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Biomedical subjects

C L Brooks

Publications and source records attributed to C L Brooks.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Failure of pH to predict ionized calcium percentage in healthy horses.

Blood, serum, and plasma total calcium concentrations and plasma and serum ionized calcium concentrations were anaerobically determined by use of a calcium-specific electrode for samples obtained from 39 healthy horses. Mean (+/- SD) serum ionized calcium concentration was 6.6 +/- 0.3 mg/dl (1.6 +/- 0.1 mmol/L) and the mean serum ionized calcium percentage was 58.2 +/- 3.4%. Serum ionized calcium percentage was not significantly correlated with serum pH. Plasma ionized calcium percentage was weakly correlated with plasma pH (r = -0.480; P less than or equal to 0.05). Ionized calcium concentration was determined in serum samples manipulated in vitro by additions of 1 to 80 microliters of 0.1N hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide to yield 6 to 10 pH values between 6.8 and 8.2. In all horses, the relationship between serum ionized calcium percentage and serum pH at these pH values was then examined by use of a repeated-measures multiple regression analysis. Correlations between serum ionized calcium percentage and adjusted serum pH value for each horse were highly significant (P less than or equal to 0.05); however, analysis of pooled data from all horses indicated that a statistically significant relationship between serum pH and ionized calcium percentage did not exist. Lack of a significant relationship between these variables was most likely attributable to heterogeneity of variance of ionized calcium percentage among horses, reflecting variation in undefined biochemical constituents of serum that affect the equilibrium of calcium binding. When it is essential to evaluate the calcium status of a horse, direct measurement of serum ionized calcium concentration is recommended.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1989

Thermodynamics of amide hydrogen bond formation in polar and apolar solvents.

We present the initial findings of a theoretical study of hydrogen bond formation between two formamide molecules in water and in carbon tetrachloride. These systems were chosen as the simplest models for secondary structure formation in the polar environment near the protein surface and the apolar environment of the protein interior. We have employed thermodynamic simulation methods to obtain absolute binding free energies and free energy profiles for the formation of peptide hydrogen bonds in the two solvents. We find that the amide hydrogen bond is stable by 8.4 kcal/mol in CCl4, and by 0.3 kcal/mol in water. Our results indicate also that the hydrogen-bonded dimer is 2.2 kcal/mol more stable in water than it is in CCl4. We compare our results with those from experiment, and discuss their use in interpreting mechanisms of protein folding.

Acetamides↗
PubMed1989

Solvent effects on protein motion and protein effects on solvent motion. Dynamics of the active site region of lysozyme.

The stochastic boundary molecular dynamics methodology is applied to the active site of the enzyme lysozyme. A comparison is made of in vacuo dynamics results from the stochastic boundary method and a full conventional molecular dynamics simulation of lysozyme. Excellent agreement between the two approaches is obtained. The influence of solvent on the residues in the active site region is explored and it is shown that both the structure and dynamics are affected. Of particular importance for the structure of the protein is the solvation of polar residues and the stabilization of like-charged ion pairs. The magnitude of the fluctuations is only slightly altered by the solvent; the overall increase in the root-mean-square fluctuations, relative to the vacuum run, is 11%. The solvent effect on dynamical properties is found not to be simply related to the solvent viscosity. Both the solvent exposure and dynamic aspects of protein-solvent interactions, including the relative time scales of the motions, are shown to play a role. The effects of the protein on solvent dynamics and structure are also observed to be significant. The solvent molecules around atoms in charged, polar and apolar side-chains show markedly different diffusion coefficients as well as exhibiting different solvation structures. One key example is the water around apolar groups, which is much less mobile than bulk water, or water solvating polar groups.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Two physiological substrate-specific casein kinases are present in the bovine mammary gland.

Two species of casein kinase from lactating bovine mammary gland have been identified; a Ca2+- and CM-independent casein kinase and a Ca2+- and CM-dependent casein kinase. The Ca2+- and CM-independent casein kinase phosphorylates previously dephosphorylated alpha s1-, beta- or kappa-casein while the Ca2+- and CM-dependent casein kinase prefers previously dephosphorylated beta- or kappa-casein as substrates. Two activities are indicated by their substrate specificity, sensitivity to Ca2+ and CM, pH maxima, and differential solubilization by anionic detergents. The presence of a regulated casein kinase in the lactating mammary gland suggests that casein phosphorylation may be a regulator of micelle formation or secretion.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Separation of parathyroid hormone-like activity from transforming growth factor-alpha and -beta in the canine adenocarcinoma (CAC-8) model of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy.

A canine adenocarcinoma model (CAC-8) of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy was evaluated for transforming growth factors (TGF)-alpha and -beta, PTH-like activity [adenylate cyclase-stimulating activity (ACSA)], and in vitro bone-resorbing activity. Biological activities present in CAC-8 were separated by reverse phase or cation exchange HPLC. TGF alpha in tumor extract was separated from TGF beta and ACSA by reverse phase HPLC. TGF alpha eluted between 26-30% acetonitrile and was identified by RIA. After the initial reverse phase separation, TGF beta and ACSA in tumor extract coeluted between 36-38% acetonitrile. Sequential cation exchange followed by reverse phase HPLC separated TGF beta from ACSA. Evaluation of fractions containing ACSA using an in vitro bone-resorbing assay demonstrated copurification of ACSA and bone-resorbing activity. The PTH receptor antagonist [Nle8,18,Tyr34]bovine PTH-(3-34)-amide, but not [Nle8,18,Tyr34]bovine PTH-(7-34)-amide, completely inhibited ACSA in column eluates. Conditioned cell culture medium from CAC-8 primary cultures contained predominantly latent TGF beta that could be activated by acidification. These findings indicate that the CAC-8 model of cancer-associated hypercalcemia produces a PTH-like factor, TGF alpha, and TGF beta that were separable by reverse phase or cation exchange HPLC. This feature should be useful to investigate the role of TGFs and PTH-like proteins in the pathogenesis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1988

A new classification of the amino acid side chains based on doublet acceptor energy levels.

We describe a new classification of the amino acid side chains based on the potential energy level at which each will accept an extra (doublet) electron. The doublet acceptor energy level, and the doublet acceptor orbital were calculated using semiempirical INDO/2-UHF molecular orbital theory. The results of these calculations show that the side chains fall into four groups. We have termed these groups repulsive, insulating, semiconducting, and attractive in accordance with where each lies on the relative energy scale. We use this classification to examine the role of residues between the donor and acceptor in modulating the rate and mechanism of electron transfer in proteins. With the calculated acceptor levels, we construct a potential barrier for those residues between the donor and acceptor. It is the area beneath this barrier that determines the decay of electronic coupling between donor and acceptor, and thus the transfer rate. We have used this schematic approach to characterize the four electron transfer pathways in myoglobin recently studied by Mayo et al. (Mayo, S.L., W.R. Ellis, R.J. Crutchley, and H.B. Gray. 1986. Science [Wash. DC]. 233:948-952).

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1988

A partial characterization of uterine and mammary growth stimulatory activity from placenta.

Both placenta and prolactin are required for maintenance of gestation in rabbit. This study was undertaken to characterize the influence of placenta on uterus and mammary gland using the virgin pseudopregnant rabbit as a model system. Homogenates of 20-day rabbit placenta were found to stimulate increased growth of uterine and mammary tissue in pseudopregnant rabbits. Essentially, all of this uterine growth occurred in endometrium and represented growth of both stromal and epithelial cell types. After fractionation by successive extraction of rabbit placenta with acetone and bicarbonate, both extracts were found to stimulate uterine and mammary growth in pseudo-pregnant rabbits when measured on day 20 of pseudopregnancy after 13 days of treatment at extract doses equivalent to that found in 0.1 gram of placenta. Approximately 75% of this stimulatory activity is found in the acetone extract and the remainder appears in the aqueous extract. The extracts stimulate a maximum 90% increase in uterine growth and 400% increase in mammary pad area. Both activities exhibit logarithmic response characteristics, yet significant changes in serum 17 beta estradiol, progesterone, 20 alpha dihydroxyprogesterone and prolactin did not occur. These observations suggest the presence of an unidentified factor in rabbit placenta which has a non-ovarian mediated stimulatory activity on endometrial and mammary growth.

Algestone↗
PubMed1988

Effect of an interfering substance on determination of potassium by ion-specific potentiometry in animal urine.

Analytical characteristics of photometry and ion-specific potentiometry for urine from sheep, horses, cows, dogs, and cats were determined, using solutions of sodium and potassium chloride. The performance of both methods were acceptable, but the ion-specific potentiometer (in the mode for urine analysis) was superior in terms of linearity of response and correlation between actual vs measured concentrations. Coefficients of variation of either method for repeated analyses of various concentrations of sodium and potassium were always less than 2.5%. The measurement of sodium concentration in urine samples correlated well between both methods for samples from sheep, horses, cows, dogs, and cats. In contrast, measurement of potassium concentrations in urine samples from sheep, horses, cows, and cats was underestimated consistently by ion-specific potentiometry. The magnitude of the apparent error was variable between species and was often increased with greater urine potassium concentrations. These phenomena were not seen in urine samples from dogs. Sequential dilution of urine samples from sheep before analysis reduced the magnitude of the error observed by ion-specific potentiometry. Seemingly, an equilibrium process existed in which potassium was bound by an anionic or zwitterionic chemical and was sequestered from interaction with the ion-specific electrode. Ultrafiltration experiments indicated the putative potassium chelator was a low molecular weight compound.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Bone and kidney adenylate cyclase-stimulating activity produced by a hypercalcemic canine adenocarcinoma line (CAC-8) maintained in nude mice.

The tumor line CAC-8, is a serially transplantable adenocarcinoma maintained in nude mice which originated from a hypercalcemic dog. Nude mice with CAC-8 developed a syndrome of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. CAC-8 contained a protein factor which stimulated adenylate cyclase of bone and kidney cells in vitro. The adenylate cyclase (AC) of rat osteosarcoma cell lines, ROS 17/2.8 (ROS) and UMR-106, was stimulated by the tumor extract and potentiated by forskolin (0.1 microM). The ROS cells responded to the lowest concentration of CAC-8 extract, but UMR cells responded with a greater increase in AC activity compared to controls following exposure to CAC-8 extract. Pretreatment of ROS 17/2.8 cells with dexamethasone enhanced the response to CAC-8 extract. The opossum kidney cell line (OK) was less sensitive to the AC-stimulating activity of CAC-8 extract, but AC stimulation was increased in the presence of forskolin. Bovine (1-34) parathyroid hormone (BPTH) (10 nM) stimulated AC equally in ROS, UMR, and OK cells. Isoproterenol (1.0 microM) stimulated AC activity in ROS and UMR cells but not in OK cells. The AC-stimulating activity of CAC-8 appeared to bind to the parathyroid hormone receptor of ROS, UMR, and OK cells since addition of the parathyroid hormone receptor antagonist, [8,18norleucine, 34tyrosine]BPTH (3-34) amide, inhibited CAC-8-mediated cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate production and alone did not stimulate AC activity. The AC-stimulating activity of CAC-8 was acid and heat stable. Trypsin digestion reduced BPTH and CAC-8 stimulation of AC to near basal levels and treatment of CAC-8 extract with dithiothreitol reduced AC stimulation in UMR cells by approximately 50%. Extracts of the hypercalcemic tumor line (CAC-8) contained bone and kidney AC-stimulating activity which was enhanced by forskolin and dexamethasone, inhibited by [8,18Nle, 34Tyr]BPTH (3-34) amide, heat stable, trypsin sensitive, inactivated by reduction, and had a relative molecular weight of 34,000 by gel exclusion chromatography. Isolation and characterization of the factor(s) produced by CAC-8 that stimulate AC activity will be useful in further understanding the pathogenesis of humoral hypercalemia of malignancy in animal and human patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Calcium and calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of kappa-casein by a bovine mammary casein kinase.

A calcium and calmodulin-dependent kappa-casein kinase activity has been described in the bovine mammary gland. This kinase required previously dephosphorylated kappa-casein for substrate, thus suggesting a physiological role for this enzyme. The kappa-casein kinase required magnesium and the presence of both calcium and calmodulin for full activity. Calmodulin concentrations of .32 microM achieved one-half maximal activation of this enzyme. The calcium and calmodulin-dependent kappa-casein kinase was found in preparations of mammary acini and could be localized in a membranous fraction by centrifugation. The particles containing this activity had a high density (1.309 g/cc) and cofractionated with caseins, suggesting this enzyme may be present in secretory granules.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in acini from lactating rat mammary tissue: subcellular locale, characterization, and solubilization.

Acini isolated from lactating rat mammary tissue were used as the starting material to determine the subcellular location and characteristics of a calcium and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase. The kinase activity phosphorylated a 53,600-Da endogenous protein, required Mg2+, and was stimulated only by the simultaneous presence of calcium and calmodulin. Fractionation by differential and sucrose gradient centrifugation demonstrated the enzyme activity in acinar homogenates to be largely particulate; yet the activity did not co-fractionate with markers for nuclei, secretory vesicles, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, lysozymes, Golgi or plasma membranes. The addition of dephosphorylated K-casein to these preparations resulted in a calcium and calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of the exogenous substrate. A combination of differential centrifugation and equilibrium sucrose density gradient centrifugation purified the kinase 15-fold and revealed a density for the kinase activity between 1.33 and 1.27 g/cm3, suggesting that the kinase was associated with a particle composed largely or entirely of protein. Gel chromatography on Sephacryl S-1000 also purified the activity significantly, and provided a molecular weight of approximately 10(6). In both procedures, the enzymatic activity and principal endogenous protein substrate were enriched indicating that the kinase was associated with the 53,600-Da substrate. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis of the fractions enriched in kinase activity by either gel-exclusion chromatography or equilibrium density gradient centrifugation revealed a discrete set of proteins common to both preparations. These included proteins with molecular weights of approximately 32, 35, 54, 70, 94, 100 and 103 K. The calmodulin-dependent protein kinase of mammary acini may be associated in a large complex with these protein species or may represent a polymer of one or several of the proteins. Despite no apparent association with the common phospholipid membranous organelles, the kinase activity was solubilized by treatment with a mixture of phospholipases C and D. After phospholipase treatment and chromatography on Sephacryl S-1000, calcium and calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation was no longer detectable, indicating separation of enzyme and endogenous substrate. Phospholipase treatment of the kinase preparation may be useful in future studies as a method to solubilize the activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Active site dynamics of ribonuclease.

The stochastic boundary molecular dynamics method is used to study the structure, dynamics, and energetics of the solvated active site of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A. Simulations of the native enzyme and of the enzyme complexed with the dinucleotide substrate CpA and the transition-state analog uridine vanadate are compared. Structural features and dynamical couplings for ribonuclease residues found in the simulation are consistent with experimental data. Water molecules, most of which are not observed in crystallographic studies, are shown to play an important role in the active site. Hydrogen bonding of residues with water molecules in the free enzyme is found to mimic the substrate-enzyme interactions of residues involved in binding. Networks of water stabilize the cluster of positively charged active site residues. Correlated fluctuations between the uridine vanadate complex and the distant lysine residues are mediated through water and may indicate a possible role for these residues in stabilizing the transition state.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Calcium-ion and calmodulin-dependent kappa-casein kinase in rat mammary acini.

A Ca2+- and calmodulin-dependent casein kinase specific for dephosphorylated bovine kappa-casein was identified in a microsomal fraction of mammary acini prepared from rats in late lactation. This phosphorylation has an absolute requirement for Mg2+ for either the basal or the Ca2+- and calmodulin-dependent activity. One-half of the maximal stimulation is achieved at a calmodulin concentration of 204nM in the presence of Ca2+. The Ca2+- and calmodulin-dependent kinase activity (but not the basal activity) is inhibited by trifluoperazine. The casein kinase is associated with a microsomal fraction enriched in markers for plasma membrane and Golgi (5'-nucleotidase and galactosyltransferase respectively). The activity of this casein kinase remains relatively constant throughout lactation, but declines dramatically in 24h when rats are removed from their pups. This activity may represent the physiological activity responsible in part or whole for kappa-casein phosphorylation occurring before micelle formation and milk secretion.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Specificity of inhibition of calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase by alloxan.

Studies were undertaken to determine whether the effect of alloxan to inactivate a membrane-bound calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase was specific for the pancreatic islets and whether inactivation of the kinase occurred also after injection of a diabetogenic dose of alloxan into rats. The effect of alloxan was also examined on similar particulate calcium- and calmodulin-dependent kinases present in two other secretory tissues, mammary acini and forebrain. Exposure of alloxan to cell-free preparations of all secretory tissues examined inhibited the calcium- and calmodulin-dependent kinase activities, suggesting that the specificity of alloxan action was not due to the presence in islets of a kinase uniquely sensitive to alloxan. To determine whether the selective effect of alloxan action was mediated at the cellular level, experiments were performed with alloxan presented to intact cells. Whereas alloxan exposure to viable cell preparations of islets and brain decreased the subsequently measured calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity, the activity measured in mammary acini exposed to these alloxan concentrations was unaffected. Injection (i.v.) of a diabetogenic dose of alloxan (50 mg/kg) produced an immediate (10 min) and selective inactivation of the calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in pancreatic islets but had no effect on the similar kinases measured in brain and mammary acini. These results indicate that the unique sensitivity of islets to alloxan may result from the ability of alloxan to rapidly gain intracellular access and then inactivate this kinase activity. The selective effect of alloxan injection on this islet protein kinase is consistent with the hypothesis that inactivation of the kinase by alloxan is related to its diabetogenic effect in vivo.

Alloxan↗
PubMed1984

Glucose-stimulated protein phosphorylation in the pancreatic islet.

A glucose-dependent phosphorylation of a 68kDa islet-cell protein was observed in islet-cell homogenates. In the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP the protein was phosphorylated only in the presence of alpha-D-glucose; other sugars were ineffective. Activation of the phosphorylation was half-maximal at 0.34 mM-glucose, 7 microM-ATP and 0.3 mM-Mg2+. Although the addition of glucose 6-phosphate in this design did not stimulate phosphorylation of the islet-cell protein, addition of glucose 6-phosphate to the radioactively labelled 68kDa protein rapidly removed (chased) the 32P label. The addition of presynthesized glucose 6-[32P]phosphate phosphorylated the 68kDa band in the islet-cell homogenate and also phosphorylated purified skeletal-muscle phosphoglucomutase. Phosphoglucomutase labelled thus by 32P was indistinguishable from the islet-cell phosphoprotein on electrophoretic gels. The 32P incorporated into both the islet-cell protein and the purified skeletal-muscle phosphoglucomutase was chased similarly by hexose phosphates. The purified phosphoglucomutase could also be phosphorylated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase or by a mannoheptulose-insensitive process by the islet-cell cytosol. The phosphoenzyme formed thus was also dephosphorylated by D-glucose 6-phosphate and alpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate, suggesting that this may be a mechanism for generation of glucose 1,6-bisphosphate.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Multidimensional slit-scan prescreening system: preliminary results of a single blind clinical study.

A multidimensional slit-scan flow system was developed to serve as an automated prescreening instrument for gynecological cytology. A 2-year single blind clinical study was carried out to evaluate system performance. Cellular material was collected by scraping the uterine cervix and stained in suspension with acridine orange. Seven hundred and forty specimens (701 patients) including 156 abnormal specimens representing a broad spectrum of abnormality were analyzed. Approximately 50,000 cells were analyzed for each specimen. The system false-positive rate was 17.6% while the false-negative rate was 2.8%. All misclassified abnormals were specimens with cellular changes consistent with a slight dysplasia of nonkeratinizing type. The instrument in its present configuration appeared sensitive to the entire spectrum of abnormality existing in the female genital tract and it classified as abnormal any specimen containing on the order of 0.1% (or greater) abnormal cells.

Diagnostic Errors↗