HPLC Separation of Sulforaphane Enantiomers in Broccoli and Its Sprouts by Transformation into Diastereoisomers Using Derivatization with (S)-Leucine.

Racemic sulforaphane, which was derivatized with (S)-leucine (l-leucine), was resolved by reversed phase HPLC with UV detection. The optimum mobile phase conditions were found to be 10 mM citric acid (pH 2.8) containing 22% methanol at 35 °C using detection at 254 nm.

Estrogen stimulates proliferation and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells through different signal transduction pathways.

Our previous study indicated that both 17β-estradiol (E2), known to be an endogenous estrogen, and bisphenol A (BPA), known to be a xenoestrogen, could positively influence the proliferation or differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs). The aim of the present study was to identify the signal transduction pathways for estrogenic activities promoting proliferation and differentiation of NS/PCs via well known nuclear estrogen receptors (ERs) or putative membrane-associated ERs. NS/PCs were cultured from the telencephalon of 15-day-old rat embryos.

Effects of estrogens on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells.

We investigated the effect of the female hormone 17beta-estradiol (E2) and the hormone mimic bisphenol A (BPA) on the proliferation and differentiation of rat neural stem/progenitors cells (NS/PCs) cultured from the telencephalon of embryonic day-15 rats. Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) is a potent mitogen of early generated NS/PCs, and is used for the proliferation of NS/PCs in vitro. Administration of E2 or BPA alone to the NS/PCs stimulated their proliferation in the absence but not in the presence of FGF-2.

Protein-protein interactions of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3.

Background: Although 2,061 proteins of Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3, a hyperthermophilic archaeon, have been predicted from the recently completed genome sequence, the majority of proteins show no similarity to those from other organisms and are thus hypothetical proteins of unknown function. Because most proteins operate as parts of complexes to regulate biological processes, we systematically analyzed protein-protein interactions in Pyrococcus using the mammalian two-hybrid system to determine the function of the hypothetical proteins.

Results: We examined 960 soluble proteins from Pyrococcus and selected 107 interactions based on luciferase reporter activity, which was then evaluated using a computational approach to assess the reliability of the interactions.

Efficacy of quinupristin-dalfopristin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-insensitive S. aureus in a model of hematogenous pulmonary infection.

Background: Quinupristin-dalfopristin (Q-D) is a mixture of quinupristin and dalfopristin, which are semisynthetic antibiotics of streptogramin groups B and A, respectively.

Methods: We compared the effect of Q-D to that of vancomycin (VCM) in murine models of hematogenous pulmonary infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and VCM-insensitive S. aureus (VISA).

Relationship between CD4(+)/CD8(+) T cell ratio and T cell activation in multiple myeloma: reference to IL-16.

We found that the ratio of CD4(+) to CD8(+) T cells (CD4/CD8 ratio) was decreased in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and that this decrease was significantly related to an increase of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR expression by CD8(+) (but not CD4(+)) T cells (P<0.005). In addition, the serum level of interleukin (IL)-16 was significantly higher in stage III MM patients than in healthy controls (P<0.

Role of DNA methylation in transcription of human endogenous retrovirus in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: We recently reported that transcription of human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) clone 4-1-like sequences is increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We therefore investigated the role of DNA methylation in the transcription of this HERV.

Methods: The effect of a demethylating agent, 5-aza-deoxycytidine (5-aza C), on the transcription of HERV clone 4-1 in healthy individuals and patients with SLE was examined using reverse transcriptase-PCR and real-time quantitative PCR.