Zinc enhancement of 17beta-estradiol''s anabolic effect in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells

Annexin V belongs to a family of phospholipid binding proteins, the Annexins. It binds in the presence of Ca(2+)-ions with high affinity to negatively charged phospholipids like phosphatidylserine (PS). On the basis of its protein structure and biological activity Annexin V is considered as a protein exhibiting its hitherto unknown function within the intracellular environment. One argument comes from the understanding that PS is predominantly located in membrane leaflets, which face the cytosol. However, recent findings show that each cell type has the molecular machinery to expose PS at its cell surface. This machinery is activated during the execution of apoptosis. Once PS is exposed at the cell surface it exhibits procoagulant and proinflammatory activities. Annexin V will bind to the PS-exposing apoptotic cell and can inhibit thereby the procoagulant and pro-inflammatory activities of the dying cell. These findings together with the presence of Annexin V in the extracellular space depict a novel (patho)Physiological significance for Annexin V in vivo.     

Loss of H19 imprinting and up-regulation of H19 and SNRPN in a case with malignant mixed Müllerian tumor of the uterus

An unusual clinical presentation of a patient with neuronal intestinal dysplasia is presented. A 46-year-old male noted a palpable mass in the right lower quadrant of his abdomen for two months. A computed axial tomographic scan showed a thickened wall of the cecum with a tumor-like appearance. The excised specimen consisted of a mass caused by the thickened, edematous wall of the dilated cecum and appendix. The wall of the cecum and appendix measured up to 2.5 and 0.8 cm, respectively, in thickness. Microscopic studies showed extensive hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the ganglia and nerve plexuses and hypertrophy of the muscularis propria, consistent with neuronal intestinal dysplasia.     

Synthesis of terpene alcohols from isoprene oligomers

Various terpene alcohols were prepared from isoprene oligomers via two steps: epoxidation with peracetic acid and isomerisation with aluminium triisopropoxide. For example, 2-methylene-6-methyl-7-octene-1-o1 was prepared from 2,6-dimethyl-1,7-octadiene. From 2,6-dimethyl-2,7-octadiene, 3,3,6-trimethyl-1,5-heptadiene, 2,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene, 2,6-dimethyl-1,3,6-octatriene, 1-methyl-4-isopropenyl-1-cyclohexene, and 1,5-dimethyl-1,5-cyclooctadiene, the corresponding alcohols were obtained, respectively.     

Novel anion exchange membranes having fluorocarbon backbone: Preparation and stability

Anion exchange membranes with excellent durability were prepared by chemical modification of Nafion. The modification was achieved by transformation of the sulfonic acid group into quaternary ammonium group. Namely, Nafion membrane was first converted into an amide-type membrane. Reduction of the carbonxyl group to methylene followed by quaternarization with alkyl iodide resulted in the formation of an anion exchange membrane. The electric resistance of the resulting membranes depends on the equivalent weight of the starting membranes (4.4–6.0 Ω cm² in 0.5N NaCl). The characteristics of the membranes are the excellent stability toward chemical substances such as organic solvents, oxidizing agents, acids, etc. For example, the membranes are stable in aqueous saturated chlorine solution at 60°C for 1000 hr.     

Charged ultrafiltration membrane for permeation of proteins

Polyacrylonitrile-g-poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) was synthesized photochemically and quaternized. The positively charged membranes made from the quaternized graftcopolymer showed high ultrafiltration rate for water by adding poly(vinyl alcohol) to casting solution and washing it out after the casting. In buffered saline solution, the permeability of the membranes was very small at pH below isoelectric point of albumin but increased markedly at higher pH. On the other hand, the permeability for γ-globulin was very small and did not show any pH dependence.     

Diffusion process of amino acids in polymer supports for solid‐phase peptide synthesis as studied by pulsed‐field‐gradient spin‐echo proton nuclear magnetic resonance

The diffusion coefficient (D) values of tert‐butyloxycarbonyl‐glycine, tert‐butyloxycarbonyl‐L ‐tryptophan, tert‐butyloxycarbonyl‐L ‐phenylalanine (Boc‐Phe), and 9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl‐L ‐phenylalanine in Merrifield polystyrene (MPS) gels, poly(ethylene glycol)‐grafted polystyrene (PEG–PS) gels, and crosslinked ethoxylate acrylate (CLEAR) gels, as used in solid‐phase peptide synthesis, were determined by the pulsed‐field‐gradient spin‐echo ¹H‐NMR method. From these experimental results, it was found that the amino acids in MPS gels, PEG–PS gels, and CLEAR gels with N,N‐dimethylformamide‐d₇ (DMF‐d₇) as a solvent had multidiffusion components within a measurement timescale of 10 ms. The D value of Boc‐Phe in polystyrene gels (1% divinylbenzene crosslinked) with tetrahydrofuran‐d₈ was much larger than that in the same gels with DMF‐d₇. Furthermore, the required time in which an amino acid transferred from a reactive site to a reactive site was estimated, within which the solvents and amino acids in the polymer supports diffused in the swollen beads.© 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 413–421, 2003     

Surfactant-Assisted Purification of Hydrophobic DNA Nanostructures

Purification of functional DNA nanostructures is an essential step in achieving intended functions because misfolded structures and the remaining free DNA strands in a solution can interact and affect their behavior. However, due to hydrophobicity-mediated aggregation, it is difficult to purify DNA nanostructures modified with hydrophobic molecules by conventional methods. Herein, we report the purification of cholesterol-modified DNA nanostructures by using a novel surfactant-assisted gel extraction. The addition of sodium cholate (SC) to the sample solution before structure folding prevented aggregation; this was confirmed by gel electrophoresis. We also found that adding sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to the sample inhibited structural folding. The cholesterol-modified DNA nanostructures prepared with SC were successfully purified by gel extraction, and their ability to bind to the lipid membrane surfaces was maintained. This method will facilitate the purification of DNA nanostructures modified with hydrophobic molecules and expand their applicability in the construction of artificial cell-like systems.     

Application of Poly(acetic Acid)–Based Graft Copolymer as a Compatibilizer for Poly(L-lactic Acid)/Poly(butylenesuccinate) Blend System

Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was blended with poly(butylenesuccinate) (PBS) using a single-screw extruder to modify the poor characteristics of these polymers. Furthermore, when both polymers were blended, the graft copolymer that was synthesized by partially saponified poly(vinyl alcohol) (PSPVA) and ?-caprolactone (?-CL) was used as a novel compatibilizer. The structure of the synthesized compatibilizer was determined by ¹H or ¹³C NMR. From this result, the ring-opening polymerization of the ?-CL occurred at the hydroxyl group of PSPVA. The structures of the PLLA/PBS solvent-cast blended films could be observed via an optical microscope. From the optical microscopic observation, the structures of the solvent-cast blended films with the synthesized compatibilizer were more homogeneous than those of the solvent-cast blended films without the compatibilizer. The mechanical properties of the PLLA/PBS extruded blended films were determined by a tensile test. The result showed the tensile strength of the blended films with the synthesized compatibilizer was greater than that of the blended films without the compatibilizer.     

PREPARATION AND PERMEABILITY CONTROL OF ELECTRO-SENSITIVE MICROCAPSULES WITH IMMOBILIZED FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTALLINE SEGMENTS

Nylon-polystyrene microcapsules with immobilized ferroelectric liquid crystalline segments were prepared, and the permeability control of the encapsulated core material was investigated under an external electric field. A ferroelectric liquid crystal monomer possessing both mesogenicity and chirality effectively responded to an external electrical field. Permeation of the material (oxprenolol) contained in the inner aqueous core of the microcapsules was enhanced under a feeble electric field (2 V). Furthermore, it was found that the permeability of the microcapsules without the ferroelectric liquid crystal group did not depend on the external electrical field. In order to clarify the controlled release mechanism of the core material, the transmittance was quantitatively evaluated under an external electric field using a handmade polarized light transmittance apparatus.