Peroxisome-desmosome complexes in mouse hepatic cells

Summary In addition to mitochondrion-desmosome complexes, peroxisome-desmosome complexes were present in mouse hepatocytes. The latter complexes consisted of a desmosome which was flanked on one or both sides by a peroxisome. Occasional desmosomes were confronted on one side by a peroxisome and on the other by a mitochondrion. It is suggested that the association between organelles and desmosomes is fortuitous, and that no functional significance can be inferred from this association.This work was supported in part by grants from the Heart Association of Northeastern Ohio, Inc., by grant 3C179 from the Cleveland Foundation, by American Cancer Society Institutional Grant In-57-H, and by grant 5 SO1 FR05335-09 from the National Institutes of Health. The expert technical assistance of Merry A. Hetrick and Jeanne Luschin is acknowledged.     

Endogenous Benzodiazepine Receptor Ligands in Human and Animal Hepatic Encephalopathy

The role of endogenous benzodiazepine receptor ligands in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy was studied in humans and in rat models of hepatic encephalopathy. Endogenous benzodiazepine ligands were extracted from rat brain and human CSF by acid treatment and purification by HPLC. Detection and partial characterization of these endogenous benzodiazepine ligands were carried out using both radioreceptor binding assays and radioimmunoassays with anti-benzodiazepine antibodies. Four different benzodiazepine receptor ligands were identified in human and rat tissue, two of which may be diazepam and desmethyldiazepam, based on elution profiles and anti-benzo-diazepine antibody reactivity. Human CSF and serum from patients with hepatic encephalopathy contained approximately 10 times more endogenous benzodiazepine receptor ligand than CSF from controls or nonencephalopathic patients with liver disease. The levels of brain benzodiazepine receptor ligand compounds were also increased approximately 10-fold in rats suffering from fulminant hepatic failure, but not in rats with portacaval shunts, a model of chronic hepatic disease. The increased concentrations of these substances could be behaviorally significant and may contribute to the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy.     

Vitamin E and fatty acids in the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Summary Vitamin E levels in serum, liver and blubber (subcutaneous adipose tissue) were determined for 66 male and female grey seals of varying age in the pupping colony on Sable Island in the Northwest Atlantic by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fatty acid concentrations were determined for all blubber specimens. Adult males and pups had significantly higher levels of vitamin E and cholesterol in serum than females and juveniles. A close relationship between vitamin E and cholesterol in serum could be observed. Suckling pups had significantly higher levels of vitamin E in liver (191 mg·kg^–1) than juveniles and adults (21–41 mg·kg^–1). Levels of vitamin E in blubber showed an age-dependent increase, with the highest levels being found in adult males; overall, these levels were much lower than in man. Vitamin E levels in blubber and liver of lactating females were only half that of adult males. This might be due to an intensive transfer of vitamin E from mother to pup during lactation, a process which may also explain the much higher levels of vitamin E in serum and liver of nursing pups. The low levels of vitamin E in blubber of seals might be a result of its high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids (79%). Highest percentage was represented by 18:1, 16:1, 22:6 and 16:0. Pups had lower values of monounsaturated, and a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids compared to mothers.     

吸烟对大鼠肺循环血流动力学及肺血管反应性的影响

本实验用大鼠29只,进行人工通气吸入烟气,初步探讨了吸烟对肺循环的影响。其中7只观察了吸烟对肺循环血流动力学的直接影响,结果表明,吸烟可致右心室收缩压、心输出量下降及心率减慢,肺循环阻力无明显改变。观察22只大鼠吸烟后缺氧所致肺循环血流动力学变化,结果表明,吸烟可使缺氧性肺血管反应降低,而且发生在肺循环血流动力学变化之前。     

肝再生的调控及原癌基因表达

肝脏再生过程中受到多种体液因素的调控。肝细胞生长因子（ＨＧＦ）、肝刺激因子（ＨＳＳ）等对肝细胞有促分裂作用;转化生长因子β１（ＴＧＦβ１）等则具有抑制作用。此外,肝再生还需要去甲肾上腺素（ＮＥ）、胰岛素等辅助分裂原的存在,共同调节肝再生。肝细胞分裂增殖与原癌基因表达密切相关。肝细胞从静息期进入细胞周期,以及在整个细胞周期中,某些原癌基因有特征性的表达。     

大阪鲫鱼两种卵黄蛋白免疫细胞化学的研究

以电泳提纯的卵黄脂磷蛋白和卵黄蛋白Ｌ制备兔抗两种蛋白的抗血清,采用ＰＡＰ法对性腺成熟雌性大阪鲫鱼的肝细胞和卵母细胞进行两种蛋白免疫细胞化学位研究。肝细胞的粗面内质网上有强烈的卵黄脂磷蛋白的阳性反应,特别是在线粒体的基质中也发现卵黄脂磷蛋白的阳性反应,而另外一种类似于卵黄高磷蛋白的卵黄蛋白－卵黄蛋白Ｌ在肝细胞的粗面内质网和线粒体均呈现阴性反应,提示卵黄脂磷蛋白的前体物质存在于肝细胞的粗面内质网和线粒     

Metabolic activation of unsaturated derivatives of valproic acid. Identification of novel glutathione adducts formed through coenzyme A-dependent and -independent processes

The ability of 2-n-propyl-4-pentenoic acid (Δ⁴-VPA) and 2-n-propyl-2(E)-pentenoic acid ([E]-Δ²-VPA), two unsaturated metabolites of valproic acid (VPA), to form reactive intermediates, deplete hepatic glutathione (GSH) and cause accumulation of liver triglycerides was investigated in the rat. With the aid of ionspray liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), three GSH adducts were detected in the bile of Δ⁴-VPA-treated animals and were identified as 4-hydroxy-5-glutathion-S-yl-VPA-γ-lactone, 5-glutathion-S-yl-(E)-Δ³-VPA and 3-oxo-5-glutathion-S-yl-VPA. A fourth conjugate was identified tentatively as 4-glutathion-S-yl-5-hydroxy-VPA. Quantitative analysis of the corresponding N-acetylcysteine (NAC) conjugates in urine indicated that metabolism of Δ⁴-VPA via the GSH-dependent pathways accounted for approximately 20% of an acute dose (100 mg kg⁻¹ i.p.). In contrast, when rats were given an equivalent dose of (E)-Δ²-VPA, only one GSH adduct (5-glutathion-S-yl-(E)-Δ³-VPA) was detected at low concentrations in bile. In vitro experiments with rat liver mitochondria demonstrated that Δ⁴-VPA undergoes coenzyme A- and ATP-dependent metabolic activation in this organelle via the β-oxidation pathway to intermediates which bind covalently to proteins. When liver homogenates and hepatic mitochondria from rats injected with Δ⁴-VPA, (E)-Δ²-VPA or VPA were analyzed for GSH content, it was found that only Δ⁴-VPA depleted GSH pools significantly. Treatment of rats with Δ⁴-VPA and (to a lesser extent) VPA led to an accumulation of liver triglycerides, whereas (E)-Δ²-VPA had no measurable effect. It is concluded that Δ⁴-VPA undergoes metabolic activation by both microsomal cytochrome P-450-dependent and mitochondrial coenzyme A-dependent processes, and that the resulting electrophilic intermediates, which are trapped in part by GSH, may mediate the hepatotoxic effects of this compound. In contrast, (E)-Δ²-VPA is not transformed to any appreciable extent to reactive metabolites, which thus accounts for the apparent lack of hepatotoxicity of this positional isomer in the rat.     

Weak antioxidant defenses make the heart a target for damage in copper-deficient rats

Copper deficiency causes more salient pathologic changes in the heart than in the liver of rats. Although oxidative stress has been implicated in copper deficiency-induced pathogenesis, little is known about the selective toxicity to the heart. Therefore, we examined the relationship between the severity of copper deficiency-induced oxidative damage and the capacity of antioxidant defense in heart and liver to investigate a possible mechanism for the selective cardiotoxicity. Weanling rats were fed a purified diet deficient in copper (0.4 μg/g diet) or one containing adequate copper (6.0 μg/g diet) for 4 weeks. Copper deficiency induced a 2-fold increase in lipid peroxidation in the heart (thiobarbituric assay) but did not alter peroxidation in the liver. The antioxidant enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were, respectively, 3-, 50- and 1.5-fold lower in the heart than in the liver, although these enzymatic activities were depressed in both organs by copper deficiency. In addition, the activity of glutathione reductase was 4 times lower in the heart than in the liver. The data suggest that a weak antioxidant defense system in the heart is responsible for the relatively high degree of oxidative damage in copper-deficient hearts.     

肝癌组织中GD3合成酶的纯化

ＧＤ３合成酶是膜嵌合蛋白,定位于高尔基体,经过制作微粒体,Ｔｒｉｔｏｎ增溶、ＡＨ－Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ及ＧＭ３－Ｇｌａｓｓｂｅａｄｓｅ及ＧＭ３－Ｇｌａｓｓｂｅａｄｓ亲和层析等步骤,二乙基亚硝胺诱发大鼠肝癌组织中的ＳＴ２被纯化了３１５９７倍,得率为０．３５％。ＳＤＳ－聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳后银染色呈１条蛋白着色带,分子量为５５ｋｄ。     

慢性缺氧对大鼠左右心室功能、心肌肌原纤维Ca~（2＋），Mg~（2＋）－ATP

模拟５０００ｍ中度缺氧时,大鼠右室功能显著加强,而左室功能加强不显著;左右心室肌原纤维Ｃａ２＋,Ｍｇ２＋－ＡＴＰ酶活性下降,肌球蛋白同功酶Ｖ２和Ｖ３百分含量增加,Ｖ１百分含量减少。８０００ｍ重度缺氧时,右室功能减弱,但无统计学意义,左室功能减弱有显著性;ＡＴＰ酶活性和同功酶的变化超过５０００ｍ组。此外,右室ＡＴＰ酶活性与ＰＡＰ呈反比且有显著性,左室ＡＴＰ酶活性与ＣＡＳＰ虽也呈反比但无显著性;右室同功酶Ｖ３百分含量与ＰＡＰ呈正比,左室同功酶Ｖ３百分含量与ＣＡＳＰ不呈比例。上述结果表明,因短期突发严重缺氧引起的心肌供氧不足对左心室心肌的直接损伤作用大于右心室心肌。