Equivalence-point electromigration acid-base titration via moving neutralization boundary electrophoresis.

In this paper, we developed a novel method of acid-base titration, viz. the electromigration acid-base titration (EABT), via a moving neutralization boundary (MNR). With HCl and NaOH as the model strong acid and base, respectively, we conducted the experiments on the EABT via the method of moving neutralization boundary for the first time.

Assessing computational amino acid beta-turn propensities with a phage-displayed combinatorial library and directed evolution.

Structure propensities of amino acids are important determinants in guiding proteins' local and global structure formation. We constructed a phage display library--a hexa-HIS tag upstream of a CXXC (X stands for any of the 20 natural amino acids) motif appending N-terminal to the minor capsid protein pIII of M13KE filamentous phage--and developed a novel directed-evolution procedure to select for amino acid sequences forming increasingly stable beta-turns in the disulfide-bridged CXXC motif. The sequences that emerged from the directed-evolution cycles were in good agreement with type II beta-turn propensities derived from surveys of known protein structures, in particular, Pro-Gly forming a type II beta-turn.

Modulatory action of endogenous and exogenous nitric oxide on survival of alveolar macrophages from normal and bleomycin-treated rats.

To investigate the modulatory action of endogenous and exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on survival of alveolar macrophages (AMs) in different cellular states, AMs from normal rats (normal AMs) and from bleomycin (BLM)-treated rats (BLM AMs) were incubated by sodium nitroprusside (SNP, NO donor) and L-arginin (L-Arg, NO precursor), respectively. The survival of AMs was evaluated by apoptosis and cell cycles. The molecular mechanisms were investigated by the contents of Bcl-2, Bax proteins in AMs.

Role of endogenous peroxynitrite in pulmonary injury and fibrosis induced by bleomycin A5 in rats.

Aim: To observe the role of endogenous peroxynitrite (ONOO-) in pulmonary injury and fibrosis induced by bleomycin A5 (BLM-A5) in rats.

Methods: Pulmonary injury and fibrosis of rats were evaluated by testing the level of lipid peroxides (LPO) in out-going pulmonary blood (OPB), and by observing histological changes, including type III and type I collagen changes in lung which were examined with Sirius red staining under polarized light. The peroxynitrite expression was detected by immunohistochemistry for nitrotyrosine (NT), a marker of the peroxynitrite production.