Perinatal Psychoneuroimmunology of Prenatal Stress and Its Effects on Fetal and Postnatal Brain Development.

Prenatal stress (PS) impacts early behavioral, neuroimmune, and cognitive development. Pregnant rat models have been very valuable in examining the mechanisms of such fetal programming. A pregnant sheep model of maternal stress offers the unique advantages of chronic in utero monitoring and manipulation.

Weaving the next generation of (bio)materials: Semi-interpenetrated and interpenetrated polymeric networks for biomedical applications.

Advances in polymer science have led to the development of semi-interpenetrated and interpenetrated networks (SIPN/IPN). The interpenetration procedure allows enhancing several important properties of a polymeric material, including mechanical properties, swelling capability, stimulus-sensitive response, and biological performance, among others. More interestingly, the interpenetration (or semi-interpenetration) can be achieved independent of the material size, that is at the macroscopic, microscopic, or nanometric scale.

Study of antimycobacterial, cytotoxic, and mutagenic potential of polymeric nanoparticles of copper (II) complex.

This study aimed to encapsulate and characterise a potential anti-tuberculosis copper complex (CuCl(INH).HO:) into polymeric nanoparticles (PNs) of polymethacrylate copolymers (Eudragit®, Eu) developed by nanoprecipitation method. NE30D, S100 and, E100 polymers were tested.

In situ Formed Implants, Based on PLGA and Eudragit Blends, for Novel Florfenicol Controlled Release Formulations.

Drug controlled release technologies (DCRTs) represent an opportunity for designing new therapies. Main objectives are dose number optimization and secondary effects reduction to improve the level of patient/client acceptance. The present work studies DCRTs based in blended polymeric implants for single dose and long-term therapies of florfenicol (FF), a broad spectrum antibiotic.

Monitoring Fetal Electroencephalogram Intrapartum: A Systematic Literature Review.

Studies about the feasibility of monitoring fetal electroencephalogram (fEEG) during labor began in the early 1940s. By the 1970s, clear diagnostic and prognostic benefits from intrapartum fEEG monitoring were reported, but until today, this monitoring technology has remained a curiosity. Our goal was to review the studies reporting the use of fEEG including the insights from interpreting fEEG patterns in response to uterine contractions during labor.

An analysis of the microencapsulation of ceftiofur in chitosan particles using the spray drying technology.

Ceftiofur is a third-generation cephalosporin approved to treat numerous infections in production animals. Its commercial formulations are administered daily due to the mean life time, leading to several inconveniences, like operative challenges and non-uniform plasma levels. The objective of this work was to microencapsulate ceftiofur in chitosan particles using spray drying technology to extend the delivery and consequently reduce the dosage frequency.

Design and evaluation of a recyclable intravaginal device made of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer for bovine estrus synchronization.

In bovine estrus synchronization, intravaginal devices made of silicone are used to administer exogenous progesterone with the aim of maintain plasmatic levels above 2 ng ml during the treatment. After their use, devices must be discarded. There is an important concern on the environmental impact of the disposal of these used products due mainly to the non-degradability of the silicone and to the residual content of the hormone.

Nutritional quality and organic matter degradability of Brachiaria spp. agronomically biofortified with selenium.

Selenium (Se) fertilisation in grazing systems can improve the quality of animal forage, but there are few studies addressing the influence of Se fertilisation on the chemical composition and ruminal degradability of forage fertilised with Se. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and in vitro assays of truly degraded organic matter (TDOM), short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) total gas (GP) and methane (CH ) production of two harvests of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu fertilised with urea coated with B, Cu and sodium selenate for 0, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 g/ha of Se.

A candidate cDNA clone for (-)-limonene-7-hydroxylase from Perilla frutescens.

Cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases from peppermint, spearmint and perilla (all members of the family Lamiaceae) mediate the regiospecific hydroxylation of the parent olefin (-)-limonene to produce essential oil components oxygenated at C3, C6 and C7, respectively. Cloning, expression and mutagenesis of cDNAs encoding the peppermint limonene-3-hydroxylase and the spearmint limonene-6-hydroxylase have allowed the identification of a single amino acid residue which determines the regiospecificity of oxygenation by these two enzymes. A hybridization strategy provided a cytochrome P450 limonene hydroxylase cDNA from perilla with which to further evaluate the structural determinants of regiospecificity for oxygenation of the common substrate (-)-limonene.

Evidence for a novel human-specific xeno-auto-antibody response against vascular endothelium.

Humans are genetically unable to synthesize the common mammalian sialic acid N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). However, Neu5Gc can be metabolically incorporated and covalently expressed on cultured human cell surfaces. Meanwhile, humans express varying and sometimes high titers of polyclonal anti-Neu5Gc antibodies.

Diversity in specificity, abundance, and composition of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies in normal humans: potential implications for disease.

Human heterophile antibodies that agglutinate animal erythrocytes are known to detect the nonhuman sialic acid N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). This monosaccharide cannot by itself fill the binding site (paratope) of an antibody and can also be modified and presented in various linkages, on diverse underlying glycans. Thus, we hypothesized that the human anti-Neu5Gc antibody response is diverse and polyclonal.

Inhibition of monoterpene cyclases by inert analogues of geranyl diphosphate and linalyl diphosphate.

The tightly coupled nature of the reaction sequence catalyzed by monoterpene synthases has prevented direct observation of the topologically required isomerization step leading from geranyl diphosphate to the enzyme-bound, tertiary allylic intermediate linalyl diphosphate, which then cyclizes to the various monoterpene skeletons. X-ray crystal structures of these enzymes complexed with suitable analogues of the substrate and intermediate could provide a clearer view of this universal, but cryptic, step of monoterpenoid cyclase catalysis. Toward this end, the functionally inert analogues 2-fluorogeranyl diphosphate, (+/-)-2-fluorolinalyl diphosphate, and (3R)- and (3S)-homolinalyl diphosphates (2,6-dimethyl-2-vinyl-5-heptenyl diphosphates) were prepared, and compared to the previously described substrate analogue 3-azageranyl diphosphate (3-aza-2,3-dihydrogeranyl diphosphate) as inhibitors and potential crystallization aids with two representative monoterpenoid cyclases, (-)-limonene synthase and (+)-bornyl diphosphate synthase.

Molecular evaluation of a spearmint mutant altered in the expression of limonene hydroxylases that direct essential oil monoterpene biosynthesis.

Gamma irradiation of Scotch spearmint created a mutant line, 643-10-74, which has an altered essential oil reminiscent of peppermint because the monoterpene metabolites in the oil glands of the mutant are predominantly oxygenated at the C3 position of the p-menthane ring instead of the C6 position normally found in spearmint. The limonene hydroxylase genes responsible for directing the regiochemistry of oxygenation were cloned from Scotch spearmint and mutant 643 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The limonene bydroxylase from the wild-type parent hydroxylated the C6 position while the enzyme from the mutant oxygenated the C3 position.

Demonstration that menthofuran synthase of mint (Mentha) is a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase: cloning, functional expression, and characterization of the responsible gene.

(+)-Menthofuran is an undesirable monoterpenoid component of peppermint (Mentha x piperita) essential oil that is derived from the alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone (+)-pulegone. Microsomal preparations, from the oil gland secretory cells of a high (+)-menthofuran-producing chemotype of Mentha pulegium, transform (+)-pulegone to (+)-menthofuran in the presence of NADPH and molecular oxygen, implying that menthofuran is synthesized by a mechanism analogous to that of mammalian liver cytochrome P450s involving the hydroxylation of the syn-methyl group of (+)-pulegone, spontaneous intramolecular cyclization to the hemiketal, and dehydration to the furan. An abundant cytochrome P450 clone from a peppermint oil gland cell cDNA library was functionally expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli and shown to encode the (+)-menthofuran synthase (i.

Functional expression of regiospecific cytochrome P450 limonene hydroxylases from mint (Mentha spp.) in Escherichia coli and saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The oxygenation pattern of the essential oil monoterpenes of commercial mint (Mentha) species is determined by regiospecific cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation of the common olefinic precursor (-)-4S-limonene. In spearmint (M. spicata), C6-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-carveol and thence (-)-carvone, whereas in peppermint (M.

Regiospecific cytochrome P450 limonene hydroxylases from mint (Mentha) species: cDNA isolation, characterization, and functional expression of (-)-4S-limonene-3-hydroxylase and (-)-4S-limonene-6-hydroxylase.

The oxygenation pattern of the cyclic monoterpenoids of commercial mint (Mentha) species is determined by regiospecific cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation of the common olefinic precursor (-)-4S-limonene. In peppermint (Mentha x piperita), C3-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-isopiperitenol, whereas in spearmint, C6-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-carveol. The microsomal limonene-6-hydroxylase was purified from the oil glands of spearmint, and amino acid sequences from the homogeneous enzyme were used to design PCR primers with which a 500-bp amplicon was prepared.

Cytochrome P450 limonene hydroxylases of Mentha species.

The oxygenation pattern of the monoterpenoids of mint (Mentha) species is determined by regiospecific cytochrome P450-catalyzed hydroxylation of the common olefinic precursor (-)-limonene. In peppermint, C3-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-isopiperitenol that ultimately is converted to (-)-menthol, whereas in spearmint, C6-allylic hydroxylation leads to (-)-trans-carveol that is oxidized to (-)-carvone. The limonene-6-hydroxylase and the cytochrome P450 reductase were purified from the oil glands of spearmint, and the system was reconstituted.

Relationships of parathyroid hormone, parathyroid secretory protein, parathyroid hormone messenger RNA, parathyroid secretory protein mRNA, and replication in human parathyroid adenoma and secondary hyperplasia tissues and cultures.

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships of extractable and secreted parathyroid hormone (PTH) and parathyroid secretory protein (PSP) in human parathyroid tumors to PTH messenger RNA (mRNA), PSP mRNA, and cell replication.

Methods And Results: In tissue cultures of seven adenomas and five secondary hyperplasias, we found a direct correlation for secreted PTH versus PSP for both adenomas and secondary hyperplasias. Secreted PTH:PSP was elevated for adenomas (11:1) compared to that of secondary hyperplasias (2:1), and adenomas secreted significantly more PTH and PSP than did secondary hyperplasias.

The predictive value of flow cytometry and urinary cytology in the followup of patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

To determine the predictive value of flow cytometric deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ploidy and urine cytology in patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, a retrospective analysis was performed on 181 patients who presented for evaluation of presumed superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Of the patients 91 were confirmed to have superficial transitional cell carcinoma and were systematically followed with cystoscopy, flow cytometry and urine cytology from 1984 until 1989. They underwent 637 evaluations (mean 7 evaluations per patient).

Isolation of secretory cells from plant glandular trichomes and their use in biosynthetic studies of monoterpenes and other gland products.

The natural products that accumulate in or exude from plant glandular trichomes are biosynthesized by secretory cells located at the apex of the trichome. To investigate the formation of glandular trichome constituents in several species of mints (Lamiaceae), a new procedure was developed for isolating large numbers of highly purified secretory cells. In this method, the leaf surface is gently abraded with glass beads in a way that fragments the glandular trichomes and yields clusters of intact secretory cells.

Flow cytometric determination of the multidrug resistant phenotype in transitional cell cancer of the bladder: implications and applications.

We detail our experience with a monoclonal antibody to detect the cell surface P-glycoprotein product of the multidrug resistance gene (MDR-1) in the human bladder. A total of 32 patients had 44 different specimens analyzed. The samples consisted of 8 normal bladders, 21 transitional cell carcinomas, 1 mucinous adenocarcinoma, 3 P-0 bladder wall specimens and 10 nonmalignant urothelial samples from cystectomies.

Biochemical characterization of a spearmint mutant that resembles peppermint in monoterpene content.

A radiation-induced mutant of Scotch spearmint (Mentha x gracilis) was shown to produce an essential oil containing principally C3-oxygenated p-menthane monoterpenes that are typical of peppermint, instead of the C6-oxygenated monoterpene family characteristic of spearmint. In vitro measurement of all of the enzymes responsible for the production of both the C3-oxygenated and C6-oxygenated families of monoterpenes from the common precursor (-)-limonene indicated that a virtually identical complement of enzymes was present in wild type and mutant, with the exception of the microsomal, cytochrome P-450-dependent (-)-limonene hydroxylase; the C6-hydroxylase producing (-)-trans-carveol in the wild type had been replaced by a C3-hydroxylase producing (-)-trans-isopiperitenol in the mutant. Additionally, the mutant, but not the wild type, could carry out the cytochrome P-450-dependent epoxidation of the alpha,beta-unsaturated bond of the ketones formed via C3-hydroxylation.

Effects of tamoxifen and somatostatin analogue on growth of human medullary, follicular, and papillary thyroid carcinoma cell lines: tissue culture and nude mouse xenograft studies.

The knowledge that (1) the normal thyroid contains somatostatin, (2) polypeptide growth factors influence thyroid cell function, and (3) thyroid cells contain steroid hormone receptors prompted us to add somatostatin analogue No. 201-995 (SMS) (5 ng/ml) and/or tamoxifen citrate (TAM) (5 mumol/L) to 7-day monolayer cultures (50,000 cells/well) of three separate human thyroid carcinoma cell lines: DR081 (medullary), WR082 (follicular), and NPA'87 (papillary). Results, tabulated as cell numbers/well (X10(5) on day 7, revealed that TAM inhibited growth of medullary and follicular cells and that TAM plus SMS inhibited growth of papillary cells.

Enhanced detection of bladder cancer using the epithelial surface marker epithelial membrane antigen: a preliminary report.

The flow cytometry (FCM) technique allows for the rapid quantitative analysis of the DNA content of individual cells. In a variety of genitourinary tumors, DNA ploidy has a significant impact upon prognosis and ultimate patient survival. In patients having transitional cell cancer (TCC) of the bladder, FCM of voided urine and bladder barbotage specimens is highly correlated with cytologic analysis in the detection of malignant cells.

The flow cytometric analysis of undescended testes in children.

Flow cytometric analysis was performed on the testicular aspirates of 45 consecutive children with unilateral cryptorchidism undergoing elective orchiopexy or orchiectomy. Concomitant histological analysis was performed on the testicular tissue obtained from either biopsy or orchiectomy specimens. In all cases deoxyribonucleic acid histograms appeared to correspond with microscopic appearance.