Structure and immunological activity of an arabinan-rich acidic polysaccharide from Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC

SummaryHaematochemical, urinary and tissue parameters were examined in the elaboration of the coagulation and fibrinolysis profile in 33 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus in different stages of the disease. Coagulation abnormalities varied from hypo- to hyper-coagulabitity, these being often associated in the same patient, either simultaneously or at different stages of the disease. Activation of coagulation, closely related to the immunological activity of the disease, was present in 80% cases in the acute stage, and 36% of those in the remission stage. The lupus-like anticoagulant was not much involved, and platelets were the prime figures in the haemostatic abnormalities of lupus, those being the preferred target of direct antibody activities, or possibly of immune complexes as well. Activation of the coagulatory cascade is not uncommonly accompanied by a thrombophilic tendency coupled with signs of consumption, this being the expression of a continuously stimulated haemostatic balance.

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Partial chemical structure and immunomodulating activities of RGAP (Red Ginseng acidic Polysaccharide) from Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer)

Planta Medica ◽

10.1055/s-2006-949821 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 72 (11) ◽

Author(s):

JD Park ◽

HJ Shin ◽

YS Kwak ◽

JJ Wee ◽

YB Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Panax Ginseng ◽

Chemical Structure ◽

Red Ginseng ◽

Korean Red Ginseng ◽

Acidic Polysaccharide ◽

Partial Chemical

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CHEMISTRY OF GONADOTROPHINS IN RELATION TO THEIR ANTIGENIC PROPERTIES

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/acta.0.062s013 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 62 (1_Suppl) ◽

pp. S13-S30 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

W. R. Butt

Keyword(s):

Biological Activity ◽

Guinea Pigs ◽

Complement Fixation ◽

Neuraminic Acid ◽

Fixation Technique ◽

Immunological Activity ◽

Antigenic Properties ◽

Specific Antisera ◽

Structural Differences

ABSTRACT Several chemical differences between FSH, LH and HCG have been reported: thus LH and HCG are richer in proline than FSH and FSH and HCG contain more N-acetyl neuraminic acid than LH. Sub-units of LH are formed by treatment with urea, guanidine or acid. HCG also may contain two sub-units. The sub-units from LH are biologically inert but retain their immunological activity: biological activity is restored when the sub-units are incubated together. There is much evidence from chemical and enzymic reactions that antigenic groups are distinct from those parts of the molecule essential for biological activity. N-acetyl neuraminic acid and probably other carbohydrates in FSH and HCG are not involved in immunological activity but are necessary for biological activity. Histidine, methionine and possibly cysteine appear to be essential for biological but not immunological activity of FSH, while tryptophan and possibly tyrosine are not essential for either. A few highly specific antisera to gonadotrophins have been prepared in rabbits and guinea pigs to crude antigens: there is no evidence that purified antigens are more likely to produce specific antisera. Differences in the immunological reactivities of urinary compared with pituitary gonadotrophins have been observed both by radioimmunoassay and by the complement fixation technique. The latter may be particularly useful for detecting structural differences in the hormones.

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Oxytocin Modulation of Maternal Behavior and Its Association With Immunological Activity in Rats With Cesarean Delivery

ASN NEURO ◽

10.1177/17590914211014731 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

pp. 175909142110147

Author(s):

Tong Li ◽

Shu-Wei Jia ◽

Dan Hou ◽

Xiaoran Wang ◽

Dongyang Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cesarean Delivery ◽

Maternal Behavior ◽

Inflammatory Cytokine ◽

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ◽

Brain Slices ◽

Relative Weight ◽

Resting Membrane Potential ◽

Cytokine Release ◽

Immunological Activity ◽

Fos Expression

Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide produced in the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei, is not only essential for lactation and maternal behavior but also for normal immunological activity. However, mechanisms underlying OT regulation of maternal behavior and its association with immunity around parturition, particularly under mental and physical stress, remain unclear. Here, we observed effects of OT on maternal behavior in association with immunological activity in rats after cesarean delivery (CD), a model of reproductive stress. CD significantly reduced maternal interests to the pups throughout postpartum day 1-8. On postpartum day 5, CD decreased plasma OT levels and thymic index but increased vasopressin, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 levels. CD had no significant effect on plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone levels. In the hypothalamus, CD decreased corticotropin-releasing hormone contents in the PVN but increased OT contents in the PVN and SON and OT release from hypothalamic implants. CD also increased c-Fos expression, particularly in the cytoplasm of OT neurons. Lastly, CD depolarized resting membrane potential and increased spike width while increasing the variability of the firing rate of OT neurons in brain slices. Thus, CD can increase hypothalamic OT contents and release but reduce pituitary release of OT into the blood, which is associated with depressive-like maternal behavior, increased inflammatory cytokine release and decreased relative weight of the thymus.

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