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Sample records for recombinant cholesterol oxidase

  1. Production of recombinant cholesterol oxidase containing covalently bound FAD in Escherichia coli

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    Molla Gianluca

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cholesterol oxidase is an alcohol dehydrogenase/oxidase flavoprotein that catalyzes the dehydrogenation of C(3-OH of cholesterol. It has two major biotechnological applications, i.e. in the determination of serum (and food cholesterol levels and as biocatalyst providing valuable intermediates for industrial steroid drug production. Cholesterol oxidases of type I are those containing the FAD cofactor tightly but not covalently bound to the protein moiety, whereas type II members contain covalently bound FAD. This is the first report on the over-expression in Escherichia coli of type II cholesterol oxidase from Brevibacterium sterolicum (BCO. Results Design of the plasmid construct encoding the mature BCO, optimization of medium composition and identification of the best cultivation/induction conditions for growing and expressing the active protein in recombinant E. coli cells, concurred to achieve a valuable improvement: BCO volumetric productivity was increased from ~500 up to ~25000 U/L and its crude extract specific activity from 0.5 up to 7.0 U/mg protein. Interestingly, under optimal expression conditions, nearly 55% of the soluble recombinant BCO is produced as covalently FAD bound form, whereas the protein containing non-covalently bound FAD is preferentially accumulated in insoluble inclusion bodies. Conclusions Comparison of our results with those published on non-covalent (type I COs expressed in recombinant form (either in E. coli or Streptomyces spp., shows that the fully active type II BCO can be produced in E. coli at valuable expression levels. The improved over-production of the FAD-bound cholesterol oxidase will support its development as a novel biotool to be exploited in biotechnological applications.

  2. Steady-state oxidation of cholesterol catalyzed by cholesterol oxidase in lipid bilayer membranes on platinum electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bokoch, Michael P.; Devadoss, Anando; Palencsar, Mariela S.; Burgess, James D.

    2004-01-01

    Cholesterol oxidase is immobilized in electrode-supported lipid bilayer membranes. Platinum electrodes are initially modified with a self-assembled monolayer of thiolipid. A vesicle fusion method is used to deposit an outer leaflet of phospholipids onto the thiolipid monolayer forming a thiolipid/lipid bilayer membrane on the electrode surface. Cholesterol oxidase spontaneously inserts into the electrode-supported lipid bilayer membrane from solution and is consequently immobilized to the electrode surface. Cholesterol partitions into the membrane from buffer solutions containing cyclodextrin. Cholesterol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of cholesterol by molecular oxygen, forming hydrogen peroxide as a product. Amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide for continuous solution flow experiments are presented, where flow was alternated between cholesterol solution and buffer containing no cholesterol. Steady-state anodic currents were observed during exposures of cholesterol solutions ranging in concentration from 10 to 1000 μM. These data are consistent with the Michaelis-Menten kinetic model for oxidation of cholesterol as catalyzed by cholesterol oxidase immobilized in the lipid bilayer membrane. The cholesterol detection limit is below 1 μM for cholesterol solution prepared in buffered cyclodextrin. The response of the electrodes to low density lipoprotein solutions is increased upon addition of cyclodextrin. Evidence for adsorption of low density lipoprotein to the electrode surface is presented

  3. Expression and Chloroplast Targeting of Cholesterol Oxidase in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbin, David R.; Grebenok, Robert J.; Ohnmeiss, Thomas E.; Greenplate, John T.; Purcell, John P.

    2001-01-01

    Cholesterol oxidase represents a novel type of insecticidal protein with potent activity against the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman). We transformed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants with the cholesterol oxidase choM gene and expressed cytosolic and chloroplast-targeted versions of the ChoM protein. Transgenic leaf tissues expressing cholesterol oxidase exerted insecticidal activity against boll weevil larvae. Our results indicate that cholesterol oxidase can metabolize phytosterols in vivo when produced cytosolically or when targeted to chloroplasts. The transgenic plants exhibiting cytosolic expression accumulated low levels of saturated sterols known as stanols, and displayed severe developmental aberrations. In contrast, the transgenic plants expressing chloroplast-targeted cholesterol oxidase maintained a greater accumulation of stanols, and appeared phenotypically and developmentally normal. These results are discussed within the context of plant sterol distribution and metabolism. PMID:11457962

  4. Cloning, expression, and enzymatic activity evaluation of cholesterol oxidase gene isolated from a native Rhodococcus sp.

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    Hamed Esmaeil Lashgarian

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol oxidase (CHO is one of the valuable enzymes that play an important role in: measurement of serum cholesterol, food industry as a biocatalyst and agriculture as a biological larvicide. This enzyme was produced by several bacterial strains. Wild type enzyme produced by Rhodococcus sp. secret two forms of CHO enzyme: extra cellular and membrane bound type which its amount is low and unstable. The goal of the study was cloning, expression, and enzymatic activity evaluation of cholesterol oxidase gene isolated from a native Rhodococcus sp. CHO gene was isolated from native bacteria and cloned into pET23a. In the next step, the construct was expressed in E.coli BL21 and induced by different concentration of IPTG ranges from 0.1 - 0.9 mM. This gene contains 1642 bp and encodes a protein consists of 533 amino acids. It has about 96 % homology with CHO gene isolated from Rhodococcus equi. The high expression was obtained in 0.5 mM concentration of IPTG after 4 hour induction. This recombinant enzyme had a molecular weight of 55 kDa, that secretion of intra cellular type is much more than extracellular form. The optimum pH and temperature conditions for the recombinant enzyme were 7.5 and 45°C, respectively. CHO enzyme obtained from Rhodococcus sp. is a cheap enzyme with medical and industrial applications that can be produced easily and purified in large scale with simple methods.

  5. Optimization of cholesterol oxidase production by Brevibacterium sp ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    An ultrasound-assisted emulsification as a pretreatment for cholesterol oxidase production by submerge fermentation using Brevibacterium sp. in a batch system was studied. Medium improvement for the production employing response surface methodology (RSM) was optimized in this paper. The concentration of ...

  6. Identification and statistical optimization of fermentation conditions for a newly isolated extracellular cholesterol oxidase-producing Streptomyces cavourensis strain NEAE-42

    OpenAIRE

    El-Naggar, Noura El-Ahmady; El-Shweihy, Nancy M.; El-Ewasy, Sara M.

    2016-01-01

    Background Due to broad range of clinical and industrial applications of cholesterol oxidase, isolation and screening of bacterial strains producing extracellular form of cholesterol oxidase is of great importance. Results One hundred and thirty actinomycete isolates were screened for their cholesterol oxidase activity. Among them, a potential culture, strain NEAE-42 is displayed the highest extracellular cholesterol oxidase activity. It was selected and identified as Streptomyces cavourensis...

  7. in Escherichia coli with native cholesterol oxidase expressed

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The structure and bio-activity of an endogenous cholesterol oxidase from Brevibacterium sp. was compared to the same enzyme exogenously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) with and without N- or C-terminal his-tags. The different proteins were purified with affinity and subtractive protocols. The specific activity of ...

  8. Covalent immobilization of cholesterol esterase and cholesterol oxidase on polyaniline films for application to cholesterol biosensor

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    Singh, Suman [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi-110012 (India); Solanki, Pratima R. [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi-110012 (India); Pandey, M.K. [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi-110012 (India); Malhotra, B.D. [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi-110012 (India)]. E-mail: bansi@mail.nplindia.ernet.in

    2006-05-24

    Cholesterol esterase (ChEt) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) have been covalently immobilized on electrochemically prepared polyaniline (PANI) films. These PANI/ChEt/ChOx enzyme films have been characterized using UV-visible, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrochemical behavior of these films has been studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometric techniques, respectively. The PANI/ChEt/ChOx enzyme films show broad oxidation peak from 0.2 to 0.5 V. These PANI/ChEt/ChOx biosensing electrodes have a response time of about 40 s, linearity from 50 to 500 mg/dl of cholesterol oleate concentration. These PANI/ChEt/ChOx films are thermally stable up to 46 deg. C. This polyaniline based cholesterol biosensor has optimum pH in the range of 6.5-7.5, sensitivity as 7.5 x 10{sup -4} nA/mg dl and a lifetime of about 6 weeks.

  9. Potassium-doped carbon nanotubes toward the direct electrochemistry of cholesterol oxidase and its application in highly sensitive cholesterol biosensor

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    Li Xiaorong [State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Xu Jingjuan, E-mail: xujj@nju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Chen Hongyuan [State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

    2011-10-30

    We demonstrate herein a newly developed serum total cholesterol biosensor by using the direct electron transfer of cholesterol oxidase (ChOx), which is based on the immobilization of cholesterol oxidase and cholesterol esterase (ChEt) on potassium-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (KMWNTs) modified electrodes. The KMWNTs accelerate the electron transfer from electrode surface to the immobilized ChOx, achieving the direct electrochemistry of ChOx and maintaining its bioactivity. As a new platform in cholesterol analysis, the resulting electrode (ChOx/KMWNTs/GCE) exhibits a sensitive response to free cholesterol, with a linear range of 0.050-16.0 {mu}mol L{sup -1} and a detection limit of 5.0 nmol L{sup -1} (S/N = 3). Coimmobilization of ChEt and ChOx (ChEt/ChOx/KMWNTs/GCE) allows the determination of both free cholesterol and esterified cholesterol. The resulting biosensor shows the same linear range of 0.050-16.0 {mu}mol L{sup -1} for free cholesterol and cholesteryl oleate, with the detection limit of 10.0 and 12.0 nmol L{sup -1} (S/N = 3), respectively. The concentrations of total (free and esterified) cholesterol in human serum samples, determined by using the techniques developed in the present study, are in good agreement with those determined by the well-established techniques using the spectrophotometry.

  10. Preparation of cholesterol oxidase nanoparticles and their application in amperometric determination of cholesterol

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    Chawla, Sheetal; Rawal, Rachna; Sonia; Ramrati; Pundir, C. S., E-mail: pundircs@rediffmail.com [M. D. University, Department of Biochemistry (India)

    2013-09-15

    The nanoparticle (NP) aggregates of commercial cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) were prepared by desolvation method. The formation and characterization of ChOxNP aggregates were studied by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. NP aggregates were more stable, active and had a higher shelf life than that of free enzyme. An amperometric cholesterol biosensor was constructed by immobilizing ChOxNPs onto Au electrode. The biosensor showed optimum response within 8 s at pH 6.0 and 35 Degree-Sign C, when polarized at +0.27 V versus Ag/AgCl. The biosensor possesses high sensitivity and measures cholesterol concentrations as low as 1.56 mg/dl. The working linear range was 12.5-700 mg/dl for cholesterol. The biosensor was evaluated and employed for measurement of total cholesterol in human serum. The enzyme electrode lost 50 % of its initial activity during its regular use for 180 times over a period of 90 days when stored in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0 at 4 Degree-Sign C.

  11. Preparation of cholesterol oxidase nanoparticles and their application in amperometric determination of cholesterol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chawla, Sheetal; Rawal, Rachna; Sonia; Ramrati; Pundir, C. S.

    2013-01-01

    The nanoparticle (NP) aggregates of commercial cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) were prepared by desolvation method. The formation and characterization of ChOxNP aggregates were studied by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. NP aggregates were more stable, active and had a higher shelf life than that of free enzyme. An amperometric cholesterol biosensor was constructed by immobilizing ChOxNPs onto Au electrode. The biosensor showed optimum response within 8 s at pH 6.0 and 35 °C, when polarized at +0.27 V versus Ag/AgCl. The biosensor possesses high sensitivity and measures cholesterol concentrations as low as 1.56 mg/dl. The working linear range was 12.5–700 mg/dl for cholesterol. The biosensor was evaluated and employed for measurement of total cholesterol in human serum. The enzyme electrode lost 50 % of its initial activity during its regular use for 180 times over a period of 90 days when stored in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0 at 4 °C

  12. Immobilization of cholesterol esterase and cholesterol oxidase onto sol-gel films for application to cholesterol biosensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Suman; Singhal, Rahul; Malhotra, B.D.

    2007-01-01

    Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and cholesterol esterase (ChEt) have been covalently immobilized onto tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) sol-gel films. The tetraethylorthosilicate sol-gel/ChEt/ChOx enzyme films thus prepared have been characterized using scanning electron microscopic (SEM), UV-vis spectroscopic, Fourier-transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic and amperometric techniques, respectively. The results of photometric measurements carried out on tetraethylorthosilicate sol-gel/ChEt/ChOx reveal thermal stability up to 55 deg. C, response time as 180 s, linearity up to 780 mg dL -1 (12 mM), shelf life of 1 month, detection limit of 12 mg dL -1 and sensitivity as 5.4 x 10 -5 Abs. mg -1 dL -1

  13. Immobilization of cholesterol esterase and cholesterol oxidase onto sol-gel films for application to cholesterol biosensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, Suman [Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, G. Avenue, Durgapur 713209, West Bengal (India); Singhal, Rahul [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Malhotra, B.D. [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India)]. E-mail: bansi.malhotra@gmail.com

    2007-01-23

    Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and cholesterol esterase (ChEt) have been covalently immobilized onto tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) sol-gel films. The tetraethylorthosilicate sol-gel/ChEt/ChOx enzyme films thus prepared have been characterized using scanning electron microscopic (SEM), UV-vis spectroscopic, Fourier-transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic and amperometric techniques, respectively. The results of photometric measurements carried out on tetraethylorthosilicate sol-gel/ChEt/ChOx reveal thermal stability up to 55 deg. C, response time as 180 s, linearity up to 780 mg dL{sup -1} (12 mM), shelf life of 1 month, detection limit of 12 mg dL{sup -1} and sensitivity as 5.4 x 10{sup -5} Abs. mg{sup -1} dL{sup -1}.

  14. Introducing inducible fluorescent split cholesterol oxidase to mammalian cells.

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    Chernov, Konstantin G; Neuvonen, Maarit; Brock, Ivonne; Ikonen, Elina; Verkhusha, Vladislav V

    2017-05-26

    Cholesterol oxidase (COase) is a bacterial enzyme catalyzing the first step in the biodegradation of cholesterol. COase is an important biotechnological tool for clinical diagnostics and production of steroid drugs and insecticides. It is also used for tracking intracellular cholesterol; however, its utility is limited by the lack of an efficient temporal control of its activity. To overcome this we have developed a regulatable fragment complementation system for COase cloned from Chromobacterium sp. The enzyme was split into two moieties that were fused to FKBP (FK506-binding protein) and FRB (rapamycin-binding domain) pair and split GFP fragments. The addition of rapamycin reconstituted a fluorescent enzyme, termed split GFP-COase, the fluorescence level of which correlated with its oxidation activity. A rapid decrease of cellular cholesterol induced by intracellular expression of the split GFP-COase promoted the dissociation of a cholesterol biosensor D4H from the plasma membrane. The process was reversible as upon rapamycin removal, the split GFP-COase fluorescence was lost, and cellular cholesterol levels returned to normal. These data demonstrate that the split GFP-COase provides a novel tool to manipulate cholesterol in mammalian cells. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  15. Fabricating an Amperometric Cholesterol Biosensor by a Covalent Linkage between Poly(3-thiopheneacetic acid and Cholesterol Oxidase

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    Kuo-Chuan Ho

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, use of the covalent enzyme immobilization method was proposed to attach cholesterol oxidase (ChO on a conducting polymer, poly(3-thiopheneacetic acid, [poly(3-TPAA]. Three red-orange poly(3-TPAA films, named electrodes A, B and C, were electropolymerized on a platinum electrode by applying a constant current of 1.5 mA, for 5, 20 and 100 s, respectively. Further, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamiopropylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC‧HCl and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS were used to activate the free carboxylic groups of the conducting polymer. Afterwards, the amino groups of the cholesterol oxidase were linked on the activated groups to form peptide bonds. The best sensitivity obtained for electrode B is 4.49 mA M-1 cm-2,with a linear concentration ranging from 0 to 8 mM, which is suitable for the analysis of cholesterol in humans. The response time (t95 is between 70 and 90 s and the limit of detection is 0.42 mM, based on the signal to noise ratio equal to 3. The interference of species such as ascorbic acid and uric acid increased to 5.2 and 10.3% of the original current response, respectively, based on the current response of cholesterol (100%. With respect to the long-term stability, the sensing response retains 88% of the original current after 13 days.

  16. Fabricating an Amperometric Cholesterol Biosensor by a Covalent Linkage between Poly(3-thiopheneacetic acid) and Cholesterol Oxidase.

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    Nien, Po-Chin; Chen, Po-Yen; Ho, Kuo-Chuan

    2009-01-01

    In this study, use of the covalent enzyme immobilization method was proposed to attach cholesterol oxidase (ChO) on a conducting polymer, poly(3-thiopheneacetic acid), [poly(3-TPAA)]. Three red-orange poly(3-TPAA) films, named electrodes A, B and C, were electropolymerized on a platinum electrode by applying a constant current of 1.5 mA, for 5, 20 and 100 s, respectively. Further, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamiopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC · HCl) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) were used to activate the free carboxylic groups of the conducting polymer. Afterwards, the amino groups of the cholesterol oxidase were linked on the activated groups to form peptide bonds. The best sensitivity obtained for electrode B is 4.49 mA M(-1) cm(-2), with a linear concentration ranging from 0 to 8 mM, which is suitable for the analysis of cholesterol in humans. The response time (t(95)) is between 70 and 90 s and the limit of detection is 0.42 mM, based on the signal to noise ratio equal to 3. The interference of species such as ascorbic acid and uric acid increased to 5.2 and 10.3% of the original current response, respectively, based on the current response of cholesterol (100%). With respect to the long-term stability, the sensing response retains 88% of the original current after 13 days.

  17. Gold Nanoparticles Like A Matrix For Covalent Immobilization Of Cholesterol Oxidase – Application For Biosensing

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    Wojnarowska R.

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Gold nanoparticles are emerging as promising agents for various areas of material science as well as nanotechnology, electronics and medicine. The interest in this material is provided due to its unique optical, electronic and molecular-recognition properties. This paper presents results of preparation, characterization and biofunctionalization of gold nanoparticles. Nanoparticles have been conjugated with the cholesterol oxidase enzyme in order to prepare the active element for biosensors. Cholesterol oxidase is one of the most important analytical enzyme, used for cholesterol assay in clinical diagnostics, and there is still a necessity in improvement of existing analytical techniques, including bio-nanotechnological approaches based on modern nanosystems. The prepared bio-nanosystem was characterized by the enzyme activity test. Obtained results showed a stable binding of the enzyme with nanoparticles and preserved the bioactivity approves which gives possibility to use the prepared bio-nanosystems for analytical purposes.

  18. Immobilization of cholesterol oxidase in LbL films and detection of cholesterol using ac measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraes, Marli L.; Souza, Nara C. de; Hayasaka, Caio O.; Ferreira, Marystela; Rodrigues Filho, Ubirajara P.; Riul, Antonio; Zucolotto, Valtencir; Oliveira, Osvaldo N.

    2009-01-01

    The preserved activity of immobilized biomolecules in layer-by-layer (LbL) films can be exploited in various applications, including biosensing. In this study, cholesterol oxidase (COX) layers were alternated with layers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) in LbL films whose morphology was investigated with atomic force microscopy (AFM). The adsorption kinetics of COX layers comprised two regimes, a fast, first-order kinetics process followed by a slow process fitted with a Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) function, with exponent ∼ 2 characteristic of aggregates growing as disks. The concept based on the use of sensor arrays to increase sensitivity, widely employed in electronic tongues, was extended to biosensing with impedance spectroscopy measurements. Using three sensing units, made of LbL films of PAH/COX and PAH/PVS (polyvinyl sulfonic acid) and a bare gold interdigitated electrode, we were able to detect cholesterol in aqueous solutions down to the 10 -6 M level. This high sensitivity is attributed to the molecular-recognition interaction between COX and cholesterol, and opens the way for clinical tests to be made with low cost, fast experimental procedures

  19. Induction of lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes during cholesterol oxidation catalyzed by cholesterol oxidase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kagan, V.E.; Monovich, O.; Ribarov, S.R.

    1986-01-01

    The authors study the ability of cholesterol oxidase (ChO), which catalyzes oxidation of cholesterol (Ch) to cholest-4-en-3-one and, at the same time, reduction of O 2 to H 2 O 2 , to induce the lipid peroxidation (LPO) in plasma membranes. Erythrocyte ghosts were obtained from guinea pig blood; the reaction of oxidation of Ch in the erythrocyte ghosts or in micelles with Triton X-100 was carried out in the following medium: Tris-HCl 0.2 M, pH 7.0 (at 37 C), Triton X-100 0.25%, and ChO 0.05 U/ml. At the present time ChO is often used to study the asymmetry of distribution of Ch in biomembranes and the velocity of its transbilayer migration. It is suggested that changes in membrane permeability do not take place during the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme, and no products capable of affecting flip-flop in biological are formed. Accumulation of LPO products in erythrocyte membranes discovered in this investigation under the influence of ChO compels critical re-examination of the resutls

  20. Cholesterol oxidase (ChoE) is not important in the virulence of Rhodococcus equi.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pei, Yanlong; Dupont, Chris; Sydor, Tobias; Haas, Albert; Prescott, John F

    2006-12-20

    To analyze further the role in virulence of the prominent cholesterol oxidase (ChoE) of Rhodococcus equi, an allelic exchange choE mutant from strain 103+ was constructed and assessed for virulence in macrophages, in mice, and in foals. There was no difference between the mutant and parent strain in cytotoxic activity for macrophages or in intra-macrophage multiplication. No evidence of attenuation was obtained in macrophages and in mice, but there was slight attenuation apparent in four intra-bronchially infected foals compared to infection of four foals with the virulent parent strain, based on a delayed rise in temperature of the choE-mutant infected foals. However, bacterial colony counts in the lung 2 weeks after infection were not significantly different, although there was a slight but non-significant (P=0.12) difference in lung:body weight ratio of the choE mutant versus virulent parent infected foals (mean 2.67+/-0.25% compared to 4.58+/-0.96%). We conclude that the cholesterol oxidase is not important for the virulence of R. equi.

  1. Amperometric cholesterol biosensor based on the direct electrochemistry of cholesterol oxidase and catalase on a graphene/ionic liquid-modified glassy carbon electrode.

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    Gholivand, Mohammad Bagher; Khodadadian, Mehdi

    2014-03-15

    Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and catalase (CAT) were co-immobilized on a graphene/ionic liquid-modified glassy carbon electrode (GR-IL/GCE) to develop a highly sensitive amperometric cholesterol biosensor. The H2O2 generated during the enzymatic reaction of ChOx with cholesterol could be reduced electrocatalytically by immobilized CAT to obtain a sensitive amperometric response to cholesterol. The direct electron transfer between enzymes and electrode surface was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Both enzymes showed well-defined redox peaks with quasi-reversible behaviors. An excellent sensitivity of 4.163 mA mM(-1)cm(-2), a response time less than 6s, and a linear range of 0.25-215 μM (R(2)>0.99) have been observed for cholesterol determination using the proposed biosensor. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (KM(app)) was calculated to be 2.32 mM. The bienzymatic cholesterol biosensor showed good reproducibility (RSDsascorbic acid and uric acid. The CAT/ChOx/GR-IL/GCE showed excellent analytical performance for the determination of free cholesterol in human serum samples. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Electrical and optical properties of gold nanoparticles: applications in gold nanoparticles-cholesterol oxidase integrated systems for cholesterol sensing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saxena, Urmila; Goswami, Pranab, E-mail: pgoswami@iitg.ernet.in [Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Department of Biotechnology (India)

    2012-03-15

    We describe here the application of electrical and optical properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in conjunction with cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) for cholesterol estimation. The electrocatalytic property of AuNPs was studied with spectrophotometric technique using a redox dye 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCPIP), where AuNPs found to increase the electron transfer rate between ChOx and DCPIP by {approx}1.68-fold. This study demonstrated AuNPs as efficient electron transfer mediator for ChOx based electrochemical cholesterol biosensors. Optocatalytic property of AuNPs was used in the AuNPs seed mediated enlargement system to develop an optical detection path for cholesterol. This optical method exhibited a linear detection range of 0.01-0.1 mM and a detection limit of 10 {mu}M cholesterol. The effect of AuNPs size (13-21 nm) on the catalytic properties of AuNPs was also studied. Spectrophotometric analysis of the electron transfer process between ChOx and DCPIP with different sized AuNPs showed highest electron transfer efficiency with smaller (13 nm) AuNPs. The electrochemical bioelectrode fabricated with AuNPs and ChOx gave consensus results. Contrastingly, AuNPs size did not affect its optocatalytic activity and eventually the performance of the optical method based on the growth of AuNPs. The findings of the present study offer useful insight and perspectives for fabricating highly sensitive analytical systems based on AuNPs-ChOx complexes.

  3. Amperometric cholesterol biosensor based on in situ reconstituted cholesterol oxidase on an immobilized monolayer of flavin adenine dinucleotide cofactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal, Juan-C; Espuelas, Javier; Castillo, Juan-R

    2004-10-01

    A new amperometric biosensor for determining cholesterol based on deflavination of the enzyme cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and subsequent reconstitution of the apo-protein with a complexed flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) monolayer is described. The charge transfer mediator pyrroquinoline quinone (PQQ) was covalently bound to a cystamine self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on an Au electrode. Boronic acid (BA) was then bound to PQQ using the carbodiimide procedure, and the BA ligand was complexed to the FAD molecules on which the apo-ChOx was subsequently reconstituted. The effective release of the FAD from the enzyme and the successful reconstitution were verified using molecular fluorescence and cyclic voltammetry. The optimal orientation of FAD toward the PQQ mediator and the distances between FAD and PQQ and between PQQ and electrode enhance the charge transfer, very high sensitivity (about 2,500 nAmM(-1)cm(-2)) being obtained for cholesterol determination. The biosensor is selective toward electroactive interferents (ascorbic acid and uric acid) and was tested in reference serum samples, demonstrating excellent accuracy (relative errors below 3% in all cases). The biosensor activity can be successfully regenerated in a simple process by successive reconstitution with batches of recently prepared apo-ChOx on the same immobilized Au/SAM-PQQ-BA-FAD monolayer (it was tested five times); the lifetime of the biosensor is about 45-60 days.

  4. Intracellular transport of cholesterol in mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brasaemle, D.L.

    1989-01-01

    The erythrocyte was selected as a simple cell for the study of transbilayer movement of cholesterol. Cholesterol oxidase was used to measure the distribution of [ 3 H]cholesterol across the erythrocyte membrane. Cholesterol oxidase was also used to estimate the rate of transport of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to the plasma membrane of cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) fibroblasts; the half-time of this process was 42 minutes. The rate of transport of LDL cholesterol to the plasma membrane was confirmed by a second procedure using amphotericin B. Amphotericin B was also used to estimate the rate of transport of endogenously synthesized cholesterol to the plasma membrane of CHO cells. New methodology was developed including improvements of the previously published cholesterol oxidase assay for plasma membrane cholesterol. A new method for detecting transport of cholesterol to the plasma membrane in cultured cells was developed using amphotericin B. Preliminary studies investigated the use of fluorescent polyenes, pimaricin and etruscomycin, as probes for plasma membrane cholesterol in transport studies. Finally, a modification of a previously published cell staining protocol yielded a simple, quantitative assay for cell growth

  5. Functional Assembly of Soluble and Membrane Recombinant Proteins of Mammalian NADPH Oxidase Complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souabni, Hajer; Ezzine, Aymen; Bizouarn, Tania; Baciou, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Activation of phagocyte cells from an innate immune system is associated with a massive consumption of molecular oxygen to generate highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) as microbial weapons. This is achieved by a multiprotein complex, the so-called NADPH oxidase. The activity of phagocyte NADPH oxidase relies on an assembly of more than five proteins, among them the membrane heterodimer named flavocytochrome b 558 (Cytb 558 ), constituted by the tight association of the gp91 phox (also named Nox2) and p22 phox proteins. The Cytb 558 is the membrane catalytic core of the NADPH oxidase complex, through which the reducing equivalent provided by NADPH is transferred via the associated prosthetic groups (one flavin and two hemes) to reduce dioxygen into superoxide anion. The other major proteins (p47 phox , p67 phox , p40 phox , Rac) requisite for the complex activity are cytosolic proteins. Thus, the NADPH oxidase functioning relies on a synergic multi-partner assembly that in vivo can be hardly studied at the molecular level due to the cell complexity. Thus, a cell-free assay method has been developed to study the NADPH oxidase activity that allows measuring and eventually quantifying the ROS generation based on optical techniques following reduction of cytochrome c. This setup is a valuable tool for the identification of protein interactions, of crucial components and additives for a functional enzyme. Recently, this method was improved by the engineering and the production of a complete recombinant NADPH oxidase complex using the combination of purified proteins expressed in bacterial and yeast host cells. The reconstitution into artificial membrane leads to a fully controllable system that permits fine functional studies.

  6. Some enzymatic properties of cholesterol oxidase produced by Brevibacterium sp Algumas propriedades enzimáticas da colesterol oxidase produzida por Brevibacterium sp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terezinha J.G. Salva

    1999-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study we determined some properties of the cholesterol oxidase from a Brevibacterium strain isolated from buffalo's milk and identified the cholesterol degradation products by the bacterial cell. A small fraction of the enzyme synthesized by cells cultured in liquid medium for 7days was released into the medium whereas a larger fraction remained bound to the cell membrane. The extraction of this fraction was efficiently accomplished in 1 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, containing 0.7% Triton X-100. The enzyme stability under freezing and at 45oC was improved by addition of 20% glycerol. The optimum temperature and pH for the enzyme activity were 53°C and 7.5, respectively. The only steroidal product from cholesterol oxidation by the microbial cell and by the crude extract of the membrane-bound enzyme was 4-colesten-3-one. Chromatographic analysis showed that minor no steroidal compounds as well as 4-colesten-3-one found in the reaction media arose during fermentation process and were extracted together with the enzyme in the buffer solution. Cholesterol oxidation by the membrane-bound enzyme was a first order reaction type.Neste trabalho foram definidas algumas propriedades da enzima colesterol oxidase produzida por uma linhagem de Brevibacterium sp. isolada de leite de búfala e foram identificados os compostos resultantes da degradação do colesterol pela bactéria. Uma pequena fração da enzima sintetizada pelas células cultivadas em meio líquido por 7 dias foi liberada no meio de cultura e uma fração maior permaneceu ligada à membrana celular. A extração desta fração foi eficientemente efetuada em tampão fosfato 1mM, pH 7,0, contendo 0,7% de triton X-100. A estabilidade da enzima congelada e a 45oC foi aumentada pela adição de 20% de glicerol. A temperatura ótima para a atividade enzimática esteve ao redor de 53(0C e o pH ótimo esteve ao redor de 7,5. O único produto da degradação do colesterol, causada pela a

  7. Biogenesis of plasma membrane cholesterol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lange, Y.

    1986-01-01

    A striking feature of the molecular organization of eukaryotic cells is the singular enrichment of their plasma membranes in sterols. The authors studies are directed at elucidating the mechanisms underlying this inhomogeneous disposition. Cholesterol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of plasma membrane cholesterol in intact cells, leaving intracellular cholesterol pools untouched. With this technique, the plasma membrane was shown to contain 95% of the unesterified cholesterol of cultured human fibroblasts. Cholesterol synthesized from [ 3 H] acetate moved to the plasma membrane with a half-time of 1 h at 37 0 C. They used equilibrium gradient centrifugation of homogenates of biosynthetically labeled, cholesterol oxidase treated cells to examine the distribution of newly synthesized sterols among intracellular pools. Surprisingly, lanosterol, a major precursor of cholesterol, and intracellular cholesterol both peaked at much lower buoyant density than did 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. This suggests that cholesterol biosynthesis is not taken to completion in the endoplasmic reticulum. The cholesterol in the buoyant fraction eventually moved to the plasma membrane. Digitonin treatment increased the density of the newly synthesized cholesterol fractions, indicating that nascent cholesterol in transit is associated with cholesterol-rich membranes. The authors are testing the hypothesis that the pathway of cholesterol biosynthesis is spatially organized in various intracellular membranes such that the sequence of biosynthetic steps both concentrates the sterol and conveys it to the plasma membrane

  8. Construction of a catalytically inactive cholesterol oxidase mutant: investigation of the interplay between active site-residues glutamate 361 and histidine 447.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Ye; Liu, Pingsheng; Anderson, Richard G W; Sampson, Nicole S

    2002-06-15

    Cholesterol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of cholesterol to cholest-5-en-3-one and its subsequent isomerization into cholest-4-en-3-one. Two active-site residues, His447 and Glu361, are important for catalyzing the oxidation and isomerization reactions, respectively. Double-mutants were constructed to test the interplay between these residues in catalysis. We observed that the k(cat) of oxidation for the H447Q/E361Q mutant was 3-fold less than that for H447Q and that the k(cat) of oxidation for the H447E/E361Q mutant was 10-fold slower than that for H447E. Because both doubles-mutants do not have a carboxylate at position 361, they do not catalyze isomerization of the reaction intermediate cholest-5-en-3-one to cholest-4-en-3-one. These results suggest that Glu361 can compensate for the loss of histidine at position 447 by acting as a general base catalyst for oxidation of cholesterol. Importantly, the construction of the double-mutant H447E/E361Q yields an enzyme that is 31,000-fold slower than wild type in k(cat) for oxidation. The H447E/E361Q mutant is folded like native enzyme and still associates with model membranes. Thus, this mutant may be used to study the effects of membrane binding in the absence of catalytic activity. It is demonstrated that in assays with caveolae membrane fractions, the wild-type enzyme uncouples platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRbeta) autophosphorylation from tyrosine phosphorylation of neighboring proteins, and the H447E/E361Q mutant does not. Thus maintenance of membrane structure by cholesterol is important for PDGFRbeta-mediated signaling. The cholesterol oxidase mutant probe described will be generally useful for investigating the role of membrane structure in signal transduction pathways in addition to the PDGFRbeta-dependent pathway tested.

  9. A preliminary neutron diffraction study of rasburicase, a recombinant urate oxidase enzyme, complexed with 8-azaxanthin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Budayova-Spano, Monika, E-mail: spano@embl-grenoble.fr [European Molecular Biology Laboratory Grenoble Outstation, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble (France); Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, BP 156, 38042 Grenoble (France); Bonneté, Françoise; Ferté, Natalie [Centre de Recherche en Matière Condensée et Nanosciences, Campus de Luminy, Case 913, 13288 Marseille (France); El Hajji, Mohamed [Sanofi-Aventis, 371 Rue du Professeur Blayac, 34184 Montpellier (France); Meilleur, Flora [Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, BP 156, 38042 Grenoble (France); Blakeley, Matthew Paul [European Molecular Biology Laboratory Grenoble Outstation, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble (France); Castro, Bertrand [Sanofi-Aventis, 371 Rue du Professeur Blayac, 34184 Montpellier (France); European Molecular Biology Laboratory Grenoble Outstation, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble (France)

    2006-03-01

    Neutron diffraction data of hydrogenated recombinant urate oxidase enzyme (Rasburicase), complexed with a purine-type inhibitor 8-azaxanthin, was collected to 2.1 Å resolution from a crystal grown in D{sub 2}O by careful control and optimization of crystallization conditions via knowledge of the phase diagram. Deuterium atoms were clearly seen in the neutron-scattering density map. Crystallization and preliminary neutron diffraction measurements of rasburicase, a recombinant urate oxidase enzyme expressed by a genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, complexed with a purine-type inhibitor (8-azaxanthin) are reported. Neutron Laue diffraction data were collected to 2.1 Å resolution using the LADI instrument from a crystal (grown in D{sub 2}O) with volume 1.8 mm{sup 3}. The aim of this neutron diffraction study is to determine the protonation states of the inhibitor and residues within the active site. This will lead to improved comprehension of the enzymatic mechanism of this important enzyme, which is used as a protein drug to reduce toxic uric acid accumulation during chemotherapy. This paper illustrates the high quality of the neutron diffraction data collected, which are suitable for high-resolution structural analysis. In comparison with other neutron protein crystallography studies to date in which a hydrogenated protein has been used, the volume of the crystal was relatively small and yet the data still extend to high resolution. Furthermore, urate oxidase has one of the largest primitive unit-cell volumes (space group I222, unit-cell parameters a = 80, b = 96, c = 106 Å) and molecular weights (135 kDa for the homotetramer) so far successfully studied with neutrons.

  10. Effects of temperature and glycerol and methanol-feeding profiles on the production of recombinant galactose oxidase in Pichia pastoris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anasontzis, George E; Salazar Penã, Margarita; Spadiut, Oliver; Brumer, Harry; Olsson, Lisbeth

    2014-01-01

    Optimization of protein production from methanol-induced Pichia pastoris cultures is necessary to ensure high productivity rates and high yields of recombinant proteins. We investigated the effects of temperature and different linear or exponential methanol-feeding rates on the production of recombinant Fusarium graminearum galactose oxidase (EC 1.1.3.9) in a P. pastoris Mut+ strain, under regulation of the AOX1 promoter. We found that low exponential methanol feeding led to 1.5-fold higher volumetric productivity compared to high exponential feeding rates. The duration of glycerol feeding did not affect the subsequent product yield, but longer glycerol feeding led to higher initial biomass concentration, which would reduce the oxygen demand and generate less heat during induction. A linear and a low exponential feeding profile led to productivities in the same range, but the latter was characterized by intense fluctuations in the titers of galactose oxidase and total protein. An exponential feeding profile that has been adapted to the apparent biomass concentration results in more stable cultures, but the concentration of recombinant protein is in the same range as when constant methanol feeding is employed. © 2014 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:728–735, 2014 PMID:24493559

  11. Cholesterol oxidase interference on the emergence and viability of cotton boll weevil larvae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santos Roseane Cavalcanti

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of the enzyme cholesterol oxidase (Coase on emergence and viability of larvae of the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman, 1843. A series of bioassays was performed with eggs and neonate larvae exposed to different enzyme concentrations in artificial diet. Larval survival was affected at all enzyme concentrations tested, and the six-day LD50 was 53 mug/mL (CI 95%: 43-59. Coase also interfered with hatching of larvae after eggs were floated for 15 min in Coase solution at different concentrations. Observations at the light and electronic microscopic level of midguts from larvae fed on artificial diet containing 53 mug/mL of Coase and collected at six days revealed highly vacuolated regions in the epithelial cells as well as partial degradation of the basal membrane and microvilli.

  12. High-dose recombinant apolipoprotein A-I(milano) mobilizes tissue cholesterol and rapidly reduces plaque lipid and macrophage content in apolipoprotein e-deficient mice. Potential implications for acute plaque stabilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, P K; Yano, J; Reyes, O; Chyu, K Y; Kaul, S; Bisgaier, C L; Drake, S; Cercek, B

    2001-06-26

    Repeated doses of recombinant apolipoprotein A-I(Milano) phospholipid complex (apoA-I(m)) reduce atherosclerosis and favorably change plaque composition in rabbits and mice. In this study, we tested whether a single high dose of recombinant apoA-I(m) could rapidly mobilize tissue cholesterol and reduce plaque lipid and macrophage content in apoE-deficient mice. High cholesterol-fed, 26-week-old apoE-deficient mice received a single intravenous injection of saline (n=16), 1080 mg/kg dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC; n=14), or 400 mg/kg of recombinant apoA-I(m) complexed with DPPC (1:2.7 weight ratio; n=18). Blood was sampled before and 1 and 48 hours after injection, and aortic root plaques were evaluated for lipid content and macrophage content after oil-red O and immunostaining, respectively. One hour after injection, the plasma cholesterol efflux-promoting capacity was nearly 2-fold higher in recombinant apoA-I(m)-treated mice compared with saline and DPPC-treated mice (P<0.01). Compared with baseline values, serum free cholesterol, an index of tissue cholesterol mobilization, increased 1.6-fold by 1 hour after recombinant apoA-I(m) injection, and it remained significantly elevated at 48 hours (P<0.01). Mice receiving recombinant apoA-I(m) had 40% to 50% lower lipid content (P<0.01) and 29% to 36% lower macrophage content (P<0.05) in their plaques compared with the saline- and DPPC-treated mice, respectively. A single high dose of recombinant apoA-I(m) rapidly mobilizes tissue cholesterol and reduces plaque lipid and macrophage content in apoE-deficient mice. These findings suggest that this strategy could rapidly change plaque composition toward a more stable phenotype.

  13. Recombinant high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles containing gadolinium-labeled cholesterol for morphologic and functional magnetic resonance imaging of the liver

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui M

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Mengjie Rui,1 Wei Guo,2 Qian Ding,2 Xiaohui Wei,2 Jianrong Xu,3 Yuhong Xu21School of Life Science and Biotechnology, 2School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China; 3Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital Affiliation with Medical School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of ChinaBackground: Natural high-density lipoproteins (HDL possess important physiological functions to the transport of cholesterol from the peripheral tissues to the liver for metabolic degradation and excretion in the bile.Methods and results: In this work, we took advantage of this pathway and prepared two different gadolinium (Gd-DTPA-labeled cholesterol-containing recombinant HDL nanoparticles (Gd-chol-HDL and Gd-(chol2-HDL as liver-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI contrast agents. The reconstituted HDL nanoparticles had structural similarity to native HDL, and could be taken up by HepG2 cells via interaction with HDL receptors in vitro. In vivo MRI studies in rats after intravenous injections of 10 µmol gadolinium per kg of recombinant HDL nanoparticles indicated that both nanoparticles could provide signal enhancement in the liver and related organs. However, different T1-weighted image details suggested that they participated in different cholesterol metabolism and excretion pathways in the liver.Conclusion: Such information could be highly useful to differentiate functional changes as well as anatomic differences in the liver. These cholesterol-derived contrast agents and their recombinant HDL preparations may warrant further development as a new class of contrast agents for MRI of the liver and related organs.Keywords: magnetic resonance imaging, apolipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, contrast agent, gadolinium, liver

  14. A hydrogen-bonding network is important for oxidation and isomerization in the reaction catalyzed by cholesterol oxidase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyubimov, Artem Y.; Chen, Lin; Sampson, Nicole S.; Vrielink, Alice

    2009-01-01

    The importance of active-site electrostatics for oxidative and reductive half-reactions in a redox flavoenzyme (cholesterol oxidase) have been investigated by a combination of biochemistry and atomic resolution crystallography. A detailed examination of active-site dynamics demonstrates that the oxidation of substrate and the re-oxidation of the flavin cofactor by molecular oxygen are linked by a single active-site asparagine. Cholesterol oxidase is a flavoenzyme that catalyzes the oxidation and isomerization of 3β-hydroxysteroids. Structural and mutagenesis studies have shown that Asn485 plays a key role in substrate oxidation. The side chain makes an NH⋯π interaction with the reduced form of the flavin cofactor. A N485D mutant was constructed to further test the role of the amide group in catalysis. The mutation resulted in a 1800-fold drop in the overall k cat . Atomic resolution structures were determined for both the N485L and N485D mutants. The structure of the N485D mutant enzyme (at 1.0 Å resolution) reveals significant perturbations in the active site. As predicted, Asp485 is oriented away from the flavin moiety, such that any stabilizing interaction with the reduced flavin is abolished. Met122 and Glu361 form unusual hydrogen bonds to the functional group of Asp485 and are displaced from the positions they occupy in the wild-type active site. The overall effect is to disrupt the stabilization of the reduced FAD cofactor during catalysis. Furthermore, a narrow transient channel that is shown to form when the wild-type Asn485 forms the NH⋯π interaction with FAD and that has been proposed to function as an access route of molecular oxygen, is not observed in either of the mutant structures, suggesting that the dynamics of the active site are altered

  15. Functionalized PHB granules provide the basis for the efficient side-chain cleavage of cholesterol and analogs in recombinant Bacillus megaterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerber, Adrian; Kleser, Michael; Biedendieck, Rebekka; Bernhardt, Rita; Hannemann, Frank

    2015-07-29

    Cholesterol, the precursor of all steroid hormones, is the most abundant steroid in vertebrates and exhibits highly hydrophobic properties, rendering it a difficult substrate for aqueous microbial biotransformations. In the present study, we developed a Bacillus megaterium based whole-cell system that allows the side-chain cleavage of this sterol and investigated the underlying physiological basis of the biocatalysis. CYP11A1, the side-chain cleaving cytochrome P450, was recombinantly expressed in the Gram-positive soil bacterium B. megaterium combined with the required electron transfer proteins. By applying a mixture of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and Quillaja saponin as solubilizing agents, the zoosterols cholesterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol, as well as the phytosterol β-sitosterol could be efficiently converted to pregnenolone or 7-dehydropregnenolone. Fluorescence-microscopic analysis revealed that cholesterol accumulates in the carbon and energy storage-serving poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) bodies and that the membrane proteins CYP11A1 and its redox partner adrenodoxin reductase (AdR) are likewise localized to their surrounding phospholipid/protein monolayer. The capacity to store cholesterol was absent in a mutant strain devoid of the PHB-producing polymerase subunit PhaC, resulting in a drastically decreased cholesterol conversion rate, while no effect on the expression of the recombinant proteins could be observed. We established a whole-cell system based on B. megaterium, which enables the conversion of the steroid hormone precursor cholesterol to pregnenolone in substantial quantities. We demonstrate that the microorganism's PHB granules, aggregates of bioplastic coated with a protein/phospholipid monolayer, are crucial for the high conversion rate by serving as substrate storage. This microbial system opens the way for an industrial conversion of the abundantly available cholesterol to any type of steroid hormones, which represent one of the

  16. Characterisation of recombinant pyranose oxidase from the cultivated mycorrhizal basidiomycete Lyophyllum shimeji (hon-shimeji

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yamabhai Montarop

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The flavin-dependent enzyme pyranose 2-oxidase (P2Ox has gained increased attention during the last years because of a number of attractive applications for this enzyme. P2Ox is a unique biocatalyst with high potential for biotransformations of carbohydrates and in synthetic carbohydrate chemistry. Recently, it was shown that P2Ox is useful as bioelement in biofuel cells, replacing glucose oxidase (GOx, which traditionally is used in these applications. P2Ox offers several advantages over GOx for this application, e.g., its much broader substrate specificity. Because of this renewed interest in P2Ox, knowledge on novel pyranose oxidases isolated from organisms other than white-rot fungi, which represent the traditional source of this enzyme, is of importance, as these novel enzymes might differ in their biochemical and physical properties. Results We isolated and over-expressed the p2ox gene encoding P2Ox from the ectomycorrhizal fungus Lyophyllum shimeji. The p2ox cDNA was inserted into the bacterial expression vector pET21a(+ and successfully expressed in E. coli Rosetta 2. We obtained active, flavinylated recombinant P2Ox in yields of approximately 130 mg per L of medium. The enzyme was purified by a two-step procedure based on anion exchange chromatography and preparative native PAGE, yielding an apparently homogenous enzyme preparation with a specific activity of 1.92 U/mg (using glucose and air oxygen as the substrates. Recombinant P2Ox from L. shimeji was characterized in some detail with respect to its physical and catalytic properties, and compared to the well-characterised enzymes from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes multicolor. Conclusion L. shimeji P2Ox shows properties that are comparable to those of P2Ox from white-rot fungal origin, and is in general characterised by lower Km and kcat values both for electron donor (sugar as well as electron acceptor (ferrocenium ion, 1,4-benzoquinone, 2

  17. Gravity Responsive NADH Oxidase of the Plasma Membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morre, D. James (Inventor)

    2002-01-01

    A method and apparatus for sensing gravity using an NADH oxidase of the plasma membrane which has been found to respond to unit gravity and low centrifugal g forces. The oxidation rate of NADH supplied to the NADH oxidase is measured and translated to represent the relative gravitational force exerted on the protein. The NADH oxidase of the plasma membrane may be obtained from plant or animal sources or may be produced recombinantly.

  18. Functional expression of amine oxidase from Aspergillus niger (AO-I) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolaríková, Katerina; Galuszka, Petr; Sedlárová, Iva; Sebela, Marek; Frébort, Ivo

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this work was to prepare recombinant amine oxidase from Aspergillus niger after overexpressing in yeast. The yeast expression vector pDR197 that includes a constitutive PMA1 promoter was used for the expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recombinant amine oxidase was extracted from the growth medium of the yeast, purified to homogeneity and identified by activity assay and MALDI-TOF peptide mass fingerprinting. Similarity search in the newly published A. niger genome identified six genes coding for copper amine oxidase, two of them corresponding to the previously described enzymes AO-I a methylamine oxidase and three other genes coding for FAD amine oxidases. Thus, A. niger possesses an enormous metabolic gear to grow on amine compounds and thus support its saprophytic lifestyle.

  19. Localization and movement of newly synthesized cholesterol in rat ovarian granulosa cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lange, Y.; Schmit, V.M.; Schreiber, J.R.

    1988-01-01

    The distribution and movement of cholesterol were studied in granulosa cells from the ovaries of estrogen-stimulated hypophysectomized immature rats cultured in serum-free medium. Plasma membrane cholesterol was distinguished from intracellular cholesterol with cholesterol oxidase, an enzyme that converts cell surface cholesterol to cholestenone, leaving intracellular cholesterol untouched. Using this approach we showed that 82% of unesterified cholesterol was associated with the plasma membrane in granulosa cells cultured for 48 h in serum-free medium in both the presence and absence of added androstenedione and FSH. FSH and androstenedione stimulated a marked increase in steroid hormone (progestin) production. The movement of newly synthesized cholesterol to the plasma membrane also was followed using cholesterol oxidase. Newly synthesized cholesterol reached the plasma membrane too rapidly to be measured in unstimulated cells (t1/2 less than 20 min); however, in cells stimulated by FSH and androstenedione, this rate was considerably slower (t1/2 approximately 2h). Therefore, cholesterol movement to the plasma membrane appears to be regulated by gonadotropins in these cells. We tested whether steroid biosynthesis used all cell cholesterol pools equally. To this end we administered [3H]acetate and [14C]acetate at different times and determined their relative specific contents in various steroids after defined intervals. The relative ages of the steroids (youngest to oldest) were: lanosterol, progestins, intracellular cholesterol, and plasma membrane cholesterol. This finding suggests that progestins use newly synthesized intracellular cholesterol in preference to preexisting intracellular or cell surface cholesterol

  20. Highly sensitive and selective cholesterol biosensor based on direct electron transfer of hemoglobin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Changzhi; Wan, Li; Jiang, Li; Wang, Qin; Jiao, Kui

    2008-12-01

    A cholesterol biosensor based on direct electron transfer of a hemoglobin-encapsulated chitosan-modified glassy carbon electrode has been developed for highly sensitive and selective analysis of serum samples. Modified by films containing hemoglobin and cholesterol oxidase, the electrode was prepared by encapsulation of enzyme in chitosan matrix. The hydrogen peroxide produced by the catalytic oxidation of cholesterol by cholesterol oxidase was reduced electrocatalytically by immobilized hemoglobin and used to obtain a sensitive amperometric response to cholesterol. The linear response of cholesterol concentrations ranged from 1.00 x 10(-5) to 6.00 x 10(-4) mol/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9969 and estimated detection limit of cholesterol of 9.5 micromol/L at a signal/noise ratio of 3. The cholesterol biosensor can efficiently exclude interference by the commonly coexisting ascorbic acid, uric acid, dopamine, and epinephrine. The sensitivity to the change in the concentration of cholesterol as the slope of the calibration curve was 0.596 A/M. The relative standard deviation was under 4.0% (n=5) for the determination of real samples. The biosensor is satisfactory in the determination of human serum samples.

  1. Cholesterol Oxidase Binds TLR2 and Modulates Functional Responses of Human Macrophages

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    Katarzyna Bednarska

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol oxidase (ChoD is considered to be an important virulence factor for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb, but its influence on macrophage activity is unknown. Here we used Nocardia erythropolis ChoD, which is very similar to the Mtb enzyme (70% identity at the amino-acid level, to evaluate the impact of bacterial ChoD on the activity of THP-1-derived macrophages in vitro. We found that ChoD decreased the surface expression of Toll-like receptor type 2 (TLR2 and complement receptor 3 (CR3 on these macrophages. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy showed that ChoD competed with lipoteichoic acid for ligand binding sites on TLR2 but not on CR3, suggesting that ChoD signaling is mediated via TLR2. Binding of ChoD to the membrane of macrophages had diverse effects on the activity of macrophages, activating p38 mitogen activated kinase and stimulating production of a large amount of interleukin-10. Moreover, ChoD primed macrophages to enhance the production of reactive oxygen species in response to the phorbol myristate acetate, which was reduced by “switching off” TLR-derived signaling through interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinases 1 and 4 inhibition. Our study revealed that ChoD interacts directly with macrophages via TLR2 and influences the biological activity of macrophages during the development of the initial response to infection.

  2. Bioconjugation of lipase and cholesterol oxidase with graphene or graphene oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Rubens A.; Souza, Michele L.; Bloisi, Georgia D.; Corio, Paolo; Petri, Denise F. S., E-mail: dfsp@iq.usp.br [Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Química (Brazil)

    2015-04-15

    The catalytic behavior of lipase and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) in the absence and in the presence of graphene (G) or graphene oxide (GO) was investigated at 24 ± 1 °C and pH 6.5. GO flat sheets (0.5–2 μm) were ∼2-nm thick, while G formed aggregates. The maximum reaction velocity (V{sub max}) values and turnover numbers (k{sub cat}) determined for reactions catalyzed by physical mixtures of lipase (at 0.01 g l{sup −1}) or ChOx (at 0.03 g l{sup −1}) and G (0.012 g l{sup −1}) increased six-fold or doubled, respectively, in comparison to neat enzymes. Circular dichroism (CD) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopic measurements revealed the preservation of native secondary structures of enzymes and bioconjugation driven by hydrophobic interaction and energy transfer (redshift) between lipase or ChOx and G, corroborating with the enhanced catalytic behavior. On the other hand, the interactions between GO, which has hydrophilic moieties on the basal plane, and ChOx caused enzyme deactivation, as evidenced by the absence of typical CD signal. At low GO concentration (<0.012 g l{sup −1}), bioconjugates of lipases with GO led to V{sub max} and k{sub cat} values four-fold lower than their counterparts with G, but the GO hydrophilic groups probably favored the affinity for the substrate, because the Michaelis constant (K{sub m}) values decreased in comparison to that of neat lipase. Upon increasing the GO concentration, lipases lost secondary structure and the typical lipase PL bands disappeared.

  3. Bioconjugation of lipase and cholesterol oxidase with graphene or graphene oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Rubens A.; Souza, Michele L.; Bloisi, Georgia D.; Corio, Paolo; Petri, Denise F. S.

    2015-01-01

    The catalytic behavior of lipase and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) in the absence and in the presence of graphene (G) or graphene oxide (GO) was investigated at 24 ± 1 °C and pH 6.5. GO flat sheets (0.5–2 μm) were ∼2-nm thick, while G formed aggregates. The maximum reaction velocity (V max ) values and turnover numbers (k cat ) determined for reactions catalyzed by physical mixtures of lipase (at 0.01 g l −1 ) or ChOx (at 0.03 g l −1 ) and G (0.012 g l −1 ) increased six-fold or doubled, respectively, in comparison to neat enzymes. Circular dichroism (CD) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopic measurements revealed the preservation of native secondary structures of enzymes and bioconjugation driven by hydrophobic interaction and energy transfer (redshift) between lipase or ChOx and G, corroborating with the enhanced catalytic behavior. On the other hand, the interactions between GO, which has hydrophilic moieties on the basal plane, and ChOx caused enzyme deactivation, as evidenced by the absence of typical CD signal. At low GO concentration (<0.012 g l −1 ), bioconjugates of lipases with GO led to V max and k cat values four-fold lower than their counterparts with G, but the GO hydrophilic groups probably favored the affinity for the substrate, because the Michaelis constant (K m ) values decreased in comparison to that of neat lipase. Upon increasing the GO concentration, lipases lost secondary structure and the typical lipase PL bands disappeared

  4. Characterization of wheat germin (oxalate oxidase) expressed by Pichia pastoris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, Heng-Yen; Whittaker, Mei M.; Bouveret, Romaric; Berna, Anne; Bernier, Francois; Whittaker, James W.

    2007-01-01

    High-level secretory expression of wheat (Triticum aestivum) germin/oxalate oxidase was achieved in Pichia pastoris fermentation cultures as an α-mating factor signal peptide fusion, based on the native wheat cDNA coding sequence. The oxalate oxidase activity of the recombinant enzyme is substantially increased (7-fold) by treatment with sodium periodate, followed by ascorbate reduction. Using these methods, approximately 1 g (4 x 10 4 U) of purified, activated enzyme was obtained following eight days of induction of a high density Pichia fermentation culture, demonstrating suitability for large-scale production of oxalate oxidase for biotechnological applications. Characterization of the recombinant protein shows that it is glycosylated, with N-linked glycan attached at Asn47. For potential biomedical applications, a nonglycosylated (S49A) variant was also prepared which retains essentially full enzyme activity, but exhibits altered protein-protein interactions

  5. Artificial Intelligence versus Statistical Modeling and Optimization of Cholesterol Oxidase Production by using Streptomyces Sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pathak, Lakshmi; Singh, Vineeta; Niwas, Ram; Osama, Khwaja; Khan, Saif; Haque, Shafiul; Tripathi, C K M; Mishra, B N

    2015-01-01

    Cholesterol oxidase (COD) is a bi-functional FAD-containing oxidoreductase which catalyzes the oxidation of cholesterol into 4-cholesten-3-one. The wider biological functions and clinical applications of COD have urged the screening, isolation and characterization of newer microbes from diverse habitats as a source of COD and optimization and over-production of COD for various uses. The practicability of statistical/ artificial intelligence techniques, such as response surface methodology (RSM), artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) have been tested to optimize the medium composition for the production of COD from novel strain Streptomyces sp. NCIM 5500. All experiments were performed according to the five factor central composite design (CCD) and the generated data was analysed using RSM and ANN. GA was employed to optimize the models generated by RSM and ANN. Based upon the predicted COD concentration, the model developed with ANN was found to be superior to the model developed with RSM. The RSM-GA approach predicted maximum of 6.283 U/mL COD production, whereas the ANN-GA approach predicted a maximum of 9.93 U/mL COD concentration. The optimum concentrations of the medium variables predicted through ANN-GA approach were: 1.431 g/50 mL soybean, 1.389 g/50 mL maltose, 0.029 g/50 mL MgSO4, 0.45 g/50 mL NaCl and 2.235 ml/50 mL glycerol. The experimental COD concentration was concurrent with the GA predicted yield and led to 9.75 U/mL COD production, which was nearly two times higher than the yield (4.2 U/mL) obtained with the un-optimized medium. This is the very first time we are reporting the statistical versus artificial intelligence based modeling and optimization of COD production by Streptomyces sp. NCIM 5500.

  6. Artificial Intelligence versus Statistical Modeling and Optimization of Cholesterol Oxidase Production by using Streptomyces Sp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lakshmi Pathak

    Full Text Available Cholesterol oxidase (COD is a bi-functional FAD-containing oxidoreductase which catalyzes the oxidation of cholesterol into 4-cholesten-3-one. The wider biological functions and clinical applications of COD have urged the screening, isolation and characterization of newer microbes from diverse habitats as a source of COD and optimization and over-production of COD for various uses. The practicability of statistical/ artificial intelligence techniques, such as response surface methodology (RSM, artificial neural network (ANN and genetic algorithm (GA have been tested to optimize the medium composition for the production of COD from novel strain Streptomyces sp. NCIM 5500. All experiments were performed according to the five factor central composite design (CCD and the generated data was analysed using RSM and ANN. GA was employed to optimize the models generated by RSM and ANN. Based upon the predicted COD concentration, the model developed with ANN was found to be superior to the model developed with RSM. The RSM-GA approach predicted maximum of 6.283 U/mL COD production, whereas the ANN-GA approach predicted a maximum of 9.93 U/mL COD concentration. The optimum concentrations of the medium variables predicted through ANN-GA approach were: 1.431 g/50 mL soybean, 1.389 g/50 mL maltose, 0.029 g/50 mL MgSO4, 0.45 g/50 mL NaCl and 2.235 ml/50 mL glycerol. The experimental COD concentration was concurrent with the GA predicted yield and led to 9.75 U/mL COD production, which was nearly two times higher than the yield (4.2 U/mL obtained with the un-optimized medium. This is the very first time we are reporting the statistical versus artificial intelligence based modeling and optimization of COD production by Streptomyces sp. NCIM 5500.

  7. Immobilization of cholesterol oxidase on magnetic fluorescent core-shell-structured nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Jun, E-mail: hjun@whut.edu.cn; Liu, Huichao; Zhang, Peipei; Zhang, Pengfei; Li, Mengshi; Ding, Liyun

    2015-12-01

    The magnetic fluorescent core-shell structured nanoparticles, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2}(F)@meso–SiO{sub 2} nanoparticles, were prepared. Cholesterol oxidase (COD) was immobilized on their surface to form Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2}(F)@meso–SiO{sub 2}@COD nanoparticles. Optimal immobilization was achieved with 2.5% (v/v) APTES, 2.0% (v/v) GA, 10 mg COD (in 15 mg carrier) and solution pH of 7.0. Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2}(F)@meso–SiO{sub 2}@COD nanoparticles showed maximal catalytic activity at pH 7.0 and 50 °C. The thermal, storage and operational stabilities of COD were improved greatly after its immobilization. After the incubation at 50 °C for 5 h, the nanoparticles and free COD retained 80% and 46% of its initial activity, respectively. After kept at 4 °C for 30 days, the nanoparticles and free COD maintained 86% and 65% of initial activity, respectively. The nanoparticles retained 71% of its initial activity after 7 consecutive operations. Since Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@SiO{sub 2}(F)@meso–SiO{sub 2}@COD nanoparticles contained tris(2,2-bipyridyl)dichloro-ruthenium(II) hexahydrate (Ru(bpy){sub 3}Cl{sub 2}) and were optical sensitive to oxygen in solution, it might be used as the sensing material and has the application potential in multi parameter fiber optic biosensor based on enzyme catalysis and oxygen consumption. - Highlights: • COD was immobilized on magnetic fluorescent core-shell structured nanoparticles. • The nanoparticles were optical sensitive to oxygen in water solution. • The nanoparticles have remarkable improved stability compared with free COD. • The nanoparticles can probably be used in multi parameter fiber optic Biosensor.

  8. Development of mediator-type biosensor to wirelessly monitor whole cholesterol concentration in fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takase, Mai; Murata, Masataka; Hibi, Kyoko; Huifeng, Ren; Endo, Hideaki

    2014-04-01

    We developed a wireless monitoring system to monitor fish condition by tracking the change in whole cholesterol concentration. The whole cholesterol concentration of fish is a source of steroid hormones or indicator of immunity level, which makes its detection important for tracking physiological condition of fish. Wireless monitoring system comprises of mediator-type biosensor and wireless transmission device. Biosensor is implantable to fish body, and transmission device is so light, in that fish is allowed to swim freely during monitoring. Cholesterol esterase and oxidase were fixated on to the detection site of biosensor and used to detect the whole cholesterol concentration. However, cholesterol oxidase incorporates oxidation-reduction reaction of oxygen for detection, which concentration fluctuates easily due to change in environmental condition. Meanwhile, mediator-type biosensor enables monitoring of whole cholesterol concentration by using mediator to substitute that oxidation-reduction reaction of oxygen. Characteristic of fabricated mediator-type biosensor was tested. The sensor output current of mediator-type biosensor remained stable compared to output current of non-mediator-type biosensor under fluctuating oxygen concentration of 0-8 ppm, which implied that this sensor is less affected by change in dissolved oxygen concentration. That biosensor was then implanted into fish for wireless monitoring. As a result, approximately 48 h of real-time monitoring was successful.

  9. Expression and Characterization of Glucose Oxidase from Aspergillus niger in Yarrowia lipolytica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khadivi Derakshan, Fatemeh; Darvishi, Farshad; Dezfulian, Mehrouz; Madzak, Catherine

    2017-08-01

    Glucose oxidase (GOX) is currently used in clinical, pharmaceutical, food and chemical industries. The aim of this study was expression and characterization of Aspergillus niger glucose oxidase gene in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. For the first time, the GOX gene of A. niger was successfully expressed in Y. lipolytica using a mono-integrative vector containing strong hybrid promoter and secretion signal. The highest total glucose oxidase activity was 370 U/L after 7 days of cultivation. An innovative method was used to cell wall disruption in current study, and it could be recommended to use for efficiently cell wall disruption of Y. lipolytica. Optimum pH and temperature for recombinant GOX activity were 5.5 and 37 °C, respectively. A single band with a molecular weight of 80 kDa similar to the native and pure form of A. niger GOX was observed for the recombinant GOX in SDS-PAGE analysis. Y. lipolytica is a suitable and efficient eukaryotic expression system to production of recombinant GOX in compered with other yeast expression systems and could be used to production of pure form of GOX for industrial applications.

  10. The substrate oxidation mechanism of pyranose 2-oxidase and other related enzymes in the glucose-methanol-choline superfamily.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wongnate, Thanyaporn; Chaiyen, Pimchai

    2013-07-01

    Enzymes in the glucose-methanol-choline (GMC) oxidoreductase superfamily catalyze the oxidation of an alcohol moiety to the corresponding aldehyde. In this review, the current understanding of the sugar oxidation mechanism in the reaction of pyranose 2-oxidase (P2O) is highlighted and compared with that of other enzymes in the GMC family for which structural and mechanistic information is available, including glucose oxidase, choline oxidase, cholesterol oxidase, cellobiose dehydrogenase, aryl-alcohol oxidase, and pyridoxine 4-oxidase. Other enzymes in the family that have been newly discovered or for which less information is available are also discussed. A large primary kinetic isotope effect was observed for the flavin reduction when 2-d-D-glucose was used as a substrate, but no solvent kinetic isotope effect was detected for the flavin reduction step. The reaction of P2O is consistent with a hydride transfer mechanism in which there is stepwise formation of d-glucose alkoxide prior to the hydride transfer. Site-directed mutagenesis of P2O and pH-dependence studies indicated that His548 is a catalytic base that facilitates the deprotonation of C2-OH in D-glucose. This finding agrees with the current mechanistic model for aryl-alcohol oxidase, glucose oxidase, cellobiose dehydrogenase, methanol oxidase, and pyridoxine 4-oxidase, but is different from that of cholesterol oxidase and choline oxidase. Although all of the GMC enzymes share similar structural folding and use the hydride transfer mechanism for flavin reduction, they appear to have subtle differences in the fine-tuned details of how they catalyze substrate oxidation. © 2013 The Authors Journal compilation © 2013 FEBS.

  11. Low temperature synthesis of seed mediated CuO bundle of nanowires, their structural characterisation and cholesterol detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibupoto, Z H; Khun, K; Liu, X; Willander, M

    2013-10-01

    In this study, we have successfully synthesised CuO bundle of nanowires using simple, cheap and low temperature hydrothermal growth method. The growth parameters such as precursor concentration and time for duration of growth were optimised. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) has demonstrated that the CuO bundles of nanowires are highly dense, uniform and perpendicularly oriented to the substrate. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has demonstrated that the CuO nanostructures consist of bundle of nanowires and their growth pattern is along the [010] direction. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique described that CuO bundle of nanowires possess the monoclinic crystal phase. The surface and chemical composition analyses were carried out with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique and the obtained results suggested the pure crystal state of CuO nanostructures. In addition, the CuO nanowires were used for the cholesterol sensing application by immobilising the cholesterol oxidase through electrostatic attraction. The infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy study has also revealed that CuO nanostructures are consisting of only CuO bonding and has also shown the possible interaction of cholesterol oxidase with the sharp edge surface of CuO bundle of nanowires. The proposed cholesterol sensor has demonstrated the wide range of detection of cholesterol with good sensitivity of 33.88±0.96 mV/decade. Moreover, the CuO bundle of nanowires based sensor electrode has revealed good repeatability, reproducibility, stability, selectivity and a fast response time of less than 10s. The cholesterol sensor based on the immobilised cholesterol oxidase has good potential applicability for the determination of cholesterol from the human serum and other biological samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Colorimetric detection of cholesterol based on enzyme modified gold nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nirala, Narsingh R.; Saxena, Preeti S.; Srivastava, Anchal

    2018-02-01

    We develop a simple colorimetric method for determination of free cholesterol in aqueous solution based on functionalized gold nanoparticles with cholesterol oxidase. Functionalized gold nanoparticles interact with free cholesterol to produce H2O2 in proportion to the level of cholesterol visually is being detected. The quenching in optical properties and agglomeration of functionalized gold nanoparticles play a key role in cholesterol sensing due to the electron accepting property of H2O2. While the lower ranges of cholesterol (lower detection limit i.e. 0.2 mg/dL) can be effectively detected using fluorescence study, the absorption study attests evident visual color change which becomes effective for detection of higher ranges of cholesterol (lower detection limit i.e. 19 mg/dL). The shades of red gradually change to blue/purple as the level of cholesterol detected (as evident at 100 mg/dL) using unaided eye without the use of expensive instruments. The potential of the proposed method to be applied in the field is shown by the proposed cholesterol measuring color wheel.

  13. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of latent, active and recombinantly expressed aurone synthase, a polyphenol oxidase, from Coreopsis grandiflora

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molitor, Christian; Mauracher, Stephan Gerhard; Rompel, Annette, E-mail: annette.rompel@univie.ac.at [Universität Wien, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Wien (Austria)

    2015-05-22

    Latent and active aurone synthase purified from petals of C. grandiflora (cgAUS1) were crystallized. The crystal quality of recombinantly expressed latent cgAUS1 was significantly improved by co-crystallization with the polyoxotungstate Na{sub 6}[TeW{sub 6}O{sub 24}] within the liquid–liquid phase-separation zone. Aurone synthase (AUS), a member of a novel group of plant polyphenol oxidases (PPOs), catalyzes the oxidative conversion of chalcones to aurones. Two active cgAUS1 (41.6 kDa) forms that differed in the level of phosphorylation or sulfation as well as the latent precursor form (58.9 kDa) were purified from the petals of Coreopsis grandiflora. The differing active cgAUS1 forms and the latent cgAUS1 as well as recombinantly expressed latent cgAUS1 were crystallized, resulting in six different crystal forms. The active forms crystallized in space groups P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1} and P12{sub 1}1 and diffracted to ∼1.65 Å resolution. Co-crystallization of active cgAUS1 with 1,4-resorcinol led to crystals belonging to space group P3{sub 1}21. The crystals of latent cgAUS1 belonged to space group P12{sub 1}1 and diffracted to 2.50 Å resolution. Co-crystallization of recombinantly expressed pro-AUS with the hexatungstotellurate(VI) salt Na{sub 6}[TeW{sub 6}O{sub 24}] within the liquid–liquid phase separation zone significantly improved the quality of the crystals compared with crystals obtained without hexatungstotellurate(VI)

  14. Cholesterol biosensor based on rf sputtered zinc oxide nanoporous thin film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, S. P.; Arya, Sunil K.; Pandey, Pratibha; Malhotra, B. D.; Saha, Shibu; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

    2007-01-01

    Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) has been immobilized onto zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoporous thin films grown on gold surface. A preferred c-axis oriented ZnO thin film with porous surface morphology has been fabricated by rf sputtering under high pressure. Optical studies and cyclic voltammetric measurements show that the ChOx/ZnO/Au bioelectrode is sensitive to the detection of cholesterol in 25-400 mg/dl range. A relatively low value of enzyme's kinetic parameter (Michaelis-Menten constant) ∼2.1 mM indicates enhanced enzyme affinity of ChOx to cholesterol. The observed results show promising application of nanoporous ZnO thin film for biosensing application without any functionalization

  15. Self assembled monolayer based liquid crystal biosensor for free cholesterol detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tyagi, Mukta; Agrawal, V. V. [Department of Science and Technology, Centre on Bimolecular Electronics, Biomedical Instrumentation Section, CSIR—National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110 012 (India); Chandran, Achu; Joshi, Tilak [Polymeric and Soft Materials Section, CSIR—National Physical Laboratory (CSIR), Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110 012 (India); Prakash, Jai [Centre for Physical and Mathematical Sciences, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Central University of Punjab, City Campus, Mansa Road, Bathinda 151 001 (India); Biradar, A. M., E-mail: abiradar@mail.nplindia.ernet.in [Department of Science and Technology, Centre on Bimolecular Electronics, Biomedical Instrumentation Section, CSIR—National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110 012 (India); Polymeric and Soft Materials Section, CSIR—National Physical Laboratory (CSIR), Dr. K. S. Krishnan Road, New Delhi 110 012 (India)

    2014-04-14

    A unique cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) liquid crystal (LC) biosensor, based on the disruption of orientation in LCs, is developed for cholesterol detection. A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of Dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (DMOAP) and (3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxy-silane (APTMS) is prepared on a glass plate by adsorption. The enzyme (ChOx) is immobilized on SAM surface for 12 h before utilizing the film for biosensing purpose. LC based biosensing study is conducted on SAM/ChOx/LC (5CB) cells for cholesterol concentrations ranging from 10 mg/dl to 250 mg/dl. The sensing mechanism has been verified through polarizing optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and spectrometric techniques.

  16. Self assembled monolayer based liquid crystal biosensor for free cholesterol detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tyagi, Mukta; Agrawal, V. V.; Chandran, Achu; Joshi, Tilak; Prakash, Jai; Biradar, A. M.

    2014-01-01

    A unique cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) liquid crystal (LC) biosensor, based on the disruption of orientation in LCs, is developed for cholesterol detection. A self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of Dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (DMOAP) and (3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxy-silane (APTMS) is prepared on a glass plate by adsorption. The enzyme (ChOx) is immobilized on SAM surface for 12 h before utilizing the film for biosensing purpose. LC based biosensing study is conducted on SAM/ChOx/LC (5CB) cells for cholesterol concentrations ranging from 10 mg/dl to 250 mg/dl. The sensing mechanism has been verified through polarizing optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and spectrometric techniques

  17. Low temperature synthesis of seed mediated CuO bundle of nanowires, their structural characterisation and cholesterol detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ibupoto, Z.H., E-mail: zafar.hussin.ibupoto@liu.se [Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Campus Norrköping, SE-60174 Norrköping (Sweden); Khun, K. [Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Campus Norrköping, SE-60174 Norrköping (Sweden); Liu, X. [Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, 58183 Linköping Sweden (Sweden); Willander, M. [Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, Campus Norrköping, SE-60174 Norrköping (Sweden)

    2013-10-15

    In this study, we have successfully synthesised CuO bundle of nanowires using simple, cheap and low temperature hydrothermal growth method. The growth parameters such as precursor concentration and time for duration of growth were optimised. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) has demonstrated that the CuO bundles of nanowires are highly dense, uniform and perpendicularly oriented to the substrate. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has demonstrated that the CuO nanostructures consist of bundle of nanowires and their growth pattern is along the [010] direction. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique described that CuO bundle of nanowires possess the monoclinic crystal phase. The surface and chemical composition analyses were carried out with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique and the obtained results suggested the pure crystal state of CuO nanostructures. In addition, the CuO nanowires were used for the cholesterol sensing application by immobilising the cholesterol oxidase through electrostatic attraction. The infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy study has also revealed that CuO nanostructures are consisting of only Cu-O bonding and has also shown the possible interaction of cholesterol oxidase with the sharp edge surface of CuO bundle of nanowires. The proposed cholesterol sensor has demonstrated the wide range of detection of cholesterol with good sensitivity of 33.88 ± 0.96 mV/decade. Moreover, the CuO bundle of nanowires based sensor electrode has revealed good repeatability, reproducibility, stability, selectivity and a fast response time of less than 10 s. The cholesterol sensor based on the immobilised cholesterol oxidase has good potential applicability for the determination of cholesterol from the human serum and other biological samples. - Highlights: • This study describes the synthesis of bundle of CuO nanowires by hydrothermal method. • CuO nanostructures exhibit good alignment and

  18. Low temperature synthesis of seed mediated CuO bundle of nanowires, their structural characterisation and cholesterol detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibupoto, Z.H.; Khun, K.; Liu, X.; Willander, M.

    2013-01-01

    In this study, we have successfully synthesised CuO bundle of nanowires using simple, cheap and low temperature hydrothermal growth method. The growth parameters such as precursor concentration and time for duration of growth were optimised. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) has demonstrated that the CuO bundles of nanowires are highly dense, uniform and perpendicularly oriented to the substrate. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has demonstrated that the CuO nanostructures consist of bundle of nanowires and their growth pattern is along the [010] direction. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique described that CuO bundle of nanowires possess the monoclinic crystal phase. The surface and chemical composition analyses were carried out with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique and the obtained results suggested the pure crystal state of CuO nanostructures. In addition, the CuO nanowires were used for the cholesterol sensing application by immobilising the cholesterol oxidase through electrostatic attraction. The infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy study has also revealed that CuO nanostructures are consisting of only Cu-O bonding and has also shown the possible interaction of cholesterol oxidase with the sharp edge surface of CuO bundle of nanowires. The proposed cholesterol sensor has demonstrated the wide range of detection of cholesterol with good sensitivity of 33.88 ± 0.96 mV/decade. Moreover, the CuO bundle of nanowires based sensor electrode has revealed good repeatability, reproducibility, stability, selectivity and a fast response time of less than 10 s. The cholesterol sensor based on the immobilised cholesterol oxidase has good potential applicability for the determination of cholesterol from the human serum and other biological samples. - Highlights: • This study describes the synthesis of bundle of CuO nanowires by hydrothermal method. • CuO nanostructures exhibit good alignment and

  19. Construction of mutant glucose oxidases with increased dye-mediated dehydrogenase activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horaguchi, Yohei; Saito, Shoko; Kojima, Katsuhiro; Tsugawa, Wakako; Ferri, Stefano; Sode, Koji

    2012-11-02

    Mutagenesis studies on glucose oxidases (GOxs) were conducted to construct GOxs with reduced oxidase activity and increased dehydrogenase activity. We focused on two representative GOxs, of which crystal structures have already been reported—Penicillium amagasakiense GOx (PDB ID; 1gpe) and Aspergillus niger GOx (PDB ID; 1cf3). We constructed oxygen-interacting structural models for GOxs, and predicted the residues responsible for oxidative half reaction with oxygen on the basis of the crystal structure of cholesterol oxidase as well as on the fact that both enzymes are members of the glucose/methanol/choline (GMC) oxidoreductase family. Rational amino acid substitution resulted in the construction of an engineered GOx with drastically decreased oxidase activity and increased dehydrogenase activity, which was higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. As a result, the dehydrogenase/oxidase ratio of the engineered enzyme was more than 11-fold greater than that of the wild-type enzyme. These results indicate that alteration of the dehydrogenase/oxidase activity ratio of GOxs is possible by introducing a mutation into the putative functional residues responsible for oxidative half reaction with oxygen of these enzymes, resulting in a further increased dehydrogenase activity. This is the first study reporting the alteration of GOx electron acceptor preference from oxygen to an artificial electron acceptor.

  20. Construction of Mutant Glucose Oxidases with Increased Dye-Mediated Dehydrogenase Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horaguchi, Yohei; Saito, Shoko; Kojima, Katsuhiro; Tsugawa, Wakako; Ferri, Stefano; Sode, Koji

    2012-01-01

    Mutagenesis studies on glucose oxidases (GOxs) were conducted to construct GOxs with reduced oxidase activity and increased dehydrogenase activity. We focused on two representative GOxs, of which crystal structures have already been reported—Penicillium amagasakiense GOx (PDB ID; 1gpe) and Aspergillus niger GOx (PDB ID; 1cf3). We constructed oxygen-interacting structural models for GOxs, and predicted the residues responsible for oxidative half reaction with oxygen on the basis of the crystal structure of cholesterol oxidase as well as on the fact that both enzymes are members of the glucose/methanol/choline (GMC) oxidoreductase family. Rational amino acid substitution resulted in the construction of an engineered GOx with drastically decreased oxidase activity and increased dehydrogenase activity, which was higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. As a result, the dehydrogenase/oxidase ratio of the engineered enzyme was more than 11-fold greater than that of the wild-type enzyme. These results indicate that alteration of the dehydrogenase/oxidase activity ratio of GOxs is possible by introducing a mutation into the putative functional residues responsible for oxidative half reaction with oxygen of these enzymes, resulting in a further increased dehydrogenase activity. This is the first study reporting the alteration of GOx electron acceptor preference from oxygen to an artificial electron acceptor. PMID:23203056

  1. Expression Studies of Gibberellin Oxidases in Developing Pumpkin Seeds1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisse, Andrea; Pimenta, Maria João; Lange, Theo

    2003-01-01

    Two cDNA clones, 3-ox and 2-ox, have been isolated from developing pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) embryos that show significant amino acid homology to gibberellin (GA) 3-oxidases and 2-oxidases, respectively. Recombinant fusion protein of clone 3-ox converted GA12-aldehyde, GA12, GA15, GA24, GA25, and GA9 to GA14-aldehyde, GA14, GA37, GA36, GA13, and GA4, respectively. Recombinant 2-ox protein oxidized GA9, GA4, and GA1 to GA51, GA34, and GA8, respectively. Previously cloned GA 7-oxidase revealed additional 3β-hydroxylation activity of GA12. Transcripts of this gene were identified in endosperm and embryo of the developing seed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and localized in protoderm, root apical meristem, and quiescent center by in situ hybridization. mRNA of the previously cloned GA 20-oxidase from pumpkin seeds was localized in endosperm and in tissues of protoderm, ground meristem, and cotyledons of the embryo. However, transcripts of the recently cloned GA 20-oxidase from pumpkin seedlings were found all over the embryo, and in tissues of the inner seed coat at the micropylar end. Previously cloned GA 2β,3β-hydroxylase mRNA molecules were specifically identified in endosperm tissue. Finally, mRNA molecules of the 3-ox and 2-ox genes were found in the embryo only. 3-ox transcripts were localized in tissues of cotyledons, protoderm, and inner cell layers of the root apical meristem, and 2-ox transcripts were found in all tissues of the embryo except the root tips. These results indicate tissue-specific GA-biosynthetic pathways operating within the developing seed. PMID:12644672

  2. Construction of Mutant Glucose Oxidases with Increased Dye-Mediated Dehydrogenase Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koji Sode

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Mutagenesis studies on glucose oxidases (GOxs were conducted to construct GOxs with reduced oxidase activity and increased dehydrogenase activity. We focused on two representative GOxs, of which crystal structures have already been reported—Penicillium amagasakiense GOx (PDB ID; 1gpe and Aspergillus niger GOx (PDB ID; 1cf3. We constructed oxygen-interacting structural models for GOxs, and predicted the residues responsible for oxidative half reaction with oxygen on the basis of the crystal structure of cholesterol oxidase as well as on the fact that both enzymes are members of the glucose/methanol/choline (GMC oxidoreductase family. Rational amino acid substitution resulted in the construction of an engineered GOx with drastically decreased oxidase activity and increased dehydrogenase activity, which was higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. As a result, the dehydrogenase/oxidase ratio of the engineered enzyme was more than 11-fold greater than that of the wild-type enzyme. These results indicate that alteration of the dehydrogenase/oxidase activity ratio of GOxs is possible by introducing a mutation into the putative functional residues responsible for oxidative half reaction with oxygen of these enzymes, resulting in a further increased dehydrogenase activity. This is the first study reporting the alteration of GOx electron acceptor preference from oxygen to an artificial electron acceptor.

  3. Efficient detection of total cholesterol using (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) bioelectrode based on ZnO matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batra, Neha; Sharma, Anjali; Tomar, Monika; Gupta, Vinay

    2014-01-01

    Present study highlights the importance of ZnO matrix prepared by vapour phase transport technique on platinum coated Si platform (ZnO/Pt/Si) as a potential matrix for the realization of highly sensitive and selective bioelectrode for detection of total cholesterol. Bienzymes cholesterol esterase (ChEt) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) have been immobilized onto the surface of ZnO thin film matrix by physical adsorption technique. The prepared bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is utilized for detection of total cholesterol using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is found to exhibit efficient sensing response characteristics with high sensitivity of 190 μA mM −1 cm −2 ; good linearity in the range of 0.5–12 mM total cholesterol concentration, and a very low Michaelis–Menten constant of 0.68 mM which indicates high affinity of bienzymes immobilized on ZnO towards the analyte (total cholesterol). The enhanced response is attributed to the development of ZnO thin film based matrix having good electron transport property and nanoporous morphology for effective loading of enzymes with favourable orientation. - Highlights: • Fabrication of a ZnO nanostructured thin film based efficient matrix • Utilizing prepared matrix for detection of total cholesterol (free + esterified) • Cholesterol oxidase and cholesterol esterase are the corresponding selective enzymes. • Vapour phase transport technique, for the fabrication of nanostructured ZnO matrix • The bioelectrode exhibits enhanced response characteristics towards total cholesterol detection

  4. Efficient detection of total cholesterol using (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) bioelectrode based on ZnO matrix

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batra, Neha; Sharma, Anjali [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Tomar, Monika [Department of Physics, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Gupta, Vinay, E-mail: drguptavinay@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

    2014-07-01

    Present study highlights the importance of ZnO matrix prepared by vapour phase transport technique on platinum coated Si platform (ZnO/Pt/Si) as a potential matrix for the realization of highly sensitive and selective bioelectrode for detection of total cholesterol. Bienzymes cholesterol esterase (ChEt) and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) have been immobilized onto the surface of ZnO thin film matrix by physical adsorption technique. The prepared bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is utilized for detection of total cholesterol using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The bioelectrode (ChEt–ChOx/ZnO/Pt/Si) is found to exhibit efficient sensing response characteristics with high sensitivity of 190 μA mM{sup −1} cm{sup −2}; good linearity in the range of 0.5–12 mM total cholesterol concentration, and a very low Michaelis–Menten constant of 0.68 mM which indicates high affinity of bienzymes immobilized on ZnO towards the analyte (total cholesterol). The enhanced response is attributed to the development of ZnO thin film based matrix having good electron transport property and nanoporous morphology for effective loading of enzymes with favourable orientation. - Highlights: • Fabrication of a ZnO nanostructured thin film based efficient matrix • Utilizing prepared matrix for detection of total cholesterol (free + esterified) • Cholesterol oxidase and cholesterol esterase are the corresponding selective enzymes. • Vapour phase transport technique, for the fabrication of nanostructured ZnO matrix • The bioelectrode exhibits enhanced response characteristics towards total cholesterol detection.

  5. Identification and characterization of an antennae-specific aldehyde oxidase from the navel orangeworm.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young-Moo Choo

    Full Text Available Antennae-specific odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs are postulated to inactivate odorant molecules after they convey their signal. Different classes of insect ODEs are specific to esters, alcohols, and aldehydes--the major functional groups of female-produced, hydrophobic sex pheromones from moth species. Esterases that rapidly inactive acetate and other esters have been well-studied, but less is known about aldehyde oxidases (AOXs. Here we report cloning of an aldehyde oxidase, AtraAOX2, from the antennae of the navel orangeworm (NOW, Amyelois transitella, and the first activity characterization of a recombinant insect AOX. AtraAOX2 gene spans 3,813 bp and encodes a protein with 1,270 amino acid residues. AtraAOX2 cDNA was expressed in baculovirus-infected insect Sf21 cells as a ≈280 kDa homodimer with 140 kDa subunits. Recombinant AtraAOX2 degraded Z11Z13-16Ald and plant volatile aldehydes as substrates. However, as expected for aldehyde oxidases, recombinant AtraAOX2 did not show specificity for Z11Z13-16Ald, the main constituent of the sex pheromone, but showed high activity for plant volatile aldehydes. Our data suggest AtraAOX2 might be involved in degradation of a diversity of aldehydes including sex pheromones, plant-derived semiochemicals, and chemical cues for oviposition sites. Additionally, AtraAOX2 could protect the insect's olfactory system from xenobiotics, including pesticides that might reach the sensillar lymph surrounding the olfactory receptor neurons.

  6. Inactivation of purified human recombinant monoamine oxidases A and B by rasagiline and its analogues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubálek, Frantisek; Binda, Claudia; Li, Min; Herzig, Yaacov; Sterling, Jeffrey; Youdim, Moussa B H; Mattevi, Andrea; Edmondson, Dale E

    2004-03-25

    The inactivation of purified human recombinant monoamine oxidases (MAO) A and B by rasagiline [N-propargyl-1(R)-aminoindan] and four of its analogues [N-propargyl-1(S)-aminoindan (S-PAI), 6-hydroxy-N-propargyl-1(R)-aminoindan (R-HPAI), N-methyl-N-propargyl-1(R)-aminoindan (R-MPAI), and 6-(N-methyl-N-ethyl carbamoyloxy)-N-propargyl-1(R)-aminoindan (R-CPAI)] has been investigated. All compounds tested, with the exception of R-CPAI, form stoichiometric N(5) flavocyanine adducts with the FAD moiety of either enzyme. No H(2)O(2) is produced during either MAO A or MAO B inactivation, which demonstrates that covalent addition occurs in a single turnover. Rasagiline has the highest specificity for MAO B, as demonstrated by a 100-fold higher inhibition potency (k(inact)/K(i)) compared to MAO A, with the remaining compounds exhibiting lower isozyme specificities. MAO B and MAO A are more selective for the R-enantiomer (rasagiline) compared to the S-enantiomer (S-PAI) by 2500-fold and 17-fold, respectively. Differences in UV/vis and CD spectral data of the complexes of the studied compounds with both MAO A and MAO B are interpreted in light of crystallographic data of complexes of MAO B with rasagiline and its analogues (Binda, C.; et al. J. Med. Chem. 2004, 47, 1767-1774.

  7. Production, Purification, and Identification of Cholest-4-en-3-one Produced by Cholesterol Oxidase from sp. in Aqueous/Organic Biphasic System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke Wu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Cholest-4-en-3-one has positive uses against obesity, liver disease, and keratinization. It can be applied in the synthesis of steroid drugs as well. Most related studies are focused on preparation of cholest-4-en-3-one by using whole cells as catalysts, but production of high-quality cholest-4-en-3-one directly from cholesterol oxidase (COD using an aqueous/organic two-phase system has been rarely explored. This study set up an enzymatic reaction system to produce cholest-4-en-3-one. We developed and optimized the enzymatic reaction system using COD from COX5-6 (a strain of Rhodococcus instead of whole-cell biocatalyst. This not only simplifies and accelerates the production but also benefits the subsequent separation and purification process. Through extraction, washing, evaporation, column chromatography, and recrystallization, we got cholest-4-en-3-one with purity of 99.78%, which was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. In addition, this optimized process of cholest-4-en-3-one production and purification can be easily scaled up for industrial production, which can largely decrease the cost and guarantee the purity of the product.

  8. Production, Purification, and Identification of Cholest-4-en-3-one Produced by Cholesterol Oxidase from Rhodococcus sp. in Aqueous/Organic Biphasic System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Ke; Li, Wei; Song, Jianrui; Li, Tao

    2015-01-01

    Cholest-4-en-3-one has positive uses against obesity, liver disease, and keratinization. It can be applied in the synthesis of steroid drugs as well. Most related studies are focused on preparation of cholest-4-en-3-one by using whole cells as catalysts, but production of high-quality cholest-4-en-3-one directly from cholesterol oxidase (COD) using an aqueous/organic two-phase system has been rarely explored. This study set up an enzymatic reaction system to produce cholest-4-en-3-one. We developed and optimized the enzymatic reaction system using COD from COX5-6 (a strain of Rhodococcus) instead of whole-cell biocatalyst. This not only simplifies and accelerates the production but also benefits the subsequent separation and purification process. Through extraction, washing, evaporation, column chromatography, and recrystallization, we got cholest-4-en-3-one with purity of 99.78%, which was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. In addition, this optimized process of cholest-4-en-3-one production and purification can be easily scaled up for industrial production, which can largely decrease the cost and guarantee the purity of the product.

  9. Improvement of exopolysaccharide production in Lactobacillus casei LC2W by overexpression of NADH oxidase gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Nan; Wang, Yuanlong; Zhu, Ping; Liu, Zhenmin; Guo, Benheng; Ren, Jing

    2015-02-01

    Lactobacillus casei LC2W is an exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing strain with probiotic effects. To investigate the regulation mechanism of EPS biosynthesis and to improve EPS production through cofactor engineering, a H₂O-forming NADH oxidase gene was cloned from Streptococcus mutans and overexpressed in L. casei LC2W under the control of constitutive promoter P₂₃. The recombinant strain LC-nox exhibited 0.854 U/mL of NADH oxidase activity, which was elevated by almost 20-fold in comparison with that of wild-type strain. As a result, overexpression of NADH oxidase resulted in a reduction in growth rate. In addition, lactate production was decreased by 22% in recombinant strain. It was proposed that more carbon source was saved and used for the biosynthesis of EPS, the production of which was reached at 219.4 mg/L, increased by 46% compared to that of wild-type strain. This work provided a novel and convenient genetic approach to manipulate metabolic flux and to increase EPS production. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report which correlates cofactor engineering with EPS production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Improving Glyphosate Oxidation Activity of Glycine Oxidase from Bacillus cereus by Directed Evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhan, Tao; Zhang, Kai; Chen, Yangyan; Lin, Yongjun; Wu, Gaobing; Zhang, Lili; Yao, Pei; Shao, Zongze; Liu, Ziduo

    2013-01-01

    Glyphosate, a broad spectrum herbicide widely used in agriculture all over the world, inhibits 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase in the shikimate pathway, and glycine oxidase (GO) has been reported to be able to catalyze the oxidative deamination of various amines and cleave the C-N bond in glyphosate. Here, in an effort to improve the catalytic activity of the glycine oxidase that was cloned from a glyphosate-degrading marine strain of Bacillus cereus (BceGO), we used a bacteriophage T7 lysis-based method for high-throughput screening of oxidase activity and engineered the gene encoding BceGO by directed evolution. Six mutants exhibiting enhanced activity toward glyphosate were screened from two rounds of error-prone PCR combined with site directed mutagenesis, and the beneficial mutations of the six evolved variants were recombined by DNA shuffling. Four recombinants were generated and, when compared with the wild-type BceGO, the most active mutant B3S1 showed the highest activity, exhibiting a 160-fold increase in substrate affinity, a 326-fold enhancement in catalytic efficiency against glyphosate, with little difference between their pH and temperature stabilities. The role of these mutations was explored through structure modeling and molecular docking, revealing that the Arg51 mutation is near the active site and could be an important residue contributing to the stabilization of glyphosate binding, while the role of the remaining mutations is unclear. These results provide insight into the application of directed evolution in optimizing glycine oxidase function and have laid a foundation for the development of glyphosate-tolerant crops. PMID:24223901

  11. Improving glyphosate oxidation activity of glycine oxidase from Bacillus cereus by directed evolution.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tao Zhan

    Full Text Available Glyphosate, a broad spectrum herbicide widely used in agriculture all over the world, inhibits 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase in the shikimate pathway, and glycine oxidase (GO has been reported to be able to catalyze the oxidative deamination of various amines and cleave the C-N bond in glyphosate. Here, in an effort to improve the catalytic activity of the glycine oxidase that was cloned from a glyphosate-degrading marine strain of Bacillus cereus (BceGO, we used a bacteriophage T7 lysis-based method for high-throughput screening of oxidase activity and engineered the gene encoding BceGO by directed evolution. Six mutants exhibiting enhanced activity toward glyphosate were screened from two rounds of error-prone PCR combined with site directed mutagenesis, and the beneficial mutations of the six evolved variants were recombined by DNA shuffling. Four recombinants were generated and, when compared with the wild-type BceGO, the most active mutant B3S1 showed the highest activity, exhibiting a 160-fold increase in substrate affinity, a 326-fold enhancement in catalytic efficiency against glyphosate, with little difference between their pH and temperature stabilities. The role of these mutations was explored through structure modeling and molecular docking, revealing that the Arg(51 mutation is near the active site and could be an important residue contributing to the stabilization of glyphosate binding, while the role of the remaining mutations is unclear. These results provide insight into the application of directed evolution in optimizing glycine oxidase function and have laid a foundation for the development of glyphosate-tolerant crops.

  12. A point mutation of valine-311 to methionine in Bacillus subtilis protoporphyrinogen oxidase does not greatly increase resistance to the diphenyl ether herbicide oxyfluorfen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Eunjoo; Houn, Thavrak; Kuk, Yongin; Kim, Eun-Seon; Chandru, Hema Kumar; Baik, Myunggi; Back, Kyoungwhan; Guh, Ja-Ock; Han, Oksoo

    2003-10-01

    In an effort to asses the effect of Val311Met point mutation of Bacillus subtilis protoporphyrinogen oxidase on the resistance to diphenyl ether herbicides, a Val311Met point mutant of B. subtilis protoporphyrinogen oxidase was prepared, heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, and the purified recombinant Val311Met mutant protoporphyrinogen oxidase was kinetically characterized. The mutant protoporphyrinogen oxidase showed very similar kinetic patterns to wild type protoporphyrinogen oxidase, with slightly decreased activity dependent on pH and the concentrations of NaCl, Tween 20, and imidazole. When oxyfluorfen was used as a competitive inhibitor, the Val311Met mutant protoporphyrinogen oxidase showed an increased inhibition constant about 1.5 times that of wild type protoporphyrinogen oxidase. The marginal increase of the inhibition constant indicates that the Val311Met point mutation in B. subtilis protoporphyrinogen oxidase may not be an important determinant in the mechanism that protects protoporphyrinogen oxidase against diphenyl ether herbicides.

  13. Fast cholesterol detection using flow injection microfluidic device with functionalized carbon nanotubes based electrochemical sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wisitsoraat, A; Sritongkham, P; Karuwan, C; Phokharatkul, D; Maturos, T; Tuantranont, A

    2010-12-15

    This work reports a new cholesterol detection scheme using functionalized carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode in a polydimethylsiloxane/glass based flow injection microfluidic chip. CNTs working, silver reference and platinum counter electrode layers were fabricated on the chip by sputtering and low temperature chemical vapor deposition methods. Cholesterol oxidase prepared in polyvinyl alcohol solution was immobilized on CNTs by in-channel flow technique. Cholesterol analysis based on flow injection chronoamperometric measurement was performed in 150-μm-wide and 150-μm-deep microchannels. Fast and sensitive real-time detection was achieved with high throughput of more than 60 samples per hour and small sample volume of 15 μl. The cholesterol sensor had a linear detection range between 50 and 400 mg/dl. In addition, low cross-sensitivities toward glucose, ascorbic acid, acetaminophen and uric acid were confirmed. The proposed system is promising for clinical diagnostics of cholesterol with high speed real-time detection capability, very low sample consumption, high sensitivity, low interference and good stability. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Portable cholesterol detection with polyaniline-carbon nanotube film based interdigitated electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Le Huy; Nguyen, Ngoc Thinh; Nguyen, Hai Binh; Tran, Dai Lam; Nguyen, Tuan Dung

    2012-01-01

    Polyaniline-carboxylic multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite film (PANi-MWCNT) has been polymerized on the surface of interdigitated platinum electrode (fabricated by MEMS technology) which was compatibly connected to Autolab interface via universal serial bus (USB). An amperometric biosensor based on covalent immobilization of cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) on PANi–MWCNT film with potassium ferricyanide (FeCN) as the redox mediator was developed. The mediator helps to shuttle the electrons between the immobilized ChOx and the PANi-MWCNT electrode, therefore operating at a low potential of −0.3 V compared to the saturated calomel electrode (SCE). This potential precludes the interfering compounds from oxidization. The bio-electrode exhibits good linearity from 0.02 to 1.2 mM cholesterol concentration with a correlation coefficient of 0.9985

  15. Inactivation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase involves oxidative modifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barlow, J N; Zhang, Z; John, P; Baldwin, J E; Schofield, C J

    1997-03-25

    1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) oxidase catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of the plant signaling molecule ethylene. It is a member of the ferrous iron dependent family of oxidases and dioxygenases and is unusual in that it displays a very short half-life under catalytic conditions, typically less than 20 min, and a requirement for CO2 as an activator. The rates of inactivation of purified, recombinant ACC oxidase from tomato under various combinations of substrates and cofactors were measured. Inactivation was relatively slow in the presence of buffer alone (t1/2 > 1 h), but fast in the presence of ferrous iron and ascorbate (t1/2 approximately 10 min). The rate of iron/ascorbate-mediated inactivation was increased by the addition of ACC, unaffected by the addition of CO2 at saturation (supplied as bicarbonate) but decreased by the addition of catalase or ACC + CO2 at saturation (supplied as bicarbonate). Iron/ascorbate-mediated inactivation was accompanied by partial proteolysis as observed by SDS-PAGE analysis. The fragmentation pattern was altered when ACC was also included, suggesting that ACC can bind to ACC oxidase in the absence of bicarbonate. N-terminal sequencing of fragments resulted in identification of an internal cleavage site which we propose is proximate to active-site bound iron. Thus, ACC oxidase inactivates via relatively slow partial unfolding of the catalytically active conformation, oxidative damage mediated via hydrogen peroxide which is catalase protectable and oxidative damage to the active site which results in partial proteolysis and is not catalase protectable.

  16. An amperometric bienzymatic cholesterol biosensor based on functionalized graphene modified electrode and its electrocatalytic activity towards total cholesterol determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manjunatha, Revanasiddappa; Shivappa Suresh, Gurukar; Melo, Jose Savio; D'Souza, Stanislaus F; Venkatesha, Thimmappa Venkatarangaiah

    2012-09-15

    Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and cholesterol esterase (ChEt) have been covalently immobilized onto functionalized graphene (FG) modified graphite electrode. Enzymes modified electrodes were characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). FG accelerates the electron transfer from electrode surface to the immobilized ChOx, achieving the direct electrochemistry of ChOx. A well defined redox peak was observed, corresponding to the direct electron transfer of the FAD/FADH(2) of ChOx. The electron transfer coefficient (α) and electron transfer rate constant (K(s)) were calculated and their values are found to be 0.31 and 0.78 s(-1), respectively. For the free cholesterol determination, ChOx-FG/Gr electrode exhibits a sensitive response from 50 to 350 μM (R=-0.9972) with a detection limit of 5 μM. For total cholesterol determination, co-immobilization of ChEt and ChOx on modified electrode, i.e. (ChEt/ChOx)-FG/Gr electrode showed linear range from 50 to 300 μM (R=-0.9982) with a detection limit of 15 μM. Some common interferents like glucose, ascorbic acid and uric acid did not cause any interference, due to the use of a low operating potential. The FG/Gr electrode exhibits good electrocatalytic activity towards hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). A wide linear response to H(2)O(2) ranging from 0.5 to 7 mM (R=-0.9967) with a sensitivity of 443.25 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) has been obtained. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Direct comparison of gluco-oligosaccharide oxidase variants and glucose oxidase: substrate range and H2O2 stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vuong, Thu V; Foumani, Maryam; MacCormick, Benjamin; Kwan, Rachel; Master, Emma R

    2016-11-21

    Glucose oxidase (GO) activity is generally restricted to glucose and is susceptible to inactivation by H 2 O 2 . By comparison, the Y300A variant of gluco-oligosaccharide oxidase (GOOX) from Sarocladium strictum showed broader substrate range and higher H 2 O 2 stability. Specifically, Y300A exhibited up to 40 times higher activity on all tested sugars except glucose, compared to GO. Moreover, fusion of the Y300A variant to a family 22 carbohydrate binding module from Clostridium thermocellum (CtCBM22A) nearly doubled its catalytic efficiency on glucose, while retaining significant activity on oligosaccharides. In the presence of 200 mM of H 2 O 2 , the recombinant CtCBM22A_Y300A retained 80% of activity on glucose and 100% of activity on cellobiose, the preferred substrate for this enzyme. By contrast, a commercial glucose oxidase reported to contain ≤0.1 units catalase/ mg protein, retained 60% activity on glucose under the same conditions. GOOX variants appear to undergo a different mechanism of inactivation, as a loss of histidine instead of methionine was observed after H 2 O 2 incubation. The addition of CtCBM22A also promoted functional binding of the fusion enzyme to xylan, facilitating its simultaneous purification and immobilization using edible oat spelt xylan, which might benefit the usage of this enzyme preparation in food and baking applications.

  18. Pyranose 2-oxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium : expression in E. coli and biochemical characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ines Pisanelli; Magdalena Kujawa; Oliver Spadiut; Roman Kittl; Petr Halada; Jindrich Volc; Michael D. Mozuch; Philip Kersten; Dietmar Haltrich; Clemens Peterbauer

    2009-01-01

    The presented work reports the isolation and heterologous expression of the p2ox gene encoding the flavoprotein pyranose 2-oxidase (P2Ox) from the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The p2ox cDNA was inserted into the bacterial expression vector pET21a(+) and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. We obtained active, fully flavinylated recombinant P2Ox in...

  19. [The X+ chronic granulomatous disease as a fabulous model to study the NADPH oxidase complex activation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stasia, Marie-José

    2007-05-01

    Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare inherited disorder in which phagocytes lack NADPH oxidase activity. Patients with CGD suffer from recurrent bacterial and fungal infections because of the absence of superoxide anions (O2- degrees ) generatingsystem. The NADPH oxidase complex is composed of a membranous cytochrome b558, cytosolic proteins p67phox, p47phox, p40phox and two small GTPases Rac2 and Rap1A. Cytochrome b558 consists of two sub-units gp91phox and p22phox. The most common form of CGD is due to mutations in CYBB gene encoding gp91phox. In some rare cases, the mutated gp91phox is normally expressed but is devoided of oxidase activity. These variants called X+ CGD, have provided interesting informations about oxidase activation mechanisms. However modelization of such variants is necessary to obtain enough biological material for studies at the molecular level. A cellular model (knock-out PLB-985 cells) has been developed for expressing recombinant mutated gp91phox for functional analysis of the oxidase complex. Recent works demonstrated that this cell line genetically deficient in gp91phox is a powerful tool for functional analysis of the NADPH oxidase complex activation.

  20. Bioconversion of Airborne Methylamine by Immobilized Recombinant Amine Oxidase from the Thermotolerant Yeast Hansenula polymorpha

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sasi Sigawi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Aliphatic amines, including methylamine, are air-pollutants, due to their intensive use in industry and the natural degradation of proteins, amino acids, and other nitrogen-containing compounds in biological samples. It is necessary to develop systems for removal of methylamine from the air, since airborne methylamine has a negative effect on human health. The primary amine oxidase (primary amine : oxygen oxidoreductase (deaminating or amine oxidase, AMO; EC 1.4.3.21, a copper-containing enzyme from the thermotolerant yeast Hansenula polymorpha which was overexpressed in baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was tested for its ability to oxidize airborne methylamine. A continuous fluidized bed bioreactor (CFBR was designed to enable bioconversion of airborne methylamine by AMO immobilized in calcium alginate (CA beads. The results demonstrated that the bioreactor with immobilized AMO eliminates nearly 97% of the airborne methylamine. However, the enzymatic activity of AMO causes formation of formaldehyde. A two-step bioconversion process was therefore proposed. In the first step, airborne methylamine was fed into a CFBR which contained immobilized AMO. In the second step, the gas flow was passed through another CFBR, with alcohol oxidase from the yeast H. polymorpha immobilized in CA, in order to decompose the formaldehyde formed in the first step. The proposed system provided almost total elimination of the airborne methylamine and the formaldehyde.

  1. Biocatalytic potential of laccase-like multicopper oxidases from Aspergillus niger

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamayo-Ramos Juan Antonio

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Laccase-like multicopper oxidases have been reported in several Aspergillus species but they remain uncharacterized. The biocatalytic potential of the Aspergillus niger fungal pigment multicopper oxidases McoA and McoB and ascomycete laccase McoG was investigated. Results The laccase-like multicopper oxidases McoA, McoB and McoG from the commonly used cell factory Aspergillus niger were homologously expressed, purified and analyzed for their biocatalytic potential. All three recombinant enzymes were monomers with apparent molecular masses ranging from 80 to 110 kDa. McoA and McoG resulted to be blue, whereas McoB was yellow. The newly obtained oxidases displayed strongly different activities towards aromatic compounds and synthetic dyes. McoB exhibited high catalytic efficiency with N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPPDA and 2,2-azino-di(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid (ABTS, and appeared to be a promising biocatalyst. Besides oxidizing a variety of phenolic compounds, McoB catalyzed successfully the decolorization and detoxification of the widely used textile dye malachite green. Conclusions The A. niger McoA, McoB, and McoG enzymes showed clearly different catalytic properties. Yellow McoB showed broad substrate specificity, catalyzing the oxidation of several phenolic compounds commonly present in different industrial effluents. It also harbored high decolorization and detoxification activity with the synthetic dye malachite green, showing to have an interesting potential as a new industrial biocatalyst.

  2. Nanostructured zinc oxide thin film for application to surface plasmon resonance based cholesterol biosensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Gurpreet; Tomar, Monika; Gupta, Vinay

    2015-11-01

    ZnO thin film was deposited on gold coated glass prism by RF sputtering technique in glancing angle deposition (GLAD) configuration. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the deposited film were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. ZnO coated Au prisms (ZnO/Au/prism) were used to excite surface plasmons in Kretschmann configuration at the Au- ZnO interface on a laboratory assembled Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) measurement setup. Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) enzyme was immobilized on the ZnO/Au/prism structure by physical adsorption technique. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels were fabricated over ChOx/ZnO/Au/prism system and various concentrations of cholesterol were passed over the sensor surface. The concentration of cholesterol was varied from 0.12 to 10.23 mM and the SPR reflectance curves were recorded in both static as well as dynamic modes demonstrating a high sensitivity of 0.36° mM-1.

  3. Crystallization of carbohydrate oxidase from Microdochium nivale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dušková, Jarmila; Dohnálek, Jan; Skálová, Tereza; Østergaard, Lars Henrik; Fuglsang, Claus Crone; Kolenko, Petr; Štěpánková, Andrea; Hašek, Jindřich

    2009-01-01

    Industrially used carbohydrate oxidase was successfully crystallized in several forms, diffraction data suitable for structural analysis were collected. Microdochium nivale carbohydrate oxidase was produced by heterologous recombinant expression in Aspergillus oryzae, purified and crystallized. The enzyme crystallizes with varying crystal morphologies depending on the crystallization conditions. Several different crystal forms were obtained using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method, two of which were used for diffraction measurements. Hexagon-shaped crystals (form I) diffracted to 2.66 Å resolution, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 55.7, c = 610.4 Å and apparent space group P6 2 22. Analysis of the data quality showed almost perfect twinning of the crystals. Attempts to solve the structure by molecular replacement did not give satisfactory results. Recently, clusters of rod-shaped crystals (form II) were grown in a solution containing PEG MME 550. These crystals belonged to the monoclinic system C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 132.9, b = 56.6, c = 86.5 Å, β = 95.7°. Data sets were collected to a resolution of 2.4 Å. The structure was solved by the molecular-replacement method. Model refinement is currently in progress

  4. Free cholesterol accumulation impairs antioxidant activities and aggravates apoptotic cell death in menadione-induced oxidative injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Waisin; Xu, Mingjing; Li, Yue; Gu, Yong; Chen, Jianping; Wong, Derek; Fung, Peter C W; Shen, Jiangang

    2011-10-01

    Although the relationship between hypercholesterolemia and oxidative stress has been extensively investigated, direct evidence regarding to the roles of cholesterol accumulation in the generations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic cell death under oxidative stress is lack. In this study, we investigated productions of superoxide anions (O(2)(-)) and nitric oxide (NO), and apoptotic cell death in wild type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and cholesterol accumulated CHO cells genetically and chemically. Oxidative stress was induced by menadione challenge. The results revealed that abundance of free cholesterol (FC) promoted menadione-induced O(2)(-) and NO productions. FC accumulation down-regulated eNOS expression but up-regulated NADPH oxidases, and inhibited the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Treatment of menadione increased the expressions of iNOS and qp91 phox, enhanced the activities of SOD and catalase in the wild-type CHO cells but inhibited the activity of glutathione peroxidase in the cholesterol accumulated CHO cells. Moreover, FC abundance promoted apoptotic cell death in these cells. Taken together, those results suggest that free cholesterol accumulation aggravates menadione-induced oxidative stress and exacerbates apoptotic cell death. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Biochemical Conservation and Evolution of Germacrene A Oxidase in Asteraceae*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Don Trinh; Göpfert, Jens Christian; Ikezawa, Nobuhiro; MacNevin, Gillian; Kathiresan, Meena; Conrad, Jürgen; Spring, Otmar; Ro, Dae-Kyun

    2010-01-01

    Sesquiterpene lactones are characteristic natural products in Asteraceae, which constitutes ∼8% of all plant species. Despite their physiological and pharmaceutical importance, the biochemistry and evolution of sesquiterpene lactones remain unexplored. Here we show that germacrene A oxidase (GAO), evolutionarily conserved in all major subfamilies of Asteraceae, catalyzes three consecutive oxidations of germacrene A to yield germacrene A acid. Furthermore, it is also capable of oxidizing non-natural substrate amorphadiene. Co-expression of lettuce GAO with germacrene synthase in engineered yeast synthesized aberrant products, costic acids and ilicic acid, in an acidic condition. However, cultivation in a neutral condition allowed the de novo synthesis of a single novel compound that was identified as germacrene A acid by gas and liquid chromatography and NMR analyses. To trace the evolutionary lineage of GAO in Asteraceae, homologous genes were further isolated from the representative species of three major subfamilies of Asteraceae (sunflower, chicory, and costus from Asteroideae, Cichorioideae, and Carduoideae, respectively) and also from the phylogenetically basal species, Barnadesia spinosa, from Barnadesioideae. The recombinant GAOs from these genes clearly showed germacrene A oxidase activities, suggesting that GAO activity is widely conserved in Asteraceae including the basal lineage. All GAOs could catalyze the three-step oxidation of non-natural substrate amorphadiene to artemisinic acid, whereas amorphadiene oxidase diverged from GAO displayed negligible activity for germacrene A oxidation. The observed amorphadiene oxidase activity in GAOs suggests that the catalytic plasticity is embedded in ancestral GAO enzymes that may contribute to the chemical and catalytic diversity in nature. PMID:20351109

  6. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitory Constituents of Propolis: Kinetics and Mechanism of Inhibition of Recombinant Human MAO-A and MAO-B

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narayan D. Chaurasiya

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Propolis is the resinous material that bees gather from leaf buds, flowers and vegetables. Propolis extracts contain constituents with a broad spectra of pharmacological properties and are important ingredients of popular dietary supplements. Propolis extracts were evaluated in vitro for inhibition of recombinant human monoamine oxidase (MAO-A and MAO-B. The dichloromethane extract of propolis showed potent inhibition of human MAO-A and MAO-B. Further fractionation identified the most active fractions as rich in flavonoids. Galangin and apigenin were identified as the principal MAO-inhibitory constituents. Inhibition of MAO-A by galangin was about 36 times more selective than MAO-B, while apigenin selectivity for MAO-A vs. MAO-B was about 1.7 fold. Apigenin inhibited MAO-B significantly more potently than galangin. Galangin and apigenin were further evaluated for kinetic characteristics and the mechanism for the enzymes’ inhibition. Binding of galangin and apigenin with MAO-A and -B was not time-dependent and was reversible, as suggested by enzyme-inhibitor binding and dissociation-dialysis assay. The inhibition kinetics studies suggested that galangin and apigenin inhibited MAO-A and -B by a competitive mechanism. Presence of prominent MAO inhibitory constituents in propolis products suggests their potential for eliciting pharmacological effects that might be useful in depression or other neurological disorders. The results may also have important implications in drug-dietary supplement interactions.

  7. Fabrication and characterization of junctionless carbon nanotube field effect transistor for cholesterol detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barik, Md. Abdul, E-mail: abdulnpl@gmail.com; Dutta, Jiten Ch. [Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Tezpur University, Napaam, Tezpur, Assam 784028 (India)

    2014-08-04

    We have reported fabrication and characterization of polyaniline (PANI)/zinc oxide (ZnO) membrane-based junctionless carbon nanotube field effect transistor deposited on indium tin oxide glass plate for the detection of cholesterol (0.5–22.2 mM). Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) has been immobilized on the PANI/ZnO membrane by physical adsorption technique. Electrical response has been recorded using digital multimeter (Agilent 3458A) in the presence of phosphate buffer saline of 50 mM, pH 7.0, and 0.9% NaCl contained in a glass pot. The results of response studies for cholesterol reveal linearity as 0.5–16.6 mM and improved sensitivity of 60 mV/decade in good agreement with Nernstian limit ∼59.2 mV/decade. The life time of this sensor has been found up to 5 months and response time of 1 s. The limit of detection with regression coefficient (r) ∼ 0.998 and Michaelis-Menten constant (K{sub m}) were found to be ∼0.25 and 1.4 mM, respectively, indicating high affinity of ChOx to cholesterol. The results obtained in this work show negligible interference with glucose and urea.

  8. Two-phase synthesis of hydrophobic ionic liquid-capped gold nanoparticles and their application for sensing cholesterol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, Mingjun; Nan, Zhihan; Liu, Panpan; Zhang, Yanjun; Xue, Zhonghua; Lu, Xiaoquan; Liu, Xiuhui

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A novel cholesterol biosensor was constructed based on ChOx-IL-capped-AuNPs/GCE. • IL-capped-AuNPs was synthesized using two-phase synthesis and employed as a conducting matrix to immobilize ChOx. • Direct electrochemistry of ChOx on the electrode was obtained. • The ChOx-IL-capped-AuNPs/GCE exhibit remarkable performance for cholesterol detection. - Abstract: A novel scheme for fabrication of hydrophobic ionic liquid-capped gold nanoparticles (IL-capped AuNPs) modified electrode is presented and its application potential for cholesterol biosensor is investigated. Highly stable gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicated that IL-capped AuNPs nanocomposites showed excellent electrical conductivity. Furthermore, cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) was directly immobilized on the IL-capped AuNPs nanocomposite, and then the direct electrochemistry of ChOx on the modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) was obtained. As a new platform in cholesterol analysis, ChOx-IL-capped AuNPs/GCE exhibited a linear response to cholesterol in the range of 0.1–50 μM with a detection limit of 0.033 μM. Therefore, hydrophobic ionic liquid-capped gold nanoparticles would serve as a good candidate material to construct the related enzyme biosensors

  9. MLN64 induces mitochondrial dysfunction associated with increased mitochondrial cholesterol content

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa Balboa

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available MLN64 is a late endosomal cholesterol-binding membrane protein that has been implicated in cholesterol transport from endosomal membranes to the plasma membrane and/or mitochondria, in toxin-induced resistance, and in mitochondrial dysfunction. Down-regulation of MLN64 in Niemann-Pick C1 deficient cells decreased mitochondrial cholesterol content, suggesting that MLN64 functions independently of NPC1. However, the role of MLN64 in the maintenance of endosomal cholesterol flow and intracellular cholesterol homeostasis remains unclear. We have previously described that hepatic MLN64 overexpression increases liver cholesterol content and induces liver damage. Here, we studied the function of MLN64 in normal and NPC1-deficient cells and we evaluated whether MLN64 overexpressing cells exhibit alterations in mitochondrial function. We used recombinant-adenovirus-mediated MLN64 gene transfer to overexpress MLN64 in mouse liver and hepatic cells; and RNA interference to down-regulate MLN64 in NPC1-deficient cells. In MLN64-overexpressing cells, we found increased mitochondrial cholesterol content and decreased glutathione (GSH levels and ATPase activity. Furthermore, we found decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial fragmentation and increased mitochondrial superoxide levels in MLN64-overexpressing cells and in NPC1-deficient cells. Consequently, MLN64 expression was increased in NPC1-deficient cells and reduction of its expression restore mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial superoxide levels. Our findings suggest that MLN64 overexpression induces an increase in mitochondrial cholesterol content and consequently a decrease in mitochondrial GSH content leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, we demonstrate that MLN64 expression is increased in NPC cells and plays a key role in cholesterol transport into the mitochondria.

  10. Heterologous Expression of Phanerochaete chrysoporium Glyoxal Oxidase and its Application for the Coupled Reaction with Manganese Peroxidase to Decolorize Malachite Green

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Yu-Lim; Kim, Hyoun-Young; Thiyagarajan, Saravanakumar; Xu, Jing Jing

    2012-01-01

    cDNA of the glx1 gene encoding glyoxal oxidase (GLX) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium was isolated and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant GLX (rGLX) produces H2O2 over 7.0 nmol/min/mL using methyl glyoxal as a substrate. Use of rGLX as a generator of H2O2 improved the coupled reaction with recombinant manganese peroxidase resulting in decolorization of malachite green up to 150 µM within 90 min. PMID:23323052

  11. Langmuir-Blodgett film based on MEH-PPV for cholesterol biosensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matharu, Zimple; Arya, Sunil K.; Singh, S.P.; Gupta, Vinay; Malhotra, B.D.

    2009-01-01

    Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) has been immobilized onto conducting poly[2-methoxy,5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV)/stearic acid (SA) Langmuir-Blodgett film transferred onto octadecanethiol (ODT) modified gold plate. The ChOx/MEH-PPV/SA LB film bioelectrode exhibits has been characterized by FT-IR, contact angle, and atomic force microscopy. The response of the ChOx/MEH-PPV/SA LB film bioelectrode carried out using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) studies reveal linearity from 1.29 to 12.91 mM of cholesterol concentration and response time as 30 s. This ChOx/MEH-PPV/SA bioelectrode exhibits values of correlation coefficient as 0.9939, standard deviation as 0.0029 μA and limit of detection as 1.66 mM. UV-visible spectrophotometer studies reveal that 5.2 x 10 -3 U of ChOx are actively working per cm 2 area of ChOx/MEH-PPV/SA LB film bioelectrode and this bioelectrode is thermally stable upto 55 deg. C with reusability of about 60 times

  12. Langmuir-Blodgett film based on MEH-PPV for cholesterol biosensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matharu, Zimple [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Arya, Sunil K.; Singh, S.P. [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India); Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India); Malhotra, B.D. [Biomolecular Electronics and Conducting Polymer Research Group, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi 110012 (India)], E-mail: bansi.malhotra@gmail.com

    2009-02-23

    Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) has been immobilized onto conducting poly[2-methoxy,5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV)/stearic acid (SA) Langmuir-Blodgett film transferred onto octadecanethiol (ODT) modified gold plate. The ChOx/MEH-PPV/SA LB film bioelectrode exhibits has been characterized by FT-IR, contact angle, and atomic force microscopy. The response of the ChOx/MEH-PPV/SA LB film bioelectrode carried out using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) studies reveal linearity from 1.29 to 12.91 mM of cholesterol concentration and response time as 30 s. This ChOx/MEH-PPV/SA bioelectrode exhibits values of correlation coefficient as 0.9939, standard deviation as 0.0029 {mu}A and limit of detection as 1.66 mM. UV-visible spectrophotometer studies reveal that 5.2 x 10{sup -3} U of ChOx are actively working per cm{sup 2} area of ChOx/MEH-PPV/SA LB film bioelectrode and this bioelectrode is thermally stable upto 55 deg. C with reusability of about 60 times.

  13. Involvement of NADH Oxidase in Competition and Endocarditis Virulence in Streptococcus sanguinis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Xiuchun; Yu, Yang; Zhang, Min; Chen, Lei; Chen, Weihua; Elrami, Fadi; Kong, Fanxiang; Kitten, Todd; Xu, Ping

    2016-05-01

    Here, we report for the first time that the Streptococcus sanguinis nox gene encoding NADH oxidase is involved in both competition with Streptococcus mutans and virulence for infective endocarditis. An S. sanguinis nox mutant was found to fail to inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans under microaerobic conditions. In the presence of oxygen, the recombinant Nox protein of S. sanguinis could reduce oxygen to water and oxidize NADH to NAD(+) The oxidation of NADH to NAD(+) was diminished in the nox mutant. The nox mutant exhibited decreased levels of extracellular H2O2; however, the intracellular level of H2O2 in the mutant was increased. Furthermore, the virulence of the nox mutant was attenuated in a rabbit endocarditis model. The nox mutant also was shown to be more sensitive to blood killing, oxidative and acid stresses, and reduced growth in serum. Thus, NADH oxidase contributes to multiple phenotypes related to competitiveness in the oral cavity and systemic virulence. Copyright © 2016 Ge et al.

  14. Dietary and biliary cholesterol absorption in rats. Effect of dietary cholesterol level and cholesterol saturation of bile

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, M.D.

    1985-01-01

    The principal objective of this research was to determine if cholesterol introduced into the duodenum of rats in a micellar form as occurs with bile, is absorbed more efficiently than cholesterol presented in a nonmicellar form, as occurs with dietary cholesterol. Cholesterol absorption was measured during the constant intraduodenal infusion of liquid diets ([ 14 C] cholesterol) and artificial biles ([ 3 H] cholesterol) in thoracic lymph duct cannulated rats. Percentage absorption was calculated by dividing the rate of appearance of radiolabeled cholesterol in lymph by its rate of infusion when lymph cholesterol specific activity was constant. Results provide strong evidence that under certain conditions biliary cholesterol is more efficiently absorbed than is dietary cholesterol, and that this differential must be considered when evaluating the influence of diet or drug therapy on cholesterol absorption

  15. What's Cholesterol?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... LDL. Most cholesterol is LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is more likely to clog blood vessels because ... Here's a way to remember the difference: the LDL cholesterol is the bad kind, so call it "lousy" ...

  16. Cloning and expression of a novel lysophospholipase which structurally resembles lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taniyama, Y; Shibata, S; Kita, S; Horikoshi, K; Fuse, H; Shirafuji, H; Sumino, Y; Fujino, M

    1999-04-02

    Lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is the key enzyme in the esterification of plasma cholesterol and in the reverse cholesterol transport on high-density lipoprotein (HDL). We have found a novel LCAT-related gene among differentially expressed cDNA fragments between two types of foam cells derived from THP-1 cells, which are different in cholesterol efflux ability, using a subtractive PCR technique. The deduced 412-amino-acid sequence has 49% amino acid sequence similarity with human LCAT. In contrast to the liver-specific expression of LCAT, mRNA expression of the gene was observed mainly in peripheral tissues including kidney, placenta, pancreas, testis, spleen, heart, and skeletal muscle. The protein exists in human plasma and is probably associated with HDL. Moreover, we discovered that the recombinant protein hydrolyzed lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC), a proatherogenic lipid, to glycerophosphorylcholine and a free fatty acid. We have therefore named this novel enzyme LCAT-like lysophospholipase (LLPL), through which a new catabolic pathway for lysoPC on lipoproteins could be elucidated. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

  17. Three Redox States of Trypanosoma brucei Alternative Oxidase Identified by Infrared Spectroscopy and Electrochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maréchal, Amandine; Kido, Yasutoshi; Kita, Kiyoshi; Moore, Anthony L.; Rich, Peter R.

    2009-01-01

    Electrochemistry coupled with Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectroscopy was used to investigate the redox properties of recombinant alternative ubiquinol oxidase from Trypanosoma brucei, the organism responsible for African sleeping sickness. Stepwise reduction of the fully oxidized resting state of recombinant alternative ubiquinol oxidase revealed two distinct IR redox difference spectra. The first of these, signal 1, titrates in the reductive direction as an n = 2 Nernstian component with an apparent midpoint potential of 80 mV at pH 7.0. However, reoxidation of signal 1 in the same potential range under anaerobic conditions did not occur and only began with potentials in excess of 500 mV. Reoxidation by introduction of oxygen was also unsuccessful. Signal 1 contained clear features that can be assigned to protonation of at least one carboxylate group, further perturbations of carboxylic and histidine residues, bound ubiquinone, and a negative band at 1554 cm−1 that might arise from a radical in the fully oxidized protein. A second distinct IR redox difference spectrum, signal 2, appeared more slowly once signal 1 had been reduced. This component could be reoxidized with potentials above 100 mV. In addition, when both signals 1 and 2 were reduced, introduction of oxygen caused rapid oxidation of both components. These data are interpreted in terms of the possible active site structure and mechanism of oxygen reduction to water. PMID:19767647

  18. Glucose oxidase variants with improved properities

    OpenAIRE

    Fischer, Rainer; Ostafe, Raluca; Prodanovic, Radivoje

    2014-01-01

    Source: WO14173822A3 [EN] The technology provided herein relates to novel variants of microbial glucose oxidase with improved properties, more specifically to polypeptides having glucose oxidase activity as their major enzymatic activity; to nucleic acid molecules encoding said glucose oxidases; vectors and host cells containing the nucleic acids and methods for producing the glucose oxidase; compositions comprising said glucose oxidase; methods for the preparation and production of such enzy...

  19. What Is Cholesterol?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... of Cholesterol There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL and HDL. The cholesterol blood test tells how much of each kind you have. Most cholesterol is LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. This type is most ...

  20. Reference intervals for serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Reference intervals of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol concentrations were determined on 309 blood donors from an urban and peri-urban population of Botswana. Using non-parametric methods to establish 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of the distribution, the intervals were: total cholesterol 2.16 ...

  1. Preferential inhibition of the plasma membrane NADH oxidase (NOX) activity by diphenyleneiodonium chloride with NADPH as donor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morre, D. James

    2002-01-01

    The cell-surface NADH oxidase (NOX) protein of plant and animal cells will utilize both NADH and NADPH as reduced electron donors for activity. The two activities are distinguished by a differential inhibition by the redox inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI). Using both plasma membranes and cells, activity with NADPH as donor was markedly inhibited by DPI at submicromolar concentrations, whereas with NADH as donor, DPI was much less effective or had no effect on the activity. The possibility of the inhibition being the result of two different enzymes was eliminated by the use of a recombinant NOX protein. The findings support the concept that NOX proteins serve as terminal oxidases for plasma membrane electron transport involving cytosolic reduced pyridine nucleotides as the natural electron donors and with molecular oxygen as the electron acceptor.

  2. Activation of Recombinantly Expressed l-Amino Acid Oxidase from Rhizoctonia solani by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharina Hahn

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available l-Amino acid oxidases (l-AAO catalyze the oxidative deamination of l-amino acids to the corresponding α-keto acids. The non-covalently bound cofactor FAD is reoxidized by oxygen under formation of hydrogen peroxide. We expressed an active l-AAO from the fungus Rhizoctonia solani as a fusion protein in E. coli. Treatment with small amounts of the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS stimulated the activity of the enzyme strongly. Here, we investigated whether other detergents and amphiphilic molecules activate 9His-rsLAAO1. We found that 9His-rsLAAO1 was also activated by sodium tetradecyl sulfate. Other detergents and fatty acids were not effective. Moreover, effects of SDS on the oligomerization state and the protein structure were analyzed. Native and SDS-activated 9His-rsLAAO1 behaved as dimers by size-exclusion chromatography. SDS treatment induced an increase in hydrodynamic radius as observed by size-exclusion chromatography and dynamic light scattering. The activated enzyme showed accelerated thermal inactivation and an exposure of additional protease sites. Changes in tryptophan fluorescence point to a more hydrophilic environment. Moreover, FAD fluorescence increased and a lower concentration of sulfites was sufficient to form adducts with FAD. Taken together, these data point towards a more open conformation of SDS-activated l-amino acid oxidase facilitating access to the active site.

  3. A multicopper oxidase-related protein is essential for insect viability, longevity and ovary development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Zeyu; Green, Peter G; Arakane, Yasuyuki; Kanost, Michael R; Gorman, Maureen J

    2014-01-01

    Typical multicopper oxidases (MCOs) have ten conserved histidines and one conserved cysteine that coordinate four copper atoms. These copper ions are required for oxidase activity. During our studies of insect MCOs, we discovered a gene that we named multicopper oxidase-related protein (MCORP). MCORPs share sequence similarity with MCOs, but lack many of the copper-coordinating residues. We identified MCORP orthologs in many insect species, but not in other invertebrates or vertebrates. We predicted that MCORPs would lack oxidase activity due to the absence of copper-coordinating residues. To test this prediction, we purified recombinant Tribolium castaneum (red flour beetle) MCORP and analyzed its enzymatic activity using a variety of substrates. As expected, no oxidase activity was detected. To study MCORP function in vivo, we analyzed expression profiles of TcMCORP and Anopheles gambiae (African malaria mosquito) MCORP, and assessed RNAi-mediated knockdown phenotypes. We found that both MCORPs are constitutively expressed at a low level in all of the tissues we analyzed. Injection of TcMCORP dsRNA into larvae resulted in 100% mortality prior to adult eclosion, with death occurring mainly during the pharate pupal stage or late pharate adult stage. Injection of TcMCORP dsRNA into pharate pupae resulted in the death of approximately 20% of the treated insects during the pupal to adult transition and a greatly shortened life span for the remaining insects. In addition, knockdown of TcMCORP in females prevented oocyte maturation and, thus, greatly decreased the number of eggs laid. These results indicate that TcMCORP is an essential gene and that its function is required for reproduction. An understanding of the role MCORP plays in insect physiology may help to develop new strategies for controlling insect pests.

  4. Is Xanthine oxidase activity in polycystic ovary syndrome associated with inflammatory and cardiovascular risk factors?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isık, Hatice; Aynıoglu, Oner; Tımur, Hakan; Sahbaz, Ahmet; Harma, Muge; Can, Murat; Guven, Berrak; Alptekin, Husnu; Kokturk, Furuzan

    2016-08-01

    The aim of this study is to examine women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to determine the relationship between xanthine oxidase (XO) and oxidative stress, inflammatory status, and various clinical and biochemical parameters. In this cross-sectional study a total of 83 women including 45 PCOS patients and 38 healthy women were enrolled. We collected blood samples for XO and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, hormone levels, cholesterol values, and inflammatory markers. Body mass index (BMI) , waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and blood pressure were assessed. Blood samples were taken for hormonal levels, cholesterol levels, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell and neutrophil counts, XO and SOD activities. The basal hormone levels, triglyceride (TG) levels, TG/HDL-C (high density lipoprotein-cholesterol) ratios FPG, FPI and HOMA-IR levels were higher in PCOS patients compared to controls (pPCOS patients (pPCOS patients. Positive correlations between XO and inflammatory markers and cardiovascular disease risk factors suggest that XO plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PCOS and its metabolic complications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Characterization of a Flavoprotein Oxidase from Opium Poppy Catalyzing the Final Steps in Sanguinarine and Papaverine Biosynthesis*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagel, Jillian M.; Beaudoin, Guillaume A. W.; Fossati, Elena; Ekins, Andrew; Martin, Vincent J. J.; Facchini, Peter J.

    2012-01-01

    Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids are a diverse class of plant specialized metabolites that includes the analgesic morphine, the antimicrobials sanguinarine and berberine, and the vasodilator papaverine. The two-electron oxidation of dihydrosanguinarine catalyzed by dihydrobenzophenanthridine oxidase (DBOX) is the final step in sanguinarine biosynthesis. The formation of the fully conjugated ring system in sanguinarine is similar to the four-electron oxidations of (S)-canadine to berberine and (S)-tetrahydropapaverine to papaverine. We report the isolation and functional characterization of an opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) cDNA encoding DBOX, a flavoprotein oxidase with homology to (S)-tetrahydroprotoberberine oxidase and the berberine bridge enzyme. A query of translated opium poppy stem transcriptome databases using berberine bridge enzyme yielded several candidate genes, including an (S)-tetrahydroprotoberberine oxidase-like sequence selected for heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant enzyme preferentially catalyzed the oxidation of dihydrosanguinarine to sanguinarine but also converted (RS)-tetrahydropapaverine to papaverine and several protoberberine alkaloids to oxidized forms, including (RS)-canadine to berberine. The Km values of 201 and 146 μm for dihydrosanguinarine and the protoberberine alkaloid (S)-scoulerine, respectively, suggested high concentrations of these substrates in the plant. Virus-induced gene silencing to reduce DBOX transcript levels resulted in a corresponding reduction in sanguinarine, dihydrosanguinarine, and papaverine accumulation in opium poppy roots in support of DBOX as a multifunctional oxidative enzyme in BIA metabolism. PMID:23118227

  6. Characterization of a flavoprotein oxidase from opium poppy catalyzing the final steps in sanguinarine and papaverine biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagel, Jillian M; Beaudoin, Guillaume A W; Fossati, Elena; Ekins, Andrew; Martin, Vincent J J; Facchini, Peter J

    2012-12-14

    Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids are a diverse class of plant specialized metabolites that includes the analgesic morphine, the antimicrobials sanguinarine and berberine, and the vasodilator papaverine. The two-electron oxidation of dihydrosanguinarine catalyzed by dihydrobenzophenanthridine oxidase (DBOX) is the final step in sanguinarine biosynthesis. The formation of the fully conjugated ring system in sanguinarine is similar to the four-electron oxidations of (S)-canadine to berberine and (S)-tetrahydropapaverine to papaverine. We report the isolation and functional characterization of an opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) cDNA encoding DBOX, a flavoprotein oxidase with homology to (S)-tetrahydroprotoberberine oxidase and the berberine bridge enzyme. A query of translated opium poppy stem transcriptome databases using berberine bridge enzyme yielded several candidate genes, including an (S)-tetrahydroprotoberberine oxidase-like sequence selected for heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant enzyme preferentially catalyzed the oxidation of dihydrosanguinarine to sanguinarine but also converted (RS)-tetrahydropapaverine to papaverine and several protoberberine alkaloids to oxidized forms, including (RS)-canadine to berberine. The K(m) values of 201 and 146 μm for dihydrosanguinarine and the protoberberine alkaloid (S)-scoulerine, respectively, suggested high concentrations of these substrates in the plant. Virus-induced gene silencing to reduce DBOX transcript levels resulted in a corresponding reduction in sanguinarine, dihydrosanguinarine, and papaverine accumulation in opium poppy roots in support of DBOX as a multifunctional oxidative enzyme in BIA metabolism.

  7. The cholesterol space of the rat; L'espace cholesterol du rat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chevallier, F [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1959-07-01

    The experiments consisted in feeding daily to rats the same mass of radioactive cholesterol, over variable time intervals. From the evolution of the specific radioactivity of cholesterol carbon-14 in the organs as a function of time, information relative to the transport of cholesterol in the organism may be obtained. 1) The cholesterol space, defined as the group of molecules capable of being transferred from the organs into the serum and vice versa, represents at the most 50 per cent of the total cholesterol of the adult rat. 2) The incessant interchange between the tissual and the serum cholesterol renews entirely or for the most part the cholesterol molecules contained in the following organs: spleen, heart, adipose tissue, suprarenal glands, lungs, bone marrow, liver, erythrocytes. For a second group of organs: skin, testicles, kidneys, colon, bones, muscles, only a fraction of their cholesterol is renewable by this process. No transfer can be detected at the level of the brain. 3) The relative speeds of the various means of appearance (absorption, synthesis) and disappearance (excretion, transformation) of the cholesterol from its space are such that a stationary isotopic state is established around the eighth day, when the animal absorbs 5 milligrams of radioactive cholesterol daily. (author) [French] Les experiences ont consiste a faire ingerer quotidiennement une meme masse de cholesterol radioactif a des rats, durant des laps de temps variables. L'evolution de la radioactivite specifique du carbone-14 du cholesterol des organes en fonction du temps permet d'obtenir des renseignements relatifs au transport du cholesterol dans l'organisme. 1) L'espace cholesterol defini comme l'ensemble des molecules susceptibles d'etre transferees des organes dans le serum, et vice-versa, represente au plus 50 pour cent du cholesterol total du rat adulte. 2) Le va et vient incessant entre le cholesterol tissulaire et le cholesterol serique renouvelle en totalite ou en

  8. Tritium labelling of a cholesterol amphiphile designed for cell membrane anchoring of proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schäfer, Balázs; Orbán, Erika; Kele, Zoltán; Tömböly, Csaba

    2015-01-01

    Cell membrane association of proteins can be achieved by the addition of lipid moieties to the polypeptide chain, and such lipid-modified proteins have important biological functions. A class of cell surface proteins contains a complex glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) glycolipid at the C-terminus, and they are accumulated in cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains, that is, lipid rafts. Semisynthetic lipoproteins prepared from recombinant proteins and designed lipids are valuable probes and model systems of the membrane-associated proteins. Because GPI-anchored proteins can be reinserted into the cell membrane with the retention of the biological function, they are appropriate candidates for preparing models via reduction of the structural complexity. A synthetic headgroup was added to the 3β-hydroxyl group of cholesterol, an essential lipid component of rafts, and the resulting cholesterol derivative was used as a simplified GPI mimetic. In order to quantitate the membrane integrated GPI mimetic after the exogenous addition to live cells, a tritium labelled cholesterol anchor was prepared. The radioactive label was introduced into the headgroup, and the radiolabelled GPI mimetic anchor was obtained with a specific activity of 1.37 TBq/mmol. The headgroup labelled cholesterol derivative was applied to demonstrate the sensitive detection of the cell membrane association of the anchor under in vivo conditions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. Genomic determinants of triglyceride and cholesterol distribution into lipoprotein fractions in the rat.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miloslava Hodúlová

    Full Text Available The plasma profile of major lipoprotein classes and its subdivision into particular fractions plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and is a major predictor of coronary artery disease. Our aim was to identify genomic determinants of triglyceride and cholesterol distribution into lipoprotein fractions and lipoprotein particle sizes in the recombinant inbred rat set PXO, in which alleles of two rat models of the metabolic syndrome (SHR and PD inbred strains segregate together with those from Brown Norway rat strain. Adult male rats of 15 PXO strains (n = 8-13/strain and two progenitor strains SHR-Lx (n = 13 and BXH2/Cub (n = 18 were subjected to one-week of high-sucrose diet feeding. We performed association analyses of triglyceride (TG and cholesterol (C concentrations in 20 lipoprotein fractions and the size of major classes of lipoprotein particles utilizing 704 polymorphic microsatellite markers, the genome-wide significance was validated by 2,000 permutations per trait. Subsequent in silico focusing of the identified quantitative trait loci was completed using a map of over 20,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms. In most of the phenotypes we identified substantial gradient among the strains (e.g. VLDL-TG from 5.6 to 66.7 mg/dl. We have identified 14 loci (encompassing 1 to 65 genes on rat chromosomes 3, 4, 7, 8, 11 and 12 showing suggestive or significant association to one or more of the studied traits. PXO strains carrying the SHR allele displayed significantly higher values of the linked traits except for LDL-TG and adiposity index. Cholesterol concentrations in large, medium and very small LDL particles were significantly associated to a haplotype block spanning part of a single gene, low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1B (Lrp1b. Using genome-wide association we have identified new genetic determinants of triglyceride and cholesterol distribution into lipoprotein fractions in the recombinant

  10. Cholesterol testing and results

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... your cholesterol is in this normal range. LDL (Bad) Cholesterol LDL cholesterol is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol. ... to 3.3 mmol/l) are desired. VLDL (Bad) Cholesterol VLDL contains the highest amount of triglycerides. ...

  11. Cholesterol Facts and Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Managing High Cholesterol Cholesterol-lowering Medicine High Cholesterol Statistics and Maps High Cholesterol Facts High Cholesterol Maps ... Deo R, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2017 update: a report from the American Heart ...

  12. The Drosophila DHR96 nuclear receptor binds cholesterol and regulates cholesterol homeostasis

    OpenAIRE

    Horner, Michael A.; Pardee, Keith; Liu, Suya; King-Jones, Kirst; Lajoie, Gilles; Edwards, Aled; Krause, Henry M.; Thummel, Carl S.

    2009-01-01

    Cholesterol homeostasis is required to maintain normal cellular function and avoid the deleterious effects of hypercholesterolemia. Here we show that the Drosophila DHR96 nuclear receptor binds cholesterol and is required for the coordinate transcriptional response of genes that are regulated by cholesterol and involved in cholesterol uptake, trafficking, and storage. DHR96 mutants die when grown on low levels of cholesterol and accumulate excess cholesterol when maintained on a high-choleste...

  13. Relationship between plasma cholesterol levels and cholesterol esterification in isolated human mononuclear cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dallongeville, J.; Davignon, J.; Lussier-Cacan, S.

    1990-01-01

    The authors studied the relationship between plasma lipoprotein concentrations and cholesterol esterification in freshly isolated human mononuclear cells from 27 normolipidemic and 32 hyperlipidemic individuals. Cells were either incubated for 5 hours with radiolabeled oleate immediately after isolation or were preincubated for 18 hours in the presence of exogenous cholesterol, and then incubated with [ 14 C]sodium-oleate-albumin complex. In the absence of exogenous cholesterol, control and hypercholesterolemic subjects had similarly low values of intracellular cholesterol esterification. In the presence of exogenous cholesterol, both hypertriglyceridemic and hypercholesterolemic subjects had higher cholesterol esterification than controls. There was a significant correlation between the rate of cholesterol esterification and plasma total cholesterol. These results suggest that plasma cholesterol levels may regulate mononuclear cell intra-cellular cholesterol esterification in humans

  14. Oxidase-based biocatalytic processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ramesh, Hemalata; Woodley, John; Krühne, Ulrich

    interestingbiocatalystsbecause they use a mild oxidant (oxygen) as a substrateas opposed to their chemical counterparts which use strong oxidants such as permanganates. A class of oxidases calledmonoamine oxidases has been used as the central case study for the thesis. The rationale for choosing thissystemis that it has been...

  15. Amplified solid-state electrochemiluminescence detection of cholesterol in near-infrared range based on CdTe quantum dots decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes@reduced graphene oxide nanoribbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huan, Juan; Liu, Qian; Fei, Airong; Qian, Jing; Dong, Xiaoya; Qiu, Baijing; Mao, Hanping; Wang, Kun

    2015-11-15

    An amplified solid-state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for detection of cholesterol in near-infrared (NIR) range was constructed based on CdTe quantum dots (QDs) decorated multiwalled carbon nanotubes@reduced graphene nanoribbons (CdTe-MWCNTs@rGONRs), which were prepared by electrostatic interactions. The CdTe QDs decorated on the MWCNTs@rGONRs resulted in the amplified ECL intensity by ~4.5 fold and decreased onset potential by ~100 mV. By immobilization of the cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and NIR CdTe-MWCNTs@rGONRs on the electrode surface, a solid-state ECL biosensor for cholesterol detection was constructed. When cholesterol was added to the detection solution, the immobilized ChOx catalyzed the oxidation of cholesterol to generate H2O2, which could be used as the co-reactant in the ECL system of CdTe-MWCNTs@rGONRs. The as-prepared biosensor exhibited good performance for cholesterol detection including good reproducibility, selectivity, and acceptable linear range from 1 μM to 1mM with a relative low detection limit of 0.33 μM (S/N=3). The biosensor was successfully applied to the determination of cholesterol in biological fluid and food sample, which would open a new possibility for development of solid-state ECL biosensors with NIR emitters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. A novel paper-based device coupled with a silver nanoparticle-modified boron-doped diamond electrode for cholesterol detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nantaphol, Siriwan [Electrochemistry and Optical Spectroscopy Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Chailapakul, Orawon, E-mail: corawon@chula.ac.th [Electrochemistry and Optical Spectroscopy Research Unit, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Center for Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Advanced Materials, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Siangproh, Weena, E-mail: weenasi@hotmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Sukhumvit 23, Wattanna, Bangkok 10110 (Thailand)

    2015-09-03

    A novel paper-based analytical device (PAD) coupled with a silver nanoparticle-modified boron-doped diamond (AgNP/BDD) electrode was first developed as a cholesterol sensor. The AgNP/BDD electrode was used as working electrode after modification by AgNPs using an electrodeposition method. Wax printing was used to define the hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas on filter paper, and then counter and reference electrodes were fabricated on the hydrophilic area by screen-printing in house. For the amperometric detection, cholesterol and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) were directly drop-cast onto the hydrophilic area, and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} produced from the enzymatic reaction was monitored. The fabricated device demonstrated a good linearity (0.39 mg dL{sup −1} to 270.69 mg dL{sup −1}), low detection limit (0.25 mg dL{sup −1}), and high sensitivity (49.61 μA mM{sup −1} cm{sup −2}). The precision value for ten replicates was 3.76% RSD for 1 mM H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. In addition, this biosensor exhibited very high selectivity for cholesterol detection and excellent recoveries for bovine serum analysis (in the range of 99.6–100.8%). The results showed that this new sensing platform will be an alternative tool for cholesterol detection in routine diagnosis and offers the advantages of low sample/reagent consumption, low cost, portability, and short analysis time. - Highlights: • Novel PAD coupled with AgNP/BDDE for cholesterol determination was developed. • Wide linear range, low detection limit and high selectivity were achieved. • This sensor was successfully applied for cholesterol determination in bovine serum. • This platform offers the advantages of low sample/reagent consumption and low cost.

  17. A novel paper-based device coupled with a silver nanoparticle-modified boron-doped diamond electrode for cholesterol detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nantaphol, Siriwan; Chailapakul, Orawon; Siangproh, Weena

    2015-01-01

    A novel paper-based analytical device (PAD) coupled with a silver nanoparticle-modified boron-doped diamond (AgNP/BDD) electrode was first developed as a cholesterol sensor. The AgNP/BDD electrode was used as working electrode after modification by AgNPs using an electrodeposition method. Wax printing was used to define the hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas on filter paper, and then counter and reference electrodes were fabricated on the hydrophilic area by screen-printing in house. For the amperometric detection, cholesterol and cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) were directly drop-cast onto the hydrophilic area, and H 2 O 2 produced from the enzymatic reaction was monitored. The fabricated device demonstrated a good linearity (0.39 mg dL −1 to 270.69 mg dL −1 ), low detection limit (0.25 mg dL −1 ), and high sensitivity (49.61 μA mM −1  cm −2 ). The precision value for ten replicates was 3.76% RSD for 1 mM H 2 O 2 . In addition, this biosensor exhibited very high selectivity for cholesterol detection and excellent recoveries for bovine serum analysis (in the range of 99.6–100.8%). The results showed that this new sensing platform will be an alternative tool for cholesterol detection in routine diagnosis and offers the advantages of low sample/reagent consumption, low cost, portability, and short analysis time. - Highlights: • Novel PAD coupled with AgNP/BDDE for cholesterol determination was developed. • Wide linear range, low detection limit and high selectivity were achieved. • This sensor was successfully applied for cholesterol determination in bovine serum. • This platform offers the advantages of low sample/reagent consumption and low cost.

  18. Cholesterol Depletion from a Ceramide/Cholesterol Mixed Monolayer: A Brewster Angle Microscope Study

    KAUST Repository

    Mandal, Pritam; Noutsi, Bakiza Kamal; Chaieb, Saharoui

    2016-01-01

    to deplete cholesterol (Chol) from biomembranes. Here, we focus on the depletion of cholesterol from a C16 ceramide/cholesterol (C16-Cer/Chol) mixed monolayer using MβCD. While the removal of cholesterol by MβCD depends on the cholesterol concentration

  19. High blood cholesterol levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cholesterol - high; Lipid disorders; Hyperlipoproteinemia; Hyperlipidemia; Dyslipidemia; Hypercholesterolemia ... There are many types of cholesterol. The ones talked about most are: ... lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol -- often called "good" cholesterol ...

  20. Isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupar, C A; Gillett, J; Gordon, B A; Ramsay, D A; Johnson, J L; Garrett, R M; Rajagopalan, K V; Jung, J H; Bacheyie, G S; Sellers, A R

    1996-12-01

    Isolated sulfite oxidase (SO) deficiency is an autosomal recessively inherited inborn error of sulfur metabolism. In this report of a ninth patient the clinical history, laboratory results, neuropathological findings and a mutation in the sulfite oxidase gene are described. The data from this patient and previously published patients with isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency and molybdenum cofactor deficiency are summarized to characterize this rare disorder. The patient presented neonatally with intractable seizures and did not progress developmentally beyond the neonatal stage. Dislocated lenses were apparent at 2 months. There was increased urine excretion of sulfite and S-sulfocysteine and a decreased concentration of plasma cystine. A lactic acidemia was present for 6 months. Liver sulfite oxidase activity was not detectable but xanthine dehydrogenase activity was normal. The boy died of respiratory failure at 32 months. Neuropathological findings of cortical necrosis and extensive cavitating leukoencephalopathy were reminiscent of those seen in severe perinatal asphyxia suggesting an etiology of energy deficiency. A point mutation that resulted in a truncated protein missing the molybdenum-binding site has been identified.

  1. Electrodeposition of gold-platinum alloy nanoparticles on ionic liquid-chitosan composite film and its application in fabricating an amperometric cholesterol biosensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safavi, Afsaneh; Farjami, Fatemeh

    2011-01-15

    An electrodeposition method was applied to form gold-platinum (AuPt) alloy nanoparticles on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a mixture of an ionic liquid (IL) and chitosan (Ch) (AuPt-Ch-IL/GCE). AuPt nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical methods. AuPt-Ch-IL/GCE electrocatalyzed the reduction of H(2)O(2) and thus was suitable for the preparation of biosensors. Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) was then, immobilized on the surface of the electrode by cross-linking ChOx and chitosan through addition of glutaraldehyde (ChOx/AuPt-Ch-IL/GCE). The fabricated biosensor exhibited two wide linear ranges of responses to cholesterol in the concentration ranges of 0.05-6.2 mM and 6.2-11.2 mM. The sensitivity of the biosensor was 90.7 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) and the limit of detection was 10 μM of cholesterol. The response time was less than 7 s. The Michaelis-Menten constant (K(m)) was found as 0.24 mM. The effect of the addition of 1 mM ascorbic acid and glucose was tested on the amperometric response of 0.5 mM cholesterol and no change in response current of cholesterol was observed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. A dual enzymatic-biosensor for simultaneous determination of glucose and cholesterol in serum and peritoneal macrophages of diabetic mice: Evaluation of the diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis risk

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang Qilin; An Yarui; Tang Linlin; Jiang Xiaoli; Chen Hua; Bi Wenji [Department of Chemistry, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China); Wang Zhongchuan [Department of Anorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Affiliated to School of Medicine of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Zhang Wen, E-mail: wzhang@chem.ecnu.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China)

    2011-11-30

    evidences for diabetes-accelerate atherosclerosis. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel dual enzymatic-biosensor is described for simultaneous determination of glucose and cholesterol in serum and peritoneal macrophages (PMs) of diabetic mice to evaluate the risk of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis. The biosensor was constructed by a three-step method. First, a poly-thionine (PTH) film was assembled on the surface of glassy carbon electrode by cyclic voltammetric electropolymerization of thionine, which serves as an electron transfer mediator (ETM). Second, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were covered on the surface of PTH facilitating the electron transfer between glucose oxidase (GOx), cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and electrode. Finally, the enzymes, GOx, cholesterol esterase (ChE), and ChOx, were covalently attached to the PTH layer through a chitosan (CH) linker. The PTH coupled with GNPs provides good selectivity, high sensitivity and little crosstalk for the dual enzymatic-biosensor. The developed biosensor had good electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidations of glucose and cholesterol, exhibiting a linear range from 0.008 mM to 6.0 mM for glucose with a detection limit of 2.0 {mu}M, and a linear range from 0.002 mM to 1.0 mM for cholesterol with a detection limit of 0.6 {mu}M. The results of the diabetic mice demonstrated that the cholesterol level did not change obviously with the increase of glucose level in serum, while the cholesterol level was induced with the increase of the glucose level in PMs. Previous studies have shown that the large accumulation of cholesterol in macrophage could lead to macrophage foam cell formation, which is the hallmark of early atherosclerosis. This study provides useful further evidences for the development of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis.

  3. A dual enzymatic-biosensor for simultaneous determination of glucose and cholesterol in serum and peritoneal macrophages of diabetic mice: Evaluation of the diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Qilin; An Yarui; Tang Linlin; Jiang Xiaoli; Chen Hua; Bi Wenji; Wang Zhongchuan; Zhang Wen

    2011-01-01

    simultaneous determination of glucose and cholesterol in serum and peritoneal macrophages (PMs) of diabetic mice to evaluate the risk of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis. The biosensor was constructed by a three-step method. First, a poly-thionine (PTH) film was assembled on the surface of glassy carbon electrode by cyclic voltammetric electropolymerization of thionine, which serves as an electron transfer mediator (ETM). Second, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were covered on the surface of PTH facilitating the electron transfer between glucose oxidase (GOx), cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and electrode. Finally, the enzymes, GOx, cholesterol esterase (ChE), and ChOx, were covalently attached to the PTH layer through a chitosan (CH) linker. The PTH coupled with GNPs provides good selectivity, high sensitivity and little crosstalk for the dual enzymatic-biosensor. The developed biosensor had good electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidations of glucose and cholesterol, exhibiting a linear range from 0.008 mM to 6.0 mM for glucose with a detection limit of 2.0 μM, and a linear range from 0.002 mM to 1.0 mM for cholesterol with a detection limit of 0.6 μM. The results of the diabetic mice demonstrated that the cholesterol level did not change obviously with the increase of glucose level in serum, while the cholesterol level was induced with the increase of the glucose level in PMs. Previous studies have shown that the large accumulation of cholesterol in macrophage could lead to macrophage foam cell formation, which is the hallmark of early atherosclerosis. This study provides useful further evidences for the development of diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis.

  4. Cholesterol Depletion from a Ceramide/Cholesterol Mixed Monolayer: A Brewster Angle Microscope Study

    KAUST Repository

    Mandal, Pritam

    2016-06-01

    Cholesterol is crucial to the mechanical properties of cell membranes that are important to cells’ behavior. Its depletion from the cell membranes could be dramatic. Among cyclodextrins (CDs), methyl beta cyclodextrin (MβCD) is the most efficient to deplete cholesterol (Chol) from biomembranes. Here, we focus on the depletion of cholesterol from a C16 ceramide/cholesterol (C16-Cer/Chol) mixed monolayer using MβCD. While the removal of cholesterol by MβCD depends on the cholesterol concentration in most mixed lipid monolayers, it does not depend very much on the concentration of cholesterol in C16-Cer/Chol monolayers. The surface pressure decay during depletion were described by a stretched exponential that suggested that the cholesterol molecules are unable to diffuse laterally and behave like static traps for the MβCD molecules. Cholesterol depletion causes morphology changes of domains but these disrupted monolayers domains seem to reform even when cholesterol level was low.

  5. Cholesterol IQ Quiz

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Artery Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Cholesterol IQ Quiz Updated:Jul 5,2017 Begin the quiz ... What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean Common Misconceptions Cholesterol IQ Quiz • HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides • Causes of High ...

  6. Plasma cholesterol and endogenous cholesterol synthesis during refeeding in anorexia nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feillet, F; Feillet-Coudray, C; Bard, J M; Parra, H J; Favre, E; Kabuth, B; Fruchart, J C; Vidailhet, M

    2000-04-01

    Normal or high levels of cholesterol have been measured in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Given that cholesterol intake in AN is usually very low, the reasons for this anomaly are not clearly understood. We studied lipid and lipoprotein profiles and endogenous cholesterol synthesis, estimated by serum lathosterol, in a population of 14 girls with AN, before and during a period of 30 days refeeding. The initial body mass index (BMI) of the patients was 13.41+/-1.62 kg/m(2). No changes were observed during refeeding in endocrine parameters (ACTH, cortisol and estradiol). At Day 0 the lipids data measured here showed normal levels of triglycerides, and total cholesterol at the upper limits of the normal range (5.44+/-1 mmol/l). At this time, total and LDL cholesterol were negatively correlated with transthyretin and BMI. Serum lathosterol (a precursor in cholesterol synthesis pathway) increased significantly (5.99+/-1.75 (Day 0) vs. 8.39+/-2.96 (Day 30); P=0.02) while there was a significant decrease in apo B (0.79+/-0.33 (Day 0) vs. 0. 60+/-0.17 g/l (Day 30), P=0.02) with refeeding. Thus, patients with initial high cholesterol levels have the worst nutritional status and high cholesterol levels are not related to a de novo synthesis. This profile returns to normal with refeeding. An increase of cellular cholesterol uptake may be responsible for this apparently paradoxical evolution with increase of cholesterol synthesis and decrease of apo B during renutrition.

  7. Cholesterol metabolism and serum non-cholesterol sterols: summary of 13 plant stanol ester interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hallikainen, Maarit; Simonen, Piia; Gylling, Helena

    2014-04-27

    The efficacy and safety of plant stanols added to food products as serum cholesterol lowering agents have been demonstrated convincingly, but their effects on cholesterol metabolism and on serum non-cholesterol sterols is less evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of serum non-cholesterol sterols and squalene as bioindices of cholesterol synthesis and absorption, and to examine how the individual serum non-cholesterol sterols respond to consumption of plant stanols. We collected all randomized, controlled plant stanol ester (STAEST) interventions in which serum cholestanol, plant sterols campesterol and sitosterol, and at least two serum cholesterol precursors had been analysed. According to these criteria, there was a total of 13 studies (total 868 subjects without lipid-lowering medication; plant stanol doses varied from 0.8 to 8.8 g/d added in esterified form; the duration of the studies varied from 4 to 52 weeks). Serum non-cholesterol sterols were assayed with gas-liquid chromatography, cholesterol synthesis with the sterol balance technique, and fractional cholesterol absorption with the dual continuous isotope feeding method. The results demonstrated that during the control and the STAEST periods, the serum plant sterol/cholesterol- and the cholestanol/cholesterol-ratios reflected fractional cholesterol absorption, and the precursor sterol/cholesterol-ratios reflected cholesterol synthesis. Plant sterol levels were dose-dependently reduced by STAEST so that 2 g of plant stanols reduced serum campesterol/cholesterol-ratio on average by 32%. Serum cholestanol/cholesterol-ratio was reduced less frequently than those of the plant sterols by STAEST, and the cholesterol precursor sterol ratios did not change consistently in the individual studies emphasizing the importance of monitoring more than one surrogate serum marker. Serum non-cholesterol sterols are valid markers of cholesterol absorption and synthesis even during cholesterol

  8. LDL: The "Bad" Cholesterol

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol: LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins. It is called the "bad" cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to ...

  9. Development of a novel biosensor based on a polypyrrole-dodecylbenzene sulphonate (PPy-DBS) film for the determination of amperometric cholesterol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özer, Bayram Oğuz; Çete, Servet

    2017-06-01

    Herein a novel amperometric biosensor based on a conducting polymer with anionic dopant modified electrode was successfully developed for detection of cholesterol. Polypyrrole is deposited on a platinum surface and the sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate (DBS) ion-doped polypyrrole film was electrochemically prepared by scanning the electrode potential between -0.8 and +0.8 V at a scan rate of 20 mV/s. The present electrochemical biosensor was optimized in terms of working potential, number of cycles, concentrations of monomer, and anionic dopant. Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) was physically entrapped in PPy-DBS to construct an amperometric cholesterol biosensor. Amperometric determination is based on the electrochemical detection of H 2 O 2 generated in the enzymatic reaction of cholesterol. Kinetic parameters, operational and storage stabilities, pH, and temperature dependencies were determined. Km and Imax were calculated as 0.11 μM and 0.967 nM/min, respectively. The operational stability results showed that 90.0% of the response current was retained after 30 activity assays. Morphology of electrodes was characterized by SEM and AFM. Additionally, contact angle measurements were made with 1 μL water of polymer film and enzyme electrode. As a result, the cholesterol biosensor suggested in this study is easy to prepare and is highly cost-effective. This composite (PPy-DBS) can supply a biocompatible and electrochemical microenvironment for immobilization of the enzyme, making this material a good candidate for the fabrication of highly sensitive and selective cholesterol biosensors.

  10. Home-Use Tests - Cholesterol

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Medical Procedures In Vitro Diagnostics Home Use Tests Cholesterol Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing options ... a home-use test kit to measure total cholesterol. What cholesterol is: Cholesterol is a fat (lipid) ...

  11. Exploring flavin-containing carbohydrate oxidases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ferrari, Alessandro Renato

    2017-01-01

    Oxidases are enzymes capable of removing one or more electrons from their substrate and transfer them to molecular oxygen, forming hydrogen peroxide. Due to their high regio- and enantioselectivity, their use is preferred over traditional organic chemistry methods. Among the oxidases, flavoprotein

  12. Development of a Sensitive Electrochemical Enzymatic Reaction-Based Cholesterol Biosensor Using Nano-Sized Carbon Interdigitated Electrodes Decorated with Gold Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Deepti; Lee, Jongmin; Seo, Junyoung; Shin, Heungjoo

    2017-09-15

    We developed a versatile and highly sensitive biosensor platform. The platform is based on electrochemical-enzymatic redox cycling induced by selective enzyme immobilization on nano-sized carbon interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Without resorting to sophisticated nanofabrication technologies, we used batch wafer-level carbon microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS) processes to fabricate 3D carbon IDEs reproducibly, simply, and cost effectively. In addition, AuNPs were selectively electrodeposited on specific carbon nanoelectrodes; the high surface-to-volume ratio and fast electron transfer ability of AuNPs enhanced the electrochemical signal across these carbon IDEs. Gold nanoparticle characteristics such as size and morphology were reproducibly controlled by modulating the step-potential and time period in the electrodeposition processes. To detect cholesterol selectively using AuNP/carbon IDEs, cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) was selectively immobilized via the electrochemical reduction of the diazonium cation. The sensitivity of the AuNP/carbon IDE-based biosensor was ensured by efficient amplification of the redox mediators, ferricyanide and ferrocyanide, between selectively immobilized enzyme sites and both of the combs of AuNP/carbon IDEs. The presented AuNP/carbon IDE-based cholesterol biosensor exhibited a wide sensing range (0.005-10 mM) and high sensitivity (~993.91 µA mM -1 cm -2 ; limit of detection (LOD) ~1.28 µM). In addition, the proposed cholesterol biosensor was found to be highly selective for the cholesterol detection.

  13. Site directed mutagenesis of amino acid residues at the active site of mouse aldehyde oxidase AOX1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvia Schumann

    Full Text Available Mouse aldehyde oxidase (mAOX1 forms a homodimer and belongs to the xanthine oxidase family of molybdoenzymes which are characterized by an essential equatorial sulfur ligand coordinated to the molybdenum atom. In general, mammalian AOs are characterized by broad substrate specificity and an yet obscure physiological function. To define the physiological substrates and the enzymatic characteristics of mAOX1, we established a system for the heterologous expression of the enzyme in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein showed spectral features and a range of substrate specificity similar to the native protein purified from mouse liver. The EPR data of recombinant mAOX1 were similar to those of AO from rabbit liver, but differed from the homologous xanthine oxidoreductase enzymes. Site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids Val806, Met884 and Glu1265 at the active site resulted in a drastic decrease in the oxidation of aldehydes with no increase in the oxidation of purine substrates. The double mutant V806E/M884R and the single mutant E1265Q were catalytically inactive enzymes regardless of the aldehyde or purine substrates tested. Our results show that only Glu1265 is essential for the catalytic activity by initiating the base-catalyzed mechanism of substrate oxidation. In addition, it is concluded that the substrate specificity of molybdo-flavoenzymes is more complex and not only defined by the three characterized amino acids in the active site.

  14. Cholesterol Transport Revisited : A New Turbo Mechanism to Drive Cholesterol Excretion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boer, Jan Freark; Kuipers, Folkert; Groen, Albert K.

    A fine-tuned balance between cholesterol uptake and excretion by the body is pivotal to maintain health and to remain free from the deleterious consequences of cholesterol accumulation such as cardiovascular disease. The pathways involved in intracellular and extracellular cholesterol transport are

  15. Cholesterol (image)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance that is present in all parts of the body including the ... and obtained from animal products in the diet. Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and is needed ...

  16. Identification of aldehyde oxidase 1 and aldehyde oxidase homologue 1 as dioxin-inducible genes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rivera, Steven P.; Choi, Hyun Ho; Chapman, Brett; Whitekus, Michael J.; Terao, Mineko; Garattini, Enrico; Hankinson, Oliver

    2005-01-01

    Aldehyde oxidases are a family of highly related molybdo-flavoenzymes acting upon a variety of compounds of industrial and medical importance. We have identified aldehyde oxidase 1 (AOX1) as a 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin) inducible gene in the mouse hepatoma cell line Hepa-1. AOX1 mRNA levels were not increased by dioxin in mutant derivatives of the Hepa-1 cell line lacking either functional aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) or aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) proteins, thus demonstrating that transcriptional induction of AOX1 in response to dioxin occurs through the AHR pathway. Dioxin induction of AOX1 mRNA was also observed in mouse liver. In addition, levels of AOX1 protein as well as those of aldehyde oxidase homologue 1 (AOH1), a recently identified homolog of AOX1, were elevated in mouse liver in response to dioxin. Employing an aldehyde oxidase specific substrate, AOX1/AOH1 activity was shown to be induced by dioxin in mouse liver. This activity was inhibited by a known inhibitor of aldehyde oxidases, and eliminated by including tungstate in the mouse diet, which is known to lead to inactivation of molybdoflavoenzymes, thus confirming that the enzymatic activity was attributable to AOX1/AOH1. Our observations thus identify two additional xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes induced by dioxin

  17. Cholesterol efflux is differentially regulated in neurons and astrocytes: implications for brain cholesterol homeostasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jing; Zhang, Xiaolu; Kusumo, Handojo; Costa, Lucio G.; Guizzetti, Marina

    2012-01-01

    Disruption of cholesterol homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS) has been associated with neurological, neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The CNS is a closed system with regard to cholesterol homeostasis, as cholesterol-delivering lipoproteins from the periphery cannot pass the blood-brain-barrier and enter the brain. Different cell types in the brain have different functions in the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis, with astrocytes producing and releasing apolipoprotein E and lipoproteins, and neurons metabolizing cholesterol to 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol. We present evidence that astrocytes and neurons adopt different mechanisms also in regulating cholesterol efflux. We found that in astrocytes cholesterol efflux is induced by both lipid-free apolipoproteins and lipoproteins, while cholesterol removal from neurons is triggered only by lipoproteins. The main pathway by which apolipoproteins induce cholesterol efflux is through ABCA1. By upregulating ABCA1 levels and by inhibiting its activity and silencing its expression, we show that ABCA1 is involved in cholesterol efflux from astrocytes but not from neurons. Furthermore, our results suggest that ABCG1 is involved in cholesterol efflux to apolipoproteins and lipoproteins from astrocytes but not from neurons, while ABCG4, whose expression is much higher in neurons than astrocytes, is involved in cholesterol efflux from neurons but not astrocytes. These results indicate that different mechanisms regulate cholesterol efflux from neurons and astrocytes, reflecting the different roles that these cell types play in brain cholesterol homeostasis. These results are important in understanding cellular targets of therapeutic drugs under development for the treatments of conditions associated with altered cholesterol homeostasis in the CNS. PMID:23010475

  18. Cholesterol Test

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... artery disease. Other names for a cholesterol test: Lipid profile, Lipid panel What is it used for? If you ... Clinic [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c1998-2017.Cholesterol Test: Overview; 2016 Jan 12 [ ...

  19. Endogenous cholesterol synthesis, fecal steroid excretion and serum lanosterol in subjects with high or low response of serum cholesterol to dietary cholesterol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beynen, A.C.; Katan, M.B.; Gent, van C.M.

    1986-01-01

    In this study we addressed the question whether hypo- and hyper-responders to dietary cholesterol differ with regard to the flexibility of endogenous cholesterol synthesis after changes in cholesterol intake. Whole-body cholesterol synthesis was measured as faecal excretion of neutral steroids and

  20. A role for NADPH oxidase in antigen presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gail J Gardiner

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH oxidase expressed in phagocytes is a multi-subunit enzyme complex that generates superoxide (O2.-. This radical is an important precursor of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 and other reactive oxygen species (ROS needed for microbicidal activity during innate immune responses. Inherited defects in NADPH oxidase give rise to chronic granulomatous disease (CGD, a primary immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent infections and granulomatous inflammation. Interestingly, CGD, CGD carrier status, and oxidase gene polymorphisms have all been associated with autoinflammatory and autoimmune disorders, suggesting a potential role for NADPH oxidase in regulating adaptive immune responses. Here, NADPH oxidase function in antigen processing and presentation is reviewed. NADPH oxidase influences dendritic cell (DC crosspresentation by major histocompatibility complex class I molecules (MHC-I through regulation of the phagosomal microenvironment, while in B lymphocytes, NADPH oxidase alters epitope selection by major histocompatibility complex class II molecules (MHC-II.

  1. Role of pH in oxidase variability of Aeromonas hydrophila.

    OpenAIRE

    Hunt, L K; Overman, T L; Otero, R B

    1981-01-01

    Some strains of Aeromonas hydrophila may be oxidase negative or only weakly oxidase positive by the Kovacs method taken from the surface of a differential medium, such as MacConkey agar. Six strains of A. hydrophila, two oxidase variable, one oxidase constant, and three weakly oxidase positive on MacConkey agar, were studied to determine the cause of oxidase variability. The bacteriostatic dyes in MacConkey agar were considered possible inhibitors of the oxidase reaction. The concentration of...

  2. Intestinal cholesterol transport: Measuring cholesterol absorption and its reverse

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jakulj, L.

    2013-01-01

    Intestinal cholesterol transport might serve as an attractive future target for cardiovascular disease reduction, provided that underlying molecular mechanisms are more extensively elucidated, combined with improved techniques to measure changes in cholesterol fluxes and their possible

  3. Oral administration of L-arginine in patients with angina or following myocardial infarction may be protective by increasing plasma superoxide dismutase and total thiols with reduction in serum cholesterol and xanthine oxidase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathi, Pratima; Chandra, M

    2009-01-01

    Administration of L-arginine has been shown to control ischemic injury by producing nitric oxide which dilates the vessels and thus maintains proper blood flow to the myocardium. In the present study attempt has been made to determine whether oral administration of L-arginine has any effect on oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis in ischemic myocardial patients [represented by the patients of acute angina (AA) and acute myocardial infarction (MI)]. L-arginine has antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties, decreases endothelin-1 expression and improves endothelial function, thereby controlling oxidative injury caused during myocardial ischemic syndrome. Effect of L-arginine administration on the status of free radical scavenging enzymes, pro-oxidant enzyme and antioxidants viz. total thiols, carbonyl content and plasma ascorbic acid levels in the patients has been evaluated. We have observed that L-arginine administration (three grams per day for 15 days) resulted in increased activity of free radical scavenging enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increase in the levels of total thiols (T-SH) and ascorbic acid with concomitant decrease in lipid per-oxidation, carbonyl content, serum cholesterol and the activity of proxidant enzyme, xanthine oxidase (XO). These findings suggest that the supplementation of L-arginine along with regular therapy may be beneficial to the patients of ischemic myocardial syndromes. PMID:20716909

  4. Oral Administration of L-Arginine in Patients With Angina or Following Myocardial Infarction May Be Protective By Increasing Plasma Superoxide Dismutase and Total Thiols With Reduction in Serum Cholesterol and Xanthine Oxidase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pratima Tripathi

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Administration of L-arginine has been shown to control ischemic injury by producing nitric oxide which dilates the vessels and thus maintains proper blood flow to the myocardium. In the present study attempt has been made to determine whether oral administration of L-arginine has any effect on oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis in ischemic myocardial patients [represented by the patients of acute angina (AA and acute myocardial infarction (MI]. L-arginine has antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties, decreases endothelin-1 expression and improves endothelial function, thereby controlling oxidative injury caused during myocardial ischemic syndrome. Effect of L-arginine administration on the status of free radical scavenging enzymes, pro-oxidant enzyme and antioxidants viz. total thiols, carbonyl content and plasma ascorbic acid levels in the patients has been evaluated. We have observed that L-arginine administration (three grams per day for 15 days resulted in increased activity of free radical scavenging enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD and increase in the levels of total thiols (T-SH and ascorbic acid with concomitant decrease in lipid per-oxidation, carbonyl content, serum cholesterol and the activity of proxidant enzyme, xanthine oxidase (XO. These findings suggest that the supplementation of L-arginine along with regular therapy may be beneficial to the patients of ischemic myocardial syndromes.

  5. Assays of D-Amino Acid Oxidase Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Rosini

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO is a well-known flavoenzyme that catalyzes the oxidative FAD-dependent deamination of D-amino acids. As a result of the absolute stereoselectivity and broad substrate specificity, microbial DAAOs have been employed as industrial biocatalysts in the production of semi-synthetic cephalosporins and enantiomerically pure amino acids. Moreover, in mammals, DAAO is present in specific brain areas and degrades D-serine, an endogenous coagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs. Dysregulation of D-serine metabolism due to an altered DAAO functionality is related to pathological NMDARs dysfunctions such as in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and schizophrenia. In this protocol paper, we describe a variety of direct assays based on the determination of molecular oxygen consumption, reduction of alternative electron acceptors, or α-keto acid production, of coupled assays to detect the hydrogen peroxide or the ammonium production, and an indirect assay of the α-keto acid production based on a chemical derivatization. These analytical assays allow the determination of DAAO activity both on recombinant enzyme preparations, in cells, and in tissue samples.

  6. [Trans-intestinal cholesterol excretion (TICE): a new route for cholesterol excretion].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanchard, Claire; Moreau, François; Cariou, Bertrand; Le May, Cédric

    2014-10-01

    The small intestine plays a crucial role in dietary and biliary cholesterol absorption, as well as its lymphatic secretion as chylomicrons (lipoprotein exogenous way). Recently, a new metabolic pathway called TICE (trans-intestinal excretion of cholesterol) that plays a central role in cholesterol metabolism has emerged. TICE is an inducible way, complementary to the hepatobiliary pathway, allowing the elimination of the plasma cholesterol directly into the intestine lumen through the enterocytes. This pathway is poorly characterized but several molecular actors of TICE have been recently identified. Although it is a matter of debate, two independent studies suggest that TICE is involved in the anti-atherogenic reverse cholesterol transport pathway. Thus, TICE is an innovative drug target to reduce -cardiovascular diseases. © 2014 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

  7. Expression of novel rice gibberellin 2-oxidase gene is under homeostatic regulation by biologically active gibberellins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakai, Miho; Sakamoto, Tomoaki; Saito, Tamio; Matsuoka, Makoto; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Kobayashi, Masatomo

    2003-04-01

    We have cloned two genes for gibberellin (GA) 2-oxidase from rice ( Oryza sativa L.). Expression of OsGA2ox2 was not observed. The other gene, OsGA2ox3, was expressed in every tissue examined and was enhanced by the application of biologically active GA. Recombinant OsGA2ox3 protein catalyzed the metabolism of GA(1) to GA(8) and GA(20) to GA(29)-catabolite. These results indicate that OsGA2ox3 is involved in the homeostatic regulation of the endogenous level of biologically active GA in rice.

  8. Intracellular cholesterol-binding proteins enhance HDL-mediated cholesterol uptake in cultured primary mouse hepatocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storey, Stephen M; McIntosh, Avery L; Huang, Huan; Landrock, Kerstin K; Martin, Gregory G; Landrock, Danilo; Payne, H Ross; Atshaves, Barbara P; Kier, Ann B; Schroeder, Friedhelm

    2012-04-15

    A major gap in our knowledge of rapid hepatic HDL cholesterol clearance is the role of key intracellular factors that influence this process. Although the reverse cholesterol transport pathway targets HDL to the liver for net elimination of free cholesterol from the body, molecular details governing cholesterol uptake into hepatocytes are not completely understood. Therefore, the effects of sterol carrier protein (SCP)-2 and liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), high-affinity cholesterol-binding proteins present in hepatocyte cytosol, on HDL-mediated free cholesterol uptake were examined using gene-targeted mouse models, cultured primary hepatocytes, and 22-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)-amino]-23,24-bisnor-5-cholen-3β-ol (NBD-cholesterol). While SCP-2 overexpression enhanced NBD-cholesterol uptake, counterintuitively, SCP-2/SCP-x gene ablation also 1) enhanced the rapid molecular phase of free sterol uptake detectable in rate and maximal uptake of HDL free cholesterol and 2) differentially enhanced free cholesterol uptake mediated by the HDL3, rather than the HDL2, subfraction. The increased HDL free cholesterol uptake was not due to increased expression or distribution of the HDL receptor [scavenger receptor B1 (SRB1)], proteins regulating SRB1 [postsynaptic density protein (PSD-95)/Drosophila disk large tumor suppressor (dlg)/tight junction protein (ZO1) and 17-kDa membrane-associated protein], or other intracellular cholesterol trafficking proteins (steroidogenic acute response protein D, Niemann Pick C, and oxysterol-binding protein-related proteins). However, expression of L-FABP, the single most prevalent hepatic cytosolic protein that binds cholesterol, was upregulated twofold in SCP-2/SCP-x null hepatocytes. Double-immunogold electron microscopy detected L-FABP sufficiently close to SRB1 for direct interaction, similar to SCP-2. These data suggest a role for L-FABP in HDL cholesterol uptake, a finding confirmed with SCP-2/SCP-x/L-FABP null

  9. Enzymatic production of α-ketoglutaric acid from l-glutamic acid via l-glutamate oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Panqing; Dong, Xiaoxiang; Wang, Yuancai; Liu, Liming

    2014-06-10

    In this study, a novel strategy for α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG) production from l-glutamic acid using recombinant l-glutamate oxidase (LGOX) was developed. First, by analyzing the molecular structure characteristics of l-glutamic acid and α-KG, LGOX was found to be the best catalyst for oxidizing the amino group of l-glutamic acid to a ketonic group without the need for exogenous cofactor. Then the LGOX gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) in a soluble and active form, and the recombinant LGOX activity reached to a maximum value of 0.59U/mL at pH 6.5, 30°C. Finally, the maximum α-KG concentration reached 104.7g/L from 110g/L l-glutamic acid in 24h, under the following optimum conditions: 1.5U/mL LGOX, 250U/mL catalase, 3mM MnCl2, 30°C, and pH 6.5. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Statins increase hepatic cholesterol synthesis and stimulate fecal cholesterol elimination in mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schonewille, Marleen; de Boer, Jan Freark; Mele, Laura; Wolters, Henk; Bloks, Vincent W.; Wolters, Justina C.; Kuivenhoven, Jan A.; Tietge, Uwe J. F.; Brufau, Gemma; Groen, Albert K.

    Statins are competitive inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol synthesis. Statins reduce plasma cholesterol levels, but whether this is actually caused by inhibition of de novo cholesterol synthesis has not been clearly established. Using three different statins, we

  11. Statins increase hepatic cholesterol synthesis and stimulate fecal cholesterol elimination in mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schonewille, Marleen; de Boer, Jan Freark; Mele, Laura; Wolters, Henk; Bloks, Vincent W.; Wolters, Justina C.; Kuivenhoven, Jan A.; Tietge, Uwe J. F.; Brufau, Gemma; Groen, Albert K.

    2016-01-01

    Statins are competitive inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol synthesis. Statins reduce plasma cholesterol levels, but whether this is actually caused by inhibition of de novo cholesterol synthesis has not been clearly established. Using three different statins, we

  12. Dietary cholesterol from eggs increases the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in humans : a meta-analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weggemans, R.M.; Zock, P.L.; Katan, M.B.

    2001-01-01

    Several epidemiologic studies found no effect of egg consumption on the risk of coronary heart disease. It is possible that the adverse effect of eggs on LDL-cholesterol is offset by their favorable effect on HDL cholesterol. Objective: The objective was to review the effect of dietary cholesterol

  13. Cholesterol - what to ask your doctor

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... your doctor; What to ask your doctor about cholesterol ... What is my cholesterol level? What should my cholesterol level be? What are HDL ("good") cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol? Does my cholesterol ...

  14. Common Misconceptions about Cholesterol

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Common Misconceptions about Cholesterol Updated:Jan 29,2018 How much do you ... are some common misconceptions — and the truth. High cholesterol isn’t a concern for children. High cholesterol ...

  15. From blood to gut: Direct secretion of cholesterol via transintestinal cholesterol efflux

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vrins, Carlos L. J.

    2010-01-01

    The reverse cholesterol transport pathway (RCT) is the focus of many cholesterol lowering therapies By way of this pathway, excess cholesterol is collected from peripheral tissues and delivered back to the liver and gastrointestinal tract for excretion from the body For a long time this removal via

  16. Cholesterol Removal from Adult Skeletal Muscle impairs Excitation-Contraction Coupling and Aging reduces Caveolin-3 and alters the Expression of other Triadic Proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Genaro eBarrientos

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol and caveolin are integral membrane components that modulate the function/location of many cellular proteins. Skeletal muscle fibers, which have unusually high cholesterol levels in transverse tubules, express the caveolin-3 isoform but its association with transverse tubules remains contentious. Cholesterol removal impairs excitation-contraction coupling in amphibian and mammalian fetal skeletal muscle fibers. Here, we show that treating single muscle fibers from adult mice with the cholesterol removing agent methyl-β-cyclodextrin decreased fiber cholesterol by 26%, altered the location pattern of caveolin-3 and of the voltage dependent calcium channel Cav1.1, and suppressed or reduced electrically evoked Ca2+ transients without affecting membrane integrity or causing sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium depletion. We found that transverse tubules from adult muscle and triad fractions that contain ~10% attached transverse tubules, but not sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes, contained caveolin-3 and Cav1.1; both proteins partitioned into detergent-resistant membrane fractions highly enriched in cholesterol. Aging entails significant deterioration of skeletal muscle function. We found that triad fractions from aged rats had similar cholesterol and RyR1 protein levels compared to triads from young rats, but had lower caveolin-3 and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and increased Na+/K+-ATPase protein levels. Both triad fractions had comparable NADPH oxidase (NOX activity and protein content of NOX2 subunits (p47phox and gp91phox, implying that NOX activity does not increase during aging. These findings show that partial cholesterol removal impairs excitation-contraction coupling and alters caveolin-3 and Cav1.1 location pattern, and that aging reduces caveolin-3 protein content and modifies the expression of other triadic proteins. We discuss the possible implications of these findings for skeletal muscle function in young and aged

  17. Covalently bound phosphate residues in bovine milk xanthine oxidase and in glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger: A reevaluation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, J.L.; Rajagopalan, K.V. (Duke Univ. Medical Center, Durham, NC (USA)); London, R.E. (National Institute of Environmental Health Science, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA))

    1989-09-01

    The reported presence of covalently bound phosphate residues in flavoproteins has significant implications with regard to the catalytic mechanisms and structural stability of the specific enzymes themselves and in terms of general cellular metabolic regulation. These considerations have led to a reevaluation of the presence of covalently bound phosphorus in the flavoproteins xanthine oxidase and glucose oxidase. Milk xanthine oxidase purified by a procedure that includes anion-exchange chromatography is shown to contain three phosphate residues. All three are noncovalently associated with the protein, two with the FAD cofactor, and one with the molybdenum cofactor. Results of chemical analysis and {sup 31}P NMR spectroscopy indicate that enzyme purified by this method contains no phosphoserine residues. Xanthine oxidase preparations purified by chromatography on calcium phosphate gel in place of DEAE-Sephadex yielded higher phosphate-to-protein ratios, which could be reduced to the expected values by additional purification on a folate affinity column. Highly active, highly purified preparations of glucose oxidase are shown to contain only the two phosphate residues of the FAD cofactor. The covalently bound bridging phosphate reported by others may arise in aged or degraded preparations of the enzyme but appears not to be a constituent of functional glucose oxidase. These results suggest that the presence of covalent phosphate residues in other flavoproteins should be rigorously reevaluated as well.

  18. Covalently bound phosphate residues in bovine milk xanthine oxidase and in glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger: A reevaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, J.L.; Rajagopalan, K.V.; London, R.E.

    1989-01-01

    The reported presence of covalently bound phosphate residues in flavoproteins has significant implications with regard to the catalytic mechanisms and structural stability of the specific enzymes themselves and in terms of general cellular metabolic regulation. These considerations have led to a reevaluation of the presence of covalently bound phosphorus in the flavoproteins xanthine oxidase and glucose oxidase. Milk xanthine oxidase purified by a procedure that includes anion-exchange chromatography is shown to contain three phosphate residues. All three are noncovalently associated with the protein, two with the FAD cofactor, and one with the molybdenum cofactor. Results of chemical analysis and 31 P NMR spectroscopy indicate that enzyme purified by this method contains no phosphoserine residues. Xanthine oxidase preparations purified by chromatography on calcium phosphate gel in place of DEAE-Sephadex yielded higher phosphate-to-protein ratios, which could be reduced to the expected values by additional purification on a folate affinity column. Highly active, highly purified preparations of glucose oxidase are shown to contain only the two phosphate residues of the FAD cofactor. The covalently bound bridging phosphate reported by others may arise in aged or degraded preparations of the enzyme but appears not to be a constituent of functional glucose oxidase. These results suggest that the presence of covalent phosphate residues in other flavoproteins should be rigorously reevaluated as well

  19. In situ synthesis of cylindrical spongy polypyrrole doped protonated graphitic carbon nitride for cholesterol sensing application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrestha, Bishnu Kumar; Ahmad, Rafiq; Shrestha, Sita; Park, Chan Hee; Kim, Cheol Sang

    2017-08-15

    Herein, we demonstrate the exfoliation of bulk graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C 3 N 4 ) into ultra-thin (~3.4nm) two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets and their functionalization with proton (g-C 3 N 4 H + ). The layered semiconductor g-C 3 N 4 H + nanosheets were doped with cylindrical spongy shaped polypyrrole (CSPPy-g-C 3 N 4 H + ) using chemical polymerization method. The as-prepared nanohybrid composite was utilized to fabricate cholesterol biosensors after immobilization of cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) at physiological pH. Large specific surface area and positive charge nature of CSPPy-g-C 3 N 4 H + composite has tendency to generate strong electrostatic attraction with negatively charged ChOx, and as a result they formed stable bionanohybrid composite with high enzyme loading. A detailed electrochemical characterization of as-fabricated biosensor electrode (ChOx-CSPPy-g-C 3 N 4 H + /GCE) exhibited high-sensitivity (645.7 µAmM -1 cm -2 ) in wide-linear range of 0.02-5.0mM, low detection limit (8.0μM), fast response time (~3s), long-term stability, and good selectivity during cholesterol detection. To the best of our knowledge, this novel nanocomposite was utilized for the first time for cholesterol biosensor fabrication that resulted in high sensing performance. Hence, this approach opens a new prospective to utilize CSPPy-g-C 3 N 4 H + composite as cost-effective, biocompatible, eco-friendly, and superior electrocatalytic as well as electroconductive having great application potentials that could pave the ways to explore many other new sensors fabrication and biomedical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Phytosterol and cholesterol precursor levels indicate increased cholesterol excretion and biosynthesis in gallstone disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krawczyk, Marcin; Lütjohann, Dieter; Schirin-Sokhan, Ramin; Villarroel, Luis; Nervi, Flavio; Pimentel, Fernando; Lammert, Frank; Miquel, Juan Francisco

    2012-05-01

    In hepatocytes and enterocytes sterol uptake and secretion is mediated by Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) and ATP-binding cassette (ABC)G5/8 proteins, respectively. Whereas serum levels of phytosterols represent surrogate markers for intestinal cholesterol absorption, cholesterol precursors reflect cholesterol biosynthesis. Here we compare serum and biliary sterol levels in ethnically different populations of patients with gallstone disease (GSD) and stone-free controls to identify differences in cholesterol transport and synthesis between these groups. In this case-control study four cohorts were analyzed: 112 German patients with GSD and 152 controls; two distinct Chilean ethnic groups: Hispanics (100 GSD, 100 controls), and Amerindians (20 GSD, 20 controls); additionally an 8-year follow-up of 70 Hispanics was performed. Serum sterols were measured by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry. Gallbladder bile sterol levels were analyzed in cholesterol GSD and controls. Common ABCG5/8 variants were genotyped. Comparison of serum sterols showed lower levels of phytosterols and higher levels of cholesterol precursors in GSD patients than in controls. The ratios of phytosterols to cholesterol precursors were lower in GSD patients, whereas biliary phytosterol and cholesterol concentrations were elevated as compared with controls. In the follow-up study, serum phytosterol levels were significantly lower even before GSD was detectable by ultrasound. An ethnic gradient in the ratios of phytosterols to cholesterol precursors was apparent (Germans > Hispanics > Amerindians). ABCG5/8 variants did not fully explain the sterol metabolic trait of GSD in any of the cohorts. Individuals predisposed to GSD display increased biliary output of cholesterol in the setting of relatively low intestinal cholesterol absorption, indicating enhanced whole-body sterol clearance. This metabolic trait precedes gallstone formation and is a feature of ethnic groups at higher risk of cholesterol

  1. Cholesterol and ocular pathologies: focus on the role of cholesterol-24S-hydroxylase in cholesterol homeostasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fourgeux Cynthia

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The retina is responsible for coding the light stimulus into a nervous signal that is transferred to the brain via the optic nerve. The retina is formed by the association of the neurosensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium that is supported by Bruch’s membrane. Both the physical and metabolic associations between these partners are crucial for the functioning of the retina, by means of nutrient intake and removal of the cell and metabolic debris from the retina. Dysequilibrium are involved in the aging processes and pathologies such as age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of visual loss after the age of 50 years in Western countries. The retina is composed of several populations of cells including glia that is involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. Cholesterol is the main sterol in the retina. It is present as free form in cells and as esters in Bruch’s membrane. Accumulation of cholesteryl esters has been associated with aging of the retina and impairment of the retinal function. Under dietary influence and in situ synthesized, the metabolism of cholesterol is regulated by cell interactions, including neurons and glia via cholesterol-24S-hydroxylase. Several pathophysiological associations with cholesterol and its metabolism can be suggested, especially in relation to glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

  2. Taurine ameliorates cholesterol metabolism by stimulating bile acid production in high-cholesterol-fed rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, Shigeru; Fujita, Michiko; Nakamura, Masakazu; Sakono, Masanobu; Nishizono, Shoko; Sato, Masao; Imaizumi, Katsumi; Mori, Mari; Fukuda, Nobuhiro

    2016-03-01

    This study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary taurine on cholesterol metabolism in high-cholesterol-fed rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two dietary groups (n = 6 in each group): a high-cholesterol diet containing 0.5% cholesterol and 0.15% sodium cholate, and a high-cholesterol diet with 5% (w/w) taurine. The experimental diets were given for 2 weeks. Taurine supplementation reduced the serum and hepatic cholesterol levels by 37% and 32%, respectively. Faecal excretion of bile acids was significantly increased in taurine-treated rats, compared with untreated rats. Biliary bile acid concentrations were also increased by taurine. Taurine supplementation increased taurine-conjugated bile acids by 61% and decreased glycine-conjugated bile acids by 53%, resulting in a significant decrease in the glycine/taurine (G/T) ratio. Among the taurine-conjugated bile acids, cholic acid and deoxycholic acid were significantly increased. In the liver, taurine supplementation increased the mRNA expression and enzymatic activity of hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), the rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid synthesis, by three- and two-fold, respectively. Taurine also decreased the enzymatic activity of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP). These observations suggest that taurine supplementation increases the synthesis and excretion of taurine-conjugated bile acids and stimulates the catabolism of cholesterol to bile acid by elevating the expression and activity of CYP7A1. This may reduce cholesterol esterification and lipoprotein assembly for very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion, leading to reductions in the serum and hepatic cholesterol levels. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  3. Polyphenol Oxidase Enzyme and Inactivation Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leman Yılmaz

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Polyphenol oxidase enzyme is found in vegetables and fruits, as well as in some animal organs and microorganisms. Polyphenol oxidase enzyme responsible for enzymatic browning is a group of copper proteins that catalyses the oxidation of phenolic compounds to quinones, which produce brown pigments, commonly found in fruits and vegetables. During the industrial preparation of fruits and vegetables, results of catalytic effect of polyphenol oxidase causes enzymatic browning. Enzymatic browning impairs the appearance of products containing phenolic compounds along with undesirable colour, odor and taste formation and significant loss of nutritional value of the products. This affects the acceptability of the products by the consumers and causes economic losses. In this review, some characteristics of polyphenol oxidase enzyme in different fruits and vegetables have been reviewed and information about chemical antibrowning agents, thermal applications, irradiation applications and alternative methods such as high pressure processing, pulse electric field, supercritical carbon dioxide and ultrasound applications to inactivate this enzyme has been presented.

  4. The role of serum non-cholesterol sterols as surrogate markers of absolute cholesterol synthesis and absorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miettinen, T A; Gylling, H; Nissinen, M J

    2011-10-01

    To study the whole-body cholesterol metabolism in man, cholesterol synthesis and absorption need to be measured. Because of the complicated methods of the measurements, new approaches were developed including the analysis of serum non-cholesterol sterols. In current lipidologic papers and even in intervention studies, serum non-cholesterol sterols are frequently used as surrogate markers of cholesterol metabolism without any validation to the absolute metabolic variables. The present review compares serum non-cholesterol sterols with absolute measurements of cholesterol synthesis and absorption in published papers to find out whether the serum markers are valid indicators of cholesterol metabolism in various conditions. During statin treatment, during interventions of dietary fat, and in type 2 diabetes the relative and absolute variables of cholesterol synthesis and absorption were frequently but not constantly correlated with each other. In some occasions, especially in subjects with apolipoprotein E3/4 and E4/4 phenotypes, the relative metabolic markers were even more sensitive than the absolute ones to reflect changes in cholesterol metabolism during dietary interventions. Even in general population at very high absorption the homeostasis of cholesterol metabolism is disturbed damaging the validity of the serum markers. It is worth using several instead of only one precursor and absorption sterol marker for making conclusions of altered synthesis or absorption of cholesterol, and even then the presence of at least some absolute measurement is valuable. During consumption of plant sterol-enriched diets and in situations of interfered cholesterol homeostasis the relative markers do not adequately reflect cholesterol metabolism. Accordingly, the validity of the relative markers of cholesterol metabolism should not be considered as self-evident. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Fabrication and Optimization of ChE/ChO/HRP-AuNPs/c-MWCNTs Based Silver Electrode for Determining Total Cholesterol in Serum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kusum Lata

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The developed method used three enzymes comprised of cholesterol esterase, cholesterol oxidase, and peroxidase for fabrication of amperometric biosensor in order to determine total cholesterol in serum samples. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs and carboxylated multiwall carbon nanotubes (cMWCNTs were used to design core of working electrode, having covalently immobilized ChO, ChE, and HRP. Polyacrylamide layer was finally coated on working electrode in order to prevent enzyme leaching. Chemically synthesised Au nanoparticles were subjected to transmission electron microscopy (TEM for analysing the shape and size of the particles. Working electrode was subjected to FTIR and XRD. The combined action of AuNP and c-MWCNT showed enhancement in electrocatalytic activity at a very low potential of 0.27 V. The pH 7, temperature 40°C, and response time of 20 seconds, respectively, were observed. The biosensor shows a broad linear range from 0.5 mg/dL to 250 mg/dL (0.01 mM–5.83 mM with minimum detection limit being 0.5 mg/dL (0.01 mM. The biosensor showed reusability of more than 45 times and was stable for 60 days. The biosensor was successfully tested for determining total cholesterol in serum samples amperometrically with no significant interference by serum components.

  6. [Recombinant human gapM1 expressed in Pichia pastoris and its anti-diabetic effect].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Xiang; Du, Renqian; Li, Xi; Huang, Haiyan; Yu, Min; Tang, Qiqun

    2009-08-01

    Adiponectin is an adipokine predominantly synthesized and secreted by adipocytes in the white adipose tissue, and it can lower the blood glucose level and increase free fatty acid oxidation. In the current study, we developed the globular domain of adiponectin (gapM1) to treat type II diabetes. In both flask and fermentor, we cultivated Pichia pastoris expressing recombinant gapM1 and established the purification procedure by using gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography. To evaluate the biological activity of recombinant gapM1, we used rat type II diabetes model fed high-fat diet in combination with low-dose STZ (Streptozocin) induction. We purified 200 mg gapM1 with purity of 96% from 10 liters of supernatant. The recombinant gapM1 significantly lowered blood glucose (34.2%), serum triglyceride (79.6%) and total cholesterol (62.1%) in type II diabetes induced rat. Therefore, the recombinant human gapM1 is successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris and effectively treated type II diabetes in rat models.

  7. Isotope dilution/mass spectrometry of serum cholesterol with [3,4-13C]cholesterol: proposed definitive method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pelletier, O.; Wright, L.A.; Breckenridge, W.C.

    1987-01-01

    We describe a new gas-chromatographic/mass-spectrometric (GC/MS) isotope-dilution method for determination of serum cholesterol. The method has been fully optimized and documented to provide the high accuracy and precision expected for a Definitive Method. In the presence of [3,4- 13 C]cholesterol, cholesteryl esters in serum are hydrolyzed under optimum conditions and the entire cholesterol pool is extracted and derivatized to silyl ethers. The cholesterol derivatives are resolved from other sterols by gas-liquid chromatography on a fused silica column, and selected ions characteristic of cholesterol and the [3,4- 13 C]cholesterol are monitored with a GC/MS quandrupole system. We estimated the cholesterol content of samples by bracketing each sample with standards of comparable cholesterol concentration that also contained the [3,4- 13 C]cholesterol. The procedure was highly reproducible (CV less than 0.5%), better accuracy and precision being obtained with [3,4- 13 C]cholesterol than with heptadeuterated cholesterol. Mean values per gram of dry serum for one serum pool assayed by this method and that of the National Bureau of Standards differed by 0.5%. We conclude that the method satisfies the criteria for a Definitive Method

  8. Cholesterol - drug treatment

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000314.htm Cholesterol - drug treatment To use the sharing features on ... treatment; Hardening of the arteries - statin Statins for Cholesterol Statins reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, ...

  9. The tau positron-emission tomography tracer AV-1451 binds with similar affinities to tau fibrils and monoamine oxidases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vermeiren, Céline; Motte, Philippe; Viot, Delphine; Mairet-Coello, Georges; Courade, Jean-Philippe; Citron, Martin; Mercier, Joël; Hannestad, Jonas; Gillard, Michel

    2018-02-01

    Lilly/Avid's AV-1451 is one of the most advanced tau PET tracers in the clinic. Although results obtained in Alzheimer's disease patients are compelling, discrimination of tracer uptake in healthy individuals and patients with supranuclear palsy (PSP) is less clear as there is substantial overlap of signal in multiple brain regions. Moreover, accurate quantification of [ 18 F]AV-1451 uptake in Alzheimer's disease may not be possible. The aim of the present study was to characterize the in vitro binding of AV-1451 to understand and identify potential off-target binding that could explain the poor discrimination observed in PSP patients. [ 3 H]AV-1451 and AV-1451 were characterized in in vitro binding assays using recombinant and native proteins/tissues from postmortem samples of controls and Alzheimer's disease and PSP patients. [ 3 H]AV-1451 binds to multiple sites with nanomolar affinities in brain homogenates and to tau fibrils isolated from Alzheimer's disease or PSP patients. [ 3 H]AV-1451 also binds with similarly high affinities in brain homogenates devoid of tau pathology. This unexpected binding was demonstrated to be because of nanomolar affinities of [ 3 H]AV-1451 for monoamine oxidase A and B enzymes. High affinity of AV-1451 for monoamine oxidase proteins may limit its utility as a tau PET tracer in PSP and Alzheimer's disease because of high levels of monoamine oxidase expression in brain regions also affected by tau deposition, especially if monoamine oxidase levels change over time or with a treatment intervention. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  10. Free cholesterol and cholesterol esters in bovine oocytes: Implications in survival and membrane raft organization after cryopreservation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorgelina Buschiazzo

    Full Text Available Part of the damage caused by cryopreservation of mammalian oocytes occurs at the plasma membrane. The addition of cholesterol to cell membranes as a strategy to make it more tolerant to cryopreservation has been little addressed in oocytes. In order to increase the survival of bovine oocytes after cryopreservation, we proposed not only to increase cholesterol level of oocyte membranes before vitrification but also to remove the added cholesterol after warming, thus recovering its original level. Results from our study showed that modulation of membrane cholesterol by methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD did not affect the apoptotic status of oocytes and improved viability after vitrification yielding levels of apoptosis closer to those of fresh oocytes. Fluorometric measurements based on an enzyme-coupled reaction that detects both free cholesterol (membrane and cholesteryl esters (stored in lipid droplets, revealed that oocytes and cumulus cells present different levels of cholesterol depending on the seasonal period. Variations at membrane cholesterol level of oocytes were enough to account for the differences found in total cholesterol. Differences found in total cholesterol of cumulus cells were explained by the differences found in both the content of membrane cholesterol and of cholesterol esters. Cholesterol was incorporated into the oocyte plasma membrane as evidenced by comparative labeling of a fluorescent cholesterol. Oocytes and cumulus cells increased membrane cholesterol after incubation with MβCD/cholesterol and recovered their original level after cholesterol removal, regardless of the season. Finally, we evaluated the effect of vitrification on the putative raft molecule GM1. Cholesterol modulation also preserved membrane organization by maintaining ganglioside level at the plasma membrane. Results suggest a distinctive cholesterol metabolic status of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs among seasons and a dynamic organizational structure

  11. The terminal oxidases of Paracoccus denitrificans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Gier, J.-W.; Lübben, M; Reijnders, W N; Tipker, C A; Slotboom, D.J.; van Spanning, R J; Stouthamer, A.H.; van der Oost, J.

    Three distinct types of terminal oxidases participate in the aerobic respiratory pathways of Paracoccus denitrificans. Two alternative genes encoding subunit I of the aa3-type cytochrome c oxidase have been isolated before, namely ctaDI and ctaDII. Each of these genes can be expressed separately to

  12. Quantitation of immunoadsorbed flavoprotein oxidases by luminol-mediated chemiluminescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinkkanen, A; Maly, F E; Decker, K

    1983-04-01

    The detection of the flavoenzymes 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine oxidase and 6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase at the sub-femtomol level was achieved by coupling the reaction of the immunoadsorbed proteins to the peroxidase-catalysed oxidation of luminol. The H2O2-producing oxidases retained their full activity when bound to the respective immobilized antibodies. This fact allowed the concentration of the enzymes from very dilute solutions and the quantitative assay of their activities in the microU range. Due to strict stereoselectivity and the absence of immunological cross-reactivity, the two flavoproteins could be determined in the same solution. This method was used to measure the 6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase and 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine oxidase activities in Escherichia coli RR1 and different Arthrobacter strains cultured under non-inducing conditions. The same activity ratio of 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine oxidase/6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase as in D L-nicotine-induced cells of A. oxidans was observed in non-induced wild type and in riboflavin-requiring (rf-) mutant cells of this aerob.

  13. Cholesterol autoxidation in phospholipid membrane bilayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sevanian, A.; McLeod, L.L.

    1987-01-01

    Lipid peroxidation in unilamellar liposomes of known cholesterol-phospholipid composition was monitored under conditions of autoxidation or as induced by a superoxide radical generating system, gamma-irradiation or cumene hydroperoxide. Formation of cholesterol oxidation products was indexed to the level of lipid peroxidation. The major cholesterol oxidation products identified were 7-keto-cholesterol, isomeric cholesterol 5,6-epoxides, isomeric 7-hydroperoxides and isomeric 3,7-cholestane diols. Other commonly encountered products included 3,5-cholestadiene-7-one and cholestane-3 beta, 5 alpha, 6 beta-triol. Superoxide-dependent peroxidation required iron and produced a gradual increase in 7-keto-cholesterol and cholesterol epoxides. Cholesterol oxidation was greatest in liposomes containing high proportions of unsaturated phospholipid to cholesterol (4:1 molar ratio), intermediate with low phospholipid to cholesterol ratios (2:1) and least in liposomes prepared with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. This relationship held regardless of the oxidizing conditions used. Cumene hydroperoxide-dependent lipid peroxidation and/or more prolonged oxidations with other oxidizing systems yielded a variety of products where cholesterol-5 beta,6 beta-epoxide, 7-ketocholesterol and the 7-hydroperoxides were most consistently elevated. Oxyradical initiation of lipid peroxidation produced a pattern of cholesterol oxidation products distinguishable from the pattern derived by cumene hydroperoxide-dependent peroxidation

  14. High Cholesterol/Low Cholesterol: Effects in Biological Membranes: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subczynski, Witold K; Pasenkiewicz-Gierula, Marta; Widomska, Justyna; Mainali, Laxman; Raguz, Marija

    2017-12-01

    Lipid composition determines membrane properties, and cholesterol plays a major role in this determination as it regulates membrane fluidity and permeability, as well as induces the formation of coexisting phases and domains in the membrane. Biological membranes display a very diverse lipid composition, the lateral organization of which plays a crucial role in regulating a variety of membrane functions. We hypothesize that, during biological evolution, membranes with a particular cholesterol content were selected to perform certain functions in the cells of eukaryotic organisms. In this review, we discuss the major membrane properties induced by cholesterol, and their relationship to certain membrane functions.

  15. Remnant cholesterol and ischemic heart disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent advances in the field of remnant cholesterol as a contributor to the development of ischemic heart disease (IHD). RECENT FINDINGS: Epidemiologic, mechanistic, and genetic studies all support a role for elevated remnant cholesterol (=cholesterol in triglyceride......-rich lipoproteins) as a contributor to the development of atherosclerosis and IHD. Observational studies show association between elevated remnant cholesterol and IHD, and mechanistic studies show remnant cholesterol accumulation in the arterial wall like LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) accumulation. Furthermore, large...... genetic studies show evidence of remnant cholesterol as a causal risk factor for IHD independent of HDL-cholesterol levels. Genetic studies also show that elevated remnant cholesterol is associated with low-grade inflammation, whereas elevated LDL-C is not. There are several pharmacologic ways of lowering...

  16. Association of Air Pollution Exposures With High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Particle Number: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Griffith; Mora, Samia; Greenland, Philip; Tsai, Michael; Gill, Ed; Kaufman, Joel D

    2017-05-01

    The relationship between air pollution and cardiovascular disease may be explained by changes in high-density lipoprotein (HDL). We examined the cross-sectional relationship between air pollution and both HDL cholesterol and HDL particle number in the MESA Air study (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Air Pollution). Study participants were 6654 white, black, Hispanic, and Chinese men and women aged 45 to 84 years. We estimated individual residential ambient fine particulate pollution exposure (PM 2.5 ) and black carbon concentrations using a fine-scale likelihood-based spatiotemporal model and cohort-specific monitoring. Exposure periods were averaged to 12 months, 3 months, and 2 weeks prior to examination. HDL cholesterol and HDL particle number were measured in the year 2000 using the cholesterol oxidase method and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, respectively. We used multivariable linear regression to examine the relationship between air pollution exposure and HDL measures. A 0.7×10 - 6 m - 1 higher exposure to black carbon (a marker of traffic-related pollution) averaged over a 1-year period was significantly associated with a lower HDL cholesterol (-1.68 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval, -2.86 to -0.50) and approached significance with HDL particle number (-0.55 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval, -1.13 to 0.03). In the 3-month averaging time period, a 5 μg/m 3 higher PM 2.5 was associated with lower HDL particle number (-0.64 μmol/L; 95% confidence interval, -1.01 to -0.26), but not HDL cholesterol (-0.05 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval, -0.82 to 0.71). These data are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to air pollution is adversely associated with measures of HDL. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  17. Confirmation of a blocked amino terminus of sulfhydryl oxidase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janolino, V.G.; Morrison-Rowe, S.J.; Swaisgood, H.E.

    1990-01-01

    The isolation of sulfhydryl oxidase from bovine milk in a suitably pure form for sequencing was carried out by transient covalent affinity chromatography of diafiltered whey using cysteinylsuccinamidopropyl-glass as matrix. The glutathione-eluted proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE. By radiolabeling the affinity chromatography-purified enzyme with [ 14 C]iodoacetate before subjecting to SDS-PAGE, the sulfhydryl oxidase band was identified, because sulfhydryl oxidase is known to be inactivated by alkylation of one sulfhydryl group per mole. The results confirmed that sulfhydryl oxidase corresponds to the 85 (± 5)-kDa band observed on SDS-PAGE. The protein band corresponding to radiolabeled sulfhydryl oxidase was recovered from SDS-PAGE gels by electrophoretic elution and by electroblotting on polyvinylidene difluoride membrane and subjected to gas phase sequencing. Precautions were taken during electrophoretic elution to prevent reactions that result in N-terminal blocking. Both methods of protein recovery yielded negative results when subjected to sequence analysis indicating that the N-terminus of sulfhydryl oxidase is blocked

  18. Immobilization of oxidases and their analytical applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasinzai, M.

    2007-01-01

    Immobilized enzymes are replacing their soluble counter-parts in nearly every field of application. These enzyme modifications have evolved from a research curiosity into an entire branch of Biotechnology. An immobilization method for flavin containing oxidases and their use in flow injection system is described. An electrochemical detector for H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ is assembled which is used effectively for the determination of glucose using more common glucose oxidase and the simultaneous determination of sugars. The combination of oxidases with hydrolases have been used for the determination of maltose and starch. (author)

  19. NADPH Oxidases: Progress and Opportunities

    OpenAIRE

    San Martin, Alejandra; Griendling, Kathy K.

    2014-01-01

    From the initial discovery in 1999 that NADPH oxidases comprise a family of enzymes to our current focus on drug development to treat multiple pathologies related to this enzyme family, progress has been swift and impressive. We have expanded our understanding of the extent of the family, the basic enzymatic biochemistry, the multiple cellular functions controlled by NADPH oxidases, and their varied roles in physiology and diseases. We have developed numerous cell culture tools, animal models...

  20. Cellular Cholesterol Regulates Ubiquitination and Degradation of the Cholesterol Export Proteins ABCA1 and ABCG1*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Victar; Kim, Mi-Jurng; Gelissen, Ingrid C.; Brown, Andrew J.; Sandoval, Cecilia; Hallab, Jeannette C.; Kockx, Maaike; Traini, Mathew; Jessup, Wendy; Kritharides, Leonard

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to examine the influence of cholesterol in post-translational control of ABCA1 and ABCG1 protein expression. Using CHO cell lines stably expressing human ABCA1 or ABCG1, we observed that the abundance of these proteins is increased by cell cholesterol loading. The response to increased cholesterol is rapid, is independent of transcription, and appears to be specific for these membrane proteins. The effect is mediated through cholesterol-dependent inhibition of transporter protein degradation. Cell cholesterol loading similarly regulates degradation of endogenously expressed ABCA1 and ABCG1 in human THP-1 macrophages. Turnover of ABCA1 and ABCG1 is strongly inhibited by proteasomal inhibitors and is unresponsive to inhibitors of lysosomal proteolysis. Furthermore, cell cholesterol loading inhibits ubiquitination of ABCA1 and ABCG1. Our findings provide evidence for a rapid, cholesterol-dependent, post-translational control of ABCA1 and ABCG1 protein levels, mediated through a specific and sterol-sensitive mechanism for suppression of transporter protein ubiquitination, which in turn decreases proteasomal degradation. This provides a mechanism for acute fine-tuning of cholesterol transporter activity in response to fluctuations in cell cholesterol levels, in addition to the longer term cholesterol-dependent transcriptional regulation of these genes. PMID:24500716

  1. Bile acid sequestrants for cholesterol

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... ency/patientinstructions/000787.htm Bile acid sequestrants for cholesterol To use the sharing features on this page, ... are medicines that help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol . Too much cholesterol in your blood can stick ...

  2. to HDL-cholesterol functionality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malara Marzena

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to analyse the scientific evidence concerning the effects of two enzymes – paraoxonase 1 and myeloperoxidase – on the functions of HDL-cholesterol. It is well documented that disturbed circulating lipoproteins (a high total and high LDL-cholesterol, and low HDL-cholesterol bring about atherosclerosis and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD which is recognised as the main cause of death all around the world. In consequence, numerous studies have focused on procedures which will improve the plasma lipoproteins profile by decreasing the total cholesterol and the LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C and increasing the HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C. However, the anti-atherogenic role of HDL-C has been challenged in studies showing that genetically elevated HDL-cholesterol does not offer protection against CVD. Moreover, it has been found that raising the circulating HDL-cholesterol fails to reduce atherosclerosis. The doubts concerning the protective role of HDL-C have been supported by in vitro studies which indicate that the HDL-C from patients with atherosclerosis does not have a protective action, but does stimulate inflammation and free radical synthesis. The above data suggests that HDL-C, commonly recognised as protective against atherosclerosis, in some circumstances becomes pro-atherogenic, and is thus dysfunctional. Our review focuses on two enzymes – paraoxonase 1 (PON1 and myeloperoxidase (MPO – which markedly affect the properties of HDL-C and contribute to its anti – or pro-atherogenic activity. Moreover, the effects of the diet and physical activity on PON1 and MPO are summarised with respect to the HDL-C functionality.

  3. Effect of dietary cholesterol and plant sterol consumption on plasma lipid responsiveness and cholesterol trafficking in healthy individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alphonse, Peter A S; Ramprasath, Vanu; Jones, Peter J H

    2017-01-01

    Dietary cholesterol and plant sterols differentially modulate cholesterol kinetics and circulating cholesterol. Understanding how healthy individuals with their inherent variabilities in cholesterol trafficking respond to such dietary sterols will aid in improving strategies for effective cholesterol lowering and alleviation of CVD risk. The objectives of this study were to assess plasma lipid responsiveness to dietary cholesterol v. plant sterol consumption, and to determine the response in rates of cholesterol absorption and synthesis to each sterol using stable isotope approaches in healthy individuals. A randomised, double-blinded, crossover, placebo-controlled clinical trial (n 49) with three treatment phases of 4-week duration were conducted in a Manitoba Hutterite population. During each phase, participants consumed one of the three treatments as a milkshake containing 600 mg/d dietary cholesterol, 2 g/d plant sterols or a control after breakfast meal. Plasma lipid profile was determined and cholesterol absorption and synthesis were measured by oral administration of [3, 4-13C] cholesterol and 2H-labelled water, respectively. Dietary cholesterol consumption increased total (0·16 (sem 0·06) mmol/l, P=0·0179) and HDL-cholesterol (0·08 (sem 0·03) mmol/l, P=0·0216) concentrations with no changes in cholesterol absorption or synthesis. Plant sterol consumption failed to reduce LDL-cholesterol concentrations despite showing a reduction (6 %, P=0·0004) in cholesterol absorption. An over-compensatory reciprocal increase in cholesterol synthesis (36 %, P=0·0026) corresponding to a small reduction in absorption was observed with plant sterol consumption, possibly resulting in reduced LDL-cholesterol lowering efficacy of plant sterols. These data suggest that inter-individual variability in cholesterol trafficking mechanisms may profoundly impact plasma lipid responses to dietary sterols in healthy individuals.

  4. Lack of Abcg1 results in decreased plasma HDL cholesterol levels and increased biliary cholesterol secretion in mice fed a high cholesterol diet

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wiersma, Harmen; Nijstad, Niels; de Boer, Jan Freark; Out, Ruud; Hogewerf, Wytse; Van Berkel, Theo J.; Kuipers, Folkert; Tietge, Uwe J. F.

    Objective: The ATP Binding Cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) has been implicated in cholesterol efflux towards HDL and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Biliary cholesterol secretion is considered as an important step in RCT. The aim of the present study was to determine the consequences of Abcg1

  5. Lipid peroxidation and total cholesterol in HAART-naïve patients infected with circulating recombinant forms of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 in Cameroon.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georges Teto

    Full Text Available HIV infection has commonly been found to affect lipid profile and antioxidant defense.To determine the effects of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV infection and viral subtype on patient's cholesterol and oxidative stress markers, and determine whether in the absence of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART, these biochemical parameters could be useful in patient's management and monitoring disease progression in Cameroon. For this purpose, we measured total cholesterol (TC, LDL cholesterol (LDLC, HDL cholesterol (HDLC, total antioxidant ability (TAA, lipid peroxidation indices (LPI, and malondialdehyde (MDA in HIV negative persons and HIV positive HAART-naïve patients infected with HIV-1 group M subtypes.We measured serum TC, LDLC, HDLC, plasma MDA, and TAA concentrations, and calculated LPI indices in 151 HIV-positive HAART-naïve patients and 134 seronegative controls. We also performed gene sequence analysis on samples from 30 patients to determine the effect of viral genotypes on these biochemical parameters. We also determined the correlation between CD4 cell count and the above biochemical parameters.We obtained the following controls/patients values for TC (1.96±0.54/1. 12±0. 48 g/l, LDLC (0. 67±0. 46/0. 43±0. 36 g/l, HDLC (105. 51±28. 10/46. 54±23. 36 mg/dl TAA (0. 63±0. 17/0. 16±0. 16 mM, MDA (0. 20±0. 07/0. 41±0. 10 µM and LPI (0. 34±0. 14/26. 02±74. 40. In each case, the difference between the controls and patients was statistically significant (p<0.05. There was a positive and statistically significant Pearson correlation between CD4 cell count and HDLC (r = +0.272; p<0.01, TAA (r = +0.199; p<0.05 and a negative and statistically significant Pearson correlation between CD4 cell count and LPI (r = -0.166; p<0.05. Pearson correlation between CD4 cell count and TC, CD4cell count and LDLC was positive but not statistically significant while it was negative but not statistically significant with MDA. The

  6. Promotion of human mesenchymal stem cell osteogenesis by PI3-kinase/Akt signaling, and the influence of caveolin-1/cholesterol homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Natasha; Sohn, Jihee; Tuan, Rocky S

    2015-12-01

    Stem cells are considered an important resource for tissue repair and regeneration. Their utilization in regenerative medicine will be aided by mechanistic insight into their responsiveness to external stimuli. It is likely that, similar to all other cells, an initial determinant of stem cell responsiveness to external stimuli is the organization of signaling molecules in cell membrane rafts. The clustering of signaling molecules in these cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains can affect the activity, specificity, cross-talk and amplification of cell signaling. Membrane rafts fall into two broad categories, non-caveolar and caveolar, based on the absence or presence, respectively, of caveolin scaffolding proteins. We have recently demonstrated that caveolin-1 (Cav-1) expression increases during, and knockdown of Cav-1 expression enhances, osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The increase in Cav-1 expression observed during osteogenesis is likely a negative feedback mechanism. We hypothesize that focal adhesion signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt signaling may be negatively regulated by Cav-1 during human MSC osteogenesis. Human bone marrow MSCs were isolated from femoral heads obtained after total hip arthroplasty. MSCs were incubated in standard growth medium alone or induced to osteogenically differentiate by the addition of supplements (β-glycerophosphate, ascorbic acid, dexamethasone, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3). The activation of and requirement for PI3K/Akt signaling in MSC osteogenesis were assessed by immunoblotting for phosphorylated Akt, and treatment with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and Akt siRNA, respectively. The influences of Cav-1 and cholesterol membrane rafts on PI3K/Akt signaling were investigated by treatment with Cav-1 siRNA, methyl-β-cyclodextrin, or cholesterol oxidase, followed by cellular sub-fractionation and/or immunoblotting for phosphorylated Akt. LY294002 and Akt siRNA inhibited MSC

  7. Hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine by hepatic lipase in discoidal and spheroidal recombinant high-density lipoprotein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tansey, J T; Thuren, T Y; Jerome, W G; Hantgan, R R; Grant, K; Waite, M

    1997-10-07

    Hepatic lipase (HL) hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) was studied in recombinant high-density lipoprotein particles (r-HDL). r-HDL were made from cholate mixed micelles that contained PC, apo AI, and, in some cases, unesterified cholesterol. r-HDL were characterized using chemical composition, nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. The r-HDL were found to be discoidal and in the size range of native HDL. Upon treatment of cholesterol-containing r-HDL with lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), to form cholesteryl ester, the discoidal r-HDL became spheroidal. The effects of r-HDL morphology and size on HL activity were studied on r-HDL made of palmitoyloleoyl-PC, unesterified cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, and apolipoprotein AI. Spheroidal r-HDL were hydrolyzed at a faster rate than discoidal r-HDL. Protein-poor r-HDL were hydrolyzed by HL at a faster rate than protein rich r-HDL. Unesterified cholesterol had no apparent effect on particle PC hydrolysis. The hydrolysis of different species of PC [dipalmitoyl (DPPC), dioleoyl(DOPC), palmitoylarachidonoyl (PAPC), and palmitoyloleoyl (POPC)] in r-HDL was also investigated. In discoidal r-HDL, we found that POPC >/= DOPC = PAPC/DPPC. However, in LCAT-treated spheroidal r-HDL, POPC = DOPC > PAPC/DPPC. In both discoidal and spheroidal rHDL, DPPC containing r-HDL were not hydrolyzed to a significant extent. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that the physico-chemical properties of particles (such as phospholipid packing and phospholipid acyl composition) play a significant role in hydrolysis of HDL phospholipid by HL and, therefore, in reverse cholesterol transport.

  8. HDL cholesterol, very low levels of LDL cholesterol, and cardiovascular events

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Barter, Philip; Gotto, Antonio M.; LaRosa, John C.; Maroni, Jaman; Szarek, Michael; Grundy, Scott M.; Kastelein, John J. P.; Bittner, Vera; Fruchart, Jean-Charles

    2007-01-01

    BACKGROUND: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are a strong inverse predictor of cardiovascular events. However, it is not clear whether this association is maintained at very low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. METHODS: A post hoc analysis of the recently

  9. Triglycerides, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in rats exposed to premium motor spirit fumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aberare, Ogbevire L; Okuonghae, Patrick; Mukoro, Nathaniel; Dirisu, John O; Osazuwa, Favour; Odigie, Elvis; Omoregie, Richard

    2011-06-01

    Deliberate and regular exposure to premium motor spirit fumes is common and could be a risk factor for liver disease in those who are occupationally exposed. A possible association between premium motor spirit fumes and plasma levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol using a rodent model could provide new insights in the pathology of diseases where cellular dysfunction is an established risk factor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of premium motor spirit fumes on lipids and lipoproteins in workers occupationally exposed to premium motor spirit fumes using rodent model. Twenty-five Wister albino rats (of both sexes) were used for this study between the 4(th) of August and 7(th) of September, 2010. The rats were divided into five groups of five rats each. Group 1 rats were not exposed to premium motor spirit fumes (control group), group 2 rats were exposed for 1 hour daily, group 3 for 3 hours daily, group 4 for 5 hours daily and group 5 for 7 hours daily. The experiment lasted for a period of 4 weeks. Blood samples obtained from all the groups after 4 weeks of exposure were used for the estimation of plasma levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein- cholesterol and low density lipoprotein- cholesterol. Results showed significant increase in means of plasma total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein levels (P<0.05). The mean triglyceride and total body weight were significantly lower (P<0.05) in the exposed group when compared with the unexposed. The plasma level of high density lipoprotein, the ratio of low density lipoprotein to high density lipoprotein and the ratio of total cholesterol to high density lipoprotein did not differ significantly in exposed subjects when compared with the control group. These results showed that frequent exposure to petrol fumes may be highly deleterious to the liver cells.

  10. Ezetimibe Increases Endogenous Cholesterol Excretion in Humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xiaobo; Racette, Susan B; Ma, Lina; Wallendorf, Michael; Ostlund, Richard E

    2017-05-01

    Ezetimibe improves cardiovascular outcomes when added to optimum statin treatment. It lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and percent intestinal cholesterol absorption, but the exact cardioprotective mechanism is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the dominant effect of ezetimibe is to increase the reverse transport of cholesterol from rapidly mixing endogenous cholesterol pool into the stool. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel trial in 24 healthy subjects with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 100 to 200 mg/dL, we measured cholesterol metabolism before and after a 6-week treatment period with ezetimibe 10 mg/d or placebo. Plasma cholesterol was labeled by intravenous infusion of cholesterol-d 7 in a lipid emulsion and dietary cholesterol with cholesterol-d 5 and sitostanol-d 4 solubilized in oil. Plasma and stool samples collected during a cholesterol- and phytosterol-controlled metabolic kitchen diet were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Ezetimibe reduced intestinal cholesterol absorption efficiency 30±4.3% (SE, P <0.0001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 19.8±1.9% ( P =0.0001). Body cholesterol pool size was unchanged, but fecal endogenous cholesterol excretion increased 66.6±12.2% ( P <0.0001) and percent cholesterol excretion from body pools into the stool increased 74.7±14.3% ( P <0.0001), whereas plasma cholesterol turnover rose 26.2±3.6% ( P =0.0096). Fecal bile acids were unchanged. Ezetimibe increased the efficiency of reverse cholesterol transport from rapidly mixing plasma and tissue pools into the stool. Further work is needed to examine the potential relation of reverse cholesterol transport and whole body cholesterol metabolism to coronary events and the treatment of atherosclerosis. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01603758. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  11. Trapping crystal nucleation of cholesterol monohydrate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Solomonov, I.; Weygand, M.J.; Kjær, K.

    2005-01-01

    Crystalline nucleation of cholesterol at the air-water interface has been studied via grazing incidence x-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The various stages of cholesterol molecular assembly from monolayer to three bilayers incorporating interleaving hydrogen-bonded water layers......, at least initially, an intralayer cholesterol rearrangement in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transition. The preferred nucleation of the monoclinic phase of cholesterol . H2O followed by transformation to the stable monohydrate phase may be associated with an energetically more stable cholesterol...... bilayer arrangement of the former and a more favorable hydrogen-bonding arrangement of the latter. The relevance of this nucleation process of cholesterol monohydrate to pathological crystallization of cholesterol from cell biomembranes is discussed....

  12. Characterization of placental cholesterol transport

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindegaard, Marie L; Wassif, Christopher A; Vaisman, Boris

    2008-01-01

    Patients with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) are born with multiple congenital abnormalities. Postnatal cholesterol supplementation is provided; however, it cannot correct developmental malformations due to in utero cholesterol deficit. Increased transport of cholesterol from maternal to fetal...... circulation might attenuate congenital malformations. The cholesterol transporters Abca1, Abcg1, and Sr-b1 are present in placenta; however, their potential role in placental transport remains undetermined. In mice, expression analyses showed that Abca1 and Abcg1 transcripts increased 2-3-fold between...... embryonic days 13.5 and 18.5 in placental tissue; whereas, Sr-b1 expression decreased. To examine the functional role of Abca1, Abcg1 and Sr-b1 we measured the maternal-fetal transfer of (14)C-cholesterol in corresponding mutant embryos. Disruption of either Abca1 or Sr-b1 decreased cholesterol transfer...

  13. Modulation of NADPH oxidase activity by known uraemic retention solutes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulz, Anna Marta; Terne, Cindy; Jankowski, Vera

    2014-01-01

    chloride (DPI), an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase. The effect on enzymatic activity of NADPH oxidase was quantified within an incubation time of 120 min. RESULTS: Thirty-nine of the 48 uraemic retention solutes tested had a significant decreasing effect on NADPH oxidase activity. Oxalate has been characterized......BACKGROUND: Uraemia and cardiovascular disease appear to be associated with an increased oxidative burden. One of the key players in the genesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. Based on initial experiments demonstrating a decreased...... inhibitory effect on NADPH oxidase activity in the presence of plasma from patients with CKD-5D after dialysis compared with before dialysis, we investigated the effect of 48 known and commercially available uraemic retention solutes on the enzymatic activity of NADPH oxidase. METHODS: Mononuclear leucocytes...

  14. Increased hepatic cholesterol esterification with essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD): relationship to plasma lipoprotein (LP) cholesterol content

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ney, D.M.; Ziboh, V.A.; Schneeman, B.O.

    1986-01-01

    EFAD in the rat is associated with hepatic accumulation of esterified cholesterol and altered distribution of cholesterol between plasma and hepatic tissue. Little is known regarding the impact of EFAD on LP composition. To determine the relationship between hepatic cholesterol esterification and plasma lP composition in control (C) and EFAD male Wistar rats, the authors induced EFAD with continuous intragastric (IG) infusion of EFA-free solutions containing 3.5% of calories as triolein for 7 and 14 days. C animals received IG infusion of solutions containing 3.5% of calories as linoleic acid. Data in the EFAD groups reveal: (i) marked decreases in hepatic EFAs and increases in monoenoic acids; (ii) progressive increases in hepatic content of triglyceride and esterified cholesterol with 7 and 14 days of feeding; (iii) assay of acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity in hepatic tissue using 14 C-cholesterol demonstrates an increase in hepatic cholesterol esterification when compared to C animals. Increased hepatic cholesterol esterification correlates with elevated levels of esterified cholesterol in plasma VLDL and HDL particles. These data indicate that the elevated levels of cholesterol esters in LP particles is due, at least in part, to increased hepatic cholesterol esterification with EFAD

  15. Recovery and purification of cholesterol from cholesterol-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex using ultrasound-assisted extraction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yong; Chen, Youliang; Li, Hua

    2017-01-01

    Response surface methodology was used to optimize ultrasound-assisted ethanol extraction (UAE) of cholesterol from cholesterol-β-cyclodextrin (C-β-CD) inclusion complex prepared from duck yolk oil. The best extraction conditions were solvent-solid ratio 10mL/g, ultrasonic power 251W, extraction temperature 56°C and sonication time 36min. Under these conditions, the highest cholesterol extraction yield and cholesterol content obtained 98.12±0.25% and 43.38±0.61mg/g inclusion complex, respectively. As compared with Reflux extraction and Soxhlet extraction, the UAE was more efficient and economical. To increase the purity of crude cholesterol extraction, silica gel column chromatography and crystallization were carried out. Finally, cholesterol was obtained at 95.1% purity, 71.7% recovery and 22.0% yield. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. CER-001, a HDL-mimetic, stimulates the reverse lipid transport and atherosclerosis regression in high cholesterol diet-fed LDL-receptor deficient mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tardy, Claudine; Goffinet, Marine; Boubekeur, Nadia; Ackermann, Rose; Sy, Gavin; Bluteau, Alice; Cholez, Guy; Keyserling, Constance; Lalwani, Narendra; Paolini, John F; Dasseux, Jean-Louis; Barbaras, Ronald; Baron, Rudi

    2014-01-01

    CER-001 is a novel engineered HDL-mimetic comprised of recombinant human apoA-I and phospholipids that was designed to mimic the beneficial properties of nascent pre-β HDL. In this study, we have evaluated the capacity of CER-001 to perform reverse lipid transport in single dose studies as well as to regress atherosclerosis in LDLr(-/-) mice after short-term multiple-dose infusions. CER-001 induced cholesterol efflux from macrophages and exhibited anti-inflammatory response similar to natural HDL. Studies with HUVEC demonstrated CER-001 at a concentration of 500 μg/mL completely suppressed the secretion of cytokines IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF and MCP-1. Following infusion of CER-001 (10mg/kg) in C57Bl/6J mice, we observed a transient increase in the mobilization of unesterified cholesterol in HDL particles containing recombinant human apoA-I. Finally we show that cholesterol elimination was stimulated in CER-001 treated animals as demonstrated by the increased cholesterol concentration in liver and feces. In a familial hypercholesterolemia mouse model (LDL-receptor deficient mice), the infusion of CER-001 caused 17% and 32% reductions in plaque size, 17% and 23% reductions in lipid content after 5 and 10 doses given every 2 days, respectively. Also, there was an 80% reduction in macrophage content in the plaque following 5 doses, and decreased VCAM-1 expression by 16% and 22% in the plaque following 5 and 10 intravenous doses of CER-001, respectively. These data demonstrate that CER-001 rapidly enhances reverse lipid transport in the mouse, reducing vascular inflammation and promoting regression of diet-induced atherosclerosis in LDLr(-/-) mice upon a short-term multiple dose treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Cholesterol Medicines: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... heart diseases . There are two main types of cholesterol. LDL is the "bad" cholesterol. A high LDL level leads to a buildup of cholesterol in ... 75 years old, you have diabetes, and your LDL cholesterol level is 70 mg/dL or higher You ...

  18. The cholesterol space of the rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chevallier, F.

    1959-01-01

    The experiments consisted in feeding daily to rats the same mass of radioactive cholesterol, over variable time intervals. From the evolution of the specific radioactivity of cholesterol carbon-14 in the organs as a function of time, information relative to the transport of cholesterol in the organism may be obtained. 1) The cholesterol space, defined as the group of molecules capable of being transferred from the organs into the serum and vice versa, represents at the most 50 per cent of the total cholesterol of the adult rat. 2) The incessant interchange between the tissual and the serum cholesterol renews entirely or for the most part the cholesterol molecules contained in the following organs: spleen, heart, adipose tissue, suprarenal glands, lungs, bone marrow, liver, erythrocytes. For a second group of organs: skin, testicles, kidneys, colon, bones, muscles, only a fraction of their cholesterol is renewable by this process. No transfer can be detected at the level of the brain. 3) The relative speeds of the various means of appearance (absorption, synthesis) and disappearance (excretion, transformation) of the cholesterol from its space are such that a stationary isotopic state is established around the eighth day, when the animal absorbs 5 milligrams of radioactive cholesterol daily. (author) [fr

  19. Transintestinal cholesterol excretion in humans

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Reeskamp, Laurens F.; Meessen, Emma C. E.; Groen, Albert K.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose of review To discuss recent insights into the measurement and cellular basis of transintestinal cholesterol excretion (TICE) in humans and to explore TICE as a therapeutic target for increasing reverse cholesterol transport. Recent findings TICE is the net effect of cholesterol excretion by

  20. Cholesterol Absorption and Synthesis in Vegetarians and Omnivores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lütjohann, Dieter; Meyer, Sven; von Bergmann, Klaus; Stellaard, Frans

    2018-03-01

    Vegetarian diets are considered health-promoting; however, a plasma cholesterol lowering effect is not always observed. We investigate the link between vegetarian-diet-induced alterations in cholesterol metabolism. We study male and female omnivores, lacto-ovo vegetarians, lacto vegetarians, and vegans. Cholesterol intake, absorption, and fecal sterol excretion are measured as well as plasma concentrations of cholesterol and noncholesterol sterols. These serve as markers for cholesterol absorption, synthesis, and catabolism. The biliary cholesterol secretion rate is estimated. Flux data are related to body weight. Individual vegetarian diet groups are statistically compared to the omnivore group. Lacto vegetarians absorb 44% less dietary cholesterol, synthesized 22% more cholesterol, and show no differences in plasma total and LDL cholesterol. Vegan subjects absorb 90% less dietary cholesterol, synthesized 35% more cholesterol, and have a similar plasma total cholesterol, but a 13% lower plasma LDL cholesterol. No diet-related differences in biliary cholesterol secretion and absorption are observed. Total cholesterol absorption is lower only in vegans. Total cholesterol input is similar under all vegetarian diets. Unaltered biliary cholesterol secretion and higher cholesterol synthesis blunt the lowered dietary cholesterol intake in vegetarians. LDL cholesterol is significantly lower only in vegans. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Calcium transport in vesicles energized by cytochrome oxidase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosier, Randy N. [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)

    1979-01-01

    Experiments on the reconstitution of cytochrome oxidase into phospholipid vesicles were carried out using techniques of selectivity energizing the suspensions with ascorbate and cytochrome c or ascorbate, PMS, and internally trapped cytochrome c. It was found that the K+ selective ionophore valinomycin stimulated the rate of respiration of cytochrome oxidase vesicles regardless of the direction of the K+ flux across the vesicle membranes. The stimulation occurred in the presence of protonophoric uncouplers and in the complete absence of potassium or in detergent-lysed suspensions. Gramicidin had similar effects and it was determined that the ionophores acted by specific interaction with cytochrome oxidase rather than by the previously assumed collapse of membrane potentials. When hydrophobic proteins and appropriate coupling factors were incorporated into the cytochrome oxidase, vesicles phosphorylation of ADP could be coupled to the oxidation reaction of cytochrome oxidase. Relatively low P:O, representing poor coupling of the system, were problematical and precluded measurements of protonmotive force. However the system was used to study ion translocation.

  2. Relative variations of gut microbiota in disordered cholesterol metabolism caused by high-cholesterol diet and host genetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bo, Tao; Shao, Shanshan; Wu, Dongming; Niu, Shaona; Zhao, Jiajun; Gao, Ling

    2017-08-01

    Recent studies performed provide mechanistic insight into effects of the microbiota on cholesterol metabolism, but less focus was given to how cholesterol impacts the gut microbiota. In this study, ApoE -/- Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and their wild-type counterparts (n = 12) were, respectively, allocated for two dietary condition groups (normal chow and high-cholesterol diet). Total 16S rDNA of fecal samples were extracted and sequenced by high-throughput sequencing to determine differences in microbiome composition. Data were collected and performed diversity analysis and phylogenetic analysis. The influence of cholesterol on gut microbiota was discussed by using cholesterol dietary treatment as exogenous cholesterol disorder factor and genetic modification as endogenous metabolic disorder factor. Relative microbial variations were compared to illustrate the causality and correlation of cholesterol and gut microbiota. It turned out comparing to genetically modified rats, exogenous cholesterol intake may play more effective role in changing gut microbiota profile, although the serum cholesterol level of genetically modified rats was even higher. Relative abundance of some representative species showed that the discrepancies due to dietary variation were more obvious, whereas some low abundance species changed because of genetic disorders. Our results partially demonstrated that gut microbiota are relatively more sensitive to dietary variation. Nevertheless, considering the important effect of bacteria in cholesterol metabolism, the influence to gut flora by "genetically caused cholesterol disorder" cannot be overlooked. Manipulation of gut microbiota might be an effective target for preventing cholesterol-related metabolic disorders. © 2017 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Peroxisomal Polyamine Oxidase and NADPH-Oxidase cross-talk for ROS homeostasis which affects respiration rate in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Efthimios A. Andronis

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Homeostasis of reactive oxygen species (ROS in the intracellular compartments is of critical importance as ROS have been linked with nearly all cellular processes and more importantly with diseases and aging. PAs are nitrogenous molecules with an evolutionary conserved role in the regulation of metabolic and energetic status of cells. Recent evidence also suggests that polyamines (PA are major regulators of ROS homeostasis. In Arabidopsis the backconversion of the PAs spermidine (Spd and spermine (Spm to putrescine (Put and Spd, respectively is catalyzed by two peroxisomal PA oxidases (AtPAO. However, the physiological role of this pathway remains largely elusive. Here we explore the role of peroxisomal PA backconversion and in particular that catalyzed by the highly expressed AtPAO3 in the regulation of ROS homeostasis and mitochondrial respiratory burst. Exogenous PAs exert an NADPH-oxidase dependent stimulation of oxygen consumption, with Spd exerting the strongest effect. This increase is attenuated by treatment with the NADPH-oxidase blocker diphenyleneiodonium iodide (DPI. Loss-of-function of AtPAO3 gene results to increased NADPH-oxidase-dependent production of superoxide anions (O2.-, but not H2O2, which activate the mitochondrial alternative oxidase pathway (AOX. On the contrary, overexpression of AtPAO3 results to an increased but balanced production of both H2O2 and O2.-. These results suggest that the ratio of O2.-/H2O2 regulates respiratory chain in mitochondria, with PA-dependent production of O2.- by NADPH-oxidase tilting the balance of electron transfer chain in favor of the AOX pathway. In addition, AtPAO3 seems to be an important component in the regulating module of ROS homeostasis, while a conserved role for PA backconversion and ROS across kingdoms is discussed.

  4. Cholesterol and related sterols autoxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zerbinati, Chiara; Iuliano, Luigi

    2017-10-01

    Cholesterol is a unique lipid molecule providing the building block for membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acid synthesis. Metabolism of cholesterol involves several enzymes acting on the sterol nucleus or the isooctyl tail. In the recent years, research interest has been focused on oxysterols, cholesterol derivatives generated by the addition of oxygen to the cholesterol backbone. Oxysterols can be produced enzymatically or by autoxidation. Autoxidation of cholesterol proceeds through type I or type II mechanisms. Type I autoxidation is initiated by free radical species, such as those arising from the superoxide/hydrogen peroxide/hydroxyl radical system. Type II autoxidation occurs stoichiometrically by non-radical highly reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen, HOCl, and ozone. The vulnerability of cholesterol towards high reactive species has raised considerable interest for mechanistic studies and for the potential biological activity of oxysterols, as well as for the use of oxysterols as biomarkers for the non-invasive study of oxidative stress in vivo. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  5. METHODS FOR RECOMBINANT EXPRESSION AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN CANNABINOID RECEPTOR CB2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexei A. Yeliseev

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Cannabinoid receptor CB2 is a seven transmembrane-domain integral membrane protein that belongs to a large superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR. CB2 is a part of the endocannabinoid system that plays vital role in regulation of immune response, inflammation, pain sensitivity, obesity and other physiological responses. Information about the structure and mechanisms of functioning of this receptor in cell membranes is essential for the rational development of specific pharmaceuticals. Here we review the methodology for recombinant expression, purification, stabilization and biochemical characterization of CB2 suitable for preparation of multi-milligram quantities of functionally active receptor. The biotechnological protocols include expression of the recombinant CB2 in E. coli cells as a fusion with the maltose binding protein, stabilization with a high affinity ligand and a derivative of cholesterol in detergent micelles, efficient purification by tandem affinity chromatography, and reconstitution of the receptor into lipid bilayers. The purified recombinant CB2 receptor is amenable to functional and structural studies including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a wide range of biochemical and biophysical techniques.

  6. High Cholesterol in Children and Teens

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... dairy products. The body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if your child or teen has high cholesterol (too much cholesterol in the blood), he or she has a higher risk of coronary artery disease and other heart diseases. What causes high cholesterol in children and teens? Three main ...

  7. Modulation of NADPH oxidase activity by known uraemic retention solutes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulz, Anna Marta; Terne, Cindy; Jankowski, Vera; Cohen, Gerald; Schaefer, Mandy; Boehringer, Falko; Tepel, Martin; Kunkel, Desiree; Zidek, Walter; Jankowski, Joachim

    2014-08-01

    Uraemia and cardiovascular disease appear to be associated with an increased oxidative burden. One of the key players in the genesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. Based on initial experiments demonstrating a decreased inhibitory effect on NADPH oxidase activity in the presence of plasma from patients with CKD-5D after dialysis compared with before dialysis, we investigated the effect of 48 known and commercially available uraemic retention solutes on the enzymatic activity of NADPH oxidase. Mononuclear leucocytes isolated from buffy coats of healthy volunteers were isolated, lysed and incubated with NADH in the presence of plasma from healthy controls and patients with CKD-5D. Furthermore, the leucocytes were lysed and incubated in the presence of uraemic retention solute of interest and diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI), an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase. The effect on enzymatic activity of NADPH oxidase was quantified within an incubation time of 120 min. Thirty-nine of the 48 uraemic retention solutes tested had a significant decreasing effect on NADPH oxidase activity. Oxalate has been characterized as the strongest inhibitor of NADPH oxidase (90% of DPI inhibition). Surprisingly, none of the uraemic retention solutes we investigated was found to increase NADPH oxidase activity. Furthermore, plasma from patients with CKD-5D before dialysis caused significantly higher inhibitory effect on NADPH oxidase activity compared with plasma from healthy subjects. However, this effect was significantly decreased in plasma from patients with CKD-5D after dialysis. The results of this study show that uraemic retention solutes modulated the activity of the NADPH oxidase. The results of this study might be the basis for the development of inhibitors applicable as drug in the situation of increased oxidative stress. © 2014 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.

  8. Histone deacetylase inhibition decreases cholesterol levels in neuronal cells by modulating key genes in cholesterol synthesis, uptake and efflux.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria João Nunes

    Full Text Available Cholesterol is an essential component of the central nervous system and increasing evidence suggests an association between brain cholesterol metabolism dysfunction and the onset of neurodegenerative disorders. Interestingly, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi such as trichostatin A (TSA are emerging as promising therapeutic approaches in neurodegenerative diseases, but their effect on brain cholesterol metabolism is poorly understood. We have previously demonstrated that HDACi up-regulate CYP46A1 gene transcription, a key enzyme in neuronal cholesterol homeostasis. In this study, TSA was shown to modulate the transcription of other genes involved in cholesterol metabolism in human neuroblastoma cells, namely by up-regulating genes that control cholesterol efflux and down-regulating genes involved in cholesterol synthesis and uptake, thus leading to an overall decrease in total cholesterol content. Furthermore, co-treatment with the amphipathic drug U18666A that can mimic the intracellular cholesterol accumulation observed in cells of Niemman-Pick type C patients, revealed that TSA can ameliorate the phenotype induced by pathological cholesterol accumulation, by restoring the expression of key genes involved in cholesterol synthesis, uptake and efflux and promoting lysosomal cholesterol redistribution. These results clarify the role of TSA in the modulation of neuronal cholesterol metabolism at the transcriptional level, and emphasize the idea of HDAC inhibition as a promising therapeutic tool in neurodegenerative disorders with impaired cholesterol metabolism.

  9. Lysyl oxidase in colorectal cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cox, Thomas R; Erler, Janine T

    2013-01-01

    Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent form of cancer worldwide and fourth-leading cause of cancer-related mortality, leading to ~600,000 deaths annually, predominantly affecting the developed world. Lysyl oxidase is a secreted, extracellular matrix-modifying enzyme previously suggested...... to act as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer. However, emerging evidence has rapidly implicated lysyl oxidase in promoting metastasis of solid tumors and in particular colorectal cancer at multiple stages, affecting tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. This emerging research has...... advancements in the field of colorectal cancer....

  10. Evaluation of oxalate decarboxylase and oxalate oxidase for industrial applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassland, Pierre; Sjöde, Anders; Winestrand, Sandra; Jönsson, Leif J; Nilvebrant, Nils-Olof

    2010-05-01

    Increased recirculation of process water has given rise to problems with formation of calcium oxalate incrusts (scaling) in the pulp and paper industry and in forest biorefineries. The potential in using oxalate decarboxylase from Aspergillus niger for oxalic acid removal in industrial bleaching plant filtrates containing oxalic acid was examined and compared with barley oxalate oxidase. Ten different filtrates from chemical pulping were selected for the evaluation. Oxalate decarboxylase degraded oxalic acid faster than oxalate oxidase in eight of the filtrates, while oxalate oxidase performed better in one filtrate. One of the filtrates inhibited both enzymes. The potential inhibitory effect of selected compounds on the enzymatic activity was tested. Oxalate decarboxylase was more sensitive than oxalate oxidase to hydrogen peroxide. Oxalate decarboxylase was not as sensitive to chlorate and chlorite as oxalate oxidase. Up to 4 mM chlorate ions, the highest concentration tested, had no inhibitory effect on oxalate decarboxylase. Analysis of the filtrates suggests that high concentrations of chlorate present in some of the filtrates were responsible for the higher sensitivity of oxalate oxidase in these filtrates. Oxalate decarboxylase was thus a better choice than oxalate oxidase for treatment of filtrates from chlorine dioxide bleaching.

  11. Controlling Cholesterol with Statins

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... For Consumers Home For Consumers Consumer Updates Controlling Cholesterol with Statins Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More ... not, the following tips can help keep your cholesterol in check: Talk with your healthcare provider about ...

  12. The Interpretation of Cholesterol Balance Derived Synthesis Data and Surrogate Noncholesterol Plasma Markers for Cholesterol Synthesis under Lipid Lowering Therapies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frans Stellaard

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The cholesterol balance procedure allows the calculation of cholesterol synthesis based on the assumption that loss of endogenous cholesterol via fecal excretion and bile acid synthesis is compensated by de novo synthesis. Under ezetimibe therapy hepatic cholesterol is diminished which can be compensated by hepatic de novo synthesis and hepatic extraction of plasma cholesterol. The plasma lathosterol concentration corrected for total cholesterol concentration (R_Lath as a marker of de novo cholesterol synthesis is increased during ezetimibe treatment but unchanged under treatment with ezetimibe and simvastatin. Cholesterol balance derived synthesis data increase during both therapies. We hypothesize the following. (1 The cholesterol balance data must be applied to the hepatobiliary cholesterol pool. (2 The calculated cholesterol synthesis value is the sum of hepatic de novo synthesis and the net plasma—liver cholesterol exchange rate. (3 The reduced rate of biliary cholesterol absorption is the major trigger for the regulation of hepatic cholesterol metabolism under ezetimibe treatment. Supportive experimental and literature data are presented that describe changes of cholesterol fluxes under ezetimibe, statin, and combined treatments in omnivores and vegans, link plasma R_Lath to liver function, and define hepatic de novo synthesis as target for regulation of synthesis. An ezetimibe dependent direct hepatic drug effect cannot be excluded.

  13. Nanoscale Membrane Domain Formation Driven by Cholesterol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Javanainen, Matti; Martinez-Seara, Hector; Vattulainen, Ilpo

    2017-01-01

    Biological membranes generate specific functions through compartmentalized regions such as cholesterol-enriched membrane nanodomains that host selected proteins. Despite the biological significance of nanodomains, details on their structure remain elusive. They cannot be observed via microscopic...... dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and cholesterol - the "minimal standard" for nanodomain formation. The simulations reveal how cholesterol drives the formation of fluid cholesterol-rich nanodomains hosting hexagonally packed cholesterol-poor lipid nanoclusters, both of which show registration between the membrane leaflets....... The complex nanodomain substructure forms when cholesterol positions itself in the domain boundary region. Here cholesterol can also readily flip-flop across the membrane. Most importantly, replacing cholesterol with a sterol characterized by a less asymmetric ring region impairs the emergence of nanodomains...

  14. Production of rabbit antibodies against purified Glucose oxidase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Anjum Zia

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Glucose oxidase is an active oxygen species generating enzyme produced from Aspergillus niger grown in submerged fermentation. Disintegration of the mycelium resulted in high glucose oxidase activity that was subjected to ammonium sulfate precipitation at 60-85% saturation rates that resulted to 6.14 U mg -1 specific activity. Purification of enzyme by anion exchange column (DEAE-Cellulose resulted into 22.53 U mg-1 specific activity and 10.27 fold purification. This was applied to sephadex G-200 column for gel filtration chromatography. It was observed that enzyme achieved 59.37 U mg-1of specific activity with 27.08 fold purity and 64.36% recovery. Purified glucose oxidase was injected into rabbits through intravenous route, to raise the glucose oxidase antibodies. After 30 days incubation period, the rabbits were slaughtered and serum was separated from blood. The antibodies were isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation and confirmed by agar gel precipitation test. This could be a convenient and low cost alternate assay for the estimation of glucose oxidase in biological fluids. Moreover, such antibodies against the said enzyme could be used in various therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

  15. Effect of Processing Methods on Cholesterol Contents and Cholesterol Oxides Formation in Some Dairy Products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    AlRowaily, Meshref A

    2008-01-01

    The effects of pasteurization, boiling, microwaving, processing and storage of milk and some locally produced dairy products on cholesterol contents and cholesterol oxides formation were studied and evaluated. The 7-ketocholesterol were not detected (ND) in all raw milk samples. On the contrary, heating of milk led to formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs), mostly, 7- ketocholesterol in different quantities. No significant effect of heating of milk on cholesterol level was observed with the exception of the ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk prepared from milk powder heated at 140 + - 1.0 degree C for 4 sec showed the highest value of 7-ketocholesterol (80.97 mgg-1), followed by microwave heated milk for 5 min (31.29 mgg-1), whereas the lowest value was in milk pasteurized at 85 + - 1.0 degree C for 16 sec (3.125 mgg-1). Commercial storage showed no significant effect on cholesterol and 7-ketocholestrol but lowered cholesterol concentration and increased 7-ketocholestrol level of UHT reconstituted milk. Cholesterol content of both yogurt and labaneh strained by centrifugal separator showed significant decrease while 7-ketochostrol level was increased significantly with refrigerated storage. The findings are discussed in the context with the results of previous similar studies. (author)

  16. Chemoenzymatic combination of glucose oxidase with titanium silicalite -1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vennestrøm, Peter Nicolai Ravnborg; Taarning, Esben; Christensen, Claus H.

    2010-01-01

    Zeozymes: A proof-of-concept is presented for the chemoenzymatic combination of titanium silicalite-1 zeolite with glucose oxidase. In this combination, glucose is oxidized to gluconic acid and the H2O2 byproduct formed in situ is used for the simultaneous oxidation of chemical substrates. Both...... a soluble glucose oxidase and a truly integrated heterogeneous combination whereby the oxidase enzyme is anchored onto the zeolite surface are reported....

  17. Cholesterol in unusual places

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kucerka, N; Nieh, M P; Marquardt, D; Harroun, T A; Wassail, S R; Katsaras, J, E-mail: John.Katsaras@nrc.gc.ca, E-mail: Norbert.Kucerka@nrc.gc.ca

    2010-11-01

    Cholesterol is an essential component of mammalian cells, and is required for building and maintaining cell membranes, regulating their fluidity, and possibly acting as an antioxidant. Cholesterol has also been implicated in cell signaling processes, where it has been suggested that it triggers the formation of lipid rafts in the plasma membrane. Aside from cholesterol's physiological roles, what is also becoming clear is its poor affinity for lipids with unsaturated fatty acids as opposed to saturated lipids, such as sphingomyelin with which it forms rafts. We previously reported the location of cholesterol in membranes with varying degrees of acyl chain unsaturation as determined by neutron diffraction studies (Harroun et al 2006 Biochemistry 45, 1227; Harroun et al 2008 Biochemistry 47, 7090). In bilayers composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules with a saturated acyl chain at the sn-1 position or a monounsaturated acyl chain at both sn-1 and sn-2 positions, cholesterol was found in its much-accepted 'upright' position. However, in dipolyunsaturated 1,2-diarachidonyl phosphatidylcholine (20:4-20:4PC) membranes the molecule was found sequestered in the center of the bilayers. In further experiments, mixing l-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (16:0-18:1 PC) with 20:4-20:4PC resulted in cholesterol reverting to its upright orientation at approximately 40 mol% 16:0-18:1 PC. Interestingly, the same effect was achieved with only 5 mol% 1,2-dimyristoyl phosphatidylchoile (14:0-14:0PC).

  18. Cholesterol in unusual places

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kucerka, N; Nieh, M P; Marquardt, D; Harroun, T A; Wassail, S R; Katsaras, J

    2010-01-01

    Cholesterol is an essential component of mammalian cells, and is required for building and maintaining cell membranes, regulating their fluidity, and possibly acting as an antioxidant. Cholesterol has also been implicated in cell signaling processes, where it has been suggested that it triggers the formation of lipid rafts in the plasma membrane. Aside from cholesterol's physiological roles, what is also becoming clear is its poor affinity for lipids with unsaturated fatty acids as opposed to saturated lipids, such as sphingomyelin with which it forms rafts. We previously reported the location of cholesterol in membranes with varying degrees of acyl chain unsaturation as determined by neutron diffraction studies (Harroun et al 2006 Biochemistry 45, 1227; Harroun et al 2008 Biochemistry 47, 7090). In bilayers composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules with a saturated acyl chain at the sn-1 position or a monounsaturated acyl chain at both sn-1 and sn-2 positions, cholesterol was found in its much-accepted 'upright' position. However, in dipolyunsaturated 1,2-diarachidonyl phosphatidylcholine (20:4-20:4PC) membranes the molecule was found sequestered in the center of the bilayers. In further experiments, mixing l-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (16:0-18:1 PC) with 20:4-20:4PC resulted in cholesterol reverting to its upright orientation at approximately 40 mol% 16:0-18:1 PC. Interestingly, the same effect was achieved with only 5 mol% 1,2-dimyristoyl phosphatidylchoile (14:0-14:0PC).

  19. [Cholesterol reducing food certainly is useful].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stalenhoef, A F

    1997-12-27

    The effect of a low-cholesterol diet in open intervention studies depends in the long run on motivation, knowledge and dedication. The mean decrease of the serum cholesterol level is 10% (range: 0-20). Epidemiological and cohort studies clearly prove a connection between the intake of saturated fat, the serum cholesterol level and the risk of coronary heart disease and death. High-fat food slows down the clearance of the degradation products rich in cholesterol which appear in the blood after a meal and which are highly atherogenic (these products are not found at a fasting cholesterol assay). Cholesterol-reducing nutrition has additional useful effects, for instance on the blood pressure and the coagulation. The recommendations for healthy, low-cholesterol nutrition for the population as a whole apply particularly to patients with a high risk of coronary heart disease. Although advice given to individuals often has a disappointing effect, influencing the life pattern should be included in the strategy to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

  20. Phospholipase A2-treated human high-density lipoprotein and cholesterol movements: exchange processes and lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase reactivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chollet, F; Perret, B P; Chap, H; Douste-Blazy, L

    1986-02-12

    Human HDL3 (d 1.125-1.21 g/ml) were treated by an exogenous phospholipase A2 from Crotalus adamenteus in the presence of albumin. Phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis ranged between 30 and 90% and the reisolated particle was essentially devoid of lipolysis products. (1) An exchange of free cholesterol was recorded between radiolabelled erythrocytes at 5-10% haematocrit and HDL3 (0.6 mM total cholesterol) from 0 to 12-15 h. Isotopic equilibration was reached. Kinetic analysis of the data indicated a constant rate of free cholesterol exchange of 13.0 microM/h with a half-time of equilibration around 3 h. Very similar values of cholesterol exchange, specific radioactivities and kinetic parameters were measured when phospholipase-treated HDL replaced control HDL. (2) The lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase reactivity of HDL3, containing different amounts of phosphatidylcholine, as achieved by various degrees of phospholipase A2 treatment, was measured using a crude preparation of lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (the d 1.21-1.25 g/ml plasma fraction). The rate of esterification was determined between 0 and 12 h. Following a 15-30% lipolysis, the lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase reactivity of HDL3 was reduced about 30-40%, and then continued to decrease, though more slowly, as the phospholipid content was further lowered in the particle. (3) The addition of the lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase preparation into an incubation medium made of labelled erythrocytes and HDL3 promoted a movement of radioactive cholesterol out of cells, above the values of exchange, and an accumulation of cholesteryl esters in HDL. This reflected a mass consumption of free cholesterol, from both the cellular and the lipoprotein compartments upon the lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase action. As a consequence of a decreased reactivity, phospholipase-treated HDL (with 2/3 of phosphatidylcholine hydrolyzed) proved much less effective in the lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase

  1. Amine oxidases as important agents of pathological processes of rhabdomyolysis in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gudkova, O O; Latyshko, N V; Shandrenko, S G

    2016-01-01

    In this study we have tested an idea on the important role of amine oxidases (semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase, diamine oxidase, polyamine oxidase) as an additional source of oxidative/carbonyl stress under glycerol-induced rhabdomyolysis, since the enhanced formation of reactive oxygen species and reactive carbonyl species in a variety of tissues is linked to various diseases. In our experiments we used the sensitive fluorescent method devised for estimation of amine oxidases activity in the rat kidney and thymus as targeted organs under rhabdomyolysis. We have found in vivo the multiple rises in activity of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase, diamine oxidase, polyamine oxidase (2-4.5 times) in the corresponding cell fractions, whole cells or their lysates at the 3-6th day after glycerol injection. Aberrant antioxidant activities depended on rhabdomyolysis stage and had organ specificity. Additional treatment of animals with metal chelator ‘Unithiol’ adjusted only the activity of antioxidant enzymes but not amine oxidases in both organs. Furthermore the in vitro experiment showed that Fenton reaction (hydrogen peroxide in the presence of iron) products alone had no effect on semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase activity in rat liver cell fraction whereas supplementation with methylglyoxal resulted in its significant 2.5-fold enhancement. Combined action of the both agents had additive effect on semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase activity. We can assume that biogenic amine and polyamine catabolism by amine oxidases is upregulated by oxidative and carbonyl stress factors directly under rhabdomyolysis progression, and the increase in catabolic products concentration contributes to tissue damage in glycerol-induced acute renal failure and apoptosis stimulation in thymus.

  2. Laboratory-evolved vanillyl-alcohol oxidase produces natural vanillin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heuvel, van den R.H.H.; Berg, van den W.A.M.; Rovida, S.; Berkel, van W.J.H.

    2004-01-01

    The flavoenzyme vanillyl-alcohol oxidase was subjected to random mutagenesis to generate mutants with enhanced reactivity to creosol (2-methoxy-4-methylphenol). The vanillyl-alcohol oxidase-mediated conversion of creosol proceeds via a two-step process in which the initially formed vanillyl alcohol

  3. The expression of cholesterol metabolism genes in monocytes from HIV-infected subjects suggests intracellular cholesterol accumulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feeney, Eoin R; McAuley, Nuala; O'Halloran, Jane A; Rock, Clare; Low, Justin; Satchell, Claudette S; Lambert, John S; Sheehan, Gerald J; Mallon, Patrick W G

    2013-02-15

    Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). In vitro, HIV impairs monocyte-macrophage cholesterol efflux, a major determinant of circulating HDL-c, by increasing ABCA1 degradation, with compensatory upregulation of ABCA1 messenger RNA (mRNA). We examined expression of genes involved in cholesterol uptake, metabolism, and efflux in monocytes from 22 HIV-positive subjects on antiretroviral therapy (ART-Treated), 30 untreated HIV-positive subjects (ART-Naive), and 22 HIV-negative controls (HIV-Neg). HDL-c was lower and expression of ABCA1 mRNA was higher in ART-Naive subjects than in both ART-Treated and HIV-Neg subjects (both P ART-Treated and ART-Naive subjects than in HIV-Neg controls. In vivo, increased monocyte ABCA1 expression in untreated HIV-infected patients and normalization of ABCA1 expression with virological suppression by ART supports direct HIV-induced impairment of cholesterol efflux previously demonstrated in vitro. However, decreased expression of cholesterol sensing, uptake, and synthesis genes in both untreated and treated HIV infection suggests that both HIV and ART affect monocyte cholesterol metabolism in a pattern consistent with accumulation of intramonocyte cholesterol.

  4. Carbon nanotube-based glucose oxidase nanocomposite anode materials for bio-fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudzik, Jonathan

    The field of nanotechnology has benefited medicine, science, and engineering. The advent of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and protein-inorganic interfacing have received much attention due to their unique nanostructures which can be modified to act as a scaffold to house proteins or create nanowires. The current trend incorporates the robustness and specificity characteristics of proteins to the mechanical strength, enlarged surface area, and conductive capabilities emblematic of their inorganic counterparts. Bio-Fuel Cells (BFCs) and Biosensors remain at the forefront and devices such as implantable glucose monitors are closer to realization than ever before. This research strives to exploit potential energy from the eukaryotic enzyme Glucose Oxidase (GOx) during oxidation of its substrate, glucose. During this process, a two-electron transfer occurs at its two FAD redox centres which can be harnessed via an electrochemical setup involving a Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNTs) modified electrode. The objective is to develop a MWCNT-GOx bionanocomposite capable of producing and sustaining a competitive power output. To help with this aim, investigation into a crosslinked enzyme cluster (CEC) immobilization technique is envisioned to amplify power output due to its highly concentrated, reusable, and thermally stable characteristics. Numerous CEC-GOx-MWCNT composites were fabricated with the highest initial output reaching 170 muW/cm 2. It was hypothesized that the carbohydrate moiety increased tunnelling distance and therefore hindered electron transfer. Efforts to produce a recombinant GOx without the encumbrance were unsuccessful. Two sub-clone constructs were explored and although a recombinant protein was identified, it was not confirmed to be GOx. BFC testing on bionanocomposites integrating non-glycosylated GOx could not be performed although there remains a strong contention that the recombinant would demonstrate superior power densities in comparison to its

  5. Putting together a plasma membrane NADH oxidase: a tale of three laboratories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Löw, Hans; Crane, Frederick L; Morré, D James

    2012-11-01

    The observation that high cellular concentrations of NADH were associated with low adenylate cyclase activity led to a search for the mechanism of the effect. Since cyclase is in the plasma membrane, we considered the membrane might have a site for NADH action, and that NADH might be oxidized at that site. A test for NADH oxidase showed very low activity, which could be increased by adding growth factors. The plasma membrane oxidase was not inhibited by inhibitors of mitochondrial NADH oxidase such as cyanide, rotenone or antimycin. Stimulation of the plasma membrane oxidase by iso-proterenol or triiodothyronine was different from lack of stimulation in endoplasmic reticulum. After 25 years of research, three components of a trans membrane NADH oxidase have been discovered. Flavoprotein NADH coenzyme Q reductases (NADH cytochrome b reductase) on the inside, coenzyme Q in the middle, and a coenzyme Q oxidase on the outside as a terminal oxidase. The external oxidase segment is a copper protein with unique properties in timekeeping, protein disulfide isomerase and endogenous NADH oxidase activity, which affords a mechanism for control of cell growth by the overall NADH oxidase and the remarkable inhibition of oxidase activity and growth of cancer cells by a wide range of anti-tumor drugs. A second trans plasma membrane electron transport system has been found in voltage dependent anion channel (VDAC), which has NADH ferricyanide reductase activity. This activity must be considered in relation to ferricyanide stimulation of growth and increased VDAC antibodies in patients with autism. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. In Situ Enzymatically Generated Photoswitchable Oxidase Mimetics and Their Application for Colorimetric Detection of Glucose Oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Gen-Xia; Wu, Xiu-Ming; Dong, Yu-Ming; Li, Zai-Jun; Wang, Guang-Li

    2016-07-09

    In this study, a simple and amplified colorimetric assay is developed for the detection of the enzymatic activity of glucose oxidase (GOx) based on in situ formation of a photoswitchable oxidase mimetic of PO₄(3-)-capped CdS quantum dots (QDs). GOx catalyzes the oxidation of 1-thio-β-d-glucose to give 1-thio-β-d-gluconic acid which spontaneously hydrolyzes to β-d-gluconic acid and H₂S; the generated H₂S instantly reacts with Cd(2+) in the presence of Na₃PO₄ to give PO₄(3-)-stabilized CdS QDs in situ. Under visible-light (λ ≥ 400 nm) stimulation, the PO₄(3-)-capped CdS QDs are a new style of oxidase mimic derived by producing some active species, such as h⁺, (•)OH, O₂(•-) and a little H₂O₂, which can oxidize the typical substrate (3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzydine (TMB)) with a color change. Based on the GOx-triggered growth of the oxidase mimetics of PO₄(3-)-capped CdS QDs in situ, we developed a simple and amplified colorimetric assay to probe the enzymatic activity of GOx. The proposed method allowed the detection of the enzymatic activity of GOx over the range from 25 μg/L to 50 mg/L with a low detection limit of 6.6 μg/L. We believe the PO₄(3-)-capped CdS QDs generated in situ with photo-stimulated enzyme-mimicking activity may find wide potential applications in biosensors.

  7. Niacin to Boost Your HDL "Good" Cholesterol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niacin can boost 'good' cholesterol Niacin is a B vitamin that may raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol. But side effects might outweigh benefits for most ... been used to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the "good" cholesterol that helps remove low-density ...

  8. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... health-medications/index.shtml. Accessed May 16, 2016. Hirsch M, et al. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) for ... www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed May 16, 2016. Hirsch M, et al. Discontinuing antidepressant medications in adults. ...

  9. Intestinal cholesterol secretion : future clinical implications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jakulj, L.; Besseling, J.; Stroes, E. S. G.; Groen, A. K.

    2013-01-01

    Together with the liver, the intestine serves as a homeostatic organ in cholesterol metabolism. Recent evidence has substantiated the pivotal role of the intestine in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). RCT is a fundamental antiatherogenic pathway, mediating the removal of cholesterol from tissues

  10. Intestinal cholesterol secretion: future clinical implications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jakulj, L.; Besseling, J.; Stroes, E. S. G.; Groen, A. K.

    2013-01-01

    Together with the liver, the intestine serves as a homeostatic organ in cholesterol metabolism. Recent evidence has substantiated the pivotal role of the intestine in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). RCT is a fundamental antiatherogenic pathway, mediating the removal of cholesterol from tissues

  11. DIETARY-CHOLESTEROL INDUCED DOWN-REGULATION OF INTESTINAL 3-HYDROXY-3-METHYLGLUTARYL COENZYME-A REDUCTASE-ACTIVITY IS DIMINISHED IN RABBITS WITH HYPERRESPONSE OF SERUM-CHOLESTEROL TO DIETARY-CHOLESTEROL

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    MEIJER, GW; SMIT, MJ; VANDERPALEN, JGP; KUIPERS, F; VONK, RJ; VANZUTPHEN, BFM; BEYNEN, AC

    Key enzymes of cholesterol metabolism were studied in two inbred strains of rabbits with hyper- or hyporesponse of serum cholesterol to dietary cholesterol. Baseline 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)CoA reductase activity in liver was similar in hypo- and hyperresponders, but that in intestine was

  12. Dietary cholesterol and fats at a young age : do they influence cholesterol metabolism in adult life?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Temmerman, A.M.; Vonk, R.J.; Niezen-Koning, K.; Berger, R.; Fernandes, J.

    1989-01-01

    The effects of dietary cholesterol and fats on cholesterol metabolism later in life were studied in Mongolian gerbils. Three groups were given a basic diet with soybean oil, palm kernel oil amounting to 8.75% (w/w), or the basic diet only. In three other groups, cholesterol (0.05%) was added to the

  13. Imaging appearances of cholesterol pneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miao Yanwei; Zhang Jingwen; Wu Jianlin; Zhou Yong; Li Mingwu; Lei Zhen; Shi Lifu

    2006-01-01

    Objection: To analyze the imaging appearances of cholesterol pneumonia. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the X-ray and CT findings of 3 patients with cholesterol pneumonia confirmed pathologically and reviewed correlative literature. Results: Lesions similar to mass were found in X-ray and CT imaging of three cases. Two of them appeared cavity with fluid-level and one showed multiple ring enhancement after CT contrast. The course of disease was very. long and it had no respond to antibiotic therapy. Amounts of foam cells rich in cholesterol crystal were detected in pathological examination. Conclusions: Cholesterol pneumonia is a rare chronic pulmonary idiopathic disease, and the radiological findings can do some help to its diagnosis. (authors)

  14. The influence of saponins on cell membrane cholesterol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böttger, Stefan; Melzig, Matthias F

    2013-11-15

    We studied the influence of structurally different saponins on the cholesterol content of cellular membranes. Therefore a cell culture model using ECV-304 urinary bladder carcinoma cells was developed. To measure the cholesterol content we used radiolabeled (3)H-cholesterol which is chemically and physiologically identical to natural cholesterol. The cells were pre-incubated with (3)H-cholesterol and after a medium change, they were treated with saponins to assess a saponin-induced cholesterol liberation from the cell membrane. In another experiment the cells were pre-incubated with saponins and after a medium change, they were treated with (3)H-cholesterol to assess a saponin-induced inhibition of cholesterol uptake into the cell membrane. Furthermore, the membrane toxicity of all applied saponins was analyzed using extracellular LDH quantification and the general cytotoxicity was analyzed using a colorimetric MTT-assay and DNA quantification. Our results revealed a correlation between membrane toxicity and general cytotoxicity. We also compared the results from the experiments on the saponin-induced cholesterol liberation as well as the saponin-induced inhibition of cholesterol uptake with the membrane toxicity. A significant reduction in the cell membrane cholesterol content was noted for those saponins who showed membrane toxicity (IC50 saponins either liberated (3)H-cholesterol from intact cell membranes or blocked the integration of supplemented (3)H-cholesterol into the cell membrane. Saponins with little influence on the cell membrane (IC50 >100 μM) insignificantly altered the cell membrane cholesterol content. The results suggested that the general cytotoxicity of saponins is mainly dependent on their membrane toxicity and that the membrane toxicity might be caused by the loss of cholesterol from the cell membrane. We also analyzed the influence of a significantly membrane toxic saponin on the cholesterol content of intracellular membranes such as those

  15. Indanones as high-potency reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostert, Samantha; Petzer, Anél; Petzer, Jacobus P

    2015-05-01

    Recent reports document that α-tetralone (3,4-dihydro-2H-naphthalen-1-one) is an appropriate scaffold for the design of high-potency monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Based on the structural similarity between α-tetralone and 1-indanone, the present study involved synthesis of 34 1-indanone and related indane derivatives as potential inhibitors of recombinant human MAO-A and MAO-B. The results show that C6-substituted indanones are particularly potent and selective MAO-B inhibitors, with IC50 values ranging from 0.001 to 0.030 μM. C5-Substituted indanone and indane derivatives are comparatively weaker MAO-B inhibitors. Although the 1-indanone and indane derivatives are selective inhibitors of the MAO-B isoform, a number of homologues are also potent MAO-A inhibitors, with three homologues possessing IC50 values 1-indanone as a reversible MAO inhibitor with a competitive mode of inhibition. It may be concluded that 1-indanones are promising leads for the design of therapies for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson's disease and depression. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Optimization of glucose oxidase production by Aspergillus niger

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    2011-02-28

    Feb 28, 2011 ... manganese, cobalt, thioglycolic acid, and gluconic acid according to (Liu et al., .... In this experiment duplicate media of glucose 10% were adjusted at different ... Glucose oxidase as a pharmaceutical anti oxidant Drug. Devt. ... Plush KS, Hellmuth K, Rinas U (1996). kinetics of glucose oxidase excretion by ...

  17. Cytochrome cbb3 of Thioalkalivibrio is a Na+-pumping cytochrome oxidase

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Muntyan, M.S.; Cherepanov, D.A.; Malinen, A.M.; Bloch, D.A.; Sorokin, D.Y.; Severina, I.I.; Ivashina, T.V.; Lahti, R.; Muyzer, G.; Skulachev, V.P.

    2015-01-01

    Cytochrome c oxidases (Coxs) are the basic energy transducers in the respiratory chain of the majority of aerobic organisms. Coxs studied to date are redox-driven proton-pumping enzymes belonging to one of three subfamilies: A-, B-, and C-type oxidases. The C-type oxidases (cbb3 cytochromes), which

  18. Cholesterol transfer at endosomal-organelle membrane contact sites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ridgway, Neale D; Zhao, Kexin

    2018-06-01

    Cholesterol is delivered to the limiting membrane of late endosomes by Niemann-Pick Type C1 and C2 proteins. This review summarizes recent evidence that cholesterol transfer from endosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum and other organelles is mediated by lipid-binding proteins that localize to membrane contact sites (MCS). LDL-cholesterol in the late endosomal/lysosomes is exported to the plasma membrane, where most cholesterol resides, and the endoplasmic reticulum, which harbors the regulatory complexes and enzymes that control the synthesis and esterification of cholesterol. A major advance in dissecting these cholesterol transport pathways was identification of frequent and dynamic MCS between endosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum, peroxisomes and plasma membrane. Positioned at these MCS are members of the oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid-transfer family of lipid transfer proteins that bridge the opposing membranes and directly or indirectly mediate cholesterol transfer. OSBP-related protein 1L (ORP1L), ORP5 and ORP6 mediate cholesterol transfer to the endoplasmic reticulum that regulates cholesterol homeostasis. ORP1L and STARD3 also move cholesterol from the endoplasmic reticulum-to-late endosomal/lysosomes under low-cholesterol conditions to facilitate intraluminal vesicle formation. Cholesterol transport also occurs at MCS with peroxisomes and possibly the plasma membrane. Frequent contacts between organelles and the endo-lysosomal vesicles are sites for bidirectional transfer of cholesterol.

  19. Serum diamine oxidase activity in patients with histamine intolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manzotti, G; Breda, D; Di Gioacchino, M; Burastero, S E

    2016-03-01

    Intolerance to various foods, excluding bona fide coeliac disease and lactose intolerance, represents a growing cause of patient visits to allergy clinics.Histamine intolerance is a long-known, multifaceted clinical condition triggered by histamine-rich foods and alcohol and/or by drugs that liberate histamine or block diamine oxidase (DAO), the main enzyme involved in the metabolism of ingested histamine. Histamine limitation diets impose complex, non-standardized restrictions that may severely impact the quality of life of patients. We retrospectively evaluated 14 patients who visited allergy outpatient facilities in northern Italy with a negative diagnosis for IgE-mediated food hypersensitivity, coeliac disease, conditions related to gastric hypersecretion, and systemic nickel hypersensitivity, and who previously underwent a histamine limitation diet with benefits for their main symptoms. Serum diamine oxidase levels and the clinical response to diamine oxidase supplementation were investigated. We found that 10 out of 14 patients had serum DAO activityintolerance. Moreover, 13 out of 14 patients subjectively reported a benefit in at least one of the disturbances related to food intolerances following diamine oxidase supplementation. The mean value (±SD) of diamine oxidase activity in the cohort of patients with histamine intolerance symptoms was 7.04±6.90 U/mL compared to 39.50±18.16 U/mL in 34 healthy controls (P=0.0031). In patients with symptoms triggered by histamine-rich food, measuring the serum diamine oxidase activity can help identify subjects who can benefit from a histamine limitation diet and/or diamine oxidase supplementation.Properly designed, controlled studies investigating histamine intolerance that include histamine provocation are indispensable for providing insights into the area of food intolerances, which are currently primarily managed with non-scientific approaches in Italy. © The Author(s) 2015.

  20. Phytosterol glycosides reduce cholesterol absorption in humans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xiaobo; Ma, Lina; Racette, Susan B.; Anderson Spearie, Catherine L.; Ostlund, Richard E.

    2009-01-01

    Dietary phytosterols inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption and regulate whole body cholesterol excretion and balance. However, they are biochemically heterogeneous and a portion is glycosylated in some foods with unknown effects on biological activity. We tested the hypothesis that phytosterol glycosides reduce cholesterol absorption in humans. Phytosterol glycosides were extracted and purified from soy lecithin in a novel two-step process. Cholesterol absorption was measured in a series of three single-meal tests given at intervals of 2 wk to each of 11 healthy subjects. In a randomized crossover design, participants received ∼300 mg of added phytosterols in the form of phytosterol glycosides or phytosterol esters, or placebo in a test breakfast also containing 30 mg cholesterol-d7. Cholesterol absorption was estimated by mass spectrometry of plasma cholesterol-d7 enrichment 4–5 days after each test. Compared with the placebo test, phytosterol glycosides reduced cholesterol absorption by 37.6 ± 4.8% (P lecithin are bioactive in humans and should be included in methods of phytosterol analysis and tables of food phytosterol content. PMID:19246636

  1. Structure and activity of Aspergillus nidulans copper amine oxidase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    McGrath, Aaron P; Mithieux, Suzanne M; Collyer, Charles A

    2011-01-01

    Aspergillus nidulans amine oxidase (ANAO) has the unusual ability among the family of copper and trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone-containing amine oxidases of being able to oxidize the amine side chains of lysine residues in large peptides and proteins. We show here that in common with the related...... enzyme from the yeast Pichia pastoris, ANAO can promote the cross-linking of tropoelastin and oxidize the lysine residues in α-casein proteins and tropoelastin. The crystal structure of ANAO, the first for a fungal enzyme in this family, has been determined to a resolution of 2.4 Å. The enzyme is a dimer...... with the archetypal fold of a copper-containing amine oxidase. The active site is the most open of any of those of the structurally characterized enzymes in the family and provides a ready explanation for its lysine oxidase-like activity....

  2. Intracellular Cholesterol Trafficking and Impact in Neurodegeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabian Arenas

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol is a critical component of membrane bilayers where it plays key structural and functional roles by regulating the activity of diverse signaling platforms and pathways. Particularly enriched in brain, cholesterol homeostasis in this organ is singular with respect to other tissues and exhibits a heterogeneous regulation in distinct brain cell populations. Due to the key role of cholesterol in brain physiology and function, alterations in cholesterol homeostasis and levels have been linked to brain diseases and neurodegeneration. In the case of Alzheimer disease (AD, however, this association remains unclear with evidence indicating that either increased or decreased total brain cholesterol levels contribute to this major neurodegenerative disease. Here, rather than analyzing the role of total cholesterol levels in neurodegeneration, we focus on the contribution of intracellular cholesterol pools, particularly in endolysosomes and mitochondria through its trafficking via specialized membrane domains delineated by the contacts between endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, in the onset of prevalent neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease as well as in lysosomal disorders like Niemann-Pick type C disease. We dissect molecular events associated with intracellular cholesterol accumulation, especially in mitochondria, an event that results in impaired mitochondrial antioxidant defense and function. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the distribution of cholesterol in intracellular compartments may shed light on the role of cholesterol homeostasis disruption in neurodegeneration and may pave the way for specific intervention opportunities.

  3. Cholesterol asymmetry in synaptic plasma membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, W Gibson; Igbavboa, Urule; Müller, Walter E; Eckert, Gunter P

    2011-03-01

    Lipids are essential for the structural and functional integrity of membranes. Membrane lipids are not randomly distributed but are localized in different domains. A common characteristic of these membrane domains is their association with cholesterol. Lipid rafts and caveolae are examples of cholesterol enriched domains, which have attracted keen interest. However, two other important cholesterol domains are the exofacial and cytofacial leaflets of the plasma membrane. The two leaflets that make up the bilayer differ in their fluidity, electrical charge, lipid distribution, and active sites of certain proteins. The synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) cytofacial leaflet contains over 85% of the total SPM cholesterol as compared with the exofacial leaflet. This asymmetric distribution of cholesterol is not fixed or immobile but can be modified by different conditions in vivo: (i) chronic ethanol consumption; (ii) statins; (iii) aging; and (iv) apoE isoform. Several potential candidates have been proposed as mechanisms involved in regulation of SPM cholesterol asymmetry: apoE, low-density lipoprotein receptor, sterol carrier protein-2, fatty acid binding proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, P-glycoprotein and caveolin-1. This review examines cholesterol asymmetry in SPM, potential mechanisms of regulation and impact on membrane structure and function. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry © 2011 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  4. Dairy products and plasma cholesterol levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lena Ohlsson

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol synthesized in the body or ingested is an essential lipid component for human survival from our earliest life. Newborns ingest about 3–4 times the amount per body weight through mother's milk compared to the dietary intake of adults. A birth level of 1.7 mmol/L plasma total cholesterol will increase to 4–4.5 mmol/L during the nursing period and continue to increase from adulthood around 40% throughout life. Coronary artery disease and other metabolic disorders are strongly associated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol as well as triacylglycerol concentration. Milk fat contains a broad range of fatty acids and some have a negative impact on the cholesterol rich lipoproteins. The saturated fatty acids (SFAs, such as palmitic acid (C16:0, myristic acid (C14:0, and lauric acid (C12:0, increase total plasma cholesterol, especially LDL, and constitute 11.3 g/L of bovine milk, which is 44.8% of total fatty acid in milk fat. Replacement of dairy SFA and trans-fatty acids with polyunsaturated fatty acids decreases plasma cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol, and is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Available data shows different effects on lipoproteins for different dairy products and there is uncertainty as to the impact a reasonable intake amount of dairy items has on cardiovascular risk. The aim of this review is to elucidate the effect of milk components and dairy products on total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and the LDL/HDL quotients. Based on eight recent randomized controlled trials of parallel or cross-over design and recent reviews it can be concluded that replacement of saturated fat mainly (but not exclusively derived from high-fat dairy products with low-fat dairy products lowers LDL/HDL cholesterol and total/HDL cholesterol ratios. Whey, dairy fractions enriched in polar lipids, and techniques such as fermentation, or fortification of cows feeding can be used

  5. The cholesterol transporter ABCG1 links cholesterol homeostasis and tumour immunity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sag, Duygu; Cekic, Caglar; Wu, Runpei; Linden, Joel; Hedrick, Catherine C

    2015-02-27

    ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) promotes cholesterol efflux from cells and regulates intracellular cholesterol homeostasis. Here we demonstrate a role of ABCG1 as a mediator of tumour immunity. Abcg1(-/-) mice have dramatically suppressed subcutaneous MB49-bladder carcinoma and B16-melanoma growth and prolonged survival. We show that reduced tumour growth in Abcg1(-/-) mice is myeloid cell intrinsic and is associated with a phenotypic shift of the macrophages from a tumour-promoting M2 to a tumour-fighting M1 within the tumour. Abcg1(-/-) macrophages exhibit an intrinsic bias towards M1 polarization with increased NF-κB activation and direct cytotoxicity for tumour cells in vitro. Overall, our study demonstrates that the absence of ABCG1 inhibits tumour growth through modulation of macrophage function within the tumour, and illustrates a link between cholesterol homeostasis and cancer.

  6. Can non-cholesterol sterols and lipoprotein subclasses distribution predict different patterns of cholesterol metabolism and statin therapy response?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gojkovic, Tamara; Vladimirov, Sandra; Spasojevic-Kalimanovska, Vesna; Zeljkovic, Aleksandra; Vekic, Jelena; Kalimanovska-Ostric, Dimitra; Djuricic, Ivana; Sobajic, Sladjana; Jelic-Ivanovic, Zorana

    2017-03-01

    Cholesterol homeostasis disorders may cause dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis progression and coronary artery disease (CAD) development. Evaluation of non-cholesterol sterols (NCSs) as synthesis and absorption markers, and lipoprotein particles quality may indicate the dyslipidemia early development. This study investigates associations of different cholesterol homeostasis patterns with low-density (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) subclasses distribution in statin-treated and statin-untreated CAD patients, and potential use of aforementioned markers for CAD treatment optimization. The study included 78 CAD patients (47 statin-untreated and 31 statin-treated) and 31 controls (CG). NCSs concentrations were quantified using gas chromatography- flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Lipoprotein subclasses were separated by gradient gel electrophoresis. In patients, cholesterol-synthesis markers were significantly higher comparing to CG. Cholesterol-synthesis markers were inversely associated with LDL size in all groups. For cholesterol homeostasis estimation, each group was divided to good and/or poor synthetizers and/or absorbers according to desmosterol and β-sitosterol median values. In CG, participants with reduced cholesterol absorption, the relative proportion of small, dense LDL was higher in those with increased cholesterol synthesis compared to those with reduced synthesis (p<0.01). LDL I fraction was significantly higher in poor synthetizers/poor absorbers subgroup compared to poor synthetizers/good absorbers (p<0.01), and good synthetizers/poor absorbers (p<0.01). Statin-treated patients with increased cholesterol absorption had increased proportion of LDL IVB (p<0.05). The results suggest the existence of different lipoprotein abnormalities according to various patterns of cholesterol homeostasis. Desmosterol/β-sitosterol ratio could be used for estimating individual propensity toward dyslipidemia development and direct the future treatment.

  7. Impaired cholesterol esterification in primary brain cultures of the lysosomal cholesterol storage disorder (LCSD) mouse mutant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, S.C.; Suresh, S.; Weintroub, H.; Brady, R.O.; Pentchev, P.G.

    1987-01-01

    Esterification of cholesterol was investigated in primary neuroglial cultures obtained from newborn lysosomal cholesterol storage disorder (LCSD) mouse mutants. An impairment in 3 H-oleic acid incorporation into cholesteryl esters was demonstrated in cultures of homozygous LCSD brain. Primary cultures derived from other phenotypically normal pups of the carrier breeders esterified cholesterol at normal levels or at levels which were intermediary between normal and deficient indicating a phenotypic expression of the LCSD heterozygote genotype. These observations on LCSD mutant brain cells indicate that the defect in cholesterol esterification is closely related to the primary genetic defect and is expressed in neuroglial cells in culture

  8. Synthesis of cholesterol 26. C{sup 14} (1961); Synthese du cholesterol {sup 14}C-26 (1961)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herbert, M; Pichat, L [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1961-07-01

    Cholesterol 26 {sup 14}C is synthesized from methylmagnesium iodide {sup 14}C with a 48 per cent overall yield. Cholesterol is purified by chromatography on alumina. The various intermediates of the synthesis are characterized by thin-layer chromatography according to Stahl. (authors) [French] Le cholesterol {sup 14}C-26 est synthetise a partir d'iodure de methyl magnesium {sup 14}C, avec un rendement de 48 pour cent par rapport a l'iodure de methyl {sup 14}C mis en jeu. Le cholesterol est purifie par chromatographie sur alumine. Les intermediaires de la synthese sont caracterises par chromatographie en couche mince, selon Stahl. (auteurs)

  9. Microwave assisted direct saponification for the simultaneous determination of cholesterol and cholesterol oxides in shrimp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, Hugo A L; Mariutti, Lilian R B; Bragagnolo, Neura

    2017-05-01

    A novel microwave-assisted direct saponification method for the simultaneous determination of cholesterol and cholesterol oxides in shrimp was developed and validated. Optimal saponification conditions, determined by means of an experimental design, were achieved using 500mg of sample and 20mL of 1mol/L KOH ethanol solution for 16min at 45°C at maximum power at 200W and magnetic stirring at 120rpm. Higher extraction of cholesterol oxides in a reduced saponification time (∼75 times) was achieved in comparison with the direct cold saponification method. The new method showed low detection (≤0.57μg/mL) and quantification (≤1.73μg/mL) limits, good repeatability (≤10.50% intraday and ≤8.56% interday) and low artifact formation (evaluated by using a deuterated cholesterol-D6 standard). Raw, salted and dried-salted shrimps were successfully analyzed by the validated method. The content of cholesterol oxides increased after salting and decreased after drying. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Ethanol production by recombinant and natural xylose-utilising yeasts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eliasson, Anna

    2000-07-01

    from P. stipitis and the endogenous XKS1 gene under control of the PGKI promoter, into the HIS3 locus of S. cerevisiae CEN.PK 113-7A. The strain was stable for more than forty generations in continuous fermentation. The metabolic fluxes during xylose metabolism were quantitatively analysed and anaerobic ethanol formation from xylose in recombinant S. cerevisiae was demonstrated for the first time. The xylose uptake rate increased with increasing xylose concentration in the feed. However, with a feed of 15 g/l xylose and 5 g/l glucose, the xylose flux was 2.2 times lower than the glucose flux, indicating that transport limits the xylose flux. The role of mitochondria in ethanol formation from xylose was investigated using cells of recombinant xylose-utilising S. cerevisiae with two different respiratory capacities and cells from P. stipitis grown under conditions of optimal ethanol formation. Different inhibitors were used either to inhibit the electron transport chain and simulate oxygen limitation, or to inhibit the tricarboxylic acid cycle while not disturbing the electron transport chain. The response to the inhibitors differed significantly for glucose and xylose and the effect was more pronounced for S. cerevisiae. The results indicate that mitochondria play a significant role in the maintenance of the cytoplasmic redox balance during xylose fermentation, through the action of cytoplasmically directed NADH dehydrogenase activity. Thus, more carbon was directed towards ethanol in chemostat cultivations of xylose/glucose mixtures by S. cerevisiae TMB 3001, in the presence of low amounts of oxygen. P. stipitis possesses a second, cyanide-insensitive terminal oxidase, the alternative oxidase, which seems to be of particular importance for efficient ethanol formation from xylose. The highest activity of cyanide-insensitive respiration (CIR), the highest ethanol productivity and lowest xylitol formation were all observed with cells grown under oxygen-limited conditions

  11. Characteristics of human hypo- and hyperresponders to dietary cholesterol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katan, M B; Beynen, A C

    1987-03-01

    The characteristics of people whose serum cholesterol level is unusually susceptible to consumption of cholesterol were investigated. Thirty-two volunteers from the general population of Wageningen, the Netherlands, each participated in three controlled dietary trials in 1982. A low-cholesterol diet was fed during the first half and a high-cholesterol diet during the second half of each trial, and the change (response) of serum cholesterol was measured. The responses in the three trials were averaged to give each subject's mean responsiveness. Fecal excretion of cholesterol and its metabolites were measured in the second trial, and body cholesterol synthesis was calculated. Responsiveness showed a positive correlation with serum high density lipoprotein2 (HDL2) cholesterol (r = 0.41, p less than 0.05) and with serum total cholesterol level on a high-cholesterol diet (r = 0.31, p = 0.09). A negative relation was found with habitual cholesterol consumption (r = -0.62, p less than 0.01), with body mass index (r = -0.50, p less than 0.01), and with the rate of endogenous cholesterol synthesis (r = -0.40, p less than 0.05), but not with the reaction of endogenous cholesterol synthesis rate to an increased intake of cholesterol. No relation was found with age, sex, total caloric needs, or the ratio of primary to secondary fecal steroids. Upon multiple regression analysis, only habitual cholesterol intake and serum total and HDL2 cholesterol levels contributed significantly to the explanation of variance in responsiveness. Thus, a low habitual cholesterol intake, a high serum HDL2 cholesterol level, or a low body weight do not make one less susceptible to dietary cholesterol-induced hypercholesterolemia.

  12. Plasma diamine oxidase levels in pregnancy complicated by threatened abortion.

    OpenAIRE

    Legge, M; Duff, G B

    1981-01-01

    Plasma diamine oxidase levels were assayed in 66 patients who presented with pregnancy complicated by threatened abortion. Levels within the normal range were associated with continuing pregnancies, whereas levels below the normal range were associated with subsequent abortion. Among those patients in whom gestation was greater than eight weeks, 66.6% of diamine oxidase levels correctly predicted the pregnancy outcome. Assay of the diamine oxidase levels at eight weeks of gestation or less ga...

  13. National Cholesterol Education Month

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2009-09-01

    Do you know your cholesterol numbers? Your doctor can do a simple test to check your cholesterol levels and help you make choices that lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.  Created: 9/1/2009 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 9/9/2009.

  14. Phytosterol glycosides reduce cholesterol absorption in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xiaobo; Ma, Lina; Racette, Susan B; Anderson Spearie, Catherine L; Ostlund, Richard E

    2009-04-01

    Dietary phytosterols inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption and regulate whole body cholesterol excretion and balance. However, they are biochemically heterogeneous and a portion is glycosylated in some foods with unknown effects on biological activity. We tested the hypothesis that phytosterol glycosides reduce cholesterol absorption in humans. Phytosterol glycosides were extracted and purified from soy lecithin in a novel two-step process. Cholesterol absorption was measured in a series of three single-meal tests given at intervals of 2 wk to each of 11 healthy subjects. In a randomized crossover design, participants received approximately 300 mg of added phytosterols in the form of phytosterol glycosides or phytosterol esters, or placebo in a test breakfast also containing 30 mg cholesterol-d7. Cholesterol absorption was estimated by mass spectrometry of plasma cholesterol-d7 enrichment 4-5 days after each test. Compared with the placebo test, phytosterol glycosides reduced cholesterol absorption by 37.6+/-4.8% (Pphytosterol esters 30.6+/-3.9% (P=0.0001). These results suggest that natural phytosterol glycosides purified from lecithin are bioactive in humans and should be included in methods of phytosterol analysis and tables of food phytosterol content.

  15. Metavanadate causes cellular accumulation of copper and decreased lysyl oxidase activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui, Changtai T.; Uriu-Adams, Janet Y.; Tchaparian, Eskouhie H.; Keen, Carl L.; Rucker, Robert B.

    2004-01-01

    Selected indices of copper metabolism in weanling rats and fibroblast cultures were progressively altered in response to increased levels of sodium metavanadate. In diets, vanadium was added in amounts ranging from 0 to 80 μg V/g of diet, that is, 0-1.6 μmol V/g of diet. In fibroblast cultures, vanadium ranged from 0 to 400 nmol V/ml. The inhibition of P-ATPase-7A activity by metavanadate, important to copper egress from cells, was a primary focus. In skin, and tendon, the copper concentration was increased in response to increased dietary levels of metavanadate, whereas lysyl oxidase activity, a secreted cuproprotein, was reduced. The reduction in lysyl oxidase activity was also accompanied by reduced redox cycling potential of isolated fractions of lysyl oxidase, presumably due to reduced lysyltyrosyl quinone (LTQ) formation at the active site of lysyl oxidase. In contrast, liver copper concentrations and plasma ceruloplasmin activity were not affected by metavanadate exposure. However, semicarbazide-sensitive benzylamine oxidase (SCBO) activity, which was taken as an indirect measure of vascular adhesive protein-1 (VAP-1), was increased. In cultured fibroblasts, cellular copper was also increased and lysyl oxidase decreased in response to metavanadate. Moreover, the steady-state levels of atp7a and lysyl oxidase mRNAs were not affected by addition of metavanadate to culture medium up to 200 nmol/ml. Taken together, these data suggest that pathways involving copper egress and lysyl oxidase activation are particularly sensitive to metavanadate exposure through processes that are predominately posttranslational

  16. Topical cholesterol in clofazimine induced ichthyosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pandey S

    1994-01-01

    Full Text Available Topical application of 10% cholesterol in petrolatum significantly (P< 0.05 controlled the development of ichthyosis in 62 patients taking 100 mg clofazimine daily for a period of 3 months. However, topical cholesterol application did not affect the lowering of serum cholesterol induced by oral clofazimine. Probable mechanism of action is being discussed.

  17. Phytosterol glycosides reduce cholesterol absorption in humans

    OpenAIRE

    Lin, Xiaobo; Ma, Lina; Racette, Susan B.; Anderson Spearie, Catherine L.; Ostlund, Richard E.

    2009-01-01

    Dietary phytosterols inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption and regulate whole body cholesterol excretion and balance. However, they are biochemically heterogeneous and a portion is glycosylated in some foods with unknown effects on biological activity. We tested the hypothesis that phytosterol glycosides reduce cholesterol absorption in humans. Phytosterol glycosides were extracted and purified from soy lecithin in a novel two-step process. Cholesterol absorption was measured in a series ...

  18. Functionally undefined gene, yggE, alleviates oxidative stress generated by monoamine oxidase in recombinant Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojima, Yoshihiro; Kawase, Daisuke; Nishioka, Motomu; Taya, Masahito

    2009-01-01

    Real-time PCR analysis showed that yggE gene was about two and three times up-regulated in Escherichia coli cells exposed to UVA irradiation and thermal elevation, respectively, suggesting that this gene is responsive to physiological stress. The yggE gene was introduced into E. coli BL21 cells, together with a monoamine oxidase (MAO) gene as a model source for oxidative stress generation. The distribution of independently isolated transformants (two dozen isolates) was examined in terms of MAO activity and cell vitality. In the case of control strain expressing MAO alone, the largest number of transformants existed in the low range of MAO activity less than 2 units mg(-1) and the number significantly decreased at increased MAO activity. On the other hand, the distribution of MAO/YggE-coexpressing transformants shifted to higher MAO activity with frequent appearance in the activity range of 4-8 units mg(-1). The yggE gene product therefore has a possible function for alleviating the stress generated in the cells.

  19. Analysis of Cholesterol Trafficking with Fluorescent Probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maxfield, Frederick R.; Wustner, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    Cholesterol plays an important role in determining the biophysical properties of biological membranes, and its concentration is tightly controlled by homeostatic processes. The intracellular transport of cholesterol among organelles is a key part of the homeostatic mechanism, but sterol transport...... that can bind to cholesterol to reveal its distribution in cells. We also discuss the use of intrinsically fluorescent sterols that closely mimic cholesterol, as well as some minimally modified fluorophore-labeled sterols. Methods for imaging these sterols by conventional fluorescence microscopy...... and by multiphoton microscopy are described. Some label-free methods for imaging cholesterol itself are also discussed briefly....

  20. LCAT, HDL Cholesterol and Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Study of HDL Cholesterol in 54,500 Individuals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haase, Christiane L; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Ali Qayyum, Abbas

    2012-01-01

    , S208T (rs4986970, allele frequency 4%), associated with HDL cholesterol levels in both the CCHS and the CGPS was used to study causality of HDL cholesterol using instrumental variable analysis.Results:Epidemiologically, in the CCHS, a 13% (0.21 mmol/liter) decrease in plasma HDL cholesterol levels...... was associated with an 18% increase in risk of MI. S208T associated with a 13% (0.21 mmol/liter) decrease in HDL cholesterol levels but not with increased risk of MI or other ischemic end points. The causal odds ratio for MI for a 50% reduction in plasma HDL cholesterol due to S208T genotype in both studies......Background:Epidemiologically, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels associate inversely with risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease. Whether this is a causal relation is unclear.Methods:We studied 10,281 participants in the Copenhagen City Heart Study (CCHS) and 50,523 participants...

  1. Oxidases as Breast Cancer Oncogens

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Yeldandi, Anjana

    2000-01-01

    ...) in a non-tumorigenic human mammary epithelial cell line to ascertain whether oxidase overexpressing cells undergo transformation when exposed to substrate xanthine for XOX and uric acid for UOX...

  2. Biliary cholesterol secretion : More than a simple ABC

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dikkers, Arne; Tietge, Uwe J. F.

    2010-01-01

    Biliary cholesterol secretion is a process important for 2 major disease complexes, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and cholesterol gallstone disease With respect to cardiovascular disease, biliary cholesterol secretion is regarded as the final step for the elimination of cholesterol

  3. The effects of cholesterol on learning and memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schreurs, Bernard G

    2010-07-01

    Cholesterol is vital to normal brain function including learning and memory but that involvement is as complex as the synthesis, metabolism and excretion of cholesterol itself. Dietary cholesterol influences learning tasks from water maze to fear conditioning even though cholesterol does not cross the blood brain barrier. Excess cholesterol has many consequences including peripheral pathology that can signal brain via cholesterol metabolites, pro-inflammatory mediators and antioxidant processes. Manipulations of cholesterol within the central nervous system through genetic, pharmacological, or metabolic means circumvent the blood brain barrier and affect learning and memory but often in animals already otherwise compromised. The human literature is no less complex. Cholesterol reduction using statins improves memory in some cases but not others. There is also controversy over statin use to alleviate memory problems in Alzheimer's disease. Correlations of cholesterol and cognitive function are mixed and association studies find some genetic polymorphisms are related to cognitive function but others are not. In sum, the field is in flux with a number of seemingly contradictory results and many complexities. Nevertheless, understanding cholesterol effects on learning and memory is too important to ignore.

  4. Plasma diamine oxidase levels in pregnancy complicated by threatened abortion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Legge, M; Duff, G B

    1981-02-01

    Plasma diamine oxidase levels were assayed in 66 patients who presented with pregnancy complicated by threatened abortion. Levels within the normal range were associated with continuing pregnancies, whereas levels below the normal range were associated with subsequent abortion. Among those patients in whom gestation was greater than eight weeks, 66.6% of diamine oxidase levels correctly predicted the pregnancy outcome. Assay of the diamine oxidase levels at eight weeks of gestation or less gave little useful information.

  5. What Are High Blood Cholesterol and Triglycerides?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Reduction Cholesterol What Are High Blood Cholesterol and Triglycerides? Cholesterol travels to the body’s cells through the ... doctor about medicines that can help. What are triglycerides? Triglycerides are the most common type of fat ...

  6. Photoaffinity labeling with cholesterol analogues precisely maps a cholesterol-binding site in voltage-dependent anion channel-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Budelier, Melissa M; Cheng, Wayland W L; Bergdoll, Lucie; Chen, Zi-Wei; Janetka, James W; Abramson, Jeff; Krishnan, Kathiresan; Mydock-McGrane, Laurel; Covey, Douglas F; Whitelegge, Julian P; Evers, Alex S

    2017-06-02

    Voltage-dependent anion channel-1 (VDAC1) is a highly regulated β-barrel membrane protein that mediates transport of ions and metabolites between the mitochondria and cytosol of the cell. VDAC1 co-purifies with cholesterol and is functionally regulated by cholesterol, among other endogenous lipids. Molecular modeling studies based on NMR observations have suggested five cholesterol-binding sites in VDAC1, but direct experimental evidence for these sites is lacking. Here, to determine the sites of cholesterol binding, we photolabeled purified mouse VDAC1 (mVDAC1) with photoactivatable cholesterol analogues and analyzed the photolabeled sites with both top-down mass spectrometry (MS), and bottom-up MS paired with a clickable, stable isotope-labeled tag, FLI -tag. Using cholesterol analogues with a diazirine in either the 7 position of the steroid ring (LKM38) or the aliphatic tail (KK174), we mapped a binding pocket in mVDAC1 localized to Thr 83 and Glu 73 , respectively. When Glu 73 was mutated to a glutamine, KK174 no longer photolabeled this residue, but instead labeled the nearby Tyr 62 within this same binding pocket. The combination of analytical strategies employed in this work permits detailed molecular mapping of a cholesterol-binding site in a protein, including an orientation of the sterol within the site. Our work raises the interesting possibility that cholesterol-mediated regulation of VDAC1 may be facilitated through a specific binding site at the functionally important Glu 73 residue. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  7. Intestinal SR-BI does not impact cholesterol absorption or transintestinal cholesterol efflux in mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bura, Kanwardeep S.; Lord, Caleb; Marshall, Stephanie; McDaniel, Allison; Thomas, Gwyn; Warrier, Manya; Zhang, Jun; Davis, Matthew A.; Sawyer, Janet K.; Shah, Ramesh; Wilson, Martha D.; Dikkers, Arne; Tietge, Uwe J. F.; Collet, Xavier; Rudel, Lawrence L.; Temel, Ryan E.; Brown, J. Mark

    Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) can proceed through the classic hepatobiliary route or through the non-biliary transintestinal cholesterol efflux (TICE) pathway. Scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) plays a critical role in the classic hepatobiliary route of RCT. However, the role of SR-BI

  8. Cholesterol Perturbs Lipid Bilayers Nonuniversally

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Jianjun; Mills, Thalia T.; Tristram-Nagle, Stephanie; Nagle, John F.

    2008-01-01

    Cholesterol is well known to modulate the physical properties of biomembranes. Using modern x-ray scattering methods, we have studied the effects of cholesterol on the bending modulus K C , the thickness D HH , and the orientational order parameter S xray of lipid bilayers. We find that the effects are different for at least three classes of phospholipids characterized by different numbers of saturated hydrocarbon chains. Most strikingly, cholesterol strongly increases K C when both chains of the phospholipid are fully saturated but not at all when there are two monounsaturated chains

  9. Synthesis of the oxysterol, 24(S, 25-epoxycholesterol, parallels cholesterol production and may protect against cellular accumulation of newly-synthesized cholesterol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brown Andrew J

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Aim The effects of 24(S,25-epoxycholesterol (24,25EC on aspects of cholesterol homeostasis is well-documented. When added to cells, 24,25EC decreases cholesterol synthesis and up-regulates cholesterol efflux genes, including ABCA1. Synthesis of 24,25EC occurs in a shunt of the mevalonate pathway which also produces cholesterol. Therefore, 24,25EC synthesis should be subject to the same negative feedback regulation as cholesterol synthesis. To date, no role has been ascribed to 24,25EC in light of the fact that increased accumulation of cholesterol should decrease formation of this oxysterol through feedback inhibition. This leads to the intriguing paradox: why inhibit production of an apparently important regulator of cholesterol homeostasis when it is needed most? Methods We used a combination of pharmacological and genetic approaches in Chinese Hamster Ovary cell-lines to investigate this paradox. Endogenous synthesis of 24,25EC was manipulated using partial inhibition of the enzyme, Oxidosqualene Cyclase. Changes in cholesterol and 24,25EC synthesis were determined using metabolic labelling with [1-14C]-acetate, thin-layer chromatography and phosphorimaging. Transcriptional effects mediated via SREBP and LXR were analysed by luciferase reporter assays. Results We showed that cholesterol addition to cells lead to a rapid and preferential inhibition of 24,25EC synthesis. Addition of 24,25EC resulted in parallel inhibition of 24,25EC and cholesterol synthesis. Furthermore, we used a variety of approaches to examine the relationship between cholesterol and 24,25EC synthesis, including cell-lines with different rates of cholesterol synthesis, varying cholesterol synthetic rates by pre-treatment with a statin, or lipoprotein cholesterol loading of macrophages. In all cases, we showed that 24,25EC synthesis faithfully tracked cholesterol synthesis. Moreover, changes in 24,25EC synthesis exerted downstream effects, reducing SREBP

  10. Dietary cholesterol, heart disease risk and cognitive dissonance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNamara, Donald J

    2014-05-01

    In the 1960s, the thesis that dietary cholesterol contributes to blood cholesterol and heart disease risk was a rational conclusion based on the available science at that time. Fifty years later the research evidence no longer supports this hypothesis yet changing the dietary recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol has been a slow and at times contentious process. The preponderance of the clinical and epidemiological data accumulated since the original dietary cholesterol restrictions were formulated indicate that: (1) dietary cholesterol has a small effect on the plasma cholesterol levels with an increase in the cholesterol content of the LDL particle and an increase in HDL cholesterol, with little effect on the LDL:HDL ratio, a significant indicator of heart disease risk, and (2) the lack of a significant relationship between cholesterol intake and heart disease incidence reported from numerous epidemiological surveys. Over the last decade, many countries and health promotion groups have modified their dietary recommendations to reflect the current evidence and to address a now recognised negative consequence of ineffective dietary cholesterol restrictions (such as inadequate choline intake). In contrast, health promotion groups in some countries appear to suffer from cognitive dissonance and continue to promote an outdated and potentially hazardous dietary recommendation based on an invalidated hypothesis. This review evaluates the evidence for and against dietary cholesterol restrictions and the potential consequences of such restrictions.

  11. Recombinant Programming

    OpenAIRE

    Pawlak , Renaud; Cuesta , Carlos; Younessi , Houman

    2004-01-01

    This research report presents a promising new approach to computation called Recombinant Programming. The novelty of our approach is that it separates the program into two layers of computation: the recombination and the interpretation layer. The recombination layer takes sequences as inputs and allows the programmer to recombine these sequences through the definition of cohesive code units called extensions. The output of such recombination is a mesh that can be used by the interpretation la...

  12. Heat shock protein 27-derived atheroprotection involves reverse cholesterol transport that is dependent on GM-CSF to maintain ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression in ApoE-/- mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulakazhi Venu, Vivek Krishna; Adijiang, Ayinuer; Seibert, Tara; Chen, Yong-Xiang; Shi, Chunhua; Batulan, Zarah; O'Brien, Edward R

    2017-06-01

    Recently, we demonstrated that heat shock protein (HSP)-27 is protective against the development of experimental atherosclerosis, reducing plaque cholesterol content by more than 30%. Moreover, elevated HSP-27 levels are predictive of relative freedom from clinical cardiovascular events. HSP-27 signaling occurs via the activation of NF-κB, which induces a marked up-regulation in expression of granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a cytokine that is known to alter ABC transporters involved in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Therefore, we hypothesized that HSP-27-derived GM-CSF has a potent role in impeding plaque formation by promoting macrophage RCT and sought to better characterize this pathway. Treatment of THP-1 cells, RAW-Blue cells, and primary macrophages with recombinant HSP-27 resulted in NF-κB activation via TLR-4 and was inhibited by various pharmacologic blockers of this pathway. Moreover, HSP-27-induced upregulation of GM-CSF expression was dependent on TLR-4 signaling. Recombinant (r)HSP-27 treatment of ApoE -/- female (but not male) mice for 4 wk yielded reductions in plaque area and cholesterol clefts of 33 and 47%, respectively, with no effect on GM-CSF -/- ApoE -/- mice. With 12 wk of rHSP-27 treatment, both female and male mice showed reductions in plaque burden (55 and 42%, respectively) and a 60% reduction in necrotic core area but no treatment effect in GM-CSF -/- ApoE -/- mice. In vitro functional studies revealed that HSP-27 enhanced the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1, as well as facilitated cholesterol efflux in vitro by ∼10%. These novel findings establish a paradigm for HSP-27-mediated RCT and set the stage for the development of HSP-27 atheroprotective therapeutics.-Pulakazhi Venu, V. K., Adijiang, A., Seibert, T., Chen, Y.-X., Shi, C., Batulan, Z., O'Brien, E. R. Heat shock protein 27-derived atheroprotection involves reverse cholesterol transport that is dependent on GM-CSF to maintain ABCA1 and ABCG1

  13. 21 CFR 866.2420 - Oxidase screening test for gonorrhea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Oxidase screening test for gonorrhea. 866.2420... screening test for gonorrhea. (a) Identification. An oxidase screening test for gonorrhea is an in vitro... of gonorrhea. (b) Classification. Class III (premarket approval) (transitional device). (c) Date PMA...

  14. Recombiner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikuchi, Nobuo.

    1983-01-01

    Purpose: To shorten the pre-heating time for a recombiner and obtain a uniform temperature distribution for the charged catalyst layer in a BWR type reactor. Constitution: A pre-heating heater is disposed to the outer periphery of a vessel for a recombiner packed with catalysts for recombining hydrogen and oxygen in gases flowing through a radioactive gaseous wastes processing system. Heat pipes for transmitting the heat applied to said container to the catalyst are disposed vertically and horizontally within the container. Different length of the heat pipes are combined. In this way, pre-heating time for the recombiner before the operation start and before the system switching can be shortened and the uniform pre-heating for the inside of the recombiner is also made possible. Further, heater control in the pre-heating can be carried out effectively and with ease. (Moriyama, K.)

  15. The Role of Macrophage Lipophagy in Reverse Cholesterol Transport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Se-Jin Jeong

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Macrophage cholesterol efflux is a central step in reverse cholesterol transport, which helps to maintain cholesterol homeostasis and to reduce atherosclerosis. Lipophagy has recently been identified as a new step in cholesterol ester hydrolysis that regulates cholesterol efflux, since it mobilizes cholesterol from lipid droplets of macrophages via autophagy and lysosomes. In this review, we briefly discuss recent advances regarding the mechanisms of the cholesterol efflux pathway in macrophage foam cells, and present lipophagy as a therapeutic target in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

  16. Catalytic aspects of a copper(II) complex: biological oxidase to ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    BISWAJIT CHOWDHURY

    2017-10-03

    Oct 3, 2017 ... made with a Jasco model V-730 UV-Vis spectrophotometer. ..... Ligand-induced coordination changes ... Fet3 protein from yeast, a multinuclear copper oxidase ... of mutants of the multicopper oxidase Fet3p Biochem-.

  17. Cholesterol-induced conformational changes in the sterol-sensing domain of the Scap protein suggest feedback mechanism to control cholesterol synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yansong; Zhou, Yulian; Goldstein, Joseph L; Brown, Michael S; Radhakrishnan, Arun

    2017-05-26

    Scap is a polytopic protein of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes that transports sterol regulatory element-binding proteins to the Golgi complex for proteolytic activation. Cholesterol accumulation in ER membranes prevents Scap transport and decreases cholesterol synthesis. Previously, we provided evidence that cholesterol inhibition is initiated when cholesterol binds to loop 1 of Scap, which projects into the ER lumen. Within cells, this binding causes loop 1 to dissociate from loop 7, another luminal Scap loop. However, we have been unable to demonstrate this dissociation when we added cholesterol to isolated complexes of loops 1 and 7. We therefore speculated that the dissociation requires a conformational change in the intervening polytopic sequence separating loops 1 and 7. Here we demonstrate such a change using a protease protection assay in sealed membrane vesicles. In the absence of cholesterol, trypsin or proteinase K cleaved cytosolic loop 4, generating a protected fragment that we visualized with a monoclonal antibody against loop 1. When cholesterol was added to these membranes, cleavage in loop 4 was abolished. Because loop 4 is part of the so-called sterol-sensing domain separating loops 1 and 7, these results support the hypothesis that cholesterol binding to loop 1 alters the conformation of the sterol-sensing domain. They also suggest that this conformational change helps transmit the cholesterol signal from loop 1 to loop 7, thereby allowing separation of the loops and facilitating the feedback inhibition of cholesterol synthesis. These insights suggest a new structural model for cholesterol-mediated regulation of Scap activity. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  18. Platelet monoamine oxidase: specific activity and turnover number in headache

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Summers, K.M.; Brown, G.K.; Craig, I.W.; Peatfield, R.; Rose, F.C.

    1982-01-01

    Monoamine oxidase turnover numbers (molecules of substrate converted to product per minute per active site) have been calculated for the human platelet enzyme using [ 3 H]pargyline. Headache patients with high and low monoamine oxidase specific activities relative to controls were found to have turnover numbers very close to those for controls. This finding suggests that their specific activities vary because of differences in the concentration of active monoamine oxidase molecules, rather than differences in the ability of those enzyme molecules to catalyse the deamination reaction. (Auth.)

  19. Cholesterol metabolism in blood cells of irradiated rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novoselova, E.G.; Kulagina, T.P.; Potekhina, N.I.

    1985-01-01

    Cholesterol metabolism in blood erythrocytes and lymphocytes of irradiated rats has been investigated. It has been found that at all terms and doses of irradiation, a suppression of the synthesis of erythrocyte cholesterol is observed. The increase of cholesterol quantiy in erythrocytes upon total gamma irradiation in the 10 Gr dose possibly is the result of growth of cholesterol transfer from plasma into erythrocyte cells. The study of the cholesterol synthesis in suspension of lymphocytes elminated from peripheral blood of control and irradiated rats has shown that at irradiation doses of 4 and 10 Gr in an hour acivation of cholesterol synthesis in vitro takes places

  20. Immobilization of xanthine oxidase on a polyaniline silicone support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadruz, W; Marques, E T; Azevedo, W M; Lima-Filho, J L; Carvalho, L B

    1996-03-01

    A polyaniline silicone support to immobilize xanthine oxidase is proposed as a reactor coil to monitor the action of xanthine oxidase on hypoxanthine, xanthine and 6-mercaptopurine. A purified xanthine oxidase immobilized on this support lost 80% of the initial activity after 12 min of use. Co-immobilization of superoxide dismutase and catalase increased the stability of immobilized xanthine oxidase so that the derivative maintained 79% of its initial activity after 4.6 h of continuous use in which 1.5 mumol purine bases were converted by the immobilized enzyme system. There is no evidence of either polyaniline or protein leaching from the coil during 3 h of continuous use. When solutions (10 ml) of hypoxanthine, xanthine and 6-mercaptopurine were circulated individually through the xanthine oxidase-superoxide dismutase-catalase-polyaniline coil (1 mm internal diameter and 3 m in length, 3 ml internal volume) activities of 8.12, 11.17 and 1.09 nmol min-1 coil-1, respectively, were obtained. The advantages of the reactor configuration and the redox properties of the polymer, particularly with respect to immobilized oxidoreductases, make this methodology attractive for similar enzyme systems. This immobilized enzyme system using polyaniline-silicone as support converted 6-mercaptopurine to 6-thiouric acid with equal efficiency as resins based on polyacrylamide and polyamide 11.

  1. Interaction of pathogens with host cholesterol metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sviridov, Dmitri; Bukrinsky, Michael

    2014-10-01

    Pathogens of different taxa, from prions to protozoa, target cellular cholesterol metabolism to advance their own development and to impair host immune responses, but also causing metabolic complications, for example, atherosclerosis. This review describes recent findings of how pathogens do it. A common theme in interaction between pathogens and host cholesterol metabolism is pathogens targeting lipid rafts of the host plasma membrane. Many intracellular pathogens use rafts as an entry gate, taking advantage of the endocytic machinery and high abundance of outward-looking molecules that can be used as receptors. At the same time, disruption of the rafts' functional capacity, achieved by the pathogens through a number of various means, impairs the ability of the host to generate immune response, thus helping pathogen to thrive. Pathogens cannot synthesize cholesterol, and salvaging host cholesterol helps pathogens build advanced cholesterol-containing membranes and assembly platforms. Impact on cholesterol metabolism is not limited to the infected cells; proteins and microRNAs secreted by infected cells affect lipid metabolism systemically. Given an essential role that host cholesterol metabolism plays in pathogen development, targeting this interaction may be a viable strategy to fight infections, as well as metabolic complications of the infections.

  2. Membrane Cholesterol Modulates Superwarfarin Toxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marangoni, M. Natalia; Martynowycz, Michael W.; Kuzmenko, Ivan; Braun, David; Polak, Paul E.; Weinberg, Guy; Rubinstein, Israel; Gidalevitz, David; Feinstein, Douglas L.

    2016-04-26

    Superwarfarins are modified analogs of warfarin with additional lipophilic aromatic rings, up to 100-fold greater potency, and longer biological half-lives. We hypothesized that increased hydrophobicity allowed interactions with amphiphilic membranes and modulation of biological responses. We find that superwarfarins brodifacoum and difenacoum increase lactate production and cell death in neuroblastoma cells. In contrast, neither causes changes in glioma cells that have higher cholesterol content. After choleterol depletion, lactate production was increased and cell viability was reduced. Drug-membrane interactions were examined by surface X-ray scattering using Langmuir monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and/or cholesterol. Specular X-ray reflectivity data revealed that superwarfarins, but not warfarin, intercalate between dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine molecules, whereas grazing incidence X-ray diffraction demonstrated changes in lateral crystalline order of the film. Neither agent showed significant interactions with monolayers containing >20% cholesterol. These findings demonstrate an affinity of superwarfarins to biomembranes and suggest that cellular responses to these agents are regulated by cholesterol content.

  3. The effects of phytosterols present in natural food matrices on cholesterol metabolism and LDL-cholesterol: a controlled feeding trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, X; Racette, S B; Lefevre, M; Spearie, C A; Most, M; Ma, L; Ostlund, R E

    2010-12-01

    Extrinsic phytosterols supplemented to the diet reduce intestinal cholesterol absorption and plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. However, little is known about their effects on cholesterol metabolism when given in native, unpurified form and in amounts achievable in the diet. The objective of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that intrinsic phytosterols present in unmodified foods alter whole-body cholesterol metabolism. In all, 20 out of 24 subjects completed a randomized, crossover feeding trial wherein all meals were provided by a metabolic kitchen. Each subject consumed two diets for 4 weeks each. The diets differed in phytosterol content (phytosterol-poor diet, 126 mg phytosterols/2000 kcal; phytosterol-abundant diet, 449 mg phytosterols/2000 kcal), but were otherwise matched for nutrient content. Cholesterol absorption and excretion were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after oral administration of stable isotopic tracers. The phytosterol-abundant diet resulted in lower cholesterol absorption (54.2±2.2% (95% confidence interval 50.5%, 57.9%) vs 73.2±1.3% (69.5%, 76.9%), Pphytosterol-poor diet. Plasma lathosterol/cholesterol ratio rose by 82% (from 0.71±0.11 (0.41, 0.96) to 1.29±0.14 μg/mg (0.98, 1.53), Pphytosterols at levels present in a healthy diet are biologically active and have large effects on whole-body cholesterol metabolism not reflected in circulating LDL. More work is needed to assess the effects of phytosterol-mediated fecal cholesterol excretion on coronary heart disease risk in humans.

  4. Xanthine oxidase in human skeletal muscle following eccentric exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hellsten, Ylva; Frandsen, Ulrik; Orthenblad, N.

    1997-01-01

    the increase in xanthine oxidase in the muscle there were no detectable changes in the levels of muscle malondialdehyde or in plasma antioxidant capacity up to 4 days post-exercise. 5. It is concluded that eccentric exercise leads to an increased level of xanthine oxidase in human muscle and that the increase...

  5. Status of non-HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol among subjects with and without metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Sikandar Hayat; Asif, Naveed; Ijaz, Aamir; Manzoor, Syed Mohsin; Niazi, Najumusaquib Khan; Fazal, Nadeem

    2018-04-01

    To to compare non-high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol among subjects with or without metabolic syndrome, glycation status and nephropathic changes. The comparative cross-sectional study was carried out from Dec 21, 2015, to Nov 15, 2016, at the department of pathology and medicine PNS HAFEEZ and department of chemical pathology and clinical endocrinology (AFIP), and comprised patients of either gender visiting the out-patient department for routine screening. They were evaluated for anthropometric indices, blood pressure and sampled for lipid profile, fasting plasma glucose, glycated haemoglobin, insulin, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Subjects were segregated based upon presence (Group1) or absence (Group2) of metabolic syndrome based upon criteria of National Cholesterol Education Programme and the International Diabetes Federation. Differences in high and low density lipoprotein cholesterols were calculated between the groups. Of the 229 subjects, 120(52.4%) were women and 109(47.6%) were men. Overall, there were 107(46.7%) subjects in Group 1, and 122(53.3%) in Group 2. Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly different between subjects with and without metabolic syndrome as per both the study criteria (p<0.05 each). . Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were higher in subjects with metabolic syndrome.

  6. Manipulation of Host Cholesterol by Obligate Intracellular Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dhritiman Samanta

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol is a multifunctional lipid that plays important metabolic and structural roles in the eukaryotic cell. Despite having diverse lifestyles, the obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens Chlamydia, Coxiella, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia all target cholesterol during host cell colonization as a potential source of membrane, as well as a means to manipulate host cell signaling and trafficking. To promote host cell entry, these pathogens utilize cholesterol-rich microdomains known as lipid rafts, which serve as organizational and functional platforms for host signaling pathways involved in phagocytosis. Once a pathogen gains entrance to the intracellular space, it can manipulate host cholesterol trafficking pathways to access nutrient-rich vesicles or acquire membrane components for the bacteria or bacteria-containing vacuole. To acquire cholesterol, these pathogens specifically target host cholesterol metabolism, uptake, efflux, and storage. In this review, we examine the strategies obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens employ to manipulate cholesterol during host cell colonization. Understanding how obligate intracellular pathogens target and use host cholesterol provides critical insight into the host-pathogen relationship.

  7. [Phytosterols: another way to reduce LDL cholesterol levels].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitzur, Rafael; Cohen, Hofit; Kamari, Yehuda; Harats, Dror

    2013-12-01

    Phytosterols are sterols found naturally in various oils from plants. Phytosterols compete with cholesterol for a place in the mixed micelles, needed for cholesterol absorption by the small intestine. As a result, cholesterol absorption, either from food or from bile salts is lowered by about 50%, leading to a towering of about 10% of blood cholesterol level, despite an increase in hepatic cholesterol synthesis. This reduction is achieved when phytosterols are given both as monotherapy, and in addition to statin therapy. The average Western diet contains about 400-800 mg of phytosterols per day, while the dose needed for lowering the blood cholesterol level is about 2-3 grams per day. Therefore, for the purpose of reducing blood cholesterol, they should be given either as phytosterol-enriched food or as supplements. The reduction in the level of LDL-choLesterol achieved with phytosterols may reduce the risk of coronary disease by about 25%. Hence, the American Heart Association recommended the consumption of phytosterols, as part of a balanced diet, for towering blood cholesterol levels.

  8. Transport of cholesterol autoxidation products in rabbit lipoproteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Shi-Kaung; Phillips, G.A.; Xia, Guang-Zhi; Morin, R.J.

    1987-01-01

    Radiolabeled pure [4- 14 C] cholesterol was kept at 60 0 C under air to autoxidize for 5 weeks, after which approximately 12% cholesterol oxidation products were formed. The mixture, suspended in gelatin, was given to rabbits by gastric gavage. Rabbits were killed 4, 24 and 48 h after treatment. Cholesterol and its autoxidation products were separated by thin-layer chromatography into 5 fractions and radioactivities of each fraction were measured. Percentages of each fraction of cholesterol oxidation products and cholesterol in the original mixture before administration and in the rabbit sera after administration were similar, suggesting that the rates of absorption of cholesterol oxidation products are not significantly different from that of cholesterol. Lipoproteins were fractioned by ultracentrifugation into VLDL, LDL and HDL. Radioactivities of each fraction in lipoproteins separated by thin layer chromatography showed that fractions containing cholestane-3β, 5α, 6β-triol, 7α- and 7β-hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol were more selectively transported in VLDL, whereas most of the 25-hydroxycholesterol was present in LDL. HDL contained only minute amounts of cholesterol oxidation products. 22 refs

  9. HDL cholesterol: atherosclerosis and beyond

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bochem, A.E.

    2013-01-01

    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the Western world. Myocardial infarction and stroke are the result of a compromised blood flow which may result from cholesterol accumulation in the vessel wall due to high plasma levels of LDL cholesterol. High plasma levels of HDL

  10. Cholesterol oxidation products and their biological importance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kulig, Waldemar; Cwiklik, Lukasz; Jurkiewicz, Piotr

    2016-01-01

    The main biological cause of oxysterols is the oxidation of cholesterol. They differ from cholesterol by the presence of additional polar groups that are typically hydroxyl, keto, hydroperoxy, epoxy, or carboxyl moieties. Under typical conditions, oxysterol concentration is maintained at a very low...... and precisely regulated level, with an excess of cholesterol. Like cholesterol, many oxysterols are hydrophobic and hence confined to cell membranes. However, small chemical differences between the sterols can significantly affect how they interact with other membrane components, and this in turn can have...

  11. Nanomaterial-based Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Glucose and Cholesterol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmadalinezhad, Asieh

    Electrochemical detection methods are highly attractive for the monitoring of glucose, cholesterol, cancer, infectious diseases, and biological warfare agents due to their low cost, high sensitivity, functionality despite sample turbidity, easy miniaturization via microfabrication, low power requirements, and a relatively simple control infrastructure. The development of implantable biosensors is laden with great challenges, which include longevity and inherent biocompatibility, coupled with the continuous monitoring of analytes. Deficiencies in any of these areas will necessitate their surgical replacement. In addition, random signals arising from non-specific adsorption events can cause problems in diagnostic assays. Hence, a great deal of effort has been devoted to the specific control of surface structures. Nanotechnology involves the creation and design of structures with at least one dimension that is below 100 nm. The optical, magnetic, and electrical properties of nanostructures may be manipulated by altering their size, shape, and composition. These attributes may facilitate improvements in biocompatibility, sensitivity and the specific attachment of biomaterials. Thus, the central theme of this dissertation pertains to highlighting the critical roles that are played by the morphology and intrinsic properties of nanomaterials when they are applied in the development of electrochemical biosensors. For this PhD project, we initially designed and fabricated a novel amperometric glucose biosensor based on the immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) on a Prussian blue modified nanoporous gold surface, which exhibited a rapid response and a low detection limit of 2.5 microM glucose. The sensitivity of the biosensor was found to be very high (177 microA/mM) and the apparent Michaelis--Menten constant was calculated to be 2.1 mM. Our study has demonstrated that nanoporous gold provides an excellent matrix for enzyme immobilization. To adopt these advanced

  12. Remnant cholesterol as a cause of ischemic heart disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Benn, Marianne; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2014-01-01

    This review focuses on remnant cholesterol as a causal risk factor for ischemic heart disease (IHD), on its definition, measurement, atherogenicity, and levels in high risk patient groups; in addition, present and future pharmacological approaches to lowering remnant cholesterol levels...... are considered. Observational studies show association between elevated levels of remnant cholesterol and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, even when remnant cholesterol levels are defined, measured, or calculated in different ways. In-vitro and animal studies also support the contention that elevated...... levels of remnant cholesterol may cause atherosclerosis same way as elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, by cholesterol accumulation in the arterial wall. Genetic studies of variants associated with elevated remnant cholesterol levels show that an increment of 1mmol/L (39mg...

  13. High cholesterol level is essential for myelin membrane growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saher, Gesine; Brügger, Britta; Lappe-Siefke, Corinna; Möbius, Wiebke; Tozawa, Ryu-ichi; Wehr, Michael C; Wieland, Felix; Ishibashi, Shun; Nave, Klaus-Armin

    2005-04-01

    Cholesterol in the mammalian brain is a risk factor for certain neurodegenerative diseases, raising the question of its normal function. In the mature brain, the highest cholesterol content is found in myelin. We therefore created mice that lack the ability to synthesize cholesterol in myelin-forming oligodendrocytes. Mutant oligodendrocytes survived, but CNS myelination was severely perturbed, and mutant mice showed ataxia and tremor. CNS myelination continued at a reduced rate for many months, and during this period, the cholesterol-deficient oligodendrocytes actively enriched cholesterol and assembled myelin with >70% of the cholesterol content of wild-type myelin. This shows that cholesterol is an indispensable component of myelin membranes and that cholesterol availability in oligodendrocytes is a rate-limiting factor for brain maturation.

  14. Effects of apolipoproteins on the kinetics of cholesterol exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Letizia, J.Y.; Phillips, M.C.

    1991-01-01

    The effects of apolipoproteins on the kinetics of cholesterol exchange have been investigated by monitoring the transfer of [ 14 C]cholesterol from donor phospholipid/cholesterol complexes containing human apolipoproteins A, B, or C. Negatively charged discoidal and vesicular particles containing purified apolipoproteins complexed with lipid and a trace of [ 14 C]cholesterol were incubated with a 10-fold excess of neutral, acceptor, small unilamellar vesicles. The donor and acceptor particles were separated by chromatogrphy of DEAE-Sepharose, and the rate of movement of labeled cholesterol was analyzed as a first-order exchange process. The kinetics of exchange of cholesterol from both vesicular and discoidal complexes that contain apoproteins are consistent with an aqueous diffusion mechanism, as has been established previously for PC/cholesterol SUV. Apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, reduced and carboxymethylated A-11, and B-100 present in SUV at the same lipid/protein (w/w) ratio all enhance the rate of cholesterol exchange to about the same degree. Cholesterol molecules exchange more rapidly from discoidal complexes. Generally, as the diameter of apoprotein/phospholipid/cholesterol discs decreases, t 1/2 for cholesterol exchange decreases. Since small bilayer discs have a relatively high ratio of boundary to face surface area, cholesterol molecules desorb more rapidly than from larger discs. The modulation of lipid packing by the apoprotein molecules present at the surface of lipoprotein particles affects the rate of cholesterol exchange from such particles

  15. Biocatalytic potential of laccase-like multicopper oxidases from Aspergillus niger

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tamayo Ramos, J.A.; Berkel, van W.J.H.; Graaff, de L.H.

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Laccase-like multicopper oxidases have been reported in several Aspergillus species but they remain uncharacterized. The biocatalytic potential of the Aspergillus niger fungal pigment multicopper oxidases McoA and McoB and ascomycete laccase McoG was investigated. RESULTS: The

  16. MooPoong (Gye Young Jeong) increases HDL-cholesterol but decreases LDL cholesterol and body-weight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Hwan-Suck; Hong, Seung-Heon; Do, Keum-Rok; Rhee, Hyung-Koo; Jung, Sung-Ki; Hwang, Woo-Jun; Kim, Hyung-Min

    2004-05-01

    MooPoong (MP, Gye Young Jeong), a Korean traditional wine, has been used as a prevention and treatment agent of blood circulatory trouble. To evaluate such an effect of MP, we analyzed whether the plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and body weight change after rats were fed on high fat diet with MP for 8 weeks. Plasma LDL cholesterol level decreased by 5.6% in 0.128% MP treated group and by 11.1% in 0.640% MP treated group. However, HDL cholesterol was increased by 6.7% in 0.128% MP diet group and 33.3% in 0.640% MP diet group. In addition, there was a significant weight loss in the MP treated group compared with the high-fat diet group (P < 0.05). Our findings indicate that MP may contain compounds with actions which can treat blood circulatory trouble as well as overweight.

  17. Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) cholesterol. LDL (bad) cholesterol - the main source of cholesterol buildup ... Teens How to Lower Cholesterol How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet LDL: The "Bad" Cholesterol Nutrition Statins Triglycerides VLDL Cholesterol ...

  18. THE REDUCTION OF CHOLESTEROL WITH CUPPING THERAPY ON CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahid Fikri

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is a risk factor causes of death at younger ages. Hypercholesterolemia may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, pancreatitis (pancreas inflammation in organs, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, liver disease and kidney disease. Many patients with hypercholesterolemia using cupping therapy. Cupping therapy is alternative treatment process of throwing dirty blood from the body through the skin surface. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of cupping therapy to decrease cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Method: Design used in this study was quasy experimental design. The population is all patients with hypercholesterolemia in the health center plaza Gresik. The total sample is 18 respondents, taken according to inclusion criteria. Independent variable is the cupping therapy. The dependent variable was the decrease in cholesterol levels. Data were collected using a questionnaire and observation of cholesterol. Data were analyzed using independent t-test and paired t tests with signi fi cance level α < 0.05. Result: The results show that cholesterol levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia treated groups decreased majority. Independent statistical analysis using t-test showed p = 0.001 and with the Paired t-test p value = 0.003. Discussion: This result means that there are significant effects of cupping therapy on cholesterol reduction in patients with hypercholesterolemia aged 45 years and over. Further research needs to be done in control diet, lifestyle and daily activities for the success of cupping therapy.

  19. The response of the prostate to circulating cholesterol: activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3 as a prominent node in a cholesterol-sensing network.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jayoung Kim

    Full Text Available Elevated circulating cholesterol is a systemic risk factor for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, however the manner in which the normal prostate responds to variations in cholesterol levels is poorly understood. In this study we addressed the molecular and cellular effects of elevated and suppressed levels of circulating cholesterol on the normal prostate. Integrated bioinformatic analysis was performed using DNA microarray data from two experimental formats: (1 ventral prostate from male mice with chronically elevated circulating cholesterol and (2 human prostate cells exposed acutely to cholesterol depletion. A cholesterol-sensitive gene expression network was constructed from these data and the transcription factor ATF3 was identified as a prominent node in the network. Validation experiments confirmed that elevated cholesterol reduced ATF3 expression and enhanced proliferation of prostate cells, while cholesterol depletion increased ATF3 levels and inhibited proliferation. Cholesterol reduction in vivo alleviated dense lymphomononuclear infiltrates in the periprostatic adipose tissue, which were closely associated with nerve tracts and blood vessels. These findings open new perspectives on the role of cholesterol in prostate health, and provide a novel role for ATF3, and associated proteins within a large signaling network, as a cholesterol-sensing mechanism.

  20. Portulaca oleracea reduces triglyceridemia, cholesterolemia, and improves lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity in rats fed enriched-cholesterol diet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zidan, Y; Bouderbala, S; Djellouli, F; Lacaille-Dubois, M A; Bouchenak, M

    2014-10-15

    The effects of Portulaca oleracea (Po) lyophilized aqueous extract were determined on the serum high-density lipoproteins (HDL2 and HDL3) amounts and composition, as well as on lecithin: cholesterol acyltansferase (LCAT) activity. Male Wistar rats (n = 12) were fed on 1% cholesterol-enriched diet for 10 days. After this phase, hypercholesterolemic rats (HC) were divided into two groups fed the same diet supplemented or not with Portulaca oleracea (Po-HC) (0.5%) for four weeks. Serum total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerols (TG), and liver TG values were respectively 1.6-, 1.8-, and 1.6-fold lower in Po-HC than in HC group. Cholesterol concentrations in LDL-HDL1, HDL2, and HDL3 were respectively 1.8, 1.4-, and 2.4-fold decreased in Po-HC group. HDL2 and HDL3 amounts, which were the sum of apolipoproteins (apos), TG, cholesteryl esters (CE), unesterified cholesterol (UC), and phospholipids (PL) contents, were respectively 4.5-fold higher and 1.2-fold lower with Po treatment. Indeed, enhanced LCAT activity (1.2-fold), its cofactor-activator apo A-I (2-fold) and its reaction product HDL2-CE (2.1-fold) were observed, whereas HDL3-PL (enzyme substrate) and HDL3-UC (acyl group acceptor) were 1.2- and 2.4-fold lower. Portulaca oleracea reduces triglyceridemia, cholesterolemia, and improves reverse cholesterol transport in rat fed enriched-cholesterol diet, contributing to anti-atherogenic effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  1. Cytochemical Localization of Glucose Oxidase in Peroxisomes of Aspergillus niger

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veenhuis, Marten; Dijken, Johannes Pieter van

    1980-01-01

    The subcellular localization of glucose oxidase (E.C. 1.1.3.4) in mycelia of Aspergillus niger has been investigated using cytochemical staining techniques. Mycelia from fermenter cultures, which produced gluconic acid from glucose, contained elevated levels of glucose oxidase and catalase. Both

  2. Atorvastatin treatment lowers fasting remnant-like particle cholesterol and LDL subfraction cholesterol without affecting LDL size in type 2 diabetes mellitus: Relevance for non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B guideline targets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kappelle, Paul J. W. H.; Dallinga-Thie, Geesje M.; Dullaart, Robin P. F.

    2010-01-01

    The extent to which atorvastatin treatment affects LDL size, LDL subfraction levels and remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) was determined in type 2 diabetes. We also compared LDL size and RLP-C in relation to guideline cut-off values for LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein

  3. Atorvastatin treatment lowers fasting remnant-like particle cholesterol and LDL subfraction cholesterol without affecting LDL size in type 2 diabetes mellitus : Relevance for non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B guideline targets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kappelle, Paul J.W.H.; Dallinga-Thie, Geesje M.; Dullaart, Robin P. F.

    The extent to which atorvastatin treatment affects LDL size, LDL subfraction levels and remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) was determined in type 2 diabetes. We also compared LDL size and RLP-C in relation to guideline cut-off values for LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein

  4. To Study the Activity of Paraoxonase-1 and High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol in Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pooja Nemagoudar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Alcoholic liver cirrhosis is the most common complication of ethanol abuse. Alcoholic fatty liver progresses to alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver failure. Lipoproteins are synthesized by the liver and secreted into the circulation. Alcoholic liver cirrhosis causes alteration in lipoprotein metabolism producing liver steatosis and necrosis. Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1 is an enzyme synthesized in liver and has an esterase activity towards lipid peroxides and circulates in plasma bound to High-Density Lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDL-c. Aim and Objectives: To determine the activity of PON-1 and levels of HDL-c in alcoholic liver disease and to correlate PON-1 activity with HDL-c. Materials and Methods: A Cross sectional study done in Department of Biochemistry and Department of Medicine, Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences, Belagavi, Karnataka, India, from 1st December 2014 to 31st January 2016 Study included 50 males (age range 25-55 years with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 50 healthy male participants (age range 25-55 years. PON-1 activity was estimated using spectrophotometric method by the hydrolysis of phenylacetate. HDL-c level was measured by cholesterol oxidase-peroxidase method. Results: The serum PON-1 activity and levels of HDL-c in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis were significantly reduced (p<0.001 compared with controls. Conclusion: A significant decrease in PON-1 and HDL-c in alcoholic liver cirrhosis may contribute to the risk of atherosclerosis in alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients.

  5. Cholesterol esterification by mouse liver homogenate. Contribution to the study of ACYL-CoA: Cholesterol ACYL transferase in mammalian liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soares, M.G.C.B.

    1976-01-01

    A cholesterol- esterifying enzyme from mouse liver has been partially characterized. The enzyme which showed optimum activity at pH 7,1 and required ATP and CoA, was identified as an acyl CoA: cholesterol acyl transferase (E.C.2.3.1.26). As a fuction of time the percentage of esterified cholesterol increased linearly during the first hour of incubation and continued to increase but not linearly with 4 hours, after which time no further net esterefication was observed. The relative concentration of esterified cholesterol remained constant between the fourth and twelveth hours of incubation but afterwards decreased when the incubation continued until 24 hours. The cholesterol- esterifying activity was 24,0+- 2,9 nmoles cholesterol esterified per gram tissue wet weight per minute. The mean percentages of free cholesterol esterified in and 24 hours respectively were 14,8+- 1,6 e 21,9+- 4,5. The subfractionation of labelled cholesteryl esters after one hour incubation of liver homogenate with 4-C 14 -Cholesterol showed the order of preference for the formation of the different ester classes to be monounsatured > diunsatured ≥ saturated >> polyunsaturated. The properties of the enzyme frommouse liver do not markedly differ from those of the previously recorded ACAT activity of rat liver. (Author) [pt

  6. Survival of adult neurons lacking cholesterol synthesis in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fünfschilling, Ursula; Saher, Gesine; Xiao, Le; Möbius, Wiebke; Nave, Klaus-Armin

    2007-01-02

    Cholesterol, an essential component of all mammalian plasma membranes, is highly enriched in the brain. Both during development and in the adult, brain cholesterol is derived from local cholesterol synthesis and not taken up from the circulation. However, the contribution of neurons and glial cells to total brain cholesterol metabolism is unknown. Using conditional gene inactivation in the mouse, we disrupted the squalene synthase gene (fdft1), which is critical for cholesterol synthesis, in cerebellar granule cells and some precerebellar nuclei. Mutant mice showed no histological signs of neuronal degeneration, displayed ultrastructurally normal synapses, and exhibited normal motor coordination. This revealed that these adult neurons do not require cell-autonomous cholesterol synthesis for survival or function. We conclude that at least some adult neurons no longer require endogenous cholesterol synthesis and can fully meet their cholesterol needs by uptake from their surrounding. Glia are a likely source of cholesterol in the central nervous system.

  7. Survival of adult neurons lacking cholesterol synthesis in vivo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Möbius Wiebke

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cholesterol, an essential component of all mammalian plasma membranes, is highly enriched in the brain. Both during development and in the adult, brain cholesterol is derived from local cholesterol synthesis and not taken up from the circulation. However, the contribution of neurons and glial cells to total brain cholesterol metabolism is unknown. Results Using conditional gene inactivation in the mouse, we disrupted the squalene synthase gene (fdft1, which is critical for cholesterol synthesis, in cerebellar granule cells and some precerebellar nuclei. Mutant mice showed no histological signs of neuronal degeneration, displayed ultrastructurally normal synapses, and exhibited normal motor coordination. This revealed that these adult neurons do not require cell-autonomous cholesterol synthesis for survival or function. Conclusion We conclude that at least some adult neurons no longer require endogenous cholesterol synthesis and can fully meet their cholesterol needs by uptake from their surrounding. Glia are a likely source of cholesterol in the central nervous system.

  8. Aspirin Increases the Solubility of Cholesterol in Lipid Membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsop, Richard; Barrett, Matthew; Zheng, Sonbo; Dies, Hannah; Rheinstadter, Maikel

    2014-03-01

    Aspirin (ASA) is often prescribed for patients with high levels of cholesterol for the secondary prevention of myocardial events, a regimen known as the Low-Dose Aspirin Therapy. We have recently shown that Aspirin partitions in lipid bilayers. However, a direct interplay between ASA and cholesterol has not been investigated. Cholesterol is known to insert itself into the membrane in a dispersed state at moderate concentrations (under ~37.5%) and decrease fluidity of membranes. We prepared model lipid membranes containing varying amounts of both ASA and cholesterol molecules. The structure of the bilayers as a function of ASA and cholesterol concentration was determined using high-resolution X-ray diffraction. At cholesterol levels of more than 40mol%, immiscible cholesterol plaques formed. Adding ASA to the membranes was found to dissolve the cholesterol plaques, leading to a fluid lipid bilayer structure. We present first direct evidence for an interaction between ASA and cholesterol on the level of the cell membrane.

  9. Extreme nonfasting remnant cholesterol vs extreme LDL cholesterol as contributors to cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in 90000 individuals from the general population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varbo, Anette; Freiberg, Jacob J; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2015-03-01

    Increased nonfasting remnant cholesterol, like increased LDL cholesterol, is causally associated with increased risk for ischemic heart disease (IHD). We tested the hypothesis that extreme concentrations of nonfasting remnant and LDL cholesterol are equal contributors to the risk of IHD, myocardial infarction (MI), and all-cause mortality. We compared stepwise increasing concentrations of nonfasting remnant and LDL cholesterol for association with risk of IHD, MI, and all-cause mortality in approximately 90 000 individuals from the Danish general population. During up to 22 years of complete follow-up, 4435 participants developed IHD, 1722 developed MI, and 8121 died. Compared with participants with nonfasting remnant cholesterol cholesterol of 0.5-0.99 mmol/L (19.3-38.2 mg/dL) to 2.4 (1.9-2.9) for remnant cholesterol of ≥1.5 mmol/L (58 mg/dL) (P for trend LDL cholesterol LDL cholesterol of 3-3.99 mmol/L (115.8-154 mg/dL) to 2.3 (1.9-2.8) for LDL cholesterol of ≥5 mmol/L (193 mg/dL) (P cholesterol (P LDL cholesterol (P cholesterol concentrations were associated stepwise with all-cause mortality ranging from hazard ratio 1.0 (0.9-1.1) to 1.6 (1.4-1.9) (P LDL cholesterol concentrations were associated with decreased all-cause mortality risk in a U-shaped pattern, with hazard ratios from 0.8 (0.7-0.8) to 0.9 (0.8-1.0) (P = 0.002). After mutual adjustment, LDL cholesterol best predicted MI, and remnant cholesterol best predicted all-cause mortality. Both lipoproteins were associated equally with risk of IHD and MI; however, only nonfasting remnant cholesterol concentrations were associated stepwise with increased all-cause mortality risk. © 2015 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

  10. Cholesterol: the debate should be terminated.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nathan, David G

    2017-07-01

    Here, I offer personal perspectives on cholesterol homeostasis that reflect my belief that certain aspects of the debate have been overstated.-Nathan, D. G. Cholesterol: the debate should be terminated. © FASEB.

  11. Phospholipid alterations in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum induced by xanthine oxidase: contamination of commercial preparations of xanthine oxidase by phospholipase A2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gamache, D.A.; Kornberg, L.J.; Bartolf, M.; Franson, R.C.

    1986-01-01

    Incubation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum with xanthine oxidase alone at pH 7.0 resulted in a loss of lipid phosphorus that was potentiated by the addition of xanthine. Using autoclaved E.coli with 1- 14 C-oleate in the 2-acyl position of membrane phospholipids, the authors demonstrate that many, but not all, commercial preparations of xanthine oxidase contain significant phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) activity (64.3-545.6 nmols/min/mg). The PLA 2 was maximally active in the neutral-alkaline pH range, was Ca 2+ -dependent, and was unaffected by the addition of xanthine. PLA 2 activity was totally inhibited by 1mM EDTA whereas radical production by optimal concentrations of xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) was unaffected by EDTA. Chromatographically purified xanthine oxidase (Sigma Grade III) contained high levels of PLA 2 activity (64.3 nmols/min/mg) compared to endogenous levels of neutral-active, Ca 2+ -dependent PLA 2 measured in various tissue homogenates (≤ 0.5 nmols/ min/mg). Because X/XO mixtures are used extensively to study oxygen free radical-induced cell injury and membrane phospholipid alterations, the presence of a potent extracellular PLA 2 may have influenced previously published reports, and such studies should be interpreted cautiously

  12. Cold labelled substrate and estimation of cholesterol esterification rate in lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase radioassay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dobiasova, M.; Schuetzova, M.

    1986-01-01

    A new method is described of cold labelling of blood serum, plasma and body fluids containing lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and/or lipoproteins for radioassay to assess the cholesterol esterification rate. The method uses the principle of transfer, in refrigeration conditions, of 14 C-cholesterol from filter paper discs to the fluids. The preparation of the disc guarantees homogeneous labelling and high stability. The use of the labelling disc was shown to be reliable, easy and fast and suitable for accurate assessment of LCAT reaction, applicable in the widest possible enzyme concentration range. It was also, found suited for the measurement of the esterification rate of rabbit intraocular fluid which is a medium with the lowest contents of the substrate and LCAT. (L.O.)

  13. Isolation of Cholesterol from an Egg Yolk

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taber, Douglass F.; Li, Rui; Anson, Cory M.

    2011-01-01

    A simple procedure for the isolation of the cholesterol, by hydrolysis and extraction followed by column chromatography, is described. The cholesterol can be further purified by complexation with oxalic acid. It can also be oxidized and conjugated to cholestenone. The source of the cholesterol is one egg yolk, which contains about 200 mg of…

  14. Granzyme B of cytotoxic T cells induces extramitochondrial reactive oxygen species production via caspase-dependent NADPH oxidase activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguiló, Juan I; Anel, Alberto; Catalán, Elena; Sebastián, Alvaro; Acín-Pérez, Rebeca; Naval, Javier; Wallich, Reinhard; Simon, Markus M; Pardo, Julián

    2010-07-01

    Induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a hallmark of granzyme B (gzmB)-mediated pro-apoptotic processes and target cell death. However, it is unclear to what extent the generated ROS derive from mitochondrial and/or extra-mitochondrial sources. To clarify this point, we have produced a mutant EL4 cell line, termed EL4-rho(0), which lacks mitochondrial DNA, associated with a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and a defective ROS production through the electron transport chain of oxidative phosphorylation. When incubated with either recombinant gzmB plus streptolysin or ex vivo gzmB(+) cytotoxic T cells, EL4-rho(0) cells showed phosphatydylserine translocation, caspase 3 activation, Bak conformational change, cytochrome c release and apoptotic morphology comparable to EL4 cells. Moreover, EL4-rho(0) cells produced ROS at levels similar to EL4 under these conditions. GzmB-mediated ROS production was almost totally abolished in both cell lines by the pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk. However, addition of apocynin, a specific inhibitor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases, led to a significant reduction of ROS production and cell death only in EL4-rho(0) but not EL4 cells. These data suggest that gzmB-induced cell death is accompanied by a caspase-dependent pathway of extra-mitochondrial ROS production, most probably through activation of NADPH oxidase.

  15. Impact of a public cholesterol screening program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, P M; Guinan, K H; Burke, J J; Karp, W B; Richards, J W

    1990-12-01

    The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has endorsed physician case finding as the primary method to detect individuals with elevated cholesterol levels. Despite this recommendation, promotional and for-profit public screening programs have flourished. We surveyed participants of a mall-based cholesterol screening program 1 year after their screening. Sixty-four percent of those screened had not previously known their cholesterol levels. Those who were newly screened were less likely to benefit from this testing than the general public, since they were older (mean age, 55.3 years), more likely to be female (67.4%), and nonsmokers (88%). Screenees had excellent recall of their cholesterol level (mean absolute reporting error, 0.24 mmol/L [9 mg/dL]) and a good understanding of cholesterol as a coronary heart disease risk. Those with elevated cholesterol levels reported high distress from screening but no reduction in overall psychosocial well-being and an actual decrease in absenteeism. Only 53.7% of all who were advised to seek follow-up because of an elevated screening value had done so within the year following the screening program. However, of those with values greater than 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL), 68% had sought follow-up. Many of those who participate in public screening programs have been previously tested, fall into low-benefit groups, or fail to comply with recommended follow-up. We therefore conclude that cholesterol screening programs of the type now commonly offered are unlikely to contribute greatly to the national efforts to further reduce coronary heart disease.

  16. Tuberculosis treatment raises total cholesterol level and restores ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    aghomotsegin

    2013-10-09

    Oct 9, 2013 ... and restores high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL- ... cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) were determined .... However, we found a strong negative correlation (r = - 0.96,.

  17. Lack of P2Y(13) in mice fed a high cholesterol diet results in decreased hepatic cholesterol content, biliary lipid secretion and reverse cholesterol transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lichtenstein, Laeticia; Serhan, Nizar; Annema, Wijtske; Combes, Guillaume; Robaye, Bernard; Boeynaems, Jean-Marie; Perret, Bertrand; Tietge, Uwe J. F.; Laffargue, Muriel; Martinez, Laurent O.

    2013-01-01

    Background: The protective effect of HDL is mostly attributed to their metabolic function in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), a process whereby excess cellular cholesterol is taken up from peripheral cells, processed in HDL particles, and later delivered to the liver for further metabolism and

  18. Atorvastatin increases HDL cholesterol by reducing CETP expression in cholesterol-fed APOE*3-Leiden.CETP mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haan, W. de; Hoogt, C.C. van der; Westerterp, M.; Hoekstra, M.; Dallinga-Thie, G.M.; Princen, H.M.G.; Romijn, J.A.; Jukema, J.W.; Havekes, L.M.; Rensen, P.C.N.

    2008-01-01

    Objective: In addition to lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, statins modestly increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol in humans and decrease cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mass and activity. Our aim was to determine whether the increase in HDL depends on CETP

  19. Protein structural development of threadfin bream ( Nemipterus spp.) surimi gels induced by glucose oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Fan, Daming; Fu, Lulu; Jiao, Xidong; Huang, Jianlian; Zhao, Jianxin; Yan, Bowen; Zhou, Wenguo; Zhang, Wenhai; Ye, Weijian; Zhang, Hao

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of glucose oxidase on the gel properties of threadfin bream surimi. The gel strength of surimi increased with the addition of 0.5‰ glucose oxidase after two-step heating. Based on the results of the chemical interactions, the hydrophobic interaction and disulfide bond of glucose oxidase-treated surimi samples increased compared with the control samples at the gelation temperature and gel modori temperature. The surface hydrophobicity of samples with glucose oxidase and glucose increased significantly ( p glucose oxidase induced more α-helixes to turn into a more elongated random and flocculent structure. Glucose oxidase changes the secondary structure of the surimi protein, making more proteins depolarize and stretch and causing actomyosin to accumulate to each other, resulting in the formation of surimi gel.

  20. Overexpression and deletion of phospholipid transfer protein reduce HDL mass and cholesterol efflux capacity but not macrophage reverse cholesterol transport[S

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuwano, Takashi; Bi, Xin; Cipollari, Eleonora; Yasuda, Tomoyuki; Lagor, William R.; Szapary, Hannah J.; Tohyama, Junichiro; Millar, John S.; Billheimer, Jeffrey T.; Lyssenko, Nicholas N.; Rader, Daniel J.

    2017-01-01

    Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) may affect macrophage reverse cholesterol transport (mRCT) through its role in the metabolism of HDL. Ex vivo cholesterol efflux capacity and in vivo mRCT were assessed in PLTP deletion and PLTP overexpression mice. PLTP deletion mice had reduced HDL mass and cholesterol efflux capacity, but unchanged in vivo mRCT. To directly compare the effects of PLTP overexpression and deletion on mRCT, human PLTP was overexpressed in the liver of wild-type animals using an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, and control and PLTP deletion animals were injected with AAV-null. PLTP overexpression and deletion reduced plasma HDL mass and cholesterol efflux capacity. Both substantially decreased ABCA1-independent cholesterol efflux, whereas ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux remained the same or increased, even though preβ HDL levels were lower. Neither PLTP overexpression nor deletion affected excretion of macrophage-derived radiocholesterol in the in vivo mRCT assay. The ex vivo and in vivo assays were modified to gauge the rate of cholesterol efflux from macrophages to plasma. PLTP activity did not affect this metric. Thus, deviations in PLTP activity from the wild-type level reduce HDL mass and ex vivo cholesterol efflux capacity, but not the rate of macrophage cholesterol efflux to plasma or in vivo mRCT. PMID:28137768

  1. New conception concerning the dynamical state of cholesterol in rat; Conception nouvelle concernant l'etat dynamyque du cholesterol chez le rat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chevallier, F [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1956-03-15

    It presents the study of the cholesterol metabolism in rats. This thesis has been divided in three chapters. In a first part, it will discuss about the dynamic state of biological constituents in organism and in particular the dynamic state of cholesterol. This matter will be considered, firstly under its theoretical aspect and secondly under an experimental point of view with isotopic techniques. The current data on the dynamic state of cholesterol will allow to identify the essential points which are the subject of this research. In particular, the full understanding of the different cholesterol origins (diet, biosynthesis or formation of cholesterol from degradation or transformation of precursors as acetate or butyric acid for example) and the different cholesterol disappearance way (excretion, destruction, transformation or esters formation) is necessary to further research. In a second part, the experimental techniques and methods are described. A brief presentation of the methods for the study of the cholesterol transport and synthesis will be given as well as the experimental conditions and in particular the animal diet and cholesterol ingestion, the administration of acetate and {gamma}-phenyl {alpha}-aminobutyric. The different preparations of the {sup 14}C labelled cholesterol are also described as well as the extraction and measuring of the specific {sup 14}C radioactivity in the animal tissues extract, carbon dioxide gas and sodium acetate. Finally, the results will be given and discussed according to the way of intake: a radioactive cholesterol ingestion or an acetate intraperitoneal injection. (M.P.)

  2. Production of rabbit antibodies against purified Glucose oxidase

    OpenAIRE

    Zia,Muhammad Anjum; Ain,Qurat-ul; Iftikhar,Tehreema; Abbas,Rao Zahid; Rahman,Khalil-ur

    2012-01-01

    Glucose oxidase is an active oxygen species generating enzyme produced from Aspergillus niger grown in submerged fermentation. Disintegration of the mycelium resulted in high glucose oxidase activity that was subjected to ammonium sulfate precipitation at 60-85% saturation rates that resulted to 6.14 U mg -1 specific activity. Purification of enzyme by anion exchange column (DEAE-Cellulose) resulted into 22.53 U mg-1 specific activity and 10.27 fold purification. This was applied to sephadex ...

  3. Photoionization and Recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahar, Sultana N.

    2000-01-01

    Theoretically self-consistent calculations for photoionization and (e + ion) recombination are described. The same eigenfunction expansion for the ion is employed in coupled channel calculations for both processes, thus ensuring consistency between cross sections and rates. The theoretical treatment of (e + ion) recombination subsumes both the non-resonant recombination ("radiative recombination"), and the resonant recombination ("di-electronic recombination") processes in a unified scheme. In addition to the total, unified recombination rates, level-specific recombination rates and photoionization cross sections are obtained for a large number of atomic levels. Both relativistic Breit-Pauli, and non-relativistic LS coupling, calculations are carried out in the close coupling approximation using the R-matrix method. Although the calculations are computationally intensive, they yield nearly all photoionization and recombination parameters needed for astrophysical photoionization models with higher precision than hitherto possible, estimated at about 10-20% from comparison with experimentally available data (including experimentally derived DR rates). Results are electronically available for over 40 atoms and ions. Photoionization and recombination of He-, and Li-like C and Fe are described for X-ray modeling. The unified method yields total and complete (e+ion) recombination rate coefficients, that can not otherwise be obtained theoretically or experimentally.

  4. Effect of doxazosin on cholesterol synthesis in cell culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Eletto, R.D.; Javitt, N.B.

    1989-01-01

    The effect of doxazosin on cholesterol synthesis was determined by measuring the content of deuterium-enriched cholesterol in rabbit fibroblasts with and without receptors for low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and in hepatoma (Hep G2 cells). Doxazosin, at concentrations of 5-20 mumol/L, increased LDL binding to hepatic cells in a dose-related manner. Also, in these hepatic cells, doxazosin produced dose-related decreases in both newly synthesized cholesterol and cholesterol ester. In rabbit fibroblasts that were LDL receptor negative, de novo cholesterol synthesis was markedly reduced by increasing concentrations of doxazosin. Taken together, these results suggest that doxazosin may have a direct inhibitory effect on cholesterol synthesis independent of the LDL receptor. The inhibition of cholesterol synthesis by doxazosin may cause cells to compensate by upregulating the LDL receptor, thereby increasing the importation of lipoprotein cholesterol and reducing LDL cholesterol in the medium. This hypothesis supports findings in the clinical setting whereby doxazosin has a beneficial effect on the lipid profile, and suggests a useful additional property for this antihypertensive agent

  5. The use of galactose oxidase in lipid labeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radin, N.S.; Evangelatos, G.P.

    1981-01-01

    Galactose oxidase can be used to oxidize the terminal carbon atom of lipids containing galactose or N-acetylgalactosamine, and the resultant aldehyde group can be reduced back to the original carbinol with radioactive borohydride. The efficiency of the first reaction has been investigated systematically by using [6- 3 H]galactosyl ceramide as substrate and measuring the amount of radioactive water formed. This enabled us to establish that the addition of catalase and peroxidase greatly speeded the oxidation, that phosphate and PIPES buffers were the best among those tested, that the reaction continued for 24 hr without a second addition of galactose oxidase, and that the optimum concentration of organic solvent (tetrahydrofuran) was 50%. The suggestion if made that a similar set of variables be studied for each lipid or nonlipid by the same basic technique: labeling by the oxidase/borohydride method and use of the resultant compound as substrate

  6. Cholesterol esterase activity of human intestinal mucosa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponz de Leon, M.; Carubbi, F.; Di Donato, P.; Carulli, N.

    1985-01-01

    It has been suggested that cholesterol absorption in humans is dependent on bile acid pool composition and that expansion of the cholic acid pool size is followed by an increase of the absorption values. Similar observations were reported in rats. In the present study, therefore, the authors investigated some general properties of human intestinal cholesterol esterase, with particular emphasis on the effect of bile acids on this enzymatic activity. Twenty-nine segments of small intestine were taken during operations; the enzymatic activity was studied by using mucosal homogenate as a source of enzyme and oleic acid, cholesterol, and 14 C-labeled cholesterol as substrates. The time-activity relationship was linear within the first two hours; optimal pH for esterification ranged between 5 and 6.2. There was little difference between the esterifying activity of the jejunal and ileal mucosa. Esterification of cholesterol was observed with all the investigated fatty acids but was maximal with oleic acid. Bile acids did not affect cholesterol esterase activity when present in the incubation mixture at 0.1 and 1.0 mM; the enzymatic activity, however, was significantly inhibited when bile acids were added at 20 mM. In conclusion, this study has shown that the human intestinal mucosa possesses a cholesterol esterase activity; at variance with the rat, however, the human enzyme does not seem to be stimulated by trihydroxy bile acids

  7. Melanocortin signaling in the CNS directly regulates circulating cholesterol

    OpenAIRE

    Perez-Tilve, Diego; Hofmann, Susanna M; Basford, Joshua; Nogueiras, Ruben; Pfluger, Paul T; Patterson, James T; Grant, Erin; Wilson-Perez, Hilary E; Granholm, Norman A; Arnold, Myrtha; Trevaskis, James L; Butler, Andrew A; Davidson, William S; Woods, Stephen C; Benoit, Stephen C

    2010-01-01

    Cholesterol circulates in the blood in association with triglycerides and other lipids, and elevated blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol carries a risk for metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, whereas high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the blood is thought to be beneficial. Circulating cholesterol is the balance among dietary cholesterol absorption, hepatic synthesis and secretion, and the metabolism of lipoproteins by various tissues. We found that the CNS is also an impo...

  8. Pectin penta-oligogalacturonide reduces cholesterol accumulation by promoting bile acid biosynthesis and excretion in high-cholesterol-fed mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Ru-Gang; Sun, Yan-Di; Hou, Yu-Ting; Fan, Jun-Gang; Chen, Gang; Li, Tuo-Ping

    2017-06-25

    Haw pectin penta-oligogalacturonide (HPPS) has important role in improving cholesterol metabolism and promoting the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids (BA) in mice fed high-cholesterol diet (HCD). However, the mechanism is not clear. This study aims to investigate the effects of HPPS on cholesterol accumulation and the regulation of hepatic BA synthesis and transport in HCD-fed mice. Results showed that HPPS significantly decreased plasma and hepatic TC levels but increased plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) levels, compared to HCD. BA analysis showed that HPPS markedly decreased hepatic and small intestine BA levels but increased the gallbladder BA levels, and finally decreased the total BA pool size, compared to HCD. Studies of molecular mechanism revealed that HPPS promoted hepatic ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1), and scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) expression but did not affect ATB binding cassette transporter G5/G8 (ABCG5/8) expression. HPPS inactivated hepatic farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and target genes expression, which resulted in significant increase of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase 1 (CYP7A1) and sterol 12α-hydroxylase (CYP8B1) expression, with up-regulations of 204.2% and 33.5% for mRNA levels, respectively, compared with HCD. In addition, HPPS markedly enhanced bile salt export pump (BSEP) expression but didn't affect the sodium/taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP) expression. In conclusion, the study revealed that HPPS reduced cholesterol accumulation by promoting BA synthesis in the liver and excretion in the feces, and might promote macrophage-to-liver reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) but did not liver-to-fecal RCT. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. The cholesterol-lowering effect of coconut flakes in humans with moderately raised serum cholesterol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinidad, Trinidad P; Loyola, Anacleta S; Mallillin, Aida C; Valdez, Divinagracia H; Askali, Faridah C; Castillo, Joan C; Resaba, Rosario L; Masa, Dina B

    2004-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of coconut flakes on serum cholesterol levels of humans with moderately raised serum cholesterol in 21 subjects. The serum total cholesterol of subjects differed and ranged from 259 to 283 mg/dL. The study was conducted in a double-blind randomized crossover design on a 14-week period, consisting of four 2-week experimental periods, with each experimental period separated by a 2-week washout period. The test foods were as follows: corn flakes as the control food, oat bran flakes as the reference food, and corn flakes with 15% and 25% dietary fiber from coconut flakes (made from coconut flour production). Results showed a significant percent reduction in serum total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (in mg/dL) for all test foods, except for corn flakes, as follows: oat bran flakes, 8.4 +/- 1.4 and 8.8 +/- 6.0, respectively; 15% coconut flakes, 6.9 +/- 1.1 and 11.0 +/- 4.0, respectively; and 25% coconut flakes, 10.8 +/- 1.3 and 9.2 +/- 5.4, respectively. Serum triglycerides were significantly reduced for all test foods: corn flakes, 14.5 +/- 6.3%; oat bran flakes, 22.7 +/- 2.9%; 15% coconut flakes, 19.3 +/- 5.7%; and 25% coconut flakes, 21.8 +/- 6.0%. Only 60% of the subjects were considered for serum triglycerides reduction (serum triglycerides >170 mg/dL). In conclusion, both 15% and 25% coconut flakes reduced serum total and LDL cholesterol and serum triglycerides of humans with moderately raised serum cholesterol levels. Coconut flour is a good source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, and both types of fiber may have significant role in the reduction of the above lipid biomarker. To our knowledge, this is the first study conducted to show a relationship between dietary fiber from a coconut by-product and a lipid biomarker. Results from this study serves as a good basis in the development of coconut flakes/flour as a functional food, justifying the increased production of coconut and coconut by-products.

  10. Remnant Cholesterol, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, and Blood Pressure as Mediators From Obesity to Ischemic Heart Disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Benn, Marianne; Smith, George Davey

    2015-01-01

    RATIONALE: Obesity leads to increased ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk, but the risk is thought to be mediated through intermediate variables and may not be caused by increased weight per se. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the increased IHD risk because of obesity is mediated through...... variables and using genetic variants associated with these. During ≤22 years of follow-up 13 945 participants developed IHD. The increased IHD risk caused by obesity was partly mediated through elevated levels of nonfasting remnant cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, through elevated blood...... obesity were low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with 8%, systolic blood pressure with 7%, and remnant cholesterol with 7% excess risk of IHD. Corresponding observational excess risks using conventional body mass index were 21%, 11%, and 20%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The increased IHD risk because...

  11. Cholesterol suppresses antimicrobial effect of statins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Reza Haeri

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective(s:Isoprenoid biosynthesis is a key metabolic pathway to produce a wide variety of biomolecules such as cholesterol and carotenoids, which target cell membranes. On the other hand, it has been reported that statins known as inhibitors of isoprenoid biosynthesis and cholesterol lowering agents, may have a direct antimicrobial effect on the some bacteria. The exact action of statins in microbial metabolism is not clearly understood. It is possible that statins inhibit synthesis or utilization of some sterol precursor necessary for bacterial membrane integrity. Accordingly, this study was designed in order to examine if statins inhibit the production of a compound, which can be used in the membrane, and whether cholesterol would replace it and rescue bacteria from toxic effects of statins. Materials and Methods: To examine the possibility we assessed antibacterial effect of statins with different classes; lovastatin, simvastatin, and atorvastatin, alone and in combination with cholesterol on two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis and two Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli bacteria using gel diffusion assay. Results: Our results showed that all of the statins except for lovastatin had significant antibacterial property in S. aureus, E. coli, and Enter. faecalis. Surprisingly, cholesterol nullified the antimicrobial action of effective statins in statin-sensitive bacteria. Conclusion: It is concluded that statins may deprive bacteria from a metabolite responsible for membrane stability, which is effectively substituted by cholesterol.

  12. The role of cholesterol metabolism and cholesterol transport in carcinogenesis; A review of scientific findings, relevant to future cancer therapeutics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Miguel Cruz

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available While the unique metabolic activities of malignant tissues as potential targets for cancer therapeutics has been the subject of several recent reviews, the role of cholesterol metabolism in this context is yet to be fully explored. Cholesterol is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes as well as a precursor of bile acids and steroid hormones. The hypothesis that cancer cells need excess cholesterol and intermediates of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway to maintain a high level of proliferation is well accepted, however the mechanisms by which malignant cells and tissues reprogram cholesterol synthesis, uptake and efflux are yet to be fully elucidated as potential therapeutic targets. High and low density plasma lipoproteins, area the likely major suppliers of cholesterol to cancer cells and tumors, potentially via receptor mediated mechanisms. This review is primarily focused on the role(s of lipoproteins in carcinogenesis, and their future roles as drug delivery vehicles for targeted cancer chemotherapy.

  13. Cholesterol: a novel regulatory role in myelin formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saher, Gesine; Quintes, Susanne; Nave, Klaus-Armin

    2011-02-01

    Myelin consists of tightly compacted membranes that form an insulating sheath around axons. The function of myelin for rapid saltatory nerve conduction is dependent on its unique composition, highly enriched in glycosphingolipids and cholesterol. Cholesterol emerged as the only integral myelin component that is essential and rate limiting for the development of CNS and PNS myelin. Experiments with conditional mouse mutants that lack cholesterol biosynthesis in oligodendrocytes revealed that only minimal changes of the CNS myelin lipid composition are tolerated. In Schwann cells of the PNS, protein trafficking and myelin compaction depend on cholesterol. In this review, the authors summarize the role of cholesterol in myelin biogenesis and myelin disease.

  14. The origin of cholesterol in chyle demonstrated by nuclear indicator methods; Origines du cholesterol du chyle mises en evidence par la methode des indicateurs nucleaires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vyas, M

    1962-07-01

    In order to obtain information about the mechanism of the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, rats having a lymphatic abdominal fistula are used. The animals receive either 4-{sup 14}C- cholesterol subcutaneously or orally, or the 1-{sup 14}C acetate. The study of the specific radio-activities of the cholesterol in chyle, in serum, in the lining, and in the intestinal contents makes it possible to define the roles played by the transfer cholesterol from the serum, by the cholesterol synthesised intestinally, and by the absorption cholesterol, in the formations of the lymph and of the chylomicrons. A new theory is proposed for the mechanism of cholesterol absorption. (author) [French] Pour obtenir des renseignements concernant le mecanisme de l'absorption intestinale du cholesterol, on utilise des rats porteurs d'une fistule lymphatique abdominale. Les animaux recoivent soit du cholesterol 4-{sup 14}C par voie sous-cutanee ou par voie orale, soit de l'acetate 1-{sup 14}C. L'etude des radioactivites specifiques du cholesterol du chyle, du serum, de la paroi et du contenu intestinal permet de preciser les roles joues par le cholesterol de transfert d'origine serique, par le cholesterol de synthese intestinale et par le cholesterol d'absorption, dans la formation de la lymphe et des chylomicrons. Une theorie nouvelle concernant le mecanisme de l'absorption du cholesterol est proposee. (auteur)

  15. Molecular Basis for Converting (2S-Methylsuccinyl-CoA Dehydrogenase into an Oxidase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Burgener

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Although flavoenzymes have been studied in detail, the molecular basis of their dioxygen reactivity is only partially understood. The members of the flavin adenosine dinucleotide (FAD-dependent acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and acyl-CoA oxidase families catalyze similar reactions and share common structural features. However, both enzyme families feature opposing reaction specificities in respect to dioxygen. Dehydrogenases react with electron transfer flavoproteins as terminal electron acceptors and do not show a considerable reactivity with dioxygen, whereas dioxygen serves as a bona fide substrate for oxidases. We recently engineered (2S-methylsuccinyl-CoA dehydrogenase towards oxidase activity by rational mutagenesis. Here we characterized the (2S-methylsuccinyl-CoA dehydrogenase wild-type, as well as the engineered (2S-methylsuccinyl-CoA oxidase, in detail. Using stopped-flow UV-spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS based assays, we explain the molecular base for dioxygen reactivity in the engineered oxidase and show that the increased oxidase function of the engineered enzyme comes at a decreased dehydrogenase activity. Our findings add to the common notion that an increased activity for a specific substrate is achieved at the expense of reaction promiscuity and provide guidelines for rational engineering efforts of acyl-CoA dehydrogenases and oxidases.

  16. The increasing role of monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors in Parkinson's disease therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmer, Lawrence W; Bertoni, John M

    2008-11-01

    The role of monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors in the treatment of Parkinson's disease has expanded with the new monoamine oxidase B inhibitor rasagiline and a new formulation, selegiline oral disintegrating tablets. As primary therapy in early disease monoamine oxidase B inhibitors reduce motor disability and delay the need for levodopa. In more advanced disease requiring levodopa, adjunctive monoamine oxidase B inhibitors reduce 'off' time and may improve gait and freezing. Rasagiline and selegiline oral disintegrating tablets may reduce the safety risks associated with the amfetamine and methamfetamine metabolites of conventional oral selegiline while retaining or improving therapeutic efficacy. Articles were identified by searches of PubMed and searches on the Internet and reviewed. All articles and other referenced materials were retrieved using the keywords 'Parkinson's disease', 'treatment' and 'monoamine oxidase B inhibitor' and were published between 1960 and 2007, with older references selected for historical significance. Only papers published in English were reviewed. Accumulating data support the use of monoamine oxidase B inhibitors as monotherapy for early and mild Parkinson's disease and as adjunctive therapy for more advanced Parkinson's disease with levodopa-associated motor fluctuations. The recently released monoamine oxidase B inhibitor rasagiline and a new formulation, selegiline oral disintegrating tablets, have potential advantages over conventional oral selegiline.

  17. Cholesterol synthesis by human fetal hepatocytes: effect of lipoproteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carr, B.R.; Simpson, E.R.

    1984-01-01

    The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effect of various lipoproteins on the rate of cholesterol synthesis of human fetal liver cells maintained in culture. This was accomplished by measuring the rate of incorporation of tritium from tritiated water or carbon 14-labeled acetate into cholesterol in human fetal liver cells. Optimal conditions for each assay were determined. When human fetal liver cells were maintained in the presence of low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol synthesis was inhibited in a concentration-dependent fashion. Intermediate--density lipoprotein and very-low-density lipoprotein also suppressed cholesterol synthesis in human fetal liver cells. In contrast, high-density lipoprotein stimulated cholesterol synthesis in human fetal liver cells. The results of the present as well as our previous investigations suggest that multiple interrelationships exist between fetal liver cholesterol synthesis and lipoprotein-cholesterol utilization by the human fetal adrenal gland and that these processes serve to regulate the lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in fetal plasma

  18. Astragalus polysaccharides lowers plasma cholesterol through mechanisms distinct from statins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunjiu Cheng

    Full Text Available To determine the efficacy and underlying mechanism of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS on plasma lipids in hypercholesterolemia hamsters. The effect of APS (0.25 g/kg/d on plasma and liver lipids, fecal bile acids and neutral sterol, cholesterol absorption and synthesis, HMG-CoA reductase activity, and gene and protein expressions in the liver and small intestine was investigated in twenty-four hypercholesterolemia hamsters. Treatment periods lasted for three months. APS significantly lowered plasma total cholesterol by 45.8%, triglycerides by 30%, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol by 47.4%, comparable to simvastatin. Further examinations revealed that APS reduced total cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver, increased fecal bile acid and neutral sterol excretion, inhibited cholesterol absorption, and by contrast, increased hepatic cholesterol synthesis and HMG-CoA reductase activity. Plasma total cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were significantly correlated with cholesterol absorption rates. APS up-regulated cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase and LDL-receptor gene expressions. These new findings identify APS as a potential natural cholesterol lowering agent, working through mechanisms distinct from statins.

  19. Cholesterol in myelin biogenesis and hypomyelinating disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saher, Gesine; Stumpf, Sina Kristin

    2015-08-01

    The largest pool of free cholesterol in mammals resides in myelin membranes. Myelin facilitates rapid saltatory impulse propagation by electrical insulation of axons. This function is achieved by ensheathing axons with a tightly compacted stack of membranes. Cholesterol influences myelination at many steps, from the differentiation of myelinating glial cells, over the process of myelin membrane biogenesis, to the functionality of mature myelin. Cholesterol emerged as the only integral myelin component that is essential and rate-limiting for the development of myelin in the central and peripheral nervous system. Moreover, disorders that interfere with sterol synthesis or intracellular trafficking of cholesterol and other lipids cause hypomyelination and neurodegeneration. This review summarizes recent results on the roles of cholesterol in CNS myelin biogenesis in normal development and under different pathological conditions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Brain Lipids. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Cholesterol biosynthesis in polychlorinated biphenyl-treated rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kling, D.; Gamble, W.

    1982-01-01

    After administration of polychlorinated biphenly (PCB) at 0.055 (w/w) of the diet to Wistar rats for 30 days, followed by intraperitioneal injection of tritiated water, [ 14 C]mevalonate, and [ 14 C]acetate, there was a decrease in cholesterol biosynthesis in rat liver. No significant change in cholesterol formation was observed when PCB was administered at 0.01% (w/w) of the diet. In vitro inhibition of cholesterol synthesis by rat liver microsomes was observed with PCB. Squalene 2,3-oxidocyclase activity of rat liver microsomes was not significantly altered. Desmosterol delta 24 reductase activity was inhibited only at relatively high concentrations of PCB. There was increased incorporation of radioactivity into squalene and lanosterol, in vitro, in the presence of PCB. The primary inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis appears to be at the demethylation and rearrangement reactions between lanosterol and cholesterol in the biosynthetic pathway

  1. Amine oxidase from lentil seedlings: energetic domains and effect of temperature on activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moosavi-Nejad, S Z; Rezaei-Tavirani, M; Padiglia, A; Floris, G; Moosavi-Movahedi, A A

    2001-07-01

    Copper/TPQ amine oxidases from mammalian and plant sources have shown many differences in substrate specificity and molecular properties. In this work the activity of lentil seedling amine oxidase was followed at various temperatures in 100 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7, using benzylamine as substrate. The discontinuous Arrhenius plot of lentil amine oxidase showed two distinct phases with a jump between them. Thermal denaturation of the enzyme, using differential scanning calorimetry under the same experimental conditions, showed a transition at the same temperature ranges in the absence of substrate, indicating the occurrence of conformational changes, with an enthalpy change of about 175.9 kJ/mole. The temperature-induced changes of the activity of lentil amine oxidase are compared with those of bovine serum amine oxidase (taken from the literature).

  2. Osteopontin regulates the cross-talk between phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol metabolism in mouse liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuñez-Garcia, Maitane; Gomez-Santos, Beatriz; Buqué, Xabier; García-Rodriguez, Juan L; Romero, Marta R; Marin, Jose J G; Arteta, Beatriz; García-Monzón, Carmelo; Castaño, Luis; Syn, Wing-Kin; Fresnedo, Olatz; Aspichueta, Patricia

    2017-09-01

    Osteopontin (OPN) is involved in different liver pathologies in which metabolic dysregulation is a hallmark. Here, we investigated whether OPN could alter liver, and more specifically hepatocyte, lipid metabolism and the mechanism involved. In mice, lack of OPN enhanced cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) levels and promoted loss of phosphatidylcholine (PC) content in liver; in vivo treatment with recombinant (r)OPN caused opposite effects. rOPN directly decreased CYP7A1 levels through activation of focal adhesion kinase-AKT signaling in hepatocytes. PC content was also decreased in OPN-deficient (OPN-KO) hepatocytes in which de novo FA and PC synthesis was lower, whereas cholesterol (CHOL) synthesis was higher, than in WT hepatocytes. In vivo inhibition of cholesterogenesis normalized liver PC content in OPN-KO mice, demonstrating that OPN regulates the cross-talk between liver CHOL and PC metabolism. Matched liver and serum samples showed a positive correlation between serum OPN levels and liver PC and CHOL concentration in nonobese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver. In conclusion, OPN regulates CYP7A1 levels and the metabolic fate of liver acetyl-CoA as a result of CHOL and PC metabolism interplay. The results suggest that CYP7A1 is a main axis and that serum OPN could disrupt liver PC and CHOL metabolism, contributing to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease progression in nonobese patients.

  3. Regulation of direct transintestinal cholesterol excretion in mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Velde, Astrid E.; Vrins, Carlos L. J.; van den Oever, Karin; Seemann, Ingar; Elferink, Ronald P. J. Oude; van Eck, Miranda; Kuipers, Folkert; Groen, Albert K.

    2008-01-01

    Biliary secretion is generally considered to be an obligate step in the pathway of excess cholesterol excretion from the body. We have recently shown that an alternative route exists. Direct transintestinal cholesterol efflux ( TICE) contributes significantly to cholesterol removal in mice. Our aim

  4. Regulation of direct transintestinal cholesterol excretion in mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Velde, Astrid E.; Vrins, Carlos L. J.; van den Oever, Karin; Seemann, Ingar; Oude Elferink, Ronald P. J.; van Eck, Miranda; Kuipers, Folkert; Groen, Albert K.

    2008-01-01

    Biliary secretion is generally considered to be an obligate step in the pathway of excess cholesterol excretion from the body. We have recently shown that an alternative route exists. Direct transintestinal cholesterol efflux (TICE) contributes significantly to cholesterol removal in mice. Our aim

  5. Elevated Remnant Cholesterol Causes Both Low-Grade Inflammation and Ischemic Heart Disease, Whereas Elevated Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Causes Ischemic Heart Disease Without Inflammation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Benn, Marianne; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne

    2013-01-01

    Elevated nonfasting remnant cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are causally associated with ischemic heart disease (IHD), but whether elevated nonfasting remnant cholesterol and LDL cholesterol both cause low-grade inflammation is currently unknown....

  6. Yeast surface displaying glucose oxidase as whole-cell biocatalyst: construction, characterization, and its electrochemical glucose sensing application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hongwei; Lang, Qiaolin; Li, Liang; Liang, Bo; Tang, Xiangjiang; Kong, Lingrang; Mascini, Marco; Liu, Aihua

    2013-06-18

    The display of glucose oxidase (GOx) on yeast cell surface using a-agglutinin as an anchor motif was successfully developed. Both the immunochemical analysis and enzymatic assay showed that active GOx was efficiently expressed and translocated on the cell surface. Compared with conventional GOx, the yeast cell surface that displayed GOx (GOx-yeast) demonstrated excellent enzyme properties, such as good stability within a wide pH range (pH 3.5-11.5), good thermostability (retaining over 94.8% enzyme activity at 52 °C and 84.2% enzyme activity at 56 °C), and high d-glucose specificity. In addition, direct electrochemistry was achieved at a GOx-yeast/multiwalled-carbon-nanotube modified electrode, suggesting that the host cell of yeast did not have any adverse effect on the electrocatalytic property of the recombinant GOx. Thus, a novel electrochemical glucose biosensor based on this GOx-yeast was developed. The as-prepared biosensor was linear with the concentration of d-glucose within the range of 0.1-14 mM and a low detection limit of 0.05 mM (signal-to-noise ratio of S/N = 3). Moreover, the as-prepared biosensor is stable, specific, reproducible, simple, and cost-effective, which can be applicable for real sample detection. The proposed strategy to construct robust GOx-yeast may be applied to explore other oxidase-displaying-system-based whole-cell biocatalysts, which can find broad potential application in biosensors, bioenergy, and industrial catalysis.

  7. Lysyl oxidase in cancer research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perryman, Lara; Erler, Janine Terra

    2014-01-01

    Metastasis is the main reason for cancer-associated deaths and therapies are desperately needed to target the progression of cancer. Lysyl oxidase (LOX) plays a pivotal role in cancer progression, including metastasis, and is therefore is an attractive therapeutic target. In this review we...

  8. HDL Cholesterol and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haase, Christiane L; Tybjærg-Hansen, Anne; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2015-01-01

    Observationally, low levels of HDL cholesterol are consistently associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, plasma HDL cholesterol increasing has been suggested as a novel therapeutic option to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Whether levels of HDL cholesterol are causally as...

  9. Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of a pyridoxine 5′-phosphate oxidase from Mycobacterium smegmatis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, Colin J.; Taylor, Matthew C.; Tattersall, David B.; French, Nigel G.; Carr, Paul D.; Ollis, David L.; Russell, Robyn J.; Oakeshott, John G.

    2008-01-01

    Good-quality crystals of selenomethionine-substituted Msmeg-3380 were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique and diffracted to 1.2 Å using synchrotron radiation. Pyridoxine 5′-phosphate oxidases (PNPOxs) are known to catalyse the terminal step in pyridoxal 5′-phosphate biosynthesis in a flavin mononucleotide-dependent manner in humans and Escherichia coli. Recent reports of a putative PNPOx from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rv1155, suggest that the cofactor or catalytic mechanism may differ in Mycobacterium species. To investigate this, a putative PNPOx from M. smegmatis, Msmeg-3380, has been cloned. This enzyme has been recombinantly expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. Good-quality crystals of selenomethionine-substituted Msmeg-3380 were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique and diffracted to 1.2 Å using synchrotron radiation

  10. Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of a pyridoxine 5′-phosphate oxidase from Mycobacterium smegmatis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jackson, Colin J., E-mail: colin.jackson@csiro.au; Taylor, Matthew C.; Tattersall, David B.; French, Nigel G. [CSIRO Entomology, Black Mountain, ACT 2601 (Australia); Carr, Paul D.; Ollis, David L. [Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, ACT 0200 (Australia); Russell, Robyn J.; Oakeshott, John G. [CSIRO Entomology, Black Mountain, ACT 2601 (Australia)

    2008-05-01

    Good-quality crystals of selenomethionine-substituted Msmeg-3380 were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique and diffracted to 1.2 Å using synchrotron radiation. Pyridoxine 5′-phosphate oxidases (PNPOxs) are known to catalyse the terminal step in pyridoxal 5′-phosphate biosynthesis in a flavin mononucleotide-dependent manner in humans and Escherichia coli. Recent reports of a putative PNPOx from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rv1155, suggest that the cofactor or catalytic mechanism may differ in Mycobacterium species. To investigate this, a putative PNPOx from M. smegmatis, Msmeg-3380, has been cloned. This enzyme has been recombinantly expressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. Good-quality crystals of selenomethionine-substituted Msmeg-3380 were obtained by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique and diffracted to 1.2 Å using synchrotron radiation.

  11. Angiotensin II inhibits the Na+-K+ pump via PKC-dependent activation of NADPH oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Caroline N; Figtree, Gemma A; Liu, Chia-Chi; Garcia, Alvaro; Hamilton, Elisha J; Chia, Karin K M; Rasmussen, Helge H

    2009-04-01

    The sarcolemmal Na(+)-K(+) pump, pivotal in cardiac myocyte function, is inhibited by angiotensin II (ANG II). Since ANG II activates NADPH oxidase, we tested the hypothesis that NADPH oxidase mediates the pump inhibition. Exposure to 100 nmol/l ANG II increased superoxide-sensitive fluorescence of isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes. The increase was abolished by pegylated superoxide dismutase (SOD), by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin, and by myristolated inhibitory peptide to epsilon-protein kinase C (epsilonPKC), previously implicated in ANG II-induced Na(+)-K(+) pump inhibition. A role for epsilonPKC was also supported by an ANG II-induced increase in coimmunoprecipitation of epsilonPKC with the receptor for the activated kinase and with the cytosolic p47(phox) subunit of NADPH oxidase. ANG II decreased electrogenic Na(+)-K(+) pump current in voltage-clamped myocytes. The decrease was abolished by SOD, by the gp91ds inhibitory peptide that blocks assembly and activation of NADPH oxidase, and by epsilonPKC inhibitory peptide. Since colocalization should facilitate NADPH oxidase-dependent regulation of the Na(+)-K(+) pump, we examined whether there is physical association between the pump subunits and NADPH oxidase. The alpha(1)-subunit coimmunoprecipitated with caveolin 3 and with membrane-associated p22(phox) and cytosolic p47(phox) NADPH oxidase subunits at baseline. ANG II had no effect on alpha(1)/caveolin 3 or alpha(1)/p22(phox) interaction, but it increased alpha(1)/p47(phox) coimmunoprecipitation. We conclude that ANG II inhibits the Na(+)-K(+) pump via PKC-dependent NADPH oxidase activation.

  12. Perilla Oil Supplementation Ameliorates High-Fat/High-Cholesterol Diet Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats via Enhanced Fecal Cholesterol and Bile Acid Excretion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ting Chen

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent experimental studies and clinical trials have shown that hepatic cholesterol metabolic disorders are closely related to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD. The main goal of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the perilla oil rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA against NASH and gain a deep insight into its potential mechanisms. Rats were fed a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet (HFD supplement with perilla oil (POH for 16 weeks. Routine blood biochemical tests and histological staining illustrated that the perilla oil administration improved HFD-induced hyperlipidemia, reduced hepatic steatosis, and inhibited hepatic inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis. Perilla oil also increased fecal bile acid and cholesterol excretion. Hepatic RNA-Seq analysis found that the long time perilla oil supplement notably modified the gene expression involved in cholesterol metabolism. Our results implicate that, after long-term high level dietary cholesterol feeding, rat liver endogenous synthesis of cholesterol and cholesterol-rich low density lipoprotein uptake was significantly inhibited, and perilla oil did not modulate expression of genes responsible for cholesterol synthesis but did increase cholesterol removed from hepatocytes by conversion to bile acids and increased fecal cholesterol excretion.

  13. Selective inhibition of monoamine oxidase A by purpurin, an anthraquinone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hyun Woo; Ryu, Hyung Won; Kang, Myung-Gyun; Park, Daeui; Oh, Sei-Ryang; Kim, Hoon

    2017-03-01

    Monoamine oxidase (MAO) catalyzes the oxidation of monoamines that act as neurotransmitters. During a target-based screening of natural products using two isoforms of recombinant human MAO-A and MAO-B, purpurin (an anthraquinone derivative) was found to potently and selectively inhibit MAO-A, with an IC 50 value of 2.50μM, and not to inhibit MAO-B. Alizarin (also an anthraquinone) inhibited MAO-A less potently with an IC 50 value of 30.1μM. Furthermore, purpurin was a reversible and competitive inhibitor of MAO-A with a K i value of 0.422μM. A comparison of their chemical structures suggested the 4-hydroxy group of purpurin might play an important role in its inhibition of MAO-A. Molecular docking simulation showed that the binding affinity of purpurin for MAO-A (-40.0kcal/mol) was higher than its affinity for MAO-B (-33.9kcal/mol), and that Ile 207 and Gly 443 of MAO-A were key residues for hydrogen bonding with purpurin. The findings of this study suggest purpurin is a potent, selective, reversible inhibitor of MAO-A, and that it be considered a new potential lead compound for development of novel reversible inhibitors of MAO-A (RIMAs). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. New conception concerning the dynamical state of cholesterol in rat; Conception nouvelle concernant l'etat dynamyque du cholesterol chez le rat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chevallier, F. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1956-03-15

    It presents the study of the cholesterol metabolism in rats. This thesis has been divided in three chapters. In a first part, it will discuss about the dynamic state of biological constituents in organism and in particular the dynamic state of cholesterol. This matter will be considered, firstly under its theoretical aspect and secondly under an experimental point of view with isotopic techniques. The current data on the dynamic state of cholesterol will allow to identify the essential points which are the subject of this research. In particular, the full understanding of the different cholesterol origins (diet, biosynthesis or formation of cholesterol from degradation or transformation of precursors as acetate or butyric acid for example) and the different cholesterol disappearance way (excretion, destruction, transformation or esters formation) is necessary to further research. In a second part, the experimental techniques and methods are described. A brief presentation of the methods for the study of the cholesterol transport and synthesis will be given as well as the experimental conditions and in particular the animal diet and cholesterol ingestion, the administration of acetate and {gamma}-phenyl {alpha}-aminobutyric. The different preparations of the {sup 14}C labelled cholesterol are also described as well as the extraction and measuring of the specific {sup 14}C radioactivity in the animal tissues extract, carbon dioxide gas and sodium acetate. Finally, the results will be given and discussed according to the way of intake: a radioactive cholesterol ingestion or an acetate intraperitoneal injection. (M.P.)

  15. Exopolysaccharide-producing probiotic Lactobacilli reduce serum cholesterol and modify enteric microbiota in ApoE-deficient mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    London, Lis E E; Kumar, Arun H S; Wall, Rebecca; Casey, Pat G; O'Sullivan, Orla; Shanahan, Fergus; Hill, Colin; Cotter, Paul D; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; Ross, R Paul; Caplice, Noel M; Stanton, Catherine

    2014-12-01

    Probiotic bacteria have been associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, a leading cause of death and disability. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of dietary administration of exopolysaccharide-producing probiotic Lactobacillus cultures on lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in apolipoprotein E (apoE)-deficient mice. First, we examined lipid metabolism in response to dietary supplementation with recombinant β-glucan-producing Lactobacillus paracasei National Food Biotechnology Centre (NFBC) 338 expressing the glycosyltransferase (Gtf) gene from Pediococcus parvulus 2.6 (GTF), and naturally exopolysaccharide-producing Lactobacillus mucosae Dairy Product Culture Collection (DPC) 6426 (DPC 6426) compared with the non-β-glucan-producing isogenic control strain Lactobacillus paracasei NFBC 338 (PNZ) and placebo (15% wt:vol trehalose). Second, we examined the effects on the gut microbiota of dietary administration of DPC 6426 compared with placebo. Probiotic Lactobacillus strains at 1 × 10(9) colony-forming units/d per animal were administered to apoE(-/-) mice fed a high-fat (60% fat)/high-cholesterol (2% wt:wt) diet for 12 wk. At the end of the study, aortic plaque development and serum, liver, and fecal variables involved in lipid metabolism were analyzed, and culture-independent microbial analyses of cecal content were performed. Total cholesterol was reduced in serum (P mice supplemented with GTF or DPC 6426 compared with the PNZ or placebo group, respectively. In addition, dietary intervention with GTF led to increased amounts of fecal cholesterol excretion (P mice. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.

  16. Hypercholesterolemia: The Role of Schools in Cholesterol Screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, James H.; Casler, Suzanne M.

    1997-01-01

    Examines the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors among children and adolescents, the pros and cons of cholesterol screening among youth, cholesterol assessments of at-risk youth, and the role of schools in cholesterol education and screening (focusing on comprehensive school health education and services). (SM)

  17. Cholesterol and myelin biogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saher, Gesine; Simons, Mikael

    2010-01-01

    Myelin consists of several layers of tightly compacted membranes wrapped around axons in the nervous system. The main function of myelin is to provide electrical insulation around the axon to ensure the rapid propagation of nerve conduction. As the myelinating glia terminally differentiates, they begin to produce myelin membranes on a remarkable scale. This membrane is unique in its composition being highly enriched in lipids, in particular galactosylceramide and cholesterol. In this review we will summarize the role of cholesterol in myelin biogenesis in the central and peripheral nervous system.

  18. Regulation of biliary cholesterol secretion and reverse cholesterol transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dikkers, Arne

    2016-01-01

    According to the World Health Organization the number one cause of death throughout the world is cardiovascular disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease. One possible way is to target the HDL-driven reverse cholesterol

  19. Cholesterol: Its Regulation and Role in Central Nervous System Disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Orth

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol is a major constituent of the human brain, and the brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ. Numerous lipoprotein receptors and apolipoproteins are expressed in the brain. Cholesterol is tightly regulated between the major brain cells and is essential for normal brain development. The metabolism of brain cholesterol differs markedly from that of other tissues. Brain cholesterol is primarily derived by de novo synthesis and the blood brain barrier prevents the uptake of lipoprotein cholesterol from the circulation. Defects in cholesterol metabolism lead to structural and functional central nervous system diseases such as Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, Niemann-Pick type C disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. These diseases affect different metabolic pathways (cholesterol biosynthesis, lipid transport and lipoprotein assembly, apolipoproteins, lipoprotein receptors, and signaling molecules. We review the metabolic pathways of cholesterol in the CNS and its cell-specific and microdomain-specific interaction with other pathways such as the amyloid precursor protein and discuss potential treatment strategies as well as the effects of the widespread use of LDL cholesterol-lowering drugs on brain functions.

  20. Systemic Manifestations in Pyridox(am)ine 5'-Phosphate Oxidase Deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerriero, Réjean M; Patel, Archana A; Walsh, Brian; Baumer, Fiona M; Shah, Ankoor S; Peters, Jurriaan M; Rodan, Lance H; Agrawal, Pankaj B; Pearl, Phillip L; Takeoka, Masanori

    2017-11-01

    Pyridoxine is converted to its biologically active form pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) by the enzyme pyridox(am)ine 5'-phosphate oxidase and serves as a cofactor in nearly 200 reactions in the central nervous system. Pyridox(am)ine 5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency leads to P5P dependent epilepsy, typically a neonatal- or infantile-onset epileptic encephalopathy treatable with P5P or in some cases, pyridoxine. Following identification of retinopathy in a patient with pyridox(am)ine 5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency that was reversible with P5P therapy, we describe the systemic manifestations of pyridox(am)ine 5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency. A series of six patients with homozygous mutations of PNPO, the gene coding pyridox(am)ine 5'-phosphate oxidase, were evaluated in our center over the course of two years for phenotyping of neurological and systemic manifestations. Five of six were born prematurely, three had anemia and failure to thrive, and two had elevated alkaline phosphatase. A movement disorder was observed in two children, and a reversible retinopathy was observed in the most severely affected infant. All patients had neonatal-onset epilepsy and were on a continuum of developmental delay to profound encephalopathy. Electroencephalographic features included background slowing and disorganization, absent sleep features, and multifocal and generalized epileptiform discharges. All the affected probands carried a homozygous PNPO mutation (c.674 G>T, c.686 G>A and c.352G>A). In addition to the well-described epileptic encephalopathy, pyridox(am)ine 5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency causes a range of neurological and systemic manifestations. A movement disorder, developmental delay, and encephalopathy, as well as retinopathy, anemia, and failure to thrive add to the broadening clinical spectrum of P5P dependent epilepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Critical time window of neuronal cholesterol synthesis during neurite outgrowth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fünfschilling, Ursula; Jockusch, Wolf J; Sivakumar, Nandhini; Möbius, Wiebke; Corthals, Kristina; Li, Sai; Quintes, Susanne; Kim, Younghoon; Schaap, Iwan A T; Rhee, Jeong-Seop; Nave, Klaus-Armin; Saher, Gesine

    2012-05-30

    Cholesterol is an essential membrane component enriched in plasma membranes, growth cones, and synapses. The brain normally synthesizes all cholesterol locally, but the contribution of individual cell types to brain cholesterol metabolism is unknown. To investigate whether cortical projection neurons in vivo essentially require cholesterol biosynthesis and which cell types support neurons, we have conditionally ablated the cholesterol biosynthesis in these neurons in mice either embryonically or postnatally. We found that cortical projection neurons synthesize cholesterol during their entire lifetime. At all stages, they can also benefit from glial support. Adult neurons that lack cholesterol biosynthesis are mainly supported by astrocytes such that their functional integrity is preserved. In contrast, microglial cells support young neurons. However, compensatory efforts of microglia are only transient leading to layer-specific neuronal death and the reduction of cortical projections. Hence, during the phase of maximal membrane growth and maximal cholesterol demand, neuronal cholesterol biosynthesis is indispensable. Analysis of primary neurons revealed that neurons tolerate only slight alteration in the cholesterol content and plasma membrane tension. This quality control allows neurons to differentiate normally and adjusts the extent of neurite outgrowth, the number of functional growth cones and synapses to the available cholesterol. This study highlights both the flexibility and the limits of horizontal cholesterol transfer in vivo and may have implications for the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.

  2. Sex Differences in the Hepatic Cholesterol Sensing Mechanisms in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingemar Björkhem

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol is linked to many multifactorial disorders, including different forms of liver disease where development and severity depend on the sex. We performed a detailed analysis of cholesterol and bile acid synthesis pathways at the level of genes and metabolites combined with the expression studies of hepatic cholesterol uptake and transport in female and male mice fed with a high-fat diet with or without cholesterol. Lack of dietary cholesterol led to a stronger response of the sterol sensing mechanism in females, resulting in higher expression of cholesterogenic genes compared to males. With cholesterol in the diet, the genes were down-regulated in both sexes; however, males maintained a more efficient hepatic metabolic flux through the pathway. Females had higher content of hepatic cholesterol but this was likely not due to diminished excretion but rather due to increased synthesis and absorption. Dietary cholesterol and sex were not important for gallbladder bile acids composition. Neither sex up-regulated Cyp7a1 upon cholesterol loading and there was no compensatory up-regulation of Abcg5 or Abcg8 transporters. On the other hand, females had higher expression of the Ldlr and Cd36 genes. These findings explain sexual dimorphism of cholesterol metabolism in response to dietary cholesterol in a high-fat diet in mice, which contributes to understanding the sex-basis of cholesterol-associated liver diseases.

  3. Lack of Cholesterol Awareness among Physicians Who Smoke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard E. Scranton

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Cigarette use is a known risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD as it adversely affects HDL cholesterol levels and promotes thrombogenesis. Smoking may also be associated with behavioral characteristics that potentiate the risk of CAD. A lack of cholesterol knowledge would indicate an aversion to a prevention-oriented lifestyle. Thus, our goal was to determine the association between tobacco use and knowledge of self-reported cholesterol among male physicians. Using the 1982 and follow-up questionnaires from the physician health study, we report the changes in the frequencies of awareness of self-reported total cholesterol and cardiovascular risk factors among the 22,067 participants. We classified physicians as being aware of their cholesterol if they reported a cholesterol level and unaware if the question was left unanswered. In 1997, 207 physicians were excluded, as the recorded cholesterol was not interpretable, leaving 21,860 for our follow up analyses. Using unadjusted logistic models, we determined the odds ratios (OR and 95% confidence intervals (CI of not reporting a cholesterol level in either 1982 or 1997 for each specified risk factor. We then evaluated whether the lack of cholesterol awareness at both time points was associated with the use of tobacco throughout the study. After 14-years of follow up, cholesterol awareness increased from 35.9 to 58.6 percent. During this period, the frequency of hypertension and hyperlipidemia treatment increased (13.5 to 40.5% and 0.57% to 19.6% respectively, as did the diagnosis of diabetes (2.40 to 7.79%. Behavioral characteristics such as a sedentary lifestyle and obesity also increased (27.8 to 42% and 43.5 to 53.5%, respectively, however the proportion of current smokers deceased from 11.1 to 4.05%. The percentages of individuals being unaware of their cholesterol decreased in all risk factor groups. However, individuals were likely to be unaware of their cholesterol

  4. Fluorescent Probes for Analysis and Imaging of Monoamine Oxidase Activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Dokyoung; Jun, Yong Woong; Ahn, Kyo Han [POSTECH, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    Monoamine oxidases catalyze the oxidative deamination of dietary amines and amine neurotransmitters, and assist in maintaining the homeostasis of the amine neurotransmitters in the brain. Dysfunctions of these enzymes can cause neurological and behavioral disorders including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. To understand their physiological roles, efficient assay methods for monoamine oxidases are essential. Reviewed in this Perspective are the recent progress in the development of fluorescent probes for monoamine oxidases and their applications to enzyme assays in cells and tissues. It is evident that still there is strong need for a fluorescent probe with desirable substrate selectivity and photophysical properties to challenge the much unsolved issues associated with the enzymes and the diseases.

  5. Whole body and tissue cholesterol turnover in the baboon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dell, R.B.; Mott, G.E.; Jackson, E.M.; Ramakrishnan, R.; Carey, K.D.; McGill, H.C. Jr.; Goodman, D.S.

    1985-01-01

    Cholesterol turnover was studied in four baboons by injecting [ 14 C]cholesterol 186 days and [ 3 H]cholesterol 4 days before necropsy, and fitting a two- or three-pool model to the resulting specific activity-time data. At necropsy, cholesterol mass and specific activity were determined for the total body and for many tissues. The principal aim of this study was to estimate the extent of cholesterol synthesis in the side pools of the model, by computing the amount of side pool synthesis needed to equal the measured total body cholesterol. Central pool synthesis varied from 61 to 89% of the total cholesterol production rate. Moreover, the finding that the measured total body cholesterol fell within the range obtained from the kinetic analysis by using reasonable assumptions, provides evidence for the physiological validity of the model. A second aim of this study was to explore cholesterol turnover in various tissues. A pool model predicts that rapidly turning over tissues will have higher specific activities at early times and lower specific activities at later times after injection of tracer relative to slowly turning over tissues, except where significant synthesis occurs. Results in all four baboons were similar. Turnover rates for the different tissues loosely fell into three groups which were turning over at fast, intermediate, and slow rates. Finally, the magnitude of variation of cholesterol specific activity was moderate for several distributed tissues (fat, muscle, arteries, and the alimentary tract), but was small for liver. Cholesterol turnover in serial biopsies of skin, muscle, and fat could, however, be fitted with a single pool to estimate tissue turnover rates

  6. Cholesterol in the retina: the best is yet to come

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pikuleva, Irina A.; Curcio, Christine A.

    2014-01-01

    Historically understudied, cholesterol in the retina is receiving more attention now because of genetic studies showing that several cholesterol-related genes are risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and because eye pathology studies showing high cholesterol content of drusen, aging Bruch's membrane, and newly found subretinal lesions. The challenge before us is determining how the cholesterol-AMD link is realized. Meeting this challenge will require an excellent understanding these genes’ roles in retinal physiology and how chorioretinal cholesterol is maintained. In the first half of this review, we will succinctly summarize physico-chemical properties of cholesterol, its distribution in the human body, general principles of maintenance and metabolism, and differences in cholesterol handling in human and mouse that impact on experimental approaches. This information will provide a backdrop to the second part of the review focusing on unique aspects of chorioretinal cholesterol homeostasis, aging in Bruch's membrane, cholesterol in AMD lesions, a model for lesion biogenesis, a model for macular vulnerability based on vascular biology, and alignment of AMD-related genes and pathobiology using cholesterol and an atherosclerosis-like progression as unifying features. We conclude with recommendations for the most important research steps we can take towards delineating the cholesterol-AMD link. PMID:24704580

  7. What Can We Learn about Cholesterol's Transmembrane Distribution Based on Cholesterol-Induced Changes in Membrane Dipole Potential?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Falkovich, Stanislav G.; Martinez-Seara, Hector; Nesterenko, Alexey M.

    2016-01-01

    Cholesterol is abundant in the plasma membranes of animal cells and is known to regulate a variety of membrane properties. Despite decades of research, the transmembrane distribution of cholesterol is still a matter of debate. Here we consider this outstanding issue through atomistic simulations ...

  8. [Experimental rationale for the parameters of a rapid method for oxidase activity determination].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butorina, N N

    2010-01-01

    Experimental rationale is provided for the parameters of a rapid (1-2-min) test to concurrently determine the oxidase activity of all bacteria grown on the membrane filter after water filtration. Oxidase reagents that are the aqueous solutions of tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride and demethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride have been first ascertained to exert no effect on the viability and enzymatic activity of bacteria after one-hour contact. An algorithm has been improved for the rapid oxidase activity test: the allowable time for bacteria to contact oxidase reagents and procedures for minimizing the effect on bacterial biochemical activity following the contact. An accelerated method based on lactose medium with tergitol 7 and Endo agar has been devised to determine coliform bacteria, by applying the rapid oxidase test: the time of a final response is 18-24 hours. The method has been included into GOST 52426-2005.

  9. Cholesterol monohydrate nucleation in ultrathin films on water

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rapaport, H.; Kuzmenko, I.; Lafont, S.

    2001-01-01

    The growth of a cholesterol crystalline phase, three molecular layers thick at the air-water interface, was monitored by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and x-ray reflectivity. Upon compression, a cholesterol film transforms from a monolayer of trigonal symmetry and low crystallinity to a tri......The growth of a cholesterol crystalline phase, three molecular layers thick at the air-water interface, was monitored by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and x-ray reflectivity. Upon compression, a cholesterol film transforms from a monolayer of trigonal symmetry and low crystallinity...... in pathological lipid deposits....

  10. Potential impact of policy regulation and generic competition on sales of cholesterol lowering medication, antidepressants and acid blocking agents in Belgium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraeyman, J; Van Hal, G; De Loof, H; Remmen, R; De Meyer, G R Y; Beutels, P

    2012-01-01

    Pharmaceutical expenditures are increasing as a proportion of health expenditures in most rich countries. Antidepressants, acid blocking agents and cholesterol lowering medication are major contributors to medicine sales around the globe. We aimed to document the possible impact of policy regulations and generic market penetration on the evolution of sales volume and average cost per unit (Defined Daily Doses and packages) of antidepressants, acid blocking agents and cholesterol lowering medication. We extracted data from the IMS health database regarding the public price and sales volume of the antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOl's) and tricyclic and remaining antidepressants (TCA's)), acid blocking agents (proton pump inhibitors (PPl's) and H2 receptor antagonists) and cholesterol lowering medication (statins and fibrates) in Belgium between 1995 and 2009. We describe these sales data in relation to various national policy measures which were systematically searched in official records. Our analysis suggests that particular policy regulations have had immediate impact on sales figures and expenditures on pharmaceuticals in Belgium: changes in reimbursement conditions, a public tender and entry of generic competitors in a reference pricing system. However, possible sustainable effects seem to be counteracted by other mechanisms such as marketing strategies, prescribing behaviour, brand loyalty and the entry of pseudogenerics. It is likely that demand-side measures have a more sustainable impact on expenditure. Compared with other European countries, generic penetration in Belgium remains low. Alternative policy regulations aimed at enlarging the generic market and influencing pharmaceutical expenditures deserve consideration. This should include policies aiming to influence physicians' prescribing and a shared responsibility of pharmacists, physicians and patients towards expenditures.

  11. Action of DCCD on the H+/O stoichiometry of mitoplast cytochrome c oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehninger, A L; Reynafarje, B; Costa, L

    1985-01-01

    The mechanistic H+/O ejection stoichiometry of the cytochrome c oxidase reaction in rat liver mitoplasts is close to 4 at level flow when the reduced oxidase is pulsed with O2. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) up to 30 nmol/mg protein fails to influence the rate of electron flow through the mitoplast oxidase, but inhibits H+ ejection. The inhibition of H+ ejection appears to be biphasic; ejection of 2-3 H+ per O is completely inhibited by very low DCCD, whereas inhibition of the remaining H+ ejection requires very much higher concentrations of DCCD. This effect suggests the occurrence of two types of H+ pumps in the native cytochrome oxidase of mitoplasts.

  12. Characterization of Two VAO-Type Flavoprotein Oxidases from Myceliophthora thermophila

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro R. Ferrari

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The VAO flavoprotein family consists mostly of oxidoreductases harboring a covalently linked flavin cofactor. The linkage can be either monocovalent at position 8 with a histidine or tyrosine or bicovalent at position 8 with a histidine and at position 6 with a cysteine. Bicovalently bound flavoproteins show a preference for bulkier substrates such as oligosaccharides or secondary metabolites. The genome of the thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila C1 was found to be rich in genes encoding putative covalent VAO-type flavoproteins. Enzymes from this fungus have the advantage of being rather thermostable and homologous overexpression in M. thermophila C1 is feasible. Recently we discovered a new and VAO-type carbohydrate oxidase from this fungus: xylooligosaccharide oxidase. In this study, two other putative VAO-type oxidases, protein sequence XP_003663615 (MtVAO615 and XP_003665713 (MtVAO713, were expressed in M. thermophila C1, purified and characterized. Enzyme MtVAO615 was found to contain a bicovalently bound FAD, while enzyme MtVAO713 contained a monocovalent histidyl-bound FAD. The crystal structures of both proteins were obtained which revealed atypical active site architectures. It could be experimentally verified that both proteins, when reduced, rapidly react with molecular oxygen, a hallmark of flavoprotein oxidases. A large panel of alcohols, including carbohydrates, steroids and secondary alcohols were tested as potential substrates. For enzyme MtVAO713 low oxidase activity was discovered towards ricinoleic acid.

  13. 2013 Cholesterol Guidelines Revisited: Percent LDL Cholesterol Reduction or Attained LDL Cholesterol Level or Both for Prognosis?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bangalore, Sripal; Fayyad, Rana; Kastelein, John J.; Laskey, Rachel; Amarenco, Pierre; Demicco, David A.; Waters, David D.

    2016-01-01

    The 2013 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol recommends moderate- to high-intensity statins for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease but departs from the traditional treat-to-target approach. Whether

  14. Inclusion of Almonds in a Cholesterol-Lowering Diet Improves Plasma HDL Subspecies and Cholesterol Efflux to Serum in Normal-Weight Individuals with Elevated LDL Cholesterol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berryman, Claire E; Fleming, Jennifer A; Kris-Etherton, Penny M

    2017-08-01

    Background : Almonds may increase circulating HDL cholesterol when substituted for a high-carbohydrate snack in an isocaloric diet, yet little is known about the effects on HDL biology and function. Objective: The objective was to determine whether incorporating 43 g almonds/d in a cholesterol-lowering diet would improve HDL subspecies and function, which were secondary study outcomes. Methods: In a randomized, 2-period, crossover, controlled-feeding study, a diet with 43 g almonds/d (percentage of total energy: 51% carbohydrate, 16% protein, and 32% total and 8% saturated fat) was compared with a similar diet with an isocaloric muffin substitution (58% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 26% total and 8% saturated fat) in men and women with elevated LDL cholesterol. Plasma HDL subspecies and cholesterol efflux from J774 macrophages to human serum were measured at baseline and after each diet period. Diet effects were examined in all participants ( n = 48) and in normal-weight (body mass index: almond diet, compared with the control diet, increased α-1 HDL [mean ± SEM: 26.7 ± 1.5 compared with 24.3 ± 1.3 mg apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I)/dL; P = 0.001]. In normal-weight participants, the almond diet, relative to the control diet, increased α-1 HDL (33.7 ± 3.2 compared with 28.4 ± 2.6 mg apoA-I/dL), the α-1 to pre-β-1 ratio [geometric mean (95% CI): 4.3 (3.3, 5.7) compared with 3.1 (2.4, 4.0)], and non-ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 cholesterol efflux (8.3% ± 0.4% compared with 7.8% ± 0.3%) and decreased pre-β-2 (3.8 ± 0.4 compared with 4.6 ± 0.4 mg apoA-I/dL) and α-3 (23.5 ± 0.9 compared with 26.9 ± 1.1 mg apoA-I/dL) HDL ( P almonds for a carbohydrate-rich snack within a lower-saturated-fat diet may be a simple strategy to maintain a favorable circulating HDL subpopulation distribution and improve cholesterol efflux in normal-weight individuals with elevated LDL cholesterol. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01101230. © 2017

  15. Nonlinear associations between plasma cholesterol levels and neuropsychological function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendell, Carrington R; Zonderman, Alan B; Katzel, Leslie I; Rosenberger, William F; Plamadeala, Victoria V; Hosey, Megan M; Waldstein, Shari R

    2016-11-01

    Although both high and low levels of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol have been associated with poor neuropsychological function, little research has examined nonlinear effects. We examined quadratic relations of cholesterol to performance on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Participants were 190 older adults (53% men, ages 54-83) free of major medical, neurologic, and psychiatric disease. Measures of fasting plasma total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were assayed, and LDL cholesterol was calculated. Participants completed neuropsychological measures of attention, executive function, memory, visuospatial judgment, and manual speed and dexterity. Multiple regression analyses examined cholesterol levels as quadratic predictors of each measure of cognitive performance, with age (dichotomized as Reproduction II ( b = -.0020, p = .026) and log of the Trail Making Test, Part B (b = .0001, p = .044). Quadratic associations between HDL cholesterol and cognitive performance were nonsignificant. Results indicate differential associations between cholesterol and neuropsychological function across different ages and domains of function. High and low total and LDL cholesterol may confer both risk and benefit for suboptimal cognitive function at different ages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  16. Recombiner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osumi, Morimichi.

    1979-01-01

    Purpose: To provide a recombiner which is capable of converting hydrogen gas into water by use of high-frequency heating at comparatively low temperatures and is safe and cheap in cost. Constitution: Hydrogen gas is introduced from an outer pipeline to the main structure of a recombiner, and when it passes through the vicinity of the central part of the recombiner, it is reacted with copper oxide (CuO 2 ) heated to a temperature more than 300 0 C by a high-frequency heater, and converted gently into water by reduction operation (2H 2 + CuO 2 → Cu + 2H 2 O). The thus prepared water is exhausted through the outer pipeline to a suppression pool. A part of hydrogen gas which has not been converted completely into water by the reaction and is remaining as hydrogen is recovered through exhaust nozzles and again introduced into the main structure of the recombiner. (Yoshino, Y.)

  17. Intestinal Farnesoid X Receptor Controls Transintestinal Cholesterol Excretion in Mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boer, J.F. de; Schonewille, M.; Boesjes, M.; Wolters, H.; Bloks, V.W.; Bos, T.; Dijk, T.H. van; Jurdzinski, A.; Boverhof, R.; Wolters, J.C.; Kuivenhoven, J.A.; Deursen, J.M.A. van; Elferink, R.P.; Moschetta, A.; Kremoser, C.; Verkade, H.J.; Kuipers, F.; Groen, A.K.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND & AIMS: The role of the intestine in the maintenance of cholesterol homeostasis increasingly is recognized. Fecal excretion of cholesterol is the last step in the atheroprotective reverse cholesterol transport pathway, to which biliary and transintestinal cholesterol excretion (TICE)

  18. Lymphatic vasculature mediates macrophage reverse cholesterol transport in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martel, Catherine; Li, Wenjun; Fulp, Brian; Platt, Andrew M; Gautier, Emmanuel L; Westerterp, Marit; Bittman, Robert; Tall, Alan R; Chen, Shu-Hsia; Thomas, Michael J; Kreisel, Daniel; Swartz, Melody A; Sorci-Thomas, Mary G; Randolph, Gwendalyn J

    2013-04-01

    Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) refers to the mobilization of cholesterol on HDL particles (HDL-C) from extravascular tissues to plasma, ultimately for fecal excretion. Little is known about how HDL-C leaves peripheral tissues to reach plasma. We first used 2 models of disrupted lymphatic drainage from skin--1 surgical and the other genetic--to quantitatively track RCT following injection of [3H]-cholesterol-loaded macrophages upstream of blocked or absent lymphatic vessels. Macrophage RCT was markedly impaired in both models, even at sites with a leaky vasculature. Inhibited RCT was downstream of cholesterol efflux from macrophages, since macrophage efflux of a fluorescent cholesterol analog (BODIPY-cholesterol) was not altered by impaired lymphatic drainage. We next addressed whether RCT was mediated by lymphatic vessels from the aortic wall by loading the aortae of donor atherosclerotic Apoe-deficient mice with [2H]6-labeled cholesterol and surgically transplanting these aortae into recipient Apoe-deficient mice that were treated with anti-VEGFR3 antibody to block lymphatic regrowth or with control antibody to allow such regrowth. [2H]-Cholesterol was retained in aortae of anti-VEGFR3-treated mice. Thus, the lymphatic vessel route is critical for RCT from multiple tissues, including the aortic wall. These results suggest that supporting lymphatic transport function may facilitate cholesterol clearance in therapies aimed at reversing atherosclerosis.

  19. The hedgehog receptor patched is involved in cholesterol transport.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michel Bidet

    Full Text Available Sonic hedgehog (Shh signaling plays a crucial role in growth and patterning during embryonic development, and also in stem cell maintenance and tissue regeneration in adults. Aberrant Shh pathway activation is involved in the development of many tumors, and one of the most affected Shh signaling steps found in these tumors is the regulation of the signaling receptor Smoothened by the Shh receptor Patched. In the present work, we investigated Patched activity and the mechanism by which Patched inhibits Smoothened.Using the well-known Shh-responding cell line of mouse fibroblasts NIH 3T3, we first observed that enhancement of the intracellular cholesterol concentration induces Smoothened enrichment in the plasma membrane, which is a crucial step for the signaling activation. We found that binding of Shh protein to its receptor Patched, which involves Patched internalization, increases the intracellular concentration of cholesterol and decreases the efflux of a fluorescent cholesterol derivative (BODIPY-cholesterol from these cells. Treatment of fibroblasts with cyclopamine, an antagonist of Shh signaling, inhibits Patched expression and reduces BODIPY-cholesterol efflux, while treatment with the Shh pathway agonist SAG enhances Patched protein expression and BODIPY-cholesterol efflux. We also show that over-expression of human Patched in the yeast S. cerevisiae results in a significant boost of BODIPY-cholesterol efflux. Furthermore, we demonstrate that purified Patched binds to cholesterol, and that the interaction of Shh with Patched inhibits the binding of Patched to cholesterol.Our results suggest that Patched may contribute to cholesterol efflux from cells, and to modulation of the intracellular cholesterol concentration. This activity is likely responsible for the inhibition of the enrichment of Smoothened in the plasma membrane, which is an important step in Shh pathway activation.

  20. Vanillyl-alcohol oxidase, a tasteful biocatalyst

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heuvel, van den R.H.H.; Fraaije, M.W.; Mattevi, A.; Laane, C.; Berkel, van W.J.H.

    2001-01-01

    The covalent flavoenzyme vanillyl-alcohol oxidase (VAO) is a versatile biocatalyst. It converts a wide range of phenolic compounds by catalysing oxidation, deamination, demethylation, dehydrogenation and hydroxylation reactions. The production of natural vanillin, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, coniferyl

  1. Biochemical and Bioimaging Evidence of Cholesterol in Acquired Cholesteatoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorsted, Bjarne; Bloksgaard, Maria; Groza, Alexandra

    2016-01-01

    : The results show that the total lipid content of the cholesteatoma matrix is similar to that of stratum corneum from skin and that the cholesteatoma matrix unquestionably contains cholesterol. The cholesterol content in the cholesteatoma matrix is increased by over 30% (w/w dry weight) compared to the control....... The cholesterol sulfate content is below 1% of the total lipids in both the cholesteatoma and the control. Cholesterol ester was reduced by over 30% when compared to the control. CONCLUSIONS: The content of cholesterol in the cholesteatoma matrix is significantly different from that in stratum corneum from skin...

  2. Inducible bilirubin oxidase: A novel function for the mouse cytochrome P450 2A5

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abu-Bakar, A' edah, E-mail: a.abubakar@uq.edu.au [The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 4072 Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Arthur, Dionne Maioha [The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 4072 Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, Adelaide (Australia); Aganovic, Simona [Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, Box 578, S-751 23 Uppsala (Sweden); Ng, Jack C. [The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 4072 Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, Adelaide (Australia); Lang, Matti A. [The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 4072 Brisbane, Queensland (Australia); Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Biomedical Centre, Box 578, S-751 23 Uppsala (Sweden)

    2011-11-15

    We have previously shown that bilirubin (BR), a breakdown product of haem, is a strong inhibitor and a high affinity substrate of the mouse cytochrome P450 2A5 (CYP2A5). The antioxidant BR, which is cytotoxic at high concentrations, is potentially useful in cellular protection against oxygen radicals if its intracellular levels can be strictly controlled. The mechanisms that regulate cellular BR levels are still obscure. In this paper we provide preliminary evidence for a novel function of CYP2A5 as hepatic 'BR oxidase'. A high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry screening showed that recombinant yeast microsomes expressing the CYP2A5 oxidise BR to biliverdin, as the main metabolite, and to three other smaller products with m/z values of 301, 315 and 333. The metabolic profile is significantly different from that of chemical oxidation of BR. In chemical oxidation the smaller products were the main metabolites. This suggests that the enzymatic reaction is selective, towards biliverdin production. Bilirubin treatment of primary hepatocytes increased the CYP2A5 protein and activity levels with no effect on the corresponding mRNA. Co-treatment with cycloheximide (CHX), a protein synthesis inhibitor, resulted in increased half-life of the CYP2A5 compared to cells treated only with CHX. Collectively, the observations suggest that the CYP2A5 is potentially an inducible 'BR oxidase' where BR may accelerate its own metabolism through stabilization of the CYP2A5 protein. It is possible that this metabolic pathway is potentially part of the machinery controlling intracellular BR levels in transient oxidative stress situations, in which high amounts of BR are produced. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CYP2A5 metabolizes bilirubin to biliverdin and dipyrroles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Bilirubin increased the hepatic CYP2A5 protein and activity levels. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Bilirubin does not

  3. Next Generation Sequencing Bulk Segregant Analysis of Potato Support that Differential Flux into the Cholesterol and Stigmasterol Metabolite Pools Is Important for Steroidal Glycoalkaloid Content

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaminski, Kacper Piotr; Kørup, Kirsten; Andersen, Mathias Neumann

    2016-01-01

    Potatoes and other Solanaceae species produce biologically active secondary metabolites called steroidal glycoalkaloids (GAs) which have antimicrobial, fungicidal, antiviral and insecticidal properties. GAs are, however, also toxic to animals and humans. Compared to wild species of potato, the el......, sterol 24-C-methyltransferase (SMT1), sterol desaturase (SD) and C-4 sterol methyl oxidase (SMO) genes were found, all encoding critical enzymes in the synthesis of the GAs precursor cholesterol........ Knowledge of metabolic pathways leading to the synthesis of GAs, as well as of the genes that are responsible for the observed differences in plant and tuber GA content is only partial. The primary purpose of this study was to identify genomic regions and candidate genes responsible for differential GA...

  4. Use of stable isotopes in the study of human cholesterol metabolism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Virelizier, H.; Hagemann, R.

    1979-01-01

    An experimental procedure based on the use of stable isotopes spiked molecules of cholesterol, allows the measurement in faecal cholesterol of the relative parts coming from the plasma by transfer (deuterium spiked molecules), from the non absorbed alimentary cholesterol ( 13 C spiked molecules) and from the external intestinal secretion (not labelled way). The patient receive a dose of D 8 (2, 2', 3, 4, 4', 6, 7, 7') cholesterol intravenously and an oral dose of 3,4 13 C cholesterol. The plasmatic cholesterol transfer is calculated from the ratio of the measured dilutions of the faecal and plasmatic D 8 cholesterol. The non absorbed cholesterol is estimated from the percentage of 13 C cholesterol measured in the faecal sterols within the six days following the oral dose ingestion. The D 8 cholesterol dilutions are measured using the GC-MS technique on the trimethylsilyl derivatives of cholesterol. Dilutions up to 1/4000 can be measured. The 13 C enriched faecal cholesterol is converted into CO 2 and the 13 C/ 12 C ratios are measured on a dual collector mass spectrometer. Dilutions up to 1/5000 of the 3,4 13 C cholesterol can be detected. The details of the analytical procedure are given

  5. Remnant cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood pressure as mediators from obesity to ischemic heart disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varbo, Anette; Benn, Marianne; Smith, George Davey; Timpson, Nicholas J; Tybjaerg-Hansen, Anne; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2015-02-13

    Obesity leads to increased ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk, but the risk is thought to be mediated through intermediate variables and may not be caused by increased weight per se. To test the hypothesis that the increased IHD risk because of obesity is mediated through lipoproteins, blood pressure, glucose, and C-reactive protein. Approximately 90 000 participants from Copenhagen were included in a Mendelian randomization design with mediation analyses. Associations were examined using conventional measurements of body mass index and intermediate variables and using genetic variants associated with these. During ≤22 years of follow-up 13 945 participants developed IHD. The increased IHD risk caused by obesity was partly mediated through elevated levels of nonfasting remnant cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, through elevated blood pressure, and possibly also through elevated nonfasting glucose levels; however, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and elevated C-reactive protein levels were not mediators in genetic analyses. The 3 intermediate variables that explained the highest excess risk of IHD from genetically determined obesity were low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with 8%, systolic blood pressure with 7%, and remnant cholesterol with 7% excess risk of IHD. Corresponding observational excess risks using conventional body mass index were 21%, 11%, and 20%, respectively. The increased IHD risk because of obesity was partly mediated through elevated levels of nonfasting remnant and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and through elevated blood pressure. Our results suggest that there may be benefit to gain by reducing levels of these risk factors in obese individuals not able to achieve sustained weight loss. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

  6. A conserved degron containing an amphipathic helix regulates the cholesterol-mediated turnover of human squalene monooxygenase, a rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chua, Ngee Kiat; Howe, Vicky; Jatana, Nidhi; Thukral, Lipi; Brown, Andrew J

    2017-12-08

    Cholesterol biosynthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is tightly controlled by multiple mechanisms to regulate cellular cholesterol levels. Squalene monooxygenase (SM) is the second rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis and is regulated both transcriptionally and post-translationally. SM undergoes cholesterol-dependent proteasomal degradation when cholesterol is in excess. The first 100 amino acids of SM (designated SM N100) are necessary for this degradative process and represent the shortest cholesterol-regulated degron identified to date. However, the fundamental intrinsic characteristics of this degron remain unknown. In this study, we performed a series of deletions, point mutations, and domain swaps to identify a 12-residue region (residues Gln-62-Leu-73), required for SM cholesterol-mediated turnover. Molecular dynamics and circular dichroism revealed an amphipathic helix within this 12-residue region. Moreover, 70% of the variation in cholesterol regulation was dependent on the hydrophobicity of this region. Of note, the earliest known Doa10 yeast degron, Deg1, also contains an amphipathic helix and exhibits 42% amino acid similarity with SM N100. Mutating SM residues Phe-35/Ser-37/Leu-65/Ile-69 into alanine, based on the key residues in Deg1, blunted SM cholesterol-mediated turnover. Taken together, our results support a model whereby the amphipathic helix in SM N100 attaches reversibly to the ER membrane depending on cholesterol levels; with excess, the helix is ejected and unravels, exposing a hydrophobic patch, which then serves as a degradation signal. Our findings shed new light on the regulation of a key cholesterol synthesis enzyme, highlighting the conservation of critical degron features from yeast to humans. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  7. Cholesterol Level: Can It Be Too Low?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... total cholesterol level has been associated with some health problems. Doctors are still trying to find out more about the connection between low cholesterol and health risks. There is no consensus on how to ...

  8. Cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex: CT diagnosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lo, W.W.M.; Solti-Bohman, L.G.; Brackmann, D.E.; Gruskin, P.

    1984-12-01

    Cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex is a readily recognizable and treatable entity that is more common than previously realized. Cholesterol granuloma grows slowly in the petrous apex as a mass lesion until it produces hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and facial twitching. Twelve cases of cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex are illustrated; ten of these analyzed in detail, especially with respect to CT findings. A sharply and smoothly marginated expansile lesion in the petrous apex, isodense with plain and nonenhancing on CT, is in all probability a cholesterol granuloma. Preoperative recognition by CT is important for planning proper treatment.

  9. Cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex: CT diagnosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lo, W.W.M.; Solti-Bohman, L.G.; Brackmann, D.E.; Gruskin, P.

    1984-01-01

    Cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex is a readily recognizable and treatable entity that is more common than previously realized. Cholesterol granuloma grows slowly in the petrous apex as a mass lesion until it produces hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and facial twitching. Twelve cases of cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex are illustrated; ten of these analyzed in detail, especially with respect to CT findings. A sharply and smoothly marginated expansile lesion in the petrous apex, isodense with plain and nonenhancing on CT, is in all probability a cholesterol granuloma. Preoperative recognition by CT is important for planning proper treatment

  10. Simultaneous measurement of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using both endogenous and exogenous [4-14C]cholesterol as substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hylemon, P.B.; Studer, E.J.; Pandak, W.M.; Heuman, D.M.; Vlahcevic, Z.R.; Chiang, J.Y.

    1989-01-01

    The HPLC-spectrophotometric method for measuring cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was modified by using a C-18 reverse-phase column to separate 7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one and 4-cholesten-3-one and by adding 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol to each reaction mixture as an internal recovery standard. With this method, we were able to simultaneously measure cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity using endogenous cholesterol and exogenous [4- 14 C]cholesterol as substrate. Rat liver cytosol differentially stimulated (286%) the 7 alpha-hydroxylation of exogenous [4- 14 C]-cholesterol. In contrast, total cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity was stimulated only 35% by cytosol. This method should prove useful for studying mechanisms of cholesterol delivery to cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase

  11. Cholesterol, bile acid and triglyceride metabolism intertwined

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schonewille, Marleen

    2016-01-01

    Hyperlipidemie wordt gekarakteriseerd door verhoogd plasma cholesterol en/of triglyceriden en sterk geassocieerd met het risico op cardiovasculaire aandoeningen. Dit proefschrift beschrijft onderzoek naar de regulatie van plasma cholesterol en triglyceriden concentraties en de achterliggende

  12. Cytochemical localization of catalase and several hydrogen peroxide-producing oxidases in the nucleoids and matrix of rat liver peroxisomes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veenhuis, M.; Wendelaar Bonga, S.E.

    1979-01-01

    The distribution of catalase, amino acid oxidase, α-hydroxy acid oxidase, urate oxidase and alcohol oxidase was studied cytochemically in rat hepatocytes. The presence of catalase was demonstrated with the conventional diaminobenzidine technique. Oxidase activities were visualized with methods based

  13. Preparation, extraction and dosage of labelled cholesterol (D and C{sup 14}); Preparation, extraction et dosage de cholesterol marque (D et C{sup 14})

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bugnard, L; Chevallier, F; Coursaget, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay(France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1953-07-01

    We returned in this note the techniques that we used for the preparation of labelled cholesterol. The chemical exchange of hydrogen enabling to contain deutero-cholesterol until 4 percent deuterium. The biologic synthesis, done on living rats or on their liver maintained in survival, permits, on the other hand, to get active cholesterol from acetate of containing sodium of the carbon 14. We indicated the techniques of extraction and dosage of the marked cholesterol. The radioactivity is measured with a Geiger-Muller counter. (M.B.) [French] Nous avons rapporte dans cette note les techniques que nous avons utilisees pour la preparation de cholesterol marque. L'echange chimique d'hydrogene conduit a du deuterio-cholesterol pouvant contenir jusqu'a 4 pour cent de deuterium. La synthese biologique, effectuee sur des rats vivants ou sur leur foie maintenu en survie, permet, d'autre part, d'obtenir du cholesterol radio-actif a partir d'acetate de sodium contenant du carbone 14. Nous avons indique les techniques d'extraction et de dosage du cholesterol marque. Sa radioactivite est mesuree au compteur de Geiger-Muller. (M.B.)

  14. Cholesterol: Its Regulation and Role in Central Nervous System Disorders

    OpenAIRE

    Matthias Orth; Stefano Bellosta

    2012-01-01

    Cholesterol is a major constituent of the human brain, and the brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ. Numerous lipoprotein receptors and apolipoproteins are expressed in the brain. Cholesterol is tightly regulated between the major brain cells and is essential for normal brain development. The metabolism of brain cholesterol differs markedly from that of other tissues. Brain cholesterol is primarily derived by de novo synthesis and the blood brain barrier prevents the uptake of lipoprotein...

  15. Cholesterol turnover and metabolism in two patients with abetalipoproteinemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodman, D.S.; Deckelbaum, R.J.; Palmer, R.H.; Dell, R.B.; Ramakrishnan, R.; Delpre, G.; Beigel, Y.; Cooper, M.

    1983-01-01

    Total body turnover of cholesterol was studied in two patients with abetalipoproteinemia, a 32-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman. The patients received [14C]cholesterol intravenously, and the resulting specific activity-time curves (for 40 and 30 weeks, respectively) were fitted with a three-pool model. Parameters were compared with those from studies of cholesterol turnover in 82 normal and hyperlipidemic subjects. A three-pool model gave the best fit for the abetalipoproteinemic patients, as well as for the 82 previously studied subjects, suggesting general applicability of this model. Cholesterol production rates in the two abetalipoproteinemic subjects (0.82 and 0.89 g/day) were close to values predicted for persons of their body weight. Thus, total body turnover rate of cholesterol was quite normal in abetalipoproteinemia, confirming previous reports. Very low values (9.2 and 8.4 g) were found for M1, the size of the rapidly exchanging compartment pool 1, in the two abetalipoproteinemic subjects. These values were well below the values predicted (from the comparison study population) for normal persons of this size with low plasma cholesterol levels. For one patient, total body exchangeable cholesterol was very low, although not significantly below the predicted values for a person of his size. In the second patient, the observed estimate for total body exchangeable cholesterol was well within the range of values predicted for persons of her size with low to extremely low cholesterol levels

  16. Mucins and calcium phosphate precipitates additively stimulate cholesterol crystallization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Berg, A. A.; van Buul, J. D.; Tytgat, G. N.; Groen, A. K.; Ostrow, J. D.

    1998-01-01

    Human biliary mucin and calcium binding protein (CBP) influence formation of both calcium salt precipitates and cholesterol crystals and colocalize in the center of cholesterol gallstones. We investigated how physiological concentrations of these proteins regulate cholesterol crystallization in

  17. Cholesterol Balance in Prion Diseases and Alzheimer’s Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannaoui, Samia; Shim, Su Yeon; Cheng, Yo Ching; Corda, Erica; Gilch, Sabine

    2014-01-01

    Prion diseases are transmissible and fatal neurodegenerative disorders of humans and animals. They are characterized by the accumulation of PrPSc, an aberrantly folded isoform of the cellular prion protein PrPC, in the brains of affected individuals. PrPC is a cell surface glycoprotein attached to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI) anchor. Specifically, it is associated with lipid rafts, membrane microdomains enriched in cholesterol and sphinoglipids. It has been established that inhibition of endogenous cholesterol synthesis disturbs lipid raft association of PrPC and prevents PrPSc accumulation in neuronal cells. Additionally, prion conversion is reduced upon interference with cellular cholesterol uptake, endosomal export, or complexation at the plasma membrane. Altogether, these results demonstrate on the one hand the importance of cholesterol for prion propagation. On the other hand, growing evidence suggests that prion infection modulates neuronal cholesterol metabolism. Similar results were reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD): whereas amyloid β peptide formation is influenced by cellular cholesterol, levels of cholesterol in the brains of affected individuals increase during the clinical course of the disease. In this review, we summarize commonalities of alterations in cholesterol homeostasis and discuss consequences for neuronal function and therapy of prion diseases and AD. PMID:25419621

  18. Cholesterol Balance in Prion Diseases and Alzheimer’s Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samia Hannaoui

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Prion diseases are transmissible and fatal neurodegenerative disorders of humans and animals. They are characterized by the accumulation of PrPSc, an aberrantly folded isoform of the cellular prion protein PrPC, in the brains of affected individuals. PrPC is a cell surface glycoprotein attached to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI anchor. Specifically, it is associated with lipid rafts, membrane microdomains enriched in cholesterol and sphinoglipids. It has been established that inhibition of endogenous cholesterol synthesis disturbs lipid raft association of PrPC and prevents PrPSc accumulation in neuronal cells. Additionally, prion conversion is reduced upon interference with cellular cholesterol uptake, endosomal export, or complexation at the plasma membrane. Altogether, these results demonstrate on the one hand the importance of cholesterol for prion propagation. On the other hand, growing evidence suggests that prion infection modulates neuronal cholesterol metabolism. Similar results were reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD: whereas amyloid β peptide formation is influenced by cellular cholesterol, levels of cholesterol in the brains of affected individuals increase during the clinical course of the disease. In this review, we summarize commonalities of alterations in cholesterol homeostasis and discuss consequences for neuronal function and therapy of prion diseases and AD.

  19. Lysyl Oxidase and the Tumor Microenvironment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tong-Hong Wang

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The lysyl oxidase (LOX family of oxidases contains a group of extracellular copper-dependent enzymes that catalyze the cross-linking of collagen and elastin by oxidation, thus maintaining the rigidity and structural stability of the extracellular matrix (ECM. Aberrant expression or activation of LOX alters the cellular microenvironment, leading to many diseases, including atherosclerosis, tissue fibrosis, and cancer. Recently, a number of studies have shown that LOX is overexpressed in most cancers and that it is involved in the regulation of tumor progression and metastasis. In contrast, a few reports have also indicated the tumor-suppressing role of LOX. In this short review, we discuss recent research on the correlations between LOX and cancer. Further, the role of LOX in tumor microenvironment remodeling, tumorigenesis, and metastasis and the underlying mechanisms have also been elucidated.

  20. Membrane cholesterol mediates the cellular effects of monolayer graphene substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitko, Kristina E; Hong, Tu; Lazarenko, Roman M; Ying, Da; Xu, Ya-Qiong; Zhang, Qi

    2018-02-23

    Graphene possesses extraordinary properties that promise great potential in biomedicine. However, fully leveraging these properties requires close contact with the cell surface, raising the concern of unexpected biological consequences. Computational models have demonstrated that graphene preferentially interacts with cholesterol, a multifunctional lipid unique to eukaryotic membranes. Here we demonstrate an interaction between graphene and cholesterol. We find that graphene increases cell membrane cholesterol and potentiates neurotransmission, which is mediated by increases in the number, release probability, and recycling rate of synaptic vesicles. In fibroblasts grown on graphene, we also find an increase in cholesterol, which promotes the activation of P2Y receptors, a family of receptor regulated by cholesterol. In both cases, direct manipulation of cholesterol levels elucidates that a graphene-induced cholesterol increase underlies the observed potentiation of each cell signaling pathway. These findings identify cholesterol as a mediator of graphene's cellular effects, providing insight into the biological impact of graphene.

  1. Plasma amine oxidase activities in Norrie disease patients with an X-chromosomal deletion affecting monoamine oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, D L; Sims, K B; Karoum, F; Garrick, N A; de la Chapelle, A; Sankila, E M; Norio, R; Breakefield, X O

    1991-01-01

    Two individuals with an X-chromosomal deletion were recently found to lack the genes encoding monoamine oxidase type A (MAO-A) and MAO-B. This abnormality was associated with almost total (90%) reductions in the oxidatively deaminated urinary metabolites of the MAO-A substrate, norepinephrine, and with marked (100-fold) increases in an MAO-B substrate, phenylethylamine, confirming systemic functional consequences of the genetic enzyme deficiency. However, urinary concentrations of the deaminated metabolites of dopamine and serotonin (5-HT) were essentially normal. To investigate other deaminating systems besides MAO-A and MAO-B that might produce these metabolites of dopamine and 5-HT, we examined plasma amine oxidase (AO) activity in these two patients and two additional patients with the same X-chromosomal deletion. Normal plasma AO activity was found in all four Norrie disease-deletion patients, in four patients with classic Norrie disease without a chromosomal deletion, and in family members of patients from both groups. Marked plasma amine metabolite abnormalities and essentially absent platelet MAO-B activity were found in all four Norrie disease-deletion patients, but in none of the other subjects in the two comparison groups. These results indicate that plasma AO is encoded by gene(s) independent of those for MAO-A and MAO-B, and raise the possibility that plasma AO, and perhaps the closely related tissue AO, benzylamine oxidase, as well as other atypical AOs or MAOs encoded independently from MAO-A and MAO-B may contribute to the oxidative deamination of dopamine and 5-HT in humans.

  2. FLIM studies of 22- and 25-NBD-cholesterol in living HEK293 cells: Plasma membrane change induced by cholesterol depletion

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ostašov, Pavel; Sýkora, Jan; Brejchová, Jana; Olžyńska, Agnieszka; Hof, Martin; Svoboda, Petr

    167-168, FEB-MAR (2013), s. 62-69 ISSN 0009-3084 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP207/12/0919 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 ; RVO:61388955 Keywords : cholesterol depletion * beta-Cyclodextrin * 22-NBD-cholesterol * 25-NBD-cholesterol * FLIM studies * intact HEK293 cells Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry; CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry (UFCH-W) Impact factor: 2.593, year: 2013

  3. Normal Non-HDL Cholesterol, Low Total Cholesterol, and HDL Cholesterol Levels in Sickle Cell Disease Patients in the Steady State: A Case-Control Study of Tema Metropolis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ephraim, Richard K D; Adu, Patrick; Ake, Edem; Agbodzakey, Hope; Adoba, Prince; Cudjoe, Obed; Agoni, Clement

    2016-01-01

    Background. Abnormal lipid homeostasis in sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by defects in plasma and erythrocyte lipids and may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study assessed the lipid profile and non-HDL cholesterol level of SCD patients. Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 50 SCD patients, in the steady state, aged 8-28 years, attending the SCD clinic, and 50 healthy volunteers between the ages of 8-38 years. Serum lipids were determined by enzymatic methods and non-HDL cholesterol calculated by this formula: non-HDL-C = TC-HDL-C. Results. Total cholesterol (TC) ( p = 0.001) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ( p < 0.0001) were significantly decreased in cases compared to controls. The levels of non-HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) were similar among the participants. The levels of decrease in TC and HDL were associated with whether a patient was SCD-SS or SCD-SC. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were each significantly associated with increased VLDL [SBP, p = 0.01, OR: 0.74 (CI: 0.6-0.93); DBP, p = 0.023, OR: 1.45 (CI: 1.05-2.0)]. Conclusion. Dyslipidemia is common among participants in this study. It was more pronounced in the SCD-SS than in SCD-SC. This dyslipidemia was associated with high VLDL as well as increased SBP and DBP.

  4. Biochemical characterization of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mott, G E; Brinkley, A W; Mersinger, C L

    1980-12-01

    We characterized two isolates of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium by conducting conventional biochemical tests and by testing various sterols and glycerolipids as potential growth factors. In media containing cholesterol and plasmenylethanolamine, the tests for nitrate reduction, indole production, and gelatin and starch hydrolyses were negative, and no acid was produced from any of 22 carbohydrates. Both isolates hydrolyzed esculin to esculetin, indicating beta-glycosidase activity. In addition to plasmenylethanolamine, five other lipids which contain an alkenyl ether residue supported growth of Eubacterium strain 403 in a lecithin-cholesterol base medium. Of six steroids tested, cholesterol, cholest-4-en-3-one, cholest-4-en-3 beta-ol (allocholesterol), and androst-5-en-3 beta-ol-17-one supported growth of Eubacterium strain 403. All four steroids were reduced to the 3 beta-ol, 5 beta-H products. The delta 5 steroids cholest-5-en-3 alpha-ol (epicholesterol) and 22,23-bisnor-5-cholenic acid-3-beta-ol were not reduced and did not support growth of the Eubacterium strain.

  5. Butter increased total and LDL cholesterol compared with olive oil but resulted in higher HDL cholesterol compared with a habitual diet

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engel, Sara; Tholstrup, Tine

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Butter is known to have a cholesterol-raising effect and, therefore, has often been included as a negative control in dietary studies, whereas the effect of moderate butter intake has not been elucidated to our knowledge. OBJECTIVE: We compared the effects of moderate butter intake...... their habitual diets. The study included 47 healthy men and women (mean ± SD total cholesterol: 5.22 ± 0.90 mmol/L) who substituted a part of their habitual diets with 4.5% of energy from butter or refined olive oil. RESULTS: Study subjects were 70% women with a mean age and body mass index (in kg/m(2)) of 40.......4 y and 23.5, respectively. Butter intake increased total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol more than did olive oil intake (P cholesterol compared with the run-in period (P

  6. Genetics Home Reference: isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... and Management Resources (1 link) GeneReview: Isolated Sulfite Oxidase Deficiency General Information from MedlinePlus (5 links) Diagnostic Tests Drug Therapy Genetic Counseling Palliative Care Surgery and ...

  7. Plasma HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, but not LDL-cholesterol, are associated with insulin secretion in non-diabetic subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natali, Andrea; Baldi, Simona; Bonnet, Fabrice; Petrie, John; Trifirò, Silvia; Tricò, Domenico; Mari, Andrea

    2017-04-01

    Experimental data support the notion that lipoproteins might directly affect beta cell function, however clinical data are sparse and inconsistent. We aimed at verifying whether, independently of major confounders, serum lipids are associated with alterations in insulin secretion or clearance non-diabetic subjects. Cross sectional and observational prospective (3.5yrs), multicentre study in which 1016 non-diabetic volunteers aged 30-60yrs. and with a wide range of BMI (20.0-39.9kg/m 2 ) were recruited in a setting of University hospital ambulatory care (RISC study). baseline fasting lipids, fasting and OGTT-induced insulin secretion and clearance (measured by glucose and C-peptide modeling), peripheral insulin sensitivity (by the euglycemic clamp). Lipids and OGTT were repeated in 980 subjects after 3.5years. LDL-cholesterol did not show independent associations with fasting or stimulated insulin secretion or clearance. After accounting for potential confounders, HDL-cholesterol displayed negative and triglycerides positive independent associations with fasting and OGTT insulin secretion; neither with insulin clearance. Low HDL-cholesterol and high triglycerides were associated with an increase in glucose-dependent and a decrease in non-glucose-dependent insulin secretion. Over 3.5years both an HDL-cholesterol decline and a triglycerides rise were associated with an increase in fasting insulin secretion independent of changes in body weight or plasma glucose. LDL-cholesterol does not seem to influence any major determinant of insulin bioavailability while low HDL-cholesterol and high triglycerides might contribute to sustain the abnormalities in insulin secretion that characterize the pre-diabetic state. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Up-Streaming Process for Glucose Oxidase by Thermophilic Penicillium sp. in Shake Flask

    OpenAIRE

    Muhammad Mohsin JAVED; Aroosh SHABIR; Sana ZAHOOR; Ikram UL-HAQ

    2012-01-01

    The present study is concerned with the production of glucose oxidase (GOD) from thermophilic Penicillium sp. in 250 mL shake flask. Fourteen different strains of thermophilic Penicillium sp. were isolated from the soil and were screened for glucose oxidase production. IIBP-13 strain gave maximum extra-cellular glucose oxidase production as compared to other isolates. Effect of submerged fermentation in shaking and static conditions, different carbon sources and incubation period on the produ...

  9. Thermodynamic studies of bilirubin/cholesterol mixtures at the air/water interface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Anjian; Shen Yuhua; Xia Bing; Chen Hongbo; Ouyang Jianming

    2005-01-01

    Mixed monolayers of cholesterol and bilirubin spread at the air/water interface were used as model systems to examine the cholesterol effect on bilirubin. Miscibility and interactions between cholesterol and bilirubin were studied based on the analysis of the surface pressure-molecular area isotherms. From the isotherm data differentiated with respect to area, the condensing effect of cholesterol on the mixed monolayers could be observed distinctly. By studying surface compressibility modulus of bilirubin/cholesterol binary system vs. molecule area, we show that the liquid expanded-condensed phase transition (LE-C) of bilirubin was eliminated by cholesterol. In monolayers, bilirubin and cholesterol were found to be miscible at low surface pressure and immiscible at high surface pressure by studying the excess molecular areas of bilirubin/cholesterol system vs. mole fraction of bilirubin. The results from excess free energy of bilirubin/cholesterol system vs. mole fraction of bilirubin (X BR ) show that the maximum negative value of ΔG exc appeared at X BR =0.6, which indicates the formation of a bilirubin/cholesterol complex (M B-C ) of 3:2 stoichiometry as a result of the strong hydrogen bond between the polar groups of cholesterol and bilirubin and the self-assembly characteristics of cholesterol

  10. NADPH oxidases as novel pharmacologic targets against influenza A virus infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vlahos, Ross; Selemidis, Stavros

    2014-12-01

    Influenza A viruses represent a major global health care challenge, with imminent pandemics, emerging antiviral resistance, and long lag times for vaccine development, raising a pressing need for novel pharmacologic strategies that ideally target the pathology irrespective of the infecting strain. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) pervade all facets of cell biology with both detrimental and protective properties. Indeed, there is compelling evidence that activation of the NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) isoform of the NADPH oxidase family of ROS-producing enzymes promotes lung oxidative stress, inflammation, injury, and dysfunction resulting from influenza A viruses of low to high pathogenicity, as well as impeding virus clearance. By contrast, the dual oxidase isoforms produce ROS that provide vital protective antiviral effects for the host. In this review, we propose that inhibitors of NOX2 are better alternatives than broad-spectrum antioxidant approaches for treatment of influenza pathologies, for which clinical efficacy may have been limited owing to poor bioavailability and inadvertent removal of beneficial ROS. Finally, we briefly describe the current suite of NADPH oxidase inhibitors and the molecular features of the NADPH oxidase enzymes that could be exploited by drug discovery for development of more specific and novel inhibitors to prevent or treat disease caused by influenza. Copyright © 2014 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

  11. NADPH oxidase and lipid raft-associated redox signaling are required for PCB153-induced upregulation of cell adhesion molecules in human brain endothelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eum, Sung Yong; Andras, Ibolya; Hennig, Bernhard; Toborek, Michal

    2009-01-01

    Exposure to persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), can lead to chronic inflammation and the development of vascular diseases. Because cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) of the cerebrovascular endothelium regulate infiltration of inflammatory cells into the brain, we have explored the molecular mechanisms by which ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), such as PCB153, can upregulate CAMs in brain endothelial cells. Exposure to PCB153 increased expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), as well as elevated adhesion of leukocytes to brain endothelial cells. These effects were impeded by inhibitors of EGFR, JAKs, or Src activity. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of NADPH oxidase or disruption of lipid rafts by cholesterol depleting agents blocked PCB153-induced phosphorylation of JAK and Src kinases and upregulation of CAMs. In contrast, silencing of caveolin-1 by siRNA interference did not affect upregulation of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in brain endothelial cells stimulated by PCB153. Results of the present study indicate that lipid raft-dependent NADPH oxidase/JAK/EGFR signaling mechanisms regulate the expression of CAMs in brain endothelial cells and adhesion of leukocytes to endothelial monolayers. Due to its role in leukocyte infiltration, induction of CAMs may contribute to PCB-induced cerebrovascular disorders and neurotoxic effects in the CNS.

  12. Enzymatic-fluorometric quantification of cholesterol in bovine milk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Torben

    2012-01-01

    The present paper describes an enzymatic–fluorometric method for the determination of cholesterol in milk and other opaque matrices. The initial step of the method is to liberate chemically and physically bound cholesterol from the milk fat globule membrane by enzymatic action. The method is able...... to discriminate between esterified and free cholesterol in milk. The analysis is cost effective and is developed to work directly on whole, fresh milk thereby eliminating time consuming and tedious pre-treatment procedures of the sample. More than 1000 milk samples were analysed on the day of sampling. The total...... concentration of milk cholesterol ranged from 80 to 756 μM (n = 1068; mean 351 μM). Milk cholesterol was significantly correlated to milk fat concentration as analysed by mid-infra red spectrometry (r = 0.630; n = 853) and by an enzymatic–fluorometric method (triacylglycerol) (r = 0.611; n = 842)....

  13. Two X-linked chronic granulomatous disease patients with unusual NADPH oxidase properties

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wolach, Baruch; Broides, Arnon; Zeeli, Tal; Gavrieli, Ronit; de Boer, Martin; van Leeuwen, Karin; Levy, Jacov; Roos, Dirk

    2011-01-01

    Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an immune deficiency syndrome caused by defects in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase, the enzyme that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in phagocytizing leukocytes. This study evaluates the NADPH oxidase capacity in two

  14. Exploration of molecular interactions in cholesterol superlattices: effect of multibody interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Juyang

    2002-08-01

    Experimental evidences have indicated that cholesterol may adapt highly regular lateral distributions (i.e., superlattices) in a phospholipid bilayer. We investigated the formations of superlattices at cholesterol mole fraction of 0.154, 0.25, 0.40, and 0.5 using Monte Carlo simulation. We found that in general, conventional pairwise-additive interactions cannot produce superlattices. Instead, a multibody (nonpairwise) interaction is required. Cholesterol superlattice formation reveals that although the overall interaction between cholesterol and phospholipids is favorable, it contains two large opposing components: an interaction favoring cholesterol-phospholipid mixing and an unfavorable acyl chain multibody interaction that increases nonlinearly with the number of cholesterol contacts. The magnitudes of interactions are in the order of kT. The physical origins of these interactions can be explained by our umbrella model. They most likely come from the requirement for polar phospholipid headgroups to cover the nonpolar cholesterol to avoid the exposure of cholesterol to water and from the sharp decreasing of acyl chain conformation entropy due to cholesterol contact. This study together with our previous work demonstrate that the driving force of cholesterol-phospholipid mixing is a hydrophobic interaction, and multibody interactions dominate others over a wide range of cholesterol concentration.

  15. Extreme nonfasting remnant cholesterol vs extreme LDL cholesterol as contributors to cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in 90000 individuals from the general population

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varbo, Anette; Freiberg, Jacob J; Nordestgaard, Børge G

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Increased nonfasting remnant cholesterol, like increased LDL cholesterol, is causally associated with increased risk for ischemic heart disease (IHD). We tested the hypothesis that extreme concentrations of nonfasting remnant and LDL cholesterol are equal contributors to the risk of IHD......, myocardial infarction (MI), and all-cause mortality. METHODS: We compared stepwise increasing concentrations of nonfasting remnant and LDL cholesterol for association with risk of IHD, MI, and all-cause mortality in approximately 90 000 individuals from the Danish general population. During up to 22 years...... of complete follow-up, 4435 participants developed IHD, 1722 developed MI, and 8121 died. RESULTS: Compared with participants with nonfasting remnant cholesterol cholesterol of 0.5-0.99 mmol/L (19.3-38.2 mg/dL) to 2...

  16. Regulation of α1 Na/K-ATPase Expression by Cholesterol*

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Yiliang; Li, Xin; Ye, Qiqi; Tian, Jiang; Jing, Runming; Xie, Zijian

    2011-01-01

    We have reported that α1 Na/K-ATPase regulates the trafficking of caveolin-1 and consequently alters cholesterol distribution in the plasma membrane. Here, we report the reciprocal regulation of α1 Na/K-ATPase by cholesterol. Acute exposure of LLC-PK1 cells to methyl β-cyclodextrin led to parallel decreases in cellular cholesterol and the expression of α1 Na/K-ATPase. Cholesterol repletion fully reversed the effect of methyl β-cyclodextrin. Moreover, inhibition of intracellular cholesterol tr...

  17. Alterations of serum cholesterol and serum lipoprotein in breast cancer of women

    OpenAIRE

    Hasija, Kiran; Bagga, Hardeep K.

    2005-01-01

    Fasting blood sample of 50 normal subjects (control) and 100 patients of breast cancer were investigated for serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein cholesterol:low density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and total cholesterol:high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio during breast cancer of women. Five cancer stages, types, age groups, parity and menopausal status were undertaken...

  18. Molecular interactions between bile salts, phospholipids and cholesterol : relevance to bile formation, cholesterol crystallization and bile salt toxicity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moschetta, Antonio

    2001-01-01

    Cholesterol is a nonpolar lipid dietary constituent, absorbed from the small intestine, transported in blood and taken up by the liver. In bile, the sterol is solubilized in mixed micelles by bile salts and phospholipids. In case of supersaturation, cholesterol is kept in vesicles with phospholipid

  19. The Chemical Potential of Plasma Membrane Cholesterol: Implications for Cell Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayuyan, Artem G; Cohen, Fredric S

    2018-02-27

    Cholesterol is abundant in plasma membranes and exhibits a variety of interactions throughout the membrane. Chemical potential accounts for thermodynamic consequences of molecular interactions, and quantifies the effective concentration (i.e., activity) of any substance participating in a process. We have developed, to our knowledge, the first method to measure cholesterol chemical potential in plasma membranes. This was accomplished by complexing methyl-β-cyclodextrin with cholesterol in an aqueous solution and equilibrating it with an organic solvent containing dissolved cholesterol. The chemical potential of cholesterol was thereby equalized in the two phases. Because cholesterol is dilute in the organic phase, here activity and concentration were equivalent. This equivalence allowed the amount of cholesterol bound to methyl-β-cyclodextrin to be converted to cholesterol chemical potential. Our method was used to determine the chemical potential of cholesterol in erythrocytes and in plasma membranes of nucleated cells in culture. For erythrocytes, the chemical potential did not vary when the concentration was below a critical value. Above this value, the chemical potential progressively increased with concentration. We used standard cancer lines to characterize cholesterol chemical potential in plasma membranes of nucleated cells. This chemical potential was significantly greater for highly metastatic breast cancer cells than for nonmetastatic breast cancer cells. Chemical potential depended on density of the cancer cells. A method to alter and fix the cholesterol chemical potential to any value (i.e., a cholesterol chemical potential clamp) was also developed. Cholesterol content did not change when cells were clamped for 24-48 h. It was found that the level of activation of the transcription factor STAT3 increased with increasing cholesterol chemical potential. The cholesterol chemical potential may regulate signaling pathways. Copyright © 2018. Published by

  20. High throughput Screening to Identify Natural Human Monoamine Oxidase B Inhibitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzio, E; Deiab, S; Park, K; Soliman, KFA

    2012-01-01

    Age-related increase in monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) may contribute to CNS neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, MAO-B inhibitors are used in the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson disease as preliminary monotherapy or adjunct therapy with L-dopa. To date, meager natural sources of MAO-B inhibitors have been identified, and the relative strength, potency and rank of many plants relative to standard drugs such as Selegiline (L-deprenyl, Eldepryl) are not known. In this work, we developed and utilized a high throughput enzyme microarray format to screen and evaluate 905 natural product extracts (0.025–.7 mg/ml) to inhibit human MAO-B derived from BTI-TN-5B1-4 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus. The protein sequence of purified enzyme was confirmed using 1D gel electrophoresis-matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight-tandem mass spectroscopy, and enzyme activity was confirmed by [1] substrate conversion (3-mM benzylamine) to H202 and [2] benzaldehyde. Of the 905 natural extracts tested, the lowest IC50s [Comfrey, Bringraj, Skullcap, Kava-kava, Wild Indigo, Gentian and Green Tea. In conclusion, the data reflect relative potency information by rank of commonly used herbs and plants that contain human MAO-B inhibitory properties in their natural form. PMID:22887993

  1. Alcohol consumption stimulates early stemps in reverse cholesterol transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gaag, van der M.S.; Tol, van A.; Vermunt, S.H.F.; Scheek, L.M.; Schaafsma, G.; Hendriks, H.F.J.

    2001-01-01

    Alcohol consumption is associated with increased HDL cholesterol levels, which may indicate stimulated reverse cholesterol transport. The mechanism is, however, not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of alcohol consumption on the first two steps of the reverse cholesterol

  2. Alcohol consumption stimulates early steps in reverse cholesterol transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gaag, M.S. van der; Tol, A. van; Vermunt, S.H.F.; Scheek, L.M.; Schaafsma, G.; Hendriks, H.F.J.

    2001-01-01

    Alcohol consumption is associated with increased HDL cholesterol levels, which may indicate stimulated reverse cholesterol transport. The mechanism is, however, not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of alcohol consumption on the first two steps of the reverse cholesterol

  3. Lysyl oxidase and adipose tissue dysfunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pastel, Emilie; Price, Emily; Sjöholm, Kajsa; McCulloch, Laura J; Rittig, Nikolaj; Liversedge, Neil; Knight, Bridget; Møller, Niels; Svensson, Per-Arne; Kos, Katarina

    2018-01-01

    Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is an enzyme crucial for collagen fibre crosslinking and thus for fibrosis development. Fibrosis is characterised by a surplus of collagen fibre accumulation and is amongst others also a feature of obesity-associated dysfunctional adipose tissue (AT) which has been linked with type 2 diabetes. We hypothesised that in type 2 diabetes and obesity LOX expression and activity will be increased as a consequence of worsening AT dysfunction. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive characterisation of LOX in human AT. LOX mRNA expression was analysed in omental and abdominal subcutaneous AT obtained during elective surgery from subjects with a wide range of BMI, with and without diabetes. In addition, LOX expression was studied in subcutaneous AT before and 9.5months after bariatric surgery. To study the mechanism of LOX changes, its expression and activity were assessed after either hypoxia, recombinant human leptin or glucose treatment of AT explants. In addition, LOX response to acute inflammation was tested after stimulation by a single injection of lipopolysaccharide versus saline solution (control) in healthy men, in vivo. Quantity of mRNA was measured by RT-qPCR. LOX expression was higher in obesity and correlated with BMI whilst, in vitro, leptin at high concentrations, as a potential feedback mechanism, suppressed its expression. Neither diabetes status, nor hyperglycaemia affected LOX. Hypoxia and lipopolysaccharide-induced acute inflammation increased LOX AT expression, latter was independent of macrophage infiltration. Whilst LOX may not be affected by obesity-associated complications such as diabetes, our results confirm that LOX is increased by hypoxia and inflammation as underlying mechanism for its upregulation in adipose tissue with obesity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Purification, characterization and decolorization of bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria 3.2190

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myrothecium verrucaria 3.2190 is a nonligninolytic fungus that produces bilirubin oxidase. Both Myrothecium verrucaria and the extracellular bilirubin oxidase were tested for their ability to decolorize indigo carmine. The biosorption and biodegradation of the dye were detected during the process of...

  5. Cholesterol and Health

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    fats and oil in the diet on the other hand. Gallstones result from ... such factors as high levels of estrogens, multiple pregnancies, obesity, genetic factors and certain ... protein with an inner core of cholesterol and triglycerides. Lipoproteins are ...

  6. Blockade of TGF-β 1 Signalling Inhibits Cardiac NADPH Oxidase Overactivity in Hypertensive Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Luis Miguel-Carrasco

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available NADPH oxidases constitute a major source of superoxide anion (⋅O2 - in hypertension. Several studies suggest an important role of NADPH oxidases in different effects mediated by TGF-β 1. In this study we show that chronic administration of P144, a peptide synthesized from type III TGF-β 1 receptor, significantly reduced the cardiac NADPH oxidase expression and activity as well as in the nitrotyrosine levels observed in control spontaneously hypertensive rats (V-SHR to levels similar to control normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats. In addition, P144 was also able to reduce the significant increases in the expression of collagen type I protein and mRNA observed in hearts from V-SHR. In addition, positive correlations between collagen expression, NADPH oxidase activity, and nitrotyrosine levels were found in all animals. Finally, TGF-β 1-stimulated Rat-2 exhibited significant increases in NADPH oxidase activity that was inhibited in the presence of P144. It could be concluded that the blockade of TGF-β 1 with P144 inhibited cardiac NADPH oxidase in SHR, thus adding new data to elucidate the involvement of this enzyme in the profibrotic actions of TGF-β 1.

  7. Herbivore-plant interactions: mixed-function oxidases and secondary plant substances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brattsten, L B; Wilkinson, C F; Eisner, T

    1977-06-17

    The mixed-function oxidases of a polyphagous insect larva (the southern armyworm, Spodoptera eridania) were found to be induced by a diversity of secondary plant substances. The induction proceeds rapidly and in response to a small quantity of secondary substance. Following induction, the larva is less susceptible to dietary poisoning. It is argued that mixed-function oxidases play a major role in protecting herbivores against chemical stress from secondary plant substances.

  8. Human plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jauhiainen, M.; Stevenson, K.J.; Dolphin, P.J.

    1988-01-01

    Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is a plasma enzyme which catalyzes the transacylation of the fatty acid at the sn-2 position of lecithin to cholesterol forming lysolecithin and cholesteryl ester. The substrates for and products of this reaction are present within the plasma lipoproteins upon which the enzyme acts to form the majority of cholesteryl ester in human plasma. The authors proposed a covalent catalytic mechanism of action for LCAT in which serine and histidine residues mediate lecithin cleavage and two cysteine residues cholesterol esterification. With the aid of sulfhydryl reactive trivalent organoarsenical compounds which are specific for vicinal thiols they have probed the geometry of the catalytic site. They conclude that the two catalytic cysteine residues of LCAT (Cys 31 and Cys 184 ) are vicinal with a calculated distance between their sulfur atoms of 3.50-3.62 A. The additional residue alkylated by teh bifunctional reagent is within the catalytic site and may represent a previously identified catalytic serine or histidine residue

  9. Time-resolved fluorescence monitoring of cholesterol in peripheral blood mononuclear cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinakova, Z.; Horilova, J.; Lajdova, I.; Marcek Chorvatova, A.

    2014-12-01

    Precise evaluation of intracellular cholesterol distribution is crucial for improving diagnostics of diseased states associated with cholesterol alteration. Time-resolved fluorescence techniques are tested for non-invasive investigation of cholesterol in living cells. Fluorescent probe NBD attached to cholesterol was employed to evaluate cholesterol distribution in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from the human blood. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) was successfully applied to simultaneously monitor the spatial distribution and the timeresolved characteristics of the NBD-cholesterol fluorescence in PBMC. Gathered data are the first step in the development of a new perspective non-invasive diagnostic method for evaluation of cholesterol modifications in diseases associated with disorders of lipid metabolism.

  10. The origin of cholesterol in chyle demonstrated by nuclear indicator methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vyas, M.

    1962-01-01

    In order to obtain information about the mechanism of the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, rats having a lymphatic abdominal fistula are used. The animals receive either 4- 14 C- cholesterol subcutaneously or orally, or the 1- 14 C acetate. The study of the specific radio-activities of the cholesterol in chyle, in serum, in the lining, and in the intestinal contents makes it possible to define the roles played by the transfer cholesterol from the serum, by the cholesterol synthesised intestinally, and by the absorption cholesterol, in the formations of the lymph and of the chylomicrons. A new theory is proposed for the mechanism of cholesterol absorption. (author) [fr

  11. Ursodeoxycholic Acid for the Treatment of Cholesterol Gallstones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaater, M.K.

    2011-01-01

    Cholesterol is the principal constituent of more than three quarters of gallstones. Pure cholesterol crystals are quite soft, and protein contributes importantly to the strength of cholesterol stones. The risk of gallstones does not correlate with total serum cholesterol levels, but it does correlate with decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased triglyceride levels. At least 10 percent of adults have gallstones where female: male ratio of about 2:1 in the younger age groups with increasing prevalence with age. Nine patients with gallstones (6 females and 3 males) were included in the study. Patients were treated with ursodeoxycholic acids tablets in two oral doses, one after breakfast, and the other after dinner for 9 months. Ultrasound examination was repeated every 3 months. Re-examination by abdominal ultrasonography revealed that gallstone 1 cm or less in diameter disappeared within 6 months, and the largest stone 3.06 cm in diameter disappeared within 9 months.

  12. Bad cholesterol and good mood: exploring the link

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yashaswi Gupta

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available It is a well-known fact that high cholesterol increases the risks of heart disease. Hence, physicians actively encourage cholesterol-lowering interventions using medications and lifestyle modifications. However, there is considerable evidence that aggressive lowering of cholesterol is associated with depression, bipolar disorders, violent behaviour, and suicidal ideation. It has been hypothesised that low cholesterol leads to low levels of serotonin, a chemical that is responsible for maintaining mood balance. South Korea and India have highest number of suicides in Asia. It is a significant challenge for physicians to search an alternative that will not only maintain healthy level of cholesterol, but also contribute to psychological well-being of the patient. Generally, the role of diet and physical activity is considered secondary to medications. However, dietary supplements like coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, and physical activity like Yoga are extremely beneficial for improving lipid profile and symptoms of depression.

  13. Cholesterol in brain disease: sometimes determinant and frequently implicated

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín, Mauricio G; Pfrieger, Frank; Dotti, Carlos G

    2014-01-01

    Cholesterol is essential for neuronal physiology, both during development and in the adult life: as a major component of cell membranes and precursor of steroid hormones, it contributes to the regulation of ion permeability, cell shape, cell–cell interaction, and transmembrane signaling. Consistently, hereditary diseases with mutations in cholesterol-related genes result in impaired brain function during early life. In addition, defects in brain cholesterol metabolism may contribute to neurological syndromes, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD), and Parkinson's disease (PD), and even to the cognitive deficits typical of the old age. In these cases, brain cholesterol defects may be secondary to disease-causing elements and contribute to the functional deficits by altering synaptic functions. In the first part of this review, we will describe hereditary and non-hereditary causes of cholesterol dyshomeostasis and the relationship to brain diseases. In the second part, we will focus on the mechanisms by which perturbation of cholesterol metabolism can affect synaptic function. PMID:25223281

  14. Dietary cholesterol promotes repair of demyelinated lesions in the adult brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berghoff, Stefan A; Gerndt, Nina; Winchenbach, Jan; Stumpf, Sina K; Hosang, Leon; Odoardi, Francesca; Ruhwedel, Torben; Böhler, Carolin; Barrette, Benoit; Stassart, Ruth; Liebetanz, David; Dibaj, Payam; Möbius, Wiebke; Edgar, Julia M; Saher, Gesine

    2017-01-24

    Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder in which remyelination failure contributes to persistent disability. Cholesterol is rate-limiting for myelin biogenesis in the developing CNS; however, whether cholesterol insufficiency contributes to remyelination failure in MS, is unclear. Here, we show the relationship between cholesterol, myelination and neurological parameters in mouse models of demyelination and remyelination. In the cuprizone model, acute disease reduces serum cholesterol levels that can be restored by dietary cholesterol. Concomitant with blood-brain barrier impairment, supplemented cholesterol directly supports oligodendrocyte precursor proliferation and differentiation, and restores the balance of growth factors, creating a permissive environment for repair. This leads to attenuated axon damage, enhanced remyelination and improved motor learning. Remarkably, in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, cholesterol supplementation does not exacerbate disease expression. These findings emphasize the safety of dietary cholesterol in inflammatory diseases and point to a previously unrecognized role of cholesterol in promoting repair after demyelinating episodes.

  15. Functional heterogeneity of NADPH oxidase-mediated contractions to endothelin with vascular aging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Matthias R; Barton, Matthias; Prossnitz, Eric R

    2014-11-24

    Aging, a physiological process and main risk factor for cardiovascular and renal diseases, is associated with endothelial cell dysfunction partly resulting from NADPH oxidase-dependent oxidative stress. Because increased formation of endothelium-derived endothelin-1 (ET-1) may contribute to vascular aging, we studied the role of NADPH oxidase function in age-dependent contractions to ET-1. Renal arteries and abdominal aortas from young and old C57BL6 mice (4 and 24 months of age) were prepared for isometric force measurements. Contractions to ET-1 (0.1-100 nmol/L) were determined in the presence and absence of the NADPH oxidase-selective inhibitor gp91ds-tat (3 μmol/L). To exclude age-dependent differential effects of NO bioactivity between vascular beds, all experiments were conducted in the presence of the NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME (300 μmol/L). In young animals, ET-1-induced contractions were 6-fold stronger in the renal artery than in the aorta (prenal artery and aorta, respectively (pAging had no effect on NADPH oxidase-dependent and -independent contractions to ET-1 in the renal artery. In contrast, contractions to ET-1 were markedly reduced in the aged aorta (5-fold, page-dependent heterogeneity of NADPH oxidase-mediated vascular contractions to ET-1, demonstrating an inherent resistance to functional changes in the renal artery but not in the aorta with aging. Thus, local activity of NADPH oxidase differentially modulates responses to ET-1 with aging in distinct vascular beds. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Pitfalls in the detection of cholesterol in Huntington's disease models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marullo, Manuela; Valenza, Marta; Leoni, Valerio; Caccia, Claudio; Scarlatti, Chiara; De Mario, Agnese; Zuccato, Chiara; Di Donato, Stefano; Carafoli, Ernesto; Cattaneo, Elena

    2012-10-11

    Background Abnormalities in brain cholesterol homeostasis have been reported in Huntington's disease (HD), an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion in the number of CAG repeats in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. However, the results have been contradictory with respect to whether cholesterol levels increase or decrease in HD models. Biochemical and mass spectrometry methods show reduced levels of cholesterol precursors and cholesterol in HD cells and in the brains of several HD animal models. Abnormal brain cholesterol homeostasis was also inferred from studies in HD patients. In contrast, colorimetric and enzymatic methods indicate cholesterol accumulation in HD cells and tissues. Here we used several methods to investigate cholesterol levels in cultured cells in the presence or absence of mutant HTT protein. Results Colorimetric and enzymatic methods with low sensitivity gave variable results, whereas results from a sensitive analytical method, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, were more reliable. Sample preparation, high cell density and cell clonality also influenced the detection of intracellular cholesterol. Conclusions Detection of cholesterol in HD samples by colorimetric and enzymatic assays should be supplemented by detection using more sensitive analytical methods. Care must be taken to prepare the sample appropriately. By evaluating lathosterol levels using isotopic dilution mass spectrometry, we confirmed reduced cholesterol biosynthesis in knock-in cells expressing the polyQ mutation in a constitutive or inducible manner. *Correspondence should be addressed to Elena Cattaneo: elena.cattaneo@unimi.it.

  17. Evaluation of the Expression of Amine Oxidase Proteins in Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Woo Young Sun

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available We aimed to evaluate the expression of amine oxidase proteins in breast cancer and their clinical implications. We performed immunohistochemical staining of amine oxidase proteins (LOX, lysyl oxidase, AOC3, amine oxidase, MAOA, monoamine oxidase A, MAOB, monoamine oxidase B. Based on their hormone receptors, such as estrogen receptor (ER and progesterone receptor (PR, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2, and Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining, breast cancer was divided into four molecular subtypes: luminal A, luminal B, HER-2 type, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC. Luminal A was observed in 380 cases (49.4%, luminal B in 224 (29.1%, HER-2 type in 68 (8.8%, and TNBC in 98 (12.7%. Stromal AOC3, MAO-A, and MAO-B expression varied according to molecular subtypes. Stromal AOC3 expression was high in luminal B and HER-2 type and MAO-A expression was high in luminal A and luminal B (p < 0.001. MAO-B expression was higher in TNBC than in other subtypes (p = 0.020. LOX positivity was associated with high histological grade (p < 0.001 and high Ki-67 labeling index (LI (p = 0.009, and stromal AOC3 positivity was associated with high histological grade (p = 0.001, high Ki-67 LI (p < 0.001, and HER-2 positivity (p = 0.002. MAO-A positivity was related to low histological grade (p < 0.001, ER positivity, PR positivity (p < 0.001, and low Ki-67 LI (p < 0.001. In univariate analysis, MAO-A positivity was related to short disease-free survival in HER-2 type (p = 0.013, AOC3 negativity was related to short disease-free survival and overall survival in ER-positive breast cancer, PR-positive breast cancer, HER-2-negative breast cancer, and lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, the expression of amine oxidase proteins varies depending on the molecular subtype of breast cancer. Stromal AOC3 expression was high in luminal B and HER-2 type, and MAO-A expression was high in luminal A and luminal B.

  18. Targeting NADPH oxidase decreases oxidative stress in the transgenic sickle cell mouse penis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musicki, Biljana; Liu, Tongyun; Sezen, Sena F; Burnett, Arthur L

    2012-08-01

    Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a state of chronic vasculopathy characterized by endothelial dysfunction and increased oxidative stress, but the sources and mechanisms responsible for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the penis are unknown. We evaluated whether SCD activates NADPH oxidase, induces endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling, and decreases antioxidants in the SCD mouse penis. We further tested the hypothesis that targeting NADPH oxidase decreases oxidative stress in the SCD mouse penis. SCD transgenic (sickle) mice were used as an animal model of SCD. Hemizygous (hemi) mice served as controls. Mice received an NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin (10 mM in drinking water) or vehicle. Penes were excised at baseline for molecular studies. Markers of oxidative stress (4-hydroxy-2-nonenal [HNE]), sources of ROS (eNOS uncoupling and NADPH oxidase subunits p67(phox) , p47(phox) , and gp91(phox) ), and enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase [SOD]1, SOD2, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase-1 [GPx1]) were measured by Western blot in penes. Sources of ROS, oxidative stress, and enzymatic antioxidants in the SCD penis. Relative to hemi mice, SCD increased (Ppenis. Apocynin treatment of sickle mice reversed (P0.05) prevented eNOS uncoupling in the penis. Apocynin treatment of hemi mice did not affect any of these parameters. NADPH oxidase and eNOS uncoupling are sources of oxidative stress in the SCD penis; decreased GPx1 further contributes to oxidative stress. Inhibition of NADPH oxidase upregulation decreases oxidative stress, implying a major role for NADPH oxidase as a ROS source and a potential target for improving vascular function in the SCD mouse penis. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

  19. Endoscopic Transnasal Approach for Cholesterol Granuloma of the Petrous Apex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Samadian

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Cholesterol granulomas are rare round or ovoid cysts. They contain cholesterol crystals surrounded by foreign bodies of giant cells and are characterized by chronic inflammation. Large cholesterol granuloma can compress surrounding tissue especially cranial nerves. There are several types of surgery for the resection of cholesterol granuloma. We describe 4 cases of cholesterol granuloma operated on via transnasal endoscopic approach. In this report, we describe radiologic and pathologic features of this lesion and explain the advantages and disadvantages of transsphenoidal endoscopic approach for these rare lesions.

  20. Plasma cholesterol and related lipid levels of seemingly healthy ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The purpose of this study was achieved through analysis of fasting plasma samples for the following: Total cholesterol (TC), Triacylglycerols (TG), High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and molar ratios of LDL/HDL, TC/ HDL, and TC/TG. Methods: One hundred and seventy four ...

  1. The relationships of markers of cholesterol homeostasis with carotid intima-media thickness.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliver Weingärtner

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The relationship of cholesterol homeostasis and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT is unknown. To address this, we assessed markers of cholesterol homeostasis (serum plant sterols and cholesterol precursor concentrations as surrogate measures of cholesterol absorption and synthesis, respectively and cIMT in a middle-aged, statin-naive population. METHODS: In this prospective study of primary prevention cIMT was measured by ultrasound in 583 hospital employees aged 25-60 years without prevalent cardiovascular disease or lipid-modifying medication. The serum concentrations of plant sterols (as markers of cholesterol absorption were measured by gas-liquid chromatography. Lathosterol serum concentrations were quantitated to assess hepatic cholesterol synthesis. RESULTS: cIMT correlated positively with serum cholesterol (r = 0.22, P<0.0005 and lathosterol-to-cholesterol (r = 0.18, P<0.001. In contrast, plant sterols, as markers of cholesterol absorption, showed a weak negative correlation to cIMT measurements (r = -0.18; P<0.001 for campesterol-to-cholesterol. Stratifying subjects by serum sterol levels, we found that cIMT increased continuously over quintiles of serum cholesterol (P<0.0005 and was positively associated to serum lathosterol-to-cholesterol levels (P = 0.007, on the other hand, plant sterol levels showed a weak negative association to cIMT (P<0.001 for campesterol-to-cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS: In this population without prevalent cardiovascular diseases or lipid-modifying medication, markers of increased endogenous cholesterol synthesis correlated positively with cIMT, while markers of cholesterol absorption showed a weakly negative correlation. These data suggest that not only total serum cholesterol levels but also differences in cholesterol homeostasis are associated with cIMT.

  2. Genome-wide recombination rate variation in a recombination map of cotton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Chao; Li, Ximei; Zhang, Ruiting; Lin, Zhongxu

    2017-01-01

    Recombination is crucial for genetic evolution, which not only provides new allele combinations but also influences the biological evolution and efficacy of natural selection. However, recombination variation is not well understood outside of the complex species' genomes, and it is particularly unclear in Gossypium. Cotton is the most important natural fibre crop and the second largest oil-seed crop. Here, we found that the genetic and physical maps distances did not have a simple linear relationship. Recombination rates were unevenly distributed throughout the cotton genome, which showed marked changes along the chromosome lengths and recombination was completely suppressed in the centromeric regions. Recombination rates significantly varied between A-subgenome (At) (range = 1.60 to 3.26 centimorgan/megabase [cM/Mb]) and D-subgenome (Dt) (range = 2.17 to 4.97 cM/Mb), which explained why the genetic maps of At and Dt are similar but the physical map of Dt is only half that of At. The translocation regions between A02 and A03 and between A04 and A05, and the inversion regions on A10, D10, A07 and D07 indicated relatively high recombination rates in the distal regions of the chromosomes. Recombination rates were positively correlated with the densities of genes, markers and the distance from the centromere, and negatively correlated with transposable elements (TEs). The gene ontology (GO) categories showed that genes in high recombination regions may tend to response to environmental stimuli, and genes in low recombination regions are related to mitosis and meiosis, which suggested that they may provide the primary driving force in adaptive evolution and assure the stability of basic cell cycle in a rapidly changing environment. Global knowledge of recombination rates will facilitate genetics and breeding in cotton.

  3. Fine-Scale Recombination Maps of Fungal Plant Pathogens Reveal Dynamic Recombination Landscapes and Intragenic Hotspots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stukenbrock, Eva H; Dutheil, Julien Y

    2018-03-01

    Meiotic recombination is an important driver of evolution. Variability in the intensity of recombination across chromosomes can affect sequence composition, nucleotide variation, and rates of adaptation. In many organisms, recombination events are concentrated within short segments termed recombination hotspots. The variation in recombination rate and positions of recombination hotspot can be studied using population genomics data and statistical methods. In this study, we conducted population genomics analyses to address the evolution of recombination in two closely related fungal plant pathogens: the prominent wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici and a sister species infecting wild grasses Z. ardabiliae We specifically addressed whether recombination landscapes, including hotspot positions, are conserved in the two recently diverged species and if recombination contributes to rapid evolution of pathogenicity traits. We conducted a detailed simulation analysis to assess the performance of methods of recombination rate estimation based on patterns of linkage disequilibrium, in particular in the context of high nucleotide diversity. Our analyses reveal overall high recombination rates, a lack of suppressed recombination in centromeres, and significantly lower recombination rates on chromosomes that are known to be accessory. The comparison of the recombination landscapes of the two species reveals a strong correlation of recombination rate at the megabase scale, but little correlation at smaller scales. The recombination landscapes in both pathogen species are dominated by frequent recombination hotspots across the genome including coding regions, suggesting a strong impact of recombination on gene evolution. A significant but small fraction of these hotspots colocalize between the two species, suggesting that hotspot dynamics contribute to the overall pattern of fast evolving recombination in these species. Copyright © 2018 Stukenbrock and Dutheil.

  4. The structure of a cholesterol-trapping protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    cholesterol-trapping protein Contact: Dan Krotz, dakrotz@lbl.gov Berkeley Lab Science Beat Lab website index Institute researchers determined the three-dimensional structure of a protein that controls cholesterol level in the bloodstream. Knowing the structure of the protein, a cellular receptor that ensnares

  5. Nuclear receptors in control of cholesterol transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veen, Jelske Nynke

    2007-01-01

    Cholesterol is een structurele component van celmembranen en een grondstof voor de aanmaak van steroïde hormonen en galzouten en vervult dus een aantal essentiële fysiologische functies. Een goede balans van cholesterol opname, synthese, afbraak en uitscheiding is noodzakelijk, omdat verhoogde

  6. Multi-Copper Oxidases and Human Iron Metabolism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vashchenko, Ganna; MacGillivray, Ross T. A.

    2013-01-01

    Multi-copper oxidases (MCOs) are a small group of enzymes that oxidize their substrate with the concomitant reduction of dioxygen to two water molecules. Generally, multi-copper oxidases are promiscuous with regards to their reducing substrates and are capable of performing various functions in different species. To date, three multi-copper oxidases have been detected in humans—ceruloplasmin, hephaestin and zyklopen. Each of these enzymes has a high specificity towards iron with the resulting ferroxidase activity being associated with ferroportin, the only known iron exporter protein in humans. Ferroportin exports iron as Fe2+, but transferrin, the major iron transporter protein of blood, can bind only Fe3+ effectively. Iron oxidation in enterocytes is mediated mainly by hephaestin thus allowing dietary iron to enter the bloodstream. Zyklopen is involved in iron efflux from placental trophoblasts during iron transfer from mother to fetus. Release of iron from the liver relies on ferroportin and the ferroxidase activity of ceruloplasmin which is found in blood in a soluble form. Ceruloplasmin, hephaestin and zyklopen show distinctive expression patterns and have unique mechanisms for regulating their expression. These features of human multi-copper ferroxidases can serve as a basis for the precise control of iron efflux in different tissues. In this manuscript, we review the biochemical and biological properties of the three human MCOs and discuss their potential roles in human iron homeostasis. PMID:23807651

  7. A Cholesterol-Sensitive Regulator of the Androgen Receptor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    Oncogene (2010) 29, 3745–3747; doi:10.1038/onc.2010.132; published online 3 May 2010 Cholesterol is a sterol that serves as a metabolic precursor to other...bioactive sterols , such as nuclear receptor ligands, and also has a major role in plasma membrane structure. Cholesterol and long- chain...cholesterol synthesis (these drugs are generically termed ‘statins’), have been reported to inhibit cancer incidence or progres- sion in some studies. Although

  8. Niemann-pick type C1 (NPC1) overexpression alters cellular cholesterol homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Millard, E E; Srivastava, K; Traub, L M; Schaffer, J E; Ory, D S

    2000-12-08

    The Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1) protein is a key participant in intracellular trafficking of low density lipoprotein cholesterol, but its role in regulation of sterol homeostasis is not well understood. To characterize further the function of NPC1, we generated stable Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines overexpressing the human NPC1 protein (CHO/NPC1). NPC1 overexpression increases the rate of trafficking of low density lipoprotein cholesterol to the endoplasmic reticulum and the rate of delivery of endosomal cholesterol to the plasma membrane (PM). CHO/NPC1 cells exhibit a 1.5-fold increase in total cellular cholesterol and up to a 2.9-fold increase in PM cholesterol. This increase in PM cholesterol is closely paralleled by a 3-fold increase in de novo cholesterol synthesis. Inhibition of cholesterol synthesis results in marked redistribution of PM cholesterol to intracellular sites, suggesting an unsuspected role for NPC1 in internalization of PM cholesterol. Despite elevated total cellular cholesterol, CHO/NPC1 cells exhibit increased cholesterol synthesis, which may be attributable to both resistance to oxysterol suppression of sterol-regulated gene expression and to reduced endoplasmic reticulum cholesterol levels under basal conditions. Taken together, these studies provide important new insights into the role of NPC1 in the determination of the levels and distribution of cellular cholesterol.

  9. Cholesterol-Lowering Probiotics as Potential Biotherapeutics for Metabolic Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manoj Kumar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Cardiovascular diseases are one of the major causes of deaths in adults in the western world. Elevated levels of certain blood lipids have been reported to be the principal cause of cardiovascular disease and other disabilities in developed countries. Several animal and clinical trials have shown a positive association between cholesterol levels and the risks of coronary heart disease. Current dietary strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular disease advocate adherence to low-fat/low-saturated-fat diets. Although there is no doubt that, in experimental conditions, low-fat diets offer an effective means of reducing blood cholesterol concentrations on a population basis, these appear to be less effective, largely due to poor compliance, attributed to low palatability and acceptability of these diets to the consumers. Due to the low consumer compliance, attempts have been made to identify other dietary components that can reduce blood cholesterol levels. Supplementation of diet with fermented dairy products or lactic acid bacteria containing dairy products has shown the potential to reduce serum cholesterol levels. Various approaches have been used to alleviate this issue, including the use of probiotics, especially Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp.. Probiotics, the living microorganisms that confer health benefits on the host when administered in adequate amounts, have received much attention on their proclaimed health benefits which include improvement in lactose intolerance, increase in natural resistance to infectious disease in gastrointestinal tract, suppression of cancer, antidiabetic, reduction in serum cholesterol level, and improved digestion. In addition, there are numerous reports on cholesterol removal ability of probiotics and their hypocholesterolemic effects. Several possible mechanisms for cholesterol removal by probiotics are assimilation of cholesterol by growing cells, binding of cholesterol to cellular surface

  10. Influence of the membrane environment on cholesterol transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breidigan, Jeffrey Michael; Krzyzanowski, Natalie; Liu, Yangmingyue; Porcar, Lionel; Perez-Salas, Ursula

    2017-12-01

    Cholesterol, an essential component in biological membranes, is highly unevenly distributed within the cell, with most localized in the plasma membrane while only a small fraction is found in the endoplasmic reticulum, where it is synthesized. Cellular membranes differ in lipid composition and protein content, and these differences can exist across their leaflets too. This thermodynamic landscape that cellular membranes impose on cholesterol is expected to modulate its transport. To uncover the role the membrane environment has on cholesterol inter- and intra-membrane movement, we used time-resolved small angle neutron scattering to study the passive movement of cholesterol between and within membranes with varying degrees of saturation content. We found that cholesterol moves systematically slower as the degree of saturation in the membranes increases, from a palmitoyl oleyl phosphotidylcholine membrane, which is unsaturated, to a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membrane, which is fully saturated. Additionally, we found that the energetic barrier to move cholesterol in these phosphatidylcholine membranes is independent of their relative lipid composition and remains constant for both flip-flop and exchange at ∼100 kJ/mol. Further, by replacing DPPC with the saturated lipid palmitoylsphingomyelin, an abundant saturated lipid of the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, we found the rates decreased by a factor of two. This finding is in stark contrast with recent molecular dynamic simulations that predict a dramatic slow-down of seven orders of magnitude for cholesterol flipping in membranes with a similar phosphocholine and SM lipid composition. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  11. Biochemical characterization of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium.

    OpenAIRE

    Mott, G E; Brinkley, A W; Mersinger, C L

    1980-01-01

    We characterized two isolates of cholesterol-reducing Eubacterium by conducting conventional biochemical tests and by testing various sterols and glycerolipids as potential growth factors. In media containing cholesterol and plasmenylethanolamine, the tests for nitrate reduction, indole production, and gelatin and starch hydrolyses were negative, and no acid was produced from any of 22 carbohydrates. Both isolates hydrolyzed esculin to esculetin, indicating beta-glycosidase activity. In addit...

  12. Changes in the serum profiles of lipids and cholesterol in sheep ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The samples were used for haematological and parasitological analyses and determination of serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and low density lipoproteincholesterol (LDL-cholesterol). All animals in the infected group showed parasitaemia by day ...

  13. Engineering glucose oxidase to minimize the influence of oxygen on sensor response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horaguchi, Yohei; Saito, Shoko; Kojima, Katsuhiro; Tsugawa, Wakako; Ferri, Stefano; Sode, Koji

    2014-01-01

    Glucose oxidase (GOx) is an important industrial enzyme and is recognized as the gold standard for monitoring blood glucose. However, due to its inherent oxidase property, the presence of oxygen affects electrochemical measurements of venous blood glucose employing artificial electron mediators. We therefore attempted to engineer Penicillium amagasakiense-derived GOx into a dehydrogenase by focusing on the amino acid residues predicted to interact with oxygen. Our rational amino acid substitution approach resulted in the construction of the Ser114Ala/Phe355Leu mutant, which has an 11-fold decrease in oxidase activity and 2.8-fold increase in dehydrogenase activity compared with wild-type GOx. As a result, the dehydrogenase/oxidase activity ratio of the engineered enzyme was 32-fold greater than that of the wild-type enzyme. The enzyme sensor constructed with Ser114Ala/Phe355Leu was considerably less affected by oxygen than the wild-type GOx-based sensor at lower glucose concentrations

  14. Spontaneous insertion of GPI anchors into cholesterol-rich membrane domains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Li

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available GPI-Anchored proteins (GPI-APs can be exogenously transferred onto bilayer membranes both in vivo and in vitro, while the mechanism by which this transfer process occurs is unknown. In this work, we used atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations to characterize the essential influence of cholesterol on insertion of the GPI anchors into plasma membranes. We demonstrate, both dynamically and energetically, that in the presence of cholesterol, the tails of GPI anchors are able to penetrate inside the core of the lipid membrane spontaneously with a three-step mechanism, while in the absence of cholesterol no spontaneous insertion was observed. We ascribe the failure of insertion to the strong thermal fluctuation of lipid molecules in cholesterol-free bilayer, which generates a repulsive force in entropic origin. In the presence of cholesterol, however, the fluctuation of lipids is strongly reduced, thus decreasing the barrier for the anchor insertion. Based on this observation, we propose a hypothesis that addition of cholesterol creates vertical creases in membranes for the insertion of acyl chains. Moreover, we find that the GPI anchor could also spontaneously inserted into the boundary between cholesterol-rich and cholesterol-depleted domains. Our results shed light on the mechanism of cholesterol-mediated interaction between membrane proteins with acyl chain and plasma membranes in living cells.

  15. Spontaneous insertion of GPI anchors into cholesterol-rich membrane domains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jing; Liu, Xiuhua; Tian, Falin; Yue, Tongtao; Zhang, Xianren; Cao, Dapeng

    2018-05-01

    GPI-Anchored proteins (GPI-APs) can be exogenously transferred onto bilayer membranes both in vivo and in vitro, while the mechanism by which this transfer process occurs is unknown. In this work, we used atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations to characterize the essential influence of cholesterol on insertion of the GPI anchors into plasma membranes. We demonstrate, both dynamically and energetically, that in the presence of cholesterol, the tails of GPI anchors are able to penetrate inside the core of the lipid membrane spontaneously with a three-step mechanism, while in the absence of cholesterol no spontaneous insertion was observed. We ascribe the failure of insertion to the strong thermal fluctuation of lipid molecules in cholesterol-free bilayer, which generates a repulsive force in entropic origin. In the presence of cholesterol, however, the fluctuation of lipids is strongly reduced, thus decreasing the barrier for the anchor insertion. Based on this observation, we propose a hypothesis that addition of cholesterol creates vertical creases in membranes for the insertion of acyl chains. Moreover, we find that the GPI anchor could also spontaneously inserted into the boundary between cholesterol-rich and cholesterol-depleted domains. Our results shed light on the mechanism of cholesterol-mediated interaction between membrane proteins with acyl chain and plasma membranes in living cells.

  16. Cholesterol Assimilation by Lactobacillus Probiotic Bacteria: An In Vitro Investigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine Tomaro-Duchesneau

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Excess cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD, an important cause of mortality worldwide. Current CVD therapeutic measures, lifestyle and dietary interventions, and pharmaceutical agents for regulating cholesterol levels are inadequate. Probiotic bacteria have demonstrated potential to lower cholesterol levels by different mechanisms, including bile salt hydrolase activity, production of compounds that inhibit enzymes such as 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A, and cholesterol assimilation. This work investigates 11 Lactobacillus strains for cholesterol assimilation. Probiotic strains for investigation were selected from the literature: Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 11951, L. reuteri NCIMB 701359, L. reuteri NCIMB 702655, L. reuteri NCIMB 701089, L. reuteri NCIMB 702656, Lactobacillus fermentum NCIMB 5221, L. fermentum NCIMB 8829, L. fermentum NCIMB 2797, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103 GG, Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 314, and Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 14917. Cholesterol assimilation was investigated in culture media and under simulated intestinal conditions. The best cholesterol assimilator was L. plantarum ATCC 14917 (15.18 ± 0.55 mg/1010 cfu in MRS broth. L. reuteri NCIMB 701089 assimilated over 67% (2254.70 ± 63.33 mg/1010 cfu of cholesterol, the most of all the strains, under intestinal conditions. This work demonstrates that probiotic bacteria can assimilate cholesterol under intestinal conditions, with L. reuteri NCIMB 701089 showing great potential as a CVD therapeutic.

  17. Radio-isotopic determination of platelet monoamine oxidase and regulation of its activity by an indigenous drug

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dubey, G.P.; Srivastava, V.K.; Agrawal, A.; Udupa, K.N.

    1988-01-01

    Platelet monoamine oxidase is a mitochondrial enzyme taking part in the deamination reaction of total catecholamine. Recent studies of monoamine oxidase inhibitors have gained its importance in the control of variety of psychosomatic disorders like mental depression, arterial hypertension and anxiety neurosis. 30 apparently normal individuals and 42 diagnosed cases of essential hypertension were selected for the present study. The platelet monoamine oxidase activity was measured by using 14 C-tryptamine bisuccinate. Comparatively low activity of platelet monoamine oxidase was noticed in hypertension cases than in the normal. After oral administration of an indigenous drug 'Geriforte' for three months, a significant rise in platelet monoamine oxidase activity was noticed in hypertension cases. It can be concluded that this indigenous formulation has the capacity to regulate the monoamine oxidase activity, as such, it may provide an alternative remedy in the management of psychosomatic disorders. (author). 11 refs

  18. Common structural features of cholesterol binding sites in crystallized soluble proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukiya, Anna N; Dopico, Alejandro M

    2017-06-01

    Cholesterol-protein interactions are essential for the architectural organization of cell membranes and for lipid metabolism. While cholesterol-sensing motifs in transmembrane proteins have been identified, little is known about cholesterol recognition by soluble proteins. We reviewed the structural characteristics of binding sites for cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate from crystallographic structures available in the Protein Data Bank. This analysis unveiled key features of cholesterol-binding sites that are present in either all or the majority of sites: i ) the cholesterol molecule is generally positioned between protein domains that have an organized secondary structure; ii ) the cholesterol hydroxyl/sulfo group is often partnered by Asn, Gln, and/or Tyr, while the hydrophobic part of cholesterol interacts with Leu, Ile, Val, and/or Phe; iii ) cholesterol hydrogen-bonding partners are often found on α-helices, while amino acids that interact with cholesterol's hydrophobic core have a slight preference for β-strands and secondary structure-lacking protein areas; iv ) the steroid's C21 and C26 constitute the "hot spots" most often seen for steroid-protein hydrophobic interactions; v ) common "cold spots" are C8-C10, C13, and C17, at which contacts with the proteins were not detected. Several common features we identified for soluble protein-steroid interaction appear evolutionarily conserved. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. Absorption and transport of cholesterol autoxidation derivatives in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, S.K.; Morin, R.J.; Phillips, G.A.; Xia, G.Z.

    1986-01-01

    Spontaneously autoxidized products of cholesterol have been demonstrated to be angiotoxic and possibly atherogenic. This study investigates the absorption and transport of these cholesterol oxidation derivatives (COD's) as compared to cholesterol. 14 C-labeled cholesterol autoxidized by incubation in a 60 0 C water bath for 5 weeks, then suspended in gelatin and given to New Zealand white rabbits by gastric gavage. Rabbits were sacrificed 24 hours after treatment. COD's were separated by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and radioactivities of each COD and cholesterol were measured. Percentages of each COD and cholesterol in the original mixture before administration and in the rabbits' serum after administration are almost identical, suggesting that the rates of absorption of COD's are not significantly different from that of cholesterol. Lipoproteins were fractionated by ultracentrifugation into VLDL, LDL and HDL. Radioactivities of each COD separated by TLC in each lipoprotein fraction showed that cholestane-3β,5α,6β-triol, 7α- and 7β-hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol were predominantly present in VLDL (3 x serum concentration) and 25-hydroxycholesterol was predominantly in LDL (2.5 x serum concentration). HDL contained only minute amounts of COD's. The increased levels of COD's in VLDL and LDL may contribute to the atherogenicity of these lipoprotein

  20. Effect of cholesterol deposition on bacterial adhesion to contact lenses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babaei Omali, Negar; Zhu, Hua; Zhao, Zhenjun; Ozkan, Jerome; Xu, Banglao; Borazjani, Roya; Willcox, Mark D P

    2011-08-01

    To examine the effect of cholesterol on the adhesion of bacteria to silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Contact lenses, collected from subjects wearing Acuvue Oasys or PureVision lenses, were extracted in chloroform:methanol (1:1, v/v) and amount of cholesterol was estimated by thin-layer chromatography. Unworn lenses were soaked in cholesterol, and the numbers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains or Staphylococcus aureus strains that adhered to the lenses were measured. Cholesterol was tested for effects on bacterial growth by incubating bacteria in medium containing cholesterol. From ex vivo PureVision lenses, 3.4 ± 0.3 μg/lens cholesterol was recovered, and from Acuvue Oasys lenses, 2.4 ± 0.2 to 1.0 ± 0.1 μg/lens cholesterol was extracted. Cholesterol did not alter the total or viable adhesion of any strain of P. aeruginosa or S. aureus (p > 0.05). However, worn PureVision lenses reduced the numbers of viable cells of P. aeruginosa (5.8 ± 0.4 log units) compared with unworn lenses (6.4 ± 0.2 log units, p = 0.001). Similarly, there were fewer numbers of S. aureus 031 adherent to worn PureVision (3.05 ± 0.8 log units) compared with unworn PureVision (4.6 ± 0.3 log units, p = 0.0001). Worn Acuvue Oasys lenses did not affect bacterial adhesion. Cholesterol showed no effect on the growth of any test strain. Although cholesterol has been shown to adsorb to contact lenses during wear, this lipid does not appear to modulate bacterial adhesion to a lens surface.

  1. Changes to cholesterol trafficking in macrophages by Leishmania parasites infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semini, Geo; Paape, Daniel; Paterou, Athina; Schroeder, Juliane; Barrios-Llerena, Martin; Aebischer, Toni

    2017-08-01

    Leishmania spp. are protozoan parasites that are transmitted by sandfly vectors during blood sucking to vertebrate hosts and cause a spectrum of diseases called leishmaniases. It has been demonstrated that host cholesterol plays an important role during Leishmania infection. Nevertheless, little is known about the intracellular distribution of this lipid early after internalization of the parasite. Here, pulse-chase experiments with radiolabeled cholesteryl esterified to fatty acids bound to low-density lipoproteins indicated that retention of this source of cholesterol is increased in parasite-containing subcellular fractions, while uptake is unaffected. This is correlated with a reduction or absence of detectable NPC1 (Niemann-Pick disease, type C1), a protein responsible for cholesterol efflux from endocytic compartments, in the Leishmania mexicana habitat and infected cells. Filipin staining revealed a halo around parasites within parasitophorous vacuoles (PV) likely representing free cholesterol accumulation. Labeling of host cell membranous cholesterol by fluorescent cholesterol species before infection revealed that this pool is also trafficked to the PV but becomes incorporated into the parasites' membranes and seems not to contribute to the halo detected by filipin. This cholesterol sequestration happened early after infection and was functionally significant as it correlated with the upregulation of mRNA-encoding proteins required for cholesterol biosynthesis. Thus, sequestration of cholesterol by Leishmania amastigotes early after infection provides a basis to understand perturbation of cholesterol-dependent processes in macrophages that were shown previously by others to be necessary for their proper function in innate and adaptive immune responses. © 2017 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Cholesterol as a Causative Factor in Alzheimer Disease: A Debatable Hypothesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, W. Gibson; Li, Ling; Müller, Walter E.; Eckert, Gunter P.

    2014-01-01

    High serum/plasma cholesterol levels have been suggested as a risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD). Some reports, mostly retrospective epidemiological studies, have observed a decreased prevalence of AD in patients taking the cholesterol lowering drugs, statins. The strongest evidence causally linking cholesterol to AD is provided by experimental studies showing that adding/reducing cholesterol alters amyloid precursor protein (APP) and amyloid beta-protein (Aβ) levels. However, there are problems with the cholesterol-AD hypothesis. Cholesterol levels in serum/plasma and brain of AD patients do not support cholesterol as a causative factor in AD. Prospective studies on statins and AD have largely failed to show efficacy. Even the experimental data are open to interpretation given that it is well-established that modification of cholesterol levels has effects on multiple proteins, not only APP and Aβ. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to examine the above-mentioned issues and discuss the pros and cons of the cholesterol-AD hypothesis, and the involvement of other lipids in the mevalonate pathway, such as isoprenoids and oxysterols, in AD. PMID:24329875

  3. Trans-intestinal cholesterol efflux is not mediated through high density lipoprotein

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vrins, Carlos L. J.; Ottenhoff, Roelof; van den Oever, Karin; de Waart, Dirk R.; Kruyt, J. Kar; Zhao, Ying; van Berkel, Theo J. C.; Havekes, Louis M.; Aerts, Johannes M.; van Eck, Miranda; Rensen, Patrick C. N.; Groen, Albert K.

    2012-01-01

    Transintestinal cholesterol efflux (TICE) provides an attractive target to increase body cholesterol excretion. At present, the cholesterol donor responsible for direct delivery of plasma cholesterol to the intestine is unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of HDL in TICE. ATP-binding

  4. Probing the ubiquinol-binding site of recombinant Sauromatum guttatum alternative oxidase expressed in E. coli membranes through site-directed mutagenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Luke; May, Benjamin; Pendlebury-Watt, Alice; Shearman, Julia; Elliott, Catherine; Albury, Mary S; Shiba, Tomoo; Inaoka, Daniel Ken; Harada, Shigeharu; Kita, Kiyoshi; Moore, Anthony L

    2014-07-01

    In the present paper we have investigated the effect of mutagenesis of a number of highly conserved residues (R159, D163, L177 and L267) which we have recently shown to line the hydrophobic inhibitor/substrate cavity in the alternative oxidases (AOXs). Measurements of respiratory activity in rSgAOX expressed in Escherichia coli FN102 membranes indicate that all mutants result in a decrease in maximum activity of AOX and in some cases (D163 and L177) a decrease in the apparent Km (O2). Of particular importance was the finding that when the L177 and L267 residues, which appear to cause a bottleneck in the hydrophobic cavity, are mutated to alanine the sensitivity to AOX antagonists is reduced. When non-AOX anti-malarial inhibitors were also tested against these mutants widening the bottleneck through removal of isobutyl side chain allowed access of these bulkier inhibitors to the active-site and resulted in inhibition. Results are discussed in terms of how these mutations have altered the way in which the AOX's catalytic cycle is controlled and since maximum activity is decreased we predict that such mutations result in an increase in the steady state level of at least one O2-derived AOX intermediate. Such mutations should therefore prove to be useful in future stopped-flow and electron paramagnetic resonance experiments in attempts to understand the catalytic cycle of the alternative oxidase which may prove to be important in future rational drug design to treat diseases such as trypanosomiasis. Furthermore since single amino acid mutations in inhibitor/substrate pockets have been found to be the cause of multi-drug resistant strains of malaria, the decrease in sensitivity to main AOX antagonists observed in the L-mutants studied in this report suggests that an emergence of drug resistance to trypanosomiasis may also be possible. Therefore we suggest that the design of future AOX inhibitors should have structures that are less reliant on the orientation by the two

  5. Stroke secondary to multiple spontaneous cholesterol emboli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascual, M; Baumgartner, J M; Bounameaux, H

    1991-01-01

    We describe one male, 49-year-old diabetic patient in whom regressive stroke with aphasia and right-sided hemiparesia was related to multiple small emboli in the left paraventricular cortex. Simultaneous presence of several cholesterol emboli in the left eye ground and detection of an atheromatous plaque at the homolateral carotid bifurcation let assume that the cerebral emboli originated from that plaque and also consisted of cholesterol crystals. The patient was discharged on low-dose aspirin (100 mg/day) after neurologic improvement. Follow-up at one year revealed clinical stability, recurrence of the cholesterol emboli at the eye ground examination and no change of the carotid plaque. Cholesterol embolization with renal failure, hypertension and peripheral arterial occlusions causing skin ulcerations is classical in case of atheromatous aortic disease but stroke has rarely been reported in this syndrome. However, more frequent use of invasive procedures (arteriography, transluminal angioplasty, vascular surgery) or thrombolytic treatment might increase its incidence in the near future.

  6. Effect of medicinal plants on the crystallization of cholesterol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saraswathi, N. T.; Gnanam, F. D.

    1997-08-01

    One of the least desirable calcifications in the human body is the mineral deposition in atherosclerosis plaques. These plaques principally consist of lipids such as cholesterol, cholesteryl esters, phospholipids and triglycerides. Chemical analysis of advanced plaques have shown the presence of considerable amounts of free cholesterol identified as cholesterol monohydrate crystals. Cholesterol has been crystallized in vitro. The extracts of some of the Indian medicinal plants detailed below were used as additives to study their effect on the crystallization behaviour of cholesterol. It has been found that many of the herbs have inhibitory effect on the crystallization such as nucleation, crystal size and habit modification. The inhibitory effect of the plants are graded as Commiphora mughul > Aegle marmeleos > Cynoden dactylon > Musa paradisiaca > Polygala javana > Alphinia officinarum > Solanum trilobatum > Enicostemma lyssopifolium.

  7. Effect of ionizing radiation on cholesterol in aqueous dispersion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lakritz, L.; Maerker, G.

    1989-01-01

    Aqueous sodium stearate dispersions of cholesterol were irradiated at 0-2 degrees C with absorbed doses ranging from 2.5 to 50 kGy. The resulting mixture of cholesterol derivatives was isolated and examined for 7-ketocholesterol and cholesterol 5 alpha, 6 alpha-epoxide and 5 beta, 6 beta-epoxide content. Concentrations of all three compounds increased with dose, while the ratio of 7-ketocholesterol to total epoxides decreased with increasing dose. The ratio of 7-ketocholestrol to the epoxides was approximately 1 or below at all dose levels while the same ratio in autoxidations of cholesterol in dispersions was normally 6 or greater. The change in the keto/epoxide ratio may be a means for determining whether meat or other foods containing cholesterol have been subjected to ionizing radiation

  8. Size-selective QD@MOF core-shell nanocomposites for the highly sensitive monitoring of oxidase activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ke; Li, Nan; Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Zhiqi; Dang, Fuquan

    2017-01-15

    In this work, we proposed a novel and facile method to monitor oxidase activities based on size-selective fluorescent quantum dot (QD)@metal-organic framework (MOF) core-shell nanocomposites (CSNCPs). The CSNCPs were synthesized from ZIF-8 and CdTe QDs in aqueous solution in 40min at room temperature with stirring. The prepared CdTe@ZIF-8 CSNCPs , which have excellent water dispersibility and stability, displays distinct fluorescence responses to hole scavengers of different molecular sizes (e.g., H 2 O 2 , substrate, and oxidase) due to the aperture limitation of the ZIF-8 shell. H 2 O 2 can efficiently quench the fluorescence of CdTe@ZIF-8 CSNCPs over a linearity range of 1-100nM with a detection limit of 0.29nM, whereas large molecules such as substrate and oxidase have very little effect on its fluorescence. Therefore, the highly sensitive detection of oxidase activities was achieved by monitoring the fluorescence quenching of CdTe@ZIF-8 CSNCPs by H 2 O 2 produced in the presence of substrate and oxidase, which is proportional to the oxidase activities. The linearity ranges of the uricase and glucose oxidase activity are 0.1-50U/L and 1-100U/L, respectively, and their detection limits are 0.024U/L and 0.26U/L, respectively. Therefore, the current QD@MOF CSNCPs based sensing system is a promising, widely applicable means of monitoring oxidase activities in biochemical research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. The antioxidant properties, cytotoxicity and monoamine oxidase ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ajl yemi

    2011-11-28

    Nov 28, 2011 ... Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, ..... on the inhibition of the catabolism of serotonin, .... Structure of human monoamine oxidase B, a drug target for.

  10. Pairing of cholesterol with oxidized phospholipid species in lipid bilayers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khandelia, Himanshu; Loubet, Bastien; Olzynska, Agnieszka

    2014-01-01

    We claim that (1) cholesterol protects bilayers from disruption caused by lipid oxidation by sequestering conical shaped oxidized lipid species such as 1-palmitoyl-2-azelaoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PZPC) away from phospholipid, because cholesterol and the oxidized lipid have complementary...... shapes and (2) mixtures of cholesterol and oxidized lipids can self-assemble into bilayers much like lysolipid–cholesterol mixtures. The evidence for bilayer protection comes from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Unimodal size distributions of extruded...... vesicles (LUVETs) made up of a mixture of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and PZPC containing high amounts of PZPC are only obtained when cholesterol is present in high concentrations. In simulations, bilayers containing high amounts of PZPC become porous, unless cholesterol is also present...

  11. Cholesterol Assimilation with Isolated lactobacilli Strains of Fars’ Local Dairy Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Emami

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Introduction & Objective: Cholesterol is an important compound in most of the biological reactions which the excess of it can be seen as a harmful compound of causing heart diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cholesterol removal property and also its pathway by dairy lactobacillus in in vitro condition under different bile salts concentration. Materials & Methods: After isolation of lactobacillus strains from dairy products, they were identified with chemical tests and their growths were evaluated under presence of cholesterol and bile salts. The method of action of the bacillus in cholesterol removal was assayed by spectrophotometer method. Collected data was analyzed by SPSS software. Results: result of this study showed that any strains of the bacteria had the ability of cholesterol removal (7.82-34.69 µg/ml. L.casei had more competence for removal of cholesterol in compare to the rest of bacilli. The evaluation of cholesterol cell wall attachment revealed that most of removed cholesterols have been changed to the other products. Conclusion: Considering the result of this study, it can be concluded that cholesterol removal has a direct association with growth of bacteria where the L. casei with high growth rate had more capability of cholesterol removal. Whereas the Lactobacillus can remove the cholesterol with different methods, results of this study showed that dairy products, especially yogurt, can remove the harmful substances such as cholesterol using non chemical methods. The results of this study could be expanded on human use if more study and research could be carried out.

  12. Investigation of antihemolytic, xanthine oxidase inhibition ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abbreviations: SVEs: Salvia Verbenaca L. aerial part Extracts; CrE: Crud Extract; ChE: Chloroform Extract ; EAE: Ethyl Acetate Extract; AqE : Aqueous Extract ; ROS: Reactive Oxygen Spices; AAPH : 2,2, -Azobis (2-AmidinoPropane) Dihydrochloride ; DPPH: DiPhenyl- Picryl-Hydrazyl; XO: Xanthine Oxidase; Gen: Gentamicin ...

  13. Endogenous Cholesterol Excretion Is Negatively Associated With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xiaobo; Racette, Susan B; Ma, Lina; Wallendorf, Michael; Dávila-Román, Victor G; Ostlund, Richard E

    2017-12-01

    Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that lipid factors independent of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol contribute significantly to cardiovascular disease risk. Because circulating lipoproteins comprise only a small fraction of total body cholesterol, the mobilization and excretion of cholesterol from plasma and tissue pools may be an important determinant of cardiovascular disease risk. Our hypothesis is that fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol is protective against atherosclerosis. Cholesterol metabolism and carotid intima-media thickness were quantitated in 86 nondiabetic adults. Plasma cholesterol was labeled by intravenous infusion of cholesterol-d 7 solubilized in a lipid emulsion and dietary cholesterol by cholesterol-d 5 and the nonabsorbable stool marker sitostanol-d 4 . Plasma and stool samples were collected while subjects consumed a cholesterol- and phytosterol-controlled metabolic kitchen diet and were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Carotid intima-media thickness was negatively correlated with fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol ( r =-0.426; P cholesterol ( r =-0.472; P ≤0.0001), and daily percent excretion of cholesterol from the rapidly mixing cholesterol pool ( r =-0.343; P =0.0012) and was positively correlated with percent cholesterol absorption ( r =+0.279; P =0.0092). In a linear regression model controlling for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and statin drug use, fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol remained significant ( P =0.0008). Excretion of endogenous cholesterol is strongly, independently, and negatively associated with carotid intima-media thickness. The reverse cholesterol transport pathway comprising the intestine and the rapidly mixing plasma, and tissue cholesterol pool could be an unrecognized determinant of cardiovascular disease risk not reflected in circulating lipoproteins. Further work is needed to relate measures of

  14. Structured triglycerides containing caprylic (8:0) and oleic (18:1) fatty acids reduce blood cholesterol concentrations and aortic cholesterol accumulation in hamsters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Thomas A; Kritchevsky, David; Kotyla, Timothy; Nicolosi, Robert J

    2006-03-01

    The effects of structured triglycerides containing one long chain fatty acid (oleic acid, C18:1) and one short chain saturated fatty acid (caprylic acid, 8:0) on lipidemia, liver and aortic cholesterol, and fecal neutral sterol excretion were investigated in male Golden Syrian hamsters fed a hypercholesterolemic regimen consisting of 89.9% commercial ration to which was added 10% coconut oil and 0.1% cholesterol (w/w). After 2 weeks on the HCD diet, the hamsters were bled, following an overnight fast (16 h) and placed into one of three dietary treatments of eight animals each based on similar plasma cholesterol levels. The hamsters either continued on the HCD diet or were placed on diets in which the coconut oil was replaced by one of two structured triglycerides, namely, 1(3),2-dicaproyl-3(1)-oleoylglycerol (OCC) or 1,3-dicaproyl-2-oleoylglycerol (COC) at 10% by weight. Plasma total cholesterol (TC) in hamsters fed the OCC and COC compared to the HCD were reduced 40% and 49%, respectively (Pstructured triglyceride oils had lower blood cholesterol levels and lower aortic accumulation of cholesterol compared to the control fed hamsters.

  15. Cholesterol transfer from normal and atherogenic low density lipoproteins to Mycoplasma membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitschelen, J.J.; St Clair, R.W.; Hester, S.H.

    1981-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether the free cholesterol of hypercholesterolemic low density lipoprotein from cholesterol-fed nonhuman primates has a greater potential for surface transfer to cell membranes than does the free cholesterol of normal low density lipoprotein. The low density lipoproteins were isolated from normal and hypercholesterolemic rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys, incubated with membranes from Acholeplasma laidlawii, a mycoplasma species devoid of cholesterol in its membranes, and the mass transfer of free cholesterol determined by measuring membrane cholesterol content. Since these membranes neither synthesize nor esterify cholesterol, nor degrade the protein or cholesterol ester moieties of low density lipoprotein, they are an ideal model with which to study differences in the cholesterol transfer potential of low density lipoprotein independent of the uptake of the intact low density lipoprotein particle. These studies indicate that, even though there are marked differences in the cholesterol composition of normal and hypercholesterolemic low density lipoproteins, this does not result in a greater chemical potential for surface transfer of free cholesterol. Consequently, if a difference in the surface transfer of free cholesterol is responsible for the enhanced ability of hypercholesterolemic low density lipoprotein to promote cellular cholesterol accumulation and, perhaps, also atherosclerosis, it must be the result of differences in the interaction to the hypercholesterolemic low density lipoprotein with the more complicated mammalian cell membranes, rather than differences in the chemical potential for cholesterol transfer

  16. Influence of molecular packing and phospholipid type on rates of cholesterol exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lund-Katz, S.; Laboda, H.M.; McLean, L.R.; Phillips, M.C.

    1988-01-01

    The rates of [ 14 C]cholesterol transfer from small unilamellar vesicles containing cholesterol dissolved in bilayers of different phospholipids have been determined to examine the influence of phospholipid-cholesterol interactions on the rate of cholesterol desorption from the lipid-water interface. At 37 0 C, for vesicles containing 10 mol % cholesterol, the half-times for exchange are about 1, 13, and 80 h, respectively, for unsaturated PC, saturated PC, and SM. In order to probe how differences in molecular packing in the bilayers cause the rate constants for cholesterol desorption to be in the order unsaturated PC > saturated PC > SM, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and monolayer methods were used to evaluate the cholesterol physical state and interactions with phospholipid. The NMR relaxation parameters for [4- 13 C] cholesterol reveal no differences in molecular dynamics in the above bilayers. The greater van der Waals interaction in the SM monolayer (or bilayer) compared to PC gives rise to a larger condensation by cholesterol. This is a direct demonstration of the greater interaction of cholesterol with SM compared to PC. An estimate of the van der Waals interactions between cholesterol and these phospholipids has been used to derive a relationship between the ratio of the rate constants for cholesterol desorption and the relative molecular areas (lateral packing density) in two bilayers. This analysis suggests that differences in cholesterol-phospholipid van der Waals interaction energy are an important cause of varying rates of cholesterol exchange from different host phospholipid bilayers

  17. Effect of different fat-enriched meats on non-cholesterol sterols and oxysterols as markers of cholesterol metabolism: Results of a randomized and cross-over clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baila-Rueda, L; Mateo-Gallego, R; Pérez-Calahorra, S; Lamiquiz-Moneo, I; de Castro-Orós, I; Cenarro, A; Civeira, F

    2015-09-01

    Different kinds of fatty acids can affect the synthesis, absorption, and elimination of cholesterol. This study was carried out to assess the associations of cholesterol metabolism with the intake of two meats with different fatty acid composition in healthy volunteers. The study group was composed of 20 subjects (12 males and eight females; age, 34.4 ± 11.6 years; body mass index (BMI), 23.5 ± 2.3 kg/m(2); low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, 2.97 ± 0.55 mmol/l; high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, 1.61 ± 0.31 mmol/l; triglycerides (TG), 1.06 ± 0.41 mmol/l) who completed a 30-day randomized and cross-over study to compare the cholesterol metabolism effect of 250 g of low-fat lamb versus 250 g of high-fat lamb per day in their usual diet. Cholesterol absorption, synthesis, and elimination were estimated from the serum non-cholesterol sterol and oxysterol concentrations analyzed by a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). No changes in weight, plasma lipids, or physical activity were observed across the study. Cholesterol intestinal absorption was decreased with both diets. Cholesterol synthesis and elimination decreased during the low-fat lamb dietary intervention (ρ = 0.048 and ρ = 0.005, respectively). Acute changes in the diet fat content modify the synthesis, absorption, and biliary elimination of cholesterol. These changes were observed even in the absence of total and LDL cholesterol changes in plasma. ClinicalTrials.gov PRS, NCT02259153. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Biphenyl Modulates the Expression and Function of Respiratory Oxidases in the Polychlorinated-Biphenyls Degrader Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federica Sandri

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707 is a soil bacterium which is known for its capacity to aerobically degrade harmful organic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs using biphenyl as co-metabolite. Here we provide the first genetic and functional analysis of the KF707 respiratory terminal oxidases in cells grown with two different carbon sources: glucose and biphenyl. We identified five terminal oxidases in KF707: two c(caa3 type oxidases (Caa3 and Ccaa3, two cbb3 type oxidases (Cbb31 and Cbb32, and one bd type cyanide-insensitive quinol oxidase (CIO. While the activity and expression of both Cbb31 and Cbb32 oxidases was prevalent in glucose grown cells as compared to the other oxidases, the activity and expression of the Caa3 oxidase increased considerably only when biphenyl was used as carbon source in contrast to the Cbb32 oxidase which was repressed. Further, the respiratory activity and expression of CIO was up-regulated in a Cbb31 deletion strain as compared to W.T. whereas the CIO up-regulation was not present in Cbb32 and C(caa3 deletion mutants. These results, together, reveal that both function and expression of cbb3 and caa3 type oxidases in KF707 are modulated by biphenyl which is the co-metabolite needed for the activation of the PCBs-degradation pathway.

  19. Differential Membrane Dipolar Orientation Induced by Acute and Chronic Cholesterol Depletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, Parijat; Chakraborty, Hirak; Chattopadhyay, Amitabha

    2017-06-30

    Cholesterol plays a crucial role in cell membrane organization, dynamics and function. Depletion of cholesterol represents a popular approach to explore cholesterol-sensitivity of membrane proteins. An emerging body of literature shows that the consequence of membrane cholesterol depletion often depends on the actual process (acute or chronic), although the molecular mechanism underlying the difference is not clear. Acute depletion, using cyclodextrin-type carriers, is faster relative to chronic depletion, in which inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis are used. With the overall goal of addressing molecular differences underlying these processes, we monitored membrane dipole potential under conditions of acute and chronic cholesterol depletion in CHO-K1 cells, using a voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye in dual wavelength ratiometric mode. Our results show that the observed membrane dipole potential exhibits difference under acute and chronic cholesterol depletion conditions, even when cholesterol content was identical. To the best of our knowledge, these results provide, for the first time, molecular insight highlighting differences in dipolar reorganization in these processes. A comprehensive understanding of processes in which membrane cholesterol gets modulated would provide novel insight in its interaction with membrane proteins and receptors, thereby allowing us to understand the role of cholesterol in cellular physiology associated with health and disease.

  20. Blood cholesterol level in Sudanese females with hyperthyroidism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, N. M.

    2004-08-01

    In view to high incidence of thyroid dis function among Sudanese females, this study was conducted, essentially to study the effect of thyroid disorders on lipids metabolism, mainly on total cholesterol. In this study samples were collected from RIA laboratory in Sudan Atomic Energy Commission. 50 hyperthyroidism females were selected as a study group of age range (20-55) years. In addition 47 samples were collected with same age of study group used as control group. Thyroid related hormones thyroxine T4, triiodothyronine T3, thyroid stimulating hormone TSH using the sensitive radioimmunoassay method and cholesterol were measured for the two groups using enzymatic-calorimetric test. Statistical analysis were done with SPSS computer program to compare the cholesterol levels in the control subjects with the patients levels. The results showed significantly decreased cholesterol level of patient group when compared with the control group (p<0.01). At the end of this study the result was agreed well with previous results concerning cholesterol level as affected by thyroid disorder. (Author)

  1. [Screening and optimization of cholesterol conversion strain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Dan; Xiong, Bingjian; Pang, Cuiping; Zhu, Xiangdong

    2014-10-04

    Bacterial strain SE-1 capable of transforming cholesterol was isolated from soil and characterized. The transformation products were identified. Fermentation conditions were optimized for conversion. Cholesterol was used as sole carbon source to isolate strain SE-1. Morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics of strain SE-1 were studied. 16S rRNA gene was sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Fermentation supernatants were extracted with chloroform, the transformation products were analyzed by silica gel thin layer chromatography and Sephadex LH20. Their structures were identified by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. Fermentation medium including carbon and nitrogen, methods of adding substrates and fermentation conditions for Strain SE-1 were optimized. Strain SE-1 was a Gram-negative bacterium, exhibiting the highest homologs to Burkholderia cepacia based on the physiological analysis. The sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene of SE-1 strain and comparison with related Burkholderia show that SE-1 strain was very close to B. cepacia (Genbank No. U96927). The similarity was 99%. The result of silica gel thin layer chromatography shows that strain SE-1 transformed cholesterol to two products, 7beta-hydroxycholesterol and the minor product was 7-oxocholesterol. The optimum culture conditions were: molasses 5%, (NH4 )2SO4 0.3%, 4% of inoculation, pH 7.5 and 36 degrees C. Under the optimum culture condition, the conversion rate reached 34.4% when concentration of cholesterol-Tween 80 was 1 g/L. Cholesterol 7beta-hydroxylation conversion rate under optimal conditions was improved by 20.8%. Strain SE-1 isolated from soil is capable of converting cholesterol at lab-scale.

  2. Tympanomastoid cholesterol granulomas: Immunohistochemical evaluation of angiogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iannella, Giannicola; Di Gioia, Cira; Carletti, Raffaella; Magliulo, Giuseppe

    2017-08-01

    This study investigates the immunohistochemical expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and CD34 in patients treated for middle ear and mastoid cholesterol granulomas to evaluate the angiogenesis and vascularization of this type of lesion. A correlation between the immunohistochemical data and the radiological and intraoperative evidence of temporal bone marrow invasion and blood source connection was performed to validate this hypothesis. Retrospective study. Immunohistochemical expression of VEGF and CD34 in a group of 16 patients surgically treated for cholesterol granuloma was examined. Middle ear cholesteatomas with normal middle ear mucosa and external auditory canal skin were used as the control groups. The radiological and intraoperative features of cholesterol granulomas were also examined. In endothelial cells, there was an increased expression of angiogenetic growth factor receptors in all the cholesterol granulomas in this study. The quantitative analysis of VEGF showed a mean value of 37.5, whereas the CD34 quantitative analysis gave a mean value of 6.8. Seven patients presented radiological or intraoperative evidence of bone marrow invasion, hematopoietic potentialities, or blood source connections that might support the bleeding theory. In all of these cases there was computed tomography or intraoperative evidence of bone erosion of the middle ear and/or temporal bone structures. The mean values of VEGF and CD34 were 41.1 and 7.7, respectively. High values of VEGF and CD34 are present in patients with cholesterol granulomas. Upregulation of VEGF and CD34 is indicative of a remarkable angiogenesis and a widespread vascular concentration in cholesterol granulomas. 3b. Laryngoscope, 127:E283-E290, 2017. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

  3. Plasma Ubiquinone, Alpha-Tocopherol and Cholesterol in Man

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karlsson, Jan; Diamant, Bertil; Edlund, Per Olof

    1992-01-01

    Farmakologi, Coenzyme Q10, free cholesterol, vitamin E, antioxidants, Alpha-Tocopherol, vitamin Q, plasma, LDL-particle......Farmakologi, Coenzyme Q10, free cholesterol, vitamin E, antioxidants, Alpha-Tocopherol, vitamin Q, plasma, LDL-particle...

  4. Steady-state kinetics of substrate binding and iron release in tomato ACC oxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thrower, J S; Blalock, R; Klinman, J P

    2001-08-14

    1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACC oxidase) catalyzes the last step in the biosynthetic pathway of the plant hormone, ethylene. This unusual reaction results in the oxidative ring cleavage of 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylate (ACC) into ethylene, cyanide, and CO2 and requires ferrous ion, ascorbate, and molecular oxygen for catalysis. A new purification procedure and assay method have been developed for tomato ACC oxidase that result in greatly increased enzymatic activity. This method allowed us to determine the rate of iron release from the enzyme and the effect of the activator, CO2, on this rate. Initial velocity studies support an ordered kinetic mechanism where ACC binds first followed by O2; ascorbate can bind after O2 or possibly before ACC. This kinetic mechanism differs from one recently proposed for the ACC oxidase from avocado.

  5. Genetic Recombination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitehouse, H. L. K.

    1973-01-01

    Discusses the mechanisms of genetic recombination with particular emphasis on the study of the fungus Sordaria brevicollis. The study of recombination is facilitated by the use of mutants of this fungus in which the color of the ascospores is affected. (JR)

  6. Intracellular lysyl oxidase: Effect of a specific inhibitor on nuclear mass in proliferating cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saad, Fawzy A. [Laboratory for the Study of Skeletal Disorders and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedics, Children' s Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue EN926, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Torres, Marie [Laboratory for the Study of Skeletal Disorders and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedics, Children' s Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue EN926, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Wang, Hao [Laboratory for the Study of Skeletal Disorders and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedics, Children' s Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue EN926, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Graham, Lila, E-mail: lilagraham@cs.com [Laboratory for the Study of Skeletal Disorders and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedics, Children' s Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue EN926, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States)

    2010-06-11

    LOX, the principal enzyme involved in crosslinking of collagen, was the first of several lysyl oxidase isotypes to be characterized. Its active form was believed to be exclusively extracellular. Active LOX was later reported to be present in cell nuclei; its function there is unknown. LOX expression opposes the effect of mutationally activated Ras, which is present in about 30% of human cancers. The mechanism of LOX in countering the action of Ras is also unknown. In the present work, assessment of nuclear protein for possible effects of lysyl oxidase activity led to the discovery that proliferating cells dramatically increase their nuclear protein content when exposed to BAPN ({beta}-aminopropionitrile), a highly specific lysyl oxidase inhibitor that reportedly blocks LOX inhibition of Ras-induced oocyte maturation. In three cell types (PC12 cells, A7r5 smooth muscle cells, and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts), BAPN caused a 1.8-, 1.7-, and 2.1-fold increase in total nuclear protein per cell, respectively, affecting all major components in both nuclear matrix and chromatin fractions. Since nuclear size is correlated with proliferative status, enzyme activity restricting nuclear growth may be involved in the lysyl oxidase tumor suppressive effect. Evidence is also presented for the presence of apparent lysyl oxidase isotype(s) containing a highly conserved LOX active site sequence in the nuclei of PC12 cells, which do not manufacture extracellular lysyl oxidase substrates. Results reported here support the hypothesis that nuclear lysyl oxidase regulates nuclear growth, and thereby modulates cell proliferation.

  7. Voluntary exercise increases cholesterol efflux but not macrophage reverse cholesterol transport in vivo in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuipers Folkert

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Physical exercise beneficially impacts on the plasma lipoprotein profile as well as on the incidence of cardiovascular events and is therefore recommended in primary and secondary prevention strategies against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the underlying mechanisms of the protective effect of exercise remain largely unknown. Therefore, the present study tested the hypothesis that voluntary exercise in mice impacts on cholesterol efflux and in vivo reverse cholesterol transport (RCT. After two weeks of voluntary wheel running (average 10.1 ± 1.4 km/day plasma triglycerides were lower (p

  8. HYPOLIPEMIC THERAPY AND LOW SERUM CHOLESTEROL CONCENTRATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladmila Bojanic

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Low concentration of plasma lipoproteins (hypolipoproteinemia presents decreasing concentrations of all or particular lipids components. Classification of hypolipoproteinemia (hypoLP divides them into: primary (hereditary and secondary. Primary hipoLP are rare diseases and their main characteristic is disorder of apolipoproteins synthesis, which leads to low serum cholesterol concentration. Secondary hipoLP are presented in many diseases. They have diagnostic, prognostic significance and present good therapeutic marker. However, modern therapeutic approaches for aggressive lipid lowering pointed out many questions about physiological limits for cholesterol lowering. These approaches, also, open many questions about consequences of low serum concentration of total cholesterol and triglicerides.

  9. Strategies for increasing house staff management of cholesterol with inpatients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boekeloo, B O; Becker, D M; Levine, D M; Belitsos, P C; Pearson, T A

    1990-01-01

    This study tested the effectiveness of two conceptually different chart audit-based approaches to modifying physicians' clinical practices to conform with quality-assurance standards. The objective was to increase intern utilization of cholesterol management opportunities in the inpatient setting. Using a clinical trial study design, 29 internal medicine interns were randomly assigned to four intervention groups identified by the intervention they received: control, reminder checklists (checklists), patient-specific feedback (feedback), or both interventions (combined). Over a nine-month period, intern management of high blood cholesterol levels in internal medicine inpatients (n = 459) was monitored by postdischarge chart audit. During both a baseline and subsequent intervention period, interns documented significantly more cholesterol management for inpatients with coronary artery disease (CAD) than without CAD. During baseline, 27.3%, 24.3%, 21.7%, 12.4%, 5.4%, and 2.7% of all inpatient charts had intern documentation concerning a low-fat hospital diet, cholesterol history, screening blood cholesterol level assessment, follow-up lipid profile, nutritionist consult, and preventive cardiology consult, respectively. The feedback intervention significantly increased overall intern-documented cholesterol management among inpatients with CAD. The checklists significantly decreased overall intern-documented cholesterol management. Feedback appears to be an effective approach to increasing intern cholesterol management in inpatients.

  10. Regulation of alpha1 Na/K-ATPase expression by cholesterol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yiliang; Li, Xin; Ye, Qiqi; Tian, Jiang; Jing, Runming; Xie, Zijian

    2011-04-29

    We have reported that α1 Na/K-ATPase regulates the trafficking of caveolin-1 and consequently alters cholesterol distribution in the plasma membrane. Here, we report the reciprocal regulation of α1 Na/K-ATPase by cholesterol. Acute exposure of LLC-PK1 cells to methyl β-cyclodextrin led to parallel decreases in cellular cholesterol and the expression of α1 Na/K-ATPase. Cholesterol repletion fully reversed the effect of methyl β-cyclodextrin. Moreover, inhibition of intracellular cholesterol trafficking to the plasma membrane by compound U18666A had the same effect on α1 Na/K-ATPase. Similarly, the expression of α1, but not α2 and α3, Na/K-ATPase was significantly reduced in the target organs of Niemann-Pick type C mice where the intracellular cholesterol trafficking is blocked. Mechanistically, decreases in the plasma membrane cholesterol activated Src kinase and stimulated the endocytosis and degradation of α1 Na/K-ATPase through Src- and ubiquitination-dependent pathways. Thus, the new findings, taken together with what we have already reported, revealed a previously unrecognized feed-forward mechanism by which cells can utilize the Src-dependent interplay among Na/K-ATPase, caveolin-1, and cholesterol to effectively alter the structure and function of the plasma membrane.

  11. N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamines affect the lateral distribution of cholesterol in membranes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Térová, B.; Slotte, J.P.; Petersen, G.

    2005-01-01

    -acyl-POPE) or N-acyl-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (N-acyl-DPPE), and how the molecules interacted with cholesterol. The gel ¿ liquid crystalline transition temperature of sonicated N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine vesicles in water correlated positively with the number of palmitic acyl chains...... in the molecules. Based on diphenylhexatriene steady state anisotropy measurements, the presence of 33 mol% cholesterol in the membranes removed the phase transition from N-oleoyl-POPE bilayers, but failed to completely remove it from N-palmitoyl-DPPE and N-palmitoyl-POPE bilayers, suggesting rather weak...... interaction of cholesterol with the N-saturated NAPEs. The rate of cholesterol desorption from mixed monolayers containing N-palmitoyl-DPPE and cholesterol (1:1 molar ratio) was much higher compared to cholesterol/DPPE binary monolayers, suggesting a weak cholesterol interaction with N-palmitoyl-DPPE also...

  12. Recognition of Odontogenic Cyst-Fluid Cholesterol Concentration ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Hypercholesterolaemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Serum cholesterol is usually determined to know if a subject is at a risk of heart diseases. This lipid is found in most fluids in the body including the odontogenic cyst-fluid. We investigated the concentration of cholesterol in the odontogenic ...

  13. Cholesterol Protects the Oxidized Lipid Bilayer from Water Injury

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Owen, Michael C; Kulig, Waldemar; Rog, Tomasz

    2018-01-01

    In an effort to delineate how cholesterol protects membrane structure under oxidative stress conditions, we monitored the changes to the structure of lipid bilayers comprising 30 mol% cholesterol and an increasing concentration of Class B oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC...... in a characteristic reduction in bilayer thickness and increase in area per lipid, thereby increasing the exposure of the membrane hydrophobic region to water. However, cholesterol was observed to help reduce water injury by moving into the bilayer core and forming more hydrogen bonds with the oxPLs. Cholesterol also...... resists altering its tilt angle, helping to maintain membrane integrity. Water that enters the 1-nm-thick core region remains part of the bulk water on either side of the bilayer, with relatively few water molecules able to traverse through the bilayer. In cholesterol-rich membranes, the bilayer does...

  14. Association between cholesterol plasma levels and craving among heroin users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shih-Hsien; Yang, Yen Kuang; Lee, Sheng-Yu; Hsieh, Pei Chun; Chen, Po See; Lu, Ru-Band; Chen, Kao Chin

    2012-12-01

    Lipids may play some roles in the central nervous system functions that are associated with drug addiction. To date, cholesterol is known to influence relapse of cocaine use. However, the relationship between cholesterol and heroin craving is unclear. This study examined the concurrent association between cholesterol and craving. The serum lipid levels of 70 heroin users who were undergoing or had undergone a methadone maintenance therapy were measured. Their craving and demographic data were assessed. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are negatively associated with craving before (r = -0.33, P cognitive aspect of craving and may be a potential marker to predict risk of drug relapse.

  15. Recent perspectives on the role of nutraceuticals as cholesterol-lowering agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Natalie; Sahebkar, Amirhossein; Banach, Maciej; Watts, Gerald

    2017-12-01

    Reduction in circulating cholesterol is an important step in lowering cardiovascular risk. Although statins are the most frequently prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication, there remains a significant portion of patients who require alternative treatment options. Nutraceuticals are increasingly popular as cholesterol-lowering agents. Despite the lack of long-term trials evaluating their use on cardiovascular endpoints and mortality, several studies have demonstrated their potential cholesterol-lowering effects. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the role of nutraceuticals as cholesterol-lowering agents. The present review will focus on individual nutraceutical compounds, which have shown modest cholesterol-lowering abilities, as well as combination nutraceuticals, which may offer potential additive and/or synergistic effects. Berberine, red yeast rice, and plant sterols have moderate potential as cholesterol-lowering agents. Combination nutraceuticals, including the proprietary formulation, Armolipid Plus, appear to confer additional benefit on plasma lipid profiles, even when taken with statins and other agents. Although robust, long-term clinical trials to examine the effects of nutraceuticals on clinical outcomes are still required, their cholesterol-lowering ability, together with their reported tolerance and safety, offer a pragmatic option for lowering plasma cholesterol levels.

  16. A Population-Based Study of Cholesterol Measurements in the Oldest Old

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gils, Charlotte; Christensen, Kaare; Nybo, Mads

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Effect of lipid-lowering treatment in the oldest old is a matter of debate as there is no unequivocal evidence of statins being beneficial among the oldest. The need for cholesterol measurements is therefore also questionable, but the frequency of cholesterol measurements in the oldest......+ living on the Island of Funen. The development in trends for cholesterol measurements was analysed in age groups of 5-years interval using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 30,424 persons with a cholesterol measurement entered the study. The total number of cholesterol measurements...... increased by 246% during the observation period. The percentage of people having a cholesterol measurement increased significantly (p

  17. Phytosterol ester processing in the small intestine: impact on cholesterol availability for absorption and chylomicron cholesterol incorporation in healthy humans[S

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amiot, Marie Josèphe; Knol, Diny; Cardinault, Nicolas; Nowicki, Marion; Bott, Romain; Antona, Claudine; Borel, Patrick; Bernard, Jean-Paul; Duchateau, Guus; Lairon, Denis

    2011-01-01

    Phytosterols (plant sterols and stanols) can lower intestinal cholesterol absorption, but the complex dynamics of the lipid digestion process in the presence of phytosterol esters (PEs) are not fully understood. We performed a clinical experiment in intubated healthy subjects to study the time course of changes in the distribution of all lipid moieties present in duodenal phases during 4 h of digestion of meals with 3.2 g PE (PE meal) or without (control meal) PE. In vitro experiments under simulated gastrointestinal conditions were also performed. The addition of PE did not alter triglyceride (TG) hydrolysis in the duodenum or subsequent chylomicron TG occurrence in the circulation. In contrast, cholesterol accumulation in the duodenum aqueous phase was markedly reduced in the presence of PE (−32%, P < 0.10). In vitro experiments confirmed that PE reduces cholesterol transfer into the aqueous phase. The addition of PE resulted in a markedly reduced presence of meal-derived hepta-deuterated cholesterol in the circulation, i.e., in chylomicrons (−43%, PE meal vs. control; P < 0.0001) and plasma (−54%, PE meal vs. control; P < 0.0001). The present data show that addition of PE to a meal does not alter TG hydrolysis but displaces cholesterol from the intestinal aqueous phase and lowers chylomicron cholesterol occurrence in humans. PMID:21482714

  18. Discovery, characterization, and kinetic analysis of an alditol oxidase from streptomyces coelicolor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heuts, Dominic P. H. M.; van Hellemond, Erik W.; Janssen, Dick B.; Fraaije, Marco W.

    2007-01-01

    A gene encoding an alditol oxidase was found in the genome of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). This newly identified oxidase, AldO, was expressed at extremely high levels in Escherichia coli when fused to maltose-binding protein. AldO is a soluble monomeric flavoprotein with subunits of 45.1 kDa, each

  19. Decomposition of cholesterol by some organisms isolated from certain Egyptian soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, A.S.

    1994-01-01

    Some soil microorganisms exhibit a good growth on cholesterol mineral salts agar medium with a uniform distribution of cholesterol as a sole carbon study, 74 strains succeeded to grow on mineral salts agar medium supplied with 0.1% (w/v) cholesterol as the sole source of carbon. Out of these microorganisms, only 43 strains of actinomyces formed zones of translucency on the cholesterol agar medium. Colorimetric determination showed that the total cholesterol decomposition ranges between (74.0-99.0%) for the different actinomyces. One strain was considered a new variety and proved to be the most potent cholesterol decomposer according to its ability to decompose the highest amount of cholesterol as the sole source of carbon, and hence was chosen for further study. It was identified to the species level as pseudo nocardia compact var. nov, chole-rugosa, S-39 B B II. The influence of temperature, incubation period, shaking and buffers on cholesterol decomposition were also investigated. Optimum temperature and buffer were 30 degree C(at ph 7.0-7.2) after 8 days at 120 r.p.m. in a medium containing 0.01 M phosphate buffer and 0.1 m (w/v) cholesterol. The maximum cholesterol decomposition at an incubation temperature of 30 degree C was detected in the presence of L-glutamine

  20. A Statistical Study of Serum Cholesterol Level by Gender and Race.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tharu, Bhikhari Prasad; Tsokos, Chris P

    2017-07-25

    Cholesterol level (CL) is growing concerned as health issue in human health since it is considered one of the causes in heart diseases. A study of cholesterol level can provide insight about its nature and characteristics. A cross-sectional study. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANS) II was conducted on a probability sample of approximately 28,000 persons in the USA and cholesterol level is obtained from laboratory results. Samples were selected so that certain population groups thought to be at high risk of malnutrition. Study included 11,864 persons for CL cases with 9,602 males and 2,262 females with races: whites, blacks, and others. Non-parametric statistical tests and goodness of fit test have been used to identify probability distributions. The study concludes that the cholesterol level exhibits significant racial and gender differences in terms of probability distributions. The study has concluded that white people are relatively higher at risk than black people to have risk line and high risk cholesterol. The study clearly indicates that black males normally have higher cholesterol. Females have lower variation in cholesterol than males. There exists gender and racial discrepancies in cholesterol which has been identified as lognormal and gamma probability distributions. White individuals seem to be at a higher risk of having high risk cholesterol level than blacks. Females tend to have higher variation in cholesterol level than males.