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A modified postural drainage position produces less cardiovascular stress than a head-down position in patients with severe heart disease: a quasi-experimental study.

QUESTION: Does a modified postural drainage position (horizontal) produce less cardiovascular and respiratory stress than a head-down postural drainage position (30 degrees) in people with severe heart disease? DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one patients (mean age 69 years, SD 13) with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction (mean ejection fraction 23%, SD 7) who were stable, receiving regular medication and free of acute respiratory illness. INTERVENTION: Two manoeuvres were performed--one from long sitting to a modified (horizontal) postural drainage position, and one from long sitting to a head-down (30 degrees) postural drainage position. OUTCOME MEASURES: Cardiovascular responses examined were blood pressure, sphygmocardiographic indices, and cardiac rhythm. Respiratory responses examined were respiratory rate, transcutaneous arterial oxyyhaemoglobin saturation, and dyspnoea. RESULTS: Three participants were intolerant to the postural drainage positions--two during head-down and one during modified positioning. The remaining 28 participants maintained their resting cardiac rhythm and did not complain of chest pain or dyspnoea. The changes in cardiovascular responses during the sitting to head-down postural drainage manoeuvre in the tolerant participants were significantly greater (p < 0.05) than the changes during the sitting to the modified postural drainage manoeuvre for most of the sphygmocardiographic indices. In contrast, there were no significant respiratory responses to either postural drainage manoeuvre. CONCLUSION: Modified positioning is associated with less cardiovascular stress than head-down positioning, yet for most patients with severe heart disease, both positions are generally well tolerated. For a subset of these patients, either position may be inappropriate. This suggests that modified positioning should be attempted first but that a head-down position may be attempted if the modified position proves ineffective.

Aged↗

Cooperativity of thiol-modified myosin filaments. ATPase and motility assays of myosin function.

The effects of chemical modifications of myosin's reactive cysteines on actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activities and sliding velocities in the in vitro motility assays were examined in this work. The three types of modifications studied were 4-[N-[(iodoacetoxy)ethyl]-N-methylamino]-7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3- diazole labeling of SH2 (based on Ajtai and Burghart. 1989. Biochemistry. 28:2204-2210.), phenylmaleimide labeling of SH1, and phenylmaleimide labeling of myosin in myofibrils under rigor conditions. Each type of modified myosin inhibited the sliding of actin in motility assays. The sliding velocities of actin over copolymers of modified and unmodified myosins in the motility assay were slowest with rigor-modified myosin and most rapid with SH2-labeled myosin. The actin-activated ATPase activities of similarly copolymerized myosins were lowest with SH2-labeled myosin and highest with rigor-modified myosin. The actin-activated ATPase activities of myosin subfragment-1 obtained from these modified myosins decreased in the same linear manner with the fraction of modified heads. These results are interpreted using a model in which the sliding of actin filaments over myosin filaments decreases the probability of myosin activation by actin. The sliding velocity of actin over monomeric rigor-modified myosin exceeded that over the filamentous form, which suggests for this myosin that filament structure is important for the inhibition of actin sliding in motility assays. The fact that all cysteine modifications examined inhibited the actomyosin ATPase activities and sliding velocities of actin over myosin poses questions concerning the information about the activated crossbridge obtained from probes attached to SH1 or SH2 on myosin.

Actins↗

Long-term enhancement of entorhinal-dentate evoked potentials following 'modified' ECS in the rat.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is widely used as a treatment for drug-resistant depression. The animal analogue of ECT is electroconvulsive shock (ECS) seizures. We have recently shown that repeated ECS seizures cause a long-lasting, perhaps permanent, enhancement in entorhinal-dentate evoked potentials in the rat. Our study, however, involved 'unmodified' ECS, whereas in clinical practice ECT is now usually given in its 'modified' form (with near-threshold currents, a short-acting barbiturate, muscle relaxant and oxygen). We have therefore repeated our experiments using modified ECS. Entorhinal-dentate evoked potentials were measured in Long-Evans rats before and after: (1) eight modified ECS seizures; or (2) eight sham modified ECS trials. Despite the use of the modified procedure, a significant and long-lasting enhancement in population spike amplitude was seen in the ECS group. We conclude that the modified procedure does not protect rats against the long-lasting enhancement of evoked potentials. Similar changes may be occurring in the brains of patients subjected to modified ECT.

Animals↗

V--Y flap for perineal reconstruction following modified approach to vulvectomy in vulvar cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a simple reconstructive procedure used in combination with a modified oncological approach to the treatment of invasive vulvar cancer. Local and systemic morbidity, length of hospital stay, local recurrence, and mortality were evaluated. METHODS: Between September 1995 and January 1997, 19 patients underwent radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy with a modified oncological approach. The modified approach consisted of a triple incision: two inguinal incisions, shorter and following force lines of the groin, and a third incision around the vulvar lesion. Vulvectomy included a 2-cm safety margin around the tumor, based on clinical examination and anatomical-pathological frozen sections of the specimen. This procedure was always followed by perineal reconstruction with V-Y flaps by the plastic surgery team. Median follow-up was 12 months. The complication rate and lengths of hospital stay were evaluated and compared with those in a similar group in which radical vulvectomy was performed associated with two long longitudinal incisions in the groin. The data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The perineal and inguinal dehiscence rates in group A (traditional approach) were 68.4% and 78.94%, respectively. The same rates in group B (modified approach), were 10.5% and 36.84%, respectively. Mean hospital stay was 39.5 days in group A (traditional) vs. 14.0 days in group B (modified). At 30 months' median follow-up, the rate of local recurrence in group A (traditional) was 42.0%; at 12 months' median follow-up, local recurrence in group B (modified) was 26.3%. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the use of V-Y flaps in combination with a modified oncological approach significantly reduced local complication rates and lengths of hospital stay, while observing oncological principles.

Adult↗

A generalized theoretical treatment of the kinetics of an enzyme-catalysed reaction in the presence of an unstable irreversible modifier.

A generalized theoretical treatment of the kinetics of an enzyme-catalysed reaction in the presence of an unstable irreversible inhibitor (or activator) is presented. Analytical expressions describing the time-dependence of product formation have been derived in coefficient form amenable to non-linear regression analysis for two operationally distinct types of reaction mechanism dependent on whether the reaction of the unstable modifier (X) with either or both the free enzyme (E) and enzyme-substrate complex (ES) occurs as a simple bimolecular process, or proceeds through the intermediacy of either or both adsorptive enzyme-modifier (EX) and enzyme-modifier-substrate (EXS) complexes in what may be considered as an extension of the Botts-Morales general modifier mechanism for (stable) reversible enzyme inhibitors and activators. Special cases of both models are classified in an analogous way to the traditional naming of reversible enzyme modifications, and guidelines concerning tests of mechanism and determination of kinetic parameters are given. In particular, it has been shown that kinetic constants describing enzyme inactivation by an unstable site-specific inhibitor forming a reversible EX complex prior to covalent modification step may be determined from a single progress curve. Kinetic analysis of the extended Botts-Morales mechanism describing irreversible enzyme inactivation has demonstrated that analytical expressions describing the time-course of product formation may be derived for a stable modifier by retaining the usual steady-state assumptions regarding the fluxes around ES and EXS provided quasi-equilibrium modifier binding to E and ES is assumed, but for unstable modifiers all of the binding steps must be assumed to be at quasi-equilibrium in the steady-state, except under restrictive circumstances.

Animals↗

Laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection for prostate cancer: comparison of the extended and modified techniques.

PURPOSE: We compared the results of extended (obturator, hypogastric, common and external iliac nodes) to modified (obturator and hypogastric nodes only) laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 189 patients with stage T1 to T3 prostate cancer underwent modified (150) or extended (39) laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection for pelvic nodal assessment before definitive treatment. RESULTS: Twice as many lymph nodes were removed via extended than modified laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection (mean 17:8 versus 9.3). The overall positivity rate was 23 of 189 lymph nodes (12.2%), including 14 of 150 (7.3%) for modified and 9 of 39 (23.1%) for extended dissection (p = 0.02). Two patients (22%) who underwent extended dissection had positive lymph nodes in the external iliac area. Patients who presented with the high risk features of prostate specific antigen (PSA) greater than 20 ng./ml., Gleason score 7 or greater, or stage T2b disease or greater had a 26.5% (p = 0.0002), 22% (p = 0.0006) or 16.4% (p = 0.003) likelihood of positive lymph nodes, respectively. For extended versus modified laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection node positivity in high risk patients was 27% versus 18.8% (p = 0.4), 30 versus 26.4% (p = 0.8) and 25.4 versus 14.6% (p = 0.17) for Gleason score 7 or greater, PSA greater than 20 ng./ml. and disease stage T2b to T3a, respectively. Patients who underwent the extended procedure had a higher complication rate (35.9 versus 2%, p < 0.0001). No laparotomy was required. CONCLUSIONS: Despite yielding a 2-fold higher node count and higher node positivity rate, extended laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection offers no advantage over modified laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection for diagnosing positive lymph nodes when results are analyzed by prognostic factors. The extended procedure is associated with a much higher complication rate. In patients with the high risk features of PSA greater than 20 ng./ml., Gleason score 7 or greater and stage T2b to T3a disease modified laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection can be performed safely and effectively to help identify those who may benefit most from curative therapy.

Aged↗

Effect of water on the physical properties of resin-modified glass ionomer cements.

OBJECTIVES: Resin-modified glass ionomer cements (GIC) are available for clinical use as restorative materials or as liners and bases. This work was conducted to study the effect of water sorption on the physical properties of several resin-modified GIC, by changing the samples' storage conditions. METHODS: The water sorption, the flexural strength, the flexural elastic modulus, the Vickers hardness and the dimensional changes of five resin-modified GICs were measured using specimens aged for 24 h to 3 mon. The specimens were stored at 37 degrees C, either in a dry environment (A), immersed in water (B), stored in a humid environment (C), stored in a humid environment for 1 h and then immersed in water (D), or immersed in water and subsequently dried (B + A). An analysis of variance was used to compare the results. RESULTS: The resin-modified GIC absorb during the first 24 h large amounts of water (114-172 mg/cm3) compared to the conventional GIC (30-63 mg/cm3). Water alters the physical properties of resin-modified GICs: With regard to dry specimens, a decrease in the flexural strength of 20 to 80% was observed for samples immersed in water. Decreases in their flexural elastic modulus (50 to 80%) and in their hardness (approximately 50%) were also observed. Water sorption also provoked an expansion in volume of the immersed specimens, ranging from 3.4 to 11.3% after 24 h. SIGNIFICANCE: The flexural strength and Vickers hardness of the resin-modified GICs are sensitive to the water contained in the tested specimens. A correlation was established between the decrease in their physical properties and the water uptake. However, it should not be concluded that these materials are not adequate for use in applications in direct contact with oral fluids. Probably, resin-modified GIC placed in oral cavities would not be affected to the same extent as in in vitro tests. In an oral environment, the constituents of saliva will certainly decrease the rate of water sorption and will hence delay its effects.

Absorption↗

Saccharification and adsorption characteristics of modified cellulases with hydrophilic/hydrophobic copolymers.

Saccharification and adsorption characteristics of native and modified cellulases were investigated. Copolymers, containing polyoxyalkylene and maleic anhydride (MA) were used to modify cellulase. Amino groups of the cellulase were covalently coupled with the MA. As the degree of modification (DM) increased, the activity of modified cellulase slightly decreased. At the maximum DM, the modified cellulase activity retained more than 75% of the unmodified native cellulase activity. In saccharification, native cellulase rapidly adsorbed onto the substrate at initial reaction time. Native cellulase adsorbed tightly onto the substrate surface and did not desorb as reaction time proceeded. The strong adsorption of cellulase onto the substrate can, however, be controlled by the modification. As the hydrophilicity of modified cellulase increased, free modified enzyme concentration also increased. As a result, the conversion rate of modified cellulase was higher than the native one.

Adsorption↗

Removal of selected metal ions from aqueous solution using modified corncobs.

The objective of this study was to convert corncobs to metal ion adsorbents for wastewater treatment. Ground corncobs were modified with either 0.6 M citric acid (CA) or 1.0 M phosphoric acid (PA) to help improve their natural adsorption capacity. The effect of a combination of wash and modification treatment was tested for corncob adsorption efficiency with five different metal ions (cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc) individually or in a mixed solution containing each metal at a 20 mM concentration. Results were compared to those of commercial resins Amberlite IRC-718, Amberlite 200, Duolite GT-73 and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). Modified corncobs showed the same adsorption efficiency as Duolite GT-73 for cadmium, copper, nickel and zinc ions and had greater adsorption than CMC for nickel and zinc ions. For mixed metals, the modified corncobs exhibited the same adsorption efficiency as Duolite GT-73 for cadmium and copper ions and the same or higher adsorption than Amberlite IRC-718 for lead ions. Adsorption capacities of modified samples were compared to those of Amberlite IRC-718, Amberlite 200 and Duolite GT-73. Commercial resins generally had higher adsorption capacities than modified corncobs. However, the adsorption capacity of modified corncobs for copper and lead ions was equivalent to Duolite GT-73, but was lower than for Amberlite IRC-718 or Amberlite 200. Depending on the specific metal ion and the presence or absence of other metal ions, chemically modified corncobs were at least equivalent in adsorption properties to all of the commercial cation exchange resins examined in this study.

Adsorption↗

Modified Kidner procedure utilizing a Mitek bone anchor.

The recent development of small bone suture anchors has created several potential applications in reconstructive surgery of the foot. Mitek bone anchors are simple to insert, require less aggressive dissection and surgical time than reefing of the redundant posterior tibial tendon, and are a reliable method of tendon-to-bone fixation. Mitek bone anchors are an excellent technique for the treatment of redundant tibialis posterior tendon following a modified Kidner procedure. In modified Kidner procedures involving an excessively large os tibiale externum, Mitek anchoring of the redundant tibialis posterior tendon to the navicular bone is an excellent means for secure plication of the posterior tibial tendon in cases involving intraoperative tendon laxity. A description of the Mitek Anchor System and technique of application in a modified Kinder procedure is presented. The purpose of this study was to describe patient satisfaction and long-term clinical outcomes of the modified Kinder procedure with and without the Mitek bone anchoring system. A retrospective study of the modified Kinder procedure was performed with 13 patients being evaluated, seven with Mitek anchoring and six without. The University of Maryland 100-point Painful Foot Center Scoring System was modified to be more specific to the modified Kinder procedure for assessment of subjective long-term results. Patient overall satisfaction was rated good to excellent by 85.6% of patients in the Mitek group and by 100% of patients in the non-Mitek group. Use of the Mitek anchor allowed for quicker postoperative recovery to resumption of ambulation without assistive devices (average of 3 weeks vs. 4.42 weeks) and a quicker return to pain-free ambulation in normal shoegear (average of 4 weeks vs. 6 weeks). Mitek anchoring of the tibialis posterior tendon, theoretically, increases medial arch support as evidenced by 14% of the Mitek group and 67% of the non-Mitek group requiring postoperative orthotics.

Adolescent↗

In vivo targeting of acute myocardial infarction with negative-charge, polymer-modified antimyosin antibody: use of different cross-linkers.

BACKGROUND: Cell surfaces and intercellular matrixes contain acidic residues, making them negatively charged. Antibodies are basic, positively charged glycoproteins. Therefore the potential for nonspecific ionic interaction exists, which could increase the background activity. Modification of antibodies with negatively charge-modified polymers have been shown to reduce this nonspecific background activity. This study was performed to investigate the appropriateness of different cross-linkers used covalently to link the chelating negatively charge-modified polylysine to antimyosin Fab (AM-Fab). The cross-linking was performed through peptide (AM-I) or thioether (AM-II) bonds. The in vitro evaluation of the immunointegrity and the in vivo assessment were performed to investigate the potential for reduction of nontarget background activity. Furthermore, the role of the charge of the polymers (whether completely negatively charge modified by succinylation [AM-IIs] or only partially negatively charge modified [AM-IIns]) was also assessed. METHODS AND RESULTS: All polymer-modified preparations (AM-I, AM-IIs, and AM-IIns) retained the immunoreactivities relative to the unmodified or conventional diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-coupled AM-Fab as assessed by radioimmunoassay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These polymer-modified preparations labeled with 111In were assessed in 13 rabbits with acute experimental myocardial infarction. Acute infarcts were produced by 40 minutes of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. At between 10 and 30 minutes of reperfusion, 10.4 +/- 1.8 mBq 111In-AM-I (10 to 20 micrograms; n = 7) or 11.4 +/- 2.3 mBq 111In-AM-II (n or ns) (20 to 25 micrograms; n = 6) was administered intravenously. Gamma imaging was performed in the left lateral position and arterial blood samples were withdrawn serially for the next 3 hours. At the end of the final imaging session, AM-I uptake was determined to be 1.09% +/- 0.11% (mean percent injected dose per gram myocardium +/- SEM) in 20 infarcted myocardial segments from seven rabbits, compared with 0.031% +/- 0.003% in 20 normal myocardial segments (infarct/normal myocardial ratio 53.9 +/- 18.41). The mean percent injected dose of 111In-labeled thioether-linked AM-Fab preparations in nine infarcted myocardial segments from each group was 0.067% +/- 0.008% (infarct/normal myocardial ratio 9.0 +/- 1.5) and 0.144% +/- 0.011% (infarct/normal myocardial ratio 10.2 +/- 1.9) with AM-IIs (n = 3) and AM-IIns (n = 3), respectively (p < 0.0001). The non-target organ distribution of the AM-I and AM-IIs was similar. AM-IIns preparation resulted in high non-target organ activities. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the charge of the antibody can be manipulated favorably by cross-linking with negatively charged polymers, which results in the reduced in vivo non-target organ activities. Charge modification does not adversely affect the apparent affinity of the antibody. However, the type of cross-linkers used may significantly influence the in vivo stability of the modified antibody preparations for target organ visualization. These data may find potential application in future clinical imaging protocols.

Animals↗

Effect of leukotriene modifier drugs on the safety of oral aspirin challenges.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease can be diagnosed with oral aspirin challenges and treated with aspirin desensitization. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether controller medications, particularly leukotriene modifier drugs, taken during oral aspirin challenges can reduce the risk of severe asthmatic responses. METHODS: The medical records of 676 patients who had undergone oral aspirin challenges, followed by aspirin desensitization, were reviewed. Asthmatic responses were stratified based on severity of bronchospastic response or lack of response. The effect of pretreatment with controller medications on the outcome of oral aspirin challenges was measured. RESULTS: Leukotriene modifier drugs had the most significant effect in protecting the lower airways from severe reactions (P = .004). The protective effect of leukotriene modifier drugs was observed in patients already taking systemic corticosteroids, where the addition of leukotriene modifier drugs significantly shifted the response toward a milder asthmatic response (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Protection from significant aspirin-induced bronchospasm during oral aspirin challenge can be accomplished with leukotriene modifier drugs. The use of a combination of inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting beta-agonists, systemic corticosteroids, and leukotriene modifier drugs stabilized underlying airways in preparation for a reasonably safe and accurate oral aspirin challenge. However, only pretreatment with leukotriene modifier drugs enhanced the safety of oral aspirin challenge in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease by significantly decreasing the degree of asthmatic responses. Therefore, outpatient oral aspirin challenges in most well-selected patients appear to be a reasonable decision.

Acetates↗

Assessing auditory nerve recovery function with a modified subtraction method: results and mathematical modeling.

OBJECTIVE: One of the main difficulties in electrical compound action potential (ECAP) recordings is to reduce the stimulus artifact due to electrical stimulation. The neural response telemetry (NRT) system of the Nucleus 24 cochlear implant extracts the ECAP response using a forward-masking (standard) subtraction technique. However, it has been shown that this subtraction technique may distort the ECAP responses in certain situations. In order to improve ECAP recordings, a modified forward-masking subtraction technique was recently proposed (Ear Hear. 21 (2000) 280). This modified subtraction technique can be applied to recovery function measurement. The objective of this study is to compare results obtained with the modified method to those obtained using the standard method. METHODS: ECAP responses were recorded in 4 adult patients using a Nucleus 24 cochlear implant. Data were collected for the 20 active electrodes. For each electrode, measurements consisted of the recovery function recording using 16 different Masker-Probe intervals. The modified method was then applied and the results compared with the standard method. RESULTS: Comparison between the two methods revealed that results were different when using the standard or modified method. Using the modified method, more ECAP responses were obtained (61.8 vs. 44.2%), but the P1 peak was sometimes attenuated; when using the standard method, N1 peak was missing in many cases. A mathematical model has been established and the mathematical simulation confirms the results obtained in patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that both methods have limitations and advantages. The modified subtraction method seems to be better for analyzing ECAP recordings in recovery function measurement because of the higher number of responses obtained compared to the standard method.

Adult↗

Assay methods of modified lipoproteins in plasma.

Modified lipoproteins, especially oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL), are present in the plasma of patients with atherosclerosis and related diseases. The modification of LDL is believed to play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Thus, measurement of plasma Ox-LDL is essential not only for investigating its relevance to atherosclerotic diseases, but also for diagnosis. Chromatographic methods are effective for indirectly measuring the oxidatively modified state of LDL or directly measuring the modified LDL. Indirect determination can be done by estimating the LDL subfraction, LDL particle size, oxidized amino acids in apolipoprotein B, lipid hydroperoxide or F(2)-isoprostane in LDL. Direct determination of the modified LDL in plasma can be done with chromatographic methods such as anion-exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography. Other methods for estimating the modified state of LDL include electromigration methods such as agarose gel, polyacrylamide gradient gel and capillary electrophoresis. Recently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods of malondialdehyde (MDA)-LDL and autoantibodies against Ox-LDL have been developed to assess Ox-LDL in plasma. This review article summarizes the detection and assay methods of modified lipoproteins in plasma.

Arteriosclerosis↗

Label-free protein biosensor based on aptamer-modified carbon nanotube field-effect transistors.

We have fabricated label-free protein biosensors based on aptamer-modified carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNT-FETs) for the detection of immunoglobulin E (IgE). After the covalent immobilization of 5'-amino-modified 45-mer aptamers on the CNT channels, the electrical properties of the CNT-FETs were monitored in real time. The introduction of target IgE at various concentrations caused a sharp decrease in the source-drain current, and a gradual saturation was observed at lower concentrations. The amount of the net source-drain current before and after IgE introduction on the aptamer-modified CNT-FETs increased as a function of IgE concentration. The detection limit for IgE was determined as 250 pM. We have also prepared CNT-FET biosensors using a monoclonal antibody against IgE (IgE-mAb). The electrical properties of the aptamer- and antibody-modified CNT-FETs were compared. The performance of aptamer-modified CNT-FETs provided better results than the ones obtained using IgE-mAb-modified CNT-FETs under similar conditions. Thus, we suggest that the aptamer-modified CNT-FETs are promising candidates for the development of label-free protein biosensors.

Aptamers, Nucleotide↗

Physicochemical characterization of poly(ethylene glycol)-modified anti-GAD antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) were modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), and the resulting conjugates were characterized. Monoclonal anti-GAD antibodies were purified from ATCC HB184 hybridoma cells by either cell culture supernatant or ascites fluid from BALB/c mice. Polyclonal rabbit IgG antibodies were also used as a model protein. Polyclonal rabbit IgG or purified anti-GAD was modified by PEG (MW = 5000 or 20000 Da) through either the lysine residues or through the carbohydrate moiety. Lysine modification was performed in PBS (pH 7.4) or 0.1 M borate (pH 9.2) by adding a molar excess (5-80) of a succinimidyl activated propionic acid terminated mPEG (SPA-PEG) while stirring at room temperature. Carbohydrate modifications were performed in PBS (pH 6.2) by first oxidizing the antibody with sodium periodate followed by incubation with hydrazide-terminated PEG followed by reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride. The degree of modification was assessed by 1H NMR or TNBS (trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid). Circular dichroism (CD) spectra were obtained for lysine-modified rabbit IgG at various degrees of modification ranging from 5 to 60 PEG per antibody. Binding was assessed using an ELISA method with GAD or rabbit anti-mouse-IgG (H+L) coated plates. The TNBS and 1H NMR analysis of the modified antibody showed reasonably similar results from 5 to 60 PEG per antibody. The 1H NMR method showed greater sensitivity at low modifications (below 20:1) and was fairly linear up to about 60 PEG per antibody. The CD spectra of the polyclonal rabbit IgG showed only small differences at variously modified antibody. The binding affinity of anti-GAD is lower for all PEG modifications with respect to unmodified anti-GAD. Modifications at pH 7.4 show lower binding to GAD than modifications at pH 9.2. Binding to GAD or anti-mouse-IgG is decreased as the degree of modification is increased. Lysine modifications showed lower binding to GAD or anti-mouse-IgG than carbohydrate modifications. Binding to GAD or anti-mouse-IgG is lower for PEG20000-modified anti-GAD with respect to PEG5000-modified anti-GAD.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗

Effect of cast solvent on the electron transfer reaction for poly(ethylene oxide)-modified myoglobin on the electrode in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers.

Myoglobin from horse skeletal muscle was modified with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with an average molecular weight of 2000 or 5000. Myoglobin was soluble after this modification in several organic solvents and PEO oligomers. The electron transfer reactions of PEO-modified myoglobin cast on the indium tin oxide (ITO) glass electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The PEO-modified myoglobin, cast on the electrode from water or a methanol solution, showed quasi-reversible redox reactions in PEO (average MW of 400). On the other hand, no redox response was seen in PEO-modified myoglobin cast on it using chloroform or benzene as a casting solvent. A clear redox response of the PEO-modified myoglobin was observed after methanol treatment of these layers cast from chloroform or a benzene solution. This suggests that the conformational change of the adsorbed PEO-modified myoglobin layer on the ITO electrode cast from chloroform or a benzene solution was not irreversible. The cast condition of PEO-modified myoglobin on the ITO glass electrode was revealed to affect the electron transfer reaction for protein considerably in PEO oligomers.

Animals↗

Use of a novel histidyl modifier to probe for residues on Tris-treated photosystem II membrane fragments that may bind functional manganese.

In this paper, we investigate the effects of histidyl amino acid modification on high-affinity Mn binding to photosystem II (PSII) using methods similar to those used in the preceding paper [Ghirardi et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 0000] for carboxyl amino acid modification. Given the rather low specificity of diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC) for histidine modification, we modified Tris-washed PSII membranes with a novel and more specific histidyl modifier, platinum(II) (2,2':6',2"-terpyridine) chloride (Pt-TP). Both the "diphenylcarbazide (DPC)-inhibition assay" and single-turnover flash approaches were used. The concentration dependence of Pt-TP modification on steady-state measurements shows two types of interactions, each accounting for about half of the full effect. At concentrations <50 microM, Pt-TP modifies mostly histidyls and abolishes half of the observed Mn inhibition of DPC-mediated 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) photoreduction (equivalent to two high-affinity, Mn-binding ligands). This effect can be blocked by addition of Mn2+ during Pt-TP modification. Double-modification experiments with DEPC and Pt-TP demonstrate that both modifiers affect the same observable histidyl residues in PSII. Above 50 microM, Pt-TP modifies mostly cysteines (or histidines in a more hydrophobic environment) and has an additional effect on the reducing side of PSII that (a) does not involve Mn binding and (b) results in the apparent abolishment of all four of the Mn-binding ligands detected by the DPC-inhibition assay. Single-flash experiments show that histidyl modification does not eliminate the binding of the high-affinity, photooxidizable Mn2+ to Asp170 on D1 (nor does it significantly affect high-affinity DPC photooxidation), but it does decrease the binding affinity (Kd) of that Mn from 0.6 to 1.5 microM, particularly at lower (<50 microM Pt-TP) concentrations. Double-modification experiments also demonstrate that the lower affinity, photooxidizable Mn-binding site, uncovered when the high-affinity site is modified with 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) [see Ghirardi et al. (1998)], is not associated with a histidyl ligand. Three nonphotooxidizable, high-affinity Mn2+ ions bind to a second carboxyl and two histidyl ligands, and these Mn are not photooxidized by a flash even when the ligand to the photooxidizable Mn is modified by EDC. Proteolytic enzyme studies indicate that the two histidyl ligands identified by the DPC-inhibition assay are probably His337 on D1 and His 339 on D2, but His 332 on D1 is not eliminated.

2,6-Dichloroindophenol↗