Punicalagin alleviates brain injury and inflammatory responses, and regulates HO-1/Nrf-2/ARE signaling in rats after experimental intracerebral haemorrhage

Purpose: To investigate the effect of punicalagin, an ellagitannin present in pomegranates, on intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH)-induced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, and also unravel the underlying mechanism(s) of action. Methods: Collagenase type IV (0.2 U) was used to induce ICH in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Punicalagin was given to the rats at doses of 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg body weight via oral gavage for 15 days before ICH induction. The animals were sacrificed 24h following induction of ICH, and their brains were excised immediately and used for analysis. Histological changes were determined with Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining. Permeability to blood-brain barrier (BBB) was determined by quantifying the extent of extravasation of Evan Blue (EB). Protein expressions of HO-1/Nrf-2/ARE and NF-κB signaling were assayed using immunoblotting and RT-PCR. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and serum levels of cytokines were also determined. Results: Punicalagin treatment reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and cell damage, improved brain tissue architecture and BBB integrity. The punicalagin treatment increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and enhanced antioxidant status via activation of Nrf-2/ARE/HO-1 signaling pathway (p < 0.05). The treatment upregulated the expressions of HO-1 to 174 %, relative to 127 % in ICH control rats. Furthermore, it enhanced NF-κB levels and reversed the ICH injury-induced upregulations of IL-6, IL-18 and IL-1β. Conclusion: These findings indicate that punicalagin exerts neuroprotective effect in rats after experimental ICH through regulation of theHO-1/Nrf-2/ARE signaling pathway. Thus, punicalagin has therapeutic potential for ICH. Keywords: Brain injury, Haemoxygenase-1, Intracerebral haemorrhage, Inflammatory responses, Nrf2/ARE signalling, Punicalagi

Effects of truffle inoculation on a nursery culture substrate environment and seedling of Carya illinoinensis

We inoculated Tuber aestivum and Tuber sinoaestivum on Carya illinoinensis to explore the effects of inoculation on host plant growth, enzyme activities, the physicochemical properties of rhizosphere soil, the denitrifying bacterial community in the rhizosphere, and the distribution of mating type genes in the rhizosphere. We found that the Tuber spp. inoculation increased the height of the host plant and that the stem circumference of the host was greater two months after inoculation. Six months after inoculation, the peroxidase activity of the seedlings inoculated with T. sinoaestivum was higher than that of the control. At four and six months after inoculation, the superoxidase dismutase activities of the seedlings inoculated with T. aestivum were higher than those of the seedlings inoculated with T. sinoaestivum. Six months after inoculation, nitrate nitrogen content was lowest in the control and highest in the T. sinoaestivum treatment. Among the nirS-type denitrifying bacteria community, the relative abundances of Proteobacteria were high. T. aestivum and T. sinoaestivum inoculation did not affect the diversity of denitrifying bacteria. The mating type genes MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-2-1 were detected in the rhizosphere of C. illinoinensis inoculated with T. sinoaestivum and T. aestivum, and MAT1-1-1 dominated over MAT1-21. (c) 2021 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Novel approach to investigate η\eta decays via η′→ππη\eta'\rightarrow\pi\pi\eta

To avoid the impact from the background events directly from $e^+e^-$ annihilations or $J/\psi$ decays, we propose a novel approach to investigate $\eta$ decays, in particular for its rare or forbidden decays, by using $\eta^\prime\rightarrow\pi\pi\eta$ produced in $J/\psi$ decays at the $\tau-$charm factories. Based on the MC studies of a few typical decays, $\eta\rightarrow \pi\pi$, $\gamma l^+l^- (l= e, \mu)$, $l^+l^-$, as well as $l^+l^-\pi^0$, the sensitivities could be obviously improved by taking advantage of the extra constraint of $\eta^\prime$. Using one trillion $J/\psi$ events accumulated at the Super $\tau$-Charm facility, the precision on the investigation of $\eta$ decays could be improved significantly and the observation of the rare decay $\eta\rightarrow e^+e^-$ is even accessable.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Black Truffles Affect Quercus aliena Physiology and Root-Associated nirK- and nirS-Type Denitrifying Bacterial Communities in the Initial Stage of Inoculation

Truffles (Tuber spp.) are edible ectomycorrhizal fungi with high economic value. Bacteria in ectomycorrhizosphere soils are considered to be associated with the nutrient uptake of truffles and hosts. Whether Tuber spp. inoculation can affect the growth of Quercus aliena, the ectomycorrhizosphere soil, and the rhizosphere nirK and nirS-denitrifier communities at the ectomycorrhizae formation stage is still unclear. Therefore, we inoculated Q. aliena with the black truffles Tuber melanosporum and Tuber indicum, determined the physiological activity and morphological indices of Q. aliena seedlings, analyzed the physicochemical properties of ectomycorrhizosphere soils, and applied DNA sequencing to assess the nirK and nirS- denitrifier community structure in ectomycorrhizosphere soils. Peroxidase activity was higher in the seedlings inoculated with T. melanosporum than in the T. indicum inoculation and uninoculated control treatments. The available phosphorus contents were lower and nitrate contents were higher in those with truffle inoculation, and T. melanosporum treatment differed more from the control than the T. indicum treatment. The richness of the nirK-community was highest in the T. indicum treatment and lowest in the uninoculated treatment. The differences in nirK-community composition across treatments were not statistically significant, but the nirS communities were different. The nirS-type bacteria correlated with three environmental factors (pH, available phosphorus, and nitrate contents), whereas the nirK-type bacteria were only associated with the nitrate contents. Generally, this work revealed that inoculation with Tuber spp. would change a few nutrient contents and richness of nirK-type bacteria and had little effects on growth of Q. aliena seedlings in the initial stage of inoculation. The results of this study may provide in-depth insights into the relationships between Tuber spp. and hosts, which should be taken into account when developing truffle production methods.Peer reviewe