Compromised NK Cell-Mediated Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity in Chronic SIV/SHIV Infection

Increasing evidence indicates that antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) contributes to the control of HIV/SIV infection. However, little is known about the ADCC function of natural killer (NK) cells in non-human primate model. Here we demonstrated that ADCC function of NK cells was significantly compromised in chronic SIV/SHIV infection, correlating closely with the expression of FcγRIIIa receptor (CD16) on NK cells. CD32, another class of IgG Fc receptors, was identified on NK cells with higher expression in the infected macaques and the blockade of CD32 impacted the ability of NK cells to respond to antibody-coated target cells. The inhibition of matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), a group of enzymes normally involved in tissue/receptor remodeling, could restore NK cell-mediated ADCC with increased CD16 expression on macaque NK cells. These data offer a clearer understanding of NK cell-mediated ADCC in rhesus macaques, which will allow us to evaluate the ADCC repertoire arising from preclinical vaccination studies in non-human primates and inform us in the future design of effective HIV vaccination strategies.     

临床分离肠球菌与肠道肠球菌的不同特性

目的 :比较临床分离肠球菌与肠道肠球菌的不同特性。方法 :分别检测 4 1株临床分离肠球菌以及 38株健康人群粪便分离肠球菌的属种分布、β溶血素检出率及耐药性情况。 结果 :临床菌株以粪肠球菌为主 (75 6 % ) ,健康人群粪便分离肠球菌以屎肠球菌为主 (73 7% ) ;临床菌株的 β溶血素检出率高于健康人群粪便分离肠球菌 (P <0 0 1) ;临床分离肠球菌的抗生素耐药性明显高于肠道肠球菌 (P <0 0 1)。结论 ;引起医院感染的肠球菌与肠道球菌特性不同。     

亚洲粗叶木属及相关属植物叶表皮微形态特征

利用光学显微镜和电子扫描显微镜研究了亚洲茜草科粗叶木属植物26种（包括1个亚种和2个变种）和相关4属即巴戟天属、九节属、染木属和尖叶木属6种植物的叶表皮微形态特征。粗叶木属植物上表皮细胞形状一般呈不规则波状、近椭圆形或者不规则多边形,下表皮细胞一般呈不规则皱波状或者多裂深波状,细胞壁曲折无章,细胞间界限不明显,上、下表皮细胞壁均有加厚现象。叶表皮角质层明显,在电镜下有以下几种类型：颗粒状,网状,鳞片状,乳突状。气孔器几乎全部生在下表皮,有些种气孔下陷,气孔器一般是一对保卫细胞和一对副卫细胞平列。一些粗叶木属植物种叶上着生表皮毛。表皮毛分为单细胞毛和单列多细胞毛两种结构类型以及扭曲毛,线形毛和直壁毛3种形态类型。相关属的叶表皮微形态特征与粗叶木属植物较为相似。粗叶木属植物叶表皮微形态特征具有一定的分类学价值,其性状虽有遗传稳定性,但随生态环境不同而有一定变异。粗叶木属植物叶气孔长轴径/径轴变化幅度比较大以及叶表皮上的毛被多样化均能反映其对生态环境的适应变化。     

The gene expression profile of preclinical autoimmune arthritis and its modulation by a tolerogenic disease-protective antigenic challenge

Introduction  

Autoimmune inflammation is a characteristic feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune diseases. In the natural course of human autoimmune diseases, it is rather difficult to pinpoint the precise timing of the initial event that triggers the cascade of pathogenic events that later culminate into clinically overt disease. Therefore, it is a challenge to examine the early preclinical events in these disorders. Animal models are an invaluable resource in this regard. Furthermore, considering the complex nature of the pathogenic immune events in arthritis, microarray analysis offers a versatile tool to define the dynamic patterns of gene expression during the disease course.     

前列腺干细胞抗原(PSCA)的表达及其特异结合肽的筛选

通过反转录 PCR从人前列腺癌细胞中克隆了前列腺干细胞抗原 (PSCA)基因 ,在大肠杆菌中利用pQE30载体对截断型PSCA基因进行了可溶性表达。蛋白纯化后 ,利用噬菌体随机展示 12肽库筛选了PSCA蛋白的特异结合肽 ,通过与EGFP蛋白的耦联表达验证了结合肽的特异性。此特异结合肽的获得 ,为进一步研究针对PSCA的前列腺癌靶向免疫治疗奠定了基础     

Cognitive Changes during Prolonged Stay at High Altitude and Its Correlation with C-Reactive Protein

Hypersensitive C-reaction protein (hsCRP) may be a risk factor for cognitive impairment resulting from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), stroke, and vascular dementia. This study explored the correlation of peripheral blood hsCRP level with cognitive decline due to high altitude exposure. The study was conducted on 100 male military participants who had never been to high altitude. Cerebral oxygen saturation monitoring, event related potentials (P300, N200) detection, and neurocognitive assessment was performed and total hsCRP, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and homocysteine was estimated at 500m altitude, 3650m altitude, 3day, 1, and 3 month post arriving at the base camp (4400m), and 1 month after coming back to the 500m altitude. High altitude increased brain oxygen saturation, prolonged P300 and N200 latencies, injured cognitive functions, and raised plasma hsCRP levels. But they all recovered in varying degrees at 1 and 3 month post arriving at the base camp (4400m). P300 latencies and hsCRP levels were strongly correlated to cognitive performances. These results suggested that cognitive deterioration occurred during the acute period of exposure to high altitude and may recover probably owning to acclimatization after extended stay at high altitude. Plasma hsCRP is inversely correlated to neurological cognition and it may be a potential biomarker for the prediction of high altitude induced cognitive dysfunction.     

Osteoarchaeological Studies of Human Systemic Stress of Early Urbanization in Late Shang at Anyang,China

Through the analysis of human skeletal remains and mortuary practice in Yinxu, this study investigates the impact of early urbanization on the commoners during the Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1250–1046 B.C.). A total of 347 individuals examined in this study represent non-elites who were recovered from two different burial contexts (formally buried in lineage cemeteries and randomly scattered in refuse pits). Frequencies of enamel hypoplasia (childhood stress), cribra orbitalia (childhood stress and frailty) and osteoperiostitis (adult stress) were examined to assess systemic stress exposure. Our results reveal that there was no significant difference in the frequency of enamel hypoplasia between two burial groups and between sexes, suggesting these urban commoners experienced similar stresses during childhood, but significantly elevated levels of cribra orbitalia and osteoperiostitis were observed in the refuse pit female cohort. Theoretically, urbanization would have resulted in increased population density in the urban centre, declining sanitary conditions, and increased risk of resource shortage. Biologically, children would be more vulnerable to such physiological disturbance; as a result, high percentages of enamel hypoplasia (80.9% overall) and cribra orbitalia (30.3% overall) are observed in Yin commoners. Adults continued to suffer from stress, resulting in high frequencies of osteoperiostitis (40.0% total adults); in particular, in the refuse pit females who may also reflect a compound impact of gender inequality. Our data show that the non-elite urban population in the capital city of Late Shang Dynasty had experienced extensive stress exposure due to early urbanization with further social stratification only worsening the situation, and eventually contributing to collapse of the Shang Dynasty.     

Effect of daily salinity fluctuation on the intraspecific interactions of a euhalophyte (Suaeda salsa) along a salinity gradient

每日盐度波动对真盐生植物盐地碱蓬种内相互作用沿盐度梯度的影响 土壤盐度的异质性是河口潮间带的一个突出的环境特征,影响植物的生长和盐沼中生物相互作用的转变。本研究旨在探究盐度梯度和盐度波动对一种真盐生植物的种内相互作用的交互影响。