Isolation of mononuclear cells from CNS tissue using Percoll gradients centrifugation / 中国药理学通报

Aim To establish a rapid method to efficiently iso-late mononuclear cells from central nervous system ( CNS) tis-sues of mice that can be effectively utilized for identification of various immune cell populations in a single sample by flow cy-tometry. Methods For defining the feasibility and practicality of the method, wild-type C57BL/6 mice and two mouse models of CNS disease including EAE mice and APP/PS1 mice were used in this study. After the collection and homogenization of the brain and spinal cord tissues respectively, the mononuclear cells were isolated by spinning the 70% -30% Percoll gradients. Cell activities were detected by trypan blue staining, and the im-mune population that infiltrated CNS was identified by flow cy-tometry. Results The results of trypan blue staining showed that the survival rate of the isolated cells was above 90% in all groups. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the relative num- bers of lymphocytes infiltrating CNS of EAE and AD mice in-creased significantly compared with wild-type C57BL/6 mice. In addition, the relative numbers of Th1 and Th17 cell subsets me-diating the inflammatory response also increased significantly, while the decreased regulatory T cells frequency was observed in the two mouse models of CNS disease. Conclusions The cells isolated by the 70% ~30% Percoll gradients centrifugation can be effectively utilized for the identification of various immune cell populations in a single sample by flow cytometry. The meth-od described in this article is simple and rapid in operation and with high survival rate and activity of the cells, which can be ap-plied to the study of the mononuclear cells in CNS.

Effects of Radix Ginseng and Radix Ophiopogonis extract (SMF) on protein S-nitrosylation in ischemic myocardial tissue / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Radix Ginseng and Radix Ophiopogonis extract (SMF) on protein S-nitrosylation in rats myocardial with ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion in rats were produced by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. To study the cardioprotective effects of SMF on the acute MI/RI rats, the serum levels of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and nitric oxide (NO) were determined. The change of the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was detected by Western blot. The content of related S-nitrosylation proteins in myocardial tissue was measured by Biotin-Switch method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>SMF significantly decreased the serum levels of CK and LDH as well as increased the serum levels of NO and the expression of eNOS in myocardial tissue. The contents of S-nitrosylation proteins were significantly increased from (4.42 +/- 0.60) micromol x g(-1) to (8.78 +/- 1.37) micromol x g(-1). The molecular weight of the majority S-nitrosylation proteins were in the range of 90 x 10(3)-117 x 10(3).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Increased expression of eNOS and NO induced by SMF may activate S-nitrosylation of many proteins in rat hearts. The change of the activities or functions of those proteins by S-nitrosylation may be an important mechanism for myocardial protective effects of SMF.</p>

The association between interleukin-1 receptor antagonist genotype and chronic periodontitis of Uighur patients / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) genotype and its association with the susceptibility of chronic periodontitis in Uighur patients of Xinjiang.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Genomic DNA was obtained from buccal swabs of 41 subjects with severe chronic periodontitis (CP), 43 subjects with moderate CP, 49 subjects with mild CP and 92 ethnically matched healthy control individuals. Genotypes of IL-1RN intron 2 VNTR was analyzed by SSP-PCR method. Then compared the differences in distribution of each genotype.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A significant over-representation of IL-1RN intron 2 VNTR allele 2 was found in severe chronic periodontitis group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IL-1RN intron 2 VNTR allele 2 may be a risk indicator for the susceptibility of severe chronic periodontitis in Uighur patients of Xinjiang.</p>