Serum iron, serum ferritin and tissue ferritin during development in ducks

Serum ferritin and tissue ferritin from kidney, heart, small intestine, spleen and liver from ducks during development from 16 to 112 days of age were measured by radioimmunoassay using rabbit anti-duck liver ferritin antibodies and goat second antibody. Serum iron concentration and tissue ferritin iron content are given. Serum ferritin concentration, tissue ferritin and ferritin iron content increase gradually during development. The decrease in all these parameters at 8 weeks of age might be due to molting.     

Tubulins in the primate retina: evidence that xanthophylls may be endogenous ligands for the paclitaxel-binding site

The xanthophylls-lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin (L&Z)-are found in the central region of the primate retina, which is called the macula lutea (yellow spot). How they are anchored there and what their function is has been debated for over 50 years. Here, we present evidence that they may be bound to the paclitaxel (Taxol) binding site of the beta-tubulin subunit of microtubules and that a major function may be to modulate the dynamic instability of microtubules in the macula. Also, we compare nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of tubulins that are in human brain with those we have isolated from human-retina and monkey-macula cDNA libraries. In so doing, we suggest that in primates, class I beta-tubulin consists of at least two subtypes (beta(Ia) and beta(Ib)). Alignment analysis of the sequences of the genes for beta(Ia) and beta(Ib) indicates that the corresponding mRNAs may have other functions in addition to that of coding for proteins. Furthermore, we show that there are at least five different types of beta-tubulin in the macula lutea of rhesus monkey.     

Membrane protein sorting in the yeast secretory pathway: evidence that the vacuole may be the default compartment

The targeting signals of two yeast integral membrane dipeptidyl aminopeptidases (DPAPs), DPAP B and DPAP A, which reside in the vacuole and the Golgi apparatus, respectively, were analyzed. No single domain of DPAP B is required for delivery to the vacuolar membrane, because removal or replacement of either the cytoplasmic, transmembrane, or lumenal domain did not affect the protein's transport to the vacuole. DPAP A was localized by indirect immunofluorescence to non-vacuolar, punctate structures characteristic of the yeast Golgi apparatus. The 118-amino acid cytoplasmic domain of DPAP A is sufficient for retention of the protein in these structures, since replacement of the cytoplasmic domain of DPAP B with that of DPAP A resulted in an immunolocalization pattern indistinguishable from that of wild type DPAP A. Overproduction of DPAP A resulted in its mislocalization to the vacuole, because cells expressing high levels of DPAP A exhibited vacuolar as well as Golgi staining. Deletion of 22 residues of the DPAP A cytoplasmic domain resulted in mislocalization of the mutant protein to the vacuole. Thus, the cytoplasmic domain of DPAP A is both necessary and sufficient for Golgi retention, and removal of the retention signal, or saturation of the retention apparatus by overproducing DPAP A, resulted in transport to the vacuole. Like wild type DPAP B, the delivery of mutant membrane proteins to the vacuole was unaffected in the secretory vesicle-blocked sec1 mutant; thus, transport to the vacuole was not via the plasma membrane followed by endocytosis. These data are consistent with a model in which membrane proteins are delivered to the vacuole along a default pathway.     

Gender difference in serum bisphenol A levels may be caused by liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferase activity in rats

Gender difference in human bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations was revealed by determining serum BPA. We studied the serum concentrations and the metabolism of BPA in rats by an HPLC system. Rat serum BPA concentrations were significantly higher in males (24.9+/-7.38 ng/ml, P=0.026, n=10) than in females (8.27+/-3.11 ng/ml, n=10), as in humans. The resultant enzyme reaction products of BPA glucuronidation in the rat liver microsomes fraction were analyzed by an HPLC system. The ratio of BPA glucuronidation in the microsome reaction was significantly higher (P=0.015) in female than in male rats. The mRNA expression of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B1 (UGT2B1), an isoform of UGT related to BPA glucuronidation, in the rat liver was analyzed by a real-time quantitative RT-PCR. The relative expression level of UGT2B1 mRNA was significantly higher (P<0.001) in female than in male rat livers. The gender difference in serum BPA concentrations may be explained by the difference in clearance based on the UGT activities.     

Evidence that the serum inhibitor of hyaluronidase may be a member of the inter-alpha-inhibitor family

A study of the uncharacterized serum inhibitors of hyaluronidase, first described half a century ago, was undertaken. Activity was measured against bovine testicular hyaluronidase using a microtiter-based assay and reverse hyaluronan substrate gel zymography. The predominant inhibitory activity was magnesium-dependent and could be eliminated by protease or chondroitinase digestion and by heat treatment. Kinetics of inhibition were similar against hyaluronidases from testis and snake and bee venoms. The inhibitor had no effect on Streptomyces hyaluronidase, indicating that inhibition was not through protection of the hyaluronan substrate. Inhibition levels in serum were increased in mice following carbon tetrachloride or interleukin-1 injection, inducers of the acute-phase response. Reverse zymography identified a predominant band of 120-kDa relative molecular size, with two bands of greater and one of smaller size. The predominant protein was tentatively identified as a member of the inter-alpha-inhibitor family. Inhibition was also observed using either purified inter-alpha-inhibitor or an inter-alpha-inhibitor-related 120-kDa complex. Inter-alpha-inhibitor, found in the hyaluronan-rich cumulus mass surrounding mammalian ova and the coat of fibroblasts and mesothelial cells, may function to stabilize such matrices by protecting against hyaluronidase degradation. Turnover of circulating hyaluronan is extraordinarily rapid, with a half-life of 2-5 min. Prompt increases in levels of serum hyaluronan occur in patients with shock, septicemia, or massive burns, increases that can be attributed, in part, to suppression of degradation by these acute-phase reactants, the inhibitors of hyaluronidase.     

ATP synthesis in Halobacterium saccharovorum: evidence that synthesis may be catalysed by an F0F1-ATP synthase

Halobacterium saccharovorum synthesized ATP in response to a pH shift from 8 to 6.2. Synthesis was inhibited by carbonyl cyanide m-chloro-phenylhydrazone, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and azide. Nitrate, an inhibitor of the membrane-bound ATPase previously isolated from this organism, did not inhibit ATP synthesis. N-Ethymaleimide, which also inhibited this ATPase, stimulated the production of ATP. These observations suggested that H. saccharovorum synthesized and hydrolysed ATP using different enzymes and that the vacuolar-like ATPase activity previously described in H. saccharovorum was an ATPase whose function is yet to be identified.     

Further evidence that oxidative stress may be a risk factor responsible for the development of atherosclerosis

There are numerous data suggesting that oxidative stress may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis. Therefore, in the present study we measured the amount of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), one of the typical biomarkers of oxidative stress, in DNA isolated from lymphocytes of the patients and in the control group. Levels of antioxidant vitamins (A, C, and E) and intracellular labile iron pool (LIP), which can influence oxidative stress, were also determined. Blood samples were obtained from a control group of 55 healthy persons and from 43 atherosclerotic patients. 8-OH-dG and the vitamin levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Labile iron pool in lymphocytes was analyzed by fluorescent assay. The levels of 8-OH-dG and LIP were significantly higher and vitamin C concentration was significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group. The rest of the analyzed parameters do not significantly differ between the groups. A lower concentration of vitamin C and higher levels of labile iron pool in a group of atherosclerotic patients when compared with the control group may lead to oxidative stress, which is manifested by a higher level of 8-OH-dG in blood lymphocytes. All these factors may create an environment that promotes the development of atherosclerosis.     

Lianas may be favoured by low rainfall: evidence from Ghana

We review the evidence in support of the hypotheses that (i) lianas are now increasing in tropical forests and (ii) lianas are more abundant in the drier tropical forests. There is good evidence to support both hypotheses, including a new analysis of data from Ghana. In this dataset, there is a linear increase in the percentage of species that are lianas, from 30% at a mean annual rainfall of 2,000 mm year⁻¹ to 43% at a mean annual rainfall of 1,000 mm year⁻¹. Both trends in lianas, one temporal, the other spatial, may be related to water availability, though parallel changes in canopy density (disturbance) may be contributory. It is also clear that most liana species in West Africa show restricted distribution along the rainfall gradient implying adaptation to different water availability. The reasons for the high sensitivity to rainfall may be that lianas have an especially effective water-transport system, with deep roots, large xylem vessels and a mechanism to avoid cavitation of water. As the climate of much of the tropics is becoming drier, we may expect increases in both liana abundance and their proportion in the flora over the future decades.     

Isolation and some properties of a 34-kDa-membrane protein that may be responsible for ribosome binding in rat liver rough microsomes.

We have isolated, by hydroxyapatite chromatography with a non ionic detergent and a high salt concentration, a non-glycosylated, membrane protein with a relative molecular weight of 34 kDa that had previously been found to be a major constituent of the membrane protein fraction showing ribosome-binding activity derived from rat liver rough microsomes (RM). The isolated 34 kDa protein (p34), when incorporated into a liposome model membrane, exhibited significant binding activity toward ribosomes, its binding properties being similar to those observed with intact RM. Immunochemical analyses using antibodies directed against p34 suggested that it is a membrane-embedded RM surface protein, which is specifically localized in ribosome-attached organelles and widely distributed among mammalian tissues. These results would constitute evidence that p34 is a likely candidate for an RM ribosome-binding protein.     

Evidence that calmodulin may be involved in phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocyte division

Phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated and non-stimulated incorporation of [³H]thymidine into human peripheral blood lymphocytes is inhibited by the calcium antagonist PY 108–068 and by the calmodulin antagonists trifluo-perazine andN-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-l-naphthalene sulphonamide (W7). It is argued that calmodulin may be involved in both non-stimulated [³H]thymidine uptake in lymphocytes and also in the lymphocyte response to phytohaemagglutinin.     

Serum ferritin and serum iron changes after cross-country and roller ski endurance races

We have studied the variations induced in iron status parameters by four endurance races of different lengths. A comprehensive group of 48 healthy, non-iron deficient, endurance athletes were evaluated before and after four different cross-country and roller ski races: I = Skirollonga, roller ski race for individuals (n = 10), mean duration (MD) = 1 h 48 min; II = Marcialonga, cross-country ski race for individuals (n = 9) MD = 3 h 10 min; III = 12-h of Caldonazzo (Trento-Italy) roller ski relay race (n = 13) MD = 12 h; IV = 24-h of Pinzolo (Trento-Italy) cross-country ski relay race (n = 16) MD = 24 h. In the relays the MD includes both exercise and recovery times. Blood samples were taken before and after every race for the determination of the following haematological parameters: red blood count, haemoglobin, and packed cell volume, serum iron concentration [SI], serum ferritin concentration [FERR] and total iron binding capacity (TIBC). The results showed a constant significant increase of [FERR] after the races (+44.9% in I, +50.5% in II, +51.2% in III and +36.5% in IV, P less than 0.01) while [SI] increased only in the first two races (+28.2% in I and +19.7% in II, P less than 0.01) and showed a remarkable decrease in the longer races (-46.1% in III and -39% in IV, P less than 0.01). The TIBC increased in all the races (except II) to the same extent (range 10%-12%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

血清铁蛋白含量与HBV相关慢性肝病的临床相关性

目的 研究HBV相关慢性肝病患者血清铁蛋白（SF）含量及其与肝功能血清学指标的相关性,进一步探讨铁蛋白在诊断HBV相关慢性肝病中的价值。方法 选取2016年1~6月于安徽医科大学第二附属医院就诊的慢性乙型肝炎患者（CHB）27例、肝硬化代偿期患者（LC）17例、肝硬化失代偿期患者（DLC）30例及健康对照者30例。采用免疫比浊法分析患者SF含量,采用Spearman秩相关分析SF含量与血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶（ALT）、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶（AST）、白蛋白（ALB）、前白蛋白（PALB）、总胆红素水平（TBIL）的相关性,运用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线评价SF能否作为鉴别诊断LC与DLC的临床指标。结果 与对照组相比,CHB患者与LC患者的SF水平明显升高,DLC患者SF水平明显低于CHB患者。与LC患者相比,DLC患者SF水平明显降低。CHB患者与LC患者间SF水平差异无统计学意义。ROC曲线显示,采用SF诊断LC与DLC的曲线下面积为0.816,敏感性为56.67%,特异性为94.12%,界值为66.3。Spearman分析显示,CHB患者SF水平与ALT、AST、TBIL水平呈显著正相关,与ALB、PALB水平呈显著负相关;LC患者SF水平与ALT、AST、TBIL水平呈显著正相关;DLC患者SF水平与ALB、PALB、TBIL水平呈显著正相关。结论 SF水平与HBV相关慢性肝病的进展具有相关性,可作为临床鉴别诊断LC与DLC的血清学指标和判断HBV相关肝病损伤的潜在指标。