Research advances in gene therapy for Parkinson's disease

During the long period of time when people have been seeking for an effective therapeutic method for PD, the gene therapy has shown greater and greater advantages over other methods. It can be performed mainly in two ways: ex vivo and in vivo. With the former, TH gene as well as some neurotrophic factor genes (such as GDNF, BNDF genes) can be invited to some cell lines or primary cells thus forming engineered cells and then implanting them into brain. While with the latter, viral vectors including HSV-1, Ad, AAV that can be utilized to construct recombinant viruses, or non-virus vectors can be used to delived DNA into brain directly. The present review summarizes the recent research advances in the gene therapy for PD, and it is reasonable for us to predict a notable progress in prevention and treatment for PD in the next decade.     

HRP和AP呈现束缚-浸水应激大鼠NTS儿茶酚胺能神经元Fos表达的效果比较

用辣根过氧化物酶(HRP)单酶先后标记Fos和酪氨酸羟化酶(TH),用二氨基联苯胺(DAB)增强剂和DAB分别呈色;以及同时用碱性磷酸酶(AP)和HRP双酶分别标记TH和Fos,再分别用5-溴-4-氯-3-吲哚磷酸盐(BCIP)和氯化硝基四氮唑蓝(NBT)对TH和DAB对Fos呈色,比较免疫双标时两种不同酶标记显色方法...     

Effects of the adenylate cyclase activator forskolin and its inactive derivative 1,9-dideoxyforskolin on insect cytochrome P-450 dependent steroid hydroxylase activity

The adenylate cyclase activator forskolin and its pharmacologically inactive derivative 1,9-dideoxyforskolin were found to inhibit in a dose-dependent fashion the ecdysone 20-monooxygenase activity associated with wandering stage larvae ofDrosophila melanogaster and fat body and midgut from last instar larvae of the tobacco hornworm,Manduca sexta. The concentrations of these labdane diterpenes required to elicit a 50% inhibition of the cytochrome P-450 dependent steroid hydroxylase activity in the insect tissues ranged from approximately 5×10^–6 to 5×10^–4 M.     

Thyroid hormone controls carnitine status through modifications of γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase activity and gene expression

The carnitine system plays a key role in β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids by permitting their transport into the mitochondrial matrix. The effects of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were studied on γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase (BBH), the enzyme responsible for carnitine biosynthesis in the rat. In rat liver, BBH activity was decreased in the hypothyroid state and increased in hyperthyroid animals. The modifications in BBH activity correlated with changes in the enzyme Vmax values. These changes were shown to be related to hepatic BBH mRNA abundance. Thyroid hormones are known to interact with lipid metabolism, in particular by increasing long-chain fatty acid oxidation through activation of carnitine-dependent fatty acid import into mitochondria. Our study showed that thyroid hormones also increased carnitine bioavailability. Received 23 October 2001; received after revision 11 January 2002; accepted 15 January 2002     

Hypothalamic tyrosine hydroxylase activity,plasma gonadotropin and prolactin levels after aminooxyacetic acid in ovariectomized rats

Summary Plasma concentrations of gonadotropin, prolactin and hypothalamic tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity were measured in ovariectomized rats treated with aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA), a drug which elevates brain GABA levels. Hypothalamic TH activity was significantly increased with a significant decrease in prolactin (Prl) release. Plasma levels of gonadotropins were not modified by AOAA. These results support an inhibitory action of GABA on Prl release possibly mediated through hypothalamic dopamine.Supported by grants from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi. RIA kits for the estimation of LH, FSH and Prl were kindly supplied by Dr A.F. Parlow, NIAMDD-NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. GNB is a UGC research fellow.     

苯酚羟化酶生物转化吲哚及甲基吲哚研究

利用苯酚羟化酶基因工程菌PH_IND对吲哚及甲基吲哚进行生物转化.结果表明,除了3-甲基吲哚外,PH_IND能将吲哚、2-甲基吲哚、4-甲基吲哚和7-甲基吲哚转化成靛蓝类色素.采用薄层色谱和液相-质谱等手段对转化产物进行鉴定,结果表明,PH_IND转化吲哚和4-甲基吲哚得到的蓝色产物分别为靛蓝和4,4′-二甲基靛蓝,并推测了PH_IND转化吲哚及4-甲基吲哚的反应途径.采用表面响应法对PH_IND转化吲哚、2-甲基吲哚及4-甲基吲哚的条件进行了优化,在最优条件下,菌株PH_IND转化吲哚合成靛蓝的最大产量为93.74mg/L,其吲哚的转化效率为52.63%,且菌株PH_IND对2-甲基吲哚和4-甲基吲哚的最大转化率分别为67.66%和95.61%.     

Quantitative immunofluorescence of tyrosine hydroxylase in the adrenal medulla of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Summary The amount of tyrosine hydroxylase protein in the adrenal medulla, which was estimated by a quantitative immunofluorescence method, was higher in spontaneously hypertensive rats than in normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto rats at 4 and 16 weeks of age before and after the development of hypertension.This study was supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan (No. 59570018). Reprint requests to I.N., Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Fujita-Gakuen Health University, Toyoake, Aichi 470-11 (Japan).     

用海藻酸钙包埋法固定化蓝色梨头霉菌生产氢化可的松的初步研究

初步研究了海藻酸钙包埋法固定化技术在氢化可的松生产中的应用。确定了底物R.S.A的最佳投料时间为32h、最适的固定化梨头霉菌孢子液浓度为5×106个/mL,选择洗衣粉作为表面活性剂的最适添加量为0.04%。确定了固定化霉菌培养基的最优组成。结果表明,固定化的梨头霉菌重复使用5次以后,其羟基化酶的转化能力没有明显下降。     

Structure, function and metabolism of sialic acids

Sialic acids represent a family of sugar molecules with an unusual and highly variable chemical structure that are found mostly in the terminal position of oligosaccharide chains on the surface of cells and molecules. These special features enable them to fulfil several important and even diametrical biological functions. Because of the great importance of sialic acids, it is also worth having a look at their metabolism in order to get an idea of the intimate connection between structure and function of these fascinating molecules and the often serious consequences that result from disturbances in the balance of metabolic reactions. The latter can be due to genetic disorders that result in the absence of certain enzyme activity, leading to severe illness or even to death. Received 17 July 1998; received after revision 2 September 1998; accepted 2 September 1998     

Rate of tryptophan hydroxylation in vivo in brain nuclei of genetically hypertensive rats of the Lyon strain

Summary The rate of tryptophan hydroxylation in vivo is unaltered in brain areas of 5, 9 and 21 week-old Lyon genetically Hypertensive (LH) rats as compared to both Lyon Normotensive (LN) and Low Blood Pressure (LL) rats, except for a decrease in the C1 area of the medulla oblongata in 9 week-old animals.Acknowledgment. The authors wish to thank Dr M.F. Belin, Dr J.F. Pujol and Mrs J. Sacquet for their help during this study. This work was supported by the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale Française and the C.N.R.S.