This paper described the investigation of surface-modified quantum dots (QDs) as a fluorescence probe for the detection of cardiolipin. A single-step method for preparation of non-toxic and photo-stable cadmium telluride (CdTe) QDs capped by L-cysteine in aqueous solution was developed. The prepared QDs were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction sp...

Studies were performed to determine the distribution of hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) in ocular structures and to characterize long-term damage associated with ocular HPD photodynamic therapy. Pigmented rabbits with an amelanotic melanoma heterotransplanted to the iris were used to obtain quantitative tissue levels of HPD as well as to document HPD localization by fluorescence microscopy. HP...

a-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an irreversible inhibitor of the polyamine biosynthetic enzyme ornithine decarboxylase, inhibits the growth of brain tumor cell lines and is undergoing clinical trials as a treatment for brain tumors. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is thought to regulate the growth and development of precursors of both normal and neoplastic astrocytic cells; calcium sign...

Leukocyte urokinase plasminogen activator receptors (uPARs) cluster at adhesion interfaces and at migratory fronts where they participate in adhesion, chemotaxis, and proteolysis. uPAR aggregation triggers activation signaling even though this glycolipid-anchored protein must associate with membrane-spanning proteins to access the cell interior. This study demonstrates a novel partnership betwe...

Intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured in fura-2-loaded single rat mesangial cells by dual wavelength spectrofluorometry. Stimulation with arginine vasopressin (AVP) caused an initial sharp rise of [Ca2+]i followed by repetitive spikes. The frequency of the oscillations was dependent on the concentration of AVP. At 0.1, 1.0, 10.0, and 100.0 nM AVP, the frequencies of os...

CONTEXT The menopause accelerates bone loss and is associated with an increased bone turnover. Bone formation may be evaluated by several biochemical markers. However, the establishment of an accurate marker for bone resorption has been more difficult to achieve. OBJECTIVE To study the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on bone mass and on the markers of bone resorption: urinary excr...

We tested the hypothesis that bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) must be internalized to facilitate endotoxin-dependent signal activation in cardiac myocytes. Fluorescently labeled LPS was used to treat primary cardiomyocyte cultures, perfused heart preparations, and the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line. Using confocal microscopy and spectrofluorometry, we found that LPS was rapidly internalized i...

The interaction of the antimitotic drug vincristine with tubulin has been investigated by the techniques of self-assembly, velocity sedimentation, fluorescence, circular dichroism, and differential spectroscopy. Vincristine has been shown to inhibit the self-assembly of tubulin into microtubules at substoichiometric concentrations. The sedimentation velocity patterns at low vincristine concentr...

Bradykinin (BK) is one of the most important peptides regulating vascular tone, water, and ionic balance in the body, playing a key role in controlling BP. It is interesting that patients with essential hypertension excrete less BK than normotensive individuals. For elucidating the mechanism by which BK regulates renal water transport that contributes to its antihypertensive effect, aquaporin 2...

To evaluate the influence of resveratrol on cellular zinc status, normal human prostate epithelial (NHPrE) cells were treated with resveratrol (0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 microM) and zinc [0, 4, 16, and 32 microM, representing zinc-deficient (ZD), zinc-normal (ZN), zinc-adequate (ZA), and zinc-supplemented (ZS) conditions, respectively]. A progressive reduction in cell growth was observed in cel...