Streptozotocin is a natural product that selectively kills insulin-secreting beta cells, and is widely used to generate mouse models of diabetes or treat pancreatic tumors. Several studies suggest that streptozotocin toxicity stems from its N-nitrosourea moiety releasing nitric oxide and possessing DNA alkylating activity. However, it has also been proposed that streptozotocin induces apoptosis...

We have determined the functions of the enzymes encoded by the lnpB, lnpC, and lnpD genes, located downstream of the lacto-N-biose phosphorylase gene (lnpA), in Bifidobacterium longum JCM1217. The lnpB gene encodes a novel kinase, N-acetylhexosamine 1-kinase, which produces N-acetylhexosamine 1-phosphate; the lnpC gene encodes UDP-glucose hexose 1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, which is also ac...

Reactions of O-peracetylated (α-D-galacto-heptulopyranosyl bromide)onamide and O-perbenzoylated (α-D-gluco-heptulopyranosyl bromide)onamide with ketones in the presence of silver(I) salt promoters gave the corresponding O-peracylated 1',5'-anhydro-D-glycitol-spiro-[1',5]-4-imino-2,2-disubstituted-1,3-dioxolanes. The D-galacto configured starting compounds furnished both spiro epimers, while the...

UNLABELLED The objective was to evaluate the effects of a hypoallergenic (HA) formula supplemented with prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides on the severity of atopic manifestations. A randomised clinical trial was conducted. The control group was infants, fed with hypoallergenic formula and without supplementation. The duration of the study was six months. The primary outcome of the study was a ...

There has been increasing interest in the construction of liposomes containing a targeting reagent for target-specific drug delivery. Glycoconjugates that can be recognized by transmembrane glycoprotein receptors have been extensively used to form glyco-liposomal drug carriers. However, the impact of anomerism, which is a common identity of natural glycoconjugates, on the glyco-liposomal proper...

We show that a typical star is unlikely to migrate from its galacto-centric radius of birth by more than about 5% over its lifetime. Radial migration, or a secular change in a star’s angular momentum, is caused by stochastic scattering by spiral waves and by dense gas complexes. The expected change in angular momentum is related to the radial action acquired by the star from these processes and...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the galactooligosaccharide stimulates calcium absorption in partially gastrectomized rats. METHODS Animals were submitted to laparotomy (sham-operated control) and partial gastrectomy (Billroth II) in groups of 20. They were fed a control diet (AIN-93M) without galacto-oligosaccharide or a diet containing (galacto-oligosaccharide - 50 g/kg diet) for eight weeks....

UNLABELLED Radiolabeled cyclic peptides containing the amino acid sequence arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD peptides) have successfully been used to image the expression of the alpha(v)beta(3) integrin in malignant tumors. However, the alpha(v)beta(3) integrin also plays an important role in angiogenesis induced by chronic inflammatory processes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate ...

From 1,2;3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-d-galactopyranose, a preliminary series of highly functionalized amino(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentanes was easily available. These amine-containing basic carbasugars featuring the d-galacto configuration are potent inhibitors of the GH20 β-d-hexosaminidases probed and may bear potential as regulators of N-acetyl-d-hexosaminidase activities in vivo.