Anti-apoptosis effect of recombinant human interleukin-11 in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic rats through activating the IL-11Rα/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is one of the most common causes of death and disability in neonates. Apoptosis contributes to HI development. Interleukin-11(IL-11) has been shown to protect mice from cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, whether IL-11 exerts the anti-apoptotic effect on HI injury is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that recombinant human IL-11 (rhIL-11) prevented apoptosis of rat neonates with HI through activating IL-11Rα/STAT3 signaling. Sprague-Dawley rat pups on the 7th day after birth were used to establish an HI injury model. The expression levels of IL-11Rα and GP130 were increased first and then decreased after HI. In contrast, IL-11 expression was first decreased and then increased. Immunofluorescence staining showed that IL-11Rα was localized in neurons and oligodendrocytes. RhIL-11 treatment alleviated hippocampal and cortical damages, significantly reduced cerebral infarction volumes, cerebral edema, and loss of the Nissl body and nerve cells, and also ameliorated the outcomes of HI injury and long-term neurological deficits. In addition, rhIL-11 treatment upregulated the expressions levels of Bcl-2 and p-STAT3/STAT3, and downregulated the protein concentrations of the lytic protease, and cleaved-caspase-3. Furthermore, GP130 inhibitor and JAK1 inhibitor reversed the protective effects of rhIL-11. Overall, rhIL-11 showed an anti-apoptosis effect on the brain after HI injury. Our results indicated that rhIL-11 reduced neuronal apoptosis by activating the brain IL-11Rα/STAT3 pathway.

Self-assembled GeOX/Ti3C2TX Composites as Promising Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries.

High-capacity germanium-based anode materials are alternative materials for outstanding electrochemical performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but severe volume variation and pulverization problems during charging-discharging processes can seriously affect their electrochemical performance. In addressing this challenge, a simple strategy was used to prepare the self-assembled GeOX/Ti3C2TX composite in which the GeOX nanoparticles can grow directly on Ti3C2TX layers. Nanoscale GeOX uniformly renucleates on the surface and interlayers of Ti3C2TX, forming the stable multiphase structure, which guarantees its excellent electrochemical performance. Electrochemical evaluation has shown that the rate capability and reversibility of GeOX/Ti3C2TX are both greatly improved, which delivers a reversible discharge specific capacity of above 1400 mAh g-1 (at 100 mA g-1) and a reversible specific capacity of 900 mAh g-1 after 50 cycles while it still maintains a stable specific capacity of 725 mAh g-1 at 5000 mA g-1. Furthermore, the composite exhibits an exceptionally superior rate capability, making it a good electrochemical performance anode for LIBs.

Plant transcriptional memory and associated mechanism of abiotic stress tolerance.

Plants face various adverse environmental conditions, particularly with the ongoing changes in global climate, which drastically affect the growth, development and productivity of crops. To cope with these stresses, plants have evolved complex mechanisms, and one of the crucial ways is to develop transcriptional memories from stress exposure. This induced learning enables plants to better and more strongly restart the response and adaptation mechanism to stress when similar or dissimilar stresses reoccur. Understanding the molecular mechanism behind plant transcriptional memory of stress can provide a theoretical basis for breeding stress-tolerant crops with resilience to future climates. Here we review the recent research progress on the transcriptional memory of plants under various stresses and the applications of underlying mechanisms for sustainable agricultural production. We propose that a thorough understanding of plant transcriptional memory is crucial for both agronomic management and resistant breeding, and thus may help to improve agricultural yield and quality under changing climatic conditions.

[Effective evaluation of presurgical nasoalveolar molding devices in the treatment of complete unilateral cleft lip and palate patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the orthopedic effect of presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) devices on the palatal deformities in unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (UCCLP) patients. METHODS: Three groups with 19 patients each were studied. All samples in groups A and B were non-syndromic UCCLP children. Group A was treated with PNAM prior to operation. Group B was untreated prior to operation. Samples in group C were normally developed nose and lip palate infants aged three months. The orthotopic palate photos before and after PNAM treatment for group A, as well as pre-operative photos of groups B and group C, were taken and measured. All statistics were analyzed using SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: PNAM treatment significantly increased the AW, AC, and PA of UCCLP patients (P < 0.05), whereas CPW, CWA, CWAS, CWAH, PMD, and CA significantly decreased (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed with the cases in group C (P < 0.05). The AW, CPW, CA, and PA of the patients in group B significantly increased compared with the cases in group A before PNAM treatment (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that TW had no statistically significant difference among the three groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: PNAM treatment is a non-surgical early treatment for the effective improvement of palatal primary deformities in UCCLP patients.

Simultaneous determination of five lignans in Schisandra chinensis by HPLC / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop a HPLC quantitative method for determination of schisandrin, schisandrol B, schisantherin A, deoxyschisandrin and gamma-schisandrin in Fructus Schisandrae.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A symmetry C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) was used with methanol (A) and water (B) as mobile phases, in gradient elution. The gradient program was as follows: 0-36 min, changed from 60% A to 66% A, 36-65 min, to 80% A, 65-70 min, kept for 80% A, 70-75 min, to 100% A. The flow rate was 0.5 mL x min(-1) and detection wavelength was set at 254 nm.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The linearities of schisandrin, schisandrol B, schisantherin A, deoxyschisandrin and gamma-schisandrin were in the ranges of 0.0214. 160 (r = 0.9999), 0.020-4.000 (r = 0.9999), 0.021-4.240 (r = 0.9999), 0.020-3.960 (r = 0.9999) and 0.021-4.200 (r = 0.9999). The average recoveries were 104.8%, 104.2%, 102.7%, 104.6%, 104.5%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method developed in this study was reliable, and can be used for the quality control of the fruits of S. chinensis.</p>