猪苓多糖对S180细胞培养上清免疫抑制作用影响的研究

目的 :研究猪苓多糖对肿瘤细胞系S180培养上清免疫抑制作用的影响。方法 :用MTT比色法检测有或无猪苓多糖作用的肿瘤细胞S180培养上清 (简称肿瘤上清 ) ,对ConA诱导的小鼠脾细胞增殖和IL 2产生 ,对小鼠脾细胞的杀伤活性 ,以及对CTLL 2细胞对IL 2反应性的影响。用流式细胞仪检测该培养上清对小鼠脾细胞表面IL 2Rα表达的影响。结果 :无猪苓多糖作用的肿瘤上清可强烈抑制上述 5项指标 ;而猪苓多糖作用的肿瘤上清则可明显上调上述方法中所测 5项指标。若先用含猪苓多糖培养液培养肿瘤细胞 2 4h或 48h ,而后洗去或不洗去猪苓多糖 ,再培养肿瘤细胞 2 4h ,所获肿瘤上清也可明显上调上述 5项指标。结论 :猪苓多糖可抵消肿瘤上清的免疫抑制作用 ,下调肿瘤细胞S180合成和 /或分泌免疫抑制物质     

The advantage of mucosal immunization for polysaccharide-specific memory responses in early life

The aim of vaccination is to rapidly elicit protective immunity and generate memory for sustained protection. We studied the induction and persistence of polysaccharide (PS)-specific memory in neonatal and infant mice primed with pneumococcal conjugate (Pnc1-TT) by assessing the response to native pneumococcal PS (PPS-1), the kinetics of the PPS-1-specific IgG response to a second Pnc1-TT dose and affinity maturation. A subcutaneous (s.c.) Pnc1-TT booster induced a rapid increase in PPS-1-specific IgG, indicating efficient priming for memory by a single dose of Pnc1-TT already at 1 week of age. High levels were maintained for >12 weeks. However, a PPS-1 booster induced no response in neonatal or infant mice. The adjuvant LT-K63 significantly enhanced the IgG response and affinity to Pnc1-TT by both the s.c. and the intranasal (i.n.) route in all age groups. In neonatal and infant mice, PPS-1 and LT-K63 induced a booster response only when given i.n. following either s.c. or i.n. priming with Pnc1-TT and LT-K63. In contrast, PPS-1 with or without LT-K63 administered s.c. compromised the ongoing PPS-1-specific response elicited in neonatal mice by either s.c. or i.n. priming with Pnc1-TT and LT-K63. These results demonstrate the advantage of the mucosal route for elicitation of PS-specific memory responses in early life.     

重组卡介苗及猪苓多糖对荷瘤小鼠巨噬细胞NO释放量的影响

目的 观察重组卡介苗（rBCG)和中药猪苓多糖（PPS），对荷瘤小鼠空巨噬细胞释放NO的影响。方法 将黑色素瘤细胞株B16接种于小鼠左大腿外侧皮下，建立荷瘤小鼠模型，分别用rBCG－IL-2,rBCG-IL-2 PPSPPS进行局部治疗。于给药后第1，2，3和5wk处死小鼠，用NO酶法测定小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞释放NO的水平，并观察不同实验组瘤体的变化。结果 rBCG－IL－2组小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞释放NO的水平最高。与对照组相比较，PPS组小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞释放NO的水平在第1wk与第2wk增高，第3wk起与对照组释放的NO水平没有差异。rBCG－IL－2组小鼠随给药时间的延长，皮下瘤体逐渐缩小。PPS组小鼠瘤体在给药后第1wk和第2wk生长缓慢，第3wk起瘤体生长速度明显增加。结论 rBCG－IL－2与PPS能提高小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞释放NO的水平，rBCG－IL－2能明显抑制肿瘤生长。     

Antibodies to pneumococcal polysaccharides in pneumonia and response to pneumococcal vaccination in young children in Papua New Guinea.

Antibodies against pneumococcal polysaccharides were measured by ELISA in Papua New Guinean children with pneumonia aged 0-14 months, in age-matched healthy Papua New Guinean controls and in healthy expatriate children living in Papua New Guinea. At 0-5 months of age, the IgG antibody titres against six of the eight polysaccharides measured were significantly lower in pneumonia patients than in both control groups. Antibody titres in 6-14-month-old Papua New Guinean controls were significantly lower than in control Papua New Guineans aged 0-5 months for five of the eight polysaccharides tested. In the 6-14-months age group the antibody titre was significantly lower in pneumonia patients than in controls for only one polysaccharide. For seven of the eight serotypes tested, antibody levels in expatriate controls did not decline with age. Antibody responses of Papua New Guinean children aged 6-18 months to a 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine were serotype dependent. Fold increases in response to the vaccine were greatest for the IgA isotype. IgG antibody responses were greater than three fold to four of the eight serotypes tested.     

嗅鞘细胞/细胞外基质夹层支架的制备和形态学观察

目的研究嗅粘膜嗅鞘细胞在细胞外基质夹层支架内的生长特性,为治疗神经系统损伤寻找新的移植供体。方法嗅鞘细胞/细胞外基质夹层支架由四层毯状细胞外基质支架和三层嗅粘膜嗅鞘细胞相间叠加构成。纤维蛋白原、层粘连蛋白和纤粘连蛋白按一定比例混合后,在新鲜大鼠血浆促凝作用下,构建单层毯状细胞外基质支架,在支架表面种植嗅粘膜来源的嗅鞘细胞。于倒置显微镜下观察嗅鞘细胞在支架上/内的生长过程,培养3d后,在细胞表面再次滴加上述细胞外基质混合胶以构建第二层毯状支架,依次重复两次。夹层支架制成组织切片和超薄切片后,用光镜和电镜观察和分析夹层支架的内部结构以及嗅鞘细胞在支架内的生长情况。结果由顶层至底层,支架内的嗅鞘细胞数量逐渐增多,细胞突起逐渐延长,细胞内分泌颗粒逐渐增多及其电子密度逐渐增高;细胞可在支架之间迁移,其水平排列方向具有一致性;嗅鞘细胞的细胞膜可与支架紧密粘附,支架内局部区域出现组织间隙。结论嗅粘膜嗅鞘细胞可在细胞外基质夹层支架内正常增殖和分化,细胞与支架具有良好的组织相容性。该夹层支架可作为嗅鞘细胞三维生长的载体,用于移植治疗神经损伤。     

Inhibition of tumor invasion and extracellular matrix degradation by ubenimex (bestatin)

We have investigated the effect of the immunomodulator ubenimex (hereafter referred to as bestatin) on the enzymatic degradation of the extracellular matrix by human renal cell carcinoma SN12M cells during the invasive process. The invasion of SN12M cells into reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel) was inhibited by the presence of bestatin in a concentration-dependent manner. However, bestatin did not have any effect on tumor cell adhesion and migration to the extracellular matrices which may be involved in tumor cell invasion. Bestatin inhibited the degradation of type IV collagen by tumor cells, but not by tumor-conditioned medium (TCM), in a concentration-dependent manner. We also found that bestatin inhibited hydrolysing activities towards substrates of aminopeptidases in SN12M cells. Since bestatin was found to inhibit aminopeptidase activity, the inhibition of tumor invasion by bestatin is likely to be associated with its action as an enzyme inhibitor. Bestatin only slightly inhibited tumor cell plasmin activity, which can lead to the conversion of the latent collagenase to the active form, but this slight effect was not significant. The zymography of TCM from SN12M cells showed that the treatment of tumor cells with bestatin resulted in the disappearance of the 68 kDa type IV collagenase-enzyme level (active form) and slight reduction of the 72 kDa type IV collagenase-enzyme level (latent form). These results indicated that bestatin may inhibit tumor cell invasion through a mechanism involving its inhibitory action on aminopeptidases in tumor cells, suggesting that the aminopeptidase may partly be associated with the conversion of a latent form of type IV procollagenase to an active form or the secretion of the collagenases from tumor cells.     

Excitatory amino acids and potassium release in the frog spinal cord

Synaptic release of excitatory amino acids such as L-glutamate and/or L-aspartate and subsequent activation of specific receptors by these putative transmitters appears necessary for the release of K+ by afferent stimulation in the isolated frog spinal cord. This conclusion is based on the findings that (-)baclofen, which is thought to reduce the presynaptic release of putative excitatory amino acid transmitters, and some amino dicarboxylic amino acids (D, L-alpha-aminoadipic acid, 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid, and D, L-alpha, epsilon-diaminopimelic acid), which are believed to interfere with the activation of receptors by these same excitatory amino acids, significantly attenuate the increment in extracellular K+ evoked by tetanic dorsal root stimulation.     

Over-expression of tenascin-C in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Aims:  Tenascin-C is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein known to have anti-adhesive characteristics and to be expressed in various human malignant neoplasms. We hypothesized that the expression of tenascin-C would be increased in human malignant pleural mesothelioma, and its accumulation associated with the prognosis of the patients with this disease.
Methods and results:  Thirty-seven cases of mesothelioma were studied by immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody against tenascin-C, and with a semiquantitative scoring system for tenascin-C in different areas of the tumours. In 10 selected cases tenascin-C mRNA in-situ hybridization was also analysed. Since transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is known to induce both the synthesis of tenascin-C and the growth of mesotheliomas, an immunohistochemical analysis of TGF-β1, -β2 and -β3 was also performed. Normal pleura ( n  = 7) and metastatic pleural adenocarcinomas ( n  = 7) were used as controls. Tenascin-C protein was expressed in every histological subtype of malignant mesothelioma, being most prominent in the fibrotic stroma of a tumour, around tumour cells and at the invasive border, whereas tenascin-C mRNA was scarce in tumour cells. The patients with less immunohistochemical expression for tenascin-C tended to live longer ( P  = 0.028 by Fishers' exact probability test). All mesotheliomas showed positivity for at least one isoform of TGF-β.
Conclusions:  In conclusion, high expression of tenascin-C protein in malignant pleural mesotheliomas may play a role in its invasive growth, and might serve as a prognostic marker of the disease.     

Integrin α6 expression in human prostate carcinoma cells is associated with a migratory and invasive phenotypein vitro andin vivo

Cell adhesion and migration are important features in tumor invasion, being mediated in part by integrins (extracellular matrix receptors). Integrins are significantly decreased in human prostate cancer. An exception is 6 integrin (laminin receptor) which persists during prostate tumor progression. We have selected high (DU-H) and low (DU-L) expressors of 6 integrin from a human prostate tumor cell line, DU145, to assess experimentally the importance of 6 integrin in tumor invasion. DU-H cells exhibited a four-fold increased expression of 6 integrin on the surface compared to DU-L cells. Both cell types contained similar amounts of 3 and 5 integrin. The DU-H cells contained 6 subunits complexed with both the 1 and 4 subunits whereas DU-L cells contained 6 complexed only with 4. DU-H cells were three times more mobile on laminin as compared to DU-L, but adhered similarly on laminin. Adhesion and migration were inhibited with anti-6 antibody. Each subline was injected intraperitoneally into SCID mice to test its invasive potential. Results showed greater invasion of DU-H compared to DU-L cells, with increased expression of a6 integrin on the tumor at the areas of invasion. These data suggest that 6 integrin expression is advantageous for prostate tumor cell invasion.     

Optical anisotropy of a pig tendon under compression*

The proximal region of the superficial digital flexor tendon of pigs passes under the tibiotarsal joint, where it is subjected to compressional and tensional forces. This region was divided into a surface portion (sp), which is in direct contact with the bone and into a deep portion (dp), which is the layer opposite the articulating surface. The purpose of this work was to analyse the distribution and organisation of the collagen bundles and proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix in sp and dp. Toluidine‐blue‐stained sections were analysed under a polarising microscope. Strong basophilia and metachromasia were observed in sp, demonstrating accumulation of proteoglycan in a region bearing compression, but the intensity was reduced the further layers were from the bone. Linear dichroism confirmed that the glycosaminoglycan molecules were disposed predominantly parallel to the longest axis of the collagen fibrils. Birefringence analysis showed a higher molecular order and aggregation of the collagen bundles in areas where the tension was more prominent. The crimp pattern was more regular in dp than in sp, probably as a requirement for tendon stretching. The optical anisotropy exhibited by the collagen bundles also confirmed the helical organisation of the collagen bundles in the tendon. Hyaluronidase digestion caused a decrease in the basophilia, but this was not eliminated, supporting the idea that in the matrix, proteoglycans are not completely available to the enzyme action.