Maternal vitamin A restriction alters biochemical development of the brain in rats

Summary The biochemical development of the fetal brain in relation to maternal vitamin A restriction was studied in rats. The vitamin A status of pregnant rats was varied by supplying low, medium and adequate amounts (6, 40, and 100 g retinol/day/kg body weight, respectively) of vitamin A during pregnancy and suckling. The maternal vitamin A restriction caused an altered brain development in terms of tissue weight, DNA, RNA and protein levels, and biosynthesis of DNA and protein from [³H]-thymidine and [³H]-leucine, respectively. A dose-dependent effect of maternal vitamin A restriction on the metabolism of DNA, RNA and protein was noticed in the developing fetal brain of rats.     

Influence of bistramide A on the twitch tension in rat atrial heart muscle

Bistramide A, a new toxin isolated from the UrochordateLissoclinum bistratum Sluiter, was applied to rat auricular heart muscle bundles. At a stimulation frequency of 0.2 Hz, the toxin induces a dose-dependent reduction of the stimulated twitch tension force; it decreases and shortens the duration of the plateau and the slow repolarizing phase of the action potential. In the control solution, switching from a stimulation frequency of 0.2 Hz to 1 Hz decreases the force with which a positive potentiation develops either at a maintained high frequency or after switching from 1 Hz to 0.2 Hz. Bistramide A reduces both the force evoked at 1 Hz and the potentiation. The data suggest that Bistramide A blocks Na⁺ conductance; inhibits Ca⁺⁺ channels in a time-and frequency-dependent manner; reduces Na⁺–Ca⁺⁺ exchange activity; but does not modify the ability of the sarcoplasmic reticulum to be refilled although the rate of Ca⁺⁺ accumulation is decreased.     

Cholecystokinin is not a major regulator in the digestive system in the chicken

To find out whether physiological concentrations of cholecystokinin (CCK), a gastrointestinal hormone in mammals, are also active in chickens, the pancreatic amylase secretory response to CCK-8 was investigated in vitro. Rat pancreatic acini responded to the physiological concentration of CCK-8, but in chickens amylase release was induced at a concentration of CCK-8 1000 times higher than that observed in rats. In another experiment, biliary flow was tested with several doses of CCK-8. The bile flow was stimulated in a dose-dependent fashion, but a significant enhancement was not obtained at a concentration of 0.5 g CCK-8/kg body weight, which was considerably higher than physiological ones. It is concluded that endogeneous CCK does not have an important role in the digestive system in the chicken.     

Pineal ‘synaptic’ ribbon numbers and melatonin synthesis of rat are resistant to guanethidine sympathectomy

Chemical sympathectomy is widely used to study the impact of the noradrenergic system on neuronal and neuroendocrine circuits. We tested the effects of intraperitoneal injections of guanethidine, an adrenergic neuron blocking agent, on selected functional parameters of the rat pineal gland which are known to be under sympathetic influence. The reliability of the method was demonstrated by the clear enophthalmus developed by experimental animals. However, neither the numbers of synaptic ribbons nor melatonin synthesis differed between treated and control rats, both parameters exhibiting the nocturnal increase seen in intact animals. These results are in striking contrast to those obtained upon chemical sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine or surgical superior cervical ganglionectomy. We conclude that guanethidine is not capable of sufficiently removing noradrenergic influence from the rat pineal gland, and that this substance is thus inferior to other experimental methods of sympathectomy.     

白芨微球的研制及其肝动脉栓塞实验研究

研究白及微球的制作工艺及其猪肝动脉栓塞和临床患者栓塞的效果。方法：采用乳化－冷凝技术制备白及微球,并通过正交实验,确定制备特定粒径微球的最佳工艺条件。通过股动脉经导管把白及微球注入肝动脉。结果：正交试验结果表明所考察的因素如搅拌速度、油／水比例和白及胶浓度对微球粒径及分布均有显著影响。白及微球呈圆形,粒径分布窄,圆整,分散性好,平均粒径为５４３６μｍ。实验小猪微球栓塞后的肝动脉造影表明白及微球可致肝右支动脉一级、二级分支完全栓塞;病理检查表明梗死区可见肝组织呈肝硬变改变,大量的假小叶形成。微球临床初步应用效果良好。结论：白及微球作为新型肝动脉栓塞制剂在介入栓塞治疗中有较好的作用     

急性纯氧对SD大鼠损伤的研究

SD大鼠暴露于1ATA100％的急性纯氧中,对其血细胞和肺脏进行研究,以阐明急性纯氧对机体的损伤机制．结果表明：SD大鼠暴露于100％急性纯氧中不同时间,血液中红细胞的浓度（RBC）,红细胞压积（HCT）,血红蛋白浓度（HGB）,平均红细胞血红蛋白含量（MCH）,平均红细胞体积（MCV）,平均红细胞血红蛋白浓度（MCHC）,白细胞浓度（WBC）等无显著变化（P＞0．05）;但是,白细胞的分类变化显著（P＜0．05）或非常显著（P＜0.01或P＜0．001）,淋巴细胞随SD大鼠在急性纯氧中暴露的时间延长不断下降,中性粒细胞和单核细胞的总数不断升高．急性氧中暴露65小时后,20％的大鼠死亡,存活的大鼠解剖,发现肺部出现严重的炎症,肺的湿重．脂质过氧化（LPO）产物显著增加（P＜0．001）,超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活力明显下降（P＜0．001）．     

Molecular evidence for increased hematopoietic proliferation in the spleen of the b/b laboratory rat

The splenomegaly and the appearance of a significant number of CFU-E (erythroid colony-forming units) and BFU-E¹ (erythroid burst-forming units) in the Belgrade laboratory rat (b/b) spleen prompted us to analyse further the molecular evidence for increased hematopoietic proliferation in the b/b spleen. Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) specific for globins, proteins for iron transport and deposition and the band 3 protein were used in rat erythropoietic tissues as markers for proliferation and erythroid differentiation. In the b/b spleen, all mRNAs analysed display an erythroid-specific pattern of expression. This analysis also revealed an enhanced level of mRNA for ferritin in the +/b spleen, whereas erythrocyte-specific mRNA production was normal.     

Cyclophosphamide-impaired regulation of hepatic heme metabolism

Summary Im male rats hepatic cytochromes b₅ and P-450 were reduced at different times after treatment with cyclophosphamide (CP) (200 mg/kg i.p. for 3 days). In contrast, microsomal heme did not change until 48 h after the last dose of CP, leading to accumulation of heme in a non-cytochromal form. Parallel to the above changes the heme metabolism showed derangement: -aminolaevulinate synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in heme synthesis, was depressed and heme oxygenase, the enzyme which catalyzes the oxidative degradation of heme, was increased.     

抗肝纤维化药物研究现状

肝纤维化是肝硬化的早期阶段，是慢性肝病向肝硬化发展的必经途径，也是各种慢性肝病的共同病理过程，因此阻断肝纤维化的发生和发展具有重要意义．所以人们对抗肝纤维药物的研究十分重视．本文将简要综述近年来对肝纤维化药物的一些新认识和新进展．     

肝病患者胰岛素样生长因子Ⅰ水平观察

探讨胰岛素样生长因子Ⅰ(IGF—Ⅰ)在各型肝病患者中的变化规律。用放射免疫法到定188例肝病急者50例正常人的血清IGF—Ⅰ含量。结果表明，肝硬化及肝癌患者的IGF—Ⅰ水平明显低于正常对照组(P＜0．01)。IGF—Ⅰ是在肝脏疾病的发展过程中判断肝细胞功能不良的重要指标。检到IGF—Ⅰ对肝病患者尤其是判断肝硬化进展情况有一定的意义。