GEC1 interacts with the kappa opioid receptor and enhances expression of the receptor.

We identified a truncated form (38-117) of GEC1 that interacts with the C-tail of the human kappa opioid receptor (hKOR) by yeast two-hybrid screening. GEC1-(38-117) did not interact with the C-tail of the mu or delta opioid receptors. GEC1, a 117-amino acid protein (Pellerin, I.

[Experimental study of colorectal cancerous autofluorescent spectra induced by laser].

The researches reported in this article are focused on the autofluorescent signal collection of colorectal tissues by laser induced autofluorescent diagnostic system, and on the signal processing by power spectra and networks methods, Pretty good clinical diagnostic sensitivity and specificity are acquired. These may serve as a foundation on which to develop a system for diagnosis of colorecal cancer.

[Renal impairment in patients with methylmalonic aciduria: a review of five cases].

Objective: The renal impairment in children with methylmalonic aciduria has seldom been reported. To improve knowledge in this aspect, clinical data of five cases with methylmalonic aciduria with renal involvement were analyzed and the results are reported in this paper, which may be of some help in early diagnosis, treatment and in achieving favorable prognosis.

Methods: Urine methylmalonic acid was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, if the content exceeded the normal range and vitamin B12 deficiency was excluded, the diagnosis of methylmalonic aciduria was confirmed.

[A comparative study of postharvest fruit senescence in different litchi cultivars].

Among the 5 tested litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cultivars ("Huaizhi", "Guiwei", "Nuomici", "Hongmili" and "Shuijingqiu", "Nuomici" became deteriorated much faster than other cultivars while "Guiwei" fruit was the slowest in the rotting process (Fig. 1A).

[The effect of gamma interferon gene transfer on airway inflammation in asthmatic mice].

Objective: To study the effect of airway gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) plasmid gene transfer on airway inflammation in asthmatic mice.

Methods: Forty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: a control group (group A), an asthmatic group (group B), a plasmid group (group C) and an IFN-gamma plasmid group (group D), 10 mice in each group. Except group A, other groups were sensitized with 0.

[Relationship between fatal severe from hepatitis occurred during chronic hepatitis B and superinfections of hepatotropic B e system status].

Objective: To clarify the relationship between fatal severe form hepatitis occurred during chronic hepatitis B and superinfections of hepatitis A, C, D or E virus as well as hepatitis B e system status and to adopt corresponding measures to reduce the mortality of chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: This study detected the superinfections with hepatitis A, C, D or E virus and hepatitis B e system status in 219 patients with fatal severe form hepatitis occurred during chronic hepatitis B by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The superinfections with hepatitis A, C, D or E virus were found in 1.

Intermittent hypoxia induces hyperlipidemia in lean mice.

Obstructive sleep apnea, a syndrome leading to recurrent intermittent hypoxia (IH), has been associated previously with hypercholesterolemia, independent of underlying obesity. We examined the effects of experimentally induced IH on serum lipid levels and pathways of lipid metabolism in the absence and presence of obesity. Lean C57BL/6J mice and leptin-deficient obese C57BL/6J-Lep(ob) mice were exposed to IH for five days to determine changes in serum lipid profile, liver lipid content, and expression of key hepatic genes of lipid metabolism.

Effects of recombinant human growth hormone on intestinal translocation of bacteria and endotoxin in rats with obstructive jaundice.

Background: Extrahepatic biliary obstruction promotes intestinal translocation of bacteria and endotoxin and this process is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with jaundice. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect and mechanism of recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) and to alleviate intestinal translocation of bacteria and endotoxin in murine obstructive jaundice.

Methods: A group of 42 Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups:sham operation(SO), bile duct ligation (BDL), and BDL and rhGH treatment(rhGH).

Synthesis and in vitro pharmacological studies of C(4) modified salvinorin A analogues.

Salvinorin A is the most potent naturally occurring opioid agonist with a high selectivity and affinity for kappa-opioid receptor. To explore its structure-activity relationships, modifications at the C(4) position have been studied and a series of salvinorin A derivatives were prepared. These C(4)-modified salvinorin A analogues were screened for binding and functional activities at the human kappa-opioid receptor and several potent new agonists have been identified.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia upregulates genes of lipid biosynthesis in obese mice.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition tightly linked to obesity, leads to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) during sleep. There is emerging evidence that OSA is independently associated with insulin resistance and fatty liver disease, suggesting that OSA may affect hepatic lipid metabolism. To test this hypothesis, leptin-deficient obese (ob/ob) mice were exposed to CIH during the light phase (9 AM-9 PM) for 12 wk.

[Effects of Huatan Xiezhuo Recipe on insulin resistance and leptin in rats with fatty liver].

Objective: To observe the effects of Huatan Xiezhuo Recipe (HTXZR) on fatty liver of rats.

Methods: Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control group, untreated group, Dongbao Gantai Tablet (DBGTT)-treated group, low-dose HTXZR-treated group and high-dose HTXZR-treated group. Fatty liver was induced in the rats by hyperlipid diet and intraperitoneal injection of tetracycline.

Optimization of competitively differentiated polymerase chain reaction in detection of HBV basal core promoter mutation.

Aim: To improve competitively differentiated polymerase chain reaction (CD-PCR) in detection of HBV basal core promoter mutation.

Methods: Recombinant plasmid of double point mutation A1762T/G1764A in basal core promoter of HBV constructed by site-directed mutagenesis was used as mutant control. To reveal the deficiency mechanism of CD-PCR, relationship between the circle number of PCR and the increased speed of products of each competitive primer was comparatively studied.

High level of hepatitis B virus DNA after HBeAg-to-anti-HBe seroconversion is related to coexistence of mutations in its precore and basal core promoter.

Aim: G1896A mutation in precore or A1762T/G1764A mutations in basal core promoter are suspected to be responsible for patients with detectable level of HBV DNA in serum after seroconversion from HBeAg to anti-HBe. However, G1896A variant has impaired, while A1762T/G1764A variant may have intact replication ability. They themselves or their coexistence status may play different roles in such meaningless seroconversion.

Th2 predominance and CD8+ memory T cell depletion in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Unlabelled: The immune spectrum of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is poorly understood. To define the dynamics of the immune spectrum in SARS, serum levels of cytokines, chemokines, immunoglobulins, complement and specific antibodies against SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and phenotypes of peripheral lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry in 95 SARS-infected patients. Results showed that interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) were continuously up-regulated during the entirety of SARS.

[Kinetic-spectrophotometric determination of trace manganese by IO4- -tetrabase new system and the mechanism].

A new kinetic-spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of manganese(II) has been proposed. The method is based on the manganese (II) catalyzing the coloring reaction of tetrabase [4,4'-bis (dimethylamino)-diphenylmethane] oxidized by sodium periodate in HAc-NaAc (pH approximately 5.0) medium.

[Protective effect of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway against hemorrhagic shock in rats].

Objective: To investigate the effect of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway on hemodynamics in hemorrhaged rats.

Methods: Hemorrhagic shock was induced by modified Wiggers method until mean arterial pressure (MAP) was stabilized within the range of 35 to 40 mm Hg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa).

[Expression of HSP70 and P53 in malignant tumor tissues and its relationship to heat syndrome of TCM].

Objective: To investigate the expression of HSP70 and P53 in malignant tumor tissues of patients with TCM Heat-Syndrome (HS) or with non-Heat-Syndrome (NHS).

Methods: S-P immunohistochemical method was used to detect the gene expression, and ELISA and RT-PCR were adopted to determine the content of HSP70 and P53 mRNA expression in different malignant tumor tissues.

Results: (1) Positive ratio of HSP70 and P53 in the colorectal cancer of HS was significantly higher than that in colorectal cancer of NHS respectively, and the total positive ratio of the two genes in all tumors of HS was higher than those of NHS (P<0.

Phenotypic variation in cardiovascular responses to acute hypoxic and hypercapnic exposure in mice.

The impact of genetic variation on cardiovascular responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia is not well understood. Therefore, we determined the acute changes in systemic arterial blood pressure (P(SA)) and heart rate (HR) in seven strains of commonly used inbred mice exposed to acute periods of hypoxia (10% O(2)), hypercapnia (5% CO(2)), and hypoxia/hypercapnia (10% O(2) + 5% CO(2)) during wakefulness. Hypercapnia induced an essentially homogeneous response across strains, with P(SA) maintained at or slightly above baseline and with HR exhibiting a typical baroreceptor-mediated bradycardia.

Comparison of pharmacological activities of three distinct kappa ligands (Salvinorin A, TRK-820 and 3FLB) on kappa opioid receptors in vitro and their antipruritic and antinociceptive activities in vivo.

Salvinorin A, TRK-820 (17-cyclopropylmethyl-3,14beta-dihydroxy-4,5alpha-epoxy-6beta-[N-methyl-trans-3-(3-furyl) acrylamido]morphinan hydrochloride), and 3FLB (diethyl 2,4-di-[3-fluorophenyl]-3,7-dimethyl-3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-9-one-1,5-dicarboxylate) are structurally distinctly different from U50,488H [(trans)-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl]benzeneacetamide methanesulfonate], the prototypic selective kappa agonist.

[Comparison of clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome among different transmission generations].

Objective: To investigate the differences among various transmission generation of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) by comparing the corresponding clinical data.

Methods: The clinical data of 84 patients with SARS were retrospectively studied, 66 women and 18 men, mean age (29.2 +/- 10.

[Changes on certain biochemical indexes for renal injury in workers exposed to lead].

Objective: To explore changes of biochemical indexes for renal damage induced by lead.

Methods: Contents of urinary total protein(TP), urinary beta 2-microglubin (beta 2-MG) and urinary-Acety-D-glucosamindase (NAG) activity of 103 workers in one storage battery plant were observed, then the relationships among work standing, urinary lead (Pb) content and three indexes were analyzed.

Results: The levels of urinary TP(59.

[Protective effect of ketamine against septic shock in rats].

Objective: To investigate the effects and the mechanism of ketamine on hemodynamics and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels of plasma in septic shock rats.

Methods: Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was used to reproduce septic shock model. Twenty healthy and male Sprague-Dawlay (SD) rats weighing (225+/-25) g were randomly divided into four equal groups: Sham CLP group, CLP group, ketamine I (KT I) and ketamine II (KT II) group.

kappa Opioid receptor interacts with Na(+)/H(+)-exchanger regulatory factor-1/Ezrin-radixin-moesin-binding phosphoprotein-50 (NHERF-1/EBP50) to stimulate Na(+)/H(+) exchange independent of G(i)/G(o) proteins.

We previously showed that Na(+)/H(+)-exchanger regulatory factor-1/Ezrin-radixin-moesin-binding phosphoprotein-50 (NHERF-1/EBP50) co-immunoprecipitated with the human kappa opioid receptor (hKOR) and that its overexpression blocked the kappa agonist U50,488H-induced hKOR down-regulation by enhancing recycling. Here, we show that glutathione S-transferase (GST)-hKOR C-tail interacted with purified NHERF-1/EBP50, whereas GST or GST-C-tails of micro or delta opioid receptors did not. GST-hKOR C-tail, but not GST, bound HA-NHERF-1/EBP50 transfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells and endogenous NHERF-1/EBP50 in opossum kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells (OK cells).