Apoptotic effect of organophosphorus insecticide chlorpyrifos on mouse retina in vivo via oxidative stress and protection of combination of vitamins C and E.

Organophosphorus insecticide poisoning is widely investigated, and a growing number of evidence indicates its effects to cause ocular lesions, but the mechanisms of its ocular effects are not well elucidated. Here, effects of organophosphorus insecticide chlorpyrifos on mouse retina in vivo and protection of combination of vitamins C and E were reported. Cell apoptosis, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage were increased, and activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were decreased in retina of chlorpyrifos-administrated mice (63mg/kg, single treatment, via oral gavage).

Identifying the relative contributions of Rac1 and Rac2 to osteoclastogenesis.

Unlabelled: Rac small GTPases may play an important regulatory role in osteoclastogenesis. Our in vitro and in vivo results show that both Rac1 and Rac2 are required for optimal osteoclast differentiation, but Rac1 is more critical. Rac1 is the key Rac isoform responsible for regulating ROS generation and the actin cytoskeleton during the multiple stages of osteoclast differentiation.

Impaired dexamethasone-mediated induction of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase in heme-deficient rat hepatocytes: translational control by a hepatic eIF2alpha kinase, the heme-regulated inhibitor.

Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), a liver-specific cytosolic hemoprotein, is the rate-limiting enzyme in L-tryptophan catabolism and thus a key serotonergic determinant. Glucocorticoids transcriptionally activate the TDO gene with marked enzyme induction. TDO is also regulated by heme, its prosthetic moiety, as its expression and function are significantly reduced after acute hepatic heme depletion.

Non-linear electroencephalogram dynamics induced by magnetic stimulation.

Non-linear electroencephalogram dynamics induced by magnetic stimulation (MS) were demonstrated using the brain potential map (BPM). The early evoked cortical activity was recorded at the right anterior scalp areas after MS of left hand muscle. Then, the activity shifted with time from the right anterior scalp areas to the right posterior scalp areas, to the left anterior scalp areas, to the left posterior scalp areas, respectively.

Room temperature synthesis of HgTe nanocrystals.

We report a new method to synthesize monodisperse zinc blende HgTe nanocrystals at room temperature in noncoordinating solvent-octadecene. Thiol was needed to control the reaction at a suitable nucleation and growth speed. In the early stage of the reaction, HgTe nanocrystals formed aggregates, and then the aggregates were dispersed and individual dot-shaped nanocrystals were formed with stronger photoluminescence emitting.

Toxic effects of zearalenone and alpha-zearalenol on the regulation of steroidogenesis and testosterone production in mouse Leydig cells.

Zearalenone (ZEA) and its derivative alpha-zearalenol (alpha-ZOL) are produced by fungi of the genus Fusarium and, after ingestion via contaminated cereals, may lead to animal fertility disturbances and other reproductive pathologies. The previous study demonstrated the toxic effects of ZEA and alpha-ZOL through disturbances in male fertility and other reproductive pathologies in mice. In this study, we further examined the direct biological effects of ZEA and alpha-ZOL on steroidogenesis production, primarily in Leydig cells of mice.

[Preliminary study on characteristics of the Illustrations of Moxibustion in Dunhuang Caves in treatment of 5 kinds of strain and 7 kinds of impairments].

The Illustrations of Moxibustion, a remained book in Dunhuang Caves, is available the earliest monograph about moxibustion methods with both pictures and writing since recorded writing. In treatment of 5 kinds of strain and 7 kinds of impairments, point association for correspondence between man and universe was adopted human point distribution according to Jiugong and Bagua; and point association method of viewing the situation as a whole according to humam point distribution on the head, the body and the limbs; it wrote and drew available the earliest naked figures for acupuncture and moxibustion in simple natural materialism; and it is the most reasonable, the most complete explanation of sexual science in Chinese medicine, and is a sample for treatment of 5 kinds of strain and 7 kinds of impairments by ancient physicians stressing moxibustion, with convenient point selection and safety.

Enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles with carbonyl compounds catalyzed by bifunctional cinchona alkaloids.

In this communication, we report an efficient asymmetric Friedel-Crafts reaction that, unprecedently, is applicable to a wide range of both indoles and carbonyls. The use of a readily accessible catalyst in combination with a high enantioselectivity that is insensitive to reaction concentration, temperature, air, and moisture should allow this reaction to provide useful enantioselective access to new chiral indole derivatives. [reaction: see text]

Asymmetric Friedel-crafts reaction of indoles with imines by an organic catalyst.

In this communication, we report an asymmetric Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles with imines catalyzed by a bifunctional cinchona alkaloid catalyst. This is the first efficient organocatalytic asymmetric Friedel-Crafts reaction of indoles with imines. This reaction is operationally simple and, unprecedentedly, affords high enantioselectivity for a wide range of indoles and both aryl and alkyl imines.

Proteome analysis of silk gland proteins from the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

The silk gland of Bombyx mori is an organ specialized for the synthesis and secretion of silk proteins. We report here the resolution of silk gland proteins by 2-DE and the identification of many of those proteins. This was accomplished by dissecting the glands into several sections, with each exhibiting more than 400 protein spots by 2-DE, of which 100 spots were excised and characterized by in-gel digestion followed by PMF.

Efficient remote axial-to-central chirality transfer in enantioselective SmI2-mediated reductive coupling of aldehydes with crotonates of atropisomeric 1-naphthamides.

Control of enantioselectivity by remote amide conformation has been studied in SmI2-mediated reductive coupling of aldehydes with the crotonates possessing different 2-substituted 8-methoxy-1-naphthamides. The enantiomers of atropisomeric 8-methoxy-1-naphthamides were prepared through a chemical resolution process, and their absolute stereochemistry was determined by X-ray crystal structural analysis. It was found that the linkage between crotonate and the C2 position of 8-methoxy-1-naphthamides remarkably influenced the efficiency of remote chirality transfer originated from the amide conformation.

Proteomic studies of isoforms of the P25 component of Bombyx mori fibroin.

It is recognized that P25 is one of three polypeptide components of the fibroin synthesized in the larval silk gland (SG) of silkworm, having two glycosylated isoforms. In the present study, however, eight P25 isoforms were separated by proteomics, including two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of whole SG proteins, and were identified by the peptide mass fingerprinting method. Four of the eight isoforms were identified as Bombyx mandarina P25s, although the SG of Bombyx mori has never been considered to contain the P25 from B.

Molecular and biochemical characterization of manganese-containing superoxide dismutase from the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is responsible for the removal of superoxide anion from living organisms. In this study, cDNA encoding the manganese-containing SOD (MnSOD) from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was isolated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the MnSOD revealed 62% identity to that of the Drosophila melanogaster; both were close to each other in a phylogenetic tree.

[Using multiplex PCR to analyze the breakpoint of a severe Y-chromosome deletion].

Objective: To elucidate the relationship between azoospermia factor(AZF) microdeletion of Y chromosome and azoospermia, the exact breakpoint of a severe Y-chromosome deletion was determined according to the physical map of AZF.

Methods: Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify fifteen sequence tagged sites (STS), namely sY82, sY84, sY86 in AZFa, sY124, sY127, sY128, sY133, sY134, sY143 in AZFb, sY239, sY242 sY254, sY255 in AZFc, and sY145, sY152 in AZFd; sex-determining region Y(SRY) was taken as an internal control. And then sY82,sY86,sY85,sY84 were further analyzed using the sample of the patient who had Y-chromosome deletion by G band analysis to map the breakpoint at molecular level.

An alternative synthesis of Dolby-Weinreb enamine en route to cephalotaxine.

A novel alternative synthesis of the Dolby-Weinreb enamine (2) was achieved from readily available amino dione 6 by a mild transannular Clemmensen-Clemo-Prelog-Leonard reductive rearrangement, which thus constitutes a formal total synthesis of cephalotaxine.

[A genetic study on microdeletion of azoospermia factor region on Y chromosome of azoospermia and oligozoospermia patients].

Objective: To investigate the genetic causes of azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia.

Methods: Cytogenetic analysis and multiplex polymerase chain reaction(PCR) analysis were done on the 148 patients with azoospermia and serious oligozoospermia.

Results: Eleven of the 148(7.

Utility of dry gel from two-dimensional electrophoresis for peptide mass fingerprinting analysis of silkworm proteins.

We compared the use of wet and dry two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) gels for in-gel tryptic digestion and subsequent analysis by mass spectrometry, first using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein and then using unknown proteins from an extract of the silkworm midgut. The gel was either dried at 80 degrees C or left wet. Upon analysis of BSA, there was little difference in peptide recovery from 2-DE or in mass spectrum between the dry and the wet gels.

Proteomic studies of lipopolysaccharide-induced polypeptides in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Silkworm larvae at the 5th instar were injected with lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli and inducible polypeptides were examined within a pI range of 3-10 and a size range of 14-97 kDa by proteomics, including peptide mass fingerprinting. No polypeptides were induced in the midgut. FB1 and H1-4 polypeptides were significantly induced in fat body and hemolymph, respectively.

[A cytogenetic and molecular genetic study on microdeletion of AZF region on Y chromosome].

Objective: To study the morphology of Y chromosome and microdeletion of the correlated specific azoospermia factor(AZF) region on Y chromosome in cases of azoospermia and to identify the genetic diagnosis made for male infertility patients.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were taken from two patients with azoospermia, and then were examined by use of G banding, C banding cytogenetic analysis and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) microdeletion analysis.

Results: The karyotypes of the two cases were 45, X, -Y, -22, +der(Y)t(Y;22)(q11.

Halophilols A and B, two new stilbenes from Iris halophila.

A new monomeric stilbene, halophilol A (1), and a new tetrastilbene, halophilol B (2), along with three known oligostilbenes were isolated from the seeds of Iris halophila. Their structures were established on the basis of the spectral data. The oligostilbene skeleton is encountered for the first time in the Iridaceae family.

A novel method to analyze viral antigen-specific cytolytic activity in the chicken utilizing flow cytometry.

In order to overcome some of the main drawbacks that have emerged in the conventional assays for cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) in the chicken, a novel approach to analyze viral antigen-specific cytolytic activity utilizing flow cytometry was developed. In this method, the target cells were distinguished from the effector cells by pre-labelling them with a fluorescent dye PKH67. Cell death was detected with propidium iodide which labels the DNA of damaged cells.

A novel and efficient total synthesis of cephalotaxine.

[reaction: see text] Total synthesis of cephalotaxine (CET), the parent member of a class of structurally unique antileukemia Cephalotaxus alkaloids, was accomplished on the basis of a conceptually novel strategy featuring transannular reductive skeletal rearrangements as the key transformations for the construction of the pentacyclic ring skeleton of CET. The synthetic potential of the designated Clemmensen-Clemo-Prelog-Leonard reductive rearrangement was demonstrated for the first time in a facile synthesis of the benzazepine subunit of CET. A novel endocyclic enamine (cyclopentenone) annulation was discovered and rationalized as an unusual azo-Nazarov-type cyclization.

Targeting cell surface receptors with ligand-conjugated nanocrystals.

To explore the potential for use of ligand-conjugated nanocrystals to target cell surface receptors, ion channels, and transporters, we explored the ability of serotonin-labeled CdSe nanocrystals (SNACs) to interact with antidepressant-sensitive, human and Drosophila serotonin transporters (hSERT, dSERT) expressed in HeLa and HEK-293 cells. Unlike unconjugated nanocrystals, SNACs were found to dose-dependently inhibit transport of radiolabeled serotonin by hSERT and dSERT, with an estimated half-maximal activity (EC(50)) of 33 (dSERT) and 99 microM (hSERT). When serotonin was conjugated to the nanocrystal through a linker arm (LSNACs), the EC(50) for hSERT was determined to be 115 microM.