No abstract

Stress is a state of threatened homeostasis that causes the body to release the hormone cortisol produced by the adrenal glands. Oviductus ranae (OR) is an animal based raw material of folk medicine which plays a variety of activities. However, its anti-stress effects mechanism has not been fully revealed. In this work, based on network pharmacology, the potential targets of OR were screened, and an protein-protein interaction (PPI) network between the target of OR and anti-stress target was constructed using STRING database. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was used for analyzing the pathways of target gene. To further verify this, total 96 ICR mice were used, forced swim test and anoxic tolerance test were performed. The effect of OR on levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and phosphorylation of p38 which closely related to anti-stress were examined. The results showed that, 203 potential OR targets and 126 stress-related gene targets were obtained, in which there were 15 common targets. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that there were 20 critical pathways. The results revealed that OR could increase the total swimming time, increase the survival time of enduring anoxia, and regulate monoamine neurotransmitters such as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA). Western blot analyses indicated that OR may decrease the phosphorylation of p38. In conclusion, the results revealed that OR may play the anti-stress effects by inhibiting mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, thus promote the normalization of acute stress. This study revealed the possible mechanism of OR as a potential material for the treatment of acute stress-related problems, and laid a foundation for the further development and utilization of OR.

The Min pig is indigenous to China. The genetic background of this breed was previously unclear, limiting the utility of the Min pig. In this study, the whole genomes of ten Min pigs and four Northeast wild boars were sequenced and the analysis yielded 8,988,338 non-redundant SNPs plus 1,231,680 InDels. A phylogenetic tree was constructed and a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed based on previously published SNP data from 66 individual pigs. Both analyses indicated the Min pig fell between the European and Asian pigs, while the Northeast wild boar was closely related to the Asian domestic and wild pig breeds. Selective sweep analysis indicated that 181 genes in the Min pig genome had been subjected to selection, including several genes encoding zinc finger proteins. Additional genes associated with myokinesis and lipid metabolism were also identified as under selection. Only SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors) interactions in the vesicular transport pathway were identified as under selection (P=0.0029). This study describes the genomic framework of the Min pig and identifies signatures of selection. These results provide a useful genomic background for further studies of the genetic mechanisms associated with important economic traits in the Min pig.