Perinatal transmission of HIV-I in Zambia.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the occurrence of vertical transmission of HIV-I from women positive for the virus and the prognosis for their babies. DESIGN--Women presenting in labour were tested for HIV-I. Their newborn babies were also tested. Women positive for the virus were followed up with their babies for two years. SETTING--Teaching hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. SUBJECTS--1954 Women, of whom 227 were seropositive. Of 205 babies, 192 were positive for HIV-I. After birth 109 seropositive mothers and their babies and 40 seronegative mothers and their babies were available for follow up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Serological examination of mothers and their babies by western blotting. Birth weight and subsequent survival of babies. Women and babies were tested over two years for signs of seroconversion and symptoms of infection with HIV, AIDS related complex, and AIDS. RESULTS--Of the 109 babies born to seropositive mothers and available for follow up, 18 died before 8 months, 14 with clinical AIDS. Of the 91 remaining, 23 were seropositive at 8 months. By 24 months 23 of 86 surviving babies were seropositive, and a further five infected babies had died, four were terminally ill, 17 had AIDS related complex, and two had no symptoms. The overall rate of perinatal transmission was 42 out of 109 (39%). The overall mortality of infected children at 2 years was 19 out of 42 (44%). Before the age of 1 year infected children had pneumonia and recurrent coughs, thereafter symptoms included failure to thrive, recurrent diarrhoea and fever, pneumonia, candidiasis, and lymphodenopathy. All babies had received live attenuated vaccines before 8 months with no adverse affects. CONCLUSIONS--Vertical transmission from infected mothers to their babies is high in Zambia and prognosis is poor for the babies. Perinatal transmission and paediatric AIDS must be reduced, possibly by screening young women and counselling those positive for HIV-I against future pregnancy.     

Virological survey of rhesus monkeys in China

A virological survey of rhesus monkeys captured in China for 13 viruses and/or antibodies was performed. Antigens used were SFV, SF40, HSV-1, Sa11, measles, vaccinia, epidemic or simian hemorrhagic fever, Langat, Kunming, poliomyelitis, HIV, SV41 and rubella. Monkeys were from Sichuan, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. Antibody was detected to all the listed viruses except HIV, SV41 and rubella. Both SFV and SV40 were recovered from monkeys, but H. simiae, LCM and coxsackieviruses were not.     

钼,铁,硫化合物激活曝氧的棕色固氮菌固氮酶钼铁蛋白的研究

曝氧后,棕色固氮菌(Azotobacter vinelandii)固氮酶钼铁蛋白的催化活性和圆二色信号都显著降低,而吸收光谱则显著增加。与钼、铁、硫化合物和二硫苏糖醇组成的重组溶液保温后,曝氢蛋白的圆二色信号和吸收光谱几乎完全恢复至天然状态的同时,乙炔还原活性也得到了显著的恢复,表明重组溶液可使曝氧蛋白中的 P-cluster和其它活性部位都得到了不同程度的修复。     

固氮酶铁钼辅因子FeMo-co在水与非水体系内重组活力与催化活力的比较研究

 本文提出一种测定FeMo-co催化活力的反应体系,用此反应体系,在测定FeMo-co催化活力的过程中,FeMo-co与变种UW45抽提液的重组活性始终保持不变。讨论了水含量、还原剂对FeMo-co催化活力和重组活力的影响。     

不同底物与固氮酶及其钼铁蛋白相互作用的荧光光谱分析

 本文研究了不同底物(N_2,H_2,N_2O,NaN_3,C_2H_2)对棕色固氮菌固氮酶及其钼铁蛋白荧光光谱的影响。结果表明,上述底物均能络合在钼铁蛋白及固氮酶上,但络合程度不同,从而为固氮酶系统有多个不同的底物络合中心,底物络合中心在钼铁蛋白分子上,铁蛋白对钼铁蛋白有变构作用,提供了光谱学证据。     

Ethanol Inhibits Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-Mediated Proliferation of C6 Astrocytoma Cells

Abstract: Early ethanol exposure alters the proliferative activity of glial and neuronal precursors in the developing CNS. The present study tests the hypothesis that ethanol-induced alterations in cell proliferation result from interference with growth factors. An in vitro model of astroglia (C6 astrocytoma cells) was used to study the effects of ethanol on proliferation mediated by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). bFGF stimulated the proliferation of C6 cells. This bFGF-enhanced proliferation was evident by increases in total cell number, DNA synthesis (as measured by [³H]thymidine incorporation), and the number of cells that took up bromodeoxyuridine. A synthetic peptide that specifically blocked the binding of bFGF to its high-affinity receptor completely abolished the proliferation-promoting effect of bFGF. The action of another mitogen for C6 cells, insulin-like growth factor-1, was not affected by this peptide. Therefore, the bFGF-stimulated proliferation was mediated through a specific bFGF receptor. Ethanol inhibited bFGF-mediated proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Ethanol concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/dl partially inhibited bFGF-mediated proliferation (by 58 and 74%, respectively), whereas concentrations of ≥400 mg/dl completely abolished the growth-stimulating effect of bFGF. Our data show that ethanol alters proliferative activity of C6 cells by disrupting the action of bFGF. The target of ethanol neurotoxicity is a receptor-mediated activity. bFGF can affect cell proliferation by a non-receptor-mediated intracellular pathway, but ethanol does not have an impact on this pathway.     

Regional and Ontogenic Expression of the NMDA Receptor Subunit NR2D Protein in Rat Brain Using a Subunit-Specific Antibody

Abstract: A polyclonal antibody for the NMDA receptor subunit NR2D has been developed that identifies an ∼160-kDa band on immunoblots from NR2D transfected cells and CNS tissues. No cross-reactivity is seen with other NMDA receptor subunits. The NR2D receptor subunit is N -glycosylated in both brain and transfected cells. Transfected cells expressing NR2D are immunofluorescently labeled, whereas untransfected cells or cells transfected with other NMDA receptor subunit cDNAs are not. Similarly, the NR2D subunit is selectively and quantitatively immunoprecipitated, whereas the NR1, NR2A, or NR2B subunit is not. The relative densities of the NR2D subunit in nine areas of postnatal day 7 and adult rat brains have been determined by quantitative immunoblotting. NR2D was expressed at highest levels in the thalamus, midbrain, medulla, and spinal cord, whereas intermediate levels of this subunit were found in the cortex and hippocampus. Low or undetectable levels were seen in the olfactory bulb, striatum, and cerebellum. Following a peak after the first week of birth, NR2D protein levels decreased by about twofold in adulthood in all rat brain regions examined. More complete ontogenic profiles were determined for the diencephalon, telencephalon, and spinal cord where similar ontogenic patterns were seen. NR2D protein is present at high levels at embryonic stages of development, rises to a peak at postnatal day 7, and decreases but remains measurable during late postnatal life. This study demonstrates the generation and characterization of an antibody selective for the NR2D NMDA receptor subunit as well as a determination of the distribution and ontogenic profile of this subunit in rat brain. The results suggest that native NMDA receptors containing the NR2D subunit may have functional roles not only in the young brain but also in adult brain.