革螨、恙螨感染汉坦病毒最小感染阈值及增长的动态观察

目的　研究螨 (革螨、恙螨 )感染汉坦病毒 (HantavirusHV)阈值和潜伏期。方法　采用革螨、恙螨叮刺不同感染剂量HV的乳鼠 ;用组织培养半数感染剂量 (5 0 %tissuecultureinfectivedose,TCID50 )测定、计算螨最小感染HV阈值 ;并动态观察HV在螨体内增殖 ,计算HV在螨体内的潜伏期。结果　在测定的 8组中革螨除 1 5LD5 0未感染外 ,其余 7组均能使革螨感染 ,HV在革螨体内开始增殖时间约在叮刺后第 2 5～ 30d。恙螨在测定的 8组中除 1 5和 5LD5 0未感染外 ,其余 6组均能使革螨感染 ,HV在恙螨增殖时间约在叮刺后第 30～ 4 0d。原位分子杂交检测发现HV阳性信号多见于螨的中肠细胞内 ,卵巢、卵细胞较少。结论　革螨感染HV的最小阈值为 5TCID50 ,HV在革螨体内潜伏期约 2 5～ 30d。恙螨感染HV最小阈值为10TCID50 ,HV在恙螨体内潜伏期为 30～ 4 0d。     

West Nile virus infection of primary mouse neuronal and neuroglial cells: the role of astrocytes in chronic infection.

Primary cultures of embryonic murine neurons and newborn mouse astrocytes were inoculated with West Nile virus (WNV) strain NY385-99 to compare the pathogenesis of WNV infection in these types of CNS cells. Two different outcomes were observed. WNV infection in the neurons was rapidly progressive and destructive; within 5 days, all of the neurons were destroyed through apoptosis. WNV infection in the astrocytes evolved more slowly and did not seem to be highly lethal to the cells. The infected astrocytes continued to produce infectious virus (10(4.6)-10(6.5) PFU/mL) for 114 days, in a permissive, persistent infection. During this period, WNV antigen could be shown in the cytoplasm of the infected astrocytes by immunocytochemical assay, transmission electron microscopy of ultrathin sections, and in the cell culture medium by complement fixation test. Our results with this in vitro experimental murine cell model indicate that astrocytes can develop chronic or persistent infection with WNV, suggesting that these cells may play a role in the maintenance of WNV in the CNS.     

Human cytomegalovirus gene expression during infection of primary hematopoietic progenitor cells: a model for latency

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) resides latently in hematopoietic cells of the bone marrow. Although viral genomes can be found in CD14+ monocytes and CD34+ progenitor cells, the primary reservoir for latent cytomegalovirus is unknown. We analyzed human hematopoietic subpopulations infected in vitro with a recombinant virus that expresses a green fluorescent protein marker gene. Although many hematopoietic cell subsets were infected in vitro, CD14+ monocytes and various CD34+ subpopulations were infected with the greatest efficiency. We have developed an in vitro system in which to study HCMV infection and latency in CD34+ cells cultured with irradiated stromal cells. Marker gene expression was substantially reduced by 4 days postinfection, and infectious virus was not made during the culture period. However, viral DNA sequences were maintained in infected CD34+ cells for >20 days in culture, and, importantly, virus replication could be reactivated by coculture with human fibroblasts. Using an HCMV gene array, we examined HCMV gene expression in CD34+ cells. The pattern of viral gene expression was distinct from that observed during productive or nonproductive infections. Some of these expressed viral genes may function in latency and are targets for further analysis. Altered gene expression in hematopoietic progenitors may be indicative of the nature and outcome of HCMV infection.     

Expression of a selectable gene transferred by a retroviral vector to hematopoietic stem cells and stromal cells in murine continuous bone marrow cultures

Retroviral-mediated gene transfer to multipotent and committed hematopoietic stem cells and marrow stromal cells was evaluated in long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMCs). The retroviral vector pZIP-Neo(SV)(X) carrying the bacterial neomycin resistance (neor) gene that confers resistance to the neomycin analog G418 in mammalian cells was packaged in a Moloney envelope either as a replication-competent or replication-defective virus. Virus was introduced by infection of long-term marrow cultures at day 7. During a period of 12 weeks in culture, 10%-50% of harvested hematopoietic progenitor cells that formed differentiated CFU-GEMM colonies in response to pokeweed mitogen-containing spleen cell-conditioned medium (SCCM) and erythropoietin expressed the neor gene. In contrast, 1%-10% of hematopoietic progenitor cells that formed colonies in agar in response to WEHI-3B- or L-cell-conditioned medium expressed resistance to G418. The percentage of resistant progenitors was not detectably enhanced when replication-competent Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) was present as helper virus, even though M-MuLV infected greater than 90% of cells in the long-term marrow cultures. In a separate CFU-F assay, 12%-17% of the adherent stromal cells in LTBMCs were found to express the neor gene. Thus gene transfer is limited by the fraction of progenitor cells that can integrate and express the transferred genetic sequences, rather than by the fraction of cells that are initially infected by the vector.     

Quantitative assay for albumin-producing liver cells after simian virus 40 transformation of rat hepatocytes maintained in chemically defined medium.

Transformation of rat hepatocytes by simian virus 40 in chemically defined medium was examined. When hepatocytes plated on collagen-coated plates were infected with simian virus 40, colonies of replicating cells appeared as early as 40 days after infection, whereas no colonies appeared in control cultures. Medium from 85% of the transformed cultures contained albumin. When collagen was eliminated and hepatocytes were plated on Primaria plastic cell culture dishes, transformation occurred; medium from 86% of the transformed cultures contained albumin but the maximum albumin level secreted per culture was only 62% of that produced by cultures on collagen-coated plates. Quantitative assays for transformation were established. Transformation was linear after infection with 2-50 plaque-forming units of virus per hepatocyte, and the transformation frequency was the same on the two plating surfaces. An immuno-overlay technique made it possible to identify, purify, and determine the morphology of the albumin-producing cells. When ornithine was substituted for arginine in the medium, the transformation frequency decreased markedly while the percentage of colonies producing albumin increased from 30% to 100%. We conclude that we have defined an assay for quantifying transformation of a normal hepatocyte population and for identifying and enumerating epithelial liver cell transformants that produce albumin.     

Hepatocyte turnover during resolution of a transient hepadnaviral infection

We estimated the amount of hepatocyte turnover in the livers of three woodchucks undergoing clearance of a transient woodchuck hepatitis infection by determining the fate of integrated viral DNA as a genetic marker of the infected cell population. Integrated viral DNA was found to persist in liver tissue from recovered animals at essentially undiminished levels of 1 viral genome per 1,000-3,000 liver cells, suggesting that the hepatocytes in the recovered liver were derived primarily from the infected cell population. We determined the single and multicopy distribution of distinct viral cell junctions isolated from small pieces of liver after clearance of the infection to determine the cumulative amount of hepatocyte proliferation that had occurred during recovery. We estimated that proliferation was equivalent to a minimum of 0.7-1 complete random turnovers of the hepatocyte population of the liver. Our results indicated that during resolution of the transient infections a large fraction of the infected hepatocyte population was killed and replaced by hepatocyte cell division.     

An experimental model of human body louse infection with Rickettsia prowazekii

Rickettsia prowazekii is transmitted to humans by the body louse. A new experimental model of body louse infection with R. prowazekii is reported here. Eight hundred human lice were infected by feeding on a rabbit that was made bacteremic by injecting 2x106 plaque-forming units of R. prowazekii. The bacterium invaded the stomach cells and was released in feces, in which it was detected 5 days after infection. At day 6 after infection, as a result of the cell burst and the spread of erythrocytes in the hemolymph, the louse became bright red and died within 4 h. The life span of infected lice was shortened by 20-23 days, compared with that of uninfected control lice. Infected lice did not transmit R. prowazekii to their progeny. Through cell culture, rickettsiae were cultivated from fecal samples up to 10 days after their emission. The administration of doxycycline to the rabbit during louse feeding did not cure lice from R. prowazekii infection.     

Virus-liver cell interactions in duck hepatitis B virus infection. A study of virus dissemination within the liver

Thirty-five 1-day-old Pekin-Aylesbury ducks were inoculated intravenously or intraperitoneally with duck hepatitis B virus, and the time-course of infection was examined by Southern-blot, dot-blot, and in situ hybridization and by immunohistochemistry. Randomly scattered single infected hepatocytes were first seen on days 1 and 2 after inoculation and by day 3 occurred as single cells, pairs, and groups of 5-10 adjoining cells. From day 4 after inoculation all hepatocytes were positive for duck hepatitis B surface antigen and deoxyribonucleic acid. Duck hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid levels in liver extracts and serum increased logarithmically from days 2 to 3 to a plateau by days 4 to 5 after inoculation. Infected and control birds showed no significant differences during the first 7 days in terms of liver histology, hepatocyte morphology, or mitotic activity. It was concluded that (a) virus gains access to randomly distributed hepatocytes without first replicating in other cell types, and then begins disseminating to adjacent cells following anatomic boundaries; (b) markers of infection in liver and serum show reproducible kinetics, thus making this in vivo system amenable to further quantitative study; and (c) hepatocytes in this system are highly permissive to virus replication without the development of significant cytopathology.     

肝细胞条件培养液对人脂肪问充质干细胞向肝细胞分化和增殖的作用

目的 探讨人脂肪间充质干细胞在改良的诱导体系下向肝细胞的分化和增殖情况,为肝组织工程提供新的种子细胞来源.方法 从人脂肪组织分离出脂肪间充质干细胞,用含有碱性成纤维细胞生长因子、肝细胞生长因子、成纤维细胞生长因子-4的肝细胞诱导液进行诱导,并于诱导7 d后加入抑瘤素M.用细胞计数试剂盒-8法检测整个诱导过程细胞的增殖情况;通过光学显微镜观察诱导细胞的形态变化;用RT-PCR法和免疫荧光法分别检测肝细胞特异性基因和蛋白的表达;并对多种肝细胞特异性功能进行检测.组间比较采用t-test检验.结果 用改良肝细胞诱导液培养的人脂肪间充质干细胞在培养第5、7、14、21天时,细胞数均明显多于用对照培养液培养的细胞(f值分别为6.59、8.69、15.94和24.64,P值均＜0.05).诱导细胞表现出上皮样肝细胞形态,表达肝细胞特异性基因和蛋白;具有多种肝细胞特异性功能,如靛青绿摄取/排泌、糖原合成以及白蛋白分泌功能.结论 人脂肪间充质干细胞在含碱性成纤维细胞生长因子、肝细胞生长因子、成纤维细胞生长因子-4和抑瘤索M的诱导体系中能够分化为更加成熟的具有多种肝细胞特异性功能的细胞,且此诱导体系同时具有促进细胞增殖的作用.     

Mumps virus infects Beta cells in human fetal islet cell cultures upregulating the expression of HLA class I molecules

Summary The ability of mumps virus to infect pancreatic Beta cells and cause alterations in their HLA expression was evaluated in cultured human fetal islet cell clusters. Mumps virus could be isolated during the whole culture period (6–8 days) and 60 % of cells, including Beta cells, contained viral nucleocapsid protein at the end of the culturing. A minor decrease in insulin secretion was observed in some of the infected cultures. The infection was invariably associated with an increase in the expression of HLA class I molecules. This enhancement was mediated by soluble factors secreted by infected cells. The infection could not induce the expression of HLA-DR molecules. However, external interferon-gamma was able to cause a clear rise in DR-expression which was observed only on non-Beta-cells. Rubella and coxsackie B4 viruses were also able to enhance the expression of class I molecules while herpes simplex virus type 2 was not. The results suggest that certain viruses are able to infect Beta cells and cause alterations in their immunological appearance. Increased HLA class I expression in infected islets may exaggerate the autoimmune process in pre-diabetic individuals by increasing the activity of autoreactive cytotoxic T cells.     

Clonal expansion of hepatocytes during chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus infection

Chronic hepadnavirus infections cause liver damage with ongoing death and regeneration of hepatocytes. In the present study we set out to quantify the extent of liver turnover by measuring the clonal proliferation of hepatocytes by using integrated viral DNA as a genetic marker for individual hepatocyte lineages. Liver tissue from woodchucks with chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) infection was assayed for randomly integrated viral DNA by using inverse PCR. Serial endpoint dilution of viral-cell junction fragments into 96-well plates, followed by nested PCR and DNA sequencing, was used to determine the copy number of specific viral cell junctions as a measure of the clonal distribution of infected cell subpopulations. The results indicated that the livers contained a minimum of 100,000 clones of >1,000 cells containing integrated DNA, representing at least 0.2% of the hepatocyte population of the liver. Because cells with integrated WHV DNA comprised only 1-2% of total liver cells, it is likely that the total number of clones far exceeds this estimate, with as much as one-half of the liver derived from high copy clones of >1,000 cells. It may be inferred that these clones have a strong selective growth or survival advantage. The results provide evidence for a large amount of hepatocyte proliferation and selection having occurred during the period of chronic WHV infection ( approximately 1.5 years) in these animals.     

Intracellular calcium as a second messenger for human hepatocyte growth factor in hepatocytes.

Human hepatocyte growth factor is a newly discovered substance that stimulates DNA synthesis in vitro. In this study, we examined intracellular Ca2+ movement as one of the second messengers for human hepatocyte growth factor in primary-cultured hepatocytes. The addition of hHGF induced Ca2+ oscillation, but the frequency of oscillations varied from cell to cell. We also saw marked intercellular heterogeneity in the initial latent period for the Ca2+ response; the mean latent period was rather longer than those seen with phenylephrine and vasopressin. This difference in the initial latent period may be due to the difference in the pathways of Ca2+ elevation. Duration of culture determined the number of human hepatocyte growth factor-responsive cells; their number peaked at 2 to 5 hours of confluent culture, whereas the peak was earlier in a low-density culture. These changes in responsiveness during culture can be explained by the cell cycle-dependent sensitivity to human hepatocyte growth factor of hepatocytes. The Ca2+ response to human hepatocyte growth factor was dose dependent; 10(-10) mol/L hHGF gave the highest Ca2+ response, similar to the dose-response curve of DNA synthesis. We even observed the Ca2+ response in the Ca(2+)-free buffer, so the increase in Ca2+ was considered due to release from intracellular Ca2+ stores. These results suggest that human hepatocyte growth factor causes the intracellular Ca2+ elevation in the early stage of the cell cycle and that it plays important roles in the signal transduction systems for human hepatocyte growth factor and the proliferation of hepatocytes.     

Bio-mathematical models of viral dynamics to tailor antiviral therapy in chronic viral hepatitis

The simulation of the dynamics of viral infections by mathematical equations has been applied successfully to the study of viral infections during antiviral therapy. Standard models applied to viral hepatitis describe the viral load decline in the first 2-4 wk of antiviral therapy, but do not adequately simulate the dynamics of viral infection for the following period. The hypothesis of a constant clearance rate of the infected cells provides an unrealistic estimation of the time necessary to reach the control or the clearance of hepatitis B virus （HBV）/ hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection. To overcome the problem, we have developed a new multiphasic model in which the immune system activity is modulated by a negative feedback caused by the infected cells reduction, and alanine aminotransferase kinetics serve as a surrogate marker of infected-cell clearance. By this approach, we can compute the dynamics of infected cells during the whole treatment course, and find a good correlation between the number of infected cells at the end of therapy and the long-term virological response in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The new model successfully describes the HBV infection dynamics far beyond the third month of antiviral therapy under the assumption that the sum of infected and non-infected cells remains roughly constant during therapy, and both target and infected cells concur in the hepatocyte turnover. In clinical practice, these new models will allow the development of simulators of treatment response that will be used as an ＂automatic pilot＂ for tailoring antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B as well as chronic hepatitis C patients.     

Long-term transplantation of canine keratinocytes made resistant to G418 through retrovirus-mediated gene transfer.

We studied cultured canine keratinocytes to determine whether they could serve as targets for retrovirus-mediated gene transfer and whether infected cells could persist after transplantation into dogs, a large random-bred model for gene transfer studies. Canine keratinocytes obtained from skin biopsy samples were cultured in vitro with lethally irradiated NIH 3T3 cells used as a feeder layer. The keratinocyte colonies consisted of squamous epithelium with numerous desmosomes, tonofilaments, and keratohyalin granules. In addition, the cells were strongly reactive with monoclonal antibodies to cytokeratin intermediate filament proteins. For the infection studies, we grew the keratinocytes on a feeder layer of lethally irradiated PA317 retrovirus packaging cells, which produced a helper-free amphotropic retroviral vector containing the neomycin phosphotransferase (neo) gene. After cocultivation, 34% (range, 10-76%) of the keratinocytes were found to be resistant to the neomycin analogue G418. Infected keratinocytes were then transplanted into the dog of origin; 1% (range, less than 0.1-3%) of the keratinocytes obtained 27-130 days after transplantation from skin biopsy samples gave rise to G418-resistant colonies. We conclude that canine keratinocytes cultured in vitro can be infected efficiently with a neo gene-containing retroviral vector, and they show persistent G418 resistance for at least 130 days after transplantation into the skin donor.     

A retrospective examination of mosquito infection on humans infected with Plasmodium falciparum

A retrospective examination was made of archival data collected between 1940 and 1963 on the infection of mosquitoes with Plasmodium falciparum. Patients were undergoing malariatherapy for the treatment of neurosyphilis. A total of 913 lots of Anopheles quadrimaculatus and An. albimanus were fed on 173 patients. Mosquito infection continued to occur in a few patients beyond 200 days of patent parasitemia. The primary period of mosquito infection occurred during the first 20 days of gametocytemia. Of the 311 lots of mosquitoes fed during this period, 209 (67.20%) were infected, and of these, 163 had greater than 50% of the mosquitoes in the lots infected with at least one oocyst. During secondary periods of gametocytemia, 293 (78.76%) of 372 lots of mosquitoes were infected. The highest percentages of mosquitoes were infected from four days before to four days following peak gametocyte density. Mosquito infection rates were similar to those seen in studies with splenectomized Aotus monkeys experimentally infected with P. falciparum.     

骨髓间充质干细胞对乙型肝炎病毒的易感性及与无涎糖蛋白受体的关系

目的 评价骨髓间充质干细胞(BMSC)向肝细胞诱导过程中对HBV的易感性及无涎糖蛋白受体(ASGPR)对BMSC感染HBV的作用.方法 体外使用肝细胞生长因子、成纤维细胞生长因子-4和表皮生长因子,将BMSC诱导分化为肝细胞.检测乙型肝炎患者BMSC的HBV感染情况,并对原代及诱导培养后的BMSC进行体外HBV感染实验,检测BMSC感染后的HBsAg、HBcAg表达情况,并检测BMSC诱导前后ASGPR的表达.每个实验采用来自不同的5个标本,分别重复3次,数据统计采用非参数检验.结果 诱导培养第6天开始,BMSC开始表达甲胎蛋白(AFP)、细胞角蛋白18(CK18)和Alb,并随着诱导时间延长,CK18及Alb表达逐渐增多,而AFP则逐渐减少,并具有糖原合成、尿素分泌及Alb合成的肝细胞功能.BMSC在体内及体外都不能被HBV感染,经过向肝细胞诱导之后,仍然不能被感染,ASGPR在BMSC向肝细胞诱导后表达增多,但是与对照组HepG2细胞相比,仍然呈低水平表达.结论 BMSC在体内外能抵抗HBV感染.ASGPR可能是导致HBV不能感染BMSC的重要原因之一.     

Retroviral gene transfer into primary hepatocytes: implications for genetic therapy of liver-specific functions.

The liver is an important target for potential gene therapy because of the critical role it plays in intermediary metabolism and synthesis of serum proteins. We report the use of retroviral vectors for transfer of recombinant genes into primary mouse hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were grown in a defined serum-free medium and expressed liver-specific functions for up to 14 days. Hepatocytes were transformed to Genticin (G418) resistance by infection with recombinant retroviruses carrying the Tn5 neomycin-resistance gene. The G418-resistant cells exhibited characteristic hepatocyte morphology and continued to express liver-specific gene function. A retrovirus that expresses neomycin resistance driven by a herpes simplex thymidine kinase promoter produced the most efficient transformation compared with viruses using the retroviral long terminal repeat promoter or the simian virus 40 early-region promoter. These experiments indicate that primary hepatocytes can be successfully cultured and transformed with recombinant genes using retroviral vectors. These results provide a model for future somatic gene replacement therapy in which functional genes can be introduced into hepatocytes by viral-mediated gene transfer.