缺血性脑卒中溶栓药物研究进展

缺血性脑卒中是一种高发病率、高死亡率的重大健康危机。溶栓药物能快速溶解血栓、减少出血副作用、实现血管再通,对缺血性脑卒中治疗起到关键性的作用。重组组织纤溶酶原激活剂(rtPA)是FDA批准的唯一缺血性脑卒中药物,但在临床使用中有诸多限制。近年来,基于tPA的溶栓药物及治疗策略发展迅速,文中结合笔者课题组及目前国内外的相关研究成果,回顾了该领域的最新进展,为新型溶栓药物发展提供科学依据和思路。     

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in slaughtered pigs and cattle in Liaoning Province, northeastern China

Toxoplasmosis is an important food-borne parasitic disease. In the present study, the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in slaughtered pigs and cattle was surveyed in Liaoning Province, northeastern China in May and June 2011. In total, 1,164 porcine serum samples and 646 bovine serum samples were collected from 5 counties and examined for T. gondii antibodies by an indirect hemagglutination test. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 12.0% (140/1,164) of pigs, with some regional differences. The highest prevalence of 14.4% (47/326) was found in Fuxin followed by 12.5% (62/497) in Jinzhou; overall, 6.0% (39/646) was observed in cattle but with no regional difference (P > 0.05). Prevalence of T. gondii infection in pigs was also significantly higher compared to cattle (P < 0.05). The results of the present study indicate that infection with T. gondii in pigs and cattle is widely spread in China including Liaoning Province, northeastern China, and is, therefore, of public health concern.     

Optimizing the refolding conditions of self-assembling polypeptide nanoparticles that serve as repetitive antigen display systems

Nanoparticles show great promise as potent vaccine candidates since they are readily taken up by the antigen presenting cells of the immune system. The particle size and the density of the B cell epitopes on the surface of the particles greatly influences the strength of the humoral immune response. We have developed a novel type of nanoparticle composed of peptide building blocks (Raman et al., 2006) and have used such particles to design vaccines against malaria and SARS (Kaba et al., 2009; Pimentel et al., 2009). Here we investigate the biophysical properties and the refolding conditions of a prototype of these self-assembling polypeptide nanoparticles (SAPNs). SAPNs are formed from a peptide containing a pentameric and a trimeric coiled-coil domain. At near physiological conditions the peptide self-assembles into about 27 nm, roughly spherical SAPNs. The average size of the SAPNs increases with the salt concentration. The optimal pH for their formation is between 7.5 and 8.5, while aggregation occurs at lower and higher values. A glycerol concentration of about 5% v/v is required for the formation of SAPNs with regular spherical shapes. These studies will help to optimize the immunological properties of SAPNs.     

诱导Epstein—Barr病毒早期抗原表达的中草药和植物的筛选

应用Raji细胞筛选了268个科的1693种中草药和植物,共发现18个科的52种有诱导Epstein-Barr(EB)病毒早期抗原表达的作用,大戟科和瑞香科最多,分别有25种和7种,其中甘遂、芫花、黄芫花、了哥王、苦杏仁、怀牛膝和巴豆等是常用药物。本文还讨论了这些中草药和植物在体内对EB病毒的激活及其与鼻咽癌发生的关系。     

Green Tea Extract Increases mRNA Expression of Enzymes Which Influence Epigenetic Marks in Newborn Female Offspring from Undernourished Pregnant Mother

Biochemical and toxicological properties of catechin remain unclear, e.g.; how catechin affects female offspring from undernourished pregnant dams. Here, to elucidate effects of low prenatal protein on female offspring health status, changes of enzymes which modify epigenetic marks related with metabolism in kidneys from newborns were investigated after continuously administering catechin extracted from green tea to lactating maternal rats after pregnant undernourishment. We found that green tea extract intake during lactation up-regulated the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase in young female offspring from protein-restricted dams and modulated the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway in the kidney. This pathway was indicated to be stimulated by SIRT1 gene expression. The feeding of green tea extract to protein-restricted dams during lactation is likely to up-regulate AMP-activated protein kinase activation and may partly lead to alterations of the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway in female offspring kidneys. In addition, energy metabolism in fetal and offspring period with green tea extract administration might be related to enzymes which modify epigenetic marks such as DNA methyltransferase 1 and 3a.     

肠道菌群相关代谢物丁酸的量效和时效对人脐带间充质干细胞增殖的影响

目的探讨人肠道菌相关代谢物丁酸对人脐带间充质干细胞(human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells,hUC-MSCs)增殖的影响。方法用含不同浓度丁酸(0.02、0.08、0.32、1.25和5.00 mmol/L)的干细胞培养基培养hUC-MSCs,采用CCK-8增殖实验检测24、48和72 h细胞增殖情况,并与正常对照组比较。结果 hUC-MSCs的增殖与丁酸的量效和时效均有关系,作用24 h内抑制hUC-MSCs增殖,到48 h则表现出低浓度促进细胞增殖、高浓度抑制细胞增殖的作用;当时间达到72 h,则低浓度丁酸对hUC-MSCs的促增殖作用减弱,高浓度组对其增殖抑制的作用有所增强。结论丁酸对hUC-MSCs增殖的影响存在量效和时效的共同作用,适宜的丁酸浓度和作用时间对机体肠道的功能维持及平衡有重要影响。     

An inactivated recombinant rabies virus displaying the Zika virus prM-E induces protective immunity against both pathogens

The global spread of Zika virus (ZIKV), which caused a pandemic associated with Congenital Zika Syndrome and neuropathology in newborns and adults, prompted the pursuit of a safe and effective vaccine. Here, three kinds of recombinant rabies virus (RABV) encoding the prM-E protein of ZIKV were constructed: ZI-D (prM-E), ZI-E (transmembrane domain (TM) of prM-E replaced with RABV G) and ZI-F (signal peptide and TM domain of prM-E replaced with the region of RABV G). When the TM of prM-E was replaced with the region of RABV G (termed ZI-E), it promoted ZIKV E protein localization on the cell membrane and assembly on recombinant viruses. In addition, the change in the signal peptide with RABV G (termed ZI-F) was not conducive to foreign protein expression. The immunogenicity of recombinant viruses mixed with a complex adjuvant of ISA 201 VG and poly(I:C) was tested in BALB/c mice. After immunization with ZI-E, the anti-ZIKV IgG antibody lasted for at least 10 weeks. The titers of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against ZIKV and RABV at week 6 were all greater than the protective titers. Moreover, ZI-E stimulated the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and promoted the secretion of cytokines. It also promoted the production of central memory T cells (TCMs) among CD4+/CD8+ T cells and stimulated B cell activation and maturation. These results indicate that ZI-E could induce ZIKV-specific humoral and cellular immune responses, which have the potential to be developed into a promising vaccine for protection against both ZIKV and RABV infections.