A protein factor from Xenopus oocytes with simian virus 40 large tumor antigen-like DNA supercoiling activity

The ATP-dependent movement of simian virus 40 large tumor antigen on DNA can cause positive supercoiling of template DNA in the presence of bacterial DNA topoisomerase I, which specifically relaxes negative supercoils. With such a supercoiling assay, an activity capable of ATP-dependent, positive supercoiling of DNA in the presence of bacterial DNA topoisomerase I was found in 7S particles prepared from Xenopus laevis oocytes but not in purified transcription factor IIIA. The positive supercoils accumulated during the reaction are strained, as evidenced by their sensitivity to eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I. Purification of this activity led to the identification of a DNA-dependent ATPase. Molar excess of transcription factor IIIA or spermidine was found to strongly stimulate the supercoiling reaction of the purified ATPase. These results suggest that this DNA-dependent ATPase can interact with and translocate along closed-circular duplex DNA, producing local alterations in the supercoiled state of the DNA template in a manner analogous to that of simian virus 40 large tumor antigen.

[Detection of serum anti-salivary duct antibody and its clinical significance]

The authors developed an indirect immunofluorescence technique for the detection of Anti-salivary duct antibody (ASDA) and screened 34 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 15 patients with Sjögren's syndrome-rheumatoid arthritis and 15 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, 63 cases with other connective tissue diseases, 9 cases with other diseases and 40 normal controls. The incidence of ASDA in patients with Sjögren's syndrome rheumatoid arthritis (66.67%) or rheumatoid arthritis (32.35%) was significantly higher than that in normal controls (P less than 0.001). In patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and other CTDs, non-CTDs, no ASDA was found. However, in patients with Sjögren's syndrome-rheumatoid arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis alone, ASDA was not correlated with age, sex, disease duration or serological findings. The result suggests that the detection of serum ASDA might be useful in the differentiation of Sjögren's syndrome with rheumatoid arthritis from primary Sjögren's syndrome with arthralgia and/or arthritis.

Two evolutionarily divergent genes encode a cytoplasmic ribosomal protein of Arabidopsis thaliana

Two clones of Arabidopsis thaliana possessing high sequence identity to the yeast gene encoding ribosomal (r) protein L3 were isolated by heterologous DNA hybridization. The coding regions of these two clones have approx. 63% amino acid (aa) sequence identity to the yeast L3 r-protein and 85% aa sequence identity to each other. Both genes are expressed in shoots. The presence of two divergent genes in A. thaliana raises the possibility that the gene products participate in the formation of functionally distinct ribosomes.

[Radiotherapy for brain metastasis of malignant trophoblastic tumor]

From 1982 to 1985, 26 patients with malignant trophoblastic tumor were treated. Of them, 8 patients developed brain metastasis. Seven out of these 8 patients were treated with 60Co whole brain radiotherapy. The total dose on the longitudinal mid-plane of brain was 3300 cGy/2-3 weeks. Four patients were cured, 3 of them have survived without recurrence or sequelae for 6.5, 6 and 4.5 years, respectively; the other one died of liver metastasis 1 year after radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is an effective method in the combined treatment for brain metastasis of malignant trophoblastic tumors.

[Anti-anaphylactic pharmacological action of water-soluble constituents of Ginkgo biloba L. episperm]

Water-soluble constituents of Ginkgo biloba episperm 100 or 200 mg/kg po given to mice inhibited passive cutaneous allergic response and the same dose given to rats ip inhibited mast cell degranulation. It antagonized the contractile effect of isolated guinea pig ileum smooth muscles induced by the antigen. It inhibited the deliverance of SRS-A from anaphylactic lung of guinea pig.

Soluble and membrane-bound forms of cytochrome b5 are the products of a single gene in chicken

In order to determine the relationship of the soluble cytochrome b5 found in erythrocytes to the membrane-bound form found in other tissues, a cDNA clone encoding cytochrome b5 in chicken erythrocytes was isolated by using mixed oligonucleotides based on a partial amino acid sequence of the protein. Complete nucleotide sequence identity between the erythrocyte cDNA and the sequence of a cDNA clone of the liver protein suggests that they are transcribed from the same gene. The isolation and structural analysis of genomic clones was also consistent with the presence of only one cytochrome b5 gene in chicken. These results suggest that the formation of soluble erythrocyte cytochrome b5 occurs by proteolytic processing of the membrane-bound form. Thus, previous reports indicating that the carboxyl terminal amino acid residue of the erythrocyte form differs from the corresponding residue of the membrane-bound form may suggest the existence of a novel post-translational modification.

[Pharmacological study of Rubus parvifolius L]

Aqueous extracts of Rubus parvifolius have been proved useful in shortening bleeding time and coagulation time in mice, shortening euglobulinlysis time in rabbits, inhibiting platelet thrombosis in rabbits in vivo, Rubus parvifolius increasing coronary flow in isolated rat heart, preventing rats from pituitrin induced changes of ECG and Rubus parvifolius increasing the tolerance of mice to hypoxia. The toxicity of Rubus parvifolius is small.

[plants of Coptis from Tibet and Yunnan]

In this paper the relationship of Tibetan Huanglian and Yunnan Huanglian with Coptis teeta has been studied. The distribution and taxonomic features of Tibetan Huanglian are just the same as Coptis teeta, but quite different from Yunnan Huanglian. The results reveal that Tibetan Huanglian and Yunnan Huanglian are different in botanical origin.

Induction of tumor necrosis factor by macrophage colony-stimulating factor in vivo

The effect of human urinary colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) on the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in vivo was assessed. Purified CSF-1 was administered i.v. to rabbits 4 days prior to injection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). TNF in the serum prepared from rabbits bled 90 min after LPS injection was measured using cytotoxicity assays employing mouse L929 cells and antirabbit TNF monoclonal antibody. The results indicated that CSF-1 was able to induce the production of TNF in vivo and had a synergistic effect with Propionibacterium acnes.

[Preliminary study of traditional Chinese medicine treatment of minimal brain dysfunction: analysis of 100 cases]

This paper reports the clinical treatment of 100 patients with minimal brain dysfunction (MBD), their age ranged from 7-14.2 years, and the average age was 10.5. Patients were divided into TCM and WM group randomly. The TCM group (80 cases) were treated with the therapy of subdueing hyperactivity of the Liver and invigorating the function of the Spleen by using: Bupleurum chinense, Scutellaria baicalensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Codonopsis pilosula, Ligustrum lucidum, Lophatherum gracile and thread of ivory. The WM group (20 cases) were treated with retalin 5-15 mg twice daily. One course of treatment lasted one month, and effects were evaluated after 1-3 courses of treatment. The results were as follows: In the TCM group, 23 cases were cured (clinical symptom and sign disappeared, 10 IQ units were raised in their intelligence, abnormal electroencephalogram was recovered and there was no recurrence during the first six months after recovery). 46 cases were improved (clinical symptom and sign markedly improved, 4 IQ units raised in intelligence and electroencephalogram improved), and 11 cases ineffective. The effective rate was 86.25%. In the WM group, 6 cases were cured, 12 cases improved and 2 cases ineffective, the clinical effective rate being 90.0%. There was no significant difference between the two groups in this study, but, the side-effects of the TCM group was less than the WM group, and the TCM group had more beneficial effects to improve intelligence, enuresis and the black of orbits. The study showed that the Verbal Scale in Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children is one of the indications of diagnosis and evaluating of the curative effect of MBD.

[Antitumor action of lignum sappan]

The aqueous extract of lignum sappan can kill cell lines of HL-60, K562, L929 and Yac-1 at the concentration of 2 microliters/ml. The survival time of mice bearing EAC is increased by 185% (P less than 0.01) by ip 0.2 ml/mouse x 7d. The three-stage sequential test standard can be passed smoothly.