Inhibition of nuclear factor-κB impairs reconsolidation of morphine reward memory in rats.

Drug addiction is a process associated with synaptic plasticity in which a drug of abuse affects the midbrain limbic system. Previous studies have indicated that drug abuse can be inhibited by disrupting the reconsolidation of a drug-related memory. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) plays an important role in modulating different stages of memory, including reconsolidation, but its role in the reconsolidation of a reward memory has not been investigated.

Psychosocial stress enhances non-drug-related positive memory retrieval in male abstinent heroin addicts.

Stress exposure in addicted individuals is known to provoke drug craving, presumably through a memory-like process, but less is known about the effects of stress on non-drug-related affective memory retrieval per se in such individuals, which is likely to provide important insights into therapy for relapse. In present study, we explored the effect of stress on retrieval of neutral and emotionally valenced (positive and negative) words in abstinent heroin addicts. In present study, 28 male inpatient abstinent heroin addicts and 20 sex-, age-, education- and economic status-matched healthy control participants were assessed for 24h delayed recall of valenced and neutral word lists on two occasions 4 weeks apart-once in a nonstress control condition, once after exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test in a counterbalanced design.

Distribution and in vitro availability of selenium in selenium-containing storage protein from selenium-enriched rice utilizing optimized extraction.

Selenium (Se) distribution in Se-enriched rice and optimization of extraction for Se-containing protein were studied. Se availability in Se-containing protein product was simulated using an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The results showed that Se was predominately found as organic Se, whereas inorganic Se comprised only 2.

Gray matter deficits and resting-state abnormalities in abstinent heroin-dependent individuals.

Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated both structural and functional damages in heroin-dependent individuals. However, few studies investigated gray matter deficits and abnormal resting-state networks together in heroin-dependent individuals. In the present study, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to identify brain regions with gray matter density reduction.

A molecular half-subtractor with Zn2+ and UV-light as inputs.

The salen-type Schiff base (2,2'-bis(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-1,1'-binaphthyl (BHB)) has been synthesized and characterized. Exhibiting absorption and fluorescence changes in the presence of Zn(2+) in chloroform and ethanol mixed solution, BHB could be used as a fluorescent chemosensor for the detection of Zn(2+). Furthermore, by monitoring the fluorescence and absorbance as output signals, BHB can function as a combinatorial logic circuit for a molecular half-subtractor with Zn(2+) and UV irradiation as input variables.

Steric hindrance-dependent rational design and synthesis of three new Keggin-based supramolecular networks.

Three supramolecular architectures based on alpha-Keggin-type polyoxometalates have been synthesized hydrothermally, and their structures have been characterized by elemental analyses, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and single crystal X-ray diffraction structure analyses. [Ni(enMe)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](2)[Ni(enMe)(2)PW(VI)(9)W(V)(3)O(40)] x H(2)O (1) (enMe = 1,2'-propanediamine) exhibits a novel 2-D supramolecular sinusoidal layer through the interactions between transition metal complexes and 1-D covalent chains which are constructed from alpha-Keggin units bridged by transition metal complexes. [Ni(enMe)(2)](4){[Ni(enMe)(2)][Ni(enMe)(2)(H(2)O)AsW(VI)(6)W(V)(4)V(IV)(4)O(42)](2)} x 6 H(2)O (2), representing a 3-D supramolecular framework with 1-D channels, contains the first example of a tungstate dimer with inorganic-organic composite surfaces built up from [Ni(enMe)(2)](2+) cation bridges and bi-capped alpha-Keggin polyoxometalate building blocks supporting the transition metal complex.

Synthesis, optical properties and growth process of In2S3 nanoparticles.

Cubic beta-In(2)S(3) nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized by a simple and facile way, which is 6 nm in size. Absorption and emission spectra of In(2)S(3) NPs show obvious blue peak shift compared to band gap of bulk In(2)S(3), indicating the strong quantum size confinement effect. The fluorescence quantum yield of In(2)S(3) NPs is found to be 10%.

Stress enhances retrieval of drug-related memories in abstinent heroin addicts.

Stress is associated with relapse to drugs after abstinence, but the mechanisms for this association are unclear. One mechanism may be that stress enhances abstinent addicts' recall of memories of drugs as stress relievers. This study assessed the effects of stress on free recall and cued recall of 10 heroin-related and 10 neutral words learned 24 h earlier by 102 abstinent heroin addicts.

A rapid isolation and identification method for blocked N-terminal peptides by isothiocyanate-coupled magnetic nanoparticles and MS.

A quick isolation and identification of N-blocked peptides from protein digest mixtures were achieved by diisothiocyanate or isothiocyanate-coupled magnetic nanoparticles and MS. After protein digests were guanidinated and then mixed with diisothiocyanate or isothiocyanate-coupled magnetic nanoparticles, unmodified N-terminal peptides were covalently bound to magnetic nanoparticles, and can be removed from the mixture under magnetic field. Therefore, N-blocked peptides could be isolated and analyzed by MALDI or ESI MS.

Effect of rapamycin on cue-induced drug craving in abstinent heroin addicts.

The mammalian target of rapamycin is an evolutionarily conserved serine-threonine kinase (mTOR), which controls protein synthesis and catabolism in response to environmental cues. This randomized double-blind clinical trial enrolled 60 abstinent heroin addicts and randomly assigned them to three groups: placebo, 2.5 mg and 5 mg rapamycin.

Dysfunctional connectivity patterns in chronic heroin users: an fMRI study.

Recent functional neuroimaging studies have examined cognitive inhibitory control, decision-making and stress regulation in heroin addiction using a cue-reactivity paradigm. Few studies have considered impairments in heroin users from an integrated perspective for evaluation of their brain functions. We hypothesized that the brain regions that are dysregulated in the chronic heroin users during cue-reactivity studies may also show dysfunctional connectivity in memory, inhibition and motivation-related dysfunctions during a resting state free of cues.

Inhibition of mitomycin C-induced chromosomal aberrations by micrometer powder of selenium-enriched green tea in mice spermatocytes.

The anticlastogenic effect of micrometer powder of selenium-enriched green tea (MSTP) was evaluated by using a chromosomal aberration assay in mouse testicular cells. Animals fed with a Se-deficient diet were treated with MSTP, micrometer powder of regular green tea (MRTP), selenite, and MRTP + selenite for 30 days by an intragastric route, followed by treatment of mitomycin C (MMC) on day 19 through intraperitoneal injection (ip). Selenium status and antioxidant enzymes were measured.

Tetrodotoxin reduces cue-induced drug craving and anxiety in abstinent heroin addicts.

Background: Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a neurotoxin found in puffer fish and other marine animals. New clinical studies suggest that low-dose TTX can safely relieve severe, treatment-resistant cancer pain. The therapeutic potential of TTX in addiction is supported by studies in laboratory animals.

Efficient procedure for isolating methylated catechins from green tea and effective simultaneous analysis of ten catechins, three purine alkaloids, and gallic acid in tea by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection.

Monomers of (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), (-)-epigallocatechin 3-O-(3-O-methyl) gallate (EGCG3''Me) and (-)-3-O-methyl epicatechin gallate (ECG3'Me) (purity, >97%) were successfully prepared from extract of green tea by two-time separation with Toyopearl HW-40S column chromatography eluted by 80% ethanol. In addition, monomers of (-)-catechin (C), (-)-gallocatechin (GC), (-)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG), and (-)-catechin gallate (CG) (purity, >98%) were prepared from EC, EGC, EGCG, and ECG by heat-epimerization and semi-preparative HPLC chromatography. With the prepared catechin standards, an effective and simultaneous HPLC method for the analysis of gallic acid, tea catechins, and purine alkaloids in tea was developed in the present study.

Application of open tubular capillary columns coated with zirconium phosphonate for enrichment of phosphopeptides.

A new approach utilizing open tubular capillary columns coated with zirconium phosphonate (ZrP-OTCC) for enrichment of phosphopeptides is described. The experimental conditions: interior diameter, length of capillary and flow rate was optimized using tryptic digest of alpha-casein (a phosphoprotein) as a model sample. The ZrP-OTCC was demonstrated to tolerate urea, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), and NaCl.

Velleratretraol, an unusual highly functionalized lactarane sesquiterpene from Lactarius vellereus.

An unusual highly functionalized lactarane sesquiterpene, named velleratretraol (1), was isolated from the ethanol extract of the fruiting body of the mushroom Lactarius vellereus. Its structure was determined through spectroscopic analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The proposed assignment of the absolute configuration is based on computational results.

Leptin induces functional activation of cyclooxygenase-2 through JAK2/STAT3, MAPK/ERK, and PI3K/AKT pathways in human endometrial cancer cells.

Hyperleptinemia is a common feature of obese women who have a higher risk of endometrial cancer than women with normal weights, and epidemiologic studies have suggested a correlation between obesity and endometrial carcinoma. Therefore, understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in leptin signaling transduction is important in endometrial cancer prevention and treatment. In this study, both isoforms of the leptin receptor (Ob-R), the long form (Ob-Rb) and short form (Ob-Ra), were detected as being expressed in six endometrial cancer cell lines with various differentiation status by western blotting, and Ob-Ra was found to be more abundant than Ob-Rb in these cells.

Relationship between sample loading amount and peptide identification and its effects on quantitative proteomics.

The relationship between sample loading amount and peptide identification is crucial for the optimization of proteomics experiments, but few studies have addressed this matter. Herein, we present a systematic study using a replicate run strategy to probe the inherent influence of both peptide physicochemical properties and matrix effects on the relationship between peptide identification and sample loading amounts, as well as its applications in protein quantification. Ten replicate runs for a series of laddered loading amounts (ranging between 0.

Core-level electronic structure of solid-phase glycine, glycyl-glycine, diglycyl-glycine, and polyglycine: X-ray photoemission analysis and Hartree-Fock calculations of their zwitterions.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to investigate the core-level electronic structures of glycine (G) and its peptides, including glycyl-glycine (GG), diglycyl-glycine (GGG), and polyglycine (poly-G), in their powder forms. Increasing the number of G units in the peptides does not change the locations of the respective C 1s, N 1s, and O 1s features corresponding to different functional groups: -COO(-), -NH(3)(+), >CH(2), and -CONH-. The electronic structures of the zwitterions of these molecules have been calculated as isolated molecules and as molecules in an aqueous environment under the periodic boundary conditions by quantum-mechanical and molecular mechanics methods.

Psychosocial stress after reactivation of drug-related memory impairs later recall in abstinent heroin addicts.

Introduction: Stress and stress hormone are known to play important roles in modulating different stages of memory including reconsolidation. In a previous study, we found that treatment with stress or corticosterone after a single memory reactivation disrupted reconsolidation of a drug-related memory in rats. Here we presumed that stress after memory reactivation can effectively inhibit drug-related memory by disrupting its reconsolidation in abstinent heroin addicts.

Diurnal variation in cue-induced responses among protracted abstinent heroin users.

Objectives: The physiological and psychological responses to drug cue exposure have been assessed in substance abusers. However, there is no study to demonstrate whether the responses to drug cue exposure are diurnal dependence. The present study was to examine whether there was a variation in drug-related cue reactivity across the diurnal cycle among recently abstinent opiate addicts.

Size effect of se-enriched green tea particles on in vitro antioxidant and antitumor activities.

The antioxidant and antitumor activities (in vitro) of superfine regular and Se-enriched green tea particles with different sizes (3.52 microm and 220 nm) were investigated in this paper. The vitamin C and tea polyphenol contents of green tea in different sizes were significantly different, and amino acid and chlorophyll just changed a little.

Isolation and characterisation of collagens from the skin, scale and bone of deep-sea redfish (Sebastes mentella).

To make more effective use of underutilised resources, collagens from skin, scale and bone (SKC, SCC and BOC) of deep-sea redfish were isolated with acetic acid and characterised for their potential in commercial applications. The abundant ash and fat in the materials could be removed effectively by EDTA and hexane treatment in 24h, with high recoveries of protein. The yield of SKC (47.

Effect of foliar application of zinc, selenium, and iron fertilizers on nutrients concentration and yield of rice grain in China.

Zn, Se, and Fe levels in 65 Chinese rice samples were investigated, and the results indicated that these micronutrients contents of rice products from different location varied considerably. The mean contents of Zn, Se and Fe in these rice samples were 21.5+/-1.

The effect of methadone maintenance on illicit opioid use, human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus infection, health status, employment, and criminal activity among heroin abusers during 6 months of treatment in china.

Purpose: : This study was designed to evaluate the effects of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) on severity of dependence, depression, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, health status, employment, and criminal activity among heroin abusers after 3 and 6 months of treatment, compared with baseline, in China.

Methods: : A total of 102 methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients (87 men and 15 women; mean age, 36.1 years; standard deviation = 6.