The In Vitro and In Vivo Inhibitory Effects of Some Sulfonamide Derivatives on Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Erythrocyte Carbonic Anhydrase Activity

The in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects of 5-(3α, 12α-dihydroxy-5-β-cholanamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-sulfonamide (1), 5-(3α, 7α, 12α-trihydroxy-5-β-cholanamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-sulfonamide (2), 5-(3α, 7α, 12α-triacetoxy-5-β-cholanamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-sulfonamide (3) and acetazolamide on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (RT) erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase (CA) were investigated. The RT erythrocyte CA was obtained by affinity chromatography with a yield of 20.9%, a specific activity of 422.5?EU/mg protein and a purification of 222.4-fold. The purity of the enzyme was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. Inhibitory effects of the sulfonamides and acetazolamide on the RT erythrocyte CA were determined using the CO₂-Hydratase method in vitro and in vivo studies. From in vitro studies, it was found that all the compounds inhibited CA. The obtained I₅₀ value for the sulfonamides (1), (2) and (3) and acetazolamide were 0.83, 0.049, 0.82 and 0.052?μM, respectively. From in vivo studies, it was observed that CA was inhibited by the sulfonamides (1), (2) and (3) and acetazolamide.     

Lack of geographic variation in anonymous nuclear polymorphisms in the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica

Comparing geographic variation of noncoding nuclear DNA polymorphisms, which presumably are neutral to natural selection, with geographic variation of allozymes is potentially a good way to detect the effects of selection on allozyme polymorphisms. A previous study of four anonymous nuclear markers in the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica, found dramatic differences in allele frequency between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, 14 allozyme polymorphisms were fairly uniform in frequency between the two areas. This led to the conclusion that all of the allozyme polymorphisms were kept uniform in frequency by balancing selection. To test the robustness of this pattern, six additional anonymous nuclear DNA polymorphisms were surveyed in oysters from Panacea, Fla, and Charleston, S.C. on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, respectively. Unlike the previously studied DNA markers, the six DNA polymorphisms examined here show geographic variation that is not significantly greater than that of allozymes. The reason for the discrepancy between the two sets of DNA polymorphisms is unclear.      

Long-term landscape changes in vegetation structure: fire management in the wetlands of KwaMbonambi,South Africa

In wetlands the effects of fire on vegetation dynamics are somewhat uncertain. A change detection analysis in the herbaceous wetlands of KwaMbonambi, South Africa, which were subject to frequent fires, revealed that in 1937 the study area comprised grassland (69%), herbaceous wetland (25%), indigenous swamp forest (4%) and tree plantations (1%). However, by 1970, tree plantations occupied 78% of the landscape and grasslands and herbaceous wetlands had declined to 9% and 6%, respectively, whereas indigenous swamp forest had increased to 6%. By 2009 tree plantations had been removed from the wetland areas. Despite this opportunity for herbaceous wetlands to recover their historical extent, they decreased to only 2%, mostly changing to indigenous swamp forest or to an herbaceous/fern (Stenochlaena tenuifolia)/woodland mosaic. Fire records showed suppression of fire to be an important contributing factor, particularly in wetlands that had been disturbed by tree plantations, although subsequently removed. A pilot burning experiment revealed that S. tenuifolia did not inhibit fire. It is therefore practicable to increase fire frequency to prevent the mosaic developing into forest. A conceptual model of the influence of fire regime on wetland vegetation type is presented and priorities for further research on wetlands and fire are recommended.     

Sphingomyelinase Treatment Induces ATP-independent Endocytosis

ATP hydrolysis has been regarded as a general requirement for internalization processes in mammalian cells. We found, however, that treatment of ATP-depleted macrophages and fibroblasts with exogenous sphingomyelinase (SMase) rapidly induces formation of numerous vesicles that pinch off from the plasma membrane; the process is complete within 10 min after adding SMase. By electron microscopy, the SMase-induced vesicles are ~400 nm in diameter and lack discernible coats. 15–30% of plasma membrane is internalized by SMase treatment, and there is no detectable enrichment of either clathrin or caveolin in these vesicles. When ATP is restored to the cells, the SMase-induced vesicles are able to deliver fluid-phase markers to late endosomes/lysosomes and return recycling receptors, such as transferrin receptors, back to the plasma membrane. We speculate that hydrolysis of sphingomyelin on the plasma membrane causes inward curvature and subsequent fusion to form sealed vesicles. Many cell types express a SMase that can be secreted or delivered to endosomes and lysosomes. The hydrolysis of sphingomyelin by these enzymes is activated by several signaling pathways, and this may lead to formation of vesicles by the process described here.     

Role of ERO1-α–mediated stimulation of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor activity in endoplasmic reticulum stress–induced apoptosis

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress–induced apoptosis is involved in many diseases, but the mechanisms linking ER stress to apoptosis are incompletely understood. Based on roles for C/EPB homologous protein (CHOP) and ER calcium release in apoptosis, we hypothesized that apoptosis involves the activation of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) receptor (IP3R) via CHOP-induced ERO1-α (ER oxidase 1 α). In ER-stressed cells, ERO1-α is induced by CHOP, and small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown of ERO1-α suppresses apoptosis. IP3-induced calcium release (IICR) is increased during ER stress, and this response is blocked by siRNA-mediated silencing of ERO1-α or IP3R1 and by loss-of-function mutations in Ero1a or Chop. Reconstitution of ERO1-α in Chop^−/− macrophages restores ER stress–induced IICR and apoptosis. In vivo, macrophages from wild-type mice but not Chop^−/− mice have elevated IICR when the animals are challenged with the ER stressor tunicamycin. Macrophages from insulin-resistant ob/ob mice, another model of ER stress, also have elevated IICR. These data shed new light on how the CHOP pathway of apoptosis triggers calcium-dependent apoptosis through an ERO1-α–IP3R pathway.     

Extracellular Nampt promotes macrophage survival via a nonenzymatic interleukin-6/STAT3 signaling mechanism

Macrophages play key roles in obesity-associated pathophysiology, including inflammation, atherosclerosis, and cancer, and processes that affect the survival-death balance of macrophages may have an important impact on obesity-related diseases. Adipocytes and other cells secrete a protein called extracellular nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (eNampt; also known as pre-B cell colony enhancing factor or visfatin), and plasma levels of eNampt increase in obesity. Herein we tested the hypothesis that eNampt could promote cell survival in macrophages subjected to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a process associated with obesity and obesity-associated diseases. We show that eNampt potently blocks macrophage apoptosis induced by a number of ER stressors. The mechanism involves a two-step sequential process: rapid induction of interleukin 6 (IL-6) secretion, followed by IL-6-mediated autocrine/paracrine activation of the prosurvival signal transducer STAT3. The ability of eNampt to trigger this IL-6/STAT3 cell survival pathway did not depend on the presence of the Nampt enzymatic substrate nicotinamide in the medium, could not be mimicked by the Nampt enzymatic product nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), was not blocked by the Nampt enzyme inhibitor FK866, and showed no correlation with enzyme activity in a series of site-directed mutant Nampt proteins. Thus, eNampt protects macrophages from ER stress-induced apoptosis by activating an IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway via a nonenzymatic mechanism. These data suggest a novel action and mechanism of eNampt that could affect the balance of macrophage survival and death in the setting of obesity, which in turn could play important roles in obesity-associated diseases.     

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 inhibits scavenger receptor activity in THP-1 human macrophages.

The macrophage scavenger receptor, a 220-kDa trimeric membrane glycoprotein, mediates the internalization of modified forms of low density lipoprotein (LDL) such as acetyl-LDL and oxidized-LDL and thus is likely to play a key role in atheroma macrophage foam cell formation. In addition, recent evidence suggests that the scavenger receptor may be an important macrophage binding site for lipopolysaccharide involved in lipopolysaccharide scavenging by macrophages. However, little is known about the regulation of this important receptor. We now report that the induction of scavenger receptor activity (as measured by acetyl-LDL stimulation of intracellular cholesterol esterification) seen in phorbol ester-differentiated THP-1 human macrophages was completely suppressed to the level seen in undifferentiated THP-1 monocytes by picomolar concentrations of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1). 125I-Acetyl-LDL degradation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by TGF-beta 1, with maximal inhibition (approximately 70%) occurring at 24 pM TGF-beta 1. Scatchard analysis revealed that TGF-beta 1 treatment resulted in a approximately 2-fold decrease in receptor number, and Northern blot analysis of RNA isolated from differentiated THP-1 macrophages demonstrated approximately 2-fold less scavenger receptor mRNA in TGF-beta 1-treated cells compared with that in macrophages not treated with TGF-beta 1. Since TGF-beta 1 is thought to be present in both atherosclerotic and inflammatory lesions, the above findings may have physiological relevance regarding the regulation of atheroma foam cell formation and/or the regulation of lipopolysaccharide clearance by macrophages.