Ca2+-activated K+ conductance causes membrane hyperpolarizations in a monkey kidney cell line (JTC-12)

Summary We have previously reported hyperpolarizing membrane potential changes in a monkey kidney cell line (JTC-12) which has characteristics resembling proximal tubular cells. These hyperpolarizations could be observed spontaneously or evoked by mechanically touching adjacent cells. In this report, we have shown further evidence that these hyperpolarizations are elicited by an increase in membrane conductance to K⁺ which is caused by an increase in cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration. In addition, we have found another type of hyperpolarization which is evoked by applying flow of extracellular fluid to the cell. Intracellular injection of Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺ evoked hyperpolarizations, while intracellular injection of Mn²⁺ and Ba²⁺ did not. Intracellular injection of EGTA suppressed both spontaneous and mechanically evoked hyperpolarizations. In Ca²⁺-free medium, both spontaneous and flow-evoked hyperpolarizations were not observed, while mechanical stimuli consistently evoked hyperpolarization. In Na⁺-free medium, the incidence of cells showing the spontaneous or flow-evoked hyperpolarization increased, and the amplitude and the duration of the mechanically evoked hyperpolarization became greater. Quinidine inhibited all types of hyperpolarization. These data suggest that hyperpolarizations in JTC-12 cells are due to an increase in Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ conductance.     

An assay using embryo aggregation chimeras for the detection of nonlethal changes in X-irradiated mouse preimplantation embryos

We have developed a short-term in vitro assay for the detection of sublethal effects produced by very low levels of ionizing radiation. The assay utilizes mouse embryo aggregation chimeras consisting of one irradiated embryo paired with an unirradiated embryo whose blastomeres have been labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). X irradiation (from 0.05 to 2 Gy) and chimera construction were performed with four-cell stage embryos, and the chimeras were cultured for 40 h to the morula stage. The morulae were partially dissociated with calcium-free culture medium and viewed under phase contrast and epifluorescence microscopy to obtain total embryo cell number and the cellular contribution of irradiated (unlabeled) and control (FITC labeled) embryos per chimera. In chimeras where neither embryo was irradiated, the ratio of the unlabeled blastomeres to the total number of blastomeres per chimera embryo was 0.50 (17.8 +/- 5.6 cells per unlabeled embryo and 17.4 +/- 5.5 cells per FITC-labeled partner embryo). However, in chimeras formed after the unlabeled embryos were irradiated with as little as 0.05 Gy, the ratio of unlabeled blastomeres to the total number of blastomeres per chimera embryo was 0.43 (P less than 0.01). The apparent decreases in cell proliferation were not observed in irradiated embryos that were merely cocultured with control embryos, regardless of whether the embryos were zona enclosed or zona free. We conclude that very low levels of radiation induce sublethal changes in cleaving embryos that are expressed as a proliferative disadvantage within two cell cycles when irradiated embryos are in direct cell-to-cell contact with unirradiated embryos.     

Platelet-activating factor antagonists increase vascular reactivity in perfused rat lungs

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) administered to the pulmonary circulation in low dose (nanogram) has vasodilatory properties. Therefore, we investigated whether endogenous PAF plays a role in the control of tone in the pulmonary circulation. The PAF receptor antagonists, SRI 63-441 (2.6 X 10(-4) M) and L659,989 (1 X 10(-5) M), were the major investigative tools. In isolated perfused rat lungs, both agents caused a persistent increase in base-line perfusion pressure (Ppa), potentiated angiotensin II (ANG II) vasoconstriction, and potentiated hypoxic vasoconstriction (HPV). This potentiation of ANG II and HPV was found to be independent of circulating blood elements. Vasodilation in the presence of PAF blockade was also impaired. The combination of cyclooxygenase inhibition and PAF receptor blockade had an additive effect on ANG II vasoconstriction but did not cause more potentiation of HPV than achieved with PAF antagonism alone. In vivo, SRI 63-441 (10 mg/kg) caused only a transient increase in base-line Ppa without altering ANG II and hypoxic vasoconstriction. These findings support a vasodilatory role for endogenous PAF in the pulmonary circulation.     

泡状饶氏藻营养细胞的超微结构研究

本文报道我国特有的一种绿藻门植物－泡状饶氏藻营养细胞的超微结构特征,植物体由3层细胞组成,外层细胞最小,细胞质比较丰富,含有较多的各种细胞器,液泡体积较小,中层细胞具有很大的中央液泡,细胞质成为贴壁的薄层,各种细胞器结构仍清晰可见,内层细胞极度液泡化,细胞质呈现退化状态,周生的片状叶绿体上有许多大小不等的穿孔,使叶绿体呈网孔状外貌,叶绿体主要由许多成对的类囊体组成,叶绿体上往往有几个蛋白核,蛋白核经常被1或2条类囊体穿过,呈现分隔状,本文也报道了泡状饶氏藻的线粒体,质体,内质网,高尔基体和核内微管的结构特征,根据泡状饶氏藻的类囊体形态与Ulva mutabilis非常相似以及蛋白核的超微结构特征,它与石莼科植物可能有较密切的亲缘关系,属于绿藻门中进化的类群。     

Effect of metabolic or respiratory acidosis on rabbit renal medullary proton-ATPase

Distal urinary acidification is thought to be mediated by an H+-ATPase sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide and dicyclohexyl-carbodiimide. We have studied the effect of chronic metabolic acidosis (NH4Cl for 3 days) or respiratory acidosis (inhalation of 10% CO2 for 2 days) on the H+-ATPase of plasma membranes prepared from the medulla. The enzymatic assay for the H+-ATPase was performed in the presence of ouabain and oligomycin and in the absence of Ca. H+-transport activity was assessed by the quenching of acridine orange in the presence of ATP. The 15-25% sucrose gradient fraction was enriched 40-fold in enzymatic activity over the homogenate, and 8-fold in enzymatic activity and 4-fold in H+-transport activity over the fluffy fraction (38,000 X g). Metabolic acidosis (pH less than 7.31) or chronic hypercapnia (PCO2 greater than 66 mmHg; 1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa) was induced for 2-3 days. Both groups showed the same enrichment factor in enzymatic and H+-transport assays as the control rabbits. Enzymatic and H+-transport activities, however, were not different between animals with respiratory acidosis and controls. Kinetic studies failed to disclose an increase in Vmax (673 vs. 702 mumol/(mg protein.min] or a decrease in Km (0.43 vs. 0.48 mM) in chronic hypercapnia as compared with controls. Metabolic acidosis also failed to increase H+-ATPase activity. These data demonstrate that the H+-ATPase of renal medulla does not display the expected increase in activity during acidosis. The role of this H+-ATPase in the adaptation to acidosis remains to be determined.     

Development of shoot inHydrangea macrophylla I. Terminal and axillary buds

The structure of shoots, in particular of winter buds, ofHydrangea macrophylla was examined. The non-flower-bearing shoot is usually composed of a lower and an upper part, between which a boundary is discernible by means of a distinctly short internode. This internode is the lowermost of the upper part, and it is usually shorter than the internodes immediately above and below, although the internodes tend to shorten successively from the proximal to the distal part of the shoot. Variations exist in the following characters among the terminal bud, the axillary bud on the lower part of the shoot and the axillary bud on the upper part: (1) length of bud; (2) character of the outermost pair of leaf primordia; (3) degree of development of secondary buds in the winter bud; and (4) the number of leaf primordia. Usually, the terminal bud contains several pairs of foliage leaf primordia with a primordial inflorescence at the terminal of the bud, but the axiallary bud contains only the primordia of foliage leaves in addition to a pair of bud scales.     

植物新药——甘木通的生药鉴别

木文对甘水通的生药结构、药用情况、鉴别点、地理分布及繁殖等进行了报道;同时指出造成混乱的原因及找出混乱种的学名。甘本通为分布于广东和广西两省区的特有种。     

用体外免疫法建立人—人抗流行性乙型脑炎病毒杂交瘤细胞株

利用单克隆抗体(McAb)进行病毒病的治疗是人们所关心的一个重大课题。 流行性乙型脑炎(乙脑)是一种严重威胁人民健康的急性传染病,病死率高,后遗症严重。国内外目前尚无特效疗法。陈伯权等用乙脑病毒皮下或腹腔感染3周龄小白鼠24、48小时及5天后,分别用乙脑病毒51-8McAb进行治疗,平均治愈率分别为78％、73％及22％。     

小鼠Lewis肺癌组织中层粘连蛋白受体的分离及其性质的研究

层粘连蛋白(Laminin,LN)是基膜(basement membrane)中的一种主要大分子糖蛋白。一些研究资料表明肿瘤细胞的浸润转移可能与LN有关。肿瘤细胞与LN的作用可能是通过细胞表面LN受体进行的。本文采用亲和层析法从小鼠Lewis肺癌组织中分离LN受体并对其理化性质进行研究。Lewis肺癌LN受体的表观分子量为70,000,还原后SDS电泳图为一条较宽的条带。氨基酸组成中疏水氨基酸占38％,苏氨酸、絲氨酸、门冬氨酸(包括门冬酰胺)占23.5％,通过硝酸纤维素膜片法用HRP-LN测定受体与LN的结合特性,证明具有配基结合专一性,饱和性及高亲和性(Kd=0.95×10~(-9)mol/L)。     

培养的人脐静脉内皮细胞合成的蛋白聚糖

以[~(35)S]-Na_2SO_4为示踪物,观察培养的人脐静脉内皮细胞(EC)合成及分泌的蛋白聚糖(PG),经DEAE-Sephacel离子交换及Sepharose6B凝胶滤柱层析分析发现细胞层及培养液均含有三种PG单体,即硫酸乙酰肝素蛋白聚糖(HS-PG)、硫酸软骨素蛋白聚糖(CS-PG)及硫酸皮肤素蛋白聚糖(DS-PG)HS-PG又可分为大小两种,前者(HS-PG_L)位于V_o处,后者(HS-PG_s)Kd=0.53(sepharose6B);CS-PG/DS-PG分为三个峰,峰Ⅰ位于V_0处,峰Ⅱ、峰Ⅲ的Kd值分别为0.26及0.52(sepharose6B)。汇合前后细胞层及培养液中各种PG的含量不同。细胞层PG总量汇合前低于汇合后,无论是细胞层还是培养液汇合前HS-PG_L均低于汇合后,HS-PG_L与HS-PG_s比值亦为汇合前低于汇合后,而CS-PG/DS-PG含量则高于汇合后。汇合前后EC合成及分泌PG的差异与文献报道的EC损伤及正常者类似。