[The use of 6-flavor Rehmannia decoction with additives in the prevention of ototoxic deafness induced by gentamicin in guinea pigs]

The purpose of this study is to discuss the effects of the Chinese medicine six-flavor Rehmannia Decoction with additives on preventing deafness induced by gentamicin (GM) in guinea pig by means of testing the thresholds of Preyer's reflex (PR) cochlear microphonic potential (CM), action potential of the auditory nerve (N1) and scanning electron microscope of inner ear (SEM). The results showed that the medicine is effective in reducing the ototoxic effect of GM on inner ear.

Bovine erythrocyte glutathione S-transferase: purification, inhibition, and complex formation

Glutathione S-transferase has been purified from bovine erythrocytes by affinity chromatography. The enzyme has an isoelectric point of 7.2, behaves as a 48-kDa protein composed of two identical subunits, and has an N-terminal sequence of PPYTIVYFPVQGR?EAMRMLL. This sequence, the amino acid composition, and the kinetic parameters suggest that the enzyme belongs to the pi-class of transferases. Hemins, porphyrins, and fatty acids form complexes with the enzyme and serve as effective inhibitors. Treatment of the transferase with N-ethylmaleimide, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, diethyl pyrocarbonate, or 2,3-butanedione inhibits transferase activity without altering tetrapyrrole binding. The role of the complexation and inhibition of glutathione S-transferase in erythroid metabolism has yet to be elucidated.

Characterization of NADPH-dependent methemoglobin reductase as a heme-binding protein present in erythrocytes and liver

An NADPH-dependent reductase, first shown in the 1930s to catalyze the methylene blue-dependent reduction of methemoglobin in erythrocytes, has now been characterized as a high-affinity heme-binding protein and has been detected in liver. Highly purified bovine erythrocyte reductase binds protohemin to form a 1:1 complex with a Kd of 7 nM. Binding of protohemin completely inhibits reductase activity. Other tetrapyrroles and fatty acids also bind to the reductase and inhibit its activity. Protoporphyrin, hematoporphyrin, and coproporphyrin form 1:1 complexes with Kd values ranging from 1 to 5 microM. The inhibition constants for a number of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids range from 6 to 52 microM. A protein that is immunologically cross-reactive to the reductase has been detected in the cytosolic fractions of bovine and rat liver and of bovine, rat, rabbit, and human erythrocytes. By immunoblot analysis, the bovine liver and erythrocyte proteins appear identical in size, as do the rat liver and erythrocyte proteins. The concentration of the protein in bovine erythrocytes has been estimated by quantitative immunoblotting to be 10 microM. The detection of this protein in liver cells, the demonstration of its binding properties, and its weak reductase activity bring into question the long-held belief that this is uniquely an erythrocyte protein and that it functions as a reductase.

Coupling of dihydroriboflavin oxidation to the formation of the higher valence states of hemeproteins

The reactions between hydrogen peroxide and hemeproteins have been coupled to the oxidation of dihydroriboflavin so as to provide a simple method for measuring the rate constant of hemeprotein peroxidation. Dihydroriboflavin rapidly reduces the higher oxidation states of iron and the hydroxy radicals which are the products of the hemeprotein/hydrogen peroxide reaction. The rapid reduction of these highly reactive compounds prevents the hemeproteins from undergoing irreversible chemical modifications and thus allows the kinetics of peroxidation to be studied. The rate constants at pH 7.2 and 23 degrees C for the peroxidation of horseradish peroxidase, myoglobin, and ferrocytochrome c are found to be 6.2 x 10(6), 7.5 x 10(4), and 8 x 10(3)M-1s-1, respectively. These studies suggest that reduced riboflavin might efficiently protect cells from oxidative damage such as that occurring in inflammation and reperfusion injury.

Evidence that the protein components of bovine erythrocyte green heme binding protein and flavin reductase are identical

Bovine erythrocyte green heme binding protein and bovine erythrocyte flavin reductase have been isolated in highly purified forms and subjected to amino acid analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. The two proteins possess similar amino acid compositions and identical N-terminal amino acid sequences. Moreover, the two proteins are immunochemically cross-reactive and are indistinguishable when compared by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by double diffusion technique. This study provides evidence that the protein components of bovine erythrocyte green heme binding protein and flavin reductase are identical.

TCM treatment of male infertility due to seminal abnormality--a clinical observation of 82 cases

82 male patients of infertility due to seminal abnormality were treated by Ju Jing Powder with a total effective rate of 85.4%. The sperm density in seminal fluid, the total sperm number in a single ejaculation and the activity rate of sperms markedly improved as compared with those before treatment (P less than 0.01), especially the grading of sperm motility.

[Study on forecasting local rubella outbreaks in Hangzhou city proper by serologic method]

Rubella outbreaks were proved by the rubazyme M test (Abbott) and rubella haemagglutination inhibition test in Hangzhou city in 1987. On the basis of these and previous immune surveillance in human population, we predict that epidemic of rubella will also occur in recent two years. Rubella IgM antibody was detected by enzyme immunoassay using commercially available Rubazyme-M Diagnostic Kit (Abbott Laboratories). It was detected within 0-66 days after eruption and detection rate was the highest between 5th and 14th day of onset. The coincidence rate of enzyme immunoassay and HAI tests for rubella diagnosis was 90.3%, and false negative rate of enzyme immunoassay was 9.7%. Besides, the importance of differentiating measles from rubella and diagnostic criteria of HAI test for rubella were discussed.

Role of EAC1q4 in C1a transfer reaction (C1aTR) and further information on the nature of the EAC1q4 site

The complement intermediates EAC1, EAC4, and EAC1q4 were prepared with guinea pig, porcine, as well as human complement. EAC4 and EAC1q4 were made from EC4 and EAC14 respectively. The C1a transfer reaction (C1aTR), the second step of Borsos' C1a fixation and transfer test, was carried out with various combinations of these intermediates. It was found that the EAC1q4, instead of the EAC4, was the C1a acceptor, and the C1rs subcomponents rather than the whole C1 molecule should have to transfer in the C1aTR. The EAC41 derived from EC4 generated no EAC1q4 in EDTA medium as the EAC14 did. This presented evidence for the joining of C4 to A in the EAC1q4 site.

The effect of low osmotic potential on nitrite reduction in intact spinach chloroplasts

The effect of water stress (reduced osmotic potential) on photosynthetic nitrite reduction was investigated using intact, isolated spinach (Spinacia oleracea) chloroplasts. Nitrite-dependent O(2) evolution was inhibited 39% at -29.5 bars osmotic potential, relative to a control at -11 bars. In the presence of an uncoupler of photophosphorylation this inhibition was not seen. Reduced osmotic potential did not inhibit either methyl viologen reduction or photosynthetic O(2) reduction. These results indicate that an inhibition of electron transport to ferredoxin cannot account for the observed inhibition of nitrite-dependent O(2) evolution. In vitro assay of nitrite reductase activity showed that the interaction of the enzyme with nitrite was not affected by changes in the concentrations of ions or molecules that might be caused by water stress conditions. These results indicate that the most likely site for the effect of water stress on chloroplastic nitrite reduction is the interaction of ferredoxin with nitrite reductase.