Biomedical subjects

C J Xu

Publications and source records attributed to C J Xu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Chemometric treatment of vanillin fingerprint chromatograms. Effect of different signal alignments on principal component analysis plots.

This study describes the chemometric treatment of vanillin fingerprint chromatograms to distinguish vanillin from different sources. Prior to principal component analysis, which is used to discriminate vanillin from different origins, the fingerprints are aligned. Three alignment algorithms are tested, correlation optimized warping (COW), target peak alignment (TPA) and semi-parametric time warping (STW). The performance of the three algorithms is evaluated and the effect of the different alignments on the PCA score plots is investigated. The alignment obtained with STW differs somewhat from that with COW and TPA. However, equivalent score plots were obtained regarding the different vanillin groups.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2001

DNA recombination and RNA cleavage activities of the Flp protein: roles of two histidine residues in the orientation and activation of the nucleophile for strand cleavage.

Using a combination of DNA and hybrid DNA-RNA substrates, we have analyzed the mechanism of phosphoryl transfer by the Flp site-specific recombinase in three different reactions: DNA strand breakage and joining, and two types of RNA cleavage activities. These reactions were then used to characterize Flp variants altered at His309 and His345, amino acid residues that are in close proximity to two key catalytic residues (Arg308 and Tyr343). These histidine residues are important for strand cutting by Tyr343, the active-site nucleophile of Flp, but neither residue contributes to the type II RNA cleavage activity or to the strand-joining reaction in a pre-cleaved substrate. Strand cleavage reactions using small, diffusible nucleophiles indicate that this histidine pair contributes to the correct positioning and activation of Tyr343 within the shared active site of Flp. The implications of these results are evaluated against the recently solved crystal structure of Flp in association with a Holliday junction.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

PubMed2001

Resolution of the essential constituents of Ramulus cinnamomi by an evolving chemometric approach.

The analysis of complex mixtures, such as those of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is difficult by conventional methods of analysis. Chemometric methods provide a new way to solve such problems. Subwindow factor analysis (SFA) paired with the evolving window orthogonal projection (EWOP) method, has been used as a new evolving approach to the resolution of volatile components of Ramulus cinnamomi (RC). Compared with conventional chromatographic analysis, the chromatographic separation conditions necessary are greatly mitigated in our approach, yet the accuracy of qualitative and quantitative results is improved, because the measured data matrix has been resolved into chromatograms and mass spectra of the chemical components. Our method is, moreover, friendly to use and easy to program. Experimental results show the efficiency and convenience of the proposed approach. Forty-seven of the seventy-eight separated constituents in an essential oil, accounting for 89.55% of the sample, were identified by mass spectroscopy (MS).

Chromatography↗

PubMed2001

[Molecular cloning of full length capsanthin/capsorubin synthase homologous gene from orange (Citrus sinensis)].

The complete sequence of orange homologous capsanthin/capsorubin synthase gene is 3788 bp long with a coding sequence of 1512 bp, which encodes a polypeptide of 503 amino acids. The 5' upstream sequence is 1721 bp long and the 3' downstream sequence is 555 bp long. The amino acid sequence of this gene is 78% and 69% identical to the genes from carrot and pepper, respectively. It is also partially homologous to plant neoxanthin synthase, lycopene beta-cyclase and lycopene epsilon cyclase genes. Isolation of the gene provides a framework for elucidation of the mechanisms involved in inability of citrus to produce capsanthin and capsorubin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

[Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of clinafloxacin in rats].

AIM: To study the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of clinafloxacin in rats. METHODS: The drug concentration was determined by HPLC. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained by 3P87 program. An RP-C18 was used as the stationary phase. The mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile-0.05 mol.L-1 citric acid triethylamine (pH 2.5) (20:80). The flow rate was 1.0 mL.min-1. The UV absorbance detector was set at 300 nm. RESULTS: A good linearity was obtained from 0.03-20 micrograms.mL-1 of clinafloxacin in rat plasma with gamma = 0.9998. The plasma concentration--time curve of clinafloxacin conformed to one compartment open model. After ig administration of 50 mg.kg-1 and 100 mg.kg-1 dose of clinafloxacin in six rats, mean Cmax and AUC values increased in proportion to dose. Mean T1/2 appeared to be independent of dose. Mean AUC was 65 +/- 6 and 27 +/- 4 micrograms.h.mL-1 respectively after i.v. and ig administration of 100 mg.kg-1 dose. The extent of bioavailability (F) of clinafloxacin was 42%. CONCLUSION: The results of the pharmacokinetic study of clinafloxacin showed that it exhibited first order kinetic characteristics and the bioavailability is low.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Caspase-8 is required for cell death induced by expanded polyglutamine repeats.

We show here that caspase-8 is required for the death of primary rat neurons induced by an expanded polyglutamine repeat (Q79). Expression of Q79 recruited and activated caspase-8. Inhibition of caspase-8 blocked polyglutamine-induced cell death. Coexpression of Q79 with the caspase inhibitor CrmA, a dominant-negative mutant of FADD (FADD DN), Bcl-2, or Bcl-xL, but not an N-terminally tagged Bcl-xL, prevented the recruitment of caspase-8 and inhibited polyglutamine-induced cell death. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed the presence of activated caspase-8 in the insoluble fraction of affected brain regions from Huntington's disease (HD) patients but not in those from neurologically unremarkable controls, suggesting the relocation and activation of caspase-8 during the pathogenesis of HD. These results suggest an essential role of caspase-8 in HD-related neural degenerative diseases.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed1999

Pharmacokinetics of 2-hydroxyflutamide, a major metabolite of flutamide, in normal and CCl4-poisoned rats.

AIM: To study the pharmacokinetics of 2-hydroxyflutamide (HF), a major active metabolite of flutamide (Flu), in normal and CCl4-poisoned rats. METHODS: Normal and CCl4-poisoned rats were given i.g. HF 25 mg.kg-1. HF concentrations of plasma were determined by HPLC with YWG C 18 column, Flu was used as an internal standard. The mobile phase was composed of methanol: water = 3:2 (vol), and absorbance was measured at lambda 295 nm. RESULTS: HF elimination was inhibited in CCl4-poisoned rats compared with normal rats. K decreased from (0.11 +/- 0.05) to (0.05 +/- 0.01) h-1 (P < 0.01), T1/2 was prolonged from (6.8 +/- 1.9) to (14 +/- 4) h (P < 0.01), Cl decreased from (0.18 +/- 0.06) to (0.12 +/- 0.02) L.kg-1.h-1 (P < 0.05), AUC increased from (149 +/- 47) to (226 +/- 54) mg.L-1.h (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This HPLC assay was sensitive and precise, and the elimination of HF was inhibited due to CCl4 poisoning.

Androgen Antagonists↗

PubMed1998

Flp ribonuclease activities. Mechanistic similarities and contrasts to site-specific DNA recombination.

The ribonuclease active site harbored by the Flp site-specific recombinase can act on two neighboring phosphodiester bonds to yield mechanistically distinct chain breakage reactions. One of the RNase reactions apparently proceeds via a covalent enzyme intermediate and targets the phosphodiester position involved in DNA recombination (Flp RNase I activity). The second activity (Flp RNase II) targets the phosphodiester immediately to the 3' side but appears not to involve an enzyme-linked intermediate. Flp RNase I is absolutely dependent upon Tyr-343 of Flp and is competitive with respect to the normal strand joining reaction. It can utilize the 2'-hydroxyl group from any one of the four ribonucleotides with comparable efficiencies in the cleavage reaction. On the other hand, the RNase II reaction mediated by Flp(Y343F) is specific for U and cannot utilize the 2'-hydroxyl group from ribo-A, -G, or -C under standard reaction conditions. The RNase II activity is also sensitive to the 3'-neighboring base. Although dT is functional, the activity is stimulated by U or U-2'-OMe. The Flp RNase II reaction effectively competes with the normal strand cleavage reaction mediated by Tyr-343, even though their phosphodiester targets are not the same.

DNA↗

PubMed1998

Cleavage of BID by caspase 8 mediates the mitochondrial damage in the Fas pathway of apoptosis.

We report here that BID, a BH3 domain-containing proapoptotic Bcl2 family member, is a specific proximal substrate of Casp8 in the Fas apoptotic signaling pathway. While full-length BID is localized in cytosol, truncated BID (tBID) translocates to mitochondria and thus transduces apoptotic signals from cytoplasmic membrane to mitochondria. tBID induces first the clustering of mitochondria around the nuclei and release of cytochrome c independent of caspase activity, and then the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cell shrinkage, and nuclear condensation in a caspase-dependent fashion. Coexpression of BclxL inhibits all the apoptotic changes induced by tBID. Our results indicate that BID is a mediator of mitochondrial damage induced by Casp8.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Unveiling two distinct ribonuclease activities and a topoisomerase activity in a site-specific DNA recombinase.

The site-specific DNA recombinase Flp shows two types of RNA cleavage activities on hybrid DNA-RNA substrates. One targets the phosphodiester position involved in DNA recombination and follows a related mechanistic path. In this two-step reaction, first-strand scission is mediated by a nucleophilic attack of the scissile phosphodiester bond by the active site tyrosine of Flp. The resultant 3'-O-phosphoryl tyrosine bond is then attacked by the adjacent 2'-hydroxyl group. The second activity targets the immediately adjacent phosphodiester bond to the 3' side using a distinct mechanism. In this reaction, the vicinal 2'-hydroxyl directly attacks the phosphate group in a manner that is reminiscent of the pancreatic RNase mechanism. The Flp protein can also be shown to possess a topoisomerase-like activity.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Menadione reduced doxorubicin resistance in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in vitro.

AIM: To study the effect of menadione (Men) reducing doxorubicin (Dox) resistance in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells resistant to Dox (EAC/Dox cells). METHODS: Glutathione (GSH) content and membrane fluidity were measured by fluorometric assay and fluorescence depolarization assay, respectively. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was measured with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as the substrate. Cell viability was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. RESULTS: GSH content, GST activity, and membrane fluidity in EAC/Dox cells were higher than those in EAC cells (P < 0.01). The IC50 (95% confidence limits) for Dox on EAC/Dox cell was 22.3 (15.8-28.8) mg.L-1. Relative resistance of Dox in EAC/Dox cells was 42-fold. Pretreatment of EAC/Dox cells with Men 5 or 10 mg.L-1 decreased intracellular GSH content (P < 0.01). Men 1 mg.L-1 had no obvious effect on GSH content in EAC/Dox cells (P > 0.05), but decreased the elevated membrane fluidity efficiently (P < 0.05). Men had no obvious effect on GST activity in EAC/Dox cells (P > 0.05). IC50 of Dox was reduced to 9.6 (7.8-11.3), 6.0 (2.8-9.2), or 5.3 (3.9-6.7) mg.L-1 in EAC/Dox cells pretreated with Men 1, 5, or 10 mg.L-1. CONCLUSION: Men reduced Dox resistance effectively due in part to its depletion of GSH content in EAC/Dox cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Pharmacokinetics of flutamide and its metabolite 2-hydroxyflutamide in normal and hepatic injury rats.

AIM: To develop a new HPLC assay to study the pharmacokinetics of flutamide (Flu) and its active metabolite 2-hydroxyflutamide (HF) in rats. METHODS: Normal or hepatic injury rats were given i.g. Flu 50 mg.kg-1. Reverse phase HPLC was developed with a mu-Bondapak C 18 column. Internal standard was methyltestosterone. The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol:acetonitrile:water:diethyl ether = 40:20:35:1 (vol). Absorbance was measured at lambda 234 nm. RESULTS: The pharmacokinetic parameters of Flu were as follows: in normal rats, K = 0.62 +/- 0.16 h-1, Cl = 6.0 +/- 1.0 L.kg-1.h-1, AUC = 8.6 +/- 1.3 mg.L-1.h, Cmax = 2.4 +/- 0.7 mg.L-1; in hepatic injury rats, K = 0.16 +/- 0.03 h-1, Cl = 0.63 +/- 0.29 L.kg-1.h-1, AUC = 100 +/- 44 mg.L-1.h, Cmax = 6.7 +/- 2.8 mg.L-1. The pharmacokinetic parameters of HF were as follows: in normal rats, K(m) = 0.07 +/- 0.01 h-1, AUC = 219 +/- 22 mg.L-1.h, Cmax = 8.6 +/- 0.6 mg.L-1; in hepatic injury rats, K(m) = 0.05 +/- 0.01 h-1, AUC = 170 +/- 42 mg.L-1.h, Cmax = 3.8 +/- 0.8 mg.L-1. There were significant differences between the parameters of normal and hepatic injury rats (P < 0.01) except AUC of HF (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This HPLC assay was sensitive and precise, and the elimination of Flu and HF was inhibited significantly due to hepatic injury.

Androgen Antagonists↗

PubMed1997

Aggregation of beta-amyloid peptide is promoted by membrane phospholipid metabolites elevated in Alzheimer's disease brain.

Increased amounts of beta-amyloid (A beta) peptide deposits are found in Alzheimer's disease brain. These amyloid deposits have been implicated in the pathophysiology of this common dementing illness. A beta peptides have been shown to be toxic to neurons in cell culture, and this toxicity is critically dependent on the aggregation of the peptide into cross-beta-pleated sheet fibrils. Also, in vivo and postmortem NMR studies have shown changes in certain brain membrane phospholipid metabolites in normal aging and more extensive alterations in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The finding that membrane phospholipids affect the aggregation of A beta suggests that the abnormalities in membrane metabolism found in Alzheimer's disease could affect the deposition of A beta in vivo. Therefore, we examined the effect of membrane phospholipid metabolites that are altered in Alzheimer's disease brain on the aggregation of A beta(1-40) using a light scattering method. Certain metabolites (glycerophosphocholine, glycerophosphoethanolamine, and alpha-glycerophosphate) augment the aggregation of A beta. Other membrane phospholipid metabolites (phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine, and inositol-1-phosphate) have no effect. We conclude that increased membrane phospholipid metabolite concentrations may play a role in the deposition of A beta seen in normal aging and the even greater deposition of A beta observed in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed1996

Phosphocreatine-dependent glutamate uptake by synaptic vesicles. A comparison with atp-dependent glutamate uptake.

ATP-dependent uptake of glutamate into synaptic vesicles has been well documented. Stimulation of glutamate uptake into synaptic vesicles by other high-energy phosphates has not been described. In this paper, we examine the stimulation of phosphocreatine (PCr)-induced glutamate uptake and determine whether this stimulation is secondary to conversion of PCr to ATP. We found the following. 1) PCr stimulates glutamate uptake into synaptic vesicles in the absence of added ATP. 2) At a glutamate concentration of 50 microM, no concentration of added ATP could produce the degree of stimulation seen in the presence of PCr. 3) 0.5 mM iodoacetamide completely inhibits synaptic vesicle creatine kinase activity but does not inhibit PCr-stimulated glutamate uptake. 4) PCr-dependent glutamate uptake, unlike ATP-dependent uptake, is not magnesium- or chloride-dependent. 5) 0.5 mM N-ethylmaleimide, a selective H+-ATPase inhibitor, completely inhibits ATP-dependent glutamate uptake but only slightly inhibits PCr-dependent glutamate uptake. 6) PCr-dependent glutamate uptake is sensitive to valinomycin, a K+/H+ translocator, whereas the ATP-dependent uptake is not. Therefore, it appears that in addition to the well-known ATP-dependent glutamate uptake system, there is a previously unreported PCr-dependent glutamate uptake system in synaptic vesicles. The total glutamate uptake by synaptic vesicles is likely the sum of both ATP- and PCr-dependent glutamate uptake.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1995

Structural determinants of activity at the GABAB receptor. A comparison of phosphoethanolamine and related GABA analogs.

Phosphoethanolamine is a phosphomonoester that is reduced in Alzheimer disease brain. Despite its close structural similarity to GABA and the GABAB partial agonist 3-aminopropylphosphonic acid, phosphoethanolamine binds very poorly to GABAB receptors (IC50 = 7.5 +/- 0.8 mM). In this study, we examined whether the marked decrease in binding affinity associated with the presence of an ester oxygen in place of the alpha-CH2 group of GABAergic compounds also occurred in sulfonates and used high resolution solution NMR and molecular mechanics calculations to determine the structural basis of this decrease in activity. The sulfonate analog of GABA, 3-amino-propylsulfonic acid, became > 2500-fold less potent when the alpha-CH2 was replaced by an ester oxygen. Structural studies showed that the active alpha-CH2 compounds (GABA, 3-aminopropylphosphonic acid, and 3-aminopropylsulfonic acid) prefer a fully extended conformation. The inactive compounds, phosphoethanolamine and ethanolamine-O-sulfate, exist in a gauche conformation around the C beta-C gamma bond. This study, which suggests conformational differences, may explain how PE can be so efficiently excluded from GABAB receptors, despite being present in millimolar concentrations in brain. Exclusion of phosphoethanolamine from GABAB receptors may be an important physiologic control mechanism in the regulation of inhibitory neurotransmission.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗

PubMed1994

NMR identification of the formic acid-modified residue in Alzheimer's amyloid protein.

The beta/A4-amyloid protein (beta/A4) and many synthetic fragments of this protein have proved to be very difficult to solubilize, leading to the use of relatively harsh chemical methods, most notably, formic acid. This treatment has previously been shown to cause a covalent modification of this peptide. In this study, one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques are used to show that the nature of this covalent modification is formation of a formate ester to a serine residue. This finding is consistent with our previously reported kinetic studies of formic acid-induced modification of beta/A4 and further illustrates the potential danger of solubilizing fragments of beta/A4 in formic acid. Alternative methods of solubilization are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

[A survey of commercial Chinese crude drug shasheng (radix Adenophorae and Glehniae)].

The commercial crude drug of Radix Adenophorae bought from 15 provinces and autonomous regions, and Radix Glehniae bought from 17 provinces and autonomous regions were surveyed. The original plants of 60 samples of Radix Adenophorae were identified as 9 species and 4 subspecies of genus Adenophora. The main species are Adenophora stricta, A. stricta subsp. sessilifolia, A. potaninii and A. hunanensis. Sixty two samples of Radix Glehniae were all identified as the roots of Glehnia littoralis.

China↗

PubMed1992

Association of alpha-phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C with phospholipid vesicles.

The alpha isoform of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (alpha-PI-PLC, Mr 62,000) was purified from bovine brain. Enzyme activity was dependent on calcium, sodium cholate and showed the anticipated specificity for the phosphatidylinositols. Calcium interaction with this protein, investigated by gel filtration chromatography, showed no detectable binding at calcium concentrations adequate to activate the enzyme. Association of alpha-PI-PLC with phospholipid vesicles was studied by light scattering, fluorescence energy transfer and gel-filtration chromatography. The enzyme readily associated with vesicles of high charge density, with vesicles of crude acidic phospholipids and with PIP2. Interaction was characterized by a rapid association followed by slower addition of more protein to the phospholipid. Complexes containing 20-30 percent protein (by weight) were readily obtained. Calcium had only a small effect on this interaction. The protein-phospholipid complexes appeared to bind less calcium than a similar amount of phospholipid alone. Thus, alpha-PI-PLC did not appear to be a calcium-binding protein in either its free or membrane-associated states. Although alpha-PI-PLC showed the highest propensity to bind to phospholipids, a number of other proteins also associated with phospholipids under the conditions used. Thus, whether or not the observed interaction of alpha-PI-PLC with membranes was specific and biologically important or whether it was a process common to many proteins, was not known. Knowledge of this interaction may enhance our understanding of possible mechanisms for protein-membrane interactions in general.

Animals↗