Maternal insulin-like growth factors and insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins for macrosomia prediction in diabetic and nondiabetic pregnancy: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Attributable to the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis involvement in fetal growth regulation, possible contribution of the maternal IGF axis to antenatal fetal macrosomia diagnosis is a subject of particular interest in diabetic pregnancy. METHODS: A total of 130 women were prospectively enrolled in a longitudinal single-center cohort study. The four study groups were: type 1 diabetes (n = 40), type 2 diabetes (n = 35), gestational diabetes (n = 40), and control (n = 15). IGF-1 and IGF-2 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP) 1, 3, 6, and 7 serum levels were analyzed in 11- to 14-week and 30- to 34-week samples with a specific immunoassay. RESULTS: In mothers of large-for-gestational-age neonates (90th percentile), higher (median test) first-trimester IGF-1 (P = 0.007) and lower IGFBP-1 (P = 0.035) were observed. The IGF-1/IGFBP-1 ratio was positively associated with neonatal weight (r = 0.434, P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed an association between large for gestational age and the first-trimester IGF-1 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.747, P < 0.001), IGFBP-1 (AUC = 0.334, P = 0.011), and IGF-1/IGFBP-1 ratio (AUC = 0.750, P < 0.001). IGF-1/IGFBP-1 ratio had better performance for prediction of birth weight over 4000 g (AUC = 0.822, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The authors detected different first-trimester IGF-1 and IGF-1/IGFBP-1 thresholds applicable for either supposition or rejection of macrosomia diagnosis. Further investigation is needed to determine how the maternal IGF axis can contribute to fetal macrosomia prediction.

Application of lanthanum stearate monolayers as a metal-affinity sorbent for the selective sorption of soman adducts to human serum albumin.

A new metal-affinity sorbent based on lanthanum stearate monolayers has been developed and characterized. The prospect of its application to specific extraction of organophosphorous compound (OP) adducts of blood proteins was demonstrated. For this, the patterns of soman adducts of human serum albumin (HSA) were comprehensively characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).

Proteolysis of His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Pro-Gly-Pro in the blood and brain of rats in vivo.

The kinetics of the content of His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Pro-Gly-Pro (ACTH (6-9)PGP) and its hydrolysis products in the blood and brain of rats in the case of intranasal administration and intravenous injection of tritiated ACTH(6-9)PGP was studied. The parameters of bioavailability of ACTH(6-9)PGP administered intranasally were higher, indicating certain prospects in the intranasal application in clinical practice. We also found that the factor that determines ACTH(6-9)PGP proteolysis in experiments both in vivo and in vitro is aminopeptidases. The main products of ACTH(6-9)PGP during its metabolism in rats are short peptides and amino acids.

[Using of metal-affinity chromatography for identification of alkylated rat globin].

Rat globin peptides alkylated by sulfur mustard on amino-acid residues C-126, C-93 and E-27 with MH+ 1444.62 Da, 1561.66 Da, 1676.78 Da, respectively, were concentrated using metal-affinity chromatography on Cu2+. The peptides were received by trypic digestion after in vitro incubation of rat globin with 60 microM HD. Aklylated peptide with MH+ 1444.62 Da is the most sensitive biomarker, which can be concentrated from globin trypic digest, incubated with 3 microM sulfur mustard.

[Identification of rat and human hemoglobin acetilation sites after its interaction with acetylsalicylic acid].

The possibility of interaction of 0.1 mg/mL acetylsalicylic acid with purified human and rat globin in vitro during 24 h at 37 degrees C was investigated. The rat globin can be modified with acetylsalicylic acid on aminoacid residues K-17, K-57, K-91, K-140 in alpha subunit as well as on K-18, K-77 in beta subunit. The human globin can be modified with acetylsalicylic acid on aminoacid residues K-17, K-41, K-57 and K-91 in alpha subunit as well as on K-18, K-96 and K- 133 in beta subunit. We identified of acetetylated lysines K-17 and K-57 in alpha subunit of human hemoglobin after incubation whole blood with 0.1 mg/mL acetylsalicylic acid during 3 h.

[New approaches to early diagnosis of chronic organophosphorus chemicals intoxication in workers at chemical weapons extermination objects].

Mass spectrum analysis revealed differences in general contents of low-molecular peptides spectrums in chemical weapons extermination object staffers, in comparison with the reference group. Findings are that serum paraoxonase activity in chemical weapons extermination object staffers in significantly increased.

[Intracellular distribution of tyrosine-phosphorylated actin-binding proteins in A431 cells spread on different ligands]. / Vnutrikletochnoe raspredelenie aktinsviazyvaiushchikh belkov, fosforilirovannykh po tirozinu, pri rasplastyvanii kletok A431 na raznykh ligandakh.

Spreading A431 cells on extracellular matrix elements fibronectin, laminin 2/4 and antibody to EGF receptor (5A9 clone) leads to tyrosine phosphorylation of actin-binding proteins, which participate in focal adhesions formation. Tyrosine phosphorylation of the proteins is retained for 1 h of cell spreading. When cells interact with ligands, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) becomes tyrosine phosphorylated, and eventually phosphorylates the target proteins. The cooperative effect of integrins and EGF receptor in FAK autophosphorylation at cell spreading on antibody to EGF receptor is discussed.

[alpha-Actinin-4 and p65/RelA subunit of NF-kappaB transcription factor are co-localized and migrate together into the nucleus in EGF-stimulated A431 cell]. / alpha-Aktinin-4 i p65-sub"edinitsa transkriptsionnogo faktora NF-kappaB solokalizuiutsia i sovmestno migriruiut v iadro v kletkakh A431 pod deistviem épidermal'nogo faktora rosta.

The NF-kappaB/Rel family of transcription factors in mammalian cells regulates inducible transcription of a large number of genes in response to diverse stimuli. Despite a great number of publications on this subject, little is known about precise NF-kappaB localization in the cytoplasm. As previously demonstrated, in normal rat fibroblast and human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells p65/RelA subunit of NF-kappaB is co-localized in the cytoplasm with actin structures. However, the mechanism of NF-kappaB interaction with actin remains unclear. We have investigated localization of p65/RelA subunit NFkappaB and alpha-actinin isoforms during cell activation by epidermal growth factor (EGF). Using confocal microscopy, we have shown that alpha-actinin-4 and p65/RelA subunit of NF-kappaB transcription factor are co-localized in A431 cells. Cell treatment with EGF leads to translocation of the proteins to membrane ruffles, and eventually to migration into the nucleus. Pretreatment of A431 cells with cytochalasin D or wortmannin prior to EGF treatment increases p65/RelA and alpha-actinin-4 accumulation in nuclear extracts. Co-localization of alpha-actinin-4 with p65/RelA subunit of NF-kappaB was found in nuclei isolated from stimulated cells. These results support the notion that actin cytoskeleton reorganization and alpha-actinin-4 are involved in NF-kappaB signaling.

[Fibrillar actin promotes assembly of dissociated 20S-proteasome complex]. / Fibrilliarny'i aktin sposobstvuetsborke dissotsiirovannogo kompleksa 20S-proteasomy.

20S-proteasome was purified from rat liver cells by ultracentrifugation, gel-chromatography and ultrafiltration. The ability of 20S-proteasome to interact with fibrillar actin (F-actin) was examined by rapid cosidementation of these dissociated particles with F-actin in isokinetic sucrose gradient. Proteasomes, which were dissociated with Zn2+ ions, can be assembled on the fibrillar actin once again (with the exception of protein 27 kDa) at deleting ions Zn2+ from the solution with the help of EDTA.