Effects of Aqueous Extract of Schizandrae Fructus on Lead-Induced Change of Monoamine Neurotransmitters in Hippocampus

Zhao, Rong Jie,Zhao, Zheng Lin,Zhao, Xiu Feng,Zhao, Guang Wen,Li, Meng Quan,Wu, Yi Yan,Li, Jing Qiu,Guan, Li Xin,Kim, Sang-Chan The Korean Medicine Society for the Herbal Formula 2009 大韓韓醫學方劑學會誌 Vol.17 No.2

The effects of aqueous extract of Schizandrae Fructus (AESC) on lead (Pb)-induced changes of monoamine neurotransmitters in the hippocampus (HIP) of adult rats were investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were received intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of Pb acetate (5 mg/kg/d) for 28 days and sacrificed 7 days after the last administration. Concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) in HIP were measured by HPLC. There were significant decreases of NE, DA, 5-HT and 5-HIAA in Pb treated rats (P < 0.05), while pretreatment with AESC (100 mg/kg/d or 300 mg/kg/d, p.o., 2 h before Pb) greatly inhibited the decrease of monoamine transmitters, respectively (P < 0.05). Also, AESC (300 mg/kg/d) significantly increased the reduction of glutathione contents and superoxide dismutase activities in HIP induced by chronic Pb. These results suggest that AESC ameliorates Pb-induced depletion of monoamine neurotransmitters in HIP through its antioxidant activity.

Comparison of Fecal Microbiota of Mongolian and Thoroughbred Horses by High-throughput Sequencing of the V4 Region of the 16S rRNA Gene

Zhao, Yiping,Li, Bei,Bai, Dongyi,Huang, Jinlong,Shiraigo, Wunierfu,Yang, Lihua,Zhao, Qinan,Ren, Xiujuan,Wu, Jing,Bao, Wuyundalai,Dugarjaviin, Manglai Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2016 Animal Bioscience Vol.29 No.9

The hindgut of horses is an anaerobic fermentative chamber for a complex and dynamic microbial population, which plays a critical role in health and energy requirements. Research on the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses has not been reported until now as far as we know. Mongolian horse is a major local breed in China. We performed high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes V4 hypervariable regions from gut fecal material to characterize the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and compare them to the microbiota in Thoroughbred horses. Fourteen Mongolian and 19 Thoroughbred horses were used in the study. A total of 593,678 sequence reads were obtained from 33 samples analyzed, which were found to belong to 16 phyla and 75 genera. The bacterial community compositions were similar for the two breeds. Firmicutes (56% in Mongolian horses and 53% in Thoroughbred horses) and Bacteroidetes (33% and 32% respectively) were the most abundant and predominant phyla followed by Spirochaete, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Fibrobacteres. Of these 16 phyla, five (Synergistetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, TM7, and Chloroflexi) were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. At the genus level, Treponema was the most abundant genus (43% in Mongolian horses vs 29% in Thoroughbred horses), followed by Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Anaeroplasma, which were detected in higher distribution proportion in Mongolian horses than in Thoroughbred horses. In contrast, Oscillibacter, Fibrobacter, Methanocorpusculum, and Succinivibrio levels were lower in Mongolian horses. Among 75 genera, 30 genera were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. We found that the environment was one of very important factors that influenced horse gut microbiota. These findings provide novel information about the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and a foundation for future investigations of gut bacterial factors that may influence the development and progression of gastrointestinal disease in horses.

Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes: A New Method for Reversing Skin Aging

Wu Jinyan,Wu Sai-Nan,Zhang Li-Ping,Zhao Xiansheng,Li Yue,Yang Quyang,Yuan Ruoyue,Liu Jian-Lan,Mao Hong-Ju,Zhu Ningwen 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2022 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.19 No.5

Senescence is an inevitable natural life process that involves structural and functional degeneration of tissues and organs. Recently, the process of skin aging has attracted much attention. Determining a means to delay or even reverse skin aging has become a research hotspot in medical cosmetology and anti-aging. Dysfunction in the epidermis and fibroblasts and changes in the composition and content of the extracellular matrix are common pathophysiological manifestations of skin aging. Reactive oxygen species and matrix metalloproteinases play essential roles in this process. Stem cells are pluripotent cells that possess self-replication abilities and can differentiate into multiple functional cells under certain conditions. These cells also possess a strong ability to facilitate tissue repair and regeneration. Stem cell transplantation has the potential for application in anti-aging therapy. Increasing studies have demonstrated that stem cells perform functions through paracrine processes, particularly those involving exosomes. Exosomes are nano-vesicular substances secreted by stem cells that participate in cell-to-cell communication by transporting their contents into target cells. In this chapter, the biological characteristics of exosomes were reviewed, including their effects on extracellular matrix formation, epidermal cell function, fibroblast function and antioxidation. Exosomes derived from stem cells may provide a new means to reverse skin aging.

A One-Step System for Convenient and Flexible Assembly of Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs)

Zhao, Jinlong,Sun, Wenye,Liang, Jing,Jiang, Jing,Wu, Zhao Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology 2016 Molecules and cells Vol.39 No.9

Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are powerful tools for targeted genome editing in diverse cell types and organisms. However, the highly identical TALE repeat sequences make it challenging to assemble TALEs using conventional cloning approaches, and multiple repeats in one plasmid are easily catalyzed for homologous recombination in bacteria. Although the methods for TALE assembly are constantly improving, these methods are not convenient because of laborious assembly steps or large module libraries, limiting their broad utility. To overcome the barrier of multiple assembly steps, we report a one-step system for the convenient and flexible assembly of a 180 TALE module library. This study is the first demonstration to ligate 9 mono-/dimer modules and one circular TALEN backbone vector in a one step process, generating 9.5 to 18.5 repeat sequences with an overall assembly rate higher than 50%. This system makes TALEN assembly much simpler than the conventional cloning of two DNA fragments because this strategy combines digestion and ligation into one step using circular vectors and different modules to avoid gel extraction. Therefore, this system provides a convenient tool for the application of TALEN-mediated genome editing in scientific studies and clinical trials.

Improved Switching Ripple Suppression Strategy for Multi-Paralleled Grid-Connected Inverters System

Wu Cao,Haotian Kang,Kangli Liu,Shunyu Wang,Jianfeng Zhao,Xiaochun Ji,Jun Zhao 전력전자학회 2019 ICPE(ISPE)논문집 Vol.2019 No.5

The switching operations of inverters in the distributed system inevitably introduce high-frequency harmonics into grid, which may make influences on electrical devices. To address it, this paper proposes a ripple suppression strategy based on active cancellation combined with passive filtering. The active cancellation is realized by carrier-phase-shift (CPS) technique and the passive filtering is achieved by filters. Furthermore, two component-shared LCL-type filters improved by traditional LCL filters are studied from the points of resonance and accuracy of gridinjected current. To valid the effectiveness of the proposed strategy, simulations and experimental test are carried out. The results show that the proposed strategy can effectively suppress high-frequency harmonics and two componentshared LCL-type filters can become promising filters for the multi-paralleled grid-connected inverters.

An Optimized Control Method Based on Dual Three-Level Inverters for Open-end Winding Induction Motor Drives

Wu, Di,Su, Liang-Cheng,Wu, Xiao-Jie,Zhao, Guo-Dong The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2014 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.14 No.2

An optimized space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) method with common mode voltage elimination and neutral point potential balancing is proposed for an open-end winding induction motor. The motor is fed from both of the ends with two neutral point clamped (NPC) three-level inverters. In order to eliminate the common mode voltage of the motor ends and balance the neutral point potential of the DC link, only zero common mode voltage vectors are used and a balancing control factor is gained from calculation in the strategy. In order to improve the harmonic characteristics of the output voltages and currents, the balancing control factor is regulated properly and the theoretical analysis is provided. Simulation and experimental results show that by adopting the proposed method, the common mode voltage can be completely eliminated, the neutral point potential can be accurately balanced and the harmonic performance for the output voltages and currents can be effectively improved.

Hypothalamic Norepinephrine Mediates Acupunctural Effects on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis During Ethanol Withdrawal

Zhao, Z.L.,Kim, S.C.,Zhang, J.,Liu, H.F.,Lee, B.H.,Jang, E.Y.,Lee, C.W.,Cho, I.J.,An, W.G.,Yang, C.H.,Kim, Y.W.,Zhao, R.J.,Wu, Y.Y. Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam 2016 JOURNAL OF ACUPUNCTURE AND MERIDIAN STUDIES Vol.9 No.1

A previous study demonstrated that acupuncture at ST36 (Zu-San-Li) attenuates ethanol withdrawal (EW)-induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rats. The current study investigated the involvement of hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE) in that process. Rats were intraperitoneally treated with 3 g/kg/d of ethanol or saline for 28 days. After 24 hours of EW, acupuncture was applied to rats at bilateral ST36 points or at nonacupoints (tail) for 1 minute. A high-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that EW significantly increased both the NE and the 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Western blot analysis also revealed that EW markedly elevated the phosphorylation rates of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), but spared TH protein expression in the PVN. However, acupuncture at ST36, but not at nonacupoints, greatly inhibited the increase in the hypothalamic NE, MHPG, and phosphorylation rates of TH. Additionally, postacupuncture infusion of NE into the PVN significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of acupuncture at ST36 on the oversecretion of plasma corticosterone during EW. These results suggest that acupuncture at ST36 inhibits EW-induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamic NEergic system to produce therapeutic effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Manual Acupuncture at PC6 Ameliorates Acute Restraint Stress-Induced Anxiety in Rats by Normalizing Amygdaloid Noradrenergic Response

Zhao, ZhengLin,Kim, Sang Chan,Liu, HongFeng,Zhang, Jie,Wang, YuHua,Cho, Il Je,Lee, Bong Hyo,Song, Chang Hyun,Lee, Chul Won,Yang, Chae Ha,Zhao, RongJie,Wu, YiYan Hindawi 2017 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2017 No.-

<P>Acupuncture improves ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety in rats in an acupoint-dependent manner. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of acupuncture on acute restraint stress- (ARS-) induced anxiety. Male rats were exposed to ARS for 3 h followed by acupuncture at either PC6 (Neiguan), HT7 (Shenmen), or a nonacupoint (tail) once a day for three consecutive days. Five minutes after the third acupuncture treatment, anxiety-like behavior was evaluated in an elevated plus maze (EPM). Additionally, plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay and the concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Acupuncture at PC6, but not HT7 or a nonacupoint, attenuated anxiety-like behavior, but this attenuation was abolished by a postacupunctural intra-CeA infusion of NE. Acupuncture at PC6 also reduced the oversecretion of plasma CORT and inhibited increases in amygdaloid NE and MHPG induced by ARS. Further, Western blot analyses and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays revealed that acupuncture at PC6 prevented ARS-induced enhancements in the protein and mRNA expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase in the CeA. These results suggest that acupuncture performed specifically at acupoint PC6 reduces ARS-induced anxiety-like behavior by dampening amygdaloid noradrenergic responses.</P>

Establishment and validation of five autophagy-related signatures for predicting survival and immune microenvironment in glioma

Zhao Zijun,Wu Yue,Wang Zairan,Xu Jiayi,Wang Yizheng,Zhao Zongmao 한국유전학회 2022 Genes & Genomics Vol.44 No.1

Background: Gliomas, especially Glioblastoma multiforme, are the most frequent type of primary tumors in central nervous system. Increasing researches have revealed the relationship between autophagy and tumor, while the molecular mechanism of autophagy in glioma is still rarely reported. Objective: Our research aims to conform the autophagy-related genes (ARGs) implicated in the development and progression of glioma and improve our understanding of autophagy in glioma. Methods: 20 candidate ARGs were screened through the protein-protein interaction network. We also downloaded the publicly accessible glioma data for 665 individuals from TCGA and 970 individuals from CGGA with RNA sequences and clinicopathological information. Subsequently, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis identified 5 key ARGs among the 20 candidate genes as key prognostic genes for survival, GSEA and immune response analysis. Results: ATG5, BCL2L1, CASP3, CASP8, GAPDH were identified as key ARGs in our research. Further studies showed that the high-risk population was linked to a dismal prognosis and suggested an immune-inhibitory microenvironment. GSEA results demonstrated that high risk population was closely related to DNA repair, hypoxia pathways, implicated in immunosuppression and carcinogenesis. Through CMap, we finally identified 14 candidate drugs for the ARG high risk population. Conclusions: This study established and verified an ARG risk model, which can serve as an independent predictor for prognosis, reflect on the strength of the immune response and predict the potential drugs in glioma. Our findings offer new understandings of ARG molecular mechanism and promising therapeutic targets for glioma treatment.

Reliability-based assessment of American and European specifications for square CFT stub columns

Zhao-Hui Lu,Yan-gang Zhao,Zhi-wu Yu,Cheng Chen 국제구조공학회 2015 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.19 No.4

This paper presents a probabilistic investigation of American and European specifications (i.e., AISC and Eurocode 4) for square concrete-filled steel tubular (CFT) stub columns. The study is based on experimental results of 100 axially loaded square CFT stub columns from the literature. By comparing experimental results for ultimate loads with code-predicted column resistances, the uncertainty of resistance models is analyzed and it is found that the modeling uncertainty parameter can be described using random variables of lognormal distribution. Reliability analyses were then performed with/without considering the modeling uncertainty parameter and the safety level of the specifications is evaluated in terms of sufficient and uniform reliability criteria. Results show that: (1) The AISC design code provided slightly conservative results of square CFT stub columns with reliability indices larger than 3.25 and the uniformness of reliability indices is no better because of the quality of the resistance model; (2) The uniformness of reliability indices for the Eurocode 4 was better than that of AISC, but the reliability indices of columns designed following the Eurocode 4 were found to be quite below the target reliability level of Eurocode 4.