Incorporation of dioleoyl N‐(monomethoxy polyethyleneglycol succinyl)phosphotidylethanolamine (PEG‐PE) into large unilamellar liposomes composed of egg posphatidylcholine:cholesterol (1:1) does not significantly increase the content leakage when the liposomes are exposed to 90% human serum at 37°C, yet the liposomes show a significant increase in the blood circulation half‐life (t = 5 h) as compared to those without PEG‐PE(t <30 min). The PEG‐PE's activity to prolong the circulation time of liposomes is greater than that of the ganglioside GM1, awell‐described glycolipid with this activity. Another amphipathic PEG derivative, PEG stearate, also prolongs the liposome circulation time, although its activity is less than that ofGM1. Amphipathic PEGs may be useful for the sustained release and the targeted drug delivery by liposomes.

Engulfment and subsequent degradation of apoptotic cells is an essential step that occurs throughout life in all multicellular organisms [1][2][3] . ELMO/Dock180/Rac proteins are a conserved signalling module for promoting the internalization of apoptotic cell corpses 4,5 ; ELMO and Dock180 function together as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for the small GTPase Rac, and thereby regulate the phagocyte actin cytoskeleton during engulfment [4][5][6] . However, the receptor(s) upstream of the ELMO/ Dock180/Rac module are still unknown. Here we identify brainspecific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1) as a receptor upstream of ELMO and as a receptor that can bind phosphatidylserine on apoptotic cells. BAI1 is a seven-transmembrane protein belonging to the adhesion-type G-protein-coupled receptor family, with an extended extracellular region 7-9 and no known ligands. We show that BAI1 functions as an engulfment receptor in both the recognition and subsequent internalization of apoptotic cells. Through multiple lines of investigation, we identify phosphatidylserine, a key 'eat-me' signal exposed on apoptotic cells 10-13 , as a ligand for BAI1. The thrombospondin type 1 repeats within the extracellular region of BAI1 mediate direct binding to phosphatidylserine. As with intracellular signalling, BAI1 forms a trimeric complex with ELMO and Dock180, and functional studies suggest that BAI1 cooperates with ELMO/Dock180/Rac to promote maximal engulfment of apoptotic cells. Last, decreased BAI1 expression or interference with BAI1 function inhibits the engulfment of apoptotic targets ex vivo and in vivo. Thus, BAI1 is a phosphatidylserine recognition receptor that can directly recruit a Rac-GEF complex to mediate the uptake of apoptotic cells.Previous studies revealed two 'functional' regions within ELMO1 and its Caenorhabditis elegans homologue CED-12 during phagocytosis 5,14-17 . The amino-terminal 558 amino-acid residues (N-term) were necessary for targeting of the ELMO-Dock180 complex to the membrane 14,17 , whereas the carboxy-terminal 196 residues (C-term) were necessary for binding Dock180 and for optimal Rac activation 15,16 . Because the receptor(s) upstream of ELMO1 during engulfment were not known, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen, with N-term as bait. After screening more than 1.1 3 10 7 colonies from a mouse embryo library, followed by several subscreens for specificity, we identified a single membrane protein, BAI1.BAI1 belongs to subgroup VII of the adhesion-type G-proteincoupled receptor (GPCR) family 7-9 , with extended extracellular termini containing multiple domains and motifs that are thought to function in cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions 9 . BAI1 (1,584 residues) has an 943-residue extracellular region, a seven-transmembrane

Ultrasound contrast agents, in the form of gas-filled microbubbles, are becoming popular in perfusion monitoring; they are employed as molecular imaging agents. Microbubbles are manufactured from biocompatible materials, they can be injected intravenously, and some are approved for clinical use. Microbubbles can be destroyed by ultrasound irradiation. This destruction phenomenon can be applied to targeted drug delivery and enhancement of drug action. The ultrasonic field can be focused at the target tissues and organs; thus, selectivity of the treatment can be improved, reducing undesirable side effects. Microbubbles enhance ultrasound energy deposition in the tissues and serve as cavitation nuclei, increasing intracellular drug delivery. DNA delivery and successful tissue transfection are observed in the areas of the body where ultrasound is applied after intravascular administration of microbubbles and plasmid DNA. Accelerated blood clot dissolution in the areas of insonation by cooperative action of thrombolytic agents and microbubbles is demonstrated in several clinical trials.

Insulin increases glucose disposal into muscle. In addition, in vivo insulin elicits distinct nitric oxide synthase-dependent vascular responses to increase total skeletal muscle blood flow and to recruit muscle capillaries (by relaxing resistance and terminal arterioles, respectively). In the current study, we compared the temporal sequence of vascular and metabolic responses to a 30-min physiological infusion of insulin (3 mU ⅐ min ؊1 ⅐ kg ؊1 , euglycemic clamp) or saline in rat skeletal muscle in vivo. We used contrast-enhanced ultrasound to continuously quantify microvascular volume. Insulin recruited microvasculature within 5-10 min (P < 0.05), and this preceded both activation of insulin-signaling pathways and increases in glucose disposal in muscle, as well as changes in total leg blood flow. Moreover, L-NAME (N -nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester), a specific inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, blocked this early microvascular recruitment (P < 0.05) and at least partially inhibited early increases in muscle glucose uptake (P < 0.05). We conclude that insulin rapidly recruits skeletal muscle capillaries in vivo by a nitric oxidedependent action, and the increase in capillary recruitment may contribute to the subsequent glucose uptake.