Inhibition of Bovine Kidney Low Molecular Mass Phosphotyrosine Protein Phosphatase by Uric Acid

Uric acid inhibited 50% of the activity of bovine kidney low molecular mass phosphotyrosine protein phosphatase at concentrations of 1.0, 0.4, 1.3, and 0.2 mM, respectively for p -nitrophenyl phosphate (p -NPP), flavine mononucleotide, β -naphthyl phosphate and tyrosine phosphate (Tyr-P) as substrates. The mixed type inhibition of p -NPP hydrolysis was fully reversible, with K ic and K iu values of 0.4 and 1.1 mM, respectively; the inhibition by uric acid shifted the pH optimum from 5.0 to 6.5. When Tyr-P was the substrate, competitive inhibition was observed with a K i value of 0.05 mM. Inhibition studies by uric acid in the presence of thiol compounds, and preincubation studies in the presence of inorganic phosphate suggest that the interaction of uric acid with the enzyme occurred at the active site, but did not involve SH residues, and that the mechanism of inhibition depended on the structure of the substrates.     

Synthesis of dimeric phenol derivatives and determination of in vitro antioxidant and radical scavenging activities

In this study, di(2,6-dimethylphenol) (Di-DMP), di(2,6-diisopropylphenol) (Di-DIP, dipropofol) and di(2,6-di-t-butylphenol) (Di-DTP) were synthesized by the reaction of monomeric phenol derivatives with catalytic CuCl(OH). TMEDA and Na₂S₂O₄. Their antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging activity were examined using different in vitro methodologies such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH·) free radical scavenging, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, total antioxidant activity by ferric thiocyanate, total reducing power by potassium ferricyanide reduction method, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and ferrous ions chelating activities.     

Synthesis and preliminary evaluation of new ursolic and oleanolic acids derivatives as antileishmanial agents

A series of new ursolic and oleanolic acids derivatives was synthesized via ursolic or oleanolic acids, previously extracted from South American Ilex species. These new compounds were tested for in vitro antiparasitic activity on Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania infantum strains. Some of these compounds showed activity against the promastigote forms of L. amazonensis or L. infantum, with IC₅₀ ranging from 5 to 12 μM. As expected, most of the compounds showed a significant level of cytotoxicity against monocytes (IC₅₀ = 2-50 μM). From a structure-activity relationships point of view, these pharmacological results enlightened mainly the importance of an acetylation at position 3 of the oleanolic acid skeleton in the activity against the L. amazonensis strain, and of a bis-(3-aminopropyl)piperazine moiety on the carboxylic function of ursolic acid against the L. infantum strain.     

New data on the Dyrosauridae (Crocodylomorpha) from the Paleocene of Togo

Following our fieldwork in Paleogene deposits of Togo, we herein report cranial as well as postcranial elements belonging to the family Dyrosauridae. This assemblage is dated to the Late Paleocene (Thanetian) from two quarries in southern Togo. The specimens include a partial skull presenting two large supratemporal fossae and a massive occipital condyle; long and slender isolated teeth; amphicoelous vertebrae including several articulated ones; and two osteoderms devoid of carina. The morphology of the partial skull reveals similarities with some African longirostrine forms such as Rhabdognathus spp., although this attribution cannot be confirmed. Longirostrine forms, known in the late Paleocene and early Eocene of the Iullemmeden basin (Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Algeria) and in the phosphates of Morocco and Tunisia, is only represented in Thanetian levels in Togo. Different palaeoenvironmental settings seem to have characterized the various African basins during the lower Eocene, with consequences for the geographic distribution of dyrosaurids. These dyrosaurid remains confirm the presence of the family in Togo during the Paleocene and underline the fossiliferous potential of the coastal sedimentary basin in Togo and in the bay of Benin.     

Trichinella spiralis infection ameliorated diet-induced obesity model in mice

Obesity is an increasingly prevalent disease worldwide, and genetic and environmental factors are known to regulate the development of obesity and associated metabolic diseases. Emerging studies indicate that innate and adaptive immune cell responses in adipose tissue play critical roles in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis. Parasitic helminths are the strongest natural inducers of type 2 inflammatory responses, and several studies have revealed that helminth infections inversely correlate with metabolic syndrome. Hence, this study investigated whether helminth infections could have preventative effects on high fat diet-induced obesity. Female C57BL/6 mice were maintained on either a low fat diet (LFD, 10% fat) or a high fat diet (HFD, 60% fat) for 6 weeks after Trichinella spiralis infection. The mice were randomly divided into four groups and were fed a normal diet, LFD, LFD after T. spiralis infection (Inf + LFD), a high fat diet (HFD), or HFD after T. spiralis infection (HFD + inf). All groups were assayed for body weight, food efficiency ratio (FER), total body weight gain (g)/total food intake amount (g) fat weight, and blood biochemical parameters. Our data indicate that the HFD + inf group significantly reduced body weight gain, fat mass, total cholesterol, and FER. Analysis of immune cell composition by flow cytometry revealed that T. spiralis promoted strong decreases in proinflammatory adipose macrophages (F4/80⁺CD11c⁺) and T cells. The alterations in microbiota from fecal samples of mice were analyzed, which showed that T. spiralis infection decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteriodetes, thereby restoring the previously increased ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteriodetes in HFD-fed mice. Moreover, elimination of T. spiralis retained the protective effects in the HFD-fed obese mice whereas flubendazole (FLBZ) treatment increased levels of the families Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae. In summary, we provided novel data suggesting that helminth infection protects against obesity and the protection was closely related to M2 macrophage proliferation, an inhibiting proinflammatory response. In addition, it alters the microbiota in the gut.     

Post-weaning protein malnutrition induces myocardial dysfunction associated with oxidative stress and altered calcium handling proteins in adult rats

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - Hypercaloric low-protein diet may lead to a state of malnutrition found in the low-income population of Northeastern Brazil. Although malnutrition during...     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重期患者咽部菌群与免疫指标的相关性

目的探讨慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)急性加重期患者咽部菌群与免疫指标的相关性,为该类患者的治疗提供参考。方法选取2016年6月至2019年8月期间于我院就诊的125例COPD患者作为研究对象,其中急性加重期60例(急性加重组),缓解期65例(缓解组)。选取同期于我院进行健康体检者60例作为对照组。比较3组对象咽部菌群检出情况和CD3~+细胞、CD4~+细胞及CD4~+/CD8~+水平,并进行Spearman相关性分析。结果急性加重组患者咽部草绿色链球菌(33.3%)、干燥奈瑟菌(25.0%)比例及菌群多样性(4.713±0.786)显著低于缓解组和对照组(均P0.05),致病菌铜绿假单胞菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、肺炎链球菌等比例及菌群总密集度均显著高于缓解组和对照组(均P0.05)。急性加重组患者CD3~+细胞、CD4~+细胞及CD4~+/CD8~+水平均显著低于缓解组和对照组(均P0.05)。Spearman相关性分析显示,COPD急性加重期患CD3~+细胞、CD4~+细胞及CD4~+/CD8~+水平与菌群总密集度均呈负相关,与菌群多样性均呈正相关(均P0.05)。结论 COPD急性加重期患者存在明显咽部菌群失衡,可引起机体免疫状态的紊乱。     

Regulation of root secondary metabolites by partial root-associated microbiotas under the shaping of licorice ecotypic differentiation in northwest China

Interactions between plant hosts and their microbiotas are becoming increasingly evident, while the effects of plant communities on microbial communities in different geographic environments are poorly understood. Here, the differentiation of licorice plant ecotypes and the distribution of root-associated microbiotas were investigated across five sampling sites in northwest China. The interactions between the environment, plant and microbial communities, and their effects on licorice root secondary metabolites, were elucidated. The plant community was clearly differentiated into distinct ecotypes based on genotyping-by-sequencing and was primarily driven by geographic distance and available soil nitrogen. The bulk soil and root-associated microbiotas (rhizosphere soil and root endosphere) partially correlated with plant community, but all were significantly discriminated by plant clade. Moreover, these microbiotas were explained to different extents by distinct combinations of environment, geography, and plant community. Similarly, three structural equation models showed that licorice root secondary metabolites were complicatedly modulated by multiple abiotic and biotic factors, and were mostly explained by these factors in the rhizosphere model. Collectively, the results provide novel insights into the role of environment–plant–microbiota interactions in regulating root secondary metabolites. That should be accounted for when selecting appropriate licorice planting sites and management measures.     

1株甲苯降解真菌的筛选鉴定及其降解甲苯的特性

从实验室保存的7株真菌筛选到1株能高效降解甲苯的菌株H1,基于形态特征、ITS序列系统学分析,将H1菌株鉴定为毛栓菌（Trametes hirsuta）。利用正交设计实验方法研究了温度、pH值、甲苯浓度和吐温80浓度对H1菌株降解甲苯的影响,研究得出该菌株降解甲苯的最适条件为30℃、pH 5.0、甲苯浓度300mg/L、吐温80浓度0.05%,在该条件下H1对甲苯的最大降解率为85.3%,降解率比未优化之前有了显著提高。比较了H1菌株在3种培养基产生漆酶的能力,H1在土豆葡萄糖培养基产酶能力最强,在第7天达到酶活高峰16 500 U/L。H1在甲苯为唯一碳源的培养基中,漆酶酶活最低,培养7 d时漆酶酶活为589 U/L。     

Isolation, folding and structural investigations of the amino acid transporter OEP16

Membrane proteins compose more than 30% of all proteins in the living cell. However, many membrane proteins have low abundance in the cell and cannot be isolated from natural sources in concentrations suitable for structure analysis. The overexpression, reconstitution, and stabilization of membrane proteins are complex and remain a formidable challenge in membrane protein characterization. Here we describe a novel, in vitro folding procedure for a cation-selective channel protein, the outer envelope membrane protein 16 (OEP16) of pea chloroplast, overexpressed in Escherichia coli in the form of inclusion bodies. The protein is purified and then folded with detergent on a Ni–NTA affinity column. Final concentrations of reconstituted OEP16 of up to 24 mg/ml have been achieved, which provides samples that are sufficient for structural studies by NMR and crystallography. Reconstitution of OEP16 in detergent micelles was monitored by circular dichroism, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopy. Tryptophan fluorescence spectra of heterologous expressed OEP16 in micelles are similar to spectra of functionally active OEP16 in liposomes, which indicates folding of the membrane protein in detergent micelles. CD spectroscopy studies demonstrate a folded protein consisting primarily of α-helices. ¹⁵N-HSQC NMR spectra also provide evidence for a folded protein. We present here a convenient, effective and quantitative method to screen large numbers of conditions for optimal protein stability by using microdialysis chambers in combination with fluorescence spectroscopy. Recent collection of multidimensional NMR data at 500, 600 and 800 MHz demonstrated that the protein is suitable for structure determination by NMR and stable for weeks during data collection.