Slow-reacting substances (leukotrienes) contract human airway and pulmonary vascular smooth muscle in vitro

During a type I allergic reaction histamine, slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A) and other mediator substances are elaborated from specific tissue sites. In allergic asthma these sites are in the lung and the mediator substances cause airway obstruction by contracting smooth muscle and altering mucociliary function. Unlike histamine, slow-reacting substances (SRSs) have been assessed very little for their roles in obstructive airways disease. This has been partly due to the fact that their chemical nature was unknown until recently and thus pure samples were not available for pharmacological studies. However, SRSs isolated from both immunological and non-immunological reactions have been identified as a combination of two related lipid substances--leukotriene C4 (LTC) and leukotriene D4 (LTD); thus it is now possible to use pure SRSs (leukotrienes) in pharmacological studies of airway smooth muscle. LTC and LTD have been shown to contract guinea pig tracheal and lung parenchymal strips but there is no evidence that these substances produce similar effects on human lung tissue. To clarify this, in vivo pharmacological studies were done to determine the actions of LTC and LTD on smooth muscle strips of human bronchus, pulmonary vein and artery, and lung parenchymal tissue containing smooth muscle components and pleura. As indicated in a preliminary report, all four types of tissues contracted in a dose-dependent fashion to the leukotrienes, although these substances only function as partial agonists.     

A role for the C3a anaphylatoxin receptor in the effector phase of asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways and lung mucosa with a strong correlation to atopy and acquired (IgE) immunity. However, many features of bronchial asthma, such as smooth muscle contraction, mucus secretion and recruitment of inflammatory cells, are consistent with the actions of complement anaphylatoxins, in particular C3a and C5a. Complement activation forms a central core of innate immune defence against mucosal bacteria, viruses, fungi, helminths and other pathogens. As a system of 'pattern-recognition molecules', foreign surface antigens and immune complexes lead to a proteolytic cascade culminating in a lytic membrane attack. The anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a are liberated as activation byproducts and are potent pro-inflammatory mediators that bind to specific cell surface receptors and cause leukocyte activation, smooth muscle contraction and vascular permeability. Here we show that in a murine model of allergic airway disease, genetic deletion of the C3a receptor protects against the changes in lung physiology seen after allergen challenge. Furthermore, human asthmatics develop significant levels of ligand C3a following intra-pulmonary deposition of allergen, but not saline. We propose that, in addition to acquired immune responses, the innate immune system and complement (C3a in particular) are involved in the pathogenesis of asthma.     

Physiology: Dynamic instabilities in the inflating lung

In lung diseases such as asthma, expiratory flow becomes limited, airways can collapse and the vital exchange of gases is compromised. Here we model the inflation of collapsed regions of the lung during inspiration in terms of avalanches propagating through a bifurcating network of airways, and find that the accompanying cascade of dynamic pressure instabilities -- avalanche 'shocks' -- manifests as negative elastic resistance of the lung. Our analysis of this apparent thermodynamic paradox provides a better understanding of aeration in the deep regions of the lung, which may find application in medical conditions in which gas exchange is impaired.     

天灸对哮喘模型大鼠气道重构的影响

目的:观察天灸防治支气管哮喘中对气道重构的影响.方法:采用卵蛋白等致敏建立大鼠哮喘模型,肺组织行HE染色,镜下观察支气管平滑肌、胶原的病理改变,气道腔直径和面积.结果:天灸组胶原含量、气道平滑肌厚度明显低于模型组(P<0.05或P<0.01),气道内腔直径、面积明显大于模型组.结论:天灸可防止气道增厚,具有抑制气道重建的作用.     

Spatial vegetation patterns and imminent desertification in Mediterranean arid ecosystems

Humans and climate affect ecosystems and their services, which may involve continuous and discontinuous transitions from one stable state to another. Discontinuous transitions are abrupt, irreversible and among the most catastrophic changes of ecosystems identified. For terrestrial ecosystems, it has been hypothesized that vegetation patchiness could be used as a signature of imminent transitions. Here, we analyse how vegetation patchiness changes in arid ecosystems with different grazing pressures, using both field data and a modelling approach. In the modelling approach, we extrapolated our analysis to even higher grazing pressures to investigate the vegetation patchiness when desertification is imminent. In three arid Mediterranean ecosystems in Spain, Greece and Morocco, we found that the patch-size distribution of the vegetation follows a power law. Using a stochastic cellular automaton model, we show that local positive interactions among plants can explain such power-law distributions. Furthermore, with increasing grazing pressure, the field data revealed consistent deviations from power laws. Increased grazing pressure leads to similar deviations in the model. When grazing was further increased in the model, we found that these deviations always and only occurred close to transition to desert, independent of the type of transition, and regardless of the vegetation cover. Therefore, we propose that patch-size distributions may be a warning signal for the onset of desertification.     

Characterization of the human cysteinyl leukotriene CysLT1 receptor.

The cysteinyl leukotrienes-leukotriene C4(LTC4), leukotriene D4(LTD4) and leukotriene E4(LTE4)-are important mediators of human bronchial asthma. Pharmacological studies have determined that cysteinyl leukotrienes activate at least two receptors, designated CysLT1 and CysLT2. The CysLT1-selective antagonists, such as montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and pranlukast (Onon), are important in the treatment of asthma. Previous biochemical characterization of CysLT1 antagonists and the CysLT1 receptor has been in membrane preparations from tissues enriched for this receptor. Here we report the molecular and pharmacological characterization of the cloned human CysLT1 receptor. We describe the functional activation (calcium mobilization) of this receptor by LTD4 and LTC4, and competition for radiolabelled LTD4 binding to this receptor by the cysteinyl leukotrienes and three structurally distinct classes of CysLT1-receptor antagonists. We detected CysLT1-receptor messenger RNA in spleen, peripheral blood leukocytes and lung. In normal human lung, expression of the CysLT1-receptor mRNA was confined to smooth muscle cells and tissue macrophages. Finally, we mapped the human CysLT1-receptor gene to the X chromosome.     

An optimal bronchial tree may be dangerous

The geometry and dimensions of branched structures such as blood vessels or airways are important factors in determining the efficiency of physiological processes. It has been shown that fractal trees can be space filling and can ensure minimal dissipation. The bronchial tree of most mammalian lungs is a good example of an efficient distribution system with an approximate fractal structure. Here we present a study of the compatibility between physical optimization and physiological robustness in the design of the human bronchial tree. We show that this physical optimization is critical in the sense that small variations in the geometry can induce very large variations in the net air flux. Maximum physical efficiency therefore cannot be a sufficient criterion for the physiological design of bronchial trees. Rather, the design of bronchial trees must be provided with a safety factor and the capacity for regulating airway calibre. Paradoxically, our results suggest that bronchial malfunction related to asthma is a necessary consequence of the optimized efficiency of the tree structure.     

人胎儿子宫肌层的平滑肌细胞超微结构研究

利用电镜研究胎儿子宫肌层的平滑肌细胞在不同胎龄阶段（6个月、7个月、8个月、足月）的超微结构。结果发现随着胎龄的增长，平滑肌细胞显示下列形态变化：（a)胞质的细胞器减少；（b)核表面的凹陷增加和加深；（c)糖元颗粒聚集，细胞表面的半桥粒状致密斑及带有电子致密体的5nm微丝束逐渐增多；（d)到足月妊娠时，其形态与育龄妇女的子宫肌层的平滑肌细胞极为相似，在任何胎龄到足月妊娠时，其形态与育龄妇女的子宫肌层的平滑肌细胞极为相似，在任何胎龄的子宫肌层里均可见到平滑肌细胞间有间质细胞和一些成熟较差的平滑肌细胞。由于样本取自肌层中间部位，及肌层内间质细胞随着胎龄的增长而减少，歌曲以认为平滑肌细胞增多，可能是由于肌层里间质细胞分化的结果，由于在雌激素作用下，核体大量出现及黄体酮促使糖元颗粒聚集成团，本研究结果提示胎儿子宫肌层平滑肌细胞的成熟可能与雌激素主黄体酮的作用有关。     

鸡骨香乙醇提取物舒张小鼠气道平滑肌的作用机理研究

为研究鸡骨香乙醇提取物(EECC)舒张小鼠气道平滑肌的作用机理.在组织水平上,利用生物机能系统,检测EECC对气管张力的影响.在细胞水平上,利用膜片钳系统,记录EECC对L型电压依赖性钙通道(VDLCCs)电流的影响.在活体水平上,利用肺功能仪,检测EECC对小鼠呼吸系统阻力(Rrs)的影响.实验发现在组织水平上,EE...     

Interaction between endogenous nitric oxide and carbon monoxide in the pathogenesis of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, an important pathophysiological process in the development of a vari-ety of clinical cardiac and pulmonary diseases, has critical influence on the proceeding and prognosis of the dis- eases[1]. It is important to clarify the pathogenesis of the diseases. The discoveries of endogenous gas signal mole-cules, nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), have been moving the research of hypoxic pulmonary hyper-tension to a very new phase. Our foregoing experiments …     

树鼩VEGF全长编码序列的克隆及分子特征分析

树鼩作为研究人类疾病的良好动物模型,近年来引起广泛关注.研究采用RT-PCR技术,从树鼩的肺组织中克隆到血管内皮生长因子（vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF）的编码序列,并对其三级结构进行了预测.结果显示该基因开放阅读框全长645 bp,编码214个氨基酸.序列比对及三级结构预测显示,树鼩VEGF与人的VEGF有较高的相似性,预示树鼩可能会是研究人类血管相关疾病的良好模型.     

The branching programme of mouse lung development

Mammalian lungs are branched networks containing thousands to millions of airways arrayed in intricate patterns that are crucial for respiration. How such trees are generated during development, and how the developmental patterning information is encoded, have long fascinated biologists and mathematicians. However, models have been limited by a lack of information on the normal sequence and pattern of branching events. Here we present the complete three-dimensional branching pattern and lineage of the mouse bronchial tree, reconstructed from an analysis of hundreds of developmental intermediates. The branching process is remarkably stereotyped and elegant: the tree is generated by three geometrically simple local modes of branching used in three different orders throughout the lung. We propose that each mode of branching is controlled by a genetically encoded subroutine, a series of local patterning and morphogenesis operations, which are themselves controlled by a more global master routine. We show that this hierarchical and modular programme is genetically tractable, and it is ideally suited to encoding and evolving the complex networks of the lung and other branched organs.     

Acetylcholine activates an inward current in single mammalian smooth muscle cells

Acetylcholine, the major excitatory neurotransmitter to the smooth muscle of mammalian intestine, is known to depolarize smooth muscle cells with an apparent increase in membrane conductance. However, the ionic mechanisms that are triggered by muscarinic receptor activation and underlie this response are poorly understood, due in part to the technical problems associated with the electrophysiological study of smooth muscle. The muscarinic action of acetylcholine in certain neurones has been shown to involve the switching off of a resting K+ current (M-current) and a similar mechanism has recently also been identified in smooth muscle of amphibian stomach. We have now applied the patch-clamp technique to single smooth muscle cells of rabbit jejunum and find that muscarinic receptor activation switches on a nonselective, voltage-sensitive inward current. In addition, acetylcholine activates and then suppresses spontaneous K+ current transients, which are probably triggered by rises in intracellular Ca2+ in these cells.     

Towards a Cost-Efcient MapReduce: Mitigating Power Peaks for HadoopClusters简

Distributed data processing system is becoming one of the most important components for data-intensive computational tasks in the enterprise software infrastructure. Deploying and operating such systems require large amount of costs, including hardware costs to build clusters and energy costs to run clusters. To make these systems sustainable and scalable, power management has been an important research problem. In this paper, we take Hadoop as an example to illustrate the power peak problem which causes power inefficiency and provides in-depth analysis to explain issues with existing system designs. We propose a novel power capping module in the Hadoop scheduler to mitigate power peaks. Extensive simulation studies show that our proposed solution can effectively smooth the power consumption curve and mitigate temporary power peaks for Hadoop clusters.     

Repetitive motor learning induces coordinated formation of clustered dendritic spines in vivo

Many lines of evidence suggest that memory in the mammalian brain is stored with distinct spatiotemporal patterns. Despite recent progresses in identifying neuronal populations involved in memory coding, the synapse-level mechanism is still poorly understood. Computational models and electrophysiological data have shown that functional clustering of synapses along dendritic branches leads to nonlinear summation of synaptic inputs and greatly expands the computing power of a neural network. However, whether neighbouring synapses are involved in encoding similar memory and how task-specific cortical networks develop during learning remain elusive. Using transcranial two-photon microscopy, we followed apical dendrites of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the motor cortex while mice practised novel forelimb skills. Here we show that a third of new dendritic spines (postsynaptic structures of most excitatory synapses) formed during the acquisition phase of learning emerge in clusters, and that most such clusters are neighbouring spine pairs. These clustered new spines are more likely to persist throughout prolonged learning sessions, and even long after training stops, than non-clustered counterparts. Moreover, formation of new spine clusters requires repetition of the same motor task, and the emergence of succedent new spine(s) accompanies the strengthening of the first new spine in the cluster. We also show that under control conditions new spines appear to avoid existing stable spines, rather than being uniformly added along dendrites. However, succedent new spines in clusters overcome such a spatial constraint and form in close vicinity to neighbouring stable spines. Our findings suggest that clustering of new synapses along dendrites is induced by repetitive activation of the cortical circuitry during learning, providing a structural basis for spatial coding of motor memory in the mammalian brain.     

Consequences of climate change on the tree of life in Europe

Many species are projected to become vulnerable to twenty-first-century climate changes, with consequent effects on the tree of life. If losses were not randomly distributed across the tree of life, climate change could lead to a disproportionate loss of evolutionary history. Here we estimate the consequences of climate change on the phylogenetic diversities of plant, bird and mammal assemblages across Europe. Using a consensus across ensembles of forecasts for 2020, 2050 and 2080 and high-resolution phylogenetic trees, we show that species vulnerability to climate change clusters weakly across phylogenies. Such phylogenetic signal in species vulnerabilities does not lead to higher loss of evolutionary history than expected with a model of random extinctions. This is because vulnerable species have neither fewer nor closer relatives than the remaining clades. Reductions in phylogenetic diversity will be greater in southern Europe, and gains are expected in regions of high latitude or altitude. However, losses will not be offset by gains and the tree of life faces a trend towards homogenization across the continent.     

T cells become licensed in the lung to enter the central nervous system

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) and the environment of the central nervous system (CNS) guard the nervous tissue from peripheral immune cells. In the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis, myelin-reactive T-cell blasts are thought to transgress the BBB and create a pro-inflammatory environment in the CNS, thereby making possible a second autoimmune attack that starts from the leptomeningeal vessels and progresses into the parenchyma. Using a Lewis rat model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, we show here that contrary to the expectations of this concept, T-cell blasts do not efficiently enter the CNS and are not required to prepare the BBB for immune-cell recruitment. Instead, intravenously transferred T-cell blasts gain the capacity to enter the CNS after residing transiently within the lung tissues. Inside the lung tissues, they move along and within the airways to bronchus-associated lymphoid tissues and lung-draining mediastinal lymph nodes before they enter the blood circulation from where they reach the CNS. Effector T cells transferred directly into the airways showed a similar migratory pattern and retained their full pathogenicity. On their way the T cells fundamentally reprogrammed their gene-expression profile, characterized by downregulation of their activation program and upregulation of cellular locomotion molecules together with chemokine and adhesion receptors. The adhesion receptors include ninjurin 1, which participates in T-cell intravascular crawling on cerebral blood vessels. We detected that the lung constitutes a niche not only for activated T cells but also for resting myelin-reactive memory T cells. After local stimulation in the lung, these cells strongly proliferate and, after assuming migratory properties, enter the CNS and induce paralytic disease. The lung could therefore contribute to the activation of potentially autoaggressive T cells and their transition to a migratory mode as a prerequisite to entering their target tissues and inducing autoimmune disease.     

Carbon dioxide release from the North Pacific abyss during the last deglaciation

Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were significantly lower during glacial periods than during intervening interglacial periods, but the mechanisms responsible for this difference remain uncertain. Many recent explanations call on greater carbon storage in a poorly ventilated deep ocean during glacial periods, but direct evidence regarding the ventilation and respired carbon content of the glacial deep ocean is sparse and often equivocal. Here we present sedimentary geochemical records from sites spanning the deep subarctic Pacific that--together with previously published results--show that a poorly ventilated water mass containing a high concentration of respired carbon dioxide occupied the North Pacific abyss during the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite an inferred increase in deep Southern Ocean ventilation during the first step of the deglaciation (18,000-15,000 years ago), we find no evidence for improved ventilation in the abyssal subarctic Pacific until a rapid transition approximately 14,600 years ago: this change was accompanied by an acceleration of export production from the surface waters above but only a small increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. We speculate that these changes were mechanistically linked to a roughly coeval increase in deep water formation in the North Atlantic, which flushed respired carbon dioxide from northern abyssal waters, but also increased the supply of nutrients to the upper ocean, leading to greater carbon dioxide sequestration at mid-depths and stalling the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Our findings are qualitatively consistent with hypotheses invoking a deglacial flushing of respired carbon dioxide from an isolated, deep ocean reservoir, but suggest that the reservoir may have been released in stages, as vigorous deep water ventilation switched between North Atlantic and Southern Ocean source regions.     

微血管内皮细胞与肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖的相互调节

研究常氧下微血管内皮细胞(MVEC)与肺动脉平滑肌细胞(PASMC)增殖的相互调节。先滤膜培养大鼠肺微血管内皮细胞(LMVEC)后,再与PASMC复合培养,采用流式细胞仪检测PASMC周期的变化。复合培养后,正常情况下使PASMC的G1期细胞数减少,S＋G2／M期细胞数增多,即促进细胞生长;使LMVEC田C的G1期细胞数增多,S＋G2／M期细胞数减少,即抑制细胞生长。可见,MVEC与PASMC复合培养后,常氧下促进PASMC细胞生长,抑制LMVEC的增生,存在相互作用。     

Requirement of tumour necrosis factor for development of silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis

The deposition of silica particles in the lung of man or experimental animals leads to silicosis, a disease of progressive respiratory failure caused by a fibrotic reaction. It has long been suspected that the phagocytosis of silica by pulmonary macrophages induces the secretion of fibrogenic factors. Several potentially fibrogenic cytokines released by macrophages have been identified, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), platelet-derived growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Here we show that TNF plays an important part in silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice in that (1) a single instillation of silica leads to a marked increase in the level of lung TNF messenger RNA which lasts for greater than 70 days, while there are no obvious changes in the amounts of IL-1 alpha or TGF-beta mRNAs; and (2) silica-induced collagen deposition is almost completely prevented by anti-TNF antibody, but is significantly increased by continuous infusion of mouse recombinant TNF.