Effect of moxibustion on colonic mucosal injury and expression of CGRP positive nerve fibers of distal colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis mice / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST 36) on distal, middle and proximal colonic mucosal injury and expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) positive nerve fibers of distal colonic mucosa in ulcerative colitis (UC) mice at different time points.@*METHODS@#A total of 51 C57BL/6N mice were randomized into a 7-day control group (@*RESULTS@#Mucosal injury can be observed in mice after modeling, displaying epithelial layer disappearance, abnormal crypt structure or crypt disappearance. Compared with the 7-day control group, colon length was shortened (@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST 36) can reduce the expressions of positive nerve fibers of colonic mucosa and CGRP positive nerve fibers of distal colonic mucosa, thus, improve the colonic mucosal injury.

The effect of ligand of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma 15d-PGJ2 on the proliferation and activation of hepatic stellate cells / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of ligand of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) 15d-PGJ2 on the proliferation and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and to study the role played by PPAR gamma during the process of HSC activation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>By using RT-PCR and cell culture, we investigated the effects of 5 micro mol/L and 10 micro mol/L 15d-PGJ2 on culture-activated HSC and on PDGF-induced HSC proliferation, production of extracellular matrix and expression of chemokines.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of alpha-SMA was significantly suppressed by 5mumol/L 15d-PGJ2, and the expression of PPAR gamma was significantly higher in the 15d-PGJ2 treated group than in the untreated group (0.64+/-0.03 vs 0.09+/-0.01, t=36.0517, P<0.01); PDGF-induced HSC proliferation was dose-dependently suppressed by 15d-PGJ2; the expressions of PPAR gamma in 5 micro mol/L and also in 10 micro mol/L 15d-PGJ2 plus PDGF pre-treated group increased much more than those in the PDGF-treated group (0.03+/-0.02 vs 0.60+/-0.03, t=42.6616, P<0.01 and 0.03+/-0.02 vs 0.69+/-0.04, t=33.83, P<0.01); the expressions of alpha-SMA, alpha 1 (I)-collagen and MCP-1 were suppressed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Activation of PPAR gamma can modulate pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory roles of HSC and the increased expression of PPAR gamma may become a new target for antifibrosis.</p>

Collagen type III glomerulopathy: a morphologic study / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the morphologic changes of collagen type III glomerulopathy and to investigate the possible cellular origin for collagen III production.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Light microscopy, immunofluorescent staining, immunohistochemistry (for collagen I, III and IV and alpha-SMA) and electron microscopy studies on 3 renal biopsy cases of collagen type III glomerulopathy were performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Two cases presented with nephrotic syndrome, one of which was associated with systemic hypertension. The third case showed renal impairment and renal hypertension. None had any known family history of renal diseases. Light microscopy showed diffuse thickened glomerular basement membrane and expanded mesangium with deposition of weakly PAS-positive homogeneous material not associated with mesangial cell proliferation. Electron microscopy revealed massive collagen fiber deposits in the subendothelial spaces and mesangium. The mesangial cells also contained bundles of microfilaments in the subplasmalemmal regions. Immunohistochemically, the diffuse positivity for type III collagen corresponded to the homogeneous material seen under light microscopy. The staining for type I and IV collagens was negative. Alpha-SMA was expressed in many mesangial cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The diagnosis of collagen type III glomerulopathy can be made on the basis of detailed morphologic examination and ancillary investigations. It is possible that activated mesangial cells may be the cellular origin of collagen III.</p>

Lung pathology and pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome: a report of six full autopsies / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infectious disease that first manifested in humans in November 2002. The SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has been identified as the causal agent, but the pathology and pathogenesis are still not quite clear.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Post-mortem lung samples from six patients who died from SARS from April to July 2003 were studied by light and electron microscopy, Masson trichromal staining and immunohistochemistry. Evidence of infection with the SARS-CoV was determined by reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) , serological examination and electron microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Four of six patients had serological and RT-PCR evidence of recent infection of SARS-CoV. Morphologic changes are summarized as follows: (1) Diffuse and bilateral lung consolidation was seen in all patients (6/6) with increasing lung weight. (2) Diffuse alveolar damage was universal (6/6) with hyaline membrane formation (6/6), intra-alveolar edema/hemorrhage (6/6), fibrin deposition (6/6), pneumocyte desquamation (6/6). A marked disruption in the integrity of the alveolar epithelium was confirmed by immunostaining for the epithelial marker AE1/AE3 (6/6). (3) Type II pneumocytes, with mild hyperplasia, atypia, cytomegaly with granular amphophilic cytoplasm and intracytoplasmic lipid accumulation (5/6). (4) Giant cells in the alveoli were seen in five of 6 patients (5/6) , most of which were positive for the epithelial marker AE1/AE3 (5/6), but some cells were positive for the macrophage marker CD68(2/6). (5) A pronounced increase of macrophages were seen in the alveoli and the interstitium of the lung (6/6), which was confirmed by histological study and immunohistochemistry. (6) Haemophagocytosis was present in five of the 6 patients(5/6). (7) Lung fibrosis was seen in five patients(5/6), with alveolar septa and interstitium thickening(5/6), intraalveolar organizing exudates (6/6) and pleura thickening (4/6). Proliferation of collagen was confirmed by Masson trichromal staining, most of which was type III collagen by immunostaining. The formation of distinctive fibroblast/myofibroblast foci was seen in five patients (5/6) by light microscopy and immunochemistry. (8) Squamous metaplasia of bronchial mucosa was seen in five patients(5/6). (9) Thrombi was seen in all patients(6/6). (10) Accompanying infection was present in two patients, one was bacteria, the other was fungus. In addition, electron microscopy revealed viral particles in the cytoplasm of alveolar epithelial cells and endothelial cells corresponding to coronavirus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Direct injury of SARS-CoV on alveolar epithelium, prominent macrophage infiltration and distinctive fibroblast/myofibroblast proliferation may play major roles in the pathogenesis of SARS.</p>

Construction of efficient conjugal plasmids between Escherichia coli and Streptomycetes / 生物工程学报

Conjugal plasmid pGH112 has been developed based on the replicons of Streptomyces coelicolor plasmid SCP2 and E. coli ColE. The plasmid contains ampicilin resistance gene(amp) for selection in E. coli and thiostrepton resistance gene (tsr) for selection in Streptomycetes, and a 0.76 kb oriT fragment of (IncP) RK2. Conjugal transfer of pGH112 was performed from E. coli to S. coelicolor A3(2), S. avermitilis, S. lividans TK54, S. toxytricini NNRL15443, S. venezuelae ISP5230 and Sacc. erythraea by conjugation, results show that the plasmid was able to transfer efficenctly from E. coli to Streptomycetes, was stably inherited in the recipients. pGH113 was constructed from pGH112 by combining the constitutive ermE promoter with green fluorescent protein gene(gfp).

Expression and significance of integrin alpha6beta4 in experimental allergic neuritis / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of the integrin alpha6beta4 in experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) and the relationship of the integrin alpha6beta4 with functional states of Schwann cells (Sc) as well as the injury and repair of the myelin during EAN.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>EAN was induced in Lewis rats and sciatic nerves were resected in 18 EAN and 3 normal rats. The expression of tissue integrin alpha6beta4 was analyzed during the course of EAN induction and in controls by in situ hybridization and semi-quantitative RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The detection of integrin alpha6 and beta4 subunit by hybridization in situ demonstrated that expression of alpha6 subunit present no significant changes during the course of EAN, while expression of beta4 declined in the early phase, showing less positive signals than those of the control, and restored its expression in the later or recovery phase. The changes of expression of integrin alpha6 and beta4 in EAN were confirmed by semi-quantitative PT-PCR, using GAPDH as the internal standard.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The degeneration and injury of Sc caused by inflammation affect the expression of integrin, which shows similar changes in Sc during embryogenesis, indicating alpha6beta4 may be a marker of Sc differentiation and at least an important molecule to mark the course of EAN. The expression of alpha6beta4 correlate with the injury and repair of myelin during EAN.</p>