三七中达马烷型皂甙的热不稳定性及酸水解产物

前人已证明人参和三七中富含的达马烷型人参皂甙在通常酸性水解下甙元即发生变化,而在弱酸(如50％醋酸,0.1N盐酸)条件下则形成次级皂甙。本文报道人参甙(ginseno-sides)和三七甙(notoginsenosides)的水溶液在水浴上加热亦分别形成相应的C-20位去糖基的次级皂甙。联系到人参和三七均有在蒸煮加工后C-20位去糖基皂甙收率增大的趋势,似可认为人参和三七中的这类皂甙有相当一部分是在生药的加工泡制以及提取过程中形成的次级皂甙,而不一定是植物体的原生成分。将人参甙Rb_1单体以酸水解,不仅得到主产物人参二醇(3),还分离到异去氢原人参二醇(5)、达马烷-20(22)-烯-3β,12β,26-三醇(6)、20(R)-达马烷-3β,12β,20,25-四醇(7)以及20(S)-和20(R)-原人参二醇(1、2)的混合物,从而认为这些微量成分与人参二醇一样均为达马烷型人参皂甙在酸性水解条件下C-20位糖基断裂后由真甙元的侧链转化形成的工作产物。     

The hemolymph coagulation system in invertebrate animals

A hemocyte lysate from horseshoe crab produced a gel, when exposed to Gram-negative bacterial endotoxins. This gelation reaction of the lysate, so-called Limulus test, has been widely employed as a simple and very sensitive assay method for endotoxins. Recent biochemical studies on the principle of Limulus test indicate that the hemocytes contain several serine protease zymogens, which constitute a coagulation cascade triggered by endotoxins, and that there is a (1 3)--d-glucan-mediated coagulation pathway which also results in the formation of gel. Up to now, six protein components, designated coagulogen, proclotting enzyme, factor B, factor C, factor G and anti-LPS factor, all of which are closely associated with the endotoxin-mediated coagulation pathway, have been purified and biochemically characterized. Among these components, the complete amino acid sequences of coagulogens isolated from one American and three Asian species of horseshoe crabs have been established. Moreover, the reconstitution experiment using the isolated clotting factors, C, B, proclotting enzyme and coagulogen in the presence of endotoxin, leads to the formation of coagulin get. Based on these results, we propose here a mechanism for the Limulus coagulation cascade.     

Polymorphism of human red cell glyoxalase I in six ethnic groups of China

Summary A total of 1242 individuals from six Chinese ethnic groups were studied with respect to the glyoxalase I polymorphism using agarose gel electrophoresis. The GLO1^*1 gene frequency and the number of subjects tested in each population are as follows: Uygur 0.2466 (219), Hui 0.1621 (219), Dong 0.1866 (201), Bai 0.1921 (203), Tujia 0.1075 (200), and Maio 0.1600 (200). The differences in the GLO1 gene frequencies between some of these populations are significant.     

Synthesis of ribonucleic acid in normal bone in vitro

1. The incorporation of [2-(14)C]uridine into nucleic acids of bone cells was studied in rat and pig trabecular-bone fragments surviving in vitro. 2. The rapid uptake of uridine into trichloroacetic acid-soluble material, and its subsequent incorporation into a crude nucleic acid fraction of bone or purified RNA extracted from isolated bone cells, was proportional to uridine concentration in the incubation medium over a range 0.5-20.0mum. 3. During continued exposure to radioactive uridine, bulk RNA became labelled in a curvilinear fashion. Radioactivity rapidly entered nuclear RNA, which approached its maximum specific activity by 2hr. of incubation; cytoplasmic RNA, and particularly microsomal RNA, was more slowly labelled. The kinetics of labelling and rapid decline of the nuclear/microsomal specific activity ratio were consistent with a precursor-product relationship. 4. Bulk RNA preparations were resolved by zonal centrifugation in sucrose density gradients into components with approximate sedimentation coefficients 28s, 18s and 4s. 5. Rapidly labelled RNA, predominantly nuclear in location, demonstrated a polydisperse sedimentation pattern that did not conform to the major types of stable cellular RNA. Material of highest specific activity, sedimenting in the 4-18s region and insoluble in 10% (w/v) sodium chloride, rapidly achieved its maximum activity during continued exposure to radioactive precursor and decayed equally rapidly during ;chase' incubation, exhibiting an average half-life of 4.3hr. 6. Ribosomal 28s and 18s RNA were of lower specific activity, which increased linearly for at least 6hr. in the continued presence of radioactive uridine. There was persistent but variable incorporation into ribosomal RNA during ;chase' incubation despite rapid decline in total radioactivity of the acid-soluble pool containing RNA precursors.     

Acid hydrolases of the rat uterus in relation to pregnancy, post-partum involution and collagen breakdown

1. The rat uterus contains acid cathepsin, beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase, acid phosphatase and deoxyribonuclease II at concentrations comparable with those found in liver. Two non-hydrolytic uterine enzymes, cytochrome c oxidase and aspartate aminotransferase, display only 2-6% of the activity found in liver. 2. The concentrations of acid cathepsin and beta-glucuronidase are significantly decreased in pregnancy and increase 3-4-fold during post-partum involution. 3. The concentrations of beta-galactosidase and acid phosphatase are not decreased in pregnancy and increase only 2-3-fold during involution. 4. The concentrations of these four acid hydrolases increase linearly during the first 4 days post partum and reach their peak values at the same time that wet weight and collagen content fall to their lowest point. 5. The concentration of deoxyribonuclease is depressed in pregnancy but does not rise above normal in the post-partum period. 6. Only a small proportion of each hydrolytic activity can be isolated in the mitochondrial-lysosomal fraction of sucrose homogenates of the rat uterus. This proportion increases during involution. However, the extensive mitochondrial rupture occurring during homogenization indicates that the technique is probably too harsh to obtain a true measure of the proportion of lysosomes present in the intact tissue. 7. There are no significant changes in either the concentration or subcellular distribution of the five acid hydrolases in the livers of the experimental rats during pregnancy or involution. In each case the largest proportion of the activity is found in the mitochondrial-lysosomal fraction of liver homogenates. 8. The results are interpreted in terms of the lysosomal theory of intracellular digestion.     

Release of erythrocytes from the spleen during exercise and splenic constriction by adrenaline infusion in the rainbow trout

Erythrocyte-supplying function of the spleen was examined in the rainbow troutSalmo gairdneri under exercise. The spleen showed remarkable reduction, about 70% in weight and about 85% in hemoglobin content, after forced exercise of 15 min. The amount of erythrocytes released from the spleen was 2.33 ml/kg body, and this amount corresponds to about 20% of the total volume of circulating erythrocytes in resting condition. No damage was observed at the spleen, splenic artery and splenic vein after the exercise. Examination of the vascular system by a corrosion casting method showed that no place other than the venous circulation exists for the erythrocytes released from the contracted spleen. The spleen was strongly constricted by infusion of adrenaline into the organ. These facts imply that the fish spleen supplies stored hemoglobin into the circulating blood in response to an increased demand of oxygen during exercise, under the control of the sympathetic nervous system.