The sodium-dependent di- and tricarboxylate transporter, NaCT, is not responsible for the uptake of D-, L-2-hydroxyglutarate and 3-hydroxyglutarate into neurons

Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have become increasingly popular as multi-objective problem solving techniques. Most studies of MOEAs are empirical. Only recently, a few theoretical results have appeared. It is acknowledged that more theoretical research is needed. An important open problem is to understand the role of populations in MOEAs. We present a simple bi-objective problem which emphasizes when populations are needed. Rigorous runtime analysis point out an exponential runtime gap between a population-based algorithm (SEMO) and several single individual-based algorithms on this problem. This means that among the algorithms considered, only the populationbased MOEA is successful and all other algorithms fail

Polyspecific Organic Cation Transport: Insights into the Substrate Binding Site

ABSTRACT Positively charged endogenous and exogenous organic compounds of diverse chemical structures are transported by polyspecific organic cation transporters (OCT). In two contributions to the May 2005 issue of Molecular Pharmacology, amino acid residues within the fourth and tenth transmembrane helices of rat OCT1 are described that contribute to cation and corticosterone binding. In a three-dimensional model based on the structure of the lactose permease, these residues are located in a large grove, the binding site for biogenic amines and cationic drugs. Many widely used pharmaceuticals carry a positive or negative charge and hence are organic cations or anions. The charge renders these compounds hydrophilic, greatly facilitating their solubility in gastrointestinal fluids, plasma, and in the extra-and intracellular aqueous spaces. However, the charge largely decreases the solubility of drugs in lipids and efficiently slows uptake into or release from cells by simple diffusion across cell membranes. Rapid transport of charged drug molecules into hepatocytes for metabolism and biliary excretion, or across small bowel and proximal tubular epithelia for intestinal absorption and renal excretion, requires the presence of transporters (carriers, permeases). Given the large number of drugs and other xenobiotics, these intestinal, hepatic, and renal transporters face the formidable task of efficiently handling chemically unrelated compounds. To do so, these transporters cannot be specific for a single compound or close congeners, as in the majority of Na ϩ -coupled transporters, but must be polyspecific, showing wider recognition properties. Meanwhile, several families of polyspecific transporters for organic cations and anions exist: the ATP-driven multidrug resistance transporters [e.g., MDR, P-glycoprotein; ABCB1 (Ambudkar et al. The substrate specificity of the organic cation transporters has been studied in detail previousl

Oksalat – od okoliša do bubrežnih kamenaca

Oxalate urolithiasis (nephrolithiasis) is the most frequent type of kidney stone disease. Epidemiological research has shown that urolithiasis is approximately twice as common in men as in women, but the underlying mechanism of this sex-related prevalence is unclear. Oxalate in the organism partially originate from food (exogenous oxalate) and largely as a metabolic end-product from numerous precursors generated mainly in the liver (endogenous oxalate). Oxalate concentrations in plasma and urine can be modified by various foodstuffs, which can interact in positively or negatively by affecting oxalate absorption, excretion, and/or its metabolic pathways. Oxalate is mostly removed from blood by kidneys and partially via bile and intestinal excretion. In the kidneys, after reaching certain conditions, such as high tubular concentration and damaged integrity of the tubule epithelium, oxalate can precipitate and initiate the formation of stones. Recent studies have indicated the importance of the SoLute Carrier 26 (SLC26) family of membrane transporters for handling oxalate. Two members of this family [Sulfate Anion Transporter 1 (SAT-1; SLC26A1) and Chloride/Formate EXchanger (CFEX; SLC26A6)] may contribute to oxalate transport in the intestine, liver, and kidneys. Malfunction or absence of SAT-1 or CFEX has been associated with hyperoxaluria and urolithiasis. However, numerous questions regarding their roles in oxalate transport in the respective organs and male-prevalent urolithiasis, as well as the role of sex hormones in the expression of these transporters at the level of mRNA and protein, still remain to be answered.Oksalatna urolitijaza (nefrolitijaza) najučestaliji je tip bolesti bubrežnih kamenaca. Rezultati epidemioloških istraživanja pokazali su da je urolitijaza približno dvostruko učestalija u muškaraca nego u žena, ali osnovni mehanizam nastanka ove spolno-ovisne prevalencije nije razjašnjen. Oksalat u organizmu dijelom potječe iz hrane (egzogeni oksalat), a glavninom nastaje kao konačni produkt metabolizma raznih preteča u jetrima (endogeni oksalat). Na koncentraciju oksalata u plazmi i urinu utječu razne tvari iz hrane, koje mogu pozitivno ili negativno djelovati na apsorpciju, metaboličke puteve i/ili izlučivanje oksalata. Oksalat se iz organizma izlučuje u manjem obimu putem žuči u crijevo, a glavninom bubrezima. U bubrezima, pri odgovarajućim uvjetima kao što su visoka koncentracija oksalata i oštećenje epitela bubrežnih kanalića, oksalat može precipitirati i time potaknuti stvaranje kamenaca. Rezultati novih istraživanja upućuju na važnost membranskih prijenosnika otopljenih tvari (SoLute Carriers) iz obitelji 26 (SLC26) za prijenos oksalata u specifičnim organima. Smatra se da dva člana ove obitelji: prijenosnik sulfatnog aniona (Sulfate Anion Transporter 1; SAT-1; SLC26A1) i izmjenjivač klora i mravlje kiseline (Chloride/Formate EXchanger; CFEX; SLC26A6), imaju značajnu ulogu u prijenosu oksalata u crijevima, jetrima i bubrezima; hiperoksalurija i nefrolitijaza utvrđeni su pri slaboj aktivnosti ili nedostatku SAT-1 i CFEX proteina. Međutim, još uvijek postoje brojne nejasnoće glede prijenosa oksalata u navedenim organima, mehanizma nastanka spolnih razlika u nefrolitijazi i utjecaja spolnih hormona na ekspresiju proteina i mRNA za navedene prijenosnike

In female rats, ethylene glycol treatment elevates protein expression of hepatic and renal oxalate transporter sat-1 (Slc26a1) without inducing hyperoxaluria

Aim To investigate whether the sex-dependent expression of hepatic and renal oxalate transporter sat-1 (Slc26a1) changes in a rat model of ethylene glycol (EG)-induced hyperoxaluria. Methods Rats were given tap water (12 males and 12 females; controls) or EG (12 males and 12 females; 0.75% v/v in tap water) for one month. Oxaluric state was confirmed by biochemical parameters in blood plasma, urine, and tissues. Expression of sat-1 and rate-limiting enzymes of oxalate synthesis, alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (Adh1) and hydroxy-acid oxidase 1 (Hao1), was determined by immunocytochemistry (protein) and/or real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (mRNA). Results EG-treated males had significantly higher (in μmol/L; mean ± standard deviation) plasma (59.7 ± 27.2 vs 12.9 ± 4.1, P < 0.001) and urine (3716 ± 1726 vs 241 ± 204, P < 0.001) oxalate levels, and more abundant oxalate crystaluria than controls, while the liver and kidney sat-1 protein and mRNA expression did not differ significantly between these groups. EG-treated females, in comparison with controls had significantly higher (in μmol/L) serum oxalate levels (18.8 ± 2.9 vs 11.6 ± 4.9, P < 0.001), unchanged urine oxalate levels, low oxalate crystaluria, and significantly higher expression (in relative fluorescence units) of the liver (1.59 ± 0.61 vs 0.56 ± 0.39, P = 0.006) and kidney (1.77 ± 0.42 vs 0.69 ± 0.27, P < 0.001) sat-1 protein, but not mRNA. The mRNA expression of Adh1 was femaledominant and that of Hao1 male-dominant, but both were unaffected by EG treatment. Conclusions An increased expression of hepatic and renal oxalate transporting protein sat-1 in EG-treated female rats could protect from hyperoxaluria and oxalate urolithiasis

Piloting an outcome-based programme evaluation tool in undergraduate medical education

Aims: Different approaches to performance-oriented allocation of resources according to teaching quality are currently being discussed within German medical schools. The implementation of these programmes is impeded by a lack of valid criteria to measure teaching quality. An assessment of teaching quality should include structural and procedural aspects but focus on learning outcome itself. The aim of this study was to implement a novel, outcome-based evaluation tool within the clinical phase of a medical curriculum and address differences between the novel tool and traditional evaluation methods

Spolno-neovisna ekspresija izmjenjivača klora i mravlje kiseline Cfex (Slc26a6) u gušterači, tankom crijevu i jetri štakora i povišena ekspresija u bubrezima mužjaka

Chloride/formate exchanger (CFEX; SLC26A6) mediates oxalate transport in various mammalian organs. Studies in Cfex knockout mice indicated its possible role in development of male-dominant hyperoxaluria and oxalate urolithiasis. Rats provide an important model for studying this pathophysiological condition, but data on Cfex (rCfex) localisation and regulation in their organs are limited. Here we applied the RT-PCR and immunochemical methods to investigate rCfex mRNA and protein expression and regulation by sex hormones in the pancreas, small intestine, liver, and kidneys from intact prepubertal and adult as well as gonadectomised adult rats treated with sex hormones. rCfex cDNA-transfected HEK293 cells were used to confirm the specificity of the commercial anti-CFEX antibody. Various biochemical parameters were measured in 24-h urine collected in metabolic cages. rCfex mRNA and related protein expression varied in all tested organs. Sex-independent expression of the rCfex protein was detected in pancreatic intercalated ducts (apical domain), small intestinal enterocytes (brush-border membrane; duodenum > jejunum > ileum), and hepatocytes (canalicular membrane). In kidneys, the rCfex protein was immunolocalised to the proximal tubule brush-border with segment-specific pattern (S1=S2 jejunum > ileum) i kanalikularnoj membrani hepatocita. U bubrezima je a) prijenosnik rCfex imunolokaliziran u četkastoj membrani proksimalnih kanalića sa segment-specifičnim obrascem (S1=S2 ženke) zbog stimulacijskoga učinka androgena nakon puberteta. Međutim, izlučivanje oksalata urinom nije bilo sukladno ekspresiji bubrežnoga prijenosnika rCfex. Dakle, nejasan je učinak povišene ekspresije prijenosnika rCfex u proksimalnim kanalićima mužjaka na izlučivanje oksalata, a postojanje prijenosnika u kanalikularnoj membrani hepatocita mogući je put izlučivanja oksalata putem žuči

New Species in the Old World: Europe as a Frontier in Biodiversity Exploration, a Test Bed for 21st Century Taxonomy

The number of described species on the planet is about 1.9 million, with ca. 17,000 new species described annually, mostly from the tropics. However, taxonomy is usually described as a science in crisis, lacking manpower and funding, a politically acknowledged problem known as the Taxonomic Impediment. Using data from the Fauna Europaea database and the Zoological Record, we show that contrary to general belief, developed and heavily-studied parts of the world are important reservoirs of unknown species. In Europe, new species of multicellular terrestrial and freshwater animals are being discovered and named at an unprecedented rate: since the 1950s, more than 770 new species are on average described each year from Europe, which add to the 125,000 terrestrial and freshwater multicellular species already known in this region. There is no sign of having reached a plateau that would allow for the assessment of the magnitude of European biodiversity. More remarkably, over 60% of these new species are described by non-professional taxonomists. Amateurs are recognized as an essential part of the workforce in ecology and astronomy, but the magnitude of non-professional taxonomist contributions to alpha-taxonomy has not been fully realized until now. Our results stress the importance of developing a system that better supports and guides this formidable workforce, as we seek to overcome the Taxonomic Impediment and speed up the process of describing the planetary biodiversity before it is too late

The European union’s 2010 target: Putting rare species in focus

P. 167-185The European Union has adopted the ambitious target of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010. Several indicators have been proposed to assess progress towards the 2010 target, two of them addressing directly the issue of species decline. In Europe, the Fauna Europaea database gives an insight into the patterns of distribution of a total dataset of 130,000 terrestrial and freshwater species without taxonomic bias, and provide a unique opportunity to assess the feasibility of the 2010 target. It shows that the vast majority of European species are rare, in the sense that they have a restricted range. Considering this, the paper discusses whether the 2010 target indicators really cover the species most at risk of extinction. The analysis of a list of 62 globally extinct European taxa shows that most contemporary extinctions have affected narrow-range taxa or taxa with strict ecological requirements. Indeed, most European species listed as threatened in the IUCN Red List are narrow-range species. Conversely, there are as many wide-range species as narrow-range endemics in the list of protected species in Europe (Bird and Habitat Directives). The subset of biodiversity captured by the 2010 target indicators should be representative of the whole biodiversity in terms of patterns of distribution and abundance. Indicators should not overlook a core characteristic of biodiversity, i.e. the large number of narrow-range species and their intrinsic vulnerability. With ill-selected indicator species, the extinction of narrowrange endemics would go unnoticedS