Production of butyrylcholinesterase by Caco-2 cells: lack of relationship with triglyceride production

Elevated levels of butyrylcholinesterase activity occur under a number of hypertriglyceridemic conditions, including diabetes and obesity. This study examines whether butyrylcholinesterase activity has a direct effect on triglyceride production, using Caco-2 cells, a human intestinal adenocarcinoma cell line. Caco-2 cells were incubated with 500 μM oleate to stimulate triglyceride production, and butyrylcholinesterase activity was measured in the cellular homogenate. Butyrylcholinesterase activity was approximately 3 × 10^-3 mmol/min per milligram protein. Although triglyceride production increased by almost five-fold after 18 h of stimulation with oleate, butyrylcholinesterase activity was not increased. Furthermore, inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase activity using 1 mM tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide did not significantly affect triglyceride production or secretion. Human insulin (100 μU/ml) increased the production of butyrylcholinesterase without increasing triglyceride production. This demonstrates that stimulation of fatty acid production and butyrylcholinesterase activity occur by independent mechanisms and suggests that their correlation in hyperlipidemic conditions is not due to a direct relationship in production in situ. Received 23 April 2001; received after revision 25 May 2001; accepted 20 June 2001     

Trans-Golgi network sorting

The trans-Golgi network (TGN) is a major secretory pathway sorting station that directs newly synthesized proteins to different subcellular destinations. The TGN also receives extracellular materials and recycled molecules from endocytic compartments. In this review, we summarize recent progress on understanding TGN structure and the dynamics of trafficking to and from this compartment. Protein sorting into different transport vesicles requires specific interactions between sorting motifs on the cargo molecules and vesicle coat components that recognize these motifs. Current understanding of the various targeting signals and vesicle coat components that are involved in TGN sorting are discussed, as well as the molecules that participate in retrieval to this compartment in both yeast and mammalian cells. Besides proteins, lipids and lipid-modifying enzymes also participate actively in the formation of secretory vesicles. The possible mechanisms of action of these lipid hydrolases and lipid kinases are discussed. Finally, we summarize the fundamentally different apical and basolateral cell surface delivery mechanisms and the current facts and hypotheses on protein sorting from the TGN into the regulated secretory pathway in neuroendocrine cells. Received 2 November 2000; received after revision 19 February 2001; accepted 19 February 2001     

闽南近海条纹斑竹鲨(Chiloscyllium plagiosum)肝脏含脂率的变化与性成熟的关系

以闽南近海条纹斑竹鲨为研究对象,研究肝体指数和肝脏含油率的周年变化及其与年龄的关系,结果表明条纹斑竹鲨的肝体指数(LSI)的变化主要是由肝脏含油率的波动引起的,而肝脏含油率的变化与生殖活动有关;1龄鱼个体LSI和肝脏含油率变化不大,而2龄鱼以后的个体之间差异显着,我们推断,有些2龄鱼的肝脏开始储存大量脂肪为初次性成熟储存能量,条纹斑竹鲨的初次性成熟年龄应为3龄.而且成熟个体的肝体指数与肝脏含油率都存在明显的季节变化,3月至6月存在一个高峰;而未成熟个体的季节变化不明显.推测条纹斑竹鲨的生殖季节在3月至6月之间.     

萘胁迫对白骨壤种苗萌生及抗氧化作用的影响

采用砂基栽培．研究污染物多环芳烃萘(Nap)不同暴污强度(0、20、40、60、80、100mg／L)和暴污时间的环境胁迫下．对红树植物白骨壤(Auicennza marina)幼苗萌发初期的萌生及子叶超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)活性和膜脂质过氧化作用的影响．结果表明：Nap污染胁迫对红树白骨壤幼苗的萌生．随着暴污强度和暴污时间的增加而影响愈加明显；幼苗萌发初期抗Nap胁迫生长的浓度范围在40mg/L以下．在暴污的较短时间内．幼苗子叶SOD活性有着积极的响应；随着暴污时间的延长．SOD活性则逐步受到抑制．达30d后酶活性略普遍低于对照．受Nap的胁迫．幼苗子叶POD活性提高；POD有效防御Nap胁迫的浓度范围在60mg／L以下．幼苗子叶中抗氧化防御系统．在萌发初期对有效防御膜脂质过氧化的Nap胁迫浓度在60mg／L以下．结果表明．白骨壤幼苗的萌发初期,对Nap污染的环境胁迫有较强的抗性能力.     

Biophysical properties of porin pores from mitochondrial outer membrane of eukaryotic cells

Summary The matrix space of mitochondria is surrounded by two membranes. The mitochondrial inner membrane contains the respiration chain and a large number of highly specific carriers for the mostly anionic substrates of mitochondrial metabolism. In contrast to this the permeability properties of the mitochondrial outer membrane are by far less specific. It acts as a molecular sieve for hydrophilic molecules with a defined exclusion limit around 3000 Da. Responsible for the extremely high permeability of the mitochondrial outer membrane is the presence of a pore-forming protein termed mitochondrial porin. Mitochondrial porins have been isolated from a variety of eukaryotic cells. They are basic proteins with molecular masses between 30 and 35 kDa. Reconstitution experiments define their function as pore-forming components with a single-channel conductance of about 0.40 nS (nano Siemens) in 0.1 M KCl at low voltages. In the open state mitochondrial porin behaves as a general diffusion pore with an effective diameter of 1.7 nm. Eukaryotic porins are slightly anion-selective in the open state but become cation-selective after voltage-dependent closure.     

用化学发光法检测脂膜的过氧化 Ⅰ.脂质体的自发的和诱发的化学发光

制备了多种类型的脂质体,用化学发光法去测量其上的脂膜过氧化和自由基反应。试验表明:脂质体脂膜的过氧化与介质的温度、pH、pO_2及脂质体的浓度有关,试验过程中应该控制这些因素。用细胞色素C和H_2O_2诱发扩增化学发光时,还应控制反应的时间。脂质体接近于生物膜,是研究脂质过氧化的好材料。用化学发光法测量脂质过氧化和自由基反应,具有灵敏、快速、简便的优点。     

Antioxidant activity of N-acetyl-glucosamine based thiazolidine derivative

N-acetyl-glucosamine,the monomer of chitin,was cyclo-condensed with L-cysteine to prepare thiazolidine derivative2-N-acetyl-glucosamine-thiazolidine-4(R)-carboxylic acid(GlcNAcCys).The stability of GlcNAcCys was evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)measurement.The results showed that GlcNAcCys Was more stable than other TCA derivatives,especially in alkaline condition.The direct in vitro antioxidative properties of GlcNAcCys were investigated by using UV radiation-induced lipid peroxidation(LPO)in mitochondria and nuclei and.OH-induced LPO in red blood cell (RBC)ghosts models.UV radiation caused dose-dependent LPO in both mitochondria and nuclei,this effect Was catalvzed by addition of Fd2 while prevented by co-incubation with GlcNAcCys.When nuclei and mitochondria Was treated with 100μl,300μl,500μl of GlcNAcCys and co-incubated at 37℃ for 30min,LPO was decreased to 96%,72%,68%in nuclei and 95%,72%,68% in mitochondria when compared to the UV radiation group respectively.Hydroxyl radicals(.OH)generated by Fenton reaction induced LPO in RBC ghosts.Pretreatment of RBC ghosts with GlcNAcCys could induce antioxidant RBC ghosts and inhibit concentration-dependent malondialdehyde(MDA)formation in antioxidant RBC ghosts.Its inhibition percent Was 14%,35%,36%,42%at 10,20,30,40ms/ml respectively.In a conclusion,the data suggest that GlcNAcCys has antioxidant ability and can significantly inhibit lipid peroxidation in biological samples tested in vitro.     

2个脂肪水平下添加肉碱对军曹鱼生长及体组成的影响

设计一个2×2双因子试验,经过8周的养殖,试验结果表明:肉碱对初始重(9.67±0.14)g的军曹鱼幼鱼的生长和FCR值没有产生显著的影响,肉碱处理对全鱼的体脂肪含量产生了极显著的影响(P>0.05),在2个脂肪水平下添加1 500 mg/kg肉碱既不能促进军曹鱼的生长,也不能改善饲料利用状况;在14%脂肪组,添加肉碱影响了组织的脂肪代谢,改变了肝脏中总脂肪的脂肪酸组成,显著降低了体脂肪和肝脂肪含量,但这种作用在6%脂肪组是不明显的。     

The interaction between purple membrane and membrane lipid

Bacteriorhodopsin in purple membrane was reconstituted into different lipid vesicles. The effect of three different lipids on the structure and function of bacteriorhodopsin in lipid vesicles was studied by the observation on freeze-fracture eletron microscopy, the rotational diffusion of bacteriorhodopsin in lipid vesicles, the measurement of absorption spectrum, and the absorbance change with time. For these prepared samples, the results showed that DMPC was the stable lipid environment of bacteriorhodopsin; egg-pc causeed the loss of retinal chromophore of bacteriorhodopsin and it was not reversible change, cholesterol could stabilize the bacteriorhodopsin in lipid environment,but it caused the aggregation of bacteriorhodopsin.