The flavonol quercetin-3-glucoside inhibits cyanidin-3-glucoside absorption in vitro

At present, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for intestinal absorption of anthocyanins (ACNs). For example, it has not yet been established if ACNs are absorbed through an active transport mechanism, such as the sodium-dependent glucose transporter (SGLT1), or by passive diffusion. Previously, we found that the absorption of ACNs differs between regions of the digestive tract and is maximal in the jejunum, suggesting that an active transport mechanism is involved. In the present study, we examined the effect of d-glucose (main substrate of SGLT1), phloridzin (inhibitor of SGLT1), and quercetin-3-glucose (Q3G, a flavonol) on the absorption of cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G; approximately 5 micromol/L) by mouse jejunum mounted in Ussing chambers. We found that the presence of either D-glucose (10, 20, and 40 mmol/L) or phloridzin (50, 100, and 200 micromol/L) resulted in a small but insignificant inhibition of C3G disappearance from the mucosal solution (decrease of disappearance with glucose, 33%; with phloridzin, 18%; NS). However, when the flavonol Q3G (50 micromol/L) was added to the mucosal solution together with the C3G, the disappearance of C3G was significantly decreased (74%; p < 0.001), and Q3G disappeared instead. In addition, we found phloretin and quercetin, the aglycones of phloridzin and Q3G, respectively, present in the mucosal solution and tissue extracts, indicating hydrolysis of these compounds by the enterocytes of the jejunum. In contrast, the aglycone cyanidin was not detected at all. Our results show that in the mouse small intestine, ACN absorption is not solely dependent on the activity of the SGLT1 transporter, as d-glucose and phloridzin had only a slight effect on uptake. Q3G, however, clearly inhibited C3G disappearance. These results suggest that there might be a competitive inhibition between C3G and Q3G absorption. It is possible that an absorption mechanism other than the SGLT1 is involved, which has a structural preference toward flavonols.     

Receptor activation alters inner surface potential during phagocytosis

The surface potential of biological membranes varies according to their lipid composition. We devised genetically encoded probes to assess surface potential in intact cells. These probes revealed marked, localized alterations in the charge of the inner surface of the plasma membrane of macrophages during the course of phagocytosis. Hydrolysis of phosphoinositides and displacement of phosphatidylserine accounted for the change in surface potential at the phagosomal cup. Signaling molecules such as K-Ras, Rac1, and c-Src that are targeted to the membrane by electrostatic interactions were rapidly released from membrane subdomains where the surface charge was altered by lipid remodeling during phagocytosis.     

Clostridium perfringens type A fatal acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in a dog

The morning after participating in a dog show, a 2-year-old Pomeranian dog was found dead in a pool of bloody feces. Necropsy revealed hemorrhagic gastroenteritis of the entire gastrointestinal tract, with many Gram-positive bacilli on the surface and in the lumen and crypts of the intestine. Enterotoxin-positive type A Clostridium perfringens were isolated in large numbers. This dramatic case of fatal C. perfringens gastroenteritis highlights the need to better understand the role of this bacterium in enteric disease of dogs.     

Biomass Production and Net Ecosystem Exchange Following Defoliation in a Wet Sedge Community

Riparian ecosystems provide many ecosystem services, including serving as an important forage resource for livestock grazing operations. We evaluated defoliation impacts on above- and belowground production, and net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ (NEE), in a wet sedge (Carex nebrascensis Dewey)-dominated plant community. In June or July of 2004–2005, experimental plots were clipped to 10 cm stubble height and paired control plots left unclipped. All plots were clipped to 2.5 cm in mid-September, and end-of-season and season-long aboveground production calculated. Root ingrowth cores were used to estimate annual root production and root length density (RLD). A portable gas exchange system and plexiglass chamber were used to measure NEE in 2005. An elevated water table in 2005 vs. 2004 was associated with higher (P &spilt; 0.001) season-long aboveground production (about double), but lower (P ≤ 0.05) belowground production (about half). Total productivity did not differ between years, but below-:aboveground ratios were 3× higher in 2004 vs. 2005. RLD was not different between years (P &spigt; 0.05). Clipping reduced (P ≤ 0.05) end-of-season aboveground standing crop by 33% to 73% depending on clipping month and year. Effects of clipping month on season-long aboveground production were inconsistent between years; June clipping decreased (P ≤ 0.05) production (-10%) in 2005 and July clipping decreased (P ≤ 0.05) production (-25%) in 2004. NEE for June-clipped plots recovered within 1 mo of clipping, whereas NEE for plots clipped in July remained below unclipped levels at the end of the growing season. Water table levels strongly influenced below-:aboveground ratios, although total production was relatively stable between years. Year effects overwhelmed clipping effects on season-long aboveground production. Defoliation after mid-summer did not allow recovery of photosynthetic capacity by the end of the growing season, suggesting the potential for long-term impact with regular late-season defoliation.     

Efficient Screening of Marine Extracts for Protease Inhibitors by Combining FRET Based Activity Assays and Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy Based Binding Assays

The screening of extracts from marine organisms is a widely used strategy to discover new drug leads. A common problem in the screening process is the generation of false positive hits through unspecific effects from the complex chemical composition of the crude extracts. In this study, we explored a combination of a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) based activity assay and a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based binding assay to avoid this problem. An aqueous extract was prepared from rest raw material of the Norwegian spring spawning herring, and further fractionated by methanol solubility and solid phase extraction. FRET based activity assays were used to determine the influence of each extract on the activity of different proteases. Several extracts showed more than 50% inhibition. The inhibition mechanisms were elucidated by SPR based competition experiments with known inhibitors. For the secreted aspartic proteases 1, 2, 3 and HIV-1 protease, the results indicated that some extracts contain inhibitors interacting specifically with the active site of the enzymes. The study shows that a combination of an activity assay and an SPR based binding assay is a powerful tool to identify potent inhibitors in marine extracts. Furthermore, the study shows that marine vertebrates offer an interesting source for new bioactive compounds, although they have rarely been explored for this purpose.     

Acupuncture: an ancient medical technique revived

Extract

With the opening of China to the West, there has been vastly increased impetus given to studying the methods, philosophies and knowledge of the oldest civilisation in existence.