dPCR vs. qPCR: The role of Poisson statistics at low concentrations

2020 ◽  
Vol 611 ◽  
pp. 113946
Author(s):  
Joel Tellinghuisen
Keyword(s):  
Poisson Statistics ◽  
Low Concentrations

Testosterone Potentiation of Ionophore and ADP Induced Platelet Aggregation : Relationship to Arachidonic Acid Metabolism

1981 ◽  
Vol 46 (02) ◽  
pp. 538-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Pilo ◽  
D Aharony ◽  
A Raz
Keyword(s):  
Arachidonic Acid ◽  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Unsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Human Platelet ◽  
Platelet Rich Plasma ◽  
Arachidonic Acid Metabolism ◽  
Ionophore A23187 ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Induced Aggregation

SummaryThe role of arachidonic acid oxygenated products in human platelet aggregation induced by the ionophore A23187 was investigated. The ionophore produced an increased release of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and a concomitant increased formation of TxA2 and other arachidonate products. TxA2 (and possibly other cyclo oxygenase products) appears to have a significant role in ionophore-induced aggregation only when low concentrations (<1 μM) of the ionophore are employed.Testosterone added to rat or human platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was shown previously to potentiate platelet aggregation induced by ADP, adrenaline, collagen and arachidonic acid (1, 2). We show that testosterone also potentiates ionophore induced aggregation in washed platelets and in PRP. This potentiation was dose and time dependent and resulted from increased lipolysis and concomitant generation of TxA2 and other prostaglandin products. The testosterone potentiating effect was abolished by preincubation of the platelets with indomethacin.

scholarly journals Impaired platelet responses to thrombin and collagen in AKT-1–deficient mice

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (6) ◽  
pp. 1703-1710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhua Chen ◽  
Sarmishtha De ◽  
Derek S. Damron ◽  
William S. Chen ◽  
Nissim Hay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Dense Granules ◽  
Fibrinogen Binding ◽  
Downstream Effectors ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Phosphoinositide 3 Kinase ◽  
Deficient Mice ◽  
Granule Release

Abstract We investigated the role of Akt-1, one of the major downstream effectors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), in platelet function using mice in which the gene for Akt-1 had been inactivated. Using ex vivo techniques, we showed that Akt-1-deficient mice exhibited impaired platelet aggregation and spreading in response to various agonists. These differences were most apparent in platelets activated with low concentrations of thrombin. Although Akt-1 is not the predominant Akt isoform in mouse platelets, its absence diminished the amount of total phospho-Akt and inhibited increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration in response to thrombin. Moreover, thrombin-induced platelet α-granule release as well as release of adenosine triphosphate from dense granules was also defective in Akt-1-null platelets. Although the absence of Akt-1 did not influence expression of the major platelet receptors for thrombin and collagen, fibrinogen binding in response to these agonists was significantly reduced. As a consequence of impaired αIIbβ3 activation and platelet aggregation, Akt-1 null mice showed significantly longer bleeding times than wild-type mice. (Blood. 2004;104:1703-1710)

Obesity and inflammatory bowel disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-28
Author(s):  
Vladimír Teplan ◽  
Milan Lukáš
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Bowel Disease ◽  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Perioperative Complications ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel

The incidence and prevalence of overweight and obesity has dramatically increased in the last decades and is generally considered to be global pandemics. The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising parallel with overweight and obesity. Contrary to a conventional believe, about 15–40% patients with IBD are obese, which can contribute to the development and course of IBD, especially in Crohn’s disease. Although the findings of some cohort studies are still conflicting, recent results indicate a special role of visceral adipose tissue and particularly mesenteric adipose tissue known as creeping fat, leading to intestinal inflammation. The involvement of altered adipocyte function and deregulated production of adipokines such as leptin and adiponectin has been suggested in the pathogenesis of IBD. The emerging role of Western diet and microbiota can also open new possibilities in IBD management. The effect of obesity on the IBD-related therapy remains to be studied. The finding that obesity results in suboptimal response to the therapy, potentially promoting rapid clearance of biologic agents and thus leading to their low concentrations, has a great importance. Obesity also makes IBD colorectal surgery technically challenging and might increase a risk of perioperative complications.

The Role of Factor XI in a Dilute Thromboplastin Assay of Extrinsic Coagulation Pathway

2001 ◽  
Vol 85 (06) ◽  
pp. 1055-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shilong Xiong ◽  
Xiaofan He ◽  
Fayi Liu ◽  
Jianzhong Han ◽  
Juncheng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Coagulation ◽  
Platelet Rich Plasma ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Extrinsic Pathway ◽  
Thrombin Inhibition ◽  
Normal Plasma ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Plasma Depletion ◽  
Coagulation Pathway

SummaryBlood coagulation has been thought to be composed of both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Recent evidence strongly supports the critical role of the extrinsic pathway in the initiation of blood coagulation. This investigation established an assay that examines the role of FXI in the thromboplastin-initiated (extrinsic) coagulation based on this new concept. Plasma clotting times were measured at different concentrations of thromboplastin with activated FXII inhibited (FXIIa-inhibited Diluted Thromboplastin Time, FXIIaiDTT). Only at low concentrations of thromboplastin was FXIIaiDTT of FXI-deficient plasma significantly prolonged than that of normal plasma. Depletion of FXI from normal plasma prolonged its FXIIaiDTT and replenishment of FXI shortened it. FXIIaiDTTs of both FVIII-deficient and FIX-deficient plasma were remarkably prolonged, and addition of normal plasma dose-dependently shortened it. Furthermore, earlier α-thrombin inhibition was directly correlated with decreasing FXa generation. The amount of FXa production was: platelet-rich plasma > platelet-poor plasma > FXI-deficient plasma. Therefore, our findings from the FXIIaiDTT assays not only support the critical role of extrinsic pathway in blood coagulation initiation, but also demonstrate the importance of FXI as an amplifier of thrombin generation in thromboplastin-initiated coagulation.

scholarly journals The role of bound potassium ions in the hydrolysis of low concentrations of adenosine triphosphate by preparations of membrane fragments from ox brain cerebral cortex

1970 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S. G. Goldfarb ◽  
R. Rodnight
Keyword(s):  
Potassium Chloride ◽  
Magnesium Chloride ◽  
Adenosine Triphosphatase ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Protein Ratio ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Hydrolysis Of ◽  
Emission Flame

1. The intrinsic Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ contents of a preparation of membrane fragments from ox brain were determined by emission flame photometry. 2. Centrifugal washing of the preparation with imidazole-buffered EDTA solutions decreased the bound Na+ from 90±20 to 24±12, the bound K+ from 27±3 to 7±2, the bound Mg2+ from 20±2 to 3±1 and the bound calcium from 8±1 to <1nmol/mg of protein. 3. The activities of the Na++K++Mg2+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase and the Na+-dependent reaction forming bound phosphate were compared in the unwashed and washed preparations at an ATP concentration of 2.5μm (ATP/protein ratio 12.5pmol/μg). 4. The Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP as well as the plateau concentration of bound phosphate and the rate of dephosphorylation were decreased in the washed preparation. The time-course of formation and decline of bound phosphate was fully restored by the addition of 2.5μm-magnesium chloride and 2μm-potassium chloride. Addition of 2.5μm-magnesium chloride alone fully restored the plateau concentration of bound phosphate, but the rate of dephosphorylation was only slightly increased. Na+-dependent ATP hydrolysis was partly restored with 2.5μm-magnesium chloride; addition of K+ in the range 2–10μm-potassium chloride then further restored hydrolysis but not to the control rate. 5. Pretreatment of the washed preparation at 0°C with 0.5nmol of K+/mg of protein so that the final added K+ in the reaction mixture was 0.1μm restored the Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP and the time-course of the reaction forming bound phosphate. 6. The binding of [42K]potassium chloride by the washed membrane preparation was examined. Binding in a solution containing 10nmol of K+/mg of protein was linear over a period of 20min and was inhibited by Na+. Half-maximal inhibition of 42K+-binding required a 100-fold excess of sodium chloride. 7. It was concluded (a) that a significant fraction of the apparent Na+-dependent hydrolysis of ATP observed in the unwashed preparation is due to activation by bound K+ and Mg2+ of the Na++K++Mg2+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase system and (b) that the enzyme system is able to bind K+ from a solution of 0.5μm-potassium chloride.

Fast NMDA Receptor–Mediated Synaptic Currents in Neurons From Mice Lacking the ε2 (NR2B) Subunit

2000 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 616-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth R. Tovar ◽  
Kathleen Sprouffske ◽  
Gary L. Westbrook
Keyword(s):  
Nmda Receptor ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Postsynaptic Membrane ◽  
Synaptic Activity ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Nmda Receptor Subunit ◽  
Deactivation Kinetics ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Specific Antagonist

The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor has been implicated in the formation of synaptic connections. To investigate the role of the ε2 (NR2B) NMDA receptor subunit, which is prominently expressed during early development, we used neurons from mice lacking this subunit. Although ε2−/− mice die soon after birth, we examined whether NMDA receptor targeting to the postsynaptic membrane was dependent on the ε2 subunit by rescuing hippocampal neurons from these mice and studying them in autaptic cultures. In voltage-clamp recordings, excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) from ε2−/− neurons expressed an NMDA receptor–mediated EPSC that was apparent as soon as synaptic activity developed. However, compared with wild-type neurons, NMDA receptor–mediated EPSC deactivation kinetics were much faster and were less sensitive to glycine, but were blocked by Mg2+ or AP5. Whole cell currents from ε2−/− neurons were also more sensitive to block by low concentrations of Zn2+ and much less sensitive to the ε2-specific antagonist ifenprodil than wild-type currents. The rapid NMDA receptor–mediated EPSC deactivation kinetics and the pharmacological profile from ε2−/−neurons are consistent with the expression of ζ1/ε1 diheteromeric receptors in excitatory hippocampal neurons from mice lacking the ε2 subunit. Thus ε1 can substitute for the ε2 subunit at synapses and ε2 is not required for targeting of NMDA receptors to the postsynaptic membrane.

scholarly journals Colchicine-binding protein of the liver. Its characterization and relation to microtubules.

1975 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 609-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Patzelt ◽  
A Singh ◽  
Y L Marchand ◽  
L Orci ◽  
B Jeanrenaud
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Specific Binding ◽  
Electrophoretic Analysis ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Electrophoretic Behavior ◽  
High Affinity Binding Site ◽  
High Concentrations

Colchicine-binding activity of mouse liver high-speed supernate has been investigated. It has been found to be time and temperature dependent. Two binding activities with different affinities for colchicine seem to be present in this high-speed supernate, of which only the high-affinity binding site (half maximal binding at 5 x 10(-6) M colchicine) can be attributed to microtubular protein by comparison with purified tubulin. Vinblastine interacted with this binding activity by precipitating it when used at high concentrations (2 x 10(-3) M), and by stabilizing it at low concentrations (10(-5) M). Lumicolchicine was found not to compete with colchicine. The colchicine-binding activity was purified from liver and compared with that of microtubular protein from brain. The specific binding activity of the resulting preparation, its electrophoretic behavior, and the electron microscope appearance of the paracrystals obtained upon its precipitation with vinblastine permitted its identification as microtubular protein (tubulin). Electrophoretic analysis of the proteins from liver supernate that were precipitated by vinblastine indicated that this drug was not specific for liver tubulin. Preincubation of liver supernate with 5 mM EGTA resulted in a time-dependent decrease of colchicine-binding activity, which was partly reversed by the addition of Ca++. However, an in vitro formation of microtubules upon lowering the Ca++ concentration could not be detected. Finally, a method was developed enabling that portion of microtubular protein which was present as free tubulin to be measured and to be compared with the total amount of this protein in the tissue. This procedure permitted demonstration of the fact that, under normal conditions, only about 40% of the tubulin of the liver was assemled as microtubules. It is suggested that, in the liver, rapid polymerization and depolymerization of microtubules occur and may be an important facet of the functional role of the microtubular system.

scholarly journals Antibacterial Peptides Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus: Various Mechanisms and the Association with Pathogenicity

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1527
Author(s):  
Miki Kawada-Matsuo ◽  
Mi Nguyen-Tra Le ◽  
Hitoshi Komatsuzawa
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Antibacterial Peptides ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Component Systems ◽  
Two Component Systems ◽  
Resistant Strains ◽  
Resistant Mutants ◽  
High Concentrations

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that mainly colonizes the nasal cavity and skin. To colonize the host, it is necessary for S. aureus to resist many antibacterial factors derived from human and commensal bacteria. Among them are the bacteria-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) called bacteriocins. It was reported that some two-component systems (TCSs), which are signal transduction systems specific to bacteria, are involved in the resistance to several bacteriocins in S. aureus. However, the TCS-mediated resistance is limited to relatively low concentrations of bacteriocins, while high concentrations of bacteriocins still exhibit antibacterial activity against S. aureus. To determine whether we could obtain highly bacteriocin-resistant mutants, we tried to isolate highly nisin A-resistant mutants by exposing the cells to sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of nisin A. Nisin A is one of the bacteriocins produced by Lactococcus lactis and is utilized as a food preservative worldwide. Finally, we obtained highly nisin A-resistant mutants with mutations in one TCS, BraRS, and in PmtR, which is involved in the expression of pmtABCD. Notably, some highly resistant strains also showed increased pathogenicity. Based on our findings, this review provides up-to-date information on the role of TCSs in the susceptibility to antibacterial peptides. Additionally, the mechanism for high antimicrobial peptides resistance and its association with pathogenicity in S. aureus is elucidated.

scholarly journals Osmolytes: Proline metabolism in plants as sensors of abiotic stress

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 2079-2092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashu Singh ◽  
Manoj Kumar Sharma ◽  
R. S. Sengar
Keyword(s):  
Stress Tolerance ◽  
Large Range ◽  
Plant Stress ◽  
Proline Accumulation ◽  
Metal Chelator ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Plant Stress Tolerance ◽  
Higher Doses ◽  
Research Pattern

Proline accumulation occurs in a large range of plant species in retaliation to the numerous abiotic stresses. An exclusive research pattern suggests there is a pragmatic relation between proline accumulation and plant stress tolerance. In this review, we will discuss the metabolism of proline accumulation and its role in stress tolerance in plants. Pertaining to the literature cited clearly indicates that not only does it acts as an osmolyte, it also plays important roles during stress as a metal chelator and an antioxidative defence molecule. Moreover, when applied exogenously at low concentrations, proline enhanced stress tolerance in plants. However, some reports point out adverse effects of proline when applied at higher doses. Role of proline gene in seed germination, flowering and other developmental programmes; thus creation of transgene overexpressing this gene would provide better and robust plants. In this context this review gives a detailed account of different proline gene over-expressed in all the trans-genic crops so far.

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