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Query: EC:3.4.16.2 (
PCP
)
3,761
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
This study determined the role of caspase-3 in phencyclidine (
PCP
)-induced neurodegeneration in postnatal rats.
PCP
administration to postnatal day 7 rats induced a dose-dependent increase in caspase-3 enzymatic activity in frontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus. Enzymatic activation was present at 4 h, peaked between 6 and 12 h, and disappeared by 24 h. Further, cleaved caspase-3-immunoreactive neurons were detected as early as 2 h in the cortex, and were found throughout the brain, including, in addition, the thalamus and striatum. Within the cingulate, frontal, parietal, and retrosplenial cortices, immunoreactivity was specific for layers II-IV (especially layer II). Neurons positive for both silver staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-d-UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) were found in the same brain regions and subregions. Double labeling experiments confirmed that cleaved caspase-3 and TUNEL were coexpressed in many neurons in all brain regions and subregions studied. Temporal studies revealed that procaspase-3 cleavage preceded TUNEL staining by about 3 h, with many neurons being positive for both caspase-3 and TUNEL 9 h after
PCP
treatment. In organotypic corticostriatal slices,
PCP
caused a concentration- and time-dependent cleavage of procaspase-3 that was also colocalized with TUNEL staining in layers II-IV of the parietal cortex. Caspase-3 activation again preceded
PCP
-induced
DNA
damage assessed by TUNEL.
PCP
-induced neuronal death in vitro as measured by TUNEL staining was blocked 85% by Ac-AAVALLPAVLLALLAPDEVD-CHO, a cell-permeable selective caspase-3 inhibitor. These data demonstrate that caspase-3 activation plays a necessary role in the regionally selective neuronal death induced by
PCP
in the developing rat brain.
...
PMID:The role of caspase-3 activation in phencyclidine-induced neuronal death in postnatal rats. 1698 4
The V2 region of the 16S ribosomal
DNA
of the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was amplified directly from the environmental sample by using the specific PCR primers. The purified PCR product was cloned into T-vector and was identified as 16S rDNA fragment of AOB by sequencing and Real-time PCR method. Then, the recombined plasmid was used as standard molecule sample in Real-time PCR for AOB quantification. The numbers of the AOB were monitored in samples of both aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge influenced by
PCP
by using Real-time PCR. The results showed that the numbers of AOB in aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge were 4.28 x 10(7) 5.44 x 10(6) cells/g dried sludge and 2.51 x 10(9) +/- 8.61 x 10(8) cells/g dried sludge without
PCP
in the reactors, respectively. With the increase of
PCP
concentration (from 0mg/L to 50mg/L), the numbers of AOB in both types of sludge had no obvious change( P > 0.05) . The numbers of AOB had no obvious correlation with ammonia removal ( P > 0.05) . The main effect of
PCP
on AOB in both types of sludge was to inhibit their metabolic activity.
...
PMID:[Real time PCR quantification of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge influenced by pentachlorophenol]. 1743 40
A method of collecting pharyngeal and oral swabs from humans and laboratory rats, to be examined later for Pneumocystis infection with simple and nested PCR, was developed. The swabs were obtained from 15 HIV-infected patients, including 5 suffering from
PCP
, and from 10 immunocompetent children aged 2 to 6 years. Furthermore, the swabs were taken from 30 healthy laboratory rats and 23 animals subjected to immunosuppressive treatment.
DNA
of Pneumocystis was detected in all the examined rats with nPCR method, but only in 47% of healthy animals when simple PCR was used. Nested PCR examination of swabs collected from human subjects revealed the infection with Pneumocystis in all HIV-infected patients with
PCP
, and in 8 out of 10 symptomless carriers of Pneumocystis; moreover, the examination was positive in 2 out of 10 immunocompetent children. It was concluded, that noninvasive method of collecting pharyngeal and oral swabs in conjunction with very sensitive method of amplification
DNA
by nPCR is suitable for measuring the prevalence of Pneumocystis infection in the populations of humans and laboratory animals. The developed method offers a possibility of safe diagnosis of pneumocystosis in patients whose clinical status precludes collection of BAL through bronchoscopy.
...
PMID:[An evaluation of the occurrence of pneumocystis infection through examination of pharyngeal and oral swabs using the nested PCR method]. 1764 15
Application of HPLC-ESI-ITMS in the quality control of carboxyterminal sequence confirmation for insulin and insulin chain B was studied. The solution of intact insulin or insulin chain B was added to the solution of
carboxypeptidase P
(
CPP
) and carboxypeptidase Y (CPY). Fractions of appropriate volume were removed at some appointed time points, acidified with the same amount of 1% formic acid to stop the digestion, and then briefly vortexed for HPLC-ESI-ITMS analysis. Mobile phase A consisted of 0.02% TFA in 98% ultra-pure water and 2% acetonitrile. Mobile phase B consisted of 0.02% TFA in 98% acetonitrile and 2% ultra-pure water. The solution used for post-column fix consisted of propionic acid and isopropyl alcohol (20 : 80, v/v). Chromatographic separation was carried out on a reversed-phase column (Zorbax Prosphere C18, 300A, 5 microm, 2.1 mm ID x 150 mm length). The molecular weights of the multiply charged ions representing consecutive truncated losses of carboxyterminal amino acids were determined by the use of HPLC-ESI-ITMS. The differences between the consecutive truncated peptides are the experimental weights of the carboxyterminal amino acid residues. The carboxyterminal amino acid residue Ala, which released from chain B of intact insulin, was confirmed in the nanomolar concentration range by analyzing the molecular weight of the truncated peptides. Another one carboxyterminal amino acid Ala was confirmed in the nanomolar concentration range of insulin chain B. In the quality control for recombinant
DNA
product or natural protein, the confirmation of 1 - 3 carboxyterminal amino acid residues is regarded to be up to standard. One amino acid residue of insulin or insulin chain B could be confirmed accurately in the nanomolar concentration range. The results showed that intact insulin could be directly sequenced in the quality control without separating chain B from chain A. There would be no need to separate chain A from chain B to identify carboxyterminal of intact insulin. Furthermore, the method saved us a lot of trouble from the preparation and purification of insulin chain A and chain B.
...
PMID:[Application of HPLC-ESI-ITMS in the quality control of carboxyterminal sequence confirmation for insulin and insulin chain B]. 1770 78
Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly carinii) pneumonia (
PCP
) is a serious opportunistic infection in children and adolescents with cancer. It was the most common cause of death among children receiving chemotherapy prior to the inclusion of
PCP
prophylaxis as part of standard care for children with leukemia. The incidence of
PCP
has decreased significantly since initiation of prophylaxis; however, breakthrough cases continue to occur. Hematologic malignancies, brain tumors necessitating prolonged corticosteroid therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, prolonged neutropenia, and lymphopenia are the most important risk factors for
PCP
in children not infected with HIV. Of children with leukemia, 15-20% may develop
PCP
in the absence of prophylaxis. Infection with P. jiroveci occurs early in life in most individuals. However, clinically apparent disease occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised persons. Dyspnea, cough, hypoxia, and fever are the most common presenting symptoms of
PCP
. Chest radiography and high-resolution CT scans of the chest demonstrate a characteristic ground-glass pattern. Induced sputum analysis and bronchoalveolar lavage are the diagnostic procedures of choice. Gomori's methenamine-silver stain, Geimsa or Wright's stain, and monoclonal immunofluorescent antibody stains are most commonly used to make a diagnosis. However, identification of P. jiroveci
DNA
using polymerase chain reaction assays in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid is more sensitive. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ; cotrimoxazole) is the recommended drug for the treatment of
PCP
. Patients who are intolerant of TMP-SMZ or who have not responded to treatment after 5-7 days of therapy with TMP-SMZ should be treated with pentamidine. A short course of corticosteroids is recommended for moderate to severe cases of
PCP
within the first 72 hours after diagnosis. Mutations in the dihydropteroate synthetase gene may confer resistance to TMP-SMZ; however, the clinical relevance of these mutations is not well established. TMP-SMZ is the most commonly used agent for prophylaxis. Myelosuppression is the most important adverse effect of TMP-SMZ and the most frequent cause for choosing alternative prophylactic agents in children undergoing chemotherapy. Alternative agents for chemoprophylaxis include dapsone, aerosolized pentamidine, and atovaquone. Alternative prophylactic agents must be used in patients developing myelosuppression secondary to TMP-SMZ or dapsone.
...
PMID:Management of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in children receiving chemotherapy. 1792 2
In recent years, clusters of Pneumocystis jirovecii (formerly Pneumocystis carinii) pneumonia (
PCP
) among immunocompromised individuals have been reported. Mostly, the source of infections was suspected to be within the clinical settings when transplant recipients and
PCP
patients shared hospital facilities. We report on a cluster of 16 renal transplant recipients positive for P. jirovecii. None of them received anti-Pneumocystis prophylaxis prior to P. jirovecii detection. Epidemiological studies revealed that 15 of them had received kidney transplants at a German university hospital and attended the same inpatient and outpatient clinic from January through September 2006. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on the following genes: ITS1, beta-tub, 26S, and mt26S. P. jirovecii
DNA
was available from 14 patients and showed identical MLST types among these renal transplant recipients. Surprisingly, one patient who was treated at a different nephrological center and reported no personal contact with patients from the renal transplantation cluster harbored an identical P. jirovecii MLST type. Three HIV-positive patients and one bone-marrow-transplanted hematologic malignancy patient--treated at different medical centers--were used as controls, and different MLST types were revealed. Interestingly, in three of the four previously described regions, new alleles were detected, and one new polymorphism was observed in the mt26S region. The epidemiological data and the genotyping results strongly suggest a nosocomial patient-to-patient transmission of P. jirovecii as the predominant transmission route. Therefore, strict segregation and isolation of P. jirovecii-positive/suspected patients in clinical settings seems warranted.
...
PMID:Molecular evidence of nosocomial Pneumocystis jirovecii transmission among 16 patients after kidney transplantation. 1821 17
Phencyclidine (
PCP
) and other N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists have been shown to be neurotoxic to developing brains and to result in schizophrenia-like behaviors later in development. Prevention of both effects by antischizophrenic drugs suggests the validity of
PCP
neurodevelopmental toxicity as a heuristic model of schizophrenia. Lithium is used for the treatment of bipolar and schizoaffective disorders and has recently been shown to have neuroprotective properties. The present study used organotypic corticostriatal slices taken from postnatal day 2 rat pups to investigate the protective effect of lithium and the role of the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K)/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) pathways in
PCP
-induced cell death. Lithium pretreatment dose-dependently reduced
PCP
-induced caspase-3 activation and
DNA
fragmentation in layers II to IV of the cortex.
PCP
elicited time-dependent inhibition of the MEK/ERK and PI-3K/Akt pathways, as indicated by dephosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt. The proapoptotic factor glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3beta was also dephosphorylated at serine 9 and thus activated. Lithium prevented
PCP
-induced inhibition of the two pathways and activation of GSK-3beta. Furthermore, blocking either PI-3K/Akt or MEK/ERK pathway abolished the protective effect of lithium, whereas inhibiting GSK-3beta activity mimicked the protective effect of lithium. However, no cross-talk between the two pathways was found. Finally, specific GSK-3beta inhibition did not prevent
PCP
-induced dephosphorylation of Akt and ERK. These data strongly suggest that the protective effect of lithium against
PCP
-induced neuroapoptosis is mediated through independent stimulation of the PI-3K/Akt and ERK pathways and suppression of GSK-3beta activity.
...
PMID:Lithium protection of phencyclidine-induced neurotoxicity in developing brain: the role of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathways. 1854 76
The rapid embryonic development and high fecundity of zebrafish contribute to the great advantages of this model for the study of developmental genetics. Transient disruption of the normal function of a gene during development can be achieved by microinjecting mRNA,
DNA
or short chemically stabilized anti-sense oligomers, called morpholinos (MOs), into early zebrafish embryos. The ensuing develop ment of the microinjected embryos is observed over the following hours and days to analyze the impact of the microinjected products on embryogenesis. Compared to stable reverse genetic approaches (sta ble transgenesis, targeted mutants recovered by TILLING), these transient reverse genetic approaches are vastly quicker, relatively affordable, and require little animal facility space. Common applications of these methodologies allow analysis of gain-of-function (gene overexpression or dominant active), loss-of-function (gene knock down or dominant negative), mosaic analysis, lineage-restricted studies and cell tracing experiments. The use of these transient approaches for the manipulation of gene expression has improved our understanding of many key developmental pathways including both the Wnt/beta-catenin and Wnt/
PCP
pathways, as covered in some detail in Chapter 17 of this book. This chapter describes the most common and versatile approaches: gain of function and loss of function using
DNA
and mRNA injections and loss of function using MOs.
...
PMID:Manipulation of gene expression during zebrafish embryonic development using transient approaches. 1910 16
The onset of schizophrenia and the schizophrenomimetic effects of an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, ketamine, rarely occur during infancy and childhood, suggesting that schizophrenia-related neuron circuits and molecules in the brain might show an age-related response to an NMDA receptor antagonist. By using a
DNA
microarray technique, we have identified the developmentally regulated
PCP
-inducible gene leiomodin2 (Lmod2) that encodes a tropomyosin-binding actin-capping protein enriched in the cardiac and skeletal muscles.
PCP
caused an increase in the thalamic amounts of Lmod2 transcripts at postnatal days (PD) 32 and 50 without affecting them at PD 8, 13, 20 and 24, while the NMDA antagonist failed to produce a significant change in the gene expression in the adult heart. In-situ hybridization analysis revealed that the basal and
PCP
-induced expression of the Lmod2 gene is almost confined to the lateral and anterior nuclei of the thalamus among the brain regions at PD 50. The
PCP
-induced up-regulation of Lmod2 mRNAs in the adult thalamus was mimicked totally (also up-regulated) by another NMDA antagonist, dizocilpine, and partly by the indirect dopamine agonist, methamphetamine. Moreover, pretreatment with a D(2)-preferring dopamine receptor antagonist, haloperidol, partially antagonizes the increasing effects of
PCP
on thalamic Lmod2 gene expression. These findings suggest that Lmod2 might be involved in the pathophysiology of the age-dependent onset of drug-induced schizophrenia-like psychosis and schizophrenia and that the limited thalamic nuclei expressing the Lmod2 gene could compose the neuron circuits that are specifically disturbed in these mental disorders.
...
PMID:Developmentally regulated and thalamus-selective induction of leiomodin2 gene by a schizophrenomimetic, phencyclidine, in the rat. 1925 30
This study was aimed to investigate the efficiency of nested methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (nMS-PCR) for detecting the APC gene promoter methylation and to clarify the roles of methylation in genesis and development of hematologic malignancies, as well as to screen the hematologic malignant cell lines with hypermethylation of APC gene promoter to use as an ideal cell model for exploring the relationship between gen methylation and gene expression. The genome
DNA
of 10 cell lines modified with bisulfide was amplified and the methylation status of APC gene promoter was detected by using nMS-PCR. The results showed that the methylation of APC gene promoter was detected in Jurkat cells, while could not be detected in CA46, U266, Molt4, K562, HL-60, CEM, AKR, U937 and Raji cell lines. In conclusion, APC gene methylation in hematological malignant cell lines can be accurately detected by nMS-
PCP
method, which is simple method for detecting methylation status of various hematological malignant cell lines.
...
PMID:[Detection of APC gene promoter methylation in hematological malignant cell lines by nested-methylation specific polymerase chain reaction]. 1969 37
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