SPECIES‐SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN ADAPTIVE PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY IN AN ECOLOGICALLY RELEVANT TROPHIC TRAIT: HYPERTROPHIC LIPS IN MIDAS CICHLID FISHES

The spectacular species richness of cichlids and their diversity in morphology, coloration, and behavior have made them an ideal model for the study of speciation and adaptive evolution. Hypertrophic lips evolved repeatedly and independently in African and Neotropical cichlid radiations. Cichlids with hypertrophic lips forage predominantly in rocky crevices and it has been hypothesized that mechanical stress caused by friction could result in larger lips through phenotypic plasticity. To test the influence of the environment on the size and development of lips, we conducted a series of breeding and feeding experiments on Midas cichlids. Full‐sibs of Amphilophus labiatus (thick‐lipped) and Amphilophus citrinellus (thin‐lipped) each were split into a control group which was fed food from the water column and a treatment group whose food was fixed to substrates. We found strong evidence for phenotypic plasticity on lip area in the thick‐lipped species, but not in the thin‐lipped species. Intermediate phenotypic values were observed in hybrids from thick‐ and thin‐lipped species reared under “control” conditions. Thus, both a genetic, but also a phenotypic plastic component is involved in the development of hypertrophic lips in Neotropical cichlids. Moreover, species‐specific adaptive phenotypic plasticity was found, suggesting that plasticity is selected for in recent thick‐lipped species.     

大鼠肢体缺血预处理对肝缺血/再灌注损伤的保护作用

目的：研究肢体缺血预处理对大鼠肝缺血/再灌注损伤是否具有保护作用。方法：雄性SD大鼠32只,随机分为对照组（S组）;缺血/再灌注组（I/R组）;经典缺血预处理组（IPC组）;肢体缺血预处理组（远端缺血预处理组,RPC组）。S组仅行开腹,不作其他处理;IPC组以肝缺血5min作预处理;RPC组以双后肢缺血5min,反复3次作预处理,2个预处理组及I/R组均行肝缺血1h再灌注3h。取血用于血清谷丙转氨酶（ALT）与血清谷草转氨酶（AST）检测。切取肝组织用于测定湿干比（W/D）、中性粒细胞（PMN）计数及观察显微、超微结构的变化。结果：与I/R组比较,IPC组,RPC组ALT,AST,W/D值,及PMN计数均明显降低（P〈0.01）,肝脏的显微及超微结构损伤减轻。结论：肢体缺血预处理对大鼠肝脏I/R损伤有明显的保护作用,强度与经典缺血预处理相当,其机制可能与抑制肝脏炎症反应、减轻肝脏水肿、改善肝组织微循环有关。     

p38 MAPK反义寡聚脱氧核苷酸阻断肢体缺血预处理诱导的脑缺血耐受

目的:观察p38MAPK反义寡聚脱氧核苷酸(As-ODN)对肢体缺血预处理(LIP)诱导的脑缺血耐受的影响。方法:48只永久凝闭双侧椎动脉的Wistar大鼠分为8组(n=6):sham组、LIP组、脑缺血损伤组、LIP+脑缺血损伤组、双蒸水+LIP+脑缺血损伤组、p38MAPKAs-ODN组和p38MAPKAs-ODN+LIP+脑缺血损伤组,p38MAPKAs-ODN的剂量又分为5nmol/5μl和10nmol/5μl。所有动物均在sham手术后或末次全脑缺血/再灌注后7天断头取脑,硫堇染色观察海马CA1区锥体神经元迟发性死亡情况。结果:sham组和LIP组均未见延迟性神经元死亡(DND)。与sham、LIP组相比,脑缺血损伤组出现了明显的DND,表现为组织学分级(HG)升高和锥体神经元密度(ND)下降(P0.05)。LIP可显著抑制脑缺血损伤引起的DND。与LIP+脑缺血损伤组相比,p38MAPKAs-ODN+LIP+脑缺血损伤组出现了显著的DND,表现为HG升高、ND降低(P0.05),且此种变化与p38MAPKAs-ODN的注射剂量呈明显正相关。结论:p38MAPKAs-ODN可阻断LIP诱导的脑缺血耐受,进一步证实了p38MAPK表达上调参与了LIP诱导的脑缺血耐受。     

低氧预处理对新生大鼠脑低氧缺血时海马区Bcl-2和Bax表达的影响

目的：观察低氧预处理对新生大鼠脑低氧缺血时海马区Bcl-2和Bax表达的影响,探讨低氧预处理对新生大鼠脑低氧缺血损伤的保护机制。方法：7日龄新生SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组、假手术组、低氧缺血组（HIBD组）和低氧预处理组（HPC＋HIBD组）。采用免疫组织化学方法,检测各组脑组织海马区Bcl-2和Bax表达的变化。结果：与正常对照组、假手术组相比．HIBD组和HPC＋HIBD组海马区Bcl-2蛋白和Bax蛋白表达明显增多;与HIBD组相比,HPC＋HIBD组海马区Bcl-2蛋白表达明显增多,Bax蛋白表达明显减少。结论：低氧预处理后Bcl-2表达上调,Bax表达下调,可能是其保护随后脑低氧缺血损伤的机制之一。     

The Role of Nitric Oxide in the Neuroprotection of Limb Ischemic Preconditioning in Rats

Brief limb ischemia was reported to protect neurons against injury induced by subsequent cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, and this phenomenon is known as limb ischemic preconditioning (LIP). To explore the role of nitric oxide (NO) in neuroprotection of LIP in rats, we observed changes in the content of nitric oxide (NO) and activity of NO synthase (NOS) in the serum and CA1 hippocampus of rats after transient limb ischemic preconditioning (LIP), and the influence of N^G-nitro-l-arginine methylester (l-NAME), a NOS inhibitor, on the neuroprotection of LIP against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Results showed that NO content and NOS activity in serum increased significantly after LIP compared with the sham group. The increase showed a double peak pattern, in which the first one appeared at time 0 (immediate time point) and the second one appeared at 48 h after the LIP (P < 0.01). The NO content and NOS activity in the CA1 hippocampus in LIP group showed similar change pattern with the changes in the serum, except for the first peak of up-regulation of NO content and NOS activity appeared at 6 h after LIP. Pretreatment with l-NAME before LIP blocked the neuroprotection of LIP against subsequent cerebral ischemic insult. The blocking effect of l-NAME was abolished with pretreatment of l-Arg. These findings indicated that NO may be associated with the tolerance of pyramidal cells in the CA1 hippocampus to ischemia induced by LIP in rats.     

缺氧预适应研究的进展与展望

缺氧预适应这一生物进化上的内源性细胞保护机制,可被机体、器官、组织和细胞的重复缺氧暴露所激发。缺氧预适应的效应已由对重复缺氧局部／原位器官组织的保护（局部／原位缺氧预适应）发展到既保护远隔的各种异位器官组织（远程／异位缺氧预适应）又抗御其它种种非缺氧性应激（交叉／多能缺氧预适应）。在现有进展的基础上,缺氧预适应研究以及其可操作性和可应用性将有更大的发展空间。     

Preconditioning treatment induces chilling tolerance in zucchini fruit improving different physiological mechanisms against cold injury

Zucchini fruit is susceptible to develop chilling injuries (CI) when stored at low temperature. In this study, the effects of a preconditioning treatment during cold storage and its relation with the physiological response to chilling tolerance have been investigated. The commercial variety Sinatra, whose fruit are very sensitive to cold storage, has been used. After harvest, fruit were kept at 4°C or preconditioned during 48 h at 15°C before cold storage. Weight loss, electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation were lower in preconditioned at the end of storage time, and CI index was significantly reduced in preconditioned compared to control fruit. The preconditioning treatment improved the energy status of the fruit increasing the pool of ATP, and maintaining the energy charge. The preconditioned fruit improved their antioxidant status with lower H₂O₂ content and induction of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT) activities. A reduction in putrescine was detected in preconditioned fruit along with a lower expression of arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and a rise in activity of diamine oxidase (DAO). The concentrations of glutamate and γ‐aminobutyrate (GABA) were lower during preconditioning, while that of proline was higher. In summary, preconditioning treatment induces chilling tolerance in zucchini fruit triggering a defence‐response against oxidative stress and increasing ATP pool and proline content.     

Delayed AICD therapy and cardiac arrest resulting from undersensing of ventricular fibrillation in a subject with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy–A case report

Defibrillation testing is no longer routinely performed after automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) implantation. However, certain subjects undergoing AICD implantation may be at higher risk of undersensing of ventricular arrhythmias resulting in potentially fatal outcomes. We present the case of a 30-year-old woman with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM; ‘asymmetric septal hypertophy’ morphologic variant) and prophylactic AICD who experienced an out of hospital cardiac arrest. AICD interrogation revealed undersensing as a result of intermittent high amplitude electrograms during an episode of ventricular fibrillation (VF). The subject underwent replacement and repositioning of the AICD lead along with pulse generator replacement (that utilized a different VF sensing algorithm) with appropriate sensing of VF and successful defibrillation testing. The presence of intermittent high amplitude electrograms during episodes of VF in AICDs using the AGC function should be recognized as a situation that may necessitate interventions to prevent undersensing and consequent delay in therapy.