A Metabonomics Study of Guan-Xin-Shu-Tong Capsule against Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemia in Rats

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - Guan-Xin-Shu-Tong capsule is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, little knowledge about the...     

MicroRNA-520c-3p suppresses vascular endothelium dysfunction by targeting RELA and regulating the AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - Endothelial injury, which can cause endothelial inflammation and dysfunction, is an important mechanism for the development of atherosclerotic plaque. This...     

Overexpression of a C-type lectin enhances bacterial resistance in red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii

C-type lectins play important roles in the innate immune system of crustaceans. In this study, a novel C-type lectin gene, designated as PcLec4, was obtained from the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that PcLec4 is mainly expressed in the crayfish hepatopancreas and intestine, and the PcLec4 mRNA expression is upregulated after challenged with the bacteria Vibrio anguillarum. PcLec4 was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and anti-PcLec4 polyclonal antiserum was prepared. Binding experiments revealed that the recombinant PcLec4 binds to various bacteria and polysaccharides on the bacterial surface, which suggests that PcLec4 recognizes bacterial pathogens. Overexpression of PcLec4 in crayfish using the pIeLec4 vector was performed. The results show that the crayfish overexpressing PcLec4 eliminate injected V. anguillarum more quickly than the control, which suggests that PcLec4 elicits further immune response for removing invading bacteria. The results of the survival experiment confirmed the function of PcLec4 in resisting V. anguillarum because PcLec4 overexpression in crayfish significantly increased the crayfish survival rate. These results reveal that PcLec4 has an important role in the antibacterial immunity of crayfish, and in vivo PcLec4 overexpression might be used as a disease control strategy in aquiculture.     

Disentangling Two QTL on Porcine Chromosome 12 for Backfat Fatty Acid Composition

A previous study allowed the identification of two QTL regions at positions 11–34 cM (QTL1) and 68–76 cM (QTL2) on porcine chromosome SSC12 affecting several backfat fatty acids in an Iberian x Landrace F2 intercross. In the current study, different approaches were performed in order to better delimit the quoted QTL regions and analyze candidate genes. A new chromosome scan, using 81 SNPs selected from the Porcine 60KBeadChip and six previously genotyped microsatellites have refined the QTL positions. Three new functional candidate genes (ACOX1, ACLY, and SREBF1) have been characterized. Moreover, two putative promoters of porcine ACACA gene have also been investigated. New isoforms and 24 SNPs were detected in the four candidate genes, 19 of which were genotyped in the population. ACOX1 and ACLY SNPs failed to explain the effects of QTL1 on palmitic and gadoleic fatty acids. QTL2, affecting palmitoleic, stearic, and vaccenic fatty acids, maps close to the ACACA gene location. The most significant associations have been detected between one intronic (g.53840T > C) and one synonymous (c.5634T > C) ACACA SNPs and these fatty acids. Complementary analyses including ACACA gene expression quantification and association studies in other porcine genetic types do not support the expected causal effect of ACACA SNPs.     

The Phosphorylated Pathway of Serine Biosynthesis Is Essential Both for Male Gametophyte and Embryo Development and for Root Growth in Arabidopsis

This study characterizes the phosphorylated pathway of Ser biosynthesis (PPSB) in Arabidopsis thaliana by targeting phosphoserine phosphatase (PSP1), the last enzyme of the pathway. Lack of PSP1 activity delayed embryo development, leading to aborted embryos that could be classified as early curled cotyledons. The embryo-lethal phenotype of psp1 mutants could be complemented with PSP1 cDNA under the control of Pro35S (Pro35S:PSP1). However, this construct, which was poorly expressed in the anther tapetum, did not complement mutant fertility. Microspore development in psp1.1/psp1.1 Pro35S:PSP1 arrested at the polarized stage. The tapetum from these lines displayed delayed and irregular development. The expression of PSP1 in the tapetum at critical stages of microspore development suggests that PSP1 activity in this cell layer is essential in pollen development. In addition to embryo death and male sterility, conditional psp1 mutants displayed a short-root phenotype, which was reverted in the presence of Ser. A metabolomic study demonstrated that the PPSB plays a crucial role in plant metabolism by affecting glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the biosynthesis of amino acids. We provide evidence of the crucial role of the PPSB in embryo, pollen, and root development and suggest that this pathway is an important link connecting primary metabolism with development.     

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF): Genetic evidence for participation in early onset and early stage rheumatoid arthritis

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an upstream pro-inflammatory cytokine that is associated with the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two polymorphisms in the upstream region exist in the MIF gene and are associated with RA susceptibility or severity in different populations. In this case-control study, we investigated whether MIF polymorphisms are associated with RA susceptibility or activity in a western Mexican population .The relationship of MIF levels with clinical features of disease also was assessed. Genotyping of the ?794 CATT_5–8 (rs5844572) and the ?173 G > C (rs755622) polymorphisms was performed by PCR and PCR-RFLP respectively on 226 RA patients and 210 healthy subjects. Serum MIF levels were determined by ELISA. We found a significant association between the ?794 CATT_5–8 6,7 MIF genotype with RA. Moreover, we detected an association between the ?794 CATT₇ allele with early onset RA. The ?794 CATT₇ and ?173^*C alleles, which are in linkage disequilibrium, were associated with high disease activity on RA patients. A positive correlation between circulating MIF levels and C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor, anti-citrullinated protein/peptides antibodies and TNFα was detected. MIF levels appear to be associated with disease progression rather than disease activity, which is distinct from the established relationship between disease activity and TNFα levels. In conclusion, the MIF gene and protein are associated with RA in a western Mexican population, with a main contribution onto early onset and early stages of disease.     

A New Ichnospecies of Arthrophycus from the Upper Cambrian-Lower Tremadocian of Northwest Argentina: Implications for the Arthrophycid Lineage and Potential in Ichnostratigraphy

A new ichnospecies of Arthrophycus Hall 1852, A. minimus , is described from Upper Cambrian-Lower Tremadocian, shallow-marine strata of northwest Argentina. This new ichnospecies consists of small, long, regularly annulated hypichnial elements displaying subcircular to squarish cross-section and a ventral median groove. Side branches are occasionally present, but palmate, fan-like structures and scribbling patterns are absent. We adopt a relatively narrow diagnosis of Arthrophycus , suggesting that roughly annulated, cylindrical structures should not be included in this ichnogenus, unless other diagnostic features (i.e., squarish cross-section, median groove, zipper-like annulations) are also present. Arthrophycus is a common ichnotaxon in Ordovician-Silurian shallow-marine siliciclastic environments. Post-Paleozoic occurrences are removed from Arthrophycus . Arthrophycus has been proposed as a biostratigraphic index fossil in Ordovician-Silurian rocks. The presence of A. minimus in the Santa Rosita Formation of northwest Argentina indicates that Arthrophycus ranges at least from the Upper Cambrian-Lower Tremadocian with probable representatives in the Lower Cambrian and, therefore, its biostratigraphic utility is extended. Arthrophycus minimus represents the first Cambrian occurrence exhibiting not only fine, diagnostic morphologic features, but also the classical Arthrophycus behavioral pattern in dense monoichnospecific assemblages. The exploratory behavioral pattern displayed by A. minimus is simpler than that of the younger ichnospecies, particularly A. brogniartii, A. alleghaniensis, and A. lateralis . This is consistent with the basal position of A. minimus within the arthrophycid lineage.     

Fluidity and oxidative stress in erythrocytes from very low birth weight infants during their first 7 days of life

Objective: To study the evolution of lipid peroxidation, enzymatic antioxidants response, lipid profile and membrane fluidity in erythrocytes from very low birth weight (VLBW) infants during their first 7 days of extra-uterine life.

Study design: One hundred and twenty infants were selected and divided in two groups according to their weight and gestational age. Hydroperoxides, fatty-acid profile, fluidity (DPH and TMA-DPH) and catalase, SOD and GPx activities were measured in erythrocytes.

Results: VLBW group showed higher concentration of hydroperoxides and lower membrane fluidity during the first 72 h, lower SOD activity during the first 3 h and higher GPx activity during the first 7 days of life. Also, this group showed lower n-3 polyunsaturated fatty-acids percentage with respect to the term group.

Conclusion: Erythrocytes from VLBW infants showed higher oxidative damage and lower fluidity in their membranes, at least during the first 3 days of extra-uterine life, which may cause alterations in their functions and flexibility.     

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Water Consumption by Energy Crops Grown in Spain

The environmental impact of the water consumption of four typical crop rotations grown in Spain, including energy crops, was analyzed and compared against Spanish agricultural and natural reference situations. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used for the assessment of the potential environmental impact of blue water (withdrawal from water bodies) and green water (uptake of soil moisture) consumption. The latter has so far been disregarded in LCA. To account for green water, two approaches have been applied: the first accounts for the difference in green water demand of the crops and a reference situation. The second is a green water scarcity index, which measures the fraction of the soil‐water plant consumption to the available green water. Our results show that, if the aim is to minimize the environmental impacts of water consumption, the energy crop rotations assessed in this study were most suitable in basins in the northeast of Spain. In contrast, the energy crops grown in basins in the southeast of Spain were associated with the greatest environmental impacts. Further research into the integration of quantitative green water assessment in LCA is crucial in studies of systems with a high dependence on green water resources.     

Suppression of Grb2 expression improved hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis induced by palmitic acid in vitro partly through insulin signaling alteration

In this study, we aimed to study the role of growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) in palmitic acid-induced steatosis and other “fatty liver” symptoms in vitro. HepG2 cells, with or without stably suppressed Grb2 expression, were incubated with palmitic acid for 24 h to induce typical clinical “fatty liver” features, including steatosis, impaired glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. MTT and Oil Red O assays were applied to test cell viability and fat deposition, respectively. Glucose uptake assay was used to evaluate the glucose utilization of cells. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to measure expressional changes of key markers of insulin signaling, lipid/glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. After 24-h palmitic acid induction, increased fat accumulation, reduced glucose uptake, impaired insulin signaling, enhanced oxidative stress, and increased apoptosis were observed in HepG2 cells. Suppression of Grb2 in HepG2 significantly reduced fat accumulation, improved glucose metabolism, ameliorated oxidative stress, and restored the activity of insulin receptor substrate-1/Akt and MEK/ERK pathways. In addition, Grb2 deficiency attenuated hepatic apoptosis shown by reduced activation of caspase-3 and fluorescent staining. Modulation of Bcl-2 and Bak1 also contributed to reduced apoptosis. In conclusion, suppression of Grb2 expression in HepG2 cells improved hepatic steatosis, glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis induced by palmitic acid incubation partly though modulating the insulin signaling pathway.