A Modified Method for Transient Transformation via Pollen Magnetofection in Lilium Germplasm.

Lily (Lilium spp.) is a popular ornamental plant. Traditional genetic transformation methods have low efficiency in lily, thus development of a high-efficiency genetic transformation system is important. In this study, a novel transient transformation method involving pollen magnetofection was established and optimized pollen viability, and exogenous gene expression in magnetofected pollen and that of different germplasm were assessed. The highest germination percentage of Lilium regale pollen was 85.73% in medium containing 100 g/L sucrose, 61.5 mg/L H3BO3, and 91.5 mg/L CaCl2. A 1:4 ratio of nanomagnetic beads to DNA plasmid and transformation time of 0.5 h realized the highest transformation efficiency (88.32%). The GFP activity in transformed pollen averaged 69.66%, while that of the control pollen was 0.00%. In contrast to the control, transgenic seedlings obtained by pollination with magnetofected pollen showed strong positive GUS activity with 56.34% transformation efficiency. Among the lily germplasm tested, 'Sweet Surrender' and L. leucanthum had the highest transformation efficiency (85.80% and 54.47%), whereas L. davidii var. willmottiae was not successfully transformed. Transformation efficiency was positively correlated with pollen equatorial diameter and negatively correlated with polar axis/equatorial diameter ratio. The results suggest that pollen magnetofection-mediated transformation can be applied in Lilium but might have species or cultivar specificity.

Antirheumatoid Arthritic Effects of Sabia parviflora Wall. Leaf Extracts via the NF-κB Pathway and Transient Receptor Potential Protein Family.

As an important traditional medicine of Buyi and Miao ethnic groups in Guizhou, Sabia parviflora Wall. provides antiviral properties against hepatitis, eliminates wind and dampness, and exhibits anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. It has also been shown to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other diseases. However, the pharmacodynamic mechanism of S. parviflora Wall. for RA has not been reported. In this study, we identified the effective compounds of S. parviflora Wall. leaves against RA and discussed the mechanism against complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) based on inflammatory proteins and transient receptor potential (TRP) proteins. S. parviflora Wall. leaf extracts (0.64 g/kg, 0.32 g/kg, and 0.16 g/kg, once daily) were given orally for 21 days. On the 15th day of complete Freund's adjuvant-induced RA, the effects of this medicine on RA rats were investigated. S. parviflora Wall. extracts increased body weight, decreased foot swelling, and reduced thymus and spleen indices in model rats. Most of pannus in the synovial tissue of RA rats disappeared upon treatment, and the local inflammatory cells were greatly reduced when given the fraction of n-butanol (0.64 g/kg/d, 0.32 g/kg/d, and 0.16 g/kg/d) of 70% alcohol-soluble fraction of S. parviflora Wall. leaves. In addition, the release of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-15 (IL-15), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the RA rat serum was inhibited. The active compounds inhibited the expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, IL-15 and nuclear factor kappa-Bp65 (NF-κBp65) inflammatory protein and TRP protein transient receptor potential melastatin-5 (TRPM-5) and transient receptor potential channel-6 (TRPC-6), to reduce the expression of VEGF in synovial tissue of RA rats and relieve redness and edema. High-performance liquid chromatography identified six flavonoids and three triterpenoid saponins as active compounds. These findings suggest S. parviflora Wall. leaves may play a role in RA treatment by inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors as well as participating in the inflammatory protein expression in the NF-κB pathway and TRP protein family.

New use of old medicine: Nifedipine acts on the TRP family and inflammatory proteins in the treatment of chilblain.

As a calcium antagonist, the mechanism of nifedipine for treating chilblain has not been reported. In the present study, we established the chilblain model by using -20 ℃ 95% ethanol to freeze the right back foot of SD rats, and investigated the effects of this drug. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) examination indicated most of pannus in the skin tissue of chilblain rats had disappeared, and the local inflammatory cells were also greatly reduced when given nifedipine at 15.0 mg/kg/d. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that nifedipine inhibited release of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß and VEGF in serum. The RT-PCR analysis showed that nifedipine down regulated mRNA levels of TRPC-6 and VEGF in skin tissue. Furthermore, immunohistochemical examination showed nifedipine inhibited expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α inflammatory protein and further inhibited expression of TRP (transient receptor potential) family proteins TRPM-7, TRPC-1, TRPC-3 and TRPC-6 and reduced expression of VEGF in skin and relieved erythema and oedema. This study demonstrated that nifedipine as an old medicine can be new use for the treatment of chilblain by acting on TRPs family and inflammatory proteins.

Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of Transurethral Resection of the Prostate versus Plasmakinetic Enucleation of the Prostate in the Treatment of Massive Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common chronic progressive disease resulting in urinary obstruction in aging men. It comes to more and more patients with massive BPH with the aging of society and extension of life expectancy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the clinical efficacy, safety, and complications between transurethral bipolar plasmakinetic enucleation of the prostate (PKEP) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in the treatment of massive BPH. DESIGN AND SETTING: Patients with BPH were divided into the PKEP group and the TURP group randomly. Intraoperative blood loss (BL), operation time (OT), resected tissue weight (RTW), gland resection ratio (GRR), postoperative indwelling ureter time (IUT), bladder fistula time (BFT) and hospital stay time (HST), preoperative and postoperative serum sodium concentration (SSC), hemoglobin concentration (HGB), prostate weight (PW), postvoid residual (PVR), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and other complications were analyzed and compared respectively. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in preoperative IPSS, preoperative QOL score, preoperative PVR, preoperative Qmax, postoperative QOL score, postoperative PVR, postoperative Qmax, IPSS difference value (DV), Qmax DV, and PVR DV between the PKEP group and the TURP group (p > 0.05). OT, BL, IUT, BFT, HST, and postoperative IPSS in the PKEP group were significantly lower than that in the TURP group (p < 0.01). RTW and GRR in the PKEP group were significantly higher than that in the TURP group (p < 0.01). QOL DV in the PKEP group was higher than that in the TURP group (p < 0.05). There was statistical difference in SSC DV between the PKEP group and the TURP group (p < 0.05). There was significant statistical difference in postoperative PW, postoperative HGB, PW DV, and HGB DV between the PKEP group and the TURP group (p < 0.01). There was significant statistical difference in IPSS, QOL, PVR, and Qmax between postoperative value and preoperative value in both groups (p < 0.01). The incidence of transurethral resection syndrome, obturator nerve reflex, transient urinary incontinence, and retrograde ejaculation between the PKEP group and the TURP group has no statistical difference (p > 0.05). Capsule perforation, blood transfusion, secondary hemorrhage, bladder neck contracture, and urethral stricture in the PKEP group were lower than that in the TURP group (p < 0.05). Bladder spasm in the PKEP group was significantly lower than that in the TURP group (p < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in preoperative and postoperative IIEF-5, effective erectile frequency, telotism average tension, sustainable telotism average time, and sexual dissatisfaction between the PKEP group and the TURP group (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PKEP and TURP have similar clinical efficacy in the treatment of massive BPH. PKEP has advantages in shorter OT, less BL, more GRR, and fewer complications, but the long-term therapeutic effect of PKEP needs further follow-up.