Correlates of pentraxin 3 serum concentration in men and women with type 2 diabetes

Elevated levels of plasma pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a marker of inflammation, are associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the general population, as well as in patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2). In this study, we aimed to determine factors associated with PTX3 serum concentrations in men and women with DM2. The study included 116 consecutive patients (67 men and 49 women) with DM2 from an outpatient diabetic clinic. Men were characterised by lower age and higher uric acid, creatinine and bilirubin concentrations and waist/hip ratio than women. In women, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were higher than in men. In men, median (interquartile range) values of PTX3 concentration were 4.02 (1.99), and in women they were 4.53 (3.31) ng/ml (NS). In men, PTX3 concentrations correlated with total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, apolipoprotein (Apo) C3, Apo B48, Glc and creatinine levels. In women, PTX3 correlated significantly with TC and LDL-C and Apo B100. Partial regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for age, PTX3 concentrations in men were significantly associated with TC, LDL-C, triglycerides, creatinine, Apo C3 and Apo B48, while in women they were associated with TC, LDL-C and Apo B100. The results could be of importance in sex-specific prevention of vascular complications in DM2 patients.     

Yeast holoenzyme of protein kinase CK2 requires both β and β′ regulatory subunits for its activity

Protein kinase CK2 is a highly conserved Ser/Thr protein kinase that is ubiquitous among eucaryotic organisms and appears to play an important role in many cellular functions. This enzyme in yeast has a tetrameric structure composed of two catalytic (α and/or α′) subunits and two regulatory β and β′ subunits. Previously, we have reported isolation from yeast cells four active forms of CK2, composed of αα′ββ′, α₂ββ′, α′₂ββ′ and a free α′-catalytic subunit. Now, we report that in Saccharomyces cerevisiae CK2 holoenzyme regulatory β subunit cannot substitute other β′ subunit and only both of them can form fully active enzymatic unit. We have examined the subunit composition of tetrameric complexes of yeast CK2 by transformation of yeast strains containing single deletion of the β or β′ regulatory subunits with vectors carrying lacking CKB1 or CKB2 genes. CK2 holoenzyme activity was restored only in cases when both of them were present in the cell. Additional, co-immunoprecypitation experiments show that polyadenylation factor Fip1 interacts with catalytic α subunits of CK2 and interaction with beta subunits in the holoenzyme decreases CK2 activity towards this protein substrate. These data may help to elucidate the role of yeast protein kinase CK2β/β′ subunits in the regulation of holoenzyme assembly and phosphotransferase activity.     

Bone-marrow-derived stem cells — our key to longevity?

Bone marrow (BM) was for many years primarily regarded as the source of hematopoietic stem cells. In this review we discuss current views of the BM stem cell compartment and present data showing that BM contains not only hematopoietic but also heterogeneous non-hematopoietic stem cells. It is likely that similar or overlapping populations of primitive non-hematopoietic stem cells in BM were detected by different investigators using different experimental strategies and hence were assigned different names (e.g., mesenchymal stem cells, multipotent adult progenitor cells, or marrow-isolated adult multilineage inducible cells). However, the search still continues for true pluripotent stem cells in adult BM, which would fulfill the required criteria (e.g. complementation of blastocyst development). Recently our group has identified in BM a population of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs), which express several markers characteristic for pluripotent stem cells and are found during early embryogenesis in the epiblast of the cylinder-stage embryo.     

Cellular organization of the oncosphere of Mosgovoyia ctenoides (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae)

The ultrastructure of the infective oncosphere of the cestode Mosgovoyia ctenoides (Anoplocephalidae) is described. The surface of the infective oncosphere is covered by a thin cytoplasmic layer of tegument connected by a narrow cytoplasmic process with the binucleate subtegumental cell, situated deeper in the body. Below the basal matrix of the cytoplasmic layer of the tegument are situated wide bands of the peripheral, somatic musculature responsible for body movements. The 3 pairs of hooks and their muscles form a complex hook muscle system, responsible for coordinated hook action. Five major types of cells have been distinguished: (1) a binucleate subtegumental cell, (2) a binucleate penetration gland, (3) 2 nerve cells, (4) numerous somatic cells, and (5) about 6 germinative cells. The approximate number of cells is 24 (26 nuclei, including 2 syncytial structures). The results of this study, when compared with other published reports from other cestode taxa, support previous hypotheses that the progressive reduction of oncosphere cells is an adaptive feature in cestode evolution.     

Cytotaxonomic characteristics of the genus Glyptotendipes Kieffer (Chironomidae, Diptera) from fish and retention ponds (Silesia, southern Poland)

The cytotaxonomic characteristics of species of the genus Glyptotendipes (Chironomidae): G. glaucus Meigen, G. paripes Edwards, and G. barbipes (Staeger) are described. The studied material was collected from a fish pond at Go?ysz and a sewage retention pond at Chybie in Silesia. All the studied species have the chromosome set 2n = 8, but with many specific structural and functional changes. The cytogenetic data of G. glaucus showed that the studied specimens of this species have been produced by the introgressive hybridization of two sibling species: G. glaucus x G. pallens, and subsequent crossing-over in the hybrid chromosome CD. Owing to this process, the band pattern of chromosome arm D coincided with those of G. pallens. New aberrations (homo- and heterozygous deletions in arm G as well as heterozygous inversions in chromosome arm B) were detected in G. glaucus. Specific band sequences were discovered in chromosomes of G. paripes. The band patterns established in chromosomes AB and G of this species were identical with those of Siberian populations. The banding patterns of the polytene chromosomes of G. barbipes do not differ from the standard. However, high frequency of pericentric inversion of chromosome AB was established. Many new puffs were found in the polytene chromosomes of all the studied species. Their nucleolar organizer was very sensitive to environmental changes. In G. glaucus it appeared in three different states: very active, slightly active, and heterozygous state. The organic pollution existing in the sewage retention pond may contribute to possible mutations and chromosomal damage in Glypotendipes species. Structural and functional rearrangements of the polytene chromosomes of these species mobilized their genomes and provide for survival under polluted conditions.     

Synthesis of new chiral peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomers

We have synthesised a series of new chiral type I peptide nucleic acid monomers in total yields of 36-53%, derived from Val, Ile, Ser(Bzl), Pro, and Trp, employing convenient procedure.     

Jack bean urease: the effect of active-site binding inhibitors on the reactivity of enzyme thiol groups

In view of the complexity of the role of the active site flap cysteine in the urease catalysis, in this work we studied how the presence of typical active-site binding inhibitors of urease, phenylphosphorodiamidate (PPD), acetohydroxamic acid (AHA), boric acid and fluoride, affects the reactivity of enzyme thiol groups, the active site flap thiol in particular. For that the inhibitor-urease complexes were prepared with excess inhibitors and had their thiol groups titrated with DTNB. The effects observed were analyzed in terms of the structures of the inhibitor-urease complexes reported in the literature. We found that the effectiveness in preventing the active site cysteine from the modification by disulfides, varied among the inhibitors studied, even though they all bind to the active site. The variations were accounted for by different extents of geometrical distortion in the active site that the inhibitors introduced upon binding, leaving the flap either open in AHA-, boric acid- and fluoride-inhibited urease, like in the native enzyme or closed in PPD-inhibited urease. Among the inhibitors, only PPD was found to be able to thoroughly protect the flap cysteines from the further reaction with disulfides, this apparently resulting from the closed conformation of the flap. Accordingly, in practical terms PPD may be regarded as the most suitable inhibitor for active-site protection experiments in inhibition studies of urease.     

The effect of polyphenols and vitamin E on the antioxidant status and meat quality of broiler chickens exposed to high temperature

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a polyphenol product (PP) (Proviox) and vitamin E on the antioxidant status and meat quality of broiler chickens exposed to high temperature. The experimental materials comprised 120 ROSS 308 broilers (6 treatments, 10 replications, 2 birds per replication). Dietary supplementation with vitamin E and PP was applied in the following experimental design: group I (negative control) – without supplementation; group II (positive control) – without supplementation; group III – supplementation with 100 mg vitamin E/kg; group IV – 200 mg vitamin E/kg; group V – 100 mg vitamin E/kg and 100 mg PP/kg; group VI – 200 mg PP/kg. In groups II–VI, broiler chickens aged 21–35 d were exposed to increased temperature (34°C for 10 h daily). In chickens exposed to high temperature, dietary supplementation with antioxidants, mostly PP, improved growth performance parameters, including body weight, body weight gain and feed intake until 28 d of age. Vitamin E added to broiler chicken diets at 200 mg/kg and vitamin E combined with PP was most effective in improving the total antioxidant status of birds, enhancing blood antioxidant enzyme activities and increasing vitamin E concentrations in the liver and breast muscles. Broilers fed diets supplemented with 200 mg/kg of vitamin E alone and vitamin E in combination with PP were characterised by a higher percentage content of breast muscles in the carcass. Dietary supplementation with antioxidants improved the water-holding capacity of meat, reduced natural drip loss and increased the crude ash content of meat. The breast muscles of chickens fed diets supplemented with PP had a lower contribution of yellowness. The breast muscles of chickens receiving diets with 100 mg vitamin E/kg(group III) and diets supplemented with PP (groups V and VI) were characterised by the highest concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The PP can be a valuable component of diets for broiler chickens exposed to high temperature.