Electrostatic determinants of the ion channel control of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of Torpedo californica

The patch clamp K⁺-conductance G of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AcChoR) dimer (M_r≈ 590 000) of Torpedo californica, reconstituted in lipid vesicles, which decreases with increasing Ca²⁺-concentration in the range 0.1≤[Ca²⁺]/mM≤2, can be quantitatively rationalized by Ca²⁺-binding to negatively charged sites, causing charge reversal reducing the normal K⁺-accumulation in the channel vestibules. Cleavage of the sialic acid residues (up to 20±2 per dimer) reduces the K⁺-accumulation factor α = G₀/G_∞ from α = 3±0.8 of the normal AcChoR to α = 2±0.7 for the desialyated AcChoR. Desialysation also decreases the Ca²⁺-sensitivity of the conductance from G₀ = 96.6±6 pS at [Ca²⁺]→0 of the normal AcChoR to G₀ = 84.2±6 pS. Endogenous hyperphosphorylation (to up to 28±4 phosphates per dimer) enhances the vestibular K⁺-accumulation to α = 3.6±0.7, without affecting the Ca²⁺-dissociation equilibrium constant K_Ca = 0.34± 0.05 mM at 295 K (22 °C). Most interestingly, even in the absence of AcCho, the hyperphosphorylated AcChoR dimer exhibits spontaneously long-lasting open channel events (τ = 200±50 ms). At [AcCho] = 2 μM there are two open states (τ ₁ = 20±10 ms, τ ₂ = 140±60 ms) whereas the normal AcChoR dimer has only one open state (τ = 6±4 ms). – Physiologically important is that (i) the sialic acid and phosphate residues render the AcChoR conductance sensitive to control by divalent ions and (ii) the channel behavior of the hyperphosphorylated AcChoR without AcCho appears to indicate pathophysiologically high phosphorylation activity of the cell leading, among others, to myasthenic syndromes. Received: 10 November 1997 / Revised version: 12 January 1998 / Accepted: 7 March 1998     

血清脂联素水平对老年维持性血液透析患者心脑血管事件发生风险及预后的影响

目的:探讨老年维持性血液透析(MHD)患者血清脂联素(adiponectin,ADPN)水平与其心脑血管事件发生风险及其预后的关系。方法:采用酶联免疫吸附实验(ELISA)检测76例老年MHD患者血清ADPN水平,以5 mg/L为界,以5 mg/L为低ADPN组,≥5 mg/L为高ADPN组。随访观察两组心脑血管事件的发生情况及预后。采用Cox回归分析血清ADPN水平和心脑血管事件对老年MHD患者的预后影响。结果:76例老年MHD患者的血清ADPN水平为(11.10±10.68)mg/L,其中低ADPN组患者有33例,高ADPN组患者有43例。与低ADPN组相比,高ADPN组患者的心脑血管事件发生率明显下降,而生存时间明显延长(P0.05)。Cox回归分析显示低ADPN水平和发生心脑血管事件是老年MHD患者生存时间的危险因素(P0.05)。结论:血清ADPN水平可作为老年MHD患者心脑血管事件的预测指标,并与患者的预后相关,有较好的临床应用价值。     

Design and Analysis of Multiple Events Case–Control Studies

Summary In case–control research where there are multiple case groups, standard analyses fail to make use of all available information. Multiple events case–control (MECC) studies provide a new approach to sampling from a cohort and are useful when it is desired to study multiple types of events in the cohort. In this design, subjects in the cohort who develop any event of interest are sampled, as well as a fraction of the remaining subjects. We show that a simple case–control analysis of data arising from MECC studies is biased and develop three general estimating‐equation‐based approaches to analyzing data from these studies. We conduct simulation studies to compare the efficiency of the various MECC analyses with each other and with the corresponding conventional analyses. It is shown that the gain in efficiency by using the new design is substantial in many situations. We demonstrate the application of our approach to a nested case–control study of the effect of oral sodium phosphate use on chronic kidney injury with multiple case definitions.     

不同质子泵抑制剂对冠脉支架植入术后氯吡格雷联合阿司匹林抗血小板作用的研究

目的:通过比较奥美拉唑和泮托拉唑对冠状动脉支架术(PCI)后患者血小板功能指标和主要不良心血管事件与出血并发症发生情况,探讨不同质子泵抑制剂对PCI后氯吡格雷联合阿司匹林抗血小板作用的影响。方法:60例实施PCI后常规联合抗血小板治疗(氯吡格雷75mg/d+阿司匹林100mg/d)患者随机分为奥美拉唑组(40mg/d,20例),泮托拉唑组(40mg/d,20例)和对照组(20例),连续用药30d。分别在服药前1d及服药15d,30d用血栓弹力图检测ADP途径诱导的血小板抑制率值和比浊法检测ADP途径诱导的血小板最大聚集率(MPAR)。并观察30d各组主要不良心血管事件和出血并发症的发生情况。结果:①奥美拉唑组和泮托拉唑组与对照组相比,服药前1d及服药15d,30d用血栓弹力图检测的血小板抑制率和比浊法检测的血小板最大聚集率(MPAR)均无明显变化;奥美拉唑与泮托拉唑组间比较,差异也无统计学意义。服药15d,30d与服药前1d相比,每组血小板抑制率明显升高,血小板最大聚集率明显下降,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);但15d和30d相比较,差异无统计学意义。②三组比较心血管事件发生率相近,差异无统计学意义(P0.05);奥美拉唑组和泮托拉唑组比较,心血管事件发生率也无统计学差异(P0.05)。③与对照组比较,奥美拉唑组和泮托拉唑组胃肠道出血发生率均明显减少,有统计学意义(P0.05),但两服药组间比较,出血发生率无明显区别,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:氯吡格雷联合阿司匹林具有增强血小板抑制,降低血小板凝聚的作用,而不同机制质子泵抑制剂奥美拉唑与泮托拉唑对PCI术后氯吡格雷联合阿司匹林抗血小板治疗患者的血小板功能无明显影响,不降低对心血管事件的预防效果,同时明显降低患者胃肠出血事件的发生率。     

Genome Re-duplication and Irregular Segregation Occur During the Cell Cycle of Entamoeba histolytica

Heterogeneity of genome content is commonly observed in axenic cultures of Entamoeba histolytica. Cells with multiple nuclei and nuclei with heterogenous genome contents suggest that regulatory mechanisms that ensure alternation of DNA synthesis and mitosis are absent in this organism. Therefore, several endo-reduplicative cycles may occur without mitosis. The data also shows that unlike other endo-reduplicating organisms, E.histolytica does not undergo a precise number of endo-reduplicative cycles. We propose that irregular endo-reduplication and genome partitioning lead to heterogeneity in the genome content of E.histolytica trophozoites in their proliferative phase. The goal of future studies should be aimed at understanding the mechanisms that are involved in (a) accumulation of multiple genome contents in a single nucleus; (b) genome segregation in nuclei that contain multiple genome contents and (c) maintenance of genome fidelity in E. histolytica.     

春季小降雨事件对科尔沁沙地尖头叶藜萌发的影响

通过人工模拟降雨试验研究了科尔沁沙地优势草本植物尖头叶藜萌发和幼苗建成对春季小降雨事件(2、4、8 mm和自然降雨)的响应。结果表明:不同降雨处理对尖头叶藜的萌发和幼苗建成有显著影响(P0.05)。8mm降水量是促使尖头叶藜萌发的最小降雨阈量。不同降雨量处理下尖头叶藜萌发数量大小顺序为:8mm处理对照4 mm处理2mm处理;而高度和冠幅依次是2 mm处理(2.23 cm和7.15 cm2.)对照(2.03 cm和6.21 cm2)4mm处理(1.86 cm和5.01 cm2)8mm处理(1.48cm和4.72 cm2);降雨量为8mm的地上生物量最多(45.26 g/m2),对照为35.49g/m2、4mm处理为26.54g/m2、2mm处理为15.26g/m2。尖头叶藜幼苗的水分利用效率与每次降水量呈显著地正相关关系,随着每次降雨量的增大地上生物量逐渐增大。本试验中各处理的总降雨量一致,但地上生物量不同且差异显著。每次降雨量×降雨次数的分布状况影响了尖头叶藜幼苗的地上生物量。科尔沁沙地尖头叶藜萌发及其幼苗建成在密度、形态和水分利用效率和地上生产力上对不同模式的小降雨做出了积极的响应。     

黄河调水调沙对黄河口海域双酚A的影响

于2011年6—7月黄河调水调沙前、中期、后对黄河口海域双酚A(BPA)污染情况进行调查,研究了调水调沙对黄河口海域双酚A的影响。结果表明:黄河口13个站位表层海水和沉积物中均有双酚A检出,以调水调沙前测得的海水和沉积物中双酚A含量评估黄河口附近双酚A的污染程度。海水中双酚A浓度范围为13.6—64.0 ng/L,平均浓度为26.2 ng/L;沉积物中双酚A的浓度为0.559—2.73μg/kg干重,平均浓度为1.19μg/kg,是海水中平均含量的48倍。黄河河口区域海水中双酚A浓度受调水调沙影响而呈现较大变化,调水调沙后双酚A浓度明显增加,调水调沙前、后呈显著性差异(P0.01),说明陆源输入是黄河口区域中双酚A的主要污染来源。离入海口近的站位沉积物中双酚A浓度受调水调沙影响较大,呈显著性差异(P0.01),调水调沙后含量显著降低。黄河口海域已经遭受双酚A污染,存在生态安全问题。