Search

Objective: To explore the protective effect of the freeze-dried fruit powder of Phyllanthus emblica L. (PEFP) against acute and chronic hyperuricemia (HUA) and liver and kidney injuries in mice. Methods: Mouse models of acute and chronic HUA were established by intraperitoneal injection of hypoxanthine and potassium oxazinate, respectively. Meanwhile, PEFP at 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg mb were orally given to the mice in the intervention group for seven days. The levels of uric acid (UA), creatinine (CRE), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the serum, and the activities of xanthine oxidase (XOD) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) in the serum and liver were detected. Liver and kidney indexes were calculated, and the pathological characteristics of liver and kidney tissues were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Results: Compared with the model group, PEFP at 150 and 300 mg/kg mb significantly reduced the liver and kidney indexes (P < 0.01) and lowered serum UA, BUN, CRE, and AST levels in mice with acute hyperuricemia (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). PEFP at 75, 150 and 300 mg/kg mb significantly inhibited serum and liver XOD and ADA activities (P < 0.01), and PEFP at 300 mg/kg mb lowered serum ALT levels in mice with acute hyperuricemia (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, all three doses of PEFP significantly reduced the liver and kidney indexes (P < 0.01), lowered serum UA, BUN and ALT levels (P < 0.01), and inhibited serum and liver XOD activities and serum ADA activity in mice with chronic hyperuricemia (P < 0.01). PEFP at 150 and 300 mg/kg mb lowered serum CRE and AST levels and liver ADA activity (P < 0.01). PEFP ameliorated the pathological changes of the liver and kidney in mice with acute and chronic hyperuricemia. Conclusion: PEPP can effectively decrease serum UA levels in mice with acute and chronic hyperuricemia, which may be related to the inhibition of XOD and ADA activities in the serum and liver, and the promotion of renal uric acid excretion, and can also exert renal and hepatoprotective effects.

Objective To explore the expression and clinical significance of Drosophila protein Ash2 analogue(ASH2L)in gastric carcinoma cell lines infected with Helicobacter pylori(Hp). Methods The expression of ASH2L in various tumors, the relationship between ASH2L and pathological characteristics of stomach adenocarcinoma and the prognosis of the patients were analyzed by TIMER2.0, UALCAN and other software. Human gastric mucosal epithelial cell line GES, gastric carcinoma cell lines SGC-7901 and AGS were infected with Hp and the expression of ASH2L before and after Hp infection was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Results The analysis showed that ASH2L was differentially expressed in 15 kinds of tumors and was highly expressed in stomach adenocarcinoma. The overall survival (OS) and post-progression survival (PPS) of patients with high ASH2L expression were lower than those with low ASH2L expression(P＜0.05). There were some differences in the expression of ASH2L in patients with stomach adenocarcinoma in different age groups, different races and different pathological grades, but not related to gender. The expression of ASH2L was significantly up-regulated in three human gastric epithelial cell lines infected with Hp(P＜0.05). Conclusions ASH2L may play an important role in tumorigenesis of gastric carcinoma caused by Hp infection, and its expression level is closely related to various pathological features and prognosis of the patients, and it is expected to be a molecular marker for prognosis.

The plant-specific IDD transcription factors (TFs) are vital for regulating plant growth and developmental processes. However, the characteristics and biological roles of the IDD gene family in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are still largely unexplored. In this study, 17 SlIDD genes were identified in the tomato genome and classified into seven subgroups according to the evolutionary relationships of IDD proteins. Analysis of exon–intron structures and conserved motifs reflected the evolutionary conservation of SlIDDs in tomato. Collinearity analysis revealed that segmental duplication promoted the expansion of the SlIDD family. Ka/Ks analysis indicated that SlIDD gene orthologs experienced predominantly purifying selection throughout evolution. The analysis of cis-acting elements revealed that the promoters of SlIDD genes contain numerous elements associated with light, plant hormones, and abiotic stresses. The RNA-seq data and qRT-PCR experimental results showed that the SlIDD genes exhibited tissue-specific expression. Additionally, Group A members from Arabidopsis thaliana and rice are known to play a role in regulating plant shoot gravitropism. QRT-PCR analysis confirmed that the expression level of SlIDD15 in Group A was high in the hypocotyls and stems. Subcellular localization demonstrated that the SlIDD15 protein was localized in the nucleus. Surprisingly, the loss-of-function of SlIDD15 by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology did not display obvious gravitropic response defects, implying the existence of functional redundant factors within SlIDD15. Taken together, this study offers foundational insights into the tomato IDD gene family and serves as a valuable guide for exploring their molecular mechanisms in greater detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is the most common primary tumor of the brain, accounting for 81 % of central nervous system (CNS) malignant tumors. The degree of malignancy is high, and the current treatment methods are limited. In recent years, with the in-depth study of intestinal flora and brain-gut axis, it has been found that the diversity of gut microbiota plays an important role in the regulation of glioma. The mechanism is that the intestinal flora affects the development of glioma through the role of immune regulation and metabolites. In addition, it has been confirmed that there is a certain correlation between some probiotics and glioma, which provides a new application prospect for the treatment of glioma. This paper discusses the main intestinal bacteria that regulate gliomas as well as the role and regulatory mechanisms of intestinal flora in the development of gliomas, and provides ideas for the discovery of new targets for glioma treatment and further improvement of treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi‐leafless represents an advantageous plant architecture in pea breeding due to its ability to enhance resistance to lodging and potentially to powdery mildew. The introduction of semi‐leafless pea varieties is considered a seminal advancement in pea breeding over the past half‐century. The afila (af) mutation leads to the replacement of lateral leaflets by highly branched tendrils; combined with the semi‐dwarfing le mutation, it forms the semi‐leafless cultivated variety. In this study, we identified that mutations in two tandemly‐arrayed genes encoding Cys(2)His(2) zinc finger transcription factors, PsPALM1a and PsPALM1b, were closely associated with the afila phenotype. These two genes may be deleted in the af mutant. In situ hybridization showed that both genes exhibit specific expression in early leaflet primordia. Furthermore, suppression of PsPALM1a/PsPALM1b resulted in a high frequency of conversion of lateral leaflets into tendrils. In conclusion, our study provides genetic evidence demonstrating that mutations in PsPALM1a and PsPALM1b are responsible for the af locus, contributing to a better understanding of compound leaf formation in peas and offering new insights for breeding applications related to afila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the distribution and proportion of M1/M2 macrophages in the periodontal tis⁃ sues of rats with and without periodontitis. Method Twelve Sprague⁃Dawley rats were randomly divided into a chronic periodontitis group (CP, n = 6) and a periodontal health group (PH, n = 6). The periodontitis model was induced at the first mandibular molar using a stainless steel ligature and was confirmed by histological analysis. M1 macrophages were labeled with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and M2 macrophages were labeled with CD163. The distributions of M1 and M2 macrophages in the two groups were determined via immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and the M1/M2 ratios were compared between the two groups. Results The M1 type macrophage count in the PH group was 12.17 ± 1.40, and the M1 macrophage count in the CP group was 40.00 ± 3.20; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (t = 7.96, P < 0.0001). The M2 macrophage count in the PH group was 4.50 ± 1.09, and the M2 type macrophage count in the CP group was 5.33 ± 0.67. There was no statistically significant difference be⁃ tween the two groups (t = 0.65, P = 0.53). The M1/M2 ratio in the CP group was 3.72 ± 1.08, and the M1/M2 ratio in the PH group was 8.31 ± 1.37; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (t = 2.63, P =0.025). Conclusion During periodontitis, M1 macrophages increased significantly and were widely distributed; they may be involved in the progression of periodontitis and may be closely related to the destruction of the cementum.

Palmate-leaved morning glory (Ipomoea cairica (L.) Sweet) is a fast-growing perennial herbaceous twining vine that was recently discovered to invade mangrove wetlands in China. To understand the mechanism of its successful invasion, the salt tolerance of a coastal ecotype from Zhuhai and a terrestrial ecotype from Guangzhou were compared under salt stress. The morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters related to growth, ion homeostasis, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, oxidative stress, and apoptosis were measured in both ecotypes. Monitoring apoptosis showed that the protoplasts of the coastal ecotype underwent apoptosis and were later compared with those of the terrestrial ecotype. The coastal ecotype was also found to have higher regenerated stems; less water loss, sodium (Na+) uptake, and membrane damage; higher salt gland density and area; and better photosynthetic performance than the terrestrial ecotype. The coastal ecotype probably prevented salt-related damage by reducing its water loss and secreting excess Na+ through its lower stomatal density and higher density and area of salt glands. The coastal ecotype also maintained a better balance of Na+, potassium ions, nitrogen, and phosphorus under salt stress. Moreover, the coastal ecotype had higher activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, and a higher content of non-enzymatic antioxidants, including proline and anthocyanins, which indicate a stronger antioxidant ability. Our results suggest that the coastal ecotype adapts to a higher salt tolerance than the terrestrial ecotype by enhancing its exclusion of salt, adjusting its osmolytes, and through photosynthetic efficiency, which could explain its successful invasion in the mangrove wetland ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]