Fibroblast growth factor (FGF21) protects mouse liver against D-galactose-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis via activating Nrf2 and PI3K/Akt pathways

FGF21 is recently discovered with pleiotropic effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the potential protective effect of FGF21 against D-gal-induced injury in the liver has not been demonstrated. The aim of this study is to investigate the pathophysiological role of FGF21 on hepatic oxidative injury and apoptosis in mice induced by D-gal. The 3-month-old Kunming mice were subcutaneously injected with D-gal (180 mg kg(-1) d(1)) for 8 weeks and administered simultaneously with FGF21 (5 or 1 mg kg(-1) d(1)). Our results showed that the administration of FGF21 significantly alleviated histological lesion including structure damage, degeneration, and necrosis of hepatocytes induced by D-gal, and attenuated the elevation of liver injury markers, serum AST, and ALP in a dosedependent manner. FGF21 treatment also suppressed D-galinduced profound elevation of ROS production and oxidative stress, as evidenced by an increase of the MDA level and depletion of the intracellular GSH level in the liver, and restored the activities of antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, and T-AOC. Moreover, FGF21 treatment increased the nuclear abundance of Nrf2 and subsequent up regulation of several antioxidant genes. Furthermore, a TUNEL assay showed that D-gal-induced apoptosis in the mouse liver was significantly inhibited by FGF21. The expression of caspase-3 was markedly inhibited by the treatment of FGF21 in the liver of D-gal-treated mice. The levels of PI3K and PBK/Akt were also largely enhanced, which in turn inactivated pro-apoptotic signaling events, restoring the balance between pro-and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in the liver of D-gal-treated mice. In conclusion, these results suggest that FGF21 protects the mouse liver against D-gal-induced hepatocyte oxidative stress via enhancing Nrf2-mediated antioxidant capacity and apoptosis via activating PI3K/Akt pathway

Hidden species diversity in Pachyhynobius: a multiple approaches species delimitation with mitogenomes

The lack of distinct morphological features of cryptic species is a hard problem for taxonomy, especially when the taxa are closely related with considerable amounts of ancestral polymorphism. Lately, intensive coalescent-based analyses involving multiple loci have become the preferred method to assess the extent of genetic distinctiveness in otherwise phenotypically similar populations. Previously, phylogenetic studies on Pachyhynobius shangchengensis uncovered five extremely deeply divergent clades, which suggested that this species may be a cryptic species complex. In this study, we used the complete mitochondrial genome data and samples from the entire range of stout salamander (Pachyhynobius), as well as publicly available mitochondrial genomes to assess species boundaries within this genus using a suite of diverse methodologies (e.g. general mixed Yule coalescent model, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery). The phylogenetic relationships recovered two major groups within P. shangchengensis, with one group formed by four of the six extant populations and corresponding to the central and eastern range of the Dabie mountains, while the other group encompassed two other lineages in the north west of the Dabie mountain range. The species delimitation comparison within Pachyhynobius supported the presence of recognized species within the genus, and consensus was observed across methods for the existence of up to five cryptic species within what has been traditionally considered to be P. shangchengensis. While this implies the existence of four taxa in addition to the described P. shangchengensis species, morphological data and life history information are further required to contribute to the species definition. The observed pattern of genetic variation is likely the outcome of a discontinuous habitat combined with niche conservatism, which produced the sky-island effect observed in Pachyhynobius, and which led to formation of a hidden species diversity in this genus

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Emberiza pallasi (Emberizidae: Emberiza)

Mitochondrial genomes have proved to be a powerful tool for studying evolutionary relationships and the evolutionary history. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Emberiza pallasi (16,786 bp) was determined. It is similar in architecture to the typical vertebrate mtDNA genome, which consists of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes) and one control region. Overall base composition of the mtDNA was A (29.37%), T (22.65%), C (33.23%), and G (14.75%). Phylogenetic analysis based on Emberiza mitogenomes indicated a relative close relationship among E. pallasi with E. elegans and E. siemsseni

Evaluation and Forewarning Management of Regional Resources and Environment Carrying Capacity: A Case Study of Hefei City, Anhui Province, China

The evaluation of resources and environment carrying capacity (RECC) is the basis of strategic policy for the development and utilization of regional resources, economic development, and environmental protection. The magnitude of carrying capacity of resources and environment is the result of the balance of multiple aspects including economy, resources, and society. In order to reflect this multi-dimensional vector relationship, a multi-level and multi-targeted evaluation index system needs to be constructed. The paper, adopting the analytic hierarchy process and including PM2.5 (Particulate matter with diameter less than or equal to 2.5 microns in the atmosphere) into the index system, establishes the evaluation system of regional RECC and analyzes the trend of RECC in Hefei city with the index system to put forward the countermeasures of forewarning management. The results are shown as follows: (1) Overall, the RECC in Hefei city presents a declining trend, with a reduction from a middle to lower level during the year 2009 to 2013, of which the year 2010 to 2011 showed the fastest decline and the year 2013 witnessed a slight increase; (2) from the perspective of mutual influence of indexes, the main reason causing the decline of RECC in Hefei city is that the natural resources and environment carrying capacity was in a declining trend from the year 2009 to 2013, respectively declining from middle and high levels to a lower level, while the social economy carrying capacity in Hefei city was in an increasing trend as a whole from the year 2009 to 2013, with an increase from lower level to middle level. From the perspective of the forewarning management of RECC, it focuses on improving the forewarning response system of regional resources and environment carrying capacity, establishes the sharing mechanism of RECC monitoring data and improves the responsibility assigning mechanism of RECC. The study enriches the evaluation index system of RECC and proves that it is reasonable and efficient to build a differentiated index system to scientifically recognize RECC in different regions, having reference value to evaluate similar regional RECC

Analysis of the Ecological Carrying Capacity of Fish Resources in Shengjin Lake, Anhui Province, China

The carrying capacity of fish is related to the sustainability of fisheries’ activities in water bodies. The fish carrying capacity of a water body is the maximum fish yield that can be carried by the natural bait organisms in the water body under the ideal natural conditions without feeding and fertilization. The evaluation of fish productivity is an important basis for rational stocking, rational fishing, and the scientific utilization of natural bait resources in a water area. This paper adopts the background data of the Shengjin Lake fishery ecosystem and uses the bait-based estimation method. The results show that (1) the annual yield of silver carp fed on phytoplankton is 1.5 million kg; (2) the annual yield of bighead carp fed on zooplankton is 1.295 million kg; (3) the annual yield of benthos is 310,000 kg; (4) the annual yield of organic detritus is 280,000 kg; and (5) as the coverage of water grass in Shengjin Lake is less than 10%, it should be protected and restored rather than used by fish. In general, the annual maximum carrying capacity of fish in Shengjin Lake is 3.385 million kg, except for water and grass

TINY, a DREB-like transcription factor binding to DRE element

TINY isolated through a transposon-mutagenesis experiment designed to recover dominant gain-of-function alleles in Arabidopsis   encodes a protein containing a putative DNA-binding domain which is conserved in AP2/EREBP transcription factors of plants. AP2/EREBP transcription factors play a variety of regulatory roles in several developmental processes and in response to biotic and environmental stresses. Using the yeast one-hybrid analysis system, we demonstrated that TINY could function as a DREB-like transcription factor specifically binding to the dehydration-responsive element (DRE) cis-acting element

System Analysis of LWDH Related Genes Based on Text Mining in Biological Networks

Liuwei-dihuang (LWDH) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but its molecular mechanism about gene interactions is unclear. LWDH genes were extracted from the existing literatures based on text mining technology. To simulate the complex molecular interactions that occur in the whole body, protein-protein interaction networks (PPINs) were constructed and the topological properties of LWDH genes were analyzed. LWDH genes have higher centrality properties and may play important roles in the complex biological network environment. It was also found that the distances within LWDH genes are smaller than expected, which means that the communication of LWDH genes during the biological process is rapid and effectual. At last, a comprehensive network of LWDH genes, including the related drugs and regulatory pathways at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels, was constructed and analyzed. The biological network analysis strategy used in this study may be helpful for the understanding of molecular mechanism of TCM