Minor salivary gland mesenchymal stromal cells derived from patients with Sjӧgren's syndrome deploy intact immune plasticity

Background aimsMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) provide minor salivary glands (MSGs) with support and niche cells for epithelial glandular tissue. Little is known about resident MSG-derived MSCs (MSG-MSCs) in primary Sj?gren's syndrome (PSS). The authors’ objective is to define the immunobiology of endogenous PSS MSG-MSCs.MethodsUsing culture-adapted MSG-MSCs isolated from consenting PSS subjects (n = 13), the authors performed in vitro interrogation of PSS MSG-MSC immunobiology and global gene expression compared with controls. To this end, the authors performed phenotypic and immune functional analysis of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and intercellular adhesion marker 1 (ICAM-1) before and after interferon γ (IFNγ) licensing as well as the effect of MSG-MSCs on T-cell proliferation. Considering the female predominance of PSS, the authors also addressed the influence of 17-β-estradiol on estrogen receptor α-positive-related MSC function.ResultsThe authors found that MSG-MSCs deployed normal immune regulatory functionality after IFNγ stimulation, as demonstrated by increased protein-level expression of IDO, PD-L1 and ICAM-1. The authors also found that MSG-MSCs suppressed T-cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner independent of 17-β-estradiol exposure. Gene ontology and pathway analysis highlighted extracellular matrix deposition as a possible difference between PSS and control MSG-MSCs. MSG-MSCs demonstrated increased α-smooth muscle actin expression in PSS, indicating a partial myofibroblast-like adaptation.ConclusionsThese findings establish similar immune regulatory function of MSG-MSCs in both PSS and control patients, precluding intrinsic MSC immune regulatory defects in PSS. PSS MSG-MSCs show a partial imprinted myofibroblast-like phenotype that may arise in the setting of chronic inflammation, providing a plausible etiology for PSS-related glandular fibrosis.     

Synthesis,telomerase inhibitory and anticancer activity of new 2-phenyl-4H-chromone derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety

Based on previous studies, 66 2-phenyl-4H-chromone derivatives containing amide and 1,3,4-oxadiazole moieties were prepared as potential telomerase inhibitors. The results showed most of the title compounds exhibited significantly inhibitory activity on telomerase. Among them, some compounds demonstrated the most potent telomerase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ < 1 µM), which was significantly superior to the staurosporine (IC₅₀ = 6.41 µM). In addition, clear structure–activity relationships were summarised, indicating that the substitution of the methoxy group and the position, type and number of the substituents on the phenyl ring had significant effects on telomerase activity. Among them, compound A33 showed considerable inhibition against telomerase. Flow cytometric analysis showed that compound A33 could arrest MGC-803 cell cycle at G2/M phase and induce apoptosis in a concentration-dependent way. Meanwhile, Western blotting revealed that this compound could reduce the expression of dyskerin, which is a fragment of telomerase.     

Microscale grooves regulate maturation development of hPSC-CMs by the transient receptor potential channels (TRP channels)

The use of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) is limited in drug discovery and cardiac disease mechanism studies due to cell immaturity. Micro-scaled grooves can promote the maturation of cardiomyocytes by aligning them in order, but the mechanism of cardiomyocytes alignment has not been studied. From the level of calcium activity, gene expression and cell morphology, we verified that the W20H5 grooves can effectively promote the maturation of cardiomyocytes. The transient receptor potential channels (TRP channels) also play an important role in the maturation and development of cardiomyocytes. These findings support the engineered hPSC-CMs as a powerful model to study cardiac disease mechanism and partly mimic the myocardial morphological development. The important role of the TRP channels in the maturation and development of myocardium is first revealed.     

Allelopathic effects of switchgrass on redroot pigweed and crabgrass growth

Non-native invasive plant species influence plant community composition and competitively eradicate native species. However, there is doubt regarding how global invasive species increase and explosively interfere with native plants. Invasive plants always have strong allelopathic potential. In this study, allelopathic effects of switchgrass on redroot pigweed and crabgrass growth were investigated by field and laboratory experiments. Within a 0.4-m distance of switchgrass, density and shoot biomass of native species were significantly suppressed in the field, with 95.1% and 93.0% inhibition on density of redroot pigweed and crabgrass and with 99.0% and 97.7% inhibition on shoot biomass, respectively, during the third growing season. Significant inhibitory effects on shoot and root biomass were observed at the 5:5 (switchgrass–native species) proportion in glass bottles, by 41.57% and 51.21% for shoot and root biomass of redroot pigweed and by 33.42% and 56.95% for shoot and root biomass of crabgrass, respectively. Results of a glass bottle experiment showed that shoot and root biomass of redroot pigweed and crabgrass could be significantly inhibited by contact with switchgrass root. Results of a Petri dish experiment showed that aqueous extracts of switchgrass significantly inhibited germination process of both species at high concentrations, with 90.74% and 18.62% inhibition on germination rate and plumule length of redroot pigweed and with 63.59%, 16.38%, and 19.92% inhibition on germination rate, plumule, and radicle lengths of crabgrass, respectively, at the concentration of 0.1 g·mL^?1. This report demonstrated that switchgrass had allelopathic effects on redroot pigweed and crabgrass growth.

     

巴尔通体在滇西南蝙蝠中高度流行并具有丰富的遗传变异特征

蝙蝠是很多病原微生物的自然宿主, 全球多项研究表明蝙蝠是巴尔通体(Bartonella species)的主要宿主。为了解滇西南地区蝙蝠中巴尔通体的流行特征, 我们于2015-2017年间在云南省4个地区应用网捕法捕获蝙蝠3种305只。经种类鉴定后采集肝脾组织, 提取核酸, 通过TaqMan实时荧光定量PCR方法检测巴尔通体的tmRNA基因ssrA, 并进行测序鉴定和系统发育分析。结果发现172只蝙蝠检出该基因, 总感染率为56.4%; 其中临沧、西双版纳、保山和瑞丽4个采样点的蝙蝠感染率分别为50.0% (22/44)、61.7% (29/47)、62.1% (18/29)和55.7% (103/185)。中菊头蝠(Rhinolophus affinis)、小菊头蝠(R. blythi)和棕果蝠(Rousettus leschenaultii)的感染率分别为50.0% (22/44)、62.1% (18/29)和56.9% (132/232), 差异没有统计学意义(χ² = 1.135, P = 0.567), 表明巴尔通体在云南当地的蝙蝠种群中高度流行。定量PCR扩增产物2次扩增后测序获得37个巴尔通体ssrA序列, 属于10个系统发育分支, 其中1个为伊丽莎白巴尔通体(B. elizabethae)、特利波契巴尔通体(B. tribocorum)和克拉斯诺夫巴尔通体(B. krasnovii)的近缘种。其余序列与已知巴尔通体距离较远, 与亚洲、欧洲和美洲等其他地域来源于蝙蝠的巴尔通体近缘。遗传多样性分析显示, ssrA基因的核苷酸多样性指数(π)为0.11381 ± 0.00928, 基因型多样性指数(Hd)为0.985 ± 0.010, 形成29个基因型(单倍型), 说明云南蝙蝠巴尔通体具有丰富的遗传多样性。通过对本研究标本与全球相关序列的系统发育网络重建, 分析全球蝙蝠巴尔通体的地理和宿主分布特征, 可以看出巴尔通体与蝙蝠之间存在显著的宿主特异性关联。因此可初步确定蝙蝠-巴尔通体具有协同进化特征, 同时受到地理隔离的影响。     

北京松山落叶阔叶林生态系统水热通量对环境因子的响应

温带森林生态系统水热通量在多时间尺度上受各种生物物理因子的影响。该研究假设这些因子对水热通量的影响机制具有时间尺度分异性, 通过涡度相关法(EC)于2019年全年对北京松山典型天然落叶阔叶林生态系统蒸散发(ET)、显热通量(H)、潜热通量(LE)、土壤热通量(G)、饱和水汽压差(VPD)、空气温度(T_a)、光合有效辐射(PAR)、归一化植被指数(NDVI)及10 cm深度土壤水分(VWC)等要素进行原位连续监测, 使用小波分析的方法分析了日、季节尺度上生物与非生物因子对生态系统能量分配与水汽交换的调控机制。主要研究结果: 2019年松山天然落叶阔叶林生态系统年均波文比(β)为1.53。ET具有明显的季节变化特征, 从第100天开始逐渐增加, 7月达到峰值, 第300天下降到最低水平。ET最大日累计值为5.01 mm·d^-1, 年累计值为476.2 mm, 年降水量为503.3 mm。在日尺度上水热通量与VPD间滞后时间最短, 为3.36 h。在季节尺度上与PAR间滞后时间最短, 为8天。季节尺度上PAR通过VPD来对ET造成间接影响, 而对β造成直接影响。该研究发现不同时间尺度上水热通量与环境因子间的时滞关系, 为选择模型在不同时间尺度下北方温带落叶阔叶林生态系统过程的最佳输入参数提供科学支持。     

黑沙蒿光合能量分配组分在生长季的相对变化与调控机制

为了探明典型荒漠灌木优势物种黑沙蒿(俗名油蒿, Artemisia ordosica)光合过程能量中分配对环境波动的相对变化及其长期调节机制, 该研究于2018年4-10月在宁夏盐池毛乌素沙地, 同时使用MONITORING-PAM多通道荧光监测仪和LI-6400XT便携式光合测量仪对黑沙蒿叶片的最小荧光产量(F_o)、最大荧光产量(F_m)、稳态荧光产量(F_s)、光下最大荧光产量(F_m′)、净光合速率(P_n)、暗呼吸速率(R_d)、蒸腾速率(E)和叶片气孔导度(g_s)进行现场测定, 在实验室内计算比叶面积(SLA)、单位面积氮含量(N_area)、叶绿素含量(C_Chl)和叶绿素a/b (Chl a/b), 分析黑沙蒿光合过程能量分配中固碳耗能占比(Φ_A)、光呼吸耗能占比(Φ_PR)、调节性热耗散耗能占比(Φ_NPQ)和非调节性热耗散耗能占比(Φ_NO)与环境参数和叶性状参数之间的关系以及能量分配各组分之间的相对变化。结果表明, 光化学反应组分(Φ_A、Φ_PR)和热耗散组分(Φ_NPQ、Φ_NO)之间呈负相关竞争关系, 两组分内部呈正相关协同关系, E和Φ_A、Φ_PR正相关, 和Φ_NPQ、Φ_NO负相关。在低土壤含水量(SWC)和高饱和水汽压差(VPD)环境条件下, 黑沙蒿Φ_A、Φ_PR和SLA显著降低, Φ_NPQ和Φ_NO显著增加。研究认为, 在长期干旱或高蒸散条件下, 黑沙蒿通过降低SLA等途径避免水分的过度流失, 同时将部分过剩光能由光呼吸代谢途径转移到热耗散组分进行耗散。波动环境下黑沙蒿形态性状的变异和光合过程能量分配的长期调节机制, 反映了其利用形态与生理的协同可塑性对逆境的适应。     

Establishment of an efficient shoot regeneration system in vitro in Brassica rapa

In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant - To improve the genetic transformation system for Brassica rapa L., we established a high-efficiency shoot regeneration protocol. A double...     

Curcumin alleviates acute kidney injury in a dry‐heat environment by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in a rat model

Curcumin exhibits anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant activities. We investigated the protective effects of curcumin in a renal injury rat model under dry‐heat conditions. We divided Sprague‐Dawley rats into four groups: dry‐heat 0‐ (normal temperature control group), 50‐, 100‐, and 150‐minute groups. Each group was divided into five subgroups (n = 10): normal saline (NS), sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMCNa), and curcumin pretreated low, medium, and high‐dose (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively) groups. Compared to the normal temperature group, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, urinary kidney injury molecule‐1, and neutrophil gelatinase‐associated load changes in lipoprotein (NGAL) levels were significantly increased in the dry‐heat environment group (P < .05); inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) expression and malondialdehyde (MDA) and related inflammatory factor levels were increased in the kidney tissue. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels were decreased. However, following all curcumin pretreatment, the serum levels of kidney injury indicators and NGAL were decreased in the urine compared to those in the NS and CMCNa groups (P < .05), whereas renal SOD and CAT activities were increased and MDA was decreased (P < .05). Renal tissues of the 150‐minute group showed obvious pathological changes. Compared to the NS group, pathological changes in the renal tissues of the 100‐ and 200‐mg/kg curcumin groups were significantly reduced. Furthermore, iNOS and COX‐2 expression and inflammatory factor levels were decreased after curcumin treatment. Curcumin exerted renoprotective effects that were likely mediated by its antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects in a dry‐heat environment rat model.