In vitro growth of epithelial cells from mucosa derived from different regions of the gastrointestinal tract

Attempts have been made to culture the mucosa from various parts of the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, using an explant culture method, epithelial cells have been successfully cultured from all major regions of the gastrointestinal tract. The success rate, as judged by outgrowth of epithelial cells for at least 4 weeks, varied with the tissue studied with 19/50 colonic biopsies, 5/11 small intestinal biopsies, 9/12 stomach biopsies and 42/47 gallbladder biopsies yielding outgrowth of epithelial cells. Differentiation of the epithelial cells along the mucus cell pathway could be demonstrated on the monolayer cultures using Periodic acid Schiff or Alcian blue staining. Because the cultures were very heterogeneous and many morphological cell types were present in most cultures, differentiation along the other known differentiation pathways of the gastrointestinal mucosa, such as development of absorptive cells and endocrine cells, could not be excluded.
The problem of bacterial contamination, which has hindered previous studies on tissue from these sites, was overcome by decontaminating the biopsy by soaking in dilute sodium hypochlorite (0.04%).     

脑肿瘤干细胞体外分化过程中的回逆现象分析

目的探讨脑肿瘤干细胞（BTSCs）体外分化过程中的回逆现象，为研究其分化抑制机制奠定基础。方法利用CD133免疫磁珠筛选系统，从肿瘤组织中分离获得的CD133^＋细胞（BTSCs）分成4组进行培养：（1）含10％胎牛血清（FCS）；（2）10％FCS＋丙戊酸钠注射液（VPA）；（3）无FCS＋生长因子；（4）无FCS＋生长因子＋VPA。取不同时间点上的细胞，相差显微镜观察其形态变化：流式细胞术检测与分化相关的标志物、细胞周期和DNA倍体变化；利用免疫激光共聚焦分析与分化相关标志物的共表达情况。结果无FCS条件下培养的BTSCs呈悬浮球状生长，高表达CD133和巢蛋白（nestin），不表达胶质纤维酸性蛋白（GFAP）和β-微管蛋白Ⅲ（β-TubulinⅢ）。G0／G1期细胞占大多数，G2／M期细胞接近0％，DNA都是异倍体，对VPA反应不敏感。含FCS培养的原本悬浮的细胞约4h开始贴壁。均呈圆形。此后逐渐向多形性分化，至7d时分化的细胞部分又返回至圆形。至10d-21d时，有的还能重新恢复球形，并呈悬浮生长。培养3d、7d、10d和21d时，CD133、nestin阳性细胞数先降后升，GFAP^＋和β-TubulinⅢ^＋细胞数始终处于较低水平。含FCS培养液中加入VPA。细胞形态上未见上述的回逆现象，CD133和nestin表达的先降后升现象消失，GFAP和β-TubulinⅢ在第7天以后表达明显升高，但极大部分细胞共表达nestin。而神经干细胞（NSCs）在含FCS培养至10d时，即以GFAP和β-TubulinⅢ表达为主，未见CD133^＋细胞。此外，含血清培养时BTSCs仍以异倍体为主。含少量的G2／M期细胞，加VPA诱导后细胞周期和DNA倍体变化不明显。结论BTSCs在含血清条件下培养出现的多向分化表型不稳定，时有去分化所导致的回逆。加入诱导分化剂VPA培养，虽然能阻止回逆现象出现，并有代表星形胶质细胞和神经元标志物表达上升．但因其共表达nestin而仍属于未完全分化细胞，表明BTSCs分化始终处于受抑状态。     

细胞移植用于心肌修复--细胞心肌成形术的研究进展

由于心肌细胞的增殖能力很低，细胞移植作为一种新的治疗方法用于改善心功能及心肌活力已受到广泛的关注。目前已有胚胎干细胞、骨髓间充质干细胞和内皮干细胞在体外诱导分化为心肌细胞；动物实验中用于心肌移植的细胞有胚胎心肌细胞、造血干细胞、骨髓间充质干细胞、骨骼肌成肌细胞、内皮干细胞、肝干细胞和神经干细胞。其中成肌细胞移植用来改善心肌梗死后的心脏功能，已有临床报道，并取得成功。     

中药安迪对HL-60细胞分化的诱导作用

目的　探讨安迪粉针剂 (Andi)对 HL- 60细胞分化的诱导作用 .方法　采用人早幼粒白血病细胞株 (HL - 60 )为靶细胞 ,分为不加任何药物的对照组 (C组 )、安迪粉针剂 (Andi)组、阳性对照药维甲酸 (RA)组和苦参 (KS)组 ,进行体外培养和诱导分化 ,观测细胞生长曲线、细胞形态、硝基蓝四氮唑(NBT)还原和吞噬能力等指标 .结果　 2 mg· L-1 Andi可显著地抑制 HL - 60细胞增殖 ,使原始细胞分化为中幼以下的成熟细胞 ,分化后的细胞具有 NBT还原能力和吞噬功能 ;Andi为 68.0 % ,RA为 61 .5% ,KS为 59.0 % ,C组还原能力仅6.0 % (P<0 .0 1 vs C) .其形态的改变和吞噬能力与阳性对照药维甲酸 (RA)和苦参 (KS)相似 ,分别为 52 .0 % ,45.5%和56.5% (P>0 .0 5) ;均明显高于空白对照组 .C组吞噬功能仅7.5% (P <0 .0 1 vs C)其 NBT还原能力与 KS相当 (P >0 .0 5) .结论　 Andi对 HL - 60细胞具有显著的诱导分化作用     

Collagen synthesis activities of chondrocytes from histologically distinct zones of chick embryo tibia

Monolayer cultures of 12-day chick embryo chondrocytes from the regions of dividing (zone 1), elongated (zone 2), and hypertrophied (zone 3) chondrocytes in the tibial cpiphyseal growth plate were analyzed for their capacity to synthesize types II, IX, X, and XI collagens. Synthesis of types II and IX collagens was markedly elevated in the zone 2 culture, while type X collagen synthesis was maximal in zone 3. Type XI collagen was synthesized at low rates in all cultures, with some elevation of its rate in zones 2 and 3. In terms of mol percent of total collagen synthesis, types II and IX collagens decreased from zone 1 to zone 3, while type X collagen increased progressively. Thus, the composition of the extracellular collagens produced by the different zones changed markedly during chondrocyte differentiation. In addition, type X collagen was released exclusively into the culture medium, whereas type XI collagen was retained in the extracellular cell-associated matrix. In contrast, types II and IX collagens were found in both the culture medium and the cell matrix pools. Although types II and IX collagens showed similar changes during differentiation, the synthetic molar ratios of these two collagens varied from 3 to 18 in different cultures, suggesting that the synthesis of these two products is not tightly coupled in these cells.     

Protein kinase C agonist and antagonist effects in normal human epidermal keratinocytes

Abstract Several lines of evidence implicate protein kinase C (PKC) in the development of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, tumors which originate from epidermal keratinocytes. To examine PKC in a model relevant to human skin, we exposed normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) in serum-free media to a variety of PKC agonists and antagonists. NHEK PKC activity increased up to 10-fold within the 1st hour of exposure to tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA), and gradually returned to control values within 72 h. TPA-induced PKC activity was enhanced by pretreatment of cultures with protein and RNA synthesis inhibitors. TPA-induced growth arrest and differentiation was antagonized by staurosporine. Down-regulation by bryostatin pretreatment blocked TPA-stimulated differentiation. Our overall conclusion is that activation of PKC in cultured human keratinocytes is required for differentiation. These results are crucial to the analysis of compounds suspected of promoting or inhibiting epidermal tumors.