The present study was undertaken to observe the quality and quantity of lipid constituents by the developing Ascaris suum eggs. The collected eggs from the uterus of A. suum were classified into 3 groups, i.e., single cell stage, morula stage and embryonated eggs, and were subjected to analyse their lipid fractions. To obtain the morula stage eggs, 10 to 11 incubation days at 30 degree C were needed and for the embryonated eggs, 30 to 31 days were lasted. At the time of experiment, their indices of development by Hoffman were 285(morula stage) and 42 (embryonated stage) respectively. Lipid extraction was done by the methods of Folch et a1. (1957) and Kenny (1952), and then the extracted lipid fractions from the above 3 groups of eggs were separated by thin layer chromatography. Those fractions were also subjected to perform the quantitative analyses of fatty acids, glycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids. The results obtained were summarized as follows. Total amount of fatty acid was decreased from 12.9 mg per gram of eggs (single cell stage) to 6.6 mg/gm (embryonated eggs), whereas the proportion of free fatty acid to total fatty acid was constantly increased from 77.5 percent to 89.4 percent during the period of egg development. Total amount of glycerides was also increased from 33.0 mg/gm of single cell stage to 55.9 mg/gm of the embryonated eggs. The most abundant glyceride among 3 glycerides discovered from A. suum eggs was triglyceride, and the least was monoglyceride. The amount of free cholesterol was much larger than that of ester form in general, and it reached maximum in the eggs of morula stage (4.6 mg/gm). The increase of total cholesterol was monitored during the development of A. suum eggs from 3.3 mg/gm to 5.4 mg/gm. The following 8 phospholipids were detected in the embryonated eggs, i.e., lysophosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl inositol, sphingomyelin, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl ethanolamine and unknown phospholipid. But in the single cell stage eggs, 4 kinds out of the above 8 phopholipids were not observed, and in the morula stage eggs, 2 kinds were absent among the 8 phospholipids.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Ascaris suum ; ovum ; lipid ; fatty acid ; glycerides ; triglyceride ; monoglyceride ; cholesterol ; lysophosphatidyl choline ; phosphatidyl inositol ; sphingomyelin ; phosphatidyl choline ; phosphatidyl glycerol ; phosphatidyl serine ; phosphatidyl ethanolamine ; phopholipids ; biochemistry

BACKGROUND: Anti-cardiolipin antibody (Anti-CL Ab) is one of the various anti-phospholipid antibodies (Anti-PL Abs) and found in the plasma of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), atherosclerosis, and other infectious diseases. While anti-PL Abs found in the sera of patients with infectious diseases bind directly to CL, binding of anti-PL Abs to CL circulating in the sera of patients with autoimmune diseases is mediated by beta2-glycoprotein 1 (beta2-GP1). The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of beta2-GP1 on the antigen binding assay of anti-CL Abs present in the sera of patients with atherosclerosis, which has been known as one of autoimmune diseases. METHODS: ELISA was performed with sera containing anti-CL Abs from three patients with atherosclerosis in the presence or absence of beta2-GP1 or FBS. RESULTS: Reactivity of anti-CL Abs to CL was increased in the presence of beta2-GP1 or FBS in a dose dependent manner. CONCLUSION: beta2-GP1 or FBS could be used as co-factor in CL ELISA with anti-CL Abs present in the sera of patients with atherosclerosis. It is suggested that anti-CL Abs found in atherosclerosis patients are similar in terms of antigen binding property to those circulating in the patients with autoimmune diseases, not to infectious diseases.
Antibodies* ; Atherosclerosis ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Cardiolipins* ; Communicable Diseases ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Plasma

The presence of a lupus anticoagulant was evaluated in patients with Bechet's disease by the kaolin clotting time method. Four percents (three patients) of 69 patients analyzed were found positive for the lupus anticoagulant. However, no statistically significant association existed between the presence of this antibody and the presence of thrombosis, clinical activity, clinical type, antinuclear antibodies and the positive VDRL test.
Behcet Syndrome/*immunology ; Cardiolipins/immunology ; Female ; Human ; Lupus Coagulation Inhibitor/*analysis ; Male

Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by various types of cardiomyopathy, neutropenia, failure to thrive, skeletal myopathy, and 3-methylglutaconic aciduria. BTHS is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the tafazzin (TAZ) gene located on chromosome Xq28, leading to cardiolipin deficiency. We report a 13-month-old boy with BTHS who had a novel de novo mutation in the TAZ gene. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a BTHS patient with a de novo mutation in Korea. This report will contribute towards expanding the knowledge on the mutation spectrum of the TAZ gene in BTHS.
Barth Syndrome* ; Cardiolipins ; Cardiomyopathies ; Failure to Thrive ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Male ; Muscular Diseases ; Neutropenia

Antibodies to cardiolipin and other phospholipid have been associated with recurrent thrombotic events, including ischemic strokes, especially in children and young adults. Recently it has been shown that anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies may be more specific in predicting thrombosis. We report a case of anterior spinal artery syndrome with elevated titer of antibodies to beta2-glycoprotein I in young adult.
Anterior Spinal Artery Syndrome ; Antibodies ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome ; beta 2-Glycoprotein I ; Cardiolipins ; Child ; Humans ; Stroke ; Thrombosis ; Young Adult

The mitochondrial respiratory chain consists of 5 enzyme complexes that are responsible for ATP generation. The paradigm of the electron transport chain as discrete enzymes diffused in the inner mitochondrial membrane has been replaced by the solid state supercomplex model wherein the respiratory complexes associate with each other to form supramolecular complexes. Defects in these supercomplexes, which have been shown to be functionally active and required for forming stable respiratory complexes, have been associated with many genetic and neurodegenerative disorders demonstrating their biomedical significance. In this review, we will summarize the functional and structural significance of supercomplexes and provide a comprehensive review of their assembly and the assembly factors currently known to play a role in this process.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; metabolism ; Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase ; metabolism ; Cardiolipins ; metabolism ; Electron Transport ; Humans ; Mitochondria ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Multienzyme Complexes ; chemistry ; metabolism

In addition to barium swallow, the health screening center of our hospital has started meansuring serum pepsinogen (PG) levels in the stomach cancer screening tests since 1998 if patients wish to receive the PG test. During the past five years, 94 gastric cancer cases were detected by both methods. The average detection ratio worked out at 79.8% for the barium method and 71.3% for the PG method. Of the 94 cases, 51.1% tested positive by both methods. The positivity ratio was 28.7% for the barium method alone and 20.2% for the pepsinogen method alone. In other words, it follows that nearly half of the cancer cases have been picked out by either of the two techniques. Therefore, it could be said that the two methods serve as complementary one to the other. Thus, it was confirmed that using the PG method together with the barium method is worthwhile.The hitting ratio of positive reaction was high in patients at level 2 and upward when checked according to PG levels, and in patients whose initial test results were negative and later shifted to level 2 or level 4 with the lapse of time. These findings suggest that it is feasible to presupposed a group of people at higher risk for developing gastric cancer.
Phosphatidylglycerols ; Pepsinogen A ; Stomach Cancer ; Serum ; Barium

Mitochondria participate in various intracellular metabolic pathways such as generating intracellular ATP, synthesizing several essential molecules, regulating calcium homeostasis, and producing the cell's reactive oxygen species (ROS). Emerging studies have demonstrated newly discovered roles of mitochondria, which participate in the regulation of innate immune responses by modulating NLRP3 inflammasomes. Here, we review the recently proposed pathways to be involved in mitochondria-mediated regulation of inflammasome activation and inflammation: 1) mitochondrial ROS, 2) calcium mobilization, 3) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) reduction, 4) cardiolipin, 5) mitofusin, 6) mitochondrial DNA, 7) mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein. Furthermore, we highlight the significance of mitophagy as a negative regulator of mitochondrial damage and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, as potentially helpful therapeutic approaches which could potentially address uncontrolled inflammation.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Calcium ; Cardiolipins ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Homeostasis ; Immunity, Innate ; Inflammasomes* ; Inflammation ; Metabolic Networks and Pathways ; Mitochondria* ; Mitochondrial Degradation ; NAD ; Reactive Oxygen Species

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of mitochondrial pathways on apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells induced by Tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand and offer evidences for TRAIL application in clinic.

METHODSApoptosis, integration of mitochondria (including DeltaPsim, cardiolipin), activity of Caspase-9 and release of cytochrome c in colon carcinoma cells SW1116 treated with TRAIL, were detected by means of flowcytometry, fluorometer method and western-blot at the different time point.

RESULTSAfter treated with TRAIL for 4 hours, the apoptosis index was 32.98%, and the damage of mitochondria occurred with DeltaPsim, cardiolipin decreased, and the activity of Caspase-9 and cytochrome c increased. The Caspase-9 activity at 24 hour was (48.12+/-2.21)micromol.L(-1).h(-1).mg(-1) protein. Mitochondrial damage induced by TRAIL could be inhibited by Caspase inhibitor Z-VAD. fmk.

CONCLUSIONMitochondrial pathways involved in the apoptosis of colon carcinoma cell induced by TRAIL. Cytochrome c was released and Caspase-9 was activated in the Caspase-dependent manner after the damage of mitochondrial.

Apoptosis ; Cardiolipins ; metabolism ; Caspase 9 ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cytochromes c ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; metabolism ; Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; metabolism ; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; metabolism

To optimize the formulation and preparation method of multivesicular liposome of thymopentin and to investigate its pharmacokinetics in rats, the multivesicular liposome of thymopentin was prepared by double emulsification method and the formulation was optimized by orthogonal design. The release characteristics of thymopentin from multivesicular liposome in PBS (pH 7.4) and in plasma were investigated. The multivesicular liposome of thymopentin labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate was prepared by double emulsification method. Its pharmacokinetics was evaluated following intramuscular injection in rats. The optimal formulation of multivesicular liposome of thymopentin were formulated with 7.5% glucose in aqueous phase and 2.25 mol x L(-1) triolein, 2.68 mol x L(-1) DPPG and 16.96 mol x L(-1) DOPC in organic phase. The entrapment efficiency of the multivesicular liposome of thymopentin was above 85% and the mean particle size was about 22 microm. The in vitro release of thymopentin from multivesicular liposome in PBS (pH 7.4) and in plasma was found to be in a sustained manner. The release curves were fitted to Higuchi equation. The pharmacokinetics following intramuscular injection of the multivesicular liposome of thymopentin labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate in rats showed that the peak concentration of thymopentin was lower and elimination of it was slower significantly than that of thymopentin labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate solution in the same dose. The plasma concentration of thymopentin maintained above quantitative limitation at 120 h after administration of multivesicular liposome of thymopentin. The optimized formulation and preparation technology of multivesicular liposome of thymopentin with higher entrapment efficiency are feasible with good reproducibility. Multivesicular liposome of thymopentin showed significant sustained-release property following intramuscular injection in rats.
Adjuvants, Immunologic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Compounding ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Glucose ; chemistry ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Male ; Particle Size ; Phosphatidylcholines ; chemistry ; Phosphatidylglycerols ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thymopentin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Triolein ; chemistry