Diabetes-induced changes in lens antioxidant status, glucose utilization and energy metabolism: effect of DL-alpha-lipoic acid

The study was aimed at evaluating changes in lens antioxidant status, glucose utilization, redox state of free cytosolic NAD(P)-couples and adenine nucleotides in rats with 6-week streptozotocin-induced diabetes, and to assess a possibility of preventing them by DL-alpha-lipoic acid. Rats were divided into control and diabetic groups treated with and without DL-alpha-lipoic acid (100 mg x kg body weight(-1) x day(-1), i.p.). The concentrations of glucose, sorbitol, fructose, myo-inositol, oxidized glutathione, glycolytic intermediates, malate, alpha-glycerophosphate, and adenine nucleotides were assayed in individual lenses spectrofluorometrically by enzymatic methods, reduced glutathione and ascorbate--colorimetrically, and taurine by HPLC. Free cytosolic NAD+:NADH and NADP+:NADPH ratios were calculated from the lactate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme systems. Sorbitol pathway metabolites were found to increase, and antioxidant concentrations were reduced in diabetic rats compared with controls. The profile of glycolytic intermediates (increase in glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate, decrease in fructosel,6-diphosphate, increase in dihydroxyacetone phosphate, 3-phosphoglycerate, phosphoenolpyruvate, pyruvate, and no change in lactate), and 5.9-fold increase in alpha-glycerophosphate suggest diabetes-induced inhibition of glycolysis. Free cytosolic NAD+:NADH ratios, ATP levels, ATP/ADP x inorganic phosphate (Pi), and adenylate charge were reduced in diabetic rats while free cytosolic NADP+:NADPH ratios were elevated. Diabetes-induced changes in the concentrations of antioxidants, key glycolytic intermediates, free cytosolic NAD+:NADH ratios, and energy status were partially prevented by DL-alpha-lipoic acid, while sorbitol pathway metabolites and free cytosolic NADP+:NADPH ratios remained unaffected. In conclusion, diabetes-induced impairment of lens antioxidative defense, glucose intermediary metabolism via glycolysis, energy status and redox changes are partially prevented by DL-alpha-lipoic acid. The findings support the important role of oxidative stress in lens metabolic imbalances in diabetes.     

Identification and characterization of a novel member of the fibroblast growth factor family

A new member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family, FGF-13, has been molecularly cloned as a result of high throughput sequencing of a human ovarian cancer cell library. The open reading frame of the novel human gene (1419 bp) encodes for a protein of 216 a.a. with a molecular weight of 22 kDa. The FGF-13 sequence contains an amino-terminal hydrophobic region of 23 a.a. characteristic of a signal secretion sequence. FGF-13 is most homologous, 70% similarity at the amino acid level, to FGF-8. Northern hybridization analysis demonstrated prominent expression of FGF-13 in human foetal and adult brain, particularly in the cerebellum and cortex. In proliferation studies with BaF3 cells, FGF-13 preferentially activates cell clones expressing either FGF receptor variant, 3-IIIc or 4. The signal transduction pathways of FGF-13 and FGF-2 were compared in rat hippocampal astrocytes. The two FGFs induce an equivalent level of tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-raf activation. However, FGF-13 is more effective than FGF-2 in inducing the phosphorylation of phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma). Treatment of neuronal cultures from rat embryonic cortex with FGF-13 increases the number of glutamic acid decarboxylase immunopositive neurons, the level of high-affinity gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake, and choline acetyltransferase enzyme activity. The GABAergic neuronal response to FGF-13 treatment is rapid with a significant increase occurring within 72 h. We have identified a novel member of the FGF family that is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and increases the number as well as the level of phenotypic differentiation of cortical neurons in vitro.     

AMLCD flicker model considering the V/sub T/ shift in a-Si:H TFT

The observed development of flicker with time in active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) panels has been correlated to the threshold voltage shift of the thin film transistors (TFTs) used in panels. The effect of a threshold voltage shift on the panel flicker was calculated using a flicker model developed here. One set of AMLCD panels used for the flicker characterization employed top-gate TFTs, while a second set employed bottom-gate TFTs. Optical measurements to determine the flicker voltage as a function of aging were performed on both types of panels. Electrical characterization of the TFTs extracted the threshold voltage from the C-V measurement. Samples of the TFTs were available on the kerf strips for both panel types, and ensured that the optically characterized panels and the TFTs electrically characterized were manufactured in the same batch for each of the two panel types.     

Causal connections among managers' merit pay, job satisfaction, and performance.

Used the frequency-of-change-in-product-moment and cross-lagged correlation techniques to analyze field study data obtained from 62 managers over 2 yrs. Results indicate that merit pay caused satisfaction and increased the correlation between these 2 variables. Satisfaction was an effect and not a cause of performance. Performance increased the correlation between performance and satisfaction. The merit-pay-causes-performance hypothesis was not supported, but results suggest the possibility of reciprocal causation. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Undersea fiber optic cable communications system of the future: Operational, reliability, and systems considerations

The systems and operational requirements, reliability, and cost estimates for several undersea fiber optic cable communications systems of varying capacities, data transmission rates, and link distances are analyzed in detail to highlight relevant design tradeoff parameters. It is shown that systems with a high data rate per fiber are more economical and reliable than low data rate systems with multiple fibers. This study concludes that undersea optic cable systems can soon provide reliable broad-band digital services.     

Pressure dependence of hole mobility in In1?xGaxAsyP1?y and its relation to alloy scattering

Pressure-induced changes in the hole mobility of the quaternary alloy In1?xGaxAsyP1?y up to 15 kbar indicate that alloy scattering plays an important part in the determination of the low field hole mobility.     

Sparing of patterned alternation but not partial reinforcement extinction effect after prenatal chronic exposure to ethanol in infant rats.

The effects of in utero administration of ethanol on single patterned alternation (PA) and the partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE) were studied in 15-day-old rat pups. This fetal-alcohol treatment had no effect on PA but eliminated the PREE by reducing persistence in extinction after partial reinforcement (PRF) training to its level after continuous reinforcement (CRF) training, which was not affected by the treatment. The results are discussed in terms of prenatal damage to the hippocampus and in relation to an earlier experiment (Lobaugh, Bootin, & Amsel, 1985), which found no effect of infant hippocampal lesions on PA but an elimination of the PREE, which, unlike the fetal-alcohol case, resulted from PRF-like persistence in extinction following CRF training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Temperature dependence of the transferred electron threshold current in In1?xGaxAsyP1?y

The threshold current for transferred electron effects in In1?xGaxAsyP1?y (0.4 相似文献