Effect of neuropeptides on production of inflammatory cytokines by human monocytes

Two groups of mediators, the neuropeptides substance P and K and the monocyte-derived cytokines, interact in the neural regulation of immunological and inflammatory responses. Substance P, substance K, and the carboxyl-terminal peptide SP(4-11) induce the release of interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 from human blood monocytes. The neuropeptide effects occur at low doses, are specific as shown by inhibition studies with a substance P antagonist, and require de novo protein synthesis. Since monocyte-derived cytokines regulate multiple cellular functions in inflammation and immunity and since neuropeptides can be released from peripheral nerve endings into surrounding tissues, these findings identify a potent mechanism for nervous system regulation of host defense responses.     

Substance P: a putative sensory transmitter in mammalian autonomic ganglia

Repetitive presynaptic stimulation elicited slow membrane depolarization in neurons of inferior mesenteric ganglia from guinea pigs. This response was not blocked by cholinergic antagonists but was specifically and reversibly inhibited by a substance P analog, (D-Pro2, D-Phe7, D-Trp9)-substance P, which also depressed the depolarization induced by exogenously applied substance P. The atropine-sensitive slow excitatory and slow inhibitory postsynaptic potentials evoked in neurons of rabbit superior cervical ganglia were not affected by the substance P analog. These and previous results provide strong support for the hypothesis that substance P or a closely related peptide is the transmitter mediating the slow depolarization. The latter may represent a sensory input from the gastrointestinal tract to neurons of the prevertebral ganglia.     

Substance P activation of rheumatoid synoviocytes: neural pathway in pathogenesis of arthritis

Several clinical features are consistent with nervous system involvement in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. The neuropeptide substance P is one possible mediator of this interaction, since it can be released into joint tissues from primary sensory nerve fibers. The potential effects of the peptide on rheumatoid synoviocytes were examined. The results show that substance P stimulates prostaglandin E2 and collagenase release from synoviocytes. Furthermore, synoviocyte proliferation was increased in the presence of the neuropeptide. Similar effects were observed with a truncated form of substance P. Synoviocytes were sensitive to very small doses of the neuropeptide (10(-9) M), and its effects were inhibited by a specific antagonist. Thus, the specific stimulation of synoviocytes by the neuropeptide substance P represents a pathway by which the nervous system might be directly involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.     

Substance P: does it produce analgesia or hyperalgesia?

In the hot plate test, substance P given intravenously at doses of 5 x 10-5 and 5 x 10-4 gram per kilogram caused analgesia, while lower doses caused hyperalgesia. The influence of substance P on nociception depended on the individual mouse's sensitivity to pain (control response latency). Analgesia was produced by substance P administered to mice with high sensitivity to thermic stimulation, whereas hyperalgesia occurred in mice whose control latencies were longer than normal. This result is interpreted as an indication that substance P is capable of normalizing responsiveness to pain and could be classified as a regulatory peptide.     

蓝莓组培苗瓶外生根技术的研究

以苗岭50d‘Sierra’、‘Bluecrop’、‘Toro’和‘Reveilla’4个蓝莓品种继代芽苗为试材,研究在不同基质不同的激素处理对继代芽苗瓶外扦插生根的影响,探索蓝莓芽苗瓶外扦插生根的技术方法。试验结果表明：（1）不同基质对扦插苗瓶外生根率影响较大,且苔藓是其扦插生根的最优基质。（2）在三种处理下的不同激素浓度下．萘乙酸与吲哚乙酸等比例混和处理在萘乙酸和吲哚乙酸浓度各1000mg／kg时为最佳处理。（3）四种蓝莓品种间生根能力,Sierra和丁0r0生根能力较好,而Reveilla和Bluecrop较差。     

试验性趾叶炎小鼠肠组织中P物质的表达

[目的]为动物趾叶炎的预防和治疗提供免疫学基础。[方法]对昆明种小白鼠注射二磷酸组织胺制备趾叶炎小鼠病理模型,以注射生理盐水为对照。分别于给药后2、14、24、48、72 h及15、30 d取小鼠3~5 mm长的小肠组织块,检测肠组织中炎性细胞、杯状细胞、肥大细胞及其脱颗粒数、P物质表达水平的动态变化。[结果]趾叶炎小鼠的肠腺结缔组织内及其绒毛上P物质表达异常丰富,且P物质呈单根或片状走行,并与肥大细胞串联及相邻排列,随给药时间的延长,P物质表达逐渐增强,肥大细胞及其脱颗粒数也急剧增多 炎性细胞、杯状细胞、腺体数量与肥大细胞的变化趋势一致 给药72 h后,血管内壁出现裂隙,肠粘膜出现水肿。[结论]肥大细胞参与小鼠趾叶炎的发病过程,并影响小鼠肠粘膜的通透性。     

外源物质对烤烟上部叶物理性状及内在品质的影响

【目的】探讨外源物质对烤烟上部烟叶物理特性和内在品质的影响,为烤烟生产中确定合理的调控措施提供科学依据。【方法】以烤烟品种NC89为试验材料,以喷施清水为对照,通过田间试验,研究烟株打顶后喷施不同外源物质(植物生长活性剂1～7号,即处理T1-T7)对烤烟上部烟叶物理特性、化学成分及香气物质含量的影响。【结果】打顶后喷施外源物质,烤烟上部叶的含梗率、单位面积质量及叶片厚度(T3除外)降低,单叶质量变化不大,但烟丝填充值均有所提高,而平衡含水率的变化比较复杂;烟碱及氯含量降低,钾含量有所提高,总糖、还原糖及总氮含量变化不同;新植二烯占香气物质总量的比例较大,不太利于类胡萝卜素类香气物质的形成(除T4外),但较有利于非质体色素香气物质的产生(除T5外);类西柏烷类香气物质含量升高,芳香族氨基酸代谢产物及美拉德反应产物变化趋势不同。【结论】综合比较认为,植物生长活性剂3号对烟叶品质的改善效果较为明显。     

Virus-induced corticosterone in hypophysectomized mice: a possible lymphoid adrenal axis

Infection of hypophysectomized mice with Newcastle disease virus caused a time-dependent increase in corticosterone and interferon production. Prior treatment with dexamethasone completely inhibited the virus-induced elevation in corticosterone concentration, but did not significantly alter the interferon response. Lymphocytes appear to be the most likely source of an adrenocorticotropin-like substance that is responsible for the increased corticosterone, since spleen cells from the virus-infected, but not from control or dexamethasone-treated, hypophysectomized mice showed positive immunofluorescence with antibody to adrenocorticotropin-(1-13 amide). Thus the adrenocorticotropin-like material and interferon appear to be coordinately induced the differentially controlled products of different genes. These findings strongly suggest the existence of a lymphoid-adrenal axis.     

The eye injury of King Philip II and the skeletal evidence from the royal tomb II at Vergina

The Royal Tomb II was discovered in Vergina, Greece, in 1977. It contained a male skeleton and a rich array of grave goods. Evidence of trauma supposedly in the orbital bones of the skull has been thought to correspond to an eye injury that King Philip II is historically known to have suffered. However, reexamination of the orbital morphology showed no evidence of such pathology. Therefore, the skeleton does not belong to Philip II. New skeletal evidence shows that the skeleton belongs to King Philip III Arrhidaeus. In this case, the tomb may well contain some of the paraphernalia of Alexander the Great.     

Local macrophage proliferation, rather than recruitment from the blood, is a signature of TH2 inflammation

A defining feature of inflammation is the accumulation of innate immune cells in the tissue that are thought to be recruited from the blood. We reveal that a distinct process exists in which tissue macrophages undergo rapid in situ proliferation in order to increase population density. This inflammatory mechanism occurred during T helper 2 (T(H)2)-related pathologies under the control of the archetypal T(H)2 cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) and was a fundamental component of T(H)2 inflammation because exogenous IL-4 was sufficient to drive accumulation of tissue macrophages through self-renewal. Thus, expansion of innate cells necessary for pathogen control or wound repair can occur without recruitment of potentially tissue-destructive inflammatory cells.     

Superior colliculus cell responses related to eye movements in awake monkeys

Single cell responses were recorded from the superior colliculus of awake monkeys trained to move their eyes. A class of cells that discharged before eye movements was found in the intermediate and deep layers of the colliculus. The response of the cells was most vigorous before saccadic eye movements within a particular range of directions. These cells had no visual receptive fields, and visually guided eye movements were not necessary for their discharge, since they responded in total darkness before spontaneous eye movements and vestibular nystagmus.     

Transmission of chronic nociception by spinal neurons expressing the substance P receptor

Substance P receptor (SPR)-expressing spinal neurons were ablated with the selective cytotoxin substance P-saporin. Loss of these neurons resulted in a reduction of thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia associated with persistent neuropathic and inflammatory pain states. This loss appeared to be permanent. Responses to mildly painful stimuli and morphine analgesia were unaffected by this treatment. These results identify a target for treating persistent pain and suggest that the small population of SPR-expressing neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord plays a pivotal role in the generation and maintenance of chronic neuropathic and inflammatory pain.     

Synaptic plasticity in spinal lamina I projection neurons that mediate hyperalgesia

Inflammation, trauma, or nerve injury may cause enduring hyperalgesia, an enhanced sensitivity to painful stimuli. Neurons in lamina I of the spinal dorsal horn that express the neurokinin 1 receptor for substance P mediate this abnormal pain sensitivity by an unknown cellular mechanism. We report that in these, but not in other nociceptive lamina I cells, neurokinin 1 receptor-activated signal transduction pathways and activation of low-threshold (T-type) voltage-gated calcium channels synergistically facilitate activity- and calcium-dependent long-term potentiation at synapses from nociceptive nerve fibers. Thereby, memory traces of painful events are retained.     

Substance P activity in the bullfrog retina: localization and identification in several vertebrate species

Immunoreactive substance P is present in the bullfrog retina, possibly in two types of stratified amacrine cells, with their somas in the inner nuclear layer and their neuronal processes entering the inner plexiform layer and ramifying in sublayers 3 or 4 (or both). Occasionally, polygonal somas positive for substance P were found in the ganglion cell layer. Approximately 75 percent of the cell bodies positive for substance P and 65 percent of the radioimmunoassayable substance P were found in the superior half of the frog retina. On the basis of high-performance liquid chromatography, the immunoreactive substance P in the neural retina of the rat, monkey, or chick is similar to synthetic substance P, whereas this is not true of the immunoreactive substance P in the bullfrog or carp retina.     

保水剂与外源物质复合配方对苗木蒸腾速率和叶水势的影响

为改善困难立地土壤的保水保肥能力,以核桃、山杏和紫穗槐幼苗为试材,采用正交试验法组合配方,将不同浓度保水剂（SAP）和外源物质复合,进行了盆栽试验,用极差分析和相关性分析筛选出最佳方案。结果表明：不同浓度SAP与外源物质处理下,核桃、山杏、紫穗槐的蒸腾速率日变化均呈现双峰型;在提高叶片蒸腾速率方面效果以处理⑤：山杏、SAP 10 g、吲哚乙酸（IAA）0.250 0%＋萘乙酸（NAA）0.500 0%、聚天门冬氨酸（PASP）10 g最显著。由于保水剂与外源物质的施入,改变了土壤的供水方式,使得苗木叶水势日变化曲线变幅较小;在提高叶片水势方面的效果以处理⑨：紫穗槐、SAP 15 g、IAA 0.250 0%＋NAA 0.500 0%、PASP 1 g最为显著。最后,从抗旱性的角度考虑,对处理⑤、⑨的蒸腾速率和叶片水势进行相关性分析,筛选出最优配方为处理⑨。将保水剂与外源物质复合一体化这一技术运用在林木培育上,对于干旱地区造林具有重要意义。     

Eye-specific retinogeniculate segregation independent of normal neuronal activity

The segregation of initially intermingled left and right eye inputs to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLGN) during development is thought to be in response to precise spatial and temporal patterns of spontaneous ganglion cell activity. To test this hypothesis, we disrupted the correlated activity of neighboring ganglion cells in the developing ferret retina through immunotoxin depletion of starburst amacrine cells. Despite the absence of this type of correlated activity, left and right eye inputs segregated normally in the DLGN. By contrast, when all spontaneous activity was blocked, the projections from the two eyes remained intermingled. Thus, certain features of normal neural activity patterns are not required for the formation of eye-specific projections to the DLGN.     

Defective CD8 T cell memory following acute infection without CD4 T cell help

The CD8+ cytotoxic T cell response to pathogens is thought to be CD4+ helper T cell independent because infectious agents provide their own inflammatory signals. Mice that lack CD4+ T cells mount a primary CD8 response to Listeria monocytogenes equal to that of wild-type mice and rapidly clear the infection. However, protective memory to a challenge is gradually lost in the former animals. Memory CD8+ T cells from normal mice can respond rapidly, but memory CD8+ T cells that are generated without CD4 help are defective in their ability to respond to secondary encounters with antigen. The results highlight a previously undescribed role for CD4 help in promoting protective CD8 memory development.     

有机生活垃圾堆肥中物质组分减量差异及变化规律

以农村有机生活垃圾的主要组成——餐厨垃圾和作物秸秆为处理对象,分类表征不同好氧堆肥条件下餐厨-稻草总物质、干物质及主要组成元素的减量差异及其在不同时间的变化规律,进一步借助冗余分析(Redundancy analysis,RDA)明确主要堆肥过程因子对物质组分代谢的影响程度。结果表明:本试验中4个堆肥处理的总物质减量效果为单一通风组通风+菌剂组对照组通风+菌剂+纤维素降解菌组,对于带有辅助通风设备的处理而言,7~13 d是垃圾减量化的主要时间区段。不同处理的水分去除方式不同,菌剂接种可促进水分以蒸发形式去除。不同处理组下干物质的元素损耗具有倾向性,通风+菌剂+纤维素降解菌组中碳素和氢素的损失量占干物质损失量的百分比依次高于通风+菌剂组、单一通风组和对照组,氧素的损失量占干物质损失量的百分比则正好相反。菌剂接种处理的碳素消耗主要发生在0~13 d,约占碳素总消耗量的60%以上。冗余分析结果指出温度和细菌数量是影响物质和元素去除的主导因素,其中温度与不同时间区段垃圾减量能力和水分损失量呈最大正相关,而细菌数量、放线菌数量和真菌数量分别与区段干物质损失、氢素损失及氧素损失呈最大正相关。以上研究结果可为有机垃圾堆肥过程中渗滤液排放、物质损失控制和垃圾生态代谢研究提供一定的指导。     

外源褪黑素处理对月季幼苗盐胁迫的缓解效应

  目的  研究外源褪黑素(MT)处理对盐胁迫下中国古老月季‘月月粉’ Rosa chinensis ‘Old Blush’的缓解效应及其机制,为解决月季栽培中的盐害问题提供理论依据。  方法  以90 d扦插苗为材料,分别通过根部浇灌0、5、10和20 μmol·L?1褪黑素进行预处理5 d后,再对根部浇灌200 mmol·L?1氯化钠溶液进行盐胁迫处理20 d,以浇灌清水的植株为空白对照,研究了外源褪黑素处理对月季盐胁迫的缓解效应。  结果  与空白对照相比,不同浓度外源褪黑素处理可显著降低盐胁迫下月季叶片的相对电导率和丙二醛质量摩尔浓度(P＜0.05),同时可显著提高可溶性蛋白质、抗坏血酸和脯氨酸的质量分数(P＜0.05),特别是显著提高了超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)的活性,从而增强了活性氧的清除能力。  结论  外源褪黑素处理可增强月季‘月月粉’的抗氧化酶活性以及渗透调节物质的质量分数,从而抑制活性氧的积累,防止膜脂过氧化,提高耐盐性。图3参21     

Twentieth-Century Sea Surface Temperature Trends

An analysis of historical sea surface temperatures provides evidence for global warming since 1900, in line with land-based analyses of global temperature trends, and also shows that over the same period, the eastern equatorial Pacific cooled and the zonal sea surface temperature gradient strengthened. Recent theoretical studies have predicted such a pattern as a response of the coupled ocean-atmosphere system to an exogenous heating of the tropical atmosphere. This pattern, however, is not reproduced by the complex ocean-atmosphere circulation models currently used to simulate the climatic response to increased greenhouse gases. Its presence is likely to lessen the mean 20th-century global temperature change in model simulations.