Liraglutide-induced reduction of myocardial ischemiareperfusion injury in rats via ERK1/2 signaling pathway

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of liraglutide on myocardial ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury and its molecular mechanism.Methods: Ischemia reperfusion model male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into negative control group, I/R group (saline), liraglutide group (liraglutide) and PD group (liraglutide + PD98059). The weight of myocardium in ischemic and infarction areas of the heart, myocardial injury biomarker, oxidative stress, as well as expressions of mRNA molecules of apoptosis were determined.Results: The myocardial mass of ischemic and infarcted areas of the heart (relative to left ventricular mass) of I/R group were significantly higher (p ˂ 0.05) than those of negative control group, but significantly lower in liraglutide group than in I/R group (p > 0.05). However, the parameters were significantly higher in PD group than in liraglutide group (p ˂ 0.05). CK, CK-MB and LDH activities, as well as levels of cTnI and cTnT in I/R group were significantly higher (p ˂ 0.05) than those of negative control group. However, the parameters were significantly lower (p ˂ 0.05) in liraglutide group than in I/R group, but higher in PD group (p ˂ 0.05) than in liraglutide group. Serum SOD, GSH-Px, CAT activities and tBcl-2 mRNA expression were significantly lower in I/R group than those of negative control group (p ˂ 0.001), while those PD group were significantly lower than those of liraglutide group (p ˂ 0.001).Conclusion: Liraglutide alleviates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and inhibits oxidative stress and apoptosis via ERK1/2 signaling pathway in rats, but further studies are required to ascertain the clinical efficacy and safety of the compound.Keywords: Ischemia-reperfusion injury, Liraglutide, ERK1/2 signal pathway, Oxidative stress, Apoptosi

Coordination of carbon assimilation, allocation, and utilization for systemic improvement of cereal yield

The growth of yield outputs is dwindling after the first green revolution, which cannot meet the demand for the projected population increase by the mid-century, especially with the constant threat from extreme climates. Cereal yield requires carbon (C) assimilation in the source for subsequent allocation and utilization in the sink. However, whether the source or sink limits yield improvement, a crucial question for strategic orientation in future breeding and cultivation, is still under debate. To narrow the knowledge gap and capture the progress, we focus on maize, rice, and wheat by briefly reviewing recent advances in yield improvement by modulation of i) leaf photosynthesis; ii) primary C allocation, phloem loading, and unloading; iii) C utilization and grain storage; and iv) systemic sugar signals (e.g., trehalose 6-phosphate). We highlight strategies for optimizing C allocation and utilization to coordinate the source–sink relationships and promote yields. Finally, based on the understanding of these physiological mechanisms, we envisage a future scenery of “smart crop” consisting of flexible coordination of plant C economy, with the goal of yield improvement and resilience in the field population of cereals crops

DMSP-producing bacteria are more abundant in the surface microlayer than subsurface seawater of the East China Sea

Microbial production and catabolism of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), generating the climatically active gases dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and methanethiol (MeSH), have key roles in global carbon and sulfur cycling, chemotaxis, and atmospheric chemistry. Microorganisms in the sea surface microlayer (SML), the interface between seawater and atmosphere, likely play an important role in the generation of DMS and MeSH and their exchange to the atmosphere, but little is known about these SML microorganisms. Here, we investigated the differences between bacterial community structure and the distribution and transcription profiles of the key bacterial DMSP synthesis (dsyB and mmtN) and catabolic (dmdA and dddP) genes in East China Sea SML and subsurface seawater (SSW) samples. Per equivalent volume, bacteria were far more abundant (~ 7.5-fold) in SML than SSW, as were those genera predicted to produce DMSP. Indeed, dsyB (~ 7-fold) and mmtN (~ 4-fold), robust reporters for bacterial DMSP production, were also far more abundant in SML than SSW. In addition, the SML had higher dsyB transcripts (~ 3-fold) than SSW samples, which may contribute to the significantly higher DMSP level observed in SML compared with SSW. Furthermore, the abundance of bacteria with dmdA and their transcription were higher in SML than SSW samples. Bacteria with dddP and transcripts were also prominent, but less than dmdA and presented at similar levels in both layers. These data indicate that the SML might be an important hotspot for bacterial DMSP production as well as generating the climatically active gases DMS and MeSH, a portion of which are likely transferred to the atmosphere

The complete mitochondrial genome of Gyrodactylus kobayashii (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea)

The complete mitochondrial genome of Gyrodactylus kobayashii was 14 786 bp in length, containing 12 protein-coding genes (lacking Atp8), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and two major non-coding regions (NC1 and NC2). The overall A+T content of mitochondrial genome was 71.6%. A close relationship between G. kobayashii and the three Gyrodactylus species (G. salaris, G. thymalli and G. derjavinoides) was uncovered in the phylogenetic tree based on amino acid sequences.</p

Anthelmintic efficacies of three common disinfectants and extracts of four traditional Chinese medicinal plants against Gyrodactylus kobayashii (Monogenea) in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Gyrodactylids are commonly occurring fish ectoparasites that cause high host mortality and considerable economic losses in aquaculture. With the goal of finding safe and effective alternative agents to control monogenean infections in aquaculture, we investigated the anthelmintic efficacy of three common disinfectants (trichloroisocyanuric acid, glutaraldehyde and potassium permanganate) and crude extracts of four herbal medicines (Cortex meliae, Radix zanthoxyli, Semen aesculi and Macleaya cordata) against Gyrodactylus kobayashii in goldfish. Also, we compared the anthelmintic efficacy of the above agents with formaldehyde, which is one of the most frequently-used agents to treat gyrodactyliasis. After 48-h exposure, trichloroisocyanuric acid had the EC50 value of 0.12 mg/L and EC90 value of 0.65 mg/L, and exhibited a 100% efficacy against G. kobayashii at 1.0 mg/L. Glutaraldehyde and potassium permanganate were less effective, with EC50 values of 4.0 and 2.9 mg/L, and EC90 of 5.0 and 3.6 mg/L, respectively. For the extracts of herbal medicines, EC50 and EC90 values of methanol extract of M. cordata were 8.6 and 25.5mg/L, respectively, after 48-h exposure, and EC100 of ethyl acetate and petroleum ether extracts of M. cordata were 80 and 100 mg/L, respectively. The remaining extracts were either highly toxic to fish, or exhibited very weak anthelmintic efficacy, even at higher concentrations. Acute toxicity assay indicated that the LC50 of the promising agents (trichloroisocyanuric acid, glutaraldehyde, potassium permanganate and methanol extract of M. cordata) against goldfish after 48-h exposure were 4.1, 8.8, 5.9 and 81.4 mg/L, which were 6.3, 1.8, 1.6 and 3.2 times higher than the corresponding EC90. The LC50/EC90 ratio for formaldehyde (2.1-fold) was higher than for glutaraldehyde and potassium permanganate, but lower than for trichloroisocyanuric acid and methanol extract of M. cordata. These results suggested that trichloroisocyanuric acid and methanol extract of M. cordata are both viable alternatives for formaldehyde in aquaculture. Statement of relevance: The objective of the present study was motivated by the urgent need to find safe and effective alternative agents to control monogenean infections in aquaculture. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved