Altered GC- and AT-biased genotypes of Ophiocordyceps sinensis in the stromal fertile portions and ascospores of natural Cordyceps sinensis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine multiple genotypes of Ophiocordyceps sinensis in a semi-quantitative manner in the stromal fertile portion (SFP) densely covered with numerous ascocarps and ascospores of natural Cordyceps sinensis and to outline the dynamic alterations of the coexisting O. sinensis genotypes in different developmental phases. METHODS: Mature Cordyceps sinensis specimens were harvested and continuously cultivated in our laboratory (altitude 2,254 m). The SFPs (with ascocarps) and fully and semi-ejected ascospores were collected for histological and molecular examinations. Biochip-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) was used to genotype multiple O. sinensis mutants in the SFPs and ascospores. RESULTS: Microscopic analysis revealed distinct morphologies of the SFPs (with ascocarps) before and after ascospore ejection and SFP of developmental failure, which, along with the fully and semi-ejected ascospores, were subjected to SNP MS genotyping analysis. Mass spectra showed the coexistence of GC- and AT-biased genotypes of O. sinensis that were genetically and phylogenetically distinct in the SFPs before and after ejection and of developmental failure and in fully and semi-ejected ascospores. The intensity ratios of MS peaks were dynamically altered in the SFPs and the fully and semi-ejected ascospores. Mass spectra also showed transversion mutation alleles of unknown upstream and downstream sequences with altered intensities in the SFPs and ascospores. Genotype #5 of AT-biased Cluster-A maintained a high intensity in all SFPs and ascospores. An MS peak with a high intensity containing AT-biased Genotypes #6 and #15 in pre-ejection SFPs was significantly attenuated after ascospore ejection. The abundance of Genotypes #5‒6 and #16 of AT-biased Cluster-A was differentially altered in the fully and semi-ejected ascospores that were collected from the same Cordyceps sinensis specimens. CONCLUSION: Multiple O. sinensis genotypes coexisted in different combinations with altered abundances in the SFPs prior to and after ejection, the SFP of developmental failure, and the two types of ascospores of Cordyceps sinensis, demonstrating their genomic independence. Metagenomic fungal members present in different combinations and with dynamic alterations play symbiotic roles in different compartments of natural Cordyceps sinensis.

Differential coexistence of multiple genotypes of Ophiocordyceps sinensis in the stromata, ascocarps and ascospores of natural Cordyceps sinensis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the differential occurrence of Ophiocordyceps sinensis genotypes in the stroma, stromal fertile portion (SFP) densely covered with numerous ascocarps, and ascospores of natural Cordyceps sinensis. METHODS: Immature and mature C. sinensis specimens were harvested. Mature C. sinensis specimens were continuously cultivated in our laboratory (altitude 2,200 m). The SFPs (with ascocarps) and ascospores of C. sinensis were collected for microscopic and molecular analyses using species-/genotype-specific primers. Sequences of mutant genotypes of O. sinensis were aligned with that of Genotype #1 Hirsutella sinensis and compared phylogenetically using a Bayesian majority-rule method. RESULTS: Fully and semiejected ascospores were collected from the same specimens. The semiejected ascospores tightly adhered to the surface of the asci as observed by the naked eye and under optical and confocal microscopies. The multicellular heterokaryotic ascospores showed uneven staining of nuclei. The immature and mature stromata, SFPs (with ascocarps) and ascospores were found to differentially contain several GC- and AT-biased genotypes of O. sinensis, Samsoniella hepiali, and an AB067719-type fungus. The genotypes within AT-biased Cluster-A in the Bayesian tree occurred in all compartments of C. sinensis, but those within AT-biased Cluster-B were present in immature and mature stromata and SPFs but absent in the ascospores. Genotype #13 of O. sinensis was present in semi-ejected ascospores and Genotype #14 in fully ejected ascospores. GC-biased Genotypes #13-14 featured large DNA segment substitutions and genetic material recombination between the genomes of the parental fungi (H. sinensis and the AB067719-type fungus). These ascosporic offspring genotypes combined with varying abundances of S. hepiali in the 2 types of ascospores participated in the control of the development, maturation and ejection of the ascospores. CONCLUSION: Multiple genotypes of O. sinensis coexist differentially in the stromata, SFPs and 2 types of C. sinensis ascospores, along with S. hepiali and the AB067719-type fungus. The fungal components in different combinations and their dynamic alterations in the compartments of C. sinensis during maturation play symbiotic roles in the lifecycle of natural C. sinensis.

Antidiarrheal activity of the extracts of Valeriana jatamansi Jones on castor oil-induced diarrhea mouse by regulating multiple signal pathways.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Valeriana jatamansi Jones, a traditional medicine, is used for various medicinal purposes worldwide. This species is popular for its gastro-protective properties and has been verified to exert antidiarrheal effects. Qiuxieling mixture, an oral liquid preparation used to treat diarrhea in children in clinical practice, was extracted from V. jatamansi Jones. AIM OF THE STUDY: Although Qiuxieling mixture has a good preventive effect on diarrhea children, the disgusting smell makes it intolerable. Therefore, we extracted odorless products from V. jatamansi Jones and Qiuxieling mixture. The present study is aimed to investigate the protective effects of two ethanolic extracts of V. jatamansi Jones and Qiuxieling mixture against castor oil-induced diarrhea and their possible mechanisms in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The two extracts of V. jatamansi Jones and Qiuxieling mixture were detected by HPLC. A castor oil-induced diarrheal model was used to evaluate the antidiarrheal effects. The expression of Occludin in the small intestine was measured by IHC. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of proteins related to the oxidative stress and GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis signaling pathways. ELISA was used to detect the expression of IL-6 and IL-1ß in the small intestine of mice with diarrhea. RESULTS: The two extracts of V. jatamansi Jones and Qiuxieling mixture dose-dependently reduced the diarrhea index and the diarrhea rate, delayed the onset of diarrhea, and decreased the weight of the intestinal content. Meanwhile, they reversed the decreased expression of Occludin and restored the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase in the intestines of diarrheal mice. In addition, they reversed the depletion of GSH, attenuated the activation of the ERK/JNK pathway, promoted the Nrf2/SOD1 signaling pathways, and decreased the release of ROS in the intestines of diarrheal mice. Moreover, they suppressed GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis by downregulating the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The two extracts of V. jatamansi Jones and Qiuxieling mixture exerted protective effects on castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice through a variety of mechanisms, including antioxidant stress, restoration of tight junctions between intestinal mucosal cells and regulation of the GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis pathway.

Wnt/ß-catenin signaling plays an important role in the protective effects of FDP-Sr against oxidative stress induced apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 cell.

Strontium fructose 1,6-diphosphate (FDP-Sr) is a new strontium-containing compound. The primary aim of this study was to clarify whether the structure component of FDP-Sr, FDP could benefit the protective effect of Sr (II) against oxidative stress induced apoptosis, and meanwhile to further explore the important role of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in the anti-apoptosis effect of FDP-Sr in response to oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in an osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell line. Results showed that FDP-Sr could improve the osteoblastic differentiation under oxidative stress with induced cell proliferation and improved mineralization. The inhibition effect of FDP-Sr on cell apoptosis induced by H2O2 was proved by reduced reactive oxygen species production and activated caspase3. Under oxidative stress, mRNA and protein levels of phospho-ß-catenin reduced, while ß-catenin increased in the FDP-Sr treatment cell, leaded to the up-regulations of Runx2 and OPG at both mRNA and protein levels, finally improved the differentiation of osteoblasts. By the engagement of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway's inhibitor (XAV-939), the protective effects of FDP-Sr on osteoblastic differentiation against oxidative stress were repressed along with inhibited wnt/ß-catenin signaling and reduced mRNA and protein levels of Runx2 and OPG. In conclusion, FDP-Sr was demonstrated to protect osteoblast differentiation from oxidative damage induced by H2O2 through up-regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, and FDP in FDP-Sr was able to directly improve the oxidative stress injury through its ROS scavenging ability.

Altered proteomic polymorphisms in the caterpillar body and stroma of natural Cordyceps sinensis during maturation.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the maturational changes in proteomic polymorphisms resulting from differential expression by multiple intrinsic fungi in the caterpillar body and stroma of natural Cordyceps sinensis (Cs), an integrated micro-ecosystem. METHODS: The surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) biochip technique was used to profile the altered protein compositions in the caterpillar body and stroma of Cs during its maturation. The MS chromatograms were analyzed using density-weighted algorithms to examine the similarities and cluster relationships among the proteomic polymorphisms of the Cs compartments and the mycelial products Hirsutella sinensis (Hs) and Paecilomyces hepiali (Ph). RESULTS: SELDI-TOF MS chromatograms displayed dynamic proteomic polymorphism alterations among samples from the different Cs compartments during maturation. More than 1,900 protein bands were analyzed using density-weighted ZUNIX similarity equations and clustering methods, revealing integral polymorphism similarities of 57.4% between the premature and mature stromata and 42.8% between the premature and mature caterpillar bodies. The across-compartment similarity was low, ranging from 10.0% to 18.4%. Consequently, each Cs compartment (i.e., the stroma and caterpillar body) formed a clustering clade, and the 2 clades formed a Cs cluster. The polymorphic similarities ranged from 0.51% to 1.04% between Hs and the Cs compartments and were 2.8- to 4.8-fold higher (1.92%-4.34%) between Ph and the Cs compartments. The Hs and Ph mycelial samples formed isolated clades outside of the Cs cluster. CONCLUSION: Proteomic polymorphisms in the caterpillar body and stroma of Cs change dynamically during maturation. The proteomic polymorphisms in Hs and Ph differ from those in Cs, suggesting the presence of multiple Cs-associated fungi and multiple Ophiocordyceps sinensis genotypes with altered differential protein expression in the Cs compartments during maturation. In conjunction with prior mycological and molecular observations, the findings from this proteomic study support the integrated micro-ecosystem hypothesis for natural Cs.

Metabolomic analysis of simvastatin and fenofibrate intervention in high-lipid diet-induced hyperlipidemia rats.

AIM: To investigate the metabolite changes caused by simvastatin or fenofibrate intervention in diet-induced hyperlipidemia rats using a GC-MS-based metabolomic profiling approach. METHODS: SD rats were fed with high-lipid diet for 4 weeks to induce hyperlipidemia, then the rats were fed with normal diet, and orally administered with simvastatin (10 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) or fenofibrate (150 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) for 2 weeks. Blood samples were collected once a week, and potential biomarkers were examined using commercial assay kits and a metabolomic approach. The metabolomics data were analyzed using a multivariate statistical technique and a principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS: Oral administration of simvastatin or fenofibrate significantly decreased the plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increased the plasma level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the hyperlipidemia rats. Plasma samples were scattered in the PCA scores plots in response to the diet and to the drugs administered. The main metabolites changed in the hyperlipidemia rats were cholesterol, creatinine, linoleic acid, ß-hydroxybutyric acid, tyrosine, isoleucine and ornithine. The plasma level of creatinine was significantly lower in the simvastatin-treated rats than in the fenofibrate-treated rats. The plasma tyrosine concentration was declined following intake of high-lipid diet, which was reversed by fenobrate, but not by simvastatin. CONCLUSION: A series of potential biomarkers including tyrosine, creatinine, linoleic acid, ß-hydroxybutyric acid and ornithine have been identified by metabolomic profiling, which may be used to identify the metabolic changes during hyperlipidemia progression.

[Amplicon density-weighted algorithms for analyzing dissimilarity and dynamic alterations of RAPD polymorphisms of Cordyceps sinensis].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the dynamic maturational alterations of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) molecular marker polymorphism resulted from differential expressions of multiple fungi in the caterpillar body, stroma and ascocarp portion of Cordyceps sinensis (Cs). METHODS: Used the fuzzy, integral RAPD molecular marker polymorphism method with 20 random primers; used density-weighted cluster algorithms and ZUNIX similarity equations; compared RAPD polymorphisms of the caterpillar body, stroma and ascocarp of Cs during maturation; and compared RAPD polymorphisms of Cs and Hirsutella sinensis (Hs). RESULTS: Density-unweighted algorithms neglected the differences in density of the DNA amplicons. Use of the density-weighted ZUNIX similarity equations and the clustering method integrated components of the amplicon density differences in similarity computations and clustering construction and prevented from the loss of the information of fungal genomes. An overall similarity 0.42 (< the overall dissimilarity 0.58) was observed for all compartments of Cs at different maturation stages. The similarities for the stromata or caterpillar bodies of Cs at 3 maturational stages were 0.57 or 0.50, respectively. During Cs maturation, there were dynamic Low→High→Low alterations of the RAPD polymorphisms between stromata and caterpillar bodies dissected from the same pieces of Cs. The polymorphic similarity was the highest (0.87) between the ascocarp and mature stroma, forming a clustering clade, while the premature stroma and caterpillar body formed another clade. These 2 clades merged into one cluster. Another clade containing the maturing stroma and caterpillar body merged with mature caterpillar body, forming another cluster. The RAPD polymorphic similarities between Hs and Cs samples were 0.55-0.69. Hs were separated from Cs clusters by the out-group control Paecilomyces militaris. CONCLUSION: The wealthy RAPD polymorphisms change dynamically in the Cs compartments with maturation. The different RAPD polymorphism for Hs from those for Cs supports the hypothesis of integrated micro-ecosystem Cs with multiple fungi, but does not support the "single fungal species" hypothesis for Cs and the anamorph-teleomorph connection between Hs and Cs.

Structure and remodeling behavior of drug-loaded high density lipoproteins and their atherosclerotic plaque targeting mechanism in foam cell model.

This study is one of the first to test the relationship of formulation and structure of reconstituted high density lipoproteins (rHDL), drug behavior involved in remolding process and their targeting mechanism in a foam cell model. Tanshinone IIA-loaded rHDL (TA-rHDL) with different formulations and techniques were prepared and characterized. The targeting mechanism and drug behavior involved in remolding process were undertaken using a foam cell model. TA-rHDL prepared with cholesteryl ester (CE) and glycerol trioleate (TG) were spheres, or else discs. Guanidine hydrochloride denaturation experiments showed increased stability with TA-rHDL, compared to free apos. Phagocytosis tests demonstrated that the spherical TA-rHDL had targeting effect for foam cells through the scavenger receptor-BI and CE-TG interchange with TG-rich lipoproteins pathway under cholesteryl ester transfer protein. Discoidal TA-rHDL could reconstruct to spheres and target via a similar route as TA-rHDL spheres, showing a higher targeting efficiency. Lipophilic Tanshinone IIA could be re-entrapped in rHDL after remolding from discs to spheres and uptaken more by foam cells. Discoidal rHDL may serve as potential nanocarriers for targeting lipophilic cardiovascular drugs to atherosclerosis plaque.

Protective effects of ginsenoside Rb(3) on oxygen and glucose deprivation-induced ischemic injury in PC12 cells.

AIM: To investigate the protective effects of ginsenoside Rb(3), a triterpenoid saponin isolated from the leaves of Panax notoginseng, on ischemic and reperfusion injury model of PC12 cells and elucidate the related mechanisms. METHODS: PC12 cells exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) and restoration (OGD-Rep) were used as an in vitro model of ischemia and reperfusion. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage were used to evaluate the protective effects of ginsenoside Rb(3). Cellular apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were analyzed using flow cytometry. Intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) was detected using fluorophotometer system. Caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities were measured using assay kits with an ELISA reader. Western blotting assay was used to evaluate the release of cytochrome c and expression of caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins. RESULTS: It was shown that ginsenoside Rb(3) (0.1-10 micromol/L) significantly increased cell viability and inhibited LDH release in a dose-dependent manner on the ischemic model. In addition, ginsenoside Rb(3) also significantly inhibited ischemic injury-induced apoptosis, [Ca(2+)](i) elevation, and decrease of MMP. Meanwhile, pretreatment with ginsenoside Rb(3) significantly induced an increase of Bcl-2 protein expression and a decrease of cytosolic cytochrome c, cleaved-caspase 3 and Bax protein expression, the caspase-3, -8, and -9 activity were also inhibited. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that ginsenoside Rb(3) could markedly protected OGD-Rep induced ischemic injury and the mechanisms maybe related to its suppression of the intracellular Ca(2+) elevation and inhibition of apoptosis and caspase activity. Ginsenoside Rb(3) could be a promising candidate in the development of a novel class of anti-ischemic agent.