Objective: In order to discuss the influence difference of environmental stress on dioecious plants and the response of environmental factors influence on the fruiting and yield of Thladiantha setispina. Methods: The effects of the different sowing-dates on the female plant rate, fruit character, and seed yield of T. setispina were investigated by the comparative ways. Results: Different sowing-dates on differentiation of male and female plants had a significant impact. The appropriate delay of sowing-date could significantly improve the proportion of female T. setispina (P < 0.01); Sowing-date limited the impacted fruit character of T. setispina. By the treatment of different sowing-dates, the differences of average real weight of fresh fruit quality, dry quality, and dry matter content were not significant (P > 0.05), but the sowing-date on yield components of T. setispina had a direct impact on related indicators, yield differences during the treatments reached a very significant level (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The appropriate delaying of sowing-date could help to improve the seed production of T. setispina.

The present study was aimed to explore the changes of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (pAMPK) level in skeletal muscle after exposure to acute hypobaric hypoxia and exhaustive exercise. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sea level and high altitude groups. The rats in high altitude group were submitted to simulated 5 000 m of high altitude in a hypobaric chamber for 24 h, and sea level group was maintained at normal conditions. All the rats were subjected to exhaustive swimming exercise. The exhaustion time was recorded. Before and after the exercise, blood lactate and glycogen content in skeletal muscle were determined; AMPK and pAMPK levels in skeletal muscle were detected by Western blot. The results showed that the exhaustion time was significantly decreased after exposure to high altitude. At the moment of exhaustion, high altitude group had lower blood lactate concentration and higher surplus glycogen content in gastrocnemius compared with sea level group. Exhaustive exercise significantly increased the pAMPK/AMPK ratio in rat skeletal muscles from both sea level and high altitude groups. However, high altitude group showed lower pAMPK/AMPK ratio after exhaustion compared to sea level group. These results suggest that, after exposure to acute hypobaric hypoxia, the decrement in exercise capacity may not be due to running out of glycogen, accumulation of lactate or disturbance in energy status in skeletal muscle.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Altitude ; Animals ; Computer Simulation ; Glycogen ; metabolism ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Lactic Acid ; blood ; Male ; Motor Activity ; physiology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Physical Exertion ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of endemic fluoride poisoning caused by coal burning on the oxidative stress in rat testis.

METHODSTotally 40 male SD rats were equally randomized into four groups control group, low fluorosis group, middle fluorosis group, and high fluorosis group. Rats in all three fluorosis groups were fed with corn dried by burning coal obtained from endemic fluorosis areas with high fluoride, and thus the animal models of fluorosis were established. After 120 and 180 days, all the rats were sacrificed. Testis tissues were stained with hematoxylin eosin and observed under light microscope. The malonaldehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total nitric oxide synthase (TNOS), and inducible nitric oxidase synthase (iNOS) were measured by biochemical methods in the testis tissues. The content of NaF in testis was measured by fluorine selective electrode.

RESULTSThe rat fluorosis models were successfully established. The fluoride content in testis was significantly increased in all the fluorosis groups(P<0.01). Testicular structures were damaged in all of fluoride groups. The TNOS, iNOS activities, and MDA content of each fluoride group were significantly higher than that of the control group on day 120 and 180 (P<0.05 or 0.01 ). The TNOS, iNOS activities, and MDA content significantly increased in a dose dependent manner (P<0.05 or 0.01). The SOD activities significantly decreased in all the fluoride groups (P<0.05 or 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSEndemic fluoride poisoning caused by coal burning can cause disorders in the oxidative system and antioxidative system in rat testis. The oxidative stress may play an important role in the fluorides induced reproductive toxicity in male rats.

Animals ; Coal ; toxicity ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fluoride Poisoning ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testis ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo understand the relationship between the susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ATG16L1 gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site, rs2241880.

METHODSPeripheral blood samples were collected from 80 IBD patients (including 40 with Crohn's disease and 40 with ulcerative colitis) and 50 healthy controls, and the genomic DNA was extracted from the white blood cells. Specific primers were designed according to the target gene sequence for PCR amplification of the target gene fragment, and the PCR products were purified followed by sequence analysis of the target region of ATG16L1 gene. The results of the sequence analysis were compared with the BenBank data to analyze the relationship between the allele gene polymorphisms and the susceptibility to Crohn's disease.

RESULTSNo significant differences were noted in the ATG16L1 gene SNP site rs2241880 polymorphisms among the patients with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and the control subjects (Chi(2)=4.94, P=0.293).

CONCLUSIONATG16L1 gene polymorphisms in the SNP site rs2241880 are not found to correlate to the susceptibility to Crohn's disease as reported in literature. The SNP site associated with Crohn's disease susceptibility identified in foreign populations does not seem to be identical with that in Chinese population.

Adult ; Autophagy ; genetics ; Autophagy-Related Proteins ; Base Sequence ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; genetics ; Crohn Disease ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phagosomes ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Sequence Analysis, DNA