Regulation of aging and oxidative stress pathways in aged pancreatic islets using alpha-lipoic acid

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Oxidative stress has been involved in the aging process and the pathogenesis of type-2 diabetes, which is a serious health problem worldwide. This study...     

Safety and efficacy of granulocyte–colony-stimulating factor administration following autologous intramuscular implantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells: a randomized controlled trial in patients with advanced lower limb ischemia

Background aimsThe aim was to investigate the therapeutic effect of granulocyte–colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration following implantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM MNC) for patients with lower limb ischemia.MethodsThe design was a randomized controlled trial. Fifteen patients with severe chronic limb ischemia were treated with autologous BM MNC [without G-CSF (MNC–G-CSF) or combined with G-CSF administration for 5 days following transplantation (MNC+G-CSF)].ResultsAll clinical parameters, including ankle brachial index, visual analog scale and pain-free walking distance, showed a mean improvement from baseline, which was measured at 4 and 24 weeks after transplantation in both groups. However, in three (20%) patients, the clinical course did not improve and limb salvage was not achieved. No significant difference was observed among the patients treated in the MNC–G-CSF and MNC+G-CSF groups. No severe adverse reactions were reported during the study period. No relationship was observed between both the numbers of viable MNC or CD34⁺ cells and the clinical outcome.ConclusionsAutologous transplantation of BM MNC into ischemic lower limbs is safe, feasible and efficient for patients with severe peripheral artery disease. However, the administration of G-CSF following cell transplantation does not improve the effect of BM MNC implantation and therefore would not have any beneficial value in clinical applications of such cases.     

Isolation, structural characterization and antioxidant activity of a new water-soluble polysaccharide from Acanthophyllum bracteatum roots

ABPS-1, a new water-soluble polysaccharide with molecular weight of 26 kDa and a specific optical rotation of +170° (c 1.0, H₂O), was extracted from the roots of Acanthophyllum bracteatum by warm water and further successively purified through DEAE-cellulose A52 and Sephadex G-100 columns. Monosaccharide analysis revealed that the ABPS-1 was composed of Glc, Gal and Ara with a relative molar ratio of 1.4:5.2:1.0. Its structural features were elucidated by a combination of FT-IR, methylation and GC-MS analysis, periodate oxidation and Smith degradation, partial acid hydrolysis and ¹³C and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The data obtained indicate that ABPS-1 possessed a backbone of α-(1 → 6)-linked Gal with branches attached to O-2 by α-1 → linked Glc and at O-3 by α-1 → linked Gal and by α-(1 → 3)-linked Ara. The in vitro antioxidant activity showed that ABPS-1 possesses DPPH radical-scavenging activity in a concentration-dependent manner with an EC₅₀ value of 2.6 mg/ml.     

A moving belt device to couple high-performance liquid chromatography and chemical reaction interface mass spectrometry

A device is described to enable selective detection of 13C- and 15N-labeled compounds following separation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A thermospray vaporizer deposits the materials eluting from the HPLC column onto a continuously moving endless belt. The belt carries these compounds into the chemical reaction interface, where a microwave-induced helium plasma converts complex organic molecules in the presence of a reactant gas into small stable molecules that are detected by the mass spectrometer. Chromatograms showing only compounds enriched with 13C and 15N can be obtained by subtracting the abundance of naturally occurring isotopes from the observed M + 1 signal. This work demonstrates the feasibility of this approach and encourages its further development.     

A new ATP7B gene mutation with severe condition in two unrelated Iranian families with Wilson disease

Wilson disease is associated with a defect in copper metabolism and caused by different mutations in ATP7B gene. The aim of this study was to determine mutation frequency of ATP7B exons 8 and 14 in Wilson disease patients from the south of Iran. The exons 8 and 14 of ATP7B gene were analyzed in 65 unrelated Wilson disease patients by Denaturing High Performance Liquid Chromatography, and samples with abnormal peak profile were selected for direct DNA sequencing. Seven out of 65 (10.8%) patients had mutations at exon 14, including c.3061-1G>A in four and c.3207C>A in three patients. In addition, four different mutations were identified at exon 8 of six patients (9.2%). Three of these mutations have been previously reported, including c.2304delC in two patients, c.2293G>A and 2304dupC each in one patient. Furthermore, a novel mutation, c.2335T>G (p.Trp779Gly), was identified in two unrelated patients. The patients with this novel mutation demonstrated severe neuropsychiatric condition. All together, 13 out of 65 (20%) patients had mutations within exons 8 and 14. We also identified a lower frequency of the most common mutations of exons 8 and 14 in the southern Iranian population.     

Association of AHSG gene polymorphisms with serum Fetuin-A levels in individuals with cardiovascular calcification in west of Iran

Molecular Biology Reports - Fetuin-A (AHSG) is a multifunctional secretory protein and acts as an ectopic valve and artery calcification inhibitor. We assessed the correlation between serum levels...     

The frequency and distribution of thiopurine S-methyltransferase alleles in south Iranian population

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) catalyzes the S-methylation of thiopurine drugs such as 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, and azathiopurine. Variability in TPMT activity is mainly due to genetic polymorphism. The frequency of the four allelic variants of the TPMT gene, TPMT*2 (G238C), TPMT*3A (G460A and A719G), TPMT*3B (G460A) and TPMT*3C (A719G) were determined in an Iranian population from south of Iran (n = 500), using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-RFLP and allele-specific PCR-based assays. Four hundred seventy four persons (94.8%) were homozygous for the wild type allele (TPMT*1/*1) and twenty five people were TPMT*1/*3C (5%). One patient was found to be heterozygous in terms TPMT*1 and *2 alleles with genotype of TPMT*1/*2 (0.2%). None of the participants had both defective alleles. The TPMT*3C and *2 were the only variant alleles observed in this population. The total frequency of variant alleles was 2.6% and the wild type allele frequency was 97.4%. The TPMT*3B and *3A alleles were not detected. Distributions of TPMT genotype and allele frequency in Iranian populations are different from the genetic profile found among Caucasian or Asian populations. Our findings also revealed inter-ethnic differences in TPMT frequencies between different parts of Iran. This view may help clinicians to choose an appropriate strategy for thiopurine drugs and reduce adverse drug reactions such as bone marrow suppression.     

Activity of Triclopyr Herbicide Enhanced by Combination with Cobalt Chloride or Ammonium Nitrate

Cobalt chloride at a rate of 16 oz/acre when combined with the auxin herbicide triclopyr at 1 oz/acre synergistically enhanced the activity of the herbicide. A similar response was elicited by the addition of ammonium nitrate. Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺ was antagonistic. The enhancement of activity by Co²⁺ or NH⁺ ₄ appeared not to be the result of a simple enhancement of triclopyr uptake by the cations. Triclopyr uptake, as determined by gas chromatography/microwave-induced plasma/chemical reaction interface mass spectroscopy, was unaffected by the cation additions. Received March 31, 1997; accepted March 24, 1998     

Effects of temozolomide on U87MG glioblastoma cell expression of CXCR4, MMP2, MMP9, VEGF,anti-proliferatory cytotoxic and apoptotic properties

Molecular Biology Reports - Temozolomide is an alkylating agent which is used in glioblastoma treatment. We aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of temozolomide and exposure...