Zerumbone attenuates MPP+-induced cytotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells by inhibition of oxidative stress

AIM: To investigate the role of zerumbone (ZER) in 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺)-induced cytotoxicity of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. METHODS: Human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were cultured in vitro and the protective effect of ZER against MPP⁺-induced cytotoxicity was measured by CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was used to determine the apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The expression of Parkinson disease protein 7 (PARK7) was knocked-down by using PARK7-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The protein levels of PARK7, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: MMP⁺ remarkably reduced the cell viability in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. The SH-SY5Y cell injury model was established by treatment with MPP⁺ at 600 μmol/L for 24 h. ZER up-regulated the protein levels of PARK7 and Nrf2 (P<0.05), alleviated apoptosis (P<0.05), and reduced ROS production (P<0.05) in the SH-SY5Y cell injury model. Meanwhile, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) had the similar functions. Moreover, significant reductions in the protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 (P<0.05), and obvious increases in apoptosis (P<0.05) and ROS level (P<0.05) were demonstrated in PARK7-knockdown cells. CONCLUSION: ZER protects SH-SY5Y cells against MPP⁺-induced cytotoxi-city, which may be related to activation of PARK7/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, and subsequent attenuation of oxidative stress and apoptosis.     

Genome-wide association mapping of phenolic acids in tetraploid wheats

Phenolic acids are major components of cell walls in wheat and have important implications on human health as antioxidants with anti-tumor activity. Our objectives were to identify phenolic acid genes in wheat by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected within the coding sequences of candidate genes, and to identify chromosomal regions associated with single phenolic acids and total soluble phenolic compounds. A set of candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were identified by comparative genomics. SNPs found in the coding sequences of six genes (PAL1, PAL2, C4H, C3H, COMT1 and COMT2) were used to determine their chromosomal location and accurate map position on two reference consensus linkage maps. The genome-wide association study (GWAS), based on genotyping a tetraploid wheat collection with 81,587 gene-associated SNPs, detected 22 quantitative trait loci (QTL) distributed on almost all durum wheat chromosomes. Two QTL for p-coumaric acid were coincident with the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL2) and p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H) genes on chromosome arms 2AL and 1AL, respectively. The availability of candidate gene-based markers can allow elucidating the mechanism of phenolic acids accumulation in wheat kernels and exploiting the genetic variability of phenolic acids content for the nutritional improvement of wheat end-products.     

脂肪细胞膜免疫降脂的研究

本文综述了利用脂肪细胞膜免疫技术进行畜禽脂肪代谢研究的成果，其技术路线主要包括试验途径和方法、免疫机理、降脂效果及特异性脂肪膜蛋白的研究启示，从而为脂肪细胞膜免疫降脂试验提供成功的范例和科学的依据，并开辟降低脂肪、提高瘦肉率研究的新领域。     

Increased expression of CD40 ligand by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

AIM:To investigate expression and function of CD40 ligand by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).METHODS:Expression of CD40 ligand by PBMCs in patients with SLE and control were examined by flow cytometric analysis before and after stimulated by phytohemagglutinin(PHA)and depressed by Dexamethasone(Dex). The correlation between expression of CD40 ligand and SLE activity index(SLEDAI) was analysed in patients with SLE.RESULTS:The expression of CD40 ligand by PBMCs in patients with active SLE was higher than that in patients with inactive SLE and control. Though the expression of CD40 ligang by PBMCs could be stimulated by PHA in three groups, it was the highest in patients with active SLE. Dex depressed the expression of CD40 ligand by PBMCs significantly in patients with SLE, but not in control. There was high positive correlation between expression of CD40 ligand and SLEDAI in patients with active and inactive SLE.CONCLUSION:Increased expression of CD40L by PBMCs in patients with SLE may play an important role in pathogenesis of SLE.     

Effect of cocaine on caspase-3 in myocardiac cells of male rats in different age

AIM: To study the effect of cocaine on caspase-3 in myocardiac cells of male rats in different age. METHODS: Three-week-old(n=16), six-week-old(n=16) and twelve-week-old (n=16) male Sprague-Dawley rats were all divided into control groups and experiment groups randomly, each group had eight animals, experiment groups were given cocaine hydrochloride (15 mg·kg^-1 body weight) subcutaneously daily for four weeks. The ratio of heart weight to body weight (HW/BW, mg/g) were measured. DNA fragmentation of myocardia cells was determined by gel electrophoresis, and caspase-3 activity in myocardia cells was tested by flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: In three experiment groups, the DNA isolated from myocardial cells displayed clear ladder pattern. The HW/BW and the caspase-3 activity were increased significantly than those of control groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Cocaine induced apoptosis in rat myocardial cells. The increase in caspase-3 activity may be the one of important pathways related to the induction of apoptosis.     

The expression of IFN-γ and IL-4 on T lymphocytes that infiltrate in nasal polyps

AIM:To investigate the expression of Th1-typed cytokine IFN-γ and Th2-typed cytokine IL-4 on T lymphocytes that infiltrate in nasal polyps for searching the pathogenesis of nasal polyps. METHODS:Nasal polyps tissue samples and peripheral blood were obtained from 21 patients. Normal human inferior turbinate mucosa and peripheral blood were obtained as well. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect the expression of IFN-γ and IL-4 of T lymphocytes. RESULTS: Th cytokines were rarely detected in inferior turbinate from normal human. Nasal polyps tissue consisted of abundant T lymphocytes. The expression of IL-4 and IFN-γ increased in peripheral blood from patients compared with normal human (P<0.05). The expression of IL-4 increased but the expression of IFN-γ decreased in nasal polyps compared with that of peripheral blood from the same patient (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION:There were generous of T lymphocytes infiltrating in nasal polyps. There was abnormal immune status in the local nasal mucosa from the patients, and the predomination of Th cytokine secretion changed compared with peripheral blood from the same patients, which resulted in the change of microenvironment of nasal mucosa and possibly close related to the formation of nasal polyps.     

Relationship between expression of somatostatin and DNA ploidy in breast cancer

AIM: To investigate the relationship between somatostatin and the pathologic type, estrogen receptor,DNA ploidy of nuclei in tumor cells of breast cancer.METHODS: 67 cases of primary breast cancer and 25 cases of benign breast tumor were examined by immunohistochemical stretomyces avidin peroxidase method. 26 cases of breast cancer selected at random were analyzed by flow cytometry.RESULTS: Somatostatin expressed significantly higher in low malignant breast cancer than that in high malignant breast cancer (P<0.05). Most of cancers with positive staining of somatostatin were diploidy,most of cancers with negative staining were aneuploidy,there had significant difference between two groups (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Somatostatin may delay the progress of breast cancer,and somatostatin levels in cancer tissues may become a useful indicator for assessing prognosis of patients with breast cancer.     

Role of Akt signal pathway in inhibition of neuronal apoptosis by Chinese medicine Zuogui pill in adult rats treated with monosodium glutamate

AIM: To explore the role of Akt signal pathway in apoptosis of neural cells in adult rats treated with Zuogui Pill, a Chinese medicine. METHODS: Flowcytometry and Western blotting methods were used to investigate the changes of cellular apoptosis rate and Akt signal pathway. RESULTS: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) could increase cellular apoptosis rate and significantly restrained the phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) and Akt (Thr308), and markedly increased the levels of phospho-FKHR (ser256), GSK-3β (Ser9) and PTEN. Zuogui Pill partly inhibited the above effects of MSG. CONCLUSION: Zuogui pill effectively inhibits the neural apoptosis induced by MSG, and Akt pathway is involved in the neuronal protection of Zuogui pill.     

Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Lipid Metabolism Signaling Pathways between Muscle and Fat Tissues in Broiler Chickens

In this study, signaling pathways and key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in lipid metabolism in muscle and fat tissues were investigated. Muscle and abdominal fat tissues were obtained from 35-day-old female broilers for RNA sequencing. DEGs between muscle and fat tissues were identified. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed. A total of 6130 DEGs were identified to be significantly enriched in 365 GO terms, most of which were involved in biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions in muscle and fat tissues. Three important lipid signaling pathways (pyruvate metabolism, the insulin signaling pathway, and the adipocytokine signaling pathway) were identified among the fat and muscle tissues of broilers. The key common DEGs in these pathways included phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 2 (PCK2), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 alpha and beta (ACACA and ACACB), and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (AMPK) gene family. Hence, our findings revealed the pathways and key genes and gene families involved in the regulation of fat deposition in the muscle and fat tissues of broilers.