Protective Effects of Aspirin Supplemented With Quercetin in L-NAME-Induced Preeclampsia-Like Rats.

Aspirin supplemented with quercetin was reported to enhance the therapeutic effects of aspirin in a rat model of preeclampsia. In this study, the underlying mechanisms were further explored. Preeclampsia was induced by L-NAME (50 mg/kg/day) via oral gavage from gestation day (GD)14 to GD19. Aspirin (1.5 mg/kg/day) administration was performed using aspirin mixed with rodent dough from GD0 to GD19. The administration of quercetin (2 mg/kg/day) was performed by intraperitoneal infusion from GD0 to GD19. Protein levels were evaluated using ELISA or Western blot, and microRNA (miRNA) level was evaluated by RT-PCR. Aspirin supplemented with quercetin ameliorated the increase of systolic blood pressure (SBP), proteinuria, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, and improved the pregnancy outcomes in preeclampsia rats. Aspirin supplemented with quercetin inhibited miR-155 expression in preeclampsia rats. The decreased miR-155 level in placenta further increased the protein level of SOCS1 and inhibited the phosphorylation of p65. In this study, we demonstrated that aspirin supplemented with quercetin enhanced the effects of aspirin for the treatment of preeclampsia.

[Near-infrared light therapy ameliorates depression-induced intestinal dysfunction in rats possibly by activating PGC-1α/Nrf2 signaling and increasing hippocampal BDNF expression].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of near-infrared (NIR) light therapy on depression-induced intestinal dysfunction in rats and explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, low-dose NIR light group and high-dose NIR light group. All the rats except for those in the control group were subjected to chronic restrained stress (CRS) for 4 weeks, and NIR light therapy of the head was administered in the two NIR light groups. The depression- like behaviors, intestinal functions, fecal water content and number of fecal pellets of the rats were evaluated. HE staining was used for detecting histopathological changes in the hippocampus and colon, and hippocampal expressions of BDNF, Nrf2 and PGC-1α were detected with Western blotting. RESULTS: The rats in the CRS model group showed significantly increased immobility time and visceral sensitivity in the behavioral tests, decreased fecal pellets and fecal water content, and lowered expressions of BDNF, Nrf2, and PGC-1α in the hippocampus (P<0.05). Histopathological examination of the CRS rats revealed loosely arranged hippocampal pyramidal cells, obvious neuronal damages, and obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the colon with irregularly arranged mucosal glands and a high pathological score. High-dose NIR light therapy significantly lowered the immobility time and visceral sensitivity, increased the number of fecal pellets and fecal water content (P<0.05), and enhanced hippocampal expressions of BDNF, Nrf2, and PGC-1α (P<0.05) of the depressive rats. The rats receiving high-dose NIR light therapy also exhibited close arrangement of the hippocampal pyramidal cells with significantly reduced neuronal damage and colonic inflammatory cell infiltration, neatly arranged mucosal glands, and lowered pathological score. CONCLUSION: NIR light therapy can significantly improve depression-like behavior and intestinal function in rats possibly by ameliorating oxidative stress via the PGC-1α/Nrf2 signaling pathway and increasing BDNF level in the hippocampus.

[Association between cognitive impairment and main metals among oldest old aged 80 years and over in China].

Objective: To identify the main metals involved in cognitive impairment in the Chinese oldest old, and explore the association between these metal exposures and cognitive impairment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1 568 participants aged 80 years and older from Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study (2017 to 2018). Fasting venous blood was collected to measure the levels of nine metals (selenium, lead, cadmium, arsenic, antimony, chromium, manganese, mercury, and nickel). The cognitive function of these participants was evaluated by using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE). The random forest (RF) was applied to independently identify the main metals that affected cognitive impairment. The multivariate logistic regression model and restricted cubic splines (RCS) model were used to further verify the association of the main metals with cognitive impairment. Results: The age of 1 568 study subjects was (91.8±7.6) years old, including 912 females (58.2%) and 465 individuals (29.7%) with cognitive function impairment. Based on the RF model (the out-of-bag error rate was 22.9%), the importance ranking of variables was conducted and the feature screening of five times ten-fold cross-validation was carried out. It was found that selenium was the metal that affected cognitive function impairment, and the other eight metals were not included in the model. After adjusting for covariates, the multivariate logistic regression model showed that with every increase of 10 µg/L of blood selenium levels, the risk of cognitive impairment decreased (OR=0.921, 95%CI: 0.889-0.954). Compared with the lowest quartile(Q1) of blood selenium, the ORs (95%CI) of Q3 and Q4 blood selenium were 0.452 (0.304-0.669) and 0.419 (0.281-0.622) respectively. The RCS showed a linear dose-response relationship between blood selenium and cognitive impairment (Pnonlinear>0.05). Conclusion: Blood selenium is negatively associated with cognitive impairment in the Chinese oldest old.

[The role of Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway in liver injury induced by rare earth neodymium oxide in mice].

Objective: To investigate the role of Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in liver injury induced by neodymium oxide (Nd(2)O(3)) in mice. Methods: In March 2021, forty-eight SPF grade healthy male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group (0.9% NaCl), low dose group (62.5 mg/ml Nd(2)O(3)), medium dose group (125.0 mg/ml Nd(2)O(3)), and high dose group (250.0 mg/ml Nd(2)O(3)), each group consisted of 12 animals. The infected groups were treated with Nd(2)O(3) suspension by non-exposed tracheal drip and were killed 35 days after dust exposure. The liver weight of each group was weighed and the organ coefficient was calculated. The content of Nd(3+) in liver tissue was detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). HE staining and immunofluorescence was used to observe the changes of inflammation and nuclear entry. The mRNA expression levels of Keap1, Nrf2 and HO-1 in mice liver tissue were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression levels of Keap1 and HO-1. The contents of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) were detected by colorimetric method. The contents of interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were determined by ELISA. The data was expressed in Mean±SD. Two-independent sample t-test was used for inter-group comparison, and one-way analysis of variance was used for multi-group comparison. Results: Compared with the control group, the liver organ coefficient of mice in medium and high dose groups were increased, and the Nd(3+) accumulation in liver of mice in all dose groups were significantly increased (P<0.05). Pathology showed that the structure of liver lobules in the high dose group was slightly disordered, the liver cells showed balloon-like lesions, the arrangement of liver cell cords was disordered, and the inflammatory exudation was obvious. Compared with the control group, the levels of IL-1ß and IL-6 in liver tissue of mice in all dose groups were increased, and the levels of TNF-α in liver tissue of mice in high dose group were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Keap1 in high dose group were significantly decreased, while the mRNA expression level of Nrf2, the mRNA and protein expression levels of HO-1 were significantly increased (P<0.05), and Nrf2 was successfully activated into the nucleus. Compared with the control group, the activities of CAT, GSH-Px and T-SOD in high dose group were significantly decreased (P<0.05) . Conclusion: A large amount of Nd(2)O(3) accumulates in the liver of male mice, which may lead to oxidative stress and inflammatory response through activation of Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway. It is suggested that Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway may be one of the mechanisms of Nd(2)O(3) expose-induced liver injury in mice.

[Association of blood lead and blood selenium with serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein among Chinese adults aged 19 to 79 years].

Objective: To investigate the association of blood lead and blood selenium with serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) among Chinese adults aged 19 to 79 years. Methods: The participants were enrolled from the first wave of China National Human Biomonitoring (CNHBM) conducted from 2017 to 2018. 10 153 participants aged 19 to 79 years were included in this study. Fasting blood samples were obtained from participants. Lead and selenium in whole blood and hs-CRP in serum were measured. Individuals with hs-CRP levels above 3.0 mg/L were defined as elevated hs-CRP. Generalized linear mixed models and restricted cubic spline models were used to analyze the association of blood lead and blood selenium with elevated hs-CRP. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the multiplicative scale and additive scale interaction between blood lead and blood selenium on elevated hs-CRP. Results: The age of participants was (48.91±15.38) years, of which 5 054 (61.47%) were male. 1 181 (11.29%) participants were defined as elevated hs-CRP. After multivariable adjustment, results from generalized linear models showed that compared with participants with the lowest quartile of blood lead, the OR (95%CI) of elevated hs-CRP for participants with the second, third, and highest quartiles were 1.14 (0.94-1.37), 1.25 (1.04-1.52) and 1.38 (1.13-1.68), respectively. When compared with participants with the lowest quartile of blood selenium, the OR (95%CI) of elevated hs-CRP for participants with the second, third and highest quartiles were 0.86 (0.72-1.04), 0.91 (0.76-1.11), and 0.75 (0.61-0.92), respectively. Results from the interaction analysis showed no significant interaction between lead and selenium on elevated hs-CRP. Conclusion: Blood concentration of lead was positively associated with elevated serum hs-CRP, and blood concentration of selenium was inversely related to elevated hs-CRP, while blood lead and selenium did not present interaction on elevated hs-CRP.

[Effects of Nd(2)O(3) exposure of rare earth particles on C57 BL/6J male mice sex hormone secretion and CYP11A1/PLZF/STRA8 protein expression].

Objective: To explore the effects of Nd(2)O(3) exposure to rare earth particles on the secretion of sex hormones, cytochrome P450 family member 11A1 (CYP11A1) , spermatogenesis markers promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (PLZF) and retinoic acid stimulating gene 8 (STRA8) protein in C57 BL/6J male mice. Methods: In March 2021, Forty-eight male C57 BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks divided into control group and Nd(2)O(3) exposure low, medium and high dose groups (exposing doses of 62.5, 125.0, 250.0 mg/ml Nd(2)O(3)) , 12 per group. The mice in the Nd(2)O(3) groups were perfused with different doses of Nd(2)O(3) suspension by a one-time non-exposing tracheal instillation method, and the control group was perfused with an equal volume of normal saline, with a volume of 0.1 ml, to establish a mouse reproductive function injury model. After 28 days of exposure, the mice's body weight, testes and epididymis were weighed, and the organ coefficients were calculated; the two epididymis were taken to make a sperm suspension to determine the sperm count, survival rate, and deformity rate; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method was used to detect the content of Nd in mouse testis tissue; HE staining was used to detect testicular tissue pathological changes and quantitative analysis; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to detect serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (T) content; western blot was used to detect the protein levels of CYP11A1, PLZF and STRA8 in testicular tissues. Results: Compared with the control group, with the increase of the exposure dose, the Nd content in the testis of the mice showed an increasing trend, the sperm survival rate and LH showed a decreasing trend, and the sperm deformity rate showed an increasing trend (P<0.05) ; Pathological showed that the number of sperm in the seminiferous tubules of the testicular tissue in the Nd(2)O(3) medium and high dose groups was significantly reduced, and the germinal epithelial disintegration, intraepithelial vacuolization, and exfoliation of spermatogenic cells and supporting cells occurred; The height of germinal epithelium was significantly reduced, and the percentage of damaged seminiferous tubules showed an increasing trend (P<0.05) ; FSH and T levels in serum in the middle and high dose groups of Nd(2)O(3), and CYP11A1, PLZF and STRA8 proteins in testicular tissues showed a downward trend with increasing dose (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The rare earth particulate Nd(2)O(3) may interfere with the expression of CYP11A1, PLZF and STRA8 protein, thereby causing the disorder of sex hormone secretion in the body, the maintenance of spermatogonia and the obstruction of the process of meiosis, causing reproductive function damage.

[Strategies for demineralized dentin matrix protection and its research progress in dentin-resin bonding restoration].

Both pathological injuries and clinical iatrogenic operations can lead to dentin demineralization, forming demineralized dentin matrix (DDM). Dentin demineralization activates endogenous matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and cysteine cathepsin (CC), and the mechanical properties of DDM decrease, so DDM is prone to lose its structural integrity under the action of enzymatic degradation and mechanical destruction, which in turn results in the reduction of clinical functional value of DDM in dentin-resin bonding restoration. The administrations of dentin collagen cross-linking reagents and MMP/CC inhibitors are effective strategies to protect DDM structural integrity and achieve its clinical functional value. A variety of chemically synthesized reagents and plant-derived extracts are capable of significantly improving the mechanical properties of DDM and enhancing its enzymatic tolerance. However, the cytotoxicity caused by chemically synthesized reagents and the tooth staining aroused by plant extracts have considerably affected their clinical applicability. Protecting dentin collagen while exerting antibacterial properties is a new direction for future DDM protective agent research. Accordingly, from the perspectives of cross-linking reagents, enzyme inhibitors and compounds which possess the dual proper ties, this review discusses the latest research progress in DDM protection, and looks into its application prospects in dentin-resin bonding, in an attempt to provide reference for the clinical promotion of DDM protection strategy.

[Observation on the effects of multidisciplinary comprehensive intervention in integrated treatment of patients with extremely severe burns].

Objective: To explore the effects of multidisciplinary comprehensive intervention in integrated treatment of patients with extremely severe burns. Methods: One hundred and ten patients hospitalized in our center from July 2013 to August 2017 met the criteria for inclusion in this study, and their medical records were retrospectively analyzed. According to the medical model at that time, 56 patients hospitalized from July 2013 to July 2015 received routine comprehensive treatment led by doctors, and they were included in the conventional intervention group. From August 2015 to August 2017, 54 patients were treated with integrated multidisciplinary interventions performed by a team consisting of physicians, intensive care nurses, burn nurses, intravenous infusion nurses, wound stoma nurses, and rehabilitation therapists, and they were included in the integrated intervention group. Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Assessment Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) scores on admission and 4 weeks after treatment, incidences of pressure injury, wound sepsis, lung infection, and catheter-related infection during hospitalization, length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU) and total length of hospital stay, and Abbreviated Burn Specific Health Scale (BSHS-A) scores at discharge and 3 months after discharge were analyzed. Data were processed with t-test and chi-square test. Results: The APACHE Ⅱ scores of patients in the two groups were close on admission (t=0.573, P>0.05). Four weeks after treatment, the APACHE Ⅱ scores of patients in the two groups were obviously lower than those on admission within the same group (t=5.697, 4.853, P<0.01), and the score of the integrated intervention group was obviously lower than that of the conventional intervention group (t=2.170, P<0.05). No pressure injury was observed in patients of any group during hospitalization. The incidences of wound sepsis, lung infection, and catheter-related infection of patients in the integrated intervention group were 18.5% (10/54), 3.7% (2/54), and 9.3% (5/54), respectively, significantly lower than 42.9% (24/56), 21.4% (12/56), and 26.8% (15/56) of the conventional intervention group, χ2=4.073, 6.075, 3.962, P<0.05. The length of stay in ICU of patients in the integrated intervention group was (50±5) d, obviously shorter than (62±4) d of the conventional intervention group (t=2.852, P<0.01). The total length of hospital stay of patients in the integrated intervention group was (115±8) d, obviously shorter than (140±7) d of the conventional intervention group (t=16.885, P<0.01). At discharge and 3 months after discharge, the scores of BSHS-A, physical function, psychological function, and general health status of 50 patients in the integrated intervention group were significantly higher than those of 48 patients in the conventional intervention group (t=2.886, 3.126, 2.416, 2.544, 2.033, 3.471, 2.588, 2.210, P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the scores of social function of patients in the two groups were close (t=1.570, 1.350, P>0.05). Conclusions: Integrative treatment of patients with extremely severe burns by multidisciplinary comprehensive intervention can significantly alleviate the severity of burns, reduce the incidences of wound sepsis, lung infection, and catheter-related infection, shorten the length of stay in ICU and total length of hospital stay, and improve the quality of life.

Experimental and observational studies find contrasting responses of soil nutrients to climate change.

Manipulative experiments and observations along environmental gradients, the two most common approaches to evaluate the impacts of climate change on nutrient cycling, are generally assumed to produce similar results, but this assumption has rarely been tested. We did so by conducting a meta-analysis and found that soil nutrients responded differentially to drivers of climate change depending on the approach considered. Soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations generally decreased with water addition in manipulative experiments but increased with annual precipitation along environmental gradients. Different patterns were also observed between warming experiments and temperature gradients. Our findings provide evidence of inconsistent results and suggest that manipulative experiments may be better predictors of the causal impacts of short-term (months to years) climate change on soil nutrients but environmental gradients may provide better information for long-term correlations (centuries to millennia) between these nutrients and climatic features. Ecosystem models should consequently incorporate both experimental and observational data to properly assess the impacts of climate change on nutrient cycling.

Peripherally inserted central catheters for calcium requirements after successful parathyroidectomy: a comparison with centrally inserted catheters.

BACKGROUND Intravenous calcium supplements are often required following parathyroidectomy to avoid postoperative hypocalcaemia. The aim of this study was to compare application effect of a femoral central venous catheter (CVC) and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) on intravenous calcium supplements after parathyroidectomy. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of 73 patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent a successful parathyroidectomy at the Huashan Hospital attached to Fudan University between 1 April 2011 and 1 February 2016. RESULTS Of the 73 study participants, 39 (53.4%) had a PICC and 34 (46.6%) had a CVC, respectively. Patients in the CVC group needed 6-7 days of intravenous calcium supplements, while patients in PICC group needed only 2-3 days to achieve normal serum calcium concentration (2.2-2.6 mmol/L). Furthermore, the duration of calcium supplementation was 71.62 ± 4.48 hours in PICC group and 100.4 ± 5.43 hours in CVC group (P < 0.05). Of the patients in PICC group, the incidence of catheter occlusion, operation failure and hypocalcaemia was 0%, which was significantly lower than those in CVC group (2.56%, 7.69% and 7.69%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS PICC is a safe and efficient alternative in contrast to CVC for providing venous access for calcium supplementation in surgical patients after parathyroidectomy.

[Analysis of the spectrum and resistance of pathogen causing sepsis in patients with severe acute pancreatitis].

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of spectrum and drug resistance of pathogens causing sepsis in patients with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP). Methods: The clinical data of 63 SAP patients with sepsis admitted in Department of Hepatobiliary, People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2014 to December 2015 were retrospectively studied. There were 47 males and 16 females, aged from 22 to 73 years, with an average age of (52±11)years. Samples were collected mainly from: (1)pancreatic and peripancreatic necrosis and abdominal drainage; (2)bile; (3) blood or deep venous catheter; (4) sputum and tracheal catheter and thoracic drainage; (5) urine. Strain identification and drug-resistance test were preformed on positive specimens. Results: Of 244 pathogenic isolates, mainly derived from abdominal cavity(36.0%), blood stream (14.0%), central venous catheter(11.8%), necrotic tissue(9.1%) and sputum(8.1%); 154(63.1%) were gram-negative bacteria, 68 cases(27.9%) were gram-positive bacteria and 22 cases(9.0%) were fungi respectively. The top six common pathogens isolated were E. coli(16.0%), E.faecium and faecalis(15.2%), P.aeruginosa(10.7%), K.pneumonia(9.8%), Acinetobacter baumanni(8.2%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(5.3%)respectively. The detection rate of E. coli and K. pneumonia extended-spectrum ß-lactamases(ESBL) was 84.6%(33/39) and 70.8%(17/24), the resistance rate to imipeniem was 12.8% and 25.0%, to cefperazone-sulbactam was 28.2% and 29.2%. As to P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter bacillus, the resistance rate to imipeniem was 50.0% and 75.0%, to cefperazone-sulbactam was 42.3% and 70.0%; Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was completely resistant to cefperazone-sulbactam, but sensitive to minocycline, SMZ-TMP with the resistance rate less than 40.0%. Gram-positive bacterium strains mainly included E. faecium(38.2%, 26/68), E.faecalis(16.2%, 11/68) and Staphylococcus(35.3%, 24/68) which maintained high sensitivity to vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid, there was only one isolate resistant to vancomycin. Candida were the sole pathogens of fungal infections, sensitive to common antifungal drugs overall. Conclusions: The gram-negative bacteria are the predominant pathogens mainly including ESBL-producing isolates(E.coli and K. pneumonia) and non-fermentation bacteria(P.aeruginosa and Acinetobacter bacillus) causing sepsis in SAP. The infection rate and drug-resistance rate of these two kinds of pathogens are relatively higher.

[Primary central nervous system diffuse large B cell lymphoma: a clinicopathologic and molecular study].

Objective: To investigate clinicopathologic characteristics, immunophenotype and EB virus-related molecular genetic alterations in primary central nervous system diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) along with correlation with clinical prognosis. Methods: A total of 30 cases of primary central nervous system DLBCL were retrospectively studied by retrieving clinical data, histological evaluation and immunophenotyping by EnVision two steps methods. The expression of EBER mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization and bcl-2, bcl-6 and C-MYC gene abnormalities were analyzed by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization. Results: The cases included 18 males and 12 females (sex ratio of 1.5∶1.0) with an age ranging from 24 to 78 years (average age of 52 years, the median age of 53 years). The single primary clinical presentation was focal neurologic deficits. Tumor locations were supratentorial (21 cases), subtentorial (7 cases), involving both locations in 2 cases. Diffuse growth pattern was observed with large lymphoid cells mostly resembling centroblasts with abundant basophilic cytoplasm with oval to round, vesicular nuclei containing fine chromatin. An angiocentric and angiodestructive growth pattern was also present. Other features included perivascular space invasion. Immunohistochemical staining using a panel of CD10, bcl-6 and MUM1, six cases were germinal center-like (GCB) and 24 cases were non-germinal central-like (non-GCB). The positive rates of bcl-2, bcl-6 and C-MYC were 53.3% (16/30), 80.0% (24/30) and 20.0% (6/30), respectively. Genetic alterations were detected by FISH and the gene arrangement rates of bcl-2, bcl-6 and C-MYC were 3.3% (1/30), 16.7% (5/30) and 3.3% (1/30), respectively. There were 19 cases in stage 0-1 disease and 11 cases had stage 2-3 disease. Postoperative follow-up for average 13.6 months showed the median survival of 10 months, one-year survival of 46.7% and 16 patients died within a year. Conclusions: The clinical prognosis of primary central nerve system DLBCL depends on age, clinical performence status score, IPI score, immune classification and treatment. Patients typically progress rapidly with the high mortality within one year of diagnosis. Surgical resection combined with high-dose methotrexate or cytarabine chemotherapy offer the best treatment option.

Auricular vagal nerve stimulation ameliorates burn-induced gastric dysmotility via sympathetic-COX-2 pathways in rats.

BACKGROUND: Severe burn injury has been demonstrated to delay gastric emptying. The aim of this study was to investigate effects and cellular mechanisms of auricular electroacupuncture (AEA) at the acupoints innervated by the auricular branch of vagus nerve on burn-induced gastric dysmotility in rats. METHODS: Propranolol (ß-adrenoceptor antagonist) was injected intraperitoneally after the rats underwent burn injury. All experiments were performed 6 h following burn/sham burn injury. AEA was performed at bilateral auricular acupoints for 45 min. Electrocardiogram was recorded for 30 min. Plasma hormones were measured; cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expressions in gastric tissue were measured using western blotting and real-time RT-PCR. KEY RESULTS: (i) Burn injury delayed gastric emptying (p = 0.006) and AEA increased gastric emptying by 49% (p = 0.045). (ii) Burn injury evoked a significant elevation in plasma noradrenaline, which was suppressed by AEA. (iii) Burn injury significantly increased protein and mRNA expressions of COX-2 in gastric fundus and antrum. AEA suppressed burn-induced increase in protein expressions, but not mRNA expressions of COX-2. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Burn injury delays gastric emptying by up-regulating COX-2 attributed to sympathetic overactivity. AEA improves burn-induced delay in gastric emptying, possibly mediated via the sympathetic-COX-2 pathway.

Drynaria total flavonoids decrease cathepsin K expression in ovariectomized rats.

This study investigated the effects of Drynaria total flavonoids on cathepsin K serum concentrations and gene expression, biomechanics and bone mineral density (BMD) of the tibial shaft in ovariectomized rat models of osteoporosis, and mechanism in the prevention and cure of osteoporosis. Seventy-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups. The rats in each group were subjected to gastric lavage after the model was established. The tibial shaft of the right hindlimb was obtained to measure the BMD. Serum cathepsin K concentrations were determined. The cathepsin K mRNA expression was also determined using fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The three-point bending method was performed to measure the maximum bending load of the tibial shaft. The total flavonoid and normal groups had significant differences in serum cathepsin K concentrations compared with that in the estrogen group (P<0.05). The total flavonoid and sham-operated groups also showed significant differences in cathepsin K mRNA expression compared with that in the normal group (P<0.01). The maximum bending load of the rats in the total flavonoid group was significantly different from that in the estrogen group (P<0.05) and the sham-operated and normal groups (P<0.01). The high-dose total flavonoid group elicited a better effect on BMD than that by the medium- and low-dose groups (P<0.05). Thus, Drynaria total flavonoids inhibited the serum cathepsin K concentration and increased the maximum bending load of the tibial shaft in ovariectomized rats.

Effects of feeding dried distillers grains with supplemental starch on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in experimentally inoculated steers.

Distillers grains (DG), a co-product of ethanol production used as protein and energy supplements in cattle diets, have been shown to increase fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7, a major foodborne pathogen. The reason for the positive association is not known. Because DG often replaces grain in the diet, decreased starch content and flow to the hindgut may create a favorable environment for E. coli O157:H7. Our objective was to determine whether the addition of starch to a corn DG-supplemented diet negates the effects of DG on fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7. We conducted a study with 21 steers fed 1 of 3 diets: a corn grain-based basal diet (CON), basal diet supplemented with 25% corn dried DG (DDG), and basal diet supplemented with 25% DDG with corn starch (DDG+S) added at a level intended to increase starch concentration to that of the CON diet. Steers, housed individually in a biosafety level 2 animal facility, were randomly allocated to treatment diets and orally inoculated with a 5-strain mixture (10(9) cfu per steer) of nalidixic acid-resistant (Nal(R)) E. coli O157:H7. Fecal samples were collected for 5 wk, and on d 35, steers were euthanized and necropsied to collect gut content samples. Fecal or gut samples were cultured to determine prevalence and concentrations of Nal(R) E. coli O157:H7. Dietary starch concentrations, based on feed analysis, were 46.3% in the CON compared with 43.3 and 41.3% in the DDG and DDG+S diets, respectively. Steers fed DDG or DDG+S diets shed Nal(R) E. coli O157:H7 more often (P = 0.0027 and 0.0003, respectively) and at greater concentrations (1.9 or 2.0 cfu/g; P = 0.0025 and 0.0006) than those fed CON diet (1.4 cfu/g), but no difference was observed between DDG and DDG+S diets. Cumulative prevalence and concentrations of Nal(R) E. coli O157:H7 were greater in gut samples collected at necropsy in steers fed DDG and DDG+S diets compared with those fed CON diet, but no difference was observed between DDG and DDG+S diets. The lack of effect of starch addition to the DDG diet on fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 may be because either the decreased starch content in the DG-supplemented diet is not a factor in the increased shedding of E. coli O157:H7 or inclusion of pure starch in the diet may not have achieved our intended goal to have starch flow into the hindgut similar to that of corn grain. The study confirms our previous finding of the positive association between feeding DG and fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7.

The molecular characterization of a catalase from Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis.

Catalase (CAT) is an antioxidant enzyme and plays a significant role in the protection against oxidative stress by reducing hydrogen peroxide. The CAT cDNA of Eriocheir sinensis (EsCAT) was cloned via RACE technique. The complete sequence of EsCAT cDNA consisted of a 5' untranslated regions (UTR) of 224 bp, a 3' UTR of 1287 bp with a poly (A) tail and an open reading frame (ORF) of 1542 bp, which encoded a polypeptide of 513 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of approximately 58.86 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 6.880. The deduced amino acid sequence of EsCAT contained a highly conserved proximal active-site signature motif ((60)FDRERIPERVVHAKGAL(76)) and a proximal heme-ligand signature motif ((350)RLFSYNDTH(358)) and exhibited high similarity with other reported CATs. In the phylogenetic tree, EsCAT was clustered with the CATs from Scylla serrata and Portunus trituberculatus. The EsCAT transcripts were constitutively expressed in haepatopancreas, haemocytes, gill, gonad, muscle and heart, with highest expression level in haepatopancreas. The relative expression level of EsCAT mRNA in haemocytes was continuously up-regulated and reached the peak level at 48 h post-Vibrio anguillarum challenge. The purified recombinant EsCAT protein displayed antioxidant activity against hydrogen peroxide with high thermal stability and broad spectrum of pH values. All these results demonstrated that EsCAT was an efficient antioxidant enzyme and potentially involved in the regulation of redox and innate immune response of crabs.

Antioxidant micronutrients improve intrinsic and UV-induced apoptosis of human lymphocytes particularly in elderly people.

OBJECTIVE: Aging and oxidative stress may lead to enhanced cellular damage and programmed cell death. To study the association of intrinsic apoptosis with age and the effect of antioxidant supplementation on intrinsic and UV-induced apoptosis in children, young and elderly people. METHODS: The study was a 2 months, double-blind, randomized trial. Three age groups were studied: children, young adults and elderly people. A total of 274 healthy subjects were allocated to a group supplemented with moderate amounts of retinol, ß-carotene, α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and selenium or placebo. Plasma oxidative stress parameters were detected and apoptosis of lymphocytes was evaluated with TUNEL staining. RESULTS: At baseline, percentages of intrinsic apoptosis were 13.8% and 11.1% in elderly and young people, respectively, both significantly higher than children (6.3%). A decrease of 1.7% and 2.3% in intrinsic apoptosis of lymphocytes was found in the supplemented groups of young and elderly people compared with their control groups (all p values <0.001), but no significant decrease in children. Moreover, percentages UV-induced apoptosis significantly decreased by 1.4%, 1.9% and 3.1% in children, young and elderly people, respectively, compared with control groups after the trial. There were considerable increments in concentrations of plasma ß-carotene, retinol, tocopherol, ascorbic acid and selenium in all three treated groups after the supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: Young and elderly people have a higher intrinsic apoptosis than children, which was improved by antioxidant supplementation. UV-induced damage was attenuated by the supplementation in all three age groups.

Selection of fecal enterococci exhibiting tcrB-mediated copper resistance in pigs fed diets supplemented with copper.

Copper, as copper sulfate, is increasingly used as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics for growth promotion in weaned piglets. Acquired copper resistance, conferred by a plasmid-borne, transferable copper resistance (tcrB) gene, has been reported in Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis. A longitudinal field study was undertaken to determine the relationship between copper supplementation and the prevalence of tcrB-positive enterococci in piglets. The study was done with weaned piglets, housed in 10 pens with 6 piglets per pen, fed diets supplemented with a normal (16.5 ppm; control) or an elevated (125 ppm) level of copper. Fecal samples were randomly collected from three piglets per pen on days 0, 14, 28, and 42 and plated on M-Enterococcus agar, and three enterococcal isolates were obtained from each sample. The overall prevalence of tcrB-positive enterococci was 21.1% (38/180) in piglets fed elevated copper and 2.8% (5/180) in the control. Among the 43 tcrB-positive isolates, 35 were E. faecium and 8 were E. faecalis. The mean MICs of copper for tcrB-negative and tcrB-positive enterococci were 6.2 and 22.2 mM, respectively. The restriction digestion of the genomic DNA of E. faecium or E. faecalis with S1 nuclease yielded a band of ∼194-kbp size to which both tcrB and the erm(B) gene probes hybridized. A conjugation assay demonstrated cotransfer of tcrB and erm(B) genes between E. faecium and E. faecalis strains. The higher prevalence of tcrB-positive enterococci in piglets fed elevated copper compared to that in piglets fed normal copper suggests that supplementation of copper in swine diets selected for resistance.

The effects of the Chinese medicine ZiBu PiYin recipe on the hippocampus in a rat model of diabetes-associated cognitive decline: a proteomic analysis.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Increasing evidence suggests that diabetes is associated with an enhanced risk of cognitive decline. The precise mechanisms underlying diabetes-associated cognitive decline (DACD) remain unclear. Here we investigated the molecular changes associated with DACD using a comparative proteomics study of hippocampus in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. In addition, we tested the effects of the Chinese medicine ZiBu PiYin recipe (ZBPYR) on DACD. METHODS: The hippocampus was dissected from control, diabetic and diabetic rats treated with ZBPYR (DM/ZBPYR). Soluble proteins were separated using fluorescence-based difference gel electrophoresis. Protein spots were visualised with fluorescent dyes and spot density was compared between each pair of groups. Proteins of interest were identified using mass spectrometry. Proteins of specific interest were also tested by western blot and real-time PCR analysis. RESULTS: We found 13 spots that were altered between control and diabetes groups, and 12 spots that were changed between diabetes and DM/ZBPYR groups. The identities of nine proteins were determined by mass spectrometry. The identified proteins were largely involved in energy metabolism, cytoskeleton regulation and oxidative stress. The protein alterations observed in the diabetes group were ameliorated to varying degrees following ZBPYR treatment. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: The protein changes identified in hippocampus from a rat model of type 2 diabetes suggest that specific cellular alterations contribute to DACD. The Chinese medicine ZBPYR was found to affect multiple targets and partially repaired the original cellular balance. This study may provide important insights into the molecular events underlying DACD and allow the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

Study on the potential of farmland soils as non-point sources of nitrogen and phosphorus in Japan.

The amounts of N and P accumulated in farmland soils of 50 cm depth were equivalent to the amount of chemical fertilizer supplied for 50-70 years. The values of N/P of surface soils in farmlands were 1.0-4.3, lower than expected. The median diameter of soil particles in run-off waters was generally less than 10 microm. The mean values of particulate fractions over 1 microm and over 0.22 microm were 19% for N, 27% for P, and 39% for N, 64% for P respectively. Fine particles of soil containing concentrated phosphorus should be carefully monitored as potential sources related to eutrophication.