禽网状内皮组织增殖病病毒LTR序列的启动子功能

通过PCR方法,将禽网状内皮组织增殖病病毒(REV)的长末端重复序列(LTR)扩增并克隆进pUC-18质粒多克隆位点(MCS)的EcoR I和Sac I之间,并以BGH基因的多聚腺苷酸序列作为终止子克隆到SphI~HindIII之间,构建成重组质粒pUC-LTR。将GFP基因和REV囊膜糖蛋白gp90基因分别克隆到pUC-LTR载体中,获得质粒pUC-LTR-GFP和质粒pUC-LTR-gp90。重组质粒经转染48h,能够检测到外源基因的表达。本研究提示,REVLTR能够作为启动子构建表达质粒。     

Ventricular repolarization: an overview of (patho)physiology, sympathetic effects and genetic aspects

Most textbook knowledge on ventricular repolarization is based on animal data rather than on data from the in vivo human heart. Yet, these data have been extrapolated to the human heart, often without an appropriate caveat. Here, we review multiple aspects of repolarization, from basic membrane currents to cellular aspects including extrinsic factors such as the effects of the sympathetic nervous system. We critically discuss some mechanistic aspects of the genesis of the T-wave of the ECG in the human heart.

Obviously, the T-wave results from the summation of repolarization all over the heart. The T-wave in a local electrogram ideally reflects local repolarization. The repolarization moment is composed of the moment of local activation plus local action potential duration (APD) at 90% repolarization (APD₉₀). The duration of the latter largely depends on the balance between L-type Ca²⁺ current and the delayed rectifier currents. Generally speaking, there is an inverse relationship between local activation time and local APD₉₀, leading to less dispersion in repolarization moments than in activation moments or in APD₉₀. In transmural direction, the time needed for activation from endocardium toward epicardium has been considered to be overcompensated by shorter APD₉₀ at the epicardium, leading to the earliest repolarization at the subepicardium. In addition, mid-myocardial cells would display the latest repolarization moments. The sparse human data available, however, do not show any transmural dispersion in repolarization moment. Also, the effect of adrenergic stimulation on APD₉₀ has been studied mainly in animals. Again, sparse human data suggest that the effect of adrenergic stimulation is different in the human heart compared to many other mammalian hearts. Finally, aspects of the long QT syndrome are discussed, because this intrinsic genetic disease results from repolarization disorders with extrinsic aspects.     

正常小鼠骨髓血红蛋白含量的测定

小鼠骨髓血红蛋白含量的变化可以间接地反映骨髓微循环系统形态和功能的状况。按Burger and Knyszynski(1969)方法操作繁复,限制了它的推广应用及正常值的问世。最近,我们建立的简易测定方法,为成批标本的测定和正常值的确定创造了条件。 正常小鼠骨髓血红蛋白含量测定的目的:1)在较大量标本的测定中进一步验证该方法的可靠性;2)确定青、成年小鼠骨髓血红蛋白的正常值范围;3)分析其可能的影响因素,以便更好地控制实验条件和判断骨髓微循环障碍的程度。     

人骨髓基质细胞的长期培养及其对病毒的敏感性

为了长期培养骨髓基质细胞和研究其对病毒的敏感性,我们采用静置贴壁培养法,体外长期培养了胎儿、儿童和成人骨髓基质细胞,并将传至５代以上的肌样骨髓基质细胞采用微量细胞病变（ＣＰＥ）法,开展了对５种病毒的敏感性试验。结果表明,人骨髓基质肌样细胞对滤泡性口腔炎病毒,脊髓灰质炎病毒、Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型单纯疱疹病毒均敏感,能产生明显的ＣＰＥ,其效价（ＴＣＩＤ５０）可达１０＾－３～１０＾－４,其中胎儿骨髓基质肌样细胞对     

骨软骨复合支架的研究进展

软骨的修复是当前医学界十分棘手的难题,人们采取若干手段均收效甚微。由于软骨缺损时,其下的软骨下骨常出现硬化、退变,而新生软骨是无法与病变的软骨下骨进行整合的,所以在修复软骨的同时,必须重视软骨下骨的修复。近十几年来,人们开始发明和利用各种骨软骨复合支架,进行同时修复软骨与软骨下骨的动物实验研究。在正常骨软骨组织中,软骨与软骨下骨被钙化层所相连,此外钙化层也将软骨与软骨下骨分隔在不同的生存环境中。根据仿生学原理,人们又设计出一种带有隔离层的新型骨软骨复合支架,并取得了较为理想的实验结果。本文就国内外骨软骨复合支架的研完进展作一综述。     

重组人骨形成蛋白—3成熟肽的表达,纯化及诱骨活性的研究

推测人骨形成蛋白３羧基端的１２７氨基酸的肽段为其成熟肽（ｈＢＭＰ３ｍ）。将编码此成熟肽的ｃＤＮＡ插入含ＰＬ启动子的表达质粒ｐＤＨ中,构建表达质粒ｐＤＨＢ３ｍ,转化大肠杆菌ＤＨ５α。４２℃热诱导６ｈ后表达量达到最高水平,约占菌体总蛋白２８％;表达产物以包涵体形式存在。包涵体经分离和洗涤后,溶解于尿素,在变性溶解状态下经阳离子交换层析,目的蛋白纯度至少在９５％以上。再经稀释复性。然后将纯化、复性的重组人骨形成蛋白３成熟肽（ｒｈＢＭＰ３ｍ）植入小鼠肌肉间隙,于不同时间取材观察,在局部可见典型的软骨形成、软骨内成骨以及骨组织形成的过程,证实所制备的ｒｈＢＭＰ３ｍ具有明显的异位诱骨活性。     

人骨形态发生蛋白12对人骨肉瘤细胞的生物学作用

为研究人骨形态发生蛋白(human bone morphogenetic proteins,hBMP)12对人骨肉瘤细胞株MG63和U2OS的作用,分别用hBMP12重组腺病毒(AdBMP12)以及含重组hBMP12(recombinant hBMP12,rhBMP12)的条件培养液干预人骨肉瘤细胞MG63和U2OS,利用台盼蓝拒染法、TUNEL法、吖啶橙/溴乙啶(AO/EB)荧光双染法、Transwell小室和碱性磷酸酶活性测定法分别检测细胞增殖、凋亡、迁移以及成骨分化能力的变化.与相应对照组相比,AdBMP12和含rhBMP12的条件培养液的干预致两种骨肉瘤细胞株细胞存活率降低,并呈一定的时间依赖性;凋亡率均随时间延长而增加,并且两种检测方法的结果一致;不同时间点的细胞穿膜数均明显减低;碱性磷酸酶活性在干预3d后开始逐渐增加,至第9d仍可观测到.以上差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01).提示无论是以腺病毒介导基因转入还是重组蛋白直接作用方式,hBMP12都可以抑制人骨肉瘤细胞株MG63和U2OS的增殖和迁移,并诱导其凋亡和向成骨细胞分化.     

APT102, a novel adpase, cooperates with aspirin to disrupt bone metastasis in mice

Platelets contribute to the development of metastasis, the most common cause of mortality in cancer patients, but the precise role that anti-platelet drugs play in cancer treatment is not defined. Metastatic tumor cells can produce platelet alphaIIb beta3 activators, such as ADP and thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)). Inhibitors of platelet beta3 integrins decrease bone metastases in mice but are associated with significant bleeding. We examined the role of a novel soluble apyrase/ADPase, APT102, and an inhibitor of TXA(2) synthesis, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin or ASA), in mouse models of experimental bone metastases. We found that treatment with ASA and APT102 in combination (ASA + APT102), but not either drug alone, significantly decreased breast cancer and melanoma bone metastases in mice with fewer bleeding complications than observed with alphaIIb beta3 inhibition. ASA + APT102 diminished tumor cell induced platelet aggregation but did not directly alter tumor cell viability. Notably, APT102 + ASA treatment did not affect initial tumor cell distribution and similar results were observed in beta3-/- mice. These results show that treatment with ASA + APT102 decreases bone metastases without significant bleeding complications. Anti-platelet drugs such as ASA + APT102 could be valuable experimental tools for studying the role of platelet activation in metastasis as well as a therapeutic option for the prevention of bone metastases.     

LncRNA and mRNA integration network reconstruction reveals novel key regulators in esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma

Many experimental and computational studies have identified key protein coding genes in initiation and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the number of researches that tried to reveal the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in ESCC has been limited. LncRNAs are one of the important regulators of cancers which are transcribed dominantly in the genome and in various conditions. The main goal of this study was to use a systems biology approach to predict novel lncRNAs as well as protein coding genes associated with ESCC and assess their prognostic values. By using microarray expression data for mRNAs and lncRNAs from a large number of ESCC patients, we utilized “Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis” (WGCNA) method to make a big coding-non-coding gene co-expression network, and discovered important functional modules. Gene set enrichment and pathway analysis revealed major biological processes and pathways involved in these modules. After selecting some protein coding genes involved in biological processes and pathways related to cancer, we used “LncTar”, a computational tool to predict potential interactions between these genes and lncRNAs. By combining interaction results with Pearson correlations, we introduced some novel lncRNAs with putative key regulatory roles in the network. Survival analysis with Kaplan-Meier estimator and Log-rank test statistic confirmed that most of the introduced genes are associated with poor prognosis in ESCC. Overall, our study reveals novel protein coding genes and lncRNAs associated with ESCC, along with their predicted interactions. Based on the promising results of survival analysis, these genes can be used as good estimators of patients' survival, or even can be analyzed further as new potential signatures or targets for the therapy of ESCC disease.     

Upward shift of alpine plants increases floristic similarity of mountain summits

Question: Does the upward shift of species and accompanied increase in species richness, induced by climate change, lead to homogenization of Alpine summit vegetation? Location: Bernina region of the Swiss Alps. Methods: Based on a data set from previous literature we expand the analysis from species richness to beta‐diversity and spatial heterogeneity. Species compositions of mountain summits are compared using a two‐component heterogeneity concept including the mean and the variance of Sørensen similarities calculated between the summits. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling is applied to explore developments of single summits in detail. Results: Both heterogeneity components (mean dissimilarity and variance) decrease over time, indicating a trend towards more homogeneous vegetation among Alpine summits. However, the development on single summits is not strictly unidirectional. Conclusions: The upward shift of plant species leads to homogenization of alpine summit regions. Thus, increasing alpha‐diversity is accompanied by decreasing beta‐diversity. Beta‐diversity demands higher recognition by scientists as well as nature conservationists as it detects changes which cannot be described using species richness alone.