Preferential expression of connexin37 and connexin40 in the endothelium of the portal veins during mouse liver development

Hepatic blood vessels consist of the hepatic artery and three types of venous channels (the portal veins, the sinusoids, and the hepatic veins). This study was undertaken to analyze, by immunohistochemistry, connexin expression throughout the vascular development of the fetal mouse liver with special attention being given to portal vein development. In the adult liver, connexin37 and connexin40 were expressed in the endothelium of the portal vein and hepatic artery, but not in those of the hepatic vein and sinusoids. Connexin43 was expressed in mesothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of the portal veins. The preferential expression of connexin37 and connexin40 in portal veins was seen throughout liver development, including its primordium formation stage (10.5-day or 11.5-day stage), although connexin37 expression was transiently seen in free nonparenchymal cells in fetal stages. The differentiation of each blood vessel in the hepatic vascular system may occur in early developmental stages, soon after hepatic primordium formation. This work was supported by Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.     

Glutamate-stimulated ATP release from spinal cord astrocytes is potentiated by substance P

ATP has recently emerged as a key molecule mediating pathological pain. The aim of this study was to examine whether spinal cord astrocytes could be a source of ATP in response to the nociceptive neurotransmitters glutamate and substance P. Glutamate stimulated ATP release from these astrocytes and this release was greatly potentiated by substance P, even though substance P alone did not elicit ATP release. Substance P also potentiated glutamate-induced inward currents, but did not cause such currents alone. When glutamate was applied alone it acted exclusively through alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-proprionate receptors to stimulate Ca(2+) influx-dependent ATP release. However, when substance P was co-applied with glutamate, ATP release could be elicited by activation of NMDA and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Activation of neurokinin receptor subtypes, protein kinase C and phospholipases A(2), C and D were needed for substance P to bring about its effects. These results suggest that astrocytes may be a major source of ATP in the spinal cord on activation of nerve fibres that release substance P and glutamate.     

The herbal medicine inchin-ko-to (TJ-135) induces apoptosis in cultured rat hepatic stellate cells

Use of herbal remedies in the treatment of various diseases has a long tradition in Eastern medicine and the liver diseases are not an exception. In their use, lack of elucidation of mechanism(s) as well as randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials has been a problem. Recently, we and others reported that inchin-ko-to (TJ-135), one of herbal remedies, suppressed hepatic fibrosis in animal models. In the course of clarifying the mechanism, we directed our focus on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), playing a pivotal role in hepatic fibrosis, and found that rat HSCs cultured with TJ-135 changed their morphology to star-like configuration with thin, slender and dendritic processes with fewer stress fibers, which might be the features in apoptosis. In fact, TJ-135 induced HSC apoptosis in a time- and concentration-dependent manner as judged by the nuclear morphology, quantitation of cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA oligonucleosome fragments and caspase 3 activity. In HSCs treated with TJ-135, increased expression of p53 and decreased expression of Bcl-2 and phosphorylated Akt and Bad were determined. HSC apoptosis is shown to be involved in the mechanisms of spontaneous resolution of rat hepatic fibrosis and the agent which induces HSC apoptosis has been shown to reduce experimental hepatic fibrosis in rats. Thus, the induction of HSC apoptosis could be the mechanism how TJ-135 works on the resolution of hepatic fibrosis. Our current data may shed light on the novel effect of the herbal remedy.     

Expression and function of the bile acid receptor TGR5 in Kupffer cells

Kupffer cells are resident macrophages in the liver and play a central role in the hepatic response to injury. Bile acids can impair macrophage function leading to decreased cytokine release. TGR5 is a novel, membrane-bound bile acid receptor, and it has been suggested that the immunosuppressive effect of bile acids can be mediated by TGR5. However, the function of TGR5 in Kupffer cells has not been studied and a direct link between TGR5 and cytokine production in macrophages has not been established. The present study demonstrates that TGR5 is localized in the plasma membrane of isolated Kupffer cells and is responsive to bile acids. Furthermore, bile acids inhibited LPS-induced cytokine expression in Kupffer cells via TGR5-cAMP dependent pathways. TGR5-immunoreactivity in Kupffer cells was increased in rat livers following bile-duct ligation, suggesting that TGR5 may play a protective role in obstructive cholestasis preventing excessive cytokine production thereby reducing liver injury.     

Characterization of the double-stranded RNA responses in human liver progenitor cells

Human HepaRG cells are liver progenitors which possess hepatocyte-like functionality. We investigated the effects of double-stranded (ds) RNA on interferon (IFN)-β and chemokine (CK) expression in these cells. By microarray and ELISA, we showed strong induction of CXCL10 and interleulin (IL)-8 besides IFN-β and other CK ligands. RNA interference directed silencing of TLR3, RIG-I, IRF3, NFκB or MAP kinases (p38, ERK, JNK) was carried out. Knockdown of all these molecules, except ERK and JNK, blocked IFN-β production. Both TLR3 and RIG-I are required for CXCL10 expression. Silencing of TLR3 completely impaired the IL-8 expression. dsRNA-conditioned medium from HepaRG cells exerted a drastic antiviral effect in HCV replicons, and in the JFH-1-based HCV production cell culture system. The IFN-β knockdown in HepaRG cells removed this antiviral effect but did not enhance their capacity to initiate HCV RNA replication. We conclude that dsRNA induces antiviral and pro-inflammatory status in HepaRG cells.     

龙胆种子萌发与水溶性内源抑制物质

龙胆种子中含有一定活性的内源抑制物质,其对白菜幼根生长的抑制活性高于对白菜种子萌发的抑制活性,对龙胆种子自身萌发也有明显抑制作用;室温浸种可部分去除龙胆种子内源抑制物质;以150 μg·mL-1赤霉素变温浸种处理种子,可提高种子发芽率.据此建立了龙胆种子催芽技术和羧甲基纤维素悬浮液播种技术.     

黄粉虫防卫物质苯醌的测定及其去除

采用分光光度法测定了黄粉虫的防卫毒素苯醌的含量。结果表明 :各虫态各性别的黄粉虫在不同发育阶段其苯醌含量均有不同 ,各虫态的苯醌含量随日龄而增大 ,雌蛹和雌成虫的苯醌含量均高于同一日龄的雄蛹和雄成虫。经刺激后各虫态的苯醌含量升高 2 0 72 %～ 41 64%,刺激后用水清洗的虫体其体内苯醌含量下降 88 2 7%～ 92 60 %;烘烤也可使苯醌大量挥发和分解 ,采用刺激 -水洗 -研磨 -烘烤工艺处理幼虫可清除 94 3 0 %苯醌 ,此法可为保障黄粉虫作为饲用昆虫的安全性提供依据     

Electroencephalogram recordings from the olfactory bulb of juvenile (0 year) Atlantic cod in response to amino acids

Olfactory sensitivity of juvenile (0 year) Atlantic cod Gadus morhua to 20 L‐amino acids was studied by recording electroencephalograms (EEG) from the olfactory bulb. Leucine, methionine, asparagine, glutamine, alanine and threonine were highly stimulatory; proline, phenylalanine, aspartic acid and tryptophan were the least stimulatory. Threshold concentrations determined for four amino acids were 10⁻⁸ M for alanine, 10⁻⁷ M for arginine and leucine and 10⁻⁶ M for glutamic acid.     

温度和气体成分对冬枣果实贮藏期间品质的影响

主要探讨冬枣(Ziziphus jujuba Mill. cv Dongzao)在-1 C的动态气调(CA-Ⅰ, 70% O2 0% CO2处理7天,然后转入5% O2 0% CO2中)、普通气调(CA-II, 5% O2 0% CO2;CA-III, 10% O2 0% CO2)及普通冷藏和常温(25C)等条件下,果实发病率、色素、可溶性固形物、可滴定酸、乙醇和乙酸乙酯含量等的变化。结果表明:与普通冷藏相比,气调贮藏能减缓果实的腐烂,抑制色素的分解和减少果肉中乙醇、乙酸乙酯的含量。动态高氧处理能有效地保持果实的颜色,抑制色素降解及果皮褐变。CA-Ⅲ (10% O2 0% CO2)能有效地减少果肉乙醇的含量而CA-Ⅱ(5% O2 0% CO2)能有效地减少果肉乙酸乙酯的含量。气调贮藏的果实可滴定酸及可溶性固形物含量与其他处理的果实没有明显的差异。