单侧帕金森病猴模型的行为、神经递质、多巴胺受体、病理及局部脑血流研究

经右侧颈总动脉注射甲基-苯基-四氢吡啶(MPTP)使猴产生左侧肢体动作减少、行动迟缓、震颤及向右侧缓慢旋转。应用美多巴和阿朴吗啡显著地改善单侧帕金森病(PD)症状,同时引起向左侧快速旋转,并呈明显的剂量依赖性;应用苯丙胺引起向右侧快速旋转。连续应用美多巴诱致单侧PD猴产生舞蹈手足徐动症。高效液相色谱测定显示右侧壳核、尾状核和黑质多巴胺(DA)含量显著降低。光镜发现右侧黑质神经元变性。SPECT活体显像发现病损侧纹状体D_2DA受体活性在病损初期无改变,病损严重时超敏,以及病损侧脑血流灌注减低。实验表明MPTP可建成理想的能形象地模拟人类PD的单侧PD猴模型。SPECT是活体研究PD病理生理的有效检测手段。     

中脑多巴胺A9、A10神经元在MPTP损伤中敏感性的差异

自从科学家发现1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶（MPTP）选择性损伤中脑黑质致密区（A9）多巴胺神经元通路以来,用这种神经毒素诱导的帕金森病（PD）模型被广泛应用于PD的研究。然而同为DA能神经元的中脑一边缘一皮层的DA（A10）系统是否也遭到同样损伤呢？     

MPTP对小鼠帕金森病造模条件探讨

目的观察不同剂量1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶(MPTP)对小鼠行为学及脑黑质酪氨酸羟化酶、纹状体多巴胺含量的影响,探讨MPTP致帕金森病(Parkinson′s disease,PD)样小鼠模型的最佳条件。方法C57BL小鼠分别给与MPTP不同剂量处理,测定各组小鼠爬竿时间检测动物运动协调性,应用免疫组化方法和高效液相法观察不同模型组多巴胺能神经元的变化。结果模型组各组均出现不同程度爬竿时间延长,酪氨酸羟化酶阳性细胞数减少和多巴胺含量减少。结论MPTP处理可造成小鼠的帕金森病样症状,在此种动物模型中,应根据科研目的选择MPTP的应用剂量和给药途径。     

多巴胺代谢异常在帕金森病相关病理变化中的作用

帕金森病(Parkinson’s disease,PD)是常见的中枢神经系统退行性疾病之一,其主要病理学特征是中脑黑质部的多巴胺(dopamine,DA)能神经元选择性丢失。虽然已发现基因易感性、衰老、环境毒素等因素与PD发病有关,但导致DA能神经元退行性死亡的细胞分子机制仍不明确。DA代谢是DA能神经元中的重要生理过程,其过程与黑质DA能神经元丢失密切相关,DA代谢异常参与了PD神经元变性相关的诸多病理学过程,例如铁代谢异常、α-突触核蛋白异常聚集、内质网应激、蛋白质降解功能障碍、神经炎症反应等。本文就DA代谢异常在PD相关病理学过程中的作用进行综述。     

雌激素对6-羟基多巴胺损伤黑质多巴胺能神经元的保护作用

本研究以P50听觉诱发电位(P50 auditory evoked potential, P50)和酪氨酸羟化酶(tyrosine hydroxylase, TH)阳性细胞计数作为黑质功能和形态学指标,动态追踪研究雌激素对6-羟基多巴胺(6-hydroxydopamine, 6-OHDA)损伤黑质多巴胺(dopamine, DA)能神经元的作用.将大鼠分为4组:(1)正常雌性大鼠对照组;(2)单纯帕金森氏病(Parkinson's disease, PD)模型组;(3)双侧去卵巢PD模型组;(4)去卵巢回补3d雌激素的PD模型组.在大鼠清醒和安静的生理状态下连续14d记录黑质的P50,并检测黑质TH 细胞数目的变化.结果显示:单纯PD模型大鼠黑质P50的T/C值较正常雌鼠降低40.60%(P<0.01),其损伤侧黑质TH 细胞数目减少64.74%(P<0.01);去卵巢PD模型大鼠黑质P50的T/C值较单纯PD模型大鼠进一步降低45.88%(P<0.01),同时其黑质TH 细胞数目值也进一步减少57.26%(P<0.01),表明急性缺乏生理水平性腺雌激素将增大6-OHDA损伤黑质DA能神经元的程度,同时使黑质的感觉门控(sensory gating, SG)功能明显受损;去卵巢后回补3d生理剂量雌激素,可明显改善大鼠黑质的SG功能,提高TH 细胞数量(与去卵巢PD模型大鼠比较,P<0.01),其黑质损伤程度与单纯PD模型大鼠相当.以上结果提示,生理水平的雌激素具有提高黑质DA能神经元对伤害性刺激耐受性的神经保护作用.缺乏性腺源性的雌激素时,及时给予生理剂量的雌激素可以减轻神经毒素6-OHDA对黑质DA能神经元结构和功能的损伤.     

帕金森病小鼠模型行为学检测方法的比较研究

目的比较目前常用的5种帕金森病(PD)小鼠模型行为学检测方法在PD研究中的作用。方法用MPTP建立C57BL小鼠PD模型,通过行为学检测(自主活动计数、滚轴实验、游泳实验、爬杆实验、悬挂实验)、免疫组织化学和荧光分光光度法,对比5种行为学检测方法的平均数与变异系数,观察MPTP对PD小鼠模型的行为学、黑质多巴胺(DA)神经元和纹状体酪氨酸羟化酶免疫反应阳性(TH-ir)神经纤维以及纹状体DA水平的影响。结果给与MPTP后,小鼠行为学计数降低,爬杆实验未能得到检测结果,悬挂实验变异系数很高,结果有明显的偶然性,滚轴实验结果变异系数中等,平均数呈现一定的上升趋势,自主活动计数中移动与站立和游泳实验的平均数则呈现明显的下降趋势,变异系数很低,而黑质DA神经元数目减少约58%,纹状体TH-ir神经纤维密度减低,纹状体DA水平明显降低约88%,两组相比差异有显著性(P<0.01)。结论MPTP所致的C57BL小鼠的神经病理、生化改变与PD患者近似,自主活动计数和游泳实验优于其他行为学检测方法。     

星形胶质细胞在MPTP帕金森小鼠脑内的变化研究

目的：研究神经毒素1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶（1-methy-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahy-dropyridine,MPTP）对小鼠脑内星形胶质细胞及肿瘤坏死因子-α（Tunlomecrosis factor alpha,TNF-α）的影响,了解MPTP致帕金森病发病机制。方法：将神经毒素MPTP注入C57BL／6小鼠腹腔内,制备帕金森病动物模型。观察注药后小鼠行为学变化,免疫组化检测各时间点多巴胺能神经元缺失和星形胶质细胞增生与激活情况,以及TNF-α表达水平的变化。结果：MPTP组黑质多巴胺（dopamine,DA）能神经元的数量随注射天数增加而持续减少,星形胶质细胞数量明显增高,GFAP及TNF-α在模型组黑质内有中强阳性表达,与对照组相比差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论：MPTP可诱导星形胶质细胞的激活和增生,启动脑内炎症反应而介导DA神经元死亡。     

帕金森病模型大鼠脑内多巴胺与铁含量的关系

实验采用原子吸收分光光度法,快速周期伏安法,高效液相电化学检测等方法,研究以6－羟基多巴（6－OHDA）制备的帕金森病（PD）模型大鼠黑质内铁含量的变化。铁对多巴胺（DA）能神经元的直接毒性作用以及铁离子螯合剂甲磺酸去铁胺的神经保护作用。结果发现：（1）PD大鼠损毁侧黑质内铁含量为非标准PD大鼠的3倍左右;（2）PD大鼠损毁侧纹状体内铁含量无明显改变;（3）单纯注射6－OHDA的大鼠其损毁侧纹状体（CPu)DA的释放量和含量均明显降低;（4）侧脑室预先注射甲磺酸去铁胺,再重复上述实验,损毁侧CPu DA释放量和含量均无明显改变;（5）单侧黑质内注射40ug FeCl3后,大鼠损毁侧CPu内DA释放量和含量显著降低。上述结果提示,6－OHDA可导致CPu DA释放量及含量减少,此过程有铁的参与。由于铁可导致DA神经元死亡,因此铁含量的增加可能是DA含量减少的原因之一,甲磺酸去铁胺具有保护DA神经元的作用。     

6-OHDA制备的帕金森病大鼠黑质神经元的超微结构改变

目的观察6-羟多巴胺(6-OHDA)单侧注射制备的帕金森病(PD)大鼠多巴胺(DA)能神经元的超微结构改变。方法单侧微量注射6-OHDA制备PD大鼠模型,用免疫荧光组织化学方法观察正常侧与6-OHDA注射侧黑质酪氨酸羟化酶(TH)阳性神经细胞及神经纤维的变化;并利用免疫电镜技术观察大鼠正常侧与注射侧黑质致密部DA能神经元的超微结构。结果免疫荧光法显示注射侧黑质致密部TH阳性细胞数和网状部TH阳性纤维面积与正常侧的百分比平均值分别为21.83%,23.19%。免疫电镜显示:TH免疫反应阳性产物表达于PD大鼠正常侧DA能神经元的高尔基复合体质膜面及胞质内,电子密度较高,注射侧很少见或几乎未见,且注射侧线粒体嵴有不同程度的溶解,呈空泡样变或髓样变,粗面内质网脱颗粒。结论6-OHDA可引起DA能神经元发生凋亡的超微结构改变。     

尼古丁对帕金森病小鼠多巴胺能神经元的保护作用

目的：观察尼古丁对多巴胺能神经元的作用并探讨其作用机制。方法：采用1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶（1-methyl-4-phenyl—1,2,3,6-tetrahydmpyridine,MPTP）小鼠模型,通过行为学方法、免疫组织化学、电镜观察尼古丁预处理对帕金森病（parkinson’s disease,PD）小鼠的影响。结果：尼古丁预处理可以明显缩短PD小鼠的爬杆时间,提高悬挂的得分。免疫组化结果显示尼古丁显著减少多巴胺（doparnine,DA）能神经元变性（P〈0．01）和γ-氨基丁酸（γ-aminobutyric acid,GABA）能神经元的脱失（P〈0．05）,并可减轻尾核超微结构的损伤。结论：尼古丁可减轻MPTP小鼠多巴胺能神经元的损伤,对多巴胺能神经元有保护作用。     

Rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of halogenopyrimidines in plasma

Recent studies have stressed the need for individual adjustment of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) dosage. Most of the techniques previously reported are not well adapted to routine application. We describe a sensitive, selective and simple HPLC technique under isocratic conditions for the quantitation of 5-FU and other halogenopyrimidines. The proportion of reagents and internal standard were optimised to allow the use of minitubes, particularly adapted to large series of plasma assays. High extraction yield, 75% for 5-FU and 90% for 5-bromouracil and 5-chlorouracil, was obtained using 1.2 ml isopropanol–ethyl acetate (15:85, v/v) following precipitation of plasma proteins with 300 mg ammonium sulfate. The mobile phase was 0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 3.0). Uracil and 5-fluorouracil were fully resolved with Spherisorb ODS2 column. The limits of quantitation and detection in human plasma were 6 ng ml⁻¹ and 3 ng ml⁻¹, respectively, for all compounds studied. The total analysis time required for each run was 25 min. Final results could be given within 90 min of blood sampling. At least 50 plasma samples could be analysed per day. This method has been successfully used for monitoring 5-FU-based treatments.     

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the analysis of the anti-cancer agent capecitabine and its nucleoside metabolites in human plasma

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method with electrospray ionization and mass spectral detection is described for the determination of capecitabine, 5'-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine and 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine in human plasma with 5-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine as the internal standard. An on-line sample clean-up procedure allows dilution of the plasma sample with the initial mobile phase. The linear dynamic range is 0.0500-10.0 microgram/ml for capecitabine, and 0.0500-25.0 microgram/ml for the metabolites, 5'-deoxy-5-fluorocytidine and 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine, respectively. This method has been used to analyze plasma samples from patients receiving capecitabine in combination with oxaliplatin.     

Loss of reiterated DNA sequences during serial passage of human diploid fibroblasts

A specific family of tandemly repeated DNA sequences was found to diminish in the human genome after serial passage of three strains of diploid fibroblasts. Eco RI restriction fragments of 340 and 680 bp were significantly reduced in quantity at late passage as determined by autoradiography of 14C-DNA and also by ethidium bromide fluorescence. The reduction in these closely related DNA sequences was confirmed by saturation hybridization to excess 14H-RNA transcribed from a homogeneous restriction fragment recleaved from the 340 bp DNA. The maximal fraction of DNA hybridizing to the 3H-RNA probe declined by 33-50% over 21-41 population doublings. Divergence and/or methylation of such sequences could not account for these results since the thermal stability of cRNA:DNA duplexes actually increased by 0.3 degrees C at late passage. Total highly repetitive sequences assayed by reassociation kinetics were also substantially reduced at late passage, implying that depletion may be common to many repeat families in DNA. The denaturation temperature for such rapidly reassociated duplexes again increased slightly at late passage, possibly reflecting the minor decreases in DNA methylation which were detected in two of the cell strains. Karyotype analyses demonstrated that over 95% euploidy was maintained, with no specific chromosome loss and no visible deletions at late passage. The depletion of reiterated sequences during repeated cell division is thus attributed to numerous small DNA deletions, which may arise from unequal recombination coupled with selection or from a nonreciprocal mechanism such as excision.     

The reversion of trp frameshift mutations in mut,polA, lig and dnaE mutant strains of Escherichia coli

Mutator mutations mutL25, mutR34, and mutU4 had similar effects on the reversion of 4 trp frameshift mutations of known sequence. The mutation trpE9777, which resulted from the addition of an A–T base-pair to a run of 5 A–T base-pairs, was most strongly reverted by the 4 mutators. Reversion of trpE9777 was also increased by mutation polA1 (DNA polymerase I) and dnaE486 and dnaE511 (DNA polymerase III). No effect was found with the ligase mutations, lig-4 or lig-ts7. Mutations polAex1 and polA107, both deficient in the 5′ → 3′ exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase I, had different mutator effects; the factor increase in reversion of trpE9777 was 28-fold for polAex1, 6-fold for polA107, and 21-fold for polA1. The trpE9777 mutation is a useful indicator of frameshift mutator activity.     

Automated determination of 5-fluorouracil and its metabolite in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography with column switching

We report a quantitative assay of 5-fluorouracil (FU) and its metabolite, 5-fluorodihydrouracil (FDHU) in human urine by used a column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic method. The analyses were carried out using a molecular exclusion column for sample purification, and a cation-exchange column for separation. Each sample required only 40 min to analyze, and required no preparation other than filtration. Linearity was verified up to 1000 nmol/ml (r>0.993). The recovery of FU was 96–101%; recovery of FDHU was 96–105%. The imprecision (RSD) for FU (10–100 nmol/ml) was <1.5%, same-day (n=5), and <1.8%, day-to-day (n=5). The imprecision (RSD) for FDHU (10–100 nmol/ml) was <3.2%, same-day (n=5), and <4.0%, day-to-day (n=5). The detection limits were, respectively, 0.1 nmol/ml. We measured FU and FDHU in urine of seven cancer patients after oral administration of FU. The cumulative quantity ratio of the FDHU and FU (FDHU/FU) excreted in their urine within 120 min after FU administration was a constant value in all seven patients. Based on these results, we believe that our method provides a useful tool for evaluating FU metabolism.     

Adenovirus DNA replication in vitro: Origin and direction of daughter strand synthesis

We have characterized a soluble enzyme system from adenovirus-infected cells that is capable of replicating exogenously added adenovirus DNA in vitro. Maximal DNA synthesis is observed when DNA-protein complex, isolated from purified adenovirus virions, is added as template. Under these conditions DNA replication starts at or near either end of the template. Daughter strand synthesis then proceeds in the 5′ to 3′ direction displacing the parental strand of the same polarity. Thus, the r daughter strand is synthesized from right to left on the conventional map of the adenovirus genome, and the l daughter strand is synthesized from left to right. This course of events is the same as that which occurs during adenovirus DNA replication in vivo. In contrast, when deproteinized adenovirus DNA is added to the in vitro system, the limited DNA synthesis that is observed appears to be due to a repair-like reaction. In particular, synthesis can begin at many sites within the template, and the synthetic product consists largely of short DNA chains that are covalently linked to template DNA strands.     

Crystal structure of human pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase

Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR) is a universal housekeeping enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) to proline using NAD(P)H as the cofactor. The enzymatic cycle between P5C and proline is very important for the regulation of amino acid metabolism, intracellular redox potential, and apoptosis. Here, we present the 2.8 Angstroms resolution structure of the P5CR apo enzyme, its 3.1 Angstroms resolution ternary complex with NAD(P)H and substrate-analog. The refined structures demonstrate a decameric architecture with five homodimer subunits and ten catalytic sites arranged around a peripheral circular groove. Mutagenesis and kinetic studies reveal the pivotal roles of the dinucleotide-binding Rossmann motif and residue Glu221 in the human enzyme. Human P5CR is thermostable and the crystals were grown at 37 degrees C. The enzyme is implicated in oxidation of the anti-tumor drug thioproline.     

Identification of RNA molecules which contain 5 S ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA in an RNAase E-RNAase P- double mutant strain of Escherichia coli

In the analysis of DNAase II digestion of chromatin, as described in the preceding paper, interactions between adjacent nucleosomes play an important part. In order to understand the mechanism of DNAase II cleavage we next investigated the role of histone H1 in these interactions and characterized the nucleoprotein particles arising in the course of DNAase II action.H1-free chromatin prepared by three different procedures, using either 0.6 m-NaCl, transfer RNA or an ion-exchange resin, can be cleaved by DNAase II only at the internucleosomal cleavage site leading to 200-bp² digestion patterns regardless of the ionic conditions. When H1 was added back to the three chromatin preparations the 100-bp cleavage pattern could be restored only with material prepared by the resin method at low concentrations of salt. Addition of polylysine instead of H1 has the same effect, but only with material prepared by that method. A direct correlation between extended and condensed states of chromatin as monitored by electron microscopy and DNAase II cleavage in the 200 and 100-bp modes, respectively, could be established.The continuity of the nucleosome chains in DNAase II-digested chromatin is maintained in spite of intranucleosomal cleavage in the terminal section of the core DNA, even in the absence of H1. Addition of 3 m-urea, however, disrupts the nucleosome chains at the intranucleosomal cleavage sites and leads to the formation of novel nucleoprotein particles as seen in sucrose gradient centrifugations. Those sedimenting between mononucleosomes and dinucleosomes contain, almost exclusively, DNA of 300 bp (mouse) or 315 bp (chicken erythrocyte). They can be formed from particles sedimenting in the absence of urea in the dinucleosome region by either a dissociation process or a massive conformational change.On the basis of the results presented here and in the preceding paper a mechanism for DNAase II cleavage of chromatin in the 200-bp and 100-bp modes is proposed and discussed in the context of structural features of chromatin recognized by DNAase II.     

Transport of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate into primary cultured rat astrocytes

Transport of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (5-FTHF) into primary cultured rat astrocytes was studied. Uptake of 5-FTHF into astrocytes was linear in the first 60 min and is saturable with K(m)=3.3 microM and V(max)=27.5 pmol/mg protein/45 min in pH 7.4 medium. Uptake of 5-FTHF displayed the characteristics of countertransport. Uptake of 5-FTHF was inhibited by the structural analogs 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, methtrexate, and folic acid (K(i)=3.8, 2.7, and 18.4 microM, respectively). Uptake was significantly decreased by sodium azide but was increased by high concentration of sodium cyanide and low concentration of sodium arsenate. Uptake was also inhibited by p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate and by the anions probenecid and 4,4(')-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2(')-disulfonic acid. Acute exposure of the cells to ethanol (100mM) inhibited the uptake for 90 min of the experimental duration. It is concluded that astrocytes have a system for the uptake of 5-FTHF and folate analogs which is carrier mediated, this system is sensitive to energy inhibitors and alcohol exposure.