[Evaluation of neurovascular function in mouse cortex using multispectral optical imaging after ischemic stroke].

Objective: To acquire the signal of neuron excitability and blood oxygen in mouse cortex after ischemic stroke, and to clarify the relationship between the change of neurovascular function and the degree of cerebral infarction. Methods: The male C57BL/6 mouse(n=20) about 6-8 weeks and 20 g weight were produced the embolic stroke modal by photochemical injury. The mouse cortex was scanned by the multispectral optical imaging while using electric stimulation in 1, 3 and 7 d after operation. Then several data around the infarction were acquired including neuron excitability, the total hemoglobin concentration and deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration. The ischemic cerebral infarction size was analyzed by TTC staining. Plasma TNF-α concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). And modified neurological severity score (mNSS) was recorded after ischemic stroke(n=30). Then correlativity analysis was used between the optical signals and three indicators of cerebral infarction degree. Results: The changes of neuron excitability signals were 1.15%±0.28%, 2.84%±1.06%, 2.21%±0.55%. The total hemoglobin concentration signals were 3.71%±2.76%,3.19%±2.70%,4.27%±3.05%. The deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration signals were 2.93%±2.33%, 3.60%±1.74%, 2.08%±1.28%. The neural signal was correlated to cerebral infarction size, plasma TNF-α concentration and mNSS(r=-0.441, -0.449,-0.404, all P<0.05), and mNSS had a great effect on neuron excitability(ß=-0.169,P<0.05). Meanwhile, the total hemoglobin concentration was correlated to cerebral infarction size(r=0.440,P<0.05). Conclusion: The signal of neuron and blood oxygen is able to represent the change of neurovascular function and evaluate the progression of ischemic stroke.

Role of microRNA-129-5p in osteoblast differentiation from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow have the capacity to differentiate into osteoblast, chondrocyte, nerve cell and myocardial cell in vitro, which are an ideal engraft in tissue-engineered repair. Osteoblast differentiation is a vital process in maintaining bone homeostasis in which various transcriptional factors, including signaling molecules, and microRNAs (miRNAs). In this research, human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were induced differentiation into osteoblast in vitro after over-expression of miR-129-5p. The results showed that the hBMSCs could induce differentiation into osteoblast under the special condition medium, but when the miR-129-5p was over-expressed in hBMSCs, the differentiated efficiency and induced time of osteoblast from hBMSCs could be promoted. This reason was demonstrated that signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) was a transcriptional repressor of osteoblast gene (Runx 2) expression during osteoblast differentiation, miR-129-5p reduced STAT1 levels, leading to the accumulation of correctly spliced Runx 2 mRNA and a dramatic increase in Runx 2 protein.

First Report of the Cyst Nematode (Heterodera filipjevi) on Wheat in Henan Province, China.

During a survey for cereal cyst nematodes from May to June of 2009, cyst nematodes were detected in four wheat-growing areas (Liying, Xuchang, Weihui, and Yanjing) of Henan Province, China. The main wheat cultivar affected was Wenmai No.4. Almost 5.3 million ha of winter wheat are grown in Henan Province and 73% of the fields surveyed were found to be infested with Heterodera avenae (2). The affected wheat fields had stunted patches. Stunted seedlings had chlorotic or necrotic lower leaves, few or no tillers, and bushy, light brown roots leading to typical witches'-broom symptoms resulting from increased rootlet emergence at the nematode invasion sites. Individual roots had a knotted appearance. Cyst nematodes obtained from soil samples and plant samples at these four locations differed from those of H. avenae and had uniform morphological and molecular characteristics. Cysts were lemon shaped and bifenestrate, with an underbridge and strongly developed bullae. The lateral field of second-stage juveniles (J2) consisted of four incisures. These characteristics indicated that the four populations were H. filipjevi, a member of the 'H. avenae Group' of cereal cyst nematodes (1). Key morphological features were determined for cysts and J2. Cysts (n = 15) had the following characteristics, in addition to those described above: light brown color; bifenestrate vulval cone with horseshoe-shaped fenestrate; body length (not including the neck) ranged from 690 to 790 µm (mean of 750 µm); body width ranged from 410 to 640 µm (mean of 540 µm); neck length ranged from 86 to 100 µm (mean of 96 µm); fenestrate length of 59 to 70 µm (mean of 67.7 µm) and width of 31.3 to 36.7 µm (mean of 35.2 µm); underbridge length from 59 to 71 µm (mean of 68 µm); and vulval slit from 6.9 to 8.6 µm (mean of 7.9 µm). J2 (n = 10) had the following characteristics: body length ranged from 540 to 580 µm (mean of 550 µm); stylet length from 22.5 to 24.5 µm (mean of 23.5 µm) with anchor-shaped basal knobs; tail length of 52.5 to 62.5 µm (mean of 57.7 µm); and hyaline terminal tail ranged from 32 to 39 µm (mean of 33.8 µm). The tail had a sharp terminus. Amplification of the rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region with primers TW81 and AB28 yielded a PCR fragment of 1,054 bp (3). Amplification of the D2/D3 fragments of the 28S RNA with universal primers D2A (5'-ACA AGT ACC GTG AGG GAA AGT TG-3') and D3B (5'-TCG GAA GGA ACC AGC TAC TA-3') yielded a PCR fragment of 782 bp. Digestion patterns of the ITS PCR fragments with AluI, CfoI, HifI, SatI, PstI, RsaI, TaqI, and Tru9I showed restriction profiles identical to that of H. filipjevi (3,4). Four ITS sequences (GU083595, GU083596, HM147944, and HM147945) and four D2D3 sequences (GU083592, GU083593, GU083594, and GU083597) from nematode samples collected in Liying, Xuchang, Weihui, and Yanjing, respectively, were submitted to GenBank. These sequences exhibited 99.4% similarity with that of H. filipjevi isolates from Germany (AY148400), Italy (AY347922), Russia (AY148401), Spain (AY148399), Tadzhikistan (AY148402), Turkey (AY148398 and AY148397), the United Kingdom (AY148403 and AF274399), and the United States (GU079654). To our knowledge, this is the first report of H. filipjevi in China. References: (1) Z. A. Handoo. J. Nematol. 34:250. 2002. (2) D. L. Peng et al. Proc. 1st Workshop Internat. Cereal Cyst Nemat. Initiative, Antalya Turkey, p. 29, 2009. (3) S. A. Subbotin et al. Nematology 1:195, 1999. (4) G. Yan and R. W. Smiley. Phytopathology 100:216, 2010.

Structural genomics efforts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University.

Structural genomics efforts at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University are reported in this article. The major targets for the structural genomics project are targeted proteins expressed in human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, proteins related to blood diseases and other human proteins. Up to now 328 target genes have been constructed in expression vectors. Among them, more than 50% genes have been expressed in Escherichia coli, approximately 25% of the resulting proteins are soluble, and 35 proteins have been purified. Crystallization, data collection and structure determination are continuing. Experiences accumulated during this initial stage are useful for designing and applying high-throughput approaches in structural genomics.

[Comparison between pharmacologic actions of rabbit bile and bear bile].

In our experiment it was observed that many pharmacologic actions of the rabbit bile were similar to those of bear bile. It was also demonstrated that the effects of the rabbit bile were more obvious than those of bear bile in positive inotropic action, sedation, antitussive action, antihistaminic action and so on.