Effects of docosahexaenoic acid on large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

AIM：To investigate the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BKCa) in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs)．METHODS：BKCa currents in individual PASMCs were recorded by patch-clamp technique in whole-cell configuration．Calcium sparks in PASMCs caused by DHA were recorded by confocal microscopy. RESULTS：DHA activated BKCa . BKCa current densities were (30.5±6.5)pA/pF,(59.4±5.8)pA/pF, (87.2±4.3)pA/pF and (117.3±7.1) pA/pF (P<0.01) with the addition of DHA at concentrations of 0, 0.1, 1 and 10 μmol/L, respectively. Hypoxia inhibited BKCa currents in PASMCs, but this inhibition was reversed by DHA (10 μmol/L). DHA (10 μmol/L) induced an increase in ［Ca2+］i with a maximal increase rate of (71.9±4.1)%. CONCLUSION：DHA activates BKCa in rat PASMCs, leading to the vasodilation of pulmonary arteries.     

Effect of TRPC6 on PDGF-induced proliferation of rat airway smooth muscle cells

AIM:To investigate the role of canonical transient receptor potential channel 6 (TRPC6) in the proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). METHODS:Rat ASMCs were cultured by enzyme digestion and tissue adhesion. The method of indirect immunofluorescence was applied to identify the ASMCs and to detect the expression of TRPC6 in ASMCs. The proliferation of ASMCs was determined by CCK-8 assay. The mRNA expression of TRPC6 was tested by real-time PCR. The protein expression of TRPC6 was analyzed by Western blotting. The influence of TRPC6 blocker at different concentrations on the proliferation of ASMCs was measured by CCK-8 assay. RESULTS:The results of immunofluorescence indicated that TRPC6 expression in ASMCs was positive. PDGF at concentration of 20 μg/L induced the proliferation of ASMCs compared with control group (P<0.05). When ASMCs were treated with both PDGF and different concentrations of TRPC6 blocker SKF96365, the proliferation of ASMCs was attenuated in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners as compared with the cells treated with PDGF alone (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of TRPC6 in PDGF group was significantly increased (P<0.05) after ASMCs were treated with PDGF for 12 h, 24 h and 48 h. The protein level of TRPC6 in PDGF group was significantly increased after ASMCs were treated with PDGF for 24 h and 48 h compared with control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Up-regulation of TRPC6 at mRNA and protein levels is most possibly related to the proliferation of ASMCs induced by PDGF. Therefore, TRPC6 is involved in the proliferation of ASMCs.     

Maternal l-arginine supplementation during early gestation affects foetal skeletal myogenesis in pigs

To study the impact of maternal l-arginine supplementation during early gestation on skeletal muscle formation in the offspring, gilts were fed 3 kg of a standard diet (control group, n=10) or standard diet and additionally 26 g/d l-arginine from d 14 to 28 of gestation (arginine group, n=10). The gilts were sacrificed at d 75 of gestation. From each litter the lightest, the heaviest, and one medium-weight foetus per sex were selected and three different muscle samples were collected. In the longissimus dorsi muscle of all foetuses (n=99) biochemical properties were assessed. In the same muscle of a subset of the lightest and heaviest female foetuses (n=28), mRNA expression of selected genes involved in myogenesis were measured. In all three muscles, myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression analyses (n=99) were performed. The protein/DNA ratio tended to be lower (P=0.08) in the offspring of the arginine group. Treatment×sex interactions revealed lower creatine kinase activity (P<0.05) and protein concentration (P=0.07) in female's of the arginine group. The MYF5 mRNA expression was lower (P<0.01) in the lightest, whereas IGF2 and IGFBP5 expressions (P<0.001) were lower in the heaviest females of the arginine group. The proportion of MyHC mRNA expression revealed an increase in the embryonic isoform (P=0.05) and a decrease by tendency in the Slow/I and IIx isoforms (P<0.10) in response to arginine supplementation. The results suggest that arginine supplementation during early gestation stimulates myogenic proliferation and delays muscular differentiation at d 75 of gestation.     

Impact of Bovine Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cell Differentiation by Small Interfering RNA Targeting Myogenin Gene

To examine the effect of myogenin gene on the differentiation of bovine skeletal muscle satellite cell, we constructed small interfering RNA plasmid vector to obtain myogenin knockdown bovine skeletal muscle cells, then used cell transfection, real time RCR and Western Blot to detect the influence of myogenin to cell differentiation. Results showed that the knockdown of myogenin significantly decreased its expression and other muscle-specific genes. Compared to the control, it could differentiate into few myotubes when challenged by low serum in the medium. These findings provided an important theoretical basis for further explore of the genetic mechanism in adult skeletal muscle, the remedy of muscle injuries and the cultivation of high-yield transgenic cattle.     

腺病毒与慢病毒感染猪原代细胞的比较研究

本实验旨在探究腺病毒和慢病毒侵染猪原代细胞的最佳感染复数(MOI)和侵染时间,确定较优的侵染方式。实验选择体外分离培养猪骨骼肌卫星细胞、前体脂肪细胞和骨髓间充质干细胞后,分别用腺病毒(MOI=0、50、100、200、500、1 500)和慢病毒(MOI=0、30、50、80、100、300)感染细胞,每隔24 h在荧光显微镜下观察记录细胞中绿色荧光蛋白的表达情况。结果表明:当腺病毒MOI值为500、慢病毒MOI值为80,侵染4 d后,3种细胞荧光强度均较强且细胞形态完好。相比较而言,腺病毒能快速高效侵染猪骨骼肌卫星细胞;而对于猪前体脂肪细胞和猪骨髓间充质干细胞,2种病毒侵染速度相近,但慢病毒的侵染效率和荧光强度更高。因此,对于猪骨骼肌卫星细胞,选取腺病毒作为外源基因载体更为合适;对于猪前体脂肪细胞和猪骨髓间充质干细胞,慢病毒的侵染效果则更好。     

miRNAs对骨骼肌调控的研究进展

microRNAs（miRNAs）是生物体内自然存在的一类长度约为22 nt的小分子非编码RNA，能够通过与靶基因mRNA 3'UTR不完全互补配对，降解靶基因mRNA或抑制其翻译，在转录后水平调控基因的表达，进而广泛参与调控机体生长、发育、疾病等多个生物学过程。骨骼肌约占人体体重的40%，是动物体维持正常生长发育必不可少的组成部分。miRNAs通过靶向骨骼肌发育、再生与疾病过程的关键因子，进而发挥调控作用。作为骨骼肌疾病的重要调控因子，miRNAs已成为肌肉相关疾病的检测标志物和靶向诊疗药物。近年来，随着对miRNAs研究的深入，有关miRNAs对骨骼肌调控的研究已成为生命科学领域的研究热点。作者综述了miRNAs参与调控骨骼肌细胞增殖、分化、再生与疾病等方面的研究进展，旨在为治疗肌肉疾病及提高畜禽肉品质提供理论依据。     

Muscle fiber growth in olive flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus: Fiber hyperplasia at a specific body weight period and continuous hypertrophy

The objective of this study was to investigate muscle fiber growth‐related attributes, especially fiber hyperplasia and hypertrophy, and their relation to growth characteristics in olive flounder. After a conditioning period, juvenile olive flounder (214 g of initial body weight) were weighed after 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks of a feeding trial and were selected based on mean body weight at each period (G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5, respectively). During the 3.0‐fold increase in body weight (363.1–1,071 g, p < 0.001), the fiber area was increased approximately 2.2 times (p < 0.05), and the median area increased from the G1 to G5 groups (p < 0.05). The G3 group exhibited a greater fiber number than the G2 group (p < 0.05) as the G3 group exhibited a higher percentage of smaller fiber and mosaic hyperplasia. In addition, a higher percentage of centered nuclei and deoxyribonucleic acid amount in the G2 group were accompanied by an increase in fiber number in the G3 group. Therefore, the muscle growth of olive flounder was influenced by continued fiber area growth and a significant number increase by mosaic hyperplasia during a specific period (G2 to G3 groups; from 512.7 to 670.3 g).     

Ginsenoside Rh1 attenuates unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal interstitial fibrosis in rats

AIM:To observe the effects of ginsenoside Rh1 (G-Rh1) on unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced renal interstitial fibrosis and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS:Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n=40) were divided into the following 4 groups:UUO-operated group (UUO group), sham-operated group (sham group), UUO-operated plus a low dose (50 mg·kg^-1·d^-1) of G-Rh1 treatment (low G-Rh1 group) and UUO-operated plus a high dose (100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1) of G-Rh1 treatment group (high G-Rh1 group). The G-Rh1 treatment was carried out by gastric gavage from the next day after the UUO operation once a day for 2 weeks (14 d). Immediately after the final dose of G-Rh1, 24 h urine was collected for the urine protein test, and then the rats were euthanized. The blood was collected for the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr) assays, and the kidney was removed for pathological and biochemical evaluations. RESULTS:The levels of 24 h urine protein did not show any significant diffe-rence among the groups, while significantly increased levels of BUN and SCr in UUO group were observed (P<0.05), which was prevented by the treatment with G-Rh1 at both doses in a dose-dependent manner. Pathological evaluation showed the renal tissue damage was obvious in UUO group, which was improved by the treatment with G-Rh1 at both doses. Immunohistochemcial analysis exhibited that UUO increased renal interstitial transforming growth factor-β₁ (TGF-β₁) expression, which was also inhibited by the treatment with G-Rh1 at both doses(P<0.05). Significantly increased protein expression of renal interstitial collagen type I, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in UUO group was detected, which was suppressed by the treatment with G-Rh1 at both doses. CONCLUSION:G-Rh1 improves UUO-induced renal dysfunction and attenuates interstitial fibrosis, which is mediated via modulation of TGF-β₁-related pro-fibrogenic signaling pathway.     

翘嘴鳜快肌和慢肌糖代谢相关基因的表达分析

采用荧光定量PCR技术,检测翘嘴鳜(Siniperca chuatsi)快肌和慢肌中与糖代谢相关的16个基因的表达情况,并比较其表达差异性,分析翘嘴鳜肌肉糖代谢调控特点。结果显示:在快肌和慢肌中,与葡萄糖摄取和磷酸化相关的基因存在显著性差异表达的各有4个;与糖原代谢相关的基因有显著性差异表达的有2个;PI3K、MAPK5、MAPK63个基因在快肌中的相对表达量极显著高于在慢肌中的,表明与这3个基因相关的葡萄糖的摄取和利用快肌强于慢肌;而MEF2α、PGC–1α、PGC–1β、PDK1、MAPK4、GYS1、GSK3β7个基因在慢肌中的相对表达量显著高于快肌,表明与这7个基因相关的葡萄糖的摄取和利用慢肌强于快肌。