Effects of Remifemin Treatment on Bone Integrity and Remodeling in Rats with Ovariectomy-Induced Osteoporosis

This study aims to evaluate the effects of Remifemin (isopropanolic extract of Cimicifuga Racemosa) on postmenopausal osteoporosis. 120 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham surgery with vehicle, ovariectomy with vehicle, ovariectomy with estradiol valerate, or ovariectomy with Remifemin. Daily oral administrations of the vehicle, estradiol valerate, or Remifemin began 2 weeks after surgery and lasted to 4, 8, or 12 weeks. Ten rats in each group were sacrificed at each timestep with assessment of bone mineral density, trabecular bone structure, and biomechanical parameters of the femur and lumbar vertebra. Bone turnover markers were evaluated 12 weeks after surgery. Both drugs prevented bone density loss in the distal end of the femur and preserved the trabecular bone structure in both the lumbar vertebra and distal end of the femur following ovariectomy. Both drugs protected bone stiffness at the tested regions and reduced bone reabsorption in ovariectomized rats. The preventive effects of Remifemin against bone-loss can rival those of estradiol valerate if treatment duration is adequately extended. In conclusion, Remifemin may demonstrate equivalent effects to estradiol valerate in terms of preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis.     

Cytological and Comparative Proteomic Analyses on Male Sterility in Brassica napus L. Induced by the Chemical Hybridization Agent Monosulphuron Ester Sodium

Male sterility induced by a chemical hybridization agent (CHA) is an important tool for utilizing crop heterosis. Monosulphuron ester sodium (MES), a new acetolactate synthase-inhibitor herbicide belonging to the sulphonylurea family, has been developed as an effective CHA to induce male sterility in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). To understand MES-induced male sterility in rapeseed better, comparative cytological and proteomic analyses were conducted in this study. Cytological analysis indicated that defective tapetal cells and abnormal microspores were gradually generated in the developing anthers of MES-treated plants at various development stages, resulting in unviable microspores and male sterility. A total of 141 differentially expressed proteins between the MES-treated and control plants were revealed, and 131 of them were further identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Most of these proteins decreased in abundance in tissues of MES-treated rapeseed plants, and only a few increased. Notably, some proteins were absent or induced in developing anthers after MES treatment. These proteins were involved in several processes that may be crucial for tapetum and microspore development. Down-regulation of these proteins may disrupt the coordination of developmental and metabolic processes, resulting in defective tapetum and abnormal microspores that lead to male sterility in MES-treated plants. Accordingly, a simple model of CHA-MES-induced male sterility in rapeseed was established. This study is the first cytological and dynamic proteomic investigation on CHA-MES-induced male sterility in rapeseed, and the results provide new insights into the molecular events of male sterility.     

Acute Toxicity of Intravenously Administered Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Mice

Background

With a wide range of applications, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) are manufactured worldwide in large quantities. Recently, in the field of nanomedicine, intravenous injection of TiO₂ nanoparticulate carriers directly into the bloodstream has raised public concerns on their toxicity to humans.

Methods

In this study, mice were injected intravenously with a single dose of TiO₂ NPs at varying dose levels (0, 140, 300, 645, or 1387 mg/kg). Animal mortality, blood biochemistry, hematology, genotoxicity and histopathology were investigated 14 days after treatment.

Results

Death of mice in the highest dose (1387 mg/kg) group was observed at day two after TiO₂ NPs injection. At day 7, acute toxicity symptoms, such as decreased physical activity and decreased intake of food and water, were observed in the highest dose group. Hematological analysis and the micronucleus test showed no significant acute hematological or genetic toxicity except an increase in the white blood cell (WBC) count among mice 645 mg/kg dose group. However, the spleen of the mice showed significantly higher tissue weight/body weight (BW) coefficients, and lower liver and kidney coefficients in the TiO₂ NPs treated mice compared to control. The biochemical parameters and histological tissue sections indicated that TiO₂ NPs treatment could induce different degrees of damage in the brain, lung, spleen, liver and kidneys. However, no pathological effects were observed in the heart in TiO₂ NPs treated mice.

Conclusions

Intravenous injection of TiO₂ NPs at high doses in mice could cause acute toxicity effects in the brain, lung, spleen, liver, and kidney. No significant hematological or genetic toxicity was observed.     

PAI-1 -675 4G/5G Polymorphism in Association with Diabetes and Diabetic Complications Susceptibility: a Meta-Analysis Study

A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between the PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism and susceptibility to diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetic nephropathy (DN), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic coronary artery disease (CAD). A literature-based search was conducted to identify all relevant studies. The fixed or random effect pooled measure was calculated mainly at the allele level to determine heterogeneity bias among studies. Further stratified analyses and sensitivity analyses were also performed. Publication bias was examined by the modified Begg’s and Egger’s test. Twenty published articles with twenty-seven outcomes were included in the meta-analysis: 6 studies with a total of 1,333 cases and 3,011 controls were analyzed for the PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism with diabetes risk, 7 studies with 1,060 cases and 1,139 controls for DN risk, 10 studies with 1,327 cases and 1,557 controls for DR and 4 studies with 610 cases and 1,042 controls for diabetic CAD risk respectively. Using allelic comparison (4G vs. 5G), the PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism was observed to have no significant association with diabetes (REM OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.96, 1.20), DN (REM OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.98, 1.25), DR (REM OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.97, 1.22) or diabetic CAD risk (REM OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.81, 1.42), and similar results were obtained in the dominant, recessive and co-dominant models. Our meta-analyses suggest that the PAI-1 -675 4G/5G polymorphism might not be a risk factor for DM, DN, DR or diabetic CAD risk in the populations investigated. This conclusion warrants confirmation by further studies.     

Two new Fomitopsis species from southern China based on morphological and molecular characters

Fomitopsis cana sp. nov. and F. subtropica sp. nov. are described from southern China based on morphological and molecular characters. Both species have annual, effused-reflexed basidiomata with several small imbricate pilei protruding from a large resupinate part. F. cana is characterized by its mouse-grey to dark grey basidiomata, pores 5–8 per mm, and small cylindrical to oblong-ellipsoid basidiospores (5–6.2?×?2.1–3 μm). F. subtropica is characterized by its white, cream, straw-yellow to more or less flesh-pink basidiomata which was easily separable from the substrate, smaller pores (6–9 per mm) and smaller basidiospores (3.2–4?×?1.8–2.1 μm), and presence of yellowish oil-like substances in trama. Phylogenetic analysis based on combined ITS and nLSU sequences suggest that the two new species belong in the Fomitopsis sensu stricto group within the Antrodia clade.     

Bio‐antifelting of wool based on mild methanolic potassium hydroxide pretreatment

Covalently bound lipids cover the wool surface and make enzymatic degradation of wool scales very difficult. In this paper, methanolic potassium hydroxide (MPH) pretreatment was used prior to enzymatic treatment of wool with protease, aiming at hydrolyzing the outmost lipids on the wool surface and promoting the subsequent proteolytic reaction. The efficacy of lipid removal from the fiber surface and the properties of the protease‐treated wool were evaluated. The results indicated that mild MPH pretreatment with 0.10 mol/L MPH for 10 min improved the wettability of the wool without adverse impacts on its mechanical properties. The wetting time and area shrinkage of the wool fabric reached 0.5 s and 5.6%, respectively, and the strength loss was within the acceptable range. Pretreatment with high concentrations of MPH for longer times led to significant damage to the wool fibers and caused heavy strength loss, without improving the antifelting properties after protease treatment. Thus, the combination of mild MPH and protease treatments endowed the wool with desirable properties in contrast to the treatment with protease alone.     

Effects of Refractive Index Variations on the Optical Transmittance Spectral Properties of the Nano-Hole Arrays

The 3D finite difference time domain technique was carried out to study the optical transmission properties of nano-hole arrays in the gold thin film supported by materials with different index of refraction in the visible and infrared regions. A series of perforated nano-hole structures on the gold film at different hole radius, hole depth of 100 nm, and structural periodicity of 400 nm were studied. It was found that transmission properties (i.e., intensity, FWHM, and resonance position) were strongly affected by hole radius and surrounding medium index of refraction. The maximum optical transmittance was observed as 31.9 % in a nano-hole array of hole radius of 125 nm and refractive index of 1.3. The maximum sensitivity of 300 nm/RIU was obtained at index of refraction of 1.7, whereas the minimum one was calculated as 110 nm/RIU in a nano-hole array of hole radius of 50 nm. It was also found that on increasing the hole radius from 50 to 125 nm, the spectral sensitivity was decreased, whereas the index sensitivity was increased on increasing the refractive index.     

Biological Relevance of the Interaction Between Resveratrol and Insulin

In view of synergistic effect of resveratrol and insulin in the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases, the interaction between them was studied and its biological implication was further discussed. Insulin could interact with resveratrol to form 1:1 complex with the binding constant of 1.03?×?10³ M^?1 at 298 K. The binding was spontaneous and insulin/resveratrol complex formation was an exothermal reaction. Hydrogen bond and van der Waals force played key roles in the binding process. Kinetic study indicates that resveratrol binding to insulin conformed to the first-order exponential decay function. The interaction decreased the polarity around tyrosine residue and α-helical content, destroyed the disulfide bridges, depolymerized insulin dimers to monomer, and altered the orientation of aromatic side chains in the insulin. Additionally, insulin increased resveratrol stability. These results well confirm synergistic effect of resveratrol and insulin in vitro. It would give a deeper insight into resveratrol as a kind of food functional factor.