Assessment of ozone pollution on rice yield reduction and economic losses in Sichuan province during 2015-2020.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in surface ozone (O3) concentrations in the troposphere. Ozone pollution has significant adverse effects on ecosystems, human health, and climate change, particularly on crop growth and yield. This study utilized the observational hourly O3 data, cumulative O3 concentration over 40 ppb per h (AOT40), and the mean daytime 7-h O3 concentration (M7) to analyze the spatiotemporal distributions of relative yield losses (RYLs) and evaluate the yield reduction and economic losses of rice in Sichuan province from 2015 to 2020. The results indicated that the average O3 concentration during the growing rice season ranged from 55.4 to 69.3 µg/m3, with the highest O3 concentration observed in 2017, and the AOT40 ranged from 4.5 to 8.7 ppm h from 2015 to 2020. At the county level, the O3 concentration, AOT40, and the relative yield loss (RYL) of rice based on AOT40 exhibited clear spatiotemporal differences in Sichuan. The RYLs of AOT40 were 4.9-9.2% from 2015 to 2020. According to AOT40 and M7 metrics, the yield loss and economic losses attributed to O3 pollution amounted to 78.75-150.36 (9.74-21.54) ten thousand tons, and 2079.08-4149.89 (257.25-594.45) million Yuan, respectively. Rice yield and economic losses were relatively large in the Chengdu Plain, southern Sichuan, and northeast Sichuan. These findings will contribute to a deeper understanding of the detrimental effects of elevated surface O3 concentrations on rice crops. It is imperative to implement more stringent O3 reduction measures aimed at lowering O3 concentrations, enhancing rice quality, and safeguarding food security in Sichuan.

Effect and Safety of Herbal Medicine Foot Baths in Patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Multicenter Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect and safety of foot baths with Tangbi Waixi Decoction (TW) in treating patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). METHODS: It is a multicenter double-blinded randomized controlled trial. Participants with DPN were recruited between November 18, 2016 and May 30, 2018 from 8 hospitals in China. All patients received basic treatments for glycemic management. Patients received foot baths with TW herbal granules either 66.9 g (intervention group) or 6.69 g (control group) for 30 min once a day for 2 weeks and followed by a 2-week rest, as a therapeutic course. If the Toronto Clinical Scoring System total score (TCSS-TS) ⩾6 points, the patients received a total of 3 therapeutic courses (for 12 weeks) and were followed up for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in TCSS-TS score at 12 and 24 weeks. Secondary outcomes included changes in bilateral motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) of the median and common peroneal nerve. Safety was also assessed. RESULTS: Totally 632 patients were enrolled, and 317 and 315 were randomized to the intervention and control groups, respectively. After the 12-week intervention, patients in both groups showed significant declines in TCSSTS scores, and significant increases in MNCV and SNCV of the median and common peroneal nerves compared with pre-treatment (P<0.05). The reduction of TCSS-TS score at 12 weeks and the increase of SNCV of median nerve at 24 weeks in the control group were greater than those in the intervention group (P<0.05). The number of adverse events did not differ significantly between groups (P>0.05), and no serious adverse event was related with treatment. CONCLUSION: Treatment of TW foot baths was safe and significantly benefitted patients with DPN. A low dose of TW appeared to be more effective than a high dose. (Registry No. ChiCTR-IOR-16009331).

Nitric Oxide and Reactive Oxygen Species Coordinately Regulate the Germination of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici Urediniospores.

Nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) function as signaling molecules in a number of critical signal transduction pathways in plants, including plant biotic interactions. In addition to the role of plant-derived NO and ROS in plant resistance, which has been well documented, pathogen-produced NO and ROS have recently emerged as important players in fungal development and pathogenesis. However, the effects of pathogenic fungi-derived NO and ROS on signaling pathways during fungal pre-infection development remain unknown. Here, using a combination of pharmacological approaches and confocal microscopy, we investigated the roles of NO and ROS during the germination of Puccinia striiformis Westend f. sp. tritici (Pst) the wheat stripe rust pathogen. Both NO and ROS have a crucial role in uredinial germination. The scavengers of NO and ROS delayed spore germination and decreased the lengths of germ tubes. A similar phenotype was produced after treatment with the promoter. However, the spores germinated and grew normally when the levels of NO and ROS were simultaneously elevated by the application of a promoter of NO and a donor of ROS. Confocal laser microscopy indicated that both NO and ROS preferentially localized at the germ pores and apexes of growing germ tubes when the ROS/NO ratio in the spores was maintained in a specific range. We concluded that both NO and ROS are critical signaling molecules in the pre-infection development of Pst and that the polar growth of the germ tube is coordinately regulated by NO and ROS.

[The expression of interleukin-25 in blood and nasal tissue of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of interleukin-25 (IL-25) in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and its potential significance in pathogenesis. METHOD: IL-25 expression in blood was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IL-25 expression in tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry (LSAB method) from polyps (68 CRSwNP patients) and 55 inferior turbinate mucosa from patients with deviation of nasal septum served as control. Complete blood count and HE staining of blood and tissue eosinophil infiltration degree. RESULT: IL-25 expression in CRSwNP group were significantly higher than the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). IL-25 expression in local organizations was positively correlated with the number of eosinophil infiltration in CRSwNP group (r = 0.679, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The expression of IL-25 in CRSwNP patients mutually reinforcing and might increase eosinophil infiltration and play an important role in the development of CRSwNP.

Tanshinone IIA and Baicalin inhibiting the formation of benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene induced cytotoxicity: correlation with scavenging free radical.

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, is formed by incomplete combustion of organic materials, and causes oxidative damage to cells and tissues due to reactive oxygen species (ROS). The purpose of this study is to investigate the inhibition of Tanshinone IIA and Baicalin on the formation of BaP as well as the cytotoxicity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by BaP. The results showed that BaP formations in mainstream smoke were inhibited by 21µg/cigarette of Tanshinone IIA with a 12.8% decrease, and by 60µg/cigarette of Baicalin with an 11.1% decrease, respectively. Tanshinone IIA could protect HUVECs from the damage caused by BaP in a dose-dependent manner from 7.5 to 30µg/ml. 6µg/ml Baicalin significantly increased the cell survival rate from 47.37% to 84.21% compared with BaP-treated cells. Both Tanshinone IIA and Baicalin markedly attenuated the increase of LDH release, enhanced the activity of SOD and GPx and inhibited the generation of MDA in BaP-damaged HUVECs in vitro. In vivo exploration showed that the two compounds were capable of enhancing the activity of SOD and inhibiting generation of MDA in mainstream smoke-damaged in mice. Superoxide anion radical and hydroxyl radical were obviously inhibited by Tanshinone IIA and Baicalin. These data demonstrate an inhibition of Tanshinone IIA and Baicalin on the formation of BaP and the cytotoxicity on HUVECs related to free Radical induced by BaP.

[Pharmacokinetics of three phenolic acids of xiangdan injection in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a HPLC method for the analysis of Danshensu (DSS), protocatechuic acid (PA) and protocatechuic aldehyde (PAL) of Xiangdan injection in rat's plasma, and to study pharmacokinetic characteristics of Xiangdan injection components in rats with m-hydroxybenzoic acid as internal standard. METHOD: protein was precipitated by 10% trichloroacetic acid and extracted by ethyl acetate. The plasma concentration was detected by HPLC, The pharmacokinetics parameters of DSS, PA and PAL were calculated by DAS2.0 software after iv injection. RESULT: DSS, PA and PAL have a good linear relationship in 0.68-44.0 mg x L(-1), 0.43-14.0 mg x L(-1) and 0.38-12.0 mg x L(-1), respectively. The average recoveries were more than 92% and the RSD of precision and stability of the test were between 0.4%-4.8%. DSS, PA and PAL showed a two-compartment open model, the half-life of absorption (t(1/2alpha)) were (6.26 +/- 4.6), (5.93 +/- 4.9), (18.44 +/- 2.4) min, the half-life of elimination (t(1/2beta)) were (64.11 +/- 8.8), (63.28 +/- 0.13), (69.315 +/- 0) min, the area under curve(AUC(0-infinity)) were (852.98 +/- 175.6), (83.84 +/- 58.8), (147.79 +/- 12.3) mg x min(-1) x L(-1). CONCLUSION: A method with high recovery rate and good stability was established to determine the blood concentration of DSS, PA, PAL in Xiangdan injection and applied in its pharmacokinetics successfully.

Overaccumulation of transforming growth factor-beta1 and basic fibroblast growth factor in lens epithelial cells of congenital cataract.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) at gene and protein levels in lens epithelial cells of anterior subcapsular congenital cataracts (ASCC). DESIGN: Case-control study and analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-six eyes with ASCC were studied, and 14 eyes with transparent lenses were used as controls. METHODS: Anterior epithelium capsules with ASCC were obtained from patients who had undergone extracapsular cataract extraction. The accumulation of TGF-beta1 and bFGF gene and protein was determined by reverse transcription-real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. RESULTS: The results from RT-PCR showed that the accumulation of TGF-beta1 and bFGF mRNA in lens epithelial cells of ASCC was significantly higher compared with controls in both male and female samples. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the accumulation of bFGF mRNA and TGF-beta1 mRNA. Western blotting results demonstrated that the accumulation of TGFbeta1 and bFGF proteins in lens epithelial cells with ASCC was also highly elevated. CONCLUSIONS: The overaccumulation of TGF-beta1 and bFGF in lens epithelial cells may play an important role in the formation of subcapsular congenital cataract.