Thioredoxin 1 overexpression attenuated diabetes-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress in Müller cells via apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1

As one of the common and serious chronic complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), the related mechanism of diabetic retinopathy (DR) has not been fully understood. Müller cell reactive gliosis is one of the early pathophysiological features of DR. Therefore, exploring the manner to reduce diabetes-induced Müller cell damage is essential to delay DR. Thioredoxin 1 (Trx1), one of the ubiquitous redox enzymes, plays a vital role in redox homeostasis via protein–protein interactions, including apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1). Previous studies have shown that upregulation of Trx by some drugs can attenuate endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in DR, but the related mechanism was unclear. In this study, we used DM mouse and high glucose (HG)-cultured human Müller cells as models to clarify the effect of Trx1 on ERS and the underlying mechanism. The data showed that the diabetes-induced Müller cell damage was increased significantly. Moreover, the expression of ERS and reactive gliosis was also upregulated in diabetes in vivo and in vitro. However, it was reversed after Trx1 overexpression. Besides, ERS-related protein expression, reactive gliosis, and apoptosis were decreased after transfection with ASK1 small-interfering RNA in stable Trx1 overexpression Müller cells after HG treatment. Taken together, Trx1 could protect Müller cells from diabetes-induced damage, and the underlying mechanism was related to inhibited ERS via ASK1.     

单增李斯特菌胎盘感染的体内外模型研究进展

单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌（Listeria monocytogenes）是重要的食源性致病菌,能引发人类的李斯特菌病,是全球公共卫生问题之一。该菌易感染孕妇,引起胎儿和新生儿的侵袭性李斯特菌病,严重威胁母婴健康。因此,建立有效的单增李斯特菌感染胎盘体内外模型,解析和探究单增李斯特菌经胎盘感染机制,是预防和控制单增李斯特菌感染母婴的关键所在。本文综述了可用于研究单增李斯特菌母婴感染的体内外胎盘模型,总结和讨论了各类模型的优势和局限性;并着重分析了体外三维胎盘屏障模型在单增李斯特菌感染方面的研究进展和未来研究方向。以期为深入解析该菌经胎盘感染的途径、发病机制提供支持,并为预防和控制母婴李斯特菌病提供科学参考。     

β-桧木醇联合替加环素对tet(X4)阳性大肠杆菌的体外协同抗菌作用

质粒介导tet(X4)基因的出现和流行,严重影响替加环素(tigecycline)对临床多重耐药细菌感染的治疗效果,急需寻找有效的佐剂遏制替加环素耐药性。本研究采用微量棋盘稀释法、时间-杀菌曲线测定β-桧木醇(β-thujaplicin)和替加环素的体外联合抗菌表征,通过测定细菌细胞膜通透性、细菌胞内活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)含量、铁含量以及替加环素含量等指标,来探究β-桧木醇和替加环素联合使用对tet(X4)基因阳性大肠杆菌(Escherichia coli)的抗菌作用机制。结果表明,β-桧木醇联合替加环素对tet(X4)基因阳性大肠杆菌具有体外协同抗菌效果,且β-桧木醇在抗菌作用浓度范围内无显著溶血性和细胞毒性。机制研究发现,β-桧木醇能显著增大细菌细胞膜的通透性,降低细菌胞内铁含量,干扰铁稳态,诱导细胞内ROS显著增加,从而发挥抗菌效果。进一步研究发现,β-桧木醇可通过干扰细菌铁代谢和增大细菌细胞膜通透性,协同增强替加环素的抗菌效果。本研究结果为β-桧木醇联合替加环素治疗tet(X4)基因阳性大肠杆菌感染提供了理论和实践基础。     

中国旧石器原料开发策略的研究进展

石料开发与获取是石器生产操作链的重要环节,也是史前人地关系研究的重要内容,能够反映史前人类的资源开发策略、环境认知与适应能力、移动模式和交流贸易网络等。相比于旧大陆西侧,东亚地区的燧石和黑曜岩等优质石料产地相对稀缺,中国许多旧石器考古遗址的石器原料主要来自遗址周边质量欠佳的脉石英、石英岩和一般燧石等,而相关的旧石器时代石料开发策略系统研究也相对较少。本文对中国目前已开展的旧石器时代石料开发策略研究进行系统梳理分析和总结发现,从旧石器时代早期到晚期末段,中国境内史前人类的石料开发策略存在明显的时空变化,主要体现在石料类型组成、产地选取和开发方式三个方面,可能主要受到史前人类流动性变化、石器技术演变和环境变化等因素的共同影响。综合而言,开展旧石器时代遗址的石料开发策略研究,对于理解中国境内史前人类的行为模式和交流迁徙等有重要意义。     

Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Properties of Extracts from Three Underutilized Food Plants of North East India

Three underutilized leafy vegetables Sarcochlamys pulcherrima (Roxb.) Gaudich (SP), Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. (IA) and Zanthoxylum rhetsa (Roxb.) DC (ZR) were extracted with different solvents viz. 95 % ethyl alcohol, methanol and hot water. The extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant potential via DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assay along with electroanalytical studies using cyclic voltammetry. The antidiabetic potential was determined by recording their α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory assay. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) based phytochemical profiles of the extracts were also determined. All three extracts of SP exhibited significant antioxidant capacity. The antidiabetic potential of the IA and ZR extracts was found to be higher than or at par with that of standard acarbose. LC/MS studies reveal the presence of hitherto reported antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds like gamma-aminobutyric acid, cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, α-viniferin, piperlonguminine, niacin, kaempferol, etc., in the extracts.     

Larval development of Crangon hakodatei Rathbun (Decapoda: Crangonidae) reared in the laboratory

Complete larval development of Crangon hakodatei Rathbun isdescribed, based on material hatched in the laboratory fromovigerous females. The species has six zoeal stages and onepostlarval stage. The morphological characters of the larvaland postlarval stages are described with illustrative figuresand compared with those of two congeneric species. The zoealstages of C. hakodatei can be distinguished from those of otherCrangon species in the number of segments of the antennule peduncle,the number of setae on the antennal scale and basis of the maxillipeds,and the stages of appearance of pereiopods. The first zoealstage in the seven species of Crangon are compared and an annotatedkey for distinguishing them is also provided.     

固定化酵母细胞生产1,6-二磷酸果糖研究

本文研究了固定化酵母细胞制备果糖1,6二磷酸(FDP)的方法及其生产。用卡拉胶包埋方法固定化酿酒酵母(Sacchromyces cerevisae),对含葡萄糖1.0M,磷酸盐0.8M的糖磷液,pH6.5,在37℃下进行磷酸化反应。反复分批转化20天以上,可达到平均产FDPH_427.58mg/ml,最高为59.94mg/ml。用100ml固定化细胞生物反应器连续运转309h,稀释速率D=0.097h~(-1),平均产FDPH_4 21.51mg/ml。20L反应器连续运转,生产能力达到1.7g/h.L。用层析方法制备FDPNa_3结晶粉,提取收率为72.08％,制备质量达到或超过了国内外同类产品的质量要求。