Joaquin Maria Albarran Y Dominguez: Microbiologist, histologist, and urologist–a lifetime from orphan in Cuba to Nobel nominee

Joaquin Albarran was an extraordinary late 19th century urologist. His early career was in the field of microbiology and histopathology in Paris at a time of great medical developments and innovations. His later contributions to urology included the Albarran lever, Albarrans sign, Albarran-Ormond syndrome and seminal works on testicular and renal tumors. He also wrote treatizes on the pathophysiology of acute urinary retention, nephritis and calculus ureteric obstruction. He died at the young age of 52 from the effects of tuberculosis and in this same year was nominated for the Nobel prize in medicine.     

Sister chromatid exchanges in patients with retinoblastoma

Spontaneous and mitomycin C(MMC)-induced sisyer chromatid exchanges were studied in 11 patients with retinoblastoma and 7 normal controls. Spontaneous rates were similar in patients and in controls. The MMC-induced rate was found to be significantly higher in bilaterally affected patients than in controls. It is suggested that this increase may be due to a DNA repair deficiency. However, it is not possible to clarify wether this abnormality is associated with the retinoblastoma gene or with another factor acting on the degree of expressivity of the disease in gene carriers.     

Properties of the tobacco mosaic virus intermediate length RNA-2 and its translation

The existence of subgenomic RNAs is well established in the case of plant viruses such as tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). However, except for the subgenomic coat protein mRNA, it is not known whether the other subgenomic RNAs have a function in the life cycle of the virus. In search of more information about one of the major subgenomic RNAs-intermediate length RNA-2 or I2 RNA-of TMV, in vitro and in vivo translational studies were performed. The I2 RNA, which codes in vitro for the synthesis of a 30K (K = kilodalton) protein, appears to be uncapped as judged by the need of different in vitro translation conditions for the synthesis of this protein, compared to the conditions required for the synthesis of the 126K and 183K proteins coded by the capped genomic RNA. In vivo a protein migrating in the same position as the 30K protein synthesized in vitro can be detected in infected tobacco leaves. Since this protein occurs transiently early upon infection, whether it is virus-coded or virus-induced, it could have an early function during infection.     

Glomerular matrix proteins in nodular glomerulosclerosis in association with light chain deposition disease and diabetes mellitus

The diagnosis of light chain deposition nephropathy is based on the immunohistochemical demonstration of monoclonal light chain deposits within connective tissue matrix and on the presence at the ultrastructural level of electron-dense granular deposits along glomerular and tubular basement membranes. A nodular glomerulopathy characterized by amorphous periodic acid-Schiff-positive and argyrophilic widened mesangium and nodules is described in three patients with light chain deposition nephropathy. Light microscopic examination did not allow discrimination between the glomerular changes found in these specimens and the nodular glomerulosclerosis described in four patients with well-documented diabetes mellitus. Electron microscopic examination revealed microtubular fibrils 10 to 12 nm thick in mesangial areas in both groups. Such microfibrils could be glycoproteins. Immunofluorescence localization of matrix proteins, by staining with affinity-purified antibodies to types I, III, IV, and V (A, B) collagens, fibronectin, laminin, and heparan sulfate-containing proteoglycans, showed similar distributions in the two conditions. The mechanism of this abnormal accumulation of mesangial and glomerular basement membrane matrix proteins in two different conditions remains unknown.     

滇重楼种子休眠破除及植株形态发生的研究

目的:在无菌培养条件下探讨植物激素对滇重楼种子休眠破除及植株形态发生的影响.方法:以滇重楼成熟种子为试验材料,在无菌培养条件下采用正交试验设计研究赤霉素(GA3)、玉米素核苷(ZR)、吲哚乙酸(IAA)及活性炭(AC)对滇重楼种子休眠破除的影响,并对无菌萌发过程中植株形态发生进行观察.结果:滇重楼种子无菌培养过程中种子萌动的最佳配比是GA3-ZR-IAA-AC(1.0 mg·L-1∶1.0 mg·L-1∶0.1 mg·L-1∶0.5 g·L-1),种子萌动率达80.00％,4种因子对滇重楼种子萌动率作用大小为IAA＞ GA3＞ZR ＞AC;滇重楼种子无菌培养过程中种子萌发的最佳配比是GA3-ZR-IAA-AC(1.0 mg·L-1∶1.0 mg·L-1∶0.1 mg·L-1∶0.5 g·L-1),种子萌发率达66.66％,4种因子对滇种楼种子发芽率作用大小为AC＞IAA ＞ZR＞GA3.结论:培养基添加植物激素GA,ZR,IAA,AC对滇重楼种子休眠破除、种子萌动及萌发有重要影响.     

彝药“麻补”的资源调查及生药学研究

目的：对凉山彝族自治州彝族民间习用药材“麻补”进行系统的资源调查和生药学研究。方法：通过野外资源普查结合文献标本查考,采用原植物鉴定、药材性状鉴定及显微鉴定。结果：摸清了彝药“麻补”在凉山彝族自治州的资源分布,明确了其基源为狭叶重楼Paris．polyphylla Smith var．stenophylla f.atifolia（Wang et Tang）H．Li,详细描述了彝药“麻补”的原植物形态特征、根茎横切面组织构造和药材粉末特征。结论：所得结果可以为彝药“麻补”的鉴定及资源开发利用提供依据。     

滇重楼丛枝菌根与次生代谢产物甾体皂苷的关系初探

目的:考察滇重楼根际丛枝菌根真菌的侵染率、孢子密度与其次生代谢产物甾体皂苷含量的相关性。方法:采用Phillips和Hayman染色法挑选滇重楼丛枝菌根,采用Gendemann湿筛倾析法获得AMF孢子并进行计数。同时,采用HPLC测定滇重楼中4种甾体皂苷(重楼皂苷Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅵ,Ⅶ)的含量。结果:滇重楼根际丛枝菌根真菌侵染率与其孢子密度呈显著的正相关,而侵染率、孢子密度与其根茎总甾体皂苷含量呈一定的正相关。结论:丛枝菌根真菌是影响滇重楼活性成分含量的重要因素。     

不同种植基地滇重楼根茎中甾体皂苷有效成分差异的研究

目的:探讨不同种植基地滇重楼根茎中甾体皂苷有效成分的差异。方法:采用超高效液相色谱法(UHPLC)测定不同种植基地滇重楼根茎中重楼皂苷Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅵ、Ⅶ及总皂苷的含量,并用液质联用(LC-MS)技术定性分析其甾体皂苷有效成分的差异。结果:不同种植基地滇重楼根茎中重楼皂苷Ⅰ及总皂苷含量差异较小,重楼皂苷Ⅱ、Ⅵ、Ⅶ含量差异较大;重楼皂苷Ⅰ、重楼皂苷Ⅲ(薯蓣皂苷)、重楼皂苷Ⅴ、重楼皂苷Ⅶ是不同种植基地滇重楼根茎中甾体皂苷的主要存在形式,不同种植基地滇重楼根茎中重楼皂苷Ⅱ、重楼皂苷H、重楼皂苷Ⅵ、纤细薯蓣皂苷差异较大;根据不同种植基地滇重楼根茎正离子模式下液质数据的主成分分析(PCA)模型可将其分为四类。结论:不同种植基地滇重楼根茎中重楼皂苷Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅵ、Ⅶ及总皂苷的含量、甾体皂苷有效成分及化学成分种类差异较大。     

重楼提取物抗骨肉瘤作用及机制研究

目的探讨重楼提取物(PPEE)抗骨肉瘤作用及其机制。方法不同质量浓度的PPEE处理骨肉瘤细胞,采用MTT法、Hoechst 33342染色、流式细胞术、Matrigel培养、免疫印迹法分别检测细胞增殖抑制率、细胞凋亡、细胞周期、血管生成拟态(VM)形成及相关蛋白表达情况。裸鼠移植瘤模型观察PPEE的体内抑瘤效果。结果 PPEE对骨肉瘤细胞半数抑制浓度(IC50)为10～60μg/m L,对成骨细胞增殖影响较小。PPEE可浓度依赖性地将骨肉瘤143B细胞阻滞在G2/M期,上调细胞周期相关蛋白p-CDK1、p-Cdc25C、p-Chk2表达,下调cyclinB1表达;促进细胞凋亡,上调cleavedCaspase-3、8、9和PARP表达,上调Bax/Bcl-2;抑制细胞体外VM形成,下调FAK、Mig-7、MMP-2和MMP-9表达。体内实验显示PPEE能明显抑制骨肉瘤生长和体内VM形成,延长荷瘤裸鼠生存期。结论 PPEE在体内外均具有良好的抗骨肉瘤活性,其作用机制可能与诱导骨肉瘤细胞凋亡、阻滞细胞周期及破坏骨肉瘤VM形成有关。     

椒枝软胶囊的质量控制研究

目的:建立椒枝软胶囊的质量控制标准。方法:采用薄层色谱法(TLC)法对椒枝软胶囊中的亚麻酸、重楼皂苷进行鉴别;采用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)法对椒枝软胶囊中的重楼皂苷Ⅰ、Ⅱ进行定量测定。结果:在TLC谱图中能检出亚麻酸、重楼皂苷的特征斑点;HPLC法测得重楼皂苷Ⅰ在0.4908-4.908μg线性关系良好(r=0.9999),平均回收率为99.42%,RSD为1.36%;重楼皂苷Ⅱ在0.4276-4.276μg线性关系良好(r=0.9998),平均回收率为101.00%,RSD为1.52%。结论:该方法准确、灵敏,重现性好,能有效地控制椒枝软胶囊的质量。