New insight into oxidative stress and inflammatory responses to kidney stones: Potential therapeutic strategies with natural active ingredients.

Kidney stones, a prevalent urological disorder, are closely associated with oxidative stress (OS) and the inflammatory response. Recent research in the field of kidney stone treatment has indicated the potential of natural active ingredients to modulate OS targets and the inflammatory response in kidney stones. Oxidative stress can occur through various pathways, increasing the risk of stone formation, while the inflammatory response generated during kidney stone formation further exacerbates OS, forming a detrimental cycle. Both antioxidant systems related to OS and inflammatory mediators associated with inflammation play roles in the pathogenesis of kidney stones. Natural active ingredients, abundant in resources and possessing antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, have the ability to decrease the risk of stone formation and improve prognosis by reducing OS and suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine expression or pathways. Currently, numerous developed natural active ingredients have been clinically applied and demonstrated satisfactory therapeutic efficacy. This review aims to provide novel insights into OS and inflammation targets in kidney stones as well as summarize research progress on potential therapeutic strategies involving natural active ingredients. Future studies should delve deeper into exploring efficacy and mechanisms of action of diverse natural active ingredients, proposing innovative treatment strategies for kidney stones, and continuously uncovering their potential applications.

Improvement effect of compound Ento-PB on oxazolone-induced ulcerative colitis in rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of the Chinese medicine compound Ento-PB on oxazolone (OXZ)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in rats. METHODS: UC rats induced by OXZ were treated with Ento-PB. The damage to the colon was assessed using several measures, including the disease activity index (DAI), colon length, colon weight/length ratio, colonic mucosal damage index, and histological score. The levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-13 (IL-13), epidermal growth factor (EGF), inducible nitric oxide synthase, and total nitric oxide synthase (tNOS) in rat serum, as well as the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in rat colon tissue, were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and conventional kits. RESULTS: After being treated with Ento-PB, the DAI score and macroscopic lesion score of OXZ-induced UC rats were significantly reduced. Ento-PB prevented the shortening of rat colons, reduced the ratio of colon weight to length, and improved colon tissue lesions. Meanwhile, Ento-PB could significantly inhibit the activities of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-13, and MPO, as well as tNOS and iNOS, while upregulating the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10. Moreover, a significant increase in the expression level of EGF was observed in UC rats treated with Ento-PB, indicating that Ento-PB could enhance the repair of damaged intestinal epithelial tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Ento-PB demonstrates significant anti-UC activities in OXZ-induced UC rats by regulating the expression levels of inflammatory factors and promoting the repair of colon tissue. This study provides scientific evidence to support the further development of Ento-PB.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the medicinal insect Blaps rhynchopetera using Nanopore and Hi-C technologies.

The Blaps rhynchopetera Fairmaire is a significant medicinal resource in southwestern China. We utilized Nanopore and Hi-C technologies in combination to generate a high-quality, chromosome-level assembly of the B. rhynchopetera genome and described its genetic features. Genome surveys revealed that B. rhynchopetera is a highly heterozygous species. The assembled genome was 379.24 Mb in size, of which 96.03% was assigned to 20 pseudochromosomes. A total of 212.93 Mb of repeat sequences were annotated and 26,824 protein-coding genes and 837 non-coding RNAs were identified. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the divergence of the ancestors of B. rhynchopetera and its closely related species Tenebrio molitor at about 85.6 mya. The co-linearity analysis showed that some chromosomes of B. rhynchopetera may have happen fission events and it has a good synteny relationship with Tribolium castaneum. Furthermore, in the enrichment analyses, the gene families related to detoxification and immunity of B. rhynchopetera facilitated the understanding its environmental adaptations, which will serve as a valuable research resource for pest control strategies and conservation efforts of beneficial insects. This high-quality reference genome will also contribute to the conservation of insect species diversity and genetic resources.

Shotgun metagenomics reveals the gut microbial diversity and functions in Vespa mandarinia (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) at multiple life stages.

Wasps play important roles as predators and pollinators in the ecosystem. The Jingpo minority residing in Yunnan Province, China, has a traditional practice of using wine infused with mature wasps as a customary remedy for managing rheumatoid arthritis. The larva of the wasp is also a tasteful folk dish that has created a tremendous market. There is a paucity of survival knowledge, which has greatly restricted their potential applications in food and healthcare. Recent research has highlighted the importance of gut microbiota in insect growth. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the composition, changes, and functions of the gut microbiota in Vespa mandarinia during development. In this research, the gut microbiota were investigated across three growth stages of Vespa mandarinia using a metagenomic technology. The result revealed that there are significant variations in the proportion of main gut microbes during the metamorphosis of Vespa mandarinia. Tenericutes were found to dominate during the larval stage, while Proteobacteria emerged as the dominant group post-pupation. Through a comprehensive analysis of the gut microbiota metagenome, this study revealed functional differences in the wasp gut microbiota at various growth stages. During the larval stage, the gut microbiota plays a central role in promoting metabolism. Following pupation, the gut microbiota exhibited diversified functions, likely due to the complex environments and diverse food sources encountered after metamorphosis. These functions included amino acid metabolism, compound degradation, and defense mechanisms. This research provides an extensive dataset on the gut microbiota during the metamorphosis of Vespa mandarinia, contributing to a deeper understanding of the influence of gut microbiota on wasp growth. Furthermore, this study uncovers a unique microbial treasure within insect guts, which is important for advancing the application of wasps in the fields of food and medicine.

The therapeutic effect of wasp venom (Vespa magnifica, Smith) and its effective part on rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes through modulating inflammation, redox homeostasis and ferroptosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is related to the aberrant proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Wasp venom (WV, Vespa magnifica, Smith), an insect secretion, has been used to treat RA in Chinese Jingpo national minority's ancient prescription. However, the potential mechanisms haven't been clarified. AIM OF THE STUDY: The purposes of this paper were two-fold. First, to investigate which was the best anti-RA effective part of WV-I (molecular weight less than 3 kDa), WV-II (molecular weight 3-10 kDa) and WV-III (molecular weight more than 10 kDa) that were separated from WV. Second, to explore the underlying molecular mechanism of WV and WV-II that was best effective part in RA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The wasps were electrically stimulated and the secretions were collected. WV-I, WV-II and WV-III were acquired by ultracentrifuge method according to molecular weight. Next, WV, WV-I, WV-II and WV-III were identified by HPLC. Functional annotation and pathway analysis of WV used to bioinformatics analysis. RNA-seq analyses were constructed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). GO and KEGG pathway analyses were performed by Metascape database. STRING was used to analyze the PPI network from DEGs. Next, PPI network was visualized using Cytoscape that based on MCODE. The pivotal genes of PPI network and MCODE analysis were verified by qRT-PCR. Subsequently, MH7A cells were performed by MTT assay to evaluate the ability of inhibiting cell proliferation. Luciferase activity assay was conducted in HepG2/STAT1 or HepG2/STAT3 cells to assess STAT1/3 sensitivity of WV, WV-I, WV-II and WV-III. Additionally, interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 expression levels were detected by ELISA kits. Intracellular thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) enzyme was evaluated by TrxR activity assay kit. ROS levels, lipid ROS levels and Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were assessed by fluorescence probe. Cell apoptosis and MMP were measured by using flow cytometry. Furthermore, the key proteins of JAK/STAT signaling pathway, protein levels of TrxR and glutathione peroxidase 4 axis (GPX4) were examined by Western blotting assay. RESULTS: RNA-sequencing analysis of WV displayed be related to oxidation-reduction, inflammation and apoptosis. The data displayed that WV, WV-II and WV-III inhibited significantly cells proliferation in human MH7A cell line compared to WV-I treatment group, but WV-III had no significant suppressive effect on luciferase activity of STAT3 compared with IL-6-induced group. Combined with earlier reports that WV-III contained major allergens, we selected WV and WV-II further to study the mechanism of anti-RA. In addition, WV and WV-II decreased the level of IL-1ß and IL-6 in TNF-α-induced MH7A cells via inactivating of JAK/STAT signaling pathway. On the other hand, WV and WV-II down-regulated the TrxR activity to produce ROS and induce cell apoptosis. Furthermore, WV and WV-II could accumulate lipid ROS to induce GPX4-mediated ferroptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the experimental results revealed that WV and WV-II were potential therapeutic agents for RA through modulating JAK/STAT signaling pathways, redox homeostasis and ferroptosis in MH7A cells. Of note, WV-II was an effective part and the predominant active monomer in WV-II will be further explored in the future.

[Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Dusts and Surrounding Green Land Soils from Yellow River Custom Tourist Line in Lanzhou].

In order to investigate the contamination levels of dust and its surrounding green land soil heavy metal pollution and potential ecological and health risks in the scenic areas of urban waterfront parks, the gardens, squares, and theme parks of the Yellow River Custom Tourist Line in Lanzhou were selected as the research area, using 27 dust samples and 26 soil samples from its surrounding green lands. The contamination characteristics and potential ecological risks of eight heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) were evaluated using the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), single-factor pollution index (Pi), Nemerow integrated pollution index (PN), and improved potential ecological risk index (RI). The human health risk assessment was also evaluated using the exposure risk model. The results showed that the average concentrations of the other heavy metals in the surface dusts were higher than the background values of Gansu Province and Lanzhou City, except that the As mean concentrations in the surface dusts and the surrounding green land soils were slightly lower than the Gansu Province background values. For its surrounding green land soils, the mean concentrations of the other heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, and Pb) exceeded the soil background values of Gansu Province and Lanzhou City, whereas the Cr and Ni mean concentrations were lower than their corresponding soil background values of Gansu Province and Lanzhou City. The geo-accumulation and single-factor pollution indices demonstrated that a slight to moderate pollution of Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, and Pb occurred in surface dusts, and Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, and Pb appeared in varying degrees of contamination levels in its surrounding green land soils. The Nemerow integrated pollution index analysis manifested that the overall contamination status of the study areas was between slightly and heavily polluted. The potential ecological risk index suggested that Cd and Hg were recognized as significant pollutant elements and that the RI of the other heavy metals were all below 40, presenting slight ecological risk. The health risk assessment indicated that ingestion was the dominant exposure pathway for heavy metals from the surface dusts and the surrounding green land soils, and no carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks posed threats to adults and children.

Proliferation Inhibitory Activity of Quinones from Blaps rynchopetera Defense Secretion on Colorectal Tumor Cells.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the proliferation inhibitory effect of quinones from Blaps rynchopetera defense secretion on colorectal tumor cell lines. METHODS: Human colorectal cancer cell HT-29, human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell Caco-2 and normal human colon epithelial cell CCD841 were chosen for the evaluation of inhibitory activity of the main quinones of B. rynchopetera defense secretion, including methyl p-benzoquinone (MBQ), ethyl p-benzoquinone (EBQ), and methyl hydroquinone (MHQ), through methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. The tumor-related factors, cell cycles, related gene expressions and protein levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assy, flow cytometry, RT-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: MBQ, EBQ, and MHQ could significantly inhibit the proliferation of Caco-2, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 7.04 ± 0.88, 10.92 ± 0.32, 9.35 ± 0.83, HT-29, with IC50 values of 14.90 ± 2.71, 20.50 ± 6.37, 13.90 ± 1.30, and CCD841, with IC50 values of 11.40 ± 0.68, 7.02 ± 0.44 and 7.83 ± 0.05 µg/mL, respectively. Tested quinones can reduce the expression of tumor-related factors tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-10, and IL-6 in HT-29 cells, selectively promote apoptosis, and regulate the cell cycle which can reduce the proportion of cells in the G1 phase and increase the proportion of the S phase. Meanwhile, tested quinones could up-regulate mRNA and protein expression of GSK-3ß and APC, while down-regulate that of ß-catenin, Frizzled1, c-Myc, and CyclinD1 in the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway of HT-29 cells. CONCLUSION: Quinones from B. rynchopetera defense secretion could inhibit the proliferation of colorectal tumor cells and reduce the expression of related factors, which would be functioned by regulating cell cycle, selectively promoting apoptosis, and affecting Wnt/ß-catenin pathway-related mRNA and protein expressions.

Polyketides with antimicrobial activities from Penicillium canescens DJJ-1.

Two undescribed polyketides canecines A-B, one unreported cyclopentenone canecine C, together with 12 known compounds were isolated from an extract of the fungus Penicillium canescens DJJ-1. Their structures were elucidated by detailed analysis of spectroscopic data, NMR calculations with dJ-DP4 or DP4+, and their absolute configurations were further determined by quantum chemical calculations of ECD spectra or X-crystallography. Canecine A was a grisan polyketide featuring a dimethyltetrahydro-4H-furo[2,3-b]pyran. Canecine A exhibited significant inhibitory activity against Candida albicans with an MIC value of 1 µg/mL and showed inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. These results enrich the structural diversities of polyketides from endophytic fungi.

Effects of wasp venom on venous thrombosis in rats.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of wasp venom (WV) from Vespa magnifica on antithrombosis in rats with inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis. Materials and Methods: The thrombosis rat model was established by improving the IVC stenosis, in which rats were subjected to IVC ligation for 75 min. Rats were administered argatroban (IP) or WV (s.c.) for 4 hr after IVC thrombosis. The weight, inhibition rate, and pathological morphology of the thrombosis induced by IVC ligation and the variation in four coagulation parameters, coagulation factors, and CD61+CD62P+ were simultaneously determined in IVC rats. Results: The thrombus formed as a result of IVC ligation was stable. Compared with the control group, the weight of the thrombus was significantly reduced in the argatroban group. Thrombus weight was reduced by treatment with 0.6, 0.2, and 0.05 mg/kg WV, with inhibition rates of 52.19%, 35.32%, and 28.98%, respectively. Inflammatory cells adhered to and infiltrated the vessel wall in the IVC group more than in the sham group. However, the pathological morphology and CD61+CD62P+ of the WV treatment groups tended to be normal. Conclusion: We improved the model of IVC thrombosis to be suitable for evaluation of antithrombotic drugs. Our findings demonstrated that WV could inhibit IVC thrombosis associated with reducing coagulation factors V and CD61+CD62p expression in rats.

The ethanol extract of Periplaneta Americana L. improves ulcerative colitis induced by a combination of chronic stress and TNBS in rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of Periplaneta americana L. on ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by a combination of chronic stress (CS) and 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid enema (TNBS) in rats. METHODS: The experiment UC model with CS was established in rats by a combination of chronic restraint stress, excess failure, improper, and TNBS. The body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colonic mucosal injury index (CMDI), histopathological score (HS) and pro-inflammatory mediators were measured. The content of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in hypothalamus or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosteroids (CORT) in plasma were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The proportion of T lymphocyte subsets was detected by flow cytometry, and gut microbiota was detected by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. RESULTS: Weight loss, DAI, CMDI, HS and proinflammatory mediators were reversed in rats by P. americana L. treatment after UC with CS. Increased epidermal growth factor (EGF) was observed in P. americana L. groups. In addition, P. americana L. could reduce the content of CRH and ACTH and regulate the ratio of CD3+, CD3+CD8+ and CD3+CD4+CD25+/CD4+ in spleen. Comparably, P. americana L. changes composition of gut microbiota. CONCLUSIONS: The ethanol extract of Periplaneta Americana L. improves UC induced by a combination of CS and TNBS in rats.

The Regulating Effect of CII-3 and Its Active Components from Periplaneta americana on M1/M2 Macrophage Polarization.

CII-3 is the effective part of Periplaneta americana for application in oncotherapy. This study investigated its main chemical components for macrophage polarization regulation activity. Compounds were separated and purified, and their structures were elucidated based on NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses. After inducing the M1 and M2 phenotype macrophages, CII-3 and testing components were added and co-incubated to evaluate their effects on the relevant markers of macrophages. Then, gradient concentrations of CII-3 and active monomers were further investigated for their effects on M2 macrophages. The effects were detected by RT-PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. Twelve compounds were identified from CII-3. CII-3 and pericanaside (5) had no obvious effect on M1 macrophages, while they significantly reduced the expression levels of M2 macrophage markers. Specifically, they significantly reduced the levels of TGF-ß and IL-10 and the mRNA expression levels of ARG-1 and CD206 in the M2 phenotypes of RAW264.7 and Ana-1 macrophages. The conditioned medium of CII-3 and pericanaside (5) could inhibit the migration capacity of CT26.WT tumor cells. Macrophage M1/M2 polarization is a dynamic equilibrium, and the M2 phenotype, which can promote the growth of tumor cells, is relatively highly expressed in the tumor microenvironment. CII-3 and pericanaside could significantly reduce the phenotype of M2-type macrophages, indicating that the anti-tumor activity of CII-3 could be related to the inhibitory effect on M2 polarization, and pericanaside was one of the active components.

Immunomodulatory effects of Blaps rynchopetera extract.

PURPOSE: To explore the potential immunomodulatory effects of total extract and different polar parts from Blaps rynchopetera Fairmaire. METHODS: Phagocytic activity was evaluated by neutral red assay, and the effect of the immune function was investigated by normal and immunocompromised mice models. RESULTS: In vitro, total extract, as well as chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water fractions could individually enhance the phagocytic ability of mouse peritoneal macrophages; in addition, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions had an increasing tendency when combined stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In vivo, ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) could enhance the immune organ index, increase the serum hemolysin level and peripheral blood immune cells of immunocompromised mice, while for normal mice, the effect was inconspicuous. CONCLUSIONS: Blaps rynchopetera extracts had noteworthy immunomodulatory effect, especially for individuals with immune disorders.

QSAR study of phenolic compounds and their anti-DPPH radical activity by discriminant analysis.

Phenolic compounds (PCs) could be applied to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and are used to prevent and treat diseases related to oxidative stress. QSAR study was applied to elucidate the relationship between the molecular descriptors and physicochemical properties of polyphenol analogues and their DPPH radical scavenging capability, to guide the design and discovery of highly-potent antioxidant substances more efficiently. PubMed database was used to collect 99 PCs with antioxidant activity, whereas, 105 negative PCs were found in ChEMBL database; their molecular descriptors were generated with Python's Rdkit package. While the molecular descriptors significantly related to the antioxidant activity of PCs were filtered by t-test. The prediction QSAR model was then established by discriminant analysis, and the obtained model was verified by the back-substitution and Leave-One-Out cross-validation methods along with heat map. It was revealed that the anti-DPPH radical activity of PCs was correlated with the drug-likeness and molecular fingerprints, physicochemical, topological, constitutional and electronic property. The established QSAR model could explicitly predict the antioxidant activity of polyphenols, thus were applicable to evaluate the potential of candidates as antioxidants.

Wasp venom from Vespa magnifica acts as a neuroprotective agent to alleviate neuronal damage after stroke in rats.

CONTEXT: Acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) is a major cause of disability and death, which is a serious threat to human health and life. Wasp venom extracted from Vespa magnifica Smith (Vespidae) could treat major neurological disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of wasp venom on AIS in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in Sprague-Dawley rats (260-280 g, n = 8-15) with a sham operation group being treated as negative control. MCAO rats were treated with wasp venom (0.05, 0.2 and 0.6 mg/kg, i.p.) using intraperitoneal injection. After treatment 48 h, behavioural tests, cortical blood flow (CBF), TTC staining, H&E staining, Nissl staining, TUNEL assay, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ELISA were employed to investigate neuroprotective effects of wasp venom. RESULTS: Compared with the MCAO group, wasp venom (0.6 mg/kg) improved neurological impairment, accelerated CBF recovery (205.6 ± 52.92 versus 216.7 ± 34.56), reduced infarct volume (337.1 ± 113.2 versus 140.7 ± 98.03) as well as BBB permeability as evidenced by changes in claudin-5 and AQP4. In addition, function recovery of stroke by wasp venom treatment was associated with a decrease in TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and inhibition activated microglia as well as apoptosis. Simultaneously, the wasp venom regulated the angiogenesis factors VEGF and b-FGF in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: Wasp venom exhibited a potential neuroprotective effect for AIS. In the future, we will focus on determining whether the observed actions were due to a single compound or the interaction of multiple components of the venom.

Vespakinin-M, a natural peptide from Vespa magnifica, promotes functional recovery in stroke mice.

Acute ischemic stroke triggers complex systemic pathological responses for which the exploration of drug resources remains a challenge. Wasp venom extracted from Vespa magnifica (Smith, 1852) is most commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis as well as neurological disorders. Vespakinin-M (VK), a natural peptide from wasp venom, has remained largely unexplored for stroke. Herein, we first confirmed the structure, stability, toxicity and distribution of VK as well as its penetration into the blood-brain barrier. VK (150 and 300 µg/kg, i.p.) was administered to improve stroke constructed by middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Our results indicate that VK promote functional recovery in mice after ischemia stroke, including an improvement of neurological impairment, reduction of infarct volume, maintenance of blood-brain barrier integrity, and an obstruction of the inflammatory response and oxidative stress. In addition, VK treatment led to reduced neuroinflammation and apoptosis associated with the activation of PI3K-AKT and inhibition of IκBα-NF-κB signaling pathways. Simultaneously, we confirmed that VK can combine with bradykinin receptor 2 (B2R) as detected by molecular docking, the B2R antagonist HOE140 could counteract the neuro-protective effects of VK on stroke in mice. Overall, targeting the VK-B2R interaction can be considered as a practical strategy for stroke therapy.

Immunomodulatory effects of Blaps rynchopetera extract

Purpose: To explore the potential immunomodulatory effects of total extract and different polar parts from Blaps rynchopetera Fairmaire. Methods: Phagocytic activity was evaluated by neutral red assay, and the effect of the immune function was investigated by normal and immunocompromised mice models. Results: In vitro, total extract, as well as chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water fractions could individually enhance the phagocytic ability of mouse peritoneal macrophages; in addition, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions had an increasing tendency when combined stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In vivo, ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) could enhance the immune organ index, increase the serum hemolysin level and peripheral blood immune cells of immunocompromised mice, while for normal mice, the effect was inconspicuous. Conclusions: Blaps rynchopetera extracts had noteworthy immunomodulatory effect, especially for individuals with immune disorders.

Effects of different fertilization rates on growth, yield, quality and partial factor productivity of tomato under non-pressure gravity irrigation.

To select the optimum fertilizer application under specific irrigation levels and to provide a reliable fertigation system for tomato plants, an experiment was conducted by using a microporous membrane for water-fertilizer integration under non-pressure gravity. A compound fertilizer (N:P2O5:K2O, 18:7:20) was adopted for topdressing at four levels, 1290 kg/ha, 1140 kg/ha, 990 kg/ha, and 840 kg/ha, and the locally recommended level of 1875 kg/ha was used as the control to explore the effects of different fertilizer application rates on growth, nutrient distribution, quality, yield, and partial factor of productivity (PFP) in tomato. The new regime of microporous membrane water-fertilizer integration under non-pressure gravity irrigation reduced the fertilizer application rate while promoting plant growth in the early and intermediate stages. Except for the 990 kg/ha fertilizer treatment, yields per plant and per plot for each fertilizer application rate were higher than or equal to those of the control. The new regime could effectively improve PFP and reduce soil nutrient enrichment. Fertilizer at 840 kg/ha showed the optimum results by increasing PFP by 75.72% as compared to control. In conclusion, the fertilizer rate at 840 kg/ha has not only maintained the productivity of soil but also tomato growth and quality of fruit which makes the non-pressure gravity irrigation a potential and cost-effective way for fertilizer application.

Periplaneta americana extract promotes intestinal mucosa repair of ulcerative colitis in rat.

PURPOSE: To investigate the mechanism of Periplaneta americana extract promoting intestinal mucosal repair of OXZ-induced colitis in rat. METHODS: All experiments used an equal number of male and female SD rats (n=48). We injected OXZ into the colon to induce UC rat model. To determine the optimal concentration of P. Americana's extract (PA-40), it was classified into low (L), medium (M), and high (H) doses. After OXZ treatment, each drug was administered by enema for 7 consecutive days. Rats were divided into the following 6 groups: (1) Saline treatment group (NC), (2) OXZ treatment UC model group (MC), (3) OXZ + budesonide group (BUN), (4) OXZ + PA-40 L group, (5) OXZ + PA-40 M group, (6) OXZ + PA-40 H group. Disease activity index (DAI) scores, colon length, histopathological score, serum cytokine level (IL-4, IL-10, iNOS, tNOS), and amount of MPO, EGF, IL-13 in colonic mucosa were measured. RESULTS: PA treatment had a significant healing effect on the OXZ-colitis model and significantly reduced the lesioned area, especially in the PA-40H groups. PA treatment did not alter the expression of IL-10 and MPO level, but increased EGF (epidermal growth factor) and decrease IL-13 in the colonic tissue. PA inhibited the rise of NOSs (nitric oxide synthase) and decreased the serum IL-4 level. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that Periplaneta americana extract may be a potential compound for the treatment of colonic lesions. The mechanism may be related to inhibiting the secretion of IL-13 and promoting the formation of EGF.

Wasp Venom Possesses Potential Therapeutic Effect in Experimental Models of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. Wasp venom (WV), which is considered as a traditional folk medicine in Jingpo nationality in Yunnan, China, relieves rheumatoid arthritis. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of wasp venom ameliorating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in experimental rats. We established a model of type II collagen- (CII-) induced arthritis (CIA) in SD rats and examined the inhibition of inflammation and autoimmune response. The antiarthritic effects of WV were evaluated through the paw swelling, and histopathological score and histopathology changes of the affected paw were assessed. The anti-inflammation effects were assayed by the level of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and the number of inflammatory cells in peripheral blood. The alteration of the T cell subset ratio in the spleen of rats was detected by flow cytometry, and at the same time, the viscera index and immune serum globulin levels were evaluated. The results suggested that various doses of WV (0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg) significantly alleviated paw swelling and arthritis score in CIA rats with the untreated control (P < 0.05). WV (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) relieved synovial tissue lesions of ankle joints and histopathology scores of synoviocyte hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration with vehicle group (P < 0.05). Regarding immunological regulation, 0.5 mg/kg WV lowered the immune serum globulin levels (P < 0.05), and we further found that WV (0.5 mg/kg) suppressed the immune response of Th cells, while enhancing the functions of Tc cells and Treg cells in spleen cells markedly (P < 0.05). The immunosuppressive action of WV displayed was analogous to its inhibitory effect on IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, COX-2, and PGE2 levels in rat serum. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that WV exhibited antiarthritic activity, which might be associated with their inhibitory effects on immunoregulation and anti-inflammatory action.

[Effects of sub-low temperature and drought stress on water transport and morphological anatomy of tomato plant]. / äºšä½Žæ¸©ä¸Žå¹²æ—±èƒè¿«å¯¹ç•ªèŒ„æ¤æ ªæ°´åˆ†ä¼ è¾“å’Œå½¢æ€è§£å‰–ç»“æž„çš„å½±å“.

We explored the effects of sub-low temperature and drought on water transport in tomato seedlings under normal temperature (25 ℃ day/18 ℃ night) and sub-low temperature (15 ℃ day/8 ℃ night) within the artificial climate chamber, and under normal irrigation (75%-85% field water holding capacity) and drought treatment (55%-65% field water holding capacity). We analyzed the effects of temperature and soil moisture on water transport, stomata and xylem vessel morpholo-gical and anatomical structure of tomato plants. The results showed that compared with condition of normal temperature + normal irrigation, drought treatment significantly reduced leaf water potential, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, hydraulic conductance, sap flow rate, stomatal length, and diameter of leaf, stem and root conduit, and thus thickened the cell wall and enhanced the anti-embolism ability of conduit in leaf, stem and root. Leaf water potential, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, hydraulic conductance, and conduit diameter in leaf, stem and root were significantly reduced by sub-low temperature treatment, but the stomata became larger, cell wall was thickened and the anti-embolism ability was enhanced in leaf, stem and root conduit. Under sub-low temperature condition, soil moisture did not affect leaf water potential, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, hydraulic conductance, stomatal morphology, conduit structure of leaf and root. In conclusion, under drought treatment, the homeostasis in water relationship was obtained by the coordination of leaf, stem and root structure. Under sub-low temperature treatment, the regulation of water relationship was mainly dependent on the changes of conduit structure in leaf and root, which was less affected by soil moisture.