Interrelationships between Cellular Density,Mosaic Patterning,and Dendritic Coverage of VGluT3 Amacrine Cells

Amacrine cells of the retina are conspicuously variable in their morphologies, their population demographics, and their ensuing functions. Vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGluT3) amacrine cells are a recently characterized type of amacrine cell exhibiting local dendritic autonomy. The present analysis has examined three features of this VGluT3 population, including their density, local distribution, and dendritic spread, to discern the extent to which these are interrelated, using male and female mice. We first demonstrate that Bax-mediated cell death transforms the mosaic of VGluT3 cells from a random distribution into a regular mosaic. We subsequently examine the relationship between cell density and mosaic regularity across recombinant inbred strains of mice, finding that, although both traits vary across the strains, they exhibit minimal covariation. Other genetic determinants must therefore contribute independently to final cell number and to mosaic order. Using a conditional KO approach, we further demonstrate that Bax acts via the bipolar cell population, rather than cell-intrinsically, to control VGluT3 cell number. Finally, we consider the relationship between the dendritic arbors of single VGluT3 cells and the distribution of their homotypic neighbors. Dendritic field area was found to be independent of Voronoi domain area, while dendritic coverage of single cells was not conserved, simply increasing with the size of the dendritic field. Bax-KO retinas exhibited a threefold increase in dendritic coverage. Each cell, however, contributed less dendrites at each depth within the plexus, intermingling their processes with those of neighboring cells to approximate a constant volumetric density, yielding a uniformity in process coverage across the population.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Different types of retinal neuron spread their processes across the surface of the retina to achieve a degree of dendritic coverage that is characteristic of each type. Many of these types achieve a constant coverage by varying their dendritic field area inversely with the local density of like-type neighbors. Here we report a population of retinal amacrine cells that do not develop dendritic arbors in relation to the spatial positioning of such homotypic neighbors; rather, this cell type modulates the extent of its dendritic branching when faced with a variable number of overlapping dendritic fields to approximate a uniformity in dendritic density across the retina.     

Redox active or thiol reactive? Optimization of rapid screens to identify less evident nuisance compounds

Compounds that exhibit assay interference or undesirable mechanisms of bioactivity are routinely encountered in assays at various stages of drug discovery. We observed that assays for the investigation of thiol-reactive and redox-active compounds have not been collected in a comprehensive review. Here, we review these assays and subject them to experimental optimization to improve their reliability. We demonstrate the usefulness of our assay cascade by assaying a library of bioactive compounds, chemical probes, and a set of approved drugs. These high-throughput assays should complement the array of wet-lab and in silico assays during the initial stages of hit discovery campaigns to pursue only hit compounds with tractable mechanisms of action.     

基于“证治代谢组学”假说探讨中药（单体/复方）药效物质基础的研究思路与实践＊

中药(单体/复方)药效物质基础研究是中医药现代研究的关键问题之一。然而,目前运用的生化和分子生物学方法很难诠释其多靶点、整体性和动态性的整合调节作用。课题组提出的"证治代谢组学"假说理论指出,不同的证候存在"证相关代谢谱群"和"证相关生物标志物",这可能是中药药效物质基础所在,辨证论治后偏离的代谢网络功能呈现回归趋势。基于"证治代谢组学"假说开展中药(单体/复方)药效物质基础研究,这将为阐释中药(单体/复方)防病治病和养生保健的科学内涵及其对疾病个体的整合调节作用提供新的思路。本文以冠心病为研究载体、气阴虚血瘀证为切入点、活血保心丸为干预措施,就该研究思路的内涵与总体模式、提出的背景与依据、实践的方式与可行性、创新与特色及其研究意义等进行了简要介绍。     

复方碘酊消毒液中和剂试验研究

复方碘酊消毒液是含有20 g/L碘和1 g/L三氯羟基二苯醚的酒精溶液,为选择出合适的中和剂,采用化学中和法的悬液定量试验和滤膜冲洗及中和剂加滤膜冲洗法进行了试验研究。结果,硫代硫酸钠、硫代乙醇酸钠、吐温80、卵磷脂及其复方中和剂经悬液定量试验法和滤膜冲洗法,均不能中和复方碘酊消毒液对试验菌的残留作用。采用中和剂加滤膜冲洗法证明,用含5000 mg/L硫代硫酸钠+5000 mg/L吐温80+2000 mg/L硫代乙醇酸钠的磷酸盐缓冲液作为中和剂,均可有效去除复方碘酊消毒液对试验菌的残留作用;各中和剂及其中和产物对试验菌及培养基无不良影响。结论,选择复方碘酊消毒液的中和剂,不适宜用悬液定量试验法;宜采用滤膜过滤冲洗法。     

The effect of MS-818, a pyrimidine compound,on the regeneration of peripheral nerve fibers of mice after a crush injury

One of the pyrimidine compounds, 2-piperadino-6-methyl-5-oxo-5,6-dihydro(7H)pyrrolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine (MS-818), has neurotropic effects in vitro. Therefore, we studied the effect of MS-818 on the regeneration of the peroneal nerve in C57BL/6J mice after a crush injury. Two test groups, which received a daily intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg MS-818, respectively, were compared with controls, which received daily intraperitoneal injections of physiological saline, over a 14-day period. The maximum foot-width ratio (crushed side/uncrushed side) was obtained on days 1, 8 and 14 after the crush injury, and the various morphometric parameters were evaluated at both 5 and 10 mm distal to the proximal portion of the crush site. The significant effects of MS-818 included a larger maximum foot width (P<0.04) and a greater number of unmyelinated axons per nerve at both levels (P<0.003) in both test groups than in controls. MS-818 had no significant effects on body weight, the increase of total transverse fascicular area after the crush injury, the total number of myelinated fibers with their size distributions, or the number of nuclei of Schwann cells and macrophages. Therefore, we conclude that MS-818 promotes axonal sprouting and elongation after a crush injury in mice.     

复方华蟾胶囊抗小鼠肿中瘤作用的实验研究

目的了解复方华蟾胶囊抗小鼠移植性肿瘤的作用.方法以小鼠肝癌22(H22)、小鼠肉瘤180(S180)为瘤株,应用动物移植性肿瘤的体内试验法对药物进行抗癌药效学试验.结果复方华蟾胶囊灌胃4,2 g/kg@d,连续14 d,对小鼠移植性肝癌实体型生长有明显的抑制作用,抑瘤率分别为38.09%,30.95%.对小鼠移植性S180实体型生长有明显的抑制作用,抑瘤率分别为34.7%,30.08%.复方华蟾胶囊对荷瘤小鼠的胸腺和脾脏重量无影响.结论复方华蟾胶囊在试验条件下有一定抗肿瘤作用.     

老年护理院医院感染病原菌及其耐药特征分析

目的探讨目前老年护理医院院内感染病原菌及其耐药特征。方法对2000年4月-2004年3月徐汇区两家老年护理院出院病人的病史进行统计分析。结果两家老年护理院共计发生医院感染939例次，医院感染率12．86％，检出病原菌284株，阳性率30．28％；病原菌以革兰阴性菌为主，占44．65％，其次为真菌、革兰阳性菌，分别为29．12％、25．92％，位于前3位的病原菌分别为其他真菌（14．36％）、白色念珠菌（12．23％）、铜绿假单胞菌（8．69％）；除嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌外，革兰阴性菌以亚胺培南最敏感，敏感率87％，对氨苄西林、阿莫西林的耐药率〉51％，对头孢哌酮、哌拉西林的耐药率〉33％；MRSA和MRSE的检出率高达86．76％和76．32％；混合感染率34．51％。结论老年护理院医院感染率高．真菌所占的比例高；细菌对抗菌药物的耐药性相当严重。     

大型尿基复合肥养分偏差的原因分析及措施

介绍大型尿基复合肥装置在生产中引起产品养分偏差的原因及采取的操作措施。