卵泡抑素相关蛋白的病理生理功能

卵泡抑素相关蛋白(follistatin related protein,FRP)是一种细胞外基质糖蛋白,该蛋白参与细胞增殖、迁移、组织重塑、胚胎发育、细胞间相互作用及多种病理生理过程.近年研究显示,该蛋白同时具有抑制细胞凋亡和抑制细胞增殖的双重功能:在心肌缺血的动物模型中,FRP被证实有保护心肌细胞、抗凋亡、促进内皮细胞增殖等功能;FRP也可由血管平滑肌细胞合成分泌,并具有反馈调节平滑肌细胞功能的作用,该蛋白还可抑制多种肿瘤细胞增殖.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Pratt’s Leaf-nosed Bat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hipposideros pratti</Emphasis>) and cross-species amplification in closely related taxa

We developed nine microsatellite loci using an enriched library method from the genomic DNA of Pratt’s leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros pratti). These loci were tested on 96 individuals sampled from Sichuan Province, China. The number of alleles per locus varied from 4 to 14. The expected and observed heterozygosity values ranged from 0.513 to 0.886 and from 0.375 to 0.966, respectively. Three microsatellite loci departed significantly from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). No linkage disequilibrium was found. These microsatellite loci will be used in studies of conservation genetics in this species.     

单鼻孔-蝶窦入路垂体瘤切除术的体会

目的：探讨经单鼻孔-蝶窦入路垂体瘤切除手术的效果。方法：应用单鼻孔-蝶窦入路切除22例垂体瘤患者。结果：22例患者手术均顺利进行并于术后3月均获随访,全切除14例,次全切除5例,部分切除3例。结论：经单鼻孔-蝶窦入路显微切除垂体瘤属于微侵袭及功能保护性手术,符合现代神经外科的发展方向,严格把握适应症及禁忌症,完善手术技巧是提高手术效果的关键。     

LC-MS/MS determination of helicid in human plasma and its application in pharmacokinetic studies

Helicid is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat headache and insomnia with definite effects. To facilitate pharmacokinetic studies of helicid in man, a sensitive and specific LC-MS/MS method for the quantitative detection of helicid in human plasma was developed and validated. The method involved the addition of bergeninum as the internal standard (IS), protein precipitation, HPLC separation, and quantification by MS/MS system using negative electrospray ionization in the multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM). The precursor→product ion transitions were monitored at m/z 282.8→120.9 for helicid and m/z 326.9→192.2 for the IS, respectively. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.2 μg/L. The calibration curves for helicid was linear over a concentration range of 0.2-20 μg/L. The intra- and inter-batch analyses of QC samples at 0.4, 2, 20 μg/L indicated good precision (%R.S.D. between 2.69 and 5.47%) and accuracy (between 96.15 and 105.05%). The helicid was stable in human plasma stored at room temperature for at least 24h, 4°C for at least 24h, -20°C for at least 1 month, and for routine three freeze-thaw cycles. This accurate and specific assay provides a useful method for evaluating the pharmacokinetic profile of helicid in humans.     

Seroprevalence of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in pregnant women in China: an observational study

Background

We investigated the seropositive rates and persistence of antibody against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus (pH1N1) in pregnant women and voluntary blood donors after the second wave of the pandemic in Nanjing, China.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Serum samples of unvaccinated pregnant women (n = 720) and voluntary blood donors (n = 320) were collected after the second wave of 2009 pandemic in Nanjing. All samples were tested against pH1N1 strain (A/California/7/2009) with hemagglutination inhibition assay. A significant decline in seropositive rates, from above 50% to about 20%, was observed in pregnant women and voluntary blood donors fifteen weeks after the second wave of the pandemic. A quarter of the samples were tested against a seasonal H1N1 strain (A/Brisbane/59/2007). The antibody titers against pH1N1 strain were found to correlate positively with those against seasonal H1N1 strain. The correlation was modest but statistically significant.

Conclusions and Significance

The high seropositive rates in both pregnant women and voluntary blood donors suggested that the pH1N1 virus had widely spread in these two populations. Immunity derived from natural infection seemed not to be persistent well.     

短期内15N标记的铵盐和硝酸盐在青藏高原高寒草甸中的运移规律

运用15N稳定性同位素示踪技术,对高寒草甸植物和土壤微生物固持沉降氮的能力及沉降氮在小嵩草(Kobresia pygaea)草甸中的运移规律进行了研究.施肥2周后,NO-3-15N和NH+4-15N的总恢复率分别为73.5%和78%.无论是NO-3-15N,还是NH+4-15N,植物所固持的15N总是比土壤有机质或者是土壤微生物固持的多.4周后,70.6%的NO-3-15N和57.4%的NH+4-15N被固持在土壤和植物中.其中,土壤有机质所固持的15N均下降了很多,而植物所固持的15N却变化很小.同前面的结果相比,较多的NO-3-15N为土壤微生物所固持.在施肥6周和8周后,NO-3-15N的总恢复率分别为58.4%和67%,而NH+4-15N的总恢复率分别为43.1%和49%.植物和土壤微生物所固持的NO-3-15N比NH+4-15N多.在整个实验期间,植物固持的NO-3N较多,而且比土壤微生物固持了较多的15N.由于无机氮的含量一直很低,无机氮库所固持的15N一般不超过1%.上述结果意味着短期内植物在高寒草甸中对沉降氮的去向起着决定作用.     

Arabidopsis Villins Promote Actin Turnover at Pollen Tube Tips and Facilitate the Construction of Actin Collars

Apical actin filaments are crucial for pollen tube tip growth. However, the specific dynamic changes and regulatory mechanisms associated with actin filaments in the apical region remain largely unknown. Here, we have investigated the quantitative dynamic parameters that underlie actin filament growth and disappearance in the apical regions of pollen tubes and identified villin as the major player that drives rapid turnover of actin filaments in this region. Downregulation of Arabidopsis thaliana VILLIN2 (VLN2) and VLN5 led to accumulation of actin filaments at the pollen tube apex. Careful analysis of single filament dynamics showed that the severing frequency significantly decreased, and the lifetime significantly increased in vln2 vln5 pollen tubes. These results indicate that villin-mediated severing is critical for turnover and departure of actin filaments originating in the apical region. Consequently, the construction of actin collars was affected in vln2 vln5 pollen tubes. In addition to the decrease in severing frequency, actin filaments also became wavy and buckled in the apical cytoplasm of vln2 vln5 pollen tubes. These results suggest that villin confers rigidity upon actin filaments. Furthermore, an observed decrease in skewness of actin filaments in the subapical region of vln2 vln5 pollen tubes suggests that villin-mediated bundling activity may also play a role in the construction of actin collars. Thus, our data suggest that villins promote actin turnover at pollen tube tips and facilitate the construction of actin collars.     

褐飞虱不同地理种群生物学特性的比较

在实验条件下比较了四个(龙州、九宫山、监利、新会)褐飞虱Nilaparvata lugens(Stal)地理种群的发育、繁殖、内禀增长能力等参数的异同。结果表明：1.北迁的迁入当代九宫山种群雌虫降落取食3.6d开始产卵,产卵量平均为522粒,低于其第二代居留型种群的714粒;2.四个种群在若虫l龄、5龄历期上有显著差异(a＝0.05).但决定翅型分化的2、3、4龄历期上无显著差异;成虫寿命、产卵历期无显著差异;新会种群产卵量高于其它三个种群;同龄期若虫的世代存活率,九宫山种群低于其它三个种群;综合反映发育、存活、繁殖等生命信息的内禀增长能力rm差异较小,在0.1874～0.1982间变化。本文还分析了产生上述异同的原因。     

Corazonin reduces the spinning rate in the silkworm,Bombyx mori

The insect neuropeptide, [Arg⁷]-corazonin was injected into larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori to investigate its influence on development and behavior. A single injection of 50 pmol of corazonin into the fourth and fifth instar larvae induced prolongation of the spinning period in all experimental groups except for those injected on day 10 of the fifth instar. The injection also caused a prolongation of the pupal period in some experimental groups, while it had no effect on the timing of larval ecdysis and the length of feeding period of the fifth instar. The spinning period was significantly prolonged even at a low dose of 1 pmol. Both the spinning rate and the rate of increase in hemolymph ecdysteroid level during the spinning stage were reduced by injection of corazonin. However, corazonin injection during days 5-7 of the fifth instar reduced the spinning rate without influencing the ecdysteroid level until the end of day 8, thereafter the rate of increase in hemolymph ecdysteroid level was slower in the corazonin-injected larvae than in the control larvae. Therefore, the suppressed ecdysteroid level observed in the corazonin-injected larvae appears to be a result rather than a cause of the reduced spinning rate. This study is the first published report for the corazonin effect on the behavior in insects.