BACKGROUND: Human β-defensin is mainly located in various tissues epidermis or epithelium, also exists in ocular surface, but its ocular surface and its role of ocular surface diseases remain poorly understood.OBJECTIVE: To observe the distribution of human β-defensins in ocular surface tissue, and to analyze their potential effects on ocular surface disease. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: In vitro controlled observation with regard to ocular surface tissue was performed at the Central Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Medical College of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Cell Biochemistry Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Branch, between October 2006 and December 2007.MATERIALS: A total of 18 inflammatory conjunctival specimens consisted of 6 pterygium surface bulbar conjunctiva, 4 bulbar conjunctival cysts, 4 acid burn conjunctiva, 2 thermal burn conjunctiva and 2 conjunctival granuloma; 15 inflammatory corneal specimens included 6 viral keratitis, 4 fungal keratitis, 3 bacterial keratitis and 2 eye removal following corneal perforation; 9 cadaver normal bulbar conjunctiva samples, 8 cadaver normal corneal samples. METHODS: RT-PCR method and immunohistochemistry were applied to detect human β-defensin expression in 50 samples. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Distribution and location of human β-defensin proteins in normal and inflammatory ocular surface tissues. RESULTS: RT-PCR showed that human β-defensin 1 and human β-defensin 3 were positive in all of the tested samples, whereas human β-defensin 2 existed in a majority of inflammatory ocular surface tissues and no expression was observed in normal ocular surface tissues. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed most of inflammatory ocular surface tissues expressed human β-defensins 1 and 2, distributing in epithelial cell layer and predominantly in basal lamina, occasionally infiltration of stromal cells was observed, only a small number of human β-defensin 2 expression was absent; normal cornea and conjunctiva samples presented with human β-defensin 1 expression, distributing in epithelial cells and predominantly in basal lamina, only few expressed human β-defensin 2.CONCLUSION: Human β-defensin 1 and 3 appear to be constitutively expressed in surface epithelial cells and basal lamina of normal and inflammatory ocular surface tissues, while human β-defensin 2 may be induced to express in the majority of inflammatory ocular surface tissues. Three human β-defensins expression plays a pivotal role in preventing ocular surface infection and promoting ocular surface injury repair.

Objective To research the significance of the levels of neuron-specific enolase(NSE), S100B and myelin basic protein(MBP) in predicting the severity and prognosis in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods The serum levels ofNSE, SI00B and MBPwere measured within 72 hours after the injury in 36 patients with SAH(SAH group), then the severity of illness and prognosis was evaluated by world federation of neurosurgical societies(WFNS) grade and Glasgow outcome scale(GOS) respectively. Twenty healthy persons were selected as controls(control group). Results After the injury, the serum levels of NSE,SI00B and MBP in SAH group increased significantly compared with those in control group. Moreover, there were significant difference in the serum levels of NSE, S100B and MBP among different groups in different severity of illness and prognosis. Assessed the severity and prognosis by serum levels of NSE 25 μg/L, S100B 1.2 μg/L and MBP 10.0 μg/L after 72 hours of SAH, the specificity of assessing the severity by NSE, SI00B and MBP was 71.43%,61.90%, 66.67%, and the sensitivity was 73.33%,86.62% and 73.33%. At assessment of prognosis,the specificity of NSE, S100B, MBP was 69.57%, 60.87%,65.22%, and the sensitivity was 61.54%,76.92% and 69.23%. Conclusion There are higher specificity and sensitivity in evaluating the severity of illnoss and prognosis in patients with SAH by serum levels of NSE, S100B and MBP.

Three forms of the major surface antigen (SAG1)of Toxoplasma gondii, that is the membrane form, the secrete form and the intracellular form, were constructed and used to immunize BALB/c mice. The humoral response in the mice immunized with the membrane form and the secrete form of SAG1 appeared earlier and stronger than those mice immunized with the intracellular form. Result from the challenging infection demonstrated that the protection in the mice immunized with the membrane and the secrete forms was also stronger than in the mice immunized with the intracellular form. We suggest that the immune efficiency of the three forms of SAG1 in the mouse model is different.

With the rapid development of medicine,medical ethics and medical philosophy have also made a far step forward.Under the new historical conditions,they are endowed with a new scientific connotation,which is elaborated in the modern version of Hippocratic Oath.

In order to investigate the effects of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tyramine on the growth of Lycoris radiata suspension cells and the accumulation of alkaloids, the growth quantity of the cells as well as the content of alkaloids in cells were determined, which were treated with above three kinds of precursors alone and phenylalanine combined with tyrosine respectively. The results indicate that the addition of phenylalanine alone and addition of phenylalanine on the basis of tyrosine at high concentration (200 micromol/L) had no significant effect on the growth of Lycoris radiata suspension cells and the content of alkaloids in cells; whereas tyrosine and tyramine promoted the growth of the cells and alkaloids accumulation. Treated with tyrosine at high concentration (200 micromol/L), the content of alkaloids of the cells was 2.56-fold higher than that of the control group, the amounts of lycoramine (3.77 mg/g) and galanthamine (4.46 mg/g) were 6.61-fold and 6.97-fold higher than that of the control group, respectively. When treated with tyramine (200 micromol/L), the amount of alkaloids in Lycoris radiata suspension cells was 2.63-fold higher than that of the control group, and the amounts of lycoramine (4.45 mg/g) and galanthamine (5.14 mg/g) were 9.08-fold and 9.18-fold higher than that of the control group, respectively. The above results demonstrate that adding tyrosine and tyramine in the media significantly promoted the growth of the Lycoris radiata suspension cells and alkaloids accumulation in the cells.
Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media ; chemistry ; Galantamine ; chemistry ; Lycoris ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Phenylalanine ; chemistry ; Plant Cells ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts

[Objective] To investigate the mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in treating acute lung injury (ALI) via ALI mouse model.[Methods] By monoclonal antibody Anti-GD2 of specific antigen ganglioside (GD2) only expressed on MSC as a carrier,new fluorescent molecule probe were synthesized through covalently coupling Anti-GD2 and fluorescent group CyDye mono-reactive NHS Esters (Cy7).Synthetic Anti-GD2-Cy7 and MSC were labeled by the specific binding of antigen and antibody in vitro.Total 84 balb/c male mice were selected and randomly selected 48 mice were divided into three groups:sham group (n =16),MSC+ ALI group (n =16),NS + ALI group (n =16).The lung histopathology and scores,lung W/D ratio and permeability of lung microvasculature were examined at 24 h,48 h after ALI mouse model.Other 36 mice were randomly divided into three groups:normal group (n =12),sham group(n =12),MSC +ALI group(n =12).Labeled MSC-GD2-Cy7 were transplanted into MSC+ALI group and sham group mice via tail vein injection.At 30 min,1 d,3 d,and 7 d post-MSC-GD2-Cy7 injection,the mice were sacrificed after anesthesia and then the lung was removed.Excised lung was detected on small animal fluorescent imager.[Results] Contrast to NS+ ALI group,the lung histopathology and scores,lung W/D ratio and permeability of lung microvasculature of MSC +ALI group were more greatly improved at both 24 h and 48 h.Fluorescent results showed that the signal intensity in thc lung of MSC +ALI group was significantly higher than that of sham group at each time point [(3.37 ± 0.02)× 10-4 vs (2.05 ± 0.04) × 10-4 scaled counts/s;(35.54 ± 0.47)× 10-4 vs (25.29 ± 1.48) × 10-4 scaled counts/s;(11.17 ± 0.75)×10-4 vs (6.09 ± 0.62)× 10-4 scaled counts/s;(3.10 ± 0.14) vs (0.00 ± 0.00)× 10-4 scaled counts/s;all P ＜ 0.05].[Conclusion] Our study showed that a proportion of cells migrated into normal and injured lungs 30 min after cell transplantation,and the cells started to recruit and largely gather in injured lungs at day 1 and persisted to day 7,these results suggest that MSC possess the ability to home into injured tissues.

An recombinant vector pCSV-EPO for expression of EPO cDNA in mammalian cells was constructed by the techniques of gene recombinant, PCR amplification and region-specific mutagenesis. The pCSV-EPO was introduced into COS7 cells by DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection. The expression of the EPO was demonstrated by EPO-ELISA assay. At 48h post transfection, the EPO level was 25ng/ml and 72 h was 17ng/ml.