Therapeutic potential of α,β‐thujone through metabolic reprogramming and caspase‐dependent apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells

The therapeutic potential of α,β‐thujone, a functional compound found in many medicinal plants of the Cupressaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae families, has been demonstrated, including in inflammation and cancers. However, its pharmacological functions and mechanisms of action in ovarian cancer remain unclear. We investigated the anticancer properties of α,β‐thujone in ES2 and OV90 human ovarian cancer cells and its effect on sensitization to cisplatin. α,β‐thujone inhibited cancer cell proliferation and induced cell death through caspase‐dependent intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Moreover, α,β‐thujone‐mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress was associated with the loss of mitochondrial functions and altered metabolic landscape of ovarian cancer cells. α,β‐Thujone attenuated blood vessel formation in transgenic zebrafish, implying it has significant antiangiogenic potential. In addition, α,β‐thujone sensitized ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin, causing synergistic pharmacological effects. Collectively, our results suggest that α,β‐thujone has therapeutic potential in human ovarian cancer and functions via regulating multiple intracellular stress‐associated metabolic reprogramming and caspase‐dependent apoptotic pathways.     

Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of fungal pathogens isolated from diseased fish in Xinjiang,China

The outbreaks of fungal diseases in cultured fish have been severe in recent years, which is harmful to the healthy and sustainable development of fish farming. In this study, an investigation was conducted for significant fungal infections of 12 species of fish in four regions in Xinjiang, China, to understand the distribution of local fish fungal pathogens. Twenty-six fungal strains with pathogenicity were isolated, and the challenge experiment showed that eight strains from Changji area had high infection rate to fish eggs. Based on internal transcribed spacer sequence data and molecular analysis, the 26 strains were classified into nine different species of six fungal genera. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all strains were divided into two clades, namely Cluster 1 (contains only the genus Mucor) and Cluster 2 (consists of five small branches), and the distribution of strains from the same region was scattered in two clusters. There is no strict host selectivity for these fungi to infect fish. Mucor sp. are the main fungal pathogen of fish in these four regions, whereas Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Carassius auratus are two types of fish that were susceptible to pathogen. In addition, the environmental adaptability experiments showed that eight highly pathogenic strains have different adaptability to the environment, and their optimum temperature and pH were 25°C and 7.0, respectively, whereas the concentration of NaCl was negatively correlated with the growth of strains. Therefore, these results indicated that the coinfection of multiple fungal pathogens in a culture region should be considered in the future study.     

Cyclic environmental changes during the Early Toarcian at the Mochras Farm Borehole (Wales): a variable response of the foraminiferal community

Cyclostratigraphical analysis of the foraminiferal assemblages from the Early Toarcian at the Mochras Farm Borehole (Wales) was conducted in order to evaluate the incidence of cyclic palaeoenvironmental changes on the foraminiferal community. Different variables such as type of morphogroup, evolutionary strategy, habitat, particular taxa, diversity and abundance were studied using the Lomb–Scargle periodogram implemented in the computer program SLOMBS. A well‐developed cyclostratigraphical pattern is recognized, with the presence of several cycles (in metres) at 3.4–4/7.2–7.5/10.1–10.6/32.1–33.3/104.2–111.2/128.2/166.7, belonging to the high‐, middle‐, middle‐/low‐, and low‐frequency bands. The incidence and relevance of the cycles is found to be related to particular variables marking the global and local character of the involved processes. Cyclic changes in the organic matter input are found to be the most relevant palaeoenvironmental factor, oxygenation being secondary. A correspondence with specific Milankovitch cycles is, at present, difficult to determine.     

A Permian nurse log and evidence for facilitation in high‐latitude Glossopteris forests

The biology of trees that grew in high‐latitude forests during warmer geological periods is of major interest in understanding past and future ecosystem dynamics. As we study the different plants that composed these forests, it becomes possible to make comparisons with ecosystem processes that occur today. Here we describe a silicified late Permian (Lopingian) glossopterid (seed fern) trunk from Skaar Ridge, central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, with evidence of glossopterid rootlets growing into its wood. The specimen is interpreted as a nurse log similar to those seen in some extant forests. Together with evidence of glossopterid roots growing within the lacunae of older roots, this new specimen suggests the existence of facilitative interactions among the glossopterid trees that dominated the high‐latitude forests of Gondwana during the late Permian. More generally, the existence of self‐facilitation might have favoured the expansion of glossopterids within various environments, especially those at high palaeolatitudes, during the Permian icehouse to greenhouse transition.     

MicroRNA-137-3p Protects PC12 Cells Against Oxidative Stress by Downregulation of Calpain-2 and nNOS

The imbalance between excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and insufficient antioxidant defenses contribute to a range of neurodegenerative diseases. High ROS levels damage cellular macromolecules such as DNA, proteins and lipids, leading to neuron vulnerability and eventual death. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of the ROS regulation is not fully elucidated. Recently, an increasing number of studies suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs) emerge as the targets in regulating oxidative stress. We recently reported the neuroprotective effect of miR-137-3p for brachial plexus avulsion-induced motoneuron death. The present study is sought to investigate whether miR-137-3p also could protect PC12 cells against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) induced neurotoxicity. By using cell viability assay, ROS assay, gene and protein expression assay, we found that PC-12 cells exposed to H₂O₂ exhibited decreased cell viability, increased expression levels of calpain-2 and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), whereas a decreased miR-137-3p expression. Importantly, restoring the miR-137-3p levels in H₂O₂ exposure robustly inhibited the elevated nNOS, calpain-2 and ROS expression levels, which subsequently improved the cell viability. Furthermore, the suppressive effect of miR-137-3p on the elevated ROS level under oxidative stress was considerably blunted when we mutated the binding site of calpain-2 targted by miR-137-3p, suggesting the critical role of calpain-2 involving the neuroprotective effect of miR-137-3p. Collectively, these findings highlight the neuroprotective role of miR-137-3p through down-regulating calpain and NOS activity, suggesting its potential role for combating oxidative stress insults in the neurodegenerative diseases.

     

福建省输入性D8基因型麻疹病毒分子流行病学特征

为分析福建省输入性D8基因型麻疹病毒分子流行病学特征,采集咽拭子标本采用实时荧光定量反转录-聚合酶链反应(Real-time RT-PCR)筛查麻疹病毒核酸.用反转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)扩增麻疹病毒核酸筛查阳性咽拭子及Vero/Slam细胞培养阳性产物,对麻疹病毒核蛋白(Nucleoprotein,N)羧基(COOH)端634个核苷酸(Nucleotides,nt)片段进行测序分析,构建系统进化树.最终分离获得1株麻疹病毒株,26条麻疹病毒N蛋白羧基末端450个nt序列.亲缘性分析发现,所有福建麻疹毒株与WHOD8基因型参考株(MVi/Manchester.GBR/30.94)在亲缘关系树上同属一个大分支,两者核苷酸序列和氨基酸(Amino acid,aa)序列同源性分别为96.4％～99.1％和96.7％～98.0％.其中2014年的福建毒株 MVs/Fujian.CHN/28.14和 MVs/Fujian.CHN/30.14与越南胡志明市2014年分离株MVs/HoChiMinh.VNM/11.14及美国纽约2013年分离株MVs/New.York.USA/19.13的nt同源性为 100％;2019年的毒株MVs/Fujian.CHN/25.19与泰国龙仔厝府2018年分离株MVs/Samut.Sakhon.THA/8.18的nt同源性为100％;而剩余的23个监测毒株则与日本神户2019年分离株MVs/KobeC.JPN/28.19的核苷酸同源性和氨基酸同源性最高,分别为99.6％～100.0％和99.3％～100.0％.在病毒N蛋白羧基端150个氨基酸位点上,福建株与WHO D8参考株存在3～5个氨基酸位点差异.而与现用的疫苗株(Shanghai-191)相比,存在17～19个氨基酸变异位点,其中有14个氨基酸位点为所有福建株共有的变异位点,这些位点的变异总体上未对编码蛋白的氨基酸造成明显改变.结论是福建省成功分离获得1株D8基因型麻疹毒株.D8基因型为福建省发现的输入性麻疹基因型,病毒N蛋白羧基端氨基酸位点上与疫苗株相比均出现了差异位点.     

2018年河南省肠道病毒环境监测结果分析

通过对2018年河南省环境污水中肠道病毒(Enterovirus,EV)的持续监测,了解河南省环境污水中脊灰病毒(PV)和非脊灰肠道病毒(NPEV)的血清型分布及流行情况.选取了河南省东、西、南、北、中部的五个城市,对每个城市有10万～30万人共同使用的下水管网的地区进行污水采样,每两个月采集1次,每次采集两份污水样品,采集持续1年,对污水样品进行浓缩,将浓缩液接种至RD细胞、L20B细胞和HEp-2细胞进行病毒分离.对病毒分离物进行VP1区核苷酸序列测定分析,采用最大似然法构建系统进化树对EV进行分子定型,并进行核苷酸相似性分析.共采集污水样品60份,分离到EV阳性毒株16株(26.67％),分别为8株CVB5、3株E7、3株E11、1株CVB5+E11混合株;1株PVIII;环境监测标本与急性弛缓性麻痹(Acute flaccid paralysis,AFP)病例标本,在济源市和周口市分离到的CVB5比例有一致性,郑州市和济源市分离到的E7比例有一致性;污水标本中阳性毒株的检出时间要早于AFP病例标本中同种毒株型别的检出时间1～3个月.来源于AFP病例监测和环境监测的CVB5之间的核苷酸相似性为94.7％～99.6％,来源于AFP病例监测和环境监测的E7之间的核苷酸相似性为92.5％～100.0％.来源于AFP病例监测和环境监测的CVB5属于同一个基因型,E7也是同一个基因型,甚至是同一个病毒传播链.河南省2018年建立了环境监测方法,是AFP病例监测的有益的补充,也可对人类肠道病毒病流行或暴发进行预测和预警.     

温州地区冬季北红尾鸲的代谢特征及体温调节

为探讨北方迁徙性鸟类北红尾鸲(Phoenicurus auroreus)在越冬环境的代谢特征及体温调节,本文采用开放式氧气分析仪和数字式温度测量仪测定了在环境温度(Ta) 5、10、15、20、25、27.5、30、32.5、35、37.5、40℃条件下的代谢率(MR)和体温(Tb),并计算不同温度的热传导(C)。结果表明:在Ta为5~35℃范围内,北红尾鸲的Tb基本维持恒定,平均为40.3±0.1℃;热中性区(TNZ)为25~35℃;基础代谢率(BMR)为50.25±1.35 mL O2·h^-1,是Londo1o等(2015)体重预期值的151%;在Ta为5~25℃范围内,MR随Ta的降低而显著增加,回归方程为:MR (m L O2·h^-1)=99.65-1.93Ta(r=-0.707,P<0.001);高于35℃时,MR随Ta升高增加;当Ta为40℃时,MR达到59.78±1.31 mL O2·h^-1;在Ta为5~25℃范围内,北红尾鸲的C最低且基本保持恒定,为0.17±0.01 mL O2·g^-1·h^-1·℃^-1,是Aschoff(1981)体重预测值的111%;北红尾鸲的基本热生物学特征为较高的Tb、BMR和C以及较宽的TNZ,具有北方地区小型鸟类的代谢特点。