Digestive properties of the venom of the Australian Coastal Taipan, Oxyuranus scutellatus (Peters, 1867).

The digestive properties of Australian elapid snake venoms have not been studied to any great extent. To address this, the in vitro digestive properties of Oxyuranus scutellatus (Australian Coastal Taipan) venom were investigated in a simulation of the in vivo conditions using the parameters reported for the stomach of snakes and representative prey for this species. The amount of soluble protein released was measured over time using a bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay. Dismembered mouse hindlegs were injected intramuscularly with 0.1 ml O. scutellatus venom (concentration 10 mg/ml) and maintained in a micro-anaerobic, acidic environment (pH approximately 1.2-1.7) at 25 degrees C. The bathing liquid was sampled every 24 h for 7 days, and assayed for soluble protein. Statistical analysis revealed that O. scutellatus venom increased the rate at which proteins were released when compared to a negative control suggesting the potential importance of envenomation in the digestion of whole prey.     

Carbohydrate moieties of procine 32 kDa enamelin

The structures of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of porcine 32 kDa enamelin are reported. The oligosaccharides were released by N-oligosaccharide glycopeptidase digestion, and the reducing ends of the oligosaccharides were derivatized with a fluorescent reagent, 2-aminopyridine. The pyridylamino oligosaccharides were separated into eight kinds of oligosaccharides. The structures of these oligosaccharides were determined by a combination of a sequential exoglycosidase digestion and a two-dimensional suger mapping technique. The oligosaccharides consisted of fucose, galactose, mannose, N-acetylglucosamine, and N-acetylneuraminic acid, and were classified into two groups according to their core-sugar chain structures; one was a biantennary-type and the other was a triantennary-type oligosaccharide. The variation of the oligosaccharides in each of these groups was caused by the differences in the number, the site, and the mode of linkage of N-acetylneuraminic acid to the core-sugar chains.     

海拔3417m世居及移居者无氧代谢阈与左心功能关系的探讨

在海拔３４１７ｍ对１８名健康世居藏族和１６名移居汉族用Ｊｅａｇｅｒ气体代谢自动分析系统和心阴抗图测定了无氧阈和最大摄氧量时的ＳＶ、ＣＯ、ＰＥＰ／ＬＶＥＴ和ＳａＯ２。结果显示：在海拔３４１７ｍ测得ＡＴ值明显低于海平面；世居藏族ＡＴ出现较晚，并且ＡＴ时的功率、ＶＯ２、ＭＶ、ＨＲ、ＣＯ、ＳＶ均高于移居汉族，而ＰＥＴ／ＬＶＥＴ比值小于移居组；两组的ＳＶ峰值出现时间不同，蕊居组在ＡＴ或ＡＴ以后出现的占７２％     

Gastro-duodenal digestion products of the major peanut allergen Ara h 1 retain an allergenic potential

BACKGROUND: The process of gastro-duodenal digestion may play a role in determining the allergenic properties of food proteins. The sensitizing and allergenic potential of digestion products of highly degraded allergens, such as the major peanut allergen Ara h 1, is currently under debate. We evaluated the effect of in vitro gastro-duodenal digestion of Ara h 1 on T cell reactivity and basophil histamine release. METHODS: An in vitro model of gastro-duodenal digestion was used to investigate changes in the allergenic properties of Ara h 1 using in vitro assays monitoring T cell reactivity (proliferation, cytokine production) and histamine release of basophils from peanut allergic individuals. The digestion process was monitored using an SDS-PAGE gel. RESULTS: In vitro gastric digestion led to rapid degradation of Ara h 1 into small fragments M(r) L5600. Gastric digestion did not affect the ability of Ara h 1 to stimulate cellular proliferation. Gastro-duodenal digestion significantly reduced its ability to stimulate clonal expansion (P<0,05; Wilxocon's signed rank test). The Th-2 type cytokine polarization of T cells from peanut allergic donors (IFN-gamma/IL-13 ratio and IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratio of CFSE(low) CD4(+) T cells) remained unchanged regardless of the level of digestion. Histamine release of basophils from peanut allergic individuals was induced to the same extent by native Ara h 1 and its digestion products. CONCLUSION: Gastro-duodenal digestion fragments of Ara h 1 retain T cell stimulatory and IgE-binding and cross-linking properties of the intact protein.     

核糖核酸的酶消化方法直接顺序分析

应用硷基特异性核酸内切酶进行RNA的顺序分析。以~(32)P标记RNA分子的5′或3′末端的四种硷基能被酶试剂部分裂解。放射性的水解产物经胶电泳按其大小而分离。放射自显影后它的核苷酸顺序从带谱上可以直接读出。核糖核酸酶(RNasc)T_1(G特异性)、U_2(A特异性)、Phy M(U+A特异性)和B.cereus(C+U特异性)是最常用于顺序RNA的四种酶。     

A treadmill test of sprint running

Anaerobic power is characterized by a high degree of specificity regarding both the recruited muscles as well as the recruitment pattern. The popular Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) is a cycling test that does not satisfy the need for a running-specific anaerobic test. We describe such a test, using a novel type of a commercially available treadmill (BRL 1800, Gymrol, France). The ergometer is equipped with a torque motor to neutralize the frictional resistance of the treadmill belt, and a hip-belt harness connected to a horizontal rod. Force applied to the harness is monitored by a strain gauge mounted on the rod, while vertical movement is monitored by a potentiometer at the posterior fixed end of the rod. These, in conjunction with the treadmill belt speed, enable the computation of horizontal and vertical power as well as the combined total output. Power is calculated both as 'peak' power (highest 2.5 s segment) and 'mean' power (20 s duration). Preliminary results of young athletes were generally consistent with the expected age-related changes in anaerobic power. Values obtained on the anaerobic treadmill were always higher than the corresponding WAnT values previously obtained in comparable age groups. The higher values were probably due to the larger muscle mass involved and the shorter peak and mean power durations (2.5 and 20 s versus 5 and 30 s in the WAnT, respectively). This test should enable not only running-specific anaerobic power monitoring but also the characterization of the relationship between the horizontal and vertical components of that power.     

A DEBT TO ALEXIS: THE BEAUMONT-ST MARTIN STORY

This paper is based on the book Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion, originally published in 1833. The book held in the Cowlishaw Collection of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is the Edinburgh edition of 1838, which contains a preface by Andrew Combe, MD. The paper explores several aspects of the BeaumontSt Martin story, from St Martin's original injury and the primary care undertaken by Dr William Beaumont, whose numerous studies of the actions and reactions of the stomach were made possible because St Martin was left with a permanent gastric fistula. While the debt we owe to Beaumont is often acknowledged, patients are not mere machines and surgeons must recognize that surgery also owes a debt to its patients; in this case, to Alexis St Martin for what he permitted by way of experiment.     

牙髓根管感染厌氧菌培养结果分析

从３４例牙髓根管感染中共分离出厌氧菌１１８株，经菌属分类依次为消化链球菌属，拟杆菌属，梭杆菌属，放线菌属，韦荣氏球菌属和珠网菌属，其中前３属为７７株，分离率为６５．３％，这一结果显示该３属细菌与极管感染有密切关系，是牙髓根管感染的优势菌。     

Detection frequencies and the colony-forming unit recovery of oral treponemes by different cultivation methods

Selected media were compared for primary isolation and detection of oral treponemes from clinical samples. Forty-eight subgingival plaque samples from 45 patients suffering from periodontitis were anaerobically cultivated for 2 weeks at 37°C. Of the 9 media studied, Medium 10 (M10), which was supplemented with 10% rabbit serum and incubated using the plate-in-bottle method, supported the highest colony-forming units of the anaerobes. The treponemal colonies were detected at least on one medium from 83% of the subgingival plaque samples. The new oral spirochete medium in an anaerobic chamber supported the highest detection frequency of the oral treponemes (64% of samples); however, M10 in the plate-in-bottle was found to produce the highest colony-forming unit recovery of the oral treponemes (median 3.6% of the total colony-forming units). This study suggests that M10 in the plate-in-bottle and new oral spirochete medium in the anaerobic chamber are essential in cultivating oral treponemes.