Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is a multifunctional and widely distributed peptide that plays a pivotal role in several physiological and pathological processes in the body, namely, increasing angiogenesis and proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation. Moreover, Tβ4 is effectively utilized for several indications in animal experiments or clinical trials, such as myocardial infarction and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, xerophthalmia, liver and renal fibrosis, ulcerative colitis and colon cancer, and skin trauma. Recent studies have reported the potential application of Tβ4 and its underlying mechanisms. The present study reveals the progress regarding functions and applications of Tβ4.

Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a high-energy pulse with an extremely rapid rise time and a broad bandwidth. The brain is a target organ sensitive to electromagnetic radiation (EMR), the biological effects and related mechanisms of EMPs on the brain remain unclear. The objectives of the study were to assess the effects of EMP exposure on mouse cognitions, and the neuronal calcium activities in vivo under different cases of real-time exposure and post exposure. EMP-treated animal model was established by exposing male adult C57BL/6N mice to 300 kV/m EMPs. First, the effects of EMPs on the cognitions, including the spatial learning and memory, avoidance learning and memory, novelty-seeking behavior, and anxiety, were assessed by multiple behavioral experiments. Then, the changes in the neuronal activities of the hippocampal CA1 area in vivo were detected by fiber photometry in both cases of during real-time EMP radiation and post-exposure. Finally, the structures of neurons in hippocampi were observed by optical microscope and transmission electron microscope. We found that EMPs under this condition caused a decline in the spatial learning and memory ability in mice, but no effects on the avoidance learning and memory, novelty-seeking behavior, and anxiety. The neuron activities of hippocampal CA1 were disturbed by EMP exposure, which were inhibited during EMP exposure, but activated immediately after exposure end. Additionally, the CA1 neuron activities, when mice entered the central area in an Open field (OF) test or explored the novelty in a Novel object exploration (NOE) test, were inhibited on day 1 and day 7 after radiation. Besides, damaged structures in hippocampal neurons were observed after EMP radiation. In conclusion, EMP radiation impaired the spatial learning and memory ability and disturbed the neuronal activities in hippocampal CA1 in mice.

In the study, we established a hydrolysis probe-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to rapidly detect Canine circovirus (CanineCV) DNA in faecal samples. We designed a pair of specific primers and one probe targeting Rep in CanineCV, and sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability tests were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the assay. The assay showed high sensitivity and a minimum detection limit of 8.42 × 10 1 copies/μL, which is 1000-fold more sensitive compared to traditional PCR. The method was also highly specific, without cross-reaction with other common canine viruses. Moreover, the assay showed high repeatability, and the mean intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 0.26 and 0.36%, respectively. The results of the detection of clinical samples showed that the positive detection rate of CanineCV was 14.04% (8/57). Notably, 8% of clinical samples were co-infected with other canine pathogens. In conclusion, the establishment of a hydrolysis probe-based real-time PCR method provides a fast, sensitive, specific, reliable, and repeatable method for CanineCV detection. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-03031-z.

The intestinal tract is composed of different cell lineages with distinct functions and gene expression profiles, providing uptake of nutrients and protection against insults to the gut lumen. Changes in or damage to the cellulosity or local environment of the intestinal tract can cause various diseases. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful tool for profiling and analyzing individual cell data, making it possible to resolve rare and intermediate cell states that are hardly observed at the bulk level. In this review, we discuss the application of intestinal tract scRNA-seq in identifying novel cell subtypes and states, targets, and explaining the molecular mechanisms involved in intestinal diseases. Finally, we provide future perspectives on using single-cell techniques to discover molecular and cellular targets and biomarkers as a new approach for developing novel therapeutics for intestinal diseases.

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