Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are induced to differentiate into cardiomyocytes by hepatocyte growth factor in vitro

AIM: To explore a new method of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) inducing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. METHODS: Bone marrow MSC was cultured with DMEM media (10% fetal calf serum) 4-6 passages, and induced by HGF (10 μg/L) for 30 d. Automatical beating of the differentiated cells was observed daily with transverse microscopy, or under condition of 0.1% isoproterenol or cal-cium-deprived incubation. Specific cardiac myosin in the cells was indentified by immunochemistry. RESULTS: At 14-20 d of differentiation, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells formed clones, in 10%-50% of which spontaneous beating cell-mass had come to continuously exist. Isoproterenol increased the beating rate and calcium-deprived media inhibited the beating. The cells were identified to be cardiomyocytes by expression of cardiac myosin heavy chain. CONCLUSION: HGF may induce bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes with high efficiency, but the differentiating pathway of stem cells remains to be further studied.     

Chloride channels of platelets

Chloride channels distribute widely in the body, and participate in many physiological actions and regulatory processes. Based on their physiological roles and molecular structures, six kinds of chloride channels have been identified: (1) The chloride channels family; (2) Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator; (3) Swelling-activated chloride channels; (4) Calcium-activated chloride channels; (5) The p64 (CLIC) gene family; (6) γ-aminobutyric acid and glycine receptors. The chloride channels do exist in platelets, and their appearances are dependent on the presence of intracellular calcium. Blocking agents of chloride channels inhibit the thrombin-activated platelet aggregation and the elevation of the intracellular calcium concentration in a dose-dependent manner. It is suggested that chloride channels play a role in the activation of platelets. In addition, chloride channels act on both the cell volume regulation and the intracellular pH regulation in platelets.     

秦巴山区养羊户适度经营规模的研究

通过对秦巴山区陕西省西乡县15个典型陕南白山羊养殖专业户的资金投入、羊群结构、草地资源、经济效益等情况的调查，分析了养羊户的资源利用和生产经营状况，确定了与山羊生产密切相关的12个变量，即种公羊数、基础母羊数、后备母羊数、育肥羊数、羊舍面积、草地补种及施肥费用、医杂费、氨化或青贮饲料量、补饲精料量、工作日、投资额，并确定了各变量的参数值，以利润最大为目标函数，然后运用线性规划模型，计算出不同投资、不同人力及草地资源等条件下的适度经营规模。结果表明，养羊户的投资额是决定适度规模的主要因素。根据投资和羊群基础母羊数量设计的三种典型经营条件下，基础母羊全部留种的经营方式可获最大投资收益率(140．1％)；基础母羊数量达到20只以上，自繁种公羊的经营方式的最大投资收益率为74．0％；资金有限，人工授精配种的经营方式的投资收益率最低，为73．1％。     

H5N1亚型禽流感病毒核蛋白基因的克隆及分子进化分析

用RT-PCR法,以1株h5N1亚型禽流感病毒RNA为模板,扩增了NP全基因cDNA.将cDNA克隆于pMD18-T载体,并对其进行测序.测序结果表明所克隆的1542个核苷酸的片段包含了核蛋白完整阅读框架,其中编码区为1497个核苷酸,编码498个氨基酸.将其序列与6株A型流感病毒NP基因序列进行比较,各毒株之间NP基因核苷酸序列同源性为92.5%～95.9%,编码的氨基酸同源性为97.0%～98.4%.本研究通过分子进化分析揭示了各毒株间的亲源关系.     

三江白猪线粒体DNA-RFLP的分析

采用22种限制性内切酶分析了三江白猪线粒体DNA的多态性。结果表明：在60头个体中检出30种限制性态型．归结为7种基因单倍型；其间的差异来自少数限制性位点的突变。单倍型间平均遗传距离为0．35%，群体遗传多态程度为0．044％。三江白猪遗传多样性非常贫乏，说明三江白猪与地方种猪起源于一个共同祖先，在品种形成早期受到创立者效应的制约。     

Preliminary results of an anticircumsporozoite DNA vaccine trial for protection against avian malaria in captive African black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demersus).

Captive juvenile African black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demersus) housed in an outdoor enclosure at the Baltimore Zoo have an average 50% mortality from avian malarial (Plasmodium sp.) infection each year without intense monitoring for disease and chemotherapeutic intervention. During the 1996 malaria transmission season, the safety and efficacy of an anti-circumsporozoite (CSP) DNA vaccine encoding the Plasmodium gallinaceum CSP protein against P. relictum were studied. The goal was to reduce clinical disease and death without initiating sterile immunity after release into an area with stable, endemic avian malaria. The birds were monitored for adverse clinical signs associated with vaccination, the stimulation of an anti-CSP antibody response, and protection afforded by the vaccine. The presence of P. relictum in trapped culicine mosquitoes within the penguin enclosure was monitored to assess parasite pressure. Among the vaccinated penguins, the parasitemia rate dropped from approximately 50% to approximately 17% despite intense parasite pressure, as determined by mosquito infection rate. During the year of the vaccine trial, no mortalities due to malaria occurred and no undesirable vaccination side effects occurred. This is the first trial of an antimalarial vaccine in a captive penguin colony.     

捕食线虫性真菌18S rDNA基因序列与种系发生关系研究

对捕食线虫性真菌——少孢节丛孢菌A1分离株(Arthrobotrys oligospora A1)的18S rDNA基因序列进行了研究。结果表明：其18S rDNA全基因序列为1769bp，在进化树上与同种国外分离株A．oligospora var oligospora 1最为接近，同源性为94．7％。这与二者都具有捕食性结构—菌网的特点相一致。证实捕食线虫性真菌的捕食性结构与捕食线虫性真菌种系发生有关。从少孢节丛孢菌3个分离菌株(Arthrobotrys oligospora A1、A．oligospora 1、A．oligospora2)的进化树及同源性来看。不同国家地区的丛孢菌属(Arthrobotrys)分离株确实存在差异。     

匍匐翦股颖草坪根系对城市生活污水的净化效应

针对匍匐翦股颖草坪根系对生活污水的净化效应进行了初步的探索,结果表明,城市生活污水能显著促进匍匐翦股颖地上部分叶片的生长,其叶片生长量随着其处理的进程而逐渐增加,至第6周时叶片生长量比净水灌溉的对照增加了75.6%;根系生长在污水灌溉与净水灌溉之间未显示出明显的差异;匍匐翦股颖草坪根系对生活污水中总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)、化学耗氧量(CODCr)的去除率分别达到了71.0%、53.1%、82.8%,而无草坪的裸土对TN、TP、CODCr的去除率只有24.6%、13.0%、44.2%.结果显示了匍匐翦股颖草坪根系对生活污水有着较好的净化效果,有望在城市生活污水处理中应用.     

粗山羊草抗条锈 (CYR32) 性状的遗传分析

12份粗山羊草材料成株期对中国条锈病新小种CYR32为免疫-高抗,1份为高感.为探讨抗病性遗传规律,组配成抗×感、抗×抗杂交组合.通过对抗×感以及杂交组合的F1、F2群体对CYR32条锈菌抗性表型的分析,结果显示,所有抗源亲本对条锈病抗性呈完全显性遗传, F2群体抗感分离比例为3∶1,条锈病的抗性受1对显性基因控制.抗×抗杂交组合F2均呈抗病性,推测12个抗病粗山羊草材料的抗病基因可能为同一对显性基因.     

母猪卧向行为学的观察

本文通过2个试验对母猪在分娩圈和分娩栏中的卧向行为进行了观察，试验一中，选择10头大白（Yorkshire）经产母猪作为观察对象，试验二中分别选择10头大白（Yorkshire）经产母猪和10头长白（Landrace）经产母猪作为观察对象。观察采用瞬时记录方法，每周观察三次，隔日观察，每天上午、下午各观察一次，每次3h，每次观察间隔5min。观察中发现，母猪卧向以向外为主。分娩栏（四周是栏杆）中的母猪以选择卧向外（向北）为主，其次是卧向内（向南），卧向左和卧向右最少且差异不显著，上栏前和下栏后差异不显著。分娩圈（四周是墙壁）中母猪以选择卧向外为主，卧向内最少，卧向左和卧向右差异不显著。长白母猪比大白母猪选择卧向外的多，妊娠阶段比哺乳阶段选择卧向外的多。