Although several researchers had reported on methodologies for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) signal amplification based on the use of nanoparticles (NPs), the majority addressed the sandwich technique and low protein concentration. In this work, a different approach for SPR signal enhancement based on the use of gold NPs was evaluated. The method was used in the detection of two lectins, pean...

BACKGROUND Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most effective compound in green tea, and possesses a wide range of beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiobesity, and anticancer effects. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of EGCG in concanavalin A (ConA)-induced hepatitis in mice and explored the possible mechanisms involved in these effects. ...

Objective: The plant lectin concanavalin A (ConA) induced acute hepatitis in mice is a commonly used animal model applied in acute immune-mediated hepatitis studies, but it is not suitable for large animal model of hepatic injury to promote the study of bio-artificial liver support systems in humans and help to assist pre-clinical evaluation. During producing Bama mini-swine model of hepatic in...

A new optical homogeneous biochemical method for the assay of glucose has been developed, based on fluorescence energy transfer between a glucose analog, dextran labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-dextran), and a glucose-receptor protein, Rhodamine-labeled Concanavalin A (Rh-ConA). When FITC-dextran binds to Rh-ConA in solution, and is light-activated, the FITC label transfers its ab...

An in vitro cell-mediated immune response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) is described. Rat lymphocytes were stimulated by PWM, by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and by concanavalin A (ConA). In the presence of PWM only a fraction of the lymphocytes underwent blastogenesis. This was in contrast to the apparent total blastogenesis obtained in response to PHA or ConA. When blast cells derived from each of t...

Carbohydrate arrays fabricated on gold films were used to study carbohydrate-protein interactions with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging. An immobilization scheme consisting of the formation of a surface disulfide bond was used to attach thiol-modified carbohydrates onto gold films and to fabricate carbohydrate arrays. The carbohydrate attachment steps were characterized using polarizatio...

Although activation of lymphocytes is known to be associated with profound changes in homing behavior, it remains unclear how activation alters migration of gut-derived lymphocytes in lymphoid and nonlymphoid organs. The objectives of this study were 1) to compare migration of naive and concanavalin A (ConA)-activated T lymphocytes into the gut mucosa, spleen, and liver and 2) to define the rol...

Glycolipids are potent activator of natural killer T (NKT) cells. The relationship between NKT cells and intestinal bacterial glycolipids in liver disorders remained unclear. We found that, in sharp contrast to specific pathogen-free (SPF) mice, germ-free (GF) mice are resistant to Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced liver injury. ConA treatment failed to trigger the activation of hepatic NKT cells i...

The crystal structure of meso-tetrasulfonatophenylporphyrin complexed with concanavalin A (ConA) was determined at 1.9 A resolution. Comparison of this structure with that of ConA bound to methyl alpha-d-mannopyranoside provided direct structural evidence of molecular mimicry in the context of ligand receptor binding. The sulfonatophenyl group of meso-tetrasulfonatophenylporphyrin occupies the ...

OBJECTIVE Astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant, exhibits a wide range of biological activities, including antioxidant, atherosclerosis and antitumor activities. However, its effect on concanavalin A (ConA)-induced autoimmune hepatitis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of astaxanthin on ConA-induced hepatitis in mice, and to elucidate the mechanisms of...