Valproate-Induced Epigenetic Upregulation of Hypothalamic Fto Expression Potentially Linked with Weight Gain

Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology - Valproate (VPA), a widely-used antiepileptic drug, is a selective inhibitor of histone deacetylase (HDAC) that play important roles in epigenetic regulation....     

高、低营养水平饲粮对环江香猪结肠菌群结构及代谢物的影响

【目的】研究两种饲粮对环江香猪结肠内容物菌群结构及其代谢物的影响。【方法】选用33.5±8.1 kg的环江香猪10头,随机分为两组,每组5头猪,单栏饲养,分别饲喂高营养水平饲粮(粗蛋白质含量为13.11%,消化能为14.73 MJ/kg)和低营养水平饲粮(粗蛋白质含量为9.77%,消化能为12.24 MJ/kg)。饲喂75 d后屠宰,每组选3头猪采集结肠内容物提取细菌总DNA,PCR扩增获得16S r RNA基因V4标签片段,用于Mi Seq高通量测序,基于QIIME平台比较结肠内容物菌群结构多样性;每组取5头猪的结肠内容物,利用气相色谱和液相色谱分析其中短链脂肪酸、氨氮、生物胺、吲哚和粪臭素的含量。【结果】硬壁菌门、拟杆菌门、螺旋体门和软壁菌门细菌为环江香猪结肠内容物中的优势菌门;饲粮组成不影响环江香猪结肠内容物菌群结构的多样性,高营养水平饲粮组结肠内容物中广古细菌含量显著低于、瘤胃球菌属和假丁酸弧菌属细菌含量显著高于低营养水平饲粮组;高营养水平饲粮组环江香猪结肠内容物中乙酸和丙酸含量显著低于、氨氮和尸胺含量显著高于低营养水平饲粮组。【结论】硬壁菌门、拟杆菌门、螺旋体门和软壁菌门细菌为环江香猪结肠内容物中的优势菌门,短期饲喂高营养水平饲粮可改变环江香猪结肠中的部分微生物含量及其代谢特性。     

Effects of chronic hypogonadism on corticosterone secretion and cyclic AMP production in male rat adrenocortical cells

AIM: To determine the secretion of corticosterone (CCS) both in vivo and in vitro during different intervals after orchidectomy in male rats. METHODS: Three- and 12-month-old rats had been orchidectomized 0, 3, 6, or 9 months before decapitation. RESULTS: Orchidectomy increased the concentrations of plasma CCS, the basal release of CCS, and the adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production in rat zona fasciculata reticularis (ZFR) cells. The forskolin/3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine-stimulated releases of CCS and cAMP production by ZFR cells were higher in rats with chronic hypogonadism. The CCS release from ZFR cells of orchidectomized rat was not altered by 8-bromo-cAMP treatment. Orchidectomy enhanced the stimulatory effect of deoxycorticosterone on CCS release in ZFR cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that orchidectomy-related increases of CCS secretion in rats are associated with an increase of adenylate cyclase activity, cAMP generation, and 11-beta-hydroxylase activity in ZFR cells.     

胁迫条件对一土生青霉菌总酚积累及其清除自由基能力的影响

旨在阐明胁迫条件对一土生青霉菌总酚积累及其抗氧化活性的影响。采用固体培养基培养青霉菌,以紫外线辐射、添加H2O2水溶液和降低培养基营养物质含量作为胁迫手段,检测受到胁迫后,菌体总酚的积累及酚类清除自由基的能力。菌丝体总酚含量以Folin-Ciocalteu法测定,自由基清除率以分光光度法测定。结果表明,在胁迫条件下,各实验组菌丝体的总酚含量较对照组均有显著提高,添加H2O2组的总酚含量最高达63.86mg/g,紫外线辐射组的总酚含量最高达58.4mg/g,营养胁迫组的总酚含量最高达43.19mg/g。各实验组酚类提取物对羟自由基的清除率最高,其中添加1mmol/LH2O2组为35.28%,紫外线辐射40s组为69.97%,75%营养胁迫组为50.83%。因此,胁迫条件可增加该青霉合成酚类化合物及提高其抵抗胁迫的能力。     

Inhibitory effects of digoxin and ouabain on aldosterone synthesis in human adrenocortical NCI-H295 cells

The present study was to investigate the effects and action mechanisms of digoxin and ouabain on steroidogenesis in human adrenocortical NCI-H295 cells. Administration of digoxin or ouabain for 24 h decreased the basal and angiotensin II (Ang II)-stimulated release of aldosterone by NCI-H295 cells. The conversions of corticosterone (substrate of cytochrome P450 aldosterone synthase, P450c11AS) to aldosterone or deoxycortisol (substrate of cytochrome P450 11beta-hydroxylase, P450c11beta) to cortisol were reduced by digoxin or ouabain. The basal and 22-hydroxy-cholesterol (a membrane-permeable cholesterol, substrate of cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, P450scc)-stimulated pregnenolone release in mitochondria was inhibited by digoxin or ouabain. Digoxin or ouabain suppressed the basal and Ang II-stimulated protein expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein and P450scc. Incubation of digoxin or ouabain for 24 h reduced P450c11AS mRNA expression in NCI-H295 cells. Digoxin or ouabain (10(-6) M, 24 h)-treated cells showed a lower resting intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and an attenuated response of [Ca2+]i to Ang II. Since no significant cytotoxicity was observed at 10(-6) M digoxin or ouabain, the digoxin- or ouabain-induced decrease of aldosterone or cortisol release was not associated with cytotoxicity. These results demonstrate that digoxin or ouabain inhibits the aldosterone or cortisol release via reduction of P450c11AS or P450c11beta and P450scc activities, inhibition of StAR and P450scc protein expression, suppression of P450c11AS mRNA expression, and attenuation of Ca2+ mobilization in NCI-H295 cells.     

Effect of aging on corticosterone secretion in diestrous rats

The roles of age and prolactin (PRL) in regulating glucocorticoid secretion in diestrous rats were investigated. Adrenal zona fasciculata-reticularis (ZFR) cells from young, adult, middle (mid)-aged, and old female rats were isolated. Estrous cycle stage was determined by light microscopy after vaginal smears. Blood samples were collected from right jugular vein at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after challenge with adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). During the diestrous phase, plasma levels of estradiol and progesterone were lower in mid-aged and old rats than in either young or adult rats. Age-dependent increases of the basal levels of plasma PRL and corticosterone were observed. No difference of ACTH-increased plasma concentrations of corticosterone was observed among young, adult, mid-aged, and old rats. Aging increased the basal, ACTH-, PRL-, forskolin (an adenylate cyclase activator)-, and 3-isobutyl-l-methylxanthine (IBMX, a non-selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor)-stimulated release of corticosterone and production of adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in ZFR cells. However, the 8-Br-cAMP (a membrane-permeable cAMP)-stimulated release of corticosterone was not affected by age. Taken together, these data indicated that aging increased corticosterone secretion in female rats during diestrous phase, which is in part due to an increase in cAMP accumulation. In conclusion, aging and PRL play a stimulatory role in the co-regulation of corticosterone secretion.     

黄山短尾猴社群中的架桥行为

2007年3~5月,采用随机取样法对黄山短尾猴(Macaca thibetana)YA1群架桥行为进行研究。结果表明,不同时间段架桥行为发生次数存在极显著差异(t=3.912,df=10,P<0.01)。成年组雄性个体是主要发起者(Z=-2.1888,P<0.05)和接受者(Z=-2.5238,P<0.05),但同年龄组不同性别个体发起次数(Z=-1.755,P>0.05)无显著差异,接受次数(Z=-2.201,P<0.05)差异显著。架桥行为多采用雄性婴幼猴(Z=-2.437,P<0.05)(F=6.735,df=2,P<0.05)作为媒介,母亲序位影响婴幼猴在架桥中被使用的次数(Z=-3.724,P<0.01)。不同序位雄性(F=2.947,df=4,P<0.05)和雌性个体(F=5.320,df=4,P<0.05)架桥行为发起模式主要是第Ⅰ类。雌性个体选择具有亲缘关系的个体作为架桥媒介(Z=-2.490,P<0.05),但雄性个体对母系亲属后代无明显选择性(Z=-0.866,P>0.05)。短期研究表明,黄山短尾猴社群中的架桥行为主要采用第Ⅰ类模式;亲缘关系不一定是影响架桥行为媒介选择的主要因素;架桥行为具有缓解群体间竞争压力的作用。     

A novel rice C2H2-type zinc finger protein lacking DLN-box/EAR-motif plays a role in salt tolerance

A cDNA for the gene ZFP182, encoding a C2H2-type zinc finger protein, was cloned from rice by RT-PCR. ZFP182 codes an 18.2 kDa protein with two C2H2-type zinc finger motifs, one nuclear localization signal and one Leu-rich domain. The DLN-box/EAR-motif, which exists in most of plant C2H2-type zinc finger proteins, does not exist in ZFP182. The expression analysis showed that ZFP182 gene was constitutively expressed in leaves, culms, roots and spikes at the adult rice plants, and markedly induced in the seedlings by cold (4 degrees C), 150 mM NaCl and 0.1 mM ABA treatments. The approximate 1.4 kb promoter region of ZFP182 gene was fused into GUS reporter gene and transformed into tobacco. The histochemical analysis revealed that GUS expression could not be detected in transformed tobacco seedlings under normal conditions, but strongly observed in tobacco leaf discs and the vascular tissue of roots treated with NaCl or KCl. Expression of ZFP182 in transgenic tobacco and overexpression in rice increased plant tolerance to salt stress. These results demonstrated that ZFP182 might be involved in plant responses to salt stress.     

大黄鱼紧密连锁α-和β-珠蛋白基因间序列功能分析

石首鱼类属鲈形目(Perciformes)、鲈亚目(Percoidei)、石首鱼科(Sciaenidae).