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Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is used to generate structural and chemical three-dimensional images of native skin. We employed SRS microscopy to investigate the microanatomical features of skin and penetration of topically applied materials. Image depth stacks are collected at distinct wavelengths corresponding to vibrational modes of proteins, lipids, and water in the skin. We observed that corneocytes in stratum corneum are grouped together in clusters, 100 to 250 μm in diameter, separated by 10- to 25-μm-wide microanatomical skin-folds called canyons. These canyons occasionally extend down to depths comparable to that of the dermal-epidermal junction below the flat surface regions in porcine and human skin. SRS imaging shows the distribution of chemical species within cell clusters and canyons. Water is predominately located within the cell clusters, and its concentration rapidly increases at the transition from stratum corneum to viable epidermis. Canyons do not contain detectable levels of water and are rich in lipid material. Oleic acid-d34 applied to the skin surface lines the canyons down to a depth of 50 μm below the surface of the skin. This observation could have implications on the evaluation of penetration profiles of bioactive materials measured using traditional methods, such as tape-stripping.

Objective: To determine the impact of Traditional Chinese Medicine on patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)., Methods: A total of 225 CKD patients in an outpatient department were recruited for this study, among whom 170 received regular Western and Chinese medicine treatments (control group) and 55 received treatments guided by the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (experimental group). The effectiveness of the treatments was determined through a pre-post comparison., Results: Significant pre-intervention differences in age (P < 0.01), stage of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (P = 0.007) and urine protein (P < 0.01) were found between the two groups of patients. But age, gender and proteinuria were not significant predictors on clinical outcomes of the patients in the multivariate regression models. The experimental group had a greater level of decrease in blood urea nitrogen (P < 0.01) and serum creatine (P < 0. 01) than the control group. No significant differences between the groups were found in changes of uric acid (P = 0.475), urine protein (P = 0.058), urine red cells (P = 0.577), and urine white cells (P = 0.01). A greater level of increase in estimated glomerular filtration rate was found in the experimental group compared with the control (P < 0.001). The multivariate linear regression analysis identified group (B = 0.395, P < 0.001) and stage of GFR (B = 0.165, P = 0.008) as significant predictors on the outcomes of treatment., Conclusion: The treatment of CKD patients guided by the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine can improve renal function through influencing glomerular filtration rate. The effect is more prominent than the regular treatment regime.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enter peripheral blood from primary tumors and seed metastases. The genome sequencing of CTCs could offer noninvasive prognosis or even diagnosis, but has been hampered by low single-cell genome coverage of scarce CTCs. Here, we report the use of the recently developed multiple annealing and looping-based amplification cycles for whole-genome amplification of single CTCs from lung cancer patients. We observed characteristic cancer-associated single-nucleotide variations and insertions/deletions in exomes of CTCs. These mutations provided information needed for individualized therapy, such as drug resistance and phenotypic transition, but were heterogeneous from cell to cell. In contrast, every CTC from an individual patient, regardless of the cancer subtypes, exhibited reproducible copy number variation (CNV) patterns, similar to those of the metastatic tumor of the same patient. Interestingly, different patients with the same lung cancer adenocarcinoma (ADC) shared similar CNV patterns in their CTCs. Even more interestingly, patients of small-cell lung cancer have CNV patterns distinctly different from those of ADC patients. Our finding suggests that CNVs at certain genomic loci are selected for the metastasis of cancer. The reproducibility of cancer-specific CNVs offers potential for CTC-based cancer diagnostics.

Mammals sense odors through the gene family of olfactory receptors (ORs). Despite the enormous number of OR genes (∼1,400 in mouse), each olfactory sensory neuron expresses one, and only one, of them. In neurobiology, it remains a long-standing mystery how this singularity can be achieved despite intrinsic stochasticity of gene expression. Recent experiments showed an epigenetic mechanism for maintaining singular OR expression: Once any ORs are activated, their expression inhibits further OR activation by down-regulating a histone demethylase Lsd1 (also known as Aof2 or Kdm1a), an enzyme required for the removal of the repressive histone marker H3K9me3 on OR genes. However, it remains unclear at a quantitative level how singularity can be initiated in the first place. In particular, does a simple activation/feedback scheme suffice to generate singularity? Here we show theoretically that rare events of histone demethylation can indeed produce robust singularity by separating two timescales: slow OR activation by stepwise H3K9me3 demethylation, and fast feedback to turn off Lsd1. Given a typical 1-h response of transcriptional feedback, to achieve the observed extent of singularity (only 2% of neurons express more than one ORs), we predict that OR activation must be as slow as 5–10 d-a timescale compatible with experiments. Our model further suggests H3K9me3-to-H3K9me2 demethylation as an additional rate-limiting step responsible for OR singularity. Our conclusions may be generally applicable to other systems where monoallelic expression is desired, and provide guidelines for the design of a synthetic system of singular expression.

Single-cell genome analyses of human oocytes are important for meiosis research and preimplantation genomic screening. However, the nonuniformity of single-cell whole-genome amplification hindered its use. Here, we demonstrate genome analyses of single human oocytes using multiple annealing and looping-based amplification cycle (MALBAC)-based sequencing technology. By sequencing the triads of the first and second polar bodies (PB1 and PB2) and the oocyte pronuclei from same female egg donors, we phase the genomes of these donors with detected SNPs and determine the crossover maps of their oocytes. Our data exhibit an expected crossover interference and indicate a weak chromatid interference. Further, the genome of the oocyte pronucleus, including information regarding aneuploidy and SNPs in disease-associated alleles, can be accurately deduced from the genomes of PB1 and PB2. The MALBAC-based preimplantation genomic screening in in vitro fertilization (IVF) enables accurate and cost-effective selection of normal fertilized eggs for embryo transfer., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report a study of DNA deformations using a coarse-grained mechanical model and quantitatively interpret the allosteric effects in protein-DNA binding affinity. A recent single-molecule study (Kim et al. Science 2013, 339, 816) showed that when a DNA molecule is deformed by specific binding of a protein, the binding affinity of a second protein separated from the first protein is altered. Experimental observations together with molecular dynamics simulations suggested that the origin of the DNA allostery is related to the observed deformation of DNA's structure, in particular, the major groove width. To unveil and quantify the underlying mechanism for the observed major groove deformation behavior related to the DNA allostery, here we provide a simple but effective analytical model where DNA deformations upon protein binding are analyzed and spatial correlations of local deformations along the DNA are examined. The deformation of the DNA base orientations, which directly affect the major groove width, is found in both an analytical derivation and coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulations. This deformation oscillates with a period of 10 base pairs with an amplitude decaying exponentially from the binding site with a decay length lD ≈10 base pairs as a result of the balance between two competing terms in DNA base-stacking energy. This length scale is in agreement with that reported from the single-molecule experiment. Our model can be reduced to the worm-like chain form at length scales larger than lP but is able to explain DNA's mechanical properties on shorter length scales, in particular, the DNA allostery of protein-DNA interactions.

We present a synchronously pumped fiber optical parametric oscillator for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy. Pulses from a 1 μm Yb-doped fiber laser are amplified and frequency converted to 779-808 nm through normal dispersion four-wave mixing in a photonic crystal fiber. The idler frequency is resonant in the oscillator cavity, and we find that bandpass filtering the feedback is essential for stable, narrow-bandwidth output. Experimental results agree quite well with numerical simulations of the device. Transform-limited 2 ps pulses with energy up to 4 nJ can be generated at the signal wavelength. The average power is 180 mW, and the relative-intensity noise is much lower than that of a similar parametric amplifier. High-quality coherent Raman images of mouse tissues recorded with this source are presented.

Objective: To study the phenotype and tumorigenicity of SHG-44 glioma stem cell spheres and the pathological characteristics of their xenograft tumors., Methods: SHG-44 glioma cells were cultured under neural stem cell medium and glioma stem cell spheres were collected. Immunocytochemistry was used to dectet the expression of CD133, nestin, A2B5, vimentin, VEGFR-2 and IDH R132H. Cell spheres were induced using serum-containing medium, and the expression of CD133, nestin, vimentin, GFAP, β-III tubulin and GalC in the cell spheres were detected. The expression of CD133, nestin, VEGFR-2, GFAP, S-100 and CD34 in the intracranial xenograft tumor tissues was detected using immunohistochemistry. The pathological characteristics of orthotopic xenograft tumors generated from the SHG-44 glioma cells and SHG-44 glioma stem cell spheres were compared., Results: SHG-44 glioma stem cell spheres were collected successfully after cultured under neural stem cell medium. The ratio of CD133(+) cells in the passage 10 SHG-44 glioma stem cell spheres was (71.63 ± 5.92)%, significantly higher than that in the SHG-44 glioma cells [(1.95 ± 1.45)%]. Immunocytochemistry showed that in the SHG-44 glioma cell spheres, the ratio of nestin(+) cells was (84.06 ± 7.58)%, vimentin(+) cells (29.11 ± 3.44)%, VEGFR 2(+) cells (64.44 ± 3.69)%, and A2B5(+) cells (14.08 ± 2.19)%. A subpopulation of cells with mutation of IDH R132H was detected harboring in the SHG-44 glioma cell spheres. After induction of differentiation with serum-containing medium, the ratio of CD133(+) cells was (1.89 ± 1.27)%, nestin(+) cells (6.67 ± 2.75)%, vimentin(+) cells (93.75 ± 2.95)%, GFAP (+) cells (91.33 ± 4.75)%, β-III tubulin(+) cells (82.36 ± 4.02)%, and GalC(+) cells (8.92 ± 3.19)%. Immunohistochemistry showed positive expression of GFAP, S-100, VEGFR-2, and negative of CD133 and nestin in the orthotopic xenograft tumors. A very small amount of human-specific CD34 cells formed a tubular structure. Compared with the SHG-44 glioma cell-formed xenograft tumor, the SHG-44 glioma stem cell-formed xenograft tumor exhibited a higher local invasiveness., Conclusions: SHG-44 glioma cell spheres are successfully collected after cultured under neural stem cell medium. They belong to the CD133(+)A2B5(-) GSC subpopulation, highly expressing VEGFR-2, possess the ability of both self-renewal and multi-directional differentiation, and may participate in the formation of vasculogenic mimicry.

The G-protein activated, inward-rectifying potassium (K(+)) channels, "GIRKs", are a family of ion channels (Kir3.1-Kir3.4) that has been the focus of intense research interest for nearly two decades. GIRKs are comprised of various homo- and heterotetrameric combinations of four different subunits. These subunits are expressed in different combinations in a variety of regions throughout the central nervous system and in the periphery. The body of GIRK research implicates GIRK in processes as diverse as controlling heart rhythm, to effects on reward/addiction, to modulation of response to analgesics. Despite years of GIRK research, very few tools exist to selectively modulate GIRK channels' activity and until now no tools existed that potently and selectively activated GIRKs. Here we report the development and characterization of the first truly potent, effective, and selective GIRK activator, ML297 (VU0456810). We further demonstrate that ML297 is active in two in vivo models of epilepsy, a disease where up to 40% of patients remain with symptoms refractory to present treatments. The development of ML297 represents a truly significant advancement in our ability to selectively probe GIRK's role in physiology as well as providing the first tool for beginning to understand GIRK's potential as a target for a diversity of therapeutic indications.

Surgery is an essential component in the treatment of brain tumors. However, delineating tumor from normal brain remains a major challenge. We describe the use of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy for differentiating healthy human and mouse brain tissue from tumor-infiltrated brain based on histoarchitectural and biochemical differences. Unlike traditional histopathology, SRS is a label-free technique that can be rapidly performed in situ. SRS microscopy was able to differentiate tumor from nonneoplastic tissue in an infiltrative human glioblastoma xenograft mouse model based on their different Raman spectra. We further demonstrated a correlation between SRS and hematoxylin and eosin microscopy for detection of glioma infiltration (κ = 0.98). Finally, we applied SRS microscopy in vivo in mice during surgery to reveal tumor margins that were undetectable under standard operative conditions. By providing rapid intraoperative assessment of brain tissue, SRS microscopy may ultimately improve the safety and accuracy of surgeries where tumor boundaries are visually indistinct.

Introduction: Nicotine is a heavily used addictive drug acquired through smoking tobacco. Nicotine in cigarette smoke is deposited and absorbed in the lungs, which results in a rapidly peaked slowly declining arterial concentration. This pattern plays an important role in initiation of nicotine addiction., Methods: A method and device were developed for delivering nicotine to rodents with lung alveolar region-targeted aerosol technology. The dose of delivery can be controlled by the nicotine aerosol concentration and duration of exposure., Results: Our data showed that, in the breathing zone of the nose-only exposure chamber, the aerosol droplet size distribution was within the respirable diameter range. Rats were exposed to nicotine aerosol for 2 min. The arterial blood nicotine concentration reached 43.2 ± 15.7 ng/ml (mean ± SD) within 1-4 min and declined over the next 20 min, closely resembling the magnitude and early pharmacokinetics of a human smoking a cigarette. The acute inhalation toxicity of nicotine: LC50 = 2.3mg/L was determined; it was affected by pH, suggesting that acidification decreases nicotine absorption and/or bioavailability., Conclusions: A noninvasive method and toolkit were developed for delivering nicotine to rodents that enable rapid delivery of a controllable amount of nicotine into the systemic circulation and brain-inducing dose-dependent pharmacological effects, even a lethal dose. Aerosol inhalation can produce nicotine kinetics in both arterial and venous blood resembling human smoking. This method can be applied to studies of the effects of chronic intermittent nicotine exposure, nicotine addiction, toxicology, tobacco-related diseases, teratogenicity, and for discovery of pharmacological therapeutics.

Imaging single fluorescent proteins in living mammalian cells is challenged by out-of-focus fluorescence excitation. To reduce out-of-focus fluorescence we developed reflected light-sheet microscopy (RLSM), a fluorescence microscopy method allowing selective plane illumination throughout the nuclei of living mammalian cells. A thin light sheet parallel to the imaging plane and close to the sample surface is generated by reflecting an elliptical laser beam incident from the top by 90° with a small mirror. The thin light sheet allows for an increased signal-to-background ratio superior to that in previous illumination schemes and enables imaging of single fluorescent proteins with up to 100-Hz time resolution. We demonstrated the single-molecule sensitivity of RLSM by measuring the DNA-bound fraction of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and determining the residence times on DNA of various oligomerization states and mutants of GR and estrogen receptor-α (ER), which permitted us to resolve different modes of DNA binding of GR. We demonstrated two-color single-molecule imaging by observing the spatiotemporal colocalization of two different protein pairs. Our single-molecule measurements and statistical analysis revealed dynamic properties of transcription factors.

Raman microscopy is a quantitative, label-free, and noninvasive optical imaging technique for studying inhomogeneous systems. However, the feebleness of Raman scattering significantly limits the use of Raman microscopy to low time resolutions and primarily static samples. Recent developments in narrowband stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy have significantly increased the acquisition speed of Raman based label-free imaging by a few orders of magnitude, at the expense of reduced spectroscopic information. On the basis of a spectral focusing approach, we present a fast SRS hyperspectral imaging system using chirped femtosecond lasers to achieve rapid Raman spectra acquisition while retaining the full speed and image quality of narrowband SRS imaging. We demonstrate that quantitative concentration determination of cholesterol in the presence of interfering chemical species can be achieved with sensitivity down to 4 mM. For imaging purposes, hyperspectral imaging data in the C-H stretching region is obtained within a minute. We show that mammalian cell SRS hyperspectral imaging reveals the spatially inhomogeneous distribution of saturated lipids, unsaturated lipids, cholesterol, and protein. The combination of fast spectroscopy and label-free chemical imaging will enable new applications in studying biological systems and material systems.

In the title mol-ecule, C17H16N2O2S, the tetra-hydro-pyridine ring exhibits a half-chair conformation. The mean planes of the ester chain and benzene ring are twisted by 5.5 (1) and 81.32 (5)°, respectively, from the plane of thio-phene ring. In the crystal, weak C-H⋯O inter-actions link mol-ecules related by translation along [100] into chains.

This study was purposed to investigate the dynamically monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) by flow cytometry (FCM) in patients with acute leukemia (AL) after complete remission and its relation with prognosis. From October 2010 to May 2012, 58 cases of AL (including 45 cases of AML and 13 cases of ALL) were regularly monitored for MRD in bone marrow by FCM and their bone marrow morphology was observed by light microscopy at the same time which continued to relapse or to follow-up deadline in the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Through average follow-up for 9 months (3 - 21 months), the average MRD level of patients with CR was got. And the prognostic value of MRD level at different time points in AL patients after CR was analysed and summarized. MRD ≥ 1% was defined as positive, otherwise, as negative. The results showed that the maximum and minimum MRD levels of 45 AML patients were 9.57% and 0.01% respectively, the average was 0.67%; the maximum and minimum MRD levels of 13 cases of ALL patients were 7.9% and 0.0016% respectively, the average was 0.99%. Among 44 cases after induction therapy, the relapse rate of MRD(+) group was 53.3% (8/15), the relapse rate of MRD(-) group was 10.3% (3/29), and the relapse rate of MRD(+) group was higher than that of MRD(-) group (χ(2) = 7.58, P = 0.006). Among 58 cases after the first consolidatory therapy, the relapse rate of MRD(+) group was 62.5% (5/8), the relapse rate of MRD(-) group was 16.0% (8/50), and the relapse rate of MRD(+) group was higher than that of MRD(-) group (χ(2) = 6.11, P = 0.013). It is concluded that MRD detected by FCM has a large range (10(-6) - 10(-2)), which can not be used as a single indicator of complete remission. When MRD ≥ 1% after induction therapy and the first consolidatory therapy, the relapse rate significantly increases, MRD can be used as a sensitive indicator for prognosis.

This study was purposed to explore the correlation of chromosome karyotype with dyshaematopoiesis and reticulin in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The data of 202 MDS patients diagnosed and treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were retrospectively analyzed in term of chromosome karyotype, dyshaematopoiesis and reticulin detection results. The chromosome karyotypes were categorized according to the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS). The results showed that there was a positive correlation between chromosome karyotype grading and number of lineages with dyshaematopoiesis (r = 0.443, P < 0.05). The detected rates of multilineage dyshaematopoiesis in patients with good, intermediate and poor chromosome karyotypes were 44.4%, 71.4% and 96.3% respectively. There was a positive correlation between chromosome karyotype grading and reticulin grading (r = 0.451, P < 0.05). The positive rates of reticulin in patients with good grading, intermediate and poor chromosome karyotypes were 36.8%, 64.3% and 92.6% respectively. The detected rate of multilineage dyshaematopoiesis, number of lineages with dyshaematopoiesis, the positive rate of reticulin and reticulin grade in patients with poor karyotypes were higher than those in patients with intermediate or good chromosome karyotypes (separately P < 0.01). The above data in patients with intermediate chromosome karyotypes were higher than those in patients with good chromosome karyotypes (separately P < 0.01). It is concluded that the chromosome karyotype grading positively correlates with the number of lineages with dyshaematopoiesis and reticulin grading. When the chromosome karyotype changed from good to poor, the detected rate of multilineage dyshaematopoiesis, number of lineages with dyshaematopoiesis, positive rate of reticulin and reticulin grading became higher and higher.

Hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt)-producing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus project throughout the brain, including to the hippocampus, where Hcrt receptors are widely expressed. Hcrt neurons activate these targets to orchestrate global arousal state, wake-sleep architecture, energy homeostasis, stress adaptation, and reward behaviors. Recently, Hcrt has been implicated in cognitive functions and social interaction. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that Hcrt neurons are critical to social interaction, particularly social memory, using neurobehavioral assessment and electrophysiological approaches. The validated "two-enclosure homecage test" devices and procedure were used to test sociability, preference for social novelty (social novelty), and recognition memory. A conventional direct contact social test was conducted to corroborate the findings. We found that adult orexin/ataxin-3-transgenic (AT) mice, in which Hcrt neurons degenerate by 3 months of age, displayed normal sociability and social novelty with respect to their wild-type littermates. However, AT mice displayed deficits in long-term social memory. Nasal administration of exogenous Hcrt-1 restored social memory to an extent in AT mice. Hippocampal slices taken from AT mice exhibited decreases in degree of paired-pulse facilitation and magnitude of long-term potentiation, despite displaying normal basal synaptic neurotransmission in the CA1 area compared to wild-type hippocampal slices. AT hippocampi had lower levels of phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB), an activity-dependent transcription factor important for synaptic plasticity and long-term memory storage. Our studies demonstrate that Hcrt neurons play an important role in the consolidation of social recognition memory, at least in part through enhancements of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cAMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors, clinical features, efficacy and adverse reactions in patients of hematologic diseases with invasive fungal infections (IFI)., Methods: The risk factors and clinical features were retrospectively analyzed to compare the efficacy and safety of itraconazole with amphotericin B in treatment of IFI in 76 patients with hematologic diseases., Results: Of the 76 patients, 68 (89.5%) used broad-spectrum antibiotics, 64 (84.2%) were treated with more than 2 courses chemotherapy, 43 (56.6%) were under agranulocytosis, 34 (44.7%) were using glucocorticoid for long terms, 27 (35.5%) were with peripheral or central venous catheter. The overall effective rates of itraconazole and amphotericin B were 60.5% and 61.5% respectively (P = 0.929). There was a significant difference between itraconazole and amphotericin B in hypokalemia (14.0% vs 42.4%, P = 0.005) while no other differences in adverse reactions were found., Conclusions: The risk factors of patients in hematologic diseases with IFI include chemotherapy, using broad septum antibiotics and agranulocysis. The therapeutic effect of itraconazole and amphotericin B in treatment of IFI is similar. The adverse reactions of itraconazole is less and slighter than amphotericin B.

Background and Purpose: Brain ischemia causes immediate and delayed cell death that is exacerbated by inflammation. Recent studies show that hypocretin-1/orexin-A (Hcrt-1) reduces ischemic brain injury, and Hcrt-positive neurons modulate infection-induced inflammation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Hcrt plays a protective role against ischemia by modulating inflammation., Methods: Orexin/ataxin-3 (AT) mice, a transgenic strain in which Hcrt-producing neurons degenerate in early adulthood, and wild-type mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Infarct volume, neurological score, and spontaneous home cage activity were assessed. Inflammation was measured using immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and assessment of cytokine mRNA levels., Results: Infarct volumes 24 and 48 hours after MCAO were significantly larger, neurological score was worse, and spontaneous activity decreased in AT compared with wild-type mice. Macrophage/microglial infiltration and myeloperoxidase-positive cells were higher in AT compared with wild-type mice. Pre-MCAO intracerebroventricular injection of Hcrt-1 significantly reduced infarct volume and macrophage/microglial infiltration in both genotypes and improved neurological score in AT mice. Post-MCAO treatment decreased infarct size in both wild-type and AT mice, but had no effect on neurological score in either genotype. Microglia express the Hcrt-1 receptor after MCAO. Tumor necrosis factor-α production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated microglial BV2 cells was significantly reduced by Hcrt-1 pretreatment. Sham AT mice exhibit increased brain tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 mRNA, suggesting chronic inflammation., Conclusions: Loss of Hcrt neurons in AT mice resulted in worsened stroke outcomes, which were reversed by administration of exogenous Hcrt-1. The mechanism underlying Hcrt-mediated neuroprotection includes attenuation of inflammatory responses after ischemic insult.

Allostery is well documented for proteins but less recognized for DNA-protein interactions. Here, we report that specific binding of a protein on DNA is substantially stabilized or destabilized by another protein bound nearby. The ternary complex's free energy oscillates as a function of the separation between the two proteins with a periodicity of ~10 base pairs, the helical pitch of B-form DNA, and a decay length of ~15 base pairs. The binding affinity of a protein near a DNA hairpin is similarly dependent on their separation, which-together with molecular dynamics simulations-suggests that deformation of the double-helical structure is the origin of DNA allostery. The physiological relevance of this phenomenon is illustrated by its effect on gene expression in live bacteria and on a transcription factor's affinity near nucleosomes.

Late in an adenovirus infection, the viral proteinase (AVP) becomes activated to process virion precursor proteins used in virus assembly. AVP is activated by two cofactors, the viral DNA and pVIc, an 11-amino acid peptide originating from the C terminus of the precursor protein pVI. There is a conundrum in the activation of AVP in that AVP and pVI are sequence-independent DNA-binding proteins with nm equilibrium dissociation constants such that in the virus particle, they are predicted to be essentially irreversibly bound to the viral DNA. Here, we resolve that conundrum by showing that activation of AVP takes place on the one-dimensional contour of DNA. In vitro, pVI, a substrate, slides on DNA via one-dimensional diffusion, D(1) = 1.45 × 10(6) bp(2)/s, until it binds to AVP also on the same DNA molecule. AVP, partially activated by being bound to DNA, excises pVIc, which binds to the AVP molecule that cut it out. pVIc then forms a disulfide bond with AVP forming the fully active AVP-pVIc complex bound to DNA. In vivo, in heat-disrupted immature virus, AVP was also activated by pVI in DNA-dependent reactions. This activation mechanism illustrates a new paradigm for virion maturation and a new way, by sliding on DNA, for bimolecular complexes to form among proteins not involved in DNA metabolism.

Precursor proteins used in the assembly of adenovirus virions must be processed by the virally encoded adenovirus proteinase (AVP) before the virus particle becomes infectious. An activated adenovirus proteinase, the AVP-pVIc complex, was shown to slide along viral DNA with an extremely fast one-dimensional diffusion constant, 21.0 ± 1.9 × 10(6) bp(2)/s. In principle, one-dimensional diffusion can provide a means for DNA-bound proteinases to locate and process DNA-bound substrates. Here, we show that this is correct. In vitro, AVP-pVIc complexes processed a purified virion precursor protein in a DNA-dependent reaction; in a quasi in vivo environment, heat-disrupted ts-1 virions, AVP-pVIc complexes processed five different precursor proteins in DNA-dependent reactions. Sliding of AVP-pVIc complexes along DNA illustrates a new biochemical mechanism by which a proteinase can locate its substrates, represents a new paradigm for virion maturation, and reveals a new way of exploiting the surface of DNA.

The precursor to adenovirus protein VI, pVI, is a multifunctional protein with different roles early and late in virus infection. Here, we focus on two roles late in infection, binding of pVI to DNA and to the major capsid protein hexon. pVI bound to DNA as a monomer independent of DNA sequence with an apparent equilibrium dissociation constant, K(d)((app)), of 46 nm. Bound to double-stranded DNA, one molecule of pVI occluded 8 bp. Upon the binding of pVI to DNA, three sodium ions were displaced from the DNA. A ΔG(0)(0) of -4.54 kcal/mol for the nonelectrostatic free energy of binding indicated that a substantial component of the binding free energy resulted from nonspecific interactions between pVI and DNA. The proteolytically processed, mature form of pVI, protein VI, also bound to DNA; its K(d)((app)) was much higher, 307 nm. The binding assays were performed in 1 mm MgCl(2) because in the absence of magnesium, the binding to pVI or protein VI to DNA was too tight to determine a K(d)((app)). Three molecules of pVI bound to one molecule of the hexon trimer with an equilibrium dissociation constant K(d)((app)) of 1.1 nm.

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy allows label-free chemical imaging based on vibrational spectroscopy. Narrowband excitation with picosecond lasers creates the highest signal levels and enables imaging speeds up to video-rate, but it sacrifices chemical specificity in samples with overlapping bands compared to broadband (multiplex) excitation. We develop a rapidly tunable picosecond optical parametric oscillator with an electro-optical tunable Lyot filter, and demonstrate multicolor SRS microscopy with synchronized line-by-line wavelength tuning to avoid spectral artifacts due to sample movement. We show sensitive imaging of three different kinds of polymer beads and live HeLa cells with moving intracellular lipid droplets.

Nociceptin (N/OFQ) has been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders, most notably in reward processes and drug abuse. N/OFQ suppresses extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) after intracerebroventricular injection. This study sought to examine the effects of retrodialyzed N/OFQ on the cocaine-induced increase in extracellular dopamine levels in the NAc, as well as locomotor activity, in freely moving rats. 1.0μM, 10μM, and 1mM N/OFQ, in the NAc shell, significantly suppressed the cocaine-induced dopamine increase in the NAc, while N/OFQ alone had no significant effect on dopamine levels. Co-delivery of the selective NOP receptor antagonist SB612111 ([(-)-cis-1-Methyl-7-[[4-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)piperidin-1-yl]methyl]-6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-benzocyclohepten-5-ol] reversed the N/OFQ suppression of cocaine-induced dopamine in the NAc, suggesting that this is an NOP receptor-mediated effect. Using a novel system to assess locomotion, we measured various motor activities of the animals with simultaneous microdialysis from the home cage. Cocaine produced an expected increase in total activity, including horizontal movement and rearing behavior. Retrodialysis of N/OFQ with cocaine administration affected all motor activities, initially showing no effect on behavior, but over time inhibiting cocaine-induced motor behaviors. These results suggest that N/OFQ can act directly in the NAc shell to block cocaine-induced increases in extracellular dopamine levels. Extracellular dopamine and locomotor activity can be dissociated within the NAc and may reflect motor output differences in shell versus core regions of the NAc. These studies confirm the widespread involvement of NOP receptors in drug addiction and further validate the utility of an NOP receptor agonist as a medication for treatment of drug addiction., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Kindred cells can have different genomes because of dynamic changes in DNA. Single-cell sequencing is needed to characterize these genomic differences but has been hindered by whole-genome amplification bias, resulting in low genome coverage. Here, we report on a new amplification method-multiple annealing and looping-based amplification cycles (MALBAC)-that offers high uniformity across the genome. Sequencing MALBAC-amplified DNA achieves 93% genome coverage ≥1x for a single human cell at 25x mean sequencing depth. We detected digitized copy-number variations (CNVs) of a single cancer cell. By sequencing three kindred cells, we were able to identify individual single-nucleotide variations (SNVs), with no false positives detected. We directly measured the genome-wide mutation rate of a cancer cell line and found that purine-pyrimidine exchanges occurred unusually frequently among the newly acquired SNVs.

Meiotic recombination creates genetic diversity and ensures segregation of homologous chromosomes. Previous population analyses yielded results averaged among individuals and affected by evolutionary pressures. We sequenced 99 sperm from an Asian male by using the newly developed amplification method-multiple annealing and looping-based amplification cycles-to phase the personal genome and map recombination events at high resolution, which are nonuniformly distributed across the genome in the absence of selection pressure. The paucity of recombination near transcription start sites observed in individual sperm indicates that such a phenomenon is intrinsic to the molecular mechanism of meiosis. Interestingly, a decreased crossover frequency combined with an increase of autosomal aneuploidy is observable on a global per-sperm basis.

Conventional histopathology with hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) has been the gold standard for histopathological diagnosis of a wide range of diseases. However, it is not performed in vivo and requires thin tissue sections obtained after tissue biopsy, which carries risk, particularly in the central nervous system. Here we describe the development of an alternative, multicolored way to visualize tissue in real-time through the use of coherent Raman imaging (CRI), without the use of dyes. CRI relies on intrinsic chemical contrast based on vibrational properties of molecules and intrinsic optical sectioning by nonlinear excitation. We demonstrate that multicolor images originating from CH(2) and CH(3) vibrations of lipids and protein, as well as two-photon absorption of hemoglobin, can be obtained with subcellular resolution from fresh tissue. These stain-free histopathological images show resolutions similar to those obtained by conventional techniques, but do not require tissue fixation, sectioning or staining of the tissue analyzed.

Background: Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is upregulated in chronic inflammation, where it plays a key role in wound healing and promoting fibrosis. However, little is known about the peripheral effects of TGFβ on nociception., Methods: We tested the in vitro effects of TGFβ1 on the excitability of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons and the function of potassium (K) channels. We also studied the effects of TGFβ1 infusion on pain responses to noxious electrical stimulation in healthy rats as well as the effects of neutralization of TGFβ1 on evoked pain behaviors in a rat model of chronic pancreatitis., Results: Exposure to TGFβ1 in vitro increased sensory neuronal excitability, decreased voltage-gated A-type K(+) currents (IA) and downregulated expression of the Kv1.4 (KCNA4) gene. Further TGFβ1 infusion into the naïve rat pancreas in vivo induces hyperalgesia and conversely, neutralization of TGFβ1 attenuates hyperalgesia only in rats with experimental chronic pancreatitis. Paradoxically, TGFβ1 neutralization in naïve rats results in pancreatic hyperalgesia., Conclusions: TGFβ1 is an important and complex modulator of sensory neuronal function in chronic inflammation, providing a link between fibrosis and nociception and is a potentially novel target for the treatment of persistent pain associated with chronic pancreatitis.

Naturally fluorescent proteins have been widely used in biological research. In this study, we found that the simple and effective way to obtain enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) nude mice is to cross transgenic EGFP C57BL/6J mice with nude (nu/nu) mice. EGFP expression is identified by tail genotyping. Establishment of the orthotopic EGFP nude mouse model used surgical orthotopic implantation. The morphology and human glioma cell markers, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S-100, remain unchanged in this mouse model. The tumor blood vessels obtained from the orthotopic model show brilliant EGFP fluorescence as observed by fluorescence microscopy. These findings suggested that this is an ideal mouse model with which to study interaction among host, tumor, and tumor microenvironment; the findings also suggested that the host (EGFP nude mouse) was involved in tumor angiogenesis., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy has opened up a wide range of biochemical imaging applications by probing a particular Raman-active molecule vibrational mode in the specimen. However, the original implementation with picosecond pulse excitation can only realize rapid chemical mapping with a single Raman band. Here we present a novel SRS microscopic technique using a grating-based pulse shaper for excitation and a grating-based spectrograph for detection to achieve simultaneous multicolor SRS imaging with high sensitivity and high acquisition speeds. In particular, we used linear combination of the measured CH 2 and CH 3 stretching signals to map the distributions of protein and lipid contents simultaneously.

Genomic and pharmacologic data have suggested the involvement of the α3β4 subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in drug seeking to nicotine and other drugs of abuse. In order to better examine this receptor subtype, we have identified and characterized the first high affinity and selective α3β4 nAChR antagonist, AT-1001, both in vitro and in vivo. This is the first reported compound with a Ki below 10 nM at α3β4 nAChR and >90-fold selectivity over the other major subtypes, the α4β2 and α7 nAChR. AT-1001 competes with epibatidine, allowing for [³H]epibatidine binding to be used for structure-activity studies, however, both receptor binding and ligand-induced Ca²⁺ flux are not strictly competitive because increasing ligand concentration produces an apparent decrease in receptor number and maximal Ca²⁺ fluorescence. AT-1001 also potently and reversibly blocks epibatidine-induced inward currents in HEK cells transfected with α3β4 nAChR. Importantly, AT-1001 potently and dose-dependently blocks nicotine self-administration in rats, without affecting food responding. When tested in a nucleus accumbens (NAcs) synaptosomal preparation, AT-1001 inhibits nicotine-induced [³H]dopamine release poorly and at significantly higher concentrations compared with mecamylamine and conotoxin MII. These results suggest that its inhibition of nicotine self-administration in rats is not directly due to a decrease in dopamine release from the NAc, and most likely involves an indirect pathway requiring α3β4 nAChR. In conclusion, our studies provide further evidence for the involvement of α3β4 nAChR in nicotine self-administration. These findings suggest the utility of this receptor as a target for smoking cessation medications, and highlight the potential of AT-1001 and congeners as clinically useful compounds.

Imaging of nucleic acids is important for studying cellular processes such as cell division and apoptosis. A noninvasive label-free technique is attractive. Raman spectroscopy provides rich chemical information based on specific vibrational peaks. However, the signal from spontaneous Raman scattering is weak and long integration times are required, which drastically limits the imaging speed when used for microscopy. Coherent Raman scattering techniques, comprising coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, overcome this problem by enhancing the signal level by up to five orders of magnitude. CARS microscopy suffers from a nonresonant background signal, which distorts Raman spectra and limits sensitivity. This makes CARS imaging of weak transitions in spectrally congested regions challenging. This is especially the case in the fingerprint region, where nucleic acids show characteristic peaks. The recently developed SRS microscopy is free from these limitations; excitation spectra are identical to those of spontaneous Raman and sensitivity is close to shot-noise limited. Herein we demonstrate the use of SRS imaging in the fingerprint region to map the distribution of nucleic acids in addition to proteins and lipids in single salivary gland cells of Drosophila larvae, and in single mammalian cells. This allows the imaging of DNA condensation associated with cell division and opens up possibilities of imaging such processes in vivo., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy is a newly developed label-free chemical imaging technique that overcomes the speed limitation of confocal Raman microscopy while avoiding the nonresonant background problem of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. Previous demonstrations have been limited to single Raman band measurements. We present a novel modulation multiplexing approach that allows real-time detection of multiple species using the fast Fourier transform. We demonstrate the quantitative determination of chemical concentrations in a ternary mixture. Furthermore, two imaging applications are pursued: (1) quantitative determination of oil content as well as pigment and protein concentration in microalgae cultures; and (2) 3D high-resolution imaging of blood, lipids, and protein distribution in ex vivo mouse skin tissue. We believe that quantitative multiplex SRS uniquely combines the advantage of fast label-free imaging with the fingerprinting capability of Raman spectroscopy and enables numerous applications in lipid biology as well as biomedical imaging., (© 2012 American Chemical Society)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects and adverse reactions of fludarabine-based regimen for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia(CLL).18 patients with CLL were treated with F regimen [fludarabine 30 mg/(m(2)·d) intravenously for 3 d, repeatedly every 28 days]. 22 patients were treated with FC regimen [fludarabine 25 mg/(m(2)·d) plus cyclophosphamide 250 mg/(m(2)·d) intravenously for 3 d, repeatedly every 28 days]. The results showed that the rate of complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR) and overall remission (OR) reached 16.7%, 61.1% and 77.8% in the F regimen groups and 59.1%, 40.9% and 100% in the FC regimen groups (P < 0.05, P > 0.05 and P > 0.05), respectively. FC regimen resulted in significantly higher CR rate than that in single-agent fludarabine regimen. The main adverse reactions were myelosuppression and immunosuppression. No significant differences were found between the two regimens. FC regimen did not increase the rate of severe infections. It is concluded that FC regimen can give higher CR rate as compared with F regimen, fludarabine-based regimens is effective and safe first-line regimen for patients with CLL.

RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a powerful tool for transcriptome profiling, but is hampered by sequence-dependent bias and inaccuracy at low copy numbers intrinsic to exponential PCR amplification. We developed a simple strategy for mitigating these complications, allowing truly digital RNA-Seq. Following reverse transcription, a large set of barcode sequences is added in excess, and nearly every cDNA molecule is uniquely labeled by random attachment of barcode sequences to both ends. After PCR, we applied paired-end deep sequencing to read the two barcodes and cDNA sequences. Rather than counting the number of reads, RNA abundance is measured based on the number of unique barcode sequences observed for a given cDNA sequence. We optimized the barcodes to be unambiguously identifiable, even in the presence of multiple sequencing errors. This method allows counting with single-copy resolution despite sequence-dependent bias and PCR-amplification noise, and is analogous to digital PCR but amendable to quantifying a whole transcriptome. We demonstrated transcriptome profiling of Escherichia coli with more accurate and reproducible quantification than conventional RNA-Seq.

Background: The gliomas represent the most common primary malignant brain tumors; however, little is known about the molecular pathogenesis of these tumors. Recent research reveals that the oncogenesis and development of gliomas have a close relation to the overexpression of several oncogenes and the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Whether the RING finger protein, RNF138, a newly discovered protein, plays a role in glioma oncogenesis is unknown. The present study investigates the expression levels of RNF138 mRNA in glioma samples and noncancerous brain samples and its function in the human glioma cell line U251., Methods: RT-PCR was used to ascertain the expression of RNF138 mRNA in the glioma cell lines U251, SHG44, U87, A172, and U373. The RNF138 mRNA expression levels of 35 pathological confirmed glioma samples (Grade I - 4 cases, Grade II - 13 cases, Grade III - 11 cases, and Grade IV - 7 cases) and five noncancerous brain tissue samples were analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR. By RNA interference (RNAi) with the lentivirus vector system, the expression of RNF138 was inhibited in the human astrocytomas-glioblastoma multiforme cell line U251. The effects of RNF138-knockdown on cell proliferation were assessed by Cellomics, and cell cycle and cell apoptosis were assessed by FACS., Results: The RNF138 mRNA is expressed in the five glioma cell lines, and its expression level is significantly higher in glioma tissue than in noncancerous brain tissue. By down-regulation of RNF138 expression, U251 cell proliferation was inhibited and cell apoptosis increased. At the same time, S stage cells lessened and G2 stage cells increased., Conclusion: The RNF138 gene is highly expressed in glioma tissue and glioma cell lines. It plays an important role in glioma cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle.

Objective: Investigate the effects of compound Radix Notoginseng on renal interstitial fibrosis and kidney-targeting treatment., Methods: 100 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) group, sham-operation (SOR) group, Radix Notoginseng (RN) group, compound Radix Notoginseng (CRN) group and Losartan (ARB) group. After operation, RN, CRN and ARB groups were intragastric administrated with RN (3 mL/d), CRN (3 mL/d) and ARB [20 mg/(kg x d)] respectively. Each group randomly included 18 rats for statistical analysis. The histological changes of renal interstitial tissues were observed by HE, Masson and PAS staining. Total kidney collagen content was determined by measuring the amount of hydroxyproline. The mRNA of alpha-SMA, collagen I and fibronectin were reverse transcribed and quantified by real-time PCR. The expression of alpha-SMA protein was assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis., Results: In UUO model, the obstructed kidney showed typical features of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, such as severe tubular loss, dilation, atrophy, infiltration of inflammatory cells, interstitial matrix deposition (P < 0.05). Partial correlation assay showed that the expression of alpha-SMA was related to the renal tubular injury (r = 0.55; P < 0.05). Administration of RN, CRN and ARB improved tubulointerstitial damage and collagen matrix accumulation induced by UUO in different degree. The expression of the alpha-SMA at mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased in the UUO group (P < 0.05), which was also suppressed by treatment with RN, CRN and ARB in different degree. Moreover, more effective role in preventing fibrosis was observed in CRN group than when compared with that of RN group., Conclusion: RN and CRN can inhibit UUO-induced renal interstitial fibrosis in rats, and CRN treatment is more effective than RN in reducing interstitial fibrosis.

UHRF2 is a member of the ubiquitin plant homeo domain RING finger family, which has been proven to be frequently up-regulated in colorectal cancer cells and play a role as an oncogene in breast cancer cells. However, the role of UHRF2 in glioma cells remains unclear. In this study, we performed real-time quantitative PCR on 32 pathologically confirmed glioma samples (grade I, 4 cases; grade II, 11 cases; grade III, 10 cases; and grade IV, 7 cases; according to the 2007 WHO classification system) and four glioma cell lines (A172, U251, U373, and U87). The expression of UHRF2 mRNA was significantly lower in the grade III and grade IV groups compared with the noncancerous brain tissue group, whereas its expression was high in A172, U251, and U373 glioma cell lines. An in vitro assay was performed to investigate the functions of UHRF2. Using a lentivirus-based RNA interference (RNAi) approach, we down-regulated UHRF2 expression in the U251 glioma cell line. This down- regulation led to the inhibition of cell proliferation, an increase in cell apoptosis, and a change of cell cycle distribution, in which S stage cells decreased and G2/M stage cells increased. Our results suggest that UHRF2 may be closely related to tumorigenesis and the development of gliomas.

T-type Ca(2+) channel inhibitors hold tremendous therapeutic potential for the treatment of pain, epilepsy, sleep disorders, essential tremor and other neurological disorders; however, a lack of truly selective tools has hindered basic research, and selective tools from the pharmaceutical industry are potentially burdened with intellectual property (IP) constraints. Thus, an MLPCN high-throughput screen (HTS) was conducted to identify novel T-type Ca(2+) channel inhibitors free from IP constraints, and freely available through the MLPCN, for use by the biomedical community to study T-type Ca(2+) channels. While the HTS provided numerous hits, these compounds could not be optimized to the required level of potency to be appropriate tool compounds. Therefore, a scaffold hopping approach, guided by SurflexSim, ultimately afforded ML218 (CID 45115620) a selective T-Type Ca(2+) (Ca(v)3.1, Ca(v)3.2, Ca(v)3.3) inhibitor (Ca(v)3.2, IC(50) = 150 nM in Ca(2+) flux; Ca(v)3.2 IC(50) = 310 nM and Ca(v)3.3 IC(50) = 270 nM, respectively in patch clamp electrophysiology) with good DMPK properties, acceptable in vivo rat PK and excellent brain levels. Electrophysiology studies in subthalamic nucleus (STN) neurons demonstrated robust effects of ML218 on the inhibition of T-Type calcium current, inhibition of low threshold spike and rebound burst activity. Based on the basal ganglia circuitry in Parkinson's disease (PD), the effects of ML218 in STN neurons suggest a therapeutic role for T-type Ca(2+) channel inhibitors, and ML218 was found to be orally efficacious in haloperidol-induced catalepsy, a preclinical PD model, with comparable efficacy to an A(2A) antagonist, a clinically validated PD target. ML218 proves to be a powerful new probe to study T-Type Ca(2+) function in vitro and in vivo, and freely available.

Palmerolides D-G are new bioactive macrolides isolated from the Antarctic tunicate Synoicum adareanum and are related to the melanoma-selective cytotoxin palmerolide A. Most of these palmerolides are potent V-ATPase inhibitors and have sub-micromolar activity against melanoma. Though palmerolide A remains the most potent of this series of natural products against mammalian V-ATPase, recent data suggests that palmerolide D is the most potent against melanoma. A comparison of the bioactivity data obtained for these natural product palmerolides has provided insight into the substructures necessary to retain V-ATPase inhibition and cytotoxic activity., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Recent studies have explored the potential of central nervous system-derived neural stem cells (CNS-NSC) to repopulate the enteric nervous system. However, the exact phenotypic fate of gut-transplanted CNS-NSC has not been characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the gut microenvironment on phenotypic fate of CNS-NSC in vitro. With the use of Transwell culture, differentiation of mouse embryonic CNS-NSC was studied when cocultured without direct contact with mouse intestinal longitudinal muscle-myenteric plexus preparations (LM-MP) compared with control noncocultured cells, in a differentiating medium. Differentiated cells were analyzed by immunocytochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR to assess the expression of specific markers and by whole cell patch-clamp studies for functional characterization of their phenotype. We found that LM-MP cocultured cells had a significant increase in the numbers of cells that were immune reactive against the panneuronal marker β-tubulin, neurotransmitters neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and showed an increase in expression of these genes, compared with control cells. Whole cell patch-clamp analysis showed that coculture with LM-MP decreases cell excitability and reduces voltage-gated Na(+) currents but significantly enhances A-current and late afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and increases the expression of the four AHP-generating Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channel genes (KCNN), compared with control cells. In a separate experiment, differentiation of LM-MP cocultured CNS-NSC produced a significant increase in the numbers of cells that were immune reactive against the neurotransmitters nNOS, ChAT, and the neuropeptide VIP compared with CNS-NSC differentiated similarly in the presence of neonatal brain tissue. Our results show that the gut microenvironment induces CNS-NSC to produce neurons that share some of the characteristics of classical enteric neurons, further supporting the therapeutic use of these cells for gastrointestinal disorders.

Bacterial chromosomes are confined in submicrometer-sized nucleoids. Chromosome organization is facilitated by nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs), but the mechanisms of action remain elusive. In this work, we used super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, in combination with a chromosome-conformation capture assay, to study the distributions of major NAPs in live Escherichia coli cells. Four NAPs--HU, Fis, IHF, and StpA--were largely scattered throughout the nucleoid. In contrast, H-NS, a global transcriptional silencer, formed two compact clusters per chromosome, driven by oligomerization of DNA-bound H-NS through interactions mediated by the amino-terminal domain of the protein. H-NS sequestered the regulated operons into these clusters and juxtaposed numerous DNA segments broadly distributed throughout the chromosome. Deleting H-NS led to substantial chromosome reorganization. These observations demonstrate that H-NS plays a key role in global chromosome organization in bacteria.

Objective: To investigate occupational health status of female workers in pharmaceutical industries and to propose the protective measures for the occupational health., Method: A total of 2816 female workers from 19 pharmaceutical industries in Shandong and Gansu provinces were investigated by a questionnaire., Results: 73.1% of female workers exposed to occupational hazards, mainly to toxic chemicals. 63.2% of them suffered from dysmenorrhea; 38.5% of them have reproductive system diseases, i.e. mammary gland hyperplasia (44.1%), cervical erosion (26.5%), uterine annex inflammation (24.2%); 17.1% of them suffered from accidental work injuries; 34.7% of them complained about low back pain, and 29.7% of them perceived hearing loss. 94.9% of female workers hoped to get the occupational health and labor protection knowledge and skills., Conclusion: Strengthening the supervision of labor protection for female workers, including technical measures occupational hazards control and health-related knowledge, and improving the occupational health status of female workers should be conducted.

Aim of the Study: Podocytes injury mediated by complement complex C5b-9 is the main feature of membranous nephropathy (MN). Little work has been done to prove that ginsenoside-Rg1 could inhibit this process. Our study aims to investigate the efficacy of ginsenoside-Rg1 in protecting the podocyte from complement mediated injury., Materials and Methods: We chose sublethal C5b-9 induced podocyte injury as the model of MN in vitro. Ginsenoside-Rg1 was given as an intervention. Morphological changes were observed by electron microscope and fluorescence microscope. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by flow cytometry. The expression of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) including JNK, ERK and P38 was detected by western-blot technique., Results: Ginsenoside-Rg1 could protect foot processes of podocytes, suppress the damage of F-actin, decrease the production of ROS, and inhibit the activation of P38 kinase pathway., Conclusion: These results suggest that ginsenoside-Rg1 could protect podocyte from sMAC-induced injury partly because of its antioxidant property and inhibit the activation of P38 kinase pathway., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the central nervous system, ageing results in a precipitous decline in adult neural stem/progenitor cells and neurogenesis, with concomitant impairments in cognitive functions. Interestingly, such impairments can be ameliorated through systemic perturbations such as exercise. Here, using heterochronic parabiosis we show that blood-borne factors present in the systemic milieu can inhibit or promote adult neurogenesis in an age-dependent fashion in mice. Accordingly, exposing a young mouse to an old systemic environment or to plasma from old mice decreased synaptic plasticity, and impaired contextual fear conditioning and spatial learning and memory. We identify chemokines--including CCL11 (also known as eotaxin)--the plasma levels of which correlate with reduced neurogenesis in heterochronic parabionts and aged mice, and the levels of which are increased in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy ageing humans. Lastly, increasing peripheral CCL11 chemokine levels in vivo in young mice decreased adult neurogenesis and impaired learning and memory. Together our data indicate that the decline in neurogenesis and cognitive impairments observed during ageing can be in part attributed to changes in blood-borne factors.

Gene expression originates from individual DNA molecules within living cells. Like many single-molecule processes, gene expression and regulation are stochastic, that is, sporadic in time. This leads to heterogeneity in the messenger-RNA and protein copy numbers in a population of cells with identical genomes. With advanced single-cell fluorescence microscopy, it is now possible to quantify transcriptomes and proteomes with single-molecule sensitivity. Dynamic processes such as transcription-factor binding, transcription and translation can be monitored in real time, providing quantitative descriptions of the central dogma of molecular biology and the demonstration that a stochastic single-molecule event can determine the phenotype of a cell.