High-Hydroxypropylated Tapioca Starch Improves Insulin Resistance in Genetically Diabetic KKAy Mice

ABSTRACT:  The hypoglycemic and antidiabetic effect of hydroxypropyl tapioca starch (HPTS) with a varying degree of substitution (DS: 0.058, 0.091, and 0.180) was investigated in rats and KKAy mice, an animal model of type 2 diabetes. The positive incremental area under the curve (IAUC) for glucose significantly decreased as the DS of HPTS increased. The IAUC after intragastric intubation of the highest HPTS (HPTS-III, DS = 0.180) was 55% of the IAUC of tapioca starch (TS). After 28 d, fasting blood glucose and insulin concentrations were significantly lower in rats fed HPTS-III (50 g/kg diet) than in those fed TS ( P < 0.05). In KKAy mice fed HPTS-III (50 or 100 g/kg diet) for 33 d, as compared with TS, there was a delay in the detection of glucose in urine and also a decreased incidence of finding glucose in urine on days 7, 21, and 28; in addition, the AUCs for glucose in the oral glucose tolerance test on days 14 and 28 were significantly lower ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively). The plasma adiponectin concentration and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) were significantly higher in mice fed HPTS-III than in those fed TS ( P < 0.01), whereas the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was lower ( P < 0.01). Energy intake was significantly lower in mice fed HPTS-III than in those fed TS. These findings show that HPTS with a high DS resists digestion by α-amylase and improves insulin resistance in KKAy mice by decreasing energy intake. However, the potential mechanism by which HPTS-III decreases energy intake is unclear at present.     

Vitamin D Reverses Disruption of Gut Epithelial Barrier Function Caused by Campylobacter jejuni

Infections by the zoonotic foodborne bacterium Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) are among the most frequent causes of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. The aim was to evaluate the relationship between epithelial barrier disruption, mucosal immune activation, and vitamin D (VD) treatment during C. jejuni infection, using intestinal epithelial cells and mouse models focused on the interaction of C. jejuni with the VD signaling pathway and VD treatment to improve C. jejuni-induced barrier dysfunction. Our RNA-Seq data from campylobacteriosis patients demonstrate inhibition of VD receptor (VDR) downstream targets, consistent with suppression of immune function. Barrier-preserving effects of VD addition were identified in C. jejuni-infected epithelial cells and IL-10^−/− mice. Furthermore, interference of C. jejuni with the VDR pathway was shown via VDR/retinoid X receptor (RXR) interaction. Paracellular leakiness of infected epithelia correlated with tight junction (TJ) protein redistribution off the TJ domain and apoptosis induction. Supplementation with VD reversed barrier impairment and prevented inhibition of the VDR pathway, as shown by restoration of transepithelial electrical resistance and fluorescein (332 Da) permeability. We conclude that VD treatment restores gut epithelial barrier functionality and decreases bacterial transmigration and might, therefore, be a promising compound for C. jejuni treatment in humans and animals.     

鼠标注射模的结构设计

针对全塑料鼠标的注塑模设计,对零件结构进行了工艺分析。确定了分型面、浇注系统等,选择了注射机,计算了成型零部件的尺寸。采用点浇口,利用直导柱导向及推杆顶料方式,对模具的材料进行了选择。如此设计出的结构可确保模具工作运用可靠。     

牛肉对小白鼠体重及运动能力的影响

目的：探讨牛肉对小白鼠运动能力的影响。方法：雄性小白鼠50 只,随机分为2 组,对照组20 只、牛肉组30 只,单笼饲养。限制采食量,初始量为6.0g/(d·只)喂养4 周。测小白鼠力竭运动时间、抓力、体质量,取肝组织和后腿肌肉测定肝糖原、肌糖原含量。结果：牛肉组与对照组相比。有降低体质量,增加速度,提高游泳力竭时间和抓力的趋势,但无显著差异。采食牛肉后,不论对小白鼠是否施加负荷,都能提高肝糖原、肌糖原、血清SOD 水平(P ＜ 0.05),能显著降低MDA 水平(P ＜ 0.05)。 结论：在日粮蛋白质和能量摄取量相同条件下,牛肉日粮具有控制小白鼠体质量和提高小白鼠的抓力和游泳力竭时间的趋势。不论是否附加负荷,都能提高肝脏和肌肉组织的糖原水平,并且显著提高机体的抗氧化能力。     

Brief Note: Isolation,culture, characterization and optimization of human corneal stem cells

The effects of human versus mouse EGF on cell growth and culture duration were studied to optimize a human limbal stem cells culture method for therapeutical autologous transplantation. Limbal cells were obtained by trypsin digestion and transferred to a culture medium. The time needed to reach full confluence in culture was determined. Specific antibodies to corneal stem cell marker (P63) versus corneal epithelial differentiation marker (K3) were used for histochemical determinations. A high proportion of P63 positive cells (85± 4.6%), and a correspondingly low proportion K3 positive cells (15 ± 3.8%) indicated that most cultured cells remained undifferentiated and were considered as stem cells (mean ± SE, n=10). Cultures reached full confluency after 17.3 ± 1.2 days when the medium was supplemented with human EGF, while 21.7 ± 1.5 days were needed when the medium was supplemented with mouse EGF. The results showed that limbal stem cells proliferate more easily and reach to full confluency in a shorter time if the medium is supplemented with hEGF rather than with mEGF.     

莲房原花青素对大强度运动小鼠器官与组织的保护作用

对小鼠灌服不同剂量莲房原花青素(分别为20、50、100mg/(kg·d)),同时建立小鼠大强度运动训练模型,探讨莲房原花青素对力竭运动条件下小鼠组织与器官的保护作用。测试大强度运动后小鼠的血红蛋白(Hb)、红细胞(RBC)、白细胞(WBC)等血液学指标,以及血清中谷丙转氨酶(GPT)、谷草转氨酶(GOT)、尿素氮(BUN)、肌酐(Cre)、血糖(Glu)、乳酸(LA)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、肌酸激酶(CK)生理生化指标;测定肌肉和内脏器官中的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、谷胱甘肽(GSH)和丙二醛(MDA)水平,观察莲房原花青素运动组小鼠的骨骼肌与心肌病理切片。结果表明：与运动对照组相比,灌服莲房原花青素能够有效减轻大强度运动训练致小鼠组织的炎症反应,缓解氧化应激损伤,对大强度运动训练小鼠的骨骼肌与心肌具有明显保护作用。     

叶酸代谢抑制剂对小鼠骨髓基质细胞增殖和分化的影响

采用四甲基偶氮唑蓝（methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium,MTT）法、细胞形态分析法及诱导分化法结合油红O染色法研究叶酸代谢中二氢叶酸还原酶抑制剂甲氨喋呤（methotrexate,MTX）、甲氨苄啶（trimethoprim,TMP）和乙胺嘧啶（pyrimethamine,PTM）对OP9小鼠骨髓基质细胞增殖和分化的影响,探讨叶酸代谢与脂质合成的关系。MTT实验结果显示,在一定浓度范围内,3 种叶酸抑制剂均能抑制OP9细胞增殖,并呈现一定的剂量-效应依赖关系。且3 种叶酸抑制剂在高浓度时对OP9细胞有毒性作用。倒置显微镜观察和油红O染色检测结果显示,TMP在500～1 000 μmol/L浓度范围内对OP9细胞分化为脂肪细胞具有抑制作用。荧光定量聚合酶链式反应分析表明,TMP会使叶酸代谢途径中二氢叶酸还原酶和亚甲基四氢叶酸脱氢酶的转录水平发生下调,这可能是TMP抑制脂肪细胞诱导分化的原因。     

Visual Cortex Engagement in Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a family of inherited disorders caused by the progressive degeneration of retinal photoreceptors. There is no cure for RP, but recent research advances have provided promising results from many clinical trials. All these therapeutic strategies are focused on preserving existing photoreceptors or substituting light-responsive elements. Vision recovery, however, strongly relies on the anatomical and functional integrity of the visual system beyond photoreceptors. Although the retinal structure and optic pathway are substantially preserved at least in early stages of RP, studies describing the visual cortex status are missing. Using a well-established mouse model of RP, we analyzed the response of visual cortical circuits to the progressive degeneration of photoreceptors. We demonstrated that the visual cortex goes through a transient and previously undescribed alteration in the local excitation/inhibition balance, with a net shift towards increased intracortical inhibition leading to improved filtering and decoding of corrupted visual inputs. These results suggest a compensatory action of the visual cortex that increases the range of residual visual sensitivity in RP.     

Development of COMPAS,Computer Aided Process Flowsheet Design and Analysis System of Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

A computer aided process flowsheet design and analysis system, COMPAS has been developed in order to carry out the flowsheet calculation on the process flow diagram of nuclear fuel reprocessing. All of equipments, such as dissolver, mixer-settler, and so on, in the process flowsheet diagram are graphically visualized as icon on a bitmap display of UNIX workstation. Drawing of a flowsheet can be carried out easily by the mouse operation. Not only a published numerical simulation code but also a user's original one can be used on the COMPAS. Specifications of the equipment and the concentration of components in the stream displayed as tables can be edited by a computer user. Results of calculation can be also displayed graphically. Two examples show that the COMPAS is applicable to decide operating conditions of Purex process and to analyze extraction behavior in a mixer-settler extractor.