[Fast-onset antidepressant potentials of essential oil of herbs].

The existing antidepressants demonstrated delayed onset of clinical effects, so fast-onset antidepressants are required. Essential oil of herbs showed potentials fast-onset antidepressant potential. First, its aromatic odor can directly activate olfactory nerves; its high lipophilicity causes a high blood-brain barrier penetration rate; and its high volatility is suitable for nasal-brain targeting and inhalation delivery. Therefore, essential oils can rapidly regulate brain functions by multiple ways, suggesting a fast-onset antidepressant potential. Second, the advance of studies on chemistry and pharmacology of antidepressant essential oils demonstrated chemical substances, antidepressant effects and possible action mechanisms of antidepressant essential oils. Third, the effect of essential oils' antidepressant components on fast-onset antidepressant targets was investigated. It was found that chemical constituents of essential oils antagonized NMDA receptor activities, suggesting that essential oils have fast-onset antidepressant effect. Finally, characteristics of essential oils, fast-onset antidepressant targets and drug delivery methods are integrated to give full play to essential oils' fast-onset antidepressant advantage and provide a new direction for new drug discovery.

Association of VIPR-1 gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with egg production in laying quails.

The laying quail is a worldwide breed which exhibits high economic value. In our current study, the vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor-1 (VIPR-1) was selected as the candidate gene for identifying traits of egg production. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection was performed in 443 individual quails, including 196 quails from the H line, 202 quails from the L line, and 45 wild quails. The SNPs were genotyped using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Two mutations (G373T, A313G) were detected in all the tested quail populations. The associated analysis showed that the SNP genotypes of the VIPR-1 gene were significantly linked with the egg weight of G373T and A313G in 398 quails. The quails with the genotype GG always exhibited the largest egg weight for the two mutations in the H and L lines. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis indicated that G373T and A313G loci showed the weakest LD. Seven main diplotypes from the four main reconstructed haplotypes were observed, indicating a significant association of diplotypes with egg weight. Quails with the h1h2 (GGGT) diplotype always exhibited the smallest egg weight and largest egg number at 20 weeks of age. The overall results suggest that the alterations in quails may be linked with potential major loci or genes affecting reproductive traits.

Glutathione S-transferase of brown planthoppers (Nilaparvata lugens) is essential for their adaptation to gramine-containing host plants.

Plants have evolved complex processes to ward off attacks by insects. In parallel, insects have evolved mechanisms to thwart these plant defenses. To gain insight into mechanisms that mediate this arms race between plants and herbivorous insects, we investigated the interactions between gramine, a toxin synthesized by plants of the family Gramineae, and glutathione S transferase (GST), an enzyme found in insects that is known to detoxify xenobiotics. Here, we demonstrate that rice (Oryza sativa), a hydrophytic plant, also produces gramine and that rice resistance to brown planthoppers (Nilaparvata lugens, BPHs) is highly associated with in planta gramine content. We also show that gramine is a toxicant that causes BPH mortality in vivo and that knockdown of BPH GST gene nlgst1-1 results in increased sensitivity to diets containing gramine. These results suggest that the knockdown of key detoxification genes in sap-sucking insects may provide an avenue for increasing their sensitivity to natural plant-associated defense mechanisms.