Focusing on cyclin-dependent kinases 5: A potential target for neurological disorders.

Cyclin-dependent kinases 5 (Cdk5) is a special member of proline-directed serine threonine kinase family. Unlike other Cdks, Cdk5 is not directly involved in cell cycle regulation but plays important roles in nervous system functions. Under physiological conditions, the activity of Cdk5 is tightly controlled by p35 or p39, which are specific activators of Cdk5 and highly expressed in post-mitotic neurons.

Focusing on Formononetin: Recent Perspectives for its Neuroprotective Potentials.

Nervous system is the most complex system of the human body, hence, the neurological diseases often lack effective treatment strategies. Natural products have the potential to yield unique molecules and produce integrative and synergic effects compared to standard therapy. Mounting evidence has shown that isoflavonoids contained in traditional medicinal plant or dietary supplementation may play a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of neurological diseases due to their pronounced biological activities correlating to nervous system.

Noradrenergic innervations of the medial prefrontal cortex mediate empathy for pain in rats via the α1 and β receptors.

Empathy involves integrated affective and cognitive processes to share the emotional state of others. This evolutionarily conserved ability has also been identified in nonhuman primates and rodents. Our previous work demonstrated that social interaction with a cagemate rat in pain induces mechanical pain hypersensitivity in cagemate observer (CO) rats.

Nonylphenol regulates TL1A through the AhR/HDAC2/HNF4α pathway in endothelial cells to promote the angiogenesis of colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most malignant cancers worldwide. Nonylphenol (NP) is an endocrine-disruptor chemical and plays an important role in the development of cancers. However, the effects of NP on CRC remain unclear.

The endocannabinoid system regulates synaptic transmission in nucleus accumbens by increasing DAGL-α expression following short-term morphine withdrawal.

Background And Purpose: The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is involved in pathways that regulate drug addiction and eCB-mediated synaptic plasticity has been linked with addictive behaviours. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the changes in eCB-dependent synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) following short-term withdrawal from repeated morphine treatment.

Experimental Approach: Conditioned place preference (CPP) was used to evaluate the rewarding effects of morphine in rats.

Increased expression of cannabinoid receptor 1 in the nucleus accumbens core in a rat model with morphine withdrawal.

Relapse is a major clinical problem and remains a major challenge in the treatment of drug addiction. There is strong evidence that the endocannabinoid system of the nucleus accumben core (NAcc) is involved in drug-seeking behavior, as well as in the mechanisms that underlie relapse to drug use. To reveal the mechanism that underlies this finding, we examined the expression pattern of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1-R) in the NAcc of SD rats that had been undergoing morphine withdrawal (MW) for 1 day, 3 days and 3 weeks (acute, latent and chronic phases, respectively).

[Distribution and composition of organochlorine pesticides in farmland top soils of Anhui Province].

By using ultrasonic method and GC/ECD, this paper analyzed the distribution and composition of 8 kinds of organochlorine pesticides (alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, delta-HCH, op'-DDE, pp'-DDD, alpha-endosulfan, and chlorothalonil) in farmland top soils (0-20 cm) in 19 districts of Anhui Province, East China. The total concentration of the pesticides in the top soils ranged from 0 to 23.75 microg x kg(-1), among which, pp'-DDD and gamma-HCH were the major pollutants, with the mean concentration being 13.

[Effects of endophytic Paenibacillus polymyxa S-7 on photosynthesis, yield, and quality of sugar beet].

This study showed that inoculation of endophytic Paenibacillus polymyxa S-7 could significantly (P < 0.05) promote the photosynthesis of sugar beet. After the inoculation, the leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal limitation (Ls), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) increased by 16.