象皮生肌膏对肛瘘术后创面修复及PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号通路的影响

摘要 目的：探究象皮生肌膏对肛瘘切除术后大鼠创面的治疗作用及其与PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号通路的相关性。方法：将SD雄性大鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组、象皮生肌膏组、湿润烧伤膏组,共4组,每组10只。4组均采用0号钢丝制造肛瘘模型,造模成功后,除假手术组外,均在麻醉下行肛瘘切除术,创面保持开放,使之形成"开放、渗血、渗液、有脓性分泌物"的感染性肛瘘术后创面,假手术组保留瘘管,不予换药,模型组予以生理盐水冲洗、络合碘消毒后不予换药,治疗组分别予以相应药物进行创面换药,共10天。10天后采用常规面积检测法比较模型组、象皮生肌膏组、湿润烧伤膏组大鼠肛瘘术后创面的创面愈合率及创面肉芽组织覆盖率;HE染色观察各组大鼠肛周组织病理情况;ELISA检测各组大鼠血清中bFGF、EGF、VEGF的表达水平,WB检测比较各组大鼠肛周肉芽组织中PI3K、Akt、mTOR、p70 S6K、p-PI3K（S473）、p-AKT（S473）、p-mTOR（Ser2448）、p-p70 S6K的蛋白表达水平。结果：与模型组比较,治疗第3、7、10天象皮生肌膏组和湿润烧伤膏组的创面愈合率及创面肉芽组织填充率显著升高（P＜0.01）。病理切片显示,假手术组炎性细胞浸润较少,其余各组均可见不同程度的炎性细胞浸润,且创面区可见不同程度炎性修复型肉芽组织增生、胶原纤维新生及血管扩张;其中模型组病理切片显示大量炎性细胞浸润,血管扩张明显,并有明显的血管出血;象皮生肌膏组病理切片显示炎性细胞较少,成纤维细胞成熟且分布整齐,真皮层内胶原纤维丰富且排列整齐,可见血管新生,无明显血管扩张及出血;湿润烧伤膏组病理切片显示少量炎性细胞浸润及血管扩张,真皮层内可见成纤维细胞生成。ELISA检测结果显示,与假手术组比较,模型组血清中bFGF、EGF、VEGF的含量显著降低（P＜0.01）;与模型组比较,象皮生肌膏组血清中bFGF、EGF、VEGF的含量显著升高（P＜0.01）,湿润烧伤膏组大鼠血清中EGF、VEGF的含量显著升高（P＜0.01）。WB检测结果显示,与假手术组比较,模型组肛周组织中p-PI3K、p-Akt 、p-mTOR、p-p70 S6K蛋白表达显著降低（P<0.01）;与模型组比较,象皮生肌膏组肛周组织中p-PI3K、p-Akt 、p-mTOR、p-p70 S6K蛋白表达显著升高（P<0.05）。结论：象皮生肌膏能有效促进肛瘘术后创面修复,减轻肛瘘术后创面炎症反应,促进创面肉芽生长,其促愈机制可能与PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号通路相关蛋白表达有关,其通过上调PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号通路相关蛋白激活PI3K/Akt/mTOR信号通路,进而加快创面修复进程。     

A novel parasitoid and a declining butterfly: cause or coincidence?

1. The small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae L.) is considered to be a widespread and abundant generalist species in Northern Europe. However, it declined sharply in the U.K. between 2003 and 2008, coinciding with the arrival and spread of a parasitoid, Sturmia bella Meig. (Diptera: Tachinidae), which specialises on nymphalid butterflies. 2. Whether the decline in A. urticae is associated with the arrival of S. bella was investigated using data from a large‐scale butterfly monitoring scheme, and by collecting larvae to assess parasitoid incidence and parasitism frequency. Similar data were compiled for a related butterfly (Inachis io) which is also parasitised by S. bella but which is not declining. 3. Sturmia bella was recorded as far north as north Lincolnshire (53.53°N). Aglais urticae has declined significantly to the south of this latitude, but not to the north. 4. Sturmia bella was present in 26% and 15% of the larval groups of A. urticae and I. io, respectively, and now kills more individuals of A. urticae (but not I. io) than any native parasitoid. 5. Survival was 25–48% lower in batches of A. urticae larvae where S. bella was present, indicating that S. bella causes host mortality in addition to that caused by native parasitoids. 6. Our results suggest that S. bella may be playing a role in the recent decline of A. urticae. However, further research is needed to establish its effects relative to other potential drivers of trends in the abundance of this butterfly.     

Absolute configuration of eremophilanoids by vibrational circular dichroism

The absolute configurations (AC) of natural occurring 6-hydroxyeuryopsin (1), of its acetyl derivative 2, and of eremophilanolide 8 were confirmed by comparison of the experimental vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra with theoretical curves generated from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Initial analyses were carried out using a Monte Carlo searching with the MMFF94 molecular mechanics force field. All MMFF94 conformers were further optimized using DFT at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory, followed by calculations of their vibrational frequencies at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p); the VCD spectra of 2 and 8 were also calculated at the B3PW91/DGDZVP level of theory. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental VCD curves unambiguously verified the 4S,5R,6S absolute configuration for 1 and 2, and the 1S,4S,5R,6S,8S,10S configuration for 8.     

Physcomitrella patens has lipoxygenases for both eicosanoid and octadecanoid pathways

Mosses have substantial amounts of long chain C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acid, in addition to the shorter chain C18 α-linolenic and linoleic acids, which are typical substrates of lipoxygenases in flowering plants. To identify the fatty acid substrates used by moss lipoxygenases, eight lipoxygenase genes from Physcomitrella patens were heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, and then analyzed for lipoxygenase activity using linoleic, α-linolenic and arachidonic acids as substrates. Among the eight moss lipoxygenases, only seven were found to be enzymatically active in vitro, two of which selectively used arachidonic acid as the substrate, while the other five preferred α-linolenic acid. Based on enzyme assays using a Clark-type oxygen electrode, all of the active lipoxygenases had an optimum pH at 7.0, except for one with highest activity at pH 5.0. HPLC analyses indicated that the two arachidonic acid lipoxygenases form (12S)-hydroperoxy eicosatetraenoic acid as the main product, while the other five lipoxygenases produce mainly (13S)-hydroperoxy octadecatrienoic acid from α-linolenic acid. These results suggest that mosses may have both C20 and C18 based oxylipin pathways.     

Guaiane- and aristolane-type sesquiterpenoids of Nardostachys chinensis roots

Two guaiane-type compounds, nardoguaianone J and K (1 and 2) and two aristolane-type compounds, kanshone F and G (3 and 4), were isolated from Nardostachys chinensis roots. The structures including the absolute configurations were elucidated by spectral means and by comparison of their CD spectra.     

Discriminating the effects of phylogenetic hypothesis,tree resolution and clade age estimates on phylogenetic signal measurements

Understanding how species traits evolved over time is the central question to comprehend assembly rules that govern the phylogenetic structure of communities. The measurement of phylogenetic signal (PS) in ecologically relevant traits is a first step to understand phylogenetically structured community patterns. The different methods available to estimate PS make it difficult to choose which is most appropriate. Furthermore, alternative phylogenetic tree hypotheses, node resolution and clade age estimates might influence PS measurements. In this study, we evaluated to what extent these parameters affect different methods of PS analysis, and discuss advantages and disadvantages when selecting which method to use. We measured fruit/seed traits and flowering/fruiting phenology of endozoochoric species occurring in Southern Brazilian Araucaria forests and evaluated their PS using Mantel regressions, phylogenetic eigenvector regressions (PVR) and K statistic. Mantel regressions always gave less significant results compared to PVR and K statistic in all combinations of phylogenetic trees constructed. Moreover, a better phylogenetic resolution affected PS, independently of the method used to estimate it. Morphological seed traits tended to show higher PS than diaspores traits, while PS in flowering/fruiting phenology depended mostly on the method used to estimate it. This study demonstrates that different PS estimates are obtained depending on the chosen method and the phylogenetic tree resolution. This finding has implications for inferences on phylogenetic niche conservatism or ecological processes determining phylogenetic community structure.     

Characterization of H3.3K36M as a tool to study H3K36 methylation in cancer cells

Recurrent mutations at key lysine residues in the histone variant H3.3 are thought to play an etiologic role in the development of distinct subsets of pediatric gliomas and bone and cartilage cancers. H3.3K36M is one such mutation that was originally identified in chondroblastomas, and its expression in these tumors contributes to oncogenic reprogramming by triggering global depletion of dimethylation and trimethylation at H3K36 with a concomitant increase in the levels of H3K27 trimethylation. H3.3K36M expression can also cause epigenomic changes in cell types beyond chondrocytic cells. Here we show that expression of H3.3K36M in HT1080 fibrosarcoma cancer cells severely impairs cellular proliferation, which contrasts its role in promoting transformation of chondrocytic cells. H3.3K36M-associated cellular toxicity phenocopies the specific depletion of H3K36me2, but not loss of H3K36me3. We further find that the H3K36me2-associated toxicity is largely independent of changes in H3K27me3. Together, our findings lend support to the argument that H3K36me2 has distinct roles in cancer cells independent of H3K36me3 and H3K27me3, and highlight the use of H3.3K36M as an epigenetic tool to study H3K36 and H3K27 methylation dynamics in diverse cell types.     

Conserved insulin signaling in the regulation of oocyte growth,development, and maturation

Insulin signaling regulates various aspects of physiology, such as glucose homeostasis and aging, and is a key determinant of female reproduction in metazoans. That insulin signaling is crucial for female reproductive health is clear from clinical data linking hyperinsulinemic and hypoinsulinemic condition with certain types of ovarian dysfunction, such as altered steroidogenesis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and infertility. Thus, understanding the signaling mechanisms that underlie the control of insulin‐mediated ovarian development is important for the accurate diagnosis of and intervention for female infertility. Studies of invertebrate and vertebrate model systems have revealed the molecular determinants that transduce insulin signaling as well as which biological processes are regulated by the insulin‐signaling pathway. The molecular determinants of the insulin‐signaling pathway, from the insulin receptor to its downstream signaling components, are structurally and functionally conserved across evolution, from worms to mammals—yet, physiological differences in signaling still exist. Insulin signaling acts cooperatively with gonadotropins in mammals and lower vertebrates to mediate various aspects of ovarian development, mainly owing to evolution of the endocrine system in vertebrates. In contrast, insulin signaling in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans directly regulates oocyte growth and maturation. In this review, we compare and contrast insulin‐mediated regulation of ovarian functions in mammals, lower vertebrates, C. elegans, and Drosophila, and highlight conserved signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms in general while illustrating insulin's unique role in specific reproductive processes.     

Knockdown of SLC34A2 inhibits cell proliferation,metastasis, and elevates chemosensitivity in glioma

Solute carrier 34 A2 (SLC34A2) is a member of SLC34 family that is a group of phosphate transporters. SLC34A2 has been reported to play critical roles in tumorigenesis and progression. However, the researches about the biological roles of SLC34A2 in glioma have not yet been reported. In this study, we analyzed the expression patterns of SLC34A2 in clinical glioma tumor tissues and cell lines. The results demonstrated that SLC34A2 was generally overexpressed in both glioma tissues and cell lines. To further investigate the roles of SLC34A2 in glioma, lentivirus containing specific SLC34A2 short hairpin RNA (sh-SLC34A2) was used to infect glioma cell lines U251 and U87 for the knockdown of SLC34A2. The following studies proved that SLC34A2 knockdown exhibited suppressive effects on cell proliferation and migration/invasion. SLC34A2 knockdown also inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype, as evidenced by the increased E-cadherin expression, and the decreased N-cadherin and fibronectin expressions. Besides, knockdown of SLC34A2 enhanced the temozolomide (TMZ) sensitivity of U251 and U87 cells. In vivo tumorigenicity assay demonstrated that SLC34A2 knockdown inhibited tumor growth. Moreover, SLC34A2 knockdown suppressed the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in U87 cells. GW2974 (EGFR inhibitor) increased SLC34A2 knockdown-inhibited cell proliferation, migration/invasion, as well as enhanced SLC34A2 knockdown-increased the TMZ sensitivity of glioma cells. These findings suggested that SLC34A2 might be a new potential therapeutic target for the therapy of glioma patients.