Effects of perchlorate and exogenous T4 exposures on development, metamorphosis and endochondral ossification in Bufo gargarizans larvae.

Several endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been proven to interfere with the physiological function of thyroid hormone (TH), which affected growth and development. However, few studies have investigated the effects of EDCs on TH axis with consequence for skeletal development in amphibians. This study thus examined the potential role of perchlorate and T4 in growth, development and endochondral ossification during metamorphosis of Bufo gargarizans.

Effects of temperature on growth, development and the leptin signaling pathway of Bufo gargarizans.

Climate change is one of the most important causes of the decline in amphibians. Changes in temperature have an important effect on the growth and development and energy metabolism of amphibians. The aim of this study is to unravel the effects of temperature on the leptin signaling pathway of Bufo gargarizans and its molecular mechanisms.

Copper-induced sublethal effects in Bufo gargarizans tadpoles: growth, intestinal histology and microbial alternations.

Copper (Cu) is one of the environmental contaminations which can pose significant risks for organisms. The current study explores the effects of Cu exposure on the growth, intestinal histology and microbial ecology in Bufo gargarizans. The results revealed that 0.

Intestinal response characteristic and potential microbial dysbiosis in digestive tract of Bufo gargarizans after exposure to cadmium and lead, alone or combined.

The gastrointestinal tract is the largest immune organ in the body and meanwhile, accommodates a large number of microorganisms. Heavy metals could disturb the intestinal homeostasis and change the gut microbial composition. However, the information regarding the links between dysbiosis of gut microbiota and imbalance of host intestinal homeostasis induced by the mixture of heavy metals is insufficient.

Effects of sodium perchlorate and exogenous L-thyroxine on growth, development and leptin signaling pathway of Bufo gargarizans tadpoles during metamorphosis.

Sodium perchlorate (NaClO) and exogenous L-thyroxine (T4), two kinds of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), mainly affect the circulating thyroid hormones, which regulate the initiation and rate of metamorphosis in amphibian. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential role of EDCs in regulating the development of tadpoles and leptin signaling pathway of liver during the metamorphosis of Bufo gargarizans. There was completely opposite result of average development stage of tadpoles and morphological parameters between the NaClO and T4 exposure groups.

Response Patterns of Biomarkers as Tools to Identify Toxic Effects of Cadmium and Lead on Bufo gargarizans Embryo.

Molecular biomarkers play an increasing crucial role in evaluating and predicting toxicity of metals. Expressions patterns of genes related to oxidative stress, apoptosis, immune and inflammation response in the Bufo gargarizans embryo exhibited a development dependent manner. The genes related to oxidative stress (HSP, GPx and SOD) are the first response in the development of embryo, followed by the apoptosis (Bax, BCLAF1 and TRAIL) and inflammation and immune response (SOCS3, IL-27 and IL-17D), respectively.

Effects of fluoride on the histology, lipid metabolism, and bile acid secretion in liver of Bufo gargarizans larvae.

In our study, Bufo gargarizans (B. gargarizans) larvae were exposed to control, 0.5, 5, 10 and 50 mg/L of NaF from Gs 26 to 42.

Transcriptome analyses reveal molecular mechanisms that regulate endochondral ossification in amphibian Bufo gargarizans during metamorphosis.

Background: A developmental transition from aquatic to terrestrial existence is one of the most important events in the evolution of terrestrial vertebrates. Amphibian metamorphosis is a classic model to study this transition. The development of the vertebrate skeleton can reflect its evolutionary history.

Imminent extinction in the wild of the world's largest amphibian.

Species with large geographic ranges are considered resilient to global decline [1]. However, human pressures on biodiversity affect increasingly large areas, in particular across Asia, where market forces drive overexploitation of species [2]. Range-wide threat assessments are often costly and thus extrapolated from non-representative local studies [3].

The Chinese giant salamander exemplifies the hidden extinction of cryptic species.

Overexploitation, habitat destruction, human-driven climate change and disease spread are resulting in the extinction of innumerable species, with amphibians being hit harder than most other groups [1]. Few species of amphibians are widespread, and those that are often represent complexes of multiple cryptic species. This is especially true for range-restricted salamanders [2].

Determining threatened species distributions in the face of limited data: Spatial conservation prioritization for the Chinese giant salamander ().

The purpose of this study was to determine whether limited occurrence data for highly threatened species can provide useful spatial information to inform conservation. The study was conducted across central and southern China. We developed a habitat suitability model for the Critically Endangered Chinese giant salamander () based on one biotic and three abiotic parameters from single-site locality records, which represent the only relevant environmental data available for this species.

The effect of cadmium exposure on diversity of intestinal microbial community of Rana chensinensis tadpoles.

Cadmium is a natural and widely distributed toxicant, and can be commonly found in environment. Intestinal microbiota plays a very important role in maintaining its host's health. The effects of cadmium on the intestinal microbiota composition and stability of amphibians are little known.

The morphological changes and molecular biomarker responses in the liver of fluoride-exposed Bufo gargarizans larvae.

The goal of the current study was to evaluate the negative influences of fluoride on liver of Bufo gargarizans larvae. B. gargarizans larvae were treated with 42.

Effects of nitrate on metamorphosis, thyroid and iodothyronine deiodinases expression in Bufo gargarizans larvae.

Chinese toad (Bufo gargarizans) tadpoles were exposed to nitrate (10, 50 and 100mg/L NO3-N) from the beginning of the larval period through metamorphic climax. We examined the effects of chronic nitrate exposure on metamorphosis, mortality, body size and thyroid gland. In addition, thyroid hormone (TH) levels, type II iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio2) and type III iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio3) mRNA levels were also measured to assess disruption of TH synthesis.

Chronic toxicity of copper on embryo development in Chinese toad, Bufo gargarizans.

This study examined the effects of copper exposure on embryonic development of Chinese toad, Bufo gargarizans. Firstly, the LC(50) values from 24 to 96 h of exposure were 3.61×10(-6) M, by means of a 4 d toxicity test with B.

WNT-conditioned media differentially affect the proliferation and differentiation of cord blood-derived CD133+ cells in vitro.

Cord blood-derived CD133+ cells have a degree of non-hematopoietic potential and express transcripts of pluripotency markers including Oct-4, Sox-2, Rex-1, and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor, as well as markers of progenitor cells, such as HoxB4, brachyury, and nestin. Having shown by transcriptome analysis that the mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells routinely used to maintain pluripotent embryonic stem cells express transcripts of the WNT/BMP families of signaling factors, we have assessed the effects on proliferation and differentiation of CD133+ cells of medium conditioned (CM) by MEF, by NIH3T3, and by NIH3T3 cells stably expressing WNT1, WNT3a, WNT4, WNT5a, and WNT11. Cultivation of CD133+ cells in MEF-CM led to a significant increase in cell number after 7 days of culture, while WNT-1, WNT3a-, and WNT11-CM increased the cell number significantly by 14 days of culture.

Duplex polymerase chain reaction quantification of human cells in a murine background.

Studies of the regenerative potential of human stem cells commonly involve their transplantation into immune-deficient mice or in vitro coculture with mouse cells. The optimal use of such models requires the detection and quantification of relatively low numbers of human cells in a murine background. We report here a duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach involving the coamplification of human-and mouse-specific repetitive sequences.