Tetrahydrobiopterin and Biogenic Amine Metabolism in the hph-1 Mouse

Abstract: hph-1 mice, which have defective tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthesis due to decreased GTP cyclohydrolase I activity, have been used to investigate the effects of tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency on aromatic l -amino acid monooxygenases and brain monoamine metabolism. Liver tetrahydrobiopterin levels were decreased, and tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency and reduced levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and their metabolites in the brain occurred both pre- and postnatally. Chronic subcutaneous tetrahydrobiopterin elevated brain levels to values higher than those seen in controls but had no effect on monoamine metabolism. In vivo activities of tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase were significantly decreased. There was a 30% decrease in the in vitro activity of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase and 50% decrease in liver phenylalanine hydroxylase. Western blotting demonstrated that the lower monooxygenase activities resulted from a reduced absolute amount of tyrosine hydroxylase and phenylalanine hydroxylase protein. The findings suggest involvement of tetrahydrobiopterin in the control of the steady-state concentration of the aromatic l -amino acid monooxygenases. In addition, demonstration of central monoamine changes in the hph-1 mouse make it a possible model system for the investigation of the neuropathological mechanisms in Dopa-responsive dystonia, which has recently been linked with mutations in the gene for GTP cyclohydrolase I.     

PinX1, a Telomere Repeat-binding Factor 1 (TRF1)-interacting Protein,Maintains Telomere Integrity by Modulating TRF1 Homeostasis,the Process in Which Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) Plays Dual Roles

TRF1, a telomere-binding protein, is important for telomere protection and homeostasis. PinX1 interacts with TRF1, but the physiological consequences of their interaction in telomere protection are not yet understood. Here we investigated PinX1 function on TRF1 stability in HeLa cells. PinX1 overexpression stabilized TRF1, but PinX1 depletion by siRNA led to TRF1 degradation, TRF1 ubiquitination, and less TRF1 telomere association. The depletion also induced DNA damage responses at telomeres and chromosome instability. These telomere dysfunctional phenotypes were in fact due to TRF1 deficiency. We also report that hTERT, a catalytic component of telomerase, plays dual roles in the TRF1 steady state pathway. PinX1-mediated TRF1 stability was not observed in hTERT-negative immortal cells, but was pronounced when hTERT was ectopically expressed in the cells, suggesting that hTERT may be needed in the PinX1-mediated TRF1 stability pathway. Interestingly, the knockdown of both PinX1 and hTERT in HeLa cells stabilized TRF1, suppressed DNA damage response activation, and restored chromosome stability. In summary, our findings suggested that PinX1 may maintain telomere integrity by regulating TRF1 stability and that hTERT may act as both a positive and a negative regulator of TRF1 homeostasis in a PinX1-dependent manner.     

心气虚病证动物模型及其评价体系的构建

目的　研究心气虚病证动物模型及其评价体系的构建。方法　移植心肌梗塞致心力衰竭大鼠的制作模型 ,运用中西医结合虚证和血瘀证的全国统一诊断标准、将其定性的问诊内容代以定量的同等意义的指标测试进行心气虚证动物模型评价。结果　本研究制作的动物模型再现了从一个正常大鼠→以血瘀为主要损伤→形成心气虚证的过程 ;心气虚证动物模型具有时相性、功能性和与功能相关的组织结构物质性改变。结论　将中西医临床和或基础研究中规范的、成熟的、统一的方法和标准引入中医动物模型的研究 ,并注重吸取中医已取得的临床经验和研究成果 ,是指导中医病证动物模型建立的基本思路     

Mejoría de la inmunidad y la esperanza de vida en ratones maduros,genéticamente deficientes en la síntesis de catecolaminas,tras convivir con controles durante dos meses

IntroductionMice hemizygous in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH-HZ), the limiting enzyme in catecholamine synthesis, show premature immunosenescence, which in females is associated with a shorter lifespan than the corresponding controls (WT). The coexistence of TH-Hz with WT improves the immune function in both males and females in adulthood.ObjectiveTo test whether cohabitation for two months of mature male TH-HZ with WT improves the immune function of the former and whether this impacts the lifespan.Material and methodsMature male ICR-CD1 mice (13 ± 1 months) TH-HZ coexisted with WT (2:4 ratio in each cage) for two months. Peritoneal leukocytes were extracted from all animals at baseline, one month, and two months after cohabitation, and macrophage phagocytic capacity, macrophage and lymphocyte chemotaxis, natural killer (NK) antitumor activity, and lymphoproliferative capacity in response to the mitogens concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were assessed. The animals were maintained under these conditions until their natural death.ResultsThe TH-HZ, which start, in general, with lower values than the WT in the immune functions studied, improved them after two months of cohabitation, becoming similar to those of the controls. This improvement was already observed in NK activity after one month of cohabitation.The TH-HZ presented lower mean longevity than WT, but when they cohabited with WT, it was similar to the latter.ConclusionThe coexistence of TH-HZ male mice with WT mice for two months at mature age improves these genetically modified animals’ immune response and longevity.     

Investigation of the Mutation Points and Effects of Some Drugs on Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase-deficient People in the Erzurum Region

We have carried out a systematic study of the molecular basis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency on three samples of 1,183 children aged 0.5–6 years from Erzurum, in eastern Anatolia. Total genomic DNAs were isolated from the blood samples of a healthy person and the three persons determined with G6PD deficiency by examining the enzyme activity and hemoglobin ratio. Then PCR amplification of the entire coding region in eight fragments was carried out followed by Agarose gel electrophoresis. The 540-bp PCR fragment containing exons VI-VII and the 550 bp PCR fragment containing exons XI-XIII were digested with EcoRI and with NIaIII, respectively. SSCP techniques for eight fragments (exons II, III-IV, V, VI-VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI-XIII) were employed to determine the mutations on the exons of the G6PD gene. A mutation occurred on the region of the exons 6 and 7 of one person (person-1) and exon 5 of two G6PD-deficient persons (person 2 and 3) examined. The sequential approach described is fast and efficient and could be applied to other populations.

Effects of analgesic drugs on G6PD were studied on the purified enzyme (ammonium fractionation, dialysis and 2',5' ADP-Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography) for the healthy person and G6PD-deficient persons 1, 2 and 3. The effects of remifentanil hydrochloride, fentanyl citrate, alfentanil hydrochloride and pethidine hydrochloride, as analgesic drugs, on G6PD activity were tested. Although remifentanil hydrochloride, fentanyl citrate (I₅₀ values; 1.45 mM and 6.1 mM, respectively) inhibited the activity of the enzyme belonging to the healthy person, they did not alter enzyme activity on two of the three persons with G6PD deficiency. Other drugs (alfentanil hydrochloride and pethidine hydrochloride) did not effect the enzyme activity of the healthy or G6PD-deficient children.     

伊曲康唑预防艾滋病患者真菌感染有效性的Meta分析

目的 对艾滋病患者预防性应用伊曲康唑的有效性进行Meta分析,为临床合理使用伊曲康唑预防艾滋病患者真菌感染提供依据.方法 制定检索策略,检索Cochrane图书馆临床对照试验数据库、PubMed、EMbase、EBSCO、万方和清华同方数据库,时间从1981年1月～ 2013年7月,收集有关对艾滋病患者预防性应用伊曲康唑的随机对照临床研究.应用Stata 10.0软件进行Meta分析,采用异质性检验（齐性检验）,统计合并效应量,得出合并后的RR值及其95％ CI值.结果 共3篇文献符合纳入标准进入Meta分析.结果显示,预防性应用伊曲康唑可以明显降低艾滋病患者的总体真菌感染率,RR =0.54 （95％ CI：0.44 ～0.67）,P＜0.05;而侵袭性真菌感染率差异无统计学意义,RR =0.38（95％ CI：0.13～1.10）,P＞0.05;病死率差异无统计学意义,RR =1.14 （95％ CI：0.79～1.65）,P＞0.05.结论 艾滋病患者预防性应用伊曲康唑可以明显降低总体真菌感染率,目前对侵袭性真菌感染并未显示有预防效果.对于艾滋病患者是否预防性应用伊曲康唑,需要仔细评估,要根据不同疾病阶段的真菌感染率制定不同的预防策略.     

叶酸缺乏致胎鼠宫内发育迟缓及肝脏胰岛素生长因子 系统表达变化

目的：叶酸是一种水溶性B 族维生素,在体内氨基酸与核苷酸代谢中起重要作用, 是胎儿生长发育所必须的营养素。本文通 过建立叶酸缺乏的孕鼠模型,探讨叶酸缺乏对胎鼠宫内发育的影响,并研究胎鼠肝脏组织中胰岛素生长因子（IGF）系统的表达变 化。方法：雌性C57BL/6J 小鼠叶酸缺乏组6 只、正常对照组6 只,分别饲以不含叶酸和含2 mg 叶酸/kg 的纯合饲料。四周后与雄 鼠交配,于怀孕第13.5 天（13.5 dpc）对孕鼠剖腹取胎,观察和评价胎鼠发育指标,并对宫内发育迟缓（IUGR）比率进行统计。用 Real-time PCR 法检测胎鼠肝脏组织中胰岛素生长因子Ⅰ（IGFⅠ）、胰岛素生长因子Ⅰ受体（IGFⅠ R）、胰岛素生长因子Ⅱ（IGF Ⅱ）、胰岛素生长因子Ⅱ受体（IGFⅡR）、胰岛素生长因子结合蛋白1（IGFBP-1）和胰岛素生长因子结合蛋白3（IGFBP-3）mRNA的 相对表达水平。结果：叶酸缺乏组雌鼠合笼前每日体重增长量降低,13.5 dpc胎鼠吸收胎和死胎比率升高,胎重下降,IUGR 比率显 著升高,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）;叶酸缺乏组胎鼠肝脏组织中IGFⅡ和IGFⅡR mRNA 的相对表达水平均低于正常对照组 （P<0.05）,IGFⅠ、IGFⅠR、IGFBP-1 和IGFBP-3 mRNA的相对表达水平两组间没有差异（P>0.05）。结论：叶酸缺乏会导致小鼠孕 中期胎鼠IUGR 比率升高及胎肝IGFⅡ和IGFⅡR mRNA 的表达水平降低,提示叶酸缺乏对IGF系统基因的调控,可能与胎鼠IUGR 发生机制有关。     

Vitamin D deficiency in children with cerebral palsy: A narrative review of epidemiology,contributing factors,clinical consequences and interventions

Sufficient vitamin D levels are necessary, not only for mineralization, normal growth and development of bones, but also for the prevention of fatal chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and cancer. This is of particular importance in children with neuro- and musculoskeletal disorders, especially cerebral palsy (CP). CP is a heterogeneous group of childhood developmental disability disorders described by uncharacteristic posture, balance, and movement. Patients with CP are at an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency and as a result reduced bone mineral density, bone fragility, osteopenia, and rickets. The present review aims to combine and summarize available evidence, regarding the epidemiology, underlying contributing factors, clinical consequences, and treatment interventions of vitamin D deficiency in children with CP.