Senegenin Attenuates Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Induced Cognitive Dysfunction by Increasing Hippocampal NR2B Expression in Rats

Background

The root of Polygala tenuifolia, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to improve memory and intelligence, while the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of senegenin, an component of Polygala tenuifolia root extracts, on cognitive dysfunction induced by hepatic ischemia-reperfusion.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Initially, we constructed a rat model of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (HIR) and found that the memory retention ability of rats in the step-down and Y maze test was impaired after HIR, paralleled by a decrease of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor NR2B subunit mRNA and protein expressions in hippocampus. Furthermore, we found that administration of senegenin by gavage attenuated HIR-induced cognitive impairment in a dose and time dependent manner, and its mechanisms might partly due to the increasing expression of NR2B in rat hippocampus.

Conclusions/Significance

Cognitive dysfunction induced by HIR is associated with reduction of NR2B expression. Senegenin plays a neuroprotective role in HIR via increasing NR2B expression in rat hippocampus. These findings suggest that senegenin might be a potential agent for prevention and treatment of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) or other neurodegenerative diseases.     

Survival and escape of Agrobacterium tumefaciens in triploid hybrid lines of Chinese white poplar transformed with two insect-resistant genes

Two partly modified insect-resistant genes (BtCryI Ac gene [Bt gene toxin against Lepidopterean insects] and API gene [arrowhead proteinase inhibitor]) were transferred to the triploid hybrid of Chinese white poplar ((Populus tomentosa Carr. × Populus bolleana Louche) × Populus tomentosa Carr.) mediated by A. tumefaciens. The survival of Agrobacterium in transgenic plants was examined during the processes of transplanting and subculturing on the nutrient medium. The results suggested that 80% of the plants, which were obtained by repeated selection on media added with 50 mg/L kanamycin and 300 mg/l carbenicillin, showed positive reactions after examination using molecular methods. The ELISA test indicated that the Bt toxoprotein was expressed in seven of the transgenic sub-clones. Leaves, stems, and roots of all the 28 transgenic plants were cultured on the YEB medium added with 50 mg/L kanamycin, and it was found that Agrobacterium survived in three sub-clones (33, 37, 5) and could have existed for 24 months in the bottle. These three transgenic sub-clones were transplanted and cultivated for one month in the room, and then the target Agrobacterium was found in rhizosphere of the sub-clone 33.     

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.     

PML coiled-coil结构域与RAN结合蛋白9相互作用的验证

目的验证前髓细胞性白血病的卷曲螺旋结构域（PML—C）和RAN结合蛋白9（RANBP9）之间的相互作用。方法构建分别表达诱饵蛋白PML—C和靶蛋白RANBP9的载体pGBKT7-PML-C和pACT2-RANBP9,然后转人酵母AH109,培养3～5d后对其是否有胞内相互作用进行检测。将目的片断PML-C和RANBP9再次构建于真核生物表达载体pCMV—HA和pCMV—myc里,然后共转染人胚肾293细胞里（HEK293）,最后对其是否有体外相互作用通过免疫共沉淀和免疫印迹进行分析。结果在共转化了质粒pGBKT7-PML—C和pACT2-RANBP9的AH109酵母平板里观察到蓝色菌落生长。用抗HA多克隆抗体对共转染过重组质粒的HEK293细胞的蛋白提取物进行免疫共沉淀,再用抗myc单克隆抗体作为一抗进行免疫印迹,最终检测出融合蛋白myc—RANBP9条带。结论酵母双杂交实验验证了PML—C和RANBP9之间存在胞内相互作用,同时免疫共沉淀实验也从体外验证了它们之间的相互作用。     

表皮生长因子受体调控的人鼻咽癌细胞系CNE2分泌蛋白质的筛选

为筛选表皮生长因子受体(epidermalgrowthfactorreceptor,EGFR)调控的鼻咽癌(nasopharyngealcarcinoma,NPC)细胞的分泌蛋白质,揭示EGFR在NPC发病中的作用机制,采用无血清培养法培养NPC细胞系CNE2,并用转化生长因子(transforminggrowthfactor-α,TGF-α)刺激CNE2细胞24h作为实验组,对照组CNE2细胞不用TGF-α刺激.超滤法脱盐并浓缩两组细胞的培养上清制备分泌蛋白,采用双向凝胶电泳技术(two-dimensionalelectrophoresis,2-DE)分离两组细胞的分泌蛋白,PDquest图像分析软件识别差异表达的蛋白质点,基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(matrix-assistedlaserdesorption/ionizationtimeofflightmassspectrometry,MALDI-TOF-MS)鉴定差异表达蛋白.建立了实验组和对照组CNE2细胞分泌蛋白的2-DE图谱,图像分析识别了22个差异蛋白质点,质谱鉴定了8个非冗余蛋白质,其功能涉及肿瘤细胞侵袭转移、细胞凋亡和增殖,为进一步揭示EGFR在NPC发病中的作用及其机制奠定了基础.     

耐高盐枯草芽孢杆菌XP合成球形纳米硒及其抑制草莓病原真菌生物活性

生物方法合成纳米材料具有低能耗、高安全性以及环境友好等优良特点,因而备受人们关注.利用细菌将硒酸盐或亚硒酸盐还原为单质硒,不仅可以降低硒毒性,而且还能获得价值更高的生物纳米材料.文中选用可耐受高盐环境胁迫的枯草芽孢杆菌亚种Bacillus subtilis subspecies stercoris strain XP构...     

A novel microfluidic immunoassay system based on electrochemical immunosensors: an application for the detection of NT-proBNP in whole blood

Electrochemical immunosensors have attracted great interest in the search for a selective, simple and reliable system for molecular recognition. Presently, electrochemical immunosensors have been widely studied for biomedical molecular's detection, but the regeneration of these immunosensors has restricted their wide application. To prepare a regeneration-free immunosensor, which may be more suitable for clinical determination, a repeatable immunoassay system was developed based on an electrochemical immunosensor with magnetic nanoparticles, biotin-avidin system (BAS) and Fab antibodies for the heart failure markers aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptides (NT-proBNP). At the same time, a microfluidic system was combined into the proposed system, which enabled continuous determination. Using NT-proBNP as a model system, the proposed immunosensor exhibited rapid and sensitive amperometric response to NT-proBNP with good selectivity, stability, and a wide linear range (0.005-1.67 ng/mL and 1.67-4 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.003 ng/mL under optimal conditions). Importantly, the proposed immunosensor was also suitable for the detection of other proteins and provided new opportunities for disease diagnosis.     

Molecular cloning and function analysis of the stay green gene in rice

Chloroplasts undergo drastic morphological and physiological changes during senescence with a visible symptom of chlorophyll (Chl) degradation. A stay green mutant was identified and then isolated from the japonica rice (Oryza sativa) cv. Huazhiwu by gamma-ray irradiation. The stay green mutant was characterized by Chl retention, stable Chl-protein complexes, and stable thylakoid membrane structures, but lost its photosynthetic competence during senescence. The gene, designated Stay Green Rice (SGR), was cloned by a positional cloning strategy encoding an ancient protein containing a putative chloroplast transit peptide. SGR protein was found in both soluble and thylakoid membranes in rice. SGR, like the gene for pheophorbide a oxygenase (PaO), was constitutively expressed, but was upregulated by dark-induced senescence in rice leaves. Senescence-induced expression of SGR and PaO was enhanced by ABA, but inhibited by cytokinin. Overexpression of SGR reduced the number of lamellae in the grana thylakoids and reduced the Chl content of normally growing leaves. This indicates that upregulation of SGR increases Chl breakdown during senescence in rice. A small quantity of chlorophyllide a accumulated in sgr leaves, but this also accumulated in wild-type rice leaves during senescence. Some pheophorbide a was detected in sgr leaves in the dark. According to these observations, we propose that SGR may be involved in regulating or taking part in the activity of PaO, and then may influence Chl breakdown and degradation of pigment-protein complex.     

生态群落物种共存的进化机制

本文概述了目前对生态群落的物种共存研究中存在的若干问题及动、植物群落物种共存机制的研究进展。植物群落的物种共存主要介绍与环境、种子再迁移、生态位分化、竞争平衡理论、种库假设、再生生态位等有关的几种假设、生态学上相似种的共存及“原”群落概念等。动物群落的物种共存机制主要从以下几方面叙述：（1）异质环境中的资源分割,主要指动物斑状滋养的不同利用;（2）避免竞争排斥的行为机制,如边缘效应、聚群效应、扩散行为、相互作用和干扰;（3）特化者和泛化者的共存,包括：竞争是物种向多功能进化的作用力、最佳觅食理论与生态学特化及特化概念的发展。最后指出进一步研究的方向。     

六六六对大型溞生态学的影响

在实验室条件下,测定了六六六对大型溞(Daphnia magna Straus)存活、生长和生殖的影响。在25℃时,以心跳停止为死亡标准,六六六(以丙体计)对大型溞48小时LC50及其95%可信限为1.32±0.30ppm。以存活、生长和生殖为毒性标准,未觉察反应浓度(NOEC)为150ppb,最低觉察反应浓度(LOEC)为200ppb,其应用因子在0.11-0.15之间。内禀增长能力(rm)是更为敏感的指标,六六六浓度要降低至50ppb才无明显影响。