Oxidative stress induced by iron released from transferrin in low pH peritoneal dialysis solution

Background. Transferrin binds extracellular iron and protectstissues from iron-induced oxidative stress. The binding of ironand transferrin is pH dependent and conventional peritonealdialysis (PD) solutions have unphysiologically low pH values.Herein, we investigated whether conventional PD solution releasesiron from transferrin and if the released iron causes oxidativestress. Methods. Effects of PD solutions on iron binding to transferrinwere examined with purified human transferrin and transferrinin dialysates drained from PD patients. Oxidative stress inducedby iron released from transferrin was evaluated in terms ofthe formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS)and protein carbonylation in the human red blood cell (RBC)membrane. The iron deposition in peritoneal tissue from PD patientswas evaluated by Perls' staining with diaminobenzidine intensification. Results. Low pH PD solution released iron from transferrin.This iron release occurred within 1 min. Iron release was notobserved in neutralized PD solution. Iron released from transferrinin low pH PD solution increased TBARS formation and proteincarbonylation in the human RBC membrane. Iron deposition, whichis prominent in the fibrotic area facing the peritoneal cavity,was observed in the peritoneum of PD patients. Conclusions. Iron released from transferrin in low pH PD solutioncan produce oxidative stress in the peritoneum of a PD patient.Neutralizing PD solution can avoid this problem. Iron depositionin the peritoneum may participate in the pathogenesis of peritonealfibrosis in PD patients.     

Melanoses of the gastrointestinal tract

Electronmicroscopy and electron probe energy dispersive X-ray analysis studies have substantially contributed to our understanding of the various gastrointestinal tract melanoses. The nature of the pigment granules which occur in the various melanoses is discussed; their pattern of distribution in melanosis coli, melanosis ilei, melanosis duodeni and melanosis oesophagi is summarized and current knowledge of the aetiology and pathogenesis of these conditions is reviewed. Brief mention is also made of other examples of lipofuscin pigmentation, and a case of haemosiderosis ilei is described.     

In vivo MRI of cancer cell fate at the single-cell level in a mouse model of breast cancer metastasis to the brain.

Metastasis (the spread of cancer from a primary tumor to secondary organs) is responsible for most cancer deaths. The ability to follow the fate of a population of tumor cells over time in an experimental animal would provide a powerful new way to monitor the metastatic process. Here we describe a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that permits the tracking of breast cancer cells in a mouse model of brain metastasis at the single-cell level. Cancer cells that were injected into the left ventricle of the mouse heart and then delivered to the brain were detectable on MR images. This allowed the visualization of the initial delivery and distribution of cells, as well as the growth of tumors from a subset of these cells within the whole intact brain volume. The ability to follow the metastatic process from the single-cell stage through metastatic growth, and to quantify and monitor the presence of solitary undivided cells will facilitate progress in understanding the mechanisms of brain metastasis and tumor dormancy, and the development of therapeutics to treat this disease.     

Do shrimp‐allergic individuals tolerate shrimp‐derived glucosamine?

BACKGROUND: There is concern that shrimp-allergic individuals may react to glucosamine-containing products as shrimp shells are a major source of glucosamine used for human consumption. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether shrimp-allergic individuals can tolerate therapeutic doses of glucosamine. METHODS: Subjects with a history of shrimp allergy were recruited and tested for both shrimp reactivity via a prick skin test and shrimp-specific IgE by an ImmunoCAP assay. Fifteen subjects with positive skin tests to shrimp and an ImmunoCAP class level of two or greater were selected for a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) using glucosamine-chondroitin tablets containing 1,500 mg of synthetically produced (control) or shrimp-derived glucosamine. Immediate reactions, including changes in peak flow and blood pressure, and delayed reactions (up to 24 h post-challenge) via questionnaire were noted and assessed. RESULTS: All subjects tolerated 1,500 mg of both shrimp-derived or synthetic glucosamine without incident of an immediate hypersensitivity response. Peak flows and blood pressures remained constant, and no subject had symptoms of a delayed reaction 24 h later. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that glucosamine supplements from specific manufacturers do not contain clinically relevant levels of shrimp allergen and therefore appear to pose no threat to shrimp-allergic individuals.     

Day-to-day variations in serum iron,serum iron binding capacity,serum ferritin and erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentrations in anaemic subjects

Day-to-day variations in serum iron, serum iron binding capacity, serum ferritin and erythrocyte protoporphyrin were determined on 2 successive days in 48 patients with anaemia. The correlation coefficients between the paired determinations were 0.86, 0.89, 0.95 and 0.95, and the day-to-day coefficients of variation (in per cent) were 33, 11, 12 and 13 for serum iron, serum iron binding capacity, erythrocyte protoporphyrin and serum ferritin, respectively. Thus, in patients with anaemia, day-to-day variations in serum iron, serum iron binding capacity, erythrocyte protoporphyrin and serum ferritin are at least as high as in healthy controls. The results indicate important limitations in the use, particularly, of serum iron in the clinical investigation of anaemia.     

Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: Overview of studies examining the roles of oxidative stress and free cellular iron

The risk of cardiotoxicity is the most serious drawback to the clinical usefulness of anthracycline antineoplastic antibiotics, which include doxorubicin (adriamycin), daunorubicin or epirubicin. Nevertheless, these compounds remain among the most widely used anticancer drugs. The molecular pathogenesis of anthracycline cardiotoxicity remains highly controversial, although the oxidative stress-based hypothesis involving intramyocardial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has gained the widest acceptance. Anthracyclines may promote the formation of ROS through redox cycling of their aglycones as well as their anthracycline-iron complexes. This proposed mechanism has become particularly popular in light of the high cardioprotective efficacy of dexrazoxane (ICRF-187). The mechanism of action of this drug has been attributed to its hydrolytic transformation into the iron-chelating metabolite ADR-925, which may act by displacing iron from anthracycline-iron complexes or by chelating free or loosely bound cellular iron, thus preventing site-specific iron-catalyzed ROS damage. However, during the last decade, calls for the critical reassessment of this “ROS and iron” hypothesis have emerged. Numerous antioxidants, although efficient in cellular or acute animal experiments, have failed to alleviate anthracycline cardiotoxicity in clinically relevant chronic animal models or clinical trials. In addition, studies with chelators that are stronger and more selective for iron than ADR-925 have also yielded negative or, at best, mixed outcomes. Hence, several lines of evidence suggest that mechanisms other than the traditionally emphasized “ROS and iron” hypothesis are involved in anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and that these alternative mechanisms may be better bases for designing approaches to achieve efficient and safe cardioprotection.     

营养补充品中刺激剂的分析测定

介绍营养补充品中刺激剂的毛细管气相色谱和气相色谱质谱联用检测方法.试样采用碱提,液-液分配提取,以HP-5毛细管柱为分离柱,用氮磷检测器测定.实验结果表明:该方法操作简便,分析速度快,结果可靠.添加平均回收率为75.4%～143.1%,相对标准偏差为0.27%～5.5%,检出限为5～40μg/L.     

超顺磁性氧化铁Resovist标记神经干细胞的实验研究

目的研究超顺磁性氧化铁（superparamgnetic iron oxides，SPIOs）标记神经干细胞及其生物学特性．方法：神经干细胞培养、传代和诱导分化；Resovist（一种SPIOs）标记神经干细胞。制备磁标记神经干细胞；利用免疫细胞化学、透射电镜和Prussian blue染色等方法对磁标记神经干细胞生物学特性进行研究。结果：在原代及传代细胞中有Nestin阳性细胞即神经干细胞．血清诱导下，神经干细胞可分化为GFAP、NF200阳性细胞．Resovist与神经干细胞共同孵育后，透射电镜及Prussian blue染色显示胞浆中含有铁颗粒，Resovist也可以随细胞的分裂增殖而传到子代细胞中。随Resovist浓度的增高（5．6μg／ml-11．2μg/ml），Resovist对神经干细胞存活、分化能力的影响无显著性差异（P〉0．05）．当Resovist的浓度大于22．4μg／ml时。Resovist影响其存活和分化（P〈0．05）。结论：本实验利用Resovist作为磁标记探针，对神经干细胞进行成功磁标记，为进一步利用核磁共振（MRI）对神经干细胞活体追踪奠定实验基础。     

Magnetic nanoparticle labeling of mesenchymal stem cells without transfection agent: cellular behavior and capability of detection with clinical 1.5 T magnetic resonance at the single cell level.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of labeling human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) by ionic superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) without a transfection agent and verifying its capability to be detected with clinical 1.5 T magnetic resonance (MR) at the single-cell level. Human hMSCs were incubated for 24 h with an ionic SPIO, Ferucarbotran. The labeling efficiency of hMSCs was determined by iron content measurement spectrophotometrically, and the influence of labeling on cell behavior was ascertained by examination of cell viability using the trypan blue exclusion method, cell proliferation analysis using MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) change, differentiation capacity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production measured by dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) fluorescent probe. Labeled hMSCs were scanned under 1.5 T MRI with three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) T(2)-weighted gradient echo (GRE) pulse sequences. Human hMSC labeling without transfection agent was efficient. The iron content in hMSCs was 23.4 pg Fe/cell. No significant change was found in viability, proliferation, MMP change, ROS production, or differentiation capacity. About 45.2% of the hMSCs could be detected using 1.5 T MRI at the single cell level with 3D GRE and four repetitions.