TRPV5 and TRPV6 are expressed in placenta and bone tissues during pregnancy in mice

We investigated the dynamic expression of calcium transporters, TRPV5 and TRPV6, in placenta and bone to determine their role in maternal and fetal calcium balance during gestation. In placenta, TRPV5 was expressed predominantly in syncytiotrophoblasts of the labyrinthine zone, whereas TRPV6 was expressed in spongiotrophoblasts of the junction zone. In bone, the two transporters were found in osteoblasts, osteoclasts, cartilage and bone matrices. During the first half of gestation, TRPV5 and TRPV6 levels in bone were increased on pregnancy day (P) 0.5, then decreased on P3.5 followed by a slight increase on P6.5. During the second half of pregnancy, both the proteins and their mRNAs gradually increased from P9.5 to P15.5-P17.5 in both bone and placenta, followed at parturition by relatively high amounts in placenta, but markedly decreased amounts in bone. The expression pattern is likely related to the fetal and maternal calcium requirement during gestation, which may be regulated by estrogen and other hormones, because the fetal demand for calcium is greatest during the last few days of gestation for rats; maternal calcium metabolism is designed to meet the calcium needs of the fetus during this period. We found that TRPV5 and TRPV6 are involved in calcium transport in the placenta and bone, and therefore play a role in calcium homeostasis during embryonic and fetal development.

[Treatment of Vascular Cognitive Impairment by "Huayu Tongluo" Moxibustion]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the therapeutic effect of "Huayu Tongluo"(blood stasis-removing and meridian-collateral-dredging) moxibustion for vascular cognitive impairment(VCI) patients and changes of insulin like growth factor -1(IGF-1) levels in serum after the treatment.

METHODS

Sixty patients with VCI were randomly divided into medication (control) and moxibustion groups (n＝30 in each group). Cotton cloth-separated moxibustion was applied to Baihui (GV 20) and Shenting (GV 24), and conventional moxibustion applied to Dazhui (GV 14) and Yongquan (KI 1) for 30 min, once daily, 6 times a week and for 30 days. Patients of the control group were treated by oral administration of Donepezil hydrochloride at the dose of 5 mg/night for 30 days. The core symptoms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), mini-mental state examination(MMSE), activity of daily living(ADL) and Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA) scales were used to assess the therapeutic effect after the treatment. The content of serum IGF-1 was determined by ELISA.

RESULTS

Of the two 30 cases in the control and moxibustion groups, 9 and 17 experienced marked improvement, 13 and were effective, 8 and 3 ineffective, with the effective rates being 73.33% and 90.00%, respectively. The effective rate in the moxibustion group was obviously higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). After the treatment, the TCM symptom scores were significantly decreased, and the MMSE, ADL and MoCA scores considerably increased in both groups compared with those of their own individual pre-treatment (P<0.01). The TCM symptom score of the moxibustion group was significantly lower, and the MMSE and ADL scores were obviously higher than those of the control group (P<0.01). The serum IGF-1 content in both groups was significantly increased after the treatment relevant to that of their own individual pre-treatment (P<0.01), and was obviously higher in the moxibustion group than in the control group (P<0.01). No significant difference was found between the two groups in the MoCA score after the treatment (P>0.05)．.

CONCLUSION

"Huayu Tongluo" moxibustion has a positive effect for patients with VCI, which may be associated with its effect in up-regulating serum IGF-1 level.

Polyelectrolyte multilayers generated in a microfluidic device with pH gradients direct adhesion and movement of cells

In this study, multilayers from polyethylene imine, heparin and chitosan are prepared at three different pH values of 5, 7 and 9. Water contact angle and quartz microbalance measurements show that resulting multilayers differ in terms of wetting behaviour, layer mass and mechanical properties. The multilayer is then formed within a gradient generation microfluidic (μFL) device. Polyethylene imine or heparin solutions of pH 5 are introduced into one inlet and the same solutions but at pH 9 into another inlet of the μFL device. The pH gradient established during the multilayer formation can be visualized inside the microchamber by pH sensitive fluorophores and confocal laser scanning microscopy. From this setup it is expected that properties of multilayers displayed at distinct pH values can be realised in a gradient manner inside the μFL device. Behaviour of the osteoblast cell line MG-63 seeded and cultured on top of multilayers created inside the μFL device support this hypothesis. It is observed that more cells adhere and spread on multilayers build-up at the basic side of the μFL channel, while those cells on top of multilayers built at pH 5 are fewer and smaller. These results are consistent with the behaviour of MG-63 cells seeded on multilayers formed at discrete pH values. It is particularly interesting to see that cells start to migrate from multilayers built at pH 5 to those built at pH 9 during 6 h of culture. Overall, the presented multilayer formation setup applying pH gradients leads to surfaces that promote migration of cells.

Acid volatile sulfides and simultaneously extracted metals in a metal-polluted area of Taihu Lake, China

There were similar distribution characteristics for acid volatile sulfides (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) in surface sediments, and the concentrations of AVS and SEM decreased from the deposition area to the center of the bay (lake). The ratio of AVS to SEM was <1 in the surface sediments, indicating that heavy metals in surface sediments may be bioavailable. The concentration of AVS increased with sediment depth, followed by a decrease with large variation, while the concentration of SEM remained constant. By comparing the concentration of SEM with total metals, it was shown that extracted Cu and Ni decreased with sediment depth, indicating increasing association of Cu and Ni with sulfides in deeper sediment layers. The lower extracted ratios for Pb and Zn compared with sulfidic sediment illustrated that AVS should not have strong control on sediment Pb and Zn. The molar ratio of AVS and reactive iron showed that heavy metals were dynamic and active in sediments in this lake.

Submicron patterning of DNA oligonucleotides on silicon

The covalent attachment of DNA oligonucleotides onto crystalline silicon (100) surfaces, in patterns with submicron features, in a straightforward, two-step process is presented. UV light exposure of a hydrogen-terminated silicon (100) surface coated with alkenes functionalized with N-hydroxysuccinimide ester groups resulted in the covalent attachment of the alkene as a monolayer on the surface. Submicron-scale patterning of surfaces was achieved by illumination with an interference pattern obtained by the transmission of 248 nm excimer laser light through a phase mask. The N-hydroxysuccinimide ester surface acted as a template for the subsequent covalent attachment of aminohexyl-modified DNA oligonucleotides. Oligonucleotide patterns, with feature sizes of 500 nm, were reliably produced over large areas. The patterned surfaces were characterized with atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, epifluorescence microscopy and ellipsometry. Complementary oligonucleotides were hybridized to the surface-attached oligonucleotides with a density of 7 x 10(12) DNA oligonucleotides per square centimetre. The method will offer much potential for the creation of nano- and micro-scale DNA biosensor devices in silicon.

Cartorimine, a new cycloheptenone oxide derivative from Carthamus tinctorius

Cartorimine (1), a new cycloheptenone oxide derivative, was isolated from Carthamus tinctorius, and its structure was established from spectral data interpretation and single-crystal X-ray analysis.