Lipid Metabolism Is Dysregulated before,during and after Pregnancy in a Mouse Model of Gestational Diabetes

The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that maternal lipid metabolism was modulated during normal pregnancy and that these modulations are altered in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We tested this hypothesis using an established mouse model of diet-induced obesity with pregnancy-associated loss of glucose tolerance and a novel lipid analysis tool, Lipid Traffic Analysis, that uses the temporal distribution of lipids to identify differences in the control of lipid metabolism through a time course. Our results suggest that the start of pregnancy is associated with several changes in lipid metabolism, including fewer variables associated with de novo lipogenesis and fewer PUFA-containing lipids in the circulation. Several of the changes in lipid metabolism in healthy pregnancies were less apparent or occurred later in dams who developed GDM. Some changes in maternal lipid metabolism in the obese-GDM group were so late as to only occur as the control dams’ systems began to switch back towards the non-pregnant state. These results demonstrate that lipid metabolism is modulated in healthy pregnancy and the timing of these changes is altered in GDM pregnancies. These findings raise important questions about how lipid metabolism contributes to changes in metabolism during healthy pregnancies. Furthermore, as alterations in the lipidome are present before the loss of glucose tolerance, they could contribute to the development of GDM mechanistically.     

Design and Implementation of a Multimodal Input Device Using a Web Camera

We propose a novel input pointing device called the multimodal mouse (MM) which uses two modalities: face recognition and speech recognition. From an analysis of Microsoft Office workloads, we find that 80% of Microsoft Office Specialist test tasks are compound tasks using both the keyboard and the mouse together. When we use the optical mouse (OM), operation is quick, but it requires a hand exchange delay between the keyboard and the mouse. This takes up a significant amount of the total execution time. The MM operates more slowly than the OM, but it does not consume any hand exchange time. As a result, the MM shows better performance than the OM in many cases.     

泰和乌骨鸡鸡胚抗疲劳作用研究

研究泰和乌骨鸡鸡胚对小鼠抗疲劳作用。200只昆明种雄性小白鼠预饲1w后,随机分为十组,其中实验组为6、10、14日龄的鸡胚分别设4.8、2.4、1.2g/kg·d三个剂量组给小鼠灌胃,对照组灌胃生理盐水,0.4ml/只,连续30d后,测定小白鼠负重游泳时间、肝糖原(HG)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、血尿素氮(BUN)、血乳酸(LD)等指标。结果显示鸡胚能够延长小鼠游泳时间,提高运动后LDH活力及HG的储备量;降低血LD和BUN的含量,提高小鼠运动耐力。10日龄鸡胚功效较好,表明泰和乌骨鸡鸡胚具有增强机体抗疲劳能力。     

鸸鹋蛋壳粉对应激小鼠性功能和幼龄小鼠精子活性的影响

目的:观察国产鸸鹋蛋壳粉对应激小鼠性功能及幼龄小鼠精子活性的影响.方法:以重复电刺激复制应激小鼠性行为障碍模型,观察雄性小鼠的交配能力.给正常幼龄雄性小鼠连续服药21d后检测其精子密度和精子活动率.结果:鸸鹋蛋壳粉对电刺激应激诱发的雄性小鼠性功能障碍有促进恢复作用,能增加交配次数,缩短交配潜伏时间,并能提高未成年雄性小鼠的精子活动率.结论:国产鸸鹋蛋壳粉具有增强雄性小鼠性功能,提高小鼠精子活性的作用.     

沙葱总黄酮水洗组分的体外抗炎活性

本实验在体外应用脂多糖（lipopolysaccharides,LPS）诱导小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞建立炎症模型的基础上,探讨沙葱总黄酮水洗组分的体外抗炎活性。应用CCK-8法检测0、50、100、200、400、800 μg/mL沙葱总黄酮水洗组分对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞增殖活力的影响;将细胞分为空白对照组、LPS应激模型组及不同质量浓度沙葱总黄酮水洗组分预处理组,采用Griess法及酶联免疫吸附测定法分别测定各处理组细胞上清液中NO浓度和肿瘤坏死因子-α（tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α）、白细胞介素（interleukin,IL）-1β、IL-6、IL-10的质量浓度,反转录实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应法检测各处理组细胞中诱导型一氧化氮合酶（inducible nitric oxide synthase,iNOS）、TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-10、髓样分化蛋白（myeloid differential protein,MyD）88、核因子 κB（nuclear factor κB,NF-κB）mRNA的表达水平。结果显示：与对照组相比,沙葱总黄酮水洗组分在50～800 μg/mL时对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞无明显细胞毒性作用。与LPS应激模型组相比,沙葱总黄酮水洗组分能够极显著抑制促炎介质NO、TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6质量浓度及其mRNA的表达（P＜0.01或P＜0.001）;高度显著提高抗炎细胞因子IL-10质量浓度及其mRNA的表达（P＜0.001）,且呈剂量依赖效应;极显著降低MyD88、NF-κB mRNA的表达水平（P＜0.01或P＜0.001）。由此得出,沙葱总黄酮水洗组分对LPS诱导的小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞具有抗炎作用,其抗炎活性可能是通过抑制促炎性介质NO、TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6的分泌并提高抗炎性细胞因子IL-10的质量浓度实现的,其作用机制可能与NF-κB信号通路有关。     

小鼠乳腺中FGF7及其受体的表达与作用

为了从蛋白水平研究成纤维细胞生长因子7（FGF7）及其受体（KGFR）在哺乳动物乳腺发育、泌乳及退化过程中表达定位的动态变化,揭示FGF7及其受体表达变化与乳腺发育及泌乳功能的关系,本研究利用激光扫描共聚焦显微系统对昆明鼠乳腺中FGF7及其受体的表达进行了免疫荧光检测,利用体外培养不同发育时期的小鼠乳腺组织研究了FGF7在乳腺中的作用。结果表明：FGF7主要定位于乳腺导管上皮细胞以及腺泡上皮细胞外周,同时在基质中有弱的表达。KGFR主要出现在导管上皮细胞以及腺泡上皮细胞上,在乳腺发育的个别时期细胞外基质中有弱表达。FGF7在退化4d达到最高值;KGFR在泌乳4d达到最高值。除青春期和妊娠期外,添加FGF7均能显著诱导乳腺上皮细胞产生KGFR。FGF7能促进小鼠乳腺上皮细胞的增殖分化,降低乳腺上皮细胞的细胞凋亡。     

Reference Gene Selection for Gene Expression Analyses in Mouse Models of Acute Lung Injury

qRT-PCR still remains the most widely used method for quantifying gene expression levels, although newer technologies such as next generation sequencing are becoming increasingly popular. A critical, yet often underappreciated, problem when analysing qRT-PCR data is the selection of suitable reference genes. This problem is compounded in situations where up to 25% of all genes may change (e.g., due to leukocyte invasion), as is typically the case in ARDS. Here, we examined 11 widely used reference genes for their suitability in commonly used models of acute lung injury (ALI): ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), in vivo and ex vivo, lipopolysaccharide plus mechanical ventilation (MV), and hydrochloric acid plus MV. The stability of reference gene expression was determined using the NormFinder, BestKeeper, and geNorm algorithms. We then proceeded with the geNorm results because this is the only algorithm that provides the number of reference genes required to achieve normalisation. We chose interleukin-6 (Il-6) and C-X-C motif ligand 1 (Cxcl-1) as the genes of interest to analyse and demonstrate the impact of inappropriate normalisation. Reference gene stability differed between the ALI models and even within the subgroup of VILI models, no common reference gene index (RGI) could be determined. NormFinder, BestKeeper, and geNorm produced slightly different, but comparable results. Inappropriate normalisation of Il-6 and Cxcl1 gene expression resulted in significant misinterpretation in all four ALI settings. In conclusion, choosing an inappropriate normalisation strategy can introduce different kinds of bias such as gain or loss as well as under- or overestimation of effects, affecting the interpretation of gene expression data.     

枸杞多糖对小鼠肠道上皮内淋巴细胞和杯状细胞数量、分布及对IL-2水平影响

为了研究枸杞多糖(LBP)对肠黏膜屏障结构的影响,给10只C57BL/J健康小鼠连续灌服枸杞多糖7d后,显微镜观察小肠上皮内淋巴细胞(IEL)、杯状细胞(GC)数量和分布变化及测定肠黏膜白细胞介素-2(interleukin-2,IL-2)水平。结果表明,应用枸杞多糖小鼠的肠黏膜IEL数量和GC的数量明显增加,且有向肠内层移动趋势,同时肠黏膜IL-2水平升高。证实枸杞多糖在一定程度上可促进小鼠小肠黏膜屏障结构趋于完整并提高其免疫功能。     

Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) Demonstrates Oncostatic Activity in the Therapeutic and Preventive Model of Breast Carcinoma

Comprehensive scientific data provide evidence that isolated phytochemicals or whole plant foods may beneficially modify carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oncostatic activities of Rhus coriaria L. (sumac) using animal models (rat and mouse), and cell lines of breast carcinoma. R. coriaria (as a powder) was administered through the diet at two concentrations (low dose: 0.1% (w/w) and high dose: 1 % (w/w)) for the duration of the experiment in a syngeneic 4T1 mouse and chemically-induced rat mammary carcinoma models. After autopsy, histopathological and molecular analyses of tumor samples in rodents were performed. Moreover, in vitro analyses using MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells were conducted. The dominant metabolites present in tested R. coriaria methanolic extract were glycosides of gallic acid (possible gallotannins). In the mouse model, R. coriaria at a higher dose (1%) significantly decreased tumor volume by 27% when compared to controls. In addition, treated tumors showed significant dose-dependent decrease in mitotic activity index by 36.5% and 51% in comparison with the control group. In the chemoprevention study using rats, R. coriaria at a higher dose significantly reduced the tumor incidence by 20% and in lower dose non-significantly reduced tumor frequency by 29% when compared to controls. Evaluations of the mechanism of oncostatic action using valid clinical markers demonstrated several positive alterations in rat tumor cells after the treatment with R. coriaria. In this regard, histopathological analysis of treated tumor specimens showed robust dose-dependent decrease in the ratio of high-/low-grade carcinomas by 66% and 73% compared to controls. In treated rat carcinomas, we found significant caspase-3, Bax, and Bax/Bcl-2 expression increases; on the other side, a significant down-regulation of Bcl-2, Ki67, CD24, ALDH1, and EpCam expressions and MDA levels. When compared to control specimens, evaluation of epigenetic alterations in rat tumor cells in vivo showed significant dose-dependent decrease in lysine methylation status of H3K4m3 and H3K9m3 and dose-dependent increase in lysine acetylation in H4K16ac levels (H4K20m3 was not changed) in treated groups. However, only in lower dose of sumac were significant decreases in the expression of oncogenic miR210 and increase of tumor-suppressive miR145 (miR21, miR22, and miR155 were not changed) observed. Finally, only in lower sumac dose, significant decreases in methylation status of three out of five gene promoters–ATM, PTEN, and TIMP3 (PITX2 and RASSF1 promoters were not changed). In vitro evaluations using methanolic extract of R. coriaria showed significant anticancer efficacy in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells (using Resazurin, cell cycle, annexin V/PI, caspase-3/7, Bcl-2, PARP, and mitochondrial membrane potential analyses). In conclusion, sumac demonstrated significant oncostatic activities in rodent models of breast carcinoma that were validated by mechanistic studies in vivo and in vitro.