L,D-transpeptidase 2 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis plays a key role in the formation of the cell wall of a pathogen and catalyzes the cross-linking of growing peptidoglycan chains by non-classical 3-3 bonds, which causes resistance to a broad spectrum of penicillins. Molecular modeling of enzyme interactions with the N- and C-terminal tetrapeptide fragments of growing peptidoglycan chains has...

A novel electrochemical assay to quantify transglutaminase activity is reported. The assay is based on the enzyme-controlled diffusion of Fe(CN)6(3-/4-) through amino-functionalized nanochannels of a mesoporous silica thin film on a Au surface in the presence of N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-glutaminylglycine.

The oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) is regarded as a critical factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, especially the initial steps of the disease. In addition, other oxidative events have been shown to participate in the progression of atherosclerosis and precipitation of cardiovascular events, through modulation of important components of lesions of the vessel wall (smooth m...

Acute and subacute intraperitoneal doses of fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) were administered to test the efficacy of the FB(1)-glucose reaction products in detoxifying FB(1) in swine. In the acute study at 11 mumol of FB(1)/kg of body weight, five of six pigs administered FB(1) and four of six pigs administered FB(1)-glucose died from acute pulmonary edema. Analysis of weight gain, serum aspartate amin...

OBJECTIVE To determine pregnancy outcome in hyperemesis gravidarum and the effect of metabolic, biochemical, hematological and clinical indicators of disease severity on outcome. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective study based on 166 women hospitalized for confirmed hyperemesis gravidarum from January 2004 to January 2005. For each woman, three controls matched for age, parity and ethnicity were obt...

The wet weight of the stomach, small intestine, caecum, and colon were significantly reduced (p less than 0.001) in intravenously fed rats compared with orally fed controls. Human epidermal growth factor (urogastrone) reversed this atrophy. Detailed analysis of the small intestine showed a similar effect on intestinal crypt cell population, mitoses per crypt, and protein content. Brush border g...