No abstract available.
Agglutinins ; Blood Cell Count

No abstract available.
Agglutinins ; Blood Cell Count

Arisaema heterophyllum Blume is one of the three medicinal plants known as traditional Chinese medicine Rhizoma Arisaematis (RA). RA has been popularly used to treat patients with convulsions, inflammation, and cancer for a long time. However, the underlying mechanisms for RA effects are still unclear. The present study was designed to determine the cytotoxicity of agglutinin isolated from Arisema heterophyllum Blume (AHA) and explore the possible mechanisms in human non-small-cell lung cancer A549 cells. AHA with purity up to 95% was isolated and purified from Arisaema heterophyllum Blume using hydrophobic interaction chromatography. AHA dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells and induced G phase cell cycle arrest. AHA induced apoptosis by up-regulating pro-apoptotic Bax, decreasing anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, and activating caspase-9 and caspase-3. In A549 cells treated with AHA, the PI3K/Akt pathway was inhibited. Furthermore, AHA induced increase in the levels of ER stress markers such as phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (p-eIF2α), C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), and phosphorylated c-Jun NH-terminal kinase (p-JNK). AHA also induced autophagy in A549 cells. Staining of acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs) and increase in the levels of LC3II and ATG7 were observed in AHA-treated cells. These findings suggested that AHA might be one of the active components with anti-cancer effects in Arisaema heterophyllum Blume. In conclusion, cytotoxicity of AHA on cancer cells might be related to its effects on apoptosis and autophagy through inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway and induction of ER stress.
A549 Cells ; Agglutinins ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Arisaema ; chemistry ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; drug effects ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; metabolism

Cold agglutinins are predominately immunoglobulin M autoantibodies that react at cold temperatures with surface antigens on the red blood cell. This can lead to hemagglutination at low temperatures, followed by complement fixation and subsequent hemolysis on rewarming. Development of hemagglutination or hemolysis in patients with cold agglutinins is a risk of cardiac surgery under hypothermia. In addition, there is the potential for intracoronary hemagglutination with inadequate distribution of cardioplegic solutions, thrombosis, embolism, ischemia, or infarction. We report a patient with incidentally detected cold agglutinin who underwent normothermic cardiac surgery with warm blood cardioplegia.
Agglutinins* ; Antigens, Surface ; Autoantibodies ; Cardioplegic Solutions ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Cold Temperature ; Complement System Proteins ; Embolism ; Erythrocytes ; Heart Arrest, Induced* ; Hemagglutination ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Immunoglobulin M ; Infarction ; Ischemia ; Rewarming ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Thrombosis

The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) modified liposome as a vehicle for ophthalmic administration. Liposome loaded with 5-carboxyfluorescein (FAM) was prepared by lipid film hydration method. WGA was thiolated and then conjugated to the surface of the liposome via polyethylene glycol linker to constitute the WGA-modified and FAM-loaded liposome (WGA-LS/FAM). The amount of thiol groups on each WGA molecule was determined, and the bioactivity of WGA was estimated after it was modified to the surface of liposome. The physical and chemical features of the WGA-modified liposome were characterized and the ocular bioadhesive performance was evaluated in rats. The result showed that each thiolated WGA molecule was conjugated with 1.32 thiol groups. WGA-LS/FAM had a mean size of (97.40 +/- 1.39) nm, with a polydispersity index of 0.23 +/- 0.01. The entrapment efficacy of FAM was about (2.95 +/- 0.21)%, and only 4% of FAM leaked out of the liposome in 24 h. Erythrocyte agglutination test indicated that after modification WGA preserved the binding activity to glycoprotein. The in vivo ocular elimination of WGA-LS/FAM fitted first-order kinetics, and the elimination rate was significantly slower than that of the unmodified liposome, demonstrating WGA-modified liposome is bioadhesive and suitable for ophthalmic administration.
Absorption, Physicochemical ; Adhesiveness ; Administration, Ophthalmic ; Animals ; Drug Carriers ; Eye ; metabolism ; Fluoresceins ; chemistry ; Liposomes ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Particle Size ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Wheat Germ Agglutinins ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics

This study is undertaken to modify the chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and investigate the conjugation between WGA-CS-NPs and N-acetylglucosamine (NAG). CS-NPs were prepared by ionotropic gelation process and then conjugated with WGA under the activation of glutaricdialdehyde. The mean diameter of the CS-NPs was approximately 113.5 nm and the poly-dispersity index (PDI) was 0.18. The binding yield of WGA to CS-NPs was comprised between 27.8% and 87.9% depending mostly on the addition of 0.3% (w/v) glutaraldehyde solution. A competitive inhibition experiment of WGA-CS-NPs to bovine submaxillary gland mucin (BSM) was taken to illuminate the binding activity of WGA-CS-NPs to the sugar of N-acetylglucosamine. After the addition of NAG, the binding rates between CS-NPs and BSM almost didn't change, while the binding rates between WGA-CS-NPs and BSM dropped down significantly, which confirmed the specific binding characteristics of WGA to NAG.
Acetylglucosamine ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Chitosan ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Mucins ; metabolism ; Nanoparticles ; Particle Size ; Protein Binding ; Wheat Germ Agglutinins ; chemistry ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the correlation of Pinellia ternata agglutinin (PTA) and toxicity of P. ternata raphides and to find out the toxic mechanism of P. ternata.

METHODPTA has obvious effect of pro-inflammation. The model of rats peritonitis was used to study the dose-toxicity and time-toxicity relationship of the effect by detecting the releases of inflammatory mediators PGE2 in the exudates. The model of Draize rabbit eye test was applied to determine the correlation of PTA and toxicity of raphides by pathological examination.

RESULTPTA enhanced the content of PGE2 and protein in rats peritoneal cavities concentration dependently. With PTA concentration increased, PTA enhanced the inflammation induced by raphides to rabbit eyes, but PTA alone had no toxicity response.

CONCLUSIONPTA had obvious effect of pro-inflammation. The toxic mechanism of P. ternata was PTA induced inflammation only when the raphides pierce into the organization.

Agglutinins ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Animals ; Eye ; drug effects ; Inflammation ; chemically induced ; Male ; Pinellia ; chemistry ; Rabbits ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children, with a peak incidence at 5-14 years. Extrapulmonary manifestations occur in 20-25% of patients with M. pneumoniae infection. Most auto-antibodies that cause immune hemolytic anemia in humans are cold agglutinins. The formation of cold agglutinins is frequently observed during M. pneumoniae infections, and cold agglutinin disease usually occurs during M. pneumoniae infections. Nevertheless, severe hemolysis is exceptional. If a patient has any underlying disease related to hemolysis, it is possible to accelerate hemolysis. Hereditary spherocytosis is a common cause of hereditary hemolytic anemia resulting from red blood cell membrane defects. Hemolysis of red cells may result from corpuscular abnormalities or extracorpuscular abnormalities, such as immune or non-immune mechanisms. We report a case of hereditary spherocytosis associated with severe hemolytic anemia due to Mycoplasma pneumonia.
Agglutinins ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Congenital ; Child ; Cold Temperature ; Cryoglobulins ; Erythrocytes ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Membranes ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Spherocytosis, Hereditary

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the positive rate of 3 serologic methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the changes of IgG and IgG subclasses in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MP). METHODS: Fifty children with pneumonia admitted to Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, Korea, during MP outbreaks were evaluated for the diagnostic antibody status using 3 serologic methods: indirect micro-particle agglutinin assay (MAA, Serodia-Myco II, Fujirebio, Tokyo, Japan), cold agglutinins and enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA, Platelia M. pneumoniae IgM & IgG BIO-RAD, Marnes-la-Coquette, France) and PCR. The levels of antibody for MP in each method were measured 2 times during hospitalization: at presentation and at discharge (mean interval, 6.5 days). The levels of IgG and IgG subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4) were also analyzed 2 times (at presentation and at discharge) using stored sera. RESULTS: At presentation, the positive rates of the diagnostic methods were 52%, 38%, 30% and 12% for MAA, cold agglutinins, EIA and PCR assay, respectively. Following analysis of the repetitive measurement of the antibody, the positive rates of the diagnostic methods were 76%, 60% and 56% for MAA, cold agglutinins and EIA, respectively. The mean IgG level of MP patients increased during hospitalization (973+/-184 vs. 1,040+/-205 mg/dL; P=0.008). Among the IgG subclasses, the levels of IgG1 and IgG3 showed a significant increase during hospitalization (553+/-129 vs. 611+/-151 mg/dL, P=0.003 for IgG1; 43+/-27 vs. 47+/-30 mg/dL, P=0.005 for IgG3). CONCLUSION: For the accurate and relatively rapid diagnosis of MP, a paired sample examination is mandatory, especially within a short-time period. The sensitivity of serologic tests for the diagnosis of MP may differ among commercially available kits. IgG1 and IgG3 appear to be the main IgG subclasses that show an increase after MP infection.
Agglutinins ; Child ; Cold Temperature ; Cryoglobulins ; Disease Outbreaks ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Korea ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serologic Tests ; Tokyo

The present study was carried out to investigate the glycoconjugate properties of the nasal mucosa in the rat after inhalation of formaldehyde. Sprague-Dawley male rats were inhalated 30 ppm formaldehyde for 3 times with 3 hours exposure. The olfactory and respiratory mucosa in the nasal mucosa were taken from the animals on 3, 6,9 days and 2, 3, 4, 5 weeks after inhalation of formaldehyde. The properties of glycoconjugate of the olfactory and respiratory mucosa were investigated using nine biotinylated lectins (PSA, UEA I, PHA-L, BSL I, PNA, MAL I, DBA, BSL II or sWGA). In experimental groups, the degenerative changes of the olfactory epithelium were observed until 3 weeks after inhalation of formaldehyde, but the respiratory epithelium was no change. In control group, the olfactory cells in the olfactory epithelium reacted with PSA, UEA I, PNA, DBA, BSL II, sWGA, and the supporting cells reacted with PSA, PHA-L, PNA, MAL I, DBA, BSL II, sWGA, and Bowman's glands reacted with all the lectins. In experimental groups, the olfactory cells reacted with UEA I, DBA, and the supporting cells reacted with PHA-L, MAL I, DBA, UEA I, and the positive reaction of Bowman's glands was increased. In control group, the goblet cells in the respiratory epithelium reacted with UEA I, MAL I, and the ciliated columnar cells reacted with PSA, UEA I, PHA-L, BSL I, DBA, BSL II, sWGA, and the septal nasal glands reacted with all the lectins except UEA I. In experimental groups, the goblet cells reacted with UEA I, MAL I and PNA. Conclusively, the olfactory mucosa was shown a lot of changes in the properties of glycoconjugates following inhalation of formaldehyde, but respiratory mucosa was shown feeble change. These results suggest that there were different sugar residues of glycoconjugate in the olfactory and respiratory mucosa following inhalation of formaldehyde, respectively.
Animals ; Formaldehyde ; Glycoconjugates ; Goblet Cells ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lectins ; Male ; Nasal Mucosa ; Olfactory Mucosa ; Phytohemagglutinins ; Rats ; Respiratory Mucosa ; Wheat Germ Agglutinins