In Silico and In Vitro Study of Isoquercitrin against Kidney Cancer and Inflammation by Triggering Potential Gene Targets

Kidney cancer has emerged as a major medical problem in recent times. Multiple compounds are used to treat kidney cancer by triggering cancer-causing gene targets. For instance, isoquercitrin (quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside) is frequently present in fruits, vegetables, medicinal herbs, and foods and drinks made from plants. Our previous study predicted using protein-protein interaction (PPI) and molecular docking analysis that the isoquercitrin compound can control kidney cancer and inflammation by triggering potential gene targets of IGF1R, PIK3CA, IL6, and PTGS2. So, the present study is about further in silico and in vitro validation. We performed molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, cytotoxicity assay, and RT-PCR and qRT-PCR validation. According to the MD simulation (250 ns), we found that IGF1R, PIK3CA, and PTGS2, except for IL6 gene targets, show stable binding energy with a stable complex with isoquercitrin. We also performed gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of the final targets to determine their regulatory functions and signaling pathways. Furthermore, we checked the cytotoxicity effect of isoquercitrin (IQ) and found that 5 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL doses showed higher cell viability in a normal kidney cell line (HEK 293) and also inversely showed an inhibition of cell growth at 35% and 45%, respectively, in the kidney cancer cell line (A498). Lastly, the RT-PCR and qRT-PCR findings showed a significant decrease in PTGS2, PIK3CA, and IGF1R gene expression, except for IL6 expression, following dose-dependent treatments with IQ. Thus, we can conclude that isoquercitrin inhibits the expression of PTGS2, PIK3CA, and IGF1R gene targets, which in turn controls kidney cancer and inflammation.

Potential of Gut Microbial Metabolites in Treating Osteoporosis and Obesity: A Network Pharmacology and Bioinformatics Approach

BACKGROUND The gut microbial metabolites demonstrate significant activity against metabolic diseases including osteoporosis (OP) and obesity, but active compounds, targets, and mechanisms have not been fully identified. Hence, the current investigation explored the mechanisms of active metabolites and targets against OP and obesity by using network pharmacology approaches. MATERIAL AND METHODS The gutMGene database was used to collect gut microbial targets-associated metabolites; DisGeNET and OMIM databases were used to identify targets relevant to OP and obesity. A total of 63 and 89 overlapped targets were considered the final OP and obesity targets after creating a Venn diagram of metabolites-related targets and disease-related targets. Furthermore, the top 20% of degrees, betweenness, and closeness were used to form the sub-network of protein-protein interaction of these targets. Finally, the biotransformation-increased receptors and biological mechanisms were identified and validated using ADMET properties analysis, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation. RESULTS GO, KEGG pathway analysis, and protein-protein interactions were performed to establish metabolites and target networks. According to the enrichment analysis, OP and obesity are highly linked to the lipid and atherosclerosis pathways. Moreover, ADMET analysis depicts that the major metabolites have drug-likeliness activity and no or less toxicity. Following that, the molecular docking studies showed that compound K and TP53 target have a remarkable negative affinity (-8.0 kcal/mol) among all metabolites and targets for both diseases. Finally, the conformity of compound K against the targeted protein TP53 was validated by 250ns MD simulation. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, we summarized that compound K can regulate TP53 and could be developed as a therapy option for OP and obesity.

Discrimination of Dendropanax morbifera via HPLC fingerprinting and SNP analysis and its impact on obesity by modulating adipogenesis- and thermogenesis-related genes

Dendropanax morbifera (DM), a medicinal plant, is rich in polyphenols and commonly used to treat cancer, inflammation, and thrombosis. However, to date, no study has been conducted on DM regarding the enormous drift of secondary metabolites of plants in different regions of the Republic of Korea and their effects on antiobesity, to explore compounds that play an important role in two major obesity-related pathways. Here, we present an in-depth study on DM samples collected from three regions of the Republic of Korea [Jeju Island (DMJ), Bogildo (DMB), and Jangheung (DMJG)]. We used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and multivariate component analyses to analyze polyphenol contents (neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, and rutin), followed by discrimination of the samples in DMJG using single nucleotide polymorphism and chemometric analysis. In silico and in vitro evaluation of major compounds found in the plant extract on two major anti-obesity pathways (adipogenesis and thermogenesis) was carried out. Furthermore, two extraction methods (Soxhlet and ultrasound-assisted extraction) were used to understand which method is better and why. Upon quantifying plant samples in three regions with the polyphenols, DMJG had the highest content of polyphenols. The internal transcribed region (ITS) revealed a specific gel-based band for the authentication of DMJG. PCA and PLS-DA revealed the polyphenol's discriminative power of the region DMJG. The anti-obesity effects of plant extracts from the three regions were related to their polyphenol contents, with DMJG showing the highest effect followed by DMJ and DMB. Ultrasound-assisted extraction yielded a high number of polyphenols compared to that of the Soxhlet method, which was supported by scanning electron microscopy. The present work encourages studies on plants rich in secondary metabolites to efficiently use them for dietary and therapeutic purposes.

Transcriptome expression profile of compound-K-enriched red ginseng extract (DDK-401) in Korean volunteers and its apoptotic properties

Ginseng and ginsenosides have been reported to have various pharmacological effects, but their efficacies depend on intestinal absorption. Compound K (CK) is gaining prominence for its biological and pharmaceutical properties. In this study, CK-enriched fermented red ginseng extract (DDK-401) was prepared by enzymatic reactions. To examine its pharmacokinetics, a randomized, single-dose, two-sequence, crossover study was performed with eleven healthy Korean male and female volunteers. The volunteers were assigned to take a single oral dose of one of two extracts, DDK-401 or common red ginseng extract (DDK-204), during the initial period. After a 7-day washout, they received the other extract. The pharmacokinetics of DDK-401 showed that its maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) occurred at 184.8 ± 39.64 ng/mL, Tmax was at 2.4 h, and AUC0-12h was 920.3 ± 194.70 ng h/mL, which were all better than those of DDK-204. The maximum CK absorption in the female volunteers was higher than that in the male volunteers. The differentially expressed genes from the male and female groups were subjected to a KEGG pathway analysis, which showed results in the cell death pathway, such as apoptosis and necroptosis. In cytotoxicity tests, DDK-401 and DDK-204 were not particularly toxic to normal (HaCaT) cells, but at a concentration of 250 μg/mL, DDK-401 had a much higher toxicity to human lung cancer (A549) cells than DDK-204. DDK-401 also showed a stronger antioxidant capacity than DDK-204 in both the DPPH and potassium ferricyanide reducing power assays. DDK-401 reduced the reactive oxygen species production in HaCaT cells with induced oxidative stress and led to apoptosis in the A549 cells. In the mRNA sequence analysis, a signaling pathway with selected marker genes was assessed by RT-PCR. In the HaCaT cells, DDK-401 and DDK-204 did not regulate FOXO3, TLR4, MMP-9, or p38 expression; however, in the A549 cells, DDK-401 downregulated the expressions of MMP9 and TLR4 as well as upregulated the expressions of the p38 and caspase-8 genes compared to DDK-204. These results suggest that DDK-401 could act as a molecular switch for these two cellular processes in response to cell damage signaling and that it could be a potential candidate for further evaluations in health promotion studies.

Pomegranate juice fermented by tannin acyl hydrolase and Lactobacillus vespulae DCY75 enhance estrogen receptor expression and anti-inflammatory effect

Phenolics are phytochemicals in plants, fruits, and vegetables have potential health-promoting efficacies. However, mostly available as a complex form. So, to increase the contents and nutritional value of the phenolic compounds, fermentation is most readily used in the food industry. Especially, the hydrolyzable tannins present in the pomegranate that can be liberated into monomolecular substances, which enhances biological activity. Thus, this study aims to convert hydrolyzable tannins to ellagic acid by fermentation using Tannin acyl hydrolase (TAH) and a novel bacteria strain Lactobacillus vespulae DCY75, respectively to investigate its effect on Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) mRNA expression along with inflammation inhibition. As a result, the fermentation enhanced the ellagic acid content up to 70% by the synergetic effect of TAH and DCY75. Furthermore, fermented pomegranate (PG-F) increased cellular proliferation as well as upregulated the gene expression of estrogen regulators such as ERα, ERβ, and pS2 in breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), which commonly used to evaluate estrogenic activity. Moreover, to study the inflammation associated with low estrogen in menopause, we have analyzed the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO)/inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in RAW 264.7 cells. The PG-F juice did not exert any cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells and inhibited NO production along with the downregulation of a major pro-inflammatory cytokine iNOS which indicates the anti-inflammatory potential of it. To sum it up, the fermented commercial pomegranate juice using a novel bacteria strain increased the amount of ellagic acid that the value added bioactive of pomegranate and it has significantly increased the estrogenic activity via upregulating estrogen related biomarkers expression and reduced the risk of related inflammation via NO/iNOS inhibition. This study could be a preliminary study to use fermented pomegranate as a potential health functional food after further evaluation.

Authentication of Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. sinensis and ssp. mongolica Based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphism at Ribosomal DNA and Their Vitamin Content Analysis

Hippophae rhamnoides widely known as sea buckthorn berries (SB) are rich in vitamins and phytonutrients. The subspecies ssp. sinensis and ssp. mongolica are highly valued for their medicinal properties and vitamin contents, hence domesticated widely across Eurasia and Southeast Asia. Due to the frequent usage of these two subspecies, accurate identification is required to prevent economically motivated adulteration. In this study, we report the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based molecular markers to easily distinguish these two subspecies at 45S nrDNA region. From the determined 45S rDNA region, we designed two primers (5′ sinensis and 5′ mongolica) and developed a multiplex PCR profile. The developed primers effectively distinguished the sea buckthorn subspecies in commercial products as well. Along with the development of subspecies specific primers, we have profiled vitamin contents from H. rhamnoides ssp. sinensis and ssp. mongolica and found ascorbic acid and riboflavin contents were high in both ssp. sinensis and spp. mongolica, yet the content of folic acid was high only in ssp. mongolica. Thus, we provide species specific primers and vitamin profile as an effective authentication of H. rhamnoides.

Molecular and morphological discrimination of Chrysanthemum indicum using allele-specific PCR and T-shaped trichome

Chrysanthemum indicum L. is a traditional oriental medicinal herb prepared as a tea from flowers that have been used in China and South Korea since ancient times. It has a long history in the treatment of hypertension, inflammation, and respiratory diseases. Among Chrysanthemum species, C. indicum has more active chemical components as well as better therapeutic effects, and C. indicum is mostly used for medicinal purposes in South Korea. However, the usage of C. indicum has become problematic over the years due to the abundance of adulterated Chrysanthemum and confusion with morphologically related species such as C. morifolium, C. boreale, and Aster spathulifolius. Thus, here we developed a method for molecular authentication using chloroplast universal region rpoC2 and morphological authentication based on T-shaped trichomes of the adaxial leaf surface. By using a species-specific primer derived from the rpoC2 region, we established a multiplex allele-specific PCR for the discrimination of C. indicum. Amplicons of 675 bp for C. indicum and 1026 bp for other Chrysanthemum species were produced using both rpoC2-specific and common primers. These primers can be used to analyze dried samples of Chrysanthemum. Morphological discrimination was performed using T-shaped trichomes present only on the adaxial leaf surface of C. indicum species, and then molecular markers were utilized to authenticate C. indicum products from adulterant samples available in the market. Our results indicate that these molecular markers in combination with morphological differentiation can serve as an effective tool for identifying C. indicum.

Dendropanax Morbifera Extract-Mediated ZnO Nanoparticles Loaded with Indole-3-Carbinol for Enhancement of Anticancer Efficacy in the A549 Human Lung Carcinoma Cell Line

Dendropanax morbifera is a versatile plant that has been used as a herbal medicine due to its various useful medicinal effects. To protect its active component from biological stress and increase its drug efficacy as well as drug bioavailability, nanoemulsion was prepared. Dendropanax morbifera zinc oxide nanoparticles (DM-ZnO NPs) were synthesized using the plant extract via the co-precipitation method and loaded with active indole-3-carbinol for nanoemulsion formulation using the ultrasonication process. Field emission transmission electron microscope revealed the flower shape of the Dendropanax morbifera indole-3-carbinol zinc oxide nanoemulsion (DM-ZnO-I3C-NE). In contrast, DM-ZnO NPs showed a spheroid shape that coincides agreeably with field emission electron scanning microscope. The hydrodynamic sizes by dynamic light scattering are about 65 ± 3 nm and 239.6 ± 6 nm and the crystallite sizes from X-ray diffraction are 11.52 nm and 16.07 nm for DM-ZnO NPs and DM-ZnO-I3C-NE, respectively. In vitro analysis revealed the cytotoxicity of DM-ZnO-I3C-NE against a human lung cancer cell line (A549) at 12.5 µg/mL as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The DM-ZnO-I3C-NE-induced ROS generation level was higher than that of DM-ZnO NPs and free indole-3-carbinol. The synergistic effect of DM-ZnO and indole-3-carbinol indicates DM-ZnO-I3C-NE as a potential candidate for future lung cancer drug and could be scope for functional food.

Characteristics of Panax ginseng Cultivars in Korea and China

Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is one of the most important medicinal herbs in Asia. Its pharmacological activity comes from ginsenosides, and its roots are produced commercially for traditional and Oriental medicine. Though 17 Panax species are available around the world, there was a need to develop cultivars adapted to different climatic conditions and resistant to various diseases while still producing high-quality, high-yield roots. Thus, 12 and 9 commercial P. ginseng cultivars have been registered in South Korea and China, respectively. Those varieties show superiority to local landraces. For example, Chunpoong is more highly resistant to rusty rot disease than the local Jakyungjong landrace and has a good root shape; it is highly cultivated to produce red ginseng. The Chinese cultivar Jilin Huangguo Renshen has higher ginsenoside content than its local landraces. This review provides information about P. ginseng cultivars and offers directions for future research, such as intra- and interspecific hybridization.

Siderophore-producing rhizobacteria reduce heavy metal-induced oxidative stress in Panax ginseng Meyer

Background

Panax ginseng is one of the most important medicinal plants and is usually harvested after 5 to 6 years of cultivation in Korea. Heavy metal (HM) exposure is a type of abiotic stress that can induce oxidative stress and decrease the quality of the ginseng crop. Siderophore-producing rhizobacteria (SPR) may be capable of bioremediating HM contamination.

Methods

Several isolates from ginseng rhizosphere were evaluated by in vitro screening of their plant growth-promoting traits and HM resistance. Subsequently, in planta (pot tests) and in vitro (medium tests) were designed to investigate the SPR ability to reduce oxidative stress and enhance HM resistance in P. ginseng inoculated with the SPR candidate.

Results

In vitro tests revealed that the siderophore-producing Mesorhizobium panacihumi DCY119^T had higher HM resistance than the other tested isolates and was selected as the SPR candidate. In the planta experiments, 2-year-old ginseng seedlings exposed to 25 mL (500 mM) Fe solution had lower biomass and higher reactive oxygen species level than control seedlings. In contrast, seedlings treated with 10⁸ CFU/mL DCY119^T for 10 minutes had higher biomass and higher levels of antioxidant genes and nonenzymatic antioxidant chemicals than untreated seedlings. When Fe concentration in the medium was increased, DCY119^T can produce siderophores and scavenge reactive oxygen species to reduce Fe toxicity in addition to providing indole-3-acetic acid to promote seedling growth, thereby conferring inoculated ginseng with HM resistance.

Conclusions

It was confirmed that SPR DCY119^T can potentially be used for bioremediation of HM contamination.

Synthesis of panos extract mediated ZnO nano-flowers as photocatalyst for industrial dye degradation by UV illumination

Green synthesis of zinc oxide has gained extensive attention as a reliable, sustainable, and eco-friendly protocol to reduce the destructive effects associated with the traditional synthesis methods commonly utilized in laboratory and industry. Here for the first time, we have synthesized quaker ladies flower type ZnO (ZnO/QNF) from panos extract (extract from four panax plants such as Panax ginseng, Acanthopanax senticosus, Kalopanax septemlobus and Dendropanax morbifera). The synthesized ZnO materials was characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Transmission electron microscope. The newly synthesized ZnO/QNF was applied for the removal of industrial dyes such as methylene blue (MB), Eosin Y (EY) and Malachite green (MG) under UV illumination. The photocatalyst degraded the 15 mg L^-1 MB, EY and MG to >99% within 80, 90 and 110 min of contact time, respectively. In addition, the ZnO/QNF photocatalyst removed the low concentrated 5 mg L^-1 of MB, EY, and MG within 30, 35 and 40 min of contact time, respectively. The pedal structure provided all the active sites available for the easy interaction with dye molecule under UV, and that enabled fast kinetics of dye degradation than the many other benchmark materials reported previously. The ZnO photocatalyst could be reused minimum of five cycles without any significant loss in degradation efficiency.

Development of species-specific chloroplast markers for the authentication of Gynostemma pentaphyllum and their distribution in the Korean peninsula

Gynostemma pentaphyllum is a traditional oriental medicinal herb used as tea since ancient time. Among Gynostemma species, G. pentaphyllum has more active chemical components and better therapeutic effect. It is used to cure depression, diabetes, anxiety, hyperlipidemia, fatigue, immunity, cancer, and oxidative stress. Overexploitation of G. pentaphyllum for its medicinal benefits has been on a rise, due to which they are adulterated or mistakenly identified with other members of Gynostemma species. Hence, we used chloroplast universal regions such as ycf3, accD, petD, psbB and their polymorphism to distinguish G. pentaphyllum from other Gynostemma species. By using the species-specific primers derived from the above regions, we established a multiplex allele-specific PCR for the authentication of G. pentaphyllum from other species. Thus the PCR reaction produced unique amplicons of size 244 bp and 438 bp for G. pentaphyllum amplified by the primers flanking ycf3, and accD regions respectively. While a 607 bp, and 787 bp amplicons from the primers targeting psbB, and petD regions distinguished G. longipes, G. burmanicum, and G. pubescens species. Moreover, these primers were successful to analyze the dried tea samples of Gynostemma as well. Thus, the developed molecular markers could authenticate different Gynostemma species as well as its products thereby preventing the mistaken-identity of this medicinal herb.

Evaluation of synergistic effects of sulforaphene with photodynamic therapy in human cervical cancer cell line

Sulforaphene from cruciferous vegetable has shown to modulate various signaling pathways of apoptosis. But it has not yet been studied extensively for the cervical cancer treatment. Previous studies show the promising role of photodynamic therapy for cervical cancer. Here, we confirm that sulforaphene can synergistically enhance the efficacy of photodynamic therapy. Human cervical cancer cells HeLa were treated with a very low dose of sulforaphene (2.0 μg/ml) and photodynamic therapy with radachlorin (0.5 μg/ml) at a fluence of 27 J/cm² (30 milliwatts/cm², λmax ∼ 670 ± 3 nm). The combination treatment showed a synergistic effect to induce apoptosis. The mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was activated via caspase 3 and caspase 9. On the other hand, caspase 12 and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) were expressed that indicated endoplasmic reticulum stress. This combination treatment also activated death receptor pathway via activation of caspase 8 and inhibited cell proliferation via down-regulation of EGFR. Thus, several apoptotic pathways were simultaneously activated in this combination treatment which results in a synergistic efficacy of sulforaphene with photodynamic therapy. Therefore, this study could be useful in the improvement of therapies for human cervical and other types of cancers.

Influence of cationic lipid concentration on properties of lipid-polymer hybrid nanospheres for gene delivery

Nanoparticles have been widely used for nonviral gene delivery. Recently, cationic hybrid nanoparticles consisting of two different materials were suggested as a promising delivery vehicle. In this study, nanospheres with a poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) core and cationic lipid shell were prepared, and the effect of cationic lipid concentrations on the properties of lipid polymer hybrid nanocarriers investigated. Lipid-polymer hybrid nanospheres (LPHNSs) were fabricated by the emulsion-solvent evaporation method using different concentrations of cationic lipids and characterized for size, surface charge, stability, plasmid DNA-binding capacity, cytotoxicity, and transfection efficiency. All LPHNSs had narrow size distribution with positive surface charges (ζ-potential 52-60 mV), and showed excellent plasmid DNA-binding capacity. In vitro cytotoxicity measurements with HEK293T, HeLa, HaCaT, and HepG2 cells also showed that LPHNSs exhibited less cytotoxicity than conventional transfection agents, such as Lipofectamine and polyethyleneimine-PLGA. As cationic lipid concentrations increased, the particle size of LPHNSs decreased while their ζ-potential increased. In addition, the in vitro transfection efficiency of LPHNSs increased as lipid concentration increased.

The role of tauroursodeoxycholic acid on adipogenesis of human adipose-derived stem cells by modulation of ER stress

Obesity has become a serious public health problem in the developed world. Increased mass of adipose tissue in the obese is due to an increase in both the size (hypertrophy) and number (hyperplasia) of adipocytes. The chemical chaperone tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) not only decreases endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, but also plays a role as a leptin-sensitizing agent for preadipocytes in mice and humans. In this study, we examine whether TUDCA has an effect on adipogenesis from human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). Therefore, the effect of TUDCA on ER stress, lipid accumulation, and adipogenic differentiation from hASCs was investigated using histological staining, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and western blotting in vitro. It was found that TUDCA treatment of hASCs significantly decreases the representative ER stress marker (glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa (GRP78)), adipogenic markers (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GPDH)), and lipid accumulation. Furthermore, we confirmed that TUDCA treatment of hASCs significantly decreased in vivo adipogenic tissue formation and ER stress comparing with PBS treatment of hASCs. The results indicate that TUDCA plays a critical role in adipogenesis from hASCs by modulating ER stress and, therefore, has potential pharmacologic and therapeutic applications as an anti-obesity agent.

Stimulation of asiaticoside accumulation in the whole plant cultures of Centella asiatica (L.) urban by elicitors

The effects of a number of different elicitors on asiaticoside production in whole plant cultures of Centella asiatica were studied, including yeast extract, CdCl(2), CuCl(2) and methyl jasmonate (MJ). Only MJ and yeast extract stimulated asiaticoside production--1.53 and 1.41-fold, respectively. Maximum asiaticoside production was achieved following treatment with 0.1 mM MJ (116.8 mg/l). The highest asiaticoside production (342.72 mg/l) was obtained after 36 days of elicitation in cultures treated with 0.1 mM MJ and 0.025 mg/l 1-phenyl-3-(1,2,3-thidiazol-5-yl)urea (TDZ). Interestingly, MJ not only stimulated the production of asiaticoside but also had an important role in the senescence of C. asiatica. Although asiaticoside content did not change when TDZ was added to medium containing an elicitor, TDZ did increase shoot growth of C. asiatica. We discuss the interactive roles of MJ and TDZ in secondary metabolic production and biomass in whole plants of C. asiatica.

Microvascular integrity as a predictor of left ventricular remodeling after acute anterior wall myocardial infarction

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation of microvascular integrity and ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction. Twenty-six patients with first acute anterior myocardial infarction were studied before discharge with myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE). Opacification index (OI) and wall motion index were calculated in the left anterior descending artery territory and left ventricular diastolic volume was measured at baseline and during a 9-month follow-up. In total 26 patients, the regional wall motion improved but the left ventricular volume and global function was not changed significantly at follow-up. When the patients were divided into 3 groups according to opacification index (> or = 0.75, 0.5 approximately 0.75, < or = 0.5) at baseline, functional recovery was not observed and significant left ventricular dilatation was developed in patients with < or = 0.5 OI. Among the baseline echo-parameters such as ejection fraction, wall motion score, left ventricular volume and opacification index, the best predictor for long term left ventricular dilatation was the opacification index by multivariate analysis. In patients with acute anterior wall infarction the assessment of microvascular integrity by MCE at acute stage provides useful information regarding recovery of dysfunctional regional wall motion and ventricular remodeling.

Another version of the human insulin receptor kinase domain: expression, purification, and characterization

We have overexpressed another insulin receptor kinase molecule, which consists of residues 941-1343 inclusive of the human insulin receptor, by using the baculo-virus expression vector pVL941. Unlike the two previous preparations of insulin receptor kinase in this expression system, this molecule contains the complete unmodified sequence of the cytoplasmic domain of the human insulin receptor beta subunit. Our construct allows high-level expression of the recombinant protein in cultured Sf9 cells and in cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) larvae. An improved purification procedure yields greater than or equal to 95% pure protein in 55% yield from the cells. The specific activity of this purified protein is 3.5-fold greater than from the previously described baculovirus insulin receptor kinase (that included residues 946-1343 from the proreceptor). Like the latter molecule, the insulin receptor kinase molecule reported here sediments as a monomer, and its autophosphorylation occurs by an intramolecular process. Preliminary data about the spectroscopic features of the cytosolic domain of the human insulin receptor are presented.

Locating cut medial canaliculi by direct injection of sodium hyaluronate into the lacrimal sac

Locating the cut medial ends of canaliculi after trauma or surgery can be difficult. In cases of double canalicular or common canalicular lacerations, injection of sodium hyaluronate (Healon) directly into the lacrimal sac may help pinpoint the medial openings.

Tonic upgaze in infancy. A report of three cases

Episodic conjugate tonic upgaze unassociated with seizures or downgaze palsy was noted in three infants during the first months of life. With age, the episodes became shorter and less frequent and were most notable during periods of fatigue or illness. This phenomenon may be analogous to transient tonic downward deviation of the eyes in healthy infants.

Polymorphism and linkage of the alpha A-crystallin gene in t-haplotypes of the mouse

Restriction fragment polymorphisms were used to order the alpha A-crystallin locus (Crya-1) relative to other genes in mouse t-chromatin and to investigate the relatedness of alpha-A-crystallin sequences among different t-haplotypes. Analysis of DNA from t-recombinant mice mapped Crya-1 to the K end of the H-2 complex and within the distal inverted region characteristic of t-haplotypes. Hybridization with Crya-1 cDNA revealed three distinct phenotypic groups among the 17 different t-haplotypes studied. A majority (9 of 17) of the t-haplotypes were classified into a novel group (Crya-1t) characterized by restriction fragments apparently unique to t-chromosomes and therefore thought to contain alpha A-crystallin sequences descended from the original t-chromosome. A second group of t-haplotypes had restriction fragment patterns indistinguishable from those observed among many common inbred strains of mice of the Crya-1a type, and a third restriction fragment pattern, observed only in the tw121 haplotype, was indistinguishable from the fragment pattern for C3H/DiSn (Crya-1b) and several other inbred strains of mice. Thus, with respect to sequences around the Crya-1 locus, different t-haplotypes show restriction fragment polymorphisms, some of which are comparable to those found in wild-type chromosomes and provide further evidence for genetic heterogeneity in DNA from the distal region of t-haplotypes.

Subarachnoid injection as a complication of retrobulbar anesthesia

We studied eight cases of apparent subarachnoid injection of local anesthetic through the optic nerve sheath and subsequent spread to the parabrainstem cisterns and the contralateral optic nerve sheath. The patients all experienced bilateral decrease in vision and ophthalmoplegia, and variable degrees of central nervous system symptoms and respiratory depression. The complications occurred with a variety of local anesthetic agents and with sharp disposable needles in six of the eight cases. These cases demonstrated the spectrum of signs and symptoms that may follow optic nerve sheath injection of local anesthetic agents.