Protoplast isolation and transient gene expression in different petunia cultivars

Protoplasma - The protocol optimized for Petunia hybrida cv. Mirage Rose produced high protoplast yields in 3 out of other 11 cultivars (Damask White, Dreams White, and Opera Supreme White)....     

Effects of d‐galactose‐induced ageing on the heart and its potential interventions

Ageing is a strong independent risk factor for disability, morbidity and mortality. Post‐mitotic cells including those in the heart are a particular risk to age‐related deterioration. As the occurrence of heart disease is increasing rapidly with an ageing population, knowledge regarding the mechanisms of age‐related cardiac susceptibility and possible therapeutic interventions needs to be acquired to prevent advancing levels of heart disease. To understand more about the ageing heart, numerous aged animal models are being used to explore the underlying mechanisms. Due to time‐consuming for investigations involving naturally aged animals, mimetic ageing models are being utilized to assess the related effects of ageing on disease occurrence. d ‐galactose is one of the substances used to instigate ageing in various models, and techniques involving this have been widely used since 1991. However, the mechanism through which d ‐galactose induces ageing in the heart remains unclear. The aim of this review was to comprehensively summarize the current findings from in vitro and in vivo studies on the effects of d ‐galactose‐induced ageing on the heart, and possible therapeutic interventions against ageing heart models. From this review, we hope to provide invaluable information for future studies and based on the findings from experiments involving animals, we can inform possible therapeutic strategies for the prevention of age‐related heart diseases in clinical settings.     

Cytotoxic Steroidal Saponins from the Rhizomes of Tacca integrifolia

Three new steroid saponins (3β,25R)‐spirost‐5‐en‐3‐yl 6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐[β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 1 ), (3β,22R,25R)‐26‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐22‐hydroxyfurost‐5‐en‐3‐yl 6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐[6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 3 ), and (3β,22R,25R)‐26‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐22‐hydroxyfurost‐5‐en‐3‐yl 6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐[β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl‐(1→4)‐6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 5 ), as well as the new pregnane glycoside (3β,16β)‐3‐{[6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐[6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucopyranosyl]oxy}‐20‐oxopregn‐5‐en‐16‐yl (4R)‐5‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐4‐methylpentanoate ( 6 ), were isolated from the rhizomes of Tacca integrifolia together with two known (25R) configurated steroid saponins (3β,25R)‐spirost‐5‐en‐3‐yl 6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐[6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 2 ) and (3β,22R,25R)‐26‐(β‐D ‐glucopyranosyloxy)‐22‐methoxyfurost‐5‐en‐3‐yl 6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→2)‐[6‐deoxy‐α‐L ‐mannopyranosyl‐(1→3)]‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 4 ). The cytotoxic activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated in HeLa cells and showed the highest cytotoxicity value for compound 2 with an IC₅₀ of 1.2±0.4 μM . Intriguingly, while compounds 1 – 5 exhibited similar cytotoxic properties between 1.2±0.4 ( 2 ) and 4.0±0.6 μM ( 5 ), only compound 2 showed a significant microtubule‐stabilizing activity in vitro.     

The 2.3 Genotype of ESRRA23 of the ERRα Gene Is Associated with a Higher BMI Than the 2.2 Genotype

ERRα (NR3B1) is an orphan nuclear receptor believed to be involved in energy metabolism and obesity. A 23‐base pair sequence in the 5′‐flanking region of the ERRα gene, referred to as ESRRA23, is polymorphic in human chromosomes. Here, we investigated the influence of the ESRRA23 polymorphism on obesity in 703 Japanese individuals by analyzing indices of obesity and related lifestyle factors. The frequency of genotypes was similar to that reported in whites. The 2.3‐genotype was associated with a significantly higher BMI than was the 2.2‐genotype. An increased number of ESRRA23 repeats may be a genetic factor in human obesity.     

Primary and secondary somatic embryogenesis in Chrysanthemum cv. Euro

Somatic embryogenesis was induced from in vivo grown leaf explants of Chrysanthemum cv. Euro incubated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2.0 mg/L Kinetin, yielding the highest mean number of embryos (42 ± 5.97) per explant after 5 weeks of culture. We evaluated the effects of basal medium, various concentrations of sucrose, and timentin on the proliferation of secondary somatic embryos. MS medium was observed to be the more effective in promoting the proliferation of somatic embryos than half-strength Murashige and Skoog (1/2MS). In addition, timentin was also more efficient in induction of secondary embryogenesis than sucrose. Whole plantlets were obtained by culturing of secondary embryos on hormone-free MS medium and successfully acclimated in the green house.     

High Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis Infection among Schoolchildren in Three Townships around Yangon,Myanmar

In order to determine the status of Enterobius vermicularis infection among schoolchildren in suburban areas of Myanmar, 761 primary schoolchildren in 3 different townships around Yangon City were subjected to a survey using cello-tape anal swabs. The subjected schoolchildren were 383 boys and 378 girls who were 5-7 years of age. Only 1 anal swab was obtained from each child. The overall egg positive rate of E. vermicularis was 47.2% (359 positives), and sex difference was not remarkable (48.6% in boys and 45.8% in girls). However, the positive rate was the highest in South Dagon (54.6%) followed by Hlaing Thayar (43.8%) and North Dagon (34.8%). This difference was highly correlated with the living standards of the people in each township. Nucleotide sequence of the 5S rDNA from the eggs on the cello-tape (2 children) revealed 99.7% identity with that of E. vermicularis reported in GenBank. The results indicated that E. vermicularis infection is highly prevalent among primary schoolchildren around Yangon, Myanmar.     

Sustained-release prostacyclin analog ONO-1301 ameliorates tubulointerstitial alterations in a mouse obstructive nephropathy model

Tubulointerstitial injuries are crucial histological alterations that predict the deterioration of renal function in chronic kidney disease. ONO-1301, a novel sustained-release prostacyclin analog, accompanied by thromboxane synthase activity, exerts therapeutic effects on experimental pulmonary hypertension, lung fibrosis, cardiomyopathy, and myocardial ischemia, partly associated with the induction of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). In the present study, we examined the therapeutic efficacies of ONO-1301 on tubulointerstitial alterations induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). After inducing unilateral ureteral obstruction in C57/BL6J mice, a single injection of sustained-release ONO-1301 polymerized with poly (D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) sustained-release ONO-1301 (SR-ONO) significantly suppressed interstitial fibrosis, accumulation of types I and III collagen, increase in the number of interstitial fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1)(+) cells, and interstitial infiltration of monocytes/macrophages (F4/80(+)) in the obstructed kidneys (OBK; day 7). Treatment with SR-ONO significantly suppressed the increase of the renal levels of profibrotic factor TGF-β and phosphorylation of Smad2/3, and elevated the renal levels of HGF in the OBK. In cultured mouse proximal tubular epithelial cells (mProx24), ONO-1301 significantly ameliorated the expression of fibroblast-specific protein-1 and α-smooth muscle actin as well as phosphorylation of Smad3 and increased the expression of zonula occludens-1 and E-cadherin in the presence of TGF-β1 as detected by immunoblot and immunocytochemistry, partly dependent on PGI(2) receptor-mediated signaling. Administration of rabbit anti-HGF antibodies, but not the control IgG, partly reversed the suppressive effects of SR-ONO on tubulointerstitial injuries in the OBK. Taken together, our findings suggest the potential therapeutic efficacies of ONO-1301 in suppressing tubulointerstitial alterations partly mediated via inducing HGF, an antifibrotic factor counteracting TGF-β.