Knockdown of heat shock transcription factor 1 decreases temperature stress tolerance in Bemisia tabaci MED.

The primary function of heat shock transcription factor (HSF) in the heat shock response is to activate the transcription of genes encoding heat shock proteins (HSPs). The phloem-feeding insect Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an important pest of cotton, vegetables and ornamentals that transmits several plant viruses and causes enormous agricultural losses. In this study, the gene encoding HSF (Bthsf1) was characterized in MED B. tabaci. The full-length cDNA encoded a protein of 652 amino acids with an isoelectric point of 5.55. The BtHSF1 deduced amino acid sequence showed strong similarity to HSF in other insects. Expression analyses using quantitative real-time PCR indicated that Bthsf1 was significantly up-regulated in B. tabaci adults and pupae during thermal stress. Although Bthsf1 was induced by both hot and cold stress, the amplitude of expression was greater in the former. Bthsf1 had distinct, significant differences in expression pattern during different duration of high but not low temperature stress. Oral ingestion of dsBthsf1 repressed the expression of Bthsf1 and four heat shock proteins (Bthsp90, Bthsp70-3, Bthsp20 and Bthsp19.5) in MED B. tabaci during hot and cold stress. In conclusion, our results show that Bthsf1 is differentially expressed during high and low temperature stress and regulates the transcription of multiple hsps in MED B. tabaci.

[Effect of massage on depressive behavior of chronic stress rats and its mechanism].

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of massage on the depressive behavior of rats with chronic stress. Methods: The rats were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress for 21 days and then treated with massage for 14 days. They were divided into the following groups: blank control group, model group, massage group and fluoxetine group, with 10 rats in each group. The important acupoints of bladder meridian were massaged for 10 minutes every day (with an interval of 2 minutes, 2 times in total). Body weight, open field test, sucrose intake test and water maze test were used to evaluate the behavioral changes. The expressions of Erk/p-ERK (Extracellular signal-related kinases/Phosphorylation extracellular signal-related kinases) and BDNF in prefrontal cortex were detected by Western Blot. Results: The body weight, open field sucrose intake test and water maze data of the model group were significantly lower than those of the Control Group (P＜0.01), and the contents of p-ERK and BDNF protein in prefrontal cortex were decreased significantly (P＜0.01). The body weight, open field test, sucrose intake test and water maze test data of rats in massage group and fluoxetine group were significantly higher than those in model group(P＜0.01). The contents of p-ERK and BDNF in frontal cortex were increased significantly (P＜0.05, P＜0.01), especially in fluoxetine group (P＜0.01). Conclusion: Massage may increase the phosphorylation level of ERK protein in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, activate ERK signaling pathway, promote the expression of BDNF, and improve the depression behavior of chronic stress rats.

[Predictive analysis of quality markers of Coptidis Rhizoma based on network pharmacology and multivariate statistical analysis].

Coptidis Rhizoma, as a bulk medicinal material, is in great demand in clinical practice. Its quality is uneven in the market due to the mixture of genuine, counterfeit and adulterants. Therefore, it is particularly important to establish a quality control system for Coptidis Rhizoma. Based on the concept of Chinese medicine quality marker(Q-marker), the potential quality markers of Coptidis Rhizoma were analyzed and predicted from the perspective of chemistry and pharmacology. The sources of the Q-markers of Coptidis Rhizoma were identified by literature retrieval. The potential Q-markers were then screened through the visualization of the "components-targets-pathways" network. High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to establish a multi-indicator qualitative and quantitative control method featuring fingerprints for 10 batches of Coptidis Rhizoma. A supervised mode of orthogonality partial least squares method-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) was used to screen the main marker components that caused differences between groups. The literature review results showed that the alkaloids were the main source of Coptidis Rhizoma Q-markers.The fingerprints of 13 common peaks were successfully established, and berberine, palmatine, berberine and epiberberine were selected as Q-markers of Coptidis Rhizoma, and their contents were determined.Based on the concept of the Q-marker of traditional Chinese medicine, the four components can be selected as the Q-marker of Coptidis Rhizoma after comprehensive consideration. The results of this study are not only conducive to the quality evaluation of Coptidis Rhizoma on the market, but also provide a reference for the overall quality control of Coptidis Rhizoma and lay foundation for the future exploration of the mechanism of Coptidis Rhizoma.

[High-Frequency Dynamics of Water Quality and Phytoplankton Community in Inflowing River Mouth of Xin'anjiang Reservoir, China].

The tail of the reservoir is the unstable zone regarding water quality and phytoplankton community. Therefore, it is the crucial zone in aquatic ecosystem transitions. To understand the transition characteristics and driving mechanisms of water environment dynamics, high-frequency monitoring of the water environment and phytoplankton community in the tail of a deep and large reservoir, the Xin'anjiang Reservoir in southeast of China, was conducted using a water quality monitoring buoy and three-day interval water sampling during 18 months. Results show clear seasonal thermal and oxygen stratification in the river mouth of the reservoir. The nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations also show stratifying phenomena during the thermal stratification period. Heavy rain and inflow quickly consume the stratification. Nutrient concentrations were highly dynamic in the river mouth. The total phosphorus ranges from 0.011 mg·L-1 to 0.188 mg·L-1, and total nitrogen ranges from 0.75 mg·L-1 to 2.76 mg·L-1. Dissolved phosphorus comprised 56% of total phosphorus, and dissolved nitrogen occupied 88% of total nitrogen, respectively. Nutrient concentrations were influenced strongly by rainfall intensity and inflow rate. Total phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations were significantly related to the three-day accumulated rainfall. Nutrient concentrations in the flood season (March to June) were significantly higher than in the non-flood season (P<0.001). Seasonal phytoplankton proliferation also significantly influenced by total phosphorus concentration. The phytoplankton community changes significantly with seasons and flood events. Bacillariophytea was generally dominant throughout the year, with the predominant genus of Fragilaria spp., Cyclotella spp., Synedra spp., and Melosira spp. Cyanophyta biomass peaked in July, August, and September, with the dominant genus of Aphanizomenon spp., Microcystis spp., and Oscillatoria spp. Apart from the high temperature, storm inflow events also triggered Cyanophyta proliferation. The proliferation of Chlorophyta was similar to Cyanophyta, with the predominant genus of Pediastrum spp. and Closterium spp.. While the Cryptophyta biomass peaked during March to May, with the predominant genus of Cryptomonas spp.. Redundancy analysis shows that the influence factors of phytoplankton community dynamics include the inflow rate, temperature, water level, water transparency, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and nitrogen to phosphorus ratio. The meteorological and hydrological factors were major factors for phytoplankton dynamics during later autumn and winter, while the nutrient will be the co-driving factors of phytoplankton community dynamics during summer and early autumn. The research confirmed the huge influence of the intensity rainfall event on the water environment in reservoirs and described the key environmental conditions for phytoplankton community dynamics. The research is useful for the design of the monitoring and forecasting system for water safety in drinking water source reservoirs.

[Effect of alisol A 24-acetate on proliferation of aorta smooth muscle cells in rats induced by ox-LDL].

Alisol A 24-acetate, a triterpenoid extracted from Alisma orientale, has shown anti-atherosclerotic actions and many studies have proved that oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) could promote proliferation of aorta smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) which are closely related to atherosclerosis (AS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of alisol A 24-acetate on the proliferation of VSMCs isolated from the thoracic aorta of rats induced by ox-LDL. VSMCs were induced by ox-LDL(50 mg·L⁻¹) to establish the proliferation model and intervened by alisol A 24-acetate (5, 10, 20 mg·L⁻¹) for 12, 24 and 48 h. Then the proliferation of VSMCs was detected by MTT assay; protein expression levels of VSMCs PCNA, cyclinD1, cyclinE, p21, p27 and VSMCs PCNA, p21and p27 mRNA expression levels were detected by Western blot and Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively. The results showed that ox-LDL could induce the proliferation of VSMCs (P<0.05), increase the protein expression levels of PCNA, cyclinD1 and cyclinE in the VSMCs (P<0.05) and inhibit the protein and mRNA expression levels of p21 and p27 (P<0.05). As compared with the model group, alisol A 24-acetate inhibited the proliferation of VSMCs in rats induced by ox-LDL and inhibited the protein expression of VSMCs PCNA, cyclinD1, cyclinE and enhanced the protein and mRNA p21 and p27 expression levels (P<0.05). The effect was more obvious with the increase of concentration of alisol A 24-acetate. These data indicate that alisol A 24-acetate can inhibit the proliferation of VSMCs induced by ox-LDL and the mechanism may be associated with inhibiting expression of cyclin protein, including cyclinD1, cyclinE, p21, p27 and so on.

Metabolic benefits of inhibition of p38α in white adipose tissue in obesity.

p38 has long been known as a central mediator of protein kinase A (PKA) signaling in brown adipocytes, which positively regulate the transcription of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1). However, the physiological role of p38 in adipose tissues, especially the white adipose tissue (WAT), is largely unknown. Here, we show that mice lacking p38α in adipose tissues display a lean phenotype, improved metabolism, and resistance to diet-induced obesity. Surprisingly, ablation of p38α causes minimal effects on brown adipose tissue (BAT) in adult mice, as evident from undetectable changes in UCP-1 expression, mitochondrial function, body temperature (BT), and energy expenditure. In contrast, genetic ablation of p38α in adipose tissues not only markedly facilitates the browning in WAT upon cold stress but also prevents diet-induced obesity. Consistently, pharmaceutical inhibition of p38α remarkably enhances the browning of WAT and has metabolic benefits. Furthermore, our data suggest that p38α deficiency promotes white-to-beige adipocyte reprogramming in a cell-autonomous manner. Mechanistically, inhibition of p38α stimulates the UCP-1 transcription through PKA and its downstream cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), which form a positive feedback loop that functions to reinforce the white-to-beige phenotypic switch during cold exposure. Together, our study reveals that inhibition of p38α is able to promote WAT browning and confer metabolic benefits. Our study also indicates that p38α in WAT represents an exciting pharmacological target to combat obesity and metabolic diseases.

[Establishment and application of a high-throughput drug screening model based on COL1A1 promoter for anti-liver fibrosis].

For screening the potential drugs as anti-liver fibrosis candidates, we established a high- throughput drug screening cell model based on COL1A1 promoter. The activity of COL1A1 promoter and luciferase reporter gene can be elevated by TGF-ß1, and inhibited by candidate drugs. We constructed a recombined plasmid with COL1A1 promoter and luciferase reporter gene pGL4.17, the activity of COL1A1 promoter was reflected by fluorescence intensity. COL1A1 promoter activity was detected by Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System, it came that the relative luciferase activity of COL1A1 promoter was 15.98 times higher than that of control group induced by TGF-ß1, showing the recombined plasmid could be used in cell model. The recombined plasmid was transfected into human hepatic stellate cells LX2, detected the effect of potential drugs, and obtained a stable expression system through stable transfection and monoclonal cell culture. A sample which could reduce COL1A1 promoter activity signally by our cell model, decreased collagen I mRNA and protein expression detected by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting. It indicates this novel cell model can be used in high-throughput drug screening of potential anti-liver fibrosis drugs.

Thermal Blanket to Improve Thermoregulation in Preterm Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of temperature-controlled thermal blanket as additional thermoprotection. DESIGN: Randomized controlled prospective study. SETTING: Single-center tertiary neonatal unit. PATIENTS: Inborn very low-birth-weight (< 1,500 g) infants. INTERVENTIONS: Infants were prospectively assigned to thermal blanket group or control at 1:1 ratio. Additional to radiant warmers, a prewarmed blanket of Blanketrol II (Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Cincinnati, OH) was applied as mattress for thermal blanket group. The outcomes included temperature and blood pressure changes. We defined hypothermia as temperature less than 36°C and hypotension as mean arterial pressure less than index infant's gestational age in weeks. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULT: Total 80 very low-birth-weight infants were allocated, and there was no between-group demographic dissimilarity. At 30th minute, fewer infants in thermal blanket group were hypothermic (43% vs 68%; p = 0.025). These infants had significantly lower prevalence of hypotension, which associated with less dopamine use in the first 6 hours of life (25% vs 50%; p = 0.016). There was no hyperthermia more than 37.5°C episode. CONCLUSIONS: By using thermal blanket to provide additional thermal protection for very low-birth-weight infants, the degree of hypothermia was improved, which related to fewer hypotensive cases and less dopamine usage.