Cholesterol exchange in platelets, erythrocytes and megakaryocytes

Cholesterol exchange between plasma and human platelets and erythrocytes and guinea pig platelets, erythrocytes and megakaryocytes was studied. The characteristics of exchange of cholesterol between [3H]cholesterol-labeled plasma and human platelets and erythrocytes were similar: exchange per cell was independent of cell concentration in whole plasma, decreased only 2-fold over a wide range of cell concentrations in low concentrations of plasma and approached a plateau at 1/3 normal plasma cholesterol concentration, and there was no net change in the cholesterol content of either cell. The activation energy for exchange for both cells was 47 kJ/mol. In all experiments, erythrocyte cholesterol was labeled to approximately twice the specific activity of platelet cholesterol. Guinea pig megakaryocyte cholesterol exchanged at 25-33% of the rate of guinea pig platelet cholesterol in vitro. Similarly, when guinea pigs were fed [3H]cholesterol, erythrocyte cholesterol specific activity after 24 h was 90%, platelet 50-65%, and megakaryocyte 20-26% that of plasma. Guinea pig platelets incubated with plasma radiolabeled in free and esterified cholesterol incorporated radioactivity from free but not esterified cholesterol. The similarity of free cholesterol exchange in platelets and erythrocytes in vitro and in vivo and the apparent inability of platelets to take up cholesterol esters from lipoproteins suggest that the interaction between normal platelets and normocholesterolemic plasma is limited to cholesterol exchange.     

Nucleotide profiles of normal human blood cells determined by high-performance liquid chromatography

An anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography method has been used to quantitate the intracellular purine and pyrimidine nucleotides in extracts of pure lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, erythrocytes, and platelets isolated from the blood of healthy human donors. For accurate and reproducible measurements of the nucleotide profiles in different types of pure leukocytes, the cell suspensions have to be free of platelets and erythrocytes. Incubation of the purified leukocytes for 1 h at 0 degrees C did not alter the nucleotide concentrations but reduced the interdonor variation to 10%. Incubation of purified lymphocytes for 1 h at 37 degrees C caused considerable changes in the relative concentrations of the adenine, guanine, uracil, and cytosine nucleotides. During this incubation the cell viability, the cell number, and the ATP:ADP ratio decreased. Incubation of monocytes and granulocytes for 1 h at 37 degrees C caused considerable loss of cells and/or cell death. For erythrocytes and platelets reproducible nucleotide concentrations were obtained after extraction of freshly isolated cells. During storage of erythrocytes, both at 0 degrees C and at 37 degrees C, a decrease in the ATP:ADP ratio was detected. In all cell types the predominant nucleotides were purine nucleotides, especially adenosine triphosphate. The relative concentrations of the adenine, guanine, uracil, and cytosine nucleotides were very reproducible per cell type and appeared to be characteristic for each cell type. The total nucleotide content was nearly the same for all cell types except erythrocytes, when expressed per microgram of protein. The described methods for purification and storage of blood cells will be useful for comparison of blood cells from healthy donors with those of patients, for example, leukemia patients, in which deviations of the purine and pyrimidine metabolic enzymes have already been described.     

不同浓度A2E对离体猪视网膜色素上皮细胞的影响

目的评价体外合成的A2E对猪视网膜色素上皮（RPE）细胞的细胞活力和生物学特性影响,为进一步研究A2E在RPE细胞相关疾病中的作用提供细胞模型。方法利用全反式视黄醛和乙醇胺体外合成脂褐质荧光基团A2E。不同浓度的A2E（0,50,75,100μmol／L）作用第3代体外培养的猪RPE细胞30,45,60,90min,换10％FBS DMEM-F12培养液孵育24h后,倒置荧光显微镜观察荧光强度,IPP6．0软件灰度扫描定量荧光强度。采用MTT法检测A2E作用细胞各个时间段的吸光度值,应用SPSS11．0软件包对数据进行统计学分析,评价A2E的细胞毒性及RPE细胞活性。结果A2E被RPE细胞摄取后主要分布于细胞核周围,具有自发荧光。MTT实验及荧光灰度扫描结果显示,不同浓度的A2E被细胞摄取后细胞活力和荧光灰度扫描结果不同,以50μmol／L浓度A2E作用RPE细胞60min时,细胞内荧光强度高同时细胞活力强。结论体外培养的猪RPE细胞摄取体外合成的50μmol／L A2E 60min后细胞对A2E的摄取较多,A2E对细胞的毒性相对较低,该条件下进行A2E对离体猪RPE细胞的研究较好。     

米非司酮对胰腺癌细胞耐药株Patu8988/FU 的逆转作用

目的:研究米非司酮(mifepristone,MIF)对胰腺癌多药耐药细胞株Patu8988/FU耐药性的逆转作用。方法:采用四甲基偶氮唑盐(MTT)比色法检测MIF对胰腺癌细胞Patu8988及胰腺癌耐药细胞株Patu8988/FU增殖的影响,选择对两种细胞生长抑制率≤5%的浓度为其非细胞毒性剂量;观察非毒性剂量的MIF作用72 h后Patu8988/FU细胞对5-FU耐药性的逆转效果。结果:①MIF浓度≤10μmol.L-1对Patu8988及Patu8988/FU于细胞的增殖均无抑制作用(P>0.05);20μmol.L-1和40μmol.L-1MIF对Patu8988及Patu8988/FU于细胞的增殖均有抑制作用(P<0.05),MIF对Patu8988及Patu8988/FU细胞增殖具有剂量依赖性;②加入梯度浓度5-FU后Patu8988细胞和Patu8988/FU细胞的IC50分别为(2.394±0.011)μg.ml-1、(49.87±4.026)μg.ml-1(P<0.01),耐药倍数为20.83;Patu8988及Patu8988/FU细胞加入5-FU后分别与2.5μmol.L-1、5μmol.L-1、10μmol.L-1MIF共同孵育72h后,Patu8988/FU细胞对5-FU耐药性的逆转倍数分别为1.42、1.71、3.10;Patu8988/FU对5-FU的敏感性明显增加(P<0.05),而Patu8988细胞对5-FU的敏感性并未改变(P>0.05)。结果还显示MIF作用后Patu8988/FU对5-FU的敏感性变化具有剂量依赖性。结论:MIF对胰腺癌多药耐药细胞株Patu8988/FU耐药性的有逆转作用。     

Increased efflux of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) causes glutathione depletion and potentially diminishes antioxidant defense in sickle erythrocytes

Erythrocytes are both an important source and target of reactive oxygen species in sickle cell disease. Levels of glutathione, a major antioxidant, have been shown to be decreased in sickle erythrocytes and the mechanism leading to this deficiency is not known yet. Detoxification of reactive oxygen species involves the oxidation of reduced glutathione (GSH) into glutathione-disulfide (GSSG) which is actively transported out of erythrocyte. We questioned whether under oxidative conditions, GSSG efflux is increased in sickle erythrocytes. Erythrocytes of 18 homozygous sickle cell patients and 9 race-matched healthy controls were treated with 2,3-dimethoxy-l,4-naphthoquinone, which induces intracellular reactive oxygen species generation, to stimulate GSSG production. Intra- and extracellular concentrations of GSH and GSSG were measured at baseline and during 210-minute 2,3-dimethoxy-l,4-naphthoquinone stimulation. While comparable at baseline, intracellular and extracellular GSSG concentrations were significantly higher in sickle erythrocytes than in healthy erythrocyte after 210-minute 2,3-dimethoxy-l,4-naphthoquinone stimulation (69.9 ± 3.7 μmol/l vs. 40.6 ± 6.9 μmol/l and 25.8 ± 2.7 μmol/l vs. 13.6 ± 1.7 μmol/l respectively, P<0.002). In contrast to control erythrocytes, where GSH concentrations remained unchanged (176 ± 8.4 μmol/l vs. 163 ± 13.6 μmol/l, NS), GSH in sickle erythrocytes decreased significantly (from 167 ± 8.8 μmol/l to 111 ± 11.8 μmol/l, P<0.01) after 210-minute 2,3-dimethoxy-l,4-naphthoquinone stimulation. Adding multidrug resistance-associated protein-1 inhibitor (MK571) to erythrocytes blocked GSSG efflux in both sickle and normal erythrocytes. GSSG efflux, mediated by multidrug resistance-associated protein-1, is increased in sickle erythrocytes, resulting in net loss of intracellular glutathione and possibly higher susceptibility to oxidative stress.     

皮质酮诱导的PC12细胞梯度应激损伤模型的构建及评价

目的:建立皮质酮诱导的PC12细胞梯度应激损伤模型,为细胞应激水平的评估和细胞应激损伤调控研究提供实验基础和对象。方法:通过检测不同浓度皮质酮(0～1 000μmol/L)在经过不同干预时间(8～48 h)后PC12细胞活力,观察皮质酮对细胞活力的影响,筛选最佳干预条件的细胞模型。分光光度法和微量法检测细胞模型的关键应激指标(MDA、SOD、NADH、LDH),对模型进行评价。结果:当皮质酮浓度在200μmol/L以下且干预时间为12 h时,细胞活力在半数失活率以下,可减少各组由于细胞活力下降而产生的混杂因素。与空白对照组比较,皮质酮浓度依赖性地升高模型组的MDA、NADH和LDH水平,降低SOD水平(P<0.01),符合梯度应激模型的构建要求。结论:成功建立了PC12细胞梯度应激损伤模型,在干预时间为12 h的情况下,干预浓度为0μmol/L、25μmol/L、50μmol/L、100μmol/L、150μmol/L、200μmol/L,使得细胞模型应激损伤程度梯度增加,可作为开展细胞应激损伤评估及调控实验的基础和对象。     

pH-dependent effects of chlorpromazine on liposomes and erythrocyte membranes

Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is an amphipathic antipsychotic drug that binds to erythrocytes reaching in this way the central nervous system. CPZ is a basic molecule with pK=8.6. This paper reports on CPZ-induced lysis of red blood cells and liposomes. Haemolysis was tested under hypotonic conditions, in the pH range 5.0-10.0. Cell sensitivity towards CPZ increased with increasing pH. Increasing pH caused also a decrease in the critical micellar concentrations of CPZ. These results are interpreted in terms of a competition between repulsive electrostatic forces and attractive hydrophobic forces, that would act both in pure CPZ and in mixed CPZ-phospholipid micelles. In order to eliminate possible pH effects mediated by red blood cell proteins, experiments were carried out in which CPZ induced release of a fluorescent dye from liposomes (large unilamellar vesicles). The latter observations confirmed that membrane sensitivity towards CPZ was increased at higher pH.     

Studies on the size and stability of chlorpromazine hydrochloride nanostructures in aqueous solution.

The mean aggregate number (MAN) of the antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ) nanostructure was investigated by fluorescence quenching using 9-methylanthracene (9-MA) as the quencher. The method was designed to take advantage of the intrinsic fluorescent properties of CPZ. The validity of this method was supported by the results obtained for the MAN which was determined to be approximately 37 for a solution of 10 mM CPZ in 0.1 M pH 6.5 phosphate buffer. An increase in the aggregate size with increasing drug concentration confirmed the stepwise aggregation theory of CPZ micelle formation. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to examine the effects of concentration on the thermodynamics of micellization. The enthalpy of demicellization increased with increasing CPZ concentration (5-12 mM), suggesting a greater stability of the aggregates at higher concentrations. At amphiphile concentrations higher than 12 mM, a plateau of approximately 10 kJ/mol was observed as the enthalpy of demicellization. Fluorescence lifetime results revealed a two-component system at low CPZ concentration, while data at amphiphile concentrations higher than 12 mM could not be fitted to either single or multi-component lifetime values, suggesting an increase in dispersity in these nanostructures at higher CPZ concentrations. Temperatures higher than 40 degrees C tend to destabilize the larger micelles, and demicellization was observed after approximately 45 degrees C. Changes in osmotic pressure in the presence of dextrose up to 0.3 M had no significant effect on the size of these micellar nanostructures.     

A study on concanavalin a binding to human erythrocytes

Interactions of concanavalin A with human erythrocytes were studied using ¹²⁵I-labelled concanavalin A and a centrifugal technique with dibutyl phthalate which permitted complete separation of bound and free concanavalin A. Binding of ¹²⁵I-labelled concanavalin A to human erythrocytes was dependent on cell concentration, pH and temperature. Specificity of binding was confirmed by inhibition and dissociation studies with sugars and native concanavalin A. Positive cooperative binding of concanavalin A to human erythrocytes was observed at low concanavalin A concentrations (less than 1 μ/ml) in both buffers studied. Positive cooperativity at higher concanavalin A concentrations (more than 100 μ/ml) was seen in Tris-Hepes buffer but not in phosphate-buffered saline. Consistent with this cooperative effect was the observation that although dissociation of ¹²⁵I-labelled concanavalin A from the erythrocytes was complete in the presence of 1 mg/ml of the native lectin, release was inhibited by low concentrations (1 μ/ml). A comparison of concanavalin A binding with hemagglutination studies suggest that the amount of concanavalin A bound determines the rate of erythrocyte agglutination and the size of the aggregates formed.     

Regulatory properties of rabbit red blood cell hexokinase at conditions close to physiological

The true level of hexokinase in rabbit erythrocytes was determined by three different methods, including the spectrophotometric glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase coupled assay and a new radioisotopic assay. The value found at 37°C (pH 7.2) was 10.23±1.90 μmol/h per ml red blood cells, which is lower than previously reported values. More than 40 cellular components of the rabbit erythrocytes were tested for their effects on the enzyme. Their intracellular concentrations were also determined. Several of these compounds were found to be competitive inhibitors of the enzyme with respect to Mg·ATP^2?. Furthermore, reduced glutathione at a concentration of 1 mM was able to maintain hexokinase in the reduced state with full catalytic activity. The ability of orthophosphate to remove the inhibition of some phosphorylated compounds was examined under conditions similar to cellular (pH 7.2 and 50 μM of orthophosphate) and found to be of no practical interest. In contrast, the binding of ATP^4? and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate to the rabbit hemoglobin significantly modifies their intracellular concentrations and the formation of the respective Mg complexes. The pH-dependence of the reaction velocity and of the kinetic properties of the enzyme in different buffer systems were also considered. This information was computerized, and the rate of glucose phosphorylation in the presence of the mentioned compounds was determined. The value obtained, 1.94±0.02 μmol/h per ml red blood cells, is practically identical to the measured rate of glucose utilization by intact rabbit erythrocytes (1.92±0.3 μmol/h per ml red blood cells). These results provide further evidence for the central role of hexokinase in the regulation of red blood cell glycolysis.     

罗格列酮抑制人胃腺癌SGC7901增殖机制的研究

目的：探讨在体外不同浓度的过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ（PPARγ）激动剂罗格列酮（ROZ）对人胃癌细胞系SGC7901的生长及细胞周期的影响。方法：采用MTT法比色实验、集落形成实验、电子显微镜,透射电镜,流式细胞仪分别观察不同浓度罗格列酮0.08μmol/L,0.4μmol/L,2μmol/L,10μmol/L,50μmol/L,作用于SGC7901细胞,对细胞增殖,细胞形态和细胞周期的影响。结果：ROZ可抑制SGC7901细胞的生长以及SGC7901细胞集落的形成,并呈现剂量依赖性,其半数抑制浓度（IC50）约为50μmol/L。透射电镜低倍镜以及高倍下可见凋亡细胞。流式细胞仪结果显示,ROZ可抑制SGC7901细胞,引起G0/G1期细胞大量增加,S期细胞减少,且细胞周期停滞于G1期。结论：ROZ具有抗肿瘤作用,能够抑制SGC7901细胞的增殖并诱导凋亡,这种作用与其诱导细胞周期G0/G1期的停滞和诱导凋亡作用有关。因此,ROZ有望成为胃癌治疗的辅助用药亦或治疗药,PPARγ有潜力成为肿瘤治疗的新靶点。     

pH-Dependent Effects of Chlorpromazine on Liposomes and Erythrocyte Membranes

Abstract

Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is an amphipathic antipsychotic drug that binds to erythrocytes reaching in this way the central nervous system. CPZ is a basic molecule with pK = 8.6. This paper reports on CPZ-induced lysis of red blood cells and liposomes. Haemolysis was tested under hypotonic conditions, in the pH range 5.0–10.0. Cell sensitivity towards CPZ increased with increasing pH. Increasing pH caused also a decrease in the critical micellar concentrations of CPZ. These results are interpreted in terms of a competition between repulsive electrostatic forces and attractive hydrophobic forces, that would act both in pure CPZ and in mixed CPZ-phospholipid micelles. In order to eliminate possible pH effects mediated by red blood cell proteins, experiments were carried out in which CPZ induced release of a fluorescent dye from liposomes (large unilamellar vesicles). The latter observations confirmed that membrane sensitivity towards CPZ was increased at higher pH.     

甲硫氨酸脑啡肽和抗δ阿片受体抗体对小鼠骨髓瘤细胞信号传递系统的作用

为了探讨阿片肽与细胞表面受体结合后所产生的生物效应及其机制 ,用不同浓度甲硫氨酸脑啡肽 ( MENK)及抗 δ阿片受体单克隆抗体处理小鼠的骨髓瘤细胞 ( NS- 1 ) ,然后测定蛋白激酶A( PKA) ,蛋白激酶 C( PKC)活性及三磷酸肌醇 ( IP3 )含量 .研究结果表明 ,NENK可升高细胞胞浆及胞膜 PKA的活性 ,且这一作用可被抗δ阿片受体抗体所拮抗 .MENK对 PKC影响呈双向反应 ,0 .1 μmol/L MENK可以升高胞浆 PKC活性 ,但却明显降低胞膜 PKC活性 ;在 MENK浓度为 1 0μmol/L时则情况刚好相反 .1 μmol/L的 MENK可明显降低胞浆及胞膜 PKC活性 ,抗体可拮抗这种下调作用 .MENK可降低细胞内 IP3 的含量 ,且这一作用可被抗δ阿片受体抗体所拮抗 .由此可以推论 :MENK在与 δ阿片受体结合后 ,可以经过多种信号传导系统来调节细胞功能 ,从而产生不同的生物效应 .     

Application of differential flow microcalorimetry for study of drug interactions in the blood system

A compact differential flow microcalorimeter has been developed to investigate biomolecular reactions, especially drug interactions in the blood system. The calorimeter is an adiabatic type and consists of a twin-cell structure, each mixing part having a volume of 60 microliters. Both the precision and accuracy of the instrument have been evaluated by dilution of sucrose solutions to be 0.1-0.5% at a heat effect of 100-10 microW. The resolution is approximately 0.5 microW (less than 10(-3) Torr). The heat produced in erythrocyte hemolysis induced by chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ) and the binding heat of CPZ to human blood components viz., intact erythrocytes, erythrocyte membranes, serum albumin and plasma were measured. The heat effect of hemolysis was endothermic and related to the quantity of free hemoglobin released from erythrocytes. The overall binding of CPZ to blood components was, however, an exothermic process. The thermodynamic and binding parameters were computed directly from the calorimetric data by use of a nonlinear least squares regression method, assuming a one-class binding model, and the stoichiometry of the binding reaction was determined.     

Interaction of two phenothiazine derivatives with phospholipid monolayers

This paper addresses the cooperative interaction of two phenothiazine drugs, viz. trifluoperazine (TFP) and chlorpromazine (CPZ), with phospholipid monolayers as the model membrane system. Surface pressure and surface potential isotherms were obtained for mixed Langmuir monolayers of either dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline (DPPC) or dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl-glycerol (DPPG) co-spread with TFP or CPZ. The changes in monolayer behavior caused by incorporation of a few molar ratio of drug molecules were practically within the experimental dispersion for the zwitterionic DPPC, and therefore a more refined analysis will be required to probe the interactions in an unequivocal way. For the charged DPPG, on the other hand, the surface pressure and the dipole moment were significantly affected even for TFP or CPZ concentrations as low as 0.002 molar ratio. Overall, the effects from CPZ and TFP are similar, but small differences exist which are probably due to the different protonation properties of the two drugs. For both drugs, changes are more prominent at the liftoff of the surface pressure, i.e. at the gas-condensed phase transition, with the surface pressure and surface potential isotherms becoming more expanded with the drug incorporation. With DPPG/CPZ monolayers, in particular, an additional phase transition appears at higher CPZ concentrations, which resembles the effects from increasing the subphase temperature for a pure DPPG monolayer. The dipole moment for DPPG/CPZ and DPPG/TFP monolayers decreases with the drug concentration, which means that the effects from the charged drugs are not associated with changes in the double-layer potential. Otherwise, the effective dipole moment should increase with the drug concentration. The changes caused in surface pressure and dipole moment by small concentrations of TFP or CPZ can only be explained by some cooperative effect through which the contribution from DPPG molecules changes considerably, i.e. even DPPG molecules that are not neighbor to a CPZ or TFP molecule are also affected. Such changes may occur either through a significant reorientation of the DPPG molecules or to a change in their hydration state. We discuss the cooperativity semi-quantitatively by estimating the number of lipid molecules affected by the drug interaction. CPZ and TFP also affect the morphology of DPPG monolayers, which was confirmed with Brewster angle microscopy. The biological implications from the cooperative, non-specific interaction of CPZ and TFP with membranes are also commented upon.     

补骨脂素对肝星状细胞(HSC-T6)增殖、氧化应激及Ⅰ型胶原分泌的影响

通过研究植物雌激素香豆素补骨脂素对体外培养的大鼠肝星状细胞HSC-T6增殖及相关因子表达的影响,为补骨脂素治疗肝纤维化提供实验依据。常规培养肝星状细胞HSC-T6,采用0.1 mmol/L的H2O2制造HSC-T6氧化应激的模型。分别用MTT法检测肝星状细胞增殖、放射免疫法检测细胞上清液中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD),丙二醛(MDA),还原性谷胱甘肽(GSH),谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)的活性和含量,ELISA法测定Ⅰ型胶原的分泌。结果表明:与正常对照组组比较,补骨脂素在浓度为10μmol/L,1μmol/L,0.1μmol/L,均呈现出抑制HSC-T6增殖的作用(P<0.05),且最佳作用时间为48 h(P<0.05);与模型组比较,补骨脂素各个浓度组能够提高SOD和GSH-Px的活性(P<0.05),并降低细胞上清液中MDA和GSH的含量(P<0.05);与模型组比较,补骨脂素各个浓度组在作用48 h后,细胞上清液中的Ⅰ型胶原的表达量均降低(P<0.05)。因此,作为植物雌激素的一种,补骨脂素能有效的抑制HSC-T6的增殖及抗HSC-T6氧化应激,很可能成为雌激素的替代品在治疗肝纤维化中。     

Effects of mixed neutron-gamma irradiation in vivo on the cell surfaces of murine blood cells

Summary For studies on cell membranes, mice were exposed to mixed neutron + gamma reactor-radiation in the range of total doses from 0.5 to 4.5 Gy. Changes in functional activity of plasma membranes of erythrocytes, platelets, and lymphocytes were followed by a lectin-binding technique at various intervals afterwards. The amount of³H-concanavalin A bound to cells altered considerably during the 1st h after irradiation in all cell types. Lymphocytes and platelets, however, were more sensitive than erythrocytes as increased lectin-binding could already be observed after 0.5 Gy. The binding ability of these cells performed oscillatory behaviour. In addition, alterations in shapes and ultrastructure of cell surfaces and intracellular membranes were observed.     

Nucleoside transport in human and sheep erythrocytes. Evidence that nitrobenzylthioinosine binds specifically to functional nucleoside-transport sites.

Nitrobenzyl[35S]thioinosine binding and nitro[3H]benzylthioinosine binding to nucleoside-permeable and nucleoside-impermeable sheep erythrocyte membranes was investigated, and compared with that found for human erythrocytes. High-affinity nitrobenzylthioinosine-binding sites (apparent KD congruent to 1 nM) were present on human and nucleoside-permeable but not nucleoside-impermeable sheep erythrocyte membranes (8400 and 18 sites/cell for human and sheep nucleoside-permeable sheep erythrocytes was displaced by nitrobenzylthioguanosine and dipyridamole. Uridine, inosine and adenosine inhibited binding. The smaller number of nitrobenzylthioinosine sites on nucleoside-permeable cells compared with human erythrocytes corresponded to a considerably lower Vmax. for uridine influx in these cells (0.53 X 10(-20) mol/cell per s at 25 degrees C compared with 254 X 10(-20) mol/cell per s). It is suggested that high-affinity nitrobenzylthioinosine binding represents a specific interaction with functional nucleoside-transport sites. The uridine-translocation capacity for each transport site at 25 degrees C is 180 molecules/site per s for both nucleoside-permeable sheep cells and human erythrocytes (assuming a 1:1 interaction between nitrobenzylthioinosine and the nucleoside-transport system).     

Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin. Dual mechanism of binding to target cells

Staphylococcal alpha-toxin was radiolabeled to high specific radioactivity (1,500-3,000 Ci/mmol) under retention of its hemolytic activity. Binding studies with susceptible rabbit erythrocytes and highly resistant human erythrocytes revealed that binding of alpha-toxin to target cells can occur via two different mechanisms. Binding of alpha-toxin to rabbit erythrocytes initially involves specific binding sites and occurs at low concentrations, with half-maximal binding at 1-2 nM. In contrast, toxin binding to human erythrocytes is absorptive and nonspecific, in this case, significant binding as well as hemolysis occur only at alpha-toxin concentrations exceeding 1 microM. Autoradiographic analyses of membrane-associated alpha-toxin from either cell species proved that hemolysis was inevitably associated with the formation of toxin hexamers. Our data indicate that the high susceptibility of certain target cells toward alpha-toxin is caused by the presence of specific binding sites. However, membrane damage of both susceptible and nonsusceptible target cells occurs via a common mechanism involving toxin oligomerization and pore formation.     

姜黄素类似物EF24诱导A549细胞自噬及凋亡关系的研究

从细胞自噬及凋亡关系角度探讨姜黄素类似物EF24对人肺腺癌细胞（A549）的杀伤机理。选用不同浓度的EF24对体外培养的A549处理,采用MTT方法检查细胞存活率,吖啶橙染色观察细胞形态,蛋白质免疫印迹（Western blot）方法检测与细胞自噬及凋亡相关蛋白的表达及对AMPK-mTOR-S6K信号通路的影响。结果显示,EF24作用24 h的IC50为8.5μmol/L,对A549细胞生长抑制作用优于姜黄素,而接近顺铂。自噬及凋亡蛋白检测显示,在4μmol/L、8μmol/L时A549细胞以自噬为主,在16μmol/L时以凋亡为主;加入100 nmol/L自噬抑制剂渥曼青霉素（wortmannin）后,细胞存活率同比升高。同时还发现,随着EF24浓度的增加,细胞内AMPK-Thr172磷酸化水平上升,mTOR-Ser2481、S6K-Thr389磷酸化水平的下调。由此可见,EF24可通过AMPK的激活下调mTOR-S6K途径抑制细胞生长,在EF24浓度4~8μmol/L范围内,自噬对凋亡起到促进作用。