Oxidative cleavage of poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) by rubber oxygenase RoxA purified from Xanthomonas sp. was investigated in the presence of different combinations of (16)O(2), (18)O(2), H(2)(16)O, and H(2)(18)O. 12-oxo-4,8-dimethyl-trideca-4,8-diene-1-al (ODTD; m/z 236) was the main cleavage product in the absence of (18)O-compounds. Incorporation of one (18)O atom in ODTD was found if the cleavage...

A defect in the Werner syndrome protein (WRN) leads to the premature aging disease Werner syndrome (WS). Hallmark features of cells derived from WS patients include genomic instability and hypersensitivity to certain DNA-damaging agents. WRN contains a highly conserved region, the RecQ conserved domain, that plays a central role in protein interactions. We searched for proteins that bound to th...

Narrow-band UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy is commonly used for treatment of psoriasis, though the mechanisms underlying its efficacy have not been completely elucidated. We used gene expression profiling to characterise gene expression in lesional epidermis from psoriasis patients in the middle and late stages of NB-UVB photo-therapy. Increased melanogenesis gene expression was the earliest respons...

Determination of Dopamine electrochemically by direct oxidation is difficult due to the co-oxidation of ascorbic acid present in high concentration in biological fluids in the same potential window. In this report, we present a non oxidative approach to electrochemically detect dopamine with high selectivity and sensitivity using our newly developed poly (anilineboronic acid ) composite with si...

Different types of NPs (nanoparticles) are currently under development for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the biomedical field, yet our knowledge about their possible effects and fate in living cells is still limited. In the present study, we examined the cellular response of human brain-derived endothelial cells to NPs of different size and structure: uncoated and oleic acid-coated...

Among different features of cancer cells, two of them have retained our interest: their nearly universal glycolytic phenotype and their sensitivity towards an oxidative stress. Therefore, we took advantage of these features to develop an experimental approach by selectively exposing cancer cells to an oxidant insult induced by the combination of menadione (vitamin K(3)) and ascorbate (vitamin C...

PURPOSE This study evaluated the role for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in diabetes-induced cataractogenesis and early retinal changes. METHODS Control and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats were treated with or without the PARP inhibitors 1,5-isoquinolinediol (ISO; 3 mg kg(-1) d(-1) intraperitoneally) and 10-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-ylmethyl)-2H-7-oxa-1,2-diaza-benzo[de]anthracen-3-1 (GPI-...

A reliable ELISA for screening large numbers of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors is described. The test is based upon the drop in PARP activity estimated by the decrease in poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis in the presence of inhibitor. This ELISA is easy to perform, rapid, and specific. It is extremely sensitive because a clear inhibition of the total reaction could be visualized with mo...

The heterophil is the major polymorphonuclear cell in birds with a functional capacity akin to that of the mammalian neutrophil. Herein, we demonstrate that heterophils constitutively express TLR1/6/10, TLR2 type 1, TLR2 type 2, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR7 mRNA. Furthermore, TLR agonists, including flagellin (from Salmonella typhimurium, FGN), peptidoglycan (from Staphylococcus aureus, PGN), ult...

Influenza virus is a common respiratory tract viral infection. Although influenza can be fatal in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, its pathogenesis is not fully understood. The Nrf2-mediated antioxidant system is essential to protect the lungs from oxidative injury and inflammation. In the present study, we investigated the role of Nrf2 in ...