三磷酸腺苷对人胃癌细胞系MGC－803影响的电镜观察

用透射电镜和扫描电镜方法观察了三磷酸腺苷（ＡＴＰ）对人胃癌细胞系ＭＧＣ－８０３的影响，结果表明，ＡＴＰ能使ＭＧＣ－８０３细胞的核仁由网状向环状改变，微丝的组装得到改善，细胞表面微绒毛减少。提示ＭＧＣ－８０３细胞的恶性表型在ＡＴＰ作用下可向正常方向逆转。     

促癌变剂对淋巴细胞核仁rRNA基因转录的活化作用——rDNA原位杂交荧光显示法

用原位杂交荧光显示法观察了人淋巴细胞在促癌变剂黄芫花提取物(WCE)和12-0-十四烷巳豆醇-13乙酸酯(TPA)处理后,间期核仁rDNA的定位与数量改变,并与丝裂原植物血细胞凝集素(PHA)的效应作了比较,同时用银染色法观察了核仁。对照组淋巴细胞核仁小,原位杂交的rDNA为少数明亮荧光斑和分散的荧光点。经促癌变剂WCE和TPA处理后,银染色的核仁增大,银染颗粒增多,表明rDNA转录活化。原位杂交证明rDNA信号数目明显扩增,许多荧光小点断续相连形成网织状结构,与PHA刺激核仁转录活化的表现一致。对核仁内所含银染颗粒和rDNA荧光斑点数均值的统计学分析表明,WCE、TPA和PHA各加药组均明显多于对照组。3个加药组之间无明显差别。提示两种促癌变剂皆具有刺激核仁rDNA扩增和转录活化的效应。     

SARS病毒S1蛋白重组C端片段免疫效果的实验研究

为获得纯化的重组SARS病毒S1蛋白C端 ,研究其刺激机体产生针对SARS病毒免疫应答的规律和机制 ,将编码SARS病毒S1蛋白C端 311个氨基酸残基的基因克隆 ,并在原核表达系统中表达 ,纯化获得了的重组蛋白。利用SARS患者恢复期的血清 ,对纯化的重组S1蛋白进行血清学分析。结果表明 ,本研究中克隆表达的重组蛋白序列与公布的SARS病毒S1蛋白C端的序列相同 ,其编码的重组蛋白相对分子质量约为 5 90 0 0Mr。SARS患者恢复期的血清均与重组蛋白反应 ,在5 9 0 0 0Mr处形成特异性的反应条带 ,而来自SARS流行前的正常人对照血清则不能与重组蛋白反应。在本研究中获得的重组蛋白可以为研究SARS病毒识别宿主细胞受体的过程及其机制提供条件。     

Favorably tipping the balance between cytopathic and regulatory T cells to create transplantation tolerance

Therapeutic application of broadly reactive anti-T cell antibodies can lead not only to potent immunosuppression but also to profound and long-lived T cell depletion. We reasoned that a strategy that almost exclusively targets activated cytopathic donor reactive T cells and spares immunoregulatory networks might prove to be an exceptionally potent and highly selective means of producing long-term engraftment and tolerance. Herein we show that the combined administration of rapamycin and agonist IL-2- and antagonist IL-15-related cytolytic fusion proteins provides for long-term engraftment/tolerance in exceptionally stringent allotransplant models by (1) limiting the early expansion of activated T cells, (2) preserving and even exaggerating their subsequent apoptotic clearance, and (3) further amplifying the depletion of these activated T cells by antibody-dependent mechanisms, while (4) preserving CD4+CD25+ T cell-dependent immunoregulatory networks.     

大鼠小脑皮质NPY能神经元的形态与分布

目的　研究大鼠小脑皮质内NPY免疫阳性神经元的形态与分布。方法　SD大鼠 10只 ,雌雄不限 ,升主动脉灌注固定 ,开颅取小脑 ,SP免疫组织化学染色。结果　大鼠小脑内NPY免疫阳性神经元分布在皮质的Purkinje细胞层 ,胞体呈梨形或烧瓶状 ,细胞核清晰不染 ,轴突伸向颗粒层 ,树突呈网状伸向分子层 ,突起未见染色。分子层和颗粒层未见阳性细胞 ,但可见神经纤维的存在。结论　小脑Purkinje细胞层内存在NYP阳性神经元。     

Identification of a novel mutation in patients with medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency

A novel mutation was identified in two unrelated patients with medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. First, a 19-year-old Caucasian female presented with a devastating illness, resulting in sudden death in adulthood which is unusual. The second patient, now a 3.5-year-old male, presented at 17 months of age with a hypoglycemic seizure and dehydration. Sequence analysis revealed a novel mutation G617T in exon 8 resulting in an arginine to leucine substitution at codon 206 (R206L). Both patients were compound heterozygous for this G617T and the common mutation A985G.     

Dendritic cell number is related to IL-4 expression in the airways of atopic asthmatic subjects

BACKGROUND: Airway dendritic cells are essential for stimulating naive T cells in response to inhaled antigen and for the development of allergic sensitization. IL-4 in vitro can distinguish dendritic cell lines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Our study had the following aims: 1) to compare the distribution of CD1a+ dendritic cells and IL-4+ cells, in the bronchial mucosa of asthmatics and controls 2) to determine the relationship between the numbers of CD1a+ dendritic cells and IL-4+ cells in the bronchial mucosa of asthmatics 3) to determine whether CD1a+ cells express the IL-4 receptor. METHODS: Twenty atopic asthmatic and eight normal subjects were studied. In each subject, bronchoscopy with bronchial biopsies was performed. CD1a, IL-4, and IL-4 receptor expressions were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The number of CD1a+ and IL-4+ cells was significantly higher in asthmatics than controls. The number of CD1a+ cells was positively correlated to the number of IL-4 + cells. Bronchial biopsy serial section studies showed that CD1a+ cells express the receptor for IL-4. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that an increased amount of IL-4 may play a physiopathologic role in maintaining the dendritic cell pool in vivo. Therefore, because of possible IL-4 activity on antigen-presenting cells in T-cell immune responses to allergens, an important new role of IL-4 in asthma inflammation can be envisaged.     

The modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission by adenosine in area CA1 of the rat hippocampus is temperature dependent

We tested the possibility that extracellular adenosine concentration varies with tissue temperature by measuring the tonic adenosinergic inhibition of excitatory synaptic transmission at different temperatures in the in vitro rat hippocampus. Application of the A1 receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) enhanced population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) by antagonizing tonic adenosinergic inhibition; this effect was greatest at 25 degrees C, and was progressively reduced at 35 and 37.5 degrees C. These results demonstrate that tonic adenosinergic inhibition is inversely related to temperature. In a second experiment, an exogenous A1 agonist, N6-cyclohexyladenosine (CHA), was applied to slices to inhibit evoked EPSPs. CHA inhibition of EPSPs was greater at 35 than at 25 degrees C, demonstrating that the reduced adenosinergic inhibition at higher temperatures is not a result of reduced A1 receptor function.     

Mouse embryonic diastema region is an ideal site for the development of ectopically transplanted tooth germ.

The anterior eye chamber and the kidney capsule of the mouse have been traditionally used for long-term culture of tooth germ grafts. However, although these sites provide an excellent growth environment, they do not represent real in situ sites for the development of a grafted tooth germ. Here, we describe a protocol to transplant a tooth germ into the mandibular diastema region of mouse embryos using exo utero surgery. Our results demonstrate that the mouse embryonic diastema region represents a normal physiological environment for the development of transplanted tooth germs. Transplanted tooth germs developed synchronically with and became indistinguishable from the endogenous ones. These ectopic teeth were vascularized and surrounded with nerve fibers, and were able to erupt normally. Thus, the exo utero transplantation approach will provide a new avenue to study tooth development and regeneration.     

Chitooligosaccharides protect cultured hippocampal neurons against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity

Chitooligosaccharides (COSs), the biodegradation product of chitosan, have demonstrated a diverse array of biological activities. Here we report the protective effect of COSs (M.W. 800) against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in cultured hippocampal neurons. The cell viability assessments, together with Hoechst 33342 staining and flow cytometry for cell apoptosis analysis, indicated that glutamate (125 μM)-induced cell apoptosis in cultured hippocampal neurons was attenuated in a concentration-dependent manner by COSs pretreatment. After measurement with Fluo 4-AM, COSs were found to depress glutamate-induced elevation in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_c). The enzymatic assay indicated that COSs antagonized glutamate-evoked activation of caspase-3. These results collectively suggest that COSs prevent cultured hippocampal neurons from glutamate-induced cell damage by interfering with an increase in [Ca²⁺]_c and inhibiting caspase-3 activity.