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Infection by Zika virus (ZIKV) is linked to microcephaly and other neurological disorders, posing a significant health threat. Innate immunity is the first line of defense against invading pathogens, but relatively little is understood regarding host intrinsic mechanisms that guard against ZIKV. Here, we show that host tripartite motif-containing protein 56 (TRIM56) poses a barrier to ZIKV infection in cells of neural, epithelial and fibroblast origins. Overexpression of TRIM56, but not an E3 ligase-dead mutant or one lacking a short C-terminal portion, inhibited ZIKV RNA replication. Conversely, depletion of TRIM56 increased viral RNA levels. Although the C-terminal region of TRIM56 bears sequence homology to NHL repeat of TRIM-NHL proteins that regulate miRNA activity, knockout of Dicer, which abolishes production of miRNAs, had no demonstrable effect on ZIKV restriction imposed by TRIM56. Rather, we found that TRIM56 is an RNA-binding protein that associates with ZIKV RNA in infected cells. Moreover, a recombinant TRIM56 fragment comprising the C-terminal 392 residues captured ZIKV RNA in cell-free reactions, indicative of direct interaction. Remarkably, deletion of a short C-terminal tail portion abrogated the TRIM56-ZIKV RNA interaction, concomitant with a loss in antiviral activity. Altogether, our study reveals TRIM56 is an RNA binding protein that acts as a ZIKV restriction factor and provides new insights into the antiviral mechanism by which this E3 ligase tackles flavivirus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestine contains the body's second largest genetic information, so a relatively stable microbiota ecosystems and interactions between intestinal micro-organisms play a pivotal role in the normal growth and development in animals. The establishment of intestinal microflora is affected by a variety of factors such as species, environmental factors, developmental stage, organizational structure and physiological characteristics of various parts of the digestive tract. Gene editing technology such as ZFN has recently been used as a new approach to replace the traditional transgenic technology and to make genetic modifications in animals. However, it is not known if genetic modification by gene editing technology will have any impact on gut microbiota. In this study, by sequencing 16S rRNA collected from rectum, we investigated the effects of ZFN-mediated myostatin (MSTN) loss-of-function mutation (MSTN-/-) on gut microbiota in Meishan pigs. Our results showed that the fecal microbial composition is very similar between MSTN-/- Meishan pigs and wild type Meishan pigs. Although significant differences in certain individual strains were observed, all the dominant microorganism species are basically the same between MSTN-/- and wild type pigs. However, these differences do not adversely affect MSTN-/- Meishan pigs. Thus, it is concluded that ZFN-mediated MSTN loss-of-function mutation did not have any adverse effect on the gut microbiota in Meishan pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of interferon (IFN)-regulatory factor-3 (IRF3), characterized by phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of the latent transcription factor, is central to initiating innate antiviral responses. Whereas much has been learned about the upstream pathways and signaling mechanisms leading to IRF3 activation, how activated IRF3 operates in the nucleus to control transcription of IFNs remains obscure. Here we identify EAP30 (a.k.a, SNF8/VPS22), an endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)-II subunit, as an essential factor controlling IRF3-dependent antiviral defense. Depletion of EAP30, but not other ESCRT-II subunits, compromised IRF3-dependent induction of type I and III IFNs, IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) and chemokines by double-stranded RNA or viruses. EAP30, however, was dispensable for the induction of inflammatory mediators of strict NF-κB target. Significantly, knockdown of EAP30 also impaired the establishment of an antiviral state against vesicular stomatitis virus and hepatitis C virus, which are of distinct viral families. Mechanistically, EAP30 was not required for IRF3 activation but rather acted at a downstream step. Specifically, a fraction of EAP30 localized within the nucleus, where it formed a complex with IRF3 and its transcriptional co-activator, CREB-binding protein (CBP), in a virus-inducible manner. These interactions promoted IRF3 binding to target gene promoters such as IFN-β, IFN-λ1 and ISG56. Together, our data describe an unappreciated role for EAP30 in IRF3-dependent innate antiviral response in the nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cypripedium tibeticum, a subalpine orchid species, inhabits various habitats of subalpine forests, mainly including the forest edge (FE), forest gap (FG), and understory (UST), which have significantly different light intensities (FE > FG > UST). However, the ecological and physiological influences caused by different light regimes in this species are still poorly understood. In the present study, photosynthetic, morphological, and reproductive characteristics were comprehensively studied in plants of C. tibeticum grown in three types of habitats. The photosynthetic capacities, such as the net photosynthetic rate, light-saturated photosynthesis (Pmax), and dry mass per unit leaf area (LMA), were higher in FE and FG than in UST according to light availability. Compared with FG, the populations in FE and UST suffer from excessively strong and inadequate radiation, respectively, which was further corroborated by the low Fv/Fm in FE and high apparent quantum yield (AQY) in FG. The leaves of the orchids had various proportions of constituents, such as the leaf area, thickness and (or) epidermal hair, to reduce damage from high radiation (including ultraviolet-b radiation) in FE and capture more light in FG and UST. Although the flower rate (FR) was positively correlated to both Pmax and the daily mean PAR, fruit-set only occurred in the populations in FG. The failures in FE and UST might be ascribed to changes in the floral functional structure and low biomass accumulation, respectively. Moreover, analysis of the demographic statistics showed that FG was an advantageous habitat for the orchid. Thus, C. tibeticum reacted to photosynthetic and morphological changes to adapt to different subalpine forest habitats, and neither full (under FE) nor low (UST) illumination was favorable for population expansion. These findings could serve as a guide for the protection and reintroduction of C. tibeticum and emphasize the importance of specific habitats for Cypripedium spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our laboratory recently produced genetically engineered (GE) Meishan pigs containing a ZFN-edited myostatin loss-of-function mutant. These GE pigs develop and grow as normal as wild type pigs but produce pork with greater lean yield and lower fat mass. To assess any potential subchronic toxicity risks of this GE pork, a 90-day feeding study was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were randomly divided into five groups, and fed for 90 days with basic diet and basic diets formulated with low dose and high dose pork prepared from wild type pigs and GE pigs, respectively. Animal behaviors and clinical signs were monitored twice daily, and body weight and food consumption were measured and recorded weekly. At days 45 and 90, blood tests (lipid panel, electrolytes, parameters related to liver and kidney functions, and complete blood counts) were performed. Additionally, gross pathology and histopathological analyses were performed for major organs in each group. Data analysis shows that there were no significant differences in growth rate, food consumption, and blood test parameters between rat groups fed with GE pork and wild type pork. Although differences in some liver function parameters (such as aspartate aminotransferase, total proteins, albumin, and alkaline phosphatase) and white blood cell counts (such as lymphocyte percentage and monocyte percentage) were observed between rats fed with high dose GE pork and basic diet, all test results in rats fed with GE pork are in the normal range. Additionally, there are no apparent lesions noted in all organs isolated from rats in all five feeding groups on days 45 and 90. Overall, our results clearly indicate that food consumption of GE pork produced by ZFN-edited myostatin loss-of-function mutant pigs did not have any long-term adverse effects on the health status in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome can induce chronic renal injury in humans. In the present study, Bama minipigs were fed a high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HFHSD) for 23 months, which caused them to develop the pathological characteristics of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperlipidemia, and resulted in kidney tissue damage. In the HFHSD group, the ratio of the glomus areas to the glomerulus area and the glomerular density inside the renal cortex both decreased. Lipid deposition in the renal tubules was detected in the HFHSD group, and up-regulated expression levels of SREBP-1, FABP3 and LEPR promoted lipid deposition. The decreased levels of SOD, T-AOC and GSH-PX indicated that the antioxidant capacity of the renal tissues was diminished in the HFHSD group compared with MDA, which increased. The renal tissue in the HFHSD group exhibited clear signs of inflammation as well as significantly elevated expression of key genes associated with inflammation, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), compared with the control group. The tubular epithelial cells in the HFHSD group displayed significantly greater numbers of apoptotic cells, and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the renal tubules decreased. Caspase-3 expression increased significantly, and the transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) was activated and translocated into the nucleus. In conclusion, long-term HFHSDs cause metabolic syndrome and chronic renal tissue injury in Bama minipigs. These findings provide a foundation for further studies investigating metabolic syndrome and nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Several studies have been conducted to examine the associations between osteopontin (OPN) promoter gene SPP1 polymorphisms with human cancers in Chinese population, but the results remain inconsistent. The aim of this meta-analysis is to clarify the associations between SPP1 polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility. Methods: All eligible case-control studies published up to March 2015 were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library without language restrictions. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using fixed- or random-effect model. Results: A total of 11 case-control studies were included; of those, there were eleven studies (3130 cases and 3828 controls) for -443T>C polymorphism, ten studies (3019 cases and 3615 controls) for -156G>GG polymorphism, eight studies (2258 cases and 2846 controls) for -66T>G polymorphism. Overall, no evidence indicated that the -443 T>C polymorphism was associated with cancer risk (OR = 0.93, 95%CI 0.62–1.38 for dominant model, OR = 1.06, 95%CI 0.73–1.55 for recessive model, OR = 0.88, 95%CI 0.62–1.26 for CT vs TT model, OR = 1.03, 95%CI 0.61–1.73 for CC vs TT model). While, a significantly increase risk was found for -156 G>GG polymorphism (OR = 1.22, 95%CI 1.10–1.35 for dominant model, OR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.10–1.41 for recessive model, OR = 1.18, 95%CI 1.06–1.32 for GGG vs GG model, OR = 1.35, 95%CI 1.09–1.68 for GGGG vs GG model). For -66T>G polymorphism, we found a decrease risk of cancer (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.71–0.98 for dominant model), but this result changed (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.77–1.12 for dominant model) when we excluded a study. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that in Chinese population the -156G>GG polymorphism of SPP1 might be a risk factor for human cancers, while -443T>C mutation is not associated with cancer risk. For -66T>G polymorphism, it may be a protective factor for human cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews) is a very famous traditional ornamental plant in China. P. delavayi is a species endemic to Southwest China that has aroused great interest from researchers as a precious genetic resource for flower color breeding. However, the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of flower pigmentation in this plant is limited, hindering the genetic engineering of novel flower color in tree peonies. In this study, we conducted a large-scale transcriptome analysis based on Illumina HiSeq sequencing of cDNA libraries generated from yellow and purple-red P. delavayi petals. A total of 90,202 unigenes were obtained by de novo assembly, with an average length of 721 nt. Using Blastx, 44,811 unigenes (49.68%) were found to have significant similarity to accessions in the NR, NT, and Swiss-Prot databases. We also examined COG, GO and KEGG annotations to better understand the functions of these unigenes. Further analysis of the two digital transcriptomes revealed that 6,855 unigenes were differentially expressed between yellow and purple-red flower petals, with 3,430 up-regulated and 3,425 down-regulated. According to the RNA-Seq data and qRT-PCR analysis, we proposed that four up-regulated key structural genes, including F3H, DFR, ANS and 3GT, might play an important role in purple-red petal pigmentation, while high co-expression of THC2'GT, CHI and FNS II ensures the accumulation of pigments contributing to the yellow color. We also found 50 differentially expressed transcription factors that might be involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. This study is the first to report genetic information for P. delavayi. The large number of gene sequences produced by transcriptome sequencing and the candidate genes identified using pathway mapping and expression profiles will provide a valuable resource for future association studies aimed at better understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying flower pigmentation in tree peonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long-term high-energy diet affects human health and leads to obesity and metabolic syndrome in addition to cardiac steatosis and hypertrophy. Ectopic fat accumulation in the heart has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for heart disorders, but the molecular mechanism of heart disease remains largely unknown. Bama miniature pigs were fed a high-fat, high-sucrose diet (HFHSD) for 23 months. These pigs developed symptoms of metabolic syndrome and showed cardiac steatosis and hypertrophy with a greatly increased body weight (2.73-fold, P<0.01), insulin level (4.60-fold, P<0.01), heart weight (1.82-fold, P<0.05) and heart volume (1.60-fold, P<0.05) compared with the control pigs. To understand the molecular mechanisms of cardiac steatosis and hypertrophy, nine pig heart cRNA samples were hybridized to porcine GeneChips. Microarray analyses revealed that 1,022 genes were significantly differentially expressed (P<0.05, ≥1.5-fold change), including 591 up-regulated and 431 down-regulated genes in the HFHSD group relative to the control group. KEGG analysis indicated that the observed heart disorder involved the signal transduction-related MAPK, cytokine, and PPAR signaling pathways, energy metabolism-related fatty acid and oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathways, heart function signaling-related focal adhesion, axon guidance, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and actin cytoskeleton signaling pathways, inflammation and apoptosis pathways, and others. Quantitative RT-PCR assays identified several important differentially expressed heart-related genes, including STAT3, ACSL4, ATF4, FADD, PPP3CA, CD74, SLA-8, VCL, ACTN2 and FGFR1, which may be targets of further research. This study shows that a long-term, high-energy diet induces obesity, cardiac steatosis, and hypertrophy and provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of hypertrophy and fatty heart to facilitate further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are short (22–24 base pairs), non-coding RNAs, play critical roles in myogenesis. Using Solexa deep sequencing, we detected the expression levels of 229 and 209 miRNAs in swine skeletal muscle at 90 days post-coitus (E90) and 100 days postnatal (D100), respectively. A total of 138 miRNAs were up-regulated on E90, and 31 were up-regulated on D100. Of these, 9 miRNAs were selected for the validation of the small RNA libraries by quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). We found that miRNA-21 was down-regulated by 17-fold on D100 (P<0.001). Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the transforming growth factor beta-induced (TGFβI) gene was a potential target of miRNA-21. Both dual luciferase reporter assays and western blotting demonstrated that the TGFβI gene was regulated by miRNA-21. Co-expression analysis revealed that the mRNA expression levels of miRNA-21 and TGFβI were negatively correlated (r = -0.421, P = 0.026) in skeletal muscle during the 28 developmental stages. Our results revealed that more miRNAs are expressed in prenatal than in postnatal skeletal muscle. The miRNA-21 is a novel myogenic miRNA that is involved in skeletal muscle development and regulates PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling by targeting the TGFβI gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mechanical characterization of infant porcine cerebellum tissue in tension at high strain rate is crucial for modeling traumatic cerebellum injury, which is in turn helpful for understanding the biomechanics of such injuries suffered in traffic accidents. Material and Method: In this study, the infant porcine cerebellum tissue was given three loading velocities, ie, 2s-1, 20s-1 and 100s-1 with up to 30% strain to investigate the tensile properties. At least six tensile tests for each strain rate were validly performed. Fung, Gent, Ogden and exponential models were applied to fit the constitutive equations, so as to obtain material parameters from the experimental data. Results: The Lagrange stress of infant porcine cerebellum tissue in tension appeared to be no more than 3000Pa at each loading velocity. More specifically, the Lagrange stress at 30% strain was (393.7±84.4)Pa, (928.3±56.3)Pa and (2582.4±282.2)Pa at strain rates of 2s-1, 20s-1 and 100s-1, respectively. Fung (0.833≤R2≤0.924), Gent (0.797≤R2≤0.875), Ogden (0.859≤R2≤0.944) and exponential (0.930≤R2≤0.972) models provided excellent fitting to experimental data up to 30% strain. Conclusions: The infant cerebellum tissue shows a stiffer response with increase of the loading speed, indicating a strong strain-rate sensitivity. This study will enrich the knowledge on the material properties of infant brain tissue, which may augment the biofidelity of finite element model of human pediatric cerebellum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term adherence to a high-fat, high-calorie diet influences human health and causes obesity, metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Inflammation plays a key role in the development of NASH; however, the mechanism of inflammation induced by over-nutrition remains largely unknown. In this study, we fed Bama minipigs a high-fat, high-sucrose diet (HFHSD) for 23 months. The pigs exhibited characteristics of metabolic syndrome and developed steatohepatitis with greatly increased numbers of inflammatory cells, such as lymphocytes (2.27-fold, P<0.05), Kupffer cells (2.59-fold, P<0.05), eosinophils (1.42-fold, P<0.05) and neutrophils (2.77-fold, P<0.05). High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to explore the systemic transcriptome of the pig liver during inflammation. Approximately 18.2 gigabases of raw sequence data were generated, and over 303 million high-quality reads were assembled into 21,126 unigenes. RNA-seq data analysis showed that 822 genes were differentially expressed in liver (P<0.05) between the HFHSD and control groups. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that the process of inflammation involved the inflammatory signal transduction-related toll-like receptor, MAPK, and PPAR signaling pathways; the cytokine-related chemokine signaling, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and IL2, IL4, IL6, and IL12 signaling pathways; the leukocyte receptor signaling-related T cell, B cell, and natural killer cell signaling pathways; inflammatory cell migration and invasion- related pathways; and other pathways. Moreover, we identified several differentially expressed inflammation-related genes between the two groups, including FOS, JUN, TLR7, MYC, PIK3CD, VAV3, IL2RB and IL4R, that could be potential targets for further investigation. Our study suggested that long-term HFHSD induced obesity and liver inflammation, providing basic insight into the molecular mechanism of this condition and laying the groundwork for further studies on obesity and steatohepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copy number variations (CNVs) represent a substantial source of structural variants in mammals and contribute to both normal phenotypic variability and disease susceptibility. Although low-resolution CNV maps are produced in many domestic animals, and several reports have been published about the CNVs of porcine genome, the differences between Chinese and western pigs still remain to be elucidated. In this study, we used Porcine SNP60 BeadChip and PennCNV algorithm to perform a genome-wide CNV detection in 302 individuals from six Chinese indigenous breeds (Tongcheng, Laiwu, Luchuan, Bama, Wuzhishan and Ningxiang pigs), three western breeds (Yorkshire, Landrace and Duroc) and one hybrid (Tongcheng×Duroc). A total of 348 CNV Regions (CNVRs) across genome were identified, covering 150.49 Mb of the pig genome or 6.14% of the autosomal genome sequence. In these CNVRs, 213 CNVRs were found to exist only in the six Chinese indigenous breeds, and 60 CNVRs only in the three western breeds. The characters of CNVs in four Chinese normal size breeds (Luchuan, Tongcheng and Laiwu pigs) and two minipig breeds (Bama and Wuzhishan pigs) were also analyzed in this study. Functional annotation suggested that these CNVRs possess a great variety of molecular function and may play important roles in phenotypic and production traits between Chinese and western breeds. Our results are important complementary to the CNV map in pig genome, which provide new information about the diversity of Chinese and western pig breeds, and facilitate further research on porcine genome CNVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide, and thus represents a significant public health problem. The type I interferon (IFN), IFNα, has been successful in treating HCV-infected patients, but current IFN-based treatment regimens for HCV have suboptimal efficacy, and relatively little is known about why IFN therapy eliminates the virus in some patients but not in others. Therefore, it is critical to understand the basic mechanisms that underlie the therapeutic resistance to IFN action in HCV-infected individuals, and there is an urgent need to identify those patients most likely to respond to IFN therapy for HCV. To characterize the response of HCV-infected patients to treatment with IFNα, the expression of an IFN-response gene signature comprised of IFN-stimulated genes and genes that play an important role in the innate immune response was examined in liver biopsies from HCV-infected patients enrolled in a clinical trial. In the present study we found that the expression of a subset of IFN-response genes was dysregulated in liver biopsy samples from nonresponsive hepatitis C patients as compared with virologic responders. Based on these findings, a statistical model was developed to help predict the response of patients to IFN therapy, and compared to results obtained to the IL28 mutation model, which is highly predictive of the response to IFN-based therapy in HCV-infected patients. We found that a model incorporating gene expression data can improve predictions of IFN responsiveness compared to IL28 mutation status alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles are promising candidates for gene delivery into mammalian somatic cells and may be useful for reproductive cloning using the somatic cell nuclear transfer technique. However, limited investigations of their potential applications in animal genetics and breeding, particularly multiple-gene delivery by magnetofection, have been performed. Here, we developed a stable, targetable and convenient system for delivering multiple genes into the nuclei of porcine somatic cells using magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles as gene carriers. After surface modification by polyethylenimine, the spherical magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles showed strong binding affinity for DNA plasmids expressing the genes encoding a green (DNAGFP) or red (DNADsRed) fluorescent protein. At weight ratios of DNAGFP or DNADsRed to magnetic nanoparticles lower than or equal to 10∶1 or 5∶1, respectively, the DNA molecules were completely bound by the magnetic nanoparticles. Atomic force microscopy analyses confirmed binding of the spherical magnetic nanoparticles to stretched DNA strands up to several hundred nanometers in length. As a result, stable and efficient co-expression of GFP and DsRed in porcine kidney PK-15 cells was achieved by magnetofection. The results presented here demonstrate the potential application of magnetic nanoparticles as an attractive delivery system for animal genetics and breeding studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are conflicting reports on the link between the micronutrient selenium and the prevalence of diabetes. To investigate the possibility that selenium acts as a “double-edged sword” in diabetes, cDNA microarray profiling and two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry were used to determine changes in mRNA and protein expression in pancreatic and liver tissues of diabetic db/db mice in response to dietary selenate supplementation. Fasting blood glucose levels increased continuously in db/db mice administered placebo (DMCtrl), but decreased gradually in selenate-supplemented db/db mice (DMSe) and approached normal levels after termination of the experiment. Pancreatic islet size was increased in DMSe mice compared with DMCtrl mice, resulting in a clear increase in insulin production and a doubling of plasma insulin concentration. Genes that encode proteins involved in key pancreatic β-cell functions, including regulation of β-cell proliferation and differentiation and insulin synthesis, were found to be specifically upregulated in DMSe mice. In contrast, apoptosis-associated genes were downregulated, indicating that islet function was protected by selenate treatment. Conversely, liver fat accumulation increased in DMSe mice together with significant upregulation of lipogenic and inflammatory genes. Genes related to detoxification were downregulated and antioxidant enzymatic activity was reduced, indicating an unexpected reduction in antioxidant defense capacity and exacerbation of fatty liver degeneration. Moreover, proteomic analysis of the liver showed differential expression of proteins involved in glucolipid metabolism and the endoplasmic reticulum assembly pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that dietary selenate supplementation in db/db mice decreased hyperglycemia by increasing insulin production and secretion; however, long-term hyperinsulinemia eventually led to reduced antioxidant defense capacity, which exacerbated fatty liver degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress induces many serious reproductive diseases in female mammals and thus poses a serious threat to reproductive health. However, the relationship between reactive oxygen species (ROS)—induced oxidative stress and follicular development, oocyte and embryo quality is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ovarian oxidative stress on the health of follicle and oocyte development. Female ICR mice were dosed with 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) at three different concentrations (6.25, 12.5 and 25 mg/kg) and saline (control) via continuous intraperitoneal injection for 7 days. The treatment with 12.5 mg/kg reduced the weight of mouse ovaries, and significantly increased ROS levels and the activities of antioxidant enzymes—total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) — in granulosa cells and ovarian tissues, but not in other tissues (brain, liver, kidney and spleen). The same treatment significantly increased the percentage of atretic large follicles, and reduced the number of large follicles, the number of ovulated oocytes, and the capacity for early embryonic development compared with controls. It also significantly decreased the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax, while causing an increase in the mRNA expression of (SOD2, CAT and GPX) and ROS levels in granulosa cells. Collectively, these data indicate that 3-NPA induces granulosa cell apoptosis, large follicle atresia, and an increase of ROS levels in the ovary. Therefore, we have established an in vivo model of ovarian oxidative stress for studying the mechanism of resulting damage induced by free radicals and for the screening of novel antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devices and materials intended for clinical applications as medical and implant devices should be evaluated to determine their biocompatibility in physiological systems. This article presents results from cytotoxicity assay of L929 mouse fibroblasts culture, tests for skin irritation, intracutaneous reactivity and sensitization, and material implantation tests for the novel copper/low-density polyethylene nanocomposite intrauterine device (nano-Cu/LDPE IUD) with potential for future clinical utilization. Cytotoxicity test in vitro was conducted to evaluate the change in morphology, growth and proliferation of cultured L929 mouse fibroblasts, which in vivo examination for skin irritation (n = 6) and intracutaneous reactivity (n = 6) were carried out to explore the irritant behavior in New Zealand White rabbits. Skin sensitization was implemented to evaluate the potential skin sensitizing in Hartley guinea pigs (n = 35). The materials were implanted into the spinal muscle of rabbits (n = 9). The cytotoxicity grade of the nano-Cu/LDPE IUD was 0–1, suggested that the composite was nontoxic or mildly cytotoxic; no irritation reaction and skin sensitization were identified in any animals of specific extracts prepared from the material under test; similarly to the control sides, the inflammatory reaction was observed in the rabbits living tissue of the implanted material in intramuscular implantation assay. They indicated that the novel composite intrauterine device presented potential for this type of application because they meet the requirements of the standard practices recommended for evaluating the biological reactivity. The nano-Cu/LDPE IUD has good biocompatibility, which is biologically safe for the clinical research as a novel contraceptive device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an Arterivirus that has been devastating the swine industry worldwide since the late 1980s. To investigate the impact of cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) on the replication of PRRSV, we screened 10 highly conserved miRNAs implicated in innate immunity or antiviral function and identified miR-125b as an inhibitor of PRRSV replication. Virus titer and western blot assays demonstrated that miR-125b reduced PRRSV replication and viral gene expression in a dose-dependent manner in both MARC-145 cell line and primary porcine alveolar macrophages. Mechanistically, miR-125b did not target the PRRSV genome. Rather, it inhibited activation of NF-κB, which we found to be required for PRRSV replication. PRRSV, in turn, down-regulated miR-125b expression post-infection to promote viral replication. Collectively, miR-125b is an antiviral host factor against PRRSV, but it is subject to manipulation by PRRSV. Our study reveals an example of manipulation of a cellular miRNA by an arterivirus to re-orchestrate host gene expression for viral propagation and sheds new light on targeting host factors to develop effective control measures for PRRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionizing radiation (IR) is an essential component of therapy for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κΒ) transcription factors are upregulated by IR and have been implicated in radioresistance. We evaluated the ability of curcumin, a putative NF-κΒ inhibitor, and cells expressing genetic NF- κΒ inhibitors (IκBα and p100 super-repressor constructs) to function as a radiosensitizer. Ionizing radiation induced NF-κΒ activity in the ARMS cells in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and upregulated expression of NF-κΒ target proteins. Pretreatment of the cells with curcumin inhibited radiation-induced NF-κΒ activity and target protein expression. In vivo, the combination of curcumin and IR had synergistic antitumor activity against Rh30 and Rh41 ARMS xenografts. The greatest effect occurred when tumor-bearing mice were treated with curcumin prior to IR. Immunohistochemistry revealed that combination therapy significantly decreased tumor cell proliferation and endothelial cell count, and increased tumor cell apoptosis. Stable expression of the super-repressor, SR-IκBα, that blocks the classical NF-κB pathway, increased sensitivity to IR, while expression of SR-p100, that blocks the alternative pathway, did not. Our results demonstrate that curcumin can potentiate the antitumor activity of IR in ARMS xenografts by suppressing a classical NF-κΒ activation pathway induced by ionizing radiation. These data support testing of curcumin as a radiosensitizer for the clinical treatment of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Impact of work: The NF-κΒ protein complex has been linked to radioresistance in several cancers. In this study, we have demonstrated that inhibiting radiation-induced NF-κΒ activity by either pharmacologic (curcumin) or genetic (SR-IκBα) means significantly enhanced the efficacy of radiation therapy in the treatment of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cells and xenografts. These data suggest that preventing the radiation-induced activation of the NF-κΒ pathway is a promising way to improve the antitumor efficacy of ionizing radiation and warrants clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]