Active glycogen metabolism has been demonstrated in both normal and glycogen-rich erythrocytes taken from patients with type III glycogen storage disease. Activity of all enzymes catalyzing the reactions required for the synthesis and degradation of glycogen have been demonstrated in the mature erythrocytes. Uniformly labeled glucose-(14)C is incorporated into glycogen in intact cells of both t...

Recent studies show that adrenergic agonists and inflammatory cytokines can stimulate skeletal muscle glucose uptake, but it is unclear if glucose oxidation is similarly increased. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of ractopamine HCl (β1 agonist), zilpaterol HCl (β2 agonist), TNFα, and IL-6 on glucose uptake and oxidation rates in unstimulated and insulin-stimulated...

Elevated circulating levels of NEFAs (non-esterified fatty acids) are associated with states of insulin resistance and increased risk of vascular disease. Previous animal and human studies have demonstrated NEFA-induced endothelial dysfunction of large conduit arteries, reversible by the antioxidant ascorbic acid. We therefore investigated the effect of NEFAs on carbachol-induced endothelium-de...

In order to study whether the carbohydrate moieties of the human placental IGF-I receptor (IGF1R), IGF-II receptor (IGF2R) and insulin receptors (IRs) play a role in ligand binding, solubilised cell membrane preparations were incubated with 125I-labelled IGF-I, IGF-II and insulin in the presence of lectins with different sugar specificities. Three incubation procedures were tested: ligand-first...

Intrauterine devices (IUDs), well effective long-term contraception methods used around the world, are potential reservoir for pathogens and carry risk of reproductive-tract infections such as bacterial vaginosis vulvovaginal candidiasis. A healthy vagina is dominated by Lactobacillus involved in protecting reproductive system against pathogens. This study aims to investigate impact L. gasseri ...

It is still a major challenge for targeted cancer chemotherapy to design stable biodegradable micellar drug delivery systems which show a rapid and complete intracellular drug release. Here, reversibly core-crosslinked pH-responsive biodegradable micelles were developed based on poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(2,4,6-trimethoxybenzylidene-pentaerythritol carbonate-co-pyridyl disulfide carbonate) [PEG...

In article number 2200236, Zhihong Zhang, Xiang Yu, and co-workers achieve the direct size conversion of erythrocyte-derived MVs (eMVs) via incubation with an ApoA-I mimetic peptide (R4F) capable binding phospholipids. R4F modification endows eMVs SR-B1 receptor lymph node targeting functions, providing excellent drug delivery system for targeted treatment node-associated diseases.

BACKGROUND Previous work has shown that co-incubation of human sperm with Chlamydia trachomatis serovars E and LGV leads to premature sperm death and that this is due primarily to chlamydial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here, we investigated the possible involvement of apoptosis in this premature sperm death. METHODS Highly motile preparations of sperm from normozoospermic patients were co-incub...

Hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) are hepatotropic viruses in humans with approximately 350 and 170 million chronic carriers respectively. Since both viruses have similar modes of transmission, many people are co-infected. Co-infection is common in intravenous drug users, HIV-positive individuals, and transplant recipients. Compared to mono-infected patients, co-infected patients exhibit exacerba...