Acamprosate Modulates Alcohol-Induced Hippocampal NMDA Receptors and Brain Microsomal Ca2+-ATPase but Induces Oxidative Stress in Rat

We investigated the effects of acamprosate on alcohol-induced oxidative toxicity, microsomal membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase (MMCA) activity and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunits in rat brain. Forty male rats were equally divided into four groups. The first group was used as control, and the second group received ethanol. Acamprosate and acamprosate plus ethanol each day were administered to rats constituting the third and fourth groups for 21 days, respectively. Brain cortical and hippocampal samples were taken from the four groups after 21 days. Brain cortical lipid peroxidation (LP) levels and MMCA activity were higher in the alcohol group than in control, although glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), vitamin C, vitamin E and β-carotene values were lower in the alcohol group than in control. LP levels were further increased in the acamprosate and alcohol + acamprosate groups compared with the alcohol group. GSH-Px, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and β-carotene in the acamprosate and alcohol + acamprosate groups were further decreased compared with the alcohol group. Hippocampal NMDAR 2A and 2B subunit concentrations were lower in the alcohol group than in control, although they were increased by acamprosate and alcohol + acamprosate. Brain cortical MMCA activity was higher in the acamprosate group than in the alcohol-treated rats, although its activity was lower in the alcohol + acamprosate group than in the acamprosate group. Brain cortical reduced glutathione levels were not found to be statistically different in any of the groups. Oxidative stress has been proposed to explain the biological side effects of experimental alcohol intake. Acamprosate and alcohol-induced oxidative stress decreased brain antioxidant vitamins in the alcoholic rats.     

How visual stimulus effects the time perception? The evidence from time perception of emotional videos

Time perception is defined as a subjective judgment on the elapsed time of an event. It can change according to both external and internal factors. There are two main paradigms of time perception; retrospective time perception (RTP) and prospective time perception (PTP). Two paradigms differ from each other according to whether the subject has knowledge on the importance of passage of time in the given task. Since RTP paradigm studies are harder to conduct, studies on RTP paradigm is far fewer than studies on PTP. Thus in the current study, both RTP and PTP paradigms are investigated. Also, time perception is discussed in relation to internal clock model and cognitive load. Emotional motion videos are used to create cognitive load and manipulate internal clock. Results showed the effect of emotion on time perception. Another major finding is that shorter videos are perceived longer whereas longer videos are perceived shorter as in accordance with Vierordt’s Law. However, there was no difference between RTP and PTP paradigms. These results indicate that emotional videos change our internal clock while a number of changes in a motion video create cognitive load causing disturbance of time perception.     

Changes of arterial arachidonic acid metabolites in hypertensive patients during haemodialysis

It is well known that in haemodialysis patients suffering from oligoanuria, extracellular hypervolaemia develops and this hypervolaemia is the main reason for hypertension occurring in some of the patients. The absence of vasorelaxation during hypervolaemia may be secondary to an increased activity of vasoconstrictor systems and/or a decreased formation of vasodilator agents like prostaglandin E2(PGE2) and prostaglandin I2(PGI2). In the present study, arterial PGE2 and leukotriene C4(LTC4)-like activities and the effect of fluid removal on these arachidonic acid metabolites during haemodialysis were measured in normotensive and hypertensive patients. Plasma PGE2 and LTC4-like activities were significantly different between hypertensive and normotensive patients. PGE2/LTC4 ratio did not change in normotensive patients while it was increased in hypertensive patients after haemodialysis. These results indicate that haemodialysis alters the synthesis of arachidonic acid metabolites especially in hypertensive patients.     

Studies on Metabolic Pathway of NAD in Yeast

The enzyme system of NAD degradation was extracted from autolysate of Saccharomyces oviformis.

The enzymes were partially separated by ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography, and then the metabolic pathway of NAD in yeast was presented, in which four enzymes were contained. It has been found that, among them, the 5?nucleotidase has more affinity for AMP and the nucleosidase has strict affinity for nicotinamide riboside.

In the degradation of NAD in the yeast, nucleotide pyrophosphatase was main enzyme, but NADase, nucleotide pyrophosphorylase and adenosine deaminase seemed not to play an important role.     

DNA疫苗的细菌内毒素检测

目的 :考察DNA疫苗细菌内毒素的检查方法的可行性及DNA疫苗的干扰作用。方法 :干扰试验和对比试验。结果 :供试品阴性对照系列样品溶液无干扰作用 ,与家兔法结果一致。结论 :将疫苗稀释 2倍可用灵敏度为 0 5EU ml的鲎试剂作细菌内毒素检查。     

Beh?et's: A Disease or a Syndrome? Answer from an Expression Profiling Study

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a chronic, relapsing, multisystemic inflammatory disorder with unanswered questions regarding its etiology/pathogenesis and classification. Distinct manifestation based subsets, pronounced geographical variations in expression, and discrepant immunological abnormalities raised the question whether Behçet’s is “a disease or a syndrome”. To answer the preceding question we aimed to display and compare the molecular mechanisms underlying distinct subsets of BD. For this purpose, the expression data of the gene expression profiling and association study on BD by Xavier et al (2013) was retrieved from GEO database and reanalysed by gene expression data analysis/visualization and bioinformatics enrichment tools. There were 15 BD patients (B) and 14 controls (C). Three subsets of BD patients were generated: MB (isolated mucocutaneous manifestations, n = 7), OB (ocular involvement, n = 4), and VB (large vein thrombosis, n = 4). Class comparison analyses yielded the following numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs); B vs C: 4, MB vs C: 5, OB vs C: 151, VB vs C: 274, MB vs OB: 215, MB vs VB: 760, OB vs VB: 984. Venn diagram analysis showed that there were no common DEGs in the intersection “MB vs C” ∩ “OB vs C” ∩ “VB vs C”. Cluster analyses successfully clustered distinct expressions of BD. During gene ontology term enrichment analyses, categories with relevance to IL-8 production (MB vs C) and immune response to microorganisms (OB vs C) were differentially enriched. Distinct subsets of BD display distinct expression profiles and different disease associated pathways. Based on these clear discrepancies, the designation as “Behçet’s syndrome” (BS) should be encouraged and future research should take into consideration the immunogenetic heterogeneity of BS subsets. Four gene groups, namely, negative regulators of inflammation (CD69, CLEC12A, CLEC12B, TNFAIP3), neutrophil granule proteins (LTF, OLFM4, AZU1, MMP8, DEFA4, CAMP), antigen processing and presentation proteins (CTSS, ERAP1), and regulators of immune response (LGALS2, BCL10, ITCH, CEACAM8, CD36, IL8, CCL4, EREG, NFKBIZ, CCR2, CD180, KLRC4, NFAT5) appear to be instrumental in BS immunopathogenesis.     

Locomotion Controls Spatial Integration in Mouse Visual Cortex

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