Synthesis of oxidative metabolites of CRA13 and their analogs: Identification of CRA13 active metabolites and analogs thereof with selective CB2R affinity

CRA13; a peripheral dual CB₁R/CB₂R agonist with clinically proven analgesic properties, infiltrates into CNS producing adverse effects due to central CB₁R agonism. Such adverse effects might be circumvented by less lipophilic compounds with attenuated CB₁R affinity. Metabolism produces less lipophilic metabolites that might be active metabolites. Some CRA13 oxidative metabolites and their analogues were synthesized as less lipophilic CRA13 analogues. Probing their CB₁R and CB₂R activity revealed the alcohol metabolite 8c as a more potent and more effective CB₂R ligand with attenuated CB₁R affinity relative to CRA13. Also, the alcohol analogue 8b and methyl ester 12a possessed enhanced CB₂R affinity and reduced CB₁R affinity. The CB₂R binding affinity of alcohol analogue 8b was similar to CRA13 while that of methyl ester 12a was more potent. In silico study provided insights into the possible molecular interactions that might explain the difference in the elicited biological activity of these compounds.     

CORAL: Building up QSAR models for the chromosome aberration test

A high level of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes may be an early marker of cancer risk, but data on risk of specific cancers and types of chromosomal aberrations are limited. Consequently, the development of predictive models for chromosomal aberrations test is important task. Majority of models for chromosomal aberrations test are so-called knowledge-based rules system. The CORAL software (http://www.insilico.eu/coral, abbreviation of “CORrelation And Logic”) is an alternative for knowledge-based rules system. In contrast to knowledge-based rules system, the CORAL software gives possibility to estimate the influence upon the predictive potential of a model of different molecular alerts as well as different splits into the training set and validation set. This possibility is not available for the approaches based on the knowledge-based rules system. Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationships (QSAR) for chromosome aberration test are established for five random splits into the training, calibration, and validation sets. The QSAR approach is based on representation of the molecular structure by simplified molecular input-line entry system (SMILES) without data on physicochemical and/or biochemical parameters. In spite of this limitation, the statistical quality of these models is quite good.     

Relative effectiveness of neutrons and X-rays in induction of crossing over in drosophila males

Relative biological effectiveness of neutrons vs. X-rays in inducing crossing-over in males of D. melanogaster was investigated using 812 and 834 rad of neutrons and the same dose of X-rays. Crossing-over was induced in spermatocytes and spermatogonia of adults and pupae. Neutrons were 4 times more effective in spermatocytes of adults and their effectiveness in pupal spermatocytes was even more. Neutrons also induced more exchanges in spermatogonial cells including predefinitive spermatogonia. Higher effectiveness of neutrons can be attributed to their high linear energy transfer.     

Minimization of a sodium dithionite-derived interference in nitrate reductase-methyl viologen reactions

The use of sodium dithionite as the reducing agent to produce the radical cation of methyl viologen cofactor for the nitrate reductase-catalyzed reduction of nitrate to nitrite causes a negative interference in the diazonium salt azo dye determination of nitrite. The interference results from bisulfite, a reaction product of dithionite, reacting with the diazonium salt formed from nitrite and sulfanilamide. Addition of formaldehyde before the diazotization reaction masks this interference but at low acidity introduces a nonlinearity in the nitrite calibration curve. This nonlinearity is due to a competing reaction of formaldehyde with sulfanilamide to yield a Schiff base and can be eliminated by increasing the HCL content of the sulfanilamide reagent.     

Macrophage activation for tumor cytotoxicity: Control of cytotoxic activity by the time interval effector and target cells are exposed to lymphokines

Macrophages continuously exposed to lymphokines (LK) and target cells throughout a 48-hr cytotoxicity assay exhibit 3-fold more tumoricidal activity than do cells optimally treated with LK before addition of tumor cells. Increased cytotoxic activity induced by continuous LK treatment was not due to direct toxic effects of LK on tumor target cells or to alterations in target cell susceptibility to cytopathic effects of LK-activated macrophages. Moreover, sensitivities of responsive macrophages to LK activation signals and time courses for onset and loss of tumoricidal activity during continuous exposure or LK pulse were identical. Analysis of macrophage or LK dose responses and time courses for development of cytotoxicity each suggest that differences in tumoricidal activity between macrophages continuously exposed or pulsed with LK were quantitative: the number of cytotoxic events was increased 2.7 ± 0.2-fold (mean ± SEM for 11 experiments) during continuous LK treatment. Optimal levels of macrophage tumoricidal activity then occur only if effector cells, target cells and activation stimuli are simultaneously present for a defined time interval: tumor cells need not be present during the initial 2 to 3 hr of culture; LK can be removed after 8 hr with little or no loss of cytotoxic activity. However, removal of LK or target cells during the critical 4- to 8-hr interval decreased levels of cytotoxicity 3-fold. Thus, nonspecific effector function by LK-activated macrophages in controlled by both the physicochemical nature of the LK mediator and the time interval effector and target cells are exposed to LK.     

WPBL教学法在“微生物学检验”教学中应用的探索

为了探讨WPBL教学法在\"微生物学检验\"教学中的应用效果,对本院2008级检验医学专业66名学生进行分组教学,实验组采用WPBL教学法,对照组采用传统教学法。课后对2组学生进行理论测试,同时对实验组进行问卷调查。经统计,实验组的测试成绩明显优于对照组(P0.01),且2组学生测试成绩的及格率差异有统计学意义(P0.05);问卷调查显示90%以上的学生对WPBL教学法感兴趣,认为WPBL教学法能提高学习兴趣、自学能力和分析解决问题的能力。从结果看,WPBL教学法能够提高\"微生物学检验\"教学质量。     

变化世界中基于生态学的恢复——2007年国际恢复生态学会和美国生态学会年会简介

由国际恢复生态学会和美国生态学会联合主办的2007年国际恢复生态学会(第18届)和美国生态学会年会(第92届)于2007年8月5—10日在美国的加州圣荷塞市(San Jo-se)举行,来自世界各国和地区的近4000名代表参加了会议.大会的主题是“变化世界中基于生态学的恢复(Ecology-based restoration in a changing world)”.本次会议论文集收录摘要3000多篇,分为专题研讨会24个、有组织的口头报告专题51个、投稿的口头报告163个、培训班24个、特别研讨专题30个、墙报专题72个以及野外考察21次,另有大量会议组织者及非组织者举办的相关活动(如学报编辑对…     

提高实验猴繁殖率的综合措施

实验猴繁殖率的高低直接影响实验猴养殖企业的经济效益。本文借鉴本中心多年实验猴繁育经验,总结了一套较为完备的提高实验猴繁殖率的措施,内容涵盖实验猴繁殖特性、种公猴选种、繁殖猴分群及梯度饲养、孕猴用药、母猴产后护理、仔猴补饲及断奶、繁殖猴饲料搭配等各方面。这些措施应用于实践后,实验猴繁殖率可保持在较高水平并逐年提高。我们认为这些措施可在其它实验猴养殖企业推广应用。