微粒在动脉粥样硬化形成及凝血异常中的作用

微粒是血管内皮细胞、组织细胞或血细胞激活或凋亡时形成的亚微型囊泡。动脉粥样硬化时血浆及粥样斑块中富含多种细胞来源的微粒,不仅促进斑块的发生发展并且在动脉粥样硬化凝血异常中起重要作用,可增进血管内皮细胞和白细胞间的相互作用,使单核细胞粘附于内皮细胞,从而迁移到斑块内,吞噬清除内膜下沉积的脂质。巨噬细胞吞噬脂质后凋亡形成大量微粒,抑制内皮细胞合成释放一氧化氮,加重内皮细胞损伤,促进斑块扩大。微粒表面富含的磷脂酰丝氨酸和组织因子是微粒促凝活性的主要来源,病灶处及循环中存在的大量微粒促进了动脉粥样硬化时凝血异常的发生。本文将就微粒在动脉粥样硬化形成及凝血异常中的作用做一综述。     

胆固醇结晶激活动脉粥样硬化斑块巨噬细胞NLRP3炎症体的途径

动脉粥样硬化既是胆固醇在血管壁聚集的疾病,也是发生在动脉壁的一种低强度慢性炎症形式。近年来有研究证实胆固醇结晶在动脉粥样硬化发生发展中具有重要作用。新的显微技术证实,胆固醇结晶在动脉粥样硬化斑块形成的早期即已出现,并与早期炎症有关。胆固醇结晶通过诱发局部炎症,促进大的脂质核心形成;刺破纤维帽,导致斑块破裂进而促进动脉粥样硬化斑块的进展。在影响斑块进程中,NLRP3炎症体的激活对此发挥了重要的作用。NLRP3炎症体是研究最多最明确的炎症体,其与非炎症性疾病的发生发展密切相关。以胆固醇结晶激活NLRP3炎症体的途径作为研究靶点,为动脉粥样硬化的诊断和治疗提供了新的思路和方法。该文就胆固醇结晶在动脉粥样硬化斑块中激活巨噬细胞NLRP3炎症体的两种途径做一综述。     

具有一氧化氮催化生成功能的层层自组装含硒人工血管的构建与评价

制备了原位催化生成一氧化氮(NO)的新型仿生人工血管材料.固载有机硒催化剂的聚乙烯亚胺,作为NO供体催化剂,和海藻酸钠通过静电层层自组装交替结合到电纺聚已内酯基质的表面上.这种材料接触到NO供体—S-亚硝基谷胱甘肽时,显示了显著的催化释放NO的能力.在S-亚硝基硫醇存在的情况下,该材料可以抑制平滑肌细胞的黏附和铺展,同时促进内皮细胞的增殖.体外血小板黏附和动静脉分流实验显示这种材料具有良好的抗血栓性能,能够抑制血小板激活和聚集,预防急性血栓形成.该研究为提高人工血管的细胞功能和抗血栓性能提供一种新方法.     

S1P 信号通路：心血管疾病治疗的新靶点

1- 磷酸鞘氨醇是一种有生物活性的脂质代谢产物,具有调节细胞增殖、再生、迁移,细胞内钙离子移动,黏附分子表达以及激活单核细胞黏附内皮细胞等功效,在血管生理性再生及动脉粥样硬化斑块发生发展中发挥重要作用。1- 磷酸鞘氨醇在高密度脂蛋白中含量在所有脂蛋白中最高,其参与调节高密度脂蛋白的抗氧化、抗血栓、抗炎等效应,而这些反应与1- 磷酸鞘氨醇的生物学功能如血管发生、内皮保护、抑制平滑肌细胞迁移、心肌缺血再灌注损伤的保护等密切相关。对1- 磷酸鞘氨醇信号通路在心血管系统中的作用及以该通路为靶点的相关药物研究进展进行综述,为今后研究提供参考。     

血管紧张素Ⅱ对单核/巨噬细胞的致炎作用及其药物干预

动脉粥样硬化斑块形成和破裂的重要原因是病变部位炎症反应的加剧,而巨噬细胞作为粥样斑块内主要的炎症细胞,在炎症反应中起主导作用.血管紧张素Ⅱ作为一种重要促炎因子,促进单核/巨噬细胞浸润于动脉粥样硬化斑块,激活斑块内的巨噬细胞,上调各种炎症因子,从而参与动脉粥样硬化的发生发展过程.血管紧张素转化酶抑制剂、AngⅡ受体阻断剂、调血脂药、干扰素-β、雌激素等药物可减轻血管紧张素Ⅱ诱导的血管壁炎症反应,发挥抗动脉粥样硬化作用.     

ICAM-1与脑梗死关系的研究进展

炎症在脑梗死的发病机制中扮演着非常重要的角色,动脉粥样硬化是脑梗死的病理基础,动脉粥样硬化被认为是一种慢性炎症过程,这种炎症过程与黏附分子的表达有关,如细胞间黏附分子-1(ICAM-1),它能黏附循环中的白细胞,促进内皮细胞表面粥样斑块的形成,许多研究表明,ICAM-1与脑梗死密切相关,本文就二者的关系做一综述.     

一个日益重要的冠心病标志物———新蝶呤

动脉粥样硬化是一种慢性炎症过程,炎症反应在动脉粥样斑块的形成、发展、稳定性丧失和斑块破裂过程中都起着非常重要的作用,贯穿于动脉粥样硬化的各个环节。从早期的脂质条纹到进一步的动脉粥样病变及血栓性并发症都能见到炎症细胞的浸润,其中又以激活的巨噬细胞尤为重要。新蝶呤是巨噬细胞激活后的代谢产物,它不仅是巨噬细胞激活的炎症标志物,还参与多种调节氧化平衡的生化途径,增加氧化应激水平,促进动脉粥样硬化的进展,是斑块不稳定性及不良性心血管事件的独立预测因子。在临床上,降低血清新蝶呤水平可以降低冠心病患者发生危险事件的风险。因此,新蝶呤对冠心病的诊断和治疗都有重要意义。本文将对新蝶呤在冠心病中的角色做一综述。     

血管外膜在动脉粥样硬化中的作用

动脉粥样硬化被认为是受损的内皮细胞释放粘附因子,吸引单核细胞粘附浸润到内膜下吞噬脂质,同时平滑肌细胞进行增殖迁移并形成新生内膜的过程,但目前越来越多的证据提示血管外膜作为反应的先导者从外向内参与了这一过程。在诸多血管疾病模型中,均能检测到外膜的早期激活。成纤维细胞作为血管外膜的主要细胞成分,在血管损伤早期会进行增殖迁移至中膜和内膜,还可以通过释放活性氧、各种细胞因子、基质金属蛋白酶等来影响炎症反应,导致内膜增生,最终促进了血管重塑及一些心血管疾病的发生。因此,越来越多的研究关注外膜成纤维细胞对于动脉粥样硬化、糖尿病、腹主动脉瘤等疾病中的作用及其机制,本文对该领域新近研究进展做一综述。     

载脂蛋白CⅢ致动脉粥样硬化的新机制

载脂蛋白CⅢ(apolipoprotein CⅢ,apo CⅢ)在致动脉粥样硬化中有直接作用。首先,apo CⅢ激活血液循环单核细胞,细胞表面黏附分子β1整合素表达上调,促进单核细胞与血管内皮发生黏附;其次,apo CⅢ诱导血管内皮细胞表达血管细胞黏附分子-1(vascular cell adhesion molecule-1,VCAM-1)和细胞间黏附分子-1(intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1,ICAM-1),募集循环中的单核细胞并发生黏附;最后,apo CⅢ诱导血管内皮细胞发生胰岛素抵抗,导致内皮功能紊乱,引发内皮炎症和动脉硬化。     

P-选择素及其细胞黏附与血栓形成

P-选择素是选择素家族的重要黏附分子,作为血小板/内皮细胞活化标志和细胞黏附受体,其可通过介导血小板、内皮细胞黏附及与白细胞的相互作用,启动参与了包括炎症和血栓形成等多种病理生理起始过程,是炎症/血栓的重要介质和靶分子。抑制P-选择素及其与配体的结合和作用,可使病理状态下血栓局部白细胞聚集减少、细胞因子及组织因子表达降低、纤维蛋白生成减少,从而有助于抑制血栓的形成。因此,随着P-选择素及其细胞黏附与血栓形成研究的不断深入和阐明,以P-选择素为靶标的血栓性疾病的诊断和抗黏附治疗,也已引起人们关注并具有良好的临床应用价值和前景。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.     

Composition and diversity of bird communities in Swedish farmland–forest mosaic landscapes

CapsuleThe amount of forest (at local and landscape scales) and occurrence of residual habitats at the local scale are shown to be the major factors influencing bird community composition in farmland–forest landscapes in central Sweden.

Aims To investigate the importance of local habitat and landscape structure for breeding birds in farmland–forest landscapes in central Sweden.

Methods Breeding birds were censused at 292 points. A detailed habitat mapping was made within 300 m of the points. Within a 300–600 m radius only two major habitats (forests and arable fields) were identified.

Results Cluster analyses of bird communities identified three site types that also differed in habitat composition: (i) partially forested sites in forested landscapes; (ii) heterogeneous sites with residual habitats in mosaic landscapes; and (iii) field-dominated farmland sites in open landscapes. A total of 19 of 25 farmland bird species (restricted to farmland or using both farmland and forest) had the highest abundance in farmland sites with mosaics of forest and farmland, while only six farmland species had the highest abundance in field-dominated sites. The bird community changed from being dominated by farmland species to being dominated by forest species (common in forest landscapes without farmland) at small proportions (10–20%) of forest at the local scale. A major difference in habitat composition between heterogeneous and field-dominated sites was the occurrence of different residual habitats (e.g. shrubby areas and seminatural grasslands). These habitats seemed to influence bird community composition more than land-use, despite covering <10% of the area. Seminatural grasslands were important for bird community composition and species-richness, but grazing seemed to be less important. Among different land-use types, cereal crops were the least preferred fields. Set-asides with tall vegetation and short rotation coppices were positively associated with species-richness of farmland birds.

Conclusion In general, the composition of the landscape was important for bird community composition, although amount and distribution of forests, occurrence of residual habitats and land-use of fields at the local scale had the strongest influence on bird community composition. The possible implications of these patterns for managing farmland–forest landscapes are discussed.     

Chemical constituents from the fruits of Rhus typhina L. and their chemotaxonomic significance

This work describes the isolation and characterization of twenty-nine compounds from the fruits of Rhus typhina L., including eleven flavonoids (1–11), eleven phenols (12–22), two pentacyclic triterpenes (23–24), two organic acids (25–26), one lumichrome (27), one courmarin (28) and one pyrimidine (29) on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Compounds apigenin (1), daidzein (4), orobol (5), 3′, 5, 5′, 7-tetrahydroxyflavanone (6), naringenin (7), butein (8), (-)-catechin (9), quercetin-3-O-α-L-(3″-O-galloyl)-rhamnoside (11), 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (13), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (14), vanillin (15), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (16), 3,5-dihydroxybenzamide (18), tyrosol (19), caffeic acid (20), 3-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propan-1-one (21), phlorizin (22), friedelin (23), oleanolic acid (24), 4,4-dimethyl-heptanedioic acid (25), anthranilic acid (26), lumichrome (27), scoparone (28) and uracil (29) have not been recorded before in this plant. This is the first report on the occurrence of compounds 4–7, 9, 11, 13–14, 16, 18–21, 25–29 from the genus Rhus. Moreover, the chemotaxonomic significance of these isolated compounds was also summarized.