Biomedical subjects

Hongxia Lei

Publications and source records attributed to Hongxia Lei.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Cyanogen bromide formation from the reactions of monobromamine and dibromamine with cyanide ion.

Cyanide ion (CN-) was found to reactwith monobromamine (NH2Br) and dibromamine (NHBr2) according to the reactions NH2Br + CN- + H20 --> NH3 + BrCN + OH- and NHBr2 + CN- + H20 --> NH2Br + BrCN + OH- with respective reaction rate constants of 2.63 x 10(4) M9-10 s(-1) and 1.31 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1). These values were found to be 10(5)-10(6) times greater than those for the corresponding reactions between chloramine species and CN-. As a result, bromamines, even if present at relatively low concentrations, would tend to outcompete chloramines in reacting with CN-, and thus, the formation of BrCN would predominate that of ClCN through these reaction mechanisms. The NH2Br reaction was found to be general-acid-catalyzed. The third-order catalysis rate constants for H+, H2PO4-, HPO4(2-), H3BO3, and NH4+ correlated linearly with their corresponding acid dissociation constants, consistent with the Brønsted-Pedersen relationship. The NHBr2 reaction did not undergo catalysis. A model was developed to predict the concentrations of bromamines over time on the basis ofthe above two reactions with CN- and bromamine formation/decomposition reactions previously reported.

Bromides↗

PubMed2006

Effect of chronic hypoglycaemia on glucose concentration and glycogen content in rat brain: A localized 13C NMR study.

While chronic hypoglycaemia has been reported to increase unidirectional glucose transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and to increase GLUT1 expression at the endothelium, the effect on steady-state brain d-glucose and brain glycogen content is currently unknown. Brain glucose and glycogen concentrations were directly measured in vivo using localized 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) following 12-14 days of hypoglycaemia. Brain glucose content was significantly increased by 48%, which is consistent with an increase in the maximal glucose transport rate, Tmax, by 58% compared with the sham-treated animals. The localized 13C NMR measurements of brain glucose were directly validated by comparison with biochemically determined brain glucose content after rapid focused microwave fixation (1.4 s at 4 kW). Both in vivo MRS and biochemical measurements implied that brain glycogen content was not affected by chronic hypoglycaemia, consistent with brain glucose being a major factor controlling brain glycogen content. We conclude that the increased glucose transporter expression in chronic hypoglycaemia leads to increased brain glucose content at a given level of glycaemia. Such increased brain glucose concentrations can result in a lowered glycaemic threshold of counter-regulation observed in chronic hypoglycaemia.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Effects of temperature and chemical addition on the formation of bromoorganic DBPs during ozonation.

The effects of temperature and addition of OH radical scavengers/enhancers or HOBr scavenger on the formation of bromoorganic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from ozonation of six raw waters were studied in true batch reactors. The formation of bromoorganic DBPs during ozonation generally increased with the increase of temperature, but might also decrease for the waters with somewhat higher values of specific UV absorbance (SUVA). The addition of hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, or ammonium dramatically decreased the formation of bromoorganic DBPs; t-butanol addition significantly increased the formation of bromoorganic DBPs; bicarbonate addition might increase or decrease bromoorganic DBP formation depending on the water source. For all the waters treated with the chemical addition, the level of total organic bromine (TOBr) varied with the same pace as that of ozone exposure (CT), which suggests that TOBr formed during ozonation may be used to estimate the CT, a measure for the achieved degree of disinfection. The results demonstrate that for each water, the correlation between TOBr and CT was less affected by the change of chemical composition of the water than that between BrO(3)(-) and CT; for a given chemical composition and temperature of a water, there generally were well-defined relationships between TOBr and CT, and bromoform and CT just as that between BrO(3)(-) and CT. The possible mechanisms behind the linear functions of TOBr or BrO(3)(-) versus CT were given. Further study is needed to examine whether the trends found in this research can be applicable for the high SUVA waters.

Bicarbonates↗

PubMed2004

Bromamine decomposition kinetics in aqueous solutions.

The objectives of this study are to investigate the kinetics of bromamine decomposition and to identify the corresponding relevant reactions. Experiments were performed with a stopped-flow spectrophotometer system. Experimental variables investigated included pH (6.5-9.5), bromamines concentration (0.15-0.50 mM), ammonia to bromine ratio (5-100), and phosphate and carbonate buffers concentration (5-40 mM). The experimental results were consistent with a reaction scheme that involved the reversible disproportionation of monobromamine into dibromamine and ammonia (2NH2Br (k1)<=>(k(-1)) NHBr2 + NH3), followed by irreversible decomposition of monobromamine and dibromamine into products (2NHBr2 (k2) --> products and NH2Br + NHBr2 (k3) --> products). The monobromamine disproportionation reaction was found to undergo general acid catalysis, and the two subsequent decomposition reactions were found to experience base catalysis. Experimental results were analyzed for the determination of catalysis terms corresponding to H+, NH4+, H2PO4-, HCO3-, and H2O for rate constants k1 and k(-1); HPO4(2-) and H2O for k2; and OH-, CO3(2-), and H2O for k3. These constants were fitted with the Brønsted relationship, and the resulting fitting expressions were used to calculate any relevant catalysis rate constants that could not be determined at the range of experimental conditions used.

Bromides↗

PubMed2002

Effect of deep pentobarbital anesthesia on neurotransmitter metabolism in vivo: on the correlation of total glucose consumption with glutamatergic action.

The effect of deep barbiturate anesthesia on brain glucose transport, TCA cycle flux, and aspartate, glutamate, and glutamine metabolism was assessed in the rat brain using 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 9.4 T in conjunction with [1-13C] glucose infusions. Brain glucose concentrations were elevated, consistent with a twofold reduced cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRglc) compared with light alpha-chloralose anesthesia. Using a mathematical model of neurotransmitter metabolism, several metabolic reaction rates were extracted from the rate of label incorporation. Total oxidative glucose metabolism, CMRglc(ox), was 0.33 +/- 0.03 micromol x g(-1) x min(-1). The neuronal TCA cycle rate was similar to that in the glia, 0.35 +/- 0.03 micromol x g(-1) x min(-1) and 0.26 +/- 0.06 micromol x g(-1) x min(-1), respectively, suggesting that neuronal energy metabolism was mainly affected. The rate of pyruvate carboxylation was 0.03 +/- 0.01 micromol x g(-1) x min(-1). The exchange rate between cytosolic glutamate and mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate, Vx, was equal to the rate of neuronal pyruvate dehydrogenase flux. This indicates that Vx is coupled to CMRglc(ox), implying that the malate-aspartate shuttle is the major mechanism that facilitates label exchange across the inner mitochondrial membrane. The apparent rate of glutamatergic neurotransmission, V(NT), was 0.04 +/- 0.01 micromol x g x min, consistent with strong reductions in electrical activity. However, the rates of cerebral oxidative glucose metabolism and glutamatergic neurotransmission, CMRglc(ox)/V(NT), did not correlate with a 1:1 stoichiometry.

Anesthesia, General↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Localized in vivo 13C NMR spectroscopy of the brain.

Localized (13)C NMR spectroscopy provides a new investigative tool for studying cerebral metabolism. The application of (13)C NMR spectroscopy to living intact humans and animals presents the investigator with a number of unique challenges. This review provides in the first part a tutorial insight into the ingredients required for achieving a successful implementation of localized (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The difficulties in establishing (13)C NMR are the need for decoupling of the one-bond (13)C-(1)H heteronuclear J coupling, the large chemical shift range, the low sensitivity and the need for localization of the signals. The methodological consequences of these technical problems are discussed, particularly with respect to (a) RF front-end considerations, (b) localization methods, (c) the low sensitivity, and (d) quantification methods. Lastly, some achievements of in vivo localized (13)C NMR spectroscopy of the brain are reviewed, such as: (a) the measurement of brain glutamine synthesis and the feasibility of quantifying glutamatergic action in the brain; (b) the demonstration of significant anaplerotic fluxes in the brain; (c) the demonstration of a highly regulated malate-aspartate shuttle in brain energy metabolism and isotope flux; (d) quantification of neuronal and glial energy metabolism; and (e) brain glycogen metabolism in hypoglycemia in rats and humans. We conclude that the unique and novel insights provided by (13)C NMR spectroscopy have opened many new research areas that are likely to improve the understanding of brain carbohydrate metabolism in health and disease.

Animals↗