Cerebral Synaptic Transmission During Anoxia Is Protected by Creatine

Synaptic transmission in cerebral tissue fails very rapidly in the absence of oxygen; the metabolic basis for this is not known. We report here that the transmission failure in the guinea pig hippocampal slice can be delayed threefold by exposing the tissue to extracellular creatine (Cr) for 3 h. The improved survival is associated with an increase of tissue phosphocreatine (PCr) concentration. These data argue that the metabolic basis for synaptic transmission failure is a fall in tissue ATP concentrations. They also indicate a way to protect brain tissue against anoxic damage.     

Thiamine and Cholinergic Transmission in the Electric Organ of Torpedo

The electric organ of Torpedo marmorata was found to contain as much as 120 +/- 24 nmol of thiamine per g of fresh tissue. The vitamin was distributed as nonesterified thiamine (32%), thiamine monophosphate (22%), thiamine diphosphate (8%), and an important proportion of thiamine triphosphate (38%). A high level of thiamine triphosphate was found in synaptosomes isolated from the electric organ. In contrast, the synaptic vesicles did not show any enrichment in thiamine, whereas they contained a marked peak of acetylcholine (ACh) and ATP. Thus thiamine seems to be very abundant in cholinergic nerve terminals; its localization is apparently extravesicular, either in the axoplasm or in association with plasma membrane. When calcium was reduced and magnesium increased in the external medium, the efficiency of transmission was diminished, owing to inhibition of ACh release; in a parallel manner the degree of thiamine phosphorylation was found to increase--this condition is known to modify the repartition of ACh between vesicular and extravesicular compartments. Electrical stimulation, which causes periodic variations of the level of ACh and ATP, also caused significant changes in thiamine esters. In addition, related changes of the vitamin and the transmitter were observed under other conditions, suggesting a functional link between the metabolism of thiamine and that of ACh in cholinergic nerve terminals.     

Localisation of thiamine pyrophosphatase within the cytoplasmic fine structure of trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica and E. invadens

McCaul T.F. and Bird R.G. 1978. Localisation of thiamine pyrophosphatase within the cytoplasmic fine structure of trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica and E. invadens. International Journal for Parasitology8: 501–506. The distribution of thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase) activity was studied in both formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde fixed trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica and E. invadens. The activity was localised within certain vacuoles. No dense deposits for TPPase activity were seen in the small vesicles, elongated smooth-walled lacunae equated with endoplasmic reticulum, or the nucleus. The demonstration of small vesicles surrounding the larger vacuoles indicated that the Golgi-like vacuoles might be involved in the production of cell coat materials and primary lysosomes.     

Characterisation of pumpkin yellow vein mosaic virus from India

Yellow vein mosaic disease symptoms occur frequently in pumpkin in India. Diseased plants show vein yellowing, which sometimes coalesces to form chlorotic patches. Infected plants are stunted and flowers drop prematurely, greatly reducing yields. Diseased plants are infected by a begomovirus, designated pumpkin yellow vein mosaic virus (PYVMV), which is transmitted readily and in a persistent manner by the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. Transmission of PYVMV requires minimum acquisition and inoculation access periods of 30 min and 10 min, respectively. The minimum latent period in the insect is 6 h and the virus persists in the vector for at least 8 days. PYVMV has a narrow host range consisting of a small number of cucurbit species and some tobacco cultivars. It was detected serologically in diseased plants and in viruliferous B. tabaci using polyclonal antibodies in a double‐antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Reactions with monoclonal antibodies in a triple‐antibody sandwich ELISA showed that PYVMV has an epitope profile distinct from those of other begomoviruses from the Indian sub‐continent. Polymerase chain reaction amplified fragments from the putative viral coat and movement protein genes. Based on comparative phylogeny of complete coat protein gene sequences, PYVMV was most similar to the bipartite Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus from India and appears to be a new strain of this virus.     

一类具有垂直传播的SEIRS捕食传染病模型的全局分析

通过假设捕食系统中疾病只在食饵种群中传播,被传染的易惑者经过一段潜伏期后才具有传染性,潜伏者与染病者均具有垂直传播能力,染病者恢复后对该病不具有终身免疫力,建立了一类具有垂直传播的SEIRS捕食传染病模型,运用极限系统理论,分两种情形讨论了系统平衡点的存在性及局部稳定性,利用Lyapunov函数和二次复合矩阵等方法,得到了平衡点全局渐近稳定的条件.     

‘Manipulation’ without the parasite: altered feeding behaviour of mosquitoes is not dependent on infection with malaria parasites

Previous studies have suggested that Plasmodium parasites can manipulate mosquito feeding behaviours such as probing, persistence and engorgement rate in order to enhance transmission success. Here, we broaden analysis of this ‘manipulation phenotype’ to consider proximate foraging behaviours, including responsiveness to host odours and host location. Using Anopheles stephensi and Plasmodium yoelii as a model system, we demonstrate that mosquitoes with early stage infections (i.e. non-infectious oocysts) exhibit reduced attraction to a human host, whereas those with late-stage infections (i.e. infectious sporozoites) exhibit increased attraction. These stage-specific changes in behaviour were paralleled by changes in the responsiveness of mosquito odourant receptors, providing a possible neurophysiological mechanism for the responses. However, we also found that both the behavioural and neurophysiological changes could be generated by immune challenge with heat-killed Escherichia coli and were thus not tied explicitly to the presence of malaria parasites. Our results support the hypothesis that the feeding behaviour of female mosquitoes is altered by Plasmodium, but question the extent to which this is owing to active manipulation by malaria parasites of host behaviour.     

先天性巨细胞病毒感染的研究进展

巨细胞病毒(cytomegalovirus, CMV)在世界范围内均有较高的感染率,是最常见的先天性感染。先天性CMV感染可继发于母体原发性感染或非原发性感染。高达40%～50%的感染新生儿是在妊娠早期原发感染, 之后出现长期后遗症,主要包括先天性CMV感染相关听力损伤和神经后遗症。血清学检查对于确定原发性CMV感染至关重要。产前超声检查发现胎儿异常要警惕先天性CMV感染的可能性,磁共振成像有助于发现CMV相关脑异常。羊膜穿刺术是诊断胎儿CMV感染的金标准。加强育龄妇女及孕妇的卫生健康知识教育、减少CMV感染及抗病毒治疗是目前预防先天性CMV感染的主要措施。更昔洛韦及缬更昔洛韦是目前治疗CMV感染最有效的药物。高免疫球蛋白及CMV疫苗预防先天性 CMV 感染的作用尚无明确结论。     

DSIP affects adrenergic stimulation of rat pineal N-acetyltransferase in vivo and in vitro

The natural occurrence, sleep, and extra-sleep effects of delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) have been shown by different laboratories. However, neither an in vitro assay system nor a probable mechanism of action of the peptide have been conclusively demonstrated so far. The recent finding that DSIP influences the nocturnal rise of N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity in rat pineal led us to investigate a possible effect on pharmacologically induced NAT activity in vivo and in vitro. Stimulation of the enzyme with adrenergic drugs such as isoproterenol and phenylephrine was reduced by DSIP at doses of 150 and 300 μg/kg injected subcutaneously. In vitro, 6, 150 and 300 nM DSIP attenuated isoproterenol stimulation of the enzyme in cultured pineals, whereas 150 nM DSIP effectively reduced stimulation induced by a combination of the two drugs. The peptide alone did not influence NAT activity in vitro, but produced a slight stimulation in vivo. To our knowledge, these results represent the first report of a direct interaction of DSIP with adrenergic transmission. The in vitro system could prove useful for establishing possible mechanism(s) of action of the ‘sleep peptide.’     

Ragweed presence in Trieste: clinical and aerobiological data

Summary Studies on ragweed have been carried out in the province of Trieste (Northern Italy) in which it is becoming widespread. The floristic records, the increasing amount of airborne pollen monitored and the relevant skin reactivity are reported. This phenomenon, though still at the beginning, is actually showing an upward trend due to man's intervention over wider and wider areas which as a consequence become suitable for the settlement of these anthropophitic species. The aerobiological data are compared to the skin reactivities of allergic subjects.