Influence of bushenhuoxue on primary visual cortex' BDNF damage in rat model of chronic elevated intraocular pressure

AIM: To observe the effect of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)of bushenhuoxue on primary visual cortex(PVC)brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)in rat model of chronic elevated intraocular pressure(EIOP), and explore the mechanism of it initially. METHODS: The rat model of chronic EIOP was established by unilaterally cauterizing 3 episcleral veins, then 30 rats were divided into 3 groups randomly: control group, model group, and treatment group. After given drugs or normal saline for 8 weeks, the rats were put to death. The effect of intraocular pressure(IOP), expression of BDNF and ultrastructure of neuron cell in the PVC was observed. RESULTS: Unilaterally cauterizing episcleral veins increased IOP of the rat model obviously, there was significant difference compared with pre-operation(P<0.01). Semi-quantitative pathological analysis on PVC showed that BDNF of total area in the model group was(82438±2597.39)S/μm2,mean optical density was(1155.9±123.14), integrated optical density was(12915±673.28), compared with the control group {total area was(132370±7588.47)S/μm2, mean optical density was(5365±379.65), integrated optical density was(35102±2648.5)}, there were statistical differences(all P<0.05),there was statistical difference in BDNF of total area between model group and treatment group{(108980±9126.77)S/μm2, P<0.05}, significant difference in mean optical density between the model group and treatment group(3220.4±413.67, P<0.05), statistical difference in integrated optical density between the model group and treatment group(23821±3431.68, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: TCM of bushenhuoxue can repair the PVC damage in the rat model of chronic EIOP by enhancing expression of BDNF, improving ultrastructure of neuron cell

Phase-controlled asymmetric optomechanical entanglement against optical backscattering

Quantum entanglement plays a key role in both understanding the fundamental aspects of quantum physics and realizing various quantum devices for practical applications. Here we propose how to achieve coherent switch of optomechanical entanglement in an optical whispering-gallery-mode resonator, by tuning the phase difference of the driving lasers. We find that the optomechanical entanglement and the associated two-mode quantum squeezing can be well tuned in a highly asymmetric way, providing an efficient way to protect and enhance quantum entanglement against optical backscattering, in comparison with conventional symmetric devices. Our findings shed a new light on improving the performance of various quantum devices in practical noisy environment, which is crucial in such a wide range of applications as noise-tolerant quantum processing and the backscattering-immune quantum metrology.Comment: To be published in SCIENCE CHINA Physics, Mechanics & Astronom

A novel myocardium segmentation approach based on neutrosophic active contour model

Automatic delineation of the myocardium in echocardiography can assist ra- diologists to diagnosis heart problems. However, it is still challenging to distinguish myocardium from other tissue due to a low signal-to-noise ratio, low contrast, vague boundary, and speckle noise

Cyclopeptides from Amanita exitialis

A new cyclic nonapeptide, amanexitide (1), along with the known cyclopeptides, α- and β-amanitins, was isolated from the fruiting bodies of Amanita exitialis, a newly described poisonous mushroom endemic to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Its amino acid composition and absolute configuration were determined by chemical degradation and derivatization followed by chiral GC analysis. Its amino acid sequence was elucidated by extensive analysis of ESIMS/MS and FTICRMS data. The occurrence of 1 in this mushroom is interesting because it has a structure closely related to antamanide, a cyclic decapeptide with antidote activity against amatoxins and phallotoxins, occurring in A. phalloides. [Image: see text

catena-Poly[[[aqua­[3-(3-hy­droxy­phen­yl)prop-2-enoato]samarium(III)]-bis­[μ2-3-(3-hy­droxy­phen­yl)prop-2-enoato]] monohydrate]

The title SmIII compound, {[Sm(C9H7O3)3(H2O)]·H2O}n, was obtained under hydrothermal conditions. Its structure is isotypic with the analogous Eu complex. The latter was reported incorrectly in space group P1 by Yan et al. [J. Mol. Struct. (2008), 891, 298–304]. This was corrected by Marsh [Acta Cryst. B65, 782–783] to P-1. The SmIII ion is nine-coordinated by O atoms from one coordinating water molecule and the remaining ones from the 3-(3-hy­droxy­phen­yl)prop-2-enoatate anions (one bidentate, two bidentate and bridging, two monodentate bridging), leading to a distorted tricapped trigonal–prismatic coordination polyhedron surrounded by solvent water mol­ecules. In the crystal, extensive intermolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter­actions and π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid separation = 3.9393 (1) Å] lead to the formation of a three-dimensional supra­molecular network

NOK/STYK1 interacts with GSK-3β and mediates Ser9 phosphorylation through activated Akt

AbstractNOK (also known as STYK1) has been identified as an oncogene. However, its biochemical and biological activities as a molecular regulator are poorly defined. In the present study, we report that NOK overexpression led to enhanced phosphorylation of GSK-3β at its Ser9 residue via Akt phosphorylation at Thr308. NOK could make complexes with both Akt and GSK-3β. Moreover, the expression levels of NOK, p-Akt(Thr308) and p-GSK-3β(Ser9) were positively correlated in cancerous and non-cancerous breast cell lines. Thus, our data identified a novel functional molecular complex formed by NOK, Akt and GSK-3β that may relay a NOK-directed tumourigenic cascade.Structured summary of protein interactionsGSK3B physically interacts with NOK and Akt by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (View interaction).GSK3B physically interacts with NOK by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (View interaction)