Role of reactive oxygen species in IL-1 beta-stimulated sustained ERK activation and MMP-9 induction.

We have recently demonstrated that interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) stimulates matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) induction. In this study we have investigated the roles of superoxide and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in MMP-9 induction following exposure to IL-1 beta. IL-1 beta stimulated biphasic ERK activation in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells, a transient activation that reached a maximum at 15 min and declined to baseline levels within 1 h, and a second phase of sustained ERK activation lasting up to 8 h.

Selected contribution: estrogen receptor-alpha gene transfer inhibits proliferation and NF-kappaB activation in VSM cells from female rats.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that hormone replacement therapy with estrogen (E2) or E2 plus progesterone in postmenopausal women decreases the age-associated risk of cardiovascular disease by 30-50%. Treatment of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells with physiological concentrations of E2 has been shown to inhibit growth factor-stimulated cell proliferation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that E2 inhibits the age-associated increase in VSM cell proliferation by inhibiting nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB pathway.

Mechanism of inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-9 induction by NO in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cell migration is a critical step in the development of a neointima after angioplasty. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degrade the basement membrane and extracellular matrix, facilitating VSM cell migration. Recently, we demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) inhibits interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta)-stimulated MMP-9 induction in rat aortic VSM cells.

Radical mediated ring opening of 1,2-cyclopropanated-D-glycal: unusual formation of S-methylglycosyl-S-methylthiocarbonate.

Tri-n-butyltin hydride mediated ring opening of 1,2-cyclo- propanated-D-glycals led to the formation of 1-C-methyl 2,3-unsaturated sugars. However, corresponding catalytic version provided an unusual S-methylglycosyl-S-methyldithiocarbonate derivative whose mechanism of formation has been proposed.

Synthesis of ethyl 5-O-(alpha-D-arabinofuranosyl)-6-O-(beta-D-galactofuranosyl)-beta-D- galactofuranoside present in motif E of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall.

[figure: see text] The stereocontrolled synthesis of the trisaccharide ethyl 5-O-(alpha-D-arabinofuranosyl)-6-O-(beta-D-galactofuranosyl)- beta-D-galactofuranoside present in motif E of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall is described.

Synthesis of oligosaccharides of motifs D and E of arabinogalactan present in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Syntheses of the ethyl glycosides of 5-O-(beta-D-galactofuranosyl)-beta-D-galactofuranose and 5-O-(alpha-D-arabinofuranosyl)-6-O-(beta-D-galactofuranosyl)-beta-D-galactofuranose present in motifs D and E of Mycobacterium tuberculosis arabinogalactan, respectively, have been presented. The pentenyl-mediated O-glycosylation reaction was utilized to obtain the disaccharide of motif D. The first coupling reaction to prepare the inner disaccharide portion of motif E was accomplished by trichloroacetamidate method while the installation of the terminal sugar by pentenyl glycosylation approach was successful.

Estrogen receptor-alpha gene transfer into bovine aortic endothelial cells induces eNOS gene expression and inhibits cell migration.

Objectives: It has been suggested that estrogen may improve endothelial cell function to delay the onset of atherosclerosis in pre-menopausal females, though its mechanism of action is not fully understood. We examined the hypothesis that human estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha) gene transfection improves the endothelial cell function.

Methods: A replication deficient adenoviral vector was used to transfect the ER alpha gene into bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) and a GFP gene containing vector was used as control.

eNOS gene transfer inhibits smooth muscle cell migration and MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity.

Vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration is a critical step in the development of neointima after angioplasty. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degrade the basement membrane and the extracellular matrix, facilitating SMC migration. Transfer of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene to the injury site inhibits neointima formation.

NOS gene transfer inhibits expression of cell cycle regulatory molecules in vascular smooth muscle cells.

The mechanisms of nitric oxide (NO)-mediated inhibition of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cell proliferation are still obscure. Cyclins A and E in association with cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) serve as positive regulators for mammalian cell cycle progression through the G1/S checkpoint of the cell cycle and subsequent cell proliferation. Therefore, we have tested the effect of adenovirus-mediated transfection of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene into guinea pig coronary VSM cells on platelet-derived growth factor (BB homodimer) (PDGF-BB)-stimulated cell proliferation and the expression of cell cycle regulatory molecules.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of the basic lectin from the seeds of Artocarpus hirsuta.

The basic lectin from Artocarpus hirsuta specific towards methyl alpha-galactose has been purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method with ammonium sulfate as precipitant. Three different crystal forms, orthorhombic I, orthorhombic II and hexagonal, were grown under the same crystallization conditions. The orthorhombic forms belonged to space group P212121 with unit-cell dimensions a = 92.

Fluorimetric studies on saccharide binding to the basic lectin from Artocarpus hirsuta.

The binding of Artocarpus hirsuta lectin to galactose and its derivatives was examined by fluorescence spectroscopy. The intrinsic fluorescence intensity of the lectin was enhanced by 55% upon binding to methyl alpha-galactose without any change in the emission maximum (333 nm). 4-Methyl umbellifery alpha-galactopyranoside showed 100% quenching of its fluorescence intensity upon binding to the lectin without any shift in the emission maximum (373 nm).

alpha-Galactoside binding lectin from Artocarpus hirsuta: characterization of the sugar specificity and binding site.

The hemagglutinin from the seeds of Artocarpus hirsuta was purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and CM-sephadex. The native protein of molecular mass 60,000 (gel filtration) is made up of two pairs of unidentical subunits, alpha and beta with molecular masses of 15,800 and 14,130. The lectin is basic in nature (pI 8.

Synthesis of methyl 2,4-di-O-methyl-3-O-(2-O-methyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-alpha-L- rhamnopyranoside and methyl 2,4-di-O-methyl-3-O-[2-O-methyl-3-O-(2-O-methyl-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl)- alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl]-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside: di- and tri-saccharide segments of a phenolic glycolipid of Mycobacterium kansasii.

Syntheses of the title glycosides are described. The critical O-glycosylations were carried out in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate with a high degree of alpha-selectivity.

NMR investigation on the structure and conformation of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyribosylthymine (AZT), an inhibitor of the HIV (AIDS virus).

1H and 13C NMR study of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyribosylthymine (AZT), an inhibitor of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) replication, has been undertaken. Modified Karplus relations have been used to obtain the molecular structure from the indirect coupling constants. NMR results are consistent with an anti glycosyl angle, a sugar pucker with equilibrium between C2'-endo and C3'-endo geometries and a predominantly g+ conformation about C4'-C5' bond.