Rescuing axons from degeneration does not affect retinal ganglion cell death

After a traumatic injury to the central nervous system, the distal stumps of axons undergo Wallerian degeneration (WD), an event that comprises cytoskeleton and myelin breakdown, astrocytic gliosis, and overexpression of proteins that inhibit axonal regrowth. By contrast, injured neuronal cell bodies show features characteristic of attempts to initiate the regenerative process of elongating their axons. The main molecular event that leads to WD is an increase in the intracellular calcium concentration, which activates calpains, calcium-dependent proteases that degrade cytoskeleton proteins. The aim of our study was to investigate whether preventing axonal degeneration would impact the survival of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after crushing the optic nerve. We observed that male Wistar rats (weighing 200-400 g; n=18) treated with an exogenous calpain inhibitor (20 mM) administered via direct application of the inhibitor embedded within the copolymer resin Evlax immediately following optic nerve crush showed a delay in the onset of WD. This delayed onset was characterized by a decrease in the number of degenerated fibers (P<0.05) and an increase in the number of preserved fibers (P<0.05) 4 days after injury. Additionally, most preserved fibers showed a normal G-ratio. These results indicated that calpain inhibition prevented the degeneration of optic nerve fibers, rescuing axons from the process of axonal degeneration. However, analysis of retinal ganglion cell survival demonstrated no difference between the calpain inhibitor- and vehicle-treated groups, suggesting that although the calpain inhibitor prevented axonal degeneration, it had no effect on RGC survival after optic nerve damage.

Para além do combate à ancilostomíase: o diário do médico norte-americano Alan Gregg / Looking beyond the campaign to eradicate ancylostomiasis: the diary of the American physician Alan Gregg

Entre 1916 e 1923, o Distrito Federal e 11 estados brasileiros estabeleceram acordos de cooperação com a divisão internacional de saúde – International Health Board – da Fundação Rockefeller para combater uma endemia rural, a ancilostomíase. Este breve texto apresenta o diário de Alan Gregg, um dos médicos norte-americanos que trabalharam no Brasil entre 1919-1922. Fonte interessante para discutir questões relativas à história da saúde pública no Brasil, o diário do médico, além das informações sobre as atividades de combate à ancilostomíase desenvolvidas pela Fundação Rockefeller no país, apresenta suas impressões relativas à natureza, à cultura, à política e à sociedade brasileiras. Na seleção de trechos do diário ora apresentado, priorizamos, porém, aspectos relativos às atividades profissionais realizadas por Gregg.

Between 1916 and 1923, the Federal District and 11 Brazilian states entered into cooperation agreements with the International Health Board of the Rockefeller Foundation to combat a rural endemic disease, namely ancylostomiasis. This paper presents the diary of Alan Gregg, one of the American physicians who worked in Brazil from 1919 to 1922. An interesting source to discuss issues relating to the history of public health in Brazil, in addition to information about the activities to combat ancylostomiasis developed by the Rockefeller Foundation in the country, the diary of the physician presents his impressions concerning nature, culture, politics and society in Brazil. In the diary excerpts presented here, however, aspects related to the professional activities performed by Gregg are prioritized.

Ulinastatin attenuates oxidation, inflammation and neural apoptosis in the cerebral cortex of adult rats with ventricular fibrillation after cardiopulmonary resuscitation

OBJECTIVE: The role of Ulinastatin in neuronal injury after cardiopulmonary resuscitation has not been elucidated. We aim to evaluate the effects of Ulinastatin on inflammation, oxidation, and neuronal injury in the cerebral cortex after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS: Ventricular fibrillation was induced in 76 adult male Wistar rats for 6 min, after which cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated. After spontaneous circulation returned, the rats were split into two groups: the Ulinastatin 100,000 unit/kg group or the PBS-treated control group. Blood and cerebral cortex samples were obtained and compared at 2, 4, and 8 h after return of spontaneous circulation. The protein levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and mRNA levels were quantified via real-time polymerase chain reaction. Myeloperoxidase and Malondialdehyde were measured by spectrophotometry. The translocation of nuclear factor-κB p65 was assayed by Western blot. The viable and apoptotic neurons were detected by Nissl and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). RESULTS: Ulinastatin treatment decreased plasma levels of TNF-α and IL-6, expression of mRNA, and Myeloperoxidase and Malondialdehyde in the cerebral cortex. In addition, Ulinastatin attenuated the translocation of nuclear factor-κB p65 at 2, 4, and 8 hours after the return of spontaneous circulation. Ulinastatin increased the number of living neurons and decreased TUNEL-positive neuron numbers in the cortex at 72 h after the return of spontaneous circulation. CONCLUSIONS: Ulinastatin preserved neuronal survival and inhibited neuron apoptosis after the return of spontaneous circulation in Wistar rats via attenuation of the oxidative stress response and translocation of nuclear factor-κB p65 in the cortex. In addition, Ulinastatin decreased the production of TNF-α, ...

Effect of urinary trypsin inhibitor on DNA genotyping in urine samples / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effect of urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) on STR genotyping with urinary samples.@*METHODS@#Midstream urine samples of 5 male and 5 female volunteers were collected respectively, sub-packaged, added with different concentration of UTI and stored at -80 degrees C. Genomic DNA was extracted from those urinary samples, of which STR profiles were genotyped with IdentifilerTM kit at 8 different time points. Results of genotyping in urinary samples were compared with those of the homogenous blood control samples and the successful rate of genotyping in different group of urinary samples treated with UTI was determined.@*RESULTS@#Fifteen STR loci included in Identifiler system were all detected in control blood samples and urinary samples stored for 1 day. STR locus loss was observed and all 15 STR loci disappeared in female urinary samples untreated with UTI while those storage periods prolonged to 3 and 9 days, respectively. However, all 15 STR loci could be detected in female urinary samples treated with UTI and stored for as long as 9 days. No STR loci could be detected in male urinary samples preserved without UTI for 7 days while 9 STR loci detected preserved with UTI for 9 days. There was no significant difference among the average detection ratios of STR loci in female urinary samples treated with UTI at concentrations of 0.2, 0.4 or 0.6 microg/mL and stored for 30 days, mean of which was as high as 0.8400 +/- 0.0423, statistically higher than that in male urinary samples (0.1600 +/- 0.0423).@*CONCLUSION@#Detection rate of STR loci in urinary samples preserved with UTI was increased significantly, which results in prolonging the storage periods of urinary samples for personal identification.

Leptospira interrogans activation of peripheral blood monocyte glycolipoprotein demonstrated in whole blood by the release of IL-6

Glycolipoprotein (GLP) from pathogenic serovars of Leptospira has been implicated in the pathogenesis of leptospirosis by its presence in tissues of experimental animals with leptospirosis, the inhibition of the Na,K-ATPase pump activity, and induced production of cytokines. The aims of the present study were to investigate the induction of IL-6 by GLP in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and to demonstrate monocyte stimulation at the cellular level in whole blood from healthy volunteers. PBMC were stimulated with increasing concentrations (5 to 2500 ng/ml) of GLP extracted from the pathogenic L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni, lipopolysaccharide (positive control) or medium (negative control), and supernatants were collected after 6, 20/24, and 48 h, and kept at -80°C until use. Whole blood was diluted 1:1 in RPMI medium and cultivated for 6 h, with medium, GLP and lipopolysaccharide as described above. Monensin was added after the first hour of culture. Supernatant cytokine levels from PBMC were measured by ELISA and intracellular IL-6 was detected in monocytes in whole blood cultures by flow-cytometry. Monocytes were identified in whole blood on the basis of forward versus side scatter parameters and positive reactions with CD45 and CD14 antibodies. GLP ( > or = 50 ng/ml)-induced IL-6 levels in supernatants were detected after 6-h incubation, reaching a peak after 20/24 h. The percentage of monocytes staining for IL-6 increased with increasing GLP concentration. Thus, our findings show a GLP-induced cellular activation by demonstrating the ability of GLP to induce IL-6 and the occurrence of monocyte activation in whole blood at the cellular level.

Changes of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and the effects of ulinastatin injection during cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The changes of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and brain ultrastructure during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the effects of ulinastation injection were observed, and the mechanism was investigated. Twenty-four adult healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group (8 rats), resuscitation group (8 rats) and ulinastatin (UTI) group (8 rats). Rats in control group underwent tracheotomy without clipping the trachea to induce circulatory and respiratory standstill. Rats in resuscitation and ulinastatin group were subjected to the procedure of establishing the model of cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation (CPCR). Rats in ulinastatin group were given with UTI 104 U/kg once after CPCR. In the control group, the plasma was collected immediate, 30 min, 2 h, 4 h, and 6 h after tracheotomy. In resuscitation group and UTI group, plasma was collected immediate after tracheotomy, 30 min, 2 h, 4 h and 6 h after successful resuscitation. The plasma levels of TNF-alpha were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). At the end of the experiment, 2 rats were randomly selected from each group and were decapitated. The cortex of the brain was taken out immediately to observe the ultrastructure changes. In control group, there were no significant differences in the level of TNF-alpha among different time points (P>0.05). In resuscitation group, the level of TNF-alpha was increased obviously after resuscitation (P<0.01) and reached its peak 2 h later after resuscitation. An increasing trend of TNF-alpha showed in UTI group. There were no differences in TNF-alpha among each sample taken after successful resuscitation and that after tracheotomy. The utrastructure of brains showed the injury in UTI group was ameliorated as compared with that in resuscitation group. In early period of CPCR, TNF-alpha was expressed rapidly and kept increasing. It indicated that TNF-alpha might take part in the tissue injury after CPCR. The administration of UTI during CACR could depress TNF-alpha and ameliorate brain injury. By regulating the expression of damaging mediator, UTI might provide a protective effect on the tissue injury after CPCR.

Regulación de la hematopoyesis / Hematopoyesis regulation

Las señales positivas y negativas juegan un papel trascendental en la regulación del sistema hematopoyético. En los últimos 30 años se purificaron más de 20 moléculas (glicoproteínas) con actividad biológica sobre las células progenitoras del sistema hematopoyético y sobre las células maduras circulantes. Los factores de crecimiento hematopoyéticos son las más conocidas de estas biomoléculas (citocinas como los factores estimulantes de colonias y las interleucinas), las cuales son capaces de estimular a las células de la médula ósea para producir descendencia madura. Hasta el presente se ha podido determianr no sólo la secuencia de la mayoría de estas glicoproteínas y los gene que las codifican, sino también caracterizar a las células blanco de cada uno de los factores y a sus receptores celulares. Los estudios de la interacción entre las células progenitoras hematopoyéticas y los factores que estimulan y/o inhiben su proliferación, han demostrado ser muy útiles en el desarrollo de terapias clínicas y podrían ser herramientas importantes en el análisis de la patogenia de muchas enfermedades hematológicas. Sin embargo, los mecanismos subyacentes en la producción de factores estimulantes o inhibidores y la proliferación de las células progenitoras hematopoyéticas continúan siendo escasamente conocidos

Plant lectins, chemical and biological aspects

Lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins of non-immune origin, that agglutinate cells or precipitate polysaccharides and glycoconjugates, are well distributed in nature, mainly in the Plant Kingdom. The great majority of the plante lectins are present in seed cotyledons where they are found in the cytoplasm or int he protein bodies, although they have also been found in roots, stems and leaves. Due to their peculiar properties, the lectins are used as a tool both for analytical and preparative purposes in biochemistry, cellular biology, immunology and related areas. In agriculture and medicine the use of lectins greatly improved in the last few years. The lextins, with few exceptions, are glycoproteins, need divalent cations to display full activity and are, in general, oligomers with variable molecular weight. Although the studies on lectins have completed a century, their role in nature is yet ynknown . Several hypotheses on their physiological functions have been suggested. Thus, lectins could play important roles in defense against pathogens, plant-microorganism symbiosis, cell organization, embryo morphogenesis, phagocytosis, cell wall elongation, pollen recognition and as reserve proteins. A brief review on the general properties and roles of the lectins is given.

Influencia del coralán sobre la respuesta in vitro de células inmunocompetentes / Coralan influence on the in vitro response of inmunocompetent cells

El coralán, aislado de la Pseudopterogorgia americana, un coral blando, es una glicoproteìna sulfatada que contiene 1% de sulfato, se ha informado que tienen influencia en el rechazo del trasplante del tumor ascìtico de Ehrlich. Diferentes concentraciones de esta sustancia se probaron en células mononucleares de sangre periférica (CMN) frente a la PHA, se observó un incremento significativo de la respuesta, lo que indica que una de las vías por las que este producto ajerce su actividad es por la vía de los linfocitos T. Tambièn se produce un ligero incremento de la actividad de las células NK frente a las células K 562 cuando las CMN son preincubadas con el producto 2 horas antes de realizarse el experimento, datos que en nuestras condiciones fueron comparables al procucido por el IFN, que se ha descrito que aumenta esta actividad.

Estudio de los cambios histopatológicos en ratas tratadas con un inmunomodulador de origen marino (corolan), por tres vías de administración prenteral / Study of histopathologic changes in rats treated with an immunomodulator of marine origin (coralan) by 3 parenteral routes of administration

Se describen las principales alteraciones histopatológicas en ratas provocadas por el tratamiento con coralan por las vias intraperitoneal, endovenosa y subcutanea. Hubo diferencias en cuanto a las respuestas al tratamiento de tipo local y general con las distintas formas de tratamiento ensayadas y se encontró una mayor y constante respuesta y asiento de lesiones de tipo degenerativo en el hígado en todos los casos