Advances in research on petroleum biodegradability in soil.

With the increased demand for petroleum and petroleum products from all parts of the society, environmental pollution caused by petroleum development and production processes is becoming increasingly serious. Soil pollution caused by petroleum seriously affects environmental quality in addition to human lives and productivity. At present, petroleum in soil is mainly degraded by biological methods. In their natural state, native bacteria in the soil spontaneously degrade petroleum pollutants that enter the soil; however, when the pollution levels increase, the degradation rates decrease, and it is necessary to add nutrients, dissolved oxygen, biosurfactants and other additives to improve the degradation ability of the native bacteria in the soil. The degradation process can also be enhanced by adding exogenous petroleum-degrading bacteria, microbial immobilization technologies, and microbial fuel cell technologies.

Chemical Comparison of Ophiopogonis radix and Liriopes radix Based on Quantitative Analysis of Multiple Components by HPLC Coupled with Electrospray Ionization Tandem Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Ophiopogonis radix and Liriopes radix are well known for the treatment of dry coughs and phthisis. Liriopes radix is occasionally used as a substitute for Ophiopogonis radix in various prescriptions due to the extremely similar pharmacological activities and clinical efficacies, but they are regarded as two different remedies in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Accordingly, the establishment of a reliable analytical approach for the discrimination and quality evaluation of Ophiopogonis and Liriopes is required. OBJECTIVE: To establish a simple, accurate, and reliable method that can simultaneously determine multiple components in Ophiopogonis radix and Liriopes radix. To comprehensively compare the chemical compositions of the two herbs and find markers for discrimination and quality assessments. METHOD: An HPLC-ESI-triple quadrupole (QQQ)-MS/MS method was developed for simultaneous characterization and quantification of chemical components in the two herbs. The results were further analyzed by PLS discriminant analysis to provide more information about the chemical differences, as well as to evaluate the quality of each sample. RESULTS: A total of 23 compounds have been characterized and quantified in 31 batches of herbs from different geographical regions, among which liriopesides B, sprengerinin A, ophiopogonin B, and ophiopogonanone E contribute mostly. The contents of homoisoflavonoids were much higher in Ophiopogonis radix than in Liriopes radix, but the levels of steroidal saponins followed a contrary trend. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous determination of multiple components by HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS coupled with chemometrics analysis is an acceptable strategy to evaluate and control the quality of Ophiopogonis radix and Liriope radix. HIGHLIGHTS: Simultaneous determination of 12 steroidal saponins and 11 homoisoflavonoids in both Ophiopogonis radix and Liriope radix by using HPLC-QQQ-MS/MS in positive ion mode, as well as the quality control study.

Folic acid supplementation, dietary folate intake and risk of small for gestational age in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake before conception and during pregnancy reduce the risk of small for gestational age (SGA) and to examine the joint effect of folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake on the risk of SGA. DESIGN: Participants were interviewed by trained study interviewers using a standardized and structured questionnaire. Information on birth outcomes and maternal complications was abstracted from medical records and dietary information was collected via a semi-quantitative FFQ before conception and during pregnancy. SETTING: A birth cohort data analysis using the 2010-2012 Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child Care Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Women (n 8758) and their children enrolled in the study. RESULTS: Folic acid supplementation was associated with a reduced risk of SGA (OR = 0·72, 95 % CI 0·60, 0·86), with the reduced risk seen mainly for SGA at ≥37 weeks of gestational age (OR = 0·70, 95 % CI 0·58, 0·85) and nulliparous SGA (OR = 0·67, 95 % CI 0·54, 0·84). There was no significant association between dietary folate intake and SGA risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that folic acid supplementation was associated with a reduced risk of SGA and the risk varied by preterm status and parity.

Total glucosides of paeony improves the immunomodulatory capacity of MSCs partially via the miR-124/STAT3 pathway in oral lichen planus.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used clinically and experimentally to relieve severe immune-related diseases due to their immunomodulatory properties, but these are impaired by inflammation. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a T cell-mediated chronic inflammatory mucosal disease. In the present study, we found MSCs from OLP with higher expression of interleukin (IL)-6, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) and IL-10 compared with control. Total glucosides of paeony (TGP) significantly improves the immunomodulatory function of MSCs by inhibiting IL-6 and TNF-α expression and increasing TGF-ß and IL-10 expression. Moreover, TGP can downregulate p-STAT3 expression through upregulation of miR-124. The changes of IL-6, TGF-ß and p-STAT3 were further confirmed by overexpression and knockdown of miR-124 in MSCs. Taken together, the immune-regulating function of MSCs can be improved by TGP via the miR-124/STAT3 pathway.

Maternal folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake and congenital heart defects.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that folic acid supplementation before and/or during pregnancy could reduce the risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs). However, the results from limited epidemiologic studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the associations between maternal folic acid supplementation, dietary folate intake, and the risk of CHDs. METHODS: A birth cohort study was conducted in 2010-2012 at the Gansu Provincial Maternity & Child Care Hospital in Lanzhou, China. After exclusion of stillbirths and multiple births, a total of 94 births were identified with congenital heart defects, and 9,993 births without any birth defects. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the associations. RESULTS: Compared to non-users, folic acid supplement users before pregnancy had a reduced risk of overall CHDs (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.21-0.86, Ptrend = 0.025) after adjusted for potential confounders. A protective effect was observed for certain subtypes of CHDs (OR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16-0.85 for malformation of great arteries; 0.26, 0.10-0.68 for malformation of cardiac septa; 0.34, 0.13-0.93 for Atrial septal defect). A similar protective effect was also seen for multiple CHDs (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26-0.93, Ptrend = 0.004). Compared with the middle quartiles of dietary folate intake, lower dietary folate intake (<149.88 µg/day) during pregnancy were associated with increased risk of overall CHDs (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.01-2.62) and patent ductus arteriosus (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.03-3.32). Women who were non-user folic acid supplement and lower dietary folate intake have almost 2-fold increased CHDs risk in their offspring. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that folic acid supplementation before pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of CHDs, lower dietary folate intake during pregnancy was associated with increased risk. The observed associations varied by CHD subtypes. A synergistic effect of dietary folate intake and folic acid supplementation was also observed.

G-protein-coupled receptors mediate ω-3 PUFAs-inhibited colorectal cancer by activating the Hippo pathway.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers leading to high mortality. However, long-term administration of anti-tumor therapy for CRC is not feasible due to the side effects. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), particularly DHA and EPA, exert protection against CRC, but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we show that ω-3 PUFAs inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of CRC cells in vitro and alleviate AOM/DSS-induced mice colorectal cancer in vivo. Moreover, ω-3 PUFAs promote phosphorylation and cytoplasmic retention of YAP and this effect was mediated by MST1/2 and LATS1, suggesting that the canonical Hippo Pathway is involved in ω-3 PUFAs function. We further confirmed that increase of pYAP by ω-3 PUFAs was mediated by GPRs, including GPR40 and GPR120, which subsequently activate PKA via Gαs, thus inducing the Hippo pathway activation. These data provide a novel DHA/EPA-GPR40/120-Gαs-PKA-MST1/2-LATS1-YAP signaling pathway which is linked to ω-3 PUFAs-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis in CRC cells, indicating a mechanism that could explain the anti-cancer action of ω-3 PUFAs.

ω-3 PUFAs ameliorate liver fibrosis and inhibit hepatic stellate cells proliferation and activation by promoting YAP/TAZ degradation.

Elevated levels of the transcriptional regulators Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivators with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), key effectors of the Hippo pathway, have been shown to play essential roles in controlling liver cell fate and the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The dietary intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) has been positively associated with a number of health benefits including prevention and reduction of cardiovascular diseases, inflammation and cancers. However, little is known about the impact of ω-3 PUFAs on liver fibrosis. In this study, we used CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mouse model and found that YAP/TAZ is over-expressed in the fibrotic liver and activated HSCs. Fish oil administration to the model mouse attenuates CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. Further study revealed that ω-3 PUFAs down-regulate the expression of pro-fibrogenic genes in activated HSCs and fibrotic liver, and the down-regulation is mediated via YAP, thus identifying YAP as a target of ω-3 PUFAs. Moreover, ω-3 PUFAs promote YAP/TAZ degradation in a proteasome-dependent manner. Our data have identified a mechanism of ω-3 PUFAs in ameliorating liver fibrosis.

Maternal tea consumption and the risk of preterm delivery in urban China: a birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating the relationship between maternal tea drinking and risk of preterm birth have reached inconsistent results. METHODS: The present study analyzed data from a birth cohort study including 10,179 women who delivered a singleton live birth were conducted in Lanzhou, China between 2010 and 2012. RESULTS: Drinking tea (OR = 1.36, 95 % CI: 1.09-1.69), and specifically green (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI: 1.08-1.85) or scented tea (OR = 1.61, 95 % CI: 1.04-2.50), was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Drinking tea was associated with both moderate preterm (OR = 1.41, 95 % CI: 1.12-1.79) and spontaneous preterm birth (OR = 1.41, 95 % CI: 1.09-1.83). Risk of preterm birth increased with decreasing age of starting tea drinking (<20 years, OR = 1.60, 95 % CI: 1.17-2.20) and increasing duration (p for trend < 0.01). The relationship between tea drinking and preterm birth is modified by both maternal age (p < 0.05) and gestational weight gain (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite conflicting findings in the previous literature, we saw a significant association with maternal tea drinking and risk of preterm birth in our cohort. More studies are needed both to confirm this finding and to elucidate the mechanism behind this association.

Folic acid supplementation, dietary folate intake and risk of preterm birth in China.

PURPOSE: Folic acid supplementation has been suggested to reduce the risk of preterm birth. However, results from previous epidemiologic studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake during pre- and post-conception reduces the risk of preterm birth. METHODS: We analyzed data from a birth cohort study conducted between 2010 and 2012 in Lanzhou, China, including 10,179 pregnant women with live singleton births. RESULTS: Compared to non-users, folic acid supplement users with >12-week duration had a reduced risk of preterm birth (OR 0.67, 95 % CI 0.55-0.83) with a significant dose-response relationship (P for trend = 0.01). A similar pattern was observed for spontaneous preterm birth. Stronger associations were seen for ever use of folic acid supplement and very preterm birth (OR 0.50, 95 % CI 0.36-0.69) and spontaneous very preterm birth (OR 0.42, 95 % CI 0.29-0.63). Dietary folate intake during preconception and pregnancy were also associated with reduced risk of preterm birth (OR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.56-0.83, OR 0.57, 95 % CI 0.47-0.70 for the highest quartiles, respectively), particularly for spontaneous very preterm (OR 0.41, 95 % CI 0.24-0.72, OR 0.26, 95 % CI 0.15-0.47 for the highest quartiles, respectively). There were also decreased risks of preterm birth observed per 10-µg increase in dietary folate intake, and similar associations were found after stratification by folic acid supplementation status. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that folic acid supplementation and higher dietary folate intake during preconception and pregnancy reduces the risk of preterm birth, and the protective effect varies by preterm subtypes.