Reduction of Decoy Receptor 3 Enhances TRAIL-Mediated Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer

Most human pancreatic cancer cells are resistant to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis. However, the mechanisms by which pancreatic cancer cells utilize their extracellular molecules to counteract the proapoptotic signaling mediated by the TNF family are largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that DcR3, a secreted decoy receptor that malignant pancreatic cancer cells express at a high level, acts as an extracellular antiapoptotic molecule by binding to TRAIL and counteracting its death-promoting function. The reduction of DcR3 with siRNA unmasked TRAIL and greatly enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Gemcitabine, a first-line drug for pancreatic cancer, also reduced the level of DcR3. The addition of DcR3 siRNA further enhanced gemcitabine-induced apoptosis. Notably, our in vivo study demonstrated that the therapeutic effect of gemcitabine could be enhanced via further reduction of DcR3, suggesting that downregulation of DcR3 in tumor cells could tip the balance of pancreatic cells towards apoptosis and potentially serve as a new strategy for pancreatic cancer therapy.     

Organophosphate and Pyrethroid Hydrolase Activities of Mutant Esterases from the Cotton Bollworm Helicoverpa armigera

Two mutations have been found in five closely related insect esterases (from four higher Diptera and a hymenopteran) which each confer organophosphate (OP) hydrolase activity on the enzyme and OP resistance on the insect. One mutation converts a Glycine to an Aspartate, and the other converts a Tryptophan to a Leucine in the enzymes’ active site. One of the dipteran enzymes with the Leucine mutation also shows enhanced activity against pyrethroids. Introduction of the two mutations in vitro into eight esterases from six other widely separated insect groups has also been reported to increase substantially the OP hydrolase activity of most of them. These data suggest that the two mutations could contribute to OP, and possibly pyrethroid, resistance in a variety of insects. We therefore introduced them in vitro into eight Helicoverpa armigera esterases from a clade that has already been implicated in OP and pyrethroid resistance. We found that they do not generally enhance either OP or pyrethroid hydrolysis in these esterases but the Aspartate mutation did increase OP hydrolysis in one enzyme by about 14 fold and the Leucine mutation caused a 4–6 fold increase in activity (more in one case) of another three against some of the most insecticidal isomers of fenvalerate and cypermethrin. The Aspartate enzyme and one of the Leucine enzymes occur in regions of the H. armigera esterase isozyme profile that have been previously implicated in OP and pyrethroid resistance, respectively.     

低剂量混合污染生态毒理与风险评价研究进展

环境中的化学品往往以低剂量混合形式存在.对单一化学品高剂量暴露下的生态毒性研究成果,难以适用于环境中低剂量混合物的生态毒理效应诊断及风险评价.文中概述了低剂量化学品混合污染生态毒理及风险评价方面的研究进展,主要包括低剂量化学品混合污染诊断的分子毒理研究方法、风险评价方法,并介绍了简单和复杂混合物的风险评价方案.对低剂量混合污染生态毒理与风险评价研究的发展动向提出了见解,指出低剂量化学混合物的研究需要寻找敏感终点,引入多学科手段,积累更多的数据,建立完善、统一的评价体系.     

八肽胆囊收缩素对内毒素休克时海马损伤的影响及其机制初探

目的：观察八肽胆囊收缩素（CCK-8）对内毒素休克（ES）时海马损伤的影响,并探讨其可能的作用机制。方法：将日本大耳白兔经静脉注入内毒素的主要活性成分脂多糖（LPS,8mg／kg）复制ES模型。动物（32只）随机分为对照组、LPS组、CCK-8＋LPS组和非特异性CCK受体拮抗剂丙谷胺（Pro）＋LPS组（n=8）。监测平均动脉压（MAP）的变化,光、电镜观察海马的组织形态学改变,比色法检测海马NOS和SOD活性、N0和MDA含量的改变．用SD大鼠（12只,同上复制模型及分组）以免疫组织化学染色法观察海马iNOS和nNOS表达的变化。结果：与对照组相比,注入LPS后出现MAP显著而持续下降（P〈0．01）;海马部位神经元损伤明显;iNOS和nNOS表达增强,NOS活性、NO和MDA含量显著升高（P〈0．05、P〈0．01和P〈0．01）,SOD活性则降低（P〈0．01）。预先注入CCK-8可明显减轻上述变化,预先注入Pro则加剧以上变化。结论：CCK-8可减轻ES时脑内海马部位的损伤。其机制可能与其抗氧化作用和抑制NO的过量生成有关。     

银杏叶提取物对巨噬细胞呼吸爆发、炎性细胞因子和COX-2 mRNAs及蛋白表达的影响

目的探讨银杏叶提取物(EGb761)对小鼠巨噬细胞呼吸爆发及IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α、COX-2mRNAs和蛋白表达的影响。方法以佛波酯刺激巨噬细胞产生呼吸爆发,用化学发光分析和电子顺磁共振检测呼吸爆发产生的活性氧;以脂多糖(LPS)诱导巨噬细胞IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α、COX-2表达,用RT-PCR检测IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α、COX-2mRNAs表达,ELISA法检测IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α、COX-2蛋白表达。结果银杏叶提取物能清除巨噬细胞呼吸爆发产生的超氧阴离子自由基、下调LPS诱导巨噬细胞IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α、COX-2 mRNAs和蛋白表达。结论银杏叶提取物对巨噬细胞产生呼吸爆发和LPS诱导巨噬细胞IL-1β、IL-6、TNF-α、COX-2 mRNAs和蛋白表达有明显的抑制作用。     

废水处理中的可溶性微生物产物

可溶性微生物产物（SMP）是污水生物处理中有机物质的主要成分,对出水水质有着重要影响。对污水生物处理中SMP的产生、分子质量分布、生物可降解性、毒性、离子螯合性、吸附性等进行了综述,分析了影响SMP产生的因子。分析表明,SRT、HRT、进水浓度、基质性质、有毒物质的存在以及温度都会对SMP的产生及浓度产生影响,控制系统运行的这些参数,可使出水中SMP量降到最少,从而提高出水质量。     

外源SOD和APX基因在转基因烟草中的表达与遗传

分析转超氧化物歧化酶基因（SOD）或抗坏血酸过氧化物酶基因（APX）烟草及其自交和杂交后代的叶片中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化物酶（POD）活性的结果表明：转基因烟草的SOD和POD活性在终花期最强,不同叶位叶中SOD活性差异不明显,POD活性以下部叶为最高;转基因烟草的SOD或POD活性显著高于近等基因的非转基因品系。杂交后代（F1、F2）的SOD活性能保持稳定,略高于亲本;自交后代（S1～S3）与自交亲本的SOD和POD活性相当。     

BRCA1 Is Phosphorylated at Serine 1497 In Vivo at a Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 Phosphorylation Site

BRCA1 is a cell cycle-regulated nuclear protein that is phosphorylated mainly on serine and to a lesser extent on threonine residues. Changes in phosphorylation occur in response to cell cycle progression and DNA damage. Specifically, BRCA1 undergoes hyperphosphorylation during late G1 and S phases of the cell cycle. Here we report that BRCA1 is phosphorylated in vivo at serine 1497 (S1497), which is part of a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) consensus site. S1497 can be phosphorylated in vitro by CDK2-cyclin A or E. BRCA1 coimmunoprecipitates with an endogenous serine-threonine protein kinase activity that phosphorylates S1497 in vitro. This cellular kinase activity is sensitive to transfection of a dominant negative form of CDK2 as well as the application of the CDK inhibitors p21 and butyrolactone I but not p16. Furthermore, BRCA1 coimmunoprecipitates with CDK2 and cyclin A. These results suggest that the endogenous kinase activity is composed of CDK2-cyclin complexes, at least in part, concordant with the G1/S-specific increase in BRCA1 phosphorylation.     

The Response of Antioxidant Enzymes in Cellular Organelles in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Leaves to Methyl Viologen-induced Photo-oxidative Stress

In order to clarify the response of antioxidant systems in various cellular organelles to photo-oxidative stress, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and enzymes of the ascorbate–glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle were investigated in chloroplasts, mitochondria and cytosol of cucumber leaves subjected to methyl viologen (MV) treatment. Photo-oxidation by MV resulted in significant reductions in net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and increases in the ratio of the quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), Φ_PSII to that of the quantum efficiency of CO₂ fixation (ΦCO₂), followed by increased activities of SOD, and a general increase of AsA-GSH cycle enzymes in chloroplasts, mitochondria and cytosol. These increases were however, most significant in chloroplasts. There were also significant increases in dehydroascorbate (DHA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) except that the content of ascorbate (AsA) in chloroplasts and cytosol was slightly decreased and little effected, respectively. However, GSSG in mitochondria and GSH in cytosol were little influenced by the MV treatment. The activity of ascorbate oxidase (AO) in these organelles was independent of the MV treatment while the activity of l-galactono-1,4- lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH) in mitochondria was slightly inhibited by MV treatment. These results indicate that disturbance of electron transport in chloroplasts by MV influenced the metabolism of whole cell by a crosstalk signaling system and that the AsA-GSH cycle played a primary role in sustaining the levels of AsA.     

Loss of viability during freeze–thaw of intact and adherent human embryonic stem cells with conventional slow-cooling protocols is predominantly due to␣apoptosis rather than cellular necrosis

Summary A major challenge in the widespread application of human embryonic stem (hES) cells in clinical therapy and basic scientific research is the development of efficient cryopreservation protocols. Conventional slow-cooling protocols utilizing standard cryoprotectant concentrations i.e. 10% (v/v) DMSO, yield extremely low survival rates of <5% as reported by previous studies. This study characterized cell death within frozen–thawed hES colonies that were cryopreserved under standard conditions. Surprisingly, our results showed that immediately after post-thaw washing, the overwhelming majority of hES cells were viable (≈98%), as assessed by the trypan blue exclusion test. However, when the freshly-thawed hES colonies were incubated within a 37 °C incubator, there was observed to be a gradual reduction in cell viability over time. The kinetics of cell death was drastically slowed-down by keeping the freshly-thawed hES colonies at 4 °C, with >90% of cells remaining viable after 90 min of incubation at 4 °C. This effect was reversible upon re-exposing the cells to physiological temperature. The vast majority of low temperature-exposed hES colonies gradually underwent cell death upon incubation for a further 90 min at 37 °C. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling (TUNEL) assay confirmed apoptosis-induced nuclear DNA fragmentation in frozen–thawed hES cells after incubation at 37 °C for 90 min. Expression of active caspase-3 enzyme, which is another prominent marker of apoptosis, was confirmed by immunocytochemical staining, while transmission electron microscopy showed typical ultrastructural features of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation and margination to the nuclear membrane. Hence, our results demonstrated that apoptosis instead of cellular necrosis, is the major mechanism of the loss of viability of cryopreserved hES cells during freeze–thawing with conventional slow-cooling protocols.