A Single Intrathecal or Intraperitoneal Injection of CB2 Receptor Agonist Attenuates Bone Cancer Pain and Induces a Time-Dependent Modification of GRK2

The objective of this study was to explore the potential role of G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) in the progression of cannabinoid 2 receptor (CB2) agonist-induced analgesic effects of bone cancer pain. Female Sprague–Dawley rats, weighing 160–180 g, were utilized to establish a model of bone cancer pain induced by intra-tibia inoculation of Walker 256 mammary gland carcinoma cells. JWH-015, a selective CB2 agonist, was injected intrathecally or intraperitoneally on postoperative day 10. Bone cancer-induced pain behaviors—mechanical allodynia and ambulatory pain—were assessed on postoperative days ?1 (baseline), 4, 7, and 10 and at post-treatment hours 2, 6, 24, 48, and 72. The expressions of spinal CB2 and GRK2 protein were detected by Western Blotting on postoperative days ?1 (baseline), 4, 7, and 10 and at post-treatment hours 6, 24, and 72. The procedure produced prolonged mechanical allodynia, ambulatory pain, and different changes in spinal CB2 and GRK2 expression levels. Intrathecal or intraperitoneal administration of JWH-015 alleviated the induced mechanical allodynia and ambulatory pain, and inhibited the downregulation of spinal GRK2 expression. These effects were in a time-dependent manner and reversed by pretreatment of CB2 selective antagonist AM630. The results affirmed CB2 receptor agonists might serve as new treatment targets for bone cancer pain. Moreover, spinal GRK2 was an important regulator of CB2 receptor agonist-analgesia pathway.     

Host cellular signaling induced by influenza virus

A wide range of host cellular signal transduction pathways can be stimulated by influenza virus infection. Some of these signal transduction pathways induce the host cell’s innate immune response against influenza virus, while others are essential for efficient influenza virus replication. This review examines the cellular signaling induced by influenza virus infection in host cells, including host pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-related signaling, protein kinase C (PKC), Raf/MEK/ERK and phosphatidylinositol- 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling, and the corresponding effects on the host cell and/or virus, such as recognition of virus by the host cell, viral absorption and entry, viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) export, translation control of cellular and viral proteins, and virus-induced cell apoptosis. Research into influenza virus-induced cell signaling promotes a clearer understanding of influenza virus-host interactions and assists in the identification of novel antiviral targets and antiviral strategies.     

Ordination of breeding birds in relation to environmental gradients in three southeastern United States floodplain forests

We used an ordination approach to identify factors important to the organization of breeding bird communities in three floodplains: Cache River, Arkansas (AR), Iatt Creek, Louisiana (LA), and the Coosawhatchie River, South Carolina (SC), USA. We used 5-min point counts to sample birds in each study area each spring from 1995 to 1998, and measured ground-surface elevations and a suite of other habitat variables to investigate bird distributions and community characteristics in relation to important environmental gradients. In both AR and SC, the average number of Neotropical migrant species detected was lowest in semipermanently flooded Nyssa aquatica Linnaeus habitats and greatest in the highest elevation floodplain zone. Melanerpes carolinus Linnaeus, Protonotaria citrea Boddaert, Quiscalus quiscula Linnaeus, and other species were more abundant in N. aquatica habitats, whereas Wilsonia citrina Boddaert, Oporornis formosus Wilson, Vireo griseus Boddaert, and others were more abundant in drier floodplain zones. In LA, there were no significant differences in community metrics or bird species abundances among forest types. Canonical correspondence analyses revealed that structural development of understory vegetation was the most important factor affecting bird distributions in all three study areas; however, potential causes of these structural gradients differed. In AR and SC, differences in habitat structure were related to the hydrologic gradient, as indexed by ground-surface elevation. In LA, structural variations were related mainly to the frequency of canopy gaps. Thus, bird communities in all three areas appeared to be organized primarily in response to repeated localized disturbance. Our results suggest that regular disturbance due to flooding plays an important role in structuring breeding bird communities in floodplains subject to prolonged inundation, whereas other agents of disturbance (e.g., canopy gaps) may be more important in headwater systems subject to only short-duration flooding. Management for avian community integrity in these systems should strive to maintain forest zonation and natural disturbance regimes.     

Effects of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors on serum uric acid in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review with an indirect comparison meta-analysis

To describe the effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on serum uric acid (SUA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched for randomized controlled trials of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with T2DM up to Aug 10, 2017, without language or date restrictions. Thirty-one studies totaling 13,650 patients were included. SGLT2 inhibitors significantly decreased SUA levels compared with placebo, canagliflozin WMD –37.02?μmol/L, 95% CI [–38.41, –35.63], dapagliflozin WMD –38.05?μmol/L, 95% CI [–44.47, –31.62], empagliflozin WMD –42.07?μmol/L, 95% CI [–46.27, –37.86]. The drug class effect of SUA reduction suggesting SGLT2 inhibitors might be beneficial for diabetic patients with hyperuricemia.     

钙蛋白酶介导模拟失重大鼠心肌肌钙蛋白抑制亚基的降解

本文旨在观察尾部悬吊模拟失重大鼠心肌钙蛋白酶(calpain)与钙蛋白酶抑素(calpastatin)表达的变化,以探讨心肌肌钙蛋白抑制亚基(cardiac troponin I,cTnI)降解的可能机制。采用尾部悬吊模拟失重大鼠模型,Western blotting技术观测心肌calpain-1、calpain-2与calpastatin的表达;PD150606抑制calpain活性,分析cTnI降解程度的变化。结果显示:与同步对照组相比,悬吊2周与4周组大鼠心肌calpastatin表达呈显著性降低(P0.05),calpain-1表达未改变,calpain-2表达略有降低;但是,心肌calpain-1/calpastatin及calpain-2/calpastatin的比值在悬吊2周与4周组明显增高(P0.05,P0.01)。悬吊4周组cTnI降解显著高于对照组(P0.01);然而,用calpain非特异性抑制剂PD150606处理后,对照组及悬吊组cTnI的降解均被显著抑制(P0.01)。这些结果提示模拟失重大鼠心肌calpain活性增高可能增加cTnI的降解。     

Monitoring growth phase-related changes in phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C production,adhesion properties and physiology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus cereus</Emphasis> vegetative cells

The physiological status and metabolic heterogeneity of Bacillus cereus cells within a culture during an 8-h batch fermentation process was measured using flow cytometry (FCM). Concurrently, production of the toxin, PC-PLC, and the extent of cell adhesion of live and dead cells were monitored using novel fluorescent assays. Flow cytometry analysis detected growth phase-related changes in the physiological profiles of cells over the course of the fermentation, with variation in the percentage of cells displaying membrane damage and intracellular esterase and redox activities. As the exponential phase proceeded, populations became more uniform in terms of protein content as measured using FCM in tandem with a cell tracking dye, with the majority of cells becoming membrane intact, esterase positive and redox active. PC-PLC activity appeared strongly related to cell density. Permeabilisation of cells was accompanied by a loss in adherent properties, while 25–100% of cells with intracellular esterase activity possessed adhesion properties. Cells in late exponential phase appeared to have reduced adherence properties compared to cells in early exponential or lag phase. As well as demonstrating the utility of FCM for measuring heterogeneity in terms of cell physiological status throughout the course of batch cultures, the methods utilised in this study could be used to relate processes such as toxin production or cell adhesion to cell physiological state.     

The predatory mite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neoseiulus womersleyi</Emphasis> (Acari: Phytoseiidae) follows extracts of trails left by the two-spotted spider mite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetranychus urticae</Emphasis> (Acari: Tetranychidae)

As it walks, the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) spins a trail of silk threads, that is followed by the predatory mite, Neoseiulus womersleyi Schicha (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Starved adult female N. womersleyi followed T. urticae trails laid down by five T. urticae females but did not follow a trail of one T. urticae female, suggesting that the amount of spun threads and their chemical components should correlate positively with the number of T. urticae individuals. To examine whether chemical components of T. urticae trails are responsible for the predatory mite’s trail following, we collected separate T. urticae threads from the exuviae and eggs, and then washed the threads with methanol to separate chemical components from physical attributes of the threads. Female N. womersleyi did not follow T. urticae trails that had been washed with methanol but contained physical residues, but they did follow the direction to which the methanol extracts of the T. urticae trails was applied. These results suggest that the predatory mite follows chemical, not physical, attributes of T. urticae trails.