Search results for "Cyst"
showing 10 items of 1960 documents
Sortase A: An ideal target for anti-virulence drug development
2014
Sortase A is a membrane enzyme responsible for the anchoring of surface-exposed proteins to the cell wall envelope of Gram-positive bacteria. As a well-studied member of the sortase subfamily catalysing the cell wall anchoring of important virulence factors to the surface of staphylococci, enterococci and streptococci, sortase A plays a critical role in Gram-positive bacterial pathogenesis. It is thus considered a promising target for the development of new anti-infective drugs that aim to interfere with important Gram-positive virulence mechanisms, such as adhesion to host tissues, evasion of host defences, and bio fi lm formation. The additional properties of sortase A as an enzyme that i…
Visceral Adiposity Index: An Indicator of Adipose Tissue Dysfunction
2013
The Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) has recently proven to be an indicator of adipose distribution and function that indirectly expresses cardiometabolic risk. In addition, VAI has been proposed as a useful tool for early detection of a condition of cardiometabolic risk before it develops into an overt metabolic syndrome. The application of the VAI in particular populations of patients (women with polycystic ovary syndrome, patients with acromegaly, patients with NAFLD/NASH, patients with HCV hepatitis, patients with type 2 diabetes, and general population) has produced interesting results, which have led to the hypothesis that the VAI could be considered a marker of adipose tissue dysfuncti…
Investigation on a MMACHC mutant from cblC disease: The c.394C>T variant
2022
The cblC disease is an inborn disorder of the vitamin B12 (cobalamin, Cbl) metabolism characterized by methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria. The clinical consequences of this disease are devastating and, even when early treated with current therapies, the affected children manifest symptoms involving vision, growth, and learning. The illness is caused by mutations in the gene codifying for MMACHC, a 282aa protein that transports and transforms the different Cbl forms. Here we present data on the structural properties of the truncated protein p.R132X resulting from the c.394C > T mutation that, along with c.271dupA and c.331C > T, is among the most common mutations in cblC. Althou…
Folate, related B vitamins, and homocysteine in childhood and adolescence: potential implications for disease risk in later life.
2009
OBJECTIVES. Folate and the metabolically related B vitamins are an important priority throughout life, but few studies have examined their status through childhood and adolescence. The aims of the current study were to investigate age, gender, and lifestyle factors as determinants of folate, related B-vitamin status, and homocysteine concentrations among British children and adolescents and to propose age-specific reference ranges for these biomarkers, which, at present, are unavailable. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS. Data from the National Dietary and Nutritional Survey of 2127 young people aged 4 to 18 years were accessed to provide a representative sample of British children. All of the subje…
A simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the measurement of pyridoxal-5-phosphate and 4-pyridoxic acid in human plasma.
2014
Abstract Background Low concentration of plasma pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP) is associated with hyperhomocysteinemia and inflammation. Most methods for the measurement of plasma PLP require large specimen volume and involve the use of toxic reagents. Methods We have developed a HPLC method for the measurement of PLP and 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA) in plasma, which requires small specimen volume. The samples are prepared without adding any toxic reagents. Furthermore, we have examined whether intake of vitamin B 6 affects the concentration of plasma PLP and 4-PA. Results The coefficient of variation of the method was 6% and the recovery of the added vitamin in plasma was about 100%. The concentra…
Folate deficiencies and cardiovascular pathologies.
1998
Abstract Although folates are widely distributed in foods, folate deficiencies may be more frequent than expected because their true availability may be impaired due to their lability under various food cooking and processing conditions. Folate deficiency is frequently observed in elderly people, smokers, alcoholics and oral contraceptive users. It is also associated with the mutation leading to the thermolabile variant of N5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase which is observed in about 10 % of the population. In addition to the essential role of the intracellular pool of polyglutamates in de novo biosynthesis of deoxyribonucleotides which allow cell growth and division, the reduced an…
Effects of a vitamin D3 analogue in a rat model of bladder outlet obstruction
2006
OBJECTIVES To explore the effect of the vitamin D3 analogue, BXL-628, on some of the consequences of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), e.g. hypertrophy and loss of contractile function, as vitamin D3 and BXL-628 inhibit prostate and bladder cell growth in vitro, and there are receptors for vitamin D in rat and human bladder. MATERIAL AND METHODS In female rats, BOO was produced by a standardized method; one group received daily BXL-628 (150 µg/kg per day) and the remaining rats received vehicle. Sham-operated rats received BXL-628 or vehicle. After 2 weeks, the conscious rats were assessed by cystometry. Plasma calcium levels were determined and in vitro contractility assessed at the end of…
Hypoxia Positively Regulates the Expression of pH-Sensing G-Protein–Coupled Receptor OGR1 (GPR68)
2016
Background & Aims: A novel family of proton-sensing G-proteinâcoupled receptors, including ovarian cancer G-proteinâcoupled receptor 1 (OGR1) (GPR68) has been identified to play a role in pH homeostasis. Hypoxia is known to change tissue pH as a result of anaerobic glucose metabolism through the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. We investigated how hypoxia regulates the expression of OGR1 in the intestinal mucosa and associated cells. Methods: OGR1 expression in murine tumors, human colonic tissue, and myeloid cells was determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The influence of hypoxia on OGR1 expression was studied in monocytes/macrophages and…
Hsp60 in embryonic and adult submandibular salivary gland: quantitative distribution patterns in normal tissue and comparison with benign and maligna…
2019
Introduction: Heat Shock Protein 60 (Hsp60) is a member of the chaperoning system that assists protein folding inside mitochondria and plays other roles beyond these organelles. It is implicated in the carcinogenic processes in various types of cancer. In human salivary glands, Hsp60 has not yet been measured or mapped in detail and its role in gland development and functioning is virtually unknown. Consequently, its potential as biomarker for gland diseases, including malignancies cannot be assessed. The S-100 protein, a known marker for schwannomas, has been found also in myoepithelial-cell carcinomas of the salivary glands. Here, we present our initial findings on the anatomic-histologic…
A Role for the β1-β2Loop in the Gating of 5-HT3Receptors
2005
Based on theTorpedoacetylcholine receptor structure, Unwin and colleagues (Miyazawa et al., 2003; Unwin, 2005) hypothesized that the transduction of agonist binding to channel gate opening involves a “pin-into-socket” interaction between αV46 at the tip of the extracellular β1-β2loop and the transmembrane M2 segment and M2-M3 loop. We mutated to cysteine the aligned positions in the 5-HT3Aand 5-HT3Bsubunit β1-β2loops K81 and Q70, respectively. The maximal 5-HT-activated currents in receptors containing 5-HT3A/K81C or 5-HT3B/Q70C were markedly reduced compared with wild type. Desensitization of wild-type currents involved fast and slow components. Mutant currents desensitized with only the f…