A noradrenergic pathway for the induction of pain by sleep loss.

An epidemic of sleep loss currently affects modern societies worldwide and is implicated in numerous physiological disorders, including pain sensitization, although few studies have explored the brain pathways affected by active sleep deprivation (ASD; e.g., due to recreation).

Protocol to test for the formation of ternary protein complexes in vivo or in vitro using a two-step immunoprecipitation approach.

Co-immunoprecipitation (coIP) is an experimental technique to study protein-protein interactions (PPIs). However, single-step coIP can only be used to identify the interaction between two proteins and does not solve the interaction testing of ternary complexes. Here, we present a protocol to test for the formation of ternary protein complexes in vivo or in vitro using a two-step coIP approach.

ATG5 nonautophagically regulates inflammation and differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), with abilities of infinite proliferation (self-renewal) and to differentiate into distinct cell types (pluripotency), show attenuated inflammatory response against cytokines or pathogens, which is recognized as a unique characteristic of ESCs compared with somatic cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear, and whether the attenuated inflammatory state is involved in ESC differentiation is completely unknown. Our recent study demonstrated that macroautophagy/autophagy-related protein ATG5 inhibits the inflammatory response of mouse ESCs (MmESCs) by promoting the degradation of BTRC/β-TrCP1 and further the downregulation of NFKB/NF-κB signaling.

Microglia govern the extinction of acute stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in male mice.

Anxiety-associated symptoms following acute stress usually become extinct gradually within a period of time. However, the mechanisms underlying how individuals cope with stress to achieve the extinction of anxiety are not clear. Here we show that acute restraint stress causes an increase in the activity of GABAergic neurons in the CeA (GABA) in male mice, resulting in anxiety-like behaviors within 12 hours; meanwhile, elevated GABA neuronal CX3CL1 secretion via MST4 (mammalian sterile-20-like kinase 4)-NF-κB-CX3CL1 signaling consequently activates microglia in the CeA.

Visible-light-excitable aqueous afterglow exhibiting long emission wavelength and ultralong afterglow lifetime of 7.64 s.

We utilize the dopant-matrix strategy and emulsion polymerization to obtain aqueous afterglow dispersions from a liquid precursor, which avoids the processing of solid materials, protects organic triplets and achieves long phosphorescence lifetime of 7.64 s. The aqueous afterglow dispersions display great potential for biomedical applications due to their ultralong-lived excited states.

Microglia sustain anterior cingulate cortex neuronal hyperactivity in nicotine-induced pain.

Background: Long-term smoking is a risk factor for chronic pain, and chronic nicotine exposure induces pain-like effects in rodents. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been demonstrated to be associated with pain and substance abuse. This study aims to investigate whether ACC microglia are altered in response to chronic nicotine exposure and their interaction with ACC neurons and subsequent nicotine-induced allodynia in mice.

Copper transporter Ctr1 contributes to enhancement of the sensitivity of cisplatin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that Ctr1 plays a crucial role in the regulation of cisplatin uptake in a variety of tumors. The purpose of this study was to investigate its role in mediating cisplatin sensitivity in ESCC cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), In situ hybridization (ISH) and semi-quantitative RT-PCR were used to detect Ctr1 expressions in ESCC tissues.

Angiotensin Type 2 Receptor Pharmacological Agonist Relieves Neurocognitive Deficits via Reducing Neuroinflammation and Microglial Engulfment of Dendritic Spines.

Mechanically ventilated patients suffering critical illness are at high risk of developing neurocognitive impairments. Angiotensin type 2 receptor (AGTR2) has been demonstrated to be anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective. The present study thus aimed to investigate whether AGTR2 can alleviate cerebral dysfunction in mice subjected to cochallenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and mechanical ventilation (MV), and to reveal the underlying mechanism.

Effects of Fat Type and Exogenous Bile Acids on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Lipid Metabolism and Breast Muscle Fatty Acid Composition in Broiler Chickens.

The current study aimed to explore the effects of fat type and exogenous bile acids (BAs) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, lipid metabolism, and breast muscle fatty acids composition in broiler chickens. A total of 432 one-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were stochastically distributed to a 2 × 2 factorial design comprised of two fat types (soybean oil and lard) and two levels of BAs (0 and 80 mg/kg) included in diets, totaling 4 treatments of 6 replicate pens with 18 chicks per replicate pen. Compared with treatments with soybean oil, dietary inclusion of lard increased the digestibility of ether extract (EE) in diets and the percentage of breast muscle on d 42, and increased the level of serum triglycerides and decreased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity on d 21 (p < 0.

Chromosome-level genome of Himalayan yew provides insights into the origin and evolution of the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway.

Taxus, commonly known as yew, is a well-known gymnosperm with great ornamental and medicinal value. In this study, by assembling a chromosome-level genome of the Himalayan yew (Taxus wallichiana) with 10.9 Gb in 12 chromosomes, we revealed that tandem duplication acts as the driving force of gene family evolution in the yew genome, resulting in the main genes for paclitaxel biosynthesis, i.

Synthesis of Ligustrazine from Acetaldehyde by a Combined Biological-Chemical Approach.

Ligustrazine is an important active alkaloid in medicine and in the food industry. Here, we developed a combined biological-chemical approach to produce ligustrazine from acetaldehyde. First, we constructed a whole-cell biocatalytic system to produce the precursor acetoin from acetaldehyde by overexpressing formolase (FLS).

Differential Analysis of lncRNA, miRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles and the Prognostic Value of lncRNA in Esophageal Cancer.

Integrative central axis of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA plays pivotal roles in tumor development and progression. However, the regulatory role of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA in esophageal cancer remains elusive. TCGA database was utilized to investigate the differential expression of lncRNA, miRNA and mRNA in esophageal cancer (ESCA) and normal esophageal tissues, and GEO database was used to further validate the expression profile of key genes.

MicroRNA-16-5p overexpression suppresses proliferation and invasion as well as triggers apoptosis by targeting VEGFA expression in breast carcinoma.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small noncoding RNA molecules, can manipulate the expressions of endogenous tumor-related genes, and are implicated in the development and progression of a wide type of tumors. In this study, the investigation from real-time quantitative PCR revealed that miRNA-16-5p was downregulated in breast carcinoma tissues and cells, coupled with the elevations of HIF-α and VEGFA protein expressions, compared with normal tissues. Lentiviral armed with miR-16-5p markedly increased the miR-16-5p levels in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, compared to blank and NC groups, and miR-16-5p overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells.