[Effect of Qihuang Decoction on the Intestinal Mucosal Immunologic Barrier of Rats after Gastric Resection].

Objective To observe the effect of Qihuang Decoction (QHD) on the intestinal muco- sal immunologic barrier of rats after gastric resection. Methods Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into the sham-operation group, the model group, and the QHD group, 20 in each group. Rats in the model group and the QHD group received gastric resection. Intestinal dripping Nutrison (an intacted protein en- teral nutrition powder). was given to rats in the model group after resection. Intestinal dripping Nutrison and QHD was given to rats in the QHD group. Rats in the sham-operation group only received abdominal midsection and suture. They ate and drank normally with no drug or nutrition intervention. After one-week intervention, Peyer's patches (PPs) , lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) , intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) , secretory IgA (sIgA) were isolated from rat small intestine. Ratios of αßT cell antigen receptor (αßTCR) -cluster of differentiation 3 positive (CD3+ ) , cluster of differentiation 4 positive (CD4 +) , clus- ter of differentiation 8 positive (CD8 +) , counts of IgA + B lymphocytes, and contents of intestinal mucosa sIgA were detected using flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and double antibody-PEG radioimmu- noassay. Results Compared with the sham-operation group, contents of intestinal mucosa sIgA, counts of IgA +B lymphocytes in PPs, and counts of lgA B lymphocytes in LPLs all decreased (P <0. 01) ; CD3 + and CD8 +T ratios in IELs, CD3 +, CD4 +, and CD8 +ratios in LPLs; CD3 + and CD4 + ratios in PPs de- creased (P <0. 01, P <0. 05) in the model group. Compared with the model group, contents of intestinal mucosa slgA, counts of IgA+B lymphocytes in PPs, and counts of IgA + B lymphocytes in LPLs all in- creased in the QHD group (P <0. 01 , P <0. 05) ; CD3 + and CD8 +T ratios in IELs, CD3 + and CD4 + ratios in LPLs, CD3+ and CD4+ ratios in PPs increased in the QHD group (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Conclusion QHD could promote differentiation and multiplication of CD3 + , CD4 +, CD8 + T, and IgA + B lymphocytes in the intestinal mucosal immunologic barrier, increase contents of intestinal mucosa slgA, and promote the recovery of intestinal mucosal immunologic barrier of gastric resection rats.

Azotobacter inoculation can enhance the resistance of Bt cotton to cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera.

The rising trend in the cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic crops may cause a destabilization of agroecosystems, thus increasing concerns about the sustainability of Bt crops as a valid pest management method. Azotobacter can be used as a biological regulator to increase environmental suitability and improve the soil nitrogen utilization efficiency of crops, especially Bt cotton. A laboratory test investigated effects on the development and food utilization of Helicoverpa armigera fed with different Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac proteins and nitrogen metabolism-related compounds from cotton (transgenic variety SCRC 37 vs non-Bt cotton cv. Yu 2067) inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense (Ab) and Azotobacter chroococcum (Ac). The findings indicate that inoculation with Azotobacter significantly decreased the partial development and food utilization indexes (pupal weight; pupation rate; adult longevity; fecundity; relative growth rate, RGR; efficiency of conversion of digested food, ECD; and efficiency of conversion of ingested food, ECI) of H. armigera fed on Bt cotton, but contrasting trends were found among these indexes in H. armigera fed on non-Bt cotton inoculated with Azotobacter, as a result of differences in Bt toxin production. Overall, the results showed that inoculation with Azotobacter had negative effects on the development and food utilization of H. armigera fed on Bt cotton, leading to enhanced target insect resistance. Presumably, Azotobacter inoculation can be used to stimulate plant soil nitrogen uptake to increase nitrogen metabolism-related compounds and promote plant growth for Bt and non-Bt cotton, simultaneously raising Bt protein expression and enhancing resistance efficacy against cotton bollworm in Bt cotton.

Functional characterization of a novel, highly expressed ion-driven sugar antiporter in the thoracic muscles of Helicoverpa armigera.

Sugar transporters (STs), which mainly mediate cellular sugar exchanges, play critical physiological roles in living organisms, and they may be responsible for sugar exchanges among various insect tissues. However, the molecular and physiological functions of insect STs are largely unknown. Here, 16 STs of Helicoverpa armigera were identified. A phylogenetic analysis classified the putative HaSTs into 12 sub-families, and those identified in this study were distributed into 6 sub-families. Real-time polymerase chain reaction indicated that the 16 HaSTs had diverse tissue-specific expression levels. One transporter, HaST10, was highly expressed in thoracic muscles. A functional study using a Xenopus oocyte expression system revealed that HaST10 mediated both H+ -driven trehalose and Na+ -driven glucose antiport activities with high transport efficiency and low affinity levels. A HaST10 knockout clearly impaired the performance of H. armigera. Thus, HaST10 may participate in sugar-supply regulation and have essential physiological roles in H. armigera.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of larval and adult Malpighian tubules from the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera.

Malpighian tubules (MTs) are usually considered the key excretory and osmoregulatory organs of insects. However, increasing evidence has suggested that MTs perform many more functions than just osmoregulation. Until now, the molecular and physiological functions of MTs in the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), a very important agricultural pest, are largely unknown. In this study, the transcriptomes of H. armigera MTs from larvae, male adults and female adults were sequenced using RNA-Seq technology, and comparative analyses of transcriptomes between two life stages (larval and adult) and between adult sexes were conducted. We generated a total of 84 643 high-quality unigenes, and identified a large number of abundant transcripts putatively encoding proteins involved in diuresis, detoxification, immunity, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, development and reproduction. We found that the expression pattern of unigenes was relatively similar between female and male adult MTs, but different between larval and adult MTs. Our data suggest that insect MTs may take multiple physiological functions as versatile organs. The extensive alterations in gene expression in MTs occurred from larvae to adults reflect an ecological adaptation to different feeding habits. Sexual dimorphism in the cotton bollworm is somewhat indicated by the transcriptional difference of genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, detoxification, immunity and reproduction in the MTs of male and female adults.