Notes: Abstract: Antisense Oligonucleotides were developed to study the expression and function of angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptors in cultured cells and brain. In both liver epithelial WB and neuro-blastoma N1E-115 cells AT1 antisense oligomers substantially decreased AT1 receptor density, whereas angiotensin type 2 (AT2) receptors remained unchanged. Similarly, repeated intracerebroventricular injections of AT1 antisense oligomers in rats decreased AT1 receptor density in hypothalamic-thalamic-septal tissue, and AT2 receptors were unaffected. Intracerebroventricular antisense oligomers also attenuated drinking elicited by intra-cerebroventricular angiotensin II but not the cholinomimetic carbachol. Collectively, these results demonstrate that antisense Oligonucleotides attenuate angiotensin receptor expression and function in behaving animals.

Notes: Dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria (DSH) is a pigmentary genodermatosis of autosomal dominant inheritance characterized by a mixture of hyperpigmented and hypopigmented macules distributed on the dorsal aspects of the hands and feet. It is caused by mutations of the RNA-specific adenosine deaminase gene. We report the identification of a Chinese family with a three-generation pedigree of DSH, in whom a novel tyrosine substitution mutation in DSRAD was demonstrated: a heterozygous nucleotide A→G transition at position 2879 in exon 10 of the DSRAD gene was detected.

Notes: Marie Unna hereditary hypotrichosis (MUHH) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder with progressive hair loss starting in early childhood and aggravating at puberty. Several studies have mapped the MUHH gene to chromosome 8p21. Here we report a Chinese MUHH family with variable phenotypes. All affected individuals have anomalies affecting both hair density and hair shafts. Major clinical characteristics, disease history and histological examination support the diagnosis of MUHH, but the features of scarring in this kindred are modest and none of the patients have vertex hair loss, which is in contrast with typical MUHH. We now report genotyping and linkage analysis using 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers spanning the MUHH locus at 8p. Two-point linkage analysis using these markers revealed significant exclusion of this locus (log of the odds scores 〈 − 2) at θ = 0 indicating that there is a range of clinical presentations in MUHH, and that more than one genetic locus is responsible for the disorder.

Notes: Haplotype associations of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) with psoriasis vulgaris (PV) have been demonstrated in different racial or ethnic populations. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the different haplotype associations of the MHC in Chinese patients with psoriasis according to the type of onset and their sex. One hundred and thirty-eight patients with PV and 149 normal control subjects without psoriasis were typed for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DQA1, -DQB1 and -DRB1 by using the PCR with sequence-specific primers. The results showed: (i) HLA-A*26 (26.1% vs. 12.1%, Pc 〈 1 × 10−5), -B*27 (17.03% vs. 1.01%, Pc 〈 1 × 10−7), -Cw*0602 (15.58% vs. 5.03%, Pc 〈 1 × 10−2), -DQA1*0104 (19.93% vs. 9.40%, Pc 〈 1 × 10−3), -DQA1*0201 (22.40% vs. 10.74%, Pc 〈 1 × 10−3), -DQB1*0303 (18.12% vs. 9.73%, Pc 〈 1 × 10−7), and -DRB1*0701/02 (26.09% vs. 9.73%, Pc 〈 1 × 10−7) were significantly increased in PV patients, while HLA-B*57, -DQB1*0201 were slightly increased in PV patients. HLA-Cw*0304 (5.07% vs. 14.43%, Pc 〈 1 × 10−3), -DQA1*0501 (5.79% vs. 14.09%, Pc 〈 0.05) were found to be negatively associated with PV, but HLA-A*2 (2.54% vs. 6.38%, Pc 〈 0.5) was decreased in PV patients without statistical significance. (ii) HLA-A*26-B*27 [P 〈 0.0001, odds ratio (OR) = 48.38], -A*26-Cw*0602 (P 〈 0.0001, OR = 11.84), -B*27-Cw*0602 (P 〈 0.0001, OR = undefined), -DRB1*0701/02-B*27 (P 〈 0.0001, OR = 22.62), -DRB1*0701/02-DQA1*0104 (P 〈 0.0002, OR = 3.59), -DRB1*0701/02-DQB1*0303 (P 〈 0.0001, OR = 5.63), -DQA1*0201-DQB1*0303 (P 〈 0.0002, OR = 7.77), -A*26-B*27-Cw*0602 (P 〈 0.0004, OR = undefined), -A*26-DRB1*0701/02-DQA1*0201-DQB1*0303 (P 〈 0.01, OR = undefined) were identified as risk haplotypes for patients with PV in China. (iii) HLA-A*26 -B*27 (P 〈 0.0001, OR = 58.47), -DQA1*0201-DQB1*0303 (P 〈 0.0001, OR = 8.62), -DRB1*0701/02 -DQA1*0104 (P 〈 0.0002, OR = 4.13), -DRB1*0701/02-DQB1*0303 (P 〈 0.0001, OR = 6.68) and -A*26-DRB1*0701-DQA1*0201 -DQB1*0303 (P 〈 0.006, OR = undefined) were only significantly associated with type I psoriasis compared with controls, while others showed no differences in either type I or type II psoriasis. (iv) These associated haplotypes with PV were not different by sex, except that the frequency of DRB1*0701/02-DQB1*0303 (P 〈 0.0001, OR = 10.14) was higher in male patients with psoriasis. To summarize, this study demonstrated a differential association of HLA and identified some special risk haplotypes in Chinese patients with PV compared with other ethnic or racial populations.

Notes: The temperature dependence of the sputtering Ar pressure effects on magnetic properties and the coercivity mechanism of Co(2 A(ring))/Pd(13 A(ring)) multilayers were studied as the sputtering Ar pressure varied from 3–15 mTorr and the temperature from 300 to 35 K. It is found that the roughness of the interfaces or film surface increases with increasing sputtering pressure, the anisotropy increases with decreasing temperature and increasing Ar pressure and shows a maximum at PAr≈12 mTorr, and the coercivity increases with Ar pressure and shows stronger temperature dependence at higher Ar pressure. The coercivity mechanism was analyzed in terms of the coercivity predicted by Kronmüller's theory [Phys. Status Solidi B 144, 385 (1987)]. Wall pinning is found to be the main mechanism and the size of the pinning site increases slightly as the Ar pressure increases.

Notes: We have investigated the magnetic and magneto-optic properties of Co/Ni multilayers deposited on Ag and Au buffer layers. The samples with Au buffer layers show perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, but those with Ag buffer layers do not. The structure and degree of crystalline alignment of the buffer layer are evidently crucial to development of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. We also present the results of polar Kerr rotation measurements as a function of wavelength and layer thickness of the multilayers.

Notes: High-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and ultraviolet photoemission (UPS) measurements of the interface of phenyl diamine (NPB) and indium tin oxide (ITO) were performed. The HREELS spectrum of the oxygen-plasma-treated ITO was characterized by dipolar-active-phonon modes at 71 and 134 meV. Upon deposition of NPB on ITO, the HREELS loss peaks of ITO gradually diminished, while the NPB-derived loss peaks appeared. The negligible energy shifts of the NPB peaks with NPB thickness suggested a rather weak interaction between NPB and ITO. The remarkable intensity change of the loss band at 71–65 meV gave evidence for a strong vibrational coupling between the ITO phonon mode at 71 meV and the NPB-derived vibrational mode at 65 meV. Annealing of the NPB/ITO interface with 20 Å of NPB resulted in the decoupling of the two vibrational modes, presumably due to crystallization of the NPB overlayer. UPS measurements showed a sharp decrease in work function at the initial NPB deposition, which is attributable to a dipole layer formed at the interface. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The interaction between magnesium (Mg) and tris(8-hydroxy-quinoline) aluminum (Alq3) has been studied using high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (HREELS). It was found that deposition of magnesium on the Alq3 film gave rise to clear changes in the HREELS spectra. The changes are attributed to the weakly bounded Mg atoms on the Alq3 layer. Interestingly, for a given amount of magnesium (Mg to Al atoms ratio=3) on Alq3 film, remarkable changes were observed in the HREELS spectra when the sample was heated. A loss peak at 81 meV, which was assigned to Mg–O stretch mode, appeared upon annealing and increased in intensity as the annealing temperature increased up to about 360 K. This suggested that the diffusion of Mg atoms into the Alq3 layer and the reaction between Mg and Alq3 molecule occurred at the temperature range investigated. The present work has provided direct evidence for the strong interaction between magnesium and Alq3. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: The occurrence of residues of ethoxyquin (EQ) and ethoxyquin dimer (DM) from fish feeds in the liver and muscle of farmed salmon and steelhead was studied. For quantitative analysis of DM, the tissue was partially hydrolyzed with 50% NaOH, and then the lipid and antioxidant residues were extracted with hexane. After solvent removal and recovery into acetonitrile, DM was determined by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector, with the excitation wavelength set at 360 nm and the emission wavelength at 440 nm. The mobile phase was acetonitrile:0.01M ammonium acetate (80:20, v:v). The EQ levels were very low, but the DM levels were higher. The recoveries from the spiked samples were 88 ± 4% for DM. Sample site determinations indicated that the DM residue level could be associated with depot fat except in the liver, where the tissue content of DM was 60% to 70% less. Similar results appear satisfactory for ethoxyquin extracted from fish oils.

Notes: This study was conducted to isolate the constituent, which had a preventive effect on D-galactosamine-induced rat liver injury, from the 70% ethanol-soluble fraction of Japanese green tea. Theanine (glutamic acid γ-ethylamide) was identified as the active compound, and the liver injury-preventive effect of theanine was dose-dependent. L-Glutamic acid γ-ethyl ester, but not glutamine, also brought about a significantly preventive effect on liver injury when added to the diet at equimolar levels to that of 1% theanine. The results indicate that theanine is one of the effective constituents of Japanese green tea in preventing D-galactosamine-induced liver injury.