Attenuation of intracavitary applicators in 192Ir-HDR brachytherapy

Unlike the penetrating monoenergetic 662 keV gamma rays emitted by 137Cs LDR sources, the spectrum of 192Ir used in HDR brachytherapy contains low-energy components. Since these are selectively absorbed by the high-atomic number materials of which intracavitary applicators are made, the traditional neglect of applicator attenuation can lead to appreciable dose errors. We investigated the attenuation effects of a uterine applicator, and of a set of commonly used vaginal cylinders. The uterine applicator consists of a stainless steel source guide tube with a wall thickness of 0.5 mm and a density of 8.02 g/cm3, whereas the vaginal cylinders consist of the same stainless steel tube plus concentric polysulfone cylinders with a radius of 1 or 2 cm and a density of 1.40 g/cm3. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to compute dose distributions for a bare 192Ir-HDR source, and for the same source located within the applicators. Relative measurements of applicator attenuation using ion-chambers (0.125 cm3) confirmed the Monte Carlo results within 0.5%. We found that the neglect of the applicator attenuation overestimates the dose along the transverse plane by up to 3.5%. At oblique angles, the longer photon path within applicators worsens the error. We defined attenuation-corrected radial dose and anisotropy functions, and applied them to a treatment having multiple dwell positions inside a vaginal cylinder.     

Differential effects of Th1, monocyte/macrophage and Th2 cytokine mixtures on early gene expression for glial and neural-related molecules in central nervous system mixed glial cell cultures: neurotrophins, growth factors and structural proteins

Background  

In multiple sclerosis, inflammatory cells are found in both active and chronic lesions, and it is increasingly clear that cytokines are involved directly and indirectly in both formation and inhibition of lesions. We propose that cytokine mixtures typical of Th1 or Th2 lymphocytes, or monocyte/macrophages each induce unique molecular changes in glial cells.     

TRP超家族与肾脏

TRP(Transient receptor potentical)家族是非选择性阳离子通道家族，近来发现其与肾脏关系密切，如调节肾小管离子转运，肾脏微循环等。TRP通道异常可导致遗传性局灶节段硬化性肾病（FSGS），常染色体显性遗传多囊肾(ADPKD)，低镁血症继发低钙血症(HSH)等，对TRP通道的进一步研究将有助于临床肾脏病的防治。     

Partial androgen insensitivity with phenotypic variation caused by androgen receptor mutations that disrupt activation function 2 and the NH(2)- and carboxyl-terminal interaction

Partial androgen insensitivity with sex phenotype variation in two unrelated families was associated with missense mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene that disrupted the AR NH(2)-terminal/carboxy terminal interaction. Each mutation caused a single amino acid change within the region of the ligand-binding domain that forms activation function 2 (AF2). In one family, the mutation I737T was in alpha helix 4 and in the other F725L was between helices 3 and 4. Neither mutation altered androgen binding as determined by assays of mutant AR in the patient's cultured genital skin fibroblasts or of recombinant mutant receptors transfected into COS cells. In transient cotransfection assays in CV1 cells, transactivation with the AR mutants at low concentrations of DHT was reduced several fold compared with wild-type AR but increased at higher concentrations. Defects in NH(2)-terminal/carboxy terminal interactions were identified in mammalian two hybrid assays. In similar assays, there was reduced binding of the p160 coactivators TIF2/SRC2 and SRC1 to the mutant AR ligand binding domains (LBD). In the family with AR I737T, sex phenotype varied from severely defective masculinization in the proband to a maternal great uncle whose only manifestation of AIS was severe gynecomastia. He was fertile and passed the mutation to two daughters. The proband of the F725L family was also incompletely masculinized but was raised as a male while his half-sibling by a different father was affected more severely and reared as a female. These studies indicate that the function of an AR AF2 mutant in male development can vary greatly depending on the genetic background.     

DNA prime followed by protein boost enhances neutralization and Th1 type immunity against FMDV

Prime-boost strategy has been exhibited its potency to enhance immune responses, which would be important to the success to develop a vaccine against the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). An eukaryotic expression construct encoding the FMDV capsid VP1 protein with a recombinant VP1 protein or a commercial FMDV vaccine were tested in the prime-boost strategy in mice and cattle trials. The levels of induced specific antibodies, T cell proliferations, and DTH activities were significantly higher in the prime-boost groups than in those vaccinated with DNA, protein or FMDV vaccine alone. More importantly, the levels of neutralizing antibodies in the former groups were significantly higher than others and could last for at least four months in cattle trials. This study suggests that the prime-boost strategy significantly improves the effective immunity and may provide a longer protection against FMDV infection.     

db-cAMP对转化细胞增殖抑制及其对CaM水平和PKⅡ活性的影响

目的　探讨双丁酰 环核苷酸 (db cAMP)对转化细胞增殖及细胞表型作用的机理。　方法　以流式细胞光度术 (flowcytometry ,FCM)、软琼脂集落形成、放射免疫、Northern印迹和激酶活性分析等方法观察db cAMP对转化的C3H1 0 T1 2 小鼠成纤维细胞增殖、细胞表型、钙调素 (calmodulin ,CaM)表达及蛋白激酶Ⅱ (proteinkinaseⅡ ,PKⅡ )活性的影响。　结果　db cAMP(1mmol L)使C3H1 0 T1 2 转化细胞增殖及软琼脂集落形成能力受到显著抑制 ,转化细胞中CaM的表达及PKⅡ活性明显高于正常细胞 ,经db cAMP处理后也受到明显抑制。　结论　细胞转化及cAMP的诱导分化作用与PKⅡ活性的改变有密切相关性     

路氏乳杆菌JCM1081黏附相关蛋白的初步鉴定

目的研究路氏乳杆菌(Lactobacillus reuteri,也称罗伊氏乳杆菌)JCM1081菌体表面蛋白对其黏附HT-29细胞的影响。方法将路氏乳杆菌JCM1081菌体进行胰蛋白酶、蛋白酶K处理;用氯化锂和盐酸胍对乳杆菌表面的蛋白进行抽提,进行SDS-PAGE后与黏蛋白受体进行Western blot,并对杂交阳性蛋白进行质谱分析鉴定。结果路氏乳杆菌JCM1081菌体经胰蛋白酶、蛋白酶K处理后,其对HT-29细胞的黏附力显著下降(P<0．01);用氯化锂去除路氏乳杆菌JCM1081菌体外表面的S层蛋白后,路氏乳杆菌JCM1081对HT-29细胞的黏附力无显著变化;Western blot结果显示相对分子质量(Mr)为29×103和14×103的两种菌体表面蛋白与黏蛋白受体杂交中出现了强阳性;质谱分析结果显示29×103蛋白与路氏乳杆菌ATCC55730的h0793蛋白相似性高达71．1％。结论路氏乳杆菌JCM1081菌体表面的蛋白参与了乳杆菌的黏附,其中29×103和14×103的两种胞壁表面蛋白能够特异地识别黏蛋白受体并与之结合,29×103蛋白属ABC转运蛋白家族。     

Stimulus-dependent activation of c-Fos in neurons and glia in the rat cerebellum

The intent of the present study was to use chemical or electrical stimulation of cerebellar afferents to determine how different stimulation paradigms affect the pattern of activation of different populations of neurons in the cerebellar cortex. Specifically, we analyzed immediate changes in neuronal activity, identified neurons affected by different stimulation paradigms, and determined the time course over which neuronal activity is altered. In the present study, we used either systemic (harmaline) or electrical stimulation of the inferior cerebellar peduncle (10 and 40 Hz) to alter the firing rate of climbing and mossy fiber afferents to the rat cerebellum and an antibody made against the proto-oncogene, c-fos, as a marker to identify activated neurons and glia. In control animals, only a few scattered granule cells express nuclear Fos-like immunoreactivity. Although no other cells show Fos-like immunoreactivity in their nuclei, Purkinje cells express Fos-like immunoreactivity within their somatic and dendritic cytoplasm in control animals. Within 15 min of chemical or electrical stimulation, numerous granule and glial cells express Fos-like immunoreactivity in their nuclei. Cells in the molecular layer express Fos-like immunoreactivity following harmaline stimulation in a time and lobule specific manner; they do not appear to be activated in the electrical stimulation paradigm. Following harmaline injections, there is an initial loss of Fos-like immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells; 90 min later, nuclear staining is observed in a few scattered Purkinje cells. Following electrical stimulation, the cytoplasmic staining in Purkinje cells is enhanced; it is never present in the nucleus. Data derived from this study reveal cell-specific temporal and spatial patterns of c-Fos activation that is unique to each paradigm. Further, it reveals the presence of an activity dependent protein in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cell somata and dendrites.     

Expression and changes of HSP70 in the rat forebrain subjected to gamma knife (100Gy) irradiation targeted on the caudate putamen and survived for different times

Forebrain heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) immunohistochemical reactivity was investigated in rats subjected to gamma knife irradiation focusing on the right caudate putamen nucleus. The forebrain sections of all experimental animals were processed with anti-HSP70 antiserum and then by avidin-biotin peroxidase complex immunohistochemistry after gamma ray irradiation with a dose of 100Gy and they each survived for different times (from 30 min to 30 days). Some neurons, glial cells, and endothelial cells were HSP70-like immunoreactivity (HSP70-LI) positive. HSP70-LI was mainly distributed in the target area of irradiation, as well as in non-target regions, e.g. the cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, etc. The expression and change of HSP70-LI from 3 h to 30 days after irradiation followed the following rules: (1) Within 3 to 24 h, the dilated vessels with HSP70-LI endothelial cells were found at first, and a few lightly stained HSP70-LI neurons and glias were observed in the target and non-target regions; (2) In 3-7 days, darkly stained HSP70-LI neurons and glias were apparently increased and formed an expression peak. From 14 to 30 days, HSP70-LI cells were distinctly decreased and became weakly stained or negative. These results suggested that although the irradiation target of the gamma knife was localized, the response to irradiation occurred extensively.