PC-12 cells hydrolyze the fibrin clot by producing both plasminogen and its tissue activator

It has been shown that rat pheochromocytoma PC-12 cells degraded fibrin clots in vitro. SDS-PAGE performed in the gels of different density and Western blotting using monoclonal antibodies against DD- and D-fibrin fragments demonstrated that both high and low molecular weight degradation products similar to those of fibrin hydrolysis by plasmin had been formed. Enzyme electrophoresis, chromogenic assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using tPA-specific antibodies demonstrated that PC-12 cells constitutively secreted both plasminogen and tPA. The results obtained allow using PC-12 cells as a model to examine the interaction of nerve cells with the fibrin clot.     

Effect of tissue-type plasminogen activator and its inhibitor in haemostasis system function in norm and pathology

The paper is dedicated to the study of structure and physiological functions of tissue type plasminogen activator and its inhibitor PAI-1, changes of these parametres in normal and pathology conditions. The interrelation of the coagulation and the fibrinolytic system during the range of pathologies was studied. It was demonstrated that simultaneous analysis of the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems analysis allow to diagnose the thrombotic complications.     

Effect of ambiol on the ultrastructure of mitochondria in the apical cells of tubers of original and transgenic potato plants

The ultrastructure of the mitochondrial apparatus of apical tuber cells of original and transgenic (defensin gene-transfected) potato have been compared in normal and ambiol-treated plants, using morphometric approaches. No qualitative or quantitative differences were found between the mitochondria of original and transgenic plants under normal conditions (control). Treatment with ambiol produced only quantitative differences (in the number of mitochondria and their volume) between the cells of original and transgenic plants. This observation has been attributed to (1) changes in the physiology and biochemistry of transgenic plants, induced by the expression of the gene of defensin (hormonal balance, functional activity of the plasmalemmata, etc.), and (2) direct effects of ambiol.     

Dimerization Capacities of FGF2 Purified with or without Heparin-Affinity Chromatography

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) is a pleiotropic growth factor exhibiting a variety of biological activities. In this article, we studied the capacity of FGF2 purified with or without heparin affinity chromatography to self-associate. Analyzing the NMR HSQC spectra for different FGF2 concentrations, heparin-affinity purified FGF2 showed perturbations that indicate dimerization and are a higher-order oligomerization state. HSQC perturbation observed with different FGF2 concentrations revealed a heparin-binding site and two dimer interfaces. Thus, with increasing protein concentrations, FGF2 monomers make contacts with each other and form dimers or higher order oligomers. On the contrary, FGF2 purified with ion-exchange chromatography did not show similar perturbation indicating that self-association of FGF2 is eliminated if purification is done without heparin-affinity chromatography. The HSQC spectra of heparin-affinity purified FGF2 can be reproduced to some extent by adding heparin tetra-saccharide to ion exchange chromatography purified FGF2. Heparin-affinity purified FGF2 bound to acceptor and donor beads in a tagged form using His-tagged or GST-tagged proteins, also dimerized in the AlphaScreen^™ assay. This assay was further validated using different experimental conditions and competitors. The assay constitutes an interesting tool to study dimerization of other FGF forms as well.     

Effect of soluble fibrin on the blood coagulation process and platelets aggregation

The accumulation of soluble fibrin (SF) in the blood plasma causes acceleration of the final stage of blood coagulation. It increases functional activity of a hemostasis system platelet link, that is the precondition of thrombotic complication. Accumulation of SF in the blood plasma is accompanied by proportional reduction of coagulation time in ancistron and thrombin time tests, and also the intensification of platelets aggregation process. A conclusion was drawn that for early diagnostics of the DIC-syndrom it is expedient to carry out complex estimation of the hemostasis system with obligatory definition of the blood SF content, performance of ancistron and thrombin time tests, and also study of platelets aggregation.     

Spatial and temporal expression of surfactant proteins in hyperoxia-induced neonatal rat lung injury

Background

Although personal cigarette smoking is the most important cause and modulator of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure could influence the course of the disease. Despite the importance of this question, the impact of SHS exposure on COPD health outcomes remains unknown.

Methods

We used data from two waves of a population-based multiwave U.S. cohort study of adults with COPD. 77 non-smoking respondents with a diagnosis of COPD completed direct SHS monitoring based on urine cotinine and a personal badge that measures nicotine. We evaluated the longitudinal impact of SHS exposure on validated measures of COPD severity, physical health status, quality of life (QOL), and dyspnea measured at one year follow-up.

Results

The highest level of SHS exposure, as measured by urine cotinine, was cross-sectionally associated with poorer COPD severity (mean score increment 4.7 pts; 95% CI 0.6 to 8.9) and dyspnea (1.0 pts; 95% CI 0.4 to 1.7) after controlling for covariates. In longitudinal analysis, the highest level of baseline cotinine was associated with worse COPD severity (4.7 points; 95% CI -0.1 to 9.4; p = 0.054), disease-specific QOL (2.9 pts; -0.16 to 5.9; p = 0.063), and dyspnea (0.9 pts; 95% CI 0.2 to 1.6 pts; p < 0.05), although the confidence intervals did not always exclude the no effect level.

Conclusion

Directly measured SHS exposure appears to adversely influence health outcomes in COPD, independent of personal smoking. Because SHS is a modifiable risk factor, clinicians should assess SHS exposure in their patients and counsel its avoidance. In public health terms, the effects of SHS exposure on this vulnerable subpopulation provide a further rationale for laws prohibiting public smoking.     

Automatic layout and visualization of biclusters

Background  

Biclustering has emerged as a powerful algorithmic tool for analyzing measurements of gene expression. A number of different methods have emerged for computing biclusters in gene expression data. Many of these algorithms may output a very large number of biclusters with varying degrees of overlap. There are no systematic methods that create a two-dimensional layout of the computed biclusters and display overlaps between them.