Monthly variations in drug-induced gastric ulcers in rats

Clinical evidence suggests that there may be some relationship between the occurrence of peptic ulcers and the season of the year. As little experimental work has been carried out on this subject, three drugs commonly used to induce experimental ulcers in rats (acetylsalicylic acid, 300 mg/kg; phenylbutazone, 200 mg/kg; reserpine, 10 mg/kg) were tested every month for one year under standardised experimental conditions (T_a, RH, LD 12:12). In rats given phenylbutazone the maximum area of ulceration was found in October and December, and in rats given acetylsalicylic acid in February and March. In rats given reserpine, there were no significant monthly variations. An influence of climatic factors on ulcer induction cannot be completely excluded. Endogenous conditions might also account for the monthly differences in ulceration.     

Comparison Study of Bone Defect Healing Effect of Raw and Processed Pyritum in Rats

To evaluate and compare the effect of raw and processed pyritum on tibial defect healing, 32 male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. After tibial defect, animals were produced and grouped: sham and control group were orally administrated with distilled water (1 mL/100 g), while treatment groups were given aqueous extracts of raw and processed pyritum (1.5 g/kg) for successive 42 days. Radiographic examination showed that bone defect healing effect of the treatment groups was obviously superior compared to that of the control group. Bone mineral density of whole tibia was increased significantly after treating with pyritum. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry showed that the contents of Ca, P, and Mg in callus significantly increased in the treatment groups comparing with the control. Moreover, serological analysis showed that the concentration of serum phosphorus of the treatment groups significantly increased compared with that of the control group. By in vitro study, we have evaluated the effects of drug-containing serum of raw and processed pyritum on osteoblasts. It was manifested that both the drug-containing sera of raw and processed pyritum significantly increased the mRNA levels of alkaline phosphatase and collagen type I. Protein levels of phosphorylated Smad2/3 also increased. The mRNA levels of osteocalcin and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) type I and II receptors, as well as the protein levels of TGF-β1 in the processed groups, were higher than those in the control. In summary, both raw and processed pyritum-containing sera exhibited positive effects on osteoblasts, which maybe via the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. Notably, the tibia defect healing effect of pyritum was significantly enhanced after processing.     

Alleviation of Liver Dysfunction,Oxidative Stress,and Inflammation Underlines the Protective Effects of Polysaccharides from Cordyceps cicadae on High Sugar/High Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

This study investigated the protective effects of two polysaccharides (CPA-1 and CPB-2) from Cordyceps cicadae against high fructose/high fat diet (HF/HFD) induced obesity and metabolic disorders in rats. Rats were either fed with normal diet or HF/HFD and treated with CPA-1 and CPB-2 (100 and 300 mg/kg) for 11 weeks. Administration of CPA-1 and CPB-2 significantly and dose dependently reduced body and liver weight, insulin and glucose tolerance, serum insulin and glucose levels. Furthermore, serum and hepatic lipid profiles, liver function enzymes and proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) were markedly reduced. Additionally, CPA-1 and CPB-2 treatment alleviated hepatic oxidative stress by reducing lipid peroxidation level (MDA) and upregulating glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities as well as ameliorated histological alterations through the reduction of hepatic lipid accumulation. These results suggested that the polysaccharides from C. cicadae showed protective effects against HF/HFD induced metabolic disturbances and may be considered as a dietary supplement for treating obesity.     

The oncolytic peptide LTX-315 triggers necrotic cell death

The oncolytic peptide LTX-315 has been designed for killing human cancer cells and turned out to stimulate anti-cancer immune responses when locally injected into tumors established in immunocompetent mice. Here, we investigated the question whether LTX-315 induces apoptosis or necrosis. Transmission electron microscopy or morphometric analysis of chromatin-stained tumor cells revealed that LTX-315 failed to induce apoptotic nuclear condensation and rather induced a necrotic phenotype. Accordingly, LTX-315 failed to stimulate the activation of caspase-3, and inhibition of caspases by means of Z-VAD-fmk was unable to reduce cell killing by LTX-315. In addition, 2 prominent inhibitors of regulated necrosis (necroptosis), namely, necrostatin-1 and cycosporin A, failed to reduce LTX-315-induced cell death. In conclusion, it appears that LTX-315 triggers unregulated necrosis, which may contribute to its pro-inflammatory and pro-immune effects.     

Advances in the molecular biology of plant seed storage proteins

Plant seed storage proteins were among the first proteins to be isolated (20); however, only recently, as a result of using molecular biology techniques, have the amino acid sequences of many of these proteins been determined. With the accumulation of amino acid sequence data for many vicilin-type storage proteins much has been learned concerning the location of conserved amino acid regions and other regions which can tolerate amino acid sequence variation. Combining this knowledge with recent advances in plant gene transfer technologies will allow molecular biologists to correct (by using amino acid replacement mutations) the sulfur amino acid deficiency inherent to bean seed storage proteins. The development of more nutritious soybean and common bean seeds will be of benefit to programs involving human and animal nutrition.     

Reaction of nucleic acids with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II): interstrand cross-links

In the reaction of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) with double-helical (dC-dG)4.(dC-dG)4 or (dC-dG)5.(dC-dG)5, intrastrand and interstrand cross-links between two guanine residues are formed. This is shown by gel electrophoresis in denaturing conditions of the reaction products and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the products digested with nuclease P1. In the reaction of cis-DDP and poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC), at relatively low levels of platination, it is mainly interstrand cross-links between two guanine residues that are formed. This is shown by HPLC analysis of the nuclease P1 digest and by gel electrophoresis in denaturing and nondenaturing conditions of the platinated polymer after cleavage with the restriction enzyme HhaI. Moreover, the antibodies to platinated poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) cross-react with the interstrand cross-linked (dC-dG)4 or (dC-dG)5 but not with the intrastrand cross-linked (dC-dG)4 or (dC-dG)5. These antibodies cross-react with platinated natural DNA. The amount of interstrand cross-links deduced from radioimmunoassays (0.5% of the total bound platinum) is lower than that (2%) deduced by gel electrophoresis in denaturing conditions of a platinated DNA restriction fragment. By gel electrophoresis, it is also shown that in vitro the isomer trans-DDP is more efficient in forming interstrand cross-links than cis-DDP.     

Transformation of Soybean (Glycine max) by Infecting Germinating Seeds with Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The transfer of genetic material into soybean tissue was accomplished by using an avirulent strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens which contained the binary vector pGA482. The method used for transformation requires no tissue culture steps as it involves the inoculation of the plumule, cotyledonary node, and adjacent cotyledon tissues of germinating seeds. The identification of neomycin phosphotransferase (NPT) II enzyme activity in the tissues of 16 (R₀) soybean plants indicated that the plant expressible Nos-NPT II gene, contained within the T-DNA region from pGA482, had been transferred at least into somatic tissues. Putative transformed R₀ soybean plants were advanced to produce R₁ plants which were also assayed for the presence of the transferred Nos-NPT II gene. The combined results of these assays indicated that about 0.7% of the surviving inoculated seeds yielded transformed tissues in the R₀ plant, and that about 1/10 of these plants yielded transformed R₁ plants. The presence of the Nos-NPT II gene in DNAs isolated from both R₀ and R₁ plant was demonstrated by using genomic blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction methods. Integration of this gene into the soybean genome was demonstrated for three R₁ soybean plants.     

仙茅属三个国产种的核型研究

本文报道了中国产三种仙茅植物的核型。1.绒叶仙茅Curculigo crassifolia (Baker) Hook. f., 2n=2x=18=10m(4SAT) 8 sm;2.大叶仙茅C.capitulata(Lour.)O. Kuntze,2n=2x=18=10(2SAT) 8sm;3.中华仙茅C.sinensis S.C.Chen,2n=2x=18=8m(3SAT) 10sm(2SAT)。其中中华仙茅的核型为首次报道。虽然三种仙茅的核型都是“2B”型,但中华仙茅的核型不对称性比绒叶仙茅和大叶仙茅强。