[Investigation of the inhibitory potential of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on prion replication, amplification, and fibril formation in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on the replication, amplification, and fibre formation of prions (PrPSc). Methods: The CCK8 assay was used to detect the cell viability of the prion-infected cell model SMB-S15 after CAPE treatment for 3 days and 7 days and the maximum safe concentration of CAPE for SMB-S15 was obtained. The cells were treated with a concentration within a safe range, and the content of PrPSc in the cells before and after CAPE treatment was analyzed by western blot. Protein misfolding cycle amplification (PMCA) and western blot were used to assess changes in PrPSc level in amplification products following CAPE treatment. Real-time-quaking induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) technology was employed to explore the changes in fibril formation before and after CAPE treatment. The binding affinity between CAPE and murine recombinant full-length prion protein was determined using a molecular interaction assay. Results: CCK8 cell viability assay results demonstrated that treatment with 1 µmol/L CAPE for 3 and 7 days did not exhibit statistically significant differences in cell viability compared to the control group (all P<0.05). However, when the concentration of CAPE exceeded 1 µmol/L, a significant reduction in cell viability was observed in cells treated with CAPE for 3 and 7 days, compared to the control group (all P<0.05). Thus, 1 µmol/L was determined as the maximum safe concentration of CAPE treatment for SMB-S15 cells. The western blot results revealed that treatment with CAPE for both 3 and 7 days led to a detectable reduction in the levels of PrPSc in SMB-S15 cells (all P<0.05). The products of PMCA experiments were assessed using western blot. The findings revealed a significant decrease in the levels of PrPSc (relative grey value) in the PMCA amplification products of adapted-strains SMB-S15, 139A, and ME7 following treatment with CAPE, as compared to the control group (all P<0.05). The RT-QuIC experimental results demonstrated a reduction in fibril formation (as indicated by ThT peak values) in CAPE-treated mouse-adapted strains 139A, ME7, and SMB-S15, as well as in SMB-S15 cells infected with prions. Furthermore, CAPE exhibited varying degrees of inhibition towards different seed fibrils formation, with statistically significant differences observed (all P<0.05). Notably, CAPE exhibited a more pronounced inhibitory effect on ME7 seed fibrils. Molecular interaction analyses demonstrated significant binding between CAPE and murine recombinant prion protein, and the association constant was (2.92±0.41)×10-6 mol/L. Conclusions: CAPE inhibits PrPSc replication, amplification, and fibril formation in vitro possibly due to specific interactions with the prion protein at the molecular level.

[Analysis of volatile constituents and chemical relationship of cultivated and wild Angelica dahurica].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the volatile constituents and their contents in the roots of 5 cultivated Angelica dahurica and one wild A. dahurica and analyze the chemical relationship among the plants of A. dahurica. METHODS: The essential oil was extracted from the roots of 5 cultivated plants of Angelica dahurica and one wild A. dahurica by water steam distillation. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to separate and identify all the volatile oil components in the extracts, and their relative contents were calculated with area normalization method. We also conducted clustering analysis and principal component analysis of the volatile oil components. RESULTS: We identified a total of 81 compounds from the roots of the 6 plants of Angelica dahurica, including 27 in Chuanbaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Hangbaizhi'), 34 in Hangbaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Hangbaizhi'), 24 in Qibaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv. 'Qibaizhi'), 32 in Yubaizhi (Angelica dahurica cv.'Qibaizhi'), 28 in Bobahizhi (Angelica dahurica cv.'Qibaizhi'), and 34 in Xinganbaizhi (Angelica dahuirca). These compounds included, in the order of their relative contents (from high to low), alkanes, olefins, esters, organic acids and alcohols. Among the common components found in the roots of all the plants of A. dahurica, nonylcyclopropane, cyclododecane and hexadecanoic acid were identified as the volatile oil components that showed the highest relative contents. Clustering analysis of the volatile oil components showed that wild Angelica dahurica (Xing'anbaizhi) and the 5 cultivated Angelica dahurica (Chuanbaizhi, Hangbaizhi, Qibaizhi, Yubaizhi, Bobaizhi) could be divided into two groups, and the cultivated Angelica dahurica could be divided into two subgroups: Chuanbaizhi, Yubaizhi and Hangbahizhi were clustered in one subgroup, and Qibaizhi and Bobaizhi in another. The results of principal component analysis was consistent with those of clustering analysis. CONCLUSION: The main volatile oil components and their contents vary among the 6 plants of A. dahurica. Nonylcyclopropane, cyclododecane and hexadecanoic acid are the most abundant volatile oil components in all the plants of A. dahurica, which can be divided into two clusters.

Adoptive transfer of immunomodulatory M2 macrophages suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in C57BL/6 mice via blockading NF-κB pathway.

Macrophages play important roles in multiple sclerosis (MS) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), and M2 macrophage may have anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we elucidated the roles of M1 and M2 macrophages in the pathogenesis of EAE and the effects of treatment with M2 macrophages that target certain proinflammatory cytokines and with immunomodulatory preparations that beneficially influence the disease course. We found macrophages increased at the onset of clinical signs in the EAE group, consistent with an increased proportion of M1 macrophages and low numbers of M2 macrophages. As the disease progressed and the symptoms worsened, M1 macrophages decreased and M2 macrophages gradually increased until the peak. In the recovery stage, M2 macrophages gradually decreased. Treatment with M2 macrophages inhibited the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway, alleviated the symptoms of EAE, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and demyelination in the central nervous system and decreased the numbers of macrophages in the spleens. BAY-11-7082, an NF-κB blocking agent, could reduce the total number of macrophages both in vivo and in vitro, effectively prevented EAE development and significantly inhibited EAE symptoms in mice. Our study demonstrates that macrophages may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of EAE, while M2 macrophages have anti-inflammatory effects. Transfer of M2 macrophages to EAE mice can block the NF-κB pathway successfully and relieve EAE symptoms. Application of NF-κB blockers is useful in the prevention and treatment of EAE.

A review about industrialization of Chinese materia medica decoction pieces.

Chinese materia medica decoction pieces (CMMDPs), one of the three pillars of the Chinese materia medica industry, are a key link in the Chinese materia medica industrial chain. Industrialization is the only way for the modernization of CMMDPs. This review mainly summarizes the characteristics, history, current situation and prospect of CMMDPs industry, providing a new reference for promoting the flourishing development of the industrialization of CMMDPs and for serving massive health industry. The literature was collected from databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Elsevier and CNKI (Chinese). CMMDPs industry has the characteristics of regionalism, resource dependency, customer diversity and low industrial concentration. Deeply processed products include traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula granules, small-packed decoction pieces, ultrafine decoction pieces, puffed decoction pieces, compressed decoction pieces and instant decoction pieces. Integration of treatment and processing at the place of origin is emerging. However, there is still room for improvement, for example, the manufacturing technologies of CMMDPs industry need to be continually improved. The management of CMMDPs' normalized production also needs to be strengthened. The quality of CMMDPs should be strengthened supervision and it should establish the objective and feasible quality evaluation system for CMMDPs. At present, China has attached unprecedented importance to the development of TCM, and issued a number of supporting policies, sparing no effort to support its development.

[Epidemiological analysis of malaria prevalence in Jiangsu Province in 2015].

Objective To understand the malaria epidemic situation and characteristics in Jiangsu Province in 2015, so as to provide the evidence for malaria elimination. Methods The data of malaria cases in Jiangsu Province in 2015 were collected from China's routine diseases surveillance information system. Results Totally 405 imported cases were reported in Jiangsu Province in 2015, and the cases increased by 14.08% compared with those in 2014. All the malaria cases were imported, and 5 cases (1.23%) were from Southeast Asia and 400 (98.77%) were from 25 African countries or regions. The imported malaria cases were reported in 13 cities across Jiangsu Province, where Taizhou, Lianyungang, Nantong, Huaian and Yangzhou cities accounted for 68.64% of all the cases in the province. Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases (JIPD) reference lab checked all the cases and classified 299 falciparum malaria cases, 13 vivax malaria cases, 18 quartan malaria cases, 71 ovale malaria cases, and 4 mixed Plasmodium infection cases. Conclusions In Jiangsu Province, there are no local malaria cases for 4 consecutive years, but the imported cases are on the rise. Compared to 2014, the imported vivax cases increased significantly in 2015. It should be the key points to strengthen the surveillance of imported malaria cases, improve malaria diagnosis and treatment abilities for all levels of medical institutions, and promote the abilities of Plasmodium check, and focus survey and disposal of all Center for Disease Control (CDC) staffs across Jiangsu Province.

The influences of ambient temperature and crude protein levels on performance and serum biochemical parameters in broilers.

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of ambient temperature, crude protein levels and their interaction on performance and serum biochemical parameters of broiler chickens. A total of 216 Arbor Acre broiler chickens (108 males and 108 females) were used in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement and randomly reared at two temperatures (normal temperature: 23 °C; daily cyclic high temperature: 28-32 °C) and fed on three diets with different crude protein levels (153.3, 183.3 or 213.3 g/kg, with constant essential amino acids) from 28 to 42 days of age. Daily cyclic high ambient temperature decreased final body weight, average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and serum total protein contents (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.008 respectively), but increased feed/gain, mortality, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, serum uric acid contents and serum creatine kinase activity (p = 0.008, p = 0.003, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.003 respectively), irrespective of crude protein levels. At the ambient temperature, reducing crude protein levels resulted in an increase in feed/gain (p < 0.001), but a decrease in serum total protein and uric acid contents. Only serum creatine kinase activity in broiler chickens was interacted by daily cyclic high ambient temperature and dietary crude protein levels (p = 0.003). These results indicated that daily cyclic high ambient temperature had a great effect on performance and serum biochemical parameters in broiler chickens, whereas dietary crude protein levels affected them partially.

Flumethrin residue levels in honey from apiaries of China by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A method for detection of flumethrin residue in honey by high-performance liquid chromatography was established. After n-hexane-dichloromethane (4:6, vol/vol) extraction, the honey samples were concentrated by rotary evaporation, purified by an Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction column, and detected using a UV detector at 267 nm. The interference of the matrix was greatly reduced by optimizing pretreatment conditions; thus, the minimal detection limit of cyhalothrin was 0.005 mg/kg, the average recovery was 80.8 to 96.8%, and the coefficient of variation was 0.6 to 1.5%. The precision and reproducibility of this method was suitable and applicable for detecting flumethrin residue in honey. With this method, 135 honey samples from seven locations in the People's Republic of China were tested; 77 samples tested positive for flumethrin residue, resulting in a detection rate of 75.3%. Samples from the Guangdong province had the highest flumethrin residue level (0.122 mg/kg) of the locations tested. On the basis of analytical validation, the high-performance liquid chromatography has been shown to be a promising alternative for the analysis of flumethrin residue in honey samples.

Effective protection of rabbits' explosive brain injury through blocking gap junction communication.

BACKGROUND: The gap junction plays an important role in spreading of apoptotic and necrotic signals from injured and stressed cells to the neighboring viable cells. The present study was performed to investigate the important role of gap junction communication on rabbits' explosive brain injury. METHODS: Explosion of paper detonators was used to create explosive brain injury model in 60 rabbits, which was randomly divided into control group and experimental group. Octanol, an efficient blocker of gap junction, was injected in the left ventricle to block gap junction communication in the experimental group 2 hours before injury, while the same volume of saline was utilized in the control group. RESULTS: Penumbra volume around the brain contusion in the experimental group was significantly less than that in the control group at 1d and 3d after brain damage. RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis indicated that the expression of connexin-43 (Cx43) and caspase-3 was significantly lower in the experimental group than that in the control group at all time points. CONCLUSION: Rabbits' explosive brain injury can be efficiently attenuated through blocking the gap junction communication, which benefit for deeper understanding the mechanism of brain injury.

Superiority of visipaque (iodixanol)-controlled density gradient over Ficoll-400 in adult porcine islet purification.

OBJECTIVE: Sufficient and favorable biological functions of islets are major problems hindering xenotransplantation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects on harvesting, purity, viability, and function of using improved Visipaque (iodixanol) and Ficoll-400 for adult porcine islet purification. METHODS: Twelve adult porcine pancreata were randomly divided into an Iodixanol-University of Wisconsin (UW) group and a Ficoll-400-UW group according to the purification method. Porcine pancreata were isolated by collagenase digestion. After isolation and purification, the islet yield and purity were evaluated by dithizone staining, and islet function assessed by in vitro insulin release assays and in vivo islet xenotransplantation. RESULTS: There were no marked differences in the islet yield before purification (5254.67 +/- 189.44 IEQ/g vs 5092.67 +/- 178.94 IEQ/g, P > .05). After purification, there were significantly more islets harvested in Iodixanol-UW group than in the Ficoll-400-UW group: 4222.00 +/- 228.84 IEQ/g vs 3036.83 +/- 79.60 IEQ/g (P < .05). Islets from the two groups showed satisfactory insulin secretory ability. There were no significant differences in islet survival times between the two groups in diabetic rats: 8.2 +/- 1.619 days vs 6.9 +/- 1.197 days (P > .05). CONCLUSION: The improved iodixanol-UW density gradient method was superior to Ficoll-400 method to improve the number, viability, and insulin secret of purified adult porcine islets although the benefits did not improve in vivo survival.

A new indole alkaloid from Arundo donax L.

A new indole alkaloid, named donasine, has been isolated from the rhizomes of Arundo donax L. Its structure was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis and spectral methods. The primary pharmacological test showed that the compound has an action of reducing fever.

C-band external-cavity wavelength-tunable laser based on a liquid-crystal deflector.

A novel C-band external-cavity wavelength-tunable laser is proposed. The laser consists of a semiconductor gain chip, a collimating lens, a fixed etalon, a liquid-crystal deflector and a diffraction grating in a Littrow configuration. The lasing wavelength of this tunable external-cavity laser can be tuned to 19 wavelength channels of 100 GHz spacing. All channels are within 2.5 GHz of the ITU grids with a side-mode suppression ratio of approximately 35 dB over the whole range.

Homogeneous modification of sugarcane bagasse cellulose with succinic anhydride using a ionic liquid as reaction medium.

The homogeneous chemical modification of sugarcane bagasse cellulose with succinic anhydride using 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl) ionic liquid as a reaction medium was studied. Parameters investigated included the molar ratio of succinic anhydride/anhydroglucose units in cellulose in a range from 2:1 to 14:1, reaction time (from 30 to 160min), and reaction temperature (between 60 and 110 degrees C). The succinylated cellulosic derivatives were prepared with a low degree of substitution (DS) ranging from 0.071 to 0.22. The results showed that the increase of reaction temperature, molar ratio of SA/AGU in cellulose, and reaction time led to an increase in DS of cellulose samples. The products were characterized by FT-IR and solid-state CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. It was found that the crystallinity of the cellulose was completely disrupted in the ionic liquid system under the conditions given. The data also demonstrated that homogeneous modification of cellulose with succinic anhydride in AmimCl resulted in the production of cellulosic monoester. The thermal stability of the succinylated cellulose decreased upon chemical modification.

Subnanosecond-resolution phase-resolved fluorescence imaging technique for biomedical applications.

Characterization of fluorescence emissions from cells often leads to conclusive results in the early detection of cellular abnormalities. Cellular abnormalities can be characterized by their difference in the fluorescence lifetime, which may be less than nanoseconds. A sensitive frequency domain technique, also called a phase-resolved fluorescence imaging technique, is proposed in which fluorescence emissions at the same wavelengths can more effectively be separated with subnanosecond resolution in their lifetime difference. The system configuration is optimized by incorporating even-step phase shifting in the homodyne-assisted signal-processing concept along with the phase-resolved fluorescence technique to eliminate the dc offsets of emission. Experiments are carried out with simulated samples composed of two fluorescence emissions of the same wavelength but with different lifetime values. Suppression of either of the fluorescence emissions by selective imaging of the other validates the superiority of the proposed technique. Hence, this technique can potentially be applied in the early detection of cellular abnormalities.

Application of fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) in latent finger mark detection.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) in frequency domain enables the mapping of the spatial distribution of fluorescence lifetimes of a specimen. It has been extensively applied in biology. In this paper, a theoretical analysis for the fluorescence lifetime determination of latent finger mark samples is described, which is followed by the feasibility study of using FLIM in frequency domain for latent finger marks detection. Preliminary experiments are carried out with latent finger marks treated with a fluorescent powder on two different substrates. The resulting fluorescence lifetime image of finger mark revealed a good contrast, and was able to detect the latent finger marks clearly.

Fluorescence optimisation and lifetime studies of fingerprints treated with magnetic powders.

Fluorescence study plays a significant role in fingerprint detection when conventional chemical enhancement methods fail. The basic properties of fluorescence emission such as colour, intensity and lifetime could be well exploited in the detection of latent fingerprints under steady state and in dynamic methods. This paper describes a systematic study of fluorescence emission intensity from fingerprint samples treated with different magnetic powders. Understanding of suitable excitation wavelength required for getting maximum fluorescence emission intensity could be beneficial when selecting the appropriate fluorescent powders for the fingerprint detection. Lifetime study of fingerprints treated with various magnetic powders was also carried out. The importance of lifetime study is well explained through the time-resolved (TR) imaging of fingerprints with nanosecond resolution. Results from the TR imaging study revealed an improvement in the fingerprint image contrast. This is significant when the print is deposited on fluorescing background and its emission wavelength is close to that of treated fingerprint.

Formulation and implementation of a phase-resolved fluorescence technique for latent-fingerprint imaging: theoretical and experimental analysis.

A theoretical and experimental study of the imaging of latent fingerprints by a phase-resolved fluorescence technique along with associated signal-processing analysis is described. The system configuration is optimized by incorporation of a novel approach of homodyne-assisted even-step phase shifting in a signal-processing concept. The excitation laser source and gain of the detection device, which are modulated at megahertz frequency followed by sensitive signal-processing concepts, are employed to separate the fingerprint fluorescence from background fluorescence. Experiments are carried out with fingerprints deposited upon different types of substrate surfaces. Later, a quantitative image-quality assessment is carried out, which confirms the improvement in the quality of the phase-resolved fingerprint image. Imaging of older fingerprints with better contrast is also carried out with the proposed novel technique.

Atmospheric sulfur deposition onto different ecosystems over China.

The regional acid deposition model system (RegADMS) was applied to simulate the air sulfur deposition onto different landuse types over China, in which the dry deposition velocities of SO2 and sulfate aerosol (SO4(2-) were estimated by use of a big leaf resistance analogy model and the wet scavenging coefficients were parameterized in terms of precipitation rate. Investigations show that the annual total sulfur deposition over mainland China is 7.24mt (1 mt = 10(6) ton) , in which dry deposition and wet deposition accounts for 56 and 44%, respectively. The sulfur deposition onto agriculture land, grass land, and forest land is 1.09, 3.6 and 1.41 mt, respectively, which sums 6.1 mt and accounts for 84% of the total sulfur deposition. The modeled sulfur deposition was in agreement with the measurement conducted at farmland in Yingtan, a typical read soil region in Jiangxi province of China, during the period of November 1998--October 1999. The total sulfur deposition at the Yingtan site is about 10.3 gm(-2) year(-1) of which 83% is dry deposition. The modeling sulfur deposition at the same site is 8.4 g m(-2) year(-1) Furthermore, the comparison between RegADMS and RAINS-ASIA on modeling regional sulfur deposition shows the consistence of the two models. The correlation coefficient between the simulated sulfur deposition at the medium-large cities reaches 0.72.

The impact of ischaemic preconditioning on spinal cord blood flow and paraplegia.

PURPOSE: We investigated the effect of ischaemic preconditioning (IP) on ischaemic spinal cord injury in a rabbit model. METHODS: Fourteen rabbits were divided into IP and control groups of seven rabbits each. We repeated 3-min clamping of the infrarenal abdominal aorta and 3-min reperfusion twice (preconditioning), followed by 15 min clamping in the IP group. In the control group, the aorta was clamped for 15 min without preconditioning. Lumbar cord blood flow and systemic blood pressure were measured until 3 h of reperfusion. Another 14 rabbits underwent the same procedures with or without IP and neurologic status was assessed on the second postoperative day. RESULTS: The percent change in lumbar cord blood flow after reperfusion was significantly greater (P=0.013) in the IP group despite lower mean blood pressure. There was no significant difference in overall neurologic status (P=0.461) but the incidence of spastic paraplegia in the IP group was lower (14%, 1/7) than that of control group (43%, 3/7). CONCLUSION: IP increased postischaemic lumbar cord blood flow and contributed to lower incidence of spastic paraplegia.

Paracrine function of cultured aortic endothelial cells in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

BACKGROUND: Vasoconstrictor and vasodilator release from vascular endothelial cells not only regulates vascular tone but also induces vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. METHODS: In order to understand the role of vasoconstrictor and vasodilator release in the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), aortic endothelial cells were isolated and cultured from 4-week-old and 24-week-old SHR (SHR-4 and SHR-24) and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY-4 and WKY-24) used as control. Prostacyclin (PGI2), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) release from cultured endothelial cells in the culture medium, were measured after 30 min with or without treatment with acetylcholine, calcium ionophore A23187 or thrombin. RESULTS: The results showed that there was no significant difference in ET-1 secretion between SHR-4 and age-matched WKY rats, but ET-1 secretion was about twice as high in SHR-24 as in WKY-24. TXA2 secretion was significantly higher in SHR-4 than in WKY-4 and was also higher than in SHR-24, but there was no significant difference between SHR-24 and WKY-24. The secretion of PGI2 was higher in SHR-24 than in WKY-24 and also higher than in SHR-4 and WKY-4. The prostaglandin PGI2 and TXB2 secretions from all groups of cultured VECs treated with various reagents, acetylcholine, calcium ionophore A23187 or thrombin were increased in similar patterns. However, there was no significantly different response between SHR and WKY VECs. CONCLUSIONS: Similar levels of ET-1 secreted from endothelial cells between SHR-4 and WKY-4 indicated that ET-1 secretion seems not a crucial factor in early hypertension development in SHR. The high level of TXA2 secretion in SHR-4 may involve in early hypertension development in SHR.

[Development of a ground-based experimental facility for space cultivation of higher plant].

A ground-based experimental facility was developed for conducting initial ground-based simulation study of Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS). The facility is composed of a main chamber, O2 and CO2 composition control subsystems, plant cultivation subsystem and whole data management subsystem. The growth room, being composed of a inner wall of mirror-face stainless steel, holds a volume of 1.8 m3 and a growing area of 1.2 m2; electronic fluorescent lamps were used as lighting sources and polyvinyl formal was used for root matrixes; the environmental parameters of the growing room such as temperature, relative humidity, O2 concentration, CO2 concentration, lighting period and irradiance intensity and the nutrient parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen concentration, liquid level of nutrient storage tank and flow rate of nutrient were all controlled automatically; all of the above-mentioned parameters can be inspected, collected, stored and printed regularly and dynamically. The results of a combined debugging and preliminary plant cultivation verified that the technical target of the facility had reached its initial design requirements, it can be used to conduct ground-based simulation studies of space cultivation of higher plants.