Relative Metabolic Activity Research Articles

Injectable biocompatible hydrogels with tunable strength based on crosslinked supramolecular polymer nanofibers.

Hydrogels based on supramolecular assemblies offer attractive features for biomedical applications including injectability or versatile combinations of various building blocks. We here investigate a system combining benzenetrispeptides (BTP), which forms supramolecular fibers, with polymer polyethylene oxide (PEO) forming a dense hydrophilic shell around the fibers. Hydrogels are created through the addition of a bifunctional crosslinker (CL). Rheological studies revealed that shorter hydrophobic n-hexyl spacers (BTP-C6) lead to stronger hydrogels than BTP-C12 comprising n-dodecyl chains. All hydrogels recovered rapidly (<5 s) after deformation in step-strain-measurements. We varied the crosslinker content between 0.1, 1 and 10 mol% and the overall concentration of the gelator. While the shear storage modulus of all BTP-C12 hydrogels remains below 1 kPa independent of the variations, the shear storage modulus of BTP-C6 hydrogels can be tuned from around 0.2 kPa up to almost 8 kPa. Shear rate dependent viscosity measurements further revealed similar shear thinning behavior of all hydrogels, and the calculation of extrusion parameters confirmed that the hydrogels can be easily injected even through thin cannulae. Accordingly, we injected a fluorescein-containing BTP-C6 sample into chicken breast demonstrating the potential for application as an injectable drug depot. Furthermore, BTP-C6 hydrogels prevent the adherence of L929 mouse fibroblasts but preserve their relative metabolic activity (>87%) during incubation on the gel when compared to cells growing on adherent surfaces. Our investigations overall reveal that the BTP-C6 system in particular has attractive features for applications in tissue engineering or as an injectable and biocompatible drug depot.

Endometriotic tissue fragments are viable after cryopreservation in an ex vivo tissue model recapitulating the fibrotic microenvironment.

Is it possible to establish an ex vivo endometriosis model using cryopreserved endometriotic tissue fragments? Cryopreserved endometriotic tissue fragments remain viable after thawing and during at least 3days of culture and can therefore be used to establish an ex vivo endometriosis model to efficiently test potential therapeutic agents. Endometriosis is the most prevalent benign gynecologic disease with an enormous societal burden; however, curative therapies are still lacking. To efficiently test potential new therapies, an ex vivo model based on previously cryopreserved endometriotic tissue that recapitulates the different endometriosis subtypes and their microenvironment is highly desirable. Endometriotic tissue fragments of three different subtypes were obtained from 28 patients by surgical resection. After cryopreservation and thawing, viability and metabolic activity of these tissue fragments were assessed. Viability was compared with fresh fragments from 11 patients directly after surgical removal. Experimental intervention studies were performed in cryopreserved and thawed tissue fragments from two patients to confirm the usability of these tissues for ex vivo intervention studies. Endometriotic tissue fragments (n = 45) were cryopreserved according to three different protocols. After thawing, fragments were cultured for 24 h. A resazurin-based assay was performed to assess the metabolic activity of the tissue fragments. In addition, cell type-specific viability was analyzed by VivaFix, Hoechst 33342, and α-smooth muscle actin immunofluorescence staining and confocal microscopy. The presence of endometriosis was histologically confirmed based on hematoxylin-eosin staining. Cryopreserved and thawed tissue fragments were treated for 72 h with pirfenidone or metformin and COL1A1 and CEMIP gene expressions were assessed using RT-PCR and RT-qPCR, either in the whole tissue fragments or in myofibroblasts isolated by laser capture microdissection. Metabolic activity of endometriotic tissue fragments obtained from peritoneal (PER), ovarian (OMA), and deep (DE) endometriotic lesions was well preserved after cryopreservation in a dimethyl sulfoxide-based medium and was comparable with fresh tissue fragments. Relative metabolic activity compared to fresh tissue was 70% (CI: 92-47%) in PER, 43% (CI: 53-15%) in OMA and 94% (CI: 186-3%) in DE lesions. In fragments from PE lesions 92% (CI: 87-96%), from OMA lesions 95% (CI: 91-98%), and from DE lesions 88% (CI: 78-98%) of cells were viable after cryopreservation and thawing followed by a 24-h culture period. Differences in gene expression of fibrotic markers COL1A1 and CEMIP after 72-h treatment with pirfenidone or metformin could be detected in whole tissue fragments and in isolated myofibroblasts, indicating that cryopreserved and thawed endometriotic tissue fragments are suitable for testing anti-fibrotic interventions. N/A. Viability and metabolic activity of the endometriotic tissue fragments may have been partially compromised by damage sustained during the surgical procedure, contributing to inter-sample variance. The storage of viable endometriotic tissue fragments for later usage in an ex vivo model creates the possibility to efficiently test potential new therapeutic strategies and facilitates the exchange of viable endometriotic tissue between different research laboratories. This study was not financially supported by external funding. The authors declare no competing interest. N/A.

Application of single-cell Raman-deuterium isotope probing to reveal the resistance of marine ammonia-oxidizing archaea SCM1 against common antibiotics

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in oceans poses a significant threat to human health through the seafood supply chain. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are important marine microorganisms and play a key role in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle around the world. However, the AMR of marine AOA to aquicultural antibiotics is poorly explored. Here, Raman-deuterium isotope probing (Raman-DIP), a single-cell tool, was developed to reveal the AMR of a typical marine species of AOA, Nitrosopumilus maritimus (designated SCM1), against six antibiotics, including erythromycin, tetracycline, novobiocin, neomycin, bacitracin, and vancomycin. The D2O concentration (30% v/v) and culture period (9 days) were optimized for the precise detection of metabolic activity in SCM1 cells through Raman-DIP. The relative metabolic activity of SCM1 upon exposure to antibiotics was semi-quantitatively calculated based on single-cell Raman spectra. SCM1 exhibited high resistance to erythromycin, tetracycline, novobiocin, neomycin, and vancomycin, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values between 100 and 400 mg/L, while SCM1 is very sensitive to bacitracin (MIC: 0.8 mg/L). Notably, SCM1 cells were completely inactive under the metabolic activity minimum inhibitory concentration conditions (MA-MIC: 1.6–800 mg/L) for the six antibiotics. Further genomic analysis revealed the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) of SCM1, including 14 types categorized into 33 subtypes. This work increases our knowledge of the AMR of marine AOA by linking the resistant phenome to the genome, contributing to the risk assessment of AMR in the underexplored ocean environment. As antibiotic resistance in marine microorganisms is significantly affected by the concentration of antibiotics in coastal environments, we encourage more studies concentrating on both the phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic resistance of marine archaea. This may facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the capacity of marine microorganisms to spread AMR and the implementation of suitable control measures to protect environmental safety and human health.

Alternative co-initiators for photocurable dental resins: Polymerisation, quantum yield of conversion and cytotoxicity

ObjectiveCyclic acetals such as are naturally occurring compounds capable of acting as co-initiators during free-radical polymerisation, and potentially serve to offer non-allergic and biologically less toxic alternatives to conventional (tertiary) amines. The current study aimed to evaluate the polymerisation efficiency and potential toxicity of cyclic acetals compared with conventional photoinitiator systems in photocurable dental resins. MethodsBoth, 1,3 benzodioxole (BZD) and piperonyl alcohol (PA) were used in 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 6.0 mol% concentrations. Whereas, N-phenyl glycine (NPG) was utilised in 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 mol% concentrations for photopolymerisation of an unfilled model resin system, BisGMA and TEGDMA (1:1 mass %), involving three separate camphorquinone (CQ) concentrations of 0.5 (Low), 1.0 (Intermediate) and 1.5 (High) mol%. Conventional tertiary amines; ethyl-4-dimethyamino benzoate (EDMAB) and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were utilised for comparison. Real-time degree of conversion (DC, %) was evaluated using Fourier transform near-infra-red spectroscopy and quantum yield of conversion of CQ was calculated using UV-Vis spectroscopy. Cytotoxicity of NPG and cyclic acetals were assessed using MTT to determine metabolic activity of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). ResultsThe cyclic acetals were capable of facilitating free radical polymerisation as co-initiators at all three CQ concentrations. Furthermore, the use of NPG as a co-initiator resulted in post-irradiation DC (%) that were comparable to both EDMAB and DMAEMA for all CQ concentrations. Alternative compounds facilitated the hydrogen abstraction process, which provided high conversion of CQ molecules. Quantum yield increased from 0.009 ± 0.0001 (0.5 mol%) to 0.03 ± 0.006 (6.0 mol%), and 0.01 ± 0.0003 (0.5 mol%) to 0.04 ± 0.001 (6.0 mol%), for respective BZD and PA formulations involving 1.0 mol% CQ. The use of NPG led to relatively higher quantum yield values (Up to 0.09 ± 0.007 at 4.0 mol%), though it exhibited competitive effects in absorbing blue light, which might be attributed to the photolytic degradation of NPG and the formation of N-methylaniline. MTT assay indicated alternative co-initiators to be comparatively less cytotoxic than EDMAB and CQ. Relative metablic activity of HDPCs treated with BZD, PA, and NPG eluates were 58.3 ± 15.7, 57.5 ± 17.4 and 64.6 ± 12.2 %, when compared with untreated HDPCs group (Control), respectively. Exposure to DMAEMA-based eluate led to relative metabolic activity (60.0 ± 0.5 %) that was comparable to that of cyclic acetals. Treatment with neat model resin eluate displayed the highest relative reduction in metabolic activity (28.9 ± 22.4) (P < 0.05), suggesting bisGMA and TEGDMA monomers played significant role in the overall cytotoxicity of photocurable systems involving HDPCs. SignificanceCyclic acetals were capable of facilitating photo-induced free radical polymerisation reactions with relatively less cytotoxicity compared with their amine counterparts, which might realise reduced cytotoxicity of photocurable materials used for dentistry and biomaterial applications.

Effects of Dietary Chlorogenic Acid Supplementation Derived from Lonicera macranthoides Hand-Mazz on Growth Performance, Free Amino Acid Profile, and Muscle Protein Synthesis in a Finishing Pig Model.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA), as one of the richest polyphenol compounds in nature, has broad applications in many fields due to its various biological properties. However, initial data on the effects of dietary CGA on protein synthesis and related basal metabolic activity has rarely been reported. The current study is aimed at (1) determining whether dietary CGA supplementation improves the growth performance and carcass traits, (2) assessing whether dietary CGA alters the free amino acid profile, and (3) verifying whether dietary CGA promotes muscle protein synthesis in finishing pigs. Thirty-two (Large × White × Landrace) finishing barrows with an average initial body weight of 71.89 ± 0.92 kg were randomly allotted to 4 groups and fed diets supplemented with 0, 0.02%, 0.04%, and 0.08% CGA, respectively. The results indicated that, compared with the control group, dietary supplementation with 0.04% CGA slightly stimulated the growth performance of pigs, whereas no significant correlation was noted between the dietary CGA levels and animal growth (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the carcass traits of pigs were improved by 0.04% dietary CGA (P < 0.01). In addition, dietary CGA significantly improved the serum free amino acid profiles of pigs (P < 0.01), while 0.04% dietary CGA promoted more amino acids to translocate to skeletal muscles (P < 0.05). The relative mRNA expression levels of SNAT2 in both longissimus dorsi (LD) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles were augmented in the 0.02% and 0.04% groups (P < 0.05), and the LAT1 mRNA expression in the BF muscle was elevated in the 0.02% group (P < 0.05). We also found that dietary CGA supplementation at the levels of 0.04% or 0.08% promoted the expression of p-Akt and activated the mTOR-S6K1-4EBP1 axis in the LD muscle (P < 0.05). Besides, the MAFbx mRNA abundance in the 0.02% and 0.04% groups was significantly lower (P < 0.05). Our results revealed that dietary supplementation with CGA of 0.04% improved the free amino acid profile and enhanced muscle protein biosynthesis in the LD muscle in finishing pigs.

Morphological, Physiological and Biochemical Response to Low Temperature Stress in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.): A Review

Growth and productivity are traumatized by the low temperature that triggers a series of physiological, morphological, molecular and biochemical changes in plants that eventually disturb plant life. Most of the cultivable lands of the world are adversely affected by temperature stress conditions which have an adverse impact on global tomato productivity. Plants undergo several water related metabolic activities for their survival during cold stress conditions. Understanding the morphological, physiological and biochemical reactions to low temperature is essential for a comprehensive view of the perception of tomato plant tolerant mechanism. This review reports some aspects of low temperature inflated changes in physiological and biochemical in the tomato plant. Low temperature stress influences the reproductive phases of plants with delayed flowering which enhance pollen sterility resultant drastically affects the harvest yield. It also decreases the capacity and efficiency of photosynthesis through changes in gas exchange, pigment content, chloroplast development and decline in chlorophyll fluorescence photosynthetic attributes. Amassing of osmoprotectant is another adaptive mechanism in plants exposed to low temperatures stress, as essential metabolites directly participate in the osmotic adjustment. Furthermore, low temperature stress enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which may oxidize lipids, proteins and nucleic acids which bring in distortion at the level of the cell. At the point when extreme reactive oxygen species produced, plants synthesize antioxidant enzymes and osmoprotectants that quench the abundance of reactive oxygen species. These reviews focus on the capacity and techniques of the tomato plant to react low temperature stress.

Automation of Seed Priming Technology for Enhanced Seed Vigour of Blackgram Seeds

Background: Seed priming technique involves soaking of seeds in priming agent to a point where germination related metabolic activities occur in the seeds followed by drying of imbibed seeds to original moisture to prevent the radical protrusion and facilitate storage of primed seed. Draining of priming agent and drying of large quantity of primed seeds is a laborious and time consuming process. The current study was aimed to standardize automation of seed priming process by utilizing house-hold top loading washing machine. Methods: The top loading washing machine referred to as Seed Priming Cabinet, contained a priming drum with provision for draining water. On completion of the soaking period, the ‘SPIN’ button was pressed by setting the duration of spin drying (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min.). Then the seeds were removed from the drum of priming cabinet and subjected to shade drying so as to reach the original moisture content and evaluated for seed quality parameters. Result: The blackgram seed subjected to conventional hydropriming was compared with automatic seed priming for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 min. and observed that hydropriming and spin drying for 3 min. was found to be optimum and the per cent increase in germination recorded over control was 18.0 per cent thus suggesting that automation of seed priming technology can be recommended for enhanced seed vigour and crop productivity of blackgram.

Diversity, Composition, and Activities of Nano- and Pico-Eukaryotes in the Northern South China Sea With Influences of Kuroshio Intrusion

Nano- and pico-eukaryotes play important roles in the diversity and functions of marine ecosystems. Warm, saline, and nutrient-depleted water that originates in the Kuroshio Current seasonally intrudes into the northern South China Sea (NSCS) from autumn to spring. To clarify the mechanisms in shaping the community structure of nano- and pico-eukaryotes as well as impacts of the Kuroshio intrusion on the NSCS ecosystem, genomic DNA and RNA were co-extracted from samples collected at two depths from nine stations, and then the V9 region of 18S rDNA and rRNA was sequenced with high-throughput sequencing. Our results showed that Dinophyceae was the most diverse and abundant nanoeukaryotic group during the study period revealed by both DNA and RNA surveys. In contrast, the relative read abundance of MAST, Pelagophyceae, and Dinophyceae in the size fraction of picoeukaryotes might be largely underestimated by the DNA survey. The RNA survey was the more reliable method to investigate the eukaryotic community structure. Environmental filtering played an important role in shaping the community structure, and the sampling depth became the governing factor of the beta diversity under the environmental setting of stratification during the study period. The spatial variations in the diversity of nanoeukaryotes were subject to the dispersal limitation under the size rule. The effects of the Kuroshio intrusion on the nanoeukaryotic community structure might also be explained by the dispersal limitation. Overall, neutral processes are critical in shaping the community structure of nanoeukaryotes. The relative metabolic activities of nanoeukaryotes were relatively stable in accordance with the high similarity of community structure between sampling sites. The responses of the relative metabolic activities of picoeukaryotes to environmental factors displayed two distinct patterns: positive correlations with salinity and nutrients and negative with temperature for Dinophyceae, MAST, and Pelagophyceae, while reversed patterns for Mamiellophyceae and Radiolaria. Our findings improve the understanding of the nano- and pico-eukaryotic communities in the NSCS and the mechanisms of their assembly.

Transcriptomic and photosynthetic responses to grafting of the Nod1 gene in nodulated and non-nodulated soybeans

Legume plants form symbiotic relationships with rhizobia to convert N2 into ammonia, and the nodulation status can affect plant development including photosynthesis. However, the relationship between nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis during carbon and nitrogen metabolism remains unclear. This study was undertaken to unravel regulation of nodulation and photosynthesis using a spontaneous nonnodulated soybean mutant by grafting. The results of inheritance and gene mapping showed that the nonnodulated mutant was controlled by a recessive gene overlapped with the reported rj1 locus, and might be a new rj1 allele with 1 bp deletion in the fourth exon in comparison to the sequence of normal nodulation plants. According to grafting results, soybean nodulation is obviously determined by the roots, not the seedlings. Moreover, nitrogen content along with related metabolic enzyme activity, and photosynthetic capacity were enhanced by nonnodulated scions grafted with nodulated roots. Contrary results were obtained for nodulated scions grafted with nonnodulated roots. A total of 853 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the leaves and 1874 in the roots were identified by transcriptome analyses of the grafting treatments. We identified 285 differential gene ontology (GO) terms and 57 differential pathway terms identified in the leaves, while 856 differential GO terms and 207 differential pathway terms in the roots. Twenty DEGs interacting at translation level were selected, and the results of transcriptome analyses were verified by q-PCR. These findings indicated that the nodulation-related Nod allelic gene increases the nitrogen content of nonnodulated plants, which affects the enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism, leading to changes in hormone levels and further regulation of photosynthesis and carbon metabolism.

Bacterial composition and function during fermentation of Mongolia koumiss.

Koumiss is a fermented mare's milk beverage that has attracted increasing attention due to its nutritional richness and important economic value. Bacteria in koumiss play a major role in pH decreasing and reducing spoilage through bacterial inhibition. The dynamic changes in nutritional content were determined firstly during fermentation, and then the metagenomics sequencing technology was applied to profile koumiss core microbiota at the species level. We also clarified the function and effect of the bacteria on the nutritional content of the final product. We also investigated active microbial function by comparing the metagenomics of representative samples collected at different time points during the fermentation process. This study dynamically revealed the bacterial composition and function of traditional koumiss during its making process. Twenty‐three major functional categories related to amino acid and fat synthesis, metabolism, and so on were identified. Functional category L (represented replication‐, recombination‐, and repair‐related functions) was one of the most important categories with the highest relative abundance in all of the 23 major functional categories. CoG category having a significant correlation with Lactococcus piscium was the most abundant. The change in metabolic activity of bacteria at different fermentation time points showed that the metabolic activity was more active in the first 24 hr and then began to stabilize. LAB play the major role in the koumiss pH decreasing and quality improvement. The functional genes of related metabolic activity of lactic acid bacteria were more active in the first 24 hr of koumiss fermentation and then began to stabilize.

Positive allometry of sexually selected traits: Do metabolic maintenance costs play an important role?

Sexual selection drives the evolution of some of the most exaggerated traits in nature. Studies on sexual selection often focus on the size of these traits relative to body size, but few focus on energetic maintenance costs of the tissues that compose them, and the ways in which these costs vary with body size. The relationships between energy use and body size have consequences that may allow large individuals to invest disproportionally more in sexually selected structures, or lead to the reduced per-gram maintenance cost of enlarged structures. Although sexually selected traits can incur energetic maintenance costs, these costs are not universally high; they are dependent on the relative mass and metabolic activity of tissues associated with them. Energetic costs of maintenance may play a pervasive yet little-explored role in shaping the relative scaling of sexually selected traits across diverse taxa. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/JyuoQIeA33Q.

Evaluation of the CYP2D6 Haplotype Activity Scores Based on Metabolic Ratios of 4,700 Patients Treated With Three Different CYP2D6 Substrates

The metabolic activity of the polymorphic CYP2D6 enzyme is dependent on the CYP2D6 genotype; however, the guidelines for translating the genotype into phenotype, which are of relevance for adequate drug dose personalization, are ambiguous. In the present study, retrospective therapeutic drug monitoring data from 4,700 CYP2D6 genotyped patients treated with risperidone, venlafaxine, and/or aripiprazole were analyzed to quantify the effect of CYP2D6 genotype on the CYP2D6 metabolic activities, as measured by metabolic ratios of these substrates. The patients were categorized into diplotypes based on the presence of normal function (CYP2D6Norm), nonfunctional (CYP2D6Nonf), and decreased function (CYP2D6Decr; i.e., CYP2D6*9, CYP2D6*10, and CYP2D6*41) CYP2D6 haplotypes. Significant correlations between the metabolic ratios were observed in patients (n=77-103) cotreated with risperidone and venlafaxine, risperidone and aripiprazole, or venlafaxine and aripiprazole (ρ=0.874, 0.785, and 0.644, respectively; P<0.001 for all). Relative metabolic CYP2D6 diplotype activity was calculated based on that the metabolic ratios, where median values for CYP2D6Nonf/Nonf and CYP2D6Norm/Norm subgroups were set to 0% and 100%, respectively. The relative CYP2D6 activities were: 7.0% for CYP2D6Nonf/*41, 16.7% for CYP2D6Nonf/*9-10, 13.2% for CYP2D6*41/*41, 24.9% for CYP2D6*41/*9-10, 33.1% for CYP2D6*9-10/*9-10, 41.3% for CYP2D6Nonf/Norm, 55.0% for CYP2D6*41/Norm, 58.9% for CYP2D6*9-10/Norm, and 149.2% for CYP2D6Norm/Normx2. Compared with the CYP2D6Norm alleles, the activity scores of CYP2D6*41 and CYP2D6*9-10 alleles were estimated to be one sixth and one third, respectively. The results of this highly powered study provide a solid basis for the translation of the CYP2D6 genotype into a drug metabolic phenotype.

Longitudinal Changes in Isolated Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder-Related Metabolic Pattern Expression.

ABSTRACTBackgroundIt remains unclear whether and how the isolated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD)‐related metabolic pattern (RBDRP) changes with disease progression in iRBD.ObjectiveTo examine longitudinal changes in RBDRP expression in iRBD patients and to explore trajectories of relative metabolic activities of individual brain regions constituting RBDRP.MethodsIn this cohort study, 25 iRBD patients (mean age [±standard deviation], 69.2 ± 5.3 years; 12 [48%] patients were men) and 24 age‐matched healthy controls were included. The patients underwent at least two 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scans at baseline and at the 2‐year and/or 4‐year follow‐ups. We measured the RBDRP expression of the patients and controls which was validated by reproduction in a separate iRBD cohort (n = 13).ResultsAt baseline, the RBDRP expression discriminated iRBD patients from healthy controls. However, the RBDRP expression z scores tended to decrease over time in the patients, especially with longer follow‐ups, and this tendency was observed even in patients with high‐risk of phenoconversion. Furthermore, the degree of RBDRP expression at baseline did not predict the disease conversion. The RBDRP breakdown was mainly provoked by the attenuation of relative hypermetabolism in the frontal cortex including premotor areas and relative hypometabolism in the occipital cortex. The putaminal metabolic activity increased steadily with the disease progression.ConclusionsThe RBDRP expression in iRBD patients was altered significantly over time. Some of the brain metabolic changes seem to represent attempted functional compensation against ongoing neurodegeneration. The RBDRP expression measurement at one time point may not be a reliable biomarker for predicting disease conversion. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

Anti-fatigue activity of gardenia yellow pigment and Cistanche phenylethanol glycosides mixture in hypoxia

The plateau, which has a unique geographical environment, forms extremely harsh climate conditions. Compared with that of people in the plains, the athletic ability of people on the plateau is significantly decreased. People who enter the plateau from the plains for short time periods will suffer from metabolic dysfunction, productivity loss, bradykinesia and a significant decrease in overall exercise endurance, which results in exercise fatigue. To investigate the anti-fatigue activity of gardenia yellow pigment and Cistanche phenylethanoid glycosides mixture under hypoxia, we performed anti-hypoxia, normoxia anti-fatigue and hypoxia anti-fatigue experiments. The gardenia yellow pigment and Cistanche phenylethanoid glycosides mixture has good anti-hypoxia and anti-fatigue effects under hypoxia, can significantly prolong the anti-anoxia time of mice, and prolong the exhausted swimming time of mice under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. The mechanisms may be related to reducing the accumulation of bad metabolites, increasing energy reserves, improving free radical scavenging capacity, increasing related metabolic enzymes activities, reducing apoptosis and inhibiting the infiltration of inflammatory cells. The gardenia yellow pigment and Cistanche phenylethanoid glycosides mixture is a potential functional product to improve hypoxic exercise fatigue.

Influence of imidacloprid on bacterial community diversity of mango orchard soil assessed through 16S rRNA sequencing-based metagenomic analysis

Imidacloprid, used against mango hopper, is a persistent insecticide in soil. Microbes have the ability to remove toxic pesticides from soil surface. Metagenomic is an approach for understanding the diversity and related metabolic activities in any environmental sample without culturing the microbes. Metagenomic analysis of mango orchard soil was carried out using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to understand the impact of imidacloprid on soil microbial population. In control and imidacloprid applied soil samples, representative sequences clustered were 0.142930 and 0.082320 million, respectively. At the kingdom level, 85 and 88 percent represented to bacteria, 2 and 1 percent to archaea, and 13 and 11 percent to unassigned for control and treated metagenomes, respectively. At phylum level, 16 and 17 percent of OTUs (operational taxonomic units) were assigned with Proteobacteria, while 13 and 11 percent of OTUs were unassigned in control and imidacloprid-treated samples, respectively. The other abundant phyla in both the samples were Planctomycetes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. At class level, 9 and 11 percent of OTUs were assigned with Planctomycetia in control as well as imidacloprid-treated samples, respectively. A number of OTUs present in control and imidacloprid applied samples are 31,173 and 21,909, respectively, with 18,018 number of OTUs shared between the two samples. The genus Gemmata totally disappeared in imidacloprid applied soil, while those belonging to class Phycisphaerae, genus Prevotella and species copri were identified in imidacloprid treatment. Bacterial community transformation was evident from this study indicating possible microbial bioremediation of imidacloprid in mango orchard soil.

Effect of serum vitamin D deficiency in the prevalence of haematological malignancies

Effect of serum vitamin D deficiency in the prevalence of haematological malignancies - IJCBR- Print ISSN No: - 2394-6369 Online ISSN No:- 2394-6377 Article DOI No:- 10.18231/2394-6377.2018.0038, International Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Research-Int J Clin Biochem Res

Improved biodegradability of zinc and its alloys by sandblasting treatment

Zinc (Zn) and its alloys have been considered as potential materials for osteosynthesis implants. Nonetheless, the relatively slow degradation rates within bone environments impede their further application. Herein, sandblasting surface treatment with two Al2O3 particle sizes (125 μm and 250 μm) was employed to accelerate the degradation rates of Zn and two Zn alloys, a Zn4Ag and a Zn-2Ag-1.8Au-0.2V (wt%). The degradation processes of Zn and Zn alloys were significantly increased after sandblasting treatment mainly due to the increased surface roughness and embedded Al2O3 particles in the surfaces. However, an increase of sandblasting particle size from 125 μm to 250 μm did not affect the degradation rates. Moreover, the mean relative metabolic activities of Saos-2 osteoblasts below 70% were observed for alloys treated with 250 μm Al2O3 particles, indicating apparent cytotoxic effects. The results showed that the size of the sandblasting particles had no direct effect on the degradation rate but on the cytotoxicity. Therefore, sandblasting treatment with appropriate particles might be a promising surface modification to accelerate the biodegradability of Zn and its alloys.

Differential effects of cisplatin on cybrid cells with varying mitochondrial DNA haplogroups.

BackgroundDrug therapy yields different results depending on its recipient population. Cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent, causes different levels of resistance and side effects for different patients, but the mechanism(s) are presently unknown. It has been assumed that this variation is a consequence of differences in nuclear (n) DNA, epigenetics, or some external factor(s). There is accumulating evidence that an individual’s mitochondrial (mt) DNA may play a role in their response to medications. Variations within mtDNA can be observed, and an individual’s mtDNA can be categorized into haplogroups that are defined by accumulations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) representing different ethnic populations.MethodsThe present study was conducted on transmitochondrial cytoplasmic hybrids (cybrids) that possess different maternal-origin haplogroup mtDNA from African (L), Hispanic [A+B], or Asian (D) backgrounds. Cybrids were created by fusing Rho0 ARPE-19 cells (lacking mtDNA) with platelets, which contain numerous mitochondria but no nuclei. These cybrid cells were cultured to passage five, treated with cisplatin, incubated for 48 h, then analyzed for cell metabolic activity (tetrazolium dye (MTT) assay), mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1 assay), cytotoxicity (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay), and gene expression levels for ALK, BRCA1, EGFR, and ERBB2/HER2.ResultsResults indicated that untreated cybrids with varying mtDNA haplogroups had similar relative metabolic activity before cisplatin treatment. When treated with cisplatin, (1) the decline in metabolic activity was greatest in L (27.4%, p < 0.012) < D (24.86%, p = 0.0001) and [A+B] cybrids (24.67%, p = 0.0285) compared to untreated cybrids; (2) mitochondrial membrane potential remained unchanged in all cybrids (3) LDH production varied between cybrids (L >[A+B], p = 0.0270). (4) The expression levels decreased for ALK in L (p < 0.0001) and [A+B] (p = 0.0001) cybrids but not in D cybrids (p = 0.285); and decreased for EGFR in [A+B] cybrids (p = 0.0246) compared to untreated cybrids.ConclusionOur findings suggest that an individual’s mtDNA background may be associated with variations in their response to cisplatin treatment, thereby affecting the efficiency and the severity of side effects from the treatment.

Simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal by interactions between phosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) and denitrifying phosphate accumulating organisms (DPAOs) in a sequencing batch reactor

The identification of phosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs), denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms (DPAOs) and their relationship is a key pathway for optimizing nitrate and phosphate removal efficiency in activated sludge. In this study, the acclimatization of microorganisms in sequencing batch reactor were performed with anaerobic/aerobic (A/O) and anaerobic/anoxic (A/A) cycles, the biomass changes of PAOs and DPAOs and the correlations were then discussed. The results indicated that after acclimatization, the nutrient removal efficiencies reached to 85.34% (COD), 93.64% (PO43−-P) and 92.34% (NO3−-N), respectively, with NO3−-N:PO43-P of 1.5:1. The successful enrichment of PAOs and DPAOs (reached 97.9%) was verified by the change of relative metabolic activities, which was further proved by the change of bacterial diversity. The number of Candidatus Accumulibacter, Zoogloea, and Dechloromonas all increased at A/O and A/A stages while the number of Acinetobacter only increased at A/O stage. So Accumulibacter sp. was DPAO while Acinetobacter sp. was only PAO in this process, and genera Accumulibacter, Dechloromonas and Zoogloea greatly coordinated in denitrification and accumulating phosphorous though RDA and chord plot. This was worthy of attention and development to explore enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) in practical wastewater treatment via improving identification of bacterial species and symbiosis of bacteria community.

Two Prevalent Listeria ivanovii subsp. ivanovii Clonal Strains With Different Virulence Exist in Wild Rodents and Pikas of China.

Listeria ivanovii subsp. ivanovii is an intracellular bacterium distributed widely in nature, causing the listeriosis in ruminants and humans. Previous researches had isolated 116 strains of L. ivanovii subsp. ivanovii from wild rodents and pikas of different regions in China, and the predominant sequence types were ST1 and ST2. In this study, we first investigated the biological characteristics and virulence of these two clonal strains including motility, metabolism and virulence in cells and mouse model. The results demonstrated the ST1 strains exhibited motility, wide metabolic activity and hypervirulence, whereas the ST2 strains showed non-motility, relative lower metabolic activity and virulence. Considering the transmissible ability from wild rodents and pikas to ecological environment, the L. ivanovii subsp. ivanovii with potential pathogenicity to humans and ruminants should be monitored.