Isolation, affinity purification, and identification of piglet small intestine mucosa receptor for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli k88ac+ fimbriae

An affinity chromatography technique was utilized to isolate and purify the receptors of Escherichia coli K88ac(+) fimbriae from the mucus of the small intestines of newborn piglets. Purified K88ac+ fimbriae were covalently immobilized onto a beaded agarose matrix (Sepharose 4B). The immobilized fimbriae were used for the affinity purification of the K88ac+ receptors. Only two major proteins were tightly and specifically bound to the immobilized fimbriae after the column containing bound receptor was washed exhaustively with a buffer containing a high concentration of salt and a detergent. The receptors were eluted as a single component at a low pH. The isolated proteins were then subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and Western blot (immunoblot) analyses. The two proteins were of high purity, were responsible for nearly all of the fimbrial binding capacity of the crude mucus, and had molecular masses of 26 and 41 kDa. The method for isolation of E. coli binding proteins is simple and yields purified intestinal receptors in a single chromatographic run. The intestinal mucus of different piglets has different proportions of the two receptor proteins.     

川芎嗪对内毒素脂多糖诱导的体外血脑屏障模型通透性增高的保护作用及其机制

目的:探讨川芎嗪对内毒素脂多糖(LPS)诱导的体外血脑屏障模型通透性增高的保护作用及其调控机制。方法:利用脑微血管内皮细胞与星型胶质细胞共培养建立体外大鼠血脑屏障模型,随机分为正常对照组、川芎嗪对照组、LPS干预组和川芎嗪治疗组。采用γ计数仪检测~(125)I-BSA通透量观察体外血脑屏障模型通透性的改变,Western印迹法检测紧密连接蛋白(zonula occludens-1,ZO-1)表达量的变化。结果:LPS使体外血脑屏障模型对~(125)I-BSA的通透量明显增加,脑微血管内皮细胞ZO-1蛋白表达下降,川芎嗪治疗组能明显拮抗LPS的上述作用。结论:川芎嗪对LPS诱导的体外血脑屏障通透性增高具有保护作用,其机制与它能影响血脑屏障紧密连接蛋白ZO-1表达有关。     

Model of Differential Susceptibility to Mucosal Burkholderia pseudomallei Infection

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, an infectious disease with protean clinical manifestations. The major route of infection is thought to be through subcutaneous inoculation of contaminated soil and water, although ingestion and inhalation of contaminated aerosols are also possible. This study examines infection through the intranasal route in a murine model to mimic infection through inhalation. Two strains of mice, C57BL/6 and BALB/c, exhibit differential susceptibilities to the infection, with the C57BL/6 mice being considerably more resistant. To examine host factors that could contribute to this difference, bacterial loads and cytokine profiles in the two strains of mice were compared. We found that infected BALB/c mice exhibited higher bacterial loads in the lung and spleen and that they produced significantly higher levels of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in the serum than C57BL/6 mice. Although tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1 could be detected in the nasal washes and sera of both strains of mice, the production in serum was transient and much lower than that of IFN-gamma. C57BL/6 mice also exhibited memory responses to bacteria upon reinfection, with the production of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and mucosal IgA antibodies. Thus, it is possible that the production of systemic and mucosal antibodies is important for protection against disease in C57BL/6 mice.     

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with a mutation at codon 148 of prion protein gene: relationship with sporadic CJD

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), the most common human prion disease, includes sporadic (s) and familial (f) forms. Regardless of etiology, both forms are thought to share the pathogenic mechanism whereby the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) converts into its pathogenic isoform (PrP(Sc)). While PrP(C) conversion is thought to be random in sCJD, conversion in fCJD is facilitated by the congenital presence of mutated PrP. Differences in PrP genotype (PRNP) and in conversion circumstances lead to PrP(Sc) with distinct characteristics that elicit different disease phenotypes. Here, we describe a case of fCJD with a substitution of histidine (H) for arginine (R) at codon 148 (R148H) and heterozygosity of the methionine/valine (M/V) polymorphic codon 129, with the 129M allele coupled with the mutation. The disease phenotype and all major characteristics of PrP(Sc) of fCJD(R148H) were virtually indistinguishable from those of sCJDMV2, which has features different from those of any other sCJD. Therefore, despite the differences in etiology, PRNP, and conversion process, the two forms of PrP(Sc) had similar characteristics. Furthermore, comparison of fCJD(R148H) with a recently reported case carrying R148H and homozygosity at codon 129 suggests that codon 129 coupled with the mutation as well as that located on the normal allele can modify major phenotypic and PrP(Sc) features of fCJD(R148H).     

Sensitization of Mice by Inhalation of Antigen After Infection with Bordetella pertussis

Intranasal infection of mice with Bordetella pertussis or injection of pertussis vaccine previous to administration of an albumin aerosol augments sensitivity toward albumin. Sensitization was demonstrated by provocation of anaphylactic reactions following intravenous injection of antigen.     

Human macrophages acquire a hyporesponsive state of tumor necrosis factor alpha production in response to successive Mycobacterium avium serovar 4 stimulation.

Human macrophages (M phi) from most donors respond to inoculation with Mycobacterium avium serovar 4 (M. avium) by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) production, which is of critical importance for proper defense against microorganisms. An initial infection of M phi with M. avium results in an incapacity to accumulate TNF-alpha mRNA after reinfection with M. avium, indicating adaptation to a hyporesponsive state by preexposure of the cells to M. avium. Adaptation to stimulation with M. avium is abrogated by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin. In the presence of prostaglandin E2, indomethacin-exposed, M. avium-treated M phi remain unresponsive to a subsequent M. avium stimulus to increase steady-state TNF-alpha mRNA, suggesting that prostaglandin E2 is instrumental for the adaptation to an M. avium challenge. TNF-alpha mRNA accumulation induced by a second M. avium stimulus in the presence of indomethacin is blocked by the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin. In contrast, the initial M phi response to M. avium is inhibited by staurosporin, an inhibitor of phospholipid Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinases, indicating that the initial and the successive TNF-alpha responses to M. avium are dependent on different mechanisms.     

骨水泥强化椎弓根螺钉固定治疗老年退行性腰椎疾病的疗效观察

目的评价骨水泥强化椎弓根螺钉固定治疗老年退行性腰椎疾病的近期临床疗效。方法回顾性分析2011年6月~2013年5月采用聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)骨水泥强化椎弓根螺钉固定结合后路椎体间植入聚醚醚酮(PEEK)材质椎间融合器治疗老年退行性腰椎疾病30例。所有患者术前骨密度检测均符合骨质疏松诊断(超声骨密度值测定-2.5)。结果 30例患者均顺利完成手术,术中无神经及硬膜损伤,骨水泥无严重渗漏,术后复查X线、CT显示骨水泥分布均匀。随访10~21个月,平均(16±2.11)个月,神经受压症状均得到改善。VAS评分术前(7.01±1.44)、术后6个月随访为(3.00±0.57)、末次随访为(2.23±1.19);JOA评分术前为(9.98±5.64)、术后6个月随访为(17.99±1.41)、末次随访为(18.42±1.47);ODI评分术前为(0.64±0.24)、术后6个月为(0.27±0.07)、末次随访为(0.22±0.09)。三项评分术后6个月、末次随访分别与术前对比差异有统计学意义;术后6个月和末次随访对比差异无统计学意义。末次随访时复查X线或CT显示椎弓根螺钉无松动,椎间融合器无下沉,椎间融合满意,融合率为86.7%。结论使用骨水泥强化椎弓根螺钉能够提高螺钉对伴有骨质疏松的椎体的握持力,防止椎弓根螺钉松动,保证较高的椎间融合率,是治疗老年退行性腰椎疾病一种安全而有效的手术方式。     

Tissue-specific homing receptor mediates lymphocyte adhesion to cytokine-stimulated lymph node high endothelial venule cells.

Lymphocytes bind to high endothelial venule (HEV) cells as the first step in the migration of these cells into lymph nodes (LN) and Peyer's patches (PP). In this study we isolated and cultured HEV cells from rat LN and investigated the effects of cytokines on the adhesiveness of these cells for lymphocytes. The results showed that lymphocytes from thoracic duct, spleen and LN adhered preferentially to the cultured LN HEV cells compared to cells isolated from the thymus and bone marrow. The adhesiveness of LN HEV cells for thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL) was significantly increased in a dose- and time-dependent manner by pretreatment of the HEV cells with tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or interleukin-4 (IL-4). In contrast, pretreatment of HEV cells with IL-1, IL-6 or IL-7 did not alter the capacity of LN HEV cells to adhere lymphocytes. Furthermore, incubation of LN HEV cells with suboptimal doses of TNF and IL-4, IFN-gamma and IL-4, or TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma increased significantly the endothelial adhesiveness. Interestingly, although IL-1 alone did not promote the adhesiveness of HEV cells, the cytokine synergized with suboptimal doses of IL-4 and TNF-alpha to increase the adhesiveness. The adhesion of TDL to non-stimulated and IL-4-stimulated LN HEV cells could be blocked specifically by treatment of lymphocytes with the LN homing-receptor-specific A.11.5 monoclonal antibody (mAb). In contrast, lymphocytes pretreated with the PP-homing receptor-specific 1B.2.6 mAb or the antileucocyte common antigen (OX1) mAb adhered normally to the HEV cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the baseline and cytokine-stimulated bindings between lymphocytes and LN HEV cells are mediated by adhesive mechanisms that regulate lymphocyte migration into LN in vivo and provide strong evidence that cytokines are central mediators of organ-specific lymphocyte migration.     

Crystallization and Melting Behavior of Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)‐Based Blends

Summary: Blends of high molecular weight poly(R‐3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) ( = 352 000 g · mol^?1), comprising of either low molecular weight poly(R‐3‐hydroxybutyrate) (D‐PHB) ( = 3 900 g · mol^?1) or poly[(R‐3‐hydroxybutyrate)‐co‐(R‐3‐hydroxyvalerate)] (PHBV) ( = 238 000 g · mol^?1) with 12 mol‐% hydroxyvalerate (HV) content as a second constituent, were investigated along with the thermal properties and morphologies. After isothermal crystallization, a lowering of the melting temperature of PHB can be observed with increasing content of the second component in the blends. This behavior points towards miscibility of the constituents both in the liquid and the solid state. Crystallization kinetics was studied under isothermal and non‐isothermal conditions. The overall kinetics of isothermal crystallization was analyzed in terms of the Avrami equation. Only one crystallization peak is observed in all cases for the PHB/D‐PHB and PHB/PHBV blends under the conditions studied. This demonstrates co‐crystallization of the constituents. The addition of D‐PHB or PHBV to PHB reduces the rate of crystallization of the blends compared to that of neat PHB. The corresponding activation energies of crystallization also decrease with an increasing concentration of the second constituent. Non‐isothermal crystallization, carried out with different cooling rates held constant, is discussed in terms of a quasi‐isothermal approach. The corresponding rate constants as functions of reciprocal undercooling show Arrhenius‐like behavior in a certain range of temperatures. At sufficiently high undercooling, the rate constants of crystallization for the isothermal process exceed those reflecting non‐isothermal conditions, whereas in the limit of low undercoolings, the rate constants become similar. Ring‐banded morphologies are observed when PHB is in excess. When the respective second component is the major component, fibrous textures of the spherulites develop.

Polarized micrograph of PHB/PHBV 90/10.