Intranasal treatment with ovalbumin but not the major T cell epitope ovalbumin 323–339 generates interleukin-10 secreting T cells and results in the induction of allergen systemic tolerance

BACKGROUND: Nasal administration of major peptide T cell epitopes gives contradictory data on the induction of peripheral tolerance. OBJECTIVE: To compare the prophylactic effect of intranasal treatment (INT) on the development of an allergic response, using either ovalbumin (OVA) or its major T cell epitope OVA 323-339 (OVAp). METHODS: BALB/c mice were treated intranasally with OVA or OVAp and subsequently immunized s.c. with OVA. Anti-OVA-specific antibody, T cell proliferation and cytokine responses were analysed. In an adoptive transfer model using OVAp specific TCR transgenic (Tg) T cells from D011.10 mice, in vivo tracking and characterization of transferred T cells in the cervical, inguinal and bronchial lymph nodes (BLN) and in the spleen were determined by FACS analysis. RESULTS: Prophylactic INT with OVA induced T cell tolerance towards subsequent OVA s.c. immunizations, inhibiting OVA specific T cell proliferation, IgE and IgG1 production, in contrast to INT with OVAp, which was unable to induce tolerance. In vivo analysis of transferred OVA-specific TCR Tg T cells showed that INT with OVA induced a preferential activation of T cells in BLN, as opposed to a broad, systemic activation with OVAp. In vivo, OVAp INT led to faster and more sustained cell division cycles than OVA INT. Ex vivo, tolerance to OVA was associated with the generation of IL-10 secreting CD4(+) T cells in BLN of OVA-treated mice only. CONCLUSION: INT with OVA but not with OVAp led to regional (as opposed to systemic) T cell activation and the induction of IL-10 secreting CD4(+) T cells in BLN, potentially critical steps in the induction of T cell-specific tolerance via the nasal route.     

脑利钠肽在评价功能性单心室患者TCPC后心功能中的价值及意义

目的探讨脑利钠肽(BNP)在评价功能性单心室患者行全腔静脉-肺动脉连接术(TCPC)后心功能中的价值及其意义。方法选择2004年4~11月间连续在我科随访的TCPC后患者11例(TCPC组),男7例,女4例;年龄8.2±4.1岁;随访时间2.1±1.6年。按照改良R oss标准对临床心功能评分。采集外周静脉血3m l,用酶标免疫法测定血浆BNP浓度。其中6例同期用磁共振成像(M R I)测定心功能,对BNP做相关因素分析。9人健康儿童作为正常对照(对照组)。结果(1)TCPC组血浆BNP水平为400pg/m l(IQR 200-690),较对照组的110 pg/m l(IQR 90-190)增高(P=0.003);(2)M R I测定结果:TCPC组6例患者舒张期末容量指数为65.76±8.65 m l/m2,收缩期末容量指数为31.90±6.36 m l/m2,心搏出量指数为39.09±11.76 m l/m2,射血分数(EF)为0.52±0.06,心脏指数(C I)为2.38±0.58 L/m in.m2,心肌质量指数为103.49±21.57 g/m2,心肌质量/心室舒张期末容量为1.57±0.24;(3)TCPC组BNP水平与手术时年龄呈明显正相关(r=0.632,P=0.041);BNP水平与上述M R I指标、R oss评分、性别、年龄、脉搏血氧饱和度(SpO2)及主心室类型等因素无关。结论TCPC后近2年神经内分泌系统仍处于应激状态,BNP增高可能与TCPC后特有的血流动力学状态有关;血浆BNP水平不能作为正确评估TCPC后心功能状态的指标。     

背根神经节内P物质、降钙素基因相关肽免疫阳性神经元与阴茎包皮系带感觉信息的传递

目的：探讨背根神经节（DRG）内P物质（SP）、降钙素基因相关肽（CGRP）免疫阳性神经元与阴茎包皮系带感觉信息传递之问的关系。方法：通过荧光金（FG）逆行标记对大鼠阴茎包皮系带内神经末梢的来源作追踪定位，并结合SP、CGRP免疫荧光标记法，研究大鼠DRG内FG标记阳性神经元中SP、CGRP免疫阳性神经元的形态和分布。结果：FG逆行标记结果发现，大鼠阴茎包皮系带内的神经末梢起源于第6腰髓对应的背根神经节（L6-DRG）和第1骶髓对应的背根神经节（S1-DRG）的神经元。对这些神经元分别作SP、CGRP免疫荧光标记后发现，标记细胞大小不等，分别呈深红色和深绿色，沿神经束成行排列或散在分布。FG／SP、FG／CGRP双标记阳性细胞均为中小型，其数量分别占FG逆行标记阳性细胞总数的1／3和1／2，FG／SP／CGRP三标记阳性细胞占FG逆行标记阳性细胞总数的1／5。结论：大鼠L6-DRG和S1-DRG内的SP、CGRP免疫阳性神经元可能参与阴茎包皮系带感觉信息的传递。     

国产重组人脑钠素与硝普钠用于心脏手术围术期处理的对比研究

目的 对重组人脑钠素（rhBNP）用于心脏手术围术期处理的可行性、安全性和有效性进行初步观察，并与硝普钠的作用进行比较。方法 选择择期心脏手术病人22例，随机分为rhBNP组（B组）和硝普钠（SNP）组（s组），每组11例。比较rhBNP与SNP对病人血流动力学和肝肾功能的影响。结果 与给药前和S组比较，B组用药后15、30、60、120和180min各点心输出量增加显著（P〈0．05，P〈0．01）；B组与给药前比较，给药后即刻、15、30和60min时点外周血管阻力下降显著（P〈0．05）；给药后即刻、15和30点与S组比较，下降显著（P〈0．05）。B组肺毛细血管楔压（PCWP）与用药前比较，用药后即刻、15、30、60、120和180min下降显著（P〈0．05，P〈0．01）；与S组比较，给药后30、60、120和180min差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05，P〈0．01）。S组PCWP与用药前比较，用药后60min、120min和180min下降显著（P〈0．05）。B组与输注rhBNP前以及S组比较，平均动脉压、心率和中心静脉压差异均无统计学意义。输注rhBNP后病人24h尿量明显增加。用药过程中以及30d后进行电话随访，未见药物不良反应。结论 rhBNP用于心脏手术围术期处理是可行的，具有改善心功能和稳定循环的作用。     

采用组织芯片技术分析胃癌组织中胃泌素和胃泌素释放肽的表达

目的研究胃癌组织中胃泌素(GAS)、胃泌素释放肽(GRP)的表达及其临床意义。方法采用组织芯片技术制作60例胃癌组织芯片,同时用生物素-链霉菌卵白素检测系统(SP)免疫组织化学方法检测胃癌组织芯片中GAS、GRP的表达。结果60例胃癌中GAS阳性率为30.0%;GRP阳性率为11.7%。中、低分化胃癌GAS、GRP阳性率高于高分化胃癌(P<0.05);印戒细胞癌GAS、GRP阳性率显著高于其他组织学类型胃癌(P<0.05);胃癌GAS、GRP阳性表达与淋巴结转移相关(P<0.05)。结论应用组织芯片大规模高效检测临床组织样本是可行的,具有快速、方便、经济、准确的特点。     

Antimetastatic Activity of Polymeric RGDT Peptides Conjugated with Poly(ethylene glycol)

Polymeric peptides containing defined repetitive or cyclic structures of RGDT sequence, (RGDT)_n (n = 1 to 11) and cyclo(RGDT)_n (n=2 to 4), at a dose of 500 μg exhibited an inhibitory effect on experimental lung metastasis upon co-injection with tumor cells and the magnitude of the effect increased in parallel with the increase of degree of repetition of the RGDT sequence. The conjugation of (RGDT)_n (n = 1, 5, 11) with poly(ethylene glycol), PEG as a polymeric carrier led to enhanced inhibition of lung metastasis in proportion to the degree of RGDT sequence repetition and in a dose-dependent manner. Multiple i.v. administrations of PEG-(RGDT)₁₁, at 2-day and 3-day intervals before the excision of primary tumors, effectively inhibited spontaneous lung metastasis by s.c. inoculation of tumors, whereas (RGDT)₁₁ exhibited inhibition of lung metastasis only when given at 2-day intervals. This indicates that the conjugation of PEG with (RGDT)_n allowed the prolongation of administration interval, implying a sustained inhibitory effect on tumor metastasis. In support of this supposition, a decrease in the arrest of radiolabeled tumor cells in the lungs was observed when PEG-(RGDT)₁₁ was co-injected i.v. with tumor cells, or injected i.v. one day before tumor inoculation. In contrast, (RGDT)₁₁ significantly inhibited the tumor cell arrest in the lungs only upon co-injection with tumor cells. We also noted that (RGDT)_n, cyclo(RGDT)_n and PEG-(RGDT)₁₁ inhibited tumor cell invasion into Matrigel in a concentration-dependent manner and in proportion to the degree of RGDT sequence repetition, indicating that the peptide-mediated antimetastatic effect is partly associated with the anti-invasive potential. Thus, the conjugation of anti-cell adhesive and antimetastatic RGDT peptide with PEG might provide a therapeutically promising basis for the prevention of cancer metastasis (“anti adhesion therapy”).     

The Maillard reaction in demineralized dentin in vitro

The Maillard reaction between carbohydrate and protein has been proposed as a cause of the browning of carious lesions. The aim of the present investigation was to determine the occurrence of this reaction in bovine dentin collagen in vitro and to establish the effect of the reaction on the proteolytic degradation of bovine dentin collagen in vitro. Slices of demineralized bovine dentin were incubated with 0.2 M glucose or buffer for 10 weeks at 37°C. The formation of initial (furosine) and advanced (pentosidine) products of the Maillard reaction in dentin exposed to glucose was confirmed by HPLC. After reduction with NaBH₄ to prevent intermediate Maillard products from further reaction, slices were either degraded with collagenase for fluorescence measurement or incubated with trypsin or pepsin to assess enzymatic degradation. Fluorescence characteristic for the Maillard reaction increased in glucose-exposed slices. Degradation of collagen by pepsin, but not by trypsin, was greatly depressed following glucose pretreatment. This may indicate an altered sensitivity to proteolytic degradation; the Maillard reaction thus has a potential role in caries arrestment.     

Effects of synthetic C-terminal fragment of interferon-2α on Daudi cells

Synthetic fragment of human interferon-2α (124th–138th amino acid residue, laboratory code 2438) inhibits the growth of B lymphocytes (Daudi cell line) in a dose-dependent manner. Radiolabeled peptide 2438 binds to specific receptors on the cell surface and competes with interferon-2α for the common binding sites. Translated fromByulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 4, pp. 446–448, April, 1997     

Attenuation of myocardial injury due to oxygen free radicals(OFR) by pretreatment with OFR or calcitonin gene-related peptide

目的：研究氧自由基（ＯＦＲ）及降钙素基因相关肽（ＣＧＲＰ）预处置对ＯＦＲ所致离体大鼠心脏损伤的拮抗作用．方法：Ｌａｎｇｅｎｄｏｒｆ法灌流心脏，电解ＫＨ液产生ＯＦＲ．结果：ＣＧＲＰ或ＯＦＲ预处置减轻ＯＦＲ所致心脏收缩功能下降，冠脉流量减少和肌酸激酶（ＣＫ）释放增加．蛋白激酶Ｃ（ＰＫＣ）抑制剂Ｈ７可取消ＯＦＲ预处置的心脏保护作用（对照组，ＯＦＲ损伤组，ＯＦＲ预处置组，Ｈ７加ＯＦＲ预处置组及Ｈ７组的ＣＫ释放量分别是１１０±７，２１５±２３，１６９±１４，２４０±３０，１１３±１９Ｕ·Ｌ－１）．结论：ＯＦＲ或ＣＧＲＰ预处置对ＯＦＲ所致心肌损伤具有拮抗作用，该作用与ＰＫＣ激活有关．     

Structure-activity studies of hydrophobic amino acid replacements at positions 9, 11 and 16 of glucagon

We have designed and synthesized eight compounds 2-9 which incorporate neutral, hydrophobic amino acid residues in positions 9, 11 and 16 of the glucagon molecule: (2) [desHis¹,Va1⁹,11e^11,16] glucagon amide, (3) [desHis¹,Val^9,11,16]glucagon amide, (4) [desHis¹,Va1⁹,Leu^11,16]glucagon amide, (5) [desHis¹,Nle⁹,11e^11,16]glucagon amide, (6) [desHis¹,Nle⁹,Val^11,16]glucagon amide, (7) [desHis¹,Nle⁹,Leu^11,16]glucagon amide, (8) [desHis¹,Val⁹,Leu^11,16,Lys^17,18,Glu²¹]glucagon amide and (9) [desHis¹,Nle⁹,Leu^11,16,Lys^17,18,Glu²¹]glucagon amide. The effect of neutral, hydrophobic residues at positions 9, 11 and 16 led to good binding to the glucagon receptor. Compared to glucagon (IC₅₀= 1.5 nM), analogues 2-9 were found to have IC₅₀ values of 6.0, 6.0, 11.0, 9.0, 2.5, 2.8, 6.5 and 7.0 nM, respectively. When these compounds were tested for their ability to block adenylate cyclase (AC) activity, they were found to be antagonists having no stimulation of adenyl cyclase, with PA₂, values of 6.15, 6.20, 6.30, 7.25, 6.10, 7.30, 6.25 and 7.25, respectively. © Munksgaard 1997.