Development of channeled nanofibrous scaffolds for oriented tissue engineering

A tissue-engineering scaffold resembling the structure of the natural extracellular matrix can often facilitate tissue regeneration. Nerve and tendon are oriented micro-scale tissue bundles. In this study, a method combining injection molding and thermally induced phase separation techniques is developed to create single- and multiple-channeled nanofibrous poly(L-lactic acid) scaffolds. The overall shape, the number and spatial arrangement of channels, the channel wall matrix architecture, the porosity and mechanical properties of the scaffolds are all tunable. The porous NF channel wall matrix provides an excellent microenvironment for protein adsorption and the attachment of PC12 neuronal cells and tendon fibroblast cells, showing potential for neural and tendon tissue regeneration.     

The synthesis of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives with the ability to inhibit both glutathione S-transferase P1-1 activity and the proliferation of leukemia cells

Ethacrynic acid (EA), an alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compound, is a glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1) inhibitor. Twenty-one novel EA derivatives have been synthesized. The effects of these compounds on GSTP1-1 activity and on the proliferation of human leukemia HL-60 cells have been determined. Compounds with a halogen substitution at the 3'-position of the aromatic ring have greater inhibitory effects on GSTP1-1 activity than those of compounds with a methyl substitution there. Compounds with substitutions at both the 2'- and 3'-positions of the aromatic ring have more antiproliferative ability than those with one substitution at 3'-position. Esterification of the carboxyl group appears to increase the antiproliferative ability.     

内蒙古典型草原放牧压力评价及土壤N储量响应

放牧是草原生态系统的重要干扰,是草原氮循环的重要影响因素。为了揭示放牧对土壤N储量的影响,在内蒙古典型草原,基于单位草原面积草原载畜量和单位草原生产力,建立了放牧压力评价模型,并利用1990—2011年以县为单位统计的放牧牲畜数据和2001—2011每年合成的MODIS-NDVI_(max)影像数据评估了放牧压力的空间分布。基于2011年野外调查的95个样点和2010年调查的41个样点数据,对处于低放牧压力(LG),中放牧压力(MG)和高放牧压力(HG)的样点数据进行了统计分析。结果表明:放牧压力对土壤容重(BD),土壤全碳(TC)含量和土壤全氮(TN)含量具有显著影响,特别在土壤表层(0—10cm),土壤容重、TC含量和TN含量在LG,MG和HG之间存在显著差异。TC含量和TN含量随放牧压力增加而降低,BD随放牧压力增加而增加;黏粒含量(CC)在3个放牧压力梯度上不存在显著差异;土壤N储量表现出和TN含量相似的变化特征,随土壤深度增加而降低,随放牧压力增加而减少,在0—50cm范围内,土壤N储量在LG、MG和HG之间存在显著差异(2011,P0.05;2010,P0.1)。重度放牧是草原生态系统氮损失的主要因素之一,降低放牧压力有助于降低草原氮损失和恢复植被生产力。     

The role of intestinal stem cell within gut homeostasis: Focusing on its interplay with gut microbiota and the regulating pathways

Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) play an important role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis via promoting a healthy gut barrier. Within the stem cell niche, gut microbiota linking the crosstalk of dietary influence and host response has been identified as a key regulator of ISCs. Emerging insights from recent research reveal that ISC and gut microbiota interplay regulates epithelial self-renewal. This article reviews the recent knowledge on the key role of ISC in their local environment (stem cell niche) associating with gut microbiota and their metabolites as well as the signaling pathways. The current progress of intestinal organoid culture is further summarized. Subsequently, the key challenges and future directions are discussed.     

TK/GCV系统体外诱导成纤维细胞凋亡

 在体外培养并鉴定增生性瘢痕成纤维细胞（ Ｆ Ｂ）的基础上,采用重组逆转录病毒 Ｇ Ｔ Ｋ 介导并联合应用 ｇａｎｃｉｃｌｏｖｉｒ 对 Ｆ Ｂ细胞进行体外杀伤,以探究 Ｔ Ｋ／ Ｇ Ｃ Ｖ 系统体外杀伤成纤维细胞的机制．经光镜、电镜及凝胶电泳等实验发现,在 Ｔ Ｋ／ Ｇ Ｃ Ｖ 对瘢痕成纤维细胞的杀伤过程中存在明显的细胞凋亡现象．这提示 Ｔ Ｋ／ Ｇ Ｃ Ｖ 系统对体外培养的瘢痕成纤维细胞的杀伤作用部分是通过细胞凋亡途径实现的．     

VirAB在单核细胞增生李斯特菌耐药性及生物被膜形成中的作用

【背景】单核细胞增生李斯特菌(Listeria monocytogenes,Lm)对一些临床常用抗生素、乳酸链球菌素(Nisin)等抗菌药物的敏感性下降,然而其背后的机制仍未完全阐明。【目的】调查转运蛋白VirAB在Lm对抗菌药物的耐药性及生物被膜形成中的作用。【方法】利用同源重组技术构建Lm基因缺失突变株,比较野生株和缺失株对抗菌药物的耐药性;利用微孔板法观测突变株生物被膜形成能力的变化;利用平板泳动法研究菌株的泳动能力。【结果】与野生株相比,virAB缺失突变株对头孢类抗生素、Nisin和溴化乙锭的敏感性增加;当培养基中分别添加亚致死浓度的苯扎氯铵、卡那霉素和四环素时,突变株均表现出不同程度的生长缺陷。缺失virAB后菌株形成生物被膜的能力下降。【结论】VirAB在Lm对头孢类等抗菌药物的耐药及生物被膜形成方面具有重要作用。     

不同尺度苔藓结皮土壤性状的空间分布特征

苔藓结皮是生物结皮的高级阶段,它在防风固沙、改善土壤水分、养分等方面具有十分重要的生态作用,但前期研究多是对结皮区和无结皮覆盖区土壤性状的比较,对结皮斑块内土壤理化因子的空间分布情况尚不明确。运用经典统计学,地统计学以及克里格插值法探讨了土壤水分、有机质、全氮、全磷、总盐在样方和斑块两个尺度的空间变异特征,旨在阐明不同尺度藓类结皮土壤空间异质性的强度,明确不同尺度土壤各性状合适的取样距离。研究结果表明藓类结皮土壤性状在两种尺度均表现出中等程度的变异,随着取样尺度减小,自相关性在空间异质性中占的比重增加,结构因素的影响增强,随机因素的影响减弱。样方尺度的空间异质性大于斑块尺度异质性,且土壤性状的变程较大,采样时可适当增大取样间距;两种尺度下5个土壤性状中,全磷的变程最小,实际取样时应适当缩小取样距离,总盐变程大,自相关程度低,因而取样间距可适当放大。斑块尺度,藓类结皮土壤性状由边缘向中心递增(磷递减)的现象与斑块的边缘效应有关。     

黄河三角洲柽柳植株周围土壤盐分离子的分布

为探讨柽柳的盐分富集效应及其对不同盐分离子分布的影响,以黄河三角洲盐碱地柽柳为研究对象,分析了离植株不同距离不同土层中的盐分离子组成、含量、离子比及不同离子之间的相关性。研究结果表明:各土层阳离子中Na~+含量最高,其次是Ca~(2+)和Mg~(2+),K~(+)最低,Cl~(-)在阴离子中的含量最高,SO_4~(2-)次之,HCO_3~-最低,而未检测到CO_3~(2-)。在柽柳植株周围,尤其是表层土壤中,离植株越近盐分含量越高,显示出柽柳对盐分的富集效应,其中对不同阳离子的富集程度表现为K~+Na~+Mg~(2+)Ca~(2+),而对阴离子的富集程度表现为HCO_3~-Cl~-SO_4~(2-)。冠层下凋落物中盐分的释放和树干径流可能是导致盐分在柽柳植株周围水平方向上存在差异的主要原因。土壤总可溶性盐含量随着土层的加深而升高。阳离子和阴离子向下迁移程度分别表现为Na~+Mg~(2+)Ca~(2+)K+和Cl~-SO_4~(2-)≈HCO_3~-,因而随土层加深而升高的Na~+、Ca~(2+)、Mg~(2+)和Cl~-,显示出底聚特征,而K+、SO_4~(2-)和HCO_3~-含量则随着土层的加深而降低,具有表聚特征。降水淋溶、盐分离子迁移速率的差别和各土层中不同生物量根系对盐分吸收的差异可能是造成盐分在垂直方向上含量变化的主要因素。     

Construction of enzalutamide-resistant cell model of prostate cancer and preliminary screening of potential drug-resistant genes

Among many factors of causing castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progression, a growing number of evidences have shown androgen receptors play a critical role. Therefore, blocking androgen receptor remains a therapeutic goal of CRPC. However, resistance to androgen receptor inhibitors, for example, enzalutamide, limits therapeutic efficacy for many patients. In this study, to develop an enzalutamide-resistant cell model for molecular mechanism investigation of enzalutamide-resistance, we continuously treated C4-2B cells with multiplied concentrations of enzalutamide. The IC50 of resistant cells was identified as 14.7705 µM, and the resistance index was calculated as 12.4. In addition, we verified the resistance of resistant cells through experiments in vivo and found the genes in androgen receptor signaling pathway (androgen receptor, Jagged1, Notch1) and those in androgen receptor alternative signaling pathways behaved the opposite. For some of the former, their mRNA and protein expression reduced markedly while for the latter, for example, CXCR7, AKT, STAT3, FOXP3, they rose dramatically in the expression level of protein and mRNA. More importantly, the tumor volume, tumor wet weight, PSA and VEGF secretion level, positive staining rate of Ki67 nuclei in resistant strain heterogeneous tumor treated with enzalutamide were significantly higher than those of maternal cell heterogeneous tumor treated with enzalutamide, whereas no obvious difference was detected between resistant strain heterogeneous tumor treated with enzalutamide and those of the resistant strain treated with reference drug. Finally, we identified 654 differentially expression genes and 2 compounds (atracurium besilate, methotrexates) associated with the amelioration of enzalutamide-resistance. Overall, we successfully established an enzalutamide-resistance cell model and screened out some resistance genes and candidate small molecule drugs.