Gaseous messengers in the nervous system

Nitric oxide is the first gaseous messenger whose functions were comprehensively studied in different systems of organism. Recently, new data on the physiological role of other endogenous gases: carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide, appeared. The role of gases in gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system have been established; however, data on their function and mechanisms of action in nervous system are insufficient. This article highlights the current information on the role of gaseous messengers in central and peripheral nervous system.     

Different effects of ATP on the contractile activity of mice diaphragmatic and skeletal muscles

Apart from acetyl-choline (Ach), adenosine-5′-trisphosphate (ATP) is thought to play a role in neuromuscular function, however little information is available on its cellular physiology. As such, effects of ATP and adenosine on contractility of mice diaphragmatic and skeletal muscles (m. extensor digitorum longa—MEDL) have been investigated in in vitro experiments. Application of carbacholine (CCh) in vitro in different concentrations led to pronounced muscle contractions, varying from 9.15 ± 4.76 to 513.13 ± 15.4 mg and from 44.65 ± 5.01 to 101.46 ± 9.11 mg for diaphragm and MEDL, respectively. Two hundred micromolars of CCh in both muscles caused the contraction with the 65% (diaphragm) to 75% (MEDL) of maximal contraction force—this concentration was thus used in further experiments. It was found that application of ATP (100 μM) increased the force of diaphragmatic contraction caused by CCh (200 μM) from 335.2 ± 51.4 mg (n = 21) in controls to 426.5 ± 47.8 mg (n = 10; P < 0.05), but decreased the contractions of MEDL of CCh from 76.6 ± 6.5 mg (n = 26) in control to 40.2 ± 9.0 mg (n = 8; P < 0.05). Application of adenosine (100 μM) had no effect on CCh-induced contractions of these muscles.

Resting membrane potential (MP) measurements using sharp electrodes were done at 10, 20 and 30 min after the application of ATP and adenosine. Diaphragm showed depolarization from 75 ± 0.6 down to 63.2 ± 1.05, 57.2 ± 0.96 and 53.6 ± 1.1 mV after 10, 20 and 30 min of exposition, respectively (20 fibers from 4 muscles each, P < 0.05 in all three cases). Adenosine showed no effect on diaphragmatic MP. Both agents were ineffective in case of MEDL.

The effects of ATP in both tissues were abolished by suramin (100 μM), a P2-receptor antagonist, and chelerythrin (50 μM), a specific protein-kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, but were not affected by 1H-[1,2,4]-oxadiazolo-[4,3-]-quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, 1 μM), a guanylyl-cyclase inhibitor, or by adenosine-3,5-monophosphothioate (Rp-cAMP, 1 μM), a protein-kinase A (PKA) inhibitor.

Besides the action on contractile activity, ATP (100 μM) led to a significant (P < 0.001) depolarization of diaphragm muscle fibers from 74.5 ± 2.3 down to 64 ± 2.1, 58.2 ± 2.2 and 54.3 ± 2.4 mV after 10, 20 and 30 min of incubation, respectively. Incubation of MEDL with the same ATP concentration showed no significant change of MP.

Denervation of the muscles for 28 days led to a decrease of CCh-induced contractions of diaphragm down to 171.1 ± 34.5 mg (n = 11, P < 0.05), but increased the contractile force of MEDL up to 723.9 ± 82.3 mg (n = 9, P < 0.01). Application of ATP elevated the contractility of denervated diaphragm caused by CCh up to normal values (311.1 ± 79.7 mg, n = 6, P > 0.05 versus control), but did not significantly affect of contractility of MEDL, which became 848.1 ± 62.7 mg (n = 6).

These results show that the effects of ATP on both diaphragmatic and skeletal muscles are mediated through P2Y receptors coupled to chelerytrin-sensitive protein-kinase C.     

干旱胁迫对宁夏枸杞生长及果实糖分积累的影响

文章研究不同干旱胁迫下宁夏枸杞生长及果实糖分积累的变化规律,为宁夏枸杞在干旱地区高产栽培提供参考依据。采用盆栽控水试验,设置正常灌水、轻度干旱、中度干旱和重度干旱处理,研究了干旱胁迫对宁夏枸杞植株生长、生物量分配以及果实糖分积累的影响。结果表明：干旱抑制宁夏枸杞新稍、果实、株高和地径的生长：随着干旱程度加剧,根和茎中干物质分配率逐渐升高,而枝条、叶和果实中干物质分配率大幅降低;轻度干旱有利于果实发育过程中果糖的积累,中度和重度干旱胁迫则不利于成熟期果糖和蔗糖积累;干旱胁迫明显降低成熟期转化酶、蔗糖磷酸合成酶（SPS）和蔗糖合成酶（SS）的活性;果实发育过程中果糖的含量与SPS和转化酶活性存在极显著相关。可见,在果实发育期,土壤含水量为田间持水量55％以上,能促进宁夏枸杞果实中糖分积累,有效提高果实品质。     

H2O2作为根源信号介导盐胁迫诱导的蚕豆气孔关闭反应

H2O2作为信号分子可被多种胁迫诱导产生并在细胞内积累,进而参与调节植物的抗逆反应。文章通过远红外热成像观察等实验发现,根部NaCl胁迫可诱导蚕豆气孔关闭,叶片温度上升,叶片内Na+和H2O2含量增加,蒸腾流汁液中H2O2浓度升高。另外,NaCl可直接诱导离体蚕豆根产生H2O2,却不能影响表皮条内H2O2含量。NaCl胁迫条件下产生的蒸腾流汁液可直接诱导表皮条气孔关闭,该过程可被抗氧化剂抗坏血酸(AsA)所逆转。这些结果表明,H2O2作为盐胁迫的根源信号,可能通过维管系统运输参与调节蚕豆气孔的关闭反应。     

1962—2010年甘肃省黄土高原区干旱时空动态格局

借助ArcGIS 9.3和SPSS软件平台,根据甘肃省黄土高原区33个气象站1962—2010年气象资料,利用综合气象干旱指数(CI)从干旱率、干旱强度和干旱频率三方面对甘肃省黄土高原区近50年的干旱时空变化特征进行了分析。结果表明:春、秋季干旱率呈现显著增加趋势,夏、冬季干旱率呈略微增加趋势;夏季干旱频率最大,春季、秋季次之,冬季最少;春、秋季干旱以2000年来最为严重,夏季干旱以2000年以来、20世纪70年代和90年代均较严重,冬季干旱以20世纪80年代最为严重;甘肃省黄土高原区逐年干旱持续日数和干旱强度存在明显的年际波动,线性变化趋势明显;从空间分布来看,春、夏和秋季干旱多发区主要集中在甘肃省黄土高原区西北部,而106°E以西"临洮-通渭-天水"一线和庆阳东南部是干旱多发区变幅最大的地方,冬季干旱多发区主要集中在甘肃省黄土高原区南部。     

上海大莲湖退渔还湖工程水环境改善效果

于2010年4月-2011年2月逐月对上海大莲湖退渔还湖生态修复工程跟踪调查与监测,对工程前后大莲湖水环境理化指标进行分析比较,评估工程修复之后大莲湖水环境的改善效果.生态修复区内TP、TN、NO3--N、NH4+-N和COD比工程区外对照点分别降低了62.5％、72.2％、92.9％、63.3％和8.9％,溶解氧提高了11.1％,叶绿素a、浮游植物丰度和浮游植物生物量分别比工程区外降低了47.7％、15.3％和48.0％;生态修复工程区综合水质标识指数达到国家Ⅲ类水标准,而工程区外为Ⅳ类水;出水水质明显优于进水水质.修复工程区浮游植物区系得到良好改善,水生态系统具备了一定的自净能力.     

西藏蚋属一新种（双翅目：蚋科）

记述西藏自治区蚋属Simulium蚋亚属Simulium 1新种,以陈汉彬教授的名命名为汉彬蚋Simulium(Simulium) hanbini sp. nov.。该新种与Simulium (Simulium) jingfui Cai & An, 2008及Simulium (Simulium)liubaense Liu & An, 2009相似,但该蚋爪无基齿,拉氏器较长,食窦的形状也不同。模式标本保存在北京军事医学科学院医学昆虫标本馆。     

Construction, expression and identification of a recombinant streptococcal protein G

化学合成链球菌蛋白G的C3D基因片段,通过分子生物学的方法对蛋白G(proteinG)的C3[1]片段进行PCR扩增,拼接形成含有两个和三个重复C3片段的重组链球菌蛋白G,C3片段间以链接区D连接,即形成C3DC3和C3DC3DC3的形式,进而克隆到质粒pET21中,在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中表达.重组表达的蛋白经过DEAE - Sepharose和IgG- Sepharose纯化,得到纯化的重组蛋白.采用非竞争性酶免疫法对重组蛋白与不同来源IgG的结合常数进行测定,实验结果显示两种重组链球菌蛋白G均可有效地与小鼠、兔及山羊等多种不同来源抗体特异性结合.这些实验结果为下一步研究奠定了基础.     

链球菌蛋白G的构建、重组表达及鉴定

化学合成链球茵蛋白G的C3D基因片段,通过分子生物学的方法对蛋白G（proteinG）的C3片段进行PCR扩增,拼接形成含有两个和三个重复C3片段的重组链球茵蛋白G,C3片段间以链接区D连接,即形成C3DC3和C3DC3DC3的形式,进而克隆到质粒pET21中,在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中表达。重组表达的蛋白经过DEAE—Sepharose和IgG—Sepharose纯化,得到纯化的重组蛋白。采用非竞争性酶免疫法对重组蛋白与不同来源IgG的结合常数进行测定,实验结果显示两种重组链球茵蛋白G均可有效地与小鼠、兔及山羊等多种不同来源抗体特异性结合。这些实验结果为下一步研究奠定了基础。     

甘草酸单铵盐稳定性研究

本文考察甘草酸单铵盐贮存条件对其稳定性的影响。使用甘草酸单铵盐模拟市售包装,通过加速试验与长期稳定性试验,采用国家药品标准及中国药典附录收载的检测方法对样品进行检测,考察药物稳定性。本品内包装采用双层聚氯乙烯塑料袋,外包装为纸板桶,药品在常温条件贮存,五年内保持各项技术指标符合标准规定。甘草酸单铵盐选择适宜包装在常温库保存,药品有效期可由目前两年延长至五年。