Pharmacokinetic properties of crocin (crocetin digentiobiose ester) following oral administration in rats

This study investigated the pharmacokinetic properties of crocin following oral administration in rats. After a single oral dose, crocin was undetected while crocetin, a metabolite of crocin, was found in plasma at low concentrations. Simultaneously, crocin was largely present in feces and intestinal contents within 24h. After repeated oral doses for 6 days, crocin remained undetected in plasma and plasma crocetin concentrations were comparable to the corresponding data obtained after the single oral dose. Furthermore, the absorption characteristics of crocin were evaluated in situ using an intestinal recirculation perfusion method. During recirculation, crocin was undetected and low concentrations of crocetin were detected in plasma. The concentrations of crocin in the perfusate were reduced through different intestinal segments, and the quantities of drug lost were greater throughout the colon. These results indicate that (1) orally administered crocin is not absorbed either after a single dose or repeated doses, (2) crocin is excreted largely through the intestinal tract following oral administration, (3) plasma crocetin concentrations do not tend to accumulate with repeated oral doses of crocin, and (4) the intestinal tract serves as an important site for crocin hydrolysis.     

The Crustacea of some chalk streams in southern England

Records of Crustacea from chalk streams in southern England are described. Classification of sites suggested that flow regime was an important influence on the fauna and the distribution of individual species are discussed in this respect.     

Chemical modification, characterization and bioactivity of Chinese lacquer polysaccharides from lac tree Rhus vernicifera against leukopenia induced by cyclophosphamide

Lacquer polysaccharide (LP) was isolated from the sap of lac tree (Rhus vernicifera). Its derivatives, carboxymethyl LP, sulfated LP and debranching LP were prepared. Their structure was analyzed by GPC, FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. The sugar components of carboxymethyl and sulfated LPs hardly changed, but the molecular weight of the former decreased. The side chains of LPs were partially removed using sodium periodate in mild conditions and the pyranose ring β-configuration of products obtained was not changed. Bioactivity of natural and modified LPs against leukopenia induced by cyclophosphamide (CP) was investigated in mice. LP exhibited a significant bioactivity (P<0.05) compared to positive control group (CP). The bioactivity could increase slightly with the increasing of the contents of carboxymethyl groups. However, with the removal of the side chains and the incorporation of sulfate groups, the bioactivity gradually decreased. These showed that the bioactivity of lacquer polysaccharides against leukopenia induced by CP was strongly dependent on the types of ionic groups of the polysaccharides and concerned with the side chains with 4-O-methyl-β-glucuronic acid in the terminal.     

Angiostatin production in cultivation of recombinant Pichia pastoris fed with mixed carbon sources

A recombinant strain of Pichia pastoris with a phenotype of Mut^S was used to produce angiostatin. Due to the low methanol consumption rate of this strain, both methanol and glycerol feedings, that produced oscillation in dissolved O₂ concentration, were used during the expression phase to improve cell growth and angiostatin expression. However, enhanced cell growth led to nitrogen limitation that suppressed further production of angiostatin, but addition of ammonia allowed angiostatin concentration to reach 108 mg l^–1 after an expression period of 96 h. The ratio of consumed glycerol to methanol of 1.5:1 (w/w) in the expression phase suggested that methanol played an important role in the metabolism of carbon sources.     

The structure-anticoagulant activity relationships of sulfated lacquer polysaccharide: effect of carboxyl group and position of sulfation

Regiospecific oxidation of the primary hydroxyl groups in lacquer polysaccharide (LPL, Mw 6.85 x 10(4)) and its NaIO4 oxidation derivatives (LPLde) to C-6 carboxy groups was achieved with NaOCl in the presence of Tempo and NaBr. Sulfate groups were incorporated into the oxidated polysaccharides using Py.SO3 complex as a reagent. Reactivity of polysaccharide hydroxyl group was C-6 > C-2 > C-4. Sulfate groups were mainly linked to the second hydroxy at C-2 in the products. The results of APTT assay showed after incorporation of carboxyl groups into lacquer polysaccharides, the intrinsic coagulation pathway was promoted, and all sulfated polysaccharides had very weak anticoagulant activity within the scope of studied DS (0.39-1.11). These indicated that carboxyl groups and sulfate groups had the synergistic action. At the same time, the anticoagulant activity increased very slowly with the DS in the second hydroxy. This indicated that 6-O-SO3- in the side chains took an important role in the anticoagulant activity.     

Probing the substrate specificities of human PHOSPHO1 and PHOSPHO2

PHOSPHO1, a phosphoethanolamine/phosphocholine phosphatase, is upregulated in mineralising cells and is thought to be involved in the generation of inorganic phosphate for bone mineralisation. PHOSPHO2 is a putative phosphatase sharing 42% sequence identity with PHOSPHO1. Both proteins contain three catalytic motifs, conserved within the haloacid dehalogenase superfamily. Mutation of Asp32 and Asp203, key residues within two motifs, abolish PHOSPHO1 activity and confirm it as a member of this superfamily. We also show that Asp43 and Asp123, residues that line the substrate-binding site in our PHOSPHO1 model, are important for substrate hydrolysis. Further comparative modelling reveals that the active sites of PHOSPHO1 and PHOSPHO2 are very similar, but surprisingly, recombinant PHOSPHO2 hydrolyses phosphoethanolamine and phosphocholine relatively poorly. Instead, PHOSPHO2 shows high specific activity toward pyridoxal-5-phosphate (V(max) of 633 nmol min(-1) mg(-1) and K(m) of 45.5 microM). Models of PHOSPHO2 and PHOSPHO1 suggest subtle differences in the charge distributions around the putative substrate entry site and in the location of potential H-bond donors.     

可溶性淀粉合成酶SSⅢ基因对马铃薯的遗传转化

马铃薯是淀粉生产中重要的农作物之一,而可溶性淀粉合成酶SSⅢ是可溶性淀粉合成酶的主要活性成分,通过基因工程的手段来研究SSⅢ基因在淀粉合成中的功能可以用于改良马铃薯淀粉的品质.本研究采用根癌农杆菌介导法将强组成型表达启动子CaMV 35S驱动的可溶性淀粉合成酶SSⅢ基因的RNA干扰表达载体导入马铃薯栽培品种克新1号和克新4号中,获得了65株卡那霉素抗性植株.对抗性植株PCR检测结果表明,SSⅢ基因的干扰片段已整合到马铃薯基因组中,RT-PCR检测表明SSⅢ基因在转录水平上受到了明显抑制.该研究为马铃薯淀粉品质的改良奠定了基础.     

Translation initiator EIF4G1 mutations in familial Parkinson disease

Genome-wide analysis of a multi-incident family with autosomal-dominant parkinsonism has implicated a locus on chromosomal region 3q26-q28. Linkage and disease segregation is explained by a missense mutation c.3614G>A (p.Arg1205His) in eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4-gamma (EIF4G1). Subsequent sequence and genotype analysis identified EIF4G1 c.1505C>T (p.Ala502Val), c.2056G>T (p.Gly686Cys), c.3490A>C (p.Ser1164Arg), c.3589C>T (p.Arg1197Trp) and c.3614G>A (p.Arg1205His) substitutions in affected subjects with familial parkinsonism and idiopathic Lewy body disease but not in control subjects. Despite different countries of origin, persons with EIF4G1 c.1505C>T (p.Ala502Val) or c.3614G>A (p.Arg1205His) mutations appear to share haplotypes consistent with ancestral founders. eIF4G1 p.Ala502Val and p.Arg1205His disrupt eIF4E or eIF3e binding, although the wild-type protein does not, and render mutant cells more vulnerable to reactive oxidative species. EIF4G1 mutations implicate mRNA translation initiation in familial parkinsonism and highlight a convergent pathway for monogenic, toxin and perhaps virally-induced Parkinson disease.     

Genes "waiting" for recruitment by the adaptive immune system: the insights from amphioxus

In seeking evidence of the existence of adaptive immune system (AIS) in ancient chordate, cDNA clones of six libraries from a protochordate, the Chinese amphioxus, were sequenced. Although the key molecules such as TCR, MHC, Ig, and RAG in AIS have not been identified from our database, we demonstrated in this study the extensive molecular evidence for the presence of genes homologous to many genes that are involved in AIS directly or indirectly, including some of which may represent the putative precursors of vertebrate AIS-related genes. The comparative analyses of these genes in different model organisms revealed the different fates of these genes during evolution. Their gene expression pattern suggested that the primitive digestive system is the pivotal place of the origin and evolution of the AIS. Our studies support the general statement that AIS appears after the jawless/jawed vertebrate split. However our study further reveals the fact that AIS is in its twilight in amphioxus and the evolution of the molecules in amphioxus are waiting for recruitment by the emergence of AIS.     

Genetic determinants of cell type-specific poliovirus propagation in HEK 293 cells

The ability of poliovirus to propagate in neuronal cells can be reduced by introducing appropriate nucleotide substitutions into the viral genome. Specific mutations scattered throughout the poliovirus genome yielded the live attenuated vaccine strains of poliovirus. Neuron-specific propagation deficits of the Sabin strains are partially encrypted within a confined region of the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES), which carries attenuating point mutations in all three serotypes. Recently, high levels of neurovirulence attenuation were achieved with genetically engineered polioviruses containing heterologous IRES elements. This is exemplified with poliovirus recombinants replicating under control of a human rhinovirus type 2 (HRV2) IRES element. We have carried out experiments delineating the genetic basis for neuronal IRES function. Neuronal dysfunction of the HRV2 IRES is determined mainly by IRES stem-loop domain V, the locus for attenuating point mutations within the Sabin strains. Neuronal incompetence associated with HRV2 IRES domain V is substantially more pronounced than that observed with the attenuating IRES point mutation of the Sabin serotype 1 vaccine strain. Mix-and-match recombination of polio and HRV2 IRES domain V suggests that the attenuation phenotype correlates with overall structural features rather than primary sequence. Our experiments have identified HEK 293 cells as a novel system for the study of neuron-specific replication phenotypes of poliovirus. This cell line, originally derived from embryonic human kidney, has recently been described to display neuronal characteristics. We report propagation properties in HEK 293 cells for poliovirus recombinants with attenuated neurovirulence in experimental animals that corroborate this observation.