Addictive behavior is increasingly accepted as a drug-associated pathological memory in which the hippocampus is profoundly engaged. It has been well documented that adaptations of synaptic plasticity of excitatory transmission in the hippocampus may contribute to opioid addiction. However, it remains unknown whether and how adaptive changes of synaptic plasticity of inhibitory transmission in the hippocampus occurs during opioid abuse. Here, we reported that a single in vivo morphine exposure (SM) did not affect inhibitory long-term depression (I-LTD) in the hippocampus, compared with saline control; while repeated morphine exposure (RM) abolished this I-LTD. Interestingly, opioid withdrawal for 3-5 days after repeated (RMW), but not a single morphine exposure (SMW), largely enhanced I-LTD. More importantly, the I-LTD in single morphine treatment is dependent on presynaptic mechanism since it can be blocked by AM251, a selective cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonist. While the large I-LTD in RMW group is dependent on combinatorial presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms since it can be blocked by co-application of AM251 and L-type calcium channel blocker LaCl₃. Thus, these results demonstrate that opioid use and withdrawal drive the dynamics of presynaptic and postsynaptic I-LTD expression in the hippocampus that may contribute to the persistent behavioral changes during opioid abuse.

Obesity, a major public health problem, causes numerous complications that threaten human health and increase the socioeconomic burden. The pathophysiology of obesity is primarily attributed to lipid metabolism disorders. Conventional anti-obesity medications have a high abuse potential and frequently deliver insufficient efficacy and have negative side-effects. Hence, functional foods are regarded as effective alternatives to address obesity. Coffee, tea, and cocoa, three widely consumed beverages, have long been considered to have the potential to prevent obesity, and several studies have focused on their intrinsic molecular mechanisms in past few years. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which the bioactive ingredients in these three beverages counteract obesity from the aspects of adipogenesis, lipolysis, and energy expenditure (thermogenesis). The future prospects and challenges for coffee, tea, and cocoa as functional products for the treatment of obesity are also discussed, which can be pursued for future drug development and prevention strategies against obesity.

The previously recognised closely related species Graphium (Pazala) mandarinus (Oberthiir, 1879) and G. (P.) sichuanica (Koiwaya, 1993) are shown to comprise seven species as a result of both molecular and morphological analysis. Molecular dating analysis is also performed on the mandarinus group in order to investigate the divergence time of the taxa. Two taxa, G. (P.) garhwalica (Katayama, 1988) stat. nov. and G. (P)paphus (de Niceville, 1886) stat. nov., are raised from subspecific to specific status; G. (P.) hoeneanus Cotton & Hu nom. nov., stat. rev. is separated from sichuanica at species level; and two previously unrecognised new species, G. (P.) daiyuanae Hu, Zhang & Cotton sp. nov. and G. (P.) confucius Hu, Duan & Cotton sp. nov. are described from Vietnam and China respectively, the latter being sympatric with nominate G. (P.) mandarinus. The identity of the lectotype of G. (P.) mandarinus is confirmed and a lectotype is designated for the taxon Papilio Glycerion Gray, 1831. A new subspecies of G. (P.) mandarinus is described from western Yunnan and northern Myanmar, G. (P.) mandarinus stilwelli Cotton & Hu ssp. nov.