Effects of Pollen Typhae Total Flavone On β-Arrestin-2/SRC/ AKT signaling in adipose tissues of Type 2 diabetic rats

Background: Pollen Typhae total flavone (PTF), the extract from Pollen Typhae, a Chinese herbal medicine,  has been reported to improve insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic rats, but the potential mechanisms keep unclear.Materials and Methods: Type 2 diabetic model rats were induced by high-fat diet and low-dose  streptozotocin, and then were administered PTF by intragastrical gavage. After treatment for 4 weeks, insulin  receptor-β level in adipose tissues was determined by ELISA, and the protein expression was analyzed by  western blotting.Results: Administration of PTF increased insulin receptor-β level and enhanced β-arrestin-2 protein expression  in adipose tissues of type 2 diabetic rats. Although having no effect on the protein expression of Src  or Akt, PTF promoted phosphorylation of Src at Tyr416 and Akt at Ser473.Conclusion: The results indicate that PTF has beneficial effects on the β-arrestin-2/Src/Akt signaling in  adipose tissues of type 2 diabetic rats, implying the underlying mechanisms of PTF in ameliorating insulin  resistance.Key words: Chinese medicine, type 2 diabetes, signal transduction, insulin resistance, β-arrestin-

Drought events and their effects on vegetation productivity in China

Many parts of the world have experienced frequent and severe droughts during the last few decades. Most previous studies examined the effects of specific drought events on vegetation productivity. In this study, we characterized the drought events in China from 1982 to 2012 and assessed their effects on vegetation productivity inferred from satellite data. We first assessed the occurrence, spatial extent, frequency, and severity of drought using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). We then examined the impacts of droughts on China\u27s terrestrial ecosystems using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). During the period 1982–2012, China\u27s land area (%) experiencing drought showed an insignificant trend. However, the drought conditions had been more severe over most regions in northern parts of China since the end of the 1990s, indicating that droughts hit these regions more frequently due to the drier climate. The severe droughts substantially reduced annual and seasonal NDVI. The magnitude and direction of the detrended NDVI under drought stress varied with season and vegetation type. The inconsistency between the regional means of PDSI and detrended NDVI could be attributed to different responses of vegetation to drought and the timing, duration, severity, and lag effects of droughts. The negative effects of droughts on vegetation productivity were partly offset by the enhancement of plant growth resulting from factors such as lower cloudiness, warming climate, and human activities (e.g., afforestation, improved agricultural management practices)

Novel colorimetric films based on starch/polyvinyl alcohol incorporated with roselle anthocyanins for fish freshness monitoring

Novel colorimetric films were developed for real-time monitoring of fish freshness based on starch/polyvinyl alcohol (SPVA) incorporated with roselle (Hibiseus sabdariffa L.) anthocyanins (RACNs). Firstly, RACNs were extracted from roselle dehydrated calyxes. Secondly, SPVA aqueous solution was obtained with a mass rate of 2:1 (starch/PVA). Thirdly, the colorimetric films were fabricated by immobilizing 30, 60 and 120 mg RACNs/100 g starch into SPVA matrix with casting/solvent evaporation method. FTIR spectra of the colorimetric films showed that RACNs were successfully immobilized into the SPVA matrix. X-ray diffraction spectra and SEM micrographs indicated that the crystallinity of PVA was reduced during the film-forming process and the compatibility between starch and PVA was improved, owing to the presence of RACNs. The incorporation of RACNs led to a decrease of water content and tensile strength and an increase of elongation at break of the colorimetric films compared with the SPVA film. The color stability test showed that the colorimetric films were stable at refrigeration temperature and room temperature up to 14 days with relative color changes below than 5%. The colorimetric films with lower content of RACNs were found more sensitive towards ammonia. An application trial was conducted to monitor the freshness of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) at refrigeration temperature. The colorimetric films presented visible color changes over time due to a variety of basic volatile amines known as total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N). Hence, these colorimetric films can be used to monitor the real-time fish freshness for intelligent packaging

3-d Lattice QCD Free Energy to Four Loops

We compute the expansion of the 3-d Lattice QCD free energy to four loop order by means of Numerical Stochastic Perturbation Theory. The first and second order are already known and are correctly reproduced. The third and fourth order coefficients are new results. The known logarithmic divergence in the fourth order is correctly identified. We comment on the relevance of our computation in the context of dimensionally reduced finite temperature QCD.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, latex typeset with JHEP3.cl

Construction of retroviral recombinant containing human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) gene and spontaneous invasion of gastric carcinoma cell lines in vitro

Recombinant retroviral vector containing human tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) gene was constructed and investigation of the in vitro invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer cells transfected with TIMP-2 was carried out. Human TlMP-2 was isolated from recombinant vector Bluescript 1/TIMP-2(+), and then inserted into the retroviral vector pL-MT. Correct orientation was verified by restriction endonuclease digestion. Human full length TIMP-2 gene was ligated into a plasmid, which was then transfected into PA317 cell line. G418-resistant individual clones were selected to transfect human SGC-7901 cell line. Cell proliferation, cell electrophoresis, soft agar colony formation and in vitroinvasion were detected to analyze the bio-behavioral changes of cancer cells. The results from restriction endonuclease digestion were as theoretically expected. The cell electrophoresis rate, colony number and invasion ability in SGC-7901 cells and MFC cells transfected with TIMP-2 gene were significantly decreased when compared with control group. However, no significant changes were noted in the proliferation of cancer cells. We successfully construct a recombinant retroviral vector containinghuman TIMP-2. TIMP-2 transfection could markedly alter the membrane charge of cancer cells, resulting in decreased electrophoresis capacity, cell migration and invasion. However, cell growth was not affected by TIMP-2. These results suggested TIMP-2 transfection might exert effects on the malignant phenotype of cancer cells through affecting extracellular environment, which provided a new way to investigate gene regulation of in vitro collagen metabolism

Interferon-gamma Inducible Protein 10 up-regulated by acute-phase graft injury induced late-phase cisplatin resistance after liver transplantation

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