ObjectiveTo detect the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) production in immunostimulated retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to seek for the supplying of the arginine, a substrate for NOS; as well as the effects of produced NO on the tight junction of RPE-J cells. MethodsRat′s RPE-J cells were treated with interferon-γ(INF-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and Northern and Western blotting were applied to analyze the expression of the citrulline-NO cycle enzymes and related enzymes and the effect of dexamethasone and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (camp) on the expression of iNOS. Immunocytochemistry reaction and Western blotting were used to evaluate the effect of produced NO on the tight junctions of RPE-J cells.ResultsiNOS and argininosuccinate synthetase (AS) were highly induced at both mRNA and protection levels in immunostimulated RPE cells while arginiosuccinate lyase (AL) was not induced. NO was produced by cells after stimulation with TNFα, IFNγ and LPS. The induction of iNOS mRNA and the production of NO by these immunostimulated cells was further enhanced by cAMP. NO was produced from citrulline as well as from arginine. And the produced NO impaired the tight junction of RPE-J cells, decreased the production of tight junction related protein ZO-1.ConclusionIn activated RPE-J cells, citrullinearginine recycling is important for NO production, and the produced NO weakened the function of tight junction of RPE-J cells.(Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2005,21:32-36)
1-methyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (Sal) is a kind of catechol isoquinoline compound, which mainly exists in mammalian brain and performs a variety of biological functions. Through in vivo metabolism, Sal can be transformed into endogenous neurotoxins and can participate the occurrence of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This has attracted widespread concern of researchers. Recently, many research works have shown that Sal may lead to alcohol addiction and regulate hormone release of the neuroendocrine system, which indicated that it is a potential regulator of dopaminergic neurons. In this paper, we discuss the neural functions of Sal on the above aspects, and wish to provide some theoretical supports for further research on its mechanism.
Electromagnetic stimulation is an important neuromodulation technique that modulates the electrical activity of neurons and affects cortical excitability for the purpose of modulating the nervous system. The phenomenon of inverse stochastic resonance is a response mechanism of the biological nervous system to external signals and plays an important role in the signal processing of the nervous system. In this paper, a small-world neural network with electrical synaptic connections was constructed, and the inverse stochastic resonance of the small-world neural network under electromagnetic stimulation was investigated by analyzing the dynamics of the neural network. The results showed that: the Levy channel noise under electromagnetic stimulation could cause the occurrence of inverse stochastic resonance in small-world neural networks; the characteristic index and location parameter of the noise had significant effects on the intensity and duration of the inverse stochastic resonance in neural networks; the larger the probability of randomly adding edges and the number of nearest neighbor nodes in small-world networks, the more favorable the anti-stochastic resonance was; by adjusting the electromagnetic stimulation parameters, a dual regulation of the inverse stochastic resonance of the neural network can be achieved. The results of this study provide some theoretical support for exploring the regulation mechanism of electromagnetic nerve stimulation technology and the signal processing mechanism of nervous system.
Objective To elucidate the role of the transcription factor liver activator protein (LAP, a member of the C/EBP family) in the expression of α1(I) collagen gene in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Methods Rat HSCs were prepared from SD rats by in situ perfusion and singlestep density Nycodenz gradient. Two chimeric luciferase reporter gene plasmids containing the human collagen α1(I) gene promoter fragments (-804～+1 452 or -804～+222) were constructed. Culture-activated HSCs were co-transfected with the reporter gene contructs and mammalian vector expressing LAP using the cationic-liposome mediated method, and the promoter activity was determined by measuring luciferase activity. Results The luciferase reporter gene construct containing the first intron of α1(I) collagen gene (-804～+1 452, was called as PGL3-col) had a higher level of gene expression, as compared with the construct lacking the first intron 〔was called as PGL3-col (△intron)-in activated HSCs (315±45 U/mg protein vs 220±70 U/mg protein, Ｐ＜0.05). Transient transfection of the vector expressing LAP significantly increased basal transcription from PGL3-col and PGL3-col (△intron) reporter gene vectors (587±62 U/mg protein vs 315±45 U/mg protein and 326±52 U/mg protein vs 220±70 U/mg protein respectively, both Ｐ＜0.05). Conclusion The transcription factor LAP transactivates collagen α1(I) gene in activated HSCs, and the first intron is important for α1(I) collagen gene transcription activity in activated HSCs.
ObjectiveTo summarize the characteristics of the occurrence and development of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), and to review the important regulatory role of immune cells in the progression of ONFH. MethodsThe domestic and foreign literature on the immune regulation of ONFH was reviewed, and the relationship between immune cells and the occurrence and development of ONFH was analyzed. ResultsThe ONFH region has a chronic inflammatory reaction and an imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast, while innate immune cells such as macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, and immune effector cells such as T cells and B cells are closely related to the maintenance of bone homeostasis. ConclusionImmunotherapy targeting the immune cells in the ONFH region and the key factors and proteins in their regulatory pathways may be a feasible method to delay the occurrence, development, and even reverse the pathology of ONFH.
Objective To systematically review the current situation, dilemmas and countermeasures of the regulation of health care integration services in China, and provide reference for the research on the regulation of health care integration services in China. Methods Studies and policies on the regulation of health care integration services were systematically searched from the inception of the databases to October 2022, and the included studies and policies were coded and analyzed by using the qualitative analysis software NVivo12. Results A total of 12 research articles and 15 policy announcements were included. The theoretical framework, regulatory dilemmas and regulatory countermeasures for the regulation of health care integration services were obtained through open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The regulatory framework of health care integration services was divided into five aspects: regulatory basis, regulatory subject, regulatory object, regulatory content and regulatory methods. The lack of regulatory basis led to dilemmas in the remaining aspects accordingly. Conclusion The regulation of health care integration services needs to start from the regulatory basis, introduce and improve the health care integration laws and policies, and gradually form a health care integration service regulatory model with institutional self-regulation as the priority, government regulation as the main body, and the public, third parties and other social regulation as the auxiliary.
Objective To summarize the regulatory effect of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) on type H vessels angiogenesis of bone. Methods Recent domestic and foreign related literature about the regulation of ncRNA in type H vessels angiogenesis was widely reviewed and summarized. ResultsType H vessels is a special subtype of bone vessels with the ability to couple bone formation. At present, the research on ncRNA regulating type H vessels angiogenesis in bone diseases mainly focuses on microRNA, long ncRNA, and small interfering RNA, which can affect the expressions of hypoxia inducible factor 1α, platelet derived growth factor BB, slit guidance ligand 3, and other factors through their own unique ways of action, thus regulating type H vessels angiogenesis and participating in the occurrence and development of bone diseases. ConclusionAt present, the mechanism of ncRNA regulating bone type H vessels angiogenesis has been preliminarily explored. With the deepening of research, ncRNA is expected to be a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of vascular related bone diseases.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of rural alone-two-child policy (RAC policy) on zero population growth, high sex ratio at birth (SRB), and aging population in China. MethodsRural areas of cities which implement the RAC policy were included. Data from the fifth and the sixth population censes were used to analyze the variation of the total fertility rate (TFR), SRB, and the number of teenagers of every household (NTH) in context of different social and economic levels. ResultsThe implementation of RAC policy in rural areas with middle and upper social economic levels showed a long-term effect of increasing the TFR and decreasing the SRB. The implementation of rural girl policy mixed with RAC policy in areas with middle social economic level showed a long-term effect of decreasing the TFR and increasing the SRB; but the long-term effect in areas with low social economic level was uncertain. The NTHs were decreased in all included areas. According to the urban and rural birth preference, we made inferences that the implementation of alone-two-child policy in cities could result in the increase of TFR and the decrease of SRB. ConclusionThe long-term effect of RAC policy implemented in rural areas with middle social economic level could solve the problems of zero population growth and the high SRB, but the long-term effect of mixed policy implemented in rural areas with middle social economic level may aggravate the two problems above. The RAC policy cannot solve the aging population problem in rural area.
Assembling medical aid teams (MATs) from the provinces outside Hubei was an important China-specific approach to dealing with public health emergencies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Hubei. In integrally taking over the COVID-19 intensive care wards in Wuhan, the Joint 7th and 8th Sichuan COVID-19 MATs applied the methods of modern hospital management to complete the medical task, concerning four key points as guidance by the Communist Party of China, system and regulation establishment, organization construction, and discipline persistence. This paper makes a theoretical summary on the basic management of the Joint 7th and 8th Sichuan COVID-19 MATs, and it is hoped that more COVID-19 MATs could summarize and share their successful management experiences in order to enrich and improve the management theory of MAT.
Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) are critical for modulating protein structure and function. Among these, lysine lactylation (Kla) has garnered significant attention in recent years as a newly discovered PTM. Although Kla has been thoroughly investigated in eukaryotic systems, its study in prokaryotes, especially bacteria, remains comparatively limited. Emerging research highlights that bacterial Kla, operating through dynamic modification mechanisms, is pivotal in processes such as growth and metabolism, virulence control, pathogenicity, and host-pathogen interactions. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest progress in bacterial Kla research, emphasizing its historical discovery, distinct modification features, and underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms. We further explore the regulatory roles of this modification in bacterial physiological processes and pathogenesis, concluding with a discussion of current research challenges and prospective future developments.