光学成像中兼具光学和力学性质的生物组织仿体

在生物医学光学成像方法的研发、评估和使用中,需要用到在较长时间内具有稳定的光学及力学属性的生物组织仿体,以使光学成像实验可以重复进行。这些仿体一般由混有散射、吸收粒子的基质制成。常用散射粒子包括脂质微粒、聚合物微球、金属氧化物粉末和金纳米粒子等,吸收粒子(及其溶液)包括血液、印度墨水(Indian Ink)和分子染料等。常用来模拟组织特性的基质包括硅胶、纤维蛋白和聚乙烯醇凝胶(Polyvinyl alcohol cryogel,PVA-C)等。讨论和分析常见仿体的光学性质(吸收系数、散射系数、折射率)和力学性质(弹性和粘弹性)。从生物相容性、制备难易程度及耗时情况、稳定性等方面比较了几种常见散射粒子、吸收粒子和基质的优缺点,并据此总结其适用范围。最后对仿体研究的发展进行了展望。     

线性短模体：介导蛋白质相互作用的新模块

线性短模体是天然无序蛋白实现生物学功能的重要组件.线性短模体具有柔性结构和短小的序列,可以介导瞬时、可逆的蛋白质相互作用,并在发生相互作用时表现出杂泛性.随着实验技术的更新和预测手段的发展,越来越多的线性短模体被发现和重新定义,例如BH3线性短模体.本文重点总结了线性短模体在结构、生物学功能以及进化等方面的特点.对线性短模体功能的研究将为解析细胞信号转导网络、疾病靶标确认、新药发现等领域带来新的思路.     

口腔仿头模实验室日常管理体会

仿头模实验室是口腔实验中心不可缺少的重要实验室之一,其中的仿头模系统是模拟口腔临床操作很有效的实验设备,其仿真设计缩小了口腔各类技能实验操作与临床操作之间的差距,极大地提高了口腔专业学生对理论知识的掌握量和口腔实践操作的熟练度。在实验课过程中合理的使用仿头模系统,会对提高口腔实验课教学质量,以及学生今后的临床操作诊疗产生重要影响。     

担子菌类食用真菌双核体生物学性质研究进展及其启迪

担子菌类典型食用真菌,如香菇、灵芝、金针菇、糙皮侧耳、刺芹侧耳、黑木耳等,其生活史中的主要存在形式是双核体。双核体可以通过有性和无性两种方式生成单核体,可亲和的单核体之间通过质配形成具有锁状联合的双核体。目前对食用真菌单核体的研究结果拓展了对单核体和双核体生物学性质特性的认识。双核体细胞作为一种单倍双核存在形式,具有许多不同于二倍体的生物学特性,许多研究者对双核体的等级秩序、适配性、稳定性等生物学性质开展了一些研究,相关研究结果为菌种种性维持、杂交育种创新、遗传学研究范式建设等工作带来诸多启迪。对双核体在作为菌种中表现出的增量性、可育性、全能性等特性的分析,可以为解决食用真菌菌种种性长期维持稳定的问题带来启迪。双核体细胞核之间的显隐性关系以及互补关系对杂交育种创新可能具有重要的指导意义。核间等位基因在双核体细胞中存在不同的表达水平,为从双核体视角研究食用真菌的科学问题提供新思路。对食用真菌双核体的研究有可能形成更加具有学科特色的食用真菌研究范式。     

一种提高乳腺扩散光学层析成像分辨率的方式

目的 扩散光学层析成像（diffuse optical tomography,DOT）在女性大尺寸乳腺检测时因信噪比低,导致其成像分辨率较低。本文基于计算机断层扫描激光乳腺成像系统（computed tomography laser mammography,CTLM）,提出一种提高乳腺扩散光学层析成像分辨率的方式。方法 本文首先通过仿体实验探讨仿体直径和目标深度对扩散光学层析成像分辨率的影响;其次,本文使用高透性的光敏树脂通过3D打印制作外壳定位件,在验证其对扩散光学层析成像分辨率无显著影响后,利用外壳定位件对被测物进行约束压缩,以减小被测物直径来提高信噪比,优化扩散光学层析成像分辨率。结果 本文通过仿体实验验证了仿体直径的增加和目标深度的变化均会在一定程度上影响成像分辨率,随着仿体直径的增加,其感兴趣区（region of interests,ROIs）宽轴和长轴半高宽基本属于上升趋势;随着目标深度的增加,也会对ROIs宽轴和长轴半高宽产生影响。同时发现仿体直径对ROIs长轴半高宽有显著影响,目标深度对ROIs宽轴半高宽有显著影响。另外通过仿体实验结果验证了外壳定位件对扩散光学层析成像分辨率无显著影响,利用外壳定位件约束压缩后ROIs长轴半高宽降幅明显,降幅达到30%以上,远大于宽轴半高宽的降幅,达到了提高成像分辨率的作用。结论 本文所提出的方式能够达到提高乳腺扩散光学层析成像分辨率的作用,且所使用的材料和方法简单,具有较强的可实施性,为提高乳腺扩散光层析成像分辨率提供了新思路。     

“遗传学和进化”实验(续)

实验6 连锁 (一)实验器材 1 营养管的真实遗传野生型雄果蝇;1培养管的卷翅、黑檀体处女雌(图6(a));孵化箱(2 5℃);2培养管的培养基(每管贴一空白标签);其余器材见实验3。注释: 实验5中讨论过的决定翅型(长或残翅)和体色(灰或黑檀体)的基因,表现独立分配,因为它们位于不同的染色体。但是,如果一个杂交涉及同一染色体上两个不同基因的两种等位基因,减数分裂时这两个基因就有一起进入一个细胞的倾向。在这种情况下,我们说这两个基因是连锁的。 (二)实验步骤 1.应用该实验准备的两个果蝇品系,仿实验5的实验步骤进行操作。     

蚕豆叶肉原生质体表面性质的初步研究

前言植物原生质体在组织培养及体细胞杂交中应用已十分广泛。其表面性质的探讨对于植物细胞融合、识别及其膜结构认识的深化有着深刻的意义。植物原生质体质膜的研究工作虽然已有一些,但其许多物理及化学特性和结构仍不很清楚,膜融合机理的解释亦众说纷纭,存在着许多不同的看法。因此,进一步     

阻断TRPC3通道加重新生大鼠缺氧缺血性脑损伤

经典瞬时受体电位3（transient receptor potential canonical 3,TRPC3)通道是胎儿期和围生期中枢神经系统中广泛表达的非特异性阳离子通道,参与体内众多生理和病理过程。有研究证明,TRPC3通道是细胞内钙稳态的重要调节者,调节包括细胞外信号调节激酶（extracellular signal-regulated kinase,ERK）通路在内的多条钙敏感胞内信号转导通路的活性,最终影响神经元的生存或死亡。但TRPC3通道在新生动物缺氧缺血性脑损伤（hypoxic- ischemic brain damage,HIBD）模型中的作用及其机制尚未见报道。本研究取新生7 d的SD大鼠,采用右侧颈总动脉结扎和缺氧（8% O2）2~5 h制备HIBD模型,观察腹腔注射选择性TRPC3阻断剂pyr3（5 mg/kg和20 mg/kg）对缺氧缺血处理后,急性期和长期神经行为学及脑组织损伤程度的影响。神经功能缺损评分和平衡木实验结果显示,用pyr3特异性阻断TRPC3可恶化缺氧缺血大鼠的神经行为学障碍;脑组织含水量检测、TTC染色和患/健侧脑重比等结果显示,pyr3可加重脑水肿,增加脑组织梗死区体积和加重脑萎缩程度。Western印迹实验显示,缺氧缺血可以导致患侧脑组织ERK1/2磷酸化水平一过性升高,阻断TRPC3可以显著抑制ERK1/2的磷酸化,并可上调促凋亡蛋白BAX和下调抗凋亡蛋白BCL-2的表达。上述结果证明,阻断TRPC3通道可以加重新生大鼠的缺氧缺血性脑损伤,其机制可能与其对ERK信号通路活性的调节作用有关,因此可能成为HIBD治疗的潜在作用靶点。     

蛋白质相互作用网络进化分析研究进展

近年来,随着高通量实验技术的发展和广泛应用,越来越多可利用的蛋白质相互作用网络数据开始出现．这些数据为进化研究提供了新的视角．从蛋白质、蛋白质相互作用、模体、模块直到整个网络五个层次,综述了近年来蛋白质相互作用网络进化研究领域的主要进展,侧重于探讨蛋白质相互作用、模体、模块直到整个网络对蛋白质进化的约束作用,以及蛋白质相互作用网络不同于随机网络特性的起源和进化等问题．总结了前人工作给学术界的启示,探讨了该领域未来可能的发展方向．     

酵母核糖体蛋白基因组合转录调控位点统计分析

真核基因的转录调控是后基因组时代研究的主要问题之一,其基础是认识DNA上转录因子结合位点(模体)及分布状况。基于马尔可夫链模型对酵母核糖体蛋白基因上游启动子序列中模体出现次数进行统计,利用Z-score统计量抽提出过表达和低表达的模体,其中95%的模体与实验得到的转录因子结合位点相符合。然后将抽提出的模体两两配对,通过与背景序列比较,找出酵母核糖体蛋白基因中出现概率及距离分布均具有统计显著性的模体对,这些非随机出现的模体对具有潜在的组合转录调控功能,其中一些模体对的组合调控作用已有实验支持。对提取出的模体对在序列中的位置分布进行分析,发现近94%的模体对位于转录起始位点上游,超过半数的模体对两模体之间的最短距离在0～100bp之间,距离小于30bp的模体对接近30%,这样的短距离间隔有利于两模体的相同作用。这些结果将有助于对酵母核糖体蛋白基因转录调控机制的深入认识。     

Administration of Myo-inositol Plus Ethanolamine Elevates Phosphatidylethanolamine Plasmalogen in the Rat Cerebellum

Plasmalogens are ether-linked phospholipids highly abundant in nervous tissue. Previously we demonstrated that acute administration of myo-inositol (myo-Ins) + [2-¹³C] ethanolamine ([2-¹³C]Etn) significantly elevated phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen (PlsEtn) in rat whole brain. Current experiments investigated the effects of acute myo-Ins+[2-¹³C]Etn administration on [PlsEtn] and the biosynthesis of new Etn lipids using NMR spectroscopy in rat cerebral cortex, hippocampus, brainstem, midbrain and cerebellum. Treated rats received a single dose of myo-Ins+[2-¹³C]Etn and controls received saline rather than myo-Ins. Data reveal that the cerebellum is the brain region most affected by treatment, which resulted in a 22% increase in [PlsEtn] and 89% increase in newly synthesized Etn lipids relative to controls (P 0.05). Furthermore, the cerebellar PlsEtn/phosphatidylethanolamine ratio and molar percentage of PlsEtn were significantly elevated by 12% and 8%, respectively (P 0.05). These data suggest that myo-Ins influences Etn lipid metabolism in brain, particularly in the cerebellum where there is a stimulation in the biosynthesis of new Etn lipids with a preference towards PlsEtn.     

发展性阅读障碍的脑机制——来自脑成像研究的证据

发展性阅读障碍是一种特殊的学习障碍,发展性阅读障碍的脑机制一直是研究者们关心的一个重要问题．随着脑成像技术的应用,人们在发展性阅读障碍的脑机制研究方面取得了重大进展．脑结构研究发现,发展性阅读障碍者在颞-顶叶、颞-枕叶、额下回、小脑等区域都存在一定的脑结构异常,这些脑结构异常要么表现在某个脑区的结构上,要么表现某个脑区结构的左右不对称性上．脑功能研究发现,发展性阅读障碍者出现脑结构异常的区域也大多表现出脑功能的异常．脑功能连接的研究发现,发展性阅读障碍者脑功能连接的异常不仅涉及到同侧脑区前后部分的连接,还涉及双侧脑区相应部分的连接．另外,中文发展性阅读障碍的研究发现了与拼音文字发展性阅读障碍不同的脑机制．这些研究成果为进一步揭示发展性阅读障碍的脑机制以及拓展中文发展性阅读障碍的研究提供了借鉴．     

编者按: 脑与认知科学研究的现状与前沿

研究和揭示大脑在生理和病理状态下的工作机制,一直是脑与认知科学的重要研究内容和目标.虽然脑与认知科学领域已经取得了一系列重要的研究成果,但仍然面临巨大的挑战.因此,各国都在加大投入,推动技术创新,开展多学科交叉、多层次的脑与认知科学研究.2013年美国启动脑科学     

脑机接口：现状，问题与展望

本文综述现有脑机接口技术的最新发展，并讨论这些脑机接口技术的局限和存在的问题，如高估人类个体大脑的功能、对大脑信息存储方式缺乏了解等. 基于大脑信息存储的“二维码”模型，我们认为目前的脑机接口技术方案仅适用于一些简单的应用场景，如了解受测者的情绪变化、生命活动的状态，以及控制体外器械等，而无法通过脑机接口技术获取脑内诸如记忆与思考等信息的精准细节. 我们也提出，向大脑输入信息的脑机接口技术有较大的发展空间，比如发展具有多种调控效果、物理和生化技术结合的深脑刺激装置，有可能广泛应用于抑郁症、癫痫等脑疾病的治疗，以及应用于短期脑力的增强. 本文对于目前的脑机接口研究领域具有一定的警示和启发意义.     

花粉制剂对脑衰老动物各脑区的SOD和NO水平的影响

采用 D-半乳糖建立脑衰老动物模型 ,观察服用花粉制剂前后对脑衰老模型动物不同脑区组织中超氧化物歧化酶 ( SOD)活性、一氧化氮 ( NO)水平的影响。结果表明花粉制剂能明显升高脑衰老动物某些脑区 SOD活性和降低脑衰老动物某些脑区 NO水平。研究结果提示花粉制剂具有延缓衰老和增强记忆力等作用 ,其机制可能与其促进自由基的清除及减少 NO释放有关。     

Trophic factors and cell therapy to stimulate brain repair after ischaemic stroke

Brain repair involves a compendium of natural mechanisms that are activated following stroke. From a therapeutic viewpoint, reparative therapies that encourage cerebral plasticity are needed. In the last years, it has been demonstrated that modulatory treatments for brain repair such as trophic factor- and stem cell-based therapies can promote neurogenesis, gliogenesis, oligodendrogenesis, synaptogenesis and angiogenesis, all of which having a beneficial impact on infarct volume, cell death and, finally, and most importantly, on the functional recovery. However, even when promising results have been obtained in a wide range of experimental animal models and conditions these preliminary results have not yet demonstrated their clinical efficacy. Here, we focus on brain repair modulatory treatments for ischaemic stroke, that use trophic factors, drugs with trophic effects and stem cell therapy. Important and still unanswered questions for translational research ranging from experimental animal models to recent and ongoing clinical trials are reviewed here.     

Alteration of Protease Levels in Different Brain Areas of Suicide Victims

Numerous recent studies found that proteases play a major role in brain function. In addition to their role in protein turnover, they have modulatory functions and an important role in apoptosis, pathological changes, and other mechanisms. To explore possible differences in brain protein metabolism of suicide victims, we examined the activity of two proteases, cathepsin D and calpain (I and II combined), in eleven discrete areas of postmortem brain tissue of 21 victims of suicide and of 31 age- and sex-matched control subjects without a history of psychiatric or neurological disease. The levels of functionally important amino acids in five of these areas were also measured. Cathepsin D activity was found to be lower in two of eleven regions of brains of suicide victims, the parahippocampal cortex and the medial hypothalamus, by 26% and 27%, respectively. Calpain activity was lower in two different areas tested, 29% in the medulla oblongata and 26% in the lateral prefrontal cortex, and was 18% higher in the midbrain. There were no significant differences in the other areas (globus pallidus, hippocampus, amygdala, caudate nucleus, ventral tegmental area, and nucleus accumbens). Protease distribution was regionally heterogeneous—the levels in the globus pallidus were low, and in the hippocampus high, with about a two-fold difference. The length of the postmortem period for obtaining tissue, the storage time of the frozen tissue, and the age of the subject had no apparent influence on the results obtained. Although there was a tendency toward higher levels of aspartate and glycine in brain areas from suicide victims, the difference was not significant. The variations among individual brains were greater in amino acid levels than in protease levels. The findings indicate the possible role of protein metabolism in depressive or suicidal behavior.     

On the mechanism of cerebral accumulation of cholestanol in patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis

The most serious consequence of sterol 27-hydroxylase deficiency in humans [cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX)] is the development of cholestanol-containing brain xanthomas. The cholestanol in the brain may be derived from the circulation or from 7alpha-hydroxylated intermediates in bile acid synthesis, present at 50- to 250-fold increased levels in plasma. Here, we demonstrate a transfer of 7alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one across cultured porcine brain endothelial cells (a model for the blood-brain barrier) that is approximately 100-fold more efficient than the transfer of cholestanol. Furthermore, there was an efficient conversion of 7alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one to cholestanol in cultured neuronal and glial cells as well as in monocyte-derived macrophages of human origin. It is concluded that the continuous intracellular production of cholestanol from a bile acid precursor capable of rapidly passing biomembranes, including the blood-brain barrier, is likely to be of major importance for the accumulation of cholestanol in patients with CTX. Such a mechanism also fits well with the observation that treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid, which normalizes the level of the bile acid precursor, results in a reduction of cholestanol-containing xanthomas even in the brain.     

Somatostatin Binding Sites in Human and Monkey Brain: Localization and Characterization

A radioiodinated analogue of somatostatin 28, 125I [Leu8,D-Trp22,Tyr25] SS-28, was used to localize and characterize somatostatin binding sites in both human and monkey brain. High-affinity binding sites (approximately 1 nM) were found in cerebral cortex. The highest binding was in cerebral cortex with intermediate binding found in hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala and low binding in hypothalamus and brainstem. There was a rough correlation between somatostatin receptor binding and concentrations of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) in human brain. Somatostatin receptors were stable for up to 24 h in an animal model simulating human autopsy conditions and there was no correlation between postmortem interval and receptor binding in human brain. Pharmacologic characterization in human cortex showed that there was a correlation between the inhibition of receptor binding by somatostatin analogues and their known abilities to inhibit growth hormone secretion. These findings demonstrate that a highly specific membrane-associated receptor for somatostatin is present in both monkey and human brain. Examination of somatostatin receptor binding in Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease may improve understanding of the role of somatostatin in both these illnesses.     

牛磺酸对脑创伤大鼠的脑保护作用

目的:探讨牛磺酸(Tau)预处理对弥漫性脑创伤(TBI)大鼠脑皮层超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活力、丙二醛(MDA)含量、脑含水量(BWC)和脑皮层水孔通道蛋白4(AQP4)表达的影响。方法:复制大鼠TBI模型,分为假手术组(S组)、TBI组(T组)、低剂量Tau组(L组)和高剂量Tau组(H组),用比色法测定脑皮层匀浆液中SOD活力和MDA含量;干/湿法测定BWC;免疫组织化学检测脑皮层AQP4的表达。结果:T组大鼠脑皮层SOD活力显著低于S组,T组MDA含量、BWC和脑皮层AQP4的表达显著高于S组;H、L组脑皮层SOD活力显著高于T组,H、L组MDA含量、BWC和脑皮层AQP4的表达显著低于T组;H、L组之间差异无显著性。结论:Tau可能通过清除TBI后产生的的氧自由基、下调TBI大鼠脑皮层AQP4的表达减轻脑水肿,发挥其脑保护作用。