Search results for "complement"

A novel cholinergic-specific antigen (Chol-2) in mammalian brain.

1993

Three new antisera have been raised in sheep against cholinergic electromotor presynaptic plasma membranes prepared from the electric organs of the electric ray, Torpedo marmorata. They all recognized one or more cholinergic-specific antigens in the mammalian nervous system by the following criteria: they sensitized the cholinergic subpopulation of rat-brain synaptosomes--and only this subpopulation--to lysis by the complement system and, in an immunocytochemical study, selectively stained choline acetyltransferase-positive cholinergic neurons in the rat spinal cord. However, two of the three antisera failed to recognize Chol-1 alpha and -beta, two closely related minor gangliosides already…

Cytotoxicity of two naturally occurring flavonoids (dorsmanin F and poinsettifolin B) towards multi-factorial drug-resistant cancer cells.

2015

Abstract Introduction The expression of diverse resistance mechanisms in cancer cells is one of the major barriers to successful cancer chemotherapy. Methods In the present study, we assessed the cytotoxicity of two naturally occurring flavonoids dorsmanin F ( 1 , a flavanone) and poinsettifolin B ( 2 , a chalcone) against 9 drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cell lines. The resazurin reduction assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of these compounds, whilst caspase-Glo assay was used to detect caspase activation. Cell cycle, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were all analysed via flow cytometry. Results Compounds 1 and…

Cytotoxicity and modes of action of 4'-hydroxy-2',6'-dimethoxychalcone and other flavonoids toward drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cell…

2014

Abstract Introduction Resistance of cancer to chemotherapy is a main cause in treatment failure. Naturally occurring chalcones possess a wide range of biological activities including anti-cancer effects. In this work, we evaluated the antiproliferative activity of three chalcones [4′-hydroxy-2′,6′-dimethoxychalcone ( 1 ), cardamomin ( 2 ), 2′,4′-dihydroxy-3′,6′-dimethoxychalcone ( 3 )], and four flavanones [( S )-(–)-pinostrobin ( 4 ), ( S )-(–)-onysilin ( 5 ) and alpinetin ( 6 )] toward nine cancer cell lines amongst which were multidrug resistant (MDR) types. Methods The resazurin reduction assay was used to detect the antiproliferative activity of the studied samples whilst flow cytometr…

Cytotoxicity of three naturally occurring flavonoid derived compounds (artocarpesin, cycloartocarpesin and isobavachalcone) towards multi-factorial d…

2015

Abstract Introduction Cancer remains an aggressive deadly disease, if drug resistance develops. This problem is aggravated by the fact that multiple rather than single mechanisms are involved in resistance and that multidrug resistance (MDR) phenomena cause inefficacy of many clinical established anticancer drugs. We are seeking for novel cytotoxic phytochemicals to combat drug-resistant tumour cells. Methods In the present study, we investigated the cytotoxicity of three naturally occurring flavonoids including two flavones artocarpesin (1) and cycloartocarpesin (2) and one chalcone, isobavachalcone (3) against 9 drug-sensitive and MDR cancer cell lines. The resazurin reduction assay was u…

Effect of EDTA and citrate on the functional activity of the first component of complement, C1, and the C1q subcomponent.

1985

The first component of complement, C1, is a calcium-dependent complex of the three distinct subcomponents, C1q, C1r, and C1s. Earlier observations revealed that treatment of C1 with EDTA led to a loss of hemolytic C1 activity even after recalcification. Therefore, it was of interest to study whether EDTA has an additional effect on C1 and its subcomponents, beside its chelating capacity. The chelating effect of EDTA was compared to that of citrate. It was found that treatment of C1 or C1 with EDTA followed by addition of Ca++ led to a loss of hemolytic activity up to 90%, depending on EDTA concentration. Even pretreatment of EDTA with varying amounts of Ca++ did not prevent the inactivation…

The Properdin System: Composition and Function

1978

. This article summarizes the physicochemical data on the factors which compose the properdin system in guinea pig and man. The following other topics are discussed: (1) Activation of the properdin system; (2) Formation of the initiating and amplification C3 convertases; (3) Formation of the C5 convertase, and (4) Regulatory control mechanisms of the properdin system.

Junceosides A-C, new triterpene saponins from Arenaria juncea.

2002

Three novel triterpenoid saponins, junceosides A (1), B (2), and C (3), together with two known saponins have been isolated from the roots of Arenaria juncea. Their structures were elucidated using a combination of homo- and heteronuclear 2D NMR techniques (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC) and by FABMS. The new compounds were characterized as 3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucuronopyranosylgypsogenin-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->3)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1-->4)]-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-fucopyranoside (1), 3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucuronopyranosylgypsogenin-28-O-beta-D-x…

Hypolaetin-8-O-Glucoside, An Anti-inflammatory Flavonoid from Sideritis mugronensis.

1985

Cytotoxic Spirostane-Type Saponins from the Roots of Chlorophytum borivilianum

2009

Four new spirostane-type saponins named borivilianosides E-H (1-4) were isolated from an ethanol extract of the roots of Chlorophytum borivilianum together with two known steroid saponins (5 and 6). The structures of 1-4 were elucidated using mainly 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry. The cytotoxicity of borivilianosides F (2), G (3), and H (4) and three known compounds was evaluated using two human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29 and HCT 116).

Confocal microscopy of single molecules of the green fluorescent protein

1998

Single molecule detection has been extended into life sciences by use of strongly fluorescent labels. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a self-fluorescent biomolecule has attracted considerable attention. Here, single molecules of the GFP-mutant Glu222Gln are immobilized in a polyvinylalcohol matrix and detected by confocal fluorescence microscopy. Although this mutant stabilizes one of both conformers of the wild-type GFP, the investigation of its fluorescence dynamics reveals strong signal fluctuations. This fluorescence behaviour is—at least partly—caused by reversible photochemical changes of the protein framework, that can relax into the fluorescent state on different timescales. …