新疆药用延胡索资源调查

作者对新疆维吾尔自治区的9个市、县进行了药用延胡索的资源调查,采集植物标本70余份,弄清药用种类主要是3种,即Corydalis glaucescens Regel,C.ledebouriana Kir.et Kar.和C.schanginii(Pall.)Fedtsch.;初步了解了3种药用延胡索植物的分布状况,并对块茎中总生物碱的含量作了分析。     

Adsorption of ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride modified oxalate decarboxylase on calcium oxalate

We used ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dianhydride (EDTAD) to modify oxalate decarboxylase (OXDC) to improve its adsorption on calcium oxalate stones. The modified sites were identified by Ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and the adsorption mechanism of the EDTAD-modified OXDC on calcium oxalate (CaOx) was investigated. We investigated adsorption time, initial enzyme concentration, temperature and solution pH on the adsorption process. Data were analyzed using kinetics, thermodynamics and isotherm adsorption models. UPLC-MS showed that EDTAD was attached to OXDC covalently and suggested that the chemical modification occurred at both the free amino of the side chain and the α-NH₂ of the peptide. The adsorption capacity of the EDTAD-OXDC on calcium oxalate was 53.37% greater than that of OXDC at the initial enzyme concentration of 5 mg/ml, pH = 7.0, at 37° C. The modified enzyme (EDTAD-OXDC) demonstrated improved oxalate degradation activity at pH 4.5?6.0. Kinetic data fitting analysis suggested a pseudo second order kinetic model. Estimates of the thermodynamic parameters including ΔG⁰, ΔH⁰ and ΔS⁰ of the adsorption process showed it to be feasible, spontaneous and endothermic. Isotherm data fitting analysis indicated that the adsorption process is reduced to monolayer adsorption at a low enzyme concentration and to multilayer adsorption at a high enzyme concentration. It may be possible to apply OXDC to degradation of calcium oxalate stones.     

中国顶丝藻科（Acrochaetiaceae）新记录I

中国顶丝藻科新记录６种。密集旋体藻Ａｕｄｏｕｉｎｅｌｌｅｄｅｎｓａ,亮管旋体藻Ａ．ｈｙａｌｏｓｉｐｈｏｎｉａｅ,小旋体藻Ａ．ｐａｒｖｕｌａ,羽状旋体藻Ａ．ｐｌｕｍｏｓａ,顶生旋体藻Ａ．ｔｅｒｍｉｎａｌｉｓ,图氏旋体藻Ａ．ｔｈｕｒｅｔｉｉ。     

Sl‐lncRNA15492 interacts with Sl‐miR482a and affects Solanum lycopersicum immunity against Phytophthora infestans

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the resistance of plants to infection by pathogens via interactions with microRNAs (miRNAs). Long non‐coding RNAs are cleaved by miRNAs to produce phased small interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs), which, as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), function as decoys for mature miRNAs, thus inhibiting their expression, and contain pre‐miRNA sequences to produce mature miRNAs. However, whether lncRNAs and miRNAs mediate other molecular mechanisms during plant resistance to pathogens is unknown. In this study, as a positive regulator, Sl‐lncRNA15492 from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Zaofen No. 2) plants affected tomato resistance to Phytophthora infestans. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function experiments and RNA ligase‐mediated 5′‐amplification of cDNA ends (RLM‐5′ RACE) also revealed that Sl‐miR482a was negatively involved in tomato resistance by targeting Sl‐NBS‐LRR genes and that silencing of Sl‐NBS‐LRR1 decreased tomato resistance. Sl‐lncRNA15492 inhibited the expression of mature Sl‐miR482a, whose precursor was located within the antisense sequence of Sl‐lncRNA15492. Further degradome analysis and additional RLM‐5′ RACE experiments verified that mature Sl‐miR482a could also cleave Sl‐lncRNA15492. These results provide a mechanism by which lncRNAs might inhibit precursor miRNA expression through antisense strands of lncRNAs, and demonstrate that Sl‐lncRNA15492 and Sl‐miR482a mutually inhibit the maintenance of Sl‐NBS‐LRR1 homeostasis during tomato resistance to P. infestans.     

Effects of L-carnitine against oxidative stress in human hepatocytes: involvement of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha

Background

Excessive oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation have been demonstrated to play important roles in the production of liver damage. L-carnitine is a natural substance and acts as a carrier for fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane for subsequent beta-oxidation. It is also an antioxidant that reduces metabolic stress in the cells. Recent years L-carnitine has been proposed for treatment of various kinds of disease, including liver injury. This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of L-carnitine against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced cytotoxicity in a normal human hepatocyte cell line, HL7702.

Methods

We analyzed cytotoxicity using MTT assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation were estimated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, activities and protein expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) formation. Expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha and its target genes were evaluated by RT-PCR or western blotting. The role of PPAR-alpha in L-carnitine-enhanced expression of SOD and CAT was also explored. Statistical analysis was performed by a one-way analysis of variance, and its significance was assessed by Dennett''s post-hoc test.

Results

The results showed that L-carnitine protected HL7702 cells against cytotoxity induced by H₂O₂. This protection was related to the scavenging of ROS, the promotion of SOD and CAT activity and expression, and the prevention of lipid peroxidation in cultured HL7702 cells. The decreased expressions of PPAR-alpha, carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1) and acyl-CoA oxidase (ACOX) induced by H₂O₂ can be attenuated by L-carnitine. Besides, we also found that the promotion of SOD and CAT protein expression induced by L-carnitine was blocked by PPAR-alpha inhibitor MK886.

Conclusions

Taken together, our findings suggest that L-carnitine could protect HL7702 cells against oxidative stress through the antioxidative effect and the regulation of PPAR-alpha also play an important part in the protective effect.     

RGC-32 Deficiency Protects against Hepatic Steatosis by Reducing Lipogenesis

Hepatic steatosis is associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome because of increased hepatic triglyceride content. We have reported previously that deficiency of response gene to complement 32 (RGC-32) prevents high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice. This study was conducted to determine the role of RGC-32 in the regulation of hepatic steatosis. We observed that hepatic RGC-32 was induced dramatically by both HFD challenge and ethanol administration. RGC-32 knockout (RGC32^−/−) mice were resistant to HFD- and ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis. The hepatic triglyceride content of RGC32^−/− mice was decreased significantly compared with WT controls even under normal chow conditions. Moreover, RGC-32 deficiency decreased the expression of lipogenesis-related genes, sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1). RGC-32 deficiency also decreased SCD1 activity, as indicated by decreased desaturase indices of the liver and serum. Mechanistically, insulin and ethanol induced RGC-32 expression through the NF-κB signaling pathway, which, in turn, increased SCD1 expression in a SREBP-1c-dependent manner. RGC-32 also promoted SREBP-1c expression through activating liver X receptor. These results demonstrate that RGC-32 contributes to the development of hepatic steatosis by facilitating de novo lipogenesis through activating liver X receptor, leading to the induction of SREBP-1c and its target genes. Therefore, RGC-32 may be a potential novel drug target for the treatment of hepatic steatosis and its related diseases.     

MiR-506 Suppresses Tumor Proliferation and Invasion by Targeting FOXQ1 in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

MiRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that play important roles in various biological processes including tumorigenesis. However, little is known about the expression and function of miR-506 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we showed that miR-506 was downregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines and tissues. Ectopic expression of miR-506 dramatically suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion. Moreover, we identified the Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) gene as a novel direct target of miR-506. MiR-506 exerts its tumor suppressor function through inhibition of the FOXQ1, which was involved in tumor metastasis and proliferation in various cancers. Furthermore, the expression of FOXQ1 is up-regulated in NPC cell lines and tissues. Taken together, our results indicate that miR-506 functions as a tumor suppressor miRNA in NPC and that its suppressive effects are mediated chiefly by repressing FOXQ1 expression.     

Elevated expression of EBV and TLRs in the brain is associated with Rasmussen’s encephalitis

Rasmussen's encephalitis(RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, the etiology of which remains unclear. It has been speculated that the immunopathogenesis of RE involves damage to neurons, which eventually leads to the occurrence of RE. Viral infection may be a critical factor in triggering RE immunopathogenesis. In this study, we analyzed the expression of Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) antigens as well as of Toll-like receptor 3(TLR3), TLR9, and downstream adapter TIRdomain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β(TRIF) in the brain tissues of 26 patients with RE and 16 control individuals using immunohistochemistry(IHC). In the RE group, EBV antigens were detected in 53% of individuals at various expression levels. In contrast, there was no detectable EBV antigen expression in control brain tissues. Moreover, we found marked increases in the expression of TLR3, TLR9, and TRIF in the brain tissues of RE patients compared with levels in the control group. Furthermore, among RE cases, EBV expression and high TLR3 expression were associated with more severe brain atrophy. Our results suggest that the elevated expression of EBV and TLRs may be involved in RE occurrence through the activation of downstream molecules.