Erythrocytes-the 'house elves' of photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and fluorescence diagnosis (FD) are being developed for a number of clinical applications. Since fluorophores and photosensitising drugs are usually given systemically their effect on blood elements are of significant importance. Photodynamic effects on erythrocytes occur naturally in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). Exposure to small fluences, as obtained by the erythrocytes when they pass capillaries in the skin, leads to transfer of the photosensitiser protoporphyrin IX (PP IX), from EPP erythrocytes to endothelial cells. Thus, the erythrocytes are partly protected while the endothelial cells suffer photodamage. During photodynamic therapy in vivo erythrocytes are regularly photosensitised. This side effect is partly intended but mostly unwanted, and a summary of this topic is given. Furthermore, the effect of UV-A on erythrocytes that is accompanied with the formation of bilirubin is reviewed. Erythrocytes serve as convenient model cells for experimental research. Such use of erythrocytes to screen new photosensitisers may be of limited value. A combination of photohaemolysis and haemoglobin oxygenation may become the basis for an assay for in vitro phototoxicity. Erythrocytes from birds are good model cells for exploration of physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in PDT. A potential mechanism of PDT induced behaviour resembling apoptosis in erythrocytes is provided.PDT for sterilisation of erythrocyte concentrates has a potential for medical use. Photodynamic effects on the erythrocytes themselves should be avoided. This is realised by choosing a virus-selective photosensitiser, low fluences and treatment of the concentrates with agents like dipyridamole and antioxidants. Future aspects of applications of photosensitisation of red blood cells are discussed.     

Pyrrolidinone-bearing methylated and halogenated benzenesulfonamides as inhibitors of carbonic anhydrases

Two series of benzenesulfonamides bearing methyl groups at ortho/ortho or meta/ortho positions and a pyrrolidinone moiety at para position were synthesized and tested as inhibitors of the twelve catalytically active human carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms. Observed binding affinities were determined by fluorescent thermal shift assay and intrinsic binding affinities representing the binding of benzenesulfonamide anion to the Zn(II)-bound water form of CA were calculated. Introduction of dimethyl groups into benzenesulfonamide ring decreased the binding affinity to almost all CA isoforms, but gained in selectivity towards one CA isoform. A chloro group at the meta position of 2,6-dimethylbenzenesulfonamide derivatives did not influence the binding to CA I, but it increased the affinity to all other CAs, especially, CA VII and CA XIII (up to 500 fold). The compounds may be used for further development of CA inhibitors with higher selectivity to particular CA isoforms.     

Comparison of ribavirin and oseltamivir in reducing mortality and lung injury in mice infected with mouse adapted A/California/04/2009 (H1N1)

AimTo compare the efficacy of ribavirin and oseltamivir in reducing mortality, lung injury and cytokine response profile in pandemic influenza H1N1 (2009) infection.Main methodsWe assessed survival, weight loss, lung viral load (by RT-PCR), lung injury (by protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage), and inflammation (cell counts, differentials and cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage) in BALB/c mice after infection with mouse-adapted pandemic influenza strain A/California/04/2009.Key findingsOur results indicate that ribavirin (80 mg kg^? 1) and oseltamivir (50 mg kg^? 1) are equally effective in improving survival (100% vs. 0% in water treated controls), while ribavirin proved to be more effective in significantly preventing weight loss. Both drugs diminished the injury of the alveolar-capillary barrier by decreasing the protein detected in the BAL to baseline levels, and they were also equally effective in reduction lung viral loads by 100-fold. Administration of either drug did not decrease the amount of inflammatory infiltrate in the lung, but ribavirin significantly reduced the percentage comprised of lymphocytes. This study shows that these antivirals differentially regulate inflammatory cytokines and chemokines with ribavirin significantly reducing most of the cytokines/chemokines measured. Ribavirin treatment leads to a Th1 cytokine response while oseltamivir leads to a Th2 cytokine response with significant increase in the levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.SignificanceThis study reveals new mechanistic insights in the way that ribavirin and oseltamivir exert their antiviral activity and supports the theory that ribavirin could potentially serve as an efficacious therapeutic alternative for oseltamivir resistant pandemic H1N1 strains.     

Comparative study of surface plasmon resonance, electrochemical and electroassisted chemiluminescence methods based immunosensor for the determination of antibodies against human growth hormone

An indirect immunoassay format with human growth hormone (hGH) immobilized on the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified surface plasmon resonance (SPR) chip has been shown to detect specific anti-hGH antibodies using the combination of three different physical phenomena in the same channel of the SPR analyzer. For the enhancement of analytical signal and sensitivity of the immunosensor horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled secondary antibodies, specifically interacting with the formed immune complexes, were used. The electroassisted chemiluminescence (ECL) protocol offered the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.061 nM and this result was very similar to that obtained by SPR, which was 0.051 nM. In the case of anti-hGH detection using pulsed amperometry (PA) with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H(2)O(2) in the electrochemical system the LOD was the lowest - 0.027 nm. Lower reproducibility of the analytical signal and higher limit of detection was observed using cyclic voltammetry (CV) where LOD was 0.056 nM. PA detection shows 1.89, 2.07 and 2.26 times higher sensitivity if compared with SPR, CV and ECL, respectively. This work demonstrates successful simultaneous exploitation of several techniques to detect the specific anti-hGH antibodies using indirect immunoassay format on the same area of the SPR-chip.     

The non-proteinogenic amino acids l-methionine sulfoximine and dl-phosphinothricin activate mTOR

l-Methionine sulfoximine (MSO) and dl-Phosphinothricin (PPT), two non-proteinogenic amino acids known as inhibitors of Glutamine Synthetase, cause a dose-dependent increase in the phosphorylation of the mTOR substrate S6 kinase 1. The effect is particularly evident in glutamine-depleted cells, where mTOR activity is very low, but is detectable for PPT also in the presence of glutamine. The stimulation of mTOR activity by either MSO or PPT is strongly synergized by essential amino acids. Thus, the non-proteinogenic amino acids MSO and PPT are mTOR activators.     

Invasion phylogeography of the Ponto-Caspian crustacean Limnomysis benedeni dispersing across Europe

Aim  Limnomysis benedeni Czerniavsky, 1882 is a mysid crustacean native to the Ponto-Caspian (Black and Caspian Sea) rivers and estuaries, and has recently spread across Europe through intentional and unintentional introductions. We explored the structuring of genetic variation in native and non-native populations with an aim to trace the sources of the invasions, and to infer whether the spread has occurred through a single or multiple invasion waves.
Location  Native estuaries in the Ponto-Caspian basin (Volga, Don, Dnieper, Dniester, Danube) and the recently colonized range along the Danube–Rhine river systems and Lithuania.
Methods  A fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced to assess genetic affinities and diversity in native and recently established populations.
Results  The genetic diversity in the native regions is organized into several strongly diverged haplotype groups or lineages, partly allopatric, partly sympatric. All these lineages have also spread beyond the native range. Even the recent rapid dispersal across Europe along the Danube–Rhine system towards the North Sea basin involved several lineages from the Danube delta sector. The structuring of genetic diversity among invaded sites suggests multiple invasion events to the Danube–Rhine drainage. This contrasts with data from some other Ponto-Caspian species, where a single haplotype seems to have occupied most invaded areas. There is no evidence that intentionally stocked reservoirs in the Baltic Sea basin would have contributed to further unintentional spread of L. benedeni.
Main conclusions  Limnomysis benedeni is spreading across Europe using the southern invasion corridor. The invasion most likely involved several waves from differentiated sources in the native Danube delta area.     

C-mip interacts with the p85 subunit of PI3 kinase and exerts a dual effect on ERK signaling via the recruitment of Dip1 and DAP kinase

In naive T cells, Lck exerts a negative control on the ERK/MAPK pathway. We show that c-mip (c-maf inducing protein) interacts with the p85 subunit of PI3 kinase and inactivates Lck, which results in Erk1/2 and p38 MAPK activation. This effect is not enough to activate AP1 given the inability of ERK to migrate into the nucleus and to transactivate its target genes. We demonstrate that c-mip interacts with Dip1 and upregulates DAPK, which blocks the nuclear translocation of ERK1/2. This dual effect of c-mip is unique and might represent a potential mechanism to prevent the development of an immune response.

Structured summary

MINT-7383650: p85 (uniprotkb:P27986) physically interacts (MI:0915) with c-Mip (uniprotkb:Q8IY22) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7383661: c-Mip (uniprotkb:Q8IY22) physically interacts (MI:0915) with p85 (uniprotkb:P27986) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)MINT-7383676: p85 (uniprotkb:P27986) physically interacts (MI:0915) with p110 (uniprotkb:P42336) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006)MINT-7383689, MINT-7383711: Dip-1 (uniprotkb:Q80SY4) physically interacts (MI:0915) with c-Mip (uniprotkb:Q8IY22) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)