Drug-protein binding kinetics in patients with Type I diabetes

Summary Sera from 17 patients with Type I diabetes and 19 healthy volunteers have been examined to evaluate whether the kinetics of the binding of drugs to Site II of serum albumin is altered in diabetes. Stopped-flow measurements showed that the association velocity and the affinity constants of the fluorescent marker dansylsarcosine were significantly lower in diabetics (160 s^–1 and 2.0 × 10⁵ l·mol^–1) than in non-diabetics (196s^–1 and 4.0 × 10⁵ l·mol^–1). The dissociation velocity was not different [20.3 s^–1 vs. 19.4 s^–1]. Although patients with a reduced albumin concentration were excluded the diabetics had significantly lower concentrations than the healthy volunteers. There was a significant correlation between decreased glycosylation of albumin and increased association velocity. The dissociation velocity constants were correlated with the molar concentration ratio of free fatty acids/human serum albumin. Thus, the extent of glycosylation and the amount of fatty acids bound per mole albumin can both affect the kinetics of drug binding to Site II. The lower affinity in patients with Type I diabetes is due to the increased in the glycoalbumin concentration.     

In vitro studies of antiphospholipid antibodies and its cofactor, beta 2-glycoprotein I, show negligible effects on endothelial cell mediated protein C activation.

The effect of sera and purified IgG isolated from plasma of 46 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 9 healthy donors on the endothelial cell (EC) mediated protein C activation was investigated. Out of the 46 SLE sera used, 19 were antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) positive. From 12 patients IgG was isolated, of which 6 contained aPL. EC were first incubated with IgG (7 mg/ml) or serum (1:1 diluted) for 1 h and then tested for their ability to promote protein C activation by thrombin, with the cells either in a monolayer or in a suspension. The normal range (mean of control values +/- 2 SD) of protein C activation was 80-120%. In contrast to others, we could not detect an inhibition of protein C activation by any of the patient IgG's or sera. The recently described cofactor for binding of antiphospholipid antibodies to phospholipids, beta 2-glycoprotein I, was purified and added to the purified IgG's. A combination of these two components did not inhibit the EC mediated protein C activation by thrombin. This study suggests that the inhibition of the protein C activation, mediated by EC, is not a general mechanism by which aPL related thrombosis can be explained.     

Specific binding of the human S protein (vitronectin) to streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli.

Specific binding of the 125I-labeled human S protein (vitronectin) which has been shown to be identical with serum-spreading factor, was observed with group A, C, and G streptococci as well as with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The specific binding of S protein to group A, C, and G streptococci was high, whereas the binding to S. aureus and E. coli cultures was moderate. In contrast, group B streptococci and a number of other bacterial species tested did not interact with S protein. The binding of S protein to bacteria was saturable and could be inhibited only by unlabeled S protein but not by albumin. Trypsinization and heat treatment of bacteria destroyed the S-protein binding capacity for group G streptococci, S. aureus, and E. coli but not for group A and C streptococci. Likewise, unlabeled human fibronectin and heparin inhibited the binding of labeled S protein to group G streptococci, S. aureus, and E. coli, but did not influence the binding to group A and C streptococci. Double-reciprocal plots of S-protein binding to group G streptococci indicated that fibronectin inhibited the binding in a competitive manner, while heparin acts in a noncompetitive manner. Moreover, the binding of S protein to G streptococci could be partially by the synthetic peptide Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser, which contains the cell attachment site of S protein. Trypsin-treated S protein had similar binding activity as untreated S protein for group G streptococci, S. aureus, and E. coli, but showed reduced binding to group A and C streptococci. The present data are indicative of two different types of bacterial binding sites in S protein. The binding to group G streptococci, S. aureus, and E. coli is mediated in part through a domain in the S protein containing the sequence Arg-Gly-Asp, whereas a different site is responsible for the binding to group A and C streptococci.     

Platelet glycoprotein VI-dependent thrombus stabilization is essential for the intraportal engraftment of pancreatic islets

Platelet activation and thrombus formation have been implicated to be detrimental for intraportal pancreatic islet transplants. The platelet-specific collagen receptor glycoprotein VI (GPVI) plays a key role in thrombosis through cellular activation and the subsequent release of secondary mediators. In aggregometry and in a microfluidic dynamic assay system modeling flow in the portal vein, pancreatic islets promoted platelet aggregation and triggered thrombus formation, respectively. While platelet GPVI deficiency did not affect the initiation of these events, it was found to destabilize platelet aggregates and thrombi in this process. Interestingly, while no major difference was detected in early thrombus formation after intraportal islet transplantation, genetic GPVI deficiency or acute anti-GPVI treatment led to an inferior graft survival and function in both syngeneic mouse islet transplantation and xenogeneic human islet transplantation models. These results demonstrate that platelet GPVI signaling is indispensable in stable thrombus formation induced by pancreatic islets. GPVI deficiency resulted in thrombus destabilization and inferior islet engraftment indicating that thrombus formation is necessary for a successful intraportal islet transplantation in which platelets are active modulators.     

Fatal meningoencephalitis due to Bacillus anthracis

Abstract: We report the first case of fatal anthrax meningoencephalitis in Hong Kong over the past 60 years. A 13 year-old boy presented with right lower quadrant pain, diarrhoea and progressive headache. Lumbar puncture yielded gram positive bacilli initially thought to be Bacillus cereus, a contaminant. He was treated with ampicillin and cefotaxime, but died 3 days after hospitalization. The organism isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid was later identified as Bacillus anthracis.     

A prospective study of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and methionine synthase gene polymorphisms, and risk of colorectal adenoma

We examined the relationship between a functional polymorphism (667C-- >T, ala-->val) of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) and the risk of colorectal adenomas in the prospective Nurses' Health Study. Among 257 incident polyp cases and 713 controls, the MTHFR val/val polymorphism [relative risk (RR) = 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-2.17] was not significantly associated with risk of adenomas. This lack of association was observed for both small (RR = 1.36, 95% CI 0.76-2.45) and large (RR = 1.32, 95% CI 0.66-2.66) adenomas. Furthermore, there was no significant interaction between this polymorphism and consumption of either folate, methionine or alcohol. We also examined the relationship of a newly identified polymorphism (asp919gly) of the methionine synthase gene (MS) with the risk of colorectal adenomas in the same population. The MS gly/gly polymorphism was also not significantly associated with risk of colorectal adenomas (RR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.26-1.70). These results, which need to be confirmed in other studies, suggest that the MTHFR val/val polymorphism, which has been previously inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer, plays a role only in a late stage (adenoma-- >carcinoma) of colorectal tumorigenesis, and/or may protect against malignant transformation in the subset of benign adenomas, which may progress to malignancy.      

Does prenylation predict progression in NAFLD?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) often develops in concert with related metabolic diseases, such as obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Prolonged lipid accumulation and inflammation can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Although factors associated with the development of NAFLD are known, triggers for the progression of NAFLD to NASH are poorly understood. Recent findings published in The Journal of Pathology reveal the possible regulation of NASH progression by metabolites of the mevalonate pathway. Mevalonate can be converted into the isoprenoids farnesyldiphosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP). GGPP synthase (GGPPS), the enzyme that converts FPP to GGPP, is dysregulated in humans and mice during NASH. Both FPP and GGPP can be conjugated to proteins through prenylation, modifying protein function and localization. Deletion or knockdown of GGPPS favors FPP prenylation (farnesylation) and augments the function of liver kinase B1, an upstream kinase of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Despite increased AMPK activation, livers in Ggpps-deficient mice on a high-fat diet poorly oxidize lipids due to mitochondrial dysfunction. Although work from Liu et al provides evidence as to the potential importance of the prenylation portion of the mevalonate pathway during NAFLD, future studies are necessary to fully grasp any therapeutic or diagnostic potential. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.