Various Circumstances Regarding Initial Allergen Exposure and Their Influence on Development of Insect Bite Hypersensitivity in Horses

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic reaction to the saliva of Culicoides, occurs in all horse breeds and is a severe problem. In this study, we aimed at exploring whether exterior conditions, such as duration of allergenic exposure during the first summer and age of the horses at the time of import, influence the development of IBH. Additionally, data were analyzed regarding the period IBH started after birth and after import. Datasets for 582 horses were collected. The horses were locally born Icelandic horses and horses of other breeds with IBH, as well as imported Icelandic horses, both affected and nonaffected. For locally born horses, time of birth and duration of allergen exposure during the first summer had no influence on the prevalence of IBH. The disease started mostly in their third year of life. The majority of the imported horses affected caught IBH during their first year in Central Europe. Older imported horses seemed to develop IBH quicker than younger animals. Animals imported in their first winter are exposed to the allergen when they are at least 7 months old. They experienced approximately the same low risk of developing IBH as locally bred horses. The risk of IBH increased with the horses’ age at import. From our data, we conclude that the period to develop successful immune tolerance goes beyond the perinatal phase and is longer than formerly supposed.     

通过改良农杆菌介导的floral-dip法和花粉管通道法转化紫薇

以绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)基因为报告基因,分别用改良农杆菌介导的花序浸渍法(floral-dip)和花粉管通道法转化紫薇(Lagerstroemia indica),统计果实数、结实率、成苗率,然后用紫外灯照射28d左右的幼苗筛选转化株。结果表明:花粉管通道法转化紫薇的结实率、成苗率均明显高于floral-dip法;用手携式紫外灯(365nm)照射进行活体鉴定,floral-dip法转化率比花粉管通道转基因法转化率高0.06%,但未达到显著水平;而花粉管通道法的结实率比floral-dip法的高11.87%～26.74%,更利于获得转化植株。说明通过花粉管通道法进行转化更适合于紫薇转基因新品种的培育。     

Inhibitory effect of notoginsenoside monomer R1 on activation of p38 MAPK signaling pathway induced by hypoxic hypercapnia in PASMCs

AIM: To explore the mechanism of notoginsenoside monomer R₁ (R₁) against hypoxic hypercapnia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction (HHPV) by investigating the effect of R₁ on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signaling pathway in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) under the condition of hypoxia and hypercapnia. METHODS: Primary cultured PASMCs, which were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats, were incubated in logarithmic growth phase from the 2nd to 5th generation with different concentrations (8, 40 and 100 mg/L) of R₁ under the condition of 6% CO₂ plus 1% O₂ for 24 h. The expression of p38 at mRNA and protein levels was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting,respectively. RESULTS: The results of Western blotting and RT-PCR analysis indicated that the protein and mRNA expression levels of p-p38 MAPK were significantly higher in hypoxic hypercapnia group with DMSO control than those in normoxia control group (P<0.01). In R₁ treatment groups, the levels of p-p38 MAPK protein and p38 MAPK mRNA were markedly decreased (P<0.01) in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: p38 MAPK signaling pathway may mediate hypoxic hypercapnia pulmonary vasoconstriction in rats. Notoginsenoside monomer R₁ attenuates HHPV, which may be related to blockage of p38 MAPK signal pathway.     

Effects of naringin on MAPK signal pathway in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells during osteogenic differentiation

AIM: To study the effects of Chinese herbal monomer naringin (NG) on the MAPK signal pathway in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from SD rats during the differentiation into osteoblasts in vitro . METHODS: The changes of evaluating indicators alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone gla protein (BGP) and type I collagen (Col I) in MSCs were observed under the conditions of normal, adding p38 pathway inhibitor SB203580, adding extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway inhibitor PD98059, adding c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway inhibitor SP600125, and adding SB203580, PD98059 and SP600125 together. The protein phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2 and JNK was measured by Western blotting. The mRNA expression levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β₁), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and core binding factor α1 (Cbfα1) were measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR. RESULTS: The most effective concentration of NG to promote the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts was 10^-7 mol/L. The highest expression levels of both ALP and BGP were observed in NG group (P<0.05), while the expression of Col I did not reveal significant difference (P>0.05). Compared with NG group, the expression levels of ALP, BGP and Col I decreased differently after adding different inhibitors. Compared with control group, the protein phosphorylation of JNK was increased (P<0.05), and the phosphorylation of p38 was decreased (P<0.05), while the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 did not reveal significant difference (P>0.05) in NG group. Compared with NG group, the protein phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2 and JNK showed fluctuation with some increasing and others decreasing. Compared with control group, the expression of BMP-2 was increased (P<0.05), and the expression of Cbfα1 was decreased(P<0.05), while the expression of TGF-β₁ did not reveal significant difference (P>0.05) in NG group. Compared with NG group, the mRNA expression levels of TGF-β₁, BMP-2 and Cbfα1 decreased differently after adding different inhibitors. CONCLUSION: Activation of ERK/JNK signaling and up-regulation of BMP-2 expression may be the main mechanism of NG to promote the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts. NG has strong impact on p38 pathway to improve the expression of BMP-2 in MSCs.     

Effect of IGFBP7 on proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7

AIM: To investigate the mechanism that insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) inhibits proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. METHODS: Plasmid pCMV6-IGFBP7 or empty plasmid was transfected into MCF-7 cells. The expression of IGFBP7 in MCF-7 cells after transfection was detected by Western blotting. The effects of IGFBP7 on the colony-forming efficiency and the cell cycle were studied by soft agar colony formation assay and flow cytometry,respectively. The effects of IGFBP7 on the expression of ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, cyclin D1, CDK4, cyclin E, CDK2, p21^CIP1/WAF1, p27^KIP1, p53, Rb and p-Rb in MCF-7 cells were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Only the transfectant of pCMV6-IGFBP7 expressed IGFBP7. IGFBP7 remarkably reduced colony-forming efficiency (P<0.01) and G₀/G₁ arrest (P<0.01), inhibited phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (P<0.01), down-regulated cyclin D1 and cyclin E (P<0.01), up-regulated p27^KIP1, p21^CIP1/WAF1 and p53 (P<0.01), and inhibited phosphorylation of Rb (P<0.01) in MCF-7 cells. PD98059, an inhibitor of MEK1 and MEK2, imitated part of the tumor-suppressing activity of IGFBP7. CONCLUSION: IGFBP7 inhibits the proliferation of human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 by down-regulating cyclin D1 and cyclin E, up-regulating p27^KIP1, p21^CIP1/WAF1 and p53 and inhibiting phosphorylation of Rb. ERK1/2 signaling pathway might be involved in the regulation of cyclin D1 and p27^KIP1 by IGFBP7.     

Akebia saponin D promotes differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts through MAPK signaling pathways

AIM:To explore the role of Akebia saponin D(ASD) in the differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs) into osteoblasts. METHODS:The rat BMSCs were cultured using routine methods. The effects of ASD on the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts were observed. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK) inhibitor SB203580 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK) inhibitor PD098059 were used to evaluate the mechanisms. The activity of alkaline phosphate(ALP) and content of osteocalcin(OC) were assayed during differentiation. The mRNA expression of osteoprotegerin(OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL) was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The activity of p38 MAPK and ERK was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS:Six days after treatment with ASD, the mRNA expression of OPG significantly increased, while the mRNA level of RANKL significantly decreased in induced cells. ASD increased the activity of ALP and the content of OC. Moreover, ASD enhanced the activity of both p38 MAPK and ERK, which was inhibited by SB203580 and PD098059. SB203580 and PD098059 also inhibited the positive role of ASD in the differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts. CONCLUSION:Akebia saponin D significantly enhances differentiation of rat BMSCs into osteoblasts in vitro, which may be mediated by the p38 MAPK and ERK signaling pathways.     

The roles of ERK signaling pathway in osteogenic differentiation of rat MSCs promoted by quercetin

AIM:To study the roles of extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK) signal pathway in the process of osteogenic differentiation in rat mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) promoted by quercetin(QUE). METHODS:The optimal concentration of QUE for promoting osteogenic differentiation of rat MSCs was determined by MTT and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) detection. The activity of ALP was detected by the ALP detection kit. The expression of bone Gla protein(BGP) and collagen typeⅠ(ColⅠ) was observed by ELISA analysis. MSCs were exposed to QUE at optimal concentration with or without ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059. Non-phosphorylated and phosphorylated expression of ERK1/2 was analyzed by Western blotting. The mRNA expression of transforming growth factor β₁(TGF-β₁), bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP-2) and core binding factor α1(Cbfα1) was measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR. RESULTS:QUE at concentrations of 0.1 μmol/L, 1 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L induced the expression of ALP in MSCs in a dose-dependent manner, and also promoted MSCs proliferation. The expression levels of ALP, BGP and ColⅠwere higher in QUE group, and was lower in PD89059 group than those in control group. Compared with control group, the level of phosphorylated ERK1/2, and the mRNA expression of TGF-β₁, BMP-2 and Cbfα1 increased in QUE group. The mRNA expression of TGF-β₁, BMP-2 and Cbfα1 in QUE+PD98059 group decreased as compared with QUE group. CONCLUSION:QUE promotes osteogenic differentiation of MSCs by activating ERK signaling pathway.     

芍药组织培养的研究进展

利用组织培养进行繁育是芍药商品化和产业化发展的必然趋势。现从外植体选择与处理、再生体系途径(愈伤组织途径、丛生芽途径、体细胞胚途径)、目前组培中存在的问题(主要是褐化和玻璃化)等方面,综述了芍药组织培养研究现状,并对今后的发展进行了展望,旨在为芍药的生产提供重要信息。     

细胞外信号调节激酶信号途径及其与动物肌肉生长发育的关系

细胞外信号调节激酶（ＥＲＫ）是信号转导的重要分子,也是丝裂原活化蛋白激酶家族中的重要成员。ＥＲＫ信号途径是多数生长因子、细胞因子调控细胞增殖的重要途径,参与细胞分化,调控细胞的周期循环。本文总结了 ＥＲＫ信号途径的特点及其在细胞凋亡中的作用,并结合屠宰后肌肉变化的信号级联反应特点,阐述了 ＥＲＫ信号途径与动物肌肉生长发育和屠宰后肌肉变化的关系。     

T-2毒素致猪肾细胞损伤及氧化应激相关机理的研究

试验旨在研究T-2毒素对猪肾细胞(PK15)的毒性作用及其氧化应激反应。用不同浓度的T-2毒素处理细胞,通过MTT法检测细胞活性、测定细胞内乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)释放率及苏木素伊红(HE)染色观察细胞形态变化评估T-2毒素对细胞的毒性作用;通过检测细胞内的活性氧(ROS)水平、丙二醛(MDA)含量及谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GPx)活性,评估不同剂量T-2毒素对细胞氧化应激水平的影响;检测Nrf2-ARE信号通路相关基因Nrf2、Keap1、GPx-1、Nqo1及Hmox1 mRNA的表达水平,分析T-2毒素对该信号通路的影响。结果表明,PK15细胞活性呈毒素剂量依赖性下降(P<0.05),LDH释放率呈毒素剂量依赖性上调(P<0.05);随T-2毒素剂量升高,细胞间隙逐渐增加,细胞固缩,细胞数量也随之减少。细胞内ROS阳性细胞率呈剂量依赖性升高,且T-2毒素为100 nmol/L时,ROS阳性细胞率显著高于其他剂量组(P<0.05);细胞内MDA含量与GPx活性呈毒素剂量依赖性升高(P<0.05),而GSH含量呈毒素剂量依赖性下降(P<0.05)。20、50及100 nmol/L的T-2毒素可显著上调Keap1、Gpx-1及Nqo1基因mRNA的相对表达量(P<0.05),且50 nmol/L的相对表达量最高。T-2毒素对K15细胞有毒性作用,可诱导其氧化损伤,且该氧化应激过程受Nrf2-AER信号通路调控。