Preparative binding of Coomassie brilliant blue to bovine serum.

Laboratory scale preparation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) stained with Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB) at alkaline pH is first described. Physical-chemical analyses of CBB-BSA showed that the unprotonated (anion) CBB dye binds tightly to BSA in buffered media of pH 8.2. Characteristic differences in spectra lambda(max) and molar absorptivities were found for the free anion CBB dye versus the CBB-BSA complex. Binding studies with low versus high dye/protein concentration ratios at alkaline pH gave values for n, binding site numbers, and K, intrinsic binding coefficient, consistent with those reported in analytical studies under acidic pH, but higher than values for neutral pH. Comparative analyses of Beer's law plots for the alkaline CBB-BSA complex under different experimental conditions showed its high stability toward various interferences, such as pH, strong detergents, temperature, light, prolonged storage, as well as high affinity for tannins. The hydrophobic nature of the CBB-BSA association at alkaline pH was tested.

Scientific facts behind creatine monohydrate as sport nutrition supplement.

Currently, strong efforts are being made toward demonstrating possible risks of using pure creatine monohydrate (Cr.H2O). In this article, scientific facts and considerations are presented, which support such concern. A further attempt is made to pursue the concept of possible risks of uncontrolled supplementation in athletes with pure Cr.H2O. The problem is viewed from the scientific evidence that a highly conservative mechanism of homeostatic feed-back inhibitory self-regulation of Cr biosynthesis in the body has been evolutionary developed. It is shown that numerous features characteristic to Cr biosynthesis, metabolism, and regulation allow to interpret its stimulatory action in the body as endocrine hormone-like. Based on this assumption, a practical approach for detecting altered links in Cr metabolism and biosynthesis under conditions of pure Cr.H2O overdosing, is suggested. Strategic considerations regarding early diagnosis, prognosis, and correction of the down-regulated endogenous Cr biosynthesis in athletes on continuous pure Cr.H2O supplementation, are discussed. As a high efficient and safe alternative to pure Cr.H2O, a complex nutrition supplement formula for elite athletes is proposed, which exploits natural alpha-ketoglutarate as a vehicle for delivering exogenous low molecular biologically-active compounds, including Cr.

A mathematical model describing tannin-protein association.

A quantitative model is derived for tannin-protein binding and protein precipitation in solution. This model is based on the assumption that precipitation occurs when the number of tannin molecules associated with one protein molecule attains a critical value. Precipitation occurs at this point because tannin crosslinking causes formation of large protein aggregates. Analytical expressions were derived for the dependence of protein precipitate yields upon the concentrations of the protein and tannin in solution. This expression fits reasonably well the experimentally observed bell-shaped dependencies of bovine serum albumin or gelatin precipitation upon total protein and tannin concentrations.

Effect of creatine phosphate on the contractile activity in acutely failing rat heart.

The hypothesis was tested that infusion of a solution containing creatine phosphate (CP) into rats with acutely failing hearts would enhance recovery of cardiac function. The acutely failing heart was produced by constricting the ascending aorta. This overload produced failure in approximately 25 min. At the point of failure the constriction was removed and solutions containing sterile physiological saline (PSS), PSS and CP, PSS and creatine, or PSS and creatine plus phosphate were infused. Cardiac function was assessed from systolic and diastolic blood pressure, +/- dp/dt, heart rate, and cardiac work. Ca2+ uptake by isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum and the concentrations of selected blood and tissue metabolites were measured. Normal cardiac function was restored in the PSS-CP infused rats whereas all other treatments did not restore cardiac function. Adenosine triphosphate and CP had declined in the myocardium of the failing hearts while lactate was elevated. The concentrations of these metabolites were normal in the PSS-CP infused animals. The glycogen concentration in the myocardium was reduced following the constriction. Ca2+ uptake by isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum was depressed in the failed hearts but normal in the hearts of CP-infused animals. These results demonstrate that the infusion of CP into animals with failing hearts can be effective in restoring cardiac function.