Preparation and inhibition on α-d-glucosidase of low molecular weight polysaccharide from Cordyceps militaris.

The structural properties and the inhibition on α-d-glucosidase activity of the low molecular weight (LCMPs-II) obtained from the optimized acid hydrolysis of the Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides (CMPs) were investigated in this paper. The LCMPs-II with a molecular weight of 28 KDa mainly composed of rhamnose, xylose and glucose with the molar ratio of 1: 2.19: 6.73 was separated from LCMPs-I which was the acid hydrolysis product of CMPs by chromatography on Sephadex G-100 column. The solubility of LCMPs-II was tested to be 32.12±1.05g in 100mL distilled water under 25°C. Its solubility was almost as twice as that of CMPs. Afterward, the structural features of LCMPs-II was investigated by a combination of chemical and instrumental analysis such as the specific rotation determination, FT-IR, periodate oxidation-Smith degradation, Congo-red, GC, scanning electron microscope and NMR. The results showed that the optical rotation of LCMPs-II was +25° and it was 1,3-branched-rhamnoxyloglucan which had a linear backbone of (1→4)-linked α-d-glucopyranose (α-d-Glcp units).

Effects of the ultra-high pressure on structure and α-glucosidase inhibition of polysaccharide from Astragalus.

A novel homogeneous polysaccharide fraction (APS) was extracted from Astragalus by hot water and purified by Sephadex G-100 and G-75 column. Its molecular weight was 693kDa. APS and APS with ultra-high pressure treatment exhibited significant inhibitory abilities on a-glucosidase, inhibition rate from high to low in order was 400MPa-APS, 300MPa-APS, 500MPa-APS and APS. The inhibition ​percentage of 400MPa-APS (1.5mg/mL) was 49% (max.). This suggested that the inhibitory activity of APS on a-glucosidase was improved by ultra-high pressure treatment. FT-IR, SEM, CD spectra, atomic force microscope and Congo red test analysis of APS and 400MPa-APS showed ultra-high pressure treatment didn't change the preliminary structure but had an effect on its advanced structure.

Influence of fermentation conditions on polysaccharide production and the activities of enzymes involved in the polysaccharide synthesis of Cordyceps militaris.

The influence of different fermentation conditions on intracellular polysaccharide (IPS) production and activities of the phosphoglucomutase (PGM), UDPG-pyrophosphorylase (UGP), phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI), UDPG-dehydrogenase (UGD), and glucokinase (GK) implicated in metabolite synthesis in Cordyceps militaris was evaluated. The highest IPS production (327.57 ± 6.27 mg/100 mL) was obtained when the strain was grown in the optimal medium containing glucose (40 g · L(-1)), beef extract (10 g · L(-1)), and CaCO3 (0.5 g · L(-1)), and the initial pH and temperature were 7 and 25 °C, respectively. The activities of PGM, UGP, and PGI were proved to be influenced by the fermentation conditions. A strong correlation between the activities of these enzymes and the production of IPS was found. The transcription level of the pgm gene (encoding PGM) was 1.049 times and 1.467 times compared to the ugp gene and pgi gene (encoding UGP and PGI), respectively, in the optimal culture medium. This result indicated that PGM might be the highly key enzyme to regulate the biosynthesis of IPS of C. militaris in a liquid-submerged culture. Our study might be helpful for further research on the pathway of polysaccharide biosynthesis aimed to improve the IPS production of C. militaris.

Fingertip replantation with anastomosis of palm vein and retaining the nail / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the replantation methods and clinical results of amputated fingertip.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From October 2007 to June 2011, 18 fingers of 13 cases were replanted with anastomosis of palm vein and retaining the nail, including 9 males and 4 females,with an average age of 26 years old ranging from 17 to 45 years old. The time from injury to therapy was from 30 min to 5 h, time of broken finger ischemia was from 1.5 to 7 h. All broken fingers were preservation under normal temperature.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All fingers were survived, no vascular crisis happened. All cases were followed up from 3 to 24 months with an average of 14 months. The length and shape of replanted fingers were similar to that of the healthy side. The new nails were smooth, the function was perfect,the sense of pain and touched sensation had been recovered. Their two-piont discriminations ranged from 3 to 6 mm with an average of 5 mm. According to the assessment standard of Chinese Medical Association of Hand Surgery, the results were excellent in 14 cases, good in 3 cases, poor in 1 case.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Fingertip replantation with anastomosis of palm vein and retaining the nail is regained satisfactory appearance and function of the digits with a high survival rate.</p>

[Influence of acetazolamide given intraperitoneally on the latency to hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion of rats.].

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relation between the modulation of cerebral blood flow and the latency of hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion. There were two parts in this study. First, the effect of acetazolamide or (and) indomethacin on the latency of hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion was observed. Seventy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: the acetazolamide 200, 20, 10, 7.5, 5, 2.5 mg/kg body weight and normal saline (NS) group. Forty rats were divided into 5 groups: indomethacin 20, 10, 5, 2.5 mg/kg body weight and NS groups. Another 40 rats were divided into 5 groups which were administered with indomethacin in the dose of 0 mg/kg (NS), 0 mg/kg (NS), 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight. Thirty min later the first group was given NS, and all the other four groups were given acetazolamide with a dose of 7.5 mg/kg body weight. The animals were given acetazolamide or (and) indomethacin intraperitoneally, and 20 min later they were exposed to the pressure of 6 ATA (absolute atmosphere) of pure oxygen. The time from exposure to the onset of seizure (clonic-tonic convulsion) was recorded for each animal according to behavioral observation. Second, the change of maleic dialdehyde (MDA) was measured after acetazolamide and (or) indomethacin treatment. Seventy-two SD rats were randomly divided into 9 groups: Control, 6 and 16 min respectively with NS, acetazolamide, indomethacin, and both acetazolamide and indomethacin group. The dose of acetazolamide was 7.5 mg/kg body weight and the dose of indomethacin was 20 mg/kg body weight. After injection of drugs, the animals were subjected to the pressure of 6 ATA of pure oxygen in respect to its time course group. Then the rats were decapitated and the cerebral cortex was dissected and homogenized. The content of MDA was determined. We found that (1) when the dose of acetazolamide is higher than 7.5 mg/kg, it shortened the latency to hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the latency between every to hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the latency between every two groups of rats treated with different doses of indomethacin. But when the rats were administered acetazolamide of 7.5 mg/kg body weight after being pretreated with indomethacin of 20 mg/kg body weight, the outbreak of convulsion was put off remarkably (P<0.05). (2) In comparison with the control, the content of MDA in the group treated with acetazolamide increased significantly (P<0.01), but when the rats were treated with both acetazolamide and indomethacin, the content of MDA was reduced significantly both in 6 and 16 min exposure time projects (P<0.05, P<0.01). These results suggest that acetazolamide which dilates the brain arterioles can obviously shorten the latency of hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion and aggravate the oxidation of the brain. Indomethacin can resist acetazolamideos effect on the latency and oxidation level when the animals were exposed to the hyperbaric oxygen. The activity of carbonic anhydrase correlates closely with the oxidation injury.

[Effect of acetazolamide on the latency of hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion].

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relation between the modulation of cerebral blood flow and the latency of hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion. There were two parts in this study. First, the effect of acetazolamide on the latency of hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion was observed. 32 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: the acetazolamide 200, 20, 2 mg/kg body weight and normal saline (NS) group. The animals were given intraperitoneally acetazolamide or NS, respectively, before being exposed to the pressure of 6 ATA (absolute atmosphere) of pure oxygen. The time from exposure to the onset of seizure (clonic-tonic convulsion) was recorded for each animal according to behavioral observation. Second, the changes in maleic dialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) were measured after acetazolamide treatment. 40 SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: NS group, 6 min with NS group, 6 min with acetazolamide group, 16 min with NS group, and 16 min with acetazolamide group. The dose of acetazolamide was 20 mg/kg body weight. After injection of NS or acetazolamide, the animals were subjected to the pressure of 6 ATA of pure oxygen in respect to its time course group. The rats were decapitated and the cortex, hippocampus, and striatum of brains were dissected and homogenized. The content of MDA and the activity of GSH-PX in these tissues were determined. We found that (1) there was a significant difference in the latency of hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion between the acetazolamide 200 mg/kg group and the NS control group, as well as between the acetazolamide 20 mg/kg group and the NS control group (P<0.01), whereas there was no significant difference between the NS group and the acetazolamide 2 mg/kg weight group (P>0.05). The latency of these groups were listed as follows: 9.78+/-1.94 min for 200 mg/kg body weight group, 10.92+/-1.68 min for 20 mg/kg body weight group, 24.32+/-4.33 min for 2 mg/kg body weight group and 22.02+/-4.32 min for NS control group. (2) there was no significant difference between all groups in the activity of GSH-PX, though it varied with the oxidation levels. In the cortex and hippocampus, the activity of GSH-PX boosted up at first, but with the progress of the oxidation it was impaired. In the striatum, the activity of GSH-PX increased stepwise with the aggravation of the oxidation. The MDA content in the cortex increased significantly in the group of 6 min with acetazolamide (P<0.01), as well as the group of 16 min with acetazolamide group both in cortex and hippocampus (P<0.01, P<0.05). The MDA content of all groups is correlated with the dose of acetazolamide and the exposure time. These results suggest that acetazolamide which dilates the brain arteriolar obviously shortens the latency of hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion, and that acetazolamide dilates the vessels and increases the supply of the oxygen breaking into the brain tissues and aggravates the oxidation. The hyperbaric oxygen-induced convulsion correlates closely with the oxidation injury.

Detecting MTHFR gene mutation with a new approach: molecular beacons / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase(MTHFR) gene C677T mutation with molecular beacon technique and assess the revant applicability.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 228 samples were analyzed using molecular beacons which are oligonucleotide probes to become fluorescent upon hybridization. Wild-type molecular beacon and mutant beacon were designed to detect the genotypes of MTHFR gene.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Analysis of the 228 samples indicated that there were three genotypes including 41 homozygous mutants, 113 heterozygous individuals and 74 wild-type individuals. Every sample was identified clearly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The present method, a closed-tube PCR/hybridization assay, is a simple, high-throughput and fast procedure that is fully automated for detecting gene mutation.</p>