The effectiveness of three kinds of enzymes (chitinase, beta-glucuronidase, and lysing enzyme complex), employed as elicitors to enhance the beta-glucan content in the sawdust-based cultivation of cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis latifolia), was examined. The elicitors were applied to the cauliflower mushroom after primordium formation, by spraying the enzyme solutions at three different levels on the sawdust-based medium. Mycelial growth was fully accomplished by the treatments, but the metabolic process during the growth of fruiting bodies was affected. The application of a lysing enzyme resulted in an increase in the beta-glucan concentration by up to 31% compared to that of the control. However, the treatment resulted in a decrease in mushroom yield, which necessitated the need to evaluate its economic efficiency. Although we still need to develop a more efficient way for using elicitors to enhance functional metabolites in mushroom cultivation, the results indicate that the elicitation technique can be applied in the cultivation of medicinal/edible mushrooms.
Agaricales* ; Brassica* ; Fruit ; Glucuronidase ; Metabolism

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a hormone that is mainly secreted by osteocytes and osteoblasts in bone. The critical role of FGF23 in mineral ion homeostasis was first identified in human genetic and acquired rachitic diseases and has been further characterised in animal models. Recent studies have revealed that the levels of FGF23 increase significantly at the very early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may play a critical role in mineral ion disorders and bone metabolism in these patients. Our recent publications have also shown that FGF23 and its cofactor, Klotho, may play an independent role in directly regulating bone mineralisation instead of producing a systematic effect. In this review, we will discuss the new role of FGF23 in bone mineralisation and the pathophysiology of CKD-related bone disorders.
Calcification, Physiologic ; Fibroblast Growth Factors ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; physiology ; Glucuronidase ; metabolism ; Humans

Klotho is highly expressed in the kidney, while soluble Klotho is detectable in the blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid, and has multiple hormone-like functions. The role of Klotho in kidney injury has attracted more and more attentions from researchers. Emerging evidence revealed that the transient deficiency of Klotho is an early event of acute kidney injury (AKI), whereas, in chronic kidney disease, this deficiency is sustained not only in the kidney, but also in other organ systems. Therefore, Klotho could be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of AKI, as well as for its progression to chronic kidney disease. Moreover, Klotho might have therapeutic value to renal injury. Nevertheless, there are only few studies on the involvement of Klotho in post AKI repair. This review focused on the role of Klotho in not only kidney injury, but also its repair, in particular the relationship between Klotho and cell fate (autophagy/apoptosis/necrosis), repair/regeneration, Wnt/β-catenin and erythropoietin receptor, one of the Klotho effectors.
Acute Kidney Injury ; metabolism ; Biomarkers ; Disease Progression ; Glucuronidase ; physiology ; Humans ; Kidney ; metabolism ; pathology ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical characteristics and diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis VII.

METHODThe clinical and biochemical features of an infant with mucopolysaccharidosis VII confirmed by enzyme assay were analyzed.

RESULTThe 2 month-old male infant showed hydrops fetalis, mental retardation, coarse face, corneal clouding, hepatosplenomegaly, hernias, Alder-Reilly granules in the leucocytes and decreased platelet (32 × 10(9)/L). The biochemical markers showed urinary glycosaminoglycans (GAG) (532.8 mg/L, controls < 70.0 mg/L). The ratio of GAG/creatinine was 161.3 (controls: 26.2 ± 11.7). Serum chitotriosidase activity was 315.8 nmol/(ml·h) [control < 53 nmol/(ml·h)]. Beta-glucuronidase activity was deficient in isolated leukocytes.

CONCLUSIONSevere form of mucopolysaccharidosis VII exhibited characteristics of hydrops fetalis, hepatosplenomegaly, coarse face, thrombocytopenia and Alder-Reilly granules in the leucocytes. The measurements of GAG in urinary and beta glucuronidase in leucocytes are critical to diagnosis and deferential diagnosis.

Glucuronidase ; metabolism ; Glycosaminoglycans ; urine ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukocytes ; enzymology ; Male ; Mucopolysaccharidosis VII

The klotho gene was originally identified as a putative age-suppressing gene in mice that extends life span when overexpressed. It induces complex phenotypes resembling human premature aging syndromes when disrupted. The gene was named after a Greek goddess Klotho who spun the thread of life. Since then, various functional aspects of the klotho gene have been investigated, leading to the identification of multiple novel endocrine axes that regulate various metabolic processes and an unexpected link between mineral metabolism and aging. The purposes of this review were to overview recent progress on Klotho research and to discuss a novel aging mechanism.
Aging/genetics/*metabolism ; Animals ; Chronic Disease ; Fibroblast Growth Factors/metabolism ; Glucuronidase/genetics/*metabolism ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases/metabolism/physiopathology ; Phenotype ; Phosphates/metabolism ; Phosphorus, Dietary/metabolism ; *Signal Transduction

Adult ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Glucuronidase ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; Repressor Proteins

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of hypoxia on the expression of heparanase and the invasiveness of Hep-2 laryngeal carcinoma cell line.

METHODSHep-2 cells were incubated at either normoxia (37 degrees C, 5% CO2, 20% O2) or hypoxia (37 degrees C, 5% CO2, 2% O2) condition for 6 h,12 h,24 h,36 h. Flow cytometry was used to detect the protein expression of heparanase under different hypoxia conditions. Fluorescence Index represents the relative content of heparanase protein. Cell invasiveness was measured by matrigel invasion assay.

RESULTSCompared with normoxia group, the heparanase protein expression level in 6 h hypoxia group was increased (P <0.05) and the heparanase protein expression levels in other hypoxia groups were significantly increased (P < 0.01). The heparanase protein expression level was increased (P < 0.05) among 6 h, 12 h, 24 h hypoxia groups; Compared with normoxia group, there was no significant change in the invasion cells at 6 h (P > 0.05) in hypoxia group; whereas the level of cell invasion was significantly increased in 12 h(P < 0.05), 24 h and 36 h groups (P < 0.01). During 6 to approximately 36 h hypoxia period, the increase of hypoxia-induced invasiveness in Hep-2 cell line show time-dependent manner. Meanwhile, there was a positive correlation between the expression of HPSE and the invasiveness of Hep-2 cells.

CONCLUSIONInvasion of Hep-2 cells in hypoxia condition correlates with heparanase level. Hypoxia plays an important role in the augmentation of the heparanase expression and the invasiveness of human laryngeal carcinomas.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; enzymology ; pathology ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Glucuronidase ; metabolism ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness

To improve bond selectivity of recombinant β-glucuronidase in Escherichia coli (PGUS-E), based on the PGUS-E structure guidance, three key points R329, T369 and N467 were identified to be responsible for the bond selectivity of PGUS-E, and further saturation mutagenesis was conducted. Two positive mutants R329K and T369V were obtained by a combined selection technique of thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. Compared to PGUS-E, the bond selectivity of mutants R329K and T369V increased by 26.9% and 34.3%, respectively; whereas the biochemical properties such as pH and temperature profile were unchanged. Nevertheless, the activity was decreased compared to PGUS-E. These results further confirmed that sites R329 and T369 played important roles for the bond selectivity and activity. In summary, this study significantly increased the bond selectivity of PGUS-E by structure guided saturation mutagenesis, providing experimental support for elucidating the relationship between the structure and function of PGUS-E.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Glucuronidase ; chemistry ; Industrial Microbiology ; Mutagenesis ; Recombinant Proteins ; chemistry ; Temperature

This study aims to assess the expression of Klotho and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and the association between Klotho and IGF-1 in rats with dementia model. Thirty rats were randomly divided into three groups. Morris water maze was used to investigate the learning and memory functions, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze the levels of Klotho and IGF-1. Klotho and IGF-1 levels in the model group were lower than those in other 2 groups. Morris water maze test showed that the model group had longer escape latency times and shorter step platform times compared to other groups. Line correlation model demonstrated that Klotho level was positively correlated with IGF-1 level in rats with dementia (P= 0. 029). The levels of Klotho and IGF-1 both reduced at hippocampus in rats with dementia model, suggesting that it may be a close relationship between Klotho and IGF-1 in the pathogenesis of dementia.
Animals ; Dementia ; metabolism ; Female ; Glucuronidase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Maze Learning ; Memory ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVE: To explore the discrepancy of HGF and Hpa expressed in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma of different pathology grades (differentiation of high, moderate or poor), which can provide the new thought and theory evidence for clinical treatment and control metastasis or palindromic. METHOD: Forty paraffin-embedded samples of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, forty paraffin-embedded samples of laryngeal papilloma and twelve paraffin-embedded samples of normal tissue adjacent to cancerous location of our department between May 2004 and April 2005, which were analyzed with SP immunohistochemistry staining. RESULT: The positive rate of HGF were 77.5% and that of Hpa were 72.5% in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, which have positive correlation and were higher than that in laryngeal papilloma and normal tissue adjacent to cancerous location with significant statistical difference (P<0.01). The expression of HGF and Hpa had no relationship with primary locations (P>0.05), that have positive correlation with clinical stages and have negative correlation with the level of cellular differentiation. The expression of HGF and Hpa in lymph node metastasis group was significantly higher than the non-metastasis group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The expression of HGF and Hpa in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma are higher than that in nonmalignant ones. They correlates with lymph node metastasis, clinical stages and pathological grading, but they has no relationship with the primary locations. The positive correlation relationship of expression between HGF and Hpa might be worthiness to determine the prognosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Glucuronidase ; metabolism ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging