联合应用NGF 和胰岛素对糖尿病大鼠烫伤创面表皮干细胞的影响

目的:通过局部联合应用神经生长因子和胰岛素对糖尿病大鼠深II度烫伤创面表皮干细胞标记物β1整合素和角蛋白19(K19)表达的影响,探讨神经生长因子和胰岛素联合应用于糖尿病烫伤创面治疗后对创面愈合的影响。方法:雄性wistar大鼠腹腔注射链脲佐菌素(STZ)建立糖尿病模型60只,1月后在大鼠背部造成深II度烫伤。将大鼠随机分为糖尿病对照组(B)、胰岛素治疗组(C)、神经生长因子治疗组(D)、神经生长因子联合胰岛素治疗组(E),每组15只。另取15只正常雄性wistar大鼠作为正常对照组(A)。观察伤后3、7、11、15、21 d各组创面愈合情况,检测创面β1整合素和角蛋白19(K19)的表达并计算创面愈合率。结果:E组创面愈合率自第7天起较A、B、C、D组增加,为[(25.33±2.32)%,(P<0.05)];A、C、D组创面愈合率较B组增加分别为[(22.51±1.78)%,(16.68±1.95)%,(18.29±1.70)%,(P<0.05)]。E组整合素β1和角蛋白19(K19)表达自伤后第7至21天各时相点显著增加,(P<0.05)。结论:糖尿病大鼠深II度烫伤创面局部联合应用神经生长因子和胰岛素可促进表皮干细胞的增殖与分化从而加速创面的愈合。     

儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病对预后的影响分析

目的:探讨儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病分型对预后的影响,为临床治疗提供依据.方法:回顾性分析2007年1月～2008年12月我院收治的急性淋巴细胞白血病患儿32例,比较不同分型的预后情况.结果:ALL-L1、ALL-L2与ALL-L3的首次诱导CR率(X2=1.087,P＞0.05)、完全CR率(X2=0.607,P＞0.05),差异无统计学意义;CR的治疗时间(t=6.001,P＜0.05)、3年生存率(X2=9.458,P＜0.05),差异有统计学意义.T-ALL、B-ALL的首次诱导CR率(X2=8.891,P＜0.05)、达到CR治疗时间(t=6.361,P＜0.05)、完全CR率(X2=11.892,P＜0.05),差异有统计学意义.两型的3年生存率(X2=1.536,P＞0.05),差异有统计学意义.B-ALL中各型别首次诱导CR率(X2=0.494,P＞0.05)和完全CR率(X2=0.405,P＞0.05),差异统计学意义.B-ALL中各型别达到CR的治疗时间(t=7.007,P＜0.05)和3年生存率(X2=6.609,P＜0.05),差异有统计学意义.结论:儿童急性白血病其预后与其分型有一定的相关性,因此临床治疗应结合患儿的分型进行个体化治疗.     

松墨天牛成虫对寄主颜色的视觉选择研究

为验证视觉信息在松墨天牛Monochamus alternatus Hope成虫寄主选择中的作用,并探索其对寄主健康状况的偏好,本文通过林间对寄主云南松针叶的色彩比对,选取国际标准色卡对应卡色作为视觉信号源,对松墨天牛雌、雄成虫的视觉选择进行了研究。研究表明,松墨天牛雌虫选择最多的颜色分别是:棕红色(选择率26.67%),赭石棕(选择率20.00%),栗棕色(选择率16.67%);松墨天牛雄虫选择最多的颜色为:信号褐(选择率26.67%),棕红色(选择率23.33%),栗棕色(选择率20.00%)。雌、雄成虫均偏好选择棕褐色系,对应于林间衰弱和濒死寄主针叶呈现的颜色,说明松墨天牛成虫通过视觉判断偏好攻击长势衰弱的林木,属于次期性蛀干害虫。     

Identification of the novel recessive gene pi55(t) conferring resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae

The elite rice cultivar Yuejingsimiao 2 (YJ2) is characterized by a high level of grain quality and yield, and resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae. YJ2 showed 100% resistance to four fungal populations collected from Guangdong, Sichuan, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang Provinces, which is a higher frequency than that shown by the well-known resistance (R) gene donor cultivars such as Sanhuangzhan 2 and 28zhan. Segregation analysis for resistance with F₂ and F₄ populations indicated the resistance of YJ2 was controlled by multiple genes that are dominant or recessive. The putative R genes of YJ2 were roughly tagged by SSR markers, located on chromosomes 2, 6, 8, and 12, in a bulked-segregant analysis using genome-wide selected SSR markers with F₄ lines that segregated into 3 resistant (R):1 susceptible (S) or 1R:3S. The recessive R gene on chromosome 8 was further mapped to an interval ≈1.9 cM/152 kb in length by linkage analysis with genomic position-ready markers in the mapping population derived from an F₄ line that segregated into 1R:3S. Given that no major R gene was mapped to this interval, the novel R gene was designated as pi55(t). Out of 26 candidate genes predicted in the region based on the reference genomic sequence of the cultivar Nipponbare, two genes that encode a leucine-rich repeat-containing protein and heavy-metal-associated domain-containing protein, respectively, were suggested as the most likely candidates for pi55(t).     

Ovine prion protein genotype frequencies in northwestern China

Anti-scrapie breeding programs have been initiated to screen for scrapie-resistant sheep based on ovine prion protein gene (PRNP) genotypes at codons 136, 154 and 171 in many countries, especially European Union member states. However, investigation of sheep PRNP genotypes is limited in China, despite the large number of sheep breeds. We analyzed 432 sheep of five different breeds from farms in northwestern China, using PCR-single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis (PCR-SSCP); the corresponding haplotypes of different PRNP alleles were cloned. PRNP allele genotyping was done by amplification refractory mutation system-PCR (ARMS-PCR), according to the haplotype clones of each PRNP allele. The validity of ARMS-PCR was checked by PCR-SSCP. Another 325 unknown PRNP genotypes of other sheep breeds were analyzed according to the established ARMS-PCR. Genotype frequencies of 757 sheep were analyzed with these two methods to evaluate susceptibility to scrapie in northwestern China. Relevant mutations were also detected at other sites. Both methods were effective for ovine PRNP allele genotyping, and the results of the analysis completely coincided. Scrapie-resistant genotypes were found to be uncommon, indicating a high risk for ovine scrapie in northwest China. In addition to codons 136, 154 and 171, we found numerous new mutations; nearly half of them were previously unreported. These sheep populations have a high degree of polymorphism at the PRNP locus.     

Characterization of a hypertriglyceridemic transgenic miniature pig model expressing human apolipoprotein CIII

Hypertriglyceridemia has recently been considered to be an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, in which apolipoprotein (Apo)CIII is one of the major contributory factors, as it is strongly correlated with plasma triglyceride levels. Although ApoCIII transgenic mice have been generated as an animal model for the study of hypertriglyceridemia, the features of lipoprotein metabolism in mice differ greatly from those in humans. Because of the great similarity between pigs and humans with respect to lipid metabolism and cardiovascular physiology, we generated transgenic miniature pigs expressing human ApoCIII by the transfection of somatic cells combined with nuclear transfer. The expression of human ApoCIII was detected in the liver and intestine of the transgenic pigs. As compared with nontransgenic controls, transgenic pigs showed significantly increased plasma triglyceride levels (83 ± 36 versus 38 ± 4 mg·dL(-1), P < 0.01) when fed a chow diet. Plasma lipoprotein profiling by FPLC in transgenic animals showed a higher peak in large-particle fractions corresponding to very low-density lipoprotein/chylomicrons when triglyceride content in the fractions was assayed. There was not much difference in cholesterol content in FPLC fractions, although a large low-density lipoprotein peak was identified in both nontransgenic and transgenic animals, resembling that found in humans. Further analysis revealed markedly delayed clearance of plasma triglyceride, accompanied by significantly reduced lipoprotein lipase activity in post-heparin plasma, in transgenic pigs as compared with nontransgenic controls. In summary, we have successfully generated a novel hypertriglyceridemic ApoCIII transgenic miniature pig model that could be of great value for studies on hyperlipidemia in relation to atherosclerotic disorders.     

Structural segregation of gut microbiota between colorectal cancer patients and healthy volunteers

Despite a long-suspected role in the development of human colorectal cancer (CRC), the composition of gut microbiota in CRC patients has not been adequately described. In this study, fecal bacterial diversity in CRC patients (n=46) and healthy volunteers (n=56) were profiled by 454 pyrosequencing of the V3 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Both principal component analysis and UniFrac analysis showed structural segregation between the two populations. Forty-eight operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified by redundancy analysis as key variables significantly associated with the structural difference. One OTU closely related to Bacteroides fragilis was enriched in the gut microbiota of CRC patients, whereas three OTUs related to Bacteroides vulgatus and Bacteroides uniformis were enriched in that of healthy volunteers. A total of 11 OTUs belonging to the genera Enterococcus, Escherichia/Shigella, Klebsiella, Streptococcus and Peptostreptococcus were significantly more abundant in the gut microbiota of CRC patients, and 5 OTUs belonging to the genus Roseburia and other butyrate-producing bacteria of the family Lachnospiraceae were less abundant. Real-time quantitative PCR further validated the significant reduction of butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut microbiota of CRC patients by measuring the copy numbers of butyryl-coenzyme A CoA transferase genes (Mann–Whitney test, P<0.01). Reduction of butyrate producers and increase of opportunistic pathogens may constitute a major structural imbalance of gut microbiota in CRC patients.     

Gastric Cancer Exosomes Trigger Differentiation of Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Carcinoma-Associated Fibroblasts through TGF-β/Smad Pathway

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote tumor growth by differentiating into carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and composing the tumor microenvironment. However, the mechanisms responsible for the transition of MSCs to CAFs are not well understood. Exosomes regulate cellular activities by mediating cell-cell communication. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether cancer cell-derived exosomes were involved in regulating the differentiation of human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hucMSCs) to CAFs.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We first showed that gastric cancer cell-derived exosomes induced the expression of CAF markers in hucMSCs. We then demonstrated that gastric cancer cell-derived exosomes stimulated the phosphorylation of Smad-2 in hucMSCs. We further confirmed that TGF-β receptor 1 kinase inhibitor attenuated Smad-2 phosphorylation and CAF marker expression in hucMSCs after exposure to gastric cancer cell-derived exosomes.

Conclusion/Significance

Our results suggest that gastric cancer cells triggered the differentiation of hucMSCs to CAFs by exosomes-mediated TGF-β transfer and TGF-β/Smad pathway activation, which may represent a novel mechanism for MSCs to CAFs transition in cancer.