Pro-inflammatory cytokines modulate iron regulatory protein 1 expression and iron transportation through reactive oxygen/nitrogen species production in ventral mesencephalic neurons

Both inflammatory processes associated with microglia activation and abnormal iron deposit in dopaminergic neurons are involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the relationship between neuroinflammation and iron accumulation was not fully elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) released by microglia, could affect cellular iron transportation in primary cultured ventral mesencephalic (VM) neurons. The results showed that IL-1β or TNF-α treatment led to increased ferrous iron influx and decreased iron efflux in these cells, due to the upregulation of divalent metal transporter 1 with the iron response element (DMT1 + IRE) and downregulation of ferroportin1 (FPN1). Increased levels of iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1), transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and hepcidin were also observed in IL-1β or TNF-α treated VM neurons. IRP1 upregulation could be fully abolished by co-administration of radical scavenger N-acetyl-l-cysteine and inducible NO synthetase inhibitor N_ω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride. Further experiments demonstrated that IL-1β and TNF-α release was remarkably enhanced by iron load in activated microglia triggered by lipopolysaccharide or 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺). In 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-intoxicated mice, salicylate application could not block DMT1 + IRE upregulation in dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra. These results suggested that IL-1β and TNF-α released by microglia, especially under the condition of iron load, might contribute to iron accumulation in VM neurons by upregulating IRP1 and hepcidin levels through reactive oxygen/nitrogen species production. This might provide a new insight into unraveling that microglia might aggravate this iron mediated neuropathologies in PD.     

双歧杆菌预防早产儿坏死性小肠结肠炎的疗效观察

目的 探讨双歧杆菌预防早产儿坏死性小肠结肠炎(NEC)的疗效.方法 随机分成试验组和对照组,对照组给予常规治疗,试验组在对照组基础上给予双歧杆菌治疗.观察两组不同胎龄和不同出生体重早产儿NEC患病率、治疗前后肠道各菌群变化的差异.结果 (1)试验组NEC总发生率显著低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01);(2)试验组出生体重＜1500g早产儿NEC发生率显著低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);(3)治疗后试验组细菌总数、球菌总数及杆菌总数上升幅度显著大于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.01);治疗后试验组杆球菌比值较对照组显著下降,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 双歧杆菌可有效预防早产儿坏死性小肠结肠炎.     

越南木樨科植物新记录

报道了越南木樨科(Oleaceae)植物1 新记录种大果素馨(Jasminum macrocarpum Merr.).该种产自越南中南部嘉来省的K’Bang, Kon Ha Nung 地区, 凭证标本保存在 HN, IBSC.     

维生素D3对自发性高血压大鼠靶器官炎症的影响

目的探索维生素D3与高血压和炎症的关系。方法自发性高血压大鼠20只,随机分为对照组和实验组,各10只。实验组大鼠腹腔注射维生索D3制剂3μg／kg（溶于20％丙二醇0．5mL中）,每周2次;对照组仅腹腔注射丙二醇0．5mL,两组均干预12周。实验过程中监测大鼠血压变化。干预前后,酶联免疫法检测血清25（OH）D3、钙、白细胞介素-6（IL-6）、基质金属蛋白酶-9（MMP-9）的浓度;计算肾脏-体重比和心脏-体重比;HE染色观察两组大鼠肾脏、心脏、主动脉、小动脉组织病理改变。结果实验组和对照组在干预前血压无差异显著性（P〉0．05）;干预后,实验组和对照组大鼠平均收缩压分别为（157±9）mmHg和（173±8）mmHg（P〈0．05）。实验组的血清25（OH）D3、血钙水平比对照组高（P〈0．05）,IL-6、MMP-9水平实验组比对照组低（P〈0．05）。实验组的心脏-体重比小于对照组（P〈0．05）。实验组的肾脏、心脏和小动脉高血压、炎性损害明显轻于对照组。结论规律的维生素D3用药能够抑制炎症因子IL-6、MMP-9的产生,抑制机体炎症反应,调节控制血压。     

Replication of genomewide association studies on age at menarche in the Korean population

Early menarche is associated with adverse health outcomes, including breast cancer, endometrial cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Recently, a genomewide association study (GWAS) of age at menarche (AAM) in 104,533 individuals of European ancestry was reported by the ReproGen consortium. They identified 42 loci known and novel loci that were linked to age at menarche. Because age at menarche varies between ethnic groups, we decided to investigate if these results would be replicated in the Korean population. To this end, we examined the association of the SNPs reported in the ReproGen GWAS with AAM in 3,194 individuals from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) cohort. Genotype data for total 17 SNPs (6 genotyped SNPs and 11 imputed SNPs) were available for the association analysis using linear regression analysis for age at menarche with controlling current age, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index as the covariates. We found replication of the ReproGen study in two SNPs; one SNP (rs466639) in the retinoic acid receptor gamma gene (RXRG), showing a significant association with early menarche (beta = ?0.224 ± 0.065, p value = 5.2 × 10^?4, Bonferroni-corrected p value = 0.009), and the other (rs10899489), in GRB2 (growth factor receptor bound protein 2)-associated binding protein 2 (GAB2), linked to late menarche (beta = 0.140 ± 0.047, p value = 2.8 × 10^?3, Bonferroni-corrected p value = 0.049). This result possibly suggests that genetic factors governing AAM in the Korean population would be distinct from those in the Europeans, implying roles of modulating or interacting factors in determining AAM, including environmental factors such as nutritional status.     

MicroRNA Cluster miR-17-92 Regulates Neural Stem Cell Expansion and Transition to Intermediate Progenitors in the Developing Mouse Neocortex

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Application of a new human cell line,F2N78, in the transient and stable production of recombinant therapeutics

Host cell lines developed by genetic engineering sometimes show instabilities in maintaining their genetically acquired phenotypes. Previously, a hybrid host cell line, designated as hybrid of kidney and B cells (HKB), capable of retaining selected phenotypes originally existing in the parental cells was developed via fusion of 293 cells and HH514‐16 cells. Although HKB did indeed successfully preserve several favorable phenotypes, the expression of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) specific nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1), which should be constitutively expressed for host cells to utilize oriP expression vector in transient production of therapeutic proteins, was observed to be unstable. Here, in an attempt to obtain stable expression of EBNA1, a cell type that contains an integrated EBV genome, rather than HH514‐16 cells, which harbor an episomal EBV genome, was applied for fusion with 293 cells. Fusion of 293 cells with Namalwa cells led to the creation of a new type of hybrid, F2N, which was able to stably express EBNA1 while not producing EBV particles. One of the F2N clones, F2N78, was observed to maintain EBNA1 expression for more than 1 year under serum‐free suspension culture conditions along with human specific glycosyl phenotypes observed previously in HKB. In addition, F2N78 was demonstrated to be an appropriate host cell line for both the transient and stable production of recombinant therapeutics with the features of safety expected of production cell lines for human use. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29: 432–440, 2013     

Nutritional assessment and fate of dna of soybean meal from roundup ready or conventional soybeans using rats

This study was conducted to compare the safety of soybean meal prepared from genetically modified (GM) glyphosate-tolerant (Roundup Ready; RR) soybeans and conventional soybeans. Eighty Sprague-Dawley rats (40 males and 40 females) were randomly allotted to one of four groups according to sex and body weight for a 13-week feeding experiment. The rats were fed corn-based diets containing 60% conventional soybean meal, a mixture of 30% conventional and 30% RR soybean meal, 60% or 90% RR soybean meal. All diets were adjusted to an identical nutrient level except the 90% RR diet. The two soybean meals were similar in chemical analysis and amino acid composition. During the 13-week growth trial, body weight (P?P?cp4 epsps gene specific for the GM constructs from RR soybean meal or a 407?bp of lec gene from endogenous soybean DNA could not be detected in investigated masseter muscle samples. No adverse effects of glyphosate-tolerant soybean meal on rats were seen even at levels as high as 90% of the diet.