The functional expression of extracellular calcium-sensing receptor in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

Background

The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) belongs to family C of the G protein coupled receptors. Whether the CaSR is expressed in the pulmonary artery (PA) is unknown.

Methods

The expression and distribution of CaSR were detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence. PA tension was detected by the pulmonary arterial ring technique, and the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) was detected by a laser-scanning confocal microscope.

Results

The expressions of CaSR mRNA and protein were found in both rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and PAs. Increased levels of [Ca²⁺]_o (extracellular calcium concentration) or Gd³⁺ (an agonist of CaSR) induced an increase of [Ca²⁺]_i and PAs constriction in a concentration-dependent manner_. In addition, the above-mentioned effects of Ca²⁺ and Gd³⁺ were inhibited by {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"U73122","term_id":"4098075","term_text":"U73122"}}U73122 (specific inhibitor of PLC), 2-APB (specific antagonist of IP₃ receptor), and thapsigargin (blocker of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase).

Conclusions

CaSR is expressed in rat PASMCs, and is involved in regulation of PA tension by increasing [Ca²⁺]_i through G-PLC-IP₃ pathway.     

Role of miR-1 and miR-133a in myocardial ischemic postconditioning

Background  

Ischemic postconditioning (IPost) has aroused much attention since 2003 when it was firstly reported. The role of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) in IPost has rarely been reported. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether miRNAs were involved in the protective effect of IPost against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury and the probable mechanisms involved.     

Sepiapterin improves angiogenesis of pulmonary artery endothelial cells with in utero pulmonary hypertension by recoupling endothelial nitric oxide synthase

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is associated with decreased blood vessel density that contributes to increased pulmonary vascular resistance. Previous studies showed that uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) activity and increased NADPH oxidase activity resulted in marked decreases in NO bioavailability and impaired angiogenesis in PPHN. In the present study, we hypothesize that loss of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a critical cofactor for eNOS, induces uncoupled eNOS activity and impairs angiogenesis in PPHN. Pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC) isolated from fetal lambs with PPHN (HTFL-PAEC) or control lambs (NFL-PAEC) were used to investigate the cellular mechanisms impairing angiogenesis in PPHN. Cellular mechanisms were examined with respect to BH4 levels, GTP-cyclohydrolase-1 (GCH-1) expression, eNOS dimer formation, and eNOS-heat shock protein 90 (hsp90) interactions under basal conditions and after sepiapterin (Sep) supplementation. Cellular levels of BH4, GCH-1 expression, and eNOS dimer formation were decreased in HTFL-PAEC compared with NFL-PAEC. Sep supplementation decreased apoptosis and increased in vitro angiogenesis in HTFL-PAEC and ex vivo pulmonary artery sprouting angiogenesis. Sep also increased cellular BH4 content, NO production, eNOS dimer formation, and eNOS-hsp90 association and decreased the superoxide formation in HTFL-PAEC. These data demonstrate that Sep improves NO production and angiogenic potential of HTFL-PAEC by recoupling eNOS activity. Increasing BH4 levels via Sep supplementation may be an important therapy for improving eNOS function and restoring angiogenesis in PPHN.     

EB病毒抗体和DNA联合检测可提高儿童传染性单核细胞增多症的诊断灵敏度

目的评估EB病毒抗体VCA-IgM、VCA-IgG、EA-IgG、EBNA-1-IgG及EBV-DNA载量检测在儿童传染性单核细胞增多症(传单)中的诊断意义。方法用ELISA方法检测70例传单患儿和25例健康儿童血清中EBV四种抗体及PCR荧光定量法检测外周血单个核细胞EBV-DNA载量。结果传单患儿组EBV-DNA的阳性率为87.14%(61/70),对照组阳性率为8.00%(2/25),传单组与对照组EBV-DNA的阳性率比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。EBV抗体检测中,传单组的VCA-IgM阳性率最高,达91.43%(64/70),对照组VCA-IgM全部阴性。传单组EB病毒VCA-IgM和EBV-DNA联合检测的阳性率97.1%。结论 EBV抗体和EBV-DNA载量检测对儿童传单的诊断有极高的价值,尤其是VCA-IgM抗体和EBV-DNA联合检测,可提高儿童传单的临床诊断的敏感性。     

PCR相关技术在植物病毒检疫检测中的应用

PCR和建立在PCR基础上的分子生物学技术以其灵敏、快速、简便等优点广泛应用于植物病毒的检测。阐述反转录聚合酶链式反应、免疫捕捉反转录PCR、PCR-单链构型多态性、实时荧光定量PCR、差异显示PCR和巢式PCR等相关技术的原理及其在植物病毒检测中的应用现状,以期为我国植物病毒的检疫检测提供有益参考。     

大肠杆菌中表达关键基因产异丁醇的研究

目的:改造大肠杆菌的代谢途径,使非生产菌株大肠杆菌具备产异丁醇的能力.方法:将乳脂乳球菌NIZO B1157的2-酮酸脱羧酶基因kdcA克隆到大肠杆菌中,使大肠杆菌产异丁醇;另外,采取两种方法过量表达alsS、ilvC、ilvD基因,增加前体物质酮酸的供应,以提高异丁醇的产量:一是与kdcA串联表达;二是在另一个相容质粒中表达.结果:大肠杆菌工程菌具备产异丁醇的能力,其中相关基因在一个质粒中串联表达的产量比其在两个相容质粒中共表达的产量高30倍,达到3g/L.结论:导入的酮酸合成途径与醇类生产途径结合,能使非生产菌株大肠杆菌生产异丁醇,并且单质粒表达代谢途径相关基因的效果优于双质粒表达.     

群落构建研究的新进展:进化和生态相结合的群落谱系结构研究

群落如何构建足群落生态学中的重要问题.群落谱系结构研究将物种间的亲缘进化关系运用到群落生态学研究中,利用物种的系统发育状况推测历史因素对现有群落的影响,为推断影响群落组成的生态学机制提供了有效方法.群落谱系结构的研究方法是首先建立可代表群落物种库的超级系统进化树,然后计算群落内物种间的谱系距离,最后通过统计方法检测其与随机模型下的谱系距离是否有显著差异来获得谱系结构(如谱系聚集、谱系发散),从而揭示群落构建中的关键生态过程(如生境过滤、竞争作用).群落谱系结构与空间尺度、分类群尺度、时间尺度等不同研究尺度有关.在小的空间尺度下,随着分类群尺度降低、树木年龄级增大,群落谱系结构从聚集逐渐转为发散;而随群落空间尺度的增大,谱系趋向于聚集.谱系结构受到环境因素影响,因此分析集合群落下的谱系可以揭示区域生态过程的影响.另外,群落谱系结构研究还有助于探讨中性理论、密度制约假说等生态学理论,并预测干扰作用下的群落演化趋势.在利用谱系结构深入探讨群落构建成因时,需要基于生态特征和环境变量共同分析,同时考虑小尺度局域过程(群落的微环境或群落内种间相互作用等)和大尺度区域过程(地史过程和物种形成等),并可结合生态控制实验,以确认群落构建的关键因素.在研究方法和手段上,今后需要注重通过选择合适的基因片段建立系统树,然后通过生态特征来加以校正,以更准确地反映物种间的亲缘距离.另外,获得谱系树后还需要寻找更加合理的统计模型和指数,增加统计分析和解决问题的能力.     

Human umbilical cord blood-derived stromal cells prevent graft-versus-host disease in mice following haplo-identical stem cell transplantation

Background aimsHuman umbilical cord blood-derived stromal cells (hUCBDSC) comprise a novel population of CD34⁺ cells that has been isolated in our laboratory. They have been shown previously not only to be non-immunogenic but also to exert immunosuppressive effects on xenogenic T cells in vitro. This study investigated the role of hUCBDSC in immunomodulation in an acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) mouse model after haplo-identical stem cell transplantationMethodsAcute GvHD was induced in recipient (B6 × BALB/c)F₁ mice by irradiation (750 cGy) followed by infusion of bone marrow cells and splenocytes from donor C57BL/6 mice. hUCBDSC were co-transplanted in the experimental group. The survival time, body weight and clinical and histopathologic scores were recorded after transplantation. The expression of surface markers [major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I, MHC II, CD80 and CD86] on CD11c⁺ dendritic cells (DC), and the percentage of CD4⁺ regulatory T cells (Treg), in the spleens of recipient mice were examined by flow cytometryResultsThe survival time was significantly prolonged, and the clinical and histopathologic scores were reduced in mice co-transplanted with hUCBDSC. The expression levels of the surface markers on DC were significantly lower in mice transplanted with hUCBDSC compared with those without. The proportion of CD4⁺ Treg in the spleen was also increased in mice transplanted with hUCBDSCConclusionsThese results from a GvHD mouse model are in agreement with previous in vitro findings, suggesting that hUCBDSC possess immunosuppressive properties and may act via influencing DC and CD4⁺ Treg.