玉米螟人工饲养中应用昆虫保幼激素类似物的初步试验

Lewis等1973年报道以九种昆虫保幼激素类似物;Shigemi等1976年报道以一种昆虫保幼激素类似物和一种天然保幼激素对玉米螟(Ostrinia nubilalis Hub.)幼虫的活性测定。目的在于明确对幼虫生长发育和变态的抑制效应。1978年在玉米螟人工饲养中,我们用另外五种昆虫保幼激素类似物进行了试验:供试的五种昆虫保幼激素类似物对玉米螟幼虫均有活性。高浓度可以阻止正常变态和导致异常变态。低浓度的734-Ⅱ能使玉米螟的生长发育和繁殖力获得有益的调节。     

长江江豚重要栖息地清节洲水域鱼类群落结构

长江清节洲水域是长江江豚的重要栖息地之一,为了解该水域鱼类群落结构特征,于2017年4月、7月、10月和2018年2月对该水域鱼类群落进行了季节性调查。调查共采集鱼类38种,隶属于5目8科29属,其中鲤科鱼类占优势,占总种类数的68.4%。相对重要性指数结果显示鱼类群落优势种为贝氏?（Hemiculter bleekeri）、似鳊（Pseudobrama simony）、银鲴（Xenocypris argentea）和刀鲚（Coilia nasus）。按生活习性划分,定居性鱼类占绝对优势,占总种数的78.9%;在空间上,中上、中下和底层鱼类分布较为均衡,占总种数的比例依次为36.8%,28.9%和34.2%;从食性上划分,杂食性和肉食性鱼类较多,分别占总种数的44.7%和39.5%。Shannon-Weiner指数、Simpson指数、Margalef指数和Pielou均匀度指数依次分别为0.820~1.711,0.601~0.981,1.640~3.423和0.249~0.592。单因素方差分析表明,除春夏季与秋冬季的Margalef指数存在显著性差异（P<0.05）,各指数在时间和空间均无显著性差异（P>0.05）。与历史资料相比,该区域鱼类群落呈现物种多样性降低和群落结构小型化的趋势。因此,建议加强该水域鱼类资源的监测和保护,以维护长江生态系统的稳定与江豚栖息地的适合度。     

Metabolomic approach to evaluating adriamycin pharmacodynamics and resistance in breast cancer cells

Continuous exposure of breast cancer cells to adriamycin induces high expression of P-gp and multiple drug resistance. However, the biochemical process and the underlying mechanisms for the gradually induced resistance are not clear. To explore the underlying mechanism and evaluate the anti-tumor effect and resistance of adriamycin, the drug-sensitive MCF-7S and the drug-resistant MCF-7Adr breast cancer cells were used and treated with adriamycin, and the intracellular metabolites were profiled using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Principal components analysis of the data revealed that the two cell lines showed distinctly different metabolic responses to adriamycin. Adriamycin exposure significantly altered metabolic pattern of MCF-7S cells, which gradually became similar to the pattern of MCF-7Adr, indicating that metabolic shifts were involved in adriamycin resistance. Many intracellular metabolites involved in various metabolic pathways were significantly modulated by adriamycin treatment in the drug-sensitive MCF-7S cells, but were much less affected in the drug-resistant MCF-7Adr cells. Adriamycin treatment markedly depressed the biosynthesis of proteins, purines, pyrimidines and glutathione, and glycolysis, while it enhanced glycerol metabolism of MCF-7S cells. The elevated glycerol metabolism and down-regulated glutathione biosynthesis suggested an increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and a weakened ability to balance ROS, respectively. Further studies revealed that adriamycin increased ROS and up-regulated P-gp in MCF-7S cells, which could be reversed by N-acetylcysteine treatment. It is suggested that adriamycin resistance is involved in slowed metabolism and aggravated oxidative stress. Assessment of cellular metabolomics and metabolic markers may be used to evaluate anti-tumor effects and to screen for candidate anti-tumor agents.     

A New Equation to Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate in Chinese Elderly Population

Background

We sought to develop a new equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in Chinese elderly population.

Methods

A total of 668 Chinese elderly participants, including the development cohort (n = 433), the validation cohort (n = 235) were enrolled. The new equation using the generalized additive model, and age, gender, serum creatinine as predictor variables was developed and the performances was compared with the CKD-EPI equation.

Results

In the validation data set, both bias and precision were improved with the new equation, as compared with the CKD-EPI equation (median difference, −1.5 ml/min/1.73 m² vs. 7.4 ml/min/1.73 m² for the new equation and the CKD-EPI equation, [P<0.001]; interquartile range [IQR] for the difference, 16.2 ml/min/1.73 m² vs. 19.0 ml/min/1.73 m² [P<0.001]), as were accuracies (15% accuracy, 40.4% vs. 30.6% [P = 0.02]; 30% accuracy, 71.1% vs. 47.2%, [P<0.001]; 50% accuracy, 90.2% vs. 75.7%, [P<0.001]), allowing improvement in GFR categorization (GFR category misclassification rate, 37.4% vs. 53.2% [P = <0.001]).

Conclusions

A new equation was developed in Chinese elderly population. In the validation data set, the new equation performed better than the original CKD-EPI equation. The new equation needs further external validations. Calibration of the GFR referent standard to a more accurate one should be an useful way to improve the performance of GFR estimating equations.     

The polymorphism in the promoter region of metallothionein 1 is associated with heat tolerance of scallop Argopecten irradians

Metallothioneins (MTs), a superfamily of cysteine-rich proteins, perform multiple functions, such as maintaining homeostasis of essential metals, detoxification of toxic metals and scavenging of oxyradicals. In this study, the promoter region of a metallothionein (MT) gene from Bay scallop Argopecten irradians (designed as AiMT1) was cloned by the technique of genomic DNA walking, and the polymorphisms in this region were screened to find their association with susceptibility or tolerance to high temperature stress. One insert–deletion (ins–del) polymorphism and sixteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in the amplified promoter region. Two SNPs, − 375 T–C and − 337 A–C, were selected to analyze their distribution in the two Bay scallop populations collected from southern and northern China coast, which were identified as heat resistant and heat susceptible stocks, respectively. There were three genotypes, T/T, T/C and C/C, at locus − 375, and their frequencies were 25%, 61.1% and 13.9% in the heat susceptible stock, while 34.2%, 42.1% and 23.7% in the resistant stock, respectively. There was no significant difference in the frequency distribution of different genotypes between the two stocks (P > 0.05). In contrast, at locus − 337, three genotypes A/A, A/C and C/C were revealed with the frequencies of 11.6%, 34.9% and 53.5% in the heat susceptible stock, while 45.7%, 32.6% and 21.7% in the heat resistant stock, respectively. The frequency of C/C genotype in the heat susceptible stock was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in the heat resistant stock, while the frequency of A/A in the heat resistant stock was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in the heat susceptible stock. Furthermore, the expression of AiMT1 mRNA in scallops with C/C genotype was significantly higher than that with A/A genotype (P < 0.05) after an acute heat treatment at 28 °C for 120 min. These results implied that the polymorphism at locus − 337 of AiMT1 was associated with the susceptibility/tolerance of scallops to heat stress, and the − 337 A/A genotype could be a potential marker available in future selection of Bay scallop with heat tolerance.     

Speciation, Distribution, and Bioavailability of Soil Selenium in the Tibetan Plateau Kashin–Beck Disease Area—A Case Study in Songpan County, Sichuan Province, China

To clarify the relationship between the soil selenium distribution and its bioavailability with the distribution of Kashin–Beck disease (KBD) endemic areas on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, samples of natural soil (0–20 cm), cultivated topsoil, and main crops of the region (highland barley) were collected at different altitudes according to topographical and geomorphological features in both KBD and non-KBD areas of Songpan County. These samples were used for determination and analysis of total selenium content in soil and highland barley and available selenium that can be absorbed and utilized by plants. The results showed that the average total selenium content of natural and cultivated topsoil in KBD areas was lower than that in non-KBD areas (natural soil, P?=?0.061; cultivated soil, P?=?0.002), which is in agreement with the geographical distributions of selenium in other KBD-affected areas. However, the total soil selenium content exhibits certain micro-spatial distribution features, namely, the total selenium content in some endemic areas was significantly higher than that of non-KBD areas. This result was contrary to the general distribution that total selenium content in a KBD-affected area is lower than that in a non-KBD area. We further studied the extraction rate and content of soil selenium in six different fractions. The results indicated that the content and extraction rate of available selenium in KBD-affected areas were significantly lower than those in non-KBD areas. There is a distinct positive correlation between plant-available selenium and highland barley selenium (r?=?0.875, P?=?0.001) and a distinct negative correlation with altitude (r?=??0.801, P?=?0.010). Therefore, in KBD endemic areas, the selenium content in crops decreases as the available selenium content in soil decreases and is closely related to the geographical environment features (such as altitude and precipitation). These results suggest that the soil available selenium and ecological features are important factors that restrict the dietary selenium flux for residents in KBD endemic areas of the Tibetan Plateau, providing a theoretical and experimental basis for implementing agricultural measures to regulate the ecological cycle of the selenium flux in the KBD endemic area.     

酪氨酸磷酸酶PRL-3增加胃癌细胞BGC823的SP细胞比例并提高其对化疗药物的耐受性

蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酶PRL-3是近年发现的蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酶家族成员,能促进肿瘤细胞的侵袭、转移及上皮细胞间质转型,提示PRL-3可能在肿瘤发生发展及诱导肿瘤干细胞生成中发挥重要作用.由于侧群(SP)细胞具有许多干细胞的性质,SP细胞分选是目前筛选和分离获得干细胞或前体细胞常用的有效方法.为探讨PRL-3在诱导干细胞生成中的潜在作用,本文在建立过表达PRL-3的人胃癌细胞BGC823的基础上,通过SP分选和CCK-8的方法分析PRL-3对BGC823细胞中SP细胞的比例以及对化疗药物耐受性的影响.结果提示,高表达PRL-3提高BGC823中SP细胞的比例（2.5% vs 9.4%）,同时增加BGC823对化疗药物紫杉醇和顺铂的耐受性（相对于对照细胞,其耐药指数分别为1.75和1.29）.由于SP细胞的产生和细胞耐药性的提高与ABC家族基因表达水平上调密切相关,通过定量 RT-PCR和Western印迹检测发现,PRL-3能上调ABCB1和ABCG2的表达.上述研究结果表明,PRL-3有可能通过上调ABCB1和ABCG2的表达,增加胃癌细胞BGC823的SP细胞比例并增加其对化疗药物的耐受性.