Transplantation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Alleviates Striatal Degeneration in a Transgenic Mouse Model for Multiple System Atrophy.

Patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of adult onset, were found less than 9 years of life expectancy after onset. The disorders include bradykinesia and rigidity commonly seen in Parkinsonism disease and additional signs such as autonomic dysfunction, ataxia, or dementia. In clinical treatments, MSA poorly responds to levodopa, the drug used to remedy Parkinsonism disease. The exact cause of MSA is still unknown, and exploring a therapeutic solution to MSA remains critical. A transgenic mouse model was established to study the feasibility of human adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) therapy in vivo. The human ADSCs were transplanted into the striatum of transgenic mice via intracerebral injection. As compared with sham control, we reported significantly enhanced rotarod performance of transgenic mice treated with ADSC at an effective dose, 2 × 105 ADSCs/mouse. Our ex vivo feasibility study supported that intracerebral transplantation of ADSC might alleviate striatal degeneration in MSA transgenic mouse model by improving the nigrostriatal pathway for dopamine, activating autophagy for α-synuclein clearance, decreasing inflammatory signal, and further cell apoptosis, improving myelination and cell survival at caudate-putamen.

[Responses of shallow soil water content in Artemisia ordosica community to different rainfall patterns]. / æ²¹è’¿çŒä¸›ç¾¤è½æµ å±‚åœŸå£¤æ°´åˆ†å¯¹ä¸åŒé™é›¨æ ¼å±€çš„å“åº”.

The shrub species, Artemisia ordosica, commonly occurs in the eastern Hobq desert. Here, we used a micrometeorological observation system to continuously monitor the rainfall and soil water content in 0-10, 10-30, and 30-50 cm soil layers during the growing season from 2016 to 2018. The dynamic spatial and temporal changes in soil water content under different rainfall patterns were examined, and the replenishing effects of rainfall events on soil water content and water infiltration characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that soil water content of the surface layer in the A. ordosica community had significant seasonal and vertical variation under rainfall fluctuation. Rainfall amount and soil water content before rain were the main factors controlling soil water replenishment and infiltration. The soil surface layer (0-10 cm) was sensitive to rainfall, and the rainfall of 3.8 mm began to replenish this layer. The responses of 10-30 cm soil layer to rainfall was slower, more than 8.6 mm rainfall being needed for effective replenishment. The response of the 30-50 cm soil layer to rainfall was even more delayed, and replenishment at this depth could not be achieved until the rainfall exceeded 11.8 mm. The water infiltration rate increased with rainfall amount and decreased with soil depth, while water infiltration depth was positively correlated with the rainfall amount and soil water content before rainfall. During the study period, rainfall of <10 mm occurred predominantly, accounting for 78.4% of the total rainfall events. The rainfall mainly replenished soil layer above 30 cm, and the replenishment of deep soil was very limited, which was not conducive to the growth of deep-rooted species. Therefore, rainfall patterns directly affected the composition, distribution, and succession of plant communities in this area.

[Variations of soil respiration and its temperature sensitivity in the reversion process of desertification in the eastern Hobq Desert, China]. / åº“å¸ƒé½ä¸œç¼˜æ²™æ¼ åŒ–é€†è½¬è¿‡ç¨‹ä¸­åœŸå£¤å‘¼å¸åŠå ¶æ¸©åº¦æ•æ„Ÿæ€§å˜åŒ–.

To clarify the effects of desertification reversal on soil respiration rate (Rs) and its temperature sensitivity (Q10), five different reversal stages were selected: mobile dune, semi-fixed sandland, algae crust fixed sandland, lichen crust fixed sandland, and moss crust fixed sandland in the eastern Hobq Desert. Rs at different stages were measured by static chamber-gas chromatography and the Q10 was calculated. We analyzed the effects of environmental factors on Rs. The results showed that Rs gradually increased with sand fixation and vegetation succession: moss crust fixed sandland (0.78 µmol·m-2·s-1)> lichen crust fixed sandland (0.67 µmol·m-2·s-1)> algae crust fixed sandland (0.46 µmol·m-2·s-1)> semi-fixed sandland (0.42 µmol·m-2·s-1)> mobile dune (0.29 µmol·m-2·s-1). The Rs of growing season was higher than that of non-growing season. Q10 of Rs at different reversal stages followed the order: mobile dune (3.28)> semi-fixed sandland (2.93)> algae crust fixed sandland (2.54)> lichen crust fixed sandland (1.91)> moss crust fixed sandland (1.84). The Q10 of non-growing season was higher than that of growing season. There was positive correlation between Rs and soil temperature. Rs of mobile and semi-fixed sand was positively correlated with soil water content, but not in other three fixed sandlands. Rs was correlated with soil total nitrogen, organic carbon, bulk density, porosity, quantity of bacteria, quantity of actinomycetes and quantity of fungi. Our results indicated that in the process of desertification reversal, the increases of soil organic carbon and nitrogen content and the abundance of microbes, the improvement of soil texture and the accumulation of plant biomass could dramatically enhance soil respiration and reduce its temperature sensitivity, which were the main driving forces to change carbon cycle of desert soil, and mediate the effects of soil water on soil respiration.

Greenhouse gas fluxes at different growth stages of biological soil crusts in eastern Hobq desert, China.

We analyzed greenhouse gas fluxes at the different growth stages of algae and lichen crusts in fixed sand with mobile dune as control in the eastern Hobq Desert, China, using the spatio-temporal substitution method. We explored the correlation of these fluxes with environmental factors and with biological soil crust growth. The results showed that variation of CO2 fluxes followed the order: lichen crust (128.5 mg·m-2·h-1) > algae crust (70.2 mg·m-2·h-1) > mobile dune (48.2 mg·m-2·h-1). CH4 absorption rates were in the following order: lichen crust (30.4 µg·m-2·h-1) > algae crust (21.2 µg·m-2·h-1) > mobile dune (18.2 µg·m-2·h-1). The N2O fluxes were in the following order: lichen crust (6.6 µg·m-2·h-1) > algae crust (5.4 µg·m-2·h-1) > mobile dune (2.5 µg·m-2·h-1). CO2 emission had obvious seasonal variation, with higher emission in the growing season. CH4 and N2O fluxes had no seaonal variation. CH4 absorption mainly occurred in the growing season and N2O emission mainly occurred in non-growing season. Contents of soil total nitrogen and organic carbon and the abundance of microorganisms were important factors affecting greenhouse gas fluxes. Hydrothermic factors were important for soil CO2 emission, but not for CH4 and N2O fluxes. The cumulative greenhouse gas emissions were gradually increased with vegetation restoration and the development of biological soil crust. The global warming potential increased following an order: lichen crust (1135.7 g CO2-e·m-2·a-1) > algae crust (626.5 g CO2-e·m-2·a-1) > mobile dune (422.7 g CO2-e·m-2·a-1).