Tissue specific susceptibility of alpha-adrenoceptor mediated vasoconstriction to nifedipine

Summary The influence of the calcium antagonist nifedipine on ₁- and ₁-adrenoceptor vasoconstrictor effects was investigated in vitro. Changes in tension were monitored isometrically on helical strips of canine circumflex coronary and saphenous arteries suspended in 10 ml organ baths and of saphenous veins superfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution. Distinction between ₁- and ₂-adrenoceptor was made by using selective -adrenoceptor blocking drugs such as rauwolscine, yohimbine, corynanthine and prazosin, and the agonists noradrenaline, phenylephrine and guanfacine. In venous and both arterial vascular smooth muscles, the contractile process could be triggered by stimulation of both ₁- and ₂-like adrenoceptors. Nifedipine inhibited the venoconstrictor response to the ₂-agonist guanfacine, leaving that to the ₁-agonist phenylephrine unchanged. In saphenous arteries, nifedipine in addition to guanfacine also antagonized constrictor responses to phenylephrine, though to a significantly weaker extent. In circumflex coronary arteries, nifedipine was equally potent in antagonizing responses to both ₁- and ₂-adrenoceptor stimulation.It is suggested that the susceptibility of -adrenoceptormediated vasoconstrictor effects to blockade by calcium antagonists depends not only on the subtype of -adrenoceptor but, in addition, on the type and origin of vascular smooth muscle and may be a reflection of tissue variations in intracellular calcium stores.     

Production of 5–15 µm Diameter Alginate-Polylysine Microcapsules by an Air-Atomization Technique

A novel method of preparing small-sized microcapsules using a Turbotak air-atomizer is reported. Alginate-polylysine microcapsules containing Bacillus Calmette Guérin vaccine have been prepared by an adaptation of the method of Lim (1) which allows the manufacture of small-sized microcapsules. A Turbotak is used to spray sodium alginate solution into calcium chloride solution to form temporary calcium alginate microgel capsules. These temporary microgel droplets are subsequently cross-linked with polylysine to form permanent membranes. Microcapules in the size range of 5–15 µm have been produced which can be compared to an average diameter of 300 µm obtained by the method reported by Lim. The microcapsule size is dependent on the conditions of operation of the Turbotak and the concentration of the sodium alginate solution. Particles within the size range 5–15 µm can be reproducibly manufactured using the conditions of operation reported here. Other size ranges below the minimum of 300 µm reported by Lim are also feasible using this technique.     

Evaluation of cellular viability by quantitative autoradiographic study of myocardial uptake of a fatty acid analogue in isoproterenol-induced focal rat heart necrosis

Previous studies led us to hypothesize that a fatty acid analogue, 15-p-iodophenyl--methyl pentadecanoic acid (IMPPA or BMIPP), which is taken up but not quickly metabolized by heart cells, would be a more suitable tracer of cellular viability than thallium-201. Biodistribution studies of 1-¹⁴C-IMPPA in conscious, freely moving rats showed that the concentration ratio of radioactivity in the heart with respect to the blood was about 8 for at least 60 min after intravenous administration, permitting its use as a putative tracer in these conscious, freely moving rats. Thereafter, the myocardial uptake of¹⁴C-IMPPA was studied in isoproterenol-treated rats (daily treatment for 10 days in order to induce cardiac hypertrophy and necrotic foci) with respect to control ones. Comparison of myocardial localizations by quantitative autoradiography of the uptake of²⁰¹Tl and¹⁴C-IMPPA with that of triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining enabled comparative evaluation of nutritional blood flow, localization and uptake of¹⁴C-IMPPA and necrotic foci size. Distributions of¹⁴C-IMPPA and²⁰¹1 T1 in control rats' hearts were homogeneous, like TTC staining. In infarcted hearts, areas of decreased¹⁴C-IMPPA uptake were nearly the same (100%±5%) as those unstained by TTC. These areas were larger than those showing a decrease in thallium uptake (about 70%±5% of the total scar size). Therefore, IMPPA seems to be a more accurate and sensitive indicator of necrosis localization compared with thallium. It may be a useful agent for assessment of myocardial viability by single photon emission tomography (SPET) imaging.     

p16和p15第二外显子HapⅡ位点在成人急性髓性白血病中的突变

目的　探讨p16和p15基因第二外显子HapⅡ位点在成人急性髓性白血病 (AML)中的突变。方法　用甲基敏感和甲基非敏感限制性内切酶切消化基因组DNA后 ,经PCR扩增和琼脂糖电泳研究 3 1例AML中无p16/p15基因第二外显子缺失的患者中HapⅡ位点的突变情况。结果　在 3 1例成人AML样本中 ,p16E2 的 4个HapⅡ位点和p15E2 的 6个HapⅡ位点均未发生突变。结论　本研究提示p16和p15基因第二外显子中因甲基化而引起的CCGG位点的突变在成人AML患者中不是主要失活方式。     

傍刺天柱穴为主治疗颈性眩晕疗效观察

目的 :观察多针刺法与单刺法的效应差异。方法 :将 62例确诊为颈性眩晕的病人随机分为2组 :治疗组以傍刺天柱穴为主 ;对照组取穴与治疗组同 ,均按常规单刺 ,对治疗后 2组病人的主要症状进行评估 ,同时分别经颅脑多普勒检查 ,观察双侧椎动脉、椎 基底动脉的平均血流速。结果 :治疗后 2组均有显著疗效 (P <0 0 5) ;治疗后 2组椎动脉、椎 基底动脉平均血流速有明显改善 (P <0 0 1 ,P <0 0 5) ,2组间比较显示总有效率及颅脑多普勒指标差异均有显著性意义 (P <0 0 5)。结论 :傍针刺较单刺法在治疗颈性眩晕时更有效     

Genetic Variations in Bone Density, Histomorphometry, and Strength in Mice

The purpose of this study was to assess breed-related differences in bone histomorphometry, bone biomechanics, and serum biochemistry in three mouse breeds shown to differ in bone mineral density (BMD) (as measured by DXA) and bone mineral content (BMC). Femurs, tibiae, and sera were collected from 16-week-old C3H/HeJ {C3H}, C57BL/6J {BL6}, and DBA/2J {DBA}mice (n = 12/breed). Data collected included BMC and BMD (femora), histomorphometry of cancellous (distal femur) and cortical bone (diaphyseal tibiae and femora), bone strength (femora), and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Consistent with previous reports, BMC and BMD were higher in C3H than in BL6 or DBA mice. The higher BMD in the C3H breed was associated with greater cancellous bone volume, cortical bone area, periosteal bone formation rate, biomechanical strength, and serum ALP. However, mid-diaphyseal total femoral and tibial cross-sectional area and moment of inertia were greatest in BL6, intermediate in C3H, and lowest in DBA mice. The specific distribution of cortical bone in C3H, BL6, DBA mice represents a difference in adaptive response to similar mechanical loads in these breeds. This difference in adaptive response may be intrinsic to the adaptive mechanism, or may be intrinsic to the bone tissue material properties. In either case, the bone-adaptive response to ordinary mechanical loads in the BL6 mice yields bones of lower mechanical efficiency (less stiffness per unit mass of bone tissue) and does not adapt as well as that of the C3H mice where the final product is a bone with greater resistance to bending under load. We suggest that the size, shape, and BMD of the bone are a result of breed-specific genetically regulated cellular mechanisms. Compared with the C3H mice, the lower BMD in BL6 mice is associated with long bones that are weaker because the larger cross-sectional area fails to compensate completely for their lower BMD and BMC. Received: 16 November 1999 / Accepted: 19 April 2000 / Online publication: 27 July 2000     

Synthesis and physico‐chemical properties of peptides in soil humic substances

Abstract: Soil humic substances (HS) are heterologous, polydispersive, and multi‐functional organometallic macromolecules ubiquitous in soils and sediments. They are key players in the maintenance of the belowground ecosystems and in the bioavailability of both organic and inorganic contaminants. It is widely assumed that the peptidic substructures of HS are readily degraded and therefore do not contribute significantly to interactions with contaminants such as toxic metals. To investigate the turnover of humified peptides, laboratory soil aging experiments were conducted with ¹³C‐glucose or ¹⁵N‐nitrate for 8.5 months. Evidence for random‐coil peptidic structures in the labeled HS was obtained from 2‐D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), pyrolysis gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (pyro‐GC‐MS), and circular dichroism data. Interaction of metals with the peptidic carbonyls of labeled HS was rationalized from the solid‐state NMR data. Detailed ¹³C and ¹⁵N labeling patterns of amino acid residues in the acid hydrolysates of HS acquired from NMR and GC‐MS revealed two pools of peptides, i.e. one extant (unlabeled) and the other, newly humified with little isotopic scrambling (fully labeled). The persistence of pre‐existing peptidic structures indicates their resistance to degradation while the presence of fully labeled peptidic amino acids suggests wholesale incorporation of newly synthesized peptides into HS. These findings are contrary to the general notion that humified peptides are readily degraded.     

乳腺肿瘤组织Ha-ras基因蛋白表达与血清CA15-3水平的相关性及其临床价值

用免疫组化ＡＢＣ法和ＩＲＭＡ法分别检测了４２例乳腺癌和３０例良性乳腺病变患者组织中Ｈａ－ｒａｓ基因蛋白（ｒａｓＰ２１）的表达状况及血清ＣＡ１５－３值，结果恶性病变组织中ｒａｓＰ２１呈过度表达，ｒａｓＰ２１的表达与细胞的分化状态密切相关。不同淋巴结转移状况的乳腺癌患者，其血清ＣＡ１５－３差异呈显著性。ＣＡ１５－３水平的变化与ｒａｓＰ２１表达状况显著相关。提示血清ＣＡ１５－３水平为监测乳腺癌病情变化的良好指标，Ｈａ－ｒａｓ癌基因点突变的结果可能导致乳腺癌相关抗原的异常分泌。     

艾灸抗高甘油三酯血症脂质过氧化正交试验临床研究

筛选抗脂质过氧化诸指标较好的艾灸穴位、时间、疗程 ,为临床治疗提供依据。结果发现 ,其分别构成了影响 TSOD、Cu、Zn-SOD、Mn-SOD活力及降低 MDA含量诸指标的主要因素 ;取穴以神阙、足三里为优 ;疗程以 1～ 2个月为宜 ;每次每穴艾灸时间多为 1 5分钟以上 ;以每日或隔日 1次施治为佳 ,单次艾灸的时间间隔不宜过长。