Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in IL-1β-stimulated mesangial cells is medicated by NF-κB/IκB signal pathway

AIM: To investigate the role of NF-κB/IκB signal pathway in the regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in human mesangial cells (HMC). METHODS: The PGE₂ concentration in supernatants of HMC was measured by radioimmunoassay. COX-2 mRNA and protein expression were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and Western blot were used to detect the activity of NF-κB and degradation of IκB. RESULTS: IL-1β significantly upregulated COX-2 expression and PGE₂ production in HMC. Significant up-regulation of NF-κB activation, nuclear translocation of p65 subunit, and degradation of IκB α and IκB β were observed in IL-1β-induced HMC. CONCLUSION: Expression of COX-2 in IL-1β-induced HMC is mediated by NF-κB/IκB signal pathway.     

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.     

Astrocyte proliferation in the rat hippocampus after middle cerebral artery occlusion

AIM: To study rat astrocyte proliferation in ipsilateral hippocampus following focal cerebral ischemia. METHODS: Ischemia was induced by temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). In hippocampus of rats at 3, 7 and 30 days after MCAO, the numbers and anatomic distribution of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected by immunohistochemistry. The protein expression of GFAP and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the ipsilateral hippocampus were analyzed by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Astrocytes appeared hypertrophic, with increased process thickness and numbers at 7 days after MCAO, and the highest density of astrocytes were seen at 30 days in the CA1, CA2 regions of the ipsilateral hippocampus. Western blot analysis revealed that GFAP levels were normal at 3 days, but increased by 7 days and remained elevation at 30 days. Western blot analysis of PCNA protein also revealed identified upregulation PCNA at 3 days after MCAO and the expression peaked at 7 days. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that focal cerebral ischemia in the rat results in a rapid response, a process often referred to as reactive astrogliosis or glial scarring, from resident astrocytes of the ipsilateral hippocampus to the side of ischemia.     

Effects of β-ME and RA on expression of GFAP in mesenchymal cells derived from mouse fetal liver

AIM: To investigate the effects of β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) and all-trans rentinal acid (RA) on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in mesenchymal cells derived from mouse fetal liver in vitro. METHODS: Cells suspension from 14.5-days-old mouse fetal liver were cultured in DMEM/HEPES/F12 supplemented with 20％ FCS and mesenchymal cells were acquired after discarding nonadherent cells. The 5th passage cells were induced by β-ME and RA. The characteristics of treated cells were assayed by immunocytochemistry staining at 5 hours and 5 days after induction. β-actin as an internal control, GFAP gene expression of mesenchyal cells was detected with semi-quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: After being inducted by β-ME and RA, 80％ approximately of the cells exhibited typical neural morphology and about 85％ expressed GFAP phenotype. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that mRNA expression of GFAP increased in treated cells versus untreated cells (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: GFAP expression in mesenchymal cells derived from mouse fetal liver in vitro increases after being treated with β-ME and RA.     

控制鸡场呼吸道病的初步研究

江苏某鸡场饲养的蛋鸡，呼吸道病很严重，用药物和现有的疫苗控制效果都不够理想。为此，将该鸡场发生呼吸道病病鸡的病料进行收集，制成油佐剂灭活苗对鸡进行免疫接种，结果获得满意的效果。     

人胰岛素原基因转染绵羊成纤维细胞及细胞株的建立

从动物耳皮肤组织采样 ,采用将组织块剪碎后直接贴附于培养瓶底部的方法进行原代培养 ,该方法使原代细胞出现率及可传代率均达到 10 0 %。根据上皮样细胞和成纤维样细胞贴壁紧实程度的不同 ,用 0 .0 5 %的胰蛋白酶-EDTA对其进行消化 ,可将两种不同类型的细胞进行分离和纯化。通过脂质体介导 ,以BLG -hINS(含乳球蛋白调控基因的人胰岛素原基因 )基因作为目的基因、GFP(绿色荧光蛋白 )基因作为标记基因共转染绵羊成纤维细胞 ,经G - 4 18筛选后 ,得到转染细胞。对转染的细胞分别用单细胞显微操作法和有限稀释法进行细胞克隆 ,两种方法均可得到克隆细胞。选形态正常、生长均匀的 5个细胞克隆进行PCR检测 ,结果 5个克隆均转有GFP基因 ,其中两个转有BLG -hINS基因。高代培养细胞、转染细胞和克隆细胞经核型分析后 ,染色体数目均为 2 7对 ,表明绵羊耳的成纤维细胞建立细胞株后 ,可以作为外源基因转染的有效供体细胞。     

高寒地区放牧绵羊应用TIT-双胎苗效果试验

利用中国农科院兰州畜牧所研制生产的TIT-苗应用于青海省海北州绵羊生产中，共选择供试母羊254只，产双羔68对，对照组母羊388只，无一只母羊产双羔，68只产双羔的试验母羊，在断奶时繁活94只羔羊，比产单羔多繁活45只羔羊，254只试验羊净增加收益4892元，经济效益显著。     

Results from the treatment of advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal planum in cats, using a combination of intralesional carboplatin and superficial radiotherapy: a pilot study

Six cats with an advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal planum were treated with a combination of superficial radiotherapy and intralesional carboplatin therapy. This multimodality protocol was well tolerated by the majority of cats and resulted in complete responses in all cats (100%). Median follow‐up for all cats is 268 days, and the median time‐to‐recurrence, time‐to‐progression and overall survival have not yet been reached. Our study, although limited in number of animals and with a relatively short median follow‐up compared to other studies for this disease, suggests that a combination of radiotherapy and intralesional carboplatin is a useful treatment option for an advanced stage SCC of the nasal planum in cats and warrants further application of the multimodality approach presented here.     

Footsteps from Insect Larvae Damage Leaf Surfaces and Initiate Rapid Responses

Plant resistance to insect herbivory involves gene expression in response to wounding and the detection of insect elicitors in oral secretions (Kessler and Baldwin, 2002, Ann. Rev. Plant/ Biol. 53: 299–328). However, crawling insect larvae stimulate the synthesis of 4-aminobutyrate within minutes and imprints of larval footsteps can be visualized within seconds through superoxide production or transient increases in chlorophyll fluorescence (Bown et al., 2002, Plant Physiol. 129: 1430–1434). Here cryo-scanning electron microscopy was used to demonstrate that larval feet, which are equipped with a perimeter row of hook-like crochets, damage leaf tissue and result in larval footprints. Staining for cell death shows that areas of wounding correspond to footsteps detected through increased chlorophyll fluorescence. Superoxide production in response to footsteps was inhibited by diphenyleneiodonium, an inhibitor of the plasma membrane NADPH oxidase enzyme. Inhibition of superoxide production, however, did not eliminate the detection of cell death. The results demonstrate that larval footsteps damage leaf tissue, and initiate rapid local responses which are not dependent on herbivory or oral secretions. It is proposed that superoxide production at the wound site prevents opportunistic pathogen infection.     

山羊生精上皮细胞分离研究

采用四种酶法分离二月龄关中奶山羊生精上皮细胞,A组:胶原酶Ⅳ;B组:胶原酶Ⅳ +透明质酸酶;C组:胶原酶Ⅳ+透明质酸酶+胰蛋白酶与EDTA;D组:胶原酶Ⅳ+透明质酸酶+胰蛋白酶与EDTA+DnaseI。结果二月龄羔羊曲细精管主要包含Sertoli细胞、精原细胞和管周排列的肌样细胞。每 200mg睾丸实质收获生精上皮细胞总数 (×105 )A,B,C,D组分别为 6. 91±0. 68, 6. 67±0. 80, 5. 94±0. 81, 5. 74±0. 82;细胞存活率 (% )分别为 76. 82±3. 80, 75. 96±1. 61, 94. 19±2. 89, 92. 32±1. 97;圆形细胞比率 (% )分别为 17. 54±1. 68, 16. 70±1. 46, 23. 64±1. 72, 22. 90±2. 38;细胞贴壁率(% )分别为 5. 93±0. 36, 5. 81±0. 54, 26. 94±1. 54, 25. 00±1. 74。C,D组不但组织块解离效果及细胞离散程度均较A,B好,且原代培养细胞团块数少。多重比较C,D组显著优于A,B组 (P<0.05);C组与D组差异不显著(P>0.05),但与A,B组比较细胞存活率、圆形细胞比率及贴壁率差异极显著(P<0.01)。结论认为C组是较简单有效的山羊生精上皮细胞分离酶组合。