In vivo metabolism of a mutant apolipoprotein, apoA-IIowa, associated with hypoalphalipoproteinemia and hereditary systemic amyloidosis.

Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I is the major protein constituent of plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL). A kindred has been identified in which a glycine to arginine mutation at residue 26 in apoA-I is associated with hypoalphalipoproteinemia and hereditary systemic amyloidosis. We isolated the mutant protein, termed apoA-IIowa, from the plasma of an affected subject and studied its in vivo metabolism compared to that of normal apoA-I in two heterozygous apoA-IIowa subjects and two normal controls. Normal and mutant apoA-I were radioiodinated with 131I and 125I, respectively, reassociated with autologous plasma lipoproteins, and simultaneously injected into all subjects. Kinetic analysis of the plasma radioactivity curves demonstrated that the mutant apoA-IIowa was rapidly cleared from plasma (mean fractional catabolic rate [FCR] 0.559 day-1) compared with normal apoA-I (mean FCR 0.244 day-1) in all four subjects. The FCR of normal apoA-I was also substantially faster in the heterozygous apoA-IIowa subjects (mean FCR 0.281 days-1) than in the normal controls (mean FCR 0.203 days-1). Despite the rapid removal from plasma of apoA-IIowa, the cumulative urinary excretion of its associated radioactivity after 2 weeks (44%) of the injected dose) was substantially less than that associated with normal apoA-I (78% of injected dose), indicating extravascular sequestration of radiolabeled apoA-IIowa.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Metabolic and physiological response of the rabbit to continuous and intermittent treadmill exercise

Our knowledge of the effects of exercise on the heart is limited by the predominant use of rats as an animal model. The rabbit has many advantages over the rat as an animal model to study. However, little work has characterized its capacity to exercise. The purposes of the present study were to determine if the rabbit could (i) learn to run on a motor-driven treadmill at relatively high speeds using different exercise protocols, and (ii) characterize the various physiological and metabolic responses of the rabbit to acute bouts of exercise. We found that female New Zealand white rabbits had the capacity to run continuously on the treadmill for up to 21 min at 20 m/min until exhausted. Continuous, endurance-type exercise resulted in significant elevations in body temperature, heart rate, and plasma lactate levels. Plasma triglyceride concentration decreased as a function of this type of running whereas plasma glucose levels were unchanged. Twenty-four hours after a bout of running, plasma creatine phosphokinase activity was significantly elevated. The rabbits also had the capacity to learn to run using an intermittent, higher speed protocol. These physically untrained animals could achieve speeds of up to 70 m/min for 10 bouts of 15 s run/30 s rest. Their metabolic and physiological responses to this protocol were similar to those of continuous running with the following exceptions. The decrease in plasma triglyceride was less marked and the increase in plasma lactate was greater after intermittent exercise. Glycogen content of the rabbit vastus lateralis muscle was also significantly depleted after exhaustive, intermittent exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

气候变化下中国主要生物燃油树种分布与变迁

生物燃油树种是发展生物质能源,实现化石能源替代战略的重要物质基础,明确当前和未来气候变化下我国生物燃油树种适生区分布,对保护和利用生物燃油树种,促进林业生物能源产业发展,保障能源安全和实现“双碳”目标具有重要意义。基于我国10个主要生物燃油树种的1037条树种分布数据和20个环境变量,利用最大熵模型(MaxEnt)预测了各树种当前和未来气候情景下(2050年和2070年的RCP4.5情景)的潜在适生区,得到了影响各树种分布贡献率最大的环境因子,并对我国各区域主要种植树种进行了区划。结果表明：(1)MaxEent模型预测效果较好,各树种模拟结果AUC值均在0.9以上。(2)影响各种分布的贡献率较高的环境因子因树种而异,最暖季度降水量和温度季节性变化标准差的相对贡献率较高。(3)10个生物燃油树种极高适生区面积范围在43.38万km²—117.74万km²之间,可根据模拟结果将树种分布划分为北部、中东部、东南部和西南部4个亚区,北部亚区主要树种为文冠果(Xanthoceras sorbifolium)和欧李(Cerasus humilis),中东...     

基于BEPS模型的云南省碳源/汇时空特征及其适用性分析

净初级生产力(NPP)和净生态系统生产力(NEP)是估算陆地生态系统碳源/汇的重要指标,云南为我国碳汇的主要区域之一,开展云南NPP和NEP时空变化特征分析对科学评估陆地生态系统碳源/汇功能,以及开展碳排放交易具有重要意义。基于BEPS模型1981—2019年NPP和NEP产品,采用线性趋势分析、文献对比等方法,研究云南NPP和NEP时空变化特征及其在云南的适用性。结果表明：(1)1981—1999年云南NPP和NEP呈水平波动,2000年后云南NPP和NEP呈明显波动上升趋势,2000—2019年云南NPP高值区域主要分布在西部和南部,而NEP高值区则主要分布在东部和西部局部地区;(2)2000—2019年云南NPP和NEP除西北部部分地区为下降趋势外,其余大部地区为上升趋势;(3)云南NPP峰值出现在7、8月,谷值出现在2月,NEP峰值出现月份与NPP基本相同,但谷值出现月份较NPP滞后1—3个月,6—10月是云南碳汇的主要月份;(4)BEPS模型估算的NPP与目前广泛应用的CASA和遥感模型结果较为一致,时空变化特征与云南生态恢复措施和气候特征吻合,其估算的NEP与陆地生物圈模型...     

农业面源氮污染控制措施滞后效应形成机理与评估方法研究进展

推广实施最佳管理措施(BMPs)被认为是防治农业面源污染的有效途径,然而许多流域实施BMPs后通常难以在预测的时间内实现水质改善目标,导致人们对BMPs的有效性提出质疑。受流域内养分遗留效应影响,BMPs实施后的环境质量改善效益可能不会立刻显现(也即“滞后期”),这是由于过去人为活动输入的过量营养物质在流域水文传输和生物地球化学转化过程中的积累所致,当来自外部的污染负荷减少时,这部分营养物质的汇集和释放可能掩盖治理措施对于水质改善的影响。鉴于遗留的营养物质在延迟水质改善方面的关键作用,滞后期的量化评估对于全面分析污染成因,科学配置BMPs,有效治理流域农业面源污染,提升水质改善效率非常重要。以农业面源氮控制措施的滞后效应形成机理和评估方法为主线,概述了流域尺度氮累积和滞后效应产生的主要机理,述评了氮污染滞后效应的量化评估方法,提出目前大多数流域模型尚不能很好的表述滞后效应以及缺乏解决水文和生物地球化学遗留效应的能力,并对未来BMPs优化配置研究提出建议：(1)摸清流域水文传输过程和生物地球化学转化过程对BMPs控氮效益滞后期的影响,分析污染负荷削减的时空响应规律;(2)构建包含土壤、浅...     

2001-2019年台风干扰下我国东南沿海地区植被抵抗力和恢复力评估

台风是影响我国陆地生态系统结构和功能的主要自然灾害之一,尤其对东南沿海地区植被具有明显的干扰效应。为深入了解台风对我国沿海地区植被的影响及其响应,基于MODIS增强型植被指数(Enhanced Vegetation Index, EVI)和叶面积指数(Leaf Area Index, LAI),分析了2001-2019年间不同等级的台风对植被EVI和LAI的影响,评估台风登陆时植被的抵抗力及台风过后植被的恢复力。结果表明:(1)2001-2019年间,共有70个台风登陆我国东南沿海地区,其中,台风(TY)、强台风(STY)与超强台风(SuperTY)的数量分别为35、26和9个。我国台湾省的台风登陆次数最多,为26个,其次为广东省(20个);(2)在整个研究区范围内,台风(TY)、强台风(STY)与超强台风(SuperTY) 登陆后的EVI净变化率分别为4.88%、-7.48%、-1.85%,LAI净变化率分别为22.28%、-65.70%、-17.60%;(3)在经历台风干扰后,沿海地区大部分植被可在3个月之内得到恢复,其中浙江省与广东省植被的恢复时间较长,海南省与台湾省植被的恢复时间较短。研究结果对我国沿海地区森林经营管理和生态环境保护具有重要意义。     

Recent advances in the therapeutic efficacy of hepatocyte growth factor gene‐modified mesenchymal stem cells in multiple disease settings

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is considered a new treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries, but challenges remain, such as poor survival, homing and engraftment rates, thus limiting the therapeutic efficacy of the transplanted MSCs. Many strategies have been developed to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, such as preconditioning, co‐transplantation with graft materials and gene modification. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is secreted by MSCs, which plays an important role in MSC therapy. It has been reported that the modification of the HGF gene is beneficial to the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, including diseases of the heart, lung, liver, urinary system, bone and skin, lower limb ischaemia and immune‐related diseases. This review focused on studies involving HGF/MSCs both in vitro and in vivo. The characteristics of HGF/MSCs were summarized, and the mechanisms of their improved therapeutic efficacy were analysed. Furthermore, some insights are provided for HGF/MSCs'' clinical application based on our understanding of the HGF gene and MSC therapy.     

Establishment of a five‐enzalutamide‐resistance‐related‐gene‐based classifier for recurrence‐free survival predicting of prostate cancer

To identify prostate cancer (PCa) patients with a high risk of recurrence is critical before delivering adjuvant treatment. We developed a classifier based on the Enzalutamide treatment resistance‐related genes to assist the currently available staging system in predicting the recurrence‐free survival (RFS) prognosis of PCa patients. We overlapped the DEGs from two datasets to obtain a more convincing Enzalutamide‐resistance‐related‐gene (ERRG) cluster. The five‐ERRG‐based classifier obtained good predictive values in both the training and validation cohorts. The classifier precisely predicted RFS of patients in four cohorts, independent of patient age, pathological tumour stage, Gleason score and PSA levels. The classifier and the clinicopathological factors were combined to construct a nomogram, which had an increased predictive accuracy than that of each variable alone. Besides, we also compared the differences between high‐ and low‐risk subgroups and found their differences were enriched in cancer progression‐related pathways. The five‐ERRG‐based classifier is a practical and reliable predictor, which adds value to the existing staging system for predicting the RFS prognosis of PCa after radical prostatectomy, enabling physicians to make more informed treatment decisions concerning adjuvant therapy.