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Biomedical subjects

K Palm

Publications and source records attributed to K Palm.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Correlation of drug absorption with molecular surface properties.

The correlation between dynamic surface properties of drug molecules and drug absorption in two common in vitro models of the intestinal wall (Caco-2 monolayers and rat intestinal segments) has been investigated. A homologous series of beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists were used as model compounds. Dynamic molecular surface properties, considering all low-energy conformations, of the compounds were calculated. The flexibility of the molecules was studied by molecular mechanics calculations (MM2) and the van der Waals' (vdW), and water accessible surface areas were calculated and averaged according to a Boltzmann distribution. Excellent correlations were obtained between the dynamic polar vdW surface areas and cell permeabilities in Caco-2 cells and rat ileum (r2 = 0.99 and 0.92, respectively). These correlations were stronger than those between calculated octanol/buffer partition coefficients (log Doct,7.4) and permeability (r2 = 0.80 and 0.73, respectively). Moreover, the calculated log Doct,7.4 values failed to rank the permeability coefficients through Caco-2 monolayers and rat ileum in the correct order. The results indicate that dynamic polar surface area is a promising alternative model for the prediction of oral drug absorption.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists

Characterization of the rat light neurofilament (NF-L) gene promoter and identification of NGF and cAMP responsive regions.

We have isolated a genomic DNA clone covering the coding and 14 kb upstream region of the rat light neurofilament (NF-L) gene and sequenced 2.3 kb of its promoter. DNase I hypersensitive sites have been mapped in PC12 cells. For functional analysis of the NF-L promoter, constructs carrying 38, 97, 407, 564, 650, 1,099, 1,660, 2,003 base pairs (bp) upstream region in front of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene were tested for their capability to direct CAT expression after transient transfection into various cell lines. Similar CAT activities were recorded both in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) and mouse neuroblastoma N115 cells and also in several nonneural cell lines (HeLa, C127, NIH 3T3). Regions responsible for the basic promoter activity were located between -407 and +75 bp from the transcription initiation site. The NGF-responsive element was located between -38 and +75 bp, and sequence -97 to -38 was found to contain a functional cAMP-responsive element. In PC12 cells in which nerve growth factor (NGF) induces neurite outgrowth and NF-L transcription, NF-L promoter-driven CAT expression was stimulated up to 12-fold within three days of NGF treatment, whereas epidermal growth factor (EGF) had no effect. Rat NF-L promoter contained Sp1, AP-2 and CGCCCCCGC elements. In PC12 cells, NGF transiently induced the binding of transcription factors to the deoxyoligonucleotide probes containing the binding sites of these elements. The role of these factors in NF-L gene transcriptional induction by NGF in PC12 cells is discussed.

Animals

Helix-loop-helix transcription factors mediate activation and repression of the p75LNGFR gene.

Sequence analysis of rat and human low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor p75LNGFR gene promoter regions revealed a single E-box cis-acting element, located upstream of the major transcription start sites. Deletion analysis of the E-box sequence demonstrated that it significantly contributes to p75LNGFR promoter activity. This E box has a dual function; it mediates either activation or repression of the p75LNGFR promoter activity, depending on the interacting transcription factors. We showed that the two isoforms of the class A basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor ME1 (ME1a and ME1b), the murine homolog of the human HEB transcription factor, specifically repress p75LNGFR promoter activity. This repression can be released by coexpression of the HLH Id2 transcriptional regulator. In vitro analyses demonstrated that ME1a forms a stable complex with the p75LNGFR E box and likely competes with activating E-box-binding proteins. By using ME1a-overexpressing PC12 cells, we showed that the endogenous p75LNGFR gene is a target of ME1a repression. Together, these data demonstrate that the p75LNGFR E box and the interacting bHLH transcription factors are involved in the regulation of p75LNGFR gene expression. These results also show that class A bHLH transcription factors can repress and Id-like negative regulators can stimulate gene expression.

Animals

Multiple promoters direct tissue-specific expression of the rat BDNF gene.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) supports the survival of a specific set of neurons in the vertebrate nervous system. Here we show that the rat BDNF gene consists of four short 5' exons and one 3' exon encoding the mature BDNF protein. Eight different BDNF mRNAs with four different 5' ends and two alternative polyadenylation sites are transcribed from this gene. BDNF mRNAs containing exons I, II, and III are expressed predominantly in the brain, whereas exon IV transcripts predominate in the lung and heart. mRNAs containing exons I, II, and III increase markedly in the brain after kainic acid-induced seizures, whereas exon IV mRNA increases only slightly. Several transcription initiation sites were mapped upstream of the four 5' exons, and transfection of promoter-reporter gene constructs confirmed that these sequences act as promoters. Combined, the data demonstrate that alternative usage of four promoters within the BDNF gene and differential splicing control tissue-specific and seizure-induced expression of BDNF mRNA.

Animals

Neurotrophins and their receptors in rat peripheral trigeminal system during maxillary nerve growth.

We examined the expression of the neurotrophins (NTFs) and their receptor mRNAs in the rat trigeminal ganglion and the first branchial arch before and at the time of maxillary nerve growth. The maxillary nerve appears first at embryonic day (E)10 and reaches the epithelium of the first branchial arch at E12, as revealed by anti-L1 immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridization demonstrates, that at E10-E11, neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNA is expressed mainly in the mesenchyme, but neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) mRNA in the epithelium of the first branchial arch. NGF and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNAs start to be expressed in the distal part of the first brachial arch shortly before its innervation by the maxillary nerve. Trigeminal ganglia strongly express the mRNA of trkA at E10 and thereafter. The expression of mRNAs for low-affinity neurotrophin receptor (LANR), trkB, and trkC in trigeminal ganglia is weak at E10, but increases by E11-E12. NT-3, NT-4, and more prominently BDNF, induce neurite outgrowth from explant cultures of the E10 trigeminal ganglia but no neurites are induced by NGF, despite the expression of trkA. By E12, the neuritogenic potency of NGF also appears. The expression of NT-3 and NT-4 and their receptors in the trigeminal system prior to target field innervation suggests that these NTFs have also other functions than being the target-derived trophic factors.

Animals

Effect of milk on fibronectin and collagen type I binding to Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from bovine mastitis.

Tryptic soy broth (TSB)-grown cells of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from acute and chronic bovine mastitis bound mainly 125I-fibronectin (Fn) [corrected], whereas strains of nine species of coagulase-negative staphylococci showed a predominant interaction with 125I-collagen (Cn) [corrected] type I. A particle agglutination assay (PAA) was used to examine the interaction of coagulase-negative staphylococci with 125I-Fn and 125I-Cn immobilized on latex. All 368 coagulase-negative staphylococci demonstrated high 125I-Cn and moderate to low 125I-Fn interactions in the PAA. Cn-PAA reactivity was high among strains of Staphylococcus xylosus (84.2%), Staphylococcus simulans (77.8%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (76.7%), and Staphylococcus hyicus (74.3%), whereas all six Staphylococcus capitis strains clumped Cn-PAA reagent. Incubating TSB-grown cells in 10% skim milk for 1 h decreased the 125I-Fn- and 125I-Cn-binding affinity in most of the S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci, while growth in 10% skim milk for 18 h resulted in more than 90% decrease or complete loss of interaction with these proteins. Decreased 125I-Fn binding in the presence of milk was correlated with protease production but not with 125I-Cn binding.

Acute Disease