Isolation and characterization of noradrenalin storage granules of bovine adrenal medulla

A method is described for the preparation of (1) the heavy population of bovine adrenal chromaffin granules ($\text{S}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>H</mtext>}}\text{(}\text{average sedimentation coefficient}\text{) = 12 400}\text{S}$ in 0.25 M sucrose) essentially free from contamination with mitochondria and other organelles, and (2) a subpopulation of this heavy population which is highly enriched in noradrenalin ($\text{?95\%}$ of the total catecholamine is noradrenalin). The method is based on isopycnic gradient centrifugation using a self-generating gradient of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated colloidal silica particles (Percoll) in 0.5 M sucrose medium.The isolated population of noradrenalin granules appeared highly electron dense in transmission electron microscopy and revealed a rather narrow size distribution. The specific content of amine and adenine nucleotides (with reference to total granule protein) was markedly higher than for the total population of heavy chromaffin granules. The molar ratio of amines to adenine nucleotides was, however, lower in the noradrenalin granules, i.e. 4.8 vs. 11.9.     

A New Type of Anatolian Propolis: Evaluation of Its Chemical Composition,Activity Profile and Botanical Origin

This study was undertaken to analyze the phenolic profiles of 19 propolis samples from Turkey by using a high‐performance thin‐layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method in order to identify their plant origins. Furthermore, their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity profiles were comparatively evaluated. For the appraisal of antioxidant potential, total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) of propolis samples were firstly determined and then their effects on free radicals were evaluated by FRAP, ABTS^.+, CUPRAC, DPPH^. and HPTLC‐DPPH^. methods. Antimicrobial activity of propolis samples against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442), Escherichia coli (ATCC 11229) and Candida albicans ATCC 10231 were determined by disc diffusion and broth dilution methods. HPTLC fingerprinting analyses revealed that O‐type (botanical origin from Populus nigra L.) was the primarily available propolis type in Turkey. Moreover, 3‐O‐methylquercetin (3MQ) rich propolis was identified as a new propolis type for the first time. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that 3MQ‐type propolis differs from the O‐type. Antioxidant activity studies showed that O‐type of propolis possesses higher antioxidant effect than the other tested propolis types. Quercetin, caffeic acid, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and galangin were determined to contribute significantly to the antioxidant potential of O‐type propolis among others. Propolis extracts exerted moderate antimicrobial activity against the tested microorganisms with MIC values between the ranges of 128–512 μg/mL.     

Rat liver homogenate (S9)-mediated binding of benzo[a]pyren to DNA in V79 cells,V79 cell nuclei and aqueous solution

The role of the target cell in determining the structures and the amounts of hydrocarbon-DNA adducts formed after hydrocarbon activation by an exogenous metabolic ativation system was investigated by exposing intact cells of the Chinese hamster lung cell line V79, V79 cell nuclei and calf thymus DNA to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in the presenceof a rat liver homogenate activation system (S9). The DNA was isolated, enzymatically degraded to deoxyribonucleosides and the B[a]P-deoxyribonucleoside adducts analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Two major adducts were present in all samples; one formed by reaction of r-7, t-8-dihydroxy-t-9, 10-epoxy-7, 8, 9, 10-tetrahydro-B[a]P (anti-B[a]PDE) with the 2-amino group of deoxyguanosine, the other formed by reaction of a metabolite of 9-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene (9-OH-B[a]P) with an unidentified deoxyribonucleoside. The ratios of the anti-B[a]PDE-DNA adduct to the 9-OH-B[a]P-DNA adduct were: calf thymus DNA, 3 to 1: DNA from V79 nuclei, 8 to 1; DNA from intact V79 cells, 11 to 1. Similar several-fold increases in the proportion of anti-B[a]PDE-DNA adducts in V79 cells over those in calf thymus DNA were observed for a dose range of 1–10 μg B[a]P per ml. The relative extent of binding of the activated metabolite of 9-OH-B[a]P to DNA was also much lower in intact V79 cells than in calf thymus DNA after exposure to 9-OH-B[a]P in the presence of the S9 activation system.These results demonstrate that the relative abilities of various reactive bbenzo[a]pyrene metabolites formed by an exogenous activation system to reach DNA differ substantially. Therefore, assessment of the biological activity of hydrocarbons in mutation assays using exogenous activation systems must take into account not only the amounts of different reactive hydrocarbon metabolites formed but also the relative abilities of these metabolites to reach the DNA of the target cell.     

The disposition of venlafaxine enantiomers in dogs, rats, and humans receiving venlafaxine.

A stereospecific high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for the quantitation of the enantiomers of venlafaxine, an antidepressant, in dog, rat, and human plasma. The procedure involves derivatization of venlafaxine with the chiral reagent, (+)-S-naproxen chloride, and a postderivatization procedure. The method was linear in the range of 50 to 5,000 ng of each enantiomer per ml of plasma. No interference by endogenous substances or known metabolites of venlafaxine occurred. Studies to characterize the disposition of the enantiomers of venlafaxine were conducted in dog, rat, and human, following oral administration of venlafaxine. The Cmax, area under the curve (AUC) and (S)/(R) concentration ratios of the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers were compared. In rats, the mean plasma ratio of (S)-venlafaxine to that of (R)-venlafaxine over 0.5 to 6.0 h varied from 2.97 to 8.50 with a mean value of 5.51 +/- 2.45. The Cmax, AUC0-infinity, and t 1/2 values of the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers in dogs were not significantly different from one another (P greater than 0.1). The mean ratios [(S)/(R)] of enantiomers of venlafaxine in human over a 2 to 6 h interval ranged from 1.33 to 1.35 with an overall ratio of 1.34 +/- 0.26 (n = 12). These ratios of the enantiomers [(S)/(R)] were not statistically different from unity (P greater than 0.1) indicating that the disposition of venlafaxine enantiomers in humans is not stereoselective and is more similar to that in dogs than that in rats.     

离心液相色谱法快速分离纯化神经节苷脂

神经节苷脂在脊椎动物的神经组织细胞膜上含量丰富,除有受体的功能外,还有许多其它功能。采用离心液相色谱法,以国产硅胶Ｇ－６０为填料,分离纯化神经节苷脂,取得了满意的效果。经分离后产物的脂结合唾液酸（ＬＢＳＡ）含量,由１４．３％提高到２４．１％。以蛋白质含量为代表的含氮化合物由２２．０％降至９．６％。回收率为９０．２５％。特点是操作简便、周期短、成本低、效果好。优于ｌａｔｒｏｂｅａｄｓ柱层析法。     

Taxonomical Properties of a Producer of Viral-neuraminidase Inhibitor,No. 289 Strain,and Culture Conditions for Inhibitor Production

Taxonomical properties of an actinomycete, strain No. 289, a potent producer of viral-neuraminidase inhibitor, and culture conditions for the production of the inhibitor have been studied. It belongs to the genus Streptomyces and is characterized mainly by spiral formation, smooth spore surface, Gray color-series and chromogenicity. A high yield of the inhibitor was achieved when it was cultured in a medium containing lactose, peptone and yeast extract at 27° under aerobic condition; the inhibitory activity of the broth reached as high as 2⁴ deHAI units/ml at the fifth day of the main culture.     

HPLC测定灵芝子实体水提物及相关产品中三萜的含量

灵芝药品大多以灵芝子实体水提物为原料,为快速准确测定灵芝子实体水提物及相关产品中三萜的含量,建立了具有较好分离效果的HPLC分析测定方法。通过优化色谱柱和洗脱条件,优选出Agilent Zorbax SB-Aq C18色谱柱(250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm),以乙腈-乙酸水溶液(0.01%)为流动相梯度洗脱,流速为1.0 mL/min,检测波长252 nm,柱温30℃,该条件下灵芝酸A、灵芝酸F等10种灵芝酸得到较好的分离。方法学考察显示该分析方法精密度、重复性、稳定性和加样回收率的RSD值均小于5%,可以用于灵芝酸C2、灵芝酸G、灵芝烯酸B、灵芝酸B等10种灵芝酸的定量检测。通过对灵芝子实体原料、水提物和市售灵芝产品中10种三萜类成分分析发现,灵芝子实体水提物中均含有这10种三萜,含量为2.52%–6.83%,较子实体原料大幅提高,市售的灵芝产品中的三萜含量为0.27%–0.84%。该方法的建立为灵芝水提物及其产品质量标准的建立奠定基础。     

High-throughput,Highly Sensitive Analyses of Bacterial Morphogenesis Using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography

The bacterial cell wall is a network of glycan strands cross-linked by short peptides (peptidoglycan); it is responsible for the mechanical integrity of the cell and shape determination. Liquid chromatography can be used to measure the abundance of the muropeptide subunits composing the cell wall. Characteristics such as the degree of cross-linking and average glycan strand length are known to vary across species. However, a systematic comparison among strains of a given species has yet to be undertaken, making it difficult to assess the origins of variability in peptidoglycan composition. We present a protocol for muropeptide analysis using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and demonstrate that UPLC achieves resolution comparable with that of HPLC while requiring orders of magnitude less injection volume and a fraction of the elution time. We also developed a software platform to automate the identification and quantification of chromatographic peaks, which we demonstrate has improved accuracy relative to other software. This combined experimental and computational methodology revealed that peptidoglycan composition was approximately maintained across strains from three Gram-negative species despite taxonomical and morphological differences. Peptidoglycan composition and density were maintained after we systematically altered cell size in Escherichia coli using the antibiotic A22, indicating that cell shape is largely decoupled from the biochemistry of peptidoglycan synthesis. High-throughput, sensitive UPLC combined with our automated software for chromatographic analysis will accelerate the discovery of peptidoglycan composition and the molecular mechanisms of cell wall structure determination.     

Biological, Physical, and Chemical Properties of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus I. Purification and Physical Properties

A new purification procedure was adopted for Eastern equine encephalitis virus which does not subject the virus to pelleting at any stage. Three- to 4-liter volumes were passed through a diethylaminoethyl cellulose column. The virus-containing fractions were banded on a sucrose cushion and finally concentrated in an isopycnic band in a linear sucrose gradient. This method reduced the volume 1,000-fold with a concomitant increase in viral titer, i.e., better than 90% recovery. Numerous criteria have been used to establish that this viral preparation was essentially free from cellular debris and nonviral material. Physical studies on this purified viral product were initiated. The sedimentation coefficient as determined by band sedimentation was 240S, the buoyant density in sucrose was 1.18 g/cc, and the diameter of the virus was 54 nm. From the diameter and the buoyant density it was possible to calculate the molecular weight of a spherical particle. In this case, the calculated molecular weight for Eastern equine encephalitis virus was 58 x 10(6) daltons.     

芦荟苷A、B以及异芦荟色苷D的同时分离纯化

首次采用反相中压制备色谱从芦荟中一次分离制备得到芦荟苷A、B以及异芦荟色苷D。以库拉索芦荟丙酮粗提物为原料,采用中压制备色谱系统:SCO色谱柱(40 cm×26 cm,30～50μm),流动相甲醇-0.5%乙酸水(33∶67,V/V),流速20 mL/min,等度洗脱方式,柱温室温,检测波长254 nm,收集波长356 nm对芦荟样品进行分离制备,得到三种化合物单体。经高效液相色谱、紫外、红外、质谱及核磁共振等方法分析表明所得到的三种化合物分别是异芦荟色苷D、芦荟苷A和芦荟苷B,其纯度分别达到了98.0%,96.0%和98.9%。该方法简便,产品质量高,一次制备可以得到多种单体,为芦荟成分的测定与药理活性的研究提供了条件。     

萝卜色素的分离、纯化及其性质研究

“心里美”萝卜酒精提取物,经薄层层析、高压液相层析纯化后可得到天然色素为粉红色针状结晶。该色素性质稳定、耐温、耐光,颜色随pH值的不同而变化。经红外光谱分析和质谱鉴定,初步推导其结构可能为报春花色素。     

Automated, High Productivity Purification and Analysis of Synthetic Peptides

Methods for peptide assembly consist of techniques that allow for construction of complex sequences. The advantage of solid-phase methodologies is automation of the repetitive processes of deprotecting, washing, and coupling protected amino acids (acylation). However, for difficult sequences the crude product contains a variety of side products that must be removed to provide the desired target peptide in sufficient concentration and purity. This paper illustrates that high efficiency purification method-development can be achieved by combining purification and analysis on a single platform. Incorporation of fast LC-based assays using polystyrene-based POROS® Perfusion Chromatography media permitted rapid overall processing times from crude peptide purification through fraction pooling and product verification. Application of these technologies to the purification of peptides at scales of 100 mg is demonstrated.     

Automated,High Productivity Purification and Analysis of Synthetic Peptides

Methods for peptide assembly consist of techniques that allow for construction of complex sequences. The advantage of solid-phase methodologies is automation of the repetitive processes of deprotecting, washing, and coupling protected amino acids (acylation). However, for difficult sequences the crude product contains a variety of side products that must be removed to provide the desired target peptide in sufficient concentration and purity. This paper illustrates that high efficiency purification method-development can be achieved by combining purification and analysis on a single platform. Incorporation of fast LC-based assays using polystyrene-based POROS® Perfusion Chromatography media permitted rapid overall processing times from crude peptide purification through fraction pooling and product verification. Application of these technologies to the purification of peptides at scales of 100 mg is demonstrated.     

Identification of oxalic acid and tartaric acid as major persistent pain-inducing toxins in the stinging hairs of the nettle, Urtica thunbergiana

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Once human skin contacts stinging hairs of Urtica spp. (stinging nettles), the irritant is released and produces pain, wheals or a stinging sensation which may last for >12 h. However, the existence of pain-inducing toxins in the stinging hairs of Urtica thunbergiana has never been systematically demonstrated. Experiments were therefore conducted to identify the persistent pain-inducing agents in the stinging hairs of U. thunbergiana. METHODS: The stinging hairs of U. thunbergiana were removed and immersed in deionized water. After centrifugation, the clear supernatants were then subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), enzymatic analysis and/or behavioural bioassays. KEY RESULTS: The HPLC results showed that the major constituents in the stinging hairs of U. thunbergiana were histamine, oxalic acid and tartaric acid. However, the well-recognized pain-inducing agents, serotonin and formic acid, existed at a low concentration as estimated by HPLC and/or enzymatic analyses. The behavioural tests showed that 2% oxalic acid and 10% tartaric acid dramatically elicited persistent pain sensations in rats. In contrast, 10% formic acid and 2% serotonin only elicited moderate pain sensation in the first 10 min. Moreover, no significant pain-related behavioural response was observed after injecting 10% acetylcholine and histamine in rats. CONCLUSIONS: Oxalic acid and tartaric acid were identified, for the first time, as major long-lasting pain-inducing toxins in the stinging hairs of U. thunbergiana. The general view that formic acid, histamine and serotonin are the pain-inducing agents in the stinging hairs of U. dioica may require updating, since their concentrations in U. thunbergiana were too low to induce significant pain sensation in behavioural bioassays.     

灵芝子实体、菌丝体及孢子粉中多糖成分差异比较研究

为探讨灵芝子实体、菌丝体和孢子粉3种材料中多糖成分的差异,分别运用苯酚硫酸法进行多糖含量测定,运用离子色谱分析其酸水解后单糖组成,并运用HPLC分析各多糖图谱及经α-淀粉酶和β-1,3-葡聚糖酶处理后HPLC图谱的变化,结果发现,灵芝菌丝体中多糖含量最高,达到3.81%,孢子粉多糖含量为1.8%,灵芝子实体中多糖含量最低,仅为0.59%;水解后的单糖组成及摩尔比也有差异,子实体的单糖主要为葡萄糖和半乳糖,菌丝体和孢子粉的单糖主要为葡萄糖;HPLC图谱显示3种多糖出峰位置和分子量也不同,酶解效果表明多糖结构也相差较大。各样品多糖对小鼠巨噬细胞RAW264.7释放NO的产量的影响上,菌丝体与子实体多糖都表现出了很好的活性,而孢子粉多糖却呈现出较低活性。实验结果表明灵芝子实体、菌丝体和孢子粉3种材料的多糖成分差异大,在医药保健品使用中应区分使用。     

Isolation and chemical characterization of somatostatin-28 from rat hypothalamus

A peptide with somatostatin-like immuno- and bioactivity has been isolated from an aqueous extract of 96 800 rat hypothalamic by means of immunoaffinity chromatography, gel filtration and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Chemical characterization by amino acid analysis, tryptic peptide mapping and retention behavior in two HPLC system showed that the peptide was indistinguishable from somatostatin-28 previously characterized from several species. This evidence suggests that rat hypothalamic somatostatin-28 is identical in structure to porcine and ovine somatostatin-28.     

Biological monitoring among benzene-exposed workers in Bangalore city,India

Abstract

Environmental and biological monitoring was carried out in the winter season of 2004 for 30 gasoline station workers (study subjects) and 30 office workers (controls) of Bangalore city, India. Personal air sampling was carried out in the breathing zone of workers using an Anasorb CSC sorbent tube (SKC 226-01) fitted to the low-flow personal samplers (PCXR4 and pocket pump Model No. 210-1002) at a flow rate of 200 ml min^?1 during the shift work of 8 h. The benzene content adsorbed in the sorbent tube (SKC 226-01) was desorbed with 1 ml of benzene-free carbon disulfide on a developing vibrator and later analysed by Trace GC fitted with MXT-624 column and flame ionization detector. The mean time weighted average benzene concentration found among study and controls was 1.10±1.08 and 0.070±0.035 mg m^?3, respectively. Biological monitoring for benzene exposure was performed by measuring trans,trans muconic acid (t,t-MA) in the end shift urine samples using HPLC-UV technique. End-shift urine samples (1 ml) were adjusted to pH 7–9 with phosphate buffer pH 7.4 passed through the preconditioned Q-SAX anion-exchange cartridge and the (t,t-MA) is extracted with 10% acetic acid and later analysed by HPLC-UV detection The mean t,t-MA found among study and controls were 563.16±281.81 and 266.88±110.65 µg g^?1 creatinine. About 50% of the study subjects (15) have higher t,t-MA values than the biological exposure index of the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH). Correlation is significant at 5% level (p<0.05) between personal air benzene concentration and urinary t,t-MA in the study group. Based on these findings, the t,t-MA can be used as a biomarker for benzene exposure.     

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activity of Tamarix africana,Arthrocnemum macrostachyum and Suaeda fruticosa,three halophyte species from Algeria

Abstract

Extracts and fractions using six solvents of increasing polarities from Northwest Algeria (Tamarix africana, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum and Suaeda fruticosa) were studied for phytochemical analysis and in vitro antioxidant properties. Methanol and water fractions were found to be the more suitable solvents used for extraction of polyphenolic compounds. Aqueous leaf fraction of T. africana showed the highest content of phenolics (61.06?±?0.40?mg GAE/g DW) and condensed tannins (118.43?±?11.79?mg CE/g DW). Dichloromethane stem fraction of T. africana had the highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil radical scavenging ability (0.34?±?0.00?mg/ml). Methanol leaf fraction of the same plant exhibited the highest antioxidant power against the inhibition of β-carotene bleaching, while the maximum total antioxidant capacity was recorded in the leaf extract of S. fruticosa. Phenolic content was not influenced by the species but very affected by the extraction solvent, while antioxidant activities were not influenced by these two parameters. High-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector analysis of methanol and aqueous leaf fractions of T. africana revealed the presence of six phenolic acids; chlorogenic and gallic acids were predominant and 10 flavonoid compounds among which rutin and quercetin-3-O-arabonoside were the major constituents. These findings suggest that these species may be considered as an interesting source of antioxidants.