Effect of acute whole-body vibration exercise with blood flow restriction on vascular endothelial growth factor response

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise with and without blood flow restriction (BFR) on heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) response. Ten physically inactive male adults participated in this study and completed WBV (frequency: 26 Hz; amplitude: 4 mm; 10 sets for 1 min, with 1-2 min of rest between sets) and WBV + BFR sessions in a repeated measures crossover design, with a 1-week interval separating the sessions. In the WBV + BFR session, participants wore a BFR device inflated to 140 mmHg on the proximal portion of the thigh muscle. Results indicated that WBV + BFR caused a greater HR response than WBV alone (p.05). Only the WBV + BFR session caused a significant increase in the VEGF response (p<.05), and WBV + BFR elicited a significantly higher VEGF response than did WBV after exercise (p<.05). In conclusion, an acute bout of WBV + BFR exercise magnifies the HR response relative to WBV exercise and induces an increase in circulating VEGF values. These alterations seem unrelated to systematic SpO2

Cold hardiness of Phauda flammans (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) larvae

This study aimed to determine the cold hardiness of Phauda flammans (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) larvae. Supercooling points of the 1st–6th instar larvae of P. flammans ranged from –7.7 to –13.0 °C. The lethal temperatures were –8 °C for 1st, –5 °C for 2nd, and –7 °C for 3rd–6th instars. Lethal times at the instar-specific lethal temperatures were 12 h for 1st, 14 h for 2nd, 15 h for 3rd, 17 h for 4th, and 18 h for 5th–6th instars. The times required for all larvae to die in an incubator at 5 °C were 30 d for 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th instars, and 25 d for 2nd and 6th instars. The findings suggest that P. flammans is a chill-intolerant species, and larvae will die if the air temperature decreases to –5 to –8 °C for 12–18 h or to 5 °C for 25–30 d. Such conditions are, however, unlikely to occur in southern China

Six new species of Margattea Shelford, 1911 (Blaberoidea, Pseudophyllodromiidae, Neoblattellini) from China

Six Margattea species are established and described: three are cryptic species, namely, M. parabisignata Li &amp;amp; Che, sp. nov., M. semicircularis Li &amp;amp; Che, sp. nov., and M. forcipata Li &amp;amp; Che, sp. nov. They are distinguished from known species M. bisignata, M. spinifera, and M. paratransversa by their male genitalia with the aid of molecular species delimitation method (ABGD) using COI as the molecular marker. The other three new species are M. pedata Li &amp;amp; Che, sp. nov., M. undulata Li &amp;amp; Che, sp. nov., and M. bisphaerica Li &amp;amp; Che, sp. nov. Morphological and genitalia photographs of these new species of Margattea, as well as a key to the species of Margattea from China, are provided

Two new genera (Vittiblatta gen. nov. and Planiblatta gen. nov.) of Blattinae (Blattodea, Blattidae) from Southwest China and the discovery of chirally dimorphic male genitalia in Vittiblatta punctata sp. nov.

This study examines Blattinae samples from Southwest China collected in recent years. Based on morphological characters, we establish two genera, Vittiblatta gen. nov. and Planiblatta gen. nov., and describe four new species, Vittiblatta punctata Luo &amp;amp; Wang, sp. nov., Vittiblatta ferruginea Luo &amp;amp; Wang, sp. nov., Vittiblatta undulata Luo &amp;amp; Wang, sp. nov., and Planiblatta crassispina Luo &amp;amp; Wang, sp. nov. These two new genera resemble Periplaneta s.s., but are easily distinguished from it and other genera of Blattinae by morphological characters (genital sclerite L4C). Our results indicate that sclerites L4C and R1G of male genitalia might be important in species delimitation of Blattinae. In addition, chiral dimorphism is found in male genitalia of Vittiblatta punctata sp. nov

Puerarin attenuates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy

AbstractBackgroundPuerarin is the most abundant isoflavonoid in kudzu root. It has been used to treat angina pectoris and myocardial infarction clinically. However, little is known about the effect of puerarin on cardiac hypertrophy.MethodsAortic banding (AB) was performed to induce cardiac hypertrophy in mice. Puerarin premixed in diets was administered to mice after one week of AB. Echocardiography and catheter-based measurements of hemodynamic parameters were performed at 7 weeks after starting puerarin treatment (8 weeks post-surgery). The extent of cardiac hypertrophy was also evaluated by pathological and molecular analyses of heart samples. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was assessed by measuring Bax and Bcl-2 protein expression and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining. In addition, the inhibitory effect of puerarin (1μM, 5μM, 10μM, 20μM, 40μM) on mRNA expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in Ang II (1μM)-stimulated H9c2 cells was investigated using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.ResultsEchocardiography and catheter-based measurements of hemodynamic parameters at 7 weeks revealed the amelioration of systolic and diastolic abnormalities. Puerarin also decreased cardiac fibrosis in AB mice. Moreover, the beneficial effect of puerarin was associated with the normalization in gene expression of hypertrophic and fibrotic markers. Further studies showed that pressure overload significantly induced the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling, which was blocked by puerarin treatment. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis and induction of Bax in response to AB were suppressed by puerarin. Furthermore, the increased mRNA expression of ANP and BNP induced by Ang II (1μM) was restrained to a different extent by different concentrations of puerarin.ConclusionPuerarin may have an ability to retard the progression of cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis which is probably mediated by the blockade of PI3K/Akt and JNK signaling pathways

Effect of compounds on the purification and antibody preparation of the extracellular domain fragment of the receptor CD163

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been acknowledged as one of the most important agents affecting swine. The scavenger receptor CD163 is one of the important entry mediators for PRRSV.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The tD4 and tD5 CD163 genes were amplified, and the PCR products were cloned into pET-28a(+) (designated pET-28a-tD4 and pET-28a-tD5, respectively). The plasmids pET-28a-tD4 and pET-28a-tD5 were then transformed into the <it>E. coli </it>BL21 (DE3) strain and expressed by adding 1 mmol/L of isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside. The proteins were highly expressed in the supernatant from the tD4- and tD5-producing cells that were incubated with a binding buffer containing the following compounds: β-mercaptoethanol, urea, Tween 20, glycerol, and SDS, while they were rarely expressed in the supernatant from the tD4- and tD5-producing cells that were incubated with binding buffer without the compounds. The tD4 and tD5 proteins were purified, and BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified proteins. Western blotting analysis showed that the tD4 and tD5 proteins were capable of reacting with tD5 antibodies; the titer of both the tD4 and tD5 antiserums was 1:160 against the tD5 protein, as shown by ELISA.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These studies provide a new way for the purification of proteins expressed in inclusion bodies and the preparation of the corresponding antibodies.</p