The survival of whole and bisected rabbit morulae after cryopreservation by the vitrification method

The survival of whole and bisected rabbit morulae cryopreserved by the vitrification method was investigated. The embryos were loaded in a column of vitrification solution (VS, a mixture of 25% glycerol and 25% 1, 2-propanediol in PBS+16% calf serum), which was located between two columns of 1 M sucrose solution in a plastic straw. The embryos were frozen by being plunged into liquid nitrogen and thawed in a water bath at 20 degrees C. Two methods of loading embryos into straws were used: the single and double column vitrification solution methods. The embryonic survival rates between these two methods were compared. Seventy-one (86.6%) out of 82 morulae vitrified in double column straws developed into the blastocyst stage in vitro. Eleven (18.3%) live fetuses were obtained after the transfer of 60 frozen-thawed morulae to four recipients. By contrast, the survival rate (36.5%, 27 74 ) of embryos vitrified in the single column straws was significantly lower (P<0.05). The vitrification solution of the single column straws became opaque, indicating ice-crystal formation, upon thawing in 5 of 11 straws, which was assumed to have damaged the embryos. More than 80% (29 36 ) of the bisected morulae frozen and thawed in the double column straws developed to the blastocyst stage in vitro when cryoprotectant was diluted stepwise with 1 M and 0.25 M sucrose solution. When the cryoprotectant was removed by one-step dilution with 1 M sucrose solution, swelling in blastomeres was observed and the development rate of the recovered embryos decreased (45.8%, 11 24 ). These results indicate that the vitrification method employed in our experiment is not only efficient for the cryopreservation of rabbit morulae, but it can also be used for the preservation of bisected rabbit morulae, which had not been successful using previous methods.     

Ras-Regulated Hypophosphorylation of the Retinoblastoma Protein Mediates Neuronal Differentiation in PC12 Cells

Abstract: To investigate the role of the retinoblastoma protein pRB in neuronal differentiation, we have measured the accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRB in PC12 cells stimulated by nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF induced the accumulation of hypophosphorylated pRB within 30 min and the level peaked after 12 h. Viral Kiras, cyclic AMP (cAMP), and 12- O -tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) also induced the hypophosphorylation of pRB, but epidermal growth factor and interleukin-6 did not. The extent of hypophosphorylation of pRB correlated well with the capacity of these factors to stimulate neurite outgrowth. The constitutively activated Ras induced persistent shift of the phosphorylation state of pRB toward hypophosphorylation. A dominant negative form of cHa-Ras suppressed significantly induction of the hypophosphorylation of pRB by NGF, but not by cAMP. Taken together, these results suggest that the hypophosphorylation of pRB triggered by NGF is mediated by a Ras-dependent pathway. Furthermore, microinjection of a monoclonal antibody specific for the hypophosphorylated form of pRB blocked the neurite outgrowth initiated by NGF. These results suggest a crucial role of pRB in withdrawal of cells from the cell cycle and in neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.     

Effects of interleukin-12 on in vitro culture with interleukin-2 of regional lymph node lymphocytes from lung cancer patients

 In the present study, we carried out a functional analysis of regional lymph node lymphocytes (RLNL) from patients with lung cancer after in vitro activation by interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-12 (IL-12). IL-12 (100 U/ml) enhanced both the proliferation and cytotoxic activity of RLNL in a culture with low doses of IL-2 (5 – 10 JRU/ml). After comparing an RLNL culture with a low dose of IL-2 alone, a higher proportion of CD8⁺ cells and CD56⁺ cells and a lower proportion of CD4⁺ cells were found in the culture with both IL-12 and a low dose of IL-2. Such a combination of the cytokines effectively activated RLNL in terms of the expression of IL-2 receptors. In the culture condition of IL-12 and a low dose of IL-2, a synergistic effect was observed in the production of such cytokines as interferon γ, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and TNFβ, as well as in tumor cytotoxicity. However, the addition of IL-12 inhibited the cytotoxicity of RLNL in the culture with a high dose of IL-2 (100 JRU/ml). This inhibition is considered to be partially due to the endogenous production of TNFα by lymphocytes, because the neutralization of TNFα bioactivity partially restored the cytotoxic activities of RLNL. Furthermore, in the presence of hydrocortisone, IL-12 synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic activity of RLNL cultured with a high dose of IL-2. These results provide useful information about the improvement of adoptive immunotherapy against cancer using RLNL. Received: 2 February 1996 / Accepted: 30 July 1996     

The role of β- and α-adrenoreceptors on blood flow and temperature of brown adipose tissue and involvement of nitric oxide in their effects

1. o

2. 1. Isoproterenol increased interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) blood flow and temperature.

3. 2. Phenylephrine increased BAT temperature, but did not affect blood flow. The effect was completely suppressed by N^ω-nitro- -arginine methyl ester ( -NAME), an inhibitor of endogenous NO synthesis.

4. 3. Isoproterenol plus phenylephrine increased BAT blood flow and temperature earlier than isoproterenol alone.

5. 4. CL316,243 increased BAT blood flow and temperature. These effects were also inhibited by -NAME.

6. 5. These data suggest that BAT blood flow as well as thermogenesis is regulated mainly by β-adrenoreceptors and partly by α₁-adrenoreceptors, and NO may be a common mediator for their regulations.

     

A flash-photolysis study of the reactions of acaa 3-ttype cytochrome oxidase with dioxygen and carbon monoxide

The time course of absorbance changes following flash photolysis of the fully-reduced carboxycytochrome oxidase fromBacillus PS3 in the presence of O₂ has been followed at 445, 550, 605, and 830 nm, and the results have been compared with the corresponding changes in bovine cytochrome oxidase. The PS3 enzyme has a covalently bound cytochromec subunit and the fully-reduced species therefore accommodates five electrons instead of four as in the bovine enzyme. In the bovine enzyme, following CO dissociation, four phases were observed with time constants of about 10 s, 30 s, 100 s, and 1 ms at 445 nm. The initial, 10-s absorbance change at 445 nm is similar in the two enzymes. The subsequent phases involving hemea and Cu_A are not seen in the PS3 enzyme at 445 nm, because these redox centers are re-reduced by the covalently bound cytochromec, as indicated by absorbance changes at 550 nm. A reaction scheme consistent with the experimental observations is presented. In addition, internal electron-transfer reactions in the absence of O₂ were studied following flash-induced CO dissociation from the mixed-valence enzyme. Comparisons of the CO recombination rates in the mixed-valence and fully-reduced oxidases indicate that more electrons were transferred from hemea ₃ toa in PS3 oxidase compared to the bovine enzyme.     

沿海防护林防海煞危害初探

通过后牧村海岸防护林带附近空气中主要盐离子飘尘的观测分析表明,林带对大气盐尘的吸附和截留作用,无林带地区平均沉降量为４．３μｇ．ｍ＾－３．１００ｍ＾－１,通过林带时为１８．４μｍ＾－３．１００ｍ＾－１。林带的吸队量与树种、枝叶形状有关,侧柏对Ｃｌ＾－和Ｎａ＾＋的吸附量分别为６３３０和３３５０ｍｇ．ｋｇ＾－１,而黑松为１５７０和９５０ｍｇ．ｋｇ＾－１,空气中盐尘受天气条件特别是风速的影响,阴天,风速     

赣榆县滨海通榆运河综合效益型防护林的优化模式

在评价赣榆县滨海通榆运河河岸堤顶,堤腰,堤底三个立地条件分异性的基础上,进行了１１个树种（品种）的引种试验和间作物配置,建立了１１种立体种植模式,分析了各个立地条件下的林木生长表现和经济效益,从生态、经济和社会的综合效益考虑,设计了河岸利用的最优模式;堤顶为香椿＋小麦＋大豆;堤腰为Ｉ－６９杨＋小麦＋大豆;堤底为Ｉ－１０５杨＋杞柳。预期经济效益可比原有纯杨树型模式提高４０．９％。     

Characterization of esophageal desalination in the seawater eel,Anguilla japonica

To characterize mechanisms of esophageal desalination, osmotic water permeability and ion fluxes were measured in the isolated esophagus of the seawater eel. The osmotic permeability coefficient in the seawater eel esophagus was 2·10^-4 cm·s^-1. This value was much lower than those in tight epithelial, although the eel esophagus is a leaky epithelium with a tissue resistance of 77 ohm·cm^-2. When the esophagus was bathed in normal Ringer solutions on both sides no net ion and water fluxes were observed. However, when mucosal NaCl concentration was increased by a factor of 3, Na⁺ und Cl^- ions were transferred from mucosa to serosa (desalination). If only Na⁺ or Cl^- concentration in the mucosal fluid was increased by a factor of 3, net Na⁺ and Cl^- fluxes were reduced to 30–40%, indicating that 60–70% of the net Na⁺ and Cl^- fluxes are coupled mutually. The coupled NaCl transport seems to be effective in desalting the luminal high NaCl. The remaining 30–40% of the total Na⁺ and Cl^- fluxes seems to be due to a simple diffusion, because these components are independent of each other and follow their electrochemical gradients, and also because these fluxes remain even after treatment with NaCN or ouabain. A half of the coupled NaCl transport could be explained by a Na⁺/H⁺–Cl^-/HCO ₃ ^- double exchanger on the apical membrane of the esophageal epithelium, because mucosal amiloride and 4.4-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2-disulphonic acid inhibited the net Na⁺ and Cl^- fluxes by approximately 30%. The other half of the coupled NaCl transport, which follows their electrochemical gradients, still remains to be explained.Abbreviations DIDS 4,4-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2-disulphonic acid - NMDG N-methyl-d-glucosamine - P _Cl Cl^- permeability coefficient - PD transepithelial potential difference - P _Na Na⁺ permeability coefficient - P _osm osinotic permeability coefficient - TALH thick ascending limb of Henle's loop     

湖南省发现云开脊蛇兼记棕脊蛇新地模标本

云开脊蛇(Achalinus yunkaiensis)之前仅在广东和广西有分布报道。本文基于形态比较及线粒体COI基因序列分子系统关系分析结果,确定采集于湖南省新宁县的1号雌性脊蛇标本(CIB 119041)为云开脊蛇,为湖南省新记录种。该标本鼻间鳞沟约等于前额鳞沟,上颔齿24枚;背鳞通身23行,腹鳞150枚,尾下鳞55枚;尾长与体长之比为0.203。至此共有4种脊蛇分布于湖南省。此外,本文还报道了棕脊蛇(A. rufescens)1号雄性地模标本(CIB 119042),该标本鼻间鳞沟长于前额鳞沟;背鳞通身23行,腹鳞153枚,尾下鳞62枚;尾长与体长之比0.201。分子系统发育结果显示,棕脊蛇种组各支系的系统地位还需进一步研究厘定。     

细胞外基质刚度调控压电型机械敏感离子通道组件1对神经干细胞分化的影响

目的 本研究旨在探讨细胞外基质刚度变化对神经干细胞（neural stem cells,NSCs）分化的影响及其作用机制。方法 本研究基于成功构建脊髓损伤大鼠模型,并制备不同刚度（0.7 kPa、40 kPa）的聚丙烯酰胺凝胶基底,将大鼠原代NSCs于不同刚度基底上培养。压电型机械敏感离子通道组件1（piezo type mechanosensitive ion channel component 1,Piezo1）shRNA质粒转染NSCs细胞。免疫荧光染色检测神经元标志物双皮质醇（doublecortion,DCX）和星形胶质细胞标志物胶质纤维酸性蛋白（glial fibrillary acidic protein,GFAP）阳性细胞百分比。免疫组织化学及蛋白质免疫印迹（Western blot）法检测损伤组织及NSCs细胞中Piezo1蛋白的表达水平。结果 与0.7 kPa基质刚度组相比,40 kPa基质刚度组中DCX阳性细胞数增加,而GFAP阳性细胞数减少,Piezo1蛋白表达量上升。脊髓损伤大鼠损伤组织Piezo1蛋白表达显著高于空白对照（sham）组。40 kPa基质刚度条件下沉默Piezo1后,DCX阳性细胞数减少,而GFAP阳性细胞数增加,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。机制研究发现,沉默Piezo1导致IV型胶原及纤连蛋白表达下降。重组纤连蛋白逆转了Piezo1 shRNA对NSCs分化的影响,即DCX阳性细胞数增加,而GFAP阳性细胞数减少。结论 综上可见,硬基底刚度通过促进Piezo1蛋白表达,上调IV型胶原及纤连蛋白表达,从而调控NSCs细胞分化。本研究为基于生物材料治疗脊髓损伤提供了新的视角。