The utero-ovarian vascularization of the albino rat

The utero-ovarian vascularisation of the non-pregnant rat was investigated, described and morphometrically evaluated. The ovarian and uterine arteries anastomose together giving up a ramus ovaricus. The leaving of these vessels from their main trunks varies to each body side, just as their length and width. Several segmental arteries arise from each uterine artery to the corpus uteri also side-specifically. Coiled circular arteries are found. The uterine cervical vascularisation is described separately. Different regulating effects on the function of the vessels are discussed.     

Serum alkaline phosphatase polymorphism in pigs

Genetic variants of serum alkaline phosphatase were studied by the method of starch gel electrophoresis in the Z?otnicka Pstra breed of pigs. Two regions of alkaline phosphatase migration were observed. A single fraction in region I and four different phenotypes: AB, B, BC and BD in region II, were found. For AB, B and BC phenotypes the genetic control by three alleles AkpA, AkpB and AkpC is suggested. The observed segregation ratios in some cases deviated significantly from the expected ones.     

Engineering of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase Lip: creation of novel biocatalyst for efficient biosynthesis of chiral intermediate of Pregabalin

Efficient and highly enantioselective hydrolysis of 2-carboxyethyl-3-cyano-5-methylhexanoic acid ethyl ester (CNDE) is the most crucial step in chemoenzymatic synthesis of Pregabalin. By using site-saturation mutagenesis and high-throughput screening techniques, lipase Lip from Thermomyces lanuginosus DSM 10635 was engineered to improve its activity towards CNDE. The triple mutant, S88T/A99N/V116D exhibited a 60-fold improvement in specific activity for CNDE (2.35 U/mg) over the wild-type Lip (0.039 U/mg). Modeling and docking studies demonstrated that the mutant could more effectively stabilize oxygen anions in transition states and the lid of Lip in the open conformation. Additionally, the kinetic resolution of CNDE catalyzed by Escherichia coli cell overexpressing S88T/A99N/V116D mutant afforded (3S)-2-carboxyethyl-3-cyano-5-methylhexanoic acid in 42.4 % conversion and 98 % ee within 20 h with a substrate loading of 1 M (255 g/l). These results demonstrated that a novel and promising biocatalyst was created for efficient chemoenzymatic manufacturing of Pregabalin.     

Calmodulin-induced activation of ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport in plasma membranes of the myometrium

Calmodulin activates the ATP-dependent transport of Ca2+. The V0 value for this reaction in the absence of calmodulin is 0.82, that in the presence of 10(-7) M calmodulin is 5 times as high, i. e. 4.5 nmol 45Ca2+/mg protein/min. The Vmax value in the absence of calmodulin is 2.07, that with the activator is 4.33 nmol 45Ca2+/mg protein/min. The corresponding Km values are 0.75 X 10(-6) M and 0.66 X 10(-7) M, respectively, i. e., the affinity of the Ca-pump for Ca2+ increases. The half-maximum Ca-binding activity of calmodulin measured with a help of the fluorescent probe, N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine (PNA), is observed at 5 X 10(-7) M Ca2+. Mg2+ (3 mM) decreases 10-fold the Ca-binding affinity. No significant effect of ATP on the Ca-binding properties of calmodulin was found; the Hill coefficient is suggestive of a positive cooperativity of this reaction. A comparison of dependences of the calmodulin-stimulated component of ATP-dependent transport of Ca2+ in myometrium plasma membranes and of the Ca-binding activity of calmodulin measured with a help of PNA suggests that the effect of calmodulin on the affinity of the Ca-pump for Ca2+ can also be realized when some (but not all) Ca-binding sites in the calmodulin molecule are saturated with Ca2+.     

Generation of Mouse Small Intestinal Epithelial Cell Lines That Allow the Analysis of Specific Innate Immune Functions

Cell lines derived from the small intestine that reflect authentic properties of the originating intestinal epithelium are of high value for studies on mucosal immunology and host microbial homeostasis. A novel immortalization procedure was applied to generate continuously proliferating cell lines from murine E19 embryonic small intestinal tissue. The obtained cell lines form a tight and polarized epithelial cell layer, display characteristic tight junction, microvilli and surface protein expression and generate increasing transepithelial electrical resistance during in vitro culture. Significant up-regulation of Cxcl2 and Cxcl5 chemokine expression upon exposure to defined microbial innate immune stimuli and endogenous cytokines is observed. Cell lines were also generated from a transgenic interferon reporter (Mx2-Luciferase) mouse, allowing reporter technology-based quantification of the cellular response to type I and III interferon. Thus, the newly created cell lines mimic properties of the natural epithelium and can be used for diverse studies including testing of the absorption of drug candidates. The reproducibility of the method to create such cell lines from wild type and transgenic mice provides a new tool to study molecular and cellular processes of the epithelial barrier.     

Monoacylglycerols Activate TRPV1 – A Link between Phospholipase C and TRPV1

Phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate generates diacylglycerol, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and protons, all of which can regulate TRPV1 activity via different mechanisms. Here we explored the possibility that the diacylglycerol metabolites 2-arachidonoylglycerol and 1-arachidonoylglycerol, and not metabolites of these monoacylglycerols, activate TRPV1 and contribute to this signaling cascade. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol and 1-arachidonoylglycerol activated native TRPV1 on vascular sensory nerve fibers and heterologously expressed TRPV1 in whole cells and inside-out membrane patches. The monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors methylarachidonoyl-fluorophosphonate and JZL184 prevented the metabolism of deuterium-labeled 2-arachidonoylglycerol and deuterium-labeled 1-arachidonoylglycerol in arterial homogenates, and enhanced TRPV1-mediated vasodilator responses to both monoacylglycerols. In mesenteric arteries from TRPV1 knock-out mice, vasodilator responses to 2-arachidonoylglycerol were minor. Bradykinin and adenosine triphosphate, ligands of phospholipase C-coupled membrane receptors, increased the content of 2-arachidonoylglycerol in dorsal root ganglia. In HEK293 cells expressing the phospholipase C-coupled histamine H₁ receptor, exposure to histamine stimulated the formation of 2-AG, and this effect was augmented in the presence of JZL184. These effects were prevented by the diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor tetrahydrolipstatin. Histamine induced large whole cell currents in HEK293 cells co-expressing TRPV1 and the histamine H₁ receptor, and the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine abolished these currents. JZL184 increased the histamine-induced currents and tetrahydrolipstatin prevented this effect. The calcineurin inhibitor ciclosporin and the endogenous “entourage” compound palmitoylethanolamide potentiated the vasodilator response to 2-arachidonoylglycerol, disclosing TRPV1 activation of this monoacylglycerol at nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, intracerebroventricular injection of JZL184 produced TRPV1-dependent antinociception in the mouse formalin test. Our results show that intact 2-arachidonoylglycerol and 1-arachidonoylglycerol are endogenous TRPV1 activators, contributing to phospholipase C-dependent TRPV1 channel activation and TRPV1-mediated antinociceptive signaling in the brain.     

High-Throughput Nonlinear Optical Microscopy

High-resolution microscopy methods based on different nonlinear optical (NLO) contrast mechanisms are finding numerous applications in biology and medicine. While the basic implementations of these microscopy methods are relatively mature, an important direction of continuing technological innovation lies in improving the throughput of these systems. Throughput improvement is expected to be important for studying fast kinetic processes, for enabling clinical diagnosis and treatment, and for extending the field of image informatics. This review will provide an overview of the fundamental limitations on NLO microscopy throughput. We will further cover several important classes of high-throughput NLO microscope designs with discussions on their strengths and weaknesses and their key biomedical applications. Finally, this review will close with a perspective of potential future technological improvements in this field.