Technique of Porcine Liver Procurement and Orthotopic Transplantation using an Active Porto-Caval Shunt

The success of liver transplantation has resulted in a dramatic organ shortage. Each year, a considerable number of patients on the liver transplantation waiting list die without receiving an organ transplant or are delisted due to disease progression. Even after a successful transplantation, rejection and side effects of immunosuppression remain major concerns for graft survival and patient morbidity. Experimental animal research has been essential to the success of liver transplantation and still plays a pivotal role in the development of clinical transplantation practice. In particular, the porcine orthotopic liver transplantation model (OLTx) is optimal for clinically oriented research for its close resemblance to human size, anatomy, and physiology. Decompression of intestinal congestion during the anhepatic phase of porcine OLTx is important to guarantee reliable animal survival. The use of an active porto-caval-jugular shunt achieves excellent intestinal decompression. The system can be used for short-term as well as long-term survival experiments. The following protocol contains all technical information for a stable and reproducible liver transplantation model in pigs including post-operative animal care.     

Lipid and fatty acid biomarkers as proxies for environmental contamination in caged mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis

Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were transplanted from a reference site (Syracuse harbour) to an impacted site (Augusta Bay) from January to July 2013 to assess the biochemical response of caged mussels to high trace element and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination, using lipid and fatty acid (FA) biomarkers. Sediment and mussels were analysed to assess contaminant bioavailability in the study sites and bioaccumulation in mussel tissue. Trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) and PAHs were significantly higher in mussels from Augusta than in those from Syracuse, mirroring the different environmental contamination. The biological impact quotient (BIQs), which indicates the potential biological impact of mussel-accumulated contaminants, reflected the highest contaminant concentrations found in Augusta and their temporal trend, which increased from the start of the experiment to 3–4 months after transplanting, followed by a decrease, as indication of mussel detoxification processes. Lower condition index (CI) and phospholipids (PL), as well as higher total (TL) and neutral lipids (NL) in mussels from Augusta, indicated the occurrence of a physiological and biochemical stress response to pollutant exposure and accumulation. Differences in FA composition, especially polyunsaturated (PUFA), essential (EFA) and non-methylene interrupted dienoic (NMID) FAs between the study sites revealed the occurrence of stress-induced lipid peroxidation, followed by compensatory/adaptive processes in Augusta mussels. The marked increase in bacterial biomarkers, mainly cyclopropyl (CY) FAs, reflecting the greater bioaccumulation of chemicals in the Augusta mussels, may be the result of bacterial infections or symbiosis with bacteria involved in detoxification processes.     

光刺激移植视网膜诱导大鼠上丘FOS的表达

目的 用光反复刺激移植视网膜,观察脑内上丘c-fos的表达情况,检测移植视网膜能否对光刺激作出反应。方法 设实验组与对照组,用免疫组化方法显示脑内上丘c—fos的表达。结果 实验组移植视网膜与非移植视网膜大鼠在光反复刺激后1小时,脑内上丘出现明显的c-fos免疫反应阳性神经元,停止光刺激后2～3小时阳性神经元数量达到高峰。结论 光刺激移植视网膜能诱导脑内上丘c—fos的表达,提示移植视网膜具有对光刺激作出反应的能力。     

牙鲆淋巴细胞转化和细胞免疫

利用淋巴转化实验测试了抗原和有丝分裂原对牙鲆T淋巴细胞的影响。结果显示在适宜的生长温度范围内,低温延缓或阻止牙鲆细胞免疫应答的发生,导致淋转水平下降。外周血和脾淋巴细胞非特异性淋转水平较前肾高,外周血和脾淋巴细胞的淋转水平没有显著差异。这可能和外周血、脾和前肾中T细胞占淋巴细胞的比例有关。外周血较脾和前肾特异性淋转水平高,而前肾的淋巴细胞转化水平较脾高,注射引起牙鲆应激反应导致淋转水平升高。     

Determining effects of suspended sediment on condition of a suspension feeding bivalve (Atrina zelandica): results of a survey, a laboratory experiment and a field transplant experiment

The horse mussel Atrina zelandica (Gray) is a large, suspension feeding pinnid bivalve, common in coastal and estuarine areas of northern New Zealand. As a suspension feeder, Atrina is likely to be influenced by suspended sediment loads. We conducted a laboratory experiment to determine the effect of short-term elevations in turbidity levels, such as those commonly recorded during storms, on the physiological condition and clearance rates of Atrina. We also conducted a field survey and a 3-month transplant experiment at multiple sites along a gradient of increasing suspended sediment load in a New Zealand estuary. Laboratory clearance rates of Atrina declined above a threshold suspended sediment concentration, and Atrina physiological condition at the end of this experiment was lower in high cf. low turbidity treatments. Decreases in Atrina condition were detected after exposure to elevated levels for only 3 days. The field survey and transplant experiment provided empirical evidence of a strong, negative effect of increasing suspended sediment flux on the physiological condition of Atrina. We suggest that relationships between the physiological condition of suspension feeders and sediment settling flux could provide a link between sediment inputs, which commonly occur as a result of catchment runoff during rainfall events, and the ecological health of estuarine and shallow coastal areas. Our study also demonstrated that Atrina have a natural distribution limit controlled by suspended sediment load. Thus, there is potential for larger-scale functional and structural effects on benthic communities in estuarine and coastal areas with high rates of sedimentation.     

可逆性肺动脉高压的治疗在心脏移植围术期的应用

目的：通过早期判断并治疗心脏移植围术期可逆性肺动脉高压,降低移植手术后右心功能衰竭的发生率。方法：20例接受心脏移植手术的病人,术前放置肺动脉导管,测定肺动脉压、肺循环阻力。对肺动脉高压的病人在肺动脉端泵入硝酸甘油、前列腺素E1以确定可逆性。并在术后早期抗排异治疗的基础上应用增强心肌收缩力、降低肺动脉压力、强化氧疗和呼吸管理等综合措施。结果：20例病人中6例出现急性右心功能衰竭,其中4例经治疗后症状改善、出院,2例死亡。结论：术前早期判断并治疗可逆性肺动脉高压,可以有效预防并减少心脏移植术后右心功能衰竭的发生,提高手术成功率。     

移植视网膜NOS阳性神经元的发育

目的 观察不同年龄组段大鼠正常视网膜及移植视网膜内NOS阳性神经元的发育情况及其定位分布。方法 实验分正常视网膜发育组和移植视网膜发育组,应用还原型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸磷酸（NADPH）组织化学方法显示。结果 1、NOS阳性神经元最早出现于生后第五天（P5）,P18时阳性神经元数目达到最高峰,2、移植视网膜具有正常视网膜的各层结构和相似的生长规律,NOS阳性神经元在生后第4天移植视网膜（TP4）中出现,TP12数量达到高峰值,TP22后降至正常成年鼠水平。结论 根据NOS阳性神经元的定位,分布,推测其为无长突细胞,移位无长突细胞及节细胞。     

Nucleation and facilitation in salt pans in Mediterranean salt marshes

Abstract. Arthrocnemum macrostachyum is a perennial species acting as a primary colonizer of salt pans in Mediterranean high salt marshes. Salicornia ramosissima, an annual, occurs in salt pans under Arthrocnemum canopies and in open areas. The aim of this study was to analyse, in wild populations and a transplant experiment, how S. ramosissima population dynamics and growth are affected by A. macrostachyum. The environmental conditions within the patches of Arthrocnemum were less stressful than in the open areas, with lower radiation levels and salinity concentrations. In the inner areas of A. macrostachyum patches, density‐dependent mortality processes of S. ramosissima seedlings led to low densities of adult individuals with greater morphological development and reproductive success than in open areas. However, at the edges of Arthrocnemum patches facilitation of seedling survival favoured high densities. Environmental stress hindered development, decreased reproduction and premature death. These results are in agreement with the general theory of factors controlling vegetation distribution that biotic interactions dominate in low stress environments, while abiotic interactions dominate under harsher environmental conditions. A. macrostachyum plays an essential role in the succession in these salt pans, facilitating seed production and stimulating nucleation processes in S. ramosissima.     

不同移植部位对成年大鼠睾丸间质细胞雄激素分泌功能的影响

目的:探索不同移植部位对移植的成年SD大鼠睾丸中睾丸间质细胞存活及雄激素分泌功能的影响。方法:将健康成年雄性SD大鼠随机分为对照组、假手术组、皮下组和肾包膜组。对照组大鼠不去势,其余大鼠于睾丸移植前1周行去势手术。对照组和假手术组去势后仅行背部皮肤切开,不进行睾丸移植;皮下组背部两侧各移植1/3个成年SD大鼠睾丸组织;肾包膜组每侧肾包膜下移植1/3个成年SD大鼠睾丸组织。4周后取材行HE和免疫组化染色,分析移植睾丸组织中睾丸间质细胞存活情况,ELISA法检测受体大鼠血清睾酮水平。结果:皮下组和肾包膜组移植物中难于见到完整的睾丸间质组织,但免疫组化染色发现大量HSD-17β1阳性细胞,对照组、皮下组和肾包膜组的HSD-17β1阳性细胞数分别为(24.33±4.30)、(9.83±4.05)和(12.67±2.81)个,对照组与皮下组相比差异具有统计学意义(p0.05);ELISA分析发现对照组、假手术组、皮下组和肾包膜组的血清睾酮浓度分别为(3.81±1.32)、(0.28±0.08)、(0.44±0.13)和(0.90±0.31)ng/m L,肾包膜组血清睾酮浓度高于假手术组(p0.01)和皮下组(p0.05),而皮下组血清睾酮水平高于假手术组,但两者差异无统计学意义(p0.05)。结论:移植的成年大鼠睾丸组织中的睾丸间质细胞可在受体肾包膜下或皮下存活,但肾包膜下移植可能更加有利于睾丸间质细胞存活和雄激素分泌。