[Research progress on anti-inflammatory effects of plant-derived cannabinoid type 2 receptor modulators].

Excessive and persistent inflammatory responses are a potential pathological condition that can lead to diseases of various systems, including nervous, respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and endocrine systems. Cannabinoid type 2 receptor(CB2R) belongs to the G protein-coupled receptor family and is widely distributed in immune cells, peripheral tissues, and the central nervous system. It plays a role in inflammatory responses under various pathological conditions. The down-regulation of CB2R activity is an important marker of inflammation and and CB2R modulators have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. This study explored the relationship between CB2R and inflammatory responses, delved into its regulatory mechanisms in inflammatory diseases, and summarized the research progress on CB2R modulators from plants other than cannabis, including plant extracts and monomeric compounds, in exerting anti-inflammatory effects. The aim is to provide new insights into the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Application progress of immobilized biomembrane in the discovery of active compounds of natural products.

Natural products (NP) are an important source of bioactive compounds. Considering their complex matrix effects, the development of suitable methodologies for the quick identification and analysis of active substances in NPs played a significant role in controlling their quality and discovering new drugs. In recent years, the technology of immobilized biomembrane has attracted increasing attention, due to its advantages such as multitarget efficiency, accuracy, and/or time-saving compared with traditional activity-guided separation and ligand fishing methods. This article provides a systematic review of the latest advances in screening technologies based on biomembrane in the field of NPs. It includes detailed discussions on these technologies, including cell membrane chromatography, artificial membrane chromatography, cell membrane fishing, living cell fishing methods, and their applications in screening various active molecules from NPs. Their limitations and future development prospects are further discussed.

Temporal dynamics of Arc/Arg3.1 expression in the dorsal striatum during acquisition and consolidation of a motor skill in mice.

Region- and pathway-specific plasticity within striatal circuits is critically involved in the acquisition and long-term retention of a new motor skill as it becomes automatized. However, the molecular substrates contributing to this plasticity remain unclear. Here, we examined the expression of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) in the associative or dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and the sensorimotor or dorsolateral striatum (DLS), as well as in striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons, during different skill learning phases in the accelerating rotarod task. We found that Arc was mainly expressed in the DMS during early motor learning and progressively increased in the DLS during gradual motor skill consolidation. Moreover, Arc was preferentially expressed in striatopallidal neurons early in training and gradually increased in striatonigral neurons later in training. These data demonstrate that in the dorsal striatum, the expression of Arc exhibits a region- and cell-specific transfer during the learning of a motor skill, suggesting a link between striatal Arc expression and motor skill learning in mice.

Transcriptomic and biochemical analysis of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and a chromosome segment substitution line from G. hirsutum × G. barbadense in response to Verticillium dahliae infection.

BACKGROUND: Verticillium wilt (VW), also known as "cotton cancer," is one of the most destructive diseases in global cotton production that seriously impacts fiber yield and quality. Despite numerous attempts, little significant progress has been made in improving the VW resistance of upland cotton. The development of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) from Gossypium hirsutum × G. barbadense has emerged as a means of simultaneously developing new cotton varieties with high-yield, superior fiber, and resistance to VW. RESULTS: In this study, VW-resistant investigations were first conducted in an artificial greenhouse, a natural field, and diseased nursery conditions, resulting in the identification of one stably VW-resistant CSSL, MBI8255, and one VW-susceptible G. hirsutum, CCRI36, which were subsequently subjected to biochemical tests and transcriptome sequencing during V991 infection (0, 1, and 2 days after inoculation). Eighteen root samples with three replications were collected to perform multiple comparisons of enzyme activity and biochemical substance contents. The findings indicated that VW resistance was positively correlated with peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity, but negatively correlated with malondialdehyde content. Additionally, RNA sequencing was used for the same root samples, resulting in a total of 77,412 genes, of which 23,180 differentially expressed genes were identified from multiple comparisons between samples. After Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis on the expression profiles identified using Short Time-series Expression Miner, we found that the metabolic process in the biological process, as well as the pathways of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction, participated significantly in the response to VW. Gene functional annotation and expression quantity analysis indicated the important roles of the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway and oxidation-reduction process in response to VW, which also provided plenty of candidate genes related to plant resistance. CONCLUSIONS: This study concentrates on the preliminary response to V991 infection by comparing the VW-resistant CSSL and its VW-susceptible recurrent parent. Not only do our findings facilitate the culturing of new resistant varieties with high yield and superior performance, but they also broaden our understanding of the mechanisms of cotton resistance to VW.

QTL mapping and genetic effect of chromosome segment substitution lines with excellent fiber quality from Gossypium hirsutum × Gossypium barbadense.

Chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) are ideal materials for identifying genetic effects. In this study, CSSL MBI7561 with excellent fiber quality that was selected from BC4F3:5 of CCRI45 (Gossypium hirsutum) × Hai1 (Gossypium barbadense) was used to construct 3 secondary segregating populations with 2 generations (BC5F2 and BC5F2:3). Eighty-one polymorphic markers related to 33 chromosome introgressive segments on 18 chromosomes were finally screened using 2292 SSR markers which covered the whole tetraploid cotton genome. A total of 129 quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with fiber quality (103) and yield-related traits (26) were detected on 17 chromosomes, explaining 0.85-30.35% of the phenotypic variation; 39 were stable (30.2%), 53 were common (41.1%), 76 were new (58.9%), and 86 had favorable effects on the related traits. More QTL were distributed in the Dt subgenome than in the At subgenome. Twenty-five stable QTL clusters (with stable or common QTL) were detected on 22 chromosome introgressed segments. Finally, the 6 important chromosome introgressed segments (Seg-A02-1, Seg-A06-1, Seg-A07-2, Seg-A07-3, Seg-D07-3, and Seg-D06-2) were identified as candidate chromosome regions for fiber quality, which should be given more attention in future QTL fine mapping, gene cloning, and marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding.

Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch Extracts Prevent Bone Loss and Architectural Deterioration and Enhance Osteoblastic Bone Formation by Regulating the IGF-1/PI3K/mTOR Pathway in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (RR, named as Shudihuang in traditional Chinese medicine), the steamed roots of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch (Scrophulariaceae), has been demonstrated to have anti-diabetic and anti-osteoporotic activities. This study aimed to explore the protective effect and underlying mechanism of RR on diabetes-induced bone loss. It was found that RR regulated the alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin level, enhanced bone mineral density, and improved the bone microarchitecture in diabetic rats. The catalpol (CAT), acteoside (ACT), and echinacoside (ECH) from RR increased the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells injured by high glucose and promoted the production of IGF-1 and expression of related proteins in BMP and IGF-1/PI3K/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTOR) signaling pathways. The verifying tests of inhibitors of BMP pathway (noggin) and IGF-1/PI3K/mTOR pathway (picropodophyllin) and molecular docking of IGF-1R further indicated that CAT, ACT, and ECH extracted from RR enhanced bone formation by regulating IGF-1/PI3K/mTOR signaling pathways. These findings suggest that RR may prove to be a promising candidate drug for the prevention and treatment of diabetes-induced osteoporosis.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of cotton fiber development of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines from G. hirsutum × G. barbadense.

BACKGROUND: How to develop new cotton varieties possessing high yield traits of Upland cotton and superior fiber quality traits of Sea Island cotton remains a key task for cotton breeders and researchers. While multiple attempts bring in little significant progresses, the development of Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines (CSSLs) from Gossypium barbadense in G. hirsutum background provided ideal materials for aforementioned breeding purposes in upland cotton improvement. Based on the excellent fiber performance and relatively clear chromosome substitution segments information identified by Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers, two CSSLs, MBI9915 and MBI9749, together with the recurrent parent CCRI36 were chosen to conduct transcriptome sequencing during the development stages of fiber elongation and Secondary Cell Wall (SCW) synthesis (from 10DPA and 28DPA), aiming at revealing the mechanism of fiber development and the potential contribution of chromosome substitution segments from Sea Island cotton to fiber development of Upland cotton. RESULTS: In total, 15 RNA-seq libraries were constructed and sequenced separately, generating 705.433 million clean reads with mean GC content of 45.13% and average Q30 of 90.26%. Through multiple comparisons between libraries, 1801 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which the 902 up-regulated DEGs were mainly involved in cell wall organization and response to oxidative stress and auxin, while the 898 down-regulated ones participated in translation, regulation of transcription, DNA-templated and cytoplasmic translation based on GO annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis. Subsequently, STEM software was performed to explicate the temporal expression pattern of DEGs. Two peroxidases and four flavonoid pathway-related genes were identified in the "oxidation-reduction process", which could play a role in fiber development and quality formation. Finally, the reliability of RNA-seq data was validated by quantitative real-time PCR of randomly selected 20 genes. CONCLUSIONS: The present report focuses on the similarities and differences of transcriptome profiles between the two CSSLs and the recurrent parent CCRI36 and provides novel insights into the molecular mechanism of fiber development, and into further exploration of the feasible contribution of G. barbadense substitution segments to fiber quality formation, which will lay solid foundation for simultaneously improving fiber yield and quality of upland cotton through CSSLs.

[Study of screening nephroprotective bioactive substances based on triple-color fluorescence probes in Carthami flos].

In this study, an approach based on triple-color fluorescence probes was developed for screening potential nephro-protective bioactive substances. Three fluorescent probes (i. e. FDA, MTR and Hoechst 33342) were used to label HK-2 cells injured by doxorubicin hydrochloride, and cellular fluorescence images were subsequently acquired and analyzed by a cellular-fluorescence image microscopy platform. The established method was applied to screening 53 components of Carthami Flos, and three components C17, C18 and C19 were found to exhibit nephroprotective effects against doxorubicin hydrochloride induced injury on HK-2 cells. Eight compounds (i. e. hydroxysafflor yellow A, 6-hydroxykaempferol-3-O-rutinoside-6-O-glucoside, 6-hydroxykaempferol-3,6-di-O-gluco-side or 6-hydroxykaempferol-6, 7-di-O-glucoside, 6-hydroxykaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, 6-hydroxykaempferol-3-O-glucoside or 6-hydroxykaempferol-7-O-glucoside, rutin, isoquercetin, and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside) in components C17, C18 and C19 were preliminarily identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Isoquercetin, rutin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and hydroxysafflor yellow A were confirmed by comparing with reference substances, Further study indicated that these four compounds had moderate nephroprotective effects, while isoquercetin showed a significant nephroprotective effect in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that isoquercetin, rutin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and hydroxysafflor yellow A might be the nephroprotective bioactive substances in Carthami Flos.

Orcinol gentiobioside inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by promoting apoptosis and suppressing autophagy via the JNK1 signaling.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Osteoporosis (OP) is a metabolic disorder characterized by disrupted osteoclastic bone resorption and osteoblastic bone formation. Curculigo orchioides Gaertn has a long history of application in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine for treating OP. Orcinol gentiobioside (OGB) is a principal active constituent derived from Curculigo orchioides Gaertn and has been shown to have anti-OP activity. However, the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of OGB in modulating osteoclastic bone resorption remain undefined. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the effect of OGB on the formation, differentiation and function of osteoclasts derived from bone marrow macrophages (BMMs), and further elucidate the underlying action mechanism of OGB in OP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Osteoclasts derived from BMMs were utilized to evaluate the effect of OGB on osteoclast formation, differentiation and bone resorption. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and activity assays were conducted to denote the activity of osteoclasts. Osteoclast-related genes and proteins were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting assays. The formation of the F-actin ring was observed by confocal laser microscopy, and bone resorption pits were observed by inverted microscopy. The target of OGB in osteoclasts was predicted by using molecular docking and further verified by Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) and reversal effects of the target activator. The apoptosis of osteoclasts was analyzed by flow cytometry, and autophagic flux in osteoclasts was determined by confocal laser microscopy. RESULTS: OGB inhibited osteoclast formation and differentiation, osteoclast-related genes and proteins expression, F-actin ring formation, and bone resorption activity. Molecular docking and CETSA analysis demonstrated that OGB exhibited good affinity for c-Jun N-terminal Kinase 1 (JNK1). In addition, OGB induced apoptosis and inhibited autophagy in osteoclasts, and the JNK agonist anisomycin reversed the increase in apoptosis and inhibition of autophagy induced by OGB in osteoclasts. CONCLUSION: OGB inhibited osteoclastogenesis by promoting apoptosis and diminishing autophagy via JNK1 signaling.

Sea Buckthorn Polyphenols Alleviate High-Fat-Diet-Induced Metabolic Disorders in Mice via Reprograming Hepatic Lipid Homeostasis Owing to Directly Targeting Fatty Acid Synthase.

Our previous studies found that Sea Buckthorn polyphenols (SBP) extract inhibits fatty acid synthase (FAS) in vitro. Thus, we continued to explore possible effects and underlying mechanisms of SBP on complicated metabolic disorders in long-term high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed mice. To reveal that, an integrated approach was developed in this study. Targeted quantitative lipidomics with a total of 904 unique lipids mapping contributes to profiling the comprehensive features of disarranged hepatic lipid homeostasis and discovering a set of newfound lipid-based biomarkers to predict the occurrence and indicate the progression of metabolic disorders beyond current indicators. On the other hand, technologies of intermolecular interactions characterization, especially surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay, contribute to recognizing targeted bioactive constituents present in SBP. Our findings highlight hepatic lipid homeostasis maintenance and constituent-FAS enzyme interactions, to provide new insights that SBP as a functional food alleviates HFD-induced metabolic disorders in mice via reprograming hepatic lipid homeostasis caused by targeting FAS, owing to four polyphenols directly interacting with FAS and cinaroside binding to FAS with good affinity.

Alpha 2-adrenoceptor participates in anti-hyperalgesia by regulating metabolic demand.

The α2-adrenoceptor agonist dexmedetomidine is a commonly used drug for sedatives in clinics and has analgesic effects; however, its mechanism of analgesia in the spine remains unclear. In this study, we systematically used behavioural and transcriptomic sequencing, pharmacological intervention, electrophysiological recording and ultrasound imaging to explore the analgesic effects of the α2-adrenoceptor and its molecular mechanism. Firstly, we found that spinal nerve injury changed the spinal transcriptome expression, and the differential genes were mainly related to calcium signalling and tissue metabolic pathways. In addition, α2-adrenoceptor mRNA expression was significantly upregulated, and α2-adrenoceptor was significantly colocalised with markers, particularly neuronal markers. Intrathecal dexmedetomidine suppressed neuropathic pain and acute inflammatory pain in a dose-dependent manner. The transcriptome results demonstrated that the analgesic effect of dexmedetomidine may be related to the modulation of neuronal metabolism. Weighted gene correlation network analysis indicated that turquoise, brown, yellow and grey modules were the most correlated with dexmedetomidine-induced analgesic effects. Bioinformatics also annotated the involvement of metabolic processes and neural plasticity. A cardiovascular-mitochondrial interaction was found, and ultrasound imaging revealed that injection of dexmedetomidine significantly enhanced spinal cord perfusion in rats with neuropathic pain, which might be regulated by pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (pdk4), cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (ch25 h) and GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (gch1). Increasing the perfusion doses of dexmedetomidine significantly suppressed the frequency and amplitude of spinal nerve ligation-induced miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. Overall, dexmedetomidine exerts analgesic effects by restoring neuronal metabolic processes through agonism of the α2-adrenoceptor and subsequently inhibiting changes in synaptic plasticity.

[Synergistic protective effects of salvianolic acids and Panax notoginseng saponins on cardiomyocytes with hypoxia-reoxygenation injury].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of protective effects of salvianolic acids and Panax notoginseng saponins and their combination on cardiomyocytes suffered with hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR) injury. METHOD: HR-injured H9c2 cell was employed as cellular model to evaluate cardioprotective effects of salvianolic acids, P. notoginseng saponins and their combination. The viability of cells was determined by MT assay, while the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was also determined. Apoptosis of cells was monitored by staining with Hoechst 33342 fluorescent, and was further evaluated by flow cytometry. Immunoblot analysis of apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 was performed. Moreover, content of Na+, K(+)-ATPase, Ca2+, Mg2(+)-ATPase, and ATP were analyzed. RESULT: Salvianolic acids (0.05-0.5 mg x L(-1)) and P. notoginseng saponins (5-50 mg x L(-1)) have synergistic protective effects on cardiomyocytes with hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in a dose-dependent manner. Both salvianolic acids and P. notoginseng saponins can reduce hypoxia and reoxygenation-induced myocardial apoptosis and improve the energy metabolism in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, the combined use of salvianolic acids and P. notoginseng saponins exerts synergistic effects. CONCLUSION: Salvianolic acids compatibility with P. notogiriseng saponins can protect cardiomyocytes during hypoxia and reoxygenation injury by inhibiting apoptosis and improving energy metabolism.

In Vitro Diagnosis and Visualization of Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats and Protective Effects of Ferulic Acid by Raman Biospectroscopy and Machine Learning.

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of mortality with complicated pathophysiological mechanisms, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining is a histochemical diagnosis technique heavily relying on subjective observation. In this study, we developed a noninvasive assay using Raman spectroscopy for in vitro diagnosis and visualization of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and protective effects of ferulic acid. By establishing a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in Sprague-Dawley male rats, we found effective interventions by ferulic acid using the neurological function score and HE staining. Raman spectra of neuronal and neuroglial cells exhibited significant intensity changes of protein, nucleotide, lipid, and carbohydrate at 780, 814, 1002, 1012, 1176, 1224, 1402, 1520, 1586, 1614, and 1752 cm-1. Cluster vector analysis highlighted the alterations at 1002, 1080, 1298, 1430, 1478, 1508, 1586, and 1676 cm-1. To evaluate the levels of neuron injury and intervention performance, a random forest model was developed on Raman spectral data and achieved satisfactory accuracy (0.9846), sensitivity (0.9679-0.9932), and specificity (0.9945-0.9989), ranking peaks around 1002 cm-1 as key fingerprint for classification. Spectral phenylalanine-to-tryptophan ratio was the biomarker to visualize neuronal injury and intervention performance of ferulic acid with a resolution of 1 µm. Our results unravel the biochemical changes in neuronal cells with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and ferulic acid treatment, and prove Raman spectroscopy coupled with machine learning as a power tool to classify neuron viability and evaluate the intervention performance in pharmacological research.

An intravenous exposure mouse model for prediction of potential drug-sensitization using reporter antigens popliteal lymph node assay.

Immune-mediated drug hypersensitivity is a particularly concerning health-safety issue among clinicians given its unpredictability and potentially life-threatening effects, especially with exposure to intravenous drugs. Therefore, the development of intravenous drug-exposure models for drug-hazard assessments has garnered increasing interest in recent years. In this study, we used reporter antigens popliteal lymph node assay to investigate the potential value of intravenous exposure to a selected variety of allergenic compounds, including ovalbumin (OVA), concanavalin A (ConA) and diclofenac. The trinitrophenyl (TNP)-specific antibody-forming cells were used to assess the systemic immune responses to a bystander antigen. Mice were subsequently sensitized by TNP-OVA, and then intravenous exposure to one of the selective compounds. As expected, all positive compounds induced significant popliteal lymph node (PLN) proliferation compared with the control. OVA significantly increased Cluster of Differentiation 4 receptors (CD4)⁺ interleukin-4 (IL-4)⁺ T-helper 2 (Th2) cells and, consequently, increased the ratios of IL-4/interferon-γ (IFN-γ) antibody-forming cells (AFCs) in PLNs, while bringing about a dose-dependent increase in immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) AFCs; these findings indicate that a Th2 hypersensitivity response was induced. A Th2 response was also observed in diclofenac sodium-treated groups, and for ConA, a more mixed Th1/Th2 immune response appeared to be induced. In addition, there was no marked reaction with the negative compound. Together, it seems likely that the intravenous exposure model may be useful for drug-induced systemic hypersensitivity assessments.

Structure-activity differences of chlorogenic acid and its isomers on sensitization via intravenous exposure.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is found in many plants that are used as medicinal substances in traditional Chinese medicine injectables (TCMIs). However, to date, there is controversy as to whether CGA is the major cause of TCMIs-related hypersensitivity administered intravenously. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the potential sensitization of CGA and structure-activity differences between its isomers using an intravenous exposure mouse model. The results showed that popliteal lymph nodes proliferation was significantly induced by CGA and its isomers. Both CGA and isochlorogenic acid A (iso-CGA A) significantly enhanced the secretion of trinitrophenyl (TNP) ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G1; and iso-CGA B significantly induced TNP-specific IgG1, IgM, and IgG2b secreting. Furthermore, the results of quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis suggested that chemical structure factors, including atomic mass, electronegativity, atom shape and size, atom distribution, atomic weight, and atomic polarizabilities, the ionic currents, were significantly correlated with the potential sensitization of CGA and its isomers. In summary, when administered intravenously, the strength and type of sensitization may be correlated with structure differences in the CGA family.

Valsa mali secretes an effector protein VmEP1 to target a K homology domain-containing protein for virulence in apple.

The K homology (KH) repeat is an RNA-binding motif that exists in various proteins, some of which participate in plant growth. However, the function of KH domain-containing proteins in plant defence is still unclear. In this study, we found that a KH domain-containing protein in apple (Malus domestica), HEN4-like (MdKRBP4), is involved in the plant immune response. Silencing of MdKRBP4 compromised reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and enhanced the susceptibility of apple to Valsa mali, whereas transient overexpression of MdKRBP4 stimulated ROS accumulation in apple leaves, indicating that MdKRBP4 is a positive immune regulator. Additionally, MdKRBP4 was proven to interact with the VmEP1 effector secreted by V. mali, which led to decreased accumulation of MdKRBP4. Coexpression of MdKRBP4 with VmEP1 inhibited cell death and ROS production induced by MdKRBP4 in Nicotiana benthamiana. These results indicate that MdKRBP4 functions as a novel positive regulatory factor in plant immunity in M. domestica and is a virulence target of the V. mali effector VmEP1.

Sustainable hydrophilic ultrasmall carbonaceous spheres modified by click reaction for high-performance polymeric ion chromatographic stationary phase.

Novel poly(ethylvinylbenzene-divinylbenzene) (EVB-DVB) agglomerated with ultrasmall carbonaceous spheres (UCSs) anion-exchange packings for ion chromatography (IC) were constructed. Hydrophilic UCSs with mean sizes of 62-98 nm were synthesized in quantity by the polydiallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride aided hydrothermal carbonization of fructose. The green strategy based on the thiol-ene click reaction with cysteamine in aqueous system was first designed for the hyperbranched polyquaternary amine (HPA) grafting of UCSs with negligible damage on their monodispersity. The HPA modified UCSs were evenly distributed on sulfonated EVB-DVB substrate to form one uniform layer of functional nanospheres without observable coagulum. Seven typical anions (F-, Cl-, NO2-, Br-, NO3-, SO42- and PO43-) were baseline separated on constructed packing in 5 min with high efficiencies in the range of 44,800-71,100 plates m - 1. The rapid separation of polarizable anions, small organic acids and saccharides could be also accomplished under isocratic elution with competitive peak symmetry and efficiency. Good reproducibility was demonstrated by consecutive injection. Thiosulfate in water reducer was further detected on prepared packing in 4 min with detection limit of 0.04 mg L - 1 (S/N = 3) and good repeatability.

Orcinol Glucoside Improves Senile Osteoporosis through Attenuating Oxidative Stress and Autophagy of Osteoclast via Activating Nrf2/Keap1 and mTOR Signaling Pathway.

Oxidative stress and autophagy play essential roles in the development of senile osteoporosis which is characterized by disrupted osteoclastic bone resorption and osteoblastic bone formation. Orcinol glucoside (OG), a phenolic glycoside isolated from Curculigo orchioides Gaertn, possesses antiosteoporotic properties. This study examined the protective effects of OG on bone loss in SAMP6 mice and explored the underlying mechanisms. The osteoporotic SAMP6 mice were treated with OG oral administration. RAW264.7 cells were induced to differentiate into osteoclast by RANKL and H2O2 in vitro and received OG treatment. The results demonstrated that OG attenuated bone loss in SAMP6 mice and inhibited the formation and bone resorption activities of osteoclast and reduced levels of oxidative stress in bone tissue of SAMP6 mice and osteoclast. Furthermore, OG activated Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway and enhanced the phosphorylation of mTOR and p70S6K which are consequently suppressing autophagy. Of note, the effect of OG on Nrf2/Keap1 signaling was neutralized by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. Meanwhile, the inhibitory effect of OG on autophagy was reversed by the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385.Conclusively, OG attenuated bone loss by inhibiting formation, differentiation, and bone resorption activities of osteoclast. Regulation of Nrf2/Keap1 and mTOR signals is a possible mechanism by which OG suppressed oxidative and autophagy of osteoclasts. Thus, OG prevented senile osteoporosis through attenuating oxidative stress and autophagy of osteoclast via activating Nrf2/Keap1 and mTOR signaling pathway.

Glycidol Fatty Acid Ester and 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-Diol Fatty Acid Ester in Commercially Prepared Foods.

Glycidyl fatty acid esters (GEs), which are the main pollutant in processed oils, are potential mutagens or carcinogens. 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol fatty acid esters (3-MCPDEs) are also well-known food processing contaminants. 3-MCPDEs are believed to be a precursor to GEs in foodstuffs. In vivo, lipase breaks down the phosphate ester of GEs and 3-MCPDEs to produce glycidol and 3-MCPD, respectively, which are genotoxic carcinogens. Thus, it is important to determine human exposure to GEs and 3-MCPDEs through foodstuffs. There are only reports on the amount of GE and 3-MCPDE in cooking oils and cooked foods. The content in multiple types of foods that are actually on the market was not clarified. In this study, 48 commercially prepared foods were analyzed to identify other sources of exposure to GE and 3-MCPDE. All of them contained relatively high amounts of GEs and 3-MCPDEs. The correlation between GEs and 3-MCPDEs in individual foods was examined. There was a correlation between the amounts of GEs and 3-MCPDEs in the food products (r = 0.422, p < 0.005). This is the first report on the content in multiple types of commercially prepared foods that are actually on the market was clarified.

A Valsa mali Effector Protein 1 Targets Apple (Malus domestica) Pathogenesis-Related 10 Protein to Promote Virulence.

To successfully colonize the plants, the pathogenic microbes secrete a mass of effector proteins which manipulate host immunity. Apple valsa canker is a destructive disease caused by the weakly parasitic fungus Valsa mali. A previous study indicated that the V. mali effector protein 1 (VmEP1) is an essential virulence factor. However, the pathogenic mechanism of VmEP1 in V. mali remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that the apple (Malus domestica) pathogenesis-related 10 proteins (MdPR10) are the virulence target of VmEP1 using a yeast two-hybrid screening. By bimolecular fluorescence (BiFC) and coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), we confirmed that the VmEP1 interacts with MdPR10 in vivo. Silencing of MdPR10 notably enhanced the V. mali infection, and overexpression of MdPR10 markedly reduced its infection, which corroborates its positive role in plant immunity against V. mali. Furthermore, we showed that the co-expression of VmEP1 with MdPR10 compromised the MdPR10-mediated resistance to V. mali. Taken together, our results revealed a mechanism by which a V. mali effector protein suppresses the host immune responses by interfering with the MdPR10-mediated resistance to V. mali during the infection.