多肽抗体检测原发性肝癌血清标志物ELISA方法的建立及应用

血清多肽是癌症诊断信息的重要来源,建立、优化了检测多肽标志物的直接ELISA法,并应用于肝癌血清中的多肽标志物的检测。制备及纯化针对多肽标志物Pep5的单克隆抗体并进行辣根过氧化物酶标记,用其建立检测相应抗原的直接ELISA法。方法线性范围为1.5-20 ng/mL,检测限为1.24 ng/mL;标准品批内及批间CV分别小于3.66%及4.89%,血清样本批内及批间CV分别小于11.69%及18.18%;线性范围内(9、12和15 ng/mL)的回收率分别为98.98%,99.61%和101.58%。应用该方法共检测160例正常血清、104例肝硬化及156例肝癌患者血清,正常组与肝硬化组及肝癌组间差异显著(P<0.001),Pep5诊断肝癌的敏感性和特异性分别为80.8%和96.2%。同时检测94例HCC血清中的AFP和Pep5,AFP检出率为63.8%,Pep5检出率为90.4%,AFP联合Pep5检测时,能将HCC的检出率提高至94.7%。     

Structure insights into mechanisms of ATP hydrolysis and the activation of human heat-shock protein 90

The activation of molecular chaperone heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is dependent on ATP binding and hydrolysis, which occurs in the N-terminal domains of protein. Here, we have determined three crystal structures of the N-terminal domain of human Hsp90 in native and in complex with ATP and ATP analog, providing a clear view of the catalytic mechanism of ATP hydrolysis by Hsp90. Additionally, the binding of ATP leads the N-terminal domains to be an intermediate state that could be used to partially explain why the isolated N-terminal domain of Hsp90 has very weak ATP hydrolytic activity.     

Effects of Different Sources and Levels of Zinc on H2O2-Induced Apoptosis in IEC-6 Cells

Zinc has been shown to be an inhibitor of apoptosis for many years. The present study was designed to investigate effects of three zinc chemical forms on H₂O₂-induced cell apoptosis in IEC-6 cells via analysis of cell vitality, LDH activity, apoptosis percentage, caspase-3 activity, and Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3, -8, and -9 gene expression. Cells were divided into H₂O₂ and zinc sources+H₂O₂ groups, and there are three different zinc sources [zinc oxide nanoparticle (nano-ZnO), zinc oxide (ZnO), and zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄)] and three concentrations (normal = 25 μM, medium = 50 μM, and high = 100 μM) used in this article. In the present study, we found the striking cytotoxicity of H₂O₂ higher than 200 μM on cell vitality, LDH activity, and apoptosis percentage in the cells using five different concentrations (50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 μM) of H₂O₂ for 4 h. Moreover, we observed that cell vitality was increased, LDH activity and apoptotic percentage were decreased, and gene expression level of Bax and caspase-3 and -9 was markedly reduced, while gene expression level of Bcl-2 and ratio of Bcl-2/Bax were increased in normal concentration groups of nano-ZnO and ZnSO₄ compared with H₂O₂ group, but no significant difference was observed in caspase-8 gene expression. Furthermore, medium or, more intensely, high concentrations of nano-ZnO and ZnSO₄ enhanced H₂O₂-induced cell apoptosis. Compared with nano-ZnO and ZnSO₄, ZnO showed weakest protective effect on H₂O₂-induced apoptosis at normal concentration and was less toxic to cells at high level. Taken together, we proposed that preventive and protective effects of zinc on H₂O₂-induced cell apoptosis varied in IEC-6 cells with its chemical forms and concentrations, and maybe for the first time, we suggested that nano-ZnO have a protective effect on H₂O₂-induced cell apoptosis in IEC-6 cells.     

The IL-6–STAT3 axis mediates a reciprocal crosstalk between cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells and neutrophils to synergistically prompt gastric cancer progression

Emerging evidence indicate that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) affect tumor progression by reshaping the tumor microenvironment. Neutrophils are essential component of the tumor microenvironment and are critically involved in cancer progression. Whether the phenotype and function of neutrophils is influenced by MSCs is not well understood. Herein, we investigated the interaction between neutrophils and gastric cancer-derived MSCs (GC-MSCs) and explored the biological role of this interaction. We found that GC-MSCs induced the chemotaxis of neutrophils and protected them from spontaneous apoptosis. Neutrophils were activated by the conditioned medium from GC-MSCs with increased expression of IL-8, TNFα, CCL2, and oncostatin M (OSM). GC-MSCs-primed neutrophils augmented the migration of gastric cancer cells in a cell contact-dependent manner but had minimal effect on gastric cancer cell proliferation. In addition, GC-MSCs-primed neutrophils prompted endothelial cells to form tube-like structure in vitro. We demonstrated that GC-MSCs stimulated the activation of STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways in neutrophils, which was essential for the functions of activated neutrophils. We further revealed that GC-MSCs-derived IL-6 was responsible for the protection and activation of neutrophils. In turn, GC-MSCs-primed neutrophils induced the differentiation of normal MSCs into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Collectively, our results suggest that GC-MSCs regulate the chemotaxis, survival, activation, and function of neutrophils in gastric cancer via an IL-6–STAT3–ERK1/2 signaling cascade. The reciprocal interaction between GC-MSCs and neutrophils presents a novel mechanism for the role of MSCs in remodeling cancer niche and provides a potential target for gastric cancer therapy.Accumulating evidence suggest that neutrophils are critical for cancer initiation and progression.^{1, 2} The increased presence of intratumoral neutrophils has been linked to a poorer prognosis for patients with renal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), pancreatic cancer, colorectal carcinoma, and gastric adenocarcinoma.³ Recent studies using murine tumor models or involving cancer patients have suggested an important functional role of neutrophils during tumor progression.^{4, 5, 6, 7} Neutrophils-derived factors promote genetic mutations leading to tumorigenesis or promote tumor cell proliferation,⁸ migration, and invasion.^{9, 10} Neutrophils have also been demonstrated to induce tumor vascularization by the production of pro-angiogenic factors^{11, 12}The infiltration of neutrophils into tumors has been shown to be mediated by factors produced by both tumor and stromal cells. Recent reports suggest that tumor cells actively modulate the functions of neutrophils. Tumor-derived CXCL5 modulates the chemotaxis of neutrophils, which in turn enhances the migration and invasion of human HCC cells.¹³ HNSCC cells-derived MIF induces the recruitment and activation of neutrophils through a p38-dependent manner.^{14, 15} Neutrophils respond to hyaluronan fragments in tumor supernatants via PI3K/Akt signaling, leading to prolonged survival and stimulating effect on HCC cell motility.¹⁶ Kuang et al.¹⁷ suggest that IL-17 promotes the migration of neutrophils into HCC through epithelial cell-derived CXC chemokines, resulting in increased MMP-9 production and angiogenesis at invading tumor edge However, much less is known about the role of stromal cells in modulating the phenotype and function of neutrophils in cancer thus far.Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have a key role in cancer mainly through secretion of soluble factors, as growth factors or inflammatory mediators, as well as production of extracellular matrix proteins and their proteases. These activated fibroblasts are involved in creating a niche for cancer cells, promoting their proliferation, motility and chemoresistance. Activated fibroblasts express several mesenchymal markers such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibroblast activation protein (FAP), and vimentin. CAFs actively participate in reciprocal interaction with tumor cells and with other cell types in the microenvironment, contributing to a tumor-permissive niche and promoting tumor progression.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stromal cells with self-renewal and pluripotent differentiation abilities. MSCs can be mobilized from bone marrow to the site of damage, respond to the local microenvironment, and exert wound repair and tissue regeneration functions upon injury and inflammation conditions.¹⁸ MSCs have been considered as one of the major components of the tumor stroma and are believed to be the precursors of CAFs.^{19, 20} We have previously demonstrated that human bone marrow MSCs prompt tumor growth in vivo.²¹ In addition, we have recently isolated MSCs-like cells from the gastric cancer tissues (GC) and the adjacent normal tissues (GCN) and shown that the gastric cancer-derived MSCs (GC-MSCs) possess the properties of CAFs.^{22, 23} As tumor-derived MSCs are often exposed to distinct inflammatory cells and factors in the tumor microenvironment, they may acquire novel functions that are not present in normal MSCs, and these unique functions may have a role in reshaping the tumor microenvironment and ultimately affect tumor progression. As neutrophils are key mediators of tumor progression and tumor angiogenesis, it is likely that an intense interaction may exist between the tumor-derived MSCs and tumor-infiltrating neutrophils.The emerging roles of CAFs in cancer immunoeditting led us to investigate whether GC-MSCs are able to regulate the phenotype and function of neutrophils in gastric cancer. We have shown that there is a reciprocal interaction between GC-MSCs and neutrophils. GC-MSCs enhanced the chemotaxis of peripheral blood-derived neutrophils and protected them from spontaneous apoptosis. GC-MSCs induced the activation of neutrophils to highly express IL-8, CCL2, TNFα, and oncostatin M (OSM), leading to the increase of gastric cancer cell migration and angiogenesis in vitro. GC-MSCs exerted this effect through the IL-6–STAT3–ERK1/2 signaling axis, and blockade of the IL-6–IL-6R interaction or pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 and ERK1/2 activation abrogated this role. In turn, GC-MSCs-activated neutrophils could trigger the CAF differentiation of normal MSCs. Therefore, these results establish a bi-directional interaction between GC-MSCs and neutrophils that may be critically involved in the progression of gastric cancer.     

A20 plays a critical role in the immunoregulatory function of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess an immunoregulatory capacity and are a therapeutic target for many inflammation‐related diseases. However, the detailed mechanisms of MSC‐mediated immunosuppression remain unclear. In this study, we provide new information to partly explain the molecular mechanisms of immunoregulation by MSCs. Specifically, we found that A20 expression was induced in MSCs by inflammatory cytokines. Knockdown of A20 in MSCs resulted in increased proliferation and reduced adipogenesis, and partly reversed the suppressive effect of MSCs on T cell proliferation in vitro and inhibited tumour growth in vivo. Mechanistic studies indicated that knockdown of A20 in MSCs inhibited activation of the p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, which potently promoted the production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and inhibited the production of interleukin (IL)‐10. Collectively, these data reveal a crucial role of A20 in regulating the immunomodulatory activities of MSCs by controlling the expression of TNF‐α and IL‐10 in an inflammatory environment. These findings provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of various inflammatory‐associated diseases, and are a new reference for the future development of treatments for such afflictions.     

Temporal changes of soil physic‐chemical properties at different soil depths during larch afforestation by multivariate analysis of covariance

Soil physic-chemical properties differ at different depths; however, differences in afforestation-induced temporal changes at different soil depths are seldom reported. By examining 19 parameters, the temporal changes and their interactions with soil depth in a large chronosequence dataset (159 plots; 636 profiles; 2544 samples) of larch plantations were checked by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). No linear temporal changes were found in 9 parameters (N, K, N:P, available forms of N, P, K and ratios of N: available N, P: available P and K: available K), while marked linear changes were found in the rest 10 parameters. Four of them showed divergent temporal changes between surface and deep soils. At surface soils, changing rates were 262.1 g·kg⁻¹·year⁻¹ for SOM, 438.9 mg·g⁻¹·year⁻¹ for C:P, 5.3 mg·g⁻¹·year⁻¹ for C:K, and −3.23 mg·cm⁻³·year⁻¹ for bulk density, while contrary tendencies were found in deeper soils. These divergences resulted in much moderated or no changes in the overall 80-cm soil profile. The other six parameters showed significant temporal changes for overall 0–80-cm soil profile (P: −4.10 mg·kg⁻¹·year⁻¹; pH: −0.0061 unit·year⁻¹; C:N: 167.1 mg·g⁻¹·year⁻¹; K:P: 371.5 mg·g⁻¹ year⁻¹; N:K: −0.242 mg·g⁻¹·year⁻¹; EC: 0.169 μS·cm⁻¹·year⁻¹), but without significant differences at different soil depths (P > 0.05). Our findings highlight the importance of deep soils in studying physic-chemical changes of soil properties, and the temporal changes occurred in both surface and deep soils should be fully considered for forest management and soil nutrient balance.     

水稻飞虱的抗药性监测研究

1989-1993年选用有机磷、氨基甲酸酯和拟除虫菊酯三大粪12种常用杀虫剂,对水稻褐飞虱和白背飞虱进行了5年系统的抗药性监测研究,发现两种飞虱对药剂的敏感性年度间变化较大,分析可能与其迁飞习性有关。将我们所测的LD50与日本Nagata(1967)测定结果比较．褐飞虱对有机磷类的抗性倍数为3.22-16．12倍,对氨基甲酸酯类为5．59-9．12倍;白背飞虱对有机磷类的抗性为48．90-208.16倍．对氨基甲酸酯类为3．29-19．50倍．抗性发展速率明显高于褐飞虱。两种飞虱对菊酯类药剂的敏感性差异较大。抗马拉硫磷的褐飞虱种群对二氯苯醚菊酯表现较高交互抗性。