[Evaluation of radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae and its preparation]

Constituents of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae and its compound tablets, e.g. tanshinone A, cryptotanshinone, protocatechuic aldehyde and danshensu, were determined by TLC-densitometry. Optimum conditions were selected for constituent extraction, separation and determination. The method is accurate, sensitive and reproducible.

[406 cases of angina pectoris in coronary heart disease treated with saponin of Tribulus terrestris]

Coronary heart disease (CHD) was treated with saponin of Tribulus terrestris. According to 406 cases of clinical observation and a cross test (67 cases treated with Yufen Ningxin Pian as control), the results showed that the total efficacious rate of remission angina pectoris was 82.3%. It was higher than the control group with a total effective rate of 67.2% (P less than 0.05). The total effective rate of ECG improvement (52.7%) was even higher than that of the control group (35.8%). It is shown that saponin of Tribulus terrestris has the action of dilating coronary artery and improving coronary circulation, and thus has better effects on improving ECG of myocardial ischemia. If taken for a long time, it has no adverse reaction on blood system and hepatic and renal functions. Neither does it have side effects. It is one of the ideal medicines to treat angina pectoris.

[Projection of afferent impulses from the brachial plexus and sciatic nerve to the corpus striatum in pigeons]

The corpus striatum were systematically explored by recording averaged potentials elicited by stimulation of the brachial plexus and sciatic nerve in 53 pigeons. It was found that the projection areas of brachial afferents were located within the neostriatum, the hyperstriatum and the ectostriatum. The sciatic projection areas overlap with the brachial projection areas in the neostriatum and a part of the hyperstriatum. Moreover, the brachial and sciatic projection are as in the striatum receive the inputs from both sides of the body. We suggest that the somatic projection areas of fore- and hindlimb are distributed diffusely in the striatum of the pigeon. That the projection area of forelimb is relatively larger is probably related with functional differentiation of the forelimb. Furthermore, the convergence of afferent impulses originating in the different regions of the body within the same brain area may be important for the integration of limb activities in pigeon.

Some physicochemical properties of rice mitochondrial DNA

Certain physicochemical properties of rice mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were determined. Certain low-molecular-weight mtDNA bands were found in addition to the major mtDNA band. Rice mtDNA appeared in the electron microscope as a collection of linear molecules with heterogeneous length in the range of 1-156 kb. The major distribution area was 60-105 kb. A small fraction (less than 5%) of rice mtDNA was found in the form of a circular molecule. Some molecules had the appearance of being supercoiled. Replication fork structures were found in both circular and linear mtDNA molecules. In one rice species, Jin Nante, 15 different circular molecules were found. Rice mtDNA was digested with different restriction enzymes. The total molecular weight of rice mtDNA was calculated to be about 300 kb according to the data of restriction enzyme digestion and electron microscopy.

Reconstitution of Escherichia coli DNA photolyase with various folate derivatives

DNA photolyase from Escherichia coli contains both flavin and pterin. However, the isolated enzyme is depleted with respect to the pterin chromophore (0.5 mol of pterin/mol of flavin). The extinction coefficient of the pterin chromophore at 360 nm is underestimated by a method used in earlier studies which assumes stoichiometric amounts of pterin and flavin. The extinction coefficient of the pterin chromophore, determined on the basis of its (p-aminobenzoyl)polyglutamate content (epsilon 360 = 25.7 x 10(3) M-1 cm-1), is in good agreement with that expected for a 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate derivative. Also consistent with this structure, the pterin chromophore could be reversibly hydrolyzed to yield a 10-formyltetrahydrofolate derivative or reduced to yield a 5-methyltetrahydrofolate derivative. The isolated enzyme could be reconstituted with various folate derivatives to yield enzyme that contained equimolar amounts of pterin and flavin. Similar results were obtained in reconstitution studies with the natural pterin chromophore, with 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate, and with 10-formyltetrahydrofolate. The results show that the polyglutamate moiety, previously identified in the natural chromophore, is not critical for binding. Reconstitution with the natural pterin chromophore did not affect catalytic activity. The latter is consistent with our previous studies which show that, although the pterin chromophore acts as a sensitizer in native enzyme, it is not essential for dimer repair which can occur at the same rate under saturating light with flavin (1,5-dihydro-FAD) as the only chromophore.

Overlapping transcriptional units on the same strand within the murine beta-glucuronidase gene complex

We have identified and partially characterized a complex transcriptional unit within the murine beta-glucuronidase gene complex on chromosome 5. On the same strand and within the first intron of the beta-glucuronidase structural gene, Gus-s, we observe an RNA polymerase II promoter motif. That sequences within this carefully defined region can promote RNA polymerase II transcription is supported by results of in vitro transcriptional runoff assays and by expression of a linked reporter gene in both cultured cells and transgenic mice. Results of RNA blot hybridization and S1 nuclease protection studies reveal a 2.2-kilobase processed liver transcript which is initiated just downstream of the promoter motif and sharing little, if any, sequence with the 2.7-kilobase beta-glucuronidase mRNA. Both RNA species are found in liver where beta-glucuronidase is known to be expressed in all cell types. To our knowledge, this is the first description of eukaryotic mRNAs from overlapping transcription units which share the same strand yet exhibit little, if any, sequence similarity. A possible regulatory relationship between these overlapping structural genes is discussed.

Rapid identification of bacterial genes that are lethal when cloned on multicopy plasmids

A procedure to identify genes that are lethal when cloned on multicopy plasmids was developed. It depends on the ability of mini-Mu plasmid elements to be used for both in vivo cloning and generalized transduction of enterobacterial genes. The feasibility of this procedure was demonstrated by using the tetA gene of Tn10, which is lethal when in multiple copies in the presence of 25 micrograms of tetracycline per ml.

DNA repair catalyzed by Escherichia coli DNA photolyase containing only reduced flavin: elimination of the enzyme's second chromophore by reduction with sodium borohydride

DNA photolyase from Escherichia coli contains FAD plus a partially characterized, second chromophore. In vivo, the flavin is fully reduced (FADH2), but oxidation to a stable, blue radical (FADH.) occurs during enzyme isolation. The second chromophore is irreversibly reduced by reaction of the enzyme with sodium borohydride or by photoreduction in the presence of dithiothreitol. A similar reaction occurs with the protein-free chromophore and sodium cyanoborohydride. Reduction of the second chromophore is accompanied by a complete loss of the chromophore's visible absorption and fluorescence but does not significantly affect catalytic activity. The results show that the enzyme can repair dimers by a pathway involving only FADH2. Enzyme-bound FADH2 is fluorescent and exhibits emission (505 nm) and absorption (360 nm) maxima similar to that expected for a 1,5-dihydroflavin derivative. It is proposed that dimer cleavage via the second chromophore independent pathway involves electron donation from excited FADH2 to pyrimidine dimer. Pyrimidine dimer radicals are unstable and spontaneously monomerize. Unmodified second chromophore can also act as a sensitizer in a pathway that requires FADH2. This pathway may be similar to that proposed for the second chromophore independent reaction except that excited FADH2 would be produced via energy transfer from the excited second chromophore. The fluorescence observed for enzyme-bound, unmodified second chromophore is quenched by FADH. and increases 6-fold when the latter is reduced, but the absorption spectrum (lambda max = 390 nm epsilon 390 = 12.7 x 10(3) M-1 cm-1) is independent of the redox state of the flavin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Circular fringe carrier technique in holographic interferometry

An improved fringe carrier technique can eliminate the ambiguity in holographic fringe interpretation. This paper presents a new fringe carrier technique-a circular fringe carrier technique that not only eliminates the ambiguity in holographic fringe interpretation but also determines the direction of displacements and obtains the required fringe spacings without precisely adjusting the object beam.

Treatment of urgency and urge incontinence with flavoxate in the People's Republic of China

Flavoxate is a smooth muscle relaxant widely used to treat urgency and urge incontinence. It has been used in an unblinded, uncontrolled clinical trial in 14 urology departments in universities and major hospitals in the People's Republic of China involving 361 patients with urgency/incontinence of various types. Patients were given 200 mg three times daily, orally, for 2 weeks, although 33 patients received a daily dosage of 1200 mg. Frequency, urgency, dysuria, nocturia and incontinence were assessed and scored clinically prior to and after treatment. Three departments also included urodynamic investigations, e.g. monitoring of the end-residual volume. Results from 336 evaluable patients indicate that 228 (67%) were completely cured of urgency/incontinence symptoms, 66 (20%) were improved and 42 (13%) patients were unchanged. Flavoxate was also effective in 77.4% of patients refractory to previous anti-cholinergic treatment. Treatment did not increase the end-residual volume and adverse events occurred only in four (1.3%) patients, two (0.6%) of which discontinued the therapy. The 1200 mg dose produced a complete cure in 82% of patients and improvement in the remaining 18%, with no side-effects. In conclusion, flavoxate is an effective and well tolerated treatment for urgency/incontinence of various causes.

[Ultrasound-guided percutaneous fine-needle puncture cytology in the diagnosis of malignant tumors of the liver]

Results of ultrasound guided percutaneous fine-needle puncture cytology in 142 cases of malignant tumors of the liver are reported. The positive cytology was noted in 118 (83.1%) (10 suspicious). The primary liver cancer comprised 99 cases. In 7 lesions, equal to or less than 3 cm in diameters, 6 were positive in cytology. In 20,3-5 cm in size, 18 were positive. In 15 false-negatives, 12 were larger than 5 cm in diameter. Among 43 cases of metastatic liver cancer, 34 showed positive cytology and 9 false-negative. Among 108 cases of benign hepatic diseases, in 49.1%, it was difficult to arrive at definitive diagnosis by ultrasonography only, but in 97.2% malignancy was excluded by ultrasound guided fine-needle puncture cytology. The suspicious false-positive result occurred only in 3 cases. In this series, there were 250 cases of malignant tumors and benign diseases. The overall accurate diagnostic rate was 89.2%. All the patients had been followed for more than 6 months. The differential diagnosis between malignant and benign tumors, causes of misdiagnosis and complications are discussed.

Role of specific antibody in interaction of leptospires with human monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages

It has previously been shown that human neutrophils ingest and kill nonpathogenic Leptospira biflexa in the absence of serum but that pathogenic Leptospira interrogans is not ingested by neutrophils even in the presence of normal serum. We extended this study by examining the interactions of human monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages with pathogenic L. interrogans (serovar icterohaemorrhagiae) and evaluating the opsonizing effect of serotype-specific immune serum on the phagocytosis of pathogenic leptospires by monocytes and neutrophils. Leptospires were incubated with monocytes in pellets at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2. No ingestion or killing of pathogenic leptospires occurred when 10% normal serum was used. However, when the pathogenic leptospires were pretreated with serotype-specific immune serum, monocytes or neutrophils in pellets ingested 96% of the organisms and killed 94% of those ingested. Microscopic observations of the interaction confirmed that phagocytosis of the opsonized pathogenic leptospires by monocytes, monocyte-derived macrophages, and neutrophils had occurred. The opsonizing effect of specific antibody may play an important role in the mechanism of host defense against leptospirosis.

Interaction of leptospires with human polymorphonuclear neutrophils

The role of the polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) in defense against leptospires has not been adequately studied, in part, because of difficulty in quantitating pathogenic leptospires. By using pour plates to quantitate nonpathogenic leptospires and the most-probable-number procedure to quantitate the pathogenic leptospires, we examined the interactions of nonpathogenic Leptospira biflexa and pathogenic Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohemorrhagiae with human neutrophils. Phase-contrast, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopic observations were made. Leptospires were incubated with PMN at 37 degrees C and tumbled together. There was no ingestion or killing of nonpathogenic leptospires (with no serum) or of pathogenic organisms (with 10% normal serum). However, when leptospires were incubated with PMN (without serum) in a pellet and then resuspended, 91 +/- 6% of nonpathogenic leptospires were removed from the supernatant, and 93 +/- 4% of these organisms were killed. The pathogenic leptospires became cell associated in a pellet, but were not killed by PMN even in the presence of 10% normal serum. Observations of morphological interactions indicated that PMN phagocytized the nonpathogenic leptospires in the absence of serum and that the pathogenic leptospires attached to but were not ingested by neutrophils in the presence of 10% normal serum. PMN do not seem to be an efficient defense factor for pathogenic leptospires in nonimmune hosts. The virulence of leptospires appears to be related to their ability to resist killing by serum and to resist ingestion and killing by neutrophils.

Kinetic studies of haemopoietic progenitor cells (CFU-C) and T-lymphocytes in the liver of human foetus

In the development of human foetus, liver is an important haemopoietic organ. We have determined the liver weight and total hepatic nucleated cells from 24 foetuses on the one hand, and CFU-C yield, total number of CFU-C and T-lymphocytes in liver from 22 foetuses of different ages on the other. From the kinetic observations through the early developmental period of the foetuses, the maximum yield of CFU-C or the total number of CFU-C in the liver occurs at 4-5 months of gestation; during the first 5 months of gestation the percentage of T-lymphocytes in the liver is about 1-2%.