Comparative effects of trichothecene mycotoxins on bovine platelet function: Acetyl T-2 toxin,a more potent inhibitor than T-2 toxin

The effects of the trichothecene mycotoxins (acetyl T-2 toxin, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, palmityl T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), deoxynivalenol (DON), and T-2 tetraol) on bovine platelet function were examined in homologous plasma stimulated with platelet activating factor (PAF). The mycotoxins inhibited platelet function with the following order of potency: acetyl T-2 toxin > palmityl T-2 toxin = DAS > HT-2 toxin = T-2 toxin. While T-2 tetraol was completely ineffective as an inhibitor, DON exhibited minimal inhibitory activity at concentrations above 10×10^?4M. The stability of the platelet aggregates formed was significantly reduced in all mycotoxin treated platelets compared to that of the untreated PAF controls. It is suggested that the increased sensitivity of PAF stimulated bovine platelets to the more lipophilic mycotoxins may be related to their more efficient partitioning into the platelet membrane compared to the more hydrophilic compounds.     

Steady-state kinetic studies of the negative co-operativity and flip-flop mechanism for Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase.

1. A study of variations in experimental error of velocity measurement with substrate concentration for alkaline phosphatase reveals that the standard error is not constant or strictly proportional to velocity, but obeys a more complex dependence. 2. By using an approach based on error estimates at each individual substrate concentration, we show that the double-reciprocal plots in general are curved, necessitating a high-degree rate equation. The curves are analysed according to a recent classification of possible curve shapes for the 3:3 function, which is shown to be the lowest-degree rate equation satisfying the experimental data. 4. Other workers have supposed the enzyme to follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and it is shown that this assumption is approximately true at low temperatures in the absence of phosphate. 5. A study of the effects of phosphate concentration, pH and temperature on the kinetics shows that there is a gradual alteration in curve shape with these experimental variables, resulting in an apparent reduction in degree under certain special conditions, and particularly at low temperature. 6. It is shown that the steady-state kinetics do not require a flip-flop or half-of-sites reactivity mechanism as claimed, and a mechanism is proposed, a rate equation calculated and an analysis attempted. 7. An analysis of the product-inhibition effects for a linked two-sited Uni Bi enzyme is given. Alterations of asymptotic double-reciprocal slopes and limiting (1/nu) intercepts with products is discussed, and it is shown how the theory of product inhibition can be extended to complex kinetic situations to extract information as to molecular mechanism. 8. Deviations from Michaelis-Menten kinetics are expressed in terms of the magnitude of the appropriate Sylvester resultants.     

The determination of positive and negative co-operativity with allosteric enzymes and the interpretation of sigmoid curves and non-linear double reciprocal plots for the MWC and KNF models

(i) It is proved that only four independent constants can ever be obtained by extrapolation procedures applied to non-hyperbolic steady-state or binding data, (ii) Analysis of the algebraic graphs $\text{y}\text{x}$, $\text{(1/y)}\text{(1/x)}$, $\text{y}\text{(}\text{y}\text{x}\text{)}$ and ($\text{x}\text{y}\text{)/x}$ is shown to require a knowledge of the sign of six curve shape determinants. In each case, the sign is a necessary and sufficient condition for a specific curve shape feature, (iii) The precise graphical effect of positive and negative co-operativity then requires the definition of two reference curves, the osculating hyperbola at zero substrate concentration, OH(0), and the osculating hyperbola at infinite substrate concentration OH(∞). These are better first order approximations than the Hill equation, (iv) Rules for determining unambiguously the sign of initial, final and overall co-operativity coefficients by inspection of non-hyperbolic binding curves are then possible, (v) These rules require that saturation data for:

$\text{y=}\text{∑}\text{i=1}\text{n}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{x}{}^{\mathrm{i}}\text{∑}\text{i=0}\text{n}\text{β}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{x}{}^{\mathrm{i}}$

be fitted by computer for low concentrations to the hyperbola:

$\text{OH}\text{(o)=}\text{(}\text{-a}{}_1{}^2\text{ψ}{}_{11}{}^{20}\text{)x}\text{[(}\text{-a}{}_1\text{β}{}_0\text{ψ}{}_{11}{}^{20}\text{)+x]}$

while regression of high substrate concentration data is to:

$\text{OH}\text{(∞)=}\text{(}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{β}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{)x}\text{[(}\text{φ}{}_{\mathrm{n,n-1}}\text{a}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{β}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{)+x]}$

. Comparisons of the best fit pseudo-kinetic constants then gives the type of co-operativity present in an unambiguous way with no assumptions as to molecular mechanism, (vi) These rules are then applied to the MWC and KNF allosteric models of ligand binding and the constraints necessary for specific curve shape effects are given, (vii) The graphical expression of positive or negative final co-operativity depends only on events at high substrate concentration but overall and initial co-operativities produce specific geometric effects depending upon the difference between behaviour of saturation data at both extremes of concentration, (viii) This apparent anomaly is explained by a discussion of the relationships between the osculating hyperbolae, the theoretical parent hyperbola and the Hill plot asymptotes.     

Human placental diamine oxidase. Improved purification and characterization of a copper- and manganese-containing amine oxidase with novel substrate specificity.

1. Isoelectric focusing studies of human placental diamine oxidase showed the pI value of the active enzyme to be 6.5. This information was used in modifying the enzyme purification by incorporating column chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex with ionic strength and pH gradient elution and this, together with affinity chromatography on concanavalin A--Sepharose, gave a highly purified preparation, with a specific activity of 7.0 units/mg. 2. The enzyme gave the expected stoicheiometry with p-dimethylaminomethylbenzylamine as substrate (Keq. 2700) and also oxidized [8-arginine]vasopressin, [8-lysine]vasopressin, collagen and tropocollagen. Polyacrylamide gel slices showed identical migration of diamine-oxidizing and [8-lysine]vasopressin-oxidizing activity. 3. The molecular weight, determined by ultracentrifugation, sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, variable polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and Sephadex G-200 column chromatography, was estimated to be approx. 70000. 4. E.s.r. spectroscopy showed that copper and manganese were present in the purified enzyme. This result was confirmed by atomic absorption spectroscopy, which indicated a stoicheiometry for copper and manganese of approx. 1.0 and 1.2g-atom respectively/70000mol.wt. unit. 5. The e.s.r. spectral intensity did not decrease nor did the spectral line shape change when excess of p-dimethylaminomethylbenzylamine was added to the enzyme. 6. Addition of K13CN to the enzyme eliminated the copper e.s.r. signal without affecting the manganese signal. 7. The placental enzyme therefore appears to differ from other amine oxidases in terms of its metal cofactor requirement, molecular weight and substrate specificity, and possible roles in vivo for this enzyme are discussed.     

吐鲁番市胃食管反流病发生相关危险因素分析（附280例报道）

目的：探讨280例胃食管反流病（GERD）的分布特点及危险因素。方法：对临床诊断和胃镜确诊的280例GERD患者进行临床和风险因子相关性分析。结果：不论汉族还是维族,男性患者比例均明显高于女性;汉族患者高发年龄段早于维族患者（z=-2．939,P=0．003,）;汉族和维族患者占反流性食管炎和Barrett食管比例分别为42．4％、81_3％及56．5％、18．8％,其中汉族患者Barrett食管比例较高（X2=14．358,P=0．000）;肥胖、习惯性便秘、重体力活动者、饮食习惯不良在维族患者中的比例较高（P〈0．001）。结论：GERD与性别、年龄密切相关,男性多于女性,汉族患者发病年龄高峰旱于维族患者;汉族患者Barrett食管发生比例高于维族患者;肥胖、习惯性便秘、重体力活动、饮食习惯不良可能是GERD尤其是维族人群GERD的危险因素。     

Successful immunotherapy with matrix metalloproteinase-derived peptides in adjuvant arthritis depends on the timing of peptide administration

We have recently found that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are targets for T-cell and B-cell reactivity in experimental arthritis. In the present article, we investigate whether modulation of MMP-specific T-cell responses could influence the course of adjuvant arthritis (AA). Lewis rats were treated nasally with MMP peptides prior to or after AA induction. Administration of the MMP-10 or the MMP-16 peptide prior to AA induction reduced the arthritic symptoms. In contrast, administration of the MMP-10 peptide after AA induction aggravated the arthritic symptoms. The present study shows the possible usefulness of MMP peptides for immunotherapy. However, a clear understanding of proper timing of peptide administration is crucial for the development of such therapies.     

Characterization of terminal NeuNAcalpha2-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc sequence in lipooligosaccharides of Neisseria meningitidis

Group B and C Neisseria meningitidis are the major cause of meningococcal disease in the United States and in Europe. N . meningitidis lipooligosaccharide (LOS), a major surface antigen, can be divided into 12 immunotypes of which L1 through L8 were found among Group B and C organisms. Groups B and C but not Group A may sialylate their LOSs with N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuNAc) at the nonreducing end because they synthesize CMP-NeuNAc. Using sialic acid-galactose binding lectins as probes in an ELISA format, six of the eight LOS immunotypes (L2, L3, L4, L5, L7, and L8) in Groups B and C bound specifically to Maackia amurensis leukoagglutinin (MAL), which recognizes NeuNAcalpha2- 3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc/Glc sequence, but not to Sambucus nigra agglutinin, which binds NeuNAcalpha2-6Gal sequence. The combination of SDS-PAGE and MAL-blot analyses revealed that these six LOSs contained only the NeuNAcalpha2-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc trisaccharide sequence in their 4.1 kDa LOS components, which have a common terminal lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT, Galbeta1-4GlcNAcbeta1-3Galbeta1-4Glc) structure when nonsialylated as shown by previous studies. The LOS-lectin binding was abolished when the LOSs were treated with Newcastle disease viral neuraminidase which cleaves alpha2-->3 linked sialic acid. Methylation analysis of a representative LOS (L2) confirmed that NeuNAc is 2-->3 linked to Gal. Thus, these LOSs structurally mimic certain glycolipids, i.e., paragloboside (LNnT-ceramide) and sialylparagloboside and some glycoproteins in having LNnT and N-acetyllactosamine sequences, respectively, with or without alpha2-->3 linked NeuNAc. The molecular mimicry of the LOSs may play a role in the pathogenesis of N.meningitidis by assisting the organism to evade host immune defenses in man.