Isolation and Identification of Peptides from Soy 11S-Globulin with Hypocholesterolemic Activity

A peptide with hypocholesterolemic activity was isolated by HPLC from the pepsin hydrolysate of 11S-globulin. Its molecular weight (755.2 Da) and amino-acid sequence (Ile-Ala-Val-Pro-Gly-Glu-Val-Ala) were established. The hypocholesterolemic effect was determined by analysis of bile-acid binding and the percent inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase in vitro. The lowering of the cholesterol content is explained by bile acids bound to hydrolysate peptides shielding them from reabsorption and stimulating the transformation of cholesterol in blood plasma. __________ Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 585–588, November–December, 2005.     

Modulation of the caveolin-3 and Akt status in caveolae by insulin resistance in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts

We investigated glucose uptake and the translocation of Akt and caveolin-3 in response to insulin in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts exposed to an experimental insulin resistance condition of 100 nM insulin in a 25 mM glucose containing media for 24 h. The cells under the insulin resistance condition exhibited a decrease in insulin-stimulated 2-deoxy[(3)H]glucose uptake as compared to control cells grown in 5 mM glucose media. In addition to a reduction in insulin-induced Akt translocation to membranes, we observed a significant decrease in insulin-stimulated membrane association of phosphorylated Akt with a consequent increase of the cytosolic pool. Actin remodeling in response to insulin was also greatly retarded in the cells. When translocation of Akt and caveolin-3 to caveolae was examined, the insulin resistance condition attenuated localization of Akt and caveolin-3 to caveolae from cytosol. As a result, insulin-stimulated Akt activation in caveolae was significantly decreased. Taken together, our data indicate that the decrease of glucose uptake into the cells is related to their reduced levels of caveolin-3, Akt and phosphorylated Akt in caveolae. We conclude that the insulin resistance condition induced the retardation of their translocation to caveolae and in turn caused an attenuation in insulin signaling, namely activation of Akt in caveolae for glucose uptake into H9c2 cardiomyoblasts.     

Pulsed-Spray Radiofrequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition of CuInS2 Thin Films

Thin films of CuInS₂ were grown on various substrates at a temperature of 523 K from two metal-organic precursors using radiofrequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Two precursor molecules, with different solubility properties, were dissolved in appropriate solvents and sprayed into the plasma region in the PECVD chamber. The resulting films were examined for atomic composition, growth rate, crystalline orientation, and uniformity. Films made from each precursor differed in thickness, atomic composition, and crystallinity. The uniformity of the film was fairly good from near the edge to the center of the substrate, and evidence for a chalcopyrite-like structure was found in several samples deposited from one of the precursor molecules.     

Borate Complexation and Mixed Cyclodextrin Additives for Chiral Separation of Propranolol and Its Metabolites by Capillary Electrophoresis

A buffer system of borate with charged (carboxymethyl-β-CD) and uncharged (β-CD) cyclodextrins (CDs) was employed in the chiral resolution and separation of propranolol and its selected major metabolites. By appropriate choice of buffer and additive conditions, chiral resolution of all of the compounds studied was achieved in a single analysis, where near baseline resolution was found for the difficult to resolve propranolol-glycol (Pr-glycol). This has not been observed in previous studies of propranolol and its metabolites.     

Characterization of DNA immobilization and subsequent hybridization using in situ quartz crystal microbalance, fluorescence spectroscopy, and surface plasmon resonance

We have characterized the immobilization of thiol-modified oligomers on Au surfaces and subsequent hybridization with a perfectly matched or single-base mismatched target using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and fluorescence spectroscopy. The surface density of immobilized probe molecules and the hybridization efficiency depending on the type of buffer and salt concentration were investigated. We observed some ambiguities in surface coverage deduced from QCM measurement and adopted a complementary fluorescence displacement method. Direct comparison of surface coverage deduced from frequency change in QCM measurement and determined by the fluorescence exchange reaction revealed that QCM results are highly overestimated and the amount of overestimation strongly depends on the type of buffer and the structure of the film. Discrimination capability of the surface attached 15-mer probe was also examined using a single-base mismatched target at various hybridization temperatures. Hybridization efficiency depending on the type of single base mismatch was investigated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR).     

Separation of Phenols from the Leaves of Toona Sinensis (Meliaceae) by Capillary Electrophoresis

A micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) method, using UV detection, was developed for the determination of polyphenols in Toona sinensis (Meliaceae); the procedure involved precipitation of polyphenols from the leaves of T. sinensis using methanol. The structures can be established with fifteen compounds including methyl gallate, gallic acid, kaempferol, quercitin, quercitrin, rutin, kaempferol‐glucoside, catechin, epicatechin, stearic acid, palmitic acid, β‐sitosterol, stigmasterol, β‐sitosteryl‐glucoside, and stigmasteryl‐glucoside by spectroscopic analysis. However, there has been no investigation to quantitate the polyphenols that form T. sinensis. Thus, seven polyphenols of T. sinensis with UV absorbance, catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), methyl gallate (MG), rutin (R), gallic acid (G), quercitrin (Q), and kaempferol (K) were separated within 10 min with a 40 cm uncoated fused‐silica column, with the RSD < 3% (migration times), voltage at 15 kV using this method. On‐column detection was carried out at 254 nm. The detection limit of this method for all analytes ranged from 19.5 to 0.02 μM (RSD < 3.1%). The method provided a rapid and sensitive identification of polyphenols of interest in T. sinensis and is suitable for biological activity studies.