T-UCRs with digestive and respiratory diseases

From the perspective of histoembryology, the lung, gaster, and intestines that derived from the endoderm of the gastrula are structurally homologous. The interplay of intestines and lung in many pathologic changes is called the gut-lung axis. RNAs transcribed from ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs) are highly evolutionarily conserved in many mammalian genomes and have been found to be important in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of many diseases. More and more studies in recent years have shown that T-UCRs play important roles both in digestive and respiratory diseases. Taking the gut-lung axis as the entry point, this review summarizes the T-UCRs related to digestive and respiratory diseases in recent years. Meanwhile, these T-UCRs and their targets can lay a foundation for future drug research.     

The ultrastructure of the intestinal nerve of Remak in the domestic fowl

Summary An ultrastructural study was made of the neurons, satellite cells and vesiculated axons of the intestinal nerve of the domestic fowl. Broad membrane-to-membrane contacts between adjacent nerve cell bodies were sometimes observed. The cell bodies and processes were not always separated from the extracellular space by a capsule of satellite cells. Following fixation using potassium permanganate, catecholamine (CA)-containing neurons in the intestinal nerve, unlike those in the lumbar parasympathetic ganglia, did not possess any small granular vesicles (SGV). Following exposure to noradrenaline, SGV could be demonstrated in the cell bodies of the juxta-ileal ganglia but not the juxta-rectal ganglia of the intestinal nerve. Non-CA axons were examined in tissue from birds that had been pretreated with 6-hydroxydopamine. Approximately one half of the non-CA axons formed axo-somatic contacts. Most of the non-CA axons contained varying proportions of small clear vesicles, large clear vesicles and large granular vescles. Statistical analysis showed that the non-CA axons could not be subdivided according to their vesicle content. CA-axons contained many SGV and were found in close apposition to neuronal somata and processes, and in the neuropil.     

江豚(Neophocaena asiaeorientalis)的消化器官Ⅱ. 肠、肝、胰

本篇为江豚(Neophocaena asiaeorientalis)消化器官研究的第二部分。 标本来源见李悦民(1984)。肠的长度和肝的重量都由新鲜标本测得。组织学材料用10%甲醛溶液固定,石蜡包埋,切片用苏木精曙红,PAS和Van Gieson法染色。     

Gavaging Adult Zebrafish

The zebrafish has become an important in vivo model in biomedical research. Effective methods must be developed and utilized to deliver compounds or agents in solutions for scientific research. Current methods for administering compounds orally to adult zebrafish are inaccurate due to variability in voluntary consumption by the fish. A gavage procedure was developed to deliver precise quantities of infectious agents to zebrafish for study in biomedical research. Adult zebrafish over 6 months of age were anesthetized with 150 mg/L of buffered MS-222 and gavaged with 5 μl of solution using flexible catheter implantation tubing attached to a cut 22-G needle tip. The flexible tubing was lowered into the oral cavity of the zebrafish until the tip of the tubing extended past the gills (approximately 1 cm). The solution was then injected slowly into the intestinal tract. This method was effective 88% of the time, with fish recovering uneventfully. This procedure is also efficient as one person can gavage 20-30 fish in one hour. This method can be used to precisely administer agents for infectious diseases studies, or studies of other compounds in adult zebrafish.     

Functional gene arrays-based analysis of fecal microbiomes in patients with liver cirrhosis

Background

Human gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis complications. Although the phylogenetic diversity of intestinal microbiota in patients with liver cirrhosis has been examined in several studies, little is known about their functional composition and structure.

Results

To characterize the functional gene diversity of the gut microbiome in cirrhotic patients, we recruited a total of 42 individuals, 12 alcoholic cirrhosis patients, 18 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis patients, and 12 normal controls. We determined the functional structure of these samples using a specific functional gene array, which is a combination of GeoChip for monitoring biogeochemical processes and HuMiChip specifically designed for analyzing human microbiomes. Our experimental data showed that the microbial community functional composition and structure were dramatically distinctive in the alcoholic cirrhosis. Various microbial functional genes involved in organic remediation, stress response, antibiotic resistance, metal resistance, and virulence were highly enriched in the alcoholic cirrhosis group compared to the control group and HBV-related cirrhosis group. Cirrhosis may have distinct influences on metabolic potential of fecal microbial communities. The abundance of functional genes relevant to nutrient metabolism, including amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and isoprenoid biosynthesis, were significantly decreased in both alcoholic cirrhosis group and HBV-related cirrhosis group. Significant correlations were observed between functional gene abundances and Child-Pugh scores, such as those encoding aspartate-ammonia ligase, transaldolase, adenylosuccinate synthetase and IMP dehydrogenase.

Conclusions

Functional gene array was utilized to study the gut microbiome in alcoholic and HBV-related cirrhosis patients and controls in this study. Our array data indicated that the functional composition of fecal microbiomes was heavily influenced by cirrhosis, especially by alcoholic cirrhosis. This study provides new insights into the functional potentials and activity of gut microbiota in cirrhotic patients with different etiologies.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-753) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Avian enteric nerve plexuses

Summary The enteric nerve plexuses of the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus) were investigated in sections and stretch preparations by means of the cholinesterase and glyoxylic acid fluorescence histochemical techniques. Cholinesterase-positive and varicose and non-varicose fluorescent nerve fibres were distributed at all levels of the gut in myenteric, submucosal, muscle and mucosal plexuses, and in a perivascular plexus. The density of the innervation and the detailed distribution of the nerves varied in different parts of the intestinal tract. All nerve plexuses appeared to be best developed in the rectum. Whereas the circular muscle coat contained a substantial number of nerves at all levels of the gut, the longitudinal coat was well innervated only in the rectum. The major portion of the mucosal plexus appeared to be associated with the intestinal glands. The nerve cell bodies were restricted to the myenteric and submucosal plexuses and were mainly cholinesterase-positive. Fluorescent ganglion cells were not observed. Pretreatment of stretch preparations with NADH: Nitro BT to stain ganglion cells showed that the majority of the cells were surrounded by a meshwork of fluorescent varicose fibres, although none of the fibres appeared to be associated with individual cells. The perivascular plexus was mainly associated with the arteries. The functional significance of the innervation is discussed.We would like to thank the British Council for financial support for Mr. H.A. Ali     

中草药白花蛇舌草等对实验性大肠癌作用机制的研究

目的探讨白花蛇舌草等中药在体内对大肠癌的抑制作用和抑瘤机制。方法以大肠癌裸鼠移植瘤为动物模型,观察肿瘤的生长速度,免疫组化法及肠道菌群培养技术观察大肠癌裸鼠移植瘤PCNA表达及阳性细胞密度、肿瘤坏死因子和白介素6的表达以及肠道菌群的培养。结果白花蛇舌草和仙鹤草用药组肿瘤生长率小于对照组,达50.86%,微生态调节剂组低于用药组;在肠道菌群及免疫调节能力上用药组优于对照组,微生态调节剂组优于用药组。结论白花蛇舌草和仙鹤草在体内能显著抑制大肠癌的生长。     

针刺治疗胃肠实热型肥胖症的疗效观察

目的:探讨针刺疗法对胃肠实热型单纯性肥胖症的治疗效果。方法:纳入近5年新加坡广惠肇留医院中医门诊中心符合胃肠实热型单纯性肥胖症标准的病例共67例,遵循中医"辨证施治"原则制定治疗方案,采用腹部围针法加体针进行治疗,每周治疗两次,10次为一个疗程,共治疗三个疗程,观察三个疗程针刺对单纯性肥胖症(胃肠实热型)体重及体重指数(BMI)的影响。结果:(1)男女两组患者BMI分布明显不同,超重和1度肥胖的女性患者明显多于男性,有显著性差异(P<0.05);(2)单纯性肥胖病患者经针刺治疗三个疗程后,治愈率68.7%,显效率23.9%,总有效率92.6%;患者体重显著降低(P<0.01),且两个疗程显著优于l疗程(P<0.01),三个疗程疗效显著优于两个疗程(P<0.01)。结论:针灸可明显降低体重及体重指数(BMI),且辨证论治是提高针刺疗效的关键环节,同时治疗时间越长,效果越显著。     

灭活的青春双歧杆菌对人大肠癌细胞的粘附

针对灭活的青春双歧杆菌DM850 4与人大肠癌CCL 2 2 9细胞之间的粘附现象及粘附机制进行研究。结果发现灭活的双歧杆菌具有与活菌相同的粘附定植能力 ,两者粘附于体外培养的肠上皮细胞均依赖于耗尽培养上清 (SCS)的存在。青春双歧杆菌粘附素有可能是存在于细胞壁中及分泌至SCS中的脂磷壁酸 (LTA)。LTA与细菌细胞壁耐热蛋白相互粘连 ,并且伸出胞壁之外。此外 ,肠上皮细胞表面的粘附素受体可能为糖类或糖蛋白。