The alternative pathway in cucumber seedlings under low temperature stress was enhanced by salicylic acid

The alternative pathway is a cyanide-resistant and non-phosphorylatory electron transport pathway in mitochondria of higher plants. Alternative oxidase (AOX) is the terminal oxidase of this pathway. Our present study investigated the effect of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) on alternative pathway in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings under low temperature stress. Results showed that during the process of low temperature stress, the alternative pathway capacity was enhanced as AOX expression increased in SA pretreated seedlings. Compared with seedlings without SA pretreatment, slower decrease of relative water content and lower levels of electrolyte leakage, H₂O₂ and malonyldialdehyde content were detected in SA pretreated seedlings. These results indicated that SA could alleviate the injury caused by low temperature on cucumber seedlings. Since the special protective functions of alternative pathway and AOX in plants, we suggested that the alternative pathway was related to SA-mediated plant resistance to environmental stresses such as low temperature.     

Development of a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence leukotriene B4 assay for determining the activity of leukotriene A4 hydrolase

Leukotriene A4 (LTA4) hydrolase catalyzes a rate-limiting final biosynthetic step of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a potent lipid chemotactic agent and proinflammatory mediator. LTB4 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, and thus LTA4 hydrolase is regarded as an attractive therapeutic target for anti-inflammation. To facilitate identification and optimization of LTA4 hydrolase inhibitors, a specific and efficient assay to quantify LTB4 is essential. This article describes the development of a novel 384-well homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence assay for LTB4 (LTB4 HTRF assay) and its application to establish an HTRF-based LTA4 hydrolase assay for lead optimization. This LTB4 HTRF assay is based on competitive inhibition and was established by optimizing the reagent concentration, buffer composition, incubation time, and assay miniaturization. The optimized assay is sensitive, selective, and robust, with a Z' factor of 0.89 and a subnanomolar detection limit for LTB4. By coupling this LTB4 HTRF assay to the LTA4 hydrolase reaction, an HTRF-based LTA4 hydrolase assay was established and validated. Using a test set of 16 LTA4 hydrolase inhibitors, a good correlation was found between the IC50 values obtained using LTB4 HTRF with those determined using the LTB enzyme-linked immunoassay (R = 0.84). The HTRF-based LTA4 hydrolase assay was shown to be an efficient and suitable assay for determining compound potency and library screening to guide the development of potent inhibitors of LTA4 hydrolase.     

Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of certain Chinese plants used in folkloric medicine

Six selected plants, belonging to 3 families from Nanjing of China, were extracted with the solvent 95% (v/v) ethanol to yield 11 extracts. The extracts were evaluated for their effects on the growth of eight clinical bacteria, two fungi and one yeast using a modified agar diffusion method. The results showed that the majority of the extracts investigated showed greater activities against the Gram-positive bacteria than against the Gram-negative bacteria, the fungi and the yeast. The strongest antimicrobial activity was exhibited by the stem extracts of Mahonia fortunei against multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, followed by the stem extracts of Mahonia bealei, while Bacillus thuringiensis was the most sensitive to all extracts.     

Translation termination factor of eRFI of the ciliate Blepharisma japonicum recognizes all three stop codons

We have determined the type of stop codon specificity of Blepharisma japonicum translation termination factor eRF1 in an in vitro reconstituted eukaryotic translation system and in in vivo assay (the dual reporter system). We have shown that B. japonicum eRF1 retained specificity towards all three stop codons although efficiency of peptydyl-tRNA hydrolysis in the presence of UGA is reduced in an in vitro assay. We suggest that since the heterotrich B. japonicum represents the earliest diverged lineage on phylogenetic tree of ciliates, B. japonicum has the universal genetic code as ancestor group for all ciliates.     

Epigenetic inactivation of the miR-124-1 in haematological malignancies

miR-124-1 is a tumour suppressor microRNA (miR). Epigenetic deregulation of miRs is implicated in carcinogenesis. Promoter DNA methylation and histone modification of miR-124-1 was studied in 5 normal marrow controls, 4 lymphoma, 8 multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines, 230 diagnostic primary samples of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), MM, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and 53 MM samples at stable disease or relapse. Promoter of miR-124-1 was unmethylated in normal controls but homozygously methylated in 4 of 4 lymphoma and 4 of 8 myeloma cell lines. Treatment of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine led to miR-124-1 demethylation and re-expression of mature miR-124, which also associated with emergence of euchromatic trimethyl H3K4 and consequent downregulation of CDK6 in myeloma cells harboring homozygous miR-124-1 methylation. In primary samples at diagnosis, miR-124-1 methylation was absent in CML but detected in 2% each of MM at diagnosis and relapse/progression, 5% ALL, 15% AML, 14% CLL and 58.1% of NHL (p<0.001). Amongst lymphoid malignancies, miR-124-1 was preferentially methylated in NHL than MM, CLL or ALL. In primary lymphoma samples, miR-124-1 was preferentially hypermethylated in B- or NK/T-cell lymphomas and associated with reduced miR-124 expression. In conclusion, miR-124-1 was hypermethylated in a tumour-specific manner, with a heterochromatic histone configuration. Hypomethylation led to partial restoration of euchromatic histone code and miR re-expression. Infrequent miR-124-1 methylation detected in diagnostic and relapse MM samples showed an unimportant role in MM pathogenesis, despite frequent methylation found in cell lines. Amongst haematological cancers, miR-124-1 was more frequently hypermethylated in NHL, and hence warrants further study.     

Seroprevalence of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in pregnant women in China: an observational study

Background

We investigated the seropositive rates and persistence of antibody against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus (pH1N1) in pregnant women and voluntary blood donors after the second wave of the pandemic in Nanjing, China.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Serum samples of unvaccinated pregnant women (n = 720) and voluntary blood donors (n = 320) were collected after the second wave of 2009 pandemic in Nanjing. All samples were tested against pH1N1 strain (A/California/7/2009) with hemagglutination inhibition assay. A significant decline in seropositive rates, from above 50% to about 20%, was observed in pregnant women and voluntary blood donors fifteen weeks after the second wave of the pandemic. A quarter of the samples were tested against a seasonal H1N1 strain (A/Brisbane/59/2007). The antibody titers against pH1N1 strain were found to correlate positively with those against seasonal H1N1 strain. The correlation was modest but statistically significant.

Conclusions and Significance

The high seropositive rates in both pregnant women and voluntary blood donors suggested that the pH1N1 virus had widely spread in these two populations. Immunity derived from natural infection seemed not to be persistent well.     

Synthesis and SAR of 2,3-diarylpyrrole inhibitors of parasite cGMP-dependent protein kinase as novel anticoccidial agents

Several analogs of 2,3-diaryl pyrroles were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of Eimeria tenella cGMP-dependent protein kinase and in in vivo anticoccidial assays. A 4-fluorophenyl group enhances both in vitro and in vivo activities. The most potent analogs are the 5-(N-methyl, N-ethyl, and N-methylazetidine methyl) piperidyl derivatives 12, 23, and 34. These compounds have a broad spectrum of activity. Based on the in vivo efficacy and cost of synthesis, the N-ethyl analog 23 was chosen as a novel anticoccidial agent for a field trial.     

Effects of sinusoidal magnetic field observed on cell proliferation, ion concentration, and osmolarity in two human cancer cell lines

Low frequency magnetic fields have previously been shown to affect cell functions. In this article, the effects of 20 mT, 50 Hz sinusoidal magnetic field on cell proliferation, ion concentration, and osmolarity in two human cancer cell lines (HL-60 and SK-Hep-1) were investigated. Inhibition of cell growth was observed. On the other hand, the exposure also increased the Na+, K+ ion concentration and osmolarity in cell supernatant compared to the control group. To our knowledge, this is the first study on cancer cells where magnetic fields affect osmolarity in cell supernatant. In addition, a model of cells exposed to the oscillating magnetic field is described as well as the characteristics of ions in and out of cells. The experimental data appears to be consistent with the theoretical analysis. The results are also discussed in terms of the relationships among cell growth, ion concentration, and osmolarity. Magnetic field inhibitions of cell growth in vitro may relate to changes in cell ion concentration and osmolarity.     

乌司他丁联合连续性血液净化治疗重症脓毒症临床研究

目的：研究连续性血液净化联合乌司他丁对重症脓毒症患者炎症反应的影响及其临床疗效。方法：70例重症脓毒症患者随机分为对照组（n=22例）、CBP组（n=23例）和CBP＋乌司他丁组（n=25例）,其中对照组采用经典治疗方案,CBP组在此基础上加用连续性血液净化,CBP＋乌司他丁组在CBP组基础上加用乌司他丁治疗。观察比较患者病情发展,分别于治疗前后进行血液生化指标、凝血功能检测和动脉血气分析,ELISA法检测血清CRP水平。结果：①与对照组和CBP组相比,CBP＋鸟司他丁纽患者病死率、ICU住院时间、MODS发生率均明显下降（P〈0．05）。②经过治疗,CBP＋乌司他丁组患者APACHEⅡ评分降至15．46±3．96,与对照组（18．06±4．25）和CBP组（17．14±5．55）比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。③治疗后,患者BUN、HR降低程度依次为CBP＋乌司他丁组〉CBP组〉对照组,组问比较差异有显著性（P〈0．05）,而治疗前后PH值、HCO3-、MAP比较差并不明显（P〉0．05）。④CBP＋乌司他丁纽血清CRP含量下降,WBC数量减少,其变化程度明显大于CBP组和对照组（P〈0．05）。⑤对照组、CBP组和CBP＋乌司他丁组患者PT、TT和APTT时间延长,血小板数量下降,其中CBP＋鸟司他丁组PT、APTT时间短于CBP组和对照组（P〈0．05）。结论：连续性血液净化联合乌司他丁可有效抑制脓毒症患者炎症反应,缓解病情,改善患者预后。