Adaptive evolution of the enigmatic Takakia now facing climate change in Tibet.

The most extreme environments are the most vulnerable to transformation under a rapidly changing climate. These ecosystems harbor some of the most specialized species, which will likely suffer the highest extinction rates. We document the steepest temperature increase (2010-2021) on record at altitudes of above 4,000 m, triggering a decline of the relictual and highly adapted moss Takakia lepidozioides. Its de-novo-sequenced genome with 27,467 protein-coding genes includes distinct adaptations to abiotic stresses and comprises the largest number of fast-evolving genes under positive selection. The uplift of the study site in the last 65 million years has resulted in life-threatening UV-B radiation and drastically reduced temperatures, and we detected several of the molecular adaptations of Takakia to these environmental changes. Surprisingly, specific morphological features likely occurred earlier than 165 mya in much warmer environments. Following nearly 400 million years of evolution and resilience, this species is now facing extinction.

Abscisic acid-mediated autoregulation of the MYB41-BRAHMA module enhances drought tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Drought stress poses a substantial challenge to plant growth and agricultural productivity worldwide. Upon water depletion, plants activate an abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway, leading to stomatal closure to reduce water loss. The MYB family of transcription factors plays diverse roles in growth, development, stress responses and biosynthesis, yet their involvement in stomatal regulation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that ABA significantly upregulates the expression of MYB41, MYB74, and MYB102, with MYB41 serving as a key regulator that induces the expression of both MYB74 and MYB102. Through luciferase assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), we reveal that MYB41 engages in positive feedback regulation by binding to its own promoter, thus amplifying its transcription in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Furthermore, our investigation showed that MYB41 recruits BRAHMA (BRM), the core ATPase subunit of the SWI/SNF complex, to the MYB41 promoter, facilitating the binding of HISTONE DEACETYLASE 6 (HDA6). This recruitment triggers epigenetic modifications, resulting in reduced MYB41 expression characterized by elevated H3K27me3 levels and concurrent decreases in H3ac, H3K27ac, and H3K14ac levels in wild-type plants compared to brm knockout mutant plants. Our genetic and molecular analyses show that ABA mediates autoregulation of the MYB41-BRM module, which intricately modulates stomatal movement in A. thaliana. This discovery sheds light on a drought response mechanism with the potential to greatly enhance agricultural productivity.

Is It Appropriate to Adjust the Uric Acid Reference Interval?

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the observable distribution of serum uric acid levels in healthy adults residing in China's coastal areas and to assess the suitability of current reference intervals. METHODS: The study incorporated 20,786 participants. The overall uric acid level displayed a skewed distribution, leading to the division of subjects into six groups based on gender and age. The analysis was conducted to comprehend the distribution of UA in various groups and seasons, establish and validate the reference intervals for the surface healthy population in this region, and analyze the abnormality rates using different reference intervals. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed between the uric acid levels of males and females across all age groups (ALL p < 0.05). Furthermore, there were statistical differences in uric acid levels among different age groups for both genders (H = 69.593 and 326.348, all p < 0.001). The overall reference interval was determined as 238 - 488 µmol/L for males and 155 - 364 µmol/L for females, based on the 95% confidence interval (P2.5 - P97.5). The established reference intervals, grounded on gender and age group, were validated, showing statistically significant disparities in UA levels among groups. The abnormality rate in males decreased by 56.90% following the adjustment of the reference interval. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that UA levels at all ages exhibited varying degrees of "right shift". Additionally, the low-value population should not be overlooked in the clinical evaluation of UA test results. Setting a reasonable reference interval and clinical decision level is crucial for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Development of PEG-mediated genetic transformation and gene editing system of Bryum argenteum as an abiotic stress tolerance model plant.

KEY MESSAGE: To establish a sterile culture system and protoplast regeneration system for Bryum argenteum, and to establish and apply CRISPR/Cas9 system in Bryum argenteum. Bryum argenteum is a fascinating, cosmopolitan, and versatile moss species that thrives in various disturbed environments. Because of its comprehensive tolerance to the desiccation, high UV and extreme temperatures, it is emerging as a model moss for studying the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to abiotic stresses. However, the lack of basic tools such as gene transformation and targeted genome modification has hindered the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the survival of B. argenteum in different environments. Here, we reported the protonema of B. argenteum can survive up to 95.4% water loss. In addition, the genome size of B. argenteum is approximately 313 Mb by kmer analysis, which is smaller than the previously reported 700 Mb. We also developed a simple method for protonema induction and an efficient protoplast isolation and regeneration protocol for B. argenteum. Furthermore, we established a PEG-mediated protoplast transient transfection and stable transformation system for B. argenteum. Two homologues of ABI3(ABA-INSENSITIVE 3) gene were successfully cloned from B. argenteum. To further investigate the function of the ABI3 gene in B. argenteum, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic editing system to target the BaABI3A and BaABI3B gene in B. argenteum protoplasts. This resulted in mutagenesis at the target in about 2-5% of the regenerated plants. The isolated abi3a and abi3b mutants exhibited increased sensitivity to desiccation, suggesting that BaABI3A and BaABI3B play redundant roles in desiccation stress. Overall, our results provide a rapid and simple approach for molecular genetics in B. argenteum. This study contributes to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of plant adaptation to extreme environmental.

Predictability comparison of sizing parameters for postoperative vault after implantable Collamer lens implantation.

PURPOSE: This study aims to assess the accuracy of three parameters (white-to-white distance [WTW], angle-to-angle [ATA], and sulcus-to-sulcus [STS]) in predicting postoperative vault and to formulate an optimized predictive model. METHODS: In this retrospective study, a cohort of 465 patients (comprising 769 eyes) who underwent the implantation of the V4c implantable Collamer lens with a central port (ICL) for myopia correction was examined. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and classification models were used to predict postoperative vault. The influences of WTW, ATA, and STS on predicting the postoperative vault and ICL size were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The dataset was randomly divided into training (80%) and test (20%) sets, with no significant differences observed between them. The screened variables included only seven variables which conferred the largest signal in the model, namely, lens thickness (LT, estimated coefficients for logistic least absolute shrinkage of -0.20), STS (-0.04), size (0.08), flat K (-0.006), anterior chamber depth (0.15), spherical error (-0.006), and cylindrical error (-0.0008). The optimal prediction model depended on STS (R2=0.419, RMSE=0.139), whereas the least effective prediction model relied on WTW (R2=0.395, RMSE=0.142). In the classified prediction models of the vault, classification prediction of the vault based on STS exhibited superior accuracy compared to ATA or WTW. CONCLUSIONS: This study compared the capabilities of WTW, ATA, and STS in predicting postoperative vault, demonstrating that STS exhibits a stronger correlation than the other two parameters.

TEB/POLQ plays dual roles in protecting Arabidopsis from NO-induced DNA damage.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key player in numerous physiological processes. Excessive NO induces DNA damage, but how plants respond to this damage remains unclear. We screened and identified an Arabidopsis NO hypersensitive mutant and found it to be allelic to TEBICHI/POLQ, encoding DNA polymerase θ. The teb mutant plants were preferentially sensitive to NO- and its derivative peroxynitrite-induced DNA damage and subsequent double-strand breaks (DSBs). Inactivation of TEB caused the accumulation of spontaneous DSBs largely attributed to endogenous NO and was synergistic to DSB repair pathway mutations with respect to growth. These effects were manifested in the presence of NO-inducing agents and relieved by NO scavengers. NO induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in the teb mutant, indicative of stalled replication forks. Genetic analyses indicate that Polθ is required for translesion DNA synthesis across NO-induced lesions, but not oxidation-induced lesions. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that Polθ bypasses NO-induced base adducts in an error-free manner and generates mutations characteristic of Polθ-mediated end joining. Our experimental data collectively suggests that Polθ plays dual roles in protecting plants from NO-induced DNA damage. Since Polθ is conserved in higher eukaryotes, mammalian Polθ may also be required for balancing NO physiological signaling and genotoxicity.

Sevoflurane with Low Concentration Decrease DNA Methylation on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)-Related Gene Promoter in COPD Rat.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a difficult-to-cure disease that mainly affects the respiratory system. Inhaled anesthetic drug such as sevoflurane plays a controversial role in COPD by different concentration, but the underlying epigenetic mechanism remains unclear. Here, we prepared lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced COPD rat model, and isolated Alveolar type II (ATII) cells. We mainly focused DNA methylation on the promoter of COPD-related genes including Sftpa1, Napsa, Ca2, Sfta2, Lamp3, Wif1, Pgc, and Etv5. We observed COPD rat treated by sevoflurane with low (0.5%) and high (2%) concentrations displayed an opposite DNA methylation pattern. These six genes' promoter were all hypomethylated by 0.5% sevoflurane whereas hypermethylated by 2% sevoflurane, accompanied with the opposite transcriptional activity. We further verified that the DNMT1 binding ability contributed to DNA methylation these six genes' promoter. Moreover, we also captured DNMT1 and identified REC8 meiotic recombination protein (REC8) as the specific binding protein only existed in ATII cells treated with 0.5% sevoflurane rather than 2% and control. The binding ability of REC8 on these target genes' promoter showed highly positive correlation with DNMT1. In summary, we uncovered a potential epigenetic role of sevoflurane with low concentration in ATII cells of COPD that may help us deeply understand the pathogenesis and treatment mechanism of inhaled anesthesia drugs in COPD via a dose-dependent manner.

Negative-pressure wound therapy for III/IV pressure injuries: A meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis was conducted to identify the potential benefits and the efficacy of negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for III/IV pressure injuries (PIs) compared with standard wound care (SWC). Sixteen RCTs with 629 patients were included in our analysis. The methodological quality was assessed by the Cochrane Collaboration Tool. The outcomes included complete ulcer healing rate, wound healing time, pain score, the frequency of dressing change, hospitalization cost, the condition of the exudate, and the wound improvement. The percentage of healing rate was 61.45% for the NPWT group and 36.90% for SWC (95% CI: 1.32-1.70). There were significant differences in wound healing time (WMD = -16.47 days, 95% [CI (-22.36, - 10.59) days, P ≤ .001]). The pain score and hospitalization cost in NPWT was lower compared with SWC group (WMD = -2.39, 95% CI [-3.47, -1.30], P ≤ .001); (SMD = -2.55, 95% CI [-4.07, -1.03], P < .01). The frequency of dressing change in both NPWT groups was greatly reduced (SMD = -3.61, 95% [CI (-4.57, - 2.66) times, P ≤ .001]). Our meta-analysis indicated that NPWT was associated with greater improvements in improving PIs and shorting healing time for III/IV PIs. However, this conclusion needs to be confirmed by high-quality multicenter RCTs.

Distribution characteristics and influencing factors of homocyteine in an apparently healthy examined population.

BACKGROUND: Homocysteine (Hcy) is considered to be a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Few studies have evaluated the distribution of Hcy on a large-scale health examination. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the level and distribution of Hcy in the population with healthy physical examination and the correlation with other biomarkers, and analyzed for cardiovascular and other diseases. METHODS: Measurements of serum Hcy, TC, TG, LDL-c, HDL-c, ALT, ALP, γ-GT, TBIL, GLU, urea, Cr, UA, and related metabolic risk factors were selected for analysis from 8063 medical examination samples collected from February 2017 to April 2020. The relationship between Hcy and other biochemical indicators were evaluated with the multivariate regression model of age, gender, smoking, drinking, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). RESULTS: Among 8063 cases, the age, BMI, SBP, and DBP of the high-Hcy group were higher than those of the low-Hcy group, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001), and the proportion of males, smoking, and drinking were higher than the low-Hcy group, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001); Hcy of the abnormal GLU group is higher than the normal GLU group (P = 0.002) and the Hcy of abnormal TG and HDL is higher than that of the normal blood lipid group (P < 0.001); Hcy of people with abnormal UA and Urea was higher than that of people with normal renal function (P < 0.001, P = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, lnHDL-C was negatively correlated with lnHcy (ß = - 0.038, SE = 0.016, P = 0.019), lnCr was positively correlated with lnHcy (ß = 0.055, SE = 0.016, P < 0.001), lnUA and lnHcy were positive correlated (ß = 0.043, SE = 0.019, P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Hcy is closely related to HDL-c, Cr, and UA, which indicates that Hcy may affect the metabolism of HDL-c and UA, and can also be used as an auxiliary diagnostic index for kidney injury.

Clinical Performance Evaluation of Feces Analyzer KU-F10.

BACKGROUND: Systematic performance verification is required before a laboratory can introduce a new measure-ment procedure for reporting results of patient testing. The aim of this study was to explore the basic performance and clinical application value of KU-F10 Feces analyzer. METHODS: We collected 530 fecal specimens in our hospital from October 2019 to February 2020, using manual methods as the gold standard. Then we made a comprehensive evaluation from repeatability, carried pollution rate, coincidence rate of formed element, and coincidence rate of fecal occult blood test. RESULTS: The sensitivity of white blood cells was 90.3%, the specificity was 99.2%, and the coincidence rate with microscopy was 98.7%; the sensitivity of the instrument to detect red blood cells was 90.3%, the specificity was 98.2%, and the coincidence rate with microscopy was 97.7%, The sensitivity of the instrument to detect fungi is 100.0%, the specificity is 98.7%, and the coincidence rate with the microscopy is 98.7%. The sensitivity of the in-strument to detect fat globules is 94.7%, the specificity is 99.0%, the coincidence rate with the microscopy is 98.9%. Comparison of instrumental fecal occult blood test and reagent B fecal occult blood result: On the 387 cases tested fecal samples, the sensitivity of the instrument was 83.8%, the specificity was 96.5%, and the coincidence rate with the results of microscopy was 92.3%. FOB minimum detection limit is 0.1 µg/mL and detection range is 0.1 to 2,000 µg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: The KU-F10 feces analyzer has an advantage of a high degree of automation, simple operation procedures, fast detection speed, improved working environment, improved work efficiency, and higher clinical application value.

A chloride efflux transporter, BIG RICE GRAIN 1, is involved in mediating grain size and salt tolerance in rice.

Grain size is determined by the size and number of cells in the grain. The regulation of grain size is crucial for improving crop yield; however, the genes and molecular mechanisms that control grain size remain elusive. Here, we report that a member of the detoxification efflux carrier /Multidrug and Toxic Compound Extrusion (DTX/MATE) family transporters, BIG RICE GRAIN 1 (BIRG1), negatively influences grain size in rice (Oryza sativa L.). BIRG1 is highly expressed in reproductive organs and roots. In birg1 grain, the outer parenchyma layer cells of spikelet hulls are larger than in wild-type (WT) grains, but the cell number is unaltered. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, BIRG1 exhibits chloride efflux activity. Consistent with this role of BIRG1, the birg1 mutant shows reduced tolerance to salt stress at a toxic chloride level. Moreover, grains from birg1 plants contain a higher level of chloride than those of WT plants when grown under normal paddy field conditions, and the roots of birg1 accumulate more chloride than those of WT under saline conditions. Collectively, the data suggest that BIRG1 in rice functions as a chloride efflux transporter that is involved in mediating grain size and salt tolerance by controlling chloride homeostasis.

[Advances in the studies of pancreatic kininogenase in male reproduction].

With the increasing attention to the relationship between male reproductive system diseases and microcirculation disorders, pancreatic kininogenase, a drug to improve microcirculation, is becoming a focus in the studies of the treatment of male reproductive diseases. It is reported recently that pancreatic kininogenase has a similar effect to type-5 phosphodiesterase inhibitors and may become a new drug for the treatment of ED. This article mainly discusses the possible action mechanisms of pancreatic kininogenase from the aspects of kallikrein-kinin system and pancreatic kininogenase promoting semen liquefaction and improving sperm quality and erectile function.

Metabolomics study of different parts of licorice from different geographical origins and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., known as licorice, is one of the most famous traditional Chinese medicines. In this study, we perform a metabolome analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to assign bioactive components in different parts of licorice from different geographical origins in Gansu province of China. Sixteen potential biomarkers of taproots from different geographical origins were annotated, such as glycycoumarin, gancaonin Z, licoricone, and dihydroxy kanzonol H mainly exist in the sample of Jiuquan; neoliquiritin, 6'-acetylliquiritin, licochalcone B, isolicoflavonol, glycyrol, and methylated uralenin mainly exist in Glycyrrhiza uralensis from Lanzhou; gancaonin L, uralenin, and glycybridin I mainly exist in licorice from Wuwei for the first time.

[Relationship of group B streptococcus colonization in late pregnancy with perinatal outcomes].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization in late pregnancy with perinatal outcome. METHODS: Pregnant women who underwent antenatal check-up at General Hospital of PLA Eastern Theater Command and the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to December 2018 were enrolled in the study. The vaginal and rectal swab samples were collected for GBS culture at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy. The perinatal outcomes of positive and negative GBS groups were compared. The GBS-positive group samples were tested for antibiotic susceptibility. In GBS positive group the maternal and child perinatal outcomes were compared between pregnant women with antibiotics treatment and those without antibiotics. RESULTS: A total of 13 000 pregnant women were enrolled, and the overall colonization rate of GBS was 3.65%(475/13 000). The colonization rate of GBS in the vagina was 2.33%(303/13 000), and the colonization rate in the rectum was 1.75%(227/13 000). Through the collection and detection of rectal specimens, the positive rate of GBS increased by 56.77%(172/303). The monthly colonization rate of GBS showed significant fluctuations with the highest in March and October (all P < 0.05). The sensitivity of 475 GBS-positive specimens to ceftriaxone, vancomycin and linezolid were 100%, and the sensitivity to ampicillin and penicillin were 97.26%and 93.47%, respectively. The resistance rates of the strains to levofloxacin, clindamycin, erythromycin and tetracycline were 30.11%, 48.00%, 52.21%and 88.63%. The incidence of premature rupture of membranes, postpartum hemorrhage, puerperal infection, neonatal pneumonia and sepsis in GBS positive group were significantly higher than those in GBS negative group (all P < 0.01). In pregnant women with positive GBS, the incidence of puerperal infection, neonatal infection and admission to the NICU in the antibiotic group were significantly lower than those in the non-antibiotic group ( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The total colonization rate of GBS is low. The detection of GBS can be significantly improved by supplementing rectal examination. Ceftriaxone, ampicillin and penicillin are currently the drugs of choice for the prevention and treatment of GBS-related diseases. GBS infection can increase the incidence of maternal and child complications. The use of antibiotics during labor can improve the outcome of mothers and infants.

Arabidopsis cryptochrome 1 functions in nitrogen regulation of flowering.

The phenomenon of delayed flowering after the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer has long been known in agriculture, but the detailed molecular basis for this phenomenon is largely unclear. Here we used a modified method of suppression-subtractive hybridization to identify two key factors involved in N-regulated flowering time control in Arabidopsis thaliana, namely ferredoxin-NADP(+)-oxidoreductase and the blue-light receptor cryptochrome 1 (CRY1). The expression of both genes is induced by low N levels, and their loss-of-function mutants are insensitive to altered N concentration. Low-N conditions increase both NADPH/NADP(+) and ATP/AMP ratios, which in turn affect adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity. Moreover, our results show that the AMPK activity and nuclear localization are rhythmic and inversely correlated with nuclear CRY1 protein abundance. Low-N conditions increase but high-N conditions decrease the expression of several key components of the central oscillator (e.g., CCA1, LHY, and TOC1) and the flowering output genes (e.g., GI and CO). Taken together, our results suggest that N signaling functions as a modulator of nuclear CRY1 protein abundance, as well as the input signal for the central circadian clock to interfere with the normal flowering process.

Prevalence of pressure injury among Chinese community-dwelling older people and its risk factors: A national survey based on Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey.

AIM: To investigate the distribution of pressure injuries among older adults in China and to identify the associated risk factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: The identified subjects were collected from 2012 wave of a national Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Older people were defined as being 65 years of age or older. We used chi-square test and binary logistic regression to investigate the risk factors of pressure injury development. RESULTS: A total of 55 older people were documented as suffering from pressure injuries among 6,961 older Chinese adults, with a prevalence of 0.8%. In the group of disability, the prevalence of pressure injuries from high to low was 3.6% in the highly limited group, 0.4% in the moderately limited group, and 0.3% in the not limited group. The prevalence of pressure injury among older people with stroke, cancer, and dementia were 2%, 4.2%, and 6.6%, respectively. According to the final binary logistic regression analysis, age, disability, incontinence, cancer, and dementia emerged as important risk factors for pressure injury development. CONCLUSION: Pressure injury among Chinese community-dwelling aged people was shown to be associated with age, disability, incontinence, cancer, and dementia. As the development of pressure injury may distinctly increase the burden on individuals and healthcare systems, the social and related institutions should actively prevent and control the disease. IMPACT: The results of this study will improve the identification of pressure injury among older Chinese people and contribute to the development of effective pressure injury risk management interventions.

PpAKR1A, a Novel Aldo-Keto Reductase from Physcomitrella Patens, Plays a Positive Role in Salt Stress.

The moss Physcomitrella patens is tolerant of highly saline environments. In plants, salinity stress may induce the production of toxic reactive carbonyl species (RCS) and oxidative damage. Aldo-keto reductases (AKRs) are a large group of NADP-dependent oxidoreductases involved in RCS detoxification. However, many members in this superfamily remain uncharacterized. In this study, we cloned and characterised a putative AKR1 from P. patens, named PpAKR1A. Notably, the transcription level of PpAKR1A was induced by salt and methylglyoxal (MG) stress, and the recombinant PpAKR1A protein catalysed the reduction of toxic aldehydes. PpAKR1A knockout mutants of P. patens (ppakr1a) were sensitive to NaCl and MG treatment, as indicated by much lower concentrations of chlorophyll and much higher concentrations of MG and H2O2 than those in WT plants. Meanwhile, ppakr1a plants exhibited decreases in the MG-reducing activity and reactive oxygen species-scavenging ability in response to salt stress, possibly due to decreases in the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD). Our results indicate that PpAKR1A is an aldo-keto reductase that detoxifies MG and thus plays an important role in salt stress tolerance in P. patens.

Constituents Isolated from the Leaves of Glycyrrhiza uralansis and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities on LPS-Induced RAW264.7 Cells.

Licorice, the root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza uralansis Fisch, is one of the most frequently used Traditional Chinese Medicines in rigorous clinical trials to remove toxins and sputum, and to relieve coughing. However, the aerial parts are not used so widely at present. It has been reported that the aerial parts have many bioactivities such as anti-microbial and anti-HIV activities. In this study, we aimed to discover the bioactive compounds from the leaves of G. uralensis. Four new compounds, licostilbene A-B (1-2) and licofuranol A-B (3-4), together with eight known flavonoids (5-12), were isolated and identified from the leaves of G. uralensis. Their structures were elucidated mainly by the interpretation of high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data. Compared with quercetin, which showed a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 4.08 µg/mL, compounds 1-9 showed significant anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production with IC50 values of 2.60, 2.15, 3.21, 3.25, 2.00, 3.45, 2.53, 3.13 and 3.17 µg/mL, respectively. The discovery of these active compounds is important for the prevention and treatment of inflammation.

MiR-152 influences osteoporosis through regulation of osteoblast differentiation by targeting RICTOR.

Context: Evidence suggests that microRNA (miRNA) regulate gene expression and bone tissue homoeostasis of osteoporosis. MiR-152 has found to be abnormally expressed in osteoporosis, but its role in osteoblast differentiation has not been elucidated. Objective: To understand the potential mechanism of miR-152 in osteoblast differentiation via regulation of RICTOR. Materials and methods: The expression of miR-152 and RICTOR were tested in ovariectomized rat models of osteoporosis. Primary osteoblasts and MC3T -E1 cells were assigned into four groups, namely Control, miR-152 inhibitor, miR-control and miR-152 inhibitor + siRICTOR groups. qRT PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the expressions of miR-152 and RICTOR, respectively. MTT assay was used to evaluate cell viability, and ALP activity determination and mineralization analyses were also conducted. Results: In ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic rats, miR-152 (3.06 ± 0.35) in femoral tissues increased significantly, while RICTOR (0.31 ± 0.04) decreased. Compared with Control group, miR-152 inhibitor group presented appreciable reduction of miR-152 in primary osteoblasts and MC3T3-E1 cells, as well as remarkable increases in RICTOR, p-Akt(s473)/Akt ratio, and osteogenesis-related genes, with enhanced cell viability, ALP activity and mineralization. In comparison with cells in the miR-152 inhibitor group, those in the miR-152 inhibitor + siRICTOR group had no observable difference in miR-152, but were dramatically up-regulated in RICTOR, as well as the corresponding opposite tendencies of other factors. Conclusion: Inhibiting miR-152 promoted osteoblasts differentiation and alleviated osteoporosis by up-regulating RICTOR. Therefore, miR-152 may be an essential mediator of osteoblast differentiation and a new therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis.

[Roles of cyclins in the progression of spermatogenesis].

Spermatogenesis is a complex and precise process of differentiation of germ cells, which involves three stages: mitosis of spermatogonia, meiosis of spermatocytes and formation of spermatozoa. The process is controlled by many factors, including regulation of cyclins in spermatogenic cells, which plays a pivotal role. Cyclins form heterologous dimer compounds with protein kinase activity by binding to cyclin-dependent kinases, then phosphorylate multiple proteins and promote the orderly conduct of each phase of the cell cycle. In recent years, cyclins A, B, D and E have been found to play important roles in the regulation of spermatogenesis. This article presents an overview on the roles of these four cyclins in regulating the progression of spermatogenesis.