Transcriptome analysis of Gossypium hirsutum cultivar Zhongzhimian No.2 uncovers the gene regulatory networks involved in defense against Verticillium dahliae.

BACKGROUND: Cotton is globally important crop. Verticillium wilt (VW), caused by Verticillium dahliae, is the most destructive disease in cotton, reducing yield and fiber quality by over 50% of cotton acreage. Breeding resistant cotton cultivars has proven to be an efficient strategy for improving the resistance of cotton to V. dahliae. However, the lack of understanding of the genetic basis of VW resistance may hinder the progress in deploying elite cultivars with proven resistance. RESULTS: We planted the VW-resistant Gossypium hirsutum cultivar Zhongzhimian No.2 (ZZM2) in an artificial greenhouse and disease nursery. ZZM2 cotton was subsequently subjected to transcriptome sequencing after Vd991 inoculation (6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h post-inoculation). Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in response to V. dahliae infection, mainly involved in resistance processes, such as flavonoid and terpenoid quinone biosynthesis, plant hormone signaling, MAPK signaling, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and pyruvate metabolism. Compared to the susceptible cultivar Junmian No.1 (J1), oxidoreductase activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were significantly increased in ZZM2. Furthermore, gene silencing of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1), which is involved in the oxidation-reduction process in ZZM2, compromised its resistance to V. dahliae, suggesting that COX1 contributes to VW resistance in ZZM2. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that the G. hirsutum cultivar ZZM2 responds to V. dahliae inoculation through resistance-related processes, especially the oxidation-reduction process. This enhances our understanding of the mechanisms regulating the ZZM2 defense against VW.

FMT and TCM to treat diarrhoeal irritable bowel syndrome with induced spleen deficiency syndrome- microbiomic and metabolomic insights.

BACKGROUND: Diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a functional bowel disease with diarrhea, and can be associated with common spleen deficiency syndrome of the prevelent traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) could help treating IBS-D, but may provide variable effects. Our study evaluated the efficacy of TCM- shenling Baizhu decoction and FMT in treating IBS-D with spleen deficiency syndrome, with significant implications on gut microbiome and serum metabolites. METHODS: The new borne rats were procured from SPF facility and separated as healthy (1 group) and IBS-D model ( 3 groups) rats were prepared articially using mother's separation and senna leaf treatment. 2 groups of IBS-D models were further treated with TCM- shenling Baizhu decoction and FMT. The efficacy was evaluated by defecation frequency, bristol stool score, and intestinal tight junction proteins (occludin-1 and claudin-1) expression. Microbiomic analysis was conducted using 16 S rRNA sequencing and bioinformatics tools. Metabolomics were detected in sera of rats by LC-MS and annotated by using KEGG database. RESULTS: Significant increment in occludin-1 and claudin-1 protein expression alleviated the diarrheal severity in IBS-D rats (P < 0.05) after treatment with FMT and TCM. FMT and TCM altered the gut microbiota and regulated the tryptophan metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism of IBS-D rats with spleen deficiency syndrome.The microbial abundance were changed in each case e.g., Monoglobus, Dubosiella, and Akkermansia and othe metabolic profiles. CONCLUSION: FMT and TCM treatment improved the intestinal barrier function by regulating gut microbiota and improved metabolic pathways in IBS-D with spleen deficiency syndrome.

Phylogenomic conflict analyses of the plastid and mitochondrial genomes via deep genome skimming highlight their independent evolutionary histories: A case study in the cinquefoil genus Potentilla sensu lato (Potentilleae, Rosaceae).

Phylogenomic conflicts are widespread among genomic data, with most previous studies primarily focusing on nuclear datasets instead of organellar genomes. In this study, we investigate phylogenetic conflict analyses within and between plastid and mitochondrial genomes using Potentilla as a case study. We generated three plastid datasets (coding, noncoding, and all-region) and one mitochondrial dataset (coding regions) to infer phylogenies based on concatenated and multispecies coalescent (MSC) methods. Conflict analyses were then performed using PhyParts and Quartet Sampling (QS). Both plastid and mitochondrial genomes divided the Potentilla into eight highly supported clades, two of which were newly identified in this study. While most organellar loci were uninformative for the majority of nodes (bootstrap value < 70%), PhyParts and QS detected conflicting signals within the two organellar genomes. Regression analyses revealed that conflict signals mainly occurred among shorter loci, whereas longer loci tended to be more concordant with the species tree. In addition, two significant disagreements between the two organellar genomes were detected, likely attributed to hybridization and/or incomplete lineage sorting. Our results demonstrate that mitochondrial genes can fully resolve the phylogenetic relationships among eight major clades of Potentilla and are not always linked with plastome in evolutionary history. Stochastic inferences appear to be the primary source of observed conflicts among the gene trees. We recommend that the loci with short sequence length or containing limited informative sites should be used cautiously in MSC analysis, and suggest the joint application of concatenated and MSC methods for phylogenetic inference using organellar genomes.

Nightmare or delight: Taxonomic circumscription meets reticulate evolution in the phylogenomic era.

Phylogenetic studies in the phylogenomics era have demonstrated that reticulate evolution greatly impedes the accuracy of phylogenetic inference, and consequently can obscure taxonomic treatments. However, the systematics community lacks a broadly applicable strategy for taxonomic delimitation in groups characterized by pervasive reticulate evolution. The red-fruit genus, Stranvaesia, provides an ideal model to examine the influence of reticulation on generic circumscription, particularly where hybridization and allopolyploidy dominate the evolutionary history. In this study, we conducted phylogenomic analyses integrating data from hundreds of single-copy nuclear (SCN) genes and plastomes, and interrogated nuclear paralogs to clarify the inter/intra-generic relationship of Stranvaesia and its allies in the framework of Maleae. Analyses of phylogenomic discord and phylogenetic networks showed that allopolyploidization and introgression promoted the origin and diversification of the Stranvaesia clade, a conclusion further bolstered by cytonuclear and gene tree discordance. With a well-inferred phylogenetic backbone, we propose an updated generic delimitation of Stranvaesia and introduce a new genus, Weniomeles. This new genus is distinguished by its purple-black fruits, thorns trunk and/or branches, and a distinctive fruit core anatomy characterized by multilocular separated by a layer of sclereids and a cluster of sclereids at the top of the locules. Through this study, we highlight a broadly-applicable workflow that underscores the significance of reticulate evolution analyses in shaping taxonomic revisions from phylogenomic data.

Phylogenomic conflict analyses in the apple genus Malus s.l. reveal widespread hybridization and allopolyploidy driving diversification, with insights into the complex biogeographic history in the Northern Hemisphere.

Phylogenomic evidence from an increasing number of studies has demonstrated that different data sets and analytical approaches often reconstruct strongly supported but conflicting relationships. In this study, 785 single-copy nuclear genes and 75 complete plastomes were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships and estimate the historical biogeography of the apple genus Malus sensu lato, an economically important lineage disjunctly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and involved in known and suspected hybridization and allopolyploidy events. The nuclear phylogeny recovered the monophyly of Malus s.l. (including Docynia); however, the genus was supported to be biphyletic in the plastid phylogeny. An ancient chloroplast capture event in the Eocene in western North America best explains the cytonuclear discordance. Our conflict analysis demonstrated that ILS, hybridization, and allopolyploidy could explain the widespread nuclear gene tree discordance. One deep hybridization event (Malus doumeri) and one recent event (Malus coronaria) were detected in Malus s.l. Furthermore, our historical biogeographic analysis integrating living and fossil data supported a widespread East Asian-western North American origin of Malus s.l. in the Eocene, followed by several extinction and dispersal events in the Northern Hemisphere. We also propose a general workflow for assessing phylogenomic discordance and biogeographic analysis using deep genome skimming data sets.

Phylogenetic relationships and chloroplast capture in the Amelanchier-Malacomeles-Peraphyllum clade (Maleae, Rosaceae): Evidence from chloroplast genome and nuclear ribosomal DNA data using genome skimming.

The Amelanchier-Malacomeles-Peraphyllum (AMP) clade consists of ca. 26 species distributed in North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa. While molecular and morphological data strongly support this clade, relationships of its genera are uncertain. Support for the monophyly of Amelanchier and for the phylogenetic positions of Malacomeles and Peraphyllum has varied between studies. Our goals were to reconstruct a robust phylogeny of the AMP clade in the framework of Maleae and clarify the phylogenetic placements of Malacomeles and Peraphyllum. This study employs sequences of the whole plastome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) repeats assembled using genome skimming with 131 samples representing 115 species in 31 genera of Rosaceae, especially Maleae. Maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian analysis (BI) of whole plastome datasets strongly supported Amelanchier as not monophyletic, with Peraphyllum sister to eastern North American Amelanchier and Malacomeles sister to the western North American-Eurasian Amelanchier. In contrast, nrDNA recovered the monophyly of Amelanchier, with Peraphyllum sister to Amelanchier and Malacomeles sister to the Amelanchier-Peraphyllum clade. The strong topological conflicts between plastome and nrDNA phylogenies of Peraphyllum and of Malacomeles are best explained by ancient chloroplast capture that occurred in SW North America.

[Effect of different DE values of malto-dextrin on properties for Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus spray-dried powder].

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of different DE values of malto-dextrin on Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus spray-dried powder. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the spray-dried powder, powder properties and microscopic morphology were determined, and then the moisture absorption isotherms and the glass transition temperature were used to predict its storage stability. The study showed that after adding malto-dextrin, the powder rate was increased; moisture content was decreased; Tg was increased; mobility got better; produced spherical microstructure; and Tg was increased with the decrease of DE value. The water activity-equilibrium moisture content (aw-EMC) relationship in GAB models showed, the moisture absorption of powder was increased with the rising of DE value; and the equilibrium moisture content-glass transition temperature (EMC-Tg) relationship in Gordon-Taylor models showed that, Tg was decreased with the increase of moisture content. As a result, the storage critical condition of the spray-dried powder was improved, and along with the decrease of DE value, the critical water activity and the critical water content were increased. Therefore, the smaller the DE value, the greater the stability of the spray-dried powder.

Essential oil of Syzygium aromaticum reverses the deficits of stress-induced behaviors and hippocampal p-ERK/p-CREB/brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression.

Syzygium aromaticum has been widely used in traditional medicine. Our study investigated the safety and antidepressant-like effects of the essential oil of S. aromaticum after acute or long-term treatment. Using GC-MS, a total of eight volatile constituents were identified in the essential oil of S. aromaticum. The single LD50 was approximately 4500 mg/kg based on a 24-h acute oral toxicity study. In a long-term repeated toxicity study of this essential oil (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, p. o.), only 400 mg/kg induced a significant decrease in body weight. In addition, no significant changes in relative organ weights and histopathological analysis were observed in all doses of essential oil-treated mice compared with the control group. Furthermore, acute S. aromaticum essential oil administration by gavage exerted antidepressant-like effects in the forced swimming test (200 mg/kg, p < 0.05) and tail suspension test (100 and 200 mg/kg, p < 0.05). Long-term S. aromaticum essential oil treatment via gavage significantly increased sucrose preference (50 mg/kg, p < 0.05; 100 and 200 mg/kg, p < 0.01) as well as elevated the protein levels of hippocampal p-ERK, p-CREB, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress. These results confirmed the safety of the essential oil of S. aromaticum and suggested that its potent antidepressant-like property might be attributed to the improvement in the hippocampal pERK1/2-pCREB-BDNF pathway in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress.

Circadian variations in behaviors, BDNF and cell proliferation in depressive mice.

Neurotrophic factors are well-known to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression and treatment of antidepressants. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), one of the most widely distributed and the most highly studied neurotrophic factors, has been demonstrated to play an important role in the pathophysiology of depression and the mechanism of antidepressants. According to the previous studies, we found that animal tissues were dissected for BDNF measurement mainly in daytime. Considering the circadian rhythm of BDNF expression, our present study evaluated the circadian variations in behaviors, serum corticosterone concentrations, hippocampal BDNF expression and neuronal cell proliferation in mice exposed to chronic mild stress (CMS), one of the most widely used depression-like animal models. Our results provided the first evidence that the difference of BDNF expression and neuronal cell proliferation between CMS and control mice underwent an oscillation related to the circadian variations (maximum at 20:00 h, minimum at 12:00 h or 16:00 h), while the difference of sucrose preference and first feeding latency was not affected by circadian rhythm. This oscillation difference was attributed to the relative constant BDNF expression and cell proliferation in CMS mice and the fluctuating BDNF expression and cell proliferation in control mice. CMS exposure might destroy the circadian rhythm of BDNF expression and cell proliferation in hippocampus of normal individual. Our present study suggests that animal decapitation at 20:00 h is the best time for BDNF-related measurement in CMS experiment, since the difference reaches the maximum.

BDNF-ERK-CREB signalling mediates the role of miR-132 in the regulation of the effects of oleanolic acid in male mice.

BACKGROUND: Although previous study has demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in the antidepressant-like effect of oleanolic acid, there is little information regarding the details of the molecular mechanism involved in this effect. METHODS: We used a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model to test the antidepressant-like effect of oleanolic acid on depressant-like behaviour, miR-132 expression and synaptic protein expression in the male mouse hippocampus. Furthermore, we explored the possible signalling pathways associated with miR-132 expression that mediate the effect of oleanolic acid on neuronal proliferation. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that a 3-week treatment with oleanolic acid ameliorated CUMS-induced anhedonic and anxiogenic behaviours. Furthermore, we found that oleanolic acid led to the BDNF-related phosphorylation and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB), which was associated with the upregulation of miR-132 and hippocampal neuronal proliferation. Moreover, experiments with an miR-132 antagomir revealed that targeting miR-132 led to inhibition of neuronal proliferation and the postsynaptic density protein 95, but did not affect presynaptic protein synapsin I. LIMITATIONS: Several other stimuli can also induce CREB phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Thus, regulation of miR-132 may not be restricted to neurotrophic signalling. CONCLUSION: Our results show that oleanolic acid induces the upregulation of miR-132, which serves as an important regulator of neurotrophic actions, mainly through the activation of the hippocampal BDNF-ERK-CREB signalling pathways.

Aptamer based hybrid monolithic pipette tips supported by melamine sponge for enrichment of proteins.

BACKGROUND: The convenient preparation and application of functionalized organic-inorganic hybrid monolithic materials have obtained substantial interest in the pretreatment of complex samples by solid-phase extraction (SPE). Compared to the in-tube solid-phase microextraction in fused-silica capillaries, micro SPE in plastic pipette tips have fascinating merits for the easily operated enrichment of trace target analytes from biological samples. However, the poor compatibility of organic-inorganic hybrid monoliths with plastics leads to the rare appearance of commercial hybrid monolithic pipette tips (HMPTs). Therefore, how to synthesize the organic-inorganic hybrid monolithic materials with better extraction performance in plastic pipette tips becomes a challenge. RESULTS: We develop a facile and cheap strategy to immobilize organic-inorganic hybrid monoliths in pipette tips. Melamine sponge was employed as the supporting skeleton to in situ assemble amine- and thiol-bifunctionalized hybrid monolithic material via "one pot" in a pipette tip, and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and thiol-modified aptamer against human α-thrombin were sequentially attached to the hybrid monolith within the HMPTs. The average coverage density of the aptamer with GNPs as an intermediary reached as high as 818.5 pmol µL-1. The enriched thrombin concentration was determined by a sensitive enzymatic chromogenic assay with the limit of detection of 2 nM. The extraction recovery of thrombin at 10 nM in human serum was 86.1 % with a relative standard deviation of 6.1 %. This proposed protocol has been applied to the enrichment and determination of thrombin in real serum sample with strong anti-interference ability, low limit of detection and high recovery. SIGNIFICANCE: The amine- and thiol-bifunctionalized HMPTs prepared with sponge as the skeleton frame provided a novel substrate material to decorate aptamers for efficient enrichment of proteins. This enlightens us that we can take advantage of the tunability of sponge assisted HMPTs to produce and tailor a variety of micro SPE pipette tips for broader applications on the analysis of trace targets in complex biological, clinic and environmental samples.

Refining the phylogeny and taxonomy of the apple tribe Maleae (Rosaceae): insights from phylogenomic analyses of 563 plastomes and a taxonomic synopsis of Photinia and its allies in the Old World.

This study addresses the longstanding absence of a comprehensive phylogenetic backbone for the apple tribe Maleae, a deficiency attributed to limited taxon and marker sampling. We conducted an extensive taxon sampling, incorporating 563 plastomes from a diverse range of 370 species encompassing 26 presently recognized genera. Employing a range of phylogenetic inference methods, including RAxML and IQ-TREE2 for Maximum Likelihood (ML) analyses, we established a robust phylogenetic framework for the Maleae tribe. Our phylogenomic investigations provided compelling support for three major clades within Maleae. By integrating nuclear phylogenetic data with morphological and chromosomal evidence, we propose an updated infra-tribal taxonomic system, comprising subtribe Malinae Reveal, subtribe Lindleyinae Reveal, and subtribe Vauqueliniinae B.B.Liu (subtr. nov.). Plastid phylogenetic analysis also confirmed the monophyly of most genera, except for Amelanchier, Malus, Sorbus sensu lato, and Stranvaesia. In addition, we present a comprehensive taxonomic synopsis of Photinia and its morphological allies in the Old World, recognizing 27 species and ten varieties within Photinia, three species and two varieties within Stranvaesia, and two species and three varieties within Weniomeles. Furthermore, we also lectotypified 12 names and made two new combinations, Photiniamicrophylla (J.E.Vidal) B.B.Liu and Weniomelesatropurpurea (P.L.Chiu ex Z.H.Chen & X.F.Jin) B.B.Liu.

Identification of clinically relevant subsets CD39+PD-1+CD8+ T cells and CD39+ regulatory T cells in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma using single-cell CyTOF.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is an aggressive liver malignancy with limited treatment options and a dismal prognosis. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is crucial for iCCA progression, yet its comprehensive characterization remains incomplete. This study utilized mass cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF) to comprehensively analyze immune cell populations in fresh iCCA tumor samples and adjacent peritumor liver tissues. Notably, NK cell percentages significantly decreased in iCCA lesions compared to peritumor liver tissues. Conversely, an enrichment of immunosuppressive CD39+Foxp3+CD4+ regulatory T cells (CD39+T-regs) and exhausted-like CD8+T cells (with pronounced CD39 and PD-1 expression) within TIME was identified and confirmed by multiplex immunofluorescence staining in an independent patient cohort (n = 140). Crucially, tumor-infiltrating CD39+T-regs and CD39+PD-1+CD8+T cells emerged as independent prognostic indicators associated with an unfavorable prognosis in iCCA. These findings unveil the intricate immune landscape within iCCA, offering valuable insights for disease management and novel cancer immunotherapies.

Abnormal Systemic and Ocular Responses to the Valsalva Manoeuvre in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Case for Autonomic Failure?

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with autonomic dysfunction by assessing the differences in systemic and ocular responses to an autonomic provocation test, the Valsalva manoeuvre (VM), between POAG patients and normal subjects. METHODS: Forty POAG and forty control subjects were subjected to the VM. Systemic and ocular parameters were measured at baseline, phase 2, and phase 4 of the VM (VM2 and VM4), where VM2 and VM4 are sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous activation states, respectively. Heart rate variability was used to assess the autonomic nervous activity, among which the high-frequency component (HF) and the low-frequency (LF)/HF ratio were used as indices of parasympathetic and sympathetic activation, respectively. RESULTS: POAG patients demonstrated higher sympathetic activation (LF/HF ratio median: 2.17 vs. 1.53, P=0.000) than controls at baseline and exhibited attenuated sympathetic and parasympathetic responses (a smaller change in LF/HF and HF values) during the VM than controls. During VM, the intraocular pressure (IOP), mean blood pressure (MAP), mean ocular perfusion pressure (MOPP), and the Schlemm's canal area (SCAR) increased from baseline to VM2 and then decreased from VM2 to VM4 in both the POAG and control groups (all P<0.05). However, when we compared the changes above, the fluctuations in IOP, MAP, and MOPP were more pronounced in POAG than in controls (all P<0.05), while the changes in amplitudes of SCAR were smaller in POAG (P<0.05). Furthermore, from VM2 to VM4, the choroid thickness (ChT) in the POAG group was significantly decreased, while it was unchanged in normal subjects (P=0.258). A regression analysis showed a significant correlation of the baseline LF/HF with IOP change values (ΔIOP) from baseline to VM2 in POAG (R2=0.147, P=0.014). CONCLUSION: Patients with POAG showed more pronounced fluctuations in IOP, MAP, MOPP and ChT during the VM than controls. These reactions could be associated with autonomic dysfunction in POAG.

Gas7 attenuates hepatocellular carcinoma progression and chemoresistance through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Growth arrest-specific gene 7 (Gas7) was involved in various cellular functions, although its specific roles and molecular mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remained unclear. So the current study was to investigate the role of Gas7 in HCC. Our findings revealed that Gas7 was downregulated in various HCC cell lines and low Gas7 expression was associated with decreased overall survival in patients with HCC. Additionally, our functional assays showed that Gas7 inhibited cell proliferation and migration, induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy, and enhanced oxaliplatin sensitivity by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. We also observed that transcription factorSp1 was responsible for inhibiting Gas7. These findings provide insights into the role and elucidated a potential mechanism of Gas7 in HCC progression and metastasis. It was also observed that the Sp1/Gas7/PI3K/Akt axis was critical for malignant phenotype and oxaliplatin sensitivity in HCC. Therefore, Gas7 can be considered as a prognostic predictor and therapeutic target for HCC.

Malus includes Docynia (Maleae, Rosaceae): evidence from phylogenomics and morphology.

Docynia has been treated as a separate genus or merged into Cydonia or Docyniopsis. Our phylogenomic evidence from 797 single-copy nuclear genes and plastomes confirmed the sister relationship between Docynia and Docyniopsis. By integrating the phylogenomic and morphological evidence, we propose to accept a broad generic concept of Malus and merge Docynia into Malus. Three new combinations are also made here: Malusdelavayi (Franch.) B.B.Liu, M.indica (Wall.) B.B.Liu and M.longiunguis (Q.Luo & J.L.Liu) B.B.Liu.

Oridonin induces apoptosis and autophagy in murine fibrosarcoma L929 cells partly via NO-ERK-p53 positive-feedback loop signaling pathway.

AIM: To investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy in murine fibrosarcoma L929 cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Cell viability was measured using MTT assay. Intracellular NO level, SubG(1) cell ratio and autophagy cell ratios were analyzed with flow cytometry after diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2DA), propidium iodide (PI) and monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining, respectively. Protein expression was examined using Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Exposure of L929 cells to oridonin (50 µmol/L) for 24 h led to intracellular NO production. Pretreatment with NOS inhibitor 1400w or L-NAME inhibited oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy in L929 cells. The pretreatment decreased the apoptosis-related protein Bax translocation and cytochrome c release, increased Bcl-2 level, reversed the autophagy-associated protein Beclin 1 increase and conversion of LC3 I to LC3 II. Furthermore, pretreatment with NO scavenger DTT completely inhibited oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy in L929 cells. In addition, oridonin (50 µmol/L) activated ERK and p53 in L929 cells, and the interruption of ERK and p53 activation by PD 98059, pifithrin-α, or ERK siRNA decreased oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy. The inhibition of NO production reduced oridonin-induced ERK and p53 activation, and NO production was down-regulated by blocking ERK and p53 activation. CONCLUSION: NO played a pivotal role in oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy in L929 cells. Taken together with our previous finding that ERK contributes to p53 activation, it appears that NO, ERK, and p53 form a positive feedback loop. Consequently, we suggest that oridonin-induced apoptosis and autophagy are modulated by the NO-ERK-p53 molecular signaling mechanism in L929 cells.

[Meta analysis on the correlation between Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing family strains and drug resistance].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between Beijing genotype (Beijing family) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and drug resistance. METHODS: A computer retrieval of Medline, Embase, SCI, EBSCO, CNKI, Weipu and Wanfang databases from 1990 to 2010 was conducted. A total of 525 articles exploring the relationship of Beijing genotype of MTB and drug resistance were found through literature search. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a Meta-subgroup analysis was conducted in Beijing genotype of MTB and drug resistance. RESULTS: A total of 38 articles were selected, including 22 articles on isoniazid resistance, 24 articles on rifampin resistance, 19 articles on ethambutol resistance, 18 articles on ethambutol resistance, 26 articles on multi-drug resistance (MDR). Meta-subgroup analysis showed that in China, there was an association between Beijing genotype and resistance to rifampin, ethambutol and MDR: rifampin (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.13 - 2.31), ethambutol (OR = 1.67, 95%CI: 1.16 - 2.40), MDR (OR = 1.79, 95%CI: 1.20 - 2.68); in Russia, there was an association between Beijing genotype and resistance to isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and MDR: isoniazid (OR = 4.82, 95%CI: 3.19 - 7.29), rifampin (OR = 4.84, 95%CI: 3.84 - 6.10), ethambutol (OR = 3.32, 95%CI: 2.51 - 4.40), MDR (OR = 5.42, 95%CI: 3.36 - 8.74); in Vietnam, there was an association between Beijing genotype and resistance to isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and MDR: isoniazid (OR = 2.12, 95%CI: 1.55 - 2.91), rifampin (OR = 4.71, 95%CI: 3.01 - 7.36), ethambutol (OR = 3.78, 95%CI: 1.63 - 8.77), MDR (OR = 4.21, 95%CI: 1.58 - 11.18); in other countries, there was an association between Beijing genotype and resistance to isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and MDR: isoniazid (OR = 1.69, 95%CI: 1.19 - 2.42), rifampin (OR = 2.48, 95%CI: 1.92 - 3.19), ethambutol (OR = 3.04, 95%CI: 2.13 - 4.33), MDR (OR = 2.36, 95%CI: 1.52 - 3.68). CONCLUSION: Beijing genotype of MTB was positively associated with three kinds of first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs (isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol) and MDR, and the relationship intensity was different in different countries.

A comprehensive checklist of the deciduous photinia genus Pourthiaea (Maleae, Rosaceae), with emphasis on their validity and typification.

Due to the complicated evolutionary history in Pourthiaea, ninety-seven taxa have been described since 1784, and ninety-one of them are validly published taxa, five are naked names, and one is an invalid name. After a comprehensive and critical evaluation, 213 names have been published, including new combinations, new status, and new names; this may be due to the controversial taxonomic position of Pourthiaea in the apple tribe, Maleae. We herewith provide a taxonomic checklist of Pourthiaea for further taxonomic and evolutionary studies. We also lectotypify two taxa: Photiniaamphidoxavar.stylosa and P.glabravar.fokienensis.

Correlation between Insulin Resistance and Cardiopulmonary Function during Physical Exams for Male Patients.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the correlation between insulin resistance (IR) and cardiopulmonary function during physical exams for male patients. Methods: We selected 124 healthy male participants in the physical examination center of our hospital. They were divided into 3 groups according to the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance values. The oxygen uptake, peak oxygen uptake (VO2/kg), heart rate, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured by a cardiopulmonary exercise function tester. We analyzed the correlation between the index of IR and cardiopulmonary function. Results: There were statistically significant differences in body mass index, waist circumference, fasting insulin level, anaerobic threshold SBP, maximum VO2/kg and maximum SBP among the 3 groups (p<.05). However, no significant difference was found in SBP, DBP, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and fasting blood glucose levels (p>.05). The anaerobic threshold SBP, maximum VO2/kg and maximum SBP were all negatively correlated with the IR index. Conclusion: Our results indicate that IR is associated with cardiopulmonary function and that there are different correlations between the various cardiopulmonary function indexes and IR.