Catecholamine metabolism in the vas deferens and the adrenal gland with special reference to the central catecholamine-depleted state

Experiments were carried out to elucidate the role of central catecholamines in regulating catecholamine metabolism in the vas deferens and adrenal gland of the rat. Rats were injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) with either vehicle or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Groups of animals pretreated with vehicle or 6-OHDA (i.c.v.) were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (AMT), a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor. Catecholamine turnover rates were estimated by determining norepinephrine or epinephrine content after administrating AMT.Central norepinephrine and dopamine contents decreased significantly (p<0.05) after treatment with 6-OHDA and AMT. The norepinephrine content of the vas deferens of rats pretreated with 6-OHDA was markedly reduced (p<0.001) after administration of AMT, whereas that of the vehicle-treated rats remained unchanged. Administration of 6-OHDA had no effect on the norepinephrine or epinephrine content of the adrenal gland.The present results indicate that central monoaminergic neurons have an inhibitory effect on the adrenergic neurons of the vas deferens. In contrast, this inhibitory regulation does not appear to be exerted on the adrenal glands.     

Scanning and transmission electron microscopic evidence of epithelial phagocytosis of spermatozoa in the terminal region of the vas deferens of the cat

Summary Scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations have been made in the terminal region of the vas deferens of the cat, with emphasis on the occurrence of spermiophagy. The present study has revealed that epithelial cells as well as luminal macrophages are extensively and actively involved in phagocytosis of spermatozoa. The mechanism of the spermiophagy is discussed, in relation to a possible role of the epithelial cells, as one function of the vas deferens.     

All in the family: aldose reductase and closely related aldo-keto reductases

Aldose reductase catalyzes the first step in the polyol pathway and is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. In addition to polyol synthesis, aldose reductase may have multiple other activities that intersect with signal processing and oxidative defense mechanisms. Multiple aldose reductase-like proteins have been discovered to have structures and catalytic properties that broadly overlap those of aldose reductase. This chapter will summarize new insights into properties and functions of aldose reductase and closely related members of the aldo-keto reductase enzyme superfamily.     

乙酰胆碱对大鼠离体输精管平滑肌细胞膜电位的作用

采用细胞内微电极技术对大鼠离体输精管平滑肌细胞进行记录,观察其静息电位、膜阻抗等被动膜电性质及ACh对平滑肌细胞膜电位的作用,在此基础上运用微电泳技术对所记录细胞进行标记,从而分析不同走行方向的平滑肌细胞的电生理学特性。实验测得输精管平滑肌细胞静息电位为-48.56±0.46mV(n=1141),膜输入阻抗为1638.70±205.20MΩ(n=45)。实验用ACh(0.3～100μmol L)灌流平滑肌细胞,可引起膜发生浓度依赖性超极化。10μmol LACh引起超极化幅值为13.67±0.98mV(n=116),膜电导平均增加2.31%(n=10)。标本经1μmol L硫酸阿托品(n=10)和100nmol L2' deoxyadenosine5' monophosphate(n=11)预处理后,ACh引起的超极化幅值明显减小。经荧光染料(0.1%propidiumiodide)标记鉴别后,统计分析外纵走行细胞的静息电位为-53.56±3.88mV(n=37),膜输入阻抗为2245.60±372.50MΩ(n=13);内环走行细胞的静息电位为-51.62±4.27mV(n=17),膜输入阻抗为2101.50±513.50MΩ(n=10);并且2种走形方向的平滑肌细胞对ACh的反应形式亦无显著性差异。实验表明:输精管平滑肌细胞的电生理特性以及对ACh的反应与其走形方向无关。     

肌醇磷脂降解物在大鼠输精管平滑肌收缩中的作用

探讨肌醇磷脂代谢及其降解产物在大鼠输精管平滑肌收缩中的作用．用32P对输精管平滑肌进行标记，用薄层层析进行脂类分类，用放射自显影方法对磷脂进行定量研究，结果表明去甲肾上腺素能促进大鼠输精管平滑肌PI、PC、PA的代谢，PKC的大分子抑制剂和氯丙嗪不完全地抑制其代谢，Ca2+对上述反应有加速作用．本文提示去甲肾上腺素通过促进PI的代谢激活PKC，进而引起平滑肌的收缩，存在于输精管平滑肌中的PKC大分子蛋白抑制剂起着重要的调节作用．     

Differential effects of calcium channel blockers on the responses of the rat vas deferens to intramural nerve stimulation and exogenous drugs

Summary The calcium channel blockers, nifedipine and verapamil, have separate effects on the phases of nerve-induced twitches which are not reflected by their actions on the responses to exogenous NA, ATP and the stable ATP analogue, ,-mATP. This implies that different calcium channels are used according to the manner of stimulation.     

Optimization of hypocrellin B derivative amphiphilicity and biological activity

To satisfy the dual requirements of the fluent transportation in blood and the affinity to the target tissues of vascular diseases, hypocrellin derivatives with optimized amphiphilicity are expected. In this work, 3-amino-l-propanesulfonic acid and 4-amino-l-butanesulfonic acid substituted hypocrellin B, named compounds 1 and 2, were designed, synthesized in high yields and characterized. Besides greatly strengthened red absorption, the maximum solubility of compound 2 in phosphate buffered saline （PBS） is 4.2 mg/mL which is just enough to prepare an aqueous solution for intravenous injection in clinically acceptable concentration, while the partition coefficient between n-octanol and PBS, 5.6, benefits the cell-uptake and biological activity as well. Furthermore, EPR measurements reveal that the photosensitization activities of the two compounds to generate semiquinone anion radicals, superoxide anion radicals and singlet oxygen are a little bit higher than those of taurine substituted hypocrellin B （THB）, but the photodynamic activities to human lung cancer A549 cells are several times that of THB, mainly due to increases in lipophilicity and cell-uptake.