Italian University System has to Match Educational Needs in Adherence to European Standards and Professional Scenario

The effect of a water-soluble fraction (WSF) of a non-pathogenic strain of Mycobacterium phlei was studied in bovine subclinical mastitis (SCM) by measuring the myeloperoxidase and acid phosphatase enzyme levels in the milk leukocytes. Forty-five cows were divided into three equal groups. Group I, consisting of 15 healthy cows, served as the control, whereas groups II and III each contained 15 cows with subclinical mastitis on the basis of a positive reaction in the California mastitis test (CMT). The cows in group II received 100 microg of WSF in 5 ml sterile phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4 (PBS) once only, while those in group III received 5 ml sterile PBS daily for 7 days, both treatments being given by the intramammary route. Observations were made up to 30 days after treatment (AT). The CMT of the healthy milk was negative (0), whereas it ranged between 1 and 2 points in SCM. The somatic cell count (SCC) increased significantly (p < 0.05) on day 3, then fell steeply from day 7 up to day 30 AT in the cows in group II. A steady decrease in the total bacterial count (TBC) was observed in the group treated with WSF but the bacterial counts remained high in the groups treated with PBS. The mean acid phosphatase level was enhanced by 119% on day 3 AT in group II but only by 18.7% in the cows in group III. The mean myeloperoxidase level was enhanced by 100% in the cows in group II but only by 18% in those in group III on day 3 AT. This significant reduction in the bacterial load in infected cows caused by intramammary infusion of WSF may be due to activation of the microbicidal activity of the neutrophils, but this requires confirmation.     

Canine Haematopoietic Chimerism Analyses by Semiquantitative Fluorescence Detection of Variable Number of Tandem Repeat Polymorphism

Canine models are successfully applied to the study of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Monitoring of haematopoietic donor/recipient chimerism is of major significance in detecting and quantifying engraftment or graft rejection of the donor-derived haematopoietic cells after transplantation. Radioactive analyses of polymorphic microsatellite markers are commonly used for chimerism analyses. We describe an improved, non-isotopic method that is based on the analysis of microsatellite markers in donor and recipient cells using capillary electrophoresis and fluorescence detection. Artificial mixtures of donor and recipient DNA that were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from dog leukocyte antigen-identical siblings were used to analyse the sensitivity of the assay. DNA from dogs that had received HSCT were also analysed in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the method in vivo. For chimerism analyses, six different microsatellite loci were systematically amplified using fluorescent PCR primer. The fluorescent polymerase chain reaction products were separated by capillary electrophoresis using POP4 on a 310 ABI Prism Genetic Analyzer. After electrophoresis, fluorescence signals were automatically sized and quantified using GeneScan software. The method described provides an accurate assessment of haematopoietic chimerism in the canine model with significantly reduced hands-on time compared to conventional gel electrophoresis.     

支持细胞中促卵泡素信号通路研究进展

支持细胞在精子生成过程中起重要作用,支持细胞的数量决定睾丸大小、生精细胞数量以及最终生成精子数量。促卵泡素作为保证雄性生育能力的重要激素之一,通过与支持细胞上的促卵泡素受体结合,诱导5种信号途径,导致支持细胞中各类转录因子被激活,引起基因表达发生变化,从而保证生精细胞顺利发育成精子。文章主要围绕支持细胞中促卵泡素信号途径,及其对细胞发育过程中相关基因表达的影响等方面进行了综述。     

用免疫荧光技术检测细胞培养物中兔出血症病毒

用本实验室制备的兔出血症病毒（rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus,RHDV）高免血清,按常规方法提纯出抗体（IgG）,用异硫氰酸荧光素（FITC）标记IgG。在细胞培养时,培养瓶中放入玻片,当细胞长成单层时,按常规方法接种病毒液,培养24、48、96、120h时取出玻片,用荧光抗体染色,在荧光显微镜下观察不同代次的细胞毒。经观察：兔肾上皮细胞（RK）毒培养到36—48h,羊睾丸细胞（ST）毒培养到72—96h时可观察到特异性荧光,随着培养时间的延长,荧光亮度增强,胞浆内充满特异性荧光。用肝组织强毒病料触片,呈特异性荧光,对照细胞培养48h无荧光出现,证实了两株细胞培养物中有大量的兔出血症病毒存在,从而成功的分离培养出了兔出血症病毒细胞毒。     

哺乳动物成体干细胞的研究进展

干细胞具有自我更新能力,能够产生高度分化的功能细胞。干细胞按照发育阶段分为胚胎干细胞和成体干细胞。根据干细胞的发育潜能分为三类：全能干细胞、多能干细胞和单能干细胞。胚胎干细胞的发育等级较高,是全能干细胞,而成体干细胞的发育等级较低,是多能或单能干细胞。一般认为成年组织或器官内的干细胞具有组织特异性,只能分化成特定的细胞或组织,然而,研究结果表明,组织特异性干细胞同样具有分化成其他细胞或组织的潜能,这为干细胞的应用开创了更广泛的空间。作者主要综述了干细胞的研究进展及几种成体干细胞的诱导分化。     

Immunomodulatory effects of β-glucans on porcine alveolar macrophages and bone marrow haematopoietic cell-derived dendritic cells

The immunopharmacological activities of β-glucans with a backbone of β-1,3/β-1,6-linkages associated with anti-tumor, anti-viral, bacterial and fungal infections have been well documented. Dectin-1, a specific pattern recognition receptor for β-1,3/β-1,6-glucans, is expressed mainly on phagocytes, especially macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs). In this study, the encoding nucleotide for the carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) of porcine dectin-1 was sequenced for the first time, and the immunomodulatory functions of a synthetic particulate β-glucan (p-β-glucan) were examined. Results showed that p-β-glucan significantly enhanced cell activity and phagocytosis in porcine alveolar macrophages (AMs), immature DCs (imDCs) and mature DCs (mDCs), in a similar way to zymosan. Zymosan enhanced dectin-1/TLR2/TLR4 expression and TNF-α/IL-10 production in all of three types of cell, whereas p-β-glucan increased dectin-1/TLR4 and TNF-α/IL-12 production in AMs but inhibited IL-10 in mDCs. These results indicate that the complex collaborating interactions between dectin-1 and TLRs in the recognition of β-1,3/β-1,6-glucans with different structural features may direct different cellular responses.     

大鼠心肌条件培养基对ICR小鼠胚胎干细胞分离克隆的影响

采用大鼠心肌条件培养基(RH CM)培养ICR小鼠的桑椹胚和囊胚,发现由囊胚分离的ES细胞传代后ES集落的出现率显著高于桑椹胚(P<0.05),囊胚更适合作为ES细胞分离克隆的材料。以RH CM为培养基的试验组ES细胞传代的平均时间间隔为38 h,对照组传代的时间间隔平均为78 h,两者差异显著(P<0.05)。表明RH CM能够促进ES细胞贴壁增殖和ES集落的形成,有效地维持ES细胞未分化状态。试验中设计的3 种培养条件对原代ES集落的形成影响不显著,但对传代后的ES集落的形成和传代的代次有显著差异。其中以MEF作饲养层,添加RH CM培养基的效果最好。     

胰腺干细胞的研究进展

概述了胰腺干细胞的分布、胰腺的发生、胰腺干细胞的相关标记物以及胰腺干细胞的体外分离培养、增殖、分化等领域的研究进展，并对胰腺干细胞的生物学特征、体外分离培养时遇到的困难等进行了探讨，针对所遇到的困难提出了一些改进意见。     

脾酪氨酸激酶参与酿酒酵母甘露聚糖诱导绵羊瘤胃上皮细胞β-防御素-1(SBD-1)的表达

为了探索脾酪氨酸激酶(Syk)是否参与酿酒酵母甘露聚糖(S.c M)诱导绵羊瘤胃上皮细胞(ORECs)β-防御素-1(SBD-1)表达的过程,首先利用免疫组化、RT-PCR和免疫荧光等方法检测Syk在ORECs内的表达情况;然后采用qPCR和Western blot方法检测S.c M刺激ORECs后Syk的表达变化,同时用Western blot方法检测Syk的磷酸化水平;接着用3条Syk特异性siRNAs(#1、#2和#3)转染ORECs 24 h后,qPCR检测Syk mRNA的表达变化,筛选出干扰效果最佳的Syk siRNA;最后用效果最佳的siRNA和Syk特异性抑制剂R406分别处理ORECs后,采用qPCR和ELISA检测SBD-1的表达变化,以确定Syk在S.c M诱导SBD-1表达过程中的作用。结果显示:Syk在ORECs内表达;且S.c M刺激ORECs后Syk的mRNA和蛋白表达水平显著高于未刺激组(P<0.01或P<0.05),S.c M刺激ORECs不同时间(5、15、30、45和60 min)均能使Syk发生磷酸化,且刺激15 min后磷酸化水平达到最大(P<0.01);此外,Syk的3条特异性siRNAs转染ORECs后Syk的表达均降低,且Syk siRNA#2的抑制效果最明显(P<0.01);同时Syk siRNA#2和R406均能极显著降低S.c M诱导ORECs SBD-1的表达(P<0.01)。上述结果表明,Syk参与S.c M诱导ORECs SBD-1的表达。