Antinociceptive activity of atranorin in mice orofacial nociception tests

Physicochemical characterization and antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of atranorin (AT) extracted from Cladina kalbii Ahti in formalin- and capsaicin-induced orofacial pain and anti-inflammatory tests in rodents were studied. Physicochemical characterization showed that AT has the general formula C19H18O8. Male Swiss mice were pretreated with AT (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, i.p.), morphine (3 mg/kg, i.p.), or vehicle (0.9% saline with two drops of 0.2% Tween 80) before formalin (20 microl, 2%) or capsaicin (20 microl, 2.5 microg) were injected into the right vibrissa. Our results showed that i.p. treatment with AT displayed marked inhibitory effects in different orofacial pain tests in mice. AT (400 mg/kg, i.p.) was effective in reducing the nociceptive face-rubbing behavioural response in both phases of the formalin test, which was also naloxone-sensitive. Additionally, AT produced a significant antinociceptive effect at all doses in the capsaicin test. Such results were unlikely to be provoked by motor abnormality, since AT-treated mice exhibited no performance alteration on the rota rod apparatus. AT exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity in the acute model of inflammation (leukocyte migration to the peritoneal cavity), carrageenan- and arachidonic acid-induced hind paw edema in rats. Additionally, AT exhibited a dose-dependent antioxidant activity in vitro, as assessed by total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter and total antioxidant reactivity assays. All these findings suggest that AT might represent an important tool for the management of orofacial pain and/or inflammatory disorders.     

Antiulcerogenic activity of crude extract, fractions and populnoic acid isolated from Austroplenckia populnea (Celastraceae)

Many plant crude extracts and their isolated compounds are the most attractive sources of new drugs and show promising results for the treatment of gastric ulcers. Austroplenckia populnea is commonly known as "marmelinho-do campo, mangabeira-brava, mangabarana and vime" and it has been used in folk medicine as anti-dysenteric and anti-rheumatic. Powdered bark wood (3.25 kg) was macerated with aqueous ethanol (96%) and the extract was concentrated under reduced pressure to yield 406 g of crude hydralcoholic extract. The hydralcoholic extract was suspended in aqueous methanol and partitioned with hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) in sequence, yielding 8.0 g, 9.5 g and 98.17 g of crude extracts, respectively. Chromatography of the hexane extract over a silica gel column led to the isolation of the triterpene populnoic acid. The oral administration of hydralcoholic, hexane, chloroform and EtOAc extracts (200 mg/kg) decreased the ulcer lesion index (ULI) by 83.15%, 46.87%, 32.2%, 68.12%, respectively. Oral administration of populnoic acid (100 mg/kg) diminished the ULI by 55.29%. All the obtained results were significant in comparison with the negative control, with exception of the chloroform extract.     

Production of an antimicrobial substance against Cryptococcus neoformans by Paenibacillus brasilensis Sa3 isolated from the rhizosphere of Kalanchoe brasiliensis

An antifungal substance produced by Paenibacillus brasilensis strain Sa3 was preliminary characterized and showed to be stable after treatment with different enzymes and organic solvents and at a wide range of pH, and presented a molecular weight between 3 and 10 kDa. In vitro antagonism of this strain towards Cryptococcus neoformans was investigated by optical and electronic microscopic analyses and a fungicidal effect on C. neoformans was observed. Ultrastructural analysis showed intense changes on the fungus when it was paired cultured with strain Sa3, mainly the detachment of the capsule from the cell wall and the presence of altered organelles in the cytoplasm. This novel antifungal substance produced by P. brasilensis Sa3 may represent a new insight in antifungal therapy mainly against emergent fungi. Also, prospective studies on rhizobacteria of plants as Kalanchoe brasiliensis may offer a potential source for the discovery of bioactive compounds with medical value.     

多种通气策略下的高浓度乙醇生产

氧气在环境胁迫强的高浓度乙醇发酵中具有重要作用.考察了自絮凝酿酒酵母在多种通气策略下的乙醇发酵及絮凝状况.使用氧化还原电位(ORP)检测发酵液中氧浓度并划分了厌氧、微氧和好氧状态.厌氧条件下的终点乙醇浓度最低(119±1.5 g/L);微氧条件下使用ORP精密控制氧气供给取得较高的乙醇浓度(131±1.8和125±1.7 g/L);在通气量0.2 vvm的好氧条件下,生物量、甘油量和乙醇损失皆最大,与最优收率相比较乙醇收率降低了12.2％.高通气量增强了细胞的絮凝能力,增大了絮凝体粒径.绘制雷达图进行综合评价,恒定通气0.05 vvm的过程在乙醇生产和絮凝各方面表现均突出.     

牦牛BLG基因5'调控成分的克隆及序列分析

目的:克隆牦牛β-乳球蛋白(BLG)基因5'调控成分(3.5kb).方法:利用PCR方法克隆了牦牛BLG基因5'侧翼区,并进行生物信息学分析表明.结论:获得了3.5kb的BLG基因5'调控成分,其中包括5'侧翼区(2 472bp),第一外显子及第一内含子(1 066bp).该序列与牛、绵羊和山羊的同源性分别为98.42%、89.61%和84.41%;平均GC含量为49.3%;存在一个CpG岛;可能存在一个启动子位点,位于起始密码子前-83bp处;AliBaba2.1分析发现该区域有47种潜在的转录因子结合位点,其中包括乳蛋白结合因子(MPBF)、乳腺活化因子(MAF)、糖皮质激素受体(GR)、雌激素受体(ER)、核因子1(NF-1)等结合位点,提示该调控成分可用于构建乳腺特异性表达载体.结果:成功克隆出BLG基因5'侧翼区,为构建转基因牦牛乳腺生物反应器的特异性表达载体奠定基础.     

青海森林生态系统中灌木层和土壤生态化学计量特征

灌木层作为森林生态系统的重要组成部分, 了解其生态化学计量特征将有助于揭示森林生态系统物质周转和养分循环等生态功能。该研究选取青海省7种主要优势林分——白桦(Betula platyphylla)林、毛白杨(Populus tomentosa)林、红桦(Betula albosinensis)林、青扦(Picea wilsonii)林、山杨(Populus davidiana)林、圆柏(Sabina chinensis)林、云杉(Picea asperata)林为研究对象, 采用野外取样和室内实验分析相结合的方法, 研究了不同林分林下灌木层不同器官(叶、枝干、根)及其表层(0-10 cm)土壤的碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)含量及其相关性。结果表明: 7种林分间灌木(叶、枝干、根) P含量、C:P均没有明显差异性; 山杨林、圆柏林、云杉林的林下灌木(叶、枝干、根) N含量、N:P高于白桦林、毛白杨林、红桦林和青扦林, C:N则相反。圆柏林的林下灌木生长受P限制, 其余6种林分的林下灌木生长受N限制。7种林分间土壤有机碳(SOC)和总氮(TN)含量呈现出明显差异性, 而总磷(TP)含量则差异不明显。相关性分析表明, 林下灌木(叶、枝干、根) N含量、C:N、N:P与土壤TN含量、C:N、N:P呈极显著相关性, 而P含量、C:P与土壤TP含量呈显著相关性。冗余分析表明, 林下灌木层植被C、N、P含量及生态化学计量特征受到土壤化学计量特征及各环境因子的共同影响, 其中土壤C:N、海拔、年平均气温、年降水量为主要影响因子。     

The Effect of Active Learning Methodologies on the Teaching of Pharmaceutical Care in a Brazilian Pharmacy Faculty

BackgroundIn recent years, pharmacists have been involved in expanded patient care responsibilities, for example patient counseling in self-medication, medication review and pharmaceutical care, which require graduates to develop the necessary competences. Consequently, reorientation of pharmacy education has become necessary. As such, active learning strategies have been introduced into classrooms to increase problem-solving and critical thinking skills of students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and perceptions of competency of students in a new pharmaceutical care course that uses active learning methodologies.MethodsThis pharmaceutical care course was conducted in the first semester of 2014, in the Federal University of Sergipe. In the pharmaceutical care course, active learning methods were used, consisting of dialogic classroom expository, simulation and case studies. Student learning was evaluated using classroom tests and instruments that evaluated the perception of competency in pharmaceutical care practice. Furthermore, students'' satisfaction with the course was evaluated.ResultsThirty-three students completed the four evaluations used in the course (i.e., a discursive written exam, seminars, OSCE, and virtual patient); 25 were female (75.75%), and the median age was 23.43 (SD 2.82) years. The overall mean of student scores, in all evaluation methods was 7.97 (SD 0.59) on a scale of 0 to 10 points, and student performance on the virtual patient method was statistically superior to other methods. With respect to the perception of competency in pharmaceutical care practice, a comparison of pre- and post-test scores revealed statistically significant improvement for all evaluated competences. At the end of the semester, the students presented positive opinions of the pharmaceutical care course.ConclusionsThe results suggest that an active learning course can enhance the learning of pharmaceutical care competences. In future studies it will be necessary to compare active learning to traditional methods.     

云南辛德毕斯病毒的生物学性状研究

本文对云南首次分离到的Sindbis病毒进行了滤过试验,耐酸耐醚试验、致细胞病变、动物敏感性试验、血压 凝特性、空斑和毒力等试验研究,结果符合披膜病毒科的病毒特性。交 因抑试验和免疫荧光试验,以及空斑减小中和试验进一步证实为甲病毒属的Sindbis病毒,其空斑纯化株的生物学特性也与原株相符,纯化株的制备为该株病毒分子生物学研究的准确性和一致性提供了条件。云南Sindbis病毒的首次分离具有重要的流行病学意义,其生物学特性研究结果对我省该病的诊断和防治具有重要的指导意义。