Uptake and pathogenic effects of amyloid beta peptide 1-42 are enhanced by integrin antagonists and blocked by NMDA receptor antagonists

Many synapses contain two types of receptors - integrins and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors - that have been implicated in peptide internalization. The present studies tested if either class is involved in the uptake of the 42-residue form of amyloid beta peptide (Abeta1-42), an event hypothesized to be of importance in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Cultured hippocampal slices were exposed to Abeta1-42 for 6 days in the presence or absence of soluble Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro, a peptide antagonist of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-binding integrins, or the disintegrin echistatin. Abeta uptake, as assessed with immunocytochemistry, occurred in 42% of the slices incubated with Abeta peptide alone but in more than 80% of the slices co-treated with integrin antagonists. Uptake was also found in a broader range of hippocampal subfields in RGD-treated slices. Increased sequestration was accompanied by two characteristics of early stage Alzheimer's disease: elevated concentrations of cathepsin D immunoreactivity and activation of microglia. The selective NMDA receptor antagonist D-(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate completely blocked internalization of Abeta, up-regulation of cathepsin D, and activation of microglia. Our results identify two classes of receptors that cooperatively regulate the internalization of Abeta1-42 and support the hypothesis that characteristic pathologies of Alzheimer's disease occur once critical intraneuronal Abeta concentrations are reached.     

放线菌素D/TNF-α诱导大鼠肝干细胞凋亡及HGF的拮抗作用

目的 研究TNF-α、肝细胞生长因子(HGF)在肝干细胞的增殖、分化调控及凋亡中的作用。方法 用大鼠肝干细胞系WB F-344细胞进行实验，用MTT法检测细胞毒作用；用DNA凝胶电泳及流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡；用Western blot方法检测磷酸化MAPK及PI3K蛋白的表达。结果 发现TNF-α单独对WB F-344细胞无明显作用；而TNF-α对放线菌素D(ActD)致敏的WB F-344细胞有明显细胞毒作用。进一步，发现TNF-α能够诱导ActD致敏的WB F-344细胞发生凋亡，在作用9h即出现细胞凋亡(13．60％)，48h达高峰(51％)，并且这种凋亡呈剂量效应关系。我们还发现，HGF可以明显拮抗ActD／TNF-α诱导的WB F-344细胞凋亡，并且呈剂量效应关系。Western blot结果显示，HGF刺激后，磷酸化MAPK蛋白高表达，表明HGF激活了MAPK途径。我们进一步用PI3K特异的抑制剂WT阻断PI3K途径，发现HGF的抗凋亡作用被阻断；然而，用MAPK特异抑制剂U0126阻断MAPK途径后，却并不影响HGF的抗凋亡作用。结论 TNF-α能诱导ActD致敏的肝干细胞发生凋亡，而HGF则对这种细胞凋亡有明显的拮抗作用；虽然HGF能够激活PI3K及MAPK 2条途径，但其抗凋亡作用是由PI3K途径传导的。     

Prefrontal modulation of tactile responses in the ventrobasal thalamus of rats

Prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been implicated in modulation of sensory information processing in somatosensory cortex. However, it remains unclear whether or not PFC regulates sensory information in thalamus. In the present study, the effect of PFC stimulation on tactile responses of neurons in the ventrobasal thalamus (VB) of the rat was investigated by single-unit recording. PFC stimulation significantly enhanced the signal-noise ratio (tactile responses/background activities) in 16 out of 66 VB neurons (24.2%) that had receptive fields in fore or hind limbs. Such changes can be classified into three different categories: (1) PFC stimulation not only increased the tactile responses, but also suppressed the background activities of neurons (six neurons, 9.1%); (2) PFC stimulation only increased the tactile responses of neurons (five neurons, 7.6%); (3) PFC stimulation only suppressed the background activities of neurons (five neurons, 7.6%). Our results suggest that PFC also modulates somatosensory information at the thalamic level.     

人工髓核材料-聚乙烯醇水凝胶/聚乙烯纤维复合物的生物相容性研究*

目的评估人工髓核材料聚乙烯醇水凝胶/聚乙烯纤维复合物的生物相容性。方法根据ISO10993-1标准,采用细胞毒性试验(琼脂扩散法)、皮内刺激试验、Ame's致突变试验、微核试验和体内植入(360天)试验对聚乙烯醇水凝胶/聚乙烯纤维复合物的生物相容性进行评估。结果聚乙烯醇水凝胶/聚乙烯纤维复合物的细胞毒性评分小于Ⅰ级,细胞生长无明显抑制现象,对皮内无刺激作用,Ames致突变试验为阴性,微核出现率为3.48‰,无致突变反应。体内植入符合植入材料生物学评价要求。结论聚乙烯醇水凝胶/聚乙烯纤维复合物具有良好的生物安全性,是一种无毒、对皮肤及肌肉、椎间隙无刺激作用的生物医用材料,在动物体内不引起排异反应,可应用于临床。     

聚醚型聚氨酯材料表面纤维蛋白原的吸附性研究

本文采用放射性同位素标记的方法研究了嵌段聚醚型聚氨酯在纯纤维蛋白原溶液中和稀释血浆中的表面纤维蛋白原吸附性规律，考察了聚醚型聚氨酯的特性粘数及溶液体系中的ＮａＣｌ浓度对材料表面纤维蛋白原吸附性的影响，结果表明，随着聚合物特性粘数的增大，材料表面的纤维蛋白原吸附量呈降低的趋势；溶液体系中盐浓度的降低导致纤维蛋白原凝固性增强，在纯纤维蛋白原溶液中，材料表面纤维蛋白原的吸附量相应增多，而在稀释血浆中，纤维蛋白原的吸附量相应减少，在达到最低值后又有上升的趋向，表明纤维蛋白原在材料表面的吸附还受血浆中其它大分子的影响。     

复方中药注射液对小白鼠艾氏腹水癌细胞膜表面的(Na~+-K~+)-ATP酶和微绒毛影响的电镜观察

本实验应用电镜细胞化学和扫描电镜技术,观察到小白鼠艾氏腹水癌细胞在复方中药注射液的连续作用下,膜表面(Na~+-K~+)-ATP酶活性减弱,微绒毛减退等变化,同时观察到该复方中药注射液对癌细胞增殖的抑制作用,抑瘤率可达87%,癌细胞增殖和(Na~+-K~+)-ATP酶活性及微绒毛的多少有平行关系。讨论了该复方中药抑制癌细胞增殖与膜表面(Na~+-K~+)-ATP酶活性和微绒毛变化的关系。     

内皮型、诱导型一氧化氮合酶在乳腺癌中的表达

目的 :研究内皮型一氧化氮合酶 (eNOS)、诱导型一氧化氮合酶 (iNOS)在乳癌中表达及与淋巴结转移的关系。方法 :采用免疫组化S P法检测 60例乳癌中eNOS和iNOS的表达。结果 :eNOS和iNOS阳性在乳癌中表达率分别为 75 0 %和71 7%。在淋巴结转移组和无淋巴结转移组中eNOS阳性表达率分别为 66 7%和 83 3 % ,两组间差异无统计学意义 (χ2 =2 2 2 ,P >0 0 5) ,而iNOS在淋巴结转移和无转移组中阳性表达率分别为 53 3 %和 90 0 % ,两组间差异有统计学意义 (χ2 =9 93 ,P <0 0 1 )。结论 :内皮型、诱导型一氧化氮合酶在乳腺癌中高表达 ;iNOS的表达与乳腺癌的淋巴转移相关     

新生鼠脑损伤后松果体细胞的一氧化氮合酶与细胞凋亡关系的初步研究

为了探讨新生鼠发生缺氧缺血性脑损伤时松果体细胞的诱生型一氧化氮合酶 ( i NOS)表达与松果体细胞凋亡及形态学改变的关系 ,用 7日龄新生 Wistar大鼠 ,结扎左侧颈总动脉 ,术后 2 h吸入 8%浓度氧 2 h,建立新生儿缺氧缺血性脑病模型( HIBD)。分别于建模后 0 h、2 4h、48h处死动物 ,剥取松果体 ,观察松果体细胞的 i NOS表达及细胞凋亡 ,电镜观察松果体形态学改变。结果表明 :( 1)新生鼠脑损伤后松果体的 i NOS在 0 h、2 4h含量与对照组相比明显升高 ;( 2 )脑损伤后松果体凋亡细胞早期明显增多 ,尤以 0 h、2 4h为主 ;( 3)电镜观察 :脑损伤后松果体的形态学也以 0 h、2 4h改变为明显 ,出现线粒体明显肿胀、粗面内质网极度扩张、细胞变性。提示 :( 1)新生鼠缺氧缺血性脑损伤后 0 h、2 4h松果体细胞的 i NOS表达增加 ,以后逐渐下降 ,48h表达减少。 ( 2 ) TUNEL法原位检测细胞凋亡与 i NOS表达同步改变 ,i NOS表达对细胞凋亡有促进作用。 ( 3) i NOS表达和细胞凋亡参与了新生鼠缺氧缺血性脑损伤后松果体细胞形态学改变     

Rats fed only during the light period are resistant to stress-induced weight loss

Repeated restraint stress (3 h/day for 3 days) causes a chronic down-regulation of body weight in rats. This study determined whether weight loss was influenced by the time of day that rats had access to food or that stress was applied. Groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a 40% kcal fat diet with food given ad libitum, only during the light phase or only during the dark phase. After 2 weeks of adaptation, rats within each feeding treatment were divided into four groups. One was exposed to repeated restraint at the start of the light phase, another was restrained at the start of the dark phase and the remaining groups were nonstressed controls for restrained rats. Body weight was significantly reduced in ad libitum- and dark-fed restrained rats, compared with nonstressed controls, from Day 2 of restraint, regardless of the time of day that they were stressed. There was no significant effect of restraint on weight change of light-fed rats. Food intake was inhibited by stress in ad libitum- and dark-fed rats, but it was not changed in light-fed rats. Serum corticosterone was increased by restraint in all rats irrespective of feeding schedule. This study demonstrates that stress-induced weight loss only occurs when rats have food available during their normal feeding period (dark phase) and is not determined by increased corticosterone release.     

Linkage Disequilibrium and Haplotype Architecture for two ABC Transporter Genes (ABCC1 and ABCG2) in Chinese Population: Implications for Pharmacogenomic Association Studies

Information about linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns and haplotype structures for candidate genes is instructive for the design and analysis of genetic association studies for complex diseases and drug response. ABCC1 and ABCG2 are genes coding for two multidrug resistance (MDR) associated transporters; they are also related to some pathophysiological traits. To pinpoint the LD profiles of these MDR genes in Chinese, we systemically screened 27 unrelated individuals for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the coding and regulatory regions of these genes, and thereby characterized their haplotype structures. Despite marked variations in haplotype diversity, LD pattern and intragenic recombination intensity between the two genes, both loci could be partitioned into several LD blocks, in which a modest number of haplotypes accounted for a high fraction of the sampled chromosomes. We concluded that each locus has its own genomic LD profile, but that they still share a common segmental LD architecture with low haplotype diversity. Our data will benefit genetic association studies of complex traits and drug response possibly related to these genes.