Therapie mit Stammzellen

Therapeutic use of stem cells Here the hematopoetic system of blood‐ and immune cell renewal is reviewed. Curing of chronic leucemias and malignant lymphomas is the most successful stem cell based therapy up to date. However, mismatches of histocompatibility‐complexes (HLA‐types) between receiver and donor set narrow limits to such therapies. Whether other diseases such as Parkinson could be cured by infusion of stem cells is still in question.     

Kinetic Model of Mitochondrial Krebs Cycle: Unraveling the Mechanism of Salicylate Hepatotoxic Effects

This paper studies the effect of salicylate on the energy metabolism of mitochondria using in silico simulations. A kinetic model of the mitochondrial Krebs cycle is constructed using information on the individual enzymes. Model parameters for the rate equations are estimated using in vitro experimental data from the literature. Enzyme concentrations are determined from data on respiration in mitochondrial suspensions containing glutamate and malate. It is shown that inhibition in succinate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase by salicylate contributes substantially to the cumulative inhibition of the Krebs cycle by salicylates. Uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation has little effect and coenzyme A consumption in salicylates transformation processes has an insignificant effect on the rate of substrate oxidation in the Krebs cycle. It is found that the salicylate-inhibited Krebs cycle flux can be increased by flux redirection through addition of external glutamate and malate, and depletion in external α-ketoglutarate and glycine concentrations.     

Ammonia inhibits insulin stimulation of the Krebs cycle: Further insight into mechanism of hepatic coma

Oxidation of [2,3-¹⁴C]succinate in the intramitochondrial Krebs cycle was used as a probe to investigate the effect of ammonia on protein incorporation and Krebs cycle oxidation of succinate carbons in isolated rat hepatocytes. At low concentrations of ammonium chloride (0.1 to 0.5 mM) a slight increase in¹⁴CO₂ formation from [2,3-¹⁴C]succinate was observed, however, the stimulatory effect of insulin was significantly reduced. Insulin failed to cause any stimulation of succinate carbons incorporation into hepatocyte protein in the presence of ammonium chloride. Addition of ammonium chloride also depressed the movement of tracer carbons into the gluconeogenesis pathway. The activity of the amphibolic amino acid pool was significantly enhanced by ammonia. The data presented in this paper lend strong support to the Krebs-cycle depletion theory of hepatic coma. They also suggest that reduced mitochondrial Krebs cycle activity caused by increased amphibolic depletion of substrates results in loss of insulin sensitivity in ammonia toxicity.Special issue dedicated to Dr. Santiago Grisolia.     

Die Immunsysteme der Bakterien

The immune systems of bacteria and important applications in biotechnology and medicine At the end of the 70s of the last century, a new technique has been developed allowing the synthesis of genes and the inducible expression of their recombinant proteins using restriction enzymes and vectors, mainly plasmids. This era has been designated as genetic engineering and is being replenished by the CRISPR‐Cas9 technology know as genome editing. This technology is about to revolutionize alterations in the genomes of all types of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, animals and even humans. It allows the introduction and elimination of point mutations and even whole genes in all organisms. Important goals are the genetic optimization of crop plants and animals, fighting against cancer in humans and elimination of human viruses and pathogenic multi‐resistant bacteria. Important drawbacks are OFF‐targets which can cause mutations in any gene or influence their expression.     

Natural and synthetic antioxidants: An updated overview

Abstract

The current understanding of the complex role of ROS in the organism and pathological sequelae of oxidative stress points to the necessity of comprehensive studies of antioxidant reactivities and interactions with cellular constituents. Studies of antioxidants performed within the COST B-35 action has concerned the search for new natural antioxidants, synthesis of new antioxidant compounds and evaluation and elucidation of mechanisms of action of both natural and synthetic antioxidants. Representative studies presented in the review concern antioxidant properties of various kinds of tea, the search for new antioxidants of herbal origin, modification of tocopherols and their use in combination with selenium and properties of two promising groups of synthetic antioxidants: derivatives of stobadine and derivatives of 1,4-dihydropyridine.     

Antagonistische wirkungen von Trichoderma spp. gegen Valsa mali an apfel (Malus pumila)

Untersuchungen der antagonistischen Wirkungen von zwei Trichoderma spp. gegen Valsa mali wurden im Labor duchgeführt. Die Konfrontationskulturen belegen, dass die Trichoderma spp. durch sehr schnelles Wachstum gegen V. mali um Raum und Nährstoffe konkurrieren können. Die Entwicklung des Pathogens wurde deutlich gehemmt, seine Hyphen durch die Antagonisten parasitiert und zerstört. Flüchtige Substanzen von T. atroviride, Stamm T95, hemmen signifikant das Wachstum von V. mali. Die Kolonieradien waren gegenüber der Kontrolle um mehr als die Hälfte reduziert. Die Kulturfiltrate der Trichoderma‐Stämme T88 und T95 in Czapek's Nährmedium zeigten eine deutlich hemmende Wirkung auf die Konidienkeimung von V. mali. Je älter die Kultur wird, desto stärker ist die hemmende Wirkung der Kulturfiltrate ausgeprägt. Inokuliert man Trichoderma spp. vor der V. mali‐Inokulation auf Apfelzweige, redujeren beide Trichoderma‐Stämme das Ausmaß der Erkrankung. Trichoderma‐Arten konnten aus inokulierten Zweigen reisoliert werden, aus Läsionen häufiger als aus den gesunden Gewebeteilen.     

Glucose and phosphate inhibit respiration and oxidative metabolism in cultured hamster eight-cell embryos: evidence for the "crabtree effect"

The development of hamster eight-cell embryos is inhibited by glucose in culture medium containing inorganic phosphate (Pi). This is hypothetically attributed to the "Crabtree effect," in which enhanced glycolysis inhibits respiratory activity and oxidative metabolism. To examine this hypothesis, oxygen consumption of hamster eight-cell embryos was measured using a microelectrode. A two- to three-fold decrease in oxygen consumption was observed in embryos cultured with glucose and Pi. Oxidizable substrates and intermediates of the Krebs cycle supported embryo development only in the absence of glucose and Pi; Krebs cycle inhibitors (fluoroacetate and arsenite) arrested embryo development. Under anaerobic conditions, pyruvate and lactate did not support embryo development. Inhibition of both respiration and oxidative activity in cultured hamster embryos by glucose and Pi is consistent with the existence of a Crabtree effect and indicates that the metabolic properties of preimplantation embryonic cells differ markedly from those of most somatic cells and resemble some cancer cells.     

Iron acquisition by Streptococcus species: An updated review

Streptococcus is a genus of spherical Gram-positive bacteria responsible for many cases of meningitis, bacterial pneumonia, endocarditis, erysipelas, and necro-tizing fasciitis. To survive in the host environment with limited free iron available, Streptococcus species have developed various mechanisms to uptake iron as an essential nutrient. They can directly extract the metal ions from host iron-containing proteins such as ferritin, transferrin, lactoferrin, and hemoproteins. Other iron-uptake strategies, which are broadly distributed in the strains, include the employment of specialized secreted hemophores to acquire heme and the usage of small molecules called siderophores as high-affinity ferric chelators. This review intends to discuss the most recent discoveries of these iron acquisition systems and their relevant regulators in Streptococcus species.     

心肌再灌注损伤保护的机制和策略

局部缺血部位快速再灌注虽然保护了心肌,但也引起再灌注损伤。目前还没有减轻再灌注损伤的特效疗法,但近年来研究显示,G蛋白耦联受体（Gprotein-coupledreceptor,GPCR）的激动剂、胰岛素和缺血后处理可以在各种实验条件和各类动物模型中有效抵抗再灌注损伤。这些干预手段启动的心脏保护机制可能包括激活再灌注损伤补救激酶（reperfus ioninjury salvage kinase,RISK）途径、抑制糖原合酶激酶-3β（glycogen synthase kinase3β,GSK-3β）以及抑制线粒体膜通透性转换孔（mitochondrial permeabili tytransition pore,mPTP）开放等。这些研究成果有利于开发治疗急性心肌梗死的有效临床手段。