CHF5074 restores visual memory ability and pre‐synaptic cortical acetylcholine release in pre‐plaque Tg2576 mice

CHF5074, a new microglial modulator, attenuates memory deficit in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice. In this study, the effect of an acute or subacute CHF5074 treatment on in vivo novel object recognition test and on [³H]Acetylcholine (ACh) and GABA release in pre‐plaque (7‐month‐old) Tg2576 mice have been compared with those induced by the γ‐secretase inhibitor LY450139 (semagacestat). Vehicle‐treated Tg2576 mice displayed an impairment of recognition memory compared with wild‐type animals. This impairment was recovered in transgenic animals acutely treated with CHF5074 (30 mg/kg), while LY450139 (1, 3, 10 mg/kg) was ineffective. In frontal cortex synaptosomes from vehicle‐treated Tg2576 mice, K⁺‐evoked [³H]ACh release was lower than that measured in wild‐type mice. This reduction was absent in transgenic animals subacutely treated with CHF5074 (30 mg/kg daily for 8 days), while it was slightly, not significantly, amplified by LY450139 (3 mg/kg daily for 8 days). There were no differences between the groups on spontaneous [³H]ACh release as well as spontaneous and K⁺‐evoked GABA release. These results suggest that CHF5074 has beneficial effects on visual memory and cortical cholinergic dysfunctions in pre‐plaque Tg2576 mice. Together with previous findings, these data suggest that CHF5074 could be a possible candidate for early Alzheimer's disease therapeutic regimens.     

When to approach novel prey cues? Social learning strategies in frog-eating bats

Animals can use different sources of information when making decisions. Foraging animals often have access to both self-acquired and socially acquired information about prey. The fringe-lipped bat, Trachops cirrhosus, hunts frogs by approaching the calls that frogs produce to attract mates. We examined how the reliability of self-acquired prey cues affects social learning of novel prey cues. We trained bats to associate an artificial acoustic cue (mobile phone ringtone) with food rewards. Bats were assigned to treatments in which the trained cue was either an unreliable indicator of reward (rewarded 50% of the presentations) or a reliable indicator (rewarded 100% of the presentations), and they were exposed to a conspecific tutor foraging on a reliable (rewarded 100%) novel cue or to the novel cue with no tutor. Bats whose trained cue was unreliable and who had a tutor were significantly more likely to preferentially approach the novel cue when compared with bats whose trained cue was reliable, and to bats that had no tutor. Reliability of self-acquired prey cues therefore affects social learning of novel prey cues by frog-eating bats. Examining when animals use social information to learn about novel prey is key to understanding the social transmission of foraging innovations.     

广西柿种质资源果实性状多样性分析与模糊综合评价

为进一步揭示广西柿种质资源信息,运用多样性分析和模糊综合评价法对不同生态气候区的柿种质资源果实性状进行研究和评价。结果表明:不同柿种质的果实性状存在丰富的多样性。86份柿种质的模糊综合评价指数FCI值在1.849～3.947之间,平均2.835。根据FCI取值范围将所调查的柿种质分成5个等级,FCI值最高的第5级种质数量最少,占所调查种质的3.49%;FCI值最低的第1级种质数量最多,占所调查种质的48.84%。月柿、牛心柿、大方柿、京柿、鸡心柿、小方柿和火柿等柿品种及一些实生单株的模糊综合评价指数较高,它们的果实综合性状表现较优,建议作为优良品种和单株加以开发和利用。部分单个性状比较优良的实生单株虽不适合于直接推广种植,但可作为柿品种改良的资源加以利用。     

60份豇豆品种资源的耐盐能力评判

运用《豇豆基因型耐盐能力技术鉴定方法》(专利号ZL200810048423.5),对60份豇豆品种的耐盐能力进行了鉴定评判。试验材料经苗期培养和盐胁迫处理后,分别测定处理组和对照组的植株叶片叶绿素含量、过氧化氢酶活性、可溶性蛋白质含量、细胞伤害率以及单株鲜重等指标并计算其SRI值,运用专利技术的预测模型,得出各品种耐盐综合评价值(D值)。依据评判标准,紫魁、玉农农家宝特优、抗病芦花等11个品种的综合评价值D≥0.68,归为盐耐受型品种;之豇14、白皮、矮紫尾青等8个品种的综合评价值D≤0.48,归为盐敏感型品种;其余41个品种的D值介于0.48~0.68之间,属于中度耐盐品种。本研究结果扩大了豇豆种质耐盐能力鉴定评判份数,丰富了耐盐种质鉴定信息。     

平榛种质资源坚果农艺性状鉴定与评价研究

平榛是我国重要的榛属植物资源,为鉴定、评价和保护平榛种质资源,提高其利用效率,采用主成分分析和聚类分析方法对99份平榛种质资源坚果的主要农艺性状进行了鉴定和综合评价。结果表明:平榛种质资源坚果的24个性状具有丰富的遗传多样性;10个数量性状的主成分分析确定了4类影响因子,反映了育种选择方向及潜力;基于各种质间形态性状的遗传差异,将99份平榛种质划分为5大类群,第Ⅰ类群可作为选育果面光滑品种的育种和候选亲本材料,第Ⅱ类群可作为选育大粒型、适宜机械化加工的育种和候选亲本材料,第Ⅲ类群具有作为市场产品的潜力,第Ⅳ类群可作为选育圆形、果面无条纹的育种和候选亲本材料,第Ⅴ类群可作为选育高丰产性品种的育种和候选亲本材料。上述研究为平榛种质资源的评价、保护和选优工作提供了基础数据。     

利用SRAP标记分析贵州砂梨资源遗传多样性

采用SRAP标记技术,对贵州59份砂梨种质的遗传多样性进行分析。结果表明:(1)筛选的15对SRAP引物共扩增出151个位点,其中120个是多态性位点,多态百分率为79.47%。(2)POPGENE分析表明,贵州砂梨资源在物种水平上有效等位基因数(Ne)为1.355 9,Nei’s基因多样性指数(H)为0.216 9,Shannon’s信息指数(I)为0.336 2;在区域品种群水平Ne=1.261 1,H=0.155 5,I=0.235 2,以黔西南地区资源的遗传多样性最高,六盘水市最低。(3)聚类分析显示,在遗传相似系数0.75处,可将59份砂梨资源分为6个组,聚类分析结果具有一定的地理区域特性。研究认为,贵州砂梨种质具有较为丰富的遗传多样性,并表现出明显的地理区域特性;SRAP标记与ISSR标记在揭示贵州砂梨种质遗传多样性上具有高度的一致性,但SRAP标记能在更小的变异范围内揭示更多的遗传信息。     

藏区金腰种质资源调查与分析

金腰属植物因富含黄酮醇类化合物而具有显著的药效,通过对我国西藏、云南、四川、青海以及甘肃5个省(自治区)进行金腰属植物种质资源的科学考察,共收集到19种(含2变种)145份野生种质资源。此外四川省发现金腰新分布2种,分别为秦岭金腰(Chrysosplenium biondianum Engl.)、陕甘金腰(Chrysosplenium qinlingense Z.P.Jien&J.T.Pan),均为中国特有种;甘肃省发现金腰新分布3种,分别为毛金腰(Chrysosplenium pilosum Maxim.)、绵毛金腰(Chrysosplenium lanuginosum Hook.f.&Thomson)和蜕叶金腰(Chrysosplenium henryi Franch.),凭证标本存于中南民族大学植物标本馆(HSN)。金腰属植物作为传统藏药长期以来被用于治疗各种疾病,如长梗金腰(Chrysosplenium axillare Maxim.)的75%乙醇提取物具抗炎症、抗流感病毒活性,从灰花金腰(Chrysosplenium grayanum Maxim.)与裸茎金腰(Chrysosplenium nudicaule Bunge)提取的五环三萜对肿瘤细胞有较强抑制效果。本调查丰富了野生藏药金腰属植物种质资源,为深入研究金腰属植物的分类与药理活性提供了基础。     

心肌纤维化的信号转导机制及新型抑制剂的研究进展

心肌纤维化(myocardial fibrosis, MF)是心肌重构发生的重要病理过程,能够引起心脏衰竭甚至死亡。心肌组织中成纤维细胞异常增殖并转化为肌成纤维细胞以及心肌细胞外基质代谢紊乱导致沉积是心肌纤维化形成的主要病理基础。心肌纤维化发生的分子机制较复杂,已发现多种信号通路参与了心肌纤维化的发生。该文主要对参与调控心肌纤维化的信号转导机制进行了综述,并对新型信号抑制剂的研究进展进行了小结。     

Mouse knockout of guanylyl cyclase C: Recognition memory deficits in the absence of activity changes

Guanylyl cyclase C (GC‐C) is found in brain regions where dopamine is expressed. We characterized a mouse in which GC‐C was knocked out (KO) that was reported to be a model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We re‐examined this model and controlled for litter effects, used 16 to 23 mice per genotype per sex and assessed an array of behavioral and neurochemical outcomes. GC‐C KO mice showed no phenotypic differences from wild‐type mice on most behavioral tests, or on striatal or hippocampal monoamines, and notably no evidence of an ADHD‐like phenotype. KO mice were impaired on novel object recognition, had decreased tactile startle but not acoustic startle, and females had increased latency on cued training trials in the Morris water maze, but not hidden platform spatial learning trials. Open‐field activity showed small differences in females but not males. The data indicate that the GC‐C KO mouse with proper controls and sample sizes has a moderate cognitive and startle phenotype but has no ADHD‐like phenotype.