Nicotine decreases food intake through activation of POMC neurons

Smoking decreases appetite, and smokers often report that they smoke to control their weight. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the anorexic effects of smoking would facilitate the development of novel treatments to help with smoking cessation and to prevent or treat obesity. By using a combination of pharmacological, molecular genetic, electrophysiological, and feeding studies, we found that activation of hypothalamic α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors leads to activation of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. POMC neurons and subsequent activation of melanocortin 4 receptors were critical for nicotinic-induced decreases in food intake in mice. This study demonstrates that nicotine decreases food intake and body weight by influencing the hypothalamic melanocortin system and identifies critical molecular and synaptic mechanisms involved in nicotine-induced decreases in appetite.     

黑素皮质素受体基因的研究进展

到目前为止,共有5个黑素皮质素受体基因(MC1R~MC5R)被克隆和鉴定。综述了各个黑素皮质素受体基因的结构、表达调控及多态性等研究进展。     

Nuclear gene indicates coat-color polymorphism in mammoths

By amplifying the melanocortin type 1 receptor from the woolly mammoth, we can report the complete nucleotide sequence of a nuclear-encoded gene from an extinct species. We found two alleles and show that one allele produces a functional protein whereas the other one encodes a protein with strongly reduced activity. This finding suggests that mammoths may have been polymorphic in coat color, with both dark- and light-haired individuals co-occurring.     

A -defensin mutation causes black coat color in domestic dogs

Genetic analysis of mammalian color variation has provided fundamental insight into human biology and disease. In most vertebrates, two key genes, Agouti and Melanocortin 1 receptor (Mc1r), encode a ligand-receptor system that controls pigment type-switching, but in domestic dogs, a third gene is implicated, the K locus, whose genetic characteristics predict a previously unrecognized component of the melanocortin pathway. We identify the K locus as beta-defensin 103 (CBD103) and show that its protein product binds with high affinity to the Mc1r and has a simple and strong effect on pigment type-switching in domestic dogs and transgenic mice. These results expand the functional role of beta-defensins, a protein family previously implicated in innate immunity, and identify an additional class of ligands for signaling through melanocortin receptors.     

Antiangiogenic therapy: a universal chemosensitization strategy for cancer?

For more than 50 years, a major goal of research in cancer therapeutics has been to develop universally effective agents that render cancer cells more sensitive to cytotoxic chemotherapy without substantially increasing toxicity to normal cells. The results of recent clinical trials indicate that certain antiangiogenic drugs may produce this long-sought effect. Here, I describe three distinct mechanisms that may help to explain the chemosensitizing activity of these drugs: normalizing tumor vasculature, preventing rapid tumor cell repopulation, and augmenting the antivascular effects of chemotherapy. I then discuss how these potential mechanisms might be exploited to maximize therapeutic efficacy.     

乌骨鸡黑色素皮质激素受体-1基因的克隆、序列分析与原核表达

【目的】克隆乌骨鸡黑色素皮质激素受体-1（melanocortin 1-receptor,MC1R）基因,并对其进行生物学分析和原核表达。【方法】采集乌骨鸡的肌肉组织,提取其总RNA,根据GenBank上公布的原鸡（Gallus gullus）MC1R基因序列设计引物,利用反转录RT-PCR克隆乌骨鸡MC1R基因,对其进行生物学分析,并构建原核表达载体pET32a-MC1R,在大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中进行表达。【结果】乌骨鸡MC1R序列由945个碱基组成,编码314个氨基酸。成功构建了重组质粒pET32a-MC1R的原核表达系统,并且体外诱导获得了MC1R蛋白。【结论】成功克隆了乌骨鸡MC1R基因并分析了其与乌骨鸡乌色性状的关系,其与原鸡的亲缘关系最近,达99.4%,经原核表达获得了乌骨鸡MC1R蛋白。     

Buprenorphine suppresses cocaine self-administration by rhesus monkeys

Cocaine abuse has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, and the search for an effective pharmacotherapy continues. Because primates self-administer most of the drugs abused by humans, they can be used to predict the abuse liability of new drugs and for preclinical evaluation of new pharmacotherapies for drug abuse treatment. Daily administration of buprenorphine (an opioid mixed agonist-antagonist) significantly suppressed cocaine self-administration by rhesus monkeys for 30 consecutive days. The effects of buprenorphine were dose-dependent. The suppression of cocaine self-administration by buprenorphine did not reflect a generalized suppression of behavior. These data suggest that buprenorphine would be a useful pharmacotherapy for treatment of cocaine abuse. Because buprenorphine is a safe and effective pharmacotherapy for heroin dependence, buprenorphine treatment may also attenuate dual abuse of cocaine and heroin.     

抗猪附红细胞体药物体外筛选试验

为筛选抗猪附红细胞体的有效药物,采用体外培养方法,对常用的治疗药物以及兰州畜牧与兽药研究所新兽药重点开放实验室研制的青蒿琥酯纳米乳进行体外筛选。通过镜检计数红细胞胞染虫率判断其作用效果,并进一步筛选部分有效药物作用质量浓度。结果表明,在体外盐酸吖啶黄效果最好,当质量浓度为500μg/mL时能起到较好的抗猪附红细胞体的作用,且在有效质量浓度范围内对红细胞的影响较轻微;其次为青蒿琥酯纳米乳,但培养过程中红细胞有崩解现象;强力霉素,贝尼尔对猪附红细胞体有一定作用;其他药物无作用。     

FGF-21对大鼠血小板聚集和活化的抑制作用

临床上大部分抗血小板药物存在继发性出血等副作用,亟需寻找一种安全有效的抗血小板药物。二磷酸腺苷(ADP)和花生四烯酸(AA)是介导血小板聚集的主要物质,文章探讨成纤维细胞生长因子-21(FGF-21)是否抑制ADP或AA诱导大鼠血小板聚集和活化。将大鼠分为正常对照组、正常鼠血小板活化组、阿司匹林干预后血小板活化组、FGF-21高、中、低剂量干预后血小板活化组。给药干预后提取各组血小板,分别用ADP或AA处理,观察处理后血小板聚集情况以及P选择素和血栓素(TXB2)表达水平。与正常对照组相比,正常鼠血小板经ADP或AA处理活化后,血小板聚集率显著升高,血浆中P选择素和TXB2含量明显上升;与正常鼠血小板经ADP或AA处理活化后相比,经阿司匹林和FGF-21干预后分别经ADP或AA处理活化后的血小板聚集率显著下降,血浆中P选择素和TXB2含量显著下降;FGF-21干预组经ADP或AA活化后,血小板聚集率、P选择素和TXB2含量下降水平呈明显剂量依赖性。目前国内外尚未发现FGF-21对血小板聚集与活化作用的相关报道,研究首次证明FGF-21具有抑制ADP和AA诱导血小板聚集和活化作用及明显的抗血凝作用,填补FGF-21在抗血凝研究领域空白,为开发安全有效的抗血凝药物提供理论依据。     

Regulators of cerebellar granule cell development act through specific signaling pathways

The proper development of the central nervous system depends upon a finely tuned balance between cell proliferation and programmed cell death (PCD). Although PCD was initially believed to depend solely on the inability of certain neurons to obtain access to a limited supply of trophic factors, it has become apparent that the local production of death signals is also critical. In this Viewpoint, we discuss several pathways implicated in the survival of cerebellar granule cells- both pathways that protect from apoptosis and pathways that promote apoptosis-and describe how these disparate pathways converge on the final common mediators of PCD. Information on other important pathways implicated in granule cell survival may be found in the Connections Maps.     

孔雀与鹌鹑MC1R基因片段的鉴定及序列分析

探讨了孔雀、鹌鹑黑素皮质素受体1(melanocortin 1-receptor,MC1R)基因序列与禽类羽色的相关性。根据GenBank上原鸡的MC1R基因序列,利用在线引物设计软件Primer3在编码区设计引物PE。以孔雀和鹌鹑DNA为模板进行PCR扩增及测序,分别获得长度约为350 bp的基因片段。经比对发现,孔雀与原鸡的相似性为95.47%,有16处突变,3处缺失;鹌鹑与原鸡的相似性为97.70%,有8处突变,1处缺失。对其氨基酸序列进行蛋白质二级结构预测,结果显示,孔雀与鹌鹑α螺旋、β折叠、无规则卷曲所占比例分别为59.48%,2.59%,37.93%和58.62%,1.82%,39.66%。表明MC1R基因可能是表达禽类羽色的主效基因。     

湖羊肌肉MC4R基因表达水平与肌内脂肪含量的相关性分析

选取了初生、1～6月龄湖羊公羔和12月龄的周岁公羊各5只,采用real-time PCR检测湖羊不同部位肌肉黑素皮质激素受体4基因(MC4R)mRNA表达水平,分析MC4R mRNA表达的发育性变化及其与肌肉肌内脂肪含量的关系。结果发现:湖羊不同肌肉部位MC4R基因表达的发育性变化模式均为先上升后下降。其中3月龄背最长肌、后腿股二头肌和前腿肱二头肌的MC4R mRNA表达水平达到最大,与其余各月龄相比差异显著,而2月龄腰大肌的MC4R mRNA表达水平达到最大,5月龄MC4R mRNA表达水平在湖羊不同部位肌肉间表现有明显差异,但无明显规律,其后各月龄间均无显著差异。结论:湖羊背最长肌、腰大肌和后腿股二头肌MC4R mRNA表达水平与肌内脂肪(IMF)含量呈负相关关系。     

模糊聚类理论在药品存货分类中的应用

应用模糊聚类理论建立模糊聚类分析模型,并将该模型应用于药品存货分类,使库存分类科学实际,便于库存管理者进行重点管理。     

北京鸭MC4R基因的克隆及其组织表达的差异

黑素皮质素受体-4(melanocortin receptor-4,MC4R)是黑素皮质素受体家族5个亚型(MCR1-5)之一,在控制食欲、体质量、能量平衡中有重要作用。本研究采用RT-PCR技术从北京鸭脑组织中克隆出鸭MC4R基因的编码区序列,分析其基因结构并进行功能预测,利用实时荧光定量进行组织差异表达研究。结果表明,鸭MC4R基因编码区全长996 bp,编码332个氨基酸,包括起始密码子ATG和终止密码子TAG;与鹅、鸡、小鼠、人的相似性分别为97%、95%、78%、80%;推导的氨基酸序列显示,鸭MC4R蛋白具有G蛋白耦联受体家族结构域;实时定量结果表明,MC4R基因在北京鸭各组织相对表达水平存在差异,其中在脑组织中表达最高,脾脏、心脏、腿肌、腹脂、肾脏次之,而在肝脏和肺脏中表达量最低。本试验为进一步研究鸭MC4R基因的生物学功能奠定了基础。     

A melanocortin 1 receptor allele suggests varying pigmentation among Neanderthals

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) regulates pigmentation in humans and other vertebrates. Variants of MC1R with reduced function are associated with pale skin color and red hair in humans of primarily European origin. We amplified and sequenced a fragment of the MC1R gene (mc1r) from two Neanderthal remains. Both specimens have a mutation that was not found in approximately 3700 modern humans analyzed. Functional analyses show that this variant reduces MC1R activity to a level that alters hair and/or skin pigmentation in humans. The impaired activity of this variant suggests that Neanderthals varied in pigmentation levels, potentially on the scale observed in modern humans. Our data suggest that inactive MC1R variants evolved independently in both modern humans and Neanderthals.     

黔北麻羊毛色差异主要调控基因及其通路分析

【目的】明确调控黔北麻羊毛色差异的候选基因及其通路,为揭示黔北麻羊特征毛色的形成机制提供理论依据。【方法】以1岁黔北麻羊公羊为研究对象,分别采集其肩部黑色羊毛下的皮肤组织块和腹部白色羊毛下的皮肤组织块,以RNA为模板合成双链cDNA,经末端修复等处理后进行PCR富集构建cDNA文库,采用Illumina HiSeqTM4000测序平台完成转录组测序,经过滤及质控后以DESeq2筛选出差异表达基因（DEGs）,然后分别进行GO功能注释分析和KEGG信号通路富集分析。【结果】与白色羊毛对照组（White）相比,黑色羊毛试验组（Black）存在509个显著上调表达基因、195个显著下调表达基因;在黑色羊毛试验组中的509个显著上调基因中筛选获得5个与黑色素生成相关且表达差异显著（基因表达差异倍数log2Fold Change>1、校正后的P-adjust<0.05）的基因,分别是酪氨酸酶基因（TYR）、酪氨酸相关蛋白1基因（TYRP1）、黑素皮质素受体1基因（MC1R）、角蛋白19基因（KRT19）和角蛋白79基因（KRT79）。显著差异表达基因GO功能注释分析结果表明,除了色素...     

Drug metabolism in the newborn rabbit

A number of drugs that are metabolized through the action of enzymes present in liver microsomes in the adult rabbit are not metabolized in livers of newborn rabbits. The development of metabolic pathways during a period of 4 weeks is presented. Evidence is given for the presence in livers of baby rabbits of inhibitors of some of these drug-enzyme systems.     

白斑红点鲑幼鱼对几种常见药物耐受性试验

采用改良的Karber法,求出拜净、硫酸铜、甲醛和食盐对于白斑红点鲑幼鱼,全长(8.7±0.3)cm,24、48、72和96 h的LC50值和安全浓度(SC)。结果表明,4种药物对白斑红点鲑幼鱼的敏感性为：拜净＞硫酸铜＞甲醛＞食盐,安全浓度依次为0.32、0.54、18.86和2 423.65mg·L-1;24h的半致...     

Effects of Three Drugs on Membrane Metabolism Against Cysticerci cellulosae in vitro

To investigate the effects and mechanisms of the benzimidazole carbamate and benmidine drugs on Cysticerci cellulosae and choose effective drugs on Cysticerci cellulosae, the membrane metabolism of Cysticerci cellulosae in vitro was tested after three kinds of drugs which were used respectively. The indexes included the contents of lipids, the contents of SA and the changes of the membrane fluidity. The results showed that oxfendazole could inhibit the membrane metabolism of immature and mature Cysticerci cellulosae in vitro, and albendazole only inhibited the mature one, while thibendimidine neither acted on the immature nor mature one.