Peripheral versus central components of the effects of dermorphin on intestinal motility in the fed rat

The effects of subcutaneous (s.c.), intraperitoneal (i.p.), intrathecal (i.t.) and intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of dermorphin (DER) on intestinal myoelectrical activity were examined in fed rats with chronically implanted electrodes on the small and large bowel. DER s.c. restored the 'fasting' pattern of duodenal activity, i.e., the migrating myoelectric complex (MMC), corresponding to an inhibition by about 40% of the fed pattern for 120 min at a dose as small as 0.5 nM per rat. DER i.p. strongly inhibited (about 65%) the fed pattern for 120 min. A fasting pattern lasting 80 min, or a marked inhibition lasting 150 min were recorded after 0.5 nM DER i.t. or i.c.v., respectively. On the contrary, the colonic pattern of activity was inhibited by DER whatever the route used, although the duration of inhibition was different from each other. For both the small and large intestine, similar doses of DER were more efficient by i.c.v. than by i.t. routes, and by i.p. than by s.c. routes. A plurality of sites of action is suggested, including local receptors which are activated, particularly at the duodenal level by i.p. DER (0.5 nM). The supraspinal component of the immediate effects of i.c.v. DER (0.1 nM) were demonstrated by a preferential effect on the colon that was even more intense than after i.t. DER.     

Mechanisms of chromatin-based epigenetic inheritance

Multi-cellular organisms such as humans contain hundreds of cell types that share the same genetic information(DNA sequences), and yet have different cellular traits and functions. While how genetic information is passed through generations has been extensively characterized, it remains largely obscure how epigenetic information encoded by chromatin regulates the passage of certain traits, gene expression states and cell identity during mitotic cell divisions, and even through meiosis. In this r...     

串叶松香草的核型研究

串叶松香草Silphiura perfoliatum L.系菊科(Compositae)松香草属(SilphiumL.)多年生宿根草本植物,原产北美洲。1979年由中国科学院植物研究所北京植物园首次从朝鲜引进我国,1980年引种我所栽培,通过几年的试验观察表明:串叶松香草是一种高产、质优、适应性强的饲料作物,近年来,我省广泛发展和应用。据文献报     

喀喇昆仑山-昆仑山地区植物区系组成和分布规律的研究

 喀喇昆仑山—昆仑山地区植物区系组成比较贫乏,在东经90˚以西仅有高等植物约827种,分属于60个科272属。其中,蕨类植物仅3科3属5种,禾本科植物最多,有136种。菊科、豆科、十字花科、莎草科和藜科分别排列在第二至第六位,均含50种以上。区系地理成分组成以中亚的为主,青藏高原成分居第二位。但是,不同的地段存在着明显的差异,在昆仑山主脊南侧高原和中昆仑库木库勒山间盆地青藏高原成分占有的比例高于中亚成分。随着海拔的升高,区系地理成分的组成也发生了有规律的变化,中亚成分占有的比例下降,适应高寒气候的青藏高原成分占有的比例急剧升高,在海拔4250m左右两者占有的比例相等,在海拔5000m以上青藏高原成分显著超过中亚成分。对该地区8个地段的植物区系相似性分析显示,昆仑山主脊南北两翼植物区系的差异远大于东西方向的差异。植物区系地理成分的组成与海拔高度的关系以及植物区系的地理分异规律说明,昆仑山脉作为中亚植物亚区与青藏高原植物亚区之间的分界是符合客观实际的。     

金沙江上游干旱河谷植被

为了解金沙江上游奔子栏到羊拉约130 km河段范围内干旱河谷的植被特征, 作者采用样带与典型样方相结合的方法, 对该河段进行了植物群落调查。结果显示: (1)研究区域记录到野生维管植物51科95属111种(含种下等级), 其中, 蕨类植物4科4属6种; 无裸子植物; 被子植物中双子叶植物40科71属84种; 单子叶植物7科20属21种。(2)群落物种以草本为主, 达67种, 占总物种数的60.36%; 生活型以地面芽植物为主, 占总物种数的32.43%, 矮高位芽次之, 占27.93%; 叶型以微型和小型叶为主, 微型叶有30种, 占统计总数(50种)的60%, 小型叶有11种, 占总数的22%。(3)用双向指示种分析方法可将93个样方分为5个群系。分布最广、物种丰富度最高的是小叶荆 + 小叶野丁香(Form. Vitex microphylla + Leptodermis pilosa var. microphylla)群系。(4)根据对该河谷区域的气候特点、干旱程度、植被特征(植株矮化、叶片小、植物毛被发达、植株具刺、部分植物有吸湿反应性特征等)的分析, 综合植物群落的外貌、结构、物种构成和植物形态, 可以确认金沙江上游干旱河谷植被具有亚热带荒漠植被类型的 特征。     

Natural restoration of degraded rangeland ecosystem in Heshan hilly land

This study examined the 20-yr trend of natural restoration of a degraded rangeland ecosystem after disturbance in Heshan hilly land. The results showed that herbs and shrubs were the dominant plants in the community and only a small number of the shade-intolerant tree species had invaded, showing the characteristics of assembly of pioneer communities. The organic matter content, soluble nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium had recovered to the level of the local climax community. Part of the ecological functions such as water and soil conservation had also recovered. While the functions of water and soil conservation recovered first, more time was needed for productivity and other functions to completely recover, suggesting the idiosyncratic nature of different ecosystem variables in response to time and microclimate change. Particularly, nutrient cycling recovered very slowly by natural restoration and artificial plantation may be necessary to accelerate the restoration process.     

Combination stem cell therapy using dental pulp stem cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells for critical hindlimb ischemia

Narrowing of arteries supplying blood to the limbs provokes critical hindlimb ischemia (CLI). Although CLI results in irreversible sequelae, such as amputation, few therapeutic options induce the formation of new functional blood vessels. Based on the proangiogenic potentials of stem cells, in this study, it was examined whether a combination of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) could result in enhanced therapeutic effects of stem cells for CLI compared with those of DPSCs or HUVECs alone. The DPSCs+ HUVECs combination therapy resulted in significantly higher blood flow and lower ischemia damage than DPSCs or HUVECs alone. The improved therapeutic effects in the DPSCs+ HUVECs group were accompanied by a significantly higher number of microvessels in the ischemic tissue than in the other groups. In vitro proliferation and tube formation assay showed that VEGF in the conditioned media of DPSCs induced proliferation and vessel-like tube formation of HUVECs. Altogether, our results demonstrated that the combination of DPSCs and HUVECs had significantly better therapeutic effects on CLI via VEGF-mediated crosstalk. This combinational strategy could be used to develop novel clinical protocols for CLI proangiogenic regenerative treatments.     

Polymeric micelles with glycolipid-like structure and multiple hydrophobic domains for mediating molecular target delivery of paclitaxel

Herein, polymeric micelles with glycolipid-like structure and about 40 nm diameter are prepared by self-aggregation from stearate-grafted chitosan oligosaccharides in aqueous medium. The micelles, with high degree of substitution (DS), present specific spatial structure with multiple hydrophobic "minor cores", and thus obtain excellent internalization into cancer cells and accumulation in cytoplasm. Furthermore, the micelles showed pH-sensitive properties, thus favoring intracellular delivery of encapsulated drug via endocytosis. The cell cytotoxicity of paclitaxel encapsulated in micelles was improved sharply and contributed to the increased intracellular delivery of the drug. The present micelles are a promising carrier candidate for targeting therapy of antitumor drugs with a cytoplasmic molecule target.     

Asymmetry in the assembly of the RNAi enzyme complex

A key step in RNA interference (RNAi) is assembly of the RISC, the protein-siRNA complex that mediates target RNA cleavage. Here, we show that the two strands of an siRNA duplex are not equally eligible for assembly into RISC. Rather, both the absolute and relative stabilities of the base pairs at the 5' ends of the two siRNA strands determine the degree to which each strand participates in the RNAi pathway. siRNA duplexes can be functionally asymmetric, with only one of the two strands able to trigger RNAi. Asymmetry is the hallmark of a related class of small, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs). We suggest that single-stranded miRNAs are initially generated as siRNA-like duplexes whose structures predestine one strand to enter the RISC and the other strand to be destroyed. Thus, the common step of RISC assembly is an unexpected source of asymmetry for both siRNA function and miRNA biogenesis.