NMR based metabonomics study of NPY Y5 receptor activation in BT-549, a human breast carcinoma cell line

Overexpression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and its receptors has been found in various cancers. In our previous study, we demonstrated expression of NPY Y5 receptor (Y5R) in various breast cancer cell lines along with Y1 receptor. In Y5R expressing BT-549 cells, NPY induced cell proliferation that was blocked by Y5R-selective antagonist CGP1683A (CGP). Here, NMR-based metabonomics was used to monitor the metabolic profile of BT-549 cells in the presence of NPY and CGP to assess the effect of Y5R activation and inhibition during NPY-induced cell proliferation. To study changes in intra and extra cellular metabolites in response to various treatments, 1D ¹H-NMR spectra of both hydrophilic cell extracts and growth medium were recorded from BT-549 with three treatments: (1) NPY, (2) CGP, and (3) CGP followed by NPY (CGP/NPY). Principal component analysis and statistical significance analysis indicated changes in intracellular concentrations of seven metabolites in hydrophilic cell extracts with NPY treatment: decreases in lactate, succinate, myo-inositol, and creatine, and increases in acetate, glutamate, and aspartate. A significant increase in intracellular lactate level and attenuation of other metabolites to baseline was detected in CGP/NPY group. Also, significant decreases in lactate and increases in pyruvate were observed in growth medium from NPY treated cells. Based on the metabonomics analysis, Y5R activation induces cell proliferation by increasing the rate of glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and TCA cycle. Inhibition of Y5R by CGP counteracts NPY-induced changes in cellular metabolites. These changes may play a role in cell proliferation and migration by NPY through Y5R activation.     

普氏野马线粒体DNA D-loop区序列多态性研究

目的:了解中国新疆吉木萨尔野马繁殖中心的普氏野马(Equus przewalskii)遗传多样性及其遗传背景.方法:采用PCR产物直接测序法,对15匹普氏野马线粒体DNA D-loop高变区进行测序分析.结果:测定15个个体的线粒体DNA D-loop高变区15464～15866片段序列402bp.检测到12种单倍型,包括37个多态位点,占全部序列的9.2%,其中转换位点24个、颠换位点20个、转换位点和颠换并存位点8个、缺失位点3个.A%+T%含量(56.1%)高于G%+C%含量(43.9%),平均A含量为28.4%,T含量为27.7%,C含量为29%,G含为14.9%.单倍型间平均遗传距离为0.030,单倍型多态性(h)为1±0.00116,核苷酸多态性(π)为2.90%.15匹普氏野马线粒体DNA D-loop高变区之间平均核苷酸变异率为2.48%.结论:研究表明我国新疆吉木萨尔野马繁殖中心的普氏野马线粒体DNA D-loop区序列存在丰富的多态性.     

GSK-3beta activity is increased in skeletal muscle after burn injury in rats

Previous reports suggest that burn-induced muscle proteolysis can be inhibited by treatment with GSK-3beta inhibitors, suggesting that burn injury may be associated with increased GSK-3beta activity. The influence of burn injury on muscle GSK-3beta activity, however, is not known. We determined the effect of a 30% total body surface full-thickness burn injury in rats on muscle GSK-3beta activity by measuring GSK-3beta activity and tissue levels of serine 9 phosphorylated GSK-3beta, p(Ser9)-GSK-3beta, by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Because burn-induced muscle wasting is, at least in part, mediated by glucocorticoids, we used dexamethasone-treated cultured muscle cells in which GSK-3beta expression was reduced with small interfering RNA (siRNA) to further assess the role of GSK-3beta in muscle atrophy. Burn injury resulted in a seven-fold increase in GSK-3beta activity in skeletal muscle. This effect of burn was accompanied by reduced tissue levels of p(Ser9)-GSK-3beta, suggesting that burn injury stimulates GSK-3beta in skeletal muscle secondary to inhibited phosphorylation of the enzyme. In addition, burn injury resulted in inhibited phosphorylation and activation of Akt, an upstream regulatory mechanism of GSK-3beta activity. Reducing the expression of GSK-3beta in cultured muscle cells with siRNA inhibited dexamethasone-induced protein degradation by approximately 50%. The results suggest that burn injury stimulates GSK-3beta activity in skeletal muscle and that GSK-3beta may, at least in part, regulate glucocorticoid-mediated muscle wasting.     

新疆葡萄穴粉虱的形态学及生物学特性

【目的】葡萄穴粉虱是近年来入侵新疆吐鲁番地区的一种新害虫,明确其在新疆吐鲁番地区的生物学特性及发生危害情况,可为防治策略的制定提供科学依据。【方法】通过室内观察和田间调查,了解葡萄穴粉虱的形态学特征及生物学特性。【结果】葡萄穴粉虱属过渐变态。成虫复眼红棕色,翅膀表面覆盖白色蜡粉。卵倒锥形。若虫共4龄,扁椭圆形,体缘有蜡丝,末龄若虫在体壳内化蛹。4龄若虫(拟蛹)有半透明和黑色2型,越冬型4龄若虫(拟蛹)为黑色且有金属光泽。该虫在吐鲁番1年发生3~4代。越冬代成虫于4月上中旬破蛹羽化,开始在葡萄园危害,5月中旬第1代若虫孵化,5月下旬为孵化高峰;6月中旬2代若虫开始孵化,6月下旬—7月初为孵化高峰,世代重叠严重,10月中下旬之后以越冬代蛹在枯叶和枯枝上越冬。除为害葡萄外,葡萄穴粉虱还危害五叶地锦等葡萄科植物。【结论】在葡萄冬季埋土前或春季上架时,清除枯枝落叶可以大量减少越冬虫源,减轻防治压力。5月中旬第一代若虫孵化高峰期是化学防治的关键时期。在重点开展葡萄园防治的同时,应加强对五叶地锦等园林植物的防治。     

NMR Based Metabonomics Study of DAG Treatment in a C2C12 Mouse Skeletal Muscle Cell Line Myotube Model of Burn-Injury

After severe burn injury, proinflammatory cytokine levels are elevated in serum and skeletal muscle, which in turn increases protein breakdown and decreases protein synthesis. In this study, C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cell line myotubes were exposed to proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) as an in vitro cell-line model of catabolic response to burn injury and then treated with des-acyl ghrelin (DAG), a 28 amino acid polypeptide hormone thought to inhibit protein breakdown and increase protein synthesis, to assess its therapeutic potential. Nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabonomics was used to monitor metabolic activity of C2C12 myotubes under four treatment conditions: (1) control, (2) TNF-α/IFN-γ (TI), (3) DAG (DA), and (4) TNF-α/IFN-γ followed by DAG (TIDA) to assess the effect of DAG treatment on cellular metabolic response during basal or catabolic conditions. Twelve metabolites showed significant changes in concentrations following treatments in the hydrophilic cell extracts. Lactate (P < 10⁻⁴) and citrulline (P < 10⁻⁹) increased with TNF-α/IFN-γ treatment, indicating increased protein degradation, and returned to control levels in the TIDA group. Adenosine nucleotide levels had decreased trends in TI myotubes that returned to baseline levels after DAG treatment (P < 10⁻⁴). Guanidinoacetate and pantothenate, metabolites involved in protein synthesis and cell proliferation, had increased concentration trends following DAG treatment in both the DA and TIDA groups. Our metabonomics analysis provides further evidence that DAG counteracts the catabolic response caused by elevated muscle TNF-α/IFN-γ cytokine levels following severe burns and can play a potential therapeutic role in treatment of burn injury.     

超声与CT 在肝脏囊型包虫病与非寄生虫性囊肿鉴别中的比较

目的:分析囊型包虫病的CT以及超声的影像学特征以及联合诊断的效能,以减少对于CL及Ⅰ型包虫囊肿误诊率。方法:回顾性分析自2008年1月～2010年9月在我院行CT和超声检查的包虫病患者22例,肝脏单纯囊肿25例,分析其表现并进行比较。结果:CT检出36个病灶,超声检测出34个病灶,单纯囊肿组和包虫组病灶分布及形态等无明显差别,22例超声显示位于包虫囊肿底部可以随体位运动棘球呦砂样改变,显示囊肿壁不规则增厚3例,病灶周围胆管扩张2例,CT显示包虫囊肿壁钙化5例,病灶周围胆管扩张3例。结论:联合CT和超声学检查可以帮助提高CEI及CL型包虫囊肿的诊断率。     

Research on the establishment of chronic stress‐induced premature ovarian failure the rat model and effects of Chinese medicine Muniziqi treatment

The purposes of this study were to establish and to explore the biological basis of the chronic stress‐induced premature ovarian failure (POF) model and to explore the therapeutic effects of the traditional Chinese medicine Muniziqi. Sexually matured female Sprague–Dawley rats were fed with spinach and cilantro in cold and wet conditions for about 20 weeks until a chronic stress (CS) model was established. The CS rats were divided into a POF stress model group and a stress model group according to weekly biological characteristics and hormone level detection ( luteinizing hormone [LH], follicle stimulating hormone [FSH], and estrogen [E2]). To investigate the therapeutic effect of Muniziqi, the POF disease stress model group was divided into the high‐, medium‐, and low‐drug intervention groups. The results showed that chronic stresses (special food, cold, damp) can lead to POF disease. The traditional Chinese medicine Muniziqi could not only improve the reproductive hormone level disorder, but also improve the function of the hypothalamus–pituitary–ovarian axis. The underlying mechanism may be a change in the E2, LH, and FSH hormone levels in serum and lower expression of ovarian premature aging‐related protein PFN‐1.