Effects of Polysaccharides from Enteromorpha prolifera on Hepatorenal Syndrome in Mice

[Objectives]This study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of polysaccharides from Enteromorpha prolifera(PEP)on mice with hepatorenal syndrome induced by carbon tetrachloride.[Methods]A mouse hepatorenal syndrome model was induced by carbon tetrachloride.The serum levels of lipid,total antioxidant capacity,liver and kidney function,pathological changes of liver and kidney were selected to clarity the effectiveness of PEP on hepatorenal syndrome in mice.[Results]PEP effectively lowered the serum levels of lipid,increased total antioxidant capacity,improved liver and kidney injury,and alleviated pathological changes of liver and kidney of mice induced by carbon tetrachloride.[Conclusions]PEP has a potent preventive effect on hepatorenal syndrome induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice,which provides theoretical support for future clinical application of PEP.

Solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis of organic proton conducting salts incorporating imidazole and dicarboxylic acids

Solventless mechanochemical synthesis by manual grinding was applied to grow organic proton conducting salts,imidazole-succinic acid(C_(3)H_(4)N_(2)-HOOC(CH_(2))_(2)COOH)and imidazole-glutaric acid(C_(3)H_(4)N_(2)-HOOC(CH_(2))_(3)COOH).This synthesis method induces crystallization and provides the phase-pure compounds.The compounds exhibit different electric conducting behavior and activation energies Ea compared with the reported single crystals obtained from the solution method.The difference in conducting property can be related to intrinsic defects and structural disorder introduced by mechanochemical grinding,indicating that the mechanochemical method bears strong capability for tuning conductivities.Moreover,complete deuteration of the organic salts is achieved by the method.The mechanochemical synthesis of organic salts also holds high potential for the actual industrialized large-scale production.

饲用微生物的分离鉴定及其对杏鲍菇菌糠发酵的效果

【目的】菌糠的营养素含量齐全,但纤维素含量过高是阻碍其饲料化利用的主要因素。故本研究筛选适合于发酵杏鲍菇菌糠的微生物菌株,以改善其饲用品质。【方法】首先,本研究采用纤维素-刚果红、苯胺蓝和MRS-Ca (De Man, Rogosa, Sharpe-Ca)筛选培养基,结合纤维素、木质素酶活力及抑菌活性的测定,从EM (effective microorganisms)原液发酵的杏鲍菇菌糠中分离筛选具有较强纤维素、木质素降解能力及抑菌能力的细菌/真菌。通过细菌16S rRNA和真菌18S rDNA基因序列分析确定菌株所属种属。其次,将筛选出的菌株菌液等体积混合制成复合菌剂用于固态发酵杏鲍菇菌糠。测定不同发酵时长菌糠营养成分含量以确定最佳发酵时间,并与相同工艺条件下EM原液发酵的杏鲍菇菌糠进行饲用品质比较。【结果】筛选并鉴定得到纤维素酶活性较高的特基拉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus tequilensis)菌株P11、发酵毕赤酵母(Pichia fermentans)菌株R8和马克斯克鲁维应变酵母(Kluyveromyces marxianus)菌株MU5;木质素酶活性较高的解淀粉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp.plantarum)菌株MU7;抑菌活性较高的类肠膜魏斯氏菌(Weissella paramesenteroides)菌株R4和乳酸片球菌(Pediococcus acidilactici)菌株R9。使用以上菌株复合发酵杏鲍菇菌糠7 d后,各项指标达到稳定。与EM原液发酵的杏鲍菇菌糠相比,复合菌剂发酵杏鲍菇菌糠的NDF和ADF分别显著降低了19.6%和21.44%(P<0.05);CP (crude protein)、CA (crude ash)和EE (ether extract)含量分别显著提高了10.44%、5.26%和123.53%(P<0.05)。【结论】本研究筛选得到的芽孢杆菌、酵母菌和乳酸菌优势菌株复合后用于发酵杏鲍菇菌糠可以很好地改善其饲用品质,效果优于生产中常用市售EM原液。

Discovering small molecules as Wnt inhibitors that promote heart regeneration and injury repair

There are intense interests in discovering pro regenerative medicine leads that can promote cardiac differentiation and regeneration,as well as repair damaged heart tissues.We have combined zebrafish embryo-based screens with cardiomyogenesis assays to discover selective small molecules that modulate heart development and regeneration with minimal adverse effects.Two related compounds with novel structures,named as Cardiomogen 1 and 2(CDMG1 and CDMG2),were identified for their capacity to promote myocardial hyperplasia through expansion of the cardiac progenitor cell population.We find that Cardiomogen acts as a Wnt inhibitor by targeting p-catenin and reducing Tcf/Lef-mediated transcription in cultured cells.CDMG treatment of amputated zebrafish hearts reduces nuclear p-catenin in injured heart tissue,increases cardiomyocyte(CM)proliferation,and expedites wound healing,thus accelerating cardiac muscle regeneration.Importantly,Cardiomogen can alleviate the functional deterioration of mammalian hearts after myocardial infarction.Injured hearts exposed to CDMG1 display increased newly formed CMs and reduced fibrotic scar tissue,which are in part attributable to the^-catenin reduction.Our findings indicate Cardiomogen as a Wnt inhibitor in enhancing injury-induced CM proliferation and heart regeneration,highlighting the values of embryo-based small molecule screens in discovery of effective and safe medicine leads.

Induction of Wnt signaling antagonists and p21-activated kinase enhances cardiomyocyte proliferation during zebrafish heart regeneration

Heart regeneration occurs by dedifferentiation and proliferation of pre-existing cardiomyocytes(CMs).However,the signaling mechanisms by which injury induces CM renewal remain incompletely understood.Here,we find that cardiac injury in zebrafish induces expression of the secreted Wnt inhibitors,including Dickkopf 1(Dkkl),Dkk3,secreted Frizzled-related protein 1(sFrpl),and sFrp2,in cardiac tissue adjacent to injury sites.Experimental blocking of Wnt activity via Dkkl overexpression enhances CM proliferation and heart regeneration,whereas ectopic activation of Wnt8 signaling blunts injury-induced CM dedifferentiation and proliferation.Although Wnt signaling is dampened upon injury,the cytoplasmic β-catenin is unexpectedly increased at disarrayed CM sarcomeres in myocardial wound edges.Our analyses indicated that p21-activated kinase 2(Pak2)is induced at regenerating CMs,where it phosphorylates cytoplasmic β-catenin at Ser 675 and increases its stability at disassembled sarcomeres.Myocardial-specific induction of the phospho-mimeticβ-catenin(S675E)enhances CM dedifferentiation and sarcomere disassembly in response to injury.Conversely,inactivation of Pak2 kinase activity reduces the Ser 675-phosphorylatedβ-catenin(pS675-β-catenin)and attenuates CM sarcomere disorganization and dedifferentiation・Taken together,these findings demonstrate that coordination of Wnt signaling inhibition and Pak2/pS675-βYatenin signaling enhances zebrafish heart regeneration by supporting CM dedifferentiation and proliferation.