Bovine lactoferrin inhibits Plasmodium berghei growth by binding to heme.

Bovine lactoferrin (bLF) is a 77 kDa glycoprotein that is abundant in bovine breast milk and exerts various bioactive functions, including antibacterial and antiviral functions. Few studies have explored bLF activity against parasites. We found that bLF affects hemozoin synthesis by binding to heme, inhibiting heme iron polymerization necessary for Plasmodium berghei ANKA survival in infected erythrocytes, and also binds to hemozoin, causing it to disassemble.

Morning Bright Light Treatment for Chronic Low Back Pain: Potential Impact on the Volatility of Pain, Mood, Function, and Sleep.

Objectives: Most treatment outcome studies for people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have based analyses on and reported only the mean levels of these factors. However, high levels of pain, mood, function, and sleep volatility may represent unique factors contributing to diminished quality of life. Our goal was to determine whether bright light treatment affected both mean levels of pain, mood, function, and sleep and reduced volatility in these outcomes.

An Open Trial of Morning Bright Light Treatment Among US Military Veterans with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study.

Objective: To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of a home-based morning bright light treatment on pain, mood, sleep, and circadian timing in US veterans with chronic low back pain.

Design: An open treatment trial with a seven-day baseline, followed by 13 days of a one-hour morning bright light treatment self-administered at home. Pain, pain sensitivity, mood, sleep, and circadian timing were assessed before, during, and after treatment.

Do the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Munich ChronoType Questionnaire Change After Morning Light Treatment?

The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ) are sometimes used to estimate circadian timing. However, it remains unclear if they can reflect a change in circadian timing after a light treatment. In this study, 31 participants (25-68 years) completed both questionnaires before and after a 13-28 day morning light treatment.

Detoxification of selenite to form selenocyanate in mammalian cells.

When human hepatoma HepG2 cells were exposed to sodium selenite, an unknown selenium metabolite was detected in the cytosolic fraction by HPLC-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The unknown selenium metabolite was also detected in the mixture of HepG2 homogenate and sodium selenite in the presence of exogenous glutathione (GSH). The unknown selenium metabolite was identified as selenocyanate by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and ESI quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-Q-TOF-MS).

NF-E2 domination over Nrf2 promotes ROS accumulation and megakaryocytic maturation.

In megakaryocytes, the maturation process and oxidative stress response appear to be closely related. It has been suggested that increased oxygen tension and reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote megakaryopoiesis and that the expression of stress-responsive genes responsible for ROS elimination declines during megakaryocytic maturation. NF-E2 p45 is an essential regulator of megakaryopoiesis, whereas Nrf2 is a key activator of stress-responsive genes.

Structural basis of alternative DNA recognition by Maf transcription factors.

Maf transcription factors constitute a family of the basic region-leucine zipper (bZip) factors and recognize unusually long DNA motifs (13 or 14 bp), termed the Maf recognition element (MARE). The MARE harbors extended GC sequences on each side of its core motif, which is similar to TRE or CRE (7 or 8 bp) recognized by the AP1 and CREB/ATF families, respectively. To ascertain the structural basis governing the acquirement of such unique DNA recognition, we determined the crystal structure of the MafG-DNA complex.

Phytoestrogens genistein and daidzin enhance the acetylcholinesterase activity of the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 by binding to the estrogen receptor.

Some compounds derived from plants have been known to possess estrogenic properties and can thus alter the physiology of higher organisms. Genistein and daidzin are examples of these phytoestrogens, which have recently been the subject of extensive research. In this study, genistein and daidzin were found to enhance the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of the rat neuronal cell line PC12 at concentrations as low as 0.

Reproducibility of maxillofacial anatomic landmarks on 3-dimensional computed tomographic images determined with the 95% confidence ellipse method.

Objective: To assess the plotting reproducibility of landmarks on 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) images through use of the 95% confidence ellipse in order to propose sufficiently stable coordinate systems for 3D-CT measurements.

Materials And Methods: Six dentists plotted 19 landmarks twice on 3D-CT images. Scatterplots and the 95% ellipses were produced 3-dimensionally, and the areas of the ellipses were calculated for evaluating the reproducibility of landmarks.

Molecular basis distinguishing the DNA binding profile of Nrf2-Maf heterodimer from that of Maf homodimer.

Nrf2-small Maf heterodimer activates the transcription of many cytoprotective genes through the antioxidant response element and serves as a key factor in xenobiotic and oxidative stress responses. Our surface plasmon resonance-microarray binding analysis revealed that both Nrf2-MafG heterodimer and MafG homodimer bind to the consensus Maf recognition element with high affinity but bind differentially to the suboptimal binding sequences degenerated from the consensus. We examined the molecular basis distinguishing the binding profile of Nrf2-MafG heterodimer from that of MafG homodimer and found that the Ala-502 residue in the basic region of Nrf2 is a critical determinant of its binding specificity.