Integrins are not involved in the process of human sperm-oolemmal fusion

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether integrins are required forthe human sperm–oocyte binding and fusion processes. METHODS:The expression of several integrin subunits at the human oocyteplasma membrane was investigated using immunofluorescence microscopy,and the functional role of integrins expressed at the humanoocyte surface in sperm–oocyte interaction was studiedusing a zona-free human oocyte binding and fusion assay. A totalof 144 unfertilized oocytes were stained with anti-integrinantibodies and 147 zona-free unfertilized oocytes were inseminatedin the presence of various anti-integrin antibodies that wereexpressed in oocyte plasma membrane. RESULTS: The antibodiesof six integrin subunits (₂, ₃, ₅, ₆, _V, _M) and six integrinsubunits (₁, ₂, ₃, ₄, ₅, ₆) were bound to the surface of fixedunfertilized oocytes. In contrast, the presence of ₁ and ₄ subunitscould not be verified. The human sperm–oocyte bindingwas only partially inhibited by blocking antibodies of ₂, ₃,₅, ₆, _V, _M, ₁, ₂ and ₃ with a maximum of 55% inhibition, butantibodies of ₄, ₅ and ₆ showed no effect on sperm–oolemmalbinding. A similar reduction of the number of fused sperm wasobserved. However, the ratio of fused sperm to total sperm (boundand fused) was not impaired by all integrin antibodies, suggestingthat integrins had no role in the sperm–oolemmal fusionprocess. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that one of thebinding mechanisms can be inhibited by integrin antibodies butthat this mechanism does not play an essential role in the humansperm–oolemmal binding and fusion processes. The othermechanisms, insensitive to integrins, may involve both bindingand fusion processes in human oocytes.     

耳蜗基底膜振动模型的建立与应用

人的耳蜗是一个非凡的感觉器件。它可以分辨出强度差别极其微小和频率非常相近的不同的声音。本文首先通过介绍耳蜗基底膜与听觉结构的生理和解剖特性,然后从数学和物理学的角度分析耳蜗基底膜的结构特性,从而建立了耳蜗基底膜的振动模型。最后应用该模型分析,结果发现本文所建立的耳蜗基底膜振动模型得出的结果与临床解剖和生理实验的结果十分吻合。     

小白鼠腘淋巴结淋巴窦的超微结构

我们观察了幼年小白鼠腘淋巴结淋巴窦的超微结构,窦壁由腔面向外一般出3层构成:(1)一层连续的内皮;(2)由一薄层细胞间质构成的基膜;(3)一层外膜网状细胞及其扁平的突起。内皮细胞核扁圆,异染色质细小,核仁不明显,胞质极薄,含粗面内质网极少,而有大量的吞饮小泡。细胞邻接处相互重叠或嵌合,有20nm宽的间隙相隔。有的地方可见不发达的细胞连接。当巨噬细胞或淋巴细胞穿越内皮时,可出现临时性间隙,内皮边缘与穿越细胞相贴。基膜由电子透明的无定形基质及细的胶原原纤维构成。外膜网状细胞的核异染色质较多,核仁明显,胞质丰富,含许多粗面内质网而很少吞饮小泡。外膜网状细胞之间常见0.5μm宽的间隙。在窦腔内有巨噬细胞、淋巴细胞及星状的网状细胞等。由于小白鼠腘淋巴结的淋巴窦小,故窦内星形的网状细胞很少,其超微结构特点,与外膜网状细胞及淋巴组织内的网状细胞相似,在突起的切面上,常见包有小束的胶原原纤维。巨噬细胞较多,形态不规则,常贴附于内皮细胞表面,核椭圆,常有凹陷,胞质丰富,含许多溶酶体。在取材前1h,于足垫注射中国墨汁的小鼠,巨噬细胞吞噬了大量粗的墨汁颗粒。本文认为,淋巴窦壁可能具有一定的屏障作用。     

Electrical and molecular coupling between sodium and proton fluxes in basolateral membrane vesicles of rat liver

Mechanisms of Na⁺–H⁺ exchange in the hepatocyte were studied utilizing isolated basolateral membrane vesicles prepared by two different methods: Evidence was obtained for the existence of molecular coupling of Na⁺ and H⁺ fluxes (Na⁺/H⁺-antiport) which exhibits saturation kinetics (Km 7 mmol/l Na⁺) and is inhibited by amiloride (1.0 mmol/l). Although the two membrane preparations showed differences with respect to ionic permeabilities, our data suggest that a relatively high H⁺ conductance exists in the basolateral plasma membrane. Hence, electrical coupling of conductive H⁺ and Na⁺ fluxes in the opposite direction could contribute to net Na⁺–H⁺ exchange across the basolateral hepatocyte plasma membrane.     

Low resting potentials in single isolated heart cells due to membrane damage by the recording microelectrode

Single myocytes from adult rat hearts were prepared following the method of Powell and co-workers (9, 10, 11). Low resting potentials (E_m) could be improved by three techniques. (i) Elevation of Ca_o to 7.2 mM which, however, mostly resulted in spontaneity and irreversible contracture. (ii) Pre-incubation in a KB medium (6). (iii) Use of suction pipettes instead of tapered microelectrodes for intracellular recordings (2). It is concluded that low E_m measured previously (11) were due to membrane damage upon microelectrode impalement accopanied by insfufficient healing of the membrane around the electrode insertion.     

The latent membrane protein-1 in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells is found with ubiquitin-protein conjugates and heat-shock protein 70 in lysosomes oriented around the microtubule organizing centre.

Immunofluorescence studies on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid cells have previously shown that the latent membrane transforming protein (LMP-1) is found in patch-like inclusions which also immunostain for vimentin. We now show that EBV transformation causes a major reorganization of intermediate filaments, microtubules, mitochondria, and lysosomal elements, which generally become oriented around the microtubule organizing centre. Immunogold electron microscopy shows that LMP-1 is primarily concentrated in secondary lysosomes together with ubiquitin-protein conjugates and heat-shock protein 70. Intermediate filament inclusion formation with the above characteristics may be a general response triggered by other membrane glycoproteins; as seen, for example, in major human neurodegenerative diseases such as diffuse Lewy body disease.     

二氧化碳血液净化仪实验研究

目的探讨气体传输型二氧化碳血液净化仪在呼吸衰竭(RF)治疗中实施体外膜肺氧合(ECMO)部分循环支持的实验研究。方法建立实验犬的RF模型,用BaxterEF-550血管路连接二氧化碳血液净化仪,股静脉置入双腔单针导管行V-V转流,转流过程中维持血流量200mL/min,氧入通入量4L/min~6L/min,转流开始10min后,分别采集动脉血及膜式人工肺出入端血标本,以后每转流60min分别采集血标本进行血气分析。结果人工肺出入端PCO2可由50.93mmHg±1.62mmHg~63.27mmHg±0.46mmHg下降为1.27mmHg±0.05mmHg~14.07mmHg±1.86mmHg,PO2上升值为371.6mmHg±42.67mmHg~614.6mmHg±50.35mmHg,人工肺出入端PCO2、TCO2、PO2、SO2、O2-C变化均有显著性差异(P<0.01)。转流60min,实验犬体动脉血PaO2从39.6mmHg,升高为56.7mmHg±2.36mmHg,PCO2由52.8mmHg下降为50.4mmHg±0.53mmHg。结论二氧化碳血液净化仪有良好的二氧化碳血液净化和氧传输双重性能;二氧化碳血液净化仪的气体传输性能,在0.2L/min流量时,可以使活体实验动物血气发生改变———氧摄入和二氧化碳排出增多,从而简化了ECMO技术并实现呼吸支持的作用,为呼吸衰竭的救治提供一项新的技术和途径。     

Activating effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tanacetum vulgare</Emphasis> L. pectin polysaccharide on ionic channels of neuronal membrane

The membranotropic effects of TVF tanacetan pectin polysaccharide derived from Tanacetum vulgare L. was studied by the voltage-clamp method on isolated neurons of Lymnaea stagnalis mollusk. TVF in concentrations of 0.1-10.0 µg/ml nonselectively activated the outward potassium and total inward (sodium and calcium) ionic currents (slightly dose-dependently and reversibly increased their amplitude by 5–10%) and decreased nonspecific leakage current.Translated from Byulleten Eksperimentalnoi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 138, No. 10, pp. 439–441, October, 2004     

OGD增加小鼠离体海马组织内cPKCβII和nPKCε的膜转位

目的:通过观察无糖低氧(OGD)刺激对小鼠海马脑片内蛋白激酶C(PKC)特定亚型膜转位水平(激活程度)的影响,进一步证实我们在整体低氧预适应小鼠模型上所获实验结果,并为离体海马脑片缺血/低氧预适应(I/HPC)模型建立及后续药物干预实验打下基础。方法:急性分离小鼠海马组织、制备400!μm厚度的脑片,并用无糖低氧(OGD)人工脑脊液(ACSF)模拟缺血/低氧刺激;应用SDS-PAGE和Westernbolt等生化技术,并结合GelDoc凝胶成像系统,半定量检测OGD刺激2、5、10、15和30min后海马脑片内cPKCβII和nPKCε的膜转位水平。结果:OGD刺激可增高海马脑片内cPKCβII和nPKCε的膜转位水平,且这种增高从刺激5min开始持续至30min均有显著差异(P<0.001,n=6)。结论:实验结果进一步证实cPKCβII和nPKCε可能参与脑缺血/低氧性预适应的形成过程,并提示OGD10min作为制备离体海马脑片I/HPC模型的预处理刺激较为合理。     

人颈动脉粥样硬化斑块环氧化物酶-2及Ⅰ型前列腺素合成酶的表达

目的探讨环氧化物酶-2(cyclooxygenase type 2,COX-2)及Ⅰ型前列腺素合成酶(membrane associated prostaglandin E-1,mPGES-1)在人颈动脉粥样硬化斑块中的表达变化及作用机制。方法收集24例人颈动脉粥样硬化斑块标本和10例肠系膜动脉标本做对照组,应用免疫组织化学及逆转录PCR方法测定COX-2及mPGES-1mRNA表达水平,Western印记方法检测COX-2及mPGES-1的蛋白表达水平。比较不同程度动脉粥样硬化组织间COX-2、mPGES-1 mRNA表达水平及蛋白表达水平。结果颈动脉粥样硬化斑块组的免疫组织化学染色检测COX-2和mPGES-1呈阳性表达,斑块组COX-2 mRNA和mPGES-1 mRNA表达与对照组相比上调,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);COX-2及mPGES-1 mRNA上调水平相关(P<0.05);颈动脉粥样硬化斑块的COX-2蛋白表达上调水平与对照组相比差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);颈动脉粥样硬化斑块COX-2、mPGES-1 mRNA及蛋白表达水平与病理损害程度有关,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论COX-2及mPGES-1基因表达水平上调可能是进展性动脉粥样硬化损害的关键因素。