Selectively enhanced expression of prophenoloxidase activating enzyme 1 (PPAE1) at a bacteria clearance site in the white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prophenoloxidase-activating (PO activating) system plays an important role in the crustacean innate immunity, particularly in wound healing and pathogen defense. A key member of this system is prophenoloxidase-activating enzyme (PPAE), which is the direct activator of prophenoloxidase (proPO). Despite their importance in crustacean PO activating system, the studies on them remain limited.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we report on a PPAE of white shrimp, <it>Litopenaeus vannamei </it>(lvPPAE1), which showed 94% similarity to PPAE1 of <it>Penaeus monodon</it>. We found that lvPPAE1 in fluid hemocytes was down regulated after challenge by <it>Vibrio harveyi </it>but was enhanced when shrimps were exposed to a bacteria-rich environment for long-term. In <it>vivo </it>gene silence of lvPPAE1 by RNAi can significantly reduce the phenoloxidase activity (PO) and increase the susceptibility of shrimps to <it>V. harveyi</it>. Although lvPPAE1 was down-regulated in fluid hemocytes by <it>Vibrio </it>challenge, its expression increased significantly in gill after bacteria injection, which is the primary bacteria-clearance tissue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Suppressed expression in fluid hemocytes and enhanced expression in gill indicates selectively enhanced expression at the bacterial clearance site. This is a novel feature for PPAE expression. The results will contribute to our understanding of the PO activating system in crustaceans.</p

Antioxidant Effect of Lycium barbarum Leaf through Inflammatory and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Mechanism

Although the prevalence and incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a defective immune response of the gastrointestinal tract, has been increasing in North America and Western Europe, recent studies have shown that this disease is also increasing rapidly in Asia. Several studies have been searching for functional foods that can prevent or reduce IBD symptoms because the drug treatments for IBD are expensive with complications. Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS), an observational study of a genome-wide set of genetic variants in different individuals, showed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is one of the causes of IBD. Previously, we reported the effects of Lyciumbarbarum fruit and this study investigated the effects of Lycium barbarum leaf (LL) on inflammation and ER stress of the intestine. The paracellular permeability, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory response were measured on polarized Caco-2 cells. The ER stress pathway and pro-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated on MEF-knockout cell lines, and on the intestines of the mice fed a high-fat diet with lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation. Our data showed that the LL pretreatment strengthened the tight junction integrity and reduced NO production both in the presence and in the absence of inflammation. Furthermore, LL inhibited ER stress and inflammation via IRE1&alpha; and XBP1 in vitro as well as in the inflamed intestines of mice, highlighting the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory function of LL in an IRE1&alpha;-XBP1-dependent manner

Measurement of flux-weight average cross-sections of nat-Zn(γ, xn) reactions in the bremsstrahlung end-point energies of 50, 55, 60, and 65MeV

1121sciescopu

Determination of flux-weighted average cross-sections of

The flux-weighted average cross-sections of the natPb($\gamma$,xn)198-204Pb reaction for the bremsstrahlung end-point energies of 50-70MeV were determined by activation and off-line $\gamma$ -ray spectrometric technique, using the 100 MeV electron linac at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Korea. The relative cross-sections of the 208Pb($\gamma$,xn)202-204Pb and 209Bi($\gamma$,xn)203-206Bi reactions from our earlier work were updated to absolute values and compared with the present data. The photo-neutron cross-sections of natPb, 208Pb, and 209Bi were also calculated, as a function of the photon energy using the TALYS 1.6 code. The flux-weighted average cross-sections were obtained from the theoretical values of the TALYS 1.6 code, based on mono-energetic photons, and compared with the present experimental data. The values were found to be in good agreement with the present data for the 209Bi($\gamma$,xn)203-206Bi, 208Pb($\gamma$,xn)202-204Pb, and natPb($\gamma$,xn)198-202Pb reactions. However, the present data for the natPb($\gamma$,xn)203, 204Pb reactions were higher than the flux-weighted values obtained using the TALYS 1.6 code

Enhanced write performance of a 64-Mb phase-change random access memory

The write performance of the 1.8-V 64-Mb phase-change random access memory (PRAM) has been improved, which was developed based on 0.12-mu m CMOS technology. For the improvement of RESET and SET distributions, a cell current regulator scheme and multiple step-down pulse generator were employed, respectively. The read access time and SET write time are 68 ns and 180 ns, respectively

Measurement of flux-weighted average cross-sections and isomeric yield ratios for

We measured the flux-weighted average cross-sections and the isomeric yield ratios of 99m, g, 100m, g, 101m, g, 102m, gRh in the 103Rh($\gamma$, xn) reactions with the bremsstrahlung end-point energies of 55 and 60MeV by the activation and the off-line $\gamma$-ray spectrometric technique, using the 100MeV electron linac at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), Korea. The flux-weighted average cross-sections were calculated by using the computer code TALYS 1.6 based on mono-energetic photons, and compared with the present experimental data. The flux-weighted average cross-sections of 103Rh($\gamma$, xn) reactions in intermediate bremsstrahlung energies are the first time measurement and are found to increase from their threshold value to a particular value, where the other reaction channels open up. Thereafter, it decreases with bremsstrahlung energy due to its partition in different reaction channels. The isomeric yield ratios (IR) of 99m, g, 100m, g, 101m, g, 102m, gRh in the 103Rh($\gamma$, xn) reactions from the present work were compared with the literature data in the 103Rh(d, x), 102-99Ru(p, x) , 103Rh($\alpha$,$\alpha$n) , 103Rh($\alpha$, 2p3n) , 102Ru(3He, x), and 103Rh($\gamma$, xn) reactions. It was found that the IR values of 102, 101, 100, 99Rh in all these reactions increase with the projectile energy, which indicates the role of excitation energy. At the same excitation energy, the IR values of 102, 101, 100, 99Rh are higher in the charged particle-induced reactions than in the photon-induced reaction, which indicates the role of input angular momentum

A 0.18-mu m 3.0-V 64-Mb nonvolatile phase-transition random access memory (PRAM)

A nonvolatile 64-Mb 1T1R phase-transition random access memory (PRAM) has been developed by fully integrating chalcogenied storage material (GST: Ge2Sb2Te5) into 0.18-mum CMOS technology. To optimize SET/RESET distribution, 512-kb sub-array core architecture was proposed, featuring meshed ground line and separated SET/RESET control schemes. Random read access time, random SET and RESET write access times were measured to be 60 ns, 120 ns, and 50 ns, respectively, at 3.0-V supply voltage with 30degreesC

Clarithromycin Attenuates Radiation-Induced Lung Injury in Mice

<div><p>Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a common and unavoidable complication of thoracic radiotherapy. The current study was conducted to evaluate the ability of clarithromycin (CLA) to prevent radiation-induced pneumonitis, oxidative stress, and lung fibrosis in an animal model. C57BL/6J mice were assigned to control, irradiation only, irradiation plus CLA, and CLA only groups. Test mice received single thoracic exposures to radiation and/or oral CLA (100 mg/kg/day). Histopathologic findings and markers of inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress were compared by group. On a microscopic level, CLA inhibited macrophage influx, alveolar fibrosis, parenchymal collapse, consolidation, and epithelial cell changes. The concentration of collagen in lung tissue was lower in irradiation plus CLA mice. Radiation-induced expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, TNF receptor 1, acetylated nuclear factor kappa B, cyclooxygenase 2, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, and matrix metallopeptidase 9 were also attenuated by CLA. Expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase 1, transforming growth factor-β1, connective tissue growth factor, and type I collagen in radiation-treated lungs were also attenuated by CLA. These findings indicate that CLA ameliorates the deleterious effects of thoracic irradiation in mice by reducing pulmonary inflammation, oxidative damage, and fibrosis.</p></div

Effects of clarithromycin on VCAM-1 and MMP-9 expression levels in irradiated lungs of mice.

<p>(A) VCAM-1 expression in lungs of control (CTL), radiation only (RT), radiation + clarithromycin (RT+CLA), and clarithromycin only (CLA) animal groups. (B) MMP-9 expression in lungs of respective groups. Densitometry values were normalized to β-actin and data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 2–6 mice per group). *<i>p</i><0.05 vs CTL mice; †<i>p</i><0.05 vs RT mice.</p