Natural and synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely employed in a number of inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases, and, despite the introduction of novel therapies, remain the first-line treatment for in...Natural and synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely employed in a number of inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases, and, despite the introduction of novel therapies, remain the first-line treatment for inducing remission in moderate to severe active Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Despite their extensive therapeutic use and the proven effectiveness, considerable clinical evidence of wide inter-individual differences in GC efficacy among patients has been reported, in particular when these agents are used in inflammatory diseases. In recent years, a detailed knowledge of the GC mechanism of action and of the genetic variants affecting GC activity at the molecular level has arisen from several studies. GCs interact with their cytoplasmic receptor, and are able to repress inflammatory gene expression through several distinct mechanisms. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is therefore crucial for the effects of these agents: mutations in the GR gene (NR3C1, nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1) are the primary cause of a rare, inherited form of GC resistance; in addition, several polymorphisms of this gene have been described and associated with GC response and toxicity.However, the GR is not self-standing in the cell and the receptor-mediated functions are the result of a complex interplay of GR and many other cellular partners. The latter comprise several chaperonins of the large cooperative hetero-oligomeric complex that binds the hormonefree GR in the cytosol, and several factors involved in the transcriptional machinery and chromatin remodeling, that are critical for the hormonal control of target genes transcription in the nucleus. Furthermore, variants in the principal effectors of GCs (e.g. cytokines and their regulators) have also to be taken into account for a comprehensive evaluation of the variability in GC response. Polymorphisms in genes involved in the transport and/or metabolism of these hormones have also been suggested as other possible candidates of interest that could play a role in the observed inter-individual differences in efficacy and toxicity. The best-characterized example is the drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein, a membrane transporter that extrudes GCs from cells, thereby lowering their intracellular concentration. This protein is encoded by the ABCB1/ MDR1 gene; this gene presents different known polymorphic sites that can influence its expression and function. This editorial reviews the current knowledge on this topic and underlines the role of genetics in predicting GC clinical response. The ambitious goal of pharmacogenomic studies is to adapt therapies to a patient’s specific genetic background, thus improving on efficacy and safety rates.展开更多
Extracts of 21 marine invertebrates belonging to Coelenterata, Mollusca, Annelida, Bryozoa, Echiura, Arthropoda, Echinodermata and Urochordata were screened for the studies on their antitumor and immune regulation act...Extracts of 21 marine invertebrates belonging to Coelenterata, Mollusca, Annelida, Bryozoa, Echiura, Arthropoda, Echinodermata and Urochordata were screened for the studies on their antitumor and immune regulation activities. Antitumor activity was determined by MTT method and immune regulation activity was studied using T- and B-lymphocytes in mice spleen in vitro. It was found that the n-butanol part of Asterina pectinifera, the acetic ether part of Tubuaria marina,95% ethanol extract of Acanthochiton rubrolineatus have a high inhibition rate of 96.7%,63.9% and 50.5% respectively on tumor cell line HL-60 at the concentration of 0.063 mg/ml. The inhibition rate of the acetic ether part of Tubuaria marina on the tumor cell line A-549 is 65.4 % at concentration of 0.063 mg/mL. The 95% ethanol extract of Meretrix meretrix has so outstanding promoting effect on T-lymphocytes that their multiplication increases 25% when the sample concentration is only 1 μg/ml. On B-lymphocytes, the 95% extract of Rapana venosa, at concentration of 100 μg/ml, has a promotion percent- age of 60%. On the other hand, under the condition of no cytotoxic effect, the 95% ethanol extracts of Acantho- chiton rubrolineatus and Cellana toreum can reach 92% inhibition rate on T lymphocyte at concentration of 100 μg/ml, while the inhibition rate on B lymphocyte of the 95% extract of Acanthochiton rubrolineatus reaches 92% at the same concentration.展开更多
Bacillus species are aerobic,gram-positive,spore forming rods that are usually found in the soil,dust,streams,and other environmental sources.Except for Bacillus.anthracis(B.anthracis) ,most species display low virule...Bacillus species are aerobic,gram-positive,spore forming rods that are usually found in the soil,dust,streams,and other environmental sources.Except for Bacillus.anthracis(B.anthracis) ,most species display low virulence,and only rarely cause infections in hosts with weak or damaged immune systems.There are two case reports of B.cereus as a potentially serious bacterial pathogen causing a liver abscess in an immunologically competent patient.We herein report a case of liver abscess and sepsis caused by B.pantothenticus in an immunocompetent patient.Until now,no case of liver abscess due to B.pantothenticus has been reported.展开更多
Plant resistance(R) proteins are immune receptors that recognize pathogen effectors and trigger rapid defense responses, namely effector-triggered immunity. R protein-mediated pathogen resistance is usually race speci...Plant resistance(R) proteins are immune receptors that recognize pathogen effectors and trigger rapid defense responses, namely effector-triggered immunity. R protein-mediated pathogen resistance is usually race specific. During plant-pathogen coevolution,plant genomes accumulated large numbers of R genes. Even though plant R genes provide important natural resources for breeding disease-resistant crops, their presence in the plant genome comes at a cost. Misregulation of R genes leads to developmental defects, such as stunted growth and reduced fertility. In the past decade, many microRNAs(miRNAs) have been identified to target various R genes in plant genomes. miRNAs reduce R gene levels under normal conditions and allow induction of R gene expression under various stresses. For these reasons, we consider R genes to be double-edged "swords" and miRNAs as molecular "scabbards". In the present review, we summarize the contributions and potential problems of these "swords" and discuss the features and production of the "scabbards", as well as the mechanisms used to pull the "sword" from the "scabbard"when needed.展开更多
文摘Natural and synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely employed in a number of inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases, and, despite the introduction of novel therapies, remain the first-line treatment for inducing remission in moderate to severe active Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Despite their extensive therapeutic use and the proven effectiveness, considerable clinical evidence of wide inter-individual differences in GC efficacy among patients has been reported, in particular when these agents are used in inflammatory diseases. In recent years, a detailed knowledge of the GC mechanism of action and of the genetic variants affecting GC activity at the molecular level has arisen from several studies. GCs interact with their cytoplasmic receptor, and are able to repress inflammatory gene expression through several distinct mechanisms. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is therefore crucial for the effects of these agents: mutations in the GR gene (NR3C1, nuclear receptor subfamily 3, group C, member 1) are the primary cause of a rare, inherited form of GC resistance; in addition, several polymorphisms of this gene have been described and associated with GC response and toxicity.However, the GR is not self-standing in the cell and the receptor-mediated functions are the result of a complex interplay of GR and many other cellular partners. The latter comprise several chaperonins of the large cooperative hetero-oligomeric complex that binds the hormonefree GR in the cytosol, and several factors involved in the transcriptional machinery and chromatin remodeling, that are critical for the hormonal control of target genes transcription in the nucleus. Furthermore, variants in the principal effectors of GCs (e.g. cytokines and their regulators) have also to be taken into account for a comprehensive evaluation of the variability in GC response. Polymorphisms in genes involved in the transport and/or metabolism of these hormones have also been suggested as other possible candidates of interest that could play a role in the observed inter-individual differences in efficacy and toxicity. The best-characterized example is the drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein, a membrane transporter that extrudes GCs from cells, thereby lowering their intracellular concentration. This protein is encoded by the ABCB1/ MDR1 gene; this gene presents different known polymorphic sites that can influence its expression and function. This editorial reviews the current knowledge on this topic and underlines the role of genetics in predicting GC clinical response. The ambitious goal of pharmacogenomic studies is to adapt therapies to a patient’s specific genetic background, thus improving on efficacy and safety rates.
基金Supported by HTRDPC Projects (2001 AA620403, 503) and Key Innovative Project o the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZCX3-SW-215)
文摘Extracts of 21 marine invertebrates belonging to Coelenterata, Mollusca, Annelida, Bryozoa, Echiura, Arthropoda, Echinodermata and Urochordata were screened for the studies on their antitumor and immune regulation activities. Antitumor activity was determined by MTT method and immune regulation activity was studied using T- and B-lymphocytes in mice spleen in vitro. It was found that the n-butanol part of Asterina pectinifera, the acetic ether part of Tubuaria marina,95% ethanol extract of Acanthochiton rubrolineatus have a high inhibition rate of 96.7%,63.9% and 50.5% respectively on tumor cell line HL-60 at the concentration of 0.063 mg/ml. The inhibition rate of the acetic ether part of Tubuaria marina on the tumor cell line A-549 is 65.4 % at concentration of 0.063 mg/mL. The 95% ethanol extract of Meretrix meretrix has so outstanding promoting effect on T-lymphocytes that their multiplication increases 25% when the sample concentration is only 1 μg/ml. On B-lymphocytes, the 95% extract of Rapana venosa, at concentration of 100 μg/ml, has a promotion percent- age of 60%. On the other hand, under the condition of no cytotoxic effect, the 95% ethanol extracts of Acantho- chiton rubrolineatus and Cellana toreum can reach 92% inhibition rate on T lymphocyte at concentration of 100 μg/ml, while the inhibition rate on B lymphocyte of the 95% extract of Acanthochiton rubrolineatus reaches 92% at the same concentration.
文摘Bacillus species are aerobic,gram-positive,spore forming rods that are usually found in the soil,dust,streams,and other environmental sources.Except for Bacillus.anthracis(B.anthracis) ,most species display low virulence,and only rarely cause infections in hosts with weak or damaged immune systems.There are two case reports of B.cereus as a potentially serious bacterial pathogen causing a liver abscess in an immunologically competent patient.We herein report a case of liver abscess and sepsis caused by B.pantothenticus in an immunocompetent patient.Until now,no case of liver abscess due to B.pantothenticus has been reported.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91440103, 31600984)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2662014PY008)
文摘Plant resistance(R) proteins are immune receptors that recognize pathogen effectors and trigger rapid defense responses, namely effector-triggered immunity. R protein-mediated pathogen resistance is usually race specific. During plant-pathogen coevolution,plant genomes accumulated large numbers of R genes. Even though plant R genes provide important natural resources for breeding disease-resistant crops, their presence in the plant genome comes at a cost. Misregulation of R genes leads to developmental defects, such as stunted growth and reduced fertility. In the past decade, many microRNAs(miRNAs) have been identified to target various R genes in plant genomes. miRNAs reduce R gene levels under normal conditions and allow induction of R gene expression under various stresses. For these reasons, we consider R genes to be double-edged "swords" and miRNAs as molecular "scabbards". In the present review, we summarize the contributions and potential problems of these "swords" and discuss the features and production of the "scabbards", as well as the mechanisms used to pull the "sword" from the "scabbard"when needed.
