介绍一种观察凋亡细胞形态学特征的染色方法--苏木素-伊红染色法(HE染色法)

就苏木素-伊红染色法用于观察与鉴别细胞凋亡与细胞坏死作了较详细的介绍。此染色法对凋亡细胞的形态学特征检测,既方便又可靠,在一般普通光学显微镜下就可进行观察与检测。此法不失于研究细胞凋亡的一种检测观察凋亡细胞形态学特征的简便方法。     

基因在B 细胞淋巴瘤细胞中的表达及意义

目的：探讨基因CHFR在B细胞淋巴瘤Raji 细胞中的表达,以及基因甲基化对Raji 细胞增殖和凋亡中所产生的影 响。方法：体外培养人B细胞淋巴瘤细胞株Raji 细胞,用不同浓度的去甲基化试剂5- 氮杂-2 脱氧胞苷处理Raji 细胞株,通过 RT-PCR 检测CHFR 基因表达水平的变化,通过MS-PCR 检测基因甲基化变化,CCK 法及流式细胞术检测Raji 细胞增殖 及凋亡变化。结果： 基因在Raji 细胞中出现弱表达,经去甲基化试剂处理后基因表达水平增高,随药物浓度增加Raji 细胞的抑制率及凋亡率增高。结论：5-氮杂-2 脱氧胞苷可以恢复基因表达水平,抑制Raji 细胞的增殖,促进凋亡。基 因在细胞增殖起负向调控的作用。     

CHFR基因在B细胞淋巴瘤细胞中的表达及意义(英文)

目的:探讨CHFR基因在B细胞淋巴瘤Raji细胞中的表达,以及CHFR基因甲基化对Raji细胞增殖和凋亡中所产生的影响。方法:体外培养人B细胞淋巴瘤细胞株Raji细胞,用不同浓度的去甲基化试剂5-氮杂-2脱氧胞苷处理Raji细胞株,通过RT-PCR检测CHFR基因表达水平的变化,通过MS-PCR检测CHFR基因甲基化变化,CCK法及流式细胞术检测Raji细胞增殖及凋亡变化。结果:CHFR基因在Raji细胞中出现弱表达,经去甲基化试剂处理后CHFR基因表达水平增高,随药物浓度增加Raji细胞的抑制率及凋亡率增高。结论:5-氮杂-2脱氧胞苷可以恢复CHFR基因表达水平,抑制Raji细胞的增殖,促进凋亡。CHFR基因在细胞增殖起负向调控的作用。     

软骨多糖诱导MCF-7乳腺癌细胞凋亡的实验研究

研究软骨多糖诱导MCF-7乳腺癌细胞凋亡及其作用机理。方法:选用MCF-7人类乳腺癌细胞系体外培养,应用MTT法检测细胞生长抑制率,TUNEL法检测细胞凋亡率,HE染色法观察细胞形态学改变,流式细胞仪检测细胞周期的变化,免疫荧光方法检测BCL-2BAD及波形蛋白Vimentin的表达率。结果:软骨多糖对MCF-7细胞体外生长具有明显的抑制作用,且呈时间和浓度依赖性;软骨多糖可诱导MCF-7细胞发生凋亡并伴随有凋亡小体出现等形态学变化;软骨多糖促进BCL-2蛋白的表达水平下降,BAD表达水平上升,及Vimentin的降解。结论:软骨多糖能够在体外诱导MCF-7细胞凋亡,是一种新型的抗乳腺癌活性物质。     

烟管头草粗提物体外抗前列腺增生活性及机制研究

研究民族药烟管头草粗提物对体外前列腺增生(BPH1)细胞增殖的影响及对前列腺增生细胞生长的调控机制。荧光倒置显微镜观察实验组细胞数量与状态明显改变,且有凋亡小体出现现象; MTT法检测烟管头草粗提物对前列腺增殖细胞增殖作用实验表明,粗提物对BPH1细胞有很好抑制作用; Transwell侵袭实验表明细胞侵袭潜能随药物浓度增大而降低;细胞凋亡-Heston染色试剂检测粗提物对细胞凋亡的影响,表明粗提物与诱导细胞凋亡相关;细胞凋亡-DNA ladder抽提试剂盒检测DNA变化实验证实细胞经药物作用呈现典型的梯状条带;分子生物学实验进一步证明,细胞凋亡可能与Wnt信号通路的基因表达有关。     

Annexin V/PI法流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡的影响因素

[目的]探讨消化液、细胞数量及试剂温度对Annexin V/PI法流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率的影响。[方法]细胞经Accutase或无EDTA胰酶消化后比较检测结果;含有0.5×10^(5)、1×10^(5)、2×10^(5)细胞的样本按照说明书推荐(默认含有1×10^(5)细胞)加入试剂后,比较检测结果;细胞加入室温或4℃试剂后比较检测结果。以上比较均用未处理细胞和秋水仙素处理细胞分别进行。[结果]对于未处理细胞而言,与无EDTA胰酶相比,Accutase能显著减少凋亡率(2.70%vs 18.05%);而经药物处理的细胞,Accutase组凋亡率也有一定程度减少(22.32%vs 26.50%),但差异没有未处理细胞大。未处理细胞随着细胞数量的增加,PI信号并未发生明显改变,Annexin V-FITC信号与细胞数量成反比,统一十字门分析的凋亡率分别是:2.46%、1.85%、1.35%。对于药物处理的细胞差异尤其明显,统一十字门分析的凋亡率分别是:28.83%、21.27%、15.59%,因此不能用统一的十字门分析。加入4℃试剂的未处理细胞的凋亡率明显高于加入室温试剂的细胞的凋亡率(3.77%vs 8.13%),而对于药物处理的细胞,两者基本无差别(22.94%vs 22.18%)。[结论]用Annexin V/PI法流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率时,使用Accutase消化液;样本严格计数,使细胞数符合说明书要求;使用室温试剂。     

STAT3-siRNA对人结直肠癌细胞的干涉作用

目的:研究STAT3-siRNA对STAT3基因表达阳性的结直肠癌细胞凋亡的影响。方法:应用脂质体转染试剂将STAT3-siRNA表达盒(STAT3-siRNA expression cassettes,STAT3-SECs)体外转染至人结直肠癌SW480细胞及人成纤维细胞中,同时分别设立人成纤维对照组、SW480对照组、SW480错配链-SECs组和SW480空转染试剂组。于48h后收集细胞,先经荧光染色方法观察细胞表象变化,再通过流式细胞仪检测人结直肠癌SW480细胞凋亡情况,后分别提取细胞总RNA,用RT-PCR测定STAT3基因在mRNA水平的表达。结果:SW480STAT3-SECs组的细胞可见凋亡小体,出现明显的凋亡现象,而人成纤维对照组、人成纤维STAT3-SECs组、SW480对照组、SW480错配链-SECs组和SW480空转染试剂组未出现明显的凋亡现象。SW480STAT3-SECs组细胞的凋亡比率较SW480对照组、SW480错配链-SECs组和SW480空转染试剂组有明显的增高。RT-PCR所得数据经统计学处理得出:SW480STAT3-SECs组细胞的STAT3基因表达在mRNA水平上显著低于SW480对照组(P0.01);而人成纤维对照组与人成纤维STAT3-SECs组,SW480细胞对照组与SW480错配链-SECs组、SW480空转染试剂组之间无明显差异(P0.05)。结论:应用RNAi技术沉默STAT3基因可以降低人结直肠癌SW480细胞中STAT3的表达,诱导细胞的凋亡。     

非细胞体系在细胞凋亡中的应用

随着科学技术的进步和发展,对细胞凋亡的研究也涌现出许多新的方法和技术,为凋亡的研究提供了有力的武器。本阐述了非细胞体系用于细胞凋亡研究的优越性,着重介绍非细胞凋亡体系的种类以及在细胞凋亡研究中的应用,同时总结了非细胞体系研究凋亡过程的各种检测方法。     

植物细胞凋亡的检测方法

细胞凋亡是一种在动、植物中普遍存在的现象,在动、植物的发育过程中起着非常重要的作用。从形态学、生化及分子生物学、免疫学、生理学等方面介绍了几种检测细胞凋亡的方法,以及各种方法在检测不同植物凋亡时的应用,并对植物细胞凋亡检测技术的前景进行了展望。     

凋亡素2配体对放射线诱导95-D细胞凋亡的影响的研究

目的:探讨凋亡素2配体(Apo-2L)对放射线诱导肺癌95-D细胞凋亡的影响。方法:MTT法检测不同浓度凋亡素2配体在体外对肺癌95-D细胞的抑制率,将细胞分为4组,对照组、凋亡素2配体组、单纯照射组、凋亡素2配体+放射照射组,流式细胞仪检测各组凋亡率及细胞周期。结果:凋亡素2配体对95-D细胞的体外抑制作用明显,随着药物浓度的增大及时间的延长,抑制率明显增高(P0.05)。流式细胞术显示凋亡素2配体与放射线联用能够使95-D细胞的凋亡率提高,与单用凋亡素2配体组及单纯放疗组相比,凋亡率差异显著(P0.05)。结论:凋亡素2配体在体外具有抑制95-D细胞增殖的作用并能够促进细胞的凋亡,同时凋亡素2配体联合放射线可以明显提高肺癌95-D细胞的凋亡率。     

Two optimized combination assays to examine apoptosis pathways in clinical samples.

BACKGROUND: A consequence of a number of diseases is an alteration in apoptosis. Currently, there is no single assay that measures the main stages of apoptosis, requiring that multiple assays be performed. This hinders studies on clinical samples that have limited cell numbers. Our objective was to combine and optimize assays that target specific stages of apoptosis for use in a typical clinical blood sample. METHODS: Two flow cytometric assays were developed for use on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) collected in two 8-ml tubes from a single draw. One measures caspase-12 activity, the level of active caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation. The second assesses depolarization of the mitochondria and phosphatidylserine externalization. Cell populations present within the samples were determined by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was validated by ELISA. RESULTS: Each assay was optimized for use with cell numbers and sample volumes typical of clinical blood samples. Each combination assay effectively distinguished apoptotic from nonapoptotic blood cells. CONCLUSIONS: This combined optimized method comprised of two independent assays makes it possible to assay the major pathways of apoptosis in addition to determining the blood cell subsets that are affected.     

Immunomagnetic DNA aptamer assay

DNA aptamers, oligonucleotides with antibody-like binding properties, are easy to manufacture and modify. As a class of molecules, they represent the biggest revolution to immunodiagnostics since the discovery of monoclonal antibodies. To demonstrate that DNA aptamers are versatile reagents for use as in vitro diagnostic tools, we developed a hybrid immunobead assay based on a 5'-biotinylated DNA thrombin aptamer (5'-GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG-3') and an anti-thrombin antibody (EST-7). Our results show that the thrombin DNA aptamer is capable of binding to its target molecule under stringent in vitro assay conditions and at physiological concentrations. These findings also support the view that DNA aptamers have potential value as complementary reagents in diagnostic assays.     

Improving fluorescence-based assays for the in vitro analysis of cell adhesion and migration

Cell adhesion and cell migration are two primary cellular phenomena to be approached in vitro in order to allow for the effective dissection of the individual events and the unravelling of their underlying molecular mechanisms. The use of assays dedicated to the analysis of cell adhesion and migration in vitro also affords an efficient way of conducting larger basic and applied research screenings of the conditions affecting these processes and are potentially exploitable in the context of routine tests in the biological and medical fields. Therefore, there is a substantial interest in devicing more rationale such assays and major contributions in this direction have been provided by the advent of procedures based on fluorescent cell tagging. In this article we describe three fluorescence-based model assays for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of cell adhesion and cell locomotion in static and dynamic conditions. The assays are easily performed, accurate and reproducible, and can be automatized for high-throughput screenings of cell behavior in vitro. Performance of the assays involves the use of certain dedicated disposable accessories, which are commercially available, and a few instruments that, due to their versatility, can be regarded as constituents of a more generic laboratory setup.     

A comparative analysis of in vitro assays of bacterial adherence

In recent years there has been a sharp increase in publications concerned with adherence of bacteria to animal cells. Surprisingly, the three types of assays used to measure such adherence — light microscopy, quantitative subculture and radiolabel assays — had not previously been compared in a systematic fashion to determine their reliability or relative merits. In the present report we undertake such a comparison. Our findings indicate that although each assay has unique advantages and limitations, the double radiolabel assay has the fewest major limitations of the three assays examined. Unfortunately, this assay can quantitative the number of bacteria adhering to a given number of cells, but not the actual percent of cells colonized. The microscopic assay, because of its subjectivity and inability to detect small or poorly staining microorganisms, or to differentiate morphologically similar bacteria in mixed populations, is the least useful of the adherence assays. Our data suggest that when this assay is used, no fewer than 50 cells should be examined. The quantitative subculture assay had the advantage of detecting living bacterial forms, but suffered from difficulty obtaining a homogeneous suspension of colonized cells. Our data suggest that when using this assay or the radiolabel assay, quantitation of both bacterial and animal cells is necessary even when using only confluent monolayers. To obtain a comprehensive picture of bacterial adherence, data obtained with one assay should be confirmed in at least one of the other two assay systems.     

Biotin-avidin interaction-based screening assay for Alzheimer's beta-peptide oligomer inhibitors

In vitro testing for inhibitors of oligomer formation of pathologically misfolded proteins such as Alzheimer's beta-peptide (Abeta) has been limited by the lack of a suitably sensitive high-throughput method for measuring oligomers. Even with the development of oligomer-specific antibodies and a single-site antibody assay, there are multiple controls required to rule out false positives due to compound interactions with the epitopes on the peptide that are recognized by the antibodies or with the antibodies themselves, and the immunoreagents are expensive. A non-radioactive non-immunological method for the measurement of subnanomolar concentrations of Alzheimer's beta-peptide residues 1-42 [Abeta(1-42)] oligomers incorporating the biotin-avidin interaction that has been a workhorse for screening assays is applied here in a single-site NeutrAvidin capture/labeled streptavidin detection configuration to specifically recognize multimeric (>20kDa) oligomers of N-alpha-biotinyl-Abeta(1-42) (bio-Abeta42) but not monomeric bio-Abeta42. The high affinity and specificity of the biotin interaction with NeutrAvidin and streptavidin obviate interference by non-biotin-containing compounds. The reagents are inexpensive and can be applied to any misfolding/oligomerizing peptide or protein that can be biotinylated at a single site.     

Adopting a practical statistical approach for evaluating assay agreement in drug discovery

The authors assess the equivalence of 2 assays and put forward a general approach for assay agreement analysis that can be applied during drug discovery. Data sets generated by different assays are routinely compared to each other during the process of drug discovery. For a given target, the assays used for high-throughput screening and structure-activity relationship studies will most likely differ in their assay reagents, assay conditions, and/or detection technology, which makes the interpretation of data between assays difficult, particularly as most assays are used to measure quantitative changes in compound potency against the target. To better quantify the relationship of data sets from different assays for the same target, the authors evaluated the agreement between results generated by 2 different assays that measure the activity of compounds against the same protein, ALK5. The authors show that the agreement between data sets can be quantified using correlation and Bland-Altman plots, and the precision of the assays can be used to define the expectations of agreement between 2 assays. They propose a scheme for addressing issues of assay data equivalence, which can be applied to address questions of how data sets compare during the lead identification and lead optimization processes in which assays are frequently added and changed.     

Oncology drug discovery applications using the FMAT 8100 HTS system

High-throughput screening (HTS) for potential anticancer agents requires a broad portfolio of assay platforms that may include kinase enzyme assays, protein-protein binding assays, and functional cell-based apoptosis assays. The authors have explored the use of fluorometric microvolume assay technology (the FMAT 8100 HTS System) in three distinct homogeneous HTS assays: (1). a Src tyrosine kinase enzyme assay, (2). a Grb2-SH2 protein-peptide interaction assay, and (3). an annexin V binding apoptosis assay. Data obtained from all three assays suggest that the FMAT system should facilitate the implementation of homogeneous assays for a wide variety of molecular targeted and cell-based screens.     

Testing strategies in mutagenicity and genetic toxicology: an appraisal of the guidelines of the European Scientific Committee for Cosmetics and Non-Food Products for the evaluation of hair dyes

The European Scientific Committee on Cosmetics and Non-Food Products (SCCNFP) guideline for testing of hair dyes for genotoxic/mutagenic/carcinogenic potential has been reviewed. The battery of six in vitro tests recommended therein differs substantially from the batteries of two or three in vitro tests recommended in other guidelines. Our evaluation of the chemical types used in hair dyes and comparison with other guidelines for testing a wide range of chemical substances, lead to the conclusion that potential genotoxic activity may effectively be determined by the application of a limited number of well-validated test systems that are capable of detecting induced gene mutations and structural and numerical chromosomal changes. We conclude that highly effective screening for genotoxicity of hair dyes can be achieved by the use of three assays, namely the bacterial gene mutation assay, the mammalian cell gene mutation assay (mouse lymphoma tk assay preferred) and the in vitro micronucleus assay. These need to be combined with metabolic activation systems optimised for the individual chemical types. Recent published evidence [D. Kirkland, M. Aardema, L. Henderson, L. Müller, Evaluation of the ability of a battery of three in vitro genotoxicity tests to discriminate rodent carcinogens and non-carcinogens. I. Sensitivity, specificity and relative predictivity, Mutat. Res. 584 (2005) 1-256] suggests that our recommended three tests will detect all known genotoxic carcinogens, and that increasing the number of in vitro assays further would merely reduce specificity (increase false positives). Of course there may be occasions when standard tests need to be modified to take account of special situations such as a specific pathway of biotransformation, but this should be considered as part of routine testing. It is clear that individual dyes and any other novel ingredients should be tested in this three-test battery. However, new products are formed on the scalp by reaction between the chemicals present in hair-dye formulations. Ideally, these should also be tested for genotoxicity, but at present such experiences are very limited. There is also the possibility that one component could mask the genotoxicity of another (e.g. by being more toxic), and so it is not practical at this time to recommend routine testing of complete hair-dye formulations as well. The most sensible approach would be to establish whether any reaction products within the hair-dye formulation penetrate the skin under normal conditions of use and test only those that penetrate at toxicologically relevant levels in the three-test in vitro battery. Recently published data [D. Kirkland, M. Aardema, L. Henderson, L. Müller, Evaluation of the ability of a battery of three in vitro genotoxicity tests to discriminate rodent carcinogens and non-carcinogens. I. Sensitivity, specificity and relative predictivity, Mutat. Res. 584 (2005) 1-256] suggest the three-test battery will produce a significant number of false as well as real positives. Whilst we are aware of the desire to reduce animal experiments, determining the relevance of positive results in any of the three recommended in vitro assays will most likely have to be determined by use of in vivo assays. The bone marrow micronucleus test using routes of administration such as oral or intraperitoneal may be used where the objective is extended hazard identification. If negative results are obtained in this test, then a second in vivo test should be conducted. This could be an in vivo UDS in rat liver or a Comet assay in a relevant tissue. However, for hazard characterisation, tests using topical application with measurement of genotoxicity in the skin would be more appropriate. Such specific site-of-contact in vivo tests would minimise animal toxicity burden and invasiveness, and, especially for hair dyes, be more relevant to human routes of exposure, but there are not sufficient scientific data available to allow recommendations to be made. The generation of such data is encouraged.     

In vitro assay of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin A activity in food.

Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin A (SEA) is a leading cause of food poisoning. The current test for functional activity of SEA requires monkeys or kittens. The major drawbacks of animal assays are lack of quantitation, poor reproducibility, low sensitivity, and high cost. In this report we describe and evaluate an alternative assay using T-cell proliferation to measure SEA activity in food. Human and rat lymphocytes proliferate in response to concentrations of SEA as low as 1 pg/ml, well below the pathogenic dose of 100 ng. This proliferation assay is highly sensitive, quantitative, and simple. Nonradioactive assays of T-cell proliferation were also suitable for detecting and measuring SEA, although with a 10-fold lower sensitivity. To evaluate the utility of this assay for food testing, four different food samples were mixed with SEA. In each sample, SEA was detected at a concentration of 1 ng/ml. Heat-inactivated SEA produced no detectable proliferation. These results demonstrate that an in vitro cell proliferation assay is an advantageous alternative to existing animal assays for measuring SEA activity in food.     

Use of a Caspase Multiplexing Assay to Determine Apoptosis in a Hypothalamic Cell Model

The ability to multiplex assays in studies of complex cellular mechanisms eliminates the need for repetitive experiments, provides internal controls, and decreases waste in costs and reagents. Here we describe optimization of a multiplex assay to assess apoptosis following a palmitic acid (PA) challenge in an in vitro hypothalamic model, using both fluorescent and luminescent based assays to measure viable cell counts and caspase-3/7 activity in a 96-well microtiter plate format. Following PA challenge, viable cells were determined by a resazurin-based fluorescent assay. Caspase-3/7 activity was then determined using a luminogenic substrate, DEVD, and normalized to cell number. This multiplexing assay is a useful technique for determining change in caspase activity following an apoptotic stimulus, such as saturated fatty acid challenge. The saturated fatty acid PA can increase hypothalamic oxidative stress and apoptosis, indicating the potential importance of assays such as that described here in studying the relationship between saturated fatty acids and neuronal function.