Auxotrophic mutant of the cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum showing absolute requirement of Cs+ or Rb+ for diazotrophy and autotrophy

Caesium-resistant (Cs(+)-R) mutant clones of the cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum were characterized for diazotrophic growth in a medium devoid of Cs(+) or Rb(+) or both. Cs(+)-R phenotype suffered severe genetic damage of a pleiotropic nature affecting diazotrophic growth, chlorophyll a content, nitrogenase activity and photosynthetic O(2) evolution. Mutation leading to development of Cs(+)-R phenotype could be overcome by availability of Cs(+)/Rb(+). Parent and mutant strains were similar with respect to their Cs(+)/Rb(+) uptake. Available data suggests operation of an efficient coupling of the two incompatible reactions viz. oxygenic photosynthesis and oxygen sensitive N(2) fixation in this cyanobacterium.     

Sodium transport in erythrocytes: differences between normal children and children with primary and secondary hypertension.

The following measurements were made in normal children, children with primary hypertension, and children with secondary hypertension: erythrocyte intracellular sodium concentration, total sodium efflux rate constant, and maximum binding of ouabain to erythrocytes reflecting the number of sodium/potassium adenosine triphosphatase pump sites. Children with primary hypertension had a significantly higher mean erythrocyte intracellular sodium concentration (8.2 compared with 6.6 and 6.7 mmol/l cells), and significantly lower total sodium efflux rate constant (0.5071 compared with 0.6983 and 0.6197) and maximum binding of ouabain to erythrocytes (9.1 compared with 11.7 and 11.0 nmol/l cells) than normal children and children with secondary hypertension, respectively.     

胎膜早破与支原体宫内感染

应用解脲支原体ＰＣＲｋｉｔ检测方法，对１９９４年３月至１１月入院分娩妇女１５９例（其中胎膜早破６９例，无胎膜早破者９０例）进行宫颈管内分泌物标本的支原体检查，同时对支原体阳性与阴性者在产妇产褥病率、新生儿黄疸，新生儿肺炎发病等方面进行比较。结果：６９例胎膜早破者中支原体阳性检出２８例，明显高子无胎膜早破者（Ｐ＜０．００５），支原体阳性者中产妇产褥病率、新生儿黄疸发生率明显高于阴性者（Ｐ＜０．００５）．提示。支原体宫内感染是胎膜早破发生的重要原因，也与产妇产褥病率和新生儿黄疸发生有密切关系。     

Effects of tranylcypromine on the sleep of patients with anergic bipolar depression

A significant proportion of patients with bipolar disorder are hypersomnolent. It is not clear if this affects response to treatment because few studies have systematically examined treatment effects on sleep in patients with bipolar depression. Reported herein are the results of what we believe to be the first study of the effects of the monoamine oxidase inhibitor tranylcypromine (average dose=37 mg/day) on the sleep of patients with bipolar depression.Twenty-three patients with anergic bipolar depression completed sleep studies before and after pharmacotherapy. Changes in polysomnographic variables were examined using paired t tests. The patients experienced a 40% reduction in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time, as well as significant decreases in REM percentage,REM activity, number of REM periods, and REM intensity.REM latency was prolonged by nearly 3-fold.The decrease in REM sleep was accompanied by a modest (8%) reduction in total sleep time and increased "light" sleep. There was no change in sleep continuity indices or slow wave sleep. Correlational analyses suggested that antidepressant response was only weakly associated with changes in REM sleep. These findings indicate that tranylcypromine's effects on REM sleep greatly surpass effects on sleep architecture or sleep maintenance. Moreover, effective treatment of bipolar depression did not "normalize" the hypersomnolence associated with bipolar depression.     

艾炷灸命门穴对衰老模型大鼠脑组织中AGEs、RAGE表达影响

目的:观察艾炷灸命门穴对D-半乳糖致衰老大鼠脑组织中AGEs及其受体RAGE表达的影响,探讨艾炷灸命门穴延缓衰老的作用机制。方法:雄性SD大鼠40只,随机分为空白组10只、模型制备组30只,空白组腹腔注射生理盐水,模型制备组进行腹腔注射D-半乳糖500 mg/kg,每日1次,连续60天,模型制备成功后随机选取20只分为模型对照组、命门穴治疗组,艾炷灸治疗4周。酶联免疫吸附测定法(Elisa)观察各组大鼠脑组织匀浆中AGES、RAGE表达水平,RT-PCR观察RAGE mRNA的表达水平。结果:模型对照组大鼠脑组织中AGES、RAGE及RAGE mRNA表达水平比空白组明显增加(P<0.01);命门穴治疗组脑组织中AGES、RAGE及RAGE mRNA表达水平明显低于模型对照组(P<0.01)。结论:艾炷灸命门穴可以延缓衰老,其机制可能是AGEs的水平下调减少了对蛋白的直接修饰及抑制AGEs与特异性配体RAGE结合而引发一系列的生物学效应而达到延缓衰老的目的。     

Wash resistance and efficacy of Olyset net and Permanet 2.0 against Anopheles stephensi in India

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) have been developed for wash resistance and long-lasting effects against mosquito vectors. In this study we evaluated 2 LLIN products, Olyset net and Permanet 2.0, washed for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 times, against Anopheles stephensi, an urban malaria vector in India. We assessed the wash resistance and efficacy of these nets in relation to bloodfeeding inhibition and percent mortality in cone and tunnel test bioassays. Both Olyset and Permanet showed >80% mortality of An. stephensi in cone bioassays after 20 washes. In tunnel tests there was no significant difference between Olyset and Permanet 2.0 in causing total mosquito mortality (immediate and delayed) up to 10 washes and bloodfeeding inhibition and entry rate up to 15 washes. After the 20th wash, Permanet 2.0 was significantly more effective than the Olyset net in causing total mosquito mortality, whereas Olyset net showed less bloodfeeding and entry of mosquitoes as compared to Permanet 2.0. There was a gradual decline in efficacy of both LLIN products as the number of washings increased. Cone bioassays indicated a strong wash resistance in both the LLIN products after 20 washes. However, the tunnel tests demonstrated a gradual decline in efficacy of both products with the number of washings.     

Glaucoma – Diabetes of the brain: A radical hypothesis about its nature and pathogenesis

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness characterized by irremediable loss of retinal ganglion cells. Its risk increases with progressing age and elevated intraocular pressure. Studies have established that glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disorder in which the damage involves many brain tissues from retina to the lateral geniculate nucleus. Despite lot of research, complete pathomechanism of glaucoma is not known and there is no treatment available except modification of intraocular pressure pharmacologically and/or surgically. We here present a hypothesis inspired by studies across many areas of molecular and clinical sciences in an integrative manner that leads to a uniquely unconventional understanding of this disorder. Our hypothesis postulates that glaucoma may possibly be the diabetes of the brain. Based on the remarkable similarities between glaucoma and diabetes we propose glaucoma also to be a type of diabetes. Glaucoma and diabetes share many aspects from various molecular mechanisms to involvement of insulin and possible use of antidiabetics in glaucoma therapy. Additionally, Alzheimer’s disease has already been proposed to be diabetes type-3. We show that Alzheimer’s disease is cerebral glaucoma and diabetes at the same time which, by transitive property of similarities, again leads to our hypothesis that glaucoma is diabetes of the brain. Our proposition may lead to appreciation of certain important facets of glaucoma which have previously not been given due consideration. It also may lead to an alternative classification of diabetes as pancreatic and brain diabetes thereby widening the vision arena of the understanding of both these disorders.