Identification and quantitative determination of carbohydrates in ethanolic extracts of two conifers using 13C NMR spectroscopy

We developed a method for the direct identification and quantification of carbohydrates in raw vegetable extracts using (13)C NMR spectroscopy without any preliminary step of precipitation or reduction of the components. This method has been validated (accuracy, precision and response linearity) using pure compounds and artificial mixtures before being applied to authentic ethanolic extracts of pine needles, pine wood and pine cones and fir twigs. We determined that carbohydrates represented from 15% to 35% of the crude extracts in which pinitol was the principal constituent accompanied by arabinitol, mannitol, glucose and fructose.     

Differential permeability of murine visceral yolk sac to thymidine and to hydroxyurea.

Mouse embryos at the 10–12-somite stage of development were excised from the uterus either with or without the encapsulating visceral yolk sac and were incubated in vitro in 3 × 10^?7M thymidine (methyl-T, 5 μCi/ml) for 30 min or in 4 × 10^?3M hydroxyurea for 45 min with [³H]thymidine present for the last 30 min. Radioautograms of nuclei of neural epithelium enabled an estimate of the effectiveness of the barrier imposed by the visceral yolk sac membrane to the passage of thymidine and hydroxyurea.Labeling of nuclei in the neural epithelium showed that the visceral yolk sac caused a 44% decrease in frequency and a 51% decrease in intensity of label. Hydroxyurea inhibited labeling by 15% in frequency and 37% in intensity irrespective of the presence or absence of visceral yolk sac. These results show that hydroxyurea and the presence of visceral yolk sac independently interfered with labeling of the neural epithelium by thymidine and that visceral yolk sac caused a proportionally greater retardation of label than did hydroxyurea.Nuclei of the endodermal epithelium of the intervening yolk sac, following exposure to hydroxyurea, showed a labeling decrease of 44% in frequency and 77% in intensity. The inhibitory effect of hydroxyurea on yolk sac labeling, however, did not alter yolk sac permeability to hydroxyurea. The results indicate that the visceral yolk sac, by offering no detectable barrier to hydroxyurea, permits prompt teratogenic action of hydroxyurea directly upon the embryo and suggest that the visceral yolk sac is a likely candidate to account for reports that the 8.5-day mouse embryo in situ fails to label with radioisotopic thymidine.     

Miller–Fisher syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2: a case report

SARS-CoV-2 infections are increasingly associated with neurological complications, including immune-mediated neuropathies. Miller–Fisher syndrome is a rare variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome characterised by the triad of ataxia, ophthalmoplegia and areflexia.Here we present a case of Miller–Fisher syndrome following COVID-19 infection. The clinical presentation was a short history of a rapidly-progressive peripheral sensorimotor neuropathy with bulbar dysfunction and facial weakness following mild COVID infection. Examination revealed global areflexia and a broad-based ataxic gait. CSF analysis revealed albuminocytological dissociation and neurophysiological testing later supported the diagnosis. The patient required high flow nasal oxygen therapy for respiratory dysfunction in a level 2 care setting and received immunological treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins.We conclude that Miller–Fisher syndrome needs to be considered in patients presenting with new sensorimotor dysfunction following SARS-COV-2 infection. Early recognition is key given the propensity to cause life-threatening respiratory failure, and early administration of immunological treatment is associated with improved prognosis.     

Chemical Constituents of Cape Aloe and Their Synergistic Growth-Inhibiting Effect on Ehrlich Ascites Tumor Cells

The constituents of cape aloe were investigated after a preliminary screening of the growth-inhibiting effect on Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (EATC) of several extracts of this plant. Ten compounds were isolated from the dichloromethane (CH₂Cl₂) extract that showed the strongest activity, and their structures were elucidated as aloe-emodin (1), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2), p-hydroxyacetophenone (3), pyrocatechol (4), 10-oxooctadecanoic acid (5), 10-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (6), methyl 10-hydroxyoctadecanoate (7), 7-hydroxy-2,5-dimethylchromone (8), furoaloesone (9), and 2-acetonyl-8-(2-furoylmethyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methylchromone (10) based on MS and various NMR spectroscopic techniques. Compounds 2–7 were isolated for the first time from cape aloe. Compounds 4–7 and 10 showed a significant growth-inhibiting effect, and compound 1 exhibited a remarkable synergistic effect on compounds 8–10, which was not observed with the treatment by each compound alone on EATC. These results suggest that the strong growth-inhibiting effect of the CH₂Cl₂ extract was dependent not on one compound alone, but on the synergistic effect from the combination of compound 1 and the other compounds.     

开普芦荟和木立芦荟的染色体核型分析

对盆栽开普卢荟(Aloe ferox Miller)和木立卢荟(Aloe arborescens Miller)植物根尖细胞的染色体进行了观察分析。结果表明开普芦荟和木立芦荟的染色体数与已见报导的百合科(Liliaceae)中国芦荟(Alov vera var.chinensis)植物染色体数相同, 2n=14。染色体类型按Levan 方法分类, 没有近端部染色体和随体。开普芦荟和木立芦荟的染色体核型分析结果均为K(2n)=2x=4sm+10st。根据Stebbins 的核型分类标准, 开普芦荟的核型为"4C"型, 而木立芦荟的核型为"3C"型。两种芦荟染色体相对长度组成均为2n=14=6L+2M2+6S。根据核型研究, 可以确定百合科开普芦荟和木立芦荟的染色体基数为X=7。     

白暨豚腐皮病致病细菌的初步研究

对白鱀豚腐皮病致病细菌的分离、培养、毒力试验和详细的生理生化测定,初步确定Ⅰ型荧光极毛杆菌为其病原菌。又对该细菌进行了药物抑菌试验,筛选出几种较为有效的药物。     

盐碱胁迫下枸杞和柽柳的水力学特性和碳代谢

盐碱胁迫是全球范围内重要的非生物胁迫形式之一,但目前对植物水力学特性和碳代谢应对盐碱胁迫响应的研究还不多。本研究以耐盐碱植物枸杞（Lycium chinense Miller）和柽柳（Tamarix chinensis Lour.）为对象,测定不同盐碱程度下两种植物的枝条水势和导水损失率（PLC）、叶片光合作用和气孔导度、不同部位的非结构性碳（NSC）浓度以及植株生长情况。结果显示,重度盐碱胁迫显著降低了两种植物凌晨和正午水势、光合速率和枝条PLC,重度胁迫下柽柳的光合速率、气孔导度和枝条PLC下降程度均大于枸杞,重度盐碱胁迫下枸杞不同部位的NSC浓度均显著降低,但柽柳的地上部分NSC浓度显著增加,根部NSC浓度显著减低。两种植物有不同的应对盐碱胁迫策略,枸杞有较强的气孔调节能力,对水力结构的维持有利,但会限制碳摄取,柽柳气孔调节能力弱,水力结构易受影响,但对碳平衡维持有利。     

An association between glutamine synthetase activity and adipocyte differentiation in cultured 3T3-L1 cells

Confluent 3T3-L1 Swiss mouse fibroblasts acquired morphological and biochemical characteristics of adipocytes when maintained in medium containing 10% calf serum and added insulin. Identical cultures maintained in the absence of added insulin did not differentiate into adipocytes. Incubation of confluent cultures for 48 h with 0.25 μm dexamethasone and 0.5 mm 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine yielded subsequent adipocyte differentiation when the culture medium contained 10% fetal calf serum. In contrast, differentiation did not occur when similarly treated cultures were maintained in medium containing 10% calf serum. The increase in glutamine synthetase which occurred during adipocyte differentiation was closely associated with an increased rate of triglyceride synthesis from acetate, with increased protein, and with increases in the activities of glycerol-3-P dehydrogenase and glucose-6-P dehydrogenase. Glutamine synthetase activity remained undetectable in insulin-treated confluent 3T3-C2 cells maintained under conditions which yielded high glutamine synthetase activity in 3T3-L1 cells. (3T3-C2 cells did not differentiate into adipocytes.) Glutamine accumulated in the culture medium of 3T3-L1 adipocytes, but it did not accumulate in the medium from identically treated 3T3-C2 cells. A half-maximal increase in glutamine synthetase specific activity occurred at a culture medium insulin concentration of 10 ng/ml. Neither adipocyte differentiation nor the rise in glutamine synthetase activity were substantially altered by maintaining confluent cultures in medium lacking added glutamine. Incubation of confluent 3T3-L1 cultures with 3 mml-methionine sulfone, a reversible inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, increased by two-fold both the activity and the cellular content of glutamine synthetase. Incubation of confluent 3T3-L1 cultures with 4 mml-glutamine and l-methionine-dl-sulfoximine, an irreversible inhibitor of glutamine synthetase activity, decreased glutamine synthetase activity to less than 5% of the activity in control cultures; however, neither cellular content of the enzyme nor synthesis rate of the enzyme were substantially altered. In the presence of added glutamine, neither methionine sulfone nor methionine sulfoximine had a significant effect on phenotypic adipocyte conversion. By contrast, when confluent cultures were incubated with methionine sulfoximine and no added glutamine, glutamine synthetase remained absent and there was no evidence of adipocyte conversion. Our data indicate (1) that added insulin is required for adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells maintained in medium containing calf serum, (2) that glutamine synthetase activity increases during adipocyte conversion regardless of the culture conditions employed to achieve differentiation, and (3) that glutamine synthetase activity may be required for adipocyte differentiation when cultures are maintained in medium lacking added glutamine.     

不同气候条件大花葵花色苷含量的分析

研究对不同气候条件的大花葵花色苷含量进行了分析, 气候条件不同的大花葵花色苷含量有明显差异, 从测定结果上看, 黑龙江哈尔滨产的大花葵花色苷含量要高于辽宁丹东产的大花葵;日照时数长, 昼夜温差大的条件下, 大花葵中的花色苷含量较高。