目的 探讨人胚胎胰腺中干细胞特异性标志巢蛋白（Nestin）的表达及阳性细胞的分布。方法 用连续切片免疫组织化学染色方法检测16周胎龄人胚胎胰腺中巢蛋白、胰岛素、胰升糖素和导管上皮标志细胞角蛋白19（CK19）的表达及分布。结果 16周人胚胎胰腺中可检测到巢蛋白阳性细胞，分布于胰岛以及胰导管和腺泡结构中，并且以腺泡结构和小导管中的数目为多。部分胰岛素和CK19染色强阳性的细胞中巢蛋白染色为弱阳性，胰升糖素强阳性的部位则未见巢蛋白染色阳性的细胞。结论 人胚胎胰腺中存在巢蛋白表达的细胞；巢蛋白阳性细胞可能是胰腺组织中一个特殊的细胞亚群，代表了一群未成熟细胞。

目的 探讨TF21细胞凋亡相关基因19（TFAR19）在甲状腺腺瘤（TA）和甲状腺乳头状癌（PTC）中是否有表达及其细胞定位。方法 6例TA和6例PTC患者，经手术得到甲状腺肿瘤组织标本并获病理诊断，以6例TA患者的瘤周正常甲状腺组织作为对照。TFAR19表达的检测采用免疫组化染色。结果 TFAR19在正常甲状腺组织中几乎未见表达；在TA组的甲状腺肿瘤组织中呈强阳性表达，而在PTC组中呈阴性表达。结论 TFAR19凋亡通路在TA中被激活，而在PTC中则受到抑制，提示细胞凋亡与增殖之间的平衡失调可能在PTC的发病机制中具有重要作用。

新生Wistar大鼠离体胰岛与细胞因子孵育后，观测胰岛素释放和一氧化氮（NO）生成的变化，并用逆转录2聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）观察IL-18受体信号链（IL-18Rβ）mRNA的表达水平。结果表明：（1）0.625～10nmol/L基因重组小鼠（rm）IL-18孵育胰岛24h后，对累积的和葡萄糖刺激的胰岛素释放以及NO生成均无显著效应；（2）200U/ml基因重组大鼠（rr）γ干扰素（IFN-γ）或250U/ml基因重组人（rh）肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）单独存在对胰岛素释放和NO生成均无明显效应，也不能促使10nmol/LrmIL-18对胰岛素释放和NO生成产生影响；（3）200U/mlrrIFN-γ+250U/mlrhTNF-α或15pg/mlrhIL-1β均明显促进NO生成和抑制胰岛素释放，而10nmol/LrmIL-18则不影响IFN-γ+TNF-α或IL-1β的上述效应；（4）即使经IL-1β和（或）IFN-γ+TNF-α或IL-12孵育后，大鼠胰岛素瘤（RIN）细胞或离体大鼠胰岛仍未见IL-18RβmRNA的表达。提示IL-18在细胞因子所致胰岛β细胞损伤中不发挥直接作用，原因是IL-18受体在胰岛β细胞中不表达。

Aim: To investigate the acute and chronic effects of nateglinide versus acarbose on plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels and lipid profiles in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Methods: A crossover trial of nateglinide and acarbose was conducted on 16 drug-naïve patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes during a total period of 9 weeks. Plasma glucose, serum insulin, free fatty acids (FFA), lipids and lipoproteins, and plasma ADMA were measured. Results: The efficiencies of a single dose of nateglinide (120 mg) and acarbose (50 mg) for lowering postprandial hyperglycemia were similar. Compared to acarbose, nateglinide significantly increased postprandial insulin release after a standard meal test in patients with type 2 diabetes. Nateglinide acutely decreased postprandial 120-min FFA concentrations and 240-min ADMA levels more significantly than acarbose. The fasting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level increased and the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level decreased significantly, but the fasting levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and ADMA were unchanged after 4 weeks of treatment with nateglinide. Acarbose did not affect fasting lipid profiles or the ADMA levels after 4 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: These results suggest that the reduction of postprandial FFA and ADMA concentrations induced by nateglinide may be associated with the partial restoration of early phase insulin secretion and may impart a cardiovascular advantage in comparison with acarbose.