Search results for "Complement"
showing 10 items of 2113 documents
Post-transcriptional analysis of rat mitochondrial D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase control through development and physiological stages.
1991
Abstract The nuclear encoded mitochondrial D -3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BDH) is synthesized in the cytosal as a larger precursor. This membrane enzyme which requires lecithin for activity plays an essential role in energy metabolism as a ketone bodies-converting enzyme. A cDNA clone of the rat liver enzyme encompassing an antigenic determinant peptide has been isolated after immunoscreening of a λ gt11 expression library. The nucleotide sequence of this 279-base cDNA insert contains a single open reading frame of 93 amino-acids, which represents about a third of the mature enzyme. Amino-acid sequence analysis predicts a hydrophobic stretch of 29 amino-acids long which probably functi…
Hereditary Angioedema with Normal C1 Inhibitor Activity Including Hereditary Angioedema with Coagulation Factor XII Gene Mutations
2006
Recurrent angioedema of the skin is a commonly diagnosed clinical symptom that can be found in various clinical entities [1,2]. Some types of angioedema of the skin are associated with episodes of upper airway obstruction that may be life threatening. Death by asphyxiation from laryngeal edema is well known in hereditary angioedema (HAE) due to C1 inhibitor deficiency [3,4] and in recurrent angioedema induced by angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors [5–9]. Therefore, it is important to determine the exact type of angioedema in each patient. In many patients angioedema is associated with urticaria. If relapsing urticaria occurs simultaneously or alternately with angioedema, both cond…
Extract of Caragana sinica as a potential therapeutic option for increasing alpha-secretase gene expression
2015
Abstract Background Alzheimer's disease represents one of the main neurological disorders in the aging population. Treatment options so far are only of symptomatic nature and efforts in developing disease modifying drugs by targeting amyloid beta peptide-generating enzymes remain fruitless in the majority of human studies. During the last years, an alternative approach emerged to target the physiological alpha-secretase ADAM10, which is not only able to prevent formation of toxic amyloid beta peptides but also provides a neuroprotective fragment of the amyloid precursor protein – sAPPalpha. Purpose To identify novel alpha-secretase enhancers from a library of 313 extracts of medicinal plant…
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Jungia paniculata.
2010
The present study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Jungia paniculata (DC.) A. Gray (Asteraceae), used traditionally in Peru. The dry leaves were extracted with methanol, 50% methanol, and water. The anti-inflammatory activity of this plant was studied using in vitro (nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages and sPLA(2) inhibition assay) and in vivo (carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and TPA-induced ear edema in mice) model systems. The antioxidant activity of extracts was studied using three in vitro model systems (DPPH(*) radical-scavenging assay, ABTS(*+) assay, and superoxide radical-scavenging activity). The results have been corr…
Antispasmodic Effects and Structure−Activity Relationships of Labdane Diterpenoids from Marrubium globosum ssp. libanoticum
2009
Marrubium globosum ssp. libanoticum is a medicinal plant used in Lebanon to reduce pain and smooth muscle spasms. A chloroform extract obtained from M. globosum aerial parts reduced acetylcholine-induced contractions in the isolated mouse ileum. The purification of this extract identified, among 12 isolated labdane diterpenoids, four new compounds, named 13-epicyllenin A (4), 13,15-diepicyllenin A (5), marrulibacetal (9), and marrulactone (11). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods. Compound 9, which exerted antispasmodic activity, is likely the active ingredient of the extract. Preliminary structure-activity relationships for this class of compounds are suggested.
Nurses experience of aromatherapy use with dementia patients experiencing disturbed sleep patterns. An action research project
2013
The purpose of this study was to gain an insight into nurses' experiences of incorporating aromatherapy into the care of residents suffering from dementia, anxiety and disturbed sleep patterns. Twenty-four residents and twelve nurses from four nursing homes participated in an action research study. The use of lavender augustofolia essential oil diffused nightly was perceived as an effective care modality reducing insomnia and anxiety in this patient cohort. Nurses experienced some negative attitudes among colleagues because they considered aromatherapy as not evidence based. Nurses require greater access to evidence based use of Aromatherapy. Further research is needed to study how smell ca…
Common, but Complex, Mode of Resistance of Plutella xylostella to Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac
2005
ABSTRACT A field collected population of Plutella xylostella (SERD4) was selected in the laboratory with Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxins Cry1Ac (Cry1Ac-SEL) and Cry1Ab (Cry1Ab-SEL). Both subpopulations showed similar phenotypes: high resistance to the Cry1A toxins and little cross-resistance to Cry1Ca or Cry1D. A previous analysis of the Cry1Ac-SEL showed incompletely dominant resistance to Cry1Ac with more than one factor, at least one of which was sex influenced. In the present study reciprocal mass crosses between Cry1Ab-SEL and a laboratory susceptible population (ROTH) provided evidence that Cry1Ab resistance was also inherited as incompletely dominant trait with more than one factor…
Identification and characterization of PlAlix, the Alix homologue from the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.
2013
The sea urchin provides a relatively simple and tractable system for analyzing the early stages of embryo development. Here, we use the sea urchin species, Paracentrotus lividus, to investigate the role of Alix in key stages of embryogenesis, namely the egg fertilization and the first cleavage division. Alix is a multifunctional protein involved in different cellular processes including endocytic membrane trafficking, filamentous (F)-actin remodeling, and cytokinesis. Alix homologues have been identified in different metazoans; in these organisms, Alix is involved in oogenesis and in determination/differentiation events during embryo development. Herein, we describe the identification of th…
Phytochemical and pharmacological studies on the acetonic extract of Marrubium globosum ssp. libanoticum
2006
A new natural labdane diterpene, marrulibanoside, was isolated from the acetonic extract of aerial parts of M. globosum Montbr. et Auch. ex Benth. ssp. libanoticum Boiss. (Lamiaceae). Its structure was determined by spectroscopic methods such as 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectrometry. Pharmacological studies have shown that the extract of M. globosum exerts anti-inflammatory effects in the rat paw oedema induced by carrageenin resulting in reduced paw swelling. This activity, which seems due to marrulibanoside, is a consequence of iNOS and COX-2 activities inhibition.
Genes coding for intermediate filament proteins closely related to the hagfish "thread keratins (TK)" alpha and gamma also exist in lamprey, teleosts…
2005
The "thread keratins (TK)" alpha and gamma so far have been considered highly specialized intermediate filament (IF) proteins restricted to hagfish. From lamprey, we now have sequenced five novel IF proteins closely related to TKalpha and TKgamma, respectively. Moreover, we have detected corresponding sequences in EST and genomic databases of teleosts and amphibians. The structure of the TKalpha genes and the positions of their deduced amino acid sequences in a phylogenetic tree clearly support their classification as type II keratins. The genes encoding TKgamma show a structure typical for type III IF proteins, whereas their positions in phylogenetic trees favor a close relationship to the…