Experientia最新文献

The dose-dependent effect of CGP 45715A on the LTD4-induced Ca2+ response of glomerular mesangial cells has been studied. Our results demonstrate that the LTD4-dependent increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration primarily involves an InsP3-mediated release of Ca2+ from intracellular storage sites and to a minor extent an enhanced influx of Ca2+ through receptor-operated Ca2+ channels located in the plasma membrane. The action of CGP 45715A on the Ca2+ response is an inhibitory one and is convincingly explained by a displacement of LTD4 from its receptor site(s). The contractile effect of LTD4 on pulmonary smooth muscle is proposed to be mainly caused by a receptor-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate.

We have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique of differential display to analyse changes in gene expression during ageing of the rat brain. In this approach we have compared three young adult (6 months) with three old adult (20 months) animals. RNA preparations from the homogenised brains were subjected to reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR using 36 different combinations of primer pairs. Any PCR product which was consistently found to be more prominent in the three young brains compared to the three old brains, and vice versa, was scored as potentially representing a gene which was differentially expressed during the ageing of this tissue. Out of a possible 2000+ PCR products we identified 44 that might represent genes that exhibit differential expression during ageing of the rat brain. An initial screen of these fragments, by Southern-blotting the PCR products and hybridising them with cDNA probes derived from either young or old brain RNA preparations, indicated that 40% of them represented genes that were differentially expressed. This approach is likely to prove invaluable for identifying cohorts of genes that show differential expression during the ageing process.

Pre-treatment of male Sprague-Dawley rats with long-acting bromocryptine microcapsules (CBLA) significantly inhibited the arthritic response to Freund's complete adjuvant and reduced weight loss, thymolysis, splenomegaly and leukocytosis. In the prevention of adjuvant arthritis (AA), the combination of CBLA plus sub-optimal doses of cyclosporine A (CsA) was more efficient than either of the drugs alone. Sub-optimal doses of CsA were 0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg/day s.c. for 5 days. Furthermore, CBLA alone did not decrease the incidence of experimental allergic uveitis (EAU) in the male Lewis rats. Low-dose CsA reduced the incidence of uveitis by 50%, and with the addition of CBLA, 100% of rats were protected. Low-dose CsA was 2 mg/kg/day i.m. for 14 days. Long-term treatment of male Sprague-Dawley rats with CBLA alone reduced the incidence and severity of spontaneous autoimmune periarteritis nodosa (PN) in a dose-dependent manner; CsA was less potent than CBLA, and only additive effects were obtained. Finally, for the prevention of spontaneous autoimmune insulin-dependent diabetes (DM), the administration of CBLA did not improve the effect of a low-dose CsA in male BB rats. Nevertheless, a delay in onset of DM could be achieved. A sequential therapy using CsA plus CBLA clearly showed beneficial effects. The dose of CsA was 10 mg/kg p.o. 6 days/week for 21 weeks. Compared with Sprague-Dawley or Lewis male rats, BB male rats showed only weak prolactin suppression after the same doses of CBLA. It is suggested that the use of CBLA may be particularly beneficial in autoimmune disorders. The effectiveness of the combination therapy CBLA plus CsA, however, was dependent on the model considered. Various factors could play a role: (1) the different ways of administering CsA (s.c. in AA, i.m. in EAU and PN, oral in DM); (2) strain-dependency in the capacity of CBLA to suppress Prl secretion; and (3) at least in the BB rats, the transient increase of CsA bioavailibility which was possibly induced by CBLA.

The formation of intracellular ice (IIF), usually a lethal event to be avoided when cryopreserving cells, should, however, be enforced during the cryosurgical destruction of tumour cells. IIF has been investigated so far only in single cells in suspension. Because cells in tissues cannot be successfully cryopreserved, in contrast to single cells in suspension, the mechanism of IIF in tissues may depend on factors that facilitate IIF. We studied IIF in cell strands from salivary glands, which represent a simple form of a tissue. Their cells are connected by channels responsible for intercellular communication. A substantial fraction of cell dehydration during freezing occurs before cells are encapsulated by ice, and the degree of this pre-ice-front shrinkage appears to influence IIF. In strands with coupled cells IIF spread from one cell to adjacent cells in a sequential manner with short delays (200-300 ms), suggesting cell-to-cell propagation via intercellular channels. In strands pretreated with decoupling agents (dinitrophenol, heptanol), sequential IIF was absent. Instead, formation of ice was random, with longer and variable delays between consecutive darkenings indicating IIF. Results suggest that the mechanism of IIF spread, and consequently the degree of cryodamage in tissue, can be influenced by the presence of intercellular channels (gap junctions).

Theoretically, inosine analogues should act as effective inhibitors of tumor cell proliferation and viral replication. To acquire a broad spectrum of new candidate inosine analogues, a rapid, facile, quantitative and stereoselective method for deaminating potential antitumor and antiviral adenine analogues previously synthesized in our laboratory was developed. A novel 5'-adenylic acid deaminase, with relaxed substrate requirements, from Aspergillus species was utilized to deaminate four hexofuranosyladenine nucleosides and five adenine nucleoside dialdehydes to their corresponding inosine analogues. The fastest rates of deamination for the hexofuranosyl nucleosides were for the compounds where the vicinal hydroxyl groups on the sugars are oriented in the erythro configuration. For rapid deamination of the adenine nucleoside dialdehydes, the R configuration at the proximal carbon atom is preferred, while the nature of the group on the distal carbon atom has no significant effect on the rate or extent of deamination.

The presence of elastic fibres in the extracellular matrix (ECM) provides physiologically important elastic properties for many tissues. Until recently, microfibrils, one component of the ECM, were thought primarily to serve as a scaffolding on which elastin is deposited during development to form elaunin fibres [1]. The most prominent protein that forms mammalian microfibrils is fibrillin. It is known that mutations in the fibrillin gene cause a heterogenous connective tissue disease called Marfan syndrome [2], so information on mechanical properties of microfibrils or their role in tissue function would be useful. Microfibrils are also found in the ECM of some invertebrate tissues, and there is growing evidence that the protein forming the structure is homologous to mammalian fibrillin [3,4]. It has been shown that the microfibril-based arterial wall of the lobster has viscoelastic properties [5], and we have now utilized this primitive artery to measure the modulus of elasticity of microfibrils. It is similar to that of the rubber-like protein elastin.

Bombyxin is a 5 kDa insulin-related peptide produced in four pairs of medial neurosecretory cells in the brain of the silkmoth Bombyx mori. We demonstrate here the presence of bombyxin mRNA in tissues other than brain: ganglia, epidermis, testis, ovary, fat body, silk gland, Malpighian tubule, midgut, and hindgut of the Bombyx fifth instar larvae. Bombyxin mRNA was detected by Oligotex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a rapid and simple procedure of reverse transcription-PCR, and in situ hybridization. The Oligotex RT-PCR method effectively eliminated the contaminating DNA in RNA samples and amplified bombyxin mRNA efficiently. In situ hybridization of the Bombyx ovary clearly demonstrated the localization of the bombyxin mRNA in the ovariole. The present study is the first demonstration of expression of brain neurosecretory peptide in tissues other than the central nervous system in insects at RNA level.

Reaction with peroxynitrite at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C was found to increase the 8-oxodeoxyguanosine levels in calf thymus DNA 35- 38-fold. This oxidation of deoxyguanosine, as well as the peroxynitrite-mediated nitration of tyrosine to 3-nitrotyrosine, was significantly inhibited by ascorbic acid, glutathione and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, a polyphenolic antioxidant present in tea. For 50% inhibition of the oxidation of deoxyguanosine to 8-oxodeoxyguanosine, 1.1, 7.6 or 0.25 mM ascorbate, glutathione or (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, respectively, was required. For 50% inhibition of tyrosine nitration, the respective concentrations were 1.4, 4.6 or 0.11 mM. Thus, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate is a significantly better inhibitor of both reactions than either ascorbate or glutathione. Reaction of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate with peroxynitrite alone resulted in the formation of a number of products. Ultraviolet spectra of two of these suggest that the tea polyphenol and/or its oxidation products are nitrated by peroxynitrite.

An in vitro transcription-translation assay was used to study the membrane topology of rat liver cytochrome P450 3A1. N-terminus deletion mutants were constructed to assess the importance of N-terminal regions in the stable incorporation of the protein into the microsomal membranes. Wild-type nascent cytochrome P450 bound to microsomes as an integral membrane protein through its hydrophobic N-terminal segments, uncleaved by signal peptidase. Deletion of the most N-terminal hydrophobic segment (positions 7-26) had a dramatic effect on endoplasmic reticulum membrane integration. Confirming the essential role of this stretch in P450 3A1 membrane targeting, proteolysis-resistant membrane-associated peptides were observed in all the in vitro translated mutants containing that segment. It is concluded that the membrane topogenesis of P450 3A1 is determined mainly by the amino-terminal hydrophobic segment.

Down's syndrome (DS), the most frequent of congenital birth defects, results from the trisomy of chromosome 21 in all cells of affected patients. This disease is characterized by developmental anomalies, mental retardation and features of rapid aging, particularly in the brain, where the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease is observed in trisomy 21 patients over the age of 35. Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) is one of the proteins encoded by chromosome 21 (21q22.1). As a consequence of gene dosage excess, CuZnSOD activity is increased by 50% in all DS tissues. This work reports the SOD activity of a population of DS patients with complete trisomy 21, partial trisomy 21, translocations and mosaicism, in order to confirm the gene dosage effect of SOD on the clinical features of DS, and to help to establish which is the critical region of chromosome 21 in DS. CuZnSOD was measured in red blood cells using the Minami and Yoshikawa method. In the population with complete trisomy 21, SOD activity was increased by 42%; in the population with partial trisomy 21, translocations and mosaicism, SOD activity was normal. In the population diagnosed as DS, but not karyotyped, SOD activity was increased by 28%. No differences between sexes or among ages were found. We conclude that the 21q22.1 segment is not the critical region responsible for DS, as we have found normal SOD activity in patients with the clinical features of DS.