部分脾动脉栓塞术治疗原发性肝癌合并脾功能亢进的临床疗效观察

目的:探讨部分性脾动脉栓塞术(PSE)治疗原发性肝癌合并脾功能亢进的临床疗效及安全性。方法:选择2008年5月至2013年4月我科收治的160例原发性肝癌合并有脾功亢进患者为研究对象,患者在行肝动脉化疗栓塞术(TACE)的同时进行PSE,PSE栓塞面积在30%~60%之间,观察治疗后3天、7天、1个月、3个月、6个月患者白细胞(WBC)计数和血小板(PLT)计数的动态变化情况。结果:以外周血白细胞计数达到4.0~13×109/L、血小板达计数到50×109/L为治疗有效,160例患者术后3个月时外周血白细胞治疗有效为151例(94.38%),血小板治疗有效为155例(96.88%),术后6个月时白细胞治疗有效136例(85%),血小板治疗有效125例(78.13%)。所有患者术后6个月均未发生严重并发症。结论:PSE联合TACE治疗原发性肝癌合并有脾功亢进患者具有良好的疗效,且安全性较高。     

功率谱熵在痫性发作大鼠脑电检测中的应用研究

目的:研究功率谱熵在痫性发作大鼠脑电检测中的应用。方法:采用青霉素在大鼠海马微注射制备急性痫性发作模型,以深部电极记录大鼠原始脑电信号,将24只SD大鼠随机分成四组,即正常组(A),对照组(B),单电极组(C),多电极组(D)。C、D组大鼠经致痫后观察未发作期、发作前期、发作期和发作后期四期脑电信号的变化,运用谱熵对四期脑电信号进行分析,并与A、B组进行对比。结果:C组和D组脑电功率谱熵显示两组发作期与未发作期、发作前期、发作后期比较有显著差异(P0.05),发作期明显低于其它各期;未发作期和发作前期相比有明显差异(P0.05),发作前期较未发作期降低;将D组大鼠海马致痫灶(a)及其同侧附近(b)、对侧(c)三点发作各期脑电功率谱熵进行对比分析,发作前期和发作期a、b、c三点比较有明显差异(P0.05),a点最低,c点的功率谱熵值最高。结论:功率谱熵可以预报痫性发作并可对癫痫病灶的定位提供一定的帮助。     

Library analysis of SCHEMA-guided protein recombination

The computational algorithm SCHEMA was developed to estimate the disruption caused when amino acid residues that interact in the three-dimensional structure of a protein are inherited from different parents upon recombination. To evaluate how well SCHEMA predicts disruption, we have shuffled the distantly-related beta-lactamases PSE-4 and TEM-1 at 13 sites to create a library of 2(14) (16,384) chimeras and examined which ones retain lactamase function. Sequencing the genes from ampicillin-selected clones revealed that the percentage of functional clones decreased exponentially with increasing calculated disruption (E = the number of residue-residue contacts that are broken upon recombination). We also found that chimeras with low E have a higher probability of maintaining lactamase function than chimeras with the same effective level of mutation but chosen at random from the library. Thus, the simple distance metric used by SCHEMA to identify interactions and compute E allows one to predict which chimera sequences are most likely to retain their function. This approach can be used to evaluate crossover sites for recombination and to create highly mosaic, folded chimeras.     

Effects of Arachis hypogaea nutshell extract on lipid metabolic enzymes and obesity parameters

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) shell extracts (PSE) on lipases and to evaluate its potential development for the treatment of obesity. The peanut shells were extracted in 95% ethanol, and the extracts were screened for inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase (PL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activities as well as on lipolysis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We also examined in vivo whether PSE could prevent the body weight gain induced by feeding a high-fat diet to male Wistar rats for 12 weeks. PSE inhibits a number of lipases, including PL, LPL and, possibly, hormone sensitive lipase (HSL). PSE-treated Wistar rats showed increased fecal lipid excretion respect to the control group. Body weight and body weight gain, and liver size, were significantly lower in rats fed the high-fat diet with 1% of PSE (w:w diet) than in those fed the high-fat diet alone. The rats treated with PSE showed reduced triacylglycerol content in the liver, as well as the serum glucose and insulin. The inhibitory activity of PSE on the lipid metabolic enzymes and the increase in fecal fat excretion suggests that PSE might be useful as a treatment to reduce the dietary fat absorption. The observed reduction in intracellular lipolytic activity of cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes may reduce the levels of circulating free fatty acids. The observed effects are likely induced by more than one bioactive component of PSE. The PSE actions may, at least in part, be attributed to the inhibition of fat absorption in the digestive tract and the reduction of the adipocyte lipolysis.     

Campylobacter fetus subspecies: Comparative genomics and prediction of potential virulence targets

The genus Campylobacter contains pathogens causing a wide range of diseases, targeting both humans and animals. Among them, the Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus and venerealis deserve special attention, as they are the etiological agents of human bacterial gastroenteritis and bovine genital campylobacteriosis, respectively. We compare the whole genomes of both subspecies to get insights into genomic architecture, phylogenetic relationships, genome conservation and core virulence factors. Pan-genomic approach was applied to identify the core- and pan-genome for both C. fetus subspecies and members of the genus. The C. fetus subspecies conserved (76%) proteome were then analyzed for their subcellular localization and protein functions in biological processes. Furthermore, with pathogenomic strategies, unique candidate regions in the genomes and several potential core-virulence factors were identified. The potential candidate factors identified for attenuation and/or subunit vaccine development against C. fetus subspecies contain: nucleoside diphosphate kinase (Ndk), type IV secretion systems (T4SS), outer membrane proteins (OMP), substrate binding proteins CjaA and CjaC, surface array proteins, sap gene, and cytolethal distending toxin (CDT). Significantly, many of those genes were found in genomic regions with signals of horizontal gene transfer and, therefore, predicted as putative pathogenicity islands. We found CRISPR loci and dam genes in an island specific for C. fetus subsp. fetus, and T4SS and sap genes in an island specific for C. fetus subsp. venerealis. The genomic variations and potential core and unique virulence factors characterized in this study would lead to better insight into the species virulence and to more efficient use of the candidates for antibiotic, drug and vaccine development.     

部分脾栓塞术对肝硬化脾功能亢进的介入治疗

目的:探讨和评价部分脾栓塞术(PSE)治疗肝硬化脾功能亢进的临床应用价值。方法:采用Seldinger技术对28例乙肝后肝硬化伴脾功能亢进患者用高压消毒明胶海绵颗粒共进行31次PSE。结果:28例手术中27例获得成功,栓塞范围为30％-60％,25位患者术后1周以内、1-2周及2周以上WBC和PLT均有不同程度的上升(P<0.01),临床有效率为92.6％。手术前后肝功能变化不大。全部病例均未发生严重并发症。结论:部分脾栓塞术对治疗肝硬化脾亢有明显疗效,可替代脾切除术。对肝功能的改善,近期疗效不明显。     

Ancient repeat sequence derived from U6 snRNA in primate genomes

LINE-1 (L1) is the most represented sequence of the human genome (17% of the total genomic mass). Moreover, it has been proposed for many years and demonstrated more recently that L1 has contributed to the mobilization of pseudogenes, small non-coding RNAs, such as tRNAs or snRNAs, and SINEs. In fact, it is estimated that L1 is responsible for at least 30% of our genome. The mobilization of non-L1 RNAs can occur in different ways and at different steps of the retrotransposition cycle. Here, by looking at U6 snRNA sequences mobilized by L1, we have observed an ancient repeat sequence derived from U6, present in all primate genomes. We were able to trace its origin in Euarchota genomes, most likely during the divergence of the four orders; Scandentia, Dermoptera, Plesiadapiform (extinct) and Primates.     

"Muscle to meat" molecular events and technological transformations: the proteomics insight

Cellular death is characterized by a complex pattern of molecular events that depend on cell type. Specifically, muscle cells first undergo rigor mortis due to ATP depletion, and later, on the time scale of days, muscle fiber degradation due to proteolytic enzyme activity. In the present review, we will refer to proteomic investigations on the post-mortem evolution of the protein patterns of animal muscle cells. These studies, carried out with the application of either bottom-up or top-down methods, are relevant for understanding the biochemical reactions that i) convert muscle to meat, ii) are associated with meat aging and iii) impact on meat tenderness, a feature of significant commercial value. We also report on the proteomic investigations that have been made to analyze the transformation of meat in industrial processes. These studies are primarily aimed at identifying protein patterns and/or individual proteins diagnostic of the quality of the final product.