电刺激猫小脑顶核对动脉血压和肾交感神经放电的影响

在38只麻醉及人工呼吸的猫,观察到电刺激小脑顶核嘴侧部能引起动脉血压显著升高;肾交感神经放电于刺激期间显著增加。去缓冲神经对刺激顶核所引起的血压反应的幅度和肾交感神经放电均无明显影响,但可明显延长血压反应升高相以及血压恢复期的时间。静脉注射氯庄定引起血压降低、心率减慢及肾交感神经放电的抑制,并能减弱刺激顶核引起的血压反应,但增强了刺激顶核引起的肾神经放电的变化。电解损毁延髓腹外侧面引起血压降低及肾交感神经放电的抑制,然而无论单侧还是双侧损毁延髓腹外侧面都不能阻断刺激顶核所引起的血压和肾交感神经放电的反应。以上结果表明,电刺激顶核能引起明显的心血管反应,其反应的下行性通路可能不通过延髓腹外侧面。     

Host species diversity and post-blood feeding carbohydrate availability enhance survival of females and fecundity in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Aedes albopictus mosquito is an opportunistic blood feeder and has a broad host range. The feeding behavior and habits of this mosquito are liable to increase the transmission potential of arboviruses. The survival and fecundity in A. albopictus fed on different hosts and post-blood meal provision of sugar were investigated in a laboratory-reared colony. Adult survival of caged female A. albopictus that were fed on blood of two different hosts (double meal) was higher than the females fed only on one host (single meal) (mean survival: 70.2 ± 9.6 vs. 55.5 ± 5.5%, respectively) when held in the laboratory for 72 h after blood feeding. Mean survival of females provided 10% sucrose solution (in water) after a single or double blood meal was higher (90.5 ± 6.4% and 89.3 ± 6.5%, respectively) than in the respective groups receiving water only following blood feeding (double meal: 49.0 ± 9.6%; single meal: 45.3 ± 10.9%). Females receiving a double meal were more fecund on average (89.0 ± 6.6 eggs) than females provided a single meal (82.3 ± 8.2 eggs).     

Leishmania infantum: prime boost vaccination with C-terminal extension of cysteine proteinase type I displays both type 1 and 2 immune signatures in BALB/c mice

The aims of current study are to describe the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of prime boost vaccine using C-terminal extension (CTE) of cysteine proteinase type I of Leishmania infantum in BALB/c mice. Group I as vaccinated group primed with 100 microg of pcDNA-CTE and 3 weeks later boosted with combination of 30 microg rCTE, 50 microg of CpG and Montanide 720. Groups II and III were served as control groups. Although, this vaccination regimen did not protect mice against the infectious challenge but it was highly immunogenic. IgG2a has been raised strongly against rCTE in contrast to IgG1 and remains high at every time point under study. By analysis of CTE synthetic peptides (CTE100) before challenge, both IgG1 and IgG2a were produced and for all overlapping synthetic peptides (CTE 1-8) IgG1 raised significantly. This statue is changed at 7 weeks after challenge and only CTE2 and CTE3 have shown to induce considerable amount of IgG1. In all groups, the level of IL-5 started to increase with high concentration shortly passing only 3 weeks after infectious challenge. In compare with two control groups, the vaccinated group produced significantly higher level of IL-5 at 7 weeks post-infection. The parasite burden of all groups is similar at 4 weeks post-challenge in both liver and spleen. In contrast, at 8 weeks post challenge, the spleen of the vaccinated group showed significantly higher level of parasite load in compare with two control groups. This study demonstrated that immunization with CTE display both type 1 and 2 immune signatures in experimental murine model of L. infantum infection.     

Simple and reliable detection of slime production of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">spp</Emphasis>. directly from blood culture bottles: Comparison of visual tube method and transmission electron microscopy

Early detection of slime production may be useful for clinical decision because of its suggestive property for potential pathogenic capacity of a Candida strain especially in patients with a prosthetic device. In this study we aimed to compare the visual tube method (VTM) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to confirm the reliability of the former method. In order to demonstrate the reproducibility of the tube method and to determine the correct timing for the test, Candida isolates directly obtained from blood culture (DBC) bottles and their two subsequent subcultures were used. The results of this study showed that VTM is a simple and reliable method which can be used in every clinical mycology laboratory, provided that the test is applied on DBC isolates; as the ability of slime production is decreased or lost even after the first subculturing. We suggest that this simple method can be used and may have some contributions to the ongoing studies on the controversial issue concerning removal of biomaterials in candidemic patients.     

补肾益气活血方对胎儿宫内生长迟缓胎盘组织一氧化氮合酶活性的影响

为了探讨补肾益气活血方对胎儿宫内生长迟缓（ＩＵＧＲ）胎盘组织一氧化氮（ＮＯ）生成的影响,本文对正常孕妇、ＩＵＧＲ患者及补肾益气活血中药治疗后患者各１２例,采用ＮＡＤＰＨ黄递酶法研究了一氧化氮合酶（ＮＯＳ）在胎盘组织的分布,应用化学发光法测定胎盘组织ＮＯＳ活性。结果表明：正常孕妇胎盘绒毛合体滋养层细胞ＮＯＳ呈强阳性反应,绒毛干血管壁呈阳性反应,终末绒毛毛细血管壁呈阴性反应;ＩＵＧＲ患者绒毛合体滋养层细胞和绒毛干血管壁ＮＯＳ染色明显变浅,而终末绒毛毛细血管壁呈阳性反应;中药治疗后合体滋养层细胞和绒毛干血管壁ＮＯＳ染色明显加深。ＮＯＳ活性测定中药组较ＩＵＧＲ未治疗组显著增高,与正常孕妇相比其差异无显著性。结果提示：ＮＯ参与ＩＵＧＲ的病理生理过程,补肾益气活血方通过增强ＮＯＳ活性促进胎盘组织ＮＯ的产生     

Hematopoietic growth factors in autologous transplantation

Hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) sustain the survival, proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells and some functions of mature blood cells. In man several HGFs have been characterised and cloned so far, and this has allowed investigators to confer the rationale for the clinical application of these molecules in hematology and oncology. In particular G-CSF and GM-CSF are currently utilised to abrogate the hematological toxicity of chemotherapy for standard and dose-intensified therapy, neutropenia following bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Moreover there has recently been great interest in the ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells for a variety of applications, such as in vitro tumor cell purging or for reducing the volume of blood processed by the leukapheresis. Several combinations of HGFs have been described to sustain the ex vivo survival and proliferation of these cells disclosing new opportunities in the field of stem cells transplants.     

Models of the serine protease domain of the human antithrombotic plasma factor activated protein C and its zymogen.

Three-dimensional structural analysis of physiologically important serine proteases is useful in identifying functional features relevant to the expression of their activities and specificities. The human serine protease anticoagulant protein C is currently the object of many genetic site-directed mutagenesis studies. Analyzing relationships between its structure and function and between naturally occurring mutations and their corresponding clinical phenotypes would be greatly assisted by a 3-dimensional structure of the enzyme. To this end, molecular models of the protease domain of protein C have been produced using computational techniques based on known crystal structures of homologous enzymes and on protein C functional information. The resultant models corresponding to different stages along the processing pathway of protein C were analyzed for structural and electrostatic differences arising during the process of protein C maturation and activation. The most satisfactory models included a calcium ion bound to residues homologous to those that ligate calcium in the trypsin structure. Inspection of the surface features of the models allowed identification of residues putatively involved in specific functional interactions. In particular, analysis of the electrostatic potential surface of the model delineated a positively charged region likely to represent a novel substrate recognition exosite. To assist with future mutational studies, binding of an octapeptide representing a protein C cleavage site of its substrate factor Va to the enzyme's active site region was modeled and analyzed.     

Influence of selenium (antioxidant) on gliclazide induced hypoglycaemia/anti hyperglycaemia in normal/alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Oxidative stress is involved in diabetes mellitus and its complications. Since diabetes is a stress-related disorder, supplementation with antioxidants may improve the condition. The purpose of this study is to know the effect of oral administration of selenium on blood glucose and its influence on gliclazide induced hypoglycaemia/antihyperglycaemia in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Albino rats of either sex were divided into three groups of six each. Group-I/II/III were treated with selenium 1/2 TD (0.9 μg/200 g rat)/TD (1.8 μg/200 g rat)/2TD (3.6 μg/200 g rat), respectively. Later group II was treated with gliclazide TD (1.44 mg/200 g rat)/selenium TD + gliclazide TD with a washout period of 1 week between the treatments. Diabetes was induced by alloxan monohydrate 100 mg/kg body weight i.p. A group of six rats showing fasting blood glucose levels ranging from 175–250 mg/dl were selected for the study. Rats were treated with selenium TD, gliclazide TD and selenium TD + gliclazide TD with a washout period of 1 week between the treatments. Selenium 1/2 TD and TD produced hypoglycaemia while 2TD produced hyperglycaemia. The combination of selenium TD with gliclazide TD, significantly enhanced the glucose lowering effect of gliclazide in normal and diabetic rats.     

Quantifying CD4 receptor protein in two human CD4+ lymphocyte preparations for quantitative flow cytometry

Background

In our previous study that characterized different human CD4+ lymphocyte preparations, it was found that both commercially available cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and a commercially available lyophilized PBMC (Cyto-Trol™) preparation fulfilled a set of criteria for serving as biological calibrators for quantitative flow cytometry. However, the biomarker CD4 protein expression level measured for T helper cells from Cyto-Trol was about 16% lower than those for cryopreserved PBMC and fresh whole blood using flow cytometry and mass cytometry. A primary reason was hypothesized to be due to steric interference in anti- CD4 antibody binding to the smaller sized lyophilized control cells.

Method

Targeted multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry (MS) is used to quantify the copy number of CD4 receptor protein per CD4+ lymphocyte. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is utilized to assist searching the underlying reasons for the observed difference in CD4 receptor copy number per cell determined by MRM MS and CD4 expression measured previously by flow cytometry.

Results

The copy number of CD4 receptor proteins on the surface of the CD4+ lymphocyte in cryopreserved PBMCs and in lyophilized control cells is determined to be (1.45 ± 0.09) × 10⁵ and (0.85 ± 0.11) × 10⁵, respectively, averaged over four signature peptides using MRM MS. In comparison with cryopreserved PBMCs, there are more variations in the CD4 copy number in lyophilized control cells determined based on each signature peptide. SEM images of CD4+ lymphocytes from lyophilized control cells are very different when compared to the CD4+ T cells from whole blood and cryopreserved PBMC.

Conclusion

Because of the lyophilization process applied to Cyto-Trol control cells, a lower CD4 density value, defined as the copy number of CD4 receptors per CD4+ lymphocyte, averaged over three different production lots is most likely explained by the loss of the CD4 receptors on damaged and/or broken microvilli where CD4 receptors reside. Steric hindrance of antibody binding and the association of CD4 receptors with other biomolecules likely contribute significantly to the nearly 50% lower CD4 receptor density value for cryopreserved PBMC determined from flow cytometry compared to the value obtained from MRM MS.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1559-0275-11-43) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

暗腹雪鸡与海兰褐鸡血液生理生化指标的比较

为了解暗腹雪鸡（Tetraogallus himalayensis）正常血液生理生化特性,本文对暗腹雪鸡21项血液生理生化指标进行了测定,并与海兰褐鸡（Gallus gallus domesticus var. Hyline）进行了比较。测定结果,暗腹雪鸡的红细胞纵径及横纵径乘积、平均红细胞容积及平均红细胞血红蛋白含量极显著大于海兰褐鸡（P<0.01）;暗腹雪鸡天冬氨酸氨基转移酶和胆固醇含量均极显著高于海兰褐鸡（P<0.01）。其他各项血液生理生化指标两禽种间之间差异不显著。实验结果表明,暗腹雪鸡血液生理生化指标与家养蛋鸡之间有一定差异,暗腹雪鸡对高原低氧环境有较强的适应性可能与其红细胞体积较大、平均红细胞容积及平均红细胞血红蛋白含量较高有一定关系。