颈动脉斑块LRNC特征可诊断2型糖尿病患者急性脑梗死的风险

2型糖尿病可能加重颈动脉斑块的易损性并增加缺血性中风的风险,关于2型糖尿病患者伴有颈动脉斑块特征的急性中风亚型鲜有研究报道。本研究旨在探讨2型糖尿病患者颈动脉斑块特征与MRI确定的急性脑梗死病变特征之间的关系。本研究以颈内动脉区急性脑血管病患者为研究对象,所有患者分为2型糖尿病组和非2型糖尿病组,分别行颈动脉和脑部MRI扫描,测定同侧颈动脉斑块的形态和特征,以及颅内和颅外颈动脉狭窄。基于中风亚型和急性脑梗塞病变模式对患者进行评估。研究结果表明,与非2型糖尿病患者相比,2型糖尿病患者颈动脉型IV-VI病变的患病率更高,斑块负荷更大,以及富脂质坏死核(LRNC)更大。在有症状的颈动脉LRNC患者中,与非2型糖尿病组相比,2型糖尿病组颈内动脉区出现较多的伴有大穿孔动脉梗塞形态和较大的急性脑梗塞。LRNC%>23.5%的颈动脉斑块是2型糖尿病患者存在颈动脉狭窄的急性脑梗塞病变的独立危险因素。颈动脉斑块特征的量化,尤其是MRI诊断的富脂质坏死核对中风风险具有潜在应用价值。     

What are the roles of retinoids,other morphogens,and Hox genes in setting up the vertebrate body axis?

This article is concerned with the roles of retinoids and other known anterior–posterior morphogens in setting up the embryonic vertebrate anterior–posterior axis. The discussion is restricted to the very earliest events in setting up the anterior–posterior axis (from blastula to tailbud stages in Xenopus embryos). In these earliest developmental stages, morphogen concentration gradients are not relevant for setting up this axis. It emerges that at these stages, the core patterning mechanism is timing: BMP‐anti BMP mediated time space translation that regulates Hox temporal and spatial collinearities and Hox‐Hox auto‐ and cross‐ regulation. The known anterior–posterior morphogens and signaling pathways––retinoids, FGF's, Cdx, Wnts, Gdf11 and others––interact with this core mechanism at and after space–time defined “decision points,” leading to the separation of distinct axial domains. There are also other roles for signaling pathways. Besides the Hox regulated hindbrain/trunk part of the axis, there is a rostral part (including the anterior part of the head and the extreme anterior domain [EAD]) that appears to be regulated by additional mechanisms. Key aspects of anterior–posterior axial patterning, including: the nature of different phases in early patterning and in the whole process; the specificities of Hox action and of intercellular signaling; and the mechanisms of Hox temporal and spatial collinearities, are discussed in relation to the facts and hypotheses proposed above.     

Bayesian Confidence Intervals for Multiplexed Proteomics Integrate Ion-statistics with Peptide Quantification Concordance,

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Highlights

• •Bayesian Beta-Binomial model integrates ion statistics with peptide ratio agreement.
• •Model appropriately interprets information from low signal peptides.
• •Confidence can be assigned even without replicates.
• •Model adds sensitivity to detection of small changes.

     

Decoupling the Roles of Cell Shape and Mechanical Stress in Orienting and Cueing Epithelial Mitosis

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Brain regeneration in anuran amphibians

Urodele amphibians are highly regenerative animals. After partial removal of the brain in urodeles, ependymal cells around the wound surface proliferate, differentiate into neurons and glias and finally regenerate the lost tissue. In contrast to urodeles, this type of brain regeneration is restricted only to the larval stages in anuran amphibians (frogs). In adult frogs, whereas ependymal cells proliferate in response to brain injury, they cannot migrate and close the wound surface, resulting in the failure of regeneration. Therefore frogs, in particular Xenopus, provide us with at least two modes to study brain regeneration. One is to study normal regeneration by using regenerative larvae. In this type of study, the requirement of reconnection between a regenerating brain and sensory neurons was demonstrated. Functional restoration of a regenerated telencephalon was also easily evaluated because Xenopus shows simple responses to the stimulus of a food odor. The other mode is to compare regenerative larvae and non-regenerative adults. By using this mode, it is suggested that there are regeneration-competent cells even in the non-regenerative adult brain, and that immobility of those cells might cause the failure of regeneration. Here we review studies that have led to these conclusions.     

Analysis of terminal sugar moieties and species-specificities of acrosome reaction-inducing substance in Xenopus (ARISX)

The acrosome reaction of Xenopus sperm is triggered by the acrosome reaction-inducing substance in Xenopus (ARISX), an oviductal pars recta-derived, sugar-rich substance decorated on the entire surface of the vitelline envelope (VE) during ovulation. Here we addressed the functional importance of the sugar moiety in ARISX. Among various lectins examined, soybean agglutinin and Dolichos biflorus agglutinin were shown to abolish the acrosome reaction-inducing activity of ARISX present in pars recta extract or on the VE, indicating the importance of the terminal alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine residue for the function of ARISX. Consistently, the acrosome reaction-inducing activity was not affected by proteinase K digestion, in spite of the simultaneous shift of ARISX to a smaller molecular weight. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopic examinations showed that ARISX was distributed as two types of structures on VE; thick fiber-like materials and thin filamentous materials, and that a new structure appeared on the fertilization envelope instead of the thin filamentous materials. Sperm from several amphibian species were subjected to an in vitro assay during induction of the acrosome reaction with ARISX. The resulting limited population of sperm from a non-Xenopus species underwent acrosome reaction, implying a weak species-specificity of ARISX.     

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling has an essential role in the initiation of limb regeneration

Anuran (frog) tadpoles and urodeles (newts and salamanders) are the only vertebrates capable of fully regenerating amputated limbs. During the early stages of regeneration these amphibians form a "blastema", a group of mesenchymal progenitor cells that specifically directs the regrowth of the limb. We report that wnt-3a is expressed in the apical epithelium of regenerating Xenopus laevis limb buds, at the appropriate time and place to play a role during blastema formation. To test whether Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is required for limb regeneration, we created transgenic X. laevis tadpoles that express Dickkopf-1 (Dkk1), a specific inhibitor of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, under the control of a heat-shock promoter. Heat-shock immediately before limb amputation or during early blastema formation blocked limb regeneration but did not affect the development of contralateral, un-amputated limb buds. When the transgenic tadpoles were heat-shocked following the formation of a blastema, however, they retained the ability to regenerate partial hindlimb structures. Furthermore, heat-shock induced Dkk1 blocked fgf-8 but not fgf-10 expression in the blastema. We conclude that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling has an essential role during the early stages of limb regeneration, but is not absolutely required after blastema formation.     

Cyclin E2 is required for embryogenesis in Xenopus laevis

In mammalian cells, E-type cyclins (E1 and E2) are generally believed to be required for entry into S phase. However, in mice, cyclin E is largely dispensable for normal embryogenesis. Moreover, Drosophila cyclin E plays a critical role in cell fate determination in neural lineages independently of proliferation. Thus, the functions of cyclin E, particularly during early development, remain elusive. Here, we investigated the requirement for E-type cyclins during Xenopus embryogenesis. Although cyclin E1 has been reported as a maternal cyclin, inhibition of its translation in the embryo caused no serious defects. We isolated a Xenopus homologue of human cyclin E2, which was zygotically expressed. Sufficient inhibition of its expression led to death at late gastrula, while partial inhibition allowed survival. These observations indicate distinct roles for Xenopus cyclins E1 and E2, and an absolute requirement of cyclin E2 for Xenopus embryogenesis.