Protection against peroxynitrite-induced DNA damage by mesalamine: implications for anti-inflammation and anti-cancer activity

Mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid, 5-ASA) is known to be the first-line medication for treatment of patients with ulcerative colitis. Studies have demonstrated that ulcerative colitis patients treated with 5-ASA have an overall decrease in the risk of developing colorectal carcinoma. However, the mechanisms underlying 5-ASA-mediated anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects are yet to be elucidated. Because peroxynitrite has been critically involved in inflammatory stress and carcinogenesis, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of 5-ASA in peroxynitrite-induced DNA strand breaks, an important event leading to peroxynitrite-elicited cytotoxicity. Incubation of φX-174 plasmid DNA with the peroxynitrite generator 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) led to the formation of both single- and double-stranded DNA breaks in a concentration-dependent manner. The presence of 5-ASA at 0.1 and 1.0 mM was found to significantly inhibit SIN-1-induced DNA strand breaks in a concentration-dependent manner. The consumption of oxygen induced by SIN-1 was found to not be affected by 5-ASA at 0.1–50 mM, indicating that 5-ASA at these concentrations is not involved in the auto-oxidation of SIN-1 to form peroxynitrite. It is observed that 5-ASA at 0.1–1 mM showed considerable inhibition of peroxynitrite-mediated luminol chemiluminescence in a dose-dependent fashion, suggesting that 5-ASA is able to directly scavenge the peroxynitrite. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in combination with spin-trapping experiments, using 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) as spin trap resulting in the formation of DMPO-hydroxyl radical adduct from peroxynitrite, and 5-ASA only at higher concentration (1 mM) inhibited the hydroxyl radical adduct while shifting EPR spectra, indicating that 5-ASA at higher concentrations may generate a more stable free radical species rather than acting purely as a hydroxyl radical scavenger. Taken together, these studies demonstrate for the first time that 5-ASA can potently inhibit peroxynitrite-mediated DNA strand breakage, scavenge peroxynitrite, and affect peroxynitrite-mediated radical formation, which may be responsible, at least partially, for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.     

三种樟科植物的细胞总DNA提取

为了从富含次生代谢物的樟科植物肉桂、锡兰肉桂、阴香中获得高质量DNA ,研究和改进了CTAB法、高盐低pH法和尿素法。改进方法包括 :1)在裂解液中加入 2 % β -巯基乙醇和 5 %PVP ,以防止氧化褐变的发生 ;2 )在酚 :氯仿抽提前加入 1 5mol L醋酸铵冰浴处理 ,能降低DNA的黏性。所得DNA的质量和产量经电泳、紫外吸收A2 60 A2 80 、PCR扩增和限制性内切酶酶切检测 ,结果表明改进法提取的DNA质量要比常规法的好。其中改进的CTAB法获得的DNA纯度最高 ,能用于PCR扩增和限制性内切酶酶切 ,是提取这 3种樟科植物总DNA的最佳方法。     

武陵山东段不同样地小型兽类群落结构及多样性分布(英文）

2000—2004年对长江三峡南岸的武陵山东段7个不同样地、3个不同海拔梯度和6种生境类型的啮齿等小兽进行了5年调查。共布放鼠铗29297铗次,获得啮齿等小兽2271只;其他方法获26只,分隶于8科19属24种。其中啮齿目占70.83%,食虫目占29.17%。对所获数据分析结果表明:1)虽物种丰富度具有从南向北随海拔升高而增加的趋势,但在垂直分布上有相当一部分物种呈现较宽的分布;2)无论在7个不同样地,还是在6种生境,1200m以下均以黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)和褐家鼠(Rattus norvegicus)为优势种;1300m以上则以短尾鼩(Anourosorex squamipes)、社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)和中华姬鼠(Apodemus draco)为优势,但在数量上缺乏规律性;3)冬季密度明显大于春季,沿海拔高度呈梯度增高,但不同样地的密度缺乏一致规律性;4)7个不同样地多样性和均匀度均呈现较大变化。这可能与该地区人为干预较多有关。     

半连续灌注培养中杂交瘤细胞的生长和代谢

考察了在半连续灌注培养中WuT₃杂交瘤细胞在不同灌注速率下细胞生长的动态变化,培养基中主要基质的消耗和代谢物的生成。当灌注速率D从1.0/d升高到2.0/d时,乳酸得率系数Y_lac/glu降低18%,氨得率系数Y_amm/gln降低40%,丙氨酸得率系数Y_ala/gln升高58%,甘氨酸得率系数Y_gly/gln基本恒定。说明在灌注速率升高的条件下,细胞会调整代谢机制,丙酮酸和过量的谷氨酸通过转氨作用生成丙氨酸而非甘氨酸。     

Who Is the King? The α‐Hydroxy‐β‐oxo‐α,β‐enone Moiety or the Catechol B Ring: Relationship between the Structure of Quercetin Derivatives and Their Pro‐Oxidative Abilities

Quercetin and other flavonoids have been reported to exhibit both antioxidant and pro‐oxidant properties. Most studies about the pro‐oxidative ability were conducted in the presence of metal ions, and the essential functional moiety of quercetin responsible for the pro‐oxidative effect is still unclear. In this study, we evaluated the pro‐oxidative abilities in the absence of metal ions of two quercetin derivatives, i.e., quercetin‐3′‐O‐β‐D ‐glucoside ( 1 ) and quercetin‐3‐O‐β‐D ‐glucoside ( 2 ), by assessing DNA cleavage and HO^.‐radical production. The binding mode between these compounds and DNA was studied by fluorescence and viscometric titrations. The results showed that 1 can efficiently induce oxidative damage to plasmid DNA, while 2 shows poor activity. Both 1 and 2 bind to DNA via groove‐binding. These results proved that the α‐hydroxy‐β‐oxo‐α,β‐enone moiety contributes to the pro‐oxidative activity of quercetin.     

DNMT3b 39179G‎T Polymorphism and the Risk of Adenocarcinoma of the Colon in Koreans

DNA-methyltransferase-3B (DNMT3b) plays an important role in the generation of aberrant methylation in carcinogenesis. DNMT3b SNP has been associated with susceptibility to lung, head, neck, and breast cancer, but its association with the development of colon cancer has not been reported. We investigated the relationship between the 39179G‎T polymorphism in the DNMT3b gene, which is involved in de novo methylation and is associated with the risk of adenocarcinoma of the colon in Koreans. The DNMT3b 39179G‎T genotypes were determined by a PCR-RFLP method in 248 adenocarcinomas of colon cancer patients and in 248 healthy controls matched as to age and sex. When stratified by sex and age, a significantly reduced risk of the combined GT and GG genotypes was observed in younger patients (<59, adjusted OR = 0.255, 95% CI = 0.133–0.489) and in male patients (adjusted OR = 0.383, 95% CI = 0.225–0.652). The DNMT3b 39179G‎T polymorphism may be a genetic determinant of adenocarcinoma of the colon, especially in younger Korean men.     

Chimeric contribution of human extended pluripotent stem cells to monkey embryos ex vivo

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Functional Characterization of 14 Pht1 Family Genes in Yeast and Their Expressions in Response to Nutrient Starvation in Soybean

Background

Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth and development. Phosphate (Pi) transporter genes in the Pht1 family play important roles in Pi uptake and translocation in plants. Although Pht1 family genes have been well studied in model plants, little is known about their functions in soybean, an important legume crop worldwide.

Principal Findings

We identified and isolated a complete set of 14 Pi transporter genes (GmPT1-14) in the soybean genome and categorized them into two subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis. Then, an experiment to elucidate Pi transport activity of the GmPTs was carried out using a yeast mutant defective in high-affinity Pi transport. Results showed that 12 of the 14 GmPTs were able to complement Pi uptake of the yeast mutant with Km values ranging from 25.7 to 116.3 µM, demonstrating that most of the GmPTs are high-affinity Pi transporters. Further results from qRT-PCR showed that the expressions of the 14 GmPTs differed not only in response to P availability in different tissues, but also to other nutrient stresses, including N, K and Fe deficiency, suggesting that besides functioning in Pi uptake and translocation, GmPTs might be involved in synergistic regulation of mineral nutrient homeostasis in soybean.

Conclusions

The comprehensive analysis of Pi transporter function in yeast and expression responses to nutrition starvation of Pht1 family genes in soybean revealed their involvement in other nutrient homeostasis besides P, which could help to better understand the regulation network among ion homeostasis in plants.     

猴D型反转录病毒巢式PCR检测方法的建立

目的建立SRV-1巢式PCR检测方法并进行初步应用。方法针对SRV-1env基因的保守区序列,设计特异性引物,以感染SRV-1 Raji细胞提取出的含有前病毒DNA的基因组DNA为模板,进行巢式PCR反应。扩增产物测序后与GenBank报道的序列进行同源比对。将DNA样本进行10倍梯度稀释,以检测巢式PCR反应的灵敏度。使用该方法对正常Raji细胞以及感染SIV、STLV的外周血淋巴细胞DNA样本进行扩增,检测该方法的特异性。用建立的巢式PCR方法检测40份储存猴血标本。结果使用巢式PCR扩增出的特异片段经测序分析,结果证实与GenBank报道的序列一致。所建立的巢式PCR检测法检测限度可达1.5×10-3ng/μL,而且方法特异。用此方法检测40份猴血标本,未检测到阳性标本。结论初步建立SRV-1的巢式PCR检测方法,该方法灵敏、特异,为SRV-1的检测提供了一个快速、有效的手段。