The RAV transcription factor TEMPRANILLO1 involved in ethylene-mediated delay of chrysanthemum flowering.

TEMPRANILLO1 (TEM1) is a transcription factor belonging to related to ABI3 and VP1 family, which is also known as ethylene response DNA-binding factor 1 and functions as a repressor of flowering in Arabidopsis. Here, a putative homolog of AtTEM1 was isolated and characterized from chrysanthemum, designated as CmTEM1. Exogenous application of ethephon leads to an upregulation in the expression of CmTEM1. Knockdown of CmTEM1 promotes floral initiation, while overexpression of CmTEM1 retards floral transition. Further phenotypic observations suggested that CmTEM1 involves in the ethylene-mediated inhibition of flowering. Transcriptomic analysis established that expression of the flowering integrator CmAFL1, a member of the APETALA1/FRUITFULL subfamily, was downregulated significantly in CmTEM1-overexpressing transgenic plants compared with wild-type plants but was verified to be upregulated in amiR-CmTEM1 lines by quantitative RT-PCR. In addition, CmTEM1 is capable of binding to the promoter of the CmAFL1 gene to inhibit its transcription. Moreover, the genetic evidence supported the notion that CmTEM1 partially inhibits floral transition by targeting CmAFL1. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that CmTEM1 acts as a regulator of ethylene-mediated delayed flowering in chrysanthemum, partly through its interaction with CmAFL1.

Hypercholesterolemia and the Increased Risk of Vascular Dementia: a Cholesterol Perspective.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most prevalent type of dementia after Alzheimer's disease.Hypercholesterolemia may increase the risk of dementia, but the association between cholesterol and cognitive function is very complex. From the perspective of peripheral and brain cholesterol, we review the relationship between hypercholesterolemia and increased risk of VaD and how the use of lipid-lowering therapies affects cognition. RECENT FINDINGS: Epidemiologic studies show since 1980, non-HDL-C levels of individuals has increased rapidly in Asian countries.The study has suggested that vascular risk factors increase the risk of VaD, such as disordered lipid metabolism. Dyslipidemia has been found to interact with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion to promote inflammation resulting in cognitive dysfunction in the brain.Hypercholesterolemia may be a risk factor for VaD. Inflammation could potentially serve as a link between hypercholesterolemia and VaD. Additionally, the potential impact of lipid-lowering therapy on cognitive function is also worth considering. Finding strategies to prevent and treat VaD is critical given the aging of the population to lessen the load on society. Currently, controlling underlying vascular risk factors is considered one of the most effective methods of preventing VaD. Understanding the relationship between abnormal cholesterol levels and VaD, as well as discovering potential serum biomarkers, is important for the early prevention and treatment of VaD.

Efficient continuous wave and passively Q switched Er:GdScO3 laser using Fe:ZnSe at 2.8 µm.

We report on diode-pumped continuous wave and passively Q switched Er:GdScO3 crystal lasers at around 2.8 µm. A continuous wave output power of 579 mW was obtained with a slope efficiency of 16.6%. Using Fe:ZnSe as a saturable absorber, a passively Q switched laser operation was realized. A maximum output power of 32 mW was generated with the shortest pulse duration of 286 ns at a repetition rate of 157.3 kHz, leading to a pulse energy of 204 nJ and a pulse peak power of 0.7 W.

Interaction with WDR5 promotes target gene recognition and tumorigenesis by MYC.

MYC is an oncoprotein transcription factor that is overexpressed in the majority of malignancies. The oncogenic potential of MYC stems from its ability to bind regulatory sequences in thousands of target genes, which depends on interaction of MYC with its obligate partner, MAX. Here, we show that broad association of MYC with chromatin also depends on interaction with the WD40-repeat protein WDR5. MYC binds WDR5 via an evolutionarily conserved "MYC box IIIb" motif that engages a shallow, hydrophobic cleft on the surface of WDR5. Structure-guided mutations in MYC that disrupt interaction with WDR5 attenuate binding of MYC at ∼80% of its chromosomal locations and disable its ability to promote induced pluripotent stem cell formation and drive tumorigenesis. Our data reveal WDR5 as a key determinant for MYC recruitment to chromatin and uncover a tractable target for the discovery of anticancer therapies against MYC-driven tumors.

Diode-pumped SESAM mode-locked Tm:Sc2SiO5 laser.

We report a diode-pumped passively mode-locked Tm:Sc2SiO5 (Tm:SSO) laser for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The stable continuous-wave (CW) mode-locking is achieved with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). Operating at the eye-safe wavelength of 1967.7 nm, the pulsed laser delivers a pulse duration of 16.5 ps with an average output power of 207 mW. At a fundamental repetition frequency of 81 MHz, the signal-to-noise ratio is as high as 70 dB. These results demonstrate the great potential of Tm:SSO crystal for ultrashort pulse generation.

Deletions linked to TP53 loss drive cancer through p53-independent mechanisms.

Mutations disabling the TP53 tumour suppressor gene represent the most frequent events in human cancer and typically occur through a two-hit mechanism involving a missense mutation in one allele and a 'loss of heterozygosity' deletion encompassing the other. While TP53 missense mutations can also contribute gain-of-function activities that impact tumour progression, it remains unclear whether the deletion event, which frequently includes many genes, impacts tumorigenesis beyond TP53 loss alone. Here we show that somatic heterozygous deletion of mouse chromosome 11B3, a 4-megabase region syntenic to human 17p13.1, produces a greater effect on lymphoma and leukaemia development than Trp53 deletion. Mechanistically, the effect of 11B3 loss on tumorigenesis involves co-deleted genes such as Eif5a and Alox15b (also known as Alox8), the suppression of which cooperates with Trp53 loss to produce more aggressive disease. Our results imply that the selective advantage produced by human chromosome 17p deletion reflects the combined impact of TP53 loss and the reduced dosage of linked tumour suppressor genes.

Optimization and Developmental Validation of 38-plex InDel Panel for Ancestry Inference.

OBJECTIVES: The previously established 38-plex InDel system was optimized and its performance was validated according to the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Method (SWGDAM) application guidelines. The ancestry inference accuracy of individuals from East Asian, European, African and mixed populations was verified. METHODS: DNA standard sample 9947A was used as the template to establish the optimal amplification conditions by adjusting primer balance, Mg2+ final concentration and optimizing PCR thermal cycle parameters and amplification volume. The allelic dropout, nonspecific amplification and whether the origin of the inferred samples matched the known information were compared to evaluate the performance of this system. RESULTS: The optimal dosage of this system was 0.125-2 ng DNA template. The results of InDel typing were accurate, the amplification equilibrium was good, and the species specificity was good. This system showed certain tolerance to DNA samples including the inhibitor such as hemoglobin (≤80 µmol/L), indigo (≤40 mmol/L), calcium ion (≤1.0 mmol/L), and humic acid (≤90 ng/µL). The system enabled the direct amplification of DNA from saliva and blood on filter paper, and the results of ethnic inference were accurate. The system successfully detected the mixed DNA sample from two individuals. The test results of the system for common biological materials in practical cases were accurate. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the 38-plex InDel system are accurate and reliable, and the performance of the system meets the requirement of the SWGDAM guidelines. This system can accurately differentiate the ancestry origins of individuals from African, European, East Asian, and Eurasian populations and can be implemented in forensic practice.

Genome-wide identification of PTI1 family in Setaria italica and salinity-responsive functional analysis of SiPTI1-5.

BACKGROUND: PTI1 (Pto-interacting 1) protein kinase belongs to the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) group of receptor-like protein kinases (RLK), but lack extracellular and transmembrane domains. PTI1 was first identified in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and named SlPTI1, which has been reported to interact with bacterial effector Pto, a serine/threonine protein kinase involved in plant resistance to bacterial disease. Briefly, the host PTI1 specifically recognizes and interacts with the bacterial effector AvrPto, which triggers hypersensitive cell death to inhibit the pathogen growth in the local infection site. Previous studies have demonstrated that PTI1 is associated with oxidative stress and hypersensitivity. RESULTS: We identified 12 putative PTI1 genes from the genome of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) in this study. Gene replication analysis indicated that both segmental replication events played an important role in the expansion of PTI1 gene family in foxtail millet. The PTI1 family members of model plants, i.e. S. italica, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), S. lycopersicum, and soybean (Glycine max), were classified into six major categories according to the phylogenetic analysis, among which the PTI1 family members in foxtail millet showed higher degree of homology with those of rice and maize. The analysis of a complete set of SiPTI1 genes/proteins including classification, chromosomal location, orthologous relationships and duplication. The tissue expression characteristics revealed that SiPTI1 genes are mainly expressed in stems and leaves. Experimental qRT-PCR results demonstrated that 12 SiPTI1 genes were induced by multiple stresses. Subcellular localization visualized that all of foxtail millet SiPTI1s were localized to the plasma membrane. Additionally, heterologous expression of SiPTI1-5 in yeast and E. coli enhanced their tolerance to salt stress. CONCLUSIONS: Our results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the roles of PTI1 protein kinases and will be useful in prioritizing particular PTI1 for future functional validation studies in foxtail millet.

Distribution and characteristics of microplastics in urban waters of seven cities in the Tuojiang River basin, China.

Microplastics pollution presents an increasing concern worldwide due to the large amount and potential risks. However, data on microplastics in the freshwater environment are still limited, especially in southwest China. This study investigated the microplastics distribution, characteristics and risks in urban water of different cities in the Tuojiang River basin in southwest China. Microplastics were found in all seven cities of the Tuojiang River basin and the concentrations varied from 911.57 ± 199.73 to 3395.27 ± 707.22 items/m3, among which Ziyang urban water had the highest microplastics concentration. Fiber (34.88-65.85%) was a typical and abundant microplastic type. The small size (0.5-1 mm) (27.27-66.67%) was predominant, and white (23.30-54.29%) was the dominant color among all samples. Polypropylene was identified as the main polymer type by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy indicated that the surfaces of the microplastics had many cracks and a multitude of particles were adsorbed onto it. According to correlation analysis, there was a significant positive correlation between gross domestic product(P=0.015<0.05) and gross domestic product of the secondary industries(P=0.014<0.05) of cities in the Tuojiang River basin and microplastics concentrations, demonstrating impacts of the secondary industries on the microplastics pollution. In addition, water bodies with lower oxidation-reduction potential tended to have higher microplastics abundance. In the Tuojiang River basin, microplastics pollution was more serious in location where water quality was poor. The polymer risk index (H) was calculated to assess the environmental risk of microplastics in different cities, and the results showed that Fushun sites had the highest risk in regard to microplastics. This study provides a valuable reference for a better understanding of the microplastics level and source identification in southwest China.

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Explore the Potential Mechanisms of Huangqin-Baishao Herb Pair in Treatment of Cancer.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to identify the bioactive ingredients of Huangqin-Baishao herb pair and to reveal its anti-cancer mechanisms through a pharmacology approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS Detailed information on compounds in the HQ-BS herb pair was obtained from the Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) and screened by the criteria of OB ≥30% and DL ≥0.18. A systematic drug targeting model (SysDT) was used for compound targets prediction, and then the targets were analyzed for Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of HQ-BS targets was constructed, after identifying core networks through Cytoscape plugins. RESULTS We found 47 bioactive compounds of HQ-BS and 107 human-derived targets. A compound target network and a target signal pathway network were constructed and used for topological analysis. Kaempferol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, wogonin, and oroxylin-a were identified as core compounds and pathways in cancer. The calcium signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, chemical carcinogenesis, estrogen signaling pathway, proteoglycans in cancer, HIF-1 signaling pathway, thyroid hormone signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and T cell receptor signaling pathway were found to be potential signals of HQ-BS in treating cancer. Through PPI network analysis, TNF signaling pathway, tryptophan metabolism, proteoglycans in cancer, cell cycle, and chemical carcinogenesis sub-networks were obtained. CONCLUSIONS HQ-BS contains various bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, phytosterols, and other compounds, and these compounds can inhibit or activate multiple targets and pathways against cancer.

Qingkailing injection ameliorates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and modulates the AMPK/NLRP3 Inflammasome Signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral ischemia is the second-leading cause of death and the main cause of permanent adult disabilities worldwide. Qingkailing (QKL) injection, a patented Chinese medicine approved by the China Food and Drug Administration, has been widely used in clinical practice to treat cerebral ischemia in China. The NOD-like receptor pyrin 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is activated in cerebral ischemia and thus, is an effective therapeutic target. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important regulator inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. METHODS: We investigated the potential of QKL injection to provide neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (210-230 g) were randomly divided into three groups which consist of sham, MCAO and 3 ml/kg QKL. Rats in the QKL group received intraperitoneal injections of 3 ml/kg QKL, while rats in other groups were given saline in the same volumes. After 90 min ischemia and 24 h reperfusion, neurological function, laser speckle imaging, brain infarction, brain water content and brain blood barrier permeability were examined and cell apoptosis at prefrontal cortex were evaluated 24 h after MCAO, and western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was also researched, respectively. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal administration of QKL alleviated neurological deficiencies, cerebral infarction, blood-brain barrier permeability, brain oedema and brain cell apoptosis after MCAO induction. QKL decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß, and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10. Furthermore, QKL activated phosphorylated AMPK, decreased oxidative stress and decreased NLRP3 inflammasome activation. CONCLUSIONS: QKL relieved cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury and suppressed the inflammatory response by inhibiting AMPK-mediated activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. These results suggest that QKL might have potential in treating brain inflammatory response and attenuating the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Efficient degradation of tetracycline by ultraviolet-based activation of peroxymonosulfate and persulfate.

In this study, the difference in oxidative capacity for removing antibiotics and the mechanism between the Cu(II)/peroxymonosulfate (PMS)/UV and Cu(II)/persulfate (PDS)/UV systems were compared under various conditions. The optimal Cu(II) concentration in the Cu(II)/PMS/UV system was 30 µM, and in the Cu(II)/PDS/UV system was 50 µM. With the PMS or PDS concentration increasing, higher tetracycline (TC) degradation in these two systems occurred. Investigation on the mechanism revealed that •OH was the primary radical in the Cu(II)/PMS/UV system, while SO4 -• was the primary radical in the Cu(II)/PDS/UV system where •OH also played an important role. In these two systems, it was observed that Cu(I) was generated by PMS or PDS activated via UV illumination; however, oxygen alone could not promote TC removal. The degradation of TC was increased with the increasing pH level. In addition, TC degradation in the Cu(II)/PMS/UV system followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics model during the entire reaction period. It was found that the TC degradation kinetics in the Cu(II)/PDS/UV system can be divided into two parts (0 to 7 min and 10 to 50 min) and these two parts had good agreement with the pseudo-first-order kinetics model, respectively.

Histomorphology and innate immunity during the progression of osteoarthritis: Does synovitis affect cartilage degradation?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic degenerative disease that affects all joints. At present, the pathological processes and mechanisms of OA are still unclear. Innate immunity, a key player in damage to the structure of the joint and the mechanism by which the host attempts to repair OA, affects all pathological stages of the disease. In the present study, our aim was to assess changes in innate immunity during the pathological processes of OA in articular cartilage (AC) and the synovial membrane (SM), which are the major structures in joints, and to systematically examine the histological changes in AC and SM in mild, moderate and severe cases of OA, in order to further speculate about the manner in which the interactions of AC and SM are facilitated by innate immunity. Histological methods (including HE and Safranin O-fast green staining), immunofluorescent double staining, TUNEL stain, and Western blots were used to assess the morphological changes within AC and SM tissues in healthy and mild, moderate, or severe OA rats. Our results showed that the damage to AC and SM within the joints progressively worsened in different degrees during the course of the disease, and that the innate immune system was closely involved in the AC and SM during each stage of OA. These findings also confirmed that SM may affect the pathological changes in AC through the innate immune system, and therefore affect the progress of OA.

Comparative proteomic investigation of drought responses in foxtail millet.

BACKGROUND: Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L. P. Beauv) has been considered as a tractable model crop in recent years due to its short growing cycle, lower amount of repetitive DNA, inbreeding nature, small diploid genome, and outstanding abiotic stress-tolerance characteristics. With modern agriculture facing various adversities, it's urgent to dissect the mechanisms of how foxtail millet responds and adapts to drought and stress on the proteomic-level. RESULTS: In this research, a total of 2474 differentially expressed proteins were identified by quantitative proteomic analysis after subjecting foxtail millet seedlings to drought conditions. 321 of these 2474 proteins exhibited significant expression changes, including 252 up-regulated proteins and 69 down-regulated proteins. The resulting proteins could then be divided into different categories, such as stress and defense responses, photosynthesis, carbon metabolism, ROS scavenging, protein synthesis, etc., according to Gene Ontology annotation. Proteins implicated in fatty acid and amino acid metabolism, polyamine biosynthesis, hormone metabolism, and cell wall modifications were also identified. These obtained differential proteins and their possible biological functions under drought stress all suggested that various physiological and metabolic processes might function cooperatively to configure a new dynamic homeostasis in organisms. The expression patterns of five drought-responsive proteins were further validated using western blot analysis. The qRT-PCR was also carried out to analyze the transcription levels of 21 differentially expressed proteins. The results showed large inconsistency in the variation between proteins and the corresponding mRNAs, which showed once again that post-transcriptional modification performs crucial roles in regulating gene expression. CONCLUSION: The results offered a valuable inventory of proteins that may be involved in drought response and adaption, and provided a regulatory network of different metabolic pathways under stress stimulation. This study will illuminate the stress tolerance mechanisms of foxtail millet, and shed some light on crop germplasm breeding and innovation.

An Injectable, Dual Responsive, and Self-Healing Hydrogel Based on Oxidized Sodium Alginate and Hydrazide-Modified Poly(ethyleneglycol).

Oxidized sodium alginate is a handily modifiable polysaccharide owing to the pendant aldehyde groups which can form dynamic covalent bonds with amines, acylhydrazines, etc., providing oxidized sodium alginate-based hydrogels with stimuli-responsive properties. However, due to the stiffness and, in particular, the hydrophobicity of sodium alginate dialdehyde at low pH, the mechanical performance and pH stimuli responsiveness of oxidized sodium alginate-based hydrogels are still strictly limited. Herein, we report a new strategy to build an injectable, dual responsive, and self-healing hydrogel based on oxidized sodium alginate and hydrazide-modified poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG). The hydrazide-modified PEG, referred to as PEG-DTP, acts as a macromolecule crosslinker. We found that the presence of PEG-DTP reduces the hydrophobicity of oxidized sodium alginate at low pH so effectively that even a pH-induced reversible sol-gel transitions can be realized. Meanwhile, the disulfide bonds in PEG-DTP endows the hydrogel with the other reversible sol-gel transitions by redox stimuli. In particular, due to the softness of PEG-DTP chains, mechanical performance was also enhanced significantly. Our results indicate we can easily integrate multi-stimuli responsiveness, injectability, and self-healing behavior together into an oxidized sodium alginate-based hydrogel merely by mixing an oxidized sodium alginate solution with PEG-DTP solution in certain proportions.

A Highly Sensitive Immunochromatographic Strip Test for Rapid and Quantitative Detection of Saikosaponin d.

A quantitative lateral-flow immunoassay using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) conjugated with a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against saikosaponin d (SSd) was developed for the analysis of SSd. The AuNPs were prepared in our laboratory. The AuNPs were polyhedral, with an average diameter of approximately 18 nm. We used the conjugation between AuNPs and MAbs against SSd to prepare immunochromatographic strips (ICSs). For the quantitative experiment, the strips with the test results were scanned using a membrane strip reader, and a detection curve (regression equation, y = -0.113ln(x) + 1.5451, R² = 0.983), representing the averages of the scanned data, was obtained. This curve was linear from 96 ng/mL to 150 µg/mL, and the IC50 value was 10.39 µg/mL. In this study, we bring the concept ofPOCT (point-of-care testing) to the measurement of TCM compounds, and this is the first report of quantitative detection of SSd by an ICS.

Antagonistic activities of volatiles produced by two Bacillus strains against Monilinia fructicola in peach fruit.

BACKGROUND: Brown rot caused by Monilinia fructicola is one of most serious diseases of postharvest peach fruit. The objective of this study was to select effective antagonistic bacteria against Monilinia fructicola and evaluate the effects of these strains against brown rot. RESULTS: Four bacterial strains producing inhibitory volatile gas against Monilinia fructicola were isolated from the peach rhizosphere soil. The volatiles produced by 12a (Bacillus vallismortis) and 14b (Bacillus altitudinis) showed considerable antagonistic activities. Monilinia fructicola showed 80.3% and 68.4% mycelial growth inhibition and cell damage in the presence of strains 12a and 14b, respectively. The inhibition rate of brown rot in peach fruit fumigated with the culture solution of 12a or 14b reached 77.1% and 50.0%, respectively. The volatile compounds produced by 12a and 14b were identified according to gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis. Among them, 6-methyl-2-heptanone and 2-pentylfuran completely inhibited mycelial growth at 100 µL L-1 concentration. Cedrol showed strong inhibitory activity against mycelial growth at 100 µg L-1 and isodecyl methacrylate inhibited growth at high concentration. The inhibition rate of the 50 µL L-1 artificial mixture of these four volatiles was 59.3% in vitro. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the two antagonistic bacteria and some volatiles produced by them have potential value in controlling brown rot in harvested peach fruit. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development of Fluorescence-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Icariin.

We have been looking for a faster and simpler method for traditional Chinese medicine and natural product assay. In this study, we developed a fluorescent immunoassay approach to detect icariin (ICA) using a fluorescently labelled monoclonal antibody. The ICA-specific antibody was purified by the caprylic acid-ammonium sulphate method and then labelled with rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RBITC). Subsequently, an indirect competitive fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (icFLISA) was developed to detect ICA using RBITC-labelled anti-ICA MAbs. The RBITC-labelled monoclonal antibody was highly specific for ICA. The fluorescence assay demonstrated an effective ICA measurement range of 1.28 ng/mL to 20 µg/mL (R2 = 0.9946) with relative standard deviations below 10% for both intra-assay and inter-assay repeatability and precision. This icFLISA for ICA is simple, rapid, and sensitive, with a 20-fold greater linear range and a 10-fold lower limit of detection than with the previously developed indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thus, this study establishes a useful method for detecting ICA, enabling in vivo visualization research. In the future, FLISA can be also used to assay the concentrations of ICA in biological samples, as well as to investigate the pharmacokinetics of ICA in different tissues to explore the targets of ICA in vivo.

Effect of traditional Chinese medicine formula Sinisan on chronic restraint stress-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a rat study.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents one of the most common forms of liver disease worldwide, and it is always regarded as a consequence of a sedentary, food-abundant lifestyle, sitting for an extended time, and a low physical activity level, which often coincide with chronic and long-lasting psychological stress. A Chinese medicine Sinisan (SNS) may be a potential formula for treating this kind of disease. METHODS: In this study, a long-term chronic restraint stress protocol was used to investigate the mechanism underlying stress-induced NALFD. To investigate the effect of SNS treatment on stress-induced NAFLD, we measured the liver and serum values of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), liver free fatty acids (FFA), low-density lipoprotein, superoxide dismutase, tumor necrosis factor-α, malondialdehyde, interleukin (IL)-6, and serum values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase. Results are shown as a mean ± standard deviation. Significant differences between the groups were evaluated using the Student t-test. For multiple comparisons, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. If the results of ANOVA indicated significant differences, post hoc analysis was performed with the Tukey test or Dunnett test, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Long-term chronic stress led to steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Additionally, SNS treatment significantly increased body weight gain (p < 0.01) and sucrose preference (p < 0.001), and it reduced the liver values of TC, TG, and FFA (p < 0.05). SNS also reduced the serum values of AST and ALT (p < 0.001), and the liver value of IL-6 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study's results demonstrate that psychological stress may be a significant risk factor of NAFLD. Furthermore, the traditional Chinese medicine formula SNS may have some beneficial effect in antagonizing psychological stress and stress-related NAFLD.

Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution Kinetics of Puerarin in Rats Using Indirect Competitive ELISA.

Puerarin (PUE) is a compound isolated from the roots of Pueraria lobata. We studied the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution kinetics of PUE in Sprague-Dawley rats following intraperitoneal administration of three concentrations. Indirect competitive ELISA based on an anti-PUE monoclonal antibody was used to determine the concentration of PUE in the blood, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and striatum. The plasma and tissue distribution kinetic characteristics following a single injection of PUE (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg) were calculated using a non-compartment model. In the high-dose (80 mg/kg) and medium-dose (40 mg/kg) groups, the kinetic profile of PUE in blood and kidney samples showed two absorption peaks, while that of the other tissues showed only one peak. In the low-dose (20 mg/kg) group, there was only one peak, irrespective of the sample type. Pharmacokinetic parameters, such as the area under the curve, Cmax, and Tmax varied according to the administered dose. AUC and Cmax values increased dose-dependently. PUE was widely distributed in areas of the brain such as the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and striatum, providing a foundation for guiding the use of PUE in the treatment of cerebral ischaemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.