Reduced expression of the O-mannosyltransferase 2 (AfPmt2) leads to deficient cell wall and abnormal polarity in Aspergillus fumigatus.

Protein O-mannosyltransferases (PMTs) initiate O-mannosylation of secretory proteins, which are of fundamental importance in eukaryotes. The human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus possesses three genes encoding for PMTs, namely, Afpmt1, Afpmt2 and Afpmt4. We have previously shown that lack of AfPmt1 leads to a temperature-sensitive phenotype featured with severe defects in hyphal growth, conidiation, cell wall integrity and morphology at elevated temperatures.

The protective effect of sodium hyaluronate on the cartilage of rabbit osteoarthritis by inhibiting peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma messenger RNA expression.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to study the protective effect and influence of sodium hyaluronate (Na-HA) on mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) in cartilage of rabbit osteoarthritis (OA) model.

Materials And Methods: Forty eight white rabbits were randomly divided into A, B, and C groups. Group A was normal control group, B and C groups underwent unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT).

Molecular cloning and expression of two HSP70 genes in the Wuchang bream (Megalobrama amblycephala Yih).

Two complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) clones encoding heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70) and inducible heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) were isolated from the liver of Wuchang bream (Megalobrama amblycephala Y.) using RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). They were named Ma-HSC70 and Ma-HSP70, respectively.

[The role of CPI-17 in vascular calcium sensitivity regulated by protein kinase Calpha and Cepsilon in rats with hemorrhagic shock].

Objective: To observe the role of PKC-potentiated inhibitory protein for protein phosphatase 1 of 17 x 10(3) (CPI-17) in vascular calcium sensitivity regulated by protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha) and Cepsilon (PKCepsilon) in rats with hemorrhagic shock (HS).

Methods: Eight Wistar rats were used to reproduce 2 h HS model. Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) rings from HS rats were randomly divided into 2 h shock group (without treatment), PKCalpha agonist group (with addition of thymelea toxin into the nutrient solution), CPI-17 antibody + PKCalpha agonist group [incubation with thymelea toxin and CPI-17 antibody (1:800)], PKCepsilon agonist group (with addition of carbachol into the nutrient solution), and CPI-17 antibody + PKCepsilon agonist group [incubation with carbachol and CPI-17 antibody (1:800)].

[Relationship between Cx40/43 regulating the intracellular Ca2+ concentration of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) and endothelium-dependent vascular contractive response of superior mesenteric artery in rats].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) mediated by connexin 40/43( Cx40/43) of VSMC and endothelium-dependent vascular contractive response of superior mesenteric arteries (SMA) in hemorrhagic shock rats.

Methods: Third to fifth passage culture of vascular endothelial cells (VEC) and VSMC from SD rats were used as study subject, the changes in contractive response of SMA and VSMC against hypoxia were observed. The expression of Cx40/43 in SMA,VEC,VSMC were blocked by Cx40/43 ASODN, then the effect of Cx40/43 on contractive response of hypoxic SMA and [Ca2+]i of VSMC were observed.

Role of V1a receptor in AVP-induced restoration of vascular hyporeactivity and its relationship to MLCP-MLC20 phosphorylation pathway.

Background: Our previous study showed that small dosage of arginine vasopressin (AVP) had beneficial effect on shock by improving the shock-induced vascular hyporeactivity. But the mechanism is not clear. The objective of the present study is to investigate the role of V(1a) and V(2) receptors in AVP-mediated restoration of hemorrhage-induced vascular hyporesponsiveness and its relationship to protein kinase C (PKC), myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP), and myosin light chain (MLC(20)) phosphorylation signal transduction pathway.

Characterization of the Aspergillus fumigatus phosphomannose isomerase Pmi1 and its impact on cell wall synthesis and morphogenesis.

Phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) is an enzyme catalysing the interconversion of mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P) and fructose 6-phosphate (Fru-6-P). The reaction catalysed by PMI is the first committed step in the synthesis of mannose-containing sugar chains and provides a link between glucose metabolism and mannosylation. In this study, the pmi1 gene was identified to encode PMI in the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.

Effects of hyaluronan on vascular endothelial growth factor and receptor-2 expression in a rabbit osteoarthritis model.

Background: Little is known about the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) mRNA in the cartilage of a rabbit osteoarthritis model or the influence of intraarticular injection of hyaluronan (HA) on the expression of VEGF and VEGFR-2 in cartilage during the process of osteoarthritis (OA). The therapeutic mechanism of HA is not completely understood, and we hypothesize that the mechanism is through the effects of VEGF and VEGFR2. In this study, we determined the VEGF and VEGFR-2 mRNA expression in a rabbit OA model and assessed the therapeutic mechanism of HA against OA.

Centrosomal amplification and aneuploidy induced by the antiretroviral drug AZT in hamster and human cells.

The centrosome directs chromosomal migration by a complex process of tubulin-chromatin binding. In this contribution centrosomal abnormalities, including centrosomal amplification, were explored in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and normal human mammary epithelial cells (NHMECs) exposed to the antiretroviral drug zidovudine (3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine, AZT). Centrosomal amplification/fragmentation was observed in both cell types and kinetochore positive micronuclei were found in AZT-exposed CHO cells in correlation with dose.

Involvement of Cpi-17 and zipper-interacting protein kinase in the regulation of protein kinase C-alpha, protein kinase C-epsilon on vascular calcium sensitivity after hemorrhagic shock.

Our previous studies have found that protein kinase C (PKC) alpha and epsilon take part in the regulation of calcium sensitization and vascular reactivity after hemorrhagic shock. However, the regulatory mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of PKC-potentiated inhibitory protein for protein phosphatase 1 of 17 kDa (CPI-17) and zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK) in the regulation of PKC-alpha and PKC-epsilon on vascular calcium sensitivity after hemorrhagic shock.

[Investigations on preparation and release behavior in vitro of 9-nitro camptothecin encapsulated micelles].

9-nitro camptothecin (9-NC) loaded amphiphilic copolymer micelles were prepared with solvent evaporation method. The effects of temperature, distilled water volume, stirring rate, and drug input amount on the size and drug content of micelles were further discussed. As a result, well dispersed spherical micelles with drug content of 4.

PRL-3 facilitates angiogenesis and metastasis by increasing ERK phosphorylation and up-regulating the levels and activities of Rho-A/C in lung cancer.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of PRL-3 in inducing angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis to promote distant and lymph node metastasis in human lung cancer tissues and cells.

Methods: We investigated the expression of PRL-3, VEGF, and VEGF-C from 94 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using immunohistochemical staining. The relationship between PRL-3 expression and microvessel density (MVD), lymphatic vessel density (LVD), clinicopathological factors, and surgical treatment outcome was also studied.

Interleukin 7/interleukin 7 receptor induce c-Fos/c-Jun-dependent vascular endothelial growth factor-D up-regulation: a mechanism of lymphangiogenesis in lung cancer.

Interleukin 7 (IL-7) is known to promote lymphangiogenesis. To study the relationship between IL-7 and the lymphangiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-D, in human lung cancer cells and its impact on the prognosis of lung cancer patients, we investigated how IL-7 regulates VEGF-D. We found that, in lung cancer cell lines, IL-7/IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) increase the expression of VEGF-D and phosphorylation of c-Fos/c-Jun, induce c-Fos and c-Jun heterodimer formation, and enhance c-Fos/c-Jun DNA binding activity to regulate VEGF-D.

Regulatory effects of myoendothelial gap junction on vascular reactivity after hemorrhagic shock in rats.

Myoendothelial gap junction (MEGJ), one kind of gap junction between vascular endothelial cell and vascular smooth muscle cell, can transmit electrical and chemical signals to keep the electric and machinery activity synchronism of vasculature. After severe trauma or shock, vascular reactivity to vasoconstrictors or vasodilators is greatly reduced. However, whether MEGJ participates in the regulation of vascular reactivity after hemorrhagic shock, what type of MEGJ is involved, and what is the possible mechanism are unknown.

Mutational analysis of the mitochondrial tRNA genes and flanking regions in umbilical cord tissue from uninfected infants receiving AZT-based therapies for prophylaxis of HIV-1.

A sensitive vertical denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) method, using 13 unipolar psoralen-clamped PCR primer pairs, was developed for detecting sequence variants in the 22 tRNA genes and flanking regions (together spanning approximately 21%) of the human mitochondrial genome. A study was conducted to determine (i) if mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms and/or mutations were detectable in healthy newborns and (ii) if prepartum 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) based HIV-1 prophylaxis was associated with significant increases in mtDNA mutations and changes in the degree of heteroplasmy of sequence variants in uninfected infants born to HIV-1-infected mothers. DGGE analysis of umbilical cord tissue (where vascular endothelium and smooth muscle cells are the major source of mtDNA) showed that mtDNA sequence variants were significantly elevated by threefold in AZT-treated infants compared with unexposed controls (P < 0.

Genetic syndromic immunodeficiencies with antibody defects.

This article reviews the major syndromic immunodeficiencies with significant antibody defects, many of which may require intravenous immunogammaglobulin therapy. The authors define syndromic immunodeficiency as an illness associated with a characteristic group of phenotypic abnormalities or laboratory features that comprise a recognizable syndrome. Many are familial with a defined inheritance pattern.

Deletion of the msdS/AfmsdC gene induces abnormal polarity and septation in Aspergillus fumigatus.

alpha-Mannosidases play an important role in the processing of mannose-containing glycans in eukaryotes. A deficiency in alpha-mannosidase is lethal in humans and cattle. In contrast to mammals, Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not require the endoplasmic reticulum alpha-mannosidase gene for growth.

Influence of homeobox B2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides on the biological characteristics of in vitro cultured primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

This study aims to explore the influence of homeobox B2 (HOXB2) antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (asodn) on the biological characteristics of in vitro cultured primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The distribution of HOXB2 asodn in the HUVECs was observed by fluorescent labelling, and the influence of different concentrations of HOXB2 asodn on the DNA synthesis of HUVECs was assessed. Flow cytometry and a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) method were employed to observe the influence of HOXB2 asodn on HOXB2 expression and the HUVEC cell cycle.

Expanding the clinical phenotype of the 3q29 microdeletion syndrome and characterization of the reciprocal microduplication.

Background: Interstitial deletions of 3q29 have been recently described as a microdeletion syndrome mediated by nonallelic homologous recombination between low-copy repeats resulting in an ~1.6 Mb common-sized deletion. Given the molecular mechanism causing the deletion, the reciprocal duplication is anticipated to occur with equal frequency, although only one family with this duplication has been reported.

Controlled release of 9-nitro-20(S)-camptothecin from methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(D,L-lactide) micelles.

9-nitro-20(S)-camptothecin (9-NC) is a potent topoisomerase-I inhibitor, and it was applied for clinical trials in cancer treatment. However, the applications of 9-NC were limited by its poor solubility and instability. In order to overcome these disadvantages, 9-NC was encapsulated in amphiphilic copolymer micelles composed of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactide) (mPEG-PDLLA, PELA).

Preparation and characterization of novel polymeric micelles for 9-nitro-20(S)-camptothecin delivery.

9-Nitro-20(S)-camptothecin (9-NC) has achieved remarkable curative effect in anticancer research. However, the clinical application of 9-NC is largely hampered by its poor solubility and stability. In this paper, novel amphiphilic block copolymers derived from d,l-lactide, trimethylene carbonate, and methylated poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) (PECA) with different molecular weight were synthesized and characterized.

[The regulatory effect of protein kinase C epsilon on vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity during hemorrhagic shock in rats].

Objective: To observe the regulatory effect of protein kinase C epsilon (PKC epsilon) on vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity following hemorrhagic shock.

Methods: The superior mesenteric artery (SMA) obtained from rats in hemorrhagic shock for different time duration (immediately, 0.5 hour, 1 hour, 2 hours and 4 hours after shock) were adopted to determine the mRNA expression of PKC epsilon using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, and the first branch of SMA were adopted to assay the vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity by observing the contraction initiated by norepinephrine (NE) and Ca2+ with isolated organ perfusion system.

[Effect of arginine vasopressin on vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity of vascular smooth muscle and its relationship to protein kinase C following hemorrhagic shock in rats].

Objective: To investigate the effect of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity following hemorrhagic shock and their relationship to protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms.

Methods: With endothelium denuded superior mesenteric artery (SMA) rings procured from rats in hemorrhagic shock, the effects of AVP (5x10(-11), 5x10(-10) and 5x10(-9) mol/L) on contractile responses to norepinephrine (NE) and calcium sensitivity of SMA from hemorrhagic shock in rats and their relationship to alpha and Delta isoforms of PKC with isolated organ perfusion system were observed.

Results: AVP (5x10(-11), 5x10(-10) and 5x10(-9) mol/L) markedly restored the vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity following hemorrhagic shock, converting the cumulative concentration-response curve of NE and Ca2+ shift to the left, and its maximum concentration force (Emax) was significantly increased (all P<0.

regulatory effects of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha on vascular reactivity and its mechanisms following hemorrhagic shock in rats.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the regulatory effect of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) on vascular reactivity and its mechanism after hemorrhagic shock (HS). Gene expression of HIF-1alpha and its downstream molecules, including eNOS, iNOS, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and plasma nitric monoxide (NO), prostaglandin (PGI), and whole blood carbon monoxide (CO) were determined after HS in rats with or without oligomycin, the specific antagonist of HIF-1alpha. The vascular reactivity was determined via observing the constriction initiated by norepinephrine in isolated organ perfusion system.