PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

C H Bauer

Publications and source records attributed to C H Bauer.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Decrease of human serum fucosyltransferase as an indicator of successful tumor therapy.

Surgical removal of colon carcinomas leads to a decrease in the rate of incorporation of [14C]fucose into its endogenous acceptor in human serum; normal incorporation rates are attained within 14 days. A similar time course has been determined for alpha2- and alpha3-fucosyltransferase when either desialo- or desialodegalactofetuin are employed as exogenous acceptors. A correlation has also been seen between transferase activity and the therapeutic response of patients with breast cancer. These results indicate that the determination of fucosyltransferase activity can facilitate the diagnosis of neoplasia, and the success of surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.

Aged

Pathophysiology of failure to thrive in gastrointestinal disorders.

What will be our GI approach to a child with FTT syndrome? Detailed history and physical examination will give us the clue and often the probable diagnosis. Several laboratory tests are helpful in establishing the fact that there is malabsorption. Among them are a complete blood count with smear, quantitative stool fat excretion, serum protein and chemistry screen panel, prothrombin time, and oral tolerance and absorption--i.e., of glucose, iron, vitamin A, and xylose. Specialized procedures may be used to nail down the diagnosis: radiology, biopsy, duodenal intubation, etc. These should never be employed as routine screening tests, however. In outlining a comprehensive and successful therapy, the attending physician will find it helpful to consider the particular pathophysiologic mechanisms of a specific disease. Exact diagnosis makes the therapy both rational and effective.

Adolescent

Glycosyltransferases and glycosidases in Morris hepatomas.

The following three parameters were studied in Morris hepatomas of different growth rates: (a) the specific activity of guanosine dephosphate (GDP)-fucose:glycoprotein fucosyltransferase and cytidine monophosphate (CMP)-N-acetylneuraminic acid:glycoprotein sialyltransferase, (B) the content of GDP-fucosee and CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid, and (c) the activity of alpha-L-fucosidase and neuraminidase. Fucosyltrasferase activities were significantly elevated in all hepatomas investigated. Especially high levels of enzyme were measured in the rapidly growing tumors 7777, 66, and 3924A. The increase varied between 2- and 3-fold when compared with the corresponding host liver. Conversely, the activity of the sialytransferase was greatly decreased in all hepatoma lines with a rapid or intermediate growth rate. In the fast-growing tumor 9618A2, the activity was reduced to 8%. GDP-fucose and CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid were determined by the isotope dilution technique. In normal rat liver from Buffalo or ACl rats, the concentration of GDP-fucose was 6.5+/-0.9 and 9.5+/-1.1nmoles/g, wet weight, respectively. In the fast-growing hepatomas 3924A and 9121, levels up to 21.5 nmoles/g, wet weight, were found, However, the content of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid in hepatomas was indluenced to a lesser extent by the degree of differentiation of the tumor. In the most rapidly growing tumor, 9618A2, a level of alpha-L- fucosidase seven times higher than in host liver was determined. Moreover, there existed a correlation bewteen the age of the hepatoma and enzyme activity. Within the 2nd week after inoculation, fucosidase activity increased from 130 to 343 nmoles/hr/mg of protein. Neuraminidase was measured in a new linked assay system. The activity of this enzyme was lowered by 50% or was at least unchanged when compared to the activity in host liver. Our results indicate that specific alterations of fucose metabolism are a characteristic feature of Morris hepatomas.

Animals

Galactose metabolism in regenerating rat liver.

1. Rats trained on a controlled lighting and feeding schedule were subjected to partial hepatectomy or sham operation. 2. After a large period of about 6h the activity of UDP-galactose 4-epimerase increased threefold, reaching a maximum 4 days after partial hepatectomy, and returned to normal values within a fortnight. 3. The enzyme pattern of the UDP-galactose-glycoprotein galactosyltransferase was biphasic, one peak appearing at 20 h, the second at 72 h after partial hepatectomy. 4. The rise in enzyme activities could be blocked by the injection of actinomycin D, and the Km values for UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose were nearly identical in regenerating and adult liver. It is therefore concluded that the increase in enzyme activity is due to synthesis de novo of enzyme protein.

Animals