Engeletin alleviates cerebral ischemia reperfusion-induced neuroinflammation via the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB network

High-mobility group box1 (HMGB1) induces inflammatory injury, and emerging reports suggest that it is critical for brain ischemia reperfusion. Engeletin, a natural Smilax glabra rhizomilax derivative, is reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. Herein, we examined the mechanism of engeletin-mediated neuroprotection in rats having transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury. Male SD rats were induced using a 1.5 h tMCAO, following by reperfusion for 22.5 h. Engeletin (15, 30 or 60 mg/kg) was intravenously administered immediately following 0.5 h of ischemia. Based on our results, engeletin, in a dose-dependent fashion, reduced neurological deficits, infarct size, histopathological alterations, brain edema and inflammatory factors, namely, circulating IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ. Furthermore, engeletin treatment markedly reduced neuronal apoptosis, which, in turn, elevated Bcl-2 protein levels, while suppressing Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 protein levels. Meanwhile, engeletin significantly reduces overall expressions of HMGB1, TLR4, and NF-κB and attenuated nuclear transfer of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in ischemic cortical tissue. In conclusion, engeletin strongly prevents focal cerebral ischemia via suppression of the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory network.     

BmCaspase-8-like regulates autophagy by suppressing BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6

Autophagy plays an important role in tissue remodeling during insect development. The interplay between autophagy-related (ATG) proteins and caspases regulates the autophagic activity of ATGs, thereby modulating the process of autophagy. Our previous study characterized BmCaspase-8-like (BmCasp8L) as a caspase suppressor that inhibits apoptosis and immune signaling by suppressing the activation of death-related ced-3/Nedd2-like caspase (DREDD), a caspase-8 homolog in silkworm. In this study, we explored the regulatory role of BmCasp8L in autophagy. We found that the expression of Bmcasp8l increased from the late spinning stage to the pupa stage in the posterior silk gland (PSG), correlating with the expression patterns of Bmatg8 and Bmatg6. RNA interference-mediated downregulation of BmCasp8L expression significantly decreased starvation-induced autophagic influx as determined by the levels of BmATG8–phosphatidylethanolamine and the percentage of cells displaying punctate enhanced green fluorescent protein-BmATG8. Conversely, the overexpression of BmCasp8L significantly increased autophagic influx. We also found that BmCasp8L underwent autophagic degradation induced by starvation and that it was colocalized with BmATG8. Lastly, we demonstrated that BmDREDD attenuated autophagy and BmCasp8L suppressed BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6. Taken together, our results demonstrated that BmCasp8L is a novel proautophagic molecule which suppresses BmDREDD-mediated cleavage of BmATG6 and is a target for autophagy.     

小麦籽粒充实期氮素的吸收和再分配及6－苄氨基嘌呤的调节作用

小麦从开花至成熟,其根、茎和叶中的Ｎ素不断地进行着分配和再分配,主要是向穗子输出。成熟时穗Ｎ含量占植株总Ｎ的８２％。在总Ｎ净输出的同时各营养器官也有相当程度的对当前土壤Ｎ的净吸收。在籽粒充实阶段用ＢＡ处理叶式穗均影响营养器官及穗子的Ｎ素吸收、分配和再分配。     

Signal transduction pathways in guinea pig sperm

Trifluoperazine (TFP), the antagonist of calmodulin (CaM). significantly stimulated the capacitation and acrosome reaction of guinea pig spermatozoa at the concentration of 10-100μmol/L, independent of the external Ca2+. Forskolin, dbcAMP and caffeine evidently promoted the occurrence of acrosome reaction of spermatozoa at early capacitation stage (5 h) in nonsynchronous system but not in synchronous system. If the spermatozoa were capacitated for 15 h in synchronous system, the above three drugs significantly stimulated acrosome reaction in a Ca2+-independent manner. Protein kinase C activators, i.e. phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDB) did not influence the occurrence of acrosome reaction of spermatozoa at early capacitation stage, but significantly increased the acrosome reaction rate in capacitated spermatozoa in a Ca2+-independent manner. In contrast. PKC inhibitor staurosporine significantly inhibited the occurrence of acrosome reaction.     

Reversion of malignancy in human gastric cancer MKN—45 cells through the transfection of transforming growth factor—β type Ⅱ receptor gene

Human gastric cancer MKN-45 cells which are resistant to TGF-β growth inhibition and possess TGF-β type I and type Ⅲ receptors,but not type Ⅱ receptors,have been used as a model system to reconstitute these cancer cells with TGF-β RII cDNA.The results of these experiments indicated that the reexpression of TGF-β RII gene in MKN-45 cells can restore their sensitivity to TGF-β growth inhibition,decrease their growth rate,reduce their cloning efficiency in soft agar and tumorigenicity in nude mice in stable transfectants,in comparison with their control MKN-45 cells.Among different RII transfectants,their difference in the changes of these parameters,as a result of the regain of autocrine negative growth control by TGF-β,is roughly proportional to their level of expression of transfected RII mRNA.From these data,it is concluded that the inactivation of TGF-β RII gene is related to the escape of growth control by TGF-β in MKN-45 cells.The importance of the study of the interplay of TGF-β and its receptor system in the negative growth control of gastric cancer,and possibly also of other cancers,is discussed.     

清栓酶治疗脑梗塞疗效与血浆血栓素A2及前列环素之间的关系

应用清栓酶治疗不同病期脑梗塞３８例,总有效率８６．７％,发病后治疗时间越早,疗效越好。治疗前病人均有不同程度的ＴＸＡ２升高,ＰＧＩ２下降,急性期更为明显,治疗后ＴＸＡ２下降,ＰＧＩ２上升,使失调的ＰＧＩ２－ＴＸＡ２平衡得以恢复     

鸡胚完整脑的光子发射和光激发光研究

利用自制的单光子记录系统,对离体的浸于DMEM培养液中的鸡胚的完整脑所进行的光子发射测量显示出整脑与培养液相比有光子发射.完整脑的光子发射强度与胚龄,鸡胚的健康状况和离体后脑组织的新鲜程度有关.在对完整脑的光激发光测量中观察到一种短寿命的延迟发光,它的衰减过程不服从指数衰减规律而表现出双曲线衰减行为.从生物光子发射归因于生物体内的非定位的相干性电磁场及Frohlish的生命系统中存在着长距离的相干性的理论,讨论了利用生物光子发射研究细胞间通讯、生物的调节及生物与环境关系的意义,以及所检测的光子发射与生物系统自身的相干性电磁场的关系,并提出应从环境对生物系统自身场的影响来理解所测的生物光子发射.