环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物物种组成与分布格局的影响

海南岛是中国兰科植物物种丰富度较高的地区, 了解环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物物种组成和分布格局的影响, 对于该地区野生兰科植物的保护管理和相关研究具有重要指导意义。基于海南岛野生兰科植物调查分布样方的植被类型、海拔、坡向、坡度、年平均气温、年降水量的数据, 采用典范相关分析探索了环境因子对物种组成的影响, 并计算各个环境因子对物种组成的总效应与净效应, 同时分析了6个环境因子对野生兰科植物分布格局的影响。结果表明, 所选的6个环境因子共解释了海南岛野生兰科植物组成变异的3.7%; 植被类型、海拔、年平均气温、年降水量、坡向、坡度这6个环境因子的总效应与净效应均达显著水平, 但其解释率依次减小。所选的6个环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物的分布均有影响, 野生兰科植物在海南岛主要分布在中海拔段、5°-35°的坡度范围、阴坡与半阴坡、年平均气温较低且年降水量较高的环境, 并且于原生植被中分布最多。     

Prognostic Impact of Hyaluronan and Its Regulators in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Background

Although pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is characterized by an abundant stroma enriched with hyaluronan (HA), the prognostic impact of HA and its regulators remains unknown.

Methods

Using immunohistochemistry, expression patterns of HA and its regulators, including a synthesizing enzyme (HAS2), and a degrading enzyme (HYAL1) were investigated in patients who received surgical resection. The prognostic significance of these markers and other clinicopathological variables was determined using univariate and multivariate analyses. The HA levels were determined quantitatively by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

We found that strong expressions of HA (P=0.008) and HAS2 (P=0.022) were significantly associated with shorter survival time after surgery. By contrast, weak expression of HYAL1 was significantly associated with poor survival (P=0.001). In multivariate analysis, tumor stage (hazard ratio (HR)=2.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-6.66 P=0.024), strong HA expression (HR=6.04, 95%CI: 1.42-25.69 P=0.015), and weak HYAL1 expression (HR=3.16, 95%CI: 1.19-8.40 P=0.021) were independent factors predicting poor survival. ELISA revealed higher concentration of HA in pancreatic cancer tissues than in normal pancreatic tissues (P=0.001).

Conclusion

These findings suggest, for the first time, that HA and its regulators may have prognostic impact in patients with pancreatic cancer.     

Isolation of Human Atrial Myocytes for Simultaneous Measurements of Ca2+ Transients and Membrane Currents

The study of electrophysiological properties of cardiac ion channels with the patch-clamp technique and the exploration of cardiac cellular Ca²⁺ handling abnormalities requires isolated cardiomyocytes. In addition, the possibility to investigate myocytes from patients using these techniques is an invaluable requirement to elucidate the molecular basis of cardiac diseases such as atrial fibrillation (AF).¹ Here we describe a method for isolation of human atrial myocytes which are suitable for both patch-clamp studies and simultaneous measurements of intracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations. First, right atrial appendages obtained from patients undergoing open heart surgery are chopped into small tissue chunks ("chunk method") and washed in Ca²⁺-free solution. Then the tissue chunks are digested in collagenase and protease containing solutions with 20 μM Ca²⁺. Thereafter, the isolated myocytes are harvested by filtration and centrifugation of the tissue suspension. Finally, the Ca²⁺ concentration in the cell storage solution is adjusted stepwise to 0.2 mM. We briefly discuss the meaning of Ca²⁺ and Ca²⁺ buffering during the isolation process and also provide representative recordings of action potentials and membrane currents, both together with simultaneous Ca²⁺ transient measurements, performed in these isolated myocytes.     

单头亚菊的组织培养与快速繁殖

以单头亚菊茎段为外植体对其进行组织培养,MS为基本培养基,设置不同激素浓度配比。对实验结果进行观察分析,筛选出合适的配方。启动培养基为Ms＋0．5mg·L-16-BA＋0．01mg·L-1NAA。继代培养基MS＋O．75mg·L-1。6-BA＋0．01mg·L。NAA,可获得较高的增殖率。不定根最适诱导培养基为1／2MS＋O．15mg·L—IBA,生根率达87％以上,组培苗移栽成活率达98％。     

Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid Triggers Autophagy by Influencing the mTOR Pathway in the Spinal Dorsal Horn in a Rat Neuropathic Pain Model

Histone acetylation levels can be upregulated by treating cells with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), which can induce autophagy. Autophagy flux in the spinal cord of rats following the left fifth lumber spinal nerve ligation (SNL) is involved in the progression of neuropathic pain. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), one of the HDACIs can interfere with the epigenetic process of histone acetylation, which has been shown to ease neuropathic pain. Recent research suggest that SAHA can stimulate autophagy via the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in some types of cancer cells. However, little is known about the role of SAHA and autophagy in neuropathic pain after nerve injury. In the present study, we aim to investigate autophagy flux and the role of the mTOR pathway on spinal cells autophagy activation in neuropathic pain induced by SNL in rats that received SAHA treatment. Autophagy-related proteins and mTOR or its active form were assessed by using western blot, immunohistochemistry, double immunofluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We found that SAHA decreased the paw mechanical withdrawal threshold (PMWT) of the lower compared with SNL. Autophagy flux was mainly disrupted in the astrocytes and neuronal cells of the spinal cord dorsal horn on postsurgical day 28 and was reversed by daily intrathecal injection of SAHA (n?=?100 nmol/day or n?=?200 nmol/day). SAHA also decreased mTOR and phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) expression, especially p-mTOR expression in astrocytes and neuronal cells of the spinal dorsal horn. These results suggest that SAHA attenuates neuropathic pain and contributes to autophagy flux in astrocytes and neuronal cells of the spinal dorsal horn via the mTOR signaling pathway.

     

镉诱导金属硫蛋白在华溪蟹组织中的表达

采用体外暴露染毒法,研究了不同浓度与时间条件下,镉诱导河南华溪蟹(Sinopotamon henanense)金属硫蛋白(metallothionein,MT)在肝胰腺、肌肉、鳃和卵巢中的表达差异。镉浓度分别为0、14·5mg/L、29mg/L和58mg/L;处理时间依次为1d、3d和5d。利用镉血红蛋白饱和法和火焰原子吸收分光光度法(AAS)测定MT的蛋白含量。结果显示,用不同的染毒浓度和处理时间,镉在组织中诱导产生MT的含量有较大差异,其中肝胰腺MT的诱导量最大,变化规律也最明显;肌肉中也有较大量MT的表达;而鳃和卵巢MT的诱导量均较低。此外,本文分析了镉的浓度与时间梯度对诱导MT表达的影响与毒性效应机制。结论:组织不同,染毒浓度及时间不同,镉诱导MT的表达也不同,具有一定的组织差异性和规律性。     

FISH studies reveal the molecular and chromosomal organization of individual telomere domains in tomato

The molecular and cytological organization of the telomeric repeat (TR) and the subtelomeric repeat (TGR1) of tomato were investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques. Hybridization signals on extended DNA fibres, visualized as linear fluorescent arrays representing individual telomeres, unequivocally demonstrated the molecular co-linear arrangement of both repeats. The majority of the telomeres consisted of a TR and a TGR1 region separated by a spacer. Microscopic measurements of the TR and TGR1 signals revealed high variation in length of both repeats, with maximum sizes of 223 and 1330 kb, respectively. A total of 27 different combinations of TR and TGR1 was detected, suggesting that all chromosome ends have their own unique telomere organization. The fluorescent tracks on the extended DNA fibres were subdivided into four classes: (i) TR–spacer–TGR1; (ii) TR–TGR1; (iii) only TR; (iv) only TGR1. FISH to pachytene chromosomes enabled some of the TR/TGR1 groups to be assigned to specific chromosome ends and to interstitial regions. These signals also provided evidence for a reversed order of the TR and TGR1 sites at the native chromosome ends, suggesting a backfolding telomere structure with the TGR1 repeats occupying the most terminal position of the chromosomes. The FISH signals on diakinesis chromosomes revealed that distal euchromatin areas and flanking telomeric heterochromatin remained highly decondensed around the chiasmata in the euchromatic chromosome areas. The rationale for the occurrence and distribution of the TR and TGR1 repeats on the tomato chromosomes are discussed.     

The Expression Level and Prognostic Value of Y-Box Binding Protein-1 in Rectal Cancer

The aims of this study were to simultaneously evaluate the expression of Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) in non-neoplastic rectal tissue and rectal cancer tissue, and to collect clinical follow-up data for individual patients. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the developmental functions and prognostic value of YB-1 in rectal cancer. We performed immunohistochemical studies to examine YB-1 expression in tissue samples from 80 patients with rectal cancer, 30 patients with rectal tubular adenoma, and 30 patients with rectitis. The mean YB-1 histological scores for rectal cancer, rectal tubular adenoma, and rectitis tissue specimens were 205.5, 164.3, and 137.7, respectively. Shorter disease-free and overall survival times were found in patients with rectal cancer who had higher YB-1 expression than in those with lower expression (38.2 months vs. 52.4 months, P = 0.013; and 44.4 months vs. 57.3 months, P = 0.008, respectively). Our results indicate that YB-1 expression is higher in rectal cancer tissue than in rectal tubular adenoma and rectitis tissue and that it may be an independent prognostic factor for rectal cancer.     

Distribution patterns of alien invasive plants and their influences on native plants of Hainan Island

 以国家农业部指定的20种恶性入侵植物为目的种, 在海南岛开展其分布特征与入侵强度的调查研究, 重点研究了陆域环境中6种广布入侵植物——飞机草(Chromolaena odorata)、假臭草(Praxelis clematidea)、含羞草(Mimosa pudica)、苏门白酒草(Conyza sumatrensis)、三裂叶蟛蜞菊(Wedelia trilobata)、马缨丹(Lantana camara)在7种生态系统(天然次生林、农田、村落、种植园、林缘、弃耕地、草地)中的入侵频率及入侵植物对本地植物的影响。结果表明: 1)海南岛有恶性入侵植物11种, 占调查目的种总数的55.0%。2)海南岛的东北、西南部分布的入侵植物种数较多, 东南部次之, 中部地区最少。3) 6种入侵植物的整体入侵强度为: 假臭草>飞机草>含羞草>三裂叶蟛蜞菊>马缨丹>苏门白酒草; 苏门白酒草、马缨丹在不同生态系统中的入侵频率无显著差异; 而假臭草在种植园及弃耕地, 含羞草在农田, 三裂叶蟛蜞菊在种植园生态系统中的入侵频率均显著高于其他生境。4)种植园、弃耕地和农田生态系统是植物入侵的主要生境类型, 而林缘和天然次生林生态系统均对植物入侵表现出抵御作用。5)植物入侵对当地植物多样性的影响存在正、负及无关联效应, 并主要影响群落中的草本植物功能群; 样地中入侵植物盖度总值与本地植物平均种数在种植园、农田和村落生态系统中无相关性, 在林缘和弃耕地生态系统中, 两者呈显著负相关关系; 而在草地生态系统中, 在一定盖度范围内, 入侵植物盖度总值与本地植物平均种数呈显著正相关关系。