Galanin – 25 years with a multitalented neuropeptide

Galanin, a neuropeptide widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in the endocrine system, has been shown to regulate numerous physiological and pathological processes through interactions with three G-protein-coupled receptors, GalR1 through GalR3. Over the past decade, some of the receptor subtype-specific effects have been elucidated through pharmacological studies using subtype selective ligands, as well as through molecular approaches involving knockout animals. In the present review, we summarize the current data which constitute the basis of targeting GalR1, GalR2 and GalR3 for the treatment of various human diseases and pathological conditions, including seizure, Alzheimer's disease, mood disorders, anxiety, alcohol intake in addiction, metabolic diseases, pain and solid tumors.     

Activation of ataxia telangiectasia muted under experimental models and human Parkinson’s disease

In the present study we demonstrated that neurotoxin MPP⁺-induced DNA damage is followed by ataxia telangiectasia muted (ATM) activation either in cerebellar granule cells (CGC) or in B65 cell line. In CGC, the selective ATM inhibitor KU-55933 showed neuroprotective effects against MPP⁺-induced neuronal cell loss and apoptosis, lending support to the key role of ATM in experimental models of Parkinson’s disease. Likewise, we showed that knockdown of ATM levels in neuroblastoma B65 cells using an ATM-specific siRNA attenuates the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein without affecting other cell-cycle proteins involved in the G₀/G₁ cell-cycle phase. Moreover, we demonstrated DNA damage, in human brain samples of PD patients. These findings support a model in which MPP⁺ leads to ATM activation with a subsequent DNA damage response and activation of pRb. Therefore, this study demonstrates a new link between DNA damage by MPP⁺ and cell-cycle re-entry through retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation.     

Effects of Hydrophilic Monomer Types and Level on Polystyrene-Acrylate/montmorillonite Nanocomposite Made by Emulsion Polymerization

1 Results Nanocomposite has attracted more and more interest all over the world.Polystyrene (PS) is a commercialized and mass-productive polymer,continuous research efforts have been devoted to the development of polystyrene/montmorillonite (PS/MMT) nanocomposites[1-2].But the polarity of styrene (St) is too small to intercalate the space between the clay layers.The polarity of hydrophilic monomer is so strong that it can intercalate the MMT easily,the intercalated smectic clays maybe exfoliated by usin...     

钼-硫氰酸盐-甲基紫高灵敏离子缔合体系的研究和应用

本文研究了在聚乙烯醇存在下,钼(Ⅵ)—SCN—甲基紫高灵敏离子缔合体系,在0·10—0·14M硫酸介质中,该体系λ_(max)=530nm,表观摩尔吸光系数_(530)=9·20×10~5l·mol~(-1)·cm~(-1),0～μgM_0/25ml符合比尔定律,选择性较好,并用于钢铁中钼的测定。对显色反应机理作了初步探讨。     

改善苎麻及其混纺纱弹性研究

本文主要为了改善苎麻纱和麻棉纱的弹性,对苎麻纱、麻棉纱和棉纱进行了碱处理。并根据前人所做的工作,即有张力状态下碱处理和松弛状态下碱处理,其纱线性能存在较大差异,因而本文着重考虑在不同张力状态下进行碱处理,研究结果表明,采用低张力进行碱处理。其苎麻纱和麻棉纱的最大变形能力即断裂伸长显著增加,初始弹性模量显著下降,纱线变形恢复能力显著提高。     

贵州植物园珍稀濒危蕨类植物

本文介绍引种自贵州各地及我国华中、华东和华东的贵州植物园内的珍稀濒危蕨类植物。除列表表示来源、现状等情况外，还对桫椤Ａｌｓｐｈｉｌａ ｓｐｉｎｕｌｏｓａ （Ｈｏｏｋ）Ｔｒｙｏｎ，扇蕨Ｎｅｏｃｈｅｉｒｏｐｔｅｒｉｓ ｐｌａｍａｔｏｐｅｄａｔａ （Ｂａｋ．）Ｃｈｓｉｓｔ，宽叶水韭Ｉｓｏｅｔｅｓ ｊａｐｏｎｉｃａ Ａ．Ｂｒ．，中华水韭Ｉ．ｓｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ Ｐａｌｍｅｒ和截基盾蕨Ｎｅｏｌｅｐｉｓｏｒｕｓ     

Catalysis of protein folding by prolyl isomerase

Rates of protein folding reactions vary considerably. Some denatured proteins regain the native conformation within milliseconds or seconds, whereas others refold very slowly in the time range of minutes or hours. Varying folding rates are observed not only for different proteins, but can also be detected for single polypeptide species. This originates from the co-existence of fast- and slow-folding forms of the unfolded protein, which regain the native state with different rates. The proline hypothesis provides a plausible explanation for this heterogeneity. It assumes that the slow-folding molecules possess non-native isomers of peptide bonds between proline and another residue, and that crucial steps in the refolding of the slow-folding molecules are limited in rate by the slow reisomerization of such incorrect proline peptide bonds. Recently the enzyme peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) was discovered and purified from pig kidney. It catalyses efficiently the cis in equilibrium trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides. Here we show that it also catalyses slow steps in the refolding of a number of proteins of which fast- and slow-folding species have been observed and where it was suggested that proline isomerization was involved in slow refolding. The efficiency of catalysis depends on the accessibility for the isomerase of the particular proline peptide bonds in the refolding protein chain.     

Glioma cell activation by Alzheimer's peptide Abeta1-42, alpha1-antichymotrypsin,and their mixture

We compared the effects ofAlzheimer's peptide (Abeta1-42), a,-antichymotrypsin (ACT) and an ACT/Abeta1-42 mixture on human glioma DK-MG cells. The solution of Abeta (5 microM) formed by 2-h incubation at room temperature induced tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-6 levels by 55 and 45%, respectively, and increased gelatinase B activity by 67%, while exposure of cells to the ACT/Abeta1-42 mixture (1:10 molar ratio ACT: Abeta1-42) under the same experimental conditions showed no effect on IL-6 levels or gelatinase B activity, but strongly induced TNF-alpha (by 190%), compared to the controls. Stimulation of the cells with Abeta1-42 alone, but not with ACT, increased by about 20% low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake and mRNA levels for LDL receptor and HMG-CoA reductase, while the ACT/Abeta1-42 mixture significantly increased LDL uptake (by 50%), up-regulated mRNA levels for LDL receptor and HMG-CoA reductase by 48 and 63%, respectively, and increased lipid accumulation by about 20-fold. These data suggest a possible new role for Abeta in Alzheimer's disease through its interaction with the inflammatory reactant, ACT.