The Ameliorative Effect of Dexamethasone on the Development of Autoimmune Lung Injury and Mediastinal Fat-Associated Lymphoid Clusters in an Autoimmune Disease Mouse Model

In our previous study, we revealed the ameliorative therapeutic effect of dexamethasone (Dex) for Lupus nephritis lesions in the MRL/MpJ-Fas ^lpr/lpr (Lpr) mouse model. The female Lpr mice developed a greater number of mediastinal fat-associated lymphoid clusters (MFALCs) and inflammatory lung lesions compared to the male mice. However, the effect of Dex, an immunosuppressive drug, on both lung lesions and the development of MFALCs in Lpr mice has not been identified yet. Therefore, in this study, we compared the development of lung lesions and MFALCs in female Lpr mice that received either saline (saline group “SG”) or dexamethasone (dexamethasone group “DG”) in drinking water as a daily dose along with weekly intraperitoneal injections for 10 weeks. Compared to the SG group, the DG group showed a significant reduction in the levels of serum anti-dsDNA antibodies, the size of MFALCs, the degree of lung injury, the area of high endothelial venules (HEVs), and the number of proliferating and immune cells in both MFALCs and the lungs. A significant positive correlation was observed between the size of MFALCs and the cellular aggregation in the lungs of Lpr mice. Therefore, this study confirmed the ameliorative effect of Dex on the development of lung injury and MFALCs via their regressive effect on both immune cells’ proliferative activity and the development of HEVs. Furthermore, the reprogramming of MFALCs by targeting immune cells and HEVs may provide a therapeutic strategy for autoimmune-disease-associated lung injury.     

The anticarcinogenic potential of essential oil and aqueous infusion from caper (Capparis spinosa L.)

The present study assessed the influence of essential oil and aqueous infusion from wild-grown caper (Capparis spinosa L.) on cell growth, NF-κB activation, apoptosis and cell cycle in the human colon carcinoma cell line, HT-29. Methyl isothiocyanate (92.06%), a degradation product of glucosinolate glucocapparin, was detected as major component of essential oil from caper leaves and flower buds. Aqueous infusion of caper showed an interesting and variegate compositional pattern containing several phenolic compounds, among which a flavonol glycoside, rutin (quercetin 3-O-rutinoside, 50.7%) and 5-caffeoyl-quinic acid (chlorogenic acid, 17.5%) were detected as dominant. Caper essential oil and aqueous infusion showed time- and dose-dependent high inhibitory effect on HT-29 cell proliferation. In addition, they induced the inhibition on nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activity in a dose-dependent manner, while they did not show any effect on apoptosis in HT-29 cells. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that treatment with caper essential oil and aqueous infusion resulted in G₂/M cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner. Presented results suggest that caper contains volatile and non-volatile compounds which potentially can play an important role in colon cancer prevention.     

应用于40Gb/s高速热沉的匹配电阻研究

针对40Gb/s高速过渡热沉阻抗匹配的要求,对基于Ta2N薄膜的匹配电阻制作工艺进行了系统研究.根据过渡热沉的等效电路模型,分析了Ta2N薄膜电阻与传输线电极间接触电阻对高频反射特性的影响,并通过理论仿真确定了热沉匹配电阻的容差范围.利用磁控反应溅射技术,制作出特性稳定、方阻可调的Ta2N电阻薄膜.通过优化高温退火条件,将电阻薄膜与金属电极间的比接触电阻率降至10-6Ω.cm2量级.在此基础上,制作出了性能良好稳定、可应用于40Gb/s光电子器件封装的高速过渡热沉.     

共固定化多菌种混合发酵生产稠酒的研究

以糯米为原米,采用多菌种共固定化细胞混合技术发酵生产稠酒进行了研究。实验结果表明,固定化多菌种发酵生产稠酒的最佳发酵工艺是多菌种固定化细胞接种比量为根霉：酿酒酵母：产香酵母：红曲霉＝３：１：２：１;固定化凝胶粒子填装量为８％;发酵温度为２０℃,发酵时间为９６ｈ。     

固定化红曲霉液体发酵Lovastatin的研究

以红曲霉为研究材料,采用海藻酸钠包埋法固定化红曲霉高产Lovastatin菌株,将其与游离细胞的发酵进程进行比较,分析了固定化细胞的发酵特性及发酵稳定性。结果表明,固定化细胞和游离细胞具有相似的前期发酵过程和Lovastatin最高值,但固定化细胞表现出更长的稳定期和更好的稳定性。     

保加利亚乳杆菌冻干菌种的研究

对酸奶发酵菌种之一--保加利亚乳杆菌的增菌培养基进行了筛选,得到了高活菌数的保加利亚乳杆菌增菌培养基,并进行冷冻升华干燥得到保加利亚乳杆菌的冻干菌种。结果表明:在添加有10%麦芽汁、10%番茄汁、0.05%CaCO3、1.0%乳糖的MRS基础培养基中培养保加利亚乳杆菌18h后活菌数可达到3.96×1011cfu/g。其冻干菌种的活菌数为2.53×1011cfu/g。     

N-乙酰-半胱氨酸干预壬基酚对小鼠Sertoli TM4细胞的损伤作用

目的：研究N-乙酰-半胱氨酸（N-acetyl-cysteine,NAC）对壬基酚（nonylphenol,NP）诱导的小鼠Sertoli TM4细胞氧化损伤及凋亡的干预作用。方法：以Sertoli TM4细胞为对象,实验分为对照组、NP组（20 μmol/L NP处理）、NP＋NAC组（5 mmol/L NAC预处理4 h后20 μmol/L NP处理24 h）、NAC组（5 mmol/L NAC处理4 h后换正常培养基培养）,采用噻唑蓝法检测细胞存活率;流式细胞术检测活性氧（reactive oxygen species,ROS）含量和细胞凋亡情况;试剂盒法检测超氧化物歧化酶（superoxide dismutase,SOD）活力、过氧化氢酶（catalase,CAT）活力、丙二醛（malondialdehyde,MDA）含量及Caspase-3相对活力;Western blot法检测细胞外信号调节激酶（extracellular signal-regulated kinase,ERK）和c-Jun氨基末端激酶（c-Jun N-terminal kinase,JNK）磷酸化情况。结果：与对照组相比,20 μmol/L NP处理24 h能显著降低细胞存活率（P＜0.05）,同时诱导细胞内ROS生成,下调SOD和CAT活力,增加MDA含量,诱导Sertoli TM4细胞凋亡,增加Caspase-3相对活力,促进ERK、JNK蛋白磷酸化激活;与NP组相比,NAC预处理能够明显削弱NP引起的细胞内ROS生成,使SOD、CAT活力下调,MDA含量增加,Sertoli TM4细胞凋亡,Caspase-3相对活力增强,激活ERK、JNK信号通路。结论：NAC具有干预NP对小鼠Sertoli TM4细胞损伤的作用,这可能与NAC抑制NP诱导的细胞氧化应激和凋亡以及阻断ERK、JNK信号通路的激活相关。     

固定化复合酵母生产黍米黄酒的新工艺

以黍米为原料 ,采用固定化复合酵母细胞技术发酵生产黄酒 ,确定了最佳工艺条件 :固定化复合酵母细胞接种配比为酿酒酵母∶产酯酵母 =3∶2 ;固定化复合酵母载体填充率 8% ;发酵温度2 0℃ ;发酵时间 96h ;起始 pH4 0。在该条件下发酵生产的黄酒 ,口感风味较好 ,在缩短了发酵时间的同时总氨基氮和总酯含量较传统工艺都有了较大的提高。     

Pepsin-solubilised collagen (PSC) from Red Sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) regulates cell cycle and the fibronectin synthesis in HaCaT cell migration

Pepsin-solubilised collagen (PSC) from Red Sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) was studied with respect to its wound-healing effects on a human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell line. Disaggregated collagen fibres were treated with 0.1 M NaOH for 24 h and digested with pepsin for 72 h to reach maximum yield of 26.6%. The results of an in vitro wound-healing test showed that migration of HaCaT cells was 1.5-fold faster on PSC-coated plates than on untreated plates. The migration rate of sea cucumber PSC was similar to that of rat PSC, but five times higher than that of bovine gelatin. HaCaT cells grown on PSC-coated plates revealed increased fibronectin synthesis (6-fold and 3-fold compared to gelatin and rat PSC, respectively). Additionally, sea cucumber PSCs induced HaCaT cell proliferation by decreasing the G1 phase by 5% and maintaining a larger population (8%) of cells in mitosis. Collagen from Red Sea cucumber might be useful as an alternative to mammalian collagen in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.     

Human Intestinal Dendritic Cells in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a serious, costly, and persistent health problem with an estimated prevalence in Western countries around 0.5% of the general population; its socioeconomic impact is comparable with that for chronic diseases such as diabetes. Conventional treatment involves escalating drug regimens with concomitant side effects followed, in some cases, by surgical interventions, which are often multiple, mainly in Crohn's disease. The goal of finding a targeted gut‐specific immunotherapy for IBD patients is therefore an important unmet need. However, to achieve this goal we first must understand how dendritic cells (DC), the most potent antigen present cells of the immune system, control the immune tolerance in the gastrointestinal tract and how their properties are altered in those patients suffering from IBD. In this review, we summarize the current available information regarding human intestinal DC subsets composition, phenotype, and function in the human gastrointestinal tract describing how, in the IBD mucosa, DC display pro‐inflammatory properties, which drive disease progression. A better understanding of the mechanisms inducing DC abnormal profile in IBD may provide us with novel tools to perform tissue specific immunomodulation.