Buspirone does not produce a 5-HT1A-mediated decrease in temperature in man

Summary Buspirone, a putative serotonin (5-HT)_1A partial agonist, did not produce hypothermia in 17 normal volunteers in a placebo controlled, single blind study. Thus, buspirone may be a weaker agonist at those 5-HT_1A receptors which mediate hypothermia compared to ipsapirone or gepirone, two other 5-HT_1A partial agonists which have been reported to produce hypothermia by a 5-HT_1A-mediated mechanism.     

冷冻(断裂)复型电镜技术的应用

本文简单介绍冷冻断裂复型电镜技术在国内、外的概况,並阐明了该项新技术的独特作用和具体的操作步骤;在制作生物样品时所需的仪器设备和试剂的配制等内容。     

2-mercaptopropionate,a novel metabolite formed during treatment with 2-mercaptopropionyl-glycine in cystinuria

Summary A new acid thiol, 2-mercaptopropionate, has been identified by GC-MS in urine from cystinuric patients on treatment with 2-mercaptopropionylglycine. The amount excreted was 50–300 µmol/24 h and it was correlated with the oral dose of 2-mercaptopropionyl-glycine. The observation may be of clinical importance as the metabolite could be a potential hazard in oxidation of fatty acids.     

Recombinant α2(IV)NC1 domain of type IV collagen is an effective regulator of retinal capillary endothelial cell proliferation and inhibits pre-retinal neovascularisation

Background A recombinant form of the α2(IV)NC1 domain of type IV collagen has been shown to have potent anti-angiogenic activity although this peptide has not been studied in the context of proliferative retinopathies. In the current investigation we examined the potential for α2(IV)NC1 to regulate retinal microvascular endothelial cell function using a range of in vitro and in vivo assay systems. Materials and methods α2(IV)NC1 at concentrations between 0.1 and 1 μg/ml was added to retinal microvascular endothelial cells (RMECs) followed by assessment of cell attachment, proliferation and survival. This agent was also tested within a novel in vitro three-dimensional retinal angiogenesis assay and the number of angiogenic sprouts quantified. α2(IV)NC1 was also delivered intra-vitreally to mice with oxygen-induced proliferative retinopathy (OIR) and neovascularisation evaluated in comparison with vehicle-treated controls. Results RMECs treated with α2(IV)NC1 (0.1, 0.5 and 1 μg/ml) showed delayed attachment at 3 h post-seeding, although this deficit had been restored at the 6-h time point. BrdU assay of DNA replication revealed that confluent RMECs treated with α2(IV)NC1 showed no measurable response in comparison with vehicle-treated controls. By contrast, proliferation of sub-confluent RMECs was significantly reduced by α2(IV)NC1 at 0.5 μg/ml (P<0.01). α2(IV)NC1 also induced apoptosis in RMECs and inhibited angiogenesis of pre-existing retinal vascular networks in vitro (P<0.001). Intra-vitreal injection of α2(IV)NC1 in the OIR model significantly inhibited pre-retinal neovascularisation compared with vehicle-treated controls (P<0.001). Conclusion α2(IV)NC1 inhibits angiogenesis in the retinal microvasculature. This recombinant protein has potential for the treatment of neovascularisation in proliferative retinopathies. BioStratum Inc. did not sponsor this research in any way. None of the authors are paid consultants with this company.     

Singularities explained: Response to Klein.

Klein [Klein, A. S. (2006). Separating transducer nonlinearities and multiplicative noise in contrast discrimination. Vision Research, 46, 4279-4293] questions the existence of intrinsic singularities in two-alternative force-choice (2AFC) Signal Detection Theory (SDT) models, suggesting that the singularities found in Katkov et al. [Katkov, M., Tsodyks, M., & Sagi, D. (2006a). Singularities in the inverse modeling of 2AFC contrast discrimination data. Vision Research, 46, 259-266; Katkov, M., Tsodyks, M., & Sagi, D. (2006b). Analysis of two-alternative force-choice Signal Detection Theory model. Journal of Mathematical Psychology, 50, 411-420] are due to discarding higher order terms in the Taylor expansion of d' and/or limited to steep psychometric functions. Here we provide some simple intuitive examples that illustrate the results described in Katkov et al. (2006a, 2006b). We show, for the constant noise model, that singularities exist when exact values of d' are computed and that the singularities are not limited to steep psychometric functions. In these cases the disambiguation of the different models requires millions of trials.     

基质金属蛋白酶-2和血管内皮生长因子在子宫内膜异位症中的表达

目的:探讨MMP-2、VEGF在内异症发生、发展中的作用及相互影响,为内异症的临床诊断和治疗提供科学依据和新思路。方法:SP法检测76例异位内膜、64例在位内膜及72例子宫肌瘤患者(对照组)子宫内膜组织中VEGF、MMP-2的表达。结果:①MMP-2表达异位内膜组强于在位内膜组和对照组;增生期异位内膜组与在位内膜组和对照组之间差异有显著性,分泌期各组内膜之间差异无显著性;正常内膜与在位内膜组分泌期高于增生期,而异位内膜组增生期和分泌期均呈高表达状态。②VEGF表达强度异位内膜组、在位内膜组和对照组依次减弱;增生期异位内膜强于在位内膜和对照组内膜,分泌期异位和在位内膜强于对照组;异位和在位内膜组分泌期强于增生期,对照组增生期和分泌期表达均较弱。③VEGF与MMP-2之间存在正相关关系。结论:MMP-2、VEGF与子宫内膜异位症的发生、发展有关,二者之间存在相互作用。     

Investigation of the negative chronotropic action of SK&F 86466 in the pithed normotensive rat

SK&F 86466, 6-chloro-3-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1-H-3-benzazepine, is a potent and selective antagonist of the α₂-adrenoceptor in vitro. This compound produced a small pressor response accompanied by a marked bradycardia when administered i.v. to the pithed normotensive rat. The pressor response was not affected by reserpine treatment, pretreatment with α- or β-adrenoceptor antagonists, atropine, or hexamethonium. The bradycardia was markedly reduced by bilateral vagotomy and pretreatment with atropine and attenuated by hexamethonium. The negative chronotropic action of SK&F 86466 was abolished by a combination of vagotomy and atropine. Mediation of the bradycardia by a baroreceptor reflex was ruled out by the observations that a lack of change in heart rate was associated with the vasopressor response to phenylephrine in the pithed rat pretreated with propranolol. It is concluded that the negative chronotropic action of SK&F 86466 in the pithed rat is mediated indirectly by activation of the cholinergic innervation of the heart.     

The effect of ageing on the pharmacokinetics of dihydrocodeine

Summary Although poor renal function reduces clearance of dihydrocodeine in man, and renal impairment occurs with ageing, no significant differences occurred in the handling of single doses of dihydrocodeine between elderly patients and young, normal subjects.After multiple dosing, the maximum concentration was significantly different between the groups, being higher in the elderly. The increase in the area under the curve in the elderly was 25% greater than in the young on chronic therapy. This difference was not statistically significant, but was likely to be of clinical significance.The elderly patients' mean creatinine clearance (61.8 ml per min) was significantly lower than that in the young (137 ml per min), and there was a significant correlation between the half-life at single dosing and the blood urea concentration.Variability in all measurements was marked in both groups, and hence no clear guidelines can be given on therapeutic dosing. The small initial dose with alterations thereafter depending on clinical effect is the best advice.     

反式二羟环氧苯并芘对人支气管上皮细胞中HER2/neu基因表达的影响

目的探讨环境致癌物苯并(a)芘代谢物反式二羟环氧苯并芘(BPDE)对人支气管上皮细胞HER2/neu基因表达的影响。方法利用半定量RT-PCR、SYBR GreenI实时定量RT-PCR(QRT-PCR)、Western blot及免疫细胞化学方法分别检测经2.0μmol/L反式BPDE诱发人支气管上皮细胞恶性转化细胞(16HBE-T)与对照DMSO溶剂组未恶性转化细胞(16HBE-N)之间HER2/neu基因mRNA和蛋白表达水平的差异,及两组细胞内HER2/neu蛋白表达定位分析。结果经几种不同方法检测反式BPDE恶性转化人支气管上皮细胞中HER2/neu基因mRNA和蛋白水平都比对照溶剂组细胞(16HBE-N)表达显著升高(P<0.05)。HER2/neu蛋白定位在胞膜。结论反式BPDE诱发人支气管上皮细胞恶性转化存在HER2/neu表达增高,其可能与原癌基因HER2/neu被激活作用有关。     

JX-1对雄性小鼠生殖细胞致突变作用的研究

本文采用小鼠精子试验和小鼠睾丸DNA合成抑制试验,检测了JX-1对雄性生殖细胞的致突变作用。实验结果表明JX-1对小鼠精子总数、精子活动率及精子畸形率均无统计学意义的增加,与小鼠睾丸DNA合成抑制试验阴性反应一致。作者认为JX-1对雄性生殖细胞为一种非诱变剂。