SNV and haplotype analysis reveals new CSRP1 variants associated with growth and carcass traits

The cysteine and glycine-rich protein 1 and 2 genes (CSRP1 and CSRP2) are an effective growth factor in promoting skeletal muscle growth in vitro and vivo. However, in cattle, the information on the CSRP1 and CSRP2 genes is very limited. The aim of this study was to examine the association of the CSRP1 and CSRP2 variants with growth and carcass traits in cattle breeds. Three single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were identified within the bovine CSRP1 gene, whereas CSRP2 gene has not detected any SNVs, using DNA pooled sequencing, PCR-RFLP, and forced PCR-RFLP methods. These SNVs include g. 801T>C (Intron 2), g. 46T>C (Exon 3) and g. 99C>G (Intron 3). Besides, we also investigated haplotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium (LD) coefficients for three SNVs in all study populations. LD and haplotype structure of CSRP1 were different between breeds. The result of haplotype analysis demonstrated eight haplotype present in QC (Qinchuan) and one haplotype in CH (Chinese Holstein). Only haplotype 1 (TTC), shared by all two populations, comprised 10.74% and 100.00%, of all haplotypes observed in QC and CH, respectively. Haplotype 5 (CTC) had the highest haplotype frequencies in QC (30.98%) and haplotype 1 had the highest haplotype frequencies in CH (100.00%). The statistical analyses indicated that one single SNV and 19 combined haplotypes were significantly or highly significantly associated with growth and carcass traits in the QC cattle population (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses showed that the bovine CSRP1 and CSRP2 genes were widely expressed in many tissues. The results of this study suggest that the CSRP1 gene possibly is a strong candidate gene that affects growth and carcass traits in the Chinese beef cattle breeding.     

川芎及两种主要药效成分对废用性肌萎缩的影响

目的：探讨川芎及川芎中起活血作用的两种主要药效成分（阿魏酸钠和川芎嗪）对后肢去负荷大鼠比目鱼肌萎缩的影响与作用。方法：尾部悬吊法建立大鼠废用性肌萎缩模型,用免疫组化技术及血液流变学方法观察药物对比目鱼肌各项指标的影响。结果：与后肢去负荷大鼠相比①高剂量的阿魏酸钠和川芎嗪使比目鱼肌I型肌纤维横截面积分别增加了37.3%和39.4%（P〈0.05）;②三种药物均能明显抑制梭外肌纤维MHCII表达水平的升高（P〈0.01）;③使肌梭内核袋2纤维MHCII的表达由阳性转变为阴性;④并能明显降低低切变率下的全血粘度。结论：川芎及两种主要药效成分阿魏酸钠与川芎嗪均能不同程度地对抗废用性肌萎缩的发生,以高剂量川芎嗪与阿魏酸钠的药效最为明显。     

Nicotine-induced vascular endothelial growth factor release via the EGFR-ERK pathway in rat vascular smooth muscle cells

Cigarette smoke has been firmly established as an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases. The proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) induced by growth factors have been proposed to play an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of nicotine, which is one of the important constituents of cigarette smoke, on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release, in rat VSMC. The stimulation of cells with nicotine resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent release of VEGF. Hexamethonium, an antagonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), inhibited nicotine-induced VEGF release. We next investigated the mechanisms by which nicotine induces VEGF release in the cells. The nicotine-induced VEGF release was inhibited by treatment with U0126, a selective inhibitor of MEK, which attenuated the nicotine-induced ERK phosphorylation. Nicotine induced a transient phosphorylation of ERK. Furthermore, AG1478, a selective inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase, inhibited nicotine-induced ERK phosphorylation and VEGF release. These data suggest that nicotine releases VEGF through nAChR in VSMC. Moreover, VEGF release induced by nicotine is mediated by an EGFR-ERK pathway in VSMC. VEGF may contribute to the risk of cardiovascular diseases in cigarette smokers.     

The ultrastructure of hemocytopoietic organs in the desert scorpion, Paruroctonus

The light and electron microscopes were used to examine possible hemocytopoietic tissue in the desert scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis. Results agree with earlier light microscopic studies that cells are released into the blood from the two lateral lymphoid organs and the supraneural gland. The former are sacciform structures attached by their anterior ends to the diaphragm. The supraneural gland forms the thickened wall of the supraneural artery in the mesosoma from the first to the third abdominal ganglia. The lateral lymphoid glands have an acellular stroma in which are embedded granular and agranular cells. The stroma is apparently formed by specialized cells which release membranous cell fragments that become the matrix of the gland. Cells are released into the body cavity from the periphery of the two organs. The supraneural gland has a fibrous stroma in which are embedded a variety of cell types. The cells appear to be released in greatest abundance into the blood in the lumen of the gland. The gland has cells with opaque granules (0.9-1.4 micron diameter) and agranular cells of variable shape. The most abundant cell, possibly the stem-cell for the others, is about 10 micron diameter and often has processes of variable length. In addition, muscle cells at various stages of differentiation are found at the inner margin of the gland. These cells have thick and thin myofilaments (24-32 and 5-8 nm diameter) and dense bodies which sometimes become organized into sarcomeres with Z-bands before the cells are released into the gland lumen. The function of these muscle cells is unknown, but possibly they contribute to the maintenance of blood pressure and the release of cells into the blood from the inner margin of the gland.     

Purification and characterization of cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from the dromedary camel

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (EC 1.2.1.12),a key enzyme ofcarbon metabolism,was purified and characterized to homogeneity from skeletal muscle of Camelusdromedarius.The protein was purified approximately 26.8 folds by conventional ammonium sulphatefractionation followed by Blue Sepharose CL-6B chromatography,and its physical and kinetic propertieswere investigated.The native protein is a homotetramer with an apparent molecular weight of approximately146 kDa.Isoelectric focusing analysis showed the presence of only one GAPDH isoform with an isoelectricpoint of 7.2.The optimum pH of the purified enzyme was 7.8.Studies on the effect of temperature onenzyme activity revealed an optimal value of approximately 28-32 ℃ with activation energy of 4.9 kcal/mol.The apparent K_m values for NAD~ and DL-glyceraldehyde-3-phophate were estimated to be 0.025±0.040mM and 0.21±0.08 mM, respectively. The V_(max) of the purified protein was estimated to be 52.7±5.9 U/mg.These kinetic parameter values were different from those described previously, reflecting protein differencesbetween species.     

Uncoupling Protein 3: Its Possible Biological Role and Mode of Regulation in Rodents and Humans

The recently discovered uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is highly homologous to the mitochondrialinner membrane protein UCP1, which generates heat by uncoupling the respiratory chainfrom oxidative phosphorylation. The thermogenic function of UCP1 protects against cold andregulates the energy balance in rodents. We review in vitro studies investigating the uncouplingactivity of UCP3 and in vivo studies, which address UCP3 gene expression in brown adiposetissue and skeletal muscle under various metabolic conditions. The data presented are, for themost, consistent with an uncoupling role for UCP3 in regulatory thermogenesis. We alsodiscuss mediators of UCP3 regulation and propose a potential role for intracellular fatty acidsin the mechanism of UCP3 modulation. Finally, we hypothesize a role for UCP3 in themetabolic adaptation of the mitochondria to the degradation of fatty acids.     

腰椎旁神经阻滞联合超短波对腰椎间盘突出症患者疼痛及腰背肌生物力学性能的影响

目的:探讨腰椎旁神经阻滞联合超短波对腰椎间盘突出症疼痛及腰背肌生物力学性能的影响。方法:选择我院2014年2月~2016年8月收治的98例腰椎间盘突出症患者,按抽签法分组对照组与研究组。对照组采用腰椎旁神经阻滞治疗,研究组基于对照组加用超短波治疗。观察两组的临床疗效、治疗前后视觉模拟评分(VAS)、60°/s角速、120°/s角速平均功率(AP)、峰力矩(PT)、腰背屈/伸比值(F/E)、血清P物质(SP)、β-内啡肽(β-EP)、白细胞介素-6(IL-6)、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)水平的变化及不良反应的发生情况。结果:研究组总有效率为95.91%,显著高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后,两组F/E值、血清SP、IL-6、TNF-α水平均较治疗前显著降低,且研究组以上指标均明显低于对照组,两组AP、PT、血清β-EP水平均较治疗前明显上升,且研究组以上指标显著高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组不良反应的发生率比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:腰椎旁神经阻滞联合超短波治疗腰椎间盘突出症的效果明显优于单用腰椎旁神经阻滞治疗,其可有效缓解疼痛及改善腰背肌生物力学性能,并减轻炎症反应。     

The N-terminal domains of myosin binding protein C can bind polymorphically to F-actin

The regulation of vertebrate striated muscle contraction involves a number of different molecules, including the thin-filament accessory proteins tropomyosin and troponin that provide Ca²⁺-dependent regulation by controlling access to myosin binding sites on actin. Cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C) appears to modulate this Ca²⁺-dependent regulation and has attracted increasing interest due to links with inherited cardiac diseases. A number of single amino acid mutations linked to clinical diseases occur in the N-terminal region of cMyBP-C, including domains C0 and C1, which previously have been shown to bind to F-actin. This N-terminal region also has been shown to both inhibit and activate actomyosin interactions in vitro. Using electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction, we show that C0 and C1 can each bind to the same two distinctly different positions on F-actin. One position aligns well with the previously reported binding site that clashes with the binding of myosin to actin, but would force tropomyosin into an “on” position that exposes myosin binding sites along the filament. The second position identified here would not interfere with either myosin binding or tropomyosin positioning. It thus appears that the ability to bind to at least two distinctly different positions on F-actin, as observed for tropomyosin, may be more common than previously considered for other actin binding proteins. These observations help to explain many of the seemingly contradictory results obtained with cMyBP-C and show how cMyBP-C can provide an additional layer of regulation to actin-myosin interactions. They also suggest a redundancy of C0 and C1 that may explain the absence of C0 in skeletal muscle.     

小鼠肌母细胞的增殖与分化

通过对小鼠肌母细胞C2C12的培养,研究C2C12细胞的增殖与分化的关系以及胰岛素在细胞分化过程中的作用。在对照组中,C2C12细胞增殖占了明显的优势,细胞形态几乎没有发生变化;而在实验组中,C2C12细胞在换为分化培养基24小时后,就出现了部分细胞衰亡和死亡的现象,尤其是在48小时细胞的死亡率达到最高,存活细胞开始从增殖期进入分化期,72小时出现了少量肌管,在96小时细胞分化效果达到最好。而在添加了胰岛素的分化培养基中的细胞分化效果明显好于没有添加胰岛素的分化培养基中的细胞,结果表明,胰岛素促进C2C12细胞的分化。