Chinese Lizard Research Articles

Enantioselective metabolism of triadimefon and its chiral metabolite triadimenol in lizards

Chinese lizards (Eremias argus) were exposed to separated R-(-)-triadimefon, S-(+)-triadimefon and racemic triadimefon to evaluate enantioselective accumulation of triadimefon. After single oral administration of R-(-)-triadimefon, S-(+)-triadimefon and racemic triadimefon, the time-concentration curves in different tissues were found to be different. Triadimefon enantiomers crossed the blood-brain barrier and brain is a main target organ. The residues of triadimefon enantiomers in fat were highest after 24h indicating that fat was the main tissue of accumulation. In racemic triadimefon exposure group, the enantiomer fractions of R-(-)-triadimefon in different tissues showed that the differences between R-(-)-triadimefon and S-(+)-triadimefon were significant in absorption and metabolism, but the differences became smaller in exclusion and accumulation. From the results of mathematical models, S-(+)-triadimefon was absorbed and eliminated faster than R-(-)-triadimefon, and R-(-)-triadimefon was easily distributed in the tissues and more easily converted into its metabolites. Furthermore, among the four enantiomers of triadimenol, SR-(-)-triadimenol produced by S-(+)-triadimefon may have the highest fungicidal activity and the strongest biological toxicity, RR-(+)-triadimenol produced by R-(-)-triadimefon was most likely to bioaccumulate in lizard. Identifying toxicological effects and dose-response relationship of SR-(-)-triadimenol and RR-(+)-triadimenol will help fully assess the risk of TF enantiomers use in the future. The results enrich and supplement the knowledge of the environmental fate of triadimefon enantiomers.

First crocodile-tailed lizard (Squamata: Pan-Shinisaurus) from the Paleogene of Europe

ABSTRACTCrocodile-tailed lizards are represented by a single extant species, Shinisaurus crocodilurus, the Chinese crocodile lizard, which until 2006 was completely unknown in the fossil record. These lizards may play an important role in understanding squamate phylogeny, but their biogeographic history remains murky. A new specimen from the middle Eocene of Messel, Germany, is the first record of the clade in the Paleogene of Europe. The specimen comprises an autotomized tail preserved in complete articulation. It retains a number of plesiomorphies with respect to S. crocodilurus, and it also differs from the coeval species Bahndwivici ammoskius, but comparisons with other shinisaurs are necessarily limited. The present specimen documents for the first time in the fossil record the superficially crocodile-like tail for which the extant species is named, indicating aquatic adaptation already by the middle Eocene. It furthermore raises questions about the identification of isolated ‘necrosaur’ material from the European Paleogene. Finally, it adds to growing evidence of a taxonomically similar squamate fauna in Europe and North America in the early Paleogene.Citation for this article: SMITH, K. T. 2017. First crocodile-tailed lizard (Squamata: Pan-Shinisaurus) from the Paleogene of Europe. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1313743.

Tissue distribution and metabolism of triadimefon and triadimenol enantiomers in Chinese lizards (Eremias argus)

Triadimefon (TF, S-(+)-TF, R-(-)-TF) and its metabolite triadimenol (TN, TN-A1, A2 and TN-B1, B2) are two systemic fungicides and both of them are chiral pharmaceuticals which are widely used in agricultural industry. Many researches focused on the toxicity effects of triadimefon on mammals, while the ecotoxicological data of tiradimefon on reptiles is limited. In order to understand the toxicity mechanism of triadimefon in reptiles, the current study administrated S-(+)-TF or R-(-)-TF traidimefon (50mg/kgbw) to Chinese lizards (Eremias argus) respectively, the absorption, distribution of triadimefon and the formation of triadimenol were analysed at different sampling times. The metabolic pathways were demonstrated through relative gene expression using quantitative real-time PCR reaction. During the experiment time, triadimefon was quickly peaked to the maximum concentration within 12h in liver, brain, kidney, and plasma, eliminated slowly. The biotransformation in kidney was the lowest and fat possessed the worst degradation ability among others. The metabolite, triadimenol was detected in blood in 2h and reached to a plateau at about 12h in most organs (fat excepted), while the process of metabolism is stereoselective. The mainly metabolite in R-(-)-TF treated group was TN-B1, and TN-A2 in S-(+)-TF group which showed the selective metabolism to other species caused by environmental conditions, differences in the animal models and concentration of TF. The related gene expression of cyp1a1, cyp3a1 and hsd11β mRNA level in lizards showed different metabolic pathways in the liver and brain. Both P450s enzymes and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase participated in metabolic reaction in liver, while no 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase pathway observed in brain. This diversity in liver and brain may cause different degradation rate and ecotoxicological effect in different organs.

Tissue distribution, metabolism and hepatic tissue injury in Chinese lizards (Eremias argus) after a single oral administration of lambda-cyhalothrin

Lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) is a widely used pyrethroid with neurotoxicity. However, little is known about the toxicokinetics of LCT in reptiles. In this study, the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of LCT in Chinese lizards (Eremias Argus) were determined following a single dose (10 mg kg−1) treatment. In the liver, brain, gonads and skin, LCT levels peaked within several hours and then decreased rapidly. However, the concentration of LCT gradually increased in the fat tissue. More than 90% of the LCT dose was excreted in the faeces. One LCT metabolite, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (PBA), was detected in lizard plasma and tissues. PBA preferentially accumulates in the brain and plasma. The half-life of PBA in the brain was 3.2 days, which was 35.4-fold greater than that of LCT. In the plasma, the concentration of PBA was significantly higher than that of LCT. The bioaccumulation of LCT in tissues was enantioselective, and the enantiomeric fractions (EF) ranged from 0.72 to 0.26. The preferential accumulation of enantiomers changed according to exposure time, but the reasons behind this phenomenon were not clear. For pathological analysis, vacuolation of the cytoplasm and large areas of necrosis were observed in the liver sections after 168 h of dosing. The liver tissues exhibited both decreases in the hepatosomatic index and histopathological lesions during the exposure period. In this study, the effect concentration of LCT in lizards was 200-fold lower than its LD50 value used in risk assessments for birds. These results may provide additional information for the risk assessment of LCT for reptiles and indicate that birds may not be an ideal surrogate for reptile toxicity evaluation.

Growth and Medical Constituents of Saururus chinensis Baill as Affected by Different Amounts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

This study was conducted to investigate the selected chemical properties of soils in Saururus chinensis Baill (Chinese lizard’s tail) cultivation fields to provide optimal fertilizer application rates and to examine the growth and pharmaco- consitituents of Saururus chinensis Baill as influenced by different amounts of nitrogen (N) fertilizer applications. Based on the results of selected soil chemical properties in 37 cultivation sites of the plant, soil pH, organic matter content, and exchangeable K+ concentration were lower than optimal values for cultivating general medicinal crops even though relatively high standard deviations were found in some of the values. At the harvesting stage of the plant aerial parts, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), available Psub2/subOsub5/sub, and exchangeable Casup2/sup+, Mgsup2+/sup, Na+ decreased as comparing with those before transplanting the plant, whereas the concentration of exchangeable K+ increased in the plot treated with N 100% and compost. Fresh weight of the plant aerial parts were highest, 492.5㎏/10, in the N 100% treatment plot. Correlation equation between N levels treated (X) and yield of the plant aerial parts (Y) presented as Y = −2.1609Xsup2/sup + 30.082X + 344.12 (Rsup2/sup = 0.7113) and the optimal rate of N fertilizer application for the plant was 6.6㎏/10a. Carbon concentrations in the plant were not different among the different N levels applied. N and K concentrations in the plant were highest in the plot of N 100% with compost applications, the highest P concentration was in N 100% plot, and the highest Ca and S concentrations were in N 200% plot. Quercetin and quercitrin were highest in the N 150% plot and tannin was highest in N 100% or N 100% with compost application plot.

An elevational trend of body size variation in a cold-climate agamid lizard, Phrynocephalus theobaldi

Abstract The pattern that many ectotherms have smaller body sizes in cold environments follows the converse to Bergmann’s rule and is most frequently found in lizards. Allen’s rule predicts animals from warm climates usually have longer tails and limbs, while these traits tend to be shorter in individuals from cold climates. We examined body size variation in an endemic Chinese lizard Phrynocephalus theobaldi along a broad elevational gradient (3,600–5,000 m on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau). Female body size showed a U-shaped cline, decreasing with increased elevation within the range 3,600–4,200 m, but increasing at elevations > 4200 m. Male body size continued to increase with increasing elevations. Both sexes showed an increased pattern of extremity length with elevation that does not conform to Allen’s rule. Limb length and tail length increased along the elevational gradients. In terms of color pattern, an abdominal black speckled area appears at elevations >4,200 m. This trait increases in size with increased elevation. Unlike most studies, our results indicated that annual sunshine hours corresponding to the activity period of the lizards could play an important role on the positive body size cline in environments at very high elevations > 4200 m.

Inhibitory effects of Saururus chinensis and its components on stomach cancer cells

Saururus chinensis (SC) Baill. (Saururaceae), a perennial herb commonly called Chinese lizard's tail or Sam-baekcho in Korea, has been used in the treatment of edema, gonorrhea, jaundice, and inflammatory diseases. Recently, several reports have been commissioned to examine the anti-cancer activities of this plant. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory activity and mechanism of action on SC and its components against stomach cancer cells. SC extracts displayed cytotoxic effects on AGS cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, SC increased the number of annexin V-positive apoptotic bodies and phosphorylated JNK and p38 in AGS cells. SC also down-regulated anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) genes and up-regulated apoptotic (Bax) genes in AGS cells. We further confirmed that caspase activation plays an important role in SC-induced apoptosis in AGS cells. Furthermore, we examined erythro-Austrobailignan-6 and meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid, major active constituents of SC, which induced apoptosis in both the AGS and NCI-N87 stomach cancer cell lines. Taken together, our data provide the evidence that SC and its components induce apoptosis in stomach cancer cells, making it a potential candidate as a chemotherapeutic drug.

Stereoselective metabolism, distribution, and bioaccumulation brof triadimefon and triadimenol in lizards

In this research, Chinese lizards (Eremias argus) were chosen as laboratory animal to evaluate the stereoselectivity in the processes of metabolism, distribution, and bioaccumulation of triadimefon. A validated chiral high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadruple mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) method was developed for determining enantiomers’ residues of parent compound triadimefon and its metabolite triadimenol in lizard blood and tissues. Pharmacokinetic results of single-does exposure suggested that S-(+)-triadimefon was metabolized easier than R-(−)-triadimefon, and RR-(+)-triadimenol was the main metabolic product of triadimefon. During the continuous exposure of two dose (40mg/kgbw·d and 200mg/kgbw·d), enantiomers of triadimefon and triadimenol were detected in all body compartments, with the highest triadimefon concentrations in brain. However, the triadimenol concentrations were not significantly different among the compartments. The concentrations of RS-(+)-triadimenol were negative correlated with concentrations of RR-(+)-triadimenol both in blood (r=−0.775, p=0.024) and liver (r=−0.834, p=0.02) in 200mg/kgbw·d group, which indicates that chiral conversion between enantiomers of triadimenol might exist in the metabolic process of triadimefon. In all the processes, the enantiomer fractions (EFs) of R-(−)-triadimefon and RR-(+)-triadimenol were significantly different from their natural ratios, 0.5 and 0.1, respectively, which proved that metabolism, bioaccumulation, and distribution of triadimefon and triadimenol in lizards were enantioselective. These results help enrich and supplement the knowledge of the stereoselective behaviour of triadimefon and triadimenol in reptile.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Chinese lizard gudgeon, Saurogobio dabryi (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)

The Chinese lizard gudgeon, Saurogobio dabryi Bleeker, belongs to the subfamily Gobioninea, which is an economic fish widely distributed in East Asia. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of the S. dabryi. The complete mitogenome was 16,601 bp in size, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and 1 control region. It has the typical circular molecule structure of vertebrate’s mitochondrial genome. The whole base composition was estimated to be 29.64%A, 26.47%T, 27.06%C and 16.83%G with AT bias of 56.11%. This study is a first report the complete mitogenome of S. dabryi and provides the basis for preservation of genetic resources and phylogenetic analyses on this species.

Stereoselective degradation and toxic effects of benalaxyl on blood and liver of the Chinese lizard Eremias argus

Benalaxyl as a xylem-systemic fungicide is usually direct sprayed on the soil surface, which is potential harm to the animals lived in the soil. However, the stereoselectivity of benalaxyl in reptiles have rarely been studied. In this study, Chinese lizards (Eremias argus) were firstly used to evaluate the stereoselectivity in biodegradation and toxicity of racemate and individual enantiomers of benalaxyl. A method for determining residues of the two enantiomers of benalaxyl in lizard blood and liver by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed. The degradation followed pseudo first-order kinetics and the degradation of the (S)-(+)-benalaxyl was faster than its antipode in blood and liver (Half-time t1/2 of (R)-(−)-benalaxyl and (S)-(+)-benalaxyl were 5.08h and 3.75h in blood, 6.21h and 4.45h in liver, separately). Moreover, antioxidant defenses consisting of activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and lipid peroxide malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined in 24h acute exposure. Enantioselectivity of acute toxicity depended on the concentration and form of benalaxyl. In addition, cellular degeneration, decrease of cell number, clustering phenomena of cell nuclei and preliminary liver fibrosis were observed in pathological detection at the termination of 21-d subchronic exposure (20mg/kg−bw of racemate and individual enantiomers of benalaxyl). The enantiomer fractions (EFs) in racemate and individual enantiomer groups were approached both in blood and liver caused by the chiral conversion. The chiral conversion from (R)-(−)-benalaxyl to (S)-(+)-benalaxyl and (S)-(+)-benalaxyl to (R)-(−)-benalaxyl were the primary cause for no remarkable differences in toxicity between the enantiomers of benalaxyl.

Effect of hydrothermal treatment on the antioxidant activity of Sambaekcho (Saururus chinensis) leaves

Sambaekcho (Chinese lizard’s tail; Saururus chinensis) is one of widely used plants in oriental traditional medicine. Hydrothermal treatment of sambaekcho leaves was carried out at 3 different temperatures (100, 110, and 120°C) for 3 different times (15, 30, and 60 min), and antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated by determining total phenol content (TPC) and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The highest TPC and DPPH radical scavenging activity of the extracts were observed at 120°C for 30 min with the values of 61.25 mg gallic acid equivalents/g sambaekcho powder and 59.41%, respectively. The highest amount of quercetin, a well-known polyphenolic compound of sambaekcho, in the extracts was detected at 110oC for 60 min with the value of 3.13 μg/mL. These results indicated that appropriate temperature and time might be important for extraction with high antioxidant activity and physiologically important compounds from sambaekcho leaves.

The effect of Saururus chinensis Baill against oxidative damage and inflammation

Objectives : ROS are involved in a wide spectrum of diseases including chronic inflammation and cancer. S.chinensis Baill, a perennial herb commonly called Chinese lizard's tail or Sam-baek-cho in Korea, is used for the treatment of edema and inflammatory diseases in the Oriental folk medicine. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activities and anti-inflammatory effects of the two extracts, water(WE) and ethyl acetate(EAE) from S.chinensis Baill. Methods : Anti-oxidant activity was evaluated using Fe2+ chelating and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. DNA cleavage assay, and western blot and immunostaining for phospho-p65 were performed to evaluate anti-oxidative effect. Anti-inflammatory effect was performed using NO generation assay and western blot in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cell. Results : In Fe2+ chelating activity and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, WE showed more strong scavenging activity for hydroxyl radical than EAE. WE scavenged hydroxyl radical by 12% at 3.2 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX>, 21% at 16 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX>, 32% at 80 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX>, 66% at 400 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX> and 82% at 2000 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX>, respectively. In addition, WE showed more strong chelating activity than EAE. WE chelated Fe2+ ion by 1.1% at 3.2 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX>, 8.2% at 16 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX>, 26.3% at 80 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX>, 72% at 400 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX> and 89% at 2000 <TEX>${\mu}g/ml$</TEX>, respectively. Also, WE inhibited oxidative damage via its anti-oxidant activity. In anti-inflammatory effect, EAE inhibited NO production and iNOS expression. In addition EAE suppressed the NF-<TEX>${\kappa}B$</TEX> and MAPK signaling pathway in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusions : Together, these data indicate that S. chinensis Baill, shows anti-oxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effect.

Sequence structure and intragenomic variability of ribosomal ITS2 in monozoic tapeworms of the genus Khawia (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of cyprinid fish

The sequence structure of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) was determined for six species of Khawia (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea), parasites of cyprinid fish in the Holarctic Region. Homologous intragenomic ITS2 structure was found in Khawia armeniaca, Khawia baltica, and Khawia rossittensis; whereas divergent intragenomic ITS2 copies were detected in Chinese, Japanese, and Slovak isolates of Khawia sinensis and in Khawia japonensis, both parasitic in common carp, and in Khawia saurogobii, recently described from Chinese lizard gudgeon in China. Despite distinct morphological differences between K. saurogobii and K. sinensis, both species display very high level of molecular homogeneity. Variation in number of short repetitive motifs [(GCCT)(n) (GCCC)(n)], [(GTG)(n)], [(ATAC)(n)], [ACGTGT (TCGTGT)(n)], [(GT)(n)], [(GT)(n)], and [(ACCT)(n) (GCCT)(n)] resulted in assortment of ITS2 sequences in four ITS2 variants in K. saurogobii from China, three in Chinese and Japanese isolates of K. sinensis, and five ITS2 variants in K. sinensis from Slovakia. In K. japonensis, the structure and arrangement of microsatellites was different from those of K. sinensis and K. saurogobii. The heterogeneity in the number of two microsatellite regions [(TG)(n); (TTG)(n)] divided ITS2 clones into two variants-first ITS2 variant (472 bp) with (TG)(5) and (TTG)(6), and second variant with (TG)(7) and (TTG)(2) (465 bp). Sequence identity of K. saurogobii with all but one (K. sinensis) congeneric species ranged between 49.5 and 69.2%, which corresponds to the interspecific differences. In contrast, sequence identity of K. saurogobii and K. sinensis (87.6-95.0%) failed into the range of intraspecific variation determined for K. sinensis samples. This close genetic similarity indicates that recently described K. saurogobii may have undergone morphological divergence as a result of ongoing sympatric speciation by host switching.

Isolation and characterization of 12 microsatellite loci in the Chinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus)

The Chinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) is listed as one of the most endangered species in the world. There are only nine isolated populations of crocodile lizards distributed in China and one population distributed in Vietnam. 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from a DNA library. To characterize each loci, 40 crocodile lizards individual from Guangdong province, China were genotyped. These loci showed allele numbers ranging from 11 to 20. The ranges of observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.8500–0.9750 and 0.8372–0.9347, respectively. All loci followed Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) after Bonferroni correction. No evidence of significant linkage disequilibrium was found among any loci. Thus, we expect these markers will be useful for conservation genetic study of the Chinese crocodile lizard.

Neuronal cell protective effect of aerial parts of Chinese lizard’s tail (Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill.)

The antioxidant and neuronal cell protective effects of silica-gel open column chromatographic fractions, obtained from Chinese lizard’s tail (Saururus chinensis) methanolic extract, were investigated. The ABTS radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays indicated that the SC4 fraction (eluted with chloroform/methanol by 4:1, v/v) obtained from Chinese lizard’s tail was more potent radical scavengers and reducing agents than that of other 5 fractions. The SC4 fraction also presented protective effects against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, our study suggested that the SC4 fraction has strong antioxidant and neuronal protective effects which are correlated with its high level of phenolics, particularly quercitrin and quercetin.

Comparative population genetics and phylogeography of two lacertid lizards (Eremias argus and E. brenchleyi) from China

Eremias argus and Eremias brenchleyi are lacertid lizards that are sympatric throughout the distribution of E. brenchleyi. We sequenced partial mitochondrial DNA from cytochrome (cyt) b gene for 106 individuals of E. argus from nine localities, and for 45 individuals of E. brenchleyi from five localities, in central and northern parts of North China. We determined 53 cyt b haplotypes from the E. argus samples, and 27 cyt b haplotypes from the E. brenchleyi samples. Only E. brenchleyi had followed a stepping-stone model of dispersal. Partitioned Bayesian phylogenetic analysis reveals that E. argus and E. brenchleyi are reciprocally monophyletic, and the divergence time between the two species was dated to about 4.1±1.2 million years ago. Geographical structuring of haplotypes is more significant in E. brenchleyi than in E. argus. Haplotypes of E. brenchleyi could be divided into four groups by the Yellow River and Taihang Mountains. Within-population genetic diversity indices are correlated neither with latitude nor with longitude. We calculated significant among-population structure for both species (E. argus: ΦST=0.608, P<0.001; E. brenchleyi: ΦST=0.925, P<0.001). Eremias brenchleyi has four independent management units, while E. argus has a more homogeneous genetic structure across its range. Our data show that: (1) the pattern seen in North American and European species that southern populations have higher genetic diversity as consequence of post-glaciation dispersal is absent in the two Chinese lizards; (2) the Yellow River and Taihang Mountains may have acted as important barriers to gene flow only in E. brenchleyi; and (3) genetic structure differs between the two lizards that differ in habitat preference and dispersal ability.

Dietary supplementation of red ginseng, Chinese lizard’s tail, and Korean raspberry extracts alleviate oxidative stresses in aged rats

To investigate antioxidant efficacy of medicinal plants known to possess anti-aging properties, the herb preparations were fed to 10-month-old rats. The herb preparations included ethanol extracts of red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer), Chinese lizard’s tail (Saururus chinensis Hort.ex Loud), and Korean raspberry (fruits of Rubus coreanus Miquel). Plasma protein carbonyls, malondialdehyde, 8-iso-prostaglandinF2α, lymphocyte DNA damage, α-tocopherol concentration, and ferric reducing ability were measured as oxidative stress markers. The aged rats showed higher levels of malondialdehyde, 8-isoprostaglandinF2α, and protein carbonyl and lower level of α-tocopherol compared to young rats. Malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels were decreased in the aged rats fed diets supplemented with any of the herbal preparations. 8-Iso-prostaglandinF2α was lower in rats fed the 0.5 or 1.0% Chinese lizard’s tail- or 1% Korean raspberry extract-supplemented diet. The 1:1:1 mixture of herbal preparations decreased the level of 8-iso-prostaglandinF2α. Rats fed 1.0% Chinese lizard’s tail or Korean raspberry diets showed increased α-tocopherol level. These results indicated that the level of oxidative stress is increased in the aged animals and herbal preparations are effective in the alleviation of age-related oxidation.

A chromosome study and localization of 18S rDNA in Khawia saurogobii (Cestoda: Caryophyllidea)

This paper reports results of the first cytogenetic study carried out on a recently described monozoic tapeworm, Khawia saurogobii Xi et al., 2009, from the Chinese lizard gudgeon (Saurogobio dabryi). The karyotype of this species is composed of eight pairs of metacentric and telocentric chromosomes (2n = 16; n = 3m + 5t), metacentric chromosomes representing the first, sixth, and eight pairs. All chromosomes except the largest pair displayed 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylidole (DAPI) positive heterochromatin in centromeric regions. In mitotic preparations stained with Giemsa, one of the homologues of a smaller metacentric chromosome pair (No. 7) showed a distinct secondary constriction, whereas the other did not. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) probe revealed that the chromosomes No. 7 carry each a cluster of ribosomal genes associated with the centromeric heterochromatin and confirmed that this chromosome pair contains a nucleolar organizer region (NOR). The rDNA-FISH also confirmed heteromorphism in the size of NOR (i.e., secondary constriction) observed after Giemsa staining. The present cytogenetic analysis revealed species-specific characters of K. saurogobii and showed that FISH may represent a new valuable cytogenetic tool suitable for comparative taxonomic or phylogenetic studies within the order Caryophyllidea in the future.

Anti-resorptive saurolactam exhibits in vitro anti-inflammatory activity via ERK–NF-κB signaling pathway

Natural products and their derivatives have historically been an invaluable a source of therapeutic agents. In this report, we demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activity of saurolactam, a compound isolated from the aerial portions of the Chinese lizard, Saururus chinensis. In RAW264.7 macrophage cells, saurolactam significantly inhibited the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 and, consequently, inhibited the release of NO and prostaglandin E2. Moreover, real-time PCR and multiplex cytokine assays showed that saurolactam (10 µM) significantly inhibited the LPS-induced mRNA and protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory genes, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Finally, western blot analysis showed that saurolactam dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation and nuclear factor (NF)-κB translocation into the nucleus. The inhibitory activity of saurolactam on the activation of NF-κB was confirmed by a NF-κB luciferase reporter gene assay. In conclusion, we propose that the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of saurolactam is produced by blocking ERK/MAP kinase and NF-κB activation.

Identifying sources of variation in reproductive and life-history traits among five populations of a Chinese lizard (Takydromus septentrionalis, Lacertidae)

Research on life-history traits of squamate reptiles has focused on North American species, while Asian taxa have been virtually ignored. In order to understand general patterns in reptile life histories, we need a broader data base. Our study on the slender-bodied lacertid lizard Takydromus septentrionalis provides the first detailed information on factors responsible for intraspecific variation in reproductive output and life history in a Chinese reptile. Clutches of recently collected lizards from five widely separated localities in China revealed major divergences in female body size at maturation, mean adult female body size, body condition after oviposition, size-adjusted fecundity, relative clutch mass, and mass and shape of eggs. Most of these geographical differences persisted when the same groups of females were maintained in identical conditions in captivity. Additionally, reproductive frequency during maintenance under laboratory conditions differed according to the animals’ place of origin. Thus, the extensive geographical variation in reproductive and life-history traits that occurs within T. septentrionalis is exhibited even in long-term captives, suggesting that proximate factors that vary among localities (local conditions of weather and food supply) are less important determinants of life-history variation than are intrinsic (presumably genetic) influences. The maternal abdominal volume available to hold the clutch may be one such factor, based on low levels of variation in Relative Clutch Mass among populations, and geographical variation in the position of trade-off lines linking offspring size to fecundity. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 85, 443–453.