Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose due to either insulin resistance or insulin deficiency[1].A direct correlation between D-glucose and diabetic complications has long been established,and is the focus of most research in this field.In contrast,D-Ribose has been overlooked so far as a potential risk player in the development of diabetes.
The herbal medicine Tong Luo Jiu Nao （TLJN） contains geniposide （GP） and ginsenoside Rgl at a molar ratio of i0：1. Rgl is the major component of another herbal medicine, panax notoginseng saponin （PNS）. TLJN has been shown to strengthen brain function in humans, and in animals it improves learning and memory. We have previously shown that TLJN reduces amyloi- dogenic processing in Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） mouse models. Together this suggests TLJN may be a potential treatment for patients with dementia. Because chronic damage of the central nervous system by formaldehyde （FA） has been presented as a risk factor for age-associated cognitive dysfunction, in the present study we investigated the protective effect of both TLJN and GP in neuron-like cells exposed to FA. FA-exposed murine N2a neuroblastoma cells were incubated with TLJN, its main in- gredient GP, as well as PNS, to measure cell viability and morphology, the rate of apoptosis and expression of genes encoding Akt, FOXO3, Bcl2 and p53. The CCK-8 assay, cytoskeletal staining and flow cytometry were used to test cell viability, mor- phology and apoptosis, respectively. Fluorescent quantitative real-time PCR （qRT-PCR） was used to monitor changes in gene expression, and HPLC to determine the rate of FA clearance. Treatment of N2a cells with 0.09 mmol L-1 FA for 24 h signifi- cantly reduced cell viability, changed cell morphology and promoted apoptosis. Both TLJN and GP conferred neuroprotection to FA-treated N2a cells, whereas PNS, which had to be used at lower concentrations because of its toxicity, did not. Our data demonstrate that TLJN can rescue neuronal damage caused by FA and that its main ingredient, GP, has a major role in this ef- ficacy. This presents purified GP as a drug or lead compound for the treatment of AD.
Nematode sperm undergo a drastic physiological change during spermiogenesis(sperm activation).Unlike mammalian flagellated sperm,nematode sperm are amoeboid cells and their motility is driven by the dynamics of a cytoskeleton composed of major sperm protein(MSP)rather than actin found in other crawling cells.This review focuses on sperm from Caenorhabditis elegans and Ascaris suum to address the roles of external and internal factors that trigger sperm activation and power sperm motility.Nematode sperm can be activated in vitro by several factors,including Pronase and ionophores,and in vivo through the TRY-5 and SPE-8 pathways.Moreover,protease and protease inhibitors are crucial regulators of sperm maturation.MSP-based sperm motility involves a coupled process of protrusion and retraction,both of which have been reconstituted in vitro.Sperm motility is mediated by phosphorylation signals,as illustrated by identification of several key components(MPOP,MFPs and MPAK)in Ascaris and the characterization of GSP-3/4 in C.elegans.
Xuan MaYanmei ZhaoWei SunKatsuya ShimabukuroLong Miao
