Investigation of Role of Nitric Oxide in Protection from Bordetella pertussis Respiratory Challenge

The mechanism whereby whole-cell pertussis vaccines (WCV) confer protection against Bordetella pertussis is still not fully understood. We have previously reported that macrophage activation produced by vaccination with WCV is associated with induction of NO synthesis by macrophages in response to in vitro stimulation with B. pertussis antigens. To determine whether NO production is an effector of protection or simply a marker of activation, the susceptibility of inducible nitric oxide synthase (type II, iNOS) knockout mice to infection with B. pertussis was examined. We showed that iNOS knockout mice were more susceptible to B. pertussis respiratory challenge than wild-type mice. iNOS-deficient mice also developed a less effective protective response than wild-type mice after the same immunization with WCV. This suggests that NO plays an important role in effecting protection against B. pertussis challenge.     

Spermidine synthase of Escherichia coli: localization of the speE gene.

We have obtained Escherichia coli mutants lacking spermidine synthase (putrescine aminopropyltransferase) and have found that the mutated gene (speE) is located immediately upstream from the gene coding for S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (speD); these genes are located at 2.7 minutes on the E. coli chromosome. Both genes are present in a 1795-base-pair fragment of E. coli DNA that was cloned into pBR322. Deletion of 105 bases upstream of speE caused a coordinate loss of both activities, indicating that speE and speD constitute a single operon. speE and speD have also been cloned separately in a high-expression vector; strains carrying these plasmids overproduce the respective enzymes.     

罂粟碱对大鼠单胺神经递质的影响

本文报道用高效液相色谱-电化学检测器方法,研究了罂粟碱对大鼠脑内及心脏单胺神经递质代谢的影响。结果表明:罂粟碱能显著增加大鼠纹状体及边缘区多巴胺代谢物二羟苯乙酸(DOPAC)和高香草酸(HVA),升高约50-70%。5-羟色胺代谢物5-羟吲哚醋酸(5HIAA)增加约30%,而对脑及心脏内的单胺递质本身含量未见有明显影响。     

Effect of gradual rise in plasma calcium concentration on the impairment of atrioventricular nodal conduction due to verapamil

The possible reversal by calcium of the inhibitory action of verapamil on the atrioventricular (AV) node was investigated in anesthetized, atropinized dogs, with cardiac pacing. The His bundle potentials were recorded by endocavitory electrode and the AV node effective refractory period measured by the extrastimulus method. Calcium infusion was effective against the impairment of AV nodal conduction induced by verapamil, provided it remained moderate: the gradual rise in the plasma calcium concentration counteracted the effects of an infusion of verapamil on conduction time and effective refractory period in the AV node, as long as it did not exceed 5 mmol/L. However, beyond this level, calcium appeared less and less capable of reversing the effects of verapamil. Thus, the protective action of calcium had a bell-shaped dose-response curve, with the optimum at 5 mmol/L. This biphasic influence is consistent with the opposite opinions previously given concerning the antagonism between calcium and calcium blockers, depending on whether hypercalcemia brought into play was mild or major. In any case, the prominent role played by calcium in the slow inward current in the AV node accounts for the antagonism, observed in vivo, between calcium and verapamil. The pacemaker activity of the sinoatrial (SA) node was less influenced by both calcium blocker and calcium.     

冠状动脉造影正常的急性心肌梗死患者的临床特点

目的：探讨冠状动脉造影（CAG）正常的急性心肌梗死（AMI）患者的发生机制及临床特点。方法：分析2000年6月至2001年10月86例AMI患者的CAG结果及冠心病相关危险因素。结果：86例中CAG正常者8例，年龄（39＋11．4）（25－52）岁；多无心绞痛史、高血压史、糖尿病史、血脂异常史及家族史；以情绪波动、精神压抑、大量吸烟、饮酒史者居多。结论：冠状动脉痉挛、血栓自溶或溶栓治疗后血栓消失是其主要发生机制；冠状动脉正常的AMI患者其貌似正常，实属高危人群，应高度重视。     

脂质体介导人β-神经生长因子基因转染培养肌母细胞的表达研究

目的　了解含 β-神经生长因子 (β- NGF)基因的表达质粒 PSVCEP NGF- CAT在培养肌母细胞中的表达及 L ipofect AMINE阳离子脂质体介导的转染效率。方法　将表达质粒 PSVCEP NGF- CAT经 L ipofectAMINE转染至培养成的肌母细胞中 ,用免疫细胞化学方法检测基因在肌母细胞内的表达。结果　培养肌母细胞在转染 6小时吞噬脂质体最显著 ,转染 48小时后约 40 %的肌母细胞胞质内有β- NGF基因表达。结论　含β- NGF基因的表达质粒 PSVCEP NGF- CAT可以在培养肌母细胞中表达 ,脂质体转染的方法简便、有效     

Functional recognition of the neuronal tyrosine hydroxylase cAMP regulatory element in different cell types.

Transient transfection of pLB2CAT constructs bearing short synthetic oligonucleotides derived either from the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter or other sources was used to examine functional cAMP regulatory element (CRE) activity in a variety of cell lines. The region containing only the putative TH CRE was found to be as or more effective in conferring cAMP responsiveness onto pLB2CAT (which employs the TK promoter) than the immediate 272 bp region of the TH promoter. Increases in CAT activity of 10- to 20-fold were observed in JEG-3 cells with a single insert of the TH CRE region (-31 to -54) in pLB2CAT, and the presence of a second insert generated only a modest further increase. This construct also responded to cAMP in 4 other cell lines tested but the degree of increase was less dramatic. Inserts containing the consensus 8 bp CRE motif embedded in other natural or artificial contexts served generally as weak functional CREs in all cell lines tested. In vitro analysis revealed that a specific protein-DNA complex apparently containing a single protein with a MW of 45-50 kDa was formed equally well with JEG-3 cell nuclear extract and CRE-bearing-TH and other fragments which produced dramatically different cAMP effects in vivo. These results suggest specificity in the effects of cAMP on different CREs which are dictated by contextual differences.     

选择性环氧化酶—2抑制剂的研究现状及应用评价

选择性环氧化酶（COX）-2抑制剂可有效地治疗炎症，同时避免或减轻由于抑制COX-1而导致的毒副作用。有乐观的临床应用前景，但其不良反应亦不容忽视，寻找临床评价好的选择性COX-2抑制剂是当前非甾体类抗类药物研究的重点。     

去势后大鼠海马结构一氧化氮合酶阳性神经元的变化

目的：观察去势后大鼠海马结构一氧化氮合酶（NOS）阳性神经元的变化。方法：用黄递酶组织化学染色方法观察切除双侧卵巢后雌后SD大鼠海马结构NOS阳性神经元的形态，分布的变化，并进行计算机图像分析。结果：去势后海马结构NOS阳性神经元分布变化有区域差异性；NOS阳性神经元在下托、海马（CA）一区邻近下托的部分、CA三区、CA四区（CA4）和齿状回（DG）数目明显减少，而在CA二区数目明显明显增多，CA4和DG的NOS阳性神经元平均密度降低，胞体的平均周长和平均截面积都明显减少。结论：雌激素可能通过影响海马结构NOS的表达来影响学习和记忆。