Simultaneous determination of the lactone and carboxylate forms of irinotecan (CPT-11) and its active metabolite SN-38 by high-performance liquid chromatography: application to plasma pharmacokinetic studies in the rat

Irinotecan (CPT-11) and its main metabolite SN-38 are potent anticancer derivatives of camptothecin (CPT), with active lactone and inactive carboxylate forms coexisting. A simple and sensitive HPLC method using the ion-pairing reagent tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate (TBAHS) was developed to simultaneously determine all four analytes in rat plasma samples. Camptothecin (CPT) was used as internal standard. The mobile phase was 0.1M potassium dihydrogen phosphate containing 0.01 M TBAHS (pH 6.4)-acetonitrile (75:25, v/v). Separation of the compounds was carried out on a Hypersil C18 column, monitored at 540 nm (excitation wavelength at 380 nm). All four compounds gave linear response as a function of concentration over 0.01-10 microM. The limit of quantitation in rat plasma was 0.01, 0.008, 0.005 and 0.005 microM for CPT-11 lactone, CPT-11 carboxylate, SN-38 lactone and SN-38 carboxylate, respectively. The method was successfully used in the study on the effect of coadministered thalidomide on the plasma pharmacokinetics of CPT-11 and SN-38 in rats. Coadministered thalidomide (100mg/kg body weight by intraperitoneal injection) significantly increased the AUC(0-10h) values of CPT-11 lactone and CPT-11 carboxylate by 32.6% and 30.3 %, respectively, (P < 0.01), but decreased the values by 19.2% and 32.4% for SN-38 lactone and carboxylate, respectively, (P < 0.05). Accordingly, the value of total body clearance (CL) of CPT-11 lactone was significantly lower in combination group compared to the control (1.329 versus 1.837 L/h/kg, P = 0.0002). Plasma t(1/2beta) values for SN-38 lactone and carboxylate were significantly (P < 0.01) smaller in rats with coadministered thalidomide, as compared to rats receiving CPT-11 alone. Further studies are needed to explore the underlying mechanisms for the observed kinetic interaction between CPT-11 and thalidomide.     

保鲜剂对山茶花切花保鲜效果的研究

以山茶花为材料,使用20 g/L蔗糖+50 mg/L SA+0.2 mmol/L STS+30 mg/L 6-BA+75 mg/L Al2(SO4)3配制成的保鲜剂,以蒸馏水作为对照,研究保鲜剂对山茶花鲜切花采后生理指标的影响。结果表明:该保鲜剂处理可有效减缓山茶花可溶性糖和蛋白质含量的下降,抑制游离脯氨酸含量、MDA含量以及细胞膜相对透性的上升幅度,延缓POD活性的下降。该保鲜剂具有明显的延缓山茶花鲜切花衰老的效果。     

回收琼脂糖凝胶中DNA的简便方法

多年来国内分子生物学实验室所采用的几种从琼脂糖凝胶中回收DNA的方法不同程度地存在着各种问题。现介绍一种新的从琼脂糖凝胶上分离和提取DNA的简易方法,采用实验室常用的吸附柱中的吸附膜对DNA进行拦截、纯化和回收。实验证明这种方法回收DNA具有简便快捷、成本低和效率高等优点,是一种切实可行的方法。     

Evaluating the nucleus effect on the dynamic indentation behavior of cells

The effect of the nucleus on the cell mechanical behavior was investigated based on the dynamic indentation response of cells under a spherical tip. A “two-component” cell model (including cytoplasm and nucleus) is used, and the dynamic indentation behavior is studied by a semiempirical method, which is established based on fitting the numerical simulation results of the quasi-static indentation response of cells. We found that the “routine analysis” (based on the Hertz’s contact solution of homogeneous model) significantly overestimated the nucleus effect on the overall cell indentation response due to the effects of the Hertz contact radius and the substrate stiffening. These effects are significantly stronger in the “two-component” cell model than in the homogeneous model. The inaccuracy created by the “routine analysis” slightly increases with the modulus ratio of nucleus to cytoplasm and the volume fraction of nucleus. Finally, the error sensitivity to the geometrical parameters used in the model is discussed, which shows the indentation analysis is not very sensitive to these parameters, and the reasonable assumptions for these parameters are effective. This systematic analysis can provide a useful guideline to understanding the mechanical behavior of cells and nuclei.     

Dmp1α Inhibits HER2/neu-Induced Mammary Tumorigenesis

Our recent study shows a pivotal role of Dmp1 in quenching hyperproliferative signals from HER2 to the Arf-p53 pathway as a safety mechanism to prevent breast carcinogenesis. To directly demonstrate the role of Dmp1 in preventing HER2/neu-driven oncogenic transformation, we established Flag-Dmp1α transgenic mice (MDTG) under the control of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter. The mice were viable but exhibited poorly developed mammary glands with markedly reduced milk production; thus more than half of parous females were unable to support the lives of new born pups. The mammary glands of the MDTG mice had very low Ki-67 expression but high levels of Arf, Ink4a, p53, and p21^Cip1, markers of senescence and accelerated aging. In all strains of generated MDTG;neu mice, tumor development was significantly delayed with decreased tumor weight. Tumors from MDTG;neu mice expressed Flag-Dmp1α and Ki-67 in a mutually exclusive fashion indicating that transgenic Dmp1α prevented tumor growth in vivo. Genomic DNA analyses showed that the Dmp1α transgene was partially lost in half of the MDTG;neu tumors, and Western blot analyses showed Dmp1α protein downregulation in 80% of the cases. Our data demonstrate critical roles of Dmp1 in preventing mammary tumorigenesis and raise the possibility of treating breast cancer by restoring Dmp1α expression.     

舌骨肌切开悬吊术结合腭咽成形术治疗重度OSAHS

目的：应用联合应用舌骨肌切开悬吊术和腭咽成形术治疗重度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征。方法：用多导睡眠监测确定52例重度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征,不同方法确定均为以舌根平面阻塞为主的上气道多平面狭窄。采用舌骨肌切开悬吊术联合腭咽成形术进行治疗。结果：所有接受手术的患者术后鼾声均有不同程度的减轻,手术总有效率94．2％。无1例出现不良并发症。结论：舌骨肌切开悬吊术安全、易行,结合腭咽成形术治疗重度阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征效果良好。     

Response of xanthophyll cycle and chloroplastic antioxidant enzymes to chilling stress in tomato over-expressing glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase gene

Over-expression of chloroplastic glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase gene (LeGPAT) increased unsaturated fatty acid contents in phosphatidylglycerol (PG) of thylakoid membrane in tomato. The effect of this increase on the xanthophyll cycle and chloroplast antioxidant enzymes was examined by comparing wild type (WT) tomato with the transgenic (TG) lines at chilling temperature (4 °C) under low irradiance (100 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹). Net photosynthetic rate and the maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem (PS) 2 (F_v/F_m) in TG plants decreased more slowly during chilling stress and F_v/F_m recovered faster than that in WT plants under optimal conditions. The oxidizable P700 in both WT and TG plants decreased during chilling stress under low irradiance, but recovered faster in TG plants than in the WT ones. During chilling stress, non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and the de-epoxidized ratio of xanthophyll cycle in WT plants were lower than those of TG tomatoes. The higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in TG plants resulted in the reduction of O₂ ^−· and H₂O₂ contents during chilling stress. Hence the increase in content of unsaturated fatty acids in PG by the over-expression of LeGPAT could alleviate photoinhibition of PS2 and PS1 by improving the de-epoxidized ratio of xanthophyll cycle and activities of SOD and APX in chloroplast.     

成人T细胞白血病病毒抗体的血清流行病学调查

应用间接免疫荧光试验和明胶凝集试验,对10,013份血清标本进行了人T细胞白血病病毒(HTLV-1)抗体的检测,发现8例阳性。其中3例为日本人,2例是中国台湾人,2例分别是上述日本人和台湾人的妻子,均为中国人,从未离开过大陆;另一例是成人T细胞白血病病人,原为浙江渔民,后当海员,常在日本港口居住。700例各类白血病病人和10例疑似成人T细胞白血病病人的血清,HTLV-1抗体均为阴性。此结果证实,中国大陆正常成年人HTLV-1抗体阴性。少数阳性者均与密切接触日本人有关。HTLV-1病毒是由日本人传入的。     

Ca significantly enhanced development and salt-secretion rate of salt glands of Limonium bicolor under NaCl treatment

The divalent cation, Ca²⁺, plays crucial roles in plant growth, development and stress resistance. Limonium bicolor seedlings were treated with 200 mM NaCl combined with three levels of Ca²⁺ (0 mM, 5 mM and 20 mM) for 15 days to study the effects of Ca²⁺ on development and salt-secretion rates of salt glands. It was shown that the 4th leaf areas of L. bicolor seedlings under 20 mM Ca²⁺ treatment were significantly higher than those under 0 mM and 5 mM Ca²⁺ treatments. The total number and the densities of salt glands per leaf increased markedly with increased Ca²⁺ concentrations. The diameters of salt glands increased by 59% and 63% as Ca²⁺ concentration increased from zero to 5 mM and 20 mM, respectively. Under 20 mM Ca²⁺ treatment, the salt-secretion rate per leaf was obviously higher than that treated with 5 mM Ca²⁺, but there was no significant difference in the salt-secretion rates per salt gland between the two groups. Under 0 mM Ca²⁺ treatment, leaf-cell membrane permeability increased significantly, which led to serious leakage of ions and a significant increase in Na⁺ loss rate. The results showed that the increase of Ca²⁺ concentration markedly enhanced development and salt-secretion rates of salt glands in the leaves of L. bicolor, the increase of salt secretion per leaf is due to the efficiency of the secretion process per salt gland and the number of salt glands, the salt-secretion rates per salt gland have a relationship with the diameters of salt glands.