Neurotransmitter release regulated by nitric oxide in PC-12 cells and brain synaptosomes

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide is a messenger molecule of the nervous system, which is produced by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase, which may regulate cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels and which has been implicated in the control of neurotransmitter release. PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells differentiate to form neuronal cells in culture when they are exposed to nerve growth factor. The levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate in the cells and their ability to release acetylcholine in response to K(+)-depolarization are both maximal after eight days of treatment with nerve growth factor. We set out to assess a possible role for nitric oxide in the processes that occur in differentiating PC-12 cells. RESULTS: Nitric oxide synthase is first evident in differentiating PC-12 cells eight days after beginning treatment with nerve growth factor, coinciding with the marked increase in K(+)-depolarization-induced release of acetylcholine. The release of both acetylcholine and dopamine in response to K(+)-depolarization is blocked by inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase and by hemoglobin, which binds nitric oxide. Providing l-arginine, a precursor required for nitric oxide synthesis, reverses the effects of the inhibitors. In synaptosomal preparations from the corpus striatum, inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase prevent the release of glutamate in response to the glutamate derivative N-methyl-d-aspartate but not in response to K(+)-depolarization. CONCLUSION: Nitric oxide may mediate the release of acetylcholine and dopamine in response to K(+)-depolarization in PC-12 cells and the release of glutamate in response to N-methyl-d-aspartate in striatal synaptosomes. Nitric oxide synthase expression is induced after eight days of treating PC-12 cells with nerve growth factor, coinciding with a marked enhancement of the release of neurotransmitters in response to K(+)-depolarization.     

USE OF SENSORY EVALUATION FOR MEASURING DEODORIZING EFFECTS OF AN AIR CONDITIONER

The application of sensory methodology for measuring deodorizing effect of an air conditioner equipped with electric plasma was introduced. Deodorizing effect was measured using chemical and sensory methods at different time (0, 30 and 60 min) and mode (control, blowing and cooling) of an air conditioner. Smoke from a roll of cigarette in a closed room was used as a source of odor and the concentrations of acetic acid and ammonia were measured as odorous chemical components. As one of the sensory methods triangle test was used and as a first step to obtain deodorizing effects by triangle test, the threshold of each panelist was obtained as the log dilution ratio of odor concentration at which the difference from odorless air was detected. The odor concentration at each time and mode was calculated using the threshold of the panel and the deodorizing effect was obtained on the basis of the odor concentration. In addition to a triangle test, scaling methods such as category scaling or magnitude estimation were used to measure deodorizing effect of an air conditioner. Deodorizing effects by scaling methods were calculated based on odor intensity with time at each mode. The regression analysis was done between the efficacy of deodorizing effect by sensory test and those by acetic acid and ammonia, the R² values of the regression equations for triangle test, category scale, and magnitude estimation were 0.84, 0.72 and 0.69, respectively. Deodorizing effect by triangle test explained the decrease of acetic acid and ammonia better than those by category scaling or magnitude estimation while high cost and time consuming labor involved in triangle tests reduced the merit. The results of this study demonstrated that various sensory methods could be used to measure deodorizing effect of air conditioners and further researches on fast and reliable methods are needed to establish the official procedures.     

The Shanghuang Mammalian Fauna, Middle Eocene of Jiangsu:History of Discovery and Significance

APaleogenemammalianfauna,herenamedtheShanghuangfauna,wasdiscoverednearthevillageofShanghuang,closetoLiyangCity,JiangsuProvince,China(Fig.1).Atpresent,rouglilysixtyspeciesoffossilmammalshavebeenrecogniedintheShanghuangfauna.Manyofthesemammaltaxaarenewtoscience,andothersrepresentnewoccurrencesfortheEoceneofChina.ParticularlywellrepresentedintheShanghuangfaunaaremicromammals(includingmarsupials,insectivores,rodents,lagomorphs,primates,andbats)thathaveseldomifeverbeenfoundinotherEoceneAsianl…     

Genomic organization of GB viruses A and B: two new members of the Flaviviridae associated with GB agent hepatitis.

The genomes of two positive-strand RNA viruses have recently been cloned from the serum of a GB agent-infected tamarin by using representational difference analysis. The two agent, GB viruses A and B (GBV-A and GBV-B, respectively), have genomes of 9,493 and 9,143 nucleotides, respectively, and single large open reading frames that encode potential polyprotein precursors of 2,972 and 2,864 amino acids, respectively. The genomes of these agents are organized much like those of other pestiviruses and flaviviruses, with genes predicted to encode structural and nonstructural proteins located at the 5' and 3' ends, respectively. Amino acid sequence alignments and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRps) of GBV-A and GBV-B show that they possess conserved sequence motifs associated with supergroup II RNA polymerases of positive-strand RNA viruses. On the basis of similar analyses, the GBV-A- and GBV-B-encoded helicases show significant identity with the supergroup II helicases of positive-strand RNA viruses. Within the supergroup II RNA polymerases and helicases, GBV-A and GBV-B are most closely related to the hepatitis C virus group. Across their entire open reading frames, the GB agents exhibit 27% amino sequence identity to each other, approximately 28% identity to hepatitis C virus type 1, and approximately 20% identity to either bovine viral diarrhea virus or yellow fever virus. The degree of sequence divergence between GBV-A and GBV-B and other Flaviviridae members demonstrates that the GB agents are representatives of two new genera within the Flaviviridae family.     

Carbohydrate Transport by the Anaerobic Thermophile Clostridium thermocellum LQRI

Clostridium thermocellum is an anaerobic thermophilic bacterium which degrades cellulose and ferments the resulting glucose, cellobiose, and cellodextrins predominantly to ethanol. However, relatively little information was available on carbohydrate uptake by this bacterium. Washed cells internalized intact oligomers as large as cellopentaose. Since cellobiose and cellodextrin phosphorylase activities were detected in the cytosol and were not associated with cell membranes, phosphorylation of carbohydrates occurred intracellularly. Kinetic studies indicated that cellobiose and larger cellodextrins were taken up by a common uptake system while glucose entered via a separate mechanism. When cells were treated with metabolic inhibitors including iodoacetate and arsenate, the uptake of radiolabeled glucose or cellobiose was reduced by as much as 90%, and this reduction was associated with a 95% decline in intracellular ATP content. A combination of the ionophores nigericin and valinomycin abolished the proton-motive force but only slightly decreased transport and ATP. These results suggested that the two modes of carbohydrate transport in C. thermocellum were ATP dependent. This work is the first demonstration of cellodextrin transport by a cellulolytic bacterium.     

Some characteristics and antibiotic resistance of anaerobic bacteria from the ceca and colons of pigs fed chlortetracycline-containing and unmedicated diets.

Morphology and end product patterns were used to group 112 bacterial isolates from the ceca and colons of pigs fed unmedicated and chlortetracycline-containing diets. Most of the isolates (68%) were resistant to chlortetracycline (greater than 4 micrograms/ml). Chlortetracycline resistance was associated with all groups of anaerobic and facultative bacteria.