Schwann cells promote endothelial cell migration

Directed cell migration is a crucial orchestrated process in embryonic development, wound healing, and immune response. The underlying substrate can provide physical and/or chemical cues that promote directed cell migration. Here, using electrospinning we developed substrates of aligned poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanofibres to study the influence of glial cells on endothelial cells (ECs) in a 3-dimensional (3D) co-culture model. ECs build blood vessels and regulate their plasticity in coordination with neurons. Likewise, neurons construct nerves and regulate their circuits in coordination with ECs. In our model, the neuro-vascular cross-talk was assessed using a direct co-culture model of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and rat Schwann cells (rSCs). The effect of rSCs on ECs behavior was demonstrated by earlier and higher velocity values and genetic expression profiles different of those of HUVECs when seeded alone. We observed 2 different gene expression trends in the co-culture models: (i) a later gene expression of angiogenic factors, such as interleukin-8 (IL-8) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and (ii) an higher gene expression of genes involved in actin filaments rearrangement, such as focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 13 (MAPKAPK13), Vinculin (VCL), and Profilin (PROF). These results suggested that the higher ECs migration is mainly due to proteins involved in the actin filaments rearrangement and in the directed cell migration rather than the effect of angiogenic factors. This co-culture model provides an approach to enlighten the neurovascular interactions, with particular focus on endothelial cell migration.     

Okazaki fragment maturation involves α-segment error editing by the mammalian FEN1/MutSα functional complex

During nuclear DNA replication, proofreading-deficient DNA polymerase α (Pol α) initiates Okazaki fragment synthesis with lower fidelity than bulk replication by proofreading-proficient Pol δ or Pol ε. Here, we provide evidence that the exonuclease activity of mammalian flap endonuclease (FEN1) excises Pol α replication errors in a MutSα-dependent, MutLα-independent mismatch repair process we call Pol α-segment error editing (AEE). We show that MSH2 interacts with FEN1 and facilitates its nuclease activity to remove mismatches near the 5′ ends of DNA substrates. Mouse cells and mice encoding FEN1 mutations display AEE deficiency, a strong mutator phenotype, enhanced cellular transformation, and increased cancer susceptibility. The results identify a novel role for FEN1 in a specialized mismatch repair pathway and a new cancer etiological mechanism.     

背阔肌肌皮瓣修复肩背部软组织肉瘤术后缺损研究

目的：分析背阔肌肌皮瓣在肩背部软组织肉瘤扩大切除术后缺损修复中的方便性及优越性。方法：选取临床确诊肩背部软组织肉瘤患者8例,行肩背部病灶扩大切除术后,依据背阔肌肌皮瓣解剖学特点,选择合适的背阔肌肌皮瓣转移修复肩背部缺损。结果：皮瓣全部存活,随访6月至28月,肩背部外形满意,日常活动无明显影响。结论：应用背阔肌肌皮瓣修复肩背部软组织肉瘤扩大术后缺损是一种行之有效的方法。该方法简单易行,临床效果明显。     

小剂量肝素治疗皮神经营养皮瓣术后静脉危象的探讨

目的：探讨小剂量肝素治疗皮神经营养皮瓣术后静脉危象的临床价值。方法：我院自2010年1月至10月共5例发生皮神经营养皮瓣术后皮瓣出现静脉危象。所有5例患者均在间断拆线的同时应用皮瓣皮下小剂量肝素注射使切缘持续缓慢渗血,并根据血运情况调整肝素使用剂量,观察皮瓣血运恢复情况及存活情况。结果：经小剂量肝素治疗后,5例皮神经营养皮瓣术后皮瓣颜色转红润,静脉危象均逐步缓解,全部皮瓣均成活,伤口无感染,愈合良好。患者对皮瓣外观和功能满意。结论：小剂量肝素皮下注射是一种简易但有效的解决皮神经营养皮瓣术后静脉危象的方法。     

rhBMP-2 诱导异位软骨修复重建兔气管缺损的实验研究

目的:探讨重组人骨形成蛋白-2(rhBMP-2)作为激活物诱导异位软骨修复并重建兔气管缺损的可行性。方法:取24只新西兰大白兔,制备气管前壁软骨1/3缺损模型。随机分为A、B组,每组12只,A组为实验组,在气管缺损处前壁颈前肌肉修补,多点注射rhBMP-2;B组于气管软骨缺损部位直接颈前肌群修补。术后观察动物一般情况,于4、8、12周取材进行大体观察、HE染色观察重建区域情况。结果:术后A组动物均存活至实验完成,B组因气道感染及气道分泌物堵管潴留致使实验兔死亡,其余动物出现皮下气肿,呼吸不畅等情况。组织学观察A组有明显的新生软骨细胞及少量软骨样组织,可见结缔组织包绕,周围肌肉组织完整,排列整齐,未见明显坏死组织,有少量淋巴细胞浸润。B组未见软骨组织生成,可见大量肉芽组织增生,结缔组织排列紊乱,伴少量坏死组织,大量淋巴浸润。结论:rhBMP-2可通过注射到颈前肌肉修补肌群中诱导软骨细胞和软骨样组织生成,减轻炎症反应,联合颈前肌瓣修复重建气管缺损能充分维持修复重建后的气道形态,具有减少术后皮下气肿、气管狭窄的作用,有望用于临床修复重建气管组织缺损。     

Use of Modified Flap Structures for Study of Base Excision Repair Proteins

To investigate interactions between proteins participating in the long-patch pathway of base excision repair (BER), DNA duplexes with flap strand containing modifications in sugar phosphate backbone within the flap-forming oligonucleotides were designed. When the flap-forming oligonucleotide consisted of two sequences bridged by a decanediol linker located in the flap strand near the branch point, the efficiency and position of cleavage by flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) differed from those for natural flap. The cleavage rate of chimeric structure by FEN1 was lower than that of a normal substrate. When we introduced the second modification in the flap-forming oligonucleotide, the cleavage rate decreased significantly. To estimate efficiency of recognition and processing of the chimeric structures by BER proteins, we studied the rate of DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase beta (Pol beta) and the rate of nucleotide excision at the 3'-end of the initiating primer by apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) compared with those for the natural DNA duplexes. Efficiency of strand-displacement DNA synthesis catalyzed by Pol beta was shown to be higher for flap structures containing non-nucleotide linkers. The chimeric structures were processed by the 3'-exonuclease activity of APE1 with efficiency lower than that for a normal flap structure. Thus, DNA duplexes with modifications in sugar phosphate backbone can be used to mimic intermediates of the long-patch pathway of BER in reconstituted systems containing FEN1. Based on chimeric and natural oligonucleotides, photoreactive DNA structures were designed. The photoreactive dCMP moiety was introduced into the 3'-end of DNA primer via the activity of Pol beta. The photoreactive DNA duplexes--3'-recessed DNA, nicked DNA, and flap structures containing natural and chimeric oligonucleotides--were used for photoaffinity labeling of BER proteins.     

Physical associations of microglia and the vascular blood-brain barrier and their importance in development,health, and disease

Brain endothelial cells (BEC) of the vascular blood-brain barrier (BBB) interact with many different cell types in the brain, including microglia, the brain's resident immune cells. Physical associations of microglia with the BBB and the importance of these interactions in health and disease are an emerging area of study and likely involved in neuroimmune communication. In this mini-review, we consider how microglia and the BBB are intrinsically linked in the developing brain, discuss possible mechanisms that attract microglia to the vasculature in healthy physiological conditions, and examine the known microglial-vascular associated changes in systemic infection and various disease states. Our findings shed light on the complexities of microglial-vascular interactions and highlight the contributions of microglia to the functions of the neurovascular unit.     

数字化血管三维模型对烧伤患者面部修复术术后皮瓣存活的影响

目的:探讨数字化血管三维模型对烧伤患者面部修复术术后皮瓣存活的影响。方法:选择2012年4月至2017年4月在我院接受组织瓣转移面部修复术的烧伤患者146例,分为对照组(n=64)和研究组(n=82)。对照组术前采用超声多普勒探测患者供区皮瓣的血管位置,走向并标记探测结果,根据多普勒探测结果结合术前设计行皮瓣转移术。观察组术前3~5 d采用CTA技术检查患者供区皮瓣面部受区血管位置、血管走向等,将检查结果通过计算机进行血管三维重建,根据皮瓣血管与受区血管重建模型修订手术方案后行皮瓣转移术。观察和比较手术时间、术后感染发生率、皮瓣断蒂时间、皮瓣血运障碍发生率和术后皮瓣坏死率。结果:研究组手术时间显著短于对照组(P0.01),两组术后感染发生率分别为7.81%和1.21%,研究组明显低于对照组(P0.01)。研究组的皮瓣断蒂时间为17.1±2.5 d,明显短于对照组(21.3±2.8 d,P0.01);对照组皮瓣血运障碍发生率为17.19%,研究组并未发现血运障碍病例。对照组术后皮瓣坏死率为7.81%,而研究组未出现皮瓣坏死病例,存活率为100%,明显高于对照组(P0.05)。结论:术前数字化血管三维模型的建立用于烧伤患者面部修复术可缩短手术时间,提高手术效率,降低术后皮瓣供血障碍的发生率及皮瓣死亡率,有利于患者术后恢复。