Enhanced oligonucleotide binding to self-assembled nanofibers

A peptide nucleic acid/peptide amphiphile conjugate (PNA-PA) that self-assembles into fiber-shaped nanostructures was designed to bind oligonucleotides with high affinity and specificity. Oligonucleotide binding to PNA-PA nanofibers was studied using fluorescence polarization, and thermal stability was examined by UV-vis measurement of duplex melting temperatures. The self-assembled PNA-PA DNA system was observed to bind more strongly than the corresponding DNA-DNA duplex. We also observed single base specificity with a 16 degrees C in thermal stability. As expected from the previous PNA studies, PNA-PA RNA binding is also stronger than the corresponding RNA-RNA duplex.     

Photochemistry of dyes and fluorochromes used in biology and medicine: some physicochemical background and current applications

An overview of the basic principles of photochemistry is presented to facilitate discussion of fluorescence, quenching and quantum yields. These topics in turn provide the foundation for an account of fluorescence spectroscopy and its application to microscopy. A brief overview of light microscopy and the application of fluorescence microscopy is given. The influences of molecular features, such as aromatic character and substitution patterns, on color and fluorescence are described. The concept of color fading is considered with particular reference to its effect on microscopic preparations. A survey of representative fluorescent probes is provided, and their sensitivity, application, and limitations are described. The phototoxicity of fluorescent molecules is discussed using biomembranes and DNA as examples of targets of toxicity. Photodynamic therapy, a relatively new clinical application of phototoxicity, is described. Both anticancer and antimicrobial applications are noted, and an assessment is given of the current ideas on the ideal physicochemical properties of the sensitizing agents for such applications.     

Role of the carotid bodies in chemosensory ventilatory responses in the anesthetized mouse.

We examined the effects of carotid body denervation on ventilatory responses to normoxia (21% O2 in N2 for 240 s), hypoxic hypoxia (10 and 15% O2 in N2 for 90 and 120 s, respectively), and hyperoxic hypercapnia (5% CO2 in O2 for 240 s) in the spontaneously breathing urethane-anesthetized mouse. Respiratory measurements were made with a whole body, single-chamber plethysmograph before and after cutting both carotid sinus nerves. Baseline measurements in air showed that carotid body denervation was accompanied by lower minute ventilation with a reduction in respiratory frequency. On the basis of measurements with an open-circuit system, no significant differences in O2 consumption or CO2 production before and after chemodenervation were found. During both levels of hypoxia, animals with intact sinus nerves had increased respiratory frequency, tidal volume, and minute ventilation; however, after chemodenervation, animals experienced a drop in respiratory frequency and ventilatory depression. Tidal volume responses during 15% hypoxia were similar before and after carotid body denervation; during 10% hypoxia in chemodenervated animals, there was a sudden increase in tidal volume with an increase in the rate of inspiration, suggesting that gasping occurred. During hyperoxic hypercapnia, ventilatory responses were lower with a smaller tidal volume after chemodenervation than before. We conclude that the carotid bodies are essential for maintaining ventilation during eupnea, hypoxia, and hypercapnia in the anesthetized mouse.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity in the cat carotid body in hypoxia and hyperoxia.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) induce DNA damage with the ensuing activation of the chromosomal repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). ROS also interact with the function of carotid body chemoreceptor cells. The possibility arises that PARP is part of the carotid chemosensing process. This study seeks to determine the presence of PARP and its changes in response to contrasting chemical stimuli, hypoxia and hyperoxia, both capable of generating ROS, in cat carotid bodies. The organs were dissected from anesthetized cats exposed in vivo to acute normoxic (PaO2 approximately 90 mmHg), hypoxic (PaO2 approximately 25 mmHg), and hyperoxic (PaO2 > 400 mmHg) conditions. Carotid body homogenate was the source of PARP and [adenine 14C] NAD was the substrate in the assay. Specimens of the superior cervical ganglion and brainstem were used as reference tissues. We found that PARP activity amounted to 27 pmol/mg protein/min in the normoxic carotid body. The activity level more than doubled in both hypoxic and hyperoxic carotid bodies. Changes of PARP in the reference tissues were qualitatively similar. We conclude that PARP is present in the carotid body but the augmentation of the enzyme activity in both hypoxia and hyperoxia reflects DNA damage, induced likely by ROS and being universal for neural tissues, rather than a specific involvement of PARP in the chemosensing process.     

Cortisol stress response and histopathological alteration index in Clarias gariepinus exposed to sublethal concentrations of Qua Iboe crude oil and rig wash

The histological effect on and stress response of post juvenile Clarias gariepinus exposed to Qua Iboe crude oil and rig wash were investigated. Fish weighing 60–90 g and measuring 16–18 cm were exposed for 7–28 days to 8.00 ml^?1 Qua Iboe crude oil and 0.0018 ml^–1 rig wash, both being 0.1 of the 96 hr LC₅₀. Blood samples of C. gariepinus were collected every seven days and evaluated for stress by measuring cortisol concentration. The gills and liver were studied and scored for Gill Alteration Index (GAI) and Hepatic Alteration Index (HAI), respectively. There was an increase in cortisol level up to the 7th and 14th day among the group exposed to Qua Iboe crude oil, with a decrease on the 21st and 28th day. The rig wash group increased in cortisol level up to the 7th day and decreased slightly on the 14th day, after which the trend became irregular. The toxic effects of the Qua Iboe crude oil and rig wash were time dependent, as shown by the histopathological alteration index (HAI) of gill and liver. After 28 days of exposure, the gills had irreparable damage due to high frequency of cellular necrosis and degeneration, whereas the liver had from moderate to severe damage due to the high frequency of cellular degeneration and inflammation. Qua Iboe crude oil and rig wash are both toxic to C. gariepinus, therefore their indiscriminate discharge to the environment must be discouraged.