Transforming growth factor-β1 blocks the enhancement of tumor necrosis factor cytotoxicity by hyaluronidase Hyal-2 in L929 fibroblasts

Background  

Functional antagonism between transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and hyaluronidase has been demonstrated. For example, testicular hyaluronidase PH-20 counteracts TGF-β1-mediated growth inhibition of epithelial cells. PH-20 sensitizes various cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) cytotoxicity by upregulating proapoptotic p53 and WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WOX1). TGF-β1 blocks PH-20-increased TNF cytotoxicity. In the present study, the functional antagonism between TGF-β1 and lysosomal hyaluronidases Hyal-1 and Hyal-2 was examined.     

TIAF1 and p53 functionally interact in mediating apoptosis and silencing of TIAF1 abolishes nuclear translocation of serine 15-phosphorylated p53

TIAF1 is a TGF-beta 1-induced factor that protects L929 fibroblasts from TNF-mediated apoptosis. In contrast, overexpressed TIAF1 induces growth inhibition and apoptosis of monocytic U937 and various nonfibroblast cells. TIAF1-mediated apoptosis of U937 cells involves upregulation of p53, p21, and Smad2/4, but downregulation of ERK phosphorylation. To determine whether p53 and TIAF1 functionally interact in regulating cell death, ectopic TIAF1 and p53 were shown to induce apoptosis of U937 cells in both synergistic and antagonistic manners. At optimal levels both TIAF1 and p53 mediated apoptosis cooperatively. Also, both proteins suppressed adherence-independent growth of L929 cells. In contrast, initiation of apoptosis by overexpressed TIAF1 was blocked by low doses of p53, and vice versa. Furthermore, ectopic p53 blocked an ongoing apoptosis in U937 cells stably expressing TIAF1. Yeast two-hybrid analyses failed to demonstrate the binding of p53 with TIAF1, suggesting an unidentified protein that links the p53/TIFA1 interaction. Suppression of TIAF1 expression by siRNA could not inhibit Ser15 phosphorylation in p53 in response to UV and etoposide. However, nuclear translocation of these Ser15-phosphorylated p53 was significantly reduced in TIAF1-silenced cells. Taken together, TIAF1 and p53 functionally interact in regulating apoptosis, and TIAF1 is likely to participate in the nuclear translocation of activated p53.     

中国孤雌生殖卤虫中多倍体同工酶基因的表达

采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶垂直板电泳地,对中国孤雌生殖卤虫１０个品系的２６个多倍体单个体克隆的９种同工酶的基因表达情况、种群遗传结构以及进化关系进行了研究。在研究的９种同工酶中ＬＤＨ、６ＰＧＤＨ、ＧＤＨ为单态酶、ＭＤＨ、ＰＯＤ、ＥＳＴ、ＡＣＰ、ＡＬＰ和α－ＡＭＹ为多态酶。ＭＤＨ、ＰＯＤ重复基因不表达。为功能二倍体,ＥＳＴ、ＡＣＰ、ＡＬＰ和α－ＡＭＹ重复基因表达。,以遗传相似系数所做的聚类分析结果可以明显表     

Strengths and weaknesses of immunotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials

Background

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancers. Immunotherapy has yielded no consistent benefit to date for those patients. Assessing the objective efficacy and safety of immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC patients will help to instruct the future development of immunotherapeutic drugs.

Methodology and Principal Findings

We performed a meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials including 3134 patients (1570 patients in the immunotherapy group and 1564 patients in the control group) with histologically confirmed stage IIIA, IIIB, or IV NSCLC. The analysis was executed with efficacy end points regarding overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and total effective rate. Overall unstratified OS, PFS, PR, and total effective rate were significantly improved in advanced NSCLC patients in the immunotherapy group (P = 0.0007, 0.0004, 0.002, 0.003, respectively), whereas CR was not improved (P = 0.97). Subgroup analysis showed that monoclonal antibody (mAb) immunotherapy significantly improved the PFS, PR, and total effective rate and showed a trend of improving OS of advanced NSCLC patients compared with the control group, with one kind of adverse event being significantly dominant. Compared with the control group, the vaccine subgroup showed no significant difference with regard to serious adverse events, whereas cytokine immunotherapy significantly induced three kinds of serious adverse events.

Conclusions

Immunotherapy works efficiently on advanced NSCLC patients. Of several immunotherapies, mAb therapy may be a potential immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC patients, and become a standard complementary therapeutic approach in the future if the issues concerning toxicity and allergenicity of mAbs have been overcome.     

Zfra is an inhibitor of Bcl-2 expression and cytochrome c release from the mitochondria

Zfra is a small size 31-amino-acid C2H2 zinc finger-like protein, which is known to interact with c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1), WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX, FOR or WOX1), TNF receptor-associated death domain protein (TRADD) and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) during stress response. Here, we show that Zfra became phosphorylated at Ser8 (as determined by specific antibody) and translocated to the mitochondria in response to inducers of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) (e.g. staurosporine and betulinic acid). Overexpressed Zfra induced cell death. This event is associated, in part, with increased dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and increased chromosomal DNA fragmentation. Intriguingly, Zfra significantly downregulated Bcl-2 and yet blocked cytochrome c release from the mitochondria. Overexpression of an S8G-Zfra mutant (Ser8 to Gly8 alteration) could not induce cell death, probably due to its failure of translocating to the mitochondria and causing MMP dissipation. Over-expressed proapoptotic WOX1 induced cytochrome c release from the mitochondria. Zfra bound and blocked the effect of WOX1. Taken together, Ser8 is essential for overexpressed Zfra to exert cell death via the mitochondrial pathway. Zfra downregulates Bcl-2 and induces MMP dissipation but causes no cytochrome c release, indicating a novel death pathway from the mitochondria.     

日本沼虾生精细胞与支持细胞之间的连接关系

用透射电镜技术研究了日本沼虾精子发生过程中不同细胞之间的连接关系。结果表明,从精原细胞期到次级精母细胞期,在生精细胞之间存在间隙连接与分隔连接与分隔连接,并且两种连接相互邻接,桥粒仅在精原细胞之间发现;从精原细胞期到精细胞期,在生精细胞与支持细胞之间也存在相互邻接的间隙连接与分隔连接,两类细胞之间有大量桥粒,形成血淋巴－精巢屏障,这种屏障可保持生精细管内环境的稳定性;精子发生的不同时期,支持细胞之     

板蓝根水提物S-03体外抑制甲、乙型流感病毒感染的实验研究

以水提法分离制备板蓝根水提物S-03分析其基本化学成分,并在狗肾细胞(MDCK)上分别接种人甲1、3型和乙型流感病毒标准株、临床分离株以及禽流感病毒,采用空斑减少和免疫荧光及血凝抑制实验方法,在预防、治疗和直接作用三种试验模式下探讨S-03体外对流感病毒的抑制作用。研究结果表明S-03的主要化学成分为糖类,多糖所占总重的比例最高。S-03体外抗病毒药效显示:①预防模式:对各型流感病毒均无抑制作用;②治疗和直接作用模式:对不同亚型流感病毒均有一定程度的抑制作用,且直接作用(SI=2.5~16)效果优于治疗模式(SI=2.2~5.8);③血凝抑制试验:对不同亚型的人流感病毒血凝素有不同程度抑制作用(最低抑制浓度为3.12~25 mg/mL),并且对禽流感病毒(H6N2、H7N3、H9N2)的血凝素也有一定的抑制作用(最低抑制浓度25~50 mg/mL),其作用机制可能为抑制流感病毒表面的血凝素(HA),从而阻止病毒感染。     

日本沼虾精子发生的研究

对日本沼虾精子发生全过程的电镜观察表明：精原细胞核染色质分散,胞质内有线粒休、内质网的分布。初级精母细胞核染色质块状,不均匀地分布于核中,内质同多小泡多。次级精母细胞核染色质大多分布于核膜内侧,内质网聚集成团,精细胞分化形成精子的早期,胞核增大,核侧形成内质同多小泡的聚合体;中期的核内染色质浓缩,同时形成空囊状结构,     

罗氏沼虾受精机制的细胞学研究

运用细胞学方法对罗氏沼虾的受精机理进行了初步研究,从卵巢中取邮的成熟卵,表面略有皱褶,无受精孔,不同于一般的节肢动物。成熟精子基部侧边分布许多成束的管状结构,其末端呈连续泡状。精卵接触时,这些泡破裂,膜与卵表膜融合,泡内的糖复合物对精卵识别,粘附可能起着重要和,从而使精子以基部侧边附着卵子表面,。