Effect of Wuling powder on the pharmacokinetics of valproic acid in epileptic rats

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Wuling powder (WP) on the pharmacokinetics of valproic acid (VPA) in epileptic rats.Methods: A model of epilepsy was established in SD rats by intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). Twelve epileptic rats were randomly divided into two groups: control group given oral VPA alone at a dose of 180 mg/kg VPA, and drug combination group orally given VPA (180 mg/kg) co-administered with WP at a dose of 200 mg/kg. Blood sample (0.5 mL) was collected at 15, 30, 60, 120, 240 and 720 min after drug administration for measurement of plasma concentrations of VPA using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).Results: The AUC (0-480min) and maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) of VPA in the drug combination group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.01). The half-time (t1/2) and time taken to attain maximum plasma VPA concentration (Tmax) in the combination group were extended, when compared to control group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: These results demonstrate that WP increases the plasma concentration of VPA and affects the pharmacokinetic properties of VPA in epileptic rats. Thus, the pharmacodynamic influence of this interaction should be taken into consideration while prescribing WP to epileptic patients already taking VPA

SCARB2/LIMP-2 Regulates IFN Production of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells by Mediating Endosomal Translocation of TLR9 and Nuclear Translocation of IRF7

Scavenger receptor class B, member 2 (SCARB2) is essential for endosome biogenesis and reorganization and serves as a receptor for both β-glucocerebrosidase and enterovirus 71. However, little is known about its function in innate immune cells. In this study, we show that, among human peripheral blood cells, SCARB2 is most highly expressed in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), and its expression is further upregulated by CpG oligodeoxynucleotide stimulation. Knockdown of SCARB2 in pDC cell line GEN2.2 dramatically reduces CpG-induced type I IFN production. Detailed studies reveal that SCARB2 localizes in late endosome/lysosome of pDCs, and knockdown of SCARB2 does not affect CpG oligodeoxynucleotide uptake but results in the retention of TLR9 in the endoplasmic reticulum and an impaired nuclear translocation of IFN regulatory factor 7. The IFN-I production by TLR7 ligand stimulation is also impaired by SCARB2 knockdown. However, SCARB2 is not essential for influenza virus or HSV-induced IFN-I production. These findings suggest that SCARB2 regulates TLR9-dependent IFN-I production of pDCs by mediating endosomal translocation of TLR9 and nuclear translocation of IFN regulatory factor 7

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles for intracellular delivery of fluorescent dye

In this study, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) were synthesized using the sol-gel/emulsion approach and its potential application in drug delivery was assessed. The HMSNs were characterized, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), to have a mesoporous layer on its surface, with an average pore diameter of about 2 nm and a surface area of 880 m2/g. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) loaded into these HMSNs was used as a model platform to assess its efficacy as a drug delivery tool. Its release kinetic study revealed a sequential release of FITC from the HMSNs for over a period of one week when soaked in inorganic solution, while a burst release kinetic of the dye was observed just within a few hours of soaking in organic solution. These FITC-loaded HMSNs was also found capable to be internalized by live human cervical cancer cells (HeLa), wherein it was quickly released into the cytoplasm within a short period of time after intracellular uptake. We envision that these HMSNs, with large pores and high efficacy to adsorb chemicals such as the fluorescent dye FITC, could serve as a delivery vehicle for controlled release of chemicals administered into live cells, opening potential to a diverse range of applications including drug storage and release as well as metabolic manipulation of cells

Taxonomic revision of the genus Xenogryllus Bolívar, 1890 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Eneopterinae, Xenogryllini)

International audienceSubfamily Eneopterinae has been studied for its diversified acoustic modalities and disjunct distribution. The genus Xenogryllus Bolívar, 1890 is one of the oldest genera of the subfamily, and the first genus of the tribe Xenogryllini. Xenogryllus is known for its low-frequency calling songs and wide distribution across Africa and Asia. It is known from six species and has never been subject to formal taxonomic revision and description of acoustic features of their calling songs is lacking. Therefore, this study consists of a detailed taxonomic revision of all the species. We redescribe or append their taxonomic features using external morphological features and internal genitalic structures. We update the list of Xenogryllus by describing three new species from Africa. In addition, we provide keys to identify species and describe the calling songs of five species

Taxonomic revision of the genus Xenogryllus Bolívar, 1890 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Eneopterinae, Xenogryllini)

Jaiswara, Ranjana, Dong, Jiajia, Ma, Libin, Yin, Haisheng, Robillard, Tony (2019): Taxonomic revision of the genus Xenogryllus Bolívar, 1890 (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Eneopterinae, Xenogryllini). Zootaxa 4545 (3): 301-338, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4545.3.

Eco-environmental effect and driving factors of changing “production-living-ecological space” in northern Xinjiang, China

Northern Xinjiang is the center of gravity for Xinjiang's economic development, and "production-living-ecological space" (PLES) is of great significance to the optimization of regional territorial spatial structure. Taking northern Xinjiang as our study area, we analyze the spatial and temporal variations of the ecological and environmental effects of PLES evolution from 2000 to 2020. To do so, we apply the grid cell method, the ecological and environmental quality index, the global autocorrelation model, and the kernel density estimation. Additionally, we use a geographic detector model to reveal the drivers of spatial variation in ecological and environmental quality. Results show that from 2000 to 2020, PLES in the study area is mainly ecological accommodation land. However, there is an obvious trend showing a decrease in ecological accommodation land area and an increase in other land types. Production land and living land increased the most, among which agricultural land and industrial land were mainly converted from grassland ecological land and water ecological land, respectively. The quality of the ecological environment is basically stable during the study period, with an overall slight declining trend, which indicates the quality of ecological environment has decreased slightly. The spatial distribution of the eco-environmental effect shows a significant spatial autocorrelation pattern of "dense in the west and sparse in the east", along with a spatial clustering phenomenon. The main factor of spatial variation in ecological quality is elevation, and the interactions between the factors are mainly non-linearly and double-factor enhanced. The spatial differentiation of ecological environmental quality in the study area is the result of multiple factors. Exploring the ecological and environmental effects of PLES evolution and its driving factors can provide a scientific basis for the implementation of territorial spatial planning and ecological environmental protection in northern Xinjiang