Effects of psychological stress on in vitro expression of activated surface molecules on T cells of peripheral blood from healthy persons

AIM: To study cellular and molecular mechanism involved in increasing susceptibility of infection in psychological stress persons. METHODS: Comparative studies were performed with double staining and flow cytometry analysis on immunophenotyping and in vitro expression of early activating surface molecule CD69 in response to mitogens on T cells from peripheral blood of 20 healthy college student volunteers before and after psychological stress. A series of term final examinations was defined as psychological stress. RESULTS: Immunophenotyping analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the percentage of CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD20, CD16 and CD56 positive lymphocyte populations before and after psychological stress. There was a statistically significant decrease in the in vitro expression of CD69 in response to polyclonal stimulators on the T cells from persons after psychological stress than those before psychological stress. The percentage of CD69 expression (CD69⁺CD3⁺/CD3⁺%) in response to PHA and PDB in the whole blood culture for 72 hours decreased respectively from 28.1±4.1 and 80.7±6.8 on the T cells obtained before psychological stress to 17.6±3.8 and 65.8±7.9 on those obtained after psychological stress, while there was no statistically significant difference between the CD69 expression rates without stimulators on the T cells obtained before and after psychological stress. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of psychological stress to immune system is not on the level of changing proportions of the sub-populations within peripheral blood lymphocytes. Psychological stress can decrease the activating response of T cells in healthy persons, which may be responsible for the increase of susceptibility to infection in the psychological stress persons.     

Effects of berberine on IL-1 or tumour necrosis factor induced polymorphonuclear leucocyte－endothelium adhesion

AIM:To investigate the effect of berberine on IL-1 or tumour necrosis factor (TNF) induced polymorphonuclear leucocyte(PMN)-endothelium adhesion and adhesion molecules.METHODS:Based on the model of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC), this study adopted Rose Bengal Stain, cell ELISA, immunocyto-chemical techniques to investigate the effect of berberine on PMN-endothelium adhesion and the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs).RESULTS:Berberine inhibited IL-1, TNF-induced HUVEC adhesion for PMN when pretreated HUVEC and antagonised IL-1, TNF-induced upregulation of ICAM-1 on HUVEC. Meanwhile, TNF-stimulated PMN adhesion for HUVEC and CD18 upexpression on PMN was diminished in the presence of berberine.CONCLUSION: Inhibite PMN-endothelium adhesion by downregulating the CAMs expression to inhibite PMN migration across endothelium is one of the mechanisms of antiinflammation of berberine.     

Study on the relationship between melatonin and hepatic encephalopathy

AIM:To explore the relationship between change of serum melatonin (MT) and pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). METHODS: Changes of MT level in sera of cirrhosic patients with HE and without HE were determined by ELISA, normal serum served as control. The change of serum MT level in exacerbation and remission in HE was also determined.RESULTS:MT level in patients with HE was higher than that withour HE (P＜0.01). MT levels of both groups were higher than that of normal group (P＜0.01). They were (308.53±59.07) ng/L, (139.85±34.59)ng/L,(77.73±28.41)ng/L, respectively. Serum MT level in exacerbation was higher than that in remission (P＜0.01), they were (301.52±66.42)ng/L and (147.81±23.31) ng/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: The elevation of MT content in sera may be closely related to the onset of hepatic coma.     

Experimental research on cardiac fibrosis induced by recombinant mouse interleukin-11 in mice

AIM To observe the effect of recombinant mouse interleukin-11 （rmIL-11）injected subcutaneously into mice on heart structure and function and to determine its pro-fibrotic effect. METHODS C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into experimental group and control group.The mice in experimental group were injected subcutaneously with recombinant mouse IL-11 at the dose of 100 μg·kg^-1·d^-1 for 3 consecutive weeks, while the control group were given equal volume of normal saline in the same way. After the experiment was finished, the parameters of heart function were measured by echocardiography.The heart weight was weighed and the cardiac weight index (CWI) was calculated. HE staining and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to observe the pathological changes and the extent of myocardial fibrosis in mouse myocardia respectively, and the cardiac collagen volume fraction (CVF) was calculated. The expression levels of extracellular matrix proteins in the myocardial tissues of mice, including type Ⅰ collagen, type Ⅲ collagen and fibronectin, were determined by Western blot. RESULTS Left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular fraction shortening in experimental group were obviously lower than those in control group (P<0.01), however left ventricular end-diastolic diamension and left ventricular end systolic dimension were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05).Compared with control group, the CWI was increased (P<0.01), the myocardial arrangement was disorder, the necrosis of cardiac myocytes was increased, and excessive deposition of collagen was observed in the myocardial tissues in experimental group. Correspondingly, the CVF and protein levels of type Ⅰ collagen, type Ⅲ collagen and fibronectin in the left ventricle in experimental group were increased significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Injection of rmIL-11 into the mice subcutaneously induces fibrogenesis in the heart, which implies that IL-11 is likely a novel pro-fibrotic factor.     

Progress in roles of MNX1 antisense RNA 1 in malignant tumor

MNX1 antisense RNA 1 （MNX1-AS1） is a newly discovered long non-coding RNA （lncRNA）, which is highly dysregulated in various carcinomas and its expression level is closely related to the overall survival and prognosis of patients. MNX1-AS1 regulates the occurrence and development of carcinomas by endogenous competitive adsorption of miRNA, regulating cell cycle, inducing epithelial mesenchymal transformation and activating multiple signaling pathways. The in-depth study of the carcinogenesis of MNX1-AS1 is useful for the early diagnosis, targeted therapy and prognostic assessment of relevant carcinomas. This article reviews the roles of MNX1-AS1 in malignant tumor.     

Major mechanisms in formation of spodic horizons

Current explanations of the formation of spodic horizons do not accomodate all features of the horizons in their natural state. In this paper, a more complete explanation of major mechanisms is proposed, using two principles of colloid chemistry: (1) organic substances may form hydrophylic colloids with surface charges, and (2) the hydrophylic character and negative surface charges determine the dispersibility of the colloids. The hydrophylic character is due to the presence of hydrophylic radicals as parts of the organic compounds in soils. The surface charges are the result of dissociation of -COOH and possibly phenol-OH radicals.The neutralization of the surface charge can in principle occur: (1) through electrostatic or physical adsorption and (2) through chemisorption. The first case is typical for monovalent alkali cations. The adsorbed cations are distributed in a double layer, which favours dispersion. Chemisorption occurs mostly with polyvalent cations. This process corresponds in reality to the formation of organo-metallic compounds. It results in a relatively complete disappearance of the double layer and in the formation of large immobile “polymerized” organo-metallic compounds. Because these compounds contain much hydrophylic water, they form a gel. Transition into the solid state is accompanied by the loss of most of the hydration water. The dehydration may be induced by a decrease in thickness of the double layer. At a certain stage of the dehydration process, Van der Waals bonds and protonic bridges can form and bring about a certain degree of hydrophoby.In soils, mobile organic substances are formed during breakdown of plant remains. If at the top of the mineral soil enough polyvalent cations, especially Al and Fe, are available, the mobile organic substances formed are immobilized immediately and no migration occurs. In case insufficient amounts of Al and/or Fe are available to completely immobilize the mobile compounds, these cations are complexed by the mobile compounds and transported downward. Immobilization may occur at some depth through supplementary fixation of cations, through dessication or on arrival at a level with different ionic concentration.In nature, spodic horizons range from loose, with many roots, to very cemented with few roots. These differences can be related to changes in microstructure. Loose spodic horizons have a predominance of polymorphic pellets and aggregates, whereas organans or monomorphic coatings prevail in cemented horizons. The former horizons have many features suggesting major biological influences during their formation, viz., high numbers of roots, thorough mixing of the organic units with clay and silt, the presence of pedotubules and relatively young mean residence times. The latter horizons have features consistent with organo-metallic compounds immobilized in a gel-state, viz., the coatings are strongly cracked, indicating the transition of a gel into a solid; they contain much Al or Al plus Fe but very little or no Si, and the mean residence time is considerably higher than in loose horizons.The two processes seem to operate simultaneously during the formation of spodic horizons and their relative intensities determine the composition of each spodic horizon at any moment in its evolution. As long as the biological activity predominates, the horizon remains loose; if the accumulation of mobile organo-metallic compounds starts to prevail, the horizon is gradually cemented and fossilized.     

接种方法和接种时期对不同玉米杂交组合穗腐病抗性鉴定的影响

为研究不同接种方法和接种时期对玉米拟轮枝镰孢穗腐病(Fusarium verticillioides ear rot,FER)抗性鉴定的影响,选取高抗×高抗、高抗×高感、高感×高感组合各3份,2022年在北京顺义和河南新乡分别用针刺果穗注射法与双牙签法在玉米吐丝后5、10、15 d进行接种。结果表明,吐丝后5、10和15 d接种,针刺果穗注射法分别比双牙签法的平均病情严重度高6.3%、3.9%和1.8%;吐丝后5 d接种,不同组合采用针刺果穗注射法接种未达到显著差异,采用双牙签法达到极显著差异(P<0.01);吐丝后10 d和15 d接种,不同组合使用针刺果穗注射法均达到极显著(P<0.01)差异,牙签法均未达到显著差异。采用双牙签法接种时,建议吐丝后5 d接种;采用针刺果穗注射法接种时,建议吐丝后10～15 d接种。     

不同时期一次性施肥对夏玉米产量和氮肥效率的影响

在河南省鹤壁和原阳采用田间试验,研究不施氮(CK)、种肥同播(T1)、5叶期一次性施肥(T2)和10叶期一次性施肥(T3),对夏玉米生长发育、氮素积累转运及产量的影响,明确夏玉米包膜尿素1∶1配施普通尿素适宜的一次性施肥时期。结果表明,鹤壁和原阳T1处理产量最高,分别为12 700 kg/hm²和10 945 kg/hm²,但与T2处理间差异不显著,较T3处理分别提高14.2%和10.9%;干物质积累量较其他处理分别提高5.6%～25.1%和1.6%～21.2%。不同生育期T1处理叶片SPAD值和叶面积指数均达最高。鹤壁和原阳T1氮肥表观利用率最高,分别为35.2%和35.5%,较其他处理分别提高5.6～14.7个百分点和3.2～13.6个百分点;氮素积累量较其他施氮处理分别提高13.8%～34.5%和14.5%～41.5%。T1处理土壤氮素依存率低于T2和T3处理。综上,种肥同播提高了夏玉米产量、氮肥效率、叶片SAPD值和叶面积指数,保持较高的氮素吸收速率,降低了土壤氮依存率,满足夏玉米整个生育期的氮素需求,实现了夏玉米高产和高效施肥。     

EMS诱变玉米自交系郑58后代变异分析及应用评价

种子是农业的“芯片”,是保障粮食安全的根本,农业种质资源又被称为“种业芯片”。因此,引进、创制和丰富种质资源是攻克“卡脖子”技术的关键,通过人工诱变是种质资源创新的一个重要途径。利用0.67 mg/L EMS诱变玉米自交系郑58花粉,构建1 650个株系的玉米突变体库,从M₂和M₃后代筛选到包括生育期、株型、叶型、穗型、粒型、叶色、轴色、育性等多个农艺性状突变体,表型变异率约为9.6%。结果表明,具有育种应用潜能的代表性材料有Z330、Z641和Z1433等,可供用于选育矮秆、低穗位、耐密植、抗倒伏型新品种;Z636、Z848和Z930等新种质材料可用于测配或改良玉米穗型、粒型、轴色、粒色及品质性状。     

不同生态区玉米自交系苞叶与穗轴同步发育特性研究

2022-2023年在河南和海南以玉米自交系驻85、驻136、ZM3358为试验材料,研究自交系苞叶与穗轴同步发育特性。结果表明,河南苞叶驻85第1～7 d伸长迅速,速增期与ZM3358一致,低于驻136;穗轴,驻85第1～11 d急剧伸长。海南苞叶ZM3358伸长速增期为13 d,比驻85、驻136延长2～3 d;穗轴ZM3358伸长渐增期最长为19 d,显著高于驻85、驻136。河南苞叶驻85宽度持续变宽,驻136苞叶宽度第11 d开始增幅变缓,ZM3358苞叶宽度速增期最短为7 d;穗轴粗度驻136第1～17 d持续变粗,第19 d稍有下降。海南ZM3358苞叶宽度速增期为13 d,驻85、驻136苞叶宽度速增期均为9 d;驻85穗轴粗度速增期最长为19 d,苞叶与穗轴可保持同步发育特性。