Using human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells as salvage therapy for hepatic graft-versus-host disease resembling acute hepatitis

A 43-year-old woman with chronic hepatic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) who failed previous immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine and prednisone was treated with tacrolimus starting on day 165 after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Fifteen days later, tacrolimus was discontinued because of progressive deterioration of renal function. However, after changing treatment to human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSC), we observed rapid and complete resolution of hepatic GVHD and renal toxicity. We concluded that it is worthwhile to administer AMSC as a treatment for common hepatic GVHD, particularly for atypical cases presenting as acute hepatitis.

Biodegradation of nicotine from tobacco waste extract by Ochrobactrum intermedium DN2

Ochrobactrum intermedium DN2 was used to degrade nicotine in tobacco waste extracts. The optimal temperature and pH of nicotine degradation by strain DN2 was 30-37 degrees C and 7.0, respectively. Under these optimal conditions, the average degradation rate of nicotine in a 30L fed-batch culture was 140.5 mg 1(-1) h(-1). The results of this study indicate that strain DN2 may be useful for reducing the nicotine content of reconstituted tobacco.

Evaluation of quality of life using ASQoL questionnaire in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in a Chinese population

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of Chinese version of the ankylosing spondylitis quality of life questionnaire (ASQoL) for AS patients. All the enrolled AS patients should fulfill five questionnaires (BASDAI, BASFI, DFI, BAS-G and ASQoL) by himself, then the investigators did physical examination of the patients, fulfilling BASMI. Physical function has a strong correlation with QoL in patients with AS. In different disease activity groups, ASQoL had a correlation with BASFI, especially in the moderate activity group (gamma = 0.66, P < 0.0001). All four questionnaires in entanacept treatment group improved distinctly on week 6 and 12 comparing to baseline. There were significantly correlations of changing between ASQoL and BAS-G, BASDAI and BASFI after treatment with etanercept in AS patients. The Chinese ASQoL questionnaire is valuable to evaluate the activity of AS patients and effect of biologic agent treatment in patients with AS. It is a good generic instrument to measure QoL in patients with AS in China.

Silicon waveguides for creating quantum-correlated photon pairs

We propose to use four-wave mixing inside silicon waveguides for generating quantum-correlated photon pairs in a single spatial mode. Such silicon-based photon sources not only exhibit high pair correlation but also have high spectral brightness. As the proposed scheme is based on mature silicon technology, it has the potential of becoming a cost-effective platform for on-chip quantum information processing applications.

Raman response function for silica fibers

The commonly used Lorentzian form of the Raman response function for studying propagation of ultrashort pulses in silica fibers does not properly account for the shoulder in the Raman gain spectrum originating from the Boson peak. We propose a more accurate form of this response function and show that its predictions for the Raman-induced frequency shift should be in better agreement with experiments.

Restoration of shp1 expression by 5-AZA-2'-deoxycytidine is associated with downregulation of JAK3/STAT3 signaling in ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALK+ ALCL) is characterized by constitutive activation of the Janus kinase (JAK)3/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. SHP1, a tyrosine phosphatase that negatively regulates JAK/STAT, is frequently absent in ALK+ ALCL owing to gene methylation. To test the hypothesis that loss of SHP1 contributes to JAK3/STAT3 activation in ALK+ ALCL cells, we induced SHP1 expression using 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA), an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase, in ALK+ ALCL cell lines, and correlated with changes in the JAK3/STAT3 pathway. 5-AZA gradually restored SHP1 expression in Karpas 299 and SU-DHL-1 cells over 5 days. The initially low level of SHP1 expression did not result in significant changes to the expression or tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK3 and STAT3. However, higher levels of SHP1 seen subsequently correlated with substantial decreases in JAK3 and pJAK3, followed by pSTAT3 (but not STAT3). Importantly, the decrease in JAK3 was abrogated by MG132, a proteasome inhibitor. 5-AZA induced no significant increase in apoptosis but it sensitized ALCL cells to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Our findings support the concept that loss of SHP1 contributes to the constitutive activation of JAK3/STAT3 in ALK+ ALCL cells. SHP1 appears to downregulate JAK3 by two mechanisms: tyrosine dephosphorylation and increased degradation via the proteasome pathway.

High-order harmonic generation in a tightly focused laser beam

The force due to the transverse magnetic field of a laser beam drives an electron in the direction of laser propagation, thereby impeding the recollision mechanism for high-order harmonic generation. The longitudinal electric field component of a tightly focused Gaussian beam can sufficiently counteract the magnetic force to enhance the harmonic yield substantially. For tight focusing and a laser intensity of 10(18) W/cm2, it can raise the harmonic yield by several orders of magnitude.

Enhanced dissipation of phenanthrene and pyrene in spiked soils by combined plants cultivation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of POPs, are widely distributed in the environment. Phytoremediation has long been recognized as a cost-effective method for removal of PAHs pollutants from soil. This study was conducted to investigate the capability of three plant species separately and their combination to promote the degradation of phenanthrene and pyrene in soil. The performance of three plant species, maize, ryegrass and white clover for phenanthrene and pyrene removal was also compared. The result showed that the presence of vegetation significantly enhances the dissipation of phenanthrene and pyrene in the soil environment. This effect was especially marked with maize. At the end of 60 days treatment, phenanthrene and pyrene concentrations in treated soils declined from an initial 52.52 mg kg-1 and 58.19 mg kg-1 to 4.15 mg kg-1 and 6.77 mg kg-1, respectively, indicating that phenanthrene and pyrene was successfully removed by maize. Around 92.10% of phenanthrene and 88.36% of pyrene were removed from soils planted with maize. Within approximately two months experimental period, the dissipation extent showed that the 4-ring pyrene was more recalcitrant than 3-ring phenanthrene. Although the extents did not differ significantly among three tested species, the rates of degradation were different. The maize treatment had the highest rate of contaminant removal after two months, followed by white clover and annual ryegrass. As compare to single plant cultivation, combined plants cultivation significantly enhanced the destruction rate and extent of phenanthrene and pyrene in soils. Around 98.22% of phenanthrene and 95.81% of pyrene were removed from soils planted with maize and ryegrass. This research indicates the potential for phenanthrene and pyrene mineralization in combined plants cultivation, which may be especially useful for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with PAHs.

Dispersion tailoring and soliton propagation in silicon waveguides

The dispersive properties of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides are studied by using the effective-index method. Extensive calculations indicate that an SOI waveguide can be designed to have its zero-dispersion wavelength near 1.5 microm with reasonable device dimensions. Numerical simulations show that soliton-like pulse propagation is achievable in such a waveguide in the spectral region at approximately 1.55 microm. The concept of path-averaged solitons is used to minimize the impact of linear loss and two-photon absorption.

Photon-pair generation by four-wave mixing in optical fibers

We present a theory to quantify a fundamental limit on correlated photon pairs generated through four-wave mixing inside optical fibers in the presence of spontaneous Raman scattering (SpRS). Our theory is able to explain current experimental data. We show that if correlated photon pairs are generated with polarization orthogonal to the pump the effect of SpRS is significantly reduced over a broad spectral region extending from 5 to 15 THz.

Microscale localized spectroscopy with a magnetic resonance force microscope

Magnetic resonance force microscopy is combined with spin-echo spectroscopy to obtain spatially and spectrally resolved NMR signals of micrometer-scale objects. The experimental spatial resolution for the demonstration experiment on a sample consisting of Ba(ClO3)2.H2O and (NH4)2SO4 single crystals is 3.4 microm. The spectral resolution of 3.4 kHz is sample limited. Improvements in resolution and extensions of the method to more than one spatial dimension and to multidimensional spectroscopy are possible.

Pump-noise transfer in dual-pump fiber-optic parametric amplifiers: walk-off effects

Transfer of intensity noise from pumps to signal in dual-pump fiber-optic parametric amplifiers is simulated numerically for a realistic configuration in which both pumps are amplified and filtered before they enter the fiber. The walk-off effects induced by different group velocities of pumps, signal, and idler are fully taken into account. It is found that the optical signal-to-noise ratio can be as low as 15 dB when the amplifier length is close to 0.5 km, but it can be improved by 3 dB or so by use of longer fibers.

Intrapulse depolarization in optical fibers: a classical analog of spin decoherence

We show that the combination of cross-phase modulation and polarization-mode dispersion inside optical fibers leads to a novel phenomenon of intrapulse depolarization manifested as different random states of polarization across the pulse profile. Such polarization evolution of optical pulses is directly analogous to the phenomenon of spin decoherence in semiconductors or pseudospin relaxation in atoms.

Expression of survivin and bax/bcl-2 in peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma ligands induces apoptosis on human myeloid leukemia cells in vitro

The present study was undertaken to investigate the mechanisms of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) ligand-induced apoptosis on human myeloid leukemia K562 and HL-60 cell lines. The results revealed that both 15-deoxy-delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) and troglitazone (TGZ) have significant anti-proliferation- and apoptosis-inducing effects on these two kinds of leukemia cells. Marked morphological changes of cell apoptosis including condensation of chromatin and nuclear fragmentation were observed clearly using Wright's and Hoechst 33258 staining. Reverse transcription-PCR and western blot analyses demonstrated that both survivin and bcl-2 expression were downregulated markedly, while bax expression was upregulated concurrently when apoptosis occurred. We therefore conclude that 15d-PGJ2 and TGZ have significant apoptosis effects on K562 and HL-60 cells in vitro, and that upregulation of bax as well as downregulation of survivin and bcl-2 expression may be the important apoptosis-inducing mechanisms. The results suggest that PPAR-gamma ligands may serve as potential therapeutic agents for both acute and chronic myeloid leukemia.

Arg9-peptide facilitates the internalization of an anti-CEA immunotoxin and potentiates its specific cytotoxicity to target cells

Arginines-containing membrane translocational signals (MTS), such as Tat(47-57) and VP22(267-300), and synthetic arginine-rich peptides have been reported to be efficient carriers for transporting various types of biomolecules into cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of living cells. Among those arginines-containing MTS, a 9-mer arginine peptide (Arg9) was proved the most economical and efficient. We fused Arg9-peptide to an anti-CEA (Carcinoembryonic antigen) immunotoxin, PE35/CEA(Fv)/KDEL, at the position between the toxin moiety and the binding moiety. Strong binding and internalization of this fusion protein was observed in all detected cell lines, but little cytotoxicity to the cells that lack the CEA molecules on the cell surface was detected. However, the cytotoxicity besides the binding activity of the fusion protein to specific tumor cells expressing large amount of CEA molecules on the cell surface was improved markedly, indicating that the Arg9-peptide is capable of facilitating the receptor-mediated endocytosis of this immunotoxin, which leads to the increase of the specific cytotoxicity of this immunotoxin.

Oridonin-induced apoptosis in leukemia K562 cells and its mechanism

Oridonin, an extract from the Chinese herb Rabdosia rubescens, is currently one of the most important traditional Chinese herbal medicines. Recently oridonin has been reported to have anti- tumor effects in a large variety of malignant diseases. In this study, we investigated the apoptotic inducing effect of oridonin in leukemia K562 cells and its mechanism. Cell growth inhibition was measured using a microculture tetrazolium assay, apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry and electron microscopy as well as by DNA fragmentation analysis. Telomerase activity was measured by TRAP-enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins was detected by western blot analysis. The results showed that oridonin could inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis on leukemia K562 cells remarkably. Telomerase activity as well as Bcl-2 expression was down- regulated, while Bax expression was up-regulated concurrently, when apoptosis ocurred. We therefore conclude that oridonin demonstrated anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects on K562 cells in vitro, and that changes in bcl-2 and bax protein levels as well as telomerase activity may play an important role in its mechanism of action.

Anti-proliferative Effects of Oridonin on SPC-A-1 Cells and its Mechanism of Action

Oridonin, an extract from the Chinese herb Rabdosia rubescens, is currently one of the most important traditional Chinese herbal medicines. We investigated the anti-proliferative effect of oridonin on the lung cancer cell line SPC-A-1 and its mechanism of action. Growth inhibition was measured using a microculture tetrazolium assay and apoptosis was measured by several standard methods. Western blot analysis measured the expression of bcl-2 and bax proteins. Oridonin (> 28 μmol/l) inhibited the growth of SPC-A-1 cells and induced apoptosis. Marked morphological changes indicative of apoptosis were observed, especially in cells treated with oridonin for 48–60 h. Western blot analysis revealed downregulation of bcl-2 and upregulation of bax proteins following treatment with oridonin for 48 h. We conclude that oridonin demonstrated anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects on SPC-A-1 cells in vitro, and that changes in bcl-2 and bax protein levels may play an important role in its mechanism of action.

Vector soliton fission

We investigate the vectorial nature of soliton fission in an isotropic nonlinear medium both theoretically and experimentally. As a specific example, we show that supercontinuum generation in a tapered fiber is extremely sensitive to the input state of polarization. Multiple vector solitons generated through soliton fission exhibit different states of elliptical polarization while emitting nonsolitonic radiation with complicated polarization features. Experiments performed with a tapered fiber agree with our theoretical description.

Manganese uptake and accumulation by the hyperaccumulator plant Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae)

The perennial herb Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae), which occurs in Southern China, has been found to be a new manganese hyperaccumulator by means of field surveys on Mn-rich soils and by glasshouse experiments. This species not only has remarkable tolerance to Mn but also has extraordinary uptake and accumulation capacity for this element. The maximum Mn concentration in the leaf dry matter was 19,300 microg/g on Xiangtan Mn tailings wastelands, with a mean of 14,480 microg/g. Under nutrient solution culture conditions, P. acinosa could grow normally with Mn supplied at a concentration of 8000 micromol/l, although with less biomass than in control samples supplied with Mn at 5 micromol/l. Manganese concentration in the shoots increased with increasing external Mn levels, but the total mass of Mn accumulated in the shoots first increased and then decreased. At an Mn concentration of 5000 micromol/l in the culture solution, the Mn accumulation in the shoot dry matter was highest (258 mg/plant). However, the Mn concentration in the leaves reached its highest value (36,380 microg/g) at an Mn supply level of 12,000 micromol/l. These results confirm that P. acinosa is an Mn hyperaccumulator which grows rapidly, has substantial biomass, wide distribution and a broad ecological amplitude. This species provides a new plant resource for exploring the mechanism of Mn hyperaccumulation, and has potential for use in the phytoremediation of Mn-contaminated soils.

Increased phosphorylation of the GluR1 subunit of spinal cord alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptor in rats following intradermal injection of capsaicin

Ionotropic glutamate receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that help mediate rapid excitatory neurotransmission in the CNS. alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA) receptors are critical for synaptic plasticity in central nociceptive transmission. The current study was designed to investigate the role of the AMPA receptor subunit, GluR1, and its phosphorylated forms (at Ser-831 and Ser-845) in central sensitization in rat spinal cord. Western blots and immunohistochemistry were performed to examine the expression and localization of GluR1 and the phosphorylated forms of GluR1 (phospho-GluR1) at Ser-831 and Ser-845 with specific antibodies. Results showed that immunolabeling of GluR1 protein in rat spinal cord can be detected at 110 kD, and two phospho-GluR1 proteins were found at 106 kD. A significant upregulation of phospho-GluR1 both at Ser-831 and Ser-845 was found by 5 min after capsaicin treatment, and this increase lasted at least 60 min. Immunostaining showed that GluR1 and its phosphorylated forms were localized in the superficial laminae of dorsal horn and quantitative image analysis supported the immunoblotting results. Our findings are consistent with the suggestions that AMPA receptors show increased responsiveness because of their phosphorylation and that this may contribute to central sensitization following intradermal injection of capsaicin.

Involvement of peripheral neuropeptide y receptors in sympathetic modulation of acute cutaneous flare induced by intradermal capsaicin

In a recent study, we have demonstrated that the dorsal root reflex (DRR)-mediated acute cutaneous neurogenic inflammation following intradermal injection of capsaicin (CAP) is sympathetically dependent and subject to modulation by peripheral alpha(1)-adrenoceptors. Postganglionic sympathetic neurons contain not only adrenergic neurotransmitters, but also non-adrenergic substances, including neuropeptide Y (NPY). In this study, we examined if peripheral NPY receptors participate in the flare following CAP injection. Different NPY receptor subtypes were studied by using relatively specific agonists and antagonists for the Y(1) and Y(2) subtypes. Changes in cutaneous blood flow on the plantar surface of the foot were measured using a laser Doppler flowmeter. Following CAP injection, cutaneous flare spread more than 20 mm away from the site of CAP injection. Removal of the postganglionic sympathetic nerves by surgical sympathectomy reduced dramatically the CAP-evoked flare. If the foot of sympathectomized rats was pretreated with either NPY or Y(2) receptor agonists by intra-arterial injection, the spread of flare induced by CAP injection could be restored and prolonged. However, if the spinal cord was pretreated with a GABA(A) receptor antagonist, bicuculline, to prevent DRRs, NPY or an Y(2) receptor agonist no longer restored the CAP-evoked flare. A Y(1) receptor agonist did not affect the CAP-evoked flare in sympathectomized rats. In sympathetically intact rats, blockade of either peripheral NPY or Y(2) receptors with [D-Trp(32)]-NPY or BIIE0246 markedly reduced the flare induced by CAP injection, whereas blockade of peripheral Y(1) receptors by BIBP3226 did not obviously affect the flare. It is suggested that NPY is co-released with NE from the postganglionic sympathetic terminals to activate NPY Y(2) and alpha(1) receptors following CAP injection. Both substances are involved, at least in part, in modulation of the responses of CAP sensitive afferents thereby affecting their ability to evoke the release of inflammatory agents from primary afferents.

[Gene cloning, construction and expression of single-chain Fv (scFv) against the membrane protein of Schistosoma japonicum]

OBJECTIVE

To construct single chain antibody specific to membrane protein of Schistosoma japonicum by genetic engineering technique.

METHODS

The VH (heavy-chain variable region) and VL(light-chain variable region) genes were amplified by PCR from the genomic DNA of NP11-4 cell line, and sequenced by Sanger's method. The ScFv was constructed in pTHA90 vector using VH and VL genes, then expressed by IPTG.

RESULTS

The VH and VL genes were obtained through PCR. The DNA sequences showed that VH and VL were new variable region genes of antibody. They were registered by GenBank. A ScFv gene with (Gly4Ser) 3 intralinker in the pTHA90 vector was successfully constructed. The ScFv was expressed as thioredoxin-fused proteins about 36.2 kDa.

CONCLUSION

A specific ScFv against the membrane protein of Schistosoma japonicum was constructed and expressed.

Sustainable correction of junctional epidermolysis bullosa via transposon-mediated nonviral gene transfer

Sustainable correction of severe human genetic disorders of self-renewing tissues, such as the blistering skin disease junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB), is facilitated by stable genomic integration of therapeutic genes into somatic tissue stem cells. While integrating viral vectors can achieve this, they suffer from logistical and biosafety concerns. To circumvent these limitations, we used the Sleeping Beauty transposable element to integrate the LAMB3 cDNA into genomes of epidermal holoclones from six unrelated JEB patients. These cells regenerate human JEB skin that is normalized at the level of laminin 5 protein expression, hemidesmosome formation and blistering. Transposon-mediated gene delivery therefore affords an opportunity for stable gene delivery in JEB and other human diseases.

Role of protein kinase A in phosphorylation of NMDA receptor 1 subunits in dorsal horn and spinothalamic tract neurons after intradermal injection of capsaicin in rats

Protein phosphorylation is a major mechanism for regulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function. The NMDA receptor 1 subunit (NR1) is phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PKA) on serine 890 and 897. We have recently reported that there is enhanced phosphorylation of NR1 on serine 897 in dorsal horn and spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons after intradermal injection of capsaicin (CAP) in rats [Zou et al. (2000) J. Neurosci. 20, 6989-6997]. Whether or not this phosphorylation, which develops during central sensitization following CAP injection, is mediated by PKA remains to be determined. In this study, western blots and immunofluorescence staining were employed to observe if pretreatment with a PKA inhibitor, N-[2-((p-bromocinnamyl)amino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide, HCl (H89), blocks the enhanced phosphorylation of NR1 on serine 897 following injection of CAP into the glabrous skin of one hind paw of anesthetized rats. Western blots showed that pretreatment with H89 caused a decrease in CAP-induced phosphorylation of NR1 protein in spinal cord segments L(4)-S(1). In experiments using immunofluorescence staining, the numbers of phospho-NR1-like immunoreactive (p-NR1-LI) neurons seen after CAP injection were significantly decreased in the dorsal horn of the L(4)-L(5) segments on the side ipsilateral to the injection after PKA was inhibited. When STT cells were labeled by microinjection of the retrograde tracer, fluorogold, we found that the proportion of p-NR1-LI STT cells on the side ipsilateral to the injection in the superficial laminae of spinal cord segments L(4)-L(5) was markedly reduced when H89 was administered intrathecally before CAP injection. However, the proportion of p-NR1-LI STT cells in deep laminae was unchanged unless the PKC inhibitor, chelerythrine chloride, was co-administered with H89. Combined with our previous findings, the present results indicate that NR1 in spinal dorsal horn neurons, including the superficial dorsal horn STT cells, is phosphorylated following CAP injection and that this phosphorylation is due to the action of PKA. However, the phosphorylation of deep STT cells involves both PKA and PKC.