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Biomedical subjects

K O Rother

Publications and source records attributed to K O Rother.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Inherited neuroaxonal dystrophy in C6 deficient rabbits.

We report the occurrence of a progressive neurological syndrome clinically characterized by subacute motor neuropathy in offspring of C6 deficient rabbits. On the basis of the pedigree analysis, the disease appears to be genetically transmitted, most probably with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Pathological studies of affected animals revealed: transmitted, most probably with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Pathological studies of affected animals revealed: 1) severe axonal degeneration in the sciatic nerve system involving mainly motor fibers; 2) occasional peripheral axonal enlargement closely associated with axonal degeneration; 3) presence of structured abnormal material in normal-size myelinated fibers of central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS); and 4) widespread occurrence of dystrophic axons and axonal spheroids in the gray matter of CNS. By ultrastructural examination, dystrophic axons are filled with tubulovesicular material, stalks of parallel membranes and dense bodies similar to what is described in human neuroaxonal dystrophies (NAD). The disease manifested by C6 deficient rabbits may represent an animal model of primary human NAD.

Animals

Complement and plasminogen: pathways in inflammation.

The subepidermal blistering skin disease bullous pemphigoid is associated with the deposition of specific autoantibodies and activated complement at the epidermal basement membrane zone of lesional skin. Subepidermal blistering is thought to depend on proteolytic enzymes, in particular on plasmin. A possible interrelation is proposed between the initiating immune reaction and the plasminogen activator system. Complement-induced chemotaxis of PMN may induce PMN infiltration. PMN-derived reactive oxygen species would interfere with the plasminogen activator inhibitors. Lysosomal elastase may degrade alpha 2-antiplasmin. At the same time, urokinase-type plasminogen activator is stimulated in tissue constituent cells and plasmin activity increases locally. The plasmin/antiplasmin equilibrium is disturbed and excess plasmin, then, may cause the degradation of extracellular proteinaceous structures of the epidermo/dermal junction. Epidermo/dermal dyshesion and subepidermal blister formation ensues. The plasminogen activator system is seen as a part within the wide array of effector systems that may be operative upon stimulation by an initial immunological event.

Animals

The complement membrane attack complex stimulates the prostanoid production of cultured glomerular epithelial cells.

Incubation of cultured rat glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) with sublytic amounts of the purified complement components C5b6, C7, C8 and C9 greatly stimulated the release of the prostanoids prostaglandin E (PGE) and thromboxane B2. Incubation of GEC with C5b-8 was also stimulatory, whereas omission of C7 abolished the enhanced prostanoid production. These effects were dose-dependent. The increased release of PGE was biphasic with peaks at 5 min and 24 h of incubation. The second peak could be prevented by treatment with cycloheximide, suggesting its dependence on protein synthesis. The observations on cultured GEC provide evidence that terminal complement components alter the metabolism of glomerular cells, resulting in increased production of prostanoids. The results are consistent with the concept that deposition of nonlytic amounts of complement in the glomerular capillary wall may affect the GEC in vivo and may indirectly contribute to abnormalities of the glomerular filter as it is seen in glomerular disease.

Animals

Interaction of complement components with a serum-resistant strain of Salmonella typhimurium.

Salmonella typhimurium C5 is under normal conditions (physiological saline containing 0.002 M Mg2+) resistant to the action of antibody and complement (C). It becomes sensitive, however, when suspended in tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane buffer (Reynolds and Pruul, 1971; Reynolds and Rowley, 1969). The interaction of complement components with this strain sensitized with specific antibody has been studied to identify the intermediate step at which inhibition occurs. The components C1 yields C2 react normally, as has been shown by lysis of complement-treated cells incubated with complement in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Also, the reaction of C3 can be demonstrated by positive immune adherence and agglutination with anti-C3. The complement-treated cells do not, however, react with rabbit C6 to 9 or rabbit serum lacking C6 in tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethan buffer. We conclude from these date that C5 can not react effectively under normal conditions. In contrast, if bacteria-antibody complexes are pretreated with rabbit serum lacking C6 in tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane buffer, they are readily lysed by incubation with C6 to 9. Thus, C5 can react with the bacterial surface in tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane buffer.

Animals