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Biomedical subjects

G B Ansell

Publications and source records attributed to G B Ansell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Synergistic enhancement of histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells by the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate is not reflected by corresponding changes in phospholipid turnover.

In an attempt to elucidate further the relationship between changes in phospholipid metabolism in, and histamine secretion from, purified rat peritoneal mast cells, the effects of the phorbol diester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) on these responses in stimulated and unstimulated cells was investigated. TPA caused a dose-dependent increase in the incorporation of 32PO4(3-) into the mast cell phospholipids; phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylcholine (PC), but not phosphatidylinositol (PI). TPA synergistically enhanced histamine release from cells stimulated by anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) and the calcium ionophore A23187, reducing its ED50 from 150 nM to 40 nM, but did not alter histamine release from cells stimulated by compound 48/80. The effect of TPA on the changes in 32PO4(3-) incorporation into phospholipids associated with the above secretagogues did not, however, correlate well with the observed effects on histamine secretion induced by the same secretagogues. These observations are discussed in relation to the known effects of phorbol esters upon both secretory processes and phospholipid metabolism in other tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The hydrolysis of glycerophosphocholine by rat brain microsomes: activation and inhibition.

Experiments with glycerophosphocholine phosphodiesterase (GPC diesterase, EC 3.1.4.2.) in rat brain microsomes suggest that, although its activity is inhibited by low concentrations of calmidazolium, its dependence on Ca2+ ions is not modulated by calmodulin. The activity of glycerophosphocholine choline phosphodiesterase (choline phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.38) was much lower than that of the GPC diesterase. A relatively inexpensive method for the preparation of sn-glycero-3-phospho [Me-14C]choline is described.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Activation of glycerophosphocholine phosphodiesterase in rat forebrain by Ca2+.

The highest activity of glycerophosphocholine phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.2) in subcellular fractions of rat forebrain was found in the microsomal fraction though significant amounts were found in fractions containing plasma membranes. With the use of Ca(2+)/EGTA and Ca(2+)/EDTA buffers it was shown that very low concentrations of free Ca(2+) (EC(50)approx. 10(-9)m) could activate the enzyme.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

The subcellular fractionation of the bovine caudate nucleus.

Two synaptosomal fractions could be obtained from bovine caudate nucleus on sucrose density gradients one of which had a much greater capacity for 'high affinity' choline uptake than the other but comparable amounts of CAT and choline kinase activity. Specific binding of QNB was widely distributed among all the subcellular fractions except the mitochondrial fraction and in quantitative terms by far the greatest amount was in the microsomal fraction. Only the microsomal fraction contained measurable amounts of glycerophosphocholine phosphodiesterase.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Choline kinase and ethanolamine kinase activity in the cytosol of nerve endings from rat forebrain.

Both choline kinase and ethanolamine kinase are present in the cytosol of nerve endings prepared from rat brain are the products of their action, phosphocholine (84 nmol/g fresh wt. of brain) and phosphoethanolamine (190 nmol/g fresh wt. of brain). In contrast with the enzymes from the cytosol of whole brain, both are as equally active at pH 7.5 as 9.0. Determination of kinase activity in membrane-containing tissue samples at pH9 gives low values because of the activity of alkaline phosphatase. Choline kinase, but not ethanolamine kinase, requires Mg2+ in excess of that required for the formation of the MgATP complex and is inhibited by an excess of free ATP. The Km for choline is 2.6mM and for ethanolamine is 2.2mM. The differing requirements for ATP and Mg2+ and the inhibition of choline kinase, but not ethanolamine kinase, by hemicholinium-3 suggest either the presence of two separate enzymes or two different active sites on the same enzyme.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

The release of free ethanolamine in rat brain homogenates incubated in Krebs ringer.

Ethanolamine in mammalian brain is found chiefly in a lipid-bound form either as the diacyl phospholipid, phosphatidylethanolamine or as the plasmalogen, I-alk-11-enyl-2-acyl glycerophosphoethanolamine and to a lesser extent as the saturated ether analogue. The level of free ethanolamine in brain is very low, probably less than 40 nmol/g brain (Spanner & Ansell, 1977b) while that of phosphoethanolamine is about 1.0 mumol/g brain. Some time ago we found that if brain tissue was incubated in Krebs Ringer bicarbonate (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees, there was a steady release of free ethanolamine by the tissue. The following account is a summary of the findings from experiments designed to determine the source of the ethanolamine liberated.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Arterio-venous differences of choline and choline lipids across the brain of rat and rabbit.

The concentration of unesterified choline in the plasma in the jugular vein of the rat (0.85 nmol/ml) was found to be three times that of the arterial supply to the brain (0.25 nmol/ml), indicating a higher efflux than uptake of unesterified choline by the brain. No such difference was found for the rabbit and no arterio-venous difference for phosphatidylcholine or lysophosphatidylcholine was observed in either species. No arterio-venous difference was found for choline in blood cells. The infusion of [Me-3H]choline into the circulation of the rat or rabbit indicated an uptake of radioactive choline by the brain and an efflux of non-radioactive choline. In the rabbit such an infusion produced a steady rise in the labelling of phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine in the plasma. When [14C2]ethanolamine was injected intraperitoneally into the rat there was a labelling of phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin in the plasma and cells of blood from the jugular vein and the arterial supply, as well as in the brain tissue. However, no labelling of unesterified choline in these tissues could be detected. Unesterified choline was shown to be liberated into the plasma when whole blood from the rat or man, but not the rabbit, was incubated for short periods at 30 degrees C.

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