Effect of hydrogen peroxide on the binding of Merocyanine 540 to human erythrocytes

The fluorescent dye Merocyanine 540 (MC540) is often used as a probe to monitor the molecular packing of phospholipids in the outer leaflet of biomembranes. In a previous study we showed that the increased staining of erythrocytes with a perturbed membrane structure was mainly due to an increase in the fluorescence yield of cell-bound MC540, rather than to an increase of the number of bound molecules. Erythrocytes and ghosts exposed to continuous fluxes of H₂O₂ exhibited pronounced lipid peroxidation. Further, red blood cells subjected to this form of oxidative stress also showed increased staining with MC540. It appeared that this was caused by a strong increase in binding of MC540, together with a slight red shift of the fluorescence emission maximum and a small increase in the fluorescence yield of bound MC540. The changed MC540 binding characteristics were not observed when lipid peroxidation was suppressed by the presence of the antioxidant BHT in the incubation medium. However, open ghosts exposed to H₂O₂ showed no increase of MC540 binding, excluding a direct involvement of lipid peroxidation. Measurement of fluorescence emission spectra and gel filtration studies showed that MC540 can bind to H₂O₂-exposed hemoglobin. Experiments with erythrocytes lysed in hypotonic medium after exposure to H₂O₂ revealed that peroxidation of lipids with H₂O₂ induced a non-specific permeabilization of the plasma membrane to MC540, thereby allowing MC540 to bind to the oxidatively denatured, more hydrophobic hemoglobin. These results indicate that conclusions about packing of phospholipids in the outer leaflet of the membrane based on increased MC540-staining should be drawn with care. Received 27 September 1996; received after revision 5 November 1996; accepted 27 November 1996     

Spectrum characteristics and pump wavelengths of Nd3+-doped double-clad fiber

Conclusion The optimum wavelength of Nd³⁺-doped double-clad fiber laser or amplifier made in China is near 830 nm. The efficiency of Nd³⁺-doped double-clad fiber devices pumped by 820-nm laser is low due to ESA. In order to increase the photochemical stability of the outer cladding, the material of the outer cladding must be advanced.     

Effect of various stressors on the levels of lipid peroxide,antioxidants and Na+, K+-ATPase actrivity in rat brain

The level of malondialdehyde (MDA), an index of lipid peroxidation, and the antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), as well as the activity of Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase, were assessed in whole rat brain after immobilization, anemic hypoxia (NaNO₂) and 72 h starvation. The effect of these stressors on plasma glucose and corticosterone levels was also observed. Hypoxia and starvation stimulated the lipidj peroxide formation in braini as indicated by an increase in the level of MDA, being higher after starvation than hypoxia. Brain SOD activity was also increased in response to hypoxia and starvation while GSH content was only diminished ini hypoxia. However, neither MDA nor antioxidants were affected by immobilization. On the other hand, the activity of brain Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase was significantly increased by immobilization and hypoxia but decreased in starvation. A similar pattern of change was also observed in plasma glucose and corticosterone levels in response to these stressors. These results elucidate differences in the biochemical response of animals towards various types of stress, with increased lipid peroxide formation in hypoxia and starvation.     

Antioxidant survey to assess antagonism to redox stress using a prokaryotic and an eukaryotic system

Using a prokaryote (Escherichia coli) and a metazoa-resembling eukaryote (Ochromonas danica), we surveyed antioxidants which might overcome redox stress imposed by menadione sodium bisulphite (MD) and buthionine sulphoximine (BSO). BSO oxidant stress was evident only inO. danica; MD oxidant stress was evident in both organisms. Glutathione, its precursors, e.g. cysteine, homocysteine, and 2-oxo-4-thiazolidine carboxylic acid, and red blood cells, emerged as prime antioxidants for relieving BSO and MD oxidant stress. BSO and MD oxidant activity and antioxidant-annulling effect inO. danica were judged comparable to those found in animal cells whereas the resultsE. coli were not entirely equivalent. TheO. danica system emerged as a practical, rapid, and useful system for pinpointing oxidant stressors and antioxidants, and shows promise for studies with mammalian systems.     

(−)-Epigallocatechin gallate,a polyphenolic tea antioxidant,inhibits peroxynitritemediated formation of 8-oxodeoxyguanosine and 3-nitrotyrosine

Reaction with peroxynitrite at pH 7.4 and 37°C was found to increase the 8-oxodeoxyguanosine levels in calf thymus DNA 35-38-fold. This oxidation of deoxyguanosine, as well as the peroxynitrite-mediated nitration of tyrosine to 3-nitrotyrosine, was significantly inhibited by ascorbic acid, glutathione and (–)-epigallocatechin gallate, a polyphenolic antioxidant present in tea. For 50% inhibition of the oxidation of deoxyguanosine to 8-oxodeoxyguanosine, 1.1, 7.6 of 0.25 mM ascorbate, glutathione or (–)-epigallocatechin gallate, respectively, was required. For 50% inhibition of tyrosine nitration, the respective concentrations were 1.4, 4.6 or 0.11 mM. Thus, (–)-epigallocatechin gallate is a significantly better inhibitor of both reactions than either ascorbate or glutathione. Reaction of (–)-epigallocatechin gallate with peroxynitrite alone resulted in the formation of a number of products. Ultraviolet spectra of two of these suggest that the tea polyphenol and/or its oxidation products are nitrated by peroxynitrite.     

Growth ages of ferromanganese crusts from the western and central Pacific： Comparison between nannofossil analysis and ^10Be dating

Based on results of nannofossil analysis and 10Be dating in ferromanganese crusts M1-1 and A1-1 (no nannofossils were found in it),from the western and central Pacific respectively,it is found that the crust growth ages from nannofossil biostrati-graphy agree well with those based on 10Be isotope analysis. Both crusts have three growth layers,and the oldest layer was deposited in Miocene at about 12.80 Ma. The maximum,minimum,and average growth rates of crust A1-1 (from the central Pacific) are 8.11,1.92 and 3.47 mm/Ma,and those of crust M1-1 (from the western Pacific) are 2.93,0.47,and 0.94 mm/Ma.     

Growth of Magnetite Nanoparticles under Magnetic Fields

1 Introduction Over the past several years, the preparation and characterization ofnanoscale magnetic materials, especially one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure, have attracted much attention as the nanomaterials would allow investigating the fundamental aspects of magnetic-ordering phenomena in magnetic materials with reduced dimensions and could lead to new potential applications such as data storage technology[1-6].     

略论唐朝治桂政策实施的背景

唐朝以前，桂东地区的封建庄园经济。土地私有制已有所发展，而桂西地区大体上仍停留在前封建制阶段，社会经济相当落后，尤其是农业经济与桂东有着相当大的差距。唐朝统治者审时度势，根据当时广西社会发展的变化，调整了其治桂政策，在桂东地区设立正州正县，而在桂西地区则继续沿袭前代的的羁縻政策。     

MERGING OPTIMALITY CONDITIONS WITH GENETIC ALGORITHM OPERATORS TO SOLVE SINGLE MACHINE TOTAL WEIGHTED TARDINESS PROBLEM

1.Introduction Production sequencing and scheduling is one of the most important activities in production planning and control.Sequencing is defined as the order in which the jobs are processed through the machines.The allocation of machines over time to process a collection of jobs is defined as Scheduling.Several methods have been developed to solve the scheduling problem which can be classified as follows:1)efficient optimal methods,2)implicit and explicit,or complete enumerative methods,a…