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- Berthold, F, et al.
(författare)
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Dissolution of softwood kraft pulps by direct derivatization in lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide
- 2004
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Polymer Science. - : Wiley. - 0021-8995 .- 1097-4628. ; 94:2, s. 424-431
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A method for the characterization of the molar mass distributions (MMDs) of softwood kraft pulps dissolved in 0.5% lithium chloride (LiCl)/N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) by size exclusion chromatography is presented. The method is based on derivatization with ethyl isocyanate and the dissolution of samples in 8% LiCl/DMAc. In this study, the derivatization of hardwood kraft pulps did not influence the MMD. In the case of softwood pulps, however, the derivatization decreased the proportion of the high-molecular-mass material and increased the proportion of the low-molecular-mass material, which resulted in a distribution similar to the MMD of a hardwood kraft pulp. The results suggest that associations between hemicellulose and cellulose in the softwood kraft pulp were ruptured during derivatization. This led to a more correct estimation of the MMD of derivatized softwood kraft pulps than obtained by the dissolution of nonderivatized samples. This new method offers several advantages over derivatization with phenyl isocyanate: a precipitation step is not necessary, it is possible to follow the lignin distribution in the samples, and the method allows very high levels of dissolution of softwood kraft pulps up to a kappa number of around 50.
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| 7. |
- Marabita, F, et al.
(författare)
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Smoking induces DNA methylation changes in Multiple Sclerosis patients with exposure-response relationship
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7:1, s. 14589-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cigarette smoking is an established environmental risk factor for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease, although a mechanistic basis remains largely unknown. We aimed at investigating how smoking affects blood DNA methylation in MS patients, by assaying genome-wide DNA methylation and comparing smokers, former smokers and never smokers in two Swedish cohorts, differing for known MS risk factors. Smoking affects DNA methylation genome-wide significantly, an exposure-response relationship exists and the time since smoking cessation affects methylation levels. The results also show that the changes were larger in the cohort bearing the major genetic risk factors for MS (female sex and HLA risk haplotypes). Furthermore, CpG sites mapping to genes with known genetic or functional role in the disease are differentially methylated by smoking. Modeling of the methylation levels for a CpG site in the AHRR gene indicates that MS modifies the effect of smoking on methylation changes, by significantly interacting with the effect of smoking load. Alongside, we report that the gene expression of AHRR increased in MS patients after smoking. Our results suggest that epigenetic modifications may reveal the link between a modifiable risk factor and the pathogenetic mechanisms.
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| 8. |
- Nystrom, T, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 on endothelial function in type 2 diabetes patients with stable coronary artery disease
- 2004
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Ingår i: American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism. - : American Physiological Society. - 1522-1555 .- 0193-1849. ; 287:6, s. 1209-1215
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- GLP-1 stimulates insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon secretion, delays gastric emptying, and inhibits small bowel motility, all actions contributing to the anti-diabetogenic peptide effect. Endothelial dysfunction is strongly associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus and may cause the angiopathy typifying this debilitating disease. Therefore, interventions affecting both endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance may prove useful in improving survival in type 2 diabetes patients. We investigated GLP-1's effect on endothelial function and insulin sensitivity (S-I) in two groups: 1) 12 type 2 diabetes patients with stable coronary artery disease and 2) 10 healthy subjects with normal endothelial function and S-I. Subjects underwent infusion of recombinant GLP-1 or saline in a random crossover study. Endothelial function was measured by postischemic FMD of brachial artery, using ultrasonography. S-I [in (10(-4) dl.kg(-1).min(-1))/(muU/ml)] was measured by hyperinsulinemic isoglycemic clamp technique. In type 2 diabetic subjects, GLP-1 infusion significantly increased relative changes in brachial artery diameter from baseline FMD(%) (3.1 +/- 0.6 vs. 6.6 +/- 1.0%, P < 0.05), with no significant effects on S-I (4.5 &PLUSMN; 0.8 vs. 5.2 &PLUSMN; 0.9, P = NS). In healthy subjects, GLP-1 infusion affected neither FMD(%) (11.9 &PLUSMN; 0.9 vs. 10.3 &PLUSMN; 1.0%, P = NS) nor S-I (14.8 &PLUSMN; 1.8 vs. 11.6 &PLUSMN; 2.0, P = NS). We conclude that GLP-1 improves endothelial dysfunction but not insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease. This beneficial vascular effect of GLP-1 adds yet another salutary property of the peptide useful in diabetes treatment.
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| 10. |
- Vaziri-Sani, Fariba, et al.
(författare)
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Phenotypic expression of factor H mutations in patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome
- 2006
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Ingår i: Kidney International. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0085-2538 .- 1523-1755. ; 69:6, s. 981-988
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated the phenotypic expression of factor H mutations in two patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Factor H in serum was assayed by rocket immunoelectrophoresis, immunoblotting, and double immunodiffusion and in tissue by immunohistochemistry. Functional activity was analyzed by hemolysis of sheep erythrocytes and binding to endothelial cells. A homozygous mutation in complement control protein (CCP) domain 10 of factor H was identified in an adult man who first developed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and later HUS. C3 levels were very low. The patient had undetectable factor H levels in serum and a weak factor H 150 kDa band. Double immunodiffusion showed partial antigenic identity with factor H in normal serum owing to the presence of factor H-like protein 1. Strong specific labeling for factor H was detected in glomerular endothelium, mesangium and in glomerular and tubular epithelium as well as in bone marrow cells. A heterozygous mutation in CCP 20 of factor H was found in a girl with HUS. C3 levels were moderately decreased at onset. Factor H levels were normal and a normal 150 kDa band was present. Double immunodiffusion showed antigenic identity with normal factor H. Factor H labeling was minimal in the renal cortex. Factor H dysfunction was demonstrated by increased sheep erythrocyte hemolysis and decreased binding to endothelial cells. In summary, two different factor H mutations associated with HUS were examined: in one, factor H accumulated in cells, and in the other, membrane binding was reduced.
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- Zhang, F, et al.
(författare)
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BLX-1002, a novel thiazolidinedione with no PPAR affinity, stimulates AMP-activated protein kinase activity, raises cytosolic Ca2+, and enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in a PI3K-dependent manner
- 2009
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Ingår i: American journal of physiology. Cell physiology. - : American Physiological Society. - 1522-1563 .- 0363-6143. ; 296:2, s. C346-C354
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BLX-1002 is a novel small thiazolidinedione with no apparent affinity to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) that has been shown to reduce glycemia in type 2 diabetes without adipogenic effects. Its precise mechanisms of action, however, remain elusive, and no studies have been done with respect to possible effects of BLX-1002 on pancreatic β-cells. We have investigated the influence of the drug on β-cell function in mouse islets in vitro. BLX-1002 enhanced insulin secretion stimulated by high, but not low or intermediate, glucose concentrations. BLX-1002 also augmented cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) at high glucose, an effect that was abolished by pretreatment with the Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin. In contrast, BLX-1002 did not interfere with voltage-gated Ca2+ channel or ATP-sensitive K+ channel activities. In addition, cellular NAD(P)H stimulated by glucose was not affected by the drug. The stimulatory effect of BLX-1002 on insulin secretion at high glucose was completely abolished by treatment with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors wortmannin or LY-294002. Stimulation of the β-cells with BLX-1002 also induced activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) at high glucose. Our study suggests that BLX-1002 potentiates insulin secretion only at high glucose in β-cells in a PI3K-dependent manner. This effect of BLX-1002 is associated with an increased [Ca2+]i mediated through Ca2+ mobilization, and an enhanced activation of AMPK. The glucose-sensitive stimulatory impact of BLX-1002 on β-cell function may translate into substantial clinical benefits of the drug in the management of type 2 diabetes, by avoidance of hypoglycemia.
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