PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D B Thomason

Publications and source records attributed to D B Thomason.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Beating affects the posttranscriptional regulation of alpha-myosin mRNA in cardiac cultures.

Contractile arrest of cardiac myocytes results in increased abundance of alpha-myosin heavy chain (MHC) mRNA but decreased alpha-MHC protein content. Our aim is to determine the posttranscriptional mechanisms regulating alpha-MHC mRNA-protein uncoupling in cultured neonatal rat hearts during altered contractile activity. Spontaneously contracting myocytes were arrested by the use of verapamil (10 mumol/l; a Ca(2+)-channel blocker) or by 2,3-butanedione monoxime (5 mmol/l; a cross-bridge inhibitor). Inhibition of transcription with amanitin (0.5 mumol/l) decreased the alpha-MHC mRNA in normally beating myocytes to a minimal baseline. However, the alpha-MHC mRNA did not fall this low in amanitin-treated nonbeating myocytes. Concurrently, the alpha-MHC mRNA shifted toward a heavier polysome complex when beating was blocked. Together, these data suggest that contractile arrest regulates alpha-MHC mRNA abundance posttranscriptionally by stabilizing the message at the elongation phase of translation. These posttranscriptional regulatory steps are dependent on beating itself and are independent of Ca2+ entry.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Decreased Ca2+ sensitivity of isometric tension in skinned cardiac myocytes from tail-suspended rats.

Tail suspension in rats causes a cephalic shift in blood, resulting in a volume load on the heart similar to that observed during microgravity spaceflight or mild heart failure. The present study determined the influence of increased cardiac hemodynamic load on myofilament isometric tension as a function of Ca2+ concentration in skinned cardiac myocytes of control and 7-day head-down tilt Sprague-Dawley rats. Isometric force of single skinned myocytes was measured by attaching cells with adhesive to a force transducer and piezoelectric translator. A significant decrease in the Ca2+ sensitivity of tension was observed in cardiac myocytes from suspended rats [pCa of half-maximal tension (pCa50) of 5.83 +/- 0.03] compared with control rats (pCa50 of 5.94 +/- 0.03). Maximum tension generation and slope of the tension-pCa relationship were unaffected by head-down tilt. Electrophoretic analysis of myofilament proteins indicates differences in expression of proteins in the 50-60 and 100-120 kDa ranges; immunoblot analysis of tubulin (50 kDa) expression indicates no change in the ratio of beta-tubulin to light chain 1 or tropomyosin. Decreased force-producing ability at a given submaximum Ca2+ concentration in cardiac myocytes from suspended rats suggests a decrease in contractility possibly due to changes in cardiac myofilament protein expression following chronic elevated volume load on the heart.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Fractal analysis of cytoskeleton rearrangement in cardiac muscle during head-down tilt.

Head-down tilt by tail suspension of the rat produces a volume, but not pressure, load on the heart. One response of the heart is cytoskeleton rearrangement, a phenomenon commonly referred to as disruption. In these experiments, we used fractal analysis as a means to measure complexity of the microtubule structures at 8 and 18 h after imposition of head-down tilt. Microtubules in whole tissue cardiac myocytes were stained with fluorescein colchicine and were visualized by confocal microscopy. The fractal dimensions (D) of the structures were calculated by the dilation method, which involves successively dilating the outline perimeter of the microtubule structures and measuring the area enclosed. The head-down tilt resulted in a progressive decrease in D (decreased complexity) when measured at small dilations of the perimeter, but the maximum D (maximum complexity) of the microtubule structures did not change with treatment. Analysis of the fold change in complexity as a function of the dilation indicates an almost twofold decrease in microtubule complexity at small kernel dilations. This decrease in complexity is associated with a more Gaussian distribution of microtubule diameters, indicating a less structured microtubule cytoskeleton. We interpret these data as a microtubule rearrangement, rather than erosion, because total tubulin flourescence was not different between groups. This conclusion is supported by F-actin fluorescence data indicating a dispersed structure without loss of actin.

Actins↗
PubMed1995

Decreased polysomal HSP-70 may slow polypeptide elongation during skeletal muscle atrophy.

Slowed elongation rate is the apparent cause of the rapid decrease in rat soleus muscle protein synthesis rate during non-weight bearing. We found that elongation factor 2 was not phosphorylated and thus could not explain the slowed elongation rate. However, we observed a 44 +/- 19 and 28 +/- 14% decrease in the chaperone protein 70-kDa heat-shock cognate/heat shock protein (HSC/HSP-70) associated with the polysomes after 12 and 18 h of non-weight bearing, respectively. Size-fractionated polysomes had less HSC/HSP-70 associated with the larger polysomes in 18-h non-weight-bearing soleus muscle. ATP concentration increased in the non-weight-bearing muscle, so, because ATP enhances HSC/HSP-70 dissociation, we tested the potential role of ATP. Digitonin-permeabilized myoblasts treated with increasing concentrations of ATP showed both a decreased association of HSC/HSP-70 with the polysomes and a shift toward heavier polysomes; these responses were blocked by adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate). These data are consistent with the role of HSC/HSP-70 as a chaperone of nascent protein. The absence of HSC/HSP-70 may slow ribosome translocation, thus slowing elongation rate.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Decrease in heart peptide initiation during head-down tilt may be modulated by HSP-70.

This study examines the mechanism of the rapid decrease in cardiac muscle protein synthesis during rodent hindlimb non-weight bearing. Polysomes isolated from rat hearts 8 h after suspension show less RNA in the polysome pool and a shift in polysome size toward fewer ribosomes per mRNA; 18 h after suspension, the size shift persists, but the amount of RNA in the polysome pool returns to control values. These data are consistent with a decrease in the rate of initiation of protein synthesis. At both 8 and 12 h of suspension, the cardiac polysomes show a 78 and 93% increase association with the nascent polypeptide chaperone protein 70-kDa heat-shock cognate/heat-shock protein (HSC/HSP-70), respectively, that persists after 7 days of non-weight bearing. Because the dissociation of HSC/HSP-70 from unfolded protein can be modulated by ATP, we measured the adenosine nucleotide pools and found a 53% decrease in ATP levels after 18 h of suspension. We propose a mechanism in which a shift of HSC/HSP-70 to the nascent polypeptide indirectly inhibits protein synthesis initiation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Head-down tilt increases rat cardiac muscle eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation.

We previously demonstrated that head-down tilt in rats decreases heart polypeptide initiation rate and proposed a mechanism whereby redistribution of the chaperone heat-shock cognate/heat-shock protein-70 (HSC/HSP-70) facilitates the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2 alpha (eIF-2 alpha). In this study, two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of eIF-2 alpha showed no phosphorylation in control hearts. At 8 h of head-down tilt, there was a 45% increase in total eIF-2 alpha, and 79% was phosphorylated. At 18 h, eIF-2 alpha increased to 142% of control, of which 4% was phosphorylated. This is consistent with the previous study where, at 8 h, there was a 78% increase in polysomal HSC/HSP-70 and a shift in the polysome center-of-mass to lighter polysomes (indicating decreased initiation). After 18 h of suspension, polysomal HSC/HSP-70 levels were 24% relative to control, and the center-of-mass returned toward control. We conclude that the decrease in polypeptide initiation during head-down tilt is mediated by HSC/HSP-70 via phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Soleus muscle nascent polypeptide chain elongation slows protein synthesis rate during non-weight-bearing activity.

Protein synthesis rate of the soleus muscle decreases rapidly during non-weight-bearing activity. We isolated polysomes from 18-h non-weight-bearing soleus muscle to investigate the mechanism of this phenomenon. The distribution of polysomal alpha-actin mRNA and 18S rRNA on sucrose density gradients shows that polysomes shift to larger sizes (more ribosomes per mRNA) during non-weight-bearing activity. Furthermore, RNA is mobilized into the polysome pool of the non-weight-bearing soleus muscle; these data indicate that initiation of protein synthesis is not rate limiting. We explain these results as the slowing of nascent polypeptide chain elongation, such that there is a "traffic jam" of ribosomes on the mRNAs, increasing the number of ribosomes per mRNA while, at the same time, decreasing protein synthesis rate. In support of this hypothesis, myoblasts treated with a low dose of cycloheximide (a specific elongation inhibitor) show a similar shift in polysome size. A numerical model of protein synthesis further shows that elongation is more effective than initiation and termination in affecting protein synthesis and polysome size. We conclude that the non-weight-bearing-induced decrease in postural muscle protein synthesis rate is initially caused by slowing of nascent polypeptide chain elongation.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

An easily synthesized, photolyzable luciferase substrate for in vivo luciferase activity measurement.

Many reporter gene assays require killing the cell by fixation or lysis. For assays in living cells, the substrate delivery is inefficient and cannot be supplied in situ in a bolus, which makes assays highly variable. We report a simple synthesis of a luciferin ester that is both photolyzable and cleaved by endogenous esterases such that luciferase activity in living cells is easily monitored. Although the photolyzed substrate can be delivered in bolus, the rapid equilibration of the luciferin ester in the cell and the continuous delivery by the endogenous esterases allow stable, long-term measurements of luciferase activity.

Firefly Luciferin↗
PubMed1992

Intermittent acceleration as a countermeasure to soleus muscle atrophy.

The centrifuge proposed for the Space Station will most likely be used, in part, for countermeasure studies. At present, there is a paucity of information concerning the duration and frequency of acceleration necessary to counteract the atrophy process associated with microgravity. The present study was designed to investigate intermittent acceleration during non-weight bearing of the soleus muscle and its resultant effects on muscular atrophy. Each day rats were removed from hindlimbs suspension and accelerated to 1.2 g for four 15-min periods evenly spaced over a 12-h interval. The soleus muscle experienced non-weight bearing the remaining 23 h each day. This paradigm, when repeated for 7 days, did not completely maintain the mass of soleus muscle, which was 84% of control. Interestingly, the identical protocol utilizing ground support in lieu of acceleration successfully maintained the soleus muscle mass. The failure of the centrifugation protocol to adequately maintain soleus muscle mass might be due to an undefined stress placed on the animals inherent in centrifugation itself. This stress may also explain the transient decline in food intake of the intermittent acceleration group on the 2nd and 3rd days of treatment. Also, these data support the concept that the frequency of exposure, as opposed to the duration of exposure, to weight bearing during hindlimb unweighting seems to be the more important determinant of maintaining postural muscle mass.

Acceleration↗
PubMed1992

Altered actin and myosin expression in muscle during exposure to microgravity.

The mechanism for cardiovascular deconditioning and skeletal muscle atrophy during microgravity is not known. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a decrease in contractile protein gene expression in the muscle of rats occurred after 14 days of microgravity. No differences existed in the profile of myosin protein isoforms or beta-myosin heavy chain mRNA in hearts between the flight and synchronous control groups. On the other hand, differences in the expression of beta-myosin heavy chain mRNA relative to the 18S and 28S rRNA in the heart between flight and synchronous control groups were noted with a covariance mapping analysis. Both the vastus intermedius and lateral gastrocnemius muscles exhibited significant (P less than 0.05) decreases in skeletal alpha-actin mRNA per unit of extractable RNA in the flight group compared with the synchronous control group. However, no significant difference for skeletal alpha-actin mRNA occurred in the triceps brachii muscle between these groups. Cytochrome c mRNA per unit of extractable RNA decreased (P less than 0.05) only in the vastus intermedius but not in the lateral gastrocnemius or triceps brachii muscles. In summary, changes in the pretranslational regulation of contractile protein gene expression occur in both heart and skeletal muscle after 14 days of microgravity.

Actins↗
PubMed1990

Stable incorporation of a bacterial gene into adult rat skeletal muscle in vivo.

We have developed a novel technique to incorporate and stably express foreign genes in adult rat skeletal muscle in vivo. Endogeneous satellite cells in skeletal muscle regenerating from bupivacaine damage were infected with an injected retrovirus containing the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene under the promoter control of the Moloney murine leukemia virus long-terminal repeat. Constitutive and stable expression of beta-galactosidase activity was observed in muscle fibers after 6 days and 1 mo of muscle regeneration. Two patterns of expression were observed, diffuse expression within fibers and focal expression associated with the sarcolemma. This technique will allow future experiments with muscle-specific genes and promoters to study the physiological regulation of skeletal muscle gene expression in the intact adult mammal. Furthermore, the technique of stimulating stem cell proliferation to allow retroviral-mediated gene transfer may be generally applicable to other tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effect of intestinal bypass on the expression of actin mRNA in ileal smooth muscle.

In this study, messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for actin isoforms were assessed in longitudinal smooth muscle from the ileum of unoperated rats and from rats that had undergone bypass of the middle 70% of the small intestine. The plasmid clone pGEM 10C, which contains a DNA insert complementary to the 3' untranslated region and the region of mRNA that codes for the synthesis of alpha-smooth muscle actin protein, was used to synthesize two riboprobes. One probe, complementary to the coding region of the insert, hybridizes to most, if not all, actin isoform mRNAs. The second probe, complementary to the 3' untranslated region of the insert, hybridizes only to alpha-smooth muscle actin mRNA. RNA was isolated from animals 4 to 5 days after operation, size fractionated by denaturing gel electrophoresis, transferred to nylon membranes, and exposed to the two 32P-labeled riboprobes. Both probes hybridized to RNA of about 1.3 kilobases long. Longitudinal muscle from both groups of animals contained alpha-smooth muscle actin mRNA as well as mRNA for other actin isoforms. Dot blots of varying amounts of RNA were hybridized to the riboprobes to determine the proportions of actin mRNAs. The content and concentration of mRNAs for all actins, and of mRNA for alpha-smooth muscle actin, were significantly greater in muscle from the functioning ileum of bypassed animals 4-5 days after the operation. Thus the operation induces a rapid, specific activation of these contractile protein genes.

Actins↗
PubMed1990

Atrophy of the soleus muscle by hindlimb unweighting.

The unweighting model is a unique whole animal model that will permit the future delineation of the mechanism(s) by which gravity maintains contractile mass in postural (slow-twitch) skeletal muscle. Since the origination of the model of rodent hindlimb unweighting almost one decade ago, about half of the 59 refereed articles in which this model was utilized have been published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Thus the purpose of this review is to provide, for those researchers with an interest in the hindlimb unweighting model, a summation of the data derived from this model to data and hopefully to stimulate research interest in aspects of the model for which data are lacking. The stress response of the animal to hindlimb unweighting is transient, minimal in magnitude, and somewhat variable. After 1 wk of unweighting, the animal exhibits no chronic signs of stress. The atrophy of the soleus muscle, a predominantly slow-twitch muscle, is emphasized because unweighting preferentially affects it compared with other calf muscles, which are mainly fast-twitch muscles. The review considers the following information about the unweighted soleus muscle: electromyogram activity, amount and type of protein lost, capillarization, oxidative capacity, glycolytic enzyme activities, fiber cross section, contractile properties, glucose uptake, sensitivity to insulin, protein synthesis and degradation rates, glucocorticoid receptor numbers, responses of specific mRNAs, and changes in metabolite concentrations.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Centrifugal intensity and duration as countermeasures to soleus muscle atrophy.

Mechanical acceleration is a countermeasure that may be employed to prevent atrophy of slow-twitch muscle during non-weight bearing. In the present study, daily centrifugation of rats for different durations (1 or 2 h) and at different gravitational intensities (1.5 or 2.6 G) was used to test whether mechanical acceleration could ameliorate the atrophy of the soleus muscle induced by non-weight bearing (tail-traction model). The soleus muscle atrophied 32% during 7 days of non-weight bearing without countermeasures. Centrifugation treatment did not completely prevent atrophy relative to precontrol wet weight of the soleus muscle. Non-weight-bearing groups receiving 2-h daily treatments of 1, 1.5, or 2.6 G had 48, 56, and 65%, respectively, of the atrophy observed in the non-weight-bearing-only group compared with the precontrol group. No evidence was obtained that centrifugation at 2.6 G was more effective than exposure to 1 or 1.5 G as a countermeasure to non-weight-bearing-induced atrophy of the soleus muscle.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Protein metabolism and beta-myosin heavy-chain mRNA in unweighted soleus muscle.

To investigate the relative influence of protein synthetic and degradative control mechanisms in vivo during skeletal muscle atrophy, we measured myofibril and total mixed protein synthesis rates in muscles of rats prevented from hindlimb weight-bearing for 5 h and 7 days. Protein synthesis rates were determined by infusing the animals with [3H]Leu for 5 h and measuring the specific activity of [3H]Leu in the aminoacyl-tRNA precursor and protein product fractions of the muscles. In the soleus muscle, myofibril protein synthesis rates decreased from a control value of 5.9 to 4.6%/day during 5 h of hindlimb unweighting and to 2.4%/day after 7 days of hindlimb unweighting. The relatively more phasic muscles (plantaris, medial gastrocnemius, quadriceps) showed a tendency for increased myofibril protein synthesis rates (117-127% of control) during the first 5 h followed by a decrease (46-62% of control) at 7 days of hindlimb unweighting. A predicted time course of soleus muscle myofibril protein degradation rate was obtained from a numerical model of the decrease in soleus myofibril protein synthesis rate as a first-order process [half-time (t1/2) = 0.3 day by least-squares fit] and the time course of soleus muscle myofibril protein previously observed with hindlimb unweighting (Thomason et al., J. Appl. Physiol. 63: 130-137, 1987). The degradation rate model makes specific, testable predictions for the mechanism of myofibril protein degradation during soleus muscle atrophy: 1) the first-order degradation rate constant does not obtain a fixed value over a 24-day period but is continuously changing throughout atrophy, and 2) the first-order degradation rate constant changes on a time scale slower than protein synthesis rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Mechanical, morphological and biochemical adaptations of bone and muscle to hindlimb suspension and exercise.

The influences of weightbearing forces on the structural remodeling, matrix biochemistry, and mechanical characteristics of the rat tibia and femur and surrounding musculature were examined by means of a hindlimb suspension protocol and highly intensive treadmill running. Female, young adult, Sprague-Dawley rats were designated as either normal control, sedentary suspended, or exercise suspended rats. For 4 weeks, sedentary suspended rats were deprived of hindlimb-to-ground contact forces, while the exercise suspended rats experienced hindlimb ground reaction forces only during daily intensive treadmill training sessions. The suspension produced generalized atrophy of hindlimb skeletal muscles, with greater atrophy occurring in predominantly slow-twitch extensors and adductors, as compared with the mixed fiber-type extensors and flexors. Region-specific cortical thinning and endosteal resorption in tibial and femoral diaphyses occurred in conjunction with decrements in bone mechanical properties. Tibial and femoral regional remodeling was related to both the absence of cyclic bending strains due to normal weightbearing forces and the decrease in forces applied to bone by antigravity muscles. To a moderate extent, the superimposed strenuous running counteracted muscular atrophy during the suspension, particularly in the predominantly slow-twitch extensor and adductor muscles. The exercise did not, however, mitigate changes in bone mechanical properties and cross-sectional morphologies, and in some cases exacerbated the changes. Suspension with or without exercise did not alter the normal concentrations of collagen, phosphorus, and calcium in either tibia or femur.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Time course of soleus muscle myosin expression during hindlimb suspension and recovery.

This study examined the time course of adult rodent soleus muscle myofibril and myosin isoform protein expression after 4, 8, 16, 28, and 56 days of hindlimb unweighting by tail suspension (S). The time course of soleus muscle recovery (R) was also examined after 28 days of hindlimb unweighting with an additional 4, 8, 16, and 28 days of unrestricted cage activity. During suspension, soleus muscle myofibril protein rapidly decreased from 34.3 +/- 3.1 (1.96SE) mg/pair in the control (C) group to 6.9 +/- 1.4 (1.96SE) mg/pair in S (t = 56 days). The calculated first-order degradation rate constant for this loss was kd = 0.17 days-1 [half time (t1/2) = 4.1 days]. The estimated slow myosin (SM) isoform content decreased from 13.4 +/- 2.0 (1.96SE) mg/pair in C to 2.1 +/- 0.2 (1.96SE) mg/pair in S (kd = 0.19 days-1, t1/2 = 3.6 days). The relative proportion of other myosin isoforms was increased at 28 and 56 days of suspension, reflecting an apparent de novo synthesis and the loss of SM. Recovery of contractile protein after 28 days of suspension was slower for both the myofibril protein and the SM isoform (kd = 0.07 days-1, t1/2 = 10 days). These data suggest that loss of weight bearing specifically affected the mechanisms of contractile protein expression reflected in soleus muscle protein degradation processes. In addition, the expression of the myosin isoforms were apparently differentially affected by the loss of weight-bearing activity.

Adrenal Glands↗