Alkaline phosphatase

Objective  To determine the effects of menopause on bone-related variables in Indonesian women and to compare them with corresponding data in Caucasian Australian women.Design  A study of bone-related variables in women aged 45–55 years in Jakarta compared with corresponding historical data from Caucasian Australian women.Measurements  Dietary intakes, bone mineral density (BMD) and calcium-related variables in blood and urine.Results  Dietary calcium, phosphorus and protein intakes were significantly lower in the women from Jakarta than in those from Adelaide (all P < 0·001), probably because of lower milk consumption, but energy intake was similar in the two cities. Indonesian women were shorter and lighter than Australian women (P < 0·001) but had a comparable body mass index (BMI). The Indonesians also had a lower spinal BMD than the Australians but this was accounted for by the differences in height and weight between the two populations. The differences in serum and urinary calcium and phosphate and serum alkaline phosphatase across the menopause were comparable in Indonesian and Australian women but creatinine excretion was 25% lower in Jakarta than in Adelaide (P < 0·001) and this was probably sufficient to account for higher ratios of some urinary solutes to urinary creatinine in the Indonesians. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels were significantly lower (P < 0·001) and serum PTH levels significantly higher (P = 0·0045) in Jakarta than in Adelaide.Conclusions  The differences in bone-related biochemical variables across the menopause were similar in the two populations, but calcium and protein intake and urine creatinine were lower in Indonesian than in Australian women. Serum 25OHD was lower and PTH higher in the Indonesian women, probably because of their darker skin, their practice of avoiding direct sunlight and the heavy atmospheric pollution in Jakarta.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) on lipid composition and fatty acid profile in the small intestinal mucosa of lactating pigs. Malnutrition was achieved by 80% protein-energy restriction for 30 d (20% of the food intake in the control group) in 7-d-old newborn piglets. Malnourished piglets had significantly lower concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipid and triglycerides in the jejunum and ileum compared with freely fed controls. Fatty acid composition of the intestinal mucosa was severely affected by malnutrition. A sharp decline in the relative percentages of (n-3) and (n-6) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in malnourished piglets paralleled higher (n-9) fatty acid proportions in the total mucosa, microsomes and phospholipids of the jejunum. The structure of the small intestine was severely affected as assessed by light and electron microscopy, and alkaline phosphatase and disaccharidase activities ...

Multiorgan failure including liver dysfunction is a common finding in sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients, the cause of which is multifactorial with advancing age said to be a major determinant. There is a paucity of data on liver function among SCA patients in relation to age in northern Nigerian hospitals, including Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. This study was to assess the biochemical liver function tests (LFTs) as they relate to age among SCA patients in steady state, with a view to improving the overall monitoring of these patients. This study was carried out in ABUTH, Zaria, Northern Nigeria. LFTs were carried out in 100 SCA and 100 apparently healthy participants (controls). The SCA group was made up of fifty adults and fifty children diagnosed of SCA, whereas the control group was made up of fifty adults and fifty children who were apparently healthy and had hemoglobin AA. Paired two-tailed Student&#39;s t-test for matched samples and Pearson&#39;s ...

The propeptides PICP and PINP are derived from the synthesis of type I collagen, a major matrix protein of bone and soft tissues. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate their value as indicators of the aggressivity of breast cancer. Serum PINP, PICP, and total alkaline phosphatase were determined from 89 breast cancer patients. Forty had major bone and/or soft tissue metastases with an aggressive disease course: the progressive disease (PD) group. Forty-nine had either none or minor bone and/or soft tissue metastases with a stable clinical course: the stable disease group (SD). The mean value of PINP in the PD group was 7.2 times higher than that in the SD group (276 +/- 79 microg/l versus 38 +/- 3 microg/l, respectively; P = 0.005), whereas PICP mean value was only 1.7 times higher in the PD group (174 +/- 20 microg/l versus 100 +/- 5 microg/l; P = 0.001). The ratio of PICP to PINP was 1.02 +/- 0.07 in the PD group and 3.07 +/- 0.18 in the SD group (P &lt; 0.001)....

Nonlipophilic corynebacteria associated with clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy cows were found to belong to four species: Corynebacterium amycolatum, Corynebacterium ulcerans, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, and Corynebacterium minutissimum. These species may easily be confused. However, clear-cut differences between C. ulcerans and C. pseudotuberculosis were found in their acid production from maltotriose and ethylene glycol, susceptibility to vibriostatic agent O129, and alkaline phosphatase. Absence of growth at 20 degrees C and lack of alpha-glucosidase and 4MU-alpha-D-glycoside hydrolysis activity differentiated C. amycolatum from C. pseudotuberculosis and C. ulcerans. The mastitis C. pseudotuberculosis strains differed from the biovar equi and ovis reference strains and from caprine field strains in their colony morphologies and in their reduced inhibitory activity on staphylococcal beta-hemolysin. C. amycolatum was the most frequently isolated nonlipophilic coryn...

Protracted hypocalcemia is the most common complication after parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism. Several parameters have been identified to predict the degree of postoperative hypocalcemia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were any factors associated with prolonged hospitalization in these patients. A total of 81 consecutive patients with end-stage renal disease and advanced secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent parathyroidectomy between January 2004 and December 2006 were studied. The postoperative calcium infusion protocol and discharge criteria were standardized. Clinical variables were compared between patients with a shorter or longer postoperative stay. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 5.6 days. Preoperative alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly higher in patients with a longer stay (p=0.035). In a linear regression model, the postoperative length of stay was moderately but significantly correlated with preoperat...

Phosphorus (P) is one of the major constituents in energy metabolism and biosynthesis of nucleic acids and cell membranes with an important role in regulation of a number of enzymes. Soil phosphorous is an important macronutrient for plant growth. Phosphorus deficiency in soil is a major problem for agricultural production. Total soil P occurs in either organic or in organic form. Phytic acid as phytate (salts of phytic acid) is the major form of organic phosphorus in soil and it is not readily available to plants as a source of phosphorus because it either forms a complex with cations or adsorbs to various soil components. Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms are ubiquitous in soils and could play an important role in supplying P to plants. Microorganisms utilizing phytate are found in cultivated soils as well as in wetland, grassland and forest soils. Various fungi and bacteria (including plant growth promoting rhizobacteria) hydrolyze this organic form of phosphorus secreting phosphatases such as phytases and acidic/alkaline phosphatases. A large number of transgenic plants have been developed which were able to utilize sodium phytate as sole source of phosphorus. However, the recombinant phytases were similar to their wild type counterparts in terms of their properties. Increased phytase/phosphatase activity in transgenic plants may be an effective approach to promote their phytate-phosphorus utilization. The extracellular phytase activity of transgenic plant roots is a significant factor in the utilization of phosphorus from phytate. Furthermore, this indicated that an opportunity exists for using gene technology to improve the ability of plants to utilize accumulated forms of soil organic phosphorus. This review is focused on the role of phytases and phytase producing microbes in promoting the growth of different plants.

In T47D breast cancer cell line, progestin (R5020) induces de novo synthesis of an alkaline phosphatase enzyme. Based on inhibitor profiles and antigenic specificity, it is apparent that this enzyme belongs to the class of membrane-associated tissue-unspecific alkaline phosphatases. Enzyme induction was uniquely specific to progestins and not altered by other steroid hormones or synthetic analogues. The progestin induction of the tissue-unspecific alkaline phosphatase was time and dose dependent. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocks the enzyme synthesis and tunicamycin blocks the enzyme activity, showing that the induction was new synthesis of protein in its complete glycosylated form and not activation of a preexisting enzyme. To our knowledge this is the first report of progesterone-induced expression of a tissue-unspecific alkaline phosphatase gene of such magnitude (about 30- to 100-fold) in a progesterone-responsive tissue.

Insecticidal protein genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are expressed by transgenic (Bt) crops for effective and environmentally safe pest control. The development of resistance to these insecticidal proteins is considered the most serious threat to the sustainability of Bt crops. Resistance in fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) populations from Puerto Rico to transgenic corn producing the Cry1Fa insecticidal protein resulted, for the first time in the USA, in practical resistance and Bt corn was withdrawn from the local market. In this study, we used a field-collected Cry1Fa corn-resistant strain (456) of S. frugiperda to identify the mechanism responsible for field-evolved resistance. Binding assays detected reduced Cry1Fa, Cry1Ab, and Cry1Ac but not Cry1Ca toxin binding to midgut brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) from larvae of 456 compared to a susceptible (Ben) strain. This binding phenotype is descriptive of Mode 1 type resistance to Bt toxins. Compari...

We aimed to evaluate the in vitro osteogenic and osteoinductive potentials of BioS-2P and its ability to promote in vivo bone repair. To investigate osteogenic potential, UMR-106 osteoblastic cells were cultured on BioS-2P and Bioglass 45S5 discs in osteogenic medium. The osteoinductive potential was evaluated using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) cultured on BioS-2P, Bioglass 45S5 and polystyrene in non-osteogenic medium. Rat bone calvarial defects were implanted with BioS-2P scaffolds alone or seeded with MSCs. UMR-106 proliferation was similar for both materials, while alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization were higher for BioS-2P. Bone sialoprotein (BSP), RUNX2 and osteopontin (OPN) gene expression and BSP, OPN, ALP and RUNX2 protein expression were higher on BioS-2P. For MSCs, ALP activity was higher on Bioglass 45S5 than on BioS-2P and was lower on polystyrene. All genes were highly expressed on bioactive glasses compared to polystyrene. BioS-2P scaffolds promote...

To observe pattern of ALP activity in Gingival Crevicular Fluid (GCF) during canine retraction stage of fixed orthodontic treatment. Ten patients age between 15 to 27 years old with moderate upper labial segment crowding were recruited from postgraduate orthodontic clinic. The tested canines were distalized using nickel titanium push coil spring. The level of ALP at week 0 acted as the baseline. Samples were taken at day 0, at week 1, 4, 8 and 12. The activities of ALP were measured using spectrophotometer (405 nm). Paired sample t-test was used to assess the differences at weekly interval and between test and control groups over the study period. The ALP level was decreased in both the mesial and distal of the test teeth for the first month and stabilizes months after. Significant difference were detected from week 4 upward when compared to the baseline (p<0.05). The bony turnover specifically the bone formation can be monitored through the expression of ALP in the gingival crevicular fluid during orthodontic treatment.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteogenic potential and the vascularization of embroidered, tissue engineered, and cell-seeded 3D poly(3)hydroxybutyrate (PHB) scaffolds in nude rats. Collagen I (coll I)- and collagen I/chondroitin sulfate (coll I/CS)-coated PHB scaffolds were seeded with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Proliferation and differentiation were characterized by different biochemical assays in vitro. For animal experiments, the cells were cultivated on coll I- or coll I/CS-coated scaffolds and either expanded or osteogenically differentiated. Scaffolds were piled up to create a 3D scaffold pad and implanted subcutaneously into nude rats. In vitro hMSC showed proliferation and differentiation on PHB scaffolds. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and calcium increased in the differentiation medium and in the presence of coll I/CS. In vivo blood vessels were found in the scaffold-stack. Histological/immunohistological analyses of explanted scaffolds showed osteogenic markers such as osteopontin, osteonectin, and coll I around the PHB fibers. Coll I/CS-coated scaffolds with expanded hMSC showed higher values of ALP and calcium than the other combinations. Embroidered PHB scaffolds, coated with extracellular matrix components, provided an adequate environment and, therefore, a template for hMSC which could be differentiated in osteogenic direction. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2010