Clinical significance of serum transforming growth factor-β1 in lung cancer

Background: Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) plays a critical role in human cancer development. Present study aimed to explore the clinical significance of serum TGF-β1 levels in patients with lung cancer and analyze the relationship between TGF-β1 and existing tumor markers for lung cancer. Methods: Serum was collected from 118 patients with lung cancer and 40 healthy volunteers. Serum TGF-β1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the association with various clinical characteristics was analyzed. The diagnostic value of TGF-β1 was assessed alone and in combination with existing tumor markers for lung cancer. Results: Serum TGF-β1 levels were significantly higher in patients with lung cancer compared to healthy volunteers [0.6 × 10⁵ (0.4 × 10⁵, 0.9 × 10⁵) pg/ml vs 0.5 × 10⁵ (0.3 × 10⁵, 0.7 × 10⁵) pg/ml, P = 0.040]. Although there was a positive correlation between serum TGF-β1 levels and advanced stages, the significant difference was not found between early stages and advanced stages (P = 0.116). The ability of serum TGF-β1 to discriminate lung cancer at a cutoff value of 79,168 pg/ml exhibited sensitivity of 30.6% and specificity of 97.5%. Serum TGF-β1 levels were correlated to cytokeratin fragment 21-1 (CYFRA21-1; R = 0.308, P = 0.020) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE; R = 0.558, P = 0.003). The diagnostic accuracy rates for the existing lung-tumor markers, as SCC, CYFRA21-1, and NSE, were increased from 20.0%, 34.6%, and 45.9% to 48.9%, 51.7%, and 54.5%, respectively by the inclusion of serum TGF-β1 levels. Conclusion: Quantification of serum TGF-β1 levels by ELISA may provide a novel complementary tool for the clinical diagnosis of lung cancer.     

美洲商陆核基因组抗病毒蛋白基因的克隆及序列分析

通过ＰＣＲ扩增,从美洲商陆（Ｐｈｙｔｏｌａｃａａｍｅｒｉｃａｎａ）核基因组中克隆了商陆抗病毒蛋白基因,序列分析表明,该基因含８８５个核苷酸,与已报道的序列比较,核苷酸同源性为９９．３％。     

可溶性纤维连接蛋白可活化RhoA并引起癌细胞骨架相关改变

细胞外基质中的纤维连接蛋白可以使细胞表面的整合素受体聚集起来,引起RhoA介导的信号通路的活化,从而导致细胞骨架的重组和细胞迁移的调节。然而,大部分纤维连接蛋白以可溶形式存在于血浆中,这些可溶性纤维连接蛋白是否有相似的效应仍有待于进一步的研究。实验发现,向细胞培养液中加入可溶性纤维连接蛋白,可使胃癌细胞系SGC-7901中的RhoA由GDP结合的非活性形式转变为GTP结合的活性形式,与其底物结合的量增加,而α5β1整合素的抗体可以阻断这一活化过程;可溶性纤维连接蛋白可诱导细胞聚合体形式的肌动蛋白(F-肌动蛋白)的形成。在人前列腺癌细胞系PC-3中,可溶性纤维连接蛋白可引起细胞从多角形向圆形的形态改变,α5β1整合素的抗体可阻断这一改变。以上结果显示可溶性纤维连接蛋白能与α5β1整合素结合并诱导RhoA介导的信号转导。     

Structural and thermal characterization of hemicelluloses isolated by organic solvents and alkaline solutions from Tamarix austromongolica

Three organosolv and three alkaline hemicellulosic fractions were prepared from lignocellulosic biomass of the fast-growing shrub Tamarix austromongolica (Tamarix Linn.). Sugar analysis revealed that the organosolv-soluble fractions contained a higher content of glucose (33.7-6.5%) and arabinose (14.8-5.6%), and a lower content of xylose (62.2-54.8%) than the hemicellulosic fractions isolated with aqueous alkali solutions. A relatively high concentration of alkali resulted in a decreasing trend of the xylose/4-O-methyl-d-glucuronic acid ratio in the alkali-soluble fractions. The results of NMR analysis supported a major substituted structure based on a linear polymer of β-(1 → 4)-linked d-xylopyranosyl residues, having ramifications of α-l-arabinofuranose and 4-O-methyl-d-glucuronic acid residues monosubstituted at O-3 and O-2, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that one step of major mass loss occurred between 200-400 °C, as hemicelluloses devolatilized with total volatile yield of about 55%. It was found that organosolv-soluble fractions are more highly ramified, and showed a higher thermal stability than the alkali-soluble fractions.     

云南美味牛肝菌ITS 区域结构特点

利用ITS 的通用引物(ITS5-ITS4) 对云南的美味牛肝菌( Boletus edulis) 子实体的DNA 进行PCR 扩增, 扩增产物回收后直接测序。序列的聚类分析表明, 在ITS1-5 . 8S rDNA-ITS2 区域, 云南的美味牛肝菌与欧洲的夏牛肝菌( B. aestivalis) 和铜色牛肝菌( B . aereus) 同源性较高, 但在ITS2 区域夏牛肝菌和铜色牛肝菌分别有一段美味牛肝菌没有的大小分别为73 bp 和26 bp 的特征序列。     

浙江天童苦槠+白栎灌丛群落的生物量研究

采用直接收获法研究了浙江天童地区苦槠＋白栎次生灌丛群落的地上部分生物量。结果表明该区次生灌丛的地上部分生物量为16．77t/hm^2,还不到常绿阔叶林幼林生物量（地上部分）的1／3。次生灌丛生物量的分布,从群落层次上看,主要集中于藻木层;从垂直高度上看,主要分布在0－4m之间;从种类组成上看,主要分布于苦槠、白栎、山矾、茅栗等优势种中。根据生物量的研究,文中还对如何加速次生灌丛的进展演替进行了讨论。     

木质素生物合成中C3H/HCT的研究进展

木质素是由三种不同的木质素单体聚合而成的,其含量和单体组成与植物体的综合利用密切相关。木质素单体的生物合成途径涉及到许多酶的参与,C3H/HCT是发现较晚的两个酶,在从对-香豆酰辅酶A（p-coumaroyl CoA）到咖啡酰辅酶A（caffeoyl CoA）的羟基化过程中起作用,是控制木质素H-单体与G/S-单体相互转化的关键酶。该文主要对C3H/HCT的研究进展及在木质素生物合成中的作用进行了阐述。     

天童常绿阔叶树种栲树生殖个体大小及其生殖构件特征

对浙江天童木荷-栲树林内的常绿阔叶树种栲树(Castanopsis fargesii Franch.)的生殖个体大小、生殖构件的分布及其动态变化特征进行了研究。结果表明, 该地区栲树生殖个体的胸径在17~50 cm 间, 平均胸径为31. 2±8.0 cm, 平均年龄约36.3±6.6 年;林缘附近的生殖个体小于木荷-林内。相对稳定的群落和比较丰富的土壤养分条件有利于生殖枝数量和花序数量的增多。栲树生殖个体的数量在两年中变化较大, 部分栲树个体可以在连续年份中生殖。从枝系水平分析:在持续生殖的栲树个体上, 生殖枝数量有明显变化, 并非所有的生殖枝在两年中都可开花或结果, 保持连续生殖的枝系约占48.2%。栲树果序枝数量在连续年份有明显差异(p < 0.01), 而且果序枝上的幼蕾数、果实数量及结实率等都有明显差异(p < 0.05)。     

FGF1:一种治疗糖尿病的新型潜在药物

糖尿病是一种常见的内分泌代谢性疾病,它及其并发症的治疗是现代医学仍未解决的难题。常见的药物治疗有诸多不良反应,譬如胰岛素的长期使用会产生胰岛素耐受性。近年研究发现,酸性成纤维细胞因子（Fibroblast growth factor 1,FGF1或aFGF）及其衍生物能够使2型糖尿病小鼠的血糖快速恢复至正常水平,并且具有胰岛素增敏效果,规避了胰岛素治疗产生耐受性的问题。因此,人们对FGF1及其衍生物在开发新型T2DM疗法方面给予诸多期待。该综述系统介绍了FGF1的结构与功能、降糖功效的机制及新发现,对FGF1的2种注射方式和FGF家族在降糖作用方面进行了比较,并对FGF1在治疗糖尿病方面的研究进程进行展望,旨在为调节血糖、解决胰岛素耐受性问题提供一种新的思路和方法。