Serological surveillance for Tahyna virus (California encephalitis orthobunyavirus,Peribunyaviridae) neutralizing antibodies in wild ungulates in Austria,Hungary and Romania

A serosurvey for Tahyna virus (TAHV), a mosquito‐borne California encephalitis orthobunyavirus (Peribunyaviridae) endemic to Europe, was performed to estimate the activity of TAHV on a broad geographic scale. Sera from wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) were collected from Austria, Hungary and Romania. Samples were tested for neutralizing antibodies against TAHV using a virus microneutralization assay. The results demonstrate that TAHV transmission to mammals is widespread in Europe, particularly in the wild boar population where the mean rate of seroconversion is 15.2%.     

Association between IL-6-572C/G as well as IFNAR1-168G/C and hepatitis B virus infection in populations of Dai and Han ethnicities in Yunnan Province

ATM: To explore the association between IL-6-572C/G (rs1800796) as well as interferon alpha receptor 1 (IFNAR1)-168G/C (rs2257167) and prognosis after hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in populations of Dai and Han ethnicities in Yunnan Province. METHODS: The blood samples were collected from Dai people and Han people, each nation including 100 healthy controls and 200 infected individuals (100 spontaneous recovery individuals and 100 chronic patients). Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing were used to identify the gene type. RESULTS: In Dai people, no significant difference was found between genetic polymorphism of -572C/G and prognosis after HBV infection. The differences of C and G alleles between spontaneous recovery group and chronic hepatitis B group, and healthy controls and HBV infection group were not statistically significant. Meanwhile, GG and CG genotypes were a vital protective factor for the person who developed into a chronic heptatitis B patient under the G allele dominance mode (GG+CG/CC) (P<0.05). In Han people, no statistically significance for IL-6-572C/G genotype and allele distribution in each group comparisons had been found, as well as the C allele recessive mode and C allele dominance mode. For the above 4 indicators, no statistically significant difference of IFNAR1-168C/G in Dai and Han people had been found.CONCLUSION: The GG+CG genotype of IL-6-572C/G may be a protective factor for the HBV-infected Dai people to develop into chronic hepatitis B patients. However, there is no significant association between the IFNAR1-168G/C polymorphism and prognosis after HBV infection in the 2 ethnicities.     

Tetramethylpyrazine combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation inhibits neuronal apoptosis in rats with cerebral ischemia

ATM: To investigate the effects of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on neuronal apoptosis, and Bcl-2 and Bax expression in rats with cerebral ischemia. METHODS: The BMSCs were isolated by the whole bone marrow adherent method and cultured, and those in the 3rd passage were used for tail-vein transplantation. The rats were subjected to right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) using suture method, and the rats except sham group were randomly divided into model group, BMSCs (1×10⁹ cells/L) group, TMP (40 mg/kg) group and combination (TMP+BMSCs) group with 12 rats in each group. Neurological function was evaluated by modified neurological severity scoring (mNSS) on 1 d, 7 d and 14 d after cerebral ischemia. Toluidine blue staining was performed to detect cerebral infarct volume, HE staining was used to observe brain histopathological change, neuronal apoptosis was observed by TUNEL staining, and the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot at 14 d after cerebral ischemia. RESULTS: Compared with BMSCs group and TMP group, TMP combined with BMSCs significantly reduced the score of mNSS (P<0.01) and the infarct volume (P<0.01), alleviated the pathological damage in the peripheral area of cerebral ischemia, decreased the number of TUNEL positive cells (P<0.01), increased the expression of Bcl-2 and decreased the expression of Bax at mRNA and protein levels (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Tetramethylpyrazine combined with transplantation of BMSCs improves the functional recovery, reduces the infarct volume, relieves the ischemic injury of the brain tissue, and attenuates neuronal apoptosis in the rats with cerebral ischemia. The mechanism may be related to regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax.     

Establishment of patient-derived esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma xenograft in mice and characteristics of signaling pathways related to proliferation in SCID mice

AIM: To establish and characterize the patient-derived esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma xenograft (PDECX) in mice. METHODS: The samples of human esophageal cancer were grafted into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. The xenografts were transferred to SCID mice when the first passage of xenografts grew up. The growth of tumors in the first, second and third passages was observed. HE staining was performed. The expression of CK5/6, p63 and p40 in the patient samples, and the first and third passages of the xenografts were detected by immunohistochemical analysis. The expression of mTOR, p-mTOR, p70S6K, p-p70S6K, Akt1, p-Akt (Ser473), Erk1/2 and p-Erk1/2 were determined by Western blot.RESULTS: The PDECX was successfully established. The positive expression of CK5/6, p63 and p40 in the xenografts was consistent with that in the patients' samples. The levels of phosphorylated and total proteins of proliferation-related signaling pathways were different in the xenografts from different patients.CONCLUSION: The PDECX model adequately reflects the tumal heterogeneity that is observed in the patients.     

Factors Influencing the Retrogradation of Two Rice Starches in Low-Molecular-Weight Saccharide Solutions

The complicated effects of added sugars and maltodextrins (5–20%) on the retrogradation of starch gels were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic rheometry. One indica (Kaoshiung Sen 7, KSS7) and one japonica (Tainung 67, TNu67) rice starch with well-defined physico-chemical properties were used to clarify changes in re-crystallisation behaviour of starch components due to the addition of saccharides at different concentrations. The sugars showed marked suppression effects on the short-term retrogradation of KSS7, and both short- and long-term retrogradation of TNu67 gels. The suppressing effect of the sugars depended not only on sugar concentration, but also on the starch variety and the aging period. Maltodextrins with high average-degree of polymerisation exhibited a high retrogradation-promoting capability, especially in TNu67 gels on the first day. The addition of sugars and maltodextrins at 5–20% generally had little effect on the correlation between the storage modulus and the retrogradation enthalpy of starch gels.     

Silymarin inhibits adipogenesis in the adipocytes in grass carp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ctenopharyngodon idellus</Emphasis> in vitro and in vivo

In this study, two experiments were performed to explore the function of silymarin in adipogenesis in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) using in vitro and in vivo models. In experiment 1, differentiated grass carp pre-adipocytes were treated with silymarin for 6 days. Treatment with 100 μg mL^?1silymarin (SM100 group) significantly reduced triglyceride accumulation at day 6. The adipogenic gene expression levels of PPARγ, C/EBPα, SREBP1c, FAS, SCD1, and LPL, and the protein expression level of PPARγ were significantly down-regulated in the SM100 group. Additionally, the SM100 group had significantly lower reactive oxygen species production and reduced glutathione contents compared with the control in vitro. In experiment 2, the juvenile grass carp (mean body weight= 27.4 ± 0.17 g) were fed six isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets in a factorial design containing 0, 100, or 200 mg kg^?1 silymarin (SM0, SM100, SM200) associated with either 4 or 8% lipid levels (low lipid, LL, and high lipid, HL, respectively) for 82 days. The results demonstrated that dietary silymarin supplementation significantly reduced the elevated intraperitoneal fat index in grass carp fed with high-lipid diets, and the gene expression of adipogenesis (PPARγ, FAS) when supplemented with dietary silymarin was notably lower than when no silymarin was supplemented under the high-lipid diets. Thus, our data suggest that silymarin suppressed lipid accumulation in grass carp both in vitro and in vivo, and the effect might be due to an influence on the expression of adipogenesis factors and ROS production partly associated with effects on antioxidant capability.     

乳酸链球菌素及大黄组方对子宫内膜炎大鼠结肠的影响

为研究乳酸链球菌素(Nisin)及大黄组方对患子宫内膜炎大鼠生殖系统内分泌调控与结肠炎症因子的影响,进一步揭示子宫内膜炎与结肠之间的关系,构建子宫内膜炎模型,建模前后用ELISA试剂盒检测各组大鼠子宫中髓过氧化物酶(MPO)、催产素(OXT)和检测患子宫内膜炎大鼠结肠中白介素1β(IL-1β)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)以及结肠菌群的变化情况来确定治疗效果。结果表明:1)造模前后,空白对照组中MPO和OXT的浓度无显著性差异;造模24h,Nisin组、大黄组方中和高剂量组中MPO的浓度显著降低;大黄组方高剂量组和阳性对照组中OXT的浓度显著高于阴性对照组和空白对照组,阴性对照组显著降低;造模48h,阴性对照组中OXT的浓度显著降低,且显著低于其他各组;造模72h,阴性对照组中MPO显著升高,OXT的浓度显著降低,大黄组方高剂量组和阳性对照组可显著降低子宫中MPO的浓度和显著增加OXT的浓度。2)在结肠中,患子宫内膜炎大鼠在0~72h阶段,阴性对照组中IL-1β和TNF-α的浓度显著升高,大黄组方高剂量组、Nisin组及阳性对照组中IL-1β和TNF-α的浓度显著降低。3)Nisin及大黄组方高剂量组显著增加结肠中乳酸杆菌和双歧杆菌的数量,显著减少大肠杆菌和肠球菌的数量。研究发现Nisin和大黄组方高剂量组可降低子宫内膜炎大鼠子宫中MPO和OXT的浓度,患子宫内膜炎大鼠使结肠中IL-1β和TNF-α的浓度升高,Nisin、大黄组方高剂量组和阳性对照组可降低IL-1β和TNF-α的浓度,还可以调节结肠中菌群结构。