Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:6.2.1.7 (BAL)
 1,977 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Identification of Pneumocystis carinii involves silver stains which require several hours for processing. Diff Quik, a differential stain similar to Wright-Giemsa, requires less than 1 min and reproducibly stains trophozoites and intracystic bodies of P carinii. To determine the utility of DQ for rapid detection of P carinii in BAL fluid, we reviewed DQ-stained slides of 50 BAL samples from 36 patients seropositive for HIV+ who had undergone bronchoscopy with BAL for evaluation of interstitial pulmonary infiltrates. A comparison group of immunocompromised patients with P carinii pneumonia also were reviewed. For HIV+ samples, sensitivity of DQ was 93 and 100 percent for cytopathologists and 75 and 89 percent for pulmonologists. Specificity was 95 percent for each cytopathologist and 100 percent for pulmonologists. For non-HIV+ patients, sensitivity ranged from 22 to 55 percent. Thus, DQ may be useful as a rapid, reliable method to identify P carinii in BAL fluid from HIV+ patients.
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PMID:Use of a rapid differential stain for identifying Pneumocystis carinii in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Diagnostic efficacy in patients with AIDS. 246 72

The Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii BAL fructokinase (frk) gene was isolated on a 2 center dot 4 kb BamHI fragment from the cosmid pLA72 by complementation analysis of the Tn5-induced frk mutant BAL79, and confirmed by hybridization analysis. The nucleotide sequence of the frk gene was found to contain an open reading frame consisting of 978 bp encoding 326 amino acids, which was then compared to known fructokinase sequences. The fructokinase gene was not contained in an operon and is encoded separately from other enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism. Its product is therefore assigned to the group I fructokinases. A putative promoter (TTGACA-N16-GTTGAT), ribosome-binding site and termination sequence were identified. The Frk protein contained several motifs conserved in other known fructokinase sequences, including an ATP-binding and a substrate-binding motif. The hydropathy plot derived from the frk gene sequence data revealed the fructokinase as a hydrophilic protein. The fructokinase protein was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by a three-step method using chromatofocusing, affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Its purity was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and it was visualized as a single band by silver staining. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified fructokinase confirmed the proposed open reading frame of the frk gene. The purified fructokinase had a molecular mass of 36 center dot 5 kDa, pl of 4 center dot 65, pH activity range of 6 center dot 0-9 center dot 0 (maximum activity at pH 8 center dot 0) and a Mg2+ requirement. It had a Km of 0 center dot 31 mM and a Vmax of 31 mumol fructose 6-phosphate (mg protein)-1 min-1 with fructose as substrate. The R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii BAL fructokinase was biochemically and molecularly similar to other bacterial fructokinases.
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PMID:The fructokinase from Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii belongs to group I fructokinase enzymes and is encoded separately from other carbohydrate metabolism enzymes. 893 6

Copper is an essential trace element, which is an important catalyst for heme synthesis and iron absorption. Following zinc and iron, copper is the third most abundant trace element in the body. Copper is a noble metal, like silver and gold. Useful industrial properties include high thermal and electrical conductivity, low corrosion, alloying ability, and malleability. Most of the metallic copper appears in electrical applications. Copper is a constituent of intrauterine contraceptive devices and the release of copper is necessary for their contraceptive effects. The average daily intake of copper in the US is about 1 mg Cu with the primary source being the diet. The bioavailability of copper from the diet is about 65-70% depending on a variety of factors including chemical form, interaction with other metals, and dietary components. The biological half-life of copper from the diet is 13-33 days with bilary excretion being the major route of elimination. Copper sulfate is a gastric irritant that produces erosion of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Chronic copper toxicity is rare and primarily affects the liver. Wilson's disease and Indian childhood cirrhosis are examples of severe chronic liver disease that results from the genetic predisposition to the hepatic accumulation of copper. The serum copper concentration ranges up to approximately 1.5 mg/L in healthy persons. Gastrointestinal symptoms occur at whole blood concentrations near 3 mg Cu/L. Chelating agents (CaNa2EDTA, BAL) are recommended in severe poisoning, but there are little pharmacokinetic data to evaluate the effectiveness of these agents.
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PMID:Copper. 1038 57

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) can be found in myriad consumer products, medical equipment/supplies, and public spaces. However, questions remain regarding the risks associated with Ag NP exposure. As part of a consortium-based effort to better understand these nanomaterials, this study examined how Ag NPs with varying sizes and coatings affect pulmonary responses at different time-points. Four types of Ag NPs were tested: 20 nm (C20) and 110 nm (C110) citrate-stabilized NPs, and 20 nm (P20) and 110 nm (P110) PVP-stabilized NPs. Male, Sprague Dawley rats were intratracheally instilled with Ag NPs (0, 0.1, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/kg bodyweight [BW]), and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues were obtained at 1, 7, and 21 days post-exposure for analysis of BAL cells and histopathology. All Ag NP types produced significantly elevated polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) in BALF on Days 1, 7, and/or 21 at the 0.5 and/or 1.0 mg/kg BW dose(s). Histology of animals exposed to 1.0 mg/kg BW Ag NPs showed patchy, focal, centriacinar inflammation for all time-points; though neutrophils, macrophages, and/or monocytes were also found in the airway submucosa and perivascular regions at Days 1 and 7. Confocal microscopy of ethidium homodimer-stained lungs at Day 1 showed dead/dying cells at branch points along the main airway. By Day 21, only animals exposed to the high dose of C110 or P110 exhibited significant BALF neutrophilia and marked cellular debris in alveolar airspaces. Findings suggest that 110 nm Ag NPs may produce lasting effects past Day 21 post instillation.
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PMID:Pulmonary effects of silver nanoparticle size, coating, and dose over time upon intratracheal instillation. 2562 15