牙鲆性腺分化发育及类固醇激素T和E2对性腺分化的影响

本文采用组织学手段研究了牙鲆性腺在分化、发育和成熟过程中的变化。然后，通过放射性免疫方法（RIA）测定了牙鲆仔稚幼鱼全组织匀浆液中的性类固醇激素—睾酮（T）和雌二醇（E2）的含量，并结合牙鲆血清中T和E2含量的年周期测定，从内分泌学水平探讨了T和E2在其性腺分化、发育和成熟过程中水平的变化规律。同时，采用高温和雌性激素对性腺未分化的普通和雌核发育牙鲆仔稚鱼进行诱导处理，获得了较高比例的雄性鱼/假雄鱼或100%雌性鱼；并研究了这些外界环境因子对牙鲆性腺分化、性别比率及体内T和E2水平的影响，藉此探讨了牙鲆性别决定与性腺分化的细胞学和内分泌学机制。 对牙鲆仔稚幼鱼性腺的组织切片观察发现，培育水温18~20℃下，孵化后第45天、平均全长<22.0±2.8 mm的牙鲆，其性腺分化尚未开始，属于原始性腺；在孵化后70日龄、平均全长为38.0±1.7 mm左右，部分个体中观察到卵巢的雏形，其余个体的性腺在此阶段以及之后的一段时间内变化并不明显；到了第110天、平均全长达到86.5±5.9 mm时，雌性个体卵巢出现了卵原细胞向卵母细胞的转变，标志着卵巢分化的结束。在90日龄、平均全长为63.5±3.4 mm的雄性牙鲆中，精原细胞快速增殖，并观察到了输精管结构；进一步的细胞学分化则出现在100日龄、平均全长为76.0±8.6 mm的个体中，此时可以看到精小叶的形成；在平均全长为140.0±15.2 mm时，精巢中出现初级精母细胞，标志着性腺分化的基本完成。 对牙鲆仔稚幼鱼全组织匀浆和成鱼血清中的T和E2水平的比较发现，在全长为6 mm左右的仔鱼中T和E2含量均较高。随后，在性腺分化过程中T含量大大降低，E2的含量急剧增高，而性腺分化后期E2含量又降到较低的水平。在雄性牙鲆成鱼中， 从精巢第Ⅲ期开始，T含量随着精巢的发育而增加，到了精巢第Ⅴ期性腺发育成熟并排精后，又降低到较低的水平；E2含量在从精巢第Ⅲ期发育至精巢第Ⅴ期过程中略呈降低的趋势，但是总体上来说没有明显的差异。在雌性牙鲆成鱼中，卵巢从第Ⅱ期到第Ⅳ期的过程中，T水平逐渐升高，在第Ⅴ期时则明显降低；而E2含量在卵巢第Ⅱ期时保持较低的水平，随着卵巢的发育，E2含量逐渐增高，在卵巢第Ⅳ期时达到最高水平，在第Ⅴ期产卵后又有所降低。在雌雄个体中T和E2均呈现周期性的变化。5月份随着水温的升高，雄性个体T和E2含量显著上升；到了9月份又逐渐下降至最低值。雌性个体E2含量自3月份开始增高，在5月份急剧升高，并在6月份达到最高值；在7月份的时候，E2突然降低，而到了8月份又有所回升；9月份之后E2逐渐降低并在1月份左右降到最低；而T的含量分别在2月份和6月份出现两次高峰。 温度诱导牙鲆幼鱼性腺分化的结果表明，牙鲆中存在明显的TSD机制，即其性腺分化因饲育水温的不同而变化：在一定温度范围内，随着饲育温度的增加，牙鲆的雄性比例逐渐增高，常温对照组和21℃组中的雄性比例分别为51.62%、60.00%，而在24℃和28℃高温组中，雄性比例显著高于对照组，分别达到73.33%和87.27%。T和E2含量测定显示，在性腺分化时期，高温和对照组中T含量没有明显的变化，而温度处理组中的E2水平则低于对照组，特别是在28℃高温组，其E2水平显著低于对照组（P<0.05）。外源E2处理性腺未分化的牙鲆幼鱼的结果也表明，牙鲆的死亡率与雌性化比率均为雌性激素剂量依赖型的。随着外源E2剂量的增加，雌性比率增加，但同时死亡率也增高。此期间T和E2水平比较发现，在性腺分化时期，对照组中的T含量稍高于雌激素处理组；而对照组中的E2含量高于0.2 ppm和2 ppm两个低剂量组，却低于20 ppm和100 ppm两个高剂量组。 同时，还对人工诱导培育的雌核发育牙鲆和性反转牙鲆进行了性腺发育观察，在所观察的雌核发育牙鲆个体中，其雌性比例为83.33%，而高温28℃饲育群体中的雄性比例（即假雄鱼比例）为91.67%；在雌性个体中，也有一定比例的个体性腺发育不正常，有的性腺发育较小，有的则缺少部分性腺。进一步对雌核发育成体的血清中T和E2含量进行测量，发现在普通牙鲆个体中T含量显著低于雌核发育个体，而E2含量则高于雌核发育牙鲆；在雌核发育牙鲆中，性腺发育不正常的个体比性腺发育正常的个体中的T含量稍高，而E2含量则显著低于正常雌核发育牙鲆个体和普通牙鲆个体（P< 0.05）。

Screening marine algae from China for their antitumor activities

Thirty-nine species of marine algae collected from the coast of China were screened for their antitumor activities, and eight species Leathesia difformes, Polysiphonia urcedata, Scytosiphon lomentarius, Gloiopeliis furcata, Punctaria latifolia, Symphyocladia latiuscula, Rhodomela confervoides and Ulva pertusa showed potent cytotoxic activities. Three, Rhodomela confervoides, Scytosiphon lomentarius and Gloiopeliis furcata, were used for further investigation. More than 30 compounds were isolated and purified, and 14 bromophenols, 1 steroid and 1 carotene were identified by advanced spectroscopic methods including IR, MS, and NMR techniques. Amongst the 16 identified compounds, 7 showed vigorously selective activities against KB, Bel7402 and A549 cancer cells, and 6 bromophenols were new compounds.

东营凹陷幔源流体对原油生物标志化合物的影响研究

A large number of mantle-derived fluid activities occurred in the Dongying Sag. On the basis of the studies on the geochemical characteristics of these fluids in this sag, the spatial distribution of biomarkers in petroleum and their relationships with the parameters of mantle-derived fluids were studied, to reveal the influence of mantle-derived fluids on the biomarkers and to evaluate the reliability of these biomarkers when applied to oil-source correlation and maturity analysis. Most biomarkers used in oil correlation kept the characteristics of their sources during burial thermal evolution. Even some of them were not influenced by mantle derived fluids, such as the relative content of C27-C29 steroid（ααα20R）and C21/C23 tricyclic terpane. However, Pr/Ph and C35/C34 hopanes were sensitive to both heat energy and materiel input by the mantle-derived fluids. γ-waxnae/C30hopanes and C24 tetracyclic terpanes /C26 tricyclic terpanes responded only to thermal influence by mantle-derived fluids. They did not chemically reacted with the mantle-derived fluids. Fluorene series compounds reacted with hydrogen and / or carbon dioxide from the mantle. Mantle-derived fluids affected most maturity index. The huge thermal energy with mantle-devied fluids weakened the relationship between the maturity parameters and depth. Among them, pregnane/C27-29 steroid and Ts/(Ts+Tm) were more sensitive to the heat of the fluids. ααα20S/(20S+20R) took the second place. αββ/(ααα+αββ) and 22S/(22S+22R) were not thermally influenced by the mantle-derived fluid. Besides, the substance of mantle-derived fluids reacted with fragrants, hopanes or moretanoids and thus altered the values of MPI1, MPI2, MPR, C30 hopanes/(C30 hopanes + moretanoids) and alkyl-diben zothiophene/diben zothiophene. The thermal alernation of phenanthrene series and their spatial distribution show that the heat energy carried by mantle-derived fluids was not fierce but spread widely in Dongying Sag, which is favorable to hydrocarbon generation with little destroy. In sum, mantle-derived fluids affected biomarkers through thermal energy and chemical reactions and changed the values of oil-source correlation and maturity parameters in the deep-seated fault belts. Therefore, in the deep-seated fault belts, oil-source correlation should be restudied and the new parameters need to be explored.

Analysis of the estrogenic components in kudzu root by bioassay and high performance liquid chromatography

The estrogenic activity of the Chinese herb kudzu root was investigated by a recombinant yeast screening assay (YES). Isoflavones are the main components in the plant, of which puerarin is the most abundant one. The kudzu root extract was separated into four fractions according to the polarity. The crude extract and its sub-fractions, except the water fraction, showed clear estrogenic activity and the potencies were in the range of 10(-3) to 10(-1) g/l. The ligand potency was used to compare the estrogenic activity of these fractions. The crude extract and its sub-fractions were further analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to correlate the activity and the active components. Bioassay and chemical analysis showed that theoretical estrogenic activity expressed as equivalent 17 beta-estradiol concentration or the cumulative effects are comparable to that experimentally determined by YES. The results showed that the high content of isoflavones as well as the high estrogenic activity could make kudzu root extract an interesting candidate for hormone replacement therapy. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PROTRACTED HYPOFRACTIONATED RADIOTHERAPY for GRAVES' OPHTHALMOPATHY: A PILOT STUDY of CLINICAL and RADIOLOGIC RESPONSE

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical and radiologic response of patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy given low-dose orbital radiotherapy (RT) with a protracted fractionation.Methods and Materials: Eighteen patients (36 orbits) received orbital RT with a total dose of 10 Gy, fractionated in 1 Gy once a week over 10 weeks. of these, 9 patients received steroid therapy as well. Patients were evaluated clinically and radiologically at 6 months after treatment. Clinical response assessment was carried out using three criteria: by physical examination, by a modified clinical activity score, and by a verbal questionnaire considering the 10 most common signs and symptoms of the disease. Radiologic response was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging.Results: Improvement in ocular pain, palpebral edema, visual acuity, and ocular motility was observed in all patients. Significant decrease in symptoms such as tearing (p < 0.001) diplopia (p = 0.008), conjunctival hyperemia (p = 0.002), and ocular grittiness (p = 0.031) also occurred. Magnetic resonance imaging showed decrease in ocular muscle thickness and in the intensity of the T2 sequence signal in the majority of patients. Treatments were well tolerated, and to date no complications from treatment have been observed. There was no statistical difference in clinical and radiologic response between patients receiving RT alone and those receiving RT plus steroid therapy.Conclusion: RT delivered in at a low dose and in a protracted scheme should be considered as a useful therapeutic option for patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc.

Pancreatic and adrenal development and function in an ovine model of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder encompassing reproductive and metabolic dysfunction. Ovarian hyperandrogenism is an endocrine hallmark of human PCOS. In animal models, PCOS-like abnormalities can be recreated by in utero over-exposure to androgenic steroid hormones. This thesis investigated pancreatic and adrenal development and function in a unique model of PCOS. Fetal sheep were directly exposed (day 62 and day 82 of gestation) to steroidal excesses - androgen excess (testosterone propionate - TP), estrogen excess (diethylstilbestrol - DES) or glucocorticoid excess (dexamethasone - DEX). At d90 gestation there was elevated expression of genes involved in β- cell development and function: PDX-1 (P<0.001), and INS (P<0.05), INSR (P<0.05) driven by androgenic excess only in the female fetal pancreas. β- cell numbers (P<0.001) and in vitro insulin secretion (P<0.05) were also elevated in androgen exposed female fetuses. There was a significant increase in insulin secreting β-cell numbers (P<0.001) and in vivo insulin secretion (glucose stimulated) (P<0.01) in adult female offspring, specifically associated with prenatal androgen excess. At d90 gestation, female fetal adrenal gene expression was perturbed by fetal estrogenic exposure. Male fetal adrenal gene expression was altered more dramatically by fetal glucocorticoid exposure. In female adult offspring from androgen exposed pregnancies there was increased adrenal steroidogenic gene expression and in vivo testosterone secretion (P<0.01). This highlights that the adrenal glands may contribute towards excess androgen secretion in PCOS, but such effects might be secondary to other metabolic alterations driven by prenatal androgen exposure, such as excess insulin secretion Thus there may be dialogue between the pancreas and adrenal gland, programmed during early life, with implications for adult health Given both hyperinsulinaemia and hyperandrogenism are common features in PCOS, we suggest that their origins may be at least partially due to altered fetal steroidal environments, specifically excess androgenic stimulation

Metabolism of host-derived carbohydrates by Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003

Bifidobacteria are Gram positive, anaerobic, typically Y-shaped bacteria which are naturally found in the digestive tract of certain mammals, birds and insects. Bifidobacterium breve strains are numerically prevalent among the gut microbiota of many healthy breast-fed infants. The prototypical B. breve strain UCC2003 has previously been shown to utilise numerous carbohydrates of plant origin. Various aspects of host-derived carbohydrate metabolism occurring in this bacterium will be described in this thesis. Chapter II describes B. breve UCC2003 utilisation of sialic acid, a nine-carbon monosaccharide, which is found in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and the mucin glycoprotein. B. breve UCC2003 was also shown to cross-feed on sialic acid released from 3’ sialyllactose, a prominent HMO, by the extracellular sialidase activity of Bifidobacterium bifidum PRL2010. Chapter III reports on the transcriptional regulation of sialic acid metabolism in B. breve UCC2003 by a transcriptional repressor encoded by the nanR gene. NanR belongs to the GntR-family of transcriptional regulators and represents the first bifidobacterial member of this family to be characterised. Chapter IV investigates B. breve UCC2003 utilisation of mucin. B. breve UCC2003 was shown to be incapable of degrading mucin; however when grown in co-culture with B. bifidum PRL2010 it exhibits enhanced growth and survival properties. A number of methods were used to investigate and identify the mucin components supporting this enhanced growth/viability phenotype. Chapter V describes the characterisation of two sulfatase-encoding gene clusters from B. breve UCC2003. The transcriptional regulation of both sulfatase-encoding gene clusters was also investigated. The work presented in this thesis represents new information on the metabolism of host-derived carbohydrates in bifidobacteria, thus increasing our understanding of how these gut commensals are able to colonise and persist in the gastrointestinal tract.

Paradoxical worsening of tuberculosis in a heart-lung transplant recipient.

We report on a heart-lung transplant recipient who presented with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) 2.5 months after transplantation and then developed a paradoxical reaction after 4 months of adequate anti-TB treatment. She eventually recovered with anti-TB and high-dose steroid treatments. METHODS: Using sequential bronchoalveolar lavages, we assessed the inflammatory response in the lung and investigated the alveolar immune response against a Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen. RESULTS: The paradoxical reaction was characterized by a massive infiltration of the alveolar space by M. tuberculosis antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells and by the presence of a CD4(-)CD8(-) T lymphocyte subpopulation bearing phenotypic markers (CD16(+)/56(+)) classically associated with NK cells. CONCLUSION: This case report illustrates that even solid organ transplant recipients receiving intense triple-drug immune suppression may be able to develop a paradoxical reaction during TB treatment. Transplant physicians should be aware of this phenomenon in order to differentiate it from treatment failure.

Estimating the magnitude of trastuzumab effects within patient subgroups in the HERA trial.

BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab (Herceptin(R)) improves disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early breast cancer. We aimed to assess the magnitude of its clinical benefit for subpopulations defined by nodal and steroid hormone receptor status using data from the Herceptin Adjuvant (HERA) study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: HERA is an international multicenter randomized trial comparing 1 or 2 years of trastuzumab treatment with observation after standard chemotherapy in women with HER2-positive breast cancer. In total, 1703 women randomized to 1-year trastuzumab and 1698 women randomized to observation were included in these analyses. Median follow-up was 23.5 months. The primary endpoint was DFS. RESULTS: The overall hazard ratio (HR) for trastuzumab versus observation was 0.64 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54-0.76; P < 0.0001], ranging from 0.46 to 0.82 for subgroups. Estimated improvement in 3-year DFS in subgroups ranged from +11.3% to +0.6%. Patients with the best prognosis (those with node-negative disease and tumors 1.1-2.0 cm) had benefit similar to the overall cohort (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.26-1.07; 3-year DFS improvement +4.6%, 95% CI -4.0% to 13.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant trastuzumab therapy reduces the risk of relapse similarly across subgroups defined by nodal status and steroid hormone receptor status, even those at relatively low risk for relapse.

Molecular basis of complete C4 deficiency. A study of three patients.

The highly polymorphic fourth component of human complement (C4) is usually encoded by two genes, C4A and C4B, adjacent to the 21-hydroxylase (21-OH) genes and is also remarkable by the high frequency of the null alleles, C4A*Q0 and C4B*Q0. Complete C4 deficiency is exceptional because this condition appears only in homozygotes for the very rare double-null haplotype C4AQ0,BQ0. This condition in most cases gives rise to systemic lupus erythematosus and an increased susceptibility to infections. The molecular basis for complete C4 deficiency has not yet been established. Therefore we studied the DNA of three previously described C4 deficient patients belonging to unrelated families by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using C4 and 21-OH probes. These studies revealed a deletion of the C4B and 21-OHA genes in two patients and no deletion at all in the third patient. Therefore, complete C4 deficiency as a result of homozygosity for the C4AQ0, BQ0 haplotype is not a consequence of a deletion of the C4 genes. The molecular basis of this genetic abnormality is certainly very complex and may vary also from one case to another.

Nutritional Control of L1 Arrest and Recovery in Caenorhabditis elegans by Insulin-like Peptides and Signaling

Animals must coordinate development with fluctuating nutrient availability. Nutrient availability governs post-embryonic development in Caenorhabditis elegans: larvae that hatch in the absence of food do not initiate post-embryonic development but enter "L1 arrest" (or "L1 diapause") and can survive starvation for weeks, while rapidly resume normal development once get fed. Insulin-like signaling (IIS) has been shown to be a key regulator of L1 arrest and recovery. However, the C. elegans genome encodes 40 insulin-like peptides (ILPs), and it is unknown which peptides participate in nutritional control of L1 arrest and recovery. Work in other contexts has identified putative receptor agonists and antagonists, but the extent of specificity versus redundancy is unclear beyond this distinction.

We measured mRNA expression dynamics with high temporal resolution for all 40 insulin-like genes during entry into and recovery from L1 arrest. Nutrient availability influences expression of the majority of insulin-like genes, with variable dynamics suggesting complex regulation. We identified 13 candidate agonists and 8 candidate antagonists based on expression in response to nutrient availability. We selected ten candidate agonists (daf-28, ins-3, ins-4, ins-5, ins-6, ins-7, ins-9, ins-26, ins-33 and ins-35) for further characterization in L1 stage larvae. We used destabilized reporter genes to determine spatial expression patterns. Expression of candidate agonists was largely overlapping in L1 stage larvae, suggesting a role of the intestine, chemosensory neurons ASI and ASJ, and the interneuron PVT in systemic control of L1 development. Transcriptional regulation of candidate agonists was most significant in the intestine, as if nutrient uptake was a more important influence on transcription than sensory perception. Scanning in the 5' upstream promoter region of these 40 ILPs, We found that transcription factor PQM-1 and GATA putative binding sites are depleted in the promoter region of antagonists. A novel motif was also found to be over-represented in ILPs.

Phenotypic analysis of single and compound deletion mutants did not reveal effects on L1 recovery/developmental dynamics, though simultaneous disruption of ins-4 and daf-28 extended survival of L1 arrest without enhancing thermal tolerance, while overexpression of ins-4, ins-6 or daf-28 shortened L1 survival. Simultaneous disruption of several ILPs showed a temperature independent, transient dauer phenotype. These results revealed the relative redundancy and specificity among agonistic ILPs.

TGF- β and steroid hormone (SH) signaling have been reported to control the dauer formation along with IIS. Our preliminary results suggest they may also mediate the IIS control of L1 arrest and recovery, as the expression of several key components of TGF-β and SH signaling pathway genes are negatively regulated by DAF-16, and loss-of-function of these genes partially represses daf-16 null phenotype in L1 arrest, and causes a retardation in L1 development.

In summary, my dissertation study focused on the IIS, characterized the dynamics and sites of ILPs expression in response to nutrient availability, revealed the function of specific agonistic ILPs in L1 arrest, and suggested potential cross-regulation among IIS, TGF-β signaling and SH signaling in controlling L1 arrest and recovery. These findings provide insights into how post-embryonic development is governed by insulin-like signaling and nutrient availability.

Le rôle de l'hormone anti-müillerienne dans la régulation du fonctionnement de l'ovaire. Revue de la littérature

Anti-mullerian hormone, also called AMH, belongs to the large family of transforming growth factor P. Its role in the sexual differentiation of male fetus is now well known. Recently, AMH has been demonstrated to play an important role in the ovarian function. In fact, AMH seems to regulate the kinetics of follicular development, inhibiting the follicular recruitment and the follicular growth. Thus, this intra-gonadic cybernin could be a decisive determinant of the rapidity of follicular pool exhaustion. Today, some experimental data from the literature suggest that AMH could be a reliable marker of ovarian reserve. This review summarizes the present knowledge about AMH and its role in physiology but also in ovarian pathology.

Variability in phenotype induced by the podocin variant R229Q plus a single pathogenic mutation.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in podocin (NPHS2) are the most common cause of childhood onset autosomal recessive steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). The disease is characterized by early-onset proteinuria, resistance to immunosuppressive therapy and rapid progression to end-stage renal disease. Compound heterozygous changes involving the podocin variant R229Q combined with another pathogenic mutation have been associated with a mild phenotype with disease onset often in adulthood. METHODS: We screened 19 families with early-onset SRNS for mutations in NPHS2 and WT1 and identified four disease-causing mutations (three in NPHS2 and one in WT1) prior to planned whole-exome sequencing. RESULTS: We describe two families with three individuals presenting in childhood who are compound heterozygous for R229Q and one other pathogenic NPHS2 mutation, either L327F or A297V. One child presented at age 4 years (A297V plus R229Q) and the other two at age 13 (L327F plus R229Q), one with steadily deteriorating renal function. CONCLUSIONS: These cases highlight the phenotypic variability associated with the NPHS2 R229Q variant plus pathogenic mutation. Individuals may present with early aggressive disease.

Characterization of human 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-Δ4-isomerase gene and its expression in mammalian cells

Three β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-Δ4-isomerase (3β-HSD) catalyze the oxidative conversion of Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroids to the Δ4-3-keto configuration and is therefore essential for the biosynthesis of all classes of hormonal steroids, namely progesterone, glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens, and estrogens. Using human 3β-HSD cDNA as probe, a human 3β-HSD gene was isolated from a λ-EMBL3 library of leucocyte genomic DNA. A fragment of 3β-HSD genomic DNA was also obtained by amplification of genomic DNA using the polymerase chain reaction. The 3β-HSD gene contains a 5′-untranslated exon of 53 base pairs (bp) and three successive translated exons of 232, 165, and 1218 bp, respectively, separated by introns of 129, 3883, and 2162 bp. The transcription start site is situated 267 nucleotides upstream from the ATG initiating codon. DNA sequence analysis of the 5′-flanking region reveals the existence of a putative TATA box (ATAAA) situated 28 nucleotides upstream from the transcription start site while a putative CAAT binding sequence is located 57 nucleotides upstream from the TATA box. Expression of a cDNA insert containing the coding region of 3β-HSD in nonsteroidogenic cells shows that the gene encodes a single 42-kDa protein containing both 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and Δ5-Δ4-isomerase activities. Moreover, all natural steroid substrates tested are transformed with comparable efficiency by the enzyme. In addition to its importance for studies of the regulation of expression of 3β-HSD in gonadal as well as peripheral tissues, knowledge of the structure of the human 3β-HSD gene should permit investigation of the molecular defects responsible for 3β-HSD deficiency, the second most common cause of adrenal hyperplasia in children.