Fmoc/solid-phase synthesis of Tyr(P)-containing peptides through t-butyl phosphate protection

The synthesis is of Tyr(P)-containing peptides by the use of Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃Me₂)-OH in Fmoc/solid phase synthesis is complicated since, firstly, piperidine causes cleavage of the methyl group from the -Tyr(PO₃ Me₂)-residue during peptide synthesis and, secondly, harsh conditions are needed for its final cleavage. A very simple method for the synthesis of Tyr(P)-containing peptides using t-butyl phosphate protection is described. The protected phosphotyrosine derivative, Fmoc-Tyr(PO₃^tBu₂)-OH was prepared in high yield from Fmoc-Tyr-OH by a one-step procedure which employed di-t-butyl N,N-diethyl-phosphoramidite as the phosphorylation reagent. The use of this derivative in Fmoc/solid phase peptide synthesis is demonstrated by the preparation of the Tyr(P)-containing peptides, Ala-Glu-Tyr(P)-Ser-Ala and Ser-Ser-Ser-Tyr(P)-Tyr(P).     

心肌缺血后控制性再灌注时间对再灌注损害的影响

家兔８０只，分成４组，每组１０只供心兔，１０只供血兔，采用在体循环灌注离体心脏模型，对心肌缺血后不同控制性再灌注（控灌）时间对再灌注损害的影响进行了研究。结果显示：５、１５和３０ｍｉｎ的控灌对心肌肌酸磷酸激酶的同工酶（ＣＰＫ－ＭＢ）、含水量（ＭＷＣ）、丙二醛（ＭＤＡ）含量以及超微结构的影响明显优于未经控灌的实验组（Ｐ＜０．０５），５ｍｉｎ和３０ｍｉｎ控灌组差异不显著（Ｐ＞０．０５），１５ｍｉｎ控灌组其各项指标又明显优于５ｍｉｎ和３０ｍｉｎ控灌组。结果提示：控灌有预防缺血再灌注损伤的作用，且以１５ｍｉｎ控灌疗效最佳。     

Can marital selection explain the differences in health between married and divorced people? From a longitudinal study of a British birth cohort

In view of the rising divorce rates, the impact of divorce on health has an increasing importance in public health. The differentials in health between the married and the divorced may be explained by ‘marital selection’ and ‘marital protection’. Using longitudinal data from a study of the 1958 British birth cohort, factors that select people into divorce were identified from the areas of socio-economic status, health, and attractiveness, which included physical attractiveness, health-related behaviour and temperament. Evidence for both positive and adverse selection is found. The different sets of selection factors for females and males appear to be in line with gender role expectations. The health differentials between married and divorced men were weak and can be explained away by the selection factors. Having controlled for the selection effects, there were still significant associations between divorce and physical and psychological health in women. Though these unexplained differentials cannot be definitely interpreted as the consequences of marital dissolution, this interpretation remains plausible.     

Effects of calcium in continuous cardioplegia on myocardial protection

The effects of calcium (Ca) on a hyperkalemic cardioplegic solution for continuous cardioplegia were examined in an isolated perfused working rat heart model. The coronary arteries were perfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer (K-H) solution, containing various concentrations of Ca(0.1, 0.6, 1.2, and 2.5 mmol/l) and a high concentration of potassium (20 mmol/l), for 180 min, after which cardiac arrest was induced at 37°C for 180 min. Cardiac function and creatine kinase (CK) were measured. In the control group, K-H solution was infused in place of the cardioplegic solution, and cardiac arrest was not induced. No significant differences were observed between the groups infused with the K-H solution containing Ca concentrations of 0.6, 1.2, and 2.5 mmol/l in the percent recovery of aortic flow (82.1±2.9%, 80.6±2.0%, and 71.5±3.7% (mean±SEM) respectively) or in the recovery of other indices of cardiac function, or in CK leakage. There were also no significant differences in the recovery of cardiac function and CK leakage between these groups and the control group. In the Ca 0.1 mmol/l group, however, the characteristic Ca paradox was observed. These findings suggest that if the Ca concentration in a cardioplegic solution is higher than 0.6 mmol/l during continuous cardioplegia, excellent cardioprotective effects will be achieved.     

Multi-locus analysis of HLA class II genes in DR2-positive IDDM haplotypes in Finland

Abstract: In this study we characterized the haplotypes found in IDDM patients that normally confer resistance to the disease in order to localize the polymorphisms relevant for the protection. We studied 15 DR2-positive subjects with IDDM for their DRB1, DRB5 and DQB1 genes using RFLP, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), oligonucleotide typing, and in some specific cases direct sequencing after allele-specific PCR. In addition we analyzed 39 DR2-positive, IDDM non-associated haplotypes representing those haplotypes that are not inherited to probands and hence are present only in healthy family members. The frequency of the DRB1*1501-DRB5*0101-DQB1*0602 haplotype was slightly decreased among diabetic patients (80% vs. 92%). In addition, two unconventional haplotypes DRB1*1501-DRB5*0101-DQB1*05031 and DRB1*1501-DRB5*0101-DQB1*0502 were found in patients with IDDM while all the control ones were conventional. The sequencing of the DQB1*0602 allele present in IDDM haplotypes showed no differences when compared to the controls. These results support the primary but not absolute role of DQ in the protection against IDDM. An additional role of factors centromeric to DQB1 gene was suggested by findings based on the biallelic TaqI RFLP polymorphism of the DQA2 gene. All DR2-DQB1*0602 IDDM haplotypes were associated with the 2.1-kb fragment while in the control group the 2.1-kb and 1.9-kb fragments were evenly distributed.     

单肺移植手术前后的供体肺保护

目的 探讨肺移植手术前后供体肺保护的处理经验.方法 回顾性分析了2003年1月至2006年8月本院施行的同种异体单肺移植手术9例,其中左侧3例,右侧6例.冷低钾肺保护液灌注移植肺,术后三联免疫抑制剂抗排斥,并分析术后的胸片评分、氧合指数及肺动脉压变化情况.结果 供体肺缺血时间平均为(308.6±50.8)min.8例患者均成功脱离呼吸机并存活过围手术期(＞30 d),术后拔除气管插管时间平均(4.8±3.4)d,1例未能脱机并在术后22 d死亡.结论 肺保护需要在多个环节中加以控制,不同时期的保护侧重点不同.     

缺血后适应对大鼠脑缺血/再灌注损伤的影响

目的：探讨缺血后适应对大鼠脑缺血/再灌注损伤的影响。方法:应用线栓法制作大鼠脑缺血/再灌注损伤模型；21只雄性SD大鼠随机分为缺血/再灌注组、夹闭单侧颈总动脉后处理组和夹闭双侧颈总动脉后处理组，每组7只。再灌注48 h，测定脑梗死体积；拔栓后1 h及处死大鼠前进行神经功能测定；梗死即刻、梗死后10 min、术中1 h、拔栓后即刻、每次夹/松颈总动脉时、干预后30 min等15个时点监测脑血流。结果:夹闭单侧、双侧颈总动脉后处理组大鼠脑组织梗死体积与缺血/再灌注组相比明显减小，有显著差异；3组脑血流各个时点方差分析差异无显著，但是夹闭双侧颈总动脉后处理组干预30 min后脑血流百分比较缺血/再灌注组、夹闭单侧颈总动脉后处理组降低9％。手术后1 h 3组神经功能评分P<0.05，差异显著，夹闭单侧、双侧颈总动脉后处理组神经功能缺损均比缺血/再灌注组减轻。结论:缺血后适应能够明显减小梗塞体积，改善大鼠术后1h神经功能评分，可能与缺血后适应调节早期再灌注时血流动力学状态有关。     

Antistressor effect of dalargin in rats with immobilization stress

Laboratory of Experimental Surgery, A. V. Vishnevskii Institute of Surgery, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR M. I. Kuzin.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 111, No. 6, pp. 617–619, June, 1991.     

IL-5 is essential for vaccine-induced protection and for resolution of primary infection in murine filariasis

The pathways conferring immunity to human filariases are not well known, in part because human-pathogenic filariae do not complete a full life cycle in laboratory mice. We have used the only fully permissive infection of mice with filariae, i.e., infection of BALB/c mice with the rodent filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis. Our previous results showed that worm development is inversely correlated with Th2 cytokine production and eosinophilia. The scope of the present study was to directly elucidate the role of interleukin-5 (IL-5) and eosinophils in controlling the development of L. sigmodontis after vaccination and in primary infection. BALB/c mice immunized with irradiated third-stage larvae (L3) were confirmed to have elevated IL-5 levels as well as high subcutaneous eosinophilia and to attack and reduce incoming larvae within the first 2 days, resulting in 70% reduction of worm load. Treatment of vaccinated mice with anti-IL-5 antibody (TRFK-5) suppressed both blood and tissue eosinophilia and completely abolished protection. This demonstrates, for the first time in a fully permissive filarial infection, that IL-5 is essential for protection induced by irradiated L3 larvae. In contrast, in primary-infected mice, anti-IL-5 treatment did not modify filarial infection within the 1st month, most likely because during primary infection IL-5-dependent mechanisms such as subcutaneous eosinophilia are induced too late to disturb worm establishment. However, there is a role for IL-5 late in primary infection where neutrophil-dependent worm encapsulation is also under the control of IL-5. Received: 30 March 2000     

Analysis of gene expression patterns in small amounts of human ventricular myocardium by a multiplex RNase protection assay

 End-stage human heart failure is associated with changes in expression of steady-state messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. These changes correspond to alterations in protein levels and myocardial function and may have clinical implications regarding etiology, clinical state, or prognosis. However, analysis of mRNA levels in endomyocardial biopsies can be accomplished only by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction, which is difficult to standardize. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the RNase protection assay is applicable to measure mRNAs of multiple genes simultaneously in small amounts of ventricular myocardium comparable to myocardial biopsies. Total RNA was prepared from left ventricular myocardium from terminally failing hearts with idiopathic (n=9) or ischemic cardiomyopathy (n=7) and from nonfailing control hearts (n=10). mRNA was measured by an optimized RNase protection assay for the β₁-adrenoceptor, the stimulatory G protein α-subunit (G_sα), phospholamban, the calcium ATPase of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SERCA), β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC), and the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). We extracted 10.7±2.1 μg total RNA from three myocardial biopsies taken in vitro. All of the six genes were measurable in duplicate in a total of 7 μg RNA. mRNAs of β₁-adrenoceptor, phospholamban, and SERCA were lower in failing than in nonfailing myocardium by 50%, 33%, and 42% respectively, whereas β-MHC and G_sα mRNAs were unchanged. mRNA of ANP was expressed at high levels only in the failing myocardium, providing a highly specific and sensitive marker for discriminating nonfailing and failing hearts. A direct comparison with ANP and G_sα levels obtained by Northern blot analysis with 7.5 μg total RNA showed a good correlation between the two methods. The RNase protection assay is thus a suitable method for simultaneous measurements of multiple mRNA levels in human myocardial biopsies. Changes in mRNA levels closely reflected those identified by other methods using larger amounts of RNA. Increased myocardial ANP mRNA levels determined by the RNase protection assay may serve as a molecular marker of heart failure. Received: 12 May 1997 / Accepted: 8 September 1997