Interactions between plasma proteins and MPO were studied. The protein fraction of normal plasma and serum was shown to exhibit an inhibitory effect on the peroxidase activity of MPO. Most of the inhibitory effect could be retained on an MPO-coupled affinity chromatography column. In particular, a protein with apparent mol. wt of 130 kD showed affinity for MPO. The protein was identified as cerulo

The human endometrium is a dynamic tissue, which undergoes extensive tissue remodelling during the menstrual cycle. Due to their involvement in such processes, several well-characterized matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) have previously been studied in the endometrium. MMP-26 is a newly described matrilysin. We studied MMP-26 mRNA in 39 normal endometrial samples obtained across the menstrual cycle.

This article summarizes content proceedings of a symposium held at the 2004 Research Society on Alcoholism Scientific Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The chairs were Friedrich M. Wurst and Raye Litten. The presentations were (1) Introduction, by Raye Litten; (2) Direct Ethanol Metabolites-On the Threshold From Science to Routine Use, by Friedrich M. Wurst; (3) Sialic Acid Index of Plasma Apol

2- Pyridone- fused 2,2'- bipyridine derivatives 1a and 1b were synthesised. X- Ray diffraction analysis of 1b revealed a highly complex solid state structure with a disordered molecule imbedded in a channel structure formed by a centrosymmetric lattice of hexagonally packed, hydrogen bonded columns. The columns are assembled from three symmetry independent molecules. Dimerisation of the self- comp

lMajor changes have occurred in the care of patients with rheumatic diseases over the past decades. Most of these changes have focused on new pharmacological and surgical procedures and methods. However, for different reasons, few of these methods are available to many patients around the world, and thus other forms of care are still needed. For optimal benefit to patients, all aspects of care sho

The anti-atherosclerosis mechanisms of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) occur via both cholesterol-dependent and cholesterol-independent mechanisms. The present study used aortic and cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) from rat to investigate whether atorvastatin and mevastatin affect basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced SMC proliferation and th

The resonant enhancement in photoelectron spectra at the 4d edges of rare earth atoms and metals is also found in yield spectra of desorbed ions from the surfaces of the oxides of Sm, Eu and Yb following the photon excitation. The analysis of the 4d → 4f resonance leads to a picture of an indirect mechanism of ion desorption which is mainly caused by the flux of energetic 4f photoelectrons from th

The oxidation-induced valence change of Yb leads to a single 4f hole in the ground state. The creation of the 4f13 configuration which does not exist for any pure rare-earth metal makes it possible to analyze the 4d4f Fano resonance for a simple system experimentally as well as theoretically. Calculated Fano profiles for the 4f12 final-state multiplets are in good agreement with photoemission meas

The stomach helps to maintain calcium homoeostasis by making dietary calcium accessible for uptake in the intestines, although the effect of the stomach on calcium homoeostasis is poorly understood. We examined the effect on blood calcium of gastric surgery in the rat. Within three weeks gastrectomy and fundectomy (excision of the acid producing part of the stomach) induced a slight lowering of th

The ECL cells are peptide hormone-producing cells, rich in histamine and chromogranin A (CGA)-derived peptides, that operate under the control of gastrin. Gastrin and the ECL cells form a functional unit, the gastrin-ECL-cell axis. The aims of the present study were to examine (1) if calcitonin (CT), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and vitamin D affect the gastrin-ECL-cell axis (by measuring the activit

The distribution of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunoreactivity was examined in rat and rabbit retinas and was compared with the distribution of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase reactivity and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) immunoreactivity. An antibody raised against a C-terminal fragment of a cloned rat cerebellar NOS was used to localise NOS immunore

The adenine nucleotide pool of rabbit retina was labeled by an intravitreal injection in vivo of [3H]adenosine. Practically all the radioactivity was retained in the form of adenine nucleotides. The relative proportion of [3H]adenine nucleotides was the same as that of endogenous nucleotides. Potassium depolarization (43.6 mM) in vitro caused a rapid increase in the rate of release of radioactive

A selective uptake mechanism for some nucleosides and related substances was found in retinae of light adapted rabbits and fish. After the intravitreal injection in vivo of [(3)H]adenosine, [(3)H]inosine, [(3)H]guanosine and certain related compounds, the distribution of radioactivity was studied by autoradiography. Retinae were also incubated in [(3)H]adenosine and [(3)H]inosine and then were sim

The assembly of MHC class I molecules is regulated by a multi-protein complex in the endoplasmic reticules (ER) termed the loading complex. Tapasin is suggested to be one of the molecules forming this complex on the basis of its interaction with both the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) and MHC class I molecules. To address whether TAP is indispensable for the processing of the

The acute phase reactant and protease inhibitor alpha1-antichymotrypsin is considered to play a protective role in the airways, but it is not known. Objectives: We analyzed whether the common respiratory pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis interact with antichymotrypsin. Methods: We compared a series of clinical isolates in addition to wild type and