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D J Drucker

Publications and source records attributed to D J Drucker.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Proglucagon gene expression is regulated by a cyclic AMP-dependent pathway in rat intestine.

Expression of the gene encoding preproglucagon gives rise to different glucagon-related peptides in the pancreas and intestine. Glucagon gene expression is regulated by a protein kinase C-dependent pathway in rat islet cell lines, whereas activation of the adenylate cyclase pathway in islet cell lines is without effect. To elucidate the factors important for the control of proglucagon biosynthesis in the intestine, we have studied proglucagon gene expression and proglucagon biosynthesis in rat intestine. Analysis of intestinal cDNA clones encoding preproglucagon indicated that pancreatic and intestinal glucagon mRNA transcripts were identical. The regulation of proglucagon gene expression in rat intestine differed markedly from that previously observed in islet cell lines. Phorbol esters increased the secretion of glucagon-like immunoreactive peptides (GLI) but had no effect on proglucagon mRNA levels in rat intestinal cells. Bombesin also increased the secretion of GLI without affecting proglucagon mRNA levels or biosynthesis. In contrast, dibutyryl cyclic AMP, forskolin, and cholera toxin increased both proglucagon mRNA levels and GLI biosynthesis and secretion, suggesting that proglucagon gene expression in the intestine is regulated by a cyclic AMP-dependent pathway. These observations suggest that tissue-specific differences in both the regulation of proglucagon gene expression and the posttranslational processing of proglucagon contribute to the diversity of glucagon gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Tissue-specific differences in the levels of proglucagon-derived peptides in streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

The synthesis and secretion of proglucagon-derived peptides are regulated in a tissue-specific manner in pancreas, intestine, and brain. We have examined the plasma and tissue levels of these peptides during the first 3 weeks of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in the rat. Plasma glucose levels were markedly elevated (P less than 0.0001) within 24 h of STZ administration. The plasma levels of glucagon-like immunoreactive (GLI) peptides were significantly elevated on days 8-22 of diabetes (P less than 0.05-0.001). Ileal GLI peptide concentrations rose in parallel with the plasma levels (r = 0.39; P less than 0.006) to 250% of control levels (P less than 0.001); however, pancreatic GLI peptide content increased only transiently on day 1 (P less than 0.05). No significant differences in the posttranslational processing of proglucagon in normal or diabetic rats could be detected. The increment in ileal GLI peptide content was not associated with increases in intestinal proglucagon mRNA transcripts. In contrast, pancreatic, but not intestinal, somatostatin mRNA levels were increased on day 22 of diabetes. Diabetic rats were found to have small but significant changes in GLI and immunoreactive glucagon peptide content of the hypothalamus and medulla oblongata (P less than 0.05). These observations suggest that STZ-induced diabetes may produce tissue-specific perturbations in the biosynthesis and secretion of the proglucagon-derived peptides.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

The parathyroid hormone-like peptide gene is expressed in the normal and neoplastic human endocrine pancreas.

PTH-like peptide (PLP) is produced by a number of tumors commonly associated with the development of hypercalcemia. Analysis of the expression of the PLP gene has demonstrated that a variety of non-neoplastic endocrine and nonendocrine tissues contain PLP mRNA transcripts. Using a combination of Northern blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, and RIAs, we have demonstrated that the PLP gene is expressed in normal human and rat fetal and adult islets of Langerhans. PLP gene expression was not confined to cells containing a single pancreatic islet hormone, but was found in cells of all four major endocrine subtypes. PLP mRNA transcripts were also detected in RNA prepared from isolated rat islets, and small amounts of PLP immunoreactivity were secreted by cultured rat islets. Fifteen human pancreatic endocrine tumors not associated with hypercalcemia were analyzed and PLP-immunopositive tumor cells were found in 13. These observations demonstrate that the PLP gene is expressed in the normal and neoplastic islets of Langerhans, and suggests a possible role for this peptide in the growth or function of the endocrine pancreas.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Glucagon gene expression in vertebrate brain.

An increasing number of regulatory peptide genes are known to be transcribed in neuroendocrine cells of the intestine and neurons of the central and peripheral nervous system. The discovery of the expression of peptide hormone genes in the nervous system has led to the suggestion that these peptides may function as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and releasing or inhibiting factors in different regions of the brain. Glucagon and the glucagon-like peptides are derived from proglucagon in the pancreatic islets and intestine. A role for these peptides in the central nervous system has been proposed, but evidence for the biosynthesis of proglucagon in brain has been lacking. We now report that the glucagon gene is expressed in the brainstem and hypothalamus and that a glucagon mRNA transcript identical to that produced in pancreas and intestine gives rise to proglucagon-related peptides in the brain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Alpha-cell-specific expression of the glucagon gene is conferred to the glucagon promoter element by the interactions of DNA-binding proteins.

The glucagon gene is expressed specifically in the alpha cells of the pancreatic islets. We show here that 300 base pairs of the 5'-flanking region of the rat glucagon gene, linked to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter plasmid transfected into islet cell lines of different hormone-producing phenotypes, directs transcription only in glucagon-producing islet cells. Deletional and linker-scanning mutations and DNase I footprinting assays identify three transcriptional control elements within these 300 base pairs. Two of these elements (G2 and G3) independently display enhancerlike functions on both homologous and heterologous promoters in glucagon (alpha) cells, but only on heterologous promoters in insulin- (beta) and somatostatin- (delta) expressing cells, and not in non-islet cells. The proximal promoter element (G1), characterized by low intrinsic transcriptional activity, is critical for specific expression of the glucagon gene in alpha cells. However, nuclear extracts prepared from all three islet cell phenotypes give similar protection to the three control elements of the glucagon 5'-flanking sequence. We conclude that these phenotypically distinct islet cell lines all contain regulatory DNA-binding proteins interacting with the three control elements of the glucagon gene, but that factors interacting with the glucagon promoter result in transcriptional activation only in alpha cells, to restrict glucagon gene expression to these cells. These observations suggest that interactions of nuclear proteins with cis-control elements are involved in the programmed developmental expression of the islet polypeptide hormone genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Proglucagon gene expression and posttranslational processing in a hamster islet cell line.

Expression of the gene encoding glucagon was studied using a BK virus-induced glucagon-producing hamster islet cell line, InR1-G9 cells. Southern blot analysis of InR1-G9 DNA demonstrated that glucagon gene sequences are not amplified, yet appear to be hypomethylated compared to hamster liver or kidney DNA. Northern blot analysis of RNA from InR1-G9 cells detected a single glucagon mRNA species of 1300 basepairs. Phorbol esters and sodium butyrate, agents that increase glucagon gene transcription in RIN1056A cells, have no effect on glucagon mRNA levels in InR1-G9 cells. Posttranslational processing of proglucagon, as analyzed by gel filtration chromatography and RIA, resulted in the liberation of glucagon, glucagon-like peptide I, and glucagon-like peptide II, partially mimicking the processing of proglucagon in pancreas and intestine, yet differing from that previously observed in RIN1056A cells. Secretion of glucagon and the glucagon-like peptides was stimulated 3-fold after 1-h incubations with phorbol esters. These observations suggest that the determinants of glucagon gene expression and the posttranslational processing of proglucagon are highly cell specific and provide a new model for the study of proglucagon biosynthesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Expression of peptide hormone genes in human islet cell tumors.

The embryogenesis of the pancreas suggests the existence of a common stem cell progenitor of the four islet cell types (insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide). We investigated whether neoplastic islet tumors express multiple hormone-specific cellular phenotypes of the islets. By analyses of RNA transcripts and immunoreactive peptides in four human insulinomas and one glucagonoma, we found that the insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon genes were coexpressed in all tumors. The expression of the three hormone genes in a lymph node metastasis of a glucagonoma reduced the possibility that contamination of tumor tissue by normal islets occurred. These observations lend further support to the hypothesis of the multipotentiality of neoplastic islet cells for the expression of genes encoding several different islet hormones.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗
PubMed1987

Glucagon gene 5'-flanking sequences promote islet cell-specific gene transcription.

Glucagon, a peptide hormone which regulates hepatic carbohydrate metabolism, is processed from a larger precursor, proglucagon. The gene encoding proglucagon is expressed at high levels in the A cells of the pancreatic islets and the L cells of the intestine, indicating that specific factors present in these two phenotypically distinct cells direct cell-specific expression. To characterize the factors that mediate glucagon gene transcription, we analyzed the 5'-flanking region of the rat glucagon gene for the existence of cis-acting sequences that promote glucagon gene transcription. A series of fusion genes containing sequentially shortened 5'-flanking sequences of the rat glucagon gene were constructed and fused to the coding sequence of the reporter enzyme chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. Analyses of the transcription of these fusion genes after their transfection into choriocarcinoma cells, fibroblasts, and islet cell lines of different phenotypes indicate that cis-acting DNA elements promote glucagon gene transcription only in islet cell lines. Transcriptional activity was much higher in glucagon compared to insulin-producing islet cell lines with fusion genes containing 249 or more base pairs of glucagon 5'-flanking sequence. Deletion of DNA sequences upstream of -168 abolished the preferential expression in glucagon-producing cell lines, however glucagon-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion genes containing 168 base pairs or more of 5'-flanking sequence remained transcriptionally active, but only in islet cell lines. Fusion genes containing 115 base pairs of glucagon gene 5'-flanking sequences were transcriptionally inactive. These studies indicate that cis-acting DNA sequences present in the 5'-flanking region of the rat glucagon gene mediate islet cell-specific gene transcription.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Glucagon gene transcription in an islet cell line is regulated via a protein kinase C-activated pathway.

Proglucagon is a polyprotein precursor containing not only glucagon and glicentin, but glucagon-like peptides-I and -II and an intervening peptide (IP-II). The glucagon gene is expressed in both pancreatic islets and neuroendocrine L-cells of the gastrointestinal tract. We have recently cloned an islet cell line from a rat pancreatic islet cell tumour that simultaneously expresses the glucagon, insulin, somatostatin, and angiotensinogen genes. We investigated the potential role of "second messenger" pathways in the regulation of glucagon gene expression. Both the tumor promoter agent phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and a diacylglycerol analog, 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol, induced a 2.7- and 2.5-fold increase in steady-state glucagon mRNA levels at 24 h, respectively. The increase was progressive up to 24 h and was specific for glucagon mRNA; the insulin and somatostatin mRNA levels remained unchanged. An inactive phorbol ester, 4 beta-phorbol 12,13,20-triacetate, was without effect. The glucagon mRNA increase induced by PMA was mediated through an increase in glucagon gene transcription reaching maximal stimulation at 30-60 min. Glucagon mRNA half-life was similar in both control and PMA-treated cells, approximating 12 h. The stimulation of glucagon gene transcription was accompanied by a corresponding 3-fold increase in proglucagon biosynthesis. Neither dibutyryl cAMP nor glucocorticoids affected glucagon mRNA levels, while inducing a 5-fold increase in somatostatin mRNA levels and 4.8-fold stimulation in angiotensinogen mRNA at 24 h, respectively. We conclude that expression of the glucagon gene in this islet cell line is regulated at the level of transcription through a protein kinase C (Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme)-activated pathway.

Angiotensinogen↗
PubMed1987

Glucagon-like peptide I stimulates insulin gene expression and increases cyclic AMP levels in a rat islet cell line.

Insulin secretion is controlled by a complex set of factors. Although blood glucose levels serve as the major stimulus of insulin secretion in mammals, insulin release is also modulated by amino acids, catecholamines, glucagon, and other, intestinal hormones. The identification of factors that modulate insulin production has engendered much interest because of their potential importance in the altered dynamics of insulin secretion in response to glucose characteristic of maturity-onset diabetes mellitus. Decoding of the glucagon gene has uncovered two additional glucagon-like peptides encoded in proglucagon, the polypeptide precursor of glucagon. One of these peptides, glucagon-like peptide I, is processed from proglucagon in two forms, of 31 and 37 amino acids. We report that the smaller of the two glucagon-like peptides potently increases cAMP levels, insulin mRNA transcripts, and insulin release in cultured rat insulinoma cells. These results indicate that glucagon-like peptide I may be a physiologic modulator of insulin gene expression.

Actins↗
PubMed1987

Transcriptional regulation of genes encoding insulin, glucagon, and angiotensinogen by sodium butyrate in a rat islet cell line.

The state of differentiation of various neoplastic cell lines is inversely correlated with the rate of cellular growth. To delineate the changes in hormone gene expression associated with an induced decrease in the growth rate of rat insulinoma cells, we studied the effects of sodium butyrate on the expression of the genes encoding insulin, glucagon, and angiotensinogen. Sodium butyrate inhibited cellular proliferation and decreased levels of c-myc mRNA. Concomitantly, steady-state levels of mRNAs encoding insulin and glucagon increased by 10- and 8.5-fold, respectively, as a result of a specific increase in the transcription of both genes. Sodium butyrate also inhibited angiotensinogen gene expression, which was ectopic in the insulinoma cells. These observations suggest that sodium butyrate induces a pattern of events leading to the differentiation of the rat insulinoma cells.

Angiotensinogen↗
PubMed1987

cis-acting DNA sequence controls glucagon gene expression in pancreatic islet cells.

Our studies show that cis-acting DNA sequences present in the 5'-flanking region are important for the promotion of glucagon gene transcription in islet cell lines. Deletion of all but 292 bp of 5'-flanking sequences results in no major change in the relative magnitude of transcriptional activity in glucagon-producing RIN1056A cells. Moreover, transcriptional activity of the GLUCAT fusion genes is consistently greater in glucagon-producing than in insulin-producing islet cell lines. The cellular specificity of glucagon gene transcription is further emphasized by the lack of transcriptional activity following transfection of non-islet cell lines (BHK, HeLa, and JEG cells) with five different GLUCAT plasmids. These observations suggest that trans-acting factors present in islet cell lines interact with DNA sequences in the 5'-flanking region of the rat glucagon gene to mediate islet cell-specific gene transcription. These studies should provide a useful model for the isolation and characterization of the trans-acting factors important for glucagon gene transcription.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Cell-specific post-translational processing of preproglucagon expressed from a metallothionein-glucagon fusion gene.

Glucagon is a peptide hormone of 29 amino acids encoded by a preprohormone which contains in tandem the sequences of glucagon and two additional glucagon-like peptides (GLPs) structurally related to glucagon and separated by intervening peptides. Glucagon arises by cleavage from the prohormone within the A cells of the pancreatic islets but in the intestine remains as part of a partially processed precursor (glicentin). To determine whether additional glucagon-like peptides are processed from preproglucagon and to analyze for potential cellular specificity in the processing of preproglucagon, we introduced and expressed a metallothionein-glucagon fusion gene in a fibroblast and two endocrine (pituitary and pancreatic islet) cell lines. Chromatographic analyses of cell extracts utilizing specific radioimmunoassays to chemically synthesized peptides demonstrate the liberation of intact glucagon, glicentin, GLP-I(1-37), GLP-I(7-37), GLP-II, and an intervening peptide amidated at its carboxyl terminus. The peptides were present in distinct yet different patterns in the two endocrine but not the fibroblast cell lines. The cell-specific liberation of the glucagon-like and intervening peptides suggests their potential as new bioactive peptides. The cellular specificity in the processing of preproglucagon indicates that the genetic determinants of the processing activity are complex and are expressed in a cell-specific manner.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Proglucagon processing in a rat islet cell line resembles phenotype of intestine rather than pancreas.

Proglucagon, synthesized in the pancreatic islets and the intestinal L-cells, contains in its precursor structure glucagon, glicentin, and two glucagon-like peptides (GLP-I and GLP-II) separated by an intervening peptide (IP-II). We have cloned a stable rat islet cell line expressing the glucagon gene at high levels, thereby allowing us to study the posttranslational processing of proglucagon in this cell line. In contrast to the processing of proglucagon in the pancreas, in which glucagon is liberated, in the cell line we found the intestinal pattern of peptides consisting of glicentin, at least two forms of GLP-I [GLP-I-(1-37) and GLP-I-(7-37)], GLP-II, IP-II, and an amidated form of IP-II. No individually processed glucagon peptide was detected. GLP-I-(1-37), GLP-I-(7-37), GLP-II, IP-II, and IP-II amide coeluted with their respective synthetic peptide standards on gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The existence of a single glucagon gene in the rat genome and indistinguishable glucagon mRNAs in pancreas and intestine indicates that the neoplastic transformation that occurred in these islet cells is associated with a phenotypic switch in the differential posttranslational processing of proglucagon to a pattern that mimics that found in the intestinal cells. These observations further support the hypothesis of a common progenitor for the intestinal (L) and islet (A) cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Pseudotumour cerebri in association with polyarthritis, urticaria and cryoglobulinemia.

Pseudotumour cerebri is a disorder characterized by elevated intracranial pressure in the absence of hydrocephalus and intracranial mass lesions. The cause of this disease remains obscure but has been related to diverse underlying conditions. We report a patient with pseudotumour cerebri, polyarthritis, urticaria, hypocomplementemia and cryoglobulinemia. Serial lumbar punctures were unsuccessful in lowering the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. A trial of prednisone, 40 mg daily for 4 weeks, resulted in clinical improvement but was ineffective in lowering the CSF pressure. Circulating immune complexes and complement activation may have played a role in the development of increased intracranial pressure. Cryoglobulinemia should be added to the list of disorders associated with pseudotumour cerebri.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Cardiovascular surgery in the hypothyroid patient.

The management of hypothyroid patients requiring major cardiovascular surgery is difficult and often controversial. We prospectively studied 500 patients requiring cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and found ten with previously undiagnosed mild to moderate hypothyroidism. All ten tolerated surgery well without preoperative thyroid hormone replacement. Our experience with these patients plus an additional five seen in our clinical practice suggests that major cardiovascular surgery can be performed safely in most patients with mild to moderate hypothyroidism. We conclude that untreated hypothyroidism in patients with ischemic heart disease should not be an absolute contraindication to coronary artery bypass surgery.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Predicting cardiac complications in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

The authors prospectively studied 455 consecutive patients referred to the general medical consultation service for cardiac risk assessment prior to non-cardiac surgery, in order to validate a previously derived multifactorial index in their clinical setting. They also tested a version of the index that they had modified to reflect factors they believed to be important. For patients undergoing major surgery, the original index performed less well in the validation data set than in the original derivation set (p less than 0.05), but still added predictive information to a statistically significant degree (p less than 0.05). The modified index also added predictive information for patients undergoing both major and minor surgery, demonstrating an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve of 0.75 (95% confidence interval of 0.70 to 0.80). A simple nomogram is presented which will enable conversion of pretest probabilities into posttest probabilities using the likelihood ratios associated with each risk score. It is recommended that clinicians estimate local overall complication rates (pretest probabilities) for the clinically relevant populations in their settings before they apply the predictive properties (likelihood ratios) demonstrated in this study in order to calculate cardiac risks for individual patients (posttest probabilities).

Aged↗