Randomness in the Hybrid Modeling and Simulation of Insulin Secretion Pathways in Pancreatic Islets

Insulin secreted by pancreatic islet ˇ-cells is the principal regulating hormone of glucose metabolism.Disruption of insulin secretion may cause glucose to accumulate in the blood, and result in diabetes mellitus.Although deterministic models of the insulin secretion pathway have been developed, the stochastic aspect of this biological pathway has not been explored. The first step in this direction presented here is a hybrid model of the insulin secretion pathway, in which the delayed rectifying KCchannels are treated as stochastic events. This hybrid model can not only reproduce the oscillation dynamics as the deterministic model does, but can also capture stochastic dynamics that the deterministic model does not. To measure the insulin oscillation system behavior, a probability-based measure is proposed and applied to test the effectiveness of a new remedy.     

Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on insulin action and development of insulin-induced resistance in C2C12 muscle cells

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a precursor of androgens and estrogens, has been demonstrated to have effect of preventing insulin resistance and development of diabetes mellitus. Administration of testosterone appears to induce a marked insulin resistance. How these two hormones affect insulin resistance through regulation of sensitivity of tissues to insulin deserves further studies. Here, the effects of DHEA and testosterone on response to insulin in C2C12 muscle cells are analyzed. After 24 h of DHEA (10-6 mol/L) treatment, C2C12 cells showed an increased insulin- stimulated glucose uptake and enhanced activities of glycogen synthase (GS), phosphofructokinase (PFK) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), whereas testosterone gave the opposite effects. Incubation of C2C12 cells with high-dose insulin (5×10-7 mol/L) for 24 hours decreased their sensitivity to insulin and led to a state of resistance as assessed on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and activities of GS, PFK and PDH. Addition of DHEA to insulin-resistant C2C12 cells could reverse the response of these cells to high-dose insulin, but testosterone could further impair insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant C2C12 cells. These results suggest that the two hormones may influence the development or inhibition of insulin-resistance in type 2 diabetes through regulating glucose uptake, glycogenesis and glycolysis to some extent.     

Reduced function and disassembled microtubules of cultured cardiomyocytes in spaceflight

Lack of gravity during spaceflight has profound effects on cardiovascular system, but little is known about how the cardiomyocytes respond to microgravity. In the present study, the effects of spaceflight on the structure and function of cultured cardiomyocytes were reported. The primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were carried on Shenzhou-6 spacecraft and activated at 4 h in orbit. 8 samples were fixed respectively at 4, 48 and 96 h after launching for immunofluorescence of cytoskeleton, and 2 samples remained unfixed to analyze contractile and secretory functions of the cultures. Ground samples were treated in our laboratory in parallel. After 115 h spaceflight, video recordings displayed that the number of spontaneous beating sites in flown samples decreased significantly, and the cells in the beating aggregate contracted in fast frequency without synchrony. Radioimmunoassay of the medium showed that the atrial natriuretic peptide secreted from flown cells reduced by 59.6%. Confocal images demonstrated the time-dependant disassembly of mirotubules versus unchanged distribution and organization of microfilaments. In conclusion, above results indicate reduced function and disorganized cytoskeleton of cardiomyocytes in spaceflight, which might provide some cellular basis for further investigations to probe into the mechanisms underlying space cardiovascular dysfunction.     

^99mTc complex conjugated to insulin： CNS radiopharmaceuticals design based on principles of blood-brain barrier transport vector

Hydrophilic ^99mTc-EC and nonlipophilic ^99mTc- MAMA＇-BA complexes, owing to the existing of intact blood-brain barrier （BBB） in vivo, cannot cross from blood to brain. Previous studies showed that insulin is selectively transported by receptor-mediated transcytosis through the brain capillary endothelial wall that makes up the BBB. In this paper, based on the characteristic of the insulin receptor enriched in brain capillary, the complexes of hydrophilic ^99mTc-EC and nonlipophilic ^99mTc-MAMA＇-BA are conjugated to insulin respectively. After purification, the radiochemical purity of ^99mTc-EC-insulin and ^99mTc-MAMA＇-BA-insulin was 〉 90% and the stability in vitro was good. Expectation for the special formulation can be internalized and endocytosed into the capillary membrane by the vector-mediated brain delivery system, and transported ^99mTc-labeled conjugate through the BBB in vivo, thus enhancing brain uptake in mice. The biodistribution results of ^99mTc-EC-insulin and ^99mTc-MAMA＇-BA-insulin in mice in- dicated that the brain uptake was higher than ^99mTc-EC and ^99mTc-MAMA＇-BA to some extent. The ratios of brain uptake of ^99mTc-EC-insulin to ^99mTc-EC, ^99mTc-MAMA＇-BA-insulin to ^99mTc-MAMA＇-BA were 4-6 at 2 and 3 h post-injection respectively. In conclusion, the given results have illustrated a new way of brain uptake enhancing for nonlipophilic like complexes that have BBB delivery problems. It has a potential value for the ongoing development of ^99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceuticals for CNS receptors imaging.     

A simple, economical method of converting gene expression products of insulin into recombinant insulin and its application

A method, by which the gene expression product of recombinant single chain insulin can be converted into insulin by directly digesting with trypsin, has been established. This method has been used in process of porcine insulin precursor (PIP), [B16Ala]PIP and [B26Ala]PIP into (desB30)insulin, (desB30)[B16Ala]insulin and (desB30)[B26Ala]insulin, respectively, and all of them retain full biological activity of that of their corresponding parent, recombinant human insulin, [B16Ala]insulin and [B26Ala]insulin. The results further demonstrate that the C-terminal residue of B chain is not necessary for insulin's biological activity. Compared with the method of transpeptidation, this method is simple, with a high yield, and avoids the use of organic reagents, and in comparison with the trypsin/carboxypeptidase method, it omits the use of carboxylpeptidase. Besides, (desB30)[B16Ala]insulin and (desB30)[B26Ala]insulin still remained without self-association property as that of their parents, which demonstrate that they are monomeric insulin. So they can be used for substituting for monomeric insulin, [B16Ala]insulin and [B26Ala]insulin, in clinical applications.     

Cooperation in an asymmetric volunteer’s dilemma game with relatedness

What motivates some members of a social group to voluntarily incur costs in order to provide for the common good? This question lies at the heart of theoretical and empirical studies of cooperative behavior. This is also the question that underlies the classic volunteer’s dilemma model, which has been previously explored in scenarios where group members are related or interact asym- metrically. Here we present a model that combines asymmetry and relatedness, showing that the probability of volunteerism in such systems depends closely on both the degree of asymmetry and level of relatedness between interacting individuals. As has been shown in previous volunteer’s dilemma models, the payoff ratio and overall group size also influence the probability of volunteerism. The probability of volunteerism decreases with increasing group size or decreasing cost-to-benefit ratio of the coplayers; in the presence of asymmetrical interactions, subordinate players were more likely to offer public goods than the dominant player. More asymmetrical interactions decrease the probability of volunteerism of the dominant player; overall volunteerism increases with increasing relatedness.     

Mode entropy and dynamical analysis of irregularity for HFECG

A new algorithm-ModEn (mode entropy) is proposed by analyzing and modifying ApEn (approximate entropy), so that the irregular analysis can be applied to the time series of short-term signals with broad amplitude and slow fluctuation (SBS signals); and the ModEn is introduced in the irregular dynamic analysis of high frequency electrocardiogram (HFECG) on a myocardium infarction (MI) animal model. It is shown that the ModEn has a considerable dynamic change in MI. Hence there are potential application values of the algorithm in the early stage diagnosis of heart disease.     

Endoderm contributes to endocardial composition during cardiogenesis

Heart formation commences from a single heart tube, which fuses from bilateral primordial heart fields. The developing heart tube is composed of outerlayer myocardial cells and innerlayer endocardial cells. Several distinct populations of precardiac cells contribute to cardiac morphogenesis. However, it still remains not very clear about the lineage of endocardium at gastrulation stage. Thereby, this study focused on ascertaining the correlation between the hypoblast in gastrulation and endocardium during cardiogenesis. Firstly, the fusing heart tube morphologically is closed to endoderm-derived pharynx floor, implying the possibility that pharynx floor might be wrapped into the formation of endoderm. Secondly, HNK1 is expressed in hypoblast strongly at gastrula stage and subsequently appeared in endocardium of cardiogenesis. Moreover, fate map data displayed that DiI labeled hypoblast was also present in endocardium later on. One more evidence is chickquail chimera of hypoblast transplantation, in which quailhypoblast derivative could be identified in endocardium of cardiogenesis by QCPN antibody. In sum, our current data suggests that endoderrn in gastrula contribute at least partly to the formation of endocardium of cardiogenesis.     

Assessment of autonomic nervous system activity by heart rate recovery response

The assessment of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity is a tool for diagnosing or predicting cardiovascular diseases,while heart rate recovery response (HRRR) after exercise has been promoted as a process under the regulation of ANS (sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems).Therefore,assessment of ANS activity was performed by HRRR in this study.Firstly,HRRR signal was extracted based on wavelet decomposition and difference curve of coarse component from heart rate signal.Then,HRRR was divided into quickly descending interval (QDI) and slowly descending interval (SDI).Finally,3 groups of indexes (Difference,Exponential and Quadratic Groups) from QDI and SDI were compared between 50 normotensive and 61 hypertensive subjects.The results showed that the indexes of Difference Group were better choices than others in analyzing the features of HRRR.Furthermore,parasympathetic activity is dominant in QDI,while sympathetic and parasympathetic activities affect SDI together.In conclusion,the proposed method was effective to assess ANS activity.     

Caffeine induces a transient inward current in cultured cardiac cells

Electrical excitation of cardiac muscle may sometimes be due to initiation of inward current by the presence of Ca2+ ions at the inner surface of the cell membrane. During digitalis toxicity and other conditions that abnormally augment cellular Ca2+ stores, premature release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum leads to a transient inward current, which is large enough to initiate premature beats and is accompanied by a transient contractile response. This inward current may be mediated either by electrogenic sodium-calcium exchange or by specific Ca2+-activated cation channels that have recently been characterized in tissue cultures of cardiac myocytes. An obvious question raised by these observations is whether release of the sequestered Ca2+ stores during each normal beat exerts a similar influence on membrane potential. To explore this, chick embryonic myocardial cell aggregates were voltage-clamped during abrupt exposure to caffeine, which is known to release Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The speed of the perfusion system and the relative absence of diffusion barriers in the tissue-cultured cells allowed the effects of caffeine-induced Ca2+ release to be studied on a time scale comparable to that of a single normal beat. We report here that abrupt exposure of the cells to caffeine produced a transient inward current having similar features to that of digitalis toxicity, and which was both large enough and rapid enough to potentially contribute to the action potential.     

Sympathetic regulation of cardiac calcium current is due exclusively to cAMP-dependent phosphorylation.

The positive inotropic effect of the sympathetic nervous system on the heart is partly mediated by an increase in the voltage-gated Ca2+ current (ICa). This increase is generally attributed to beta-adrenergic receptor-stimulated cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylation of the Ca2+ channel. It has been suggested that cAMP-dependent phosphorylation cannot explain all the effects of beta-adrenergic agonists on ICa and that a parallel membrane-delimited pathway involving the 'direct' action of the G protein Gs also stimulates ICa. A precedent exists for such a membrane-delimited pathway in the activation of a K+ channel by acetylcholine in heart. A membrane-delimited pathway for stimulation of ICa might be important in rapid beat-to-beat regulation of contraction by the sympathetic nervous system, because isoproterenol may produce a biphasic increase in ICa with the rapid phase (tau = 150 ms) putatively mediated by the direct pathway and the slow phase (tau = 35 s) by cAMP-dependent phosphorylation. Here we report that in frog, rat, and guinea pig ventricular myocytes ICa increases slowly and monophasically in response to isoproterenol. The increase is completely blocked by inhibitors of cAMP-dependent phosphorylation. Furthermore, the time course of the increase in ICa closely parallels the increase in contractile force produced by sympathetic nerve stimulation. These data refute earlier suggestions that regulation of Ca2+ channels by the sympathetic nervous system involves or requires a direct G-protein pathway.     

胰岛素预处理对心肌缺血性损伤的延迟相保护

探讨胰岛素预处理对大鼠心肌缺血／再灌注（I／R）的延迟相保护作用．健康Wistar大鼠,随机分成假手术组（Sham）、缺血／再灌注组（I／R）、雷米普利组（RMP）、胰岛素低剂量组（INSL）和高剂量组（INSH）．结扎冠状动脉左前降支建立大鼠在体心肌I／R模型,Sham组大鼠穿线不结扎．TTC法观察心肌梗死面积,比色法检测血清乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）和肌酸激酶（CK）的活力．结果显示,I／R组心肌梗死面积大于Sham组（P〈0．01）,而RMP、INSL和1NSH组心肌梗死面积低于I／R组（P〈0．01）;I／R组血清LDH活力高于Sham组（P〈0．01）,而RMP和INSL组血清LDH活力均低于L／R组（P〈0．01,P〈0．05）;各组血清CK活力无显著性差异．结果表明,胰岛素预处理对大鼠心肌I／R损伤有延迟相保护作用．     

Identification of Na-Ca exchange current in single cardiac myocytes

In cardiac muscle the exchange of intracellular Ca2+ for extracellular Na+ is an important transport mechanism for regulation of the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration [( Ca]i) and hence the contractile strength of the heart. Due to its stoichiometry of greater than or equal to 3:1 Na+/Ca2+ (refs 3,5), Na-Ca exchange is supposed to generate a current across the cell membrane. It is thought that such a current may contribute to cardiac action potential and physiological or pathological pacemaker activity. Although the occurrence of Na-Ca exchange is well documented, a membrane current generated by this transport has not been identified unequivocally. Previous attempts to detect such a current in multicellular preparations, for example, by measuring small current differences after varying the extracellular ionic composition, although providing evidence, did not rule out other possible interpretations. Here we demonstrate that a transient rise in [Ca]i caused by release of Ca from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) generates a membrane current in cardiac myocytes. The dependence of this current on the transmembrane gradients for Na+ and Ca2+ and on membrane potential meets the criteria for a current produced by electrogenic Na-Ca exchange. Cyclic activation of this current by release of Ca from the SR can cause maintained spontaneous activity, suggesting that Na-Ca exchange contributes to certain forms of cardiac pacemaking.     

人硫氧还蛋白对脑缺血作用的CT灌注与SOD相关性的实验研究

目的研究人硫氧还蛋白(hTRX)对局灶性兔脑缺血/再灌注损伤后脑组织的保护作用,并探讨其清除氧自由基的生物学活性.方法采用线栓法制成一侧兔脑缺血/再灌注模型(栓塞6 h,再灌注18 h),将25只雄性新西兰白兔随机分成假手术组(Sham组,5只)、缺血/再灌注组(I/R组,10只)和缺血/再灌注 hTRX治疗组(I/R hTRX组,10只),I/R hTRX组给予hTRX(0.75 mg/kg体质量),Sham组、I/R组以等容积的生理盐水取代hTRX;分别于梗死后6 h及再灌注后18 h做CT灌注图像,观察脑梗死面积,计算出其所占同侧大脑半球面积的百分比(HLA%);检测脑组织匀浆中SOD,MDA含量.结果脑缺血/再灌注后,脑梗死范围显著,脑组织匀浆中SOD明显下降,MDA明显升高(与假手术组比较,P<0.01);而应用hTRX能显著减小脑梗死面积,降低MDA及升高SOD含量(与B组比较,P<0.01).结论重组hTRX对脑缺血/再灌注损伤有显著的治疗作用.     

TRIC channels are essential for Ca2+ handling in intracellular stores

Cell signalling requires efficient Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores through Ca2+ release channels, as well as predicted counter-movement of ions across the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum membrane to balance the transient negative potential generated by Ca2+ release. Ca2+ release channels were cloned more than 15 years ago, whereas the molecular identity of putative counter-ion channels remains unknown. Here we report two TRIC (trimeric intracellular cation) channel subtypes that are differentially expressed on intracellular stores in animal cell types. TRIC subtypes contain three proposed transmembrane segments, and form homo-trimers with a bullet-like structure. Electrophysiological measurements with purified TRIC preparations identify a monovalent cation-selective channel. In TRIC-knockout mice suffering embryonic cardiac failure, mutant cardiac myocytes show severe dysfunction in intracellular Ca2+ handling. The TRIC-deficient skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum shows reduced K+ permeability, as well as altered Ca2+ 'spark' signalling and voltage-induced Ca2+ release. Therefore, TRIC channels are likely to act as counter-ion channels that function in synchronization with Ca2+ release from intracellular stores.     

白藜芦醇上调GDF-15调控PI3K/Akt/Bcl-2信号通路对急性心肌梗死大鼠的保护作用

为考察白藜芦醇对心肌缺血的保护机制,采用冠状动脉前降支结扎再灌注制备大鼠心肌缺血再灌注(I/R)模型,运用试剂盒考察血清酶学指标、NBT染色考察心肌梗死率、蛋白质印迹法(Western blotting) 考察GDF-15、PI3K、Akt、p-Akt、Bcl-2、Bax、caspase-9和caspase-3的蛋白相对表达量。结果表明:白藜芦醇对心肌缺血再灌注大鼠的心肌保护作用与通过对GDF-15的上调来激活PI3K/Akt信号通路,抑制心肌细胞线粒体凋亡作用机制有关。     

采出污水配制聚合物溶液的影响因素研究

研究了聚合物驱采出污水中Na+、K+、Ca2+、Mg2+、Fe2+、Fe3+六种离子对聚合物溶液初始黏度的影响和溶解氧、阳离子、粘土矿物以及细菌对其稳定性的影响程度,提出了采出污水配注聚合物的参考控制指标和限度。研究结果表明,高价金属阳离子是影响聚合物水溶液初始黏度的主要因素,其由大到小的顺序为Fe2+＞Fe3+＞Mg2+＞Ca2+＞Na+＞K+。配制用水的基本要求是不含铁离子,Ca2+离子含量控制在200mg/L以下,最好控制在50mg/L以下;Mg2+离子含量控制在100mg/L以下,最好控制在30mg/L以下;Na+、K+离子含量应该控制在2000mg/L以下,最好控制在500mg/L以下。高价金属离子和溶解氧是影响聚合物溶液黏度稳定性的主要因素,其由大到小的顺序为：Fe2+>Mg2+(Ca2+)>Fe3+>Na+(K+),一价阳离子和悬浮物对聚合物溶液黏度稳定性也有一定影响,细菌对其影响相对较小。     

杭白菊对离体蟾蜍心脏收缩的作用

目的研究杭白菊的强心作用。方法利用离体蟾蜍心脏灌流方法,观察杭白菊醇提取物对正常心脏以及戊巴比妥钠和低钙所诱致衰竭心脏收缩活动的影响。结果杭白菊(25~100 mg/L)能明显增加正常蟾蜍心脏以及戊巴比妥钠和低钙所致心衰模型的收缩力,并呈剂量依赖性,100 mg/L可使衰竭心脏收缩力完全恢复到正常水平。杭白菊对心率无明显影响。结论杭白菊具有强心抗心衰作用。     

Thymosin beta4 activates integrin-linked kinase and promotes cardiac cell migration, survival and cardiac repair

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in newborn children and in adults. Efforts to promote cardiac repair through the use of stem cells hold promise but typically involve isolation and introduction of progenitor cells. Here, we show that the G-actin sequestering peptide thymosin beta4 promotes myocardial and endothelial cell migration in the embryonic heart and retains this property in postnatal cardiomyocytes. Survival of embryonic and postnatal cardiomyocytes in culture was also enhanced by thymosin beta4. We found that thymosin beta4 formed a functional complex with PINCH and integrin-linked kinase (ILK), resulting in activation of the survival kinase Akt (also known as protein kinase B). After coronary artery ligation in mice, thymosin beta4 treatment resulted in upregulation of ILK and Akt activity in the heart, enhanced early myocyte survival and improved cardiac function. These findings suggest that thymosin beta4 promotes cardiomyocyte migration, survival and repair and the pathway it regulates may be a new therapeutic target in the setting of acute myocardial damage.