The removal of endotoxin (Et) contaminant from high purity water is a serious problem to medical manufacturers.In this study, we fabricated a new filter by plasma spraying hydroxyl apatite (HAp)onto an SUS stainless steel coat-ing. And we analyzed the Et absorption properties of this Et removal filter to examine the filter’s effectiveness. Thefilter we fabricated in this experiment was found to have no Et absorption effect. Thus, we roughened the surface ofthe fabricated HAp filter by repeating the sandblasting treatment. The filter surface was found to be roughened with-out being damaged.And we tested the Et absorption using this filter and found that the absorption ability wasrestored. Through the experiments, we evaluated the performance of the newly created filter in the endtoxinremoval.

View full abstract

Na+, K+–ATPase is an oligomeric membrane protein consisting of catalyticα–and accessoryβ–subunits. Thesesubunits interact at theα/βassociation site on the extracellular loop between the seventh and eighth transmem-brane domains (M7–8 loop) of theα–subunit.To examine the possibility that another interaction site exists, full-lengthα1 isoform (α1) or a truncatedα1,α1T, that lacks the region from M5 to the C–terminus, was co–expressedwith theβ1–subunit (β1) in COS–7 cells. For convenience of detection, EGFP–tagged α1 and α1T were used.Fluorescence microscopy and Western blotting analysis revealed increased expression levels of α1–EGFP or α1T–EGFP when β1 was co–expressed, compared with those in the absence of β1 co–expression. Immunoprecipitationstudies showed that bothα1–EGFP andα1T–EGFP were coprecipitated with FLAG–taggedβ1. These resultsdemonstrate the existence of a secondα/β–binding site located in the region between the N–terminus and M4–5loop of the Na+, K+–ATPaseα1–subunit.

View full abstract

The erythrocyte membrane, the entry site of the malaria parasite, has lipid microdomains referred to as the lipidrafts, which are enriched in sphingomyelin and cholesterol. Evidences have demonstrated the importance of choles-terol in structure and functions of the lipid rafts and malaria parasite invasion into erythrocytes, while that of sphin-gomyelin is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the influence of sphingomyelinase treatment on erythro-cyte lipid rafts and malaria parasite invasion into erythrocytes. Sphingomyelin was decreased by about 65% aftersphingomyelinase treatment, and sphingomyelin, cholesterol and flotillin–1, a lipid raft marker protein, were absentfrom lipid raft fractions. The treatment also significantly reduced the association of Gsαin lipid raft fractions, sug-gesting that Gsα–mediated signal transduction was impaired. More importantly, malaria parasite invasion was pre-vented by this treatment. Our study illustrates that sphingomyelin, like cholesterol, is essential for the structure andfunctions of the lipid rafts in the erythrocyte membrane and malaria parasite invasion.

View full abstract

Ceramic membrane filters, which are superior in resistance to heat, corrosion and dissolution, are widely used infiltering. The ceramic membrane maintains its performance for a long time, resulting in a long operation life.Zeolitehas a meshlike crystalline structure with micropores of less than 1nm. NGK is now developing zeolite membranesby forming films on porous ceramic membranes. We have successfully separated ethanol from ethanol aqueous solu-tion using a silicalite membrane, and separated carbon dioxide from a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane using aDDR–type zeolite membrane.

View full abstract