Effect of mutant β-catenin gene on the proliferation of hepatocytes

AIM:The β-catenin is a key molecule in the Wnt signal pathway, which plays a critical role in normal development and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms of the β-catenin on the cell growth control are still not completely defined. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the mutant β-catenin may regulate the hepatocyte proliferation. METHODS: The immortalized murine hepatocyte cell line, AML12, was used for this study. A plasmid that contain mutant β-catenin S33Y was transfected into the AML12 cells and a stable cell line AML12S33Y was established. The cell growth property of this cell line and the parental cell were compared by flow cytometry analysis and direct cell count. The cells were also tested for the ability to form soft agar colonies, and the ability to form tumors in the severe immune deficient mice (SCID). RESULTS:1. The mutant β-catenin containing cell line AML12S33Y has higher proliferating index compared with the parental AML12 cells (P<0.01), suggesting that mutant β-catenin promotes cell growth. 2. The mutant β-catenin cells formed small colonies in soft agar after 4 weeks of culture, but did not generate tumor in SCID mice. CONCLUSION:The mutant β-catenin promotes liver cell growth.     

Effect of tea-polyphenols on the activation of NF-κB and the expression of TGF-β1 mRNA in THP-1 cells incubated with VLDL,LDL or ox-LDL

AIM:To investigate the effect of tea-polyphenols (TP) on the activation of NF-κB and the expression of TGF-β₁ mRNA in THP-1 cells (a human acute monocytic leukemia cell line). METHODS:THP-1 cells were incubated with the different concentrations of TP, VLDL, LDL or ox-LDL. In the THP-1 cellls, the nuclear malposition rate of NF-κB was detected with immunohistochemistry technique, the positive index of the TGF-β₁ mRNA expression was detected by hybridization in situ, and accumulation of total cholesterol (TC) in cells incubated with 0.4-40 μg/L TP was determined with oxidase assay. RESULTS:The nuclear malposition rate of NF-κB, the positive index of the TGF-β₁ mRNA expression and TC in THP-1 cells incubated with 0.4-40 μg/L of TP were lower than those with 0 μg/L of TP in TP-V group, TP-L group and TP-O (P＜0.05). The differences of these markers in THP-1 cells incubated with more than 40 μg/L TP in TP-V group, TP-L group and TP-O were not statistically significant, compared with TP-C group (P＞0.05). CONCLUSION:TP inhibited the activation of NF-κB, the expression of TGF-β₁ mRNA and the foam cell formation in the mono-macrophage.     

Predicting the spatial distribution of ground flora on large domains using a hierarchical Bayesian model

Accomodation of important sources of uncertainty in ecological models is essential to realistically predicting ecological processes. The purpose of this project is to develop a robust methodology for modeling natural processes on a landscape while accounting for the variability in a process by utilizing environmental and spatial random effects. A hierarchical Bayesian framework has allowed the simultaneous integration of these effects. This framework naturally assumes variables to be random and the posterior distribution of the model provides probabilistic information about the process. Two species in the genus Desmodium were used as examples to illustrate the utility of the model in Southeast Missouri, USA. In addition, two validation techniques were applied to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the predictions.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

火鹤花穿孔线虫的病原鉴定

从进境火鹤花根组织和椰糠介质分离的穿孔线虫群体 ,经形态观察和测计 ,结果表明该线虫为香蕉穿孔线虫。并就穿孔线虫属的分类鉴定作了简述。     

Role of polymerase β in DNA metabolism and genomic instability

The major role of DNA polymerase β was thought to be limited in its involvement in short patch base excision repair by removing 5’-deoxyribose phosphate and base insertion. However, the recent researches indicate that polymerase β might take part in a wide spectrum of DNA metabolism reactions, including long patch base excision repair, DNA replication, recombination, meiosis and transleisional DNA synthesis. Because of its wide and important cellular function, an inappropriate intracellular polymerase β level might be associated with genomic instability. Down-regulation or mutation of polymerase β is mutagenic due to deficient in DNA repair, while overexpression of this error-prone β polymerase might perturb the normal function of other accurate polymerases and cause genomic instability as well.     

Effects of angiotensin II-induced hypertension chemotherapy on the activity of interleukin-1β converting enzyme in transplanted intracerebral rat gliomas

AIM: To investigate the activity of interleukin-1β converting enzyme in transplanted intracerebral rat gliomas under angiotensin II-induced hypertension chemotherapy. METHODS: The brain tumor model was produced in Wistar rats by stereotaxic inoculation of C6 glioma cells (1×10¹² /L). Tumor-bearing rats were treated with carmustine, teniposide and lisplatin (chemotherapy) during angiotensin II-induced hypertension. Then, the survival time of tumor-bearing rats, tumor blood flow, the concentration of drug, volume of gliomas and the activity of interleukin-1β converting enzyme in glioma were examined.RESULTS: The survival time of tumor-bearing rats was significantly longer in chemotherapy with angiotensin II-induced hypertension group than that of chemotherapy alone. In addition, regional tumor blood flow, the concentration of chemotherapeutic drug and the activity of interleukin -1β converting enzyme in transplanted rat gliomas were increased, while the volume of gliomas was decreased in hypertention chemotherapy group compared with chemotherapy alone. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy with angiotensin II-induced hypertension has a enhancing effect on chemotherapy for improving the drug delivery to tumor tissue by a increased tumor blood flow and enhancing activity of interleukin -1β converting enzyme.     

黄瓜雌雄株性别苗期化学鉴别方法

应用BTB(溴麝香草酚蓝 )法、NADH(还原辅酶Ⅰ )法和TTC(氯化三苯基四氮唑 )法对黄瓜雌雄株进行了苗期鉴别 ,结果表明 :雌、雄株提取液加入BTB液后雌株转色快于雄株 ,反应后 5h(小时 )内在 6 30nm处雌、雄株吸光值差异最大 ,是鉴别黄瓜雌、雄株的最佳时期。雌、雄株NADH含量和TTCH含量差异显著。BTB法、NADH法和TTC法鉴别雌雄株其差异显著概率均为极显著 ,BTB法和TTC法对雌、雄株混合群体的鉴别正确率均为 10 0 % ,二者可应用于黄瓜雌、雄株苗期鉴别。而NADH法对混合群体的鉴别正确率仅 71.4%。     

小菊花器若干性状在F1代的表现

 以‘水晶白’、‘晚霞’等30个小菊品种为亲本，配制成28个杂交组合，对杂交后代的花器性状进行统计分析。结果发现，红色遗传能力大于黄色，且表现出较强的偏母性遗传特点，而原始色黄色和白色没有明显的偏母性遗传，以白色系品种作母本后代会出现许多亲本不具有的花色；杂交后代的舌状花数目、筒状花数目和花序直径与双亲比较，F，代表现出明显的遗传优势，杂种总平均舌状花数目、筒状花数目和花序直径分别相当于亲中值的122.6% 、128.7%、124.7% ，随着母本舌状花数目和筒状花数目的增大，杂种平均舌状花数目、筒状花数目和花序直径的增加幅度变缓，甚至出现衰弱的趋势，但花序直径除外。在花型上，平盘型的遗传能力比单窄瓣型的强。     

菜豆萎蔫病菌的种子检验鉴定技术研究

本研究对我国一类检疫性有害生物菜豆萎蔫病菌Ｃｕｒｔｏｂａｃｔｅｒｉｕｍｆｌａｃｃｕｍｆａ－ｃｉｅｎｓｐｖ．ｆｌａｃｕｍｆａｃｉｅｎｓ（Ｃｆ）进行种子检测鉴定技术的研究，发现５２３，ＮＢＹ＋ＴＴＣ和ＮＢＹ＋刚果红三种培养基均可作为分离培养基；对带菌种子分离的灵敏度为１．８×１０２ｃｆｕ／ｍｌ，病叶柄和茎是分离的最佳部位，病菌可通过种子传给种苗引起种苗发病，发病时间为７～２０天，针刺接种是Ｃｆ最有效的接种方法，接种发病率为１００％。使用标准化的Ｂｉｏｌｏｇ鉴定系统鉴定病原，在种水平的鉴定准确率达９８．５％。