Glucocorticoid Regulates the Synthesis of Porcine Muscle Protein through m6A Modified Amino Acid Transporter SLC7A7.

The occurrence of stress is unavoidable in the process of livestock production, and prolonged stress will cause the decrease of livestock productivity. The stress response is mainly regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), which produces a large amount of stress hormones, namely glucocorticoids (GCs), and generates a severe impact on the energy metabolism of the animal body. It is reported that m6A modification plays an important role in the regulation of stress response and also participates in the process of muscle growth and development. In this study, we explored the effect of GCs on the protein synthesis procession of porcine skeletal muscle cells (PSCs). We prove that dexamethasone affects the expression of SLC7A7, a main amino acid transporter for protein synthesis by affecting the level of m6A modification in PSCs. In addition, we find that SLC7A7 affects the level of PSC protein synthesis by regulating the conduction of the mTOR signaling pathway, which indicates that the reduction of SLC7A7 expression may alleviate the level of protein synthesis under stress conditions.

Glucocorticoid Receptor Alpha Targets SLC2A4 to Regulate Protein Synthesis and Breakdown in Porcine Skeletal Muscle Cells.

In the presence of stress, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity can be enhanced to promote the secretion of a large amount of glucocorticoids (GCs), which play an important role in the anabolism and catabolism of skeletal muscle. When the endogenous and exogenous glucocorticoids are deficient or excessive, the body will produce stress-related resistance and change the protein metabolism. In this study, we investigated the effect of GC receptor GRα on protein breakdown and synthesis in porcine skeletal muscle cells (PSCs). Overexpression of GRα was shown to increase the expression of protein degradation-related genes, while knockdown of GRα decreased the expression of these genes. Additionally, we found a relationship between GRα and solute carrier family 2 member 4 (SLC2A4), SLC2A4 expression level increases when stress occurs, suggesting that increasing SLC2A4 expression can partially alleviate stress-induced damage, and we found that there is a combination between them via luciferase reporter assays, which still needs to be confirmed in further studies.

Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity in SnTe by Incorporating InSb.

Herein, a series of (Sn1.06Te)1-x-(InSb)x (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075) samples are fabricated, and their thermoelectric performances are studied. The all-scale structure defects containing the atomic-scale In doping defects, the nanoscale Sb precipitates, and the mesoscale grain boundary scatter phonons collectively in a wide range of frequencies to give the ultralow lattice thermal conductivity. Concurrently, the incorporation of InSb decreases carrier concentration with marginal loss in carrier mobility, resulting in a little variation of electrical properties over a wide temperature range. The significantly decreased thermal conductivity and the preserved high power factor lead to a maximum ZT value of ∼0.84 at 823 K in the (Sn1.06Te)0.95(InSb)0.05 sample. This strategy of rapidly constructing all-scale structure defects could be applied to other thermoelectric systems to enhance thermoelectric performance.

Efficient detection of a biomarker for infant jaundice by a europium(iii)-organic framework luminescence sensor.

Efficient detection of excess bilirubin in human serum and urine is highly important for the early diagnosis of infant jaundice. A highly stable Eu(iii)-based microporous framework with bent {Eu(COO)} chains interconnected by pairs of T-shaped 4,4'-(4,4'-bipyridine-2,6-diyl)dibenzoate (bpydb2-) linkers, {[Eu(H2O)(HCOO)(bpydb)]·solvent} n (1), was solvothermally synthesized and used as a chemical sensor for bilirubin response under clinically-applicable visible-light excitation. Due to the significant synergetic effect of the inner filter effect and photoinduced electron transfer, 1 can effectively probe trace amounts of bilirubin in aqueous solution through fluorescence decay with a strong quenching constant of 6.40 × 104 M-1 and low detection limit of 1.75 µM. More importantly, a portable test paper made from 1 was further developed to achieve qualitative, naked-eye visualized differentiation for the biomarker in clinical applications. These interesting findings highlight the importance of the π-conjugated antenna ligand for clinically applicable Ln-MOF sensors.

Use of low-calcium cultivars to reduce cadmium uptake and accumulation in edible amaranth (Amaranthus mangostanus L.).

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of low Cd accumulation in crops using edible amaranth (Amaranthus mangostanus L.) as a model. Fifteen amaranth cultivars were grown in long-term contaminated soil, and the differences in soil Cd mobilization, root uptake, and root-shoot translocation between low- and high-Cd accumulating cultivars were examined. The transport pathways of Cd across the root were further identified in Hoagland nutrient solution using the Ca channel blocker La3+, the ATP inhibitor 2, 4-dinitrophenol (DNP), and a nutrition-deficient culture. Cd concentrations in amaranth cultivars varied about six-fold and showed an elevated trend as the concentration of Ca and Zn increased (p < 0.01), but did not exhibit any correlation with Mg and Fe. The concentrations of essential metals (Ca, Mg, Zn, and Fe) in the rhizosphere of low-Cd cultivars were significantly lower than those of high-Cd cultivars, and decreased with decreasing levels of soluble rhizosphere exudates. These findings indicated that low co-mobilization of Cd with essential metals mediated by root-induced exudates of low-Cd cultivars contributed to its low accumulation in amaranth. Uptake of Cd was inhibited along with Ca by La3+ and DNP, but was promoted by Ca or Fe deficiency treatment. Therefore, the Ca pathway is likely the mode of Cd entry into amaranth roots, although Zn and Fe transporters may also be involved. Low-Ca cultivars exhibited lower Cd uptake capability than high-Ca cultivars. The low translocation efficiency of Cd from root to shoot also contributed to its low content accumulation in edible parts of amaranth.

Renal clear cell carcinoma with thyroid and parotid metastases: A case report.

The present study reports a rare case of a renal clear cell carcinoma with thyroid and parotid metastases. A 56-year-old female, with a painless, right preauricular mass present for 6 months was referred to Renji Hospital (Shanghai, China). Physical examination revealed a mass of 3×3 cm, which was smooth, firm, immobile and non-tender. There was no accompanying facial weakness. Parotid ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic mass within the right parotid gland, which was potentially a parotid mixed tumor. In July 2011, the patient underwent a superficial parotidectomy with preservation of the facial nerve. Pathology confirmed as right parotid clear cell carcinoma (metastasis). The patient's relevant medical history included a right radical nephrectomy for renal clear cell carcinoma (clinical stage III) in 2004. Additionally, in 2009, the patient underwent a resection of thyroid metastatic renal cell carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, no similar case has previously been reported in English-language literature. The present study discusses a case report, and investigates the clinical features and treatment strategy.

Resveratrol protects human sperm against cryopreservation-induced injury / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To investigate the effects of resveratrol in the cryopreservation medium on the quality and function of post-thaw sperm.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Semen samples were obtained from 50 normozoospermic and 50 oligoasthenozoospermic men, liquefied and then cryopreserved in the glycerol-egg yolk-citrate (GEYC) medium with or without 30 μmol/L resveratrol. Sperm motility, viability and acrosome reaction (AR) were examined before and after thawing. Sperm lipid peroxidation and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using commercial malondialdehyde (MDA) and the ROS assay kit. Sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and DNA damage were determined by Rhodamine 123 staining and TUNEL.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS), total sperm motility, sperm viability, MMP and AR were significantly decreased (P <0.05) while the levels of sperm ROS, MDA and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) remarkably increased in both the normozoospermia and oligoasthenozoospermia groups after cryopreservation as compared with those in the fresh ejaculate (P <0.05). In comparison with the non-resveratrol control, the post-thaw sperm cryopreserved with 30 μmol/L resveratrol showed markedly higher PMS (［32.7 ± 4.8］ vs ［43.1 ± 6.3］ %, P <0.05), total motility (［44.8 ± 6.9］ vs ［56.9 ± 7.4］ %, P <0.05), viability (［52.3 ± 6.1］ vs ［67.5 ± 5.6］ %, P <0.05), MMP (［56.5 ± 7.0］ vs ［63.4 ± 7.5］ %, P <0.05) and AR (［16.6 ± 3.8］ vs ［26.3 ± 4.7］ %, P <0.05) but lower ROS, MDA and DFI (all P <0.05) in the normozoospermia group, and so did the post-thaw sperm in the oligoasthenozoospermia group, with a particularly lower DFI (［28.5 ± 4.8］ vs ［36.3 ± 5.7］%, P <0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Resveratrol in the cryopreservation medium can improve the quality and function of post-thaw human sperm by reducing cryopreservation-induced sperm injury and the level of ROS.</p>

Forebrain NMDA receptor 2B subunit over-expression has no influence on anxiety behaviors of mice / 生理学报

It has been known that the glutamate transmission system and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) were possibly related to anxiety processes. Although anxiety symptom can be relieved by NMDA-R antagonists and partial agonists treatment, the functions of NMDA-R and its subunits in anxiety behaviors remain unclear. We used forebrain specific NR2B over-expression mice to examine whether the increase of NR2B subunit level would induce anxiety behaviors. The results indicated that the juvenile (3-5 months old), middle-aged (8-10 months old) and old (19-22 months old ) NR2B transgenic mice showed no significant difference in open field test and elevated plus maze test as compared with the control mice. Capillary electrophoresis of monoamine neurotransmitter in subregions of forebrain revealed no significant difference between transgenic and control mice of 16-18 months age. These results suggest that the increase of NR2B expression and followed NR1 and NR2A expression augmentations in the forebrain have no significant effect on anxiety-related behaviors in mice.