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Biomedical subjects

C McCall

Publications and source records attributed to C McCall.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Treatment of traumagenic beliefs among sexually abused girls and their mothers: an evaluation study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of two short-term individual therapy interventions for sexually abused girls and their nonoffending female caretakers. Thirty-two girls, ages 8 to 13, and their caretakers from primarily low-income, African-American families were randomly assigned to a theoretically based, structured experimental treatment program or to a relatively unstructured comparison intervention. Measures of child outcome were completed before and after the treatment program by each parent and child, and by a clinician blind to treatment condition. Pre- and postmeasures of maternal outcome were completed by the caretaker and a clinician not involved in the treatment. Both treatment programs yielded decreases in children's posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and traumagenic beliefs reflecting self-blame and powerlessness, and increases in children's overall psychosocial functioning. The experimental intervention was more effective than the comparison program in increasing abuse-related caretaker support of the child and in decreasing caretaker self-blame and expectations of undue negative impact of the abuse on the child. Clinical implications of these findings include the development of interventions targeting sexually abused children's traumagenic beliefs and nonoffending parents' support of their victimized children.

Adolescent

Comparison of the allergenicity of ovalbumin and ovalbumin peptide 323-339. Differential expansion of V beta-expressing T cell populations.

We analyzed the effects of sensitization of BALB/c mice to the OVA peptide amino acids 323-339, on the development of an IgE response, immediate cutaneous hypersensitivity and airways responsiveness (AR). Daily aerosolization of OVA 323-339 for 20 min over a period of 10 days was as effective in the stimulation of a serum anti-OVA IgE antibody response as sensitization to native OVA by the same route. After sensitization to native OVA, the majority of the IgE anti-OVA response was directed against peptide 323-339. The antibody responses were paralleled by skin test responses in sensitized mice: 73% of OVA-sensitized mice developed immediate type reactions when tested with native OVA and 82% of the mice had positive immediate skin test responses to intradermal injection of peptide 323-339. After sensitization to the peptide, 69% of the mice had positive responses to native OVA and 77% responded to peptide 323-339. Aerosolization of OVA as well as OVA 323-339 led to a comparable increase in airway responsiveness as measured by electrical field stimulation of tracheal smooth muscle preparations. To characterize T cell subpopulations that were stimulated after allergen sensitization, the distribution of specific V beta-expressing T cells was analyzed in local draining lymph nodes of the airways and the lungs. These lymph nodes were found to be enlarged after both OVA and OVA peptide sensitization. Sensitization to native OVA resulted in an increased percentage of V beta 8.1 and V beta 8.2 T cells whereas selective stimulation of V beta 8.1 T cells was found after peptide sensitization. These data indicate that OVA peptide 323-339 represents a T and B cell epitope of OVA, which is important in the generation and development of immediate hypersensitivity responses in BALB/c mice.

Airway Resistance

A membrane vesicle/ribosome preparation from Serratia marcescens elicits peritoneal exudate cells expressing both tumoricidal and bactericidal activity.

A biological response modifier called ImuVert, derived from the bacterium Serratia marcescens, produced long-lasting elevation of peritoneal exudate cell (PEC) numbers after intraperitoneal injection into mice. These cells had enhanced ability to phagocytose both latex beads and opsonized Listeria monocytogenes. PEC harvested 2-14 days after a single injection of ImuVert killed L. monocytogenes, and ImuVert protected mice from infection by L. monocytogenes, measured both by LD50 and bacterial growth in vivo. Cells harvested 7 and 14 days after ImuVert injection also were tumoricidal, measured as killing of P815 mastocytoma cells, and ImuVert induced macrophages to express tumoricidal properties in vitro. These data suggest that ImuVert has a unique ability to induce a chronic inflammatory response, as other agents do not induce such a long-lasting influx of bactericidal inflammatory cells that also show tumoricidal activity. The consequences of this response appear to include protection from infection by certain bacteria.

Animals

Adenovirus E1A makes two distinct contacts with the retinoblastoma protein.

Two regions near the amino terminus of the adenovirus E1A protein, which were first identified by sequence conservation among various adenovirus serotypes, have been shown by genetic studies to be essential for E1A-mediated transformation. These same regions are also required for interaction with a number of cellular proteins, including the retinoblastoma protein (pRB). Using synthetic peptides corresponding to portions of these conserved regions, we show that each region can bind independently to pRB. These interactions were observed in both competition and binding assays. In both types of assay, region 2 peptides (E1A amino acids 115 to 132) bound pRB with higher affinity than did region 1 peptides (E1A amino acids 37 to 54), while a peptide combining region 1 and 2 sequences consistently provided the highest-affinity interaction. Cross-blocking experiments using region 1 peptides and region 2 peptides suggested that these two regions of E1A make distinct contacts with pRB. These data support the notion that the pRB-binding domain of E1A contains at least two functional elements.

Adenovirus Early Proteins

Human cyclin A and the retinoblastoma protein interact with similar but distinguishable sequences in the adenovirus E1A gene product.

The adenovirus early region 1A (E1A) proteins associate with several cellular proteins in adenovirus infected or transformed cells. Recently, two of the cellular proteins that bind to E1A encoded proteins have been identified. p105 has been shown to be the product of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressing gene. p60 has been shown to be a human cyclin A. Previously studies have shown that E1A protein sequences encoded by conserved domains 1 and 2 are required for interactions with the retinoblastoma protein (pRB). We have demonstrated here that amino acids 30 to 60 and 121 to 127 within the E1A proteins are required for interaction with p60/cyclin A. These are the same sites within conserved domains 1 and 2 that are required for E1A protein association with pRB. However, the association of p60/cyclin A does not appear to require pRB. We also demonstrate that another cellular protein, 130K, interacts with E1A at essentially the same sites. It is interesting that mutations in these regions destroy the ability of E1A to function as an oncogene, thereby raising the possibility that interaction with several different cellular proteins may be needed for transformation by E1A.

Adenoviridae

Effect of an inhibitor of protein kinase C on human polymorphonuclear leukocyte degranulation.

The protein kinase C inhibitor C-I reduced superoxide production by human neutrophils in response to phorbol myristate acetate by greater than 50%. In contrast to its effects in oxidative metabolism, 100 microM C-I caused minimal inhibition (5-18%) of lysozyme release in response to phorbol myristate acetate. Enzyme release produced by the formylated oligopeptide FMLP was enhanced by 23-54% in neutrophils pretreated with 100 microM C-I. These findings suggest that protein kinase C activation is not required for phorbol myristate acetate induced enzyme release. Enhancement of FMLP stimulated degranulation by C-I suggests that protein kinase C activation may have inhibitory effects on the release of granule enzymes by human neutrophils.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine

Stimulation of hexose transport by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes: a possible role for protein kinase C.

The protein C kinase activators 1-O-oleoyl, 2-O-acetylglycerol, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, and mezerein, stimulated deoxyglucose uptake in human neutrophils. The responses were stimulus specific since no effect was noted with the diether analogues 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-ethylglycerol, 1-O-palmitoyl-2-O-acetyl or 1-O-palmitoyl-3-O-acetyl diesters of propanediol, or with 1,2-diolein. Stimulation of deoxyglucose uptake had the characteristics of carrier facilitated hexose transport. Stimulated uptake of deoxy-glucose was inhibited by trifluoperazine (10-30 microM). Activation of protein kinase C therefore appears to trigger events involved in hexose transport.

Biological Transport, Active