Effect of photoperiod on development and fecundity in the flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella

Examination was made of the effect of alternating light and darkness (LD 12:12) and constant light (LL) conditions on length of development and fecundity of the moth, Ephestia kuehniella. It was found the conditions applied cause acceleration of larval development on an average by 3 days in comparison with development under constant darkness conditions (DD). The fecundity of the insects examined decreases considerably under the experimental conditions.When pharate adults are kept in light for 18 hr per 24-hr period on the 6th to 7th day of their development, males incapable of fertilizing females are produced.     

VEGF receptor 2/‐3 heterodimers detected in situ by proximity ligation on angiogenic sprouts

The vascular endothelial growth factors VEGFA and VEGFC are crucial regulators of vascular development. They exert their effects by dimerization and activation of the cognate receptors VEGFR2 and VEGFR3. Here, we have used in situ proximity ligation to detect receptor complexes in intact endothelial cells. We show that both VEGFA and VEGFC potently induce formation of VEGFR2/‐3 heterodimers. Receptor heterodimers were found in both developing blood vessels and immature lymphatic structures in embryoid bodies. We present evidence that heterodimers frequently localize to tip cell filopodia. Interestingly, in the presence of VEGFC, heterodimers were enriched in the leading tip cells as compared with trailing stalk cells of growing sprouts. Neutralization of VEGFR3 to prevent heterodimer formation in response to VEGFA decreased the extent of angiogenic sprouting. We conclude that VEGFR2/‐3 heterodimers on angiogenic sprouts induced by VEGFA or VEGFC may serve to positively regulate angiogenic sprouting.     

Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide interferes with salivary mucin synthesis through inducible nitric oxide synthase activation by ERK and p38 kinase

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative periodontopathic bacterium colonizing the oral cavity and its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a key factor in the development of periodontitis. We investigated the effect of P. gingivalis LPS on the cellular responses associated with mucin synthesis in sublingual salivary gland acinar cells. Exposure of the acinar cells to the LPS led to a dose-dependent decrease in mucin synthesis and was accompanied by a massive induction in inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS-2) activity and the increase in NO production, caspase-3 activity and apoptosis. Inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) with PD98059 accelerated the LPS-induced decrease in the glycoprotein synthesis and caused further increase in apoptosis and NOS-2 activity, while the blockade of p38 mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) with SB203580 countered the LPS-induced reduction in the glycoprotein synthesis and obviated the induced increases in NOS-2 and apoptosis. Introduction of NOS-2 inhibitor, L-NAME, not only countered the LPS-induced increase in NO generation, caspase-3 activity and apoptosis, but caused the impedance of the LPS inhibition on mucin synthesis. The findings point to the upregulation in NOS-2 expression by P. gingivalis LPS as a key detrimental culprit affecting salivary mucin synthesis.     

Biphasic role of platelet-activating factor in oral mucosal ulcer healing

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent phospholipid-derived messenger molecule involved in a number of pathological conditions, including mediation of inflammatory cascades associated with wound healing. We investigated prophylactic and therapeutic effects of a specific PAF antagonist, BN52020, on the course of experimentally induced oral mucosal ulcer healing. The prophylactic BN52020 administration produced an accelerated ulcer healing that was characterized by a marked induction in COX-2 enzyme protein expression and the substantial decline in apoptosis, TNF-alpha, and NOS-2 activity. A delay in ulcer healing, however, occurred with the therapeutic BN52020 administration, and this effect of the agent was reflected in a decreased expression of COX-2 protein, higher rate of apoptosis, and the elevated level of TNF-alpha and NOS-2. Our findings implicate PAF requirement in orderly progression of the events involved in oral tissue repair, and suggest that the interference with its actions during healing process results in the suppression of COX-2-derived anti-inflammatory prostaglandins that delay the mucosal repair.     

Impedance of Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide interference with gastric mucin synthesis by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma activation involves phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/ERK pathway

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) plays a critical role in the regulation of the expression of genes associated with inflammation. In this study, we report that PPARgamma activation leading to the impedance of H. pylori lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inhibitory effect on gastric mucin synthesis occurs with the involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. Using gastric mucosal cells in culture, we show that activation of PPARgamma with a specific synthetic agonist, ciglitazone, prevents in a dose-dependent fashion (up to 90.2%) the LPS-induced reduction in mucin synthesis, and the effect is reflected in a marked decrease in the LPS-induced apoptosis (72.4%), NO generation (80.1%), and the expression of NOS-2 activity (90%). The impedance by ciglitazone of the LPS-induced reduction in mucin synthesis was blocked by wortmannin, a specific inhibitor of P13K and PD98059, an inhibitor of ERK. Both inhibitors, moreover, caused further enhancement in the LPS-induced NO generation and countered the inhibitory effect of ciglitazone on the LPS-induced upregulation in NOS-2. Our findings point to PI3K and ERK as mediators of PPARgamma agonist effect leading to the impedance of H. pylori LPS inhibition on gastric mucin synthesis.     

Selenium level in benign and cancerous prostate

The dietary microelement selenium (Se) has been proposed as a potential chemopreventive agent for prostate cancer. This element is present in various amounts in all tissues. Little information is available on Se level in patients with prostate gland disorders. The levels of Se in prostatic gland of patients with prostate cancer, benign prostate hyperplasia, and healthy controls were examined. The Se level for benign prostate hyperplasia (156±30.6 ng/g) was the same as in the control group (157±26.0 ng/g), but in the gland of prostate cancer patients (182±34.1 ng/g wet weight), the Se level was significantly (p<0.01) higher than in both healthy controls and benign prostate hyperplasia. Thus, the Se level in human healthy controls is lower than in kidney and liver but higher compared with other tissues.     

Role of leptin in modulation of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide-induced up-regulation of endothelin-1 in salivary gland acinar cells

Leptin, a pleiotropic cytokine that regulates food intake and metabolic and endocrine responses, has emerged recently as an important regulator of mucosal inflammatory responses to bacterial infection. In this study, we report that in sublingual salivary gland acinar cells leptin plays a role in the suppression of up-regulation in endothelin-1 (ET-1), induced by the LPS of a periodontopathic bacterium P. gingivalis. We show that P. gingivalisLPS detrimental effect on salivary mucin synthesis, associated with up-regulation (3.9-fold) in ET-1 generation and the enhancement (3.2-fold) in endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) activity, was subject to a dose-dependent suppression by leptin. The impedance by leptin of the LPS inhibitory effect on mucin synthesis was blocked by wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3K, as well as by ERK inhibitor, PD98059. However, while the blockade of ERK led also to amplification in the impedance by leptin of the LPS-induced expression of ECE-1 and ET-1, the effect was not observed in the presence of wortmannin. The findings are the first to demonstrate that leptin counters the pathological consequences of P. gingivalisinfection on the synthesis of salivary mucin through the involvement in signaling events of PI3K and ERK pathways. We also show that the ERK cascade represents a critical signaling target for leptin in the LPS-induced up-regulation in ET-1.     

Homeostatic restitution of cell membranes. Nuclear membrane lipid biogenesis and transport of protein from cytosol to intranuclear spaces

Our studies on homeostatic restitution of cellular and subcellular membranes showed that vesicular intracellular transport is engaged in systematic and coordinated replacement of lipids and proteins in the membranes of the secretory, non-dividing epithelial cells (Slomiany et al., J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 2004; 55: 837-860). In this report, we present evidence on the homeostatic restitution of lipids in the biomembranes that constitute nuclear envelopes. We investigated nuclear membranes lipid synthesis by employing purified intact nuclei (IN), the outer nuclear membrane (ONM), the inner nuclear membrane (INM) and the cell cytosol (CC). In contrast to Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) which in the presence of CC generates new biomembrane that forms ER vesicles transporting ER products to Golgi, the IN, ONM and INM are not producing transport vesicles. Instead, the newly synthesized lipids remain in the nuclear membranes. The membranes (INM, ONM) of IN incubated with CC become enriched with newly synthesized phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs) and phosphatidic acid (PA). The incubation of separated ONM and INM with CC also enriched the membranes with IN specific lipids identified above. Moreover, the incubation of IN or its membranes with CC afforded retention of numerous CC proteins on the nuclear membrane. Here, we concentrated on 30kDa CC protein that displayed affinity to nuclear membrane PIP2. The 30kDa CC protein bound to PIP2 of IN, INM, and ONM. With IN, initially the PIP2-30kDa CC protein complex was detected on ONM, after 30-120 min of incubation, was found on INM and in nuclear contents. At the same time when the 30 kDa protein was released from INM and found in nuclear contents, the PIP2 of INM and ONM became undetectable, while the lipid extract from the membrane displaced from IN contained labeled PI only. Since ONM is an uninterrupted continuum of ER and INM, we speculate that the synthesis of the lipids in the ER, in the region adjacent to nucleus, is defining nuclear outer and inner biomembrane composition, is responsible for transport of the cytosolic protein into the nucleus and, replenishment of ER membrane used for vesicular transport.     

Selenium and glutathione peroxidases in blood of patients with different stages of chronic renal failure

In patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) Se concentration in blood components is usually lower as compared with healthy controls. One of the five known forms of Se-dependent glutathione peroxidases (GSH-Px), the plasma GSH-Px, is synthesized primarily in the kidney. In CRF patients, plasma GSH-Px activity is reduced and the reduction increases with the progress of the disease.

The Se concentration in blood components was measured spectrofluorometrically with 2,3-diaminonaphthalene as complexing reagent. Activities of GSH-Px in red cells and in plasma were assayed by the coupled method with t-butyl hydroperoxide as substrate. The study group consisted of 150 patients in different stages of CRF. The results were compared with the values for 30 healthy subjects.

Se concentrations in whole blood and plasma of the entire group of patients were significantly lower (p < 0.01) as compared with the healthy subjects. In the incipient stage, however, the Se levels in all blood components were non-significantly lower. In whole blood and plasma the Se levels gradually decreased, reaching in the end stage values that were lower by 29 to 32% (p < 0.0001) as compared with the control group. Total protein and albumin levels in plasma of patients were significantly lower (p < 0.0001) as compared with healthy subjects and they decreased linearly with the progress of the disease. Positive and highly significant correlations were noted between total plasma protein and plasma Se concentrations (p < 0.0001) as well as between plasma albumin and plasma Se concentrations (p < 0.0001).

Red cell GSH-Px activity in the entire group of patients was lower (p < 0.05) than in the control group and did not change significantly with the progress of the disease. In plasma, however, GSH-Px activity of the entire group was lower by 33% (p < 0.0001) as compared with healthy subjects and decreased gradually with increasing renal failure. Highly significant, inverse correlations were seen between creatinine levels and plasma GSH-Px activities (p < 0.0001) as well as between urea nitrogen levels and plasma GSH-Px activities (p < 0.0001) when all stages of the disease were included.

In conclusion, patients with CRF exhibit lower Se levels in blood components as compared with healthy subjects. In whole blood and plasma these levels decrease with the progress of the disease. Plasma GSH-Px activity in patients was extremely reduced and it dramatically decreased with the progress of the illness.