Insect viruses are attractive as biological control agents and could be a feasible alternative to chemical insecticides in the management of insect infestations. This review describes recent advances in the development of wild-type and genetically modified viruses as insecticides. A new strategy of application of insect viruses in China is reviewed. Also, the assessment of biosafety of genetically modified Helicoverpa armigera Nucleopolyhedovirus (HearNPV) is emphasized as a case-study.

Female ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; Lymphomatoid Papulosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Mechlorethamine ; administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Recombinant Proteins ; administration & dosage ; Solutions

Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous

Objective To judge method performance of routine biochemistry parameters on Roche Modular PPI testing system by using westgard's method evaluation decision chart.Methods We assessed imprecision(CV)from internal quality control and inaccuracy(bias)from external quality control evaluation.Combined estimates of imprecision and inaccuracy by plotting imprecision as the x-coordinate and inaccuracy as the y-coordinate to locate an expected operating point of every item on the chart.By comparing this operating point with allowable total errors(TEa),we can decide whether the performance is acceptable or not.Results In the 27 different parameters tested,imprecision and bias of calcium were 0.08 mmol/L and 0.06 mmol/L respectively,its performance was marginal.The imprecision of creatinine,urea,glucose, sodium,chloride and phosphorus were 3.20%,2.13%,1.52%,0.89 mmol/L,1.10% and 1.55%,the bias were 4.79%,0.96%,4.63%,0.80 mmol/L,1.74% and 4.13% respectively,their performance was good.M1 other 20 items were of excellence performance.Conclusions Routine biochemistry parameters on Roche Modular PPI testing system possessed good precision and accuracy,and their performance were acceptable.To judge method performance of biochemistry testing system by using westgard' s method evaluation decision chart was easy to do and suited for clinical laboratory.

To construct the Bac-to-Bac expression system of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), a transfer vector was constructed which contained an Escherichia coli (E. coli) mini-F replicon and a lacZ: attTN7: lacZ cassette within the upstream and downstream regions of the BmNPV polyhedrin gene. B. mori larvae were cotransfected with wild-type BmNPV genomic DNA and the transfer vector through subcutaneous injection to generate recombinant viruses by homologous recombination in vivo. The genomic DNA of budded viruses extracted from the hemolymph of the transfected larvae was used to transform E. coli DH10B. Recombinant bacmids were screened by kanamycin resistance, PCR and restriction enzyme (REN) digestion. One of the bacmid colonies, BmBacJS13, which had similar REN profiles to that of wild-type BmNPV, was selected for further research. To investigate the infectivity of BmBacJS13, the polyhedrin gene was introduced into the bacmid and the resultant recombinant (BmBacJS13-ph) was transfected to BmN cells. The budded viruses were collected from the supernatant of the transfected cells and used for infecting BmN cells. Growth curve analysis indicated that BmBacJS13-ph had a similar growth curve to that of wild-type BmNPV. Bio-assays indicated that BmBacJS13-ph was also infectious to B. mori larvae.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism and factors affecting mosaicism in human preimplantation embryos by using 2 sequential rounds of fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH).

METHODSTotally 51 normal fertilized embryos, which were not suitable for embryo transfer and cryopreservation, were analyzed on day 3 after fertilization by using two sequential rounds of FISH. Chromosomes 13, 16, 18, 21, 22, X and Y were analyzed.

RESULTSAmong 51 embryos, 16 (31.4%) were mosaic, 12 (23.5%) were chaotic, and the remaining were either normal (27.5%) or non-mosaic abnormal (17.6%). The incidence of mosaic embryos was related to embryo developmental stage, for the incidence of mosaicism increased from 12.5% in embryos

CONCLUSIONMosaicism is common in human preimplantaion embryos, which may be one of the important factors affecting the success rates in IVF-ET. Most of the chromosomal abnormalities can be identified by two sequential rounds of FISH.

Aneuploidy ; Blastocyst ; Chromosomes, Human ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; methods ; Mosaicism ; chemically induced ; embryology ; Preimplantation Diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect of astragaloside IV (AS IV) on H2O2 induced human mesangial cells (HMC), and further explore its molecular mechanism.

METHODThe cultured mesangial cells were divided into 5 groups: the normal control group, the H2O2 model group, the AS IV (12.5, 100 nmol x L(-1)) group and the Tempol (1 x 10(5) nmol x L(-1)) group. The MTT method was used to observe cell viability. Hoechst 33258 staining was used to observe the HMC apoptosis and DHE staining was used to detect the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The flow cytometry was used to detect the changes in cell cycle. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Cyclin D1, CyclinA, p38, and T-p38.

RESULTH2O2 (1 x 10(5), 2 x 10(5), 3 x 10(5), and 4 x 10(5) nmol x L(-1)) could induce HMC oxidative stress injury, with significant decrease in the cell survival rate. AS IV (100 nmol x L(-1)) could significantly inhibit HMC oxidative stress injury induced by H2O2 (3 x 10(5) nmol x L(-1)), increase the survival rate of HMC cells, inhibit cell apoptosis, and decrease intracellular ROS production. AS IV could also increase the expression of Cyclin D1, recover normal cell proliferation, and decrease the expression of p38.

CONCLUSIONAS IV can protect H2O2 induced oxidative stress injury in mesangial cells. Its mechanisms may be related to inhibiting the p38/MAPK signaling pathway, increasing the expression of Cyclin D1 and decreasing the intracellular ROS oxidative stress injury.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cyclin A ; metabolism ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; pharmacology ; Mesangial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology

AIMTo study the influence of VIP on the expression of SP-A and its intracellular signal transduction pathway.

METHODSThe influence of VIP on the expression of SP-A was studied by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. The intracellular signal transduction pathway was further investigated by using receptor antagonist, protein kinase inhibitor and antisense oligonucleotides.

RESULTS(1) VIP(10(-8) mol/L) enhanced SP-A protein expression in alveolar type II cells (ATII) and increased the content of SP-A mRNA in lung tissue. (2) VIP receptor antagonist [D-P-C1-Phe (6)-Leu (17)]-VIP (10(-6) mol/L) could suppress the VIP-induced expression of SP-A protein and SP-A mRNA. (3) c-fos antisense oligonucleotides (9 x 10(-6) mol/L) could inhibit the VIP-induced expression of SP-A protein and SP-A mRNA. (4) Protein kinase C(PKC) inhibitor H7 (10(-5) mol/L) could also depress the V1P-induced SP-A protein and SP-A mRNA.

CONCLUSIONVIP can up-regulate the expression of SP-A through its receptor. PKC and c-fos protein play important roles in the intracellular signal transduction pathway through which VIP induces the expression of SP-A.

Animals ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; In Vitro Techniques ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Alveoli ; cytology ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Signal Transduction ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; pharmacology

AIMOn the model of limb ischemia/reperfusion (LIR), the effects of taurine on pulmonary morphological changes in rats were observed.

METHODSWistar rats were divided into three groups (n=8): control group, ischemia/reperfusion group (IR) and taurine + IR (Tau + IR). Then macroscopic inspection and optical and transmission electron microscopies (TEM) were performed to assess the morphological changes of the lung tissues and their lung index (LI) and lung permeability index (LPI) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured as well.

RESULTSThe morphological changes of lung tissue after LIR were characterized by an increase of permeability of the alveoli-capillary membrane and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Under optical microscopy, there were congestion and swelling in pulmonary microvessels with broadened the spaces around the blood vessels. Under TEM, a number of tight-junctional regions between adjacent alveolar epithelial cells and between pulmonary microvessels endothelium were "open". The LI, LPI, MDA and ROS increased. The specimens of Taurine + IR group revealed slight to moderate degrees of damages in the lung tissues.

CONCLUSIONTaurine protects lung from LIR in rats and the protective action on tight-junctional regions between cells and anti-oxygen is one of the protective mechanisms of taurine.

Animals ; Hindlimb ; blood supply ; Lung ; drug effects ; pathology ; Lung Injury ; prevention & control ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; analysis ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Taurine ; pharmacology ; Tight Junctions ; metabolism

Objective To establish a method performance verification project and experimental method for the clinical chemiluminescence immunoassay.Methods Referring to CLSI evaluation protocols and pertinent literature,and by combining our actual works,we designed a verification procedure and experimental method.By Using these above,the precision,accuracy,analytical sensitivity,analytical measurement range,clinical reportable range and biotic interval of AFP on the Bayer Centaur 240 chemiluminescence immunoassay system were verificated.Results would be compared with the declaration of the manufacturer or desirable specifications derived from biologic variation.Results The results showed that the between-day inaccuracy on AFP levels at 77.4 ng/ml and 168.0 ng/ml was 5.70% and 4.84% respectively,these were consistent with manufacturer's inaccuracy claimed.The relative bias between the results measured for calibrator at four levels and target value was less 5.0%,and the relative bias between the results measured for EQA control sample at five levels and target value was-3.4% to 11.9%.Lower limit of detection was 1.04 ng/ml,lower slightly manufacturer's analytical sensitivity claimed.Biologic limit of detection was 2.65 ng/ml-3.53 ng/ml,functional sensitivity was 3.53 ng/ml.Analytical measurement range was 3.53-912.00 ng/ml,within manufacturer's liner range claimed.Clinical reportable range was 3.53-182 400.00 ng/ml.Reference interval was 0.6-7.7 ng/ml,within manufacturer' s claimed.Conclusions The main performances of the detection system are accorded with the declaration of the manufacturer.The performance verification procedure and experimental method of our research ars simple and practical,which has important significations for building medical laboratory and laboratory accreditation, improving quality of the chemiluminescence immunoassay.