Actinobacterial peroxidase-mediated biodeterioration of hazardous explosive, 2, 4, 6, trinitrophenol by in silico and in vitro approaches.

Explosives are perilous and noxious to aquatic biota disrupting their endocrinal systems. Supplementarily, they exhibit carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects on humans and animals. Henceforth, the current study has been targeted to biotransform the explosive, 2, 4, 6 trinitrophenol (TNP) by wetland peroxidase from Streptomyces coelicolor. A total peroxidase yield of 20,779 mg/l with 51.6 folds of purification was observed. In silico molecular docking cum in vitro appraisals were accomplished to assess binding energy and interacting binding site residues of peroxidase and TNP complex. TNP required a minimal binding energy of-6.91 kJ/mol and was subjected to biodeterioration (89.73%) by peroxidase in purified form, with 45 kDa and a similarity score of 34 by MASCOT protein analysis. Moreover, the peroxidase activity was confirmed with Zymogram analysis. Characterization of peroxidase revealed that optimum values of pH and temperature as 6 and 40 °C, respectively, with their corresponding stability varying from 3.5 to 7. Interestingly, the kinetic parameters such as Km and Vmax on 2,2'-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and H2O2 were 19.27 µm and 0.41 µm/min; 21.4 µm and 0.1 µm/min, respectively. Among the diverse substrates, chemicals and trace elements, ABTS (40 mM), citric acid (5 mM) and Fe2+ (5 mM) displayed the highest peroxidase activity. Computational docking and in vitro results were corroborative and UV-Vis spectroscopy, HPLC, FTIR and GC-MS indicated the presence of simple metabolites of TNP such as nitrophenols and benzoquinone, showcasing the efficacy of S. coelicolor peroxidase to biotransform TNP. Henceforth, the current study offers a promising channel for biological treatment of explosive munitions, establishing a sustainable green earth.

Tetranuclear CoII4O4 Cubane Complex: Effective Catalyst Toward Electrochemical Water Oxidation.

The reaction of Co(OAc)2·6H2O with 2,2'-[{(1E,1'E)-pyridine-2,6-diyl-bis(methaneylylidene)bis(azaneylylidene)}diphenol](LH2) a multisite coordination ligand and Et3N in a 1:2:3 stoichiometric ratio forms a tetranuclear complex Co4(L)2(µ-η1:η1-OAc)2(η2-OAc)2]· 1.5 CH3OH· 1.5 CHCl3 (1). Based on X-ray diffraction investigations, complex 1 comprises a distorted Co4O4 cubane core consisting of two completely deprotonated ligands [L]2- and four acetate ligands. Two distinct types of CoII centers exist in the complex, where the Co(2) center has a distorted octahedral geometry; alternatively, Co(1) has a distorted pentagonal-bipyramidal geometry. Analysis of magnetic data in 1 shows predominant antiferromagnetic coupling (J = -2.1 cm-1), while the magnetic anisotropy is the easy-plane type (D1 = 8.8, D2 = 0.76 cm-1). Furthermore, complex 1 demonstrates an electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with an overpotential of 325 mV and Tafel slope of 85 mV dec-1, required to attain a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and moderate stability under alkaline conditions (pH = 14). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies reveal that compound 1 has a charge transfer resistance (Rct) of 2.927 Ω, which is comparatively lower than standard Co3O4 (5.242 Ω), indicating rapid charge transfer kinetics between electrode and electrolyte solution that enhances higher catalytic activity toward OER kinetics.

Tuning the Activity and Stability of CoCr-LDH by Forming a Heterostructure on Surface-Oxidized Nickel Foam for Enhanced Water-Splitting Performance.

The development of low-cost, efficient catalysts for electrocatalytic water splitting to generate green hydrogen is a hot topic among researchers. Herein, we have developed a highly efficient heterostructure of CoCr-LDH on NiO on nickel foam (NF) for the first time. The preparation strategy follows the simple annealing of a cleaned NF without using any Ni salt precursor, followed by the growth of CoCr-LDH nanosheets over the surface-oxidized NF. The CoCr-LDH/NiO/NF catalyst shows excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in a 1 M KOH solution. For OER, only 253 mV and for HER, only 185 mV overpotentials are required to attain a 50 mA cm-2 current density. Also, the long-term stability of both the OER and HER for 60 h proves its robustness. The turnover frequency value for the OER increased 1.85 times after the heterostructure formation compared to bare CoCr-LDH. The calculated Faradaic efficiency values of 97.4 and 94.75% for the OER and HER revealed the high intrinsic activity of the heterostructure. Moreover, the heterostructure only needs 1.57 V of cell voltage when acting as both the anode and the cathode to achieve a 10 mA cm-2 current density. The long-term stability of 60 h for the total water-splitting process proves its excellent performance. Several systematic pre- and post-experiment characterizations prove its durable nature. These excellent OER and HER activities and stabilities are attributed to the surface-modified electronic structure and thin nanosheet-like surface morphology of the heterostructure. The thin, wide, and modified surface of the catalyst facilitates the diffusion of ions (reactants) and gas molecules (products) at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Furthermore, electron transfer from n-type CoCr-LDH to p-type NiO results in enhanced electronic conductivity. This study demonstates the effective design of a self-supported heterostructure with minimal synthetic steps to generate a bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting, contributing to the greater cause of green hydrogen economy.

Bioprospecting of novel peroxidase from Streptomyces coelicolor strain SPR7 for carcinogenic azo dyes decolorization.

Peroxidase (POX) is a heme-containing oxidoreductase, its voluminous immuno-diagnostic and bioremediatory intuitions have incited optimization and large scale-generation from novel microbial repertoires. Azo dyes are the most detrimental classes of synthetic dyes and they are the common ecotoxic industrial pollutants in wastewater. In addition, azo dyes are refractory to degradation owing to their chemical nature, comprising of azoic linkages, amino moieties with recalcitrant traits. Moreover, they are major carcinogenic and mutagenic on humans and animals, whereby emphasizing the need for decolorization. In the present study, a novel POX from Streptomyces coelicolor strain SPR7 was investigated for the deterioration of ecotoxic dyestuffs. The initial medium component screening for POX production was achieved using, One Factor at a Time and Placket-Burman methodologies with starch, casein and temperature as essential parameters. In auxiliary, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was recruited and followed by model validation using Back propagation algorithm (BPA). RSM-BPA composite approach prophesied that combination of starch, casein, and temperature at optimal values 2.5%, 0.035% and 35 °C respectively, has resulted in 7 folds enhancement of POX outturn (2.52 U/mL) compared to the unoptimized media (0.36 U/mL). The concentrated enzyme decolorized 75.4% and 90% of the two azo dyes with lignin (10 mM), respectively. Hence, this investigation confirms the potentiality of mangrove actinomycete derived POX for elimination of noxious azo dyes to overcome their carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects on humans and aquatic organisms.

Accelerating the Electrocatalytic Performance of NiFe-LDH via Sn Doping toward the Water Oxidation Reaction under Alkaline Condition.

To generate green hydrogen by water electrolysis, it is vital to develop highly efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The utilization of various 3d transition metal-based layered double hydroxides (LDHs), especially NiFe-LDH, has gained vast attention for OER under alkaline conditions. However, the lack of a proper electronic structure of the NiFe-LDH and low stability under high-pH conditions limit its large-scale application. To overcome these difficulties, in this study, we constructed an Sn-doped NiFe-LDH material using a simple wet-chemical method. The doping of Sn will synergistically increase the active surface sites of NiFe-LDH. The highly active NiFe-LDH Sn0.015(M) shows excellent OER activity by requiring an overpotential of 250 mV to drive 10 mA/cm2 current density, whereas the bare NiFe-LDH required an overpotential of 295 mV at the same current density. Also, NiFe-LDH Sn0.015(M) shows excellent long-term stability for 50 h in 1 M KOH and also exhibits a higher TOF value of 0.495 s-1, which is almost five times higher than that of bare NiFe-LDH. This study highlights Sn doping as an effective strategy for the development of low-cost, effective, stable, self-supported electrocatalysts with a high current density for improved OER and other catalytic applications in the near future.

Effective Formation of a Mn-ZIF-67 Nanofibrous Network via Electrospinning: An Active Electrocatalyst for OER in Alkaline Medium.

Finding the active center in a bimetallic zeolite imidazolate framework (ZIF) is highly crucial for the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In the present study, we constructed a bimetallic ZIF system with cobalt and manganese metal ions and subjected it to an electrospinning technique for feasible fiber formation. The obtained nanofibers delivered a lower overpotential value of 302 mV at a benchmarking current density of 10 mA cm-2 in an electrocatalytic OER study under alkaline conditions. The obtained Tafel slope and charge-transfer resistance values were 125 mV dec-1 and 4 Ω, respectively. The kinetics of the reaction is mainly attributed from the ratio of metals (Co and Mn) present in the catalyst. Jahn-Teller distortion reveals that the electrocatalytic active center on the Mn-incorporated ZIF-67 nanofibers (Mn-ZIF-67-NFs) was found to be Mn3+ along with the Mn2+ and Co2+ ions on the octahedral and tetrahedral sites, respectively, where Co2+ ions tend to suppress the distortion, which is well supported by density functional theory analysis, molecular orbital study, and magnetic studies.

Unravelling the emerging carcinogenic contaminants from industrial waste water for prospective remediation by electrocoagulation - A review.

The need of the hour relies on finding new but sustainable ways to curb rising pollution levels. The accelerated levels of urbanization and increase in population deplete the finite resources essential for human sustenance. In this aspect, water is one of the non-renewable sources that is running out very fast and is polluted drastically day by day. One way of tackling the problem is to reduce the pollution levels by decreasing the usage of chemicals in the process, and the other is to find ways to reuse or reduce the contaminants in the effluent by treatment methods. Most of the available water recycling or treatment methods are not sustainable. Some of them even use toxic chemicals in the processing steps. Treatment of organic wastes from industries is a challenging task as they are hard to remove. Electrocoagulation is one of the emerging water treatment technologies that is highly sustainable and has a comparatively cheaper operating cost. Being a broad-spectrum treatment process, it is suitable for treating the most common water pollutants ranging from oils, bacteria, heavy metals, and others. The process is also straightforward, where electrical current is used to coagulate the contaminates. The presence of carcinogens in these waste water increases the need for its treatment towards further use. The present investigation is made as an extensive analysis of the emerging carcinogens and their various sources from process industries, especially in the form of organic waste and their removal by electrocoagulation and its coupled techniques. The paper also aims to ascertain why the electrocoagulation technique may be a better alternative compared with other methods for the removal of carcinogens in organic wastewater, an analysis which has not been explored before.

Distillery industrial wastewater(DIW) treatment by the combination of sono(US), photo(UV) and electrocoagulation(EC) process.

The color and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) reduction in distillery industrial effluent (DIW) was investigated utilizing photo (UV), sono (US), electrocoagulation (EC), UV + US, UV + EC, US + EC, and US + UV + EC technologies. The empirical study demonstrated that the UV + US + EC process removed almost 100% of color and 95.63% of COD from DIW while consuming around 6.97 kWh m-3 of electrical energy at the current density of 0.175 A dm-2, COD of 3600 mg L-1, UV power of 32 W, US power of 100 W, electrode pairings of Fe/Fe, inter-electrode distance of 0.75 cm, pH of 7, and reaction time of 4 h, respectively. The values found were much greater than those produced using UV, US, EC, UV + US, UV + EC, and US + EC methods. The influence of various control variables such as treatment time (1-5 h), current density (0.075-2.0 A dm-2), COD (1800-6000 mg L-1), inter-electrode distance (0.75-3.0 cm), electrode pairings (Fe/Fe, Fe/Al, Al/Fe, Al/Al), UV (8-32 W), and US (20-100 W) on the color and COD reduction were investigated to determine the optimum operating conditions. It was observed that, an increase in treatment time, current density, UV and US power, decrease in the COD, and inter-electrode distance with Fe/Fe electrode combination improved the COD removal efficiency. The UV and US + EC processes' synergy index was investigated and reported. The results showed that, the US + UV + EC treatment combination was effective in treating industrial effluent and wastewater.

Advances in bioremediation of emerging contaminants from industrial wastewater by oxidoreductase enzymes.

The bioremediation of emerging recalcitrant pollutants in wastewater via enzyme biotechnology has been evolving as cost-effective with an input of low-energy technological approach. However, the enzyme based bioremediation technology is still not fully developed at a commercial level. The oxidoreductases being the domineering biocatalysts are promising candidates for wastewater treatments. Henceforth, comprehending their global market and biotransformation efficacy is mandatory for establishing these techno-economic bio-enzymes in commercial scale. The biocatalytic strategy can be established as a combinatorial approach with existing treatment technology to achieve towering bioremediation and effective removal of emerging pollutants from wastewater. This review provides a novel insight on the toxicological xenobiotics released from industries such as paper and pulps, soap and detergents, pharmaceuticals, textiles, pesticides, explosives and aptitude of peroxidases, nitroreductase and cellobiose dehydrogenase in their bio-based treatment. Moreover, the review comprehensively covers environmental relevance of wastewater pollution and the critical challenges based on remediation achieved through biocatalysts for future prospectives.

Constructing electrospun spinel NiFe2O4 nanofibers decorated with palladium ions as nanosheets heterostructure: boosting electrocatalytic activity of HER in alkaline water electrolysis.

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for the water splitting process and understanding their fundamental catalytic mechanisms are highly essential to achieving high performance in energy conversion technologies. Herein, we have synthesised spinel nickel ferrite nanofibers (NiFe2O4-NFs) via an electrospinning (ES) method followed by a carbonization process. The resultant fiber was subjected to electrocatalytic water splitting reactions in alkaline medium. The catalytic efficiency of the NiFe2O4-NFs in OER was highly satisfactory. But it is not high enough to catalyse the HER process. Hence, palladium ions were decorated as nanosheets on NiFe2O4-NFs as a heterostructure to improve the catalytic efficiency for HER. Density functional theory (DFT) confirms that the addition of palladium to NiFe2O4-NFs helps to reduce the effect of catalyst poisoning and improve the efficiency of the catalyst. In an alkaline hybrid electrolyser, the required cell voltage was observed as 1.51 V at a fixed current density of 10 mA cm-2.

Revealing the pH-Universal Electrocatalytic Activity of Co-Doped RuO2 toward the Water Oxidation Reaction.

Electrocatalytic water splitting has gained vast attention in recent decades for its role in catalyzing hydrogen production effectively as an alternative to fossil fuels. Moreover, the designing of highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts across the universal pH conditions was more challengeable as in harsh anodic potentials, it questions the activity and stability of the concerned catalyst. Generally, geometrical engineering and electronic structural modulation of the catalyst can effectively boost the OER activity. Herein, a Co-doped RuO2 nanorod material is developed and used as an OER electrocatalyst at different pH conditions. Co-RuO2 exhibits a lower overpotential value of 238 mV in an alkaline environment (1 M KOH) with a Tafel slope value of 48 mV/dec. On the other hand, in acidic, neutral, and near-neutral environments, it required overpotentials of 328, 453, and 470 mV, respectively, to attain a 10 mA/cm2 current density. It is observed that doping of Co into the RuO2 could synergistically increase the active sites with the enhanced electrophilic nature of Ru4+ to accelerate OER in all of the pH ranges. This study finds the applicability of earth-abundant-based metals like Co to be used in universal pH conditions with a simple doping technique. Further, it assured the stable nature in all pH electrolytes and needs to be further explored with other metals in the future.

Ideal Flap Cover for the Salvage of Exposed/Infected Cochlear Implants: A Case Series and Literature Review.

With an increase in the number of cochlear implant surgeries there is bound to be an increase in the number of complications. A dreaded problem in any implant procedure is the implant exposure and infection. Explantation of the implant leads to an unpleasant situation to the patient and the surgeon owing to the high cost of the device. There are reports in the literature favouring the mandatory relocation or removal of the infected implants. On the other hand, there are convincing reports of implant salvage using skin, muscle or fascial flaps. In this paper we have analysed a series of cases referred to us from the departments of E.N.T for the management of implant exposure/infection. We have also reviewed similar case series reported in the literature. From 2014 to 2017 we operated six cases of exposed cochlear implant. We salvaged the implant in five cases, where we could do two layer coverage consisting of the inner temporoparietal fascial flap and outer scalp skin flap. In one case where the temporoparietal fascial flap could not be done as superficial temporal vessels were found to be injured in the previous surgery, the implant was removed due to persistent infection. All these cases were administered appropriate antibiotics for a minimum period of 3 weeks. Early double layer closure with inner temporoparietal fascial flap and outer scalp rotation flap coupled with appropriate antibiotics can salvage an infected, exposed implant.

Pectoralis Major Myocutaneous/Myofascial Flap and Split Skin Grafting for Repair of Post Laryngectomy Pharyngo Cutaneous Fistula: An Undemanding and a Reliable Solution.

Pharyngo cutaneous fistula occurs in 16-32% of cases after laryngectomy. Repair of a non healing fistula is a reconstructive challenge due to inherent problems like malnutrition, lung infection, infected and soiled neck wound, irradiated neck field and hypothyroid status. As the defect is composite involving the neck and the aero digestive tract, there is requirement for two epithelial surfaces. The selected flaps should be thin and rigid to maintain a patent food passage and an unobstructed tracheostoma. From January 2008 to December 2016 we operated 14 cases of post laryngectomy pharyngo cutaneous fistula. 12 cases had undergone radiotherapy before laryngectomy. Duration of the fistula was 2-9 months. There was history of previous reconstructive attempts in four cases. The size of the neck defects ranged from 2 cm × 4 cm to 4 cm × 8 cm. In four cases, primary pharyngeal repair, Pectoralis major myofascial flap reinforcement and split skin grafting was done. In 10 cases, pharyngeal repair by Pectoralis major myocutaneous flap and split skin graft was done. Follow up was for 3 months to 3 years. In 13 cases, the fistula and the neck wound healed well and there was no recurrence of the fistula. Patients were on normal oral diet. One patient succumbed to the disease due to tumour recurrence at the tracheostomy site. We propose PMMF/PMMC flap and SSG for the reconstruction of post laryngectomy pharyngocutaneous fistula as an undemanding and a reliable solution.

Accuracy of core biopsy in predicting pathologic complete response in the breast in patients with complete/near complete clinical and radiological response (Complete Responders in the Breast - CRBr) - Trial design and conduct.

INTRODUCTION: With the advent of taxanes and targeted agents in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for breast cancer, the rates of pathologic complete response (pCR) have been steadily increasing. One of the roles of surgery in these women is to serve as a biopsy to confirm or negate a pCR. DESIGN: This is a prospective validation study. All newly diagnosed non-metastatic breast cancers, of any luminal subtype, planned for neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with a titanium clip placed in the tumor, will be screened. Eligible patients who have a complete/near complete response to NACT as seen on a mammogram and ultrasound of the breast, will undergo multiple core biopsies of the tumor bed under ultrasound guidance as an outpatient procedure. A minimum of four core biopsy specimens will be mandatory. An MRI will also be done for these patients for documentation and analysis. The core biopsy will be compared to the final histopathology report after definitive surgery. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to study the false negative rate and accuracy of ultrasound guided core biopsies of the tumor bed in predicting pCR. Additionally, the correlation of pCR in the breast with axillary response and the incremental benefit of an MRI in predicting pCR will be evaluated. DISCUSSION: The concept of using image guided core biopsies to predict pCR could be useful in designing future studies aimed at avoiding redundant surgery in women with a complete response to NACT. This study is registered with Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2018/01/011122).

Pharmacokinetics of muraglitazar (BMS-298585), a dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) alpha and gamma activator, in mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys.

The pharmacokinetic parameters of muraglitazar, a novel dual-activator of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) alpha and gamma, were determined in mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys after intravenous and oral administration. In the mouse, rat, and monkey the absolute oral bioavailability of muraglitazar ranged from 64 to 88%, and in the dog oral bioavailability was approximately 18%. The systemic clearance values of muraglitazar in the mouse, rat, dog, and cynomolgus monkey were 1.2, 3.0, 12.3 and 1.2 ml min-1 kg-1, respectively. The terminal elimination half-life was 2.4 h in dogs and 7.3 h in rats. The terminal elimination half-life could not be determined in the mouse and monkey because the sampling interval did not adequately cover the terminal elimination phase. Muraglitazar appears to be distributed outside of the vasculature, with the steady-state volume of distribution being approximately twofold that of the vascular volume in rats and dogs, and approximately twofold that of the total body water in mice. The systemic plasma clearance of muraglitazar in humans was predicted to be approximately 12-14 ml min-1 kg-1 based on allometry or by scaling of in vitro clearance parameters. Overall, the pharmacokinetic parameters of muraglitazar in preclinical species were acceptable for the advancement of the compound as a clinical candidate.

Mice mutant for glucokinase regulatory protein exhibit decreased liver glucokinase: a sequestration mechanism in metabolic regulation.

The importance of glucokinase (GK; EC 2.7.1.12) in glucose homeostasis has been demonstrated by the association of GK mutations with diabetes mellitus in humans and by alterations in glucose metabolism in transgenic and gene knockout mice. Liver GK activity in humans and rodents is allosterically inhibited by GK regulatory protein (GKRP). To further understand the role of GKRP in GK regulation, the mouse GKRP gene was inactivated. With the knockout of the GKRP gene, there was a parallel loss of GK protein and activity in mutant mouse liver. The loss was primarily because of posttranscriptional regulation of GK, indicating a positive regulatory role for GKRP in maintaining GK levels and activity. As in rat hepatocytes, both GK and GKRP were localized in the nuclei of mouse hepatocytes cultured in low-glucose-containing medium. In the presence of fructose or high concentrations of glucose, conditions known to relieve GK inhibition by GKRP in vitro, only GK was translocated into the cytoplasm. In the GKRP-mutant hepatocytes, GK was not found in the nucleus under any tested conditions. We propose that GKRP functions as an anchor to sequester and inhibit GK in the hepatocyte nucleus, where it is protected from degradation. This ensures that glucose phosphorylation is minimal when the liver is in the fasting, glucose-producing phase. This also enables the hepatocytes to rapidly mobilize GK into the cytoplasm to phosphorylate and store or metabolize glucose after the ingestion of dietary glucose. In GKRP-mutant mice, the disruption of this regulation and the subsequent decrease in GK activity leads to altered glucose metabolism and impaired glycemic control.

Regulation of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein mRNA expression by endotoxin and cytokines.

We studied the effect of endotoxin (LPS), and cytokines (TNF, IL-1, and IL-6) on hepatic microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) mRNA levels in vivo in Syrian hamsters and in vitro in HepG2 cells. LPS, interleukin-1 (IL-1), and to a lesser extent tumor necrosis factor (TNF) significantly decreased MTP mRNA levels in hamster liver. These effects required several hours. Furthermore, IL-1 and IL-6 significantly decreased MTP mRNA levels in HepG2 cells. This decrease appeared soon after IL-1 administration (8 h) and at very low doses (0.1 ng/ml). MTP activity and protein levels of the large subunit of MTP also decreased modestly in HepG2 cells with prolonged cytokine treatment. IL-1 reduced the expression of an MTP promoter luciferase construct to a similar degree as seen with MTP mRNA, indicating that transcriptional regulation plays a major role in the decrease of MTP gene expression. Deletional analysis of the MTP promoter identified the region -121 to -88 bp upstream to the coding sequence as the site of the negative regulation by IL-1. This region contains an insulin response element (IRE), activating protein 1 (AP-1), hepatic nuclear factor 1 (HNF-1) and hepatic nuclear factor 4 (HNF-4) consensus sequences; mutations of the IRE and HNF-4 sites did not affect the response to IL-1. In contrast, mutating AP-1 or HNF-1 sites led to a marked decrease in basal expression and the loss of the IL-1 effect, suggesting that an intact AP-1 and/or HNF-1 regulatory element are crucial for the IL-1 regulation of MTP gene expression. However, prolonged incubation with IL-1 did not alter HepG2 apolipoprotein B secretion suggesting that MTP mRNA down-regulation does not contribute significantly to the cytokine-induced effects on lipid metabolism.