An exploratory study on the effect of choline and folate deficiency on levels of vascularization proteins and transcription factors in first trimester trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells.

Aims: We studied the effect of choline and folate deficiencies on levels of predetermined placental proteins during early development.

Methods: We incubated HTR-8/SVneo cells under choline and folate deficiency conditions and measured levels of some placental proteins using ELISA methods.

Results: Concentrations of LRP2 protein in cell lysates were higher in cells incubated in choline and folate deficient media compared to the control media (mean [SD] = 2.

An interlaboratory comparison of methods used to assess antioxidant potentials.

Many analytical methods are used to measure the antioxidative activity of substances yet little is known about the comparability of the test results between laboratories. After an initial evaluation of a broad range of methods conducted by one laboratory, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assay, the lipid assay (or 2,2'-azobis(2-aminepropane) (ABAP) assay) and the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay were selected to be evaluated in the interlaboratory study. The antioxidative potentials of trolox, tocopherol, lipochroman-6, ascorbic acid, 4-methyl-brenzcatechin, and/or 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene (BHT) were assessed using each of the methods.

In vitro reproduction of clinical hallmarks of eczematous dermatitis in organotypic skin models.

Dermatitis is a group of highly pruritic chronic inflammatory skin diseases which represents a major public-health problem worldwide. The prevalence of dermatitis has increased in recent years affecting up to 20% of the general population. Acute skin lesions are characterized by extensive degrees of intercellular edema of the epidermis (spongiosis) and a marked perivenular inflammatory cell infiltrate in the dermis.

Determination of the antioxidant capacity of an antioxidant combination using the fluoroscan assay in vitro and visualization of its effects using histological methods.

The effects of a well-defined combination of antioxidants on oxidative stress were investigated in vitro using classical techniques together and its protective effects against UV damage were investigated using a newly developed skin model. After determining the cytotoxic potential of the combination, its quenching effect on the oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide was quantified by a nonfluorescent (C-H2DCF-DA/AM)/fluorescent (C-DCF) dye system using the fluoroscan assay. Two different skin models consisting of normal human skin fibroblasts and the keratinocyte cell line HaCaT were developed and subsequently used to visualize the protective effects of the combination against UVA damage.

Photoprotection of UV-irradiated human skin: an antioxidative combination of vitamins E and C, carotenoids, selenium and proanthocyanidins.

Endogenous antioxidants are decreased in skin and blood during UV exposure. Combined supplementation of beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid in addition to topical sunscreens may help to lower the risk of sunburning. Acute UV erythema with sunburn reaction are the most important factors in conjunction with the cumulative life-long UV dose for inducing skin damage resulting in photoageing and precancerous and cancerous lesions.

Carotenoid:methyl-beta-cyclodextrin formulations: an improved method for supplementation of cultured cells.

BC. Two days after supplementation with 5 microM BC in MbetaCD, cellular BC levels reached a maximum of 140+/-11 pmol/microg DNA, leveling off to 100+/-15 pmol/microg DNA until day 8. Incubation with BC dissolved in THF/DMSO resulted in a lower BC uptake of 105+/-14 pmol/microg DNA and 64+/-20 pmol/microg DNA respectively.

Synthesis of 4-aza-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole and biosynthetic preparation of 4- and 7-aza-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolylcobamide.

We report on the preparation of 4-aza-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolylcobamide and 5,6-dimethyl-7-azabenzimidazolylcobamide. These vitamin B12-analogs were required as reference compounds for comparison with a corrinoid previously isolated in small amounts for Eubacterium limosum grown in the presence of 4(5)-aminoimidazole. 4(7)-Aza-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole was synthesized from N-1-benzyl-4-nitroimidazole which was reduced to N-1-benzyl-4-aminoimidazole and condensed with 1-dimethylamino-2-methylbutan-3-one to yield N-1-benzyl-4-aza-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole.