Discovery of a piperazine urea based compound as a potent, selective, orally bioavailable melanocortin subtype-4 receptor partial agonist

We report the discovery of piperazine urea based compound 1, a potent, selective, orally bioavailable melanocortin subtype-4 receptor partial agonist. Compound 1 shows anti-obesity efficacy without potentiating erectile activity in the rodent models.     

血管生长素促血管生成机制及其与疾病关系的研究进展

血管生长素(angiogenin,ANG)是一种促使新血管生成的诱导剂,它属于核糖核酸酶超家族中的一员。ANG蛋白含123个氨基酸,相对分子量为14．4kD,在肿瘤细胞中首先发现,也存在于正常细胞中,可由多种细胞分泌,其核糖核酸酶活性较弱。研究证实,ANG可以在细胞间及细胞内发挥促血管生长作用。ANG与缺血性疾病、肿瘤、及其它疾病的关系已见不少报道。本文简述ANG促血管生成作用机制及其与疾病的关系。     

The functional expression of extracellular calcium-sensing receptor in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

Background

The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) belongs to family C of the G protein coupled receptors. Whether the CaSR is expressed in the pulmonary artery (PA) is unknown.

Methods

The expression and distribution of CaSR were detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunofluorescence. PA tension was detected by the pulmonary arterial ring technique, and the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) was detected by a laser-scanning confocal microscope.

Results

The expressions of CaSR mRNA and protein were found in both rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and PAs. Increased levels of [Ca²⁺]_o (extracellular calcium concentration) or Gd³⁺ (an agonist of CaSR) induced an increase of [Ca²⁺]_i and PAs constriction in a concentration-dependent manner_. In addition, the above-mentioned effects of Ca²⁺ and Gd³⁺ were inhibited by {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"U73122","term_id":"4098075","term_text":"U73122"}}U73122 (specific inhibitor of PLC), 2-APB (specific antagonist of IP₃ receptor), and thapsigargin (blocker of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase).

Conclusions

CaSR is expressed in rat PASMCs, and is involved in regulation of PA tension by increasing [Ca²⁺]_i through G-PLC-IP₃ pathway.     

Association of mitochondrial haplogroup D and risk of esophageal cancer in Taihang Mountain and Chaoshan areas in China

Both the Taihang Mountain area in north-central China and Chaoshan area in the southeastern littoral of China are areas with high risk of esophageal cancer (EC). Our previous study confirmed that populations from the two areas might share similar matrilineal backgrounds and found that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup D, especially subhaplogroups D4a and D5a, might be genetic background markers of EC in Chaoshan area. Here, to further determine whether D4a, D5a, and D might be susceptibility markers for EC in the two high-risk areas, we performed a case–control study with larger samples and analyzed the distributions of these three haplogroups in subjects (controls [n = 898] and patients [n = 768]) from the two areas. D4a haplogroup was significantly associated with increased risk of EC in Taihang Mountain subjects, especially women. D5 haplogroup was associated with EC at the general population level in the Taihang Mountain area and in subjects ≤ 60 years, especially women ≤ 60 years, in the Chaoshan area. D haplogroup was associated with EC only in subjects ≤ 60 years, especially men ≤ 60 years, in the Chaoshan area. D4a and D5 showing positive association with EC in the Taihang Mountain area became the predominant subhaplogroups of D in Chaoshan controls. In conclusion, D, D4a, and D5 haplogroups might be susceptibility markers for EC in the two high-risk areas in China, particularly D4a and D5 for the Taihang Mountain area and D and D5 for the Chaoshan area.     

高抑菌活性乳酸杆菌的筛选及性质

从自酿酸奶中分离得到1株高抑菌活性菌株,经16S rDNA测序后鉴定为Lactobacillus sp.FSZ。以大肠杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌为指示菌,取得良好抑菌效果。经组分分析及蛋白酶降解,抑菌活性物质确定为蛋白物质,推测其由一些高分子的蛋白类物质和低分子的多肽类物质组成。抑菌活性物质在酸性条件下显示出良好的抑菌活性,发酵液经60℃处理30 min后,活性基本没有下降,经100℃处理30 min仍保留83.9%的活性,表现出良好的热稳定性。