Bioassays on selection and feeding responses of Holotrichia oblita adults to different plant species

Bioassays on selection and feeding responses of Holotrichia oblita adults to different plant species were conducted both in laboratory and under field conditions. The selection response bioassay showed that the adults were significantly attracted to Ricinus communis. In paired tests of the field cages, more than 60% adults were attracted to R. communis plants, while only 35.55%, 34.45%, 33.35%, and 26.65% were attracted to plants of Glycine max, Arachis hypogaea, Ipomoea batatas, and Gossypium hirsutum, respectively. In the laboratory, the selection response percentage of the adults to R. communis leaves reached up to 93% in the presence of other host plant leaves and still arrived at 70% in the absence of other host plant leaves. Feeding deterrence bioassay showed that the adults preferred to I. batatas leaves with 229.90 ± 4.25 mg leaf consumption and 41.30 ± 5.19 mg faeces excretion after 12 h, followed by the leaves of G. hirsutum and A. hypogaea. The adult did not prefer leaves of R. communi with only 7.10 ± 0.23 mg leaf consumption and corresponding 4.00 ± 0.84 mg fecal excretion. In summary, all experimental results suggested that the attraction of H. oblita adults to R. communi is not triggered for feeding.     

中国沙棘幼苗对土壤镉生理耐性和富集转运特征的性别差异

为探究中国沙棘对土壤镉(Cd)胁迫的性别响应差异,该研究以中国沙棘2年生幼苗为材料,利用盆栽试验研究在不同浓度Cd处理下(0(CK)、25、50、100和200 mg·kg^-1)雌、雄株幼苗的生长、叶片生理特性以及Cd富集特征的差异。结果表明：(1)Cd处理下中国沙棘幼苗雌、雄株的株高和基径生长以及各器官生物量均表现出低浓度(<50 mg·kg^-1)促进,高浓度(> 100 mg·kg^-1)抑制的现象;低浓度Cd处理下雌株的株高、基径增长率和生物量的增幅均高于雄株;高浓度Cd处理下(200 mg·kg^-1)雄株株高增长率、叶生物量和总生物量分别较CK显著降低,而雌株均未显著下降。(2)随着Cd浓度升高,雌、雄株叶片光合色素含量和抗氧化酶活性呈先升后降的变化趋势,丙二醛(MDA)和渗透调节物质含量呈上升趋势;Cd浓度为50～200 mg·kg^-1时,雌株叶片的光合色素含量、抗氧化酶活性和渗透调节物质含量均高于雄株,而MDA含量始终低于雄株。(3)随着Cd浓度升高,雌、...     

土壤水分条件对克隆植物互花米草表型可塑性的影响

在互花米草草滩挖掘沙蚕是海岸带常见的行为,会造成土壤结构松散,蓄水能力下降,局部土壤水分含量低.能否利用这些条件,降低互花米草种群的入侵性,并进而对互花米草的控制提供对策是一个重要的生态学命题.为此,实验模拟3种不同土壤蓄水条件,并测定互花米草在该条件下的形态与存活指标、克隆特征参数及生物量积累与分配格局.结果表明:土壤水分条件对互花米草的叶长和根状茎生物量均没有显著影响(p> 0.05);而其株高、分枝强度、克隆存活数、克隆存活率及地上生物量在各土壤水分条件间差异显著(p< 0.05);在低水分条件下,互花米草的芽数、基茎粗、地上生物量比和叶生物量比均显著低于其他两组处理(p< 0.05),地下生物量比则显著高于其他两组处理(p< 0.05);在中等水分条件下,互花米草的根状茎长、根状茎节数、地下生物量和茎生物量比与其他两组处理差异不显著(p> 0.05),而在其他两组处理间差异显著(p< 0.05);在高水分条件下,总生物量、茎生物量和根生物量显著高于其他两组处理(p< 0.05),根状茎生物量比则显著低于其他两组处理(p< 0.05),而这些指标在其他两组处理间均差异不显著(p> 0.05).由此推断,土壤水分条件适中有利于互花米草的生长扩张以占领有利的资源环境,而土壤水分条件低则抑制互花米草的生长繁殖,影响其种群延续.     

Distinct basolateral amygdala excitatory inputs mediate the somatosensory and aversive-affective components of pain

Pain is a multidimensional perception that includes unpleasant somatosensory and affective experiences; however, the underlying neural circuits that mediate different components of pain remain elusive. Although hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala glutamatergic (BLA^Glu) neurons is required for the somatosensory and emotional processing of pain, the precise excitatory inputs to BLA^Glu neurons and their roles in mediating different aspects of pain are unclear. Here, we identified two discrete glutamatergic neuronal circuits in male mice: a projection from the insular cortex glutamatergic (IC^Glu) to BLA^Glu neurons, which modulates both the somatosensory and affective components of pain, and a projection from the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD^Glu) to BLA^Glu neurons, which modulates only the aversive-affective component of pain. Using whole-cell recording and fiber photometry, we found that neurons within the IC→BLA and MD→BLA pathways were activated in mice upon inflammatory pain induced by injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) into their paws. Optical inhibition of the IC^Glu→BLA pathway increased the nociceptive threshold and induced behavioral place preference in CFA mice. In contrast, optical inhibition of the MD^Glu→BLA pathway did not affect the nociceptive threshold but still induced place preference in CFA mice. In normal mice, optical activation of the IC^Glu→BLA pathway decreased the nociceptive threshold and induced place aversion, while optical activation of the MD^Glu→BLA pathway only evoked aversion. Taken together, our results demonstrate that discrete IC^Glu→BLA and MD^Glu→BLA pathways are involved in modulating different components of pain, provide insights into its circuit basis, and better our understanding of pain perception.     

Local Recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Revisited: Is there a Role for “Selective” Radiation?

BackgroundRadiation therapy (RT) is often utilized in cases of high-grade soft tissue sarcoma (STS), but there remain situations where treatment is with surgical excision alone. Our goals were to determine (1) the local recurrence (LR) rate with and without perioperative RT and (2) associations between local recurrence, patient, tumor, and treatment variables.MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of 165 consecutive STS patients. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate variables associated with local recurrence.ResultsLR occurred in 15/78 (19%) without RT, 4/29 (14%) with postoperative RT, and 0/58 with preoperative RT (p=0.002). We found increased rates of local recurrence at 24 months for myxofibrosarcoma (p=0.001) and no-RT (p=0.003). Myxofibrosarcoma accounted for 33 (20%) of the study patients and 12 (63%) of the local recurrences.ConclusionThe LR rate in patients treated with surgery alone was disproportionately attributable to myxofibrosarcoma (11/23 cases, 48%). Other subtypes demonstrated a lower rate of LR in the absence of RT (4/55 cases, 7%), and no LR occurred when final margins were >2 mm. In certain circumstances treatment with a negative margin surgical resection followed by close observation is justifiable. RT is effective and should continue to be considered routinely in myxofibrosarcoma or when surgical margins are inadequate. Level of Evidence: III     

外泌体提取及保存技术研究进展

外泌体是多种活细胞经过"内吞-融合-外排"等一系列过程主动向胞外分泌的纳米级双层膜结构小囊泡,广泛存在于血液和尿液等生物体液中.因其携带着多种蛋白质、核酸和脂质等生物活性分子,所以外泌体不仅在细胞间物质交换和信息传递中发挥重要作用,而且对疾病诊断、预后预测和治疗管理等均具有提示意义.外泌体的高效提取、分离和完整保存是研...     

Hyperosmolarity enhanced susceptibility to renal tubular fibrosis by modulating catabolism of type I transforming growth factor‐β receptors

Hyperosmolarity plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of diabetic tubular fibrosis. However, the mechanism of the involvement of hyperosmolarity remains unclear. In this study, mannitol was used to evaluate the effects of hyperosmolarity on a renal distal tubule cell line (MDCK). We investigated transforming growth factor‐β receptors and their downstream fibrogenic signal proteins. We show that hyperosmolarity significantly enhances the susceptibility to exogenous transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1, as mannitol (27.5 mM) significantly enhanced the TGF‐β1‐induced increase in fibronectin levels compared with control experiments (5.5 mM). Specifically, hyperosmolarity induced tyrosine phosphorylation on TGF‐β RII at 336 residues in a time (0–24 h) and dose (5.5–38.5 mM) dependent manner. In addition, hyperosmolarity increased the level of TGF‐β RI in a dose‐ and time‐course dependent manner. These observations may be closely related to decreased catabolism of TGF‐β RI. Hyperosmolarity significantly downregulated the expression of an inhibitory Smad (Smad7), decreased the level of Smurf 1, and reduced ubiquitination of TGF‐β RI. In addition, through the use of cycloheximide and the proteasome inhibitor MG132, we showed that hyperosmolarity significantly increased the half‐life and inhibited the protein level of TGF‐β RI by polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Taken together, our data suggest that hyperosmolarity enhances cellular susceptibility to renal tubular fibrosis by activating the Smad7 pathway and increasing the stability of type I TGF‐β receptors by retarding proteasomal degradation of TGF‐β RI. This study clarifies the mechanism underlying hyperosmotic‐induced renal fibrosis in renal distal tubule cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 109: 663–671, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

BTB/TAZ protein MdBT2 integrates multiple hormonal and environmental signals to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in apple

BT2 is a BTB/TAZ domain protein with key roles in multiple stress responses and the plant development of Arabidopsis (Figueroa et al. 2005; Ren et al. 2007; Mandadi et al. 2009). Recent studies have demonstrated that apple MdBT2 functions as a negative regulator in diverse hormonal and environmental signal‐induced anthocyanin biosynthesis, suggesting that MdBT2 integrates stress signals and anthocyanin biosynthesis.