1. N-ethylmaliemide (NEM)-stimulated passive potassium transport in camel erythrocytes: inhibitory effects of age, furosemide, sodium fluoride and okadaic acid
N S Gharaibeh Vet J . 1999 Jan;157(1):57-60. doi: 10.1053/tvjl.1998.0245.
The effects of age, and the inhibitory effects of furosemide, sodium fluoride, and okadaic acid on N-ethylmaliemide (NEM)-stimulated, ouabain-resistant potassium influx were investigated in camel erythrocytes. The NEM-stimulated influx which declined with the age of erythrocytes, was partially inhibited by 2 mmol/L furosemide, 20 mmol/L sodium fluoride, and completely inhibited by 150 nM okadaic acid. The effect of all chemical inhibitors was significant if added before the NEM pretreatment.
2. Lipophilic marine biotoxins SERS sensing in solutions and in mussel tissue
Monica M Venter, Csilla Müller, Simona Cintă Pinzaru, Vasile Chis, Ivana Ujević, Branko Glamuzina Talanta . 2018 Sep 1;187:47-58. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.05.006.
To detect and recognise three structurally related marine biotoxins responsible for the diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) symptom, namely okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1) and dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX-2) respectively, as well as the structurally different yessotoxin (YTX), we developed a novel surface-enhanced micro-Raman scattering (micro-SERS) approach to investigate for the first time their micro-SERS signalling in solution and jointly analysed them in conjunction with the normal and toxic mussel tissue. YTX provided the main SERS feature surprisingly similar to DTX-1 and DTX-2, suggesting similar molecular adsorption mechanism with respect to the AgNPs. A fingerprint SERS band at 1017 cm-1characteristic for the C-CH3stretching in DTX-1 and DTX-2 and absent in OA SERS signal, allowed direct SERS discrimination of DTX-1,2 from OA. In acid form or as dissolved potassium salt, OA showed reproducible SERS feature for 0.81 μM to 84.6 nM concentrations respectively, while its ammonium salt slightly changed the overall SERS signature. The inherently strong fluorescence of the shellfish tissue, which hampers Raman spectroscopy analysis, further increases when toxins are present in tissue. Through SERS, tissue fluorescence is partially quenched. Artificially intoxicated mussel tissue with DSP toxins and incubated with AgNPs allowed direct SERS evidence of the toxin presence, opening a novel avenue for the in situ shellfish tracking and warning via micro-SERS. Natural toxic tissue containing 57.91 μg kg-1YTX (LC-MS confirmed) was micro-SERS assessed to validate the new algorithm for toxins detection. We showed that a portable Raman system was able to reproduce the lab-based SERS results, being suitable for in situ raw seafood screening. The new approach provides an attractive, faster, effective and low-cost alternative for seafood screening, with economic, touristic and sustainable impact in aquaculture, fisheries, seafood industry and consumer trust.
3. Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport, Na+/H+ exchange, and cell volume in ferret erythrocytes
C Herth, H Mairbäurl Am J Physiol . 1996 Nov;271(5 Pt 1):C1603-11. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.1996.271.5.C1603.
Ferrets have high-Na+ and low-K+ erythrocytes (113 and 5.4 mmol/l cell water) due to the lack of Na(+)-K+ pumps. Because ferret erythrocytes have a high capacity for Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport, the present study was undertaken to evaluate cell volume-related changes in cotransport activity and its role in volume regulation. With cell shrinkage, Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport is activated about twofold. A large bumetanide-insensitive Na+ uptake component that has not yet been described is found in shrunken erythrocytes. Its inhibition by amiloride (concn inhibiting 50% of maximal response = 12 microM) and the Na+ dependence of amiloride-sensitive extracellular pH changes measured in cells suspended in hypertonic unbuffered medium indicate that this flux represents Na+/H+ exchange. Shrinkage activation of both transporters follows a time lag of approximately 3 min and also requires normal levels of ATP. ATP depletion inhibits Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport even at normal cell volume. Both transporters are partially inhibited by the protein kinase inhibitors staurosporine and K252a, and activators of protein kinases A and C do not affect transport. Okadaic acid inhibition of protein phosphatases activates Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport to its maximal activity (same after shrinkage), but shrinkage and okadaic acid activation are not additive. In contrast, okadaic acid activates Na+/H+ exchange even in shrunken cells. These results indicate that cell shrinkage activates Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport and Na+/H+ exchange probably by phosphorylation processes.