Isomaltodextrin,a highly branched α-glucan,increases rat colonic H2 production as well as indigestible dextrin

Colonic hydrogen (H₂) protects against inflammation-induced oxidative stress. We examined the effect of a new highly branched α-glucan, isomaltodextrin (IMD), on colonic H₂ production in rats. Rats were fed a 16.7% IMD, 8.8% indigestible dextrin (ID), or 10.4% high amylose cornstarch diet (Expt. 1), were fed diets containing 3.3–16.7% IMD (Expt. 2), or were fed diets containing 16.7% IMD or 5.2% fructooligosaccharide (FOS) (Expt. 3), for 14 days. Compared with the control group, feeding IMD or other α-glucans dose dependently and significantly increased H₂ excretion and portal H₂ concentration. The ability of IMD to increase H₂ production was not inferior to that of FOS. The cecal Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the IMD group was 5–14% of that in the control group. The cecal abundance of bifidobacteria was significantly greater in the IMD group than in the control group. Taken together, IMD, as well as other α-glucans, significantly increased colonic H₂ production in a dose-dependent manner.     

Pregnancy as a harm?

Michigan's Appellate Court ruled in 2004 that a pregnancy that resulted from a rape should be considered a bodily injury for sentencing purposes. Interestingly, all three possible outcomes of a pregnancy-abortion, miscarriage, or childbirth-are considered to bring with them significant and substantial physical, psychological, and emotional changes. While the immediate impact of the ruling in People v. Cathey affected only the guilty individual, there are larger implications for this ruling beyond just sentencing guidelines. The ruling can be considered a step forward in prosecuting rapists, but possibly at the expense of reimagining the female body. This article considers the Cathey ruling itself, the potential benefits and consequences of this understanding on feminist discourse, and, crucially, the impact of this decision on abortion discussions. The central question that emerges is, can we both consider pregnancy a harm and believe that this harm is not always wrong-making?     

Synthesis,structure, and evaluation of a β-cyclodextrin-artificial carbohydrate conjugate for use as a doxorubicin-carrying molecule

This paper describes the synthesis of a β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD) derivative conjugated with a C,C-glucopyranoside containing a benzene unit. Its doxorubicin-inclusion ability and structure are also discussed. SPR analysis revealed that the β-CyD conjugate had a high inclusion association value of 3.8 × 10⁶ M⁻¹ for immobilized doxorubicin. NMR structural analysis suggested that its high doxorubicin-inclusion ability was due to the formation of the inclusion complex as a result of the π–π stacking interaction between the benzene ring of the conjugate and the A ring of doxorubicin.     

Characterization of β-Lactotensin,a Bioactive Peptide Derived from Bovine β-Lactoglobulin,as a Neurotensin Agonist

β-Lactotensin (β-LT: His-Ile-Arg-Leu) is an ileum-contracting peptide derived from residues No. 146-149 of bovine β-lactoglobulin. The ileum-contracting activity of β-LT was blocked by the NT₁ antagonist SR48692. β-LT was selective for the neurotensin NT₂ receptor while neurotensin was selective for the NT₁ receptor. β-LT is the first natural ligand showing selectivity for the NT₂ receptor. β-LT showed hypertensive activity after intravenous administration at a dose of 30 mg/kg in conscious rats, while neurotensin showed hypotensive activity. The hypertensive activity of β-LT was blocked by levocabastine (1 mg/kg, i.v.), an NT₂ antagonist. SR48692, which blocked the hypotensive activity of neurotensin, had no effect on the hypertensive activity of β-LT. These results suggest that the hypertensive activity of β-LT is mediated by the NT₂ receptor. It was concluded that the NT₁ and NT₂ receptors mediate the opposite effect on blood pressure.     

MRM as a discovery tool?

Multiple‐reaction monitoring (MRM) of peptides has been recognized as a promising technology because it is sensitive and robust. Borrowed from stable‐isotope dilution (SID) methodologies in the field of small molecules, MRM is now routinely used in proteomics laboratories. While its usefulness validating candidate targets is widely accepted, it has not been established as a discovery tool. Traditional thinking has been that MRM workflows cannot be multiplexed high enough to efficiently profile. This is due to slower instrument scan rates and the complexities of developing increasingly large scheduling methods. In this issue, Colangelo et al. (Proteomics 2015, 15, 1202–1214) describe a pipeline (xMRM) for discovery‐style MRM using label‐free methods (i.e. relative quantitation). Label‐free comes with cost benefits as does MRM, where data are easier to analyze than full‐scan. Their paper offers numerous improvements in method design and data analysis. The robustness of their pipeline was tested on rodent postsynaptic density fractions. There, they were able to accurately quantify 112 proteins at a CV% of 11.4, with only 2.5% of the 1697 transitions requiring user intervention. Colangelo et al. aim to extend the reach of MRM deeper into the realm of discovery proteomics, an area that is currently dominated by data‐dependent and data‐independent workflows.     

XMRV as a Human Pathogen?

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been proposed to be associated with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This proposition has been controversial because many investigators have failed to replicate the reported associations. Here, we explore whether XMRV is an authentic human pathogen in the light of recent findings that indicate otherwise.     

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of an α-tocopherol analogue as a mitochondrial antioxidant

An efficient synthesis has provided access to a novel α-tocopherol analogue (2), as well as its trifluoroacetate salt and acetate ester. An annulation reaction was used to establish the pyridinol core structure and a Stille coupling reaction was employed for conjugation with the tocopherol side chain. This analogue was shown to suppress the levels of reactive oxygen species in cultured cells, and to quench peroxidation of mitochondrial membranes.     

The olive constituent oleuropein,as a PPARα agonist,markedly reduces serum triglycerides

Oleuropein (OLE), a main constituent of olive, exhibits antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects, while it reduces the infarct size in chow- and cholesterol-fed rabbits. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) has essential roles in the control of lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. This study focused on the mechanisms underlying the hypolipidemic activity of OLE and, specifically, on the role of PPARα activation in the OLE-induced effect. Theoretical approach using Molecular Docking Simulations and luciferase reporter gene assay indicated that OLE is a ligand of PPARα. The effect of OLE (100 mg/kg, p.o., per day, ×6 weeks) on serum triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol levels was also assessed in adult male wild-type and Ppara-null mice. Molecular Docking Simulations, Luciferase reporter gene assay and gene expression analysis indicated that OLE is a PPARα agonist that up-regulates several PPARα target genes in the liver. This effect was associated with a significant reduction of serum TG and cholesterol levels. In contrast, OLE had no effect in Ppara-null mice, indicating a direct involvement of PPARα in the OLE-induced serum TG and cholesterol reduction. Activation of hormone-sensitive lipase in the white adipose tissue (WAT) and the liver of wild-type mice and up-regulation of several hepatic factors involved in TG uptake, transport, metabolism and clearance may also contribute in the OLE-induced TG reduction. In summary, OLE has a beneficial effect on TG homeostasis via PPARα activation. OLE also activates the hormone sensitive lipase in the WAT and liver and up-regulates several hepatic genes with essential roles in TG homeostasis.     

“Make Everything as Simple as Possible,But Not Simpler”: A Simple Approach is as Good as a Complex Algorithm for Insulin Dose Self-Adjustment

Abbreviations:A1c = glycated hemoglobin A1cDM2 = type 2 diabetes mellitusRCT = randomized controlled trialSMBG = self-monitoring blood glucose     

Alzheimer's β-secretase cleaves a glycosyltransferase as a physiological substrate

Alzheimer's beta-secretase (BACE1) is a membrane-bound protease that cleaves the amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the trans-Golgi network, an initial step in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Although BACE1 is distributed among various tissues including brain, its physiological substrate other than APP have not been identified. We have recently found that when BACE1 was overexpressed in COS cells together with α2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I), the secretion of ST6Gal I markedly increased, suggesting that BACE1 cleaves ST6Gal I as a physiological substrate. Thus BACE1 is the first identified protease that is responsible for the cleavage and secretion of glycosyltransferases. Published in 2004. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Virulence as a consequence of genome instability of a novel temperate bacteriophage, ΦRsG1, of Rhodobacter sphaeroides Y

A novel temperate bacteriophage, designated RsG1, was isolated from Rhodobacter sphaeroides Y (previously designated Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides) following exposure to mitomycin C. The phage morphology, as revealed from electron microscopy, showed a hexagonal head (90 by 46.5 nm) connected with a tail (116 by 9.4 nm), to which a collar was proximally attached. A morphologically similar phage was also produced by spontaneous lysis of the cells. While RsG1 did not grow on any other bacterial strain tested, spontaneously produced phage particles propagated (and formed plaques) on R. sphaeroides Y still carrying RsG1 in the prophage state. The genome of RsG1 consisted of double stranded linear DNA with cohesive ends and a GC-content of 71.8 mol%. The DNA molecules formed circles in vitro with a mean contour length of 17.18±0.4 m, which corresponds to a size of 49 kbase pairs (kb). On the other hand, DNA extracted from the virulent phage particles was heterogeneous and consisted of two DNA species of different size, occurring in a ratio of about 1:1. These molecules also circularized having contour lengths of 17.18±0.4 m and 14.02±0.41 m corresponding to 49 and 40 kb, respectively. Restriction digest analysis of the two DNA species and DNA from RsG1 indicated that they are similar, and allowed the indentification of an 11.5 kb EcoRI fragment that carries the cohesive ends. Because DNA from RsG1 and the 49 kb DNA of the virulent phage particles were indistinguishable with the criteria applied, it is suggested that phage particles containing the 40 kb DNA represent the virulent type of phage, termed RsG1.1.     

As easy as flipping a switch?

Proteins that behave as switches help to establish the complex molecular logic that is central to biological systems. Aspiring to be nature's equal, researchers have successfully created protein switches of their own design; in particular, numerous and varied zinc-triggered switches have been made. Recent studies in which such switches have been readily identified from combinatorial protein libraries support the notion that proteins are primed to show allosteric behavior and that newly created ligand-binding sites will often be functionally coupled to the original activity of the protein. If true, this notion suggests that switch engineering might be more tractable than previously thought, boding well for the basic science, sensing and biomedical applications for which protein switches hold much promise.     

‘Minority’ as a sociological concept

This article considers how a Muslim cultural discourse of ‘propriety’ has influenced Muslim Arab Sudanese ethnic identity in two locations and time periods in an expanding diaspora. Focusing in particular on women and their embodied practices of whitening and propriety in Egypt in the nineties and the United Kingdom a decade later, I argue that the recent turn towards Muslim expressions of Sudaneseness is a form of resistance to racial labelling. While Sudanese have rejected being labelled ‘black’ in Egypt and in the UK, their renegotiation of a Muslim religious identity in the diaspora nevertheless confirms a racialized Sudanese ethnicity. This study contributes to the rethinking of ethnicity in a transnational space where ethnic nationalism and globalized Islamic discourse intersect with local histories and hierarchies of race and gender.