Reduced information transmission in the internal segment of the globus pallidus of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced rhesus monkey models of Parkinson's disease

Rhesus monkey models of Parkinson＇s disease were induced by injection of N-methyl-4-phenyl- 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. Neural firings were recorded using microelectrodes placed in the interna segment of the globus pallidus. The wavelets and power spectra show gradual power reduction during the disease process along with increased firing rates in the Parkinson＇s disease state. Singular values of coefficients decreased considerably during tremor-related activity as well as in the Parkinson＇s disease state compared with normal signals, revealing that higher-frequency components weaken when Parkinson＇s disease occurs. We speculate that the death of neurons could be reflected by irregular frequency spike trains, and that wavelet packet decomposition can effectively detect the degradation of neurons and the loss of information transmission in the neural circuitry.

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Citrate Synthase Gene in Rice(Oryza sativa)

The full-length OsCS encoding citrate synthase was isolated from rice （Oryza sativa L. subsp, japonica）, OsCS is 1477-bp long and encodes a 474 amino acid polypeptide, Its putative protein sequence is highly identical to Daucus carota, Nicotiana tabacum Beta vulgaris subsp., Arabidopsis thaliana, and Citrus junos （〉70%）. The deduced amino-terminal sequence of OsCS showes characteristics of mitochondrial targeting signal. Southern blot analysis using ORF of the OsCS as the probe indicated that this gene exists in multiple copies in rice genome. The band with predicated size of 82 kD was detected by Western blot after being induced by 0,4 mmol/L IPTG.

Consistency in responses to conspecific advertisement calls with various signal-to-noise ratios in both sexes of the Anhui tree frog

Environmental noise has a significant negative impact on acoustic communication in most situations,as it influences the production,transmis-sion,and reception of acoustic signals.However,how animals respond to conspecific sounds when there is interference from environmental noise,and whether males and females display convergent behavioral responses in the face of noise masking remain poorly understood.In this study,we investigated the effects of conspecific male advertisement calls with different signal-to-noise ratios on male-male competition and female choice in the Anhui tree frog Rhacophorus zhoukaiyae using playback and phonotaxis experiments,respectively.The results showed that(1)female Anhui tree frogs preferentially selected the conspecific calls with higher SNR compared to calls with lower SNR;(2)males preferen-tially responded vocally to the conspecific calls with higher SNR compared to calls with lower SNR;and(3)males'competitive strategies were flexible in the face of noise interference.These results suggest that preferences of both sexes converge in outcome,and that male competitive strategies may depend on predictable female preferences.This study will provide an important basis for further research on decision-making in animals.

Protective role of mitochondrial K-ATP channel and mitochondrial membrane transport pore in rat kidney ischemic postconditioning

Background Previous studies suggested that mechanical intervention during early reperfusion, or ischemia postconditioning （Ipo）, could protect kidneys against renal ischemia reperfusion injury （RIRI）. However, the mechanisms responsible for this protection remain unclear. This study therefore investigated the protection afforded by Ipo in rat kidneys in vivo, and the roles of mitochondrial KATP channels （mitOKATP） and mitochondrial permeability transition pores （MPTPs）, by inhibiting mitOKATP with 5-hydroxydecanoate （5-HD）, and by directly detecting open MPTPs using calcein-AM and CoCl2.Methods Thirty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to sham-operation （S）, ischemia-reperfusion （I/R）,Ipo, ischemia reperfusion with 5-HD （I/R＋5-HD）, or Ipo with 5-HD （Ipo ＋5-HD） groups. Rats in each group were sacrificed after 6 hours of reperfusion by heart exsanguination or cervical dislocation under anesthesia. RIRI was assessed by determination of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）, and by examination of histologic sections. The roles of mitoKATP and MPTP were investigated by analyzing fluorescence intensities of mitochondria, mitochondrial membrane potential,intracellular reactive oxygen species （ROS） and intracellular calcium, using appropriate fluorescent markers. The relationship between apoptosis and RIRI was assessed by determining the apoptotic index （Al） of kidney tubular epithelial cells.Results The RIRI model was shown to be successful. Significantly higher levels of creatinine and BUN, and abnormal pathology of histologic sections, were observed in group I/R, compared with group S. 5-HD eliminated the renoprotective effects of Ipo. Mitochondrial and mitochondrial membrane potential fluorescence intensities increased, and intracellular calcium, ROS fluorescence intensities and AI decreased in group Ipo, compared with group I/R. However, mitochondrial and mitochondrial membrane potential fluorescence intensities decreased, and intracellular calcium and ROS fluorescence intensities and AI increased in group Ipo＋5-HD, compared with group Ipo.Conclusions mitoKATP and MPTPs participated in Ipo-induced renoprotective mechanisms in rat kidneys subjected to RIRI, possibly through decreased renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis.

Effect of fusion protein TAT and heme oxygenase-1 on liver sinusoidal endothelial cells apoptosis during preservation injury

Background Proteins or peptides can be directly transferred into cells when covalently linked to protein transduction domains （PTDs）. TAT is one of the most widely studied PTDs. The effect of fusion protein TAT and heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） on liver sinusoidal endothelial cells （SECs） apoptosis during cold storage is unknown. The present study aimed to determine whether fusion protein TAT-HO-1 would transduce efficiently into liver during cold storage, and, if so, to determine whether TAT-HO-1 would attenuate SECs apoptosis during preservation injury in rat. Methods Livers of Sprague-Dawley rats were harvested and randomly assigned to group 1 （HTK solution） and group 2 （HTK solution containing TAT-HO-1 fusion protein） according to the type of the preservation solution. The transduction efficiency of TAT-HO-1 was examined and the impairment of SECs was assessed during the period of cold storage followed by 1 hour of reperfusion. Results TAT-HO-1 can transduce efficiently into liver during cold storage. A significantly lower apoptotic index of SECs was observed in group 2, at 6, 12 and 18 hours of cold storage after 1 hour reperfusion, when compared with group 1. TAT-HO-1 reduced HA and ET levels in liver at each time point. Both Bcl-2 and Bax protein were expressed in hepatocytes and SECs at the periphery of the sinusoidal space. Moreover, higher Bcl-2 expression and lower Bax expression were observed in group 2. Conclusions TAT-HO-1 can transduce efficiently into rat livers and shows a protective effect on SECs by attenuating apoptosis during cold ischemia/reperfusion injury. Protein transduction will be a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce the risk of preservation injury in liver transplantation.