Therapeutic Effect and Potential Mechanisms of Lion's Mane Medicinal Mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Agaricomycetes), Mycelia in Submerged Culture on Ethanol-Induced Chronic Gastric Injury.

Hericium erinaceus (HE) is an edible and medicinal mushroom traditionally used for the treatment of gastric injury in clinical practice. However, scientific evidence of its pharmacological activities has not yet been revealed. This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effect of HE mycelia in submerged culture on ethanol-induced chronic gastric injury (ECGI) in mice. Gastric injury model was induced by ethanol with chronic and binge ethanol feeding in mice, and then mice were treated with HE mycelia. The stomachs were removed for histopathological examination and inflammatory cytokines measurement. Meanwhile, total proteins of gastric tissue were analyzed by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labeling analysis to quantitatively identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in three groups of animals. Bioinformatics analysis of DEPs was conducted through clustering analysis, Venn analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) annotation enrichment, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment. The histopathologic characteristics and biochemical data showed that HE mycelia (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) exhibited therapeutic effects on the ECGI mice. Based on the results of iTRAQ analysis, a total of 308 proteins were differentially expressed in the ethanol group when compared with the control group; 205 DEPs in the high dose of HE (HEH) group when compared with control group; and 230 DEPs in HE group (1.0 g/kg) when compared with ethanol group. KEGG analysis showed that the p53 signaling pathway was closely related to the therapeutic effect of HE mycelia on ECGI. Furthermore, the expression levels of several DEPs, including keratin (KRT) 16, KRT6b and transglutaminase E (TGE), were verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In conclusion, H. erinaceus mycelia could relieve ethanol-induced chronic gastric injury in mice by ameliorating inflammation as well as regulating epidermal differentiation.

[Present fertilization and the potential of high yield on watermelon in Jiangsu Province, China.] / 江苏省西瓜施肥现状及高产潜力.

Watermelon fertilization in main planting regions of Jiangsu Province was investigated in order to evaluate the characteristics of efficient fertilization and improve the yield and quality of watermelon. The investigation was performed in Dongtai, Dafeng, Sihong, Pizhou and Donghai. The results showed that the average yield of watermelon in Jiangsu Province was 48325 kg·hm-2, and the highest yield was 97500 kg·hm-2. The watermelon yield was improved by straw return of 14-15 t·hm-2. The watermelon yield was increased with the increase of organic manure application under the quantity of 30 t·hm-2, while it trended to decrease when the manure application exceeded 30 t·hm-2. The peasant households of efficient high yield and inefficient high yield on organic manure were 16.5% and 29.1%, respectively. The peasant households of efficient high yield and inefficient high yield on total nitrogen fertilizer were 14.9% and 26.3%, while those on chemical nitrogen fertilizer were 19.6% and 22.4%, respectively. The peasant households of efficient high yield and inefficient high yield on total phosphorus fertilizer were 20.9% and 21.8%, while those on chemical phosphorus fertilizer were 13.7% and 29.5%, respectively. The peasant households of efficient high yield and inefficient high yield on total potassium fertilizer were 14.9% and 26.3%, while those on chemical potassium fertilizer were 29.6% and 12.2%, respectively. Compared to basic application, basic and top application combination enhanced the watermelon yield, so did the foliar fertilization. It was suggested that the peasant households of inefficient high yield and inefficient low yield should decrease the fertilization quantity to improve fertilizer efficiency, while those of efficient low yield should regulate nutrient components and fertilization stage.

Stimulated production of steroids in Inonotus obliquus by host factors from birch.

Steroids was considered as one of the bioactive components in Inonotus obliquus, while this kind of secondary metabolites are less accumulated in cultured mycelia. In this study, effect of extracts from bark and core of host-related species, birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.), on steroid production of I. obliquus in submerged culture were evaluated. The results showed that all dosages (0.01 and 0.1 g/L) of aqueous extracts and methanol extracts from birch bark and birch core possessed significantly stimulatory effect on steroid production of I. obliquus (P < 0.05). Among the eight extracts, the aqueous extract (0.01 g/L) from birch bark gave the highest steroid production (225.5 ± 8.7 mg/L), which is 97.3% higher than that of the control group. The aqueous extract (0.01 and 0.1 g/L) from birch bark could simultaneously stimulated mycelial growth and steroid content, while the methanol extract from birch bark only elevated the steroid content. High performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that productions of betulin, ergosterol, cholesterol, lanosterol, stigmasterol, and sitosterol in I. obliquus simultaneously increased in the presence of aqueous extract and methanol extract from birch bark. The results presented herein indicate that extracts from birch bark could act as an inducer for steroid biosynthesis of I. obliquus.

Icariin Augments Bone Formation and Reverses the Phenotypes of Osteoprotegerin-Deficient Mice through the Activation of Wnt/ ß -Catenin-BMP Signaling.

Icariin has been mostly reported to enhance bone fracture healing and treat postmenopausal osteoporosis in ovariectomized animal model. As another novel animal model of osteoporosis, there is few publication about the effect of Icariin on osteoprotegerin-deficient mice. Therefore, the goal of this study is to find the effect on bone formation and underlying mechanisms of Icariin in osteoprotegerin (OPG) knockout (KO) mice. We found that Icariin significantly stimulated new bone formation after local injection over the surface of calvaria at the dose of 5 mg/kg per day. With this dose, Icariin was also capable of significantly reversing OPG-deficient-induced bone loss and bone strength reduction. Real-time PCR analysis showed that Icariin significantly upregulated the expression of BMP2, BMP4, RUNX2, OC, Wnt1, and Wnt3a in OPG KO mice. Icariin also significantly increased the expression of AXIN2, DKK1, TCF1, and LEF1, which are the direct target genes of ß -catenin signaling. The in vitro studies showed that Icariin induced osteoblast differentiation through the activation of Wnt/ ß -catenin-BMP signaling by in vitro deletion of the ß -catenin gene using ß -catenin(fx/fx) mice. Together, our findings demonstrate that Icariin significantly reverses the phenotypes of OPG-deficient mice through the activation of Wnt/ ß -catenin-BMP signaling.

Reciprocal regulation of Ca²+-activated outward K+ channels of Pyrus pyrifolia pollen by heme and carbon monoxide.

• The regulation of plant potassium (K+) channels has been extensively studied in various systems. However, the mechanism of their regulation in the pollen tube is unclear. • In this study, the effects of heme and carbon monoxide (CO) on the outward K+ (K+(out)) channel in pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) pollen tube protoplasts were characterized using a patch-clamp technique. • Heme (1 µM) decreased the probability of K+(out) channel opening without affecting the unitary conductance, but this inhibition disappeared when heme was co-applied with 10 µM intracellular free Ca²+. Conversely, exposure to heme in the presence of NADPH increased channel activity. However, with tin protoporphyrin IX treatment, which inhibits hemeoxygenase activity, the inhibition of the K+(out) channel by heme occurred even in the presence of NADPH. CO, a product of heme catabolism by hemeoxygenase, activates the K+(out) channel in pollen tube protoplasts in a dose-dependent manner. The current induced by CO was inhibited by the K+ channel inhibitor tetraethylammonium. • These data indicate a role of heme and CO in reciprocal regulation of the K+(out) channel in pear pollen tubes.

[The effect of G protein regulator on pollen germination and [Ca2+]i variation in Pyrus serotina Rehd. pollen].

The effects of the cholera toxin (CTX) and pertussis toxin (PTX), which can activate and antagonize respectively the heterotrimeric G protein, on pollen germination, pollen tube growth and the dynamic of cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) in pear pollen were investigated using Laser Confocal Scanning Microscope (LCSM). The results show that CTX could stimulate pollen germination and tube growth while PTX had the opposite effect. CTX and PTX had marked influence on the dynamic of pollen [Ca(2+)]i. The CTX treatment had no significant effect on the changes in pollen [Ca(2+)]i during pollen germination, but induced specific signaling of "calcium transient" in pollen. Treatment with PTX caused decline of pollen [Ca(2+)]i in the first 18 min after treatment. These data suggested that the regulation of pollen germination and tube growth in Pyrus serotina may involve in heterotrimeric G protein, which can stimulate specific change of pollen [Ca(2+)]i.

[Effect of gufuhuo decoction on local apoptosis of steroid-induced necrosis of femoral head].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the bone specimen of SANFH (steroid-induced avascular necrosis of femoral head) and the effect of Gufuhuo decoction on local apoptosis of SANFH. METHOD: Model rabbits of necrosis of femoral head, made by intragluteal injection with prednisone acetate, were killed after 6 weeks to study the apoptosis by means of TUNEL. RESULT: A great number of faded osteocytes and osteoblasts existed in specimen of SANFH. There was significant difference in apoptosis indexes between model and control group, Gufuhuo decoction and Xianlinggubao group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the course of SANFH, the necrosis results from the interaction of apoptosis and necrosis of steroid-induced osteocytes and osteoblasts. Gufuhuo decoction has some effects on improving apoptosis and necrosis of SANFH.