The Crosstalk Between Neurons and Glia in Methamphetamine-Induced Neuroinflammation

Neurochemical Research - Methamphetamine (METH), an illicit psycho-stimulant, is widely known as an addictive drug that may cause neurotoxic effects. Previous researches on METH abuse have mainly...     

Characterization of Rice Blast Isolates by the Differential System and their Application for Mapping a Resistance Gene,Pi19(t)

To facilitate resistance gene characterization in the present study, the pathogenicities of newly collected blast isolates from rice fields in the Philippines were characterized using international blast differential varieties consisting of 31 monogenic lines that target 24 resistance genes. To classify and designate the blast isolates, we used a new international blast designation system, which has been proposed as a suitable naming system for comparing blast races among different studies. A total of 23 rice blast isolates collected from the Philippines were classified into 16 pathotypes, which showed reaction patterns different from those seen in the standard isolates. Among the blast pathotypes, 11 had differentiating ability for four Pik alleles (Pik, Pik‐m, Pik‐h, and Pik‐p) and Pi1, whereas the standard blast isolates from the Philippines were not able to differentiate these genes. In addition, several blast isolates were avirulent to IRBLt‐K59, IRBL19‐A, and Lijiangxintuanheigu, although the standard differential blast isolates were virulent to these lines. Moreover, two blast isolates were virulent to a monogenic line, IRBL9‐W, which harbours Pi9 and was resistant to all standard differential blast isolates. By using the isolates avirulent to IRBL19‐A, Pi19(t) was successfully mapped in the centromeric region on chromosome 12 with simple sequence repeat markers RM27937 and RM1337. These markers are useful for marker‐assisted Pi19(t) introgression worldwide.     

Follistatin-like protein 1 is elevated in systemic autoimmune diseases and correlated with disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction

Follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) is a proinflammation mediator implicated in arthritis in rodent animal models. The present study is aimed at assessing FSTL1 levels in systemic autoimmune diseases and correlating them with disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Serum FSTL1 levels from 487 patients with systemic autoimmune diseases and 69 healthy individuals were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). FSTL1 expression in synovial fluid (SF) and synovial tissues (STs) was determined by ELISA, immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis in RA patients and trauma controls. FSTL1 levels in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from RA patients were determined by real-time PCR and western blot analysis.

Results

Serum FSTL1 levels were significantly elevated in patients with RA, ulcerative colitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome (SS), systemic sclerosis and polymyositis/dermatomyositis. Serum FSTL1 levels in the RA and secondary SS patients were substantially higher than those in other patients. Serum FSTL1 levels were increased in early RA, rheumatoid factor (RF)- and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA)-negative patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, serum FSTL1 concentrations were significantly higher in long-standing RA patients than in early RA patients and in the RF- and ACPA-positive RA patients than in RF- and ACPA-negative RA patients. Elevated FSTL1 levels in the STs and SF of RA patients were also observed. FSTL1 levels in serum were markedly higher than those in SF in RA patients. The strongest FSTL1 staining was detected in the cytoplasm of synovial and capillary endothelial cells from RA synovium. Furthermore, FSTL1 was induced in FLSs by inflammatory mediators. Importantly, serum FSTL1 levels were correlated with several important biologic and clinical markers of disease activity, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, RF, ACPA, swollen joint count, patient global visual analogue scale score and Disease Activity Score 28 in the adult RA patient population. Notably, serum FSTL1 levels were significantly diminished following successful treatment and clinical improvement.

Conclusions

Elevated FSTL1 levels reflect not only joint diseases but also inflammation and tissue degradation in systemic autoimmune diseases. Serum FSTL1 levels may thus serve as a serological inflammatory marker of disease activity in RA patients.     

Characterization of plasma triiodophenol binding proteins in vertebrates and tissue distribution of triiodophenol in Rana catesbeiana tadpoles

We investigated the interaction of 2,4,6-triiodophenol (TIP), a potent thyroid hormone disrupting chemical, with serum proteins from rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), chicken (Gallus gallus), pig (Sus scrofa domesticus), and rat (Rattus norvegicus) using a [(125)I]TIP binding assay, gel filtration chromatography, and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. [(125)I]TIP bound non-specifically to proteins in trout serum, specifically but weakly to proteins in bullfrog serum, and specifically and strongly to proteins in chicken, pig, and rat serum samples. Candidate TIP-binding proteins included lipoproteins (220-320kDa) in trout, albumin in bullfrog, albumin and transthyretin (TTR) in chicken and pig, and TTR in rat. TTR in the chicken, pig, and rat serum samples was responsible for the high-affinity, low-capacity binding sites for TIP (dissociation constant 2.2-3.5×10(-10)M). In contrast, a weak interaction of [(125)I]TIP with tadpole serum proteins accelerated [(125)I]TIP cellular uptake in vitro. Intraperitoneal injection of [(125)I]TIP in tadpoles revealed that the radioactivity was predominantly accumulated in the gallbladder and the kidney. The differences in the molecular and binding properties of TIP binding proteins among vertebrates would affect in part the cellular availability, tissue distribution and clearance of TIP.