A SAGE analysis of ejaculate from fertile men has revealed a large number of transcripts, which occur in steady frequencies and probably have important roles in spermatogenesis and fertilization.

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Chronic inflammation, which is regulated by overactivated microglia in the brain, accelerates the occurrence and development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Gx-50 has been investigated as a novel drug for the treatment of AD in our previous studies. Here, we investigated whether gx-50 possesses anti-inflammatory effects in primary rat microglia and a mouse model of AD, amyloid precursor protein (APP) Tg mice. The expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, NO, prostaglandin E2, and the expression of iNOS and COX2 were inhibited by gx-50 in amyloid β (Aβ) treated rat microglia; additionally, microglial activation and the expression of IL-1β, iNOS, and COX2 were also significantly suppressed by gx-50 in APP + transgenic mice. Furthermore, gx-50 inhibited the activation of NF-κB and MAPK cascades in vitro and in vivo in APP-Tg mice. Moreover, the expression of TLR4 and its downstream signaling proteins MyD88 and tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6) was reduced by gx-50 in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, silencing of TLR4 reduced Aβ-induced upregulation of IL-1β and TRAF6 to levels similar to gx-50 inhibition; moreover, overexpression of TLR4 increased the expression of MyD88 and TRAF6, which was significantly reduced by gx-50. These findings provide strong evidence that gx-50 has anti-inflammatory effects against Aβ-triggered microglial overactivation via a mechanism that involves the TLR4-mediated NF-κBB/MAPK signaling cascade. Keywords:Alzheimer's disease r APP-Tg mice r gx-50 r inflammation r microglia r NF-κB Additional supporting information may be found in the online version of this article at the publisher's web-site IntroductionAlzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common dementias and is characterized by cognitive deficits and neuron loss. Although the neuropathologic hallmarks of AD are well known, these features do not necessarily reflect the fundamental cause of the disease in which many factors and pathways are involved, and complex mechanisms continue to be elucidated. Among the mechanisms, neuroinflammation is now thought to contribute and exacCorrespondence: Prof. Zhongdong Qiao e-mail: zdqiao@sjtu.edu.cn erbate AD pathology and has been studied extensively in recent years [1]. Although acute neuroinflammatory responses are generally beneficial to the CNS, chronic neuroinflammation is most often detrimental to the host tissue [2]. Microglia are the most abundant resident immune cells in the brain and have a central role in the pathophysiology of AD due to their rapid activation in response to brain injury and disease, including nearly every type of brain pathology (e.g., trauma, infection, neoplasm, infarction, and neurodegeneration) [3]. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid β (Aβ) can directly active microglia and initiate the local inflammatory response in the AD brain [4], which is followed bywww.eji-journal.eu 666Shi Shi et al. Eur. J. Immunol. 2016. 46: 665-676 the production of excessive proinflammatory and neurotoxic factors, including the cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, a...

This study focused on a promising drug candidate, N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl]-3-phenyl-acrylamide (gx-50), a compound extracted from Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum Bungeanum), to determine whether it would be an effective therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease (AD) via biological experiments. In vivo, we determined the pharmacokinetic profile of gx-50 and evaluated the effect of gx-50 on the cognitive abilities of amyloid-β protein precursor transgenic (AβPP-Tg) mice by Morris water maze testing. In addition, we examined the effects of gx-50 on amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers in the brains of AβPP-Tg mice by immunohistochemistry. In vitro, we observed a direct effect of gx-50 on Aβ oligomers by atomic force microscopy, detected the neuroprotective effects of gx-50 by western blotting and cell apoptosis assays, and measured its effects on intracellular calcium currents by laser confocal microscopy. Experiments in vivo showed that gx-50 could penetrate the blood brain barrier and improve the cognitive abilities of mice. Moreover, gx-50 treatment decreased the accumulation of Aβ oligomers in the cerebral cortex. The results in vitro demonstrated that gx-50 could disassemble Aβ oligomers, inhibit Aβ-induced neuronal apoptosis and apoptotic gene expression, and reduce neuronal calcium toxicity. These results strongly suggest that gx-50 is a potential candidate drug for treating AD.

The neurobehavioral effects of paternal smoking and nicotine use have not been widely reported. In the present study, nicotine exposure induced depression in the paternal generation, but reduced depression and promoted hyperactivity in F1 offspring. While this intergenerational effect was not passed down to the F2 generation. Further studies revealed that nicotine induced the down-regulation of mmu-miR-15b expression due to hyper-methylation in the CpG island shore region of mmu-miR-15b in both the spermatozoa of F0 mice and the brains of F1 mice. As the target gene of mmu-miR-15b, Wnt4 expression was elevated in the thalamus of F1 mice due to the inheritance of DNA methylation patterns from the paternal generation. Furthermore, the increased expression of Wnt4 elevated the phosphorylation level of its downstream protein GSK-3 through the canonical WNT4 pathway which involved in the behavioral alterations observed in F1 mice. Moreover, in vivo stereotaxic brain injections were used to induce the overexpression of mmu-miR-15b and WNT4 and confirm the neurobehavioral effects in vitro. The behavioral phenotype of the F1 mice resulting from paternal nicotine exposure could be attenuated by viral manipulation of mmu-miR-15b in the thalamus.

To study the diversity of mRNAs in murine spermatozoa and their potential function during zygotic development, total RNAs in murine spermatozoa were sequenced via RNA-Seq and analyzed through bioinformatics techniques. The delivery and translation of sperm-borne mRNA in fertilized oocyte were detected using RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction), Western blot, and immunofluorescence. A total of 35 288 825 reads matching 33 039 transcripts, including 27 310 coding transcripts, were obtained. Based on our analyses, we hypothesized that the transcripts with RPKM (reads per kilobase of exon model per million mapped reads) higher than six may exist in each sperm cell as consistently retained transcripts. There were 4885 consistent transcripts in each sperm, and the remainder were randomly retained. If the baseline RPKM increased, the remaining coding transcripts were more likely related to reproduction and development. The sperm-borne transcripts Wnt4 and Foxg1 were delivered into fertilized oocytes on fertilization. Furthermore, Wnt4 was translated into protein in zygotes, whereas Foxg1 was not translated. In conclusion, approximately 4885 mRNAs were present in each murine spermatozoon, and the spermatozoal mRNAs related to reproduction and development were more likely retained. The sperm-borne mRNA Wnt4 was delivered into the fertilized oocyte and translated, evidence of a paternal effect on zygotic development.

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Preeclampsia, which is caused by multiple factors, still remains one of the most serious complications of pregnancy. This study was designed to determine cadmium levels in women with preeclampsia compared to those of normotensive women. In this case-control study, maternal blood, umbilical cord blood, and placental cadmium levels were measured by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry system in 51 women presenting consecutively with preeclampsia and 51 normotensive pregnant women. Groups were matched for maternal age, parity, and gestational age. Birth outcomes were recorded, such as gestational age at delivery, birth weight, and Apgar score. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) blood cadmium concentration was 1.21 μg/L (0.76-1.84 μg/L) and 1.09 μg/L (0.72-1.31 μg/L) in women with preeclampsia and normotensive, respectively; values for placental cadmium levels of women with preeclampsia and normotensive were 3.61 μg/kg (2.19-4.37 μg/kg) and 4.28 μg/kg (3.06-5.71 μg/kg), respectively. We observed a statistically significant increase in blood and placental cadmium levels in women with preeclampsia compared to healthy pregnant women. After adjusting for pre-pregnancy body mass index, maternal age, parity, gestational age at sample collection, and maternal calcium and magnesium levels, the odds ratio of having preeclampsia in the high tertile was markedly increased (odds ratio, 7.83 [95% CI, 1.64-37.26]) compared with the low tertile. Interestingly, there was no difference in the cadmium level in umbilical cord blood between the groups. Within the preeclamptic group, higher cadmium status was significantly associated with decreased birth weight. Our study suggested that elevated cadmium level in the maternal circulation could potentially increase the risk of preeclampsia. The results also demonstrate that higher cadmium status may contribute to fetal growth restriction in preeclamptic patients.