Structure of a safflower steroid cellobioside

Structural identification of a steroid diglucoside from Carthamus tinctorius whose aglycone is 15α-20β-dihydroxy-Δ⁴-pregnen-3-one has been completed. We have analyzed the sugar moiety of the glycoside and found it to be cellobiose, β-linked to C-20 of the aglycone.     

Functional relationships between plant feeding and prey feeding for a zoophytophagous bug

The consumption of plants by the zoophytophagous bug Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur (Heteroptera : Miridae) in relation to the presence or absence of prey is monitored for 7 days. Tobacco plants enriched with ¹⁵N, a stable, nonradioactive isotope of nitrogen, are used for characterization. In the absence of prey, the relationship between time and ¹⁵N content (which equates to plant feeding) is linear, with a constant daily accumulation of ¹⁵N; however, if prey are available, the mathematical relationship becomes curvilinear. From day 1 to day 5, feeding on plants is independent of the consumption of prey. The rate of ¹⁵N accumulation decreases in the presence of prey after day 5, whereas the number of prey eaten remains unchanged.     

Cell Proliferation and Motility Are Inhibited by G1 Phase Arrest in 15-kDa Selenoprotein-Deficient Chang Liver Cells

The 15-kDa selenoprotein (Sep15) is a selenoprotein residing in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and implicated in quality control of protein folding. Herein, we established an inducible RNAi cell line that targets Sep15 mRNA in Chang liver cells. RNAi-induced Sep15 deficiency led to inhibition of cell proliferation, whereas cell growth was resumed after removal of the knockdown inducer. Sep15-deficient cells were arrested at the G1 phase by upregulating p21 and p27, and these cells were also characterized by ER stress. In addition, Sep15 deficiency led to the relocation of focal adhesions to the periphery of the cell basement and to the decrease of the migratory and invasive ability. All these changes were reversible depending on Sep15 status. Rescuing the knockdown state by expressing a silent mutant Sep15 mRNA that is resistant to siRNA also reversed the phenotypic changes. Our results suggest that SEP15 plays important roles in the regulation of the G1 phase during the cell cycle as well as in cell motility in Chang liver cells, and that this selenoprotein offers a novel functional link between the cell cycle and cell motility.     

人卵母细胞样细胞体内分化模型的建立

干细胞通过诱导培养,在体外能够分化为卵母细胞样细胞 (Oocyte-like cell, OLC),将其置于体内环境能够有效地改善OLC的质量和发育能力。通过检测猪卵泡液中激素和Bmp 15蛋白的含量,选取了中等卵泡的卵泡液对人羊水干细胞进行体外诱导培养,10 d后,经实时定量PCR检测发现,早期生殖细胞样细胞团高表达生殖基因oct4和重新甲基化转移酶基因dnmt3b。将这些细胞团用猪卵泡膜包裹后形成移植物,移植到小鼠肾被膜下。1个月后取出移植物,发现移植物内的细胞在形态上,不仅与正常的卵母细胞极为相似,而且还表达生殖细胞和卵母细胞特异标记基因 (oct4、nanog、stella、ifitm3、dazl、nanos3、bmp15和gdf9)。证明技术体系能够有效改善OLC的形成和发育能力。     

花绒寄甲辨别光肩星天牛蛀食不同树木所产生虫粪的挥发性化学信号

光肩星天牛(Anoplophora glabripennis)危害多种阔叶树种,曾对"三北"防护林造成重大灾害。花绒寄甲(Dastarcus helophoroides)对光肩星天牛取食不同寄主树如杨树、柳树、榆树和槭树后排出的虫粪表现出不同的趋向性,但对槭树的虫粪未表现出趋向性。为了阐明花绒寄甲成虫差异性趋向选择机制,我们采用动态顶空吸附技术收集不同寄主树的虫粪挥发物,利用气相色谱、固相微萃取-气相色谱-质联仪对虫粪中单萜、倍半萜进行定性定量分析。结果表明,萜烯类是虫粪挥发物的主要成分,且源自不同寄主树木虫粪的萜烯释放量相差显著。检测到的所有化合物中,只有α-古巴烯在源于复叶槭的光肩星天牛虫粪中含量极微,而在源于其他5种寄主树的虫粪中含量均较大。在进一步的Y型嗅觉仪生测实验中,α-古巴烯能够显著地吸引花绒寄甲。α-古巴烯可能是花绒寄甲辨别取食不同寄主树的光肩星天牛虫粪的重要信号化合物。     

高表达人源SP15对小鼠生长和生殖的影响

目的:探究高表达人源SP15对小鼠生长和生殖的影响,为研究NYD-SP15在生物体中的功能提供动物模型。方法:将人源NYD-SP15 cDNA以及Cre序列插入PCAG启动子下游,构建NYD-SP15转基因表达载体,并通过原核注射,构建全身性表达NYD-SP15的转基因小鼠;将获得的NYD-SP15转基因小鼠与C57/BL6小鼠交配,PCR鉴定转基因小鼠是否有Cre插入,筛选出人源NYD-SP15表达的小鼠,统计转基因小鼠体重变化和后代阳性情况。结果:通过PCR鉴定及公司测序验证,我们成功构建了NYD-SP15转基因过表达载体。并通过PCR鉴定小鼠基因型,筛选出可以表达人NYD-SP15的转基因小鼠。比较转基因小鼠与同窝野生型小鼠体重,发现转基因小鼠体重与同窝野生型小鼠相比无明显区别,说明在体内过表达NYD-SP15对小鼠体重无明显影响。通过对后代阳性小鼠出生情况统计发现F2代阳性小鼠出生率较F1代明显降低。结论:人源NYD-SP15在小鼠体内能正常表达,对其生长无明显影响,但其后代阳性出生率呈逐代下降趋势,推测该原因可能与NYD-SP15在睾丸中表达有关。     

GDF15基因在卵巢上皮性癌组织中的表达及其临床意义

目的:探讨生长分化因子GDF15(Growth Differentiation Factor 15)基因在卵巢上皮性癌组织中的表达及其与铂类耐药的相关性。方法:应用免疫组化、western blot、RT-PCR等方法对80例原发性卵巢癌组织和卵巢癌顺铂敏感/耐药株A2780和CP70、SKOV3和SKOV3/DDP中生长分化因子GDF15表达水平进行测定。结果:生长分化因子GDF15的表达强度与卵巢癌铂类耐药性显著相关。在卵巢癌顺铂耐药株CP70、SKOV3/DDP中GDF15表达水平较顺铂敏感株A2780、SKOV3明显增高。结论:GDF15表达水平与卵巢癌发生发展及铂类耐药相关,对于卵巢癌患者早期筛选、预测预后具有一定的临床指导价值。     

Biomarkers in outpatient heart failure management; Are they correlated to and do they influence clinical judgment?

Aims

Heart failure (HF) management is complicated by difficulties in clinical assessment. Biomarkers may help guide HF management, but the correspondence between clinical evaluation and biomarker serum levels has hardly been studied. We investigated the correlation between biomarkers and clinical signs and symptoms, the influence of patient characteristics and comorbidities on New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification and the effect of using biomarkers on clinical evaluation.

Methods and results

This post-hoc analysis comprised 622 patients (77 ± 8 years, 76 % NYHA class ≥3, 80 % LVEF ≤45 %) participating in TIME-CHF, randomising patients to either NT-proBNP-guided or symptom-guided therapy. Biomarker measurements and clinical evaluation were performed at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months. NT-proBNP, GDF-15, hs-TnT and to a lesser extent hs-CRP and cystatin-C were weakly correlated to NYHA, oedema, jugular vein distension and orthopnoea (ρ-range: 0.12–0.33; p < 0.01). NT-proBNP correlated more strongly to NYHA class in the NT-proBNP-guided group compared with the symptom-guided group. NYHA class was significantly influenced by age, body mass index, anaemia, and the presence of two or more comorbidities.

Conclusion

In HF, biomarkers correlate only weakly with clinical signs and symptoms. NYHA classification is influenced by several comorbidities and patient characteristics. Clinical judgement seems to be influenced by a clinician’s awareness of NT-proBNP concentrations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12471-013-0503-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.