The production of azurin and similar proteins

Summary It has been shown that, in the organisms tested, the production of azurin or similar blue, copper-protein complexes is confined to bacterial species of the three genera Bordetella, Alcaligenes and Pseudomonas. In the strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa used, there appeared to be no difference in the amount of azurin occurring when the strain was grown aerobically and anaerobically. The amount of azurin produced by representative strains of Ps. aeruginosa, B. bronchiseptica and A. denitrificans varied with the copper content of the medium. Above a level of 5 g copper/ml of medium, the azurin content was constant for the three species tested; below a copper level of 0.5 g/ml there was an almost total absence of azurin although good growth occurred. Under similar growth conditions, the azurin content of the three bacterial species studied was not significantly different.The possible role of azurin is discussed.     

Cytokine and chemokine expression in a rat endometriosis is similar to that in human endometriosis

The pathogenesis of endometriosis, a gynecologic disorder associated with infertility, appears to involve immune responses. However, the details involved have not been clarified. In this study, we analyzed expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, eosinophil chemotactic protein, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, and regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and CC chemokine receptor 1 in endometriotic lesions in a rat model in which endometrium is autotransplanted onto peritoneal tissue and found that they were remarkably increased, while those of IL-2, IL-4, and interferon-γ were not. These results were obtained in a rat model induced by autologous, not allogeneic, transplantation of endometrial epithelium to the peritoneum. Expression of these factors is consistent with that of endometriosis in humans. Therefore, this model may be useful in the investigation of the pathogenesis and treatment of endometriosis.     

Power production among different sports with similar maximum strength

The purpose of this study was to compare 1 repetition maximum (1RM) strength, maximum power (MP), linear momentum (Mp), and the loads of 1RM responsible for maximum power (MP%) and for linear momentum (Mp%) generated in explosive concentric bench press (CBP) motion among athletes from different sports. A total of 56 athletes (13 sprinters, 16 basketball players, 16 handball players, 5 volleyball players, and 6 bodybuilders) performed CBP in the loads of 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80% of 1RM with 1-minute rest intervals. MP and Mp were assessed during CBP by customized apparatus with 3 separate displacement transducers. There were no significant differences in MP, Mp, MP%, and Mp% among the athletes. The only significant positive correlation was found between overall 1RM and Mp for athletes (r = 0.37). In conclusion, long-term sport-specific training adaptations do not play a major role on speed-strength parameters in athletes with similar strength from different sports backgrounds.