Effects of long-term alendronate treatment on bone mineralisation, resorption parameters and biomechanics of single human vertebral trabeculae.

Due to their well-established fracture risk reduction, bisphosphonates are the most frequently used therapeutic agent to treat osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates reduce fracture risk by suppressing bone resorption, but the lower bone turnover could have a negative impact on bone quality at the tissue level. Here, we directly assess the structural and mechanical characteristics of cancellous bone from the lumbar vertebrae (L5) in non-treated osteoporotic controls (n=21), mid-term alendronate-treated osteoporotic patients (n=6), and long-term alendronate-treated osteoporotic patients (n=7). The strength and toughness of single trabeculae were evaluated, while the structure was characterised through measurements of microdamage accumulation, mineralisation distribution, and histological indices. The alendronate-treated cases had a reduced eroded surface (ES/BS, p<0.001) and a higher bone mineralisation in comparison to non-treated controls (p=0.037), which is indicative of low turnover associated with treatment. However, the amount of microdamage and the mechanical properties were similar among the control and treatment groups. As the tissue mineral density (TMD) increased significantly with alendronate treatment compared to non-treated osteoporotic controls, the reduction in resorption cavities could counterbalance the higher TMD allowing the alendronate-treated bone to maintain its mechanical properties and resist microdamage accumulation. A multivariate analysis of the possible predictors supports the theory that multiple factors (e.g., body mass index, TMD, and ES/BS) can impact the mechanical properties. Our results suggest that long-term alendronate treatment shows no adverse impact on mechanical cancellous bone characteristics.

Activity of histone H1.2 in infected burn wounds.

OBJECTIVES: Infections with multidrug-resistant microorganisms (e.g. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) cause immense complications in wound care and in the treatment of immunosuppressed patients. Like most antimicrobial peptides, histones are relatively small polycationic proteins located in each eukaryotic nucleus, which naturally supercoil DNA. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo activity of histone H1.2 in infected burn wounds and its potential toxicity. METHODS: To characterize the antimicrobial properties of histone H1.2 against potential causative organisms of burn wound infections, the in vitro radial diffusion assay and modified NCCLS microbroth dilution MIC assay were carried out. Haemolytic and cytotoxic properties were determined in human red blood cells and primary human keratinocytes. In vivo antimicrobial activity was tested in an infected rat burn model with P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853). All results were compared with the naturally occurring broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide protegrin-1 and with antibiotics clinically used against the corresponding bacteria. RESULTS: Human histone H1.2 exerted good antimicrobial activity against all tested microorganisms without significant haemolytic activity. Surprisingly, histone H1.2 showed cytotoxicity with an LD50 of 7.91 mg/L in primary human keratinocytes. The in vivo burn model data revealed a significant three-fold higher reduction in bacterial counts within 4 h compared with carrier control. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that histone H1.2 is a potential candidate for use as a local and, because of its low haemolytic activity, systemic antimicrobial agent. However, further investigations are needed to specify the cytotoxicity and the dose-response relationship for histone H1.2.

Interaction of G-protein-coupled receptors with synaptic scaffolding proteins.

The calcium-independent receptors for latrotoxin (CIRL1-CIRL3) constitute a family of seven-transmembrane receptors with an unsually large N-terminal extracellular domain which comprises several motifs usually found in cell adhesion molecules. By yeast two-hybrid screening, we have identified the intracellular C-termini of CIRL1 and CIRL2 as interaction partners of the PDZ domain of the proline-rich synapse-associated protein (ProSAP)/somatostatin receptor-interacting protein (SSTRIP) family of postsynaptic proteins (SSTRIP, ProSAP1 and ProSAP2, also known as shank1-shank3 respectively). Overlay assays indicate that the ProSAP1/shank2 PDZ domain in particular interacts strongly with the C-terminus of CIRL1 and CIRL2. Co-immunoprecipitation of ProSAP1 and CIRL1 (but not CIRL2) from rat brain extracts indicates that this interaction also occurs in vivo in rat brain. The known postsynaptic localization of ProSAP1, as well as our observation that CIRL1 (but not CIRL2) is enriched in postsynaptic density preparations from the rat brain, suggests that CIRL1 is localized pre- as well as post-synaptically in the central nervous system.