Leaf hydraulics coordinated with leaf economics and leaf size in mangrove species along a salinity gradient

Independence among leaf economics,leaf hydraulics and leaf size confers plants great capability in adapting to heterogeneous environments.However,it remains unclear whether the independence of the leaf traits revealed across species still holds within species,especially under stressed conditions.Here,a suite of traits in these dimensions were measured in leaves and roots of a typical mangrove species,Ceriops tagal,which grows in habitats with a similar sunny and hot environment but different soil salinity in southern China.Compared with C.tagal under low soil salinity,C.tagal under high soil salinity had lower photosynthetic capacity,as indicated directly by a lower leaf nitrogen concentration and higher water use efficiency,and indirectly by a higher investment in defense function and thinner palisade tissue;had lower water transport capacity,as evidenced by thinner leaf minor veins and thinner root vessels;and also had much smaller single leaf area.Leaf economics,hydraulics and leaf size of the mangrove species appear to be coordinated as one trait dimension,which likely stemmed from covariation of soil water and nutrient availability along the salinity gradient.The intraspecific leaf trait relationship under a stressful environment is insightful for our understanding of plant adaption to the multifarious environments.

Bile Acid Overload Induced by Bile Duct and Portal Vein Ligation Improves Survival after Staged Hepatectomy in Rats

Objective Compared to portal vein ligation(PVL),simultaneous bile duct and portal vein ligation(BPL)can significantly enhance hypertrophy of the intact liver.This study aimed to investigate whether BPL could improve survival after extended hepatectomy independently of an increased remnant liver.Methods We adopted rat models of 90%BPL or 90%PVL.To investigate the role of bile acids(BAs)the BA pools in the PVL and BPL groups were altered by the diet.Staged resection preserving 10%of the estimated liver weight was performed 3 days after BPL;PVL;or sham operation.Histology,canalicular network(CN)continuity;and hepatocyte polarity were evaluated.Results At 3 days after BPL;PVL;or sham operation when the volumetric difference of the intended liver remained insignificant,the survival rates after extended hepatectomy were 86.7%,47%,and 23.3%,respectively(P<0.01).BPL induced faster restoration of canalicular integrity along with an intensive but transient BA overload.Staged hepatectomy after BPL shortened the duration of the bile CN disturbance and limited BA retention.Decreasing the BA pools in the rats that underwent BPL could compromise these effects,whereas increasing the BA pools of rats that underwent PVL could induce similar effects.The changes in CN restoration were associated with activation of LKB1.Conclusion In addition to increasing the future remnant liver,BPL shortened the duration of the spatial disturbance of the CN and could significantly improve the tolerance of the hypertrophied liver to staged resection.BPL may be a safe and efficient future option for patients with an insufficient remnant liver.