Gender differences in plasma S100B levels of patients with major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Low concentrations of S100B have neurotrophic effects and can promote nerve growth and repair, which plays an essential role in the pathophysiological and histopathological alterations of major depressive disorder (MDD) during disease development. Studies have shown that plasma S100B levels are altered in patients with MDD. In this study, we investigated whether the plasma S100B levels in MDD differ between genders. METHODS: We studied 235 healthy controls (HCs) (90 males and 145 females) and 185 MDD patients (65 males and 120 females). Plasma S100B levels were detected via multifactor assay. The Mahalanobis distance method was used to detect the outliers of plasma S100B levels in the HC and MDD groups. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to test the normality of six groups of S100B samples. The Mann-Whitney test and Scheirer-Ray-Hare test were used for the comparison of S100B between diagnoses and genders, and the presence of a relationship between plasma S100B levels and demographic details or clinical traits was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS: All individuals in the HC group had plasma S100B levels that were significantly greater than those in the MDD group. In the MDD group, males presented significantly higher plasma S100B levels than females. In the male group, the plasma S100B levels in the HC group were significantly higher than those in the MDD group, while in the female group, no significant difference was found between the HC and MDD groups. In the male MDD subgroup, there was a positive correlation between plasma S100B levels and years of education. In the female MDD subgroup, there were negative correlations between plasma S100B levels and age and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, plasma S100B levels vary with gender and are decreased in MDD patients, which may be related to pathological alterations in glial cells.

Phytotoxic, Antifungal and Immunosuppressive Metabolites from Aspergillus terreus QT122 Isolated from the Gut of Dragonfly.

Insect gut microbes have been considered as a resource for bioactive metabolites. The aim of this study was to characterize the compounds of a fungus Aspergillus terreus QT122 associated with the gut of dragonfly. Five main phytotoxic, antifungal, and immunosuppressive substances were isolated from the fungus QT122. The structures of such compounds were identified as emodin (1), 1-methyl emodin (2), terrein (3), methyl 6-acetyl-4-methoxy-7,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylate (4), and dihydrogeodin (5) on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and by comparison of the corresponding data to those reported in the literature previously. The compound 3 exhibited the best phytotoxic activity against the radicle growth of A. retroflexus L. and E. crusgalli L. with their IC50 values of 11.2 and 3.1 µg/mL, which were comparable to that of the positive control of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) with the IC50 values of 8.1 and 1.6 µg/mL, respectively. The compounds 2-3 showed potent antifungal activity in the growth of Alternaria solani with the IC50 value of less than 0.1 µg/mL and the compound 2 also had great inhibitory effect against the growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (IC50 < 0.1 µg/mL), which was comparable to that of referenced cycloheximide with IC50 value of below 0.1 µg/mL. The compounds 3-5 exhibited strong immunosuppressive activities against the T cell viability with the inhibition rates of more than 99%, which were comparable to positive cyclosporin A under the concentration of 20 µM. These results suggest that the compounds 2-5 have the potential to be used as bio-control agents in agriculture or immunosuppressive agents.

[Isolation and identification of termitarium antagonistic actinomycetes BYC 01 and its active metabolites].

OBJECTIVE: We isolated actinomyces from the termitarium and studied its metabolites to find the antimicrobial compounds. METHODS: We determined the taxonomic status of target strain BYC 01 by morphological observation and 16s rRNA sequence analysis. Growth rate method and agar disc diffusion assays were used to test the antimicrobial activities. Fermentation product was isolated and purified by various chromatographic methods, and the structure was determined by mass spectrum and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. RESULTS: BYC 01 was identified as Streptomyces violaceoruber. The main antimicrobial ingredients of BYC 01 fermentation broth consisted in the ethyl acetate fraction of moderate polar part. The ethyl acetate extract of BYC 01 had strong antifungal activities against Valsa mali with inhibition rate of more than 90%, and activities against Rhizoctonia solani and Dothiorella gregaria with inhibition rate of more than 60% under the concentration of 100 microg/mL. Furthermore, the extract showed the intermediate antimicrobial activities against Candida albicans, Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Xanthomonas oryzae with the mean halo diameters ranging from 11.3 to 16.5 mm under the concentration of 30 microg/filter paper. A monomer compound was purified from the fermentation products, and was identified as fogacin on the basis of mass spectrum and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. The compound fogacin and the positive control had similar antimicrobial activities against C. albicans with inhibition zone of 19.3 mm and 20.1 mm under the concentration of 30 microg/filter paper. CONCLUSION: Strain BYC 01 could be potentially developed as a new antimicrobial agent.

Gentiopicroside improves non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by activating PPARα and suppressing HIF1.

Gentiopicroside (GPS) is a highly water-soluble small-molecule drug and the main bioactive secoiridoid glycoside of Gentiana scabra that has been shown to have hepatoprotective effects against non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the effects of GPS on NASH and the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Firstly, a high-fat, high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet and a high-sugar solution containing d-fructose and d-glucose were used to establish a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mice model. Secondly, we confirmed GPS supplementation improve metabolic abnormalities and reduce inflammation in NASH mice induced by HFHC and high-sugar solution. Then we used metabolomics to investigate the mechanisms of GPS in NASH mice. Metabolomics analysis showed GPS may work through the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. Functional metabolites restored by GPS included serine, glycine, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Western blot and qRT-PCR analysis confirmed GPS improve NASH by regulating PPARα and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α (HIF-1α) signaling pathways. In vitro, studies further demonstrated EPA and DHA enhance fatty acid oxidation through the PPARα pathway, while serine and glycine inhibit oxidative stress through the HIF-1α pathway in palmitic acid-stimulated HepG2 cells. Our results suggest GPS's anti-inflammatory and anti-steatosis effects in NASH progression are related to the suppression of HIF-1α through the restoration of L-serine and glycine and the activation of PPARα through increased EPA and DHA.

Gender differences in plasma glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor levels of patients with bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: The glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has an important role in neurons and is closely associated with psychiatric disorders. The development of bipolar disorder (BD) may differ between genders. Existing studies have shown that plasma GDNF levels are altered in patients with BD. In this study, we investigate whether the GDNF levels in patients with BD differ in terms of gender. METHODS: Participants were divided into the BD group (n = 76, with 26 males and 50 females) and healthy control (HC) group (n = 89, with 35 males and 54 females). Plasma GDNF levels were detected via multifactor assay. Clinical symptoms of patients with BD were collected and assessed using the Hamilton Depression-17 Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety-17 Inventory, Young's Mania Rating Scale, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. RESULTS: The GDNF levels were significantly higher in all participants in the HC group (F = 4.262, p < 0.05) compared with those in the BD group. In the HC group, the males (t = 4.814, p < 0.001) presented significantly higher levels than the females. The plasma GDNF levels in males in the BD group (t = 3.022, p < 0.05) were significantly lower than those in males in the HC group. CONCLUSION: Differences in plasma GDNF levels are associated with the gender of patients with BD.

Gray matter volume reduction in orbitofrontal cortex correlated with plasma glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels within major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by reduced gray matter volume (GMV). To date, the pathogenesis of MDD remains unclear, but neurotrophic factors play an essential role in the pathophysiological alterations of MDD during disease development. In particular, plasma glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been suggested as a potential biomarker that may be associated with disease activity and neurological progression in MDD. Our study investigated whether plasma GDNF levels in MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs) are correlated with GMV alterations. METHODS: We studied 54 MDD patients and 48 HCs. The effect of different diagnoses on whole-brain GMV was investigated using ANOVA (Analysis of Variance). The threshold of significance was p < 0.05, and Gaussian random-field (GRF) correction for error was used. All analyses were controlled for covariates such as ethnicity, handedness, age, and gender that could affect GMV. RESULT: Compared with the HC group, the GMV in the MDD group was significantly reduced in the right inferior orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and plasma GDNF levels were significantly higher in the MDD group than in the HC group. In the right inferior OFC, the GDNF levels were positively correlated with GMV reduction in the MDD group, whereas in the HC group, a negative correlation was observed between GDNF levels and GMV reduction. CONCLUSION: Although increased production of GDNF in MDD may help repair neural damage in brain regions associated with brain disease, its repairing effects may be interfered with and hindered by underlying neuroinflammatory processes.

Highly Efficient Regioselective Decanoylation of Hyperoside Using Nanobiocatalyst of Fe3O4@PDA-Thermomyces lanuginosus Lipase: Insights of Kinetics and Stability Evaluation.

The immobilization of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase on polydopamine-functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA-TLL) as a nanobiocatalyst was successfully performed for the first time, and the Fe3O4@PDA-TLL was used for regioselective acylation of natural hyperoside with vinyl decanoate. The effects of several crucial factors, such as the reaction solvent, substrate molar ratio, temperature, and immobilized enzyme dosage, were investigated. Under optimum conditions, the reaction rate, 6″-regioselectivity, and maximum substrate conversion were as high as 12.6 mM/h, 100%, and 100%, respectively. An operational stability study demonstrated that the immobilized enzyme could maintain 90.1% of its initial maximum conversion even after reusing it five times. In addition, further investigations on the kinetic parameters, like V max, K m, V max/K m, and E a, also revealed that the biocompatible Fe3O4@PDA could act as an alternative carrier for the immobilization of different enzymes.

Synthesis, antibacterial and antifungal activities of novel 1,2,4-triazolium derivatives.

A series of novel 1,2,4-triazolium derivatives was synthesized starting from commercially available 1H-1,2,4-triazole, 2,4-dichlorobenzyl chloride, or 2,4-difluorobenzyl bromide. Their antibacterial and antifungal activities were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Bacillus proteus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans ATCC 76615, and Aspergillus fumigatus. All structures of the new compounds were confirmed by NMR, IR, and MS spectra, and elemental analyses. The antimicrobial tests showed that most of synthesized triazolium derivatives exhibit significant antibacterial and antifungal activities in vitro. 1-(2,4-Difluorobenzyl)-4-dodecyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-4-ium bromide and 1-(2,4-Dichlorobenzyl)-4-dodecyl-1H-1,2,4- triazol-4-ium bromide were the most potent compounds against all tested strains with the MIC values ranging from 1.05 to 8.38 microM. They exhibited much stronger activities than the standard drugs chloramphenicol and fluconazole which are in clinical use. The results also showed that the antimicrobial activities of triazolium derivatives depend upon the type of substituent, the length of the alkyl chain, and the number of triazolium rings.

Quenching effect of nickel ions on fluorescent gold nanoparticles.

Herein, we reported the quenching effect of Ni(2+) on bovine serum albumin protected fluorescent gold nanoparticles (BSA-GNPs). The quenching mechanism was discussed and a static quenching mechanism was proposed. The number of binding sites (n), apparent stability constants (K) and corresponding thermodynamic parameters of BSA-GNPs-Ni(2+) complex were measured at different temperatures. Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity of BSA-GNPs is linearly proportional to nickel concentration from 6.0x10(-8)mol/L to 8.0x10(-6)mol/L with a detection limit of 1.0x10(-8)mol/L. The result indicated that BSA-GNP was a potential Ni(2+) probe.

(Z)-3-(9-Anthr-yl)-1-(4-bromo-phen-yl)-2-(4-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one.

In the title mol-ecule, C(26)H(16)BrN(3)O(3), the anthracene and benzene mean planes make dihedral angles of 63.79 (2) and 14.67 (2)°, respectively, with the plane of the imidazole ring. In the crystal structure, weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link mol-ecules to form centrosymmetric dimers. Weak π-π stacking inter-actions, with centroid-centroid distances of 3.779 (2) and 3.826 (2) Å, supply additional stabilization. The crystal packing also exhibits short inter-molecular contacts between the nitro groups and Br atoms [Br⋯O = 3.114 (2) Å].

(Z)-3-(9-Anthryl)-1-(4-chloro-phen-yl)-2-(4-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one.

In the title compound, C(26)H(16)ClN(3)O(3), the dihedral angle between the anthracene mean plane and imidazole ring is 64.75 (2)°. In the crystal, π-π inter-actions between anthracene fragments lead to the formation of stacks of mol-ecules propagating in [100]. The short distance between the carbonyl groups of symmetry-related molecules [C⋯O = 2.985 (2) Å] indicates the existence of dipole-dipole inter-actions. The crystal packing also exhibits short inter-molecular contacts between the nitro groups and Cl atoms [Cl⋯O = 3.181 (2) Å].

Collinear masking effect in visual search is independent of perceptual salience.

Searching for a target in a salient region should be easier than looking for one in a nonsalient region. However, we previously discovered a contradictory phenomenon in which a local target in a salient structure was more difficult to find than one in the background. The salient structure was constructed of orientation singletons aligned to each other to form a collinear structure. In the present study, we undertake to determine whether such a masking effect was a result of salience competition between a global structure and the local target. In the first 3 experiments, we increased the salience value of the local target with the hope of adding to its competitive advantage and eventually eliminating the masking effect; nevertheless, the masking effect persisted. In an additional 2 experiments, we reduced salience of the global collinear structure by altering the orientation of the background bars and the masking effect still emerged. Our salience manipulations were validated by a controlled condition in which the global structure was grouped noncollinearly. In this case, local target salience increase (e.g., onset) or global distractor salience reduction (e.g., randomized flanking orientations) effectively removed the facilitation effect of the noncollinear structure. Our data suggest that salience competition is unlikely to explain the collinear masking effect, and other mechanisms such as contour integration, border formation, or the crowding effect may be prospective candidates for further investigation.

Diversity, Bacterial Symbionts and Antibacterial Potential of Gut-Associated Fungi Isolated from the Pantala flavescens Larvae in China.

The diversity of fungi associated with the gut of Pantala flavescens larvae was investigated using a culture-dependent method and molecular identification based on an analysis of the internally transcribed spacer sequence. In total, 48 fungal isolates were obtained from P. flavescens larvae. Based on phylogenetic analyses, the fungal isolates were grouped in 5 classes and 12 different genera. Fourteen bacterial 16S rDNA sequences derived from total genomic DNA extractions of fungal mycelia were obtained. The majority of the sequences were associated with Proteobacteria (13/14), and one Bacillaceae (1/14) was included. Leclercia sp., Oceanobacillus oncorhynchi and Methylobacterium extorquens, were reported for the first time as bacterial endosymbionts in fungi. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that bacterial symbionts produced specific metabolites and also exerted an inhibitory effect on fungal metabolites. The biological activity of the fungal culture extracts against the pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) was investigated, and 20 extracts (42%) exhibited antibacterial activity against at least one of the tested bacterial strains. This study is the first report on the diversity and antibacterial activity of symbiotic fungi residing in the gut of P. flavescens larvae, and the results show that these fungi are highly diverse and could be exploited as a potential source of bioactive compounds.

Phytotoxic and antibacterial metabolites from Fusarium proliferatum ZS07 isolated from the gut of long-horned grasshoppers.

In the proceeding of screening new bioactive natural products, the ethyl acetate extract of the fermentation broth of Fusarium proliferatum ZS07, a fungus residing in the gut of long-horned grasshoppers (Tettigonia chinensis), was found possessing selective phytotoxic activity against the radicle growth of Amaranthus retroflexus L. Bioactivity-guided fractionation lead to the isolation of six fungal metabolites 1-6, including a new polyketide derivate O-methylated SMA93 (2) and five known compounds SMA93 (1), rhodolamprometrin (3), radicinin (4), dehydroallogibberic acid (5), and 3-methyl-6,8-dihydroxyisocoumarin (6). Their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and by comparison of the corresponding data to those reported in the literature previously. Phytotoxic effects of the four isolated compounds 1-4 on the radicle growth of A. retroflexus L. seeds were investigated under laboratory conditions, and compounds 2 and 4 showed good phytotoxic activity in the concentration of 100 µg/mL, with the inhibition rates of 83.0 and 65.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of compounds 1-5 were evaluated against selected bacteria. Compounds 1-3 were found to possess potent antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 3.13-12.50 µg/mL, while Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) and Salmonella typhimurium [CMCC(B) 50115] were not susceptible. These results suggest that the new polyketide derivate 2 and known compounds 1, 3, and 4 have potential to be used as biocontrol agents in agriculture.

Rapid determination of nanotoxicity using luminous bacteria.

A new luminescence-based toxicity test using luminous bacteria as a reporting agent has been developed to determine EC(50) of different nanomaterials, such as gold nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes on living organisms. The whole assay takes only about 15 min and is as sensitive as other standard methods. Due to its technical simplicity, rapidity and sensitivity, this luminescent bacteria test has the potential to be developed as a general test of toxicity for a wide variety of nanomaterials.