Impact of fomesafen on the soil microbial communities in soybean fields in Northeastern China.

Fomesafen, a widely adopted residual herbicide, is used throughout the soybean region of northern China for the spring planting. However, the ecological risks of using fomesafen in soil remain unknown. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of fomesafen on the microbial community structure of soil using laboratory and field experiments. Under laboratory conditions, the application of fomesafen at concentrations of 3.75 and 37.5mg/kg decreased the basal respiration (RB) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). In contrast, treatment with 375mg/kg of fomesafen resulted in a significant decrease in the RB, MBC, abundance of both Gram+ and Gram- bacteria, and fungal biomass. Analysis of variance showed that the treatment accounted for most of the variance (38.3%) observed in the soil microbial communities. Furthermore, the field experiment showed that long-term fomesafen application in continuously cropped soybean fields affected the soil bacterial community composition by increasing the relative average abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria species and decreasing the abundance of Verrucomicrobia species. In addition, Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi species showed a pattern of activation-inhibition. Taken together, our results suggest that the application of fomesafen can affect the community structure of soil bacteria in the spring planting soybean region of northern China.

Andrographolide inhibits the migration, invasion and matrix metalloproteinase expression of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes via inhibition of HIF-1α signaling.

AIMS: Hypoxia is implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), contributing to the tumor-like phenotypes of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs). Andrographolide is the main bioactive component of Andrographis paniculata, an herbal medicine that shows therapeutic benefits in RA patients. Here, we explored the effects of andrographolide on hypoxia-induced migration and invasion of RA-FLSs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RA-FLSs were exposed to hypoxia in the presence or absence of andrographolide and cell migration and invasion were tested by Transwell assays. The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, MMP-3 and MMP-9 was measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. HIF-1α DNA binding activity was assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The effects of overexpression of exogenous HIF-1α on the action of andrographolide in RA-FLSs were investigated. KEY FINDINGS: Andrographolide inhibited FLS migration and invasion under hypoxic conditions in a dose-dependent manner. The upregulation of MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-9 in response to hypoxia was significantly (P<0.05) attenuated by andrographolide. Moreover, the expression and DNA binding activity of HIF-1α were dose-dependently decreased in andrographolide-treated cells under hypoxic conditions. Overexpression of HIF-1α almost completely reversed the suppressive effects of andrographolide on the migration, invasion and MMP expression of hypoxic RA-FLSs. SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicate the ability of andrographolide to attenuate hypoxia-induced invasiveness of RA-FLSs via inhibition of HIF-1α signaling, and warrant further exploration of andrographolide for the treatment of RA.