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Biomedical subjects

E Noll

Publications and source records attributed to E Noll.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Oligodendrocyte precursors originate at the ventral ventricular zone dorsal to the ventral midline region in the embryonic rat spinal cord.

The precursors for oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cells of the vertebrate CNS, appear to be initially restricted to ventral regions of the embryonic rat spinal cord. These cells subsequently populate dorsal spinal cord regions where they acquire the mature characteristics of oligodendrocytes. To determine the location and timing of proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursors in the ventral spinal cord, and to map their pathways of migration in vivo, an assay that identifies mitotic cells was used in conjunction with antibodies that distinguish astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and their precursors. Between E16.5 and E18.5, two hours after a maternal injection of BrdU, the majority of proliferating cells were located in a discrete cluster at the ventral ventricular zone dorsal to the ventral midline region of the developing spinal cord. By contrast, 12-24 hours following a BrdU injection at E16.5, increasing numbers of labeled cells were seen in the dorsal and more lateral locations of the spinal cord. These observations suggest that BrdU-labeled ventral ventricular cells, or their progeny migrate dorsally and laterally during subsequent spinal cord development. To determine the nature of these proliferating cells, cultures of dorsal and ventral spinal cord from BrdU-labeled animals were double-labeled with antibodies that identify oligodendrocytes or astrocytes and anti-BrdU. In dorsal spinal cord cultures derived from animals that had received a single injection of BrdU at E16.5, the majority of proliferating cells differentiated into astrocytes while, in ventrally derived cultures from the same animals, the majority of proliferating cells differentiated into oligodendrocytes. In dorsal cultures prepared from animals that received multiple injections of BrdU between E16.5 and E18.5, many more cells were labeled with BrdU and approximately half of these differentiated into oligodendrocytes. These observations suggest that during embryonic development proliferating oligodendrocyte precursors are initially located at the ventral ventricular zone dorsal to the ventral midline region of the spinal cord and during subsequent maturation these cells or their progeny migrated dorsally in the ventricular region of the spinal cord, and laterally to reside in the developing white matter.

Animals↗

Autosomal P[ovoD1] dominant female-sterile insertions in Drosophila and their use in generating germ-line chimeras.

The 'dominant female-sterile' technique used to generate germ-line mosaics in Drosophila is a powerful tool to determine the tissue specificity (germ line versus somatic) of recessive female-sterile mutations as well as to analyze the maternal effect of recessive zygotic lethal mutations. This technique requires the availability of germ-line-dependent, dominant female-sterile (DFS) mutations that block egg laying but do not affect viability. To date only one X-linked mutation, ovoD1 has been isolated that completely fulfills these criteria. Thus the 'DFS technique' has been largely limited to the X-chromosome. To extend this technique to the autosomes, we have cloned the ovoD1 mutation into a P-element vector and recovered fully expressed P[ovoD1] insertions on each autosomal arm. We describe the generation of these P[ovoD1] strains as well as demonstrate their use in generating germ-line chimeras. Specifically, we show that the Gap1 gene, which encodes a Drosophila homologue of mammalian GTPase-activating protein, is required in somatic follicle cells for embryonic dorsoventral polarity determination.

Animals↗

Altering the insertional specificity of a Drosophila transposable element.

Vectors derived from the Drosophila P element transposon are widely used to make transgenic Drosophila. Insertion of most P-element-derived vectors is nonrandom, but they exhibit a broad specificity of target sites. During experiments to identify cis-acting regulatory elements of the Drosophila segmentation gene engrailed, we identified a fragment of engrailed DNA that, when included within a P-element vector, strikingly alters the specificity of target sites. P-element vectors that contain this fragment of engrailed regulatory DNA insert at a high frequency near genes expressed in stripes.

Animals↗

Generating lineage-specific markers to study Drosophila development.

To generate cell- and tissue-specific expression patterns of the reporter gene lacZ in Drosophila, we have generated and characterized 1,426 independent insertion strains using four different P-element constructs. These four transposons carry a lacZ gene driven either by the weak promoter of the P-element transposase gene or by partial promoters from the even-skipped, fushi-tarazu, or engrailed genes. The tissue-specific patterns of beta-galactosidase expression that we are able to generate depend on the promoter utilized. We describe in detail 13 strains that can be used to follow specific cell lineages and demonstrate their utility in analyzing the phenotypes of developmental mutants. Insertion strains generated with P-elements that carry various sequences upstream of the lacZ gene exhibit an increased variety of expression patterns that can be used to study Drosophila development.

Animals↗

Oral N-acetylprocainamide compared to quinidine plus digoxin in the chronic suppression of atrial flutter in humans.

Antiarrhythmic therapy for the suppression of atrial flutter has conventionally entailed the use of a class Ia agent such as quinidine or procainamide. However, atrial flutter often recurs despite the use of these conventional antiarrhythmic regimens. Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that the pharmacologic suppression of atrial flutter may depend on the prolongation of the atrial action potential duration and consequently the voltage-dependent refractoriness. Therefore, the efficacy and tolerance of the class III antiarrhythmic agent N-acetylprocainamide was compared to that of the conventional regimen of the class Ia agent quinidine combined with digoxin (to control ventricular response) in patients with a history of symptomatic sustained atrial flutter. The study was randomized but nonblinded, with a crossover to the alternate regimen if the first failed. Eighteen patients entered the study and were followed for up to 18 months. Of the 12 receiving N-acetylprocainamide (eight randomized and four crossovers), one (8%) failed therapy due to side effects, but none had atrial flutter. Of the 11 receiving quinidine and digoxin (10 randomized and one crossover), three (28%) had a recurrence of atrial flutter, two of whom also had intolerable side effects, and two more (18%) had side effects alone requiring withdrawal of therapy (total 46% failed). The probability of therapeutic success over time was greater (p less than 0.04) for N-acetylprocainamide than for quinidine and digoxin. The data suggest that N-acetylprocainamide may be more effective and better tolerated than the conventional regimen of quinidine plus digoxin. Therefore, large-scale blinded studies of the efficacy of N-acetylprocainamide in the suppression of atrial flutter may be warranted.

Acecainide↗

The segment polarity phenotype of Drosophila involves differential tendencies toward transformation and cell death.

The segment polarity genes of Drosophila are required for intrasegmental organization, as revealed by their abnormal cuticular morphology in mutant embryos. Lesions in most of these loci result in a similar cuticular phenotype, in which the normally naked, posterior region of the segment is covered to varying degrees by ectopic denticles. A temperature-sensitive allele of armadillo, which allows us to vary the level of arm+ activity, generates this entire range of phenotypes, suggesting that these genes affect a common pathway. Previous work with a strong allele of arm revealed the locus to be cell-autonomous, in that small homozygous epidermal clones secreted denticles. We have conducted a similar clonal analysis at all levels of arm+ activity. This shows a differential tendency toward cell transformation and cell death within the segment. Antibodies to segmentation gene-fusion products show that the cell death is primarily in the most posterior region of the segment. We suggest that differential cell respecification, resulting in transformation or death, is involved in generating the segment polarity phenotype.

Alleles↗

DNA grading of malignancy in breast cancer. Prognostic validity, reproducibility and comparison with other classifications.

The prognostic significance of the "DNA malignancy grade" (DNA-MG) was tested in a series of 104 breast cancer patients in comparison with TNM staging, histomorphologic grading according to Bloom and Richardson, mean nuclear area (MNA) and DNA-histogram classification according to Auer. The reproducibility and representativity of the grading systems were investigated, and their results in primary tumors and lymph node metastases were compared. The scalar DNA-MG was assessed on monolayer smears prepared from paraffin-embedded tissues; the smears were automatically Feulgen stained and used for rapid interactive DNA cytometric evaluation by an automated microscope and a TV image-analysis system. TNM staging showed the highest correlation with survival, followed by histomorphologic grading and DNA-MG; MNA and the DNA-histogram classification failed to give statistically significant prognostic information. Both histomorphologic grading and DNA-MG were identified as parameters adding independent prognostic information to the TNM staging. However, only DNA-MG demonstrated an acceptable reliability, with small 95% ranges between repeated measurements within the primary tumor (+/- 0.3 DNA-MG) and a strong correlation between the results in the primary tumor and its lymph node metastases. These findings show that the DNA-MG is a valid and reliable prognostic index that adds significant prognostic information to TNM staging.

Aged↗

Escherichia coli O157:H7, an emerging gastrointestinal pathogen. Results of a one-year, prospective, population-based study.

To examine the incidence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 enteric infections in the United States and to evaluate the vehicles of transmission for sporadic cases, we conducted a one-year, population-based study at a large health maintenance organization (HMO) in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. All stool specimens submitted for culture to the HMO laboratory were screened for E coli O157:H7; the organism was identified in 25 (0.4%) of 6485 stool specimens. All patients with E coli O157:H7 identified had diarrhea; 24 patients (96%) had bloody diarrhea. Exposure histories demonstrated that rare ground beef was consumed more often by patients (21%) than by age-matched control subjects (4%) in the week before onset of illness. Raw milk also was consumed by two patients but by none of the control subjects. Incidence rates for laboratory-confirmed enteric infections in the HMO population were as follows: Campylobacter, 50/100,000 person-years; Salmonella, 21/100,000 person-years; E coli O157:H7, 8/100,000 person-years; and Shigella, 7/100,000 person-years. The organism is a more common pathogen in the United States than is generally recognized, and the diagnosis should be considered for patients with suspected enteric infection.

Adolescent↗

Is it possible to maintain a normal glutathione level in lenses in vitro?

In most types of experimentally induced cataracts, glutathione (GSH) content decreases considerably before the onset of opacity. GSH may provide a protective function for protein SH groups by scavenging oxidative products that may impair lens metabolism. To avoid impairment of lens metabolism by decreased levels of GSH it may be possible in vitro: (1) to stimulate GSH synthesis by enrichment of the incubation medium with the amino acids necessary for GSH synthesis or (2) to enrich the incubation medium with the tripeptide itself so that it can be taken up by the lens. Both approaches were investigated with bovine lenses. Lenses were incubated in pairs in a salt solution without carbohydrates, so as to deplete lens of GSH. Following starvation, one lens of each pair was incubated for recovery in TCM 199 enriched with MgSO4 and the three amino acids of GSH; the other lens was put into a freshly prepared salt solution. After 6 h, lenses from the recovery solution contained more GSH than the other lenses. Addition of fructose-1,6-diphosphate to the medium enhanced this effect. When, after starvation, lenses were incubated in the presence of different amounts of GSH, GSH lens content rose, with the highest in those lenses incubated in a medium with a final molarity of 4 X 10(-3) M GSH. Therefore, incubation of lenses depleted of GSH in medium with either the amino acids of GSH or GSH itself appear to facilitate recovery of GSH content.

Animals↗

Enhancement of the stimulating effect of fructose-1.6-diphosphate on the metabolic energy balance of carbohydrate-deficient bovine lenses by additional supply with ADP.

The energy supply in carbohydrate-deficient bovine lenses was disturbed, as could be demonstrated by measuring the content of free adenine nucleotides. It could be regenerated in part by a 3-hour-incubation in TCM 199 in the presence of fructose-1.6-diphosphate (FDP). Additional supply of ADP enhanced the stimulating effect of FDP towards formation of ATP, providing sufficient receptor molecules for the activated rate of glycolysis and probably also for the citric acid cycle.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗