Isoproterenol-induced, lymphocyte-dependent hyperplasia of mouse salivary glands--a possible analog of a syngeneic mixed lymphocyte culture in vivo

T-cell phenotype that regulates isoproterenol-induced lymphocyte-dependent hyperplasia of mouse salivary glands and conditions of its activation has been investigated. Stimulated Thy-1 and Ly-1-positive cell populations proliferated in the medium supplemented with both interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). The inhibiting population was Thy-1 and Ly-2-positive, proliferating only in IL-2-containing medium. Both regulatory cell properties and the character of their activation are similar to those of lymphocytes that regulate syngeneic mixed lymphocyte culture. The regularities shown may reflect important processes of cell proliferation regulation in multicellular organisms.     

Study of the binding of iron ions by melanoprotein granules of the eye pigment epithelium using gamma-resonance spectroscopy

Interaction between Fe2+ ions and melanoproteid granules (MPG) of bovine eye pigment epithelium was studied by gammaresonance spectroscopy. MPG was found to form complexes with bi- and three-valent ferrum ions. MPG can both directly bind Fe2+ ions and oxidize them Fe3+ inactive in prooxidant state and bind the latter. The activity of ferrum ion binding increases when suspension is illuminated with visible light and pH of the incubation solution increases. The protein part of MPG does not participate in the complex formation with ferrum ions. The complex formation proceeds mainly by carboxyl, amino- and imino-groups of melanin polymer.     

Effect of melanin on the free-radical states of gamma-irradiated proteins and lipids

It was shown that the concentration of paramagnetic centres of dihydroxyphenylalanine-melanin increased after gamma-irradiation (60Co) both at room temperature (an irreversible increase) and at 77 K (a reversible increase). The accumulation of paramagnetic centres in gamma-irradiated albumin at room temperature was found to slow down appreciably in the presence of melanin. This effect is thought to be associated with the antiradical activity of the pigment.     

Severe Painful Vaso-Occlusive Crises and Mortality in a Contemporary Adult Sickle Cell Anemia Cohort Study

Background

Frequent painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) were associated with mortality in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD) over twenty years ago. Modern therapies for sickle cell anemia (SCA) like hydroxyurea are believed to have improved overall patient survival. The current study sought to determine the relevance of the association between more frequent VOCs and death and its relative impact upon overall mortality compared to other known risk factors in a contemporary adult SCA cohort.

Methods

Two hundred sixty four SCA adults were assigned into two groups based on patient reported outcomes for emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations for painful VOC treatment during the 12 months prior to evaluation.

Results

Higher baseline hematocrit (p = 0.0008), ferritin (p = 0.005), and HDL cholesterol (p = 0.01) were independently associated with 1 or more painful VOCs requiring an ED visit or hospitalization for acute pain. During a median follow-up of 5 years, mortality was higher in the ED visit/hospitalization group (relative risk [RR] 2.68, 95% CI 1.1-6.5, p = 0.03). Higher tricuspid regurgitatant jet velocity (TRV) (RR 2.41, 95% CI 1.5-3.9, p < 0.0001), elevated ferritin (RR 4.00, 95% CI 1.8-9.0, p = 0.001) and lower glomerular filtration rate (RR=2.73, 95% CI 1.6-4.6, p < 0.0001) were also independent risk factors for mortality.

Conclusions

Severe painful VOCs remain a marker for SCA disease severity and premature mortality in a modern cohort along with other known risk factors for death including high TRV, high ferritin and lower renal function. The number of patient reported pain crises requiring healthcare utilization is an easily obtained outcome that could help to identify high risk patients for disease modifying therapies.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00011648 http://clinicaltrials.gov/     

Vertebrate Eye Melanosomes and Invertebrate Eye Ommochromes as Antioxidant Cell Organelles: Part 2

Biology Bulletin - A review of our own data and published material on the screening pigments of the eyes of vertebrates and invertebrates and the human eye, i.e., melanosomes and ommochromes, is...     

Effects of medium viscosity on kinetics of the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by bacterial RNase

Effects of medium viscosity on kinetic parameters of poly(U) hydrolysis catalyzed by RNase from Bac. intermedius 7P (binase) were studied in solutions of sucrose (4-50 wt. %) and glycerol (35-62 wt. %) in Tris--sodium acetate buffer (pH 7.5) at 25 degreesC. The rate constant of reaction kcat was practically unchanged over a wide range of viscosities (1-15 cP for sucrose and 2.5-3 cP for glycerol). In glycerol solutions, kcat slightly increased with viscosity increase from 4 to 10 cP. Addition of NaCl to the buffer medium resulted in an inhibitory effect of Na+ on kcat, prevented by 50% sucrose or 60% glycerol. It is concluded that binase-catalyzed poly(U) cleavage occurs through a "tense"-substrate mechanism, similarly to reactions catalyzed by alpha-chymotrypsin, trypsin, and laccase.     

A web server to locate periodicities in a sequence

Summary : FT is a tool written in C++, which implements the Fourier analysis method to locate periodicities in aminoacid or DNA sequences. It is provided for free public use on a WWW server with a Java interface. Availability : The server address is http://o2.db. uoa.gr/FT Contact : shamodr@atlas.uoa.gr      

The accumulation of lipid peroxidation products in the eye structures of mice under whole-body x-ray irradiation

In studying the effect of whole-body X-irradiation on the accumulation of lipid peroxidation products (conjugated dienes, TBA-active products, and Schiff bases) in retina and retinal pigmented epithelium of pigmented and nonpigmented mice it was shown that irradiation of dark-pigmented mice does not cause even a slight accumulation of lipid peroxidation products as compared to that in the controls. Albino mice exhibited a marked increase in the level of lipid peroxidation products which was manifested soon after irradiation and persisted for at least 3 months after irradiation. Melanine is suggested to participate in protecting eye structures against pro-oxidizing action of ionizing radiation.     

Comparative study of spectral and antioxidant properties of pigments from the eyes of two Mysis relicta (Crustacea, Mysidacea) populations, with different light damage resistance

Retinal visual and screening pigments of two populations (one marine and the other freshwater) of the opossum shrimp Mysis relicta Lovén (Crustacea, Mysidacea), which have different ocular tolerance to light, was investigated. Visual pigments were extracted by detergent and their bleaching difference spectra were determined. The difference between the visual pigment absorption maximum of the two populations correlated with their difference in spectral sensitivity. Using buffer or neutral methanol, a yellow pigment was extracted which had absorption maxima at 440 nm and 325 nm and bright blue fluorescence (λ_max 415 nm). A screening pigment (ommochrome) with maximum at 525 nm was extracted by acid methanol, and was probably related to the group of ommines. The eyes of the lake population had 1.8–2.7 times less of this pigment than the eyes of the sea population. The sea population is more resistant to photo-induced accumulation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in eye tissues. This resistance may be due to the higher ommochrome content. Accepted: 8 December 1998