The activity of erythrocyte membrane Na+-K+ATPase was determined from 43 patients with essential hypertension and 10 normotensive controls. Erythrocyte membrane preparation was obtained by washing after hypotonic hemolysis and repeating high speed centrifugal sedimentation. Ouabain was used as a specific inhibitor in Na+-K+ATPase assay. A significantly decreased activity of erythrocyte membrane Na+-K+ATPase was found in these patients of hypertension. Although their clinical manifestations were improved, there were no differences in Na + -K+ATPase activity between treated with Ligusticum Wallichii Hort and untreated groups. The mechanisms involved in these changes were discussed.

A simple and accurate method for the determination of total bile acids in serum by spectrofluorometry was described. The assay was based on the fact that free and conjugated bile acids tested after treatment with concentrated sulfuric acid, all gave the approximately equal fluorescence intensity at 500 nm, under 470 nm light excitation.

The carbohydrate and lipid contents and Ca2+-Mg2+ ATPase activity of erythrocyte membrane were studied in 10 patients with DMD. The results demonstrated that the sialic acid content was markedly decreased, and the neutral sugar content normal. The cholesterol was significantly increased, but the phospholipids unchanged, resulting in a significantly reduced P/C ratio. The activity of Ca2+-Mg2+ ATPase elevated markedly. The study suggests that the erythrocyte membranes with DMD are altered both in composition and function.

Electrophoretic-purified human glycophorin A (GPA) was used to produce its derivatives: (1) glycopeptides were separated and purified from GPA by trypsin digestion; (2) preparation of GPA-antibody and GPA glycopeptide-antibody; (3) preparation of deglycosylated GPA (dGPA); (4) incorporating GPA or dGPA into human RBC membrane lipids to form two kinds of liposomes. The products described above were used to test Plasmodium falciparum FCC1/HN merozoites for their ability to invade human erythrocytes. It was found that GPA-liposomes were able to bind with merozoites and dGPA-liposomes had a negative reaction. GPA, GPA glycopeptide, GPA-antibody, GPA glycopeptide-antibody and GPA-liposome all had the effect to hinder the invasion of merozoites into human erythrocyte while dGPA-liposome had no such an effect.

Fresh healthy human erythrocytes were treated by four kinds of bile acid solutions (DC, GDC, C, and GC) at physiological and pathological concentrations of human plasma, and the membrane proteins, enzyme activities and permeability of cations were observed. The results showed that some components of the membrane cytoskeleton proteins disappeared, the activities of total ATPase and Gr-ATPase were distinctly increased with the increasing of bile acid concentrations, the activity of the membrane acetylcholinesterase was decreased with the increasing bile acid concentrations, the permeability of cations was increased with the increasing bile acid concentrations. The effect of the dihydroxy bile acids more stronger than that of the trihydroxy bile acids.

17B~estradiol. Displacement experiments showed that when RU38486 concentration reached 100~280-fold that of [3H]corticosterone, it began to inhibit [3H]corticosterone binding, while low concentration of RU38486 had no inhibitory effect.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of different doses of PcTx1,a specific blocker of acid-sensing ion channel 1a,on global cerebral ischemia/repedfusion (I/R) injury in rats,MethodsSixty adult male Sprague Dawley rats (weighing 250-300 g) were randomly divided into 6 grups ( n =10 each):sham operation group (group S),I/R group,different doses of PcTx1 ( 10 ng/ml,group P1 ; 25 ng/ml,group P2 ; 50 ng/ml,group P3 ;and 500 ng/ml,group P4 ) groups.Global cerebral ischemia was induced by the modified procedure of Pulsinelli 4-vessel occlusion.In groups P1,P2,P3 and P4,different doses of PcTx1 ( 10,25,50 and 500 ng/ml),6 μl each,were respectively injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle at the initiation of reperfusion,while equal volume of double distilled water was injected instead in group I/R.Six rats in each group were sacrificed at 24 h of reperfusion,and the brains were immediately removed,Thereafter,the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA),reduced glutathione (GSH) and ritric oxide (NO),the activities of constitutive NO synthase (eNOS) snd inducible NO synthase (iNOS) were detected in hippocampus.Four rats in each group were sacrificed at 72 h of reperfusion,and hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe the pathomorphological changes of the hippocampal neurons.ResultsCompared with group S,the other groups showed decreases in the contents of GSH,while increases in the contents of MDA and NO and the activities of cNOS and iNOS ( P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01 ).The contents of GSH increased,while the contents of MDA and NO and the activities of cNOS and iNOS decreased in groups P2,P3 and P4 compared with group I/R ( P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01).Compared with group P1,the contents of GSH increased,the contents of MDA and the activities of cNOS decreased in groups P2,P3 and P4,and the contents of NO and the activities of iNOS decreased in groups P3 and P4 ( P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01 ).Compared with group P2,the activities of iNOS decreased in groups P3 and P4(P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01).The damage to neurons in hippocampal CAI was severe in groups I/R and P1,but it was attenuated in groups P3 and P4.ConclusionPcTx1 25,50 and 500 ng/ml (6 μl)injected into lateral cerebral ventricle can attenuate global cerebral I/R injury in rats,and the dose 50 ng/ml (6 μl) is more suitable.

The effects of GPA, anti-GPA IgG, ?1acid glycoprotcin (?1-AGP), ovomucoid (OM) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) on the invasion of erythrocytes by P. falciparum were obseryed in vitro. GPA, anti-GPA IgG and WGA at low concentrations had obviously inhibitory effects on thc invasion. There were hyperbolic relationships between the concentrations of these inhibitors and their inhibition rates. OM, ?1-AGP and non-spccific anti-serum had no obvious effect on the invasion. It is confirmed for the first time from the biological characteristics of receptor-ligand interaction that thc combination of GPA with P. falciparum merozoites has high spccificity, high affinity with a tendency to sa-turation and can produce specific biological effects.

A 61-year-old woman with pulmonary alternariosis and aspergillosis was reported.The patient presented with recurrent hemoptysis and cough for 3 years.Alternaria was identified by fungal culture.Biopsy specimen showed pulmonary aspergillosis.The patient had been treated with voriconazole at 400 mg/d through intravenous guttae for 7 days,and then switched amphotericin B at 25 mg/d through intravenous guttae for 11 days.The patient was treated with voriconazole at 400 mg through oral when she was discharged from hospital.After the treatment,the clinical symptoms ofhemoptysis and cough were recovered,and the lung CT examinations showed normal.