外来红树植物拉关木对乡土种桐花树和正红树的化感作用研究

为了探究外来红树植物拉关木对乡土红树植物的化感作用,该研究观察了不同浓度(0.1、0.3、0.5g·mL~(-1))的拉关木根、叶水浸提液对乡土红树植物桐花树和正红树的胚轴(种子)萌发、幼苗生长及叶片抗氧化酶活性的影响。结果表明:(1)拉关木水浸提液对桐花树种子的成苗率、萌发指数和根长均存在抑制作用,其中对根长的抑制作用随水浸提液浓度的提高而增强。(2)根水浸提液对桐花树幼苗的根长、苗高、生物量等生长指标的影响总体上均表现为低浓度促进,高浓度抑制。(3)拉关木水浸提液对正红树胚轴的萌发率、萌发指数、生长指标均表现为促进作用,且根水浸提液0.1、0.3 g·mL~(-1)处理组的芽长以及根、叶水浸提液0.1、0.3 g·mL~(-1)处理组的生物量显著大于对照组;拉关木水浸提液对正红树幼苗的生物量也表现为促进作用。(4)抗性生理方面,随着拉关木水浸提液浓度的升高,桐花树和正红树幼苗SOD活性降低,正红树幼苗POD活性在根水浸提液0.3 g·mL~(-1)和叶水浸提液0.1 g·mL~(-1)处理组显著高于对照组。以上结果表明,不同乡土植物对拉关木化感作用的敏感性不同,拉关木水浸提液抑制了桐花树的生长,而对正红树的生长则表现出一定程度的促进作用。     

Ferroptosis is involved in alcohol-induced cell death in vivo and in vitro

ABSTRACT

A critical pathogenic factor in the development of lethal liver failure is cell death induced by the accumulation of lipid reactive oxygen species. In this study, we discovered and illuminated a new mechanism that led to alcoholic liver disease via ferroptosis, an iron-dependent regulated cell death. Study in vitro showed that both necroptosis inhibitor and ferroptosis inhibitors performed significantly protective effect on alcohol-induced cell death, while apoptosis inhibitor and autophagy inhibitor had no such effect. Our data also indicated that alcohol caused the accumulation of lipid peroxides and the mRNA expression of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, reduced the protein expression of the specific light-chain subunit of the cystine/glutamate antiporter and glutathione peroxidase 4. Importantly, ferrostatin-1 significantly ameliorated liver injury that was induced by overdosed alcohol both in vitro and in vivo. These findings highlight that targeting ferroptosis serves as a hepatoprotective strategy for alcoholic liver disease treatment.     

Insecticidal and insect growth regulatory activities of secondary metabolites from entomopathogenic fungi,Lecanicillium attenuatum

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) are effective alternatives to chemical insecticides because of their specificity and low environmental toxicity. Entomopathogenic fungi are an important natural pathogen of insects and have been developed as biological control agents. They produce a wide range of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, pesticides, growth-promoting or inhibiting compounds and insect attracting agents. In this study, to explore novel IGR substances from entomopathogenic fungi, culture extracts of 189 entomopathogenic fungi isolated from Korean soil samples were investigated for their juvenile hormone (JH)-based IGR activities. Whereas none of the culture extracts exhibited JH agonist (JHA) activity, 14 extracts showed high levels of JH antagonist (JHAN) activity. Among them, culture extract of JEF-145 strain, which was identified as Lecanicillium attenuatum, showed the highest insecticidal against Aedes albopictus and Plutella xylostella. At liquid culture condition, JHAN activity was observed in culture soup rather than mycelial cake, indicating that substances with JHAN activity are released from the JEF-145 strain during culture. Furthermore, while extract from solid cultured JEF-145 strain showed insecticidal activities against both A. albopictus and P. xylostella, that from liquid cultured fungi showed insecticidal activity only against A. albopictus, indicating that L. attenuatum JEF-145 strain produces different kinds of secondary metabolites with JHAN activity depending on culture conditions. These results suggested that JHAN substances derived from entomopathogenic fungi could be usefully exploited to develop novel eco-friendly IGR insecticides.     

乙烯对苹果果实细胞壁降解效应初探

以陕西主栽苹果品种'秦冠'为试材,研究了不同浓度乙烯利以及加热处理下苹果果实中与细胞壁代谢相关酶的活性变化及其与细胞壁组分降解的关系.结果表明:乙烯对各细胞壁酶活性的促进效应因乙烯利施用浓度不同而异.乙烯利浓度由10 mg/L增至1 000 mg/L时,果胶甲酯酶(PME)、多聚半乳糖醛酸酶(PG)和纤维素酶(CS)的活性先逐渐增强,而后又被抑制;木聚糖(Xyl)没有受到明显影响.加热处理可增进乙烯利的作用,如在60℃时,PME、PG、CS、Xyl活性分别是对照的1.5、2.7、1.1和1.5倍.PG活性的显著增加同时引起了果实可溶性糖含量的显著升高,但其他酶活性变化与可溶性糖含量无直接相关.     

NaCl胁迫对菊花花序形态及生理指标的影响

对3个小花型菊花品种'金陵白凤'、'金陵宝辉'和'金陵春色'在生长期分别进行不同浓度 NaCl溶液浇灌处理,通过调查花序的形态变化和测定幼花序的脯氨酸、可溶性糖含量及SOD活性以揭示NaCl胁迫对菊花开花的影响.结果发现:(1)300 mmol·L-1的NaCl胁迫减少了'金陵白凤'、'金陵春色'舌状花和管状花的数量;(2)NaCl胁迫均降低了3个品种的花(序)径,增加了3个品种畸形花序数量,NaCl浓度越高效果越明显;(3)3个品种相比,NaCl胁迫下'金陵白凤'的花(序)径下降最小,畸形花序增加量最少,是花序外观受盐胁迫影响最小的品种;(4)3个品种花序中的脯氨酸、可溶性糖含量及SOD活性随着NaCl胁迫程度的增大呈升高趋势,'金陵白凤'在盐胁迫下可溶性糖的含量增加最多,SOD活性最高,且脯氨酸含量最低,这与其花序受损害程度最轻相一致,从而表现出最强的耐盐生理适应能力.     

栀子粗提物对抑郁模型小鼠行为学及海马神经发生的影响

目的观察栀子粗提物对慢性轻度应激模型小鼠行为学及海马神经发生的影响。方法采用10种不同应激源实施对小鼠连续10周刺激,从第3周开始口服给予栀子粗提物3个剂量治疗8周后,测定各组小鼠行为学改变,并采用NeuN和BrdU免疫组化观察海马区神经细胞的增殖情况。结果栀子粗提物高剂量组蔗糖饮水量明显增加（P〈0.05）,强迫游泳不动时间明显缩短（P〈0.05）;NeuN阳性表达升高（P〈0.01）,BrdU阳性细胞的面数密度亦显著增加（P〈0.05）。结论栀子粗提物对抑郁模型小鼠行为有明显改善作用,并能显著促进海马区神经元发生,提示栀子粗提物具有良好的抗抑郁作用。     

中药水提物对白念珠菌生物膜抑制作用的研究

目的研究中药水提物对体外白念珠菌生物膜的影响。方法体外构建白念珠菌生物膜,微量稀释法测定中药提取物对白念珠菌浮游菌最低抑菌浓度（M IC）,XTT减低法评价中药提取物对白念珠菌生物膜SM IC（SM IC80,SM IC50）及对白念珠菌黏附能力的影响。结果野菊花、土槿皮和决明子SM IC80为125 mg/m l,其余中药SM IC80为250或500 mg/m l;地肤子SM IC50为7.81 mg/m l,川芎、苏梗、藿香和决明子SM IC50为15.63 mg/m l,其他中药SM IC50在62.5~250 mg/m l。10味中药在100 mg/m l时均能显著抑制白念珠菌细胞的黏附,10 mg/m l时地肤子、苏梗和苦参对黏附仍具抑制作用。结论该10味中药水提物对体外白念珠菌生物膜有较强抑制效应。     

Innate immune response and disease resistance in Carassius auratus by triherbal solvent extracts

This study reports the effect of aqueous, ethanol and methanol triherbal solvent extract from Azadirachta indica, Ocimum sanctum and Curcuma longa on innate immune mechanisms such as phagocytosis activity, respiratory burst activity, alternative complement activity and lysozyme activity and disease resistance in goldfish (Carassius auratus) against Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish were intraperitoneally injected with different doses of 0, 5, 50 and 100 mg kg⁻¹ body weight of each triherbal solvent extracts. The functional immunity in terms of percentage mortality and Relative Percent Survival (RPS) and innate immune response was assessed on week 1, 2 and 4 by challenging with live A. hydrophila (1 × 10⁷ cells ml⁻¹). All the chosen innate immune parameters were enhanced in the ethanol and methanol triherbal solvent extract treatment after week 2. However, the aqueous triherbal extract was enhanced only after week 4. The ethanol and methanol triherbal solvent extracts administration preceding the challenge with live A. hydrophila decreased the percentage mortality in the experimental groups with the consequence increase in RPS values. The study indicates that all the doses of ethanol or methanol triberbal solvent extracts could be positively influence the immune response and protect the heath status of goldfish against A. hydrophila infection.     

Bulk Flow Revisited: Transport of a Soluble Protein in the Secretory Pathway

The C-terminal domain, Cp, of the Semliki Forest virus capsid protein, known for its rapid, efficient and chaperone-independent folding, was used to measure bulk fluid flow in the secretory pathway of Chinese hamster ovary cells. Being small, nonglycosylated, soluble and cytoplasmic in origin, Cp was not likely to interact with lectins, cargo receptors and retention factors. Using pulse-chase analysis, we observed that translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum resulted in rapid and efficient folding and transport of the newly synthesized Cp protein to the extracellular medium. The first Cp molecules were secreted 15 min after synthesis, which is the fastest transport of a protein so far recorded in mammalian cells. The rate constant of secretion was 1.2% per min, which amounts to an estimated bulk flow rate of about 155 coat protein II (COPII) vesicles per second. Transport was independent of expression level, and blocked by CI-976, brefeldin A and ATP depletion indicating that it depended on COPII vesicle formation, and followed the classical secretory pathway. In polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, the secretion rate was similar but occurred mainly apically. The results demonstrated that fluid flow in the secretory pathway is fast, and can therefore play a significant role in the secretion of soluble secretory products.     

The effects of Scutellaria baicalensis extract on embryonic development in mice

BACKGROUND : Scutellaria baicalensis is a perennial herbaceous plant widely distributed in Oriental areas. Its roots, a commonly used medicinal source, reputedly calm fetuses in pregnant women; however, there is no sufficient evidence to date to assess its safety during pregnancy. This study aims to evaluate the effects of S. baicalensis aqueous extract on embryonic development in ICR mice. METHODS : Aqueous extract of S. baicalensis roots was prepared in accordance with clinical application. Pregnant mice were randomly divided into four groups, i.e., mice treated by gavage with water as negative control, with aqueous extract of 2 (1.8 times of human daily dose), 8 or 32 g/kg/day from gestation day (Gd) 6 to 15 as low-, middle-, and high-dose groups, respectively. The parameters of live and dead fetuses, resorptions, external and skeletal malformed fetuses, maternal body weight, maternal liver, kidneys, and heart weights were evaluated on Gd 18. RESULTS : There was no significant difference in fetal parameters among four groups. Maternal absolute liver and kidneys weights in the high-dose group were significantly higher than those in negative control (p<0.05). Relative liver and kidneys weights in this group were significantly higher than those in any other group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS : Oral administration of aqueous extract of S. baicalensis roots at or below 32 g/kg/day to ICR mice during organogenesis did not cause significant fetal external or skeletal malformations. However, 32 g/kg/day presented potential maternal toxicity. Birth Defects Res (Part B)86: 79-84, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.