Receptor protein complexes are in control of autophagy

In autophagic processes a variety of cargos is delivered to the degradative compartment of cells. Recent progress in autophagy research has provided support for the notion that when autophagic processes are operating in selective mode, a receptor protein complex will process the cargo. Here we present a concept of receptor protein complexes as comprising a functional tetrad of components: a ligand, a receptor, a scaffold and an Atg8 family protein. Our current understanding of each of the four components and their interaction in the context of cargo selection are considered in turn.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of ambroxol in human plasma

Ambroxol has been determined in biological fluids using a rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method. The samples prepared from plasma by liquid—liquid extraction were analysed on reversed-phase silica gel by competing-ion chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The method was applied to the determination of ambroxol levels in twelve healthy volunteers after oral administration of 90 mg of ambroxol in tablets of Mucosolvan and Ambrosan.     

Radiosensitizing properties of magnetic hyperthermia mediated by superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) on human cutaneous melanoma cell lines

Melanoma is responsible for the majority of deaths related to skin cancer. Worryingly, prognoses show an increasing number of melanoma cases each year worldwide. Radiotherapy, which is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, has proved to be useful but insufficient in melanoma management due to exceptionally high radioresistance of melanoma cells. This problem could be overcome by superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) used as heat mediators in magnetic hyperthermia, which not only enhance radiosensitivity, but also enable precise targeting by exploitation of their magnetic properties.     

Treatment of osteoporosis with a modified zeolite shows beneficial effects in an osteoporotic rat model and a human clinical trial

The severity of osteoporosis in humans manifests in its high incidence and by its complications that diminish quality of life. A societal consequence of osteoporosis is the substantial burden that it inflicts upon patients and their families. Several bone-modifying drugs have been prescribed to patients with osteoporosis. However, evidence for their anti-fracture efficacy remains inconclusive. To the contrary, long-term use of anti-osteoporotic drugs such as bisphosphonates and Denosumab, an RANKL inhibitor, have resulted in adverse events. We now present an alternative and adjuvant approach for treatment of osteoporosis. The data derive from in vivo studies in an ovariectomized rat model and from a randomized double blind, placebo-controlled human clinical study. Both studies involved treatment with Panaceo Micro Activation (PMA)-zeolite-clinoptilolite, a defined cation exchange clinoptilolite, which clearly improved all bone histomorphometric parameters examined from ovariectomized animals, indicative for increased bone formation. Moreover, intervention with PMA-zeolite-clinoptilolite for one year proved safe in humans. Furthermore, patients treated with PMA-zeolite-clinoptilolite showed an increase in bone mineral density, an elevated level of markers indicative of bone formation, a significant reduction in pain, and significantly improved quality of life compared with patients in the control (placebo) group. These encouraging positive effects of PMA-zeolite-clinoptilolite on bone integrity and on osteoporosis warrant further evaluation of treatment with PMA-zeolite-clinoptilolite as a new alternative adjuvant therapy for osteoporosis.     

The effect of adipokinetic hormones on the activity of digestive enzymes

The role of the adipokinetic hormone (AKH) in the control of protease, amylase and lipase activities is examined using the cockroach Periplaneta americana and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as model species. The effects of Peram‐CAH‐I and ‐II on the activity of cockroach digestive enzymes in the gastric caeca and midgut are measured both in vivo and in vitro. The results show the activity of proteases, amylases and lipases in both parts of the gut: amylase activity is higher in the gastric caeca than in the midgut; lipase activity presents the opposite trend; and protease activity is similar in both organs. The applied hormones stimulate the activity of all digestive enzymes, although this stimulation is not uniform; AKHs affect enzymes selectively, and in some cases unequally, in the gastric caeca and midgut. No substantial differences between Peram‐CAH‐I and ‐II stimulation are recorded. The in vitro results demonstrate that AKH stimulates digestive enzyme activity directly. In agreement with the cockroach results, enzymatic activity in D. melanogaster larvae producing nonfunctional AKH is lower than that in the larvae with ectopically expressed Akh gene, where enzyme activity reaches or even exceeds that of the controls. Overall, the results demonstrate the active role of AKHs in the stimulation of digestive enzyme activity in insects.