非酒精性脂肪肝大鼠PPARα基因表达及脂代谢和胰岛素水平的变化

目的观察非酒精性脂肪肝（NAFLD）大鼠肝组织中PPARα基因的表达,并用PPARct激动剂进行干预,探讨其与胰岛素抵抗、脂代谢紊乱的关系。方法大鼠随机分为①正常对照组、②高脂模型组、③PPARα激动剂干预组,利用高脂饮食建立大鼠非酒精性脂肪肝模型。12周后,检测大鼠血脂、肝功能、血糖、胰岛素水平及胰岛素抵抗指数;RT-PCR法分析PPARα基因的表达;观察肝脏的形态学改变。结果PPARa激动剂可降低NAFLD大鼠转氨酶、血脂水平及胰岛素抵抗指数,可促进NAFLD大鼠中PPARa基因的表达;肝脏形态学明显改善。结论PPARα激动剂能改善NAFLD大鼠脂质代谢紊乱,有明显的保肝降酶作用,具有适度的胰岛素增敏作用。PPARα及其配体在NAFLD发病机制及治疗中的进一步深入研究,将为临床防治NAFLD提供新的思路。     

SD雌性大鼠性发育早期性器官等脏器和性激素的动态变化

目的探讨正常SD雌性大鼠性成熟前不同日龄段的脏器与促黄体生成素（LH）、促卵泡素（FSH）、雌二醇（E2）等性激素的变化及其关系。方法从生产群中取出60窝密度状态一致的SD大鼠,在不同日龄随机选取雌性大鼠,检测15、25、32、40日龄时大鼠体重、主要脏器指数,子宫、卵巢组织变化和15、25、32、40、60日龄大鼠血清LH、FSH、E2水平。结果记录了SD雌性大鼠性成熟前各脏器指数和卵巢、子宫组织变化,结果显示大鼠卵巢、子宫的增长速度大于体重的增长,而其他脏器增速大都小于体重的增长。本研究还记录了血清LH、FSH、E2水平在不同日龄段的变化规律,表明血清LH、E2浓度在32日龄时出现较为明显升高。结论不同日龄大鼠脏器指数的动态变化提示大鼠性器官在性发育早期得到机体的优先发育。血清LH、E2水平在32日龄时有了明显升高,提示性腺轴功能已经激活。60日龄大鼠血清性激素水平的波动类似于动情周期的规律性变化,推测大鼠在60日龄前即已进入性成熟,这些结果将为大鼠性发育的相关研究提供重要的参考数据。     

Developing human laboratory models of smoking lapse behavior for medication screening

Use of human laboratory analogues of smoking behavior can provide an efficient, cost-effective mechanistic evaluation of a medication signal on smoking behavior, with the result of facilitating translational work in medications development. Although a number of human laboratory models exist to investigate various aspects of smoking behavior and nicotine dependence phenomena, none have yet modeled smoking lapse behavior. The first instance of smoking during a quit attempt (i.e. smoking lapse) is highly predictive of relapse and represents an important target for medications development. Focusing on an abstinence outcome is critical for medication screening as the US Food and Drug Administration approval for cessation medications is contingent on demonstrating effects on smoking abstinence. This paper outlines a three-stage process for the development of a smoking lapse model for the purpose of medication screening. The smoking lapse paradigm models two critical features of lapse behavior: the ability to resist the first cigarette and subsequent ad libitum smoking. Within the context of the model, smokers are first exposed to known precipitants of smoking relapse (e.g. nicotine deprivation, alcohol, stress), and then presented their preferred brand of cigarettes. Their ability to resist smoking is then modeled and once smokers 'give in' and decide to smoke, they participate in a tobacco self-administration session. Ongoing and completed work developing and validating these models for the purpose of medication screening is discussed.     

Artifactual sulfation of silver-stained proteins: implications for the assignment of phosphorylation and sulfation sites

Sulfation and phosphorylation are post-translational modifications imparting an isobaric 80-Da addition on the side chain of serine, threonine, or tyrosine residues. These two post-translational modifications are often difficult to distinguish because of their similar MS fragmentation patterns. Targeted MS identification of these modifications in specific proteins commonly relies on their prior separation using gel electrophoresis and silver staining. In the present investigation, we report a potential pitfall in the interpretation of these modifications from silver-stained gels due to artifactual sulfation of serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues by sodium thiosulfate, a commonly used reagent that catalyzes the formation of metallic silver deposits onto proteins. Detailed MS analyses of gel-separated protein standards and Escherichia coli cell extracts indicated that several serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues were sulfated using silver staining protocols but not following Coomassie Blue staining. Sodium thiosulfate was identified as the reagent leading to this unexpected side reaction, and the degree of sulfation was correlated with increasing concentrations of thiosulfate up to 0.02%, which is typically used for silver staining. The significance of this artifact is discussed in the broader context of sulfation and phosphorylation site identification from in vivo and in vitro experiments.     

Harmonised Australian Reference Intervals for Serum PINP and CTX in Adults

Bone turnover markers (BTMs) are classified as either formation or resorption markers. Their concentrations in blood or urine of adults are considered to reflect the rate of bone remodelling and may be of use in the management of patients with bone disease. Major inter-method differences exist for BTMs, and harmonisation of methods is currently being pursued at an international level. Based on published data, this article describes age- and sex-specific Australian consensus reference intervals for adults for serum procollagen type I amino-terminal propeptide (s-PINP) and serum β-isomerised carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (s-CTX).     

Osteoprotective effect of soybean and sesame oils in ovariectomized rats via estrogen-like mechanism

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the osteoprotective effects of soybean oil (SbO) and sesame oil (SO) in ovarictomized (OVX) rats. The results indicated that the OVX rats exhibited a significant decrease in Ca and P level in both serum and bone, the activities of the antioxidant enzymes SOD and CAT and the antioxidant biomarker GSH accompanied with a marked increase in the oxidative stress markers MDA and PC, the inflammatory indices (TNF-α, CRP levels, WBCs counts and ACP activity) in, both, bone and serum. Supplementating the diet of the OVX rats with SbO (15 % w/w) or SO (10 % w/w) for 2 months to resulted in modulation of the alterations in all tested parameters and succeeded to restore minerals, antioxidant enzymes, antioxidant biomarkers, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory indices, and WBCs counts. It could be concluded that the consumption of diets supplemented with SbO or SO might be useful for preventing bone loss caused by estrogen deficiency in ovariectomy status.     

COX-2 polymorphisms − 765G→C and − 1195A→G and hepatocellular carcinoma risk

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and considered to play a role in hepatic carcinogenesis. Our aim was to examine the associations between polymorphisms in COX-2 − 765G→C and − 1195A→G and risk of HCC. We conducted a case–control study including 120 patients with HCC and 130 age- and gender-matched controls. Genotypes of the COX-2 polymorphisms − 765G→C and − 1195A→G were determined by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism. No significant difference was observed in the genotype distribution of the − 765G→C polymorphism between patients and controls. The − 1195AA genotype was associated with an increased risk of developing HCC (OR, 2.5; 95%CI, 1.18–5.37). The A allele was present significantly more often in HCC patients (OR 1.5; 95%CI, 1.05–2.14). In conclusion, our results demonstrated that the − 1195AA genotype and A allele have an important role in HCC risk in Egyptian patients.     

中国内蒙古缨齿藓属(紫萼藓科)1新变种——缨齿藓菱形变种

报道了内蒙古清水河黄土丘陵地区发现的紫萼藓科1新变种——缨齿藓菱形变种[Jaffueliobryum wrightii(Sull.)Thér.var.rhombicumX.L.BaiSarula],该变种与干旱山地岩面生境中的原变种缨齿藓[Jaffueliobryum wrightii(Sull.)Thér.]相似,生境的变化导致其形态发生变化,主要表现在上部细胞菱形和细胞壁背部强烈加厚,未分化的叶上部边缘细胞、中肋横切面细胞不分化,叶片长0.7~0.8mm,毛尖长0.8~1.3mm。文中对缨齿藓及其新变种的形态学特征,分布和生境进行了描述,并提供了显微照片,另外,列出了缨齿藓属5个种的检索表。     

A Bio-Inspired Approach for the Reduction of Left Ventricular Workload

Previous studies have demonstrated the existence of optimization criteria in the design and development of mammalians cardiovascular systems. Similarities in mammalian arterial wave reflection suggest there are certain design criteria for the optimization of arterial wave dynamics. Inspired by these natural optimization criteria, we investigated the feasibility of optimizing the aortic waves by modifying wave reflection sites. A hydraulic model that has physical and dynamical properties similar to a human aorta and left ventricle was used for a series of in-vitro experiments. The results indicate that placing an artificial reflection site (a ring) at a specific location along the aorta may create a constructive wave dynamic that could reduce LV pulsatile workload. This simple bio-inspired approach may have important implications for the future of treatment strategies for diseased aorta.