Jewish ethics and xenotransplantation.

BACKGROUND: Although exclusively secular approaches to xenotransplantation are methodologically necessary to establish a fundamental verdict on its theoretical ethical acceptability, it is nevertheless pragmatically appropriate to take into account specifically religious positions, as religion is a factor relevant to societal acceptability. Apart from the aspect of societal acceptability, Jewish bioethics, like other religiously embedded ethics, may enrich the broader ethical discourse on xenotransplantation, as some of its principles-pikuach nefesh being the most prominent one-are plausible even in the framework of secular ethics. METHODS: This paper first explores concepts of normativity in Jewish ethics before identifying specific ethical issues in Jewish bioethics and possible resolutions offered within the framework of Jewish ethics, and then finally examine the implications for the broader debate on xenotransplantation. RESULTS: Religions in general and Judaism in specific cannot and should not be systematically excluded from ethical debates, not only because they may provide helpful input, but also because religion, religiousness and the affiliation to a religion can be crucial factors regarding the societal acceptability of specific medical technologies and procedures as they may be important aspects of an individual's identity. The principles of Jewish bioethics may be compelling to those who do not necessarily share the specifically religious prerequisites on which Jewish ethics is established. Among these rather cogent concepts is the status of natural law and naturalness, which is far more open to medical technologies and procedures deemed as unnatural and thus morally wrong by other religious parties in public discourse. CONCLUSIONS: Jewish ethics has strong tendencies toward supporting xenotransplantation given a certain criteria is met. No categorical bans on xenotransplantation can be established on the grounds of Halacha.

Xenotransplantation-theological-ethical considerations in an interdisciplinary symposium.

BACKGROUND: Unlike allotransplantation, reflections on xenotransplantation are infrequent in theological literature. However, xenotransplantation poses questions specifically concerning ethical and theological aspects that are imperative to address, such as personal identity between the poles of body, soul, and mind, the relationship between humans and animals, as well as challenges regarding specific issues of medical and social ethics. METHOD: This study summarizes the lectures of the symposium on "Xenotransplantation-a challenge to theological ethics," which took place in Munich from September 30 until October 2, 2013, and analyses the implications of xenotransplantation from the perspectives of Christian theological ethics, biblical theology, and systematic theology. Furthermore, the issue of xenotransplantation is addressed from the perspectives of Judaism and Islam. Beyond these theological deliberations, the metaphorical and religious meaning of the human heart, which may have an impact on the societal acceptability of xenotransplantation, as well as the Christian notion of compassion regarding animals, is analyzed from the perspective of historical sciences. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: According to the perspectives of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, there are no specifically religious fundamental and generally binding reasons to prohibit xenotransplantation as a means of treating grave and life-threatening organ insufficiencies.

Quantitation of Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) in Serum/Plasma Using Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry (ESI-LC-MS/MS).

Dietary ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) is considered an essential co-factor in the mitochondrial respiratory chain responsible for oxidative phosphorylation. This oil-soluble vitamin-like substance is mobile in cellular membranes and plays a unique role in the electron transport chain (ETC). Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is present in most eukaryotic cells and functions as an electron carrier and an antioxidant. Although the exact role of Coenzyme Q10 is often debated; there is a growing interest in the measurement of CoQ10 concentrations particularly in the area of cardiovascular disease, malignancies, exercise physiology, Parkinson's disease, and patients undergoing statin drug therapies. We describe a simple method for the quantitative measurement of the ammonium adduct of Coenzyme Q10 using a high-pressure liquid chromatography combined with positive electrospray ionization tandem mass spectroscopy (ESI-LC-MS/MS) utilizing a 3 µm PFP(2) 50 × 2.0 mm 100 Å column. A stable isotopic deuterated internal standard, in the form of Coenzyme Q10-[D9], is added to the patient serum. The extraneous proteins are precipitated from the sample with ethanol and isolation of the targeted compound is facilitated by the addition of hexane to aide in the cleanup and recovery. Quantitation occurs via a 6-point calibration that is linear from 0.16 to 6.0 µg with an observed error of 6.2 % across the analytical range.

Simultaneous Quantitation of Estradiol and Estrone in Serum Using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.

Accurate measurement of the endogenous estrogens, estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2), is important in the clinical diagnosis and monitoring of multiple disorders. Typically, given the efficacy and low cost, radioimmunoassays (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunoassays (EIA) are used to quantify these hormones in biological samples. Unfortunately, at low levels these assays lack the necessary sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of certain disorders in adult and pediatric endocrinology and oncology. In response to this need, we developed a fast and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to measure serum estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2) without chemical derivatization. Samples are spiked with a stable isotopic carbon thirteen ((13)C) labeled internal standard and the estrogens are isolated by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with hexane:Methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) (9:1). Following centrifugation and dry down samples are reconstituted with deionized water, and separated on a C18 reverse phase column. The analytes are quantified using a six point calibration curve with a linearity of 2.6-625 pg/ml and with a variability of less than 8 % across analytical range.

Propofol modulates the lipid phase transition and localizes near the headgroup of membranes.

The compound 2,6-diisopropylphenol (Propofol, PRF) is widely used for inducing general anesthesia, but the mechanism of PRF action remains relatively poorly understood at the molecular level. This work examines the possibility that a potential mode of action of PRF is to modulate the lipid order in target membranes. The effect on monolayers and bilayers of dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (DPPC) was probed using Langmuir monolayer isotherms, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Increasing amounts of PRF in a DPPC monolayer causes a decrease in isothermal compressibility modulus at the phase transition. A partition constant for PRF in DPPC liposomes on the order of K≈1500 M(-1) was found, and the partitioning was found to be enthalpy-driven above the melting temperature (Tm). A decrease in Tm with PRF content was found whereas the bilayer melting enthalpy ΔHm remains almost constant. The last finding indicates that PRF incorporates into the membrane at a depth near the phosphatidylcholine headgroup, in agreement with our MD-simulations. The simulations also reveal that PRF partitions into the membrane on a timescale of 0.5 µs and has a cholesterol-like ordering effect on DPPC in the fluid phase. The vertical location of the PRF binding site in a bacterial ligand-gated ion channel coincides with the location found in our MD-simulations. Our results suggest that multiple physicochemical mechanisms may determine anesthetic potency of PRF, including effects on proteins that are mediated through the bilayer.