Differential expression and cross-regulatory function of RANTES during mycobacterial (type 1) and schistosomal (type 2) antigen-elicited granulomatous inflammation.

The role of RANTES in Th1 and Th2 cell-mediated immune responses has been enigmatic. To approach this question, we analyzed RANTES expression and function in murine models of types 1 and 2 cell-mediated pulmonary granulomas elicited with Mycobacterium bovis or Schistosoma mansoni egg Ag-coated beads, respectively. Compared with type 2, type 1 lesions had up to 4-fold greater RANTES protein and mRNA production. Type 1 draining lymph nodes also produced up to 7-fold higher levels of RANTES. Anti-RANTES Ab treatments had opposite effects, decreasing type 1 lesion area by 25% and augmenting type 2 lesions by 50%. The latter was associated with increased IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 production by lymph nodes. Infusion of rRANTES (1 mg/kg/day) did not affect type 1 lesions, but reduced type 2 lesion area by 27% and eosinophils by 40%. Lymph node cultures from RANTES-treated mice had augmented type 1 and impaired type 2 responses. In vitro, RANTES caused selective, dose-related inhibition of IL-4 that was largely dependent on CCR1 receptors. In conclusion, RANTES plays different roles in types 1 and 2 granuloma formation, promoting the former and mediating cross-regulatory inhibition of the latter. Moreover, RANTES may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of established type 2 hypersensitivity.     

Regulation of MTP expression in developing swine

To define the developmental expression of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) large subunit mRNA and protein, samples of small intestine and liver were collected from 40-day gestation fetal, 2-day-old newborn, 3-week-old suckling, and 2-month-old weanling swine. In fetal animals, MTP mRNA expression was high in intestine and liver. Postnatally, jejunal expression paralleled the intake of a high-fat breast milk diet and declined after weaning. Ileal expression was comparable with that of jejunum in 2-day-old animals, but declined to low levels afterward. Hepatic expression declined postnatally and remained low. MTP protein expression generally paralleled mRNA expression, except in fetal intestine in which no 97 kDa protein was detected. In 2-day-old piglets, a high-triacylglycerol diet increased jejunal and ileal MTP mRNA levels, as compared to a low-triacylglycerol diet. To test the roles of glucocorticoids and fatty acids in MTP regulation, a newborn swine enterocyte cell line (IPEC-1) was used. Except at day 2 of differentiation, dexamethasone did not influence MTP expression. Fatty acids either up-regulated or down-regulated MTP expression, depending on the specific fatty acid and duration of exposure. Although programmed genetic cues regulate MTP expression during development, clearly the amount and fatty acid composition of dietary lipid also play regulatory roles.     

烟草叶片液泡内氨基酸成份研究

液泡是植物细胞中特有的大型细胞器,具有重要的生理功能。本文报导了用双酶直接酶解法从烟草叶肉细胞中分离原生质体和完整液泡。在最适保存条件下,原生质体和液泡分别在３６和１２小时后,尚有一半保持活力。液泡内含有大量游离氨基酸,液泡膜ＡＴＰａｓｅ的最适ｐＨ为７．０,受Ｃｌ－激活,受ＮＯ３－抑制。     

The enhanced expression of estrogen-related receptor α in human bladder cancer tissues and the effects of estrogen-related receptor α knockdown on bladder cancer cells

Estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα) belongs to the superfamily of nuclear orphan receptors. However, the role of ERRα in bladder cancer remains unknown. This study examined the expression of ERRα in bladder cancer tissues and explored the molecular mechanisms of ERRα in bladder cancer progression. The expression of ERRα in bladder cancer tissues from 61 patients was determined by immunohistochemistry. We performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay to detect the gene expression levels and carried out Western blot assay to measure protein levels. In vitro functional assays, including colony formation, Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell invasion, and migration assays, were performed to detect bladder cancer cell growth, proliferation, invasion, and migration, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to determine the cell apoptotic rate of bladder cancer cells. Among the 61 detected bladder cancer tissues, 39 bladder cancer tissues showed positive ERRα immunoreactivity. Higher ERRα immunoreactivity score was significantly associated with TNM stage, tumor grade, distant metastasis, and poor survival in patients with bladder cancer. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that ERRα immunoreactivity was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with bladder cancer. ERRα was found to be upregulated in bladder cancer cell lines, and knockdown of ERRα suppressed bladder cancer cell growth, proliferation, invasion, and migration; promoted bladder cancer cell apoptosis; and inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of bladder cancer cells. On the other hand, bladder cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were significantly enhanced after cells were transfected with an ERRα-overexpressing vector. In vivo tumor growth and metastasis assays showed that ERRα knockdown resulted in remarkable inhibition of tumor growth and tumor metastasis in nude mice. Collectively, our results suggest that the enhanced expression of ERRα may play a key role in the development and progression of bladder cancer and ERRα may serve as an important prognostic factor for bladder cancer.     

Preparation of capacitor’s electrode from sunflower seed shell

Series of nanoporous carbons are prepared from sunflower seed shell (SSS) by two different strategies and used as electrode material for electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC). The surface area and pore-structure of the nanoporous carbons are characterized intensively using N₂ adsorption technique. The results show that the pore-structure of the carbons is closely related to activation temperature and dosage of KOH. Electrochemical measurements show that the carbons made by impregnation-activation process have better capacitive behavior and higher capacitance retention ratio at high drain current than the carbons made by carbonization-activation process, which is due to that there are abundant macroscopic pores and less interior micropore surface in the texture of the former. More importantly, the capacitive performances of these carbons are much better than ordered mesoporous carbons and commercial wood-based active carbon, thus highlighting the success of preparing high performance electrode material for EDLC from SSS.     

Low-Grade Albuminuria Is Associated with Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Middle-Aged and Elderly Chinese Population

Background

Micro-albuminuria has been well established as one of the risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the association of MetS and its components with low-grade albuminuria among those with normal urinary albumin excretion has not been clearly elucidated in Chinese population.

Methodology and Findings

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 9,579 participants with normal urinary albumin excretion, who were recruited from Jia Ding District, Shanghai, China. The single-void first morning urine sample was collected for urinary albumin and creatinine measurements, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) was calculated as urinary albumin divided by creatinine. Low-grade albuminuria was classified as sex-specific upper UACR quartile in this population. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The prevalence of MetS and its components increased across the UACR quartiles (all P _trend <0.01). A multivariable adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that the prevalence of MetS was gradually elevated according to the UACR quartiles (adjusted odds ratios [ORs] were 1.14, 1.24 and 1.59 for UACR quartiles 2, 3 and 4, compared with the lowest quartile; P _trend<0.0001). In the further stratified logistic regression analyses, the associations between low-grade albuminuria and MetS were significant in both sex strata (male and female), both age strata (<60 and ≥60 years), both body mass index strata (<24 and ≥24 kg/m²), and both diabetes strata (yes and no). Compared to the lowest UACR quartile, the participants in the highest quartile of UACR had the highest prevalence of central obesity (OR = 1.43; 95%CI = 1.25–1.63), high blood pressure (OR = 1.64; 95%CI = 1.43–1.87), hyperglycemia (OR = 1.52; 95%CI = 1.30–1.78) and high triglycerides (OR = 1.19; 95%CI = 1.04–1.37).

Conclusions and Significance

Low-grade albuminuria was significantly associated with the increasing prevalence of MetS and its components in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population with normal urinary albumin excretion.     

PCSK9 siRNA inhibits HUVEC apoptosis induced by ox-LDL via Bcl/Bax–caspase9–caspase3 pathway

This paper investigated the effects of ox-LDL on PCSK9, and the molecular mechanisms of PCSK9 siRNA-inhibited apoptosis induced by ox-LDL in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), to clarify the role of PCSK9 in atherosclerogenesis. HUVECs were incubated with ox-LDL for 24?h. The apoptosis was observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. The expression of PCSK9, LOX-1 mRNAs and proteins was detected by RT-PCR, western blot, respectively. The PCSK9 siRNAs labeled with fluorescence were transfected into HUVECs by Lipofectamine 2000. After transfection for 24?h, cells were treated with ox-LDL for 24?h, HUVECs apoptosis transfected siRNA was detected by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometer. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase3, 8, 9 was detected by western blot. The activity of caspase3, 9 was detected by kits. Our results showed that apoptosis of HUVECs and the expressions of PCSK9 and LOX-1 were upregulated secondary to induction by ox-LDL in a concentration-dependent manner. However, ox-LDL-induced HUVEC apoptosis and PCSK9 expression, but not LOX-1 expression, were significantly reduced by PCSK9 siRNA. These results demonstrate a linkage between HUVEC apoptosis and PCSK9 expression. Furthermore, we detected the possible pathway involved in apoptotic regulation by PCSK9 siRNA; our results showed that the expression of Bcl-2 decreased, whereas that of Bax increased. In addition, ox-LDL enhanced the activity of caspase9 and then caspase3. Pretreatment of HUVECs with PCSK9 siRNA blocked these effects of ox-LDL. These findings suggest that ox-LDL-induced HUVECs apoptosis could be inhibited by PCSK9 siRNA, in which Bcl/Bax-caspase9-caspase3 pathway maybe was involved through reducing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio and inhibited the activation of both caspase9 and 3.     

杭州石荠苧生态学特性研究

 杭州石荠苧(Mosla hangchowensis)的种子完全靠风传播,但由于种子大,传播距离不远;种子在冬季休眠,春天(2月末3月初)萌发,种子萌发率很低,尤其是水选上层种子,主要原因是质量差。杭州石荠苧的营养期从3月初到8月上旬,株高在8月中旬以前基本为匀速增加,早期生长极为缓慢。形态和生殖力的环境可塑性极强,自然生长的植株冠幅变动在4～5616cm2之间。杭州石荠苧在自然生境中有时形成单优群落,通常与其它植物伴生。由于早期生长慢,限制了其在群落中的竞争能力,在土壤条件好的地方绝大部分被排挤掉,只是由于其极强的耐旱能力才在高温、干旱、土少的生境中得以存活。 将同属不濒危的华荠苧与之比较,其种子小于杭州石荠苧,但萌发率却高于杭州石荠苧。华荠苧的植株较矮,花色不如杭州石荠苧鲜艳,同在路边生长,不像杭州石荠苧那样容易被人采摘;华荠苧的根较杭州石荠苧的根深,抗雨水冲刷能力较强。华荠苧在自然生境中植株投入生殖的比例大于杭州石荠苧。