The functional role of P2 purinergic receptors in the progression of gastric cancer.

Studies have confirmed that P2 purinergic receptors (P2X receptors and P2Y receptors) expressed in gastric cancer (GC) cells and GC tissues and correlates with their function. Endogenous nucleotides including ATP, ADP, UTP, and UDP, as P2 purinergic receptors activators, participate in P2 purinergic signal transduction pathway. These activated P2 purinergic receptors regulate the progression of GC mainly by mediating ion channels and intracellular signal cascades. It is worth noting that there is a difference in the expression of P2 purinergic receptors in GC, which may play different roles in the progression of GC as a tumor promoting factor or a tumor suppressor factor. Among them, P2 × 7, P2Y2 and P2Y6 receptors have certain clinical significance in patients with GC and may be used as biological molecular markers for the prediction of patients with GC. Therefore, in this paper, we discuss the functional role of nucleotide / P2 purinergic receptors signal axis in regulating the progression of GC and that these P2 purinergic receptors may be used as potential molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of GC.

ATP ion channel P2X7 receptor as a regulatory molecule in the progression of colorectal cancer.

Large amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a natural P2X7 receptor activator, are released during colorectal carcinogenesis. P2X7 receptor activation regulates the activity of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells by mediating intracellular signal transduction. Importantly, the opening and activation of membrane pores of P2X7 receptor are different, which can play a dual role in promoting or inhibiting the progression of CRC. These can also depend on P2X7 receptor to regulate the activities of immune cells in the microenvironment, play the functions of immune regulation, immune escape and immune monitoring. While the use of P2X7 receptor antagonists (such as BBG, A438079 and A740003) can play a certain inhibitory pharmacological role on the activity of CRC. Therefore, in this paper, the mechanism and immunomodulatory function of P2X7 receptor involved in the progression of CRC were discussed. Moreover, we discussed the effect of antagonizing the activity of P2X7 receptor on the progression of CRC. So P2X7 receptor may be a new pharmacological molecular target for the treatment of CRC.

Acaricidal Activity of Cyclodipeptides from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens W1 against Tetranychus urticae.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the supernatant of the biocontrol strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens W1 led to the isolation of eight acaricidal cyclodipeptides from the active fractions by column chromatography separation and HPLC purification. The chemical structures of these compounds were identified as cyclo-(Gly-l-Phe), 2, cyclo-(l-Phe- trans-4-OH-l-Pro), 3, cyclo-(Gly-l-Tyr), 4, cyclo-(l-Ala-l-Pro), 5, cyclo-(l-Pro- trans-4-OH-l-Pro), 6, cyclo-(Gly-l-Pro), 7, cyclo-(l-Pro-l-Pro), 8, and cyclo-(l-Tyr- trans-4-OH-l-Pro), 9. Those cyclodipeptides displayed significant acaricidal activities with LC50 values of 13.85-98.24 µM. Cyclo-(l-Tyr- trans-4-OH-l-Pro) (LC50 13.85 µM) was five times more effective than the positive control abamectin (LC50 72.06 µM). The results indicated that the hydroxyl group is an important component. This is the first report on the acaricidal capabilities of cyclodipeptides against Tetranychus urticae. The results revealed that the acaricidal activity of the biocontrol strain B. amyloliquefaciens W1 was dependent on its constituent cyclodipeptides, which have the potential to be safe and environmentally friendly acaricides.

Structure and chain conformation of a neutral polysaccharide from sclerotia of Polyporus umbellatus.

A water-soluble heteropolysaccharide (PUP60W-1) was purified from the hot water extract of sclerotia of P. umbellatus by chromatography with DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephacryl S200 High-Resolution. The primary structure of PUP60W-1 was elucidated by GC, GC-MS and NMR. PUP60W-1 was identified as a highly branched polysaccharide composed of fucose, glucose and galactose in a ratio of 1.0:0.9:13.3. The main repeating unit was identified as α-(1→6)-d-galactopyranan backbone with substitution of terminal α-galactopyranosyl residues at O-2 for two out of every three main chain galactose residues. Its chain conformation was studied by atom force microscopy and size exclusion chromatography coupled with multiple detectors. The results revealed that PUP60W-1 had a molecular weight of 2.47×104Da with a polydispersity index of 1.04, and existed in water as compact sphere structures which could be disrupted into smaller spherical chain blocks after dispersion with sodium dodecyl sulfate.

[Residue Characteristics of Perfluorinated Compounds in the Atmosphere of Shenzhen].

In order to explore the residual characteristics of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the atmosphere of Shenzhen, passive air samplers consisting of polyurethane foam (PUF) disks impregnated with XAD-4 power were deployed at 12 sites in Shenzhen from November 2014 to February 2015. Seven volatile and fifteen ionic PFCs were analyzed. The results indicated that ΣPFCs concentration ranged from 23.7 pg x m(-3) to 157 pg x m(-3) (mean: 79.0 pg x m(-3)), dominated by volatile PFCs, with 8:2 FTOITI, 6:2 FTOH, PFPeA, PFOA being the dominant compounds. The spatial distribution of volatile and ionic PFCs concentrations was the same, displaying the characteristic of "the northwest being higher than the southeast ". Furthermore, the concentrations of 6:2 FTOHs, 8:2 FTOHs, PFPeA, PFHxA and PFOA had positive correlations with PM2.5 and PM10 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and were more positively correlated with the levels of PM10 than those of PM2.5.

Structure elucidation and antioxidant activity of a novel polysaccharide from Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia.

A novel water-soluble polysaccharide PUP60S2, with a molecular weight of 1.44×10(4)Da, was obtained from the sclerotia of Polyporus umbellatus by hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. PUP60S2 was a polysaccharide comprised of about 22.3% glucuronic acid. Monosaccharide composition analysis showed that PUP60S2 was only comprised of glucose and glucuronic acid. Reduction of carboxyl groups, sugar analysis, methylation analysis, together with one and two dimension NMR spectra disclosed that the backbone of PUP60S2 consisted of (1→6)-ß-d-glucopyranosyl, every second of which was substituted at O-3 by side chains consisting of terminal ß-d-Glcp, (1→3)-ß-d-Glcp, (1→3)-ß-d-GlcpA, (1→4)-ß-d-Glcp and (1→4)-ß-d-GlcpA units. The antioxidant activity assay in vitro showed that PUP60S2 exerted a significant scavenging effect on DPPH, hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical in a dose-dependent manner.

Characterizations of some fuzzy prefilters (filters) in EQ-algebras.

We introduce and study some types of fuzzy prefilters (filters) in EQ-algebras. First, we present several characterizations of fuzzy positive implicative prefilters (filters), fuzzy implicative prefilters (filters), and fuzzy fantastic prefilters (filters). Next, using their characterizations, we mainly consider the relationships among these special fuzzy filters. Particularly, we find some conditions under which a fuzzy implicative prefilter (filter) is equivalent to a fuzzy positive implicative prefilter (filter). As applications, we obtain some new results about classical filters in EQ-algebras and some related results about fuzzy filters in residuated lattices.

BZcon1, a SANT/Myb-type gene involved in the conidiation of Cochliobolus carbonum.

The fungal pathogen Cochliobolus carbonum (anamorph, Bipolaris zeicola) causes Northern Leaf Spot, leading to a ubiquitous and devastating foliar disease of corn in Yunnan Province, China. Asexual spores (conidia) play a major role in both epidemics and pathogenesis of Northern Leaf Spot, but the molecular mechanism of conidiation in C. carbonum has remained elusive. Here, using a map-based cloning strategy, we cloned a single dominant gene, designated as BZcon1 (for Bipolaris zeicola conidiation), which encodes a predicted unknown protein containing 402 amino acids, with two common conserved SANT/Myb domains in N-terminal. The BZcon1 knockout mutant completely lost the capability to produce conidiophores and conidia but displayed no effect on hyphal growth and sexual reproduction. The introduced BZcon1 gene fully complemented the BZcon1 null mutation, restoring the capability for sporulation. These data suggested that the BZcon1 gene is essential for the conidiation of C. carbonum.

[Effects of the escharectomy during burn shock stage on expression of glucose translator-4 mRNA in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the escharectomy during burn shock stage on expression of glucose translator-4 (GLUT4) mRNA in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. METHODS: 30% TBSA scalded rats were employed. Escharectomy were conducted at 8 h, 24 h, 168 h after burns respectively. Insulin, glucagon, cortisol and glucose levels in serum were analyzed. RT-PCR were employed to analyze GLUT4 mRNA expression in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. RESULTS: Glucagon, cortisol and glucose levels in serum were declined in groups which escharectomy were conducted during burn shock stage. GLUT4 mRNA expression in both skeletal muscle and adipose tissue were downregulated after burns and escharectomy conducted during burn shock stage made it restored to near normal. CONCLUSION: GLUT4 mRNA expression will declined after major burns in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Escharectomy during shock stage could make it upregulated, which will be helpful to improve glucose metabolism and hypermetabolism after major burns.