A negative inotropic effect of acetylcholine in the presence of several phosphodiesterase inhibitors

The phosphodiesterase inhibitors papaverine, theophylline and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) reveal a negative inotropic effect of acetylcholine in cat ventricular heart muscle. This effect in unrelated to beta-adrenoceptor stimulation and possibly mediated by the accumulation of cyclic GMP.     

纤维增强塑料(FRP)在混凝土结构中的应用——FRP材料性能与发展

简要地介绍了纤维增强塑料（FRP）发展历史，生产过程及其优点，总结了常用类型的FRP在短期与长期荷载作用下的力学性能，并给出了作者在试验中得到的拉伸强度，弹性模量，松弛及徐变系数。此外，文中还提出了一个预测由芳纶纤维和环氧树脂组成的AFRP束长期徐变系数的方程。     

Compensatory caspase activation in MPP+-induced cell death in dopaminergic neurons

Many have hypothesized that cell death in Parkinsons disease is via apoptosis and, specifically, by the mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic pathway. We tested this hypothesis using a mouse dopaminergic cell line of mesencephalic origin, MN9D, challenged with the Parkinsonism-causing neurotoxin MPP⁺ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion). Apoptosis was the main mode of cell death when the cells were subjected to MPP⁺ treatment under serum-free conditions for 24 h. Caspase-3 and caspase-9, however, were not activated, thus indicating the existence of alternate or compensatory cell death pathway(s) in dopaminergic neuronal cells. Using caspase inhibitors, we demonstrated that these pathways involve caspase-2, –8, –6 and –7. A time-course study indicated that activation of caspase-2 and –8 occurred upstream of caspase-6 and caspase-7. Upon MPP⁺ challenge, the apoptosis-inducing factor was translocated from the mitochondria into the MN9D cytosol and nucleus. These results suggest the existence of alternative apoptotic pathways in dopaminergic neurons.Received 20 September 2004; received after revision 5 November 2004; accepted 22 November 2004