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Biomedical subjects

H W Chen

Publications and source records attributed to H W Chen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Gender and dietary fat affect alpha-tocopherol status in F344/N rats.

For four weeks, groups of eight male and eight female F344/N rats were fed diets containing 15.5, 20, 30 or 40% of energy (en%) as fat. The fat was composed of corn oil and beef tallow with 9 en% from linoleate in all diets. Females had greater mean hepatic alpha-tocopherol levels, whereas males had greater plasma alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol concentrations. In males, the plasma ratio of alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol was significantly greater than in females (P < 0.05). Plasma alpha-tocopherol increased with increasing en% fat (r = 0.51, P < 0.001) in both sexes, but dietary fat did not alter hepatic alpha-tocopherol levels. These results suggest that plasma alpha-tocopherol may serve as a biomarker of total dietary fat intake and that in F344/N rats gender differences affect alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol status.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Sex and dietary fat modulate hepatic prostaglandin F2 alpha in F344/N rats.

The study was designed to determine whether sex and fat calories altered hepatic prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha status; a factor which may reflect susceptibility to cancer development. For 4 weeks, groups of 8 male and 8 female F344/N rats were fed diets with 9% of energy (en%) from linoleate and 15.5, 20, 30 or 40 en% fat. Females had greater hepatic stearate, arachidonate and PGF2 alpha whereas males had greater hepatic myristate, palmitate and oleate. Females also had greater plasma stearate levels. Greater hepatic arachidonate may have stimulated PG production in females. Hepatic oleate increased and hepatic palmitate decreased with increasing en% fat (p < 0.05). Hepatic stearate was greater and hepatic linoleate less when 40 en% fat was fed compared with other levels of dietary fat (p < 0.05). Plasma oleate was greater at 30 or 40 en% fat than at lower levels of fat, whereas plasma linoleate was less at 40 en% than at 15.5% en% fat. The ability of a 30 en% fat diet, containing equal proportions of linoleate and oleate, to suppress hepatic PG production may be related to the effects of dietary fat content and composition on plasma fatty acid profiles. Because suppressed PG production has been linked with suppression of cancer development, dietary recommendations to consume 30 en% fat with a P:M ratio of 1:1 may be cancer-protective.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Suppression of hepatic prostaglandin F2 alpha in rats by dietary alpha-tocopherol acetate is independent of total hepatic alpha-tocopherol.

Groups of eight weanling female F344/N rats were fed semipurified diets that supplied 0, 50, 500, 5000, or 15,000 mg alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg diet, with and without 0.05% phenobarbital (PB) for 9 weeks. Both plasma and hepatic alpha-tocopherol levels, measured by HPLC, strongly correlated with alpha-tocopherol intake (r greater than 0.73, p less than 0.0001). Phenobarbital both depleted hepatic alpha-tocopherol and increased plasma alpha-tocopherol significantly. Although treatment with PB for 9 weeks significantly increased GST activity, PB did not affect hepatic prostaglandin (PG)F2 alpha status, as determined by radioimmunoassay. PGF2 alpha was significantly greater (by 52%) in rats fed no alpha-tocopherol than in rats fed 15,000 mg alpha-tocopherol acetate/kg diet. Hepatic PGF2 alpha status was correlated inversely but weakly with dietary alpha-tocopherol (r = -0.24, p less than 0.05). Hepatic PGF2 alpha status was not correlated with hepatic or plasma alpha-tocopherol status. This finding suggests either that there is a small depletion-resistant subcellular alpha-tocopherol pool which regulates PGF2 alpha production or that alpha-tocopherol alters PGF2 alpha production in vivo by an indirect mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Radiotherapy of the maxillary sinus cancers].

Between 1983 and 1988, 23 patients with cancer of maxillary sinus were treated with either postoperative radiotherapy or radiation alone at the Radiation Oncology Department, Veterans General Hospital-Taichung. There were 20 males and 3 females, 38 to 80 years of age with median age of 60 years. Nineteen were of epidermoid type and 4 were of other histologic types. There were 11 cases of T3 and 12 cases of T4. Only 1 case had neck lymph node metastasis. All patients had bony destruction shown in sinus X-ray films before treatment. Four patients received radiation alone because they refused or were unsuitable for operation. Nineteen patients received postoperative radiotherapy. For radiation alone 70-80 Gy in 7-8 weeks was given in open fields or wedge filters by cobalt-60 gamma radiation. For postoperative radiotherapy, all patients were treated with wedge filters with 50-80 Gy in 5-8 weeks by cobalt-60 radiation also. The minimum followup period was 29 months. All patients treated with radiation alone expired within 2 years with median survival time of 9 months. The 5-year survival rate of postoperative therapy was 40.3% with median survival time of 26.8 months. The overall 5-year survival rate was 33.4% with median survival time of 17 months. There was no significant difference in 5-year survival rate between T3 (34.1%) and T4 (33.3%). The data indicated no survival difference in different types of operation. The therapy of radiation alone was not advocated and the total dose of postoperative radiotherapy should be over 60 Gy for curative purpose.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Phenobarbital increases rat hepatic prostaglandin F2 alpha, glutathione S-transferase activity and oxidative stress.

Eight-week-old female F344/N rats were fed 3.0 or 6.0% of calories (kcal%) as linoleate with or without 0.05% phenobarbital (PB) for 35 days. PB treatment increased glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity by 80% and prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha levels 4-fold (p less than 0.05). PB decreased hepatic alpha-tocopherol significantly. Hepatic linoleate was decreased by PB in rats fed 6 kcal% but not 3 kcal% linoleate. Increased dietary linoleate had no significant effect on hepatic PGF2 alpha or alpha-tocopherol levels or GST activity. This study suggests that PB hepatotoxicity and tumor-promoting ability may be mediated, at least in part, by PGF2 alpha. PB's effect on PGF2 alpha could be a result of both GST-mediated prostaglandin synthesis and oxidative stress. The removal of significant amounts of hepatic alpha-tocopherol during oxidative stress induced by PB might diminish endogenous inhibition of hepatic PG synthesis by a-tocopherol.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Physical map of the Myxococcus xanthus chromosome.

The genome of Myxococcus xanthus, which is 9,454 kbp, is one of the largest bacterial genomes. The organization of the DNA and the distribution of genes encoding social and developmental behaviors were examined by using pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Intact genomic DNA was digested with AseI into 16 restriction fragments, which were separated by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field electrophoresis, purified, and radiolabeled. Each AseI fragment was hybridized to SpeI-digested DNA and to an M. xanthus genomic library contained in yeast artificial chromosomes. Some SpeI restriction fragments and yeast artificial chromosome clones contained AseI sites and hybridized with two different AseI restriction fragments, providing evidence for the juxtaposition of these AseI restriction fragments in the chromosome. The deduced AseI physical map is circular, suggesting that this bacterium contains a single, circular chromosome. Transposable elements shown by transduction to be in or near genes of interest were located on specific AseI restriction fragments by restriction analysis and Southern hybridization. Most AseI restriction fragments contained genes involved in social and developmental behaviors.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1990

Structural classification of multi-input nonlinear systems.

We present new structural classification and parameter estimation results that are applicable to multi-input nonlinear systems. The mathematical relationships between the self- and cross-(Volterra and Wiener) kernels are derived for a basic two-input nonlinear structure. These results are then used to develop classification methods for more complicated two-input structures. Algorithms for estimating the parameters (linear and nonlinear subsystems) of these structures are also presented.

Cybernetics↗
PubMed1989

Sterol-mediated suppression of HMG-CoA reductase mRNA levels in cultured cells requires protein synthesis.

The mRNA levels for HMG-CoA reductase were measured in Chinese hamster lung Dede cells or ovary CHO cells by Northern blot analysis. It was observed that 25-hydroxycholesterol decreased the level of reductase mRNA by 40 to 70% in a 6 hour treatment. Inclusion of cycloheximide in the culture prevented the decrease observed with 25-hydroxycholesterol alone. Pretreatment of cells with 25-hydroxycholesterol for 6 hours prior to cycloheximide addition reveals that the protein synthesis inhibitor can return the suppressed levels of reductase mRNA back to control levels. Thus, protein synthesis is required for 25-hydroxycholesterol dependent suppression of HMG-CoA reductase mRNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

An ATP-dependent system specific for degradation of long-lived proteins in permeabilized cells.

We have characterized a digitonin-permeabilized cell system for the ATP-dependent degradation of endogenous long-lived proteins. Proteolysis requires Mg2+ and ATP hydrolysis. Other nucleotide triphosphates (CTP, UTP) can partially replace the ATP requirement. The enhanced rate of degradation of long-lived proteins in response to serum starvation is maintained in the permeabilized cell system and can be partially inhibited by lysosomal inhibitors. The maintenance of intracellular architecture and ease of manipulation of soluble components make the permeabilized cell system ideal for studying the proteolysis of both endogenous and exogenous substrates.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1988

A mammalian mutant cell lacking detectable lanosterol 14 alpha-methyl demethylase activity.

A Chinese hamster ovary cell mutant, AR45, was selected for amphotericin B resistance after treatment with the mutagen ethyl methanesulfonate. The mutant is a cholesterol auxotroph with a deficiency in cholesterol biosynthesis. Whole cell experiments demonstrate that the mutant accumulates the C30 sterols, lanosterol and dihydrolanosterol, under culture conditions which promote active sterol biosynthesis. Metabolic studies show that the C29 sterol demethylation product of lanosterol, but not lanosterol itself, is actively converted to end product cholesterol by whole cells as well as by microsomal preparations derived from the mutant. Detectable amounts of several cytochromes can be observed spectrally in the AR45 demonstrating that it is not a general heme-deficient mutant. Collectively, these results characterize the AR45 mutant cells as being lanosterol 14 alpha-methyl demethylase-deficient. The cell line should prove useful in studying regulation of the demethylase enzyme and the putative endogenous regulatory oxysterol. It should also be a useful tool in the molecular cloning and elucidation of genetic properties of the demethylase.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1987

Modulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase by azole antimycotics requires lanosterol demethylation, but not 24,25-epoxylanosterol formation.

The lanosterol 14 alpha-methyl demethylase inhibitors miconazole and ketoconazole have been used to assess their effects upon cholesterol biosynthesis in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells. In Chinese hamster ovary cells treated with either agent, an initial accumulation of lanosterol and dihydrolanosterol has been observed. At elevated concentrations, however, ketoconazole, but not miconazole, causes the preferential accumulation of 24,25-epoxylanosterol and squalene 2,3:22,23-dioxide. These metabolites accumulate at the expense of lanosterol, thereby demonstrating a second site of inhibition for ketoconazole in the sterol biosynthetic pathway. Both demethylase inhibitors produced a biphasic modulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. The biphasic modulation is characterized by low levels of the drugs suppressing HMG-CoA reductase activity which is restored to either control or above control values at higher drug concentrations. This modulatory effect of the lanosterol demethylase inhibitors upon HMG-CoA reductase was not observed in the lanosterol 14 alpha-methyl demethylase-deficient mutant AR45. Suppression of HMG-CoA reductase activity is shown to be due to a decrease in the amount of enzyme protein consistent with a steroidal regulatory mechanism. Collectively, the results establish that lanosterol 14 alpha-methyl demethylation, but not 24,25-epoxylanosterol formation, is required to suppress HMG-CoA reductase in the manner described by lanosterol demethylase inhibitors.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

ATP-dependent degradation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase in permeabilized cells.

A system for the assay of 3-hydroxy-3-methyglutaryl (HMG) coenzyme A (CoA) reductase in digitonin-permeabilized Chinese hamster ovary cells is described. Under these conditions, HMG-CoA reductase remained intact and associated with the endoplasmic reticulum, and values for Km (HMG-CoA), Ki (mevinolin), and active/total activity were similar to those seen in sonicated cell preparations. However, the mechanism by which this rapidly turned over (half-life approximately 2 h) enzyme is degraded was disrupted. Addition of ATP at physiological concentrations to digitonin-permeabilized cells resulted in the rapid, irreversible loss of enzyme activity. Immunoblot analysis showed that this loss of activity was followed by cleavage of the intact 97-kilodalton enzyme to a 68-kilodalton fragment which was distinct from the catalytically active fragments generated by nonspecific proteolysis in sonicated cell homogenates. Assay of a lysosomal marker enzyme confirmed that ATP-mediated inactivation and cleavage of reductase was not due to release of lysosomal proteases. The possible role of ATP in phosphorylation, inactivation, and degradation of reductase is discussed.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1984

Chloroquine inhibits cyclization of squalene oxide to lanosterol in mammalian cells.

Chloroquine inhibits the incorporation of [14C]acetate into sterols at a concentration of 10 microM or more in mouse L cells but has no effect on fatty acid synthesis and CO2 production from the same substrate even at a 10-fold higher concentration of the drug. The site of inhibition is distal to the formation of mevalonate since chloroquine also inhibits [14C]mevalonate metabolism to sterols and does not decrease the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (EC 1.1.1.34) or the incorporation of [14C]acetate into the total nonsaponifiable lipids. Analyses by thin layer and high pressure liquid chromatography of the nonsaponifiable lipid fraction from cultures incubated with chloroquine show an accumulation of radioactivity in the region of squalene oxide. Identification of the radiolabeled lipid as squalene oxide has been established by: (a) its co-migration with the authentic squalene oxide standard; (b) its conversion into squalene glycol by acid hydrolysis; and (c) its further metabolism to desmosterol when chloroquine is removed from the medium. Addition of chloroquine (12.5-50 microM) to 20,000 X g supernatant fractions of mouse liver homogenates inhibits the incorporation of [14C]mevalonolactone into cholesterol and lanosterol, with corresponding increases of [14C]squalene oxides, in a concentration-dependent manner. It appears, therefore, that chloroquine inhibits the enzymatic step catalyzed by 2,3-oxidosqualene-lanosterol cyclase (EC 5.4.99.7). Incubation of cell cultures with chloroquine (50 microM) arrests cell growth and causes cell death after 1-3 days. However, simultaneous incubation of chloroquine with either cholesterol or lanosterol prevents cell death and permits cell growth. Uptake of chloroquine is not affected by exogenous sterols since intracellular chloroquine concentrations are the same in cells grown with or without added sterols. The cytotoxicity of chloroquine, under our experimental conditions, must, therefore, be due primarily to its inhibition of sterol synthesis. In addition to its well known effect on protein catabolism, chloroquine has been found to inhibit protein synthesis. The significance of these findings concerning the use of chloroquine in studying the regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase activity is discussed.

Acetates↗
PubMed1984

Aphidicolin, a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase alpha, inhibits conversion of lanosterol to C-27 sterols in mouse L cells.

Aphidicolin, a fungal metabolite which is a specific inhibitor of DNA polymerase alpha, inhibited the incorporation of [14C]acetate into desmosterol in mouse L cells by 50% at a concentration of 8.8 microM. It had no effect on acetate metabolism into fatty acids or CO2. The site of inhibition was determined to be distal to the formation of mevalonic acid since aphidicolin also inhibited the incorporation of [14C]mevalonolactone into desmosterol but had no effect on the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (EC 1.1.1.34) or the incorporation of [14C]acetate into total nonsaponifiable lipids. High pressure liquid chromotographic analysis of the distribution of radioactivity among the nonsaponifiable lipids formed from [14C]acetate in the presence of aphidicolin indicated an accumulation of lanosterol accompanied by a proportional decrease in radiolabeled desmosterol and two of its precursors, delta 5,7,24-cholestatrienol, and 4 alpha-methyl-delta 8,24-cholestadienol. In cells exposed to aphidicolin, lanosterol accumulation was rapid (15 min) and reversible after a 3-h exposure when cells were rinsed and fresh medium added. It was concluded that aphidicolin inhibits the conversion of lanosterol to C-27 sterols. Although the exact mechanism of this inhibition has not yet been determined, addition of aphidicolin to 20,000 X g supernatant fractions of mouse liver homogenates inhibited the incorporation of [14C]mevalonolactone into cholesterol in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that aphidicolin may act directly on one or more of the enzymatic steps involved in lanosterol demethylation. The ubiquitous occurrence of an aphidicolin binding site on eukaryotic DNA alpha polymerases and the inhibitory action of aphidicolin at a proposed secondary regulatory site in sterol biosynthesis (lanosterol metabolism) suggest that a naturally occurring compound may exist which can regulate both DNA replication and cholesterogenesis.

Acetates↗
PubMed1984

Role of cholesterol metabolism in cell growth.

Relatively few studies have been conducted to examine cholesterol as a nutrient for cell growth. Clonal growth and serial passage of several cell lines have been reported to be promoted or even dependent on the availability of exogenous cholesterol. Most cells, however, are capable of synthesizing cholesterol. Even in the presence of serum, a certain amount of endogenous cholesterol synthesis can be detected. Serum contains highly variable amounts of cholesterol and its oxygenated derivatives. These oxysterols are known to repress sterol synthesis and inhibit cellular proliferation and differentiation. Quiescent cells synthesize little cholesterol. When cells are stimulated to proliferate, a cycle of sterol synthesis can be detected in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Correlation between cell growth and sterol synthesis and the activity of the rate-limiting enzyme of the pathway, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, was observed. Total blockage of the enzyme activity by treatment of cells with potent oxysterols or compactin (competitive inhibitor of the enzyme) leads to inhibition of DNA synthesis and of cellular proliferation. Recent evidence has suggested that, besides cholesterol, the synthesis of several nonsterol isoprenoid compounds may also be required for cell growth and differentiation.

Animals↗