Detection performance of PCR for Legionella pneumophila in environmental samples: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Legionellosis remains a public health problem. The most common diagnostic method to detect Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is culture.

Black rice-derived anthocyanins inhibit HER-2-positive breast cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition-mediated metastasis in vitro by suppressing FAK signaling.

This study aimed to investigate the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling in the inhibitory effects of black rice anthocyanins (BRACs) on human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)-positive human breast cancer cell metastasis, using the MCF-10A, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-453 cells. BRACs exerted an anti-metastatic effect on the HER-2-positive breast cancer cells. The effects of BRACs on the proliferation of the MDA-MB-453 cells were examined by cell counting kit-8 assay.

Anti-metastasis activity of black rice anthocyanins against breast cancer: analyses using an ErbB2 positive breast cancer cell line and tumoral xenograft model.

Background: Increasing evidence from animal, epidemiological and clinical investigations suggest that dietary anthocyanins have potential to prevent chronic diseases, including cancers. It is also noteworthy that human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ErbB2) protein overexpression or ErbB2 gene amplification has been included as an indicator for metastasis and higher risk of recurrence for breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: The present experiments investigated the anti-metastasis effects of black rice anthocyanins (BRACs) on ErbB2 positive breast cancer cells in vivo and in vitro.

Direction and extent of organelle DNA introgression between two spruce species in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

A recent model has shown that, during range expansion of one species in a territory already occupied by a related species, introgression should take place preferentially from the resident species towards the invading species and genome components experiencing low rates of gene flow should introgress more readily than those experiencing high rates of gene flow. Here, we use molecular markers from two organelle genomes with contrasted rates of gene flow to test these predictions by examining genetic exchanges between two morphologically distinct spruce Picea species growing in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The haplotypes from both mitochondrial (mt) DNA and chloroplast (cp) DNA cluster into two distinct lineages that differentiate allopatric populations of the two species.

Mycotoxin Ochratoxin A-induced cell death and changes in oxidative metabolism of Arabidopsis thaliana.

We evaluated the phytotoxicity of mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) from Aspergillus and Penicillium strains on Arabidopsis thaliana. The results demonstrate that the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana on media containing OTA was inhibited significantly. Moreover, OTA induced necrotic lesions in detached leaves, which are reminiscent of hypersensitive response lesions that are activated during plant-pathogen interactions and other abiotic stress factors.

[Effect of soy isoflavone on gene expression of leptin and insulin sensibility in insulin-resistant rats].

Objective: To explore the effects of soy isoflavone (SIF) on gene expression of leptin and insulin sensibility in insulin-resistant (IR) rats induced by high-fat, and to reveal the mechanisms of SIF in ameliorating insulin sensibility.

Methods: IR rats were randomly divided into four groups based on their insulin-resistant indexes (IRI): one model control group and three SIF groups that were gavaged with water solutions with SIF at doses of 0 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, and 450 mg/kg, respectively. After one month, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, leptin in serum, and leptin mRNA in the perirenal adipocyte were detected by enzymic method, radioimmunoassay, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and real time quantitative RT-PCR, respectively.

[Establishment of immunomagnetic capture-fluorescent PCR detection method for Campylobacter jejuni].

In order to develop a rapid method which can check Campylobacter jejuni in animal and poultry foods nicely, an immunomagnetic capture-fluorescent PCR (IMC-FPCR) method was established in this paper. The reported method involves isolation of the target pathogen by immunocapture prior to the fluorescent PCR step, therefore the immunomagnetic-beads for Campylobacter were developed, and two groups of primer/probe, which targeted for the species special sequence of flaA gene and hipO gene for Campylobacter jejuni were designed. The immunomagnetic capture-fluorescent PCR assay amplification of the hipO gene and flaA gene for detection of Campylobacter jejuni was firstly reported in this paper.

Effects of intravenous Injections Paederiae and Stauntonia on spontaneous pain, hyperalgesia and inflammation induced by cutaneous chemical tissue injury in the rat.

To study whether commercial traditional Chinese medicinal preparations Injection Paederiae (IP) or Injection Stauntonia (IS) has anti-nociceptive and/or anti-inflammatory effects, we used two persistent pain models (bee venom and formalin test) to evaluate the systemic effects of IP or IS on the chemical tissue injury-induced persistent spontaneous pain-related responses (PSPR), primary thermal/mechanical hyperalgesia and inflammation in conscious rats. Injection of bee venom (BV, 0.1 mg, 50 microl) into the plantar surface of one hind paw resulted in not only a 1-h monophasic PSPR such as flinching reflex in the injected paw and a subsequent period of 3-4 days primary heat and mechanical hyperalgesia, but also a marked sign of inflammation, including redness and swelling of the plantar surface in the injected paw.