Acta biologica et medica Germanica最新文献

In isotonic solutions of low NaCl concentration, human erythrocytes exhibit a strong increase of the rate constant of passive Rb+ efflux. In this range of low ionic strength the Rb+ efflux is reduced by preincubation of erythrocytes with neuraminidase, by treatment of erythrocytes with nystatin or by reduction of temperature. All these factors do not have any influence on the rate constant in solutions of physiological NaCl concentration. Ouabain (10-4 M) influences Rb+ efflux neither at low nor at physiological NaCl concentration. The results are interpreted with regard to a possible control of Rb+ efflux by surface potential and transmembrane potential.

Bilateral symmetric lesions of the anterior part of the nucleus reticularis thalami (RET) strongly reduced the preoperatively learnt avoidance responses in Long-Evans hooded rats. A great retention loss, significantly prolonged reaction times and slow incorrect escape reactions in the first postoperative session in a simple runway task were corrected in the relearning period. The relearning of directional change and of a 2:2 alternation schedule in the Y-maze was rather difficult; it delayed and remained on a lower performance level with a not correctable side preference. A great retention loss in the pole-climbing test was not compensated in the relearning period. The experimental data suggest that the RET plays an important role in the inhibition of incorrect responses.

Rotational diffusion of the electrophoretically homogenenous isozyme cytochrome P-450 LM2 from rabbit liver microsomes has been studied in buffer solution and in phospholipid vesicles by means of saturation transfer EPR spectroscopy. Sulfhydryl groups of the enzyme were selectively modified using a maleimide spin label. The effective rotational correlation time of 220 ns for the rotation of cytochrome P-450 in buffer solution is consistent with the fact that the purified free enzyme occurs as an oligomeric (6-8 monomers) aggregate. Further, the clusters rotate almost isotropically and therefore are in a first approximation spherically shaped. The effective correlation time of about 180 microseconds observed strong immobilization thus evidencing protein aggregation within the membrane. The anisotropic character of the spectra indicates a nonspherical shape and/or anisotropic rotational motion of the cluster. The results are compared with corresponding data from cytochrome P-450 in microsomal form.

The adaptation of oxidative energy transformation in mitochondria to the energy demand of cellular metabolism was investigated in experiments with isolated mitochondria and liver cells and by computer simulation in terms of a mathematical model. Separate draining of different energy pools allowed the determination of the relation between these pools and the elucidation of the importance of the connecting enzyme reactions to the regulation of the whole process. The following conclusions can be drawn from the results: 1. The intramitochondrial adenine nucleotide pool exhibits a homogeneous behaviour, and its changes are the signal for ATP synthesis. 2. The proton-motive force which is in near-equilibrium with the intramitochondrial phosphorylation potential is the immediate signal for the respiratory chain. 3. The intramitochondrial phosphorylation potential is transformed into the external one by a flux-dependent non-equilibrium reaction of the translocator. 4. The rate of respiration-linked ATP formation is regulated by more than one reaction step with varying control strength. 5. In both isolated mitochondria and hepatocytes an activation of respiration is provoked by a decrease in the mitochondrial energy state caused by cellular energy utilization.

A significant increase of the (Na+ + K+)-activated ATPase was found in mucosal homogenates of rat small intestine under conditions of alloxan and streptozotocin diabetes. From studies with isolated plasma membranes it has been shown that the activity changes were caused by that part of the (Na+ + K+)-activated ATPase only which is localized in the basolateral plasma membranes, whereas the enzyme activity in the brush border region remains unchanged. In connection with the enhanced capacity of ion, nonelectrolyte and water absorption in experimental diabetes, our findings support a concept of intestinal transport mechanism which suggest that the basolateral part of the (Na+ + K+)-activated ATPase is responsible for metabolic energy supply. The luminal part of the enzyme may be involved in regulation of passive Na+ influx.

Morphine (1 X 10(-5) mol/l) did not affect the incorporation of 32P into the phosphoinositides of erythrocytes from spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats, whereas the content of triphosphoinositides was decreased. In spontaneously hypertensive rats the content of total phospholipids was decreased in the same ratio. Thus, the effect of morphine (at this concentration) on the membrane phospholipids of spontaneously hypertensive rats seems to be unspecific.

A possible role for cyclic adenosine-3'-5'-monophosphate (cAMP) in islet cell replication was examined in collagenase-isolated pancreatic islets from Wistar rats of different age and different metabolic state (non-pregnant, pregnant, days 15.5-17.5). Islets obtained from pregnant rats released significantly more insulin in response to 10 mmol/l glucose (culture for 24 h) and their DNA synthesis (incorporation of [3H]thymidine into islet DNA) was doubled compared to islets from non-pregnant controls. Islets obtained from 4-6 days old rats showed a maximal stimulation of DNA synthesis after exposure to 0.1 mmol/l IBMX (3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine) whereas the cAMP accumulation and the insulin biosynthesis measured in a subsequent short-term incubation were dose-dependent stimulated up to 1.0 mmol/l IBMX. In islets of 12 days old rats or 3 months old rats, however, IBMX did not stimulate DNA synthesis or insulin release measured during culture, although the cAMP content per islet was significantly enhanced after culture in the presence of IBMX.

The kinetic behavior of a reconstituted eyzyme system containing purified phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, adenylate kinase, and glucose 6-phosphate isomerase was investigated. Experimentally the approach is based on a stirred flow-through reactor containing gel entrapped enzymes. The experiments were performed on the basis of a mathematical model developed from the kinetic properties of the individual enzymes involved. The system is able to exhibit alternative stable stationary states for one set of experimental conditions (bistability) originating mainly from the allosteric character of the phosphofructokinase. From a functional point of view, these states are either ATP-generating or ATP-consuming. Theoretically, the appearance of alternate steady states gives rise to hysteretic behavior of the system. In fact, transitions between alternate ATP generating stationary states as well as between ATP-generating and ATP-consuming steady states were observed experimentally.

Two methods have been developed to discriminate simultaneously between the main part of cysteine proteinase activity (cathepsin L) and all aspartic proteinase activity (mainly cathepsin D) in rat organs, using Z-Phe-Phe-CHN2 which at 5 mumol/l completely inhibits cathepsin L from rat liver and, on the other hand, pepstatin which at 0.5 mumol/l completely inhibits cathepsin D. Substrates are double-labeled cytosol proteins from rat liver at pH 3.0 or azocasein in 3 mol/l urea at pH 5.0. Several organs from rat, pigeon, frog and carp have been investigated using these methods. Especially kidneys from rat, frog and carp contain a high Z-Phe-Phe-CHN2 inhibited activity. Investigating the different liver cell types we could confirm earlier findings that Kupffer cells and endothelial cells contain more pepstatin inhibited activity than parenchymal cells.

Kinetics of thermal inactivation of the rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 has been studied in the temperature range of 45-54 degrees C with increasing concentrations of glycerol. For all temperatures studied in the absence and presence of glycerol, thermal inactivation of cytochrome P-450 is characterized by two phases, the first being described by the first order rate constants. Glycerol markedly lowers the rate of thermal inactivation of cytochrome P-450 as well as the activation parameters delta H and delta S of the process of thermal destruction. There is a linear relationship between decreasing values of delta H, delta S and increasing glycerol concentrations in the medium.