Hypomagnesemia as a predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients and the role of proton pump inhibitors: A cross‐sectional, 1‐year,retrospective cohort study

Introduction This study aimed to evaluate the association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and serum magnesium levels, and the role of hypomagnesemia and PPI use as a risk factor for mortality in hemodialysis patients. Methods An observational study, including a cross‐sectional and 1‐year retrospective cohort study. The study comprised 399 hemodialysis patients at a single center, and was conducted from January to September 2014. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to investigate the independent relationship between serum magnesium levels and baseline demographic and clinical variables, including PPI and histamine‐2 receptor antagonist use. Cox regression model was used to identify lower serum magnesium level and PPI as a predictor of 1‐year mortality. Findings Serum magnesium levels were lower with PPI use than non‐PPI use (2.39 ± 0.36 vs. 2.56 ± 0.39 mg/dL, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that PPI use, low serum albumin levels, and low serum potassium and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) levels were significantly associated with low serum magnesium levels. A total of 29 deaths occurred during the follow‐up period. According to Cox regression analysis stratified by hs‐CRP, only high serum hs‐CRP levels (>4.04 mg/L) in association with low serum magnesium levels was an independent risk factor for 1‐year mortality (hazard ratio: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.53–6.40, P < 0.001). Discussion Serum magnesium levels are lower in PPI use. In the inflammatory state, a low serum magnesium level is a significant predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients.     

Simultaneous Disruption of Pheromone Communication in Choristoneura rosaceana and Pandemis limitata with Pheromone and Antagonist Blends

In British Columbia, trapping and wind-tunnel studies demonstrated that (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9–14:OAc), a minor component of the sex pheromone for Pandemis limitata, acted as a pheromone antagonist to a sympatric species, Choristoneura rosaceana. Addition of >1% Z9–14:OAc to the four-component C. rosaceana pheromone in a wind tunnel resulted in significant reductions in the proportion of male C. rosaceana that wing fanned, locked on to the plume in flight, oriented upwind, and made source contact, compared to the responses to the pheromone alone. Disruption of pheromone communication was tested in 33.3 × 33.3-m plots, at a release rate of 10 mg/ha/hr using Conrel fiber dispensers. Z9–14:OAc applied alone did not disrupt orientation to virgin-female-baited traps for either C. rosaceana or P. limitata. A 1:1 mixture of Z9–14:OAc and the four-component C. rosaceana pheromone was as effective as the pheromone alone at disrupting orientation of C. rosaceana males to virgin-female-baited traps, demonstrating that disruption apparently did not occur through false-trail following. The 1:1 mixture of Z9–14:OAc and the C. rosaceana pheromone also reduced catches of P. limitata males in virgin-female-baited traps, but not significantly more than the 83% disruption caused by the pheromone alone. Therefore, the C. rosaceana pheromone could be used alone or with Z9–14:OAc to disrupt communication and, presumably, mating in both leafrollers simultaneously.     

Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Reduces Neonatal Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Long-Lasting Neurobehavioral Deficits and Dopaminergic Neuronal Injury in Adult Rats

Our previous study showed that a single lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment to neonatal rats could induce a long-lasting neuroinflammatory response and dopaminergic system injury late in life. This is evidenced by a sustained activation of microglia and elevated interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels, as well as reduced tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the substantia nigra (SN) of P70 rat brain. The object of the current study was to test whether co-administration of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) protects against LPS-induced neurological dysfunction later in life. LPS (1 mg/kg) with or without IL-1ra (0.1 mg/kg), or sterile saline was injected intracerebrally into postnatal day 5 (P5) Sprague-Dawley male rat pups. Motor behavioral tests were carried out from P7 to P70 with subsequent examination of brain injury. Our results showed that neonatal administration of IL-1ra significantly attenuated LPS-induced motor behavioral deficits, loss of TH immunoreactive neurons, as well as microglia activation in the SN of P70 rats. These data suggest that IL-1β may play a pivotal role in mediating a chronic neuroinflammation status by a single LPS exposure in early postnatal life, and blockading IL-1β might be a novel approach to protect the dopaminergic system against perinatal infection/inflammation exposure.     

烟草赤星病拮抗菌Q96的筛选鉴定及其防病效果研究

为分离筛选对烟草赤星病有良好防效的拮抗菌,以烟草赤星病链格孢菌为靶菌,从蚯蚓粪中经初筛和复筛获得拮抗菌,通过形态、生理生化特征和16S rDNA分析鉴定拮抗菌种类,并对烟草赤星病的防治效果进行了研究。结果表明,筛选出一株拮抗菌Q96,初筛和复筛的抑菌率均超过60%,经鉴定为副地衣芽孢杆菌（Bacillus paralicheniformis）,其活菌液（稀释10倍）对孢子萌发和菌丝生长的抑制率分别为73.33%和79.68%,粗发酵液离体防效可达60.04%。Q96菌株可作为抗烟草赤星病生防菌剂的菌种资源。     

New insights into the stereochemical requirements of the bradykinin B1 receptor antagonists binding

Bradykinin (BK) is a nonapeptide involved in several pathophysiological conditions including among others, septic and haemorrhagic shock, anaphylaxis, arthritis, rhinitis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease. Accordingly, BK antagonists have long been sought after for therapeutic intervention. Action of BK is mediated through two different G-protein coupled receptors known as B1 and B2. Although there are several B1 antagonists reported in literature, their pharmacological profile is not yet optimal so that new molecules need to be discovered. In the present work we have constructed an atomistic model of the B1 receptor and docked diverse available non-peptide antagonists in order to get a deeper insight into the structure-activity relationships involving binding to this receptor. The model was constructed by homology modeling using the chemokine CXC4 and bovine rhodopsin receptors as template. The model was further refined using molecular dynamics for 600 ns with the protein embedded in a POPC bilayer. From the refinement process we obtained an average structure that was used for docking studies using the Glide software. Antagonists selected for the docking studies include Compound 11, Compound 12, Chroman28, SSR240612, NPV-SAA164 and PS020990. The results of the docking study underline the role of specific receptor residues in ligand binding. The results of this study permitted to define a pharmacophore that describes the stereochemical requirements of antagonist binding, and can be used for the discovery of new compounds.     

Social contacts and production of 50-kHz short ultrasonic calls in adult rats.

The goal of the study was to provide evidence that the production of 50-kHz calls by adult rats is driven by potential or direct social contacts. The calls have been studied during daily visits to a cage by single or paired rats. Repeated exposure of rats to the cage frequently visited by other rats or direct contact between rats significantly increased the number of 50-kHz calls. The increase in production of 50-kHz calls was reduced by 78% after intrapreoptic-anterior hypothalamic injection of MK-801, an N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptor antagonist. Calls emitted in all situations had a similar acoustic profile. It was found that 50-kHz calls were produced in anticipation of, and/or during, direct social contacts among adult rats and were predominantly initiated by olfactory stimuli. The calls seem to express an appetitive behavioral state in which the central glutamatergic mechanism is implicated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of 1-methylcyclopropene treatment on the shelf life and quality of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme) fruit

The use of 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) to extend the shelf life of cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme) was investigated. Higher concentrations of 1‐MCP delayed the ethylene induced climacteric peaks in mature green (MG) and breaker (BR) fruits. Thirteen days after treatment, control fruits were 55% as firm as fruit treated with 0.11 μL L^?1 1‐MCP. The initiation of fruit softening, chlorophyll degradation and accumulation of lycopene and carotenoids was delayed in treated fruits. Higher 1‐MCP concentrations inhibited the accumulation of lycopene and carotene such that the colour of the fruit did not reach that of control fruit. Treatment of MG cherry tomatoes with 1‐MCP enhanced shelf life optimally, while treatment of BR fruits was beneficial where full colour and high content of lycopene and carotenoids is important. Differentiation of the different stages of ripening before application of 1‐MCP is needed in order to succeed in accomplishing different postharvest objectives.     

Effects of the dopamine antagonist PD 152255 on juvenile rats' responses to dorsal stimulation, the transport response and related behaviors.

The authors gave 23- and 40-day-old rats doses of the dopamine D? antagonist PD 152255 and tested them on transport response intensity, vertical cling catalepsy duration, and dorsal immobility duration. Administration of PD 152255 resulted in dose-dependent increases in transport response intensity in 40-day-old rats but was without effect in 23-day-old rats. Administration of PD 152255 caused increases in dorsal immobility durations in both 23- and 40-day-old subjects. The drug was without effect on vertical cling catalepsy. Results are discussed with respect to the role of D? receptors in the transport response and the nature of D?-D? receptor interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

两类促肾上腺皮质释放因子(CRF)抑制剂的CoMFA研究

Fipronil and related analogs, a set of new noncompetitive GABAA receptor antagonists, were investigated using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) to explore their three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships (3D-QSAR).Considering the structural complexity of molecules of fipronil and related analogs, three different alignments were performed in this paper. CoMFA model for housefly receptor yield the leave-one-out and cross-validated correlation coefficient q2 value of 0.511 and the conventional correlation coefficient r2 value of 0.997. The new compounds with higher activity would be designed from this model.CoMFA model for rat receptor was not successful using all these three alignments, the reason of which maybe that some molecules adopt different conformations for rat receptor.     

Behavioral Sensitization to Apomorphine in Pigeons (Columba livia): Blockade by the D? Dopamine Antagonist SCH-23390.

Repeated administration of apomorphine leads to a context-dependent pecking response sensitization. Previously sensitized pigeons (Columba livia) challenged with saline in the same context show a conditioned response (CR). The authors studied the effects of intrastriatal injections of the dopamine (D?) antagonist SCH-23390 on both the sensitized response and the CR. When coadministered with apomorphine, SCH-23390 inhibited the initial response to apomorphine, prevented the development of sensitization, and impaired the maintenance of an already developed sensitization. However, SCH-23390 had no effect on the retrieval of a previously established CR. It is concluded that the activation of D? receptors in the caudal avian striatum is necessary for the acquisition and maintenance of the sensitization, but not for the expression, of the CR. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)