Gut microbiota modulation: a narrative review on a novel strategy for prevention and alleviation of ovarian aging.

The global rise in life expectancy corresponds with a delay in childbearing age among women. Ovaries, seen as the chronometers of female physiological aging, demonstrate features of sped up aging, evidenced by the steady decline in both the quality and quantity of ovarian follicles from birth. The multifaceted pathogenesis of ovarian aging has kindled intensive research interest from the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors. Novel studies underscore the integral roles of gut microbiota in follicular development, lipid metabolism, and hormonal regulation, forging a nexus with ovarian aging. In this review, we outline the role of gut microbiota in ovarian function (follicular development, oocyte maturation, and ovulation), compile and present gut microbiota alterations associated with age-related ovarian aging. We also discuss potential strategies for alleviating ovarian aging from the perspective of gut microbiota, such as fecal microbiota transplantation and probiotics.

Effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab and infliximab in biologic-naïve patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted this multicenter, retrospective cohort study aiming to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab (VDZ) and infliximab (IFX) in biologic-naïve patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Biologic-naïve patients with moderate-to-severe UC who were treated with IFX or VDZ for at least 14 weeks at three tertiary hospitals in southwest China between January 2021 and January 2023 were retrospectively included. Efficacy of the biologics was evaluated based on the steroid-free clinical remission rate, clinical remission rate, and mucosal healing rate at Weeks 14 and 52. Adverse events related to biologic use were recorded. RESULTS: Altogether 122 biologic-naïve patients with moderate-to-severe UC were included. No marked differences in the steroid-free clinical remission rate and clinical remission rate were observed between the two groups at Week 14 or Week 52 (P > 0.05). The VDZ group exhibited a higher mucosal healing rate at Week 14 compared to the IFX group (33.3% vs 16.9%, P = 0.036), while that at Week 52 did not differ between the two groups (65.6% vs 47.1%, P = 0.098). There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of adverse events between the two groups (P = 0.071). CONCLUSION: VDZ and IFX showed comparable clinical efficacy and safety profiles and can be used as viable first-line therapeutic options for biologic-naïve patients with moderate-to-severe UC.

Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the thermotolerant response of Spodoptera frugiperda.

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a highly destructive invasive pest with remarkable adaptability to extreme climatic conditions, posing a substantial global threat. Although the effects of temperature stress on the biological and ecological properties of S. frugiperda have been elucidated, the molecular mechanisms underlying its responses remain unclear. Herein, we combined transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to explore the key genes and proteins involved in thermotolerance regulation in S. frugiperda larvae at 42 °C. Overall, 1528 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 154 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in S. frugiperda larvae under heat stress, including antioxidant enzymes, heat shock proteins (Hsps), cytochrome P450s, starch and sucrose metabolism genes, and insulin signaling pathway genes, indicating their involvement in heat tolerance regulation. Correlation analysis of DEGs and DEPs revealed that seven and eight had the same and opposite expression profiles, respectively. After nanocarrier-mediated RNA interference knockdown of SfHsp29, SfHsp20.4, SfCAT, and SfGST, the body weight and mortality of S. frugiperda larvae significantly decreased and increased under heat stress, respectively. This indicates that SfHsp29, SfHsp20.4, SfCAT, and SfGST play a crucial role in the thermotolerance of S. frugiperda larvae. These results provide insight into the mechanism of heat tolerance in S. frugiperda.

Ecological stoichiometry of leaf-litter-fine roots in mixed plantations in mountainous area of Southern Ningxia, China.

The southern mountainous areas in Ningxia are representative regions of the Loess Plateau, with extremely fragile ecological environment. Large area of pure plantations established during the project of Grain for Green has suffered from poor nutrient availability and biodiversity loss, while planting mixed plantations is commonly consi-dered as an effective way to improve the ecological benefits. We selected Robinia pseudoacacia + Picea asperata mixed plantation, R. pseudoacacia + Armeniaca sibirica mixed plantation, A. sibirica pure plantation and R. pseudoa-cacia pure plantation located ina Ningnan mountainous area as test objects. Based on the theory and method of ecological stoichiometry, we measured the C, N and P contents of leaves, litter and fine roots to understand nutrient cycling characteristics of different plantations. The results showed that there was significant difference in foliar stoichiometry of each tree species within the four plantations. P. asperata leaves had the highest C content in the R. pseudoacacia + P. asperata mixed plantation, and R. pseudoacacia leaves had the highest N and P contents in the R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation. N content of R. pseudoacacia and A. sibirica leaves was significantly higher in mixed plantation compared with that in pure plantation. There was no significant difference in litter biomass, litter C, N, P contents and stoichiometric ratios between the pure and mixed plantations of R. pseudoacacia. Litter biomass in A. sibirica pure plantation was significantly higher than that in R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation, while litter C content was significantly lower than that in the mixed plantation. Fine root biomass decreased with increasing soil depth in the four plantations, with total fine root biomass being the highest in the R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation. N content and N:P of fine roots in the R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation were higher than those in R. pseudoacacia and A. sibirica pure plantations. There was significant negative correlation between N content in leaves and fine roots of R. pseudoacacia + A. sibirica mixed plantation. There were significant negative correlations between the N content of leaves and litter, as well as between the P content of leaves and fine roots in the R. pseudoacacia + P. asperata mixed plantation. P content between litter and fine roots in A. sibirica pure plantation was significantly negatively correlated. Nutrient status of mixed plantations was better than pure plantations in the Ningnan mountainous area, with the mixed plantation of R. pseudoacacia and A. sibirica being the best. Mixed planting reduced nutrient limitation on plant growth to a certain extent.

Development and Validation of an Artificial Intelligence Model for Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy Video Review.

Importance: Reading small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) videos is a tedious task for clinicians, and a new method should be applied to solve the situation. Objectives: To develop and evaluate the performance of a convolutional neural network algorithm for SBCE video review in real-life clinical care. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this multicenter, retrospective diagnostic study, a deep learning neural network (SmartScan) was trained and validated for the SBCE video review. A total of 2927 SBCE examinations from 29 medical centers were used to train SmartScan to detect 17 types of CE structured terminology (CEST) findings from January 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. SmartScan was later validated with conventional reading (CR) and SmartScan-assisted reading (SSAR) in 2898 SBCE examinations collected from 22 medical centers. Data analysis was performed from January 25 to December 31, 2021. Exposure: An artificial intelligence-based tool for interpreting clinical images of SBCE. Main Outcomes and Measures: The detection rate and efficiency of CEST findings detected by SSAR and CR were compared. Results: A total of 5825 SBCE examinations were retrospectively collected; 2898 examinations (1765 male participants [60.9%]; mean [SD] age, 49.8 [15.5] years) were included in the validation phase. From a total of 6084 CEST-classified SB findings, SSAR detected 5834 findings (95.9%; 95% CI, 95.4%-96.4%), significantly higher than CR, which detected 4630 findings (76.1%; 95% CI, 75.0%-77.2%). SmartScan-assisted reading achieved a higher per-patient detection rate (79.3% [2298 of 2898]) for CEST findings compared with CR (70.7% [2048 of 2298]; 95% CI, 69.0%-72.3%). With SSAR, the mean (SD) number of images (per SBCE video) requiring review was reduced to 779.2 (337.2) compared with 27 910.8 (12 882.9) with CR, for a mean (SD) reduction rate of 96.1% (4.3%). The mean (SD) reading time with SSAR was shortened to 5.4 (1.5) minutes compared with CR (51.4 [11.6] minutes), for a mean (SD) reduction rate of 89.3% (3.1%). Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that a convolutional neural network-based algorithm is associated with an increased detection rate of SBCE findings and reduced SBCE video reading time.

A Clinical Study on Individualized Surgical Scheme of Hydrocephalus Complicated With Skull Defect.

OBJECTIVE: This study intends to discuss the individualized selection of surgical scheme of hydrocephalus complicated with skull defect. METHODS: A total of 141 patients with hydrocephalus complicated with skull defect in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2018 were the main subjects of this study. Among these 141 patients, 78 patients underwent shunt and skull repair surgery in our hospital. In the present study, according to the classification of bone window tension, and combined with factors that affect the operation, different surgical schemes were selected, namely, repair surgery in the first phase and shunt surgery in the second phase, or simultaneous surgery, or shunt surgery in the first phase and repair surgery in the second phase. RESULTS: The results of the present study show that an individualized surgical scheme can allow for the operation of hydrocephalus complicated with skull defect, without increasing the risk of complications, such as shunt infection, epidural hematoma, etc. CONCLUSIONS: The surgical scheme for hydrocephalus complicated with skull defect differs in clinic.

Endoscopic-assisted surgery for skull defects with subdural effusion.

INTRODUCTION: Subdural effusion is a common complication that occurs after decompressive craniectomy. According to the endoscopy results, the formation mechanism of subdural effusion after decompressive craniectomy was discussed. AIM: The morphological structure of subdural effusion in skull defects was observed with endoscopy, and endoscopic-assisted surgery was performed for subdural effusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 2018 to March 2020, 19 cases of skull repair and treatment of subdural effusion were performed. The external wall of the capsule was kept intact during the operation, subdural effusion and surgical procedure of the subdural effusion under an endoscope could be observed, and the results of endoscopic observation were described and recorded. A hemostasis gauze was placed between the two layers of the subdural effusion cavity. Another 13 cases of skull defects with subdural effusion treated without endoscopy during the same time period were enrolled in the study as the control group. The postoperative disappearance of effusion and the incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Analysis with an endoscope revealed that all cases of subdural effusion in skull defects presented capsules. The main structures included the outer wall, boundary, inner wall, and fistula. The outer wall was made up of new tissue that had formed after removing the bone flap under the skin flap by artificial peeling under the condition of keeping the whole cavity. The inner wall consisted of thickened arachnoid, dura, and artificial dura. It presented with neovascularization networks, which showed a tendency to form new membrane structures through mutual adhesion and fusion. The inner and outer wall of the skull had fused to form the boundary of the cavity. Cerebrospinal fluid fistulas were detected in 31.6% of the internal walls. Subdural effusion was effectively treated in both the experimental group and the control group. Compared with the control group, complications in the experimental group were significantly reduced. CONCLUSIONS: The effusion cavity can be divided into three types based on its structural characteristics: fistula type, membrane type, and closed type. In this study, the formation mechanism of skull defects combined with subdural effusion was explored. This represents a new method for treating subdural effusion in which hemostasis gauze is placed between the two layers of the effusion cavity and cerebrospinal fluid fistula under an endoscope, which can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative complications.

Investigating the application of diving endoscopic technique in determining the extent of pituitary adenoma resection via the trans-nasal-sphenoidal approach.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of the diving endoscopic technique in pituitary adenoma surgery, and the application value in determining the extent of tumor resection. A total of 37 patients with pituitary adenoma initially underwent tumor resection under an endoscope-assisted microscope via standard trans-nasal-sphenoidal approach, and tumor cavity structure was observed by applying the diving endoscopic technique. Surgery was subsequently performed again under a microscope or endoscope. The diving endoscopic technique allowed surgeons to directly observe the structure inside a tumor cavity in high-definition. In the present study, 24 patients had pituitary macroadenomas or microadenomas that did not invade the cavernous sinus, and were considered to have undergone successful total resection. Among these patients, no tumor residues were observed through the diving endoscopic technique. Some white lichenoid or fibrous cord-like tissues in the tumor cavity were considered to be remnants of tumors. However, pathology confirmed that these were not tumor tissues. For tumors that invaded the cavernous sinus in 13 patients, observation could only be conducted under the angulation endoscope of the diving endoscope; i.e., the operation could not be conducted under an endoscope. The present study suggests that the diving endoscopic technique may be used to directly observe the resection extent of tumors within the tumor cavity, especially the structure of the tumor cavity inside the sella turcica. The present study also directly validates the reliability of pituitary adenoma resection under endoscope-assisted microscope. In addition, the diving endoscopic technique also allows the surgeon to observe the underwater environment within the sella turcica.

Long non-coding RNAs in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Despite substantial progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms and treatment of CRC in recent years, the overall survival rate of CRC patients has not improved dramatically. The development of CRC is multifactor and multistep processes, in which abnormal gene expression may play an important role. With the advance of human tumor molecular biology, a series of studies have highlighted the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development of CRC. CRC-related lncRNAs have been demonstrated to regulate the genes by various mechanisms, including epigenetic modifications, lncRNA-miRNA and lncRNA-protein interactions, and by their actions as miRNA precursors or pseudogenes. Since some lncRNAs can be detected in human body fluid and have good specificity and accessibility, they have been suggested to be used as novel potential biomarkers for CRC diagnosis and prognosis as well as in the prediction of the response to therapy. Therefore, in this review, we will focus on lncRNAs in CRC development, the mechanisms and biomarkers of lncRNAs in CRC.

[Effects of thinning intensities on population regeneration of natural Quercus variabilis forest on the south slope of Qinling Mountains].

Taking the natural Quercus variabilis forest in Shangluo, south slope of Qinling Mountains as the object in May 2006 and August 2011, which was under close-to-natural management of different thinning intensities (30%, 20%, 10%), and the un-thinned forest as the control, changes of the stand growth situation before and after thinning, population regeneration, species diversity and soil fertility after 5 years of thinning were analyzed, and the effects of thinning on forestland revegetation and community development were evaluated comprehensively. The results showed that the number of 1-6 years old Q. variabilis seedlings increased with increasing thinning intensity, while no significant difference was found for above 6 years old seedlings. The regeneration potentials of population under 10%, 20% and 30% thinning were respectively increased by 10.8%, 28.5% and 32.9% compared with the control. Thinning promoted the DBH and crown of the trees and shrubs, as well as the height of shrubs, especially for light-loving plants, and the effect of promotion increased with increasing thinning intensity. The species diversity and soil fertility were improved after thinning, in order of 30% > 20% > 10% > control. The thinning intensity of 30% (canopy density 0.6) was more conducive to the continuable development of the natural Q. variabilis forest in which canopy density was above 0.85.

[Regeneration mode of Xanthoceras sorbifolia population and its contribution to population regeneration].

Sexual and asexual propagation of Xanthoceras sorbifolia natural populations in different habitats and their importance in population regeneration were studied. The results showed that X. sorbifolia populations were capable of the sexual and asexual propagation in 3 slope aspects, but a balance between the two propagation modes was observed. In sunny and semi-shady slope habitats, seedling amount and space-occupying competence were relatively high, suggesting that the sexual propagation was dominant. In semi-sunny slope habitat, the populations were superior in sexual sprout amount and space-occupying competence, suggesting that the predominant propagation mode was asexual. In the same habitats, asexual sprouts grew better than seedlings, while the growth of seedlings was in the order of sunny slope > semi-sunny slope > semi-shady slope on the basis of the same origin. The bottleneck stage appeared from seeds to seedlings for sexual propagation and from seedling to ramet for asexual propagation. X. sorbifolia invaded and settled in a way of sexual propagation in new habitats, and then rapidly occupied habitat space in a way of asexual propagation.

Low concentrations of corticosterone exert stimulatory effects on macrophage function in a manner dependent on glucocorticoid receptors.

Endogenous glucocorticoids (GCs) have both stimulatory and suppressive effects on immune cells depending on the concentration. However, the mechanisms underlying the stimulatory effects of GCs remain elusive. Rat peritoneal macrophages were treated with different concentrations of corticosterone (0, 30 nM, 150 nM, and 3 µ M). To inhibit the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity, macrophages were preincubated with the GR antagonist RU486 (mifepristone, 10 µ M) for 30 min before treatment with corticosterone (150 nM). In the absence of immune stimuli, the chemotactic and phagocytic activities of macrophages were markedly enhanced by low concentrations of corticosterone (30 and 150 nM) when compared with vehicle-treated controls. However, these effects were not observed at a high concentration of corticosterone (3 µ M). Furthermore, blocking GR activity inhibited 150 nM corticosterone-enhanced chemotaxis and phagocytosis of macrophages. Meanwhile, after treatment with corticosterone (150 nM) for 1 h and 3 h, GR protein expression increased to 1.4- and 2.2-fold, respectively, compared to untreated macrophages. These effects were inhibited by RU486. However, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) protein expression was not influenced by 150 nM corticosterone. These results demonstrate that low concentrations of corticosterone exert stimulatory effects on macrophage function in the absence of immune stimuli, and GR is at least partially responsible for these effects.

[Effects of thinning intensity on the seed bank and seedling growth of Quercus variabilis on the south slope of Qinling Mountains, Northwest China].

In August-November 2010 and August 2011, and taking the pure Quercus variabilis forests under close-to-natural management of different thinning intensity (30%, 20%, and 10%) in Shangluo district of south slope of Qinling Mountains as the object, an investigation was conducted on the seed amount of seed bank, the survival rate and growth status of seedlings, and their relationships with environmental factors 4-5 years after thinning. As compared with the control, the seed amount in the seed bank of 10%, 20%, and 30% thinning plots increased by 2.0%, 21.1%, and 34.8%, respectively in the fourth year after thinning, and the 1-year-old seedlings amount increased by 28.5%, 99.7%, and 122.2%, respectively in the next year. The survival rate of the seedlings in the 10%, 20%, and 30% thinning plots was increased by 25.5%, 235.7%, and 480.0%, respectively in the fifth year after thinning. Thinning improved the light, temperature, soil moisture, and soil nutrient conditions in the forests, which promoted the height- and new shoot growth and the leaf area index of each age seedlings. The three growth indices also increased with increasing thinning intensity. In the Q. variabilis forest with a canopy density of > or = 0.85, the thinning intensity 30% (canopy density 0.6) was most conducive to the seed germination and seedling growth.

[Seedling regeneration and affecting factors of Quercus variabilis in different distribution regions].

Twenty four fixed plots in three distribution regions of Quercus variabilis (Loess Plateau, marginal distribution zone; north slope of Qinling Mountains, semi-arid core area; and south slope of Qinling Mountains, moist core area) were installed, respectively, to investigate the age structure, growth status, and dry mass accumulation and allocation of 1-8 years old Q. variabilis seedlings, and path analysis was adopted to determine the key factors affecting the regeneration of the seedlings. In the distribution regions, the density of the seedlings decreased with their increasing age, and the density of the 1-8 years old seedlings all decreased in the order of south slope of Qin-ling Mountains > north slope of Qinling Mountains > Loess Plateau. The transformation rate of the seedlings with adjacent ages differed significantly among the three distribution regions. On Loess Plateau, the transformation rate of 7 years old to 8 years old seedlings was the lowest (30.2 +/- 2.9) %; on the north and south slopes of Qinling Mountains, the transformation rate of 4 years old to 5 years old seedlings was the lowest, being (53.9 +/- 3.7) % and (50.0 +/- 2.1) %, respectively. With the increasing age of the seedlings, their height and dry mass presented an increasing trend, with the order of south slope of Qinling Mountains > north slope of Qinling Mountains > Loess Plateau, the rate of root length to plant height tended to decline, and the rates of root breadth to canopy breadth and of root dry mass to shoot dry mass decreased after an initial increase. The rates of root length to plant height, root breadth to canopy breadth, and root dry mass to shoot dry mass were all the highest on Loess Plateau, and the lowest on south slope of Qinling Mountains. Air temperature, irradiance, canopy density and shrub coverage were the direct key factors affecting Q. variabilis seedling regeneration, among which, air temperature and irradiance were the positive factors, while canopy density and shrub coverage were the negative ones. Soil available nitrogen content and herb coverage were the indirect key factors affecting the Q. variabilis seedling regeneration positively and negatively, respectively.

Hypoglycemic and Hypolipidemic Effects of Ethanolic Extract of Mirabilis jalapa L. Root on Normal and Diabetic Mice.

The present study investigated the insulin sensitivity, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities of ethanolic extract of Mirabilis jalapa L. root (EEM) in normal and diabetic mice. After induction of diabetes with streptozotocin, both normal and diabetic mice were singly or repeatedly for 28 days administrated with EEM at doses of 2, 4, 8 g/kg, respectively. Before induction of diabetes, mice were administrated with EEM at doses of 2, 4, 8 g/kg for 14 days and were injected with streptozotocin and continued on EEM administration for another 28 days. Both after and before induction of diabetes, repeated administration with 4, 8 g/kg EEM continually lowered blood glucose level, decreased serum insulin level and improved insulin sensitivity index, and lowered serum total cholesterol, triglyceride levels and triglyceride content in liver and skeletal muscle, and increased glycogen content in these tissues; but repeated administration had no influence on those indexes of normal mice. Single administration with EEM (4, 8 g/kg) showed hypoglycemic effect in oral glucose tolerance test in normal and diabetic mice. Single administration with EEM had no hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects on normal and diabetic mice. These results suggest that EEM possesses both potential insulin sensitivity, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects on diabetes.

Effects of bilateral adrenalectomy on the innate immune responses following trauma in rats.

BACKGROUND: The regulation of neuroendocrine hormones on the innate immune responses in trauma has not been fully understood. Previous studies have shown that the neuroendocrine hormones are important factors in their effects on immune parameters, depending on their concentration and timing instead of the simple suppressive effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 144 Sprague­Dawley rats were divided randomly into sham, pulmonary blast injury (BI) and adrenalectomy plus pulmonary BI groups. Bilateral adrenalectomy was performed on rats, which were then subjected to blast injury. Following this, peripheral leucocyte responsiveness to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, phagocytosis activities of macrophages and bacteria translocation (BT) were examined. Tumour necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) levels and the expression levels of scavenger receptor (SR) A, CD14, Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and MD2 were assayed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: In adrenalectomised rats after pulmonary BI, the number of peripheral leucocytes was increased and the phagocytosis of peritoneal and splenic macrophages was decreased as compared to the BI group. Simultaneously, the gut-derived BT and TNF-a secretion in lung tissues were elevated, whilst the LPS-stimulated TNF-a synthesis by peripheral leucocyte responsiveness was reduced. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of SR-A, CD14, TLR4 and MD2 in lung tissues of adrenalectomised rats decreased. Adrenalectomised rats showed enhancement of inflammatory responses and severe tissue injuries in trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Release of adrenal hormones might enhance, rather than inhibit, the innate immune functions, particularly in the early stages of trauma.

[Effects of thinning intensity on community stability of Quercus liaotungensis forest on Loess Plateau].

A sampling plot investigation was conducted on the Quercus liaotungensis forests on Loess Plateau, China under close-to-natural management thinning 13.4% (light thinning) and 30.0% (heavy thinning). Taking the un-thinned forest as the control, the population regeneration, woodland productivity, soil fertility, and species diversity of the forests after 5 years of thinning were studied, with the community stability evaluated by calculating the subordinate function values based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. Comparing with the control, the regeneration potential of the forests after light and heavy thinning promoted by 14.2% and 20.2%, arbor volume reduced by 9.0% and 23.8%, shrub biomass increased by 7.3% and 12.2%, and herb biomass increased by 10.5% and 31.6%, respectively. In addition, the soil fertility and species diversity indices were higher in thinning forests than in the control. The community stability showed the order of heavy thinning forest > light thinning forest > un-thinned forest, suggesting that the close-to-natural management thinning 30.0% was more suitable to the management of secondary Q. liaotungensis forest on Loess Plateau.

Exogenous norepinephrine correlates with macrophage endoplasmic reticulum stress response in association with XBP-1.

BACKGROUND: The regulation of neuroendocrine hormones on the innate immune responses remains controversial. This report investigated the effects of exogenous norepinephrine with respect to macrophage function as well as to elucidate the underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The adherence, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and cytokine production of macrophages were observed in the presence of increasing concentrations of norepinephrine. The expression of macrophage glucose response protein 78 (GRP78), X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), and C-EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in macrophages was determined. The lentiviral vector pGCL-GFP-siXBP1 was cloned by inserting the annealed oligonucleotides encoding shRNAs specific for XBP1. RESULTS: Norepinephrine exerted immunostimulatory effects on macrophage at low concentrations, while partial effects were observed at high concentrations. Low-dose norepinephrine induced an endoplasmic reticulum stress response, which was correlated with the immunostimulatory activities of norepinephrine. Levels of mRNA expression of XPB1, but not ATF6 or CHOP, was significantly increased only by low concentrations of norepinephrine. Inhibition of XBP1 expression with siRNA treatment significantly inhibited the immunostimulatory effects of low concentrations of norepinephrine. CONCLUSIONS: Our data convincingly indicated that norepinephrine exerted immunostimulatory actions on macrophages at low concentrations, suggesting that the underlying mechanisms are related to endoplasmic reticulum stress via XBP1.

[Dynamics of Quercus variabilis seed rain and soil seed bank in different habitats on the north slope of Qinling Mountains].

In order to explore the dynamics of Quercus variabilis seed rain and soil seed bank in different habitats on the north slope of Qinling Mountains, three kinds of micro-habitats (understory, forest gap, and forest edge) were selected, with the seed rain quantity and quality of Q. variabilis, seed amount and viability in soil seed bank, as well as the seedling development of Q. variabilis studied. The seed rain of Q. variabilis started from mid August, reached the peak in mid September-early October, and ended at the beginning of November, and there existed differences in the dissemination process, occurrence time, and composition of the seed rain among the three micro-habitats. The seed rain had the maximum intensity (39.55 +/- 5.56 seeds x m(-2)) in understory, the seeds had the earliest landing time, the longest lasting duration, and the highest viability in forest gap, and the mature seeds had the largest proportion in forest edge, accounting for 58.7% of the total. From the ending time of seed rain to next August, the total reserve of soil seed bank was the largest in understory and the smallest in forest edge. In the three habitats, the amount of mature and immature seeds, that of seeds eaten by animals, and the seed viability in soil seed bank all decreased with time. In contrast, the number of moldy seeds increased. The seeds were mainly concentrated in litter layer, a few of them were in 0-2 cm soil layer, and few were in 2-5 cm soil layer. The density of the seedlings varied with habitats, being the largest in forest gap, followed by in forest edge, and the least in understory, which suggested that forest gap was more suitable for the seed germination and seedling growth of Q. variabilis, and thus, appropriate thinning should be taken to increase forest gap to provide favorable conditions for the natural regeneration of Q. variabilis forest.