Sterols impart significant changes to the biophysical properties of lipid bilayers. In this regard the impact of cholesterol on membrane organization and dynamics is particularly well documented and serves for comparison with other sterols. However, the factors underlying the molecular evolution of cholesterol remain enigmatic. To this end, cholesterol attenuates membrane perturbation by the so-called antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), produced ubiquitously by eukaryotic cells to combat bacterial infections by compromising the permeability barrier function of the microbial target membranes. In the present study, we addressed the effects of cholesterol, ergosterol, and lanosterol on the membrane association of two structurally and functionally diverse AMPs viz. LL-37(F27W) and temporin L (TemL) using fluorescence spectroscopy. Interestingly, sterol concentration dependent effects on the membrane association of these peptides were observed. At X(Sterol)=0.5 cholesterol was most effective in reducing the membrane intercalation of both LL-37(F27W) and TemL, the corresponding efficiencies of the three sterols decreasing as cholesterol>lanosterol> or =ergosterol, and cholesterol>lanosterol>ergosterol. It is conceivable that part of the selection pressure for the chemical evolution of cholesterol may have derived from the ability to protect the AMP-secreting host cell from the membrane damaging action of the antimicrobial peptides.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2008.02.014 | DOI Listing |
BMC Pediatr
December 2024
Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey.
Background: Albumin, a vital component in regulating human blood oncotic pressure, plays an important role in the prediction of prognosis in pediatric patients.Previous research identified significant differences in serum albumin levels of healthy and critically ill children.
Methods: The present study aims to investigate the correlation between albumin levels measured during pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) admission and clinical outcomes.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
December 2024
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel.
Background: We aim to identify risk factors contributing to extended rehospitalizations in patients diagnosed with postpartum endometritis requiring intravenous antibiotics.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined postpartum endometritis patients readmitted for treatment from 2014 to 2022, comparing short (≤ 48 h) and prolonged hospitalization (> 48 h). Data included patient demographics, medical history, presentation parameters, vaginal examination findings, sonographic data, laboratory results, and details of the current labor to create a scoring system predicting prolonged hospitalization risk.
Reprod Toxicol
December 2024
Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. Electronic address:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are linked to preeclampsia (PE), a condition involving abnormal angiogenesis. Prior research on this association has been inconclusive. We investigated the relationship between maternal PFAS exposure and PE risk in Wisconsin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Marine Food Processing and Safety Control, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, Liaoning, China; Academy of Food Interdisciplinary Science, School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, Liaoning, China; National Engineering Research Center of Seafood, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, Liaoning, China. Electronic address:
The present study was to investigate the effect of the astaxanthin high internal phase Pickering emulsion (H-AXT) on DEHP-induced liver lipid metabolism disorder and to demonstrate its possible protective mechanism. We have developed an antioxidant activity emulsion system to deliver astaxanthin into the liver to maximize its ability to protect the liver. In vitro, H-AXT intervention inhibited oxidative stress restored the level of mitochondrial membrane potential to 90 % of that of normal LO2 cells, and alleviated the imbalance of energy metabolism by protecting mitochondrial structure and function.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxicol Appl Pharmacol
December 2024
Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Electronic address:
The elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with inflammatory rheumatic diseases has long been recognized. Patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher mortality rate compared to the general population due to abnormal platelet activation. Thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) plays a crucial role in platelet activation and thrombosis, following bridging the link between RA and CVD.
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