Acidic metabolites. VI. 20 alpha-isosteroids as intermediates in 20 alpha-dihydrosteroid formation

We have previously shown that human subjects metabolize the 20 beta-epimer of isocortisol (11 beta, 17,20 beta-trihydroxy-3-oxo-pregn-4-en-21-al) to both 20 alpha- and 20 beta-hydroxy steroid end products. In this paper we describe the synthesis of tritium labeled 20 alpha-epimers of isocortisol and isoTHF (3 alpha, 11 beta, 17,20 alpha-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-pregnan-21-al) and their metabolic fate in humans. Both steroids yielded 20 alpha-hydroxy urinary neutral end-products (cortols and cortolones) and no 20 beta-hydroxy epimers. Regeneration of 17-ketols from aldols occurred to a small extent with isoTHF, but not with isocortisol. Isocortisol and isoTHF yielded less cortoic acids than did the corresponding ketols. The results provide further evidence that in man the stereochemistry at C-20 of the end-products of corticosteroid metabolism is determined by the configuration of the aldol at C-20 prior to subsequent metabolic events.     

Dynorphin-A-(1–13) antagonizes morphine analgesia in the brain and potentiates morphine analgesia in the spinal cord

Intrathecal injection of subanalgesic doses of morphine (7.5 nmol) and dynorphin-A-(1–13) (1.25 nmol) in combination resulted in a marked analgesic effect as assessed by tail flick latency in the rat. The analgesic effect of the composite dynorphin/morphine was dose-dependent in serial dilutions so that a composition of 1/8 of the analgesic dose of dynorphin and 1/3 that of morphine produced an analgesic effect equipotent to full dose of either drug applied separately. The analgesic effect induced by dynorphin/morphine mixture was not accompanied by motor dysfunction and was easily reversed by a small dose (0.5 mg/kg) of naloxone. Contrary to the augmentatory effect of dynorphin on morphine analgesia in the spinal cord, intracerevroventricular (ICV) injection of 20 nmol of dynorphin-A-(1–13) exhibited a marked antagonistic effect on the analgesia produced by morphine (120 nmol, ICV). The theoretical considerations and practical implications of the differential interactions between dynorphin-A-(1–13) and morphine in the brain versus spinal cord are discussed.     

明适应条件下鲤属鱼L-型外水平细胞反应的给光-瞬变成分

在明适应条件下鲤属鱼 L-型外水平细胞的反应显示明显的给光-瞬变成分(on-transient)、它与刺激波长有关——对蓝、绿光的反应比对红光的反应有更明显的瞬变成分,其光谱特性提示它与绿敏锥细胞的输入信号有关。与已报道的其它动物 L 型水平细胞的给光-瞬变成分不同,它的出现在一定范围内与网膜受照射的面积无关。绿色(502nm)和红色(706nm)闪光同时照射所引起反应的给光-瞬变成分比各自单独刺激时要显著得多,提示它也与绿敏锥细胞和红敏锥细胞输入的相互作用有关。     

白纹伊蚊实验种群动态的研究

在实验室条件下观察白纹伊蚊种群发育、存活和繁殖的动态,得出年龄特征存活率、繁殖率等数据,编制成生命表,计算出有关种群各项参数,包括内禀增长能力(r_m=0.1333),净增殖率(R₀=45.3017),增殖有限速率(λ=1.1426),平均世代周期长(T=33.3299天),瞬时出生率和死亡率(b=0.5562,d=0.4229),稳定年龄组配,成虫前期占90.66%,成虫期占9.34%。该蚊种群大约每隔5.2天增加一倍。根据结果对该蚊种群传播登革热的关系和防制加以讨论。     

湖南土家族的体质特征

以20至69岁的湖南土家族人为观察测量对象,根据1392人(男896,女496)的身高,1038人(男668,女370)的头部测量,364人(男235,女129)的五官测量和观察结果,分析该民族的体质特征,并与国内其他民族相比较。     

大豆根瘤侵染细胞中一种细胞质内含物的电镜观察

在中国丰收11号大豆根瘤侵染细胞中,我们发现了一种电子密度很高,体积很大,形状为圆形或近似圆形,外面没有界膜,常位于胞间隙附近的特殊的细胞质内含物。高尔基体及其小泡,丰富的粗糙型内质网和核糖体常在它的附近,其中一些核糖体正沉积在它的表面。它主要是由核糖体凝聚而成,高尔基体和内质网在它的形成中也起了一定作用。它的内部含有颗粒状,纤维状,泡状和管状物质。它的出现似乎与侵染细胞固氮有关。     

Phytase production byAspergillus ficuum on semisolid substrate

Summary Phytase production byAspergillus ficuum was studied using solid state cultivation on several cereal grains and legume seeds. The microbial phytase was used to hydrolyze the phytate in soybean meal and cotton seed meal. Wheat bran, soybean meal, cottonseed meal and corn meal supported good fungal growth and yielded a high level of phytase when an adequate amount of moisture was present. The level of phytase production on solid substrate was higher than that obtained by submerged liquid fermentation. Higher levels of phosphorus (more than 10 mg Pi/100 g substrate) in the growth medium (static culture) inhibited phytase synthesis, and the degree of phosphorus inhibition was less apparent in semisolid medium than in liquid medium. A static cultivation on semisolid substrate produced a higher level of phytase (2-20-fold) than that obtained by agitated cultivation. The minimal amount of water required for growth and enzyme production on those substrates was about 15%, while the optimum level for phytase production was between 25 and 35% and that for cell growth was above 50%. Optimum pH for phytase production was between 4 and 6.A ficuum grew well on raw (unheated) substrate containing a minimal amount of water and produced as much phytase as on heated substrate. About half of the phytic acid in soybean meal and cottonseed meal was hydrolyzed by treatment withA. ficuum phytase.     

杂交水稻干种子内存在α-淀粉酶

水稻种子萌发过程中的α-淀粉酶由盾片上皮细胞合成而运入胚乳(Okamoto等1979,1980),或由种胚分泌的赤霉素(GA_3)的触发作用在糊粉层中诱导形成(Murakami 1966,Ogawa 1966,Tangka等1970)。但迄今尚未见谷类作物干胚乳中预存有α-淀粉酶的报道(Daussant等1983,Tanaka等