中国地鼠口腔颊囊黏膜癌变过程凋亡相关基因caspase-3、caspase-9、Bax、Bcl-2的表达

目的探讨凋亡相关基因caspase-3、caspase-9、Bax、Bcl-2在中国地鼠口腔正常黏膜、上皮单纯增生、上皮异常增生和鳞状细胞癌组织中的表达及其意义。方法采用免疫组织化学法、RT-PCR检测正常中国地鼠口腔黏膜上皮、单纯增生上皮、异常增生上皮和鳞癌组织中caspase-3、caspase-9、Bax、Bcl-2蛋白及mRNA的表达。结果在口腔黏膜癌变过程中,鳞癌组织中抑制凋亡蛋白Bcl-2表达明显高于口腔正常黏膜、上皮单纯增生、上皮异常增生(P0.05);异常增生上皮caspase-3、caspase-9、Bax表达均明显高于正常组(P0.05),但随着增生程度的加重,caspase-3、caspase-9、Bax表达明显降低(P0.05)。相关性分析显示,鳞癌组织中Bcl-2与Bax、caspase-3、caspase-9呈负相关(P0.05)。RT-PCR结果表明,与正常组织相比,鳞癌组织中Bcl-2高表达,而caspase-3、caspase-9、Bax的mRNA表达显著下调(P0.05)。结论本实验在中国地鼠鳞癌组织中caspase-3、caspase-9、Bax表达降低而Bcl-2表达上升,揭示了caspase-3、caspase-9、Bax、Bcl-2表达与口腔鳞癌的发生、发展密切相关,可以为口腔颊囊黏膜癌的基因治疗提供一些线索或并为评价OSCC的生物学特征及预后提供参考。     

褪黑素的抗胃癌效应及其引起的Bcl-2、Bax、p21和p53的表达变化

为了探讨褪黑素体内抗小鼠胃癌作用及其机制,本研究应用小鼠胃癌(murine foregastric carcinoma,MFC)细胞建立荷胃癌小鼠模型,不同浓度褪黑素干预后,运用实时荧光定量RT-PCR、免疫印迹等方法检测Bcl-2,Bax,p21,p53的表达变化。结果显示:(1)褪黑素能够缩小荷胃癌小鼠的肿瘤体积,减轻肿瘤重量,达到抗胃癌作用;(2)褪黑素在抑制胃癌生长过程中下调肿瘤组织Bcl-2表达,上调Bax、p21和p53表达。以上结果表明,褪黑素可通过促进胃癌细胞凋亡从而实现体内抑制胃癌生长作用。     

抗氧化肽SS-31抑制高糖诱导的心肌细胞凋亡

该文探讨了抗氧化肽SS-31对高糖诱导的大鼠心肌细胞凋亡的影响,体外培养大鼠心肌细胞(H9C2),给予高糖(30 mmol/L)进行刺激,并利用抗氧化肽SS-31进行治疗后,采用Western blot检测Bax、Bcl-2、Cleaved caspase-3、Nox1、Nox4和Txnip的表达;利用荧光实时定量PCR(Real-time PCR)检测Bax、Bcl-2、Nox1、Nox4和Txnip mRNA的表达;采用原位缺口末端标记法(TUNEL)观察H9C2细胞凋亡情况;应用MitoSOX~(TM )Red染色检测H9C2细胞线粒体ROS产生情况。结果显示,与正常对照组相比,高糖组H9C2细胞凋亡明显增加,Bax、 Cleaved caspase-3、Nox1、Nox4和Txnip蛋白表达明显上调,Bcl-2蛋白表达减少,线粒体ROS产生增加;SS-31治疗后能够抑制高糖诱导的H9C2细胞的凋亡,下调Bax、Cleaved caspase-3、Nox1、Nox4、Txnip表达,上调Bcl-2表达并减少线粒体ROS的产生。以上研究结果提示,抗氧化肽SS-31抑制高糖诱导的大鼠心肌细胞凋亡的同时抑制Txnip/ROS产生,表明抗氧化肽SS-31可能对糖尿病心肌病变具有一定的改善作用。     

飞机噪声刺激引起小鼠初级听皮层神经元凋亡

目的噪声对人体最直接的危害是听力损伤,以往研究多关注外周听觉器官改变,其对听皮层神经元的影响并不清楚,本研究探讨飞机噪声刺激5天后,小鼠初级听皮层神经元的形态改变和凋亡相关变化。方法采用苏木素-伊红(hematoxylin and eosin,HE)染色检测小鼠神经元形态变化,采用免疫组织化学方法和Western blot检测B淋巴细胞瘤-白血病2蛋白(Bcl-2)、Bcl-2相关X蛋白(Bax)、天冬氨酸蛋白水解酶-3(caspase-3)蛋白表达。结果与对照组相比,噪声刺激可导致小鼠初级听皮层神经元体积变小、分布不均、颜色深染、胞浆不清、核固缩。噪声组小鼠听皮层神经元凋亡比例显著增加,Bax蛋白表达显著增加,而Bcl-2表达无明显改变,Bax/Bcl-2显著增加,同时伴有caspase-3水平增加。结论飞机噪声刺激可导致小鼠听皮层神经元形态异常,出现明显凋亡改变,其机制与Bax/Bcl-2信号通路及caspase-3活性增加有关。     

卡托普利对心力衰竭大鼠心肌细胞Bax、Bcl-2蛋白表达的影响

目的:探讨卡托普利对慢性压力负荷性心力衰竭大鼠心肌细胞凋亡相关基因Bax、Bcl-2蛋白表达的影响。方法:90只SD大鼠随机分为3组(n=30):假手术组(SH)、腹主动脉缩窄组(CAA)、卡托普利治疗组(CAP)。采用腹主动脉缩窄法复制模型,于第6、10周,检测各组心衰大鼠心肌细胞凋亡相关基因Bax,Bcl-2蛋白的表达。结果:造模后6周、10周结果均显示,CAA组较SH组心肌细胞凋亡基因Bcl-2蛋白及Bcl-2/Bax比例表达显著下降(P<0.01),Bax蛋白表达显著升高(P<0.01)。CAP组较CAA组Bcl-2蛋白及Bcl-2/Bax比例表达显著升高(P<0.01),Bax蛋白表达显著降低(P<0.01)。CAP组10周时较6周Bcl-2蛋白表达明显升高(P<0.05),Bax蛋白表达显著降低(P<0.01),Bcl-2/Bax比例显著升高(P<0.01)。结论:卡托普利能增加Bcl-2、降低Bax蛋白的表达,上调Bcl-2/Bax比率,从而抑制心肌细胞凋亡改善心功能。     

瞬时受体电位香草酸亚型1激活释放的P物质在小鼠急性心肌梗死后凋亡中的保护作用

瞬时受体电位香草酸亚型1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, TRPV1)在心肌缺血激活后可传导心绞痛信号和释放P物质(substance P, SP).SP是速激肽家族成员之一,主要通过结合并激活神经激肽1 (neurokinin 1,NK1)受体发挥作用. TRPV1和SP在缺血性心脏病中对心功能的恢复和重塑有一定保护作用,但对心肌梗死后凋亡的作用及具体机制尚不明确.本研究用TRPV1基因敲除(TRPV1-/- )小鼠和野生型(wide type, WT)小鼠建立心肌梗死模型,并外源性给予SP和NK1受体拮抗剂RP67580,用TTC染色法观察梗死的面积,TUNEL法检测心肌细胞凋亡指数,Western印迹方法检测caspase-3、Bcl-2、Bax、p53的蛋白表达.结果发现,心肌梗死24 h后,TRPV1-/-小鼠比WT小鼠梗死面积更大,凋亡指数和caspase-3活性更高,Bcl-2/Bax和p53蛋白表达更低. SP预处理可以明显缩小TRPV1-/-小鼠梗死面积,降低凋亡指数、caspase-3活性和升高Bcl-2/Bax比值,而在WT小鼠中改善不明显.外源性给予RP67580,阻断SP与NK1受体结合后,与相应对照组相比,WT小鼠梗死面积和凋亡指数更大,caspase-3蛋白表达更高,Bcl-2/Bax比值更低;TRPV1-/-小鼠与相应对照组比较,凋亡指数和caspase-3表达升高,Bcl-2/Bax比值降低.研究结果表明,SP可能介导了TRPV1在急性心肌梗死后凋亡中的保护作用.     

二苯乙烯苷抑制NADPH氧化酶对小鼠脑缺血/再灌注损伤的保护作用

目的探讨二苯乙烯苷(TSG)抑制NADPH氧化酶对小鼠脑缺血再灌注(I/R)损伤的保护作用。方法将100只实验小鼠随机分成5组:假手术组、模型组,TSG低剂量组(3 mg/kg),TSG中剂量组(6 mg/kg),TSG高剂量组(12 mg/kg),每组20只。通过双侧颈总动脉结扎造成小鼠脑缺血2 h,再灌注24 h后处死小鼠。采用HE染色法对小鼠脑组织进行病理学检测,采用DHE染色法和ESR波谱仪检测脑组织中活性氧(ROS)水平,采用Western blot法检测脑组织中NOX4和cleaved caspase-3/9蛋白的表达。结果小鼠脑缺血再灌注后,缺血区皮层脑组织出现严重的病理性损伤,其ROS水平显著升高,脑组织中NOX4蛋白表达显著上调,凋亡相关蛋白cleaved caspase-3/9蛋白表达量显著增加。TSG可以显著减轻小鼠缺血再灌注脑组织的病理性损伤,抑制ROS的产生,显著下调氧化应激蛋白NOX4的表达,并显著抑制凋亡相关蛋白cleaved caspase-3/9蛋白的表达。结论 TSG可通过抑制脑组织氧化应激蛋白NOX4的表达,减少活性氧的生成,并抑制凋亡相关蛋白cleaved caspase-3/9过度表达,对小鼠脑缺血再灌注损伤起保护作用。     

下肢骨骼肌缺血后处理对兔缺血/再灌注心肌坏死和凋亡的影响

目的:探讨在体情况下,骨骼肌缺血后处理对兔缺血/再灌注心肌坏死和凋亡的影响。方法:新西兰大白兔36只,随机分成3组(每组随机选取6只进行梗死范围的测定,另外6只进行凋亡测定):①假手术组(Sham组);②缺血/再灌注组(I/R组);③远端后处理组(RPostC组)。在缺血前、后及再灌注60 min、120 min分别抽血测定肌酸激酶(CK),乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)的活性。采用伊文思兰(evans blue)和三苯基氯化四氮唑(TTC)染色方法确定心肌缺血区范围以及心肌坏死区范围。用Tunel法检测兔心肌缺血区细胞凋亡情况,免疫组织化学方法检测心肌缺血区蛋白caspase-3、Bcl-2及Bax的表达。结果:RPostC组心肌坏死程度、再灌注末CK活性较I/R组明显减低。RPostC组缺血区心肌Tunel阳性指数显著低于I/R组(21.79%±1.07%vs35.81%±1.10%,P<0.05)。而RPostC组缺血区心肌细胞caspase-3阳性指数显著低于I/R组(25.03%±1.16%vs39%±2.43%,P<0.05)。与Sham组比较,I/R组及RPostC组Bax蛋白表达指数、Bcl-2蛋白表达指数均升高;但RPostC组的Bax/Bcl-2比值降低,而I/R组的Bax/Bcl-2比值升高。与I/R组相比较,RPostC组Bax蛋白表达指数及Bax/Bcl-2比值显著降低,Bcl-2表达指数显著升高,差异均有统计学意义。结论:远端后处理能够明显的减少缺血/再灌注心肌细胞的坏死和凋亡,其减轻心肌细胞凋亡的机制可能与抑制促凋亡基因caspase-3的活化及Bcl-2表达的上调有关。     

急性力竭运动后小鼠肾细胞凋亡水平的变化及牛磺酸的保护作用

为探讨急性力竭运动后小鼠(Mus musculus)肾细胞凋亡水平的时相性变化及牛磺酸对肾的保护作用,将56只雄性小鼠随机分为对照组、力竭运动组(分为运动后即刻组、12h组、24 h组和48 h组)及牛磺酸运动组(分为12h组和24 h组),每小组8只,一次性力竭游泳运动后检测肾细胞凋亡水平、Bcl-2和Bax蛋白表达、一氧化氮(NO)含量及结构型一氧化氮合酶(cNOS)、诱导型一氧化氮合酶(iNOS)活性的变化.结果显示,力竭运动后各组小鼠肾细胞凋亡水平呈先升高后下降的趋势,其中运动后24 h组的凋亡水平达峰值(P＜0.05).与对照组相比,运动各组Bax表达均显著增强(P＜0.05).除运动后即刻组外,运动各组Bcl-2表达显著减弱(P＜0.05).各组Bax/Bcl-2比值显著升高,并在运动后24 h达峰值(P＜0.01),后出现下降趋势.小鼠力竭游泳后24 h和48 h肾组织NO含量显著高于对照组(P＜0.05),同时iNOS活性升高(P＜0.01),cNOS活性无显著性变化.相比同时刻运动组,牛磺酸运动组小鼠肾细胞凋亡水平、Bax表达及Bax/Bcl-2比值、iNOS活性显著降低(P＜0.05),Bcl-2表达显著升高(P＜0.05).以上结果表明,急性力竭运动可导致肾细胞凋亡的发生,iNOS、Bax、Bcl-2水平及Bax/Bcl-2比值可能在肾细胞凋亡的发生过程中发挥重要的介导作用.牛磺酸可通过调控iNOS活性及Bax/Bcl-2比值,抑制急性力竭运动后小鼠肾细胞凋亡的发生.     

华蟾素联合顺铂对人骨肉瘤U2OS细胞增殖和凋亡的影响

目的:研究华蟾素联合顺铂对人骨肉瘤U2OS细胞增殖和凋亡的影响,并探寻联合治疗增敏的可能分子机制。方法:采用不同浓度的华蟾素、顺铂单药和华蟾素联合顺铂处理人骨肉瘤U2OS细胞1-3天,通过CCK-8法检测其对U2OS细胞生长的抑制作用;平板克隆实验检测其对U2OS细胞集落形成能力的影响;流式细胞仪检测其对U2OS细胞凋亡的影响;RT-PCR及Western blotting检测Bax、Bcl-2、caspase-3、caspase-9等凋亡相关分子mRNA及蛋白水平的表达。结果:单用华蟾素或顺铂均可以浓度和时间依赖的方式抑制骨肉瘤U2OS细胞的增殖并诱导其凋亡,两药联合应用具有协同效应,并可以上调促凋亡基因Bax下调抑制凋亡基因Bcl-2的表达;联合用药组凋亡相关蛋白caspase-3、caspase-9的表达较单药组明显增加。结论:华蟾素联合顺铂与单一用药相比能够显著抑制人骨肉瘤细胞U2OS细胞的增殖,促进其凋亡,两药联合应用对骨肉瘤细胞的杀伤效应具有一定的协同效应,其机制可能与激活凋亡通路有关。     

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.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.