Measurement of 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol in hair can be used in the diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome

7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) and cholesterol (CHOL) are biomarkers of Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), a congenital autosomal recessive disorder characterized by elevated 7-DHC level in patients. Hair samples have been shown to have great diagnostic and research value, which has long been neglected in the SLOS field. In this study, we sought to investigate the feasibility of using hair for SLOS diagnosis. In the presence of antioxidants (2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol and triphenylphosphine), hair samples were completely pulverized and extracted by micro-pulverized extraction in alkaline solution or in n-hexane. After microwave-assisted derivatization with N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide, the analytes were measured by GC-MS. We found that the limits of determination for 7-DHC and CHOL were 10 ng/mg and 8 ng/mg, respectively. In addition, good linearity was obtained in the range of 50–4000 ng/mg and 30–6000 ng/mg for 7-DHC and CHOL, respectively, which fully meets the requirement for SLOS diagnosis and related research. Finally, by applying the proposed method to real hair samples collected from 14 healthy infants and two suspected SLOS patients, we confirmed the feasibility of hair analysis as a diagnostic tool for SLOS. In conclusion, we present an optimized and validated analytical method for the simultaneous determination of two SLOS biomarkers using human hair.     

The protective effects of MSC‐EXO against pulmonary hypertension through regulating Wnt5a/BMP signalling pathway

The aim of the study was to explore the mechanism of mesenchymal stem cell‐derived exosomes (MSC‐EXO) to protect against experimentally induced pulmonary hypertension (PH). Monocrotaline (MCT)‐induced rat model of PH was successfully established by a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg MCT, 3 weeks later the animals were treated with MSC‐EXO via tail vein injection. Post‐operation, our results showed that MSC‐EXO could significantly reduce right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and the right ventricular hypertrophy index, attenuate pulmonary vascular remodelling and lung fibrosis in vivo. In vitro experiment, the hypoxia models of pulmonary artery endothelial cell (PAEC) and pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell (PASMC) were used. We found that the expression levels of Wnt5a, Wnt11, BMPR2, BMP4 and BMP9 were increased, but β‐catenin, cyclin D1 and TGF‐β1 were decreased in MSC‐EXO group as compared with MCT or hypoxia group in vivo or vitro. However, these increased could be blocked when cells were transfected with Wnt5a siRNA in vitro. Taken together, these results suggested that the mechanism of MSC‐EXO to prevent PH vascular remodelling may be via regulation of Wnt5a/BMP signalling pathway.     

Pre‐copulation intervals,copulation frequencies,and initial progeny sex ratios in two biotypes of whitefly,Bemisia tabaci

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) is a species complex, and its systematic classification requires controlled crossing experiments among its genetic groups. Accurate information on pre‐copulation intervals, copulation frequencies, and initial frequency of egg fertilization of newly emerged adults is critical for designing procedures for collecting the virgin adults necessary for these experiments. In the literature, considerable variation is reported between B. tabaci populations, with respect to the length of the pre‐copulation interval and the initial frequency of egg fertilization. Here, we used a video‐recording method to observe continuously the copulation behaviour of the Mediterranean/Asia Minor/Africa (B biotype) and the Asia II (ZHJ1 biotype) groups of B. tabaci. We also recorded the initial frequency of egg fertilization, as determined by the sex of the progeny. When adults were caged in female–male pairs on leaves of cotton plants, the earliest copulation events occurred 2–6 h after emergence; at 12 h after emergence 56–84% of the females had copulated at least once, and nearly all (92–100%) had copulated at least once by 36 h after emergence. Both females and males copulated repeatedly. Approximately 80 and 20% of copulation events occurred during the photophase and scotophase, respectively. By 72 h post‐emergence, the females of the B and ZHJ1 biotypes had copulated on average 6.1 and 3.9 times, respectively. When adults were caged in groups on plants 1–13 h after emergence, 30–35% of the eggs deposited during this period were fertilized, and approximately 90% of females were fertilized by the end of the 13 h. Although timing of copulation differed in detail between the two genetic groups, the results demonstrate that B. tabaci adults can start to copulate as early as 2–6 h post‐emergence and the majority of females can become fertilized on the day that they emerge.     

Ca~(++)促进大麦根K~+吸收的过程分析

吸收溶液中CaCl_2促进了大麦根K~+净吸收,Ca~(++)本身对H~+分泌无影响,Cl~-减少了H~+净分泌量。 含有~(86)Rb的大麦根在1m mol/L KCl溶液中发生~(86)Rb外流,在H_2O、1m mol/L NaCl或0.5 m mol/L CaCl_2中没有明显外流。VO_4~(3-)、NaN_3和4℃低温均可以减少根段在1m mol/L KCl溶液中的~(86)Rb外流量。Ca~(++)抑制K~+(~(86)Rb~+)的外流,EDTA加剧外流,Ca~(++)可以逆转EDTA的效应。 Ca~(++)抑制K~+(~(86)Rb)外流和促进K~+净吸收的趋势相吻合。K~+吸收的通量分析结果表明,Ca~(++)抑制K~+通过质膜的外流,促进K~+由细胞质向液泡中转运,而不影响K~+通过质膜的内流速率。     

流行性乙型脑炎病毒血清抗体半微量空斑抑制法的改进

本文报道一种检测流行性乙型脑炎(简称乙脑)中和抗体的简化空斑抑制试验方法,用BHK21传代细胞在24孔塑料板上进行试验,在细胞未形成单层时,将病毒直接接种在刚消化的细胞悬液内,孵育后加甲基纤维素复盖物,再培养,细胞层经染色后即可计算空斑数。 用该法检查47名儿童乙脑疫苗免疫前后的中和抗体,与常规的鸡胚细胞全量法或BHK21传代细胞微量中和试验法作了比较,结果表明本法与其它常规法的敏感性一致,且具有简便快速、节省人力和原材料、空斑形成率高的优点,便于大量血清学检测。     

表面活性剂和Ca~(++)对大麦根质膜透性的作用

阳离子型表面活性剂(CTMA)以低于CMC的浓度、非离子型表面活性剂(Triton-X-100)以高于CMC的浓度引起大麦离体根K~+及可溶性糖的外流,并有浓度效应。5℃时表面活性剂引起溶质外流,CTMA预处理10 min后,Ca~(++)无抑制作用。Ca~(++)与 Triton-X-100同时处理大麦根促进溶质外流。Mg~(++)、Mn~(++)对CTMA及Triton-X-100引起溶质外流的效应与Ca~(++)的相类似,但不如Ca~(++)有效。     

ALTERNATIVE HOSTS OF TRICHOGRAMMA DENDROLIMI MATSUMURA IN DIFFERENT HABITATS (HYMENOPTERA: TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE)

Abstract  This paper deals with alternative hosts of an egg parasitoid. Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura in three habitats: mixed forest, pure stand and sparse wood. The experiment was conducted in Liuyan County which is located in the eastern part of Hunan Province. The results suggested that there are 103 species of alternative Lepidopteran hosts for T. dendrolimi . There were two critical periods throughout the year when there were no eggs of Dendrolimus punctatus Walker and few eggs of alternative hosts available for ovipsition by the parasitoids.     

铜对大鳞泥鳅幼鱼的毒性

本文用流水和换水式试验,在水硬度为115mg/L(以CaCO_3计)条件下研究了铜对大鳞泥鳅幼鱼生长和存活的影响。试验从刚孵出的幼鱼开始,流水式试验持续30d,换水式试验历时16d。结果表明,在流水条件下铜对泥鳅幼鱼存活有明显影响的可观察效应浓度最低是41.2μg/L,而无可观察效应浓度则为25.2μg/L。根据对现存量的影响,用换水式试验测得铜的最低可观察效应浓度为38μg/L,无可观察效应浓度是19μg/L。