Transgene and mitochondrial DNA are indicators of efficient composting of transgenic pig carcasses

Composting is an environmentally sound method for the disposal of on-farm livestock mortalities that generates material suitable for use as fertilizer; however, this method is not generally permitted for disposal of transgenic livestock mortalities during the research and development phase. This study has explored the application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a method for assessing the persistence of transgene and mitochondrial DNA markers during the composting of euthanized transgenic pig. There was at least a 10(7) fold reduction of genetic material to a level that not either transgene or mitochondrion markers were detectable. At the end of the composting period, only bone fragments that were completely demineralised and chalky were detected. Chemically the compost was similar to that from pig litter and poultry mortalities, except the copper content was lower. Based on these data, composting appears to be an appropriate method for the disposal of transgenic animals.     

Tree species diversity and structure characters in the habitats of black-crested gibbons (Nomascus concolor)

Via the survey of 250 plots, tree species diversity and community structure were discussed in the habitats of black- crested gibbons, Wuliang Mountain, Yunnan, China. The research showed that (1) 111 tree species from 33 families and 23 lianas from 18 families were recorded in all, in which dominant families included Lauraceae, Magnoliaceae, Fagaceae, Theaceae and Ericaceae; (2) two forest vegetation types existed in the study area: the semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved forest and mid-mountain humid evergreen broad-leaved forest; (3) the diversity index declined with the rising of elevation in each forest vegetation; however, the evenness index showed degressive trend only in semi-humid evergreen broad-leaved vegetation; (4) the age structure of six dominant species revealed that the tree layer in the study area would increase stably.     

IL-1β对精氨酸升压素诱导的大鼠心肌成纤维细胞INOS-NO系统活性的影响

目的：探讨白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）对精氨酸升压素（AVP）诱导下大鼠心肌成纤维细胞（CFs）诱导型一氧化氮合酶（iNOS）-一氧化氮（NO）系统活性的影响。方法：胰酶消化法分离培养SD仔鼠CFs,硝酸还原酶法、分光光度法和逆转录-聚合酶链式反应（RT—PCR）分别测定不同浓度IL-1β与AVP协同作用下CFs的NO含量、NOS活性和iNOSmRNA表达。结果：AVP诱导下CFs iNOSmRNA表达、NOS活性和NO合成均显著增加（P〈0.05）。一定浓度范围内IL-1β与AVP协同作用,剂量依赖性地增加AVP对CFs iNOS-NO系统活性的提高作用,其中AVP＋3ng／ml和AVP＋5ng／ml IL-1β组的iNOS mRNA表达、NOS活性和NO合成均显著高于AVP组（P〈0。05）,但IL-1β浓度增加至5ng／ml时,CFs的iNOSmRNA表达、NOS活性和NO合成不再继续升高,反而有所下降。结论：在一定浓度范围内IL-1β可与AVP协同提高CFs iNOS-NO系统活性。     

银杏内酯B对谷氨酸诱导海马神经元损伤的影响

目的：观察银杏内酯B（ginkgolide B,GB）在不同给药模式下对谷氨酸所致海马神经元损伤的影响。方法：采用Co2超临界萃取的方法制备GB,建立新生Wistar大鼠原代培养的海马神经元谷氨酸毒性模型,采用台盼蓝染色、程序性细胞死亡检测技术及乳酸脱氢酶测定的方法,观察预处理与急救两种给药模型下不同剂量GB的神经保护作用,并与MK-801急性给药相比较。结果：GB在两种给药模式下均能不同程度地提高细胞存活率,降低凋亡率,减少LDH漏出量,且在一定范围内保护作用呈剂量依赖的方式。其中预处理的效果明显优于急救给药处理。但均弱于MK-801组。结论：GB对谷氨酸细胞毒性损伤有保护作用,预防性用药效果更佳。GB可能不仅仅通过拮抗血小板活化因子（PAF）受体等下游事件实现其神经保护作用。如果我们重视其预处理给药的显著效果。将其用于高危人群的预防干预可能有更大价值。     

Aquaporin 4 regulates the effects of ovarian hormones on monoamine neurotransmission

Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is the predominant water channels in the brain of mammals. Our previous study has reported that AQP4 knockout induced sex-specific alterations in neurotransmission, indicating that AQP4 might regulate the interaction between sex hormones and neurotransmission. In the present study, we found that AQP4 knockout decreased the concentrations of estrogen and progestogen. Further study showed that exogenous estrogen decreased DA and 5-HT in cortex, reduced DA and 5-HT in striatum, but increased 5-HT in hippocampus in AQP4+/+ male mice. However, in AQP4-/- male mice, exogenous estrogen almost did not alter the levels of neurotransmitters except for decreasing DA in cortex. In female mice, ovariectomy decreased DA in the striatum of AQP4+/+ mice, but did not alter the levels of DA in AQP4-/- mice. These findings reveal for the first time that AQP4 regulates not only water and ion homeostasis but also the functions of ovarian hormone and neurotransmitter.     

Potential biochemical therapy of glioma cancer

Glioma is a highly invasive, rapidly spreading form of brain cancer that is resistant to surgical and medical treatment. The recent progresses made in intracellular and ion channels of glioma cells provide a potential new approach for biochemical therapy of brain tumor. In this paper, we reviewed clinical data on chemotherapy by temozolomide and results from new studies on voltage-gated potassium channels, large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels, volume-activated chloride channels, glioma-specific chloride channel and their modulators. These new findings may represent future directions for brain tumor studies and treatment.     

Downregulation of CCR1 inhibits human hepatocellular carcinoma cell invasion

CC chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1) has an important role in the recruitment of leukocytes to the site of inflammation. The migration and metastasis of tumor cells shares many similarities with leukocyte trafficking, which is mainly regulated by chemokine receptor-ligand interactions. CCR1 is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and tissues with unknown functions. In this study, we silenced CCR1 expression in the human HCC cell line HCCLM3 using artificial microRNA (miRNA)-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) and examined the invasiveness and proliferation of CCR1-silenced HCCLM3 cells and the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. The miRNA-mediated knockdown expression of CCR1 significantly inhibited the invasive ability of HCCLM3 cells, but had only a minor effect on the cellular proliferation rate. Moreover, CCR1 knockdown significantly reduced the secretion of MMP-2. Together, these findings indicate that CCR1 has an important role in HCCLM3 invasion and that CCR1 might be a new target of HCC treatment.     

The stoichiometry of the two photosystems in higher plants revisited

The stoichiometry of Photosystem II (PSII) to Photosystem I (PSI) reaction centres in spinach leaf segments was determined by two methods, each capable of being applied to monitor the presence of both photosystems in a given sample. One method was based on a fast electrochromic (EC) signal, which in the millisecond time scale represents a change in the delocalized electric potential difference across the thylakoid membrane resulting from charge separation in both photosystems. This method was applied to leaf segments, thus avoiding any potential artefacts associated with the isolation of thylakoid membranes. Two variations of this method, suppressing PSII activity by prior photoinactivation (in spinach and poplar leaf segments) or suppressing PSI by photo-oxidation of P700 (the chlorophyll dimer in PSI) with background far-red light (in spinach, poplar and cucumber leaf segments), each gave the separate contribution of each photosystem to the fast EC signal; the PSII/PSI stoichiometry obtained by this method was in the range 1.5-1.9 for the three plant species, and 1.5-1.8 for spinach in particular. A second method, based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), gave values in a comparable range of 1.7-2.1 for spinach. A third method, which consisted of separately determining the content of functional PSII in leaf segments by the oxygen yield per single turnover-flash and that of PSI by photo-oxidation of P700 in thylakoids isolated from the corresponding leaves, gave a PSII/PSI stoichiometry (1.5-1.7) that was consistent with the above values. It is concluded that the ratio of PSII to PSI reaction centres is considerably higher than unity in typical higher plants, in contrast to a surprisingly low PSII/PSI ratio of 0.88, determined by EPR, that was reported for spinach grown in a cabinet under far-red-deficient light in Sweden [Danielsson et al. (2004) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1608: 53-61]. We suggest that the low PSII/PSI ratio in the Swedish spinach, grown in far-red-deficient light with a lower PSII content, is not due to greater accuracy of the EPR method of measurement, as suggested by the authors, but is rather due to the growth conditions.     

Co-existence of high levels of the PTEN protein with enhanced Akt activation in renal cell carcinoma

Recruiting Akt to the membrane-bound phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5) trisphosphate (PIP3) is required for Akt activation. While PI3 kinase (PI3K) produces PIP3, PTEN dephosphorylates the 3-position phosphate from PIP3, thereby directly inhibiting Akt activation. PTEN is the dominant PIP3 phosphatase, as knockdown of PTEN results in increases in Akt activation in mice. The PTEN tumor suppressor gene is frequently mutated in a variety of human cancers, consistent with an inverse correlation between levels of the PTEN protein and Akt activation. We have examined PTEN expression and Akt activation in 35 primary clear cell renal cell carcinomas RCCs (ccRCCs) and 9 papillary RCCs (pRCCs) and their respective non-tumor kidney tissues. The PTEN protein was reduced in 16 ccRCCs (16/35=45.7%) and 8 pRCCs (8/9=88.9%). In these RCCs, 25.0% (4/16) of ccRCCs and 25.0% (2/8) of pRCCs expressed elevated Akt activation. 19 ccRCCc (19/35=54.3%) expressed comparable or higher levels of PTEN. Of these ccRCCs, 31.6% (6/19) showed increases in Akt activation. As PTEN dominantly inhibits Akt activation, the coexistence of high levels of the PTEN protein with enhanced Akt activation suggests the existence of novel mechanisms which attenuate PTEN function in ccRCC. These mechanisms may reduce PTEN function or increase PIP3 production.