慢性神经病理性痛大鼠背根神经节P2Y2受体mRNA的表达

目的评价背根神经节（DRG）P2Y2受体mRNA的表达在大鼠慢性神经病理性痛中的作用。方法SPF级大鼠24只,体重150～200g,雌雄不拘,随机分为2组：假手术组（S组）和慢性神经痛组（N组）,每组12只。N组结扎左侧坐骨神经建立大鼠慢性压迫性损伤（CCI）模型,S组只暴露,不结扎左侧坐骨神经。2组分别于CCI前1d、CCI后1、4、7、10、14 d进行行为学观察,测定大鼠双后肢热痛阈和机械痛阈,并分别于CCI后7、14 d各取6只大鼠断颈处死,取双侧L（4-6）背根神经节,RT-PCR法测定P2Y2受体mRNA的表达。结果两组CCI后4 d热痛阈、机械痛阈明显降低（P〈0.05）,持续至CCI后14 d;N组左侧DRG P2Y2受体mRNA表达较右侧明显下调,CCI后14 d较CCI后7 d下调（P〈0.05）;与S组右侧比较,N组DRG P2Y2受体mRNA表达差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。结论背根神经节P2Y2受体mRNA的表达下调参与了大鼠慢性神经病理性痛的形成。     

不同治疗方法在急诊剖宫产恶心呕吐中的应用

目的观察不同治疗方法在急诊剖宫产术中恶心呕吐的应用。方法选择ASAI~II级104例急诊剖宫产手术患者,随机分为五组:指揉组(n=21)、恩丹西酮组(n=21)、甲氧氯普胺组(n=21)、氟哌利多组(n=21)和生理盐水组(n=20)。采用腰-硬联合阻滞麻醉,术毕实施术后镇痛(patient controlled epidural analge-sia,PCEA)。结果指揉组、恩丹西酮组与甲氧氯普胺组与氟哌利多组VAS评分基本相当,与生理盐水组比较(P>0.01),各实验组之间比较(P>0.05),表明指揉组、恩丹西酮组、甲氧氯普胺组和氟哌利多组疗效相同。结论指揉法在防治急诊剖宫产恶心呕吐中,简便易行,效果确切,副作用少,适用于术中轻度恶心呕吐;而甲氧氯普胺和恩丹西酮更适于程度较重的恶心呕吐;氟哌利多抗恶心呕吐的作用时间相对较长。     

老年腰椎间盘突出症的手术治疗

目的 探讨老年腰椎间盘突出症的特点与手术治疗效果.方法 对62例老人腰椎间盘突出症患者的临床与病理特点进行分析.均行腰椎后路椎板减压髓核摘除术,其中小切口开窗35例,半椎板切除20例,全椎板切除7例,根据手术前后JOA评分评价手术疗效.结果 老年腰椎间盘突出症病理以髓核组织的脱水,纤维环的破裂,小关节囊、周围韧带及软骨终板退变为主要特点.临床特点为下肢疼痛多发,腰部活动受限较多;双下肢神经系统检查肌力下降明显,生理反射改变明显.62例平均随访1.9年,JOA评分术后平均改善率为68.9%,手术前后JOA评分比较差异有显著性意义(P＜0.05).结论 老年腰椎间盘突出症患者病程长,体征多,病理改变明显,行腰椎后路椎板减压髓核摘除术,手术效果满意.     

Stress signaling through Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin mediates salt adaptation in plants

Calcineurin (CaN) is a Ca²⁺- and calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase (PP2B) that, in yeast, is an integral intermediate of a salt-stress signal transduction pathway that effects NaCl tolerance through the regulation of Na⁺ influx and efflux. A truncated form of the catalytic subunit and the regulatory subunit of yeast CaN were coexpressed in transgenic tobacco plants to reconstitute a constitutively activated phosphatase in vivo. Several different transgenic lines that expressed activated CaN also exhibited substantial NaCl tolerance, and this trait was linked to the genetic inheritance of the CaN transgenes. Enhanced capacity of plants expressing CaN to survive NaCl shock was similar when evaluation was conducted on seedlings in tissue culture raft vessels or plants in hydroponic culture that were transpiring actively. Root growth was less perturbed than shoot growth by NaCl in plants expressing CaN. Also, NaCl stress survival of control shoots was enhanced substantially when grafted onto roots of plants expressing CaN, further implicating a significant function of the phosphatase in the preservation of root integrity during salt shock. Together, these results indicate that in plants, like in yeast, a Ca²⁺- and calmodulin-dependent CaN signal pathway regulates determinants of salt tolerance required for stress adaptation. Furthermore, modulation of this pathway by expression of an activated regulatory intermediate substantially enhanced salt tolerance.     

Glucocorticoids modulate TGF-beta production

TGF- is thought to play a central role in pulmonary fibrosis inducing fibroblast differentiation and extracellular matrix synthesis. In human lung fibroblasts, it is still unclear how various TGB- isoforms affect TGF- production and whether glucocorticoids, commonly used agents to treat fibrotic lung disease, modulate these processes. To this end, human fetal lung fibroblasts (HFL-1) were cultured with various concentrations of glucocorticoids (budesonide, dexamethasone or hydrocortisone) with and without TFG-1, -2, and -3. TGF- mRNA was assessed by real time RT-PCR. Smad 2, 3, and 4 and AP-1 complex (c-fos and c-Jun) cellular localization were evaluated by immunostaining. TGF-2 and -3 stimulated TGF-1 production significantly (p < 0.01 relative to control). TGF-1 stimulated TGF-2 production (p < 0.01 relative to control). TGF-3 was undetectable. Glucocorticoids significantly inhibited TGF-1 and -2 production and reduced expression of the upregulated TGF-1 and -2 mRNA induced by exogenous TGF-1, -2 or -3 (p < 0.01 for each) but had no effect on Smads. Although c-jun-related nuclear staining was not intensified in TGF--stimulated cells, it was reduced by glucocorticoids. Thus, TGF- isoforms may stimulate production of various TGF- isoforms in the lung. Glucocorticoids then may block TGF- production by modulating mRNA levels and c-Jun.     

Autonomic dysregulation as a basis of cardiovascular, endocrine, and inflammatory disturbances associated with obstructive sleep apnea and other conditions of chronic hypoxia, hypercapnia, and acidosis

Obstructive sleep apnea has traditionally been viewed as a structural disease. A multitude of systemic endocrine and cardiovascular abnormalities have been previously attributed to the prevalence of obesity in these patients. A growing body of clinical evidence, however, points to a relationship between sleep apnea and its systemic abnormalities independent of obesity. We hypothesize that this association is based on a maladaptive autonomic response of chemoreceptors, reacting to the hypoxia, hypercapnia, and acidosis of sleep apnea. The elevated sympathetic response triggers an inflammatory cascade that results in a myriad of downstream consequences including insulin resistance, hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome. The sympathetic bias and endocrine disturbances may further exacerbate sleep disturbance in a potentially pernicious cycle. Our proposal may extend to any chronic respiratory or metabolic conditions that manifest hypoxia, hypercapnia, and acidosis and elicit a maladaptive autonomic and inflammatory response.     

Rapid leukocyte integrin activation by chemokines

Summary: Chemokines control selective targeting of circulating leukocytes to the microvasculature by triggering inside-out signal transduction pathways leading to integrin-dependent adhesion. Integrin activation by chemokines is very rapid, is downmodulated within minutes and appears to involve both enhanced heterodimer lateral mobility on the plasma membrane, facilitating encounters with dispersed ligand, as well as induction of a high-affinity state. These two modalities of integrin activation by chemokines involve distinct signaling pathways in the cell, yet complement each other functionally, allowing binding of rolling cells under conditions of low as well as high ligand density. Recent data show that chemokines generate both pro- and anti-adhesive intracellular signaling events, whose equilibrium is likely to be relevant to the kinetics of adhesion and de-adhesion, and to cell movement during diapedesis and chemotaxis. Importantly, chemokines utilize different signaling mechanisms to modulate the activity of distinct integrin subtypes. These recent advances suggest that chemokines may regulate adhesive responses of immune cells based not only on patterns of chemokine receptor expression, but also on variable signaling pathways that can modulate the pro-adhesive responses of leukocytes as a function of their differentiated state, and of the local microenvironment.     

Prevention of postsurgical tissue adhesion by anti-inflammatory drug-loaded pluronic mixtures with sol-gel transition behavior

Sol-gel transition temperature-controllable Pluronic F127/F68 mixtures including mildly crosslinked alginate and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ibuprofen) were prepared to evaluate their potential as tissue adhesion barrier gels. The sol-gel transition temperatures of the Pluronic mixtures could be controlled by adjusting F127/F68 ratio and polymer concentration. The mildly crosslinked alginate with still flow property provided the residence stability of Pluronic mixture gels in the body. Ibuprofen was loaded in Pluronic mixtures to reduce inflammatory response in the body and, thus, to prevent tissue adhesion. The gelation temperatures of the Pluronic mixtures were not affected by the alginate but lowered by the addition of ibuprofen. The in vitro drug release behavior and in vivo peritoneal tissue adhesion of the Pluronic mixtures with the sol-gel transition just below body temperatures were investigated. The drug release behavior from the ibuprofen (1 wt%)-loaded Pluronic mixture gels at 37 degrees C was examined using a membrane-less dissolution model. The drug in the mixture gels was released continuously up to about 45-65% of the total loading amount during the first 7 days. For in vivo evaluation of tissue anti-adhesion potential, the Pluronic mixtures with/without drug were coated on the peritoneal wall defects of rats and their tissue adhesion extents and tissue reactions (inflammatory response, granulation tissue formation, and toxicity in organs) were compared. It was observed that ibuprofen has a positive effect for the peritoneal tissue anti-adhesion. The Pluronic F127/F68/alginate/ibuprofen mixture gel (25 wt% of F127/F68 [7/3], 1 wt% ibuprofen) was highly effective for the prevention of peritoneal tissue adhesion and showed a relatively low inflammatory response and non-toxicity, and thus can be a good candidate material as a coatable or injectable tissue adhesion barrier gel.     

Map location of the kanamycin resistance determinant in P1Km0.

The kanamycin resistance determinant in P1Km lies between am33 and gene 2 on the P1 genetic map. This is within the invertible region (C loop) of P1 DNA.     

A critical role of sterols in embryonic patterning and meristem programming revealed by the fackel mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana

Here we report a novel Arabidopsis dwarf mutant, fackel-J79, whose adult morphology resembles that of brassinosteroid-deficient mutants but also displays distorted embryos, supernumerary cotyledons, multiple shoot meristems, and stunted roots. We cloned the FACKEL gene and found that it encodes a protein with sequence similarity to both the human sterol reductase family and yeast C-14 sterol reductase and is preferentially expressed in actively growing cells. Biochemical analysis indicates that the fk-J79 mutation results in deficient C-14 sterol reductase activity, abnormal sterol composition, and reduction of brassinosteroids (BRs). Unlike other BR-deficient mutants, the defect of hypocotyl elongation in fk-J79 cannot be corrected by exogenous BRs. The unique phenotypes and sterol composition in fk-J79 indicate crucial roles of sterol regulation and signaling in cell division and cell expansion in embryonic and post-embryonic development in plants.