Abstract Observation ECA’s treatment effects in Adjuvant arthritis rats and relative mechanisms. The rat model of arthritis was established by subcutaneous injection of 0.2 mL Freund’s complete adjuvant. After model success, giving different ECA concentrations (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg) to rats by ig methods and continued to 28 days. Measuring thymus and spleen index; observation histopathological morphology of rat joint by HE and Masson staining, and Inflammatory cells, synovial hyperplasia, oochas score and degree of fibrosis were detected semi quantitatively. The relative gene and protein expressions were measured by RT-PCR and Western blot. Compared with Normal group, Inflammatory cells, synovial hyperplasia, fibrosis and oochas score increased significantly in Model group (P<0.01, respectively); COX-1, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17 mRNA expression were significantly up-regulation (P<0.01); AMPK, Beclin1 and ATG12 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly down-regulation (P<0.01, respectively). Compared with Model group, The inflammatory cells, the degree of fibrosis, the proliferation of synovial tissue and OOCHAS score decreased significantly in Middle and High groups (P<0.01, respectively); Thymus index significantly depressed in Low, Middle and High groups (P<0.01, respectively); spleen index were significantly down-regulation in Middle and High groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01); COX-2, TNF-α and IL-17 mRNA expression was significantly down-regulation (P<0.05), IL-1βand IL-6 mRNA expression were significantly depressed in Middle and High groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01); AMPK, Beclin1, LC3-II, ATG5 and ATG7 mRNA expressions were significantly up-regulation in Middle and High groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01); mTOR gene expression was significantly down-regulation (P<0.05), ATG12 mRNA expression was significantly up-regulation (P<0.01) in High group; AMPK, Beclin1, LC3-II, ATG5 and ATG7 protein expressions were significantly increased in High group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), mTOR protein expression were significantly down-regulation and ATG12 protein expression were significantly up-regulation in Low, Middle and High groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01, respectively). ECA can inhibit the inflammatory response in adjuvant arthritis rats, and its mechanism may be related to promoting autophagy of synovial cells.

Abstract Background Quinclorac- main herbicide targeting to barnyard grass, has been used for decades in rice fields. Echinochloa species have been reported evolving into quinclorac resistance.Objective: Quinclorac resistance and its mechanism remain undisclosed in Echinochloa oryzoides (Ard.) Fritsch that needs to be uncovered. Methods Dose-response assays were performed, followed by ethylene synthesis, and related enzyme activities along with gene transcription were studied. β-CAS activity and its molecular docking were investigated. Results E. oryzoides evolved into 21 times resistance to quinclorac from Jiangsu province of China. The increment in ethylene levels in this biotype was correlated negatively with the level of resistance and positively with quinclorac-induced growth inhibition. Ethylene response pathway determination showed that resistant biotype decreased 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) contents, related enzyme activities, and transcription of ACS and ACO genes. These results indicated that ethylene biosynthesis inhibition and quinclorac resistance possessed a positive correlation. Resistant biotype exhibited ~ 2-fold more β-CAS activity than susceptible ones. Resistant EcCAS gene depicted nucleotide changes as compared to susceptible ones, which resulted in two amino acid substitutions (Met-287-Lys and Thr-352-Ala). Consequently, resistant β-CAS enzyme exhibited an increase in binding residue in active site (simulation modelling); that can be the probable reason for higher enzyme activity in the resistant biotype. Conclusions The study concludes that variation in response pathway of auxin and potentially improved cyanide degradation were plausible mechanisms endowing quinclorac resistance in E. oryzoides .

Reaction of aromatic hydrocarbons catalyzed by a novel catalytic system consisting of zinc chloride, acetic acid, sulfuric acid and PEG-800 in aqueous media under PTC conditions results in chloromethylation in good to excellent yield.