Effect of dietary fish oil intake on ubiquitin ligase expression during muscle atrophy induced by sciatic nerve denervation in mice

Dietary fish oil intake improves muscle atrophy in several atrophy models however the effect on denervation‐induced muscle atrophy is not clear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary fish oil intake on muscle atrophy and the expression of muscle atrophy markers induced by sciatic nerve denervation in mice. We performed histological and quantitative mRNA expression analysis of muscle atrophy markers in mice fed with fish oil with sciatic nerve denervation. Histological analysis indicated that dietary fish oil intake slightly prevented the decrease of muscle fiber diameter induced by denervation treatment. In addition, dietary fish oil intake suppressed the MuRF1 (tripartite motif‐containing 63) expression up‐regulated by denervation treatment, and this was due to decreased tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) production in skeletal muscle. We concluded that dietary fish oil intake suppressed MuRF1 expression by decreasing TNF‐α production during muscle atrophy induced by sciatic nerve denervation in mice.     

黑色素皮质素受体1(MC1 R)基因与哺乳动物毛色

哺乳动物的有色毛表型要受黑色素皮质素受体1(Melanocortin Receptor1,MC 1 R)位点的不同等位基因调节。MC1R基因的变异与动物的皮毛、人的皮肤和头发颜色差异密切相关。本文对该基因的定位、突变、多态检测及黑色素皮质素受体的作用机制进行了综述。     

Involvement of the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway in insulin-induced S6K1 activation in avian cells

In mammals, insulin regulates S6K1, a key enzyme involved in the control of protein synthesis, via the well-documented phosphoinositide-3'kinase (PI3K) pathway. Conversely, S6K1 is activated by insulin in avian muscle despite the relative insulin insensitivity of the PI3K pathway in this tissue. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is another insulin sensitive pathway. The aim of this study was to explore the potential involvement of the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway in the control of p70 S6 kinase (S6K1) in avian species. Firstly, we characterized ERK1/2 MAPK in various chicken tissues. ERK2 was the only isoform detected in avian species whatever the tissue studied. We also showed that ERK2 is activated in vivo by insulin in chicken muscle. The regulation and the role of ERK2 in insulin signaling were next investigated in chicken hepatoma cells (LMH) and primary myoblasts. Insulin stimulation led to ERK2 and S6K1 phosphorylation, and concomitantly increased kinase activity. U0126, an inhibitor of the ERK MAPK pathway, completely abolished insulin-induced S6K1 phosphorylation and activity in chicken myoblasts, whereas its effect was only partial in LMH cells. In conclusion, these results show that ERK1/2 MAPK is involved in the control of S6K1 by insulin in chicken cells, particularly myoblasts.     

北京地区公农1号紫花苜蓿叶片光合作用日变化特征

在自然状态下,利用Licor-6400便携式光合测定系统观测了公农1号紫花苜蓿Medicago sativa在北京地区的光合作用日变化规律.结果表明:公农1号叶片的净光合速率日变化呈典型双峰曲线,表现出明显的光合"午睡"现象,光合效率午间明显降低;蒸腾速率日变化趋势与净光合速率相似,胞间CO2浓度的日进程基本与净光合速率相反;气孔导度日变化与净光合速率日变化相似但并不完全同步,两者最大值出现的时间相同,但最低值出现的时间气孔导度较净光合速率晚约2h.经分析,公农1号紫花苜蓿表现出的光合"午睡"现象属于非气孔限制.     

Present Concepts on the Inflammatory Modulators with Special Reference to Cytokines*

The pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines create a network of interactions between cells that lead to both stimulatory and inhibitory responses that maintain an effective homeostatic regulation. The anti-inflammatory cytokines are a family of peptides that modulate the pro-inflammatory cytokine response. Cytokines act in concert with non-cytokine mediators, such as prostaglandin E₂, glucocorticosteroids, lipocortins, and catecholamines. This review highlights new developments in our understanding of the pathophysiology of inflammation and gives an example of a more recent approach to the modulation of acute systemic inflammatory disorders: activation of ₂-adrenergic receptors on macrophages. In this respect the potent ₂-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol seems of therapeutic interest.     

Molecular Variability in Different Indian Isolates of Equine Herpesvirus-1

Three abortigenic Indian isolates of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) (Tohana, Hisar and Bikaner), along with two exotic abortigenic isolates (AB4 and V592) and another EHV-1 isolate (Jind) obtained from a case of perinatal foal mortality, were studied for variability. For this purpose, PCR and restriction endonuclease (RE) digestion techniques were used simultaneously as a DNA fingerprinting system. Nine different regions of EHV-1 virus were amplified by PCR using primer pairs specific for the regions and the products obtained from these regions were subsequently subjected to various restriction endonucleases to further assess the variability in the number of RE sites as well as in their positions. No difference was observed in all the four abortigenic isolates in terms of the size of different PCR products amplified by all the nine primer pairs, except for primer pairs ‘E’ and ‘C’. PCR products obtained with primer pair E revealed that Tohana and Bikaner isolates were most similar while Hisar isolate was like V592 isolate. However, the PCR product obtained from Jind isolate had a size between the PCR products of Hisar and Tohan/Bikaner isolates. The primer pair ‘C’ used to amplify the region between 1151 to 3679 in ‘Gene 1,2,3’ clearly differentiated the EHV-1 isolate obtained from a case of perinatal foal mortality from isolates obtained from abortion cases. This primer pair needs to be exploited more extensively for use as a potential marker for differentiating the EHV-1 isolates, mainly the abortion cases from perinatal foal mortality ones. Restriction endonuclease studies done with PCR product of all the isolates with various primer pairs did not reveal any changes in the position or number of RE sites present in the products amplified, indicating no variation in different RE sites within the amplified PCR products. However, this study clarified that all the Indian isolates belonged to the IP group of EHV-1.     

安氏隐孢子虫ITS-1序列的PCR扩增、克隆及分析

通过对国内三株安氏隐孢子虫(Cryptosporidium andersoni)即GD株、HN株和AH株的rDNA的内转录间隔区Ⅰ(ITS_1)序列进行PCR扩增、克隆、测序和序列分析,旨在确定ITS_1是否可作为C.andersoni分子分类的遗传标记。结果表明:GD株、HN株和AH株的ITS_1序列基本一致,仅AH株有三个碱基的差异;但与GenBank注册的C.muris和C.parvum存在种间差异,而且差异显著。说明ITS_1可作为C.andersoni种的遗传标记,从而为隐孢子虫属的种间鉴定以及进一步的分子流行病学调查和分子诊断学研究奠定了基础。     

O型口蹄疫病毒VP1 T细胞与B细胞表位基因双拷贝串联表达产物的免疫应答

以一株O型口蹄疫病毒(FMDV)外壳蛋白VP1基因为模板,合成与细胞免疫及体液免疫相关抗原表位肽基因:21-40肽(20AA)和141-160肽(20AA)基因序列,运用基因工程技术构建了含有串联结构21-40(20AA)～141-160(20AA)～21-40(20AA)～141-160(20AA)的2020-2020VP1融合基因表达载体r2020-2020,转化宿主菌BL21(DE3)RIL后诱导表达,表达产物经SDS-PAGE及Western Blot分析显示重组融合蛋白的分子量约为18Ku.动物实验表明,较小剂量的融合蛋白就能诱导豚鼠产生特异性T淋巴细胞增殖反应及抗FMDV中和抗体,证明该融合蛋白可同时激活细胞免疫及体液免疫反应,具有开发成为抗FMDV疫苗的应用价值.     

β‐hydroxy‐β‐methyl butyrate promotes leucine metabolism and improves muscle fibre composition in growing pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of excess leucine (Leu) vs. its metabolites α‐ketoisocaproate (KIC) and β‐hydroxy‐β‐methyl butyrate (HMB) on Leu metabolism, muscle fibre composition and muscle growth in growing pigs. Thirty‐two pigs with a similar initial weight (9.55 ± 0.19 kg) were fed 1 of 4 diets for 45 days: basal diet, basal diet + 1.25% L‐Leu, basal diet + 1.25% KIC‐Ca, basal diet + 0.62% HMB‐Ca. Results indicated that relative to the basal diet and HMB groups, Leu and KIC groups exhibited increased Leu concentrations and decreased concentrations of isoleucine, valine and EAAs in selected muscle (p < 0.05) and had lower mRNA levels of MyHC I and higher expression of MyHC IIx/IIb (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the basal and HMB‐supplemented groups. Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of AMPKα and UCP3 were higher but the myostatin mRNA levels were lower in the soleus muscle of the HMB group than those from other groups (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrated that doubling dietary Leu content exerted growth‐depressing effects in growing pigs; dietary KIC supplementation induced muscular branched‐chain amino acid imbalance and promoted muscle toward a more glycolytic phenotype; while dietary HMB supplementation promoted the generation of more oxidative muscle types and increased muscle growth specially in oxidative skeletal muscle, and these effects of HMB might be associated with the AMPKα‐Sirt1‐PGC‐1α axis and mitochondrial biogenesis.