Immunotherapy with natural interleukins and/or thymosin α1 potently augments T-lymphocyte responses of hydrocortisone-treated aged mice

Cytokines and thymic hormones are thought to play critical roles in the regulation of T-lymphocyte development and function. In an effort to determine the effectiveness of such agents in an immunotherapeutic strategy, we employed aged mice in a hydrocortisone treatment model to generate an immunodeficient state and to study its reconstitution. Mice were given five daily injections of a natural cytokine mixture (NCM), recombinant interleukins (rIL-1, rIL-2) or their combination, thymosin α₁ or fraction 5 (Tα₁, TF5), or the combinations of NCM plus Tα₁ and of NCM plus TF5. Spleen and thymus weights were obtained and the cellular responses to stimulation in vitro with NCM, IL-1, IL-2 and mitogens (PHA and Con A) were assayed. Both NCM and Tα₁ in vivo treatment augmented thymocyte and splenocyte in vitro responses to both interleukins and mitogens. Neither treatments with equivalent doses of rIL-1, rIL-2 nor their combination, nor TF5 achieved similar results. Of all the treatments, only NCM plus Tα₁ augmented spleen weight; none augmented thymus weight. Surface marker analyses of T-lymphocytes and subsets indicate that treatment of mice with NCM plus Tα₁ increased spleen T-cell numbers of both CD4 and CD8 positive cells significantly. These data indicate that NCM and Tα₁ alone and in combination may be therapeutically useful to restore T-lymphocyte number or function in secondary immunodeficiency.     

Improving ion-trap GC-MS quantitation limits for therapeutic agents extracted from rat plasma

Insufficient quantitation limits using ion-trap gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) prevented the assay of some samples during a preliminary screening of preclinical rat plasma samples (50 μl) containing novel, polar therapeutic agents. Few options were available for improving the lower limit of quantitation. THe limited amount of sample available precluded the extraction additional plasma. Liquid–liquid extraction recoveries were greater than 90% throughout the range of the standard curve (500–2000 ng ml⁻¹). Chromatography was optimized and multiple, equivalent sites for analyte fragmentation were precluded, using MS-MS to improve assay sensitivity. Quantitation limits were decreased 10-fold however, by using a larger syringe to increase the injection volume from 5 to 50 μl, in combination with a universal programmable injector. These large injection volumes required changes in the injector events program and in column plumbing. Additionally, evaluation of injection liner packing material demonstrated a 2-fold improvement in sensitivity, using carbofrit, relative to silanized glass wool. Converting to inert ion-trap electrodes did not appear to affect the detection limit, perhaps due to over-riding peak broadening during gas chromatography. The changes described produced a 20-fold improvement in the lower limit of quantitation.     

Manufacturing of polytetrafluoroethylene fine fibers by waterjet impacting

Due to unique anti-erosion properties and excellent thermal stability, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibers are regarded as an ideal material to manufacture filters for industrial dust purification. Based on weak interactions between PTFE molecular chains, we applied a high-pressure waterjet to cause normal PTFE split-film fibers to split fibers again. Four kinds of PTFE split-film fibers and sintered films with different molecular weights were produced. Afterward, waterjets were introduced to impact PTFE sintered films and split-film fibers under different pressures and jets, and we analyzed variations in the sintered film morphology and fiber diameter. When the molecular weight was increased, the visible light transmittance of four different PTFE sintered films at the wavelength of 382 nm decreased from 85.7% to 77.6% and then increased to 95.1%, which was consistent with light–dark characteristics in light micrographs of sintered films. The four PTFE sintered films split into fibers under the waterjet impact force. In particular, MW49 PTFE sintered film was split into microscale fibers using waterjets at 110 bar and 5 jets. Finally, waterjets were applied to impact normal PTFE split-film fibers to force the original fibers to split into fine fibers. Different PTFE split-film fibers exhibited a significant decrease in the average diameter. In particular, in the case of MW49 PTFE split-film fibers, the average diameter of fibers impacted by 5 jets at 110 bar decreased from 27.4 to 15.7 μm, confirming the suitability of high-pressure waterjets for the splitting of PTFE split-film fibers into microscale fibers.

The waterjet impacting technology was introduced to split PTFE split-film fibers again to manufacture fine fibers for applications in the air purification field.     

散结镇痛胶囊对小鼠子宫平滑肌收缩的影响及其机制研究＊

目的 研究散结镇痛胶囊（Sanjie Zhentong capsule,SJZTC）对小鼠子宫平滑肌收缩及钙离子的影响。方法 未孕小鼠皮下注射雌二醇5 mg·kg^-1,分离子宫置于装有20 mL乐氏液恒温浴槽中,给 1.0 g的负荷,待肌条自发收缩稳定后,采用加倍累加给药法（浓度分别为0.0625 mg·mL^-1、0.125 mg·mL^-1、0.25 mg·mL^-1、0.5 mg·mL^-1、1.0 mg·mL^-1）,观察SJZTC对子宫自发收缩及诱导剂（PGF_2α 1 mg·L^-1、Ach 1 μM、Oxytocin 5IU·L^-1、BayK8644 1 μM）引起子宫收缩的影响。培养子宫平滑肌细胞,观察SJZTC对缩宫素引起子宫平滑肌细胞钙离子释放的影响。结果 不同浓度SJZTC均能减小子宫自发收缩及诱导剂引起子宫收缩幅值,随着浓度的增加,对子宫收缩幅值抑制作用越明显;与溶媒组比较,SJZTC不同浓度组 （0.0625 mg·mL^-1、0.125 mg·mL^-1、0.25 mg·mL^-1、0.5 mg·mL^-1、1.0 mg·mL^-1）对子宫收缩幅值的抑制率均有显著差异（P < 0.01）。与模型组比较,SJZTC能显著抑制缩宫素诱导子宫平滑肌细胞内钙离子（P < 0.05或P < 0.01）含量。结论 SJZTC对小鼠子宫平滑肌收缩具有显著抑制作用,其机制与抑制钙离子释放有关。     

天然产物中的AMPK激活剂研究进展

单磷酸腺苷活化蛋白激酶(AMPK)被称为真核细胞的"能量感受调节器",是治疗高脂血症和糖尿病等代谢性疾病的药物靶点之一。天然产物种类繁多、结构多样,是药物发现的重要来源。按照天然产物的结构分类,综述了来源于天然产物的AMPK激活剂研究进展,为AMPK激活剂类药物的开发提供有益参考。     

线粒体介导的细胞凋亡的研究进展

细胞凋亡是由相关基因调控的程序化细胞死亡过程,线粒体在细胞凋亡中起重要的调控作用。该文对Cyt-c、活性氧、Bcl-2及AIF介导的细胞凋亡机制进行综述。