川牛膝多糖的免疫活性及其水解活性片段分离研究

川牛膝多糖（CP）是从传统中药川牛膝（Cyathula officinalis Kuan）中提取的一种活性多糖，现代药理研究表明川牛膝多糖是川牛膝许多生物活性的物质基础。本实验室前期进行了川牛膝多糖的提取、分离、结构鉴定及其部分活性研究，发现川牛膝中多糖含量非常高，在对川牛膝多糖活性的初步研究中也证实了其具有免疫调节作用。我们为了进一步了解其免疫调节活性，并为构效关系的研究奠定基础，对其进行了如下研究： 1． 通过体外毒性检测、淋巴细胞增殖实验、NK细胞杀伤活性和腹腔巨噬细胞吞噬中性红活性测定，发现川牛膝多糖在10～300μg/mL浓度范围内，对细胞无毒性作用；能够促进LPS诱导的B淋巴细胞增殖(P<0.01)、增强NK细胞杀伤活性(P<0.05)和PMΦ吞噬中性红活性(P<0.01)，且随多糖浓度增高而增强；但其对ConA诱导的T淋巴细胞的增殖无促进作用(P>0.05)。 2． 通过正常小鼠体内淋巴细胞转化实验、迟发型变态反应分析、抗体生成细胞检测、碳粒廓清检测、腹腔巨噬细胞吞噬鸡红细胞活性和NK细胞活性测定，发现川牛膝多糖在适应性免疫方面能够促进SRBC免疫小鼠体内的抗体生成细胞的生成（P<0.01）和增强DNFB诱导的DTH（P<0.05），但对ConA诱导的脾淋巴细胞增殖无促进作用（P>0.05）；在固有免疫方面能够提高小鼠碳粒廓清速率（P<0.05），PMΦ吞噬 CRBC 活性（P<0.01）和NK细胞杀伤活性（P<0.05）。同时还发现其对由环磷酰胺(Cy)引起的白细胞数下降具有很好的抑制作用（P<0.01）。 3． 为了获得结构明确、均一的保留活性的川牛膝多糖片段，为其作用机制、构效关系研究提供关键研究材料，我们开展了“保留免疫活性的最小片段”的分离制备的初步研究。建立并优化了川牛膝多糖的酸水解条件，发现在6%的样品浓度，0.025mol/L的硫酸浓度，65℃的水解温度，水解时间为8min的条件下可以得到一系列连续的多糖片段；采用Bio-Gel P2 分子筛柱层析分离得到5个级分，通过体外淋巴细胞增殖实验、NK细胞活性测定、腹腔巨噬细胞吞噬中性红实验发现其中的一个片段仍保留较强的免疫活性，并测得其分子量约为2057Da，为保留免疫活性的最小片段的进一步分离奠定了基础。 Cyathula officinalis Kuan is a commonly-used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with a wide range of pharmacological activities. Modern pharmacological researches showed the polysaccharide extracted from it (CP) is an important component for many bioactivities of this TCM. In the previous studies, we found CP showed significant immuno-regulative activities. In order to evaluate this activity systematically and lay foundations for revealling its immuno-regulative machanisms and the Structure -Function relationship, we carried out the following research works: 1． The in vitro immunoactivities of CP were evaluated by using normal mice immunocytes with respects to cytotoxicity, lymphocytes proliferation, NK activity and the ability of peritoneal macrophage phagocytizing neutral red. The polysaccharide showed no cytotoxicity below the concentration of 300 μg/mL, and could promote B lymphocytes proliferation (P<0.01), enhance NK activity (P<0.05) and the ability of peritoneal macrophage phagocytizing neutral red (P<0.01) at the concentration of 10-300 μg/mL. The above effects were positively correlated with the concentration of the polysaccharides. But it could not promote T lymphocytes proliferation (P>0.05). 2． The in vivo immunoactivities of CP were observed on normal mice through the following indices: splenic lymphocyte transformation efficiency, delayed-type allergy, antibody-forming cells activity (AFC), rate of carbon clearance, rate of peritoneal macrophage phagocytizing chicken red blood cell (CRBC) and NK activity, and its influence on the decline of the mouse leucocyte count induced by Cy. The polysaccharide at medium-dose enhanced delayed-type allergy （P<0.05）and NK activity（P<0.05） and increased the rate of carbon clearance（P<0.05）, AFC activity（P<0.01） and the rate of peritoneal macrophage phagocytizing CRBC（P<0.01）. The polysaccharides also effectively resisted the decline of the mouse leucocyte count induced by Cy（P<0.01）. However, it couldn’t increase the splenic lymphocyte transformation efficiency（P>0.05）. 3． Attempting to isolate and prepare the minimal fragments retaining activity with identical structure for further studying on immuno-regulative mechanism and Structure-Function relationship, we carried out the study on hydrolysis of CP, isolation of hydrolysed fragments, and the activity evaluation of the isolated fragments. CP with concentration of 6% was hydrolysed at 65℃ for 8 min with sulfuric acid of 0.025 mol/L，then the hydrolysate was separated using Bio-Gel P2 chromatography, 5 portions of fragments were obtained. The immunoactivities of these fragments were evaluated by using normal mice immunocytes with respect to lymphocytes proliferation, NK activity and ability of peritoneal macrophage phagocytizing neutral red. One fragment with relative molecular mass of 2057Da was found retaining immunoactivity.

Polymerase chain reaction based C4AQ0 and C4BQ0 genotyping: association with systemic lupus erythematosus in southwest Han Chinese

Objective: To investigate the association of complement C4 null genes (C4QO, including C4AQO and C4BQO) and C2 gene with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in southwest Han Chinese; 136 patients with SLE and 174 matched controls were genotyped. Methods: C4 null genes were determined by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP). The 2 bp insertion in exon 29, which was previously identified in non-Chinese populations and caused defective C4A genes, was directly typed by sequencing the whole exon 29 using exon specific primers. The exon 6 of complement C2 was also sequenced in both the patients and controls. Results: The frequency of homozygous C4AQO allele was 12.5% (17/136) in patients with SLE compared with 1.1% (2/174) in controls (p<0.001, odds ratio (OR)=12.286, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.786 to 54.170). There was no significant difference for homozygous C4BQO allele between patients with SLE and controls (p=0.699). Patients with the C4AQO gene had an increased risk of acquiring renal disorder, serositis, and anti-dsDNA antibodies compared with those without C4AQO (for renal disorder, p=0.018, OR=8.951, 95% Cl 1.132 to 70.804; for serositis, p=0.011, OR 4.891, 95% CI 1.574 to 15.198; for anti-dsDNA, p=0.004, OR 7.630, 95%Cl 1.636 to 35.584). None of the patients or controls had the 2 bp insertion in exon 29 of the C4 gene. The type I C2 deficiency was not detected in the 3 10 samples. Conclusion: It is suggested that deficiency of C4A (not due to a 2 bp insertion in exon 29), but not C4B or C2, may be a risk factor for acquiring SLE in south west Han Chinese; this results in increased risk of renal disorder, serositis, and anti-dsDNA antibodies in patients with SLE. Racial differences seem to be relevant in susceptibility to SLE.

SEROLOGICAL SURVEY OF A CAPTIVE MACAQUE COLONY IN CHINA FOR ANTIBODIES TO SIMIAN TYPE-D RETROVIRUSES

Sera from 510 macaques consisting of Macaca mulatta, Macaca assamensis, Macaca fascicularis, Macaca nemestrina, and Macaca arctoides were investigated for antibodies to simian AIDS type D retrovirus (SRV) by ELISA and Western blot with viral antigens purified from supernatants of SRV-1 infected cell cultures. Of these monkeys, 104 were seropositive by ELISA; only 23 were confirmed by Western blot. The true positive reaction to SRV was found in 15 of 463 (3.2%) M. mulatta and eight of eleven (72.7%) M. assamensis.

Cloning and expression analysis in mature individuals of two chicken type-II GnRH (cGnRH-II) genes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a conservative neurodecapeptide family, which plays a crucial role in regulating the gonad development and in controlling the final sexual maturation in vertebrate. Two differing cGnRH-II cDNAs of common carp, namely cGnRH-II cDNA1 and cDNA2, were firstly cloned from the brain by rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) and reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The length of cGnRH-II cDNA1 and cDNA2 was 622 and 578 base pairs (bp), respectively. The cGnRH-II precursors encoded by two cDNAs consisted of 86 amino acids, including a signal peptide, cGnRH-II decapeptide and a GnRH-associated peptide (GAP) linked by a Gly-Lys-Arg proteolytic site. The results of intron trapping and Southern blot showed that two differing cGnRH-II genes in common carp genome were further identified, and that two genes might exist as a single copy. The multi-gene coding of common carp cGnRH-II gene offered novel evidence for gene duplication hypothesis. Using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, expression and relative expression levels of cGnRH-II genes were detected in five dissected brain regions, pituitary and gonad of common carp. With the exception of no mRNA2 in ovary, two cGnRH-II genes could be expressed in all the detected tissues. However, expression levels showed an apparent difference in different brain regions, pituitary and gonad. According to the expression characterization of cGnRH-II genes in brain areas, it was presumed that cGnRH-II might mainly work as the neurotransmitter and neuromodulator and also operate in the regulation for the GnRH releasing. Then, the expression of cGnRH-II genes in pituitary and gonad suggested that cGnRH-II might act as the autocrine or paracrine regulator.

A new structure of In-based ohmic contacts to n-type GaAs

Electrical, structural and reaction characteristics of In-based ohmic contacts to n-GaAs were studied. Attempts were made to form a low-band-gap interfacial phase of InGaAs to reduce the barrier height at the metal/semiconductor junction, thus yielding low-resistance, highly reliable contacts. The contacts were fabricated by e-beam sputtering Ni, NiIn and Ge targets on VPE-grown n(+)-GaAs film (approximate to 1 mu m, 2 x 10(18) cm(-3)) in ultrahigh vacuum as the structure of Ni(200 Angstrom)/NiIn(100 Angstrom)/Ge(40 Angstrom)/n(+)-GaAs/SI-GaAs, followed by rapid thermal annealing at various temperatures (500-900 degrees C). In this structure, a very thin layer of Ge was employed to play the role of heavily doping donors and diffusion limiters between In and the GaAs substrate. Indium was deposited by sputtering NiIn alloy instead of pure In in order to ensure In atoms to be distributed uniformly in the substrate; nickel was chosen to consume the excess indium and form a high-temperature alloy of Ni3In. The lowest specific contact resistivity (rho(c)) of (1.5 +/- 0.5)x 10(-6) cm(2) measured by the Transmission Line Method (TLM) was obtained after annealing at 700 degrees C for 10 s. Auger sputtering depth profile and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the interfacial microstructure. By correlating the interfacial microstructure to the electronical properties, InxGa1-xAs phases with a large fractional area grown epitaxially on GaAs were found to be essential for reduction of the contact resistance.

Adenovirus-mediated wild-type P53 Transfer radiosensitizes H1299 cells to subclinical-dose carbon-ion irradiation through the restoration of p53 function

To determine whether adenovirus-mediated wild-type p53 transfer after radiotherapy could radiosensitize non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells to subclinical-dose carbon-ion beam (C-beam), H1299 cells were exposed to a C-beam or -ray and then infected with 5 MOI of AdCMV-p53 or GFP (C-beam or -ray with p53 or GFP).Cell cycle was detected by flow cytometric analysis. The apoptosis was examined by a fluorescent microscope with DAPI staining. DNA fragmentation was monitored by the TUNEL assay. P53 mRNA was detected by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The expression of p53, MDM2, and p21 was monitored by Western blot. Survival fractions were determined by colony-forming assay. The percentages of G1-phase cells in C-beam with p53 increased by 8.2%–16.0%, 5.2%–7.0%, and 5.8%–18.9%, respectively, compared with C-beam only, -ray with p53, or p53 only. The accumulation of G2-phase cells in C-beam with p53 increased by 5.7%–8.9% and 8.8%–14.8%, compared with those in -ray with p53 or p53 only, respectively. The percentage of apoptosis for C-beam with p53 increased by 7.4%–19.1%, 5.8%–11.7%, and 5.2%–19.2%, respectively, compared with C-beam only, -ray with p53, or p53 only. The level of p53 mRNA in C-beam with p53 was significantly higher than that in p53 only. The expression level of p53 and p21 in C-beam with p53 was significantly higher than that in both C-beam with GFP and p53 only. The survival fractions for C-beam with p53 were significantly less than those for the other groups (p 0.05). The data suggested that AdCMV-p53 transfer could more efficiently radiosensitize H1299 cells to subclinical-dose C-beam irradiation through the restoration of p53 function.

Rapid detection of porcine circovirus type 2 by loop-mediated isothermal amplification

A method of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was employed to develop a rapid and simple detection system for porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). The amplification could be finished in 60 min under isothermal condition at 64 degrees C by employing a set of four primers targeting the cap gene of PCV2. The LAMP assay showed higher sensitivity than the conventional PCR, with a detection limit of five copies per tube of purified PCV2 genomic DNA. No cross-reactivity was observed from the samples of other related viruses including porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1), porcine parvovirus (PPV), porcine pseudorabies virus (PRV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). The detection rate of PCV2 LAMP for 86 clinical samples was 96.5% and appeared greater than that of the PCR method. The LAMP assay reported can provide a rapid yet simple test of PCV2 suitable for laboratory diagnosis and pen-side detection due to ease of operation and the requirement of only a regular water bath or heat block for the reaction. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probing the symmetrical potential in nuclear reaction iinduced by neutron-halo nuclei

In terms of the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model (IQMD), important isospin effect in the halo-neutron nucleus induced reaction mechanism is. investigated, and consequently, the symmetrical potential form is extracted in the intermediate energy heavy ion collision. Because the interactive potential and in-medium nucleon-nucleon (N-N) cross section in the IQMD model sensitively depend on the density distribution of the colliding system, this type of study is much more based on the extended density distribution with a looser inner nuclear structure of the halo-neutron nucleus. Such a density distribution includes averaged characteristics of the isospin effect of the reaction mechanism and the looser inner nuclear structure. In order to understand clearly the isospin effect of the halo-neutron nucleus induced reaction mechanism, the effects caused by the neutron-halo nucleus and by the stable nucleus with the same mass are compared under the same condition of the incident channel. It is found that in the concerned beam energy region, the ratio of the emitted neutrons and protons and the ratio of the isospin fractionations in the neutron-halo nucleus case are considerably larger than those in the stable nucleus case. Therefore, the information of the symmetry potential in the heavy ion collision can be extracted through such a procedure.