Berberine promotes the development of atherosclerosis and foam cell formation by inducing scavenger receptor A expression in macrophage

Berberine is identified to lower the serum cholesterol level in human and hamster through the induction of low density lipoproteins （LDL） receptor in hepatic cells. To evaluate its potential in preventing atherosclerosis, the effect of berberine on atherosclerosis development in apolipoprotcin E-deficient （apoE^-/-） mice was investigated. In apoE^-/- mice, berberine induced in rivo foam cell formation and promoted atheroselerosis development. The foam cell formation induced by berberinc was also observed in mouse RAW264.7 cells, as well as in mouse and human primary macrophages. By inducing scavenger receptor A （SR-A） expression in macrophages, berberine increased the uptake of modified LDL （DiO-Ac-LDL）. Bcrberine-induced SR-A expression was also observed in macrophage foam cells in vivo and in the cells at atherosclerotic lesion. Analysis in RAW264.7 cells indicated that berberine induced SR-A expression by suppressing PTEN expression, which led to sustained Akt activation. Our results suggest that to evaluate the potential of a cholesterol-reducing compound in alleviating atherosclerosis, its effect on the ceils involved in atherosclerosis development, such as macrophages, should also be considered. Promotion of foam cell formation could counter-balance the beneficial effect of lowering serum cholesterol.

Scavenger receptor BI: A multi-purpose player in cholesterol and steroid metabolism

Scavenger receptor class B type Ⅰ (SR-BI) is an important member of the scavenger receptor family of integral membrane glycoproteins. This review highlights studies in SR-BI knockout mice, which concern the role of SR-BI in cholesterol and steroid metabolism. SR-BI in hepatocytes is the sole molecule involved in selective uptake of cholesteryl esters from high-density lipoprotein (HDL). SR-BI plays a physiological role in binding and uptake of native apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins by hepatocytes, which identif ies SR-BI as a multipurpose player in lipid uptake from the blood circulation into hepatocytes in mice. In adrenocortical cells, SR-BI mediates the selective uptake of HDL-cholesteryl esters, which is eff iciently coupled to the synthesis of glucocorticoids (i.e. corticosterone). SR-BI knockout mice suffer from adrenal glucocorticoid insuff iciency, which suggests that functional SR-BI protein is necessary for optimal adrenal steroidogenesis in mice. SR-BI in macrophages plays a dual role in cholesterol metabolism as it is able to take up cholesterol associated with HDL and apoBcontaining lipoproteins and can possibly facilitate cholesterol efflux to HDL. Absence of SR-BI is associated with thrombocytopenia and altered thrombosis susceptibility, which suggests a novel role for SR-BI in regulating platelet number and function in mice. Transgenic expression of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in humanized SR-BI knockout mice normalizes hepatic delivery of HDL-cholesteryl esters. However, other pathologies associated with SR-BI def iciency, i.e. increased atherosclerosis susceptibility, adrenal glucocorticoid insuffi ciency, and impaired platelet function are not normalized, which suggests an important role for SR-BI in cholesterol and steroid metabolism in man. In conclusion, generation of SR-BI knockout mice has signif icantly contributed to our knowledge of the physiological role of SR-BI. Studies using these mice have identif ied SR-BI as a multi-purpose player in cholesterol and steroid metabolism because it has distinct roles in reverse cholesterol transport, adrenal steroidogenesis, and platelet function.

Photogenerated-hole scavenger for enhancing photocatalytic chalcopyrite bioleaching

The effects of photogenerated-hole scavengers(ascorbic acid,oxalic acid,humic acid and citric acid)on chalcopyrite bioleaching in the presence of visible light were studied using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans(A.ferrooxidans).Four sets of bioleaching experiments were performed:(1)visible light+0 g/L scavenger,(2)visible light+0.1 g/L of different scavenger(ascorbic acid,oxalic acid,humic acid and citric acid),(3)dark+0.1 g/L of different scavenger(ascorbic acid,oxalic acid,humic acid and citric acid),and(4)dark+0 g/L scavenger(control group).The results showed that ascorbic acid and oxalic acid could act as photogenerated-hole scavengers and significantly enhance chalcopyrite bioleaching under visible light.The dissolved copper in the light group without scavenger was only 18.7%higher than that of the control group.The copper extraction rates of the light groups with oxalic acid and ascorbic acid were respectively 30.1%and 32.5%higher than those of the control group.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR)analyses indicated that ascorbic acid and oxalic acid as photogenerated-hole scavenger could capture photo-generated holes and inhibit jarosite formation on the chalcopyrite surface,thereby enhancing bioleaching of chalcopyrite under visible light.

Synergistic impact of cocatalysts and hole scavenger for promoted photocatalytic H2 evolution in mesoporous TiO2–NiSx hybrid

Photocatalytic solar energy conversion to hydrogen is sustainable and attractive for addressing the global energy and environmental issue. Herein, a novel photocatalytic system (NiS/Ni3S4 cocatalysts modified mesoporous TiO2) with superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution capability through the synergistic impact of NiS/Ni3S4 (NiSx) cocatalyst and efficient hole scavenger has been demonstrated. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of TiO2-NiSx hybrids with the different content of NiSx and upon different organic hole scavengers was both investigated. The hybrid of TiO2 decorated with 3%(mole ratio of Ni^2+) NiSx cocatalyst in methanol solution showed the optimal photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 981.59 μmol h^-1 g^-1 which was about 20 times higher than that of bare mesoporous TiO2. Our results suggested that the boosted hydrogen production performance is attributed to both the improved photoinduced electrons migration between NiS and Ni3S4 in cocatalyst and the high hole captured efficiency by hole scavengers of methanol.

Effects of a nitric oxide donor and nitric oxide scavengers on Sorbus pohuashanensis embryo germination

The effects of an exogenous nitric oxide donor(sodium nitroprusside, SNP), a NO scavenger 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxode(PTIO) and carboxy-PTIO potassium salt(c PTIO) on the embryo germination of Sorbus pohuashanensis were studied in a petri dish test. SNP at 0.5–5 mmol L-1 increased germination percentage, mean time to germination, germination index and germination energy compared with the control to different degrees. Treatment with 2 mmol L-1 SNP improved germination most significantly; embryo germination percentage for mother tree 1(91.11%) and mother tree 2(64.44%) were much higher than the control. In addition,excessive SNP levels did not enhance embryo germination.Combined treatment with SNP and an NO scavenger delayed embryo germination. Treatment with c PTIO inhibited embryo germination; germination percentage was 42.22% and was lower than that of the control. These results show that low concentrations of exogenous NO can enhance the embryo germination of S. pohuashanensis,providing a simple, effective way for promoting germination of S. pohuashanensis.

The gut microbiome and metabolome of Himalayan Griffons(Gyps himalayensis):insights into the adaptation to carrion-feeding habits in avian scavengers

Background:Himalayan Griffons(Gyps himalayensis),large scavenging raptors widely distributed in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,have evolved a remarkable ability to feed on carcasses without suffering any adverse effects.The gut microbiome plays an important role in animal physiological and pathological processes,and has also been found to play a health protective role in the vulture adaptation to scavenging.However,the microbial taxonomic diversity(including nonculturable and culturable microbes),functions,and metabolites related to Himalayan Griffons have not been fully explored.Methods:In the present study,the 28 fecal samples of the Himalayan Griffons and 8 carrion samples were collected and sequenced using high-throughput 16 S rRNA gene sequencing methods to analyze the composition and functional structures of the microbiomes.Twelve fecal samples of the Himalayan Griffons were analyzed using untargeted Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy(LC-MS)to identify metabolites.We used different culture conditions to grow Himalayan Griffons gut microbes.Inhibitory effects of gut beneficial bacteria on 5 common pathogenic bacteria were also tested using the Oxford cup method.Results:According to the results of the culture-independent method,a high abundance of four major phyla in Himalayan Griffons were identified,including Fusobacteria,Firmicutes,Bacteroidetes,and Proteobacteria.The most abundant genera were Fusobacterium,followed by Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1,Cetobacterium,Epulopiscium,and Bacteroides.The predicted primary functional categories of the Himalayan Griffons'gut microbiome were associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism,replication and repair,and membrane transport.LC-MS metabolomic analysis showed a total of 154 metabolites in all the fecal samples.Cultivation yielded 184 bacterial isolates with Escherichia coli,Enterococcus faecium,Enterococcus hirae,and Paeniclostridium sordellii as most common isolates.Moreover,7 potential beneficial gut bacteria isolated showed certain inhibition to 5 common pathogenic bacteria.Conclusions:Our findings broaden and deepen the understanding of Himalayan Griffons'gut microbiome,and highlighted the importance of gut microbiome-mediated adaptation to scavenging habits.In particular,our results highlighted the protective role of gut beneficial bacteria in the Himalayan Griffons against pathogenic bacteria that appear in rotten food resources.

Non-peptidyl low molecular weight radical scavenger IAC attenuates DSS-induced colitis in rats

AIM:To investigate the effects of the free radical scavenger bis(1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) decandioate(IAC) in the dextran sodium sulphate(DSS) experimental model of ulcerative colitis.METHODS:Colitis was induced in Sprague Dawley male rats by administration of 5% DSS in drinking water.IAC(30 mg/kg,lipophilic or hydrophilic form) was administered daily(orally or ip) for 6 d until sacrifice.Colonic damage was assessed by means of indirect(Disease Activity Index score) and direct measures(macroscopic and microscopic scores) and myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity.Neutrophil infiltration within the tissue and glutathione S-transferase activity were also investigated.RESULTS:DSS-induced colitis impaired body weight gain and markedly increased all inflammatory parameters.Six-day treatment with lipophilic IAC significantly reduced intestinal damage caused by inflammation,induced a down-regulation in MPO activity(0.72 ± 0.12 and 0.45 ± 0.12 with lipophilic IAC po and ip,respectively,vs 1.10 ± 0.27 in untreated DSS colitis animals) and minimized DSS-induced neutrophil infiltration,while hydrophilic IAC administered orally did not ameliorate DSS-induced damage.CONCLUSION:These results support the hypothesis that reactive oxygen metabolites contribute to inflammation and that the radical scavenger IAC has therapeutic potential in inflammatory bowel disease.

Increase the Degradation Efficiency of Organic Pollutants with a Radical Scavenger (Cl) in a Novel Photoelectrocatalytic Reactor

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation performance of quinoline in saline water was investigated using a new-designed continuous flow three-dimensional electrode-packed bed photocatalytic reactor. It is interesting to find that chloride ion has an obvious enhancement effect rather than a scavenging effect on the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of quinoline, and create a kinetic synergetic effect in the photoelectrocatalytic reactor.

The effective transfection of a low dose of negatively charged drug-loaded DNA-nanocarriers into cancer cells via scavenger receptors

DNA-nanotechnology-based nano-architecture scaffolds based on circular strands were designed in the form of DNA-nanowires(DNA-NWs) as a polymer of DNA-triangles. Circularizing a scaffold strand(84-NT) was the critical step followed by annealing with various staple strands to make stiff DNAtriangles. Atomic force microcopy(AFM), native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(PAGE), UVanalysis, MTT-assay, flow cytometry, and confocal imaging were performed to assess the formulated DNA-NWs and cisplatin(CPT) loading. The AFM and confocal microscopy images revealed a uniform shape and size distribution of the DNA-NWs, with lengths ranging from 2 to 4 mm and diameters ranging from 150 to 300 nm. One sharp band at the top of the lane(500 bp level) with the loss of electrophoretic mobility during the PAGE(native) gel analysis revealed the successful fabrication of DNA-NWs. The loading efficiency of CPT ranged from 66.85% to 97.35%. MTT and flow cytometry results showed biocompatibility of the blank DNA-NWs even at 95% concentration compared with the CPT-loaded DNANWs. The CPT-loaded DNA-NWs exhibited enhanced apoptosis(22%) compared to the apoptosis(7%)induced by the blank DNA-NWs. The release of CPT from the DNA-NWs was sustained at < 75% for 6 h in the presence of serum, demonstrating suitability for systemic applications. The IC_(50) of CPT@DNA-NWs was reduced to 12.8 nM CPT, as compared with the free CPT solution exhibiting an IC_(50) of 51.2 n M.Confocal imaging revealed the targetability, surface binding, and slow internalization of the DNA-NWs in the scavenger-receptor-rich cancer cell line(HepG2) compared with the control cell line.

Genetic variants of the class A scavenger receptor gene are associated with coronary artery disease in Chinese

The class A scavenger receptor, encoded by the macrophage scavenger receptor 1 （MSR1） gene, is a pattern recognition receptor （PPR） primarily expressed in macrophages. It has been reported that genetic polymorphisms of MSR1 are significantly associated with the number of diseased vessels and coronary artery narrowing greater than 20% in Caucasians. However, whether it links genetically to coronary artery disease （CAD） in Chinese is not defined. Here, we performed an independent case-control study in a Chinese population consisting of 402 CAD cases and 400 controls by genotyping ten single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） of MSR1. We found that rs416748 and rs13306541 were significantly associated with an increased risk of CAD with per allele odds ratio （OR） of 1.56 [95% confidence interval （CI） = 1.28-1.90; P 〈 0.001] and 1.70 （95% CI = 1.27-2.27; P 〈 0.001）, re- spectively. Our results indicate that genetic variants of MSR1 may serve as predictive markers for the risk of CAD / in combination with traditional risk factors of CAD in Chinese population.

Hyperglycemia promotes overexpression of SR-BII isoform of the scavenger receptor class B type I in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A study in Juana Koslay City, San Luis, Argentina

The scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is a high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor involved in reverse cholesterol transport. Some studies reported the association to be stronger in the presence of diabetes. The full length gene encoding SR-BI is comprised in 13 exons that are alternatively spliced to produce two major transcripts: the full length SR-BI and the splice variant SR-BII, in which exon 12 is skipped. Considering that type 2 diabetes status is characterized by changes in the concentration of plasma lipids, modifications in lipoprotein size and composition, which may be important modulators of the SR-BI expression;the aims of the study were to examine the influence of SR-BI polymorphism (rs838895) on lipid profile and SR-BI mRNA expression in a population of diabetic patients living in Juana Koslay City. Blood samples were drawn from controls (n = 40) and Type 2 diabetic patients (n = 66) and DNA and total RNA were obtained. SR-BI mRNA expression was measured by RT-PCR and SR-BI polymorphism was detected by Tetra Primer ARMSPCR. Compared to controls, diabetic patients had higher fasting serum glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol, and lower highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol. SR-BI mRNA expression was lower in T2DM when compared to controls, suggesting that the hyperglycemia presents in T2DM patients down-regulates SR-BI mRNA expression. Interestingly, we found that decreased SR-BI expression resulted in markedly increased plasma LDL concentrations in T2DM subjects, and the overexpression of SRBII isoform is responsible for the markedly increased plasma LDL-c concentrations. The polymorphism (rs838895) did not modify the mRNA level of SR-BI in leucocytes from control and diabetic patients. This study provides novel evidence suggesting that hyperglycemia may affect reverse cholesterol transport by controlling SRBI expression in diabetic patients. LDL cholesterol levels are associated with low SR-BI mRNA expression in T2DM.

Comparative Efficacy of Polyamine-Based Scavenger Resins

Polyamine-based scavenger resins containing 2, 3 and 4 nitrogen atoms have been prepared and their comparative efficacy to scavenge appropriate electrophilic chemicals (acids, acid chlorides, isocyanates and aldehydes) from solutions has been studied. As expected, the scavenging efficiency is directly proportional to the number of nucleophic nitrogens present on the resin. The results have been compared with the performance of the popular scavenger resin, namely, tris(2-aminoethyl)amine resin, to conclude that the low-cost polyamine resins now prepared can be conveniently used as effectively as the expensive commercial product.

Assessment of the Activities of Scavengers in Obio/Akpor Local Government, Rivers State, Nigeria

This study was carried out based on consistent observations on the activities of scavengers of scrap metal in Obio/Akpor local government Rivers State. The study was carried out to ascertain the profitability of scrap metal scavenging and how scrap metal waste can generate wealth to the public and the government. The study made use of primary and secondary data with the former being the main focus. The data were analyzed using the simple percentage, while the hypothesis was tested by means of the chi-square. The study findings revealed that there was a relationship between waste and wealth in relation to scrap metal scavenging. The researches therefore make the following recommendations;that scavengers should form co-operatives so that they can pull their efforts and resources together and bargain collectively. Government and nongovernmental organization should enlighten them through seminars, workshops, etc., on how to carry out their activities in an environmentally safe manner. The state government should encourage scavenging by enacting a law to back the profession and make it attractive for the teaming youths to venture into.

Indirect photocatalytic reduction of arsenate to arsenite in aqueous solution with TiO_2 in the presence of hole scavengers

The indirect photocatalytic reduction of arsenate to arsenite in aqueous solution with titanium dioxide(TiO_2)was investigated with various hole scavengers such as methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, formaldehyde, acetone,formic acid and acetic acid. Although the direct photocatalytic reduction of arsenate to arsenite with TiO_2 was impossible, an indirect reduction of As(V) was possible in the presence of sacrificial electron donors to form strongly reductive radicals. The addition of ethanol was very effective for indirect photocatalytic reduction of As(V) in aqueous solution with TiO_2 photocatalyst. The indirect photocatalytic reduction rate of As(V) may be related with both the reaction rate constants of reaction of hydroxyl radicals with hole scavenger and the reactivities for the radicals M· which are produced by the reaction of ·OH with hole scavenger.

Possible Synergistic Toxicity of Oxygen Scavenger and Defoamer on the Niger Delta Freshwater <i>Tilapia guineensis</i>

Globally, the generation of produced water keeps increasing due to depleting wells and about 40% of this wastewater is disposed of into the environment. Produced water is made up of several components that are toxic in nature, like production chemicals that are used for oil and gas production activities. Oxygen scavenger and defoamer are commonly used for corrosion prevention as both are applied at different stages of corrosion prevention. Evaluation of the possible synergistic toxicity contribution of oxygen scavenger and defoamer formed the basis of this research and was conducted using the Tilapia guineensis as bio-indicator. The toxicity test was carried out using the ELIMINOX (oxygen scavenger) and EC9017A (defoamer) individually and both chemicals were combined together. The choice of these chemicals was premised on previous researches that have confirmed that they are toxic individually, without further research on how they interact when they are combined. These chemicals and freshwater were used to generate produced water samples in the laboratory. The experiment was set up by adding ten fishes into each of the glass containers, containing the produced water samples at different concentrations and a control sample without the chemicals. The rate of mortality of the fish for the individual chemicals ranged from 100% to 10% for the different percentage concentrations. While on the other hand, a combination of the two chemicals had more survival than mortality, the percentage survival rate ranged from 100% to 90% across all the percentage concentrations. The lethal concentration also showed that the oxygen scavenger was more toxic than the defoamer, however, when they were combined;they showed an antagonistic relationship as the toxicity of the oxygen scavenger drastically reduced. The research findings intend to create awareness of the possible interaction of production chemicals when they are used for oil and gas activities and their combined toxicity contribution to produced water. This will in turn aid government regulators in their decision-making for disposal of produced water.

Transgenic mice with overexpression of human scavenger receptor A on endothelial cells

Objectives To establish a new transgenic mouse model for determining the function and role of human scavenger receptor A (SR-A) in atherosclerosis in vivo.Methods Human scavenger receptor minigene-driven mouse tie-1 promoter was constructed and confirmed by endonuclease digestion and sequence analysis. Transgenic mice were generated via the microinjection method. PCR and Southern blot were used to screen the positive transgenic mice. RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analysis were used to detect the level and location of human SR-A Ⅰ expression in transgenic mice. The activity of human SR-A Ⅰ was determined by morphologic observation of aortic endothelial cells of transgenic mice under transmission electron microscopy.Results The electrophoresis assay showed the expected 4 fragments of 0.9 kb, 1.1 kb, 1.2 kb and 4.2 kb in the Sma Ⅰ digest and 2 fragments of 0.8 kb and 6.7 kb in Bgl Ⅱ digest of plasmids pTie-1/hSR-A. The fragment sequence of tie-1 promoter and human SR-A cDNA in plasmids pTie-1/hSR-A was correct and no ATG before the translation initiation sites of human SR-A was found by sequence analysis. 561 injected and surviving embryos with the purified human SR-A minigene were implanted into the oviducts of 19 ICR pseudopregnant mice. Among the 54 surviving pups from 13 foster mothers, 7 were identified by PCR and Southern blot analysis. The results of RT-PCR and imrnunohistochemical analysis showed human SR-A was specifically expressed on vascular endothelial cells of the aorta and renal artery, as well as hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells in transgenic mice. Transmmion electron microscope (TEM) of aorta of transgenic mice showed that a large number of vesicles, multivesicle bodies and swollen mitochondria filled the plasma of endothelial cells.Conclusions A transgenic mouse model with overexpression of human SR-A in endothelial cells was successfully established. The transgene was integrated and transmitted into the chromosome of transgenic mice. Tie-1 promoter controlled the transgene to express in endothelial cells in mice. Pinocytic activity of aortic endothelial cells in transgenic mice was higher than that of C57BL/6J mice. Our studies will provide a new transcgenic model for investigation of atherosclerosis and functions of human SR-A.

Expression pattern and tissue localization of the class B scavenger receptor BmSCRBQ4 in Bombyx moil

Class B scavenger receptors （SR-Bs） are cell surface glycoproteins involved in various physiological processes in vivo, including the transport and metabolism of lipids, binding and phagoeytosis of xenobiotics, and signaling. But little information is available about silkworm SR-Bs; it is necessary to study these SR-Bs for revealing their function. In this study, we cloned the full-length coding sequence of BrnSCRBQ4, a SR-B gene from the silkworm Bombyx mori L. We found that the BmSCRBQ4 gene consists of nine exons and eight introns, with an open reading frame of 1371 bp encoding 456 amino acids. Gene expression studies determined that BmSCRBQ4 messenger RNA （mRNA） was expressed in unfertilized eggs, during embryonic development and throughout the majority of the larval period. Expression of mRNA was detected in the mid gut, middle silk gland, posterior silk gland, head, integumentum, fat body, testes and the ovaries of the larval B. mori Dazao strain, as well as in the silkworm cell lines BmN and BmE. Protein expression studies found BmSCRBQ4 protein was expressed only in the testes, fat body and middle silk gland of larvae, as well as in the silkworm cell lines BmN and BmE. The BmSCRBQ4 protein showed variability in banding patterns in different tissues and cells when analyzed by Western blotting. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the BmSCRBQ4 protein localizes to the constitutive membranes or cellular membranes of these tissues. These results indicated that BmSCRBQ4 gene may play some physiologically relevant roles at the cell surface in each tissue.

Effect of Danhong injection on expressions of macrophage scavenger receptor 1 and sub-family A member 1 in human U937 cells

OBJECTIVE： To study the effects of Danhong injec- tion （DHI） on expression of the macrophage scaven- ger receptor 1 （MSR1） and ATP-binding cassette, sub-family A member 1 （ABCA1） genes, which en- code scavenger receptor-A I （SR-AI） and ATP-bind- ing cassette transporter 1 （ABCA1）, respectively, as a potential anti-atherosclerotic mechanism. METHODS： Human U937 cells were stimulated by in- cubation with 100 nM phorbo112-myristate 13-ace- tate （PMA） for 48 h.These stimulated, monocyte-like cells were then incubated for 24 h with 50 mg/L oxi- dized low-density lipoprotein （ox-LDL, to induce foam cell formation）, together with a liver X recep- tor （LXR） agonist or with different DHI concentra- tions. MSR1 and ABCA1 mRNA levels were mea- sured by fluorescence-based quantitative PCR. RESULTS： Compared with control cells （which re- ceived only ox-LDL）, cells treated with both ox-LDL and 10 IJmol/L LXR agonist showed lower MSR1 ex-pression （but this effect was not statistically signifi- cant, P〉0.05） and higher ABCA1 expression （P〈 0.01）. Cells that received ox-LDL and 3 mL/L DHI possessed higher MSR1 mRNA levels than the con- trols, whereas cells treated with ox-LDL and higher DHI concentrations （10, 30 or 60 mL/L） showed low- er MSR1 expression levels （but the differences ob- served between DHI concentration groups were not statistically significant, P〉0.05）. ABCA1 expression in cells treated with ox-LDL and 3, 10 or 30 mL/L DHI was higher than in the control cells, and increased with increasing DHI concentration （P〈0.05）. ABCA1 expression in cells treated with ox-LDL and the highest DHI concentration tested （60 mL/L） was not significantly different from that in the controls. ABCA1 mRNA levels in cells treated with ox-LDL and DHI were similar to, or lower than, those in cells treated with ox-LDL and the LXR agonist. CONCLUSION： DHI does not affect MSR1 mRNA lev- els in ox-LDL-treated U937 cells. However, at certain concentrations （10 and 30 mL/L）, DHI significantly increases ABCA1 mRNA levels. Therefore, the an- ti-atherosclerotic action of DHI might be mediated by an increased expression of ABCA1.

Mechanism linking atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes: increased expression of scavenger receptor CD_(36) in monocytes

Background We investigated the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in diabetes, and detected the expression of scavenger receptor CD36 in monocytes in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods According to the criteria by WHO, diabetic patients were classified into two groups： well controlled diabetic patients （WCP） and poorly controlled diabetic patients （PCP）. The expression of CD36 protein and mRNA were evaluated by flow cytometry and reversal transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）. Plasma levels of accumulution of oxidized LDL （oxLDL） were immunosorbent assay （ELISA） method. directly measured by sandwich enzyme-linkedResults Flow cytometry and RT-PCR showed that the mean fluorescence intensity （MFI） of CD36 in monocyte and CD36 mRNA were significantly higher in the PCP and WCP in comparison with healthy controls （P 〈 O. O1 ）. CD36 MFI and mRNA in the PCP were increased by 78% and 36% compared to the WCP. In both groups, CD36 MFI and mRNA were significantly higher in patients with diabetic atherosclerosis in comoparison with those without diabetic atherosclerosis （P 〈0. 05）. No significant difference was found in CDt4 expression between the groups （P〉0. 05 ）. The concentrations of plasma oxLDL were higher in the PCP group compared to WCP and control group （P 〈0. 05 ）, whereas oxLDL average values did not differ significantly between WCP and control groups （P〉0.05 ） . In the WCP and PCP groups, oxLDL levels were higher in patients with diabetic atherosclerosis than those without diabetic atherosclerosis （ P 〈0.05 ）.Conclusions The increased expression of scavenger receptor CD36 may be one of the mechanism of accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetic. The poorly controlled diabetes patients are at higher risk for the vascular complications than the well controlled diabetic patients.

Can scavengers save zebras from anthrax? A modeling study

Namibia’s Etosha National Park(ENP)is home to many different animals such as lions,jackals,hyenas,zebras,elephants,etc.Each year,grazing animals are infected and die from anthrax caused by the bacteria Bacillus anthracis.This increases the number of carcasses in the park,which serve as food for scavengers such as jackals.This study investigates the interplay between anthrax transmission in zebras and the scavenging of zebra carcasses in ENP,using a deterministic mathematical model to describe the population dynamics.We strive to answer the following research questions:Under what conditions can the presence of scavengers control anthrax outbreaks in zebra populations=Does carcass production by anthrax help or hurt scavengers in the long term?Standard qualitative analysis techniques distinguished outcomes(stable equilibria)using reproduction numbers as threshold quantities.We found that,when scavengers feed on anthrax-laden carcasses,the scavengers help the zebras,by eliminating potential infection zones for the zebras.In this way they reduce anthrax’s spread by orders of magnitude.We also identify conditions under which the presence of anthrax benefits the scavengers,in terms of death-to-birth ratios for zebras,scavengers and anthrax.