Cloning and spatial and temporal expression of the zebrafish dopamine D1 receptor.

Dopamine plays important roles in the regulation of central nervous system (CNS) development and functions. In vertebrates, two families of dopamine receptors, collectively known as dopamine D1 and D2 receptors, have been identified. Recently, dopamine receptors have been targeted by pharmacological and therapeutic studies of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. Here, we report a study on the molecular characterization of dopamine D1 receptor in zebrafish (Danio rerio). We cloned the full-length cDNA of a zebrafish dopamine D1 receptor, designated as drd1. The sequence of drd1 shares high homology to the sequences of dopamine D1 receptors in mammalian, amphibian, and other fish species. drd1 is expressed in the CNS. The first drd1 expression was observed at approximately 30 hours postfertilization, at which time the expression was seen in the developing diencephalon and hindbrain. In developing retinas, the expression of drd1 was detected in the inner nuclear layer with the exception of the marginal zones. In adult retinas, drd1 expression was detected in most cell types in the inner and outer nuclear layers as well as ganglion cell layer. Differential expression of drd1 in developing and adult retinas may play various roles in regulating visual system functions.     

Inspiratory activation is not required for episodic hypoxia-induced respiratory long-term facilitation in postnatal rats

Episodic hypoxia causes repetitive inspiratory activation that induces a form of respiratory plasticity termed long-term facilitation (LTF). While LTF is a function of the hypoxic exposures and inspiratory activation, their relative importance in evoking LTF is unknown. The aims of this study were to: (1) dissociate the relative roles played by episodic hypoxia and respiratory activation in LTF; and (2) determine whether the magnitude of LTF varies as a function of hypoxic intensity. We did this by examining the effects of episodic hypoxia in postnatal rats (15–25 days old), which unlike adult rats exhibit a prominent hypoxia-induced respiratory depression. We quantified inspiratory phrenic nerve activity generated by the in situ working-heart brainstem before, during and for 60 min after episodic hypoxia. We demonstrate that episodic hypoxia evokes LTF despite the fact that it potently suppresses inspiratory activity during individual hypoxic exposures ( P < 0.05). Specifically, we show that after episodic hypoxia (three 5 min periods of 10% O₂) respiratory frequency increased to 40 ± 3.3% above baseline values over the next 60 min ( P < 0.001). Continuous hypoxia (15 min of 10% O₂) had no lasting effects on respiratory frequency ( P > 0.05). To determine if LTF magnitude was affected by hypoxic intensity, the episodic hypoxia protocol was repeated under three different O₂ tensions. We demonstrate that the magnitude and time course of LTF depend on hypoxic severity, with more intense hypoxia inducing a more potent degree of LTF. We conclude that inspiratory activation is not required for LTF induction, and that hypoxia per se is the physiological stimulus for eliciting hypoxia-induced respiratory LTF.     

经单侧穿刺椎体后凸成形术治疗侧方椎体压缩性骨折

目的研究经单侧椎弓根穿刺椎体后凸成形术治疗侧方骨质疏松性椎体压缩骨折(osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures,OVCF)的疗效。方法选择我院2009年10月~2011年10月收治的30例侧方OVCF患者,随机行凹侧或双侧球囊撑开椎体后凸成形术治疗,分别在术后1、6、12个月进行随访,对椎体高度恢复、脊柱后凸、侧凸Cobb角及并发症进行评价。结果术后1、6、12个月的随访结果比较发现,凹侧撑开及双侧撑开组患者椎体高度均较术前明显恢复(P0.05),脊柱后凸、侧凸Cobb角均较术前明显纠正(P0.05)。术后定期随访无丢失。凹侧撑开组与双侧撑开组之间比较,上述指标差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论经凹侧球囊撑开椎体成形治疗侧方OVCF,与双侧撑开相比疗效相当,可简化手术、缩短手术时间、减小创伤、减少费用,是治疗侧方OVCF的有效方式。     

钙池操纵的钙通道的调控机制

钙池操纵的钙通道(store-operated calciumchannel,SOC)系存在于细胞膜表面的一种新发现的钙通道,它是非兴奋性细胞Ca2 内流的主要通道。SOC的开启是由钙库耗竭所激发,然而,钙库耗竭如何开启SOC仍不十分清楚。文章综述了SOC开启调控机制的有关研究进展。     

Rice as a model for centromere and heterochromatin research

Rice (Oryza sativa) has become an important model plant species in numerous research projects involving genome, molecular and evolutionary biology. In this review we describe the reasons why rice provides an excellent model system for centromere and heterochromatin research. In most multicellular eukaryotes, centromeres and heterochromatic domains contain long arrays of repetitive DNA elements that are recalcitrant to DNA sequencing. In contrast, three rice centromeres and the majority of the cytologically defined heterochromatin in the rice genome have been sequenced to high quality, providing an unparalleled resource compared to other model multicellular eukaryotes. Most importantly, active genes have been discovered in the functional domains of several rice centromeres. The centromeric genes and sequence resources provide an unprecedented opportunity to study function and evolution of centromeres and centromere-associated genes.     

磷酸组织胺诱导的Ⅰ型超敏反应对肝损伤作用的研究

目的:通过观察与Ⅰ型超敏反应相关的生物活性介质--组织胺对家兔肝脏有无直接损伤作用,进一步论证Ⅰ型超敏反应对肝脏的损伤作用.方法:选择34只家兔随机分为对照组、实验Ⅰ组和实验Ⅱ组3组;对照组只进行正常饲料喂养,实验Ⅰ组在正常饲料喂养的同时每天给予0.4μg/kg耳静脉注射磷酸组胺注射液,实验Ⅱ组在正常饲料喂养的同时每天给予0.08 μg/kg耳静脉注射磷酸组胺注射液;动态观察以上3个组的血清谷丙转氨酶(ALT)及血清谷草转氨酶(AST)变化;利用光学显微镜观察以上3个组肝组织的病理变化.结果:无论是实验Ⅰ组或实验Ⅱ组,经过一段时间的观察,发现血清内ALT和AST含量均显着高于对照组(P＜0.01),但Ⅰ、Ⅱ组之间无显着性差异(P＞0.05);实验Ⅰ组和实验Ⅱ组在显微镜下观察,其肝脏均有不同程的损伤和病理改变,且实验Ⅱ组的损伤和变化大于实验Ⅰ组,而对照组的肝脏则无明显的病理变化.结论:组织胺对家兔肝脏确实有一定的损伤作用,而且随着投予剂量和时间的增加,肝脏的损伤和病理变化也越显著;通过本研究,可以得出Ⅰ型超敏反应导致肝脏病理变化及损伤的见解.     

不同栓塞范围的急性肺栓塞动物模型建立

目的：制备不同栓塞范围的急性肺栓塞动物模型,研究血流动力学变化与肺栓塞范围的相关性。方法:经导管注入犬自体血栓选择性栓塞肺动脉，通过控制注入血栓数量、速度，分别建立不同栓塞范围的急性肺栓塞动物模型；比较栓前、栓后15 min、30 min、1 h及2 h血流动力学指标变化，同时观察心脏超声影像学变化。结果:自体血栓均按要求阻塞相应肺动脉，肺栓塞形成后心输出量下降，肺动脉压力及肺毛细血管楔压显著增高，并在0.5 -1 h达到峰值，各血流动力学指标随肺栓塞范围增大而变化更显著。结论:此急性肺栓塞动物模型制作方法确切可行。     

丹参对急性缺血后再灌注心肌磷脂肌醇系统变化的影响

本文首镒报道采用大鼠在体心肌缺血后再灌注模型观察丹参对急性短时间缺血后再灌注心肌磷脂肌醇代谢的影响。结果显示：急性缺血１０ｍｉｎ后灌注１０ｍｉｎ，心肌磷脂肌醇信息传递系统功能明显增强，其磷脂酰肌醇－４，５－二磷酸和肌醇－１，４，５－三磷酸水平显著高于非缺血对照组和缺血组；丹参能显著抑制急性缺血后再灌注心肌磷脂肌醇系统的高功能状态，其ＰＩＰ２和ＩＰ３水平明显低于缺血组和缺血再灌注组。     

An extensive study of human IgE cross-reactivity of Blo t 5 and Der p 5

BACKGROUND: Dual sensitization by Blomia tropicalis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus mites is common in tropical and subtropical countries. The human IgE cross-reactivity between clinical important group 5 allergens, Blo t 5 and Der p 5, remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to assess the levels of the IgE cross-reactivity between Blo t 5 and Der p 5 by using sera from a large cohort of asthmatic children in subtropical and tropical countries. METHODS: Purified recombinant Blo t 5 and Der p 5 were produced in Pichia pastoris and tested against sera from 195 asthmatic children. The IgE cross-reactivity was examined by direct, inhibitory and competitive human IgE enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as well as skin prick tests. RESULTS: The Blo t 5 IgE responses were 91.8% (134 of 146) and 73.5% (36 of 49) for Taiwanese and Malaysian sera, respectively. The Blo t 5 specific IgE titers were significantly higher than those of Der p 5 (P <.02). The correlation of IgE reactivity between Blo t 5 and Der p 5 was low, and only limited cross-reactivity was observed. This was further confirmed by the dose-response inhibition studies. Skin prick tests performed on asthmatic children in Thailand also showed differential IgE response to Blo t 5 and Der p 5. CONCLUSION: By using a large panel of asthmatic sera and a combination of in vitro and in vivo assays, the major allergen of B tropicalis in tropical and subtropical regions, Blo t 5, exhibits low levels of IgE cross-reactivity with homologous Der p 5. These findings suggest that highly specific clinical reagents are necessary for precise diagnosis and immunotherapeutic treatment of sensitization to group 5 mite allergens.     

Timosaponin B-II improves memory and learning dysfunction induced by cerebral ischemia in rats

Sapogenins from Anemarrhenae asphodeloides was reported to improve the learning and memory abilities. In this study, we investigated the effect of Timosaponin B-II(TB-II), a purified extract from A. asphodeloidesb on rat vascular dementia (VD) produced by transient (2 h) middle cerebral artery occlusion. The learning and memory abilities of rats were measured by water maze task and passive avoidance task. Daily oral administration of TB-II at two different dose levels of 100 and 200 mg/kg resulted in a significant improvement of the deficit in the learning of the water maze task, beginning 14 days after ischemia. Shortened mean escape latency was detected in TB-II group compared with model group during the same trial days. TB-II treatment also significantly reversed the ischemia-induced retention deficit determined by a one trial step-down type of passive avoidance task. Meanwhile, the expression of interleukin-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, and its receptor were significantly increased in TB-II treated VD rats. The results presented the first evidence of a neuroprotective effect of TB-II in the model of vascular dementia. We suggest that the anti-dementia effect by TB-II is derived at least in part from its anti-inflammatory properties.