Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 overexpression inhibits neuronal apoptosis after spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2（ALDH2）is an important factor in inhibiting oxidative stress and has been shown to protect against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.Therefore,we hypothesized that ALDH_2 could reduce spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury.Spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury was induced in rats using the modified Zivin＇s method of clamping the abdominal aorta.After successful model establishment,the agonist group was administered a daily consumption of 2.5%alcohol.At 7 days post-surgery,the Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan score significantly increased in the agonist group compared with the spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury group.ALDH_2expression also significantly increased and the number of apoptotic cells significantly decreased in the agonist group than in the spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury group.Correlation analysis revealed that ALDH_2 expression negatively correlated with the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells（r=-0.485,P〈0.01）.In summary,increased ALDH_2 expression protected the rat spinal cord against ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting apoptosis.

Synergistic responses of NHX, AKT1, and SOS1 in the control of Na^+ homeostasis in sweet sorghum mutants induced by ^(12)C^(6+)-ion irradiation

Sweet sorghum mutants induced by^(12)C(6+)-ion irradiation were planted under different soil salinity conditions to investigate the mechanisms maintaining the transport and spatial distribution of Na^+. The functions of the synergistic responses of NHX, AKT1, and SOS1 related to Na^+ accumulation were investigated in control(KFJT-CK) sorghum and KF1210-3 and KF1210-4 mutants. The results indicated that the NHX, AKT1, and SOS1 proteins in sweet sorghum are mainly involved in the transport, exclusion, and spatial distribution of Na^+,respectively. In addition to physiological parameters, we also measured the expression levels of NHX, AKT1, and SOS1 genes. The experimental results indicated that 150 m M Na Cl induced marked increases in the transcripts of NHX and SOS1 after 8 and 12 h in the KF1210-3,KF1210-4, and KFJT-CK cultivars. In contrast, however, a decrease in AKT1 was observed. On the basis of our results, we propose a model in which cooperation amongNHX, AKT1, and SOS1 facilitates Na^+ homeostasis in sweet sorghum in response to an increase in salt concentration. Accordingly, study of the regulatory mechanisms in sweet sorghum generated by carbon ion irradiation is essential for the selection of salt-tolerant cultivars.

Protective effect and mechanisms of action of Mongolian medicine Sulongga-4 on pyloric ligation-induced gastroduodenal ulcer in rats

BACKGROUND Sulongga-4(SL-4)is a herbal formula used in traditional Mongolian medical clinics for the treatment of peptic ulcers and gastroenteritis,even though its pharmacological mechanism has not been well characterized.AIM To evaluate the protective effect and identify the mechanisms of action of SL-4 on gastroduodenal ulcer induced by pyloric ligation(PL)in rats.METHODS PL was performed to induce gastric and duodenal ulcers in rats,which were then treated with oral SL-4(1.3,2.6,or 3.9 g/kg per day)for 15 d.PL-induced gastroduodenal ulceration.Therapeutic effects were characterized by pathological and histological evaluations and inflammatory indicators were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Microarray analyses were conducted to identify gene expression profiles of gastroduodenal tissue in PL rats with or without SL-4 treatment.The candidate target genes were selected and verified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).RESULTS SL-4 decreased histopathological features in the PL-induced ulcerated rats.SL-4 significantly (P < 0.05) decreased expression of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, endotoxin, platelet-activating factor, and increasedprostaglandin E2 and epidermal growth factor in ulcer tissue. Microarray analysiswas used to identify a panel of candidate target genes for SL-4 acting on PLinducedulceration. Genes included some complement and coagulation cascadeand retinol metabolism pathways that are closely associated with inflammatoryresponses and gastric mucosal protective mechanisms. qRT-PCR showed thataltered expression of the selected genes, such as CYP2b2, UGT2b1, A2m, andMASP1 was consistent with the microarray results.CONCLUSIONSL-4 exerts protective effects against PL-induced gastroduodenal ulcers viareducing inflammatory cytokines and elevating expression of gastric acidinhibitory factors. Downregulation of CYP2b2 and UGT2b1 genes in retinolmetabolism and upregulation of A2m and MASP1 genes in the complement andcoagulation cascades pathways are possibly involved in SL-4-mediated protectionagainst gastroduodenal ulcer.

Changes in neurological and pathological outcomes in a modified rat spinal cord injury model with closed canal

Most animal spinal cord injury models involve a laminectomy,such as the weight drop model or the transection model.However,in clinical practice,many patients undergo spinal cord injury while maintaining a relatively complete spinal canal.Thus,open spinal cord injury models often do not simulate real injuries,and few previous studies have investigated whether having a closed spinal canal after a primary spinal cord injury may influence secondary processes.Therefore,we aimed to assess the differences in neurological dysfunction and pathological changes between rat spinal cord injury models with closed and open spinal canals.Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups.In the sham group,the tunnel was expanded only,without inserting a screw into the spinal canal.In the spinal cord injury with open canal group,a screw was inserted into the spinal canal to cause spinal cord injury for 5 minutes,and then the screw was pulled out,leaving a hole in the vertebral plate.In the spinal cord injury with closed canal group,after inserting a screw into the spinal canal for 5 minutes,the screw was pulled out by approximately 1.5 mm and the flat end of the screw remained in the hole in the vertebral plate so that the spinal canal remained closed;this group was the modified model,which used a screw both to compress the spinal cord and to seal the spinal canal.At 7 days post-operation,the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scale was used to measure changes in neurological outcomes.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to assess histopathology.To evaluate the degree of local secondary hypoxia,immunohistochemical staining and western blot assays were applied to detect the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(HIF-1α)and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF).Compared with the spinal cord injury with open canal group,in the closed canal group the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores were lower,cell morphology was more irregular,the percentage of morphologically normal neurons was lower,the percentages of HIF-1α-and VEGF-immunoreactive cells were higher,and HIF-1αand VEGF protein expression was also higher.In conclusion,we successfully established a rat spinal cord injury model with closed canal.This model could result in more serious neurological dysfunction and histopathological changes than in open canal models.All experimental procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care Committee of Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,China(approval No.HKDL201810)on January 30,2018.

Physiological property and yield of the sweet sorghum mutants induced by heavy ion irradiation

Soil salinity can limit plant growth and productivity. The cultivation of tolerant varieties is convenient and cost-effective for making good use of the saline soils.The sweet sorghum plant has a high tolerance for saline alkaline soils. The KF1210-3 and KF1210-4 early-maturity mutants of sweet sorghum were obtained via carbon ion irradiation. The study assesses the productivity of three sweet sorghum cultivars(KF1210-3, KF1210-4, and KFJTCK) which were grown in intermediate(4.6 d S m^(-1)) and high(11.9 d S m^(-1)) soil salinity. The sweet sorghum grown in the soil salinity of 4.6 d S m^(-1)produced 50.00–57.30 %greater fresh weight than that in the soil salinity of11.9 d S m^(-1), while the difference was not as obvious among the dry biomass of the three sweet sorghum cultivars. Moreover, the Brix degree of the sweet sorghum grown in the soil salinity of 11.9 d S m^(-1)was greater than that grown in the soil salinity of 4.6 d S m^(-1). The heavy ion irradiation experiment is of great significance in screening plant mutants, improving environmental conditions, and assessing the productivity. This process, in turn, aids in the understanding of the effects of the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of salt stress.

Construction of sustainable, colored and multifunctional protein silk fabric using biomass riboflavin sodium phosphate

Riboflavin sodium phosphate has been confirmed as a promising biomass product derived from natural plants.In this paper,a novel method of dyeing and multifunctional modification of silk fabric by impregnation with riboflavin sodium phosphate was proposed,such that protein silk fabric can be endowed with bright yellow color and multi-functionality.The results of this paper confirmed that the pH and concentration of riboflavin sodium phosphate solution are critical factors for dyeing and multifunctional modification.Attractively,the photochromic performance was one of the most distinctive features of the modified silk fabric,and the dyed silk fabric turned into fluorescent green from original yellow under 365 nm ultraviolet lamp.Furthermore,the modified silk fabric exhibited good antibacterial properties with a high inhibition rate of 92%for Escherichia coli.Besides,the flame retardancy of silk fabric was significantly improved after modification.The damaged length of modified silk fabric with 40%owf riboflavin sodium phosphate was lower than 10.4 cm and passed the B1 classification.As revealed by the result of this paper,riboflavin sodium phosphate is sufficiently effective in serving as an eco-friendly multifunctional agent for strengthening the add-value of silk textiles.