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D H Wu

Publications and source records attributed to D H Wu.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Transcriptional regulation of the bovine CYP17 (P-450(17)alpha) gene. Identification of two cAMP regulatory regions lacking the consensus cAMP-responsive element (CRE).

Regions within the 5'-flanking sequence of the bovine CYP17 (P-450(17)alpha) gene which are required for cAMP-dependent regulation of transcription have been localized by transient transfection of chimeric reporter gene constructs into mouse adrenal tumor Y1 cells. Two sequences have been found which individually confer cAMP responsiveness to reporter genes; they are located at -243/-225 and -80/-40 base pairs (bp). Obvious sequence homology between these two regions is not apparent. Gel shift competition analysis indicates that nuclear protein(s) binding to the -243/-225-bp region can be competed for by the addition of a double-stranded oligonucleotide containing a consensus cAMP-responsive element (CRE) from the human chorionic gonadotropin alpha gene, whereas addition of this CRE does not abolish protein-DNA complexes formed with fragments containing the -80/-40-bp sequence. Gel shift and Southwestern analysis indicate that the -243/-225-bp region of the P-450(17)alpha gene and the CRE both bind a 47-kDa protein and that the CRE binds additional proteins (43 and 68 kDa) not apparently recognized by the -243/-225-bp sequence. Thus cAMP-dependent regulation of the bovine P-450(17)alpha gene appears to involve two independent cis-regulatory regions, neither of which contains a consensus CRE. Based on protein binding analysis, one of these regions (that including -80/-40 bp) is distinct from the consensus CRE while the other (that containing -243/-225 bp) may be related to the consensus CRE.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1989

A simple method for the biochemical purification of Ro/SS-A antigen.

In the present study, Ro/SS-A antigen has been isolated from human spleen by a two-step procedure. In the first step most of the non-antigenic material was removed by means of ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography. The final purification was obtained by passing the Ro/SS-A-containing fractions twice through a Mono Q ion exchange fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) column. The purified antigen showed identical immunoreactivity with crude material on CIE and was composed of two polypeptides with a molecular weight of approximately 60,000 and 55,000 respectively on SDS-PAGE, both reacting on Western blotting with a panel of anti-Ro/SS-A antisera. This system permits milligrams of highly purified antigen to be obtained from grams of human spleen.

Autoantigens↗
PubMed1987

The effect of diabetes mellitus on chemotactic and bactericidal activity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

We studied the bactericidal activity (against P. aeruginosa) and chemotactic ability of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from 26 diabetic patients in three treatment groups (oral hypoglycemic, daily insulin, and continuous insulin infusion). Patients were studied before entry into intensified management protocols, and after intensified management in 11 of the 26 patients. Diabetic serum had a persistent inhibitory effect on both diabetic and normal white cells, but normal serum was unable to fully correct diabetic white cell killing to control values. After intensified management of diabetes, there was an improvement in bactericidal function of diabetic patient white cells, but not in the effect of diabetic serum. Diabetic serum, and to a lesser extent diabetic white blood cells, are defective mediators of killing of P. aeruginosa. Chemotaxis was normal in all patient groups. These findings confirm the earlier work of others showing that some patients with diabetes mellitus have a defect in host defense against infection with bacteria.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

In vitro comparison of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates with various susceptibilities to aminoglycosides and ten beta-lactam antibiotics.

Susceptibilities of 98 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including 33 strains with known mechanisms of amikacin resistance, were tested by the agar dilution method against 10 beta-lactam drugs. Ceftazidime, imipenem, and cefsulodin had the greatest activity, regardless of the aminoglycoside susceptibilities. The strains which were highly resistant to amikacin appeared to be less susceptible to some beta-lactam drugs, especially if their resistance was related to amikacin-inactivating enzymes; statistical significance, however, was observed for aztreonam only.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1984

Effect of aztreonam in combination with azlocillin or piperacillin on Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Aztreonam, a synthetic monobactam antimicrobial agent specifically active against aerobic, gram-negative microorganisms, was studied in combination with the extended-spectrum penicillins azlocillin and piperacillin against 46 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Of these strains, 4.3% were synergistically inhibited, and 19.7% showed evidence for an additive effect of the antibiotics. All other strains showed indifference. The addition of cefoxitin to these combinations increased the MICs of azlocillin and piperacillin by two to three tubes, whereas zero- to one-tube increases were noted for aztreonam MICs. Attempts to block cefoxitin-induced beta-lactamase production by using clindamycin were unsuccessful even at high clindamycin concentrations.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1976

Luteotropic regulation of dispersed rat luteal cells in early pregnancy.

Viable and functional luteal cells were prepared, using a combination of hyaluronidase, collagenase, and a low concentration of trypsin in a Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium containing 0.5% bovine serum albumin and 3.3 mM Ca++, from corpora lutea taken from 2-day pregnant rats. The viability and functional capacity of the dispersed cells were evaluated by electronmicroscopy and by measuring steroidogenic capicity during perifusion. Dispersed luteal cells previously exposed in vivo to biphasic prolactin (PRL) surges were found to respond during perifusion to as little as 0.5 ng/ml LH by increased steroid secretion. The net progesterone synthesis and secretion remained elevated over a time course of 2 1/2 hours perifusion, and the magnitude of the luteotropic stimulation was dose dependent on LH. However, luteotropic stimulation of LH could not be maintained beyond 2 1/2 h without renewed (in vitro) PRL exposure. PRL by itself maintained the low initial secretion rate of progesterone but demonstrated no stimulatory effect. Different steroidogenic responses were noted during the in vitro administration of LH alone and the administration of LH plus PRL. In the former case, the decreasing rate of progesterone secretion was accompanied by an increasing 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone secretion, suggesting that luteal 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity was not suppressed. In the latter case, progesterone secretion was maintained and 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone secretion fell suggesting an inhibitory action by PRL against 20 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity. Dispersed luteal cells, preincubated at 36 C in medium containing only PRL, retained viability and functional capacity in response to LH-PRL stimulation for periods of time up to 48 h. Preincubation with LH alone did not prolong cell viability.

20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Application of keyhole imaging to interventional MRI: a simulation study to predict sequence requirements.

A wide variety of techniques have been proposed recently to improve the temporal resolution of MRI. These include echo-planar imaging methods, wavelet encoding, singular value decomposition encoding, and k-space sharing methods known as "keyhole" imaging. In this work, we use a simulation study to investigate the phase-encoding ordering and data-sharing methods required for the application of keyhole imaging to interventional MRI (I-MRI). The advantages of keyhole imaging over other methods are its simplicity and the use of conventional phase encoding and Fourier transform reconstruction found on virtually all modern MR imagers. Our analysis has predicted that conventional keyhole methods that repeatedly acquire only the center portion of k space, and those that sequentially progress from the center of k space outward, will not meet the combination of temporal and spatial resolution required for tip localization during I-MRI needle insertion. Instead, acquisitions that acquire both high and low k-space data, in ranked order, should provide acceptable tip position and needle width accuracy in both temporal and spatial domains for use in I-MRI.

Artifacts↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A simulation study to assess SVD encoding for interventional MRI: effect of object rotation and needle insertion.

Singular value decomposition (SVD) encoding offers great promise to provide high spatial and temporal resolution required for interventional MRI (I-MRI) (1). This study investigates its efficacy when (a) objects are rotated and (b) a small device (ie, a needle) is moved within anatomic structures. It was found that SVD-encoded MRI is biased toward the reference from which encoding vectors are derived, thus providing a potential limitation under conditions in which the object has undergone significant global change. Reference images with partial device insertion may be needed to accurately resolve the device or track the object motion. Theoretically, the differences between the reference and the object being imaged suggest that SVD encoding is suboptimal (in a minimum mean squared error sense). Other encoding/reconstruction algorithms may come closer to achieving the desired advantages in spatial and temporal fidelity.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inadequacy of motion correction algorithms in functional MRI: role of susceptibility-induced artifacts.

Functional MR (fMR) has been useful in providing insight into the localization and detection of neural cortical activity. However, patient head motion is inevitable over the course of most fMR experiments. Although methods to align the control and activation fMR images may correct for some of this motional error, they will be incomplete in correcting for those that depend on spatial orientation. MR signal amplitude of structures that lie along air-tissue interfaces, for example, are sensitive to susceptibility errors introduced by their reorientation with respect to the main magnetic field. This analysis, using phantoms, cadaver brain, and volunteers, has shown that this reorientation between control and activation images can create regions of "false activation" that increase in area with rotation. Anatomic regions that are expected to be most affected by these susceptibility-induced magnetic field homogeneity variations are those adjacent to bone or air, such as the mesial and inferior temporal lobes and the inferior and anterior frontal lobes. Interpretation of "activation" in these areas on fMR studies must be performed with careful consideration of this important source of error.

Algorithms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Statistical evaluation of different clinical and serological parameters for the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome.

The potential value for the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) of 28 clinical and 18 serological parameters was evaluated in 38 patients with primary (1 degree) SS, 29 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 30 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 22 with mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), by means of a stepwise discriminant analysis. Twelve patients with RA, 11 with SLE, and 8 with MC had evidence of sicca syndrome and were then classified as having a secondary (2 degree) SS. When comparing the various disease groups to each other, it was always possible to select different combinations of clinical and serological variables which defined highly significant discriminant functions. In addition, some parameters appeared to have a stronger discriminant power between different disease groups. For instance, 1 degree SS was well discriminated from RA by anti-Ro antibodies (Ab) and normal C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, from SLE by normal complement levels and the positivity of rheumatoid factor, from MC by the absence of liver involvement and normal complement levels. While anti-La Ab had the highest value in differentiating patients with 1 degree from those with 2 degrees SS, anti-Ro Ab and recurrent parotid swelling seem to be typical features of patients with SS with respect to those with other connective tissue disease but without sicca syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A review of the safety profile of cefixime.

Data are reviewed for safety from worldwide clinical trials of 4000 patients and postmarketing studies of 38,000 patients treated with cefixime, a broad-spectrum, bactericidal, beta-lactam stable, third-generation cephalosporin. Adverse experiences were similar in adults and children in all groups, with the most frequent side effects being gastrointestinal in nature. The reported frequency of gastrointestinal adverse experiences was higher in patients in US clinical trials when compared with French, German, or Canadian clinical trials or Canadian or US postmarketing studies. The overall incidence of side effects ranged from 2.7% to 48.2%, and the incidence of gastrointestinal events reported in these studies ranged from 1.4% to 38.6%. Patients infrequently discontinued treatment due to adverse events. The design and methods of data collection in US clinical trials may have resulted in higher frequencies of adverse experiences being reported in US trials when compared with the experiences reported in postmarketing studies and in clinical trials conducted outside of the United States. This is because of the more rigorous methodology used to elicit patient reporting of adverse events in US clinical trials compared with the methodology in postmarketing studies and foreign clinical trials.

Adult↗