多因素对昆明小鼠胚胎干细胞原代集落形成和后期增殖的影响

目的：研究细胞因子LIF、EGF、bFGF和肝素钠,以及氧分压、温度等多因素对昆明系小鼠胚胎干细胞（KM-ESC）原代集落形成和后期增殖的影响。方法：本研究选择LIF、EGF、bFGF、肝素钠、5%O2,20%O2和37℃、39℃作为研究条件。并检测不同情况下小鼠胚胎干细胞原代集落形成和后期增殖情况。结果：LIF对KM-ESC原代集落形成和后期增殖具有显著促进作用,极显著高于EGF、bFGF和肝素钠组（P〈0.01）。温度对KM-ESC原代集落形成和增殖具有显著影响,39℃条件下,原代集落形成率、直径和后期增殖显著高于37℃（P〈0.05）;而氧分压对KM-ESC原代集落形成无显著作用（P〉0.05）,但是对原代集落直径和后期增殖有一定促进作用,20%O2组显著高于5%O2组（P〈0.05）。结论：LIF、EGF、bFGF、肝素钠、39℃、20%O2对小鼠胚胎干细胞原代集落形成和后期增殖具有显著促进作用。     

多因素对昆明小鼠胚胎干细胞原代集落形成和后期增殖的影响

目的:研究细胞因子LIF、EGF、bFGF和肝素钠,以及氧分压、温度等多因素对昆明系小鼠胚胎干细胞(KM-ESC)原代集落形成和后期增殖的影响。方法:本研究选择LIF、EGF、bFGF、肝素钠、5%O2,20%O2和37℃、39℃作为研究条件。并检测不同情况下小鼠胚胎干细胞原代集落形成和后期增殖情况。结果:LIF对KM-ESC原代集落形成和后期增殖具有显著促进作用,极显著高于EGF、bFGF和肝素钠组(P<0.01)。温度对KM-ESC原代集落形成和增殖具有显著影响,39℃条件下,原代集落形成率、直径和后期增殖显著高于37℃(P<0.05);而氧分压对KM-ESC原代集落形成无显著作用(P>0.05),但是对原代集落直径和后期增殖有一定促进作用,20%O2组显著高于5%O2组(P<0.05)。结论:LIF、EGF、bFGF、肝素钠、39℃、20%O2对小鼠胚胎干细胞原代集落形成和后期增殖具有显著促进作用。     

肾盂灌注冲洗对肾脏功能和结构的影响

目的:探讨经皮肾镜碎石术肾盂灌注冲洗压对肾脏结构和功能的影响。方法:建立20头活体猪高压肾盂冲洗模型,建立24F肾造瘘通道,分别在0mmHg(作自身对照,只造瘘不灌注)、150mmHg、200mmHg、250mmHg、300mmHg压力下各冲洗30分钟。术中取肾组织送病理检查,监测肾单位光镜和电镜下的形态学改变;术后5天留取尿标本,应用免疫比浊测定法(ITM)检测尿微量白蛋白(ALB)和β2-微球蛋白(β2-MG);并于术后第5天再次取肾组织行病理检查观察肾单位的形态学改变。结果:所有灌注组术后都出现尿蛋白的增高,术后第1天和术前相比,都有显著差异(P<0.01)。形态学观察:当肾盂灌注冲洗压在150-200mmHg时,光镜下观察见肾小囊腔轻度扩张,压力超过250mmHg,肾小囊腔见红细胞和蛋白渗出物,肾小管扩张。电镜下见肾近曲小管上皮细胞内空泡形成,微绒毛排列杂乱、稀疏、部分微绒毛脱落。结论:肾盂灌注冲洗安全压不应超过200mmHg。     

Transient magneto-peristaltic flow of couple stress biofluids: A magneto-hydro-dynamical study on digestive transport phenomena

Magnetic fields are increasingly being utilized in endoscopy and gastric transport control. In this regard, the present study investigates the influence of a transverse magnetic field in the transient peristaltic rheological transport. An electrically-conducting couple stress non-Newtonian model is employed to accurately simulate physiological fluids in peristaltic flow through a sinusoidally contracting channel of finite length. This model is designed for computing the intra-bolus oesophageal and intestinal pressures during the movement of food bolus in the digestive system under magneto-hydro-dynamic effects. Long wavelength and low Reynolds number approximations have been employed to reduce the governing equations from nonlinear to linear form, this being a valid approach for creeping flows which characterizes physiological dynamics. Analytical approximate solutions for axial velocity, transverse velocity, pressure gradient, local wall shear stress and volumetric flow rate are obtained for the non-dimensional conservation equations subject to appropriate boundary conditions. The effects of couple stress parameter and transverse magnetic field on the velocity profile, pressure distribution, local wall shear stress and the averaged flow rate are discussed with the aid of computational results. The comparative study of non-integral and integral number of waves propagating along the finite length channel is also presented. Magnetic field and non-Newtonian properties are found to strongly influence peristaltic transport.     

Copy number variations of obesity relevant loci associated with body mass index in young Chinese

Obesity is one of the most complex human diseases that are widely concerned and studied. More recently, copy number variations (CNVs) emerge as another important genetic marker to influence various human diseases. To elucidate the relationship between obesity and CNVs, this current study selected obesity-related candidate CNVs and analyzed their association with body mass index (BMI). Results showed that a CNV locus, 8q24.3, was significantly different (P = 0.0070) in CNV frequency between the obese and healthy controls in a young eastern Chinese cohort, while no statistical significance was observed in other seven candidate loci including well reported 10q11.22 and 16p11.2 loci. The association of 8q24.3 CNVs with BMI of the subjects only showed marginal significance, while the copy number (CN) of 5p15.33 had a significant correlation with the BMI of the subject. These results suggested that 8q24.3 CN gains was associated with obesity, and 5p15.33 might also contribute to obesity pathogenesis, highlighting the importance of these CNVs for obesity risks, as well as providing new evidence for CNVs in the pathology of common diseases.     

Determination of the volume changes induced by ligand binding to heat shock protein 90 using high-pressure denaturation

The volume changes accompanying ligand binding to proteins are thermodynamically important and could be used in the design of compounds with specific binding properties. Measuring the volumetric properties could yield as much information as the enthalpic properties of binding. Pressure-based methods are significantly more laborious than temperature methods and are underused. Here we present a pressure shift assay (PressureFluor, analogous to the ThermoFluor thermal shift assay) that uses high pressure to denature proteins. The PressureFluor method was used to study the ligand binding thermodynamics of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). Ligands stabilize the protein against pressure denaturation, similar to the stabilization against temperature denaturation. The equations that relate the ligand dosing, protein concentration, and binding constant with the volumes and compressibilities of unfolding and binding are presented.     

Water relation parameters of six Peltigera species correlate with their habitat preferences

Water relation parameters were measured in six congeneric lichen species with different requirements for water availability and with green algae (Peltigera aphthosa, Peltigera leucophlebia, Peltigera venosa) or cyanobacteria (Peltigera horizontalis, Peltigera praetextata, Peltigera rufescens) as main photobionts. Pressure–volume analysis was performed with a dewpoint hygrometer and integrated with anatomical analyses. The Peltigera species typical of arid environments were characterized by relatively lower osmotic potential (π₀) and turgor loss point (Ψ_TLP), and higher values of bulk modulus of elasticity (?). Both π₀ and Ψ_TLP were correlated with the size of medullary cells, while ? was negatively correlated with cell dimensions. The adaptive value of low Ψ_TLP might reside in the capability to maintain cell turgor for longer time intervals under dry conditions. High ? might allow xerophilous lichens to regain cell turgor more promptly even for small amounts of water uptake, thus enlarging the cumulative period of positive carbon balance in environments with fluctuating water availability. The influence of the photobiont type is also discussed.     

Pressure-tuning infrared spectra of the three Magnus’ Green salts, [Pt(NH3)4][PtCl4], [Pt(ND3)4][PtCl4] and [Pt(NH3)4][PtBr4]

Pressure-tuning infrared spectra (up to ca. 40 kbar) are reported for Magnus’ Green salt, [Pt(NH₃)₄][PtCl₄] and two of its derivatives, [Pt(ND₃)₄][PtCl₄] and [Pt(NH₃)₄][PtBr₄]. The spectroscopic data indicate that there is restricted rotation of the coordinated ammonia groups about the Pt-N bonds in the complexes. It is possible that this restricted rotation is due to the presence of weak hydrogen bonding to the halogens, i.e., N-H?X (X = Cl, Br) interactions.     

Interleukin-18 knockout mice display maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy in response to pressure overload

Interleukin (IL)-18 is a cardiotropic proinflammatory cytokine chronically elevated in the serum of patients with cardiac hypertrophy (LVH). The purpose of this study was to examine the role of IL-18 in pressure-overload hypertrophy using wild type (WT) and IL-18 -/- (null) mice. Adult male C57Bl/6 mice underwent transaortic constriction (TAC) for 7days or sham surgery. Heart weight/body weight ratios showed blunted hypertrophy in IL-18 null TAC mice compared to WT TAC animals. Microarray analyses indicated differential expression of hypertrophy-related genes in WT versus IL-18 nulls. Northern, Western, and EMSA analyses showed Akt and GATA4 were increased in WT but unchanged in IL-18 null mice. Our results demonstrate blunted hypertrophy with reduced expression of contractile-, hypertrophy-, and remodeling-associated genes following pressure overload in IL-18 null mice, and suggest that IL-18 plays a critical role in the hypertrophic response.