Transforming growth factor ß1 acid interaction

Chick embryo skin fibroblasts release transforming growth factor ₁ that is able to modulate glycosaminoglycan synthesis and secretion. When incubated with individual classes of glycosaminoglycans, the factor's modulatory activity was altered. To determine whether direct interactions between transforming growth factor ₁ and glycosaminoglycans occur, we have assessed the activity of the growth factor after pre-incubation with single classes of glycosaminoglycans by assaying its inhibitory effect upon the proliferative response of thymocytes stimulated with interleukin-1. Untreated transforming growth factor ₁ suppressed the proliferative response of thymocytes to interleukin-1, as did transforming growth factor ₁ pre-incubated with sulphated glycosaminoglycans. By contrast, transforming growth factor ₁ lost its inhibitory capacity when preincubated with high molecular weight hyaluronic acid. Digestion of transforming growth factor ₁-hyaluronic acid complex with hyaluronidase released active transforming growth factor ₁. Trypsin degraded transforming growth factor ₁ alone, but did not degrade the transforming growth factor ₁-hyaluronic acid complex. These results suggest that hyaluronic acid interacts with transforming growth factor ₁, thus protecting the factor from tryptic degradation and may be a means of concentrating growth factor activity.     

A proliferative disorder of possible hemic origin in the common cockle,Cerastoderma edule

A study is described concerning the infestation of a laboratory-reared Daphnia magna culture by the fungus Aphanomyces daphniae. The origin of this fungus is Lake Huron, Michigan, the water from which is used in the laboratory to culture daphnids and maintain fishes for toxicological testing. Infestations originate from the Lake during the autumnal and vernal homothermal periods. The fungus is apparently maintained in the laboratory in conjunction with the fishes. Onset of fungal infestations in zooplankton culture apparently is initiated by three types of stress: rising temperatures, declining dissolved oxygen values, and poor nutrition. These infections have been eliminated by separating the daphnid culturing facility from the fish facility, substituting an algal diet for a synthetic one, sterilizing all water, air, and glassware connected with zooplankton culture, and maintaining the daphnids in a constant temperature room with controlled dissolved oxygen levels in the culturing vessels.     

Improvement in the proliferative activity of human-human hybridomas at low cell density by transfection with bFGF gene

Highly purified recombiaant basic fibroblast growth factor (rbFGF) and acidic FGF (aFGF) stimulated the proliferation of human-human (h-h) hybridomas to the extent of over four-fold from a low cell density such as 1×10³ cells per ml in a serum-free medium in 24-well plates. The stimulatory effect of rbFGF was also observed in various lymphoid cell lines. Expecting that FGF could be an autocrine growth factor, we introduced bFGF gene into a h-h hybridoma using an expression plasmid induced by dexamethasone. The transformed cells thus obtained, HPO-75.11bbFGF-7, were able to grow well from a low inoculum density in a serum-free medium and antibody production was also increased when bFGF gene expression was induced. The transformed cells could grow at clonal density in a serum-free medium in 96-well plates, though the original cells could not. We also obtained a more practical transfectant, HPO-75.29-H74, using a high-shear stress adapted clone as the recipient and an expression plasmid having bFGF gene under the control of metallothioneine-I promoter. The HOP-75.29-H74 cells were capable of growing and producing human monoclonal antibody against hepatitis B virus surface antigen from an inoculum density of 1×10³ cells per ml in an agitation vessel without addition of an inducer.     

Primary and secondary immune responses of mucosal and peripheral lymphocytes during Chlamydia trachomatis infection

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is followed by the development of antigen-specific cell-mediated immunity, which is detectable as a positive lymphocyte proliferation response to the chlamydial major outer membrane protein (MOMP) antigen. To date, however, there have been no studies on the mucosal immune responses to chlamydial antigens. This study aimed to study the primary and secondary immune responses of cervical lymphocytes in response to the chlamydial antigen. Median proliferative responses were found to be significantly (P<0.05) higher in patients with chlamydial infections than in controls. The chlamydial MOMP induced significantly higher IL-6 and IL-10 and lower interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) secretion in cervical lymphocytes of Chlamydia-positive women, resulting in a T helper 2 response. On stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from Chlamydia-positive women with the chlamydial antigen, the median levels of IL-10, IL-12 and IFN-gamma were higher than in controls, but the differences were not significant. Our study suggests that the mucosal immune responses towards Chlamydia trachomatis are different from those of PBMCs and are more helpful in understanding the cytokine responses in the female genital tract during chlamydial infection.     

Biochemical evaluation of the morphogenetic potential of wheat callus cells in vitro

Morphogenetic processes in immature embryos of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were investigated using a molecular marker for meristematic cells of cereals (proliferative antigen of meristem initial cells, PAIC). The used genetic model comprised a series of almost isogenic lines of wheat alternative by the alleles of dwarfing genes (RhtB1c, RhtB1b, and Rht14) and the original cv. Saratovskaya 29. The Rht genetic system was found to affect the level of PAIC in the wheat callus cells during callus formation and subsequent regeneration. We found differences in the level of PAIC at certain stages of culturing and a general trend of its content in the course of callus formation and secondary differentiation in the callus tissue. Possible role of PAIC as a marker of meristematic centers within the callus tissue and the prospect of its use in breeding as an additional criterion for estimation of morphogenetic ability of the newly produced lines of wheat are discussed.     

抑制核转录因子PPARα的反义寡核苷酸的抗乙型肝炎病毒活性研究

目的:研究靶向过氧化物酶体增殖活化受体α(PPARα)的寡核苷酸是否具有抑制乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)复制的活性作用。方法:反义寡核苷酸作用于能稳定表达HBV丹氏颗粒的HepG2.2.15细胞,ELISA检测细胞上清中HBV表面抗原(HBsAg)及e抗原(HBeAg)的分泌;实时荧光定量PCR考察反义寡核苷酸对HBV DNA复制水平的影响;通过反转录PCR和Western印迹考察反义寡核苷酸作用于细胞后靶基因及靶蛋白的差异表达情况。结果:抑制PPARα表达的反义序列PPARα-2可剂量依赖且特异性地抑制肝癌细胞中HBsAg和HBeAg的表达,且显著降低细胞中PPARαmRNA水平和蛋白水平。结论:通过筛选初步确定了基于PPARα设计的反义寡核苷酸有较好的抗HBV活性,同时也验证确定了PPARα可能成为抗HBV药物的新型作用靶点。     

单克隆来源的小鼠胎肝HPP-CFC肝上皮分化潜能的研究

为研究胎肝中造血和肝上皮发育的关系,建立了小鼠胎肝高增殖潜能集落形成细胞（HPP-CFC）培养体系,并进行了单克隆培养以及诱导分化实验.在造血和肝诱导因子的共同作用下,对单克隆来源的HPP集落细胞向造血和肝上皮细胞进行诱导分化,采用透射电镜(TEM)、巢式RT-PCR、细胞免疫荧光检测,从细胞形态、超微结构、上皮细胞分化标志等方面对分化后的细胞进行检测.检测结果显示诱导后的部分细胞具有肝细胞特异性的超微结构并不同程度的表达白蛋白（ALB）、甲胎蛋白（AFP）、细胞角蛋白（CK8,CK18）等肝上皮分化标志,同时还表达间质标志α-SMA和血管内皮细胞标志Flk-1.免疫磁珠分选表明：胎肝来源的HPP-CFC主要来自于CD45⁺细胞,CD45^-细胞不具有形成造血克隆的能力.在肝上皮细胞分化潜能上,流式分选获得的CD49f⁺/Sca-1⁺细胞与未分选细胞无明显差异.该模型的克隆源性通过细胞混合实验进行证明.研究结果表明,改进的胎肝来源的HPP-CFC可能代表了一个新的造血向肝上皮细胞分化的单克隆模型,为研究胎肝中造血和非造血细胞的发育关系提供了一个新的切入点.     

DNA analysis of intracellular campylobacter-like organisms associated with the porcine proliferative enteropathies: novel organism proposed

Intracellular Campylobacter-like organisms are a consistent feature of the porcine proliferative enteropathies. The relationship between these organisms and known Campylobacter sp. previously associated with the disease was studied using restriction enzyme analysis and DNA-DNA blot hybridization techniques. BglII restriction enzyme fragment patterns of DNA of the Campylobacter-like organisms were fundamentally different from those of C. mucosalis, C. hyointestnalis, C. jejuni, and C. coli. Crude DNA preparations from Campylobacter-like organisms hybridized strongly with homologous preparations, weakly with porcine DNA and not at all with DNA from Campylobacter sp. Fragment specific DNA probes prepared from Campylobacter-like organisms only hybridized with homologous preparations. This work suggests that the intracellular Campylobacter-like organisms are not one of the known Campylobacter sp. It is possible that they are a novel, uncultured organism worthy of a new name, such as HC. intracellulare'.     

Chalcomoracin prevents vitreous-induced activation of AKT and migration of retinal pigment epithelial cells

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are the major cell type in the epi- or sub-retinal membranes in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), which is a blinding fibrotic eye disease and still short of effective medicine. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate whether Chalocomoracin (CMR), a novel purified compound from fungus-infected mulberry leaves, is able to inhibit vitreous-induced signalling events and cellular responses intrinsic to PVR. Our studies have revealed that the CMR IC50 for ARPE-19 cells is 35.5 μmol/L at 72 hours, and that 5 μmol/L CMR inhibits vitreous-induced Akt activation and p53 suppression; in addition, we have discovered that this chemical effectively blocks vitreous-stimulated proliferation, migration and contraction of ARPE-19 cells, suggesting that CMR is a promising PVR prophylactic.