Neural control of the forms of acetylcholinesterase in slow mammalian muscles

The 'heavy', collagen-tailed form of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), having a s(0)20,w of 16S in mammals, occurs at vertebrate muscle endplates and has been widely regarded as a marker of neuronal influence on muscle in vivo. However, an interesting exception has been described by Bacou et al., in a previous report in Nature. They found, in a slow-twitch muscle of the rabbit, that after denervation the 16S form of AChE increases markedly, rather than disappearing. Such a phenomenon would modify current concepts of neuromuscular regulation. We report here, however, that this exception is apparent rather than real in terms of endplate AChE regulation.     

Meridian-like character of reflex electromyogram activity in longissimus dorsi muscles

We studied the temporal and spacial character of the electromyogram (EMG) evoked by acupuncture in longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles of rat, and evaluated the effect of needling direction or local blockade on EMG propagation. When certain sites on LD muscle were acupunctured, asynchronous EMG could be activated not only at the acupunctured point, but also within the muscle region supplied by the adjacent 2–3 vertebral segments. The EMG evoked by stimulation on the borderline of aponeurosis and muscle venter was larger in amplitude than those on the other sites in the same vertebral segment. When the distance from the recorded site to stimulated site increased, the EMG amplitude decreased, and its latency prolonged. Acupuncture in an oblique direction toward rostral or caudal side of the muscle enhanced the EMG amplitude in the same direction. EMG activity was weakened and its propagation was blocked by local injection of procaine. These results indicated that the character of EMG propagation evoked by acupuncture was related to the mechanism of needle-feeling propagation along the meridian.     

束骨姜黄化学成分及其乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制活性

采用硅胶层析、反相硅胶中压柱层析、高效液相等色谱技术对姜科姜黄属束骨姜黄(Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.)根茎中的低极性化学成分进行了分离纯化,并通过MS和NMR等波谱技术确定了化合物结构,分离纯化化合物6个,分别鉴定为蓬莪术环氧酮(Ⅰ)、β 谷甾醇(Ⅱ)、愈创木内酯Guai-1(10),3,5,7(11),8-pentaen-2-on-11,8-olide(Ⅲ)、郁金二酮(Ⅳ)、莪术双环烯酮(Ⅴ)、花侧柏烯(Ⅵ)。化合物Ⅲ、Ⅵ为首次从该科植物中分离得到,化合物Ⅳ、Ⅴ为首次从该种中分离得到。对所分离获得化合物进行了乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制活性测定,其中化合物Ⅳ、Ⅵ具有活性,化合物Ⅳ的TLC生物自显影最小抑制量为95μg。     

Formation of massive black holes through runaway collisions in dense young star clusters

A luminous X-ray source is associated with MGG 11--a cluster of young stars approximately 200 pc from the centre of the starburst galaxy M 82 (refs 1, 2). The properties of this source are best explained by invoking a black hole with a mass of at least 350 solar masses (350 M(o)), which is intermediate between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. A nearby but somewhat more massive cluster (MGG 9) shows no evidence of such an intermediate-mass black hole, raising the issue of just what physical characteristics of the clusters can account for this difference. Here we report numerical simulations of the evolution and motion of stars within the clusters, where stars are allowed to merge with each other. We find that for MGG 11 dynamical friction leads to the massive stars sinking rapidly to the centre of the cluster, where they participate in a runaway collision. This produces a star of 800-3,000 M(o) which ultimately collapses to a black hole of intermediate mass. No such runaway occurs in the cluster MGG 9, because the larger cluster radius leads to a mass segregation timescale a factor of five longer than for MGG 11.     

力竭运动对大鼠骨骼肌肌浆网钙转运的影响

采用递增负荷力竭运动方式观察急性运动对肌浆网(SR)钙转运能力的影响,发现运动后股四头肌SR Ca2+-ATPase活性和Ca2+摄取速率均明显下降,表现为SR Ca2+-ATPase活性和Ca2+摄取速率分别下降51.12%(P<0.01)和17.72%(P<0.01);而脂质过氧化物浓度则显著升高,增加48.85%(P<0.01).提示急性运动后SR Ca2+-ATP ase 活性和Ca2+摄取速率下降可能是脂质过氧化增高的结果,而Ca2+摄取功能下降可能与运动性疲劳密切相关.     

Evolution of phosphofructokinase--gene duplication and creation of new effector sites

Phosphofructokinases (PFK; EC 2.7.1.11) are tetrameric enzymes that have a key role in the regulation of glycolysis; as such, they are subject to allosteric activation and inhibition by various metabolites. Eukaryotic PFKs are about twice the size of prokaryotic enzymes and are regulated by a wider repertoire of effectors: for example, the subunit molecular weights of rabbit muscle (RM) PFK and Bacillus stearothermophilus (Bs) PFK are 82,000 and 36,000, respectively. Both enzymes are activated by ADP (or AMP), but RM-PFK is also activated by fructose bisphosphates (FBP) and inhibited by ATP and citrate. This, together with other evidence, has led to speculation that mammalian PFKs have evolved by duplication of a prokaryotic gene, although previous peptide analysis failed to reveal internal homology in RM-PFK. Here we demonstrate clear homology among the N- and C-halves of RM-PFK and Bs-PFK, thus establishing an evolutionary relationship by series gene duplication and divergence. Furthermore, detailed knowledge of the Bs-PFK structure provides the basis for inferences concerning the structural organization of RM-PFK and the evolution of new effector sites in the enzyme tetramer.