ER/AR Multi-Conformational Docking Server: A Tool for Discovering and Studying Estrogen and Androgen Receptor Modulators.

The prediction of the estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) activity of a compound is quite important to avoid the environmental exposures of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The Estrogen and Androgen Receptor Database (EARDB, http://eardb.schanglab.org.cn/) provides a unique collection of reported ERα, ERß, or AR protein structures and known small molecule modulators. With the user-uploaded query molecules, molecular docking based on multi-conformations of a single target will be performed. Moreover, the 2D similarity search against known modulators is also provided. Molecules predicted with a low binding energy or high similarity to known ERα, ERß, or AR modulators may be potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals or new modulators. The server provides a tool to predict the endocrine activity for compounds of interests, benefiting for the ER and AR drug design and endocrine-disrupting chemical identification.

[Effects of a Tribasic Amendment on Cadmium and Arsenic Accumulation and Translocation in Rice in a Field Experiment].

An in-situ paddy field experiment was carried out to study the influence of a tribasic amendment (QFJ, hydroxyapatite+zeolite+biochar) on Cd and As accumulation and translocation in rice grown in soil contaminated with cadmium and arsenic, with the concentrations of soil Cd and As being 3.58 mg·kg-1 and 124.79 mg·kg-1, respectively. The results showed that, after application of QFJ, the pH, CEC, and OM contents of the rice rhizosphere soil tended to increase. The exchangeable concentrations of Cd and As were reduced from 0.37 mg·kg-1 and 0.07 mg·kg-1 to 0.12 mg·kg-1 and 0.04 mg·kg-1, respectively. The concentrations of Cd and As in rice tissues decreased after in-situ restoration. When 9.00 t·hm-2 of QFJ was applied, the Cd concentration in brown rice was reduced from 0.46 to 0.18 mg·kg-1, and that of inorganic As was reduced from 0.25 to 0.16 mg·kg-1, both lower than 0.2 mg·kg-1, meeting the requirement set by the National Food Standards (GB 2762-2012). QFJ application decreased the Cd and As bioaccumulation capacity of the roots and decreased the rice plant's capacity of Cd translocation quantity from the underground parts to the aerial parts; at same time, the Cd transferring capacity of the roots and the As transferring capacity in straw and husk were also decreased.

Protective effects on mitochondria and anti-aging activity of polysaccharides from cultivated fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris.

Cordyceps militaris (L.) Link is an entomopathogenic fungus parasitic to Lepidoptera larvae, and is widely used as a folk tonic or invigorant for longevity in China. Although C. militaris has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia, there is still a lack convincing evidence for its anti-aging activities. This study was performed to investigate the effects of polysaccharides from cultivated fruiting bodies of C. militaris (CMP) on mitochondrial injury, antioxidation and anti-aging activity. Fruiting bodies of C. militaris were cultivated artificially under optimized conditions. The spectrophotometric method was used to measure thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), mitochondrial swelling, and activities of scavenging superoxide anions in vitro. D-galactose (100 mg/kg/day) was injected subcutaneously into back of the neck of mice for 7 weeks to induce an aging model. The effects of CMP on the activities of catalase (CAT), surperoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and anti-hydroxyl radicals were assayed in vivo using commercial monitoring kits. The results showed that CMP could inhibit mitochondrial injury and swelling induced by Fe²(+)-L-Cysteine in a concentration- dependent manner and it also had a significant superoxide anion scavenging effect. Moreover, the activities of CAT, SOD, GPx and anti-hydroxyl radicals in mice liver were increased significantly by CMP. These results indicate that CMP protects mitochondria by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting mitochondrial swelling, and increasing the activities of antioxidases. Therefore, CMP may have pharmaceutical values for mitochondrial protection and anti-aging. CMP was the major bioactive component in C. militaris.