Arginine vasopressin in the caudate nucleus plays an antinociceptive role in the rat

Our previous work has shown that arginine vasopressin (AVP) regulates antinociception through brain nuclei rather than the spinal cord and peripheral organs. The present study investigated the nociceptive effect of AVP in the caudate nucleus (CdN) of the rat. Microinjection of AVP into the CdN increased pain threshold in a dose-dependent manner, while local administration of AVP-receptor antagonist-d(CH(2))(5)Tyr(Et)DAVP decreased pain threshold. Pain stimulation elevated AVP concentration in CdN perfuse liquid. CdN pretreatment with AVP-receptor antagonist completely reversed AVP's effect on pain threshold in the CdN. The data suggest that AVP in the CdN is involved in antinociception.     

Expression profile of IGF system during lung injury and recovery in rats exposed to hyperoxia: a possible role of IGF-1 in alveolar epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation

Although several studies have shown that an induction of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) components occurs during hyperoxia-mediated lung injury, the role of these components in tissue repair is not well known. The present study aimed to elucidate the role of IGF system components in normal tissue remodeling. We used a rat model of lung injury and remodeling by exposing rats to > 95% oxygen for 48 h and allowing them to recover in room air for up to 7 days. The mRNA expression of IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) increased during injury. However, the protein levels of these components remained elevated until day 3 of the recovery and were highly abundant in alveolar type II cells. Among IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs), IGFBP-5 mRNA expression increased during injury and at all the recovery time points. IGFBP-2 and -3 mRNA were also elevated during injury phase. In an in vitro model of cell differentiation, the expression of IGF-I and IGF-II increased during trans-differentiation of alveolar epithelial type II cells into type-I like cells. The addition of anti-IGF-1R and anti-IGF-I antibodies inhibited the cell proliferation and trans-differentiation to some extent, as evident by cell morphology and the expression of type I and type II cell markers. These findings demonstrate that the IGF signaling pathway plays a critical role in proliferation and differentiation of alveolar epithelium during tissue remodeling.     

Inhibition of intestinal glucose uptake by aporphines and secoaporphines

The effects of aporphines and secoaporphines on glucose uptake by isolated intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) or basolateral membrane vesicles (BLMV) and glucose absorption during in situ intestinal perfusion were studied. Of the tested compounds, N-allylsecoboldine was the most potent glucose uptake inhibitor, with IC50 values of 159 microM and 121 microM, respectively, for uptake by BBMV and BLMV. While thaliporphine competitively inhibited glucose uptake by both membrane preparations, inhibition by N-allylsecoboldine was competitive using BBMV and noncompetitive using BLMV. In addition, N-allylsecoboldine significantly reduced both glucose absorption during in situ intestinal perfusion and blood glucose levels in the oral glucose tolerance test. The results demonstrate that levels of both aporphines and secoaporphines achievable by oral administration have an inhibitory effect on intestinal glucose uptake and suggest that the hypoglycemic effects of these compounds merit attention.     

Highly efficient expression and purification system of small-size protein domains in Escherichia coli for biochemical characterization

It is often essential to focus the study on the small-size domains of large proteins in eukaryotic cells in the post-genomic era, but the low expression level, insolubility, and instability of the domains have been continuing to hinder the massive purification of domain peptides for structural and biological investigation. In this work, a highly efficient expression and purification system based on a small-size fusion partner GB1 and histidine tag was utilized to solve these problems. Two vectors, namely pGBTNH and pGBH, were constructed to improve expression and facilitate purification. The linker and thrombin cleavage site have been optimized for minimal degradation during purification process. This system has been tested for eight domain peptides varying in size, linker, hydrophobicity, and predicted secondary structure. The results indicate that this system is achievable to produce these domain peptides with high solubility and stability for further biochemical characterization. Moreover, the fusion protein without the linker and thrombin cleavage site is also suitable for spectroscopic studies especially for NMR structural elucidation, if the target peptide is prone to precipitation or easily degraded during purification. This system will be beneficial to the research field of structure and function of small domain and peptide fragment.     

Antiplatelet prenylflavonoids from Artocarpus communis

Four flavonoids, dihydroartomunoxanthone (1), artomunoisoxanthone (2), cyclocomunomethonol (3) and artomunoflavanone (4), together with three known compounds, artochamins B (5), D and artocommunol CC (6) were isolated from the cortex of the roots of Artocarpus communis. The structures of 1-4 were determined by spectroscopic methods. The antiplatelet effects of the flavonoids, 1-3, 5 and 6 on human platelet-rich plasma (PRP) were evaluated. Of the compounds tested in human PRP, compounds 1, 5 and 6 showed significant inhibition of secondary aggregation induced by adrenaline. It is concluded that the antiplatelet effect of 1, 5 and 6 is mainly owing to an inhibitory effect on thromboxane formation.     

珠江三角洲高畦深沟农田生态系统的结构及功能研究

前言自然和社会经济条件不同,农田生态系统的类型也不同。研究农田生态系统的结构与功能,可了解特定系统对当地环境条件的适应性。近年来,国内外很多学者,都从能流物流和经济效益方面对各类型结构农田生态系统结构与功能作了研究。高畦深沟结构农田生态系统,是珠江三角洲平原区人民为在当地地下水位较高的条件下,进行旱作而发展的一种农田生态系统类型。它的特点是,以一定的比例挖深沟,利用挖沟的泥土起高畦,沟中长期保持有水层,畦面进行旱作,沟里进行种植、养殖或其它利用,结构多年不变,是一种相对稳定的农田生态系统。     

呼吸链底物和抑制剂对线粒体内膜流动性的影响

用DPH和ANS标记大鼠肝线粒体内膜,以稳态荧光偏振法,研究了呼吸链底物和抑制剂对内膜流动性的影响。1.苹果酸+谷氨酸、琥珀酸分别为底物,均能引起内膜流动性增加。2.琥珀酸对含心磷脂的脂质体的膜流动性无影响。3.在鱼藤酮存在的条件下,苹果酸+谷氨酸对内膜流动性的增加作用消失,但琥珀酸的作用仍然存在。有氰化钾时则琥珀酸的作用消失。4.不论外加底物存在与否,鱼藤酮使内膜的流动性下降,而氰化钾则使之增加。抗霉素A亦可使内膜的流动性增加。上述结果表明:线粒体内膜流动性与其功能密切相关。电子沿呼吸链传递使线粒体内膜流动性增加,这种变化可能与呼吸链成分的氧化还原态有关。     

七种云南地衣植物的化学成分

本文报道分属于三个科的七种云南产地衣植物的化学成分。这些植物是亚洲树发(Alectoria asiatica DR.)、沟树发(Alectoria sulcata Nyl.)、长茎松萝(Usnea longissimaAch.)、胡子松萝(Usnea comosa(Ach.)Rohl.)、林石蕊(Cladonia arbuscula(Rabh.)Rabh.)、砖孢发(Oropogon loxensis(Fee.)Th.Fr.)和卷梢雪花衣(Anaptychiaboryi(Fee.)Mass.)。根据光谱数据测定,其化学成分为:松萝酸(Usnic acid)(1),维任西酸(Virensic acid)(2),赤星衣酸乙酯(Ethyl haematommate)(3),瑞藏酸(Rhizonic acid)(4),赤星衣酸(Haematommic acid)(5),扁枝衣酸乙酯(Ethyleverninate)(6),黑茶渍素(Atranorin)(7)和泽屋萜(Zeorin)(8)。上述资料,对开发利用这些植物资源提供了科学依据。     

Small-angle X-ray scattering studies of fibrin film: comparisons of fine and coarse films prepared with thrombin and ancrod

Measurements of small-angle x-ray scattering have been made on films prepared from fine and coarse (i.e., formed at high and low, respectively, pH and ionic strength) clots of bovine fibrin by osmotic shrinkage or compression in one dimension. Intensity profiles were obtained with pinhole geometry on films stretched up to a stretch ratio of 1.43. In unstretched coarse films, repeat spacings were seen at about 245, 120, and 77-80 A. These peaks can probably be identified with the first, second, and third orders of the well-known fibrin repeat of 225 A. In unstretched fine films, only the 77-80 A spacing was seen. In this case, the first two orders may be weak because the half-staggered arrangement of monomer units giving rise to the 225 A reflection is not reinforced by lateral aggregation of protofibrils; the third order may be strong since the molecular subdomains appear to divide the repeat roughly into thirds. After stretching, the 77-80 A spacing persisted in the meridional direction but almost disappeared in the equatorial. Experiments on unstretched films prepared with ancrod substituted for thrombin gave similar results.     

ToRCH系列酶标诊断试剂的研制

报道了用辣根过氧化物酶标记的抗人ＩｇＧ和抗人ＩｇＭ（ｕ链）单克隆抗体作第二抗体,用自己培养、纯化的弓形体（Ｔｏ）、风疹病毒（ＲｕＶ）、巨细胞病毒（ＣＭＶ）和单纯疱疹病毒（ＨＳＶ１２）的虫体和病毒抗原包被酶标板,研制出检测ＴｏＲＣＨ系列的特异性ＩｇＧ和ＩｇＭ的间接ＥＬＩＳＡ试剂。质量检定结果表明,该试剂特异性强、本底低,能有效消除ＲＦ因子等干扰因素的影响;灵敏度达１∶１６０～６４０;精密性好,变异系数（Ｃ．Ｖ）在１．４％～９．０％;试剂稳定,３７℃存放４ｄ,各项指标的变化率不超过１５％。