Protective Effects of Li-Fei-Xiao-Yan Prescription on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and the TLR4/NF- κ

Li-Fei-Xiao-Yan prescription (LFXY) has been clinically used in China to treat inflammatory and infectious diseases including inflammatory lung diseases. The present study was aimed at evaluating the potential therapeutic effects and potential mechanisms of LFXY in a murine model of lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced acute lung injury (ALI). In this study, the mice were orally pretreated with LFXY or dexamethasone (positive drug) before the intratracheal instillation of LPS. Our data indicated that pretreatment with LFXY enhanced the survival rate of ALI mice, reversed pulmonary edema and permeability, improved LPS-induced lung histopathology impairment, suppressed the excessive inflammatory responses via decreasing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and chemokine (MIP-2) and inhibiting inflammatory cells migration, and repressed oxidative stress through the inhibition of MPO and MDA contents and the upregulation of antioxidants (SOD and GSH) activities. Mechanistically, treatment with LFXY significantly prevented LPS-induced TLR4 expression and NF-κB (p65) phosphorylation. Overall, the present study suggests that LFXY protected mice from acute lung injury induced by LPS via inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB p65 activation and upregulation of antioxidative enzymes and it may be a potential preventive and therapeutic agent for ALI in the clinical setting

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Macrovascular Complications

Cet ouvrage élégant et raffiné, publié sous le patronnage de la « Fundación Fernando Villalón » de Morón de la Frontera (Séville), représente le couronnement d’une longue série d’études et d’éditions critiques consacrées à ce poète andalou par Jacques Issorel, hispaniste très actif et engagé, spécialiste depuis une bonne vingtaine d’années de la personnalité et de l’œuvre de Fernando Villalón. On doit à son activité sagace une thèse doctorale monumentale, soutenue à l’Université Paul Valéry d..

Micromechanical Modeling of Transport Properties of Cement-Based Composites: Role of Interfacial Transition Zone and Air Voids

International audienceThe transport properties of cement-based composites, including solute diffusivity, electrical conductivity and water permeability, are regarded as durability indicators of cement-based composites. These transport properties are closely related to the microstructure, or rather to the pore structure of materials. Among all the microstructural aspects, the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the cement paste matrix and aggregates, and the air voids are believed to play an essential role in the transport properties. However, their impacts on the transport properties are difficult to be quantified. This paper develops a closed-form four-phase micromechanical model accounting for the local properties of ITZ and the saturation states of air voids. The effects of ITZ and air voids on the transport properties of cement-based composites are addressed quantitatively in the model. The Katz–Thompson equation is reinterpreted by the model in particular. It is shown that the local properties of ITZ and volume fraction of aggregates act mutually on the overall transport properties, the influence of air voids depends significantly on the water saturation, and a critical saturation degree is found to be 1/3

Early expression of mannose-binding lectin 2 during Aspergillus fumigatus infection in human corneal epithelial cells

<b>AIM:</b> To evaluate the early expression of mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) infected by Aspergillus fumigatus (AF). <b>METHODS:</b> HCECs cultured in vitro with AF antigens and sampled at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8h. The expression of MBL2 mRNA was evaluated by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of MBL2 protein in supernatant fluid was shown by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MBL2 protein in HCECs was detected by immunocytochemistry at 0 and 24h. <b>RESULTS:</b> MBL2 mRNA and protein are expressed in normal HCECs. The expression of MBL2 mRNA and protein in supernatant fluid begin to increase after being stimulated with AF antigens. The most significantly peak of MBL2 mRNA is in 2h. The protein of MBL2 in supernatant fluid decrease gradually after 0.5h. The protein in HCECs expression increase after stimulation of 24h. <b>CONCLUSION:</b> MBL2 receptor expressed in normal HCECs in vitro. The stimulation by AF antigens can increase the early expression of it

Chromatin-Remodelling ATPases ISWI and BRM Are Essential for Reproduction in the Destructive Pest Tuta absoluta

The tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) is one of the top 20 plant pests worldwide. We cloned and identified the chromatin-remodelling ATPase genes ISWI and BRM by RACE and bioinformatic analysis, respectively; used RT-qPCR to examine their expression patterns during different life cycle stages; and elucidated their roles in insect reproduction using double-stranded RNA injections. The full-length cDNA of TaISWI was 3428 bp and it encoded a 1025-aa polypeptide. The partial-length cDNA of TaBRM was 3457 bp and it encoded a 1030-aa polypeptide. TaISWI and TaBRM were upregulated at the egg stage. Injection of TaISWI or TaBRM dsRNA at the late pupa stage significantly inhibited adult ovary development and reduced fecundity, hatchability, and longevity in the adult females. To the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first to perform molecular characterisations of two chromatin-remodelling ATPase genes and clarify their roles in T. absoluta fecundity. Chromatin-remodelling ATPases are potential RNAi targets for the control of T. absoluta and other insect pests. The present study was also the first to demonstrate the feasibility of reproductive inhibitory RNAi as a putative approach for the suppression of T. absoluta and other Lepidopteran insect populations

Identification of a novel hypoglycemic small molecule, trans-2, 4-dimethoxystilbene by rectifying gut microbiota and activating hepatic AMPKα-PPARγ pathway through gut-liver axis

With the increasing prevalence of metabolic disorders, hyperglycemia has become a common risk factor that endangers people's lives and the need for new drug solutions is burgeoning. Trans-2, 4-dimethoxystilbene (TDMS), a synthetic stilbene, has been found as a novel hypoglycemic small molecule from glucose consumption test. Normal C57BL/6 J mice, mouse models of type 1 diabetes mellitus and diet-induced obesity subjected to TDMS gavage were found with lower glycemic levels and better glycemic control. TDMS significantly improved the symptoms of polydipsia and wasting in type 1 diabetic mice, and could rise their body temperature at the same time. It was found that TDMS could promote the expression of key genes of glucose metabolism in HepG2, as do in TDMS-treated liver, while it could improve the intestinal flora and relieve intestinal metabolic dysbiosis in hyperglycemic models, which in turn affected its function in the liver, forming the gut-liver axis. We further fished PPARγ by virtual screening that could be promoted by TDMS both in-vitro and in-vivo, which was regulated by upstream signaling of AMPKα phosphorylation. As a novel hypoglycemic small molecule, TDMS was proven to be promising with its glycemic improvements and amelioration of diabetes symptoms. It promoted glucose absorption and utilization by the liver and improved the intestinal flora of diabetic mice. Therefore, TDMS is expected to become a new hypoglycemic drug that acts through gut-liver axis via AMPKα-PPARγ signaling pathway in improving glycemic metabolism, bringing new hope to patients with diabetes and glucose metabolism disorders

Regioselective Oxidation of Fused-Pentagon Chlorofullerenes

Two monoxides of typical smaller chlorofullerenes, ^#271C₅₀Cl₁₀O and ^#913C₅₆Cl₁₀O, featured with double-fused-pentagons, were synthesized to demonstrate further regioselective functionalization of non-IPR (IPR = isolated pentagon rule) chlorofullerenes. Both non-IPR chlorofullerene oxides exhibit an epoxy structure at the ortho-site of fused pentagons. In terms of the geometrical analysis and theoretical calculations, the principles for regioselective epoxy oxidation of non-IPR chlorofullerenes are revealed to follow both “fused-pentagon ortho-site” and “olefinic bond” rules, which are valuable for prediction of oxidation of non-IPR chlorofullerenes