Mode-locked pulses from mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers

In this study, we report the unequivocal demonstration of midinfrared mode-locked pulses from quantum cascade lasers. The train of short pulses was generated by actively modulating the current and hence the gain of an edge-emitting quantum cascade laser (QCL). Pulses with duration of about 3 ps at full-width-at-half-maxima and energy of 0.5 pJ were characterized using a second-order interferometric autocorrelation technique based on a nonlinear quantum well infrared photodetector. The mode-locking dynamics in the QCLs was modeled based on the Maxwell-Bloch equations in an open two-level system. Our model reproduces the overall shape of the measured autocorrelation traces and predicts that the short pulses are accompanied by substantial wings as a result of strong spatial hole burning. The range of parameters where short mode-locked pulses can be formed is found.

Energy and glucose pathways in thiamine deficient primary rat brain microvascular endothelial cells

Thiamine deficiency (TD) results in lactate acidosis, which is associated with neurodegeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate this alteration in primary rat brain endothelia. Spectrophotometric analysis of culture media revealed that only a higher concentration of pyrithiamine, which accelerates the intracellular blocking of thiamine, significantly elevated the lactate level and lactate dehydrogenase activity within 7 days. The medium without pyrithiamine and with a thiamine concentration comparable to pathophysiological plasma levels mildly reduced only the activity of transketolase. This suggests that significant metabolic changes may not occur at the early phase of TD in cerebral capillary cells, while anaerobic glycolysis in capillaries may be mediated during late stage/chronic TD.

Generation of Amyloid A Protein by the Cell Lines from Amyloid-Susceptible and -Resistant Mice

It has been proposed that impaired degradation is the cause of amyloid A (AA) formation in reactive amyloidosis (Ham et al., Scand J Immunol 1997; 45: 354-60). The current SDS-PAGE of the culture medium showed that the macrophage cell line from the amyloid-susceptible mouse strain (ANA1) degraded amyloid precursor protein serum amyloid A into the AA-like amyloidogenic product of approximately 8.6 kDa but went no further, whereas cells from the resistant strain (A/J10) cleared the AA-like derivates proceeding to approximately 7.7 kDa products within the incubation period. Degradation occurred in the chemically defined medium at a slower rate than in the medium with serum. This may imply that a lack of the serum components as well as impaired degradation could contribute to the development of amyloidosis.

Role of prosaposin in the male reproductive system: effect of prosaposin inactivation on the testis, epididymis, prostate, and seminal vesicles

SGP-1/prosaposin can be secreted or targeted to the lysosomes where it is processed into smaller saposins (A, B, C, and D) required for the hydrolysis of glycosphingolipids. The deficiency of saposins B and C results in variant forms of metachromatic leukodystrophy and Gaucher's disease, respectively, which are characterized by lysosomal storage of undegraded glycosphingolipids. In the nervous system, prosaposin presents trophic activity. A mouse model was recently developed by creating a null allele in embryonic stem cells through gene targeting to investigate the phenotypic diversity of prosaposin mutations and the involvement of this protein in lysosomal storage diseases, and for the development of therapeutic approaches. Mice homozygous mutants die at the age of 35-40 days and neurological disorders contribute to the early demise of the mutant mice. The male reproductive organs in homozygous mutants show several abnormalities, such as a decrease in testis size with reduced spermiogenesis and an involution of the prostate, seminal vesicles, and epididymis. In these animals, the blood levels of testosterone remain normal. In the prostate of homozygous mutants, only the basal epithelial cells appear to be present, while the secretory cells are absent. These findings suggest that prosaposin may be involved in the development and maintenance of the male reproductive organs, as well as, in cellular differentiation.

Heme oxygenase-1 induction and mitochondrial iron sequestration in astroglia exposed to amyloid peptides

The mechanisms responsible for pathological iron deposition and mitochondrial insufficiency that have been documented in the brains of Alzheimer (AD) patients remain poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that low-micromolar concentrations of amyloid1-40 (A40) and amyloid 1-42 (A42), peptides implicated in the pathogenesis of AD, increase levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA and protein in cultured rat astroglia. Furthermore, 6 days of exposure to amyloid augments the sequestration of 55FeCl3-derived iron by astroglial mitochondria without affecting the disposition of this metal in whole-cell and lysosomal compartments. Mitochondrial iron deposition was not observed in the amyloid-treated glia when diferric-transferrin served as the metal donor. We had previously shown that inhibitors of HO-1 and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MTP) block the uptake of mitochondrial iron in astrocytes exposed to the pro-oxidant effects of dopamine and several pro-inflammatory cytokines. Similarly, in the current study, amyloid-induced mitochondrial iron trapping was significantly attenuated by co-administration of the HO-1 transcriptional suppressor, dexamethasone (DEX) or the MTP blocker, cyclosporin A (CSA). Thus, the marked enhancement of HO-1 expression previously demonstrated in AD-affected neurons and astroglia may transduce amyloid (oxidative) stress into the abnormal patterns of iron deposition and mitochondrial insufficiency characteristic of this disease. Finally, in experiments employing cytotoxic concentrations of A40, we provide evidence that inhibition of HO-1 transcription and related mitochondrial iron deposition may be an important mechanism by which DEX protects tissues subjected to amyloid stress.

A comparison of orally administered misoprostol with vaginally administered misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to compare orally administered with vaginally administered misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Two hundred twenty subjects with medical or obstetric indications for labor induction and undilated, uneffaced cervices were randomly assigned to receive orally administered or vaginally administered misoprostol. Fifty micrograms of oral misoprostol or 25 microgram of vaginal misoprostol was given every 4 hours. If cervical ripening (Bishop score of >/=8 or cervical dilatation of >/=3) or active labor did not occur, repeated doses were given to a maximum of 6 doses or 24 hours. Thereafter, oxytocin was administered intravenously by a standardized incremental infusion protocol to a maximum of 22 mU/min.

RESULTS

Of the 220 subjects evaluated, 110 received orally administered misoprostol and 110 received vaginally administered misoprostol. Fewer subjects who received the oral preparation (34/110, 30.9%) were delivered vaginally within 24 hours of initiation of induction, in comparison with those who received the vaginal preparation (52/110, 47.3%) (P =.01). The average interval from start of induction to vaginal delivery was nearly 6 hours longer in the oral treatment group (mean and SD 1737.9 +/- 845.7 minutes) than in the vaginal treatment group (mean and SD 1393.2 +/- 767.9) (P =.005, log-transformed data). Orally treated patients required significantly more doses than vaginally treated patients (orally administered doses: mean and SD 3.3 +/- 1.7; vaginally administered doses: mean and SD 2.3 +/- 1.2) (P <.0001). Oxytocin administration was necessary in 83 (75.4%) of 110 orally treated subjects and in 65 (59.1%) of 110 vaginally treated subjects (P =.01, relative risk 1. 28, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.54). Vaginal delivery occurred in 95 (86.4%) orally treated subjects and in 85 (77.3%) vaginally treated subjects (P =.08, relative risk 1.12, 95% confidence interval 0.99-1.27), with the remainder undergoing cesarean delivery. There was no difference in the incidence of uterine contractile abnormalities (tachysystole, hypertonus, or hyperstimulation), intrapartum complications, or neonatal outcomes between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral administration of 50-microgram doses of misoprostol appears less effective than vaginal administration of 25-microgram doses of misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction. Further investigation is needed to determine whether orally administered misoprostol should be used for cervical ripening and labor induction.

Degradation of amyloid A precursor protein SAA by macrophage cell lines obtained from amyloid resistant and susceptible strains of mice

Reactive AA amyloidosis can be induced in mice in a model of sustained inflammation following daily casein subcutaneous injections. However, the development of AA amyloidosis is known to vary in different strains of mice. The C57BL/6 strain is susceptible to the development of amyloidosis while the A/J strain is resistant. The degradation of purified serum amyloid A (SAA) protein by human monocytes as well as by mouse macrophages has been shown. The resistance/susceptibility of different mouse strains to the development of systemic amyloidosis may therefore be related to a difference in the ability of macrophages to degrade SAA. The authors have used bone marrow-derived macrophage cell lines obtained from susceptible C57BL/6 (ANA-1) and resistant A/J (A/J 10) mouse strains to compare their ability to degrade HDL-SAA in vitro. Cells were incubated with HDL-SAA for up to 72 h and the culture medium was analysed by SDS-PAGE to determine the rate of SAA degradation by the macrophages. The A/J 10 cells (resistant) were found to initiate a constant HDL-SAA degradation promptly whereas ANA-1 cells (susceptible) showed an intermittent block in the degradation of the precursor. Activation of macrophages by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) hampered the precursor degradation suggesting that the activation process may favour extracellular accumulation of the precursor leading to a partial degradation and fibril formation.

Permeabilization, staining and culture of living Drosophila embryos

The organic solvent octane has been used routinely to permeabilize the hydrophobic vitelline membrane surrounding the Drosophila embryo, thereby allowing the movement of small molecules into the egg. We present evidence that hexane is a more effective permeabilizing agent than octane and compare the effects of these solvents on uniformity of permeabilization and embryonic viability. The ability of each solvent to make the embryo accessible to a range of biological stains was compared. The effect of octane versus hexane permeabilization on subsequent embryonic viability was measured at seven different stages during early embryogenesis. We found that although hexane is a superior solvent for permeabilizing the vitelline membrane, it decreases the viability of embryos exposed between 0 and 3 hr of age. Older embryos treated with either hexane or octane are usually viable. We also showed that molecules with a molecular mass of 984 Daltons or more did not diffuse into the embryo following treatment with either hexane or octane. Results presented here challenge a phase-partition model that has been proposed previously to explain the molecular basis of permeabilization of the Drosophila egg. An alternative model is described as well as an optimized protocol for permeabilizing and staining Drosophila embryos at any stage during early embryogenesis while maintaining viability for subsequent culture.