Th17 cell induction and immune regulatory effects

The T help 1 (Th1) and Th2 cell classification have provided the framework for understanding CD4⁺ T cell biology and the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity for almost two decades. Recent studies have defined a previously unknown arm of the CD4⁺ T cell effector response, the Th17 lineage, which promises to change our understanding of immune regulation, immune pathogenesis and host defense. The factors that specify differentiation of IL‐17 producing effector T cells from naïve T cell precursors are being rapidly discovered and are providing insights into mechanisms by which signals from cells of the innate immune system guide alternative pathways of Th1, Th2, or Th17 development. In this review, we will focus on recent studies that have identified new subsets of Th cells, new insights regarding the induced generation and differentiation mechanisms of Th17 cells and immune regulatory effects. J. Cell. Physiol. 211: 273–278, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

NPR1多肽抗体的制备和应用

根据NCBI GenBank中报道的NPR1一级结构信息,采用Blastn、Blastx、ExPASy和Protean等软件进行序列同源性和抗原性指数分析,获得三段序列特异性较高的多肽,并从中优选一段序列特异性多肽,采用9-氟甲氧羰基固相合成法获得序列特异性最好的多肽,采用HPLC和LC-MS测定合成多肽的浓度和分子量,试验表明目的多肽纯度达88%、目的多肽分子量为1.92234 kD。采用碳化二亚胺法将多肽与KLH进行偶联获得免疫原Pep-KLH,并将其免疫新西兰大白兔以获得抗血清和多克隆抗体,采用ELISA和Western blotting测定其效价和特异性,经ELISA检测表明抗血清和多克隆抗体可与Pep发生特异性免疫反应,经Western blotting试验表明抗血清和多克隆抗体可识别烟草叶片特异性条带,其相对分子量为65 kD,与预测分子量相符,表明利用该方法制备的NPR1多肽抗体具有较高特异性和灵敏度。     

柱前衍生化HPLC法测定黄芪中黄芪甲苷的含量

目的：建立黄芪中黄芪甲苷的柱前衍化高效液相色谱测定法,并用该法对不同产地黄芪中黄芪甲苷的含量进行比较,方法：以吡啶－苯甲酰氯（２．５：１）为衍生化试剂,对黄芪甲苷分子中的羟基进行苯甲酰化,以甲醇－四氢呋喃－水（９０：４：６,０．２％三乙胺）为流动相,ＶＤ３为内标物,在２３０ｎｍ波长处检测。结果黄芪甲苷在０．００４－０．０８０ｍｇ．ｍＬ＾－１范围内呈线性,相关系数为０．９９９９,平均回收率为９４．７     

Self-Supported Catalytic Electrode of CoW/Co-Foam Achieves Efficient Ammonia Synthesis at Ampere-Level Current Density

Conversion of air and water into valuable chemicals of ammonia (NH₃) by plasma activation and electrochemical reduction is a promising approach to achieve zero carbon-emission synthesis of NH₃. However, designing highly efficient electrochemical catalysts is one of the key challenges in accomplishing this strategy. Herein, a self-supported cobalt–tungsten alloy supported on cobalt foam (CoW/CF) is developed via a simple and efficient method at room temperature. Surprisingly, the catalyst exhibits ultra-high NH₃ partial current density (1559 mA cm⁻²), superior NH₃ yield rate (164.3 mg h⁻¹ cm⁻²), and high Faradaic efficiency (98.1%) under the condition of 0.2 M nitrate/nitrite, outperforming most of the reported values of electrosynthesis of NH₃ to the knowledge. The introduction of W makes the Co atom surface electron deficient, which can enhance the adsorption of NO_x⁻ and mitigate the excessive bonding of hydroxyl radicals (OH^*) generated during nitrite (NO₂^*) hydrogenation, thereby reducing the energy barrier of the potential-determining step. More interestingly, a scale-up reaction system is established, achieving an NH₃ yield rate of 4.771 g h⁻¹ and successfully converting the NH₃ in solution into solid NH₄Cl. The aforementioned progress significantly enhances the facilitation of NH₃ electrosynthesis industrialization.     

Outgrowth promoting factor for the inner cell mass of the mouse blastocyst

When cultured individually, isolated inner cell masses (ICMs) of the mouse blastocyst form an outer layer of endoderm and remain in suspension as spherical structures for several days. Conditioned media from certain teratocarcinoma- and blastocyst-derived cell lines contain one or more outgrowth promoting factors (OPF) which facilitate attachment and outgrowth of ICMs, in some cases prior to endoderm formation. OPF adheres to culture dishes and presumably promotes ICM cell outgrowth by alteration of the substratum. Analyses indicate that the active material is a nondialyzable protein which is stable to freezing and thawing, a wide range of pH, and extended incubation at 37°C. However, inactivation takes place at 60°C for 20 min. Although these properties of OPF are in some ways similar to those of various proteins which have been implicated in cell adhesion and spreading, differences between OPF and most of these other proteins are evident. The detection of OPF activity in conditioned medium from primary cultures of embryonic and some extraembryonic cell types suggests that the factor is biologically significant, perhaps, for example, in the spreading of parietal endoderm cells along the surface of the trophoblast layer.     

Environmental footprints of British Columbia wood pellets from a simplified life cycle analysis

Purpose  

Environmental footprints of wood pellets produced in British Columbia (BC) of Canada are to be estimated based on industry surveys and published emission factor data.     

Isoliquiritigenin ameliorates caerulein‐induced chronic pancreatitis by inhibiting the activation of PSCs and pancreatic infiltration of macrophages

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is characterized by persistent inflammation of the pancreas that results in progressive loss of the endocrine and exocrine compartment owing to atrophy and/or replacement with fibrotic tissue. Currently, the clinical therapeutic scheme of CP is mainly symptomatic treatment including pancreatic enzyme replacement, glycaemic control and nutritional support therapy, lacking of specific therapeutic drugs for prevention and suppression of inflammation and fibrosis aggravating in CP. Here, we investigated the effect of isoliquiritigenin (ILG), a chalcone‐type dietary compound derived from licorice, on pancreatic fibrosis and inflammation in a model of caerulein‐induced murine CP, and the results indicated that ILG notably alleviated pancreatic fibrosis and infiltration of macrophages. Further in vitro studies in human pancreatic stellate cells (hPSCs) showed that ILG exerted significant inhibition on the proliferation and activation of hPSCs, which may be due to negative regulation of the ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 activities. Moreover, ILG significantly restrained the M1 polarization of macrophages (RAW 264.7) via attenuation of the NF‐κB signalling pathway, whereas the M2 polarization was hardly affected. These findings indicated that ILG might be a potential anti‐inflammatory and anti‐fibrotic therapeutic agent for CP.