限食条件下下丘脑神经肽基因表达量对中缅树鼩体质量调节的影响

为阐明中缅树鼩Tupaia belangeri下丘脑神经肽基因表达量在限食条件下的体质量调节作用,本研究测定了限食(正常摄食量的80%)条件下中缅树鼩的体质量、体脂含量、血清瘦素浓度以及神经肽Y(NPY)、刺鼠相关蛋白(AgRP)、阿片促黑色素原(POMC)和可卡因-安他非明转录调节肽(CART)表达量。结果表明:限食极显著降低中缅树鼩的体质量和体脂含量(P0.01)。对照组和限食组的血清瘦素浓度差异有统计学意义(P0.05),血清瘦素浓度与体脂含量呈正相关。下丘脑神经肽基因NPY、AgRP、POMC和CART表达量差异有高度统计学意义(P0.01)。以上结果表明限食可以降低中缅树鼩的体质量、体脂含量和血清瘦素浓度,调整下丘脑神经肽基因表达量。瘦素通过调节NPY/AgRP和POMC/CART表达量来调节中缅树鼩的体质量。     

光周期和高脂食物对雌性高山姬鼠能量代谢和产热的影响

为了研究光周期和高脂食物对小型哺乳动物能量代谢和产热的影响,将成年雌性高山姬鼠分别驯化于长光照低脂、高脂食物和短光照低脂、高脂食物条件下,7周后测定动物的体重、能量摄入、产热、身体组成、血清瘦素浓度以及体脂含量等参数。结果发现:1)短光照抑制体重增长,降低血清瘦素浓度,增加非颤抖性产热;2)高脂食物使摄入能减少,消化率和体脂含量提高,但未显著影响体重、基础代谢率、非颤抖性产热和血清瘦素浓度;3)血清瘦素浓度与摄入能不相关,但与体脂重量正相关。结果暗示:短光照下瘦素作用敏感性增加和产热能力增强,可能介导了抵抗高脂食物诱导的肥胖。在野外条件下,高山姬鼠能通过能量代谢和产热的适应性调节避免体重的过度增长,有利于降低捕食风险,增强生存能力。     

Cell:瘦素和胰岛素作用于POMC神经元促进白色脂肪棕色化

<正>近日,来自澳大利亚莫纳什大学的Tony Tiganis在国际顶尖期刊cell发表了他们关于瘦素和胰岛素作用于POMC神经元促进白色脂肪棕色化的相关研究成果。文章首次证明瘦素和胰岛素能够协同作用于POMC神经元驱动白色脂肪棕色化以维持机体能量平衡。研究人员指出,瘦素是由脂肪细胞分泌的一种重要的脂肪因子,对能量平衡和体重控制具有重要作用,瘦素能够作用于POMC神经元和NPY/Ag RP神经元以抑制食欲促进能量消耗;胰岛素由β胰岛细胞分泌的一种重要因子,能够作用于肝脏、脂肪、肌肉等多种器官组织以调节血     

NPY和POMC基因在生长差异与饥饿再摄食鳙个体中的表达分析

为研究摄食促进基因和摄食抑制基因对鱼类生长调控和饥饿再摄食过程的影响,研究克隆了鳙神经肽Y(HynNPY)基因和前阿黑皮素原(HynPOMC)基因cDNA序列,采用qRT-PCR技术分析它们在生长显著差异鳙个体下丘脑、肠中的基因表达变化;设置对照组(连续投喂4周)、饥饿组、饥饿再摄食组,分析NPY和POMC在不同处理组鳙的下丘脑、肠中的基因表达变化。鳙NPY和POMC基因cDNA全长分别为839和799 bp,开放阅读框有291和657 bp,分别编码96和218个氨基酸。系统进化分析结果表明,鳙NPY和POCM基因具有高度保守性。鳙NPY在下丘脑的表达量最高,其次为肠和脑; POMC在肠道中的表达量最高,其次为下丘脑和肝脏。在相同环境下生长差异鳙个体的下丘脑和肠中, NPY在极大个体的表达量高于极小组个体, POMC在极小个体中的表达量高于极大个体。饥饿导致NPY在下丘脑表达上升,在肠表达量显著上升,恢复摄食后, NPY在下丘脑和肠中表达量下降; POMC在饥饿组下丘脑和肠中都表现为表达量呈显著上升,复投喂后POMC表达量逐步下降至接近对照组水平。肠组织学观察显示,极大个体的肠腔直径...     

黑线仓鼠体重和能量代谢的季节性变化

为阐明小型哺乳动物体重和能量代谢的季节性变化以及生理调节机制,将黑线仓鼠驯化于自然环境下12个月,测定其体重、能量收支、身体组织器官和血清瘦素水平的季节性变化。黑线仓鼠能量摄入和支出的季节性变化显著,冬季摄入能、基础代谢率(BMR)、非颤抖性产热(NST)显著高于夏季。体重季节性变化不显著,但身体组织器官重量呈现显著的季节性变化,冬季肝脏、心脏、肾脏以及消化道重量显著高于夏季。体脂含量夏季最高,冬季最低,冬季显著低于夏、秋和春季(P <0.01)。血清瘦素水平的季节性变化显著,夏季瘦素水平比秋、冬季分别高88.2% 和52.4% (P <0.05)。结果表明,黑线仓鼠体重维持季节性稳定,与“调定点假说”的预测不同;但脂肪含量和血清瘦素季节性变化显著,符合该假说。夏季血清瘦素升高具有抑制能量摄入的作用,冬季血清瘦素可能是促进代谢产热的重要因子,瘦素对能量代谢和体重的调节作用与气候的季节性变化有关。       

下丘脑弓状核PYY对大鼠摄食、胃运动和能量代谢的影响及机制

目的:探究YY肽(PYY)对雄性Wistar大鼠的摄食、胃运动和能量代谢的影响及潜在机制。方法:采用免疫组织化学实验方法观察大鼠下丘脑弓状核(ARC)中Y2受体的表达;通过ARC微量注射PYY,观察其对下丘脑中编码摄食相关代谢激素的m RNA表达以及ARC中PYY反应性神经元的放电频率、食物摄入量及水摄入量、氧气消耗(VO_2)、CO_2产生(VCO_2)及能量代谢的影响。结果:免疫组化结果显示大鼠ARC内存在Y2受体;大鼠ARC注射PYY能够兴奋PYY反应性神经元,上调可卡因-苯丙胺调节转录肽(CART)及促肾上腺皮质释放激素(CRH)等抑食肽m RNA的表达,下调神经肽Y(NPY)及下丘脑泌素(HCRT)等促食肽m RNA的表达;且抑制大鼠食物摄入量,并参与调控大鼠呼吸、能量代谢及胃运动的改变。结论:ARC微量注射PYY可减少食物摄入并调节全身能量平衡,PYY可能是一种新型代谢肽。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

The structure, reproduction and taxonomy of Vidalia and Osmundaria (Rhodophyta, Rhodomelaceae)

Comprises species occurring mostly in subtidal habitats in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate areas of the world. An analysis of the type species, V. spiralis (Sonder) Lamouroux ex J. Agardh, a species from Australia, establishes basic characters for distinguishing species in the genus. These characters are (1) branching patterns of thalli, (2) flat blades that may be spiralled on their axis, (3) width of the blade, (4) primary or secondary derivation of sterile and fertile branchlets and (5) position of sterile and fertile branchlets on the thalli. Application of the latter two characters provides an important basic method for separation of species into three major groups. Osmundaria , a genus known only in southern Australia, was studied in relation to Vidalia , and its separation from the Vidalia assemblage is not accepted. Species of Vidalia therefore are transferred to the older genus name, Osmundaria. Two new species, Osmundaria papenfussii and Osmundaria oliveae are described from Natal. Confusion in the usage of the epithet, Vidalia fimbriala Brown ex Turner has been clarified, and Vidalia gregaria Falkenberg, described as an epiphyte on Osmundaria pro/ifera Lamouroux, is revealed to be young branches of the host, Osmundaria prolifera.     

New or rare chromosome counts in Artemisia L. (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and related genera from Kazakhstan

Fifteen chromosome counts of six Artemisia taxa and one species of each of the genera Brachanthemum, Hippolytia, Kaschgaria, Lepidolopsis and Turaniphytum are reported from Kazakhstan. Three of them are new reports, two are not consistent with previous counts and the remainder are confirmations of very scarce (one to four) earlier records. All the populations studied have the same basic chromosome number, x = 9, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 6x. Some correlations between ploidy level, morphological characters and distribution are noted.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

肝癌中HBV和HCV基因和抗原的分布及意义

采用原位分子杂交方法检测HCV RNA及HBV X基因;采用免疫组织化学方法研究HCV核心抗原,非结构区C33c抗原及HBxAg在肝细胞肝癌中的定位及分布.结果表明(1)HCV RNA、HBV X基因在肝细胞肝癌组织检出率分别为40%(55/136)和82%(112/136).HCV RNA定位于癌细胞的胞浆内,阳性细胞呈散在、灶状及弥漫分布三种形式;HBV X基因在肝癌细胞中的分布呈胞浆型、核型及核浆型,阳性细胞也呈上述三种分布形式;(2)HCV C33c抗原、核心抗原在肝细胞肝癌中的阳性率为81%(133/164)及86%(141/164).C33c抗原定位于癌细胞及肝细胞的胞浆内;核心抗原既定位于癌细胞核中,又可定位于胞浆中.C33c抗原阳性细胞以灶状分布为主;而核心抗原阳性细