伊贝碱甙B的分离和结构测定

本文报道自吉林栽培的伊贝母(Fritillaria pallidiflora Schrenk)中分得一种新的C-去甲-D-异甾体生物碱甙,命名为伊贝碱甙B(yibeinoside B)。根据红外、质谱、氢谱和碳谱确定了结构。     

Postnatal Changes in the Expression of the trkA High-affinity NGF Receptor in Primary Sensory Neurons

In development ∼70–80% of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells are dependent on nerve growth factor (NGF) for their survival, while in the adult only some 40% of DRG cells express the high-affinity NGF receptor, trkA. This discrepancy suggests that trkA expression, and therefore neurotrophin sensitivity, may alter as the animal matures. We have tested this possibility by counting the number of L4/5 DRG neurons showing immunoreactivity for trkA in rats from the day of birth to postnatal day 14. We also examined changes in p75 and IB4 labelling. On the day of birth, 71% of DRG cells were found to express trkA. However, this percentage gradually fell with age and reached adult levels at postnatal day 14. The expression of p75 did not parallel that of trkA, remaining relatively constant at between 45 and 50% of cells from birth to postnatal day 14. Over the same period there was a marked increase in the proportion of cells which bind the lectin IB4 from 9 (day of birth) to 40% (day 14). Since in the adult the 1B4 population consists of small cells which mostly do not express trkA, this finding suggests that the postnatal down-regulation of trkA occurs in this population. Consistent with this suggestion are the results of double labelling for trkA and IB4, which confirmed that at times intermediate between birth and postnatal day 14 there was a high degree of coexpression between these markers (which is absent in the adult). This result also suggests that the down-regulation of trkA is unlikely to be directly responsible for the emerging IB4 binding.     

Induction of monocyte expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha by the 30-kD alpha antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and synergism with fibronectin.

Native 30-kD antigen, also known as alpha antigen, is a fibronectin-binding protein that is secreted by live Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This antigen may play an important biological role in the host-parasite interaction since it elicits delayed type hypersensitivity response and protective immunity in vivo and T lymphocyte blastogenesis and IFN-gamma production in vitro. In the present study, we show that, TNF-alpha protein is produced in monocyte culture supernatants in response to 30-kD antigen and the level is as high as that to purified protein derivative of M. tuberculosis. This stimulatory effect was not due to contamination with either bacterial lipopolysaccharide or mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan. The preincubation of monocytes with plasma fibronectin significantly enhanced the release of TNF-alpha into the culture supernatants in response to 30-kD antigen. This effect was blocked by polygonal antibody to plasma fibronectin. In contrast, the monocytic cell line U937 failed to release TNF-alpha protein in the culture supernatants in response to 30-kD antigen with or without preincubation with plasma fibronectin. To determine whether this observation was due to differential binding of the 30-kD to fibronectin on these cells, a cell based ELISA was used. Pretreatment of monocytes with fibronectin enhanced their binding of the 30-kD antigen. U937 cells bound the 30-kD antigen weakly with or without fibronectin pretreatment. These results indicate that 30-kD antigen which is a known secretary antigen of M. tuberculosis is a stimulus for human monocytes to express TNF-alpha and that stimulatory effect may be mediated through plasma fibronectin.     

Fine structural and biochemical effects of aminoglutethimide and o,p′-DDD on rat adrenocortical carcinoma 494 and adrenals

Rats bearing adrenocortical carcinoma 494 were injected daily for 7, 14, or 21 days with aminoglutethimide (AG) or o,p′-DDD. Reversibility of these steroidogenic inhibitors was determined by injecting other animals for either 14 or 21 days and sacrificing them 14 days later. While the drugs had little effect on body or tumor growth, plasma corticosterone levels were reduced a maximum of 88% in normal and 95% in tumor-bearing rats during AG chemotherapy. These levels were unaltered in normal rats by o,p′-DDD and reduced a maximum of 64% in tumor-bearing animals. Relative adrenal weights generally increased during chemotherapy and then returned to control levels. These changes were mainly due to alterations in the lipid and mitochondrial volume fractions. Lipid increased with both drugs while mitochondria increased with o,p′-DDD and decreased with AG. Cholesterol ester levels paralleled the lipid stereology more closely with AG than o,p′-DDD. With both drugs the most notable changes in tumor fine structure was a decrease in mitochondrial internal membranous vesicles and matrical density. Adrenal mitochondria had the irregular, elongated forms characteristic of tumor-bearing animals and were vacuolated (AG) or had internal rings (o,p′-DDD). The large lipid droplets observed during chemotherapy with both drugs were replaced by numerous small droplets in recovery periods.     

Does preoperative needle localization lead to an increase in local breast cancer recurrence?

Between 1978 and 1981, 74 women with nonpalpable breast cancer underwent surgery after localization guides were placed. In 72 patients, guides were introduced parallel to the chest wall; in two the needle was positioned anteroposteriorly under computed tomographic guidance. Fifty-six cases (76%) were infiltrating cancer; 13 (17%), intraductal cancers; two (3%), inflammatory; and three (4%), lobular carcinoma in situ. Surgery was not used to treat the latter five patients. In the remaining 69 women, 42 (61%) were treated by means of modified radical mastectomy; six (9%), total mastectomy; 12 (17%), local excision and radiation therapy; and seven (10%), local excision alone; exact therapy for two women (3%) was unknown. At a minimum follow-up of 5 years, none of the 67 women in whom the parallel approach was used had a local recurrence. The authors conclude that preoperative placement of guides parallel to the chest wall does not appear to increase the risk of local breast cancer recurrence.     

Spatial distributions of phrenic and medial gastrocnemius motoneurons in the cat spinal cord

The longitudinal distributions of both phrenic and medial gastrocnemius motoneurons were quantitatively studied in the cat spinal cord. Both populations of motoneurons were retrogradely labeled by applying horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to the cut central ends of the appropriate peripheral nerves. The longitudinal positions of all labeled motoneurons in each motor column were determined; these data then were used to generate longitudinal distribution histograms and spatial interval distributions (SIDs), the latter being analyzed further by means of power spectra. In three of four cats, longitudinal clustering of phrenic motoneuronal cell bodies was revealed by the presence of a narrow central peak in the SID and the presence of subsidiary peaks. In the fourth cat, only a smaller central peak was observed. Power spectral analysis of the three SIDs having subsidiary peaks revealed that the mean longitudinal distance between clusters was 0.95 mm (range 0.52 to 1.22 mm). The analyses also revealed that on average a phrenic motoneuronal cluster contained 17 motoneurons, and the mean longitudinal length of a cluster was 450 microns. Using single, small-volume injections of HRP into the diaphragm, we concluded that not all the phrenic motoneurons within a single cluster innervate muscle fibers in a discrete region of the diaphragm. Similar quantitative analysis of the distribution of medial gastrocnemius motoneurons did not reveal clustering in this motor column. We suggest that the fundamental differences in the spatial distributions of motoneurons within these two motor columns may be related to differences in the functional organizations of motoneurons innervating axial versus appendicular musculature, i.e., diaphragm versus medial gastrocnemius.     

Application of image-guided surface coil P-31 MR spectroscopy to human liver, heart, and kidney

Localized phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy in humans has previously been accomplished with surface coils by means of depth-resolved surface coil spectroscopy or rotating frame experiments, in which the extent of tissue sampled critically depends on surface coil placement. The authors' goal was to modify the surface coil image-selected in vivo spectroscopy (ISIS) experiment to accomplish three-dimensional volume selection through application of selective pulses in the presence of B0 gradients. Advantages of ISIS include the ability to use proton images to define the volume of interest (VOI) and reduced dependence on exact positioning of the surface coil. However, rapid replication of the surface coil ISIS experiment can cause spectral contamination from signals originating outside the VOI. A modified version of the ISIS experiment was developed to alleviate contamination under conditions of rapid replication. Applications of localized P-31 MR spectroscopy for observation of high-energy phosphorus metabolites are presented in human liver, heart, and transplanted and normal kidney.