Effects of acupuncture on declined cerebral blood flow,impaired mitochondrial respiratory function and oxidative stress in multi-infarct dementia rats

Brain energy disorders and oxidative stress due to chronic hypoperfusion were considered to be the major risk factors in the pathogenesis of dementia. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that acupuncture treatment improved cognitive function of VaD patients and multi-infarct dementia (MID) rats. Acupuncture therapy also increased the activities of glycometabolic enzymes in the brain. But it is not clear whether acupuncture treatment compensates neuronal energy deficit after cerebral ischemic through enhancing the activities of glucose metabolic enzymes and preserving mitochondrial function, and whether acupuncture neuroprotective effect is associated with activations of mitochondrial antioxidative defense system. So, the effect of acupuncture therapy on cognitive function, cerebral blood flow (CBF), mitochondrial respiratory function and oxidative stress in the brain of MID rats was investigated in this study. The results showed that acupuncture treatment significantly improved cognitive abilities and increased regional CBF of MID rats. Acupuncture elevated the activities of total SOD, CuZnSOD and MnSOD, decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide anion, regulated the ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in mitochondria, and raised the level of the respiratory control index (RCI) and P/O ratio and the activities of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes of MID rats. These results indicated that acupuncture treatment improved cognitive function of MID rats; and this improvement might be due to increased CBF, which ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction induced by ischemia and endogenous oxidative stress system of brain.     

Near ultraviolet light inactivation of dihydroxyacid dehydratase in Escherichia coli

The effects of near ultraviolet (NUV) light on a NUV chromophore-containing oxidant-sensitive enzyme, dihydroxyacid dehydratase (DHAD), were measured in seven strains of Escherichia coli. The strains differed in production of the oxidant-defense enzymes, superoxide dismutases (Fe-SOD and Mn-SOD), and catalases HPI and HPII. With the stress of aerobic growth but without NUV exposure, the strains lacking either Fe or Mn SOD or both SODs had 57%, 25%, and 12%, respectively, of the DHAD-specific activity of the parent (K12) strain. Under the same conditions, the catalase strains that were wild type, overproducing, and deficient had comparable DHAD-specific activities. When aerobic cultures were exposed for 30 min to NUV with a fluence of 216 J/m²/s at 310–400 nm, the percentage decreases in DHAD-specific activities were similar (ranging from 75% to 89%) in strains with none, either, or both SODs missing, and in the catalase-overproducing strain. However, the decreases were only 58% and 52% in the strain with catalase missing and in its parent, respectively. The NUV-induced loss of DHAD enzyme activity was not accompanied by any detectable loss of the DHAD protein as measured by polyclonal antibody to DHAD.     

Thermal tolerance and recovery behaviour of Thorectes lusitanicus (Coleoptera,Geotrupidae)

1. Population differences in physiological responses are examined in Thorectes lusitanicus, an endemic Iberian dung beetle species, by submitting individuals of different populations to the same experimental and acclimation conditions. 2. An infrared thermography protocol was used, consisting of three assays: start of activity, cold response, and heat response. Individuals of 12 populations were studied and the comparative explanatory capacities of several environmental factors in relation to the observed inter‐population differences were examined. 3. The heating rate from chill coma to the beginning of activity was the variable with the highest discrimination power among the studied populations, accounting for 94% of the observed variance. Regarding the heat response, only six of the 16 thermal variables reached significance (inter‐population differences accounted for 52–74% in these six thermal parameters). 4. From the three considered environmental factors (Mediterranean climate, land cover, and trophic characteristics) only land cover characteristics remain statistically significant, affecting the cold response of individuals. 5. Thorectes lusitanicus is a species characterised by a high diversity of thermotolerance and recovery traits across populations with a low degree of association with broad environmental factors. Finally, it is suggested that the apterous character of this species could be a determinant factor explaining the high diversity of ecophysiological traits related to thermal stress tolerance and the recovery time.     

Inhibition of palmitate‐induced GADD34 expression augments apoptosis in mouse insulinoma cells (MIN6)

Saturated fatty acids like palmitate induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in pancreatic beta‐cells, an event linked to apoptotic loss of β‐cells in type 2 diabetes. Sustained activation of the ER stress response leads to expression of growth arrest and DNA damage‐inducible protein 34 (GADD34), a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1. In the present study, we have used small interfering RNA in order to knockdown GADD34 expression in insulin‐producing MIN6 cells prior to induction of ER stress by palmitate and evaluated its consequences on RNA‐activated protein kinase‐like ER‐localized eIF2alpha kinase (PERK) signalling and apoptosis. Salubrinal, a specific inhibitor of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) dephosphorylation, was used as a comparison. Salubrinal treatment augmented palmitate‐induced ER stress and increased GADD34 levels. Both GADD34 knockdown and salubrinal treatment potentiated the cytotoxic effects of palmitate as evidenced by increased DNA fragmentation and activation of caspase 3, with the fundamental difference that the former did not involve enhanced levels of GADD34. The data from this study suggest that sustained activation of PERK signalling and eIF2α phosphorylation sensitizes insulin‐producing MIN6 cells to lipoapoptosis independently of GADD34 expression levels. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coping with drought: diapause plasticity in katydid eggs at high,mid-, and low elevations

1. Semi-arid rangeland productivity is limited by precipitation, and yet droughts are projected to increase in frequency and duration with unknown impacts on insect populations. As some katydids prolong diapause and remain in an egg bank as a blastoderm for multiple growing seasons, is it possible that drought could prolong diapause and promote outbreaks by synchronising embryonic development and hatching of Mormon crickets, Anabrus simplex, after moisture is restored? 2. In this study, a high-elevation Wyoming population (WY) was compared with a mid-elevation Idaho (ID) and a low-elevation Oregon population (OR). It was predicted that eggs from the drier ID and OR habitats would be more tolerant of desiccation. Developmental state and water loss of eggs were measured after drought treatments, and when moisture was restored. 3. The two drier treatments had significantly more WY eggs prolonging diapause until after drought ended compared with the two wetter treatments. Whether WY eggs developed in the second or subsequent warm periods was independent of drought treatments. Significantly fewer OR embryos developed in the driest treatment compared with the others, whereas almost all ID eggs developed irrespective of the drought treatment. 4. In conclusion, Mormon crickets can delay embryonic development to improve drought tolerance. Although drought did not synchronise development and hatching, diapause plasticity allowed insects to cope and await more favourable conditions. 5. Unexpectedly, eggs from WY (the highest, wettest site) were more tolerant, because postponing development resulted in less water loss than in developed embryos. OR egg loss was also reduced by prolonging diapause, relative to ID, which developed in even the driest conditions.     

Subordination stress in Nile tilapia and its effect on plasma lysozyme activity

Dominant Nile tilapia had significantly higher lysozyme activity than did subordinate fishes (α=0·05). Plasma lysozyme level was not correlated with sex, parental origin, rearing length, weight, condition factor or rearing density.     

产甘油假丝酵母胞浆3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶基因（CgGPD）功能分析

【目的】从高产甘油生产菌株产甘油假丝酵母（Candida glycerinogenes）基因组中克隆了NAD+依赖3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶编码基因（CgGPD），但是该基因及其上游调控序列具体的功能还是未知的。本文研究了CgGPD基因及其上游调控序列的功能。【方法】本文以酿酒酵母（Saccharomyces cerevisiae）及其渗透压敏感型突变株为宿主，构建3种不同的酵母表达载体导入酵母细胞，研究了不同酵母转化子在渗透压胁迫条件下CgGPD基因表达对细胞的耐高渗透压胁迫应答及其细胞的甘油合成能力的影响。【结果】实验结果表明无论是以来源于S. cerevisiae 的TPI启动子还是来源于CgGPD基因的启动子，过量表达CgGPD基因的转化子均能够显著加速葡萄糖消耗速度和提高甘油合成能力，在gpd1/gpd2突变株中表达CgGPD基因能够消除细胞对外界高渗透压的敏感性，同时转化子胞内甘油大量积累。【结论】CgGPD基因在野生型酵母S. cerevisiae W303-1A表达显著提高细胞的甘油合成能力，在gpd/1gpd2突变株中能够互补GPD1基因的功能，CgGPD基因表达受渗透压诱导 调控。     

高温胁迫对水稻花粉粒性状及花药显微结构的影响

对两个耐热性不同的水稻品系进行高温处理(8:00～17:00,37℃,17:00～8:00,30℃),测定了高温胁迫对水稻花粉粒性状及花药显微结构的影响.结果表明,高温胁迫导致花药开裂、花粉活力、花粉萌发率和柱头上花粉粒数的显著下降,花粉粒直径增大.高温下耐热品系996的花药开裂、花粉活力、花粉萌发率和柱头上花粉粒数明显高于热敏感品系4628,这表明耐热品系996在高温胁迫条件下能保持较好地花粉散落特性和花粉萌发特性,是其耐热性的生理基础;高温下耐热品系996的花药壁的表皮细胞排列较整齐,细胞间隙小;药隔维管束较大,维管束鞘细胞排列整齐,簿壁细胞多且排列整齐,木质部和韧皮部清楚可见;而热敏感品系4628花药壁的表皮细胞形状不规则,排列疏松,细胞间隙大,药隔维管组织受到很大程度破坏,维管束鞘细胞形状异常,排列紊乱,木质部和韧皮部界限不清.