Sexual Satisfaction in Spouses of Ex-POWs: The Role of PTSD Symptoms and Self-Differentiation.

Spouses of former prisoners-of-war (ex-POWs) are at risk for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and marital distress. This study assessed the implications of PTSS and self-differentiation for sexual satisfaction among 90 ex-POWs' spouses and 75 matched combatants' spouses from the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Standardized questionnaires were used. Ex-POWs' spouses had elevated PTSS and imbalanced self-differentiation. PTSS were associated with poorer self-differentiation and lower sexual satisfaction. Imbalanced self-differentiation mediated the association between PTSS and sexual satisfaction. The findings imply that PTSS and imbalanced self-differentiation contribute to low sexual satisfaction among spouses of primary trauma survivors.

Effects of Weight Loss on Advanced Glycation End Products in Subjects with and without Diabetes: A Preliminary Report.

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are formed endogenously as a normal ageing process and during food processing. High levels of AGEs have been implicated in the development of both macrovascular disease and microvascular disease. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to determine whether a major AGE species, Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML), was reduced after weight loss. CML values decreased by 17% after weight loss. Participants with diabetes and pre-diabetes had a lower CML values at baseline and a smaller change in CML than overweight participants without diabetes. We conclude that, in addition to the known health benefits, weight loss may reduce AGEs. Randomized studies of the effect of weight loss on AGE in people with and without type 2 diabetes are needed to confirm these results.

The key role of protein flexibility in modulating IgE interactions.

The interaction between IgE and its high affinity receptor (FcepsilonRI) is a critical step in the development of allergic responses. Detailed characterization of the IgE-FcepsilonRI interaction may offer insights into possible modes of inhibiting the interaction, which could thereby act as a potential therapy for allergy. In this study, NMR, CD, and fluorescence spectroscopies have been used to characterize structurally the Cepsilon3 domain of IgE and its interaction with other protein ligands, namely, Cepsilon2, Cepsilon4, sFcepsilonRIalpha, and CD23. We have shown that the recombinant Cepsilon3 domain exists alone in solution as a "molten globule." On interaction with sFcepsilonRIalpha, Cepsilon3 adopts a folded tertiary structure, as shown by the release of the fluorescent probe 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate and by characteristic changes in the (1)H, (15)N heteronuclear single quantum coherence NMR spectrum. However, the interactions between the Cepsilon3 domain and Cepsilon2, Cepsilon4, or CD23 do not induce such folding and would therefore be expected to involve only local interaction surfaces. The conformational flexibility of the Cepsilon3 domain of the whole IgE molecule may play a role in allowing fine tuning of the affinity and specificity of IgE for a variety of different physiological ligands and may be involved in the conformational change of IgE postulated to occur on interaction with FcepsilonRI.

Structure and transcriptional regulation of the Nat2 gene encoding for the drug-metabolizing enzyme arylamine N-acetyltransferase type 2 in mice.

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) are polymorphic enzymes, well-known for their role in the metabolism of drugs and carcinogens. Mice have three NAT isoenzymes, of which NAT2 is postulated to be involved in endogenous, as well as xenobiotic, metabolism. To understand expression of the murine Nat2 gene, we have analysed its structure and transcriptional regulation. We have accurately mapped the transcription initiation site 6.5 kb upstream of the coding region of the gene, adjacent to a recently described non-coding exon. Transcription was demonstrated to start from this region in embryonic and adult liver, spleen, submaxillary gland, kidney, brain, thymus, lung and placenta, but not in the heart. Database searches and analyses of cDNA by PCR suggested alternative splicing of the single 6.2 kb intron of Nat2, and determined the position of the polyadenylation signal at 0.44 kb downstream of the coding region of the gene. Examination of the 13 kb sequence flanking the coding and non-coding exons of Nat2 revealed a single promoter, located close to the transcription-initiation site, and indicated regions likely to harbour control elements. The Nat2 promoter consists of an atypical TATA box and a Sp1 [SV40 (simian virus 40) protein 1] box identical with that found in many housekeeping gene promoters. Activity of the Nat2 promoter was severely reduced by deletion or mutation of either of these two elements, whereas the region of the Sp1 box bound cellular protein and resisted DNase I digestion. Finally, the ability of the promoter region to bind cellular protein was reduced by competition with oligonucleotides bearing the Sp1 consensus sequence.

Identification and functional characterization of novel polymorphisms associated with the genes for arylamine N-acetyltransferases in mice.

Arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) polymorphism in humans has been associated with variation in susceptibility to drug toxicity and cancer. In mice, three NAT isoenzymes are encoded by Nat1, Nat2 and Nat3 genes. Only Nat2 has been shown previously to be polymorphic, a single nucleotide substitution causing the slow acetylator phenotype in the A/J strain. We sequenced the Nat genes from inbred (CBA and 129/Ola), outbred (PO and TO) and wild-derived inbred (Mus spretus and Mus musculus castaneus) mouse strains and report polymorphism in all three Nat genes of M. spretus and in Nat2 and Nat3 genes of M. m. castaneus. Enzymatic activity assays using liver homogenates demonstrated that M. m. castaneus is a 'fast' and M. spretus a 'slow' acetylator. Western blot analysis indicated that hepatic NAT2 protein is less abundant in M. spretus than M. m. castaneus. The new allozymes were expressed in a mammalian cell line and NAT enzymatic activity was measured with a series of substrates. NAT1 and NAT2 isoenzymes of M. m. castaneus exhibited a higher rate of acetylation, compared with those of M. spretus. Activity of the NAT3 allozymes was hardly detectable, although the Nat3 gene does appear to be transcribed, since mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in the spleen. Additional polymorphisms, useful for Nat-related genetic studies, have been identified between BALB/c, C57Bl/6J, A/J, 129/Ola, CBA, PO, TO, M. m. castaneus and M. spretus strains in four microsatellite repeats located close to the Nat genes.