Profiling analysis of long non-coding RNAs in early postnatal mouse hearts

Mammalian cardiomyocytes undergo a critical hyperplastic-to-hypertrophic growth transition at early postnatal age, which is important in establishing normal physiological function of postnatal hearts. In the current study, we intended to explore the role of long non-coding (lnc) RNAs in this transitional stage. We analyzed lncRNA expression profiles in mouse hearts at postnatal day (P) 1, P7 and P28 via microarray. We identified 1,146 differentially expressed lncRNAs with more than 2.0-fold change when compared the expression profiles of P1 to P7, P1 to P28, and P7 to P28. The neighboring genes of these differentially expressed lncRNAs were mainly involved in DNA replication-associated biological processes. We were particularly interested in one novel cardiac-enriched lncRNA, ENSMUST00000117266, whose expression was dramatically down-regulated from P1 to P28 and was also sensitive to hypoxia, paraquat, and myocardial infarction. Knockdown ENSMUST00000117266 led to a significant increase of neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes in G0/G1 phase and reduction in G2/M phase, suggesting that ENSMUST00000117266 is involved in regulating cardiomyocyte proliferative activity and is likely associated with hyperplastic-to-hypertrophic growth transition. In conclusion, our data have identified a large group of lncRNAs presented in the early postnatal mouse heart. Some of these lncRNAs may have important functions in cardiac hyperplastic-to-hypertrophic growth transition

Fragile Watermark-based Electronic Police Information Processing System

Abstract: A fragile watermarking algorithm applying to electronic police information processing system is proposed in this paper. First license plate is extracted as the embedded watermark from illegal driving automobile image and then was embedded in DCT domain; watermark was extracted without original image. MATLAB simulation results show that the proposed watermarking algorithm can be embedded in the illegal driving automobile image captured by electronic eye, and watermark can be exactly extracted under the conventional image processing such as noise addition & JPEG compression. When watermarked image is subjected to cropping and license plate content tampering attack, the extracted watermark is not clear enough, thus indicates the illegal driving automobile image was tampered

The effect of dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum on the growth performance, immunity, intestinal microbiota and disease resistance of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

This study was conducted to assess the effects of dietary Clostridium butyricum on the growth, immunity, intestinal microbiota and disease resistance of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Three hundreds of tilapia (56.21 ± 0.81 g) were divided into 5 groups and fed a diet supplemented with C. butyricum at 0, 1 x 104, 1 x 105, 1 x 106 or 1 x 107 CFU g-1 diet (denoted as CG, CB1, CB2, CB3 and CB4, respectively) for 56 days. Then 45 fish from each group were intraperitoneally injected with Streptococcus agalactiae, and the mortality was recorded for 14 days. The results showed that dietary C. butyricum significantly improved the specific growth rate (SGR) and feed intake in the CB2 group and decreased the cumulative mortality post-challenge with S. agalactiae in the CB2, CB3 and CB4 groups. The serum total antioxidant capacity and intestinal interleukin receptor-associated kinase-4 gene expression were significantly increased, and serum malondialdehyde content and diamine oxidase activity were significantly decreased in the CB1, CB2, CB3 and CB4 groups. Serum complement 3 and complement 4 concentrations and intestinal gene expression of tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin 8, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 were significantly higher in the CB2, CB3 and CB4 groups. Intestinal toll-like receptor 2 gene expression was significantly upregulated in the CB3 and CB4 groups. Dietary C. butyricum increased the diversity of the intestinal microbiota and the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (such as Bacillus), and decreased the relative abundance of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria (such as Aeromonas) in the CB2 group. These results revealed that dietary C. butyricum at a suitable dose enhanced growth performance, elevated humoral and intestinal immunity, regulated the intestinal microbial components, and improved disease resistance in tilapia. The optimal dose was 1 x 105 CFU g-1 diet

Effects of Dietary Lycopene Supplementation on Plasma Lipid Profile, Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Defense System in Feedlot Bamei Lamb

Lycopene, a red non-provitamin A carotenoid, mainly presenting in tomato and tomato byproducts, has the highest antioxidant activity among carotenoids because of its high number of conjugated double bonds. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of lycopene supplementation in the diet on plasma lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense system in feedlot lamb. Twenty-eight Bamei male lambs (90 days old) were divided into four groups and fed a basal diet (LP0, 40:60 roughage: concentrate) or the basal diet supplemented with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg lycopene. After 120 days of feeding, all lambs were slaughtered and sampled. Dietary lycopene supplementation significantly reduced the levels of plasma total cholesterol (p0.05). The levels of TG (p<0.001) and LDL-C (p<0.001) were decreased with the feeding time extension, and both showed a linear trend (p<0.01). Malondialdehyde level in plasma and liver decreased linearly with the increase of lycopene inclusion levels (p<0.01). Dietary lycopene intake linearly increased the plasma antioxidant vitamin E level (p<0.001), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC, p<0.05), and activities of catalase (CAT, p<0.01), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px, p<0.05) and superoxide dismutase (SOD, p<0.05). The plasma T-AOC and activities of GSH-Px and SOD decreased with the extension of the feeding time. In liver, dietary lycopene inclusion showed similar antioxidant effects with respect to activities of CAT (p<0.05, linearly) and SOD (p<0.001, linearly). Therefore, it was concluded that lycopene supplementation improved the antioxidant status of the lamb and optimized the plasma lipid profile, the dosage of 200 mg lycopene/kg feed might be desirable for growing lambs to prevent environment stress and maintain normal physiological metabolism

Trait aggression affects the response inhibition to angry expressions: An event-related brain potential study

Response inhibition to angry expressions is impaired in individuals with high trait aggression. Yet, the underlying cognitive neural mechanism of it remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the underlying cognitive neural mechanisms of response inhibition to angry expressions in individuals with high trait aggression and whether there was emotion-specificity of response inhibition in individuals with high trait aggression. 58 individuals (29 participants with high trait aggression) completed an emotional Go/NoGo task, during which participants\u27 EEG were recorded. Results indicated that individuals with high trait aggression showed smaller NoGo P3 effect than individuals with low trait aggression, in particular facing angry or fearful expressions. These results suggest that individuals with high trait aggression show deficits in response inhibition, in particular facing angry expressions, and these deficits exist in the later stage of response inhibition, which is closely related to the actual inhibition of the motor system; there is no emotion-specificity of response inhibition in individuals with high trait aggression

hUMSCs regulate the differentiation of ovarian stromal cells via TGF-β 1

Objective The basic pathological changes of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) include ovarian tissue fibrosis and follicular development disorders. The human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUMSC) transplantation has been shown an effective method to improve the ovarian function in POI rat model; however, the exact mechanisms are still unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the recovery of ovarian function in POI rats is related to the inhibition of tissue fibrosis following hUMSC transplantation. Furthermore, the transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1 ) signaling pathway is explored to determine the mechanisms of ovarian function recovery through its inhibition of tissue fibrosis. Methods The primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) rat model was established by intraperitoneal injection of chemotherapy drug cisplatin (CDDP) for 7?days. The levels of serum sex hormones were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The tissue fibrosis in the ovary was examined using Masson staining and Sirius red staining. The collagen fibers in the ovarian tissues were detected by Western blot analysis. To investigate the mechanisms of ovarian function recovery following hUMSC transplantation, ovarian stromal cells were isolated from the ovarian cortex of immature rats. The expression of Cytochrome P450 17A1 (Cyp17a1) and fibrosis marker of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in ovarian stromal cells was examined using immunofluorescence analysis. Also, the protein levels of Cyp17a1 and α-SMA in ovarian stromal cells were examined by Western blot analysis. The expression of TGF-β 1 and Smad3 signals was measured by Western blot and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. Results The results show that the function of the ovary in POI rats was significantly improved after hUMSC transplantation. The expression of fibrosis markers (α-SMA) and production of Collagen Type I (Collagen I) and Collagen Type III (Collagen III) in POI rats were significantly inhibited in POI rats following hUMSC transplantation. In the cultured ovarian stromal cells, the decrease of TGF-β 1 and p-Smad3 protein expression was observed in hUMSC-treated POI rats. The treatment with TGF-β 1 inhibitor of SB431542 further confirmed this signal pathway was involved in the process. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that the TGF-β

hPMSC transplantation restoring ovarian function in premature ovarian failure mice is associated with change of Th17/Tc17 and Th17/Treg cell ratios through the PI3K/Akt signal pathway

Abstract Background Human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hPMSC) transplantation has been demonstrated to be an effective way of recovering ovarian function in mice with autoimmune induced premature ovarian failure (POF). But the exact mechanism remains unclear. The goal of the present study is to investigate the role of immune factors (T-helper 17 (Th17), cytotoxic T (Tc17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells) in the recovery of ovarian function and whether the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signal pathway is involved in the regulation. Methods The inhibitor of PI3K/Akt was administered to observe its effect on ovarian function recovery and immune regulation. Serum levels of estradiol (E2), follicle stimulation hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)) and anti-Zona pellucida antibody (AZPAb) were measured by ELISA to evaluate ovarian function. The morphological changes of ovaries were observed by HE staining. Apoptosis of granular cells (GCs) was determined by detecting the expression of capase-3. Expression of p-Akt protein was detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot assay in ovarian tissues. The MTT assay was performed to assess GC proliferation. GC apoptosis was performed using flow cytometry analysis. Percentages of Th17, Tc17 and Treg cells were detected by flow cytometry. Expression of interleukin (IL)-17 in serum was measured by ELISA. Results LY294002 administration decreased serum levels of E2 and AMH, while the levels of FSH, LH and AZPAb in serum were increased compared with mice in the hPMSC transplantation group. The ovarian morphology presented as atrophy and fibrosis, with functional follicles exhausted. The expression of p-Akt in ovarian tissue was significantly decreased. Also, LY294002 administration significantly decreased proliferation and increased cell apoptosis in GCs, and for immune factors the ratios of Th17/Tc17 and Th17/Treg cells were significantly increased, as well as the serum levels of IL-17. Conclusions Our data suggest that the PI3K/Akt signal pathway is involved in the recovery of ovarian function by changing the ratios of Th17/ Tc17 and Th17/Treg cells in POF mice following hPMSC transplantation

Effects of hPMSCs on granulosa cell apoptosis and AMH expression and their role in the restoration of ovary function in premature ovarian failure mice

Abstract Background This study was performed to determine the effects of human placenta mesenchymal stem cell (hPMSC) transplantation on granulosa cell apoptosis and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) expression in autoimmune drug-induced premature ovarian failure (POF) mice. The aim of this research is to investigate the mechanisms of hPMSCs on ovarian reserve capacity. Methods The POF mice model was established by injection of zona pellucida 3 peptide (pZP3). hPMSC transplantation was conducted by intravenous injection into mice following pZP3 treatment. The follicle number was examined by histopathology. The serum levels of FSH, LH, E2, AMH and anti-zona pellucida antibody (AzpAb) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. AMH and FSHR expression in the ovary was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Granulosa cell apoptosis of the ovaries was examined by In Situ Cell Death Detection Kit. Granulosa cells were isolated and treated with SiAmh interference and hPMSC supernatant to observe the effects of AMH expression on granulosa cell apoptosis in vitro. Results The results showed that hPMSC transplantation can significantly recover the estrus cycle in the POF group. Morphological staining showed that the basal follicles and sinus follicles after hPMSC transplantation were higher in POF mice than in those without treatment, and the follicle number was significantly decreased with atresia. The serum levels of FSH, LH and AzpAb in the hPMSC transplantation group were reduced considerably, but the E2 and AMH levels were significantly increased. After hPMSC transplantation, the AMH and FSHR expression in ovarian tissue was significantly higher than in the POF group as determined by immunochemistry and western blot analysis. The FSHR expression was shown in granulosa cells only, and FSHR expression increases with AMH expressed in the ovary; granulosa cell apoptosis was decreased following hPMSC transplantation. The same results were observed from the in-vitro study. Conclusions hPMSC transplantation can significantly improve the serum levels of high gonadotropin and low estrogen of POF mice, promote follicular development, inhibit excessive follicular atresia and granulosa cell apoptosis, and improve the ovarian reserve capacity. The mechanism may be achieved by increasing the expression of AMH and FSHR in ovaries

A new estimation of China's net ecosystem productivity based on eddy covariance measurements and a model tree ensemble approach

Accurate assessment of the strength of China's terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink is key to understanding its regional carbon budget. However, large uncertainties in current carbon sink estimations still exist, which hinder the prediction of future climate change trajectories. In this study, we generated a high-resolution (1 km x 1 km) dataset of China's net ecosystem productivity (NEP) in the last decade via a model tree ensemble approach combined with data from 46 flux sites in China and neighboring regions. The upscaling also included detailed information on nitrogen (N) deposition and forest age that have often been neglected in previous studies. The performance of MTE algorithm in simulating NEP at the site level is relatively high for both training (R-2 = 0.81, RMSE = 0.73 gC m(-2) day(-1)) and validation datasets (R-2 = 0.76, RMSE = 0.81 gC m(-2)day(-1)). Our data-driven estimation showed that roughly 70% of the area is a carbon sink, and the largest carbon sinks are found in the southeast and southwest monsoon regions. The total annual NEP in China in the last decade was 1.18 +/- 0.05 Pg C yr(-1), which is similar to the results found by another foundational global-scale study. Yet, the two studies significantly differ in the spatial distribution of carbon sink density. The seasonality of China's NEP is characterized by region-specific kurtosis and skewness in most areas. Furthermore, ecosystem carbon use efficiency (CUE), defined as the annual NEP/GPP ratio, also showed high spatial variation. For example, the Xiaoxing'anling and Changbai Mountains in northeastern China, the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, and bordering areas of the southeast and southwest monsoon regions have a larger CUE than the rest of China. On average, China's terrestrial ecosystem CUE is approximately 0.17. Our data-driven NEP and CUE estimates provide a new tool for assessing China's carbon dioxide flux. Our study also highlights the necessity to incorporate more environmental variables related to vegetation growth and more data derived from flux sites into NEP upscaling to reduce uncertainties in carbon budget estimations