Immunogold localisation of laminin in normal and exfoliative iris.

Immunoelectron microscopic studies of exfoliative iris tissue (seven specimens) revealed the presence of laminin in the fibrillar component of exfoliation material. The immunogold label was uniformly distributed on the exfoliation fibres. Deposition of laminin labelled exfoliation material in the dilator muscle was a noteworthy feature, as was an apparent depletion of laminin in the basement membranes of ostensibly unaffected vessels. In control iris tissue (five enucleated eyes) laminin was identified in the basement membrane round vascular contractile cells, but not beneath the endothelium.     

Biocatalytic synthesis of acrylates in supercritical fluids: tuning enzyme activity by changing pressure.

Supercritical fluids are a unique class of nonaqueous media in which biocatalytic reactions can occur. The physical properties of supercritical fluids, which include gas-like diffusivities and liquid-like densities, can be predictably controlled with changing pressure. This paper describes how adjustment of pressure, with the subsequent predictable changes of the dielectric constant and Hildebrand solubility parameter for fluoroform, ethane, sulfur hexafluoride, and propane, can be used to manipulate the activity of lipase in the transesterification of methylmethacrylate with 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. Of particular interest is that the dielectric constant of supercritical fluoroform can be tuned from approximately 1 to 8, merely by increasing pressure from 850 to 4000 psi (from 5.9 to 28 MPa). The possibility now exists to predictably alter both the selectivity and the activity of a biocatalyst merely by changing pressure.     

Increased prevalence of undernutrition in Parkinson's disease and its relationship to clinical disease parameters

Summary An anthropometric study was performed in 95 subjects (53 male, 42 female) with Parkinson's disease. Weight, height, triceps and biceps skin-fold thicknesses, and mid-arm circumference were recorded. A high incidence of undernutrition was found (23.6% of males and 22.5% of females, as defined by recent British guidelines). A subgroup of severely disabled patients with Parkinson's disease had a significantly lower mean body mass index than a similarly disabled control group with chronic pyramidal upper motor neuron lesions (males 20.6v 23.2 kg/m² p<0.05; females 20.6v 26.6 kg/m² p<0.01), suggesting that the undernutrition is not due to chronic illness or immobility alone. Correlation between anthropometric indices and clinical features of disease demonstrated that the presence of moderate or severe dyskinetic movements was the clinical parameter most strongly related to undernutrition. The reduction in anthropometric indices was most marked for skin fold thickness (related to percentage body fat) and least for arm muscle circumference (related to lean body mass); therefore the weight loss seen in Parkinson's disease is primarily due to fat loss rather than muscle loss.     

Vasonatrin peptide: a unique synthetic natriuretic and vasorelaxing peptide.

This study reports the cardiovascular and renal actions of a novel and newly synthesized 27-amino acid peptide termed vasonatrin peptide (VNP). VNP is a chimera of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). This synthetic peptide possesses the 22-amino acid structure of CNP, which is a cardiovascular selective peptide of endothelial origin and is structurally related to ANP. VNP also possesses the five-amino acid COOH terminus of ANP. The current study demonstrates both in vitro and in vivo that VNP possesses the venodilating actions of CNP, the natriuretic actions of ANP, and unique arterial vasodilating actions not associated with either ANP or CNP.     

血脂调节剂的研究——Ⅰ.HMG-CoA还原酶抑制剂M-8614A及MH-2688B产生菌的筛选

利用酶联免疫吸附测定法,酶标β-羟基β-甲基-戊二酸单酰铺酶A(HMG-CoA)还原酶抑制剂Compactin抗体,定向筛选血脂调节剂。从青霉M-8614菌株发酵液中分离到M-8614A。该物质理化性质及波谱解释表明与Mevastatin为同一物质。 M-8614菌株用亚硝酸盐等诱变剂处理,从诱变株MH-2688发酵液中分离到MH-2688B。该物质理化性质及波谱解释表明与Lovastatin为同一物质。     

Quinidine kinetics after a single oral dose in relation to the sparteine oxidation polymorphism in man.

The kinetics at a single oral dose (400 mg) of quinidine were studied in four extensive metabolizers (EM) and four poor metabolizers (PM) of sparteine. The clearance of quinidine by 3-hydroxylation was significantly lower in PM than in EM, but the difference was small (25-30%). This finding suggests that 3-hydroxylation, in part, is catalyzed by the same isoenzyme of cytochrome P450, P450db1 which oxidizes sparteine. Otherwise, no significant phenotypic differences in total or metabolic clearance were found and it is concluded that the metabolism of quinidine is largely carried out by P450 isoenzymes different from P450db1. A biexponential decline in the log plasma quinidine concentration vs time curves was observed in all subjects, and the mean elimination half-life was 11-12 h. This is about twice as long as generally reported in the literature.     

蚓激酶生物活性检测方法的研究

本文采用组织纤溶酶原激活剂（ＴＰＡ）─纤维蛋白平板法测定蚓激酶的生物活性。该法操作简便，易于观察，重现性好。