Icariin Improves Cognitive Impairment after Traumatic Brain Injury by Enhancing Hippocampal Acetylation.

Objective: To examine the effect of icariin (ICA) on the cognitive impairment induced by traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice and the underlying mechanisms related to changes in hippocampal acetylation level.

Methods: The modifified free-fall method was used to establish the TBI mouse model. Mice with post-TBI cognitive impairment were randomly divided into 3 groups using the randomised block method (n=7): TBI (vehicle-treated), low-dose (75 mg/kg) and high-dose (150 mg/kg) of ICA groups.

[Cloning, fusion expression and identification of thioredoxin encoding gene from ].

Objective: To clone and express the thioredoxin (Trx) from RH strain tachyzoites of , establish the prokaryotic expression vector and purify the recombinant protein, then produce the polyclonal anti-Trx antibody in rabbits.

Methods: Trx fragment was amplified by PCR and cloned into the pET-28a (+) vector, and the recombinant protein was induced with IPTG and purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The polyclonal antibody specificity was detected by Western blotting.

DDQ-mediated oxidative coupling: an approach to 2,3-dicyanofuran (thiophene).

A facile oxidative coupling of α-carbonyl radicals to 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) for the synthesis of 2,3-dicyanofurans and thiophenes starting from readily available β-diketones, simple ketones, and β-keto thioamides in up to 95% yield in one step was developed. Mechanistic investigations revealed that a radical process could be involved in this transformation, and a water promoted C-C bond cleavage pathway is proposed for the formation of 2,3-dicyanofurans and thiophenes.