Effects of TGF-β1 and TNF-α antisense PS-ODNS on ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells(HSPC)

AIM:To study the effect of TGF-β₁ and TNF-α antisense PS-ODNS on ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC). METHODS:CD₃₄⁺cells were purified from fresh umbilical cord blood by immunomagnetic beads, and mononuclear cells were purified from bone marrow by Ficoll-hypaque. The effects of TGF-β₁ and /or TNF-α antisense PS-ODNS on ex vivo expansion of CD₃₄⁺ cells、CFU-GEMM、CFU-GM、CFU-E and BFU-E were detected by using liquid and semi-solid culture systems.RESULTS:TGF-β₁ antisense PS-ODNS cooperated with cytokines increased the number of CD₃₄⁺ cells, CFU-GEMM, CFU-GM, CFU-E and BFU-E, which was as 4, 2.6, 2.7, 1.8, 2.1 times as that of the control (the cytokines combination), respectively. TNF-α antisense PS-ODNS cooperated with cytokines respectively increased the number of CD₃₄⁺ cells, CFU-GEMM, CFU-GM, CFU-E and BFU-E by 4, 2.9, 2.6, 1.7, 1.8 times as that of the control. The above two antisense PS-ODNS cooperated with cytokines could respectively increased the number of CD₃₄⁺ cells, CFU-GEMM, CFU-GM, CFU-E and BFU-E by 5.3, 2.1, 2.7, 1.9, 1.8 times as that of the control.CONCLUSION:Inhibition of endogenous TGF-β₁ and TNF-α by antisense PS-ODNS will be one of the effective methods to expand HSPC ex vivo.     

Therapeutic effects of recombinant human growth hormone on rat sepsis

AIM:To investigate therapeutic effects of recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) on rat sepsis and its possible mechanisms.METHODS:Mean arterial pressure (MAP), levels of plasma TNFα, IL-1β and endotoxin, leukocyte count and survival rate within 1 week were determined after E. coli injection among control group, sepsis group and sepsis+rhGH group.RESULTS:(1)rhGH diminished the decrease of MAP, reduced plasma endotoxin and TNFα levels and increased neutrophil ratio in total leukocytes in sepsis rat. rhGH increased survival rate within 1 week on sepsis rat. (2)No changes were found in IL-1β level among the three groups.CONCLUSION:rhGH showed desirable beneficial effects on rat sepsis, which may attribute to: improving circulatory function;maintaining intestinal mucosa barrier, attenuating bacteria/endotoxin translocation and inhibiting the production and release of TNFα.     

Effect of tea-polyphenols on the activation of NF-κB and the expression of TGF-β1 mRNA in THP-1 cells incubated with VLDL,LDL or ox-LDL

AIM:To investigate the effect of tea-polyphenols (TP) on the activation of NF-κB and the expression of TGF-β₁ mRNA in THP-1 cells (a human acute monocytic leukemia cell line). METHODS:THP-1 cells were incubated with the different concentrations of TP, VLDL, LDL or ox-LDL. In the THP-1 cellls, the nuclear malposition rate of NF-κB was detected with immunohistochemistry technique, the positive index of the TGF-β₁ mRNA expression was detected by hybridization in situ, and accumulation of total cholesterol (TC) in cells incubated with 0.4-40 μg/L TP was determined with oxidase assay. RESULTS:The nuclear malposition rate of NF-κB, the positive index of the TGF-β₁ mRNA expression and TC in THP-1 cells incubated with 0.4-40 μg/L of TP were lower than those with 0 μg/L of TP in TP-V group, TP-L group and TP-O (P＜0.05). The differences of these markers in THP-1 cells incubated with more than 40 μg/L TP in TP-V group, TP-L group and TP-O were not statistically significant, compared with TP-C group (P＞0.05). CONCLUSION:TP inhibited the activation of NF-κB, the expression of TGF-β₁ mRNA and the foam cell formation in the mono-macrophage.     

Biological and Physical Constraints on Maize Production in the Humid Forest and Western Highlands of Cameroon

The aim was to identify biological and physical factors responsible for reducing maize yield in Cameroon. Two surveys were conducted in 137 fields in two agroecological zones in 1995–1997. In the Humid Forest (HF), Bipolaris maydis, Stenocarpella macrospora, Puccinia polysora, Rhizoctonia solani and soil fertility were factors that reduced maize production in 1995 and 1996. In the Western Highlands (WHL), Cercospora zeae-maydis, and the interaction between soil fertility and maize variety were the most important constraints to maize production in 1996. In 1997, C. zeae-maydis, S. macrospora, physiological spot and stem borer damage (Busseola fusca) were negatively related to ear weight. The combination of these biological factors (diseases and insects), and the physical parameter of soil fertility were responsible for reducing maize yield in these selected benchmarks of Cameroon. Maximum potential yield reductions were estimated at 68% due to B. maydis and 46% due to S. macrospora, respectively, in the HF in 1995. In 1996, maximum potential yield reductions in the HF were estimated at 34%, 41% and 30% due to S. macrospora, P. polysora and R. solani, respectively. In the WHL, C. zeae-maydis had the potential to cause a yield reduction of 79% in 1996. In the WHL in 1997, the interaction between C. zeae-maydis and B. fusca, stem diseases and the physiological spot caused potential reductions of 52%, 34% and 39%, respectively.     

The Complete Nucleotide Sequence of a Japanese Isolate of White clover mosaic virus Strain RC

The complete nucleotide sequence was determined for genomic RNA of White clover mosaic virus (WClMV-RC) isolated from red clover (Trifolium pratense) in Japan, It is 5843 nucleotides in length, excluding the poly(A) tail at the 3' terminus. Similar to other potexviruses, it contains five open reading frames (ORFs 1 through 5), which putatively encode an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) (147 kDa), a triple gene block (TGB) (26 kDa/13 kDa/7 kDa), and a coat protein (CP) (22 kDa), respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of the WClMV-RC CP was identical to that of WClMV-O, one of two New Zealand isolates, but only 85% identical to that of WClMV-M, the other New Zealand isolate, because of heterogeneity in the C-termini of CP amino acid sequences. The implication of this CP heterogeneity is discussed. Received 30 August 2001/ Accepted in revised form 11 January 2002     

Pathogenicity and Virulence of the Two Dutch VCGs of Verticillium dahliae to Woody Ornamentals

Two experiments were performed in two consecutive years to test whether isolates of different vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) differ in their ability to cause disease in woody ornamentals, to study the host specificity of the isolates and to get an insight into disease development in woody hosts. A range of woody ornamental plant species, including Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Catalpa bignonioides, Cotinus coggygria, Robinia pseudoacacia, Rosa canina, Syringa vulgaris and Tilia cordata, were root-dip inoculated with six isolates of Verticillium dahliae, belonging to the two VCGs that occur in the Netherlands (VCG NL-1 and VCG NL-2). Isolates belonging to each VCG caused severe symptoms of verticillium wilt in most plant species tested. Disease progress differed between plant species, but was generally the same for the two VCGs. No overall differences in virulence were observed between the two VCGs for external wilt symptoms, number of dead plants, or shoot length. No significant VCG × plant species interactions were present for these characteristics. However, isolates of VCG NL-1 caused more vascular discolouration than did isolates of VCG NL-2. Isolates within VCGs often differed considerably in their virulence to certain hosts, as shown by highly significant isolate × plant species interactions. Isolates were more virulent on their original host. These findings imply that VCG identification does not contribute to disease prediction for a range of woody hosts.     

Comparison of viral RNA populations of pathogenically distinct isolates of Citrus tristeza virus : application to monitoring cross-protection

The population of sequence variants of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) isolates of different geographic origins and pathogenicity properties was characterized by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of cDNA of the genes p18, p13, p20 and p23. The mild isolates analysed here usually yielded a SSCP profile with two DNA bands, suggestive of a predominant sequence variant, whereas the SSCP profile of the most virulent isolates contained more than two DNA bands, indicating that their viral populations are likely to be more complex. The set of SSCP profiles of the four genes allowed identification of individual isolates, but no profile characteristic of a geographic area or a biogroup was found. Sweet orange plants singly inoculated with a mild or with a severe isolate yielded the SSCP profile characteristic of each isolate, whereas the SSCP profile of plants successively inoculated with both isolates was a composite of the two individual profiles. The SSCP profile of plants singly inoculated remained constant, but the profile of doubly inoculated plants varied with time. Plants in which the SSCP profile of the severe isolate became predominant showed stem pitting, and those in which the predominant profile corresponded to the mild isolate remained symptomless. The results indicate that SSCP analysis can be used to study changes in RNA populations of doubly inoculated plants and to monitor cross-protection between mild and severe isolates.     

额尔齐斯河流域生态系统格局及变化

本文首先对额尔齐斯河流域气候，地貌，水文等环境因子特征进行了评述，进而阐述了流域生态系统的特征和格局以及在自然和人为干扰作用下的变化。分析结果表明在自然干扰作用下流域生态系统的格局与流域水文情势变化相适应，处于准稳定变化状态，而在人为对流域水文情势扰动下，流域生态系统的格局间接地受到影响。从而产生新的格局，其作用的强度，持久性和生态系统的格局变化程度过错大于大于自然干扰作用下的变化。引额调水工程对额尔齐斯河流域河谷生态系统内部单元格局变化具有重要影响。     

渭河阶地全新世土壤粒度成分高分辨率研究

通过对渭河阶地全新世土壤的野外考察和粒度成分的高分辨率分析研究，揭示了该区域褐色土的成壤作用过程与季风气候变化的关系。研究表明渭河第二级阶地褐色土形成在全新世气候最适宜期（8500－3100a B.P.），从8500a B.P.开始该土壤开始发育，老官台文化兴起。从3100a B.P.开始的气候干旱化和沙尘暴堆积形成了黄土L。层。西周时期对应于该干旱期的初期。