Choline Administration Elevates Brain Phosphorylcholine Concentrations

Abstract: The phosphorylcholine concentration of rat brain rises and falls in response to parallel changes in the concentration of circulating choline. A single oral dose of choline chloride (20 mmol/kg) elevated whole-brain concentrations of both choline and phosphorylcholine 5 h after administration; a greater proportion of exogenously administered choline was retained by the brain in its phosphorylated form than as the free arnine. Striatal phosphorylcholine concentrations were elevated within 2 h of choline administration and continued to be significantly greater than control values for up to 34 h after treatment. The response of striatal choline levels to exogenous choline was of shorter duration than that of phosphorylcholine and was correlated with a significant increase in striatal acetylcholine concentrations. The consumption of a choline-free diet for 7 days lowered both serum choline and striatal phosphorylcholine concentrations, but had no effect on striatal choline or acetylcholine. These results suggest that choline kinase is unsaturated by its substrate in vivo and may thus serve to modulate the response of brain choline concentrations to alterations in the supply of circulating choline.     

Nature and properties of humic acid prepared from different sources and its effect on nutrient availability

Summary Effect of sources, moisture levels and extractants on extraction, analytical properties, IR-spectra, macromolecular characteristics, interaction with cations and physiological properties of the extracted material (humic acid) were studied. Among the three variables, extractant influenced the degree of humification, IR-spectra, nature and properties of humic acids to a greater extent though the other two had significant contribution. Sodium pyrophosphate found to be an ideal extractant for humic acid. Reduced viscosity of humic acids increased with dilution particularly below 0.1 g/dl and decreased with increasing H⁺ concentration between pH 6.5 and 8.5 irrespective of source, moisture level and extractant. The amount of proton released and drop in initial pH of humic acids on addition of different metal ions indicated formation of mono-, di-hydroxy metal-HA complexes which broke down at pH 8.0 and above. HA-Fe²⁺ and HA-Cu²⁺ complexes were found to be most stable. Humic acids from different sources varied significantly in their effect on available nutrient status of soils though, the latter is main determining factor particularly for calcium and magnesium.     

Turnover Rate of Brain Acetylcholine Using HPLC Separation of the Transmitter

A simple, reliable method was developed for measuring brain acetylcholine (ACh) turnover using HPLC methodology. Mice were injected intravenously with [3H]choline ([3H]Ch), and the turnover rate of ACh was calculated from the formation of [3H]ACh. Ch and ACh were separated from phosphorylcholine and from other radioactive compounds using tetraphenylboron extraction and counterion/reverse-phase chromatography. Endogenous Ch and ACh were quantified electrochemically through hydrogen peroxide production in a postcolumn reactor containing covalently bonded ACh esterase and Ch oxidase. Labeled Ch and ACh were quantified in the same sample by collecting the chromatographic fractions for radioactive content determinations. The method is rapid, well adapted to large series, and highly reproducible, with recoveries of 72.1% for Ch and 79.3% for ACh. The turnover value in mouse cerebral hemispheres was 16.02 nmol g-1 min-1 and decreased to 9.94 nmol g-1 min-1 in mice treated with oxotremorine.     

聚多巴胺改性聚合物在神经修复中的研究进展 *

多巴胺在碱性条件下会发生自聚合生成聚多巴胺。由于聚多巴胺具有超强黏附性能,在过去几年中其被大量应用于修饰各类生物材料。神经修复中使用的材料多为聚合物,但单独使用聚合物修复神经的效果不佳。聚多巴胺改性聚合物的亲水性和生物相容性均优于单一聚合物。除此以外,聚合物上的聚多巴胺涂层还可用于进一步修饰促进神经修复的分子。综述了聚多巴胺的合成机理、性能以及聚多巴胺改性各类聚合物在神经修复中的研究进展,并展望了该类材料的发展前景。     

An ultrastructural study of iron and manganese deposition associated with extracellular polymers of pedomicrobium-like budding bacteria

Morphological characteristics of two Pedomicrobium-like budding bacteria are described. A structured surface layer was regularly observed on strain 868. Ruthenium red- and Alcian blue-staining polymers were found on both strains.When either strain was grown in the presence of iron or manganese, the corresponding oxides accumulated on their surfaces. In thin sections iron oxides appeared as fine threads, arrays of particles or dense coatings, depending on the source of iron. Manganese oxides appeared as branching filaments or convoluted ribbons. Both metal oxides stained with ruthenium red. Extraction of the oxides followed by ruthenium red staining revealed that polyanionic polymers previously deposited on the cells were associated with the metals.Treatment of cultures with glutaraldehyde, HgCl₂, or heat, inhibited manganese but not iron deposition, suggesting that iron oxides accumulated by passive, non-biological processes. Manganese oxides apparently accumulated under control of a biological manganese-oxidizing factor. Incomplete inhibition of manganese deposition observed in cell suspensions suggested that, if the oxidizing factor was an enzyme, it was unusually stable.Based on these results, possible mechanisms of iron and manganese deposition in association with extracellular polymers are suggested.     

Computational approaches from polymer physics to investigate chromatin folding

Microscopy and sequencing-based technologies are providing increasing insights into chromatin architecture. Nevertheless, a full comprehension of chromosome folding and its link with vital cell functions is far from accomplished at the molecular level. Recent theoretical and computational approaches are providing important support to experiments to dissect the three-dimensional structure of chromosomes and its organizational mechanisms. Here, we review, in particular, the String&Binders polymer model of chromatin that describes the textbook scenario where contacts between distal DNA sites are established by cognate binders. It has been shown to recapitulate key features of chromosome folding and to be able at predicting how phenotypes causing structural variants rewire the interactions between genes and regulators.     

The reaction of Pt-antitumor drugs with selected nucleophiles. I. The reaction of cis-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2] with glycine

Various Pt(II)-glycine coordination compounds were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, some of them also by electrophoretic and chromatographic behavior. The results were applied to the analysis of the reaction mixtures of cis-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2] and glycine obtained under various conditions. Cis-[Pt(NH3)2Cl2] reacts with glycine to give cis-diammine-(glycine-N,O)-Pt(II) and cis-diammine-bis(glycine-N-)Pt(II). Their ratio depends primarily on the pH of the reaction medium. Conformation of these compounds is discussed based on the observed Pt-C and Pt-H NMR coupling constants.     

Permeability Changes by Peroxidation of Unsaturated Liposomes with Ascorbic Acid/Fe2+

Abstract

Liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine having a polyunsaturated fatty acid side chain were peroxidized in ascorbic acid/Fe²⁺ solution. Lipid peroxidation and the change in membrane permeability were monitored by the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and the release of entrapped fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled superoxide dismutase (FITC-SOD), respectively. Peroxidation of liposomes composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoylphosphatidylcholine (PAPC) having 4 double bonds on one fatty acid side chain showed high TBARS value and caused the release of FITC-SOD. This release started when TBARS reached a definite value. But liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine having 1 or 2 double bond(s) on one fatty acid side chain caused little increase in lipid peroxidation and FITC-SOD release. During the peroxidation of PAPC-liposomes, the breakdown of PAPC and formation of lysophosphatidylcholine (or like substance) were detected by HPLC analysis. Increase in the release of FITC-SOD thus appears to be due to the breakdown of the fatty acid side chain of phospholipids of liposomes. Liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine having a polyunsaturated fatty acid side chain may be expected to be sensitive to peroxidation signals.     

皮肤细胞复合改性聚乳酸构建组织工程皮肤

目的:探讨以改性聚乳酸为细胞外基质网架构建组织工程皮肤的可行性。方法:采用盐溶法制备机械性能得到部分改进的聚乳酸多孔泡沫网架,向改进的聚乳酸网架接种真皮成纤维细胞和表皮角质形成细胞,以普通聚乳酸支架作为对照,构建组织工程皮肤。体外培养一周,对网架进行形态学观察。主要观察指标:①一般形态观察②组织学观察。结果:复层组织工程皮肤在结构上与正常皮肤相似,具有真皮、表皮双层结构。改性聚乳酸网架上有双层细胞生长,生长的细胞与网架接触,并且在其表面形成较为明显而连续的细胞层。随着培养时间的延长,发生了一系列变化:表皮部分细胞层数逐渐增多,真皮部分细胞也逐渐增多,并向表皮层深入,位于表皮与网架之间。结论:双醛淀粉作为良好的增柔剂在改善聚乳酸网架的机械性能的同时,也具有良好的细胞相容性,不影响细胞的生长增殖和代谢,可以进一步用作组织工程皮肤的支架材料。