Immature embryos, mature embryos and embryogenic calli of 6 rice (Oryza sativa L.) materials were transformed with particle bombardment. The plasmids pSSVstl and pVE5+ were used, both containing the phytoalexin gene f...Immature embryos, mature embryos and embryogenic calli of 6 rice (Oryza sativa L.) materials were transformed with particle bombardment. The plasmids pSSVstl and pVE5+ were used, both containing the phytoalexin gene from grapevine coding for stilbene synthase, but driven by 35S and its own promoter respectively. Through resistance selection for G418 (100 to 150 mg/L) or hygromycin (50 mg/L), 54 independent transgenic plants were isolated and further assessed by PCR, Southern blot and Dot blot analyses. The transgenic plants and their progenies were tested for resistance to blast ( Pyricularia oryzae ) and bacterial blight of rice ( Xanthomonas oryzae ). Preliminary results indicated that the stilbene synthase gene could enhance the resistance of transgenic plants and their progenies to both pathogens.展开更多
Ischemia reperfusion injury is a major obstacle in liver resection and liver transplantation surgery.Understanding the mechanisms of liver ischemia reperfusion injury(IRI) and developing strategies to counteract this ...Ischemia reperfusion injury is a major obstacle in liver resection and liver transplantation surgery.Understanding the mechanisms of liver ischemia reperfusion injury(IRI) and developing strategies to counteract this injury will therefore reduce acute complications in hepatic resection and transplantation,as well as expanding the potential pool of usable donor grafts.The initial liver injury is initiated by reactive oxygen species which cause direct cellular injury and also activate a cascade of molecular mediators leading to microvascular changes,increased apoptosis and acute inflammatory changes with increased hepatocyte necrosis.Some adaptive pathways are activated during reperfusion that reduce the reperfusion injury.IRI involves a complex interplay between neutrophils,natural killer T-cells cells,CD4+ T cell subtypes,cytokines,nitric oxide synthases,haem oxygenase-1,survival kinases such as the signal transducer and activator of transcription,Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases/Akt and nuclear factor κβ pathways.Transgenic animals,particularly genetic knockout models,have become a powerful tool at elucidating mechanisms of liver ischaemia reperfusion injury and are complementary to pharmacological studies.Targeted disruption of the protein at the genetic level is more specific and maintained than pharmacological inhibitors or stimulants of the same protein.This article reviews the evidence from knockout models of liver IRI about the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying liver IRI.展开更多
The present study investigated whether an irrigation system could be established to save water and increase grain yield to enhance water productivity by proper water management at the field level in irrigated lowland ...The present study investigated whether an irrigation system could be established to save water and increase grain yield to enhance water productivity by proper water management at the field level in irrigated lowland rice （Oryza sativa L.）. Using two field-grown rice cultivars, two irrigation systems; conventional irrigation and water-saving irrigation, were conducted. In the water-saving irrigation system, limiting values of soil water potential related to specific growth stages were proposed as irrigation indices. Compared with conventional irrigation where drainage was in mid-season and flooded at other times, the water-saving irrigation increased grain yield by 7.4% to 11.3%, reduced irrigation water by 24.5% to 29.2%, and increased water productivity （grain yield per cubic meter of irrigation water） by 43.1% to 50.3%. The water-saving irrigation significantly increased harvest index, improved milling and appearance qualities, elevated zeatin-I-zeaUn riboside concentrations in root bleedings and enhanced activities of sucrose synthase, adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch synthase and starch branching enzyme in grains. Our results indicate that water-saving irrigation by controlling limiting values of soil water potential related to specific growth stages can enhance physiological activities of roots and grains, reduce water input, and increase grain yield.展开更多
Among plant secondary metabolites terpenolds are a structurally most diverse group; they function as phytoalexins In plant direct defense, or as signals In Indirect defense responses which involves herbivores and thei...Among plant secondary metabolites terpenolds are a structurally most diverse group; they function as phytoalexins In plant direct defense, or as signals In Indirect defense responses which involves herbivores and their natural enemies. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the Investigation of the ecological role of plant terpenolds. The biosynthesis pathways of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes Include the synthesis of C5 precursor isopentenyl diphosphate （IPP） and Its allylic isomer dlmethylallyl dlphosphate （DMAPP）, the synthesis of the immediate diphosphate precursors, and the formation of the diverse terpenoids. Terpene synthases （TPSs） play a key role In volatile terpene synthesis. By expression of the TPS genes, significant achievements have been made on metabolic engineering to Increase terpenoid production. This review mainly summarizes the recent research progress In elucidating the ecological role of terpenoids and characterization of the enzymes Involved in the terpenold biosynthesis. Spatial and temporal regulations of terpenoids metabolism are also discussed.展开更多
AIM: To characterize the correlation between severity of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and degree of hepatic dysfunction,and to explore how intestinal endotoxemia (IETM) affects the development of HPS in cirrhotic ra...AIM: To characterize the correlation between severity of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and degree of hepatic dysfunction,and to explore how intestinal endotoxemia (IETM) affects the development of HPS in cirrhotic rats. METHODS: Male Wister rats were fed with a diet containing maize flour,lard,cholesterol,and alcohol and injected subcutaneously with CCl4 oil solution every two days for 8 wk to induce typical cirrhosis and development of HPS. The animals were also given a nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitor,Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) intraperitoneally,and an iNOS inhibitor,aminoguanidine hydrochloride (AG) via gavage daily from the end of the 4th wk to the end of the 6th or 8th wk,or a HO-1 inhibitor,zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) intraperitoneally 12 h prior to killing. Blood,liver and lung tissues were sampled. RESULTS: Histological deterioration of the lung paralleled to that of the liver in the cirrhotic rats. The number of pulmonary capillaries was progressively increased from 6.1 ± 1.1 (count/filed) at the 4th wk to 14.5 ± 2.4 (count/filed) at the 8th wk in the cirrhotic rats. Increased pulmonary capillaries were associated with increased blood levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)(0.31 ± 0.08 EU/mL vs control 0.09 ± 0.03 EU/mL),alanine transferase (ALT,219.1 ± 17.4 U/L vs control 5.9 ± 2.2 U/L) and portal vein pressure. Compared with normal control animals,the number of total cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of the cirrhotic rats at the 8th wk was not changed,but the number of macrophages and the ratio of macrophages to total cells were increased by nearly 2-fold,protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) started to increase significantly at the 4th wk,and reached its peak at the 8th wk in the lung of cirrhotic rats. The increase of iNOS expression appeared to be quicker than that of eNOS. NO2-/NO3-was also increased,which was correlated to the increase of iNOS (r = 0.7699,P < 0.0001) and eNOS (r = 0.5829,P < 0.002展开更多
Gelatinization temperature (GT) is an important parameter for evaluating the cooking and eating quality of rice besides amylose content (AC). The inheritance of the genes affecting GT has been widely studied and is co...Gelatinization temperature (GT) is an important parameter for evaluating the cooking and eating quality of rice besides amylose content (AC). The inheritance of the genes affecting GT has been widely studied and is considered to be controlled by a major gene. Here, we report the map-based cloning of rice ALK that encodes the soluble starch synthase II (SSSII). Comparison between the DNA sequences from different rice varieties, together with the results obtained with digestion of the rice seeds in alkali solution, indicates that the base substitutions in coding se-quence of ALK may cause the alteration in GT.展开更多
AIM： To determine the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and to investigate the relationship between iNOS and MMP-9 ex...AIM： To determine the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and to investigate the relationship between iNOS and MMP-9 expression and their effects on angiogenesis and progression of HCC.METHODS： In this study, we examined iNOS, MMP-9, and CD34 expression in specimens surgically removed from 32 HCC patients and 7 normal liver tissues by immunohistochemical staining. Meanwhile, microvessel density （MVD） was determined as a marker of angiogenesis by counting CD34-positive cells. RESULTS： The positive rates of iNOS and MMP-9 expression were 71.88% （23/32） and 78.13% （25/32） in HCC. MMP-9 expression was significantly correlated with tumor size, capsule status, TNM stage, and risk of HCC recurrence （P = 0.032, P= 0.033, P= 0.007, and P= 0.001, respectively）. There was also a significant relationship between iNOS expression and capsule status and risk of HCC recurrence （P = 0.049 and P = 0.004, respectively）, but no correlation between iNOS expression and tumor size and TNM stage. There was a positive association between MVD and TNM stage and risk of HCC recurrence （P = 0.037 and P = 0.000, respectively）. The count of MVD was significantly different in different iNOS and MMP-9 immunoreactivity groups （F= 17.713 and 17.097, P= 0.000 and P = 0.000, respectively）. The examination of Spearman＇s rank correlation coefficient showed that there was a significant positive correlation between MVD and iNOS, MMP-9 immunoreactivity （r = 0.754 and 0.751, P= 0.000 and P=-0.000, respectively）. There was also a significant association between MMP-9 and iNOS expression in HCC （P = 0.010）. CONCLUSION： Nitric oxide （NO） produced by iNOS could modulate MMP-9 production and therefore contribute totumor cell angiogenesis and invasion and metastasis in HCC. The strong expression of iNOS and MMP-9 in HCC may be helpful in evaluating the recurrence of HCC, predicting poor prognosis. For patients 展开更多
Sucrose synthase （Sus） is a key enzyme in the breakdown of sucrose and is considered a biochemical marker for sink strength, especially in crop species, based on mutational and gene suppression studies. It remains e...Sucrose synthase （Sus） is a key enzyme in the breakdown of sucrose and is considered a biochemical marker for sink strength, especially in crop species, based on mutational and gene suppression studies. It remains elusive, however, whether, or to what extent, increase in Sus activity may enhance sink development. We aimed to address this question by expressing a potato Sus gene in cotton where Sus expression has been previously shown to be critical for normal seed and fiber development. Segregation analyses at T1 generation followed by studies in homozygous progeny lines revealed that increased Sus activity in cotton （1） enhanced leaf expansion with the effect evident from young leaves emerging from shoot apex; （2） improved early seed development, which reduced seed abortion, hence enhanced seed set, and （3） promoted fiber elongation. In young leaves of Sus overexpressing lines, fructose concentrations were significantly increased whereas, in elongating fibers, both fructose and glucose levels were increased. Since hexoses contribute little to osmolality in leaves, in contrast to developing fibers, it is concluded that high Sus activity promotes leaf development independently of osmotic regulation, probably through sugar signaling. The analyses also showed that doubling the Sus activity in 0-d cotton seeds increased their fresh weight by about 30%. However, further increase in Sus activity did not lead to any further increase in seed weight, indicating an upper limit for the Sus overexpression effect. Finally, based on the observed additive effect on fiber yield from increased fiber length and seed number, a new strategy is proposed to increase cotton fiber yield by improving seed development as a whole, rather than solely focusing on manipulating fiber growth.展开更多
Artemisinin is a novel effective antimalarial drug extracted from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. Owing to the tight market and low yield of artemisinin, there is great interest in enhancing the production of a...Artemisinin is a novel effective antimalarial drug extracted from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. Owing to the tight market and low yield of artemisinin, there is great interest in enhancing the production of artemisinin. In the present study, farnesyi diphosphate synthase （FPS） was overexpressed in high-yield A. annua to Increase the artemisinin content. The FPS activity in transgenic A. ennue was twoto threefold greater than that In non-transgenic A. annua. The highest artemisinin content in transgenic A. annua was approximately 0.9% （dry weight）, which was 34.4% higher than that in non-transgenic A. annua. The results demonstrate the regulatory role of FPS in artemisinin biosynthesis.展开更多
Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are complex disorders with undetermined etiology. Several hypotheses suggest that IBDs result from an abnormal immune response ag...Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are complex disorders with undetermined etiology. Several hypotheses suggest that IBDs result from an abnormal immune response against endogenous flora and luminal antigens in genetically susceptible individuals. The dysfunction of the mucosal immune response is implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. The balance between pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, interleukin(IL)-1b, IL-8, and IL-17A], anti-inflammatory cytokines(IL-4 and IL-13), and immunoregulatory cytokines(IL-10 and transforming growth factors b) is disturbed. Moreover, evidence from animal and clinical studies demonstrate a positive correlation between an increased concentration of nitric oxide(NO) and the severity of the disease. Interestingly, proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the up-regulation of inducible oxide synthase(iN OS) expression in IBD. However, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines are responsible for the negative regulation of iN OS. A positive correlation between NO production and increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels(TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, IL-12, and interferon-γ) were reported in patients with IBD. This review focuses on the role of cytokines in intestinal inflammation and their relationship with NO in IBD.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the predictive value of Ki67 and p53 and their correlation with thymidylate synthase (TS) gene expression in a rectal cancer patient cohort treated according to a standardized recommended neoadjuva...AIM: To investigate the predictive value of Ki67 and p53 and their correlation with thymidylate synthase (TS) gene expression in a rectal cancer patient cohort treated according to a standardized recommended neoadjuvant treatment regimen.METHODS: Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded pre-therapeutical tumor biopsies (n = 22) and post-therapeutical resection specimens (n = 40) from patients with rectal adenocarcinoma (clinical UICC stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ) receiving standardized neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based chemoradiotherapy were studied for Ki67 and p53 expression by immunohistochemistry and correlated with TS mRNA expression by quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR after laser microdissection. The results were compared with histopathological tumor regression according to a standardized semiquantitative score grading system.RESULTS: Responders (patients with high tumor regression) showed a significantly lower Ki67 expression than non-responders in the pre-therapeutical tumor biopsies (81.2% vs 16.7%; P < 0.05) as well as in the post-therapeutical resection specimens (75.8% vs 14.3%; P < 0.01). High TS mRNA expression was significantly correlated with a high Ki67 index and low TS mRNA expression was significantly correlated with a low Ki67 index in the pre-therapeutical tumor biopsies (corr. coef. = 0.46; P < 0.01) as well as in the post-therapeutical resection specimens (corr. coef. = 0.40; P < 0.05). No significant association was found between p53 and TS mRNA expression or tumor regression.CONCLUSION: Ki67 has, like TS, predictive value in rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant 5-FU based chemoradiotherapy. The close correlation between Ki67 and TS indicates that TS is involved in active cell cycle processes.展开更多
Wnts are a large family of growth factors that mediate essential biological processes like embryogenesis, morpho- genesis and organogenesis. These proteins also play a role in oncogenesis, and they regulate apoptosis ...Wnts are a large family of growth factors that mediate essential biological processes like embryogenesis, morpho- genesis and organogenesis. These proteins also play a role in oncogenesis, and they regulate apoptosis in many tissues. Wnts bind to a membrane receptor complex comprised of a frizzled （FZD） G-protein-coupled receptor and a low-density lipoprotein （LDL） receptor-related protein （LRP）. The formation of this ligand-receptor complex initiates a number of signaling cascades that include the canonical/beta-catenin pathway as well as several noncanonical pathways. In recent years, canonical Wnt signaling has been reported to play a significant role in the control of bone formation. Clinical studies have found that mutations in LRP-5 are associated with reduced bone mineral density （BMD） and fractures. Investigations of knockout and transgenic mouse models of Wnt pathway components have shown that canonical Wnt signaling modulates most aspects ofosteoblast physiology including proliferation, differentiation, function and apoptosis. Transgenic mice expressing a gain of function mutant of LRP-5 in bone, or mice lacking the Wnt antagonist secreted frizzled-related protein-l, exhibit elevated BMD and suppressed osteoblast apoptosis. In addition, preclinical studies with pharmacologic compounds such as those that inhibit glycogen synthase kinase-3β support the importance of the canonical Wnt pathway in modulation of bone formation and osteoblast apoptosis.展开更多
Twenty-four male Kazak sheep and 30 Xinjiang fine wool sheep at different ages were selected to investigate the development-dependent expression levels of fatty acid synthase （FAS） gene and hormone-sensitive lipase ...Twenty-four male Kazak sheep and 30 Xinjiang fine wool sheep at different ages were selected to investigate the development-dependent expression levels of fatty acid synthase （FAS） gene and hormone-sensitive lipase （HSL） gene in muscle and their effects on the contents of intramuscular fat （IMF）. Longissimus dorsal muscle was sampled to measure IMF and total RNA was extracted to determine FAS and HSL mRNA expression levels by real-time PCR. The results showed that： l） The IMF content increased continuously with growth and showed significant differences （P 〈 0.05） between different age groups in male Kazak sheep, but in Xinjiang fine wool sheep there was no such difference observed. Furthermore, the IMF contents in Kazak were much higher （P 〈 0.01） than that of the other breed from day 30 to 90. 2） FAS mRNA expression level was the highest （P 〈 0.05） on day 0 in Kazak sheep and then declined with growth, in the other breed the gene showed a d‘ecline-rise-decline-rise＇ expression manner as the animals grew. HSL mRNA expression level had a similar model in two breeds, in Kazak sheep it was the highest on day 0 （P 〈 0.05） and in Xinjiang fine wool sheep on day 30 （P 〈 0.01）, then both decreased after this term. 3） In male Kazak sheep, FAS and HSL mRNA expression level were both negatively related to IMF content （r= -0.485 （P = 0.02）, r= -0.423 （P = 0.05））, and the ratio of FAS/HSL expression exhibited significantly negatively related IMF contents. In male Xinjiang sheep, there were no obvious relationship between FAS and HSL expression and IMF content （P 〉 0.05）.展开更多
Trehalose Is a nonreduclng dlsaccharlde of glucose that functions as a protectant In the stabilization of blologlcal structures and enhances stress tolerance to abiotic stresses in organisms. We report here the expres...Trehalose Is a nonreduclng dlsaccharlde of glucose that functions as a protectant In the stabilization of blologlcal structures and enhances stress tolerance to abiotic stresses in organisms. We report here the expression of a Grlfola frondosa trehalose synthase （TSase） gene for Improving drought tolerance In sugarcane （Saccharum offlclnarum L.）. The expression of the transgene was under the control of two tandem copies of the CaMV35S promoter and transferred Into sugarcane by Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105. The transgenlc plants accumulated high levels of trehalose, up to 8.805-12.863 mg/g fresh weight, whereas It was present at undetectable level in nontransgenlc plants. It has been reported that transgenlc plants transformed with Escherlchla coil TPS （trehalose-6-phosphatesynthase） and/or TPP （trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase） are severely stunted and have root morphologlc alterations. Interestingly, our transgenlc sugarcane plants had no obvious morphological changes and no growth Inhibition in the field. Trehalose accumulation in 35S-35S：TSase plants resulted In In- creased drought tolerance, as shown by the drought and the drought physiological Indexes, such as the rate of bound water/free water, plasma membrane permeability, malondlaldehyde content, chlorophyll a and b contents, and activity of SOD and POD of the excised leaves. These results suggest that transgenlc plants transformed with the TSase gene can accumulate high levels of trehalose and have enhanced tolerance to drought.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To study changes in the nuclear factor-κB p65(NF-κB p65)-inducible nitric oxide synthase(i NOS)-nitric oxide(NO) signaling pathway and the effects of Xinfeng capsules(XFC) in patients with ankylosing spon...OBJECTIVE: To study changes in the nuclear factor-κB p65(NF-κB p65)-inducible nitric oxide synthase(i NOS)-nitric oxide(NO) signaling pathway and the effects of Xinfeng capsules(XFC) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS)METHODS: One hundred twenty patients with AS were randomly divided into an XFC group and a Salazopyrin group. Sixty health subjects were included as a normal control group. In the two treatment groups, pulmonary functional parameters,forced vital capacity(FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second(FEV1), maximal voluntary ventilation(MVV), peak expiratory flow(PEF), forced expiratory flow at 25% of forced vital capacity(FEF25),forced expiratory flow at 50% of forced vital capacity(FEF50), and forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity(FEF75) were determined. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays were used for detection of the serum oxidative stress indexes,NF-κB p65, i NOS, NO, reactive oxygen species(ROS), reactive nitrogen species(RNS), malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), total antioxidative capacity(TAOC) and interleukin-4(IL-4), IL-10, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) contents. Westergren's method was used for determination of erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein(Hs-CRP) was detected with a 7060 full-automatic biochemical analyzer(Hitachi, Japan).RESULTS: The clinical therapeutic effect in the XFC group was significantly superior to that in the Salazopyrin group(P<0.01). Compared with the normal control group, FEV1, MVV, PEF, FEF50, FEF75, SOD, CAT,TAOC, IL-4, IL-10 were significantly lower, and NF-κB p65, i NOS, NO, ROS, RNS, MDA, IL-1β, TNF-α, ESR,and Hs-CRP significantly higher in patients with AS(P<0.01 or P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, FEV1, MVV, PEF, FEF50, FEF75, SOD, CAT, TAOC,IL-4, and IL-10 were significantly increased, and NF-κB p65, i NOS, NO, ROS, RNS, MDA, IL-1β, TNF-α,ESR, CRP, visual analog scales(VAS), Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease active index, Bath ankylosing s展开更多
Aim： To investigate the effect of icariin on erectile function and the expression of nitric oxide synthase （NOS） isoforms in castrated rats. Methods： Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into on...Aim： To investigate the effect of icariin on erectile function and the expression of nitric oxide synthase （NOS） isoforms in castrated rats. Methods： Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into one shamoperated group （A） and three castrated groups （B, C and D）. One week after surgery, rats were treated with normal saline （groups A and B） or oral icariin （1 mg/[kg·day] for group C and 5 mg/[kg·day] for group D） for 4 weeks. One week after treatment, the erectile function of the rats was assessed by measuring intracavernosal pressure （ICP） during electrostimulation of the cavernosal nerve. The serum testosterone （ST） levels, the percent of smooth muscle （PSM） in trabecular tissue, and the expression of mRNA and proteins of neuronal nitric oxide synthase （nNOS）, inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）, endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS） and phosphodiesterase V （PDES） in corpus cavernosum （CC） were also evaluated. Results： ICP, PSM, ST and the expression of nNOS, iNOS, eNOS and PDE5 were significantly decreased in group B compared with those in group A （P 〈 0.01）. However, ICE PSM and the expression of nNOS and iNOS were increased in groups C and D compared with those in group B （P 〈 0.05）. Changes in ST and the expression of eNOS and PDE5 were not significant （P 〉 0.05） in groups C and D compared with those in group B. Conclusion： Oral treatment with icariin （〉 98.6 % purity） for 4 weeks potentially improves erectile function. This effect is correlated with an increase in PSM and the expression of certain NOS in the CC of castrated rats. These results suggest that icariin may have a therapeutic effect on erectile dysfunction.展开更多
AIM To observe the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) distribution in the esophageal mucosa andhemodynamic changes in cirrhotic rats.METHODS NOS distribution in the loweresophagus of rats with carbon tetrachlorideinduced cir...AIM To observe the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) distribution in the esophageal mucosa andhemodynamic changes in cirrhotic rats.METHODS NOS distribution in the loweresophagus of rats with carbon tetrachlorideinduced cirrhosis was assessed by using NADPHdiaphorase (NADPH-d ) histochemical method.Concentration of NO in serum were measured byfluorometric assay. Mean arterial pressure(MAP), cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI),splanchnic vascular resistance (SVR ), andsplanchnic blood flow (SBF ) were alsodetermined using 5’CO-labeled microspheretechnique.RESULTS Intensity of NOS staining in theesophageal epithelium of cirrhotic rats wassignificantly stronger than that in controls.There was a NOS--positive staining area in theendothelia of esophageal submucosal vessels ofcirrhotic rats, but the NOS staining was negativein normal rats. NO concentration of serum incirrhotic rats were significantly higher incomparison with that of controls. Cirrhotic ratshad significantly lower MAP, SVR and higherSBF than those of the controls.CONCLUSION SPlanchnic hyperdynamiccirculatory state was observed in rats withcirrhosis. The endogenous NO may play animportant role in development of esophagealvarices and in changes of hemodynamics incirrhosis.展开更多
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differential responses of flower opening to ethylene in two cut rose cultivars, ‘Samantha’, whose opening process is promoted, and ‘Kardinal’, whose opening process ...The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differential responses of flower opening to ethylene in two cut rose cultivars, ‘Samantha’, whose opening process is promoted, and ‘Kardinal’, whose opening process is inhibited by ethylene. Ethylene production and 1- aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase and oxidase activities were determined first. After ethylene treatment, ethylene production, ACC synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase (ACO) activities in petals increased and peaked at the earlier stage (stage 3) in ‘Samantha’, and they were much more dramatically enhanced and peaked at the later stage (stage 4) in ‘Kardinal’ than control during vasing. cDNA fragments of three Rh-ACSs and one Rh- ACO genes were cloned and designated as Rh-ACS1, Rh-ACS2, Rh-ACS3 and Rh-ACO1 respectively. Northern blotting analysis revealed that, among three genes of ACS, ethylene-in- duced expression patterns of Rh-ACS3 gene corresponded to ACS activity and ethylene production in both cultivars. A more dramatic accumulation of Rh-ACS3 mRNA was induced by ethylene in ‘Kardinal’ than that of ‘Samantha’. As an ethylene action inhibitor, STS at concentration of 0.2 mmol/L generally inhib-ited the expression of Rh-ACSs and Rh-ACO in both cultivars, although it induced the expression of Rh-ACS3 transiently in ‘Kardinal’. Our results suggests that ‘Kardinal’ is more sensitive to ethylene than ‘Samantha’; and the changes of Rh-ACS3 expression caused by ethylene might be related to the acceleration of flower opening in ‘Samantha’ and the inhibition in ‘Kardinal’. Additional results indicated that three Rh-ACSs genes were differentially associated with flower opening and senescence as well as wounding.展开更多
文摘Immature embryos, mature embryos and embryogenic calli of 6 rice (Oryza sativa L.) materials were transformed with particle bombardment. The plasmids pSSVstl and pVE5+ were used, both containing the phytoalexin gene from grapevine coding for stilbene synthase, but driven by 35S and its own promoter respectively. Through resistance selection for G418 (100 to 150 mg/L) or hygromycin (50 mg/L), 54 independent transgenic plants were isolated and further assessed by PCR, Southern blot and Dot blot analyses. The transgenic plants and their progenies were tested for resistance to blast ( Pyricularia oryzae ) and bacterial blight of rice ( Xanthomonas oryzae ). Preliminary results indicated that the stilbene synthase gene could enhance the resistance of transgenic plants and their progenies to both pathogens.
文摘Ischemia reperfusion injury is a major obstacle in liver resection and liver transplantation surgery.Understanding the mechanisms of liver ischemia reperfusion injury(IRI) and developing strategies to counteract this injury will therefore reduce acute complications in hepatic resection and transplantation,as well as expanding the potential pool of usable donor grafts.The initial liver injury is initiated by reactive oxygen species which cause direct cellular injury and also activate a cascade of molecular mediators leading to microvascular changes,increased apoptosis and acute inflammatory changes with increased hepatocyte necrosis.Some adaptive pathways are activated during reperfusion that reduce the reperfusion injury.IRI involves a complex interplay between neutrophils,natural killer T-cells cells,CD4+ T cell subtypes,cytokines,nitric oxide synthases,haem oxygenase-1,survival kinases such as the signal transducer and activator of transcription,Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases/Akt and nuclear factor κβ pathways.Transgenic animals,particularly genetic knockout models,have become a powerful tool at elucidating mechanisms of liver ischaemia reperfusion injury and are complementary to pharmacological studies.Targeted disruption of the protein at the genetic level is more specific and maintained than pharmacological inhibitors or stimulants of the same protein.This article reviews the evidence from knockout models of liver IRI about the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying liver IRI.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(30671225)the State Key Project(2004-BA520A12-5)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK2006069)Hong Kong Research Grants Council(Project HKBU 2465/05M).
文摘The present study investigated whether an irrigation system could be established to save water and increase grain yield to enhance water productivity by proper water management at the field level in irrigated lowland rice （Oryza sativa L.）. Using two field-grown rice cultivars, two irrigation systems; conventional irrigation and water-saving irrigation, were conducted. In the water-saving irrigation system, limiting values of soil water potential related to specific growth stages were proposed as irrigation indices. Compared with conventional irrigation where drainage was in mid-season and flooded at other times, the water-saving irrigation increased grain yield by 7.4% to 11.3%, reduced irrigation water by 24.5% to 29.2%, and increased water productivity （grain yield per cubic meter of irrigation water） by 43.1% to 50.3%. The water-saving irrigation significantly increased harvest index, improved milling and appearance qualities, elevated zeatin-I-zeaUn riboside concentrations in root bleedings and enhanced activities of sucrose synthase, adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase, starch synthase and starch branching enzyme in grains. Our results indicate that water-saving irrigation by controlling limiting values of soil water potential related to specific growth stages can enhance physiological activities of roots and grains, reduce water input, and increase grain yield.
基金Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences （KSCX2-SW-329）, Shanghai Basic Research Programs （03DJ14016）, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China （30370122）.
文摘Among plant secondary metabolites terpenolds are a structurally most diverse group; they function as phytoalexins In plant direct defense, or as signals In Indirect defense responses which involves herbivores and their natural enemies. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the Investigation of the ecological role of plant terpenolds. The biosynthesis pathways of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes Include the synthesis of C5 precursor isopentenyl diphosphate （IPP） and Its allylic isomer dlmethylallyl dlphosphate （DMAPP）, the synthesis of the immediate diphosphate precursors, and the formation of the diverse terpenoids. Terpene synthases （TPSs） play a key role In volatile terpene synthesis. By expression of the TPS genes, significant achievements have been made on metabolic engineering to Increase terpenoid production. This review mainly summarizes the recent research progress In elucidating the ecological role of terpenoids and characterization of the enzymes Involved in the terpenold biosynthesis. Spatial and temporal regulations of terpenoids metabolism are also discussed.
基金Supported by the Awards to University Academic Leaders Granted by the Government of Shanxi Province of China to Hui-Ying Zhang and partially by the US National Institute of Health, NIAAA, Grant R01 AA014428 to Cheng Ji
文摘AIM: To characterize the correlation between severity of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and degree of hepatic dysfunction,and to explore how intestinal endotoxemia (IETM) affects the development of HPS in cirrhotic rats. METHODS: Male Wister rats were fed with a diet containing maize flour,lard,cholesterol,and alcohol and injected subcutaneously with CCl4 oil solution every two days for 8 wk to induce typical cirrhosis and development of HPS. The animals were also given a nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitor,Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) intraperitoneally,and an iNOS inhibitor,aminoguanidine hydrochloride (AG) via gavage daily from the end of the 4th wk to the end of the 6th or 8th wk,or a HO-1 inhibitor,zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) intraperitoneally 12 h prior to killing. Blood,liver and lung tissues were sampled. RESULTS: Histological deterioration of the lung paralleled to that of the liver in the cirrhotic rats. The number of pulmonary capillaries was progressively increased from 6.1 ± 1.1 (count/filed) at the 4th wk to 14.5 ± 2.4 (count/filed) at the 8th wk in the cirrhotic rats. Increased pulmonary capillaries were associated with increased blood levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)(0.31 ± 0.08 EU/mL vs control 0.09 ± 0.03 EU/mL),alanine transferase (ALT,219.1 ± 17.4 U/L vs control 5.9 ± 2.2 U/L) and portal vein pressure. Compared with normal control animals,the number of total cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of the cirrhotic rats at the 8th wk was not changed,but the number of macrophages and the ratio of macrophages to total cells were increased by nearly 2-fold,protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) started to increase significantly at the 4th wk,and reached its peak at the 8th wk in the lung of cirrhotic rats. The increase of iNOS expression appeared to be quicker than that of eNOS. NO2-/NO3-was also increased,which was correlated to the increase of iNOS (r = 0.7699,P < 0.0001) and eNOS (r = 0.5829,P < 0.002
基金supported by the National Special Program for Research and Transgenic Plants(Grant No.JY03-A-07-01)Natural Science Foundation,Zhejiang Province.
文摘Gelatinization temperature (GT) is an important parameter for evaluating the cooking and eating quality of rice besides amylose content (AC). The inheritance of the genes affecting GT has been widely studied and is considered to be controlled by a major gene. Here, we report the map-based cloning of rice ALK that encodes the soluble starch synthase II (SSSII). Comparison between the DNA sequences from different rice varieties, together with the results obtained with digestion of the rice seeds in alkali solution, indicates that the base substitutions in coding se-quence of ALK may cause the alteration in GT.
文摘AIM： To determine the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and to investigate the relationship between iNOS and MMP-9 expression and their effects on angiogenesis and progression of HCC.METHODS： In this study, we examined iNOS, MMP-9, and CD34 expression in specimens surgically removed from 32 HCC patients and 7 normal liver tissues by immunohistochemical staining. Meanwhile, microvessel density （MVD） was determined as a marker of angiogenesis by counting CD34-positive cells. RESULTS： The positive rates of iNOS and MMP-9 expression were 71.88% （23/32） and 78.13% （25/32） in HCC. MMP-9 expression was significantly correlated with tumor size, capsule status, TNM stage, and risk of HCC recurrence （P = 0.032, P= 0.033, P= 0.007, and P= 0.001, respectively）. There was also a significant relationship between iNOS expression and capsule status and risk of HCC recurrence （P = 0.049 and P = 0.004, respectively）, but no correlation between iNOS expression and tumor size and TNM stage. There was a positive association between MVD and TNM stage and risk of HCC recurrence （P = 0.037 and P = 0.000, respectively）. The count of MVD was significantly different in different iNOS and MMP-9 immunoreactivity groups （F= 17.713 and 17.097, P= 0.000 and P = 0.000, respectively）. The examination of Spearman＇s rank correlation coefficient showed that there was a significant positive correlation between MVD and iNOS, MMP-9 immunoreactivity （r = 0.754 and 0.751, P= 0.000 and P=-0.000, respectively）. There was also a significant association between MMP-9 and iNOS expression in HCC （P = 0.010）. CONCLUSION： Nitric oxide （NO） produced by iNOS could modulate MMP-9 production and therefore contribute totumor cell angiogenesis and invasion and metastasis in HCC. The strong expression of iNOS and MMP-9 in HCC may be helpful in evaluating the recurrence of HCC, predicting poor prognosis. For patients
文摘Sucrose synthase （Sus） is a key enzyme in the breakdown of sucrose and is considered a biochemical marker for sink strength, especially in crop species, based on mutational and gene suppression studies. It remains elusive, however, whether, or to what extent, increase in Sus activity may enhance sink development. We aimed to address this question by expressing a potato Sus gene in cotton where Sus expression has been previously shown to be critical for normal seed and fiber development. Segregation analyses at T1 generation followed by studies in homozygous progeny lines revealed that increased Sus activity in cotton （1） enhanced leaf expansion with the effect evident from young leaves emerging from shoot apex; （2） improved early seed development, which reduced seed abortion, hence enhanced seed set, and （3） promoted fiber elongation. In young leaves of Sus overexpressing lines, fructose concentrations were significantly increased whereas, in elongating fibers, both fructose and glucose levels were increased. Since hexoses contribute little to osmolality in leaves, in contrast to developing fibers, it is concluded that high Sus activity promotes leaf development independently of osmotic regulation, probably through sugar signaling. The analyses also showed that doubling the Sus activity in 0-d cotton seeds increased their fresh weight by about 30%. However, further increase in Sus activity did not lead to any further increase in seed weight, indicating an upper limit for the Sus overexpression effect. Finally, based on the observed additive effect on fiber yield from increased fiber length and seed number, a new strategy is proposed to increase cotton fiber yield by improving seed development as a whole, rather than solely focusing on manipulating fiber growth.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China （30171142）.
文摘Artemisinin is a novel effective antimalarial drug extracted from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. Owing to the tight market and low yield of artemisinin, there is great interest in enhancing the production of artemisinin. In the present study, farnesyi diphosphate synthase （FPS） was overexpressed in high-yield A. annua to Increase the artemisinin content. The FPS activity in transgenic A. ennue was twoto threefold greater than that In non-transgenic A. annua. The highest artemisinin content in transgenic A. annua was approximately 0.9% （dry weight）, which was 34.4% higher than that in non-transgenic A. annua. The results demonstrate the regulatory role of FPS in artemisinin biosynthesis.
文摘Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are complex disorders with undetermined etiology. Several hypotheses suggest that IBDs result from an abnormal immune response against endogenous flora and luminal antigens in genetically susceptible individuals. The dysfunction of the mucosal immune response is implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. The balance between pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, interleukin(IL)-1b, IL-8, and IL-17A], anti-inflammatory cytokines(IL-4 and IL-13), and immunoregulatory cytokines(IL-10 and transforming growth factors b) is disturbed. Moreover, evidence from animal and clinical studies demonstrate a positive correlation between an increased concentration of nitric oxide(NO) and the severity of the disease. Interestingly, proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the up-regulation of inducible oxide synthase(iN OS) expression in IBD. However, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines are responsible for the negative regulation of iN OS. A positive correlation between NO production and increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels(TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, IL-12, and interferon-γ) were reported in patients with IBD. This review focuses on the role of cytokines in intestinal inflammation and their relationship with NO in IBD.
文摘AIM: To investigate the predictive value of Ki67 and p53 and their correlation with thymidylate synthase (TS) gene expression in a rectal cancer patient cohort treated according to a standardized recommended neoadjuvant treatment regimen.METHODS: Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded pre-therapeutical tumor biopsies (n = 22) and post-therapeutical resection specimens (n = 40) from patients with rectal adenocarcinoma (clinical UICC stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ) receiving standardized neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based chemoradiotherapy were studied for Ki67 and p53 expression by immunohistochemistry and correlated with TS mRNA expression by quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR after laser microdissection. The results were compared with histopathological tumor regression according to a standardized semiquantitative score grading system.RESULTS: Responders (patients with high tumor regression) showed a significantly lower Ki67 expression than non-responders in the pre-therapeutical tumor biopsies (81.2% vs 16.7%; P < 0.05) as well as in the post-therapeutical resection specimens (75.8% vs 14.3%; P < 0.01). High TS mRNA expression was significantly correlated with a high Ki67 index and low TS mRNA expression was significantly correlated with a low Ki67 index in the pre-therapeutical tumor biopsies (corr. coef. = 0.46; P < 0.01) as well as in the post-therapeutical resection specimens (corr. coef. = 0.40; P < 0.05). No significant association was found between p53 and TS mRNA expression or tumor regression.CONCLUSION: Ki67 has, like TS, predictive value in rectal cancer patients after neoadjuvant 5-FU based chemoradiotherapy. The close correlation between Ki67 and TS indicates that TS is involved in active cell cycle processes.
文摘Wnts are a large family of growth factors that mediate essential biological processes like embryogenesis, morpho- genesis and organogenesis. These proteins also play a role in oncogenesis, and they regulate apoptosis in many tissues. Wnts bind to a membrane receptor complex comprised of a frizzled （FZD） G-protein-coupled receptor and a low-density lipoprotein （LDL） receptor-related protein （LRP）. The formation of this ligand-receptor complex initiates a number of signaling cascades that include the canonical/beta-catenin pathway as well as several noncanonical pathways. In recent years, canonical Wnt signaling has been reported to play a significant role in the control of bone formation. Clinical studies have found that mutations in LRP-5 are associated with reduced bone mineral density （BMD） and fractures. Investigations of knockout and transgenic mouse models of Wnt pathway components have shown that canonical Wnt signaling modulates most aspects ofosteoblast physiology including proliferation, differentiation, function and apoptosis. Transgenic mice expressing a gain of function mutant of LRP-5 in bone, or mice lacking the Wnt antagonist secreted frizzled-related protein-l, exhibit elevated BMD and suppressed osteoblast apoptosis. In addition, preclinical studies with pharmacologic compounds such as those that inhibit glycogen synthase kinase-3β support the importance of the canonical Wnt pathway in modulation of bone formation and osteoblast apoptosis.
基金National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (No. 30671503)Youth Science and Technology Innovation Foundation (No. KJ05011)SRT Program (No. 0605A09) of Nanjing Agriculture University.
文摘Twenty-four male Kazak sheep and 30 Xinjiang fine wool sheep at different ages were selected to investigate the development-dependent expression levels of fatty acid synthase （FAS） gene and hormone-sensitive lipase （HSL） gene in muscle and their effects on the contents of intramuscular fat （IMF）. Longissimus dorsal muscle was sampled to measure IMF and total RNA was extracted to determine FAS and HSL mRNA expression levels by real-time PCR. The results showed that： l） The IMF content increased continuously with growth and showed significant differences （P 〈 0.05） between different age groups in male Kazak sheep, but in Xinjiang fine wool sheep there was no such difference observed. Furthermore, the IMF contents in Kazak were much higher （P 〈 0.01） than that of the other breed from day 30 to 90. 2） FAS mRNA expression level was the highest （P 〈 0.05） on day 0 in Kazak sheep and then declined with growth, in the other breed the gene showed a d‘ecline-rise-decline-rise＇ expression manner as the animals grew. HSL mRNA expression level had a similar model in two breeds, in Kazak sheep it was the highest on day 0 （P 〈 0.05） and in Xinjiang fine wool sheep on day 30 （P 〈 0.01）, then both decreased after this term. 3） In male Kazak sheep, FAS and HSL mRNA expression level were both negatively related to IMF content （r= -0.485 （P = 0.02）, r= -0.423 （P = 0.05））, and the ratio of FAS/HSL expression exhibited significantly negatively related IMF contents. In male Xinjiang sheep, there were no obvious relationship between FAS and HSL expression and IMF content （P 〉 0.05）.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China （30160045）,the Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China （30101）, the 948 Project of the Ministry of Agriculture, China （2003-Q06） and the Yunnan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China （2002C0002M）.
文摘Trehalose Is a nonreduclng dlsaccharlde of glucose that functions as a protectant In the stabilization of blologlcal structures and enhances stress tolerance to abiotic stresses in organisms. We report here the expression of a Grlfola frondosa trehalose synthase （TSase） gene for Improving drought tolerance In sugarcane （Saccharum offlclnarum L.）. The expression of the transgene was under the control of two tandem copies of the CaMV35S promoter and transferred Into sugarcane by Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105. The transgenlc plants accumulated high levels of trehalose, up to 8.805-12.863 mg/g fresh weight, whereas It was present at undetectable level in nontransgenlc plants. It has been reported that transgenlc plants transformed with Escherlchla coil TPS （trehalose-6-phosphatesynthase） and/or TPP （trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase） are severely stunted and have root morphologlc alterations. Interestingly, our transgenlc sugarcane plants had no obvious morphological changes and no growth Inhibition in the field. Trehalose accumulation in 35S-35S：TSase plants resulted In In- creased drought tolerance, as shown by the drought and the drought physiological Indexes, such as the rate of bound water/free water, plasma membrane permeability, malondlaldehyde content, chlorophyll a and b contents, and activity of SOD and POD of the excised leaves. These results suggest that transgenlc plants transformed with the TSase gene can accumulate high levels of trehalose and have enhanced tolerance to drought.
基金the Twelfth Five-Year Support Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology for Clinical Studies Investigating Xin'an Medicine in the Treatment of Complicated Ascites Diseases(No.2012BAI26B02)Technology Planning Project of Anhui Science and Technology Department(No.11010402170)State Key Discipline Construction Project of TCM:Chinese Medical Arthralgia Syndrome Subject [No.(2009)30]
文摘OBJECTIVE: To study changes in the nuclear factor-κB p65(NF-κB p65)-inducible nitric oxide synthase(i NOS)-nitric oxide(NO) signaling pathway and the effects of Xinfeng capsules(XFC) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS)METHODS: One hundred twenty patients with AS were randomly divided into an XFC group and a Salazopyrin group. Sixty health subjects were included as a normal control group. In the two treatment groups, pulmonary functional parameters,forced vital capacity(FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second(FEV1), maximal voluntary ventilation(MVV), peak expiratory flow(PEF), forced expiratory flow at 25% of forced vital capacity(FEF25),forced expiratory flow at 50% of forced vital capacity(FEF50), and forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity(FEF75) were determined. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays were used for detection of the serum oxidative stress indexes,NF-κB p65, i NOS, NO, reactive oxygen species(ROS), reactive nitrogen species(RNS), malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), total antioxidative capacity(TAOC) and interleukin-4(IL-4), IL-10, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) contents. Westergren's method was used for determination of erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein(Hs-CRP) was detected with a 7060 full-automatic biochemical analyzer(Hitachi, Japan).RESULTS: The clinical therapeutic effect in the XFC group was significantly superior to that in the Salazopyrin group(P<0.01). Compared with the normal control group, FEV1, MVV, PEF, FEF50, FEF75, SOD, CAT,TAOC, IL-4, IL-10 were significantly lower, and NF-κB p65, i NOS, NO, ROS, RNS, MDA, IL-1β, TNF-α, ESR,and Hs-CRP significantly higher in patients with AS(P<0.01 or P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, FEV1, MVV, PEF, FEF50, FEF75, SOD, CAT, TAOC,IL-4, and IL-10 were significantly increased, and NF-κB p65, i NOS, NO, ROS, RNS, MDA, IL-1β, TNF-α,ESR, CRP, visual analog scales(VAS), Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease active index, Bath ankylosing s
基金The authors would like to acknowledge the National Nature Science Foundation of China(No.30070927)Beijing National Nature Science Foundation(No.7012023)for grants for this work.
文摘Aim： To investigate the effect of icariin on erectile function and the expression of nitric oxide synthase （NOS） isoforms in castrated rats. Methods： Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into one shamoperated group （A） and three castrated groups （B, C and D）. One week after surgery, rats were treated with normal saline （groups A and B） or oral icariin （1 mg/[kg·day] for group C and 5 mg/[kg·day] for group D） for 4 weeks. One week after treatment, the erectile function of the rats was assessed by measuring intracavernosal pressure （ICP） during electrostimulation of the cavernosal nerve. The serum testosterone （ST） levels, the percent of smooth muscle （PSM） in trabecular tissue, and the expression of mRNA and proteins of neuronal nitric oxide synthase （nNOS）, inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）, endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS） and phosphodiesterase V （PDES） in corpus cavernosum （CC） were also evaluated. Results： ICP, PSM, ST and the expression of nNOS, iNOS, eNOS and PDE5 were significantly decreased in group B compared with those in group A （P 〈 0.01）. However, ICE PSM and the expression of nNOS and iNOS were increased in groups C and D compared with those in group B （P 〈 0.05）. Changes in ST and the expression of eNOS and PDE5 were not significant （P 〉 0.05） in groups C and D compared with those in group B. Conclusion： Oral treatment with icariin （〉 98.6 % purity） for 4 weeks potentially improves erectile function. This effect is correlated with an increase in PSM and the expression of certain NOS in the CC of castrated rats. These results suggest that icariin may have a therapeutic effect on erectile dysfunction.
文摘AIM To observe the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) distribution in the esophageal mucosa andhemodynamic changes in cirrhotic rats.METHODS NOS distribution in the loweresophagus of rats with carbon tetrachlorideinduced cirrhosis was assessed by using NADPHdiaphorase (NADPH-d ) histochemical method.Concentration of NO in serum were measured byfluorometric assay. Mean arterial pressure(MAP), cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI),splanchnic vascular resistance (SVR ), andsplanchnic blood flow (SBF ) were alsodetermined using 5’CO-labeled microspheretechnique.RESULTS Intensity of NOS staining in theesophageal epithelium of cirrhotic rats wassignificantly stronger than that in controls.There was a NOS--positive staining area in theendothelia of esophageal submucosal vessels ofcirrhotic rats, but the NOS staining was negativein normal rats. NO concentration of serum incirrhotic rats were significantly higher incomparison with that of controls. Cirrhotic ratshad significantly lower MAP, SVR and higherSBF than those of the controls.CONCLUSION SPlanchnic hyperdynamiccirculatory state was observed in rats withcirrhosis. The endogenous NO may play animportant role in development of esophagealvarices and in changes of hemodynamics incirrhosis.
基金This work was supported by the Nat ional Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.30471220).
文摘The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differential responses of flower opening to ethylene in two cut rose cultivars, ‘Samantha’, whose opening process is promoted, and ‘Kardinal’, whose opening process is inhibited by ethylene. Ethylene production and 1- aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase and oxidase activities were determined first. After ethylene treatment, ethylene production, ACC synthase (ACS) and ACC oxidase (ACO) activities in petals increased and peaked at the earlier stage (stage 3) in ‘Samantha’, and they were much more dramatically enhanced and peaked at the later stage (stage 4) in ‘Kardinal’ than control during vasing. cDNA fragments of three Rh-ACSs and one Rh- ACO genes were cloned and designated as Rh-ACS1, Rh-ACS2, Rh-ACS3 and Rh-ACO1 respectively. Northern blotting analysis revealed that, among three genes of ACS, ethylene-in- duced expression patterns of Rh-ACS3 gene corresponded to ACS activity and ethylene production in both cultivars. A more dramatic accumulation of Rh-ACS3 mRNA was induced by ethylene in ‘Kardinal’ than that of ‘Samantha’. As an ethylene action inhibitor, STS at concentration of 0.2 mmol/L generally inhib-ited the expression of Rh-ACSs and Rh-ACO in both cultivars, although it induced the expression of Rh-ACS3 transiently in ‘Kardinal’. Our results suggests that ‘Kardinal’ is more sensitive to ethylene than ‘Samantha’; and the changes of Rh-ACS3 expression caused by ethylene might be related to the acceleration of flower opening in ‘Samantha’ and the inhibition in ‘Kardinal’. Additional results indicated that three Rh-ACSs genes were differentially associated with flower opening and senescence as well as wounding.
