Methods for improving tissue culture of human tracheo-bronchial epithelium obtained at autopsy

Human tracheo-bronchial epithelium obtained from autopsy, surgery, and organ donation will have areas of both viable and non-viable cells. It is important in the initial establishment of epithelial explant and cell cultures that injured, non-viable mucosal epithelium not be used for the cultures. Autopsy cases selected for culture should initially be chosen on the basis of a shorter post mortem interval and cause of death in order to increase the rate of successful culture. Staining the epithelium with the vital dye, trypan blue, in combination with phase contrast microscopy of the bronchial tissues will further identify those areas of the mucosa that are enriched for viable cells. The dead, non-viable areas are trypan blue positive, while the viable areas are clear and have foci of beating, motile cilia. Treatment of the mucosal tissue with mucolytic agents to remove cell debris, dead cells, and microbes trapped in the mucus material will further improve the chances for successful culture. Human tracheo-bronchial epithelium, although non-sterile and often injured at time zero for numerous reasons, can effectively be used in in vitro pathophysiology studies.     

Role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways in the neuroprotective effects of cilnidipine against hypoxia in a primary culture of cortical neurons

Cilnidipine, a calcium channel blocker, has been reported to have neuroprotective effects. We investigated whether cilnidipine could protect neurons from hypoxia and explored the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathways in the neuroprotective effect of cilnidipine. The viability of a primary culture of cortical neurons injured by hypoxia, measured by trypan blue staining and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, was dramatically restored by cilnidipine treatment. TUNEL and DAPI staining showed that cilnidipine significantly reduced apoptotic cell death induced by hypoxia. Free radical stress and calcium influx induced by hypoxia were markedly decreased by treatment with cilnidipine. Survival signaling proteins associated with the PI3K and ERK pathways were significantly increased while death signaling proteins were markedly decreased in the primary culture of cortical neurons simultaneously exposed to cilnidipine and hypoxia when compared with the neurons exposed only to hypoxia. These neuroprotective effects of cilnidipine were blocked by treatment with a PI3K inhibitor or an ERK inhibitor. These results show that cilnidipine protects primary cultured cortical neurons from hypoxia by reducing free radical stress, calcium influx, and death-related signaling proteins and by increasing survival-related proteins associated with the PI3K and ERK pathways, and that activation of those pathways plays an important role in the neuroprotective effects of cilnidipine against hypoxia. These findings suggest that cilnidipine has neuroprotective effects against hypoxia through various mechanisms, as well as a blood pressure-lowering effect, which might help to prevent ischemic stroke and reduce neuronal injury caused by ischemic stroke.     

Trypan blue dye uptake and lactate dehydrogenase in adult rat hepatocytes—Freshly isolated cells,cell suspensions,and primary monolayer cultures

Summary Leakage of lactate dehydrogenase and staining by the vital dye trypan blue were investigated in adult rat hepatocytes at the time of isolation, in suspensions up to 3 h and in primary monolayer cultures up to 3 d. These two parameters of plasma membrane integrity were found to correlate closely in hepatocyte suspensions, but to a lesser degree in monolayer cultures. Functional activity was demonstrated in culture by glucose consumption and lactic acid production. There was a balance of total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity over time for both hepatocyte suspensions and cultures. Loss of LDH activity in the cell fraction was accompanied by a corresponding increase in enzyme activity in the media fraction. Lactate dehydrogenase activity per dye-excluding hepatocyte was calculated to be 9.2±1.5×10⁻⁶ IU assayed at 37°C for 25 preparations of isolated hepatocytes. The results suggest that leakage of cytoplasmic enzyme and vital dye staining are of comparable sensitivity in evaluating hepatocyte preparations. Measurement of LDH leakage offers a less subjective alternative to cell counting procedures and is applicable to both attached and suspended cells. This study was supported in part by Grants HL-11945-11 and 1-RO1-AM 26520-01A1 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.     

Activation of Mouse Oocytes, Fertilization and Development of Mouse Embryos in Vitro after Staining with Trypan Blue or Fluorescein Diacetate

The influence of vital staining with trypan blue or fluorescein diacetate on the fertilization of mouse oocytes and the developmental potential of mouse embryos was assessed. Neither stain induced spontaneous activation in mouse oocytes, nor did they impair the in vitro development and implantation of mouse zygotes, two-cell embryos, stressed morulae or blastocysts. However, fertilization and subsequent development of mouse oocytes have been shown to be reduced by vital staining.     

Direct injection of foreign DNA into mouse testis as a possible in vivo gene transfer system via epididymal spermatozoa.

We have attempted to transfect testicular spermatozoa with plasmid DNA by direct injection into testes to obtain transgenic animals [this technique was thus termed "testis-mediated gene transfer (TMGT)"]. When injected males were mated with superovulated females 2 and 3 days after injection, (i) high efficiencies (more than 50%) of gene transmission were achieved in the mid-gestational F0 fetuses, (ii) the copy number of plasmid DNA in the fetuses was estimated to be less than 1 copy per diploid cell, and (iii) overt gene expression was not found in these fetuses. These findings suggest the possibility that plasmid DNA introduced into a testis is rapidly transported to the epididymis and then incorporated by epididymal spermatozoa. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of TMGT by introducing trypan blue (TB) or Hoechst 33342 directly into testis. We found that TB is transported to the ducts of the caput epididymis via rete testis within 1 min after testis injection, and TB reached the corpus and cauda epididymis within 2-4 days after injection. Staining of spermatozoa isolated from any portion of epididymis was observed 4 days after injection of a solution containing Hoechst 33342. Injection of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression vector/liposome complex into testis resulted in transfection of epithelial cells of epididymal ducts facing the lumen, although the transfection efficiency appeared to be low. In vivo electroporation toward the caput epididymis immediately after injection of EGFP expression vector into a testis greatly improved the uptake of foreign DNA by the epididymal epithelial cells. PCR analysis using spermatozoa isolated from corpus and cauda epididymis 4 days after injection of a DNA/liposome complex into testis revealed exogenous DNA in these spermatozoa even after treatment with DNase I. These findings indicate that exogenous DNA introduced into tesits is rapidly transported to epididymal ducts via the rete testis and efferent ducts, and then incorporated by epithelial cells of epididymis and epididymal spermatozoa.     

一种鉴定多糖水解酶类及其产生菌的新方法

利用曲里苯蓝能与多糖形成复合物的原理,建立起一种简便、快捷、灵敏的筛选多糖水解酶类及其产生菌的平板鉴定方法。曲里苯蓝对供试微生物无毒害作用,不影响酶的活性,并可高温灭菌。其最适浓度在0.005%~0.01%(W/V)之间。可用于纤维素水解酶类、淀粉水解酶类、甘露聚糖酶、普鲁兰酶等多糖水解酶,与传统方法相比,该方法不仅有着同样高的灵敏度,而且能够提高筛选效率,避免污染问题,同时适合于多种多糖底物。但不能用于木聚糖酶和菊粉酶的检测。     

拟南芥HyPRP蛋白AZI1在转基因烟草中的亚细胞定位及其对灰葡萄孢的抗性

通过农杆菌转化法得到了整合有拟南芥AZII基因的烟草植株,进一步利用转基因烟草分析了AZI1蛋白的亚细胞定位及其对真菌病原体的抗性特征。在上下游引物5’端分别引入NcoI和SpeI酶切位点,采用高保真耐热DNA聚合酶彤Pfu从拟南芥Co1-0生态型基因组DNA扩增AZII基因的编码序列,用NcoI和Spel对扩增片段和pCAMBIA1302质粒载体进行双酶切,通过T4DNA连接酶构建产生AZII-GFP融合表达载体。用包含融合表达载体的农杆菌细胞转化烟草叶片,经潮霉素选择获得了完整的再生植株,并收取了T。代种子。激光共聚焦显微观察发现,AZI1蛋白主要定位于细胞表面。病原体侵染结果显示,AZI1基因能够明显提高烟草对灰葡萄孢的抗性。说明AZI1蛋白通过分泌途径被定位到细胞表面后,能够抑制真菌病原体对植物组织的侵染过程。     

拟南芥抵抗丁香假单胞杆菌过程中AZI1基因功能研究

AZI1属于脂转移蛋白家族,它在拟南芥抵抗病原菌侵染过程中可能起着传递信号物质的作用。该实验以过表达和T-DNA插入突变体及野生型拟南芥植株为材料,通过RNA印迹、蛋白质免疫印迹和原位免疫组织化学方法,研究了拟南芥壬二酸诱导基因AZI1对丁香假单胞杆菌的抗性功能。结果表明:(1)AZI1基因可以被丁香假单胞杆菌、H2O2和乙烯利诱导,它可能参与水杨酸和乙烯介导的抗菌途径。(2)蛋白质免疫印迹实验结果显示,丁香假单胞杆菌侵染叶片的叶柄渗出液中存在AZI1蛋白及其同源物EARLI1,并能够与其他蛋白质形成复合体,说明AZI1有可能通过维管组织移动到个体的其他部位,与信号分子的转移有关。(3)AZI1及其同源物EARLI1主要在花序茎的木质化部位表达,过表达AZI1基因能够促进木质素的合成,提高拟南芥对丁香假单胞杆菌的抗性。     

Dual trypan-aniline blue fluorescence staining methods for studying fungus-plant interactions

Abstract

Understanding the infection biology of fungi is the key step in devising suitable control strategies for plant diseases. Recently, the Arabidopsis-Colletotrichum higginsianum (causal agent of anthracnose) system has emerged as a seminal paradigm for deciphering the infection biology underlying fungus-plant interactions. We describe here three staining methods coupled with confocal microscopy: trypan blue, aniline blue and dual trypan blue-aniline blue fluorescence staining. Trypan blue and aniline blue staining were employed to scan the infection structures of the hemibiotrophic fungus C. higginsianum and host response in A. thaliana leaf tissues. The two techniques then were combined to observe the contrast between in planta fungal infection structures, i.e., infection vesicles, primary hyphae and secondary hyphae, and the host plant defense responses, i.e., papilla formation and hypersensitive response. These staining techniques also were applied to the lentil–C. truncatum pathosystem to demonstrate their applicability for multiple pathosystems.     

Recombinant Human erythropoietin reduces viability of MCF-7 breast cancer cells from 3D culture without caspase activation

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) is the erythropoiesis-stimulating hormone that is being used concurrently with chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of anemia of cancer. The effect of rHuEPO on cancer cells in 3-dimensional (3D) cultures is not known. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of rHuEPO on the viability of MCF-7 breast cancer cells from 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D cell cultures. The monolayer MCF-7 cells from 2D culture and MCF-7 cell from 3D culture generated by ultra-low adhesive microplate technique, were treated with 0, 0.1, 10, 100 or 200 IU/mL rHuEPO for 24, 48 or 72 h. The effects of rHuEPO on MCF-7 cell viability and proliferation were determined using the (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay (MTT), neutral red retention time (NRRT), trypan blue exclusion assay (TBE), DNA fragmentation, acridine orange/propidium iodide staining (AO/PI) assays. The MCF-7 cells for 3D culture were also subjected to caspase assays and cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry. rHuEPO appeared to have greater effect at lowering the viability of MCF-7 cells from 3D than 2D cultures.rHuEPO significantly (p < 0.05) decreased viability and down-regulated the caspase activities of 3D MCF-7 cells in dose- and time-dependent manner. The cell cycle analysis showed that rHuEPO caused MCF-7 cells to enter the subG0/G1 phase. Thus, the study suggests that rHuEPO has a cytostatic effect on the MCF-7 breast cancer cells from 3D culture.