Regulation of MMP-2 and TIMP-3 expression by uPA signal transduction system in human bone giant cell tumor

AIM: To study effects of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) signal transduction on expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) in giant cell tumor of bone (GCT). METHODS: Expression of uPAR, MMP-2 and TIMP-3 in GCT tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Phosphorylation level of mitogen-activated protein kinase (p44) in uPA/uPAR signal pathway in cultured GCT cells was detected by immunoprecipitation. The expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3 in cultured cells after treatment with uPA-ATF or anti-uPAR antibody was also detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: 1) Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) was positive on the cell membrane and in cytoplasm of some mononuclear stromal cells (MSCs) and multinucleated giant cells (MGCs); 2) MMP-2 was positive in the cytoplasm and on the cell membrane of almost all of MSCs and some of MGCs. The polar distribution of MMP-2 in the cytoplasm of MGCs was especially obvious; 3) The expression of TIMP-3 of some MSCs and MGCs in GCT was much lower than MMP-2. The positive signal also showed a prominent polarity; 4) After treatment with uPA-ATF, the phosphorylation level of p44 in GCT cultured cells was much higher than the control. Addition of anti-uPAR antibody in the cells remarkably down-regulated the phosphorylation level of p44 as compared with the control group, suggesting that uPA-ATF participates cell signal transduction and this reaction can be inhibited by anti-uPAR antibody; 5) uPA-ATF cell signal pathway up-regulated expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3, while anti-uPAR antibody down-regulated the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate for the first time that uPA-ATF directly regulates the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3 by signal transduction pathway, and the over-expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-3 may play an important role in local osteolysis of GCT.     

Comparison of different conditions inducing embryonic stem cells

AIM: To evaluate the different conditions inducing mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) in vitro to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. METHODS: BRL conditioned medium was used to promote the growth of ESC and maintain them in an undifferentiated state. During the inducing process, retinoic acid (RA), DMSO, activin-A and TGF-β₁ were used as inducing reagents, and made up six kinds of differentiating medium. Then a three-step method inducing ESC cultured in hanging drops, in suspension and in plating was used to induce the differentiation of ESC. RESULTS: ESC were induced in vitro to differentiate into cardiomyocytes. Of all groups, the highest differentiating rate was observed in the group induced by activin-A (20 μg/L) and TGF-β₁ (2 μg/L). CONCLUSION: The inducing conditions including activin-A (20 μg/L) and TGF-β₁ (2 μg/L) is very valuable in inducing ESC differentiation into cardiomyocytes.     

中国北方沙尘天气原因探讨

我国是沙尘暴易发的国家,进入20世纪90年代以来,强沙尘暴有频率增加、强度加大、范围扩展、危害程度加剧的趋势。沙尘暴的发生危害范围亦逐渐从西北干旱经济落后区扩展到经济发达的北京、天津及华北平原区,近年来的沙尘暴造成了社会经济和人民生命财产的重大损失。受大气环流场和季风气候类型影响,中国冬、春盛吹西北风,强劲而干燥。发生沙尘暴的天数与大风日数和地面热力稳定程度相关,3-5月中国西北内陆地表增温大,是风力场和热力场极不稳定的季节,地表气候容易发生蠕动,沙尘暴便由此启动并易发。除自然要素外,不合理的人类活动也将诱发沙尘暴天气的发生,有些情况下还起到比自然要素更重要的作用。从生态地理区域的角度看,沙尘暴的源地在干旱和半干旱地区,由于大气环流的作用,影响到下风向的半湿润甚至湿润地区。无论何地干旱、半干旱地区都将存在沙尘暴发生的自然条件,而其下风向必将受到不同程度的影响,只是因为中国的季风气候,决定西北干旱、半干旱地区发生的沙尘暴必然影响东南部地区。在现有的科学技术条件下,人类所能做的就是调节自身的行为。因此,在沙尘暴源地实施生态建设是减缓沙尘暴发生的最重要措施,也是消除东部城市沙尘天气的主要途径。根据生态地理区域的特征,沙尘暴源地的干旱区、半干?     

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。     

引诱剂在综合防治桔小实蝇作用中的评估

以使用引诱剂为主 ,坚持在杨桃园挂引诱笼 2 - 3年后 ,大量降低田间桔小实蝇BactroceradorsalisHendel雄虫数量和卵的受精率 ,配合其它的综防措施 ,防效逐年提高。三个综防点试验实践表明 :杨桃每果虫口数 ,卵孵化率及受害果率大大降低 ,防效达 92 5%。对桔小实蝇的防治初见成效。     

二棘血蜱叮咬中华硬蜱纯化抗原免疫接种宿主后的交叉免疫反应

选用中华硬蜱105kD柱层析纯化抗原对新西兰兔进行免疫接种,再用二棘血蜱进行叮咬,并与单纯二棘血蜱叮咬组和佐剂对照组进行对比,以探讨不同种属硬蜱之间的交叉免疫抗性。结果显示:单纯二棘血蜱叮咬组吸血量为181 3±44 3mg,而二棘血蜱叮咬由中华硬蜱105kD纯化抗原免疫接种组和佐剂对照组新西兰兔后其吸血量分别为102 1±25 3mg和168 5±40 9mg,纯化抗原免疫接种组较单纯二棘血蜱叮咬组和佐剂对照组吸血量分别下降43 7%和39 4%(P<0 01)。同时,纯化抗原免疫接种组也较单纯二棘血蜱叮咬组和佐剂对照组产卵量有显著下降。该研究结果表明中华硬蜱和二棘血蜱之间存在着交叉免疫反应。     

生姜癞皮病的发生危害及病原初步鉴定

生姜癞皮病在山东7月开始发病,8月中旬至9月中旬为盛发期。病株植株矮小、茎细、分枝少,叶色变淡,根茎表皮疣裂,根系腐烂,产量品质降低。病原物为南方根结线虫。砂质土壤、连作重茬、过量施钾肥均可加重该病的发生。     

Bt玉米对中红侧沟茧蜂发育的间接影响及室内行为研究

利用Y-型嗅觉仪研究了中红侧沟茧蜂(Microplitis Mediator Haliday)对Bt玉米、常规玉米、粘虫幼虫和其虫粪及虫害苗挥发物的行为反应,同时研究了Bt玉米对中红侧沟茧蜂发育的影响。结果表明,两种玉米健康植株的挥发物对中红侧沟茧蜂均有引诱作用;中红侧沟茧蜂对两种玉米的健康植株及机械损伤株挥发物之间的选择性无显著差异;相对于Bt玉米,中红侧沟茧蜂更趋向于选择常规玉米的虫伤苗及玉米-粘虫幼虫-虫粪混合物的挥发物。与对照(寄生于取食常规玉米粘虫的中红侧沟茧蜂)相比,寄生于取食Bt玉米粘虫幼虫的中红侧沟茧蜂幼虫历期延长,出茧率、茧重、羽化率、蜂重均有显著降低,茧历期、蜂历期则差异不显著。     

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.