二甲双胍降低肥胖大鼠海马内PPARγ、IDE表达伴随TNF-α和Aβ42表达上调

二甲双胍（metformin,MET）常用于肥胖胰岛素抵抗患者改善胰岛素抵抗降低血糖,但MET可增加脑内β-淀粉肽（β-amyloid,Aβ）表达,目前机制不清.Aβ沉积作为阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer's disease, AD)始发病理生理学改变,在AD中发挥重要作用. 为研究MET对脑内Aβ表达的影响及机制,采用饮食诱导肥胖大鼠模型 （OB组）予MET灌胃4 W后（MET组）,观察海马内Aβ42及相关因子肿瘤坏死因子α （TNF-α）、过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ(peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, PPARγ)、胰岛素降解酶（insulin degrading enzyme, IDE）的表达. 结果显示,OB组大鼠血糖水平较对照组（CTL组）无明显差异,胰岛素含量明显升高（P<0.01), 并存在胰岛素抵抗;OB组大鼠海马内TNF-α、 Aβ42 水平较CTL组上调,PPARγ、IDE表达下降(P<0.05). MET组胰岛素及胰岛素抵抗均较OB组降低(P<0.05),海马内TNF-α、Aβ42表达增加(P<0.01);PPARγ,IDE表达较OB组减少(P<0.01). 上述结果提示,二甲双胍作为治疗肥胖胰岛素抵抗的一线用 药,可改善胰岛素抵抗,但增加海马内炎性因子TNF-α表达、减少PPARγ水平,降低其调控IDE转录作用,使IDE表达减少,伴随Aβ42降解减少沉积增加,从而可能增加AD发病风险.     

金鱼PP2A调节亚基PR55基因的克隆及表达分析

蛋白磷酸酶2A是一种重要的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白磷酸酶,对于调控多细胞的生命活动起重要作用。以金鱼大脑为材料,运用RT-PCR技术克隆得到PP2A调节亚基B55家族中PR55基因编码区部分序列。结果显示PR55基因cDNA长1218 bp,编码的多肽共含405个氨基酸。序列分析表明,该基因编码的蛋白与已知其他物种对应的PR55蛋白质均有着很高的同源性。用RT-PCR的方法检测了PR55基因在金鱼不同组织和胚胎发育不同时期的mRNA表达水平。结果表明,PR55基因表达呈现明显的组织和胚胎发育阶段差异性。在成体组织中,仅在大脑和鳍中有表达。在胚胎发育过程中,PR55从神经胚开始出现,整体呈现上升趋势,在出膜期达到最高水平。据此推测,PR55基因可能在金鱼胚胎发育中具有多种重要作用。       

A novel small molecule,LAS-0811, inhibits alcohol-induced apoptosis in VL-17A cells

One of the pathways by which alcohol induces hepatocyte apoptosis is via oxidative stress. We screened several chemically-synthesized small molecules and found LAS-0811, which inhibits oxidative stress. In this study, we elucidated its role in inhibiting alcohol-induced apoptosis in hepatocyte-like VL-17A cells. VL-17A cells were pre-incubated with LAS-0811, followed by ethanol incubation. Ethanol-induced reactive oxygen species and apoptosis were significantly inhibited in LAS-0811 pre-treated cells. VL-17A cells were transfected with a reporter (ARE/TK-GFP) plasmid containing green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter gene and the anti-oxidant response element as the promoter. LAS-0811 pre-treatment significantly induced the GFP expression compared to the cells treated with ethanol alone. LAS-0811 induced the activation of nrf2 and enhanced the expression and activity of glutathione peroxidase, one of the downstream targets of nrf2. The results indicate that LAS-0811 protects VL-17A cells against ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis at least in part via nrf2 activation.     

Salidroside protects against hydrogen peroxide-induced injury in cardiac H9c2 cells via PI3K-Akt dependent pathway

Oxidative stress induces serious tissue injury in cardiovascular diseases. Salidroside, with its strong antioxidative and cytoprotective actions, is of particular interest in the development of antioxidative therapies for oxidative injury in cardiac diseases. We examined the pharmacological effects of salidroside on H9c2 rat cardiomyoblast cells under conditions of oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) challenge. Salidroside attenuated H2O2-impaired cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner, and effectively inhibited cellular malondialdehyde production, lethal sarcolemmal disruption, cell necrosis, and apoptosis induced by H2O2 insult. Salidroside significantly augmented Akt phosphorylation at Serine 473 in the absence or presence of H2O2 stimulation; wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of PI3K, abrogated salidroside protection. Salidroside increased the intracellular mRNA expression and activities of catalase and Mn-superoxide dismutases in a PI3K-dependent manner. Our results indicated that salidroside protected cardiomyocytes against oxidative injury through activating the PI3K/Akt pathway and increasing the expression and activities of endogenous PI3K dependent antioxidant enzymes.     

Matrine suppression of self-renewal was dependent on regulation of LIN28A/Let-7 pathway in breast cancer stem cells

Matrine, a natural product extracted from the root of Sophora flavescens Ait, was the main chemical ingredient of compounds of Kushen injection, which has been widely used for its remarkable anticancer effects for years. The underlying mechanisms for Matrine regulations of human breast cancer stem cells (BrCSCs) are barely known. LIN28, a well-characterized suppressor of Let-7 microRNA biogenesis, playing vital roles in regulations of stem cells’ renewal and tumorigenesis. Here we show that the compounds of Kushen injection derived Matrine could suppress the BrCSCs differentiation and self-renewal through downregulating the expression of Lin28A, resulting in the inactivation of Wnt pathway through a Let-7b-dependent way. In opposite to Matrine, Cisplatin treatment increases the ability of tumorsphere formation and the expression of BrCSCs markers, which was partially blocked by either Let-7b overexpression or CCND1 inhibition. Furthermore, Matrine sensitized BrCSCs to cisplatin's suppression of cancer expansion in vitro and in vivo. Our study uncovers the role of the LIN28A/Let-7 in BrCSCs renewal, and more importantly, elucidated a novel mechanism by which Matrine induces breast cancer involution.     

Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates with high 3-hydroxydodecanoate monomer content by fadB and fadA knockout mutant of Pseudomonas putida KT2442

Pseudomonas putida KT2442 produces medium-chain-length (MCL) polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) consisting of 3-hydroxyhexanoate (HHx), 3-hydroxyoctanoate (HO), 3-hydroxydecanoate (HD), and 3-hydroxydodecanoate (HDD) from a wide-range of carbon sources. In this study, fadA and fadB genes encoding 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase in P. putida KT2442 were knocked out to weaken the beta-oxidation pathway. Two-step culture was proven as the optimal method for PHA production in the mutant termed P. putida KTOY06. In a shake-flask culture, when dodecanoate was used as a carbon source, P. putida KTOY06 accumulated 84 wt % PHA, much higher than 50 wt % PHA in its wild type KT2442. The PHA monomer composition was completely different: the HDD fraction in PHA produced by KTOY06 was 41 mol %, much higher compared with 7.5 mol % only in KT2442. The fermentor-scale culture indicated the HDD fraction in PHA decreased during the culture time from 35 to 25 mol % in a one-step fermentation process or from 75 to 49 mol % in a two-step fermentation process. It is for the first time that PHA with a dominant HDD fraction was produced. Thermal and mechanical properties assays indicated that this new type PHA with a high HDD fraction had higher crystallinity and tensile strength than PHA with a low HDD fraction did, demonstrating an improved application property.     

前列腺基质细胞的原代培养方法

目的:建立一种操作简单、成功率高、重复性好的前列腺增生组织原代基质细胞(PSC)培养方法。方法:采用胶原酶消化法、组织块贴壁法和胰酶消化组织块贴壁法,从70岁及以上男性的良性前列腺增生组织中分离培养PSC,通过显微镜观察比较PSC的数量、形态、培养周期,用免疫荧光染色法鉴定PSC的纯度。结果:胶原酶消化法得到的贴壁细胞少,细胞体积较小且形态无法铺展,增殖能力较弱;组织块贴壁法培养72h后细胞会从组织边缘缓慢爬出,生长周期长;胰酶消化组织块贴壁法,细胞培养7d后基本融合,折光性强,细胞多呈长梭形,通过免疫荧光染色鉴定,基质细胞纯度在95%以上。结论:利用胰酶消化组织块贴壁法建立了一种易行、高效且重复性好的前列腺增生组织基质细胞培养方法。     

典型草原区达乌尔鼠兔年龄划分标准

年龄鉴定是研究动物种群生态学的重要基础.作者于2009 ～2010年间在内蒙古典型草原区采用整洞群夹捕的取样方法捕获了198只达乌尔鼠兔(Ochotona dauurica,116只雌鼠,82只雄鼠).在对样本进行常规解剖和数据记录后,根据样本的胴体重频次分布特征并参照繁殖特征,对达乌尔鼠兔进行年龄划分.分析结果表明,达乌尔鼠兔胴体重存在显著的性别差异,据此本文按照性别将达乌尔鼠兔划分如下3个年龄组,雌性:幼年组(胴体重≤55 g)、亚成年组(55 g＜胴体重＜75 g)、成年组(胴体重≥75g);雄鼠:幼年组(胴体重≤55 g)、亚成年组(55 g＜胴体重＜85 g)、成年组(胴体重≥85 g).并根据达乌尔鼠兔体重与胴体重之间的相互关系,建立了利用体重鉴定达乌尔鼠兔年龄的依据.本方法可为野外达乌尔鼠兔的年龄划分和种群结构动态研究提供参考依据.     

北京市生态安全格局及城市增长预景

在快速城市化和城市生态安全面临巨大挑战的时代背景下,构建生态安全格局是实现区域和城市生态安全的基本保障和重要途径.在梳理国内外生态安全格局研究进展的基础上,提出基于景观安全格局理论的北京市生态安全格局网络和城市发展空间格局.通过对北京市水文、地质灾害、生物多样性保护、文化遗产和游憩过程的系统分析,运用GIS和空间分析技术,判别出维护上述各种过程安全的     

初始硝酸钠浓度对魏氏真眼点藻的生长、形态和油脂积累的影响

为了确定不同初始氮供应水平对产油微藻魏氏真眼点藻(Eustigmatos vischeri)生长、形态和油脂积累的影响, 本研究通过在改良的BG-11培养基中设置4种不同的初始硝酸钠浓度(17.6、11.7、5.9和3.0 mmol/L)对魏氏真眼点藻(E. vischeri)进行培养。观察结果表明, 魏氏真眼点藻(E. vischeri)的营养细胞为一具裂叶状叶绿体、细胞质中有一红色素体和许多振动颗粒及光滑细胞壁的球形单细胞; 细胞繁殖方式主要是形成二分裂和四分裂的似亲孢子。在低氮条件下, 随着培养时间的延长, 细胞内油体逐步形成, 至培养末期占据细胞的大部分空间, 同时培养物的颜色也由绿色向黄绿色转变, 最终呈橙黄色。实验结果表明, 魏氏真眼点藻(E. vischeri)生物质浓度在17.6 mmol/L组获得最大值为9.14 g/L; 总脂、中性脂和总脂肪酸三者占干重的含量随着初始硝酸钠浓度的降低而升高, 在3.0 mmol/L组获得最高值, 分别为60.81%、56.59%和53.47%; 三者的单位体积产率均在5.9 mmol/L组获得最高值, 分别为0.24、0.21和0.20 g/(Ld); 主要脂肪酸组成为棕榈酸(C16:0)、棕榈油酸(C16:1)、油酸(C18:1)和二十碳五烯酸(C20:53, EPA), 其中棕榈油酸的含量最高。上述研究表明, 魏氏真眼点藻(E. vischeri)是一株适合于生产生物柴油和长链不饱和脂肪酸EPA的高产油微藻。