量子点应用于人骨肉瘤HOS细胞系研究的生物毒性评价

目的:将合成的两种量子点应用于研究人骨肉瘤HOS细胞系,初步检测其生物毒性,以确定本研究所制备量子点可否应用于骨肉瘤的基础研究。方法:将生长良好的HOS细胞与制备的两种量子点分别共培养,使用MTT试剂盒检测不同时间点细胞活性,实验进行三次,取其平均值,分析所得数据,并绘制出量子点浓度-细胞活性曲线,分析得出两者之间的量效关系。结果:1.4μM的CdTe/ZnS QDs和0.275μM的Cd Te/Cd S QDs分别是本实验中对HOS细胞的最高毒性浓度。较短时间(30 min)的暴露分别导致了48.6±0.9%和31.9±0.8%的细胞死亡,3 h后分别有33.7±2.3%和49.4±1.1%的细胞存活。而在孵育了18 h之后,只有28.0±1.6%和15.3±1.6%的细胞存活。我们可以观察到均为典型的时间/浓度曲线。结论:选用适宜浓度以及共培养时间,本实验制备的量子点完全可以满足纳米量子点粒子使用于HOS细胞研究的基本生物学条件,可以进行人骨肉瘤HOS细胞测温等的一些列实验操作。由于量子点自身优越的光学性能以及可接受的生物安全性,在肿瘤研究领域具有很大的潜力,将会成为肿瘤示踪、检测、以及靶向治疗新的有力工具。     

Contrasting effects of stanniocalcin-related polypeptides on macrophage foam cell formation and vascular smooth muscle cell migration

Stanniocalcin (STC) is a calcium- and phosphate-regulating hormone secreted by the corpuscles of Stannius, an endocrine gland of bony fish. Its human homologues, STC1 and STC2 showing 34% amino acid identity each other, are expressed in a variety of human tissues. To clarify their roles in atherosclerosis, we investigated the effects of their full-length proteins, STC1(18–247) and STC2(25–302), and STC2-derived fragment peptides, STC2(80–100) and STC2(85–99), on inflammatory responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), human macrophage foam cell formation, the migration and proliferation of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and the extracellular matrix expression. All these polypeptides suppressed lipopolysaccharide-induced expressions of interleukin-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in HUVECs. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced foam cell formation was significantly decreased by STC1(18–247) and increased by STC2(80–100) and STC2(85–99), but not STC2(25–302), in human macrophages. Expression of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT1) was significantly suppressed by STC1(18–247) but stimulated by STC2(80–100) and STC2(85–99). Expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 was significantly stimulated by STC1(18–247). Neither STC1(18–247) nor STC2-derived peptides significantly affected CD36 expression in human macrophages or HASMC proliferation. STC2(80–100) and STC2(85–99) significantly increased HASMC migration, whereas STC1(18–247) significantly suppressed the angiotensin II-induced HASMC migration. Expressions of collagen-1, fibronectin, matrix metalloproteinase-2, and elastin were mostly unchanged with the exception of fibronectin up-regulation by STC2(80–100). Our results demonstrated the contrasting effects of STC1 and STC2-derived peptides on human macrophage foam cell formation associated with ACAT1 expression and on HASMC migration. Thus, STC-related polypeptides could serve as a novel therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.     

Binding of B‐cell maturation antigen to B‐cell activating factor induces survival of multiple myeloma cells by activating Akt and JNK signaling pathways

B‐cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is expressed on normal and malignant plasma cells and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we characterized the mechanism underlying the protein kinase B (Akt) and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) pathways and BCMA interactions in regulating multiple myeloma (MM) cell survival. It was found that the expression levels of B cell‐activating factor (BAFF) and BCMA were increased in MM cells as compared with those in normal controls. The proliferation of U266 cells was induced by recombinant human BAFF (rhBAFF) and could also be decreased by BCMA siRNA. The expression of Bcl‐2 protein was up‐regulated, and Bax protein was down‐regulated after rhBAFF treatment, which could be reversed by BCMA siRNA. Similarly, the protein p‐JNK and p‐Akt were activated by rhBAFF and could be changed by BCMA siRNA. In addition, the BCMA mRNA and protein expression levels were decreased after treatment with Akt and JNK pathway inhibitors. These results suggest that Akt and JNK pathways are involved in the regulation of BCMA. A novel BAFF/BCMA signalling pathway in MM may be a new therapeutic target for MM. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stress-Induced Changes in the Activity of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in Structures of the Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal-Adrenocortical System of Adrenalectomized Rats

We studied the effects of stress induced by different influences (immobilization and compulsory swimming) on the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, an enzyme of the proteolytic conversion of angiotensin II) in structures of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenocortical system (HHAS) of unilaterally adrenalectomized (hemiadrenalectomized, HAE) rats. The pattern of stress-induced changes in the activity of ACE depended on the type of stress; rigid daily immobilization of rats for 1 h resulted in more significant shifts. Post-immobilization stress changes in the activity of ACE in the HHAS structures of HAE rats (with a lower basal activity of the endogenous angiotensin system in their hypothalamus) differed from the stress-induced reaction of the enzyme in intact rats. In HAE rats, we also observed inhibition of the activity of a glucocorticoid link of the stress system, as compared with that in intact animals. An inhibitor of ACE, captopril, and a stable analog of leucine-enkephalin, dalargin, when injected before stressing, were capable of decreasing the stress-induced ACE reaction in the hypothalamus and adenohypophysis and of limiting manifestations of the reaction of the adrenals to immobilization. This is interpreted as a proof of the involvement of the components of the angiotensin and enkephalin systems in the formation of the HHAS system to stressing of HAE rats.     

C-C bond formation and cleavage in radical enzymes, a theoretical perspective

Quantum chemical methods are today a viable tool in the study of enzyme catalysis. The development of new density functional techniques and the enormous advancement in computer power have made it possible to accurately describe active sites of enzymes. This review gives a brief account of the methods and models used in this field. Three specific enzymes are discussed: pyruvate-formate lyase (PFL), spore photoproduct lyase (SPL), and benzylsuccinate synthase (BSS). What these enzymes have in common is that they use radical chemistry to catalyze C-C bond formation or cleavage reactions.     

β-d-Glucosidase stabilization in a polarized ultrafiltration membrane reactor

Cellobiose hydrolysis by β-d-glucosidase (β-d-glucoside glucohydrolase EC 3.2.1.21) can become the rate-limiting step in the hydrolysis of cellulosic wastes because of inhibition phenomena involving other enzymes of the cellulase complex. Enhancement of the overall rate can therefore be obtained by increasing the amount of β-d-glucosidase present in the reactor. Unfortunately, the thermal stability of β-d-glucosidase is rather poor compared to $\text{endo}\text{-(1 → 4)-β-}\text{d}\text{-}\text{glucanase}$ and cellobiohydrolase. A novel stabilization method is proposed that exploits the polarization phenomena that take place in an unstirred ultrafiltration membrane enzymatic reactor. As much as a 20-fold increase in half-life compared to the native enzyme is obtained by injecting small amounts of hydroxyethyl cellulose into the system. No reduction in enzyme activity levels is observed.     

CA9 transcriptional expression determines prognosis and tumour grade in tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients

CA9 is a member of the carbonic anhydrases’ family, that is often expressed in cancer cells under hypoxic condition. However, the role of CA9 in the molecular mechanisms of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) pathogenesis remains unclear. CA9 expression was analysed using the TCGA database, and its influence on survival was performed using Kaplan-Meier, LASSO and COX regression analyses. The correlation between CA9 and immune infiltration was investigated by CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE. Moreover, the relationship between CA9 expression and downstream molecular regulation pathways was analysed by GSEA, GO and WGCNA. CA9 expression correlated with clinical prognosis and tumour grade in TSCC. Moreover, CA9 expression potentially contributes to the regulation of cancer cell differentiation and mediates tumour-associated genes and signalling pathways, including apoptosis, hypoxia, G2M checkpoint, PI3K/AKR/mTOR signalling and TGF-beta signalling pathways. However, the follicular helper T cells, regulatory T cells, immune and stromal scores showed no significance between high and low CA9 expression groups. These findings suggested that CA9 plays a critical role of TSCC prognosis and tumour grade. CA9 expression significantly correlated with the regulation of cell differentiation, various oncogenes and cancer-associated pathways.