血吸虫感染通过抑制前炎症免疫应答缓解实验性脑疟的发生

脑疟所引起的严重神经系统的并发症是引起5岁以下儿童死亡的主要原因。疟疾宿主体内免疫应答紊乱是引起脑疟发生的重要机制。目前在疟疾流行区,疟疾患者常常伴有蠕虫感染,但感染虫株类型,严重程度以及感染途径不同均会影响感染结局。为探讨前炎症免疫应答在混合感染中的作用地位,采用日本血吸虫和ECM模型来探讨相关免疫机制。通过建立混合感染模型,监测原虫血症水平和宿主生存期;FACS检测脾脏中DC亚群、巨噬细胞、Treg以及相关功能分子CD86、TLR4、TLR9的表达水平;ELISA和Griess法检测脾细胞培养上清中IL-10、TNF-α、IFN-γ和NO的分泌水平。日本血吸虫感染增加ECM小鼠体重,降低原虫血症,延长小鼠生存期。混合感染抑制ECM模型小鼠脾脏DC亚群和巨噬细胞的数量,TLR9的表达水平也显著降低。ELISA和Griess检测结果显示混合感染显著降低ECM前炎症细胞因子TNF-α、IFN-γ和NO的表达水平,同时增加Treg的数量和IL-10的表达水平。结果表明,日本血吸虫感染会通过抑制前炎症免疫应答来缓解ECM的发生,从而延长宿主生存期。     

TLR4激活剂对约氏疟原虫感染早期免疫应答的影响

通过外源性给予LPS,探讨TLR4在疟疾感染早期免疫应答的作用特点及其免疫调节作用。通过Plasmodium yoelii 17XL感染的BALB/c小鼠建立鼠疟模型并在感染前给予LPS,于感染第0、3和5天制备脾细胞悬液,通过流式细胞术检测脾细胞悬液中TLR4+DCs和Tregs百分含量;ELISA方法检测脾细胞培养上清中IFN-γ和IL-10水平。结果显示,LPS处理能够显著延长宿主生存期,降低原虫血症水平,同时显著提升脾上清中的IFN-γ水平,降低抑炎性细胞因子IL-10水平。在感染早期,LPS处理可诱导Th1型免疫应答的有效建立,明显遏制P.y 17XL红内期疟原虫的感染进程。     

Tim-1分子在约氏疟原虫感染模型中的表达分析

Tim-1分子表达在T细胞和调节性B细胞表面,具有促进Th2应答的作用。为探讨Tim-1分子在抗疟疾免疫应答中的作用,利用致死型约氏疟原虫(Plasmodium yoelii)感染鼠疟模型研究了Tim-1分子表达与小鼠感染结局和免疫应答模式的关系。结果显示,BALB/c小鼠对P.yoelii易感,在感染后6～7 d全部死亡,感染后第3、5天脾内细胞因子IFN-γmRNA水平明显低于对P.yoelii抵抗的DBA2小鼠,而脾IL-10 mRNA水平显著高于DBA2小鼠。BALB/c小鼠脾内Tim-1+T、B细胞百分比在感染后第3、5天显著升高,而DBA2小鼠感染前后脾内Tim-1+T、B细胞百分比没有显著变化。结果提示,Tim-1分子参与抗P.yoelii免疫应答的调节,可能与易感鼠产生高水平Th2型细胞因子有关。     

癫痫与细胞因子

细胞因子是由多种细胞,特别是免疫细胞所产生的,具有广泛生物学活性的小分子蛋白质。它们通过与靶细胞表面的特异性受体的结合而发挥作用。研究表明,癫痫患者细胞因子水平与健康人相比发生明显变化。癫痫发作早期,脑内的细胞因子迅速增加,表明了脑内启动了免疫应答,处于炎性状态,有利于机体恢复正常的生理状态;但是,结肠炎、肺炎、类风湿关节炎等炎性环境下却更易诱发癫痫的发生。因此,炎性细胞因子、生长因子在癫痫中可能具有双重作用。本文通过综述癫痫中细胞因子水平的变化,进一步揭示细胞因子在癫痫发病中的作用。     

链球菌突破血脑屏障的作用机制研究进展

血脑屏障(blood-brain barrier,BBB)是中枢神经系统(central nervous system,CNS)的天然结构和功能屏障之一,可有效阻止病原菌的入侵。然而病原菌能通过其自身毒力因子与脑内皮细胞相互作用,诱导宿主免疫应答反应,分泌大量细胞因子、趋化因子等,破坏紧密连接蛋白,最终突破血脑屏障,引起细菌性脑膜炎,产生不可逆的神经系统损伤。链球菌(Streptococcus)作为引起细菌性脑膜炎的重要病原菌,关于其突破血脑屏障分子机制研究已有显著进展。本文针对主要的链球菌,包括肺炎链球菌(Streptococcus pneumoniae)、猪链球菌(Streptococcus suis)、B型链球菌(group B Streptococcus,GBS)、马链球菌等突破血脑屏障的作用机制研究进展进行综述。     

流行性感冒相关细胞因子的研究进展

流行性感冒(简称流感)是由流感病毒引起的一种急性上呼吸道传染病,其中甲型流感由于抗原变异率高而受到广泛关注。流感病毒感染机体后,细胞因子一方面参与机体抗流感免疫应答,发挥免疫调节作用,即在天然免疫阶段,白细胞介素、肿瘤坏死因子α等炎性细胞因子参与调节机体免疫应答强度、介导炎症反应的发生并启动适应性免疫应答,最终清除流感病毒;另一方面,炎性细胞因子的过度表达会引发细胞因子表达失调,对机体造成严重的病理损伤。     

抗炎性细胞因子与抑郁症

细胞因子假说是关于抑郁症发病机理的重要假说,为探讨抑郁症的发病机理和临床治疗方法提供了新方向.细胞因子分为前炎性细胞因子和抗炎性细胞因子.前炎性细胞因子与抑郁症的发病密切相关,而抗炎性细胞因子可能具有抗抑郁的作用.本文着重综述抗炎性细胞因子与抑郁症的关系.抗炎性细胞因子如白介素10、白介素1受体拮抗剂、白介素4、白介素13、转化生长因子β和脂联素等,在抑郁症中表达下降;补充外源抗炎性细胞因子则具有一定的抗抑郁作用.抗炎性细胞因子可通过拮抗前炎性细胞因子的作用,并与MAPK信号通路、神经递质和糖皮质激素相互作用而参与到抑郁症中.抗抑郁药能使抗炎性细胞因子的表达上升,这可能是药物起效的机制之一.抗炎策略在抑郁症的治疗中有重要应用前景.     

口服维生素D对实验性脑疟小鼠树突状细胞的影响

维生素D（VD）为固醇类衍生物,除发挥抗佝偻病作用,还具有一定的免疫调节功能。主要研究VD对实验性脑疟小鼠树突状细胞的影响。结果显示,与对照组相比,在伯氏疟原虫（P.bANKA）感染前给予VD,可降低C57BL/6小鼠发生脑型疟疾的风险,存活时间明显延长。VD预处理后,脾脏中髓样树突状细胞（CD11c⁺CD11b⁺）和浆样树突状细胞（CD11c⁺B220⁺）百分率明显降低,CD11c⁺MHCII⁺细胞、CD11c⁺TLR4⁺细胞和CD11c⁺TLR9⁺细胞的百分含量也显著减少。由此提示,预防性口服VD可抑制感染小鼠树突状细胞的数量和功能,对脑型疟疾的发生具有一定预防作用,为新型抗疟药物的研发提供参考。     

表面表达猪流行性腹泻病毒核蛋白蛋白的重组干酪乳杆菌诱导产生的免疫应答

为探讨表达猪流行性腹泻病毒(PEDV)核蛋白(N)基因的重组干酪乳杆菌口服免疫小鼠后诱导特异性免疫应答,本研究制备表达流行性腹泻病毒核蛋白的重组干酪乳杆菌,应用Western blotting、间接免疫荧光和全细胞ELISA鉴定目的蛋白的表达。然后用该重组干酪乳杆菌口服免疫BALB/c小鼠,分别测定了免疫后不同时间血清中特异性IgG、粪便中特异性的sIgA水平以及血清的中和活性;并测定免疫小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖情况和细胞因子水平。结果显示,目的蛋白表达在细胞表面,可被阳性血清所识别。免疫小鼠后,可分别在血清中和粪便中检测到较高水平特异性IgG、sIgA(P<0.01),但血清并没有中和活性;淋巴细胞增殖试验和细胞因子测定结果显示,免疫组可产生明显的细胞免疫应答。结果表明,该重组干酪乳杆菌表达系统可诱导小鼠产生黏膜免疫应答和系统免疫应答,具有作为口服疫苗潜在的应用价值。     

Recent advances in the study of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus replication and pathogenesis

It has now been over twenty years since a novel herpesviral genome was identified in Kaposi's sarcoma biopsies. Since then, the cumulative research effort by molecular biologists, virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists alike has led to the extensive characterization of this tumor virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV; also known as human herpesvirus 8(HHV-8)), and its associated diseases. Here we review the current knowledge of KSHV biology and pathogenesis, with a particular emphasis on new and exciting advances in the field of epigenetics. We also discuss the development and practicality of various cell culture and animal model systems to study KSHV replication and pathogenesis.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.     

肝癌中HBV和HCV基因和抗原的分布及意义

采用原位分子杂交方法检测HCV RNA及HBV X基因;采用免疫组织化学方法研究HCV核心抗原,非结构区C33c抗原及HBxAg在肝细胞肝癌中的定位及分布.结果表明(1)HCV RNA、HBV X基因在肝细胞肝癌组织检出率分别为40%(55/136)和82%(112/136).HCV RNA定位于癌细胞的胞浆内,阳性细胞呈散在、灶状及弥漫分布三种形式;HBV X基因在肝癌细胞中的分布呈胞浆型、核型及核浆型,阳性细胞也呈上述三种分布形式;(2)HCV C33c抗原、核心抗原在肝细胞肝癌中的阳性率为81%(133/164)及86%(141/164).C33c抗原定位于癌细胞及肝细胞的胞浆内;核心抗原既定位于癌细胞核中,又可定位于胞浆中.C33c抗原阳性细胞以灶状分布为主;而核心抗原阳性细     

Selection with two alleles and complete dominance

For a plant selection model with frequency-independent viabilities, fertilities and selfing rates, it is shown that apart from global fixation, for certain parameter combinations a protected polymorphism and facultative fixation (either allele may become fixed according to initial frequencies) may both occur. Facultative fixation requires different selling rates for the dominant and recessive type. Protection of the polymorphism requires resource allocation for male and female function. In this connection the problem of purely genetically caused population extinction is discussed.
For general frequency dependence and regular segregation, the chances for establishment of a completely recessive gene are compared to those of a completely dominant gene. It is proven that the process of establishment of the recessive gene, despite a fitness advantage, may be considerably endangered by drift effects if random mating prevails. The recessive gene may reach the same effectivity in establishment as a dominant gene, only if the recessive homozygote mates exclusively with its own type during the period of establishment.