CFTR Delivery to 25% of Surface Epithelial Cells Restores Normal Rates of Mucus Transport to Human Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelium

Dysfunction of CFTR in cystic fibrosis (CF) airway epithelium perturbs the normal regulation of ion transport, leading to a reduced volume of airway surface liquid (ASL), mucus dehydration, decreased mucus transport, and mucus plugging of the airways. CFTR is normally expressed in ciliated epithelial cells of the surface and submucosal gland ductal epithelium and submucosal gland acinar cells. Critical questions for the development of gene transfer strategies for CF airway disease are what airway regions require CFTR function and how many epithelial cells require CFTR expression to restore normal ASL volume regulation and mucus transport to CF airway epithelium? An in vitro model of human CF ciliated surface airway epithelium (CF HAE) was used to test whether a human parainfluenza virus (PIV) vector engineered to express CFTR (PIVCFTR) could deliver sufficient CFTR to CF HAE to restore mucus transport, thus correcting the CF phenotype. PIVCFTR delivered CFTR to >60% of airway surface epithelial cells and expressed CFTR protein in CF HAE approximately 100-fold over endogenous levels in non-CF HAE. This efficiency of CFTR delivery fully corrected the basic bioelectric defects of Cl⁻ and Na⁺ epithelial ion transport and restored ASL volume regulation and mucus transport to levels approaching those of non-CF HAE. To determine the numbers of CF HAE surface epithelial cells required to express CFTR for restoration of mucus transport to normal levels, different amounts of PIVCFTR were used to express CFTR in 3%–65% of the surface epithelial cells of CF HAE and correlated to increasing ASL volumes and mucus transport rates. These data demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that restoration of normal mucus transport rates in CF HAE was achieved after CFTR delivery to 25% of surface epithelial cells. In vivo experimentation in appropriate models will be required to determine what level of mucus transport will afford clinical benefit to CF patients, but we predict that a future goal for corrective gene transfer to the CF human airways in vivo would attempt to target at least 25% of surface epithelial cells to achieve mucus transport rates comparable to those in non-CF airways.     

脂肪酶产生菌的筛选及鉴定研究

为寻找合适的产脂肪酶野生菌,以期能高效的催化合成生物柴油。通过添加橄榄油作为惟一碳源进行富集培养,然后以透明圈平板筛选法从油污土壤样品中成功地筛选到了一株酶活力值为10.12U/ml产脂肪酶菌株。通过对该菌株表型、生理生化特征分析及16S rRNA部分序列的系统进化发育分析鉴定该菌为芽胞杆菌属,定名为BacilluspumilusB2。     

Isolation and Characterization of 2'-amino-modified RNA Aptamers for Human TNFα

Human tumor necrosis factor a (hTNFa), a pleiotropic cytokine with activities ranging from host defense mechanisms in infection and injury to severe toxicity in septic shock or other related diseases, is a promising target for drug screening. Using the SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) process, we isolated oligonucleotide ligands (aptamers) with high affinities for hTNFa. Aptamers were selected from a starting pool of 40 randomized sequences composed of about 1015 RNA molecules. Representative aptamers were truncated to the minimal length with high affinity for hTNFa and were further modified by replacement of 2'-OH with 2'-F and 2'-NH2 at all ribopurine positions. These modified RNA aptamers were resistant to nuclease. The specificity of these aptamers for hTNFa was confirmed, and their activity to inhibit the cytotoxicity of hTNFa on mouse L929 cells was determined. Results demonstrated that four 2'-NH2-modified aptamers bound to hTNFa with high affinity and blocked the     

Superior neovascularization and muscle regeneration in ischemic skeletal muscles following VEGF gene transfer by rAAV1 pseudotyped vectors

Recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (rAAV2) vector has been widely employed for gene therapy. Recent progress suggests that the new serotypes of AAV showed a better performance than did AAV2 in normal tissues. Here, we evaluate the potential role of human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene transfer using rAAV vector pseudotyped with serotype 1 capsid proteins (rAAV1) in the treatment of muscle ischemia. In ischemic skeletal muscles, the rAAV1-LacZ vector allowed higher level, broader distribution, and long-lasting gene expression compared with the rAAV2-LacZ vector. Muscle VEGF165 production following the rAAV1-VEGF165 vector injection was 5-10 times higher than that following the rAAV2-VEGF165 vector injection. VEGF165 production mediated by the rAAV1-VEGF165 vector stimulated a large set of neovascularization with relatively mature vascular structures and enhanced muscle regeneration in the ischemic skeletal muscles. Thus, the rAAV1-VEGF165 vector mediated gene transfer may be a therapeutic approach to peripheral vascular diseases.     

外科深部真菌感染的病原学分析

目的分析外科住院患者合并真菌感染状况。方法分离的真菌用API 20C AUX真菌鉴定条,用ATB FUNGUS-2进行药敏试验。结果真菌的种类分布中第1位是白色念珠菌占53%,第2位是热带念珠菌占20%,第3位是光滑念珠菌占14%,第4位是近平滑念珠菌占4%,第5位是其余念珠菌占2%;真菌在外科各区分布中,外科ICU占42%,移植外科占25%;真菌在各类标本分布中,痰占43%,尿液占13%,粪便占10%,引流液占9%,血液占7%;真菌对药物5-氟胞嘧啶、两性霉素B、氟康唑、伊曲康唑的药物敏感性分别是93%、98.9%、90.8%、59.8%。结论外科真菌感染集中在重症病区(ICU),分离的致病真菌主要是白色念珠菌、热带念珠菌、光滑念珠菌,真菌对两性霉素B敏感性最高。     

一株生物表面活性剂产生菌的分离及其特性研究

模炼油厂污泥中分离得到1株生物表面活性剂产生菌C-3, 根据其生理生化特性和16S rDNA序列相似性分析, 将其鉴定为铜绿假单胞菌(Pseudomonas aeruginosa)。初步研究了其产生物表面活性剂的最适条件, 在以植物油为碳源、30°C、初始pH 8、Ca2+浓度20 mg/L、250 mL三角瓶中装75 mL发酵液的条件下, 最利于菌株的生长和生物表面活性剂产生。它的成分为糖脂类物质, 临界胶束浓度(CMC)为50 mg/L, 具有很好的增溶效果。     

洋葱伯克霍尔德氏菌HMW DNA的制备及酶切研究

高质量粘粒基因组文库构建的关键是HMW DNA的长度至少为粘粒载体容量的10倍,通常粘粒载体的容量为30～50 kb,因此提取的HMW DNA应不小于500 kb.HMW DNA在制备时不能受到任何物理的剪切力,以免DNA断裂和损伤.利用琼脂糖凝胶包埋制备的DNA胶块经裂解和纯化后发现其DNA长度远大于500 kb,明显优于商品化试剂盒提取和酚抽提法.用BamHⅠ、Sau3AⅠ、XbaⅠ和HindⅢ对DNA胶块进行不完全酶切研究表明,构建文库常用的Sau3AⅠ并不适合胶块内酶切反应,而BamHⅠ酶切B.cepacia HMW-DNA效果较好,产生的DNA片段集中在20～50 kb之间,完全适合粘粒基因组文库的构建,为B.cepacia大插入片段基因组文库的构建以及功能基因组的研究奠定了良好的理论基础.     

二代玉米螟为害玉米产量损失研究

【目的】研究二代亚洲玉米螟Ostrinia furnacalis(Guenee)为害对玉米产量的影响。【方法】以"先玉335"为供试玉米品种,通过人工接虫模拟二代玉米螟不同发生量为害玉米对产量损失的影响。【结果】随着接卵量增加,虫孔数和蛀孔隧道长度增加,玉米单穗粒重降低。单株虫孔数每增加1个,玉米产量损失率增加4.52%;隧道长度每增加10 cm,产量损失率增加8.34%。接卵量与玉米产量损失率的关系符合方程z=-10.0297+4.034 ln(x)。【结论】根据害虫经济阈值的定义,推算出二代玉米螟的防治指标为百株累积卵量12.8块,对二代玉米螟的防治决策具有重要指导作用。     

Tamoxifen Injection induce transient myocardiac dysfunction in mice

Tamoxifen inducible cre-loxp system has been employed as a very powerful tool for cardiology research in mice. It enables researchers to control their interested gene expression in tight control in terms of tissue specification and time specification. Here, we reported that in the absence of loxp transgenes,tamoxifen injection can lead to myocardiac dysfunction 3 days after drug administration but cardiac function start recover from 2 days later.     

Targeting NADPH Oxidase and Phospholipases A2 in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is marked by an increase in the production of extracellular beta amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles associated with a decline in brain function. Increases in oxidative stress are regarded as an early sign of AD pathophysiology, although the source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the mechanism(s) whereby beta amyloid peptides (Aβ) impact oxidative stress have not been adequately investigated. Recent studies provide strong evidence for the involvement of NADPH oxidase and its downstream oxidative signaling pathways in the toxic effects elicited by Aβ. ROS produced by NADPH oxidase activate multiple signaling pathways leading to neuronal excitotoxicity and glial cell-mediated inflammation. This review describes recent studies demonstrating the neurotoxic effects of Aβ in conjunction with ROS produced by NADPH oxidase and the downstream pathways leading to activation of cytosolic phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) and secretory PLA₂. In addition, this review also describes recent studies using botanical antioxidants to protect against oxidative damage associated with AD. Investigating the metabolic and signaling pathways involving Aβ NADPH oxidase and PLA₂ can help understand the mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative effects of oxidative stress in AD. This information should provide new therapeutic approaches for prevention of this debilitating disease.