Cut to Disarm Plant Defence: A Unique Oviposition Behaviour in Rhynchites foveipennis (Coleoptera: Attelabidae).

Female weevils of the family Attelabidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) possess a unique behaviour of partially cutting the branches connecting egg-bearing organs of their host plants during oviposition. However, the consequence of such behaviour remains unclear. Using Rhynchites foveipennis and its host pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), the present study tested the hypothesis that the oviposition behaviour could disarm the host plants' defence. We compared the survival rates, growth rates, and performance of eggs and larvae under two conditions: (1) the fruit stems were naturally damaged by the females before and after oviposition, and (2) the fruit stems were artificially protected from the females. When fruit stems were protected from female damage, the survival rates of eggs and larvae were only 21.3-32.6%, respectively; and the larval weight was 3.2-4.1 mg 30 days after laying eggs. When the fruit stems were damaged, the survival rates of eggs and larvae reached 86.1-94.0%, respectively; and the larval weight reached 73.0-74.9 mg 30 days after laying eggs. The contents of tannin and flavonoids in the pears did not change significantly along with the oviposition and larval feeding, but weevil eggs were crushed and killed by the callus in the pears. Once the stunted larvae in branch-growing pears were moved into the picked-off ones, the growth and development recovered. The findings indicate that the oviposition behaviour can significantly increase the survival of the offspring. Our study suggested that the oviposition behaviour of attelabid weevils is a strategy to overcome plant defence.

Genetic variations in the HIF1A gene modulate response to adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery in patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) plays an important role in regulating cell survival and angiogenesis, which are critical for tumor growth and metastasis. Genetic variations of HIF1A have been shown to influence the susceptibility to many kinds of human tumors. Increased expression of HIF-1α has also been demonstrated to be involved in tumor progression. However, the prognostic value of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HIF1A gene remains to be determined in most cancer types, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we sought to investigate the predictive role of HIF1A SNPs in prognosis of CRC patients and efficacy of chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We genotyped two functional SNPs in HIF1A gene using the Sequenom iPLEX genotyping system and then assessed their associations with clinicopathological parameters and clinical outcomes of 697 CRC patients receiving radical surgery using Cox logistic regression model and Kaplan Meier curves. RESULTS: Generally, no significant association was found between these 2 SNPs and clinical outcomes of CRC. In stratified analysis of subgroup without adjuvant chemotherapy, patients carrying CT/TT genotypes of rs2057482 exhibited a borderline significant association with better overall survival when compared with those carrying CC genotype [Hazard ratio (HR), 0.47; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.29-0.76; P < 0.01]. Moreover, significant protective effects on CRC outcomes conferred by adjuvant chemotherapy were exclusively observed in patients carrying CC genotype of rs2057482 and in those carrying AC/CC genotype of rs2301113. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variations in HIF1A gene may modulate the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery in CRC patients.

Effect of pu-erh tea on body fat and lipid profiles in rats with diet-induced obesity.

The antiobesity and antihyperlipidaemic effects of pu-erh tea in rats with high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity were investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups and fed varying diets for an 8-week period: control diet, HFD, and HFD supplemented with low, moderate or high doses of pu-erh tea extract (0.5 g, 2 g and 4 g/kg BW/day, respectively). Pu-erh tea significantly reduced the total body weight and the weight of various adipose pads. Pu-erh tea administration also significantly lowered plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in rats with HFD-induced obesity, but did not affect high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. Moreover, pu-erh tea significantly increased lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase activities in epididymal fat tissue in rats with HFD-induced obesity. Analysis of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results indicated that pu-erh tea significantly enhanced mRNA levels of hormone-sensitive lipase in rats with HFD-induced obesity. These results suggest that pu-erh tea attenuated visceral fat accumulation and improved hyperlipidemia in a rat model of HFD-induced obesity.

[SOCS1 knockdown sensitize anti-tumor activity of IFN-alpha2a-NGR].

AIM: Search for key molecules to influence the tumor-targeted IFN-alpha2a-NGR anti-tumor sensitivity through signaling pathway study. Try to enhance the antitumor efficacy of IFN-alpha2a-NGR. METHODS: MTT method was used to determine the growth inhibitory effects of IFN-alpha2a-NGR on A549 and MKN-45 cells. Flow cytometry and Western blot were employed to detect the expression of STAT1, p-STAT1, p53, OAS and SOCS1; SOCS1 gene knock down was carried out by synthesized siRNA. RESULTS: When stimulated with IFN-alpha2a-NGR, the increased expression of STAT1, p-STAT1, p53, OAS and SOCS1 were observed in A549 cells, but only SOCS1 was notably increased in MKN-45 cells. The proliferation inhibition ability of MKN-45 to IFN-alpha2a-NGR was promoted by SOCS1 knocking down. (the inhibition rate was enhanced from 14.69%+/-1.05% to 36.97%+/-2.05%). CONCLUSION: This study has further demonstrated that there were no differences on antitumor effects between IFN-alpha2a-NGR and IFN-alpha2a on cell or molecular level. Besides interferon-alpha receptor (IFNAR) which has been demonstrated before, p-STAT1, p53 and SOCS1 were important determinants of tumor resistance to IFNs therapy. The antitumor efficacy of IFN-alpha2a-NGR can be enhanced by RNA interference. These results might be helpful for the further development of IFN-alpha2a-NGR.