Rat urotensin-II-induced main pulmonary artery contractions are mediated by MAPK

AIM: To investigate rat Urotensin-II(rat U-II)-induced vasoconstriction of rat main pulmonary arteries and the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK). METHODS: The main pulmonary artery was dissected from the male Sprague-Dawley rats and artery ring width was 3-4 mm. Concentration-response curves were generated to rat U-II(0.03 nmol/L-30 nmol/L).Inhibitor of MAPK, PD 98059(0.1 μmol/L-10 μmol/L) were added into the medium after rat U-II(30 nmol/L)induced vasoconstriction had reached plateau to construct the relaxant concentration-response curves and their EC₅₀ and E_max. RESULTS：Rat U-II was a potent vasoconstrictor of isolated rat main pulmonary arteries [EC₅₀=7.95±0.40, E_max=(14.28±6.34)% of the response to 60 mmol/L KCl]; PD 98059 caused concentration-dependent relaxations of rat U-II precontracted arteries [EC₅₀=5.91±0.45, E_max=(81.39±13.65)%]. CONCLUSION: Rat U-II was a potent vasoconstrictor of rat main pulmonary arteries and this response was mediated through MAPK.     

根癌农杆菌介导绿色荧光蛋白基因转化印度酸桔的研究

 通过根癌农杆菌介导将绿色荧光蛋白基因转入印度酸桔的胚性愈伤组织中, 经潮霉素筛选,获得抗性愈伤组织, 并再生植株。对这些植株进行GUS 染色、PCR 分析、绿色荧光检测和Sourthern 杂交验证, 结果表明绿色荧光蛋白已经在转基因植株中表达。     

草莓成熟过程中NAD激酶、NADP磷酸酶活性

 研究了‘春星’草莓果实成熟时NAD 激酶、NADP 磷酸酶活性及NAD 激酶部分特性。结果表明, NAD 激酶和NADP 磷酸酶活性在果实绿色期到乳白期升高, 粉红期下降, 全红期又再次升高。NAD 激酶可被Ca²⁺ 强烈抑制, 被EGTA (Ca²⁺专一性螯合剂) 激活。随着成熟进程, NAD 激酶对ATP 的依赖性增加。     

A reactive pattern of ischemia-induced nestin protein in the rat brain

AIM:To explore the expressive profile of nestin protein in the focal ischemic brain and to study the recovery mechanism of brain focal infarct.METHODS:Cellular morphology,time-course and distribution pattern of nestin positive response were immunohistochemically examined in different brain regions of 36 adult male SD rats. RESULTS:Nestin positive response of different brain regions in sham operated rats was present in small- and micro-vasculartures and the third ventricle bottom and ependyma. A large number of nestin positive cells were detected in ischemic brain, and were more remarkable in the cortical areas of parietal lobe and preoptic area as well as ischemic caudoputamen. Stellate nestin positive cells were located in the deep layer of ischemic cortex, but fibrillary cells were located in the shallow layer. Nestin positive cells in the ischemic caudoputamen showed the same changes of morphology as those cells in the deep layer of ischemic cortex. Morphological and number alterations of nestin positive cells were the most remarkable at 1 weeks post-ischemia, which showed more hypertrophy and proliferation in morphology, and a marked increase in number was present in the ischemic cerebral cortex and the ischemic caudoputamen. These alterations of nestin positive cells persisted up to 6 weeks post-ischemia, and then, the nestin positive response in the ischemic brain decreased gradually.CONCLUSION:Focal cerebral ischemia induces nestin re-expression on reactive astrocytes, which may be very important to the self-recovery of cerebral infarct.     

Effects of protein kinase C on modulation of vascular endothelium permeability

Protein kinase C pathway is an important intracellular signal transduction pathway. A growing number of evidences showes that activation of PKC influences endothelial cell permeability. In this review, we briefly summarize the effects and regulating pathways of protein kinase C in modulation of vascular endothelium permeability.     

Effect of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dimethylphenol on human erythrocytes

The effects of exposure of human erythrocytes to different concentrations of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and its metabolite—2,4-dimethylphenol (2,4-DMP) were studied. The investigations concerned mainly the content of glutathione (GSH and GSSG), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione transferase (GST), and the level of adenine energy charge (AEC). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, and nitric oxide are produced during normal processes in the cell. Under normal conditions, antioxidant systems of the cell minimize damage caused by ROS. When ROS generation increases to an extent that it overcomes the cellular antioxidant systems, the result is oxidative stress. We observed that MCPA and 2,4-DMP decreased the level of GSH in erythrocytes in comparison with control. MCPA did not affect glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase activity, while 2,4-DMP increased their activity. 2,4-DMP decreased the level of ATP and increased the content of ADP and AMP, leading to the fall of the level of AEC. MCPA and 2,4-DMP transform hemoglobin into methemoglobin, thus preventing oxygen transport. Comparison of the toxicity of MCPA and 2,4-DMP revealed that the most prominent changes occurred in human erythrocytes incubated with 2,4-DMP.     

一个马铃薯Y病毒山东分离物的分离与鉴定

 从具有典型花叶症状的马铃薯叶片中分离到马铃薯Y病毒(Potato virus Y,PVY)(本文称PVY-SD-TA分离物),扩繁后,提纯病毒,电镜下可观察到700~900 nm×11 nm的病毒粒体,病组织超薄切片观察可见风轮状的内含体结构,寄主反应特性研究表明其能侵染2科13种植物。SDS-PAGE电泳检测病毒编码的外壳蛋白亚基的分子量为33 kDa。以PVY-SD-TA基因组RNA为模板,应用RT-PCR方法和特异引物合成了外壳蛋白基因。对cDNA全序列分析表明,PVY-SD-TA CP基因核苷酸序列与N株系的同源性为96%,与GenBank中登录序列号为AJ390306的O株系分离物的同源性最高,为99%;与国内不同学者报道的PVY中国流行株的同源性分别为96%,97%和98%。通过以上生物学特性和分子水平的研究将PVY-SD-TA鉴定为普通株系(PVY^O株系)。     

A coat protein transgene from a Scottish isolate of potato mop-top virus mediates strong resistance against Scandinavian isolates which have similar coat protein genes

Resistance tests were made on seedlings of transformed lines of Nicotiana benthamiana which contain a transgene encoding the coat protein (CP) gene of a Scottish isolate of potato mop-top virus (PMTV). This transgene has been reported to confer strong resistance to the PMTV isolate from which the transgene sequence was derived and also to a second Scottish isolate. Plants of lines of the transgenic N. benthamiana were as resistant to two Swedish and two Danish PMTV isolates as to a Scottish isolate, and of five lines tested, greater than 93.5% of transgenic plants were immune. The coat protein gene sequences of these four Scandinavian isolates were very similar to those of the two Scottish isolates. The greatest divergence between the isolates was three amino acid changes and there was less than 2% change in CP gene nucleotide sequence. It is concluded that the PMTV CP transgene used in these experiments could confer resistance against isolates from different geographical areas because it is becoming apparent that the CP genes of PMTV isolates are highly conserved.