NR2B-selective conantokin peptide inhibitors of the NMDA receptor display enhanced antinociceptive properties compared to non-selective conantokins.

NR2B-selective inhibitors show lower side-effects in preclinical pain models than non-selective NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonists, but it is unclear whether the improved safety of NR2B-selective inhibitors is due to their subtype selectivity or to a unique mode of inhibition of the receptor. In this study, the analgesic effects of intracerebral bolus injections of conantokin peptides with different NMDAR subunit selectivity were determined in mice by the standard hot-plate test, and following stimuli with acetic acid, formalin and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). In the standard hot-plate model, con-G[S16Y], a NR2B-selective inhibitor, showed the highest analgesic activity among conantokin peptides tested.

Hypoxia- and vascular endothelial growth factor-induced stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha/CXCR4 expression in glioblastomas: one plausible explanation of Scherer's structures.

The morphological patterns of glioma cell invasion are known as the secondary structures of Scherer. In this report, we propose a biologically based mechanism for the nonrandom formation of Scherer's secondary structures based on the differential expression of stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1alpha and CXCR4 at the invading edge of glioblastomas. The chemokine SDF-1alpha was highly expressed in neurons, blood vessels, subpial regions, and white matter tracts that form the basis of Scherer's secondary structures.

Pepsinogens and pepsins from mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi).

Four pepsinogens (PG-I, PG-II, PG-III(a), and PG-III(b)) were highly purified from the stomach of the freshwater fish mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) by ammonium sulfate fractionation, anion exchange, and gel filtration. The molecular masses of the four purified PGs were 36, 35, 38, and 35 kDa, respectively. All the pepsinogens converted into their active form pepsins within a few minutes under pH 2.

Molecular recognition in cyclodextrin complexes of amino acid derivatives: the effects of kinetic energy on the molecular recognition of a pseudopeptide in a nonconstraining host environment as revealed by a temperature-dependent crystallographic study.

The crystal structure of a triclinic 2:2 inclusion complex of beta-cyclodextrin with N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester has been determined at several temperatures between 298 and 20 K to further study molecular recognition using solid-state supramolecular beta-cyclodextrin complexes. The study reveals kinetic energy dependent changes in guest molecule conformations, orientations, and positions in the binding pocket presented by the crystal lattice. Accompanying these changes are observable differences in guest-guest interactions and hydrogen-bonding interactions in the binding pocket that involve guest molecules, water of hydration molecules, and beta-cyclodextrin molecules.

Investigation of multiaxis molecular motion by off-magic angle spinning deuteron NMR.

The relatively new deuteron NMR method of off-axis-magic angle spinning (OMAS) has been extended and used to investigate multiaxis rotational jump motion. Floquet theory is developed for simulating deuteron OMAS spectra with multisite jumps at different rates about noncoincident axes, and efficient procedures are presented for computing the sideband line shapes. It is demonstrated experimentally that reproducible adjustment of the angle between the rotor axis and the static magnetic field is feasible with precision approaching +/- 0.

An efficient intrathecal delivery of small interfering RNA to the spinal cord and peripheral neurons.

We have developed a highly effective method for in vivo gene silencing in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) by a cationic lipid facilitated delivery of synthetic, small interfering RNA (siRNA). A siRNA to the delta opioid receptor (DOR), or a mismatch RNA, was mixed with the transfection reagent, i-Fect (vehicle), and delivered as repeated daily bolus doses (0.5 microg to 4 microg) via implanted intrathecal catheter to the lumbar spinal cord of rats.

Effect of selenium on preservation quality of green tea during autumn tea-processing season.

Selenium-enriched green tea leaves were prepared by foliar applications of selenium-amended fertilizer during autumn season. The influence of selenium (Se) on preservation quality of tea during 4-month storage was determined. The results showed that the Se and vitamin C contents of green tea were significantly increased by selenium spraying during the autumn tea-producing season.

Notch signaling coordinates the patterning of striatal compartments.

Numerous lines of evidence suggest that Notch signaling plays a pivotal role in controlling the production of neurons from progenitor cells. However, most experiments have relied on gain-of-function approaches because perturbation of Notch signaling results in death prior to the onset of neurogenesis. Here, we examine the requirement for Notch signaling in the development of the striatum through the analysis of different single and compound Notch1 conditional and Notch3 null mutants.

IL-1beta induces stabilization of IL-8 mRNA in malignant breast cancer cells via the 3' untranslated region: Involvement of divergent RNA-binding factors HuR, KSRP and TIAR.

IL-8 plays an integral role in promoting the malignant phenotype in breast cancer, and its production is directly influenced by inflammatory cytokines in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we show that activation of IL-1beta receptors on malignant HS578t and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells strongly induces IL-8 expression and that RNA stabilization is persistently activated at least 12-24 hr after stimulation. SB 203580 and rapamycin reversed the RNA stabilization effect of IL-1beta in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting involvement of the p38/MAP kinase and mTOR pathways.

[An easier method for generating recombinant adenovirus containing CD/TK fusion gene driven by vascular endothelial growth factor promoter].

Objective: To efficiently construct the recombinant adenovirus containing CD/TK fusion gene driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promoter using improved homologous recombination in bacteria.

Methods: Chemical transformation, instead of electroporation, of the plasmid pAdEasy-1 into E.coli BJ5183 strain was performed to prepare BJ5183pAdEasy-1 as the competent bacterium, in which pAdEasy-1 and pAdtrack-VEGFP-CDglyTK were recombined.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha induces angiogenic factor up-regulation in malignant glioma cells: a role for RNA stabilization and HuR.

Malignant glioma (MG) cells up-regulate angiogenic factor expression in response to different extracellular signals such as hypoxia and cytokines. This up-regulation in turn promotes angiogenesis and tumor progression. Posttranscriptional gene regulation has been implicated as one mechanism for this tumor response, and we have previously shown that HuR, a protein associated with RNA stabilization, is overexpressed in MGs (L.