Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus capitis QN1, Which Causes Infective Endocarditis

Staphylococcus capitis is a subtype of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) which could emerge as a significant pathogen causing infective endocarditis, prosthetic valve endocarditis, and late-onset sepsis. We isolated S. capitis strain QN1 from the skin swab sample of a female. Here we prepared a genome sequence for this strain consisting of 30 contigs totaling 2,430,101 bases and a GC content of 32.76%.     

MiR-133a Is Functionally Involved in Doxorubicin-Resistance in Breast Cancer Cells MCF-7 via Its Regulation of the Expression of Uncoupling Protein 2

The development of novel targeted therapies holds promise for conquering chemotherapy resistance, which is one of the major hurdles in current breast cancer treatment. Previous studies indicate that mitochondria uncoupling protein 2 (UCP-2) is involved in the development of chemotherapy resistance in colon cancer and lung cancer cells. In the present study we found that lower level of miR133a is accompanied by increased expression of UCP-2 in Doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cell cline MCF-7/Dox as compared with its parental cell line MCF-7. We postulated that miR133a might play a functional role in the development of Doxorubicin-resistant in breast cancer cells. In this study we showed that: 1) exogenous expression of miR133a in MCF-7/Dox cells can sensitize their reaction to the treatment of Doxorubicin, which is coincided with reduced expression of UCP-2; 2) knockdown of UCP-2 in MCF-7/Dox cells can also sensitize their reaction to the treatment of Doxorubicin; 3) intratumoral delivering of miR133a can restore Doxorubicin treatment response in Doxorubicin-resistant xenografts in vivo, which is concomitant with the decreased expression of UCP-2. These findings provided direct evidences that the miR133a/UCP-2 axis might play an essential role in the development of Doxorubicin-resistance in breast cancer cells, suggesting that the miR133a/UCP-2 signaling cohort could be served as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of chemotherapy resistant in breast cancer.     

Mixed Polyethylene Glycol-Modified Breviscapine-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Improved Brain Bioavailability: Preparation,Characterization, and In Vivo Cerebral Microdialysis Evaluation in Adult Sprague Dawley Rats

Breviscapine is used in the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, but it has a low bioavailability in the brain due to its poor physicochemical properties and the activity of P-glycoprotein efflux pumps located at the blood–brain barrier. In the present study, breviscapine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivatives were formulated and evaluated for their ability to enhance brain bioavailability. The SLNs were either coated with polyethylene glycol (40) (PEG-40) stearate alone (Bre-GBSLN-PS) or a mixture of PEG-40 stearate and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-PEG2000 (DSPE-PEG₂₀₀₀) (Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE) and were characterized both in vitro and in vivo. The mean particle size, polydispersity index, and entrapment efficiency for Bre-GBSLN-PS and Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE were 21.60 ± 0.10 and 22.60 ± 0.70 nm, 0.27 ± 0.01 and 0.26 ± 0.04, and 46.89 ± 0.73% and 47.62 ± 1.86%, respectively. The brain pharmacokinetic parameters revealed that the brain bioavailability of breviscapine from the Bre-GBSLN-PS and Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE was significantly enhanced (p < 0.01) with the area under concentration–time curve (AUC) of 1.59 ± 0.39 and 1.42 ± 0.58 μg h/mL of breviscapine, respectively, in comparison to 0.11 ± 0.02 μg h/mL from the commercial breviscapine injection. The ratios of the brain AUC for scutellarin in comparison with the plasma scutellarin AUC for commercial breviscapine injection, Bre-GBSLN-PS, and Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE were 0.66%, 2.82%, and 4.51%, respectively. These results showed that though both SLN formulations increased brain uptake of breviscapine, Bre-GBSLN-PS-DSPE which was coated with a binary combination of PEG-40 stearate and DSPE-PEG₂₀₀₀ had a better brain bioavailability than Bre-GBSLN-PS. Thus, the coating of SLNs with the appropriate PEG derivative combination could improve brain bioavailability of breviscapine and can be a promising tool for brain drug delivery.KEY WORDS: breviscapine, microdialysis, mixed PEGylation, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), solid lipid nanoparticles     

广东地区三种木本植物抗大气污染能力的比较

研究了工业污染区(佛山市小塘镇五星WX)和相对清洁区(广州华南植物园BG)生长的3种木本植物光叶山矾(Symplocos lancifolia)、银柴(Aporosa chinensis)和窿缘桉(Eucalyptus exserta)叶片对酸碱缓冲能力的差别。工业污染区3种植物的细胞液pH均比相对清洁区的低,光叶山矾与银柴对酸和碱的缓冲能力强于窿缘桉。用外源NaHSO3处理,植物叶片的光合放氧、Fv／Fm、Fv／Fo和ФPsⅡ都有不同程度的下降。其中,窿缘桉下降的幅度最大,说明其抗大气污染的能力不如光叶山矾和银柴,同时也证明了用缓冲能力作为一种评价植物抗污能力的指标具有一定的科学性。     

P—选择素凝集素—EGF功能域的克隆、表达及其单克隆抗体制备

制备特异性抗人P 选择素的凝集素 表皮生长因子 (L EGF)功能域的单克隆抗体。利用特异引物 ,通过RT PCR从外周血血小板中扩增出人P 选择素的L EGF功能域基因 ,将其克隆至pET42b( )载体中 ,测序验证后转染大肠杆菌BL2 1,经诱导表达了C端融合 6×His的蛋白质。融合蛋白质经分离纯化后 ,免疫Balb/c小鼠 ,应用杂交瘤技术 ,通过间接ELISA筛选阳性克隆。获得 3株可稳定分泌抗L EGF功能域单抗的杂交瘤细胞株 (B10、F3和H5 )。其亚型分别为IgG2 、IgG1和IgG3;轻链均为κ型。所获的单抗对LPS刺激活化的人脐静脉内皮细胞均有特异性结合反应 ,并可在体外阻断经凝血酶激活的血小板与中性粒细胞间的粘附。表明所获的单抗可特异性识别结合天然P 选择素 ,具有体外抗活化血小板与中性粒细胞粘附的功能 ,为进一步应用此单抗进行P 选择素结构和功能及抗粘附治疗研究提供了实验基础。     

澜沧县两栖动物多样性及海拔分布格局

海拔梯度综合了温度、降水等气候因子,是影响物种多样性分布格局的重要环境因子,两栖动物多样性及其海拔分布格局一直是生物地理学和生态学研究的重要内容。为了全面掌握云南澜沧县两栖动物多样性现状及海拔分布格局,在调查并掌握澜沧县两栖动物多样性本底数据的基础上,根据地形地貌和生境的不同,在澜沧县99个10km×10km有效网格中按照分层抽样的方法选取45个网格,每个网格设置3-5条样线,于2016-2017年开展野外调查。调查共发现两栖动物1842只,隶属于2目9科30属60种,以树蛙科为主,占两栖动物物种总数的28.3%,其中云南纤树蛙（Gracixalus yunnanensis）为新种,清迈泽陆蛙（Fejervarya qingmaiensis）为中国新纪录种;调查到中国特有种有15种,三有保护动物有25种,受威胁物种有19种,其中极危物种1种,濒危物种4种,易危物种14种;澜沧县两栖动物在海拔600-2400m范围内均有分布,其中,在海拔1800-2000m之间的范围内调查到的两栖动物物种数目和多度均较高,其次是在海拔1600-1800m和1200-1400m范围内;本次调查记录到的两栖动物物种数是历史记录物种数的3倍,属数比历史记录多了1倍,铃蟾科为新记录科;丰富度较高的网格尤其是丰富度在20以上的网格均处于中高海拔,海拔相对较低和较高的网格丰富度相对较低;两栖动物多样性科、属、种的丰富度在海拔梯度上分布格局不太一致,种丰富度的海拔分布格局大体呈双峰型,是由包括平均降水量、平均温度和植被覆盖指数等环境因子的综合作用,各因子与物种丰富度相关性从大到小依次为平均降水量 > 平均海拔=平均温度 > 植被覆盖指数 > 水网密度指数 > 样线距离水域的平均距离 > 植被类型数量。研究摸清了澜沧县两栖动物的多样性状况,分析了两栖动物多样性海拔分布格局,为澜沧县生物多样性保护提供基础数据。