The acupoints and Chinese herbal medicines are quite different in their natures. In the present paper, the authors expound the differences of the natures between the acupoints and Chinese herbal medicines from a） sub...The acupoints and Chinese herbal medicines are quite different in their natures. In the present paper, the authors expound the differences of the natures between the acupoints and Chinese herbal medicines from a） substance carriers, b） the underlying mechanism in actions, and c） individual characteristics, etc..展开更多
Fertilization in flowering plants is completed through several recognitionevents, and the first of which is the recognition of pollen by pistil of female reproductivetissue. Self-incompatibility (SI) is an intraspecif...Fertilization in flowering plants is completed through several recognitionevents, and the first of which is the recognition of pollen by pistil of female reproductivetissue. Self-incompatibility (SI) is an intraspecific reproductive barrier to prevent selfferitilization and widely distributed in flowering plants. In many species, SI shows simplegenetics and is controlled by a single multi-allelic locus, called the S locus. In gametophyticSI (GSI) exemplified by the Solanaceae, Scrophulariaceae and Rosaceae, a class ofribonucleases, called S RNases, have been shown to mediate the stylar expression of SI butnot the pollen expression of SI. The latter appears to be determined by a gene differentfrom those encoding S RNases, often referred to as pollen S gene. The pollen S gene is thecrucial missing part in understanding the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of self andnon-self pollen recognition in flowering plants. Recent genetic analysis of mutationsaffecting the pollen expression of SI has suggested a possible model of how the pollen S geneinteracts with S RNases to achieve self and non-self pollen recognition. Furthermore, wewill present two approaches, S-locus directed transposon tagging and map-based cloning, forcloning the pollen S in Antirrhinum.展开更多
AIM： To investigate the effects of KN-93, a CaMKⅡ selective inhibitor on cell proliferation and the expression of p53 or p21 protein in human hepatic stellate cells. METHODS： Human hepatic stellate cells （LX-2） w...AIM： To investigate the effects of KN-93, a CaMKⅡ selective inhibitor on cell proliferation and the expression of p53 or p21 protein in human hepatic stellate cells. METHODS： Human hepatic stellate cells （LX-2） were incubated with various concentrations （0-50 μmol/L） of KN-93 or its inactive derivative, KN-92. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 assay, and the expression of two cell cycle regulators, p53 and p21, was determined by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. RESULTS： KN-93 （5-50 μmol/L） decreased the proliferation of human hepatic stellate cells in a dosedependent manner from 81.76% （81.76% ± 2.58% vs 96.63% ± 2.69%, P 〈 0.05） to 27.15% （27.15% ± 2.86% vs 96.59% ± 2.44%, P 〈 0.01） after 24 h treatment. Incubation of 10 μmol/L KN-93 induced the cell growth reduction in a time-dependent manner from 78.27% at 8 h to 11.48% at 48 h. However, KN-92, an inactive derivative of KN-93, did not inhibit cell proliferation effectively. Moreover, analysis of cell cycle regulator expression revealed that KN-93 rather than KN-92 reduced the expression of p53 and p21. CONCLUSION： KN-93 has potent inhibitory effect on proliferation of LX-2 cells by modulating the expression of two special cell cycle regulators, p53 and p21.展开更多
AIM： To study the immuno-modulatory effect of resveratrol （RES） on allograft rejection after liver transplantation in rats. METHODS： Male Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were selected as donors and male Wistar rats as ...AIM： To study the immuno-modulatory effect of resveratrol （RES） on allograft rejection after liver transplantation in rats. METHODS： Male Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were selected as donors and male Wistar rats as recipients for a rejection model. The recipients were divided into four groups after orthotopic liver transplantation （OLTx）. In the RES A, B, and C groups, RES was given intra-peritoneally once a day （25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, respectively） after OLTx, whereas in the control group, vehicle buffer was given intra-peritoneally once a day. The survival time, serum chemistry, production of cytokines, activation of transcription factor NF-kB, and histopathologic findings were then compared among these groups. RESULTS： The mean survival time after OLTx in the RES C group was significantly longer than that in the control group （16.7＋-1.2 d ,vs9.3＋-0.6 d, P〈0.01）. On the 7th posttransplant day the serum albumin level significantly improved in the RES C group, the serum total bile acid and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels were significantly lower in the RES C group, the serum IL-2 and INF-y levels were significantly lower in the RES C group, and the activation of transcription factor NF-kB in peripheral blood T lymphocytes was significantly suppressed in the RES A, B, and C groups in comparison to those in the control group. On the 7^th post-transplant day, a histological examination revealed apparent difference in the severity of rejection between the RES C group and control group. CONCLUSION： RES has an immuno-suppressive property as well as protective effect on hepatocytes under allograft rejection. It might serve as a novel agent for reducing the severity of hepatic allograft rejection in rats.展开更多
Objective： To evaluate the functional outcome and complications of allograft replacement in management of bone tumors. Methods： Between March 1992 and September 2002, 164 patients underwent bone tumor resection and ...Objective： To evaluate the functional outcome and complications of allograft replacement in management of bone tumors. Methods： Between March 1992 and September 2002, 164 patients underwent bone tumor resection and massive allograft reconstruction of bone defects. The length of the resected part ranged from 5-35 cm. The resections were classified as marginal or wide resections of the tumor on the basis of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society staging system. Fresh-frozen allografts were employed as osteoarticular grafts （n = 95）, hemi-condylar （n = 15）, massive （n = 23）, allograft-prosthesis composite （n = 12）, intercalary grafts （n = 15） or hemi-pelvic grafts （n = 4）. Most of the lesions were osteosarcoma and giant cell tumor of bone and located in proximal and distal femur, proximal tibia and humerus. Results： At a median follow-up of 47 months （range, 12 to 168 months） after the operation, 154 of the patients in the study were free of disease and 10 died of disease. Twenty-one （12.8%） patients had local recurrence and 38 （23.2%） nonunion. Late complications included 11 （6.7%） fractures of the allograft and 18 （11.0%） infections of the graft, instability of the joint in the form of subluxation was noted in 13 （7.9%） patients. Ten extremities were amputated due to local recurrence or severe infection. Conclusion： AIIografts can be used for reconstruction of bony defects after tumor resection. AIIograft has nearly similar shape, strength, osteo-inductivity and osteo-conductivity with host bone. AIIograft implantation is a high complication reconstruction method, and the dsk of recurrence increases when less surgical margin achieves.展开更多
Histone lysine methylation can be removed by JmjC domain-containing proteins in a sequence- and methylationstate-specific manner. However, how substrate specificity is determined and how the enzymes are regulated were...Histone lysine methylation can be removed by JmjC domain-containing proteins in a sequence- and methylationstate-specific manner. However, how substrate specificity is determined and how the enzymes are regulated were largely unknown. We recently found that ceKDM7A, a PHD- and JmjC domain-containing protein, is a histone demethylase specific for H3K9me2 and H3K27me2, and the PHD finger binding to H3K4me3 guides the demethylation activity in vivo. To provide structural insight into the molecular mechanisms for the enzymatic activity and the function of the PHD finger, we solved six crystal structures of the enzyme in apo form and in complex with single or two peptides containing various combinations of H3K4me3, H3K9me2, and H3K27me2 modifications. The structures indicate that H3Kgme2 and H3K27me2 interact with ceKDMTA in a similar fashion, and that the peptide-binding specificity is determined by a network of specific interactions. The geometrical measurement of the structures also revealed that H3K4me3 associated with the PHD finger and H3K9me2 bound to the JmjC domain are from two separate molecules, suggesting a trans-histone peptide-binding mechanism. Thus, our systemic structural studies reveal not only the substrate recognition by the catalytic domain but also more importantly, the molecular mechanism of dual specifieity of ceDKM7A for both H3K9me2 and H3K27me2.展开更多
Pregnane and Xenobiotic Receptor (PXR; or Steroid and Xenobiotic Receptor, SXR), a new member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is thought to modulate a network of genes that are involved in xenobiotic metabolism a...Pregnane and Xenobiotic Receptor (PXR; or Steroid and Xenobiotic Receptor, SXR), a new member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is thought to modulate a network of genes that are involved in xenobiotic metabolism and elimination. To further explore the role of PXR in body’s homeostatic mechanisms, we for the first time, report successful prokary- otic expression and purification of full-length PXR and preparation of polyclonal antibody against the whole protein. The full-length cDNA encoding a 434 amino acids protein was sub-cloned into prokaryotic expression vector, pET-30b and transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) cells for efficient over expression. The inclusion body fraction, containing the expressed recombinant protein, was purified first by solubilizing in sarcosine extraction buffer and then by affinity column chromatography using Ni-NTA His-Bind matrix. The efficacy of anti-PXR antibody was confirmed by immunocytology, Western blot analysis, EMSA and immunohistochemistry. The antibody obtained was capable of detecting human and mouse PXR with high specificity and sensitivity. Immunofluorescence staining of COS-1 cells transfected with human or mouse PXR showed a clear nuclear localization. Results from immunohistochemistry showed that level of PXR in liver sections is immunologically detectable in the nuclei. Similar to exogenously transfected PXR, Western blot analysis of cell extract from HepG2 and COLO320DM cells revealed a major protein band for endogenous PXR having the expected molecular weight of 50 kDa. Relevance of other immunodetectable bands with reference to PXR isoforms and current testimony are evaluated. Advantages of antibody raised against full-length PXR protein for functional characterization of receptor is discussed and its application for clinical purposes is envisaged.展开更多
In the past decade there has been a profusion of studies highlighting covariation between individual differences in stress physiology and behavioural profiles, here called personalities. Such individual differences in...In the past decade there has been a profusion of studies highlighting covariation between individual differences in stress physiology and behavioural profiles, here called personalities. Such individual differences in ways of coping with stress are relevant both in biomedicine, since different personalities may experience a different stress and disease vulnerability, and in behavioural ecology, since their adaptive value and evolutionary maintenance are the subject of debate. However, the precise way in which individual stress differences and personalities are linked is unclear. Here we provide an updated overview of this covariation across different species and taxa, consider its functional significance and present working hypotheses for how behavioural and physiological responses to stress might be causally linked, affecting life-history traits such as dispersal and life-span [Current Zoology 56 （6）： 728-740, 2010].展开更多
文摘The acupoints and Chinese herbal medicines are quite different in their natures. In the present paper, the authors expound the differences of the natures between the acupoints and Chinese herbal medicines from a） substance carriers, b） the underlying mechanism in actions, and c） individual characteristics, etc..
文摘Fertilization in flowering plants is completed through several recognitionevents, and the first of which is the recognition of pollen by pistil of female reproductivetissue. Self-incompatibility (SI) is an intraspecific reproductive barrier to prevent selfferitilization and widely distributed in flowering plants. In many species, SI shows simplegenetics and is controlled by a single multi-allelic locus, called the S locus. In gametophyticSI (GSI) exemplified by the Solanaceae, Scrophulariaceae and Rosaceae, a class ofribonucleases, called S RNases, have been shown to mediate the stylar expression of SI butnot the pollen expression of SI. The latter appears to be determined by a gene differentfrom those encoding S RNases, often referred to as pollen S gene. The pollen S gene is thecrucial missing part in understanding the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of self andnon-self pollen recognition in flowering plants. Recent genetic analysis of mutationsaffecting the pollen expression of SI has suggested a possible model of how the pollen S geneinteracts with S RNases to achieve self and non-self pollen recognition. Furthermore, wewill present two approaches, S-locus directed transposon tagging and map-based cloning, forcloning the pollen S in Antirrhinum.
文摘AIM： To investigate the effects of KN-93, a CaMKⅡ selective inhibitor on cell proliferation and the expression of p53 or p21 protein in human hepatic stellate cells. METHODS： Human hepatic stellate cells （LX-2） were incubated with various concentrations （0-50 μmol/L） of KN-93 or its inactive derivative, KN-92. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 assay, and the expression of two cell cycle regulators, p53 and p21, was determined by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. RESULTS： KN-93 （5-50 μmol/L） decreased the proliferation of human hepatic stellate cells in a dosedependent manner from 81.76% （81.76% ± 2.58% vs 96.63% ± 2.69%, P 〈 0.05） to 27.15% （27.15% ± 2.86% vs 96.59% ± 2.44%, P 〈 0.01） after 24 h treatment. Incubation of 10 μmol/L KN-93 induced the cell growth reduction in a time-dependent manner from 78.27% at 8 h to 11.48% at 48 h. However, KN-92, an inactive derivative of KN-93, did not inhibit cell proliferation effectively. Moreover, analysis of cell cycle regulator expression revealed that KN-93 rather than KN-92 reduced the expression of p53 and p21. CONCLUSION： KN-93 has potent inhibitory effect on proliferation of LX-2 cells by modulating the expression of two special cell cycle regulators, p53 and p21.
文摘AIM： To study the immuno-modulatory effect of resveratrol （RES） on allograft rejection after liver transplantation in rats. METHODS： Male Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were selected as donors and male Wistar rats as recipients for a rejection model. The recipients were divided into four groups after orthotopic liver transplantation （OLTx）. In the RES A, B, and C groups, RES was given intra-peritoneally once a day （25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, respectively） after OLTx, whereas in the control group, vehicle buffer was given intra-peritoneally once a day. The survival time, serum chemistry, production of cytokines, activation of transcription factor NF-kB, and histopathologic findings were then compared among these groups. RESULTS： The mean survival time after OLTx in the RES C group was significantly longer than that in the control group （16.7＋-1.2 d ,vs9.3＋-0.6 d, P〈0.01）. On the 7th posttransplant day the serum albumin level significantly improved in the RES C group, the serum total bile acid and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels were significantly lower in the RES C group, the serum IL-2 and INF-y levels were significantly lower in the RES C group, and the activation of transcription factor NF-kB in peripheral blood T lymphocytes was significantly suppressed in the RES A, B, and C groups in comparison to those in the control group. On the 7^th post-transplant day, a histological examination revealed apparent difference in the severity of rejection between the RES C group and control group. CONCLUSION： RES has an immuno-suppressive property as well as protective effect on hepatocytes under allograft rejection. It might serve as a novel agent for reducing the severity of hepatic allograft rejection in rats.
文摘Objective： To evaluate the functional outcome and complications of allograft replacement in management of bone tumors. Methods： Between March 1992 and September 2002, 164 patients underwent bone tumor resection and massive allograft reconstruction of bone defects. The length of the resected part ranged from 5-35 cm. The resections were classified as marginal or wide resections of the tumor on the basis of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society staging system. Fresh-frozen allografts were employed as osteoarticular grafts （n = 95）, hemi-condylar （n = 15）, massive （n = 23）, allograft-prosthesis composite （n = 12）, intercalary grafts （n = 15） or hemi-pelvic grafts （n = 4）. Most of the lesions were osteosarcoma and giant cell tumor of bone and located in proximal and distal femur, proximal tibia and humerus. Results： At a median follow-up of 47 months （range, 12 to 168 months） after the operation, 154 of the patients in the study were free of disease and 10 died of disease. Twenty-one （12.8%） patients had local recurrence and 38 （23.2%） nonunion. Late complications included 11 （6.7%） fractures of the allograft and 18 （11.0%） infections of the graft, instability of the joint in the form of subluxation was noted in 13 （7.9%） patients. Ten extremities were amputated due to local recurrence or severe infection. Conclusion： AIIografts can be used for reconstruction of bony defects after tumor resection. AIIograft has nearly similar shape, strength, osteo-inductivity and osteo-conductivity with host bone. AIIograft implantation is a high complication reconstruction method, and the dsk of recurrence increases when less surgical margin achieves.
文摘Histone lysine methylation can be removed by JmjC domain-containing proteins in a sequence- and methylationstate-specific manner. However, how substrate specificity is determined and how the enzymes are regulated were largely unknown. We recently found that ceKDM7A, a PHD- and JmjC domain-containing protein, is a histone demethylase specific for H3K9me2 and H3K27me2, and the PHD finger binding to H3K4me3 guides the demethylation activity in vivo. To provide structural insight into the molecular mechanisms for the enzymatic activity and the function of the PHD finger, we solved six crystal structures of the enzyme in apo form and in complex with single or two peptides containing various combinations of H3K4me3, H3K9me2, and H3K27me2 modifications. The structures indicate that H3Kgme2 and H3K27me2 interact with ceKDMTA in a similar fashion, and that the peptide-binding specificity is determined by a network of specific interactions. The geometrical measurement of the structures also revealed that H3K4me3 associated with the PHD finger and H3K9me2 bound to the JmjC domain are from two separate molecules, suggesting a trans-histone peptide-binding mechanism. Thus, our systemic structural studies reveal not only the substrate recognition by the catalytic domain but also more importantly, the molecular mechanism of dual specifieity of ceDKM7A for both H3K9me2 and H3K27me2.
文摘Pregnane and Xenobiotic Receptor (PXR; or Steroid and Xenobiotic Receptor, SXR), a new member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is thought to modulate a network of genes that are involved in xenobiotic metabolism and elimination. To further explore the role of PXR in body’s homeostatic mechanisms, we for the first time, report successful prokary- otic expression and purification of full-length PXR and preparation of polyclonal antibody against the whole protein. The full-length cDNA encoding a 434 amino acids protein was sub-cloned into prokaryotic expression vector, pET-30b and transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3) cells for efficient over expression. The inclusion body fraction, containing the expressed recombinant protein, was purified first by solubilizing in sarcosine extraction buffer and then by affinity column chromatography using Ni-NTA His-Bind matrix. The efficacy of anti-PXR antibody was confirmed by immunocytology, Western blot analysis, EMSA and immunohistochemistry. The antibody obtained was capable of detecting human and mouse PXR with high specificity and sensitivity. Immunofluorescence staining of COS-1 cells transfected with human or mouse PXR showed a clear nuclear localization. Results from immunohistochemistry showed that level of PXR in liver sections is immunologically detectable in the nuclei. Similar to exogenously transfected PXR, Western blot analysis of cell extract from HepG2 and COLO320DM cells revealed a major protein band for endogenous PXR having the expected molecular weight of 50 kDa. Relevance of other immunodetectable bands with reference to PXR isoforms and current testimony are evaluated. Advantages of antibody raised against full-length PXR protein for functional characterization of receptor is discussed and its application for clinical purposes is envisaged.
文摘In the past decade there has been a profusion of studies highlighting covariation between individual differences in stress physiology and behavioural profiles, here called personalities. Such individual differences in ways of coping with stress are relevant both in biomedicine, since different personalities may experience a different stress and disease vulnerability, and in behavioural ecology, since their adaptive value and evolutionary maintenance are the subject of debate. However, the precise way in which individual stress differences and personalities are linked is unclear. Here we provide an updated overview of this covariation across different species and taxa, consider its functional significance and present working hypotheses for how behavioural and physiological responses to stress might be causally linked, affecting life-history traits such as dispersal and life-span [Current Zoology 56 （6）： 728-740, 2010].
