可溶性细胞间粘附分子在慢性肾脏病中的变化

目的:研究慢性肾病(CKD)患者血清可溶性细胞粘附分子-1(soluble intercellular adhesionmolecule-1,sICAM)的变化与临床意义。方法:用双抗体夹心ELISA方法,对52例CKD患者及20例健康对照人群的sICAM-1水平进行检测分析。52例CKD患者中,其中27例为CRF血液透析患者;25例肾功能正常CKD患者。结果:CKD组患者sICAM-1水平明显高于对照组(105.42±61.95)(P<0.01);肾功能正常CKD组和CKD-CRF组sICAM-1水平均显著高于对照组(P<0.01);CRF组sICAM-1水平明显低于肾功能正常CKD组(P<0.01);但高于对照组(84.80±19.61/164.08±70.66/54.61±5.48)(P<0.01)。结论:sICAM-1水平在慢性肾脏病中明显升高,CRF组病人sICAM-1水平低于CKD肾功能正常患者,提示透析过程中可能有sICAM溢出,吸附并丢失入透析液中(1),或可能是肾纤维化为主的病变使sICAM-1表达下降。     

On the ftight capabilities and distribution of the giant Miocene bird Argentavis magnificens (Teratornithidae)

Argentavis magnificens , the largest known flying bird, had a wingspan of over 6 m with a mass of 80 kg. Its enormous size suggests that it was not a powerful flapper. The wing shape is inferred as more like that of large extant birds that soar relatively slowly on thermals over land than of large pelagic birds that soar over water. Its high wing loading would have allowed it to fly in moderate to strong winds that must have been prohibitive for the largest known contemporary thermal soarers. The high wing loading would have been ill-suited to flight under poor thermal conditions, but it would have been useful in slope-soaring on uprising air current against hillsides. We propose that Argentavis had a large home range that included a nesting area in the mountains of western and northwestern Argentina, and a feeding area in the Pampas.     

Diet and locomotion of the armadillo Peltephilus: a new view

The Santacrucian armadillos Peltephilus (Mammalia, Dasypodidae, Peltephilinae) are reanalysed in order to test the traditional hypothesis that they were the most cursorial and active hunters of the dasypodids. The masticatory musculature is reconstructed, the form and distribution of teeth are studied, and a model of the jaw movements is proposed. Furthermore, the limb anatomy as well as their index of fossorial ability are compared with those of other armadillos. It is concluded that Peltephilus , and very likely other peltephilines, are poorly designed as carnivorous, actively cursorial mammals. An alternative habit is proposed, in which Peltephilus and the other peltephilines are viewed as having the conservative armadillo structure of diggers, feeding on soft but tough items, probably plant material of underground origin.     

Tail blow energy and carapace fractures in a large glyptodont (Mammalia, Xenarthra)

Glyptodonts had muscular tails terminating, in many cases, with a rigid bony sheath which, in Doedicurus and Panochthus, was a formidable club. Some carapaces show fractures which have been interpreted as resulting from intraspecific fights. We estimate the energy that the tail muscles could have supplied for a blow and the energy required to fracture the carapace, and obtain results of the same order of magnitude. Thus it is not unreasonable to interpret die observed damage as resulting from fights. A space between the thoracic and lumbar vertebral column and the carapace may have been occupied by a fatty pad which would have served as a protective cushion, reducing the force of impacts.     

The Localization of Precursor Cells for Larval and Adult Hemopoietic Cells of Xenopus Laevis in two Regions of Embryos

For determination of the localization of lymphoid and erythroid precursor cells in embryos of Xenopus laevis , diploid-triploid chimeras were produced either by joining embryos antero-posteriorly or by orthotopic grafting of various tissues into N ieuwkoop -F aber st. 22–23 tailbud embryos. The sources of the hemopoietic cells were determined in the chimeric animals at various stages by microspectrophotometry of F eulgen -stained cells. Analyses of chimeras produced by joining embryos antero-posteriorly at different levels showed that the precursor cells that contribute to the hemopoietic cells are localized in the posterior half to three quarters. Orthotopic grafting of ventral or dorsal tissues revealed that the precursor cells that contribute to hemopoietic cells in early larvae are mostly localized in the ventral blood island (VBI) mesoderm, whereas those for late larvae and adults are localized both in the dorso-lateral plate (DLP) mesoderm comprising the prospective mesonephros and in the VBI mesoderm. Reciprocal heterotopic grafting of VBI- and DLP mesoderms showed that the two compartments differ in their capacities to differentiate into hemopoietic cells. It is proposed that the VBI-derived cells migrating towards the primary lymphoid organs constitute the transient hemopoietic population of early larvae, and the importance of the mesonephric region for definitive hemopoiesis is pointed out.     

Early and late responses to oxidative stress in human dermal fibroblasts of healthy donors and rheumatoid arthritis patients. Relationship between the cell death rate and the genomic dosage of active ribosomal genes

A study was done regarding the effect of the oxidizing agent potassium chromate (K₂CrO₄, PC) on cultured dermal fibroblasts of a healthy donor and three patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Characteristics of the rRNA gene (RG) complex—RG copy number, active RG (ARG) dosage, and 18S rRNA content—were determined for each cell line. In cells of the healthy donor, oxidative stress caused by low doses of PC (2–4 µM, 1–4 h) induced an early response, including a 50–80% increase in total RNA and rRNA. An appreciable activation of the nucleolus was observed cytochemically, by silver staining and morphometry. The early response grew considerably lower with the increasing passage number and/or PC concentration. Exposure to 6–12 µM PC for 24 h led to a progressively increasing cell death rate (late response). The existence and intensity of the early response correlated positively with cell survival during further culturing. Cells of the RA patients displayed almost no early response even at early passages: total RNA did not increase, and rRNA increased by no more than 10%. Cell disruption (apoptosis) during further culturing was more intense than in the line originating from the healthy donor. The apoptosis intensity characterized by the increase in the content of DNA fragments in the culture medium and in the caspase 3 activity was inversely proportional to the ARG dosage in the genome. The results provide the first quantitative characterization of the early and late responses of cells to PC-induced oxidative stress and suggest the role of ARG dosage in cell survival during stress.__________Translated from Molekulyarnaya Biologiya, Vol. 39, No. 2, 2005, pp. 264–275.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Veiko, Terekhov, Shubaeva, Smirnova, Ivanova, Egolina, Tsvetkova, Spitkovsky, Lyapunova.     

Thermal and hydric implications of diurnal activity by a small tropical frog during the dry season

Amphibians are typically intolerant of high temperatures and dehydrating conditions, and small species are particularly susceptible to desiccation. The rockhole frog, Litoria meiriana (Hylidae), is diurnal and is often observed on rocks in the sun near streams in tropical Australia. These hot, desiccating conditions are avoided by most frog species. We measured the microclimate in the areas used by frogs and the activity, body temperatures and hydric state of free‐ranging individuals of this small frog. We also used plaster models to further explore the dynamic nature of hydric state by combining estimates of water loss and water uptake with behavioural observations of activity and microhabitat selection. Both direct measures and estimates of dynamic hydric state indicated that free‐ranging frogs generally maintained a hydric state above 95% of full hydration, but occasionally, particularly during the afternoon, frogs allowed their hydric state to fall as low as 85%. Body temperatures of frogs remained below the critical thermal maximum (CT_max) even when the frogs were in the sun, because this species has no cutaneous resistance to evaporative water loss and so they cool by evaporation. However, during the hotter part of the day, on dry sunny substrates, the hydric state of the frogs could fall to near lethal hydration states (approximately 70% of full hydration) within a short period (approximately 20 min). Thus, the threat of desiccation appears to be more limiting than the threat of overheating. These diurnal frogs rely on frequent bouts of rehydration to support their ability to venture onto hot, dry rocks during the day.     

Early and late responses to oxidative stress in human dermal fibroblasts of healthy donors and rheumatoid arthritis patients. Relationship between the cell death rate and the genomic dosage of active ribosomal genes

A study was made of the effect of the oxidizing agent potassium chromate (K2CrO4, PC) on cultured dermal fibroblasts of a healthy donor and three patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Characteristics of the rRNA gene (RG) complex-RG copy number, active RG (ARG) dosage, and 18S rRNA content--were determined for each cell line. In cells of the healthy donor, oxidative stress caused by low doses of PC (2-4 microM, 1-4 h) induced an early response, including a 50-80% increase in total RNA and rRNA. An appreciable activation of the nucleolus was observed cytochemically, by silver staining and morphometry. The early response grew considerably lower with the increasing passage number and/or PC concentration. Exposure to 6-12 microM PC for 24 h led to a progressive cell death (late response). The existence and intensity of the early response correlated positively with the cell survival during further culturing. Cells of the RA patients displayed almost no early response even at early passages: total RNA did not increase, and rRNA increased by no more than 10%. Cell disruption (apoptosis) during further culturing was more intense than in the line originating from the healthy donor. The apoptosis intensity characterized by the increase in the content of DNA fragments in the culture medium and in the caspase 3 activity, was inversely proportional to the ARG dosage in the genome. The results provide the first quantitative characterization of the early and late responses of cells to PC-induced oxidative stress and suggest a role of the ARG dosage in cell survival in stress.     

Quantitative analysis of repetitive sequences in human genomic DNA and detection of an elevated ribosomal repeat copy number in patients with schizophrenia (the results of molecular and cytogenetic analysis)

A modified version of quantitating repetitive sequences in genomic DNA was developed to allow comparisons for numerous individual genomes and simultaneous analysis of several sequences in each DNA specimen. The relative genomic content of ribosomal repeats (rDNA) was estimated for 75 individuals, including 33 healthy donors (HD) and 42 schizophrenic patients (SP). The rDNA copy number in HD was 427 +/- 18 (mean SE) per diploid nucleus, ranging 250-600. In SP, the rDNA copy number was 494 +/- 15 and ranged 280-670, being significantly higher than in HD. The two samples did not differ in contents of sequences hybridizing with probes directed to a subfraction of human satellite III or to the histone genes. Cytogenetic analysis (silver staining of metaphase chromosomes) showed that the content of active rRNA genes in nucleolus organizer regions is higher in SP compared with HD. The possible causes of the elevated rRNA gene dosage in SP were considered. The method employed was proposed for studying the polymorphism for genomic content of various repeats in higher organisms, including humans.