lncRNA profiling to elucidate the metabolic mechanism of green tea extract on weight loss in mice

Purpose: To understand the effects of green tea extract on weight loss at the gene level using long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles. Methods: lncRNA expression signatures in rats fed two different diets were determined by analyzing previously published gene expression profiles in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The lncRNAs specific to rats in a particular dietary group were confirmed using an additional autonomous dataset. LncRNA expression profiles were compared to explore the underlying mechanisms of green tea extract on weight loss. Results: Three lncRNAs (Gm38399, F730035P03Rik, and 5033430I15Rik) that may be the targets of green tea and that may play crucial roles in the lipid-lowering effects of green tea were identified. Using functional annotation databases, two of the targets of two of the lncRNAs were identified as Nav1 and Atxn1. Conclusion: Based on annotation databases, green tea extract may affect metabolic processes in adipocytes by regulating the lncRNAs GM38399 and 5033430I15Rik that modulate their cis-regulatory target genes Nav1 and Atxn1, respectively. Nav1 and Atxn1 may then regulate trans-regulatory lncRNAs

GC-MS analysis of essential oil from Anethum graveolens L (dill) seeds extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide

Purpose: To conduct gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis of the chemical compositions of dill seed essential oil (DSEO) obtained by supercritical CO2. Methods: The impact on extraction yield were examined by single factor test, the particle size of dill seed, extraction temperature, time, pressure, as well as CO2 flux. The best extraction conditions were obtained by an orthogonal test. The chemical configurations of essential oil were examined by GC-MS analysis. Results: The optimal extraction conditions included an extraction time of 120 min, particle size of 60 mesh, CO2 flow of 25 L/h, temperature of 40oC, and pressure of 20 MPa. Under these conditions, the yield of essential oil was 6.7 %. Out of 38 recognized compounds, the main ones were D-carvone (40.36 %), D-limonene (19.31 %), apiol (17.50 %), α-pinene (6.43 %), 9-octadecenoic acid (9.00 %) as well as 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (2.44 %). Conclusion: A total of 38 constituents of the essential oil obtained by supercritical CO2 were identified. The findings may provide a theoretical basis for comprehensive utilization of dill seed essential oil (DSEO) from China

A Study of Viscoelastic Model of Polymers in Shear Flow Based on Molecular Dynamic Simulations

In this study, the rheological properties and physical significations of an incompressible viscoelastic (inCVE) the inCVE model was investigated by employing molecular dynamics calculations. Polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) polymers were selected as candidate materials, the corresponding cell models consisting of five chains of 80 (PP) and 30 (PS) units were built successively. The energy minimization and anneal treatment were launched to optimize the unfavorable structures. The periodic boundary condition, COMPASS force field and the Velocity-Verlet algorithm were employed to calculate the shear flow behavior of chains. The sample data were collected and fitted based on the Matlab platform, and the analysis of the variance (ANOVA) method was performed to determine the validity of the model. Experimental results reveal that the inCVE model matches well with the pseudo-plastic fluids. Compared with the Ostwald-de Waele power law model and Cross model, it is effective and robust, and exhibits a three-stage rheological characteristic. Moreover, it characterizes the stress yield, activation energy, temperature dependence and viscoelastic response of polymers

The effects of a shopping mall on housing prices: a case study in Hangzhou

There are few studies on the externalities of shopping malls affecting the housing market. This study aims to discuss two issues: (1) What is the intensity of the impact of a shopping mall? (2) When does the external influence of a shopping mall begin to reveal itself? The West Intime Shopping Mall in Hangzhou offers a unique situation to research the questions. By dividing the study area into nine blocks, using hedonic price theory, and the price gradient approach with housing price data from 2011 to 2015, we found that in the space dimension, the mall exerted a significantly positive effect on the housing prices of nearby blocks. With the increase in distance from the mall, the positive effect decreased. There were more significantly positive effects in blocks far away from the city center. In the time dimension, the effects of West Intime did not reveal themselves until the mall had started to operate and gradually matured over time, implying that the mall did not have the obvious expected impact on housing prices before the mall had begun operating

Innate Host Response in Primary Human Hepatocytes with Hepatitis C Virus Infection

The interaction between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and innate antiviral defense systems in primary human hepatocytes is not well understood. The objective of this study is to examine how primary human hepatocytes response to HCV infection.An infectious HCV isolate JFH1 was used to infect isolated primary human hepatocytes. HCV RNA or NS5A protein in the cells was detected by real-time PCR or immunofluorescence staining respectively. Apoptosis was examined with flow cytometry. Mechanisms of HCV-induced IFN-β expression and apoptosis were determined.Primary human hepatocytes were susceptible to JFH1 virus and released infectious virus. IFN-α inhibited viral RNA replication in the cells. IFN-β and interferon-stimulated genes were induced in the cells during acute infection. HCV infection induced apoptosis of primary human hepatocytes through the TRAIL-mediated pathway. Silencing RIG-I expression in primary human hepatocytes inhibited IFN-β and TRAIL expression and blocked apoptosis of the cells, which facilitated viral RNA replication in the cells. Moreover, HCV NS34A protein inhibited viral induced IFN-β expression in primary human hepatocytes.Innate host response is intact in HCV-infected primary human hepatocytes. RIG-I plays a key role in the induction of IFN and TRAIL by viruses and apoptosis of primary human hepatocytes via activation of the TRAIL-mediated pathway. HCV NS34A protein appears to be capable of disrupting the innate antiviral host responses in primary human hepatocytes. Our study provides a novel mechanism by which primary human hepatocytes respond to natural HCV infection

Kynurenine aminotransferase 3/glutamine transaminase L/cysteine conjugate beta-lyase 2 is a major glutamine transaminase in the mouse kidney

AbstractBackgroundKynurenine aminotransferase 3 (KAT3) catalyzes the transamination of Kynurenine to kynurenic acid, and is identical to cysteine conjugate beta-lyase 2 (CCBL2) and glutamine transaminase L (GTL). GTL was previously purified from the rat liver and considered as a liver type glutamine transaminase. However, because of the substrate overlap and high sequence similarity of KAT3 and KAT1, it was difficult to assay the specific activity of each KAT and to study the enzyme localization in animals.MethodsKAT3 transcript and protein levels as well as enzyme activity in the liver and kidney were analyzed by regular reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real time RT-PCR, biochemical activity assays combined with a specific inhibition assay, and western blotting using a purified and a highly specific antibody, respectively.ResultsThis study concerns the comparative biochemical characterization and localization of KAT 3 in the mouse. The results showed that KAT3 was present in both liver and kidney of the mouse, but was much more abundant in the kidney than in the liver. The mouse KAT3 is more efficient in transamination of glutamine with indo-3-pyruvate or oxaloacetate as amino group acceptor than the mouse KAT1.ConclusionsMouse KAT3 is a major glutamine transaminase in the kidney although it was named a liver type transaminase.General significanceOur data highlights KAT3 as a key enzyme for studying the nephrotoxic mechanism of some xenobiotics and the formation of chemopreventive compounds in the mouse kidney. This suggests tissue localizations of KAT3/GTL/CCBL2 in other animals may be carefully checked

Effects of Removal of Chemical Components on Moisture Adsorption by Wood

To investigate the effects on moisture sorption behavior of wood caused by the removal of chemical components, Populus euramericana flour (40 to 60 mesh) was divided into four groups: untreated, extractives removed, hemicellulose removed, and matrix removed. The samples at the fiber saturation point and under oven-dried conditions were separately exposed to relative humidities of 11%, 45%, and 75% at 25 °C for desorption and adsorption. Additionally, moisture changes were measured during the processes. The results showed that moisture changed rapidly for all four groups at the initial stage during sorption, after which the rate gradually decreased until a steady-state equilibrium was reached. Among the four groups, the samples from which extractives had been removed exhibited the highest moisture content and moisture sorption coefficient, followed by the untreated samples, hemicellulose removed, and matrix removed samples. With increasing relative humidity, the hysteresis ratio A/D of the samples increased, indicating a reduction in sorption hysteresis, which was further decreased by hemicellulose extraction

Neuroprotective Effect of Tea Polyphenols on Oxyhemoglobin Induced Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Mice

Tea polyphenols are of great benefit to the treatment of several neurodegenerative diseases. In order to explore the neuroprotective effects of tea polyphenols and their potential mechanisms, an established in vivo subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model was used and alterations of mitochondrial function, ATP content, and cytochrome c (cyt c) in cerebral cortex were detected. This study showed that the alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential was an early event in SAH progression. The trend of ATP production was similar to that of mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating that the lower the mitochondrial membrane potential, lesser the ATP produced. Due to mitochondrial dysfunction, more cyt c was released in the SAH group. Interestingly, the preadministration of tea polyphenols significantly rescued the mitochondrial membrane potential to basal level, as well as the ATP content and the cyt c level in the brain cortex 12 h after SAH. After pretreatment with tea polyphenols, the neurological outcome was also improved. The results provide strong evidence that tea polyphenols enhance neuroprotective effects by inhibiting polarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, increasing ATP content, and blocking cyt c release