Apoferritin attenuates experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in SJL mice

Ferritin has been shown to attenuate iron-catalyzed oxidative damage in several experimental conditions. Since oxidative damage has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, we tested the hypothesis that ferritin would act to attenuate disease. The experimental design was to increase plasma ferritin levels during the active stage of EAE by giving systemic injections of apoferritin and then compare disease activity between these mice and EAE mice administered vehicle. Additional mice received systemic injections of iron, which induces ferritin synthesis, in order to test the effects of exogenous iron on the disease course. Although plasma levels of ferritin were found to be elevated in both apoferritin and iron-injected EAE mice, only apoferritin treatment resulted in a reduction in disease activity compared to EAE mice given vehicle. The suppressive effects of apoferritin administration suggest that the increase in endogenous ferritin levels that have been previously observed in the cerebrospinal fluid of chronic progressive MS patients with active disease might be functioning to limit the severity and spread of tissue damage.     

人胰腺α-淀粉酶的cDNA克隆和原核表达的初步研究

目的 获得人胰腺α-淀粉酶(AMY2A)基因并进行原核表达。方法 采用基因工程技术,根据人AMY2A基因序列设计并合成特异性引物;从人胰腺组织中提取总RNA,反转录成CDNA第一链;逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)扩增人胰腺AMY2A基因,经BamH Ⅰ和Kpn Ⅰ双酶切、连接并插入原核表达载体pGEX-5T,构建pGEX-5T-AMY2A重组表达载体,在大肠杆菌BL21中异丙基硫代半乳糖苷酶(IPTG)诱导表达AMY2A蛋白。包涵体经尿素变性、复性及谷胱苷肽琼脂糖柱亲和层析纯化、AMY2A酶活性测定和免疫印迹分析。结果 重组质粒测序和酶切结果显示AMY2A基因已正确插入pGEX-5T,重组蛋白、复性及纯化产物SDS聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE)在84 000处有一条明显的蛋白表达条带,AMY2A检测具有酶活性,免疫印迹分析表明重组蛋白具有人胰腺淀粉酶抗原性。结论 作者已克隆并在大肠杆菌中初步表达并获得纯化的谷胱苷肽转移酶(GST)-AMY2A融合蛋白。     

Mechanism of perturbation of integrin-mediated cell-matrix interactions by reactive carbonyl compounds and its implication for pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy

Perturbation of interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) of renal glomeruli may contribute to characteristic histopathological lesions found in the kidneys of patients with diabetic nephropathy. However, the mechanism by which the diabetic conditions may affect cell-ECM interactions is unknown. Existing hypotheses suggest a role of glucose in direct modification of ECM. Here, we have demonstrated that carbonyl compound methylglyoxal (MGO) completely inhibited endothelial cell adhesion to recombinant alpha3 noncollagenous 1 domain of type IV collagen mediated via a short collagenous region containing RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) sequence as well as binding of purified alpha(v)beta(3) integrin to this protein. Specific MGO adducts of the arginine residue were detected within RGD sequence using mass spectrometry. Modification by carbonyl compounds glyoxal or glycolaldehyde had similar but smaller effects. MGO strongly inhibited adhesion of renal glomerular cells, podocytes, and mesangial cells to native collagen IV and laminin-1 as well as binding of collagen IV to its major receptor in glomerular cells, alpha(1)beta(1) integrin. In contrast, modification of these proteins by glucose had no effect on cell adhesion. Pyridoxamine, a promising drug for treatment of diabetic nephropathy, protected cell adhesion and integrin binding from inhibition by MGO. We suggest that in diabetes, perturbation of integrin-mediated cell-matrix interactions occurs via the modification of critical arginine residues in renal ECM by reactive carbonyl compounds. This mechanism may contribute to the development of diabetic nephropathy.     

Estrogen treatment in vivo increases keratinocyte growth factor expression in the mammary gland

Proliferation and differentiation of mammary epithelia are regulated by the combined action of systemic hormones and locally derived paracrine growth factors. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is a potential candidate stromal factor that may participate in the hormonal control of stromal/epithelial interactions. In this study, we have examined the in vivo effect of 17beta-estradiol (E) treatment on KGF expression in mammary glands of peripubertal (5-week-old) and mature (11-week-old) mice. Mice received subcutaneous injections of hormone after which KGF mRNA levels were assayed by ribonuclease protection analysis of mammary gland RNA. E treatment caused a dose- and time-dependent increase in KGF mRNA levels in intact mice from both age groups. Neither 17alpha-estradiol nor progesterone injection affected KGF mRNA levels. Comparison of the relative expression of KGF in parenchyma-free fat pads and in intact glands demonstrated that the basal and E-dependent KGF mRNA levels did not require the presence of mammary epithelium. ELISA assay of KGF tissue content demonstrated that concomitantly with an up-regulation of mRNA, E treatment also increased KGF protein in mammary glands from peripubertal and mature mice. These data show that E treatment stimulates both KGF mRNA and protein expression in mammary stroma in vivo and raises the possibility that KGF has a role in E-regulated mammary gland development.     

Loss of polymeric immunoglobulin receptor expression is associated with lung tumourigenesis

Polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) expression is downregulated in lung cancer, but its implications in lung tumourigenesis remain unknown. We hypothesised that loss of pIgR expression occurs early, and is associated with cell proliferation and poor prognosis. pIgR expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in airways of patients with normal mucosa, pre-invasive lesions and invasive lesions, and correlated with clinical outcomes. 16-HBE and A549 cells stably transfected with pIgR were tested for proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Immunostaining was strong in normal epithelium, but severely reduced in pre-invasive lesions and most lung cancers. Persistent expression was associated with younger age and adenocarcinoma subtype but not survival. pIgR overexpression significantly reduced A549 and 16-HBE proliferation. Growth inhibition was not due to cell cycle arrest, increased apoptosis or endoplasmic reticulum stress, but we observed altered expression of genes encoding for membrane proteins, including NOTCH3. Interestingly, NOTCH3 expression was inversely correlated with pIgR expression in cell lines and tissues. pIgR expression was lost in most lung cancers and pre-invasive bronchial lesions, suggesting that pIgR downregulation is an early event in lung tumourigenesis. pIgR overexpression in A549 and 16-HBE cells inhibited proliferation. Future investigations are required to determine the mechanisms by which pIgR contributes to cell proliferation.     

全硬盘自动播出网络系统探析

介绍了吉安电视台全硬盘自动播出网络系统设计指导思想及系统构成,该系统采用网络技术实现资源共享,采用多级安全措施确保安全播出.     

Introducing managed care in Switzerland: impact on use of health services

The objectives of this study were to assess changes in the self-reported use of health care services after gatekeeping by general practitioners and a global budget were introduced in the health insurance plan for students at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, in October 1992. A random sample of 336 members of the University plan answered questions about their use of health care services during the year before (1992) and the year after (1993) the introduction of managed care. Similar data were collected among a random sample of 300 members of a comparison plan. All participants were 18–44 y old in 1992, spoke French and lived in Geneva. The proportion of insurees who visited specialists decreased by 10% in the University plan between 1992 and 1993 and remained unchanged in the comparison group. The proportion of insurees who visited general practitioners increased by 12% in the University plan and remained unchanged in the comparison group. No effects on the total number of health care visits, on hospitalisations or on use of medications were detected. The introduction of gatekeeping and of a global budget managed by physicians was associated with a transfer of patient visits from specialists to general practitioners.     

Intravenous magnesium sulphate for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: an updated systemic review and meta-analysis

Introduction  

Previous meta-analyses of magnesium sulphate infusion in the treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have become outdated due to recently published clinical trials. Our aim was thus to perform an up-to-date systemic review and meta-analysis of published data on the use of magnesium sulphate infusion in aneurysmal SAH patients.     

保存7天单采血小板的体外研究

本项研究的目的是确定单采血小板可允许保存的条件,包括容积、血小板成分的含量和特殊血小板成分保存袋内的血小板总量。材料和方法 本研究用单采机(COBE Spectra LRS Turbo,version 7,Gambro BCT,Denver,CO)从自愿献血者采集血小板成分,献血者符合 FDA和 AABB 献血标准,并在献血小板成分之前 7天内,没有服用改变血小板成分作用的药物和抗生素。控制每袋血小板成分的浓度和容积,以检测这些变量。悬浮在血浆中的血小板成分保存在特制的PVC合成的塑料袋中,枸椽酸钠抗凝,在22℃温控的恒温箱中震荡8天。