Mesenchymal stem cell‐derived exosomes ameliorate erection by reducing oxidative stress damage of corpus cavernosum in a rat model of artery injury

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common ageing male's disease, and vascular ED accounts for the largest proportion of all types of ED. One of the mechanisms of vascular ED in the clinic is arterial insufficiency, which mainly caused by atherosclerosis, trauma and surgical. Moreover, oxidative stress damage after tissue ischemia usually aggravated the progress of ED. As a new way of acellular therapy, mesenchymal stem cell‐derived exosomes (MSC‐Exos) have great potential in ED treatment. In the current study, we have explored the mechanism of MSC‐Exos therapy in a rat model of internal iliac artery injury‐induced ED. Compared with intracavernous (IC) injection of phosphate‐buffered saline after artery injury, of note, we observed that both mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and MSC‐Exos through IC injection could improve the erectile function to varying degrees. More specifically, IC injection MSC‐Exos could promote cavernous sinus endothelial formation, reduce the organization oxidative stress damage, and improve the nitric oxide synthase and smooth muscle content in the corpus cavernosum. With similar potency compared with the stem cell therapy and other unique advantages, IC injection of MSC‐ Exos could be an effective treatment to ameliorate erectile function in a rat model of arterial injury.     

Structural differences between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> strains investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy

The structural characteristics of Fusarium have received attention from both pure and applied scientists. Because many genes and physiological mechanisms are involved in the development of a particular structure type, this research is complicated. For revealing the structure of macromolecule in these fungal cells, FT-IR spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analysis was performed to characterize the structure of protein and polysaccharide of spores and mycelia obtained from different culture medium. The second derivative FT-IR spectra exhibited strain-specific infrared characteristics in the protein secondary structure sensitive amide I region. The region between 750 and 950 cm⁻¹ assigned to α-and β-glucans was investigated for studied samples. Principal components analysis (PCA) allowed us to separate mycelia into two clusters according to different growth medium, indicating that spectra of strains may have been greatly affected by cultivation conditions. Published in Russian in Biokhimiya, 2007, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 72–79.     

随机突变文库构建与筛选研究进展

定向进化是一个循环过程,在构建多样化基因序列和筛选功能基因变体之间交替进行.该技术目前已被广泛应用于DNA序列、基因功能和蛋白质结构的优化和分析.定向进化包括随机基因文库的生成、基因在合适宿主中的表达和突变文库的筛选.构建基因文库的关键是库容量和突变多样性,而筛选变体的关键是高灵敏度和高通量.文中讨论了定向进化技术的最...     

扫帚菜-白菜轮作对白菜镉吸收的影响

通过盆栽和大田试验研究扫帚菜Kochia scoparia对土壤中镉(Cd)的富集效率,并利用盆栽试验将其与4个白菜品种进行轮作试验,验证扫帚菜对土壤Cd污染的修复效果。结果表明,扫帚菜各部位富集能力表现为叶>根>茎,富集系数分别为15.07、5.44和2.96;种植扫帚菜后土壤总Cd降低6.02%-13.60%;土壤脲酶和酸性磷酸酶活性也有所提高。盆栽轮作结果表明,扫帚菜-白菜轮作系统中白菜地上部Cd含量与未轮作的对照组相比平均降低17.21%,生物量有略微增加,地上部对Cd的转运系数无明显变化。结果显示,通过扫帚菜与白菜轮作不仅可以增加白菜产量,而且可以有效降低白菜可食部Cd含量,实现边生产边治理的绿色农业理念。     

基于多源遥感数据的农业干旱监测模型构建及应用

干旱监测问题是干旱灾害模拟与预警及旱灾防灾减灾的关键。基于2001-2013年淮河流域40个气象站资料、28个土壤墒情站点和中分辨率成像光谱仪（MODIS）多源遥感数据,采用SEN趋势法和标准化降水蒸散指数（SPEI）等方法,综合了大气-植被-土壤相互作用等多元成因,构建了适用于淮河流域多源综合遥感干旱监测模型,探讨淮河流域干旱时空规律。研究表明：（1）基于多源数据构建综合干旱监测模型,利用土壤墒情和典型年份干旱监测对综合干旱监测模型适用性进行评价,通过了P < 0.01的显著性检验,构建的模型可综合反映出农业和气象干旱多源信息;（2）淮河流域干旱面积和干旱频率大都集中在4-5月和7-9月,9月份受旱面积最大。河南省是淮河流域受旱频率最高,其干旱面积占淮河流域多年平均干旱面积比重最大（38%）,其次是安徽（22%）,旱地受旱面积比重大于水田受旱面积比重;（3）淮河流域2、3和5月干旱有显著减弱趋势;而1、4和6月则有增强趋势。淮河流域小麦灌浆-成熟时期（4-6月）缺水对小麦粮食产量影响显著,综合淮河流域干旱趋势变化,需强化淮河流域4月份小麦的干旱监测与旱灾预警。     

镉污染地区番茄品种的筛选及其抗氧化能力

为了筛选可供利用的番茄污染安全品种(Pollution-safe cultivar,PSC),减少镉(Cd)污染地区食品安全隐患,通过土培及水培试验研究了南方地区常见不同番茄(Solanumlycopersicum)品种对Cd的积累差异.首先利用土培试验在2.94 mg/kg Cd胁迫下从25个番茄品种中筛选出高低积累...     

Elevated atmospheric CO2 generally improved soluble sugars content in the rhizosphere soil of black locust seedlings under cadmium exposure

Plant and Soil - Salix integra has a high tolerance to lead (Pb) stress, and has been applied in the phytostabilization of Pb-Zn mine tailings in East China. Mechanisms for Pb sequestration and...     

Hepatocyte Growth Factor Gene-Modified Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Radiation Induced Liver Damage in a Rat Model

Liver damage caused by radiotherapy is associated with a high mortality rate, but no established treatment exists. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) are capable of migration to injured tissue sites, where they aid in the repair of the damage. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is critical for damage repair due to its anti-apoptotic, anti-fibrotic and cell regeneration-promoting effects. This study was performed to investigate the therapeutic effects of HGF-overexpressing ADSCs on radiation-induced liver damage (RILD). ADSCs were infected with a lentivirus encoding HGF and HGF-shRNA. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received 60Gy of irradiation to induce liver injury and were immediately given either saline, ADSCs, ADSCs + HGF or ADSCs + shHGF. Two days after irradiation, a significant reduction in apoptosis was observed in the HGF-overexpressing ADSC group compared with the RILD group, as assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Scanning electron microscopy showed chromatin condensation after irradiation, which was ameliorated in the group that received ADSCs and was reversed in the group that received HGF-overexpressing ADSCs. HGF-overexpressing ADSCs ameliorated radiation- induced liver fibrosis through down regulation of α-SMA and fibronectin. Hepatocyte regeneration was significantly improved in rats treated with ADSCs compared with rats from the RILD group), as assessed by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry. Rats that received HGF-overexpressing ADSCs showed an even greater level of hepatocyte regeneration. HGF-overexpressing ADSCs completely blocked the radiation-induced increase in the enzymes ALT and AST. The effect of mitigating RILD was compromised in the ADSC + shHGF group compared with the ADSC group. Altogether, these results suggest that HGF-overexpressing ADSCs can significantly improve RILD in a rat model, which may serve as a valuable therapeutic alternative.     

Expression and characterization of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of Dendrolimus punctatus tetravirus

Dendrolimus punctatus tetravirus (DpTV) has been identified as a new member of the genus Omegatetravirus of the family Tetraviridae that may be related serologically to Nudaurelia capensis virus (NomegaV). To establish the function of DpTV RNA genome and to better understand the mechanism of viral replication, the putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified on a Ni-chelating HisTrap affinity column and demonstrated to initiate viral RNA synthesis in a primer-independent manner but not by terminal nucleotidyle transferase activity in the presence of Mg2+ and RNA template. Mutation of the GDD to GAA interferes with the residues at the polymerase active site and metal ions, and thus renders the polymerase inactive.     

RNA binding by a novel helical fold of b2 protein from wuhan nodavirus mediates the suppression of RNA interference and promotes b2 dimerization

Wuhan nodavirus (WhNV) is a newly identified member of the Nodaviridae family with a bipartite genome of positive-sense RNAs. A nonstructural protein encoded by subgenomic RNA3 of nodaviruses, B2, serves as a potent RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) by sequestering RNA duplexes. We have previously demonstrated that WhNV B2 blocks RNA silencing in cultured Drosophila cells. However, the molecular mechanism by which WhNV B2 functions remains unknown. Here, we successfully established an RNA silencing system in cells derived from Pieris rapae, a natural host of WhNV, by introducing into these cells double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-expressing plasmids or chemically synthesized small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Using this system, we revealed that the WhNV B2 protein inhibited Dicer-mediated dsRNA cleavage and the incorporation of siRNA into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) by sequestering dsRNA and siRNA. Based on the modeled B2 3-dimensional structure, serial single alanine replacement mutations and N-terminal deletion analyses showed that the RNA-binding domain of B2 is formed by its helices α2 and α3, while helix α1 mediates B2 dimerization. Furthermore, positive feedback between RNA binding and B2 dimerization was uncovered by gel shift assay and far-Western blotting, revealing that B2 dimerization is required for its binding to RNA, whereas RNA binding to B2 in turn promotes its dimerization. All together, our findings uncovered a novel RNA-binding mode of WhNV B2 and provided evidence that the promotion effect of RNA binding on dimerization exists in a viral RSS protein.