Elevation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Level in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Patients Is Associated with IgG Extravassation and Disease Severity

Background

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), is an infectious disease involving the central nervous system (CNS). The pathogenesis of CNS injury has not been clearly demonstrated. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and some cytokines, such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), may play important roles in the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the pathogenesis of TBE.

Methods

72 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from TBE patients in north eastern China. IgG levels in CSF and serum were compared and MMP-9 and IL-6 levels were evaluated by ELISA. The correlation between the elevated MMP-9 levels and IgG extravasation, disease severity, and neuroinflammation was analyzed.

Results

Increased concentration of MMP-9 was detected in some of the CSF samples, and the elevation was found to be closely related to CSF TBEV IgG extravasation and enhancement of IL-6 expression. Moreover, elevated levels of MMP-9 were found to be correlated with IL-6 enhancement. Four of the 72 patients, the ones who died, presented with high CSF MMP-9 levels.

Conclusions

In TBE patients, elevated CSF MMP-9 levels were associated with brain inflammatory reaction, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and disease severity.     

蜱传脑炎病毒对人单核细胞的致病性北大核心CSCD

【目的】确定蜱传脑炎病毒(Tick-born encephalitis virus,TBEV)对人单核细胞的感染性及对其复制增殖的影响。【方法】用蜱传脑炎病毒感染单核细胞THP-1,观察细胞病变情况。取不同时间点的细胞培养上清,测定病毒滴度,并用Real Time RT-PCR方法检测病毒核酸;用流式细胞法检测细胞感染率,以确定TBEV在THP-1细胞中的复制增殖情况;同时进行细胞活力检测,以确定TBEV感染后THP-1细胞的变化。【结果】TBEV病毒感染THP-1细胞后,可进行复制增殖,流式细胞法可检测到细胞内的病毒,感染病毒后的单核细胞活力显著降低。【结论】TBEV可在单核细胞THP-1中复制增殖,并可造成细胞活力的显著降低,提示单核细胞可能在TBEV感染机体并扩散至各组织器官过程中发挥了重要作用。     

Rhamnolipid but not motility is associated with the initiation of biofilm seeding dispersal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA17

Seeding dispersal is an active detachment exhibit in aging Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. Yet, effect factors of this process in the biofilm of clinical isolated mucoid P. aeruginosa strain remain to be better characterized. In our previous work, one mucoid P. earuginosa strain PA17 was isolated from a patient with recurrent pulmonary infection. In this study, confocal scanning laser microscope combined with LIVE/DEAD viability staining revealed that PA17 biofilm exhibited earlier seeding dispersal than non-mucoid PAO1. We further compared the motility and the expression of motility-associated gene during biofilm development between PA17 and PAO1. PA17 was found to be impaired in all three kinds of motility compared to PAO1. Moreover, we investigated the expression of rhamnolipid-associated genes in PA17 and PAO1 biofilm. The expression of these genes was in accordance with the process of seeding dispersal. Our results indicated that rhamnolipid but not motility is associated with the initiation of seeding dispersal of PA17 biofilm.     

Effects of culture and transplantation on follicle activation and early follicular growth in neonatal mouse ovaries

Mouse models have been widely utilized to elucidate the basic principles and regulatory mechanisms of primordial follicle activation. Outside their natural environment, the growth of follicles might be affected by unknown factors in vitro and the elimination of regulation in vivo. Currently, in vitro culture and transplantation of ovaries under the kidney capsule are two commonly used incubation methods. However, the limited number of studies that have been published compare various incubation systems and reveal differences between ovaries that are incubated and grown in vivo. We compare the number of primordial, primary and secondary follicles in cultured, transplanted and in-vivo-grown ovaries. We investigate the expression levels of four genes, including zona pellucida 3 (ZP3), growth and differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). Our results suggest that in vitro culture accelerates follicle activation, delays the transition from primary to secondary follicles and affects the expression patterns of ZP3, GDF-9, PCNA and AMH. A larger number of secondary follicles in ovaries cultured in alpha-minimal essential medium (α-MEM) had intact zona pellucida compared with those grown in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium containing Ham’s F-12 nutrient mixture (D/F12), suggesting that α-MEM is a better basal medium. The transplanted ovaries demonstrated the most similar characteristics to the in-vivo-grown ovaries, indicating that transplantation provided an optimal environment for ovarian incubation. This study has thus established the similarities and differences between in-vivo-grown and incubated ovaries, demonstrated that transplantation can mostly mimic the environment of ovarian growth in vivo and determined the optimal basal culture medium between α-MEM and D/F12.     

氟化物对家蚕耐氟和氟化物敏感品种幼虫中肠羧酸酯酶及全酯酶活性的影响

为了探讨氟化物在家蚕Bombyx mori体内的代谢途径, 以家蚕耐氟品种T6和氟化物敏感品种734为研究材料, 在5龄幼虫1-7 d内分别添食经50, 100, 200和400 mg/kg NaF溶液浸泡后的新鲜桑叶, 检测家蚕中肠羧酸酯酶（CarE）和全酯酶活性的变化。结果表明： 734添氟组的CarE活性是对照组的1.21~1.98倍, 而T6添氟组约是对照组的0.72~1.10倍。734和T6添氟组的全酯酶活性数值变化规律与其各自对照组相似, 且2品种之间的酶活性数值很相近。2品种在相同浓度下, 不同天数之间的全酯酶活性差异均显著（P＜0.05）。推测氟化物对敏感家蚕中肠CarE有促进作用, 对耐氟家蚕中肠CarE有抑制作用, 但是对全酯酶活性影响不大。     

基于OTC模拟的臭氧浓度升高对华山松生长的影响

利用树木年代学技术,以生长在开顶箱内的华山松为试材,研究高浓度臭氧条件下树木个体生长及典型森林生态系统的动态演变规律和适应机制.结果表明: 高浓度臭氧抑制了华山松茎节的生长, 茎节长度、直径年均生长量分别降低了35.0%和12.9%;年轮宽度生长量和年轮细胞数量分别降低11.5%和54.1%,但管胞直径的变化不明显.区域水平上,臭氧浓度的波动与当地植被生长变化(NDVI)显著相关.     

无距虾脊兰胚珠发育及种子形成研究

采用石蜡切片、半薄切片、扫描电镜技术对无距虾脊兰不同时期的子房(蒴果)进行研究.结果表明:(1)无距虾脊兰授粉后19d,胎座上分化出上万个胚珠原基,这些胚珠原基由1列细胞外包1层表皮细胞构成,其中胚珠原基内部顶端的细胞分化为孢原细胞,授粉后45 d,孢原细胞发育分化为大孢子母细胞.(2)无距虾脊兰成熟胚珠为倒生胚珠,双珠被,薄珠心,胚囊发育为蓼型,且胚珠的发育即便在同一个果实内也是不同步的.(3)受精后合子经过一次不均衡横裂形成基细胞和顶细胞;基细胞不参与胚体构成,分化为单细胞的胚柄,最后退化消失;顶细胞经多次分裂形成原球胚,胚胎发育类型为石竹型.(4)成熟种子呈纺锤形,由球形胚和内外双层种皮构成,双层种皮分别由内外珠被发育而来.     

中国特有植物无距虾脊兰生物学特性及花部形态观察

通过野外调查和定点观测、采用人工授粉以及扫描电镜观察方法,对分布于浙江西天目山的中国特有兰科(Orchidaceae)植物无距虾脊兰(Calanthe tsoongiana Tang et F.T.Wang)野生植株的生长特性及花部形态特征进行了研究.结果表明:无距虾脊兰分布于西天目山海拔470～ 550 m处,在腐殖质丰富、湿度较大且排水良好、有岩石裸露的地带生长良好,并能耐0℃以下的低温.其生长发育过程可分为萌芽期、开花期、果期及衰亡期4个时期.每个基株可有多个分株,但实生苗数量不足50％;该种具有有性和无性2种繁殖方式,但以无性繁殖为主.该种为总状花序,由15～ 39朵花聚集而成,每朵花由3萼片、2花瓣、1唇瓣和1蕊柱构成,其中萼片略长于花瓣,二者均为紫褐色带淡绿色脉纹;唇瓣黄色并有紫色斑点;紫色花药内含有8个近卵形的花粉块.花期3月份至4月份,持续时间约19 d,单花开放时间平均为8.14d.自然状态下结果植株数量较少,一般每个花葶上有1～4个果实.开花后前3天实施人工自花授粉或人工异花授粉,无距虾脊兰的结果率均可达100％,表明该种的交配系统为自交和杂交混合系统,自交和异交能力均较高.     

鹦哥岭山地雨林不同海拔区森林群落的生物量研究

为了解海南岛不同海拔热带山地雨林生态系统的生物量现状,在鹦哥岭山地雨林的择伐林中按高、中、低3个海拔区分别设立50个10m×10m的固定样方,并对植被、土壤、凋落物等进行了系统调查。结果表明：鹦哥岭山地雨林的生物量较低,地上生物量仅为152.6 t hm-2,乔木层生物量为142.6 t hm-2;乔木层的生物量,高海拔区明显高于中、低海拔区,分别为197.6 t hm-2,112.2 t hm-2和117.8 t hm-2;生物量的分配规律是乔木层>枯倒木>凋落物,分配比例为94.22%：2.90%：2.88%,树干>树枝>树皮>树叶,分配比例为72.63%：15.35%：9.23%：2.79%;因择伐林的原因,大径级和特大径级木的比例偏低,小（5cm~19.9cm）、中（20cm~35.9cm）、大（36cm~47.9cm）、特大径木（≥48cm）生物量分配比例为35.89%：26.24%：16.01%：21.86%;鹦哥岭山地雨林经过30多年的恢复,仍然处于演替的中期阶段,因此固碳潜力巨大。