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Biomedical subjects

L Y Wei

Publications and source records attributed to L Y Wei.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Factors affecting zero background frequency of sister-chromatid exchange in mosquito cells.

A background level of sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) is found in mammalian cells. However, in the somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster, there was no spontaneous SCE if a minimum concentration of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was used. In this communication we report that in a mosquito (Aedes albopictus) cell line (C6/36), some cells also have no background SCE (0-SCE). Subclones of high (44%) or low (12%) frequency of 0-SCE cells were obtained, but none of them contained 100% 0-SCE cells. Increasing frequency of SCE/cell concomitant with decreasing frequency of 0-SCE cells was observed by raising the BrdU concentration in the culture medium during the first cell cycle, culturing cells at lower density and depleting reduced glutathione (GSH) with buthionine sulfoximine. Since these mosquito cells contain much higher level of GSH than Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and feeding cells with BrdU increased GSH in mosquito cells but decreased GSH in CHO cells, we speculate that GSH may play a role in the low or non-existent background SCE and in the high resistance to many DNA damaging agents of mosquito cells.

Aedes↗

Scientific advance in acupuncture.

In this paper we present scientific advance in acupuncture based on electrical, neurophysiological, biochemical and therapeutic studies made inside and outside China since the early fifties. New modalities other than traditional needling techniques notably developed in Japan, France and Germany are described. For future prospects, efforts by making use of systems approach, field-body interaction, self-defense self-strategy and circadian rhythm are likely to produce great fruition in medicine. Possibilities of making advances in "three P's" medicine (preventive medicine, precision medicine and people medicine) by acupuncture are discussed.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

Electronic conduction in lipid films with metal contacts.

The electrical characteristics of lipid films with Au and Hg contacts were investigated. Our results indicate that the conduction is mainly electronic and is electrode limited. With gold biased negatively, the current-voltage characteristics of thin and thick films follow the equations: I = 4.367 exp [9.58(eV + 0.21)(1/2)]. [1 - exp (-eV/kT)]pA, and I = 3.424 exp [8.59(eV + 0.082)(1/2)][1 - exp (-eV/kT)]pA, respectively. For thick films, the conductivity is insensitive to thickness. By temperature and photoresponse measurements the interface barrier height is found to be 1.09 eV. In view of the possible structural disorders in the films, a model is proposed to explain our findings based on the theory of noncrystalline materials. According to this model, the band gap for the film is 2.016 eV and the density of localized states is near the Fermi level, 1.31 x 10(18) cm(-3) eV(-1). The results may be helpful in providing some insight into the speculated electronic conduction in biological membranes.

Cholesterol↗

Dipole theory of heat production and absorption in nerve axon.

EXACT FORMULAS ARE DERIVED FOR THE ENERGY CHANGE OF A DIPOLE SYSTEM WITH TWO ENERGY STATES (OR BANDS) IN A CHANGING FIELD IN TWO CASES: (a) no dipole flip-flop and (b) dipole flip-flop caused by stimulation. Based on these formulas, the positive and negative heats are calculated. The results are in good agreement with experiment in case b but are 60-180% larger in case a. Furthermore, the theory shows that the negative heat cannot be less than the positive heat in case a but can be either way in case b, the latter result being found prevalent in experiment. It is concluded that nerve excitation is most likely to involve dipole flip-flop at the membrane surface. The theory is consistent in the interpretations and correlations of the electrical, optical, and thermal effects observed in nerve axon.

Axons↗

Conduction mechanisms in Lillie's iron-wire model of nerve.

Based on theory and experiment, we found that the conduction through the oxide film in Lillie's iron-wire model is dominated by Schottky emission at low fields (below 10(6) v/cm), by electron tunneling from trap to trap at intermediate fields and by direct tunneling (Fowler-Nordheim type) at higher fields (above 3 x 10(6) v/cm). The trap-to-trap tunneling is considered to give rise to the negative resistance and the fixed position of the current maximum as observed. Some of the nervelike properties of the Lillie's model are interpreted on this tunneling mechanism.

Electrophysiology↗

Role of surface dipoles on axon membrane.

A physical model of nerve excitation and conduction is proposed based on the discovery of three new axon membrane properties: the negative fixed surface charge, the birefringence change, and the infrared emission.

Action Potentials↗