Half-life of the duck hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA pool in vivo following inhibition of viral replication

Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is a crucial intermediate in the replication of hepadnaviruses. We inhibited the replication of duck hepatitis B virus in congenitally infected ducks with a combination of lamivudine and a dideoxyguanosine prodrug. Inhibition of viral replication should prevent renewal of the cccDNA pool, and its decay was measured in liver biopsy samples collected over a 5-month period. In three ducks, the cccDNA pools declined exponentially, with half-lives ranging from 35 to 57 days. In two others, the pools declined exponentially for about 70 days but then stabilized at about 6 copies/diploid genome. The selection of drug-resistant virus mutants is an unlikely explanation for this unexpected stabilization of cccDNA levels. Liver sections stained for the cell division marker PCNA showed that animals in which cccDNA loss was continuous had significantly greater numbers of PCNA-positive nuclei than did those animals in which cccDNA levels had plateaued.     

Use of molecular biology methods for diagnosing fungal infections

A total of 130 various clinical materials taken from 48 children with suspected systemic fungal infection were used for the study. Clinical samples were tested by use of classical mycological procedures well as by use of molecular technique (PCR assay). The fragments of 125-bp (EO3) and 317 bp (HSP) specific for C. albicans were used for amplification. Fifty seven samples (48%) were positive for Candida albicans and eighty four (68%) by use of PCR. It should be stressed that 4 blood samples, 21 urine samples and 5 other samples were positive by use of molecular technique, only. PCR is sensitive and rapid method for detection and identification of Candida albicans from clinical materials of children with fungal infection. This technique can be applied for monitoring presence of fungal DNA in tested samples during antifungal therapy.     

Immunoexpression of nm23 in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The study was undertaken to determine the immunoexpression of protein products of nm23 genes which are thought to be potential metastasis suppressor genes, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and to analyze their relationship to selected clinicopathological features (age, sex, tumour size, depth of invasion, presence of lymph nodes and distant metastasis, pathologic tumor stage, degree of cancer differentiation and vascular/lymphatic invasion), as well as to the overall survival. Immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibody against nm23 using LSAB2/HRP method on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections obtained from 32 tumors was performed. Eight tumors (25%) showed positive nm23 immunoexpression. There were no statistically significant differences between nm23-positive and nm23-negative groups with respect to all clinicopathological features studied. The positive nm23 status was related to a worse prognosis but this was not significant. The results may suggest that nm23-status is not associated with metastatic ability and prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but such thesis requires further study on a larger population.     

Adhesive properties and antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella strains isolated from gastrointestinal tracts of children hospitalised in Wroclaw nad Opole

Gram negative Klebsiella bacilli present many pathogenic properties, which determine their ability to survive and rapid spreading in hospital environment. There are many factors responsible for the pathogenicity of Klebsiella strains: capsule, fimbriae, nonfimbrial adhesins, lipopolysaccharide of the cell wall and extracellular secreted exotoxins. Klebsiella strains are etiological agents of different nosocomial infections but also colonized gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. The aim of our work were adhesive properties and antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella strains isolated from stool of hospitalized children, according to source of potential nosocomial infections--100 Klebsiella strains from Wroclaw and 76 strains from Opole, isolated in cases of diarrhea. The resistance of this strains to different group of antibiotics, the expression of ESBL enzymes, the activity in hemagglutination and their ability to adherence to different cell lines were tested. The highest resistance of all strains to aminopenicillins was observed. The production of ESBL was highest in strains from Opole (51% strains) then in Wroclaw (9%). In both hospital units, ESBL+ strains were resistant to aminoglicosides and cotrimoxazol but sensitive to ciprofloxacine. Using hemagglutination method the types of fimbriae were defined. Above 90% investigated Klebsiella strains showed the presence of fimbriae (in Wroc?aw more strains simultaneously expressed fimbriae type 1 and 3, in Opole mainly fimbriae type 3). Over 70% strains demonstrated the high level of adherence to cell lines. Only several strains showed the low level or the lack of adhesion. These results suggested that among Klebsiella strains in gastrointestinal tract were presented multiresistant strains with high ability to adherence, which may be potential source of nosocomial infections.     

The 102-year old woman with translocation (7;12) and infertility in anamnesis

In this study we present a 102-year old woman carrying a (7;12)(q11.3;q14) translocation. A woman displays a normal phenotype and infertility in anamnesis. This is the first report linking t(7;12) and infertility.     

Decreased energy levels can cause and sustain obesity

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and has become one of the major health problems in developed countries. Current theories consider obesity a result of overeating and sedentary life style and most efforts to treat or prevent weight gain concentrate on exercise and food intake. This approach does not improve the situation as may be seen from the steep increase in the prevalence of obesity. This encouraged us to reanalyse existing information and look for biochemical basis of obesity. Our approach was to ignore current theories and concentrate on experimental data which are described in scientific journals and are available from several databases. We developed and applied a Knowledge Discovery in Databases procedure to analyse metabolic data. We began with the contradictory information: in obesity, more calories are consumed than used up, suggesting that obese people should have excess energy. On the other side, obese people experience fatigue and decreased physical endurance that indicates diminished energy supply in the body. The result of our work is a chain of metabolic events leading to obesity. The crucial event is the inhibition of the TCA cycle at the step of aconitase. It disturbs energy metabolism and results in ATP deficiency with simultaneous fat accumulation. Further steps in obesity development are the consequences of diminished energy supply: inhibition of beta-oxidation, leptin resistance, increase in appetite and food intake and a decrease in physical activity. Thus, our theory shows that obesity does not have to be caused by overeating and sedentary life-style but may be the result of the "obese" change in metabolism which is forcing people to overeat and save energy to sustain metabolic functions of cells. This "obese" change is caused by environmental factors that activate chronic low-grade inflammatory process in the body linking obesity with the environment of developed countries.     

Substrate specificity,metal binding properties,and spectroscopic characterization of the DapE-encoded N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase from Haemophilus influenzae

The catalytic and structural properties of divalent metal ion cofactor binding sites in the dapE-encoded N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) from Haemophilus influenzae were investigated. Co(II)-substituted DapE enzyme was 25% more active than the Zn(II)-loaded form of the enzyme. Interestingly, Mn(II) can activate DapE, but only to approximately 20% of the Zn(II)-loaded enzyme. The order of the observed k(cat) values are Co(II) > Zn(II) > Cd(II) > Mn(II) >Ni(II) approximately equal Cu(II) approximately equal Mg(II). DapE was shown to only hydrolyze L,L-N-succinyl-diaminopimelic acid (L,L-SDAP) and was inactive toward D,L-, L,D-, and D,D-SDAP. DapE was also inactive toward several acetylated amino acids as well as D,L-succinyl aminopimelate, which differs from the natural substrate, L,L-SDAP, by the absence of the amine group on the amino acid side chain. These data imply that the carboxylate of the succinyl moiety and the amine form important interactions with the active site of DapE. The affinity of DapE for one versus two Zn(II) ions differs by nearly 2.2 x 10(3) times (K(d1) = 0.14 microM vs K(d2) = 300 microM). In addition, an Arrhenius plot was constructed from k(cat) values measured between 16 and 35 degrees C and was linear over this temperature range. The activation energy for [ZnZn(DapE)] was found to be 31 kJ/mol with the remaining thermodynamic parameters calculated at 25 degrees C being DeltaG(++) = 64 kJ/mol, DeltaH(++) = 28.5 kJ/mol, and DeltaS(++) = -119 J mol(-1) K(-1). Electronic absorption and EPR spectra of [Co_(DapE)] and [CoCo(DapE)] indicate that the first Co(II) binding site is five-coordinate, while the second site is octahedral. In addition, any spin-spin interaction between the two Co(II) ions in [CoCo(DapE)] is very weak. The kinetic and spectroscopic data presented herein suggest that the DapE from H. influenzae has similar divalent metal binding properties to the aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica (AAP), and the observed divalent metal ion binding properties are discussed with respect to their catalytic roles in SDAP hydrolysis.     

Spectral properties of phthalocyanines incorporated into resting and stimulated human peripheral blood cells

Human peripheral blood cells stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (which serve as a model of cancerous cells) and resting cells were incubated in dimethyl sulfoxide solutions of various phthalocyanines. In order to diminish the influence of atmospheric oxygen the cells were embedded in a polymer (polyvinyl alcohol) film. Fluorescence spectra of the samples were measured over two regions of excitation wavelengths: at 405 nm (predominant absorption of the cell material) and in the regions of strong absorption of phthalocyanines (at about 605 nm and 337 nm). The intrinsic emission of cell material became changed as a result both of cells' stimulation and of incubation of cells in dye solution. In most cases the stimulated cells when stained by dye exhibited higher long wavelength fluorescence intensity than resting cells. This suggests higher efficiency of dye incorporation into cancerous cells than into healthy cells. The absorption spectra of samples were also measured. The spectra of various phthalocyanines in incubation solvent, in polymer and in the cells embedded in polymer, were compared. The comparison of properties of the cells stimulated for different time periods enabled to establish the conditions of stimulation creating a population of cells incorporating a large number of sensitizing molecules.     

The effect of calcium ions on subcellular localization of aldolase-FBPase complex in skeletal muscle

In skeletal muscles, FBPase-aldolase complex is located on alpha-actinin of the Z-line. In the present paper, we show evidence that stability of the complex is regulated by calcium ions. Real time interaction analysis, confocal microscopy and the protein exchange method have revealed that elevated calcium concentration decreases association constant of FBPase-aldolase and FBPase-alpha-actinin complex, causes fast dissociation of FBPase from the Z-line and slow accumulation of aldolase within the I-band and M-line. Therefore, the release of Ca2+ during muscle contraction might result, simultaneously, in the inhibition of glyconeogenesis and in the acceleration of glycolysis.