Biology-Basel最新文献

{"title":"MaxEnt Modeling of the Impacts of Human Activities and Climate Change on the Potential Distribution of <i>Plantago</i> in China.","authors":"Da Liao, Bing Zhou, Haiyan Xiao, Yuxin Zhang, Shujian Zhang, Qitao Su, Xiaohong Yan","doi":"10.3390/biology14050564","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050564","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human activities exert both beneficial and detrimental impacts on the ecosystem. In recent years, greenhouse gas emissions have significantly increased due to global climate change, causing profound alterations in ecosystem distribution and productivity. The synergistic interplay between climatic shifts and anthropogenic activities is intensifying ecological transformations and disturbances, and accelerating biodiversity depletion. The <i>Plantago</i> genus (<i>Plantaginaceae</i> family) includes 14 herbaceous species among China's flora. This study was conducted to elucidate the spatial distribution of <i>Plantago</i> species patterns across China and evaluate their differential responses to impending climate change and human interventions. In this study, we projected the potential distributions of <i>Plantago</i> species under three climate scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585) across current and future temporal intervals (2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, and 2081-2100) using the MaxEnt model integrated with ArcGIS V10.8 spatial analysis. A spatial trend analyses was also conducted to assess habitat suitability dynamics by incorporating anthropogenic influence parameters. The model validation yielded AUC values exceeding 0.9, demonstrating excellent model performance and predictive reliability. Precipitation variability and anthropogenic pressure emerged as the most predominant determinants shaping <i>Plantago</i> distributions. Centroid migration analyses further indicated the progressive northward displacement of optimal habitats under the projected climate scenarios. These findings significantly advance our understanding of <i>Plantago</i> species' adaptive responses to environmental changes. This study also offers an invaluable scientific foundation for sustainable resource management and ecological conservation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12109213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coixol Protects Against Acute Kidney Injury by Reducing Cell Senescence.","authors":"Kang Li, Xiaoxue Wang, Huidi Tang, Feifan Wang, Zetong Qu, Xiaojie Wang, Xiang Li, Xiaoqing Cao","doi":"10.3390/biology14050560","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050560","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased in-hospital mortality, yet effective therapeutic agents remain limited. Coixol, a polyphenolic compound derived from Coix, possesses anti-inflammatory properties, but its role in AKI remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that Coixol exerts protective effects against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced AKI by alleviating cellular senescence. Coixol treatment significantly reduced serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels and decreased the expression of KIM1 and NGAL. RNA sequencing and validation experiments revealed that Coixol suppressed cellular senescence in AKI. Through a weighted gene co-expression network analysis and machine learning, we identified Plaur as a key target of Coixol, which was further validated using RNA-seq data. Notably, Plaur overexpression in AKI mice diminished the protective effects of Coixol, confirming its crucial role. Additionally, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated strong binding affinity between Coixol and Plaur. These findings highlight Coixol as a promising renal protective agent targeting Plaur and cellular senescence in AKI.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12109185/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Coexistence of Bicellular and Tricellular Pollen Might Be the Third Type of Pollen Cell Number: Evidence from Annonaceae.","authors":"Yangying Gan, Qi Zhang, Chunfen Xiao, Jingyao Ping","doi":"10.3390/biology14050562","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050562","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anther is thought to release either bicellular or tricellular pollen when mature. Though a few species had been found to shed both bicellular and tricellular pollen, due to their low frequency, they had been overlooked as special cases of bicellular or tricellular pollen in previous phylogenetic studies. In the present work, the pollen cytologies of 89 species from 26 genera of Annonaceae were observed using the overall transparency method and paraffin sectioning method. The results show that 73 species from 25 genera distribute bicellular pollen, while 16 species from 10 genera shed both bicellular and tricellular pollen. This is the first time that so many species with both types of pollen has been observed in the same family. Combined with reports from other families, the plants that were known to shed both types of pollen included 15 families, 40 genera, and 52 species. Our results indicate that the coexistence of bicellular and tricellular pollen might be the third type of pollen cell number. And the systematic relationship among them is needed to be reanalyzed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12109490/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioinformatic Analysis of Complex In Vitro Fertilization Data and Predictive Model Design Based on Machine Learning: The Age Paradox in Reproductive Health.","authors":"Myrto A Lantzi, Eleni Papakonstantinou, Dimitrios Vlachakis","doi":"10.3390/biology14050556","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050556","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since its inception in 1987, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has constituted a significant medical achievement in the field of fertility treatment, offering a viable solution to the challenge of infertility. The continuous evolution of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has brought its relationship with the rapidly developing field of artificial intelligence (AI), in particular with techniques such as machine learning (ML), a rapidly evolving area of specialization. In fact, it is responsible for significant developments in the field of precision medicine, as well as in preventive and predictive medicine. The analysis focuses on a large volume of clinical data and patient characteristics of those who underwent assisted reproduction treatments. Concurrently, the utilization of machine learning algorithms has facilitated the development and implementation of predictive models. The objective is to predict the success of treatments for external fertilization based on processed clinical data. This study encompasses statistical analysis techniques and artificial intelligence algorithms for the correlation of variables, such as patient characteristics, the history of pregnancies, and the clinical and embryological parameters. The analysis and creation of prognostic models were compared with the objective of identifying factors that influence the outcome of IVF treatments. The potential for implementing a predictive model in routine clinical practice was also investigated. The findings revealed trends and factors that warrant attention. Such findings may prompt questions regarding the impact of the patient's age on treatment efficacy. Moreover, the value of developing a predictive model based entirely on patient data prior to the commencement of treatment was also investigated. This approach to the processing and utilization of clinical data demonstrates the potential for optimization and documentation of therapeutic procedures. The objective is to reduce costs and the emotional burden while increasing the success rate of IVF treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12108729/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tricky with Heat and Salt: Soil Factors, Thermotaxis, and Potential for Heat-Saline Agar Trapping of <i>Strongyloides</i> Larvae.","authors":"Nuttapon Ekobol, Sirintip Boonjaraspinyo, Chatanun Eamudomkarn, Thidarut Boonmars","doi":"10.3390/biology14050559","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050559","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The viability and host-seeking behavior of <i>Strongyloides</i> larvae are significantly influenced by soil conditions, emphasizing the critical role of environmental control in disease management. This is particularly relevant given the growing concerns about drug resistance resulting from mass chemotherapy or the use of chemical nematicides. <i>Strongyloides stercoralis</i> was effectively inactivated by exposure to 50 °C for both 12 and 24 h (long-term exposure). <i>Strongyloides ratti</i> was inactivated by 50 °C for 20 min (short-term exposure), 9% saline for 50 min, and a combination of 4% saline and 40 °C for 50 min. The combined treatment successfully inactivated <i>S. ratti</i> in four soil mediums using 5% saline at a central temperature of 40 °C. Thermotaxis responses to noxious heat revealed attraction at 40 °C, increased localized searching at 45 °C, and complete inactivation at 50 °C. Larvae migrating within agar at 45 °C were more readily inactivated. Long-range heat attraction at 5 cm resulted in the inactivation of up to 50% of incoming larvae; however, heat-high concentration saline traps at 3 cm distance proved ineffective. Thermal-saline agar trapping demonstrated promise for larval removal in sand, loam, and laterite soils. This method offers a promising approach to larval removal while minimizing hazards to non-target organisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12109420/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Role of Somatostatin in the Gastrointestinal Tract.","authors":"Konstantinos Papantoniou, Ioanna Aggeletopoulou, Ploutarchos Pastras, Christos Triantos","doi":"10.3390/biology14050558","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050558","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is responsible for food digestion and host protection from harmful stimuli; however, its function as an endocrine organ is also well documented. Somatostatin (SST) was first discovered in the hypothalamus, but the GI tract is its main producer and target organ. SST is a potent inhibitor of many GI functions, including peristalsis, hormone secretion, and gastric acid production, while its anti-inflammatory effects contribute to the integrity of the intestinal barrier. These data make SST and its analogs useful agents in clinical practice. As our understanding of SST metabolism and function evolves, their use in a wide variety of medical conditions can improve patient care.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12109247/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating Proteomics and GWAS to Identify Key Tissues and Genes Underlying Human Complex Diseases.","authors":"Chao Xue, Miao Zhou","doi":"10.3390/biology14050554","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050554","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The tissues of origin and molecular mechanisms underlying human complex diseases remain incompletely understood. Previous studies have leveraged transcriptomic data to interpret genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for identifying disease-relevant tissues and fine-mapping causal genes. However, according to the central dogma, proteins more directly reflect cellular molecular activities than RNA. Therefore, in this study, we integrated proteomic data with GWAS to identify disease-associated tissues and genes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We compiled proteomic and paired transcriptomic data for 12,229 genes across 32 human tissues from the GTEx project. Using three tissue inference approaches-S-LDSC, MAGMA, and DESE-we analyzed GWAS data for six representative complex diseases (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, coronary artery disease, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 2 diabetes), with an average sample size of 260 K. We systematically compared disease-associated tissues and genes identified using proteomic versus transcriptomic data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Tissue-specific protein abundance showed a moderate correlation with RNA expression (mean correlation coefficient = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.42-0.49). Proteomic data accurately identified disease-relevant tissues, such as the association between brain regions and schizophrenia and between coronary arteries and coronary artery disease. Compared to GWAS-based gene association estimates alone, incorporating proteomic data significantly improved gene association detection (AUC difference test, <i>p</i> = 0.0028). Furthermore, proteomic data revealed unique disease-associated genes that were not identified using transcriptomic data, such as the association between bipolar disorder and <i>CREB1</i>.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Integrating proteomic data enables accurate identification of disease-associated tissues and provides irreplaceable advantages in fine-mapping genes for complex diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12109507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144162786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) Secondary Microplastics on the Demography of <i>Moina macrocopa</i> (Cladocera).","authors":"Diana Laura Manríquez-Guzmán, Diego de Jesús Chaparro-Herrera, Pedro Ramírez-García, Cesar Alejandro Zamora-Barrios","doi":"10.3390/biology14050555","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050555","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants that are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems and can affect the stability of aquatic food webs. They are intentionally produced in a size of less than 5 mm for specific purposes or are the result of the fragmentation of larger plastic debris. Zooplankton can be affected directly by the ingestion of MPs or indirectly by interference caused by suspended plastic particles. Various environmental agencies recommend the genus <i>Moina</i> for assessing risk from water pollutants. However, this genus has received less attention in research compared to non-indigenous cladocerans commonly used as test organisms. We evaluated the effects of artificially fragmented acrylonitrile butadiene styrene microplastics (ABS-MPs) on key demographic parameters such as survival, mortality, life expectancy, fecundity, and feeding rates of <i>Moina macrocopa americana</i>. We exposed <i>M. macrocopa</i> neonates to a diet consisting of the green microalgae <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> and ABS-MP particles. Four treatments were set with different concentrations of ABS-MP particles (5, 10, and 20 mg L^-1). Survivorship, mortality, and reproduction were recorded daily until the last individual from the original cohort died. ABS-MPs significantly reduced <i>M. macrocopa</i> consumption rates of <i>C. vulgaris</i>, with an 85% decrease compared to the control. Although no statistically significant differences were found in life expectancy, net reproduction, or generation time among the toxic treatments, these parameters were drastically reduced compared to the control, even at the lowest concentration (5 mg L^-1); this resulted in a 34% reduction in average lifespan. The ABS-MPs interfere with the long-term population dynamics of <i>M. macrocopa</i> and change their consumption rates, potentially decreasing their fitness.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12108595/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential Proneness to Obesity in Two Rat Strains with Diverse Immune Responses.","authors":"Dina Tucović, Aleksandra Popov Aleksandrov, Dušanka Popović, Anastasija Malešević, Vesna Subota, Emilija Brdarić, Svetlana Soković Bajić, Milica Živković, Milena Kataranovski, Ivana Mirkov, Stanislava Stanojević, Jelena Kulaš","doi":"10.3390/biology14050557","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050557","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although obesity and metabolic syndrome (comprising at least three of the following traits-abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, triglycerides and glucose/insulin resistance, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum) are known to impact immune system activity, these conditions are often not considered when immune response characteristics are investigated in various rodent strains. In this work, metabolic syndrome indices are compared in 3 month-old (young) and 6 month-old (adult) rats of Dark Agouti (DA) and Albino Oxford (AO) strains, while parameters of coagulation, inflammation and oxidative stress were determined in young animals. Study reveals that both young and adult AO rats are obese, intolerant to glucose with higher levels of triglycerides and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol when compared to age-matched DA rats. Parameters of coagulation, inflammation and oxidative stress that may contribute to the worsening of metabolic syndrome during aging are also higher in young AO rats. Metabolic syndrome observed in young and intensified in adult AO rats should be taken into consideration when analyzing alterations in immune reactivity during aging in this rat strain.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12109429/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neuroprotective, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Greek Pomegranate Seed Oil on N2a Neuroblastoma Cells and Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients.","authors":"Eleni E Tzekaki, Georgios Katsipis, Athanasios Chatzikostopoulos, Anna Koutoupa, Sophia N Lavrentiadou, Magda Tsolaki, Anastasia A Pantazaki","doi":"10.3390/biology14050548","DOIUrl":"10.3390/biology14050548","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a significant global health challenge with limited FDA-approved treatments, necessitating the search for novel preventive strategies. Antioxidants that are present in fruits and vegetables have garnered attention due to their potential neuroprotective effects. Among these, pomegranate (<i>Punica granatum</i> L.) has emerged as a promising source of neuroprotective antioxidants as it is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and hydrolysable tannins. Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) is a source of bioactive compounds that may modulate key pathological processes of AD. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of PSO in murine neuroblastoma N2a cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate AD-like inflammation. The effects of PSO on inflammation and oxidative stress markers, including TNF-α, iNOS, SOD1, and IL1β, were evaluated, along with changes in AD-related biomarkers Aβ₄₂, Aβ₄₀, and p-tau181. Additionally, the study extended its findings to clinical settings by assessing the impact of supervised PSO consumption for 12 months on similar biomarkers in patients with mild cognitive impairment. Results from this integrative approach demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential of PSO, supporting its role in modulating AD-associated pathophysiology. These findings suggest that PSO may serve as an early-stage intervention to delay or mitigate AD progression, highlighting its therapeutic potential in preclinical and clinical contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":48624,"journal":{"name":"Biology-Basel","volume":"14 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12109235/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}