Biomedical subjects

Dongqing Zhu

Publications and source records attributed to Dongqing Zhu.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Effects of intravitreal dispase on vitreoretinal interface in rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of dispase on the production of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) following intravitreal injection at various concentrations for different exposure times in the rabbit eyes. METHODS: Sixty-four pigmented rabbits were assigned to two groups according to different combinations of concentrations of dispase and exposure times, namely group 1 (10, 5, or 1 U/ml for 30 min) and group 2 (0.25, 0.1, or 0.05 U/ml for one week). The control was established in both groups. One eye of each experimental rabbit was injected with dispase, and one eye of each control rabbit was injected with phosphate buffered saline. The presence of PVD and intraocular toxicity were observed by biomicroscope, macroexamination, and histology. RESULTS: None of the control eyes showed PVD. In group 1, PVD was present in 6 of 7 eyes in each sub-group. In group 2, all 7 eyes of 0.25 U/ml or 0.1 U/ml and 6 of 7 eyes of 0.05 U/ml showed PVD. Intraocular toxicity including inflammation in anterior chamber, vitreous haze, epiretinal membrane, and retinal damage were found in the experimental eyes with relatively higher concentrations of dispase. CONCLUSIONS: Although dispase has a definite effect on the induction of PVD in rabbits, its toxicity to retina also alerts us to the application in clinic. The intravitreal injection of dispase of 1 U/ml for 30 min may be acceptable.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Expression of the melC operon in several Streptomyces strains is positively regulated by AdpA, an AraC family transcriptional regulator involved in morphological development in Streptomyces coelicolor.

Dark brown haloes of melanin around colonies are an easily visualized phenotype displayed by many Streptomyces strains harboring plasmid pIJ702 carrying the melC operon of Streptomyces antibioticus IMRU3270. Spontaneous melanin-negative mutants of pIJ702 occur with a frequency of ca. 1%, and often mutation occurs in the melC operon, which removes the BglII site as part of an inverted repeat. Other melanin-negative mutations seem to occur spontaneously in Streptomyces lividans, resulting in white colonies from which intact, melanin-producing pIJ702 can be isolated by introduction into a new host. S. lividans ZX66 was found to be such a mutant and to have a secondary mutation influencing expression of the melC operon on the chromosome. A 3.3-kb DNA fragment was isolated from its progenitor strain, JT46, and a gene able to restore melC operon expression was found to encode a member of an AraC family of transcriptional regulators, which was equivalent to AdpA(c) in Streptomyces coelicolor and therefore was designated AdpA(l). Lack of melC operon expression was correlated with a single A-to-C transversion, which altered a single key amino acid residue from Thr to Pro. The transcription of the melC operon was found to be greatly reduced in the adpA mutant background. The counterpart gene (adpA(a)) in the S. antibioticus strain in which the melC operon carried on pIJ702 originated was also isolated and was found to have an identical regulatory role. Thus, we concluded that the melC operon is under general direct positive control by AdpA family proteins, perhaps at the transcriptional level and certainly at the translational level via bldA, in Streptomyces.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed2003

[Study on xylose fermentation by Neurospora crassa].

The influence of oxygen limitation and medium initial pH on xylose fermentation by Neurospora crassa AS 3.1602 was investigated. N. crassa AS 3.1602 has high ability of xylose fermentation producing ethanol and xylitol. Oxygen limitation has big influence on ethanol and xylitol production. The maximum conversion rate of ethanol was 63.2% obtained under semi-aerobic conditions. The maximum conversion rate of xylitol was 31.8% obtained under micro-aerobic conditions. Xylitol accumulation is behind the accumulation of ethanol. The optimal pH is 5.0 for ethanol fermentation, and 4.0 for xylitol fermentation, respectively. Xylose fermentation is greatly inhibited at high pH. The yields of ethanol and xylitol are greatly influenced by the initial concentration of xylose. The addition of glucose inhibits both the xylose utilization and the ethanol and xylitol production.

Culture Media↗