Role of vitamin E in rheumatic chorea

Rheumatic chorea is the sole neurologic manifestation of rheumatic fever. It is a debilitating illness lasting for weeks to months. Drugs like diazepam, haloperidol, chlorpromazine take four to six weeks for functional improvement and can cause serious side effects. The authors investigated the role of Vitamin E in reducing rheumatic chorea. A case series of patients of rheumatic chorea were administered Vitamin E in the dose 50 IU daily for fifteen days. The various clinical signs of rheumatic chorea were scored with MAIMS score (Modified Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale score) which is used for tardive dyskinesia. No other drug for abnormal movements was used. In all the 4 patients who received vitamin E, there was remarkable change by 7th day and almost complete functional improvement by 14th day. Vitamin E is safer than the conventional drugs used for chorea in children. It was found effective in this case series. Its role needs further evaluation by a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Replacement of phe(8) in substance P by tyr (Tyr(8)-SP) alters the conformation of the peptide in DMSO, water, and lipid bilayers

The conformation of [Tyr(8)]SP (Y8SP) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), water, and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers has been investigated by two-dimensional nmr and molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular modeling of the conformation of Y8SP by incorporating nuclear Overhauser effects as distance restraints shows wide differences in its conformation in the three media. In DMSO, the main structural features are gamma-bends along with a nonspecific bend around Gln(6)-Phe(7)-Tyr(8). The random coil structure seen in water is transformed into a beta-turn around the segment Gln(5)-Gln(6)-Phe(7)-Tyr(8) when Y8SP is incorporated into DPPC bilayers. The lower biological activity of Y8SP compared to the native peptide (SP) has been attributed to the absence of any helix like structure at the central residues, a feature shown to be an important prerequisite for SP and SP agonists to bind to the neurokinin 1 tachykinin receptor.

Arginine acts as a protective and reversal agent against glycolytic inhibitors in spermatozoa

It is known that the amino acid arginine stimulates sperm motility and glycolytic activity. We have earlier studied its efficacy as a stimulator of glycolysis in goat spermatozoa under anaerobic conditions. Here, we have assessed the influence of arginine in reversing the impairment caused by glycolytic inhibitors, iodoacetamide and iodoacetic acid. Glycolysis has been monitored by measuring the consumption of 13C labeled glucose and the amount of 13C labeled lactate produced under different experimental conditions, using 13C NMR. It is observed that both L- and D-arginine are able to prevent and reverse the inhibitory action of glycolytic inhibitors. The reversal effect of arginine gives rise to about eight times higher metabolic activity as compared to the inhibited cells while structurally related amino acids such as nitro-arginine, homo-arginine, lysine and ornithine are ineffective. The energetics of spermatozoa as measured by 31P NMR show a reduction in ATP level in cells incubated with iodoacetamide. Treatment of these cells with both L- and D-arginine restores the ATP level. The results may have significance in the treatment of male infertility.

Interaction of 7-hydroxy-8-(phenylazo)1,3-naphthalenedisulfonate with bovine plasma albumin. Spectroscopic studies

Interaction of Orange G (OG) with bovine plasma albumin (BPA) has been investigated using NMR, UV-visible absorption, CD, and fluorescence techniques. The bound conformation of OG is a compact structure with N9-N10 bond in a non-planar syn conformation. The binding causes a decrease in the 478-nm absorption band of OG. The analysis of the binding isotherm generated from UV-visible absorption measurements gives a dissociation constant of 10 microM and stoichiometry 1:1 for BPA.OG complex. Dissociation constant is invariant in the pH range 5.0-8.0 and is approximately 20 times higher at pH 4.0 than its value at pH 7.0. Near and far UV-CD studies indicate alterations in the helical content and in the tertiary structure of the protein on complexation. The binding induces (-) and (+) CD at 335 nm and 465 nm, respectively. The binding also results into an increase in the steady state fluorescence anisotropy of OG without affecting emission maximum and quantum yield. Fluorescence data indicate that quenching of Trp fluorescence by OG is static in nature and OG selectively binds near Trp-135. Observation of similar rotational correlation time for BPA and BPA.OG complex indicates that the overall globular structure of BPA remains unaltered on binding despite certain internal rearrangement in the protein structure.

Identification of low-molecular-weight compounds in goat epididymis using multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance

Multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (1H, 13C, and 31P) studies have been performed on aqueous solutions of lyophilysates of cell-free extract, epididymal fluid, and intact cells from caput and cauda regions of epididymis of sacrificed goats. Identification of low-molecular-weight compounds present in different maturation phases of spermatozoa has been carried out. Several low-molecular-weight compounds have been identified by assigning 600 MHz 1H NMR spectra with the help of two-dimensional homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy such as double quantum filtered correlation spectroscopy and heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectroscopy. Homonuclear coupling constants have also been used to get unambiguous assignments of resonances. NMR data were compared with those of standard samples measured at same pH and with those reported in the literature. Identification of several amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids have been made and their presence has been discussed in relation to their relevance to sperm functions. The presence of beta-alanine and hypotaurine has been reported for the first time in goat epididymis.

Arginine activates glycolysis of goat epididymal spermatozoa: an NMR study

The present study explores the mechanism underlying the action of L-arginine on the metabolic activity of spermatozoa. Goat epididymal spermatozoa were incubated with different concentrations of L-arginine to determine its effect on the utilization of glucose, fructose, and pyruvate. NMR techniques have been applied to elucidate the effect of L-arginine, L-lysine, and L-ornithine on the glycolysis of epididymal goat spermatozoa. Whereas 31P NMR has been used to estimate the change of pH in the presence of different concentrations of L-arginine, 13C NMR has been used to estimate the substrate consumption and lactate production. At optimal concentration of L-arginine, the forward metabolic rates have been found to increase by two to three times over control experiments. Arginine is not consumed in these reactions, but acts as an activator. Longitudinal relaxation time (T1) measurements indicate that the guanidino group of L-arginine plays an active role in binding to cells. The amino acid L-lysine is less effective, and L-ornithine is ineffective.

Effects of chronic manganese toxicity on tissue levels and urinary excretion of nicotinamide nucleotides in rats

Male rats were exposed to manganese sulphate i.p. daily for a period of four weeks to see its effects on tissue levels and urinary excretion of total nicotinamide nucleotides (TNN). Increased levels of TNN were observed in blood and brain while the levels were found to be decreased in liver. There was a progressive increase in the excretion of TNN during the experimental period. TNN levels in blood and urine might serve as useful biological indicators of Mn toxicity.

ELISA for diagnosis of tuberculosis

Antigen A 60 of Mycobacterium bovis is a cell wall antigen with almost complete cross reactivity with antigen A 60 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This antigen was used for the ELISA technique for 100 cases suspected of childhood tuberculosis to evaluate the usefulness of the method in the diagnosis. The positivity rate in pulmonary tuberculosis was 65.1%, in central nervous system tuberculosis 50.0% and in the miscellaneous group 76.4%. The overall positivity was 61.0%, proving the utility of the method for diagnosis.

Influence of trace metals on serum total sialic acids and perchloric acid--soluble proteins and sialic acids in mice

Male Swiss mice were exposed to a single LD50 (75%; i.p.) of mercury, zinc, lead and manganese to determine their influence on serum sialic acid and protein levels after a refractory period of 48 h. They significantly elevated, in different proportions, the serum levels of total and perchloric acid (PCA)-soluble sialic acids (biological marker) and PCA-soluble proteins, thus indicating their toxicity.

Gas-liquid chromatography of nucleosides. Effect of silylating reagents and solvents

The aims of this investigation were to study the completeness of silylation of nucleosides with three different reagents, bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA), bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide (BSA) and trimethylsilylimidazole (TMSI), and to investigate the effect of different solvents (acetonitrile, pyridine, dimethylformamide, chloroform, methylene chloride, hexane, benzene, and toluene) on quantitation of derivatization. Closed-tube silylations of the nucleosides were performed with BSTFA, BSA, and TMSI, and for the most complete silylation, the optimal time, temperature, and molar excess of reagent were: for BSTFA, 150 degrees-15 min and 225 molar excess; for TMSI, 60 degrees-3 h and 1000 molar excess; and for BSA, 120 degrees-2 h and 250 molar excess. Also, silylations of seven major and minor nucleosides were carried out using a 1000 molar excess of BSTFA, BSA, and TMSI at 25 degrees with 5 min sonication, and at optimal silylation conditions as described above for the three reagents. The silylating strengths were determined by the increase in RWR (= weight response of nucleoside/weight response of pyrene) values, and are summarized for the amino group containing nucleosides silylated at room temperature as BSTFA greater than TMSI greater than BSA, and for silylation under optimal conditions as BSTFA greater than BSA greater than TMSI. The efficiency of silylation for the hydroxyl group-containing nucleosides silylated at room temperature was BSTFA greater than TMSI greater than BSA, and for silylation under optimal conditions BSTFA greater than TMSI = BSA...

Derivatization and chromatography of nucleosides and nucleotides

The aims of this study were to determine the effect of levels of various substances and reaction by-products, which are formed during hydrolysis of nucleic acids, on the derivatization and chromatography of nucleosides; and to investigate the silylation of mono- and dinucleotides. The effect of NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, NH4Cl, and (NH4)2SO4 on silylation and chromatography of nucleosides was studies at various molar excesses of salt. The response values for all nucleosides were studied at various molar excesses of salt. The response values for all nucleosides were significantly affected at molar excess salt present values (MSP) between 1 and 10 for KCl, NaCl, NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4 and between 0.1 and 1 for MgCl2. It was noted that thymidine was more sensitive than other nucleosides if silylated in presence of these salts. Two chromatographic peaks at retention temperatures (RT) 240 and 251 were obtained for cytidine at MSP values of 10(-3) for NaCl, KCl, and MgCl2, and 10(-4) for NH4Cl and (NH4)2SO4. In a mixture of nucleosides the RT = 251 peak was used for quantitative analysis of cytidine as the RT = 240 peak elutes with guanosine. Thus, these salts have a significant effect on the gas-liquid chromatography of trimethylsilyl (TMS) cytidine in a mixture of nucleosides, especially the RT = 241 peak. The effect of salts on derivatization can be explained in part as follows: (a) reduced derivatization of nucleosides due to a decreased solubility in the solvent system; (b) formation of TMS anion derivatives, e.g. TMS-SO4, TMS-PO4, with a reduced molar excess of BSTFA; (c) metal chelation by Mg ions or other divalent cations with nucleosides or BSTFA; and/or (d) an increased breakdown of TMS derivatives in presence of salt in the sample or on the top 3 in. of the column packing. Also, experiments were made on the effect of other substances such as Tris, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and KCl on completeness of silylation. The individual impurities showed no significant effect on the relative weight response (RWR) values of nucleosides; however, when a mixture was used, significantly lower RWR values were observed for all nucleosides except thymidine when using 1000 molar excess of BSTFA greater than 1000 should be used for silylation and chromatography of nucleosides in an RNA hydrolysate. As reported earlier the best derivatization of nucleosides was achieved using closed tube silylation at 150 degrees for 15 min with 225 molar excess BSTFA and chromatography on 4% OV-11 on Supelcoport. In general, the presence of salts and other substances can be significant in quantitative work, thus it is suggested that they be removed using chromatographic cleanup methods. The stability of nucleosides as a function of concentration of HCl, at room temperature was studied and very low RWR values for nucleosides were obtained when stored for 48 h in greater than 0.001 N HCl. Trimethylsilylation of various nucleotides and dinucleotides were made at 15 min as a function of temperature, and at 150 degrees at different times...

Gas-liquid chromatography of nucleosides. Derivatization and chromatography

The aims of this investigation were to establish the optimum reaction conditions for silylation of nucleotides with bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) and to investigate the chromatographic properties of the following nucleosides: adenosine, guanosine, cytidine, thymine, inosine, xanthosine, and uridine. Closed tube silylations were performed with a 1000 molar excess of BSTFA at 25, 75, 120, 150, and 175 degrees for 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 min. The optimal time and temperature for derivatization were found to be 150 degrees and 15 min. Using these reaction conditions, samples were then silylated with 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 molar excess of BSTFA; a molar excess of 225 was best. The stability of the nucleoside derivatives on standing at room temperature for 1-7 days was investigated. Quantitative gas-liquid chromatography of trimethylsilyl (TMS) nucleosides can be performed if samples are analyzed within 48 h, after which time the relative weight response for the nucleosides decreased somewhat. Chromatographic column studies were made using various liquid phases and supports. With methylsiloxanes as the liquid phase, Supelcoport as support was found to be superior. Resolution of TMS guanosine from TMS cytidine was attempted at different column lengths using 3% (w/w) SE-30 on Supelcoport, different loadings (%, w/w) of SE-30 on Supelcoport, and different polarity liquid phases, 4% (w/w) OV-11 or 3% (w/w) OV-17 or 4% (w/w) Dexsil-300 on Supelcoport. A complete separation of the six ribonucleosides including guanosine and cytidine was obtained with 1 m x 4 mm I.D. glass columns of 4% (w/w) OV-11 and 3% (w/w) OV-17 on 100-120 mesh Supelcoport. It was observed that with 2'-deoxycytidine, one obtains the TMS cytosine peak (retention temperature 150 degrees) plus another peak with a retention temperature of 120 degrees, under all derivatization conditions with BSTFA and bis(trimethylsilyl)-acetamide. Similar formation of bases from other 2'-deoxyribonucleosides occurred when the molar excess of BSTFA was greater than 500. The minimal detectable amounts obtained for all the nucleosides ranged from 5 to 10 ng injected with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The relative standard deviations for all nucleosides and deoxynucleosides ranged from 1.2 to 4.8% on different methylsiloxanes on Supelcoport columns.