The L-type amino acid transporter 1 enhances drug delivery to the mouse pancreatic beta cell line (MIN6).

l-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is a membrane transporter responsible for carrying large, neutral l-configured amino acids as well as appropriate (pro)drugs into a cell. It has shown a great potential to improve drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier and to increase cell uptake into several brain and cancer cell types. However, besides the brain, the LAT1-utilizing compounds are also delivered more efficiently into the pancreas in vivo.

In Vitro Toxicity Assessment of Anthraquinone Aglycone Extract.

Biocolourants could be a sustainable option for dyes that require fossil-based chemicals in their synthesis. We studied the in vitro toxicity of anthraquinone aglycone extract obtained from fungus and compared it to the toxicity of its two main components, emodin and previously studied dermocybin. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress responses in HepG2 liver and THP-1 immune cell lines were studied along with skin sensitisation.

Anthraquinone biocolourant dermocybin is metabolized whereas dermorubin is not in in vitro liver fractions and recombinant metabolic enzymes.

Fungal anthraquinones dermocybin and dermorubin are attractive alternatives for synthetic dyes but their metabolism is largely unknown. We conducted a qualitative in vitro study to identify their metabolism using human liver microsomes and cytosol, as well as recombinant human cytochrome P450 (CYP), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) and sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes. Additionally, liver microsomal and cytosolic fractions from rat, mouse and pig were used.

Parental cigarette smoking before and during pregnancy in a cohort of 21 472 pregnancies.

Smoking during pregnancy is one of the leading causes for adverse pregnancy outcomes. We studied parental smoking both before and during pregnancy in a retrospective cohort of 21 472 singleton pregnancies. Although most smoking women (74%) ceased tobacco use, there was possible gestational exposure to maternal cigarette smoking in every fifth pregnancy.

Transcriptional cofactor dyxin mediates hypertrophic response in the heart during angiotensin II-induced hypertension.

Dyxin is a LIM-domain containing transcriptional regulator protein shown to play a role in a hypertrophic response in the heart. Here, the effect of adenoviral dyxin overexpression was studied on cardiac function and gene expression in the normal heart and in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension in rats. The adenovirus-mediated intramyocardial gene transfer of dyxin (1.