ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The approach to the mechanism of calcitonin gene‐related peptide‐inducing inhibition of food intake

The aim of this study was to investigate the anorectic mechanism of calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) in rats. Intraperitoneal injection of CGRP (50 μg/kg) resulted in decline (p < 0.05) in the food intake of rats at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 h in comparison with saline control. Compared with saline‐treated group, the levels of hypothalamic 3′,5′‐cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and plasma glucagon were increased (p < 0.05) in CGRP‐treated group, but insulin level was decreased (p < 0.05). No significant changes (p > 0.05) in the plasma leptin were observed between two treatment groups. Calcitonin gene‐related peptide injection down regulated (p < 0.05) both neuropeptide Y (NPY) and melanin‐concentrating hormone (MCH) genes at mRNA levels, but up regulated (p < 0.05) the expression of cholecystokinin (CCK) gene. The correlations analysis showed that food intake was negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with CCK mRNA, cAMP and glucagon levels. Moreover, there existed negative correlations (p < 0.05) between MCH mRNA and glucagon levels, and positive correlations (p < 0.05) between insulin and leptin levels. The results showed that cAMP acting as the second messenger may play a vital role in the anorectic effects of CGRP. Calcitonin gene‐related peptide could stimulate anorexigenic neuropeptides (i.e. CCK) and/or inhibit orexigenic neuropeptides (i.e. NPY and MCH) expression, and ultimately suppressed food intake that was functionally coupled to cAMP/PKA pathway activation.     

三元甘氨酰-L-缬氨酸-铜(Ⅱ)-多吡啶配合物SOD活性及电化学性质

应用改进的氯化硝基四氮唑蓝(NBT)光照还原法研究了甘氨酰-L-缬氨酸-铜(Ⅱ)-多吡啶型配合物:[Cu(Gly-L-Val)(Phen)].3H2O(1)、[Cu(Gly-L-Val)(Tatp)].2H2O(2)、[Cu(Gly-L-Val)(Dppz)].2H2O(3)[其中:Gly-L-Val=甘氨酰-L-缬氨酸;Phen=1,10-邻菲咯啉;Tatp=1,4,8,9-四氮三联苯;Dppz=二吡啶并(3,2-a:2′,3′-c)吩嗪]在水溶液中催化超氧阴离子自由基(O2-.)歧化分解活性,并用循环伏安法研究了配合物的电化学性质.结果表明:3种配合物均具有良好的SOD活性,表观催化速率常数分别为1.03×107、0.96×107和0.79×107L.mol-1.s-1.     

Effect of probiotic supplementation on growth performance,intestinal morphology,barrier integrity,and inflammatory response in broilers subjected to cyclic heat stress

This study investigated the protective effects of probiotic on heat stress‐induced intestinal injury and inflammatory response in broilers. A total of 180 male broilers were randomly allocated to three treatments with four replicates each from 22 to 42 days of age. The broilers were either raised under thermoneutral (TN) conditions (23 ± 1°C) or subjected to cyclic heat stress (28–35–28°C for 12 hr daily). The broilers kept at TN conditions were fed a basal diet, and those exposed to heat stress were fed basal diets supplemented with or without probiotic at a dose of 1.5 × 10⁸ cfu/kg. Compared with the TN group, heat stress decreased (p < .05) the growth performance, reduced (p < .05) villus height and villus height: crypt depth ratio in intestinal mucosa, increased (p < .05) serum levels of D‐lactic acid on day 28 and endotoxin, TNF‐α and IL‐6 on day 42, and decreased (p < .05) serum IL‐10 content on day 42. Dietary supplementation of probiotic reversed (p < .05) all these changes except for the growth performance in heat‐stressed broilers. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of probiotic could improve intestinal morphology and barrier function, alleviate inflammatory response, but exert no ameliorative effect on growth performance of broilers under cyclic heat stress.     

Lipophilic Toxins in Wild Bivalves from the Southern Gulf of California,Mexico

Most of the shellfish fisheries of Mexico occur in the Gulf of California. In this region, known for its high primary productivity, blooms of diatoms and dinoflagellates are common, occurring mainly during upwelling events. Dinoflagellates that produce lipophilic toxins are present, where some outbreaks related to okadaic acid and dinophisystoxins have been recorded. From January 2015 to November 2017 samples of three species of wild bivalve mollusks were collected monthly in five sites in the southern region of Bahía de La Paz. Pooled tissue extracts were analyzed using LC-MS/MS to detect lipophilic toxins. Eighteen analogs of seven toxin groups, including cyclic imines were identified, fortunately individual toxins did not exceed regulatory levels and also the total toxin concentration for each bivalve species was lower than the maximum permitted level for human consumption. Interspecific differences in toxin number and concentration were observed in three species of bivalves even when the samples were collected at the same site. Okadaic acid was detected in low concentrations, while yessotoxins and gymnodimines had the highest concentrations in bivalve tissues. Although in low quantities, the presence of cyclic imines and other lipophilic toxins in bivalves from the southern Gulf of California was constant.     

New Cyclic Cystine Bridged Peptides from the Sponge Suberites waedoensis

Two new peptides, chujamides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the marine sponge Suberites waedoensis, which was collected from Korean waters. Based upon the results of the combined spectroscopic analyses, the structures of these compounds were determined to be proline-riched and cyclic cystine bridged dodeca- and undecapeptides. The absolute configurations of all amino acid residues were determined to be l by advanced Marfey’s analysis. The new compounds exhibited weak cytotoxicities against A549 and K562 cell-lines, and compound 2 also demonstrated moderate inhibitory activity against Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase.     

Toward the synthesis and biological screening of a cyclotetrapeptide from marine bacteria

The first synthesis of a naturally occurring tetrapeptide cyclo-(isoleucyl-prolyl-leucyl-alanyl) has been achieved using a solution-phase technique via coupling of dipeptide segments Boc-L-Pro-L-Leu-OH and L-Ala-L-Ile-OMe. Deprotection of the linear tetrapeptide unit and its subsequent cyclization gave a cyclopeptide, identical in all aspects to the naturally occurring compound. Bioactivity results indicated the antifungal and antihelmintic potential of the synthesized peptide against pathogenic dermatophytes and earthworms.     

土壤微生物产电信号评价芘污染毒性的研究

通过向土壤中加入葡萄糖促进微生物产电过程,研究了芘污染条件下土壤产电变化规律。利用双室微生物燃料电池(Microbial fuel cells,MFCs),实时、连续记录芘污染土壤产电电压。产电110 h后结束MFCs运行,采用循环伏安法检测芘对土壤微生物电化学活性的影响;结合PCR-DGGE及测序技术,分析芘对MFCs阳极表面细菌群落结构的影响。结果显示,MFCs产电电量随芘浓度增加显著降低。循环伏安检测显示芘降低了土壤微生物的电化学活性。DNA序列分析表明,阳极细菌与已报道的产电细菌高度相似,包括Sporolactobacillus、Clostridium、Enterobacter、Bacillus及Ethanoligenens。芘降低了Bacillus丰度。     

小型生物质燃气发动机燃烧稳定性试验

为探明生物质燃气各组分相对含量对发动机工作稳定性的影响,在一台小型火花点火发动机上进行了生物质燃气发动机循环变动试验研究,着重分析了理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值、H2含量(H2在CH4-H2中的体积分数)及CO2含量(CO2在CH4-H2-CO2中的体积分数)的变化对燃烧稳定性的影响。试验结果表明,燃料组分对燃烧稳定性有较大影响。在本试验中,当理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值较小、燃料组分中H2含量较低时(如理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值为0.4、H2的体积分数为25%及理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值为0.6、H2的体积分数为17%),CO2含量对燃烧稳定性起支配作用,CO2含量的增加导致循环变动增加(上述工况的平均指示压力循环变动系数均超过了10%),在个别条件下导致部分燃烧。随着理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值及H2含量的增加,CO2含量对燃烧的影响作用逐渐减弱,当理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值及H2含量达到一定程度时(理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值为0.6、H2的体积分数为33%及50%,以及理论空燃比与实际空燃比的比值为0.8所对应的所有H2含量条件)CO2含量对燃烧的影响作用已不明显。通过改变燃料组分条件的方法,能够提高生物质燃气发动机的工作稳定性。该研究的成果对生物质燃气发动机燃烧稳定性、经济性及排放特性改善,以及生物质燃气发动机技术应用、推广均有重要指导意义。     

Characterizing the Anti-HIV Activity of Papuamide A

Papuamide A is representative of a class of marine derived cyclic depsipeptides, reported to have cytoprotective activity against HIV-1 in vitro. We show here that papuamide A acts as an entry inhibitor, preventing human immunodeficiency virus infection of host cells and that this inhibition is not specific to R5 or X4 tropic virus. This inhibition of viral entry was determined to not be due to papuamide A binding to CD4 or HIV gp120, the two proteins involved in the cell-virus recognition and binding. Furthermore, papuamide A was able to inhibit HIV pseudotype viruses expressing envelope glycoproteins from vesicular stomatitis virus or amphotropic murine leukemia virus indicating the mechanism of viral entry inhibition is not HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein specific. Time delayed addition studies with the pseudotyped viruses show that papuamide A inhibits viral infection only at the initial stage of the viral life cycle. Additionally, pretreatment studies revealed that the virus, and not the cell, is the target of papuamide A’s action. Together, these results suggest a direct virucidal mechanism of HIV-1 inhibition by papuamide A. We also demonstrate here that the other papuamides (B-D) are able to inhibit viral entry indicating that the free amino moiety of 2,3-diaminobutanoic acid residue is not required for the virucidal activity.     

浙北平原创新发展农业循环经济模式选择和对策

嘉兴地处浙北水网平原,其农耕历史悠久,传统农业发达,农业废弃物资源十分丰富,开发利用潜力巨大。在当前建设现代都市型农业发展中,面对资源环境的制约,如何利用农业废弃物资源和治理农业面源污染任务艰巨。为此,应创新农业废弃物资源化利用方式,构建多种循环农业新模式,建设生态高效农业,形成低能耗、低排放、能循环、高效率的多元化循环农业发展模式,不断开发农业循环经济新产业。本文提出了创新发展农业循环经济的几种主要典型模式,并对如何发展农业循环经济新产业提出了自己的见解。