Mechanism of toxic action of fluoride in dental fluorosis: whether trimeric G proteins participate in the disturbance of intracellular transport of secretory ameloblast exposed to fluoride

In enamel fluorosis model rats treated with sodium fluoride, secretory ameloblasts of incisor tooth germs exhibited disruption of intracellular trafficking. We examined whether heterotrimeric G proteins participated in the disruption of vesicular trafficking of the secretory ameloblast exposed to fluoride, using immunoblotting and pertussis toxin (IAP)-induced adenosyl diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation for membrane fractions of the cell. Immunoblotting of crude membranes, post supernatants of the ameloblast, with anti-G_i3/o and anti-G_s antibodies showed that G_i3 or G_o proteins existed in the secretory ameloblast, but G_s protein did not. Immunoblotting of the subcellular membrane fractions indicated that the G_i3 or G_o proteins were located in the Golgi membrane, but were not in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) membrane. Autoradiograph of IAP-induced ADP-ribosylation, however, showed the existence of IAP-sensitive G proteins both in rER and Golgi membranes. Fluoride treatment decreased the G proteins bound to both membranes. These findings indicate that different G proteins, both of which are IAP-sensitive, are present in the rER and Golgi apparatus, and suggest that these G proteins participate in the disturbance of intracellular transport of the secretory ameloblast exposed to fluoride. Received: 24 June 1998 / Accepted: 8 September 1998     

Loss of lipopolysaccharide receptor CD14 from the surface of human macrophage-like cells mediated by Porphyromonas gingivalis outer membrane vesicles

Porphyromonas gingivalis, the major etiologic agent of chronic periodontitis, produces a broad spectrum of virulence factors, including outer membrane vesicles. In this study, we investigated the capacity of P. gingivalis vesicles to promote the shedding or cleavage of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor CD14 from the surface of human U937 macrophage-like cells. SDS-PAGE/Western immunoblotting analysis of gingival crevicular fluid samples from patients affected by moderate or advanced periodontitis revealed the presence of soluble CD14 and CD14 fragments, thus supporting the hypothesis of an in vivo shedding and cleavage of CD14 receptors. Flow cytometry analysis of macrophage-like cells treated with a vesicle-containing culture supernatant of P. gingivalis showed a significant decrease in the binding of anti-human CD14 to the cell surface. However, no accumulation of soluble CD14 or immunoreactive CD14 fragments in the assay supernatant could be demonstrated by ELISA. Treatment of macrophage-like cells with various concentrations of P. gingivalis vesicles substantially suppressed TNF-alpha production triggered by Escherichia coli LPS. This suppressive effect was much less important using heat-treated vesicles or in the presence of leupeptin, a gingipain inhibitor, during the treatment. Recombinant human CD14 receptors were found to be susceptible to proteolytic degradation by P. gingivalis vesicles. A purified Arg-gingipain preparation produced much more degradation than a Lys-gingipain preparation. This study provides evidence that P. gingivalis outer membrane vesicles contribute to the loss of membrane-bound CD14 receptors and that gingipains degrade this LPS receptor. Such a phenomenon, which results in an hyporesponsiveness of macrophages to LPS stimulation, may contribute to an increased capacity of P. gingivalis, and other periodontopathogens, to evade the host immune system mechanisms.     

The effect of trimethyltin on acetylcholine release in the guinea-pig trachea

The purpose of the present work was to characterise the effects of trimethyltin on the release of acetylcholine from parasympathetic nerves and its effect on the postjunctional cholinergic stimulation of a smooth muscle. The guinea-pig trachea has been used as a model. Prejunctionally, trimethyltin (3.0 × 10⁻³ M) significantly enhanced in a reversible manner the high K⁺ (75 mM) evoked release of endogenous acetylcholine and [³H]acetylcholine. The evoked release of endogenous acetylcholine and [³H]acetylcholine was released from a pool of acetylcholine being independent of extraneuronal Ca²⁺ in the presence, but not in the absence of trimethyltin. The effect of trimethyltin on the release was not inhibited by low Ca²⁺ (0 mM and 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M) or by Ca²⁺ channel blockers (verapamil, 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M, flunarizine, 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ M, ω-conotoxin GVIA, 2.0 × 10⁻⁷ M and ω-agatoxin, 2.0 × 10⁻⁷ M). The present results also demonstrate that trimethyltin induce emptying of a non-vesicular, probably a cytoplasmic storage pool of acetylcholine, since AH5183 (2.0 × 10⁻⁵ M), an inhibitor of the translocation of acetylcholine into synaptic vesicles, and -latrotoxin (1.0 × 10⁻⁸ M), a toxin from black widow spider venom inducing vesicle depletion, had no inhibitory effects on the release of [³H]acetylcholine evoked by trimethyltin (3.0 × 10⁻³ M). The release of [³H]acetylcholine was moreover enhanced by trimethyltin when the vesicular uptake of [³H]acetylcholine was inhibited by AH5183, probably as a result of a higher cytoplasmic concentration of [³H]acetylcholine. Trimethyltin also reduced the neuronal uptake of [³H]choline and this was probably due to a depolarising effect of trimethyltin on the cholinergic nerve terminals. A similar depolarisation induced by trimethyltin was observed during patch clamping of GH₄ C₁ neuronal cells. Postjunctionally, trimethyltin had no effect by itself or on the carbachol-induced smooth muscle contraction, indicating that trimethyltin did not have a general depolarising effect on smooth muscle cells or an effect on muscarinic receptors. Furthermore, the reduced electrical field-induced contraction and the subsequent increase in the basal smooth muscle tension that was observed by addition of trimethyltin was activity-dependent, and was most probably due to emptying of a nervous non-vesicular storage pool of acetylcholine, followed by rapid hydrolysis of acetylcholine by acetyl- and pseudocholinesterases.     

丹皮酚泡囊乳膏的制备及其体外透皮吸收考察

目的 以泡囊为载体制备丹皮酚乳膏,优化丹皮酚乳膏的制备工艺及制备处方,并考察体外透皮吸收情况。方法 用乙醇注入法制备丹皮酚泡囊;用乳化法制备丹皮酚乳膏;应用控制变量法优化制备工艺;采用正交设计优化制备处方;并采用TP-6型透皮扩散实验仪,以大鼠腹部离体皮肤作为渗透屏障,通过高效液相色谱法测定药物的累计渗透量来考察丹皮酚乳膏体外透皮吸收情况。结果 基于丹皮酚泡囊制得的乳膏在12 h和24 h的累积渗透量分别是丹皮酚原料药的1.1倍和1.2倍,在24 h时皮内药物滞留量是丹皮酚原料药乳膏的1.26倍。结论 基于丹皮酚泡囊制得的乳膏在有效期内各时间段的体外透皮吸收高于原料药乳膏,且丹皮酚泡囊乳膏的皮内滞留量明显高于丹皮酚原料药乳膏。     

间充质干细胞来源胞外囊泡救治辐射损伤的研究进展

间充质干细胞来源胞外囊泡（MSC-EV）在保留间充质干细胞（MSC）生物学功能的同时,能够避免MSC内在缺陷;MSC-EV脂质双分子层结构能够避免其脂质、蛋白、DNA、RNA等内容物被酶类物质降解;此外,MSC-EV适合通过永生化MSC技术进行大规模制备。因此,与MSC相比,MSC-EV是一种新型高效、安全、便捷、可行的非细胞治疗方法,且在组织修复及免疫调节方面呈现出同等功效。本文仅就MSC-EV在辐射损伤救治方面的研究进展作一综述。     

葡萄糖转运蛋白4囊泡运输及相关的临床疾病

葡萄糖转运蛋白4（Glut4）是骨骼肌、心肌以及脂肪细胞摄取葡萄糖的重要媒介,它在维持机体糖稳态中起关键作用。因此,对Glut4的囊泡运输及相关蛋白、分子信号转导通路以及相关临床疾病的研究意义重大。本文综述了微管、微丝、分子马达在胰岛素受体细胞Glut4囊泡运输中发挥的作用,及最近报道的一些与Glut4共定位蛋白的特殊作用。此外本文对胰岛素刺激Glut4转运的多条信号通路以及Glut4相关临床疾病也做了详细介绍。     

Decreased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in serum of chronic schizophrenic patients

Neurotrophic factors regulate neuronal development as well as synaptic plasticity, and their impairment is often implicated as a cause of schizophrenia. Among various neurotrophic molecules, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels have been found to be increased in the corticolimbic regions of patients’ brains. In the present study, we assessed peripheral BDNF levels in whole blood as well as in the serum of two independent groups of schizophrenic patients (n=34 in each group) and healthy volunteers (n=35 and n=27, respectively). BDNF protein levels in fresh serum and blood of the patients and volunteers were measured using a two-site enzyme immunoassay and correlated with the number and decay of platelets. In addition to the studies of patients and volunteers, neuroleptic effects on BDNF levels were assessed by administering haloperidol to adult rats for 2 weeks or 5 months. The major findings were as follows: BDNF levels were significantly reduced in the serum of schizophrenic patients (P<0.005, Mann–Whitney U-test) but not in their whole blood. Antipsychotic dose did not correlate with serum BDNF levels. Moreover, chronic administration of haloperidol failed to decrease serum BDNF levels in adult rats. Abnormal levels of BDNF are evident not only in the brain of schizophrenic patients, but also in their peripheral blood. The BDNF reduction in serum but not in whole blood suggests a potential deficit in neurotrophic factor release in patients with schizophrenia.     

Evidence for a morphologically distinct subpopulation of striatipetal axons following injections of WGA-HRP into the ventral tegmental area in the rat

Following injections of small volumes (10-30 nl) of WGA-HRP (1-2%) into the ventral tegmental area, axonal transport of the lectin-peroxidase conjugate to ventral striatum was evaluated by light microscopy after TMB histochemistry and by electron microscopy following stabilization of the TMB reaction product with DAB and H2O2. Label was distributed more or less evenly in ventral striatum, with only slight patchiness observable in the boundary zone between the nucleus accumbens and ventromedial caudate-putamen. The electron microscope revealed that labeled axons contained markedly flattened vesicles and dense axoplasm and contacted perikarya, dendrites and dendritic spines of short (0.2-0.3 microns) symmetric appositions. Boutons with a similar triad of morphological features were observed in preparations processed for conventional electron microscopy and for tyrosine hydroxylase immunocytochemistry, suggesting that the characteristic morphological features observed are not an epiphenomenon related to histochemical processing.