Sterility of Cydia pomonella by X ray irradiation as an alternative to gamma radiation for the sterile insect technique.

The codling moth Cydia pomonella is a major pest of global significance impacting pome fruits and walnuts. It threatens the apple industry in the Loess Plateau and Bohai Bay in China. Sterile insect technique (SIT) could overcome the limitations set by environmentally compatible area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) approaches such as mating disruption and attract-kill that are difficult to suppress in a high-density pest population, as well as the development of insecticide resistance. In this study, we investigated the effects of X-ray irradiation (183, 366, 549 Gy) on the fecundity and fertility of a laboratory strain of C. pomonella, using a newly developed irradiator, to evaluate the possibility of X-rays as a replacement for Cobalt60 (60Co-γ) and the expanded future role of this approach in codling moth control. Results show that the 8th-day is the optimal age for irradiation of male pupae. The fecundity decreased significantly as the dosage of radiation increased. The mating ratio and mating number were not influenced. However, treated females were sub-sterile at a radiation dose of 183 Gy (20.93%), and were almost 100% sterile at a radiation dose of 366 Gy or higher. Although exposure to a radiation dose of 366 Gy resulted in a significant reduction in the mating competitiveness of male moths, our radiation biology results suggest that this new generation of X-ray irradiator has potential applications in SIT programs for future codling moth control.

Stilbenoids from Rheum undulatum Protect Hepatocytes Against Oxidative Stress Through AMPK Activation.

Oxidative stress promotes several diseases, including liver disease. We have isolated several stilbenoids from Rheum undulatum to investigate their hepatoprotective activities and mechanism. Stilbenoids from R. undulatum protects hepatocytes against arachidonic acid + iron (AA + Fe) induced oxidative stress. Pterostilbene (compound 5) shows stronger activity than the others. Trimethoxystilbenoid (compound 6) shows best activity on protection of HepG2 cells from AA + Fe-induced oxidative stress, and trans-stilbenoid (compound 7) shows weak activity. These stilbenoids suppress ROS generation in AA + Fe-treated HepG2 cells and also suppress AA + Fe-induced MMP disruption. Their protective effects on AA + Fe-induced MMP disruption were abrogated by treatment of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor, compound C or transfection of dominant negative form of AMPK. Taken together, stilbenoids from R. undulatum protect hepatocytes against AA + Fe-induced oxidative stress through AMPK activation. And the methoxy groups in the aryl groups are important for their cytoprotective activity.

Effect of X-ray irradiation on development, flight, and reproduction of Spodoptera litura.

Spodoptera litura is an omnivorous pest that has spread globally. Because irradiation sterilization technology has a great potential for control of S. litura, the effect of 25-150 Gy doses of X-rays on pupal survival, flight and reproductive variables of adult moths were analyzed in this research. The X-ray irradiation with the dose of 25-150 Gy significantly affected the reproductive ability of females. Irradiating male pupae with 25-150 Gy doses of X-rays had no effect on mating, life span, or flight ability of adult moths, but significantly reduced survival and fecundity of their offspring, and the sterility rate of the F1 generation was 52.65%-99.9%. The results of logistic curve fitting showed that the sterility impact was 84% at the most appropriate irradiation dose (71.26 Gy). The sterility control was 91% in an indoor mating competition experiment when the release ratio of irradiated males (75 Gy) to nonirradiated males reached 12.6:1. The effects of X-ray irradiation doses on biological variables of S. litura and the most effective release ratio determined here provide a theoretical foundation for using radiation sterilization technology to control S. litura.

Effects of X-ray irradiation on the fitness of the established invasive pest fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda.

BACKGROUND: Spodoptera frugiperda has spread to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, posing a serious threat to global agriculture. We estimated the appropriate dose of X-ray sterilization for S. frugiperda using an X-ray irradiation instrument to investigate environmentally acceptable control techniques, laying the framework for future applications of sterile insect technology (SIT) to manage the pest environmentally-friendly. RESULTS: This study is the first to investigate the effects of X-ray irradiation on the growth, development, survival, reproduction, and flight of S. frugiperda. The results showed that irradiation with 50-400 Gy had no significant effect on pupal eclosion, but females were more sensitive than males in terms of reproductive parameters, especially when doses of radiation were > 350 Gy. After irradiation with a sub-sterilizing dose of 250 Gy, the parental sterility rate was > 85%, and the sterility traits could be passed on to their offspring, resulting in a continuous decrease in the population of F1 and F2 generations. CONCLUSION: Our laboratory experiments theoretically confirmed the feasibility of SIT for controlling S. frugiperda in the field using X-ray radiation. This study provides a theoretical basis for future regional pest management strategies. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Diarylheptanoids suppress proliferation of pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells through modulating shh-Gli-FoxM1 pathway.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer, and it has the lowest 5-year survival rates. It is necessary to develop more potent anti-pancreatic cancer drugs to overcome the fast metastasis and resistance to surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and combinations of these. We have identified several diarylheptanoids as anti-pancreatic cancer agents from Alpinia officinarum (lesser galangal) and Alnus japonica. These diarylheptanoids suppressed cell proliferation and induced the cell cycle arrest of pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1). Among them, the most potent compounds 1 and 7 inhibited the shh-Gli-FoxM1 pathway and their target gene expression in PANC-1 cells. Furthermore, they suppressed the expression of the cell cycle associated genes that were rescued by the overexpression of exogenous FoxM1. Taken together, (E)-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenylhept-4-en-3-one (1) from Alpinia officinarum (lesser galangal) and platyphyllenone (7) from Alnus japonica inhibit PANC-1 cell proliferation by suppressing the shh-Gli-FoxM1 pathway, and they can be potential candidates for anti-pancreatic cancer drug development.

Systemic approaches identify a garlic-derived chemical, Z-ajoene, as a glioblastoma multiforme cancer stem cell-specific targeting agent.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common brain malignancies and has a very poor prognosis. Recent evidence suggests that the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) in GBM and the rare CSC subpopulation that is resistant to chemotherapy may be responsible for the treatment failure and unfavorable prognosis of GBM. A garlic-derived compound, Z-ajoene, has shown a range of biological activities, including anti-proliferative effects on several cancers. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that Z-ajoene specifically inhibits the growth of the GBM CSC population. CSC sphere-forming inhibition was achieved at a concentration that did not exhibit a cytotoxic effect in regular cell culture conditions. The specificity of this inhibitory effect on the CSC population was confirmed by detecting CSC cell surface marker CD133 expression and biochemical marker ALDH activity. In addition, stem cell-related mRNA profiling and real-time PCR revealed the differential expression of CSC-specific genes, including Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog, upon treatment with Z-ajoene. A proteomic approach, i.e., reverse-phase protein array (RPPA) and Western blot analysis, showed decreased SMAD4, p-AKT, 14.3.3 and FOXO3A expression. The protein interaction map (http://string-db.org/) of the identified molecules suggested that the AKT, ERK/p38 and TGFß signaling pathways are key mediators of Z-ajoene's action, which affects the transcriptional network that includes FOXO3A. These biological and bioinformatic analyses collectively demonstrate that Z-ajoene is a potential candidate for the treatment of GBM by specifically targeting GBM CSCs. We also show how this systemic approach strengthens the identification of new therapeutic agents that target CSCs.

SPA0355 attenuates ischemia/reperfusion-induced liver injury in mice.

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury leads to oxidative stress and acute inflammatory responses that cause liver damage and have a considerable impact on the postoperative outcome. Much research has been performed to develop possible protective techniques. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of SPA0355, a synthetic thiourea analog, in an animal model of hepatic I/R injury. Male C57BL/6 mice underwent normothermic partial liver ischemia for 45 min followed by varying periods of reperfusion. The animals were divided into three groups: sham operated, I/R and SPA0355 pretreated. Pretreatment with SPA0355 protected against hepatic I/R injury, as indicated by the decreased levels of serum aminotransferase and reduced parenchymal necrosis and apoptosis. Liver synthetic function was also restored by SPA0355 as reflected by the prolonged prothrombin time. To gain insight into the mechanism involved in this protection, we measured the activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which revealed that SPA0355 suppressed the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of NF-κB subunits. Concomitantly, the expression of NF-κB target genes such as IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α and iNOS was significantly downregulated. Lastly, the liver antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione were upregulated by SPA0355 treatment, which correlated with the reduction in serum malondialdehyde. Our results suggest that SPA0355 pretreatment prior to I/R injury could be an effective method to reduce liver damage.