Flow cytometry for evaluation of sperm plasma membrane integrity in varicocele patients / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the sperm plasma membrane integrity (PMI) of varicocele (VC) patients using SYBR-14/PI fluorescent staining and flow cytometry, and investigate its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected semen samples from 120 men, including 30 grade-1 varicocele patients (VC1), 30 grade-2 (VC2), 30 grade-3 (VC3), and 30 normal fertile volunteer controls. Conventional semen analyses were performed by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA). All the semen samples were washed with PBS and then subjected to SYBR-14/PI staining for the detection of sperm PMI by flow cytometry. The proportion of normal sperm with PMI was indicated as the percentage of sperm emitting green fluorescence (SYBR-14+/PI- %), sperm PMI was determined and sperm fertilization capacity predicted.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant differences were detected in SYBR-14+/PI- and SYBR-14-/PI+ between the normal men and varicocele male patients (P < 0.01). The percentages of the sperm with PMI (SYBR-14+/PI- %) were remarkably lower in the VC1, VC2 and VC3 groups ([54.85 +/- 3.78]%, [45.37 +/- 4.12]% and [35.14 +/- 4.91]%) than in the normal controls ([70.79 +/- 6.71]%). SYBR-14+/PI-% was correlated positively with sperm motility (r=0.965, P < 0.01) and the percentage of grade a + b sperm (r = 0.874, P < 0.01), negatively with the percentage of grade d sperm (r = -0.965, P <0.01), but not significantly with pH, semen volume and liquefaction time (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SYBR-14/PI fluorescent staining and flow cytometry can quickly and exactly detect sperm PMI. Varicocele decreases sperm PMI, which might be an important cause of male infertility.</p>

Study on the inhibitive effect of Astragalus Injection solution on hepatic fibrosis in rats / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Astragalus Injection solution on rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and hepatic fibrosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HSCs of rats were incubated with various concentrations of Astragalus Injection solution (0 mg/ml, 25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, 100 mg/ml, 200 mg/ml, 400 mg/ml) for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Cell proliferation was detected with 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphennyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric assay. Cell cycle was detected with flow cytometry. Cell apoptosis was detected with acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescent staining and flow cytometry. In vivo, rats were randomly allocated into a normal control group, a model control group and an Astragalus Injection group. Astragalus Injection (800 mg.kg-1.d-1) was administered to rats of the Astragalus Injection group. Rats of the model control group received saline. Serum concentrations of hyaluronic acid (HA) and laminin (LN), hepatic tissue activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and hepatic tissue contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in these groups at 8 weeks. Hepatic tissue expression of LN was assessed by using immunohistochemistry. The pathological changes of hepatic tissues were examined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and van Gieson (VG) staining of their histological slides.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In vitro, compared with the 0 mg/ml group, the proliferation of HSCs in other concentration groups was significantly inhibited by Astragalus Injection solution in a dose and time dependent manner, the cell proliferation cycle of HSCs was blocked in the G2-M phase, there was no apoptosis of HSCs in AO/EB fluorescent staining and flow cytometry. In vivo, compared with rats of the model control group, the rats of the Astragalus Injection solution treated group had remarkably decreased serum HA and LN levels (114.3+/-25.6) microg/L vs (85.6+/-37.3) microg/L and (78.8+/-11.7) microg/L vs (66.8+/-17.6) microg/L, P < 0.05, and liver MDA level (3.7+/-0.4) micromol/g protein vs (2.4+/-0.2) micromol/g protein, P < 0.01, but had increased activity of liver SOD (49.6+/-5.7) NU/mg protein vs (75.9+/-5.9) NU/mg protein, P < 0.01. Microscopic studies revealed that the livers of rats receiving Astragalus Injection solution showed decreases in fibrosis and in expression of LN.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Astragalus Injection solution has an inhibitive effect on experimental hepatic fibrogenesis. The mechanisms of its effects might possibly be associated with its antioxidant activity, expression of decreasing LN and its inhibition of HSCs proliferation.</p>

Construction of a baculovirus transfer vector and expression of baculovirus-mediated gfp gene in larvae of Spodoptera litura / 生物工程学报

To construct a novel baculovirus expression system of Spodoptera litura multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus, the 5' end and 3' end-flanking fragments of ph gene were amplified from the genome DNA of SpltMNPV, Japan-C3 strain using two pairs of primers synthesized according to SpltMNPV China-G2 strain genome DNA sequence published in GenBank. To obtain the transfer vector pSplt-gfp, the fragment of gfp gene was inserted into this vector between two fragments tandem linked into pUC18. The spli cells were cotransfected with pSplt-gfp and the wild SpltMNPV genome DNA. The recombinant virus containing gfp was selected with the limited dilution method. The fluorescence can be observed in the spli cells and the 3rd instar larvae after 24 and 48 hours by infection of the recombinant virus, respectively. The result showed that the recombinant virus was obtained successfully. It will be helpful to establish Spodoptera litura multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus expression system and more effective pesticide for Spodoptera litura.

Expression of human phosphodiesterase 3A gene using baculovirus expression system in insect cell / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate the expression of recombinant human phosphodiesterase 3A (HPDE3A) using baculovirus expression system in Tn cell line.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The HPDE3A cDNA was recombined with baculovirus, and then the recombinant was transfected into Tn cell line. The expression of HPDE3A in Tn cell line was detected and identified by the RT-PCR, SDS-PAGE and Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The recombinant HPDE3A protein was stably expressed in Tn cell line and detected by the distinct morphological changes of Tn cell, RT-PCR, SDS-PAGE and Western blotting using polyclonal antibody. The M(w) of the recombinant protein was about 120 kD.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Recombinant HPDE3A can be expressed in Tn cell line using the baculovirus expression system, and thus provided the basic material for studying its bioactivity and application in screening for HPDE3A inhibitor.</p>

Effect and mechanism of Tanshensu on fibrotic rats / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect and mechanism of Tanshensu on experimental fibrotic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Pigs serum was used to induce liver fibrosis in Wistar rats. The rats in Tanshensu-treated group were injected peritoneally with Tanshensu solution at the dose of 300 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), and the rats in model-control group and normal-control group received the same volume of double distill water. At the end of the twelfth week, the hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were isolated from the liver of one rat in model-control group using in-situ perfusion with pronase and collagenase, then density gradient centrifugation, and the other rats were killed to take the serum and liver samples. MTT colorimetric assay was used for detecting the proliferation of HSCs and flow cytometry was used for observing the cell cycles of HSCs under different concentrations of Tanshensu. The hyaluronic acid (HA) level in serum was detected and the morphological changes of liver tissue were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was a decline of serum HA level in Tanshensu-treated group compared to that of the model-control group (231.4 ng/ml +/- 41.1 ng/ml vs. 398.7 ng/ml +/- 54.5 ng/ml, F =154.796, P < 0.05). Both HE and VG stain showed a decline of liver fibrosis degree in Tanshensu-treated group. And Tanshensu had an inhibition effect on the proliferation of HSCs at the concentrations of 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 200 mg/L (1.60x10(-2) +/- 8.17x10(-4), 1.10x10(-2) +/- 1.41x10(-3), and 6.75x10(-3) +/- 3.30x10(-3) vs. 7.18x10(-2) +/- 1.71x10(-3), F =1154.221, P <0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Tanshensu shows a therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis in rats induced by pig's serum through inhibiting the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells.</p>

Expression of phytase gene in Bombyx mori / 生物工程学报

Phytase gene of Aspergillus niger 963 was cloned into baculovirus transfer vector. DNA of the recombinant vector was co-transfected with Bm-BacPAK6 DNA into BmN cells, and recombinant virus was selected by plaque assays. The recombinant virus was identified by Dot blot and Southern-blot with the specific probe for phytase gene. Phytase gene was expressed in silkworm larvae and pupae. The expression product was 1.43 g/L haemolymph for silkworm larvae and 1.90 g/L haemolymph for pupae, respectively. The enzymic characteristicses of phytase expressed in baculovirus-expression system were studied in this paper.

Induced activity of nitrate reductase by nitrate and cloning of nitrate reductase gene / 生物工程学报

Excessive nitrate accumulated in plants affects vegetable quality severely and excessive nitrate ingestion would do harm to human health. Assimilatory NADH: nitrate reductase (NR, EC 1.6.6.1), a complex Mo-pterin-, cytochrome b(557)- and FAD-containing protein, catalyzes the regulated and rate-limiting step in the utilization of inorganic nitrogen by higher plants. Enhancing the activity of NR is conducive to reduce the concentration of nitrate in plants. The experiments were conducted to investigate the activity of nitrate reductase in different plant tissues and the relationship between external inducing solution concentration and NR activity (NRA) in plant leaves. Six plant seedlings growing in solution culture were deprived of an external nitrogen (N) supply for 2 weeks. On selected days, three of six plant seedlings were exposed to 50mmol/L NO3- for 0, 2, 5, 8, 11h, and four of the six plant seedlings were exposed to 0, 10, 30, 50mmol/L NO3- for 2h. The NRA was determined in vivo at 538nm using spectrophotometer. The results showed that NRA increased when those plant seedlings were induced by nitrate solution. The change trends of NRA in roots and in leaves of cole, pea and tomato were different during treating time. The NRA in cole leaves was higher than that in its root and in other two plants and increased along with inducing time, but the NRA in bea and tomato was highest when the treating time was 8h and 2h, respectively. The highest NRA in leaves of three kinds of Chinese cabbages and tomato was induced by different concentrations of KNO3 solution. In tomato leaves, the highest NRA was induced by 10 - 30mmol/L KNO3 solution. In three Chinese cabbages, Brassica chinensis L. cv. AJH, XBC and KR-605, the highest NRA was induced by 10, 30, 10mmol/L KNO3 solution, respectively. The results indicated that the response manners of NRA in plants to external nitrate solutions were different. According to these results, the level of NR mRNA in plants could be enhanced by nitrate inducement. The total RNA was isolated from tomato leaves and root which induced by 30mmol/L KNO3 solution for 2h, and NR cDNA was obtained by RT-PCR using the specific primers. The fragments of PCR products were cloned and sequenced. There are 2736 base pairs in the whole cDNA fragment. The deduced protein sequence contains 911 amino acids. The NR gene can be fused to the CaMV 35S promoter, then introduced to higher plants, such as vegetables. It is hoped to decrease drastically the nitrate content of the transgenic plants.

Semi-artificial Simulate Cultivation of Phlebopus portentosus and the Durability of Hyphae on Host Roots / 微生物学通报

Pure culture of Phlebopus portentosus was inoculated in the roots of coffee tree. The results indi-cated that the young fruit bodies would come out around the rhizomes of host tree after inoculation in 30 to 90 days, single or cluster, 3 to 4 days for mature, weight 20.0 g to 62.0 g. Brown rhizomorph and hyphae can be seen on the seedlings`rhizome, main root and side root while nothing is on the tip of the root.It was found that rhizomorph on the surface of roots would die after inoculation in 90 days in pot.