This review focuses on the use of aqueous two-phase extraction as an option for the downstream processing of therapeutic proteins. It is a potential and promising liquid-liquid extraction technique for the purification of biomolecules, such as monoclonal antibodies, growth factors and hormones, that combines a high selectivity and biocompatibility with an easy scale-up and continuous operation mode.”
“Regulations of hormonal stress responses entail the

initiation, amplitude and termination of the reaction, as well as its integration with other stress response systems. This study investigates the role of endogenous opioids in the regulation and integration of behavioral, STI571 cell line thermal and hormonal stress responses, as these neuromodulators and their receptors are expressed in limbic structures responsible for stress responses. For this purpose, we subjected mice with selective deletion of beta-endorphin, enkephatin or dynorphin to the zero-maze test, a mildly stressful situation, and registered behaviors and stress hormone CB-5083 clinical trial levels. Behavioral stress reactivity

was assessed using zero-maze, light-dark and startle-reactivity paradigms. Animals lacking enkephalin displayed increased anxiety-related behavioral responses in each three, dynorphin knockouts in two models, whereas the responses of beta-endorphin knockouts indicated tower anxiety level in the zero-maze test. All knockout strains showed marked changes in hormonal stress reactivity. Increase in ACTH level after zero-maze test situation, unlike in wild type animals, failed to reach the level of significance in Penk1(-/-) and Pdyn(-/-) mice. Corticosterone selleck inhibitor plasma levels rapidly increased in all strains, with a lower peak

response in knockouts. In wild-type and beta-endorphin-deficient mice, corticosterone levels returned to baseline within 60 min after stress exposure. In contrast, mice lacking dynorphin and enkephalin showed longer-lasting elevated corticosterone levels, indicating a delayed termination of the stress reaction. Importantly, the behavioral and hormonal responses correlated in wild-type but not in knockout mice. Hyperthermia elicited by stress was reduced in animals lacking dynorphin and absent in Penk1(-/-) mice, despite of the heightened behavioral anxiety level of these strains. These results demonstrate an important role on the endogenous opioid system in the integration of behavioral and hormonal stress responses. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Skeletal muscle hosts all of the isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). It is well documented that nitric oxide (NO) regulates force generation and satellite cell activation, and therefore, damage repair of skeletal muscle. NO can also activate nociceptors of C-fibers, thereby causing the sensation of pain.