Autophagy in stem cells

Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process by which cytoplasmic components are sequestered in autophagosomes and delivered to lysosomes for degradation. As a major intracellular degradation and recycling pathway, autophagy is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis as well as remodeling during normal development, and dysfunctions in autophagy have been associated with a variety of pathologies including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and neurodegenerative disease. Stem cells are unique in their ability to self-renew and differentiate into various cells in the body, which are important in development, tissue renewal and a range of disease processes. Therefore, it is predicted that autophagy would be crucial for the quality control mechanisms and maintenance of cellular homeostasis in various stem cells given their relatively long life in the organisms. In contrast to the extensive body of knowledge available for somatic cells, the role of autophagy in the maintenance and function of stem cells is only beginning to be revealed as a result of recent studies. Here we provide a comprehensive review of the current understanding of the mechanisms and regulation of autophagy in embryonic stem cells, several tissue stem cells (particularly hematopoietic stem cells), as well as a number of cancer stem cells. We discuss how recent studies of different knockout mice models have defined the roles of various autophagy genes and related pathways in the regulation of the maintenance, expansion and differentiation of various stem cells. We also highlight the many unanswered questions that will help to drive further research at the intersection of autophagy and stem cell biology in the near future.     

脐带问充质干细胞联合表皮生长因子治疗III、Ⅳ期压疮的临床研究

目的：探讨脐带间充质干细胞移植联合表皮生长因子治疗III、Ⅳ期压疮的临床效果。方法：选取我院2011-2012年收治的III、Ⅳ期压疮患者143例为研究对象,随机分为对照组、实验一组和实验二组。对照组30例压疮患者行常规换药,实验一组58例压疮患者应用脐带间充质干细胞移植联合表皮生长因子治疗,实验二组55例压疮患者仅应用表皮生长因子治疗。治疗后,比较三组患者愈合时间及愈合效果。结果：实验一组和实验二组的显效时间和愈合时间均较对照组显著缩短,且实验一组的显效时间和愈合时间较实验二组更短,差异均有统计学意义（均P〈0．05）。实验一组的治愈率显著高于对照组（P〈0．05）,而与实验二组比较无统计学差异（P〉0．05）,实验二组的治愈率与对照组比较无统计学差异（P〈0．05）。实验一组的总有效率显著高于对照组和实验二组（P〈0．05）,而实验二组的总有效率与对照组比较无统计学差异（P〉0．05）。结论：脐带间充质干细胞移植联合表皮生长因子较单用表皮生长因子及常规治疗方法更好的改善III、Ⅳ期压疮创面的愈合,避免患者组织感染,提高压疮患者的生活质量。     

细胞色素P450酶的结构、功能与应用研究进展

细胞色素P450 (cytochrome P450,CYP)酶是广泛存在于微生物、动植物及人体中与膜结合的血红蛋白类酶,具有氧化、环氧化、羟化、去甲基化等多种生物催化活性。CYP酶在药物、类固醇、脂溶性维生素和许多其他类型化学物质的代谢中具有重要作用,其在异源物质的解毒、药物相互作用和内分泌功能等领域的研究是热点问题。本综述对CYP的结构、功能、临床应用与开发前景进行了概述,并对其最新的研究现状和发展前景进行探讨。     

不同牛分枝杆菌特异性基因PCR方法的比较

【背景】牛结核病是我国二类动物疫病,世界动物卫生组织将其列为法定报告的动物疫病。牛主要通过患病牛呼吸道分泌物和咳嗽所产生的气溶胶感染;人则主要通过食用未经高温处理的病牛的肉或奶感染。因此,经过病原学PCR检测对疑似患病牛牛奶或屠宰组织样品进行快速检验确诊,能够最大限度地减少奶牛养殖中乳品生产业的经济损失。【目的】研究并确定适宜的牛分枝杆菌PCR扩增引物及参数,为临床快速准确诊断牛结核病提供参考。【方法】对已报道的5对PCR引物,运用降落(touch down) PCR法确定适宜退火温度(Tm);运用梯度稀释的牛分枝杆菌C68001株(国内牛结核菌素生产用菌株)基因组DNA以及不同菌液含量的人工模拟临床样本(淋巴结、肺脏和牛奶),确定不同引物PCR方法的敏感性;同时以6种常见牛感染菌(牛种布鲁氏菌2308、羊种布鲁氏菌Rev.1、牛分枝杆菌C68001和AN5、禽分枝杆菌C68202、副结核分枝杆菌C68681和胞内分枝杆菌C68226)核酸样本,确定不同引物PCR方法的特异性。【结果】所有引物在53-63℃均含有目的条带,确定引物的最佳退火温度是60℃。在细菌核酸敏感性检验中,1号和3号引物的检测敏感性最高,达10-10 ng/μL;其次是2号和5号,达10-5 ng/μL。对于人工模拟感染样本,1号、3号和4号引物在淋巴结和肺脏中检测敏感性最高,其次是2号;而2号、3号、4号和5号引物对奶样检测敏感性最高。对于特异性检验,2号和5号引物特异性较好,可检测到明显的牛分枝杆菌特异性条带,对通常不引起牛结核病而只干扰免疫学诊断的禽分枝杆菌检测条带较微弱,而布鲁氏菌、副结核分枝杆菌和胞内分枝杆菌均无检测条带。【结论】2号引物及其反应参数的PCR方法敏感性、特异性良好,适合用于牛结核病的快速准确诊断。     

肠道细菌弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌对斑翅果蝇生长发育和物质代谢的影响

【目的】明确弗氏柠檬酸杆菌Citrobacter freundi和产酸克雷伯氏菌Klebsiella oxytoca两种肠道共生细菌对斑翅果蝇Drosophila suzukii生长发育和物质代谢的影响。【方法】以正常饲养条件下的斑翅果蝇、构建的斑翅果蝇无菌品系以及弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌单一共生菌感染的斑翅果蝇品系为材料,检测不同品系间斑翅果蝇的卵孵化率、3龄幼虫体重和化蛹率;测定不同斑翅果蝇品系3龄幼虫体内蛋白质、氨基酸、糖原和游离脂肪酸等代谢物的含量及超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)的活力。【结果】正常饲养条件下的斑翅果蝇卵孵化率、3龄幼虫体重、化蛹率及3龄幼虫体内蛋白质的含量均高于其他斑翅果蝇品系,且无菌品系中的最低。弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌感染的斑翅果蝇品系3龄幼虫中的氨基酸和糖原含量均低于斑翅果蝇无菌品系和正常品系。弗氏柠檬酸杆菌感染斑翅果蝇品系3龄幼虫体内游离脂肪酸的含量较其他品系的也降到最低。弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌感染斑翅果蝇品系3龄幼虫体内POD活力显著高于无菌品系和正常品系,而CAT活力显著低于无菌品系。【结论】斑翅果蝇肠道中无肠道共生细菌时生长发育迟缓,在食物中分别添加弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌后可一定程度上促进斑翅果蝇的发育,这与添加肠道共生菌后斑翅果蝇体内代谢物的变化密切相关。     

Inhibition of ROS-Activated p38MAPK Pathway is Involved in the Protective Effect of H2S Against Chemical Hypoxia-Induced Inflammation in PC12 Cells

We have demonstrated the neuroprotection of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) against chemical hypoxia-induced injury by inhibiting p38MAPK pathway. The present study attempts to evaluate the effect of H₂S on chemical hypoxia-induced inflammation responses and its mechanisms in PC12 cells. We found that treatment of PC12 cells with cobalt chloride (CoCl₂, a hypoxia mimetic agent) enhanced IL-6 secretion, nitric oxide (NO) generation and expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). L-canavanine, a selective iNOS inhibitor, partly blocked CoCl₂-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis and mitochondrial insult. In addition, 7-Nitroindazole (7-NI), an inhibitor of nNOS, also partly attenuated the CoCl₂-induced cytotoxicity. The inhibition of p38MAPK by SB203580 (a selective p38MAPK inhibitor) or genetic silencing of p38MAPK by RNAi (Si-p38) depressed not only CoCl₂-induced iNOS expression, NO production, but also IL-6 secretion. In addition, N-acetyl-l-cysteine, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, conferred a similar protective effect of SB203580 or Si-p38 against CoCl₂-induced inflammatory responses. Importantly, pretreatment of PC12 cells with exogenous application of sodium hydrosulfide (a H₂S donor, 400 μmol/l) for 30 min before exposure to CoCl₂ markedly attenuated chemical hypoxia-stimulated iNOS and nNOS expression, NO generation and IL-6 secretion as well as p38MAPK phosphorylation in PC12 cells. Taken together, we demonstrated that p38MAPK-iNOS pathway contributes to chemical hypoxia-induced inflammation and that H₂S produces an anti-inflammatory effect in chemical hypoxia-stimulated PC12 cells, which may be partly due to inhibition of ROS-activated p38MAPK-iNOS pathway.     

链霉菌质粒的复制与进化

近年来, 随着大质粒提取和检测技术的发展, 尤其是高通量DNA测序技术的应用, 使得链霉菌大的环型质粒和线型质粒的研究取得了较快的进展。相比于研究透彻的细菌Theta型复制的质粒, 链霉菌Theta型质粒在复制区的结构、复制蛋白和调控蛋白作用的分子机理等方面具有多样性和新颖性。新鉴定的许多线型质粒的中心复制区表明中心复制的起始可以靠近端粒, 一个质粒也可以有2个以上的复制区。新分离的端粒序列显示端粒“折返”不是必需的, 而形成二级结构对于端粒复制是重要的。链霉菌环型和线型质粒的测序分析显示它们之间存在亲缘关系。环型质粒可以与噬菌体共整合, 实验证明它们在一定条件下可以相互转换。这些研究结果表明, 链霉菌环型、线型质粒和噬菌体从结构到功能到进化具有多样性、新颖性和亲缘关系。     

Simvastatin inhibits the additive activation of ERK1/2 and proliferation of rat vascular smooth muscle cells induced by combined mechanical stress and oxLDL through LOX-1 pathway

Vein grafts interposed into arteries are susceptible to the development of atherosclerosis due to rapid increases in blood pressure. This process is accelerated in patients with hyperlipidemia. The molecular mechanism underlying this process is unknown. In this study, quiescent rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were treated in vitro with mechanical stretch stress (10% elongation) with and without oxLDL (25 μg/ml) in the presence and absence of simvastatin (2.5 μmol/L). The results demonstrate that stretch stress and oxLDL can each induce activation of ERK1/2 and Ki-67 expression in VSMCs, but the peak levels of ERK activation and Ki-67 expression were observed in groups subjected to both stretch stress and oxLDL. Simvastatin was found to inhibit increased ERK activation and Ki-67 expression in VSMCs subjected to stretch stress with or without oxLDL. Mechanically, simvastatin was also found to inhibit increased expression of LOX-1 (a receptor of oxLDL) in VSMCs subjected to stretch stress with or without oxLDL. Knockdown of LOX-1 via small interfering RNAs (siRNA-LOX-1) resulted in obvious inhibition of ERK activation in VSMCs subjected to stretch stress with and without oxLDL. These results suggest that combined stretch stress and oxLDL can additively promote the activation of ERK1/2 leading to accelerated proliferation of VSMCs (e.g. increased Ki-67 expression) via LOX-1 signal pathway. This was found to be partially inhibited by simvastatin. These results may provide important data for the treatment and prevention of hypertension with or without hyperlipidemia.     

Ostericum atropurpureum sp. nov. (Apiaceae) from Zhejiang,China

Ostericum atropurpureum G. Y. Li, G. H. Xia & W. Y. Xie (Apiaceae, Apioideae) from Zhejiang, China, is described and illustrated. It is closely related to O. huadongense Z. H. Pan & X. H. Li and O. sieboldii (Miquel) Nakai, but differs in having leaves with 1.5–9.0 cm long petiole, linear bracteoles 6–12 mm long, 5–9 rays, 7–14‐flowered umbellules, dark purple petals, broadly winged dorsal and lateral fruit ribs, 1.0–1.5 mm broad, 3–6 vittae in each furrow and 4–8 on the commissure.