Galectin 3: an extraordinary multifunctional protein in dermatology. Current knowledge and perspectives

Abstract: Galectin 3 is a unique ~31 kDa protein that recognizes the N-acetyl-lactosamine structure of several glycoconjugates. It mainly occurs in epithelial and myeloid cells, but is also found in a variety of human cell types. In view of the crucial role played by galectin 3 in the regulation of cellular processes of essential importance and in the pathogenetic mechanisms of diverse disorders, it is not surprising that, particularly in the last three decades, the attention of the scientific community has been increasingly drawn to this extraordinary and multifunctional galectin. In this paper the authors summarize current knowledge on the expression of galectin 3 in normal and diseased human skin, its implications in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and prognosis of cutaneous disorders, and the perspectives of a novel approach to the treatment of the latter using galectin 3 or its inhibitors/antagonists.

Avaliação do potencial terapêutico de inibidores da Galectina-3 em modelo experimental de lesão hepática crônica / Therapeutic potential assessment of Galectin-3 inhibitors in an experimental model of chronic liver injury

As lesões crônicas do fígado são resultantes de agressões persistentes, onde a desorganização e destruição do tecido podem desencadear processos de regeneração e fibrose. Para que a integridade e homeostase do órgão sejam restauradas, várias vias intracelulares e intercelulares são ativadas. Uma delas é a através da liberação de moléculas pró-fibrogênicas, a exemplo da lectina solúvel bgalactosídea, a galectina-3 (Gal-3). A alta expressão dessa lectina tem sido associada a fibrogênese no fígado. A descoberta de moléculas capazes de se ligar à Gal-3 e inibir a sua ação são importantes no desenvolvimento de terapias antifibrosantes. A pectina cítrica modificada (PCM) e a N-acetilactosamina (LacNAc) demonstraram ação benéfica no tratamento de doenças fibróticas, incluindo renais e cardíacas, contudo, pouco se sabe sobre suas eficácias na fibrose hepática. Diante disso, o objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os efeitos das administrações da PCM e LacNAc quanto aos níveis de Gal-3 e fibrose em modelo experimental de lesão hepática crônica. Inicialmente, a fibrose hepática foi induzida em camundongos C57BL/6 pela administração de tetracloreto de carbono a 20 por cento diluído em azeite de oliva. Grupos de camundongos com dois ou quatro meses de lesão foram tratados com PCM (1 por cento e 5 por cento, fornecida ad libitum) e com LacNAc, por via intraperitoneal. Adicionalmente, camundongos knockouts para o gene da Gal-3 (Gal-3-/-) foram utilizados como um controle. Subsequentemente às intervenções, análises morfométricas, bioquímicas, imunológicas e de biologia molecular foram realizadas. Na análise morfométrica, não se verificou alteração no percentual de tecido fibroso entre os grupos tratados com PCM...

Metabolite Profiling during Fermentation of Makgeolli by the Wild Yeast Strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y98-5

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage. The flavor of makgeolli is primarily determined by metabolic products such as free sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and aromatic compounds, which are produced during the fermentation of raw materials by molds and yeasts present in nuruk, a Korean fermentation starter. In this study, makgeolli was brewed using the wild yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y98-5, and temporal changes in the metabolites during fermentation were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The resultant data were analyzed by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Various metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids, sugar alcohols, small peptides, and nucleosides, were obviously altered by increasing the fermentation period. Changes in these metabolites allowed us to distinguish among makgeolli samples with different fermentation periods (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 days) on a PLS-DA score plot. In the makgeolli brewed in this study, the amounts of tyrosine (463.13 microg/mL) and leucine (362.77 microg/mL) were high. Therefore, our results indicate that monitoring the changes in metabolites during makgeolli fermentation might be important for brewing makgeolli with good nutritional quality.

Patterns of nectar production and composition, and morphology of floral nectaries in Helicteres guazumifolia and Helicteres baruensis (Sterculiaceae): two sympatric species from the Costa Rican tropical dry forest / Patrones de producción y composición de néctar y morfología de nectarios florales en Helicteres guazumifolia y Helicteres baruensis (Sterculiaceae): dos especies simpátricas del bosque seco tropical costarricense

Helicteres guazumifolia Kunth and Helicteres baruensis Jacq. (Sterculiaceae) are two sympatric species of shrubs common along the North Western tropical dry forest of Costa Rica. i recorded their nectar production within a 24 hour cycle. i also describe the morphology of extrafloral nectaries with scanning electron microscopy. in H. guazumifolia secretion was restricted to the first day of flower life span, shortly after anthesis (0600 hr - 1800 hr). Flowers secreted on average 15.63 ±8.45 µl (N=409). Nectar is composed of three main sugars: sucrose, fructose and glucose (mainly sucrose). A total of 17 free amino acids were identified: mainly proline, arginine, threonine and tyrosine, with a concentration above 70 Ng/µl. values were different for H. baruensis. Nectar secretion was confined to the second day after anthesis, starting at 1600 hr and ending at 0600 hr the following day. Flowers secreted on average 77.03 ±64.99 µl (N=163) of nectar. Nectar is also composed of three main sugars; however, it showed a tendency to be hexose-rich, having more fructose and glucose than sucrose. There were also 17 free amino acids, mainly proline, alanine, tyrosine, arginine and threonine. Patterns of nectar production are different between the two species for timing, and for amount and composition of nectar secretion. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (Suppl. 1): 161-177. Epub 2009 November 30.

Helicteres guazumifolia Kunth y Helicteres baruensis Jacq. (Sterculiaceae) son dos especies simpátricas de arbustos comunes en el bosque tropical seco de la zona noroeste de Costa Rica. Registré los patrones de producción de néctar de las dos especies según la hora del día o de la noche cuando hubo secreción de néctar. En H. guazumifolia se limitó al primer día del período de vida floral, desde el inicio de la antesis a las 0600 hr hasta las 1800 hr. Las flores secretaron en promedio 15.63 ±8.45 µl (N=409) de néctar. El néctar está compuesto por tres azúcares principales: sacarosa, fructuosa y glucosa, y es rico en sacarosa. Se identificó un total de 17 aminoácidos diferentes en el néctar floral. Prolina, arginina, treonina y tirosina fueron los aminoácidos más abundantes con una concentración mayor a 70 Ng/µl. En contraste, las flores de su pariente H. baruensis, secretaron néctar en el segundo día de vida de la flor, después de la antesis; se inició a las 1600 hr y cesó a las 0600 hr del día siguiente. Las flores secretaron en promedio 77.03 ±64.99 µl (N=163) de néctar. El néctar también está compuesto por tres azúcares principales; no obstante, tiende a ser rico en hexosas, con más fructuosa y glucosa que sacarosa. También contiene 17 aminoácidos libres, siendo los más concentrados prolina, alanina, tirosina, arginina y treonina. Se observan claramente patrones diferentes de producción de néctar entre las dos especies según la hora, la cantidad y la composición del néctar. También describí la morfología de los nectarios florales usando fotomicrografías tomadas con microscopio electrónico.

A novel strain ZG0656 producing alpha-amylase inhibitor and fermentation, separation, properties, and application of its products / 生物工程学报

A strain ZG0656 producing a-amylase inhibitor was isolated from soil in this study. Polyphasic taxonomic studies were performed, including appearance characteristics, culture characteristics, phenotypic characteristics, cell walls chemical composition, nearly complete 16S rDNA sequence alignment with those of representative Streptomyces species. These results revealed that strain ZG0656 represents a novel variation of Streptomyces coelicoflavus, for which we propose the name S. coelicoflavus var. nankaiensis. After fermentation in a 10 L fermentor, alpha-amylase inhibitors were accumulated in the harvested broth of strain ZG0656. The alpha-amylase inhibitors we obtained were identified as aminooligosaccharides after concentration, resin-adsorption, gel-filtration, and desiccation. They could intensively inhibit alpha-amylase, depress postprandial blood glucose elevation obviously. Thus, the a-amylase inhibitors are expected to act as drugs or functional food against diabetes.

Nodular goiters

The purpose of the study was to estimate the levels of amino sugars and glycosylated proteins in the blood and thyroid tissues of the patients suffering from thyroid disorders. The study was carried out at Basic Medical sciences Institute, J.P.M.C. Karachi. From 1990 to 1992. Twenty control subjects and 35 thyroid patients [Non toxic goiter = 14, Non toxic nodular goiter =12 and Toxic nodular goiter=9] were studied. T4, TBG and T4/TBG ratio, serum and tissue glucose, protein, glycosylated proteins and hexosamine with their correlation coefficient [r] were estimated. Significantly raised levels of TBG in non toxic goiter and toxic nodular goiter while T4/TBG ratio was significantly decreased in non toxic goiter and toxic nodular goiter. In non toxic goiter patients correlation coefficient analysis showed a direct relationship [serum to tissue levels] of glucose[r=0.47], glycosylated proteins[r=0.40] and hexosamine [r=0.23] while an inverse rela tionship was found in case of protein[r= -0.38]. In non toxic nodular group inverse relationship was only found in proteins [r= -0.48] estimation while direct correlation coefficient was observed in glucose [r= 0.29], glycosylated proteins [r=0.13] and in hexosamine [r=0.14]. In toxic nodular group hexosamine shows a direct correlation coefficient[r=0.73]while glucose [= -0.53], proteins [r= -0.87]and glycosylated proteins[r= -0.12] have an inverse relationship. It was concluded from correlation coefficient analysis [blood to tissue levels] that in non toxic goiter and non toxic nodular patients glucose, glycosylated protein and hexosamine showed a direct relationship while protein showed an inverse relationship

Fucosylated glycoconjugates of the human spermatozoon. Comparison of the domains of these glycoconjugates with the alpha-fucosyl binding sites, and with lactosaminic glycoconjugates and beta-D-galactosyl binding site domains

Fucosylated glycoconjugates play an important role in fertilization as the recognition signal of the zona pellucida. In this work, using "critical" concentrations of either, FITC Lotus tetragonolobus lectin or FITC alpha-L-fucosyl-BSA neoglycoprotein as molecular probes, population densities of fucosylated glycoconjugates and of their "complementary" molecules (carrying fucosyl receptors), were found all over the sperm surface with higher population densities in post acrosomal sheath, neck and midpiece. These results were compared with previously reported data on the population densities of lactosaminic compounds and their "complementary" molecules, obtained on same samples of spermatozoa. Statistical data demonstrate that fucosylated glycoconjugates share the same domains with biantennary N-acetyllactosaminic oligosaccharides carrying outer galactose and bisected N-acetylglucosamine residues. These domains highly differ with those of the lactosaminic glycoproteins carrying tri and tetraantennary N-acetyllactosaminic oligosaccharides. These studies also show that the domains of fucosylated glycoconjugates and their "complementary" molecules (carrying fucosyl receptors) locate in different zones of the spermatozoon than those of the compounds carrying beta-galactosyl receptors. Besides, the results suggest structural differences between fucosylated glycoconjugates of the acrosome, equatorial zone and post acrosomal sheath. This may be relevant to the different biological behavior of these compounds and zones, in fertilization.

Prevençäo à cárie através da dieta / Diet to prevention the carie

Os autores apontam os fatores de prevençäo à cárie presentes na dieta diária normal de um indivíduo adulto, segundo os padröes nutricionais recomendados internacionalmente. Infelizmente, até o presente, estes fatores säo restritos, e limitados ao consumo de substâncias que contêm flúor e fosfato, e também ao consumo de substâncias substitutivas do açúcar industrial. Um breve histórico sobre a cárie dental, sua etiologia e os principais fatores nutricionais preventivos, como alimentos que contêm naturalmente flúor e fosfatos, e também os principais substitutos da sacarose, säo apresentados

value of fructosamine in monitoring diabetes control in NIDD with different stages of schistosomal liver disease

The value of fructosamine versus glycosylated hemoglobin HbA[1c] in monitoring diabetes control in diabetics with different stages of liver disease was investigated. The study included diabetics without liver disease [[Group I, n = 20], diabetics with compensated hepatosplenic schistosomiasis [HSS] [Group II, n = 20], diabetics with decompensated HSS [Group III, n 20]. Each group included patients who were controlled [n = 10] and others who were uncontrolled [n = 10] for at least 2 months before the stud. Group IV included 10 normal controls, 10 with compensated HSS and 10 with decompensated HSS without diabetes. Both HbA[1c] and fructosamine were determined by quantitative colorimetry. In diabetics without liver disease both fructosamine and HbA[1c] correlated significantly with plasma glucose was well as with each other and so fructosamine which is cheaper can be used alone for monitoring diabetes control in such cases. In the absence of diabetes fructosamine decreased in parallel with the progress of liver disease while HbA[1c] did not change. This illustrates the influence of decreasing albumin in fructosamine levels. Fructosamine was not correlated to HbA[1c] but was correlated to albumin. In diabetics with liver disease, fructosamine and HbA[1c] levels followed the same pattern as in patients without diabetes indicating that fructosamine levels are related more to albumin than the glucose levels. It can be concluded that fructosamine can be used safely for monitoring diabetes control in the absence of liver disease, while HbA[1c] is preferred with liver disease

Correlaçäo entre glicemia de jejum e frutosamina em gestantes normais / Correlation between fasting blood glucose and fructosamine in normal pregnant woman

Por ocasiäo de um estudo de vários parâmetros clínico-laboratoriais em gestantes normais, os autores observaram uma correlaçäo entre a glicemia de jejum e a concentraçäo da frutosamina. Em 65 gestantes näo se constatou nenhum caso de diabete gestacional nos dois testes usados. Concluíram que a determinaçäo da frutosamina pode ser útil, juntamente com outros testes para triagem do diabete gestacional