Agrin is a basal lamina protein that induces aggregation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and other molecules at the developing neuromuscular junction. Alternative splicing of chick agrin mRNA at two sites, A and B, gives rise to eight possible isoforms of which five are expressed in vivo. Motor neurons express high levels of isoforms with inserts at sites A and B, muscle cells synthesize iso...

An Ehrlichia ruminantium culture system was utilized for the anti-rickettsial evaluation of two ethnoveterinary plants, Elephantorrhiza elephantina and Aloe marlothii. Well-established E. ruminantium cultures were incubated with the plant leaf acetone extracts and compared to oxytetracycline and untreated controls. Effectivity was established by comparing the percentage parasitised cells and th...

In this study the sensitivity of the acetate mineralization process performed by five strains of microorganisms in soil for the toxicants Zn2+ or PCP was calculated from the sensitivity of the contributing species. The species used were a fungus (Aspergillus niger CBS 121.49), an actinomycete (Streptomyces lividans 66), two Gram-negative Pseudomonas putida strains (MT-2 and DSM 50026) and a Gra...

The toxic effects of three agrochemicals (fosthiazate, metalaxyl-M and imidacloprid) and copper were investigated in this study on the crustacean Daphnia magna. Copper was the most toxic tested compound with the lowest EC50 value, equal to 0.11 mg/L. Among the three agrochemicals, fosthiazate was the most toxic with an EC50 value equal to 0.32 mg/L, about two orders of magnitude lower than the ...

In continuation of our efforts toward the discovery of potent HIV-1 NNRTIs with novel structures, we have employed a scaffold hopping strategy to explore the chemically diversed space of bioactive compounds. The original arylazolylthioacetanilide platform was replaced with different imidazopyridinylthioacetanilide scaffolds to yield the optimal pharmacophore moieties in order to generate novel ...

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of different prostaglandin derivatives on protein and glycoprotein synthesis and secretion in isolated and enriched pig gastric mucous cells, as measured by the incorporation of [3H]L-leucine and N-acetyl-[14C]D-glucosamine respectively into acid insoluble macromolecules (AIM). PGE2 and 16,16-dimethyl-PGE2 enhanced the incorporation of the am...

The speciation of a methanolic extract of Zanthoxylum armatum stem bark has enabled the isolation and characterization of 11 known lignans. Among them, five compounds (6, 8-11) are reported in this plant for the first time. All of the chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectral analysis. Additionally, their antifeedant activities against Tribolium castaneum were evaluated s...

BACKGROUND A new supraglottic device, the LMA-Supreme™, has recently become available for clinical use. Information on anaesthetic and co-adjuvant requirements for insertion of the LMA-Supreme™ is limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the optimal effect-site concentration of propofol in 50 % (EC50) of adults necessary for successful insertion of the LMA-Supreme™ and to examine remifentan...

The patch-clamp technique was used to study whole cell currents evoked by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in rat cerebellar granule cells cultured in 5 mM potassium, a condition that favors the development of functional GABAergic synapses. GABA activated both high- and low-sensitivity receptors. The high-sensitivity receptor had an effective concentration producing half the maximum response (EC5...

The aim of this study was to purify and identify peptides with antioxidant properties from protein hydrolysate of scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) cartilage. Cartilaginous proteins of the scalloped hammerhead were extracted by guanidine hydrochloride, and three antioxidant peptides, named enzymolysis peptide of scalloped hammerhead cartilage A (SCPE-A), SCPE-B and SCPE-C, were subsequently...