Effect of bovine seminal plasma on bovine endometrial epithelial cells in culture

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of seminal plasma (SP) from bulls of known fertility on bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEEC) in culture. The bEEC from passage 5, approximately 5.0–13 × 10⁵ cells per flask, were challenged with SP from bulls of high or low fertility (n = 3 and 2, respectively) or PBS (control), at 1% (75 μl) or 4% (300 μl) and were incubated for 72 hr (n = 13 per challenge). Total cell number and viability of bEEC after challenge with 1% SP from either high‐ or low‐fertility bulls (75H or 75L, respectively) did not differ from controls. In contrast, challenge with 4% of SP from high‐ or low‐fertility bulls (300H or 300L) negatively affected bEEC cell number and viability. Challenge with 300 L had a greater adverse effect than 300H. These results suggest that the negative effect of bovine SP on bEEC is both dose‐dependent and fertility‐dependent.     

Histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of granulosa cells during different stages of folliculogenesis in bovine ovaries

Bovine granulosa cells (GC) vary in their morphological aspect during different stages of folliculogenesis. In this study, 10 morphologically normal bovine ovaries were collected to study the structural aspects of different stages of GC using intermediate filament protein antibodies including cytokeratin AE1/AE3 (AE1/AE3), vimentin, nectin‐4 and desmin. Hormonal immunolocalization was assessed using the immunomarkers anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin alpha. In addition, tumour markers and proliferation markers using c‐erbB‐2 oncoprotein and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, respectively, were investigated. The immunolabelling of AE1/AE3 in GC was strongest in the early follicle stage and gradually decreased when reaching the Graafian follicle stage. Its immunolabelling increased again as the stage progressed from stage I to stage III. The immunolabelling of inhibin alpha was inversely proportional to that of AE1/AE3 in the developing ovarian follicles as their immunolabelling is opposite to each other during folliculogenesis. AMH was immunopositive in almost all GC stages in different intensities and percentages, except for some negative staining in the atretic IV follicles. The atretic IV follicle is a unique type of atretic follicle that shows Call‐Exner body formation, which was mainly found in older cows in this study. The distinct patterns of immunoreactivity for various types of immunomarkers in the different GC stages will play an important role in diagnostic assistance of various follicle conditions, including cystic ovaries and GC tumours.     

Identification of Suspected Stem/progenitor Cells in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells Culture System

To develop the potential function of dairy cow mammary stem cells (DCMECs) in regulation of lactation,we identify putative DCMECs which were BrdU label retaining epithelial cells,at the same time,analysis the location of two new mammary stem cells molecular marks FNDC3B and PROCR to verify the feasibility of them to indicate DCMECs.The mRNA levels of prolactin,growth hormone,insulin-like growth factor-1 and their receptors were detected along with cell passage by Real-time quantitative PCR.The results showed that the proportion of BrdU label-retaining epithelial cells was nearly 0.4% after 25 d continuous culture (passaged 4 times) and few cells were positive for FNDC3B or PROCR.Moreover,we observed the BrdU labelled epithelial cells by asymmetric division.The mRNA levels of prolactin,growth hormone,insulin-like growth factor-Ⅰ and their receptors in primary and passage cells were extremely significant difference(P<0.01).DCMECs would rapidly lose some physiological characteristics and the ability of milk synthesis when not under the condition of induction of lactation differentiation,but a certain percentage of mammary stem/progenitor cells will be retained,whose potential effects on the regulation of lactation and mammary acinar remodeling were worthy of attention.     

微生物燃料电池在环境监测中的研究进展

微生物燃料电池在环境监测领域有巨大的应用潜力.概述微生物燃料电池应用于环境监测的基本原理,对目前已有的微生物燃料电池型传感器为监测方法进行详细的介绍,包括微生物燃料电池用于易降解碳源、有毒污染物及微生物数量检测三方面的研究.最后探讨了微生物燃料电池传感器目前还未被广泛应用于实际水质监测的原因,以期为未来研究开发高性能微生物燃料电池传感器提供理论参考依据.     

Phenolic extract of Morchella angusticeps peck inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in vitro by inducing the signal transduction pathway of p38/MAPK

Morchella angusticeps Peck, one of the most popular edible mushrooms, has attracted great attention due to its delicious taste and healthy properties. However, both its biological effects and the possible mechanism of action have not yet been known. We investigated the anti-proliferative activity of the phenolic extract derived from Morchella angusticeps Peck (MPE) against HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Results showed that MPE at non-cytotoxicity doses significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner with inhibitory rates ranging from 18 to 90% (P<0.01). The possible mechanism might be that MPE induced apoptosis through initiating the mitochondrial death pathway by regulating Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3. On the other hand, MPE might trigger cell cycle arrest at G₀/G₁/S phases by managing p21, Cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinases-4 (CDK4) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Additionally, MPE downregulated TRAF-2 and p-p53, while upregulated p-ASK1 and p-p38. Therefore, it could be inferred that MPE might induce the anti-proliferative function to HepG2 cells through the p38/MAPK signal transduction pathway.     

水稻半外卷叶突变体sol1的表型分析与基因定位

适度卷曲有利于提高水稻叶片的光合效率,增加植株光合产物的有效积累量。我们利用甲基磺酸乙酯(EMS)处理籼型水稻保持系西农1B,获得一个稳定遗传的水稻半外卷叶突变体。该突变体从十叶期开始各叶片逐渐向外卷曲直至半卷状,并伴随茎秆半矮化和叶片披垂,暂被命名为semi-outcurved leaf 1(sol1)。与野生型(WT)相比,sol1的叶片卷曲指数均达到30%以上(P<0.01);倒一、倒二、倒三、倒四节节间长度和穗长极显著缩短,倒一、倒二、倒三叶的叶夹角显著或极显著增加;有效穗数、千粒重、每穗实粒数、结实率显著或极显著下降,一次枝梗数则增加11.3%(P<0.05)。sol1的蒸腾速率、胞间CO2浓度、气孔导度显著高于野生型。石蜡切片显示,sol1倒一叶的泡状细胞体积变小,数量显著增多,表皮细胞体积略微增大。遗传分析表明,sol1的半外卷叶性状受1对隐性核基因调控,定位于6号染色体标记JY6-3和JY6-10之间165 kb的物理范围内,共含15个注释基因。qRT-PCR结果表明,与泡状细胞相关的内卷基因和外卷叶基因RL14、Roc5、REL1在突变体sol1中呈不同程度的上调,NRL、BRD1、OsHox32、ADL1、LC2则呈不同程度的下调。研究结果为SOL1基因的克隆和功能研究奠定了基础。     

FGF4在肺癌细胞体内和体外中表达差异的研究

FGF4已经被证明是癌基因,它涉及肿瘤的生长和转移,为了解FGF4的表达与肿瘤微环境的关系。我们利用FGF4抗体通过免疫组化对一名肺癌患者癌旁,癌组织,癌组织小鼠移植瘤,二次移植瘤以及原代培养的细胞爬片进行FGF4检测,探究其表达差异。通过对比癌组织与对照组（癌旁组织）,FGF4在癌巢中高表达;同样,移植瘤与二次移植瘤的癌巢中与癌旁组织比较,FGF4表达相对较高;但是将癌组织进行原代培养后,免疫组化检测细胞爬片FGF4,发现仅有5%±0.21%的肿瘤细胞表达FGF4,对照蛋白Cytokine作为肿瘤标记物,则在100%的肿瘤细胞中表达。研究提示免疫组化检测到FGF4在体内和体外表达不同,提示肿瘤细胞FGF4的表达与肿瘤微环境调控密切相关,肿瘤微环境对肿瘤细胞的FGF4的调控有着重要作用。     

类器官的研究进展及应用前景

类器官（organoids）来源于自组织和自我更新的干细胞，是利用干细胞的自组织特性进行体外3D培养后形成的细胞团，与来源器官密切相关，再现了来源器官的三维细胞结构，并为探索来源器官的发病机制提供了新的模型。类器官系统是由自分泌、旁分泌或邻分泌信号调节下的细胞，或者外源性添加的细胞外基质（extracellular matrix，ECM）底物、小分子和生长因子等衍生而来，这些因素的相互作用创造了一个动态的环境，指导干细胞的自我更新和分化，以及细胞在类器官中的自我组装。诱导多能干细胞（induced pluripotent stem cells，iPSC）重编程方法结合3D类器官工具，使患者来源的类器官作为动物模型和人类临床试验之间的桥梁，是对细胞研究和在体试验的补充。在研究来源器官发育、生物学和病理生理学方面，类器官不仅是一种比传统细胞培养更具生理相关性的体外模型，而且还是再生医学和个性化医学领域中的新模型，有望成为研究营养素、药物、毒物及毒素等的作用机制及药物的筛选、再生医学等领域的重要模型。总之，类器官技术的发展增强了人们对器官和组织生理生化功能的认知。作者对肠、脑、肺脏、肝脏、子宫、卵巢等类器官培养和应用的研究进展进行综述，以期为类器官相关科研及应用提供参考。