Changes in the range of the medicinal herb Eriocaulon buergerianum Körnicke. (Eriocaulaceae) under climate change.

Eriocaulon buergerianum Körnicke. (Eriocaulaceae) is one of the most common and least expensive herbal medicines for eye disease. This species is facing potential threats from climate change. Insufficient biogeographic knowledge of this plant species can hinder its effective management for long-term population survival. We integrated ecological niche modelling (Biomod2) with 70 records of E. buergerianum and eight environmental variables to estimate changes in distribution over time. A core area Zonation algorithm was introduced to identify conservation priority areas. Our results indicate that the range of E. buergerianum will likely decrease in the future: the overall range change on average is -44.36 ± 21.56% (-3.70% to -77.73%); values of range loss and range gain are 45.79 ± 20.30% (9.29-78.19%) and 1.43 ± 1.53% (0.18-5.59%), respectively. According to conservation priority analysis, the mandatory reserve (top 5%), negotiable reserve (0.95-0.9) and partial reserve (0.9-0.8) areas are 19,799, 19,799 and 39,597 km2 , respectively. The areas identified as conservation priority are located in the southeast, especially in northern Taiwan and the Wuyi Mountains. Based on these results, we suggest a re-evaluation of the threatened status of this species, with a potential upgrade to the vulnerable (VU) category. To overcome the adverse conditions faced by populations of E. buergerianum in China, we propose a multi-faceted conservation strategy involving more complete resource assessment, a monitoring system, medical research focused on revealing medicinal components or substitutes, and a regional development plan that considers both wildlife and socio-economic issues.

Visual assessment of jaundice in term and late preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of predischarge visual assessment of jaundice for estimating bilirubin concentration and predicting risk of significant neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Well Baby Nursery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. PATIENTS: 522 term and late preterm newborns. INTERVENTIONS: Nurses used a 5-point scale to grade the maximum cephalocaudal extent of jaundice prior to discharge. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Correlation between jaundice grade and bilirubin concentration. (2) Predictive accuracy of jaundice grade for identifying infants who developed significant hyperbilirubinaemia, defined as a bilirubin level that at any time after birth exceeded or was within 1 mg/dl (17 micromol/l) of the American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended hour-specific phototherapy treatment threshold. RESULTS: Nurses' assessment of jaundice extent was only moderately correlated with bilirubin concentration and was similar in black and non-black infants (Spearman's rho = 0.45 and 0.55, respectively (p = 0.13)). The correlation was particularly weak among infants <38 weeks' gestational age (rho = 0.29) compared with infants > or = 38 weeks' gestation (rho = 0.53, p = 0.05). Jaundice extent had poor overall accuracy for predicting risk of significant hyperbilirubinaemia (c-statistic = 0.65) but complete absence of jaundice had high sensitivity (95%) and excellent negative predictive value (99%) for ruling out the development of significant hyperbilirubinaemia. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should not use extent of cephalocaudal jaundice progression to estimate bilirubin levels during the birth hospitalisation, especially in late preterm infants. However, the complete absence of jaundice can be used to predict with very high accuracy which infants will not develop significant hyperbilirubinaemia.

Histological evaluation of the safety of toluidine blue-mediated photosensitization to periodontal tissues in mice.

Our previous in vitro study has shown that toluidine blue (TB)-mediated lethal photosensitization of periodontal pathogens (PPs) from periodontal patients is possible. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether TB-mediated photosensitization exerted damaging effects on periodontal tissues in mice. Twenty-four mice were randomly divided into four groups; the experimental photodynamic therapy (PDT) group was treated with 1 mg/ml TB and light irradiation (60 J/cm(2), 635 nm, 337 s). Those in control groups were subjected to 140 J/cm(2) laser irradiation alone or to 2.5 mg/ml TB alone or received neither TB nor light exposure. All the mice were killed 72 h after they had been subjected to PDT, and periodontal tissue samples were taken for histological examination. During the 72 h observation period, no mice showed any distress. No necrotic or inflammatory changes were found in the gingiva, dentin, dental pulp or alveolar bone of the mice in any of the groups in this study. The results suggest that TB-mediated PDT is a safe antimicrobial approach for the treatment of periodontopathy without damaging effects to adjacent normal tissues.

[Studies on flavonoids from leaves of Callicarpa bodinieri Levl].

OBJECTIVE: To study the constituents of Callicarpa bodinieri. METHOD: The compounds were isolated by chromatography. Their structures were identified by physical and spectral data. RESULT: Seven compounds were isolated and elucidated as 5-hydroxy-4',3,6,7-tetramethoxy flavone(I), luteolin-7-O-glucoside (II), chrysoeriol-4'-O-glucoside(III), luteolin-4'-O-glucoside(IV), beta-sitosterol(V), ursolic acid(VI), betulinic acid(VII). CONCLUSION: All the compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time; Compounds I, III, IV were isolated from Callicarpa genus for the first time.

Identification of a novel isoform of mouse dentin matrix protein 1: spatial expression in mineralized tissues.

Dentin matrix protein 1 (Dmp1) is an acidic phosphoprotein first identified by cDNA cloning from a rat tooth library. Northern blot hybridization of a variety of tissues detected Dmp1 mRNAs only in odontoblasts, suggesting that this protein was odontoblast specific. In situ hybridization studies showed expression of Dmp1 in odontoblasts with transient expression in secretory ameloblasts. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize a mouse Dmp1 cDNA and determine its spatial expression pattern related to other mineralizing tissues. A mouse molar cDNA library was screened with a 32P-labeled Dmp1 polymerase chain reaction amplification product in order to isolate a full-length clone. DNA sequence analysis of the largest mouse Dmp1 cDNA (2802 base pairs [bp]) revealed an open reading frame of 1509 nucleotides encoding a 503 amino acid protein with a single polyadenylation signal. Comparison with rat and bovine Dmp1 sequence showed high homology and the identification of a 45 bp (15 amino acid) insert, representing an alternative spliced mRNA. This 45 bp segment was shown to represent a small exon by DNA analysis of a mouse genomic Dmp1 clone. In situ hybridization studies revealed a much broader Dmp1 tissue expression pattern than previously reported. Dmp1 transcripts were detected in the odontoblast and ameloblasts, osteoblasts, and cementoblasts. Our data indicate that Dmp1 is alternatively spliced, and the primary full-length transcript contains a 45 bp insert which is encoded by a small exon. Therefore, Dmp1 is not a tooth-specific protein but rather is expressed in a number of mineralizing tissues including enamel, bone, and cementum.

Modulation of antioxidant enzymes and programmed cell death by n-3 fatty acids.

Studies from our laboratory indicate that n-3 (fish oil, FO) lipids at 10% (w/w) in a nutritionally adequate, semipurified diet, and supplemented with equal levels of antioxidants, extended the life span of lupus-prone (NZB/NZW)F1 (B/W) female mice as compared to n-6 (corn oil, CO) lipids. The early rise of autoimmune disease in CO-fed mice was closely linked to the loss of T-cell function. Both IL-2 production and IL-2 receptor expression were reduced due to the loss of naive T-cells and a rise in memory T-cells. Proliferative response to both mitogens and superantigens (staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B) was higher in FO-fed 6.5-mon-old mice. These changes paralleled decreased PGE2 production by splenic cells from FO-fed mice. Analysis of mRNA expression in different organs revealed differential effects of dietary lipids. In FO-fed mice, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) expression was decreased in kidneys, but splenic tissues had higher expression of TGF beta mRNA. As TGF beta promotes programmed cell death (PCD), we studied the effects of CO and FO on PCD rates in lymphocytes. Both propidium iodide staining and DNA fragmentation were elevated in lymphocytes of FO-fed mice when compared to CO-fed mice of similar age. Also, increased PCD correlated closely with increased Fas gene expression. Thus, in addition to various other antiinflammatory effects, dietary FO appears to increase PCD and prevent accumulation of self-reactive immune cells in lymphoid organs. Further studies are required to dissect the pro- and antiinflammatory mechanisms associated with dietary n-3 and n-6 lipids in modulating autoimmune disorders or malignancy during aging.