Effect of insulin on the secretion of VEGF and its receptor in serum-free cultured bovine thoracic aortic endothelial cells

AIM: This study was designed to investigate the secretion of VEGF and its receptor (flt-1 or flk-1/KDR) protein by cultured bovine thoracic aortic endothelial cells treated with various insulin concentrations. METHODS: Endothelial cells was isolated from bovine thoracic aorta, and cultured in serum-free medium, then incubated with different insulin concentrations (30 mU/L, 300 mU/L, 3 000 mU/L). The level of VEGF and its receptor (flt-1 or flk-1/KDR) protein were detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: As compared with no insulin group, the expression of VEGF protein in low insulin concentration (30 mU/L and 300 mU/L) groups were significantly increased (P＜0.01). The expression of VEGF protein in high insulin concentration (3 000 mU/L) group was significantly decreased (P＜0.05). Howerer, no difference of the expression of VEGF receptor (flt-1 or flk-1/KDR) protein among all groups (P＞0.05) was observed. CONCLUSION: Low concentration insulin up-regulates the VEGF protein expression while high concentration insulin down-regulates the VEGF protein expression in bovine thoracic aortic endothelial cells, but insulin had no directly effect on the VEGF receptor (flt-1 or flk-1/KDR) protein expression in bovine thoracic aortic endothelial cells.     

内蒙古沙尘暴的成因、趋势及其预报

本文利用内蒙古1961～2001年的天气气候资料,对内蒙古中西部地区沙尘暴作了统计分析,阐述了沙尘暴的危害并给出了沙尘暴的基本定义。分析了引起沙尘暴的天气和气候因子的变化趋势,研究了他们对沙尘暴的影响,结果表明近40年内蒙古的沙尘暴总体呈减少趋势,但从1998年开始有所增加;沙尘暴的空间分布以阿拉善盟偏北地区为最高发区;降水、气温、大风、寒潮、北半球极涡、西太平洋副热带高压、亚洲西风环流、东亚大槽和南方涛动等天气和气候因素均对该地区沙尘暴的发生有不同程度的影响。     

薇甘菊天敌安婀珍蝶生物学特性的研究

安婀珍蝶Actinote anteas(Doubleday ＆ Hewitson)是薇甘菊的天敌,取食薇甘菊Mikania micrantha Kunth.的叶片,能有效的控制薇甘菊的蔓延和生长。在广州市和深圳龙岗进行的观察表明,在实验室条件下,安婀珍蝶一年生长3代~4代。世代平均历期为112.44±1.18天;卵期平均为11.44±1.18天;幼虫期平均为82.54±4.05天;蛹期平均为12.98±1.31天;成虫期平均为7.33±0.80天。本文还记述了该蝶各虫态的形态特征、生活习性及其天敌等。     

Effect of EGFP gene transfection on the cell cycle distribution of primary cultured human chondrocytes

AIM: To investigate the effect of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene transfection on the cell cycle distribution of primary cultured human chondrocytes in order to establish a tracking method of cultured human nasoseptal chondrocytes. METHODS: pEGFP-N1 plasmid was amplified in E.coli, and purified by high purity kit. Primary cultured human chondrocytes,which were initially obtained from the nasoseptal cartilage, were cultured in vitro and transferred with pEGFP-N1 by means of electroporation with Amaxa nucleofector device. Transfering process and transient expression were evaluated by laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM), the transfer efficiency and the cell cycle distribution were evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS: There was significant expression of EGFP at 24 h after transferring. The transfection efficiency of pEGFP-N1 into primary cultured human chondrocytes reached 35.37％ at 48 h. It didn't affect the process of cell adherance and had no effect on the cell cycle distribution. CONCLUSION: Primary cultured human chondrocytes, which were transfected with pEGFP, are alive in vitro, and the transferring process doesn't affect the cell cycle distribution. These results suggest that pEGFP-N1 is an ideal transient expression vector for primary cultured human chondrocytes and it might be a well tracer in construction tissue engineered cartilage.     

Expression of DNA repair gene ERCC1 and its relationship with PAH-DNA adducts in lung cancer tissues

AIM: To investigate the expression of nucleotide excision repair gene ERCC1 and its relationship with PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)-DNA adducts in lung cancer tissues. METHODS: ERCC1 mRNA expression and the PAH-induced DNA adducts were detected in 150 lung cancer tissues, 120 adjacent lung tissues without cancer cells, 40 benign lung lesions and 40 normal lung tissues. The effects of some exposure factors on the expression of ERCC1 gene and the connection between ERCC1 and PAH-DNA adduct was analyzed. RESULTS: Reduced expression levels of ERCC1 were observed in 46 of 150 (30.7%) lung cancer specimens and 1 of 40 (2.5%) normal lung tissues. Smoking may suppress the expression of ERCC1 gene. The level of PAH-DNA adduct was negatively correlated with the expression of ERCC1 gene, the Spearman coefficient was -0.648, P<0.01. CONCLUSION: ERCC1 is an important nucleotide excision repair gene and may participate in the repair of DNA damage, such as PAH-DNA adduct. Low expression of ERCC1 may play an important role in the development of human lung cancer.     

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in chronic inflammatory mucosa of lacrimal sac

AIM: To study the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in inflammatory mucosa of lacrimal sac. METHODS: Immunohistochemical S-P method was used to examine the expression of VEGF in the mocusa from 12 patients with chronic dacryocystitis and 8 volunteers. RESULTS: The positive rates of VEGF expression in different parts of the mocusa were: basal lamina: 44.3%±7.6％; surface epithelium: 16.9%±4.6％; connective tissue: 15.2%±4.9％, all normal mocusa of 8 cases were negative. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01), a significant difference among each part of the chronic inflammatory mocusa of lacrimal sac. CONCLUSION: VEGF may play an important role in hyperplasia of inflammatory mucosa of lacrimal sac.     

Expression and subcellular localization of urocortin in syncytiotrophoblast of human term placenta

AIM: To obverse the expression and localization of urocortin on ultrathin cryosections of syncytiotrophoblast of human term placenta with immunocytochemistry technique under transmission electron microscope. METHODS: The human term placenta tissue from Cesarean delivery and normal labor were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, and then divided into two parts. One part was for regular immunocytochemistry under microscope, and the other part was used to prepare ultrathin cryosections for immunocytochemistry under transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: 1.Uroncortin mainly distributed in cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast of human term placenta under microscope. Urocortin also appeared in cytoplasm in some stromal cells. 2. Under transmission electron microscope, the anti-urocortin gold particles were observed in cytoplasm of syncytioptrophoblast ultrathin cryosections and sited on rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. The anti-urocortin gold particles also appeared on nucleus and nuclear membrane of syncytiotrophoblast. CONCLUSION: Syncytiotrophoblast of human term placenta synthesized and secreted urocortin. The internalization of urocortin within syncytiotrophoblast nuclear indicates that urocortin may act as intracrine.     

Radioligand binding assay of insulin receptor in rabbit kidney during ischemic and reperfusion

AIM: To observe the change of insulin receptor in rabbit kidney with acute ischemic-reperfusion injury. METHODS: 15 Japanese white rabbits were allocated randomly into control group, ischemic-reperfusion group(IR group). IR group received clamping for 1 h followed by 2 h or 48 h of reperfusion. At 2 h or 48 h after reperfusion, glucose and insulin in serum were determined. Insulin receptor in renal tissue was analyzed by radioligand binging assay(BAD). RESULTS: The level of serum glucose increased after 2 h reperfusion in 2 groups, but in IR group the value increased much more higher than those in control groups(P＜0.05). Plasma insulin of IR group was significantly higher than that in control after 2 h reperfusion(P＜0.05). Scatchard analysis of data resulted in curvilinear profiles, indicating that there are two classes of receptors with different affinity or the presence of a single class of receptors with a negative cooperative hormone-receptor interaction. Data analyzed for a two-site model showed that the values of Bmax₁(high affinity site), Bmax₂(low affinity site) and Kd₁, Kd₂ were significantly lower than that of control (P＜0.05) after 2 h perfusion. 48 h after IR there was no difference of Bmax₁, Bmax₂, and Kd₁ between 2 groups,but Kd₂ of IR group was higher than that of control (P＜0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the effect of intrinsic insulin decreases in the progress of the renal ischemic-reperfusion. The resulting high serum glucose may aggravate renal injury in the progress of ischemic-reperfusion.     

浅论优质牧草在肉牛饲养中的利用

针对我国肉牛饲养在饲料利用中的误区,结合肉牛的消化及代谢特点,分析了牧草的鲜喂、青贮、干草饲喂以及综合利用4种不同的利用方式及其营养特点,指出优质牧草用于肉牛饲养能充分发挥牧草的优良特性,而且符合我国畜牧业发展要求,值得广泛推广.     

青海牦牛肉食用品质及安全性的分析研究

对年龄2周岁左右的12头青海牦牛肉的食用品质及安全性指标进行了系统研究。结果表明：牦牛肉食用品质较好，肉质安全，无污染。具有肌红蛋白含量高、亲水率高、多汁性好，香味浓郁，肉质细嫩，口感适宜等特性。肉中肌红蛋白含量极显著高于黄牛（P＜0．01），肉中重金属元素和有毒有害物质限量均符合GB18406．3和NY5044的要求，是生产优质牛肉制品的原料，也是一种具有较高生物学价值的安全的肉食品，具有很大的开发价值。