Elucidation the mechanism of the active ingredient imperatorin promoting drug absorption in cell model.

Imperatorin (IMP) is the main bioactive furanocoumarin of Angelicae dahuricae radix, which is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of IMP in promoting absorption and the possible mechanism on the compatible drugs of Angelicae dahuricae radix. The influence of IMP on drugs' intestinal absorption was conducted by the Caco-2 cell model. The mechanism was studied by investigating the transcellular transport mode of IMP and its influence on P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated efflux, protein expression of P-gp and tight junction, and cell membrane potential. The result showed IMP promoted the uptake of osthole, daidzein, ferulic acid, and puerarin and improved the transport of ferulic acid and puerarin in Caco-2 cells. The absorption-promoting mechanism of IMP might involve the reduction of the cell membrane potential, decrease of P-gp-mediated drug efflux and inhibition of the P-gp expression level in the cellular pathway, and the loosening of the tight junction protein by the downregulation of the expression levels of occludin and claudin-1 in the paracellular pathway. This study provides new insights into the understanding of the improved bioavailability of Angelicae dahuricae radix with its compatible drugs.

Mechanisms underlying soil microbial regulation of available phosphorus in a temperate forest exposed to long-term nitrogen addition.

With exogenous nitrogen (N) input into soil, phosphorus (P) could become a limiting nutrient for plant growth. Soil microbes play a crucial role in regulating soil P cycle and availability. P functional genes, further, regulate soil P availability. It is unclear how the addition of N in different chemical forms and rates influences the composition of soil microbes associated with P cycling and the abundance of P functional genes. A long-term experiment of N addition in three chemical forms with two levels in a temperate forest was performed to reveal the influences and the underlying mechanisms. We found that both chemical N forms and N rates selected for different P-solubilizing microbes. Ammonia form-N increased the abundances of P-solubilizing bacteria at low and high rates. Continuous N deposition included a significant decrease in soil pH and inhibited the viability and activity of bacterial communities in soil, especially the P-solubilizing bacteria. Thus, it restricted inorganic P mobilization and led to a decrease in soil available P. In addition, ammonium-N enhanced the relative abundance of most of the functional genes related to organic P mineralization, while nitrate-N presented a decrease trend. Ammonium-N significantly decreased most of the functional genes relevant to P transportation, whereas the other chemical N forms did not change them. Although N-addition consistently decreased the functional genes relevant to inorganic P solubilization, two of them (ppx and ppa) were the exceptions and showed an increase trend. N addition also decreased soil pH and altered soil properties, and indirectly contributed to the changes in community composition of P-solubilizing microbes and the abundances of multiple P functional genes. Our results provide a mechanistic explanation for the regulation of microbes on N-induced available P limitation via tuning the compositions of P-solubilizing microbes and the abundances of multiple P functional genes.

Association of Globodera rostochiensis (Nematoda) with Stunted and Chlorotic Potato Plants in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces in China.

On a global basis, potato cyst nematodes (Globodera spp. Skarbilovich 1959 [Behrens 1975]) are one of the most serious soilborne pathogens in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production. In 2019 to 2020, 188 soil samples were taken from rhizosphere soil associated with the roots of stunted and chlorotic potato plants in the main potato-growing areas of Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces of China. Globodera rostochiensis Wollenweber 1923 (Skarbilovich 1959) was recovered from 112 of the samples. Nematode identification was as confirmed by morphometric, light microscopy, electron microscopy, and molecular methodologies. Population densities of G. rostochiensis ranged from 47.0 to 69.0 eggs/g of soil. A BLASTn homology search program was used to compare the sequences of populations of G. rostrochienses from Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces with populations of other Heteroderinae spp. and populations of G. rostochiensis from other nations. Although potato has been grown in China for at least 400 years and the nation produces more potato than any other country, potato cyst nematodes were not reported in China until 2022.

The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on neuropathic pain via mitophagy in microglia.

Purpose: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been suggested to palliate neuropathic pain, but the mechanisms involved are not well understood. This study explored the involvement of microglial mitophagy via HBO relative to neuropathic pain therapy. Materials and methods: A total of 80 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: a normal group (n = 40) and a mitophagy inhibitor group (n = 40) in which the mitophagy inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA) was administrated prior to chronic constriction injury (CCI). Groups (n = 10 rats per group) consisted of the following: control (C), sham operation (S), sciatic nerve with chronic constriction injury (CCI), and a CCI plus HBO treatment (CCI + HBO). Pain-related behaviors were evaluated using mechanical withdraw tendency and thermal withdraw latency analysis. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured, and Western blot was employed to assess expression of NIX and BNIP3. Immunofluorescence changes in neuron protein (NESTIN) and mitochondria inner or outer layer proteins (TIM23, TOM20) were examined. Results: HBO significantly ameliorated pain-related behaviors, which were downregulated by mitophagy inhibitors (P < 0.05). Mitochondrial membrane potential indexes were decreased after HBO therapy, but were reversed in the mitophagy inhibitor group (P < 0.05). HBO upregulated NIX and BNIP3 expression, which did not occur in the CCI group (P < 0.05). However, expression was reduced when mitophagy inhibitors were administered. Immunofluorescence examination showed that mitophagy in microglia was induced by CCI, which was upregulated after HBO treatment. This phenomenon was not observed in the mitophagy inhibitor group. Conclusions: HBO therapy palliated CCI-induced neuropathic pain in rats by upregulating microglial mitophagy. These results could serve as guidelines to improve neuropathic pain therapy using HBO to maximize therapeutic efficiency.