Bee venom reduces burn-induced pain via the suppression of peripheral and central substance P expression in mice

BackgroundScalding burn injuries can occur in everyday life but occur more frequently in young children. Therefore, it is important to develop more effective burn treatments.ObjectivesThis study examined the effects of bee venom (BV) stimulation on scalding burn injury-induced nociception in mice as a new treatment for burn pain.MethodsTo develop a burn injury model, the right hind paw was immersed temporarily in hot water (65°C, 3 seconds). Immediately after the burn, BV (0.01, 0.02, or 0.1 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously into the ipsilateral knee area once daily for 14 days. A von Frey test was performed to assess the nociceptive response, and the altered walking parameters were evaluated using an automated gait analysis system. In addition, the peripheral and central expression changes in substance P (Sub P) were measured in the dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord by immunofluorescence.ResultsRepeated BV treatment at the 2 higher doses used in this study (0.02 and 0.1 mg/kg) alleviated the pain responses remarkably and recovered the gait performances to the level of acetaminophen (200 mg/kg, intraperitoneal, once daily), which used as the positive control group. Moreover, BV stimulation had an inhibitory effect on the increased expression of Sub P in the peripheral and central nervous systems by a burn injury.ConclusionsThese results suggest that a peripheral BV treatment may have positive potency in treating burn-induced pain.     

浅谈Snake模型在图像特征轮廓提取中的应用

本文主要介绍Snake模型在X光手腕骨图像特征轮廓提取中的应用。并且在以往的Snake理论基础之上，结合具体的问题，对Snake模型进行了改进。获得具有较高质量的边缘，同时也保证了特征曲线的闭合性。     

Snake species distributions and temperate grasslands: A case study from the American tallgrass prairie

Many snake species are declining globally, yet data unavailability in temperate grasslands hinders snake conservation in one of the world’s most endangered biomes. To encourage and inform the conservation of snakes in these regions, I examined snake species diversity and abundance during 2 years of a mark-recapture study at 22 sites located in six American tallgrass prairie preserves in northern Illinois, USA. I emphasized landscape-scale relationships after accounting for covariance with environmental factors at both finer (microhabitat) and broader (regional) scales. A total of 120 snakes representing seven species was captured using drift fence arrays associated with funnel traps and sheet metal cover. The low numbers and diversity of snakes captured, when compared to historic evidence, indicate that since the 1930s Midwestern snake populations have declined. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and Mantel tests demonstrate that differences in snake species composition in remnant and degraded prairies are discernable along gradients of urban and agricultural land cover. However, different patterns of abundance for individual snake species indicate that the relative importance of specific landscape factors differ among species, which has significant conservation implications. Here, I recommend that conservationists use a species-specific approach to manage snake populations. I also stress the need for thorough inventory of snake populations and studies of snake-habitat relationships to advance our understanding of snake ecology and conservation within the little studied temperate grassland habitats of South America and eastern Eurasia.     

Forecasting climate-induced changes in the survival of Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Effective conservation and management of natural resources requires accurate predictions of ecosystem responses to future climate change, but environmental science has largely failed to produce these reliable forecasts. The future response of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) to a changing environment and continued anthropogenic disturbance is of particular interest to the public because of their high economic, social, and cultural value. While numerous retrospective analyses show a strong correlation between past changes in the ocean environment and salmon production within the north Pacific, these correlations rarely make good predictions. Using a Bayesian time-series model to make successive 1-yr-ahead forecasts, we predicted changes in the ocean survival of Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) from indices of coastal ocean upwelling with a high degree of certainty (R² = 0.71). Furthermore, another form of the dynamic times-series model that used all of the available data indicated an even stronger coupling between smolt-to-adult survival and ocean upwelling in the spring and fall (R² = 0.96). This suggests that management policies directed at conserving this threatened stock of salmon need to explicitly address the important role of the ocean in driving future salmon survival.     

Effects of epithelial cells treated with poly (I:C) on activation of fibroblasts and roles of EMMPRIN

AIM: To investigate the effects of epithelial cells treated with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] on the proliferation, transdifferentiation and signaling mechanisms of airway fibroblasts.METHODS:Human alveolar epithelial cells were treated with poly(I:C). The cell culture supernatants were used to stimulate the airway fibroblasts or the fibroblasts growing in collagen gels. The proliferation of the fibroblasts, the expression of a-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the fibroblasts and the contractility of the collagen gels containing fibroblasts, as well as the expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) were observed. The proliferation of the fibroblasts and the expression levels of α-SMA, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the fibroblasts stimulated with EMMPRIN were detected. The inhibitors specific for p38 MAPK or ERK1/2 were used to explore the effects on α-SMA expression and EMMPRIN secretion. RESULTS:The culture supernatants of the epithelial cells treated with poly(I:C) induced the proliferation, α-SMA expression and gel contraction as well as EMMPRIN secretion in the fibroblasts. EMMPRIN dose-dependently enhanced fibroblast proliferation, α-SMA expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. The supernatants of epithelial cells treated with poly(I:C) activated p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling in the fibroblasts, as the specific inhibitors of MAPK or ERK1/2 signaling attenuated the expression of α-SMA and EMMPRIN in the fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Poly(I:C) induces fibroblast proliferation, α-SMA expression and gel contraction by affecting the process mediated by p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling pathways in epithelial cells. EMMPRIN may be the important media involved in this event.     

蛇毒突触前磷脂酶A_2神经毒素的作用机制研究进展

蛇毒突触前磷脂酶A2神经毒素(Snake presynaptic phospholipase A2 neurotoxins,SPANs)是蛇毒中毒性最大的成分之一,主要作用于脊椎动物神经-肌肉接头(Neuromuscular junction,NMJ)处,阻断神经递质乙酰胆碱的释放致使动物肌肉麻痹、呼吸衰竭直至死亡。SPANs与突触前膜特异性结合,水解膜磷脂生成溶血磷脂(Lysophospholipids,LysoPC)和脂肪酸(Fatty acids,FA),改变膜构象、膜通透性提高导致Ca2+大量内流至神经末梢、突触囊泡(Synaptic vesicles,SV)枯竭、线粒体功能障碍等。对蛇毒突触前磷脂酶A2神经毒素的受体分子及其引发的一系列胞内分子事件进行综述。     

全国公众对蛇类资源保护态度的调查

中国野生动物保护协会于2002年5月至7月,提出了有关蛇类资源保护的10个问题,组织在全国35个大中城市开展了蛇类资源保护公众态度的问卷调查,调查结果表明：在华南等地吃蛇明显高于其它地区;营养、滋补是人们食用蛇类的主要动机;在目前的营养条件下没有必要吃蛇;多数公众对野外蛇的生存状况、人工养殖的情况不了解,对市场上蛇的来源不清楚;吃蛇或使用蛇产品会对生态环境造成破坏,适量用于医药、禁止食用是公众对蛇类保护的基本态度;应该保护蛇类是广大公众的主流民意;对《野生动物保护法》有较高的认知度。本文同时提出了蛇类资源保护的对策。     

VEGF、P-2、MMP-9在乳腺癌组织中的表达及其对侵袭和转移的影响

目的探讨血管内皮细胞生长因子(VEGF),基质金属蛋白酶2、9(MMP-2、MMP-9)在乳腺良性病变及乳腺癌组织中的表达及其对侵袭和转移的影响.方法应用免疫组化SP法检测10例乳腺良性病变及29例乳腺癌组织中VEGF、MMP-2和MMP-9的表达.结果乳腺癌组织中VEGF、MMP-2和MMP-9的阳性表达率分别为79.3%(23/29),96.6%(28/29)和89.7%(26/29),与乳腺良性病变组织中VEGF、MMP-2、MMP-9的阳性表达率分别为30.0%(3/10),40.0%(4/10)和30.0%(3/10)相比较,二者的差异有显著的统计学意义(P＜0.01).VEGF、MMP-2和MMP-9的表达与乳腺癌淋巴结转移呈中度正相关.乳腺癌组织中VEGF与MMP-2、MMP-9的表达呈中度正相关,MMP-2与MMP-9的表达也呈中度正相关.结论VEGF、MMP-2及MMP-9的高表达与乳腺癌的浸润和转移密切相关,有可能成为判断乳腺癌侵袭和转移的有价值的指标.