A liquid-scintillation-based primary standardization of Pb

A new radioactivity solution standard of ²¹⁰Pb has been developed and will be disseminated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as standard reference material (SRM) 4337. This new ²¹⁰Pb solution standard is contained in a 5 mL flame-sealed borosilicate glass ampoule, consists of (5.133±0.002) g of a nominal 1 mol L⁻¹ nitric acid solution, has a density of (1.028±0.002) g mL⁻¹ at 20 °C, has carrier ion concentrations of about 11 μg Pb²⁺ and 21 μg Bi³⁺ per gram of solution, and is certified to contain a massic activity (9.037±0.22) kBq g⁻¹ as of the reference time 1200 EST, 15 June 2006. All of the uncertainties cited above correspond to standard uncertainties multiplied by a coverage factor k=2. The standardization for the ²¹⁰Pb content of the solution was based on 4πβ liquid scintillation (LS) measurements using CIEMAT/NIST ³H-standard efficiency tracing (CNET). Confirmatory determinations were also performed by high-resolution HPGe γ-ray spectrometry, by 2π spectrometry with a Si surface barrier detector of separated ²¹⁰Po, and by 4πβ(LS)–γ(NaI) anticoincidence counting.     

miR-29b介导的TGF-β/Smad信号通路对大鼠肝纤维化进程的影响

目的:初步研究微小RNA-29b(mi R-29b)介导的TGF-β/Smad信号通路在肝星状细胞(HSC)活化中的作用及其对大鼠肝纤维化进程的影响。方法:构建肝纤维化大鼠模型并分离其HSC,同时通过体外获取并鉴定正常大鼠HSC。运用RT-qPCR和Western blot检测以上获取细胞中mi R-29b、TGF-β/Smad信号通路相关蛋白和肝纤维化标志蛋白的变化水平,并通过双萤光素酶报告基因检测系统鉴定mi R-29b对TGF-β1的直接靶向结合情况。结果:随着HSC活化加深,mi R-29b的表达量逐渐减少(P 0. 01),而HSC活性标志物I型胶原蛋白和α-平滑肌肌动蛋白的表达量逐渐增加(P 0. 01)。在TGF-β/Smad信号通路中,Smad2/3/4的表达显著增加,而Smad7的表达明显下降(P 0. 01)。双萤光素酶报告基因检测结果显示,mi R-29b可直接结合于TGF-β1 3’UTR的"UCUCUCCGU"序列,表明TGF-β1为mi R-29b的一个下游靶基因。结论:mi R-29b可参与抑制HSC的活化和迁移,进而抑制肝纤维化进程,而其生物学功能可能是通过直接靶向抑制TGF-β1进而调控TGF-β/Smad信号通路实现的。     

微小RNA-23b-3p通过靶向TGFBR3促进人心房肌成纤维细胞纤维化相关基因表达

目的:探究微小RNA-23b-3p(mi R-23b-3p)对人心房肌成纤维细胞中纤维化相关基因表达的作用及其可能作用靶基因。方法:分离并体外培养房颤患者心耳中原代心房肌成纤维细胞,并用细胞免疫荧光染色实验鉴定;双萤光素酶报告基因实验检测mi R-23b-3p与潜在靶基因转化生长因子β受体3(TGFBR3) 3'端非翻译区(3'-UTR)的结合作用; CCK-8、Ed U染色及Transwell实验检测细胞活力、增殖及迁移能力,RT-qPCR和Western blot法检测TGFBR3及纤维化相关基因的m RNA和蛋白表达。结果:在人心房肌成纤维细胞中过表达mi R-23b-3p不影响细胞的活力、增殖及迁移能力,但可显著增强细胞中纤维化相关基因COL1A1、COL3A1和ACTA2的表达(P 0. 05或P 0. 01)。双萤光素酶报告基因实验显示mi R-23b-3p与TGFBR3 3'-UTR有结合作用。RT-qPCR和Western blot结果证实mi R-23b-3p可在转录水平抑制TGFBR3表达。过表达mi R-23b-3p和沉默TGFBR3均能显著促进人心房肌成纤维细胞中Smad3激活和纤维化相关基因表达(P 0. 05或P 0. 01)。结论:TGFBR3是mi R-23b-3p的作用靶基因,并介导mi R-23b-3p促进心房肌成纤维细胞中纤维化相关基因表达。     

“Dark” (compacted) neurons may not die through the necrotic pathway

Dark neurons were produced in the cortex of the rat brain by hypoglycemic convulsions. In the somatodendritic domain of each affected neuron, the ultrastructural elements, except for disturbed mitochondria, were remarkably preserved during the acute stage, but the distances between them were reduced dramatically (ultrastructural compaction). Following a 1-min convulsion period, only a few neurons were involved and their environment appeared undamaged. In contrast, 1-h convulsions affected many neurons and caused swelling of astrocytic processes and neuronal dendrites (excitotoxic neuropil). A proportion of dark neurons recovered the normal structure in 2 days. The non-recovering dark neurons were removed from the brain cortex through two entirely different pathways. In the case of 1-h convulsions, their organelles swelled, then disintegrated and finally dispersed into the neuropil through large gaps in the plasma membrane (necrotic-like removal). Following a 1-min convulsion period, the non-recovering dark neurons fell apart into membrane-bound fragments that retained the compacted interior even after being engulfed by astrocytes or microglial cells (apoptotic-like removal). Consequently, in contrast to what is generally accepted, the dark neurons produced by 1-min hypoglycemic convulsions do not die as a consequence of necrosis. As regards the case of 1-h convulsions, it is assumed that a necrotic-like removal process is imposed, by an excitotoxic environment, on dark neurons that previously died through a non-necrotic pathway. Apoptotic neurons were produced in the hippocampal dentate gyrus by intraventricularly administered colchicine. After the biochemical processes had been completed and the chromatin condensation in the nucleus had reached an advanced phase, the ultrastructural elements in the somatodendritic cytoplasm of the affected cells became compacted. If present in an apparently undamaged environment such apoptotic neurons were removed from the dentate gyrus through the apoptotic sequence of morphological changes, whereas those present in an impaired environment were removed through a necrotic-like sequence of morphological changes. This suggests that the removal pathway may depend on the environment and not on the death pathway, as also assumed in the case of the dark neurons produced by hypoglycemic convulsions.     

香烟辐射水平及所致吸烟者剂量

目的 评估我国吸烟人群因吸烟所致内照射剂量并与其他国家进行比较。方法 收集并分析国内外香烟中²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb辐射水平,推荐主流烟雾中²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb份额,进行我国吸烟者因吸烟所致内照射剂量估算。结果 2015年中国15岁及以上成人现在吸烟者为3.2亿,日平均吸烟量为15.2支;按文献中香烟品牌数量加权的²¹⁰Po /²¹⁰Pb活度均值分别为28.2 mBq/支和39.3 mBq/支;在剂量估算中,²¹⁰Po主流烟雾份额采用模拟装置和志愿者实验结果均值20%,²¹⁰Pb主流烟雾份额采用模拟装置实验结果10%。根据我国日平均吸烟量和现在吸烟者人数估算的我国现在吸烟者年有效剂量为126 μSv·a^-1,集体有效剂量为40746人·Sv。结论 我国香烟中²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb含量约为其它国家香烟的2～3倍,但由于本文采用的主流烟雾份额和²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb剂量转换系数不同于其它文献,所以本文估算的我国吸烟人员吸20支烟所受剂量低于部分国家。     

细胞培养中支原体污染的去除

在运用细胞培养手段的生物学研究和生物工程产品中，支原体污染仍是一个颇为棘手的问题。１１株人的细胞ＳＰＣ－Ａ１、Ｋ５６２、ＨＵＴ－１０２、ＢＴ－３２５、６Ｔ－ＣＥＭ、ＮＫＭ－４５、ＣＮＥ、ＨＬ－６０、ＱＧＹ－７７０１、ＱＺＧ、人羊膜细胞；３株小鼠细胞Ｐ３８８－１、ＹＡＣ－１、Ｐ８１５；１株绒猴细胞Ｂ９５－８；和一株杂交瘤ＱＫＴ３等，已污染了支原体的细胞经ＭＣ－２１０ １μｇ／ｍｌ处理７天，支原体污染     

Transmission of antibodies to Chlamydia Psittaci and Coxiella Burnetii through eggs and “crop milk” in pigeons

Young semi-domesticated pigeons captured or hatched from eggs gathered in Bratislava during 1989–1991 were examined for complement fixing antibodies to Chlamydia psittaci and agglutinating antibodies to Coxiella burnetii. Antibodies to Ch. psittaci were present in 76% of birds younger than 24 h, in 47.7% between 1 and 10 days of age and in 12% of nestlings over 10 days old. Antibodies to Ch. psittaci were also detected in crop milk of 4.1% of 1 to 10 day old birds and in 4.5% of specimens older than 10 days. Antibodies to C. burnetii were not found in juvenile birds under 24 h old, but antibodies against this agent were present in 16.4% birds between 1 and 10 days old and in 18% over 10 days old. Antibodies to C. burnetii were also detected in crop milk collected from crops of 2% of the young birds between 1 and 10 days.