Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is progressive neurological disease that results in the death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to a decrease in skeletal muscle size and muscle weakness, wasting, or paralysis. Most research on ALS has focused on motor neuron death, and the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. This study examined the molecular mechanisms underlying muscle degeneration. We compared the protein and cytokine profiles of gastrocnemius muscle in ALS model hSOD1G93A mice at pre-symptomatic and symptomatic stages by western blotting. Pro-inflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, and cluster of differentiation 11b were upregulated in the muscle of symptomatic as compared to pre-symptomatic mice. Additionally, the levels of oxidative stress-related proteins, heme oxygenase-1 and ferritin, were increased in muscle from symptomatic as compared to pre-symptomatic mice. We also observed increased autophagy dysfunction and metabolic dysregulation in the muscles of symptomatic hSOD1G93A as compared to non-Tg and pre-symptomatic hSOD1G93A mice, which was accompanied by upregulation of thrombospondin- 1, Prospero-related homeobox 1, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and DNA-damage-inducible 45α. Increased inflammation, oxidative stress, and autophagy contribute to motor neuron death and muscle atrophy in ALS, and the factors involved in these processes are potential therapeutic targets for treatment of this disease.

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RTqPCR) is a rapid and precise method of analysis to quantify the level of gene expression and is widely used in the diagnosis of diseases and quantitative analysis of genes. In RT-qPCR analysis, a reference gene (or housekeeping gene) is used for normalization of experimental results. Since this method of analysis detects a small quantity of the product, it is highly sensitive and it is important for the accuracy and reproducibility of the experiment to select a reference gene suitable for gene expression studies. As the expression levels of the reference gene are affected under different conditions, in order to determine the suitability of the housekeeping gene used as the reference gene, it is necessary to verify the expression stability. In the current study, the stability of the expression of 11 housekeeping genes (B2M, SDHA, GAPDH, RPL13, VIM, EEF1A1, HPRT1, GUSB, RPL19, ACTB, and ABL1) was investigated in the tissues of long-tailed chickens (heart, thigh, and breast). Expression stability evaluation was analyzed with four software: BestKeeper, NormFinder, geNorm, and RefFinder. In our study, GAPDH in heart tissue, HPRT1 in thigh tissue, and RPL13 in breast tissue were selected as the most stable reference genes. Evaluation of the expression stability of housekeeping genes can provide important data in gene expression studies by selecting an appropriate reference gene according to various conditions.

Dopamine (DA) receptor (D1 and D2-like receptors) agonists are known to affect expression levels of DA receptors. Rotigotine, a DA D2-like receptor agonist, has been developed for treating Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, its role in PD by acting through DA D2-like receptors has not been fully understood yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate neuroprotective effects of rotigotine through DA D2 and D3 receptors in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) induced mouse model of PD. Expression level of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was examined using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Results revealed that unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the midbrain caused significant loss of TH positive cells in the substantia nigra, whereas rotigotine inhibited such loss of TH cells in 6-OHDA-induced mouse model of PD. In vitro experiments demonstrated that rotigotine increased expression levels of TH against 6-OHDA-induced toxicity. The expression level of TH after treatment with L’741,626, a D2 receptor antagonist was decreased more than that after treatment with GR 103691, a D3 receptor antagonist. These results suggest that rotigotine can protect DA neurons against 6-OHDA induced toxicity and that the protective effect of rotigotine for DAergic neurons through a DA D2 receptor is stronger than that through a DA D3 receptor.

Globally, colon cancer is increased gradually and known as one of the major causes of cancer death. Stevia, a substitute of sugar, is known to have many components including alpha-tocopherol and anthocyanin etc, as antioxidants. This study's purpose is to investigate whether stevia plant extract can have a protective effect against colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in mice. Total 30 male ICR mice were divided into 2 groups; AOM/DSS treatment (control group), AOM/DSS + stevia extract (0.5%, in drinking water). After acclimation for 1 week, five weeks old mice received three intraperitoneal AOM (10 mg/kg b.w.) injections weekly for 3 weeks (0–2nd weeks of the experiment) and 2% DSS as drinking water for the next one week. AIN-76A purified rodent diet and 0.5% stevia extract water were supplied to the animals for 6 weeks. The colons of mice were collected and the number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and aberrant crypts (ACs) in colonic mucosa were counted after staining with methylene blue. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in feces were determined. The numbers of ACF and ACs were significantly (p<0.01) decreased in stevia-treated group compared with the control group. The MDA concentration in feces was also significantly (p<0.01) decreased in stevia-treated group compared with the control group. In histopathology of colonic epithelium, hyperplasia of colonic epithelium was less observed in steviatreated group. These results indicate that stevia has a protective effect against colon carcinogenesis induced by AOM/DSS in mice and further study needs to illustrate the protective mechanisms.

Colon cancer is known as the third most widespread cancer in the world. The interaction of heme-iron and ascorbic acid (AA) in colon carcinogenesis is not evident. Hemin (ferric chloride heme) is an iron-containing porphyrin with chlorine that can be formed from a heme group. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of AA on the formation of pre-neoplastic lesions induced by azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) plus hemin in mice. Forty-five ICR male mice were divided into three experimental groups; AOM/ DSS treatment (control group), hemin (2 g hemin/kg of b.w.), hemin + AA (1.0% in drinking water). The mice had three s.c. injections (0–2nd weeks of the experiment) of AOM (10 mg/kg b.w.) weekly and 2% DSS as drinking water for the next one week and the animals fed on AIN-76A purified rodent diet for 6 weeks. The numbers of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and aberrant crypts (ACs) in colonic mucosa were counted after methylene blue staining. Lipid peroxidation in feces was measured by the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) assay. The numbers of ACF and ACs per colon significantly increased in Hemin group compared to the control group. However, the numbers of ACF and ACs per colon notably decreased in hemin + AA group compared to the control group or hemin group (p<0.05). In feces, the TBARS value of hemin group was higher than the control group (p<0.01). The TBARS value of hemin + AA group was slightly decreased compared to Hemin group. These results indicate that hemin can promote the experimental colon carcinogenesis in ICR mice. On the other hand, additional supplement of AA via drinking water has a protective effect against the colon carcinogenesis. The related mechanisms need to be illustrated by further studies in future.

Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) blooms formed in natural water resources due to the environmental pollution produce toxic compounds as secondary metabolites, causing health hazards to both humans and other living beings. Microcystin is a well-known toxin produced by cynobacteria. The present study was undertaken to evaluate varying concentrations and exposure times of two different forms of microcystin, viz., -LR (MCLR) and -LA (MCLA), on the motility and seizure-like behavior of planarian (Dugesia japonica). Compared to control, reduced motility was observed in both the MCLR or MCLA treated groups, but did not differ significantly with increasing concentrations of microcystin. However, the number of seizure-like behaviors were increased dose-dependently in planarian exposed to MLCR or MCLA. Exposure time to microcystine also affected the motility and seizure-like behaviors of planarians; 24 hrs incubation with MCLR, and 48 and 96 hrs exposure to MCLA, showed significantly (p<0.05) lower motility, as compared to the control. Assessing regeneration of the planarians revealed the simultaneous completion of eye formation at day 9 in planarians incubated in the absence or presence of MCLR or MCLA, thereby indicating that exposure to microcystin has no effect on the process. In conclusion, we determined that exposure to microcystins resulted in decrease in the number of motility, and induced abnormal behavior pattern in planarians. Further studies are required to identify the toxicity of microcystin that affects aquatic ecosystems.

Since a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown etiology was first reported in China in December 2019, the number of confirmed cases with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]) worldwide has been increasing, and nearly two million patients are expected to have died by February 2021. Globally, COVID-19 is being considered a primary pulmonary disease, but it is more than a lung infection. This is because patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 present with a variety of clinical signs and symptoms involving many organs, ranging from fever, inflammation, myocardial injury, shock, and the development of coronary artery aneurysm. SARS-CoV-2 shows unique characteristics in its transmission, mortality, and stability in different environmental conditions. During COVID-19 pandemic, about 10 drugs have been clinically tried with none proven to be effective. With no prospect for effective drugs in the near future, there are currently possibilities of success with vaccines and convalescent plasma. Along with the prospect of vaccines and other therapeutic drugs, special precautions (isolation, testing, treating, and tracing) are strictly recommended until we return to normal situations. In this review we comprehensively analyzed the clinical presentations, characteristics, and outcomes of patients with COVID-19, and tried to assess the clinical effects of some drugs as part of the ongoing efforts to understand COVID-19 pandemic.

We report a massive outbreak of human Q fever cases, which occurred at totally 11 humans. The occurrence was related to a goat farm where Coxiella burnetii infection was diagnosed from goat tissues and environmental specimens. From January of 2018, continuous abortions from 6 goats occurred. Laboratory tests from 77 goat specimens for C. burnetii showed that 54 (70.1%) and 63 (81.8%) goats were positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The infection was also confirmed from the farmer, his wife and 9 persons from all 16 veterinary officials who had visited the farm for protective measures and preparing goat specimens for laboratory tests. The farm was found to be extensively contaminated with C. burnetii from the examination to the environmental specimens and epidemiological inspections, which might be the main source of C. burnetii infection to humans. The extensive contamination to the farm was derived from the uncareful handling of postpartum animal tissues or discharges by the farm owner. This report will contribute to the establishment of educational system on the biosecurity to novice farmers.