Neuroprotective effects of human telomerase reverse transcriptase on beta-amyloid fragment 25-35-treated human embryonic cortical neurons

BACKGROUND： Numerous current studies have suggested that human telomerase reverse transcriptase （hTERT） gene has neuroprotective effects and can inhibit apoptosis induced by various cytotoxic stresses; however, the mechanism of action remains unknown. OBJECTIVE： To evaluate the neuroprotective effects and possible mechanism of action of hTERT gene transfection in human embryonic cortical neurons treated with beta-amyloid fragment 25-35 （AI325-35）. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： The randomized, controlled and molecular biological studies were performed at the Department of Anatomy and Brain Research, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, China, from September 2005 to June 2008. MATERIALS： AdEasy-1 Expression System was gifted by Professor Guoquan Gao from Sun Yat-Sen University, China. Human cortical neurons were derived from 12-20 week old aborted fetuses, obtained from the Guangzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, China. Mouse anti-Odk5 and mouse anti-p16 monoclonal antibodies （Lab Vision, USA）, and mouse anti-hTERT monoclonal antibody （Epitomics, USA）, were used in this study. METHODS： （1） Recombinant adenovirus vectors, encoding hTERT （Ad-hTERT） and green fluorescent protein （Ad-GFP）, were constructed using the AdEasy-1 Expression System. Human embryonic cortical neurons in the Ad-hTERT group were transfected with Ad-hTERT for 1-21 days. Likewise, human embryonic cortical neurons in the Ad-GFP group were transfected with Ad-GFP for 1-21 days. Human embryonic cortical neurons in the control group were cultured as normal. （2） Human embryonic cortical neurons in the Ad-hTERT group were treated with 10 pmol/L Aβ25-35 for 24 hours. Normal human embryonic cortical neurons treated with 10 pmol/Lβ25.35 for 24 hours served as a model group. Human embryonic cortical neurons in the Ad-GFP and control groups were not treated with Aβ25-35. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Expression of hTERT in human embryonic cortical neurons was evaluated by immunocytochemical staining and Western blot assay. Telomerase activity was measured using a PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol （TRAP） ELISA kit. Neural activity in human embryonic cortical neurons was examined by MTT assay; apoptosis was measured using TUNEL assay; and Cdk5 and p16 protein expressions were measured by Western blot. RESULTS： Expression of hTERT protein was significantly increased and peaked at day 3 post-transfection in the Ad-hTERT group. No hTERT expression was detected in the Ad-GFP and control groups. Telomerase activity was significantly greater in the Ad-hTERT group compared with the Ad-GFP and control groups （P 〈 0.01）. Compared with the control group, cell activity was significantly decreased （P 〈 0.05）, and cell apoptotic rate, Cdk5 and p16 expression were significantly increased （P 〈 0.01） in the model group. Compared with the model group, cell activity was increased in the Ad-hTERT group, and peaked at day 3 post-transfection （P 〈 0.05）. Neuroprotective effects also peaked at day 3 post-transfection; and the apoptotic rate, Cdk5 and p16 expression significantly decreased （P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： Expression of hTERT in human embryonic cortical neurons can relieve Aβ25-35-induced neuronal apoptosis. The possible mechanism by which hTERT produces these neuroprotective effects may be associated with inhibition of Cdk5 and p16 expression.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Attenuates Neutrophil-predominant Inflammation and Acute Lung Injury in an In Vivo Rat Model of Ventilator-induced Lung Injury

Background： Subsequent neutrophil （polymorphonuclear neutrophil [PMN]）-predominant inflammatory response is a predominant feature of ventilator-induced lung injury （VILI）, and mesenchymal stem cell （MSC） can improve mice survival model of endotoxin-induced acute lung injury, reduce lung impairs, and enhance the repair inflammatory in the VILI is still unknown. This study aimed to inflammatory in the mechanical VILI. of VILI. However, whether MSC could attenuate PMN-predominant test whether MSC intervention could attenuate the PMN-predominate Methods： Sprague-Dawley rats were ventilated for 2 hours with large tidal volume （20 mL/kg）. MSCs were given before or after ventilation. The inflammatory chemokines and gas exchange were observed and compared dynamically until 4 hours after ventilation, and pulmonary pathological change and activation of PMN were observed and compared 4 hours after ventilation. Results： Mechanical ventilation （MV） caused significant lung injury reflected by increasing in PMN pulmonary sequestration, inflammatory chemokines （tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and macrophage inflammatory protein 2） in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and injury score of the lung tissue. These changes were accompanied with excessive PMN activation which reflected by increases in PMN elastase activity, production of radical oxygen series. MSC intervention especially pretreatment attenuated subsequent lung injury, systemic inflammation response and PMN pulmonary sequestration and excessive PMN activation initiated by injurious ventilation. Conclusions： MV causes profound lung injury and PMN-predominate inflammatory responses. The protection effect of MSC in the VILI rat model is related to the suppression of the PMN activation.

^(18)F-FDG PET/MR Imaging for Evaluating of Obstructive Jaundice:Chinese Expert Consensus

The cause of obstructive jaundice is usually complex which renders its differential diagnosis and lesion localization challenging in clinical practice.Integrated Positron Emission tomography/Magnetic Resonance(PET/MR)offers complementary information from PET and MR in the diagnosis of obstructive jaundice and is becoming widely adopted in clinical setting.While preserving its diagnostic accuracy,it is important to standardize and streamline the clinical scan protocol of PET/MR in evaluating obstructive jaundice.Based on literature review and experience of large number of clinical cases from the author group,this article reports an expert consensus on imaging protocol optimization and case interpretation template standardization.