Effect of high dosages of bacterial challenge on acid phosphatase release from Biomphalaria glabrata hemocytes

Specimens of Biomphalaria glabrata challenged with 2 μl of heat-killed Bacillus megaterium at a concentration of 9 × 10⁹ bacteria/ml showed a significant elevation of acid phosphatase activity level at 2 hr post-challenge but there were no significant fluctuations of enzyme activity at any of the other four time intervals post-challenge. Substantiating the earlier hypothesis of Cheng [Amer. Zool., 23, 129–144 (1983b); Mar. Tech. Soc. J., 17, 18–25 (1983c)], it is postulated that if the dosage of the challenging agent is high, most of the recognition sites on the cell, nuclear, and/or lysosomal membranes become saturated and hence are unavailable for the recognition of subsequent challenge. Also, there is a burst of enzyme hypersynthesis and subsequent release which is reflected by a significant elevation of serum enzyme activity level which, in the present case, occurred at 2 hr post-challenge.     

Efficacy of choline and DHA supplements or enriched environment exposure during early adult obesity in mitigating its adverse impact through aging in rats

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of choline and DHA or exposure to environmental enrichment in obese adult and aging rats on alterations in body mass index, serum lipid profile and arterial wall changes, despite stopping high fat diet consumption and interventions during adulthood.Methods21 day old male Sprague Dawley rats were assigned as Experiment-1 & 2 - PND rats were divided into 4 groups with interventions for 7 months (n = 8/group). NC– Normal control fed normal chow diet; OB- Obese group, fed high fat diet; OB + CHO + DHA- fed high fat diet and oral supplementation of choline, DHA. OB + EE- fed high fat diet along with exposure to enriched environment .Experiment-2 had similar groups and interventions as experiment 1 but for next 5 months were fed normal chow diet without any interventions. Body mass index was assessed and blood was analyzed for serum lipid profile. Common Carotid Artery (CCA) was processed for Haematoxylin and eosin, Verhoff Vangeison stains. Images of tissue sections were analyzed and quantified using image J and tissue quant software.ResultsIn experiment.1, mean body mass index (p < 0.001), serum lipid profile (p < 0.01), thickness of tunica intima (p < 0.05), tunica media (p < 0.01) and percentage of collagen fibers (p < 0.01) of CCA were significantly increased in OB compared to NC. These were significantly attenuated in OB + CHO + DHA and OB + EE compared to OB. In experiment.2, mean body mass index (p < 0.01), serum lipid profile (p < 0.05) and thickness of tunica media of CCA (p < 0.01) were significantly increased in OB compared to NC. In OB + CHO + DHA and OB + EE, significant attenuation was observed in mean body mass index and mean thickness of tunica media compared to same in OB.ConclusionAdult obesity has negative impact on body mass index, serum lipid profile and arterial wall structure that persists through aging. Supplementation of choline and DHA or exposure to enriched environment during obesity attenuates these negative impacts through aging.     

Bilayer balance and regulation of red cell shape changes

Discocytic human red cells undergo discocyte-echinocyte and discocytestomatocyte transformations under the action of a wide variety of lipid-soluble anionic and cationic agents respectively. These shape transformations are explained by the bilayer couple hypothesis of Sheetz and Singer to be the result of preferential distribution of the anionic agents in the outer half of the bilayer and the cationic agents in the inner half of the bilayer. We demonstrate that echinocytogenic effects indeed occur when the naturally occurring phospholipid lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is localized in the outer half of the bilayer, and stomatocytogenic effects occur when LPC is in the inner half. However, in contrast to the bilayer couple hypothesis, our results show that simple equivalent membrane surface area expansion on each layer is insufficient to maintain the discocytic shape and there exists a differential concentration effect of LPC on the two halves of the bilayer.     

Assignment of PGM3 to the long arm of human chromosome 6. Studies using Chinese hamster X human cell hybrids containing a human 6/15 translocation

Hybrids derived from the fusion of thymidine kinase deficient Chinese hamster cells and human cells carrying a 6/15 translocation, 46,XX,t(6;15)(cen;p13), were analyzed for the expression of human PGM3, GLO and ME1. The results show that PGM3 and ME1 are on the long arm and GLO is on the short arm of human chromosomes 6.     

The gene for the microsomal glutathione S-transferase is on human chromosome 12

The microsomal glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a unique membrane-bound GST structurally distinct from the cytosolic GSTs. A cDNA encoding this 154 amino acid protein has recently been isolated and characterized. Using the cDNA as the hybridization probe, we now report the assignment of the human microsomal GST gene to chromosome 12 through the use of a panel of mouse-human somatic cell hybrid lines. This locus has recently been designated as GST 12. In addition, genomic Southern blotting data suggest that the human microsomal GST is encoded by a single- or very-low-copy gene. Therefore, the human GST gene superfamily resides on at least four separate chromosomes: 1 (GST 1), 6 (GST 2), 11 (GST 3), and 12 (GST 12).