Chloroplast genome structure and phylogenetic analysis of Glycosmis parviflora (Sims) Little 1948, a folk medicinal plant featured in Lingnan Region, China.

Glycosmis parviflora is the most widely spread and the most morphologically varied species of Chinese Glycosmis, and its roots and leaves serve as folk medicines. We sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of G. parviflora. The cp genome obtained was a circular DNA molecule of 159,825 bp in length, containing one large and one small single copy region (LSC and SSC) of 87,517 and 18,352 bp separated by a pair of 26,978 bp inverted repeat regions (IRs). The overall GC content of the cp genome was 38.40%. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that Glycosmis was strongly supported as a monophyletic group belonging to Clauseneae, and G. parviflora was closely related to G. pentaphylla. The results will provide the basis for the further study of molecular markers and phylogeny of G. parviflora.

A Cotton Lignin Biosynthesis Gene, GhLAC4, Fine-Tuned by ghr-miR397 Modulates Plant Resistance Against Verticillium dahliae.

Plant lignin is a component of the cell wall, and plays important roles in the transport potential of water and mineral nutrition and plant defence against biotic stresses. Therefore, it is necessary to identify lignin biosynthesis-related genes and dissect their functions and underlying mechanisms. Here, we characterised a cotton LAC, GhLAC4, which participates in lignin biosynthesis and plant resistance against Verticillium dahliae. According to degradome sequencing and GUS reporter analysis, ghr-miR397 was identified to directedly cleave the GhLAC4 transcript through base complementary. GhLAC4 knockdown and ghr-miR397 overexpression significantly reduced basal lignin content compared to the control, whereas ghr-miR397 silencing significantly increased basal lignin levels. Based on staining patterns and GC/MS analysis, GhLAC4 acted in G-lignin biosynthesis. Under V. dahliae infection, we found that G-lignin content in ghr-miR397-knockdowned plants significantly increased, compared to these plants under the mock treatment, while G-lignin contents in GhLAC4-silenced plants and ghr-miR397-overexpressed plants treated with pathogen were comparable with these plants treated with mock, indicating that GhLAC4 participates in defence-induced G-lignin biosynthesis in the cell wall. Knockdown of ghr-miR397 in plants inoculated with V. dahliae promoted lignin accumulation and increased plant resistance. The overexpression of ghr-miR397 and knockdown of GhLAC4 reduced lignin content and showed higher susceptibility of plants to the fungal infection compared to the control. The extract-free stems of ghr-miR397-knockdowned plants lost significantly less weight when treated with commercial cellulase and V. dahliae secretion compared to the control, while the stems of ghr-miR397-overexpressed and GhLAC4-silenced plants showed significantly higher loss of weight. These results suggest that lignin protects plant cell walls from degradation mediated by cellulase or fungal secretions. In summary, the ghr-miR397-GhLAC4 module regulates both basal lignin and defence-induced lignin biosynthesis and increases plant resistance against infection by V. dahliae.

Danggui sini decoction ameliorates myelosuppression in animal model by upregulating Thrombopoietin expression.

Danggui Sini decoction (DSD), a famous Chinese medicine, has been used therapeutically in various diseases. In this study, we tried to investigate whether and how DSD could ameliorate myelosuppression in an animal model, in which myelosuppression is induced by cyclophosphamide treatment. The myelosuppression model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide in mice. Flow cytometry was used to assess cell numbers and evaluate the bone marrow cell cycle distribution. Spleen samples were collected, and the mRNA expression levels of thrombopoietin (TPO) and c-Mpl were analyzed by RT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that DSD could significantly elevate the level of bone marrow hematopoietic stem progenitor cells in myelosuppression mice model. DSD also accelerated cell proliferation by switching cell cycles from G0/G1 phase to S and G2/M phase. Moreover, DSD significantly elevated the mRNA expression level of TPO, but not c-Mpl in spleen. Overall, the present results indicated that DSD is a promising Chinese medicine that is highly potent to ameliorate myelosuppression induced by chemotherapy by upregulating TPO expression.

The impact of succimer chelation on blood cadmium in children with background exposures: a randomized trial.

Succimer lowers blood lead concentrations in children, and the structure of succimer chelates of lead and cadmium are similar. Using blood samples from a randomized trial of succimer for lead poisoning, however, we found that succimer did not lower blood cadmium in children with background exposure.

A comparative study of the effect of 17ß-estradiol and estriol on peripheral pain behavior in rats.

Although estradiol has been reported to influence pain sensitivity, the role of estriol (an estradiol metabolite and another widely used female sex hormone) remains unclear. In this study, pain behavior tests, whole-cell patch clamp recording and Western blotting were used to determine whether estriol plays a role in pain signal transduction and transmission. Either systemic or local administration of 17ß-estradiol produced a significant rise of mechanical pain threshold, while estriol lacked this effect in normal and ovariectomized (OVX) rats following estriol replacement. Local administration of 17ß-estradiol or estriol significantly decreased ATP-induced spontaneous hind-paw withdrawal duration (PWD), which was blocked by an estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182, 780. However, systemic application of estriol in normal or OVX rats lacked this similar effect. In cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons, estriol attenuated α,ß-methylene ATP-induced transient currents which were blocked by ICI 182, 780. In complete Freund's adjuvant treated (CFA) rats, systemic application of 17ß-estradiol or estriol decreased the mechanical pain threshold significantly, but did not change the inflammatory process. Similar effects were observed after estriol replacement in OVX rats. The expression of c-fos in lumbosacral spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH) was increased significantly by administration of 17ß-estradiol but not estriol, and not by estriol replacement in OVX rats. These results suggest that 17ß-estradiol but not estriol plays an anti-hyperalgesic role in physiological pain. However, both peripheral 17ß-estradiol and estriol play anti-hyperalgesic roles in ATP-induced inflammatory pain. Systemic application of estriol as well as 17ß-estradiol plays hyperalgesic roles in CFA-induced chronic pain.

Use of a self-designed bladder controller for restoring bladder function in paraplegic dogs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of a self-designed bladder controller for restoring micturition function in paraplegic dogs. METHODS: The spinal cords of 4 dogs were transected above the cone. Electrodes were implanted in S2 bilaterally and connected to the subcutaneous receivers for external activation. Microsurgical technique was employed to perform dorsal rhizotomy of S1-3 intradurally. The dogs were stimulated daily to observe micturition. Urodynamic testing and vesicography were performed. RESULTS: All the dogs acquired micturition under the control of electric stimulation, with urine volume 80-140 ml per time. The mode of micturition was post-stimulus voiding. Vesicography revealed that the bladder was filled well and the bladder neck was open in the micturition course of electric stimulation. Residual urine volume was 15-20 ml. Urodynamic testing found that the bladder pressure and intraurethral pressure increased simultaneously, but when the intraurethral pressure was greater than the bladder pressure, no micturition occurred. The pressure decreased to baseline rapidly and the bladder pressure decreased slowly between two bursts. Micturition occurred when the bladder pressure was greater than the intraurethral pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The self-designed bladder controller together with a sacral deafferentation procedure can restore micturition function of paraplegic dogs.