Hymenolepis diminuta: The effects of infection on transepithelial ion transport and tight junctions in rat intestines

In this study, we examine the effect of Hymenolepis diminuta on ion transport in the ileum and on tight junctions in the ileum and colon of rats. We also evaluate the effect of H. diminuta on C-fiber endings in the ileum, the direct habitat of H. diminuta, before and after mechanical stimulation and pharmacological modification by capsaicin (C-fiber irritant).Wistar rats were orally infected with five cysticercoids of H. diminuta. Using a modified Ussing chamber, electrophysiological parameters of the ileum were measured (transepithelial electrical potential difference and transepithelial electrical resistance) as well as the deposition of occludin (a tight junction protein) in the ileum and colon of the rats 8, 16, 25, 35, 40 and 60 days post infection.We observed a significant reduction in transepithelial electrical potential difference in the ileum of rats infected with H. diminuta. In both the ileum and colon of rats infected with H. diminuta we also observed a decrease in occludin deposition, which indicates leakage of tight junctions, correlating with the decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance of these tissues. The application of capsaicin confirmed the hypothesis that H. diminuta in rats affects the C-fiber sensory receptors, causing changes in ion transport in the ileum.The results of the performed electrophysiological and immunohistochemical examinations indicate hymenolepidosis-related changes in the active transport of ions and the passive movement of ions.     

Myocardial Infarction and Functional Outcome Assessment in Pigs

Introduction of newly discovered cardiovascular therapeutics into first-in-man trials depends on a strictly regulated ethical and legal roadmap. One important prerequisite is a good understanding of all safety and efficacy aspects obtained in a large animal model that validly reflect the human scenario of myocardial infarction (MI). Pigs are widely used in this regard since their cardiac size, hemodynamics, and coronary anatomy are close to that of humans. Here, we present an effective protocol for using the porcine MI model using a closed-chest coronary balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending artery (LAD), followed by reperfusion. This approach is based on 90 min of myocardial ischemia, inducing large left ventricle infarction of the anterior, septal and inferoseptal walls. Furthermore, we present protocols for various measures of outcome that provide a wide range of information on the heart, such as cardiac systolic and diastolic function, hemodynamics, coronary flow velocity, microvascular resistance, and infarct size. This protocol can be easily tailored to meet study specific requirements for the validation of novel cardioregenerative biologics at different stages (i.e. directly after the acute ischemic insult, in the subacute setting or even in the chronic MI once scar formation has been completed). This model therefore provides a useful translational tool to study MI, subsequent adverse remodeling, and the potential of novel cardioregenerative agents.     

Genome-based phylogeny of dsDNA viruses by a novel alignment-free method

Sequence alignment is not directly applicable to whole genome phylogeny since several events such as rearrangements make full length alignments impossible. Here, a novel alignment-free method derived from the standpoint of information theory is proposed and used to construct the whole-genome phylogeny for a population of viruses from 13 viral families comprising 218 dsDNA viruses. The method is based on information correlation (IC) and partial information correlation (PIC). We observe that (i) the IC-PIC tree segregates the population into clades, the membership of each is remarkably consistent with biologist's systematics only with little exceptions; (ii) the IC-PIC tree reveals potential evolutionary relationships among some viral families; and (iii) the IC-PIC tree predicts the taxonomic positions of certain “unclassified” viruses. Our approach provides a new way for recovering the phylogeny of viruses, and has practical applications in developing alignment-free methods for sequence classification.     

心包穿刺简易装置在基因转染中的应用

目的探讨自制心包穿刺装置转染心脏的安全性、可行性。方法应用磷酸钙沉淀方法制备携带大肠杆菌LacZ基因复制缺陷的重组腺病毒(Ad-LacZ),将12头中国小型猪分为实验组和对照组,采用球囊堵塞前降支第一对角支远端,心肌梗死模型建立后即刻,采用自制简易心包腔穿刺装置经皮剑突下穿刺,成功后置中心静脉导管于心包腔内并行转染,28 d后处死。实验组:胶原酶1200 U及透明质酸酶3000 U预处理心包后,在心包腔内注射Ad-LacZ基因2.0×109p.f.u;对照组:同样方法预处理心包后,在心包腔内注射生理盐水1 mL。于注射后3、7及28 d分别对缺血心肌进行染色及病理观察。结果冠状动脉造影证实前降支远端完全闭塞,病理显示心肌有缺血和梗死;实验组注射Ad-LacZ基因后第3、第7天及28d后X-gal染色有阳性细胞,以第7天最明显,对照组无阳性细胞。结论自制的心包腔简易穿刺装置将腺病毒载体转染至缺血心肌是安全的,可行的,并且腺病毒可持续表达4周。     

The desumoylating enzyme sentrin-specific protease 3 contributes to myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury

Sentrin-specific protease 3 (SENP3), a member of the desumoylating enzyme family, is known as a redox sensor and could regulate multiple cellular signaling pathways. However, its implication in myocardial ischemia reperfusion (MIR) injury is unclear. Here, we observed that SENP3 was expressed and upregulated in the mouse heart depending on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in response to MIR injury. By utilizing siRNA-mediated cardiac specific gene silencing, SENP3 knockdown was demonstrated to significantly reduce MIR-induced infarct size and improve cardiac function. Mechanistic studies indicated that SENP3 silencing ameliorated myocardial apoptosis mainly via suppression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathways. By contrast, adenovirus-mediated cardiac SENP3 overexpression significantly exaggerated MIR injury. Further molecular analysis revealed that SENP3 promoted mitochondrial translocation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) in reperfused myocardium. In addition, mitochondrial division inhibitor-1 (Mdivi-1), a pharmacological inhibitor of Drp1, significantly attenuated the exaggerated mitochondrial abnormality and cardiac injury by SENP3 overexpression after MIR injury. Taken together, we provide the first direct evidence that SENP3 upregulation pivotally contributes to MIR injury in a Drp1-dependent manner, and suggest that SENP3 suppression may hold therapeutic promise for constraining MIR injury.     

蝮蛇抗栓酶治疗急性心肌梗塞疗效与剂量,时间的关系

用蝮蛇抗栓酶治疗急性心肌梗塞６２例,按用药剂量及治疗时间各分成２组对比,结果表明在急性心肌梗塞早期（８ｈ内）使用大剂量蝮蛇抗栓酶（＞２ＩＵ）,治疗效果较明显且病死率明显降低（Ｐ＜０．０５）。     

Biochemical,immunological and genetic characterization of natural gramine-free variants of Hordeum vulgare L.

Many barley cultivars (e.g. Arimar) contain the indole alkaloid gramine, but some do not. Among seven gramine-free cultivars tested, two phenotypic classes were found: those with a normal level of the N-methyltransferase (NMT) activity that catalyzes the last two steps of gramine synthesis (e.g. Proctor); and those having neither NMT activity nor protein recognized by polyclonal antibodies raised against purified NMT (e.g. Morex).A 3 × 3 diallel cross with reciprocals was made using cultivars Arimar, Proctor and Morex. The pattern of occurrence of gramine and NMT activity among the F₁ hybrids suggested that Proctor and Morex carried defective alleles of the same nuclear gene governing an early step in the indole alkaloid pathway, and that Morex also carried a recessive allele at a nuclear locus encoding NMT activity. However, no non-parental alkaloid phenotypes were found in the F₂ generation from an Arimar × Morex cross and the ratio of progeny with gramine to those with no alkaloids was 3 : 1. One explanation of these results is tight linkage between genes controlling two of the steps in gramine biosynthesis.     

Hrd1 induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis via regulating the degradation of IGF-1R by sema3a

Objective

To explore the underlying mechanisms of Hrd1/sema3a/IGF-1R on cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

脑利钠肽后处理对兔急性心肌梗死的保护作用

目的：脑利钠肽后处理对兔急性心肌梗死的保护作用及可能机制。方法：30 只兔随机分为3 组,每组10 只,左冠状动脉的左 室支缺血30 分钟,再灌注120 分钟。AMI（急性心肌梗死）组：再灌注期间静脉滴注生理盐水;BNP（脑利钠肽）组：再灌注期间静脉 滴注rhBNP(重组人脑利钠肽);BNP+GLY（脑利钠肽+格列苯脲）组：再灌注期间静脉滴注rhBNP,同时舌下静脉注射GLY 。连续 监测心电变化,统计再灌注120 min 室性心动过速(VT)、心室颤动(VF)的发生率。心肌再灌注120 min 后,分别测定SOD(超氧化 物歧化酶)、MDA（丙二醛）、cTnI（肌钙蛋白I）、CK-MB（肌酸激酶同工酶）。各组随机抽取2 只兔,分别于再灌注1 小时和2 小时末 取心尖组织,HE 染色。结果：（1）再灌注心律失常：BNP 组与AMI组比较,VT 和VF发生率均明显升高（均为P<0.01）;BNP+GLY 组与BNP 组比较,VT 和VF 发生率均明显升高（均为P<0.01）。（2）SOD、MDA、cTnI 和CK-MB 水平：BNP 组与AMI 组比较, MDA、cTnI 和CK-MB 均明显降低（均为P<0.01）,而SOD 明显升高（P<0.01）;BNP+GLY 组与BNP 组比较,MDA、cTnI 和 CK-MB 均明显升高（分别为P<0.01,P<0.05和P<0.01）,而SOD明显降低（P<0.01）。（3）心肌HE 染色：AMI组和BNP+GLY 组心 肌损伤明显,BNP 组心肌损伤轻微。结论：脑利钠肽后处理对兔急性心肌梗死（缺血- 再灌注损伤）具有保护作用,可能与KATP 通道相关。     

The role of sphingosine 1 phosphate in coronary artery disease and ischemia reperfusion injury

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Atherosclerotic plaques, as a hallmark of CAD, cause chronic narrowing of coronary arteries over time and could also result in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The standard treatments for ameliorating AMI are reperfusion strategies, which paradoxically result in ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury. Sphingosine 1 phosphate (S1P), as a potent lysophospholipid, plays an important role in various organs, including immune and cardiovascular systems. In addition, high-density lipoprotein, as a negative predictor of atherosclerosis and CAD, is a major carrier of S1P in blood circulation. S1P mediates its effects through binding to specific G protein-coupled receptors, and its signaling contributes to a variety of responses, including cardiac inflammation, dysfunction, and I/R injury protection. In this review, we will focus on the role of S1P in CAD and I/R injury as a potential therapeutic target.