Comparison of different organic selenium supplementations on selenium status and serum biomarkers in dairy cows.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of two different organic selenium (Se) supplements, selenomethionine (Se-Met) and selenohomolanthionine (Se-Hlan), on the serum biochemical parameters and Se status of dairy cows. Different dietary Se supplementation treatments were set as follows: a control group (CON, adding sodium selenite at 0.3 mg Se/kg dry matter [DM]), 0.3 and 0.5 Se-Met (adding Se-Met at 0.3 and 0.5 mg Se/kg DM, respectively), as well as 0.3 and 0.5 Se-Hlan (adding Se-Hlan at 0.3 and 0.5 mg Se/kg DM, respectively). The experiment lasted 8 weeks. The serum measurements showed that both organic Se treatments resulted in higher uric acid than CON. Se-Met produced higher aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, urea, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lactate dehydrogenase than Se-Hlan. Regarding the Se status, the highest milk Se values appeared in 0.5 Se-Met, with intermediate values in 0.3 Se-Met and 0.5 Se-Hlan, whereas the highest and lowest serum Se levels were presented in 0.5 Se-Met and 0.3 Se-Hlan, respectively. Our results suggest that Se-Hlan was not as efficient in boosting serum or milk Se as Se-Met and differences in serum biomarkers between Se-Met and Se-Hlan may be associated with distinct metabolic pathways for different forms of organic Se.

Relationship between Future Orientation and Pain Severity in Fibromyalgia Patients: Self-Compassion as a Coping Mechanism.

The present study examined the relationship between future orientation and fibromyalgia-related pain severity in a sample of 287 adults with fibromyalgia. Specifically, authors examined dimensions of self-compassion (for example, self-kindness, isolation, mindfulness) as possible mechanisms through which future orientation might be associated with pain severity. Results of conducting a multiple mediator test with 10,000 bootstraps indicated that the significant negative association between future orientation and pain severity was mediated through one specific self-compassion dimension, namely, isolation. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the present findings for working with fibromyalgia patients, specifically the potential value of social workers working with fibromyalgia patients to build future orientation as a resilience factor to combat pain severity. Also discussed is the value of working with patients to develop a sustainable social support system that can disrupt experiences of social isolation and disconnectedness from others, and which appear to contribute to greater pain severity.

Emodin improves glucose metabolism by targeting microRNA-20b in insulin-resistant skeletal muscle.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence has indicated the therapeutic potential of emodin with its multiple pharmacological effects. PURPOSE: To evaluate role of emodin in regulating insulin resistance (IR) and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and lipid levels were measured before and after intragastric administration of emodin in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. Glucose consumption was determined in L6 cells to investigate the effect of emodin on glucose metabolism. Expression of miR-20b and SMAD7 was quantified by real-time PCR for mRNAs or western blot analysis for proteins. RESULTS: Emodin ameliorated hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia in T2DM rats, and glucose metabolism in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. MiR-20b was markedly upregulated in the setting of IR and overexpression of miR-20b disrupted glucose metabolism by repressing SMAD7 in L6 cells. Knockdown of this miRNA produced the opposite effects. Emodin abolished the abnormal upregulation of miR-20b and indirectly upregulated SMAD7. CONCLUSION: Emodin improves glucose metabolism to produce anti-IR effects, and downregulation of miR-20b thereby upregulation of SMAD7 is an underlying mechanism for the beneficial effects of emodin.

Tree-Ring Dating of the Reshui-1 Tomb in Dulan County, Qinghai Province, North-West China.

Tuyuhun and Tubo were two important states that thrived in north-western China during AD 311-900 in parallel with the Han Chinese dynasties of Sui and Tang periods. The Reshui Tomb Cluster located in Dulan County of the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau is an important cultural relic of the Tuyuhun-Tubo age. The official excavations of the Reshui tombs were regarded as top events in archaeology in the 1980s and 1990s in China. The Reshui-1 Tomb is the largest one among the tombs in the area. Since its excavation, there have been debates on whether the owner of the tomb belonged to the Tuyuhun or Tubo ethnicity. Therefore, accurately dating the Reshui-1 Tomb has a critical place in studying the Tubo and Tuyuhun histories. We collected 7 discs and 11 increment cores of Qilian juniper (Juniperus przewalskii Kom.) from the exposed and fallen beams of the roof of the Reshui-1Tomb. The lengths of the 16 tree-ring records are between 69 and 152 years. Based on a previously developed master dating chronology using Qilian juniper samples from the eastern Qaidam Basin, the calendar dates of the 16 specimens were determined by the COFECHA program and visual dating procedure. The average inter-series correlation among the dated sample series is 0.696, indicating good quality of cross-dating. The year of the outermost rings is AD 715 for the 7 discs and 4 out of the 9 increment cores. Moreover, the ring-width variations of the samples are consistent with the existing chronologies from the region. The presence of late-wood of AD 715 in the samples indicated that the Reshui-1 Tomb was completed in late AD 715 or early 716, which means that the Reshui-1 Tomb was finished in the Tubo age. This date provides direct evidence for archaeologists to determine the owner's ethnicity and identify of the Reshui-1 Tomb.

Anti-colorectal cancer activity of macrostemonoside A mediated by reactive oxygen species.

Macrostemonoside A (MSS.A), an active steroidal saponin from Allium macrostemon Bung has been shown to possess anti-coagulation and anti-obesity effects. However, the functional role of MSS.A on tumor growth has not been elucidated. We found that MSS.A significantly inhibited human colorectal cancer cell growth in Caco2 and SW480 cells. Incubation of SW480 cells with MSS.A for 48 h resulted in cell cycle arrest. Moreover, MSS.A dose-dependently induced apoptosis in SW480 cells as shown by increased AnnexinV positively stained cell population, caspase activation, increased pro-apoptotic and reduced anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein levels. Treatment of SW480 cells with MSS.A resulted in increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. However, pre-incubation of SW480 cells with antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) attenuated the ROS generation and anti-colorectal cancer activities of MSS.A. Lastly, intra-peritoneal injections of MSS.A significantly inhibited tumor formation in BALB/c nude mice carcinogenesis xenograft model by reduced tumor volume and tumor weight when treated at dosages of 10, 50 or 100mg/kg daily for 35 days compared with PBS control. Taken together, our results indicate that MSS.A suppressed colorectal cancer growth and induced cell apoptosis by inducing ROS production, and that MSS.A may have therapeutic relevance in the treatment of human colorectal cancer.

Sago-type palms were an important plant food prior to rice in southern subtropical China.

Poor preservation of plant macroremains in the acid soils of southern subtropical China has hampered understanding of prehistoric diets in the region and of the spread of domesticated rice southwards from the Yangtze River region. According to records in ancient books and archaeological discoveries from historical sites, it is presumed that roots and tubers were the staple plant foods in this region before rice agriculture was widely practiced. But no direct evidences provided to test the hypothesis. Here we present evidence from starch and phytolith analyses of samples obtained during systematic excavations at the site of Xincun on the southern coast of China, demonstrating that during 3,350-2,470 aBC humans exploited sago palms, bananas, freshwater roots and tubers, fern roots, acorns, Job's-tears as well as wild rice. A dominance of starches and phytoliths from palms suggest that the sago-type palms were an important plant food prior to the rice in south subtropical China. We also believe that because of their reliance on a wide range of starch-rich plant foods, the transition towards labour intensive rice agriculture was a slow process.

Early millet use in northern China.

It is generally understood that foxtail millet and broomcorn millet were initially domesticated in Northern China where they eventually became the dominant plant food crops. The rarity of older archaeological sites and archaeobotanical work in the region, however, renders both the origins of these plants and their processes of domestication poorly understood. Here we present ancient starch grain assemblages recovered from cultural deposits, including carbonized residues adhering to an early pottery sherd as well as grinding stone tools excavated from the sites of Nanzhuangtou (11.5-11.0 cal kyBP) and Donghulin (11.0-9.5 cal kyBP) in the North China Plain. Our data extend the record of millet use in China by nearly 1,000 y, and the record of foxtail millet in the region by at least two millennia. The patterning of starch residues within the samples allow for the formulation of the hypothesis that foxtail millets were cultivated for an extended period of two millennia, during which this crop plant appears to have been undergoing domestication. Future research in the region will help clarify the processes in place.

[Anti-tumor activity of safflower polysaccharide (SPS) and effect on cytotoxicity of CTL cells, NK cells of T739 lung cancer in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the anti-tumor activity of SPS in vivo and in vitro and the cytotoxicity of CTL cells, NK cells of T739 lung cancer in mice. METHOD: The transplanted tumor model of S180 Sarcoma was established with KM mouse. The SPS was adminished i.p. for 10 d, the tumor weight was detected. The transplanted tumor model of LA795 lung cancer was established with T739 mouse and SPS was adminished i.p. for 10 d and the tumor weight and the cytotoxicity of CTL cells, NK cells were detected. The Anti-tumor activity of SPS on three types of tumor cells in vitro was observed with trypan blue exclusion staining. RESULT: SPS 40 mg x kg(-1) can significantly inhibit the growth of S180 Sarcoma in mice and inhibitory rate was 51.33% (P<0.01). It can also inhibit the growth of LA795 lung cancer in mice and the tumor volume was reduced obviously for 3.29 mm3 (P<0.05). It can remarkably enhance the cytotoxicity of splenic CTL cells, NK cells in tumor-bearing (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: SPS have anti-tumor effects, the mechanism of the anti-tumor activity may be related to enhance the cytotoxicity of CTL cell and NK cell.

[Effect of phosphorus deficiency on alternative respiratory pathway and its relation with O2-* accumulation in suspension-cultured tobacco cells].

Effects of phosphorus deficiency on alternative respiratory pathway and its relation with O(-.)(2) production were investigated in two lines of suspension-cultured tobacco cells which have different tolerances to P deficiency. Oxford cells were shown to be much more tolerant than K326. There were no apparent differences in inorganic and total phosphorous content between the two cell lines. The capacity and activity of alternative respiratory pathway were decreased by P deficiency in K326 cells but were little influenced in Oxford cells. Under either P-deficient or sufficient condition, the capacity and activity of alternative respiratory pathway were always higher in Oxford than in K326. When mitochondria were isolated and used for the same study, similar results were obtained as described above. The expression of AOX at protein level was induced by P deficiency in both lines to similar extents. O(-.)(2) content in K326 cells was significantly higher under P deficiency but little affected in Oxford. It is suggested that alternative respiratory pathway may be associated with tolerance of tobacco cells to P deficiency and may play a role in scavenging reactive oxygen species.