Coexistence of both oleosin isoforms on the surface of seed oil bodies and their individual stabilization to the organelles

Increased urine albumin is associated with atherosclerotic disease and predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in nondiabetic populations. This finding is frequently postulated to reflect the impact of atherosclerotic damage on glomerular and systemic capillary permeability, an interesting but as yet untested hypothesis. The transcapillary escape rate of albumin (TERalb, the 1-hour decline rate of intravenous 125I-albumin, a measure of capillary macromolecular permeability), albuminuria, lipid levels, echocardiographic wall thickness, and insulin responses to oral glucose were measured in 30 untreated dipstick-negative lean men and clinically stable atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease; tolerance to oral glucose was a requirement for inclusion in the study. Because hypertension per se might influence TERalb, the sample included either normotensive (n=18, 118+/-6/72+/-7 mm Hg) or hypertensive (n=12, 141+/-7/84+/-6 mmHg by 24-hour blood pressure monitoring) arteriopathic patients; 11 normal age- and gender-matched subjects (121+/-7/76+/-5 mmHg) were used as control subjects. TERalb was higher in patients (10.7+/-3.2 versus 7.4+/-1.7%/h, P<0.013), a difference that persisted after postload glucose, insulin, and lipid levels were accounted for by covariance analysis; atherosclerosis and hypertension together did not further impair vascular permeation to albumin. In contrast with TERalb, albuminuria was elevated only in the hypertensive subgroup; the 2 variables showed no relationship, even when the data were analyzed separately in normotensive and hypertensive subgroups. Urine albumin correlated positively with 24-hour blood pressure and wall thickness. Thus, systemic capillary permeability is altered in nondiabetic atherosclerotic patients independently from blood pressure levels, but this abnormality is not reflected by proportionate changes in albuminuria.     

Biotransformation of sildenafil in the male rat: evaluation of drug interactions with testosterone and carbamazepine

The biotransformation of sildenafil to its major circulating metabolite, UK-103,320, was studied in male rat liver microsomes. The conversion of sildenafil to UK-103,320 by rat microsomes followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, for which the parameters were V(max) = 1.96 microM/minand K(m) = 27.31 microM. Using substrates of CYP3A4 of testosterone and carbamazepine, the active sites on CYP3A4 responsible for metabolizing sildenafil were also evaluated. Sildenafil biotransformation was inhibited in the individual presence of testosterone and carbamazepine. The results showed drug interaction was observed in the sildenafil-testosterone and sildenafil-carbamazepine. Although testosterone and carbamazepine can inhibit sildenafil demethylation in concentration- and incubation time-dependent manners, sildenafil did not inhibit testosterone hydroxylation or carbamazepine epoxidation. These results may be explained by a model in which multiple substrates or ligands can concurrently bind to the active site of a single CYP3A4 molecule. However, the contribution of separate allosteric sites and conformational heterogeneity to the atypical kinetics of CYP3A4 cannot be ruled out in this study.     

The accuracy of ultrasonography and 201Tl-99mTc subtraction scan in localization of parathyroid lesions

Pulsed xenon chloride excimer and holmium laser-tissue interaction is primarily based on tissue water vaporization. Consequently, each ablative laser pulse produces a rapidly expanding and imploding vapour bubble in blood or the target tissue. In experimental studies, explosive water vaporization is the major mechanical cause of observed tissue dissections. By reduction of the induced bubble volume, a reduction in experimentally and clinically observed dissections after coronary excimer laser angioplasty is to be expected. This reduction of mechanical damage, however, in combination with efficient and substantial plaque debulking is the major challenge in the development of laser angioplasty.     

Antifungal property of the essential oils and their constituents from Cinnamomum osmophloeum leaf against tree pathogenic fungi

This study compares the chemical constituents of leaf essential oils from various geographical provenances of Cinnamomum osmophloeum and investigates their antifungal activities against six tree pathogenic fungi. According to GC‐MS and cluster analyses, the leaf essential oils obtained from different geographical provenances and their relative contents were classified into six chemotypes: cinnamaldehyde type, cinnamaldehyde–cinnamyl acetate type, cinnamyl acetate type, linalool type, camphor type, and mixed type. Results from the antifungal tests show that the leaf essential oils of cinnamaldehyde type and cinnamaldehyde–cinnamyl acetate type have excellent inhibitory effect against Rhizoctonia solani, Collectotrichum gloeosporioides, Ganoderma australe and Fusarium solani. Furthermore, among the fourteen constituents of C osmophloeum leaf essential oils, Z‐cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, geraniol and citral display the best antifungal properties. Comparisons of the antifungal properties of Z‐cinnamaldehyde congeners reveal that Z‐cinnamaldehyde exhibits the best antifungal property of this group. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Simultaneous refolding,purification, and immobilization of recombinant Fibrobacter succinogenes 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase on artificial oil bodies

BACKGROUND: 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase (1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucan 4‐glucanohydrolase; EC 3.2.1.73) has been used in a range of industrial processes. As a biocatalyst, it is better to use immobilized enzymes than free enzymes, therefore, the immobilization of 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase was investigated. RESULTS: A 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase gene from Fibrobacter succinogenes was overexpressed in Escherichia coli as a recombinant protein fused to the N terminus of oleosin, a unique structural protein of seed oil bodies. With the reconstitution of the artificial oil bodies (AOBs), refolding, purification, and immobilization of active 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase was accomplished simultaneously. Response surface modeling (RSM), with central composite design (CCD), and regression analysis were successfully applied to determine the optimal temperature and pH conditions of the AOB‐immobilized 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase. The optimal conditions for the highest immobilized 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase activity (7.1 IU mg^?1 of total protein) were observed at 39 °C and pH 8.8. Furthermore, AOB‐immobilized 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase retained more than 70% of its initial activity after 120 min at 39 °C, and it was easily and simply recovered from the surface of the solution by brief centrifugation; it could be reused eight times while retaining more than 80% of its activity. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the AOB‐based system is a comparatively simple and effective method for simultaneous refolding, purification, and immobilization of 1,3‐1,4‐β‐D‐glucanase. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry