酸敏感离子通道与脑梗死

急性脑梗死约占全部脑卒中的70%,病死率和致残率高,且极易复发。但目前针对急性脑梗死在时间窗内溶栓、抗凝等治疗手段不能从根本上切实有效地修复受损脑组织,且伴有出血等风险。寻找脑梗死形成发展的原因并予以治疗迫在眉睫。酸中毒是引起缺血性脑损伤的重要机制。大量实验研究表明,酸中毒能加重神经元的缺血性损伤,且其梗死面积与酸中毒的程度直接相关。但缺血产生的酸中毒如何引起神经元损伤的确切机制尚不明确。最近研究发现酸中毒能激活一种在中枢及周围神经中广泛存在的膜通道,即酸敏感离子通道,它对Ca2+通透,能引起细胞内Ca2+超载,同时能激活胞内酶引起细胞内蛋白质、脂类及核酸的降解,加重缺血后脑损伤。本文就酸敏感离子通道1a与脑梗死做一综述。     

Characterization of cDNA of lycopene beta-cyclase responsible for a high level of beta-carotene accumulation in Dunaliella salina.

Lycopene beta-cyclase (Lyc-B) is the key enzyme in the catalysis of linear lycopene to form cyclic beta-carotene, an indispensable part of the photosynthetic apparatus and an important source of vitamin A in human and animal nutrition. Studies showing that the microalga Dunaliella salina can accumulate a high level of beta-carotene are lacking. We hypothesize that D. salina is closely involved with the catalytic mechanism of Lyc-B and the molecular regulation of its gene. In this study, we used RT-PCR and RACE-PCR to isolate a 2475 bp cDNA with a 1824 bp open reading frame, encoding a putative Lyc-B, from D. salina. Homology studies showed that the deduced amino acid sequence had a significant overall similarity with sequences of other green algae and higher plants, and that it shared the highest sequence identity, up to 64%, with Lyc-B of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Codon analysis showed that synonymous codon usage in the enzyme has a strong bias towards codons ending with adenosine. Two motifs were found in the Lyc-B sequence, one at the N terminus, for binding the hypothetical cofactor FAD, and the other was a substrate carrier motif in oxygenic organisms shared by an earlier carotenogenesis enzyme, phytoene desaturase, and Lyc-B. A tertiary structure prediction suggested that the catalytic or binding site structure within LycB from D. salina is superior to that of both H. pluvialis and C. reinhardtii. The LycB protein from D. salina was quite removed from that of H. pluvialis and C. reinhardtii in the phylogenetic tree. Taken as a whole, this information provides insight into the regulatatory mechanism of Lyc-B at the molecular level and the high level of beta-carotene accumulation in the microalga D. salina.     

A comparison of the central gastrointestinal antitransit effects of morphine and bombesin in the mouse

The gastrointestinal motor effects of centrally-given morphine and bombesin were compared in mice. Both compounds produced a dose-related decrease in the propulsion of a marker along the gut when given by the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) or intrathecal (i.th.) routes. Co-administration of the same compound by both routes was found to produce a marked increase in potency for morphine, but only a slight increase in potency for bombesin. Isobolographic analysis of the gut effects of these compounds revealed a multiplicative brain-spinal cord interaction for morphine, but an additive interaction for bombesin. These results are consistent with the interpretation that morphine can act at either the level of the brain or the spinal cord, activating independent pathways which ultimately converge to alter gut propulsion. In contrast, spinal bombesin requires communication to supraspinal sites in order for its gut effects to occur, suggesting activation of a common outflow pathway from the central nervous system.     

盾叶薯蓣地上部分的三个新甾体皂甙

从盾叶薯蓣Dioscorea zingiberensis Wright地上部分分离鉴定了四个甾体皂甙,经鉴定甙A为约莫皂甙元-3-O-[α-L-鼠李吡喃糖基(1→2)]-β-D-葡萄吡喃糖甙;甙B为24α-羟基约莫皂甙元-3-O-[α-L-鼠李吡喃糖基(1→2)]β-D-葡萄吡喃糖甙;甙C为约莫皂甙元-3-O-[α-L-鼠李吡喃糖基(1→2)][β-D-葡萄吡喃糖基(1→4)]-β-D-葡萄吡喃糖基;甙D为约莫皂甙元-3-O-[α-L-鼠李吡喃糖基(1→2)][β-D-葡萄吡喃糖基(1→3)]-β-D-葡萄吡喃糖甙。前三者为新化合物,分别命名为盾叶皂甙A_1、A_2、A_3(zingiberoside A_1、A_2、A_3),其中盾叶皂甙A_2的甙元为一新甾体皂甙元,命名为盾叶皂甙元(zingiberogenin)。