Atorvastatin inhibits IL-1β and IL-18 releases via lowering the expression of NLRP1 inflammasome

AIM: To explore the role of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 1 (NLRP1) inflammasome in atorvastatin-induced reduction of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) releases from the THP-1 macrophages. METHODS: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 μg/L) was used to trigger the secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 in the THP-1 macrophages. The cells were incubated with different concentrations of atorvastatin (1, 10 and 20 μmol/L) for 24 h, or treated with 10 μmol/L atorvastatin for different time (12 h, 24 h and 48 h). NLRP1 siRNA was transfected into the THP-1 cells. The mRNA expression of NLRP1 inflammasome was detected by RT-PCR. The protein expression of NLRP1 inflammasome was determined by Western blot. The secretion of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 was quantified by ELISA. RESULTS: Atorvastatin inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of NLRP1 inflammasome in the THP-1 macrophages in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Transfection of NLRP1 siRNA significantly decreased the protein expression of NLRP1 and promoted the suppressive effect of atorvastatin on IL-1β and IL-18 secretion in the THP-1 macrophages. CONCLUSION: Atorvastatin inhibits the production of IL-1β and IL-18 in the macrophages through decreasing NLRP1 inflammasome expression, possibly contributing to the anti-inflammatory effect of atorvastatin on atherosclerosis.     

Functional changes of retinal ganglion cells in rd1 mice during midterm of retinal pigmentosa

AIM: To investigate how the function of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) change in the midterm of retinal pigmentosa (RP) in rd1 mice (a transgenic animal model of RP). METHODS: The action potentials from multiple RGCs in rd1 mice at postnatal 20 d (P20) or normal C57 mice (control) were simultaneously recorded by multi-electrode array recording. The functional changes of surviving ganglion cells were evaluated by comparing spontaneous and light-evoked activities of RGCs between rd1 and control mice. The extent of photoreceptor degeneration was verified by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry results showed the thickness of the retinal photoreceptor layer of rd1 mice was significantly lower than that in normal mice at P20. According to the light response properties, we classified ganglion cells into 6 subgroups: ON sustained, ON transient, ON-OFF sustained, ON-OFF transient, OFF sustained and OFF transient RGCs, with a very tiny percentage of OFF sustained RGCs (1.0%~3.1%). The percentage of RGCs remaining light responsive in rd1 mice was significantly lower than that in C57 mice. The average spontaneous spiking rate for rd1 RGCs was overall significantly increased compared to that in C57 cells, whereas different RGC types had different changes. The light-induced responses and light sensitivities of all types of RGCs in rd1 mice were both significantly lower than those in C57 mice. CONCLUSION: The photoreceptors of rd1 mice are severely degenerated in the midterm of retinal degeneration. The functions of RGCs in rd1 mice in the midterm of degeneration decay obviously, with variance in different RGCs types.     

板栗杂交新品种‘南垂5号’

‘南垂5号’是以‘垂枝’为母本,‘南沟1号’为父本杂交育成的板栗新品种。树姿开张。坚果单粒质量12.51 g,可溶性糖19.52%,淀粉50.12%,蛋白质5.56%,果肉口感细糯,风味香甜。结果早,丰产性强。适宜中国北方板栗栽培区缓坡丘陵及沙地种植。     

辣椒新品种苏椒19号的选育

苏椒19号是以自交系05X317与05X319配制而成的早中熟辣椒一代杂种。果实羊角形,青熟果浅绿色,老熟果红色,果实纵径20.2cm,果肩横径2.6cm,果肉厚度0.30cm,单果质量31.5g,辣味中等,品质好,每667m~2鲜椒产量1900kg左右,适宜江苏、内蒙古、陕西、湖南、江西、云南及同类型生态区域露地栽培。     

粳稻转基因技术体系的研究与应用进展

水稻是我国60%以上人口的主食,在保障国家口粮安全中起着举足轻重的作用。近年来,随着人们生活水平的提高、城镇化进程的加快和消费习惯的改变,我国粳稻消费需求快速增长。但是,受耕地减少、生物与非生物因素胁迫日益严重的影响,粳稻增产的难度越来越大。基因工程技术的发展和应用为打破这一僵局提供了可能。回顾了粳稻转基因技术的发展,对粳稻转基因体系建立、体系优化、育种应用和安全转基因技术研发等方面进行了综述,并对目前粳稻转基因技术存在的问题和未来的发展进行了分析和展望。     

代乳料原料组成对早期断奶羔羊生长及脏器发育的影响

为了探讨代乳料原料的不同组合效应对早期断奶羔羊的饲喂效果,选取25只甘肃高山细毛羔羊,分为5组,每组5只,对照组羔羊由母羊自由哺乳和放牧;试验组羔羊30日龄断奶,饲喂4种代乳料:A组主原料未膨化,B组主原料膨化,C组主原料膨化+血浆蛋白粉,D组在C组基础上增加乳清粉。试验期为30~90日龄。结果表明:50、70日龄时,对照组羔羊体质量最大,试验组羔羊受断奶应激的影响,相应指标较小。90日龄时,D组体质量显著高于B、C组(P0.05),超过了对照组。30~90日龄阶段,D组日增体质量最大,且显著高于B、C组(P0.05)。对照组脾脏质量显著高于4个试验组(P0.05),且脾脏指数最高。说明在代乳料中添加血浆蛋白粉及增加乳清粉,有利于羔羊健康发育,使代乳料的饲喂效果最佳。     

Effects of grazing and rainfall variability on root and shoot decomposition in a semi-arid grassland

Overgrazing increasingly affects large areas of Inner Mongolian semi-arid grasslands. Consequences for ecosystem functions and, in particular, for the decomposition as a key process of ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling are still unclear.We studied the effects of grazing on shoot and root decomposition with the litter bag method in a long-term grazing exclosure (UG79), a moderate winter grazed (WG) and a long-term heavily grazed site (HG). We separated the effects of local environmental factors and litter quality as altered by grazing. Growing seasons of average and very low precipitation allowed us to study the effect of inter annual rainfall variability on decomposition.Grazing-induced differences in environmental factors of the three studied grassland sites had no effect on decay rates of shoot and root dry mass. Also differences in litter quality among the grazing sites were not reflected by root decomposition dynamics. The accelerated shoot decay at site HG could not clearly be linked to litter quality parameters. Shoot decay rates were more or less constant, even under very dry conditions. This indicates the possibility of photodegradation (solar UV-B radiation) to control aboveground decomposition in this semi-arid ecosystem. By selecting the best predictors of root decomposition from regression analysis, we found that soil water content was the best parameter explaining the dynamics.Net N immobilization was generally not detected during the decay process of shoot and root. It is likely, when root decomposition is strongly reduced in dry periods, shoot decomposition becomes relatively more important for nutrient cycling. A separate analysis of shoot and root decay dynamics is required in order to describe C and N cycling in this semi-arid grassland. The grazing impact on C and N fluxes through decomposition of plant material likely exhibits a strong interaction with seasonal rainfall pattern.     

果蔬加工学课程案例教学的基本实践

案例教学是教师组织学生进行自主学习,提高学生分析问题和解决问题能力的一种有效教学方法,符合果蔬加工学课程应用型人才培养目标的教学需要。结合自身教学实践,对果蔬加工学课程实施案例教学的必要性和如何具体实施案例教学过程进行了探讨,并对影响该课程案例教学效果的因素进行了分析。     

大豆新品种中黄30种植密度试验

为了探索大豆新品种中黄30在承德地区的最佳种植密度，试验采用回归设计法，设种植密度18.0万、22.5万、27.0万、33.8万、36.0万和45.0万株/hm 2计6个处理，对不同种植密度下的大豆病虫害发生情况和产量进行了分析；并对其种植密度与产量的关系进行了回归分析，建立了回归方程。结果表明：在试验设定的密度范围内，随着种植密度的增大，大豆虫食率、褐斑病率和紫斑病率均呈先降低后升高的变化趋势，其中密度为22.5万株/hm 2时，3种病虫害的发生率均最低，分别为0.4％、0.5％和0.1％；大豆产量呈先增加后降低的变化趋势，产量与种植密度的二次回归方程为 Y ＝-2731.4259＋358.9022 X-5.0335X 2。本研究条件下，密度为33.8万株/hm 2时大豆产量最高，为3801.667 kg/hm 2。