Effect of Pueraria mirifica on the sexual skin coloration of aged menopausal cynomolgus monkeys

To investigate the estrogenic effect of Pueraria mirifica (PM), a Thai herbal plant that contains many phytoestrogens, sexual skin coloration was studied in cynomolgus monkeys. Aged menopausal monkeys were divided into three groups. Each group (n=3) was fed 10, 100, or 1,000 mg of PM daily. The treatment schedule was divided into three periods, a 30-day pre-treatment period, 90-day treatment period, and 60-day post-treatment period. The results show that the sexual skin exhibited reddish coloration within 24 h after PM-treatment and remained this way for the first half of the PM-feeding period. The changes in sexual skin coloration were not dose-dependent. The present results indicate that PM had estrogenic action by increasing reddish sexual skin coloration in aged menopausal monkeys.     

恩施烟区土壤磷素与烤烟磷含量的关系

分析了湖北省恩施烟区土壤磷素与烤烟磷含量的状况及其相互关系,结果表明:恩施烟区土壤磷素含量偏低,全磷和速效磷含量分别为(0.63±0.23)gkg-1和(16.88±12.73)mgkg-1,二者之间存在极显著的正相关,相关系数为0.6353**。土壤全磷和速效磷含量在不同海拔高度、土层深度之间差异显著,海拔之间表现为:高海拔中海拔低海拔;土层之间表现为:0～20cm20～40cm40～60cm。烤烟磷素含量较低,平均为(1.68±0.32)gkg-1,在不同品种、海拔之间差异显著,品种之间表现为:云烟87K326云烟85,海拔之间表现为:高海拔中海拔低海拔。烤烟磷素含量在等级之间差异不显著,但随着叶位的升高,烤烟磷含量有升高的趋势。烤烟磷含量(y)与土壤速效磷含量(x)之间存在极显著的回归关系,y=0.1224+0.0026x,相关系数r=0.8582**。土壤速效磷含量分组后,随着土壤速效磷含量升高,烤烟磷含量也呈现出升高趋势。     

At5g54160 gene encodes <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis> 5-hydroxyconiferaldehyde <Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-methyltransferase

The function of an Arabidopsis thaliana gene, At5g54160 annotated as a caffeic acid O-methyltransferase CAOMT gene was characterized. The recombinant enzyme of this gene (AtOMT1) catalyzed the O-methylation of phenylpropanoid and flavonoid substrates. The specificity constants (k _cat/K _m) for 5-hydroxyconiferaldehyde (5-HCAld) and quercetin were both 0.11 μM⁻¹·min⁻¹. On the other hand, lignins of At5g54160-knockout Arabidopsis mutants lacked syringyl units. In addition, we showed that the gene silencing also resulted in significant accumulation of caffeyl alcohol (CaAlc). These results strongly suggested that At5g54160 gene is involved in syringyl lignin synthesis for the methylation of both 5-hydroxyconiferaldehyde and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl compound(s). Part of this work was presented at the Annual Meeting of Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry, March 24–27, 2007     

Secretion of inhibin in male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) from one week of age to sexual maturity

The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in secretion of inhibin and cellular localization of the inhibin alpha and inhibin/activin (beta(A) and beta(B)) subunits in male Japanese quail from 1 to 7 weeks after hatching. The post-hatch profile of plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), immunoreactive (ir) inhibin and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay. Testes were immunostained by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method (ABC) using polyclonal antisera raised against inhibin alpha, inhibin/activin beta(A) and inhibin/activin beta(B) from one week of age to sexual maturity. Testicular weight increased gradually until 4 weeks and abruptly increased from 5 weeks of age onwards. The plasma concentrations of LH and ir-inhibin increased significantly at 5 weeks of age, and the plasma concentration of testosterone increased significantly at 6 weeks of age. Pituitary contents of LH showed a steady increase until 6 weeks of age and then abruptly increased at 7 weeks of age. Coincident to the increase in plasma testosterone, the testicular contents of testosterone significantly increased from 5 weeks through sexual maturity. Immunohistochemically, localization of the inhibin/activin alpha, beta(A) and beta(B) subunits was found in the Sertoli and Leydig cells at all ages of development from one week of age to sexual maturity. These results suggest that Sertoli and Leydig cells are the major source of inhibin secretion during development in male Japanese quail.     

低氧适应相关基因及其研究策略的思考

目的筛选藏绵羊血红蛋白基因和EPAS1基因的低氧正选择位点,并解析位点遗传效应,揭示两基因在藏绵羊低氧适应中的作用。方法以血红蛋白、EPAS1为候选基因,筛选藏绵羊的优势SNP位点,并扩大样本检测3个海拔梯度(1 500、2 500和3 500 m)绵羊的海拔趋势位点和血液生理指标,进行基因型与血液生理指标关联分析。结果藏绵羊血红蛋白、EPAS1基因分别检测到6个和12个SNPs。血红蛋白6个SNPs均为同义突变,其基因频率均未呈现海拔趋势。EPAS1基因第8内含子C871T位点突变等位基因(T)频率呈现明显海拔趋势,该位点TT基因型具有增加血红蛋白含量(HGB)、红细胞平均血红蛋白含量(MCH)和血液黏稠度的遗传效应(P<0.05);通过转录因子结合位点预测,发现该突变导致 GATA (造血调控因子)结合位点丢失。EPAS1基因第9外显子G1001A为非同义突变VAL352MET,但突变等位基因频率仅为0.34,此位点3种基因型与各血液生理指标之间差异均不显著(P>0.05);通过蛋白结构同源预测,未发现蛋白结构功能变化。结论藏绵羊EPAS1基因第8内含子C871T位点突变等位基因(T)的频率随海拔升高而升高,其TT型能显著提高血红蛋白质量浓度14.14 g/L,是藏绵羊高血红蛋白浓度的潜在关联位点。     

Oncolytic reovirus therapy: Pilot study in dogs with spontaneously occurring tumours

Oncolytic virotherapy is a novel treatment involving replication‐competent virus in the elimination of cancer. We have previously reported the oncolytic effects of reovirus in various canine cancer cell lines. This study aims to establish the safety profile of reovirus in dogs with spontaneously occurring tumours and to determine a recommended dosing regimen. Nineteen dogs with various tumours, mostly of advanced stages, were treated with reovirus, ranging from 1.0 × 10⁸ to 5.0 × 10⁹ TCID₅₀ given as intratumour injection (IT) or intravenous infusion (IV) daily for up to 5 consecutive days in 1 or multiple treatment cycles. Adverse events (AEs) were graded according to the Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group‐ Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (VCOG‐CTCAE) v1.1 guidelines. Viral shedding, neutralizing anti‐reovirus antibody (NARA) production and immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of reovirus protein in the tumours were also assessed. AE was not observed in most dogs and events were limited to Grade I or II fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and inflammation of the injected tumour. No infectious virus was shed and all dogs had elevated NARA levels post‐treatment. Although IHC results were only available in 6 dogs, 4 were detected positive for reovirus protein. In conclusion, reovirus is well‐tolerated and can be given safely to tumour‐bearing dogs according to the dosing regimen used in this study without significant concerns of viral shedding. Reovirus is also potentially effective in various types of canine tumours.     

Follicular and hormonal dynamics during the estrous cycle in goats

Transrectal ultrasonography of ovaries was performed daily in 6 goats for 3 consecutive estrous cycles. Blood samples collected daily were measured for concentrations of FSH, inhibin A, and estradiol-17beta. Follicular and hormonal data were analyzed for associations between the follicular waves and hormonal concentrations. During the interovulatory intervals, follicular growth and regression occurred in a wave like pattern (2-5 waves), and the predominant patterns were three and four follicular waves. In addition, there was no significant difference among the diameters of dominant follicles during the growth phase of the follicular waves. The number of 3 mm follicles peaked on days 0, 7, and 11 in interovulatory intervals that had three follicular waves and on days -1, 5, 11, and 15 in those that had four follicular waves. Plasma concentrations of FSH increased around the day of follicular wave emergence and declined with the growth of follicles. Circulating FSH increased again concomitant with regression of dominant follicles in the anovulatory wave, whereas FSH levels remained low in the ovulatory wave. Inhibin A was negatively correlated with FSH, while it was positively correlated with estradiol-17beta, suggesting that inhibin A is a product of healthy growing follicles and that it contributes to the suppression of FSH secretion. In conclusion, the growth of ovarian follicles in goats exhibits a wave-like pattern, and follicular dominance is less apparent in goats. Moreover, inhibin A may be a key hormone for regulation of the follicular wave through suppression of FSH secretion in goats.     

Interaction between the helicase domain of the tobacco mosaic virus replicase and a tobacco arginine decarboxylase

In a yeast two-hybrid screening test for tobacco proteins that interact with TMV replicase using the helicase (H) domain as bait, a cDNA clone was selected that encodes a polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, arginine decarboxylase (ADC). In yeast cells, the C-terminal internal region of ADC interacted with the H domain. This observation was confirmed in vitro by far-Western blotting. Inhibition of the binding between the H domain and the IRnHEL (I region and N-terminus of helicase domain) region by ADC using a yeast three-hybrid assay suggested possible interference of the heterodimerization of 126K and 183K by ADC.The nucleotide sequence data of pADCF reported in this study is available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under accession number AB110952     

Cytotoxicity of cycloartane triterpenoids from aerial part of Cimicifuga foetida

Our previous study had demonstrated cytotoxicity of EtOAc fraction from aerial part of Cimicifuga foetida on various cancer cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of five cycloartane triterpenoids isolated from the EtOAc fraction. Compounds (1,2,3) showed moderate cytotoxic activity on R-HepG2 cells and drug resistant sub line R-HepG2 but exhibited less toxicity against primary cultured normal mouse hepatocytes. Compounds (4) and (5) were inactive on all tested cell lines.