Family-based association study between autism and glutamate receptor 6 gene in Chinese Han trios.

The glutamate pathways are involved in diverse processes such as learning and memory, epilepsy, and they play important roles in neural plasticity, neural development, and neurodegeneration. It has been proposed that autism could be a hypoglutamatergic disorder. Recently, Jamain et al. reported that the glutamate receptor 6 (GluR6 or GRIK2) is in linkage disequilibrium with autism. In the present study, the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and the haplotype transmission were performed to analyze the four SNPs (SNP1: rs995640; SNP2: rs2227281; SNP3: rs2227283; SNP4: rs2235076) of GluR6 in 174 Chinese Han parent-offspring trios. The TDT demonstrated that the two SNPs (SNP2 and SNP3) showed preferential transmission (TDT P = 0.032). The global chi(2) test for haplotype transmission also revealed an association between GluR6 and autism (chi(2) = 10.78, df = 3, P = 0.013). Our results suggested that GluR6 is in linkage disequilibrium with autism.     

An oligonucleotide microarray for the detection of vaccinia virus

Vaccinia virus is a member of the orthopoxvirus group, to which also belongs variola virus, one of the most hazardous pathogens known to man. To establish a model system to detect orthopoxviruses, a vaccinia oligonucleotide microarray is designed, produced and tested. Vaccinia virus is used to test the prepared microarrays. The virus DNA samples in different propagation phases are extracted and hybridised with the oligonucleotide microarray. The results showed that the oligonucleotide microarray can detect vaccinia virus with high specificity and sensitivity.     

磷脂酶C-γ1在人胚胎脊髓中的表达变化

为了了解磷脂酶C-γ1(PLC-γ1)的发育表达变化特点,本研究采用免疫组织化学方法检测不同发育时期的人胚胎脊髓中PLC-γ1的表达及变化。结果显示:PLC-γ1在人胚胎脊髓3周到7个月的整个发育过程中均有表达,在发育早期阳性反应可见于神经管内、外界膜,随着套层、边缘层的形成,神经上皮层、套层中均可见到PLC-γ1阳性反应物,且翼板阳性细胞较基板密集;套层阳性细胞在8、9周时达到高峰,随后开始逐渐减少。3个月时边缘层出现散在的阳性细胞,并随着脊髓的发育而逐渐增多。以上结果提示,PLC-γ1及其与PLC-γ1相关的细胞信号通路对人胚胎脊髓的发育可能发挥了重要的生物学作用。     

糖皮质激素受体对大鼠中性粒细胞粘附的影响

本文通过Percoll梯度离心法分离获得大鼠中性粒细胞(PMNS)后,采用PMNS与玻璃珠粘附的模型,通过给予Dex及糖皮质激素受体(GR)阻断剂Mifepristone(RU_(38486))研究大鼠PMNS粘附过程中GR的作用。结果显示,Dex可以明显抑制PMNS的粘附,其作用随着Dex浓度的增大而增强;单纯给予不同浓度的RU_(38486)未发现明显的PMNS粘附增强,说明RU_(38486)本身对离体的PMNS粘附没有明显的作用;若同时给予Dex和RU_(38486),则Dex抑制PMNS粘附的作用逐渐减小,直至完全逆转。该结果强烈提示:糖皮质激素(GC)具有抑制PMNS粘附的作用,其作用是通过GR介导的,当GR被阻断时,这一抑制作用减弱,甚至消失。     

Aging effects on spatial tuning of hippocampal place cells in mice

One reason the electrophysiological correlates of hippocampal neurons are of interest is the possibility that they reflect their representational properties, presumably spatial/relational ones. Stable spatial representations, based on activity of ensembles of hippocampal place cells, initially develop through a series of short-episodic spatial tunings. Hence these short-episodic spatial tunings are important for understanding the establishment of stable place fields. Studies of age-related changes in place cell activities traditionally focus on place fields. In the present study, we characterized the short-episodic spatial tunings (1-min bins) of hippocampal CA1 place cells of freely moving mice in a familiar cylinder arena, and compared these functions in young and old mice. Spatial tuning was expressed by spatial selectivity, which we found fluctuated across a 16-min recording session in both young and old mice. High spatial selectivity, which is mainly due to the low firing of a place cell out of the place field in young mice, was significantly higher in old mice. The high firing rate out of the place field was the main factor contributing to significantly lower spatial selectivity in old mice. In addition, young mice showed a broad peak in the spatial selectivity between 4 and 10 min. In contrast old mice showed no peak in the spatial selectivity during this time period. The stability of place fields after a 24-h interval was also lower in old mice than in young mice. The low spatial tuning and unstable place fields suggest that a hippocampal-based spatial representation was impaired in the old mice. Furthermore, we speculate that the age-related impairment in hippocampal inhibition system may be involved in the impaired spatial representation of hippocampal CA1 place cells in old mice. Electronic Publication     

人血浆高密度脂蛋白对大鼠内毒素血症的治疗及防护作用研究

目的:观察人血浆高密度脂蛋白(HDL)对大鼠内毒素血症的治疗和防护效果。方法:采用鲎试剂法和放射免疫分析法于3个时点动态测定对照组、治疗组和防护组大鼠血浆内毒素(ET)水平和肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)浓度并观察血压及存活时间。结果:①输注ET后对照组大鼠血压进行性下降(P<0.01);治疗组大鼠输注HDL后其血压虽也降低但下降程度明显弱于对照组(P<0.01);防护组大鼠在输注ET后血压无明显下降(P>0.05)。治疗组及防护组大鼠存活时间均明显长于对照组(P<0.01)。②3组大鼠血浆ET水平在各时点均无明显变化(P>0.05)。③治疗组及防护组大鼠血浆TNFα水平于第3时点均明显降低(P>0.05)。结论:人血浆HDL能减轻或抑制内毒素血症大鼠血压下降并明显延长其存活时间,对内毒素血症具有良好的治疗和防护作用,此作用可能与其抑制TNF释放有关。     

淋巴结血管内T细胞淋巴瘤1例报道及文献复习

目的　探讨血管内淋巴瘤 (IVL)的临床病理特征。方法　对 1例腹股沟淋巴结IVL临床、病理组织学及免疫表型进行观察分析并复习文献。结果　男性 31岁 ,不明原因高热伴消瘦 5 0天 ,右腹股沟直径 1cm淋巴结 1枚 ,B超示肝脏轻度增大 ,血LDH明显升高伴ESR及转氨酶轻度升高 ,外周血WBC 3 3× 10 7/L ,骨髓像、多种病原及各肿瘤相关抗原检测均无异常。病理活检 :腹股沟淋巴结大部分破坏 ,代之以大量扩张的中小血管 ,腔内充满大量异型淋巴样细胞 ,局部伴管壁、管周浸润并累及结外脂肪组织。瘤细胞免疫表型CD4 5、CD4 5RO、CD3阳性 ,CK、CD6 8、CD79α、CD2 0均阴性 ,血管壁及内皮细胞CD31、CD34阳性。行CHOP化疗后症状缓解 ,现仍在随访中。结论　IVL是一罕见的非霍奇金淋巴瘤 ,好发于中枢神经系统及皮肤 ,其他部位少见 ,绝大数为B细胞型 ,T型罕见 ,以浅表淋巴结活检确诊者尚无报道。临床表现有一定提示性 ,确诊靠组织病理学检查 ,部分病例对化疗敏感 ,但多数病例预后差     

人白细胞介素18(hIL-18)的纯化及生物学活性的鉴定

目的：在大肠杆菌中高效表达重组人IL-18(rhIL-18)蛋白，制备具有高纯度、高活性的rhIL-18。方法：用IFTG诱导重组蛋白表达载体pKK223-3／hIL-18进行蛋白表达；菌体经超声破碎分离包含体，并对包含体进行洗涤、变性和复性处理，用DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B阴离子交换柱纯化复性的rhIL-18；以人外周血单核淋巴细胞，通过T细胞增殖实验、^125I-UdR标记的细胞毒实验、ELISA方法检测细胞因子的产生量等方法，测定rhIL-18的生物学活性。结果：在大肠杆菌中成功地诱导、表达了rhIL-18，SDS-PAGE凝胶电泳分离显示在分子量大约18．3kD处有一诱导蛋白带，Western blot证明表达产物与抗IL-18单克隆抗体有特异性免疫反应；表达产物经纯化后纯度达94％；表达的rhIL-18蛋白具有促进T细胞增殖、增强NK细胞细胞毒作用及诱导外周血单核淋巴细胞合成IFN-γ的能力，基本上具有天然IL-18相同的生物学活性。结论：为rhIL-18的获得及为进一步研究其生物学功能提供了一定的条件，并为将rhIL-18用于肿瘤的免疫生物治疗奠定了基础。     

Scanning of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and thyroid hormone receptor alpha (TRalpha) genes in patients with psychiatric diseases: four missense mutations identified in ERalpha gene

Estrogen and thyroid hormones exert effects on growth, development, and differentiation of the nervous system. Hormone administration can lead to changes in behavior, suggesting that genetic variants of the estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and the thyroid hormone receptor alpha (TRalpha) genes may predispose to psychiatric diseases. To investigate this possibility, regions of likely functional significance (all coding exons and flanking splice junctions) of the ERalpha and TRalpha genes were scanned in patients with schizophrenia (113), along with pilot studies in patients with bipolar illness (BPI), puerperal psychosis, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and alcoholism. A total of 1.18 megabases of the ERalpha gene and 1.16 megabases of the TRalpha gene were scanned with Detection of Virtually All Mutations-SSCP (DOVAM-S), a method that detects virtually all mutations. Four missense mutations, seven silent mutations and one deletion were identified in the ERalpha gene, while only four silent mutations were present in the TRalpha gene. Two of the missense mutations in ERalpha are conserved in the six available mammalian and bird species (H6Y, K299R) and a third sequence variant (P146Q) is conserved in mammals, birds, and Xenopus laevis, hinting that these sequence changes will be of functional significance. These changes were found in one patient each with BPI, puerperal psychosis, and alcoholism, respectively. Analysis of the ERalpha and TRalpha genes in 240 subjects reveals that missense changes and splice site variants are uncommon (1.7% and 0%, respectively). Further analyses are necessary to determine if the missense mutations identified in this study are associated with predisposition or outcome for either psychiatric or nonpsychiatric diseases.     

含人基质金属蛋白酶组织抑制因子-1重组腺病毒的构建与体外表达

从人肝癌组织中提取总RNA，RT—PCR合成hTIMP-1的全长cDNA，克隆到腺病毒载体AdEasy系统的穿梭质粒pAdTraek—CMV上，与骨架质粒pAdEasy-1在BJ5183受体菌中进行同源重组，成功构建含hTIMP-1全长eDNA的重组腺病毒载体，经293细胞的包装、扩增，生成含hTIMP-1基因的重组腺病毒AdhTIMP-1并实现体外表达，为进一步研究肝癌浸润和转移机理以及肝癌的基因治疗提供实验基础。