Fluorescence polarization study on the dynamics and location of peroxidized fluorescent phospholipids in liposomes

Motional properties of fluorescent substances produced by lipid peroxidation by a time-resolved fluorescence polarization technique were studied. When liposomes containing phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and linoleic hydrocarbon chain were incubated at 37 degrees C, fluorophores absorbing maximally at 360 nm and emitting near 430 nm were produced. Their fluorescence anisotropy decay measured at 23 degrees C was fitted well with a sum of a fast relaxation and a time-independent residual term. With the increase of oxidation degree, the time constant of the relaxation term increased. This may be explained by alteration in the membrane structure or by modification of the fluorescent products themselves. Information on the location of the fluorescent products was obtained when their motional property was compared with those of various extrinsic probes that were incorporated at different positions of the lipid bilayer. It was found that the motional property of the fluorescent oxidation products is similar to that of 1-(4-trimethylammoniumphenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, a rod-shaped hydrophobic probe with a charged terminal. Other probes sensing the polar region or the hydrophobic region of the membrane were characterized by a lower order parameter. It is suggested that the fluorescent oxidation products have a polar moiety located at the membrane surface and attached to the amino group of PE while the tail part being buried in the hydrophobic region of the membrane. This picture is supported by fluorescence quenching experiments with the aqueous quencher Co2+. On the other hand, fluorophores produced by the reaction of malondialdehyde and PE suggested to have a chemical structure in which the angle between the absorption and emission dipole moments is very large. On the basis of these observations, the production pathway of fluorophores in oxidized membranes is discussed.

Phospholipid hydroperoxides and lipid peroxidation in liver and plasma of ODS rats supplemented with alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid

Forty-five mutant male ODS rats, unable to synthesize ascorbic acid, were fed nine diets containing 5, 50 or 250 mg of vitamin E/kg diet and 150, 300 or 900 mg of vitamin C/kg diet for 21 days. The concentrations of vitamins C and E increased in liver and plasma in relation to the level of these vitamins in the diet. Vitamin C dietary supplementation increased the plasma vitamin E content at low levels of vitamin E intake, supporting the concept of an in vivo synergism between both antioxidant vitamins. Vitamin C, at the dietary levels studied, did not affect the lipid peroxidation. Vitamin E decreased liver and plasma endogenous levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and liver sensitivity to non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation. This was confirmed by a highly specific assay of lipid hydroperoxides using high performance liquid chromatography with chemiluminescence detection. The hepatic concentration of both phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine hydroperoxides decreased as the vitamin E content of the diet increased. The results show for the first time the capacity of vitamin E to protest against peroxidation of major phospholipids in vivo under basal unstressed conditions.

[Synthesis and antibacterial properties of quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide derivatives]

Novel quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide derivatives were synthesized from benzofuroxans and the enolic form of 1,3-diketones or 3-oxoalkanoic esters or 3-oxoalkanamides or butanedioic esters catalyzed by silica gel or molecular sieves and their antibacterial activities were evaluated. As the results of antibacterial screening tests in vitro, quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides revealed strong activities against Bacteroides fragilis.

Contrast enhancement with Gd-EOB-DTPA in MR imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice: a comparison with superparamagnetic iron oxide

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the new liver-specific magnetic resonance contrast agent gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Seventeen mice with 66 chemically induced HCCs underwent magnetic resonance imaging with both Gd-EOB-DTPA (30 mumol/kg) and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO; 10 mumol/kg). After enhancement, lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of 47 detected HCCs increased negatively from 3.7 +/- 10.7 (mean +/- SD) to -55.1 +/- 25.8 with Gd-EOB-DTPA (P < .001) and increased positively from 10.4 +/- 10.4 to 26.1 +/- 16.3 with SPIO (P < .001). The improvement of CNR after administration of SPIO was less in smaller lesions (< 4 mm), whereas that after administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA was independent of lesion size. However, Gd-EOB-DTPA positively enhanced four HCCs (8.5%), both highly differentiated (grade 1) and moderately differentiated (grade 2). Gd-EOB-DTPA allows the conspicuous detection of small HCCs; however, moderately differentiated HCCs occasionally may be positively enhanced.

[Tuberculous aneurysm of the descending aorta--successful surgical treatment]

A 62-year-old woman visited her primary physician because of high fever and vomiting. From a chest roentgenogram miliary tuberculosis was diagnosed. Anti-tuberculosis drugs were prescribed. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured from samples of sputum. Although she took drugs for 3 months, her symptoms did not resolve and back pain developed. A chest roentgenogram showed an egg-sized mass in the posterior part of the mediastinum. Examination of a chest CT scan showed that the mass was an aortic aneurysm. A graft replacement was done, and histologic examination of the resected specimen showed that it was a tuberculous aneurysm of the descending aorta. Her symptoms disappeared, and she recovered fully. Tuberculous aneurysms are rare: they account for only 0.3% of all aneurysms. This is only the 9th reported case of tuberculous aneurysm successfully treated with surgery in Japan. We must realize that aneurysms are life-threatening complication of miliary tuberculosis.

Regulatory properties of the integrated long terminal repeat of the feline immunodeficiency virus

To examine the regulatory properties of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) long terminal repeat (LTR) integrated into host chromatin, Crandell feline kidney cells were stably transfected with the FIV LTR that directs the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. Using these cells, we examined the effects of treatment with several chemical agents, infection with feline viruses, or transfection with effector plasmids expressing FIV gene products on FIV LTR-directed gene expression. Among them, treatment with the phorbol ester (a strong activator of protein kinase C), forskolin (an inducer of cyclic-AMP), 5-azacytidine (a DNA methylation antagonist), or infection with feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), resulted in induction of CAT activity in the cells. These results suggest that the integrated FIV LTR is stimulated by cellular transcriptional factors induced by phorbol ester, forskolin and FHV-1, and is also inactivated by DNA methylation. Furthermore, this permanent cell line can be used as a screening system of activators of the FIV LTR.

Age-related change of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide and phosphatidylethanolamine hydroperoxide levels in normal human red blood cells

The age-related occurrence of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) and phosphatidylethanolamine hydroperoxide (PEOOH) in normal human red blood cells (RBC) was confirmed by using chemiluminescence detection-high performances liquid chromatography (CL-HPLC). The concentration (mean +/- S.D.) for the healthy young adult (22-27 of age, n = 20) was 93 +/- 17 pmol PCOOH and 121 +/- 20 pmol PEOOH/ml packed RBC, while for the aged adult (56-92 of age, n = 20) the peroxide content was significantly higher, 162 +/- 52 pmol PCOOH and 186 +/- 40 pmol PEOOH/ml packed RBC. These results indicate that oxidative stress occurs constantly on RBC, even in normal humans, and that the susceptivity significantly increases with age.

High phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide level in plasma of guinea pigs with low and excess supplementation of ascorbic acid

Graded amounts (0, 50, 500 and 5,000 mg/liter) of ascorbic acid (AsA) were given in drinking water to guinea pigs for 21 days to prepare AsA-deficient, low-AsA, moderate-AsA and excess-AsA animals, and the plasma phospholipid hydroperoxide level and lipid concentration were quantitatively determined to investigate the antioxidant effect of AsA in vivo. Phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) was a predominant phospholipid hydroperoxide present in the plasma, and the PCOOH concentration was significantly higher in AsA-deficient, low-AsA and excess-AsA animals (80.4 nM, 54.8 nM and 42.2 nM, respectively) as compared with that in moderate-AsA animals (27.2 nM). Hyperlipidemic plasma characterized as high cholesterol and high triacylglycerol concentrations was confirmed in AsA-deficient animals. Molar ratios of plasma AsA and alpha--tocopherol against 10(4) moles of phospholipids were significantly lower in AsA-deficient and low-AsA animals (0.6-2.1 and 5.5-8.5, respectively) than in moderate-AsA and excess-AsA animals (14.2-18.0 and 11.2-11.9, respectively). In plasma, a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.979) was observed between PCOOH and AsA for which there was optimum AsA level to keep the low PCOOH and such correlation was stronger than that (r = 0.558) observed with alpha-tocopherol. The results indicated that AsA has an important function to control the phospholipid hydroperoxide level in plasma and that moderate supplementation of AsA is required to reveal its optimal antioxidant effect in vivo. The present study also showed that AsA-deficiency especially invites an increase in plasma PCOOH together with a hyperlipidemic state which are risk factors in developing atherogenesis.

beta-carotene as a high-potency antioxidant to prevent the formation of phospholipid hydroperoxides in red blood cells of mice

In order to investigate the antioxidant effect of beta-carotene in vivo, phospholipid hydroperoxides and beta-carotene isomers in red blood cells (RBC), plasma and tissue organelles were quantitatively measured after the oral administration of beta-carotene (94.8% all-trans-beta-carotene) to mice. Three groups of 24 mice each were fed for 1 week on a semisynthetic diet supplemented with either 0.6% or 3.0% beta-carotene/diet or maintained on a control (beta-carotene-unsupplemented) diet. The RBC phospholipid hydroperoxides showed a significant decrease followed by an increase of beta-carotene intakes; i.e., 201, 16 and 4 pmol of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide/ml packed RBC, and 108, 22 and 8 pmol of phosphatidylethanolamine hydroperoxide/ml packed RBC, in the mice given the control diet, 0.6% carotene diet and 3.0% carotene diet, respectively. The RBC beta-carotene increased from 14 to 43 pmol/ml packed RBC as followed by the increase of beta-carotene intakes. Such a potent antioxidant effect of beta-carotene as observed in RBC was not confirmed in the plasma, liver or lungs, although their beta-carotene contents increased. The beta-carotene ingestion increased the all-trans-beta-carotene and retinol contents in RBC, plasma, liver and lungs, but the alpha-tocopherol content decreased. In the beta-carotene-supplemented (6 g and 30 g/kg diet) mice, cis-beta-carotene content was relatively higher in the RBC (25-35% of total beta-carotene) than that in the plasma, liver and lungs. The present findings indicate that not only does beta-carotene act as a potent antioxidant in vivo but also its antioxidant effect is very specific in the RBC phospholipid bilayers rather than in the plasma and other tissue organelles.

Neurotoxicity of gadolinium contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging in rats with osmotically disrupted blood-brain barrier

The neurotoxicity of intravenously injected Gadolinium (Gd) complexes to rats with disrupted blood-brain barrier (BBB) was evaluated. After disruption of the BBB by infusion of mannitol solution, one of several contrast agents tested was injected intravenously at a dose of 1 or 3 mmol Gd/kg, and neurological symptoms were graded. The concentrations of Gd in brain and plasma were also measured. Injection of Gd-DTPA at a dose of 3 mmol Gd/kg did not change behavior. On the other hand, Gd-DTPA-BMA, Gd-DO3A-butrol, and Gd-DO3A-HP each induced behavioral impairments, and some animals died within 1 h after injection. Gd-DO3A-HP showed lethal effect even at a dose of 1 mmol/kg. The concentration of Gd in the brain of the animals injected with Gd-DO3A-HP at 3 mmol Gd/kg was essentially the same as that of animals injected with Gd-DTPA at the same dose. The neurotoxicity of the contrast agents tested was graded as follows: Gd-DTPA < or = Gd-DTPA-BMA = Gd-DO3A-butrol < Gd-DO3A-HP.

[Immunoglobulin positive cells in paranasal mucosa treated with macrolides]

The present study was carried out to determine the correlation between the efficacy of macrolide therapy and clinical features of chronic sinusitis. We performed an immunohistological study of subepithelial inflammatory cells in the paranasal mucosa from the patients of chronic sinusitis treated with low-dose, long-term administration of macrolides, and obtained the following results. 1) Many IgA and IgE positive cells were observed in subepithelial area, while IgG and IgM positive cells were sparse. 2) The cases with many IgA positive cells in subepithelial layer before the therapy showed good response to macrolides, and a number of IgA positive cells decreased after the therapy. 3) The number of IgE and IgM positive cells showed little change after the therapy. IgG positive cells tended to increase in number after the therapy. 4) The ratio of number of IgA positive cells and IgE positive cells (IgA/E) significantly decreased after the therapy, especially in responders to the therapy. 5) The value of IgA/E was significantly low in eosinophil-dominant cases. These results suggested that macrolides suppress chronic inflammatory response except for eosinophil and IgE-dominant inflammation.

Intracarotid blood pressure changes during contrast medium injection

PURPOSE

To investigate changes in blood pressure during intracarotid injection of contrast material.

METHODS

Two catheters were inserted into the ipsilateral common carotid artery of dogs. The proximal catheter was used for injection of contrast material and the other was positioned distally to monitor blood pressure.

RESULTS

Distal intracarotid pressure rose significantly during injection of contrast material at all rates (5, 7, and 10 mL/s) and at all doses (0.2, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 mL/kg). In addition, these blood pressure elevations were shown to be correlated with injection rates and doses. Even when the pressure-monitoring coaxial catheter was advanced into smaller arteries, no decline in the impact of injection was observed.

CONCLUSION

Intracarotid injection of contrast material causes a temporal elevation of cerebral blood pressure in dogs.

Pyrone hydroperoxide formation during the Maillard reaction and its implication in biological systems

Hydroperoxide formation during Maillard reaction (amino-carbonyl reaction) was investigated using luminol-chemiluminescence-high performance liquid chromatography (CL-HPLC). From the equimolar reaction mixture of 1 M beta-alanine/D-glucose in phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) at 95 degrees C, two hydroperoxides and H2O2 were detected as chemiluminescent products in CL-HPLC, and the yields were proportional to the browning development. One of these hydroperoxides was isolated and identified as 3-hydroxy-5-hydroperoxy-2-methyl-5,6-dihydropyran-4-one (HMDP, pyrone hydroperoxide) by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The HMDP formation was also confirmed in L-lysine/D-glucose and in bovine serum albumin/D-glucose with the physiological incubation at 37 degrees C for 4 days and 3 wk, respectively. Incubation at 37 degrees C of human plasma containing 5.5-25.0 mM of D-glucose for 60 h showed the glucose concentration-dependent formation of HMDP (10-35 microM of H2O2 equivalence). The HMDP was negative to thiobarbituric acid reaction and was degraded by peroxidases such as horseradish peroxidase, Athromyces ramosus peroxidase, heated cytochrome c, and microperoxidase. The results strongly suggested the formation of such hydroperoxide even in biological Maillard reaction termed as glycation, and implied its contribution in pathogenesis and oxidative lesions associated with hyperglycemia.

Perfusion imaging of the brain by B-mode ultrasonography. An experimental study in rabbits

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to assess the ultrasonic imaging of normal rabbit brain by using echocontrast enhancer to identify the brain tissue perfusion.

METHODS

A solution of SH/TA-508 (containing microbubbles of mean size 2 to 4 microns; n = 4) was used for contrast enhancement of rabbit brain tissue and was administered through the left internal carotid artery. Contrast enhancement in the ipsilateral parietal area was examined by placing a 7.5-MHz transducer on the dura after a craniectomy. Throughout the experiment, we measured parameters including arterial blood pressure, arterial blood gases, and serum glucose and hematocrit levels. We investigated whether the administration of an echocontrast enhancer would be safe for the brain tissue (n = 4).

RESULTS

After injection of 100 mg/mL SH/TA-508, contrast enhancement was clearly observed within approximately 1 second in the left hemisphere (especially in the left cerebral cortex) in all animals and disappeared within 3 seconds after the end of injection. All physiological parameters remained within the normal range throughout the experiment. No focal abnormalities were observed on hematoxylin-eosin staining of the brain tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrast enhancement was observed in the ipsilateral hemisphere with the administration of SH/TA-508. Contrast enhancement on B-mode brain imaging would be useful for real-time identification of brain tissue perfusion and should become a promising method for bedside clinical assessment of brain tissue perfusion.

Chemiluminescence detection of mono-, bis-, and tris-hydroperoxy triacylglycerols present in vegetable oils

A reliable method was needed to analyze molecular species of oxidized vegetable oils. In order to accomplish this goal, mono-, bis-, and tris-hydroperoxides (Mono-OOH, Bis-OOH, and Tris-OOH, respectively) of triacylglycerols formed during autoxidation and photosensitized oxidation of oils were determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in combination with chemiluminescence detection (CL-HPLC). Mono-OOH was the major species (96% of total hydroperoxides) in trioleoylglycerol [peroxide value (PV) 0.16 meg/kg], and Bis-OOH and Tris-OOH showed prolonged accumulation with photooxidation. This profile was confirmed in photooxidation of trilinoleoylglycerol and trilinoleoylglycerol. Soybean oil (PV 6 meq/kg) contained Mono-OOH oleoyl-linoleoylglycerol as the main peroxidic molecular species (50% of total hydroperoxides). Mono-OOH trilinoleoylglycerol was the principal species (61% of total hydroperoxides) in safflower oil (PV 5 meq/kg), and Mono-OOH oleoyl-oleoyl-linoleoylglycerol was the representative species (66% of total hydroperoxides) in olive oil (PV 3 meq/kg). The CL-HPLC method, which is specific for the detection of hydroperoxides, should prove useful in studies of triacylglycerol oxidation in foods and vegetable oils.

Accumulation of phosphatydilcholine-hydroperoxide in dialysis patients with diabetic nephropathy

Plasma lipid peroxidation in noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (DM) patients were evaluated in DM patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) by means of a chemiluminescence-HPLC for the specific determination of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH). Thirty-three uremic patients with DM nephropathy, undergoing 12 hours HD a week using polymethylmethacrylate membrane, were studied. Of them 22 DM patients on HD were divided into 2 age and sex matched groups treated and conventional group in order to clarify therapeutic effect of 500 mg alfa-tocopherol and 600 mg probucol daily. Fifty DM patients without end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who were age-, period of diabetes-, and sex-matched, were selected as positive control of the subjects. Plasma PCOOH levels were significantly elevated in both DM patients, while the plasma PCOOH in normal controls were 227.0 +/- 68.7 pmol/ml. Plasma PCOOH levels of DM patients undergoing HD were significantly higher than that of patients without ESRD (1,330.8 +/- 642.7 pmol/ml vs. 756.6 +/- 431.9 pmol/ml, p < 0.025). Partial correlation coefficient of plasma PCOOH level demonstrated PCOOH and period of HD in DM patients were highly significantly positively correlated (p < 0.01), although single session of HD was not found to produce significantly increased lipid-peroxidation. Plasma PCOOH roughly remained within similar levels as base lines by medication with anti-oxidant compared to that of conventional group. From these results we conclude that HD intensifies lipid peroxidation and such accumulation of hydroperoxide could account for accelerated progress of atherosclerosis in DM patients with renal insufficiency. It is worthwhile to try an administration of free radical scavenger in order to reduce PCOOH and slow down the progression of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Safety and pharmacokinetics of iotrolan in hysterosalpingography. Retention and irritability compared with Lipiodol

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The authors compared the safety and pharmacokinetics of Iotrolan (water-soluble) in hysterosalpingography (HSG) with those of Lipiodol (oil-soluble).

METHODS

Iotrolan and Lipiodol were administered intraperitoneally at doses of 100 mg iodine/kg to female rabbits. Retention in the body was investigated by x-ray imaging, plasma kinetics, and urinary and fecal excretion. Irritability in the abdomen was investigated by histologic examination.

RESULTS

Iotrolan was entirely excreted into the urine within 2 days after administration. Conversely, Lipiodol was excreted into the urine, had a half-life of 50 days, and was retained for more than 21 days in the abdomen. Iotrolan induced no inflammatory reaction in the abdomen, whereas Lipiodol induced a marked abdominal inflammatory reaction, including granuloma formation. Iotrolan had no effect on iodine concentration in the thyroid; Lipiodol increased iodine concentration significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Iotrolan, which is a water-soluble and nonionic dimeric contrast medium, has potential greater safety for use in HSG than Lipiodol.

Genotyping of isolates of Taylorella equigenitalis from thoroughbred brood mares in Japan

Profiles of the genomic DNA of 104 strains of T. equigenitalis isolated from brood mares with contagious equine metritis in Hokkaido during the breeding seasons from 1980 to 1993, as well as those of five strains (SS28, EQ56, EQ59, EQ70 and HH139) previously isolated in Japan were examined after restriction digestion and crossed-field gel electrophoresis. These profiles were essentially identical to each other and the various isolates and strains appeared to have a common genotype, designated 'genotype J', with respect to two restriction enzymes, ApaI and NotI. These results suggest a common source for all these isolates obtained over the course of more than 10 years in Japan.

Quantification of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) proviral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of cats infected with Japanese strains of FIV

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was applied for measurement of the proviral DNA copy number of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of cats experimentally and naturally infected with FIV. In experimentally infected cats except one cat infected with the Petaluma strain, FIV-specific DNAs were efficiently amplified with the PCR method under the conditions used in this study. In the naturally FIV-infected cats, the specific DNAs were also amplified. We established a quantitative method for measurement of proviral DNA copy number in PBMC from cats infected with TM2-type of FIV strains, and found that the number was variable among the six cats examined, ranging from 10(4.0) to 10(5.7) copies per 10(5) PBMCs. This method can be applicable to cats naturally infected with FIV of TM2-type. Proviral DNA quantitation developed here could be useful as an additional parameter to evaluate the relationships among the proviral load, immune response and development of the clinical symptoms, and to monitor efficacy of antiviral therapy in vivo.

Protoporphyric disorder in livers of broiler chickens

Two cases of protoporphyrin (PP) disorder detected in a 60- and 65-day old female chicken were described. The gross lesions were restricted to the livers which were enlarged and dark green to black in color. Histologically, dark brown granules were found in hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, macrophages, sinusoids, bile canaliculi, and bile ducts. These granules, as seen in smears and sections of livers, were red under a fluorescence microscope and exhibited bright birefringence with a centrally located dark Maltese-cross by polarized light. Ultrastructurally, these granules consisted of aggregates of needle-like crystals in a radial arrangement. Fluorometrically, extracted level of PP in the affected liver was determined to be 390.6 micrograms per gram of wet tissue. Spectrofluorometric scans of liver extract and PP standard were almost identical.

Gastric mucosal phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide increases during cold water-immersion restraint stress in rats

To know the role of lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of stress-induced gastric mucosal lesions, we performed the present study. Both gastric mucosal lesions and gastric mucosal phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides (PCOOH) levels during cold water-immersion restraint (CWIR) stress were measured by the chemiluminecence-HPLC method in Sprague-Dawley rats. Ulcer indices increased time-dependently during the stress. Gastric mucosal PCOOH levels also significantly increased and reached a peak level (250% of untreated level) after 2 hr of stress. These results suggest that lipid peroxidation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric mucosal lesions induced CWIR stress.

Susceptibility for hydroperoxide formation of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine in liposomes

To compare the peroxidative susceptibilities of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in liposomes, multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) were prepared with equimolar L-alpha-dilinoleoyl PC (DLPC) and L-alpha-dilinoleoyl PE (DLPE), and with soya PC and soya PE having a uniform constituent fatty acids. The hydroperoxide formation at 37 degrees C in the presence of a water-soluble radical initiator was examined by chemiluminescence-high-performance liquid chromatography (CL-HPLC), and the effect of heterogeneous distribution of PC and PE on peroxidation was investigated. No difference was found between the hydroperoxidation of PC and PE in MLVs systems, except that soya PC was more susceptible to peroxidation than soya PE in the L-alpha-dipalmitoyl PC (DPPC)-based liposomes. No correlation was found between the amount of phospholipids distributed in the external leaflet of MLVs and hydroperoxide formation. This result suggested that the unsaturation of constituent fatty acids in phospholipids is more important than the difference in the polar head group of phospholipids regarding their peroxidizabilities in liposomes.

A synaptic vesicle-associated protein (SVP-38) as an early indicator of delayed neuronal death

Sixteen gerbils were subjected to 5 min of forebrain ischemia. Their brains were processed for immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies against a synaptic vesicle-associated protein 38 (SVP-38) and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) after recirculation times of 10 min, and 1, 4, and 7 days. After 10 min recirculation, SVP-38 immunoreactive dots were observed only in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. After 1 day recirculation, SVP-38 immunostaining was diffuse and weak throughout the hippocampus, despite preservation of MAP2 immunoreactivity. After 4 and 7 days recirculation, SVP-38 immunoreactivity had been restored in the whole hippocampus, despite the complete loss of MAP2 immunoreactivity due to delayed neuronal death. Our results demonstrate an immediate and significant change in the immunoreactivity of a synaptic vesicle-associated protein at the beginning of the process of delayed neuronal death. Thus, changes in the immunoreactivity of synaptic vesicle-associated proteins such as SVP-38 appear to be one of the earliest indicators of the onset of neuronal death.

The C/EBP site in the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) long terminal repeat (LTR) is necessary for its efficient replication and is also involved in the inhibition of FIV LTR-directed gene expression by pseudorabies virus ICP4

We investigated effects of site-specific mutation of the putative C/EBP binding site in the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) long terminal repeat (LTR) on the basal promoter activity in Crandell feline kidney (CRFK) cells and on replication efficiency in CRFK cells and a T-lymphoblastoid cell line, MYA-1 cells. Mutation of the C/EBP site reduced the basal promoter activity in CRFK cells and prevented efficient FIV replication in both CRFK and MYA-1 cells. Gel-mobility-shift assay using nuclear extracts from CRFK and MYA-1 cells revealed that the nuclear factor(s) actually binds to the C/EBP site, but there was a clear difference in the binding patterns to the C/EBP site between CRFK and MYA-1 cell nuclear proteins. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the C/EBP site is necessary for inhibition of FIV LTR-directed gene expression by pseudorabies virus (PRV) ICP4. The C/EBP site is sufficient to confer inhibitory effect by PRV ICP4 on heterologous promoters. These data suggest that the C/EBP site in the FIV LTR is important for the positive regulation of FIV gene expression and replication and is also required for the negative regulation of FIV gene expression by PRV ICP4.