Involvement of Progranulin and Granulin Expression in Inflammatory Responses after Cerebral Ischemia.

Progranulin (PGRN) plays a crucial role in diverse biological processes, including cell proliferation and embryonic development. PGRN can be cleaved by neutrophil elastase to release granulin (GRN). PGRN has been found to inhibit inflammation. Whereas, GRN plays a role as a pro-inflammatory factor. However, the pathophysiological roles of PGRN and GRN, at early stages after cerebral ischemia, have not yet been fully understood. The aim of this study was to obtain further insight into the pathologic roles of PGRN and GRN. We demonstrated that the amount of PGRN was significantly increased in microglial cells after cerebral ischemia in rats and that neutrophil elastase activity was also increased at an early stage after cerebral ischemia, resulting in the production of GRN. The inhibition of neutrophil elastase activity suppressed PGRN cleavage and GRN production, as well as the increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, after cerebral ischemia. The administration of an elastase inhibitor decreased the number of injured cells and improved the neurological deficits test scores. Our findings suggest that an increase in the activity of elastase to cleave PGRN, and to produce GRN, was involved in an inflammatory response at the early stages after cerebral ischemia, and that inhibition of elastase activity could suppress the progression of cerebral ischemic injury.

Reactive oxygen species scavenging ability of a new compound derived from weathered coal.

The scavenging activity of three fulvic acids (named XWCS-1, XWCS-4, and XWCS-8 according to time taken for ozonolysis) obtained by ozonolysis of humic acid extracted from Xinjiang (China) weathered coal and a fulvic acid (named XWCFA) extracted from the same coal towards reactive oxygen species such as superoxide radical (O(2)(.)(-)) and hydroxyl radical ((.)OH) was investigated with an electron spin resonance (ESR)-spin trapping method using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) as a spin trap. O(2)(.)(-) was generated with a hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system. (.)OH was generated by three different methods; (i) FeSO(4)-hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) system, (ii) Cu(en)(2)-H(2)O(2) system, and (iii) UVB photolysis of H(2)O(2). At physiological pH, XWCS-1 had the greatest O(2)(.)(-) scavenging activity, followed by XWCS-4, XWCS-8 and XWCFA. XWCFA had the greatest ?OH scavenging activity among the four fulvic acids, whereas XWCS-1 and XWCS-4 enhanced the production of (.)OH from a metal-catalyzed hydroxyl radical generating system, suggesting that these molecules act as prooxidants in the presence of metal ion.

Structural analysis of an extracellular polysaccharide bioflocculant of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The glycoside composition and sequence of an extracellular polysaccharide flocculant of Klebsiella pneumoniae H12 was analyzed. GC and HPLC analysis of the acid-hydrolysate identified its constituent monosaccharides as D-Glc, D-Man, D-Gal, and D-GlcA in an approximate molar ratio of 3.9:1.0:2.3:3.6. To analyze the glycoside sequence, the polysaccharide was partially hydrolyzed by acid and enzyme treatment. GC, HPLC, TLC, MALDI-TOF/MS, and 1H- and 13C- NMR spectroscopy characterized the obtained oligosaccharides. The results clarified the partial structure of H12 polysaccharide as a linear polymer of a unit of pentasaccharide with a side chain of one D-GlcA to D-Glc moiety (see below). Although the existence of other sequences or other constituent glycosides could not be fully excluded, H12 polysaccharide must be a novel types as such a complicated unit for a polymer has not so far been reported. The partial structure of a H12 polysaccharide flocculant is also discussed in this report. [structure: see text]