Expression profile of circular RNA in rat intimal hyperplasia and target gene prediction

Intimal hyperplasia is an important cause of stenosis or occlusion after vascular injury. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are known to be related to various cardiovascular diseases. However, the expression profile of circRNAs in the neointima has not been reported in detail. In this study, we established a rat common carotid artery (CCA) injury model. A microarray detection showed significant differences in circRNA expression between the normal and injured CCA. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction verified the differences. We used bioinformatics to predict the microRNAs that possibly interact with the differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs and linked the potential functions of circRNAs to the target genes of the microRNAs. We believe that the DE circRNA in neointima may affect the differentiation, proliferation, and migration of vascular cells through a variety of target genes. The intervention or utilization of certain circRNAs should be a new method for preventing and treating intimal hyperplasia.     

Vascular tissue engineering: Fabrication and characterization of acetylsalicylic acid-loaded electrospun scaffolds coated with amniotic membrane lysate

As the incidence of small-diameter vascular graft (SDVG) occlusion is considerably high, a great amount of research is focused on constructing a more biocompatible graft. The absence of a biocompatible surface in the lumen of the engineered grafts that can support confluent lining with endothelial cells (ECs) can cause thrombosis and graft failure. Blood clot formation is mainly because of the lack of an integrated endothelium. The most effective approach to combat this problem would be using natural extracellular matrix constituents as a mimic of endothelial basement membrane along with applying anticoagulant agents to provide local antithrombotic effects. In this study, we fabricated aligned and random electrospun poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) scaffolds containing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as the anticoagulation agent and surface coated them with amniotic membrane (AM) lysate. Vascular scaffolds were structurally and mechanically characterized and assessed for cyto- and hemocompatibility and their ability to support endothelial differentiation was examined. All the scaffolds showed appropriate tensile strength as expected for vascular grafts. Lack of cytotoxicity, cellular attachment, growth, and infiltration were proved using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and scanning electron microscopy. The blood compatibilities of different scaffolds examined by in vitro hemolysis and blood coagulation assays elucidated the excellent hemocompatibility of our novel AM-coated ASA-loaded nanofibers. Drug-loaded scaffolds showed a sustained release profile of ASA in 7 days. AM-coated electrospun PLLA fibers showed enhanced cytocompatibility for human umbilical vein ECs, making a confluent endothelial-like lining. In addition, AM lysate-coated ASA-PLLA-aligned scaffold proved to support endothelial differentiation of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Our results together indicated that AM lysate-coated ASA releasing scaffolds have promising potentials for development of a biocompatible SDVG.     

VEGF gene polymorphism interactions with dietary trace elements intake in determining the risk of metabolic syndrome

There is a complex association among genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors in determining the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the association between the dietary intake of iron, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and iodine (assessed by 24 recall) with vascular endothelial growth factor variants (rs6921438, rs4416670, rs6993770, and rs10738760), on the risk of MetS. Two-hundred and forty-eight individuals with MetS and 100 individuals without MetS were recruited. The dietary intake and the daily average of energy and nutrient intake were obtained by a questionnaire and quantified using Diet Plan 6 software. DNA was extracted from EDTA anticoagulated whole blood. The SNPs were assessed using using a Sequenom iPLEX Gold assay. Data analysis was undertaken using the Student t test, χ2 test and logistic regression using SPSS 11.5 software. There was a significant association between low dietary iron intake and rs6993770 (β = .10, P < .05), and a low dietary zinc and a high manganese intake with rs6921438 in relation to the presence of MetS (β = −.17, P < .05, β = −.30, P < .05, respectively). Our data showed the association of rs6993770 with iron intake and rs6921438 with zinc and manganese intake, indicating further investigation in a larger population to evaluate their values.     

蛋白激酶C对血管内皮细胞锚蛋白、CD44表达及亚细胞分布的影响

通过外源性底物对[γ-32P]-ATP的摄入量来测定豆蔻酰佛波醇乙酯(phorbol-myristate-acetate,PMA)处理后的人脐静脉内皮细胞(humanumbilicalveinendothelialcells,HUVECs)膜蛋白激酶C(proteinkinaseC,PKC)的活性;利用间接免疫荧光标记和Western印迹方法分析蛋白激酶C活性对锚蛋白及CD44的亚细胞分布及蛋白质表达的影响。结果发现HUVECs的锚蛋白及CD44表达水平趋势与PKC活性变化相吻合;PKC活化导致CD44在细胞膜上呈聚集状,而锚蛋白则移位并聚集于CD44处;PKC抑制剂能抑制PKC活化所带来的上述作用。结果表明PKC活化通过磷酸化作用能上调锚蛋白及CD44表达,并同时导致二者发生一致性运动及共分布。     

Für welche Pflanzenarten hat die Schweiz eine internationale Verantwortung?

Eggenberg S. and Landolt E. 2006. For which plant species does Switzerland have an international responsibility? Bot. Helv. 116: 119 – 133. Priorities in plant species conservation are often based on national Red Lists. In an international context, however, the Red List status (threat) of a species within a limited territory may be misleading because the local disappearance of a species may or may not have serious implications for its global persistence. A second important aspect to consider in species conservation is therefore the responsibility of a country for the species, i.e. the importance of the conservation of local populations for the persistence of the species worldwide. In this contribution, we assess the responsibility of Switzerland for its vascular flora using three biogeographical criteria: (1) the Swiss portion of the species range (high responsibility for species with a large fraction of the range in Switzerland), (2) the degree of endemism (high responsibility for species with a small total range) and (3) the degree of isolation (high responsibility for isolated outposts, which may contain a large part of a species’ genetic variation). The three criteria were derived for each species from global and European distribution maps, and were then combined to an overall index of responsibility. On this basis, 397 taxa for which Switzerland has an intermediate to high international responsibility were identified. These are almost 15% of the whole vascular flora of Switzerland. Of the 397 taxa, 75% are endemic species of the Alps, and 48% are threatened taxa within Switzerland. The Responsibility List can be used together with the Red List to set priorities in plant conservation or to identify areas of particular floristic value. Manuskript angenommen am 11. September 2006     

Understory Vegetation Dynamics of North American Boreal Forests

Understory vegetation is the most diverse and least understood component of North American boreal forests. Understory communities are important as they act as drivers of overstory succession and nutrient cycling. The objective of this review was to examine how understory vegetation abundance, composition, and diversity change with stand development after a major stand replacing disturbance. Understory vegetation abundance and diversity increase rapidly after fire, in response to abundant resources and an influx of disturbance adapted species. The highest diversity occurs within the first 40 years following fire, and declines indefinitely thereafter as a result of decreasing productivity and increased dominance of a small number of late successional feather mosses and woody plant species. Vascular plant and bryophyte/lichen communities undergo very different successional changes. Vascular plant communities are dynamic and change more dramatically with time after fire, whereas bryophyte and lichen communities are much slower to establish and change over time. Considerable variations in these processes exist depending on canopy composition, site condition, regional climate, and frequently occurring non-stand-replacing disturbances. Forest management practices represent a unique disturbance process and can result in different understory vegetation communities from those observed for natural processes, with potential implications for overstory succession and long-term productivity. Because of the importance of understory vegetation on nutrient cycling and overstory composition, post-harvest treatments emulating stand-replacing fire are required to maintain understory diversity, composition, and promote stand productivity in boreal forests.     

葡萄糖浓度波动对原代培养的大鼠血管细胞和肾细胞的影响

探讨葡萄糖浓度波动对体外培养的原代大鼠血管细胞和肾细胞的影响。取SD大鼠的主动脉和肾脏进行血管细胞和肾细胞的体外原代培养,每种细胞均分为6组:正常对照组、持续高糖组、持续低糖组、波动组I、波动组II、波动组III。实验24h后,测定细胞乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)的泄漏率,细胞液中的β-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖苷酶(NAG)的活力,细胞内还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)的活力。结果表明葡萄糖浓度波动各组均能对大鼠血管细胞和肾细胞造成损伤,使细胞外液LDH、NAG的泄漏量明显增加,细胞内GSH、SOD活力明显减少,与持续高糖组和持续低糖组比较差异显著(P<0.001)。且葡萄糖浓度波动对肾细胞的损伤比血管细胞更为明显。说明葡萄糖浓度波动能够导致大鼠血管细胞和肾细胞的损伤,并且其损伤远远大于持续高糖或持续低糖的单独作用效果,损伤的结果与低糖作用细胞的时间呈正相关,在相同的损伤条件下肾细胞比血管细胞对葡萄糖浓度波动更为敏感,损伤更为严重。     

Src介导骨桥蛋白诱导的血管平滑肌细胞黏附和迁移过程

为阐明酪氨酸激酶Src在整合素被骨桥蛋白(OPN)激活所触发的细胞黏附和迁移信号途径中所起的作用,应用Src特异性抑制剂PP2阻断Src,观察OPN诱导的血管平滑肌细胞(VSMC)黏附和迁移活性的改变,并利用免疫沉淀检查PP2对整合素下游信号分子黏着斑激酶(FAK)和整合素偶联激酶(ILK)磷酸化及其相互作用的影响。结果显示,PP2可明显抑制OPN诱导的VSMC黏附和伤口愈合(黏附和迁移活性分别为对照组的76.6%和33.8%);OPN可显著诱导FAK磷酸化(磷酸化水平达对照组的1.9倍),促进ILK去磷酸化,并使FAK与ILK的结合减少(降至对照组的46.4%)。10μmol/LPP2可明显抑制OPN诱导的FAK磷酸化、拮抗OPN诱导对ILK的去磷酸化作用、促进FAK与ILK之间的结合。研究结果表明,Src作为OPN-整合素-FAK信号途径中的信号分子,通过影响FAK和ILK的磷酸化以及两者之间的相互作用来调节VSMC的黏附和迁移活性。     

黑龙江省齐齐哈尔医学院第三附属医院神经内科

脑卒中后运动功能恢复的机制尚未完全阐明。研究表明中风后功能的恢复与大脑可塑性有关,本文旨在阐述近年对一侧脑缺血后双侧大脑半球的活动的研究成果。     

血清胱抑素C、血肌酐及血尿素氮对窒息新生儿肾功能损害的临床意义

目的:探讨体外反搏联合言语训练治疗脑性瘫痪并语言发育迟缓儿童的临床疗效。方法:选择2015年12月至2017年12月在上海市儿童医院康复科普通门诊确诊的脑瘫并语言发育迟缓患儿52例,按照随机数字表法将其随机分为治疗组和对照组,每组26例。对照组仅给予言语训练治疗,治疗组给予体外反搏联合言语训练治,以4周1个疗程,两组均治疗3个疗程。治疗前后,采用中国康复研究中心汉语版儿童语言发育评定法s-s法、Gesell发育评分法评价和比较患儿言语发育商和认知发育商的变化。结果:治疗后,两组言语发育商和认知发育商均显著高于治疗前,且治疗组言语发育商和认知发育商均显著高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.01)。结论:体外反搏联合言语训练较单纯言语训练可更有效改善脑瘫并语言发育迟缓患儿的言语发育和认知发育。