Gut microbiota from end-stage renal disease patients disrupt gut barrier function by excessive production of phenol

<正>End stage renal disease (ESRD), an advanced stage of chronic kidney disease, has received increasing attention as a leading public health problem (Webster et al., 2017). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ESRD are invariably accompanied by chronic systemic inflammation which plays central roles in CKD progression (Cachofeiro et al., 2008) and the increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease (Landray et al., 2004). Accumulating evidence in humans and     

Toxicity of food sweetener-sodium cyclamate on osteoblasts cells

In this paper, the effect of commonly used food sweetener (sodium cyclamate) on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts has been researched. The morophology change of osteoblasts was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Cell viability was studied by MTT analysis. BMP2 expression was analyzed by western blot and immunofluorescence. Mineralization ability of osteoblasts was researched by using alizarin red staining method. The results indicate that a very low concentration (0.06?μM) of sodium cyclamate can curle and fold microfilament and microtubule of osteoblasts. The increase addition of sodium cyclamate resulted significantly decrease of cells viability. The expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) was seriously suppressed by sodium cyclamate. Alizarin Red staining experiment revealed that sodium cyclamate decreased the mineralization ability of osteoblasts. The present results suggest that sodium cyclamate can seriously inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts.     

Regulation of Zinc Transporter 1 Expression in Dorsal Horn of Spinal Cord After Acute Spinal Cord Injury of Rats by Dietary Zinc

Zinc concentrations in the dorsal horn of spinal cord are important for wound healing, neurological function, and reproduction. However, the response of the spinal cord to alterations in dietary zinc is unknown in rats after spinal cord injury (SCI). The current study explored cellular zinc levels and zinc transporter 1 (ZnT1) expression in the dorsal horn of spinal cord with different dietary zinc after SCI. A hundred and forty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operated group (30?mg Zn/kg), zinc-high dietary SCI model group (ZH, 180?mg Zn/kg), zinc-adequate dietary SCI model group (30?mg Zn/kg), and marginal zinc-deficient dietary SCI model group (MZD, 5?mg Zn/kg). To test the hypothesis that dietary zinc may regulate role of ZnT1 expression in dorsal horn after acute SCI, we traced ZnT1 proteins and zinc ions with immunohistochemistry, western blot, and autometallography. Zinc and ZnT1 levels of the dorsal horn in ZH significantly increased after surgery (P?<?0.05), reached peak level (P?<?0.05) on the seventh day, and subsequently levels of their expression began to decrease. But zinc levels and ZnT1 expression of spinal cord in MZD dietary groups decreased (P?<?0.05) in SCI. There was a positive correlation between ZnT1 protein and zinc content in spinal cord (R?=?0.49880, P?=?0.0492). We found that both zinc and ZnT1 expressions in spinal cord are regulated by dietary zinc. These results indicate that dietary zinc may regulate the expression of ZnT1 in the dorsal horn of spinal cord after SCI. ZnT1 may, at the same time, play a significant role in the maintenance of zinc homeostasis in SCI.     

Gene conversion in transgenic maize plants expressing FLP/FRT and Cre/loxP site-specific recombination systems

DNA recombination reactions (site-specific and homologous) were monitored in the progeny of transgenic maize plants by bringing together two recombination substrates (docking sites and shuttle vectors) in the zygotes. In one combination of transgenic events, the recombination marker gene (yellow fluorescent protein gene, YFP) was activated in 1%-2% of the zygotes receiving both substrates. In other crosses, chimeric embryos and plants were identified, indicative of late recombination events taking place after the first mitotic division of the zygotes. The docking site structure remained unchanged; therefore, all recovered recombination events were classified as gene conversions. The recombinant YFP-r gene segregated as a single locus in subsequent generations. The recombination products showed evidence of homologous recombination at the 5' end of the YFP marker gene and recombinational rearrangements at the other end, consistent with the conclusion that DNA replication was involved in generation of the recombination products. Here, we demonstrate that maize zygotes are efficient at generating homologous recombination products and that the homologous recombination pathways may successfully compete with other possible DNA repair/recombination mechanisms such as site-specific recombination. These results indicate that maize zygotes provide a permissive environment for homologous recombination, offering a new strategy for gene targeting in maize.     

Melatonin Enhances Autophagy and Reduces Apoptosis to Promote Locomotor Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway

Neurochemical Research - Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to neuronal death resulting in central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction; however, the pathogenesis is still poorly understood. Melatonin...     

广西和广东现代人的面颅特征

根据22项的面颅测量数据与北方地区(西安、青岛)现代人相应项目作比较和分析,结果表明我国南北地区间的面颅特征的差异程度既有大部分项目的近似,又存在南方地区面颅的上面高、眶高与鼻高等的纵径上都较北方地区为低的显著差异。     

Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-Products (RAGE) Blockade Do Damage to Neuronal Survival via Disrupting Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Spinal Cord Injury

Wnt signaling are recognized key factors in neuronal development, cell proliferation and axonal guidance. However, RAGE effect on wnt signaling after spinal cord injury (SCI) are poorly understood. Our study aims to explore RAGE blockade effect on wnt signaling after SCI. We constructed Allen SCI model and micro-injected with RAGE neutralizing antibody or IgG after injury. We determined β-catenin, wnt3a and its receptor frizzled-5 via Western blot. We determined β-catenin/NeuN expression at 2 weeks after SCI via immunofluorescence (IF). We found that β-catenin, wnt3a and wnt receptor frizzled5 expression were activated after SCI at 3 days after injury. However, RAGE blockade inhibit β-catenin, wnt3a and frizzled5 expression. We found that β-catenin accumulation in NeuN cells were activated after SCI via IF, however, RAGE blockade reduced β-catenin and NeuN positive cells. RAGE blockade attenuated number of survived neurons and decreased area of spared white matter around the epicenter. RAGE signaling may involved in disrupting wnt signaling to aids neuronal recovery after SCI.     

广西壮族的面颅特征

根据面颅22项的测量数据与广西汉族相应项目之比较,表明两族间的面颅特征是基本相似的。但某些项目仍然存在差异。