Rat mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into neuron-like cells induced by berberine in vitro

AIM: To investigate whether berberine can induce rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to differentiate into neuron -like cells in vitro. METHODS: MSCs were separated from young rat femurs marrow and expanded in culture medium. MSCs were induced to differentiate by berberine. The morphological changes of MSCs were evaluated by light microscope.Neuron-spcific enolase (NSE), neurofilament (NF), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Induced by berberine for 8 hours,MSCs exhibited neurotype . The expression of NSE and NF in the neuron-like cells was positive, but the glial astrocyte marker GFAP didn't express. CONCLUSION: Berberine may induce adult rat MSCs to differentiate into neuron-like cells in vitro.     

Relation between TNF-α,TNFR I expression and apoptosis in oral lichen planus

AIM: To examine the expression and distribution of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), tumor necrosis factor receptor I (TNFR I) and apoptosis in oral lichen planus, and evaluate their roles and relation in the oral lichen. METHODS: Immunohistochemical technique and TUNEL were employed to study the expression of TNF-α, TNFR I and apoptosis in 50 cases of oral lichen planus and 10 normal oral mucosa specimens. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, TNF-α expression was upregulated in mononuclear cells in lamina propria and decreased in keratinocytes in oral lichen planus lesion (P<0.05). On the contrary, TNFR I expression was increased in keratinocytes and decreased in lamina propria in oral lichen planus lesion (P<0.05). The increased apoptosis index in keratinocytes and the decreased apoptosis index in lamina propria were found in oral lichen planus (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The accelerated apoptosis of keratinocytes and the inhibition of lymphocytes apoptosis may contribute to the formation and progression of oral lichen planus.     

Comparison of different conditions inducing embryonic stem cells

AIM: To evaluate the different conditions inducing mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) in vitro to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. METHODS: BRL conditioned medium was used to promote the growth of ESC and maintain them in an undifferentiated state. During the inducing process, retinoic acid (RA), DMSO, activin-A and TGF-β₁ were used as inducing reagents, and made up six kinds of differentiating medium. Then a three-step method inducing ESC cultured in hanging drops, in suspension and in plating was used to induce the differentiation of ESC. RESULTS: ESC were induced in vitro to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Of all groups, the highest differentiating rate was observed in the group induced by activin-A (20 μg/L) and TGF-β₁ (2 μg/L). CONCLUSION: The inducing conditions including activin-A (20 μg/L) and TGF-β₁ (2 μg/L) is very valuable in inducing ESC differentiation into cardiomyocytes.     

噻二唑基-3-哒嗪酮类化合物的合成及生物活性

将取代的二酰基肼环合后,得到中间体2-芳基-5-氯甲基-1,3,4-噻二唑,然后与2-叔丁基-4-氯-5-羟基-3(2H)-哒嗪酮反应,合成了8个未见文献报道的含噻二唑基哒嗪酮类化合物,其化学结构经1H NMR、高分辩质谱和元素分析确认。生物活性测试结果表明,部分化合物对粘虫P.separate W.有较好的抑制生长活性,其中化合物 3b 的EC50值为21 mg/L。     

Osmolarity,cell volume and proliferation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

AIM: To investigate the relationship between osmolarity, cell volume and cell proliferation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. METHODS: MTT method was applied to detect the proliferation ability of the poorly-differentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell (CNE-2Z) under various osmolarity conditions. The flow cytometry was used to analyse cell cycle distribution. Cell volume was obtained by the image analysis of living cells and cell viability was determined by the trypan blue assay. RESULTS: Cultivation of cells under the hypertonic conditions of 370 and 440 mOsmol/L increased cell volume by 8.7% and 27.8% and facilitated cell proliferation by 22.2% and 33.9%, respectively. However, hypotonic incubation of cells with osmolarity of 160 and 230 mOsmol/L decreased cell volume by 12.8% and 4.1% and inhibited cell proliferation by 34.0% and 15.6%, respectively. Cell volume was positively correlated with cell proliferation rate. Long-term cultivation of cells under anisotonic conditions did not significantly alter cell cycle distribution, but hypotonic cultivation decreased cell viability. CONCLUSION: Proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells was closely correlated with the osmolarity of culture medium and cell volume. Hypotonic cultivation may inhibit cell proliferation by decreasing cell volume to facilitate cell death mechanisms.     

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are induced to differentiate into cardiomyocytes by hepatocyte growth factor in vitro

AIM: To explore a new method of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) inducing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. METHODS: Bone marrow MSC was cultured with DMEM media (10% fetal calf serum) 4-6 passages, and induced by HGF (10 μg/L) for 30 d. Automatical beating of the differentiated cells was observed daily with transverse microscopy, or under condition of 0.1% isoproterenol or cal-cium-deprived incubation. Specific cardiac myosin in the cells was indentified by immunochemistry. RESULTS: At 14-20 d of differentiation, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells formed clones, in 10%-50% of which spontaneous beating cell-mass had come to continuously exist. Isoproterenol increased the beating rate and calcium-deprived media inhibited the beating. The cells were identified to be cardiomyocytes by expression of cardiac myosin heavy chain. CONCLUSION: HGF may induce bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes with high efficiency, but the differentiating pathway of stem cells remains to be further studied.     

Effects of component of some Chinese herbs on proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro

AIM: To observe the effects of some component of Chinese herbs for external use on proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and investigate the mechanism of promoting tissue repair. METHODS: The method of MTT was used to examine the effects of Rg1, Rh1, perlolyrine, cinnamyl aldehyde, muscone, astragaluspolysaccharin (APS), velver antler polypeptide (VAP) and soluble extract of boswellia carterii birdw (BCB) on proliferation of HUVEC. RESULTS: APS did not promote proliferation of HUVEC at 9.75 mg/L-2.5 g/L; Rh1 promoted proliferation of HUVEC at 1.94 mg/L-0.5 g/L (P<0.05 or P＜0.01), and Rg1 inhibited proliferation of HUVEC at 31 mg/L (P<0.05); VAP promoted proliferation of HUVEC at 1 mg/L-0.5 g/L with optimal dose of 10 mg/L (P<0.01), Cinnamyl aldehyde promoted proliferation of HUVEC at 2 g/L(P＜0. 05); Muscone and soluble extract of BCB inhibited proliferation of HUVEC at 1 g/L, 0.5-2.5 kg/L(P＜0. 01), respectively; Perlolyrine inhibited proliferation of HUVEC at 0.125 g/L-0.5 g/L(P＜0. 01). CONCLUSION: The external herbs for supplementing Qi and warming Yang can promote HUVEC proliferation and improve angiogenesis during tissue repair. The external herbs for promoting blood circulation and accelerating capillary movement may have influence upon other stages of tissue repair.     

Effects of fosinopril,captopril and valsartan on the expressionof tissue factor in human monocytes

AIM: To investigate the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), fosinopril, captopril and angiotensin II AT₁ antagonists, valsartan on tissue factor (TF) expression on monocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: Mononuclear leukocytes from normal delivered female umbilical veins were incubated with bacterial LPS in presence or absence of different ACE inhibitors .At the end of incubation, the cells were disrupted by 3 freeze-thaw cycles. TF procoagulant activity was assessed by a one-stage clotting assay. RT-PCR was used to check TF mRNA expression, and GAPDH mRNA was used for parallel assay. RESULTS and CONCLUSION: The results showed that increased expression of TF mRNA induced by LPS was inhibited by fosinopril, captopril and valsartan, respectively, and the procoagualant activity of monocytes was also reduced.     

野大麦、羊草的光合和蒸腾作用特性比较及利用方式的研究

在外界适宜的环境条件下设置13个光照梯度,对人工草地上的一年生羊草和一年生野大麦植株叶片进行光模拟实验。实验证明,光照强度的改变对这两种植物叶片的叶温、气孔导度、胞间CO2浓度、蒸腾作用及光合作用等生理指标存在不同的影响。野大麦植株的叶温始终比羊草低,在高光强照射下具有更强的调节叶温的能力,两者叶温最大差值为1.24℃;与羊草相比,光强对野大麦叶片的气孔运动影响较大,其气孔导度与胞间CO2浓度显著高于羊草。野大麦光合速率、日间暗呼吸、蒸腾速率强,用水效率值(WUEph)低。依据测量数据及其它相关指标,提出生产实践中野大麦适于放牧利用,而羊草适于割草利用。     

蜱传性疾病--莱姆病螺旋体研究进展

莱姆病是一种蜱传性人兽共患病,在我国北方各省广泛流行,其病原体为伯氏疏螺旋体。莱姆病可使皮肤、心脏、关节和神经系统等多种组织器官受损。本文综述了莱姆病螺旋体的形态、种下分类、生化特征、传播媒介和贮存宿主等方面的研究进展"