滨蒿内酯对哮喘豚鼠气管平滑肌细胞RyR2 mRNA表达影响

研究哮喘豚鼠气管平滑肌细胞Ryanodine受体亚型的变化及滨蒿内酯对其的影响。将动物分为3组:正常组、哮喘组和滨蒿内酯组,采用卵蛋白致敏复制豚鼠哮喘模型,滨蒿内酯组雾化吸入滨蒿内酯。应用RT-PCR鉴定豚鼠气管平滑肌细胞(TSMC)中RyR亚型分布并观察各组豚鼠气管平滑肌细胞RyR2 mRNA表达的变化。豚鼠TSMC表达RyR2和RyR3两个亚型;哮喘时豚鼠TSMC中RyR2 mRNA表达量(以RyR2区带与-βactin区带的密度百分比表示)为47.15%±15.30%,明显低于对照组(77.12%±6.16%)(P<0.01);滨蒿内酯组豚鼠TSMC中RyR2 mRNA量为63.77%±9.09%,较哮喘组增强(P<0.05)。豚鼠TSMC表达RyR2和RyR3两个亚型;哮喘时TSMC RyR2 mRNA表达下调;滨蒿内酯可使哮喘豚鼠TSMC RyR2表达水平得以恢复。     

剪切应力诱导血小板聚集

剪切应力诱导血小板聚集（shear-induced platelet aggregation, SIPA）是指在高剪切流场诱导下血小板表面的膜糖蛋白（GPⅠb/Ⅸ/Ⅴ和GPⅡb/Ⅲa）与血浆中的von Willebrand因子（vWF）相结合,介导血小板的活化、黏附和聚集,是动脉血栓的重要成因.SIPA还需要Ca2+,ADP/ATP等生化因素的参与,因而SIPA现象是生化因素和力学因素偶合作用的结果.细胞外Ca2+是高剪切应力诱导血小板发生聚集的必需条件,Ca2+的跨膜内流引起细胞骨架结构的改变和GPⅡb/Ⅲa的活化.近来对ADP/ATP位于血小板膜上的P2受体的研究表明,P2受体与细胞内Ca2+协同作用通过多种生化途径调控血小板的活化过程在SIPA的信号传导中起着关键的作用.从力学环境与生化反应的偶合关系入手研究SIPA现象的触发机制,深入研究SIPA现象中的信号转导通路是今后的研究热点之一.     

盐生杜氏藻对盐度改变的生理响应

以盐生杜氏藻为实验材料,采用f/2培养基,设置了8个盐度(15、20、25、30、50、70、90、110)处理,分盐度改变前(A)和盐度改变后(B)两个实验阶段,研究了盐生杜氏藻在不同盐度处理下的生长情况,测定了藻液的OD值、叶绿素a、β-胡萝卜素、可溶性蛋白质和可溶性糖含量等指标。结果表明,A阶段,几个较低盐度(15、20、25和30)处理生长状况较好,其中又以盐度20的处理最好;余下的处理,盐度越高,其生长所受的影响越大。B阶段,盐生杜氏藻的生长进入平台期后,50、70、90、110几个盐度较高处理的细胞密度、叶绿素a、β-胡萝卜素含量均显著超过了作为对照的盐度20的处理。且B阶段末期,先前盐度15的处理蛋白质、糖的积累量,与A阶段末期相比都有了不同程度的增加,而其余盐度处理组的蛋白质、糖含量则分别产生了不同程度的下降。     

抗人胎盘酸性铁蛋白单链抗体的构建、表达与鉴定

目的:制备人胎盘酸性铁蛋白(PAF),构建、表达并鉴定抗人PAF单链可变区抗体片段(scFv)。方法:设计以SfiⅠ、NotⅠ为酶切位点、以(Gly4Ser)3为linker的2对引物,从抗人PAF单克隆抗体可变区基因的克隆载体中扩增VH和VL基因,用重叠延伸PCR在VH和VL基因间引入连接短肽,构建VH-linker-VL的scFv基因。经SfiⅠ、NotⅠ酶切后克隆到原核分泌型表达载体pUC19/119上,转化大肠杆菌TG1和筛选后测序验证,IPTG诱导表达,SDS-PAGE鉴定其相对分子质量(Mr)。以人PAF为抗原,scFv为一抗,抗His单克隆抗体为二抗,间接ELISA鉴定其抗体活性。结果:重叠延伸PCR扩增产物经凝胶电泳可见约700bp的条带,DNA序列分析证明2株抗体具有完整的scFv序列,并含有c-myc和His。IPTG诱导阳性菌表达产物经SDS-PAGE鉴定有Mr约27000的显示条带,符合scFv与表达标签融合蛋白的理论值;间接ELISA证明表达产物可与PAF结合。结论:成功构建并表达了抗人PAF单链抗体,为进一步建立检测PAF的间接ELISA奠定了基础。     

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide inhibits pacemaker activity via the nitric oxide-cGMP-protein kinase G pathway in the interstitial cells of Cajal of the murine small intestine

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are pacemaker cells that activate the periodic spontaneous depolarization (pacemaker potentials) responsible for the production of slow waves in gastrointestinal smooth muscle. The effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on the pacemaker potentials in cultured ICCs from murine small intestine were investigated by whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. Addition of VIP (50 nM-1 microM) decreased the amplitude of pacemaker potentials and depolarized resting membrane potentials. To examine the type of receptors involved in ICC, we examined the effects of the VIP1 agonist and found that it had no effect on pacemaker potentials. Pretreatment with VIP1 antagonist (1 microM) for 10 min also did not block the VIP (50 nM)-induced effects. On the other hand exposure to 1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo(4,3-A)quinoxalin- 1-one (ODQ, 100 microM), an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, prevented VIP inhibition of pacemaker potentials. Similarly KT-5823 (1 microM) or RP-8-CPT-cGMPS (10 microM), inhibitors of protein kinase G (PKG) blocked the effect of VIP (50 nM) on pacemaker potentials as did N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NA, 100 mM), a non-selective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor. These results imply that the inhibition of pacemaker activity by VIP depends on the NO-cGMP-PKG pathway.     

Vitexin, an HIF-1alpha inhibitor, has anti-metastatic potential in PC12 cells

Vitexin, a natural flavonoid compound identified as apigenin-8-C-b-D-glucopyranoside, has been reported to exhibit antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated its effect on hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) in rat pheochromacytoma (PC12), human osteosarcoma (HOS) and human hepatoma (HepG2) cells. Vitexin inhibited HIF-1a in PC12 cells, but not in HOS or HepG2 cells. In addition, it diminished the mRNA levels of hypoxia-inducible genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), smad3, aldolase A, enolase 1, and collagen type III in the PC12 cells. We found that vitexin inhibited the migration of PC12 cells as well as their invasion rates, and it also inhibited tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelium cells (HUVECs). Interestingly, vitexin inhibited the hypoxia-induced activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), but not of extracellular-signal regulated protein kinase (ERK), implying that it acts in part via the JNK pathway. Overall, these results suggest the potential use of vitexin as a treatment for diseases such as cancer.     

Anti-apoptotic effect of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and its receptor in porcine preimplantation embryos derived from in vitro fertilization and somatic cell nuclear transfer

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I is a receptor-mediated autocrine and/or paracrine growth and/or survival factor for mammalian embryo development. It is known to promote the growth and development of mouse preimplantation embryos. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of IGF-I (50 ng/ml), anti-IGF-I receptor antibody (50 ng/ml) and their combination on porcine preimplantation embryo development. Furthermore, the mechanism underlying the embryotropic effects of IGF-I was evaluated by monitoring the incidence of apoptosis and expression of apoptosis-related genes. In both in vitro fertilized (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos, culturing with IGF-I increased the rate of blastocyst formation and this embryotrophic effect was neutralized by culturing with IGF-I along with anti-IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) antibody. Culturing IVF and SCNT embryos with IGF-I significantly increased the number of total cells in blastocysts and decreased the number of apoptotic nuclei. These effects of IGF-I were also neutralized by culturing with IGF-I along with anti-IGF-IR antibody. Expression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene was increased, while expression of the pro-apoptotic Bax was decreased in both IVF and SCNT embryos cultured with IGF-I. In both IVF and SCNT embryos, anti-IGF-IR antibody along with IGF-I neutralized the effect of IGF-I on expression of Bcl-2 and Bax genes. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that IGF-I through its specific receptors improved the developmental competence of IVF and SCNT embryos by decreasing the incidence of apoptosis and regulating apoptosis-related genes in porcine preimplantation embryos.     

Cloning and expression of genes encoding transferrin-binding protein A and B from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 5

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is an important primary pathogen in pigs, which causes a highly contagious pleuropneumonia. As an adaptation to the iron-restricted environment of the host, A. pleuropneumoniae possesses iron acquisition pathways mediated by surface receptors that specifically bind transferrin from the host. The receptor is composed of two receptor proteins, transferrin-binding protein A and B (TbpA and B), which are both capable of binding to transferrin. An impairment of iron uptake mechanisms is likely to reduce virulence. For this reason, these two proteins can be useful as a candidate target for A. pleuropneumoniae vaccination. To do this, genes encoding the TbpA and B from a serotype 5 isolate of A. pleuropneumoniae were amplified from genomic DNA template by PCR and cloned into a pRSET prokaryotic expression vector, generating the pRSET-A.pp-TbpA and B. Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS competent cells were transformed with each construct followed by the induction of protein expression by the addition of IPTG. Bands corresponding to the predicted sizes (110 and 60 kDa) were seen on the SDS-PAGE. Polyclonal antibodies raised against recombinant TbpA and B from mice were reacted with bacterial proteins. This result indicates that the recombinant proteins can induce immunological responses and might be useful as candidate targets for A. pleuropneumoniae vaccination.     

Genomic convergence toward diploidy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Genome size, a fundamental aspect of any organism, is subject to a variety of mutational and selection pressures. We investigated genome size evolution in haploid, diploid, and tetraploid initially isogenic lines of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Over the course of ~1,800 generations of mitotic division, we observed convergence toward diploid DNA content in all replicate lines. This convergence was observed in both unstressful and stressful environments, although the rate of convergence was dependent on initial ploidy and evolutionary environment. Comparative genomic hybridization with microarrays revealed nearly euploid DNA content by the end of the experiment. As the vegetative life cycle of S. cerevisiae is predominantly diploid, this experiment provides evidence that genome size evolution is constrained, with selection favouring the genomic content typical of the yeast's evolutionary past.     

Expression patterns of Hox10 paralogous genes during lumbar spinal cord development

We have examined the expression of three paralogous Hox genes from E11.5 through E15.5 in the mouse spinal cord. These ages coincide with major phases of spinal cord neurogenesis, neuronal differentiation, cell migration, gliogenesis, and motor neuron cell death. The three genes, Hoxa10, Hoxc10, and Hoxd10, are all expressed in the lumbar spinal cord and have distinct expression patterns. Mutations in these three genes are known to affect motor neuron patterning. All three genes show lower levels of expression at the rostral limits of their domains, with selective regions of higher expression more caudally. Hoxa10 and Hoxd10 expression appears confined to postmitotic cell populations in the intermediate and ventral gray, while Hoxc10 is also expressed in proliferating cells in the dorsal ventricular zone. Hoxc10 and Hoxd10 expression is clearly excluded from the lateral motor columns at rostral lumbar levels but is present in this region more caudally. Double labeling demonstrates that Hoxc10 expression is correlated with ventrolateral LIM gene expression in the caudal part of the lumbar spinal cord.