New Mesopsyllus species from the Bohai Sea, China, re-evaluation of the validity of Vibriopsyllus Kornev & Chertoprud, 2008 and proposal of Sympodella gen. n. (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Canthocamptidae).

Two new species of the genus Mesopsyllus Por, 1960 (Canthocamptidae) are described from the Bohai Sea, eastern China. Mesopsyllus dimorphussp. n. and M. spiniferussp. n. differ from their congeners by the presence of two instead of three outer spines on P2-P3 exp-3. They can be differentiated from each other by (1) number of inner setae on P3-P4 enp-2; (2) anterior margin of antennulary segment 7 of male; (3) ornamentation of male abdomen; (4) sexual dimorphism on P2 endopod and P3-P4 exp-3; and (5) differences in length of setae on male P5. Some observations in the original description of M. atargatis Por, 1960 are reinterpreted and the type material of M. secundus (Wells, 1965) is re-examined. Comparison between the type species of Vibriopsyllus Kornev & Chertoprud, 2008 and the four known species of Mesopsyllus shows the former as a junior subjective synonym of the latter. Consequently, Vibriopsyllus curviseta Kornev & Chertoprud, 2008 is formally transferred to Mesopsyllus as M. curvisetus (Kornev & Chertoprud, 2008), comb. n. A key to species and an updated generic diagnosis of Mesopsyllus are presented. The taxonomic status of the genus Carolinicola Huys & Thistle, 1989 is re-evaluated. The characters of its type species, C. trisetosa (Coull, 1973), indicate that the latter (and - by inference - the genus Carolinicola) should remain in the Danielsseniinae. Carolinicola galapagoensis Mielke, 1997 is fixed as the type species of a new genus Sympodellagen. n. and placed in the Hemimesochrinae (Canthocamptidae) as the putative sistertaxon of Pusillargillus Huys & Thistle, 1989. The relationships and potential synonymy of the genera Pyrocletodes Coull, 1973, Perucamptus Huys & Thistle, 1989 and Isthmiocaris George & Schminke, 2003 are briefly discussed.

[Preventive effects of teprenone on gastric mucosal lesions induced by Helicobacter pylori in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the preventive effect of teprenone on gastric mucosal injury induced with Helicobacter pylori concentrated culture supernatant (CCS) in Balb/c mice. METHODS: Gastric mucosa lesions were induced with intragastrical administration of Helicobacter pylori CCS. Sixty Balb/c mice were divided into control group, injury group, sucralfate protective group and teprenone protective group. Mice of two protective groups were pretreated with sucralfate or teprenone respectively before induction of gastric mucosa lesions. Mucosal changes were assessed by microscopic examination, quantitative histology and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Histologic and ultrastructural lesions in protective groups were less severe than those in injury group. Epithelial damage scoring (EDS) of teprenone protective group (1.68 +/- 0.69) and sucralfate protective group (1.72 +/- 0.73) were significantly decreased than injury group (2.47 +/- 0.58, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Teprenone as well as sucralfate reduces gastric mucosal lesions induced by Helicobacter pylori CCS in mice.

Freeliving marine nematodes as a pollution indicator of the Bohai Sea.

A hierarchical diversity index--taxonomic distinctness index delta+, which was first defined by Warwick and Clark in 1998, was employed to evaluate the pollution status of the Bohai Sea with freeliving marine nematodes. The result showed that the Bohai Bay and other coastal sampling sites might be affected by oil and gas production and other anthropogenic influences. In other words, anthropogenic disturbance was affecting this component of the benthos in these locations. And most offshore sampling sites in the middle of the Bohai Sea were clear and unpolluted.

Upregulation of microRNA 181c expression in gastric cancer tissues and plasma.

OBJECTIVE: To test the microRNA-181c (miR-181c) expression in tissues and plasma of gastric cancer (GC) cases, analyze any correlations, and explore the possibility of miR-181c as a potential molecular marker for GC diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relative miR-181c expression levels in cancers and plasma from 30 GC patients was tested using reverse transcription?real-time fluorescent quantitation PCR and compared to that in samples from 30 gastric ulcer and 30 chronic gastritis patients. RESULTS: The miR-181c expression level in the GC tissues was significantly higher than that in the gastric ulcer and chronic gastritis tissues (P = 0.000), as was the miR-181c expression level in the GC plasma (P = 0.000). We determined that miR-181c expression in GC plasma was positively correlated to its expression in the GC tissues (P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of miR-181c is upregulated in GC tissues and plasma, and the miR-181c expression level in GC plasma is positively correlated to that in the corresponding cancer tissues. Plasma miR-181c is possibly a new serological marker for GC diagnosis.