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K Beckman

Publications and source records attributed to K Beckman.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Dextran augments delayed-type hypersensitivity by interrupting one limb of the suppressor cascade.

We have studied the immunomodulatory effect of dextran on the development of delayed-type contact hypersensitivity to a hapten in mice. Administration of an optimal dose of dextran 2 hours before applying picryl chloride to abdominal skin caused a twofold rise in the level of hapten-specific DTH. A study of the kinetics of development of DTH under the influence of dextran showed that comparable levels of response could be seen 2 days earlier in treated than in untreated mice, i.e., on the third day in contrast to the fifth day after sensitization. The peak of the responses, while greater in dextran-treated mice than in normal controls, remained the same at 5 days. Adoptive transfer studies revealed that comparable levels of DTH were conferred upon recipient mice by half the number of splenic cells from dextran-treated mice than that required from normal sensitized mice. Because several suppressor mechanisms are known to down-regulate DTH, we have studied dextran's effect on the neutralization of these systems as a possible explanation for its enhancing capabilities. Detailed examination was made of dextran's effect on the two suppressor T cells, Ts1 and Ts3, that act in tandem as well as its effect on the Ts1 and macrophage that work in combination. Both systems depress the efferent limb of DTH. We have found that dextran blocks the Ts1-macrophage pathway that controls DTH. Ts1 was found to arise normally in mice pretreated with dextran. Furthermore, Ts1 from dextran-treated mice produced TsF1 normally. However, we have found that dextran interferes with the production of macrophage suppressor factor (M phi-SF). Interference was partial when dextran was introduced during the interval in which macrophages were being armed with TsF1, and it was complete when dextran was put with pre-armed macrophages before they were triggered with antigen for production of M phi-SF. On the other hand, the Ts1-Ts3 limb of suppression remained unaffected by exposure to the immunomodulator. We found Ts3 arose normally in hapten-sensitized mice that had been pretreated with dextran. In addition, Ts3 became armed with TsF1 in vitro in the presence of dextran since the cells functioned properly to suppress mature DTH effector cells. Finally, TsF3 was able to act in vitro upon DTH effector cells despite the presence of dextran.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1983

Interruption of tolerance toward a haptenic initiator of delayed-type hypersensitivity.

We have found that an immunomodulator, dextran, prevents initiation of tolerance for an unrelated haptenic stimulus of contact hypersensitivity, picryl chloride. To prevent tolerance optimally, 1 to 10 mg of dextran per 25g mouse was required to be injected i.v. 2 hr before administering tolerogen. The immunomodulator was seen to be effective in mice with diverse major histocompatibility backgrounds. Furthermore, prevention of tolerance was seen to be independent of the condition of the hapten used to initiate unresponsiveness, since tolerance was abrogated when attempted with uncoupled hapten or with hapten attached to allogeneic or syngeneic spleen cells. In addition, administering dextran before tolerogen did not convert the tolerogenic signal into an immunogenic one so that hapten-specific DTH could be detected. While the precise mechanism of dextran's interruption of immunologic unresponsiveness for DTH has yet to be elucidated, the principle that tolerance can be readily and easily interrupted with this immunomodulating agent has been firmly established.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Susceptibility to adjuvant arthritis in DA and F344 rats. A dominant trait controlled by an autosomal gene locus linked to the major histocompatibility complex.

The hereditary of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats of the DA and Fisher 344 strains was examined. Development of arthritic lesions in response to a single injection of supplemented Freund's complete adjuvant has been found to be controlled by an autosomal, dominant gene locus, Ar. The capacity to respond was present in DA rats and absent in our Fisher rats. Ar has been found to be linked to the major histocompatibility complex genes with which it exhibits a high rate of recombination.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Hepatic storage of bis(monoacylglycerol) phosphate without concomitant storage of sphingomyelin in a 72-year-old patient with a partial deficiency of sphingomyelinase.

A 72-year-old patient with marked splenomegaly and low sphingomyelinase (6% of lowest control value) in peripheral blood leukocytes is described. Much higher but variable residual sphingomyelinase activity was observed in cultured skin fibroblasts (40-67% of lowest control value); reduced activity was also found in a liver biopsy sample. Excess storage of sphingomyelin was not observed in a liver biopsy; instead, a lipid tentatively identified as bis(monoacylglycerol) phosphate was present in amounts at least 20 times greater than in age-matched control livers. The biochemical relationship of this patient to patients with sphingomyelin storage disease (Niemann-Pick disease) and phospholipidosis Type II is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

The bile salt activation of leucocyte sphingolipid hydrolase activity and the modifying effects of triton X-100.

The activation of sphingomyelinase, galactosyl- and lactosylceramide beta-galactosidases, GM1, beta-galactosidase, cerebroside sulphate sulphatase, trihexosylceramide alpha-galactosidase and globoside beta-hexosaminidase by a number of bile salts was studied. Most of the salts examined, except glycolithocholate and deoxycholate, were effective activators of enzyme activity. Pure, but not crude, taurocholate elicited poor trihexosylceramide alpha-galactosidase and cerebroside sulphate sulphatase activities. The bile salt activation was often dependent on a number of parameters including the bile salt concentraion, pH, protein to bile salt ratio, and the nature of the enzyme preparation. In the absence of bile salts, Triton X-100 induced little activity of any of the hydrolases except sphingomyelinase; in their presence however, Triton either promoted or inhibited the activation depending on the enzyme. Our data suggest that bile salt structure is an important factor in determining the degree of activation of individual hydrolases and that this may be due to intramicellar lipid substrate/bile salt interactions, which either facilitate or inhibit the corresponding enzyme reaction.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

A comparison of the properties and bile salt specificities of galactosylceramide and lactosyl ceramide beta-galactosidase activities in human leucocytes and fibroblasts.

The properties and bile salt specificities of galactosylceramide and lactosylceramide beta-galactosidase activities (GC and LC-beta-galactosidases) of human leucocytes and fibroblasts were compared. A number of differences were observed. Under the standard assay conditions the former activity was more sensitive to Zn2+ and Triton-X100. Glycocholate and cholate were more active stimulators of the GC-beta-galactosidase than the more frequently used taurocholate which was the most effective stimulator of LC-beta-galactosidase activity. It is postulated that some of the apparent differences in the properties of GC- and LC-beta-galactosidase activities may be attributed to the different micellar properties of the lipid substrates. Experiments with fibroblasts from patients with Krabbe's disease confirmed an almost total absence of GC-beta-galactosidase whichever bile acid was employed. Residual LC-beta-galactosidase activity detected in these cells was much higher ranging from 13% of the lowest measured value when measured with taurocholate to approximately normal values with glycocholate. Fibroblasts obtained from patients with GM1-gangliosidosis displayed close to normal GC and LC-beta-galactosidase activity under our experimental conditions. The data suggest that diagnoses of Krabbe's disease should be performed with galactosylceramide rather than lactosylceramide as substrate.

Bile Acids and Salts↗
PubMed1980

The effect of the interdependence of protein and bile salt concentrations on the measurement of cerebroside sulphate sulphatase activity in human leucocyte and fibroblast extracts.

The previously observed differences in properties of human leucocyte and fibroblast cerebroside sulphate sulphatase (cerebroside-3-sulphate 3-sulphohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.8) measured in vitro have been found to be due to subtle differences in incubation conditions. Maximum enzyme activity was observed with either crude sodium taurocholate or with pure sodium taurodeoxycholate. The optimum bile salt concentration of the enzyme in leucocyte or fibroblast extracts, but not the pure ox liver enzyme, was critically dependent on protein concentration. At low concentrations of the latter (less than 0.1 mg/ml), maximum activity was observed at taurocholate concentrations less than 0.5 mg/ml; at protein concentrations greater than 0.20 mg/ml substantially more bile acid (more than 1.3 mg/ml) was required to stimulate maximum activity. Addition of Triton X-100 or bovine serum albumin to the incubation mixtures increased the optimum taurocholate concentration. The dependence of the bile salt optimum on protein concentration appears to be related to the binding of the lipid substrate to membranous protein present in the tissue extracts. Release of the bound lipid is effected either by increasing the bile salt concentration or by adding Triton X-100. In the presence of excess bile salt human leucocyte, fibroblast and liver cerebroside sulphate sulphatase activity is stimulated by Triton at low protein concentrations; under identical conditions the pure or crude ox-liver enzyme is substatially inhibited. Our data also show that cerebroside sulphate sulphatase activity measured in extracts from leucocytes and fibroblasts, the tissues normally used to effect a diagnosis of metachromatic leucodystrophy, is the result of a complex interaction of bile salt, protein, Triton X-100 and probably the substrate itself. Any slight alteration in any of those factors, without a corresponding change in any or all of the others, can have a marked effect on the measured enzyme activity, and may lead to errors in the diagnosis of metachromatic leucodystrophy.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Human leucocyte cerebroside sulphate sulphatase.

Some of the properties of the cerebroside sulphate sulphatase of human leucocyte extracts have been studied. The enzyme has an apparent KM of 2.9 mmol/l and is inhibited by the products of the reaction, sulphate and galactocerebroside. A number of divalent metal ions including manganese and magnesium stimulated the reaction only slightly at 5 mmol/l but inhibited strongly at 20 mmol/l. Triton X-100 present in leucocyte extracts also inhibited, increasing both the apparent KM and Vmax. The enzyme activity was dependent on the presence of anionic detergents. At low substrate concentrations a crude taurocholate preparation was the most active of all bile acids examined. Pure taurocholate and sodium cholate were considerably less active. At highter substrate concentrations however, sodium cholate produced the greatest stimulation of enzyme activity. These data suggest that the bile acid/substrate ratio may be a critical factor in determining cerebroside sulphate sulphatase activity at different substrate concentrations.

Cerebroside-Sulfatase↗
PubMed1979

Depression in the wives of nuclear submarine personnel.

The authors compared levels of depression among 24 wives of nuclear submarine personnel under conditions of husband-presence and husband-absence in a crossover research design. The wives had significantly higher depression scores under conditions of husband-absence on both the Zung Depression Scale and the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist. The results are discussed in terms of the tremendous stresses imposed on the wives as a result of the nuclear submarine deployment schedule and the failure of the Navy and the spouses to recognize and reward the wives for their efforts.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1978

Trihexosylceramide alpha-galactosidase of human leucocytes.

Trihexosylceramide, isolated from human kidney and labelled in the terminal galactose position by oxidation with galactose oxidase and reduction with sodium boro[3H]hydride, was used to study some of the properties of human leucocyte alpha-galactosidase. The enzyme was inactive in the absence of detergent. Of all the detergents tested a crude sodium taurocholate preparation displayed the greatest activity. The optimal detergent concentration varied from 2 to 4 mg/ml depending on the protein concentration and indicating that the enzyme activity was dependent on the protein/detergent ratio. Because of its influence in regulating enzyme activity, it is essential that care must be taken to ensure that the protein/detergent ratio of all incubation mixtures is kept relatively constant whenever the diagnosis of Fabry's disease is attempted.

Clinical Enzyme Tests↗
PubMed1978

The misleading presence of glucose in lipid extracts from human liver.

Lipid extracts of two out of three liver samples examined contained appreciable quantities of an apparent glycolipid migrating with a chromatographic mobility intermediate between a tetrahexosylceramide standard and sphingomyelin. The substance was subsequently identified as free glucose. Its presence in the lipid extracts was probably related to the high levels of endogenous carbohydrate in the samples. To prevent possible confusion with glycolipids, care should be exercised in the interpretation of chromatographic data when organs containing high levels of endogenous carbohydrate are being examined.

Child↗