Isolation of Propionibacterium acnes from central nervous system infections

Propionibacterium acnes is a common skin colonizer and its involvement in central nervous system (CNS) infections may be related with previous neurosurgical procedures. P. acnes was isolated in pure or mixed cultures from ten patients with CNS infections during a 5-year period. The clinical presentation, treatment and outcome were retrospectively reviewed. Nine out of 11 patients had CNS infections after a neurosurgical procedure. The clinical presentation was: brain abscess (five patients), subdural or epidural empyema (four patients) and shunt meningitis (one patient). Three patients had also secondary meningitis. All patients received antibiotic therapy and all abscesses and empyemas were drained. The patient with shunt meningitis cured without catheter removal. Only one patient with a brain abscess by P. acnes died, but several months thereafter and as a consequence of a Gram-negative superinfection. P. acnes is a pathogen for the CNS and infections must be surgically managed under adequate antibiotic treatment.     

The atlas of RNase H antisense oligonucleotide distribution and activity in the CNS of rodents and non-human primates following central administration

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) have emerged as a new class of drugs to treat a wide range of diseases, including neurological indications. Spinraza, an ASO that modulates splicing of SMN2 RNA, has shown profound disease modifying effects in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) patients, energizing efforts to develop ASOs for other neurological diseases. While SMA specifically affects spinal motor neurons, other neurological diseases affect different central nervous system (CNS) regions, neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Therefore, it is important to characterize ASO distribution and activity in all major CNS structures and cell types to have a better understanding of which neurological diseases are amenable to ASO therapy. Here we present for the first time the atlas of ASO distribution and activity in the CNS of mice, rats, and non-human primates (NHP), species commonly used in preclinical therapeutic development. Following central administration of an ASO to rodents, we observe widespread distribution and target RNA reduction throughout the CNS in neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and microglia. This is also the case in NHP, despite a larger CNS volume and more complex neuroarchitecture. Our results demonstrate that ASO drugs are well suited for treating a wide range of neurological diseases for which no effective treatments are available.     

Ti2448合金种植体表面不同纳米管径生物活性膜对成骨细胞早期黏附的影响

观察Ti2448合金表面不同纳米管径生物活性膜对成骨细胞早期黏附的影响,筛选出能够抵抗细菌在种植体表面黏附和定植的最适管径,为研制开发具有抗菌性能的种植体提供实验基础。采用阳极氧化法,设定不同氧化电压,在Ti2448合金表面生成具有不同纳米管径的生物活性膜。通过MTT实验检测不同管径纳米管表面在不同时间点黏附的MG-63细胞数量差异;通过免疫荧光法观察接种24h后不同管径纳米管表面黏附细胞形态学差异。结果显示,细胞接种3h和24h后,30nm组的OD值显著高于对照组及其他实验组(P0.05);随着纳米管径的增加,细胞骨架蛋白的铺展范围逐渐减小,细胞由多角形渐变为梭形、椭圆形、圆形。研究结果表明,30nm管径生物活性膜更有利于成骨细胞的早期黏附,可能更能抵抗细菌在钛种植体上的黏附与定植。     

浸泡条件下孔雀石绿及其代谢物隐色孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 组织中分布及消除规律研究

以7 mg/L的孔雀石绿浸泡斑点叉尾 苗种5min后将其饲养于池塘的网箱中, 研究了在养殖模式下孔雀石绿及其代谢物隐色孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 苗种各组织中的分布及消除规律。采用高效液相色谱串联质谱法(HPLC-MS/MS)分析孔雀石绿及其代谢物隐色孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 血液、肌肉、皮肤、肝脏、肾脏组织中的浓度水平。采用药代动力学分析软件3p97对血药浓度时间数据进行分析。结果表明, 孔雀石绿和隐色孔雀石绿血药浓度时间曲线符合有吸收二室模型, 动力学方程分别为: C孔雀石绿 =683.063 e-0.248 t+ 11.176 e-0.006 t- 694.239e-0.333 t, C隐色孔雀石绿 =757.240 e-0.222 t + 14.474 e-0.007 t 771.714 e-0.382 t。血液中孔雀石绿和隐色孔雀石绿达峰时间Tpeak分别为3.480和3.623h, 峰浓度值Cmax分别为81.560和159.619 ng/mL, 表观分布容积Vd/F分别为37.689和21.125 L/kg, 分布相的一级速率常数分别为0.248和0.222/h, 消除相的一级速率常数分别为 0.006和0.007/h, 吸收半衰期T(1/2) 分别为2.794和3.124h, 消除半衰期T(1/2)分别为113.068和105.841h, 中央室向周边室转运的一级速率常数K12分别为0.020和0.015/h, 周边室向中央室转运的一级速率常数K21分别为0.159和0.121/h, 药-时曲线下面积AUC分别为2493.944和3601.863 ngh/mL。肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中孔雀石绿和隐色孔雀石绿浓度水平的结果表明, 孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 4种组织中浓度由高到低的顺序是皮肤肌肉肾脏肝脏, 其中斑点叉尾 皮肤组织易蓄积孔雀石绿, 其残留时间最长, 肝脏组织由于对孔雀石绿有极强的代谢转化功能而浓度较低。孔雀石绿在肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中的消除方程分别为C=5.570 e-0.009t、C=6.302 e-0.007t、C=4.791 e-0.006t和C=4.591 e-0.002t, 相关系数r20.773, 消除半衰期T1/2肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏分别为3.2、4.1、4.8和14.4d。肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中孔雀石绿分别在45、60、30和60d才未被检测到; 隐色孔雀石绿在斑点叉尾 4种组织中浓度由高到低的顺序是肝脏皮肤肌肉肾脏, 残留时间最长的组织也是皮肤组织。隐色孔雀石绿在肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中的消除方程分别为C=6.491 e-0.004t、C=6.958 e-0.003t、C=6.722 e-0.007t和C=6.162 e-0.002t, 相关系数r20.673, 消除半衰期T1/2肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏分别为7.2、9.6、4.1和14.4d。肌肉、皮肤、肝脏和肾脏组织中隐色孔雀石绿分别在90、90、60和90d才未被检出。试验期间(2011年5月17日至7月15日)平均水温为26.4℃, 孔雀石绿和隐色孔雀石绿90d后在各组织中才未检测到, 因此, 使用7 mg/L孔雀石绿浸泡2龄斑点叉尾 苗种孔雀石绿及其代谢物隐色孔雀石绿至少应经过2376℃d后才能消除。       

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3,6-diamino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine derivatives as protein kinase inhibitors

The synthesis and biological evaluation of a number of differently substituted 3,6-diamino-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine derivatives are reported. From the inhibition results on a selection of disease-relevant protein kinases [IC₅₀ (μM) DYRK1A = 11; CDK5 = 0.41; GSK-3 = 1.5] we have observed that 3,6-diamino-4-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5-carbonitrile (4) constitutes a potential new and simple lead compound in the search of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.     

Effects of seed burial on germination,protein mobilisation and seedling survival in Dodonaea viscosa

Ecological restoration of disturbed areas requires substantial knowledge of the germination of native plants and the creation of novel methods to increase seedling establishment in the field. We studied the effects of soil matrix priming on the germination of Dodonaea viscosa seeds, which exhibit physical dormancy. To this end, we buried both pre‐scarified (in H₂SO₄, 3 min) and non‐pre‐scarified seeds in the Parque Ecológico de la Ciudad de México. After seeds were unearthed, they were post‐scarified for 0, 2, 6 and 10 min and their germination percentages compared to the germination of a control batch of laboratory‐stored seeds. For both control and unearthed seeds, the protein pattern was determined in the enriched storage protein fraction in SDS‐PAGE gels stained with Coomassie blue. Percentage germination increased as the scarification time increased. Pre‐scarification significantly increased percentage germination of post‐scarified seeds in relation to the control and non‐pre‐scarified seeds. In seeds unearthed from the forest site, the buried pre‐scarified seeds had relatively high percentage germination, even in the absence of post‐scarification treatment. A 48‐kDa protein was not found in unearthed, pre‐scarified seeds nor in the control germinated seeds, indicating that mobilisation of this protein occurred during soil priming. Burying seeds for a short period, including the beginning of the rainy season, promoted natural priming, which increased protein mobilisation. Functionally, priming effects were reflected in high percentage seedling survival in both the shade house and the field. Seed burial also reduced the requirement for acidic post‐scarification.     

七姊妹山常绿落叶阔叶混交林物种多样性格局及其环境解释

依托七姊妹山自然保护区6 hm²森林动态监测样地研究平台,基于样地和物种基本信息数据,采用多元回归树和冗余分析研究方法,探讨地形因子对生境的塑造作用及物种分布特征,分析不同群丛类型下物种多样性的变化规律。结果表明：(1)依据“1 SE”规则,4次分割依次以海拔(1 453 m)、坡度(23.13°)、海拔(1 398 m)、凹凸度(4.094)为分界点可将150个样地分为5个群丛。(2)冗余分析表明地形因子对物种分布解释量为0.077 6,解释率为16.36%,各环境因子对物种分布的解释力度依次为：海拔>坡度>凹凸度;坡向与物种的分布无显著相关性。(3)5个群丛中立木密度与胸高截面积最高的均为群丛5(527.4株/400 m²;3.495 cm²/株),立木密度与平均胸高截面积最低为群丛4(225.4株/400 m²;3.057 cm²/株)。(4)5个群丛中Shannon Winener丰富度指数与Simpson优势度指数最高的均为群丛2,最低的为群丛5,物种多样性尺度效应明显;Pielou均匀度指数最高为群丛4,最低为群丛5。(5)两两群丛间Jaccard相似性系数最低为群丛1 群丛2(0.331),最高的为群丛4 群丛5(0.645),海拔对β多样性格局影响较大。研究认为,七姊妹山自然保护区6 hm²样地地形因子对该区域生境的塑造具有一定作用,海拔、坡度、凹凸度组成的“环境筛”影响了该区域的物种分布及多样性格局。     

Clonal Expansion Analysis of Transposon Insertions by High-Throughput Sequencing Identifies Candidate Cancer Genes in a PiggyBac Mutagenesis Screen

Somatic transposon mutagenesis in mice is an efficient strategy to investigate the genetic mechanisms of tumorigenesis. The identification of tumor driving transposon insertions traditionally requires the generation of large tumor cohorts to obtain information about common insertion sites. Tumor driving insertions are also characterized by their clonal expansion in tumor tissue, a phenomenon that is facilitated by the slow and evolving transformation process of transposon mutagenesis. We describe here an improved approach for the detection of tumor driving insertions that assesses the clonal expansion of insertions by quantifying the relative proportion of sequence reads obtained in individual tumors. To this end, we have developed a protocol for insertion site sequencing that utilizes acoustic shearing of tumor DNA and Illumina sequencing. We analyzed various solid tumors generated by PiggyBac mutagenesis and for each tumor >10⁶ reads corresponding to >10⁴ insertion sites were obtained. In each tumor, 9 to 25 insertions stood out by their enriched sequence read frequencies when compared to frequencies obtained from tail DNA controls. These enriched insertions are potential clonally expanded tumor driving insertions, and thus identify candidate cancer genes. The candidate cancer genes of our study comprised many established cancer genes, but also novel candidate genes such as Mastermind-like1 (Mamld1) and Diacylglycerolkinase delta (Dgkd). We show that clonal expansion analysis by high-throughput sequencing is a robust approach for the identification of candidate cancer genes in insertional mutagenesis screens on the level of individual tumors.