Effects of aphidicolin on retrovirus DNA synthesis in vivo

Renaturation of $\text{Aequorea}$ green-fluorescent protein (A-GFP) was achieved for the first time following denaturation in guanidine-HCl or acid. Denaturation was accompanied by the concerted loss of visible fluorescence, alteration of absorption characteristics, and large negative deflection of CD signal in the far UV. Dialysis of a guanidine-denatured sample at pH 8 resulted in 64% renaturation (return to native absorption) and neutralization of an acid-denatured sample restored 90% of the native absorption. Renatured GFP is highly fluorescent and indistinguishable from native GFP with respect to the shape of excitation and emission spectra. Both native and denatured proteins exhibit resistance to trypsin hydrolysis and have identically broad pH and heat stability profiles, all of which suggest full renaturation.     

The complex translocation (9;14;14) involving IGH and CEBPE genes suggests a new subgroup in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Many subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are associated with specific chromosomal rearrangements. The complex translocation t(9;14;14), a variant of the translocation (14;14)(q11;q32), is a rare but recurrent chromosomal abnormality involving the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IGH) and CCAAT enhancer-binding protein (CEBPE) genes in B-lineage ALL (B-ALL) and may represent a new B-ALL subgroup. We report here the case of a 5-year-old girl with B-ALL, positive for CD19, CD38 and HLA-DR. A direct technique and G-banding were used for chromosomal analysis and fluorescentin situ hybridization (FISH) with BAC probes was used to investigate a possible rearrangement of the IGH andCEBPE genes. The karyotype exhibit the chromosomal aberration 46,XX,del(9)(p21),t(14;14)(q11;q32). FISH with dual-color break-apartIGH-specific and CEPBE-specific bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes showed a complex t(9;14;14) associated with a deletion of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) and paired box gene 5 (PAX5) at 9p21-13 and duplication of the fusion gene IGH-CEBPE.     

Thymidine kinase isoenzymes in human acute monocytic leukemia

Summary Two thymidine kinase isoenzymes, TK 3 and TK 4, from mononuclear leucocytes from a patient with acute monocytic leukemia, were purified and characterized in regard to the molecular weights and kinetic properties.The molecular weights of TK 3 and TK 4 were 60 000 and 45 000, respectively. In the presence of 2 mM ATP, the molecular weight of TK 3 increased to 200 000, whereas the molecular weight of TK 4 was unchanged.Studies of the kinetic properties showed clear differences between TK 3 and TK 4. With thymidine as substrate, TK 3 showed biphasic kinetics with a K_m of 22 µM, and TK 4 showed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a K_m of 0.33 µM With ATP as substrate, TK 3 showed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a K_m of 100 µM, and TK 4 showed biphasic kinetics with a Km of 3.5 µM. With dTTP as inhibitor, TK 3 showed cooperative inhibition kinetics, and TK 4 showed non-cooperative competitive inhibition kinetics. The dTTP concentration at 50% inhibition was 75 µM for TK 3 but 380 µM for TK 4.Comparison of the molecular weights and the kinetic properties of TK 3 and TK 4 with the corresponding data previously obtained for TK 1 and TK 2 from normal human lymphocytes indicate the existence of four thymidine kinase isoenzymes in human leucocytes.     

Repetitive DNA in and around translocation breakpoints of the Philadelphia chromosome

This paper describes systematic sequence studies of repetitive DNA in and around translocation breakpoints on chromosomes 9 and 22, which are involved in the formation of the Philadelphia chromosome in acute leukemias. In addition to Alu repeats described in previous studies, the breakpoint regions appear to contain many other repetitive elements, including a member of a new repetitive family (MER34) reported in this paper. Identification of these repeats broadens current studies on the possible involvement of repetitive DNA in this intensely studied chromosomal translocation.     

Differentiation-associated changes in membrane proteins of mouse myeloid leukemia cells

The mouse myeloid leukemia cell line (M1) is known to differentiate in vitro into macrophages and granulocytes upon treatment with various inducer including mouse ascitic fluid. Changes of cell surface proteins during differentiation of M1 cells were analyzed by the lactoperoxidase-catalyzed radioiodination method and SDS-polycrylamide slab gel electrphoresis. Treatment of the cells with ascitic fluid changed the electrophoretic pattern of the iodinated proteins, the prominent change being the appearance of a new protein with a molecular weight of 180 000 (P180). Iodinated P180 was also detected in normal macrophages in granulocytes, which are similar to differentiated M1 cells. This protein was metabolically labeled with l-[¹⁴C]fucose, increasing with the period of the treatment. P180 was not expressed on ascitic fluid-treatment of a resistant clone of M1 cells that could not be induced to differentiate. These results indicate that P180 is a glycoprotein that is exposed on the outer surface of differentiated M1 cells, and that its expression is associated with differentiation of the cells.P180 was solubilized from ¹²⁵I-labeled macrophages with detergents bound to concanavalin A-Sepharose. This suggests that P180 is one of the receptors for concanavalin A. Therefore, P180 may contribute partly to the increases in agglutinability by concanavalin A and in the number of concanavalin A binding sites on the surface of M1 cells, which are known to be associated with differentiation of M1 cells.     

Inhibitory Effect of Fulvic Acid Extracted from Canadian Sphagnum Peat on Chemical Mediator Release by RBL-2H3 and KU812 Cells

Fulvic acid (FA) was extracted and purified from Canadian Sphagnum peat (CP-FA) and characterized by using an element analysis meter, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, and ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C-NMR) spectroscopy. To investigate the antiallergic effect of CP-FA, we incubated rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells with 0.001–10.0 μg/ml of CP-FA and determined the β-hexosaminidase release inhibition at different response stages. The intracellular calcium [Ca²⁺] _i level was also determined by using Fluo 3-AM, a calcium-specific fluorescent probe, and the cytotoxicity of CP-FA was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results revealed that RBL-2H3 cells incubated for 48 h with 0.001–10.0 μg/ml of CP-FA did not show any decreased viability. CP-FA inhibited the β-hexosaminidase release by IgE-sensitized, antigen-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells at the antigen-antibody binding stage and the antibody-receptor binding stage. CP-FA also inhibited histamine release from A23187 plus PMA- or compound 48/80-stimulated KU812 cells. Furthermore, there was a decrease in the intracellular [Ca²⁺] _i level in IgE-sensitized cells incubated with CP-FA and stimulated with antigen. Our results show that CP-FA may be useful for the treatment or prevention of allergic diseases.     

ATPR triggers acute myeloid leukaemia cells differentiation and cycle arrest via the RARα/LDHB/ERK‐glycolysis signalling axis

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) remains a therapeutic challenge and improvements in chemotherapy are needed. 4‐Amino‐2‐trifluoromethyl‐phenyl retinate (ATPR), a novel all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) derivative designed and synthesized by our team, has been proven to show superior anticancer effect compared with ATRA on various cancers. However, its potential effect on AML remains largely unknown. Lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB) is the key glycolytic enzyme that catalyses the interconversion between pyruvate and lactate. Currently, little is known about the role of LDHB in AML. In this study, we found that ATPR showed antileukaemic effects with RARα dependent in AML cells. LDHB was aberrantly overexpressed in human AML peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and AML cell lines. A lentiviral vector expressing LDHB‐targeting shRNA was constructed to generate a stable AML cells with low expression of LDHB. The effect of LDHB knockdown on differentiation and cycle arrest of AML cells was assessed in vitro and vivo, including involvement of Raf/MEK/ERK signalling. Finally, these data suggested that ATPR showed antileukaemic effects by RARα/LDHB/ ERK‐glycolysis signalling axis. Further studies should focus on the underlying leukaemia‐promoting mechanisms and investigate LDHB as a therapeutic target.     

加味星蒌承气汤对急性缺血性脑卒中患者神经功能及血脂、血液流变学的影响

目的:探讨加味星蒌承气汤对急性缺血性脑卒中患者神经功能及血脂、血液流变学的影响。方法:选取2017年8月～2019年6月期间我院收治的急性缺血性脑卒中患者96例,将入选患者根据随机数字表法分为对照组(n=48)和研究组(n=48),对照组患者予以常规西医治疗,研究组患者在对照组基础上联合加味星蒌承气汤治疗,对比两组患者疗效、神经功能及血脂、血液流变学情况,记录两组患者治疗期间不良反应情况。结果:研究组治疗8 d后的临床总有效率为91.67%(44/48),显著高于对照组患者的72.92%(35/48)(P0.05)。两组治疗8 d后加拿大神经功能评分量表(CNS)、美国国立卫生研究所卒中量表(NIHSS)评分均下降(P0.05),且研究组低于对照组(P0.05)。两组治疗8 d后总胆固醇(TC)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)、甘油三酯(TG)、全血黏度高切、全血黏度低切、血浆黏度、纤维蛋白原均下降(P0.05),且研究组低于对照组(P0.05);高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)升高(P0.05),且研究组高于对照组(P0.05)。两组不良反应发生率比较无明显差异(P0.05)。结论:急性缺血性脑卒中患者采用加味星蒌承气汤治疗,疗效显著,可有效改善患者神经功能及血脂、血液流变学,且安全性较好。