菝葜属和肖菝葜属的核型变异和系统演化研究

基于体细胞染色体核型及花序特征对菝葜科Smilacaceae菝葜属Smilax和肖菝葜属Heterosmilax进行了系统演化研究,报道了国产菝葜科17个分类群的核型。根据已研究的部分形态学特征和已有的核型和分子序列资料,对它们的系统进化进行了分析。结果显示：（1）整个类群的核型变异表现在二型化、多倍化、染色体的微变异以及染色体基数递减（从16-15-13）,16为菝葜类群的基本染色体基数。（2）草本菝葜的核型对称性在东亚到北美种类中,表现出从对称到不对称的变化,而木本菝葜的各组间并未表现出这种趋势。（3）先出叶（prophy11）是宿存的芽鳞,因此在菝葜组sect．China和土茯苓组sect．Coilanthus中具花序的分枝（该分枝基部具先出叶）与圆锥菝葜组sect．Macranthae和穗菝葜组sect．Smilax中着生叶腋的花序分枝或者具关节的单伞形花序是同源的;结合ITS资料,推测花序原始类型是具伞形花序无总花梗呈穗状排列的种类。从祖先类型,花序的分化朝两个方向：一为菝葜属的菝葜组和土茯苓组以及肖菝葜属的全部种类为代表的生于叶腋的单伞形花序,另一为菝葜属的圆锥菝葜组sect．Macranthae的全部种类构成的圆锥．伞形花序。（4）肖菝葜属的核型和ITS数据都表明其为非单系类群,与草本菝葜和土茯苓组成员为姐妹群,首次发现花被2／3联合的过渡类型——筐条菝葜S.corbularia,建议将肖菝葜属降为亚属,置于菝葜属。（5）核型特点支持草本菝葜是东亚起源,扩展到北美,与土茯苓组种类有共同祖先．来自于x=16的木本菝葜,赞同恢复草本组sect．Nemexia。（6）在广布种菝葜S.china中首次发现二倍体居群,已知其存在3种倍性（2x、4x和6x）,发现不同倍性居群的分布规律,推测在第三纪至更新世中期日本、台湾岛与大陆分离之前,菝葜的叙居群已广泛分布,而目前广泛分布的缸居群是岛屿与大陆分离后形靠的。（7）我国西南是菝葜科现代分布和分化中心。     

Assessment of algorithms for high throughput detection of genomic copy number variation in oligonucleotide microarray data

Background

Genomic deletions and duplications are important in the pathogenesis of diseases, such as cancer and mental retardation, and have recently been shown to occur frequently in unaffected individuals as polymorphisms. Affymetrix GeneChip whole genome sampling analysis (WGSA) combined with 100 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping arrays is one of several microarray-based approaches that are now being used to detect such structural genomic changes. The popularity of this technology and its associated open source data format have resulted in the development of an increasing number of software packages for the analysis of copy number changes using these SNP arrays.

Results

We evaluated four publicly available software packages for high throughput copy number analysis using synthetic and empirical 100 K SNP array data sets, the latter obtained from 107 mental retardation (MR) patients and their unaffected parents and siblings. We evaluated the software with regards to overall suitability for high-throughput 100 K SNP array data analysis, as well as effectiveness of normalization, scaling with various reference sets and feature extraction, as well as true and false positive rates of genomic copy number variant (CNV) detection.

Conclusion

We observed considerable variation among the numbers and types of candidate CNVs detected by different analysis approaches, and found that multiple programs were needed to find all real aberrations in our test set. The frequency of false positive deletions was substantial, but could be greatly reduced by using the SNP genotype information to confirm loss of heterozygosity.     

Caspase-mediated cleavage of the exosome subunit PM/Scl-75 during apoptosis

Recent studies have implicated the dying cell as a potential reservoir of modified autoantigens that might initiate and drive systemic autoimmunity in susceptible hosts. A number of subunits of the exosome, a complex of 3'→5' exoribonucleases that functions in a variety of cellular processes, are recognized by the so-called anti-PM/Scl autoantibodies, found predominantly in patients suffering from an overlap syndrome of myositis and scleroderma. Here we show that one of these subunits, PM/Scl-75, is cleaved during apoptosis. PM/Scl-75 cleavage is inhibited by several different caspase inhibitors. The analysis of PM/Scl-75 cleavage by recombinant caspase proteins shows that PM/Scl-75 is efficiently cleaved by caspase-1, to a smaller extent by caspase-8, and relatively inefficiently by caspase-3 and caspase-7. Cleavage of the PM/Scl-75 protein occurs in the C-terminal part of the protein at Asp369 (IILD³⁶⁹↓G), and at least a fraction of the resulting N-terminal fragments of PM/Scl-75 remains associated with the exosome. Finally, the implications of PM/Scl-75 cleavage for exosome function and the generation of anti-PM/Scl-75 autoantibodies are discussed.     

Similar hypotensive responses to resistance exercise with and without blood flow restriction

Low intensity resistance exercise (RE) with blood flow restriction (BFR) has gained attention in the literature due to the beneficial effects on functional and morphological variables, similar to those observed during traditional RE without BFR, while the effects of BFR on post-exercise hypotension remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to compare the blood pressure (BP) response of trained normotensive individuals to RE with and without BFR. In this cross-over randomized trial, eight male subjects (23.8 ± 4 years, 74 ± 3 kg, 174 ± 4 cm) completed two exercise protocols: traditional RE (3 x 10 repetitions at 70% one-repetition maximum [1-RM]) and low intensity RE (3 x 15 repetitions at 20% 1-RM) with BFR. Blood pressure measurements were performed after 15 min of seated rest (0), immediately after and 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 40 min, 50 min and 60 min after the experimental sessions. Similar hypotensive effects for systolic BP (SBP) were observed for both protocols (P < 0.05) after exercise, with no differences between groups (P > 0.05) and no statistically significant difference for diastolic BP (P > 0.05). These results suggest that in normotensive trained individuals, both traditional RE and RE with BFR induce hypotension for SBP, which is important to prevent cardiovascular disturbances.     

Long-term effects of graduated compression stockings on cardiorespiratory performance

The use of graduated compression stockings (GCS) in sport has been increasing in the last years due to their potential positive effects for athletes. However, there is little evidence to support whether these types of garments actually improve cardiorespiratory performance. The aim of this study was to examine the cardiorespiratory responses of GCS during running after three weeks of regular use. Twenty recreational runners performed three tests on different days: test 1) – a 5-min maximal effort run in order to determine the participants’ maximal aerobic speed; and tests 2) and 3) – a fatigue running test of 30 minutes at 80% of their maximal aerobic speed with either GCS or PLACEBO stockings at random. Cardiorespiratory parameters (minute ventilation, heart rate, relative oxygen consumption, relative carbon dioxide production, ventilatory equivalents for oxygen and carbon dioxide, and oxygen pulse) were measured. Before each test in the laboratory, the participants trained with the randomly assigned stockings (GCS or PLACEBO) for three weeks. No significant differences between GCS and PLACEBO were found in any of the cardiorespiratory parameters. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence that running with GCS for three weeks does not influence cardiorespiratory parameters in recreational runners.     

亚甲基蓝/光化学法辅助治疗慢性牙周炎对牙龈卟啉单胞菌的影响

目的研究亚甲基蓝/光化学法辅助治疗慢性牙周炎对牙龈卟啉单胞菌(Porphyromonas gingivalis,Pg)检出率的变化。方法经伦理委员会同意后,本研究拟筛选出45例慢性牙周炎患者(每位患者经过详细牙周检查及X线检查后确认为牙周炎,有4个以上≥5 mm的牙周袋并分布在2个以上口腔区域),随机分3组:其中A组在SRP之后接受1次PERIOWAVE光化学治疗,B组在SRP后接受1次PERIOWAVE治疗以及在6周后再一次接受光化学治疗,而SRP组仅接受SRP治疗,各组患者取治疗前后相同4个位点龈下菌斑,聚合酶链式反应(Poly-merase chain reaction,PCR)检测Pg,观察Pg菌的检出率,采用卡方检验,并计算χ2值。结果 SRP组、A组、B组3组各组治疗后均较治疗前检出率降低(P<0.001),A组与SRP组治疗后比较差异无统计学意义[A组:40%(24/60),SRP组:45%(27/60),χ2=1.4815,P>0.05],B组与SRP治疗后比较检出率降低[SRP组:45%(27/60),B组:20%(12/60)χ2=8.547,P<0.01];B组与A组治疗后比较检出率降低[A组:40%(24/60),B组:20%(12/60),χ2=5.7143,P<0.05]。结论亚甲基蓝/光化学法辅助治疗慢性牙周炎后牙龈卟啉单胞菌的检出率较治疗前降低;结合临床试验结果,尚可认为2次激光疗效较1次激光好。     

Increased incidence of pregnancy complications in women who later develop scleroderma: a case control study

Introduction  

Studies have shown that fetal progenitor cells persist in maternal blood or bone marrow for more than 30 years after delivery. Increased trafficking of fetal cells occurs during pregnancy complications, such as hypertension, preeclampsia, miscarriage and intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR). Women with these pregnancy complications are significantly more often HLA-class II compatible with their spouses. Women who later develop scleroderma also give birth to an HLA-class II child more often. From these prior studies we hypothesized that preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications could be associated with increased levels of fetal cell trafficking, and later be involved in the development of scleroderma.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Mast cells are the main interleukin 17-positive cells in anticitrullinated protein antibody-positive and -negative rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis synovium

Introduction  

Mast cells have been implicated to play a functional role in arthritis, especially in autoantibody-positive disease. Among the cytokines involved in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), IL-17 is an important inflammatory mediator. Recent data suggest that the synovial mast cell is a main producer of IL-17, although T cells have also been implicated as prominent IL-17 producers as well. We aimed to identify IL-17 expression by mast cells and T cells in synovium of arthritis patients.