Two-week, but not 1-week, hypoxic exposure enhances nitric oxide-mediated basal tone regulation in rat resistance pulmonary arteries

We measured internal diameter (ID) changes in resistance and conduit pulmonary arteries of 1- and 2-week hypoxic rats and normoxic control rats in response to nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors in vivo. At 2 weeks of hypoxic exposure, the ID reduction as a result of NOS inhibition was enhanced within the resistance arteries, but not at 1 week of hypoxia.     

Survey of atopic dermatitis and skin barrier functions in Japanese and Chinese school students]

BACKGROUND: The comparative studies of the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and skin barrier functions in Japanese and Chinese were performed. METHODS: Clinical investigations were performed in 68 elementary school students in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region and 67 students in Yixing, Jiangsu Province in China, and 99 students in Nishinomiya, Hyogo in Japan. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and capacitance were measured. Questionary survey about bathing frequency was also performed for students in Lhasa, Yixing and Osaka. RESULT: The prevalence rate of atopic dermatitis was 0% in Lhasa, 2.63% in Yixing, 4.26% in Nishinomiya. TEWL of students in Nishinomiya was higher than that in Yixing and Lhasa. Capacitance of students in Lhasa was lower than that in Nishinomiya and Yixing. The frequency of taking a bath in Lhasa was about 2.2 times per month and fewer than that in Nishinomiya and Yixing. CONCLUSION: There was tendency that the prevalence of atopic dermatitis increased according to increase of TEWL. It was thought that more investigations are necessary whether the development of habitat and environment influence the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and skin barrier function.     

三氧化二锑诱导急性早幼粒细胞白血病细胞凋亡的研究

目的 研究锑剂三氧化二锑（Sb2O3)对早幼粒细胞白血病细胞株NB4凋亡的诱导作用，以寻求早幼粒细胞白血病治疗的新方法。方法 采用细胞生长曲线，形态学及硝基四氮唑蓝（NBT）还原试验，判定NB4细胞的生长，分化及功能。采用细胞周期分析和DNA电泳研究细胞凋亡。结果 Sb2O3能诱导早幼粒白血病细胞凋亡，且具有时间，剂量依赖性。结论 Sb2O3能有效地诱导早幼粒白血病细胞凋亡，提示锑剂诱导细胞半亡的疗法，有望成为临床治疗早幼粒细胞白血病的新方法。     

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.     

Molecular cloning and expression of a novel alternative splice variant of BRDT gene

In this study, a human adult testis cDNA microarray was constructed and hybridized with (33)P-labeled human adult testis, embryo testis and sperm cDNA probes, respectively. A novel alternative splice variant of BRDT gene, named BRDT-NY, presumably involved in testicular function was cloned. It was expressed 3.96-fold more in human adult than embryo testis and also expressed in human spermatozoa. Similarly, RT-PCR revealed a differential expression pattern of this gene in human adult testes and fetal testes. The full length of BRDT-NY was 3438 bp and contained a 2883 bp open reading frame, encoding a 960-amino-acid protein. Sequence analysis showed that it has two bromodomains in N-terminal of the protein. Multiple tissue RT-PCR results showed that BRDT-NY was exclusively expressed in testis. mRNA expression of BRDT-NY gene was deleted in some azoospermic patients' testes. These experiments suggested that BRDT-NY gene may have an important role in the process of spermatogenesis and may be correlated with male infertility.     

氯霉素乙酰转移酶检测(CAT assay)

本文介绍一种快速方便的外源基因在哺乳动物细胞中瞬间表达检测系统,即氯霉索乙酰转移酶检测系统。该项检测技术不仅对基因的调控顺序(Cis-acting elements)如启动子、增强子等检测提供了有效的工具,而且为真核基因在哺乳动物细胞表达体系中,质粒的构建及筛选提供了行之有效的手段。并介绍了该技术的全过程及其操作要点。     

Nonvascular interventions of the urinary tract

Nonvascular intervention of the urinary tract is a well-established uroradiologic subspecialty, which is more important for avoiding invasive open surgery in the age of rising demand about the value of less invasive treatment. Various kinds of nonvascular intervention are recently performed under image-guidance and are as follows: percutaneous nephrostomy, percutaneous nephrostolithotomy, percutaneous dilatation of the urinary tract, sclerotherapy for renal cysts, percutaneous catheter drainage, percutaneous foreign body retrieval and biopsy. Percutaneous nephrostomy is a basic technique to provide a direct access to urinary tract, which makes it possible to perform other interventional procedures. Although nonvascular intervention may produce some complications, it is generally considered to be less invasive than open surgery and has advantages such as short hospital stay, early return to normal life and therefore economic savings. This review is described to help clinicians easily understand the procedures, indications, techniques, and complications with figures of cases the authors experienced.     

Terbutaline-induced triphasic changes in volume of rat alveolar type II cells: the role of cAMP

Changes in the volume of rat alveolar type II cells (AT-II cells) induced by terbutaline, a beta(2)-agonist, were measured using video-enhanced contrast microscopy. The changes consisted of three phases: initial cell shrinkage, cell swelling, and gradual cell shrinkage. The initial cell shrinkage was Ca(2+)-dependent and was inhibited by quinine (a K+ channel blocker). The subsequent cell swelling was cAMP-dependent and was inhibited by amiloride (a Na+ channel blocker). The final cell shrinkage was cAMP-dependent and was inhibited by 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate (NPPB, a Cl- channel blocker). Thus, terbutaline-induced cell volume changes were regulated by both Ca2+ and cAMP. Accumulation of cAMP alone, however, induced the Ca2+ -dependent cell shrinkage of AT-II cells and H-89 (a PKA inhibitor) inhibited terbutaline-induced cell volume changes. This suggests that cAMP accumulation stimulates the Ca2+ signal during terbutaline stimulation. In conclusion, terbutaline stimulates not only Na+ influx, but also K+ and Cl- release mediated via cAMP accumulation in rat AT-II cells, which induces the triphasic cell volume changes.