This study is to predict the possible roles of the arylsulfate sulfotransferase (ASST) in the microorganism. At first we studied the spectrum of a distribution of the ASST enzyme through about 1,300 bacteria and the several selected strains were compared with Klebsiella K-36 previously reported in the level of DNA homology using the Southern blot method. From this study, we could predict that this enzyme would not exist in specific bacteria and it might not be a critical enzyme for the life of bacteria.
The role of intracellular Ca2+ in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation by products of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism was investigated using U-373 MG human astrocytoma cells. Treatment with nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitor, or caffeic acid (CA), a specific 5-LOX inhibitor, suppressed proliferation of the tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, indomethacin (Indo), a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, did not significantly alter proliferation of the tumor cells. At anti-proliferative concentrations, NDGA and CA significantly inhibited intracellular Ca2+ release induced by carbachol, a known intracellular Ca2+ agonist in the tumor cells. Exogenous administration of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), an AA metabolite of LOX pathway, enhanced proliferation of the tumor cells in a concentration-dependent fashion. In addition, LTB4 induced intracellular Ca2+ release. Intracellular Ca2+ inhibitors, such as an intracellular Ca2+ chelator (BAPTA) and intracellular Ca(2+)-release inhibitors (dantrolene and TMB-8), significantly blocked the LTB4-induced enhancement of cell proliferation and intracellular Ca2+ release. These results suggest that LOX activity may be critical for cell proliferation of the human astrocytoma cells and that intracellular Ca2+ may play a major role in the mechanism of action of LOX.
Since Bifidobacterium bifidum, one of the strains of medical preparations used for human intestinal disorders, is sensitive to rifampicin (RFP) and fluoroquinolones, its therapeutic effect cannot be guaranteed when it is administered concomitantly with these antibiotics. To develop new strains of B. bifidum that are resistant to these drugs, B. bifidum RFR61, which is highly resistant to RFP, was selected by the N-methyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) mutation method. Then, B. bifidum OFR9 was selected in vitro from B. bifidum RFR61 by serial passage to increasing concentrations of oflloxacin (OFLX) on a solid medium. The minimal inhibition concentrations (MIC) of RFP and fluoroquinolones for B. bifidum OFR9 were >256 µg/ml and 16-256 µg/ml, respectively. We investigated the effects of B. bifidum OFR9 on the fecal bacterial flora of mice administered with both antibiotics and B. bifidum OFR9. The results showed that the concurrent use of B. bifidum OFR9 and antibiotics prevented the decrease of bifidobacteria, and quickly restored the flora to normal as compared with the use of antibiotic or parent strain therapy alone. The survival of Shigella organisms in mouse feces rapidly decreased, and were removed within two days as a result of the oral administration of B. bifidum OFR9.
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