bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Robust Vascular Protective Effect of Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives in a Sickle Mouse Model of Inflammation
Authors: KAUL DHANANJAY K. , KOLLANDER RAHN , MAHASETH HEMCHANDRA , LIU XIAO‐DU , SOLOVEY ANNA , BELCHER JOHN , KELM ROBERT J. , VERCELLOTTI GREGORY M. , HEBBEL ROBERT P. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTObjective: Clinically, the vascular pathobiology of human sickle cell disease includes an abnormal state of chronic inflammation and activation of the coagulation system. Since these biologies likely underlie development of vascular disease in sickle subjects, they offer attractive targets for novel therapeutics. Similar findings characterize the sickle transgenic mouse, which therefore provides a clinically relevant inflammation model.Method: The authors tested two polyhydroxyphenyl hydroxamic acid derivatives, didox and trimidox, in sickle transgenic mice. Animals were examined by intravital microscopy (cremaster muscle and dorsal skin fold preparations) and by histochemistry before and after transient exposure to hypoxia, with versus without preadministration of study drug. Previous studies have validated the application of hypoxia/reoxygenation to sickle transgenic mice as a disease‐relevant model.Results: Animals pretreated with these agents exhibited marked improvements in leukocyte/ endothelial interaction, hemodynamics and vascular stasis, and endothelial tissue factor expression. Thus, these drugs unexpectedly exert powerful inhibition on both the inflammation and coagulation systems.Conclusions: Each of these changes is expected to be therapeutically beneficial in systemic inflammatory disease in general, and in sickle disease in particular. Thus, these novel compounds offer the advantage of having multiple therapeutic benefits in a single agent.
Early Years Centres for pre‐school children with primary language difficulties: what do they cost, and are they cost‐effective?
Authors: Law J. , Dockrell J. E. , Castelnuovo E. , Williams K. , Seeff B. , Normand C. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractBackground: High levels of early language difficulties raise practical issues about the efficient and effective means of meeting children's needs. Persistent language difficulties place significant financial pressures on health and education services. This has led to large investment in intervention in the early years; yet, little is known about the actual and relative costs of early years provision.Aims: To profile the different costs incurred by two Early Years Centres (EYCs) partially funded by the charity I CAN and children receiving what might be termed ‘routine’ NHS speech therapy to provide an analysis of cost efficiency and equity.Methods & Procedures: Costings for service provision for 91 children (mean age 2;9) were collected. The activity of staff at each site and the cost of staff allocated to services were computed. Data on other resources were also collected.Outcomes & Results: The cost per child per session was on average £12. Despite the longer course of intervention in the first centre (10 compared with 6 weeks), the cost of the course per child was of the same order (£245 compared with £253). The annual cost of the early years provision per child was higher relative to the costs of the NHS provision, £645 compared with £181 in one EYC (A) and £462 compared with £173 in the other (B). When the cost of standard nursery provision was factored in, the difference in annual costs was rather less, with £5298 for the early years provision (EYC A) relative to £4276 in the comparison group. By contrast, the annual cost of early provision rises to £5926 relative to £8861 in the comparison group (EYC B).Conclusions: The cost of the EYCs is relatively low and given the positive outcomes reported in the study of which this economic evaluation is a part, there is a good case for saying that they represent an efficient use of resources. The strengths and limitations of the economic evaluation are considered and the need for long‐term evaluations is highlighted.
Redox modifications of spinach chloroplast fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphatase
Authors: Chen Ye , Xu Gen‐jun 
Published: July 2007

AbstractComplete activation of chloroplast fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphatase by dithiothreitol involves the reduction of its four disulfide bonds as revealed by thiol titration and activity measurement. Both before and after reduction, the enzyme is inhibited by the thiol‐specific reagent 5,5′‐dithiobis (2‐nitrobenzoic acid) with complete inactivation upon modifications of the four accessible thiols. However, oxidative modification of the enzyme facillitates the reduction of the four mentioned disulfide bonds as the process of activation by DTT is accelerated.
Secretion of Bacillus α‐amylase from yeast directed by glucoamylase I signal sequence of Saccharomyces diastaticus
Authors: Kang Dae Ook , Hwang In Kyu , Kim Bo Yun , Ahn Soon Cheol , Mheen Tae Ick , Ahn Jong Seog , Byun Si Myung 
Published: July 2007

AbstractFor the secretion of Bacillus stearothermophilus α ‐amylase from yeast, a recombinant plasmid pGAT17 was constructed by fusing B. stearothermophilus α‐amylase structural gene in frame to the promoter and signal sequence of Saccharomyces diastaticus glucoamylase I gene (STA1). The secretion of the heterologous α‐amylase from S. diastaticus transformed with pGAT17 was confirmed by the halo formation around colonies on selective starch agar medium. About 80% of the total α‐amylase activity was detected in the extracellular culture medium. The secreted α‐amylase was glycosylated and its molecular weight increased from 61 kDa to 75 kDa. The thermostability of the glycosylated α‐amylase was markedly enhanced, compared with that of the non‐glycosylated enzyme from E. coli.
Purification of a protein inhibitor of erythrocyte plasma membrane Ca2 ‐ATPase by Ca2 ‐ATPase‐Sepharose affinity chromatography
Authors: Au K. S. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractA protein inhibitor of erythrocyte plasma membrane Ca2+‐ATPase was purified to homogeneity using a Ca2+‐ATPase‐Sepharose affinity column. Inhibitor isolated by anion exchange chromatography was loaded onto the affinity column in the presence of Ca2+ and the purified inhibitor was eluted with EGTA. The estimated yield was 0.1‐0.2 mg protein inhibitor/1. red cells. SDS‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of freshly purified inhibitor revealed one single silver stained band with an apparent molecular mass of 50‐51 kD.
Isolation and sequence determination of cDNA encoding mouse rab 4 and candidate approach for the beige mutation in mice
Authors: Ikeda Hiroyuki , Ikegami Tohru , Mitsui Tetsuo , Sendo Dai , Hayasaka Kiyoshi 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe Chediak‐Higashi syndrome is characterized by partial albinism and recurrent infections with giant granules in granulocytes. This syndrome has been proposed to have a defect in vesicular transport. Rab 4 is a member of a family of Ras‐related small GTP‐binding proteins, which has been mapped in the locus of the Chediak‐Higashi syndrome. We isolated a full length cDNA of rab 4 from a cDNA library of mouse liver. The clone is 1428 base pairs (bp) in length and contains a 639 bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 213 residues. The deduced amino acid sequence is highly homologous to rab 4 from rat and human. We analyzed rab 4 as a candidate gene of the beige mouse, but we could not find any change in the sequence of the coding region of rab 4 mRNA.
Cloning and expression of the inorganic pyrophosphatase gene from thermophilic bacterium PS‐3
Authors: Maruyama Satoshi , Maeshima Masanaga , Nishimura Masaki , Aoki Motoko , Ichiba Tetsuroh , Sekiguchi Junichi , Hachimori Akira 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe thermophilic bacterium PS‐3 ppa gene encoding inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPiase) has been cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence was exactly the same as that determined on Edman degradation (Ichiba, T., Takenaka, O., Samejima, T. and Hachimori, A., J. Biochem. 108: 572‐578, 1990) except that amino acid‐70 is threonine instead of proline and two more amino acids, Asn‐Lys, are present at the carboxyl terminus. The structural gene containing BamH I and Hind III restriction cleaving sites at the 5′ and 3′ ends, respectively, was amplified by the PCR method. Escherichia coli JM109 was transformed with a synthetic DNA, and we found that thermophilic ppa was expressed in E. coli, as judged on enzyme assaying, SDS‐PAGE and immune assaying.
Prostaglandin E2 derivative, enprostil, reduces hepatic triacylglycerol content in Japanese quail
Authors: Murai Atsushi , Murakami Alice E. , Okumura Jun‐ichi , Furuse Mitsuhiro 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThis study investigated the effect of prostaglandin E2 derivative, enprostil, on the hepatic lipid metabolism of Japanese quail. In experiment 1, the birds received 0.1, 1, 10 or 100 µg enprostil/kg body weight intraperitoneally, and they were killed after 10, 30, 60 and 120 min. After 60 min, hepatic triacylglycerol content was reduced most effectively by 10 µg enprostil/kg body weight. In experiment 2, effect of enprostil (10 µg/kg body weight) on liver enzyme activities associated with lipid metabolism and plasma lipid concentrations was examined. There were no significant differences in malic enzyme and carnitine palmitoyltransferase activities. Peroxisomal β‐oxidation in birds which received enprostil was significantly lower than that in birds receiving the vehicle. Enprostil caused a significant decrease in plasma triacylglycerol and non‐esterified fatty acid concentration. We conclude that the administration of enprostil reduces hepatic triacylglycerol content through the decreased influx of non‐esterified fatty acid.
Does the reduced form of neopterin serve as an antioxidant?
Authors: Mori Hiroko , Arai Toshiyuki , Mori Kenjiro , Suzuki Toshinori , Makino Keisuke 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe oxygen free radical scavenging activity of the reduced form of neopterin, 5,6,7,8‐tetrahydroneopterin (NPH‐4), was investigated in vitro using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. In the hypoxanthinexanthine oxidase (HPX‐XOD) reaction system, NPH‐4 suppressed the production of the superoxide spin adduct, but enhanced that of the hydroxyl radical spin adduct. The hydroxyl radical spin adduct was also observed in the solution containing NPH‐4 and XOD but excluding HPX. These results indicate that NPH‐4 is readily oxidized to some intermediates before the reaction with oxygen free radicals and that the substance which actually serves as an antioxidant in vivo is not NPH‐4 but its metabolites.
Acylphosphatase stimulates Ca2 transport and Ca2 ‐dependent ATPase activity in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Fiorillo Claudia , Nediani Chiara , Marchetti Elena , Pacini Alessandra , Liguri Gianfranco , Nassi Paolo 
Published: July 2007

AbstractAcylphosphatase purified from heart muscle actively hydrolyzes the phosphoenzyme intermediate of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐ATPase. This effect was evident with acylphosphatase concentrations (up to 100 units/mg sarcoplasmic reticulum protein) that fall within the physiological range, and the low value of the apparent Km, on the order of 10‐7M, suggests a high affinity towards this special substrate. Moreover, acylphosphatase addition to sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles significantly enhanced the rate of Ca2+‐dependent ATP hydrolysis. Maximal stimulation, observed with 100 units/mg vesicular protein, resulted in an ATPase activity which was about two folds over basal value. The same acylphosphatase concentration increased at a similar extent the rate of ATP driven Ca2+ influx into sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Taken together these findings lead to suppose that acylphosphatase, owing to its hydrolytic activity, induces an accelerated turnover of the phosphoenzyme intermediate, whence an overall stimulation of heart sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump, affecting both ATP hydrolysis and Ca2+ influx.
In vitro amplification of human basic fibroblast growth factor mRNA by RNA‐specific exon‐junction primers
Authors: Sheu Hamm‐Ming , Leung Maria FKL , Leung Wai‐Choi , Kuo Kou‐Wha 
Published: July 2007

AbstractHighly sensitive and RNA‐specific primers for the determination of human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) gene expression by RT‐PCR were identified. The RNA‐specific primers could amplify bFGF mRNA from 10 pg to 1 ng of total cellular RNA without interfering with the presence of genomic DNA of the cell. The feasible temperatures of the primers annealed to the template were 5t°C, 60°C and 65°C. In addition, different locations of primers on the bFGF mRNA molecule yielded distinct amounts of RT‐PCR products from the same concentration of RNA, suggesting that the mRNA secondary structure of bFGF affected the RT‐PCR. Owing to high sensitivity and specificity of the primers to bFGF RNA, the RNA‐specific primers may be potentially utilized for the determination of human bFGF gene expression by in situ RT‐PCR.
Isolation and characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SAB2, a suppressor gene for temperature‐sensitive phenotype of ars‐binding factor 1 mutant
Authors: Shin Yong‐Hyun , Goo Duck‐Mo , So In‐Seop , Rhode Peter R. , Campbell Judith L. , Kim Jiyoung 
Published: July 2007

AbstractA high‐copy number suppressor of yeast abf1‐5 mutant, a temperature‐sensitive lethal mutant, was isolated and named SAB2 (suppressor of ABF1). Hybridization to a yeast chromoblot and to prime clone grid filters revealed that the SAB2 gene was located near the yeast SUP3 on chromosome XV. The suppressor activity was contained in a 2.5 Kbp DNA region of the SAB2 plasmid. The nucleotide sequence of the DNA region contained a long open reading frame, which turned out to encode for yeast tryptophan permease. Four putative ABF1 binding sites were found in the promoter and the structural regions of the tryptophan permease gene. Binding of ABF1 to two of the sites tested in this study was detected. Our results indicate that ABF1 may be involved in the transcriptional control of the yeast tryptophan permease gene.
Characterization of a novel nucleolytic activity of acylphosphatases
Authors: Chiarugi Paola , Raugei Giovanni , Fiaschi Tania , Taddei Letizia , Camici Guido , Ramponi Giampietro 
Published: July 2007

AbstractA novel enzymatic activity on nucleic acids was discovered in both muscle type (MT) and erythrocyte or common type (CT) isoforms of acylphosphatase, an enzyme that was previously known as a hydrolase (E.C.3.6.1.7). Both deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic hydrolitic activity were assayed on a variety of substrates. Our results demonstrate that acylphosphatase possesses both Mg++ dependent deoxyribonuclease and ribonuclease acivities, at pH ranging from 5.0 to 6.8. Furthermore, we present evidences, for both isoenzymatic forms, of the coexistence of exonucleolytic and endonucleolytic activities on DNA.
Characterization of high‐affinity protein D binding sites on the surface of rat epididymal spermatozoa
Authors: Hall Joseph C. , Tubbs Christopher E. , Li Yuehua , Ashraf Salman 
Published: July 2007

Abstract125I‐labeled protein D was shown to bind to whole rat epididymal sperm in a time‐dependent, saturable, and reversible manner. Scatchard analysis indicates that there are 3.4 × 105 binding sites/sperm cell with a binding efficiency (Kd) of 2.3 × 10‐10 M. Binding of protein D to sperm reaches equilibrium by 95 min. and is reversible by 30 min. Specific binding of protein D to sperm pre‐treated with a dilute trypsin solution is reduced significantly when compared with controls. Our findings establish that protein D‐specific binding proteins displaying characteristics of a true receptor are present on the surface of rat epididymal sperm.
Hydroxycitrate causes altered pyruvate metabolism by tumorigenic cells
Authors: Board Mary , Newsholme Eric 
Published: July 2007

AbstractMetabolic fates of pyruvate (CO2, lactate, citrate) in normal and neoplastic cells have been assessed. Pyruvate consumption by tumour cells falls (by 72‐85%) and mean percentage oxidation rises from 75% to 91% with hydroxycitrate. Ratios of rates of oxidation of (3‐14C‐pyruvate): (1‐14C‐pyruvate), indicating CO2 produced from TCA cycle activity: that from PDH activity, are higher for tumorigenic (0.17‐0.24) than for non‐tumorigenic (0.005‐0.04) cells and increase (0.27‐0.65 and 0.13‐0.29, respectively) with hydroxycitrate. Although maximal ATP‐citrate lyase activities do not correlate with malignancy, citrate may be a major fate of glutaminolytic pyruvate in tumour cells. Citrate accounts for 14‐37% of consumed glutamine compared with 11‐13% being recovered as CO2. By contrast, ≈︁100% of glycolytic pyruvate is converted to lactate.
Tempace and troxyl‐novel synthesized 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine derivatives as antioxidants and radioprotectors
Authors: Metodiewa Diana , Skolimowski Janusz , Karolczak Stefan 
Published: July 2007

AbstractTwo novel 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine derivatives (Tempace and Troxyl) were synthesized and their capacity to act as scavengers of superoxide, inhibitors of iron and ascorbate‐driven Fenton reaction and radioprotectors was tested. The possibility for one‐electron oxidation of novel compounds by heme‐ferryl species was also examined. The results clearly indicate that Tempace and Troxyl are acting as promising antioxidants and radioprotectors thus providing a base for further investigations and pharmacological applications.
Modulation of muscarinic receptor‐stimulated phosphoinositide breakdown by sulfhydryl group modification is a general response in different rat brain regions and depends on the stage of brain development
Authors: Balduini Walter , Cattabeni Flaminio , Cantoni Orazio 
Published: July 2007

AbstractIn a previous study we reported that muscarinic receptor‐stimulated phosphoinositide breakdown in rat cortical slices is significantly reduced by modification of critical thiols located at the post‐receptor level [1]. We have now extended this observation by investigating whether this effect is a general response in different brain areas and is differentially regulated, within the cortex, in the neonatal and adult brain. Experimental results have demonstrated that indeed the effect of sulfhydryl group modification on muscarinic receptor‐stimulated phosphoinositide breakdown appears to be mediated by a general mechanism operative in different brain regions (cortex, hippocampus and striatum). In addition, this response is more pronounced in the early stages of brain development, when muscarinic receptor agonists lead to the highest inositol phosphate accumulation.
Inhibition of 5′DI and 5′DII L‐tiroxine (T4) monodeiodinases. Effect on the hypothalamo‐pituitary ovarian axis in adult hypothyroid rats treated with T4
Authors: Ortega E. , Osorio A. , Ruiz E. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractHypothyroid female rats were treated with T4 and their 5′DI and 5′DII deiodinases were inhibited by PTU and IOP administration to determine whether the effect of T3 on reproductive function is a primary event at hypothalamo‐pituitary levels or ovarian levels. Hypothyroid adult female rats were divided into four groups : Hypothyroid without treatment (H); hypothyroid treated with T4 (H‐T4); hypothyroid treated with T4 plus propylthiouracil (H‐T4‐PTU), and hypothyroid treated with T4 plus iopanoic acid (H‐T4‐TOP). A group of euthyroid rats (E) was included as control. Estrous cycle, ovarian histological changes and serum estradiol and gonadotropin levels (basal and after GnRH) were searched in all groups.In view of our results and since sexual cycles and puberal pattern in gonadotropin secretion were restored after all treatments we can suggest: That T4 could have an intrinsic effect on reproductive function in adult hypothyroid female rats or that another compensatory T3 mechanism unaffected by IOP could exist. The present report points out that the effect of T3 on reproductive function could be a primary event at hypothalamo‐pituitary levels although an effect at ovarian levels could not be excluded.
A mutant metallothionein which has inverse fragment composition exhibits high cadmium‐binding ability
Authors: Yamaguchi Rie , Kurasaki Masaaki , Kojima Yutaka 
Published: July 2007

AbstractIn order to investigate the role of the α‐fragment of metallothionein (MT) in metalbinding, two mutant MTs, βAlaαCys‐ and αCysβCys‐mutant MTs, expressed in Escherichia coli were analyzed for their metal‐binding ability. A mutant MT where all of the cysteine residues in the β‐fragment of MT were substituted by alanine residues and another mutant MT that had the inverse fragment composition (α‐β, i. e., β‐α in wild‐type MT) were designated as the βAlaαCys and the αCysβCys‐mutant MT's, respectively. Both expressed Cd‐binding mutant MTs were identified by amino acid analyses. From their metal‐binding capacities, the two mutant MTs exhibited higher Cd‐binding abilities than wild‐type MT. The results suggested that the α‐fragment plays a key role in the Cd‐binding of MT, and that the metal‐binding tightness of MT is dependent on the metal‐ binding ability of a prior fragment in MT.
Detection of polymorphic FGF receptor 1 mRNA in bovine lens epithelium by PCR
Authors: Marunouchi Tohru , Hosoya Hiromi , Kousaka Masashi , Lee Xiao Rong , Majima Yoshinao 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe expression of FGFR 1, 2 and 3 but not FGFR 4 was detected in bovine lens epithelial cells. FGFR 1 expression of both the 2‐Ig and 3‐Ig forms was detected by a difference in the lengths of the PCR products. Furthermore, mRNA which included or excluded six nucleotides corresponding to two amino acids in the acid box region of FGFR 1 was detected by a difference in mobility of the homo‐ and hetero‐duplex strands formed in the PCR reaction.
Bovine kidney low molecular weight acid phosphatase: FMN‐dependent kinetics
Authors: Granjeiro José M. , Ferreira Carmen V. , Jucá Marilena B. , Taga Eulázio M. , Aoyama Hiroshi 
Published: July 2007

AbstractA low molecular weight bovine kidney acid phosphatase, electrophoretically homogeneous and with a relative molecular mass of 17.8 kDa, was used in this work. Among the various substrates tested, FMN was found to be the most effective, at pH 7.0. Distinct activation energy values were obtained for p‐nitrophenyl phosphate‐ (45.44 kJ mol‐1) and flavin mononucleotide‐ (28.60 kJ mol‐1) hydrolysis reactions. The FMN hydrolysis was strongly inhibited by Cu2+ and pCMB, but activated by guanosine. Pyridoxal‐phosphate and vanadate were competitive inhibitors for the FMN‐dependent reaction.
Influence of mycobacterium tuberculosis catalase gene (KatG) expression on nitric oxide production and the intracellular growth of transfected mycobacterium smegmatis strains within murine macrophages
Authors: Fazal Nadeem 
Published: July 2007

AbstractExpression or possession of catalase gene may interfere with the iNOS/NO pathway in mycobacteria, hence altering their capacity to survive within macrophages. Therefore, strains of M. smegmatis with an inactive catalase‐peroxidase gene (KatG), or into which the KatG gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis had been transfected, were used to study the influence of catalase on nitric oxide (NO) production and mycobacterial survival within infected murine J774 macrophages. High levels of nitrite (40‐70 nM) were detected in IFN‐γ and LPS activated, infected murine cell culture supernatants, however, NO2‐ titres produced by infected murine cells did not diffcr between various catalase phenotype strains. Similarly, no significant difference in mycobacterial killing was also observed among the five strains of M. smegmatis tested over a 3 day infection period.