SRC-1 Deficiency Increases Susceptibility of Mice to Depressive-Like Behavior After Exposure to CUMS.

Steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1) is one of the coactivators recruited by the nuclear receptors (NRs) when NRs are activated by steroid hormones, such as glucocorticoid. SRC-1 is abundant in hippocampus and hypothalamus and is also related to some major risk factors for depression, implicated by its reduced expression after stress and its effect on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland axis function. However, whether SRC-1 is involved in the formation of depression remains unclear. In this study, we firstly established chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) to induce depressive-like behaviors in mice and found that SRC-1 expression was reduced by CUS. A large number of studies have shown that neuroinflammation is associated with stress-induced depression and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection can lead to neuroinflammation and depressive-like behaviors in mice. Our result indicated that LPS treatment also decreased SRC-1 expression in mouse brain, implying the involvement of SRC-1 in the process of inflammation and depression. Next, we showed that the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) failed to elicit the depressive-like behaviors and dramatically promoted the expression of SRC-1 in brain of wild type mice. What's more, the SRC-1 knockout mice were more susceptible to CUMS to develop depressive-like behaviors and presented the changed expression of glucocorticoid receptor. However, SRC-1 deficiency did not affect the microglia activation induced by CUMS. Altogether, these results indicate a correlation between SRC-1 level and depressive-like behaviors, suggesting that SRC-1 might be involved in the development of depression induced by stress.

Water and nitrogen in-situ imaging detection in live corn leaves using near-infrared camera and interference filter.

BACKGROUND: Realizing imaging detection of water and nitrogen content in different regions of plant leaves in-site and real-time can provide an efficient new technology for determining crop drought resistance and nutrient regulation mechanisms, or for use in precision agriculture. Near-infrared imaging is the preferred technology for in-situ real-time detection owing to its non-destructive nature; moreover, it provides rich information. However, the use of hyperspectral imaging technology is limited as it is difficult to use it in field because of its high weight and power. RESULTS: We developed a smart imaging device using a near-infrared camera and an interference filter; it has a low weight, requires low power, and has a multi-wavelength resolution. The characteristic wavelengths of the filter that realize leaf moisture measurement are 1150 and 1400 nm, respectively, the characteristic wavelength of the filter that realizes nitrogen measurement is 1500 nm, and all filter bandwidths are 25 nm. The prediction result of the average leaf water content model obtained with the device was R2 = 0.930, RMSE = 1.030%; the prediction result of the average nitrogen content model was R2 = 0.750, RMSE = 0.263 g. CONCLUSIONS: Using the average water and nitrogen content model, an image of distribution of water and nitrogen in different areas of corn leaf was obtained, and its distribution characteristics were consistent with the actual leaf conditions. The experimental materials used in this research were fresh leaves in the field, and the test was completed indoors. Further verification of applying the device and model to the field is underway.

SRC-1 Knockout Exerts No Effect on Amyloid ß Deposition in APP/PS1 Mice.

Steroid receptor coactivator 1 (SRC-1) is the key coactivator because of its transcriptional activity. Previous studies have shown that SRC-1 is abundant in the hippocampus and has been implicated in cognition. SRC-1 is also related to some major risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD), such as a decline in estrogen and aging, however, whether SRC-1 is involved in the pathogenesis of AD remains unclear. In this study, we established SRC-1 knockout in AD mice by cross breeding SRC-1-/- mutant mice with APP/PS1 transgenic mice, and investigated the expression of some synaptic proteins, the amyloid ß (Aß) deposition, and activation of astrocytes and microglia in the hippocampus of APP/PS1×SRC-1-/- mice. The results showed that SRC-1 knockout neither affects the Aß plaque and activation of glia, nor changes the expression of synaptic proteins in AD model mice. The above results suggest that the complete deletion of SRC-1 in the embryo exerts no effect on the pathogenesis of APP/PS1 mice. Nevertheless, this study could not eliminate the possible role of SRC-1 in the development of AD due to the lack of observation of other events in AD such as tau hyperphosphorylation and the limitation of the animal model employed.

[Gamma knife for hypersecreting pituitary adenoma: analysis of 120 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the efficacy of Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKR) especially as a primary surgical treatment for hypersecreting pituitary adenoma. METHODS: One hundred and twenty cases with hypersecreting pituitary adenoma had been treated by Gamma knife radiosurgery. The clinical date had been analysed retrospectively. The tumor margin was covered by an isodose ranging from 45% to 70%. The margin dose was 15 to 32 Gy (mean 28.5 Gy) and the maximum dose varied from 35 to 70 Gy (mean 45.5 Gy). The total number of isocenter was 165 (mean 1-3). RESULTS: One hundred and eleven cases had been followed-up by hormone level, and 104 cases had been followed-up by image of MRI. The mean follow-up duration was 12-72 months (mean 36 months). The control rate of hormone level was 48.6%, the control rate of tumor growth was 96.2%, the incidence of hypopituitarism was in 2.7% and the incidence of tumor apoplexy was in 0.9% in followed-up cases. CONCLUSIONS: As a primary surgical treatment for hypersecreting pituitary adenoma, GKR can be effective and safe in controlling tumor growth and inducing hormonal normalization.

A rapid and cost-effective screening method for identification of targeted embryonic stem cells.

Generation and characterization of knockout mice from targeted embryonic stem (ES) cells have become one of the most powerful approaches to study gene function in vivo. However, experiments to identify targeted ES clones can be both labor-intensive and expensive when the targeting efficiency is low. Using the steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3) gene as a model, we have developed a rapid and cost-effective method for identification of targeted ES clones. Specifically, a promoterless LacZ sequence was fused to the 5'-coding sequence of SRC-3 in the targeting vector. After homologous recombination in ES cells, LacZ expression was regulated by the endogenous gene promoter. In cases of random insertions the beta-galactosidase would more likely not be produced due to lacking promoter or missing amino acid-reading frame. Accordingly, targeted ES clones were enriched more than 30 times in the population of blue clones positive to X-gal staining. Therefore, targeted ES clones can be selected quickly and economically by X-gal staining in large scale followed by Southern blot analysis on small number of blue clones if the gene of interest is expressed in ES cells. This strategy is particularly useful when the targeting efficiency is low and a reporter such as LacZ or GFP for mouse gene expression is desired.