Habenula--a new target for treatment of intractable depression

Despite substantial advancement in psychopharmacological and electro-magnetic treatments over the last decades on the depression patients, there are non-responders remain with a chronic disease and high suicidal risk yet. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is now being experimentally to treat the intractable depression and yielded an impressive therapeutic benefit, and especially few adverse effect occurred. The beneficial action of DBS is closely related to the stimulation sit. And the efficacy of high frequency stimulation of lateral habenula is one of the best choice. In depression, the concentration of 5-HT released by the raphe nuclei is decreased. It's due to mainly the overactivation of the lateral habenula. High frequency stimulation of lateral habenula impairs the activation of lateral habenula, and the inhibitory effect of lateral habenula on raphe nuclei is decreased. Then, the 5-HT concentration released by the raphe nuclei is increased, the pathological changes of depression is eliminated. The lateral habenula could be a promising novel target for BDS in the cases of intractable depression.     

一种利用STO饲养层细胞制备拟胚体的新方法

建立了一种利用STO饲养层细胞制备拟胚体的新方法。该方法选用生长至80%饱和密度的STO细胞,经丝裂霉素C(10 mg/ml)处理4 h后以8×104 cm-2的密度接种培养12 h,制备饲养层,再将ES-D3细胞以1×104 cm-2的密度接种其上,首先用含mLIF的DMEM培养液培养24 h,再更换拟胚体诱导培养液,5～9天后获得了各成熟阶段的拟胚体。形态结构和分化潜能等研究表明,该方法制备的拟胚体结构典型,具有产生3个胚层谱系来源的功能细胞的潜能。与传统拟胚体制作方法如悬滴培养法相比,具有操作简便,拟胚体形成率高,重复性好等优点,是开展哺乳动物早期胚胎发育和干细胞分化研究的理想工具。     

α-actinin-4 is essential for maintaining the spreading, motility and contractility of fibroblasts

Background

α-Actinins cross-link actin filaments, with this cross-linking activity regulating the formation of focal adhesions, intracellular tension, and cell migration. Most non-muscle cells such as fibroblasts express two isoforms, α-actinin-1 (ACTN1) and α-actinin-4 (ACTN4). The high homology between these two isoforms would suggest redundancy of their function, but recent studies have suggested different regulatory roles. Interestingly, ACTN4 is phosphorylated upon growth factor stimulation, and this loosens its interaction with actin.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Using molecular, biochemical and cellular techniques, we probed the cellular functions of ACTN4 in fibroblasts. Knockdown of ACTN4 expression in murine lung fibroblasts significantly impaired cell migration, spreading, adhesion, and proliferation. Surprisingly, knockdown of ACTN4 enhanced cellular compaction and contraction force, and increased cellular and nuclear cross-sectional area. These results, except the increased contractility, are consistent with a putative role of ACTN4 in cytokinesis. For the transcellular tension, knockdown of ACTN4 significantly increased the expression of myosin light chain 2, a element of the contractility machinery. Re-expression of wild type human ACTN4 in ACTN4 knockdown murine lung fibroblasts reverted cell spreading, cellular and nuclear cross-sectional area, and contractility back towards baseline, demonstrating that the defect was due to absence of ACTN4.

Significance

These results suggest that ACTN4 is essential for maintaining normal spreading, motility, cellular and nuclear cross-sectional area, and contractility of murine lung fibroblasts by maintaining the balance between transcellular contractility and cell-substratum adhesion.     

Enhanced isomer purity of lactic acid from the non-sterile fermentation of kitchen wastes

In order to improve the purity of lactic acid isomers, the effects of pH, temperature, fermentation time and their interactions on l(+) or d(-)-lactic acid production were evaluated during lactic acid fermentation of the non-sterile kitchen wastes. The results showed that l(+)-lactic acid was the main isomeric form. The isomer purity was much higher at acidic or alkalic pH (non-controlled pH, pH 5 and pH 8) than neutral pH (pH 6 and pH 7). Increasing the fermentation temperature from 35 degrees C to 45 degrees C at pH 7 enhanced the isomer purity from 60:40 to 83:17. The optimal fermentation time for the purity of lactic acid isomers was found to depend on the corresponding pH and temperature. From the response surface analysis, the optimized combination of pH and temperature could obviously increase the l(+)-isomer concentration. It is confirmed that the variation of the isomer purity with pH, temperature and fermentation time change resulted from the substitution of microbial community composition. The lactic acid bacteria and Clostridium sp. dominated the fermentation of non-sterile kitchen wastes, and the emergence and disappearance of lactic acid bacteria which produced l(+)-isomer and Clostridium sp. resulted in the variations of the isomer purity.     

干旱胁迫下硫营养对小麦光合色素及MDA含量的影响

选用郑引1号（高水肥型）和陕合6号（抗旱型）2个小麦品种,通过室内盆栽试验比较了干旱及硫胁迫情况下小麦苗期功能叶片中叶绿素（Chla和Chlb）及丙二醛（MDA）含量的变化。采用自然渐进干旱法控制水分,每天称重。结果表明：无论在正常供水还是干旱胁迫时,供硫处理的叶绿素含量始终高于无硫处理,郑引1号的这种优势明显优于陕合6号,硫营养显示出对叶绿素含量的调节能力。干旱胁迫下,供硫处理的小麦叶片MDA含量始终低于无硫处理。两个试验结果均证实了硫营养能通过调节光合色素及MDA的含量增强作物的抗旱能力。     

金荞麦果实中有效成分的分析

采用HPLC法对金荞麦果实中的有效成分进行了分析,结果表明:金荞麦果实中含有芦丁、槲皮素和表儿茶素等有效成分,其中主要以芦丁为主,槲皮素、表儿茶素等含量甚微.金荞麦果实中的有效成分主要集中在种子部分,果皮中则不合或含量甚微.