Effect of dietary protein on Masheri-induced drug metabolising enzymes

The modulation of drug metabolising enzymes by Masheri extract (ME) and Benzo(a)Pyrene [B(a)P] was studied in male Sprague Dawley rats fed different dietary protein levels. Two groups of 21 days old male Sprague Dawley rats were put on a high protein diet (SHP) with 20% Casein, and a low protein diet (SLP) with 3% Casein semisynthetic based diets for 12 weeks. The SLP fed animals showed lower basal levels of the Phase I activating enzymes viz. Cytochrome P450, Benzo(a)Pyrene hydroxylase, Benzphetamine demethylase and Phase II glutathione detoxification system viz. Glutathione (GSH) and Glutathione-S-transferase. ME and B(a)P treatment significantly depleted the glutathione detoxification system in the SLP group whereas an opposite effect was observed in the SHP group. Interstingly, ME and B(a)P treated rats in the SLP group showed a higher percent increase in the hepatic and pulmonary Phase I enzyme activities than those observed in the treated ME/B(a)P treated SHP rats. Furthermore, both ME and B(a)P significantly decreased the hepatic pool of vitamin A while a concomittant increase in that of vitamin C was observed.     

Classical and anaplastic seminoma: difference in survival

Classical and anaplastic seminoma are traditionally treated with radiation therapy and are said to have the same prognosis. A retrospective study was undertaken of 90 seminoma patients treated with radiation therapy between 1961 and 1985. The classical group consisted of 71 patients of whom 50 had stage I and 21 had stage II disease. The anaplastic group consisted of 19 patients of whom ten had stage I and nine had stage II disease. The median follow-up time was 64 months for the entire group. The 10-year relapse-free survival rate for the classical group was 94% and for the anaplastic group was 70% (P less than .05). For patients with classical stage I disease, the relapse-free actuarial survival rate was 98%; for patients with anaplastic stage I disease, it was 64% (P less than .02). For the classical stage II disease group, the relapse-free actuarial survival rate was 84% and for the anaplastic stage II disease group, 75% (P less than .70). Four patients in the classical group (6%) had relapses; of these, one patient had local recurrence of tumor, and three had distant metastases. In the anaplastic group, four patients (21%) had relapses; two patients had local recurrence of tumor, and two had distant metastases. Therefore the data suggest a difference in survival and relapse rates between classical and anaplastic seminoma.     

BRCA2与LIM结构域蛋白FHL2的相互作用

目的：应用酵母双杂交方法筛选BRCA2相互作用蛋白编码基因，验证其相互作用并研究其功能联系。方法：以BRCA2基因3′端片段构建酵母双杂交质粒，筛选正常人乳腺上皮细胞cDNA库，获得编码相互作用蛋白的基因，采用免疫共沉淀、哺乳细胞双杂交和荧光酶测定等方法进一步验证蛋白间相互作用和功能联系．结果：采用酵母双杂交系统筛选，获得了多个编码BRCA2相互作用蛋白的基因，其中包括已知的FHL2蛋白；免疫共沉淀和哺乳动物细胞双杂交试验显示BRCA2和FHL2在体内特异性结合，并证实FHL2在体内形成同源二聚体；转录活性分析发现BRCA2与FHL2有协同转录激活作用。结论：发现BRCA2与FHL2蛋白间相互作用和功能联系，为BRCA2功能研究提供了新的方向。     

Anti-leprosy vaccines: current status and future prospects.

Different types of leprosy vaccines are currently used in field trials in India. The rationale behind their use, the parameters for determining their efficacy, their merits and demerits are discussed and the future prospects are highlighted.     

Hemolytic uremic syndrome after bone marrow transplantation: clinical characteristics and outcome in children.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We retrospectively studied the medical records of 293 children who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital between 1992 and 1999 to describe the clinical course of and to identify risk factors for transplant-associated HUS. Conditioning regimens included cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, and total body irradiation for patients with hematologic malignancies (n = 244); patients with nonmalignant diseases (n = 49) received disease-specific regimens. Grafts from unrelated or mismatched related donors were depleted of T lymphocytes, whereas matched sibling grafts were unmanipulated. All patients received cyclosporine as prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease. Recipients of grafts from matched siblings also received pentoxifylline or short-course methotrexate. HUS developed in 28 (9.6%) patients at a median of 171 days after transplantation. We identified older donor age (P = .029), use of antithymocyte globulin in the conditioning regimen (P = .008), and recipient CMV seronegativity (P = .011) as being associated with an increased risk of HUS. With a multiple regression analysis, the use of antithymocyte globulin (beta = .86; P = .04) and recipient cytomegalovirus seronegativity (beta = .93; P = .035) remained significant risk factors for the development of HUS.     

Adsorption and dissolution behavior of human plasma fibronectin on thermally and chemically modified titanium dioxide particles.

Titanium is known for its biocompatibility and is widely used in dental and orthopedic reconstructive surgery. There are reports that osteointegration of these implants is not optimal. The objective of this study was to modify titanium dioxide particles and examine the resultant effects on protein adsorption to these altered surfaces using a model cell binding protein, human plasma fibronectin (HPF). HPF is an important matrix glycoprotein that plays a major role in cell and protein attachment, Titanium dioxide surfaces were modified by heating the titanium dioxide powder at 800 degrees C for 1 h or treating with an oxidizing agent: peroxide in ammonium hydroxide followed by peroxide in hydrochloric acid. Oxidized and control samples were further treated with 9:1 butanol:water for 30 min. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller showed no change in particle surface area as a result of thermal or chemical treatment. Hydrophobicity increased with butanol treatment of titanium dioxide. Diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of -CH2 and -CH3 vibrations in the region of 2850-3000 cm(-1) for both the heated, butanol and peroxide/butanol-treated samples. The absence of increased C-O and O-C=O features as determined by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis indicates that butanol adsorption is not occurring via an esterification mechanism. The interaction between butanol and pre-heated or peroxide-treated titanium dioxide may be one of association (weak electrostatic and/or Van der Waals forces) rather than direct ionic bonding. Maximum HPF adsorption on modified or unmodified titanium dioxide occurred within 30 min, with greater protein adsorption occurring on butanol-treated samples. Desorption was minimal with all modifications. Zeta potential measurements showed that HPF adsorption caused an increase in the negative zeta potential with the greatest change noted for the butanol-treated samples. These findings suggest that wettability and surface charge both play an important role in protein adsorption to titanium dioxide. Thus, by modifying the physico-chemical properties of titanium dioxide surfaces, it may be possible to alter protein adsorption and hence optimize cell attachment.