Expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin in scar tissue and its relationship with apoptosis

AIM: To examine the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin in scar tissue, and observe the phenomenon of apoptosis and its involvement in the process of pathological scarring and the presence of myofibroblasts or absence of cell in the dermis. To investigate the potential role of reparative cell apoptosis in hyperplastic scar formation. METHODS: The samples of scar were obtained from post-burn patients undergoing plastic operation in our burn unit recently, and the samples of control came from skin donor site of the same patient correspondingly. TUNEL assays were performed to evaluate the number of apoptotic cells in scar versus normal skin. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry staining technique were employed to determine the expression of different dermis cells markers in scar tissue and normal skin. RESULTS: There existed evident difference in apoptotic cells in the dermis between scars tissue and normal human skin. The expression positive cells were much more in hyperplastic scars than that in normal human skin; the apoptotic cells of proliferative stage were slight more than that of mature stage. However, in proliferative stage, the number of apoptotic cells was higher for the combination of hyperplastic scar than normally healed flat scars. But in mature stage, no obviously difference was detected between hyperplastic scar and normally healed flat scar. The monoclonal anti-α smooth muscle actin (ASMA) expression was significantly stronger in proliferative stage than that of mature stage. CONCLUSIONS: With reconstitution of dermal tissue, myofibroblasts containing alpha-SM actin disappear under normal wound healing, probably as a result of apoptosis. The myofibroblast play a critical role in wound closure and in the pathologic sequelae of healing.     

Influences of chronic hypoxia on the gene expression of Kv1.3,Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 induced by acute hypoxia in PASMC of rats

AIM and METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from 6th rat subcultured pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells(PASMC) exposed to continual chronic hypoxia or normoxia and the effects of chronic hypoxia on the changes of Kv1.3,Kv2.1,Kv3.1 mRNA in cultured PASMC induced by acute hypoxia were studied by semiquantitative RT-PCR in vitro. RESULTS:①Kv1.3,Kv2.1,Kv3.1 genes were found to be expressed in PASMC of rats exposed either to hypoxia or normxia.②The expression of Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 in 6th subcultured of PASMC in normaxia group could be upregulated by exposure to acute hypoxia,the levels of Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 mRNA were significantly increased from 0.646±0.092, 0.782±0.104 to 1.059±0.134, 0.985±0.116,respectively (P<0.01,n=5). ③PASMC cultured continuously in chronic hypoxia for 6 subcultures and then exposed to normoxia for 12 h,thereafter the expression of Kv2.1 and Kv3.1 were downregulated by acute hypoxia for 6 hours.The level of Kv2.1 mRNA was significantly decreased from 1.008±0.117 to 0.649±0.097 (P<0.01,n=5). CONCLUSION:Kv2.1,Kv3.1 genes might be oxygen sensitive genes.Chronic hypoxia might change the response of these Kv genes of PASMC to acute hypoxia and down-regulate its expression,which might probably decrease the role of Kv in HPV.     

Effects of platelet-derived growth factor on DNA and collagen protein synthesis in human vascular fibroblasts

AIM: To investigate the effects of platelet-derived growth factor on DNA and collagen protein synthesis in human vascular fibroblasts. METHODS: In the present experiment, the human vascular fibroblasts were cultured and effects of platelet-derived growth factor-BB on DNA and collagen protein synthesis in human vascular fibroblasts were observed by using [³H]-TdR incorporation and [³H]-proline incorporation in vitro. RESULTS: Platelet-derived growth factor-BB significantly promoted NDA synthesis and collagen protein synthesis of quiescent human vascular fibroblasts, with a maximal response at a concentration of 30μg·L^-1at 24 h and 36 h, respectively. CONCLUSION: Platelet-derived growth factor-BB promotes DNA and collagen protein synthesis in cultured human vascular fibroblasts.     

Relationship between expression of somatostatin and DNA ploidy in breast cancer

AIM: To investigate the relationship between somatostatin and the pathologic type, estrogen receptor,DNA ploidy of nuclei in tumor cells of breast cancer.METHODS: 67 cases of primary breast cancer and 25 cases of benign breast tumor were examined by immunohistochemical stretomyces avidin peroxidase method. 26 cases of breast cancer selected at random were analyzed by flow cytometry.RESULTS: Somatostatin expressed significantly higher in low malignant breast cancer than that in high malignant breast cancer (P<0.05). Most of cancers with positive staining of somatostatin were diploidy,most of cancers with negative staining were aneuploidy,there had significant difference between two groups (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Somatostatin may delay the progress of breast cancer,and somatostatin levels in cancer tissues may become a useful indicator for assessing prognosis of patients with breast cancer.     

The genetic susceptibility of HLA-DRB1 alleles in esophageal neoplasm of Hubei Han Chinese

AIM: To probe into the genetic susceptibility of HLA-DRB1 alleles to esophageal neoplasm in Hubei Han Chinese. METHODS: HLA-DRB1 gene polymorphism in 42 patients with esophageal neoplasm and 136 normal control subjects was studied by PCR and sequence. RESULTS: Allele frequency of HLA-DRB1 *0901 allele was significantly higher in esophageal cancer patients than those in normal controls(0.2500 vs 0.1397, P =0.028; the odds ratiO².053; etiologic fraction 0.1282).There were no association between the rested HLA-DRB1 alleles with patients. CONCLUSION: Individuals carrying HLA-DRB1 *0901 may be susceptible to esophagealo carcinoma, its nucleotide sepuence approachs to the corresponded allele sequence(exoN²)published in GenBank.     

Effect of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dimethylphenol on human erythrocytes

The effects of exposure of human erythrocytes to different concentrations of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and its metabolite—2,4-dimethylphenol (2,4-DMP) were studied. The investigations concerned mainly the content of glutathione (GSH and GSSG), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione transferase (GST), and the level of adenine energy charge (AEC). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide are produced during normal processes in the cell. Under normal conditions, antioxidant systems of the cell minimize damage caused by ROS. When ROS generation increases to an extent that it overcomes the cellular antioxidant systems, the result is oxidative stress. We observed that MCPA and 2,4-DMP decreased the level of GSH in erythrocytes in comparison with control. MCPA did not affect glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase activity, while 2,4-DMP increased their activity. 2,4-DMP decreased the level of ATP and increased the content of ADP and AMP, leading to the fall of the level of AEC. MCPA and 2,4-DMP transform hemoglobin into methemoglobin, thus preventing oxygen transport. Comparison of the toxicity of MCPA and 2,4-DMP revealed that the most prominent changes occurred in human erythrocytes incubated with 2,4-DMP.     

中生菌素对水稻白叶枯病的防治机制

对不同白叶枯病抗性水稻品种用200μg/ml中生菌素55℃温汤药液浸种，自然降温，秧田3—4叶期和移栽前5d各用30μg/ml中生菌素处理后，于成株期剪叶接种白叶枯病菌。结果表明中生菌素前期处理，于成株期接种白叶枯病菌时，高抗、中等抗性和感病品种中过氧化物酶、苯丙氨酸解氨酶和多酚氧化酶3种酶活性都有不同程度的提高，且以中等抗性品种酶活提高最多，接种24和48h，3种酶活性较清水对照分别增加26．92％、26．74％、24．06％和7．09％、1．31％、1．60％。盆栽试验表明，中生菌素对中抗品种的防治效果最好，达58．4％。说明中生菌素对水稻防御酶活性的诱激作用是其防治白叶枯病的机制之一。     

我国水稻白叶枯病菌致病力分化研究

综述了我国水稻白叶枯病菌致病力分化及其致病基因和致病机制的研究进展 ,查明稻白叶枯病菌致病力分化状况是进行水稻抗白叶枯病育种及其抗性品种利用的基础。     

南方灭鼠应用稻谷与大米毒饵的比较

生物测定法测得谷壳对复方88-1灭鼠剂的阻滞率为54．3％，光谱分析法测得其对敌鼠钠盐的阻滞率在47．43％—57．00％之间。相同条件下，褐家鼠Rattus norvegicus取食敌鼠钠盐稻谷毒饵量为大米毒饵的2倍多。在南方潮湿的环境下，大米毒饵更易松散、霉变，使其适口性更低。综合考虑认为南方灭鼠使用稻谷毒饵更为合适。     

阿魏蘑与杏鲍菇高产优质栽培模式研究

试验证明，阿魏蘑和杏鲍菇最佳栽培模式为菌棒半脱袋竖向畦栽半覆土栽培模式；最适环境条件为菇房温度13～20℃，空气相对湿度85％～95％；最佳栽培设施为半地下冬暖式塑料大棚。