Principal Component Analysis of Stimulatory Effect of Synbiotic Combination of Indigenous Probiotic and Inulin on Antioxidant Activity of Soymilk

Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins - The present study aimed to screen the indigenous probiotic cultures for their effect on total phenolic contents (TPC) and associated antioxidant activities...     

Human Blood Vessel–Derived Endothelial Progenitors for Endothelialization of Small Diameter Vascular Prosthesis

Background

Coronary bypass graft failure as a result of acute thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia has been the major challenge in surgical procedures involving small-diameter vascular prosthesis. Coating synthetic grafts with patients'' own endothelial cells has been suggested to improve the patency rate and overall success of bypass surgeries.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We isolated endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from leftover pieces of human saphenous vein/mammary artery. We demonstrate that EPCs can be expanded to generate millions of cells under low-density culture conditions. Exposure to high-density conditions induces differentiation to endothelial cell phenotype. EPC–derived endothelial cells show expression of CD144^high, CD31, and vWF. We then assessed the ability of differentiated endothelial cells to adhere and grow on small diameter expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) tubings. Since ePTFE tubings are highly hydrophobic, we optimized protocols to introduce hydrophilic groups on luminal surface of ePTFE tubings. We demonstrate here a stepwise protocol that involves introduction of hydrophilic moieties and coating with defined ECM components that support adhesion of endothelial cells, but not of blood platelets.

Conclusion/Significance

Our data confirms that endothelial progenitors obtained from adult human blood vessels can be expanded in vitro under xenoprotein-free conditions, for potential use in endothelialization of small diameter ePTFE grafts. These endothelialized grafts may represent a promising treatment strategy for improving the clinical outcome of small-caliber vascular grafts in cardiac bypass surgeries.     

In vivo repair of UV-irradiation damage of single stranded DNA phage phi-X 174

Summary When E. coli C cells, infected with UV irradiated X 174, were allowed to grow in liquid tris-glucose medium at 37° C with aeration, the UV damage of the single stranded (ss) DNA could be repaired to some extent. Such repair was not possible if the irradiated phage were plated immediately on E. coli C in the usual double layer agar method, or if the infected complexes were initially exposed to 0.02 M KCN for 15 min before they were allowed to grow in tris-glucose medium as before. Our results indicate that in order to be repaired, ss DNA containing UV damage must be able to convert itself to a closed circular double stranded replicative form (RF) within the host cells escaping prior scission. The whole process of repair was found to be dependent on protein synthesis in the infected complexes.     

Mucous cells of the tracheobronchial tree in the ferret

Mucosubstances in the tracheobronchial tree of the ferret were studied histochemically. The submucous glands contained predominantly neutral mucins. Scattered between these were cells containing sulphated mucins and sialidase-labile and sialidase-resistant sialomucins. Most of the goblet cells in the trachea, as well as those in the bronchi and larger bronchioles, contained sulphated mucins. A smaller proportion of the goblet cells showed sialidase-labile and sialidase-resistant sialomucins. It will be interesting to see whether ferrets can be used to produce animal models for hypersecretory diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic bronchitis.     

Studies on the interaction of chlorpromazine with haemoglobin

The interaction of chlorpromazine (CPZ), a widely used antipsychotic tranquillizer, with the allosteric protein haemoglobin, has been studied by different methods. From r versus Cf plot obtained by an equilibrium dialysis experiment, the maximum value of r was found to be 6.8 at 0.15 M NaCl. Binding parameters, namely the affinity constant K and the degree of cooperativity nH, were determined from the Hill plot. Circular dichroism studies indicate a conformation change of haemoglobin in the presence of CPZ. Oxygen has been found to be released from haemoglobin with the progressive addition of CPZ. The extent of the release of oxygen depends on the stoichiometric ratio of CPZ: haemoglobin (D/P). The possible nature of the binding site of the protein has been discussed on the basis of the information obtained from fluorescence measurements.     

Ultrastructure of the ferret sublingual gland

The sublingual glands of 2 male and 2 female adult ferrets were examined using electron microscopy. The secretory end piece consisted of mucous tubules, serous and mixed acini. The mucous cells showed two different types of granules. The serous cells contained electron-dense secretory granules. The duct system entirely comprised excretory ducts.     

Is GABA Involved in the Development of Caffeine Tolerance?

Caffeine (10 or 20 mg/kg per day, po)-induced stimulation of locomotor activity (LA) reached its peak following 4 consecutive days of caffeine administration. Caffeine-induced stimulation of LA was restored to the control values following caffeine tolerance after 16 or 12 consecutive days of caffeine treatment at a dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg per day, po. Biochemical studies showed that caffeine in the nontolerant condition reduced GABAergic activity in cerebral cortex, corpus striaturn, cerebellum, hypothalamus and pons-medulla; but tolerance to caffeine (10 or 20 mg/kg per day, po) pushed up the GABAergic activity to the control value in all these regions of brain. Further, it was found that muscimol reduced the LA while bicuculline stimulated LA in the caffeine tolerant condition. Thus, from the present study it may be concluded that: (a) caffeine-induced stimulation of LA is dependent on dose and duration of caffeine treatment, (b) development of tolerance to caffeine is dependent on the dosage of caffeine, and (c) the reduction of central GABAergic activity in the caffeine-nontolerant condition pushed up and restored the LA to the control level on the development of tolerance to caffeine.     

Higher environmental temperature-induced increase in body temperature: Involvement of serotonin in GABA mediated interaction of opioidergic system

Exposure (2 h) of adult male albino rats to higher environmental temperature (HET, 40°C) significantly increased body temperature (BT). Administration of (a) 5-HTP (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or morphine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or physostigmine (0.2 mg/kg, i.p.) alone significantly increased and (b) methysergide (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or naloxone (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or atropine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced the BT of both normal and HET exposed rats. Further, it was observed that morphine prevented the methysergide-induced hypothermia and 5-HTP potentiated the morphine-induced hyperthermia in both normal and HET exposed conditions. Biochemical study also indicates that serotonin metabolism was increased but GABA utilization was reduced following exposure to HET. 5-HTP or bicuculline-induced hyperthermia in control and HET exposed rat was potentiated with the coadministration of bicuculline and 5-HTP. The cotreatment of bicuculline with methysergide prevented the methysergide-induced attenuation of BT of heat exposed rat, rather BT was significantly enhanced indicating that inhibition of GABA system under heat exposed condition may activate the serotonergic activity. Further (a) enhancement of (i) morphine-induced hyperthermia with physostigmine (ii) physostigmine- or morphine + physostigmine-induced increase of BT with 5-HTP and (b) reduction of (i) morphine- or morphine + 5-HTP-induced hyperthermia with atropine and (ii) atropine-induced hypothermia with 5-HTP in both normal and HET exposed conditions suggest that HET exposure activates the cholinergic system through the activation of opioidergic and serotonergic system and hence increased the BT. Thus, it may be concluded that there is an involvement of serotonergic regulation in the opioidergic-cholinergic interaction via GABA system in HET-induced increase in BT.     

Ultraviolet radiation response to the physical properties of the reconstituted nucleohistone

The effect of UV irradiation on the reconstituted nucleohistone have been studied with reference to its (nucleohistone) changes in physical properties, after irradiation at different UV doses. The rate of fall of specific viscosity ratio of the reconstituted nucleohistone as a function of UV dose decreased gradually with the increasing histone to DNA weight ratio (r). This effect, was not observed when the histones remained dissociated from DNA, in high ionic strength (1.5 M NaCl). Histone-DNA complex (r=0.97) irradiated up to a dose of 3.6×10⁴ J/m² had a stable melting temperature unlike free DNA where UV irradiation lowered the melting temperature and the heterogeneous melting profiles were observed. Rate of formaldehyde reaction, with DNA recovered from the irradiated complex, was slower than that with native DNA treated at the same dose. All this suggested that the effect of UV in the DNA of the nucleohistone was less, compared to that in free DNA.