This study was conducted to investigate the effect of platelet activating factor (PAF) on the acrosome reaction and fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa, and development of the resulting embryos in the rabbit. Rabbit spermatozoa were exposed to PAF, Iyso-PAF, or high ionic strength medium (HIS) prior to subzonal sperm injection (SUZI) into 326 mature oocytes, or morphological assessment of the acrosome reaction. The rates of fertilization and blastocyst formation were compared among the three treatment groups. Acrosome reaction was assessed by fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated Pisum sativum agglutinin (FITC-PSA) staining and electron microscopy. PAF-treated spermatozoa fertilized the oocytes at a significantly higher rate (56.1%) than did lyso-PAF-(36.8%, P< 0.01) or HIS- (38.2%, P < 0.05) treated spermatozoa. The embryos produced by PAF-treated spermatozoa showed significantly higher blastocyst formation rates (34.0%) than lyso-PAF- (8.6%, P < 0.050) or HIS-(8.8%, P< 0.05) treated spermatozoa. FITC-PSA staining demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of acrosome reaction in PAF-treated spermatozoa (45.8%) than in Iyso-PAF- (28.0%, P < 0.01) or HIS- (34.9%, P < 0.01) treated spermatozoa. Acrosome reaction of PAF-treated spermatozoa was also confirmed by electron microscopy. PAF treatment of spermatozoa enhances fertilizing capacity for SUZI possibly by augmenting the acrosome reaction. Enhanced embryonic development was also found in the oocytes fertilized by SUZI of PAF-treated spermatozoa.

No description available.

No description available.

Le PAF (facteur d'activation des plaquettes) est un médiateur lipidique de l'inflammation très puissant impliqué dans plusieurs conditions pathophysiologiques.Le PAF agit principalement via un seul récepteur, le PAFR qui appartient à la famille des récepteurs couplés aux protéines G, les GPCRs. Le"two state model" assume que les GPCRs existent dans un état d'équilibre entre un état inactif (R) et un état actif (R*). L'isomérisation de R vers R* peut arriver de façon spontanée, c'est à dire indépendamment de la liaison d'un agoniste. Dans ces travaux de recherche, nous avons tenté de déterminer la propriété antagoniste et agoniste inverse des molécules orthostériques (WEB2086, PCA4248, FR49175, bromure d'octylonium, CV3988 et le Trans BTP dioxolane) à activer la voie des MAPK ainsi que le cycle biochimique des inositols phosphates dans la lignée cellulaire HEK 293 transfectée de façon stable avec le récepteur du PAF. De plus, l'activité potentiellement allostérique sur le PAFR de modulateurs synthétiques tels le THG-315, le THG-316 et MAREK a également été investiguée dans la même lignée cellulaire. Finalement, des surnageants d'hybridome 9H1/1C1, 9F5/1H4, 9F5/1H4, 9F5/1F8, 9F5/2B3 et 9F5/2E4 contenant des anticorps monoclonaux, dirigés tous contre un peptide qui équivaut à la région C-terminale de la troisième boucle extracellulaire du PAFR: GFQDSKfHQA ont également été utilisés, afin : (1) de déterminer le meilleur clone en terme d'affinité et de spécificité et (2) effectuer des tests pour savoir s'ils possèdent des propriétés agonistes ou antagonistes sur le PAFR. En conclusion, les résultats obtenus nous indiquent que : (1) l'efficacité des molécules orthostériques à antagoniser les réponses induites par le PAF dépend de leur nature et de leur concentration, (2) les modulateurs potentiellement allostériques utilisés ne modulent aucune des voies majoritairement connues pour être activées par le PAFR, et (3) qu'il n'y a aucun marquage spécifique du PAFR avec les surnageants d'hybridomes utilisés.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder with limited treatment options. Previous research has shown that metabolism of the platelet activating factor (PAF) family of lipid second messengers is impaired in AD. While PAFs are known to exacerbate glutamate excitotoxicity, signal tau hyperphosphorylation, and mediate amyloid β neurotoxicity, it is not yet clear whether cognitive decline can be ascribed to activation of the G-protein-coupled PAF receptor (PAFR). Here, I assessed whether loss of PAFR would alter Morris water maze performance in the TgCRND8 (Tg) mouse model of AD. I show that learning is impaired in Tg PAFR+/+ but not in Tg PAFR-/- mice. Together, these findings suggested that blocking PAFR-mediated glutamate overload or inhibiting PAF-synthesizing enzymes are two relevant therapeutic strategies. As traditional medicine is a major form of health care in regions like Mesoamerica, I conducted an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by Q’eqchi’ Maya healers of southern Belize to treat symptoms relevant to AD. I collected a total of 22 plants, 19 of which were identified to the species level. None of the plant extracts used for symptoms of AD were neurotoxic when tested on cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). I found that extracts of Margraviaceae gentlei and Gonzalagunia panamensis protected CGNs from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, in vitro, and Peperomia hirta inhibited sPLA2 activity. These results demonstrate a pharmacological basis for Q’eqchi’ Maya traditional medicine used to treat symptoms relevant to AD, and highlight several plants with potential for future development into natural products for the treatment of AD.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, is one of the leading causes of death due to a single infectious agent and results in more than 1 million human deaths every year. M.tb infection of the host initiates a local inflammatory response, resulting in the migration of a number of host plasma protein and non-protein factors to the site of infection. In addition, some of these factors are also produced locally at the site of infection. It is envisaged that these host factors are likely to come in direct contact with M.tb and immune cells and may modulate the outcome of the infection. In this study, a number of host factors including transferrin, lactoferrin, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2M), vitronectin, plasminogen, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), serotonin, L-alpha dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and platelet activating factor C-16 (PAF C-16) were screened in vitro for their direct effect on the growth of mycobacteria using M.smegmatis as a model. As a result of this screening, PAF C-16, a phospholipid compound was identified that directly inhibited the growth of M.smegmatis and M.bovis BCG in a dose and time-dependent manner. Use of a range of PAF C-16 structural analogues, including Lyso-PAF, PAF C-18, Hexanolamino PAF, 2-O-methyl PAF & Pyrrolidino PAF, revealed that small modifications in structure did not alter the direct growth inhibition property of PAF C-16 and similar levels of M.smegmatis and M.bovis BCG growth inhibition were observed as compared to PAF C-16. Structural dissection of PAF C-16 suggested that the attachment of carbon tail to the glycerol backbone via ether bond at sn-1 position was important for its direct growth inhibition activity against mycobacteria. Microscopy and flow cytometry with PAF C-16 treated M.smegmatis and M.bovis BCG showed damage to the bacterial cell membrane. The addition of membrane-stabilizing agents, α-tocopherol, tween-80 and tween-20, partially mitigated the growth inhibitory effect of PAF C-16. These results suggested that the growth inhibition activity of PAF C-16 against mycobacteria is most likely due to its detergent-like effect, resulting in damage to the bacterial cell membrane. PAF C-16 and its structural analogues were also investigated for their effect on the growth of intracellular M.smegmatis inside THP1 cells. In vitro, PAF C-16, PAF C-18 and Hexanolamino PAF inhibited the growth of intracellular M.smegmatis, whereas, analogues such as Lyso-PAF and 2-O-methyl PAF failed to show any growth inhibitory effect, suggesting that the presence of acetyl group at sn-2 position was important for growth inhibition of intracellular M.smegmatis. Use of PAF receptor antagonists partially mitigated the inhibitory effect of PAF C-16 on the growth of intracellular M.smegmatis, suggesting this inhibition was through receptor-mediated signalling pathways. Blocking of PAF C-16 signalling pathway components such as phospholipase C and phospholipase A2, resulted in the increased survival of intracellular M.smegmatis. Arachidonic acid, a product of PAF C-16 signalling pathway directly inhibited the growth of M.smegmatis. Furthermore, inhibition of iNOS enzyme and antibody-mediated neutralization of TNF-α partially mitigated the inhibitory effect of PAF C-16 on intracellular M.smegmatis growth, suggesting that the production of NO and TNF-α were also involved in PAF C-16 induced intracellular growth inhibition. Overall, this study has identified PAF C-16, its structural analogues such as Lyso-PAF, PAF C-18, Hexanolamino PAF and other compounds including 1-O-hexadecyl-sn-glycerol, miltefosine and hexadecyl lactate with novel anti-mycobacterial activity. Further investigations are needed to demonstrate their effectiveness against M.tb both in vitro and in animal models to assess their therapeutic potential as anti-TB drugs.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Platelet-activating Factor (PAF) stimulates various cell types by the activation of the G-protein coupled PAF-receptor (PAFR). Systemic PAFR activation induces an acute pro-inflammatory response, as well as delayed systemic immunosuppressive effects in vivo. De novo enzymatic PAF synthesis and degradation are closely regulated, but oxidative stressors, such as UVB, and cigarette smoke, can generate PAF-like species via the oxidation of membrane lipids in an unregulated process. Mast cells (MCs) and the PAFR have been shown to be necessary to mediate the resulting systemic immune suppression from oxidative stressors. The work herein implicates pro-oxidative chemotherapeutics, such as melphalan and etoposide, in mediating augmentation in tumor growth by inducing the generation of PAFR agonists via the oxidation of membrane lipids. This work also demonstrates the role of MCs and MC-released mediators in PAFR systemic immunosuppression. Through a contact hypersensitivity (CHS) model, the MC PAFR was found to be necessary and sufficient for PAF to mediate systemic immunosuppression. Additionally, activation of the MC PAFR seems to induce MC histamine and prostaglandin E2 release. Furthermore, by transplanting histamine- or COX-2-deficient MCs into MC-deficient mice, MC-derived histamine and prostaglandin release were found to be necessary for PAF to induce systemic immunosuppression. Lastly, we have evidence to suggest that prostaglandin release modulates MC migration to draining lymph nodes, a process necessary to promote immunosuppression. These studies fit with the hypothesis that MC PAFR activation mediates PAFR systemic immunosuppression in part by histamine and prostaglandin release.

No description available.

No description available.

by Wing Shun Cheung. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-178). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.