Gender Differences in the Phosphorus Content of the Sino-atrial Nodes and Other Cardiac Regions of Monkeys

To examine whether there were gender differences in the sino-atrial node (SAN), the authors investigated the gender difference in the SAN using monkey hearts by direct chemical analysis from a viewpoint of element contents. The used rhesus and Japanese monkeys consisted of 30 males (average age = 6.5 ± 7.5 years) and 30 females (average age = 12.2 ± 10.3 years), ranging in age from newborn to 30 years. The SAN tissues were removed from the anatomical position of monkey hearts and were confirmed by means of histological observation. After ashing with nitric acid and with perchloric acid, element contents of the SANs, such as Ca, P, S, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Na, were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. In addition, gender differences in the right atrial walls, left ventricular walls, mitral valves, and left coronary arteries of monkeys were also investigated as controls. It was found that the P content was significantly higher in females than in males in the SANs of monkeys, but the other six element contents, Ca, S, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Na, were not significantly different between males and females in the SANs of monkeys. Regarding the P content, a similar finding was also obtained in both the right atrial walls and the left ventricular walls of monkeys, but it was not obtained in the mitral valves and the left coronary arteries of monkeys. The P content of tissue is mostly determined by the nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) content and the phospholipid content of tissue. Nucleic acids in the cell nucleus and the cytosol, and phospholipids in the cell membrane are all indicators of metabolically active cells. It is reasonable to presume that the P content in the SAN indicates the active cell density, namely, the number of active cells per volume. Therefore, there is a possibility that the active cell density of the SAN is significantly higher in females than in males.     

Age-Related Decrease of Meiotic Cohesins in Human Oocytes

Aneuploidy in fetal chromosomes is one of the causes of pregnancy loss and of congenital birth defects. It is known that the frequency of oocyte aneuploidy increases with the human maternal age. Recent data have highlighted the contribution of cohesin complexes in the correct segregation of meiotic chromosomes. In mammalian oocytes, cohesion is established during the fetal stages and meiosis-specific cohesin subunits are not replenished after birth, raising the possibility that the long meiotic arrest of oocytes facilitates a deterioration of cohesion that leads to age-related increases in aneuploidy. We here examined the cohesin levels in dictyate oocytes from different age groups of humans and mice by immunofluorescence analyses of ovarian sections. The meiosis-specific cohesin subunits, REC8 and SMC1B, were found to be decreased in women aged 40 and over compared with those aged around 20 years (P<0.01). Age-related decreases in meiotic cohesins were also evident in mice. Interestingly, SMC1A, the mitotic counterpart of SMC1B, was substantially detectable in human oocytes, but little expressed in mice. Further, the amount of mitotic cohesins of mice slightly increased with age. These results suggest that, mitotic and meiotic cohesins may operate in a coordinated way to maintain cohesions over a sustained period in humans and that age-related decreases in meiotic cohesin subunits impair sister chromatid cohesion leading to increased segregation errors.     

Age-Related Changes of Elements in the Coronary Arteries of Monkeys in Comparison with Those of Humans

To elucidate compositional changes of the coronary artery with aging, the authors investigated age-related changes of elements in the coronary arteries of rhesus and Japanese monkeys by direct chemical analysis in comparison with the coronary arteries of Japanese and Thai. Used monkeys consisted of 38 rhesus monkeys and 23 Japanese monkeys, ranging in age from newborn to 33 years. After perfusion with a fixative, the hearts were resected from the monkeys, and the anterior interventricular branches of the left coronary artery and the right coronary arteries were resected from the hearts. After ashing of the arteries, element contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. It was found that the Ca and P contents did not increase in both the left and right coronary arteries of rhesus and Japanese monkeys at old age. The average contents of Ca and P decreased by 13% and 25% in the left coronary arteries more than 20 years of age in comparison with those below 20 years of age, whereas they decreased by 4% and 15% in the right coronary arteries more than 20 years of age in comparison with those below 20 years of age. This finding indicated that atherosclerosis scarcely occurred in both the left and right coronary arteries of rhesus and Japanese monkeys at old age. In contrast with monkeys, atherosclerosis occurred frequently in the coronary arteries of Japanese and Thai at old age.     

Age-Related Changes of Elements in the Tendons of the Peroneus Longus Muscles in Thai, Japanese, and Monkeys

To elucidate compositional changes of the tendon of the peroneus longus muscle with aging, the authors investigated age-related changes of elements in the insertion of tendons of the peroneus longus muscle (peroneus longus tendons) in Thai, Japanese, and monkeys and the relationships among element contents by direct chemical analysis. After ordinary dissections at Chiang Mai University and Nara Medical University were finished, the peroneus longus tendons were resected from the subjects. The peroneus longus tendons were also resected from rhesus and Japanese monkeys bred in Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University. The wraparound regions of the insertion tendons of the peroneus longus muscle in contact with the cuboid bone were used as the peroneus longus tendon. After ashing with nitric acid and perchloric acid, element contents were determined with an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer. It was found that there were no significant correlations between age and the seven elements, such as Ca, P, S, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Na, in the peroneus longus tendons of Thai and Japanese. The Ca content higher than 10 mg/g was contained in seven cases out of 34 peroneus longus tendons of Thai (incidence?=?20.6%) and in one case out of 22 peroneus longus tendons of Japanese (incidence?=?4.5%), respectively. All of the peroneus longus tendons with the Ca content higher than 10 mg/g were found in Thai and Japanese men. In the peroneus longus tendons of monkeys, the Ca and P content increased suddenly at 2 years of age and reached to about 40 mg/g at 5 years of age. Thereafter, the Ca and P content did not increase in the peroneus longus tendons of monkeys at old age. Regarding the relationships among element contents, significant direct correlations were found among the contents of Ca, P, Mg, Zn, and Na in Thai and monkeys, whereas significant inverse correlations were found between S and element contents, such as Ca, P, Mg, Zn, and Na, in Thai and monkeys.     

Age-Related Changes in the DNA and RNA Content of the Brain in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

To elucidate the effects of aging accompanied with hypertension on brain nucleic acid, we measured both the DNA and RNA contents of six specific brain regions in adult (5–6 months old) and aged (18–22 months old) female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Although no statistical difference was observed in the RNA content, the DNA content did tend to increase in the hippocampal CA1 of aged SHR (4.24 ± 0.55 ng/g protein, mean ± SD, n = 6) in comparison to that of adult SHR (3.21 ± 0.71 ng/g protein, n = 4). Hence, aged SHRs showed a significant decrease in the RNA to DNA ratio in the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus (3.79 ± 0.61) compared to adult SHR (5.27 ± 0.81). On the other hand, no other regions, except for the dorsolateral region of the striatum, showed any difference in the RNA/DNA ratio between aged and adult SHR. We therefore conclude that subtle changes in the nucleic acid occur in vulnerable regions of the brain in aged SHRs.     

缺磷胁迫下烟草叶片磷脂酰甘油(PG)含量降低的分子机理

缺磷胁迫下,PLDα和PLDβ在烟草成熟叶片中的转录活性升高,幼叶中却明显降低;幼叶和成熟叶片中PG水解酶的活性变化与PLDα和PLDβ mRNA表达量成正相关。与对照相比,缺磷幼叶与成熟叶片中的PG含量有不同程度的下降,成熟叶片中下降幅度较大。磷脂酸（PA）是叶片酶粗提液水解外源PG后的重要产物,n-丁醇的加入显著抑制PA的生成。上述结果表明,PG水解酶活性的增强是缺磷胁迫导致烟草成熟叶片中PG含量降低的重要原因,而PG水解酶活性的变化是由于受到了转录水平上的调控造成的。     

大豆品种资源子粒中磷含量差异研究

以239份大豆品种资源为试材,研究其子粒中全磷和无机磷含量的差异表现,分析大豆子粒中磷含量水平,并筛选高全磷、高无机磷资源材料。研究结果表明,供试239份大豆品种子粒中的全磷、无机磷含量存在极显著差异;其分布范围分别为全磷6．24～9．56g／kg,无机磷0．12～0．37g／kg;平均含量分别为7．78g／kg,0．20g／kg;无机磷与全磷含量的比值为1．39％～4．94％,平均为2．56％。同时,筛选出子粒中高全磷、高无机磷含量的大豆品种各5个,其中品种洋黄豆、高家营黑豆、绿75、郭柳条青、大毛角为高全磷材料;品种8012混-1、黄豆、白露快、平顶黄、黑大粒为高无机磷材料;     

Tinea Capitis: Current Review of the Literature

Purpose of Review

This review summarizes the fungal literature currently available for tinea capitis (TC), as well as providing data for clinical utility.

Recent Findings

Available studies in TC are scarce; however, they provide important information about efficacy and outcome in clinical practice.

Summary

Treatment of TC is effective; however, it requires a minimum of 1 month. Systemic treatment is often required to favor enhance drug penetration into the deep part of the hair follicle. The newest oral antifungal has higher efficacy rates than conventional therapy, as well as much shorter duration of treatment but at higher costs. We perform a review of the literature including treatment schemes.

     

缺磷胁迫下烟草中草酸含量的变化（简报）

用1／2Hoagland营养液培养6个不同烟草品种,于缺磷后不同时期,测定根、叶中草酸含量的结果显示,在处理后10d时的根和叶中草酸含量均开始上升,并随胁迫时间的延长而增大,其中以中烟90和牛津26提高最为显著。根中未测出乙醇酸氧化酶活化,叶中此酶的活性较高,但不受缺磷胁迫的影响;缺磷处理的根和叶中异柠檬酸裂解酶活性变化也不明显。     

Rapid Decrease of GAD 67 Content Before the Convulsion Induced by Hyperbaric Oxygen Exposure

Exposure to hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) can lead to seizures, the etiology of which is not completely understood. Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) plays a very important role in maintaining excitatory-inhibitory balance of the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study we investigated the effects of HBO on the activity and content of GAD in vivo and in primarily cultured neurons to probe in detail its effect on the formation of convulsion induced by HBO exposure. The results obtained from in vivo and in vitro experiments were identical. In the latent period before the onset of seizure, the GAD activity followed a rise-and-fall pattern with the prolongation of HBO exposure. At the time of the onset of seizure, GAD activity descended to the normal level. Besides, in the latent period, GAD content also reduced. Such reduction came from a GAD subtype, GAD67, while the content of another GAD subtype, GAD65, remained almost unchanged. Our investigations indicated that GAD is indeed an enzyme highly sensitive to the effect of HBO exposure. The rapid reduction in GAD67 content may be very closely related to seizures induced by HBO exposure. Quan Li and Meili Guo are contributed equally to the study.     

湿地水鸟栖息对土壤磷和植物群落特征的影响

为了探究水鸟栖息对土壤磷和植物群落特征的影响,分别在广东顺德水鸟天堂、广东星湖湿地及江门小鸟天堂3地的水鸟栖息区(水鸟区)和非水鸟栖息区(对照区)进行了植物群落调查和土壤理化性质检测。结果表明,水鸟活动提高了各栖息地土壤的总磷、有效磷和无机磷,而在顺德、星湖两地水鸟区土壤有机磷含量亦显著高于对照区。各栖息地植物物种丰富度和shannon多样性指数均显著小于对照区。土壤pH、容重、有机质和有效磷4种环境因子对植物群落变异影响的总解释率为46% (P＜0.05),其中有效磷是最大影响因子。这说明水鸟活动显著提高了土壤中各种磷组分的含量,降低了植物的多样性。     

Low Temperature-Induced Decrease in trans-Delta-Hexadecenoic Acid Content Is Correlated with Freezing Tolerance in Cereals

The effect of growth at 5°C on the trans-Δ³-hexadecenoic acid content of phosphatidyl(d)glycerol was examined in a total of eight cultivars of rye (Secale cereale L.) and what (Triticum aestivum L.) of varying freezing tolerance. In these monocots, low temperature growth caused decreases in the trans-Δ³-hexadecenoic acid content of between 0 and 74% with concomitant increases in the palmitic acid content of phosphatidyl(d)glycerol. These trends were observed for whole leaf extracts as well as isolated thylakoids. The low growth temperature-induced decrease in the trans-Δ³-hexadecenoic acid content was shown to be a linear function (r² = 0.954) of freezing tolerance in these cultivars. Of the six cold tolerant dicotyledonous species examined, only Brassica and Arabidopsis thaliana L. cv Columbia exhibited a 42% and 65% decrease, respectively, in trans-Δ³-hexadecenoic acid content. Thus, the relationship between the change in trans-Δ³-hexadecenoic acid content of phosphatidyl(d)glycerol and freezing tolerance cannot be considered a general one for all cold tolerant plant species. However, species which exhibited a low growth temperature-induced decrease in trans-Δ³-hexadecenoic acid also exhibited a concomitant shift in the in vitro organization of the light harvesting complex II from a predominantly oligomeric form to the monomeric form. We conclude that the proposed role of phosphatidyl(d)glycerol in modulating the organization of light harvesting complex II as a function of growth temperature manifests itself to varying degrees in different plant species. A possible physiological role for this phenomenon with respect to low temperature acclimation and freezing tolerance in cereals is discussed.     

不同施磷水平对冷浸田水稻磷含量、光合特性及产量的影响

为探讨施磷对冷浸田水稻(Oryza sativa)生长的作用,研究不同施磷水平对水稻植株的磷含量、光合特性及产量的影响。结果表明,与对照相比,分蘖期增施磷肥使根、茎叶的磷含量和叶片净光合速率增加10.53%~36.84%、18.52%~37.03%和15.17%~29.88%;抽穗期使根、茎叶和稻穗的磷含量增加11.76%~23.53%、24.13%~41.38%和9.68%~22.58%,叶片净光合速率和可溶性糖含量提高13.41%~27.10%和6.03%~22.38%,而淀粉含量则降低12.05%~41.77%;成熟期的稻穗磷含量和产量增加0.71%~28.57%和4.65%~10.32%。施磷量(X)与稻谷产量(Y)满足方程:Y=-0.0835X~2+14.224X+6530.9(r=0.94*),抽穗期茎叶磷含量、叶片净光合速率与稻谷产量的相关系数分别为0.57*和0.77*。因此,冷浸田增施磷肥可提高水稻植株的磷含量、叶片净光合速率和可溶性糖含量,并降低叶片淀粉累积,从而提高稻谷产量。抽穗期是磷肥影响冷浸田水稻产量的关键时期,0.38%的茎叶磷含量可作为磷素养分丰缺的诊断指标,冷浸田水稻磷肥(P2O5)的推荐用量为85.17 kg hm–2。     

Decrease of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Content in Rat Superior Cervical Sympathetic Ganglion After Denervation and Axotomy

We found atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), known as a humoral factor in regulating body fluid volume and blood pressure, in considerable quantities in rat superior cervical sympathetic ganglion (SCG) by radioimmunoassay after separation with reverse-phase HPLC. Although the ANP content of the immature rat 1 week after birth was low, it doubled at 2 weeks and then increased gradually, until it reached the adult level. Denervation caused a rapid decrease in the ANP content to half of the intact SCG level after 3 h, which then fell to 10% of the control value on day 2 after operation. The time course of ANP content reduction after denervation was similar but rather faster than that of activity of the acetylcholine-synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase, an observation suggesting that ANP may partly contribute to cholinergic synaptic transmission. On the other hand, axotomy produced a rather slower decrease in the ANP content than did denervation. Enucleation and sialoadenectomy also caused a considerable reduction of the ANP content. Thus, part of the ANP found in the ganglion is apparently transported from sympathetically innervated extraganglionic organs via retrograde axoplasmic flow.