The green lacewing Chrysopa formosa as a potential biocontrol agent for managing Spodoptera frugiperda and Spodoptera litura.

Understanding predator-prey interactions is essential for successful pest management by using predators, especially for the suppression of novel invasive pest. The green lacewing Chrysopa formosa is a promising polyphagous predator that is widely used in the biocontrol of various pests in China, but information on the control efficiency of this predator against the seriously invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda and native Spodoptera litura is limited. Here we evaluated the predation efficiency of C. formosa adults on eggs and first- to third-instar larvae of S. frugiperda and S. litura through functional response experiments and determined the consumption capacity and prey preference of this chrysopid. Adults of C. formosa had a high consumption of eggs and earlier instar larvae of both prey species, and displayed a type II functional response on all prey stages. Attack rates of the chrysopid on different prey stages were statistically similar, but the handling time increased notably as the prey developed. The highest predation efficiency and shortest-handling time were observed for C. formosa feeding on Spodoptera eggs, followed by the first-instar larvae. C. formosa exhibited a significant preference for S. litura over S. frugiperda in a two-prey system. In addition, we summarized the functional response and predation efficiency of several chrysopids against noctuid pests and made a comparison with the results obtained from C. formosa. These results indicate that C. formosa has potential as an agent for biological control of noctuid pests, particularly for the newly invasive pest S. frugiperda in China.

[Jujing Gouju Granules promote reproductive function in rats with spermatozoa].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the intervention effect of Jujing Gouju Granules (JGG) on teratozoospermia (TZ) in rats and explore its action mechanism. METHODS: Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups of an equal number: normal control, TZ model control, high-dose JGG and low-dose JGG. The TZ model was established in the latter three groups of rats by intragastric administration of methyl methanesulfonate at 4 mg/100 g body weight/day for 7 consecutive days. After successful modeling, the animals in the high- and low-dose JGG groups were treated with JGG at 0.288 and 0.072g/100 g body weight/d, respectively, while the normal controls with the same dose of normal saline, all for 48 days. At two days after medication, all the rats were sacrificed and the right epididymides harvested for sperm counting, sperm motility analysis, observation the sperm morphology, and determination of contents of fructose, zinc, α-glucosidase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the epididymal suspension, the levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the seminal plasma, and that of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the sperm. RESULTS: Both sperm concentration and motility were significantly increased and the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm decreased in the JGG groups compared with the model controls, even more significantly in the high- than in the low-dose JGG group (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in the contents of fructose and zinc in the epididymal suspension among the four groups, but that of α-glucosidase was remarkably lower in the TZ model than in the normal controls (ï¼»50.31 ± 2.12ï¼½ vs ï¼»67.23 ± 3.54ï¼½ U/L, P < 0.05), but higher in the high- and low-dose JGG groups (ï¼»79.36 ± 2.35ï¼½ and ï¼»56.25 ± 3.44ï¼½ U/L) than in the model control group (P < 0.05). The level of ROS was markedly higher and that of SOD lower in the TZ model than in the normal controls, while the former was lower and the latter was higher in the JGG groups than in the TZ model controls (P < 0.05), even more significantly in the in the high- than in the low-dose JGG group (P < 0.05). Compared with the TZ model controls, the rats in the JGG groups showed dramatically decreased levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the seminal plasma, even more significantly in the high- than in the low-dose JGG group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Jujing Gouju Granules can improve sperm morphology in teratozoospermia rats, possibly by regulating oxidative stress and inflammation-related factors.

[Chinese medicinal compound CFF-1 induces the apoptosis and cycle-arrest of prostate cancer cells via the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the apoptosis-inducing effect of the Chinese medicinal compound CFF-1 on prostate cancer cells and its related molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Normal prostate WPMY-1 cells and prostate cancer LNCaP, CWR22Rv1, PC3 and DU145 cells were treated in dehydrated alcohol with CFF-1 at 0, 2, 5, or 10 mg/ml for 24 hours. Then the viability of the prostate cells was detected by morphological observation, MTT and CCK-8 assay, nuclear condensation and disruption measured by DAPI staining, the cell cycle and apoptosis calculated by flow cytometry, the activity of the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway and the expressions of its downstream apoptosis- and cycle-related proteins determined by Western blot. RESULTS: CFF-1 significantly arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase, decreased the cell viability and increased the nuclear condensation and disruption in a dose-dependent manner, and elevated the apoptosis rate of prostate cancer cells. At the molecular level, CFF-1 dose-dependently reduced the activity of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and phosphorylation of the FOXO1 protein, increased the transcription activity of FOXO1, and eventually regulated the expressions of cell apoptosis- and cycle-related genes. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese medicinal compound CFF-1 can significantly inhibit the growth, arrest the cycle, and induce the apoptosis of prostate cancer cells by decreasing the activity of the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway, which suggests its potential clinical application value in the treatment of prostate cancer.

[Perspective and application of metabonomics in modern study of traditional Chinese medicine].

Metabonomics is a new method to study on the metabolic network and the relationship between body and environment, which conforms to the way of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research. In the study process of modernization of traditional Chinese medicine, effectively conjunction with metabonomics method will facilitate the integration of TCM with modern biological science and technology, and promote the modernization of TCM. This paper introduce the application of metabonomics in the research of toxicity mechanism of TCM, compatibility mechanism of TCM formula, pharmacology effect of TCM and processing mechanism of TCM. This paper summarize the problems in the TCM metabonomics research and prospect its bright future.