Constructing C-O bridged CeO2/g-C3N4 S-scheme heterojunction for methyl orange photodegradation：Experimental and theoretical calculation.

Owing to its feasibility, efficiency in light-harvesting and effectiveness in the interfacial charge transfer between two n-type semiconductors, constructing heterojunction photocatalysts have been identified as an effective way for enhancing the photocatalytic properties. In this research, a C-O bridged CeO2/g-C3N4 (cCN) Step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction photocatalyst was constructed successfully. Under visible light irradiation, the cCN heterojunction exhibited the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of methyl orange, which was about 4.5 and 1.5 times higher than that of pristine CeO2 and CN, respectively. The DFT calculations, XPS and FTIR analyses demonstrated the formation of C-O linkages. And the calculations of work functions revealed the electrons would flow from g-C3N4 to CeO2 due to the difference in Fermi levels, resulting in the production of internal electric fields. Benefiting from the C-O bond and internal electric field, the photo-induced holes in the valence band of g-C3N4 and the photo-induced electrons from conduction band of CeO2 would be recombined when exposed to visible light irradiation, while leaving the electrons with higher redox potential in the conduction band of g-C3N4. This collaboration accelerated the separation and transfer rate of photo-generated electron-hole pairs, which promoted the generation of superoxide radical (•O2-) and improved the photocatalytic activity.

[Rationality evaluation of Shuanghuanglian Injection combined with Ampicillin Sodium for Injection based on sequential analysis].

The lack of rationality evaluation method for drug combination has long restricted its clinical application. In view of this, this study took Shuanghuanglian Injection as model drug and established a "physical-chemical-biological" sequential analysis method, which is expected to provide clues for improving the safety and effectiveness of clinical drug combination. With the methods of insoluble particle testing, isothermal titration calorimetry(ITC), and real time cellular analysis(RTCA), the rationality of Shuanghuanglian Injection combined with Ampicillin Sodium for Injection was assessed. The results showed that the number of insoluble particles>10 µm in the solution of the combination met the standard of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, while the number of insoluble particles>25 µm did not meet the standard. ITC detection demonstrated that the change of Gibbs free energy(ΔG) was less than 0 during the fusion process, indicating that the process was spontaneous and enthalpy-driven reaction. Therefore, the interaction between the two was mainly chemical reaction, and the internal substances may change. RTCA found that Shuanghuanglian Injection alone and Ampicillin Sodium for Injection alone basically had no inhibitory effect on the growth of HEK293 T cells, while the combination of the two suppressed the growth of HEK293 T cells, suggesting that the combination was toxic to HEK293 T cells. This study showed that Shuanghuanglian Injection and Ampicillin Sodium for Injection reacted, yielding toxicity. This suggested that the two should not be combined for application. With the "physical-chemical-biological" sequential analysis, the molecular interaction of drugs was clarified. The method can be further applied for evaluating the rationality of other Chinese and western medicine injections.

[Exploration on rationality evaluation approach of drug combination medication based on sequential analysis and machine learning].

Drug combination is a common clinical phenomenon. However, the scientific implementation of drug combination is li-mited by the weak rational evaluation that reflects its clinical characteristics. In order to break through the limitations of existing evaluation tools, examining drug-to-drug and drug-to-target action characteristics is proposed from the physical, chemical and biological perspectives, combining clinical multicenter case resources, domestic and international drug interaction public facilities with the aim of discovering the common rules of drug combination. Machine learning technology is employed to build a system for evaluating and predicting the rationality of clinical drug combinations based on "drug characteristics-repository information-artificial intelligence" strategy, which will be debugged and validated in multi-center clinical practice, with a view to providing new ideas and technical references for the safety and efficacy of clinical drug use.

Tailoring local electron density and molecular oxygen activation behavior via potassium/halogen co-tuned graphitic carbon nitride for enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a promising photocatalyst,but its inadequate reactive sites, weak visible light responsiveness, and sluggish separation of photogenerated carriers hamperthe improvement of photodegradation efficiency. In this work, potassium (K) and halogen atoms co-modified g-C3N4 photocatalysts (CN-KX, X = F, Cl, Br, I) were constructed to adjust the electrical and band structure for enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species. Through an integration of theoretical calculation and experimental exploration, the doping sites of halogen atoms as well as the evolution of crystal, band, and electronic structures were investigated. The results show that a covalent bond is formed between the F atom and the C atom, substitution of the N atom occurs with a Cl atom, and doping of Br, I, or K atoms takes place at the interstitial site. CN-KX photocatalysts exhibits lower band gap, faster photogenerated electron migration, and enhanced photocatalytic activity. Specifically, the CN-KI photocatalyst exhibits the highest photodegradation efficiency because of its smaller interplanar spacing, formation of the midgap state, and adjustable local electron density. Equally, the doping of I atom not only provides a stable adsorption site for oxygen (O2) but also facilitates electron transfer, promoting the production of superoxide radicals (O2-) and contributing to the process of photodegradation.

Expression Improvement of Recombinant Plasmids of the Interleukin-7 Gene in Chitosan-Derived Nanoparticles and Their Elevation of Mice Immunity.

To investigate a safe and effective approach for enhancing the in vivo expression of recombinant genes and improving the systemic immunity of animals against infectious diseases, we employed the interleukin-7 (IL-7) gene from Tibetan pigs to construct a recombinant eukaryotic plasmid (VRTPIL-7). We first examined VRTPIL-7's bioactivity on porcine lymphocytes in vitro and then encapsulated it with polyethylenimine (PEI), chitosan copolymer (CS), PEG-modified galactosylated chitosan (CS-PEG-GAL) and methoxy poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and PEI-modified CS (CS-PEG-PEI) nanoparticles using the ionotropic gelation technique. Next, we intramuscularly or intraperitoneally injected mice with various nanoparticles containing VRTPIL-7 to evaluate their immunoregulatory effects in vivo. We observed a significant increase in neutralizing antibodies and specific IgG levels in response to the rabies vaccine in the treated mice compared to the controls. Treated mice also exhibited increased leukocytes, CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, and elevated mRNA levels of toll-like receptors (TLR1/4/6/9), IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-23, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß). Notably, the recombinant IL-7 gene encapsulated in CS-PEG-PEI induced the highest levels of immunoglobulins, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, TLRs, and cytokines in the mice's blood, suggesting that chitosan-PEG-PEI may be a promising carrier for in vivo IL-7 gene expression and enhanced innate and adaptive immunity for the prevention of animal diseases.

In situ deposition of 0D CeO2 quantum dots on Fe2O3-containing solid waste NH3-SCR catalyst: Enhancing redox and NH3 adsorption ability.

As NOx has been turning into a crucial environmental problem, NH3-SCR technology with relatively simple device, reliable operation and low secondary pollution, has become a widely used commercial and mature de-nitration technology. However, some weaknesses restricted the further application of commercialized V2O5-WO3/TiO2 NH3-SCR catalysts, while Fe2O3-based catalysts have received much attention due to their high thermal stability, passable N2 selectivity and low cost. In this study, Fe2O3-containing solid waste derived from Zn extraction process of electric arc furnace dust was exploited as the base material for catalyst preparing. Owing to the complementary and synergistic effect of CeO2 and Fe2O3, 0D CeO2 quantum dots (CeQDs) with fully-exposed active sites, large specific surface area, and rapid charge transfer have been introduced and deposited onto Fe2O3-containing solid waste nanorods. The in-situ deposition of CeQDs led to the admirable enhancement in NH3-SCR catalytic activity, N2 selectivity and SO2 tolerance of the extremely low-cost Fe2O3 catalyst. Comprehensive characterizations and DFT calculations describing the adsorption of O2 and NH3 were applied to analyze the catalyst structure and further investigate the detailed relationship between structural properties and activity as well as reaction mechanism. This work provides new insights for the high-value utilization of iron-containing solid waste and a practical reference for boosting the performance of NH3-SCR catalysts by introducing quantum dots.

Network pharmacology-based dissection of the underlying mechanisms of dyspnoea induced by zedoary turmeric oil.

Zedoary turmeric oil (ZTO) has been widely used in clinic. However, the unpleasant induced dyspnoea inevitably impedes its clinical application. Thus, it is urgent to elucidate the mechanism underlying the ZTO-induced dyspnoea. In this study, network pharmacology was firstly performed to search the clue of ZTO-induced dyspnoea. The key target genes of ZTO-induced dyspnoea were analysed using GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis. GO analysis suggested that haem binding could be a key molecular function involved in ZTO-induced dyspnoea. Hence, the haemoglobin (Hb) was focused for its oxygen-carrying capacity with haem as its critical component binding to the oxygen. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum indicated that the ZTO injection (ZTOI) perturbed the Soret band of Hb, suggesting an interaction between ZTO and Hb. GC-MS analysis revealed that ß-elemene, germacrone, curdione and furanodiene were main components of ZTOI. Molecular docking was used to illustrate the high affinity between representative sesquiterpenes and Hb, which was finally confirmed by surface plasmon resonance, suggesting their potential roles in dyspnoea by ZTO. Following a network pharmacology-driven strategy, our study revealed an intervened Hb-based mechanism underlying the ZTO-induced dyspnoea, providing a reference for elucidating mechanism underlying adverse drug reactions of herbal medicines in clinic.

Porcine Interleukin-17 and 22 Co-Expressed by Yarrowia lipolytica Enhance Immunity and Increase Protection against Bacterial Challenge in Mice and Piglets

Drug resistance in economic animals to pathogens is a matter of widespread concern due to abuse of antibiotics. In order to develop a safe and economical immunopotentiator to raise the immunity and antibacterial response as a replacement for antibiotics, a recombinant yeast co-expressing pig interleukin-17 (IL-17) and IL-22 was constructed and designated as Po1h-pINA1297-IL-17/22. To evaluate the immunoregulator activities of Po1h-pINA1297-IL-17/22, two experiment groups (oral inoculation with Po1h-pINA1297 or Po1h-pINA1297-IL-17/22) and a negative control group (PBS) were set up using 4-week-old female BALB/c mice (10/group). The level of cytokines, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ, were detected by ELISA, and the circulating CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes were quantified by flow cytometry. The IgG and secretory IgA (SIgA) levels in both small intestine and fecal matter were also measured by ELISA. The results indicated that the IgG antibody titer and SIgA concentration increased significantly in the Po1h-pINA1297-IL17/22 group in comparison with the controls (p < 0.05) and so did the cytokine levels in the serum (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ). In addition, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were also obviously elevated in the Po1h-pINA1297-IL17/22 group on 35th day (p < 0.05). After challenge with pathogenic Salmonella typhimurium, the Po1h-pINA1297-IL17/22 group showed a relatively higher survival rate without obvious infectious symptoms. On the contrary, the mortality of control group reached 80% due to bacterial infection. As for the piglet experiment, 30 healthy 7-day piglets were similarly attributed into three groups. The oral inoculation of piglets with Po1h-pINA1297-IL17/22 also markedly improved the growth performance and systemic immunity (up-regulations of IL-4, IL-6, IL-15, IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23). Overall, the results indicated that Po1h-pINA1297-IL17/22 effectively promoted the humoral and cellular immunity against bacterial infection. These proved the promising potential of Po1h-pINA1297-IL-17/22 to be a potent immunopotentiator for the prevention of microbial pathogen infections.

Molecular Characterization of the Nsp2 and ORF5s of PRRSV Strains in Sichuan China during 2012-2020.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an important pathogen that poses a serious threat to the global pig industry. Sichuan Province is one of the largest pig breeding provinces in China. There is a lack of reports on the continuous surveillance and systematic analysis of prevalent strains of PRRSV in Sichuan Province in recent years. To fill this gap, a total of 539 samples were collected from 13 breeding regions in Sichuan during 2012-2020. The detection result showed that the positive rate of PRRSV was 52.32% (282/539). The ORF5s and Nsp2 were obtained and further analyzed, with Chinese reference strains downloaded from the GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the PRRSV strains sequenced in this study belonged to PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 (lineage 1, 3, 5 and 8). In total, 168 PRRSV-2 strains were selected for ORF5 analyses, and these strains were classified into sub-lineage 8.7 (HP-PRRSV), sub-lineage 5.1 (classical PRRSV), sub-lineage 1.8 (NADC30-like), sub-lineage 1.5 (NADC34-like) and sub-lineage 3.5 (QYYZ-like), accounting for 60.71% (102/168), 11.31% (19/168), 18.45% (31/168), 2.97% (5/168) and 6.55% (11/168) of the total analyzed strains, respectively. The Nsp2 of identified PRRSV strains exhibited a nucleotide identity of 44.5-100%, and an amino acid identity of 46.82-100%. The ORF5 of the identified PRRSV strains exhibited a nucleotide identity of 81.3-100%, and an amino acid identity of 78.5-100%. A sequence analysis of ORF5 revealed that the mutation sites of GP5 were mainly concentrated in HVR1 and HVR2 and the virulence sites. In summary, the HP-PRRSV, NADC30-like PRRSV, Classic-PRRSV, QYYZ-like PRRSV, NADC34-like PRRSV and PRRSV-1 strains exist simultaneously in pigs in Sichuan. NADC30-like PRRSV was gradually becoming the most prevalent genotype currently in Sichuan province. This study suggested that PRRSV strains in Sichuan were undergoing genomic divergence.

Comparative Studies of Effects of Vapor- and Liquid-Phase As2O3 on Catalytic Behaviors of V2O5-WO3/TiO2 Catalysts for NH3-SCR.

The role of vapor- and liquid-phase As2O3 in deactivating commercial V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst during the NH3-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) process was explored and compared. As2O3 was loaded via vapor deposition (As(vap)) and the wet impregnation (As(imp)) method, respectively. Results demonstrated that the poisoning extent of vapor arsenic was much stronger than in the liquid state. Differences in As distribution on the catalyst surface was one of the main causes. Most vapor As2O3 could be oxidized to As2O5, which underwent stacking and formed a dense covering layer on the catalyst surface. In comparison, liquid As2O3 could also be oxidized but distributed uniformly and did not change the catalyst pore structure. Loading arsenic would destroy the V-OH and V=O active sites of the catalyst, and less reactive As5+-OH was generated. Catalyst oxidizability was also enhanced, resulting in NH3 oxidation enhancement, decreased N2 selectivity, and a decline in SCR activity. Importantly, the intermediate of NH3 oxidation, NH2-amide, also could react with NO + O2, and more N2O was generated on the poisoned catalyst during the SCR process, especially on As(imp). Finally, two mechanisms of arsenic poisoning were proposed, in which the role of vapor and liquid As2O3 over the V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalyst was compared.

Enhancement of Immune Response and Anti-Infection of Mice by Porcine Antimicrobial Peptides and Interleukin-4/6 Fusion Gene Encapsulated in Chitosan Nanoparticles.

In order to develop a novel and effective immunoregulator to enhance both the immune response and antimicrobial function, a recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid-pVAX1 co-expressing fusion cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) and fusion porcine interleukin-4/6 gene (IL-4/6) was constructed and encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles (CS-VAP4/6), prepared by the ionotropic gelation method. Four-week-old female Kunming mice were divided into three groups and intramuscularly injected, respectively, with CS-VAP, CS-VAP4/6, and CS-pVAX1. On 28 days post-inoculation, the mice were challenged by intraperitoneal injection with Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922); IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells increased significantly in the VAP- and VAP4/6- treated mice, detected by ELISA and flow cytometry, correspondingly (p < 0.05). As analyzed by qPCR, expression levels of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 1, TLR4, TLR6, TLR9, IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15, IL-23, Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α, and Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) genes were also significantly up-regulated in comparison with those of the control mice (p < 0.05). Their immunological markers were elevated significantly to different degrees in CS-VAP4/6-treated mice compared with CS-VAP in different days post-inoculation (p < 0.05). After challenge with E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, most of the VAP- and VAP4/6- treated mice survived, and no symptoms of bacterial infection were observed. In contrast, 80% of control mice died of infection. Among the treated groups, VAP4/6 had a stronger resistance against challenge with E. coli infection. These results demonstrated that the fusion gene of antimicrobial peptide and interleukin-4/6 has the promising potential as a safe and effective immunomodulator for the control of bacterial infections.

Crystallization Products and Structural Characterization of CaO-SiO2-Based Mold Fluxes with Varying Al2O3/SiO2 Ratios.

During the casting of high aluminum steel, the dramatic increase in the Al2O3/SiO2 ratio is inevitable, resulting in significant changes of the crystallization behavior, which would result in heat transfer and lubrication problems. Crystallization products and structure characterization of glassy CaO-SiO2-based mold fluxes with different Al2O3/SiO2 ratios were experimentally investigated using a differential scanning calorimetry technique and Raman spectroscopy. With increasing Al2O3/SiO2 ratios, the following results were obtained. The crystallization temperature and the crystallization products are changed. With increasing Al2O3/SiO2 ratios from 0.088 to 0.151, the crystallization temperature first increases greatly from 1152 °C to 1354 °C, and then moderately increases. The crystallization ability of the mold flux is strengthened. The species of the precipitated crystalline phase change from two kinds, i.e., Ca4Si2O7F2 and Ca2SiO4, to four kinds, i.e., Ca4Si2O7F2, Ca2SiO4, 2CaO·Al2O3·SiO2 and Ca12Al14O32F2, the crystallization ability of Ca4Si2O7F2 is gradually attenuated, but other species show the opposite trend. The results of Raman spectroscopy indicate that Al3+ mainly acts as a network former by the information of [AlO4]-tetrahedral structural units, which can connect with [SiO4]-tetrahedral by the formation of new bridge oxygen of Al⁻O⁻Si linkage, but there is no formation of Al⁻O⁻Al linkage. The linkage of Al⁻O⁻Si increases and that of Si⁻O⁻Si decreases. The polymerization degree of the network and the average number of bridging oxygens decrease. Further, the relatively strong Si⁻O⁻Si linkage gradually decreases and the relatively weak Al⁻O⁻Si gradually increases. The change of the crystalline phase was interpreted from the phase diagram and structure.

Generating Giant Membrane Vesicles from Live Cells with Preserved Cellular Properties.

Biomimetic giant membrane vesicles, with size and lipid compositions comparable to cells, have been recognized as an attractive experimental alternative to living systems. Due to the similarity of their membrane structure to that of body cells, cell-derived giant plasma membrane vesicles have been used as a membrane model for studying lipid/protein behavior of plasma membranes. However, further application of biomimetic giant membrane vesicles has been hampered by the side-effects of chemical vesiculants and the utilization of osmotic buffer. We herein develop a facile strategy to derive giant membrane vesicles (GMVs) from mammalian cells in biofriendly medium with high yields. These GMVs preserve membrane properties and adaptability for surface modification and encapsulation of exogenous molecules, which would facilitate their potential biological applications. Moreover, by loading GMVs with therapeutic drugs, GMVs could be employed for drug transport to tumor cells, which represents another step forward in the biomedical application of giant membrane vesicles. This study highlights biocompatible GMVs with biomimicking membrane surface properties and adaptability as an ideal platform for drug delivery strategies with potential clinical applications.

Effect of Cooling Rate on Phase and Crystal Morphology Transitions of CaO⁻SiO2-Based Systems and CaO⁻Al2O3-Based Systems.

The phase and crystal morphology transitions of two typical types of mold fluxes were investigated fundamentally using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) techniques. For the traditional CaO⁻SiO2⁻CaF2-based mold flux, different cooling rates can change the phases and the crystal morphologies. Faceted cuspidine and CaSiO3 are co-precipitated when the cooling rate is less than 50 °C·min-1. The phases transform from Ca4Si2O7F2 and CaSiO3 to Ca4Si2O7F2 at the cooling rate of 50 °C·min-1. Cuspidine shows four different morphologies: faceted shape, fine stripe, fine stripe dendrite, and flocculent dendrite. The crystalline phases of CaAl2O4 and Ca3B2O6 are co-precipitated in the CaO⁻Al2O3-based mold flux. Neither the phases nor the crystal morphologies change in the low cooling rate range (5 °C·min-1 to 50 °C·min-1). With decreasing temperature, the morphology of CaAl2O4 firstly becomes dendritic, and then the dendritic quality gradually changes to a large-mesh blocky shape at the cooling rates of 100 °C·min-1, 200 °C·min-1, and 500 °C·min-1. Different cooling rates do not show an obvious impact on the morphology transition of CaAl2O4. The strong crystallization ability and large rate of crystallization affect the control of the heat transfer of the CaO⁻Al2O3-based mold flux during casting. The big morphology difference between primary crystals of the CaO⁻SiO2⁻CaF2-based mold flux and the CaO⁻Al2O3-based mold flux is probably one of the biggest factors limiting lubrication between the CaO⁻Al2O3-based mold flux and high-Al steel during casting.

[The effect of entrapment of CpG sequence with cationic PLG nanoparticles on the immune responses of mice to pig paratyphoid vaccine].

Cationic PLG nanoparticles and liposome were prepared and used as package molecules to pack up pUC18-CpG. The effects of the packed pUC18-CpG on the cellular and humoral immune responses were detected in the mice that were inoculated with pig paratyphoid vaccine. The results showed that compared with the control, the amount of IgG and the titre of specific antibody were significantly increased in the sera of mice immunized with the CpG plasmid entrapped by cationic PLG nanoparticles; the proliferation and induced IL-2 bioactivity of lymphocytes were significantly enhanced in the spleen of the immunized mice; the stimulatory effect of cationic PLG nanoparticles was similar to or stronger than that of cationic liposome. These indicated that cationic PLG nanoparticle could be employed as an effective package molecule to promote the immunostimulatory effect of pUC18-CpG.

Antibacterial constituents from Melodinus suaveolens.

To investigate the non-alkaloidal chemical constituents of the stems and leaves of Melodinus suaveolens and their antibacterial activities. Compounds were isolated and purified by repeated silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, RP18, and preparative HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by comparison with published spectroscopic data, as well as on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. The antibacterial screening assays were performed by the dilution method. Fourteen compounds were isolated, and identified as lycopersene (1), betulinic aldehyde (2), 3ß-acetoxy-22,23,24,25,26,27-hexanordammaran-20-one (3), 3a-acetyl-2, 3, 5-trimethyl-7a-hydroxy-5-(4,8,12-trimethyl-tridecanyl)-1,3a,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-4-oxainden-1-one (4), 3ß-hydroxy-28-norlup-20(29)-ene-17ß-hydroperoxide (5), 3ß-hydroxy-28-norlup-20(29)-ene-17α-hydroperoxide (6), ß-sitosterol (7), 28-nor-urs-12-ene-3ß, 17ß-diol (8), α-amyrin (9), ergosta-4,6,8(14),22-tetraen-3-one (10), 3ß-hydroxy-urs-11-en-28,13ß-olide (11), betulin (12), obtusalin (13), and ursolic acid (14). Among the isolates, compounds 1, 2, 6, 8, 10, and 14 showed potent antibacterial activities against the four bacteria. This is the first report of the antibacterial activity of the constituents of Melodinus suaveolens.

Regulating effects of porcine interleukin-6 gene and CpG motifs on immune responses to porcine trivalent vaccines in mice.

In order to develop novel immunoadjuvants to boost immune response of conventional vaccines, experiments were conducted to investigate the regulating effects of porcine interleukin-6 gene and CpG motifs as the molecular adjuvants on immune responses of mice that were co-inoculated with trivalent vaccines against Swine fever, the Pasteurellosis and Erysipelas suis. Synthetic oligodeoxynuleotides containing CpG motifs were ligated into pUC18, forming recombinant pUC18-CpG plasmid. Eukaryotic plasmid expressing porcine interleukin-6 (VPIL-6) were also constructed as molecular adjuvants in an attempt to enhance levels of immune responses of mice co-administered with the trivalent vaccines in this paper. The cellular and humoral immune responses of mice were systematically analysed, and the experimental results were observed that the number of white blood cells, monocytes, granuloytes and lymphocytes significantly increased, respectively, in the mice immunized with VPIL-6, compared with those of the control; the IgG content and titre of specific antibodies to the trivalent vaccine mounted remarkably in the sera from the VPIL-6 vaccinated mice; the proliferation of lymphocytes and induced IL-2 activities were significantly increased in the vaccinated groups. The above-mentioned immune responses of mice co-inoculated with pUC18-CpG plasmid were significantly stronger than those of co-inoculated with pUC18 plasmid, suggesting that the immunostimulatory effect of oligodeoxynuleotides CpG is closely connected with the number of CpG motifs. These results suggest that the porcine IL-6 gene and CpG motifs could be employed as effective immunoadjuvants to elevate immunity to conventional vaccines.

The immunoregulation of mice by somatic transgenic expression of porcine interleukin-6 gene and CpG sequence.

Porcine IL-6 gene and CpG sequences were used to enhance some indirect indicators of the immune response of mice. An indirect ELISA was used to quantify the amount of IgG in the sera from mice that had been inoculated with VPIL-6, a recombinant VR1020 vector into which had been inserted the porcine IL-6 gene cloned in our laboratory, or with CpG, pUC18 or VR1020. The induced bioactivity of IL-2 of lymphocytes in the spleen was assayed by the MTT method, and the proliferation of lymphocytes stimulated with ConA was tested to identify the immune response of the experimental mice. The amount of IgG in the immunized mice was significantly higher than that in the control group. Among the immunized groups, inoculation with VPIL-6 induced the highest content of IgG (p < 0.05), the greatest bioactivity of IL-2 and the greatest proliferation of lymphocytes from the spleen of the mice. These results suggest that inoculation with porcine IL-6 gene and CpG sequences may enhance the immune response of mice, and might be used as an immunoadjuvant.

Antibacterial prenylbenzoic acid derivatives from Anodendron formicinum.

A phytochemical investigation on the stems of Anodendron formicinum led to the isolation of eight prenylbenzoic acid derivatives. Three of these were new compounds, designated as formicinuosides A (1), B (2), and C (3). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, as well as by comparison with the reported spectroscopic data. This is the first report of chemical constituents from A. formicinum and their antimicrobial activities. Among the isolated compounds, compounds 4, 6 and 8 showed significant antibacterial activities against Providensia smartii with MIC values of 0.781 µg/mL. Moreover, compound 8 showed remarkable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli with MIC value of 0.781 µg/mL.

An evaluation on combination effects of phenolic endocrine disruptors by estrogen receptor binding assay.

Phenolic compounds are widely distributed in the natural environment, typically existing as a mixture at the nanomole or micromole per liter level. Among the phenolic compounds, 4-nonylphenol, 4-t-octylphenol, bisphenol A and 2,4-dichlorophenol attract the most concern due to their abundance and risks in the natural environment. The former three are known as endocrine disruptors causing feminization in various organisms, whereas the latter requires further clarification for its estrogenic effect. This study aims to evaluate the combination effects of these chemicals with estrogen receptor binding as an endpoint. An ELISA based receptor binding assay was employed to avoid radioactive pollution in the traditional assay. The results showed that all these chemicals could bind with estrogen receptor with a relative binding affinity of bisphenol A>4-t-octylphenol>4-nonylphenol>2,4-dichlorophenol. The four chemicals were further mixed in two ways, at an equipotent ratio and at an equal environmental level ratio, and their combination effects on receptor binding were evaluated with both the toxicity units method and concentration addition model. The resulting effects of both mixtures showed an antagonistic mode, which was assumed to be a general mode of action with estrogen receptor binding assay due to competitive ligand binding on receptors.