Detection of mtDNA with 4977 bp deletion in blood cells and atherosclerotic lesions of patients with coronary artery disease

Recent evidence suggests that somatic mutations in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA accumulated during aging, may significantly contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic-degenerative illness such as coronary artery disease (CAD). Mitochondrial DNA with 4977 bp deletion mutation (mtDNA4977) is a common type of mtDNA alteration in humans. However, little attempt has been made to detect the presence of mtDNA4977 deletion in cells and tissues of cardiovascular patients. This study investigated the presence of mtDNA4977 in blood samples of 65 cardiovascular patients and 23 atherosclerotic plaques of human coronaries with severe atherosclerosis. Moreover, the presence of the deletion has been investigated in blood cells from 22 healthy age-matched subjects. The detection of mtDNA4977 has been performed by using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol and normalized to wild-type mtDNA. A significant higher incidence of mtDNA4977 was observed in CAD patients with respect to healthy subjects (26.2% versus 4.5%; P=0.03). Furthermore, the relative amount of the deletion was significantly higher in the patients compared to the control group (P=0.02). The mtDNA4977 was detected in 17 of the 65 patients blood samples (26.2%) and deletion levels ranged from 0.18 to 0.46% of the total mtDNA (mean: 0.34+/-0.02%). For what concerns atherosclerotic lesions, 5 patients (21.7%) showed the deletion ranging from 0.13 to 0.45% of the total mtDNA (mean: 0.35+/-0.06%). In both samples from patients, the incidence and the relative amount of mtDNA4977 was not significantly influenced by atherogenic risk factors and clinical parameters. The obtained results may suggest that the increase of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease may be responsible for the accumulation of mtDNA damage in coronary artery disease patients.     

The ubiquitin ligase RFWD3 is required for translesion DNA synthesis

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超声胃镜小探头对上消化道黏膜下病变的诊断价值探讨

目的:探讨超声胃镜小探头对上消化道黏膜下病变的诊断价值.方法:使用超声胃镜小探头对我院2010年6月-2011年12月62例经电子胃镜检查的上消化道黏膜下病变患者进行检查,对病变的浸润范围与性质进行分析,结果与术后病理进行对比.结果:良性间质瘤43例,占69.35％,恶性间质瘤6例,占9.68％,异位胰腺5例,占8.06％,囊肿6例,占9.68％,脂肪瘤与静脉曲张各1例,占1.61％.所有结果均经病理检查证实,符合率100％,结果具有代表性(P＜0.05).结论:使用超声胃镜小探头能清楚显示上消化道各层管壁结构,确定上消化道黏膜下病变的性质,提高诊断率,具有极高的临床价值,可作为上消化道黏膜下病变的诊断方法在临床推广应用.     

Rapid and quantitative automated measurement of bacteriophage activity against cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Introduction: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen and is the main cause of respiratory infection in cystic fibrosis patients. Most strains prevalent within the UK are resistant to two or more antibiotics leading to the search for new therapeutic strategies including the use of bacteriophages. Methods and Results: The infectivity of four bacteriophages was increased using an enhancement protocol based on the use of pomegranate rind extract. Their efficacy against 14 Ps. aeruginosa strains was measured using a qualitative streak test and a novel quantitative assay based on the Bioscreen C microbial growth analyzer. Streak test analysis illustrated an increase in the lytic activity of enhanced bacteriophages, whereas Bioscreen analysis showed that both enhanced and unenhanced bacteriophages failed to meet acceptable levels of activity in c. 50% of strains tested. Conclusions: The quantitative Bioscreen C analyzer showed comparable but not identical results in phage activity and identified significant bacterial re‐growth by 20 h postinfection. Significance and Impact of the Study: With the resurgence of interest in bacteriophage therapy against infectious bacterial diseases, a rapid high throughput quantitative method for screening phage activity and bacterial resistance is required. The use of the Bioscreen C analyzer meets these criteria and was shown to be more stringent than the traditional streak test.     

Trypanosoma congolense: paraoxonase 1 prolongs survival of infected mice

In vitro studies have suggested that a fraction of human high density lipoprotein (HDL), termed trypanosome lysis factor (TLF), can protect against trypanosome infection. We examined the involvement of two proteins located in the TLF fraction, apolipoprotein A-II (apoA-II) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1), against trypanosome infection. To test whether PON1 is involved in trypanosome resistance, we infected human PON1 transgenic mice, PON1 knockout mice, and wild-type mice with Trypanosoma congolense. When challenged with the same dosage of trypanosomes, mice overexpressing PON1 lived significantly longer than wild-type mice, and mice deficient in PON1 lived significantly shorter. In contrast, mice overexpressing another HDL associated protein, apoA-II, had the same survival as wild-type mice. Together, these data suggest that PON1 provides protection against trypanosome infection. In vitro studies using T. brucei brucei indicated that HDL particles containing PON1 and those depleted of PON1 did not differ in their lysis ability, suggesting that protection by PON1 is indirect. Our data are consistent with an in vivo role of HDL protection against trypanosome infection.     

丙线照射所致大鼠胃粘膜易损性及其与内源性PGs和血栓素A_2的关系

本文观察了丙线照射大鼠胃粘膜的易损性及其与由源性PG_s和血检素A_2的关系。结果表明:丙线1500rad局部照射后28天,大鼠对牛磺胆酸所致胃粘膜坏死易损性明显加重,预先给予外源性PGE_2则可抑制这一现象;进一步采用放射免疫方法测定胃粘膜PG_s等的含量发现,照射后组织PGE和PGI_2含量明显降低,而血栓素A_2含量则明显升高,PGI_2/血栓素A_2,比值下降。这些结果说明,丙线照射可使大鼠胃粘膜的易损性明显加重,而内源性PGE和PGI_2含量的降低以及血栓素A_2含量的升高是照射造成易损性的主要原因之一。     

The Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Contributes to the Assembly of the LFA-1 Nanocluster Belt at the Lytic Synapse

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脉压差预测中老年脑白质病变的临床价值

目的:研究脉压差等危险因素在中老年脑白质病变(WMLs)中的作用及临床意义。方法:入选213例无神经病学症状及体征的中老年病人(年龄>50岁),根据MRI影像学诊断标准分为中重度WMLs组(125例)及轻无WMLs组(88例),通过回顾性分析,记录年龄、性别、高血压史、糖尿病史、吸烟史、脉压差、收缩压、舒张压、血脂水平、左房内径,比较两组间各项指标差异,并做Binary Logistic回归分析,筛选出WMLs的独立危险因素。结果:在控制了高血压、年龄及其他混杂因素后,脉压差仍与WMLs密切相关,且独立于年龄和高血压,是WMLs的独立危险因素,OR值为2.954,95%CI 1.032~8.453。结论:压差在预测中老年人亚临床脑血管事件中可能起到重要作用。     

Biochemical lesions of respiratory enzymes and configurational changes of mitochondria in vivo

Summary Correlative biochemical and electron microscopic alterations were observed in chick embryo myoblasts in vitro after treatment with fluoroacetate. Fluoroacetate poisoning caused an increase of citrate and a decrease of ATP in the cultures. Cell respiration was only slightly impaired by fluoroacetate in the first 10 min but was inhibited to 30% one hour after exposure to the poison. Fluoroacetate did not affect oxidative phosphorylation. The evidence suggests that fluoroacetate was transformed in myoblasts into fluorocitrate which inhibited the mitochondrial-bound aconitate hydratase as in adult tissues. Ultrastructural changes in the majority of the fluoroacetate-treated cells were observed. Very few myoblasts appeared unaffected by the poison. Mitochondria were specifically altered. The early changes occurred in the mitochondrial matrix where the inhibited enzyme is known to be located and were followed by modifications in the configuration and structure of cristae. Exogenous fluorocitrate caused ultrastructural changes in the mitochondria similar to that provoked by fluoroacetate. The localization of the early change in the mitochondrial matrix and the evaluation of the structural modifications suggest a correlation between the biochemical lesion, i.e. the inhibition of aconitate hydratase, and the change revealed in the mitochondrial structure containing the inhibited enzyme.This work was supported by grants of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche to both InstitutesThe present study is dedicated to Prof. Otto Bucher on occasion of his 65th birthday