Alkaloids from Papaver fugax of Turkish origin

Thebaine, narcotine, rhoeadine and armepavine were identified in the aerial parts of Papaver fugax of Turkish origin.     

ST-segment elevation associated with allergic reaction to echocardiographic contrast agent administration

We report a case of an allergic reaction after the administration of an echocardiographic contrast agent which resulted in ST-segment elevation. Hypersensitivity and allergic reactions are known causes of acute cardiovascular events. However, only limited reports are available which suggest the exact mechanism of the occurrence of angina or myocardial infarction during severe allergic reactions. In our case, through invasive imaging (coronary angiography and IVUS) we have shown for the first time a transient coronary spasm in the absence of intra-coronary thrombus and only minimal neointimal hyperplasia.     

SUMOylation and PARylation cooperate to recruit and stabilize SLX4 at DNA damage sites

SUMOylation plays important roles in the DNA damage response. However, whether it is important for interstrand crosslink repair remains unknown. We report that the SLX4 nuclease scaffold protein is regulated by SUMOylation. We have identified three SUMO interaction motifs (SIMs) in SLX4, mutating all of which abrogated the binding of SLX4 to SUMO-2 and covalent SLX4 SUMOylation. An SLX4 mutant lacking functional SIMs is not recruited to PML nuclear bodies nor stabilized at laser-induced DNA damage sites. Additionally, we elucidated a novel role for PARylation in the recruitment of SLX4 to sites of DNA damage. Combined, our results uncover how SLX4 is regulated by post-translational modifications.     

The effect of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor soon after hypoxia-ischemia on heart in neonatal rats

AimsPerinatal hypoxic-ischemic insult has acute and long term deleterious effects on many organs including heart. Although tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) has been reported to increase soon after hypoxia, the inhibition of this mediator has not been documented. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a TNF-α inhibitor (etanercept) on contractility and ultrastructure of rat heart muscles exposed to hypoxia-ischemia during neonatal period.Main methodsForty-five seven-day old rats divided into three groups were included in this study. The right carotid arteries of Saline and Etanercept groups of rats were ligated and kept in a hypoxia chamber containing 8% oxygen for 2 h. Immediately after hypoxia, while Etanercept group was administered 10 mg/kg etanercept, Saline group had only saline intraperitoneally. The carotid arteries of rats in Sham group were located without ligation and hypoxia. Mechanical activity of heart was recorded and tissue samples were examined by electron microscopy in the sixteenth week following the hypoxia-ischemia.Key findingsWhile atrial contractile force in Etanercept group was similar to Sham group, there was significant decrease in Saline group (p < 0.001). However, there was only non-significant decrease in ventricular contractility of Saline group comparing to Sham group (p > 0.05). After hypoxia-ischemia, ultrastructural degenerative changes and mitochondrial damage in atriums of Etanercept group were significantly less severe than Saline group.SignificanceThis study demonstrated that neonatal hypoxia-ischemia caused long term cardiac dysfunction and ultrastructural degenerative changes in the heart of rats. TNF-α inhibitor administration soon after hypoxia-ischemia may have heart protective effect.     

Antigenotoxic properties of two newly synthesized β-aminoketones against N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and 9-aminoacridine-induced mutagenesis

The aim of this study was to determine the antigenotoxic potential of two newly synthesized β-aminoketones against N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and 9-aminoacridine (9-AA)-induced mutagenesis. The mutant bacterial tester strains were MNNG-sensitive Escherichia coli WP2 uvrA and 9-AA-sensitive Salmonella typhimurium TA1537. Both test compounds showed significant antimutagenic activity at various tested concentrations. The inhibition rates ranged from 29.5% (compound 1: 2 mM/plate) to 47.5% (compound 2: 1.5 mM/plate) for MNNG and from 25.0% (compound 2: 1 mM/plate) to 52.1% (compound 2: 2.5 mM/plate) for 9-AA genotoxicity. Moreover, the mutagenicity of the test compounds was investigated by using the same strains. Neither test compound has mutagenic properties on the bacterial strains at the tested concentrations. Thus, the findings of the present study give valuable information about chemical prevention from MNNG and 9-AA genotoxicity by using synthetic β-aminoketones.     

Controlling filamentous fungi morphology with microparticles to enhanced β-mannanase production

β-mannanase was produced mainly by Aspergillus species and can degrade the β-1,4-mannose linkages of galactomannans. This study was undertaken to enhance mannanase production using talcum and aluminum oxide as the microparticles, which control cell morphology of recombinant Aspergillus sojae in glucose and carob extract medium. Both microparticles improved fungal growth in glucose and carob pod extract medium. Aluminum oxide (1 g/L) was the best agent for glucose medium which resulted in 514.0 U/ml. However, the highest mannanase activity was found as 568.7 U/ml with 5 g/L of talcum in carob extract medium. Increase in microparticle concentration resulted in decreasing the pellet size diameter. Furthermore, more than 10 g/L of talcum addition changed the filamentous fungi growth type from pellet to pellet/mycelium mixture. Results showed that right type and concentration of microparticle in fermentation media improved the mannanase activity and production rate by controlling the growth morphology.     

Activating and inhibitory Fcγ receptors in rheumatoid arthritis: from treatment to targeted therapies

Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) bind the constant Fc region of IgG molecules. IgG/antigen-containing immune complexes elicit a variety of effector functions in cells that express activating FcγRs. Because activating FcγRs are present on cells from the innate immune system, such as dendritic cells, monocytes/macrophages and granulocytes, these IgG receptors form a crucial link between the innate and the acquired immune systems. Recently, the ability to detect the inhibitory FcγRIIb on cells has indicated an imbalance between activating and inhibitory FcγRs in rheumatoid arthritis. This progress offers an opportunity to study modulation of FcγR balance and could stimulate development of FcγR-directed immunotherapy.     

Antagonistic Activity of Neocosmospora vasinfecta var. africana (von Arx) Cannon & Hawksworth against Soil-borne Fungi

An isolate of Neocosmospora vasinfecta var. africana (F-2) was assayed for its antagonistic activity against 15 soil-borne fungi; 14 of them were important plant pathogens. The fungus exhibited a strong antibiotic effect against most of the fungi under test. While Pythium debaryanum, Macrophomina phaseolina, Phytophthora capsici, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Cochliobolus sativus and Alternaria alternata showed a very high degree of sensitivity as evidenced by the respectivezones of inhibition caused by the antagonist, Phoma betae, Rhizoctonia solani and Verticillium dahliae proved to be the most resistant. A mutual antibiosis existed between N. vasinfecta var. africana and five of the test fungi. The culture filtrate of the antagonist, diluted ten times with PDA, suppressed the mycelial growth of P. debaryanum and P. capsici completely. Whereas in this test R. solani proved to be the least sensitive, the remaining test fungi showed some differences in their susceptibility, but in any case their growth was inhibited significantly as compared to the controls.     

Length variation and secondary structure of introns in the Mlc1 gene in six species of Drosophila

A nearly universal feature of intron sequences is that even closely related species exhibit a large number of insertion/deletion differences. The goal of the analysis described here is to test whether the observed pattern of insertion/deletion events in the genealogy of the myosin alkali light chain (Mlc1) gene is consistent with neutrality, and if not, to determine the underlying forces of evolutionary change. Mlc1 pre-mRNA is alternatively spliced, and one constraint is that signals necessary for tissue-specificity of directed splicing must be conserved. If the total length of an intron is functionally constrained, then the distribution of indels on branches of the gene genealogy should reflect a departure from randomness. Here we perform a phylogenetic analysis, inferring ancestral states wherever possible on a phylogeny of 29 alleles of Mlc1 from six species of Drosophila. Observed patterns of indels on the genealogy were compared to those from simulated data, with the result that we cannot reject the null hypothesis of neutrality. A clear departure from a neutral prediction was seen in the excess folding free energy predicted for the introns flanking the alternatively spliced exon. Relative rate tests also suggest a retardation in the rate of Mlc1 sequence evolution in the simulans clade.