超声波均质化对仙台病毒ELISA测试中抗原稳定性的影响

目的研究超声波均质化（homogenization）处理对于仙台病毒在ELISA测试中抗原稳定性的影响。方法对BHK-21细胞内扩增培养的仙台病毒通过差速离心,富集后使用超声波做均质化处理,和未处理的病毒分别包被酶标板,使用标准免疫小鼠血清和SPF小鼠血清对包被平板进行测试,比较样品测试孔间测量数据的变异率。结果对免疫血清做梯度稀释,各梯度样品在未经超声处理仙台病毒抗原包被ELISA检测中测量值的变异率在1.97%～6.02%之间;在经超声处理仙台病毒抗原包被ELISA检测中测量值的变异率在0.53%～2.26%之间;SPF血清测量值的变异率均高于免疫血清;所有样品在经超声处理的病毒抗原包被ELISA检测中测量值的变异率均较小。结论超声波处理有效的提高了仙台病毒抗原的均质性,在ELISA测试中提高了抗原的稳定性。     

微生物制氢工艺优化与生物反应的调控

氢作为一种清洁高效的可再生能源日益受到人们的重视。本文从微生物制氢的条件与代谢调控方面探讨了生物制氢的最新进展。目前常用产氢细菌进行了总结,分析了细菌的培养方式和工艺方法,探讨了影响生物制氢的各种因素(pH,温度,基质,离子浓度,反应器等)。在此基础之上,阐述了分子生物学技术在生物制氢中的应用及系统代谢调控。最后,对生物制氢今后的主要研究方向及前景进行了展望。     

代谢综合症患者血清IL-18 水平变化及临床意义

目的:研究血清IL-18与亚代谢综合症(亚MS)、代谢综合症(MS)的关系,探讨生活方式改变(TLC)后IL-18及相关标记物的变化及其临床意义。方法:16例对照组,14例亚MS组,34例MS组;采用自动生化仪测定空腹血脂水平;采用乳胶增强免疫比浊法检测hs-CRP水平;采用ELISA法检测受试者血清IL-18、IL-6和脂联素水平。结果:MS患者血清IL-18水平与腰围有明显相关性(rs=0.45,P<0.01);与亚MS组比较,MS组IL-18水平显著升高(P<0.01);与正常组比较,MS组患者的腰围、体重指数、hs-CRP、IL-6及IL-18显著升高(P<0.05)。TLC后体重减轻5%,MS患者IL-18、IL-6、hs-CRP水平显著降低(P<0.01),脂联素水平显著升高(P<0.01)。结论:IL-18可作为亚MS和MS预测指标,鉴别亚MS与MS,其含量的变化对病情进展的程度及疗效的判定有重要意义。     

PPARγ 基因与代谢综合征关系的研究进展

过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体(PPARs)γ基因已被公认在调控脂肪细胞分化和多种代谢(糖、脂肪、能量代谢等)中起重要作用。它在脂肪、肌肉、肝脏等多种与胰岛素作用有关的组织中表达,并且具备激活后调控涉及葡萄糖的产生、转运、利用及脂肪代谢的调节等基因的表达。PPARγ基因在脂肪细胞分化、糖、脂代谢、动脉粥样硬化形成、炎性反应中起重要作用,从而与T2DM、胰岛素抵抗、肥胖症、心血管疾病和高血压等疾病的发病风险相关。本文综述了PPARγ基因的结构、功能及其多态性与代谢综合征关系的研究进展。     

代谢调衡饮治疗代谢综合征的临床疗效观察

目的:考察代谢调衡饮治疗代谢综合征的临床疗效。方法:将60例代谢综合征患者随机分为试验组和对照组,对照组口服卡托普利和二甲双胍,试验组在此基础上加服代谢调衡饮,疗程3个月,观察两组治疗前后体重指数、血压、血糖、血脂等指标变化。结果:试验组有效率明显高于对照组(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,试验组患者治疗后体重指数、血压、血糖、血脂指标改善更明显(P<0.05 or P<0.01)。结论:代谢调衡饮对代谢综合征患者具有减重降压,降糖调脂功效,是干预代谢调衡饮的有效方剂。     

Suppression of Na+K+ -ATPase activity by reversible phosphorylation over the winter in a freeze-tolerant insect

Larvae of the gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis, use the cold hardiness strategy of freeze tolerance as well as entry into a hypometabolic state (diapause) to survive the winter. Cold hardiness strategies have been extensively explored in this species, but the metabolic features of winter hypometabolism have received little attention. A primary consumer of energy in cells is the ATP-dependent sodium-potassium ion pump (Na(+)K(+)-ATPase) so inhibitory controls over transmembrane ion movements could contribute substantially to energy savings over the winter months. Na(+)K(+)-ATPase activity was quantified in larvae sampled between October and April. Activity was high in October (0.56+/-0.13nmol/min/mg) but fell by 85% in November, remained low through midwinter, and then increased strongly in April. To determine whether the seasonal change in Na(+)K(+)-ATPase activity was linked with posttranslational modification of the enzyme, extracts from 15 degrees C-acclimated larvae were incubated under conditions that stimulated protein kinases A, G, or C. The action of all three kinases suppressed Na(+)K(+)-ATPase activity to levels just 3-8% of control values whereas the opposite treatment with alkaline phosphatase had no effect. Hence, the seasonal suppression of Na(+)K(+)-ATPase activity may be linked to enzyme phosphorylation. Furthermore, acute cold (3 degrees C) or hypoxia exposures of 15 degrees C-acclimated larvae did not alter enzyme activity, and freezing at -16 degrees C increased activity, so environmental factors do not appear to directly influence enzyme activity. Rather, it appears that winter suppression of ion motive ATPase activity may be part of a program of winter metabolic suppression.     

Breathe softly, beetle: continuous gas exchange, water loss and the role of the subelytral space in the tenebrionid beetle, Eleodes obscura

Flightless, diurnal tenebrionid beetles are commonly found in deserts. They possess a curious morphological adaptation, the subelytral cavity (an air space beneath the fused elytra) the function of which is not completely understood. In the tenebrionid beetle Eleodes obscura, we measured abdominal movements within the subelytral cavity, and the activity of the pygidial cleft (which seals or unseals the subelytral cavity), simultaneously with total CO2 release rate and water loss rate. First, we found that E. obscura has the lowest cuticular permeability measured in flow-through respirometry in an insect (0.90 microg H2O cm(-2) Torr(-1) h(-1)). Second, it does not exhibit a discontinuous gas exchange cycle. Third, we describe the temporal coupling between gas exchange, water loss, subelytral space volume, and the capacity of the subelytral space to exchange gases with its surroundings as indicated by pygidial cleft state. Fourth, we suggest possible mechanisms that may reduce respiratory water loss rates in E. obscura. Finally, we suggest that E. obscura cannot exchange respiratory gases discontinuously because of a morphological constraint (small tracheal or spiracular conductance). This "conductance constraint hypothesis" may help to explain the otherwise puzzling phylogenetic patterns of continuous vs. discontinuous gas exchange observed in tracheate arthropods.     

Influence of oxygen and temperature on growth and metabolic performance of Paralichthys lethostigma (Pleuronectiformes: Paralichthyidae)

In this study, we apply Fry's classification of environmental factors to demonstrate the limiting effects of oxygen and its interaction with temperature on the growth of juvenile P. lethostigma. We also evaluated the properties of two metabolic indices, marginal metabolic scope (MMS) and limiting oxygen concentration (LOC), as indicators of metabolic scope. We found that oxygen limitation has its greatest impact near the optimum temperature for growth of the species. At 29 °C a reduction from 6.00 mg/L to 4.00 mg/L caused a 50% reduction in growth rate while at 27 °C the reduction had no significant effect on growth rate. The results are particularly relevant because these temperatures and oxygen concentrations are commonly observed in nursery areas during summer months. At all temperatures fish from the lowest oxygen treatment (1.75 mg/L) had negative growth rates. Comparisons between daily oscillating oxygen treatments and constant treatments failed to demonstrate significant effects. At temperatures past the optimum, growth rates between the 6.00 mg/L and 4.00 mg/L treatments were not statistically different. LOC was significantly affected by temperature, oxygen, and their interaction. Estimates were positively correlated with oxygen treatment (R² > 0.71) and negatively correlated with temperature at moderate and low oxygen concentrations (R² > − 0.84). MMS was significantly affected by temperature and oxygen and was significantly correlated with oxygen treatment (R² > − 0.91), but correlations with temperature were not as clear. In conclusion, oxygen and temperature interactions have significant effects on metabolic scope and growth rates of fish, well above the accepted hypoxia threshold of 2.00 mg/L and MMS has proved a useful estimator of the metabolic scope of the organism within an environment.     

Salinity induced changes in haemolymph osmolality and total metabolic rate of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii Gould, 1841 from Baltic coastal waters

The specific metabolic rate (SMR) and haemolymph osmolality (HO) of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii Gould, 1841 from Baltic brackish waters were measured at a habitat salinity of 7 psu (T = 15 °C, full air saturation) and after step-wise acclimation to a salinity range of 3-27 psu. Values of SMR at 7 psu varied between 0.40 and 3.89 J g^− 1 WW h^− 1 (n = 25, wet weight range 0.051-1.142 g) and were significantly (p < 0.05) related to the specimen's wet weight (WW) according to the power regression SMR = 0.94 WW^− 0.41 (R² = 0.68). The SMR of females did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from those of males. When exposed to higher salinities, the SMR of R. harrisii decreased significantly (p < 0.05) and reached a minimum value at 23 psu (0.55 ± 0.05 J g^− 1 WW h^− 1, n = 6). Mean haemolymph osmolality at 7 psu amounted to 581 ± 26 mOsm kg^− 1 (n = 5) and was 2.9 times higher than that of the external medium. R. harrisii hyperosmoregulated its body fluids up to 24 psu (727 mOsm kg^− 1) at which salinity the isosmotic point was reached.     

Evolutionary stability conditions for signaling games with costly signals

The paper investigates the class of signaling games with the following properties: (a) the interests of sender and receiver coincide, (b) different signals incur differential costs, and (c) different events (meanings/types) have different probabilities. Necessary and sufficient conditions are presented for a profile to be evolutionarily stable and neutrally stable, and for a set of profiles to be an evolutionarily stable set.The main finding is that a profile belongs to some evolutionarily stable set if and only if a maximal number of events can be reliably communicated. Furthermore, it is shown that under the replicator dynamics, a set of states with a positive measure is attracted to “sub-optimal” equilibria that do not belong to any asymptotically stable set.