Shikonin reverses HGF-induced resistance to gefitinib in lung cancer cells HCC827

AIM: To investigate the effect of shikonin on reversing hepatocyte growth factor(HGF)-induced resistance to gefitinib in lung cancer HCC827 cells, and to explore its possible mechanisms.METHODS: The gefitinib-resistant HCC827 cells induced by HGF were treated with shikonin and gefitinibthe alone or in combination. The inhibition rates of cell viability were determined by MTT assay. The invasive ability of HCC827 cells with HGF-induced resistance to gefitinib was determined by Transwell assay. The protein levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and related signaling pathway in the HCC827 cells were detected by Western blot.RESULTS: The results of MTT assay showed that the cell activity of HCC827 cells was significantly inhibited by shikonin in a dose dependent manner. The IC₅₀ of shikonin in HCC827 cells was 3.06 μmol/L. And the IC₅₀ of gefitinib in HCC827 cells was 0.51 μmol/L. Under the condition of combined treatment with shikonin and gefitinib in the presence of HGF (20 μg/L), the IC₅₀ of gefitinib was 7.36 μmol/L, significantly lower than that treated with gefitinib alone (P<0.01), so did the result of the cell migration (P<0.01). HGF induced EMT, while shikonin reversed this effect. The protein expression level of p-AKT was significantly up-regulated by HGF, while markedly down-regulated treatment with shikonin and gefitinib compared with gefitinib alone (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Shikonin reverses HGF-induced resistance to gefitinib in lung cancer HCC827 cells, and the mechanism may be likely related to the preventon of EMT and the inhibition of HGF-induced activation of p-AKT signaling pathway.     

Effect of Jieyuwan on depression-like behaviors and expression of BDNF in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of WKY rats

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of depression and its development, and to study the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats treated with Jieyuwan. METHODS:Adult male WKY rats were used as an animal model of endogenous depression. Wistar rats of the same strain were selected as control group. WKY rats were randomly divided into model group, citalopram group and Jieyuwan group. After intragastric administration for 21 d, the changes of depression-like behaviors were observed by sucrose preference test and forced swimming test. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the expression of BDNF in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. RESULTS:WKY rats showed significant depression-like behaviors, and the expression of BDNF was significantly decreased in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (P<0.01). The reduction of neuronal axons in hippocampus was also observed. After drug treatment, the depression-like behaviors of WKY rats were significantly attenuated, and the expression of BDNF and the number of axons were increased (P<0.01). CONCLUSION:Jieyuwan effectively attenuates the depression-like behaviors of WKY rats, and BDNF is a key factor in its antidepressant effect. Our findings further confirm the involvement of BDNF in the development of depression.     

大豆PHD家族蛋白的全基因组鉴定及表达特征分析

PHD（Plant Homeodomain Finger）基因家族编码一类锌指转录因子,广泛参与植物的生长发育和逆境应答过程。通过全基因组鉴定获得了95个大豆PHD家族蛋白。通过共线性分析、进化树构建、基因结构和功能结构域鉴定、GO注释分析、不同组织间和非生物胁迫下表达分析等,获得了大豆PHD家族基因复制、家族进化、保守结构域及基因表达等信息。结果表明,大豆PHD基因在家族进化、基因结构和保守结构域上存在较大变异,可能参与Zn ²⁺结合、DNA结合及表观遗传调控等分子过程,参与调控植物生长发育和逆境应答。这些结果为进一步研究大豆PHD家族在生长发育和逆境应答中的生物学功能提供重要线索。     

灵芝的生物学特性、液体发酵及药理作用的研究进展

以灵芝生长特性、液体发酵、药理作用为切入点,综合查询近5年发表的收录于中国知网和艾斯维尔等数据库中的相关文献,就灵芝的生物学特性、液体发酵条件、药理作用方面的研究进展进行综述,为更好地开发利用灵芝资源提供依据。指出现今灵芝的药理作用等基础研究较多,而生长栽培和发酵条件优化的研究报道则较少,而其临床应用的机制则有待进一步探讨。     

水流作用下临水岸坡稳定性计算模型

河流崩岸是我国堤防安全面临的重大问题,汛期前后崩岸诱发大量的滑体进入河道,影响航运,给沿岸人民正常生产生活带来重大影响。针对水流作用下临水岸坡失稳问题,综合考虑坡表静水压力、内部孔隙水压力、边坡几何形状等因素的影响,构建了楔形岸坡稳定计算模型,并结合长江干流芙蓉大堤段崩岸实例,分析了各因素对岸坡稳定的作用。结果表明,坡表与地下水位升降及二者之差,对岸坡稳定影响较大,且水流的淘刷深度也直接影响着岸坡整体稳定。     

2种水分生境下红砂叶片功能性状的响应及适应机制

干旱是中国西北荒漠生态系统的主要特点之一，干旱对植物的生长、发育、繁殖及分布等产生重要的影响。红砂是广泛分布在我国温带荒漠草原生态系统中的优势种和主要建群种之一，对多种环境胁迫尤其是干旱胁迫具有极强的耐受性。因此，研究红砂对不同水分生境的响应及适应机理有着重要的科学意义。对不同水分条件自然生境中(小红山地区和长流水地区)的红砂叶片形态、表皮微形态及超微结构进行分析，揭示红砂适应干旱胁迫的叶片形态结构特征。结果表明，随着生境中土壤含水量的降低，红砂叶片厚度增大，叶面积及气孔开度减小，角质层增厚，从而降低植物蒸散过程中体内水分的散失。表皮细胞面积减小，表皮细胞密度增大，细胞壁增厚，增加了表皮细胞弹性，有助于降低干旱胁迫下植物失水造成的机械损伤。与此同时，栅栏组织增厚，且细胞排列更加致密，海绵组织的厚度减小，在一定程度上促进叶片的光合作用进行。因此，红砂叶片的形态结构特点使其对干旱具有极强的耐受性。研究揭示了荒漠植物红砂的叶片形态结构对不同水分条件的响应，为理解荒漠植物对水分限制的响应机制提供数据支持。     

番木瓜ERF家族与果实成熟相关成员的分析

通过比较分析番木瓜ERF家族成员的系统进化关系、基本理化性质、保守基序、启动子顺式元件,结合分析番木瓜在乙烯利和乙烯抑制剂1–甲基环丙烯(1-MCP)处理下以及不同成熟期果肉的RNA-seq数据,筛选出22个ERF家族成员进行表达差异分析,最终比较得出两个处理数据中显著差异表达基因有18个,推测这些基因可能在番木瓜果实成熟过程中起重要作用。     

Comparison of effects of dietary‐specific fatty acids on growth and lipid metabolism in Nile tilapia

The dominant fatty acids (FAs) in oils are often used to explain different nutritional effects of dietary oils in fish. However, the amounts of dominant FAs among oils are different, and the nutritional roles of these important FAs in fish have not been precisely compared at similar levels in feeding trials. In the present study, different amounts of palmitic acid were added to safflower oil (SO), olive oil (OO) and fish oil (FO) to obtain comparable amounts (about 550 g/kg of total FAs) of 18:2n‐6, 18:1n‐9 and 20:5n‐3 + 22:6n‐3 and subsequently fed to Nile tilapia (11.1 ± 0.01 g) for 8 weeks. The results showed similar growth among groups but FO group obtained lower fat deposition, serum ALT and AST activities, compared to OO. Lipogenesis‐related gene expressions were higher in OO group than FO group in liver, muscle and adipose tissue, but there were only few differences in these genes between SO and FO groups. Lipid catabolism genes in FO group were higher than OO and SO groups in adipose tissue, but not in muscle, and the significantly higher expressions of CPT1b and PPARα were only observed in liver. Overall, dietary 18:2n‐6, 20:5n‐3 and 22:6n‐3 were beneficial to normal growth and lipid metabolism, whereas high amount of 18:1n‐9 induced lipid deposition and liver damage in Nile tilapia.     

不同水稻种质中渗透胁迫抗性基因DREB2A的遗传多样性分析

本研究旨在分析转录因子DREB2A基因在不同水稻种质中的遗传多样性,以期为水稻耐渗透胁迫遗传改良提供分子工具。利用单倍型分析、系统进化树、遗传距离和密码子偏好性分析,对85份不同类型水稻种质中DREB2A基因的功能性核苷酸序列变异及遗传多样性进行了研究。共鉴定出55个核苷酸变异位点,其中12个位于编码区,43个位于非编码区;鉴定出12个DREB2A等位基因型,其中来自非洲栽培稻(Oryza glaberrima)的3个等位基因型表现大片段变异;根据DREB2A基因的序列变异鉴定出39个单倍型,其中33个为新单倍型;将所有单倍型分为三组（Group I、II和III）,其中非洲栽培稻(Oryza glaberrima)中的10个单倍型单独分为一组(Group III);系统进化树、遗传距离和密码子偏好性分析均表明Group III与其他两组具有较大差异。对85份不同类型水稻种质中DREB2A基因的序列分析表明,非洲栽培稻(Oryza glaberrima)中的DREB2A等位基因在序列变异、系统进化关系和密码子偏好性方面均明显不同于其他种质材料中的等位基因。