Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Yong Tao

Publications and source records attributed to Yong Tao.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Immunohistochemical localization of inducible and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in porcine ovaries and effects of NO on antrum formation and oocyte meiotic maturation.

The present study is to investigate the immunolocalization of endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthase (eNOS, iNOS) in porcine ovary and the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on antrum formation and oocyte meiotic resumption. In Experiment 1, preantral follicles (250-300 microm in diameter) were cultured in 0 (Control), 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 or 1 mM sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor. In Experiment 2, the cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) aspirated from medium follicles (3-6 mm in diameter) were incubated in 0.1mM SNP or two inhibitors for NOS, 10 mM aminoguanidine bicarbonate salt (AG) or 1 mM Nomega-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), alone or concomitantly. In Experiment 3, ovarian tissues, corpus luteum (CL), corpus albican (CA) and COCs from small (1-2 mm in diameter), medium (3-6 mm) and large follicles (7-10 mm) were isolated, rinsed, fixed, paraffin embedded and stained by the conventional avidin-biotin complex method for the detection of eNOS and iNOS production. The results showed that 0.1mM SNP had no effect on antrum formation (P > 0.05) while 0.3, 0.5 or 1 mM significantly inhibited the antrum formation (P < 0.05). AG markedly inhibited porcine oocyte meiotic resumption (P < 0.05) while L-NAME inhibited first polar body (PB1) extrusion (P < 0.05). The immunoreactivity of eNOS in early antral follicles was restricted to oocyte and it increased from small, medium to large follicle-enclosed oocytes. Cumulus cells from large follicles showed weak eNOS immunoreactivity but those from small or medium follicles not. In CL, eNOS-positive staining was shown in granulosa lutein cells. In CA, it was in some parenchymal cells. In contrast, no immunoreactivity for iNOS was found in primordial, early antral follicle or the COCs aspirated from small and medium follicles. The large follicle-enclosed oocyte showed weak immunoreactivity. In CL, some granulosa lutein cells showed iNOS-positive cytoplasm. Such immunostaining was not found in CA. The results demonstrate that porcine ovaries have distinct cell-specific expression of both eNOS and iNOS, and that NO derived from both NOS is actively involved in meiotic resumption. Nitric oxide is not involved in the antrum formation of preantral follicles but exogenous NO inhibits the antrum formation. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase and inducible nitric oxide synthase might be differently functional in CL development and regression.

Animals↗

Roles of gonadotropins and meiosis-activating sterols in meiotic resumption of cultured follicle-enclosed mouse oocytes.

This study describes a model for short-term culture of intact mouse follicles under serum-free conditions. Follicles were either obtained from immature mice receiving no ovarian stimulation (i.e. no eCG-primed protocol, group I) or from mice undergoing ovarian stimulation (i.e. eCG-primed protocol, group II). Follicles were grouped according to size (100-170, 180-200, 210-250, 260-350 and 360-400 microm, respectively) and cultured for 24h (group I) or for only 6h (group II). Induced meiotic resumption of follicle-enclosed oocytes were evaluated following stimulation with gonadotropins (i.e. FSH and hCG), AY9944-A-7, an inhibitor of Delta14-reductase, and RS-21745, an inhibitor of lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase; both enzymes affect synthesis of the meiosis activating sterols (MAS) that induce oocyte maturation. The frequency of oocyte degeneration was also recorded. In group I, FSH (10-200 IUl-1) and AY9944-A-7 (5, 25 and 50 microM) separately induced resumption of meiosis in oocytes derived from follicles with a diameter of 180-400 microm. hCG (1.0 and 10 IUml-1) exhibited a similar but weaker effect on oocytes present in follicles with a diameter of 260-400 microm. Irrespective of follicular diameter oocytes obtained from follicles in group II responded to hCG and FSH by resuming meiosis. FSH (50 IUl-1) alone or hCG (10 IUml-1) alone both increased the GVBD percentage of oocytes enclosed in follicles with a diameter 260-400 microm, but the response to hCG was not significant compared to control. FSH (50 IUl-1) combination with hCG (10 IUml-1) showed an additive effect raising the rate of GVBD after 6h culture. Addition of 50 or 100 microM RS-21745 was able to attenuate gonadotropins-induced resumption of meiosis to below background levels. In conclusion, the ability of FSH to induce meiotic resumption of follicle-enclosed mouse oocytes is correlated to follicle size, being most pronounced in larger follicles. hCG caused a similar but less pronounced effect. The ability of RS-21745 to inhibit and the ability of AY9944-A-7 to enhance oocyte maturation of follicle-enclosed oocytes support the concept of FSH employing MAS as a downstream signal transduction molecule for initiation of oocyte maturation in mice.

Aniline Compounds↗

[Impact of extra waters on immunosystem in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study impact of extra waters on immunosystem in mice-alkaline ionized water, mineral-ecology water, activated water, and pure water. METHODS: According to Function Assessment and Experiment for Function Food, 1996, the ratio of spain and body weight, the ratio of thymus and body weight, the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH), the phagocytosing functions by cock RBC, the plaque forming cell (PFC) and HC50 testing were assessment with 120 male Balb/c mice of 17.8 - 23.3 g (group I), the mice were divided into four group, and drank daily the four kinds of waters respectively until 50 days. The lymph cell transformation by ConA and NK cell activity were assessment with other l20 male Balb/c mice of 17.8 - 23.3 g (group II), the mice were divided into four group and drank daily the four kinds of waters respectively until 50 days. The phagocytosing functions by carbon powder were assessment with other 120 female Balb/c mice of 16.7 - 22.0 g (group III) were divided into four group and drank daily the four kinds of waters respectively until 50 days. The data were statisticed by Stata soft. RESULTS: Other three waters compared with the pure water: (1) Alkaline ionized water and activated water can alleviate the body weight increase of male Balb/c mouse (P < 0.01 & P < 0.05), but alkaline ionized water, mineral-ecology water, activated water don't impact on the female Balb/c mouse body weight (P > 0.05). (2) Activated water can remarkably increase the ratio of thymus and body weight (P < 0.05), and increase the phagocytosing ability by cock RBC (P < 0.01), and increase the NK cell activity (P < 0.01). (3) The three extra waters don't impact on other items for the Balh/c mouce. CONCLUSION: The study must be continued to impact on immunosystem in mice for extra waters.

Animals↗

Dual effects of nitric oxide on meiotic maturation of mouse cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes in vitro.

The present experiment used cultured mouse cumulus cell-enclosed oocytes (CEOs) and denuded oocytes (DOs) to study the function of nitric oxide (NO) in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. Either positive or negative actions of NO on meiotic maturation has been observed when CEOs or DOs were cultured for 24 h in a medium containing 4 mM hypoxanthine (HX) to maintain meiotic arrest, or in maturation medium (without HX) supplemented with different doses of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, a NO donor), N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or N(w)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) (two inhibitors of NO synthase, NOS), and L-arginine (the only substrate of NOS). Both NOS inhibitors suppressed the formation of first polar body (PB1) of the oocytes in CEOs in a dose dependent manner, but no effect on germinal vesicle break down (GVBD) was observed. An optimal inhibitory effect was observed with either 10(-3) M L-NAME (P<0.01) or 10(-3) M L-NNA (P<0.01) and the inhibition could be reversed by the addition of SNP (10(-5) M). The above mentioned optimal concentration of L-NAME or L-NNA on CEOs exhibited no effect on oocyte meiotic maturation of DOs. Treatments of low concentrations of SNP (10(-7), 10(-6), 10(-5) M) stimulated significantly the oocyte meiotic maturation of CEOs which were inhibited with HX, but had no effect on DOs in the same culture medium. While, the treatment with high concentrations of SNP (0.1-4 mM) during the CEOs cultured in maturation medium resulted in a lower percentage of oocytes at PB1 stage and a higher percentage of atypical oocytes in a dose dependent manner compared with control. A dose of SNP at 1 mM exhibited significant inhibitory effect on the formation of PB1, but without effect on the number of atypical oocytes compared with control, while, this SNP dosage not only inhibited the oocyte PB1 formation but also increased the percentage of dead oocytes in DOs. Although oocytes of all groups underwent GVBD at the end of the culture in the spontaneous maturation medium, the results of the kinetics showed that the treatment of the optimal concentration of SNP (1 mM) could significantly delay GVBD during the first 5 h culture period. The concomitant addition of L-NAME with SNP did not reverse the inhibitory effect of SNP on CEOs. Similarly, neither pre-incubation nor illumination by ultraviolet ray could balance the inhibitory effect of SNP. Finally, when added alone at a concentration of 4 mM, L-arg caused extensive death of both CEOs and DOs. While, administration of 4 mM L-arg and 1 mM L-NAME to both CEOs and DOs simultaneously resulted in markedly reduced CEOs death percentage as compared with L-arg treatment alone, but not in DOs. These data support the idea that NO could act with a dual action (stimulation or inhibition) in mouse meiotic maturation depending on its concentration.

Animals↗

Study on pig growth hormone gene polymorphisms in western meat-type breeds and Chinese local breeds.

Chinese Meishan and Jiangquhai pigs are two of the most prolific pigs in the world, but their growth rate is lower than that of Duroc, Landrace and Pietrain pigs. It is suggested that growth rate is regulated by growth hormone. The objective of the current study was to analyze the porcine growth hormone (pGH) gene polymorphisms based on the polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment-length polymorphism method (PCR-RFLP) for three western meat-type breeds (Duroc, Landrace and Pietrain) and two local Chinese pigs (Meishan and Jiangquhai). Five polymorphic restriction sites were detected with the ApaI, MspI, BspI and HhaI restriction enzymes in two amplified fragments (605 bp, -119 to +486; 506 bp, +206 to +711). Breed difference was found only in the 506 bp fragment. There was no difference in allelic frequencies of BspI and HhaI restriction sites among the five breeds (P>0.05). Landrace and Meishan pigs lacked allele G3 of MspI site. The allele G3 frequency of restriction MspI site of the 506 bp fragment in Pietrain pigs was higher than that in Duroc and Jianquhai pigs (P<0.001). For ApaI site, the Meishan pigs lacked allele G1; no difference was found in allelic frequencies among Pietrain, Duroc, Landrace and Jiangquhai pigs (P>0.05). This new and rapid PCR-RFLP typing method is an attractive tool for analysis of porcine growth hormone gene restriction sites. The differences in MspI and ApaI restriction sites may explain the growth difference between the foreign meat-type breeds above mentioned and local Chinese pigs.

Animals↗