蛋白酶活化受体2与心血管炎症反应

蛋白酶活化受体2为一类G蛋白偶联受体,广泛分布于心血管以及富含血管的组织器官,氨基末端被丝氨酸蛋白酶水解.新末端能激活受体自身,启动细胞内信号转导,从而参与不同组织器官的多种生理及病理生理过程,包括炎症、血管发生、疼痛与修复等.本文综述了该受体介导的心血管炎症反应方面的作用.     

Involvement of insulin/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signal pathway in 17 beta-estradiol-mediated neuroprotection

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that 17beta-estradiol (betaE2) is a neuroprotectant in the retina, using two experimental approaches: 1) hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced retinal neuron degeneration in vitro, and 2) light-induced photoreceptor degeneration in vivo. We demonstrated that both betaE2 and 17alpha-estradiol (alphaE2) significantly protected against H(2)O(2)-induced retinal neuron degeneration; however, progesterone had no effect. betaE2 transiently increased the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activity, when phosphoinositide 4,5-bisphosphate and [(32)gammaATP] were used as substrate. Phospho-Akt levels were also transiently increased by betaE2 treatment. Addition of the estrogen receptor antagonist tamoxifen did not reverse the protective effect of betaE2, whereas the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 inhibited the protective effect of betaE2, suggesting that betaE2 mediates its effect through some PI3K-dependent pathway, independent of the estrogen receptor. Pull-down experiments with glutathione S-transferase fused to the N-Src homology 2 domain of p85, the regulatory subunit of PI3K, indicated that betaE2 and alphaE2, but not progesterone, identified phosphorylated insulin receptor beta-subunit (IRbeta) as a binding partner. Pretreatment with insulin receptor inhibitor, HNMPA, inhibited IRbeta activation of PI3K. Systemic administration of betaE2 significantly protected the structure and function of rat retinas against light-induced photoreceptor cell degeneration and inhibited photoreceptor apoptosis. In addition, systemic administration of betaE2 activated retinal IRbeta, but not the insulin-like growth factor receptor-1, and produced a transient increase in PI3K activity and phosphorylation of Akt in rat retinas. The results show that estrogen has retinal neuroprotective properties in vivo and in vitro and suggest that the insulin receptor/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is involved in estrogen-mediated retinal neuroprotection.     

The thymic stromal cell line MTSC4 induced thymocyte apoptosis in a non-MHC-restricted manner

Mouse thymic stromal cell line 4 (MTSC4) is one of the stromal cell lines established in our laboratory. While losing the characteristics of epithelial cells, they express some surface markers shared with thymic dendritic cells (TDCs). To further study the biological functions of these cells, we compared the capability of MTSC4 with TDCs in the induction of thymocyte apoptosis, using thymic reaggregation culture system. Apoptosis of thymocytes induced by MTSC4 and TDCs was measured by Annexin V and PI staining and analyzed by flow cytometry. We found that MTSC4 selectively augmented the apoptosis of CD4^ 8^ (DP) thymocytes. This effect was Fas/FasL independent and could not be blocked by antibodies to MHC class I and class II molecules. In addition, MTSC4 enhanced the apoptosis of DP thymocytes from different strains of mice, which implies that MTSC4-induced thymocyte apoptosis is not mediated by the TCR recognition of self peptide/MHC molecules. In contrast to MTSC4, thymocyte apoptosis induced by TDCs was MHC-restricted. Thus, MHC-independent fashion of stromal-DP thymocyte interaction may be one of the ways to induce thymocyte apoptosis in thymus. Our study has also shown that the interaction of MTSC4 stromal cells and thymocytes is required for the induction of thymocyte apoptosis.     

培养基成分对杜仲愈伤组织生长及次生代谢产物含量的影响

以Bs＋0．5mg／L NAA＋0．5mg／L BA为基本培养基,研究了B5培养基中8种主要无机盐浓度对杜仲愈伤组织生长及绿原酸和总黄酮两种次生代谢产物含量的影响。结果表明：在1000～5000mg／L范围内增加培养基中KNO3的含量有利于愈伤组织生长,B5培养基中当KNO3的浓度达到2／3时,绿原酸和总黄酮含量及产量最高;(NH4)2SO4以4／3原浓度时对愈伤组织生长量、总黄酮含量及产量最高,对绿原酸的含量则是其为原浓度的1／3时最高;MgSO4以2／3浓度对生长量及1／3浓度对绿原酸、总黄酮积累最高;NaH2PO4、CaCl2和MnSO4以原浓度的愈伤组织生长和次生代谢产物合成最好;ZnSO4和FeSO4的原浓度愈伤组织的生长量最大,而1／3浓度的绿原酸和总黄酮含量最高。     

冠心病患者TNF-a 水平及其基因多态性的研究

为了研究中国汉族人群中血清肿瘤坏死因子-a（TNF-a）水平及其-857、-863位点基因多态性与冠心病之间的相关性, 采用双抗体夹心ELISA法检测血清TNF-a水平,同时应用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性（PCR-RFLP）技术检测TNF-a基因多态性。 冠心病组血清TNF-a水平显著高于对照组（P<0.05）,-863 位点基因多态性在两组间分布有显著差异(P<0.05),-857位点分布无差异。血清TNF-a水平显著升高提示炎性反应在冠心病病程中有重要作用,TNF-a的水平受其基因多态性的影响。     

SARS病毒巨细胞病毒合并感染真菌及其染色方法的应用比较

目的几种染色方法显示星形隐球菌和曲菌的比较。方法Grocott-Gomori六胺银改良法,Gomori氏嗜银法和PAS结果Grocott-Gomori氏六胺银改良法显示上述两种真菌效果最好,该法对真菌的显示颜色鲜艳,图像清晰,真菌的孢子和菌丝被染成深黑色,易与其它成份相区别;Gomori氏嗜银法对大量含有菌丝的组织有一定的染色效果,PAS法也能将上述两种真菌显示出来,但所着染成份较多,较难区别。结论Grocott-Gomori氏六胺银改良法是染真菌的最好方法。     

Identification of aquaporin-5 and lipid rafts in human resting saliva and their release into cevimeline-stimulated saliva

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether AQP5 and lipid rafts are released into human unstimulated (resting) saliva and saliva in response to secretagogues. METHODS: In order to quantitate the salivary concentration of AQP5, we produced a polyclonal antibody for human AQP5 and developed an enzyme-like immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: AQP5 and lipid rafts were identified in human resting saliva. The amount of AQP5 in resting saliva showed a diurnal variation with high levels during waking hours, and an age-related decrease in AQP5 was coincident with the volume of resting saliva. Cevimeline, a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) agonist, induced the release of AQP5 with lipid rafts, amylase, mucin, and lysozyme. Changes in saliva AQP5 levels after cevimeline administration occurred simultaneously with changes in saliva flow rates. Confocal microscopy revealed that AQP5 was located in the apical plasma membrane and showed a diffuse pattern in parotid glands under resting conditions. Following cevimeline administration, AQP5 was predominantly associated with the APM and was localized in the lumen. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: AQP5 and lipid rafts were released with salivary proteins from human salivary glands by the stimulation of M3 mAChRs, and that changes in saliva AQP5 levels can be used as an indicator of salivary flow rate and also as a useful index of M3 mAChR agonist's action on human salivary glands.     

盐生荒漠地表水热与二氧化碳通量的季节变化及驱动因素

以古尔班通古特沙漠南缘原始盐生荒漠为对象,利用涡度相关法,对原始盐生荒漠地表水热、二氧化碳通量进行了连续观测,对通量的季节变化、浅层土壤水分条件改变对盐生荒漠植物群落水汽、二氧化碳通量以及水分利用效率的影响进行了系统的分析.结果表明:净辐射通量、潜热通量和二氧化碳通量都具有明显的季节变化趋势,而显热通量的季节变化不明显.在有效能量的分配上,显热通量是有效能量的主要输出项.在降水影响期和非影响期,二氧化碳通量没有明显的变化;而在非降水影响期潜热通量明显降低,表明土壤水分处于亏缺状态,但二氧化碳通量并没有降低的趋势,而与前期保持高度的一致性.以此可以推断,该荒漠盐生植物群落并不以降水为主要水分来源,降水后水汽通量和二氧化碳通量变化的不一致性是该原始盐生荒漠独特植物特征决定的.降水影响期原始盐生荒漠植物群落的水分利用效率低于非影响期,是由于降水后土壤蒸发迅速增加,而植物蒸腾与光合并未随之增加造成的.     

The influence of water on the nanomechanical behavior of the plant biopolyester cutin as studied by AFM and solid-state NMR

Atomic force microscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance have been used to investigate the effect of water absorption on the nanoscale elastic properties of the biopolyester, cutin, isolated from tomato fruit cuticle. Changes in the humidity and temperature at which fruits are grown or stored can affect the plant surface (cuticle) and modify its susceptibility to pathogenic attack by altering the cuticle's rheological properties. In this work, atomic force microscopy measurements of the surface mechanical properties of isolated plant cutin have been made as a first step to probing the impact of water uptake from the environment on surface flexibility. A dramatic decrease in surface elastic modulus (from approximately 32 to approximately 6 MPa) accompanies increases in water content as small as 2 wt %. Complementary solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance measurements reveal enhanced local mobility of the acyl chain segments with increasing water content, even at molecular sites remote from the covalent cross-links that are likely to play a crucial role in cutin's elastic properties.