Calorie restriction extends yeast life span by lowering the level of NADH

Calorie restriction (CR) extends life span in a wide variety of species. Previously, we showed that calorie restriction increases the replicative life span in yeast by activating Sir2, a highly conserved NAD-dependent deacetylase. Here we test whether CR activates Sir2 by increasing the NAD/NADH ratio or by regulating the level of nicotinamide, a known inhibitor of Sir2. We show that CR decreases NADH levels, and that NADH is a competitive inhibitor of Sir2. A genetic intervention that specifically decreases NADH levels increases life span, validating the model that NADH regulates yeast longevity in response to CR.     

NIH 3T3细胞转化前后细胞骨架及细胞表面纤维粘连蛋白的免疫荧光观察

本实验用抗纤维粘连蛋白(FN)亲和层析纯抗体和抗管蛋白抗体及鬼笔环肽,以免疫荧光组织化学方法,对NIH3T3细胞转染人肺腺癌细胞系AGZY基因组DNA前后细胞表面FN及细胞内骨架系统进行染色观察。结果表明,细胞在发生转化后,微丝及微管均表现出明显受损,细胞骨架结构不清,呈现为弥散样荧光;细胞表面FN大量减少,仅及正常NIH3T3细胞的1/9,其分布也由细丝形成的网状,变成斑点或斑块状。这一结果进一步证实,细胞恶变是涉及到细胞骨架系统及膜表面糖蛋白变化的复杂过程,并预示这些变化可能就是导致细胞形态发生变化、细胞失去正常生长调控的原因之一。     

Crystalline morphology of block-copoly(oxypropylene/oxyethylene/oxypropylene) by small-angle X-ray and Raman scattering

Block-copoly(oxypropylene/oxyethylene/oxypropylene)s, with central-block lengths of 39 and 75 oxyethylene units and end-block lengths in the range 1 to 13 oxypropylene units, were investigated in their solid states by small-angle X-ray diffraction and low-frequency Raman spectroscopy, supplemented by differential scanning calorimetry. Low-frequency Raman transitions were assigned to longitudinal modes (LAM) of either unfolded or once-folded chains. The solid state comprised stacked monolayer lamellae in which the chains were usually tilted with respect to the lamellar end plane.     

Differences between transfer RNA methylase activity in human diploid fibroblasts during in vitro and in vivo aging

The change of the specific activity of S-adenosylmethionine: tRNA methyltransferase in cultures of human diploid fibroblasts at different passages has been measured and compared with that in the same type of cells derived from donors of different ages. Whereas the specific activity of tRNA methylase in the in vitro aged cells was found to decline gradually with increasing passage number of the culture, a different activity--age relationship was observed for this enzyme in cells derived from donors of different ages. The activity of tRNA methylase is high in the fetal cells and drops drastically in the "newborn" cells. After a further 10% decline, the activity of this enzyme reaches a steady low level in the postnatal cells from donors ranging in age from 3 months to 94 years. These findings cast doubt on the validity of the assumption that the results obtained from in vitro aging experiments reflect the biochemistry of aging in vivo. The "fetal" enzyme can methylate the "aged" tRNA but the "aged" enzyme cannot methylate the "fetal" tRNA. The fetal cells contain enzyme activities specific for the formation of m1A, m5C and m1G. These activities are low or deficient in "aged" cells. Control experiments showed that all of these results are due neither to the presence of inhibitor or stimulator in the extract nor to effects related to the population density, sex or growth rate of the culture.     

淫羊藿甙对小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞体外增殖、吞噬和产生NO的影响

无菌分离小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞,制备单细胞悬液,加入不同终浓度的淫羊藿甙孵育4 h后,加入细菌脂多糖LPS(终浓度20 mg/L)48 h后以MTT法检测其增殖;加药孵育4 h后,分别加入直径1μm和2μm的微球(终浓度1×1010/L),5 h后利用流式细胞术(FCM)检测吞噬情况;加入LPS(终浓度20 mg/L)24 h后Griess试剂盒检测巨噬细胞NO的量。结果显示ICA在终浓度1.5、3.0μmol/L时能明显抑制LPS刺激的巨噬细胞增殖(P<0.01)和NO的产生,并促进其吞噬微球的功能。提示ICA可能抑制LPS信号转导从而抑制巨噬细胞增殖,并且通过抑制其活化,下调iNOS有关的炎症因子,使NO减少;对于未活化的巨噬细胞,ICA可能通过上调其吞噬功能,增强固有免疫系统来抵御病原体侵入。     

基于通用中间件接口服务器的远程医疗信息系统

在远程医疗信息系统共享平台的设计中,提出一种构建通用中间件接口服务器实现多家医院信息系统HIS与PACS的无缝连接方案。着重介绍了DICOM中间件、HL7消息中间件、生态识别和PKI技术在系统集成中的应用。     

Effect of anti-inflammatory medication on monocyte response to titanium particles

Cytokines produced by macrophages in the periprosthetic membranes surrounding joint replacements have been implicated as causal agents in osteolysis and prosthetic loosening. The present study characterizes the response of human peripheral blood monocytes to titanium particles. Monocytes were obtained from donated blood and were cultured in the presence of different-sized titanium particles. Exposure to titanium-aluminum-vanadium particles significantly changed the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1 (IL-1), whereas there was no significant effect on the release of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). When monocytes were cultured with particles, the titanium alloy particles induced significantly more release of TNF-alpha and less IL-1 secretion. Ciprofloxacin inhibited production of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1, and PGE(2) in human monocytes exposed to titanium particles. In contrast to ciprofloxacin, indomethacin was not a potent inhibitor of TNF-alpha production but potentiated IL-6 production in titanium-stimulated monocytes. Indomethacin had no effect on the production of IL-1 and was a potent inhibitor of PGE(2) production in titanium-stimulated monocytes. Pentoxifylline had an inhibitor effect on TNF-alpha production in titanium-stimulated monocytes. Pentoxifylline potentiated IL-6 and IL-1 production in monocytes exposed to titanium particles and had a biphasic effect on the PGE(2) production. The results of this study support our hypothesis that human monocytes release bone resorption mediators after in vitro exposure to TiAlV alloy particles. The results also demonstrate the differences of bone-resorbing mediators in response to different wear particle size. The pharmacologic agents (ciprofloxacin, pentoxifylline, and indomethacin) that can modulate the release of bone resorbing mediators such as PGE(2), TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-6 release from human monocytes. The results help to elucidate the differences in cellular response to wear particles but may not be directly transposed to the human situation.     

Insertion/deletion mutations of type I oculocutaneous albinism in chinese patients from Taiwan

Type I oculocutaneous albinism (OCA1) is an autosomal recessive disorder, which is caused by the reduction or the absence of tyrosinase activity in melanocytes of the skin, hair and eyes. Although tyrosinase mutations of OCA1 have been extensively analyzed in most populations worldwide, there is no systemic study of OCA1 mutation in Chinese patients. By use of single strand conformation polymorphism and direct sequencing, we had detected 21 mutant alleles out of 24 OCA1 chromosomes screened (87.5%). Detected mutant alleles include one splicing site, three insertion/deletion and five missense mutations, of which the splicing site nucleotide alteration (IVS 1-3C>G) and two each of the insertion/deletion (232-233 ins GGG and 861-862 del TT) and missense mutations (Cys 289 Gly and Trp 400 Leu) are novel. The ins/del mutations accounts for about 37.5% in Chinese OCA1 alleles. The 232-233 ins GGG, one of the novel mutations, was found to be most frequent (25%) among the OCA1 alleles in Chinese. Through this study, we found that while some of the OCA mutant alleles were identified in other populations, ethnic difference still exists. Hum Mutat 14:542, 1999.     

Cytoplasm-to-myonucleus ratios in plantaris and soleus muscle fibres following hindlimb suspension

Summary In multinucleated skeletal muscle fibres the size of the cytoplasmic volume-to-myonucleus ratio is related to the myosin heavy chain phenotype, with the ratio being larger in those fibres expressing the fast myosin heavy chain phenotype. It is unknown, however, whether this ratio is modulated during muscle fibre adaptation, such as that which occurs following muscle unloading. In this study the relationship between cross sectional area, myonuclear number and myosin type, in single fibres from the plantaris and soleus muscles of adult rats following 28 days of hindlimb suspension was examined. Each fibre was cut transversely into two segments; one segment was used for immunohistochemical identification of myosin type, the other for determination of cross sectional area and myonuclei number. Single fibre analysis revealed significant atrophy of both plantaris fast and soleus slow fibres; the mean cross sectional area (m²) of these fibres, 3104±183 and 2082±107 (mean ±se), being 70 and 45%, respectively, of control means. The decreases in cross sectional area were not accompained by corresponding decreases in the number of myonuclei (myonuclei/mm); in plantaris fast fibres the mean myonuclei counts were within the control range (88±8 (hindlimb suspension), 76±7 (control)), in soleus slow fibres the counts were significantly increased (185±12 (hindlimb suspension), 154±11 (control)). The changes resulted in a significant decrease in the cytoplasmic volume-to-myonucleus ratio (m³×10³) for both fibre types; the mean ratios of 39±3 and 12±1, were 60% and 36% of control means for the plantaris fast and soleus slow fibres, respectively. These results indicate that following hindlimb suspension atrophy of muscle fibres the myonuclei numbers remain constant or increase and, hence, the effective cytoplasmic-to-myonucleus ratio is decreased. Further, the described changes are significantly greater in soleus slow than plantaris fast fibres.     

物质成瘾Stroop效应研究进展

物质成瘾Stroop任务是考察物质成瘾者对成瘾相关刺激产生注意偏向的一种研究范式。研究者们采用多种实验任务和研究方法,对物质成瘾Stroop干扰产生的心理机制进行了考察,并提出了几种理论解释,但目前这些理论解释之间还存在一定的分歧。最后,本文提出了未来研究的一些建议。