Apelin-36, a potent peptide,protects against ischemic brain injury by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway

Apelin is an endogenous ligand of G protein-coupled receptor-apelin and angiotensin-1-like receptor (APJ). The biological effects of apelin–APJ system are reported in multiple systems including cardiovascular, endocrinal, and gastrointestinal system. Previous studies had shown that apelin-13 is a potential protective agent on cardiac ischemia; however, the role of apelin in the central nervous system remained unknown. In this study, we investigated therapeutic effects of apelin-36, a long form of apelin, in ischemic brain injury models. We found that apelin-36 reduced cerebral infarct volume in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model and the neonatal hypoxic/ischemic (H/I) injury model. Apelin-36 improved neurological deficits in the MCAO model and promoted long-term functional recovery after H/I brain injury. We further explored the protective mechanisms of apelin-36 on H/I brain injury. We clearly demonstrated that apelin-36 significantly reduced the levels of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, two well-established apoptotic markers after H/I injury, indicating the anti-apoptotic activity of apelin-36 in ischemic injury. Since apelin-36 increased the level of phosphorylated Akt after H/I injury, we treated neonates with a specific PI3K inhibitor LY294002. We found that LY294002 decreased the phosphorylated Akt level and attenuated protective effects of apelin-36 on apoptosis. These suggested that the PI3K/Akt pathway was at least in part involved in the anti-apoptotic mechanisms of apelin-36. Our findings demonstrated that apelin-36 was a promising therapeutic agent on the treatment of ischemic brain injury.     

Brugia pahangi: Immunization with early L3 ES alters parasite migration,and reduces microfilaremia and lymphatic lesion formation in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

Previous studies have shown that intradermally (ID) injected Brugia pahangi L3s migrate through various tissues and into the lymphatics of gerbils in a distinct pattern. Excretory/secretory products (ES) produced at the time of invasion of B. pahangi are likely to be important in this early migration phase of the parasite life cycle in their rodent host. Hence, early L3 ES was collected from 24 h in vitro cultures of B. pahangi L3 larvae and used in immunization experiments to investigate the effect of immunity to early L3 ES on worm migration, survival and development of B. pahangi. Immunization of gerbils with ES in RIBI adjuvant produced antibodies to numerous ES proteins eliciting a strong humoral response to ES and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assay using anti-ES serum recognized the ES proteins on the surface of B. pahangi L3 larvae. Following ES immunization, gerbils were challenged either ID or intraperitoneally (IP) with 100 L3s of B. pahangi and euthanized at 3 or 106 days post inoculation (DPI). Immunization with early ES slowed the migration of ID inoculated L3 at 3 DPI and significantly altered the locations of adult worms at 106 DPI. Immunization did not induce protection in any treatment group. However, immunized animals had significantly fewer microfilariae per female worm suggesting the antigens in ES are important in microfilariae development or survival in the host. The number of lymphatic granulomas was also significantly reduced in ES immunized animals. It is important to note that microfilariae serve as a nidus in these granulomas. Our results shows immunization with early Brugia malayi L3 ES alters the worm migration, affects circulating microfilarial numbers and reduces lymphatic granulomas associated with B. pahangi infection in gerbils.     

Design,synthesis and biological evaluation of novel aminothiazoles as antiviral compounds acting against human rhinovirus

We describe here the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of antiviral compounds acting against human rhinovirus (HRV). A series of aminothiazoles demonstrated pan-activity against the HRV genotypes screened and productive structure–activity relationships. A comprehensive investigational library was designed and performed allowing the identification of potent compounds with lower molecular weight and improved ADME profile. 31d-1, 31d-2, 31f showed good exposures in CD-1 mice. The mechanism of action was discovered to be a host target: the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase III beta (PI4KIIIß). The identification of the pan-HRV active compound 31f combined with a structurally distinct literature compound T-00127-HEV1 allowed the assessment of target related tolerability of inhibiting this kinase for a short period of time in order to prevent HRV replication.     

农地保护的外部效益测算——选择实验法在武汉市的应用

农地保护的外部效益是农地保护补偿政策制定的依据.对外部效益进行了理论界定和实证测算,认为农地保护的外部效益是农村集体和农地使用者以外个体从农地保护中得到的收益,通常是非市场收益,对其测算应区分外部效益的内部(外部效益发出者)和外部(外部效益接受者),并确定外部区域的范围.实证利用选择实验模型对武汉市5个区域进行了支付意愿测算,在内外部划分的基础上估算了武汉市农地保护的外部效益并比较了不同方法下外部效益测算结果的差别.结果表明,武汉市耕地、园地、林地和农村水面的外部效益分别为30773.2,653860.0,119267.0和82472.7元/hm2;用行政区域直接代替外部性影响区域的做法会使耕地外部效益的测算结果偏高,也会造成园地、林地和农村水面测算的误差,为避免这类误差,外部性测算及相关补偿、税费政策应考虑内外部区域的划分.     

山东省大学生生物化学实验技能大赛选题分析

通过分析山东省大学生生物化学实验技能大赛两届获奖课题的特点,找出目前大学生在该项竞赛选题中展现出来的不足,对大学生今后在此类实验技能比赛中的选题方向及方法提出了建议。     

神府东胜煤田弃土弃渣体径流产沙过程的野外试验

采用野外模拟降雨试验方法,研究了神府东胜煤田开采造成的弃土弃渣体产流产沙规律及其减水减沙效益.结果表明： 随降雨强度的增大,弃土弃渣体产流的起始时间呈递减趋势,且差异达几倍至十几倍.弃渣体比弃土体更快到达稳定流速,平均流速大小为弃土体>沙多石少弃渣体>沙少石多弃渣体.弃土弃渣体产流6 min后的径流率达到稳定,与降雨强度呈显著相关.弃土弃渣体侵蚀主要发生在产流开始后的前6 min,弃土体产流后前6 min的平均含沙量是6 min后的0.43～4.27倍,弃渣体为1.43～54.93倍.弃土体和沙多石少弃渣体径流量与降雨强度呈线性函数关系,沙少石多弃渣体呈幂函数关系.弃土体和沙少石多弃渣体的次侵蚀量与降雨强度之间分别呈指数函数和幂函数相关.弃土体侵蚀量与径流量呈线性函数关系.在降雨强度为1.0和1.5 mm·min^-1条件下,弃渣体采用鱼鳞坑及植被防护的产流滞后降雨时间为24 min,减水效益为29.5%～52.9%,减沙效益为85.7%～97.9%.     

正交试验法优选复方四参颗粒剂的提取工艺

本文研究复方四参颗粒剂的提取工艺,采用正交试验法,以丹酚酸B提取率和干膏得率为指标,考察加水量、煎煮时间和煎煮次数对提取效果的影响,确立了复方四参颗粒剂的最佳提取工艺为:加8倍量水,提取2次,第一次时间为2 h,第二次为1 h。在最佳提取工艺条件下,干膏得率为16.58%,丹酚酸B的平均量为22.42mg。与正交试验的结果相符,说明该提取方法合理、稳定、可行。     

Purification and Properties of meso-α,∊-Diaminopimelate Decarboxylase from Bacillus sphaericus

Soybean 7S and 11S globulins were stored at relative humidities (RHs) of 11% and 96% at 50°C. The redispersibility of the proteins at RH 96% decreased in a short time. However, it did not decrease, when stored for 45 days at RH 11%. Gel filtration showed that the proteins polymerized during storage. The effects of urea, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) on the redispersibilities of the proteins at RH 96% showed that the hydrogen, hydrophobic and disulfide bonds participate in the polymerization of 7S globulin, and that the disulfide bond is strongly related to the polymerization of 11S globulin. Redispersibility was restored with 2-ME in both the 7S and 11S globulins and some of the proteins in the supernatant redispersed with 2-ME were observed to be similar to the native ones with respect to the gel filtration, electrophoretic behavior and circular dichroism spectrum.     

南方红壤区3年生茶园土壤呼吸特征

为探讨南方红壤区茶园的土壤呼吸特征,采用LI-Cor8100开路式土壤碳通量测定系统观测3年生茶园系统的土壤呼吸速率,对茶园土壤呼吸速率的季节变化和在茶行尺度上的空间异质性进行了研究。结果表明,茶园土壤呼吸速率的月动态变化呈明显的单峰曲线特征,峰值出现在8月;茶园土壤呼吸速率的月动态变化与温度呈极显著相关(P<0.01),土壤10 cm的温度能够解释茶园不同观测区域土壤呼吸速率月动态变化的67.79%~88.52%;用指数方程计算的茶园不同观测区域土壤呼吸Q10值为1.58~1.86。在茶行尺度上,茶园土壤呼吸速率存在明显的空间异质性,土壤呼吸速率通常在距离茶树基部较近的位置较高;根系生物量能够解释茶园土壤呼吸速率在茶行尺度上空间变异的82.68%。因此,根系分布的空间差异是造成茶园土壤呼吸速率空间异质性的主要原因。