Molting-related proteases in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

Digestion and absorption of old cuticles during insect molting are necessary for new cuticle formation, during which complicated enzyme catalysis is essential. To date, a few carboxypeptidases, aminopeptidases and serine proteases (mostly trypsins) connected with cuticle digestion, zymogen activation and histological differentiation during the ecdysis of lepidopteran, dipteran and hymenopteran insects have been identified. However, little is known about these proteins in hemimetabolous insects.

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Provokes Macrophages to Secrete IL-1β Contributing to Atherosclerosis Progression.

Abnormally high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) has been reported to associate with cardiovascular diseases in prostate cancer patients with specific androgen deprivation therapy and in menopausal women. All of the cardiovascular diseases were involved in atherosclerosis. However, the pathogenic mechanism of FSH-associated atherosclerosis remains uncertain.

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Provokes Macrophages to Secrete IL-1β Contributing to Atherosclerosis Progression.

Abnormally high follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) has been reported to associate with cardiovascular diseases in prostate cancer patients with specific androgen deprivation therapy and in menopausal women. All of the cardiovascular diseases were involved in atherosclerosis. However, the pathogenic mechanism of FSH-associated atherosclerosis remains uncertain.

Threonyl-tRNA synthetase gene, a potential target for RNAi-based control of three rice planthoppers.

Background: RNA interference (RNAi) has potential as a new strategy for pest control. However, the current overemphasis on the control of a single pest increased control costs. The aim of this study was to find a green method of controlling several pests without affecting the natural enemies with a single target gene.

A feminizing switch in a hemimetabolous insect.

The mechanism of sex determination remains poorly understood in hemimetabolous insects. Here, in the brown planthopper (BPH), , a hemipteran rice pest, we identified a feminizing switch or a () that encodes a serine/arginine-rich protein. Knockdown of in female nymphs resulted in masculinization of both the somatic morphology and splicing.

Plays a Role in Microbial Homeostasis in the Brown Planthopper.

Insects harbor a wide variety of symbiotic microorganisms that are capable of regulating host health and promoting host adaptation to their environment and food sources. However, there is little knowledge concerning the mechanisms that maintain the microbial community homeostasis within insects. In this study, we found that the () gene played an essential role in maintaining microbial homeostasis in the brown planthopper (BPH), .

Pleiotropic Roles of the Orthologue of the Gene in the Brown Planthopper.

(), a gene involved in the sex-determining cascade of , works in concert with the female-specific product of () at the end of the hierarchy to implement the sex-specific differentiation of sexually dimorphic characters in female individuals. In this study, the homolog was identified in the brown planthopper (BPH), , which contained two splice variants expressed in both female and male insects. We found that played a vital role in the early nymphal development of BPH, showing an accumulated effect.

[Comparison of Clinical Effects of Electroacupuncture of Abdominal and Limb Acupoints in the Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis].

Objective: To compare the difference of therapeutic efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of abdominal acupoints and limb acupoints in the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP), so as to provide a reference for EA treatment of AP.

Methods: A total of 60 patients with AP were equally and randomly divided into abdominal acupoint group and limb acupoint group. On the basis of retention enema of Chaiqin Chengqi Decoction (containing , etc.