COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF THE POTENTIATION OF CORTICOTROPHIN ACTIVITY BY SEVERAL INACTIVE DERIVATIVES

1963 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur I. Cohen ◽  
Edward H. Frieden

ABSTRACT A number of corticotrophin analogues have been prepared, some of which potentiate the biological activity of the untreated hormone in vitro. The free amino groups of corticotrophin appear to be essential not only for hormonal activity, but also for the interaction of the analogues with the tissue corticotrophin inactivating system which is assumed to account for the potentiating effect.

Author(s):  
A M A Hammouda ◽  
G E Mady

The measurement of carbamylated haemoglobin is a useful indicator of uraemic state during the preceding few weeks in patients with renal failure. In diabetic uraemic patients with hyperglycaemia, glycation of haemoglobin may interfere with its carbamylation, as both reactions involve the free amino groups of the protein. The aim of this study was to investigate the carbamylation of haemoglobin in the presence of hyperglycaemia. The study included 29 patients with chronic renal failure on regular haemodialysis, 14 diabetic and 15 non-diabetic patients, and 10 healthy controls. We found a significant correlation between the degree of haemoglobin carbamylation and mean blood urea concentration in both uraemic and control subjects. Carbamylation of haemoglobin was higher in both diabetic and non-diabetic chronic renal failure patients, but there were no significant differences between the groups regarding mean blood urea concentration or level of haemoglobin carbamylation. Carbamylated haemoglobin per unit of blood urea concentration was lower in the diabetic patients. Using a correction formula to account for the degree of haemoglobin glycation, there was no longer a significant difference in carbamylation per unit of blood urea concentration. In vitro incubation of red blood cells from six healthy and six diabetic non-uraemic patients in 70mmol/L urea showed a significantly lower carbamylation in the diabetic patients, but there was no significant difference when using corrected carbamylated haemoglobin values. We conclude that glycation of haemoglobin affects its carbamylation and that monitoring of uraemia in a diabetic patient necessitates the use of carbamylated haemoglobin value corrected for the degree of glycation.


Author(s):  
Alessandra F. Perna ◽  
Filomena Acanfora ◽  
Maria Grazia Luciano ◽  
Paola Pulzella ◽  
Rosanna Capasso ◽  
...  

AbstractProtein homocysteinylation is proposed as one of the mechanisms of homocysteine toxicity. It occurs through various means, such as the post-biosynthetic acylation of free amino groups (protein-N-homocysteinylation, mediated by homocysteine thiolactone) and the formation of a covalent -S-S- bond found primarily with cysteine residues (protein-S-homocysteinylation). Both protein modifications are a cause of protein functional derangements. Hemodialysis patients in the majority of cases are hyperhomocysteinemic, if not malnourished. Protein-N-homocysteinylation and protein-S-homocysteinylation are significantly increased in hemodialysis patients compared to controls. Oral folate treatment normalizes protein-N-homocysteinylation levels, while protein-S-homocysteinylation is significantly reduced. Albumin binding experiments after in vitro homocysteinylation show that homocysteinylated albumin is significantly altered at the diazepam, but not at the warfarin and salicilic acid binding sites.Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1678–82.


2012 ◽  
Vol 124 (5) ◽  
pp. 343-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nahla N. Younis ◽  
Handrean Soran ◽  
Philip Pemberton ◽  
Valentine Charlton-Menys ◽  
Mohamed M. Elseweidy ◽  
...  

Glycation of apoB (apolipoprotein B) of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) increases its atherogenicity. Concentrations of both serum glyc-apoB (glycated apoB) and SD-LDL (small dense LDL) (syn LDL3; D=1.044–1.063 g/ml) are increased in diabetes and are closely correlated. We studied whether SD-LDL is more susceptible to glycation in vitro than more buoyant LDL in statin- and non-statin-treated Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Serum SD-LDL apoB and glyc-apoB on statins was 20±2 (means±S.D.) and 3.6±0.41 compared with 47±3 and 5.89±0.68 mg/dl in those not receiving statins (P<0.001 and <0.01, respectively). There was a dose-dependent increase in glycation on incubation of LDL subfractions with glucose, which was accompanied by an increase in LPO (lipid peroxide) and electrophoretic mobility and a decrease in free amino groups. SD-LDL was more susceptible to these changes than more buoyant LDL. Both SD-LDL and more buoyant LDL from statin-treated patients were less susceptible to glycation. There were fewer free amino groups on LDL subfractions from statin-treated patients, which may contribute to this resistance. In conclusion, greater susceptibility of SD-LDL to glycation is likely to contribute to the raised levels of circulating glyc-apoB in diabetes. Statins are associated with lower levels of both SD-LDL and glyc-apoB.


1971 ◽  
Vol 121 (5) ◽  
pp. 737-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. Lindsay ◽  
S. Shall

The acetylation of the free amino groups of insulin was studied by reaction of the hormone with N-hydroxysuccinimide acetate at pH6.9 and 8.5. The products formed were separated by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex and were characterized by isoelectric focusing, by end-group analysis, by the incorporation of [3H]acetyl groups in the molecule, and by treatment with trypsin that had been treated with 1-chloro-4-phenyl-3-toluene-p-sulphonamidobutan-2-one (‘tosylphenylalanyl chloromethyl ketone’). Three monosubstituted products, two disubstituted products and one trisubstituted derivative were prepared. The α-amino groups of the terminal residues and the ∈-amino group of the lysine-B29 were the sites of reaction. Acetylation of any of the free amino groups did not affect the biological activity of insulin. It was demonstrated, however, that substitution at the glycine-A1 amino group by the larger residues, acetoacetyl or thiazolidinecarbonyl, produced a decrease in biological activity. Modification of the lysine-B29 or phenylalanine-B1 amino groups with these larger reagents did not affect the biological activity. Modification of the phenylalanine-B1 amino group by any of the three substituents resulted in a large decrease in the affinity of insulin for anti-insulin antibodies raised in the guinea pig. Modification of the other two amino groups did not affect the reaction with antibody. These observations are correlated with the tertiary structure of insulin.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 557d-557
Author(s):  
Jennifer Warr ◽  
Fenny Dane ◽  
Bob Ebel

C6 volatile compounds are known to be produced by the plant upon pathogen attack or other stress-related events. The biological activity of many of these substances is poorly understood, but some might produce signal molecules important in host–pathogen interactions. In this research we explored the possibility that lipid-derived C6 volatiles have a direct effect on bacterial plant pathogens. To this purpose we used a unique tool, a bacterium genetically engineered to bioluminesce. Light-producing genes from a fish-associated bacterium were introduced into Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, enabling nondestructive detection of bacteria in vitro and in the plant with special computer-assisted camera equipment. The effects of different C6 volatiles (trans-2 hexanal, trans-2 hexen-1-ol and cis-3 hexenol) on growth of bioluminescent Xanthomonas campestris were investigated. Different volatile concentrations were used. Treatment with trans-2 hexanal appeared bactericidal at low concentrations (1% and 10%), while treatments with the other volatiles were not inhibitive to bacterial growth. The implications of these results with respect to practical use of trans-2 hexanal in pathogen susceptible and resistant plants will be discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogdan Bumbăcilă ◽  
Mihai V. Putz

Pesticides are used today on a planetary-wide scale. The rising need for substances with this biological activity due to an increasing consumption of agricultural and animal products and to the development of urban areas makes the chemical industry to constantly investigate new molecules or to improve the physicochemical characteristics, increase the biological activities and improve the toxicity profiles of the already known ones. Molecular databases are increasingly accessible for in vitro and in vivo bioavailability studies. In this context, structure-activity studies, by their in silico - in cerebro methods, are used to precede in vitro and in vivo studies in plants and experimental animals because they can indicate trends by statistical methods or biological activity models expressed as mathematical equations or graphical correlations, so a direction of study can be developed or another can be abandoned, saving financial resources, time and laboratory animals. Following this line of research the present paper reviews the Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) studies and proposes a correlation between a topological connectivity index and the biological activity or toxicity made as a result of a study performed on 11 molecules of organophosphate compounds, randomly chosen, with a basic structure including a Phosphorus atom double bounded to an Oxygen atom or to a Sulfur one and having three other simple covalent bonds with two alkoxy (-methoxy or -ethoxy) groups and to another functional group different from the alkoxy groups. The molecules were packed on a cubic structure consisting of three adjacent cubes, respecting a principle of topological efficiency, that of occupying a minimal space in that cubic structure, a method that was called the Clef Method. The central topological index selected for correlation was the Wiener index, since it was possible this way to discuss different adjacencies between the nodes in the graphs corresponding to the organophosphate compounds molecules packed on the cubic structure; accordingly, &quot;three dimensional&quot; variants of these connectivity indices could be considered and further used for studying the qualitative-quantitative relationships for the specific molecule-enzyme interaction complexes, including correlation between the Wiener weights (nodal specific contributions to the total Wiener index of the molecular graph) and the biochemical reactivity of some of the atoms. Finally, when passing from SAR to Q(uantitative)-SAR studies, especially by the present advanced method of the cubic molecule (Clef Method) and its good assessment of the (neuro)toxicity of the studied molecules and of their inhibitory effect on the target enzyme - acetylcholinesterase, it can be seen that a predictability of the toxicity and activity of different analogue compounds can be ensured, facilitating the in vivo experiments or improving the usage of pesticides.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-180
Author(s):  
Fengjin Hao ◽  
Yueqin Feng ◽  
Yifu Guan

Objective: To verify whether the botulinum toxin heavy chain HCS has specific neuronal targeting function and to confirm whether TAT-EGFP-LC has hydrolyzable SNAP-25 and has transmembrane biological activity. Methods: We constructed the pET-28a-TAT-EGFP-HCS/LC plasmid. After the plasmid is expressed and purified, we co-cultured it with nerve cells or tumors. In addition, we used Western-Blot to identify whether protein LC and TAT-EGFP-LC can digest the protein SNAP-25. Results: Fluorescence imaging showed that PC12, BV2, C6 and HeLa cells all showed green fluorescence, and TAT-EGFP-HCS had the strongest fluorescence. Moreover, TAT-EGFP-LC can hydrolyze intracellular SNAP-25 in PC12 cells, C6 cells, BV2 cells and HeLa, whereas LC alone cannot. In addition, the in vivo protein TAT-EGFP-HCS can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and enter mouse brain tissue. Conclusion: TAT-EGFP-HSC expressed in vitro has neural guidance function and can carry large proteins across the cell membrane without influencing the biological activity.


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