The family Amanitaceae: molecular phylogeny,higher-rank taxonomy and the species in China

Mushrooms in the basidiomycete family Amanitaceae are very important both economically and ecologically. However, the delimitation of the family is still controversial, in part due to limited taxon sampling and in part because of insufficient gene fragment employed for molecular phylogenetic analyses. Furthermore, species diversity in the family is likely to have been largely underestimated, due to morphological similarity between taxa and phenotypic plasticity. In this study, we examined 1190 collections, including 1008 Chinese and 182 external ones, and performed the first comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of Amanitaceae using multi-locus sequence data. To test the monophyly of the Amanitaceae, a concatenated (nrLSU, rpb1, and rpb2) dataset of 200 taxa of the order Agaricales was analyzed. To infer the phylogeny of Amanitaceae, a concatenated nrLSU, tef1-α, rpb2 and β-tubulin dataset (3010 sequences from ca. 890 samples with 2309 newly generated sequences) was used. In this dataset, 252 sequences from the types of 77 species were provided. Our results indicate that Amanitaceae is a monophyletic group, and consists of five genera, namely Amanita, Catatrama, Limacella, Limacellopsis and Myxoderma. It is clear that Catatrama is closely related to Limacella, however, the phylogenetic relationships among these genera remain largely unresolved. Amanita contains 95% of the species in the family, and is here divided into three subgenera and eleven sections (subgen. Amanita, containing: sect. Amanita, sect. Amarrendiae, sect. Caesareae and sect. Vaginatae; subgen. Amanitina, containing: sect. Amidella, sect. Arenariae, sect. Phalloideae, sect. Roanokenses, sect. Strobiliformes and sect. Validae; and subgen. Lepidella, containing sect. Lepidella). Subgen. Lepidella occupies the basal position in the genus. One-hundred and sixty-two species of Amanitaceae known from China are treated in this study, including 50 novel species and 112 known taxa. Amanita gleocystidiosa, A. pyriformis, A. atrofusca, A. subjunquillea var. alba and A. areolata are treated as synonyms of A. sychnopyramis f. subannulata, A. orientigemmata, A. umbrinolutea, A. subjunquillea and A. zangii, respectively. 26 extralimital taxa including a novel species, namely Catatrama indica, were included in our study to allow us to make comparisons between these and the Chinese taxa. DNA sequence data for all the species of Amanitaceae in China and keys for identification of the species are provided.     

Duodenum Exclusion Alone Is Sufficient to Improve Glucose Metabolism in STZ-Induced Diabetes Rats

Background

Several studies have found that metabolic surgery can significantly improve glucose homeostasis; however, the intrinsic mechanisms remain unclear. Accumulating evidence suggests that duodenal bypass plays a crucial role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here, we aimed to evaluate the effect of duodenal reflux on glucose metabolism in T2DM.

Methods

A high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) administration were used to induce T2DM in male rats, which were assigned to three experimental groups: sham operation (SO; n?=?10), new duodenal-jejunal bypass (NDJB; n?=?10), and new duodenal-jejunal bypass with a tube (NDJBT; n?=?10). Weight, food intake, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) levels, and histopathology were assessed before or after surgery. Plain abdominal radiography was performed 1 week after the operation.

Results

Plain abdominal radiography indicated the occurrence of contrast agent reflux into the duodenum. The body weight and food intake in all three groups did not significantly differ before and after surgery. The NDJB and particularly the NDJBT groups exhibited better glucose tolerance, lower fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, lower area under the curves for OGTT (AUC_OGTT) values, and higher GLP-1 levels, as compared with the sham group postoperatively. The villus height and crypt depth were both shorter in the biliopancreatic limb after NDJBT, as compared with those after SO and NDJB.

Conclusions

Thus, exclusion of the duodenum alone and tube placement can effectively prevent duodenal reflux and improve glucose homeostasis, which further suggests that the duodenum plays an important role in T2DM.

     

TEKT4 Promotes Papillary Thyroid Cancer Cell Proliferation,Colony Formation,and Metastasis through Activating PI3K/Akt Pathway

Thyroid carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system worldwide, but its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Some diseases are associated with TEKT4 gene. However, its role in thyroid carcinoma has yet to be fully examined. This study was designed to investigate the function of TEKT4 in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The effect of TEKT4 on aggressive behavior of PTC cell lines, namely, TPC1 and BCPAP, transfected with small interfering RNA was identified through cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion. Our previous study revealed that TEKT4 may be vital in PTC. In in vitro experiments, TEKT4 downregulation suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation, cell migration, and invasion. Our data also indicated that tumor-suppressing role of TEKT4 knockdown in PTC cell lines was associated with the silence of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Our study revealed that TEKT4 shows important biological implications and is worthy of further study.     

鞘内注入醋酸泼尼松龙对大鼠镇痛作用及脊髓c-fos表达的影响

目的 :探讨鞘内注入泼尼松龙镇痛作用及其对脊髓c fos表达的影响与神经毒性作用。方法 :慢性鞘内置管的SD大鼠 2 4只 ,随机分为实验组 2 0只 ,对照组 4只。实验组又分成两个亚组 ,用药组 (EP组 ,n =10 ) ,生理盐水组 (EN组 ,n =10 ) ;对照组分为二个亚组 ,用药组 (CP组 ,n =2 ) ,空白对照组 (CE组 ,n =2 )。EP组经导管鞘内注入泼尼松龙 2mg/kg ,1小时后行福尔马林试验 ,进行行为学评分并计算痛级均数 ;2小时后灌注、固定 ,取脊髓腰膨大用ABC法行c fos免疫组化反应及病理检验 ,记数脊髓背角c fos阳性神经元数 ,并与鞘内注入等量生理盐水组 (EN )相比较。结果 :实验各组痛级均数比较有显著差异 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;脊髓腰膨大背角Ⅰ、Ⅱ层c fos阳性神经元数EP组有减少趋势 ,但无显著差异 ;腰膨大病理检验未示异常。结论 :鞘内注入泼尼松龙有镇痛作用 ,无神经毒性作用。     

Baicalin promotes apoptosis and inhibits proliferation and migration of hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells by up-regulating A2a receptor via the SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway

Background

Baicalin is a flavonoid compound that exerts specific pharmacological effect in attenuating the proliferation, migration, and apoptotic resistance of hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). However, the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated yet. Although our previous studies had indicated that activation of A2aR attenuates CXCR expression, little is known about the relationship between A2aR and SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in hypoxic PASMCs. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of A2aR on the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in hypoxic PASMCs, the mechanism underlying this effect, and whether baicalin exerts its protective functions though A2aR.

Methods

Rat PASMCs were cultured under normoxia/hypoxia and divided into nine groups: normoxia, hypoxia, hypoxia + AMD3100 (a CXCR4 antagonist), hypoxia + baicalin, hypoxia + negative virus, normoxia + A2aR knockdown, hypoxia + A2aR knockdown, hypoxia + CGS21680 (an A2aR agonist), and hypoxia + A2aR knockdown + baicalin. Lentiviral transfection methods were used to establish the A2aR knockdown model in PASMCs. Cells were incubated under hypoxic conditions for 24 h. Expression levels of A2aR, SDF-1, and CXCR4 were detected using RT-qPCR and western blot. The proliferation and migration rate were observed via CCK-8 and Transwell methods. Cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry (FCM) and the In-Situ Cell Death Detection kit (Fluorescein).

Results

Under hypoxic conditions, levels of A2aR, SDF-1, and CXCR4 were significantly increased compared to those under normoxia. The trend of SDF-1 and CXCR4 being inhibited when A2aR is up-regulated was more obvious in the baicalin intervention group. Baicalin directly enhanced A2aR expression, and A2aR knockdown weakened the function of baicalin. SDF-1 and CXCR4 expression levels were increased in the hypoxia + A2aR knockdown group, as were the proliferation and migration rates of PASMCs, while the apoptotic rate was decreased. Baicalin and CGS21680 showed opposite effects.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that baicalin efficiently attenuates hypoxia-induced PASMC proliferation, migration, and apoptotic resistance, as well as SDF-1 secretion, by up-regulating A2aR and down-regulating the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis.