Search results for "Nitrophenols"
showing 10 items of 38 documents
Formation of 2-nitrophenol from salicylaldehyde as a suitable test for low peroxynitrite fluxes
2016
There has been some dispute regarding reaction products formed at physiological peroxynitrite fluxes in the nanomolar range with phenolic molecules, when used to predict the behavior of protein-bound aromatic amino acids like tyrosine. Previous data showed that at nanomolar fluxes of peroxynitrite, nitration of these phenolic compounds was outcompeted by dimerization (e.g. biphenols or dityrosine). Using 3-morpholino sydnonimine (Sin-1), we created low fluxes of peroxynitrite in our reaction set-up to demonstrate that salicylaldehyde displays unique features in the detection of physiological fluxes of peroxynitrite, yielding detectable nitration but only minor dimerization products. By mean…
Curcumin at Low Doses Potentiates and at High Doses Inhibits ABT-737-Induced Platelet Apoptosis
2021
Curcumin is a natural bioactive component derived from the turmeric plant Curcuma longa, which exhibits a range of beneficial activities on human cells. Previously, an inhibitory effect of curcumin on platelets was demonstrated. However, it is unknown whether this inhibitory effect is due to platelet apoptosis or procoagulant platelet formation. In this study, curcumin did not activate caspase 3-dependent apoptosis of human platelets, but rather induced the formation of procoagulant platelets. Interestingly, curcumin at low concentration (5 µM) potentiated, and at high concentration (50 µM) inhibited ABT-737-induced platelet apoptosis, which was accompanied by inhibition of ABT-737-mediated…
Assessing the biological activity of the glucan phosphatase laforin
2016
Glucan phosphatases are a recently discovered family of enzymes that dephosphorylate either starch or glycogen and are essential for proper starch metabolism in plants and glycogen metabolism in humans. Mutations in the gene encoding the only human glucan phosphatase, laforin, result in the fatal, neurodegenerative, epilepsy known as Lafora disease. Here, we describe phosphatase assays to assess both generic laforin phosphatase activity and laforin's unique glycogen phosphatase activity.
Anion Recognition by a Bioactive Diureidodecalin Anionophore: Solid-State, Solution, and Computational Studies
2018
Recent work has identified a bis-(p-nitrophenyl)ureidodecalin anion carrier as a promising candidate for biomedical applications, showing good activity for chloride transport in cells yet almost no cytotoxicity. To underpin further development of this and related compounds, a detailed structural and binding investigation is reported. Crystal structures of the transporter as five solvates confirm the diaxial positioning of urea groups while revealing a degree of conformational flexibility. Structures of complexes with Cl−, Br−, NO3 −, SO4 2− and AcO−, supported by computational studies, show how the binding site can adapt to accommodate these anions. 1H NMR binding studies revealed exception…
Ectopic NGAL expression can alter sensitivity of breast cancer cells to EGFR, Bcl-2, CaM-K inhibitors and the plant natural product berberine
2012
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL, a.k.a Lnc2) is a member of the lipocalin family and has diverse roles. NGAL can stabilize matrix metalloproteinase-9 from autodegradation. NGAL is considered as a siderocalin that is important in the transport of iron. NGAL expression has also been associated with certain neoplasias and is implicated in the metastasis of breast cancer. In a previous study, we examined whether ectopic NGAL expression would alter the sensitivity of breast epithelial, breast and colorectal cancer cells to the effects of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin. While abundant NGAL expression was detected in all the cells infected with a retrovirus encoding NGAL, t…
GSK-3? Can Regulate the Sensitivity of MIA-PaCa-2 Pancreatic and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutic Drugs, Targeted Therapeutics and Nutra…
2021
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a regulator of signaling pathways. KRas is frequently mutated in pancreatic cancers. The growth of certain pancreatic cancers is KRas-dependent and can be suppressed by GSK-3 inhibitors, documenting a link between KRas and GSK-3. To further elucidate the roles of GSK-3β in drug-resistance, we transfected KRas-dependent MIA-PaCa-2 pancreatic cells with wild-type (WT) and kinase-dead (KD) forms of GSK-3β. Transfection of MIA-PaCa-2 cells with WT-GSK-3β increased their resistance to various chemotherapeutic drugs and certain small molecule inhibitors. Transfection of cells with KD-GSK-3β often increased therapeutic sensitivity. An exception was observed wi…
UDP-glucosyltransferase activity toward exogenous substrates in Drosophila melanogaster.
1991
To investigate the capacity of Drosophila extracts to glucosylate exogenous substrates we have developed a fast and sensitive method for the detection of UDP-glucosyltransferase activity using 4-nitrophenol, 1-naphthol, or 2-naphthol as substrates. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to separate and quantitate the reaction products, allowing detection of activities that produced as little as 1 pmol of 2-naphthol glucoside (fluorescence detection) or 16 pmol of 4-nitrophenol glucoside (absorbance detection). Optimal activity was found at 43 degrees C and alkaline pH. The affinity of the Drosophila enzyme was 250-fold higher for 1-naphthol or 2-naphthol (Km approximately 4 microM)…
Dual role of the p38 MAPK/cPLA2 pathway in the regulation of platelet apoptosis induced by ABT-737 and strong platelet agonists.
2013
p38 Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is involved in the apoptosis of nucleated cells. Although platelets are anucleated cells, apoptotic proteins have been shown to regulate platelet lifespan. However, the involvement of p38 MAP kinase in platelet apoptosis is not yet clearly defined. Therefore, we investigated the role of p38 MAP kinase in apoptosis induced by a mimetic of BH3-only proteins, ABT-737, and in apoptosis-like events induced by such strong platelet agonists as thrombin in combination with convulxin (Thr/Cvx), both of which result in p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation and activation. A p38 inhibitor (SB202190) inhibited the apoptotic events induced by ABT-737 but did not influ…
Calcium transport in rat small intestine in vitro and in vivo
1972
Intestinal calcium (Ca) transport was studied in the rat jejunum by the in vitro perfusion technique of Fisher and Parsons and in the tied loop in vivo. Mucosal uptake and absorption of Ca was examined under the following conditions: rising intraluminal Ca-concentrations (0.5–128 meq/l); inhibition of energy dependent metabolism (2,4-dinitrophenol, N2, low temperature); net water flow, out of or into the intestinal lumen; addition of strontium (Sr); pretreatment with low Ca-diet and with 6-methyl-prednisolone. The concentration-dependent Ca absorption curve rose steeply at low Ca-concentrations but changed to a slowly rising straight line above 16 meq/l Ca++. In contrast, Ca uptake into the…
Mammalian intestinal alkaline phosphatase acts as highly active exopolyphosphatase.
2001
Recent results revealed that inorganic polyphosphates (polyP), being energy-rich linear polymers of orthophosphate residues known from bacteria and yeast, also exist in higher eukaryotes. However, the enzymatic basis of their metabolism especially in mammalian cells is still uncertain. Here we demonstrate for the first time that alkaline phosphatase from calf intestine (CIAP) is able to cleave polyP molecules up to a chain length of about 800. The enzyme acts as an exopolyphosphatase degrading polyP in a processive manner. The pH optimum is in the alkaline range. Divalent cations are not required for catalytic activity but inhibit the degradation of polyP. The rate of hydrolysis of short-ch…