Induction of reactive oxygen species and cell survival in the presence of advanced glycation end products and similar structures

AbstractAdvanced glycation end products (AGEs) that arise from the reaction of sugars with protein side chains and the terminal amino group are supposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases and therefore the effects of AGEs on cells are the objective of numerous investigations. The effects of AGEs on cells are commonly assumed to be transduced via the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) but there are also other receptors known to interact with AGEs and they are likely to be involved in signal transduction. The primary cellular effect of AGEs on cultured cells was found to be the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). For the present study one murine and three human cell lines were used. The effects of a set of different highly modified AGEs and AGE-like compounds derived from the incubation of different modifiers with BSA were tested for their effects on these cells. Almost all AGEs tested induced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the different cell lines although the intensity of the detected signals varied considerably between the cell lines and are strongly dependent on the AGE used for cell activation. The most highly modified BSA-species were shown to inhibit cell growth in all cell lines, whereas a moderately modified glucose derived BSA-AGE and BSA-GAred did not show any inhibitory effect on cell growth even when a high ROS formation was detected

Sammelrezension Gewalt im Computerspiel

Christoph Bareither: Gewalt im Computerspiel: Facetten eines VergnügensBielefeld: transcript 2016, 364 S., ISBN 9783837635591, EUR 34,99 (Zugl. Dissertation an der Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, 2015)Gareth Schott: Violent Games: Rules, Realism and EffectLondon/New York: Bloomsbury Academic 2016 (Approaches to Digital Game Studies, Bd.3), 274 S., ISBN 9781628925616,EUR 34,9

Klaus Rothermund, Andreas Eder: Motivation und Emotion. Lehrbuch. Basiswissen Psychologie. Wiesbaden 2011 (Rezension)

Rezension zu Klaus Rothermund/ Andreas Eder: Motivation und Emotion. Lehrbuch. Basiswissen Psychologie. Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag, 201

Schlaglichter: ein Streifzug durch 100 Jahre Institut für Kommunikations- undMedienwissenschaft 1916 – 2016

Die Posterausstellung des Lehr- und Praxisprojekts von Studierenden des Bachelorstudienganges Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft anlässlich der 61. Tagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik gibt in Kooperation mit dem Universitätsarchiv Leipzig Einblicke in die wechselvolle Geschichte des Instituts für Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft der Universität Leipzig im 100. Jahr seiner Gründung

Modulation of GLO1 expression affects malignant properties of cells

The energy metabolism of most tumor cells relies on aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) characterized by an increased glycolytic flux that is accompanied by the increased formation of the cytotoxic metabolite methylglyoxal (MGO). Consequently, the rate of detoxification of this reactive glycolytic byproduct needs to be increased in order to prevent deleterious effects to the cells. This is brought about by an increased expression of glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) that is the rate-limiting enzyme of the MGO-detoxifying glyoxalase system. Here, we overexpressed GLO1 in HEK 293 cells and silenced it in MCF-7 cells using shRNA. Tumor-related properties of wild type and transformed cells were compared and key glycolytic enzyme activities assessed. Furthermore, the cells were subjected to hypoxic conditions to analyze the impact on cell proliferation and enzyme activities. Our results demonstrate that knockdown of GLO1 in the cancer cells significantly reduced tumor-associated properties such as migration and proliferation, whereas no functional alterations where found by overexpression of GLO1 in HEK 293 cells. In contrast, hypoxia caused inhibition of cell growth of all cells except of those overexpressing GLO1. Altogether, we conclude that GLO1 on one hand is crucial to maintaining tumor characteristics of malignant cells, and, on the other hand, supports malignant transformation of cells in a hypoxic environment when overexpressed

\u3ci\u3eIn situ\u3c/i\u3e ellipsometry growth characterization of dual ion beam deposited boron nitride thin films

Pure hexagonal h, as well as mixed-phase cubic/hexagonal c/h boron nitride (BN) thin films were deposited onto [001] silicon substrates using the dual ion beam deposition technique. The BN thin films were grown under UHV conditions at different substrate temperatures and ion beam bombarding parameters. Thin-film growth was monitored using in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry at 44 wavelengths between 420 and 761 nm. The in situ ellipsometric Ψ and Δ data were compared with two-layer growth model calculations for the mixed-phase c/h BN, and with one-layer growth model calculations for pure h-BN growth. In situ data provide information on the optical properties of deposited h-BN and c/h-BN material, film thickness, and BN growth rates. A virtual interface approach is employed for the optical properties of the silicon substrate. The growth and nucleation of c-BN observed here confirms the cylindrical thermal spike model. The results for composition and thickness of the BN films were compared to those obtained from ex situ infrared transmission measurements and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy investigations

Ethyl pyruvate combats human leukemia cells but spares normal blood cells

Ethyl pyruvate, a known ROS scavenger and anti-inflammatory drug was found to combat leukemia cells. Tumor cell killing was achieved by concerted action of necrosis/apoptosis induction, ATP depletion, and inhibition of glycolytic and para-glycolytic enzymes. Ethyl lactate was less harmful to leukemia cells but was found to arrest cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase. Both, ethyl pyruvate and ethyl lactate were identified as new inhibitors of GSK-3β. Despite the strong effect of ethyl pyruvate on leukemia cells, human cognate blood cells were only marginally affected. The data were compiled by immune blotting, flow cytometry, enzyme activity assay and gene array analysis. Our results inform new mechanisms of ethyl pyruvate-induced cell death, offering thereby a new treatment regime with a high therapeutic window for leukemic tumors