Regulatory effects of Trichinella spiralis serpin-type serine protease inhibitor on endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in host intestinal epithelial cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and oxidative stress (OS) are adaptive responses of the body to stressor stimulation. Although it has been verified that Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) can induce ERS and OS in the host, their association is still unclear. Therefore, this study explored whether T. spiralis-secreted serpin-type serine protease inhibitor (TsAdSPI) is involved in regulating the relationship between ERS and OS in the host intestine. In this study, mice jejunum and porcine small intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) were detected using qPCR, western blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), and detection kits. The results showed that ERS- and OS-related indexes changed significantly after TsAdSPI stimulation, and Bip was located in IECs, indicating that TsAdSPI could induce ERS and OS in IECs. After the use of an ERS inhibitor, OS-related indexes were inhibited, suggesting that TsAdSPI-induced OS depends on ERS. When the three ERS signalling pathways, ATF6, IRE1, and PERK, were sequentially suppressed, OS was only regulated by the PERK pathway, and the PERK-eif2α-CHOP-ERO1α axis played a key role. Similarly, the expression of ERS-related indexes and the level of intracellular Ca2+ were inhibited after adding the OS inhibitor, and the expression of ERS-related indexes decreased significantly after inhibiting calcium transfer. This finding indicated that TsAdSPI-induced OS could affect ERS by promoting Ca2+ efflux from the endoplasmic reticulum. The detection of the ERS and OS sequences revealed that OS occurred before ERS. Finally, changes in apoptosis-related indexes were detected, and the results indicated that TsAdSPI-induced ERS and OS could regulate IEC apoptosis. In conclusion, TsAdSPI induced OS after entering IECs, OS promoted ERS by enhancing Ca2+ efflux, and ERS subsequently strengthened OS by activating the PERK-eif2α-CHOP-ERO1α axis. ERS and OS induced by TsAdSPI synergistically promoted IEC apoptosis. This study provides a foundation for exploring the invasion mechanism of T. spiralis and the pathogenesis of host intestinal dysfunction after invasion.

Alleviation of Rheumatoid Arthritis by Inducing IDO Expression with Trichinella spiralis Recombinant Protein 43.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents the autoimmune disorder that shows aggressive arthritis as the main symptom. It is difficult to treat and can lead to joint deformation and function loss. At present, Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) antigen has attracted much attention because it plays a role in host immune regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, we selected T. spiralis recombinant protein 43 (Tsp43) to treat the bovine collagen type II (BCII)-induced mice RA model and explored its therapeutic mechanisms. This work first verified that Tsp43 could promote the expression of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) in dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro. Then, we randomized BALB/c mice (8 weeks old) into six groups, including control, phosphate buffer saline (PBS), BCII, BCII + heat inactivated Tsp43 (HiTsp43), BCII + Tsp43, and BCII + Tsp43 + 1-methyl-troptophan (1-MT) groups. To determine the therapeutic effect of Tsp43 on the BCII-induced mice RA model, relevant cytokines in each group and pathological changes in ankle joints were detected. To explore the mechanisms of Tsp43 on the BCII-induced mice RA model, we checked the expression of IDO in each group, CD4+T cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Collectively, Tsp43 decreased tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) expression in BCII-induced mice RA model and recovered the ankle injury to a certain extent. Tsp43 promoted high expression of IDO, caused expression of related apoptotic proteins in CD4+T cells, and caused apoptosis in CD4+T cells. In addition, Tsp43 reduced the proliferation of CD4+T cells. However, these effects can be inhibited by 1-MT (IDO inhibitor). These results suggested that Tsp43 played an important role in the treatment of arthritis by inhibiting the proliferation of CD4+T cells and inducing CD4+T cells apoptosis through the high expression of IDO. The purpose of this experiment was to provide a new idea for the treatment of RA and lay a foundation for the development of parasite-derived drugs for the treatment of RA.

Potential of utilizing pathogen-derived mycotoxins as alternatives to synthetic herbicides in controlling the noxious invasive plant Xanthium italicum.

Discovery of environmentally friendly agents for controlling alien invasive species (AIS) is challenging and in urgent need as their expansion continues to increase. Xanthium italicum is a notorious invasive weed that has caused serious ecological and economic impacts worldwide. For the purpose of exploring the possibility of utilizing herbicidal mycotoxins to control this species, three compounds, a new compound, curvularioxide (1), a new naturally occurring compound, dehydroradicinin (2), and a known compound, radicinin (3), were isolated via activity-guided fractionation from the secondary metabolites of the pathogenic Curvularia inaequalis, which was found to infect X. italicum in natural habitats. All isolated compounds exhibited potent herbicidal activity on receiver species. It is noteworthy to mention that their effects on X. italicum in our bioassays were equivalent to the commercial herbicide glyphosate. Subsequent morphological analysis revealed that application of radicinin (3) severely hindered X. italicum seedlings' hypocotyl and root development. Malondialdehyde content and the activity of catalase and peroxidase of the seedlings were also significantly different from the control, implying the occurrence of induced oxidative stress. Our results suggest that pathogens infecting invasive plants might be valuable resources for developing safer herbicides for controlling weeds. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effectiveness of Continuous Care Interventions in Elderly Patients with High-Risk Pressure Ulcers and Impact on Patients' Activities of Daily Living.

Objective: To explore the influence of continuous care interventions on the incidence of pressure ulcers in elderly patients with high-risk pressure ulcers and their activities of daily living (ADL). Methods: The clinical records of 114 elderly patients at high risk of pressure ulcers (Patients had a Braden pressure ulcer risk score less than or equal to 18 and suffered no pressure pressure ulcers) who attended our hospital from February 2020 to February 2022 were collected for retrospective analysis. Among them, 54 patients treated with conventional nursing interventions were assigned to the control group (CG) (64-91 years old), and the remaining 60 treated with continuous care interventions were assigned to the observation group (OG) (61-91years old). The detection indices and clinical related data were collected from LIS system of our hospital. The self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) scores of the two groups were compared before and after the intervention, and the improvement in quality of life and ADL scores were counted. The post-care satisfaction and incidence of pressure ulcers were analyzed, and the caregivers' pressure ulcer care behaviors and pressure ulcer management abilities before and after treatment were compared between both groups of patients. Results: The SAS and SDS scores were lower in the OG (38.33±3.21 and 39.07±4.15) than in the CG (44.74±4.13 and 45.80±3.92) after the intervention (P < .05); quality of life and ADL were higher in the OG (44.07±7.15 and 58.33±6.21) than in the CG (36.20±6.92 and 45.84±6.12) after the intervention (P < .05). The incidence of pressure ulcers in the OG (18.33%) was lower than that in the CG (37.04%) after the intervention (P < .05); total nursing satisfaction in the OG (91.67%) was higher than that in the CG (74.07%) after the intervention (P < .05), and caregivers' pressure ulcer care behaviors and pressure ulcer management abilities of patients in the OG (36.42±2.41 and 44.07±7.15) were higher than those in the CG (29.23±2.50 and 36.20±6.92) after the intervention (P < .05). Conclusion: Continuous care interventions can be promoted for elderly patients with high-risk pressure ulcers outside the hospital, which can reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers, negative emotions, related complications and treatment costs, and improve the effective utilization of medical resources. In the future, continuous care guidelines and training plans can be developed for elderly patients with high-risk pressure ulcers, so as to improve the understanding and application ability of health care providers and nurses on intervention measures.

Chemical Profiling and Antifungal Activity of Ziziphora clinopodioides Leaf Essential Oil against the Pathogen Verticillium dahliae.

Essential oils (EOs) are often used as natural antifungal agents to control the growth of phytopathogenic fungi. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Ziziphora clinopodioides leaf EO against Verticillium dahliae, a pathogenic fungus of cotton. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed the presence of 15 compounds of the total of extracted oil, which was consisted of 98.79 % monoterpenes and 0.61 % sesquiterpenes. The major constituents were pulegone (62.17 %), isomenthone (18.42 %), l-menthone (5.55 %) and piperitenone (3.99 %). The mycelial growth of Verticillium dahliae was completely inhibited at 0.24 µL/mL air under vapor phase condition. Considerable morphological variations were also observed in the fungal sclerotia at the contact phase at 3 µL/mL. This study demonstrated for the first time that Z. clinopodioides EO can effectively inhibit the growth of V. dahliae, implying that it has the potential to be explored as an antifungal agent against Verticillium Wilt of cotton.

Phytotoxic, insecticidal, and antimicrobial activities of Ajania tibetica essential oil.

The chemical profile of Ajania tibetica essential oil (EO) and its phytotoxic, insecticidal, and antimicrobial activities were assessed. Monoterpenes (79.05%) and sesquiterpenes (10.33%) were dominant in the EO, with camphor, (+/-)-lavandulol and eucalyptol being the major constituents, representing 55.06% of the total EO. The EO possessed potent phytotoxicity against Poa annua and Medicago sativa starting from 0.5 mg/mL, and when the concentration rose to 5 mg/mL, seed germination of both tested species was 100% suppressed. Ajania tibetica EO displayed significant pesticidal activity against Aphis gossypii with an LC50 value of 17.41 µg/mL; meanwhile, the EO also showed antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Verticillium dahlia and Aspergillus niger using broth microdilution and disc diffusion methods. For the tested bacterial and fungal strains, the EO exhibited a repressing effect, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.3125 to 1.25 mg/mL for bacteria and from 1.25 to 2.5 mg/mL for fungi, whereas the minimum microbicidal concentrations (MMCs) were 5 mg/mL for bacteria and 2.5 mg/mL for fungi. Our study is the first report on the chemical profile as well as the phytotoxicity, insecticidal and antimicrobic activity of A. tibetica EO, indicating its potential value as an alternative synthetic pesticide.

Case Report: Kearns Sayre Syndrome Complicated With Postpartum Cardiac Failure.

Kearns Sayre Syndrome (KSS) is a rare mitochondrial disease characterized by a primary dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Cardiac involvement is a poor prognostic factor of KSS. Pregnancy and delivery in a KSS patient with cardiac involvement is uncommon, and strategies for the supervision and management of this group remain unclear. Herein, we report and discuss pregnancy and delivery complicated with acute cardiopulmonary failure in a woman with KSS.

Expression and prognostic analysis of BGN in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: BGN belongs to class of small leucine rich proteoglycans, which is high expression in plenty of human cancers. However, the detailed role of BGN remains unclear in Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we assessed the transcriptional expression, protein expression, prognosis, co-expressed genes, functional enrichment, and hub genes in HNSC patients based on the data published in the following databases: ONCOMINE, GEPIA, GEO, LinkedOmics, and HPA databases. Data from the TCGA database was used to analyze the correlations between BGN expression and different clinicopathological features, as well as prognostic analysis. RESULTS: We found that the expression of BGN is higher in patients with HNSC than in control tissues. Pathologically, high BGN expression was significantly correlated with T3 and T4 stage. Besides, high expression of BGN is a poor prognostic factor for overall surviva, not disease free survival. The co-expression genes associated with BGN expression exhibited enriched in various function and pathway, such as extracellular matrix, mitochondrion, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. A total of 10 hub genes were identified from the co-expressed genes, within which five genes, including FSTL1, LAMB1, SDC2, VCAN, and IGFBP7, were significantly increased in patient's with HNSC. BGN exhibited weak correlations with tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T, macrophages cell, and dendritic cells. Futhermore, many markers of infiltrating immune cells, such as Treg, showed different BGN-related immune infiltration patterns. BGN expression showed strong correlations with diverse immune marker sets in COAD and STAD. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that BGN is high expression in HNSC and is a poor prognostic factor for clinical outcome in patients with HNSC. It could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for patients survival in HNSC.

Postmyomectomy uterocutaneous fistula: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Uterocutaneous fistula (UCF) is an uncommon clinical entity. The aetiology and optimal treatment strategy of UCF are still not clear. GnRHa (gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist) treatment as an option for conservative hormone therapy for UCF has diverse clinical outcomes. The true status of hormone receptors in UCF lesions and its relationship with the therapeutic effect of GnRHa treatment have not yet been studied. CASE PRESENTATION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE: A 39-year-old woman underwent an uneventful myomectomy during her initial visit to our centre. The patient returned to our centre with complaints of fluid oozing from her abdominal wound. Misdiagnosed with poor wound healing, the patient received a secondary closure. Consequent blood-stained drainage from the wound during menstruation and imaging tests confirmed the diagnosis of UCF. Surgical repair and excision of the fistula tract were performed. Histopathological analysis revealed fistulization and a negative status of hormone receptors in the fistula. Considering the controversial role of GnRHa treatment in UCF and the negative oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status in the current case, we further systematically reviewed the literature for GnRHa treatment for UCF, with the results showing that GnRHa manipulation as a conservative hormone therapeutic schedule is effective in 2 (50%) of the 4 patients in which it was attempted. CONCLUSION: UCF is a rare entity and tends to be misdiagnosed. GnRHa as a conservative therapy for UCF has different clinical outcomes. The current finding of a negative hormone receptor status in the fistula may provide new clues for further exploration of the mechanisms of the diverse therapeutic effects of GnRHa on UCF.

Expectant management for umbilical artery thrombosis: a report of two cases and literature review.

OBJECTIVES: Umbilical artery thrombosis (UAT) is considered a marker for poor fetal prognosis. Because of limited studies, the clinical management for this disease remains a challenge. Most of the previously reported cases chose emergency cesarean section at the confirmation of this disease. CASES PRESENTATION: Here, we studied two cases of UAT choosing expectant management with strict fetal observation. Both cases had good maternal and fetal outcomes without any complications. CONCLUSIONS: For UAT patients with good maternal and fetal status, especially for the preterm group with an urgent need to extend the pregnancy period, expectant management with the US and close fetal monitoring may be an alternative to emergent delivery.

Chemical composition and phytotoxic activity of the essential oil of Artemisia sieversiana growing in Xinjiang, China.

The chemical profile and phytotoxic activity of the essential oil extracted from Artemisia sieversiana was investigated. In total 17 compounds were identified by GC/MS, representing 99.17% of the entire oil, among which α-thujone (64.46%) and eucalyptol (10.15%) were the most abundant constituents. The major components, their mixture as well as the essential oil exhibited significant phytotoxic activity against Amaranthus retroflexus, Medicago sativa, Poa annua and Pennisetum alopecuroides, with their IC50 values ranged from 1.55 ∼ 6.21 mg/mL (α-thujone), 1.42 ∼ 17.81 mg/mL (eucalyptol), 0.23 ∼ 1.05 mg/mL (the mixture), and 1.89 ∼ 4.69 mg/mL (the essential oil) on the four tested species. The mixture of the major constituents exerted more potent effect compared with each individual compound, indicating the possible involvement of synergistic effect of these two compounds.

Epigenetic silencing of UBXN8 contributes to leukemogenesis in t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia.

The formation of the RUNX1-RUNX1T1 fusion protein, resulting from the t(8;21) translocation, is considered to be one of the initiating events of t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the mechanisms of the oncogenic mechanism of RUNX1-RUNX1T1 remain unclear. In this study, we found that RUNX1-RUNX1T1 triggers the heterochromatic silencing of UBXN8 by recognizing the RUNX1-binding sites and recruiting chromatin-remodeling enzymes to the UBXN8 promoter region. Decitabine, a specific inhibitor of DNA methylation, upregulated the expression of UBXN8 in RUNX1-RUNX1T1+ AML cell lines. Overexpression of UBXN8 inhibited the proliferation and colony-forming ability of and promoted cell cycle arrest in t(8;21) AML cell lines. Enhancing UBXN8 levels can significantly inhibit tumor proliferation and promote the differentiation of RUNX1-RUNX1T1+ cells in vivo. In conclusion, our results indicated that epigenetic silencing of UBXN8 via methylation of its promoter region mediated by the RUNX1-RUNX1T1 fusion protein contributes to the leukemogenesis of t(8;21) AML and that UBXN8 targeting may be a potential therapeutic strategy for t(8;21) AML.

Plant growth-promoting abilities and community structure of culturable endophytic bacteria from the fruit of an invasive plant Xanthium italicum.

Diversity of endophytic bacterial communities of capsular fruit, upper and lower seeds of an invasive plant Xanthium italicum growing in Xinjiang, China, was investigated. All isolates from the seed capsules, the upper seeds, and the lower seeds were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and sequences were compared to bacterial databases to define operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Finally, we obtained 316 endophytic isolates corresponding to 58 OTUs based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The most common OTU corresponded most closely to Bacillus zhangzhouensis and comprised 9.49% of all bacterial isolates. The richness and diversity of endophytes in lower seeds were higher than that of the upper seeds; moreover, the Chao estimator and Shannon index of endophytes in the lower seeds were approximate to that in the seed capsules. Bacillus and Staphylococcus were found as the common taxa in three different tissues that were investigated (OTUs belong to these genera constituted > 70% of the total community). The bacterial endophytic communities differed significantly among these three fruit tissues, especially Bacillus strains, which have been reported to contribute to plant growth promotion and stress resilience to their hosts in harsh environment; abundance of Bacillus species was in the following order: capsules (78 OTUs) > lower seeds (55 OTUs) > upper seeds (40 OTUs). The lower seeds harboring more Bacillus species might be responsible for their earlier seed germination compared with the upper seeds.

Allelopathic, Phytotoxic, and Insecticidal Effects of Thymus proximus Serg. Essential Oil and Its Major Constituents.

The chemical profile of Thymus proximus essential oil (EO) and its allelopathic, phytotoxic, and insecticidal activity was evaluated. Carvacrol, p-cymene, and γ-terpinene were detected as the major components of the EO, representing 85.9% of the total oil. About 50 g fresh plant material of T. proximus in a 1.5-L air tight container completely inhibited the seed germination of Amaranthus retroflexus and Poa anuua. Meanwhile, the EO exhibited potent phytotoxic activity, which resulted in 100% germination failure of both the test species when 2 mg/ml (for A. retroflexus) and 5 mg/ml (for Poa annua) oil was applied. The EO also triggered a significant insecticidal activity on Aphis gossypii with a LC50 value of 6.34 ppm. Carvacrol was identified as the main active compound responsible for both the plant suppressing effect and the insecticidal activity of the EO. Our study is the first on the allelopathic, phytotoxic, and insecticidal activity of T. proximus EO, and the determination of the responsible compound, which indicated their potential of being further explored as environment friendly biopesticides.

Characteristics of Cohesin Mutation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Its Clinical Significance.

The occurrence of gene mutation is a major contributor to the initiation and propagation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Accumulating evidence suggests that genes encoding cohesin subunits have a high prevalence of mutations in AML, especially in the t(8;21) subtype. Therefore, it is important to understand how cohesin mutations contribute to leukemogenesis. However, the fundamental understanding of cohesin mutation in clonal expansion and myeloid transformation in hematopoietic cells remains ambiguous. Previous studies briefly introduced the cohesin mutation in AML; however, an in-depth summary of mutations in AML was not provided, and the correlation between cohesin and AML1-ETO in t (8;21) AML was also not analyzed. By summarizing the major findings regarding the cohesin mutation in AML, this review aims to define the characteristics of the cohesin complex mutation, identify its relationships with co-occurring gene mutations, assess its roles in clonal evolution, and discuss its potential for the prognosis of AML. In particular, we focus on the function of cohesin mutations in RUNX1-RUNX1T1 fusion.

RNAi-mediated silencing of Trichinella spiralis glutaminase results in reduced muscle larval infectivity.

Trichinella spiralis is an important foodborne parasitic nematode distributed worldwide that infects humans and animals. Glutaminase (GLS) is an important gene in the glutamine-dependent acid resistance (AR) system; however, its role in T. spiralis muscle larvae (ML) remains unclear. The present study aimed to characterize T. spiralis GLS (TsGLS) and assess its function in T. spiralis ML AR both in vitro and in vivo using RNA interference. The results indicated that native TsGLS (72 kDa) was recognized by anti-rTsGLS serum at the muscle larvae stage; moreover, an immunofluorescence assay confirmed that TsGLS was located in the epidermis of ML. After silencing the TsGLS gene, the relative expression of TsGLS mRNA and the survival rate of T. spiralis ML were reduced by 60.11% and 16.55%, respectively, compared to those in the PBS and control groups. In vivo AR assays revealed that the worm numbers at 7 and 35 days post-infection (dpi) decreased by 61.64% and 66.71%, respectively, compared to those in the PBS group. The relative expression of TsGLS mRNA in F1 generation T. spiralis ML was reduced by 42.52%, compared to that in the PBS group. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the presence of the glutamine-dependent AR system in T. spiralis. Our results indicate that TsGLS plays a crucial role in the T. spiralis AR system; thus, it could be used as a potential candidate target molecule for producing vaccines against T. spiralis infection.

The role of ARHGAP9: clinical implication and potential function in acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Rho GTPase activating protein 9 (ARHGAP9) is expressed in various types of cancers and can inactivate Rho GTPases that mainly regulate cytoskeletal dynamics. However, the exact role of ARHGAP9 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has yet to be clarified. METHODS: We compared the transcriptional expression, prognosis, differentially expressed genes, functional enrichment, and hub genes in AML patients on the basis of the data published in the following databases: UALCAN, GEPIA, Gene Expression Omnibus, the Human Protein Atlas, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, LinkedOmics, Metascape, and String. Data from the Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to evaluate the correlations between ARHGAP9 expression and various clinicopathological parameters, as well as the significantly different genes associated with ARHGAP9 expression. RESULTS: We found that ARHGAP9 expression was higher in the tissues and cell lines extracted from patients with AML than corresponding control tissues and other cancer types. ARHGAP9 overexpression was associated with decreased overall survival (OS) in AML. Compared with the ARHGAP9low group, the ARHGAP9high group, which received only chemotherapy, showed significantly worse OS and event-free survival (EFS); however, no significant difference was observed after treatment with autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto/allo-HSCT). The ARHGAP9high patients undergoing auto/allo-HSCT also had a significantly better prognosis with respect to OS and EFS than those receiving only chemotherapy. Most overlapping genes of the significantly different genes and co-expression genes exhibited enriched immune functions, suggesting the immune regulation potential of ARHGAP9 in AML. A total of 32 hub genes were identified from the differentially expressed genes, within which the KIF20A had a significant prognostic value for AML. CONCLUSIONS: ARHGAP9 overexpression was associated with poor OS in AML patients and can be used as a prognostic biomarker. AML patients with ARHGAP9 overexpression can benefit from auto/allo-HSCT rather than chemotherapy.

Chemical composition and phytotoxicity of essential oil from invasive plant, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.

Essential oils have been evaluated as appropriate phytotoxins with mechanisms of action that are different from those of synthetic herbicides applied in weed management activities, but little is known about the effect of Ambrosia artemisiifolia essential oil (EO) on weeds. Here, the chemical composition of A. artemisiifolia EO was analyzed using a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry system. and the phytotoxic activities of the EO against monocot (Poa annua, Setaria viridis) and dicot (Amaranthus retroflexus, Medicago sativa) species are evaluated under laboratory and green-house conditions for the first time. The EO was rich in sesquiterpenes (62.51%), with germacrene D (32.92%), ß-pinene (15.14%), limonene (9.90%), and caryophyllene (4.49%) being the major compounds based on Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis results. A. artemisiifolia EO inhibited seed germination and seedling development significantly in the tested species even at low concentrations (0.25 mg mL-1). In addition, bioassay results for the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) increased and then decreased with an increase in EO concentration. Unlike the enzymatic activity, root cell viability declined significantly in the tested weeds in all EO treatments. Besides, a foliar spray experiment resulted in visible injury in leaves and a decrease in chlorophyll content and eventually led to wilting of all tested weeds. The EO (0.25-5.00 mg mL-1) altered Allium cepa root tip cells with a decline in mitotic index and an increase in chromosomal aberrations after 24 h treatment. The cytotoxic evaluation confirmed the mitotic inhibitory effect of EO, although the intensity varied under different concentrations. According to the results, A. artemisiifolia EO has the potential applications as a natural herbicide owing to its phytotoxic activity; which also helps to explain their potential involvement in allelopathic interaction of volatile compounds present in the EO that facilitate the invasion success of the exotic species.

Chemical Profile and Phytotoxic Action of Hibiscus trionum Essential Oil.

The chemical profile and phytotoxic action of Hibiscus trionum essential oil (EO) was studied. In total 17 compounds were identified via GC/MS, representing 94.18 % of the entire oil, with phytol (40.37 %) being the dominant constituent. Bioassay revealed that the EO inhibited root elongation of Medicago sativa and Amaranthus retroflexus by 32.66 % and 61.86 % at 5 mg/mL, respectively; meanwhile, the major component phytol also exhibited significant phytotoxic activity, suppressing radical elongation of Pennisetum alopecuroides, M. sativa and A. retroflexus by 26.08 %, 27.55 % and 43.96 % at 1 mg/mL, respectively. The fact that the EO showed weaker activity than phytol implied that some constituents might trigger antagonistic action to decrease the oil's activity. Our study is the first on the chemical profile and phytotoxic effect of H. trionum EO.

Epigenetic silencing of miR564 contributes to the leukemogenesis of t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia.

The AML1-ETO oncoprotein, which results from t(8;21) translocation, is considered an initial event of t(8;21) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the precise mechanisms of the oncogenic activity of AML1-ETO is yet to be fully determined. The present study demonstrates that AML1-ETO triggers the heterochromatic silencing of microRNA-564 (miR564) by binding at the AML1 binding site along the miR564 promoter region and recruiting chromatin-remodeling enzymes. Suppression of miR564 enhances the oncogenic activity of the AML1-ETO oncoprotein by directly inhibiting the expression of CCND1 and the DNMT3A genes. Ectopic expression of miR564 can induce retardation of G1/S transition, reperform differentiation, promote apoptosis, as well as inhibit the proliferation and colony formation of AML1-ETO+ leukemia cells in vitro. Enhanced miR564 levels can significantly inhibit the tumor proliferation of t(8;21)AML in vivo. We first identify an unexpected and important epigenetic circuitry of AML1-ETO/miR564/CCND1/DNMT3A that contributes to the leukemogenesis in vitro/vivo of AML1-ETO+ leukemia, indicating that miR564 enhancement could provide a potential therapeutic method for AML1-ETO+ leukemia.