The calcium‐sensing receptor and integrins modulate cerebellar granule cell precursor differentiation and migration

In the developing cerebellum granule cell precursors (GCPs) proliferate in the external granule cell layer before differentiating and migrating to the inner granule cell layer. Aberrant GCP proliferation leads to medulloblastoma, the most prevalent form of childhood brain cancer. Here, we demonstrate that the calcium‐sensing receptor (CaSR), a homodimeric G‐protein coupled receptor, functions in conjunction with cell adhesion proteins, the integrins, to enhance GCP migration and cell homing by promoting GCP differentiation. During the second postnatal week a robust peak in CaSR expression was observed in GCPs; reciprocal immunoprecipitation experiments conducted during this period established that the CaSR and β1 integrins are present together in a macromolecular protein complex. Analysis of cell‐surface proteins demonstrated that activation of the CaSR by positive allosteric modulators promoted plasma membrane expression of β1 integrins via ERK2 and AKT phosphorylation and resulted in increased GCP migration toward an extracellular matrix protein. The results of in vivo experiments whereby CaSR modulators were injected i.c.v. revealed that CaSR activation promoted radial migration of GCPs by enhancing GCP differentiation, and conversely, a CaSR inhibitor disrupted GCP differentiation and promoted GCP proliferation. Our results demonstrate that an ion‐sensing G‐protein coupled receptor acts to promote neuronal differentiation and homing during cerebellar maturation. These findings together with those of others also suggest that CaSR/integrin complexes act to transduce extracellular calcium signals into cellular movement, and may function in this capacity as a universal cell migration/homing complex in the developing brain. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 375–389, 2016     

Chemical Composition of Bawei Longzuan Granule and Its Anti‐Arthritic Activity on Collagen‐Induced Arthritis in Rats by Inhibiting Inflammatory Responses

Bawei Longzuan granule (BLG) is a representative Zhuang medicine preparation. The present work aims to characterize the chemical constituents of BLG and evaluate its anti‐arthritic activity. The major chemical constituents of BLG were tentatively identified by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS), which revealed the presence of some alkaloids (e. g., magnoflorine, sinomenine and nitidine) and flavonoids (e. g., hesperidin, diosmin and sinensetin) that may be partly responsible for the anti‐arthritic effect of BLG. In addition, the collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) model in rats was induced by intradermal injection of bovine collagen‐II in complete Freund's adjuvant at the base of tail. The CIA rats received oral administration of BLG (1.25, 2.5 and 5 g/kg) for 30 days. Then, various indicators were determined to evaluate its anti‐arthritic activity, including paw swelling, arthritic score, body weight, knee joint pathology, thymus index and spleen index. Additionally, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interferon (IFN)‐γ, interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐4 and IL‐10 were measured to determine the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that BLG efficiently ameliorated the severity of arthritis in CIA rats by decreasing paw swelling and arthritis score and improving the histological lesions of knee joint. Moreover, the serum levels of several pro‐inflammatory cytokines (i. e., IL‐1β, TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IFN‐γ) were downregulated, whereas two anti‐inflammatory factors (i. e., IL‐4 and IL‐10) were upregulated after BLG administration. These results indicated that BLG possessed promising therapeutic effect on collagen‐induced arthritis by inhibiting inflammatory responses. BLG can be used as a complementary or alternative traditional medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis.     

Neuronal ribonucleoprotein granules: Dynamic sensors of localized signals

Membrane‐less organelles, because of their capacity to dynamically, selectively and reversibly concentrate molecules, are very well adapted for local information processing and rapid response to environmental fluctuations. These features are particularly important in the context of neuronal cells, where synapse‐specific activation, or localized extracellular cues, induce signaling events restricted to specialized axonal or dendritic subcompartments. Neuronal ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles, or granules, are nonmembrane bound macromolecular condensates that concentrate specific sets of mRNAs and regulatory proteins, promoting their long‐distance transport to axons or dendrites. Neuronal RNP granules also have a dual function in regulating the translation of associated mRNAs: while preventing mRNA translation at rest, they fuel local protein synthesis upon activation. As revealed by recent work, rapid and reversible switches between these two functional modes are triggered by modifications of the networks of interactions underlying RNP granule assembly. Such flexible properties also come with a cost, as neuronal RNP granules are prone to transition into pathological aggregates in response to mutations, aging, or cellular stresses, further emphasizing the need to better understand the mechanistic principles governing their dynamic assembly and regulation in living systems.     

醒脾养儿颗粒联合双歧杆菌三联活菌散对轮状病毒腹泻患儿免疫功能、心肌酶指标和血清 IL-6、CRP的影响

摘要 目的：观察醒脾养儿颗粒联合双歧杆菌三联活菌散对轮状病毒腹泻患儿免疫功能、心肌酶指标和血清白介素 -6（IL-6）、C反应蛋白（CRP）的影响。方法：选取 2018年 1月到 2021年 1月期间我院接收的 92例轮状病毒腹泻患儿。根据随机数字表法将患儿分为对照组和研究组,各为 46例。对照组患儿接受双歧杆菌三联活菌散治疗,研究组患儿接受醒脾养儿颗粒联合双歧杆菌三联活菌散治疗,均治疗 3 d。观察两组疗效,记录不良反应发生情况。观察并对比两组患儿免疫功能[免疫球蛋白（Ig）M、IgG和 IgA]、心肌酶指标[磷酸肌酸激酶（CK）、乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）、肌酸激酶同工酶（CK-MB）]和血清 IL-6、CRP的变化情况。结果：研究组的临床总有效率为 91.30%（42/46）,高于对照组患者的 71.74%（33/46）,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。两组治疗 3 d后血清 IgM、IgG、IgA水平较治疗前升高,且研究组的改善程度优于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗 3 d后血清 LDH、CK、CK-MB水平较治疗前降低,且研究组的改善程度优于对照组（P<0.05）。两组治疗 3 d后血清 IL-6、CRP水平较治疗前降低,且研究组的改善程度优于对照组（P<0.05）。两组患儿均未见明显不良反应发生。结论：醒脾养儿颗粒联合双歧杆菌三联活菌散治疗轮状病毒腹泻患儿,可提高免疫力,减轻心肌损伤,降低血清 IL-6、CRP水平,安全有效。     

槐杞黄颗粒联合CCLG-ALL2008方案对急性淋巴细胞白血病维持期患儿的临床研究

摘要 目的：探讨槐杞黄颗粒联合CCLG-ALL2008方案治疗急性淋巴细胞白血病（ALL）维持期患儿的临床疗效。方法：选择2017年5月~2019年3月期间我院收治的62例ALL维持期患儿,采用随机数字表法将患儿分为对照组（CCLG-ALL2008方案治疗,n=31）和研究组（槐杞黄颗粒联合CCLG-ALL2008方案治疗,n=31）。观察两组临床症状情况、血清炎症因子和免疫球蛋白水平、T淋巴细胞亚群的变化,同时记录两组不良反应发生率。结果：研究组平均白细胞水平高于对照组,感染发作次数少于对照组,抗生素使用时间短于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组治疗后CD3⁺、CD4⁺、CD4⁺/CD8⁺高于对照组,CD8⁺低于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组治疗后免疫球蛋白A（IgA）、免疫球蛋白G（IgG）高于对照组（P<0.05）。对照组、研究组患儿治疗后免疫球蛋白M（IgM）组内对比,无统计学差异（P>0.05）。研究组治疗后C反应蛋白（CRP）、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、降钙素原（PCT）、白细胞介素-6（IL-6）低于对照组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应总发生率对比,无显著性差异（P>0.05）。结论：槐杞黄颗粒联合CCLG-ALL2008方案治疗ALL维持期患儿,可减轻患儿炎症反应,提高其免疫功能,减少感染发作次数,缩短抗生素使用时间,安全有效。     

Post-translational modifications in MeHg-induced neurotoxicity

Mercury (Hg) exposure remains a major public health concern due to its widespread distribution in the environment. Organic mercurials, such as MeHg, have been extensively investigated especially because of their congenital effects. In this context, studies on the molecular mechanism of MeHg-induced neurotoxicity are pivotal to the understanding of its toxic effects and the development of preventive measures. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and acetylation are essential for the proper function of proteins and play important roles in the regulation of cellular homeostasis. The rapid and transient nature of many PTMs allows efficient signal transduction in response to stress. This review summarizes the current knowledge of PTMs in MeHg-induced neurotoxicity, including the most commonly PTMs, as well as PTMs induced by oxidative stress and PTMs of antioxidant proteins. Though PTMs represent an important molecular mechanism for maintaining cellular homeostasis and are involved in the neurotoxic effects of MeHg, we are far from understanding the complete picture on their role, and further research is warranted to increase our knowledge of PTMs in MeHg-induced neurotoxicity.     

Centriolar satellites: molecular characterization, ATP-dependent movement toward centrioles and possible involvement in ciliogenesis

We identified Xenopus pericentriolar material-1 (PCM-1), which had been reported to constitute pericentriolar material, cloned its cDNA, and generated a specific pAb against this molecule. Immunolabeling revealed that PCM-1 was not a pericentriolar material protein, but a specific component of centriolar satellites, morphologically characterized as electron-dense granules, approximately 70-100 nm in diameter, scattered around centrosomes. Using a GFP fusion protein with PCM-1, we found that PCM-1-containing centriolar satellites moved along microtubules toward their minus ends, i.e., toward centrosomes, in live cells, as well as in vitro reconstituted asters. These findings defined centriolar satellites at the molecular level, and explained their pericentriolar localization. Next, to understand the relationship between centriolar satellites and centriolar replication, we examined the expression and subcellular localization of PCM-1 in ciliated epithelial cells during ciliogenesis. When ciliogenesis was induced in mouse nasal respiratory epithelial cells, PCM-1 immunofluorescence was markedly elevated at the apical cytoplasm. At the electron microscopic level, anti-PCM-1 pAb exclusively labeled fibrous granules, but not deuterosomes, both of which have been suggested to play central roles in centriolar replication in ciliogenesis. These findings suggested that centriolar satellites and fibrous granules are identical novel nonmembranous organelles containing PCM-1, which may play some important role(s) in centriolar replication.     

Cause of the decreased number of PGC in albino Xenopus: analysis of the number and position of pPGC in albino embryos during and after cleavage

In order to understand the cause for the decreased number of primordial germ cells (PGC) in Xenopus albino (a(p)/a(p)) tadpoles, the number of presumptive PGC (pPGC) in the albino and wild-type embryos at Nieuwkoop and Faber's stages 6-37/38 were examined using the antibody specific to germ plasm. The positions of pPGC in the endodermal cell mass in embryos of both types at stages 28 and 33/34 were also observed to learn the migratory behavior of pPGC. The number of pPGC in the albino increased up to stage 28 with development, but decreased thereafter. In contrast, the number in the wild-type increased to stage 33/34 as development proceeded, and the number of pPGC in stage 33/34 embryos reached nearly that of PGC of the feeding tadpoles in the same batches. Judging from the positions of pPGC, the migration of pPGC from the median part through the lateral to the dorsal part of the endodermal cell mass in the albino was suspected to be somewhat later than that in the wild-type. These results, together with the results in previous studies, suggest that the decreased number of PGC in the albino would be closely related to the sudden decrease in number of pPGC at stage 33/34, as well as to the ectopic position of pPGC in endodermal cell mass, the latter of which had already been demonstrated to be responsible for the differentiation into PGC.