β2-glycoprotein I, anti-β2-glycoprotein I, and fibrinolysis

β₂-glycoprotein-I (β₂GPI) is a phospholipid-binding plasma protein that consists of five homologous domains. Domain V is distinguished from others by bearing a positively charged lysine cluster and hydrophobic extra C-terminal loop. β₂GPI has been known as a natural anticoagulant regulator. β₂GPI exerts anticoagulant activity by inhibition of phospholipid-dependent coagulation reactions such as prothrombinase, tenase, and factor XII activation. It also binds factor XI and inhibits its activation. On the other hand, β₂GPI inhibits anticoagulant activity of activated protein C. According to the data from knockout mice, β₂GPI may contribute to thrombin generation in vivo. Phospholipid-bound β₂GPI is one of the major target antigens for antiphospholipid antibodies present in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Binding of pathogenic anti-β₂GPI antibodies increases the affinity of β₂GPI to the cell surface and disrupts the coagulation/fibrinolysis balance on the cell surface. These pathogenic antibodies activate endothelial cells via signal transduction events in the presence of β₂GPI. Impaired fibrinolysis has been reported in patients with APS. Using a newly developed chromogenic assay, we demonstrated lower activity of intrinsic fibrinolysis in euglobulin fractions from APS patients. Addition of monoclonal anti-β₂GPI antibodies with β₂GPI also decreased fibrinolytic activity in this assay system. β₂GPI is proteolytically cleaved by plasmin in domain V (nicked β₂GPI) and becomes unable to bind to phospholipids, reducing antigenicity against antiphospholipid antibodies. This cleavage occurs in patients with increased fibrinolysis turnover. Nicked β₂GPI binds to plasminogen and suppresses plasmin generation in the presence of fibrin, plasminogen, and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Thus, nicked β₂GPI plays a role in the extrinsic fibrinolysis via a negative feedback pathway loop.     

异丙酚对MPTP损伤的小鼠黑质多巴胺神经元的保护作用

目的　观察异丙酚对 1 甲基 4 苯基 1,2 ,3 ,6 四氢吡啶 (1 methyl 4 phenyl 1,2 ,3 ,6 tetrahydropyridineMPTP)损伤的小鼠纹状体多巴胺神经元的影响以及可能的作用机制。方法　给予Propofol 10 0mg/ (kg·d)后注射MPTP 2 0mg/ (kg·d) ,用药 6d。 12d后分离纹状体应用高效液相 -电化学方法检测纹状体多巴胺、二羟基苯乙酸及高香草酸的含量水平 ,应用12 5I- β-CIT放射性配基和免疫组化的方法检测多巴胺转运蛋白的活性和黑质神经元的损伤情况。结果　异丙酚可增加MPTP模型鼠多巴胺及其代谢产物的含量 ,异丙酚处理组DA ,DOPAC ,HVA的含量分别为 (8.2 417± 1.692 ) μg/ g、(1.3 81± 0 .486) μg/g和 (1.63 3 9± 0 .5 73 ) μg/ g ,与MPTP损伤组比较 ,明显增加。异丙酚亦可抑制黑质酪氨酸羟化酶 (TH)阳性神经元的减少。MPTP组注射MPTP 6d后 ,纹状体DAT为 (5 .3 13± 0 .64 2 )与正常组 (6.992± 0 .5 48) μg/ g比较显著下降 (P <0 .0 1) ,P +M组纹状体DAT为 (6.5 65± 0 .40 5 ) ,明显高于MPTP组 (P <0 .0 1) ,即减轻纹状体内多巴胺转运蛋白密度下降。结论　异丙酚对MPTP损伤的DA神经元具有一定的保护作用 ,其保护作用可能与抑制多巴胺转运蛋白活性有关     

利培酮治疗与细胞色素P4502D6/C188T酶基因多态性的关联分析

目的　研究利培酮临床效应的个体差异与其代谢酶细胞色素P4 5 0 2D6 (cytochromeP4 5 02D6 ,CYP2D6 )酶基因多态性的相关性。方法　对 88例符合CCMD 3精神分裂症诊断标准的患者和 96例健康对照者作病例 -对照分析。精神分裂症患者给予利培酮治疗 8周 ,用阳性和阴性症状量表 (posi tiveandnegativesymptomscale ,PANSS)评分评价利培酮疗效。采用聚合酶链反应扩增及限制性片段长度多态性 (PCR RFLP)技术对CYP2D6exonⅠ的C188T位点突变进行检测 ,分析利培酮临床效应与其主要代谢酶CYP2D6 /C188T酶基因多态性的相关性。结果　中国上海地区人群的CYP2D6 /C188T突变率(弱代谢型 )为 36 .3% ,病例组和正常对照组间基因型频率总体分布比较无显著差异 (χ2 =1.15 ,df=2 ,P >0 .0 5 ) ,两组间的等位基因频率之间比较也无显著性差异 (χ2 =0 .78,df=1,P >0 .0 5 )。进行性别及有否家族史分组后分析 ,亦无差异存在 ,且CYP2D6 /C188T突变与利培酮临床效应之间并无相关性 (χ2 =1.12 ,df=2 ;χ2 =0 .0 3,df=1,P >0 .0 5 )。结论　未发现中国人CYP2D6 /C188T多态性与利培酮临床效应的个体差异有相关性。     

可逆性胆碱酯酶抑制剂的研究:2-氧化-1,3,2-二氧磷杂环己烷类化合物的合成

本文报道2-氧化-1,3,2-二氧磷杂环己烷类衍生物的合成,希望寻找效果较好的可逆性胆碱酯酶抑制剂。初步药理实验证明,所合成的大部分化合物具有一定的抑制乙酰胆碱酯酶的作用,且毒性较低。通过对中间体Ⅱ进行质谱分析,发现该类化合物中大部分存在M-57碎片离子峰,利用高分辨质谱和亚稳离子测定,确定了该碎片离子的生成过程。     

An immunohistochemical study of MAP2 and clathrin in gerbil hippocampus after cerebral ischemia

Changes in MAP2 and clathrin immunoreactivity were studied in gerbil hippocampus after transient cerebral ischemia. MAP2 immuno-reactivity decreased significantly by 1 h in the subiculum-CA1 and CA2 areas which correspond to reactive change, while no decrease was observed in CA1 until day 4. Before the initiation of delayed neuronal death, MAP2 immunoreactivity was not changed in CA1. On the other hand clathrin immunoreactivity increased in the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 by 3 h after ischemia and remained high for 2 days. Clathrin immunoreactivity in the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 diminished after delayed neuronal death. The transient change of clathrin was noted especially in CA1 in the period prior to delayed neuronal death. These results imply an abnormal change in clathrin turnover after ischemia, which may participate in the pathogenesis of delayed neuronal death.     

Altered genetic response to beta-adrenergic receptor activation in late passage C6 glioma cells.

Previous studies have demonstrated variability in the phenotype of rat C6 glioma cells. In the present study, we compared morphology, growth rate, and beta-adrenergic regulation of gene expression in early (P39-47) and late (P55-90) passage C6 cells. Morphological changes were observed in five independently derived, late passage populations. In four of the five, the untreated cells were more polygonal than the fibroblast-like parental cells, and only a small fraction exhibited process outgrowth after dbcAMP treatment. Untreated cells from the fifth late passage population had longer cytoplasmic processes than parental cells and responded to dbcAMP with further process outgrowth. All late passage populations had shorter generation times than the parental cells. In early passage cells, treatment with the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (IPR), resulted in an increase in c-fos mRNA and a decrease in c-jun mRNA (Gu-bits RM, Yu H: J Neurosci Res, 30:625-630, 1991). Both of these immediate early gene responses were irreversibly lost between P50 and P55. Additional differences in basal or IPR-induced mRNA levels were observed for beta-APP, GFAP, NGF, and PPE, but not for a number of other mRNAs. These results are discussed in relationship to previously described differences in the ability of early and late passage C6 cells to accumulate cAMP (Mallorga P, et al.: Biochim Biophys Acta 678:221-229, 1981).     

Effect of prostaglandin E1 on graft function of kidneys from living related donors

Prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁) was used in renal transplant recipients with living related donors. The drug was given intravenously from day 1 to day 7 after transplantation at a dose of 40 µg/kg twice a day. A total of 45 patients were studied divided into two groups: 25 patients were treated with PGE₁ (group B) and the remaining 20 patients did not receive the drug (group A). In group B, 24-h creatinine clearance (Ccr) was 66 ± 12.8 ml/min compared with 40.3 ± 13.4 ml/min in group A on the fifth postoperative day (P < 0.05). Urinary levels of N-acetyl-β-d -glucosaminidase (NAG) and serum levels of platelet factor 4 (PF4) in group B were significantly lower than in group A. On the fourth postoperative day, the urinary excretion of thromboxan B₂ (TxB₂) in group A was higher than in group B, but not significantly (5.1 ± 3.0 ng/day and 2.8 ± 1.1 ng/day, respectively). Acute rejection occurred in four patients in group B and in 10 patients (40%) in group A. The percentage of Leu2a-positive lymphocytes in group B was higher than in group A. We conclude that postoperative administration of PGE₁ improves graft function in kidneys from living related donors.     

Regulation of neurotransmitter enzyme by quisqualate subtype glutamate receptors in cultured cerebellar and hippocampal neurons

The possible involvement of ionotropic and metabotropic quisqualate (QA) receptors in neuronal plasticity was studied in cultured glutamtergic cerebellar or hippocampal cells in terms of the specific activity of phosphate-activated glutaminase, an enzyme important in the synthesis of the putative neurotransmitter pool of glutamate. When cerebellar of hippocampal neurons were treated with QA, it elevated the specific activity of glutaminase in a dose-dependent manner. The half-maximal effect was obtained at about 0.1 μM, the maximum increase was at about 1 μM, but levels higher than 10 μM QA produced progressive reduction in glutaminase activity. In contrast, QA had little effects on the activities of lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase and the amount of protein, indicating that the increase in glutaminase was relatively specific. The QA-mediated increase in glutaminase was mimicked by the ionotropic QA receptor agonist -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA; EC₅₀, about 0.5 μM), but not by the metabotropic QA receptor agonist trans-(±)-1-aino-cyclopentyl-1,3,dicarboxyalte (t-ACPD; up to 0.5 mM). The specific ionotropic QA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) inhibited QA- and AMPA-mediated increases in glutaminase activity in a dose-dependent manner, whereas other glutamate receptor antagonists, -2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate, γ- -glutamyl aminomethyl sulphonic acid and γ- -glutamyl diethyl ester were ineffective. The elevation of neurotransmitter enzyme was Ca²⁺-dependent. The increase in Ca²⁺ influx essentially through the activation of L-type voltage-operated Ca²⁺ channels, and not the mobilization of internal Ca²⁺ stores, was responsible for these QA receptor-mediated long-term plastic changes in hippocampal and cerebellar neurons.     

Breast Cancer Genes

Abstract: The identification of familial breast cancer genes heralds an era of directed breast cancer treatment. Currently, two hereditary breast cancer genes have been identified, BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 . Although accounting for only approximately 5% of all breast cancers, they are being used to identify women with germ-line alterations that are at high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. With the identification of such genes comes a need for consideration of the ethical issues associated with testing. These genes are also being examined from a biochemical standpoint encompassing both their biological roles and biochemical pathways in which they reside. Such studies are likely to lead to novel breast cancer therapies.     

Expression of CD44V2 in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder and in urine

CD44 is the principal cell surface receptor for hyaluronate. Variant forms of the receptor, produced by alternative splicing, have been found to be associated with tumor progression in a variety of cancers. Based on investigations at the RNA level, it has recently been proposed that expression of CD44 variant V2 was present in urothelial cancer but not in normal urothelium. Since a distinctive marker for urothelial cancer would be extremely useful, frozen sections of normal urothelium and urothelial cancer were examined for expression of standard CD44 and CD44V2. Frozen sections of specimens of 35 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, 16 specimens of normal bladder and 5 ureters were examined. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using a polyclonal antibody to CD44V2 (PAB CD44V2), a monoclonal antibody to CD44V2 (MAB CD44V2) and a monoclonal antibody to CD44S (MAB CD44S). CD44V2 and CD44S were also measured in lysates of urine sediments from 21 patients by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). All investigated transitional cell carcinomas expressed CD44V2. There was no differentiation between invasive and noninvasive carcinoma. CD44V2 was also expressed in normal urothelium. Standard CD44 was expressed by the transitional cell carcinoma, normal urothelium, musculature and interstitial tissue. The amount of CD44V2 and CD44S in lysates of urine sediments is not correlated to diagnosis. In contrast to investigations at the RNA level, CD44V2 on the protein level seems not to be a distinctive marker for urothelial cancer. Therefore, CD44V2 will not be a useful diagnostic marker for detection of transitional cell carcinoma.