Part of quercetin absorbed in the small intestine is conjugated and further secreted in the intestinal lumen.

Rutin and quercetin absorption and metabolism were investigated in rats after in situ perfusion of jejunum plus ileum (15 nmol/min). In contrast to rutin, a high proportion of quercetin (two-thirds) disappeared during perfusion, reflecting extensive transfer into the intestinal wall. Net quercetin absorption was not complete (2.

Dipeptide derivative synthesis catalyzed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase was used to synthesize various N-protected dipeptide amides. The identity of the products was confirmed by FAB(+)-MS. After recrystallization, the yield of their synthesis was calculated, their purity was checked by RP-HPLC and their melting point was measured.

Plasma metabolites of quercetin and their antioxidant properties.

Quercetin is one of the most widely distributed flavonoids present in fruits and vegetables. The present experiments were performed on rats adapted for 3 wk to a semipurified diet supplemented with 0.2% quercetin.

Striatal dopaminergic changes depend on the attractive or aversive value of stimulus.

Using a conditioned aversion paradigm we reported previously that dopaminergic (DA) responses were opposite in the core part of the nucleus accumbens depending on the affective value of the stimulus. The opposite responses were more marked in the left hemisphere. Anatomo-functional similarities between the core part of the nucleus accumbens and the dorsal striatum have been described.

[Gender control and Olympics events from Albertville to Atlanta or good practices in gene biochemistry].

Gender verification in sport was introduced in 1967 based on the insufficient Barr test. For Albertville's Olympic Games we proposed the Medical Commission of IOC to carry out the control for the first time thanks to molecular biochemistry. PCR/SRY amplification is described giving more than 99.

Transmission of Plasmodium falciparum by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

We describe a case of Plasmodium falciparum infection in a Comorian patient undergoing BMT. The patient's last visit to an endemic area was 1 year prior to BMT. The donor left the Comoro Islands 2 months before marrow harvesting.

Synthetic peptide substrates for a conductimetric assay of Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a zinc metalloprotease which may be involved in many infection processes, especially in the lung. In order to evaluate the production of the enzyme in culture supernatants, we developed an assay using peptide derivatives; the conductimetric method was used for monitoring the enzymatic activities. Tetrapeptide derivatives were enzymatically synthesized by coupling Z-Ala2 and X-AlaR using either thermolysin or P.

Asymmetrical involvement of mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons in affective perception.

Pharmacological studies suggest that increases and decreases in dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens contribute to positive and negative affective states, respectively. In vivo neurochemical investigations have led to contradictory conclusions, since increases and decreases in dopamine release have been observed in aversive situations. Clinical and experimental observations argue for a hemispheric asymmetry in the processing of appetitive and aversive stimuli.

Effect of propionate on fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis and on acetate metabolism in isolated rat hepatocytes.

In the present study the actual role of propionic acid in the control of fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis was investigated in isolated liver cells from fed rats maintained in the presence of near-physiological concentrations of glucose, glutamine and acetate. Using 3H2O for lipid labelling, propionate appears as an effective inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis and to a lesser extent of cholesterol synthesis, even at the lowest concentration used (0.6 mmol/l).

[Evaluation of the diagnostic value of a test. Main information indices].

Evaluating a new diagnostic test is an essential step required before using a new examination technique. The information concerning the disease provided by the test must be examined in terms of diagnostic value and cost. A test can be evaluated using several indexes.

Quercetin exerts a preferential cytotoxic effect on active dividing colon carcinoma HT29 and Caco-2 cells.

The effect of the naturally occurring flavonol, quercetin, was investigated on cell growth and metabolism of two human carcinoma cell lines, HT29 and Caco-2 cells, both during the exponentially growing phase and after confluence. Our results show clearly that, after a 48-h period of treatment, quercetin (in the range of concentration from 15 microM to 120 microM) exerted a preferential cytotoxic effect on active proliferating cells. This effect was dose dependent and was accompanied by a simultaneous inhibition of lactate release and a dramatic decrease of total cellular ATP content.

The gender-marking effect in spoken word recognition.

In this paper we examine whether the recognition of a spoken noun is affected by the gender marking--masculine or feminine--that is carried by a preceding word. In the first of two experiments, the gating paradigm was used to study the access of French nouns that were preceded by an appropriate gender marking, carried by an article, or preceded by no gender marking. In the second experiment, subjects were asked to make a lexical decision on the same material.

Importance of the modulation of glycolysis in the control of lactate metabolism by fatty acids in isolated hepatocytes from fed rats.

In liver cells from fed rats, lactate utilization depends on its extracellular concentration and the threshold concentration at which lactate uptake equilibrates release is about 3 mM. Even-chain fatty acids (butyrate, octanoate, or oleate) played a crucial role (i) to depress the lactate release, from 40% (butyrate or oleate) to 72% (octanoate), and (ii) to lower the threshold concentration for lactate utilization (down to 1 mM with octanoate). The effects of fatty acids were connected to their inhibition of hepatic glycolysis, estimated by the detritiation of [6-3H]glucose (about -30% with butyrate or oleate and -45% with octanoate).

[Evaluation of the diagnostic contribution of a test. Main information indices].

Evaluating a new diagnostic test is an essential step required before using a new examination technique. The information concerning the disease provided by the test must be examined in terms of diagnostic value and cost. A test can be evaluated using several indexes.

Work disability among adults with asthma.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of work disability among adults with asthma and to evaluate a clinically based illness severity score as a predictor of such disability.

Design: Baseline and follow-up telephone interviews and medical record review.

Setting: University-based outpatient pulmonary specialty practice.

Peptide synthesis catalysed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase was used for peptide-bond synthesis with benzyloxycarbonylalanine and amino acid amides as nucleophilic substrates. Dipeptide-bond synthesis was observed only for hydrophobic amino acid amides. The rate of peptide synthesis, measured by h.

Purification and characterization of recombinant pyrrolidone carboxyl peptidase of Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis pyrrolidone carboxyl peptidase (Pcp) overexpressed in Escherichia coli was purified to homogeneity in less than 12 h using ammonium sulphate precipitation and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The enzyme, which removes amino-terminal L-pyroglutamic acid from peptides, appears to be a tetramer of 25,200 molecular mass subunits. The protein cross-reacted with polyclonal antibodies raised against Pcp from Streptococcus pyogenes.

Control of glycogen metabolism by gluconeogenic and ketogenic substrates in isolated hepatocytes from fed rats.

1. This study was conducted to examine the effects of gluconeogenic and ketogenic substrates on the activities of the glycogen-metabolizing enzymes and on glycogenolysis in isolated hepatocytes from fed rats. 2.

Hydrolysis of alanine oligomers and of elastin by P. aeruginosa proteinases and thermolysin.

The hydrolysis of alanine oligomers by P. aeruginosa proteinases, thermolysin and porcine pancreatic elastase was studied. The concentrations of substrates and cleavage products were determined using reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography.

[Transient reduction of ventricular tachycardia with adenosine-5'-triphosphate. A possible action of ATP on purinergic receptors].

The authors report the case of a 46 year old man in whom a regular, wide complex tachycardia was terminated temporarily by the injection of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP:Striadyne); endocavitary electrophysiological studies showed the tachycardia to be of ventricular origin. After aminophylline, an inhibitor of certain purinergic receptors, the tachycardia could be reproduced at will and was sustained whereas only short runs of tachycardia could be induced under basal conditions. The mode of action of the ATP on this type of tachycardia could be a direct effect of the molecule on the purinergic receptors specifically inhibited by aminophylline.

Influence of alternating field frequency on enhanced photorefractive gain in two-beam coupling.

We derive an analytic expression describing the intensity and field frequency dependence of photorefractive gain in two-beam coupling under an alternating square-wave electric field. We determine the frequency and intensity ranges over which the gain is maximum and time independent. Experimental results for Bi(12)GeO(20) crystals are presented.

[Gallbladder adenoma with carcinoma in situ. Apropos of a case].

The case reported involved a large villous adenoma of the gallbladder with areas of carcinoma in situ, investigated by ultrasonography and CT. These imaging methods highly sensitive in the detection of such lesions are virtually non specific in terms of their nature and only the large size of the lesion should lead to suspicion of malignant change.