Search results for "endocrine"
showing 10 items of 2114 documents
Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of perakine reductase, a new member of the aldo-keto reductase enzyme superf…
2006
Perakine reductase (PR) is a novel member of the aldo-keto reductase enzyme superfamily from higher plants. PR from the plant Rauvolfia serpentina is involved in the biosynthesis of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids by performing NADPH-dependent reduction of perakine, yielding raucaffrinoline. However, PR can also reduce cinnamic aldehyde and some of its derivatives. After heterologous expression of a triple mutant of PR in Escherichia coli, crystals of the purified and methylated enzyme were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique at 293 K with 100 mM sodium citrate pH 5.6 and 27% PEG 4000 as precipitant. Crystals belong to space group C222(1) and diffract to 2.0 A, with unit-…
Selective chiral inhibition of Ca2+ entry promoted by bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinolines in rat uterus.
1992
Abstract The effects of diltiazem and six bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids (antioquine, 7-O-methylantioquine, dimethylantioquine, monterine, granjine and cordobimine) were studied in rat isolated uterus in order to clarify the mechanisms of their relaxant actions. All the compounds tested completely relaxed KCl-induced contractions and totally or partially inhibited oxytocin-induced rhythmic contractions. Only alkaloids with absolute configurations (1R,1′S or 1R,1′R) acted intracellularly, promoting relaxation of contractile responses induced by oxytocin in a Ca2+-free medium, as does papaverine. Alkaloids of the antioquine series (1S,1′R) selectively inhibited Ca2+ entry. The grea…
The role of mitochondria in sterigmatocystin-induced apoptosis on SH-SY5Y cells
2020
Mitochondria are cellular organelles involved in many crucial functions, such as generation of energy (ATP) and initiation of apoptosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of mitochondria in the toxicity induced by sterigmatocystin (STE), a mycotoxin produced by fungi of the genus Aspergillus, on SH-SY5Y cells. Our results showed that STE exposure decreased cell viability in a time- and concentration-dependent manner by MTT assay and caused mitochondrial dysfunction, as highlighted by the increase of STE cytotoxicity in cells forced to rely on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, intracellular ATP depletion and increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen spec…
External Versus Internal Metabolic Activation of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Mutagenicity Tests: A Comparison Using Heterologous Expression Syst…
1996
Abstract Benzo[a]pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol was virtually non-mutagenic to Chinese hamster V79p cells, but was strongly mutagenic to a V79-derived cell line expressing cytochrome P450 1A1, when the cells were exposed separately. In mixed cultures of these two cell types, it showed about 50 % of the mutagenic activity in V79p cells, compared to that observed in the enzyme-proficient cell line, indicating an efficient intercellular transfer of the active metabolite. The benzylic alcohols 1-hydroxymethylpyrene and 6-hydroxymethylbenzo[a]-pyrene were weakly mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium TA1538 in the absence of a metabolic activation system, but were potent mutagens to a TA1538-derived …
Unique clockwork in photoreceptor of rat
2010
In mammals, the retina contains a clock system that oscillates independently of the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and allows the retina to anticipate and to adapt to the sustained daily changes in ambient illumination. Using a combination of laser capture micro-dissection and quantitative PCR in the present study, the clockwork of mammalian photoreceptors has been recorded. The transcript amounts of the core clock genes Clock, Bmal1, Period1 (Per1), Per3, Cryptochrome2, and Casein kinase Ie in photoreceptors of rat retina have been found to undergo daily changes. Clock and Bmal1 peak with Per1 and Per3 around dark onset, whereas Casein kinase Ie and Cryptochrome2 peak at night…
The wild boar (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus, 1758) as an important reservoir host for Alaria alata in the Baltic region and potential risk of infection in hu…
2020
Abstract Alaria alata trematode is widely distributed throughout Europe and has a complex life cycle in which wild boar serve as a reservoir host. The primary aims of the present study are to establish the occurrence of A. alata mesocercariae in naturally infected wild boar in Latvia and to assess the risk for humans to acquire A. alata infection via consumption of wild boar meat. By summarizing long-term data using the Trichinella inspection method from 2014 to 2019, the overall A. alata prevalence was 8.3%, of which significantly higher A. alata prevalence was observed during the summer seasons. Additionally, 43.9% (n = 485) of wild boar were found to be infected with A. alata using Alari…
Tubuloreticular structures (TRS) and cylindric confronting cisternae (CCC) in childhood dermatomyositis.
1989
Tubuloreticular structures (TRS) and cylindric confronting cisternae (CCC) have been observed in circulating lymphocytes and in the muscle of six children with dermatomyositis. The presence of TRS was seen in all cases investigated, the number of CCC increased in various cells with the severity of the disease. Extensive formation of TRS and CCC in childhood dermatomyositis probably reflects local or systemic alpha-interferon production and suggests that some viral factor is responsible for the disease.
APOPTOTIC ANALYSIS OF CUMULUS CELLS FOR THE SELECTION OF COMPETENT OOCYTES TO BE FERTILIZED BY INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION (ICSI)
2015
Oocyte quality is one of the main factors for the success of in vitro fertilization protocols. Apoptosis is known to affect oocyte quality and may impair subsequent embryonic development and implantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the apoptosis rate of single and pooled cumulus cells of cumulus cell–oocyte complexes (COCs), as markers of oocyte quality, prior to intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI).We investigated the apoptosis rate by TUNEL assay (DNA fragmentation) and caspase-3 immunoassay of single and pooled cumulus cells of COCs. The results showed that DNA fragmentation in cumulus cells was remarkably lower in patients who achieved a pregnancy than in those who di…
Study of liquid–liquid equilibrium of the systems isobutyl acetate+acetic acid+water and isobutyl alcohol+acetic acid+water at different temperatures
2008
Abstract In this work, experimental liquid–liquid equilibria (LLE) data of the systems isobutyl acetate + acetic acid + water and isobutyl alcohol + acetic acid + water are presented. The liquid–liquid equilibria of both systems have been measured at 283.15 and 323.15 K. The NRTL and UNIQUAC models were applied to fit the data for both ternary systems. The interaction parameters obtained from both models successfully correlated the equilibrium compositions. The experimental tie lines were compared to the values predicted by the UNIFAC method. Moreover, the solvent capabilities of isobutyl acetate and isobutyl alcohol were compared.
EZH2 mutations are frequent and represent an early event in follicular lymphoma
2013
Gain of function mutations in the H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2 represent a promising therapeutic target in germinal center lymphomas. In this study, we assessed the frequency and distribution of EZH2 mutations in a large cohort of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) (n = 366) and performed a longitudinal analysis of mutation during the disease progression from FL to transformed FL (tFL) (n = 33). Mutations were detected at 3 recurrent mutation hot spots (Y646, A682, and A692) in 27% of FL cases with variant allele frequencies (VAF) ranging from 2% to 61%. By comparing VAF of EZH2 with other mutation targets (CREBBP, MLL2, TNFRSF14, and MEF2B), we were able to distinguish patients harbori…