The effect of corona discharge on Der p 1

BACKGROUND: Reduction of house dust mite allergens in the domestic environment can play an important part in reducing sensitization and in the amelioration of symptoms in atopic individuals. Chemical and physical methods have been tried with varied levels of success. The present paper presents a novel electrostatic way of destroying Der p 1, the major mite allergen. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of negative Trichel, negative continuous glow, positive pulse and positive continuous glow corona in destroying Der p 1. To determine whether ozone has any effect on the integrity of Der p 1 in the experimental conditions present. METHODS: A simple point-to-plane apparatus was used to irradiate samples of Der p 1 for periods of 1, 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 min. Controls were exposed to the atmosphere with no corona products present for the equivalent time. The effect of the corona by-product ozone was investigated alone by exposing samples of Der p 1 to molecular ozone for 60 min. Der p 1 concentration was quantified by two-site monoclonal antibody ELISA. RESULTS: High current negative glow resulted in a 67.37% reduction in Der p 1 concentration after 300 min compared with a 50.5% reduction from a low current Trichel regime. High current positive glow corona gave a reduction of 25.22% while a low current positive pulse corona caused a 13.72% reduction after 300 min. All these reductions were statistically significant (P < 0.05) compared with unexposed controls. Negative corona always gave greater percentage reductions in Der p 1 concentration for each time exposure investigated. The pattern of percentage reduction follows an exponential rise to maximum relationship in respect to time. Samples of Der p 1 were not affected by exposure to molecular ozone. CONCLUSION: These data indicate corona products to be a powerful new method of destroying Der p 1 allergen that is not dependent on the presence of the oxidizing corona product ozone.     

Expression and activation of 15-lipoxygenase pathway in severe asthma: relationship to eosinophilic phenotype and collagen deposition

BACKGROUND: Although 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15(S)-HETE), a product of 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO), may be involved in mild to moderate asthma, little is known about its potential roles in severe asthma. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to evaluate 15(S)-HETE levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from severe asthmatics with and without airway eosinophils and from the control groups. In addition, 15-LO protein expression was examined in endobronchial biopsy, while its expression and activation were evaluated in BAL cells. RESULTS: While 15(S)-HETE levels in BALF were significantly higher in all severe asthmatics than normal subjects, severe asthmatics with airway eosinophils had the highest levels compared with mild, moderate asthmatics and normal subjects. 15(S)-HETE levels were associated with tissue eosinophil numbers, sub-basement membrane thickness and BALF tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 levels, and were accompanied by increased 15-LO expression in bronchial epithelium. In addition, activation of 15-LO was suggested by the increased proportion of 15-LO in the cytoplasmic membrane of alveolar macrophages from severe asthmatics. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that severe asthmatics with persistent airway eosinophils manifest high levels of 15(S)-HETE in BALF, which may be associated with airway fibrosis. It is likely that 15-LO expression and activation by airway cells explain the increased 15(S)-HETE levels.     

Software compensation improves the analysis of heterogeneous tumor samples stained for multiparameter DNA flow cytometry

Background: High concentrations of propidium iodide (PI), in combination with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and R-phycoerythrin (RPE) used for multiparameter DNA flow cytometry (FCM), cause spectral cross-talk into the green fluorescence channel (FL1). We have evaluated the use of post-acquisition software compensation (N-Color Compensation) in order to correct this spectral cross-talk caused by PI. Method: Cell mixtures were prepared consisting of keratin 8/18 FITC labeled, keratin 8/18 RPE labeled, and unlabeled MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells. DNA was stained with PI (100 μM). Post-acquisition software compensation was applied to correct the spectral cross-talk of PI fluorescence. Secondly, the distribution of the Ki-67 (FITC) protein during the cell cycle (PI) of SiHa cervical carcinoma cells (no software compensation) was compared to the Ki-67 expression pattern of SiHa cells, simultaneously stained for keratin 8 (RPE), after applying software compensation. Finally, software compensation was used to compare the relative levels of PCNA and p53 expression in two clinical ovarian cancer ascites specimens, stained for PCNA or p53 (FITC), keratin 8/18 (RPE), and DNA (PI), with a known p53 status (positive and negative, respectively). Results: The Ki-67 cell cycle-dependent pattern of a triply stained sample (Ki-67 (FITC), keratin 8 (RPE), and DNA (PI)) is restored after software compensation and the results are comparable to the Ki-67 distribution of a sample stained solely for Ki-67 and DNA. P53 expression could only be resolved after using software compensation in the p53 positive ovarian ascites (OA) sample. Conclusions: We conclude that software compensation is a robust and reliable post-acquisition method for the correction of RPE/PI spectral cross-talk, permitting better identification of weakly expressed proteins in heterogeneous clinical tumor samples stained for multiple cellular antigens and DNA using PI.     

p38MAPK基因对胶质瘤细胞C6生长周期的影响

目的 研究p38MAPK基因对大鼠胶质瘤细胞C6生长周期的影响。方法 利用脂质体将p38MAPK基因导入C6细胞中，用免疫细胞化学染色检测其在转染前后的表达，用HE染色、流式细胞仪、TUNEL等研究其对细胞形态、粘着状况和生长周期的影响。结果 pCMV5-p38MAPK组P38MAPK蛋白表达阳性，细胞形态发生变化，贴壁性降低，G1期百分比增加，而S期和G2期百分比减低，并出现凋亡峰。结论 p38MAPK基因可影响C6细胞的生长周期，并诱导C6细胞凋亡。     

瘢痕疙瘩成纤维细胞p53基因突变的研究

目的　探讨瘢痕疙瘩成纤维细胞中 p5 3基因第 4～ 8外显子的突变规律及其意义。　方法　取瘢痕患者手术切除的瘢痕疙瘩和增生性瘢痕标本各 12例 ,并设患者自身正常皮肤标本及血标本为对照。体外分离、培养上述组织标本的成纤维细胞。采用聚合酶链式反应 单链构象多态性(PCR SSCP)分析方法和基因测序法 ,检测各种组织成纤维细胞中p5 3基因的突变情况。　 结果　 12例瘢痕疙瘩标本中有 9例p5 3基因外显子 4、5、6、7出现点突变和移码突变 ,增生性瘢痕标本、正常皮肤标本及血标本中均未检出突变。　结论　p5 3基因突变是瘢痕疙瘩形成和发展的重要因素之一。     

ΔNp63蛋白在膀胱移行上皮癌中的表达及其临床意义

目的 :探讨 p5 3基因家族新成员截短型p6 3(△Np6 3)在膀胱癌组织中的表达及其意义。 方法 :采用免疫组织化学SP法检测 4 0例膀胱移行上皮癌 (TCC)、6例膀胱内翻性乳头状瘤和 8例正常膀胱移行上皮中△Np6 3的表达 ,并分析△Np6 3表达与膀胱癌病理类型、临床分期的关系。 结果 :正常膀胱移行上皮、膀胱内翻性乳头状瘤、TCC中△Np6 3的阳性表达率分别为 37.5 % (3/ 8)、6 6 .7% (4/ 6 )、10 0 % (40 / 4 0 ) ,组间差异有统计学意义 (P <0 .0 1)。TCCG3 级与G2 级△Np6 3的强阳性、中度阳性表达率显著高于G1级 (P <0 .0 1)。Ta～T1期以△Np6 3弱阳性为主 (6 6 .7% ) ,随TCC浸润程度的增加 ,△Np6 3染色强度逐渐增强。T2 期△Np6 3强阳性表达率为 35 .3% ,T3 ～T4期增至 6 3.6 %。结论 :△Np6 3在TCC中高表达 ,与TCC病理分级、临床分期密切相关 ;△Np6 3可能参与TCC的发生、发展 ,是评估TCC预后的潜在因素之一。     

乳腺癌组织P21WAF1基因多态性与蛋白表达的关系

目的 :探讨乳腺癌组织p2 1WAF1DNA多态性与蛋白表达的关系。方法 :分别采用聚合酶链反应单链构象多态性技术 (PCR -SSCP)和免疫组化S -P法检测 10 0例乳腺癌石蜡包埋组织和 4 0例乳腺良性病变组织p2 1WAF1DNA多态性和蛋白表达。结果 :18% (18/ 10 0 )的乳腺癌组织和 5 % (2 / 4 0 )对照组组织分别出现两种p2 1WAF1DNA多态性 ,前者明显高于后者 ,组间有显著差异 (χ2 =3 94 ,P <0 0 5 ) ;5 0 % (5 0 / 10 0 )的乳腺癌组织和 12 5 % (5 / 4 0 )对照组组织表达p2 1WAF1蛋白 ,前者明显高于后者 ,组间有显著差异 (χ2 =16 84 ,P <0 0 1) ;10 0 % (18/ 18例 )的具有p2 1WAF1DNA多态性的乳腺癌组织p2 1WAF1蛋白表达阳性 ,39% (32 / 82 )的无p2 1WAF1DNA多态性乳腺癌组织蛋白表达阳性 ,p2 1WAF1DNA多态性组明显高于无多态性组 ,组间有显著差异 (χ2 =2 1 95 ,P <0 0 1) ;p2 1WAF1DNA多态性与p2 1WAF1蛋白表达呈正相关 (r =0 5 76 ,P <0 0 1)。结论 :乳腺癌组织p2 1WAF1DNA多态性可能产生不同的转录本并生成相应的蛋白质分子。     

三氧化二砷对人脐静脉内皮细胞中蛋白激酶C活性和白细胞介素-15分泌、表达的影响及其临床意义

目的 通过研究三氧化二砷(As2O3)对人脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVEC)中蛋白激酶C(PKC)活性和白细胞介素(IL)-15表达和分泌的影响,探讨内皮细胞在As2O3抑制白血病或肿瘤中的作用。方法用不同浓度的As2O3作用于培养的HUVEC细胞,测定其生长情况、胞膜和胞浆PKC活性以及对IL-15基因表达和分泌的影响。结果0.25 μmol／L~50 μmol／L的.As2O3均抑制HUVEC细胞的增殖(P<0.01),随着药物浓度或作用时间的增加,细胞逐渐死亡。在As2O3作用细胞4 h测定胞浆和胞膜的PKC活性,两者在不同浓度作用下活性水平均得到提升(P<0.01),但胞膜的活性上升幅度更大。在As2O3的测定浓度范围内,PKC的活性水平与As2O3的浓度呈正相关。1、5、16 μmol／L的As2O3导致IL-15基因表达和分泌水平的增加(P<0.01),并呈浓度依赖性关系。结论As2O3可能是通过激活内皮细胞的PKC活性,促进IL-15或其他细胞因子的分泌,来抑制白血病或肿瘤发展的。     

突变型p53、VEGF在肾细胞癌中的表达及其与血管形成的关系

目的探讨p53、血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)在肾细胞癌组织中的表达及其与肿瘤血管形成的关系.方法利用免疫组织化学S-P法对30例肾细胞癌组织中的p53、血管内皮生长因子的表达及微血管密度(MVD)进行研究.结果 p53、VEGF的表达和微血管密度计数均与肾细胞癌组织学分级呈正相关(P<0.05);p53和VEGF的总阳性表达率分别为53.3%(16/30)和56.7%(17/30);p53阳性或VEGF阳性组MVD(64.0±15.9;63.4±15.2)均显著高于p53阴性或VEGF阴性组(40.6±11.9;39.6±12.5;P<0.01),p53、VEGF均为阳性时,MVD值最大(67.2±14.6,P<0.01);MVD计数与VEGF表达明显相关(P<0.01);p53表达与VEGF的表达显著相关(P<0.01).结论 p53、VEGF的表达及MVD计数可作为判定肾细胞癌恶性程度的重要生物学指标;p53、VEGF的表达对肿瘤血管形成起重要作用,p53可能通过p53-VEGF调节旁路途径促进肾细胞癌的肿瘤血管形成.     

Saturation analysis of specific 11C Ro 15-1788 binding to the human neocortex using positron emission tomography

The ¹¹C-labelled benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15–1788 (flumazenil) and positron emission tomography (PET) were used to determine quantitative characteristics of benzodiazepine receptor binding in the neocortex of healthy young men. Saturating doses of unlabelled flumazenil administered i.v., before or together with the ligand-reduced ¹¹C-flumazenil accumulation in the neocortex by about 90 per cent. Saturating doses of unlabelled flumazenil had little effect on the accumulation of radioactivity in the benzodiazepine receptor-poor regions such as pons or white matter. By giving graded doses of unlabelled flumazenil together with the tracer, saturation isotherms were obtained allowing the calculation of receptor density (B_max) and equilibrium dissociation constant (K_d) values on the basis of certain assumptions B_max values were in the order of 90 pmol/g and K_d values in the order of 10 nM in the neocortex. Scatchard and Hill plots of the radioactivity data indicated that ¹¹C-flumazenil binds to saturable sites of a homogeneous population. The data indicate that intravenous doses of 1 or 2 mg flumazenil result in a benzodiazepine receptor occupancy of about 50 per cent. The method described should be useful for studying regional differences in benzodiazepine receptor characteristics in the living human brain in healthy subjects and neuropsychiatric disorders, and also in relation to treatment with drugs interacting with benzodiazepine receptors.