Regulation of peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors in cultured astrocytes by monoamine and amino acid neurotransmitters

Exposure of primary cultured astrocytes for 3 days to 1 μM of either dopamine, serotonin or norepinephrine resulted in upregulation (25–34% increase in B_max) of the peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors (PBRs) labeled with [³H]Ro5-4864. A similar treatment with γ-aminobutyric acid [GABA] caused a 2-fold increase in the affinity (K_d) of [³H]Ro5-4864. The monoamines tested and GABA had no effect on the binding parameters of [³H]PK 11195, another selective PBR ligand. The present study indicates that Ro5-4864 binding sites are susceptible to regulation by specific neurotransmitters and provides further evidence for the distinction between Ro5-4864 and PK 11195 binding sites of the PBRs in cultured astrocytes.     

Pulsed electromagnetic fields alter phenotypic expression in chondroblasts in tissue culture

We hypothesize that pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) alter phenotypic expression of chondroblasts by promoting the production of alkaline phosphatase (AP) and altering the structure of proteoglycans. Chondroblasts from the hypertrophic zone of tibial epiphyses (HC), sternum (SC), and skin fibroblasts (F) were cultured from 16 day chick embryos. Cultures were randomly designated control (C) or experimental (E). E received PEMF for 24 h in a 6 h on, 6 h rest sequence. The controls were in the same incubator shielded by Mu metal. Assays for AP activity were performed and normalized to protein content. Proteoglycan synthesis assay involved labeling with 35S fractionating in a 5% to 20% surcrose gradient determining total protein and chondroitin sulfate content. PEMF showed no change of AP activity on F. A high AP basal activity was found in HC, but was not increased above the control. PEMF increased AP in the SC samples (E/C ratio). The sucrose gradient data showed a shift in peaks for SC only altering the ratio of carbohydrate to protein for the SC. Analysis of carbohydrate and protein indicated that the effect was decreased synthesis or degradation of protein. We conclude that PEMF alters the phenotypic expression of sternal chondroblasts in our in vitro system.     

锌对新生大鼠海马培养神经元生长发育的作用

采用无血清培养的新生大鼠海马神经细胞，观察锌对脑细胞生长发育的作用。结果表明，锌能促进体外培养海马神经元的神经突起生长，突起数增多；神经元的活存数和神经元胞体的直径和面积增加。用流式细胞术分析证明，神经元总蛋白含量增高。本结果提示，锌对海马神经元的生长发育具有促进作用     

人胎儿雪旺氏细胞的体外培养及其纯化研究

本实验用酶消化法从孕１４～１９周人胎儿周围神经中分离培养雪旺氏细胞，结合差速贴壁和阿糖胞苷处理进行纯化，根据Ｓ－１００蛋白免疫细胞化学染色和形态学特征，分析不同时期雪旺氏细胞的纯化程度。实验结果显示：培养４ｄ，倒置相差显微镜下观察，雪旺氏细胞呈典型的双极或三极形，端对端或旋涡状排列，Ｓ－１００蛋白免疫细胞化学染色呈阳性反应，其比例约占９８％；在２～３周内，雪旺氏细胞的纯度维持在８５％～９０％；培养３５ｄ，雪旺氏细胞约占８０％；单纯采用阿糖胞苷或差速贴壁处理，培养３５ｄ，雪旺氏细胞约占７０％；原代培养９２ｄ，传代１１代细胞生长良好。实验结果表明，多种方法联合使用较单一方法所得的纯度高。本方法快速、简便，能为雪旺氏细胞作为移植材料提供足够的来源。     

A VIP antagonist distinguishes VIP receptors on spinal cord cells and lymphocytes

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide which also interacts with cells of the immune system. The paucity of specific VIP receptor antagonists has hampered studies of possible receptor heterogeneity and of VIP function. To aid in achieving these goals, a new VIP antagonist, a hybrid between neurotensin and VIP, has been synthesized. This peptide interacted with VIP receptors on spinal cord cells with an affinity 10-fold greater than VIP itself. In contrast, 1000-fold higher concentrations of the antagonist were required to displace labeled VIP from its receptor on lymphoid cells as compared to VIP itself, suggesting VIP receptor heterogeneity between immune and spinal cord cells.     

丙烯酰胺对大鼠胚胎神经细胞分化的影响

用细胞微团培养法研究丙烯酰胺对大鼠胚胎神经细胞分化的影响。结果表明，当细胞培养物中丙烯酰胺浓度大于６０μｇ／ｍｌ时，可明显抑制细胞分化，表现为细胞集落数目减少，细胞表面突起和集落间神经纤维束减少，细胞形态改变。其半数分化抑制浓度（ＩＣｄ５０）为７５μｇ／ｍｌ，半数存活抑制浓度（ＩＣｖ５０）为９０μｇ／ｍｌ，两者较为接近。认为丙烯酰胺对细胞分化的抑制作用可能被其细胞毒作用所掩盖，其致畸作用不可忽视。     

大鼠骨髓间质干细胞体外分离培养及生物学特性研究

目的：建立大鼠骨髓间质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells，MSCs)体外分离培养方法，并对大鼠MSCs的生物学特性进行研究。方法：分离5～8周龄的大鼠股骨骨髓进行体外培养，取5代以后的MSCs观察形态特征，绘制生长曲线，进行细胞化学染色，并用流式细胞仪检测其表面标志和进行细胞周期分析。结果：大鼠MSCs细胞形态呈长梭形或多边形，细胞生长曲线呈S形，群体倍增时间为30h，细胞化学染色显示碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、过氧化物酶(POX)、苏丹黑B(SB)阴性，而*醋酸萘酚醋酶(α-NAE)与糖原(PAS)阳性，流式细胞仪检测结果显示CD29、CD44、CD90表达阳性，而CD34、CD38、CD45表达阴性；细胞周期分析显示，G0／G1期：79．48％，G2／M期：6．10％，S期：14．42％。结论：本方法分离纯化出的是MSCs，其在体外具有生长稳定，增殖较快的特点，是组织工程研究中良好的细胞来源，也是转基因研究优良的载体细胞。     

Modulators of growth in primary culture of rat proximal tubular cells II

Summary: The present studies assessed the effects of manipulating extracellular sodium (Na) concentration and Na transport on cellular hypertrophy and hyperplasia in primary culture of rat proximal tubular cells. A concentration-dependent effect on thymidine incorporation and protein content was observed with cell culture media Na concentration of 130, 140 and 150 mmol/L. This effect was independent of osmolality (matched with mannitol) and no stimulatory effect occurred if choline was substituted for Na. Cells derived from sham-operated (Sx) animals exposed to a higher media concentration of Na (150 vs 140 mmol/L) had both stimulated thymidine incorporation to 186.8 ± 35.41% (P<0.05) and enhanced cell protein content to 134.7 ± 135% (P<0.05). This effect was more pronounced in cell cultures derived from unilaterally nephrectomized (Nx) animals, being 212.8 ± 31.5% (P<0.01) for thymidine incorporation (P<0.05 vs cells from sham-operated animals grown in high Na media) and 114.4 ± 3.2% (P<0.001) for protein content (P=0.11 vs sham-operated cells grown in similar conditions). the addition of 10^?4 mmol/L ethylisopropyl amiloride hydrochloride (EIPA) to Nx cells in a normal or high Na concentration media resulted in a decrease in cellular protein content to 82.6 ± 6.8% (P<0.05) and 85.5 ± 0.2% (P<0.0001) compared to respective controls. 10^?4 mol/L EIPA in media supplemented with insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) blocked the proliferative response normally seen in response to this growth factor from 156.6 ± 13.7 to 27.5 ± 3.1% (P<0.0001) compared to control. However, the presence of EIPA did not abrogate the hypertrophic response elicited by IGF-1 (cell protein content 128.1 ± 13.1% of control with IGF-1 vs 124.9 ± 12.5 with IGF-1 and EIPA; P= n.s.). Addition of 10^?4 mol/L EIPA to 10% serum derived from either Sx or Nx animals blocked the growth response to the sera, limiting the cellular protein content to 76.6 ± 5.5% (P<0.0001) and 89.7 ± 4.4% (P<0.0001) and thymidine incorporation to quiescent levels of 0.2 ± 0.1% (P<0.0001) and 0.4 ± 0.1% (P<0.0001) compared to respective controls. In summary, rat renal proximal tubular cell growth is influenced by Na concentrations in the cell culture environment and inhibited in the presence of EIPA. This supports a role for altered epithelial transport in the cellular growth response to a number of stimuli.     

Region-specific constitutive gene expression in the adult porcine meniscus.

The knee meniscus exhibits extensive spatial variations in native healing capacity, biochemical composition, and cell morphology that suggest the existence of distinct phenotypes for meniscus cells. Constitutive gene expression levels of appropriate extracellular matrix proteins may serve as useful molecular markers of cellular phenotypes; however, relatively little is known of variations in the gene expression for meniscus cells of different regions of the tissue. The objective of the present study was to evaluate constitutive differences between radial inner and outer regions in gene expression for extracellular matrix proteins relevant to the meniscus. A secondary objective was to determine if these region-specific differences in gene expression are maintained after periods of monolayer culture. The innermost regions of the meniscus were found to constitutively express higher mRNA levels for proteins highly expressed in articular cartilage, including aggrecan, type II collagen, and NOS2. In contrast, the outer meniscus was found to contain higher gene expression for proteins associated with fibrous tissues including type I collagen, and the proteases MMP2 and MMP3. Isolated inner and outer meniscus cells maintained these region-specific gene expression patterns for collagens and proteoglycans during short-term monolayer culture. The results provide new information that suggests the utility of constitutive gene expression levels as molecular markers to distinguish tissue and cells of the inner and outer meniscus.     

恙虫病东方体在无生命培养基内生长的研究

目的　恙虫病东方体 (Orientiatsutsugamushi;Ot)被认为属专性细胞内寄生。特别是制备大量抗原培养难的问题 ,是近一个世纪以来人们渴望解决的难题。为证实是否能在无生命培养基生长。方法　用Vero -E6个单层组织细胞培养OtJL - 90株与标准Gilliam株 ,在合适时取该培养物接种于Ⅲ号无生命固体培养基培养 ,置 36℃ (± 1℃ )培养 18- 2 4h。结果　可见生长一群无色透明或半透明光滑、湿润、圆形或枫叶样小菌落 ,并产生一种难闻的臭味。两种方法培养物分别做了生物学性状鉴定、形态染色、小白鼠致病力、血清学特异性间接免疫荧光检测。各株Ot经两种培养获得培养物特性基本一致。结论　Ot能在细胞内生长也能在无生命培养基内生长 ,解决了Ot大量抗原培养难的困扰。