Inhibition of selectin-mediated cell adhesion and prevention of acute inflammation by nonanticoagulant sulfated saccharides. Studies with carboxyl-reduced and sulfated heparin and with trestatin a sulfate

Selectins play a major role in the inflammatory reaction by initiating neutrophil attachment to activated vascular endothelium. Some heparin preparations can interact with L- and P-selectin; however, the determinants required for inhibiting selectin-mediated cell adhesion have not yet been characterized. We now report that carboxyl-reduced and sulfated heparin (prepared by chemical modifications of porcine intestinal mucosal heparin leading to the replacement of carboxylates by O-sulfate groups) and trestatin A sulfate (obtained by sulfation of trestatin A, a non-uronic pseudo-nonasaccharide extracted from Streptomyces dimorphogenes) exhibit strong anti-P-selectin and anti-L-selectin activity while lacking antithrombin-mediated anticoagulant activity. In vitro experiments revealed that both compounds inhibited P-selectin- and L-selectin-mediated cell adhesion under laminar flow conditions. Moreover, carboxyl-reduced and sulfated heparin and trestatin A sulfate were also active in vivo, as assessed by experiments showing 1) that microinfusion of trestatin A sulfate reduced by 96% leukocyte rolling along rat mesenteric postcapillary venules and 2) that both compounds inhibited (by 58-81%) neutrophil migration into thioglycollate-inflamed peritoneum of BALB/c mice. These results indicate that nonanticoagulant sulfated saccharides targeted at P-selectin and L-selectin may have therapeutic potential in inflammatory disorders.     

丙泊酚预处理对大鼠离体心肌浅低温缺血／再灌注损伤后线粒体细胞色素C释放的影响

目的：探讨丙泊酚预处理对大鼠离体心肌浅低温缺血／再灌注（I／R）损伤后心肌细胞凋亡及线粒体细胞色素C释放的影响。方法：应用Langendorff离体心脏灌注模型,取50只SD大鼠随机分为5组：对照组（C组）,二甲基亚砜（DMSO）预处理组（D组）,25、50、100μmol·L^-1丙泊酚预处理纽（P1、P2、P3组）。各组均浅低温缺血55min,再常温灌注60min。D组、P1、P2、P3组在缺血前分别以含DMSO、相应浓度丙泊酚的K-H液灌注10min,再冲洗5min,重复2次。记录平衡灌注末、缺血前即刻、再灌注30、60min时的心功能指标。再灌注60min时测定凋亡细胞,提取心肌线粒体,测定线粒体和胞浆的细胞色素C水平。结果：与C组相比,P3组再灌注30min、60min时左室舒张末压（LVEDP）降低、左室发展压（LVDP）升高（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）;P2、P3组再灌注末心肌细胞凋亡率降低（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）,线粒体细胞色素c释放减少,胞浆细胞色素C的量明显降低（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）。结论：丙泊酚预处理能够通过抑制心肌线粒体细胞色素C释放到胞浆,降低浅低温I／R损伤心肌细胞凋亡率,减轻心肌桶伤．     

东乡野生稻根际可培养细菌多样性及其植物促生活性分析

为了解江西东乡野生稻(Oryza rufipogon)不同生育期根际可培养细菌群落多样性动态,从中寻找新的具有植物促生活性的微生物资源,分别于2009年5月、8月和11月采集了东乡野生稻秧苗期、抽穗期和成熟期根际土壤,采用稀释平板法分离到118株根际细菌,并检测了其植物促生活性.16S rRNA基因序列分析结合菌体形态...     

P-Selectin-mediated acute inflammation can be blocked by chemically modified heparin, RO-heparin

Selectins are carbohydrate-binding cell adhesion molecules that play a major role in the initiation of inflammatory responses. Heparin can bind to P-selectin, and its anti-inflammatory property is mainly due to inhibition of P-selectin. However, the strong anticoagulant activity of heparin limits its clinical use. We prepared periodate-oxidized, borohydride-reduced heparin (RO-heparin) by chemical modification and tested its anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory activities. Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) assays showed that, compared with heparin, RO-heparin had greatly reduced anticoagulant activity. Intravenous administration of this compound led to reduction in the peritoneal infiltration of neutrophils in a mouse acute inflammation model. In vitro cell adhesion experiments demonstrated that the effect of RO-heparin on inflammatory responses was mainly due to inhibiting the interaction of P-selectin with its ligands. These results indicate that RO-heparin may be a safer treatment for inflammation than heparin, especially when selectin is targeted.     

Effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">TFAR19</Emphasis> gene on the growth and biorheological properties of mouse erythroleukemia cell line MEL

Using the method of gene transfection with liposome, we obtained the mouse erythroleukemia cell line MEL-TF19, which stably carries TFAR19, a novel apoptosis-related gene. The expression of TFAR19 was detected by Western blot. Growth curve and flow cytometry analysis showed that after being transfected with TFAR19 gene, the growth of MEL-TF19 is suppressed and its apoptosis is accelerated because of the serum deprivation. Our biorheological study indicated that in the apoptotic process, compared with MEL cells, MEL-TF19 cells exhibit larger osmotic fragility, lower cell surface charge density, increased elastic modulus K1 which is inversely proportional to cells' maximal deformation ability, obviouslydiminished surface viscosity μ, with elastic modulus K2 having no distinct changes. The above results provided some bases for recognizing the function of TFAR19 completely from the viewpoint of biorheology.     

Characterization of humoral responses in mice immunized with plasmid DNAs encoding SARS-CoV spike gene fragments

The immunological characteristics of SARS-CoV spike protein were investigated by administering mice with plasmids encoding various S gene fragments. We showed that the secreting forms of S1, S2 subunits and the N-terminus of S1 subunit (residues 18-495) were capable of eliciting SARS-CoV specific antibodies and the region immediate to N-terminus of matured S1 protein contained an important immunogenic determinant for elicitation of SARS-CoV specific antibodies. In addition, mice immunized with plasmids encoding S1 fragment developed a Th1-mediated antibody isotype switching. Another interesting finding was that mouse antibodies elicited separately by plasmids encoding S1 and S2 subunits cooperatively neutralized SARS-CoV but neither the S1 nor S2 specific antibodies did, suggesting the possible role of both S1 and S2 subunits in host cell docking and entry. These results provide insights into understanding the immunological characteristics of spike protein and the development of subunit vaccines against SARS-CoV.     

Water use by perennial plants in the transition zone between river oasis and desert in NW China

The study aimed at establishing the role of two possible water sources (inundation, ground water) for the water supply to the perennial plant species Alhagi sparsifolia, Calligonum caput-medusae, Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima growing in the transition zone between a river oasis and the open desert at the southern fringe of the Taklamakan desert (Xinjiang province, NW China). The basic hypothesis was that inundations, which normally occur in summer when rivers from a nearby mountain range carry high water, contribute significantly to the plants’ water supply. When, in the first summer, inundations did not occur, four sites, each of which covered by a relatively dense stand of one species, were artificially flooded. Soil and plant water relations as well as meteorological variables were measured during two growing seasons. Water use efficiency of production (WUE_P) was calculated by relating biomass production, which was determined using allometric regressions, to water use.The effects of artificial flooding on the plant water relations were negligible. Water use was relatively high, especially in the A. sparsifolia and the P. euphratica stands and in a dense stand of T. ramosissima (up to approx. 500 kgH₂O m⁻² year⁻¹). Using the total above-ground biomass in the calculation, WUE_P was highest in C. caput-medusae and P. euphratica, and lowest, in A. sparsifolia. From soil and plant water relations, and against the background of the climate and the productivity of the vegetation, it is concluded that all perennial plants in the transition zone between oases and desert in that region must have sufficient access to ground water to ensure long-term survival. Management of ground water such that it remains continuously accessible to the perennial plants is a prerequisite for the conservation and sustainable use of the vegetation in the transition zone.     

小剂量干扰素与胸腺肽联合对慢性乙型肝炎抗病毒效应的追踪观察

本文报道小剂量干扰素与胸腺肽联合对慢性乙肝20例抗病毒效应的追踪观察结果,并与同期同批同剂量单纯干扰素治疗13例慢性乙肝作对照,追踪时间均为治后半年—2年,从HBeAg、HBcAg、DNAP、HBV DNA阴转率来看,治疗组分别为58.8％、60％、60％及66.6％、对照组分别为50％、50％、100％及50％。再从HBV四项复制指标改变来看,则治疗组4例全阴转,7例仅一项阳性,总有效率达61.1％(11/18),而对照组仅为20％(2/10),P<0.01,认为干扰素与胸腺肽联合治疗优于对照组,并扼要讨论增强干扰素抗病毒效应的各种措施,认为干扰素与胸腺肽联合,不论从前已报道近期疗效和本文远期追踪来看均较安全而有效,二者合用起到增强抗病毒效应的作用,值得进一步探索。