Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) belongs to the receptor family which is coupled with G-protein. The N-terminus of PAR-2 is cleaved by some proteases to generate a new N-terminus. The new N-terminus can interact with and activate the receptor itself. The update research reported that PAR-2 could be expressed on some cancers as well as tumor cell lines. There are some relationships between the PAR-2 expression and the behaviors of tumor cell, such as proliferation, angiogenesis, migration and invasion.

D-amino acids were believed to have no function in higher organisms several years ago. Recently, D-serine was proved to be synthesized by astrocytes in vivo and be released to work as an effective coagonist at the “glycine-binding” site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors in central nervous system. In this paper, the synthesis, metabolism and function of D-serine were reviewed briefly.

Aim To disclose the molecular mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang decoction(LW)enhances the cognitive function of central nervous system, the effects of Liuwei Dihuang decoction on the differential expression genes in the hippocampus of senescence-accelerated mouse was studied. Methods There were 8 gene expression patterns, such as SAMP8 and SAMR1, SAMP8 as negative control and SAMR1 as positive control, huperzine A-treated SAMP8 and SAMP8 as negative control, LW-treated SAMP8 and SAMP8 as negative control, were compared and assessed by use of the differential expression cDNA microarray of the hippocampus of SAMP8 and SAMR1. The response genes of LW were compared. Results LW had significant modulating effects on some of the gene expressions. Expressions of genes, such as DUSP12, NSF, STUB1, CaMKⅡ?, AMFR, UQCRFS1 and other 11 novel genes without any functional clues changed significantly. These genes involved in the protein-tyrosine phosphatase family, the AAA(ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities)gene family, the serine/threonine protein kinases family, ubiquitin ligase, mitochondrial function and so on. Conclusions These results suggested LW effects on the cognitive impairments might be multi-mechanism and these genes might be the potential gene targets for LW effects on the impairments.

Vesicular glutamate transporters(VGLUTs)package specifically glutamate into synaptic vesicles in the presynaptic terminal for subsequent release into the synaptic cleft.VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 together label all glutamatergic neurons,are highly specific markers of glutamatergic neurons and their axon terminals.VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 are respectively the neurochemical marker of cortico-cortical projection and thalamo-cortical projection.VGLUT3 is also expressed in cholinergic interneurons,serotoninergic neurons,subsets of GABAergic interneurons in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.The disfunction of VGLUTs can lead to the abnormal excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate,resulting in many nervous system disease.In order to give a clue for prevention and therapy of these diseases,this paper reviews the disfunction of VGLUTs effects on Alzheimer's disease(AD),Parkinson's disease(PD),schizophrenia,depressive disorder,epilepsy and deafness.

Alzheimer′s disease(AD)is one of the neurodegenerative diseases.Now it seriously threatens the life of the elderly.The pathogenesis of AD is not clear,thus there is no cure for this disease.The current treatment can′t reverse the pathological change of the disease or prevent the development of the disease,and the symptoms of the AD patients can only be partly improved.In recent years,the application of RNAi technology to the inhibition of the expression of the AD-related genes provides a new method for the treatment of AD.This article mainly introduces the application of the RNAi technology to AD.

Chemical warfare agents and chemical terrorism agents have been identified as one of the major threats to human survival and national security currently. The key to dealing with these threats is the effective medical countermeasures of which specific antidotes take center stage. In the past decade,real or potential chemical threats which has sparked regional conflicts,terrorist activities or chemical accidents intentionally or unintentionally have increased the investment in antidotes research and development worldwide. Here,we introduced the research status on medical countermeasures against chemical threat by giving an overview of the United States ″Countermeasures Against Chemi?cal Threats(CounterACT)Program″,and then the recent research progress in antidotes against nerve agents,sulfur mustard and cyanide toxicities were reviewed.

Objective To study the toxic effect of exotoxin A of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on keratocytes.Methods Three-dimensional gels of type I collagen containing rabbit keratocytes were incubated in the presence of different concentrations of exotoxin A(0.1,1.0,10 mg?L-1),cultivated for 24 h at 37℃,the change of keratocytes in morphology was observed under the light microscope,and the amount of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The LDH contents in different concentrations(0.1,1.0,10 mg?L-1)of exotoxin A groups were higher than that in the group without exotoxin A(P

The Eph protein family,consisting of Eph receptors and their corresponding membrane-anchored protein ligands-Ephrin,is no doubt the largest receptor protein tyrosine kinases family till now.Interactions between Eph receptors and Ephrin ligands based on their special structure might make the Eph protein family one of new targets of disease′s treatment and consequently studies related to Eph proteins and their receptors have draw more and more attention.This overview will focus on recent progresses in the classification,gene expression,protein structure,function and protein-receptor interactions of the Eph protein family and their receptors.Much of the focus of this overview is on their physiological and pathophysiological role in nervous system and their therapeutic perspective from several aspects.

Long-term potentiation(LTP) of synaptic activity in the hippocampal is the most widely researched model of synaptic plasticity,which is believed to underlie the brain function of learning and memory.Mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPK) respond to a variety of cellular and extracellular stimuli, such as growth factors,cytokines,extracellular mitogen and stresses.MAPK are involved in complex processes such as in cell differentiation,proliferation and programmed cell death.It has been reported that the upstream regulators and downstream substrats of MAPKs still widely exist in the mature neuron.MAPKs cascade induces phosphorylation of many functional protein including some receptors and kinases that is associated with induction and maintain of the LTP in the neuron,indicating that MAPKs do play a crucial role in the synaptic plasticity.Extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK),c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) and p38 activity and its relationship with LTP are reviewed.

Sulfur mustard [bis (2-chloroethyl) sulfide, sulfur mustard, SM] is considered a powerful chemical warfare agent.There is still no specific antidote due to its complex toxicological mechanism .An intimate knowledge of the toxic mechanisms and pathophysiological changes is important to the treatment of sulfur mustard injury .Oxidative stress is one of the most important pathophysiological processes involved in the toxic effect of sulfur mustard .The study of oxidative stress biomarkers induced by sulfur mustard can help to reveal the role of oxidative stress in sulfur mustard intoxication , which may contribute to better understanding of the toxic mechanism and development of therapeutic measures after sulfur mustard exposure.The research advances in oxidative stress biomarkers in sulfur mustard intoxication are reviewed .