Tectorigenin inhibits inflammatory responses in murine inflammatory bowel disease and LPS-stimulated macrophages via inactivating MAPK signaling pathway.

Background: Considering the antihepatitis effects of Tectorigenin (TEC), and the same adenosine mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in both hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) models, exploring the role of TEC in IBD is contributive to develop a new treatment strategy against IBD.

Methods: The IBD mouse model was constructed by feeding with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and injection of TEC. Afterward, the mouse body weight, colon length, and disease activity index (DAI) were tested to assess the enteritis level.

Changes of Endothelin-1 and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Concentrations in Patients with Cervical Radiculopathy after Wrist-Ankle Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Hot Compression with Chinese Herbal Medicine.

Objective: This study aimed at investigating the effects of wrist-ankle acupuncture-moxibustion and hot compression with Chinese herbal medicine on pain symptoms, endothelin-1 (ET-1), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) concentrations of patients with cervical radiculopathy (CR).

Methods: A total of 82 patients with CR were randomly divided into the study group and control group, with 41 cases in each group. The control group was treated with standard treatment.

Nitrogen and nitric oxide regulate Arabidopsis flowering differently.

Both nitrogen (N) and nitric oxide (NO) postpone plant flowering. However, we still don't know whether N and NO trigger the same signaling pathways leading to flowering delay. Our previous study found that ferredoxin NADP oxidoreductase (FNR1) and the blue-light receptor cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) are involved in nitrogen-regulated flowering-time control.

Carbon Dioxide, Odorants, Heat and Visible Cues Affect Wild Mosquito Landing in Open Spaces.

CO and other chemicals affect mosquito blood meal seeking behavior. Heat, humidity and black color can also serve as orientation cues. However mosquito attraction does not necessarily mean that it will land.

Nitric oxide induces monosaccharide accumulation through enzyme S-nitrosylation.

Nitric oxide (NO) is extensively involved in various growth processes and stress responses in plants; however, the regulatory mechanism of NO-modulated cellular sugar metabolism is still largely unknown. Here, we report that NO significantly inhibited monosaccharide catabolism by modulating sugar metabolic enzymes through S-nitrosylation (mainly by oxidizing dihydrolipoamide, a cofactor of pyruvate dehydrogenase). These S-nitrosylation modifications led to a decrease in cellular glycolysis enzymes and ATP synthase activities as well as declines in the content of acetyl coenzyme A, ATP, ADP-glucose and UDP-glucose, which eventually caused polysaccharide-biosynthesis inhibition and monosaccharide accumulation.

Nitrogen regulates CRY1 phosphorylation and circadian clock input pathways.

The delayed flowering phenotype caused by nitrogen (N) fertilizer application has been known for a long time, but we know little about the specific molecular mechanism for this phenomenon before. Our study indicated that low nitrogen increases the NADPH/NADP(+) and ATP/AMP ratios which affect adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and phosphorylation and abundance of nuclear CRY1 protein. Then CRY1 acts in the N signal input pathway to the circadian clock.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) regulates TLR4 signal transduction in nasopharynx epithelial cell line 5-8F via NFkappaB and MAPKs signaling pathways.

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria induces the expression of cytokines and proinflammatory genes via the TLR4 signaling pathway in diverse cell types. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the nasopharynx epithelial cells (NECs) could recognize and respond to LPS. The underlying molecular mechanisms were further elucidated in the NEC line 5-8F for its ability to activate the NFkappaB and TNF-alpha reporter genes, in response to LPS.