A new species and a new record of Nycteridopsylla Oudemans, 1906 (Siphonaptera: Ischnopsyllidae) from China

A new species, Nycteridopsylla quadrispina, found on the vespertilionid bat Ia io, is described from China. N. iae Beaucournu & Kock, 1992, a new record for China, was also found on the same host. The new species is distinguished by the presence of four spines on the genal comb and by the shape and chaetotaxy of the head.     

Morphological phylogeny of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Geusibia</Emphasis> Jordan, 1932 (Siphonaptera: Leptopsyllidae) and the host–parasite relationship with pikas

Thirteen species of fleas of the genus Geusibia Jordan, 1932 were included in a cladistic analysis based on morphological characters. The results support Geusibia as a monophyletic group within Ctenophyllus Wagner, 1927 (sensu lato) and there are five diagnostic characters that distinguish Geusibia from related genera of Ctenophyllus (s. l). There is no evidence to support a subgeneric classification. We propose that G. ochotona Zhan, Cai & Wu, 1997 and G. lacertosa(Smit, 1975) are junior synonyms of G. torosa Jordan, 1932. After a reconciliation analysis, only two co-speciation events were found in the host–parasite association between Geusibia and pikas (Ochotona:Ochotonidae: Lagomorpha). Therefore, there are no co-evolutionary relationships between them, although a high host preference of Geusibiaspp. is recorded. The distribution and host selection of Geusibia, relative to host associations, are also discussed. Although most specimens of Geusibia are found on pikas, the host is not the definitive factor in the distribution of the genus. Some environmental factors and some host behaviors also determine the presence of Geusibia. Therefore, Geusibia is defined as a host-habitat-dependent flea     

An inhibitor selective for collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation from the salivary glands of hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis and its mechanism of action

Soluble materials of salivary glands from Haemaphysalis longicornis were found to inhibit collagen, ADP, and thrombin-stimulated platelet aggregation. One inhibitory component was purified to salivary gland homogeneity by a combination of gel filtration, ion-exchange, and C_8 reverse phase HPLC. The purified activity, named longieornin, is a protein of moleeular weight 16 000 on SDS-PAGE under both reduced and nonredueed conditions. Collagen-mediated aggregation of platelets in plasma and of washed platelets (IC_(50) was approximately 60 nmol/L) was inhibited with the same efficacy. No inhibition of aggregation stimulated by other effeetors, including ADP, arachidonic acid, thrombin, ristocetin, calcium ionophore A23187, thromboxane A2 mimetic U46619 and 12-O-phorbol-13-myristate acetate, was observed. Longieonin had no effect on platelet adhension to collagen. Not only platelet aggregation but also release reaction, and increase of intraeellar Ca~(2 ) level of platelets in response to collagen were com     

An inhibitor selective for collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation from the salivary glands of hard tick Haemaphysalis longicornis and its mechanism of action

Soluble materials of salivary glands fromHaemaphysalis longicornis were found to inhibit collagen, ADP, and thrombin-stimulated platelet aggregation. One inhibitory component was purified to salivary gland homogeneity by a combination of gel filtration, ion-exchange, and C₈ reverse phase HPLC. The purified activity, named longicomin, is a protein of molecular weight 16 000 on SDS-PAGE under both reduced and nonreduced conditions. Collagen-mediated aggegation of platelets in plasma and of washed platelets (IC₅₀ was approximately 60 nmol/L) was inhibited with the same efficacy. No inhibition of aggregation stimulated by other effectors, including ADP, arachidonic acid, thrombin, ristocetin, calcium ionophore A23187, thromboxane A2 mimetic U46619 and 12-O-phorbol-13-myristate acetate, was observed. Longiconin had no effect on platelet adhension to collagen. Not only platelet aggregation but also release reaction, and increase of intracellar ca²⁺ level of platelets in response to collagen were completely eliminated by longicomin. Increasing amounts of collagen are able to overcome the inhibition of aggregation by longicomin, indicating that longicomin probably shares with collagen a common receptor. In addition, collagen fibers did not emit fluorescence after incubation with isothocyanate-conjugated longicornin, indicating that longicomin did not bind directly to collagen fibers. The identification and isolation of longicomin demonstrates the existence of a new type of platelet inhibitor that should be useful to better undentand the mechanism of collagen stimulation of platelets. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 39170591).     

Indexing serum and mucous biochemical parameters of endangered Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis with implications for health assessment

The Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is a critically endangered aquatic fish. Health monitoring and welfare assessments are critical for the conservation of Chinese sturgeon. In this study, biochemical parameters of serum and skin mucus in Chinese sturgeon were examined to evaluate the potential biomarkers. Serum and mucous samples were obtained from Chinese sturgeon, and the levels of total protein (TP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), lactic acid (LD), acid phosphatase (ACP), lysozyme (LYZ), glucose (GLU), and cortisol were determined. The concentrations of ALT, AST, cortisol, and LYZ were significantly higher in the mucous group than those in the serum group (p < 0.05). In addition, the concentrations of ALP, ACP, LD, LDH, CK, and TP were significantly higher level in the serum group than those in the mucous group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the correlations between serum and mucous biochemical parameters were established. Statistical analysis showed a positive correlation between serum and skin mucous markers (ACP, cortisol, and LYZ). AST versus ALT in serum and mucus showed a significant positive correlation (p < 0.01). A significant positive correlation was found between cortisol and CK in mucus (p < 0.01). Moreover, LD versus LDH in serum showed a significant but weak positive correlation (p < 0.01). Principal component analysis revealed a complete separation between the serum and mucous groups, with the biomarkers that contributed the most being ALP, TP, ALT, and AST. This study provides baseline data and reference intervals for serum and mucous biochemical parameters in presumably healthy Chinese sturgeons. The current study has important implications for the development of conservation strategies and the conservation status of critically endangered species.     

Knockdown of NFBD1/MDC1 enhances chemosensitivity to cisplatin or 5-fluorouracil in nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE1 cells

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare but highly invasive cancer that is prevalent among people of southern Chinese ancestry in southern China and Southeast Asia. Radiotherapy and cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy are the main treatment options. Unfortunately, disease response to concurrent chemoradiotherapy varies among patients with NPC, and many cases are resistant to CDDP and radiotherapy. NFBD1 functions in cell cycle checkpoint activation and DNA repair following DNA damage. In this study, we identified the NFBD1 as a tractable molecular target to chemosensitize NPC cells. NFBD1 expression in NPC CNE1 cell lines was depleted using lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA, and the elevated sensitivity of these NFBD1-inhibited NPC cells to therapeutic reagent CDDP and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was evaluated using MTS assays. Flow cytometry analysis also showed that NFBD1 knockdown led to an obvious induction of apoptosis in CDDP- or 5-FU-treated CNE1 cells. Furthermore, we implicated the involvement of NFBD1 in Rad51 and DNA-PKcs foci formation following CDDP or 5-FU chemotherapy. In conclusion, NFBD1 knockdown improves the chemosensitivity of NPC cells by inhibiting cell growth and promoting apoptosis through the impairment of DNA damage repair, suggesting NFBD1 as a novel therapeutic target for NPC.

     

元素分析法用于方形黄鼠蚤亚种分类

元素分析法用于方形黄鼠蚤亚种分类王善青,吴厚永,盛世淑,金人慈,强亚萍山西医学院,山西省太原市０３０００１军事医学科学院,北京１０００７１山西省轻工业学校,山西省太原市０３０Ｏ１３关键词黄鼠蚤;亚种分类;元素分析法;Ｎ／Ｃ比目前医学昆虫的分类鉴定仍主...     

Modulating and modeling aggregation of cell-seeded microcarriers in stirred culture system for macrotissue engineering

A recently developed protocol, "microtissue assembly" holds great promise to address the issue of limited mass transfer within engineered large tissue replacements (macrotissues), wherein small "building blocks" (microtissues) are prepared and then assembled into macrotissues. Previous studies suggested that aggregation behavior of microcarrier-based microtissues were very important for macrotissue engineering. However, a systematic study on the aggregation behavior of microtissues is still missing. In this study, to examine the aggregation behavior of microtissues, effects of key operation parameters in dynamic culture including cell seeding density, microcarrier concentration, L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (V(c)) and agitating speed were investigated. The aggregation process could be divided into three phases (i.e., lag, growth and stable). Aggregation efficiency (S) was found to be modulated by cell seeding density, microcarrier concentration, addition of V(c) and agitating speed. A mathematical model correlating the operation parameters with S at different phases of aggregation was developed and experimentally proved to be able to predict S with varied operation parameters. In the end, a cylindrical macrotissue (diameter × height: 2.0 cm × 0.8 cm) with fairly good integrity and cellularity and uniform cell distribution was successfully engineered through perfusion assembling microtissues with controlled S under selected culture conditions. Our study showed that aggregation of microtissues could be precisely modulated, which would definitely facilitate engineering macrotissues with high quality.     

TAK-242, a Toll-Like Receptor 4 Antagonist,Protects against Aldosterone-Induced Cardiac and Renal Injury

Cardiovascular and renal inflammation induced by Aldosterone (Aldo) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and renal fibrosis. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling contributes to inflammatory cardiovascular and renal diseases, but its role in Aldo-induced hypertension and renal damage is not clear. In the current study, rats were treated with Aldo-salt combined with TAK-242 (a TLR4 signaling antagonist) for 4 weeks. Hemodynamic, cardiac and renal parameters were assayed at the indicated time. We found that Aldo-salt–treated rats present cardiac and renal hypertrophy and dysfunction. Cardiac and renal expression levels of TLR4 as well as levels of molecular markers attesting inflammation and fibrosis are increased by Aldo infusion, whereas the treatment of TAK-242 reverses these alterations. TAK-242 suppresses cardiac and renal inflammatory cytokines levels (TNF-a, IL-1β and MCP-1). Furthermore, TAK-242 inhibits hypertension, cardiac and renal fibrosis, and also attenuates the Aldo-induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). In experimental hyperaldosteronism, upregulation of TLR4 is correlated with cardiac and renal fibrosis and dysfunction, and a TLR4 signaling antagonist, TAK-242, can reverse these alterations. TAK-242 may be a therapeutic option for salt-sensitive hypertension and renal fibrosis.     

An inhibitor selective for collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation from the salivary glands of hard tickHaemaphysalis longicornis and its mechanism of action

Soluble materials of salivary glands fromHaemaphysalis longicornis were found to inhibit collagen, ADP, and thrombin-stimulated platelet aggregation. One inhibitory component was purified to salivary gland homogeneity by a combination of gel filtration, ion-exchange, and C₈ reverse phase HPLC. The purified activity, named longicomin, is a protein of molecular weight 16 000 on SDS-PAGE under both reduced and nonreduced conditions. Collagen-mediated aggegation of platelets in plasma and of washed platelets (IC₅₀ was approximately 60 nmol/L) was inhibited with the same efficacy. No inhibition of aggregation stimulated by other effectors, including ADP, arachidonic acid, thrombin, ristocetin, calcium ionophore A23187, thromboxane A2 mimetic U46619 and 12-O-phorbol-13-myristate acetate, was observed. Longiconin had no effect on platelet adhension to collagen. Not only platelet aggregation but also release reaction, and increase of intracellar ca²⁺ level of platelets in response to collagen were completely eliminated by longicomin. Increasing amounts of collagen are able to overcome the inhibition of aggregation by longicomin, indicating that longicomin probably shares with collagen a common receptor. In addition, collagen fibers did not emit fluorescence after incubation with isothocyanate-conjugated longicornin, indicating that longicomin did not bind directly to collagen fibers. The identification and isolation of longicomin demonstrates the existence of a new type of platelet inhibitor that should be useful to better undentand the mechanism of collagen stimulation of platelets.