Bt Cry toxin is the mostly studied and widely used biological insect resistance protein, which plays a leading role in the green control of agricultural pests worldwide. However, with the wide application of its preparations and transgenic insecticidal crops, the resistance to target pests and potential ecological risks induced by the drive are increasingly prominent and attracting much attention. The researchers seek to explore new insecticidal protein materials that can simulate the insecticidal function of Bt Cry toxin. This will help to escort the sustainable and healthy production of crops, and relieve the pressure of target pests' resistance to Bt Cry toxin to a certain extent. In recent years, the author's team has proposed that Ab2β anti-idiotype antibody has the property of mimicking antigen structure and function based on the "Immune network theory" of antibody. With the help of phage display antibody library and specific antibody high-throughput screening and identification technology, Bt Cry toxin antibody was designed as the coating target antigen, and a series of Ab2β anti-idiotype antibodies (namely Bt Cry toxin insecticidal mimics) were screened from the phage antibody library. Among them, the lethality of Bt Cry toxin insecticidal mimics with the strongest activity was close to 80% of the corresponding original Bt Cry toxin, showing great promise for the targeted design of Bt Cry toxin insecticidal mimics. This paper systematically summarized the theoretical basis, technical conditions, research status, and discussed the development trend of relevant technologies and how to promote the application of existing achievements, aiming to facilitate the research and development of green insect-resistant materials.
Insecticides/metabolism* ; Bacillus thuringiensis ; Endotoxins/pharmacology* ; Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins/metabolism* ; Hemolysin Proteins/pharmacology* ; Bacterial Proteins/chemistry* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Pest Control, Biological

Bacillus thuringiensis is widely used as an insecticide which is safe and environmentally friendly to humans and animals. One of the important insecticidal mechanisms is the binding of Bt toxins to specific toxin receptors in insect midgut and forming a toxin perforation which eventually leads to insect death. The resistance of target pests to Bt toxins is an important factor hampering the long-term effective cultivation of Bt crops and the continuous use of Bt toxins. This review summarizes the mechanism of insect resistance to Bt toxins from the perspective of important Bt toxin receptors in midgut cells of Lepidopteran insects, which may facilitate the in-depth study of Bt resistance mechanism and pest control.
Animals ; Bacillus thuringiensis/genetics* ; Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins ; Bacterial Proteins/metabolism* ; Endotoxins/metabolism* ; Hemolysin Proteins/metabolism* ; Insecta/metabolism* ; Insecticide Resistance/genetics* ; Insecticides/pharmacology* ; Pest Control, Biological

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major disease that threatens human health. With the progression of CKD, the risk of cardiovascular death increases, which is associated with the elevated levels of uremic toxins (UTs). Representative toxins such as indoxyl sulfate and p-cresyl sulfate are involed in CKD progression and cardiovascular events inseparable from the key role of endothelial dysfunction. The therapeutic strategies of UTs are aimed at signaling pathways that target the levels and damage of toxins in modern medicine. There is a certain relevance between toxins and "turbid toxin" in the theory of Chinese medicine (CM). CM treatments have been demonstrated to reduce the damage of gut-derived toxins to the heart, kidney and blood vessels. Modern medicine still lacks evidence-based therapies, so it is necessary to explore the treatments of CM.
Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Toxins, Biological ; analysis ; metabolism ; Uremia ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo review the current knowledge about the pathophysiological mechanisms, preclinical models, novel contributors and potential therapies of cardiorenal syndrome.

DATA SOURCESThe literature concerning cardiorenal syndrome in this review was collected from PubMed published in English up to January 2014.

STUDY SELECTIONOriginal articles and critical reviews related to cardiorenal syndrome were selected and carefully analyzed.

RESULTSCardiorenal syndrome is a condition characterized by kidney and heart failure where failure of one organ worsens the function of the other thus further accelerating the progressive failure of both organs. The pathophysiology of cardiorenal syndrome is not fully understood, but may be caused by a complex combination of neurohormonal system activation, endothelial dysfunction, proteinuria, oxidative stress, uremic toxins and other factors. Managing cardiorenal syndrome is still a major therapeutic challenge in clinical practice because many of the drugs used to control heart failure can worsen renal function, and vice versa. Non-dialyzable uremic toxins, such as indoxyl sulfate, causing detrimental effects on the heart and kidney as well as stimulation of inflammatory responses, may be an effective therapeutic target for cardiorenal syndrome.

CONCLUSIONSSuitable disease models of cardiorenal syndrome are urgently needed to investigate the pathophysiology and effective therapeutic approaches to the condition. Non-dialyzable protein-bound uremic toxins that may have cardiac and renal effects may provide therapeutic benefit to cardiorenal syndrome patients.

Cardio-Renal Syndrome ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Toxins, Biological ; metabolism

Continuously cropping obstacle restricts ginseng production and rational use of land resource severely, and autotoxicity is one of the most important factors. In our previous work, ginseng autotoxin degrading bacteria were isolated, in the present re- search, plate culturing method and traditional physiological and biochemical method were used to analyze biological indices and protective enzyme activities, in order to elucidate the mitigative effect of autotoxin degrading bacteria on autotoxicity of P. ginseng. Results indicated that, except for palmitic acid, autotoxicity of benzonic acid, diisobutyl phthalate, diisobutyl succinate, and 2,2-bis (4- hydroxyphenyl) propane on the growth of ginseng seeds was significantly alleviated after autotoxins degrading bacteria was inoculated, and which have no evident difference with control. Except for benzoic acid, enzyme activity of SOD, POD and CAT in other autotoxin degrading treatments decreased significantly. The present research showed that, microbial degradation could alleviate the autotoxicity of autotoxins on ginseng seeds effectively, and which will be helpful for the resolution of ginseng continuously cropping obstacle problem.
Bacteria ; metabolism ; Panax ; enzymology ; growth & development ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Toxins, Biological ; metabolism

In this study, traditional plate culturing method was used to isolate autotoxin-degrading microbial strains, and which were then identified by 16S rDNA homological analysis and morphological characteristics. Furthermore, the growth and autotoxin-degrading efficiency of them were analyzed by liquid culturing method and GC-MS to illustrate their autotoxin-degradation characteristics. As a result, five bacterial strains having autotoxin-degrading activity were isolated from 6-years ginseng nonrhizospheric soil successfully, and which can growth successfully by taking autotoxins added artificially as carbon source in liquid culturing condition. Results indicated that it was feasible to isolate autotoxin-degrading bacteria from ginseng nonrhizospheric soil, and the isolated bacterial strains can be used to degrade autotoxins in soils once planted Panax ginseng.
Bacteria ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Panax ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Soil ; chemistry ; Soil Microbiology ; Toxins, Biological ; metabolism

The human intestinal microbiota is a community of 10(13)-10(14) microorganisms that harbor in the intestine and normally participate in a symbiotic relationship with human. Technical and conceptual advances have enabled rapid progress in characterizing the taxonomic composition, metabolic capacity and immunomodulatory activity of the human intestinal microbiota. Their collective genome, defined as microbiome, is estimated to contain > or =150 times as many genes as 2.85 billion base pair human genome. The intestinal microbiota and its microbiome form a diverse and complex ecological community that profoundly impact intestinal homeostasis and disease states. It is becoming increasingly evident that the large and complex bacterial population of the large intestine plays an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis. Numerous studies show that gut immunity and inflammation have impact on the development of colorectal cancer. Additionally, bacteria have been linked to colorectal cancer by the production of toxic and genotoxic bacterial metabolite. In this review, we discuss the multifactorial role of intestinal microbiota in colorectal cancer and role for probiotics in the prevention of colorectal cancer.
Animals ; Bacteroides/metabolism ; Colorectal Neoplasms/immunology/*microbiology ; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified/metabolism ; Humans ; Hydrogen Sulfide/metabolism ; Intestinal Mucosa/immunology/microbiology ; Metagenome ; *Probiotics ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism ; Toxins, Biological/metabolism

The pathogenesis and treatments based on meridian differentiation of senile dementia are discussed through analyses and researches on the theory of "cerebral collaterals injury by toxins" and "collateral diseases". The symptoms of "Cerebral collaterals injury by toxins" are preliminary characterized by toxins and blood stasis occluding brain collaterals. "Cerebral collateral injury by toxins" and "Governor Vessel occlusion by blood stasis" are taken as the major pathogeneses of senile dementia. And the treatment should be focused on clearing the collaterals. Clearance acting as reinforcing as well as to clear and modify the Governor Vessel are taken as crucial sections in the treatment of senile dementia based on meridian differentiation. It is also the application of acupuncture-moxibustion intervention in senile dementia based on the theory of "cerebral collateral injury by toxins", which expands the application of the theory concerning "collateral diseases" in disease prevention and treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Alzheimer Disease ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; therapy ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Meridians ; Toxins, Biological ; metabolism ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of drug-containing serum of Chinese herbal compound, Xiongshao Capsule (, XS, for activating-blood) and Huanglian Capsule (, HL, for dispellingtoxin) on the oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced inflammatory factors in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

METHODSThirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups: the blank control group treated with distilled water, the positive control group treated with simvastatin (1.8 mg/kg), the test group I treated with Chinese herbal compound of XS (0.135 g/kg), and the test group II treated with Chinese herbal compound of XS (0.135 g/kg) and HL (0.135 g/kg). All the treatments were administered for 7 successive days by gastrogavage. Rats' blood serum was harvested 1 h after the last administration to prepare respective drugcontaining serum. HUVECs were exposed to ox-LDL (100 μg/mL) to induce cell injury model and incubated with corresponding drug-containing serum for 24 h. Untreated HUVECs were set for blank control. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in supernatant of cultured HUVECs were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). HUVEC surface expressions of ICAM-1 and E-selectin were determined by flow cytometry.

RESULTSLevels of IL-6, TNF-α, and sICAM-1 in the supernatant of HUVECs as well as the cell surface expressions of ICAM-1 and E-selectin significantly increased after 24-h ox-LDL stimulation (P<0.01), while the abnormal elevations, except sICAM-1 in the test group I, were all reduced in the treated groups (the positive control and the two test groups) significantly (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Besides, the effect in the test group II seemed somewhat higher than that in the test group I but with no statistical significance (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONDrug-containing serum of XS plus HL has a certain inhibitory effect on the vascular endothelial inflammation response induced by ox-LDL.

Animals ; Capsules ; Cell Membrane ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; E-Selectin ; metabolism ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Inflammation Mediators ; metabolism ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Solubility ; drug effects ; Subcellular Fractions ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Toxins, Biological ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the potential reporter gene assay for the detection of sodium channel-specific toxins in shellfish as an alternative for screening harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins, considering the fact that the existing methods including HPLC and bioassay are inappropriate for identifying HAB toxins which poses a serious problem on human health and shellfish industry.

METHODSA reporter plasmid pEGFP-c-fos containing c-fos promoter and EGFP was constructed and transfected into T24 cells using LipofectAMINE 2000. Positive transfectants were screened by G418 to produce a pEGFP-c-fos-T24 cell line. After addition of increasing neurotoxic shellfish poison (NSP) or GTX2,3, primary components of paralytic shellfish poison (PSP), changes in expression of EGFP in the cell line were observed under a laser scanning confocal microscope and quantified with Image-pro Plus software.

RESULTSDose-dependent changes in the intensity of green fluorescence were observed for NSP in a range from 0 to 10 ng/mL and for GTX2,3 from 0 to 16 ng/mL.

CONCLUSIONpEGFP-c-fos-T24 can be applied in detecting HAB toxins, and cell-based assay can be used as an alternative for screening sodium channel-specific HAB toxins.

Animals ; Biological Assay ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Genes, Reporter ; physiology ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; Harmful Algal Bloom ; physiology ; Humans ; Plasmids ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; genetics ; metabolism ; Shellfish ; analysis ; Sodium Channels ; Toxins, Biological ; chemistry ; toxicity