Maternal Administration of Busulfan before in Utero Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Improves Congenic Bone Marrow Cell Engraftment in a Murine Model.

In utero hematopoietic cell transplantation (IUHCT) is a nonmyeloablative procedure that leads to donor cell chimerism and donor-specific tolerance. However, most clinical applications of IUHCT have failed because of low levels or even no engraftment of donor cells in immunologically normal fetuses. It is likely that the competition from the host hematopoietic compartment is the primary barrier to successful IUHCT, suggesting that conditioning methods that provide a competitive advantage to donor cells may lead to higher-level engraftment following IUHCT. This study aimed to research whether maternal administration of low-dose total body irradiation (TBI) or busulfan (BU) before IUHCT may result in increased donor cell chimerism in postnatal bone marrow transplantation in a congenic murine model. We first determined the birth and mortality rates after maternal administration of low-dose TBI (0, 2 or 4 Gy) or BU (5, 10, 15, or 20 mg/kg) before IUHCT in B6 mice. The mice that received 2 Gy TBI plus IUHCT showed significantly lower birth rate (23.3%) and a 100% 3-day mortality rate. The mice that received 10 mg/kg BU plus IUHCT had similar birth and 3-day mortality rates (58.6% and 0%) compared to mice that received IUHCT alone (61.1% and 4.55%). We then performed maternal administration of BU at 1 of 3 dosages (5, 10, or 15 mg/kg) at 24 hours before intrauterine transplantation of 2.5 × 105 B6GFP Sca-1+ bone marrow cells (BMCs) or 2.5 × 106 B6GFP BMCs on gestational day 14 (E14). Green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimerism in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), RBCs, and platelets of mice at 4 weeks of age was enhanced significantly with an increase in BU dose. Moreover, GFP chimerism of PBMCs from the B6GFP BMC group was significantly higher than that of the B6GFP Sca-1+ BMC group (22.56% versus 7.20%; P = .018). Finally, the pregnant mice were treated with 10 mg/kg of BU at E13, E14, or E15, followed by intrauterine transplantation of 2.5 × 106 B6GFP BMCs 24 hours later. Except for the short-term level of chimerism in PBMCs, which showed no significant difference among the 3 study groups, the results indicate that both short-term (age 4 weeks) and long-term (age 14 weeks) engraftment in PBMCs, RBCs, and platelets was higher in group E16 compared with groups E14 and E15. We also discovered that the engraftment was stable, multilineage, and increased with time. In conclusion, maternal administration of BU, but not of TBI, along with IUHCT could significantly enhance engraftment in a congenic murine model.

Water quality pollution assessment and source apportionment of lake wetlands: A case study of Xianghai Lake in the Northeast China Plain.

Surface water pollution has always posed a serious challenge to water quality management. Improving water quality management requires figuring out how to comprehend water quality conditions scientifically and effectively as well as quantitatively identify regional pollution sources. In this study, Xianghai Lake, a typical lake-type wetland on the Northeast China Plain, was taken as the research area. Based on a geographic information system (GIS) method and 11 water quality parameters, the single-factor evaluation and comprehensive water quality index (WQI) methods were used to comprehensively evaluate the water quality of the lake-type wetland in the level period. Four key water quality parameters were determined by the principal component analysis (PCA) method, and more convenient comprehensive water quality evaluation models, the minimum WQI considering weights (WQImin-w) and the minimum WQI without considering weights (WQImin-nw) were established. The multiple statistical method and the absolute principal component score-multiple liner regression (APCS-MLR) model were combined to analyse the lake pollution sources based on the spatial changes in pollutants. The findings demonstrated that the WQImin-nw model's water quality evaluation outcome was more accurate when weights were not taken into account. The WQImin-nw model can be used as a simple and convenient way to comprehend the variations in water quality in wetlands of lakes and reservoirs. It was concluded that the comprehensive water quality in the study area was at a "medium" level, and CODMn was the main limiting factor. Nonpoint source pollution (such as agricultural planting and livestock breeding) was the most important factor affecting the water quality of Xianghai Lake (with a comprehensive contribution rate of 31.65%). The comprehensive contribution rates of sediment endogenous and geological sources, phytoplankton and other plants, and water diversion and other hydrodynamic impacts accounted for 25.12%, 19.65%, and 23.58% of the total impact, respectively. This study can provide a scientific method for water quality assessment and management of lake wetlands, and an effective support for migration of migratory birds, habitat protection and grain production security.

Institutional trust, scientific literacy, and information sources: What factors determine people's attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines of different origins in China?

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the different attitudes of Chinese residents toward COVID-19 vaccines produced in China and the United States in an emergency context, and then explored possible explanations for these different attitudes. Methods: Using data collected online in May 2021, we compared Chinese citizens' attitudes toward vaccines originating from China and the US and then adopted ordered logistic models to examine how trust in institutions, scientific literacy, and information sources influence their attitudes toward different vaccines. Results: A total of 2038 respondents completed the survey. Participants reported very different levels of trust in Chinese and American vaccines. The main finding of this paper is that individuals who trust in Chinese institutions, especially those who trust in domestic scientists, typically feel encouraged to also place their trust in domestic vaccines and to distrust those from the US. These individuals' higher evaluation of Chinese government performance makes them more willing to vaccinate with domestic vaccines and less likely to seek US vaccines. Levels of scientific literacy, furthermore, seem to have little influence on attitudes toward different vaccines. Meanwhile, respondents who acquire health information from biomedical journals are more likely to hold a positive view of US vaccines, and these individuals contribute to bridging the gap between levels of trust in Chinese and US vaccines. Conclusions: In contrast with previous findings about Chinese attitudes toward imported vaccines, our respondents are more convinced of the safety and effectiveness of domestic vaccines than of US ones. This trust gap does not arise out of actual disparity in the quality and safety of the different vaccines per se. Instead, it is a cognition concern that is closely bound up with individuals' trust in domestic institutions. People's attitudes toward vaccines of different origins in an emergency context are more influenced by socio-political beliefs than by concern with objective information and knowledge.

Experimental and clinical progress of in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation therapy for congenital disorders.

In utero hematopoietic cell transplantation (IUHCT) is considered a potentially efficient therapeutic approach with relatively few side effects, compared to adult hematopoietic cell transplantation, for various hematological genetic disorders. The principle of IUHCT has been extensively studied in rodent models and in some large animals with close evolutionary similarities to human beings. However, IUHCT has only been used to rebuild human T cell immunity in certain patients with inherent immunodeficiencies. This review will first summarize the animal models utilized for IUHCT investigations and describe the associated outcomes. Recent advances and potential barriers for successful IUHCT are discussed, followed by possible strategies to overcome these barriers experimentally. Lastly, we will outline the progress made towards utilizing IUHCT to treat inherent disorders for patients, list out associated limitations and propose feasible means to promote the efficacy of IUHCT clinically.

How Policy Mix Choices Affect the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Outcomes in Chinese Cities: An Empirical Analysis.

Since January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths and has posed a major public health threat worldwide. Such a massive and complex crisis requires quick and comprehensive policy responses. We developed an empirical dataset of policy mixes that included 4915 policies across 36 Chinese cities and investigated the relationships between the policy design choices and the COVID-19 pandemic response outcomes of a city. Using topic modeling and ordinary least squares regression analysis, we found considerable variation among cities in the compositions and design features of their policy mixes. Our analysis revealed that restriction measures did not significantly influence limiting the spread of the pandemic, but they were negatively correlated with the economic growth rate. By contrast, health protection measures greatly contributed to controlling viral spread. Intensive socioeconomic support reduced the occurrence of secondary disasters. The most effective policy strategy to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be a comprehensive policy design with a mix of restrictions, health protection measures, and socioeconomic support policies accompanied by a timely lockdown. Our empirical findings can help to improve pandemic policy design and contribute to generating broader lessons for how local governments should deal with similar crises in the future.

Which urban communities are susceptible to COVID-19? An empirical study through the lens of community resilience.

BACKGROUND: After the lockdown of Wuhan on January 23, 2020, the government used community-based pandemic prevention and control as the core strategy to fight the pandemic, and explored a set of standardized community pandemic prevention measures that were uniformly implemented throughout the city. One month later, the city announced its first lists of "high-risk" communities and COVID-19-free communities. Under the standardized measures of pandemic prevention and mitigation, why some communities showed a high degree of resilience and effectively avoided escalation, while the situation spun out of control in other communities? This study investigated: 1) key factors that affect the effective response of urban communities to the pandemic, and 2) types of COVID-19 susceptible communities. METHODS: This study employs the crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis method to explore the influencing variables and possible causal condition combination paths that affect community resilience during the pandemic outbreak. Relying on extreme-case approach, 26 high-risk communities and 14 COVID-19 free communities were selected as empirical research subjects from the lists announced by Wuhan government. The community resilience assessment framework that evaluates the communities' capacity on pandemic prevention and mitigation covers four dimensions, namely spatial resilience, capital resilience, social resilience, and governance resilience, each dimension is measured by one to three variables. RESULTS: The results of measuring the necessity of 7 single-condition variables found that the consistency index of "whether the physical structure of the community is favorable to virus transmission" reached 0.9, which constitutes a necessary condition for COVID-19 susceptible communities. By analyzing the seven condition configurations with high row coverage and unique coverage in the obtained complex solutions and intermediate solutions, we found that outbreaks are most likely to occur in communities populated by disadvantaged populations. However, if lacking spatial-, capital-, and governance resilience, middle-class and even wealthy communities could also become areas where COVID-19 spreads easily. CONCLUSIONS: Three types of communities namely vulnerable communities, alienated communities, and inefficient communities have lower risk resilience. Spatial resilience, rather than social resilience, constitutes the key influencing factor of COVID-19-susceptible communities, and the dual deficiencies of social resilience and governance resilience are the common features of these communities.

Budd-Chiari syndrome as a complication of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis in a young Chinese man: a case report.

Hepatic vein thrombosis is a rare occurrence in the clinical course of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). The major mechanism of thrombosis has been postulated to involve the release of toxic proteins from eosinophils. A 36-year-old man with EGPA was admitted to our hospital in July 2018 with hematemesis and melena. Findings on physical examination included ascites and pigmentation of the lower extremities. Ultrasonography of the hepatic vein and inferior vena cava showed an obstruction of the hepatic vein. Magnetic resonance imaging showed low enhancement in the right hepatic vein region. At 34 years of age, the patient's EGPA had initially presented as asthma with eosinophilia (white blood cell count of 11.46 × 1012/L with 14.6% eosinophils). His skin biopsy showed infiltration of inflammatory cells and eosinophils, especially around medium-sized vessels, which was consistent with EGPA. The patient was thus diagnosed with Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with EGPA.

Ileocolic intussusception caused by ileal lipoma: A case report.

RATIONALE: Adult intussusception is rarely observed, accounting for about 5% of all cases of intussusception. Most ileal lipomas are asymptomatic and do not need any special treatment. Herein, we describe a case with ileocolic intussusception caused by ileal lipoma. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 27-year-old woman complaints of intermittent abdominal pain for 10 days. DIAGNOSIS: Abdominal computed tomography demonstrated ileocolic intussusception. Colonoscopy revealed a spherical polypoid lesion with surface capillary rising from the lateral wall of the ileum. A diagnosis of ileocolic intussusception was made. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent primary resection of the intussuscepted intestine after which an end-to-end anastomosis was performed. OUTCOMES: Histopathology report confirmed a 4.5 cm × 3.5 cm lipoma in the terminal ileum. The patient was discharged on a postoperative day 9 without complications. LESSONS: We describe the difficulties in diagnosis and treatment of this rare cause of intussusception and review the literature on adult intussusceptions. The ileal lipoma is a very rare cause of ileocolic intussusception. Abdominal CT and colonoscopy are important for the diagnosis of intussusception and abdominal lipomas. Surgical resection remains the treatment of choice.

A novel sucrose transporter gene IbSUT4 involves in plant growth and response to abiotic stress through the ABF-dependent ABA signaling pathway in Sweetpotato.

BACKGROUND: To maintain sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) growth and yield, sucrose must be transported from the leaves to the roots. Sucrose transporters or carriers (SUTs or SUCs) transport sucrose and are involved in plant growth and response to abiotic stress. However, the mechanisms of SUTs in sweetpotato abiotic stress resistance remains to be determined. RESULTS: In the present study, we cloned a novel IbSUT4 gene; the protein encoded by this gene is localized in the tonoplast and plasma membrane. The plant growth was promoted in the IbSUT4 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines, with increased expression of AtFT, a regulator of flowering time in plants. Over-expression of IbSUT4 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in higher sucrose content in the roots and lower sucrose content in the leaves, as compared to the wild-type (WT) plants, leading to improved stress tolerance during seedling growth. Moreover, we systematically analyzed the mechanisms of IbSUT4 in response to abiotic stress. The results suggest that the ABRE-motif was localized in the IbSUT4 promoter region, and the expression of the ABA signaling pathway genes (i.e., ABF2, ABF4, SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3, and PYL8/RCAR3) were induced, and the expression of ABI1 was inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: Our dates provide evidence that IbSUT4 is not only involved in plant growth but also is an important positive regulator in plant stress tolerance through the ABF-dependent ABA signaling pathway.

Integrated Analysis of DNA Copy Number Changes and Gene Expression Identifies Key Genes in Gastric Cancer.

This study was aimed at identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with copy number changes in gastric cancer (GC) pathogenesis. Microarray data GSE33429, including array-based comparative genomic hybridization and gene expression profiles, were obtained. DEGs were screened between GC and adjacent noncancerous tissues. Genes located at Minimum Common Regions (MCRs) were identified, and overlapped genes between DEGs and genes with amplification or deletion were identified. Gene Ontology function and pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs were performed. A protein-protein interaction network for DEGs was built, and significant modules were mined from the network. Functional annotation of genes in modules was also performed. A total of 677 up- and 583 downregulated DEGs were identified, including 37 overexpressed genes located at gained MCRs and 28 downregulated genes located at deleted MCRs. In significant modules, upregulated genes with amplification, including DSN1 (MIS12 kinetochore complex component), MAPRE1 (microtubule-associated protein, RP/EB family, member 1), TPX2 (microtubule-associated), UBE2C (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C), and MYBL2 (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog-like 2), were associated with cell cycle, but downregulated genes with deletion, including UGT2B15 (UDP glucuronosyltransferase 2 family, polypeptide B15), UGT2B17 (UDP glucuronosyltransferase 2 family, polypeptide B17), ADH1B (alcohol dehydrogenase 1B), and ADH1A (alcohol dehydrogenase 1A), were related to metabolism. The identified genes DSN1, MAPRE1, TPX2, UBE2C, and MYBL2 located at gained MCRs and UGT2B15, UGT2B17, ADH1B, and ADH1A located at deleted MCRs may play an important role in GC progression through regulating cell cycle and metabolism.

Systematic Identification of Pathogenic Streptomyces sp. AMCC400023 That Causes Common Scab and Genomic Analysis of Its Pathogenicity Island.

Potato scab, a serious soilborne disease caused by Streptomyces spp., occurs in potato-growing areas worldwide and results in severe economic losses. In this paper, the pathogenicity of Streptomyces strain AMCC400023, isolated from potato scabs in Hebei Province, China, was verified systematically by the radish seedling test, the potato tuber slice assay, the potted back experiment, and the detection of phytotoxin thaxtomin A. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics were determined, and the 16S ribosomal RNA analyses of Streptomyces sp. AMCC400023 were carried out. To obtain the accurate taxonomic status of the pathogen strain, the whole genome was sequenced, and the phylogenetic tree among 31 Streptomyces genomes was formed. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (isDDH) were analyzed, and at the same time, the toxicity-related genes between Streptomyces sp. AMCC400023 and Streptomyces scabiei were compared, all based on the whole-genome level. All of the data supported that, instead of a member of S. scabiei, test strain Streptomyces sp. AMCC400023 was a distinct phytopathogen of potato common scab, which had a relatively close relationship with S. scabiei while separating clearly from S. scabiei at least in the species level of taxonomic status. The complete pathogenicity island (PAI) composition of Streptomyces sp. AMCC400023 was identified, which contained a toxin region and a colonization region. It was conjectured that the PAI of Streptomyces sp. AMCC400023 might be directly or indirectly acquired from S. scabiei 87-22 by horizontal gene transfer, or at the very least, there was a very close homologous relationship between the two pathogens as indicated by a series of analyses, such as phylogenetic relationships among 31 Streptomyces species, ANI and isDDH analyses, PAI structure mapping, thaxtomin A synthetic gene cluster tree construction, and most important, the collinearity analysis at the genome level.

The occurrence of potato common scab correlates with the community composition and function of the geocaulosphere soil microbiome.

BACKGROUND: Soil microorganisms can mediate the occurrence of plant diseases. Potato common scab (CS) is a refractory disease caused by pathogenic Streptomyces that occurs worldwide, but little is known about the interactions between CS and the soil microbiome. In this study, four soil-root system compartments (geocaulosphere soil (GS), rhizosphere soil (RS), root-zone soil (ZS), and furrow soil (FS)) were analyzed for potato plants with naturally high (H) and low (L) scab severity levels. We aimed to determine the composition and putative function of the soil microbiome associated with potato CS. RESULTS: The copy numbers of the scab phytotoxin biosynthetic gene txtAB and the bacterial 16S rRNA gene as well as the diversity and composition of each of the four soil-root system compartments were examined; GS was the only compartment that exhibited significant differences between the H and L groups. Compared to the H group, the L group exhibited a lower txtAB gene copy number, lower bacterial 16S copy number, higher diversity, higher co-occurrence network complexity, and higher community function similarity within the GS microbiome. The community composition and function of the GS samples were further revealed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Variovorax, Stenotrophomonas, and Agrobacterium were the most abundant genera that were significantly and positively correlated with the scab severity level, estimated absolute abundance (EAA) of pathogenic Streptomyces, and txtAB gene copy number. In contrast, Geobacillus, Curtobacterium, and unclassified Geodermatophilaceae were significantly negatively correlated with these three parameters. Compared to the function profiles in the L group, several genes involved in "ABC transporters," the "bacterial secretion system," "quorum sensing (QS)," "nitrogen metabolism," and some metabolism by cytochrome P450 were enriched in the H group. In contrast, some antibiotic biosynthesis pathways were enriched in the L group. Based on the differences in community composition and function, a simple model was proposed to explain the putative relationships between the soil microbiome and CS occurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The GS microbiome was closely associated with CS severity in the soil-root system, and the occurrence of CS was accompanied by changes in community composition and function. The differential functions provide new clues to elucidate the mechanism underlying the interaction between CS occurrence and the soil microbiome, and varying community compositions provide novel insights into CS occurrence.

San Wu Huangqin Decoction, a Chinese Herbal Formula, Inhibits Influenza a/PR/8/34 (H1N1) Virus Infection In Vitro and In Vivo.

The San Wu Huangqin Decoction (SWHD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is used to treat colds caused by exposure to wind-pathogen, hyperpyrexia, infectious diseases and cancer; moreover, it is used for detoxification. The individual herbs of SWHD, such as Sophora flavescens and Scutellaria baicalensis, exhibit a wide spectrum of antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer and other properties. The Chinese compound formula of SWHD is composed of S. flavescens, S. baicalensis and Rehmannia glutinosa. However, the effect of SWHD on the influenza virus (IFV) and its mechanism remain unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, whether SWHD could be used to treat influenza. Results showed that SWHD could effectively inhibit influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus at different stages of viral replication (confirmed through antiviral effect assay, penetration assay, attachment assay and internalization assay) in vitro. It could reduce the infection of the virus in a dose- and time-dependent manner, as confirmed by observing the cell cytopathic effect and calculating the cell viability (p < 0.05). SWHD demonstrated better antiviral activity than oseltamivir in the evaluation of antiviral prophylaxis on influenza (p < 0.05). The antiviral activity of SWHD may be related to its regulation ability on the immune system. Western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction and indirect immunofluorescence assay showed that the expression of the four target viral proteins of the IFV (namely, haemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix-2 (M2)) reduced significantly (p < 0.05). Moreover, SWHD (23.40 and 11.70 g/kg) significantly alleviated the clinical signs, reduced the mortality and increased the survival time of infected mice (p < 0.05). The lung index, virus titres, pathological changes in lung tissues and the expression of key proteins of the IFV in mice also decreased (p < 0.05). In conclusion, SWHD possessed anti-influenza activity. This work provided a new view of complementary therapy and drug discovery for clinical treatment.

Effective treatment of apatinib in desmoplastic small round cell tumor: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare malignant sarcoma with poor prognosis due to lack of effective treatments. Apatinib is a new potent oral small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and targets the intracellular domain of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). In this study, we presented a case of intra-abdominal DSRCT which was effectively treated by apatinib. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old man was admitted due to increasing urination frequency and palpable mass in right lower abdomen for 2 months. The mass was resected and diagnosed DSRCT. The patient refused chemotherapy and radiotherapy,and used Chinese medicine only. Six months after the surgery, the patient re-hospitalized due to growing abdominal mass and ascites. Intraperitoneal cisplatin treatment showed little effect. Apatinib was then recommended. Apatinib revealed outstanding effect on reducing mass size and ascites during 2-month treatment. Apatinib therapy continued for additional 2 months, and the patient was in good condition. The only toxicity was hand-food syndrome, which was controllable and well tolerated. CONCLUSION: It is the first report that apatinib is effective on DSRCT. This report may provide an additional option for the treatment of metastatic DSRCT.

Impact of protamine I on colon cancer proliferation, invasion, migration, diagnosis and prognosis.

This paper investigates protamine I (PRM1) expression and its effects on proliferation, invasion and migration of colon cancer cells as well as its function in clinical diagnosis and prognosis. Gene chips were used to screen differentially expressed genes. PRM1 expression was detected by Western blotting and quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry were utilized to compare the expression of PRM1 from multiple differentiation levels of colon cancer tissues. Cell viability, cell apoptosis and cell cycle were tested using the MTT assay and flow cytometry. Cell invasion and migration capability were tested using the Transwell assay and wound healing. In vivo effects of PRM1 on colon cancer were explored using a xenograft model. PRM1 expression in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression level of PRM1 was significantly higher in colon cancer tissues and the staining degree of PRM1 in poorly-differentiated was stronger. pcDNA3.1-PRM1 decreased cell apoptosis while it increased the proliferation, cell invasion and migration. The si-PRM1 group displayed an opposite tendency. The serum PRM1 level was significantly higher and could serve as a diagnostic biomarker for colon cancer.

Antitumorpharmacological mechanism of the oral liquid of Poriacocos polysaccharide.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The liquid oral formulation of Poria cocos polysaccharides is composed of polysaccharides of Lentinusedodes, Ganodermalucidum and Poria cocos(1:1:2), which are all fungi used in traditional Chinese medicine. Polysaccharides extracted from these fungi have been reported to exhibit an antitumor effect by modulating the immune system. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study aimed to clarify the antitumor mechanism of an orally administered liquid containing Poriacocos and to further provide clinical guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the effects of an orally administered liquid containing Poriacocos polysaccharides on the solid tumors formed from sarcoma 180 cells in mice were evaluated. The protein expression of Bcl-2, caspase-3, and caspase-9in the thymus, spleen and liver tissues in the mice was determined by Western blot analysis. In addition, hematoxylin-eosin（H&E）staining and immunohistochemistry were performed on thymus, spleen and liver tissue and the positive staining rate was calculated for the three protein expression. RESULTS: The liquid oral formulation of Poriacocos polysaccharides reduced Bcl-2 protein levels and increased caspase-3 and -9 protein levels in sarcoma 180 cells. CONCLUSION: The mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of the oral liquid formulation of Poriacocos polysaccharides involved inhibition of Bcl-2 expression and activation of caspase-9 expression in sarcoma 180 cells. Furthermore, the downstream caspase-3 promoter cascade was activated and cell apoptosis was activated in sarcoma 180 cells.

Comparative Study on the Antivirus Activity of Shuang-Huang-Lian Injectable Powder and Its Bioactive Compound Mixture against Human Adenovirus III In Vitro.

Shuang-Huang-Lian injectable powder (SHL)-a classical purified herbal preparation extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis, Lonicera japonica, and Forsythia suspense-has been used against human adenovirus III (HAdV3) for many years. The combination herb and its major bioactive compounds, including chlorogenic acid, baicalin, and forsythia glycosides A, are effective inhibitors of the virus. However, no comprehensive studies are available on the antiviral effects of SHL against HAdV3. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the mixture of chlorogenic acid, baicalin, and forsythia glycosides A (CBF) has enhanced antiviral activity compared with SHL. Therefore, a comparative study was performed to investigate the combination which is promising for further antiviral drug development. To evaluate their antivirus activity in parallel, the combination ratio and dose of CBF were controlled and consistent with SHL. First, the fingerprint and the ratio of CBF in SHL were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Then, a plaque reduction assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to explore its therapeutic effects on viral infection and replication, respectively. The results showed that SHL and CBF inhibited dose- and time-dependently HAdV3-induced plaque formation in A549 and HEp-2 cells. SHL was more effective than CBF when supplemented prior to and after viral inoculation. SHL prevented viral attachment, internalization, and replication at high concentration and decreased viral levels within and out of cells at non-toxic concentrations in both cell types. Moreover, the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 was lower and the expression of interferon (IFN)-γ was higher in both cell types treated with SHL than with CBF. In conclusion, SHL is much more effective and slightly less toxic than CBF.

Anticancer Activities of C18-, C19-, C20-, and Bis-Diterpenoid Alkaloids Derived from Genus Aconitum.

Cancer is one of the most common lethal diseases, and natural products have been extensively studied as anticancer agents considering their availability, low toxicity, and economic affordability. Plants belonging to the genus Aconitum have been widely used medically in many Asian countries since ancient times. These plants have been proven effective for treating several types of cancer, such as lung, stomach, and liver cancers. The main effective components of Aconitum plants are diterpenoid alkaloids-which are divided into C18-, C19-, C20-, and bis-diterpenoid alkaloids-are reportedly some of the most promising, naturally abundant compounds for treating cancer. This review focuses on the progress of diterpenoid alkaloids with different structures derived from Aconitum plants and some of their derivatives with potential anticancer activities. We hope that this work can serve as a reference for further developing Aconitum diterpenoid alkaloids as anticancer agents.

[Effects of potassium fertilization period on photosynthetic characteristics and storage root starch accumulation of edible sweetpotato].

Abstract: In this study, same amount of potassium (240 kg . hm-2) was applied as basal dressing (treatment 1) and as 1/2 basal dressing + 1/2 top-dressing at day 75 after planting (treatment 2), aimed to investigate the effects of potassium fertilization period on the photosynthetic characteristics of edible sweetpotato and the starch accumulation in storage root. As compared with treatment 1, treatment 2 improved the leaf photosynthetic rate and sucrose-phosphate synthase activity and the storage root's adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphortlase activity, enhanced the starch accumulation rate in storage root (with an average increment of 6. 7%), and increased the root tuber yield significantly by 8. 2%. Both of the potassium fertilization treatments improved the synthesis of sucrose in leaf and the transformation from sucrose to starch in storage root, as compared with no potassium fertilization.

RpoS regulates a novel type of plasmid DNA transfer in Escherichia coli.

Spontaneous plasmid transformation of Escherichia coli is independent of the DNA uptake machinery for single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) entry. The one-hit kinetic pattern of plasmid transformation indicates that double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) enters E. coli cells on agar plates. However, DNA uptake and transformation regulation remain unclear in this new type of plasmid transformation. In this study, we developed our previous plasmid transformation system and induced competence at early stationary phase. Despite of inoculum size, the development of competence was determined by optical cell density. DNase I interruption experiment showed that DNA was taken up exponentially within the initial 2 minutes and most transforming DNA entered E. coli cells within 10 minutes on LB-agar plates. A half-order kinetics between recipient cells and transformants was identified when cell density was high on plates. To determine whether the stationary phase master regulator RpoS plays roles in plasmid transformation, we investigated the effects of inactivating and over-expressing its encoding gene rpoS on plasmid transformation. The inactivation of rpoS systematically reduced transformation frequency, while over-expressing rpoS increased plasmid transformation. Normally, RpoS recognizes promoters by its lysine 173 (K173). We found that the K173E mutation caused RpoS unable to promote plasmid transformation, further confirming a role of RpoS in regulating plasmid transformation. In classical transformation, DNA was transferred across membranes by DNA uptake proteins and integrated by DNA processing proteins. At stationary growth phase, RpoS regulates some genes encoding membrane/periplasmic proteins and DNA processing proteins. We quantified transcription of 22 of them and found that transcription of only 4 genes (osmC, yqjC, ygiW and ugpC) encoding membrane/periplasmic proteins showed significant differential expression when wildtype RpoS and RpoS(K173E) mutant were expressed. Further investigation showed that inactivation of any one of these genes did not significantly reduce transformation, suggesting that RpoS may regulate plasmid transformation through other/multiple target genes.