多发性硬化患者中IL-12和孕酮的检测及其临床意义

目的检测IL-12和孕酮在多发性硬化(MS)患者中的水平,探讨男、女性多发性硬化患者存在的发病机制,比较男、女性MS患者在临床上发病的差异。方法采用酶联免疫(ELISA)法检测60例MS患者的脑脊液和40例患者血液中IL-12的水平,应用放射免疫法测定40例MS患者血液中孕酮的含量,并与40例正常对照组比较(以上标本男女各半)。结果男、女性MS患者血液中和脑脊液IL-12的含量明显高于正常对照组(P<0.01);女性患者血液中孕酮的含量明显低于正常对照组(P<0.01),男性患者血液中孕酮的含量与正常对照组差别不明显(P>0.05);女性患者血液中孕酮对IL-12的含量存在负相相关作用(r=-0.80,P<0.01),男性相关作用不明显(r=-0.38,P>0.05)。结论IL-12参与多发性硬化的发病过程;孕酮可能是男、女性患者发病差异性的原因之一。     

Hepatic UDP-glucose 13C isotopomers from [U-13C]glucose: a simple analysis by 13C NMR of urinary menthol glucuronide.

Menthol glucuronide was isolated from the urine of a healthy 70-kg female subject following ingestion of 400 mg of peppermint oil and 6 g of 99% [U-(13)C]glucose. Glucuronide (13)C-excess enrichment levels were 4-6% and thus provided high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for confident assignment of (13)C-(13)C spin-coupled multiplet components within each (13)C resonance by (13)C NMR. The [U-(13)C]glucuronide isotopomer derived via direct pathway conversion of [U-(13)C]glucose to [U-(13)C]UDP-glucose was resolved from [1,2,3-(13)C(3)]- and [1,2-(13)C(2)]glucuronide isotopomers derived via Cori cycle or indirect pathway metabolism of [U-(13)C]glucose. In a second study, a group of four overnight-fasted patients (63 +/- 10 kg) with severe heart failure were given peppermint oil and infused with [U-(13)C]glucose for 4 hr (14 mg/kg prime, 0.12 mg/kg/min constant infusion) resulting in a steady-state plasma [U-(13)C]glucose enrichment of 4.6% +/- 0.6%. Menthol glucuronide was harvested and glucuronide (13)C-isotopomers were analyzed by (13)C NMR. [U-(13)C]glucuronide enrichment was 0.6% +/- 0.1%, and the sum of [1,2,3-(13)C(3)] and [1,2-(13)C(2)]glucuronide enrichments was 0.9% +/- 0.2%. From these data, flux of plasma glucose to hepatic UDPG was estimated to be 15% +/- 4% that of endogenous glucose production (EGP), and the Cori cycle accounted for at least 32% +/- 10% of GP.     

Keratin 13基因在喉癌发生中的作用

探讨keratin 13基因在喉癌发生中的作用。方法在keratin 13基因内部及附近选择5个微卫星引物进行LOH分析，于DNA水平间接检测100例喉癌患者中该基因的缺失情况。结果5个STR位点均存在LOH，其中D17S1964E、D17S2092、D17S791、D17S1665及D17S808位点的LOH频率分别为30．48％、26．02％、21．62％、37．66%和21．51％，以D17S1665位点的LOH频率最高，杂合性丢失与临床分期无显著相关。结论Keratin13基因在喉癌的发生中具有重要作用，具体机制有待进一步研究。     

白介素-12家族与实验性自身免疫性脑脊髓炎的研究进展

实验性自身免疫性脑脊髓炎(EAE)是自身反应性CD4+T细胞,即辅助性T细胞(Th细胞)介导的自身免疫性中枢神经系统脱髓鞘性炎症,在EAE的发病中,Th细胞分泌的细胞因子起了重要的调节作用。白介素-12(IL-12)家族由IL-12和最近发现的白介素-23(IL-23)、白介素-27(IL-27)组成,是一类结构相似、具有共价结合的杂化双链的细胞因子,在细胞免疫尤其是Th1型炎症反应中,起重要的调节作用。本文综合论述了IL-12家族各成员与EAE的关系的研究,揭示了各因子在EAE发生发展中的作用。     

支气管哮喘患者白细胞介素4和白细胞介素13测定的临床意义

目的:探讨血清中白细胞介素4(IL-4)和白细胞介素13(IL-13)在支气管哮喘发病中的作用.方法:本研究对临床确诊的支气管哮喘46例,与正常对照组46例,分别抽取血清采用 ELISA 法测定其 IL-4、IL-13的含量.结果:支气管哮喘急性发作期病人和对照组正常人血清中的 IL-4水平分别为(460.84±27.11)和(132.97±24.66) ng/L,二组经 t 检验后 P＜0.001.两组 IL-13 的水平分别为(23.76±5.44)和(12.61±2.49) ng/L,二组经 t 检验后 P＜0.001.结论:哮喘病人 IL-4、IL-13 明显高于对照组,提示 IL-4、IL-13 对哮喘发病有一定的调控作用,对支气管哮喘气道非特异性炎症和局部免疫反应起重要作用.     

Effect of amyloid peptides on the increase in TrkA receptor expression induced by nicotine in vitro and in vivo

The ability of nicotine to induce a cytoprotective or neuroprotective action occurs through several down-stream mechanisms. One possibility is that the drug increases the expression of tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors. Certain β-amyloid peptides (e.g., Aβ1–42) have been shown to bind with high affinity to α7 nicotinic receptors and thus interfere with a potentially neurotrophic influence. Treatment of differentiated PC-12 cells with nicotine produced a concentration-dependent increase in cell-surface TrkA receptors that occurred concomitantly with cytoprotection. The effect of nicotine was blocked by either of the α7 receptor antagonists α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX) or methyllycaconatine. The cytoprotective action of nicotine also was inhibited by pretreatment with 10–100 nM Aβ1–42. Nicotine also was administered (four injections of 30 μg, spaced evenly over 24 h) to rats by direct injection into a lateral cerebral ventricle. Brain TrkA expression was increased significantly in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (up to 32% above control), with no changes found in cerebral cortex or hypothalamus. The nicotine-induced increases in TrKA expression in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex were significantly inhibited by 10 μg α-BTX or by 10 nmol Aβ1–42. Therefore, physiologically relevant concentrations of Aβ1–42 can prevent nicotine-induced TrkA receptor expression in brain regions containing cholinergic neurons susceptible to the neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer’s disease.     

喷雾(冰冻)干燥法制备钠、锂快离子导体

对两种性能较好的快离子导体Na_3Zr_2Si_2P_3O_(12)(Nasicon)和Li_(1.8)Ti_(1.2)·Cr_(0.8)P_3O_(12)用喷雾干燥法和冰冻干燥法制备粉料和陶瓷烧结,并对样品进行了X射线衍射分析,形貌和显微结构观察以及阻抗谱测量等。实验结果表明:两种方法制备的粉料具有颗粒细,均匀性好,合成温度低等优点。在300℃时,两种样品的电阻半分别为10.05 Ω.cm和94.8 Ω.cm。激活能分别为0.25 eV和0.27ev。     

The growth and development of vegan children

The results of prospective study on the growth and diets, estimated from 7-day weighed food intake records, of 20 life vegan children (aged 5.8–12.8 years) are presented. The growth and development of the children were normal but they tended to be lighter in weight and exceptionally lean compared with standards. Heights were around the median of the Tanner-Whitehouse standards but were lower than the medians recently proposed by the Department of Health. Energy intakes were similar to those reported in children of the same age in the general population, but dietary fibre intakes were very high which may have influenced the digestible energy. Sugar provided an average 15.6% of the dietary energy and this was supplied mainly by fruit and fruit juice. Mean fat intakes were close to the dietary reference values. Daily intakes of essential nutrients generally met the amounts recommended, with the exceptions of calcium and vitamin B₁₂. Many children received supplementary sources of vitamin B₁₂ and only two children had intakes below the lower recommended nutrient intake. Intakes of saturated fatty acids were low and those of linoleic acid were high. The ratio of linoleic/α-linolenic acid was high. As docosahexaenoic acid is absent from vegan diets, it is suggested that vegans should use oils with a lower ratio of linoleic/α-linolenic acid. Future studies should also consider the influence of a vegan diet on retinal function. None of the children was immunized against whooping cough and 11 had not been immunized against polio: 16 of the children had suffered from whooping cough. Future studies need to take into account factors other than diet when assessing the health of vegans. The results of this study show that children can be successfully reared on a vegan diet providing sufficient care is taken to avoid the known pitfalls of a bulky diet and vitamin B₁₂ deficiency.     

Pheophytin a, a low molecular weight compound found in the marine brown alga Sargassum fulvellum, promotes the differentiation of PC12 cells

We identified and characterized a neurodifferentiation compound from the marine brown alga Sargassum fulvellum collected from the Japanese coastline. Several instrumental analyses revealed the compound to be pheophytin a. Pheophytin a did not itself promote neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. However, when PC12 cells were treated with a low concentration of pheophytin a (3.9 microg/ml) in the presence of a low level of nerve growth factor (10 ng/ml), the compound produced neurite outgrowth similar to that produced by a high level of nerve growth factor (50 ng/ml). Pheophytin a also enhanced signal transduction in the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, which is also induced by nerve growth factor. The effect of pheophytin a on neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells was completely blocked by U0126, a representative mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor. These results suggest that pheophytin a enhances the neurodifferentiation of PC12 cells in the presence of a low level of nerve growth factor and that this effect is mediated by activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.