successful implantation and decidualization. This study was to investigate the differential expression of angiopoietin-3 ( Ang-3) in mouse uterus during early pregnancy and its regulation by steroid hormones using in situ hybridization and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction ( RT- PCR). There was no detectable Ang-3 m RNA signal on days 1-5 of pregnancy by in situ hybridization. On day 6 of pregnancy, a low level of Ang-3 m RNA signal was seen in the primary decidua. Ang-3 m RNA expression gradually increased on days 7 and 8 of pregnancy along with the development of decidua, and its expression scope was also expanded. The RT- PCR result indicated that Ang-3 m RNA expression was low on days 1-4 of pregnancy. On day 5, as embryo implanted, Ang-3 mRNA was highly expressed in mouse uterus, and the expression gradually increased on days 6-8 of pregnancy, with peak level on day 8 of pregnancy. Similarly, Ang-3 m RNA was also strongly expressed in decidualized cells under artificial decidualization. Compared with the delayed uterus, a high level of Ang-3 m RNA expression was detected in activated implantation uterus by RT- PCR. In the ovariectomized mouse uterus, Ang-3 m RNA expression increased and reached the highest level at 12 hr after injection of estrogen, progesterone, and estrogen plus progesterone, respectively. These results suggest that Ang-3 may play an important role during the process of mouse decidualization. Both estrogen and progesterone can induce the expression of Ang-3 in ovariectomized mouse uterus. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 318:316-324, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One antibacterial activity fraction from an immunized dipteran insect, Bactrocera dorsalis, was isolated and purified by prepurification, ion-exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The final purified fraction was checked on the Smart system HPLC and was judged as a pure fraction. The results of physical and biological analysis revealed that this fraction is heat stable and showed strong activities against Gram-positive bacterial growth. It possesses antibicrobial peptide properties and is worth further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two species-specific primers were designed depending on ITS2 sequence variation of37 Trichogrammawasps, and these primers were applied to establish an assay, multiplex PCR (M-PCR), for molecular diagnosis of two importantTrichogrammawasps,T. confusumandT. dendrolimi, in China. Multiplex-PCR results showed that only target species produced two PCR products, one product of ITS2 region species-specific amplification and one product of its ITS1 region universal amplification, but other species produced only one ITS1 universal PCR product. Using this method, the targetTrichogrammaspecies can be distinguished from otherTrichogrammaspecies. Molecular identification based on M-PCR has particular value over morphological technology and other approaches, such as normal molecular and biochemical methods. Furthermore, because M-PCR assay can avoid false negative results, which frequently happen in PCR reaction, this method will be much more accurate and useful forTrichogrammaidentification, and can be developed as an easy and rapid diagnostic kit applied in the identification and quality monitoring ofTrichogrammamass products both in the factory and in the field. Such an easy and rapid diagnostic kit will be valuable in the application ofTrichogrammaspecies as a biological control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]