Distribution and altitudinal structuring of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in southern Anatolia, Turkey: their relation to human cutaneous leishmaniasis.

The two Old World genera, Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia, were both recorded in southern Anatolia in Turkey. Phlebotomus species predominated and comprised about 93% of the entire collection (3,172 specimens). Out of the sixteen species identified, two belonged to the genus Sergentomyia: S. dentata and S. theodori. The remaining fourteen species in the genus Phlebotomus were grouped under four subgenera including some species that are elsewhere known to act as vectors of human cutaneous leishmaniasis. Most of the Phlebotomus were P. tobbi (32.5%), but P. papatasi, P. transcaucasicus, P. halepensis, P. galilaeus, P. sergenti, P. syriacus, P. neglectus, P. simici, P. alexandri, P. similis, P jacusieli, P. perfiliewi, and P. brevis were also identified. There were two associations of sand fly fauna with altitudinal gradient; the first one at relatively higher altitudes and the second one at lower altitudes. The transition between these two assemblages was within the range of 800-1,000 m. It is likely that Adana and Hatay provinces are transitional areas between western and eastern Anatolia. Mountains do not appear to be important geographical barriers for sand fly distribution. We also found that the proven vector P. sergenti is a widely distributed species throughout southern Anatolia and this species, together with its closely related species P. similis, shows sympatry in Konya Province.     

Propolis Enhances 5-Fluorouracil Mediated Antitumor Efficacy and Reduces Side Effects in Colorectal Cancer: An in Vitro and in Vivo Study

In this study, we investigated the combined treatment of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and Anatolian propolis extract (PE) on colorectal cancer (CRC)using in vitro and in vivo studies. We exposed luciferase-transfected (Lovo-Luc CRC) cells and healthy colon cells (CCD-18Co) to varying concentrations of 5-FU and PE to assess their genotoxic, apoptotic, and cytotoxic effects, as well as their intracellular reactive oxygen species (iROS) levels. We also developed a xenograft model in nude mice and evaluated the anti-tumor effects of PE and 5-FU using various methods. Our findings showed that the combination of PE and 5-FU had selectivity against cancer cells, particularly at higher doses, and enhanced the anti-tumor effectiveness of 5-FU against colon CRC. The results suggest that PE can reduce side effects and increase the effectiveness of 5-FU through iROS generation in a dose-dependent manner.     

Levels of superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde in primary spontaneous pneumothorax

The aim of the present study is to determine whether patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) are subject to oxidative stress. For this purpose, we measured the activities of red blood cell superoxide dismutase, which is an antioxidant enzyme, and the level of plasma malondialdehyde, which is one of the lipid peroxidation markers, in a group of patients with PSP. The study was carried out with 16 patients with PSP and 24 healthy individuals. The two groups were similar to each other in terms of sex, age and smoking attitudes. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity was found to be significantly lower in patients with PSP than in the control group (p < 0.01). The plasma malondialdehyde levels were significantly high in patients with PSP (p < 0.01). Our results suggest that oxidative stress may contribute to the pathogenesis of PSP.     

Ultrastructural evaluation of the effect of endosulfan on mice kidney

In this study, the effect of the endosulfan on mice kidney was investigated at ultrastructural level. Moreover, biochemical analyses (G6PD, CAT, SOD, GSH and MDA) were determined in supernatant of kidney tissue. Endosulfan (13mg/kg/day body weight) was administered orally to mices via intragastric-during 10 days. The presence of mitochondrial degeneration in cytoplasm of proximal convoluted tubule cells were a striking feature. Furthermore, there was lipofuscin granules and membranous structures in some of proximal convoluted tubule cells. In some glomeruli, ultrastructural changes such as fusion in pedicels and focal thickening at glomerular basal membrane were seen. There were cytoplasmic bulges in some distal convoluted tubule cells. The biochemical results of the experimental group were significant when compared to the control. The effect of the endosulfan was mainly on the proximal convoluted tubule cells. Morever, the other parts of the nephron were effected. Thus, this degeneration in kidney may be thought that oxidative stress may play a role to the mediator in changing configuration of cell membrane and seem to account for the morphologic alteration of kidney.     

Conformational preferences in diastereomeric(5S)-methyl-3-(o-aryl)-2,4-oxazolidinediones

The thermally interconvertible diastereomers of the (5S)-methyl-3-(o-aryl)-2,4-oxazolidinediones were synthesized and their conformers studied by (1)H NMR and HPLC. The barriers to rotation about the N-C(aryl) bond were found to be very much solvent dependent. For the o-fluoro oxazolidinedione, difference in barriers to rotation in deuterated methanol and deuterated chloroform amounted to 34 kJ/mol. ortho-Bromo substitution increased the barrier to rotation up to 100 kJ/mol in ethanol, which enabled the analytical separation of the diastereomers and observation of the thermodynamic enrichment of the S-P conformer by HPLC. In CDCl(3) by (1)H NMR, on the other hand, a barrier of only 89 kJ/mol was determined. The S-M and S-P conformers of the diastereomers of o-methyl, alpha-naphthyl and o-iodo derivatives have been assigned by NOESY experiments and the kinetic and thermodynamic constants for the interconversion between the S-M and S-P conformers were determined.     

A New Method for Purification of Carbonic Anhydrase Isozymes by Affinity Chromatography

A new affinity gel for purification of carbonic anhydrase isozymes was prepared using EUPERGIT C-250L derivatized with p-aminobenzenesulfonamide, an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase. The binding capacity of the affinity gel was determined at different temperatures, pH values, elution buffers, and ionic strengths. Human carbonic anhydrase isozymes (HCA I and HCA II) and bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA) were purified in high yields from erythrocytes.     

The Effect of Loops on the Structural Organization of α-Helical Membrane Proteins

Loops connecting the transmembrane (TM) α-helices in membrane proteins are expected to affect the structural organization of the thereby connected helices and the helical bundles as a whole. This effect, which has been largely ignored previously, is studied here by analyzing the x-ray structures of 41 α-helical membrane proteins. First we define the loop flexibility ratio, R, and find that 53% of the loops are stretched, where a stretched loop constrains the distance between the two connected helices. The significance of this constraining effect is supported by experiments carried out with bacteriorhodopsin and rhodopsin, in which cutting or eliminating their (predominately stretched) loops has led to a decrease in protein stability, and for rhodopsin, in most cases, also to the destruction of the structure. We show that for nonstretched loops in the extramembranous regions, the fraction of hydrophobic residues is comparable to that for soluble proteins; furthermore (as is also the case for soluble proteins), the hydrophobic residues in these regions are preferentially buried. This is expected to lead to the compact structural organization of the loops, which is transferred to the TM helices, causing them to assemble. We argue that a soluble protein complexed with a membrane protein similarly promotes compactness; other properties of such complexes are also studied. We calculate complementary attractive interactions between helices, including hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions of sequential motifs, such as GXXXG. The relative and combined effects of all these factors on the association of the TM helices are discussed and protein structures with only a few of these factors are analyzed. Our study emphasizes the need for classifying membrane proteins into groups according to structural organization. This classification should be considered when procedures for structural analysis or prediction are developed and applied. Detailed analysis of each structure is provided at http://flan.blm.cs.cmu.edu/memloop/     

Assessment of genetic markers and glioblastoma stem-like cells in activation of dendritic cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive intraparenchymal primary brain tumor in adults. The principal reasons for the poor outcomes of GBM are the high rates of recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the role of tailored cellular therapy for GBM with a poor prognosis and compare the activity of dendritic cells (DCs) that have encountered GBM cells. Detecting the correlations between methylation and expression of MGMT and PTEN genes and GBM cancer stem cells (CSCs) markers after co-cultures with a mononuclear cell cocktail are also aims for this study. Allogenic umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived DCs were labeled with the CD11a and CD123 for immature DCs, and CD80 and CD11c for mature DCs. CD34, CD45, and CD56 cells were isolated from allogenic UCB for using in DCs maturation. GBM CSCs were detected with CD133/1 and CD111 antibodies after co-culture studies. DC activation was carried out via GBM cells including CD133 and CD111 cells and a mononuclear cells cocktail including CD34, CD45, and CD56 natural killer cells. Real-time PCR was performed to detect the expression and promoter methylation status of PTEN and MGMT genes. The expression of CSCs markers was found in all GBM cases, and a statistically significant correlation was found among them after co-culture studies. The most pronounced affinity of DCs to GBM cells was observed at dilutions between 1/4 and 1/256 in co-cultures. There was a statistically significant correlation between cellularity and granularity ratios for CD123 and CD11c. PTEN and MGMT gene expression and methylation values were evaluated with respect to CSCs expression and no statistical significance was found. Activation of DCs might associate with CSCs and the mononuclear cells cocktail including CD34, CD45, and CD56 cells which were obtained from allogenic UCB.