Caprylic Triglyceride as a Novel Therapeutic Approach to Effectively Improve the Performance and Attenuate the Symptoms Due to the Motor Neuron Loss in ALS Disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder of motor neurons causing progressive muscle weakness, paralysis, and finally death. ALS patients suffer from asthenia and their progressive weakness negatively impacts quality of life, limiting their daily activities. They have impaired energy balance linked to lower activity of mitochondrial electron transport chain enzymes in ALS spinal cord, suggesting that improving mitochondrial function may present a therapeutic approach for ALS. When fed a ketogenic diet, the G93A ALS mouse shows a significant increase in serum ketones as well as a significantly slower progression of weakness and lower mortality rate. In this study, we treated SOD1-G93A mice with caprylic triglyceride, a medium chain triglyceride that is metabolized into ketone bodies and can serve as an alternate energy substrate for neuronal metabolism. Treatment with caprylic triglyceride attenuated progression of weakness and protected spinal cord motor neuron loss in SOD1-G93A transgenic animals, significantly improving their performance even though there was no significant benefit regarding the survival of the ALS transgenic animals. We found that caprylic triglyceride significantly promoted the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate in vivo. Our results demonstrated that caprylic triglyceride alleviates ALS-type motor impairment through restoration of energy metabolism in SOD1-G93A ALS mice, especially during the overt stage of the disease. These data indicate the feasibility of using caprylic acid as an easily administered treatment with a high impact on the quality of life of ALS patients.     

大花栀子植物挥发物成分测定及其日变化分析

为探究大花栀子植物挥发物成分组成及其一天内早、中、晚的差异,采用热脱附气质联用技术对其进行香气成分的分析。结果表明:全天从其花朵中共鉴定出62种成分,主要为萜烯类、酯类、醇类物质,且不同时间其成分差异显著,如早、中、晚3个时间段,β-蒎烯相对含量分别为1.93%、1.69%、8.81%,顺式-β-罗勒烯分别为28.22%、4.35%、16.47%。3-蒈烯(3.45%)、异丁子香酚(0.21%)等只在早上检出;月桂烯(0.38%)、伞花烃(2.46%)等只在晚上检出;芳樟醇、金合欢烯等在早上和午间两个时间段相对含量较高,而在晚上却未检测出。从植物VOCs角度结合其日变化动态,为大花栀子园林配置及其综合开发利用提供理论依据。     

早熟油菜成花相关基因LFY的克隆与分析

以甘蓝型油菜晚熟品种RG-8的早熟突变体RG-8M为材料,通过同源克隆法得到1个LEAFY(LFY)同源基因,命名为BnLFY。该基因cDNA全长为1 310bp,包含1个长为1 248bp的开放阅读框,编码415个氨基酸。序列分析表明,推测的氨基酸序列含双子叶植物LFY类蛋白特有的N端脯氨酸富集区、中央酸性区、亮氨酸拉链结构以及富含赖氨酸与精氨酸的碱性区;且与几种十字花科植物LFY类蛋白的氨基酸序列一致性均在84%以上。转录表达分析表明,BnLFY基因在油菜中为组成型表达。     

湘中丘陵区毛竹纯林、竹杉混交林土壤有机碳库动态

研究了湘中丘陵区毛竹纯林、竹杉混交林土壤总有机碳及不同形式活性有机碳储量的垂直分布与季节动态.结果表明:竹杉混交林总有机碳及不同形式活性有机碳储量均高于毛竹纯林,SOC、MBC、HWC、WSOC和ROC平均储量分别是毛竹纯林的1.20、1.74、1.35、1.15和1.27倍,0～20 cm土层是土壤有机碳库的主要分布区;不同形式有机碳储量季节动态存在差异,表现为SOC以1月最高,10月最低,MBC 7月最高,1月份最低,ROC10月最高,4月最低,1月WSOC储量显著高于其他季节;竹杉混交林不同形式活性有机碳储量所占比例均高于毛竹纯林,土壤碳库稳定性较差,土壤ROC储量占总有机碳的比例最大,MBC次之,WSOC较低,HWC最低,分别为18.85％ ～ 19.93％、0.34％～0.49％、0.24％～0.25％和0.19％～0.22％;SOC与不同形式活性有机碳均呈正相关,ROC与MBC、HWC,MBC与HWC,HWC与WSOC的正相关关系也达显著水平.     

ELV对青春期大鼠睾丸中VEGF与VEGFR2蛋白表达的影响

目的研究血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)及其受体2(VEGFR2)在实验性左侧精索静脉曲张大鼠睾丸中的表达和定位,探讨精索静脉曲张中VEGF和VEGFR2的可能作用。方法通过部分结扎左肾静脉建立大鼠实验性左侧精索静脉曲张模型,于术后2周和4周取材,采用免疫组化法检测VEGF、VEGFR2在睾丸上的表达变化。结果 ELV2周与4周组大鼠两侧睾丸中VEGF蛋白表达均上调,但ELV组间VEGF蛋白表达没有明显变化;ELV2周组大鼠睾丸中VEGFR2蛋白的表达与对照组比较增强,而4周组比对照组和2周组均显著增强。结论实验性左侧精索静脉曲张对VEGF、VEGFR2蛋白的表达有影响,说明它们与男性不育可能有一定的关系。     

十一五863计划"针对重大疾病的药物分子设计及产品开发"重点项目课题布局及实施情况分析

简要分析了"十一五"期间国家高技术研究发展计划(863计划)"针对重大疾病的药物分子设计及产品开发"重点项目的课题设置及实施情况。分别从本重点项目研究方向及课题设置、课题承担单位及研究人员结构、课题完成情况及所取得的代表性研究成果等方面进行了具体分析和归纳总结,供广大科技工作者参考。     

H5N1亚型禽流感病毒NS1基因截短体的克隆与原核表达

禽流感病毒H5N1 NS1蛋白是一种非结构蛋白,在病毒感染过程中发挥着重要的作用.构建基因截短的重组蛋白,可为进一步研究NS1不同结构域与宿主蛋白间的相互作用奠定基础.在成功克隆禽流感病毒H5N1全长NS1基因并测序的基础上,将部分截短基因序列克隆到表达栽体pET28a(+)上,构建基因截短的重组表达质粒pET28a-NS1-RBD和pET28a-NS1-ED,转化大肠埃希菌BL21(DE3),阳性重组质粒经IPTG诱导表达后进行SDS-PAGE检测,获得预期蛋白的表达,然后利用Ni-NTA树脂蛋白纯化系统对重组蛋白进行纯化,并通过Western Blotting进一步确认NS1及截短体蛋白的表达.结果表明,实验成功构建禽流感病毒H5N1亚型的NS1蛋白截短体,并在大肠埃希菌中高效表达,这为进一步研究NS1蛋白不同结构域与宿主蛋白的相互作用提供了实验材料,为深入研究NS1蛋白的生物学功能奠定了坚实基础.     

刺参“腐皮综合症”致病菌LNUB415的分离及防治的初步研究

从大连海域患“腐皮综合症”的养殖刺参肠道中分离纯化到1株优势细菌LNUB415,经人工回接感染试验确定其对刺参具有较强的致病性.经形态学、生理生化和16S rDNA序列分析,该菌被初步鉴定为蜡样芽胞杆菌(Bacillus cereus).从多种具有免疫增强作用的中草药中筛选到抑菌效果最好的黄连,可使刺参死亡率降低30％.     

Aβ在APP/PS1双转基因与APP/PSl/Tau三转基因阿尔茨海默病模型小鼠脑海马区分布的比较研究

目的:比较研究Aβ免疫阳性产物在老年APP/PSl双转基因(2xTg)与APP/PSl/Tau三转基因(3xTg)阿尔茨海默病模型小鼠海马的分布。方法:采用15月龄2xTg与同龄3xTg,分别进行Aβ单克隆抗体6E10免疫组化检测Aβ阳性神经元及斑块。结果:在海马区2xTg组Aβ沉积多发生于细胞外,形成大量Aβ阳性斑,而3xTg组则主要沉积于细胞内。结论:这种Aβ分布的差异可能与3xTg模型早期即有神经元丢失有关。     

TCR complex-activated CD8 adhesion function by human T cells

The CD8 receptor plays a central role in the recognition and elimination of virally infected and malignant cells by cytolytic CD8(+) T cells. In conjunction with the TCR, the CD8 coreceptor binds Ag-specific class I MHC (MHC-I) molecules expressed by target cells, initiating signaling events that result in T cell activation. Whether CD8 can further function as an adhesion molecule for non-Ag MHC-I is currently unclear in humans. In this study, we show that in human CD8(+) T cells, TCR complex signaling activates CD8 adhesion molecule function, resulting in a CD8 interaction with MHC-I that is sufficient to maintain firm T cell adhesion under shear conditions. Secondly, we found that while CD8 adhesive function was triggered by TCR complex activation in differentiated cells, including in vitro generated CTL and ex vivo effector/memory phenotype CD8(+) T cells, naive CD8(+) T cells were incapable of activated CD8 adhesion. Lastly, we examine the kinetics of, and signaling for, activated CD8 adhesion in humans and identify notable differences from the equivalent CD8 function in mouse. Activated CD8 adhesion induced by TCR signaling may contribute to the more rapid and robust elimination of pathogen-infected cells by differentiated CD8(+) T cells.