Mirogabalin is a novel α2δ ligand approved in Japan for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain. However, the sites of action of α2δ ligands to produce analgesic effects on inflammatory pain ...remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the analgesic effect and site of action of mirogabalin using the rat formalin test, an acute inflammatory pain model. Mirogabalin was administered orally, intrathecally, and intracerebroventricularly. Open field tests were performed to evaluate the effect of oral-, intrathecally, and intracerebroventricularly administered mirogabalin on locomotor activity and orientation ability. Oral mirogabalin produced an analgesic effect when the formalin test was performed 4 h, but not 1 or 2 h, after oral administration. Intrathecal, but not intracerebroventricular, administration of mirogabalin produced analgesic effects when mirogabalin was administered 10 min before formalin injection. These analgesic effects were not antagonized by idazoxan, an α2 adrenergic antagonist; WAY100135, a 5-HT1A antagonist; or naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist. Mirogabalin attenuated moving distances 1 and 2 h after oral administration and 10 min after intracerebroventricular administration, but not 10 min after intrathecal administration. In the oral administration group, the time course of the analgesic effect was different from that of moving distance. In the intracerebroventricular group, mirogabalin attenuated moving distances but did not produce an analgesic effect. In the intrathecal group, mirogabalin produced an analgesic effect but did not affect moving distances. These findings suggest that the analgesic effect of mirogabalin on the rat formalin test is mediated by spinal action and not by the activation of α2, 5-HT1A, or opioid receptors, and that the inhibitory effect of mirogabalin on moving distances is mediated by the supraspinal brain.
•Statistical models were developed for determination of lignocellulosic components.•The models were constructed based on whole wavelengths.•The characteristic wavelengths contributed largely to ...lignocellulosic components.•Models by PLS, LS-SVM and ANN were developed based on characteristic wavelengths.
Lignocellulosic components including hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin are the three major components of plant cell walls, and their proportions in biomass crops, such as Miscanthus sinensis, greatly impact feed stock conversion to liquid fuels or bio-products. In this study, the feasibility of using visible and near infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy to rapidly quantify hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin in M. sinensis was investigated. Initially, prediction models were established using partial least squares (PLS), least squares support vector machine regression (LSSVR), and radial basis function neural network (RBF_NN) based on whole wavelengths. Subsequently, 23, 25 and 27 characteristic wavelengths for hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, respectively, were found to show significant contribution to calibration models. Three determination models were eventually built by PLS, LS-SVM and ANN based on the characteristic wavelengths. Calibration models for lignocellulosic components were successfully developed, and can now be applied to assessment of lignocellulose contents in M. sinensis.
Neuropeptide W (NPW) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and NPBW1 and/or NPBW2 mRNA are expressed in the descending pain inhibitory system. In the present study, we examined whether NPW microinjected ...into the descending pain inhibitory system, such as the periaqueductal gray (PAG), locus coeruleus (LC), and rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), produces an analgesic effect using a rat formalin test. Microinjections of NPW into the PAG ipsilateral and contralateral to the formalin-injected side, LC ipsilateral and contralateral to the formalin-injected side, and RVM produced an analgesic effect. In the RVM study, the analgesic effect was antagonized by WAY100135, a 5-HT1A antagonist, and enhanced by prazosin, an α1 antagonist, and SB269970, a 5-HT7 antagonist. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, also antagonized the effect of NPW in the RVM study. In the ipsilateral LC study, the analgesic effect was antagonized by WAY100135, idazoxan, an α2 antagonist, and naloxone and was enhanced by prazosin and SB269970. In the contralateral LC study, the analgesic effect was antagonized by prazosin, idazoxan, SB269970, and naloxone. The analgesic effect was antagonized by WAY100135, SB269970, idazoxan, and naloxone in the ipsilateral and contralateral PAG studies. These findings strongly suggest that NPBW1/W2 activation by NPW microinjection into the RVM, LC, and PAG affect the descending pain modulatory system and produce anti-nociceptive and pro-nociceptive effects in the rat formalin test.
Leaf water content is one of the most common physiological parameters limiting efficiency of photosynthesis and biomass productivity in plants including
. Therefore, it is of great significance to ...determine or predict the water content quickly and non-destructively. In this study, we explored the relationship between leaf water content and diffuse reflectance spectra in
. Three multivariate calibrations including partial least squares (PLS), least squares support vector machine regression (LSSVR), and radial basis function (RBF) neural network (NN) were developed for the models of leaf water content determination. The non-linear models including RBF_LSSVR and RBF_NN showed higher accuracy than the PLS and Lin_LSSVR models. Moreover, 75 sensitive wavelengths were identified to be closely associated with the leaf water content in
. The RBF_LSSVR and RBF_NN models for predicting leaf water content, based on 75 characteristic wavelengths, obtained the high determination coefficients of 0.9838 and 0.9899, respectively. The results indicated the non-linear models were more accurate than the linear models using both wavelength intervals. These results demonstrated that visible and near-infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy combined with RBF_LSSVR or RBF_NN is a useful, non-destructive tool for determinations of the leaf water content in
, and thus very helpful for development of drought-resistant varieties in
.
The mechanism by which acetaminophen produces its analgesic effects is not fully understood. One possible mechanism is the activation of the spinal 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor, although ...direct evidence of spinal 5-HT release has not yet been reported. N-arachidonoylphenolamine (AM404), a metabolite of acetaminophen, is believed to be the key substance that contributes to the analgesic effects of acetaminophen. In this study, we examined whether acetaminophen and AM404 induce spinal 5-HT release and the mechanism through which spinal 5-HT receptor activation exerts analgesic effects in a rat formalin test in an inflammatory pain model. Spinal 5-HT release was examined by intrathecal microdialysis in conscious and freely moving rats. Acetaminophen was administered orally, and AM404 was administered intracerebroventricularly. In rat formalin tests, oral acetaminophen and intracerebroventricular AM404 induced significant spinal 5-HT release and produced analgesic effects. The analgesic effect of oral acetaminophen was partially antagonized by intrathecal administration of WAY100135 (a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist) and SB269970 (a 5-HT7 receptor antagonist). In contrast, the analgesic effect of intracerebroventricular AM404 was completely antagonized by WAY100135, while SB269970 had no effect. Our data suggest that while oral acetaminophen and intracerebroventricular AM404 activate the spinal 5-HT system, the role of the spinal 5-HT system activated by oral acetaminophen differs from that activated by intracerebroventricular AM404.
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•Mechanisms underlying acetaminophen-induced analgesia are not fully understood.•Oral acetaminophen administration induced spinal 5-HT release.•ICV AM404, a metabolite of acetaminophen, induced spinal 5-HT release.•Spinal 5-HT release induced by oral acetaminophen and ICV AM404 produced analgesic effects.•The role of spinal 5-HT-induced release of oral acetaminophen differs from that of ICV AM404.
Biomass fuel is promoted toward a target of net GHG zero emissions in 2050 that Japanese government announced last October 2020. Using biomass pellets in pulverized coal fired power plants are ...recently increasing. IHI has supplied the co-firing power plants of 30cal% or more biomass pellets with coal. The biomass particles after pulverization by biomass mills are transported to the burners through the fuel pipes by air. Deposition of the biomass particles in a fuel pipe on the way to a burner make a serious impact on the stable combustion and boiler operation. It is important to understand conditions of occurring deposition in order to prevent the deposition of the biomass particles in the fuel pipe. However, various types of pellets are used, and conditions of occurring deposition is depending on the size and shape of the biomass particles. In this test, the transportation of two types of biomass particles is observed by using a transparent horizontal pipe with 30m length. This result suggests that conditions of occurring deposition is different depending on the shape of biomass particles.
Background and AimsMiscanthus is a perennial C4 grass that is a leading potential feedstock crop for the emerging bioenergy industry in North America, Europe and China. However, only a single, ...sterile genotype of M. × giganteus (M×g), a nothospecies derived from diploid M. sinensis (Msi) and tetraploid M. sacchariflorus (Msa), is currently available to farmers for biomass production. To facilitate breeding of Miscanthus, this study characterized genetic diversity and population structure of Msi in its native range of East Asia.MethodsA total of 767 accessions were studied, including 617 Msi from most of its native range in China, Japan and South Korea, and 77 ornamental cultivars and 43 naturalized individuals from the USA. Accessions were evaluated with 21 207 restriction site-associated DNA sequencing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, 424 GoldenGate SNPs and ten plastid microsatellite markers.Key ResultsSix genetic clusters of Msi from geographically distinct regions in Asia were identified. Genetic data indicated that (1) south-eastern China was the origin of Msi populations found in temperate eastern Asia, which is consistent with this area probably having been a refugium during the last glacial maximum (LGM); (2) Msi migrated directly from south-eastern China to Japan before migrating to the same latitudes in China and Korea, which is consistent with the known sequence of warming post-LGM; (3) ornamental Msi cultivars were derived from the southern Japan population, and US naturalized populations were derived from a sub-set of the ornamental cultivars; and (4) many ornamental cultivars previously described as Msi have hybrid ancestry from Msa and Msi, whereas US naturalized populations of Msi do not.ConclusionsPopulation structure of Msi was driven by patterns of warming since the LGM, and secondarily by geographical barriers. This study will facilitate germplasm conservation, association analyses and identification of potential heterotic groups for the improvement of Miscanthus as a bioenergy crop.
Although energycane (
Saccharum spp.
hybrids) is widely used as a source of lignocellulosic biomass for bioethanol, breeding this crop for disease resistance is challenging due to its narrow genetic ...base. Therefore, efforts are underway to introgress novel sources of genetic resistance from
Miscanthus
into energycane. Given that disease resistance in energycane could be either qualitative or quantitative in nature, careful examination of a wide variety of genomic-enabled breeding approaches will be crucial to the success of such an undertaking. Here we examined the efficiency of both genomic selection (GS) and marker-assisted selection (MAS) for traits simulated under different genetic architectures in F
1
and BC
1
populations of
Miscanthus
×
Miscanthus
and sugarcane × sugarcane crosses. We observed that the performance of MAS was comparable and sometimes superior to GS for traits simulated with four quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs). In contrast, as the number of simulated QTN increased, all four GS models that were evaluated tended to outperform MAS, select more phenotypically optimal F
1
individuals, and accurately predict simulated trait values in subsequent BC
1
generations. We therefore conclude that GS is preferable to MAS for introgressing genetic sources of horizontal disease resistance from
Miscanthus
to energycane, while MAS remains a suitable option for introgressing vertical disease resistance.
Morphine induces spinal 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) release, but the role and mechanism of the spinal 5‐HT release induced by morphine are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to define ...the role and mechanism of spinal 5‐HT release induced by oral morphine. We also examined whether persistent pain affected the spinal 5‐HT release induced by oral morphine. Spinal 5‐HT release was measured using microdialysis of lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Two opioids, morphine and oxycodone, were orally administered and 5‐HT release was measured in awake rats. Naloxone and β‐funaltrexamine (β‐FNA) were used to determine whether the effect of morphine on 5‐HT release was mediated by opioid receptor activation. To study persistent pain, a formalin test was used. At 45 min after oral morphine administration, the formalin test was started and spinal 5‐HT release was measured. Oral morphine, but not oral oxycodone, increased 5‐HT release at the spinal cord to approximately 4000% of the baseline value. This effect of morphine was not antagonized by either naloxone or β‐FNA at a dose that antagonized the antinociceptive effect of morphine. Formalin‐induced persistent pain itself had no effect on spinal 5‐HT release but enhanced the oral morphine‐induced spinal 5‐HT release. Oral morphine‐induced spinal 5‐HT release was not mediated by opioid receptor activation. Spinal 5‐HT induced by oral morphine did not play a major role in the antinociceptive effect of morphine in the hot plate test. Persistent pain increased oral morphine‐induced spinal 5‐HT release.
Oral morphine (100 mg/kg) increased significant spinal 5‐HT release.This 5‐HT release was not antagonized by either beta‐FNA or naloxone and this suggested that morphine induced 5‐HT release was mediated by an opioid receptor‐independent mechanism.
Physiological susceptibility to early- and late-season chilling limits commercial production of sugarcane (
Saccharum
spp. hybrid), a major crop for lignocellulosic biomass, refined sugar, and ...bioethanol, to tropical and the warmest subtropical regions. Interspecific and intergeneric hybridization have been used to broaden the genetic base of sugarcane and improve its adaptation to temperate climates. Chilling tolerance can be introgressed in sugarcane through intergeneric hybridization with
Miscanthus
, a cold-tolerant C
4
perennial grass, which is genetically homologous to sugarcane. This study evaluated intergeneric F
1
hybrids of
Saccharum
×
Miscanthus
, miscanes, which included two genotypes of sugarcane ×
Miscanthus sinensis
and sixteen genotypes of sugarcane ×
Miscanthus sacchariflorus
, for their seasonal variation in photosynthesis and biomass production under field conditions in Hokkaido, Japan, to identify promising genotypes and traits, which can be selected to further improve sugarcane. Results showed several of the miscane genotypes had high early- and late-season photosynthesis coupled with high biomass production, which likely indicates chilling tolerance. High broad-sense heritabilities for traits, including stem diameter, tiller number, leaf width, leaf and stem dry weight, and high correlations between these traits and dry matter yield indicate selections can be made efficiently to improve sugarcane. Although none of the miscanes overwintered at the experimental location, we identified miscane “JM 14-09” as a superior genotype for introgression breeding programs and as a potential energycane cultivar for its high biomass-production capacity.
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