Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B Jackson.
Most research suggests that ingestion of cranberry juice may be useful in preventing urinary tract infections. This pilot study examines the effect of drinking moderate amounts of commercially available cranberry juice cocktail on urinary pH in older, institutionalized adults. The results of the study have implications for home care nurses who have similar patients in their case loads.
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The aim of the present study was to determine whether vasopressin affects NaCl reabsorption in the medullary thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle when administered selectively to the luminal membrane. At 5 x 10(-6) M and 10(-8) M, luminal [Arg8]vasopressin significantly inhibited Cl- transport in the in vitro microperfused rat medullary thick ascending limb by 46.4 +/- 5.9% (P < 0.01) and 32.4 +/- 2.0% (P < 0.05) respectively. The response to 10(-8) M luminal [Arg8]vasopressin was completely blocked by the vasopressin V1 receptor antagonist [beta-mercapto-beta,beta-cyclopenta-methylenepropionyl1, O-Me-Tyr2,Arg8]vasopressin (10(-6) M), and was mimicked by the vasopressin V1 receptor agonist [Phe1, Ile5, Orn8]vasopressin (10(-8) M; delta -35.0 +/- 4.5%; P < 0.05). Luminal administration of the vasopressin V2 receptor agonist [deamino-Cys1, D-Arg8]vasopressin (5 x 10(-6) M) had no effect on transport. These data suggest that luminal vasopressin can inhibit NaCl transport in the medullary thick ascending limb of the rat via vasopressin V1 receptors.
A series of novel sterols was synthesised as probes for the enzymatic and cellular functions of two important enzymes of intracellular cholesterol metabolism, acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase. The compounds were 6-fluoro-5-cholesten-3 beta-ol (6-fluorocholesterol), 7-cholesten-3 beta-ol (7-cholestenol), 6 beta-fluorocholestan-3 beta-ol (6 beta-fluorocholestanol), 3-acetoxy-6-fluorocholestan-3 beta-ol (3-acetoxy-6-fluorocholestanol) and 7-methoxy-5-cholesten-3 beta-ol (7-methoxycholesterol). They were designed to reveal the effect of small changes in sterol structure, particularly reactivity of certain parts of the ring structure and polarity, on enzyme activity and intracellular cholesterol metabolism. The 3 beta-hydroxy group was essential for interaction with both enzymes since 3-acetoxy-6-fluorocholestanol did not affect any of the enzyme-catalysed reactions. 6-Fluorocholesterol and 7-cholestenol had no effect on cholesterol esterification but did inhibit the hydroxylation of cholesterol, as did the other compounds with groups that could influence the 7 position, namely 6 beta-fluorocholestanol and 7-methoxycholesterol. The fluorocholestanols were all competitive substrates for cholesterol esterification in cell-free and cellular assays of ACAT activity. 7-Methoxycholesterol was a surprisingly effective inhibitor of ACAT for a simple sterol. However, 6-fluorocholesterol did not have any effect on ACAT, suggesting that interactions between the enzyme and the region around C-6 and C-7 of the sterol are important. These results show that it is possible to dissect components of cholesterol metabolism using simple, specifically substituted sterols and thus define a new approach to studying the relationships between the various enzymes that catalyse intracellular cholesterol metabolism.
SR-12813 (tetra-ethyl 2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethenyl-1, 1-bisphosphonate) lowers plasma cholesterol in five species. In this paper we investigate the underlying mechanism using Hep G2 cells. SR-12813 inhibited incorporation of tritiated water into cholesterol with an IC50 of 1.2 microM but had no effect on fatty acid synthesis. Furthermore, SR-12813 reduced cellular 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity with an IC50 of 0.85 microM. The inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase activity was rapid with a T1/2 of 10 min. After a 16-h incubation with SR-12813, mRNA levels of HMG-CoA reductase and low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor were increased. The increased expression of LDL receptor translated into a higher LDL uptake, which can explain the primary hypocholesterolemic effect of SR-12813 in vivo. Western blot analysis indicated that the amount of HMG-CoA reductase protein rapidly decreased in the presence of SR-12813. Pulse-chase experiments with [35S]methionine showed that the T1/2 of HMG-CoA reductase degradation decreased in the presence of SR-12813 from 90 to 20 min. Pre-incubation with 50 microM of lovastatin did not prevent the effects of SR-12813 on HMG-CoA reductase degradation, indicating that the compound does not need mevalonate-derived regulators for its action. It is concluded that SR-12813 inhibits cholesterol synthesis mainly by an enhanced degradation of HMG-CoA reductase.
The individual contributions of glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) and the seven transmembrane domain receptor (STDR) to increases in platelet [Ca2+]i induced by alpha-thrombin or the tethered ligand peptide (TLP; SFLLRNPNDKYEPF) have been determined in control platelets, in platelets where the thrombin binding site on GPIb was blocked with the monoclonal antibodies TM60 and LJ-Ib10, in platelets where access of thrombin to the STDR was blocked by polyclonal antipeptide antibodies, and in Bernard-Soulier platelets which constitutively lack GPIb. Curve-fitting analyses (LIGAND) showed that binding of PPACK-thrombin and alpha-thrombin to the moderate-affinity site was not detected in the best-fit model in the presence of anti-STDR antibodies although with alpha-thrombin there was also decreased binding at the high-affinity site. Conversely, TM60 blocked binding of alpha-thrombin to the high-affinity site but also decreased binding at the moderate affinity site. Separately, either TM60 or anti-TNA (150 micrograms/mL) reduced thrombin (0.5 nM)-induced elevations in [Ca2+]i to 50% of control values, but Ca2+ elevations were essentially abrogated (4.2 +/- 5%) when the two were added in combination. [Ca2+]i dose-response curves for alpha-thrombin were curvilinear and were only 50% of controls in the presence of anti-GPIb or anti-STDR antibodies at up to 10 nM alpha-thrombin, with their greatest sensitivity being below 2 nM. With Bernard-Soulier platelets, changes in [Ca2+]i were not detectable at < or = 0.5 nM alpha-thrombin but were also 50% of controls at 5-10 nM alpha-thrombin. [Ca2+]i responses to TLP (1-100 microM) of antibody-blocked platelets were identical to those of controls whereas responses were approximately 50% of controls in Bernard-Soulier platelets. The rate of increase in [Ca2+]i in controls was twice that seen in antibody-blocked platelets and about 5-fold greater than in Bernard-Soulier platelets. These results demonstrate that both GPIb and the STDR are required to ensure the optimal rate and extent of platelet activation over a range of alpha-thrombin concentrations (0.3-10 nM) and that the STDR corresponds to the previously described moderate-affinity thrombin receptor.
Previous results have shown that both GPIb and the seven transmembrane domain receptor (STDR) are required for optimal thrombin-induced platelet activation (Greco et al., 1996). Limited degradation (approximately 10%) of GPIb and the STDR by elastase reduced the Ca2+ response to 0.5 nM alpha-thrombin by only 10% whereas Serratia marcescens metalloprotease reduced the Ca2+ response by 80% and fully abrogated high-affinity thrombin binding and aggregation. vWF/ristocetin-induced agglutination was only slightly reduced (20%) while Ca2+ and aggregation response to higher thrombin concentrations were retained. At increasing elastase and Serratia protease concentrations, degradation of the STDR proceeded from the amino-terminal domain, but Ca2+ responses to the tethered ligand peptide SFLLRNPNDKYEPF were not affected by either protease. These results show that both putative thrombin receptors are susceptible to protease degradation and suggest that Serratia protease is able to differentiate the GPIb-mediated events associated with thrombin activation from those associated with ristocetin-induced agglutination.
Collagen-induced arthritis is mediated by autoantibodies to type II collagen (CII). This experimental model has proven useful in determining the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for autoimmune arthritis. We have shown that polyarthritis can be transferred to normal mice by administering combinations of three or four complement-fixing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which recognize cross-reactive epitopes on the alpha 1(II)-CB11 region of chick and mouse CII. Currently, the light- and heavy-chain variable-region structures on a panel of alpha 1 (II)-CB11-specific mAbs that cross-react with chick and mouse CII, or react solely with chick CII, have been analyzed. The results indicate biased usage of VK19 and VK21 families of light-chain variable-region genes but random VH gene usage. Interestingly, two mAbs derived from different mice recognized identical epitopes on mouse CII and had nearly identical light- and heavy-chain variable-region structure including junctionally derived sequence.
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Elevated plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels and concomitant increases in renal sodium and water excretion are often encountered in respiratory diseases associated with increased airway resistance such as obstructive sleep apnea. The present study utilized an anesthetized rat model to determine the principal mechanism(s) responsible for stimulation of ANP release in this clinical syndrome. A 10-minute increase in external resistive loading, which reduced peak tracheal pressure to -15 to -17 mm Hg produced a significant increase in both central venous pressure and right atrial transmural pressure. This maneuver subsequently resulted in significant transient increases in glomerular filtration rate; urine flow; urinary Na+, K+, and Cl- excretion; and urinary cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) excretion, which was taken as an index of increased circulating levels of ANP. Similar changes in renal function and cGMP excretion occurred when arterial PO2 was lowered to a degree equivalent to that seen with increased resistive loading. Lowering arterial PO2 also significantly increased mean central venous pressure and right atrial transmural pressure. Conversely, the resistive loading-induced changes in renal function and cGMP excretion did not occur when the reduction in arterial PO2 was prevented by breathing a high O2 gas mixture during the resistive loading. Additionally, O2 supplementation prevented the increases in both mean central venous pressure and right atrial transmural pressure caused by increased resistive loading. These data indicate that the elevated ANP release that results from an acute increase in external resistive loading is not caused by a decrease in intrathoracic pressure but rather suggest that the elevated ANP release is primarily caused by an increased right atrial transmural pressure resulting from hypoxia-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction.
For many years total alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity in serum has been used to monitor bone metabolism in different species. However, total AP lacks bone specificity because the total activity in serum is made up of several isoenzymes, of which the liver and bone isoforms predominate. The aim of the present study was to evaluate an immunoradiometric assay for measuring bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) in horses. BAP, a specific marker of bone formation, was measured in sera from thoroughbred horses by using a previously characterised wheat germ lectin (WGL) precipitation assay and an immunoradiometric assay. The levels of immunoreactive BAP (iBAP) and WGL precipitated BAP (wBAP) were related to the serum levels of total AP and another marker of bone formation, the carboxy-terminal propeptide of type 1 collagen (PICP). In horses over one year old, iBAP correlated at least as strongly with total AP as with wBAP, which suggests that the immunoradiometric assay may partially cross-react with liver alkaline phosphatase in horse serum. This possibility was supported by the observation that there was a weaker correlation between iBAP and PICP than between wBAP and PICP. These data indicate that WGL precipitation is currently the most specific method for measuring bone specific alkaline phosphatase in horses.
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A sexual health programme was set up specifically to target mentally ill individuals, providing a distinct group of interventions designed to assist this specialist cohort in acquiring knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will directly contribute to their mental health. The programme consisted of gender-specific and mixed groups, a drop-in service, condom provision and a full-time programme coordinator. Areas covered were safer-sex, knowledge of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, assertiveness and practical skills of condom use. Mental health nurses possessed the skills to offer sexual health advice to mentally ill individuals. Mentally ill individuals were enthusiastic to attend groups, and were able to participate in the programme.
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The accuracy and acceptability of saliva human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antibody testing were compared with serum testing in a study of paired specimens from HIV-1-seropositive and HIV-1-seronegative Ugandan adults attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. Saliva collection was performed with the Omni-sal device (Saliva Diagnostic Systems, Vancouver, Wash.), and antibody testing was performed by a rapid filter paper assay (Test-Pack; Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Ill.). Relative to serum testing, the sensitivity of saliva testing was 95% (195 of 205) and the specificity was 99% (295 of 297). The sensitivity of saliva testing was higher for patients with elevated levels of beta-2 microglobulin in sera and greater numbers of HIV-1-related symptoms. Pre- and poststudy interviews indicated that saliva testing did not foster inordinate fears of saliva exposure. The development of saliva tests that are inexpensive and do not require electricity is needed.
A number of quantitative assays have been developed by using amplification techniques to measure human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA in the plasma of infected individuals. The Virology Committee of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group in the Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has established a quality assurance program (QAP) for quantitative assays of HIV-1 RNA levels in plasma. The primary objective of the QAP was to ascertain that a laboratory could maintain the precision required to have a 90% power to detect a fivefold difference in RNA copy number between two samples in the same batch. To achieve this goal, the QAP required an intra-assay standard deviation of no greater than 0.15 log10 RNA copies per ml. Panels for proficiency testing consisted of coded replicate samples and a common set of standards. To date, 41 laboratories have participated in the program and have used both commercial and in-house assays. We demonstrated that 65% of the laboratories were capable of attaining the necessary level of intra-assay precision. The fitted regressions indicated that the differences among laboratories that used the same kit were generally greater than the differences among population-average regressions for the kits themselves. The use of an external QAP and a common set of standards reduced differences both among laboratories that used the same kit and among laboratories that used different kits. Thus, use of a common set of standards across clinical trial protocols would allow for cross-protocol comparisons.