外泌体miRNA生物标志物在肝癌中的研究进展*

外泌体广泛存在于多种体液中,携带有大量活性物质,如mRNA、miRNA、蛋白和脂质等。其中的miRNA是一类短非编码RNA,在转录后水平调节基因的表达,广泛参与个体生长发育等各生命活动。外泌体miRNA有多种生物学功能,在肿瘤的发生发展、侵袭转移、机体耐药及免疫调控等多方面发挥着重要作用。目前的研究表明,无论是作为肿瘤早筛早诊和预后评估标志物还是用于肿瘤治疗,外泌体miRNA都有很好的应用前景。本文就近年来外泌体miRNA在肝癌中的研究进展和临床应用进行综述。     

Neprilysin inhibits angiogenesis via proteolysis of fibroblast growth factor-2

Neprilysin is a cell surface peptidase that catalytically inactivates neuropeptide substrates and functions as a tumor suppressor via its enzymatic function and multiple protein-protein interactions. We investigated whether neutral endopeptidase could inhibit angiogenesis in vivo utilizing a murine corneal pocket angiogenesis model and found that it reduced fibroblast growth factor-2-induced angiogenesis by 85% (p < 0.01) but had no effect on that of vascular endothelial growth factor. Treatment with recombinant neprilysin, but not enzymatically inactive neprilysin, resulted in a slight increase in basic fibroblast growth factor electrophoretic mobility from proteolytic cleavage between amino acids Leu-135 and Gly-136, which was inhibited by the neutral endopeptidase inhibitor CGS24592 and heparin. Cleavage kinetics were rapid, comparable with that of other known neprilysin substrates. Functional studies involving neprilysin-expressing vascular endothelial cells demonstrated that neutral endopeptidase inhibition significantly enhanced fibroblast growth factor-mediated endothelial cell growth, capillary array formation, and signaling, whereas exogenous recombinant neprilysin inhibited signaling. Recombinant constructs confirmed that cleavage products neither promoted capillary array formation nor induced signaling. Moreover, mutation of the cleavage site resulted in concomitant loss of cleavage and increased the potency of fibroblast growth factor-2 to induce capillary array formation. These data indicate that neprilysin proteolytically inactivates fibroblast growth factor-2, resulting in negative regulation of angiogenesis.     

人工红树林中黑口滨螺和黑线蜒螺分布的差异性

研究了福建九龙江河口不同林龄、不同红树种类的人工林中黑口滨螺（Littoraia elanostoma）和黑线蜒螺（Nerita lineata）的分布情况.结果表明,黑线蜒螺主要分布于秋茄林内,且其生物量随林龄增加而增加;桐花树林内黑口滨螺的生物量和密度均大于林龄相近的秋茄林,但个体大小则小于秋茄林.黑口滨螺的生物量在桐花树林内随林龄增加呈现先增加后减少的趋势,而在秋茄林内则随林龄增加而减少.这种差异性反映了人工红树林植物种类及其演替过程对腹足类动物分布的影响.     

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor （GM-CSF） and T-cell responses： what we do and don＇t know

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor （GM-CSF） is an important hematopoietic growth factor and immune modulator. GM-CSF also has profound effects on the functional activities of various circulating leukocytes. It is produced by a variety of cell types including T cells, macrophages, endothelial cells and fibroblasts upon receiving immune stimuli. Although GM-CSF is produced locally, it can act in a paracrine fashion to recruit circulating neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes to enhance their functions in host defense. Recent intensive investigations are centered on the application of GM-CSF as an immune adjuvant for its ability to increase dendritic cell （DC） maturation and function as well as macrophage activity. It is used clinically to treat neutropenia in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, in AIDS patients during therapy, and in patients after bone marrow transplantation. Interestingly, the hematopoietic system of GM-CSF-deficient mice appears to be normal; the most significant changes are in some specific T cell responses. Although molecular cloning of GM-CSF was carried out using cDNA library oft cells and it is well known that the T cells produce GM-CSF after activation, there is a lack of systematic investigation of this cytokine in production by T cells and its effect on T cell function. In this article, we will focus mainly on the immunobiology of GM-CSF in T cells.     

大熊猫精浆蛋白的SDS-PAGE电泳研究

本试验采用SDS-PAGE对大熊猫精浆进行电泳并对电泳条带进行分析,探讨特异条带与大熊猫精液质量的关系。结果显示：大熊猫精浆SDS-PAGE电泳共分离得到12条蛋白谱带,其中6个条带为所有个体大熊猫精浆样品所共有,共有条带的相对量在不同个体之间不存在差异（P〉0．05）。试验中部分大熊猫精浆出现的特异蛋白带和共有带蛋白含量与精液质量无相关性。     

Assessment of Cardiac Function and Energetics in Isolated Mouse Hearts Using 31P NMR Spectroscopy

Bioengineered mouse models have become powerful research tools in determining causal relationships between molecular alterations and models of cardiovascular disease. Although molecular biology is necessary in identifying key changes in the signaling pathway, it is not a surrogate for functional significance. While physiology can provide answers to the question of function, combining physiology with biochemical assessment of metabolites in the intact, beating heart allows for a complete picture of cardiac function and energetics. For years, our laboratory has utilized isolated heart perfusions combined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to accomplish this task. Left ventricular function is assessed by Langendorff-mode isolated heart perfusions while cardiac energetics is measured by performing ³¹P magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the perfused hearts. With these techniques, indices of cardiac function in combination with levels of phosphocreatine and ATP can be measured simultaneously in beating hearts. Furthermore, these parameters can be monitored while physiologic or pathologic stressors are instituted. For example, ischemia/reperfusion or high workload challenge protocols can be adopted. The use of aortic banding or other models of cardiac pathology are apt as well. Regardless of the variants within the protocol, the functional and energetic significance of molecular modifications of transgenic mouse models can be adequately described, leading to new insights into the associated enzymatic and metabolic pathways. Therefore, ³¹P NMR spectroscopy in the isolated perfused heart is a valuable research technique in animal models of cardiovascular disease.     

Chronic Salmonella Infected Mouse Model

The bacterial infected mouse model is a powerful model system for studying areas such as infection, inflammation, immunology, signal transduction, and tumorigenesis. Many researchers have taken advantage of the colitis induced by Salmonella typhimurium for the studies on the early phase of inflammation and infection. However, only few reports are on the chronic infection in vivo. Mice with Salmonella persistent existence in the gastrointestinal tract allow us to explore the long-term host-bacterial interaction, signal transduction, and tumorigenesis. We have established a chronic bacterial infected mouse model with Salmonella typhimurium colonization in the mouse intestine over 6 months. To use this system, it is necessary for the researcher to learn how to prepare the bacterial culture and gavage the animals. We detail a methodology for prepare bacterial culture and gavage mice. We also show how to detect the Salmonella persistence in the gastrointestinal tract. Overall, this protocol will aid researchers using the bacterial infected mouse model to address fundamentally important biological and microbiological questions.Download video file.^{(92M, mp4)}     

匙叶八角中一个新的倍半木脂素

从匙叶八角(Illicium spathulatum)果实中分离得到一个新的倍半新木脂素,通过现代波谱技术确定其结构为7′, 8′-反式-7″, 8″ 顺式-5, 3′,3″-三甲氧基倍半新木脂素。