Myristic acid increases dense lipoprotein secretion by inhibiting apoB degradation and triglyceride recruitment

Fatty acids of varying lengths and saturation differentially affect plasma apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100) levels. To identify mechanisms at the level of production, rat hepatoma cells, McA-RH7777, were incubated with [(35)S]methionine and either fatty acid-BSA complexes or BSA alone. There were increases in labeled apoB-100 secretion with saturated fatty acids palmitic and myristic (MA) (153 +/- 20% and 165 +/- 11%, respectively, relative to BSA). Incubation with polyunsaturated docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) decreased secretion to 26 +/- 2.0%, while monounsaturated oleic acid (OA) did not change it. In pulse-chase studies, MA treatment resulted in reduced apoB-100 degradation, in agreement with its promotion of secretion. In triglyceride (TG) studies, synthesis was stimulated equally by OA, MA, and DHA, but TG secretion was relatively decreased with MA and DHA. With OA, the majority of newly secreted apoB100-lipoproteins was d < or = 1.006, but with MA, they were much denser (1.063 < d). Furthermore, the relative recruitment of newly synthesized TG to lipoproteins was impaired with MA. We conclude that mechanisms for effects of specific dietary fatty acids on plasma lipoprotein levels may include changes in hepatic production. In turn, hepatic production may be regulated by specific fatty acids at the steps of apoB-100 degradation and the recruitment of nascent TG to lipoprotein particles.     

不同水肥管理对红花生长的影响及红花根际解磷菌的筛选和鉴定

【目的】分析不同水肥条件对红花生物量、根际土壤磷素及微生物的影响,并从红花根际土壤样品中分离具有高效解磷能力的菌株,为红花科学水肥管理提供理论依据,并为红花的生长发育和根际微环境研究提供优良菌株。【方法】采用不同磷肥梯度处理红花,在红花的莲座期、伸长期、盛花期和种子成熟期检测植株生物量,同时测定植株根际土壤微生物、全磷和速效磷以及土壤磷酸酶活性,并进行差异性和相关性分析。采用抖土法和稀释涂布法分离筛选具有高效解磷能力的菌株。通过16S rRNA基因序列比较分析,对其进行鉴定。通过钼锑抗比色法测定菌株在不同培养基中的溶磷能力。利用灌根法和稀释涂布法接种优势菌株,分析菌株在红花根际定殖能力和促生能力。【结果】W3-P2的水肥处理有利于红花生物量的积累,速效磷含量和磷酸酶活性随施加磷肥浓度的增加呈先增大后减小趋势,水分对土壤全磷、速效磷和磷酸酶的影响与红花发育时期相关。细菌是红花根际土壤的优势菌群,在种子成熟期W4-P2处理组细菌数目最多,分别为3.017×10⁷ CFU/g和3.021×10⁷ CFU/g,远高于相同处理组的真菌和放线菌。从红花根际土壤筛选出5株高效解磷菌株（登录号C1：OR493125;C2：OR493126;C5：OR493127;C6：OR493128;C7：OR493129）,均对以无机磷和有机磷为唯一磷源的培养基具有溶磷能力和降低pH的功能,其中C6的溶磷能力最强,在磷酸三钙、磷酸铝、磷酸铁和植酸钙无机磷培养基中解磷量分别为380.00、269.32、7.15、48.16 mg/L,在有机磷（卵磷脂）培养基中解磷量为18.19 mg/L。通过16S rRNA基因序列分析,C6为假单胞菌属,C1、C2、C5、C7为中华根瘤菌属。在红花植株周围接种2%优势解磷菌C1、C5和C6菌体悬液（10⁸ CFU/mL）,在21 d时仍然保持在10⁵ CFU/g,其中C6定殖能力最强。同时检测盛花期生物量（叶片数、株高、茎粗、茎秆重和根长）,结果显示均能显著促进红花生长,其中C6菌株促生能力最强,分别为122片、115.96 cm、12.49 mm、43.36 g、21.17 cm。【结论】水肥影响红花根际微环境的速效磷含量和微生物数目的变化水平,促进红花根系的生长发育,从而直接或间接影响红花生物量,W3-P2的水肥量相对适合红花的生长。菌株C6是一株高效解磷菌株,能够分解难溶性有机磷和无机磷,盆栽实验表明C6可以在红花根际定殖并显著促进红花生长。     

置换层析——重新崛起的生物物质分离技术

置换层析是一种非线性层析技术,它产生于４０年代末,只是在近十几年里,置换层析才显示了其在生物物质特别是蛋白质的制备性分离中的重要潜力。由于这一技术与传统的洗脱层析技术相比,有着明显的优点,即高上样量、高产率、高分辨率、易于操作,以及被分离样品在分离过程中的自行浓缩效应,因此这一技术已越来越引起人们的关注。     

Carvedilol,a third-generation β-blocker prevents oxidative stress-induced neuronal death and activates Nrf2/ARE pathway in HT22 cells

Carvedilol, a nonselective β-adrenoreceptor blocker with pleiotropic activities has been shown to exert neuroprotective effect due to its antioxidant property. However, the neuroprotective mechanism of carvedilol is still not fully uncovered. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway is an important cellular stress response pathway involved in neuroprotection. Here we investigated the effect of carvedilol on oxidative stress-induced cell death (glutamate 2 mM and H₂O₂ 600 μM) and the activity of Nrf2/ARE pathway in HT22 hippocampal cells. Carvedilol significantly increased cell viability and decreased ROS in HT22 cells exposed to glutamate or H₂O₂. Furthermore, carvedilol activated the Nrf2/ARE pathway in a concentration-dependent manner, and increased the protein levels of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1(NQO-1), two downstream factors of the Nrf2/ARE pathway. Collectively, our results indicate that carvedilol protects neuronal cell against glutamate- and H₂O₂-induced neurotoxicity possibly through activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.     

Lithium Prevents Acrolein-Induced Neurotoxicity in HT22 Mouse Hippocampal Cells

Acrolein is a highly electrophilic alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehyde to which humans are exposed in many situations and has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Lithium is demonstrated to have neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects in brain ischemia, trauma, neurodegenerative disorders, and psychiatric disorders. Previously we have found that acrolein induced neuronal death in HT22 mouse hippocampal cells. In this study, the effects of lithium on the acrolein-induced neurotoxicity in HT22 cells as well as its mechanism(s) were investigated. We found that lithium protected HT22 cells against acrolein-induced damage by the attenuation of reactive oxygen species and the enhancement of the glutathione level. Lithium also attenuated the mitochondrial dysfunction caused by acrolein. Furthermore, lithium significantly increased the level of phospho-glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β), the non-activated GSK-3β. Taken together, our findings suggest that lithium is a protective agent for acrolein-related neurotoxicity.     

Carvedilol Attenuates 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced Cell Death in PC12 Cells: Involvement of Akt and Nrf2/ARE Pathways

Oxidative stress is closely related to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Carvedilol, a nonselective β-adrenergic receptor blocker with pleiotropic activity has been shown to exert neuroprotective effect due to its antioxidant property. However, the neuroprotective mechanism of carvedilol is still not fully uncovered. The phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway plays key role in cell survival and the nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling pathway is the major cellular defense mechanism against oxidative stress. Here we investigated the effects of carvedilol on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced cell death as well as the Akt and Nrf2/ARE pathways in PC12 cells. We found that carvedilol significantly increased cell viability and decreased reactive oxygen species in PC12 cells exposed to 6-OHDA. Furthermore, carvedilol activated the Akt and Nrf2/ARE pathways in a concentration-dependent manner, and increased the protein levels of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1(NQO-1), two downstream factors of the Nrf2/ARE pathway. In summary, our results indicate that carvedilol protects PC12 cells against 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity possibly through activating the Akt and Nrf2/ARE signaling pathways.     

Truncation and non-natural amino acid substitution studies on HTLV-I protease hexapeptidic inhibitors

The culprit behind adult T-cell leukemia, myelopathy/tropical paraparesis, and a plethora of inflammatory diseases is the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-I). We recently unveiled a potent hexapeptidic HTLV-I protease inhibitor, KNI-10166, composed mostly of natural amino acid residues. Herein, we report the derivation of potent tetrapeptidic inhibitor KNI-10516, possessing only non-natural amino acid residues.     

Locking the two ends of tetrapeptidic HTLV-I protease inhibitors inside the enzyme

Adult T-cell leukemia and tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV-I-associated myelopathy are only some of the more common end results of an infection with a human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-I). Expanding from our previous reports, we synthesized all different permutations of tetrapeptidic HTLV-I protease inhibitors using at least eight P(3)-cap and five P(1)(')-cap moieties. The inhibitors exhibited over 97% inhibition against HIV-1 protease and a wide range of inhibitory activity against HTLV-I protease.