The serological diagnosis of human clonorchiasis by time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay based on GST2-specific IgG4 detection

Due to its delayed fluorescence of a lanthanide chelate, high accuracy and low background the broad linear range, long fluorescent life-time and large Stoke's shift of europium chelates, the time-resolved fluorescence has been developed for higher sensitive immunoassay. In this article, a simple, sensitive and specific method-time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) was adopted for immunoassay of clonorchiasis, and recombinant glutathione transferases 2 of Clonorchis sinensis (rCsGST2) was used as a diagnostic antigen. To evaluate this novel assay for clinical applications, 409 serum samples were investigated. The diagnostic accuracy of the antigen was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.965, 95 % confidence interval (CI, 0.946, 0.985). To eliminate the random influence of ambient temperature, test parameters, photometric instruments and so on, the cut-off value was expressed as ratios between the fluorescence of sample and that of a well-defined negative control serum, and the deduced cut-off value was 9.3605. At the optimum cut-off criteria, the technique has a sensitivity of 95.80 %, specificity of 93.60 %. And the cross reactivity revealed that its cross reactivity with Schistosoma japonicum, round worm, hook worm, whip worm, and Toxoplasma gondii was 9.3, 8.3, 7.6, 9.8, and 5.0 %, respectively. Kappa score of agreement between TRFIA and microscopic examination of stools was 0.892, P?<?0.05. These combined results showed that our method is feasible and could be used for the clinical determination of clonorchiasis.     

PI3K/Akt信号通路在脓毒症肾脏损伤诱导的自噬中的调节作用*

 目的：研究脓毒症造成肾脏损伤时的自噬情况以及磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶（PI3K）/蛋白激酶B(Akt)信号通路的调节作用。方法：对大鼠盲肠进行结扎与穿刺（CLP）,对肾脏组织切片进行HE染色,并测定血清尿素氮和肌酐。通过Western blotting定量分析CLP大鼠肾脏损伤发生后不同时点自噬相关分子微管相关蛋白轻链3（LC3）Ⅰ/Ⅱ、beclin-1和Akt蛋白磷酸化的表达情况;体外用LPS诱导人近端肾小管上皮细胞株HK-2发生自噬,检测不同浓度LPS和不同刺激时间自噬相关分子LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ和Akt蛋白磷酸化的表达情况;进一步使用PI3K抑制剂、Akt抑制剂和LPS刺激HK-2细胞观察自噬相关蛋白的表达情况及细胞的凋亡水平。结果：同对照组相比,CLP大鼠显微镜下可见肾损伤的典型病理改变,血清尿素氮和肌酐均有上升。CLP肾脏损伤发生后,自噬相关蛋白LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ、beclin-1含量及Akt磷酸化水平均有上升。LPS刺激HK-2细胞后,随着刺激浓度的增加,p-Akt(308)表达量逐渐提高,而LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ及p-Akt(472)的表达量在10 mg/L LPS刺激组最高。随着刺激时间的延长,p-Akt(308)表达量逐渐提高;LC3Ⅰ/Ⅱ表达量同p-Akt(472)在刺激8 h时最高;使用PI3K抑制剂及Akt抑制剂后,LPS诱导的LC3表达显著下调,HK-2细胞凋亡明显增加。结论：CLP肾脏损伤发生时可以诱导自噬发生, PI3K／Akt信号通路在其中发挥重要调节作用。     

移植BDNF和GDNF基因修饰的hMSCs对大鼠大脑中动脉阻塞的影响

 目的：构建脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）和胶质细胞源性神经营养因子（GDNF）基因的非病毒表达载体,用脂质体法转染人骨髓间充质干细胞（hMSCs）,观察其对大鼠大脑中动脉阻塞（MCAO）模型的影响,探索移植转基因修饰的hMSCs治疗脑血管疾病的可行性。方法：构建高效非病毒表达载体,用脂质体法转染获得高表达2种神经营养因子的hMSCs。建立大鼠MCAO模型,建模后24 h经股静脉进行转基因hMSCs移植,并以磷酸盐缓冲液(PBS)和hMSCs为对照。用脑梗死体积计算、体重变化、行为学评测等指标对大鼠脑损伤程度进行评估,通过大鼠脑组织观察和病理切片对脑组织损伤以及细胞的迁移分化情况进行分析。结果：经股静脉转基因hMSCs移植能够提高大鼠MCAO后的感觉运动功能,减小脑梗死体积,与PBS对照组相比有显著差异;与hMSCs治疗组相比,治疗效果较好且稳定。移植的细胞在脑损伤区域有少数存活但未见分化现象。结论：经静脉移植脂质体介导、GDNF和BDNF基因修饰的hMSCs,可促进缺血脑组织的损伤修复,效果较好,为非病毒载体在干细胞相关转基因治疗的应用提供了理论依据。本研究表明,MSCs的作用不依赖干细胞的分化和神经元的替换,而可能与其分泌细胞因子对抗脑损伤并促进神经修复有关,在MSCs中转入特定的外源性神经营养因子可加强这一作用。     

人参皂苷Rg1抑制叔丁基过氧化氢诱导的原代大鼠皮层神经元损伤

 目的：观察人参皂苷Rg1对叔丁基过氧化氢(t-BHP)诱导的原代大鼠皮层神经元损伤的改善作用,并探讨其可能机制。方法：将神经元随机分为正常对照组、10 μmol/L t-BHP组及10 μmol/L t-BHP+10 μmol/L人参皂苷Rg1组,培养24 h。采用MTT检测不同浓度t-BHP处理的神经元活性,神经元三维重建研究神经元平均总纤维长度及总突起数量,免疫荧光检测caspase-3表达水平及免疫印迹方法检测Bcl-2、caspase-3以及磷酸化糖原合成酶激酶3β (pGSK-3β)蛋白表达水平。结果：10 μmol/L人参皂苷Rg1能够对抗10 μmol/L t-BHP引起的原代大鼠皮层神经元活性水平的降低,并且上调Bcl-2及pGSK-3β蛋白表达量,降低caspase-3活化为cleaved caspase-3的水平(P<0.05)。结论:人参皂苷Rg1可能通过提高GSK-3β自身磷酸化从而增强神经元的抗t-BHP损伤能力。     

Human mesenchymal stromal cells modulate T‐cell responses through TNF‐α‐mediated activation of NF‐κB

Although mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess the capacity to modulate immune responses, little is known about the mechanisms that underpin these processes. In this study, we show that immunosupression is mediated by activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) in human MSCs. This pathway is activated by TNF‐α that is generated following TCR stimulation of T cells. Inhibition of NF‐κB through silencing of IκB kinase β or the TNF‐α receptor abolishes the immunosuppressive capacity of MSCs. Our data also indicate that MSC‐associated NF‐κB activation primarily leads to inhibition of T‐cell proliferation with little effect on expression of the activation markers CD69 and CD25. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that the TNF‐α/NF‐κB signalling pathway is required for the initial priming of immunosuppressive function in human MSCs. Interestingly, drugs that interfere with NF‐κB activation significantly antagonise the immunoregulatory effect of MSCs, which could have important implications for immunosuppression regimens in the clinic.     

Lowenstein-Jensen Selective Medium for Reducing Contamination in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Culture

We compared Mycobacterium tuberculosis sputum culture recovery and contamination rates between Lowenstein-Jensen medium (LJ) containing the following decontaminants and LJ alone: (i) PANTA (n = 299), (ii) Selectatab-MB (n = 299), and (iii) penicillin G (n = 234). The contamination rate for LJ alone was approximately 31%, versus 5.0% for PANTA-containing, 2% for Selectatab-containing, and 9% for penicillin-containing media (P < 0.001). M. tuberculosis isolation rates were 9.8%, 17%, 18%, and 12% for standard LJ, PANTA, Selectatab, and penicillin cultures, respectively.     

One-step synthesis of red-emitting carbon dots via a solvothermal method and its application in the detection of methylene blue

The synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) with long wavelengths, particularly the red-emitting ones, has always been the focus of researchers, and a carbon source is critical in this process. In this study, we report the synthesis of red-emitting CDs (CD-tetra) via a one-step solvothermal method with 1,2,4,5-benzenetetramine tetrahydrochloride as a novel carbon source and ethanol as a solvent, and the quantum yield (QY) of CDs is as high as 30.2%. Middle chromatography isolated gel (MCI Gel) column was used to obtain R-CDs, O-CDs and Y-CDs with emission wavelengths at 619, 608 and 554 nm, respectively. It was discovered that these CDs exhibited great differences in their particle sizes and elemental compositions. Moreover, the fluorescence of the CD-tetra could be efficiently quenched using methylene blue (MB). Under optimal conditions, a linear relationship between the decreased fluorescence intensity of the CD-tetra and the concentration of MB was established in the range of 0.05–9.5 μM. The limit of detection (LOD) is 10 nM, suggesting a promising assay for the detection of MB.

Red-emitting CDs was synthesized via a one-step solvothermal method with 1,2,4,5-benzenetetramine tetrahydrochloride as a novel carbon source and ethanol as a solvent. The luminescence mechanism of CDs was studied by MCI gel column chromatography.     

Tea polyphenols and their chemopreventive and therapeutic effects on colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer(CRC),a multifactorial disease,is usually induced and developed through complex mechanisms,including impact of diet and lifestyle,genomic abnormalities,change of signaling pathways,inflammatory response,oxidation stress,dysbiosis,and so on.As natural polyphenolic phytochemicals that exist primarily in tea,tea polyphenols(TPs)have been shown to have many clinical applications,especially as anticancer agents.Most animal studies and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that TPs can prevent and treat CRC.TPs can inhibit the growth and metastasis of CRC by exerting the antiinflammatory,anti-oxidative or pro-oxidative,and pro-apoptotic effects,which are achieved by modulations at multiple levels.Many experiments have demonstrated that TPs can modulate several signaling pathways in cancer cells,including the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway,phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt pathway,Wnt/β-catenin pathway,and 67 kDa laminin receptor pathway,to inhibit proliferation and promote cell apoptosis.In addition,novel studies have also suggested that TPs can prevent the growth and metastasis of CRC by modulating the composition of gut microbiota to improve immune system and decrease inflammatory responses.Molecular pathological epidemiology,a novel multidisciplinary investigation,has made great progress on CRC,and the further molecular pathological epidemiology research should be developed in the field of TPs and CRC.This review summarizes the existing in vitro and in vivo animal and human studies and potential mechanisms to examine the effects of tea polyphenols on CRC.