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The most important quality for muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) is their sweetness which is closely related to the soluble sugars content. Leaves are the main photosynthetic organs in plants and thus the source of sugar accumulation in fruits since sugars are translocated from leaves to fruits. The effects of grafting muskmelon on two different inter-specific (Cucurbita maxima×C. moschata) rootstocks was investigated with respect to photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Grafting Zhongmi1 muskmelon on RibenStrong (GR) or Shengzhen1 (GS) rootstocks increased chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll a+b content and the leaf area in middle and late developmental stages of the plant compared to the ungrafted Zhongmi1 check (CK). Grafting enhanced the net photosynthesis rate, the stomatal conductance, concentration of intercellular CO2 and transpiration rate. Grafting influenced carbohydrates contents by changing carbohydrate metabolic enzymes activities which was observed as an increase in acid invertase and neutral invertase activity in the functional leaves during the early and middle developmental stages compared to CK. Grafting improved sucrose phosphate synthase and stachyose synthase activities in middle and late developmental stages, thus translocation of sugars (such as sucrose, raffinose and stachyose) in GR and GS leaves were significantly enhanced. However, compared with CK, translocation of more sugars in grafted plants did not exert feedback inhibition on photosynthesis. Our results indicate that grafting muskmelon on inter-specific rootstocks enhances photosynthesis and translocation of sugars in muskmelon leaves.

Eighty eight patients with 91 uterine leiomyomas who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA) treatment were prospectively included in the study in order to study the dose-effect relationship parameters (DERP) of PMWA for uterine leiomyomas and its relationship with T2-weighted MR imaging (T2WI). Based on the signal intensity of T2WI, uterine leiomyomas were classified as hypointense, isointense, and hyperintense. During ablation, leiomyomas were treated with quantitative microwave ablation (QMWA) energy of 50 w × 300 s or 60 w × 300 s. After QMWA, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed to evaluate DERP. No matter under 50 × 3300 s or 60 w × 300 s, quantitative microwave ablation volume (QMAV) of hyperintense leiomyoma was smaller than that of hypointense and isointense leiomyoma (P<0.016). For hypointense and isointense leiomyoma, QMAV of 60 w × 300 s was larger than that of 50 w × 300 s (P<0.05). DERPs obtained by T2WI can be used to guide the treatment of uterine leiomyoma by PMWA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new compounds, 8-dehydroxymethylvisanol (1) and 9-O-[3-O-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-4-hydroxy-cinnamic acid (4), together with two known lignans, visanol (2) and 9-aldehydevibsanol (3), were isolated from the 80% EtOH extract ofSolidago canadensis. The structures of the two new compounds were elucidated on the basis of 1D, 2D NMR, and mass spectral analysis. All the lignans exhibited moderate hypolipidemic activity in high-fat diet-fed hamsters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To explore the difference between adolescent and adult C57BL/6J mice in response to rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) deprivation in terms of anxiety behavior and hippocampal NO level., Methods: Both adolescent and adult C57BL/6J mice were divided into normal control (NC) group, wide platform (WP) group, and 24-hour REMS deprivation group, each group consisting of 15 mice. REMS deprivation models were established using a small platform in water tank, and the elevated plus maze test was used to examine anxiety behavior of the mice. After behavioral tests, the mice were sacrificed to examine hippocampal NO levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and hippocampal nNOS protein expression was detected with Western blotting., Results: The adolescent C57BL/6J mice showed no obvious differences in anxiety behaviors between the 3 groups, but NO level and nNOS expression in the hippocampus was significantly higher in REMSD group than in NC and WP groups (P<0.01). The adult mice in REMSD group, compared with those in the other two groups, exhibited significantly increased total number of arm entry (P<0.01), lowered number of open arm entry and reduced open arm time (P<0.01), increased number of close arm entry and prolonged close arm time (P<0.01 or 0.05); no obvious differences in NO level or nNOS expression in the hippocampus were found in the 3 groups of adult mice., Conclusion: REMS deprivation produces different effects on anxiety-related behaviors between adolescent and adult mice possibly in relation to their different responses in terms of NO levels and nNOS expression in the hippocampus.

A total of 142 premenopausal women with symptomatic adenomyosis underwent ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA) at the Chinese PLA General Hospital. This study aimed to evaluate changes in serum pituitary, gonadal hormone and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) levels after US-guided PMWA. Therefore, estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL) and CA125 levels were evaluated before ablation and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after ablation. No significant differences were observed in the E2 and FSH levels pre-ablation and during follow-up (E2: p=0.933, p=0.987, p=0.106, p=0.936; FSH: p=0.552, p=0.295, p=0.414, p=0.760). The mean absolute values of serum CA125 and PRL were significantly decreased at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after ablation (CA125: p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.003; PRL: p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001). A significant correlation between changes in CA125 levels and uterine volume was found (p<0.001). No evidence of a decline in ovarian function was observed after US-guided PMWA.

In vivo tumor imaging technique method based on bioluminescence principle was established to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of paclitaxel mixed micelle (PMM). MDA-MB-231 tumor cells with luciferase reporter vectors were firstly implanted into nude mice, and subsequently the luciferase substrate was regularly injected during intraperitoneal administration of PMM. Then the tumor size, growth and the intensity of light signals were monitored with in vivo imaging technique. The method of luciferase tumor in vivo imaging could be real-time, reliable and exact in labeling and reflecting the growth of tumors, and the observed results were consistent with that by conventional method, so it would be a feasible approach to study anti-tumor effect of drugs. The anti-tumor effect of paclitaxel mixed micelle was observed by this method, and the results showed that this formulation could inhibit growth of tumor, and the anti-tumor rate of it was about 85%.

Objective: To examine the change of Smoothened (Smo) expression in the retinofugal pathway and in the growth cones during the period of embryonic day 13 (E13) to E15., Methods: Smo expression in the chiasm and growth cones was observed by fluorescent immunostaining and retinal explant culture., Results: On E13 and E14, Smo was expressed moderately in the retina and optic disc, and in the corner of the retina, Smo expression was especially dense. On E13, Smo expression was detected in the optic nerves and ventral diencephalon, but only in the superficial region of the optic tract on E14. Smo was also detected in the stem and filopodia of the growth cones in the retinal explant culture during this period., Conclusion: Smo expression changes in different developmental phases, suggesting that Smo might play a role in signal optic axon growth during the development of the retinofugal pathway.

Objective: To understand the function of Sonic hedgehog in chiasm development in mouse embryos of embryonic day 13 (E13) to E15., Methods: Brain slices of E13-E15 mouse embryos containing the optic pathway from the eyes to the optic tract were prepared and cultured in DMEM/F12 in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum at 37 degrees in a rolling incubator for 5 h. The antibody to Shh was added into the culture medium of the slices in the treatment group, while no additional chemical or only normal mouse IgG was added in the control groups. After culture, the brain slices were fixed and a DiI granule was inserted into the optic disc in one eye. Seven days later, the tissue overlying the chiasm was removed to expose the DiI-labeled chiasm for observation under confocal microscope, and the images were analyzed by METAMORPH software., Results: Shh antibody treatment produced a reduction of crossing of the earliest retinal axons at the midline of E13 chiasm, and the uncrossed axons were also influenced by Shh antibody at E15., Conclusion: Shh executes a transient but important function in axon decussation in the early stage of mouse optic chiasm development and signals axon turning in the later stage.

Aim: To prepare the cardiomyocyte-targeting liposomes and investigate their cardiomyocyte targetability in vitro., Methods: Liposomes modified with compound PAC were prepared (PAC-L); The uptake of PAC-L by cardiomyocytes was studied by incubating fluorescence labeled liposomes with cardiomyocytes in vitro and measuring the association of liposomes by a fluorescence spectrophotometer., Results: A high affinity of PAC-L to the cardiomyocytes was observed, the amount of cell uptake of PAC-L by cardiomyocytes was higher than that by nonmyocyte (P < 0.001); The amount of cardiomyocyte uptake of PAC-L on the normoxia condition 2 h was 2.9-fold higher than that of plain-L, and the increase was 5.2-fold when hypoxia occured; The form of liposome uptake changed, the amount of cardiomyocyte uptake of Plain-L by internalization was only 11%, while that of PAC-L was 56%., Conclusion: It is indicated that PAC-L was a potential drug carrier for targeting to ischemic myocardium.