Draft Genome Sequence of Halomonas smyrnensis AAD6T

Halomonas smyrnensis AAD6^T is a Gram-negative, aerobic, exopolysaccharide-producing, and moderately halophilic bacterium that produces levan, a fructose homopolymer with many potential uses in various industries. We report the draft genome sequence of H. smyrnensis AAD6^T, which will accelerate research on the rational design and optimization of microbial levan production.     

Oxidative stress in relation to telomere length maintenance in vascular smooth muscle cells following balloon angioplasty

Telomeres are specialized DNA–protein complexes found at the tips of linear chromosomes. In this study, we investigated the effects of oxidative stress on telomeric length distribution of proliferating vascular smooth muscle cells following balloon injury in single or combined treatment of rabbits with either buthionine sulfoximine or taurine. Exposure to oxidative stress increased the balloon injury whereas taurine treatment significantly diminished l-buthionine-sulfoximine-related intimal hyperplasia. Our results also showed that both variables had a significant influence on mean telomeric length distribution.     

The effects of enalapril maleate and cold stress exposure on tyrosine hydroxylase activity in some rat tissues

Enalapril is a highly specific and competitive inhibitor of angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) and thus belongs to the category of ACE inhibitors. The beneficial effects of ACE inhibitors appear to result primarily from the suppression of the plasma renin-angiotensin-aldesterone system. This study was designed to detect the effects of enalapril maleate and cold stress on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in adrenal medulla, heart and hypothalamus in rat. In cold stress treatment (exposed to 8 degrees C cold for 48 h) TH activity was found to be raised significantly (p < 0.05) in adrenal medulla, hypothalamus and heart tissues. In the adrenal medulla, hypothalamus and heart tissues, TH activity of enalapril maleate treated rats (10 mg kg(-1) body weight) group was not raised significantly (p > 0.05). Following intraperitoneal injection of enalapril maleate (10 mg kg(-1) body weight) the rats were exposed to 8 degrees C cold for 48 h. After cold stress and enalapril maleate treatment no statistically significant change in tyrosine hydroxylase activity was detected in adrenal medulla, hypothalamus or heart (p > 0.05). The results of our studies show that enalapril maleate blocks the effect of cold stress on the regulation of TH activity.     

Indirect somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from leaf and internode explants of Paulownia elongata

Several plant growth regulators BA, TDZ, 2,4- and Kn were tested alone or in combination for their capacity to induce indirect somatic embryogenesis from leaf and internode explants of Paulownia elongata. Calli were produced when leaf explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 3 % sucrose, 0.4 % phytagel, 4 mg l^-1 TDZ and 0.1 mg l^-1 Kn after 3 weeks and the initiation rate was 54.1%. After subculturing on the same medium, embryos at various developmental stages (globular, heart and torpedo shaped) were transferred for maturation onto MS medium supplemented with 3 % sucrose, 0.4 % phytagel, 0.1 mg l^-1 TDZ, 1 mg l^-1 Kn and 2 mM glutamine. An average of 50.7 somatic embryos were obtained from 100 mg of embryogenic callus after 4 weeks at high frequency (64.7 %). Afterward, mature somatic embryos were isolated and cultured on hormone-free MS medium for germination (80 %) and development into plantlets. Plantlets were transferred to pots with a mixture of peat and perlite in a 3:1 ratio and showed a survival rate of 70–80 %. Plantlets regenerated by this procedure were morphologically identical to the donor material and developed normally in the greenhouse.     

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of saponin and iridoid glycosides from Verbascum pterocalycinum var. mutense Hub.-Mor

The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of four major compounds from the flowers of Verbascum pterocalycinum var. mutense were investigated. Saponin glycosides called ilwensisaponin A and C and iridoid glycosides known as ajugol and picroside IV were isolated from the methanolic extract. A dose-related anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive response were obtained in this study at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg. The results of the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity induced by carrageenan and PGE1 showed that this species possesses active constituents that could diminish the cyclooxygenase activitiy. No effects were observed in the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema model. Our results support the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Verbascum pterocalycinum var. mutense. Ilwensisaponins A and C could explain in part the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of this species. Although antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of ajugol and picroside IV were found insignificant in the statistical analysis, ilwensisaponin A and C showed notable activity without inducing any apparent acute toxicity as well as gastric damage.     

Influence of the selective oestrogen receptor modulator (raloxifene hydrochloride) on IL-6, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta1 and bone turnover markers in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis that is encountered frequently in postmenopausal women, may cause an increased incidence of vertebral and iliac fractures that are associated with excess morbidity. Raloxifene hydrochloride, a selective oestrogen receptor modulator, has been shown to increase bone mineral density and decrease biochemical markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women, without stimulatory effects on breast or uterus. Levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, and TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1 which are important cytokines involved in remodeling, have been evaluated previously in in vitro studies of osteoporosis. However, there seems to be a paucity of in vivo research concerned with changes in these cytokines in osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we evaluated the effects of raloxifene (Evista); Lilly Pharmaceutical Co. USA, 60 mg/day) on biochemical bone turnover markers, serum parathyroid hormone, and 25-OH vitamin D, as well as the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1, in 22 postmenopausal, osteoporotic women before and after 12 weeks of raloxifene treatment. METHODS: Well-matched, postmenopausal, non-osteoporotic control subjects were also enrolled in the study. Serum levels of all the parameters were measured in postmenopausal, osteoporotic women at baseline and end of the study. RESULTS: It was found that serum osteocalcin and parathyroid hormone, and urine deoxypyridinoline levels decreased to normal levels with treatment. Serum 25-OH vitamin D levels after treatment in the patient group were higher than those in the control group. Serum IL-6, TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1 levels did not change significantly with treatment. However, serum levels of IL-6 and TGF-beta1 in the patient group after treatment, decreased to levels lower than those found in the control group. Serum TNF-alpha levels in the patient group before and after treatment, were lower than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Raloxifene treatment reduces bone turnover biochemical markers, parathyroid hormone and induces 25-OH vitamin D in postmenopausal women. Moreover, it also affects some serum cytokine levels in the postmenopausal period.     

Evodiamine alleviates kidney ischemia reperfusion injury in rats: A biochemical and histopathological study

Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury resulting in acute renal failure, is a major clinical problem due to its high mortality rate. Renal I/R increases the reactive oxygen species, secretion of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and other factors. This suggests that initiating the apoptosis process in the presence of oxidative stress may play a role in life-threatening conditions, such as ischemia. Ischemia reperfusion-induced renal damage can result in renal failure and death. Although many treatment procedures have been carried out to reduce or destroy renal I/R damage in experimental models, so far, a routine method of treatment has not yet been found. For this reason, the current study was planned to investigate the possible protective effects of evodiamine on tissue damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion in kidney tissue in rats and an experimental renal I/R model was used for this purpose. Four groups were formed in the study: the control, sham control, ischemia reperfusion (I/R), and evodiamine (10 mg/kg) + I/R groups. The effects of evodiamine against kidney I/R injury were investigated. TAS (total oxidant status), TOS (total oxidant status), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The oxidative stress index was calculated from TAS and TOS levels. In addition, the renal ischemia reperfusion injury was examined histopathologically. The IL-10 and TAS levels in the I/R group decreased when compared with the control and Sham groups, while these levels increased in the evodiamine group. Histopathologic examination revealed that caspase 3 and nuclear factor-κB levels decreased in the evodiamine group compared with the I/R group. The application of evodiamine significantly reduced ischemia reperfusion-induced kidney damage due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties.     

Genotype and allele frequencies of divalent metal transporter 1 polymorphism in Turkish population

Divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1 also known as DCT1, NRAMP2 or SCL11A2) is a membrane-bound divalent metal transporter which is conserved from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes. It has been postulated to play important roles in intestinal iron absorption at the brush border of duodenal enterocytes, erythroid iron utilization, hepatic iron accumulation, placental iron transfer, and other processes. DMT1 gene which contains at least four isoforms (1A/+IRE, 1A/-IRE, 2/+IRE and 2/-IRE) is located on chromosome 12q13 in human. DMT1 mediates the transport of a wide range of metals, including the essential metals Fe2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+ and toxic metals such as Cd2+ and Pb2+. The intention of this study is to determine that IVS4+44C/A single nucleotide polymorphism in DMT1 gene of Turkish population. For this purpose blood samples from 192 female and 192 male volunteers were analyzed. DMT1 gene was amplified with the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique and 351 bp oligonucleotide was produced. The amplified oligonucleotides were cut with MnlI restriction enzyme according to their polymorphic characteristics. Digested and undigested products were separated on a 2% agarose gel electrophoresis, visualized by ethidium bromide staining under an ultraviolet illuminator. The genotype frequencies of DMT1 IVS4+44C/A polymorphism were determined as 47.9% for CC, 40.1% for AC and 12.0% for AA genotypes. The frequency of the C allele was found to as 68.0% and of the A allele as 32.0%. The genotype frequencies were consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (χ2=2.394; Exact P=0.128).