Pyrrole and furan oligoglycosides from the starfish Asterina batheri and their inhibitory effect on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells

Three new pyrrole oligoglycosides, astebatheriosides A–C (1–3), and a new furan oligoglycoside, astebatherioside D (4), were isolated from the starfish Asterina batheri by various chromatographic methods. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compounds 2, 3, and 4 moderately inhibited IL-12 p40 production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) with IC₅₀ values of 36.4, 31.6, and 22.8 μM, respectively.     

红芪、黄芪及配伍当归对环磷酰胺所致血虚模型小鼠的干预作用

目的：观察红芪、黄芪及配伍当归对环磷酰胺（CTX）所致血虚模型小鼠的干预作用。方法：昆明种小鼠随机分为7组,每组10只。采用CTX复制小鼠血虚模型,正常组与模型组小鼠用生理盐水灌胃,阳性对照组小鼠给予驴胶补血颗粒,四个给药组分别灌胃红芪、黄芪、红芪-当归组（5：1）及黄芪-当归组（5：1）,连续灌胃7 d后,采用血细胞分析仪测定各组小鼠外周红细胞（RBC）、淋巴细胞（LYM）、红细胞压积（HCT）、白细胞（WBC）、血小板（PLT）,取脾脏、胸腺、股骨,计算脾脏指数（SI）、胸腺指数（TI）的变化,进行网织红细胞计数（RC）、骨髓有核细胞计数,并对股骨进行病理切片观察。结果：与正常组比较,模型组小鼠RBC、WBC、HCT、PLT、LYM等含量均降低（P<0.05）,与模型组比较,红芪及不同配伍各组小鼠中SI、TI均显著升高（P<0.05）,红芪-当归组及黄芪-当归组可显著提高外周RBC、HCT、WBC、PLT、LYM的含量（P<0.05）,可升高RC及骨髓有核细胞数量（P<0.05）,股骨病理切片显示有所改善。结论：红芪-当归（5：1）与黄芪-当归（5：1）配伍对血虚模型小鼠的改善作用及补血作用优于红芪、黄芪的单独作用,黄芪-当归（5：1）效果更佳。     

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators from Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) and their anti-obesity effect

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of metabolic syndrome including obesity and type-2 diabetes. As part of an ongoing search for new AMPK activators from plants, this study found that the total extract of Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) activated the AMPK enzyme in differentiated C2C12 cells. As active constituents, seven 2,5-bis-aryl-3,4-dimethyltetrahydrofuran lignans, tetrahydrofuroguaiacin B (1), saucernetindiol (2), verrucosin (3), nectandrin B (4), nectandrin A (5), fragransin C₁ (6), and galbacin (7) were isolated from this extract. Among the isolates, compounds 1, 4, and 5 at 5 μM produced strong AMPK stimulation in differentiated C2C12 cells. In addition, the preventive effect of a tetrahydrofuran mixture (THF) on weight gain in a diet-induced animal model was further examined. These results suggest that nutmeg and its active constituents can be used not only for the development of agents to treat obesity and possibly type-2 diabetes but may also be beneficial for other metabolic disorders.     

藏北申扎地区下石炭统永珠组下部孢子组合的特征及意义

报道藏北申扎永珠区德日昂玛—下拉剖面的永珠组孢子组合,发现孢子43属,70余种(包括未定种)。组合特征如下:1)缺乏欧美植物地理区早石炭世典型的石松类植物的小孢子Lycospora属及早石炭世晚期(维宪期)重要孢子属;2)出现较多早石炭世早期(杜内期),甚至泥盆纪晚期分子。呈现出新老化石的混合现象;3)北半球和南半球孢子的混合组合,同时也是冷、暖微古植物群混合,既有相当于中国早石炭世晚期大塘期以及西欧维宪期典型属种,又有南半球澳大利亚(包括巴西和非洲大陆)的维宪期的典型种。从孢子化石混合现象看,永珠组应为近岸浅水或滨海条件下的沉积,下伏地层的孢子化石再沉积现象说明当时有一次很大的海平面下降,在邻近地区出现了大面积的剥蚀区。说明杜内期末期—维宪期初期,申扎地区出现一次由冈瓦纳大陆冰川发育造成海平面相对下降。形成区域上不整合界面———洛工组或“巴日阿朗寨段”底部的不整合界面。混合孢子组合中的寒冷气候条件下的孢子化石的发现,印证了杨式溥、范影年和林宝玉推断的冈瓦纳冰川自早石炭世维宪期(大塘期)开始就影响到西藏申扎的推论。     

Presenilin-1/Presenilin-2双基因敲除小鼠脑中单胺类神经递质变化的研究

条件性presenilins双基因敲除小鼠(dKO小鼠)表现出类似阿尔茨海默症(AD)的大部分神经退行性病症,如Tau 蛋白磷酸化、神经元凋亡、皮层萎缩以及认知能力受损等．为探讨presenilins功能缺失、神经退行性症状与单胺类递质变化的相关性,利用毛细管电泳法检测6、9和12月龄dKO小鼠皮层、海马及其他前脑部位中各单胺类神经递质的含量．结果显示,与对照组相比,dKO小鼠皮层中单胺类神经递质在6月龄时显著降低,而随着年龄的增长,神经退行性病变加剧,递质浓度也均明显上升,在海马区,dKO小鼠单胺类递质则呈上升趋势,但仅6月龄时5-羟色胺和肾上腺素及12月龄时各递质的上升有统计学意义,前脑其他部位5-羟色胺和多巴胺递质在6、9月龄时与对照组相近,在12月龄时则显著降低,而去甲肾上腺素和肾上腺素在6月和12月龄时均呈降低趋势,且均有统计学差异(6月龄肾上腺素除外)．实验表明,单胺类神经递质在presenilins双基因敲除的小鼠前脑各区域中的水平均发生了随龄化的变化,且在前脑皮层、海马与前脑其他区域的变化趋势各有不同,而单胺类递质的变化是presenilins双基因敲除导致的直接结果还是间接结果,单胺类递质在AD样神经退性行病变中的作用如何,还有待于进一步的研究．     

条锈菌诱导的抗锈小麦种质的基因表达分析

以条锈菌接种前后的抗条锈病种质N 95175的小麦幼苗叶片为材料,利用抑制消减杂交技术,构建了条锈菌接种初期小麦抗性种质叶片的SSH-cDNA文库。通过对文库中随机选取的50个阳性克隆提取质粒,进行测序,共获得已知功能的EST序列14条,如蛋白激酶、锌指蛋白、细胞色素P 450和OM T 1等抗病相关基因,它们涉及植物的信号传导、转录调控、丙烷代谢途径及防卫反应等方面。     

Effect of Root Zone Temperature on the Mineral Composition of Xylem Sap and Plasma Membrane K+-Mg++-ATPase Activity of Grafted-Cucumber and -Figleaf Gourd Root Systems

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings were grafted onto cucumber-(CG) or figleaf gourd- (FG, Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché)seedlings in order to determine the effect of solution temperature(12, 22, and 32°C) on the mineral composition of xylem sapand the plasma membrane K⁺-Mg⁺⁺-ATPase activities of the roots.Low solution temperature (12°C) lowered the concentrationof NO^–₃ and H₂PO^–₄ in xylem sap of CG plants butnot of FG plants. Concentrations of K⁺, Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺ in xylemsap were less affected than anions by solution temperature.The plasma membrane of FG plants grown in 12°C solutiontemperature showed the highest K⁺- Mg⁺⁺-ATPase activity at allATP concentrations up to 3 mM and at low reaction temperatureup to 12°C, indicating resistance of figleaf gourd to lowroot temperature. (Received December 27, 1994; Accepted March 10, 1995)     

Genetic Polymorphisms of Estrogen Receptors α and β and the Risk of Developing Prostate Cancer

Estrogen may be involved in the development of prostate cancer. The association between genetic polymorphisms of estrogen receptors α (ESR1) and β (ESR2) and prostate cancer risk was examined in a nested case-control study in Washington County, Maryland. Incident prostate cancer cases (n = 269) were matched to one or two controls (n = 440) by age, sex, race, and date of blood donation. Associations between estrogen receptor genotypes or dietary intake and the development of prostate cancer were examined in conditional logistic regression models. Results from this study showed that six single base-pair polymorphisms (SNPs) of ESR1 (rs1801132, rs2077647, rs746432, rs2273206, rs851982, rs2228480) and four SNPs of ESR2 (rs4986938, rs928554, rs8018687, rs number not available for ESR2 5696 bp 3′ of STP A>G) were not significantly associated with prostate cancer risk, either by allelic or genotypic frequencies. However, an interactive association with BMI was observed in the relationship between prostate cancer risk and genotypes of ESR2 38 bp 3′ of STP G>A (rs4986938) (p = 0.031). An interaction between intake level of phytoestrogen and genotypes of ESR1 Ex1-192G>C (rs746432) and between intake level of phytoestrogen and genotypes of ESR1 Ex8+229G>A (rs2228480) and risk of prostate cancer was observed (p = 0.0009 and p = 0.044, respectively). In conclusion, selected genetic polymorphisms of ESR1 and ESR2, overall, were not associated with prostate cancer risk. However, a variation in risk by BMI and phytoestrogen intake was implicated.     

体育锻炼与心理健康:认知、焦虑、抑郁和自我概念的研究进展

体育锻炼对心理健康的影响主要研究成果集中在认知功能,焦虑和抑郁,以及自我概念。体育锻炼可以有助于认知功能的提高,减少老年人的认知退化以及改善智力落后儿童的认知能力。体育锻炼可以作为焦虑和抑郁的预防和治疗的手段之一。体育锻炼也可以提高自我概念,有助于良好心理品质的形成。本文对以上三个方面的研究进行综述,并提出研究中的困难和今后研究的展望。