BML-111 Reduces Neuroinflammation and Cognitive Impairment in Mice With Sepsis via the SIRT1/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Sepsis is a life-threatening state of organ dysfunction caused by infection and which can induce severe neurological disorders that lead to neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Inflammation has been reported to cause neuronal apoptosis in sepsis, which can finally lead to cognitive impairment. Previous studies have suggested that BML-111 can exhibit anti-inflammatory and proresolution activities. Additionally, silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) can inhibit the NF-κB signaling pathway in an inflammation state. However, the role of the SIRT1/NF-κB signaling pathway in the protective effects of BML-111 against sepsis-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the effects of BML-111 on neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment induced by sepsis. Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or a sham operation. BML-111 was administered via intracerebroventricular injection (0.1 mg/kg) immediately after CLP. Boc-2 (50 μg/kg) was administered intracerebroventricularly 30 min before CLP, and EX527 (10 μg) was administered every 2 days for a total of three times before CLP, also intracerebroventricularly. Some of the surviving mice underwent open-field, novel-object-recognition, and fear-conditioning behavioral tests at 7 days after surgery. Some of the other surviving mice were killed at 24 h after surgery to assess synaptic damage (PSD95 and Synapsin1), markers of inflammation [tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β], cytoplasmic p65, nuclear p65, Ac- NF-κB and SIRT1. At 48 h after CLP, TUNEL and glia-activation by immunofluorescence investigations were performed on a separate cohort of surviving animals. The results suggested that sepsis resulted in cognitive impairment, which was accompanied by the decreased the expression of PSD95 and Synapsin1, increased amount of TUNEL-positive cells and the activation of glias, increased production of TNF-α and IL-1β, increased expression of nuclear p65, Ac- NF-κB, and decreased expression of SIRT1 and cytoplasmic p65. It is especially notable that these abnormalities could be reduced by BML-111 treatment. EX527, an SIRT1 inhibitor, abolished the effects of BML-111. These results demonstrate that BML-111 can reduce the neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment induced by sepsis via SIRT/NF-κB signaling pathway

Compacted soil adaptability of Brassica napus driven by root mechanical traits

International audienceSoil compaction due to mechanized farming operations is a recurrent issue affecting crop growth and yield. Yet, how soil compaction affects plant functions and ecological strategies is poorly known. With Brassica napus, i.e. a widespread crop species as study object, we aim to understand (i) how soil compaction impacts root and shoot traits related to the plant’s well-being, nutrient acquisition of Brassica napus with different mechanical robustness, as well as their trade-offs, and (ii) how such impacts vary among different cultivars. To do this, we cultivated six cultivars of Brassica napus in non-compacted (control) and compacted (treatment) soils, respectively, in a sand culture system. After harvesting, a series of mechanical, morphological and chemical traits of roots and/or shoots were measured. Results showed that soil compaction significantly limited root penetration depth and root system establishment in morphological traits, leading further to significant reduction in nutrients acquisition and plant biomass accumulation. However, soil compaction significantly increases the average root diameter and root/shoot ratio, and facilitate more root exudates secretion (e.g. organic acids and polysaccharides) of Brassica napus cultivars. The Brassica napus cultivars with large root mechanical traits (e.g. root tensile force, root tensile strength and modulus of elasticity) had higher root cellulose and lignin concentrations and showed a stronger response in maximum root depth and specific root length compared with Brassica napus cultivars with small root mechanical traits in compacted treatment, which resulted in the greater fine root length and more root exudates secretion at root-soil interface. Furthermore, deep rooting enhanced nutrients acquisition and further biomass accumulation in compacted soil. Totally, the Brassica napus cultivars with large root mechanical traits with more fine roots and root exudates were critical for Brassica napus root penetration into a deep soil layer in compacted soil

Mechanical traits of fine roots as a function of topology and anatomy

Background and Aims Root mechanical traits, including tensile strength (T-r), tensile strain (epsilon(r)) and modulus of elasticity (E-r), are key functional traits that help characterize plant anchorage and the physical contribution of vegetation to landslides and erosion. The variability in these traits is high among tree fine roots and is poorly understood. Here, we explore the variation in root mechanical traits as well as their underlying links with morphological (diameter), architectural (topological order) and anatomical (stele and cortex sizes) traits.Methods We investigated the four tropical tree species Pometia tomentosa, Barringtonia fusicarpa, Baccaurea ramiflora and Pittosporopsis kerrii in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. For each species, we excavated intact, fresh, fine roots and measured mechanical and anatomical traits for each branching order.Key Results Mechanical traits varied enormously among the four species within a narrow range of diameters (<2 mm): <0.1-65 MPa for T-r, 4-1135 MPa for E-r and 0.4-37 % for epsilon(r). Across species, T-r and E-r were strongly correlated with stele area ratio, which was also better correlated with topological order than with root diameter, especially at interspecific levels.Conclusions Root topological order plays an important role in explaining variability in fine-root mechanical traits due to its reflection of root tissue development. Accounting for topological order when measuring fine-root traits therefore leads to greater empirical understanding of plant functions (e.g. anchorage) within and across species