Inhibitory effects of LDL-ACM complex on subcutaneous implanted tumors in nude mice()

AIM: In order to evaluate the applicable value of LDL as a targeted vehicle for chemotherapeutic agents, we investigated and compared the inhibitory effects of LDL-ACM complex and free ACM on nude mice's subcutaneous implanted tumors derived from gastric cancer cell lines, SGC-7901 and NKM-45. METHODS: LDL-ACM complex was prepared and the tumor model of nude mice was established by subcutaneous implantation of SGC-7901 and NKM-45. Then, the groups of nude mice developed subcutaneous implanted tumors were received either LDL-ACM complex or free ACM. Subsequently, the tumor size, weight and leukemia cell counts were measured and the rates of tumor-inhibition and the survival were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The inhibitory effects of LDL-ACM complex on the tumors, especially on SGC-7901 implanted tumors were much more obvious than that of free ACM. It was also indicated that the action of LDL-ACM complex was mediated by LDL receptor. CONCLUSION: These results showed that LDL-ACM complex had significant inhibitory effects on the implanted tumors and the effect might be mediated by LDL receptor.     

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.     

Genetic diversity in populations of the fungi Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Phaeoacremonium aleophilum on grapevine in France

Isolates of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora ( Phc ) and Phaeoacremonium aleophilum ( Pha ), two haploid, deuteromycetous fungi, were obtained from vines showing symptoms of esca disease in different localities in two French regions, and within a single vineyard in one of these regions. The population genetic structure was determined in both fungi using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Populations of Phc showed similar levels of diversity at local and regional levels. The most frequent Phc haplotypes were found in every population, and the frequencies of positive alleles of markers were similar across populations. The hypothesis that recombination had occurred was rejected for the full set of samples, but not for the samples reduced to haplotypes, indicating that Phc may be a recombining species. Different features were identified in Pha populations. First, the southern population of Pha appeared more diverse than the south-western populations. Second, genetic differentiation was identified between Pha populations from southern and south-western regions for several RAPDs. Finally, in the southern population of Pha no evidence for recombination was obtained, even by reducing the sample to haplotypes. Within the single vineyard surveyed, several haplotypes of both fungi were recovered and randomly distributed. Thus different infection events appeared to have occurred on a low spatial scale. Data from this study showed that haplotypes of both fungi were distributed over long distances geographically, and that most of the vineyards surveyed were infested by more than one haplotype of Phc and Pha .     

姬松茸与双孢蘑菇不同菌株的RAPD扩增研究

以4个姬松茸菌株和2个双孢蘑菇菌株为材料，用20个随机引物对它们进行RAPD扩增，通过对供试菌株遗传相似系数的估算和系统聚类分析，构建姬松茸和双孢蘑菇遗传相关树状聚类图谱，结果表明，进行RAPD扩增的20个随机引物中，有12个能产生三种带型，当遗传相似系数升至0.8713时，这6个菌株被分为3类，第一类为菌株18和26，第二类为菌株13和12，第三类为菌株33和45。     

玫瑰、月季、蔷薇等蔷薇属植物RAPD分析

 对蔷薇属的玫瑰、月季、蔷薇3 个种的15 个品种进行RAPD 分析, 16 个引物对受试品种PCR扩增共获得202 条谱带, 其中123 条(60. 9 %) 表现多态性。利用UPGAMA 法构建分子系统进化树, 以相似性系数0. 5 为阈值, 玫瑰与月季为一个聚类组, 蔷薇为另一个聚类组; 以相似性系数0. 6 为阈值, 4个蔷薇品种分为4 个不同的聚类组, 5 个月季品种为一个聚类组, 5 个玫瑰品种为一个聚类组, 平阴紫枝玫瑰单独为一个聚类组, 表明玫瑰与月季的亲缘关系较近, 两者与蔷薇的亲缘关系较远。     

菊花18个品种的RAPD分析

 采用RAPD 技术分析了18 个菊花品种DNA 的多态性。从80 个10 碱基随机引物中筛选出多态性频率高的3 个引物。扩增的多态性片段在600 bp～1300 bp 之间。检测出两个品种特有的分子标记, ‘大红托桂’有OPD15 (1200 bp) ,‘玉翎管’缺失OPA17 (1100 bp) 。瓣型一致的品种间基因型相似系数较高。     

核桃早实性状的RAPD分析

 用BSA (Bulked Segregant Analysis) 法获得了与核桃早实性状相关的RAPD 标记OPB208₉₀₀。混合分离群体的混合样来自早实品种辽1 的自然授粉实生后代。用220 个随机引物扩增早实和晚实混合样, 只有引物OPB208 ( 5. GTCCACACGG 3. ) 在早实混合样及其个体上扩增出了约900 bp 的特异带OPB208₉₀₀, 而在晚实混合样及其个体上无此特异带。用OPB208 为引物, 以19 个品种和3 个株系的DNA 为模板进行扩增,特异带OPB208₉₀₀在17 个早实品种中的12 个个体上出现, 而5 个晚实品种( 系) 上均无此带。     

十五种柑桔种质资源的RAPD分析

对柑桔15个材料（其中包含14个种，1个为品种）进行了RAPD分析，从结果看，各材料之间具有不同的遗传距离，供试材料聚为8个类群，分别为柠檬，柠檬群；香橼，小香橼群；柚，红心柚群；宜昌橙，香圆群；香橙，大翼橙群；红桔，温州蜜柑群；枳登，富民枳群；枳群。采用RAPD技术可作为品种鉴别，亲缘关系和分类的手段。对所得结果进行了讨论。