Direct and indirect effects of kisspeptin on liver oxidant and antioxidant systems in young male rats

Kisspeptin is a recently discovered hypothalamic peptide which plays an important role in the central control of reproductive functions. We have investigated direct and indirect effects of kisspeptin on the liver oxidative stress in young male rats. Twenty‐four rats were divided into four groups (n = 6/group). First group served as control and received saline. Kisspeptin‐10 was administered to the animals in the second group (20 nmol/rat/day), for a period of 7 days. Rats were given only one dose gosereline (0.9 mg/rat), a GnRH agonist in the third group. The last group received kisspeptin‐10 with gosereline. The activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), xanthine oxidase (XO), adenosine deaminase (AD) and level of malondialdehyde were studied in liver tissue. Serum samples were separated for total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), colesterol, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride. Kisspeptin increased the activities of SOD and catalase (p < 0.05). When compared to the control group, the levels of malondialdehyde, TOS and AST were lower, but levels of BUN, cholesterole, HDL and AD were higher in the other three groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our findings suggest that kisspeptin may have antioxidant and thus protective effects on the liver tissue. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biosynthetic studies on the tropane alkaloid hyoscyamine in Datura stramonium; hyoscyamine is stable to in vivo oxidation and is not derived from littorine via a vicinal interchange process

The conversion of littorine to hyoscyamine has been investigated by feeding deuterium labelled (RS)-[2-(2)H]-, [3, 3-(2)H(2)]-, [2, 3, 3-(2)H(3)]- phenyllactic acids to transformed root cultures of Datura stramonium. Isolation and GC-MS analyses of the isotope incorporation into the resultant hyoscyamine does not support the involvement of a vicinal interchange process operating during the isomerisation of littorine to hyoscyamine. Additionally a metabolism study with [1'-13C, 3', 3'-(2)H(2)]-hyoscyamine has established that the alkaloid is metabolically stable at C-3' with no evidence for a reversible in vivo oxidation process to the corresponding aldehyde. The data do not support an S-adenosy-L-methionine (SAM 5)/co-enzyme-B(12) mediated process for the isomerisation of littorine to hyoscyamine.     

改良的大鼠脑组织总RNA抽提方法

目的:建立一种简单方便、结果稳定的抽提大鼠脑组织总RNA的方法。方法:在传统一步法抽提动物组织总RNA的基础上,通过增加抽提步骤使总RNA与细胞DNA、蛋白质、细胞残片等干扰总RNA质量的杂质有效分离。结果:建立了可以快速、稳定地获得高纯度、未被降解的大鼠脑组织总RNA的方法。结论:采用改良的方法抽提到的总RNA比用传统的一步法得到的总RNA的完整性和均一性好,可直接应用于分子生物学操作。     

Camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin from<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Camptotheca acuminata</Emphasis> hairy roots

Camptothecin (CPT) is an anticancer and antiviral alkaloid produced by the Chinese tree Camptotheca acuminata (Nyssaceae) and some other species belonging to the families Apocynaceae, Olacaceae, and Rubiaceae. Bark and seeds are currently used as sources for the drug. Several attempts have been made to produce CPT from cell suspensions; however, the low yields obtained limit this approach. Cultures of differentiated cell types may be an alternative source of alkaloid production. Hairy root cultures of C. acuminata were established from tissue transformed with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains ATCC 15834 and R-1000. Integration of the genes responsible for the hairy-root phenotype (rol genes) into the plant genome was verified by DNA gel blot analysis. The hairy roots produce and secrete CPT as well as the more potent and less toxic natural derivative, 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT), into the medium. Remarkably, the cultures were able to synthesize the alkaloids at levels equal to, and sometimes greater than, the roots in planta, i.e., 1.0 and 0.15 mg/g dry weight for CPT and the HCPT, respectively.Abbreviations CPT Camptothecin - DR Dry weight - FW Fresh weight - HCPT 10-Hydroxycamptothecin - HPLC High-performance liquid chromatography - kb Kilobases - NAA 1-Napththalenacetic acid - TLC Thin-layer chromatographyCommunicated by K.K. Kamo     

慢性氨暴露对中华鳖幼鳖血浆总氨氮、皮质酮浓度及组织氨代谢酶活性的影响

本文观测了慢性氨暴露对中华鳖(Pelodiscussinensis)幼鳖血浆总氨氮、皮质酮浓度及与氨代谢有关的酶活性的影响。将中华鳖暴露在总氨氮(TAN)浓度为32.4、57.6、83.5mg/L(分别记为1、2、3组)的水环境中饲养42d,以自然晾晒脱氯自来水饲养组为对照(记为0组),pH值控制在7.80-7.85。检测氨暴露2、4、8、24、48h、42d后血浆TAN与8、24、48h、42d后皮质酮浓度,42d后肝、肌肉与脑中谷氨酰胺合成酶(Glutaminesynthetase,GS)、谷氨酸脱氢酶(Glutamatedehydrogenase,GDH)的活性以及特定生长率(Specificgrowthrate,SGR)的变化。结果表明:0、1组血浆TAN随时间没有明显变化,2、3组血浆TAN随时间呈现先增加后降低的趋势,分别在8h和48h达到峰值,42d时各组间血浆TAN没有显著差异。氨暴露显著影响暴露初期血浆皮质酮水平,暴露后24h,1、3组血浆皮质酮水平显著高于对照组;42d后除2组外其他组间无显著差异。4组之间肝、肌肉和脑中GS活性均没有显著差异,肝和肌肉GDH(氨化和去氨化方向)活性也没有显著差异。各暴露组脑GDH活性和对照组相比差异不明显,但各处理组间氨化和去氨化方向脑GDH酶活差异显著。42d饲养期间各处理组SGR没有显著差异。     

CO2 浓度升高对水稻根系分泌物的影响——总有机碳、甲酸和乙酸含量变化

在大气ＣＯ２浓度升高条件下采用水培方法对水稻根系生长及根系分泌物进行了初步研究,ＣＯ２浓度倍增对水培水稻的根系生长具有明显的促进作用,约为７０％,但是根冠比却有所降低,水稻根系单位干重总有机碳,乙酸以及甲酸的释放量在ＣＯ２浓度倍增条件下变化不明显,但是单株奶系分泌物总量,乙酸以及甲酸的释放总量在ＣＯ２倍增处理下明显增加,推测水稻根系分泌物的增加是高浓度ＣＯ２下稻田ＣＨ４排放增加的重要原因之一。     

Respiration of the growing shoots of Scots pine

The respiratory CO₂ exchange and the growth of the annual shoots were followed in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees growing under extreme continental forest-steppe conditions near the lake Baikal. The temperature coefficient of dark respiration (Q₁₀) in growing shoots dropped down from 3.2–4.0 (in the temperature range of 10–20°C) to 1.5–2.0 (in the temperature range of 20–30°C). The changes in averaged daily respiration rates correlated with the changes in shoot growth increments and temperature (with the multiple determination coefficient of 0.94). Growth respiration of the axial shoots during the phenophase reached 80% of the total respiration costs, with the coefficients of growth respiration and maintenance respiration 0.32 and 0.021. In young crown shoots, the average value of CO₂ evolution in the light combined for the whole observation period (years 1976–2004) was about 1 kg/dm², that is 9% of CO₂ evolution from the trunk surface.     

A new approach for the asymmetric total synthesis of umbelactone

The asymmetric total syntheses of (R)-(+)- and (S)-(-)-umbelactone were achieved by using the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation reaction to generate the stereogenic center and a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) for the formation of the lactone structure. Starting from 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, the asymmetric total synthesis was achieved in an efficient 6-step protocol with an overall yield of 16%.     

南方碱蓬根茎叶总黄酮提取与含量测定

以不同浓度的酒精、料液比、提取温度及提取时间等条件,对南方碱蓬根、茎、叶总黄酮提取进行正交设计实验,并用聚酰胺吸附-硝酸铝显色法测定其总黄酮含量。结果表明,总黄酮的优化提取条件,根为50倍原料重的45%乙醇溶液在80℃条件下提取30 min,含量为(1.50±0.20)%;茎为30倍原料重的60%乙醇溶液在80℃条件下提取50 min,含量(0.94±0.24)%;叶为30倍原料重的75%乙醇溶液在80℃条件下提取30 min,含量为(6.35±0.45)%。     

岷江干旱河谷植物群落的复杂性

通过对岷江干旱河谷植被及环境因子的系统取样调查,研究了该地区植物群落复杂性及其与环境因子的关系,探讨了群落复杂性与多样性、均匀度、物种丰富度之间的关系.随着海拔的增加,群落总复杂性和结构复杂性均表现为“高-低-高”的变化趋势,表明高海拔和低海拔段有较高的复杂性,中海拔段复杂性较低;位于干旱河谷核心区的样带3、4较北部过渡区样带1、2和南部过渡区样带5、6有着较低的群落总复杂性;不同坡位、坡形及坡向,群落总复杂性和结构复杂性,均表现为上坡位＞下坡位＞中坡位,凹坡＞平破＞凸坡,阴坡＞半阴半阳坡＞阳坡.华帚菊-小黄素馨灌丛的总复杂性最高,西南野丁香灌丛、驼绒藜灌丛的总复杂性最低,橿子栎灌丛和群小花滇紫草灌丛的结构复杂性较高; 群落总复杂性与有机质、全N、土壤含水量、水解N、速效K呈现出显著的二次曲线关系,与全K、全P、速效P、pH值没有明显的相关关系.总复杂性与多样性、均匀度、物种丰富度的关系密切,均呈现显著的线性正相关关系.均匀度和结构复杂性呈现极显著的线性负相关,表明结构复杂性随均匀度的增加而减小.作为群落总复杂性与多样性的区分,结构复杂性对群落内物种数的变化较为敏感,不仅与均匀度有关,还与群落物种数量有关.结构复杂性和多样性作为群落总复杂性的两个组成部分,对总复杂性的影响随着研究区域和群落的不同而不同.