Taurine supplementation induces multidrug resistance protein 2 and bile salt export pump expression in rats and prevents endotoxin-induced cholestasis

The effect of oral taurine supplementation on endotoxin-induced cholestasis was investigated in rat liver. At 12h following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection (4mg/kg body weight i.p.) bile flow and bromosulfophthalein (BSP) and taurocholate (TC) excretion were determined in the perfused liver and the expression of the canalicular transporters multidrug resistance protein 2 (Mrp2) and bile salt export pump (Bsep) was analyzed. Injection of LPS induced a significant decrease of bile flow ( 2.2+/-0.2 microl/g liver wet weight/min vs 3.3+/-0.1 microl/g liver wet weight in controls), biliary BSP excretion (10.8+/-2.2 nmol/g/min vs 21.0+/-3.8 nmol/g/min), and biliary TC excretion (114+/-23 nmol/g/min vs 228+/-8 nmol/g/min). These effects were due to transporter retrieval from the canalicular membrane and downregulation of Mrp2 and Bsep expression. In taurine-supplemented rats bile flow was 30% higher than that in untreated rats and the expression of Mrp2 and Bsep protein was increased two- to threefold. In taurine-supplemented rats there was no significant reduction of bile flow or of BSP and TC excretion at 12h following LPS injection. This protective effect of taurine was due to higher Mrp2 and Bsep protein levels compared to nonsupplemented LPS-treated rats, whereas relative Mrp2 retrieval from the canalicular membrane induced by LPS was not significantly different. LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1beta release were lower in taurine-fed rats; however, downregulation of Mrp2 and Bsep expression by LPS was delayed but not prevented. The data show that oral supplementation of taurine induces Mrp2 and Bsep expression and may prevent LPS-induced cholestasis.     

Comparison of the effects of glutamine and an amino acid solution on post-thawed ram sperm parameters,lipid peroxidation and anti-oxidant activities

Ram semen contains sufficient quantities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and much lower concentrations of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase (CAT) to prevent oxidative damage. The anti-oxidant capacity of the sperm cell is limited, due to a small cytoplasmic component, which contains these anti-oxidants to scavenge the oxidants. However, the concentration of these anti-oxidants may decrease considerably by the dilution of the semen. The aim of the present work was to study the effect of two anti-oxidants, namely, glutamine and an amino acid solution (BME) in a Tris-based extender on ram sperm parameters, lipid peroxidation and anti-oxidant capacity after the cryopreservation/thawing process. Ejaculates collected from 4 Akkaraman rams were evaluated and pooled at 37 °C. Semen samples which were diluted with the tris-based extender containing glutamine (2.5 or 5 mM), BME (13 or 26%), and no anti-oxidants (control) were cooled to 5 °C and frozen in 0.25-ml French straws and stored in liquid nitrogen. Frozen straws were thawed individually at 37 °C for 20 s in a water bath for evaluation. The freezing extender supplemented with 5 mM glutamine led to higher motility rate (68.0 ± 4.4%) and hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) (64.1 ± 5.5%), when compared to glutamine (2.5 mM) and BME (13 and 26%) (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed regarding sperm motility and HOST, following the supplementation of the freezing extender with glutamine 2.5 mM and BME (13 and 26%) after thawing. CAT activity remained significantly higher following the addition of glutamine 5 mM (6.4 ± 0.9 kU/g protein), compared to the other treatments (P < 0.01). The anti-oxidants at different levels were not effective in the elimination of malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and maintenance of SOD activities, when compared to the control (P < 0.05). Findings showed that glutamine (5 mM) supplementation in semen extenders, was of greater benefit to frozen–thawed ram sperm. Future efforts are needed to find the appropriate anti-oxidants and their effective concentrations to improve post-thaw sperm parameters (e.g. motility, membrane integrity, fertility) and anti-oxidant activities when frozen–thawed ram sperm is used.     

Changes in Liver Tissue Trace Element Concentrations During Hepatitis B Viral Infection Treatment

Biological Trace Element Research - Approximately 350–400 million people in the world have Hbs Ag (hepatitis B virus surface antigen) positivity. In the international guidelines, the...     

Effect of glutamine and sugars after bull spermatozoa cryopreservation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of different sugars (raffinose, sucrose, and trehalose) on bull spermatozoa cryopreserved in a commercial extender (Optidyl) supplemented with glutamine on semen parameters, fertilizing ability and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Nine ejaculates for each bull were used in the study. Semen was frozen in five different extenders: raffinose 25 mM plus glutamine 3 mM (RGO), sucrose 25 mM plus glutamine 3 mM (SGO), trehalose 25 mM plus glutamine 3 mM (TGO), glutamine 3 mM (GO) and control (O). Insemination doses were processed so that each 0.25 mL straw contained 15 x 10⁶sperm. Groups of GO and RGO resulted in the higher rates of subjective (54.0 ± 1.7% and 64.0 ± 1.1%; P < 0.01) and CASA motilities (53.0 ± 2.7% and 61.0 ± 4.4%; P < 0.001), respectively compared to the other groups. The supplementation of additives did not provide an effect on the level of post-thaw sperm CASA progressive motilities, the sperm motion characteristics and pregnancy rates. GO and RGO provided the better protective effect for sperm acrosome (4.0 ± 0.5% and 12.0 ± 0.6%) and total abnormalities (5.0 ± 0.3% and 13.0 ± 0.7%; P < 0.001), respectively. At the HOST values, the additives did not give to result the protective effect in comparison to Optydil extender without additives (P > 0.05). For pregnancy rates, there were no significant differences among the groups. The supplementation of additives did not provide any significant difference on the level of SOD activity (P > 0.05). It can be also thought that these sugars might have worked with glutamine in a synergy. Thereby, sugars such as raffinose and sucrose with glutamine in freezing extender may be recommended to facilitate bull semen freezability.     

Long-range order of nucleic acids in aqueous solutions

The structural order of short nucleic acid fragments (having a mean length of 170 nm) in aqueous solution in the presence of high magnetic fields (up to 18.5 tesla) has been investigated by small-angle neutron scattering, light diffraction and by precision measurements of the magnetic birefringence. Our data give clear evidence that, above a critical concentration, the semi-rigid electrically charged fragments arrange themselves into a periodic lattice having an interparticle spacing of ～6 nm. Neighbouring rods show a nearly parallel orientation, but a slight twist seems to exist, leading to a well defined pitch of the order of 1000 nm, which gives rise to a strong diffraction of visible light. The unexpectedly low saturation of the birefringence in the high magnetic field, however, indicates that the order is not of the simple cholesteric type. The forces which are responsible for inducing the twist across the large interparticle distance are mainly anisotropic Van der Waals forces.     

Second generation biosensors.

Enzyme-membrane electrodes using glucose oxidase in combination with peroxide detection dominate in the field of laboratory analyzers for diluted samples. Using the same indication principle, extremely fast responding glucose sensors have been fabricated by covering thin metal electrodes with a porous enzyme layer. In the second generation auxiliary enzymes and/or co-reactants are coimmobilized with the analyte converting enzyme in order to improve the analytical quality and to simplify the performance. Following this line oxidizable interferences are suppressed by using a glucose oxidase/peroxidase complex which communicates with the electrode at a low working potential. Furthermore, fluctuations of pH or buffer capacity are ineffective when using a glucose oxidase/peroxidase layer covered fluoride FET in the potentiometric glucose determination. Enzymatic recycling of the analyte and/or accumulation of intermediates increase the sensitivity by several orders of magnitude. Inclusion of NAD bound to PEG in the glucose dehydrogenase layer allows a reagentless glucose measurement.     

HP4 - and (CH2)P3 - Anions Form Four-membered Rings with an Allyl Moiety – An ab initio/NMR study

On the energy hypersurfaces of the anions HP₄ ^- and CH₂P₃ ^- at the RMP2(fc) /6-31+G(d) level, the isomers with triphosphaallyl moiety are the lowest energy structures. For these free 1-X-2,4-(P_B)₂-3-P_A ^- anions characteristic ³¹P NMR chemical shifts, are predicted to be (for X = PH, 1, ³¹P(P_A) = 517, ³¹P(P_B) = 424, and ³¹P(P_X) = 50; for X = CH₂, 4, ³¹P(P_A) = 611, ³¹P(P_B) = 450). The observed _exp ³¹P values for HP₄ ^- (Na/K, DME) completely disagree with the ³¹P calculated at GIAO/MP2/6-311+G(d) //RMP2(fc) /6-31+G(d) for structure 1. The rotational average of the phosphinidyltriphosphirene structures (P₃-PH^-, 3) agree better with the _exp ³¹P than those with a bicyclo[1.1.0]hydrogentetraphosphanide backbone, 2. MO analysis can rationalize the extreme endo/exo effect (³¹P = 455 ppm) on the chemical shift in the exocyclic PH group of 3. The lowest energy geometry of the anion 3 has E_rel of 31 kJ mol^-1 relative to 1. The most favored 3 + Na⁺ structure is only 15 kJ mol^-1 above the lowest energy HP₄Na minimum, 2 + Na⁺ with Na⁺ in endo and H in exo orientation of the bicyclo-P₄ framework (E_rel of 1 + Na⁺ is 13 kJ mol^-1). In most HP₄Na structures the Na⁺ changes the ³¹P NMR chemical shifts towards higher field with respect to the bare anions.Electronic Supplementary Material available.     

Interleukin-10-1082 gene polymorphism is associated with papillary thyroid cancer

The etiopathogenesis of thyroid cancer has not been clearly elucidated although the role of chronical inflammation and the imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines may play a role in the etiology. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether cytokine gene polymorphisms are associated with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and to evaluate the relationship between genotypes and clinical/laboratory manifestation of PTC. Tumor necrosis factorα (TNFα) G-308A (rs 1800629), interleukin-6 (IL-6) G-174C (rs 1800795) and IL-10 A-1082G (rs 1800896) single nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes of 190 patients with thyroid cancer and 216 healthy controls were investigated by real-time PCR combined with melting curve analysis. There was no notable risk for PTC afflicted by TNFα-308 and IL-6-174 alone. However, IL-10-1082 G allele frequency were higher among PTC patients than healthy controls (p = 0.009). The patients with IL-10-1082 GG geotype have twofold increased risk of developing thyroid cancer according to AA genotype (OR 2.07, 95 % CI 1.21–3.55). In addition, the concomitant presence of IL-10-1082 G allele (GG + AG genotypes) together with IL-6 -174 GG genotype has a nearly twofold increased risk for thyroid cancer (OR 1.75 with 95 % CI 1.00–3.05, p = 0.049). We suggest that IL-10-1082 G allele is associated with an increased risk of PTC. The polymorphism of IL-10 gene can improve our knowledge about the pathogenesis of PTC, and could provide to estimate people at the increased risk for PTC.     

Effect of carnosine alone or combined with α-tocopherol on hepatic steatosis and oxidative stress in fructose-induced insulin-resistant rats

A diet high in fructose (HFr) induces insulin resistance in animals. Free radicals are involved in the pathogenesis of HFr-induced insulin resistance. Carnosine (CAR) is a dipeptide with antioxidant properties. We investigated the effect of CAR alone or in combination with α-tocopherol (CAR?+?TOC) on HFr-induced insulin-resistant rats. Rats fed with HFr containing 60 % fructose received CAR (2 g/L in drinking water) with/without TOC (200 mg/kg, i.m. twice a week) for 8 weeks. Insulin resistance, serum lipids, inflammation markers, hepatic lipids, lipid peroxides, and glutathione (GSH) levels together with glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase 1 (CuZnSOD; SOD1) activities and their protein expressions were measured. Hepatic histopathological examinations were performed. HFr was observed to cause insulin resistance, inflammation and hypertriglyceridemia, and increased triglyceride and lipid peroxide levels in the liver. GSH-Px activity and expression decreased, but GSH levels and SOD1 activity and expression did not alter in HFr rats. Hepatic marker enzyme activities in serum increased and marked macro- and microvesicular steatosis were seen in the liver. CAR treatment did not alter insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia, but it decreased steatosis and lipid peroxidation without any change in the antioxidant system of the liver. However, CAR?+?TOC treatment decreased insulin resistance, inflammation, hepatic steatosis, and lipid peroxidation and increased GSH-Px activity and expression in the liver. Our results may indicate that CAR?+?TOC treatment is more effective to decrease HFr-induced insulin resistance, inflammation, hepatic steatosis, and dysfunction and pro-oxidant status in rats than CAR alone.