Effect of puerarin on the expression of NMU, NPY, and POMC genes in the hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is an important component of the nervous system, and neuropeptide Y (NPY), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and neuromedin U (NMU) are key players in physiological regulation. Puerarin is important for nerve regulation. We investigated the effect of puerarin on the expression of NMU, NPY, and POMC genes in the hypothalamus. The results showed that the puerarin low-dose group and the other groups were significantly different (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in NMU, POMC, and NPY among the groups.

Effects of lipopolysaccharide on the stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase mRNA level in bovine primary hepatic cells

This study aimed to compare the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD) gene expression in mouse primary hepatic cells. To obtain sufficient total RNA, primary hepatic cells were plated on 6-cm diameter-type collagen 1-coated dishes (1 x 106 cells per dish). The test was divided into 6 groups with 6 replications per group. The 6 groups were treated with the following volumes of LPS (0.1 mg/mL): 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, and 8 μL. The cells were cultured for 24 h, and the total RNA was extracted from samples. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze SCD mRNA levels. With increasing LPS amounts, the SCD mRNA expression first decreased and then increased slightly; the expression was the lowest in the 2-μL LPS condition. The SCD mRNA levels from the 4- and 8-μL LPS conditions were slightly higher than that from the 2-μL LPS condition, but the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The SCD mRNA level from the 2-μL LPS condition was obviously lower than that from the 0-, 1-, and 1.5-μL LPS condition, and the differences were significant (P < 0.05), and the SCD mRNA levels from the 0-, 1-, and 1.5-μL LPS conditions were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The SCD mRNA levels from the 4- and 8-μL LPS conditions were obviously lower than those from the 0- and 1-μL LPS conditions, and the differences were significant (P < 0.05).