Effects of Acute and Chronic Denervation on Release of Acetylcholinesterase and Its Molecular Forms in Rat Diaphragms

Abstract: Hemidiaphragms were removed from rats at various times after intrathoracic transection of the left phrenic nerve and were incubated in organ baths containing 1.5 ml of oxygenated, buffered physiologic saline solution, with added glucose and bovine serum albumin. After incubation, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.7) activities of the bath fluid and of the muscle were determined. Innervated left hemidiaphragms were found to release 107 units of AChE over a 3-h period, corresponding to 1.9% of their total AChE activity. Denervation led to a rapid loss of AChE from the muscle coincident with a transient increase in the outpouring of enzyme activity into the bath fluid. Thus, 1 day after nerve transection the left hemidiaphragm contained only 68% of the control amount of AChE activity, but released 140% as much as control. After 3 or 4 days of denervation, the AChE activity of the diaphragm stabilized at 35% of the control value. Release also fell below control by this time, but not as far. One week after denervation the release, 69 units per 3 hr, corresponded to 3.3% of the reduced content of AChE activity in the muscle, indicating that denervation caused an increase in the proportion of AChE released. Sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation showed that 10S AChE accounted for more than 80% of the released enzyme activity at all times. The results did not rule out the possibility, however, that the released enzyme originally stemmed from 4S or 16S AChE in the diaphragm.     

Effect of Tetanus Toxin on Transmitter Release from the Substantia Nigra and Striatum In Vitro

Abstract: The effect of tetanus toxin on the uptake and release of radiolabelled transmitters from slices prepared from substantia nigra (SN) and striatum of rats has been investigated. Tetanus toxin-500–750 mouse lethal doses (MLD)-injected into the SN 6 h before preparing the slices significantly reduced the calcium-dependent, potassium-evoked release of [³H]GABA. Endogenous GABA levels in the SN and [³H]GABA uptake by nigral slices were unaffected by pretreatment with the toxin. Injections of tetanus toxin (1000–2000 MLD) into the striatum significantly reduced the calcium-dependent, potassium-evoked release of [¹⁴C]GABA and also [³H]dopamine, but had no effect on the K⁺-evoked release of [³H]5-hydroxytryptamine or [¹⁴C]acetylcholine. It is concluded that tetanus toxin inhibits GABA release directly and not by interference with synthesis or inactivation processes.     

Nitrogen mineralization in acid sulfate soils

Summary Mineralization of soil nitrogen studies with two acid sulfate soils under anaerobic and aerobic incubation at 30°C for 2 weeks showed that the mineral N was released and accumulated entirely as NH ₄ ⁺ in both soils. Nitrification did not occur in either of the soils under conditions that stimulate nitrification. The acid sulfate soils studied release good amounts of mineralizable N, and, because of lack of nitrifying activity, denitrification may not be a serious problem in these soils.     

Spatial patterns of trees in natural forests of East-Central Europe

The analysis of spatial patterns is one of the ways to estimate the role of competition among trees in forest dynamics. Three hypotheses concerning distribution patterns in old-growth stands were tested: (1) fine-scale spatial patterns of trees are regular; (2) patterns do not differ significantly from a random distribution, and (3) spatial patterns at larger scales are clumped because of site heterogeneity. Old-growth forest stands in Poland and the Czech Republic were analysed with a modified Ripley K function, using distribution maps of tree stems. Fine-scale spatial patterns (with distances among trees not exceeding 15 m) were usually intermediate between random and regular. Trends towards a regular distribution occurred more often among dead than among live individuals. No significant relationships between tree species were found at smaller scales; however, at larger scales (distances from 15–25 m) negative associations between some species were found. This reflects site heterogeneity rather than any direct influence of one tree species upon another.     

吉林桦甸寿山仙人洞旧石器遗址试掘报告

本文记述了吉林烨甸寿山仙人洞遗址试掘所发现的４７件石制品及伴生动物化石１２种．依动物化石和石器特征分析,将其地质时代暂定为晚更新世后段,考古年代为旧石器时代晚期．１９９１年５—６月间．吉林大学考古学系在吉林地区进行旧石器野外考古调查时,在桦甸市榆木桥子镇发现了寿山仙人洞旧石器时代遗址,并进行了试掘,在距洞口７米处开了一个横向１×３米深沟,出土了较丰富的文化遗物：４７件石制品,少量的骨制品,以及大量的哺乳动物化石和一些鸟类化石．     

Chemical genomics: a challenge for de novo drug design

De novo design provides an in silico toolkit for the design of novel small molecular structures to a set of specified structural constraints. With the avalanche of bioinformatics data, de novo design is ideally suited for exploring molecules that could be useful for chemical genomics. The design process involves manipulation of the input, modification of structural constraints, and further processing of the de novo generated molecules using various modular toolkits. The development of a theoretical framework for each of these stages will provide novel practical solutions to the problem of creating compounds with maximal chemical diversity. This short review describes the fundamental problems encountered in the application of novel chemical design technologies to chemical genomics by means of a formal representation. This notation helps to outline and clarify ideas and hypotheses that can then be explored using mathematical algorithms. It is only by developing this rigorous foundation that in silico design can progress in a rational way.     

不列颠·哥伦比亚省北部小杆松及白云杉立地指数与生态立地质量的关系

为在ＰｒｉｎｃｅＲｕｐｅｒｔ林区的“亚北方”部分建立生态立地质量与森林生产力的联系,对从９３个小杆松林分和７７个白云杉林分获得的数据进行了分析．所研究的林分处于两个气候状况、８个土壤水分状况以及５个土壤养分状况．这些气候、土壤水分和养分状况被视为等级变量用于林地分类和回归分析．小杆松和白云杉的立地指数随土壤水分和养分状况变化而变化,但不依赖于气候变化．与土壤水分相关的变化格局对两个种来说很相似,但与土壤养分相关的变化格局则全然不同．在所建立的５类回归模型中,土壤小区模型对于两个种都显示出立地指数与土壤水分和养分状况具有很强的相互关系（Ｒ２＞０．８０,ＳＥＥ≤１．６ｍ）．可以认为土壤水分和养分的等级度量在大范围内可作为小杆松和白云杉立地指数的预测预报因子．     

长江三峡库区玉溪遗址的环境与人类活动的孢粉记录

对玉溪遗址剖面53个地层样品和附近山地的9个现代表土样品进行了孢粉分析,结果表明:玉溪文化时期(6 000a.BP—7 200a.BP)孢粉组合以乔灌木为主,草本次之,蕨类孢子含量较少。乔灌木中以松属、桦木属、栎属占绝对优势;草本中藜科、蒿属含量较高;蕨类孢子以凤尾蕨为主。孢粉谱反映了较为湿润的气候特征。表土孢粉以超代表性的松属占绝对优势,可能是植被群落演替过程中松属植物作为先锋种类表现在演替初级阶段具有明显生长优势的结果,表土孢粉组合基本与当地植被状况相吻合。本研究在14 C测年基础上结合其它代用指标发现在剖面上部第4—8层和下部淤泥层中Rb/Sr值较高且乔灌木花粉百分含量明显增加,可以解释为该段淤泥层为古洪水遗迹,洪水可能有利于对孢粉的富集。地层剖面中文化层与淤泥层呈现交互沉积,表明周期性的洪水事件影响到了人类活动的连续性。     

Up-regulation of Cavβ3 subunit in primary sensory neurons increases voltage-activated Ca2+ channel activity and nociceptive input in neuropathic pain

High voltage-activated calcium channels (HVACCs) are essential for synaptic and nociceptive transmission. Although blocking HVACCs can effectively reduce pain, this treatment strategy is associated with intolerable adverse effects. Neuronal HVACCs are typically composed of α(1), β (Cavβ), and α(2)δ subunits. The Cavβ subunit plays a crucial role in the membrane expression and gating properties of the pore-forming α(1) subunit. However, little is known about how nerve injury affects the expression and function of Cavβ subunits in primary sensory neurons. In this study, we found that Cavβ(3) and Cavβ(4) are the most prominent subtypes expressed in the rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and dorsal spinal cord. Spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in rats significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of the Cavβ(3), but not Cavβ(4), subunit in the DRG. SNL also significantly increased HVACC currents in small DRG neurons and monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic currents of spinal dorsal horn neurons evoked from the dorsal root. Intrathecal injection of Cavβ(3)-specific siRNA significantly reduced HVACC currents in small DRG neurons and the amplitude of monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic currents of dorsal horn neurons in SNL rats. Furthermore, intrathecal treatment with Cavβ(3)-specific siRNA normalized mechanical hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia caused by SNL but had no significant effect on the normal nociceptive threshold. Our findings provide novel evidence that increased expression of the Cavβ(3) subunit augments HVACC activity in primary sensory neurons and nociceptive input to dorsal horn neurons in neuropathic pain. Targeting the Cavβ(3) subunit at the spinal level represents an effective strategy for treating neuropathic pain.     

Previous experience and site tenacity in the orb spider Nephila (Araneae,Araneidae)

Summary The tenacity of the orb spider Nephila clavipes to a web site was studied in the laboratory. No differences were found between the giving-up-times and the site tenacity of spiders reared in the laboratory or those caught in the field, nor between spiders raised under a poor or a richt diet. The animals left sites at random and seemed to ignore experiences gained at previous sites.