Acute toxicity of beta gamma-CAT, a naturally existing non-lens beta gamma-crystallin and trefoil factor complex from frog Bombina maxima skin secretions

In vertebrates, non-lens beta gamma-crystallins are widely expressed in various tissues, but their functions are unknown. The molecular mechanisms of trefoil factors, initiators of mucosal healing and being greatly involved in tumorigenesis, have remained

The role of anti-non-Gal antibodies in the development of acute humoral xenograft rejection of hDAF transgenic porcine kidneys in baboons receiving anti-Gal antibody neutralization therapy

Background. The present study was undertaken to determine the role of preformed and induced anti-non-Gal antibodies in the rejection of hDAF pig-to-baboon kidney xenotransplants after anti-Gal antibody neutralization therapy. Methods. Seven baboons receiv

Polymorphisms in the C-type lectin genes cluster in chromosome 19 and predisposition to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection

Background: Polymorphisms of CLEC4M have been associated with predisposition for infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). DC-SIGNR, a C-type lectin encoded by CLEC4M, is a receptor for the virus. A variable number tandem

IN-VITRO IMMUNOTOXICITY AND CYTOTOXICITY OF TRICHOSANTHIN AGAINST HUMAN NORMAL IMMUNOCYTES AND LEUKEMIA-LYMPHOMA CELLS

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a ribosome-inactivating protein from root tubers of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. In this paper, the effects of TCS on the viability of human peripheral blood immunocytess, on the proliferation of lymphocytes, and its cytotoxicity to twelve cell lines of lymphoma or leukemia had been observed. TCS at high concentration (>12.5 mu g/ml) affected the viability of human B lymphocytes, but not that of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), T lymphocytes and granulocytes. Human peripheral blood-derived monocytes/macrophages were highly sensitive to TCS (ID50 at 1.70 mu g/ml). TCS suppressed lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by Concanavalin A (Con A) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Human T cell lines and macrophage cell lines were more sensitive (ID50 < 0.9 mu g/ml) to TCS than B cell lines and myeloid lines. These results suggest that selective cytotoxicity of TCS to human macrophages/monocytes may be implicated in anti-HIV activity, and that selectively killing some leukemia-lymphoma cells by TCS merit further evaluation in treatment of some lymphoma and leukemia.

The effect of acute stress on LTP and LTD induction in the hippocampal CA1 region of anesthetized rats at three different ages

Not all experiences are memorized equally well. Especially, some types of stress are unavoidable in daily life and the stress experience can be memorized for life. Previous evidence has showed that synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation (LTP) that may be the major cellular model of the mechanism underlying learning and memory, is influenced by behavioral stress. However, the effect of behavioral stress on age-related synaptic plasticity in-vivo was primarily known. Here we found that the LTP induction in the hippocampal CA1 region of anesthetized rats obviously showed inverted-U shape related to ages (4, 10 and 74 weeks old rats), but low-frequency stimulation was unable to induce reliable long-term depression (LTD) in these animals. Furthermore, acute elevated platform (EP) stress enabled reliable LTD significantly and completely blocked LTP induction at these ages. Importantly, LTD after exposure to acute EP stress showed similar magnitude over these ages. The present results that stress enables LTD but impairs LTP induction at these three ages strengthen a view that stress experience-dependent LTD (SLTD) may underlie stress form of aberrant memories. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stress enables synaptic depression in CA1 synapses by acute and chronic morphine: Possible mechanisms for corticosterone on opiate addiction

The hippocampus, being sensitive to stress and glucocorticoids, plays significant roles in certain types of learning and memory. Therefore, the hippocampus is probably involved in the increasing drug use, drug seeking, and relapse caused by stress. We have studied the effect of stress with morphine on synaptic plasticity in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in vivo and on a delayed-escape paradigm of the Morris water maze. Our results reveal that acute stress enables long-term depression (LTD) induction by low-frequency stimulation (LFS) but acute morphine causes synaptic potentiation. Remarkably, exposure to an acute stressor reverses the effect of morphine from synaptic potentiation ( similar to 20%) to synaptic depression ( similar to 40%), precluding further LTD induction by LFS. The synaptic depression caused by stress with morphine is blocked either by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486 or by the NMDA-receptor antagonist D-APV. Chronic morphine attenuates the ability of acute morphine to cause synaptic potentiation, and stress to enable LTD induction, but not the ability of stress in tandem with morphine to cause synaptic depression. Furthermore, corticosterone with morphine during the initial phase of drug use promotes later delayed-escape behavior, as indicated by the morphine-reinforced longer latencies to escape, leading to persistent morphine-seeking after withdrawal. These results suggest that hippocampal synaptic plasticity may play a significant role in the effects of stress or glucocorticoids on opiate addiction.

NR2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype glutamate receptors regulate the acute stress effect on hippocampal long-term potentiation/long-term depression in vivo

Behavioral stress facilitates long-term depression but impairs long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. Recent evidence in vitro demonstrates that the NIR2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype glutamate receptor antagonist Ro25-6981 prevents the beh

Morphine withdrawal modifies antinociceptive effects of acute morphine in rats

Repeated opioid use is known to cause tolerance of antinociceptive effects. Whether opioid abstinence modifies antinociceptive effects is unknown. Here we reported that morphine withdrawal for 18 h and 4 days after repeated morphine treatment largely redu

Acute behavioural stress facilitates long-term depression in temporoammonic-CAI pathway

Behavioural stress facilitates long-term depression in Schaffer collaterals-CAI pathway, but it is unknown whether it influences long-term depression in temporoammonic fibres-CAI. Here, we report that low-frequency stimulation induced long-term depression

Improved suppression of circulating complement does not block acute vascular rejection of pig-to-rhesus monkey cardiac transplants

At present, acute vascular rejection (AVR) remains a primary obstacle inhibiting long-term graft survival in the pig-to-non-human primate transplant model. The present study was undertaken to determine whether repetitive injection of low dose Yunnan-cobra venom factor (Y-CVF), a potent complement inhibitor derived from the venom of Naja kaouthia can completely abrogate hemolytic complement activity and subsequently improve the results in a pig-to-rhesus monkey heterotopic heart transplant model. Nine adult rhesus monkeys received a heterotopic heart transplant from wild-type pigs and the recipients were allocated into two groups: group 1 (n = 4) received repetitive injection of low dose Y-CVF until the end of the study and group 2 (n = 5) did not receive Y-CVF. All recipients were treated with cyclosporine A (CsA), cyclophosphamide (CyP) and steroids. Repetitive Y-CVF treatment led to very dramatic fall in CH50 and serum C3 levels (CH50 < 3 units/C3 remained undetectable throughout the experiment) and successfully prevented hyperacute rejection (HAR), while three of five animals in group 2 underwent HAR. However, the continuous suppression of circulating complement did not prevent AVR and the grafts in group 1 survived from 8 to 13 days. Despite undetectable C3 in circulating blood, C3 deposition was present in these grafts. The venular thrombosis was the predominant histopathologic feature of AVR. We conclude that repetitive injection of low dose Y-CVF can be used to continuously suppress circulating complement in a very potent manner and successfully prevent HAR. However, this therapy did not inhibit complement deposition in the graft and failed to prevent AVR. These data suggest that using alternative pig donors [i.e. human decay accelerating factor (hDAF)-transgenic] in combination with the systemic use of complement inhibitors may be necessary to further control complement activation and improve survival in pig-to-non-human primate xenotransplant model.

Acute effects of microcystins on the transcription of antioxidant enzyme genes in crucian carp Carassius auratus

Recent evidences suggested that oxidative stress may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of MCs toxicity. In the present study, the acute effects of microcystins on the transcription of antioxidant enzyme genes were investigated in liver of crucian carp i.p.-injected with 50 mu g MC-LReq per kg body weight (BW). We reported the cDNA sequences for four kinds of antioxidant enzyme (GSH-PX, CAT, Cu/Zn SOD, and GR) genes, and evaluated the oxidant stress induced by MCs through analyzing the transcription abundance of antioxidant enzyme genes using real-time PCR method. The time-dependent change of relative transcription abundance and expression of the antioxiclant enzyme genes were determined at 1, 3, 12, 24, and 48 h. The transcription abundance varied among antioxiclant enzymes, with GSH-PX and GR down-regulation, and CAT and SOD significantly upregulation. Based on these data, we tentatively concluded that the oxidant stress was induced by MCs, and caused the different response of the antioxiclant enzyme genes. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The acute effects of microcystin LR on the transcription of nine glutathione S-transferase genes in common carp Cyprinus carpio L.

The glutathione S-transferases play important roles in the detoxification of microcystin. In this experiment, nine glutathione S-transferase genes including cytosolic GSTs (rho, mu, theta, alpha and pi), mitochondrial GST (kappa) and microsomal GSTs (mGST1, mGST2 and mGST3) were cloned from common carp Cyprinus carpio. The mRNA abundance of each carp GST isoform in liver was analyzed by real time PCR. The relative changes after stimulation with microcystin LR were also analyzed: increased levels of transcription of GST alpha, rho and mGST3 isoforms were detected at 6 h post stimulation; the transcription of mu, theta and mGST2 isoforms were relatively stable; and all the GST isoforms except GST kappa and rho recovered to original levels compared with controls at 72 h. It is suggested that MC-LR showed different effects on the transcription of nine carp GST isoforms. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acute biochemical responses of a submersed macrophyte, Potamogeton crispus L., to high ammonium in an aquarium experiment

Acute biochemical responses of Potamogeton crispus L. to high external ammonium were investigated in an aquarium experiment. Shoots of P. crispus were incubated in aquaria for 24 h or 48 h at five treatments of ammonium-0, 1, 5, 10 and 20 mg/L NH4-N. Soluble sugar content of the shoots declined markedly with increasing ammonium levels, whereas soluble amino acid content increased dramatically. Responses of two antioxidant enzymes as well as soluble protein content fit a lognormal distribution with increasing ammonium levels. High ammonium levels (NH4-N greater than or equal to 5 mg/L) caused significant acute biochemical changes in P. crispus, which potentially could lead to significant biochemical damage.

Effect of natural dissolved humic material on bioavailability and acute toxicity of fenpropathrin to the grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus

The effects of aquatic humic acids on the bioconcentration and acute toxicity of fenpropathrin were evaluated using grass carp, Ctenopharyngodan idellus, in laboratory freshwater systems. The results demonstrated that both bioavailability and acute toxicity decreased in the presence of aquatic humic acid 5 and 10 mg/liter. In addition, the extent of influence increased with increasing concentration of aquatic humic acid, (C) 1999 Academic Press.

Cancer subtypes recognition and its gene expression profiles analysis based on geometrical learning

The accurate recognition of cancer subtypes is very significant in clinic. Especially, the DNA microarray gene expression technology is applied to diagnosing and recognizing cancer types. This paper proposed a method of that recognized cancer subtypes based on geometrical learning. Firstly, the cancer genes expression profiles data was pretreated and selected feature genes by conventional method; then the expression data of feature genes in the training samples was construed each convex hull in the high-dimensional space using training algorithm of geometrical learning, while the independent test set was tested by the recognition algorithm of geometrical learning. The method was applied to the human acute leukemia gene expression data. The accuracy rate reached to 100%. The experiments have proved its efficiency and feasibility.