利用黑斑双鳍电鳐构建实验性自身免疫性重症肌无力小鼠模型

目的建立符合国际化的临床前实验标准的实验性自身免疫性重症肌无力(experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis, EAMG)动物模型。方法参照文献报道的方法并改进后,从电鳐电器官提取乙酰胆碱受体(acetylcholine receptor,AchR)蛋白纯品,并采用SDS凝胶电泳蛋白定性鉴定及BCA法蛋白定量;用纯化的蛋白主动免疫C57BL/6小鼠,共免疫3次(分别于第1天、第30天、第60天),进行EAMG小鼠临床评分、体重、血清AchR抗体含量、新斯的明试验、肌电图等综合评价。结果 EAMG模型组与佐剂组比较,自第三周开始发病,平均临床评分显著上升(P<0.01);发病小鼠体重显著减轻(P<0.01);新斯的明试验阳性;血清AchR抗体含量明显增加(P<0.01);肌电图重复电刺激实验阳性。结论从黑斑双鳍电鳐的电器官提取、纯化AchR蛋白成功诱导C57BL/6 EAMG小鼠模型,为进一步研究重症肌无力创造了良好条件。     

益生菌干预对肥胖小鼠肝脏miR-33 和miR-122表达的影响

目的探讨益生菌干预对高脂饮食诱导肥胖小鼠肝脏miR-33和miR-122表达的影响。方法 18只雌性C57BL/6J小鼠随机分为对照组、肥胖组和益生菌干预组,每组6只,分别给予标准饲料、高脂饲料以及高脂饲料+益生菌合剂灌胃,自由采食及饮水,连续喂养6周。每周测量3组小鼠的体质量,6周后,留取小鼠血液样本采用全自动生化仪检测小鼠血脂,安乐法处死小鼠,留取小鼠肝脏样本Hair-pin RT-PCR法检测miR-33和miR-122的含量。结果与对照组小鼠相比,肥胖组小鼠体质量明显增加(t_(2周)=3.985,t_(3周)=4.751,t_(4周)=4.380,t_(5周)=4.728,t_(6周)=4.112,均P0.01);益生菌干预组小鼠体质量较肥胖组明显降低(t_(3周)=3.694,t_(4周)=4.415,t_(5周)=3.752,t_(6周)=3.392,均P0.01);肥胖组小鼠血清总胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白含量较对照组明显升高(t=10.850,t=7.024,均P0.01),益生菌干预组小鼠较肥胖组小鼠血清总胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白含量降低(t=3.034,t=2.881,均P0.05),但与对照组仍有差异。与对照组小鼠相比,肥胖组小鼠肝脏miR-122的表达升高(t=9.170,P0.01),miR-33的表达降低(t=3.420,P0.05),益生菌干预组小鼠较肥胖组小鼠miR-122的表达降低(t=3.204,P0.05),miR-33的表达升高(t=2.070,P0.05)。结论益生菌干预能够影响高脂饮食小鼠肝脏miR-33和miR-122的表达,这可能是益生菌干预改善高脂饮食小鼠肝脏脂代谢的机制之一。     

心理应激对小鼠脂肪组织黄嘌呤氧化酶表达、活性及相关指标的影响*

目的:探讨心理应激对小鼠脂肪组织黄嘌呤氧化酶表达、活性及相关指标的作用。方法:雄性无特定病原体(SPF)级20只昆明小鼠随机分2组(每组10只),即慢性束缚应激(Stress)组和正常对照(Control)组。Stress组小鼠每天在自制式束缚器中限制活动2 h,其余时间两组小鼠在相同环境中自由饮水摄食,实验持续14 d,取血和白色脂肪组织(WAT);观察脂肪组织病理学改变,检测WAT中黄嘌呤氧化酶(XO)和烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸磷酸氧化酶4(Nox-4)的蛋白水平,检测WAT组织中XO、Nox-4、超氧化物歧化酶(Mn SOD)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、脂联素(ADPN)、单核细胞趋化蛋白1(MCP-1)、白介素6(IL-6)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)、胰岛素受体底物1(IRS-1)、葡萄糖转运蛋白4(GLUT-4)、组织因子(TF)、纤溶酶原激活物抑制物1(PAI-1)的mRNA表达,检测血清和WAT组织中XO酶活性以及血清甘油三酯(TG)、总胆固醇(T-Cho)、游离脂肪酸(FFA)、尿酸(UA)的含量。结果:与control组比较,stress小鼠腹股沟WAT组织中XO免疫染色阳性着色细胞黄褐色沉淀深且丰富,WAT中出现大量的单核细胞、中性粒细胞、嗜酸性粒细胞及浆细胞浸润反应和炎症性的改变;血清XO浓度、WAT组织中XO mRNA水平和XO的酶活性显著升高(P＜0.01),血清游离脂肪酸(FFA)和尿酸(UA)的含量显著增高(P＜0.01),WAT组织中Nox-4蛋白、MCP-1、IL-6、TNF-α、TF、PAI-1mRNA的表达水平显著增高(P＜0.01),而Mn-SOD、GSH-Px、CAT、ADPN、IRS-1和GLUT-4的mRNA水平则显著降低(P＜0.01)。结论:心理应激可诱发脂肪XO过量表达及其活性增高,进而引起脂肪炎症、糖代谢及凝血酶原异常等反应。     

2型糖尿病模型小鼠造模时间的选择

目的:分析不同时期的2型糖尿病小鼠血生化指标及心肌和肾脏的病理变化情况,为选择2型糖尿病模型小鼠造模时间提供依据。方法:32只健康雄性ICR小鼠高脂饲料喂养6周后,腹腔注射链脲佐菌素(STZ,30mg/kg),连续5d,制备糖尿病模型。9d后测空腹血糖(FBG),高于11.1mmol/L视为糖尿病模型。分别于成模后第4、6、8周处死一组小鼠。另取8只雄性ICR小鼠作为对照组,常规饲料喂养,于糖尿病组小鼠成模后第8周处死。分析小鼠生化及病理情况:①心脏、肾脏脏器系数计算;②血清乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、肌酸激酶(CK)、肌酐(Cr)和尿素氮(BUN)含量测定;③HE染色观察心肌和肾脏组织病变的整体情况;Masson染色观察心肌组织纤维化情况;PAS染色观察肾脏组织病理变化。结果:与对照组小鼠进行比较,第4、6、8周的糖尿病小鼠心脏器系数升高,血清LDH、CK升高,病理组织学见心肌细胞肥大,纤维化;肾脏脏器系数升高,肾功能肌酐(Cr)、尿素氮(BUN)显著升高,病理组织学见肾小球肥大,肾小管基底膜增厚,管腔萎缩。结论:第6周糖尿病小鼠相关生化病理指标改变相对明显且饲养时间相对较短,故2型糖尿病模型小鼠造模后第6周是进行药物干预和病理、生理、生化等研究的最佳时间。     

连翘脂素对LPS诱导RAW264.7细胞炎症反应的影响

为研究连翘脂素的抗炎效应及其抗炎机制,以地塞米松作为阳性对照,建立脂多糖(LPS)诱导小鼠巨噬细胞RAW264.7炎症模型,检测炎症因子的释放及相关蛋白和mRNA的表达,以期提高对连翘脂素抗炎作用的全面认识并为连翘脂素临床开发提供有力的科学依据。实验采用Griess法检测细胞上清液中NO含量,ELISA法检测TNF-α和IL-6的含量,Westernblot法检测iNOS、COX-2蛋白的表达,RT-qPCR法检测iNOS、COX-2mRNA的表达。与LPS组比较,连翘脂素组和地塞米松组可以明显降低LPS诱导的RAW264.7细胞释放NO、TNF-α和IL-6的量,并呈现浓度依赖关系。Westrenblot和RT-qPCR结果显示连翘脂素能抑制LPS诱导的iNOS、COX-2的蛋白表达以及mRNA的表达,并呈浓度依赖关系。实验研究表明连翘脂素能够明显抑制LPS诱导的RAW264.7细胞炎症因子的释放,iNOS、COX-2蛋白及mRNA的表达从而抑制炎症反应。     

In vivo monitoring of thrombosis in mice by optical coherence tomography

The objective of this study is to establish a novel method for continuously monitoring thrombus progression with various outcome measures and to assess the efficacy of antithrombotic drugs in murine thrombosis model in mice. In the study, thrombus was induced in the femoral vein of mice by FeCl₃ and monitored over time by spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Three‐dimensional images of thrombi with or without heparin as an antithrombotic agent were obtained from OCT angiography. In addition, several parameters of thrombi were analyzed and compared between control and anticoagulant groups. By using OCT, we were able to trace thrombus generation in the same mouse in real time. We found that in our model heparin reduced thrombus size by ~60% and thrombus cross‐sectional area by 50%. OCT results also show that both time to thrombus size (>0.02mm³) and time to occlusion (>30%) were significantly reduced after heparin addition. This study demonstrates that OCT reliably monitors thrombus generation and progression from various aspects including thrombus size. This enables us to measure the kinetic of thrombosis more accurately, and effectively evaluate the efficacy and activities of antithrombotic drugs. This model may represent a useful tool in antithrombotic drug discoveries in preclinical studies.      

Cell-Type-Specific Gene Expression Profiling in Adult Mouse Brain Reveals Normal and Disease-State Signatures

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Young adult cancer incidence trends in Taiwan and the U.S. from 2002 to 2016

BackgroundPrevious studies have not examined young adult cancer incidence trends in Taiwan, or comprehensively compared these trends at two nations with different population genetics, environmental exposures, and health care. Therefore, we compared the incidence rates and trends of the most common young adult cancers diagnosed at 20–39 years of age in Taiwan and the U.S.MethodsIncidence rates from 2002 to 2016 were calculated from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Datasets and the U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. For trend assessment, average annual percent change (AAPC) values were calculated from 15 years of data using Joinpoint Regression Program. We also obtained sex or age of diagnosis stratified estimates.ResultsThe age-standardized overall young adult cancer incidence rate significantly increased from 2002 to 2016 in both Taiwan (AAPC=1.1%, 95% CI: 0.8–1.5%) and the U.S. (AAPC=1.8%, 95% CI: 1.1–2.4%). Cancers with significantly decreasing trends in Taiwan included cancers of the nasopharynx, liver, and tongue, which were not among the most common young adult cancers in the U.S. Cancers with significantly increasing trends in both Taiwan and the U.S. included colorectal, thyroid, and female breast cancers. Lymphoma, ovarian cancer, and lung and bronchus cancer had significantly increasing trends in Taiwan but not in the U.S. Although cervical cancer had significantly decreasing trends in both nations among those 30–39 years of age, its trend was significantly increasing in Taiwan but decreasing in the U.S. among those 20–29 years of age.ConclusionThe types of common young adult cancers as well as their incidence rates and trends differed in Taiwan and the U.S. Future studies should further understand the etiological factors driving these trends.     

Rescue of odontogenesis in Dmp1-deficient mice by targeted re-expression of DMP1 reveals roles for DMP1 in early odontogenesis and dentin apposition in vivo

Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is expressed in both pulp and odontoblast cells and deletion of the Dmp1 gene leads to defects in odontogenesis and mineralization. The goals of this study were to examine how DMP1 controls dentin mineralization and odontogenesis in vivo. Fluorochrome labeling of dentin in Dmp1-null mice showed a diffuse labeling pattern with a 3-fold reduction in dentin appositional rate compared to controls. Deletion of DMP1 was also associated with abnormalities in the dentinal tubule system and delayed formation of the third molar. Unlike the mineralization defect in Vitamin D receptor-null mice, the mineralization defect in Dmp1-null mice was not rescued by a high calcium and phosphate diet, suggesting a different effect of DMP1 on mineralization. Re-expression of Dmp1 in early and late odontoblasts under control of the Col1a1 promoter rescued the defects in mineralization as well as the defects in the dentinal tubules and third molar development. In contrast, re-expression of Dmp1 in mature odontoblasts, using the Dspp promoter, produced only a partial rescue of the mineralization defects. These data suggest that DMP1 is a key regulator of odontoblast differentiation, formation of the dentin tubular system and mineralization and its expression is required in both early and late odontoblasts for normal odontogenesis to proceed.