Everolimus inhibits hepatoblastoma by inducing autophagy-dependent ferroptosis.

Everolimus, a known inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), has shown uncertain efficacy in treating hepatoblastoma. This study delves into the potential anti-hepatoblastoma properties of everolimus and its intricate relationship with autophagy and ferroptosis, both in vitro and in vivo. In vivo, tumor tissue from hepatoblastoma patient and human hepatoblastoma cell line HuH-6 were xenografted into nude mice to establish xenograft models for observing the effect of everolimus on tumor growth. In vitro, HuH-6 cells were cultured to evaluate the anti-hepatoblastoma activity of everolimus. Transmission electron microscopy and microtubule-associated proteins 1 light chain 3 (LC3), beclin 1, and p62 protein expressions were employed to investigate autophagy. Additionally, indicators of cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proteins associated with ferroptosis were measured to evaluate ferroptosis. The results demonstrate that everolimus treatment effectively induced the formation of autophagosomes in hepatoblastoma cells, upregulated the LC3II/I ratio and beclin 1 expression, and downregulated p62 expression, indicating an enhanced autophagy level both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, everolimus treatment induced cell apoptosis, increased ROS level, elevated concentrations of malondialdehyde, 4-hydroxynonenal, and iron content, while reducing the ratio of glutathione/oxidized glutathione, and downregulating the protein expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 and solute carrier family 7 member 11, suggesting its ability to induce ferroptosis in hepatoblastoma cells. Importantly, the induction of ferroptosis by everolimus was significantly reversed in the presence of autophinib, an autophagy inhibitor, indicating the autophagy-dependent of everolimus-induced ferroptosis. Taken together, these findings suggest that everolimus holds promise as an effective anti-hepatoblastoma drug, with its mechanism of action potentially involving the induction of autophagy-dependent ferroptosis in hepatoblastoma cells.

Localization and regulatory function of Yin Yang 1 (YY1) in chicken testis.

In mammals, Yin Yang 1 (YY1), a pervasively expressed transcription factor related to many biological processes as an activator or inhibitor of the transcription of various genes, plays a critical role in the development of male gonads and spermatogenesis. Although the role of YY1 on the development of male gonads and spermatogenesis in mammals has been reported, its function on chicken testis are yet to be clarified. In this study, we used immunofluorescence analysis to investigate the location of YY1 in chicken testis. In embryo testis, YY1 was detected in spermatogonia and Sertoli cells, while in adult testis, YY1 was shown to be expressed in spermatogenic cells and Sertoli cells, but not in spermatozoa. Furthermore, we investigated the regulatory functions of YY1 in chicken testicular Sertoli cells by combining overexpression with RNA-sequencing. Overexpression of YY1 in Sertoli cells revealed a total of 2955 differentially expressed genes involved in various biological processes, such as male gonad development and seminiferous tubule development. Overexpression of YY1 also caused significant differences in the expression of the androgen receptor gene and the inhibin ßA gene, two major genes involved in the regulation of spermatogonia in Sertoli cells. These observations indicate that YY1 may regulate the development and function of the gonads by affecting the secretion of cytokines and hormones in Sertoli cells to mediate the production and differentiation of spermatogonia.

Effects of husbandry systems and Chinese indigenous chicken strain on cecum microbial diversity.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to evaluate the effect of husbandry systems and strains on cecum microbial diversity of Jingyang chickens under the same dietary conditions. METHODS: A total of 320 laying hens (body weight, 1.70±0.15 kg; 47 weeks old) were randomly allocated to one of the four treatments: i) Silver-feathered hens in enrichment cages (SEC) with an individual cage (70×60×75 cm), ii) Silver-feathered hens in free range (SFR) with the stocking density of 1.5 chickens per ten square meters, iii) Gold-feathered hens in enrichment cages (GEC), iv) Gold-feathered hens in free range (GFR). The experiment lasted 8 weeks and the cecum fecal samples were collected for 16S rDNA high throughput sequencing at the end of experiment. RESULTS: i) The core microbiota was composed of Bacteroidetes (49% to 60%), Firmicutes (21% to 32%) and Proteobacteria (2% to 4%) at the phylum level. ii) The core bacteria were Bacteroides (26% to 31%), Rikenellaceae (9% to 16%), Parabacteroides (2% to 5%) and Lachnoclostridium (2% to 6%) at the genus level. iii) The indexes of operational taxonomic unit, Shannon, Simpson and observed species were all higher in SFR group than in SEC group while in GEC group than in GFR group, with SFR group showing the greatest diversity of cecum microorganisms among the four groups. iv) The clustering result was consistent with the strain classification, with a similar composition of cecum bacteria in the two strains of laying hens. CONCLUSION: The core microbiota were not altered by husbandry systems or strains. The free-range system increased the diversity of cecal microbes only for silver feathered hens. However, the cecum microbial composition was similar in two strain treatments under the same dietary conditions.

The Sertoli cell marker FOXD1 regulates testis development and function in the chicken.

FOXD1, one of the transcription factors of the FOX family, has been shown to be important for mammalian reproduction but little is known about its function in avian species. In the present study, we identified the expression pattern and location of FOXD1 in chicken tissues and testis by performing quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and further investigated the regulatory relationship of FOXD1 with genes involved in testis development by RNA interference. Our results showed that FOXD1 is confirmed to be significantly male-biased expressed in the brain, kidney and testis of adults as well as in embryonic gonads, and it is localised in the testicular Sertoli cell in chicken, consistent with its localisation in mammals. After knock-down of FOXD1 in chicken Sertoli cells, the expression of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), sex-determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9) and PKA regulatory subunits type I α (RIα) was significantly downregulated, expression of androgen receptor (AR) was notably increased whereas double-sex and MAB-3-related transcription factor 1 (DMRT1) showed no obvious change in expression. These results suggest that FOXD1 is an essential marker for Sertoli cells upstream of SOX9 expression and a potential regulator of embryonic testis differentiation and development and of normal testis function in the chicken.

The Regulating Role of SB216763 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis.

BACKGROUND: Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3b) is a multifunctional molecule, which plays a critical role in the regulation of various signaling pathways including cell proliferation, growth and development, and inflammation. However, whether GSK3b is involved in the pathological process of Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis remains unknown. METHODS: First, western blots were performed to measure the phosphorylated level of GSK3ß at Ser9 (inactive form) in an animal model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis. Second, the keratitis model received the GSK3ß inhibitor SB216763, and the inflammation of cornea was evaluated by clinical scores and slit photos. The expressions of inflammatory cytokines were assessed by real-time PCR, and the corneal bacterial burden was determined by plate count. RESULTS: The phosphorylated level of GSK3ß at Ser9 in the cornea markedly decreased after Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. The inhibition of GSK3ß by SB216763 significantly ameliorated the progress of corneal disease and alleviated corneal opacity. SB216763 suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1b, but exhibited no effects on TNF-a and IL-10 expression. SB216763 dramatically decreased cornea bacterial burden at 5 days after infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CONCLUSIONS: The activity of GSK3b was enhanced in Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis. The inhibition of GSK3ß by SB216763 promoted host resistance against Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis, via down regulating inflammatory cytokines and bacterial burden.

[Research on regional distribution and industrial status analysis of genuine medicinal resources of flowers in Henan province].

Flower medicinal materials usually refer to Chinese medicinal materials with a complete flower,inflorescence,or part of a flower as the different medicinal parts,they have an important share in the Chinese herbal medicine market and appeared frequently in Chinese medicine prescriptions. Firstly,the species and regional distribution of the flower medicinal materials resources in China were briefly summarized. Secondly,the characteristics,yield,producing area and origin distribution of the main flower medicinal materials in Henan province were discussed. Finally,the present situation and the main problems of the flower medicinal materials industry in Henan province were comprehensively analyzed,and the corresponding industrial development countermeasures were put forward.This research was intended to provide decision-making demonstration and scientific basis for the rational exploitation and utilization of resources,breeding of new varieties,planting division,production layout and the healthy and sustainable development of the flower medicinal materials industry in Henan province.

Dissecting the target specificity of RNase H recruiting oligonucleotides using massively parallel reporter analysis of short RNA motifs.

Processing and post-transcriptional regulation of RNA often depend on binding of regulatory molecules to short motifs in RNA. The effects of such interactions are difficult to study, because most regulatory molecules recognize partially degenerate RNA motifs, embedded in a sequence context specific for each RNA. Here, we describe Library Sequencing (LibSeq), an accurate massively parallel reporter method for completely characterizing the regulatory potential of thousands of short RNA sequences in a specific context. By sequencing cDNA derived from a plasmid library expressing identical reporter genes except for a degenerate 7mer subsequence in the 3'UTR, the regulatory effects of each 7mer can be determined. We show that LibSeq identifies regulatory motifs used by RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs. We furthermore apply the method to cells transfected with RNase H recruiting oligonucleotides to obtain quantitative information for >15000 potential target sequences in parallel. These comprehensive datasets provide insights into the specificity requirements of RNase H and allow a specificity measure to be calculated for each tested oligonucleotide. Moreover, we show that inclusion of chemical modifications in the central part of an RNase H recruiting oligonucleotide can increase its sequence-specificity.

miRNAs expression profile in bast of ramie elongation phase and cell wall thickening and end wall dissolving phase.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20-24 nucleotide long non-coding RNAs that play critical regulatory roles during plant development, organ morphogenesis, and cell fate determination and differentiation. In this study, miRNA microarray chips were used to explore the expression profile of ramie miRNAs between the bast of fiber elongation phase and those of cell wall thickening and end wall dissolving phase. There are 150 and 148 credible miRNAs in the bast of fiber elongation phase and cell wall thickening and end wall dissolving phase, respectively. These miRNAs distributed in 27 species and mainly concentrated in nine species. Analysis showed that 51 miRNAs were differentially expressed: 27 up-regulated (miR166, miR172, miR396, miR482, miR894 and miR2911 families) and 24 down-regulated (miR156, miR159, miR164, miR319 and miR1450 families) in the bast of fiber elongation phase compared with the bast of cell wall thickening and end wall dissolving phase. To further confirm our results, we examined the expression of three miRNAs (zma-miR172b*, pvu-miR482 and vvi-172a) by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR. Our results will provide a molecular basis for future research miRNA function on ramie genetics and breeding.

Chiral Herbicide 2,4-D Ethylhexyl Ester: Absolute Configuration, Stereoselective Herbicidal Activity, Crop Safety, and Metabolic Behavior on Maize and Flixweed.

This study represents the initial examination of the herbicidal efficacy, crop safety, and degradation patterns of 2,4-D ethylhexyl ester (2,4-D EHE) at the enantiomeric level. Baseline separation of 2,4-D EHE enantiomers was achieved using a superchiral R-AD column, with their absolute configurations determined through chemical reaction techniques. Evaluation of weed control efficacy against sensitive species such as sun spurge and flixweed demonstrated significantly higher inhibition rates for S-2,4-D EHE compared to R-2,4-D EHE. Conversely, no stereoselectivity was observed in the fresh-weight inhibition rates of both enantiomers on crops or nonsensitive weeds. A sensitive HPLC-MS/MS method was developed to simultaneously detect two enantiomers and the metabolite 2,4-D in plants. Investigation into degradation kinetics revealed no substantial difference in the half-lives of R- and S-2,4-D EHE in maize and flixweed. Notably, the metabolite 2,4-D exhibited prolonged persistence at elevated levels on flixweed, while it degraded rapidly on maize.

WGBS of embryonic gonads revealed that long non-coding RNAs in the MHM region might be involved in cell autonomous sex identity and female gonadal development in chickens.

DNA methylation plays a key role in sex determination and differentiation in vertebrates. However, there are few studies on DNA methylation involved in chicken gonad development, and most focused on male hypermethylated regions (MHM). It is unclear whether there are specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in chicken embryonic gonads regulating sex determination and differentiation. Here, the DNA methylation maps showed that the difference of DNA methylation level between sexes was much higher at embryonic day 10 (E10) than that at embryonic day 6 (E6), and the significant differentially methylated regions at both stages were mainly distributed on the Z chromosome, including MHM1 and MHM2. The results of bisulphite sequencing PCR (BSP) and qRT-PCR showed hypomethylation of female MHM and upregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) whose promoter in the MHM region was consistent with the sequencing results, and similar results were in brain and muscle. In female sex-reversed gonads, the methylation pattern of MHM remained unchanged, and the expression levels of the three candidate lncRNAs were significantly decreased compared with those in females, but were significantly increased compared to males. The fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) results also showed that these lncRNAs were highly expressed in female embryonic gonads. The results of methyltransferase inhibitor and dual-luciferase reporter assay suggest that lncRNA expression may be regulated by DNA methylation within their promoters. Therefore, we speculated that MHM may be involved in cell-autonomous sex identity in chickens, and that lncRNAs regulated by MHM may be involved in female sexual differentiation.

pH-Responsive Wound Dressing Based on Biodegradable CuP Nanozymes for Treating Infected and Diabetic Wounds.

Nanozymes, emerging nanomaterials for wound healing, exhibit enzyme-like activity to modulate the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at wound sites. Yet, the solo regulation of endogenous ROS by nanozymes often falls short, particularly in chronic refractory wounds with complex and variable pathological microenvironments. In this study, we report the development of a multifunctional wound dressing integrating a conventional alginate (Alg) hydrogel with a newly developed biodegradable copper hydrogen phosphate (CuP) nanozyme, which possesses good near-infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion capabilities, sustained Cu ion release ability, and pH-responsive peroxidase/catalase-mimetic catalytic activity. When examining acute infected wounds characterized by a low pH environment, the engineered Alg/CuP composite hydrogels demonstrated high bacterial eradication efficacy against both planktonic bacteria and biofilms, attributed to the combined action of catalytically generated hydroxyl radicals and the sustained release of Cu ions. In contrast, when applied to chronic diabetic wounds, which typically have a high pH environment, these composite hydrogels exhibit significant angiogenic performance. This is driven by the provision of catalytically generated dissolved oxygen and a beneficial supplement of Cu ions released from the degradable CuP nanozyme. Further, a mild thermal effect induced by NIR irradiation amplifies the catalytic activities and bioactivity of Cu ions, thereby enhancing the healing process of both infected and diabetic wounds. Our study validates that the synergistic integration of photothermal effects, catalytic activity, and released Cu ions can concurrently yield high antibacterial efficiency and tissue regenerative activity, rendering it highly promising for various clinical applications in wound healing.

Non-synonymous SNPs in MC1R gene are associated with the extended black variant in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).

In this study, we performed a sequence characterization of the duck melanocortin 1 receptor (alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor) (MC1R) gene to analyze the relationship between MC1R polymorphism and the extended black variant in domestic ducks based on the extended black (E) and non-extended black (e(+) ) allele hypothesis of the duck MC1R gene. Both c.52G>A and c.376G>A substitutions are highly associated with the duck extended black variant (P < 0.01), but the novel c.52G>A substitution is more of a fit for the allele hypothesis of the duck MC1R gene.

Identification of potential candidate genes and regulatory pathways related to reproductive capacity in hypothalamus and pituitarium of male ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) by differential transcriptome analysis.

The improvement of reproductive capacity of poultry is important for the poultry industry. The existing studies on reproductive capacity mainly focus on the testis tissue, but few reports on regulationary effect of brain neuroendocrime on reproductive capacity have been available. The hypothalamus-pituitarium-gonad (HPG) axis is an important pathway regulating spermatogenesis and sexual behavior. This study analyzed the gene expression in the hypothalamus and pituitary tissues of male ducks in high-semen-quality group (DH), low-semen-quality group (DL), and non-response group (DN) by RNA-sequencing. A total of 1980 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and significantly less DEGs were found in pituitary gland than in hypothalamus. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that these DEGs were mainly enriched in nerve-related and synapse-related biological processes, mitochondrial inner membrane formation pathway, and ribosome structure pathway. Notably, the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway significantly enriched in all three comparisons (DH vs. DL, DH vs. DN, and DL vs. DN) was related to different reproductive performance such as semen quality and sexual response. Furthermore, six genes, including POMC, CPLX2, HAPLN2, EGR4, TOX3, and MSH4, were identified as candidate genes regulating reproductive capacity. Our findings provide new insights into the regulation mechanisms underlying the reproductive performance of male poultry, and offer a valuable reference for duck breeding programs aimed at promoting reproductive capacity.

Individual reproductive capacity is crucial to poultry breeding and reproduction. The hypothalamus­pituitarium­gonad (HPG) axis is an important pathway regulating animal spermatogenesis and sexual behavior. This study identified the neuroactive ligand­receptor interaction pathway as the potential biological pathway regulating the semen quality and sexual behavior by differential transcriptome analysis of the hypothalamus and pituitarium of male ducks. Genes including proopiomelanocortin (POMC), complexin 2 (CPLX2), hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein 2 (HAPLN2), early growth response 4 (EGR4), tox high mobility group box family member 3 (TOX3), and muts homolog 4 (MSH4) were identified as key candidate genes affecting the HPG axis. Our findings provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying reproductive performance in male poultry and offer a reference for breeding programs aimed to improve reproductive performance in ducks.

Mild Heat-Assisted Polydopamine/Alginate Hydrogel Containing Low-Dose Nanoselenium for Facilitating Infected Wound Healing.

In clinical practice, it has become urgent to develop multifunctional wound dressings that can combat infection and prompt wound healing simultaneously. In this study, we proposed a polydopamine/alginate/nanoselenium composite hydrogel (Alg-PDA-Se) for the treatment of infected wounds. In particular, polydopamine endows the composite hydrogel with controllable near-infrared photothermal properties, while low-dosage selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) offer excellent anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, pro-proliferative, pro-migration, and pro-angiogenic performances, which are verified by multiple cells, including macrophages, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. More interestingly, the combination of mild temperature with low-dosage Se NPs produces a synergistic effect on combating both Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and promoting the healing of bacteria-infected wounds in vivo. We anticipate that the designed composite hydrogel might be a potential candidate for anti-infection bioactive dressing.

Inhibitory effects of Jasminum grandiflorum L. essential oil on lipopolysaccharide-induced microglia activation-integrated characteristic analysis of volatile compounds, network pharmacology, and BV-2 cell.

Neuroinflammation is considered to have a prominent role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Microglia are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, and modulating microglia activation is a promising strategy to prevent AD. Essential oil of Jasminum grandiflorum L. flowers is commonly used in folk medicine for the relief of mental pressure and disorders, and analyzing the volatile compound profiles and evaluating the inhibitory effects of J. grandiflorum L. essential oil (JGEO) on the excessive activation of microglia are valuable for its application. This study aims to explore the potential active compounds in JGEO for treating AD by inhibiting microglia activation-integrated network pharmacology, molecular docking, and the microglia model. A headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry procedure was used to analyze the volatile characteristics of the compounds in J. grandiflorum L. flowers at 50°C, 70°C, 90°C, and 100°C for 50 min, respectively. A network pharmacological analysis and molecular docking were used to predict the key compounds, key targets, and binding energies based on the detected compounds in JGEO. In the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 cell model, the cells were treated with 100 ng/mL of LPS and JGEO at 7.5, 15.0, and 30 µg/mL, and then, the morphological changes, the production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species, and the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 of BV-2 cells were analyzed. A total of 34 compounds with significantly different volatilities were identified. α-Hexylcinnamaldehyde, nerolidol, hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, dodecanal, and decanal were predicted as the top five key compounds, and SRC, EGFR, VEGFA, HSP90AA1, and ESR1 were the top five key targets. In addition, the binding energies between them were less than -3.9 kcal/mol. BV-2 cells were activated by LPS with morphological changes, and JGEO not only could clearly reverse the changes but also significantly inhibited the production of NO and reactive oxygen species and suppressed the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1. The findings indicate that JGEO could inhibit the overactivation of microglia characterized by decreasing the neuroinflammatory and oxidative stress responses through the multi-compound and multi-target action modes, which support the traditional use of JGEO in treating neuroinflammation-related disorders.

SrCuSi4 O10 /GelMA Composite Hydrogel-Mediated Vital Pulp Therapy: Integrating Antibacterial Property and Enhanced Pulp Regeneration Activity.

Vital pulp therapy (VPT) is considered a conservative treatment for preserving pulp viability in caries-induced dental pulp infections. However, bacterial contamination negatively affects dentine-pulp complex repair. The common capping materials show limited antimicrobial effects against some microorganisms. To improve the VPT efficacy, capping materials with increased antibacterial properties and enhanced odontogenic and angiogenic activities are needed. Herein, a SrCuSi4 O10 /gelatin methacrylate(SC/Gel) composite hydrogel has been proposed for infected dental pulp treatment. SrCuSi4 O10 (SC) is a microscale bioceramic composed of assembled multilayered nanosheets that possesses good near-infrared photothermal conversion ability and multiple bioactivities due to sustained Sr2+ , Cu2+ , and SiO3 2- ion release. It is shown that the SC/Gel composite hydrogel efficiently eliminates Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus casei and inhibits biofilm formation under photothermal heating, while the ion extract from SC promotes odontogenesis of rat dental pulp stem cells and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The as-designed therapeutic effect of SC/Gel composite hydrogel-mediated VPT has been proven in a rat dental pulp infection model and yielded improved dentine-pulp complex repair compared with the commercially used iRoot® BP Plus. This study suggests that the SC/Gel composite hydrogel is a potential pulp-capping material with improved effects on dentine-pulp complex repair in infected pulp.

Mild-temperature photothermal assisted CuSi nanowires for promoting infected wound healing.

In clinical practice, the utilization of antibiotics is still the main approach for the treatment of wound contamination, which lacks the ability to accelerate wound healing and arises the global concern of antimicrobial resistance. Plenty of alternative methods have been explored in recent years due to the fast development of material science. Here, CuO/SiO2 nanowires (CuSi NWs) with good near-infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion ability are synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The as-prepared CuSi NWs possess excellent antibacterial ability against both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which could be enhanced by the assistance of mild photothermal therapy (PTT). Moreover, CuSi NWs at suitable concentrations can promote proliferation, migration, and angiogenic gene expression of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), exhibiting a remarkable pro-vascularization ability. The in vivo mouse infect model further proves that the CuSi NWs might be a good candidate for the treatment of infected wounds as the high antibacterial efficiency and accelerated wound healing is obtained.

Effect of Yak Meat to the Daily Ration of Scalded Rats for Wound Healing.

Objective: Treatment of burn wound healing involves infection, nutrition, psychology and rehabilitation, and proper nutritional support can promote wound healing, enhance immune function and reduce the incidence of complications. This study aimed to investigate the effects of feed containing yak meat on scalded rats' body condition and wound healing. Methods: Adopting a two-factor factorial design, the growth performance, food intake, body weight, and Lee's index of rats were measured. The wound conditions of scalded rats with different feeds (basic, basic + yak meat, and basic + yellow beef) were observed at different periods, and their wounds' hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining states were detected. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells and apoptosis were analyzed to evaluate the effects of feed on the wound healing of scalded rats. Results: The feed intake was the highest in the yellow beef feed group and the lowest in the yak meat feed group. The body weight was the highest in the yak meat feed group and the lowest in the yellow beef feed group. Furthermore, 45 days after scalding, the obesity index in the yak beef feed group was the closest to that of the rats before scalding. The wound recovery of the rats in the yak meat feed group was the best at 30 days, and the H&E staining results also proved that the recovery effect of the scalded rats in the yak meat feed group was better than other two groups. According to the results of PCNA and apoptosis, the yak meat feed group had lower positive cell rate and faster wound healing. Conclusion: The rats in the yak meat feed group recovered better than those in the other groups, and the yak beef feed had the best effect on the wound healing of the scalded rats.

Molecular cloning, expression profile, polymorphism and the genetic effects of the dopamine D1 receptor gene on duck reproductive traits.

The dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1), a member of the dopamine receptor (DR) gene family, participates in the regulation of reproductive behaviors in birds. In this study, a 1,390 bp fragment covering the complete coding region (CDS) of duck DRD1 gene was obtained. The cDNA (GenBank: JQ346726) contains a 1,353 bp CDS and a 37 bp 3'- UTR including a TGA termination codon (nucleotides 1,354-1,356 bp). The duck DRD1 shares about 76-96 % nucleic acid identity and 82-98 % amino acid identity with their counterparts in other species. A phylogenetic tree based on amino acid sequences displays that duck DRD1 protein is closely related with those of chicken and zebra finch. The quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicates that the DRD1 mRNA is widely expressed in all examined tissues. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (c.189A > T, c.507C > T, c.681C > T, c.765A > T, c.1044A > G) in the CDS of duck DRD1 gene were indentified, c.681C > T and c.765A > T were genotyped and analyzed in a two generations duck population by using of PCR-RFLP. Association analysis demonstrated that the c.681C > T genotypes were significantly associated with body weight at sexual maturity (when laying their first egg) (P < 0.01), egg production within 360 days (P < 0.05) and 420 days (P < 0.01); the c.765A > T genotypes were significantly associated with egg shape index and egg shell strength (P < 0.05). Those results suggest that the DRD1 gene may be a potential genetic marker to improve some reproductive traits in ducks.

The Effect of Sodium Thiosulfate on Coronary Artery Calcification in Hemodialysis Patients.

This study aimed to effectively control the disease process of hemodialysis outpatients. Hemodialysis secondary hyperparathyroidism patients were randomly divided into the control group and treatment group. The control group was treated with routine treatment, and the treatment group was treated with sodium thiosulfate based on the control group. The changes of serum calcium, phosphorus, whole parathyroid hormone, calcium-phosphorus product and coronary artery calcification (CAC) score, as well as the relief of clinical symptoms, postoperative complications and recurrence in the preoperative and postoperative periods were observed. The levels of C-reactive protein and CAC scores were significantly decreased in the treatment group after treatment. While there was no significant difference in blood calcium, blood phosphorus, PTH, calcium-phosphorus product, and CAC score in the control group after treatment. And after treatment, the proportion of skin pruritus, myasthenia, bone pain, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and other symptoms in the treatment group was significantly decreased compared with those before treatment, but there was no significant change in the control group before and after treatment. Sodium thiosulfate can reduce the high level of CAC in hemodialysis patients obviously.