东北边境地区吸血蠓的调查研究

1980～1988年在东北边境的漠河、珲春县等10个县区采获吸血蠓2属37种,其中发现4个新种和4个国内新记录。不显库蠓(35.7％)和刺螯库蠓(34.9％)为优势蠓种。不同生境、场所和季节的蠓种组成有所不同。灰黑库蠓、淡角库蠓和端斑库蠓在整个活动季节均只出现一次高峰,而不显库蠓、刺螫库蠓和兴安库蠓在整个活动季节均出现两次高峰。刺螫库蠓的活动季节最长,为11旬,端斑库蠓最短,仅为5旬。刺螫库蠓、不显库蠓、兴安库蠓和灰黑库蠓在昼夜24小时均出现晨、昏两次活动高峰,而边缘库蠓只在凌晨出现一次晨峰。     

Calretinin immunoreactive structures in the human hippocampal formation

The calcium-binding protein calretinin is present in an intrinsic GABAergic and an extrinsic non-GABAergic system in the rat and monkey hippocampal formation. Important species differences have been noted in hippocampal cell types immunostained for calretinin and the termination pattern of calretinin containing hypothalamic afferents in the hippocampus. In the present study, calretinin-containing neurons were visualized using immunocytochemistry in the human hippocampal formation of individuals which showed no significant neuropathological alterations. Calretinin-immunoreactivity was present exclusively in non-granule cells of the dentate gyrus and in non-pyramidal cells of Ammon's horn. Calretinin-positive neurons were found most frequently in the hilus of the fascia dentata and in strate radiatum and lacunosum-moleculare of CA1, whereas neurons in CA2 and CA3 were rarely immunostained. The majority of calretinin-immunoreactive neurons were small, bipolar or fusiform neurons. The dendritic trees of the calretinin-positive neurons were, for the most part, parallel to the dendrites of the principal cells. In the hilus, however, we observed cells with dendrites restricted to the hilar area. These dendrites were parallel to the granule cell layer. In the stratum lacunosum-moleculare, neurons with dendrites oriented parallel to the hippocampal fissure were frequently detected. In general, dendrites were smooth or sparsely spiny, displaying small conventional spines. The axons usually emerged from the proximal dendrite and could be followed over long distances. Axons were thin, had small varicosities and displayed only few collaterals which branched relatively far away from the cell body. Distinct bands of darkly stained calretinin-positive fibers occupied the innermost portion of the dentate molecular layer and the pyramidal cell layer of CA2. This distribution of calretinin-immunoreactive structures in the human hippocampus is similar to that observed in other primates but differs from that described in lower mammals, i.e., the rat. Our findings suggest that primates may share a common hippocampal calrtinin-containing system, presumably both the intrinsic GABAergic and the extrinsic hypothalamic non-GABAergic components. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A protease inhibitor attenuates gastric erosions and microcirculatory disturbance in the early period after thermal injury in rats

The effects of camostat mesilate, a synthetic serine protease inhibitor on gastric microcirculation and active oxygen species generated by leucocytes from the gastric and jugular veins in the early period after thermal injury were assessed. Male Wistar rats were anaesthetized and a 30% full skin-thickness dorsal burn was inflicted. Camostat mesilate (100 mg/kg) was dissolved in distilled water and administered orally to rats 40 min before thermal injury (the camostat group). The control animals (the vehicle group) were administered distilled water orally. Rolling leucocytes as well as Monastral blue B deposits in venules were observed using in vivo microscopy. Active oxygen species were measured by chemiluminescence. Camostat mesilate decreased the total length of gastric erosion, venular deposits of Monastral blue B, and rolling of leucocytes in venules, and relatively increased luminol-dependent chemiluminescence activity generated by zymosan-stimulated leucocytes 15 min after thermal injury. These results suggest that serine proteases are involved in the formation of gastric erosions and gastric microcirculatory disturbance in the early period after thermal injury.     

Andrology: Analysis of sperm movement in relation to the oxidative stress created by leukocytes in washed sperm preparations and seminal plasma

The addition of luminol to unprocessed semen samples resultedin the generation of chemiluminescent signals, the intensityof which was highly correlated with the level of leukocyte contamination.Despite the spontaneous oxidant-generating capacity of seminalleukocytes, no correlations were observed between leukocytecontamination and the fertility status of the subjects or anyaspect of the semen profile, including the motility of the spermatozoaor their performance in a hyaluronate penetration assay. Luminol-dependentchemiluminescence and leukocyte contamination were also correlatedin washed sperm suspensions prepared either by repeated centrifugationor on discontinuous Percoll gradients. However, in such spermsuspensions, the spontaneous generation of oxidants by contaminatingleukocytes (>2x10⁴ leukocytes/ml) was invariably associatedwith a decreased capacity for movement. Moreover, causativeassociations between leukocyte contamination, reactive oxygenspecies generation, lipid peroxidation and impaired sperm motilitywere revealed by experiments involving the selective additionor removal of activated leukocytes. From these observationswe can conclude that low concentrations of leukocytes are acommon feature of the human ejaculate and can impair sperm function,particularly in the absence of seminal plasma. These findingshave implications for our understanding of the importance ofleukocytospermia in defining the fertility of human spermatozoain vivo and in vitro.     

Serodiagnosis of tuberculosis and leprosy by enzyme immunoassay

Objective: To evaluate the use of serodiagnosis for tuberculosis and leprosy using mycobacterial antigen 38 kDa, with kits from Omega laboratories, to detect IgG by enzyme immunoassay (EIA).
Method: The study population consisted of 58 patients with evidence of tuberculous infection (culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex or microscopic evidence), of whom 23 had pulmonary and 35 had extrapulmonary disease. There were six subjects who had recently been treated for tuberculosis, 11 patients on treatment for leprosy and 137 patients suspected of having tuberculosis on clinical or radiologic grounds (without laboratory evidence). A control group comprised 35 healthy individuals or patients suffering from diseases other than tuberculosis.
Results: The tests showed that there was a significant difference in antibody levels between the patients with active pulmonary disease, extrapulmonary tuberculosis and leprosy in comparison with the control group ( p <0.001). The sensitivities of the two tests together for proven pulmonary tuberculosis were 100% and 95.7% at 1.0–1.5 and >1.6 EIA cut-off points respectively, while the specificities were 88.5% and 100% at the same cut-off points. The sensitivities for extrapulmonary tuberculosis were 71.4% and only 51.4% at 1.0–1.5 and >1.6 EIA cut-off points. The test was positive in 30 (21.9%) of the 137 suspected patients, while 43 (31.4%) had an equivocal result and the remaining 64 (47.7%) suspects were definitely negative. There was again a significant difference in positivity rates between suspects and the control group.
Conclusions: Omega IgG test is useful in the serodiagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis and leprosy, but less sensitive in extrapulmonary disease, particularly in children. Equivocal results may only add to the evidence of tuberculosis in early or minimal disease.     

去甲肾上腺素对心肌细胞NF-κB活性的影响

目的:探讨去甲肾上腺素(NE)对心肌细胞核因子-κB(NF-κB)活性的影响及机制。方法:采用乳鼠心肌细胞培养模型,分别加入NE和哌唑嗪、普萘洛尔及维生素E等刺激,观察心肌细胞内活性氧水平和NF-κB核结合活性的改变。结果:NE刺激后,心肌细胞活性氧生成明显增加、NF-κB活性增强,维生素E、哌唑嗪和普萘洛尔可不同程度减少心肌细胞活性氧含量、降低NF-κB活性。结论:NE对心肌细胞的作用部分通过激活NF-κB实现,这与NE通过肾上腺素能受体介导活性氧过量产生有关。     

Nitric oxide neurotoxicity

Derangements in glutamate neurotransmission have been implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders including, stroke, epilepsy, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Activation of the N-methyl- -aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtype of glutamate receptors results in the influx of calcium which binds calmodulin and activates neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), to convent -arginine to citrulline and nitric oxide (NO). NO has many roles in the central nervous system as a messenger molecule, however, when generated in excess NO can be neurotoxic. Excess NO is in part responsible for glutamate neurotoxicity in primary neuronal cell culture and in animal models of stroke. It is likely that most of the neurotoxic actions of NO are mediated by peroxynitrite (ONOO−), the reaction product from NO and superoxide anion. In pathologic conditions, peroxynitrite and oxygen free radicals can be generated in excess of a cell antioxidant capacity resulting in severe damage to cellular constitutents including proteins, DNA and lipids. The inherent biochemical and physiological characteristis of the brain, including high lipid concentrations and energy requirements, make it particularly susceptible to free radical and oxidant mediated insult. Increasing evidence indicates that many neurologic disorders may have components of free radical and oxidative stress induced injury.     

Reducing the time of sperm-oocyte interaction in human in-vitro fertilization improves the implantation rate

Human oocyte development was evaluated after a reduced timeexposure to spermatozoa in vitro. A total of 119 patients wereassigned to two study groups in a randomized prospective studyin which each patient‘s oocytes were exposed to spermatozoafor either 1 h (group 1 – 58 patients) or the standard16 h incubation period (group 2 – 61 patients). The fertilizationrate obtained in group 1 was higher than in group 2 (285/393,73%, and 272/410, 66% respectively), suggesting that the spermatozoa-oocyteinteraction occurs within 1 h. This was confirmed in a studyin vitro using fluorescently labelled spermatozoa and normaloocyte-cumulus complexes. Spermatozoa enter the cumulus complexwithin 15 min, traverse the cumulus layer within 3 h, and firstappear in the oocyte cortex at 4 h post-insemination. The incidenceof polyspermy was higher in oocytes exposed to spermatozoa for16 h (3%) than for 1 h (1%). There was no difference in thecleavage rate or morphological characteristics of embryos fromboth study groups. However, when evaluating the timing of embryodevelopment, group 1 generated a significantly higher percentageof four to five cell embryos when compared to group 2 (55 versus39%; P < 0.001), documented at 40 h post-insemination. Theimplantation and pregnancy rates for group 1 were 11 and 28%,while the corresponding rates for group 2 were 8 and 15%. Thissuggests that a reduced exposure of oocyte to spermatozoa favoursembryo viability, possibly due to a decrease in potential damagefrom sperm metabolic waste products.     

Screening of Twenty-Four South African Combretum and Six Terminalia Species (Combretaceae) for Antioxidant Activities

The dried leaves of Combretum and Terminalia species (Combretaceae) were extracted with acetone, hexane, dichloromethane and methanol. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates were developed under saturated conditions and sprayed with 0.2% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) in methanol for antioxidant screening. Visualization of separated bands exhibiting antioxidant activities enabled the localization and the subsequent identification of the potential active compounds. The acetone and methanol extracts displayed the presence of antioxidant activity after spraying the chromatogram with DPPH. Hexane and dichloromethane extracts did not have any antioxidant activity. C. hereroense had the highest number of active compounds, followed by C. collinum ssp. taborense, which were 16 and 10, respectively. Acetone extracts of all tested Combretum species had 53 active bands and methanol had 55. All Terminalia species extracted with acetone and methanol had antioxidant activity. T. gazensis and T. mollis methanol extracts had 11 and 14 active compounds respectively in one of the solvent systems used. The qualitative DPPH assay on TLC was successfully used in this study to systematically assess the total antioxidant activity of the Combretum and Terminalia species extracts.     

卡维地洛对氧自由基诱导的内皮细胞内源性一氧化氮合酶抑制物代谢的影响

目的： 观察卡维地洛对氧自由基（OFR）培养的人脐静脉内皮细胞（HUVECs）二甲精氨酸-二甲赖氨酸水解酶 (DDAH)活性及表达的影响，以探讨卡维地洛对不对称二甲精氨酸（ADMA）代谢机制的影响。 方法： 采用改良的Jaffe法培养原代人脐静脉内皮细胞（HUVECs），取生长良好的3-6代HUVECs用于实验，分为①空白对照组：加DMEM培养液；②OFR组:加入OFR（0.01 mmol/L,0.1 mmol/L）；③OFR+卡维地洛组: 同时加入0.1 mmol/L OFR及卡维地洛（10 μmol/L）共孵24 h后, 检测上清液中一氧化氮（NO）、内皮素（ET）、ADMA含量、L-胍氨酸(L-cit)浓度及一氧化氮合酶（NOS）活性。用Western blotting法测定细胞裂解液中二甲基精氨酸-二甲基赖氨酸水解酶 (DDAH)的蛋白表达。 结果： OFR条件培养下,内皮细胞的代谢产物ADMA、ET的量均高于空白对照组,而NO的量及NOS的活性少于空白对照组;反映DDAH酶活性的L-cit浓度显著降低,且有浓度依赖性，而DDAH的表达无明显变化。卡维地洛干预组的ADMA、ET的量均低于OFR组，NOS活性及NO、L-cit浓度明显高于OFR组。 结论： OFR培养下，内皮损伤ADMA的增加与DDAH的活性减弱有关，而与DDAH的表达无关。卡维地洛通过增加DDAH活性促进ADMA代谢，使NOS活性增加，抑制OFR对内皮功能的损伤。