血液透析用水的生产工艺探讨

本文主要通过探讨预处理系统及二级反渗透系统的主要结构和工作原理来阐述血液透析用水的生产工艺,并总结了水处理系统设计选型的要点,以保证透析质量。     

消癌平片生产工艺研究

目的：筛选研究消癌平片的生产工艺。方法：用分光光度法测定多糖含量;用高效液相色谱法测定橙皮苷含量;并测定干膏得率;根据多糖含量、橙皮苷含量和干膏得率三个指标来确定药材提取工艺;通过多次试验,确定喷雾制粒的清膏密度和压片辅料的比例。结果：消癌平片最佳提取工艺条件是：加水量为12、10、8倍,提取时间为2、1.5、1h;喷雾制粒的清膏密度为1.23～1.25（75～80℃测）;辅料比例糊精∶淀粉为1∶2。结论：通过对消癌平生产工艺几个关键点的研究,确定了消癌平的生产工艺。     

GENETICS OF ISCHEMIC STROKE

Genetic factors are important in the pathogenesis of cerebrovascular diseases. Stroke represents a multifactorial polygenic disorder where the role of environmental factors is quite well defined as opposed to the role of genetic factors which needs to be further elucidated. Several genes affecting hemostasis, renin-angiotensin system, nitric oxide production, homocysteine metabolism and lipid metabolism have been investigated in stroke even if with conflicting results. The genetic approach could permit, in the future, a better characterization of stroke patients and a more effective individual preventive and therapeutic approach.     

Substance P-induced priming effects on synovial cells

Abstract

We detected and analyzed an intracellular mechanism of a substance P-induced priming effect on cytokine production using human synovial cells. The synovial tissues were isolated from the knee joints of osteoarthritis patients. After the administration of a low dose of substance P (1 nM) without significant effect alone, the synovial cells were stimulated with substance P (30 μM), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) (100 nM), and calcium ionophore (A23187), (1 μM). The total interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 levels in the supernatant was measured by an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, and the changes in the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) and protein kinase C (PKC) activation were measured by the fura 2-AM fluorescence method and a radioimmunoassay, respectively. The substance P-induced cytokine production was accompanied by an elevation of [Ca²⁺]_i and PKC activation. The amounts of cytokines produced from the substance P (1 nM)-primed synovial cells stimulated with 30 μM substance P were approximately 4 times as much as that observed in non-primed cells. In addition, the priming treatment with 1 nM substance P enhanced not only the subsequent substance P-induced cytokine production, but also the PMA-induced response. However, substance P (1 nM) priming treatment did not affect the A23187-induced response. Furthermore, in substance P-primed cells, substance P (30 μM) induced a significant activation of PKC without changing the [Ca²⁺]_i elevation response. These results suggest that the substance P-priming effect on synovial cells contributed to changes in intracellular mechanisms such as PKC activation.     

The effect of LXRα, ChREBP and Elovl6 in liver and white adipose tissue on medium- and long-chain fatty acid diet-induced insulin resistance

Aims

We aimed to investigate the effects of LXRα, ChREBP and Elovl6 in the development of insulin resistance-induced by medium- and long-chain fatty acids.

Methods

Sprague Dawley rats were fed a standard chow diet (Control group) or a high-fat, high sucrose diet with different fat sources (coconut oil, lard, sunflower and fish oil) for 8 weeks. These oils were rich in medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFA group), long-chain saturated fatty acids (LCFA group), n-6 and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA and n-3 PUFA groups), respectively, which had different chain lengths and degrees of unsaturation. Hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp with [6-³H] glucose infusion was performed in conscious rats to assess hepatic insulin sensitivity.

Results

LCFA and n-6 PUFA groups induced hepatic insulin resistance and increased liver X receptor α (LXRα), carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) and long-chain fatty acid elongase 6 (Elovl6) expression in liver and white adipose tissue (WAT). Furthermore, LCFA and n-6 PUFA groups suppressed Akt serine 473 phosphorylation in liver and WAT. By contrast, in liver and WAT, MCFA and n-3 PUFA groups decreased LXRα, ChREBP and Elovl6 expression and improved insulin signaling and insulin resistance, but Akt serine 473 phosphorylation was not restored by MCFA group in WAT.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that the mechanism of the different effects of medium- and long-chain fatty acids on hepatic insulin resistance involves LXRα, ChREBP and Elovl6 alternations in liver and WAT. It points to a new strategy for ameliorating insulin resistance and diabetes through intervention on Elovl6 or its control genes.     

Sequential administration of the high affinity CXCR4 antagonist BKT140 promotes megakaryopoiesis and platelet production

Platelets are the terminal differentiation product of megakaryocytes (MKs). Cytokines, such as thrombopoietin (TPO), are known to influence different steps in MK development; however, the complex differentiation and platelet localization processes are not fully understood. MKs express the receptor CXCR4 and have been shown to migrate in response to CXCL12 and to increase their platelet production. In this study, we studied the role of CXCR4 in platelet production with the high affinity CXCR4 antagonist, BKT140. Single and sequential administration of BKT140 significantly increased the number of MKs and haematopoietic progenitors (HPCs) within the bone marrow (BM). Increased megakaryopoiesis was associated with increased platelet production. Single and sequential administration of BKT140 also increased the number of HPCs in the blood. In a model of 5‐fluorouracil‐induced thrombocytopenia, BKT140 significantly reduced the severity and duration of thrombocytopenia and cytopenia when administered before and after chemotherapy. Our results demonstrated that the CXCR4 antagonist, BKT140, mediated unique beneficial effects by stimulating megakaryopoiesis and platelet production. These results provide evidence for the possible therapeutic use of BKT140 for modulating platelet numbers in thrombocytopenic conditions.     

How could gesture facilitate lexical access?

Several investigators, including speech–language pathologists have examined the hypothesis that the production of a gesture can facilitate word retrieval, in healthy speakers as in persons with aphasia. However, the mechanisms by which gesture can prime lexical access remain unclear. In this commentary, I discuss various models proposed in the literature on gesture and language production in order to make explicit the relationships between the various components underlying multi-modal communication. Empirical and conceptual issues are raised to conclude that, even if the hypothesis of lexical priming was not supported, gesture training for communicative purposes may nevertheless be helpful for persons with aphasia.