Microsatellite Genotyping for Four Expected Inbred Mouse Strains from KM Mice

Chinese Kun Ming （KM） mouse, an outbreed strain of laboratory animal, has been widely utilized in related pharmaceutical and genetic studies throughout China. However, the value of KM mice to the research community has been severely limited, partially due to the fact that well-characterized inbred strain of KM mice is not available. Several expected inbred strains from KM mice have been bred, but their genetic purity remains uncertain. In this study, four expected inbred strains of KM mice （A1, T2, N2, and N4） were chosen and their inbred degree were compared with two classical inbred mouse lines （BALB/c and C57BL/6） by analyzing the genotypes of about 30 microsatellite markers. In the four strains, A1 and N4 were homozygous at all genotyped loci, but N2 and T2 were only heterozygous at locus D15Mit16. These results indicate that the level of genetic purity/homozygousity of A1, N4, N2, and T2 inbred line is comparable to those of BALB/c and C57BL/6. This study provided the first and solid evidence for genetic purity of four expected inbred strains of KM mice. These 4 inbred mice strains should be well maintained for further characterization and utilization in genetic studies.

Morphine analgesia in male inbred genetic diversity mice recapitulates the among-individual variance in response to morphine in humans

Morphine is a widely used analgesic, but its use in clinical precision medicine is limited by the variance in response among individuals. Although previous studies have shown that individual differences in morphine can be explained in terms of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, genetic polymorphisms also play an important role. However, the genetic basis of different sensitivity and tolerance susceptibility to morphine remains ambiguous. Using 15 strains of inbred Genetic Diversity(GD) mice,a new resource with wide genetic and phenotypic variation, we demonstrated great variance in sensitivity to morphine analgesia and susceptibility to morphine tolerance between different GD strains. Among-i ndividual variance in response to morphine analgesia in the population can be modeled in GD mice. Two loci respectively may be associated with the among-i ndividual variance in morphine sensitivity and tolerance,confirming the role of genetic factors in among-i ndividual different responses to morphine. These results indicate that GD mice may be a potential tool for the identification of new biomarkers to improve the clinical administration of morphine.

ESTABLISHMENT OF A MAMMARY CANCER CELL LINE Ca 761-86 AND ITS BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN INBRED 615 MICE

A cell line designated as Ca 761-86 has been established from the solid mouse mammary cancer (Ca 761) by suspension culture. It has been passaged for more than 212 generations. Moderate round cells were predominant and most of them were mononuclear. Some characteristics of malignant cells and A-type viral-like particles were observed by electron microscopy. The results of cytochemical studies (DNA, RNA, SDH, 5' AMPase, ACP etc.) were comparable to the ultramicroscopic results. It multiplied approximately 27.4 fold on day 5 with mitotic index reaching 1.8% on day 3. This cell line was a hyperdiploid with karyotype of 45 or 45, -2X, tril2, tri17, +M1-5. Cell agglutination was observed when treated with ConA (≥7 fig, ml). Spontaneous agglutination might also take place without adding any ConA. After 5×106 cells of Ca 761-86 suspension were transplanted into the normal inbred 615 mice by different ways (subcutan eous, intrafoot-pad or intraperitoneal), the transplan lability rate reached 100%. Spontaneous remission was never observed and its metastatic ability reserved. PPLO were not detected. Ca 761-86 may be of value for practical purposes.

Screening for urinary markers predicting hematopoietic stem cell injury induced by busulfan using genetically diverse mice

Background:Busulfan(BU)is an alkylating agent used as a conditioning agent prior to hematopoietic stem cell(HSC)transplantation as it is known to be cytotoxic to host hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.The susceptibility of HSCs to BU injury plays an important role in the myeloablative efficacy of BU.Different susceptibilities were demonstrated in genetically diverse(GD)mice in our preliminary research.Methods:Three strains of GD mice with different susceptibilities to BU-i nduced HSC injury were used for screening biological markers of HSC injury susceptibility in urine.The urine proteins were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to screen for differentially expressed proteins.Screening for possible biomarkers based on differences in protein expression abundance was validated using enzyme-l inked immunoassay(ELISA).Results:Functional analysis showed that the differential proteins were all involved in a series of biological pathways related to cellular senescence,apoptosis,and angiogenesis;whereas the differential proteins of the high-susceptible strain were enriched for the regulation of bone marrow microenvironment pathways,those of low-susceptible strain were enriched for the proapoptotic effect of GTPase pathways.Based on protein abundance differences,several urinary proteins that may be indicative of susceptibility were screened,and ELISA validation results showed that angiotensin-converting enzyme may be a potential biomarker predicting HSC susceptibility for BU conditioning.Conclusions:This study indicates that urinary protein levels can reflect differences in susceptibility to BU-i nduced HSC injury.Using GD mice to construct genetic difference models will provide preclinical data for screening BU-related biological markers.

Antihepatoma effect of alpha-fetoprotein antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides in vitro and in mice

AIM: To evaluate antihepatoma effect of antisense phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides (S-ODNs) targeted to alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) genes in vitro and in nude mice. METHODS: AFP gene expression was examined by immunocytochemical method or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Effect of S-ODNs on SMMC-7721 human hepatoma cell growth in vitro was determined using microculture tetrazolium assay. In vitro antitumor activities of S-ODNs were monitored by measuring tumor weight differences in treated and control mice bearing SMMC-7721 xenografts. Induction of cell apoptosis was evaluated by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis. RESULTS: Antisense S-ODN treatment led to reduced AFP gene expression. Specific antisense S-ODNs, but not control S-ODNs, inhibited the growth of hepatoma cells in vitro. In vitro, only antisense S-ODNs exhibited obvious antitumor activities. FACS analysis revealed that the growth inhibition by antisense S-ODNs was associated with their cell apoptosis induction. CONCLUSION: Antisense S-ODNs targeted to AFP genes inhibit the growth of human hepatoma cells and solid hepatoma, which is related to their cell apoptosis induction.

Protective effects of cyclosporine A on T-cell dependent ConA-induced liver injury in Kunming mice

INTRODUCTIONThe T-cell dependent specific liver injury in mice induced by concanavalin A(ConA) is a newly cstablished experimental liver injury model,which is considered more eligible for the study on pathophysiology of several human liver discascs,such as viral hepatitis and autommune hepatitis[1-9].T cell activation and several cytokines release had been proven to play a critical role in ConA -induced liver injury[10-19].Cyclosprine A(CsA),an effective inhibitor of activation of T lymphocytc,hes been used widely in clinical treatment,especially in autoimmune diseases and organ transplantation[20-25].In this study,we investigated the possible effect of CsA on ConA-induced liver injury in Kunning mice.

Molecular mechanism about lymphogenous metastasis of hepatocarcinoma cells in mice

AIM: To investigate the correlation between lymphogenous metastasis and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity and the expression of Fas ligand of tumor cells in lymph nodes. METHODS: Fifty-six inbred 615-mice were equally divided into 2 groups and inoculated with Hca-F and Hca-P cells. Their lymph node metastatic rates were examined. Growth fraction of lymphocytes in host lymph nodes was detected by flow cytometry. The Hca-F and Hca-P cells were cultured with extract of lymph node, liver or spleen. The quantity of MMPs in these supernatants was examined by zymographic analysis. The expression of Fas ligand, PCNA, Bcl-2 protein of Hca-F and Hca-P cells in the mice were examined by immunohistochemistry. The apoptosis signals of macro-phages in lymph nodes were observed with in situ DNA fragmentation. RESULTS: On the 28th day post-inoculation, the lymph node metastatic rate of HcaF was 80%(16/20), whereas that of Hca-P was 25%(5/20). The growth fraction of lymphocytes was as follows: in the Hca-F cells, the proliferating peak of lymphocytes appeared on the 14th day post inoculation and then decreased rapidly, while in HcaP cells, the peak appeared on the 7th day post inoculation and then kept at a high level. With the extract of lymph node, the quantity of the MMP-9 activity increased (P【0.01) and active MMP-9 and MMP-2 were produced by both Hca-F and Hca-P tumor cells, which did not produce MMPs without the extract of lymph node or with the extracts of the liver and spleen. The expression of Fas Ligand of Hca-F cells was stronger than that of Hca-P cells (P 【0.01). The expressions of PCNA and Bcl-2 protein of Hca-F cells in the tumors of inoculated area were the same as that of Hca-P cells. In situ DNA fragmentation showed that the positive signals of macrophages were around Hca-F cells. CONCLUSION: Secretion of MMPs which was associated with metastatic ability of Hca-F and Hca-P tumor cells depends on the environment of lymph nodes. The increased expression of Fas ligand protein of Hca-F tumor cells with high lymphogenous metastatic potential in lymph nodes may help tumor cells escape from being killed by host lymphocytes.

Purification of heat shock protein 70-associated tumor peptides and their antitumor immunity to hepatoma in mice

AIM:To purify the heat shock protein (HSP) 70-associated tumor peptides and to observe its non-MHC-I molecule restrictive antitumor effect.METHODS:By ConA-sepharose affinity chromatography,ADP-agarose affinity chromatography, and DEAE anion exchange chromatography, we were able to purify HSP70-associated peptides from mouse hepatoma (HCaF) cells treated in heat shock at 42℃. Specific active immunization and adoptive cellular immunization assay were adopted to observe the immunoprotective effect elicited by HSP70-associated peptide complexes isolated from HcaF.RESULTS: The finally purified HSP-associated peptides had a very high purity and specificity found by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. Mice immunized with HSP70-associated peptide complexes purified from HCaF cells were protected from HCaF living cell challenge. This effect was dose dependent.Adoptive immunization of immune spleen cells of mice immunized with HSP70-associated peptide complexes could elicit immunity against HCaF challenge, and the tumor-free mice could resist repeated challenges. This effect could be continuously enhanced by repeated challenge with HCaF living cells. The tumor-free mice could tolerate the challenge for as high as 1×10^7 HCaF cells. The mice immunized once with spleen cells pulsed with HSP70-associated peptide complexes in vitro could also result in a certain adoptive immunity against HCaF.CONCLUSION:High purity and specificity of HSP70-associated peptides could be achieved from tumor cells by the low-pressure affinity chromatography method used in this study. HSP70-associated peptide complexes derived from the HCaF can elicit non-MHC-I molecule restrictive immunoprotective effect against HCaF.This effect can be transferred by adoptive immunization to mice and enhanced by repeated challenge with HCaF live cells.

Hepatitis E virus chimeric DNA vaccine elicits immunologic response in mice

AIM： To construct the plasmid pcHEV23 containing fragments of HEV ORF2 and ORF3 chimeric gene and to assess its ability to elicit specific immunologic response in mice. METHODS： The gene encoding the structural protein of HEV ORF2 fragment and full-length ORF3 was amplified by PCR. The PCR products were cloned into an eucaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3. The resulting plasmid pcHEV23 was used as a DNA vaccine to inoculate BALB/c mice intramuscularly thrice at a dose of 100 or 200 ug. Mice injected with empty pcDNA3 DNA or saline served as control and then specific immune responses in the mice were detected. RESULTS： After 2-3 times of inoculation, all mice injected with pcHEV23 had anti-HEV IgG seroconversion and specific T lymphocyte proliferation. The lymphocyte stimulation index in the group immunized with pcHEV23 （3.1＋0.49） was higher than that in the control group （0.787±0.12, P〈0.01）. None in the control group had a detectable level of anti-HEV IgG. CONCLUSION： DNA vaccine containing HEV ORF2 and ORF3 chimeric gene can successfully induce specific humoral and cellular immune response in mice.

Maternal zinc deficiency impairs brain nestin expression in prenatal and postnatal mice

Effects of maternal dietary zinc deficiency on prenatal and postnatal brain development were investigated in ICR strain mice. From d 1 of pregnancy (E0) until postnatal d 20 (P20), maternal mice were fed experimental diets that contained 1 mg Zn/kg/day (severe zinc deficient, SZD), 5 mg Zn/kg/day (marginal zinc deficient, MZD), 30 mg Zn/kg/day (zinc adequately supplied, ZA) or 100 mg Zn/kg/day (zinc supplemented, ZS and pair-fed, PF). Brains of offspring from these dietary groups were examined at various developmental stages for expression of nestin, an intermediate filament protein found in neural stem cells and young neurons. Immunocytochemistry showed nestin expression in neural tube 10.5 d post citrus (dpc) as well as in the cerebral cortex and neural tube from 10.5 dpc to postnatal d 10 (P10). Nestin immunoreactivities in both brain and neural tube of those zinc-supplemented control groups (ZA, ZS, PF) were stronger than those in zinc-deficient groups (SZD and MZD). Western blot analysis confirmed that nestin levels in pooled brain extracts from each of the zinc-supplemented groups (ZA, ZS, PF) were much higher than those from the zinc-deficient groups (SZD and MZD) from 10.5 dpc to P10. Immunostaining and Western blots showed no detectable nestin in any of the experimental and control group brains after P20. These observations of an association between maternal zinc deficiency and decreased nestin protein levels in brains of offspring suggest that zinc deficiency suppresses development of neural stem cells, an effect which may lead to neuroanatomical and behavioral abnormalities in adults.

The Regulatory Action of the Modified Yu Ping Feng Tang on Cellular Immunity in Mice under Amputation-Induced Stress

To approach the action of modified Yu Ping Feng Tang ([symbol: see text] Jade-Screen Decoction) on cellular immunity, an experiment was conducted in mice under amputation-induced stress. On the 3rd day after amputation, acute atrophy was found in the thymus, the reactivities of T- and B-lymphocytes to Con-A and LPS were decreased, the IL-2 content and its activity reduced and the activity of NK cells lowered. The high, moderate and low concentrations of the modified Yu Ping Feng (YPF) Decoction all have antagonistic action on the above manifestations of immune inhibition.

Lipofuscin in brains of patients and mice with epidemic hemorrhagic fever

We have previously shown that the lipofuscin in the brain seems to have in-creased in amount in autopsy cases of epidemic hemorrhagic fever.The purpose of thisstudy was to testify if there is really such an increase.Lipfuscin in 10 sections from everybrain of 10 autopsy cases,stained with Sudan Ⅳ,Sudan black and H.E.,was carefully es-timated and found to be greatly increased as compared with the controls of the same agewithout brain disease.Animal experiment was also conducted on 15 sucking BALB/c miceby I.P.inoculation of 100 LD50（0.05ml）of strain Chen of hemorrhagic fever virus,andon 15 mice without inoculation as controls.No lipofuscin was detected in the controls.However,in the brains of experimental mice,lipofuscin was found to be markedly in-creased,especially in the necrotic cells.The findings suggest that the over-productionand deposition of lipofuscin may be a mild change caused by the virus and its related fac-tors,which might be enhanced by hypotension and shock.

High-fat-diet induced obesity and diabetes mellitus in Th1 and Th2 biased mice strains:A brief overview and hypothesis

Obesity and diabetes mellitus are common metabolic diseases prevalent worldwide.Mice are commonly used to study the pathogenesis of these two conditions.Obesity and diabetes mellitus are induced by administering a high-fat diet in many studies although other diet-induced models are also used.Several factors may influence the outcome of the studies done to study diet-induced obesity in mice.The immune system plays a crucial role in the susceptibility of mice to develop obesity and metabolic disease.In this article,the reasons for differences in susceptibility to develop obesity and diabetes mellitus in mice in response to high-fat-diet feeding and the influence of immunological bias of the mice strain used in studies are evaluated.Mice strains that induce proinflammatory and Th1-type immune responses are found to be susceptible to high-fat-diet-induced obesity.A few studies which directly compared the effect of a high-fat diet on obesity and diabetic phenotype in Th1-and Th2-biased mice strains were briefly analyzed.Based on the observations,it is proposed that the liver and adipose tissue may respond differently to high-fat-diet feeding regimens in Th1-and Th2-biased mice strains.For instance,in Th1-biased mice,adipose tissue fat content was high both in the baseline as well as in response to a high-fat diet whereas in the liver,it was found to be less.It can be inferred that the immune responses to diet-induced models may provide insights into the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes mellitus.

Extracellular domain of kinase domain region mediated by adeno-associated virus inhibits growth and angiogenesis of bladder cancer in Balb-c mice

OBJECTIVE: To verify whether the extracellular domain of kinase domain region (KDR) has anti-angiogenesis activity in vivo. METHODS: cDNA was cloned into adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector pSNAV and transfected to baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. Recombinant AAV was obtained from the cell culture supernatant after adding helper virus. Recombinant AAV-infected human bladder cancer EJ cell line (EJ cells) were injected subcutaneously into Balb-c nude mice. Tumor specimens were removed from the mice, paraffin-embedded and sliced, then stained by immunohistochemistry. Microvessel density (MVD) was determined under a microscope. RESULTS: The tumor volume developed by EJ cells transfected with the extracellular domain of KDR was significantly smaller (1.70 +/- 0.18 cm(3)) compared with that in the control (5.62 +/- 0.67 cm(3)) (P

Differences between hepatic and biliary lipid metabolism and secretion in genetically gallstone-susceptible and gallstone-resistant mice

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences between hepatic and biliary lipid metabolism and secretion of genetically gallstone-susceptible (C57L) and resistant (AKR) mice and the mechanism of cholesterol gallstone formation. METHODS: The inbred C57L and AKR mice were fed a lithogenic diet containing 15% fat, 1.25% cholesterol and 0.5% cholic acid for four weeks. Hepatic cholesterol content and secretion rates of biliary lipids, as well as phenotypes of the liver and gallbladder were determined and examined before and after the feeding of the lithogenic diet. RESULTS: Both before and after ingestion of the lithogenic diet, hepatic secretion rates of all biliary lipids in C57L mice were markedly higher than that of AKR mice (P

pcDNAL1 genetic immunization can induce specific cell-mediated immune responses in C57BL/6 mice

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the specific cell-mediated immune efficacy of the an HPV16 prophylactic vaccine. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: experimental group I (treated with pcDNA L1), control group II (treated with pcDNA3.1) and control group III (treated with PBS buffer). The mice were immunized three times during a three-week interval. Ten to fourteen days after the third inoculation, a footpad swelling test was used to detect delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses. Antigen-specific splenocyte proliferation assay and quantitation of IFN-gamma cells in splenocytes were performed by FACS assay. RESULTS: In the experimental group, splenocytes actively proliferated after stimulation with HPV16 VLP, and had developed a markedly larger amount of CD8(+) IFN-gamma(+) cells, which is an index for special CTL. Also, the footpad was significantly thickened upon inoculation with HPV16 VLP. CONCLUSION: Naked DNA vaccine of HPV16 L1 can induce specific cell-mediated immune responses in mice, which should be considered for evaluation of HPV16 DNA vaccine feasibility.

Effects of glucocorticoid and cysteinyl leukotriene 1 receptor antagonist on CD_(34)^+ hematopoietic cells in bone marrow of asthmatic mice

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroids remain the most effective therapy available for asthma. They have widespread effects on asthmatic airway inflammation. However, little is known about the effects of corticosteroids on the production of bone marrow inflammatory cells in asthma. This study observed the effects of glucocorticoid and cysteinyl leukotriene 1 receptor antagonist on CD34+ hematopoietic cells, so as to explore the possible effectiveness of a bone marrow-targeted anti-inflammatory strategy. METHODS: Balb/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) to establish an asthmatic model. For two consecutive weeks, asthmatic mice were challenged with OVA while being given either prednisone, montelukast, prednisone plus montelukast, or sterile saline solution. The mice were killed 24 hours after the last challenge with OVA, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), peripheral blood, and bone marrow were collected. Eosinophils in peripheral blood and BALF, and nucleated cells in BALF, peripheral blood, and bone marrow were counted. The percentages of CD34+ cells, CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD8+ T lymphocytes among nucleated cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow were counted by flow cytometry. Immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization were employed to detect expression of CD34 and interleukin (IL)-5Ralpha mRNA (CD34+ IL-5Ralpha mRNA+ cells) among bone marrow hematopoietic cells. RESULTS: Compared with the sterile saline solution group, the number of eosinophils in BALF and peripheral blood, CD34+ cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow, and CD34+ IL-5Ralpha mRNA+ cells in bone marrow of mice from the prednisone and prednisone plus montelukast groups were significantly lower (P

清解化攻方调控NLRP3/TLR4/NF-κB信号通路对重症急性胰腺炎小鼠模型胰腺组织的保护作用

目的观察清解化攻方对重症急性胰腺炎(SAP)小鼠模型的治疗作用,探索清解化攻方抗炎症反应的作用机制。方法将36只C57BL/6J雄性小鼠随机分成空白组,模型组,清解化攻方低、中、高剂量组,西药组(乌司他丁),每组6只,除空白组小鼠,余各组小鼠采用逆行胰胆管注射5%牛黄胆酸钠建立SAP模型,清解化攻方低、中、高剂量组在造模后分别予以清解化攻方1、2、4 g/kg灌胃,西药组在造模后予以腹腔注射乌司他丁(5×10^(4) U/kg),共干预7 d。采用苏木素-伊红染色观察胰腺组织病理改变;酶联免疫吸附测定法(ELISA)检测小鼠α-淀粉酶、脂肪酶、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-8、IL-18和TNF-α水平;RTqPCR检测胰腺组织NOD样受体蛋白3(NLRP3)、Toll样受体4(TLR4)、核因子-κB(NF-κB)mRNA表达水平;免疫组化检测胰腺组织NLRP3、TLR4、NF-κB的阳性表达率;Western Blot技术检测NLRP3、TLR4、NF-κB、IL-1β、IL-6蛋白的表达水平。计量资料多组间比较采用方差分析,进一步两两比较采用LSD-t检验。结果与空白组相比,模型组小鼠胰腺组织结构弥漫性破坏、胰腺小叶间隔局灶性扩张、腺泡萎缩和大量炎症细胞浸润,α-淀粉酶、脂肪酶、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-8、IL-18和TNF-α含量明显升高(P值均<0.05),NLRP3、TLR4、NF-κB mRNA表达水平及阳性表达率均明显上升(P值均<0.05),NLRP3、TLR4、NF-κB、IL-1β、IL-6蛋白表达均明显上调(P值均<0.05)。与模型组相比,清解化攻方各剂量组和西药组可见小鼠胰腺组织结构稍紧密、完整,胰腺腺泡细胞排列有序,伴少量炎症细胞浸润和胰腺小叶出血灶,α-淀粉酶、脂肪酶、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-8、IL-18和TNF-α含量明显下降(P值均<0.05),NLRP3、TLR4、NF-κB mRNA表达水平及阳性表达率均明显降低(P值均<0.05),NLRP3、TLR4、NF-κB、IL-1β、IL-6蛋白表达水平均明显减弱(P值均<0.05)。结论清解化攻方可能通过抑制NLRP3/TLR4/NF-κB信号通路相关蛋白的激活,减少炎症介质的释放,防止炎症级联反应增强,进而对SAP小鼠胰腺组织发挥保护作用。

NADPH氧化酶4在1型糖尿病模型小鼠角膜病变中的致病作用及其机制

目的探讨还原型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸氧化酶4(Nox4)在1型DM模型小鼠角膜病变中的致病作用及其可能机制。方法选择Nox4基因敲除(Nox4^(-/-))纯合子雄性小鼠40只,以鼠龄、性别匹配的野生型C57BL/6(Nox4^(+/+))小鼠120只作为对照。采用随机数字表法分别将2种小鼠随机分为DM组和非DM组,DM组小鼠采用链脲佐菌素腹腔内注射法构建1型DM模型。采用随机数字表法分别将Nox4^(+/+)小鼠DM组和非DM组分为普通饲料喂养小鼠和添加Nox4抑制剂GKT137831(GKT)饲料喂养小鼠。于DM造模后第16周采用酚红棉线法检测各组小鼠泪液分泌量;采用荧光素钠染色评分法评估角膜上皮完整性;采用激光扫描共聚焦显微镜观察角膜基质层神经纤维密度变化;采用CellROX荧光探针检测角膜上皮中活性氧簇(ROS)含量;采用免疫荧光染色法检测小鼠角膜上皮中E-Cadherin蛋白和核因子-κB(NF-κB)蛋白表达变化;采用角膜铺片TUBB3染色法检测角膜中央区神经纤维密度。结果Nox4^(+/+)小鼠DM组和非DM组泪液分泌量分别为(2.40±1.18)和(5.30±1.02)mm/min,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01);Nox4^(-/-)小鼠DM组泪液分泌量为(4.19±0.63)mm/min,明显多于Nox4^(+/+)小鼠DM组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);普通饲料喂养小鼠与GKT添加饲料喂养小鼠DM组泪液分泌量分别为(2.23±0.83)和(4.02±0.71)mm/min,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。与Nox4^(+/+)小鼠非DM组比较,Nox4^(+/+)小鼠DM组角膜荧光素染色评分显著升高,角膜神经纤维密度显著降低,角膜上皮中ROS荧光强度明显增强,E-Cadherin蛋白表达荧光强度减弱,NF-κB蛋白表达荧光强度增强。Nox4^(-/-)或GKT添加饲料喂养小鼠DM组与非DM组比较角膜上皮中ROS荧光增强,E-Cadherin蛋白表达荧光减弱。Nox4^(-/-)和GKT添加饲料喂养小鼠DM组角膜上皮细胞中NF-κB蛋白荧光强度均较弱,与非DM组强度一致。角膜铺片免疫荧光染色显示,Nox4^(+/+)小鼠DM组中TUBB3染色的神经纤维密度明显低于非DM组,Nox4^(-/-)或GKT添加饲料喂养小鼠DM组角膜基质层神经纤维与非DM组比较无明显减少。结论Nox4参与了糖尿病角膜病变的致病过程,其机制可能与氧化应激诱导ROS产物聚集,激活NF-κB介导的炎症反应有关。

下瘀血汤对高脂饮食诱导的非酒精性脂肪性肝病小鼠模型的治疗作用及机制

目的探讨下瘀血汤调控核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域样受体含pyrin结构域蛋白6(NLRP6)抑制高脂饮食(HFD)诱导的小鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝病(NAFLD)的作用机制。方法15只雄性C57BL/6小鼠随机分为低脂饮食(LFD)组、HFD组和下瘀血汤-HFD(XYXD)组,每组各5只。测量肝功能指标ALT和AST、血脂代谢指标TG、TC水平;肝组织经过HE染色、油红O染色,观察小鼠组织形态、脂滴沉积;实时荧光定量PCR检测肝组织中炎症因子TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6及NLRP6表达水平;Western Blot检测NLRP6、NF-κB和NF-κB p65蛋白水平;免疫组化检测NLRP6和CD68表达。棕榈酸(PA)、脂多糖(LPS)和下瘀血汤含药血清处理鼠Raw264.7细胞,检测炎症情况。计量资料多组间比较采用单因素方差分析,进一步两两比较采用LSD-t检验。结果与LFD组比较,HFD组血清ALT、AST和TC、TG水平显著升高(P值均<0.05)。肝组织病理学显示,HFD组肝脂肪变性明显,NAS评分显著升高(P<0.05);实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,IL-1β、IL-18等炎症相关因子显著升高,NLRP6表达显著下调(P值均<0.05)。免疫组化显示NLRP6表达与巨噬细胞标志物CD68重合。Western Blot显示,NLRP6表达下调后,磷酸化的NF-κB p65(p-NF-κB p65)显著上调(P<0.05)。与HFD组相比,下瘀血汤可有效改善HFD小鼠的肝脏炎症,上调NLRP6的表达,下调p-NF-κB p65(P<0.05)。PA处理Raw264.7细胞后下调NLRP6,促进炎症进展(P<0.05);下瘀血汤处理可上调NLRP6,抑制炎症和NF-κB(P<0.05)。结论下瘀血汤可显著改善HFD诱导NAFLD小鼠模型的肝脂肪变性和炎症,调控NLRP6/NF-κB减轻巨噬细胞活化可能是其作用机制之一。