低强度周期性静水压力对人膝关节软骨细胞的影响

目的:探讨低强度周期性静水压力对体外培养的人膝关节软骨细胞增殖、凋亡,以及细胞Ⅱ型胶原分泌表达的影响。方法:体外酶消化法分离培养成人膝关节正常软骨细胞,将培养的第3代软骨细胞分为两组:正常对照组、3.0MPa组压力实验组,应用多功能恒温体外细胞培养中高压静水压力加载装置加载低强度周期性压力,共5d,每天2h。Ⅱ型胶原免疫组织化学染色法和甲苯胺蓝染色法鉴定软骨细胞,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡,四甲基偶氮唑蓝(MTT)法绘制细胞生长曲线,qRT-PCR、Western-Blot检测Ⅱ型胶原的分泌和表达。结果:软骨细胞Ⅱ型胶原免疫组织化学染色和甲苯胺蓝染色均显示为阳性。与正常对照组相比,3.0MPa组表现出促进软骨细胞增殖,抑制细胞凋亡,且Ⅱ型胶原的合成分泌明显升高(P0.05)。结论:通过体外模拟人生理情况下较低强度(3.0MPa)的周期性静水压力对人软骨细胞增殖、凋亡水平及周围基质分泌合成功能的影响,初步证实了较低强度压力有助于软骨自我修复和自身保护作用的发挥。     

改良胶原酶消化法分离培养人原代髓核细胞

目的:优化人原代髓核细胞的体外分离培养方法,为椎间盘退变的防治研究提供种子细胞。方法:无菌环境中摘取人椎间盘髓核组织,采用多次胶原酶消化法分离提取原代人髓核细胞,置于5%CO2培养箱中37℃恒温培养,倒置相差显微镜中观察细胞形态,采用MTT法绘制细胞生长曲线,甲苯胺蓝染色法检测髓核细胞内蛋白多糖的表达情况,细胞免疫荧光染色法检测Ⅱ型胶原蛋白表达情况。结果:本研究中获得的细胞形态不规则,呈梭形或多角形,原代细胞48 h内贴壁,培养第8天左右细胞融合度可达90%,第三代细胞12 h内即可贴壁,生长至融合90%约需5d。甲苯胺蓝染色及细胞免疫荧光染色均阳性,提示所得细胞具有分泌蛋白多糖及Ⅱ型胶原蛋白的功能。结论:改良胶原酶消化法可获得大量纯净的人髓核细胞,提高培养效率,原代及传代细胞具备类软骨细胞表型,且活性及功能均较为稳定,可作为椎间盘组织工程研究的种子细胞。     

使用透明质酸钠复合海藻酸钠水凝胶球3D培养软骨细胞抑制细胞去分化的研究

目的:验证海藻酸钠(Alginate,Alg)水凝胶球添加透明质酸钠(Sodium hyaluronate,HA)后,对大鼠膝软骨细胞体外3D培养时软骨细胞去分化的抑制情况。方法:用Ⅱ型胶原酶消化法获取2周龄SD大鼠膝关节原代软骨细胞,体外培养传代至P2。细胞分为2组,1组用2%海藻酸钠水凝胶球3D培养(Alg组),另一组用2%海藻酸钠+1%透明质酸钠的水凝胶球3D培养(Alg/HA组),采用正交法制作海藻酸钠水凝胶球。培养14天后,两组各取水凝胶球进行死活细胞染色观察细胞状态。其他水凝胶球收集后用4%多聚甲醛固定,30%蔗糖溶液脱水,OCT(Optimal cutting temperature compound)包埋剂包埋切片,采用苏木精-伊红染色法(Hematoxylin-eosin staining,HE染色)、甲苯胺蓝染色观察软骨细胞形态;采用阿利新蓝染色观察对比糖胺聚糖(Glycosaminoglycan,GAG)含量;采用免疫荧光染色对比Ⅱ型胶原(Collagen typeⅡ,ColⅡ)含量;采用蛋白质免疫印迹法(Western blot)检测软骨细胞ColⅡ和聚蛋白多糖(Aggrecan,ACAN)的表达情况。结果:死活细胞染色显示两组水凝球内软骨细胞状态良好,几乎无死细胞;阿利新蓝染色显示Alg/HA组与Alg组相比软骨细胞分泌更多的GAG;免疫荧光染色显示Alg/HA组比Alg组软骨细胞内含更多的Ⅱ型胶原;Western blot显示Alg/HA组软骨细胞比Alg组ColⅡ的蛋白表达更多。结论:含透明质酸钠的海藻酸钠水凝胶可以更好地维持软骨细胞的表型,抑制软骨细胞去分化。     

microRNA-15a模拟物对人关节软骨细胞增殖与凋亡的影响

目的：近年来研究表明,关节软骨细胞凋亡在骨关节炎发病过程中起到了重要的作用,本文旨在探讨microma-15a模拟物对于原代人膝关节软骨细胞增殖与凋亡的影响。方法：取人外伤性截肢后的膝关节软骨,采用双酶消化法分离获得人膝关节软骨细胞,并进行体外培养,通过甲苯胺蓝染色和II型胶原免疫细胞化学染色进行软骨细胞鉴定。将培养的软骨细胞传代后取第l代细胞,分为实验组和对照组,实验组采用mir．15a模拟物（has．mir-15amimics）转染软骨细胞,上调软骨细胞内mir-15a的表达量;对照组分为阴性对照组、空白对照组。采用MTT法测定细胞增殖曲线,流式细胞仪测定细胞凋亡率。结果：原代细胞中细胞呈多角形、圆形与梭型,贴壁生长;甲苯胺蓝染色胞质呈深蓝色,II型胶原染色胞质呈黄褐色,为特异性染色。经统计学分析,实验组与对照组相比增殖速率明显下降（P〈0．05）。实验组凋亡率（7．13％±0．57）与阴性对照组凋亡率（2．66％±0．15）相比明显增高（P〈0．05）。结论：采用双酶消化法成功分离并培养具有生物学特性的原代人膝关节软骨细胞,通过转染mir-15a模拟物外源性增加关节软骨细胞内mir．15a表达量可显著促进其凋亡并抑制其增殖,为阐明骨关节炎发病机制提供了新的理论依据,为’临床治疗提供了新的靶点。     

应用原代软骨细胞与SW1353软骨肉瘤细胞系建立体外骨关节炎模型的效果评价

目的通过比较白细胞介素-1β(interleukin-1β,IL-1β)处理对原代软骨细胞与SW1353软骨肉瘤细胞系增殖活力、炎症因子与炎症通路表达水平变化的影响,为骨关节炎体外研究用细胞提供多重选择。方法免疫细胞化学法与甲苯胺蓝染色分别检测细胞中Ⅱ型胶原与蛋白多糖,鉴定所培养的原代细胞是否为软骨细胞。CCK-8法检测IL-1β(10ng/ml)处理24h、48h、72h对原代软骨细胞增殖活力的影响,IL-1β(1、10、20、40ng/ml)处理24h对SW1353软骨肉瘤细胞系增殖活力的影响。IL-1β(10ng/ml)分别处理原代软骨细胞与SW1353软骨肉瘤细胞系细胞24h后,ELISA法检测细胞培养上清中白细胞介素6(interleukin-6,IL-6)与基质金属蛋白酶-13(matrix metalloproteinase-13,MMP-13)的表达水平。Real-time PCR法检测核因子-κB(nuclear factor-κB,NF-κB)mRNA表达水平。结果所培养的原代细胞为原代软骨细胞。IL-1β(10ng/ml)处理可显著抑制原代软骨细胞增殖活力,但IL-1β(1、10、20、40 ng/ml)处理对SW1353软骨肉瘤细胞系增殖活力无明显影响。IL-1β(10ng/ml)处理可使IL-6、MMP-13表达水平及NF-κB mRNA的表达量均显著增加。结论IL-1β作用下原代软骨细胞与SW1353软骨肉瘤细胞系均可表现出骨关节炎样炎症反应,二者均可用于骨关节炎的体外实验研究。     

人颈椎间盘髓核细胞的体外培养和鉴定

目的:建立人颈椎间盘髓核细胞体外培养体系,并对其细胞表型进行鉴定。方法:采用酶消化法分离人颈椎间盘髓核细胞,进行单层培养,倒置相差显微镜观察细胞生长和形态,流式细胞仪测定细胞周期和凋亡率,并行甲苯胺蓝、Ⅱ型胶原及CK8免疫组化染色对其细胞表型进行鉴定。结果:原代髓核细胞凋亡率6.1±1.4%,S期细胞比例7.3±0.5%。贴壁后形态为多角形或短楔形,传代后生长加速。细胞呈甲苯胺蓝异染性;Ⅱ型胶原免疫组化染色阳性;只有少量椭圆形大细胞CK8免疫组化染色阳性。结论:成功建立人颈椎间盘髓核细胞体外培养模型,并证实成年后髓核内仍有少量细胞保持脊索细胞表型。     

人关节软骨细胞的体外分离、培养与鉴定

目的:研究人关节软骨细胞的体外分离、培养及鉴定方法,观察各代人关节软骨细胞的形态学特性。方法:取人创伤性截肢的无菌膝关节软骨,采用两步酶消化法分离培养人关节软骨细胞,并进行传代培养。通过倒置相差显微镜下观察细胞形态,绘制生长曲线,甲苯胺蓝染色及Ⅱ型胶原免疫组织化学染色对细胞进行鉴定。结果:两步酶消化法消化出的软骨细胞呈圆形,培养2-3天,细胞贴壁、变形,呈三角形或多角形,2周左右细胞融合成层,传代5次后出现去分化。软骨细胞增殖和生长缓慢。形态学、免疫组织化学染色显示细胞培养5代以内可以保持表型的稳定。结论:本研究采用胰蛋白酶及Ⅱ型胶原酶联合消化法获得大量高纯度、高活性的人关节软骨细胞。5代以内细胞生长良好,生物学特性明显,适合于实验研究,5代以后出现去分化现象。     

人正常及骨关节炎软骨细胞体外培养的对照研究

摘要目的：研究人正常软骨细胞及骨关节炎软骨细胞的体外分离、培养及鉴定方法,对其生物学特性进行对照并评价其生物学活性。方法：取人创伤性截肢与骨关节炎全膝置换的无菌膝关节软骨,采用两步酶消化法分离培养人关节软骨细胞,并进行传代培养。通过倒置相差显微镜下观察细胞形态,绘制生长曲线,测细胞增殖,甲苯胺蓝染色及Ⅱ型胶原免疫组织化学染色对细胞进行对照研究。结果：骨关节炎软骨细胞形态似成纤维细胞,生长速度明显较正常软骨细胞慢。MTT测细胞增殖显示,第2．4、6代骨关节炎软骨细胞在相同时间点大都比同代正常软骨细胞增殖速度慢（P〈0．05）。甲苯胺蓝及Ⅱ型胶原免疫组化染色显示,骨关节炎软骨细胞染色较正常软骨细胞浅,经多次传代后基本无着色。结论：正常软骨细胞5代以内细胞生长良好,生物学特性明显,5代以后出现去分化现象。骨关节炎软骨细胞增殖慢,生物学特征退变旱,符合软骨细胞退变的表现。这为骨关节炎在软骨细胞水平的研究提供了实验基础。     

人颈椎间盘髓核细胞的体外培养和鉴定

目的：建立人颈椎间盘髓核细胞体外培养体系,并对其细胞表型进行鉴定。方法：采用酶消化法分离人颈椎间盘髓核细胞,进行单层培养,倒置相差显微镜观察细胞生长和形态,流式细胞仪测定细胞周期和凋亡率,并行甲苯胺蓝、Ⅱ型胶原及CK8免疫组化染色对其细胞表型进行鉴定。结果：原代髓核细胞凋亡率6.1±1.4%,S期细胞比例7.3±0.5%。贴壁后形态为多角形或短楔形,传代后生长加速。细胞呈甲苯胺蓝异染性;Ⅱ型胶原免疫组化染色阳性;只有少量椭圆形大细胞CK8免疫组化染色阳性。结论：成功建立人颈椎间盘髓核细胞体外培养模型,并证实成年后髓核内仍有少量细胞保持脊索细胞表型。     

人软骨细胞压力实验模型的建立与评估

目的:人承重关节内受到的多种机械应力(剪切力、张力、静水压力等)在调节关节软骨细胞的生理功能方面起着重要作用。建立对人膝关节软骨细胞施加不同强度周期性静水压的压力模型,观察不同压力强度下软骨细胞的生长形态、增殖和凋亡情况。方法:采用酶消化法分离培养正常成人膝关节软骨细胞,将培养的第3代软骨细胞分为6组:对照组、0.5 MPa组、1.0 MPa组、3.0MPa组、5.0 MPa组、8.0 MPa组,应用高压恒温静水压加载系统分别给予各组不同强度压力作用5 d,每日1 h。甲苯胺蓝染色法和Ⅱ型胶原免疫组织化学染色法鉴定软骨细胞,倒置相差显微镜观察细胞形态和生长状况,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡,四甲基偶氮唑蓝(MTT)法绘制细胞生长曲线。结果:与对照组相比,0.5 MPa、3.0 MPa组无明显差异(P0.05);1.0 MPa组能促进软骨细胞增殖,抑制凋亡(P0.05);5.0 MPa组出现细胞增殖能力下降,细胞活力降低,凋亡率增加(P0.05);8.0 MPa组则表现出明显的细胞增殖的抑制和细胞凋亡趋势(P0.05),以及细胞形态学的改变。结论:不同强度的周期性压力对人软骨细胞的新陈代谢产生了不同影响,尤其在软骨细胞的增殖和凋亡水平方面。利用本压力实验模型能体外模拟人负重关节软骨细胞的受压情况,初步确定了人软骨细胞压力实验中压力梯度的选择。为软骨细胞的压力损伤研究提供了实验数据,为进一步探寻压力作用与骨关节炎的关系提供了实验平台。     

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.