Role of microRNAs in myogenesis and their effects on meat quality in pig - A review.

The demand for food is increasing day by day because of the increasing global population. Therefore, meat, the easiest and largely available source of protein, needs to be produced in large amounts with good quality. The pork industry is a significant shareholder in fulfilling the global meat demands. Notably, myogenesis- development of muscles during embryogenesis- is a complex mechanism which culminates in meat production. But the molecular mechanisms which govern the myogenesis are less known. The involvement of miRNAs in myogenesis and meat quality, which depends on factors such as myofiber composition and intramuscular fat contents which determine the meat color, flavor, juiciness, and water holding capacity, are being extrapolated to increase both the quantity and quality of pork. Various kinds of microRNAs (miRNAs), miR-1, miR-21, miR22, miR-27, miR-34, miR-127, miR-133, miR-143, miR-155, miR-199, miR-206, miR-208, miR-378, and miR-432 play important roles in pig skeletal muscle development. Further, the quality of meat also depends upon myofiber which is developed through the expression of different kinds of miRNAs at different stages. This review will focus on the mechanism of myogenesis, the role of miRNAs in myogenesis, and meat quality with a focus on the pig.

[Preparation of compound liquorice microemulsion gel and its pharmacodynamics evaluation].

Based on the previous study of compound liquorice microemulsion, this paper aims to prepare the compound liquorice microemulsion gel and investigate its pharmacodynamics of chronic eczema. The type, dosage and adding method of gel matrix, and formula dosage of humectant were optimized by single factor method to obtain the formula and preparation technique of the gel. With glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhetin and oxymatrine used as evaluation indexes, the Franz diffusion cell method was adopted to monitor the in vitro release profile of the gel. Eczema model of delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice was chosen to detect the ear swelling rate, degree of inflammatory cell infiltration of ear pieces, and pathological changes of ear pieces, so as to investigate the therapeutic effect of the microemulsion gel. The preparation process of the compound liquorice microemulsion gel was stable. The release of glycyrrhizin and oxymatrine was most consistent with the Hixcon-Crowell kinetic model, while the release of glycyrrhizic acid was most consistent with the Ritger-Peppas kinetic model. The pharmacodynamics studies proved that compound liquorice microemulsion gel could significantly reduce the ear swelling rate in mice, with good anti-inflammatory effect as well as the ability to resist the pathological changes of chronic eczema and inhibit the infiltration of dermal inflammatory cells. Therefore, the preparation process of compound liquorice microemulsion gel is feasible, with stable drug release and a significant therapeutic effect on chronic eczema.

[Establishment of concentration process and physical property parameter model of Carthami Flos extract based on quality by design].

To explore the potential of "physical property model" based on the concept of quality by design(QbD),during the application of process analysis technology(PAT) in the concentration process. The Carthami Flos was used as a model drug. Firstly, the total flavonoid retention rate and the hydroxysafflor yellow A(HSYA) retention rate of the concentrated solution were used as indicators to determine the concentration temperature range of the Carthami Flos extract. Then different concentrations were prepared at the optimal concentration temperature, and the corresponding viscosity(η) and electrical conductivity(σ) at different concentrations and temperatures were measured. Data processing software such as Excel, 1 stOpt, SPSS, and MATLAB were used to establish Carthami Flos extract's mathematical model of physical parameters: ρ-C, η-C, η-T, η-C-T, σ-T, σ-C-T. The results showed that the best concentration temperature of the Carthami Flos extract should not exceed 60 ℃, and the R~2 of the exponential equation and Arrhenius equation established based on physical parameters was all greater than 0.9, indicating that such model had better predictive ability. The mathematical model:η=14.465 1 exp(-0.019 8T+ 0.771 1C-0.058 3C~2), σ=4.061 0 + 0.004 3T +(-1.104 1 +0.950 9T)C-0.556 9TC~2 can be used to reflect the comprehensive effect of concentration and temperature on viscosity or conductance, laying foundation for the establishment of an online monitoring system for the viscosity or conductivity of the extraction liquid in the concentration step, rapid prediction of the concentration status, and control of the concentration endpoint. This study has initially proved the feasibility of using the physical property model as the core of the research idea in application of PAT for intelligent quality control of traditional Chinese medicine concentration links, providing a reference for the online intelligent monitoring of concentration steps of traditional Chinese medicine extracts.

Differential diagnosis between hepatic metastases and benign focal lesions using DWI with parallel acquisition technique: a meta-analysis.

We aim to investigate the diagnostic capability of diffusion-weighted imaging using parallel acquisition technique for the differentiation between hepatic metastases and benign focal lesions with a meta-analysis. The meta-analysis included a total of 858 hepatic metastases and 440 benign liver lesions from nine studies. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) were 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.89) and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87-0.93), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were 8.50 (95% CI, 4.97-14.52) and 0.17 (95% CI, 0.11-0.26), respectively. The P value for χ (2) heterogeneity for all pooled estimates was <0.05. From the fitted summary receiver operating characteristics (SROC), the area under the curve (AUC) and Q* index were 0.95 and 0.88, respectively. Publication bias is not present (t = -0.76, P = 0.471). The meta-regression analysis indicated that evaluated covariates included patient number, patient population, mean age, maximum of b factor, number of cysts, number of hemangiomas, and field were not sources of heterogeneity (all P value >0.05). Diffusion-weighted imaging was useful for differentiation between hepatic metastases and benign focal lesions. The diffusion characteristics of the benign hepatocellular lesions, including cases of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and adenoma, have rarely been reported and need further studies. The diagnostic capability of DWI with parallel acquisition technique for differentiation between metastases and benign hepatic focal lesions might be overestimated.

EEG signal classification of tinnitus based on SVM and sample entropy.

The prevalence of tinnitus is high and seriously affects the daily life of patients. As the pathogenesis of tinnitus is not yet clear, there is a lack of rapid and objective diagnostic modalities. In order to provide clinicians with an objective diagnostic approach, this paper combines time-frequency domain and non-linear power analysis to investigate the differences in the specificity of the EEG signal in tinnitus patients compared to healthy subjects. In this paper, resting-state electroencephalograms (EEG) were collected from 10 cases each of tinnitus patients and healthy subjects, and the data from the two groups were compared in the δ (0.5 - 3 .5 Hz), θ (4 - 7.5 Hz), α1 (8 - 10 Hz), α2 (10 - 12 Hz), ß1 (13 - 18 Hz), ß2 (18.5 - 21 Hz), ß3 (21.5 - 30 Hz), and γ (30.5 - 44 Hz) bands for the differences in sample entropy values. The results of the resting state experiment revealed that the δ, α2 and ß1 band samples of tinnitus patients all had greater entropy values than healthy subjects, with extremely significant differences compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.01). It is mainly concentrated in the δ band in the right parietal region of the cerebral cortex, the α2 band in the central region, and the γ band in the left prefrontal region. Finally, support vector machines combined with optimal feature combinations were used to achieve objective recognition of tinnitus disorders, with an 8.58% increase in accuracy compared to other features. Through the above study, entropy reflects the degree of chaos in the brain and the chaotic characteristics of the resting state EEG signal can characterise the onset of tinnitus, the results of which can help clinicians in the early diagnosis of tinnitus.

HIIT and MICT attenuate high-fat diet-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and ER stress via the PERK-ATF4-CHOP signaling pathway.

Fatty liver can be induced by dietary habits and lifestyle and is directly related to obesity. Although the benefits of exercise interventions for reduction of liver fat have recently been acknowledged, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, our present study investigated the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on high-fat diet-induced hepatic lipid accumulation, and explored the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathways. To establish an obesity model, rats were fed with a normal standard diet or a high-fat diet (45% kcal as fat). Then, both lean and obese rats were divided into three subgroups: sedentary control (LC, OC) groups, high-intensity interval training (LHI, OHI) groups, and moderated-intensity continuous training (LMI, OMI) groups (n = 10). Rats in the exercise group underwent a swimming training protocol for 8 weeks. After the experimental period, serum and liver tissues from different groups were dissected for morphological and biochemical analyses. The results showed that with HIIT and MICT interventions, body weight and serum inflammatory markers (e.g., MCP-1, IL-1ß, and TNF-α) were reduced in obese rats. Interestingly, HIIT was more effective in ameliorating liver triglyceride content and enhancing mitochondrial metabolic-enzymatic activity than was MICT in obese rats. Both HIIT and MICT conferred beneficial properties through upregulating Nrf2 expression, improving antioxidant enzyme activities and reduction of hepatic ER stress, which may have been regulated by the Bip-mediated PERK-ATF4-CHOP pathway. In conclusion, our findings confirmed the effectiveness of HIIT and MICT, particularly HIIT, in mitigating hepatic lipid accumulation.

Determination of astaxanthin in Haematococcus pluvialis by first-order derivative spectrophotometry.

A highly selective, convenient, and precise method, first-order derivative spectrophotometry, was applied for the determination of astaxanthin in Haematococcus pluvialis. Ethyl acetate and ethanol (1:1, v/v) were found to be the best extraction solvent tested due to their high efficiency and low toxicity compared with nine other organic solvents. Astaxanthin coexisting with chlorophyll and beta-carotene was analyzed by first-order derivative spectrophotometry in order to optimize the conditions for the determination of astaxanthin. The results show that when detected at 432 nm, the interfering substances could be eliminated. The dynamic linear range was 2.0-8.0 microg/mL, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9916. The detection threshold was 0.41 microg/mL. The RSD for the determination of astaxanthin was in the range of 0.01-0.06%; the results of recovery test were 98.1-108.0%. The statistical analysis between first-order derivative spectrophotometry and HPLC by T-testing did not exceed their critical values, revealing no significant differences between these two methods. It was proved that first-order derivative spectrophotometry is a rapid and convenient method for the determination of astaxanthin in H. pluvialis that can eliminate the negative effect resulting from the coexistence of astaxanthin with chlorophyll and beta-carotene.

Role of transforming growth factor-ß1 in the process of fibrosis of denervated skeletal muscle.

In order to investigate the biological function of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) during fibrosis in denervated skeletal muscle, we recruited sciatic nerve injury model of SD rats in which denervated gastrocnemius was isolated for analysis. At different time points after operation, denervated muscle was examined by several methods. Masson trichrome staining showed morphological changes of denervated skeletal muscle. Quantitative RT-PCR detected the rapid increase of TGF-ß1 expression at mRNA level after nerve injury. It was found that a peak of TGF-ß1 mRNA expression appeared one week post-operation. The expression of collagen I (COL I) mRNA was up-regulated in the nerve injury model as well, and reached highest level two weeks post-injury. Immunoblot revealed similar expression pattern of TGF-ß1 and COL I in denervated muscles at protein level. In addition, we found that the area of the gastrocnemius muscle fiber was decreased gradually along with increased interstitital fibrosis. Interestingly, this pathological change could be prevented, at least partly, by local injection of TGF-ß1 antibodies, which could be contributed to the reduced production of COL I by inhibiting function of TGF-ß1. Taken together, in this study, we demonstrated that the expression of TGF-ß1 was increased significantly in denervated skeletal muscle, which might play a crucial role during muscle fibrosis after nerve transection.

Gestational diabetes mellitus decreased umbilical cord blood polyunsaturated fatty acids: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) is important for the development of the fetal brain, and the retina. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may influence maternal and fetal fatty acid metabolism, in turn affecting fetal growth and development. In several studies, maternal and fetal PUFA metabolic differences have been reported between mothers with and without GDM, but not in other studies. Thus, the aim of this meta-analysis (registration number: CRD42020220448) was to compare levels of linoleic acid (LA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), arachidonic acid (AA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and total n-3 and n-6 PUFA between mothers with and without GMD and their fetuses. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of observational studies on maternal and fetal fatty acid metabolism, published until May 2021. In addition, we performed subgroup analysis depending on the analyzed tissues (plasma/serum, erythrocyte membrane, or placenta) and the expression modes of fatty acids (concentration or percentage). RESULTS: We included 24 observational studies involving 4335 maternal datasets and 12 studies involving 1675 fetal datasets in the meta-analysis. Levels of AA, DHA, and n-6 and n-3 PUFA were lower in the cord blood of mothers with GDM than in controls (P  <  0.05). Compared to that in controls, in erythrocyte membranes, the percentages of AA, DHA, and n-6 and n-3 PUFA in total fatty acid were lower in mothers with GDM (P  <  0.05), but in plasma/serum, the percentages of AA, DHA, and n-6 PUFA in total fatty acid were higher in mothers with GDM (P  <  0.05). CONCLUSIONS: GDM appears to influence the transfer of PUFAs from mothers to fetuses. The percentage of PUFAs in maternal plasma/serum was higher, and that in erythrocyte membranes was lower in mothers with GDM compared to those with normal glucose tolerance.

Pleiotrophin and peripheral nerve injury.

The proto-oncogene pleiotrophin, discovered in 1989, was considered as a multifunctional growth factor, which played an important role in tumor occurrence, development, and central nervous system. The latest research showed that pleiotrophin signal pathway probably participated in neural repair after peripheral nerve injury, especially in the following critical points, such as the protection of spinal cord neuron, the promotion of the speed of neuron axon regeneration, the guidance of neuron axon regeneration, skeleton muscle reinnervation, and so on. It potentially plays a key role in the guidance of neural axon regeneration in peripheral nervous system and muscle reinnervation. With the deepening of related researches, pleiotrophin gene would become a controllable target for improving the repairing effect of peripheral nerve injury and reconstruction of the neuromuscular junction.

Pattern and Significance of Asymptomatic Elevation of Liver Enzymes in Mycoplasma Pneumonia in Children.

Mycoplasma infection is on the rise in recent times. It usually infects any system, including liver. This study aims to show the significance of elevated liver enzymes in mycoplasma pneumonia and to have a look at future prospects. This is a single-center retrospective study involving 105 children serologically positive for mycoplasma IgM and IgG antibodies and 50 with community-acquired pneumonia caused by organisms other than mycoplasma and Epstein-Barr virus from June 2015 to June 2016 and all without prior liver disease. The patients were followed after 10 days (7-14 days). The liver enzymes were significantly elevated in Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. The mean levels of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase were 39.3 and 32.5 IU/L, respectively. There was a seasonal variation during the months of September and February. Liver involvement in mycoplasma pneumonia is mostly a benign condition and asymptomatic. It is insisted that children with continued elevation should be followed conservatively to avoid unnecessary diagnostic procedures in the future.

[Seasonal fluctuations of mosquitoes and application of two surveillance tools in Taibai Lake area of Jining City].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the seasonal fluctuations of mosquitoes in Taibai Lake area of Jining City, and evaluate the application effects of two mosquito trapping tools (Gongfu Xiaoshuai mosquito lamp and WJ-C mosquito sampler), so as to provide references for the effective surveillance, prevention and control of local mosquito vectors. METHODS: The overnight capture of mosquitoes with a man-bait net trap, Gongfu Xiaoshuai mosquito lamp, and WJ-C mosquito sampler was performed to collect mosquitoes. The species of adult mosquitoes and seasonal fluctuations were investigated and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 10 914 mosquitoes belonging to 13 species, 5 genera were collected with the overnight capture of mosquitoes with the man-bait net trap, and Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. pipiens palllen and Mansonia uniformis were the dominant species, accounting for 77.41% of the total. The proportion of Coquillettidia ochracea increased significantly. All the adult mosquitoes appeared in June, and reached the density peak in July and August. Both of the two surveillance tools showed relatively sensitive capture performance against mosquitoes. The trapping results of WJ-C mosquito sampler were basically the same as the man-bait trapping method, however, the amount of Mansonia uniformis and Coquillettidia ochracea collected by Gongfu Xiaoshuai mosquito lamp was significantly lower than that of the man-bait trapping method. CONCLUSIONS: The mosquito species are varied in Taibai Lake area of Jining City. Therefore, monitoring should be strengthened. In addition, the two mosquito trapping tools are sensitive, but they have both advantages and disadvantages, thus we should better pay attention to the consistency of monitoring methods in use.

Immunogenicity of plasmids encoding P12A and 3C of FMDV and swine IL-18.

In this paper, two recombinant plasmids (pVIR-P12AIL18-3C and pVIR-P12A-3C) containing foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) capsid polypeptide, 3C coding regions of O/NY00 and using/or not swine IL18 as a genetic adjuvant were constructed, and evaluated for their ability to induce humoral and cellular responses in mice and swine. In addition, the ability to protect swine against homologous virus challenge was examined. Mice and swine were given booster vaccination twice and once, respectively, and swine were challenged 10 days after the booster vaccination. Control groups were inoculated with pVAX1 or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). All animals vaccinated with pVIR-P12AIL18-3C and pVIR-P12A-3C developed specific anti-FMDV ELISA antibody and neutralizing antibody and T lymphocyte proliferation and CTL cytotoxic activity was observed. In addition, we found that pVIR-P12AIL18-3C possessed stronger immunogenicity than pVIR-P12A-3C. The pVIR-P12AIL18-3C and pVIR-P12A-3C provided full protection in 3/4 and 2/4 swine from challenge with FMDV O/NY00, respectively. The results demonstrate the potential viability of a DNA vaccine in the control and prevention of FMDV infections.

Increased number and differentiation of neural precursor cells in the brainstem of superoxide dismutase 1(G93A) (G1H) transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The superoxide dismutase 1(G93A G1H) (SOD1(G93A G1H)) transgenic mouse is a model of familial human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that has progressive neurodegeneration within the spinal cord and brainstem. In this study, we investigated the number and differentiation of neural precursor cells (NPCs). Nestin-positive NPCs were rarely seen in the nervous system of wild type controls or pre-disease mice at post-natal days 30 and 60. With disease onset on post-natal day 90, nestin labeled NPCs proliferated preferentially in the brainstem with maximal number and density at post-natal day 120. NPCs did not double-label with CNPase or O(4) markers of oligodendrocytes. The majority of the NPCs co-labeled with the astrocyte maker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and a small number with the neuronal marker NeuN. At disease onset, 73 and 10% of NPCs co-expressed GFAP and NeuN respectively while at severe disease stage, 80 and 8% of the NPCs co-expressed GFAP and NeuN. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was used to confirm that at least some of these cells undergo mitosis. Future studies could be directed at controlling the differentiation of these endogenous NPCs into neurons and astrocytes in order to ameliorate the degeneration within the brainstem of the ALS mouse.

Efficacy of pudendal nerve block for alleviation of catheter-related bladder discomfort in male patients undergoing lower urinary tract surgeries: A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) to an indwelling urinary catheter is defined as a painful urethral discomfort, resistant to conventional opioid therapy, decreasing the quality of postoperative recovery. According to anatomy, the branches of sacral somatic nerves form the afferent nerves of the urethra and bladder triangle, which deriving from the ventral rami of the second to fourth sacral spinal nerves, innervating the urethral muscles and sphincter of the perineum and pelvic floor; as well as providing sensation to the penis and clitoris in males and females, which including the urethra and bladder triangle. Based on this theoretical knowledge, we formed a hypothesis that CRBD could be prevented by pudendal nerve block. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if bilateral nerve stimulator-guided pudendal nerve block could relieve CRBD through urethra discomfort alleviation. DESIGN AND SETTING: Single-center randomized parallel controlled, double blind trial conducted at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and eighty 2 male adult patients under general anesthesia undergoing elective trans-urethral resection of prostate (TURP) or trans-urethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). Around 4 out of 182 were excluded, 178 patients were randomly allocated into pudendal and control groups, using computer-generated randomized numbers in a sealed envelope method. A total of 175 patients completed the study. INTERVENTION: Pudendal group received general anesthesia along with nerve-stimulator-guided bilateral pudendal nerve block and control group received general anesthesia only. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence and severity of CRBD; and postoperative VAS score of pain. RESULTS: CRBD incidences were significantly lower in pudendal group at 30 minutes (63% vs 82%, P = .004), 2 hours (64% vs 90%, P < .000), 8 hours (58% vs 79%, P = .003) and 12 hours (52% vs 69%, P = .028) also significantly lower incidence of moderate to severe CRBD in pudendal group at 30 minutes (29% vs 57%, P < .001), 2 hours (22% vs 55%, P < .000), 8 hours (8% vs 27%, P = .001) and 12 hours (6% vs 16%, P = .035) postoperatively. The postoperative pain score in pudendal group was lower at 30 minutes (P = .003), 2 hours (P < .001), 8 hours (P < .001), and 12 hours (P < .001), with lower heart rate and mean blood pressure. One patient complained about weakness in levator ani muscle. CONCLUSION: General anesthesia along with bilateral pudendal nerve block decreased the incidence and severity of CRBD for the first 12 hours postoperatively.

[Analysis of population genetic diversity of mosquitoes from Shandong Province based on mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene fragment].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the characteristics of gene sequence of mtDNA-COⅠ of Culex pipiens pallens from different geographical regions in Shandong Province and different resistant strains from the lab and five common mosquito species, and analyze the genetic diversity of these mosquitoes. METHODS: Adult mosquitoes were collected from Jinan, Jining, Qingdao cities and other places in Shandong Province. The sensitive, dichlorvos-resistant, pyrethroid-resistant and propoxur-resistant strains were reared in the lab. Five species of mosquito (Cx. pipiens pallens, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Anopheles sinensis, Aedes albopictus, and Armigeres subalbatus) were collected from Jining City and identified in the lab. mtDNA-COⅠwas specifically amplified by PCR and sequenced. The gene sequences were compared and analyzed by the biological information systems, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed. RESULTS: The amplified mtDNA-COⅠfragments of Cx. pipiens pallens from eight different cities and four different resistant strains were 528 bp in length, with 67.4% A+T contents and two mutation sites. The nucleotide sequence homology among the different geographic strains was 99.95% and the gene sequences of the four resistant strains were the same, showing a high homogeny. The amplified mtDNA-COⅠfragments of the five species of mosquitoes were 528 bp with 408 conserved sites, 120 variable sites, 42 parsimony informative sites and 78 singleton sites. The A+T contents were between 65.7% and 68.0%. The nucleotide sequence homology among the different mosquito species was between 86.17% and 92.05%, and the molecular identification was consistent with the traditional morphological identification. The molecular phylogenetic study showed that the different species were clustered at their own branch at the species and genus levels, while genera Armigeres was distantly related to the others. CONCLUSIONS: mtDNA-COⅠcould not serve as the molecular marker to analyze the population genetic variation and phylogenesis of Cx. pipiens pallens from different geographical regions and different resistant strains, but it has species and genus specificities, which could be used for the identification of the mosquito species and genus.

[Investigation on overwintering mosquitoes in Taibaihu District, Jining City].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the species, density and distribution of the overwintering adult mosquitoes in Taibaihu District, Jining City. METHODS: The overwintering adult mosquitoes were monitored by visual observation in Taibaihu District, Jining City from December 2015 to March 2016. The mosquitoes were collected and dissected to observe the body fat accumulation and ovarian development situation. RESULTS: Totally 1 677 mosquitoes were captured and all of them were Culex pipiens pallens. The highest positive rate of overwintering mosquitoes was in sweet potato cellars and greenhouses, with the positive rates of mosquitoes of 98.25% (56/57) and 81.36% (48/59) respectively. The accumulation of the fat body in the female mosquitoes plummeted from late February, and disappeared in middle March. CONCLUSIONS: The adults of Culex pipiens pallens can over-winter in Taibaihu District, Jining City, and locate in sweet potato cellars and greenhouses mainly. The control work of adult mosquitoes should be strengthened in the overwintering period.

Sorafenib regulating ERK signals pathway in gastric cancer cell.

The involvement of ERK signals in gastric carcinoma was investigated using Western blot, MTT, and flow cytometric analysis in cultured cells SGC7901. Results showed that treatment of sorafenib potently inhibited gastric SGC7901 cells proliferation, migration, invasion as well as promoted apoptosis. Treatment of sorafenib significantly decreased phosphorylation activation of ERK protein in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of sorafenib still significantly increased caspase-3, bax, cyt-c protein expression and decreased bcl-2 protein in a dose-dependent manner. Our study confirms that ERK signals pathway is closely associated with development of gastric cancer. Deactivation of phosphorylation of ERK protein is one of the mechanisms of sorafenib inhibiting gastric cancer.

Protective effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on neonatal rat primary cultured hippocampal neurons injured by oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion.

This study investigated the protective effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on alleviating injury from oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/RP) in primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Cultured hippocampal neurons were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) for 2 h followed by a 24 h re-oxygenation. The MTT assay and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were used to determine the neuron viability. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by spectrophotometry using commercial kits. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in hippocampal neurons were measured using the confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). Treatment with LBP (10-40 mg/l) significantly attenuated neuronal damage and inhibited LDH release in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, LBP enhanced activities of SOD and GSH-PX but it decreased their MDA content, inhibited [Ca(2+)](i) elevation and decrease of MMP in ischemia-reperfusion treated hippocampal neurons. These findings suggested that LBP may be a potential neuroprotective agent for cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.