We describe a totally enzymatic method for determination of serum triglycerides (triacylglycerols) specifically adaptable to the CentrifiChem system. The method involves lipolysis with lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus alone and quantitation of the resulting glycerol with glycerol dehydrogenase in a kinetic, fixed-time mode. Hydrolysis by the lipase is complete, for concentrations up to at least 5....

1-O-hexadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (platelet activating factor, PAF), (1.9 mumol) was prepared from the total lipid extract of the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis 9 x 10(7) cells. The procedure involved mild alkaline hydrolysis of the total lipids, followed by acetylation and purification of the product by preparative TLC and HPLC. The yield was 60% with respect to the cont...

In our search for inhibitors of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL, investigation of Xylopia caudata afforded a new diterpenoid, ent-trachyloban-4beta-ol (2), and five known ent-trachylobane or ent-atisane compounds. Only ent-trachyloban-18-oic acid (1) exhibited weak binding activity to Bcl-xL. These compounds exhibited cytotoxicity against KB and HCT-116 cell lines with IC(50) values between 10...

A 9-month-old steer was autopsied due to recurrent ruminal tympany. A macroscopic examination found an enlarged caudal mediastinal lymph node, and a section of the lymph node revealed necrosis with marked calcification, similar to tuberculous lymphadenitis. Histopathologically, the lesion consisted of multiple coagulative necrotic foci and fibrosis with macrophage, lymphocyte, eosinophil and mu...

Sawdust evaluation in bioremediation of PMS hydrocarbon polluted agricultural soil was carried out. The effect of different parameters; total petroleum hydrocarbon, dehydrogenase activity, optical density and pH on bioremediation performance were evaluated. Studied parameters such as microbial dynamics and hydrocarbon removal were found to be higher in sawdust amended system and differed signif...

Eleven cases of zygomycosis (mucormycosis) observed throughout an eighteen year period (1982-2000) have been reviewed. The most important demographic and clinical data of seven patients were tabulated. The remaining four are related as illustrative cases. Seven patients presented with the pulmonary form of the disease; two patients presented with the pulmonary manifestation associated with sinu...