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Biomedical subjects

M Bhargava

Publications and source records attributed to M Bhargava.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Binding of scatter factor to epithelial cell membrane protein: identification of its receptor.

Binding of scatter factor (SF) to the surface protein of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells was investigated. The factor has a specific affinity for membrane proteins of MDCK cells and could be purified 10-20-fold using a membrane protein-affinity chromatographic procedure. The binding was pH- and salt-dependent. The factor did not bind to columns prepared with membrane proteins from non responder cells or with bovine serum albumin. Further purification to homogeneity was achieved using reverse phase and immunoaffinity chromatography. The factor dissociated into 92, 62 and 34/32 kDa bands on SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. A 230 kDa protein band, the receptor-SF complex, was observed when radiolabeled SF was crosslinked to surface proteins of MDCK cells and the complexes were subjected to electrophoresis. The binding of radiolabeled SF to the MDCK cells was decreased in presence of excess unlabeled SF. These observations suggest that the binding of SF to surface proteins of MDCK cells is specific and occurs predominantly to a 150 kDa protein.

Animals

Scatter factor and hepatocyte growth factor: activities, properties, and mechanism.

Scatter factor (SF) was first identified as a fibroblast-derived protein which disperses (i.e., "scatters") cohesive colonies of epithelium. SF-like proteins were found in human smooth muscle cell conditioned medium, amniotic fluid, and placental tissue. SFs markedly stimulate migration of epithelial, carcinoma, and vascular endothelial cell types at picomolar concentrations. Hepatocyte growth factors (HGFs) were originally described as platelet- and serum-derived proteins which stimulate hepatocyte DNA synthesis. Partial amino acid sequence data for mouse and human SFs indicate significant homology with HGFs. We used biological, biochemical, and immunological assays to evaluate and compare the activities, properties, and mechanisms of action of mouse SF, human SF (fibroblast or placenta derived), and recombinant human HGF (hrHGF). We report the following findings: (a) mouse SF exhibits species-related differences in biological activities relative to the human factors; (b) human SF and hrHGF show significant overlap in biological activities (i.e., hrHGF stimulates motility of multiple normal and carcinoma cell types, whereas human SF stimulates DNA synthesis in several normal cell types); (c) the three factors contain common antigenic determinants; and (d) all three proteins stimulate rapid phosphorylation of tyrosine residues on the c-met protooncogene protein product (the putative receptor for HGF) and on another protein with Mr 110,000. A few biological and immunological differences between human SFs and hrHGF were observed. These may reflect minor variations in amino acid sequence or posttranslational modification related to the sources of the factors. Taken as a whole, our findings suggest that by structural, functional, immunological, and mechanistic criteria, human SF and human HGF are essentially identical.

Amino Acid Sequence

Granulocytic sarcoma of the paranasal sinus.

We describe a young adult male with granulocytic sarcoma of the paranasal sinuses and nose with acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia. Complete remission was achieved after systemic chemotherapy and localised radiation therapy. The patient died four months later due to disseminated aspergillosis.

Adult

Tumor necrosis factor stimulates epithelial tumor cell motility.

Cellular motility is a critical function in embryonic development, tissue repair, and tumor invasion. We used assays of scattering (epithelial colony dispersion), cell migration, and cell invasion to study cytokine-regulated motility in epithelial and carcinoma cell lines. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) stimulated motility in 12 of 14 cell lines in one or more assay systems. The motility-stimulating activity of TNF did not correlate with its antiproliferative activity. In lines whose migration was stimulated by both TNF and scatter factor (SF), a fibroblast-derived cytokine which stimulates epithelial cell motility, saturating concentrations of TNF plus SF induced greater migration than either agent alone. Anti-TNF monoclonal antibody blocked TNF- but not SF-stimulated motility. While various other factors (basic fibroblast growth factor, interleukin 6, interleukin 2, colony-stimulating factor 1) had little or not motility-stimulating activity, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), a tumor-promoting phorbol ester, scattered and/or stimulated migration in all cell lines studied. Combinations of saturating concentrations of TNF plus PMA or of SF plus PMA induced greater migration than did any agent alone. These findings suggest that (a) carcinoma cell motility may be mediated by multiple biochemical pathways and (b) TNF stimulates epithelial motility by a mechanism different from that of SF and PMA. In vivo, TNF might enhance invasiveness of some carcinomas or stimulate epithelial wound healing.

Animals

Regulation of motility in bovine brain endothelial cells.

Scatter factor (SF) is a fibroblast-derived cytokine which stimulates motility of epithelial and vascular endothelial cells. We used a quantitative assay based on migration of cells from microcarrier beads to flat surfaces to study the regulation of motility in bovine brain endothelial cells (BBEC). Peptide growth factors (EGF, ECGF, basic FGF) did not stimulate migration. Tumor promoting phorbol esters (PMA, PDD) markedly stimulated migration, while inactive phorbol esters (4a-PDD, phorbol-13,20-diacetate) did not affect migration. Both SF- and PMA-stimulated migration were inhibited by 1) TGF-beta; 2) protein kinase inhibitors (e.g., staurosporine, K-252a); 3) activators of the adenylate cyclase signaling pathway (e.g., dibutyryl cyclic AMP, theophylline); 4) cycloheximide; and 5) anti-cytoskeleton agents (e.g., cytochalasin B, colcemid). However, PMA and SF pathways were distinguishable: 1) PMA induced additional migration at saturating SF concentrations; 2) the onset of migration-stimulation was immediate for PMA and delayed for SF; and 3) down-modulation of protein kinase C (PKC) ablated PMA but not SF responsiveness. Assessment of PKC by (3H)-phorbol ester (PDBu) binding and by immunoblot showed 1) scatter factor does not cause significant redistribution or down-modulation of PDBu binding or alpha-PKC; and 2) PDBu mediates redistribution and down-modulation of both binding and alpha-PKC. These findings suggest two pathways for BBEC motility: a PKC-dependent pathway and an SF-stimulated/PKC-independent pathway.

Animals

Interleukin-6 stimulates motility of vascular endothelium.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a cytokine which regulates host response to injury. Various preparations of recombinant human IL-6 stimulated migration of bovine brain and bovine aortic endothelial cells, with maximal responses at 100-600 ng/ml. The migration response was inhibited by anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody. IL-6 also inhibited endothelial cell proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion. Combinations of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor induced additive stimulation of migration. Studies with inhibitors and stimulators of various metabolic processes suggest that IL-6-induced motility: 1) does not require a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein, protein kinase C, or DNA synthesis; and 2) is regulated differently from the motility induced by scatter factor. A possible role for IL-6 in the regulation of physiologic angiogenesis is discussed.

Animals

Scatter factor stimulates migration of vascular endothelium and capillary-like tube formation.

Scatter factors (SFs) are heat- and trypsin-sensitive cytokines secreted by fibroblastic and vascular smooth muscle cell lines which stimulate motility of normal epithelium, carcinoma cells, and vascular endothelium. Human and mouse SFs have been purified and identified as 90 kD heterodimeric proteins consisting of heavy (58 kD) and light (31 kD) disulfide-bonded subunits. Partial amino acid sequence data from SF-derived tryptic peptides indicate marked sequence homology with hepatocyte growth factors, suggesting a common multigene family. In this chapter we describe the regulation by SF of vascular endothelial cell chemotaxis and chemokinesis; migration from microcarrier beads to flat surfaces; invasion through porous filters coated with reconstituted basement membrane; secretion of plasminogen activator; and in vitro capillary-like tube formation on a basement membrane surface.

Animals

Relationship of maternal serum ferritin with foetal serum ferritin, birth weight and gestation.

Haemoglobin and ferritin estimations employing the micro-ELISA technique were done in 308 random selected mothers in labour and their newborns. The values of haemoglobin and serum ferritin as well as birth weight and gestation of babies born to iron depleted, and mildly and moderately anaemic mothers were no different from those of newborns of non-anaemic women. However, the values of serum ferritin per se in all these newborns were much lower than what are generally reported from the western countries. Babies born to severely anaemic women, on the other hand, showed elevated levels of haemoglobin and serum ferritin, and lower birth weights and gestation. Thus, mild to moderate iron deficiency in the mother does contribute to lower iron reserves in the foetus, if not frank iron depletion, and severe iron deficiency anaemia to lower birth weight and gestation.

Anemia, Hypochromic

Behavioral training for mothers of mentally handicapped children: teaching of self-help skills.

Deficits in self help skills are an inevitable problem with the mentally handicapped. The acquisition of self-help skills, learned effortlessly by more intelligent children, is a crucial aspect of the overall development of the mentally handicapped child. In the present study, thirty seven mothers of mentally handicapped children aged between 3 1/2 and 8 years, with an IQ of less than 70, were trained in behavioral techniques such as shaping, task analysis, prompting, and modelling, to develop independent self-help functioning in their children. The self-help areas were toileting, feeding, bathing, washing, and dressing. Thirty two per cent of mothers reported complete skill learning. The problems encountered in the course of training and the subsequent evaluation of its efficacy are discussed.

Adult

HIV infection in Asian Indian patients with haemophilia & those who had multiple transfusions.

A total of 124 Indian patients with haemophilia and 185 multiple transfused patients with thalassaemia, haemoglobinopathies, patients on chronic haemodialysis and others were screened for HIV-1 infection by a commercially available competitive ELISA test and supplementary Western Blot (WB) test. The results showed that HIV-1 infection was mostly confined to the haemophiliacs where 15 (12.1%) were confirmed to be positive for HIV infection. All except one had received both foreign and Indian cryoprecipitate. However, one haemophilic seroconverted within 4 months of receiving a cryoprecipitate manufactured in India.

Adolescent

Haemostatic abnormalities in brain tumours.

The coagulation profile of 25 patients with brain tumours was studied preoperatively, intraoperatively and postoperatively. Ten patients had abnormal coagulation status preoperatively. Surgical intervention led to either an alteration of preexisting abnormality or appearance of new coagulation abnormality. Disseminated intravascular coagulation and fibrinolysis occurred with equal frequency in patients with meningiomas and gliomas. The alterations as a result of surgery were transient and compensated rapidly.

Adult

Sex differences in the subunits of glutathione-S-transferase isoenzyme from rat and human kidney.

Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) isoenzymes were purified from cytosolic preparations from kidneys of male and female rats and kidney cortical specimens from 2 male and 1 female human subjects. GST isoenzyme expression was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, measurement of catalytic activities with specific substrates and determination of their subunits by ELISA and Western blotting using specific antibodies. GST from female rat kidneys showed a preponderance of subunits 3 and 4; levels of these isoenzymes were 3-4 times greater in females than in males. Levels of subunits 1 and 2 were 1.5-2 times greater in the male rat kidneys. Additional minor bands at 24 and 22 kD were observed in GST preparations from both male and female rat kidneys while a band at 25.3 kD was observed only in the male rat kidney. These bands did not react with antibodies to GST 1-1, GST 2-2 or GST 3-4. Both male and female human kidney samples contained GST isoenzymes comparable to the near-neutral (25-5 kD) and basic forms (25 kD) of GSTs found in human liver. In addition a 28-kD band was present in GST preparations from both male and female human kidneys. Additional bands at 29 and 25.2 kD were present only in male human kidneys. Both the kidney cytosol and the total GSTs prepared from female rats shared 2- to 4-fold greater activity with 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene, ethacrynic acid and trans-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one than those from males. The measurement of specific subunit amounts by ELISA were in agreement with these results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Studies on the mechanism of scatter factor. Effects of agents that modulate intracellular signal transduction, macromolecule synthesis and cytoskeleton assembly.

Scatter factor (SF) is a cytokine that causes cohesive epithelial colonies to 'scatter' into isolated cells and stimulates epithelial cell migration. To investigate SF's mechanism(s), we screened agents that modulate various intracellular processes for effects on scattering of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Selected agents were studied in quantitative migration assays using microcarrier beads. Agents that activate the adenylate cyclase (AC) pathway caused mild to moderate inhibition of scattering and migration, while modulators of Ca2+/calmodulin pathways had little effect on scattering. In contrast, phorbol esters (PMA, PDD) and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors (staurosporine, H-7, 7,8-dihydroxychlorpromazine) markedly enhanced and accelerated scattering; PMA and staurosporine also stimulated migration. Diacylglycerol analogues (e.g. diC8), naphthalenesulfonamide PKC activators (SC-9, SC-10) and inactive phorbol esters (e.g. 4a-PDD) did not potentiate scattering, while PKC depletion by 48 h pre-incubation with PMA markedly stimulated scattering. Thus, PMA-enhanced scattering may be related to down-modulation of PKC. Scattering was blocked by inhibitors of protein and RNA but not DNA synthesis; SF- and agent-stimulated migration were ablated by cycloheximide. Scattering and migration were inhibited by an anti-microfilament (cytochalasin B) but not anti-microtubule (e.g. colcemid) agents. These findings suggest that SF-induced epithelial mobility may be mediated, in part, by protein synthesis, alterations in protein phosphorylation (?inhibition of PKC), and actin filament reorganization. They indicate directions for further studies.

Adenylyl Cyclases

A human adult Wilms' tumor. Histologic, ultrastructural, and cytogenetic analysis.

The cytogenetic, histologic, and electron microscopic studies of an adult patient with Wilms' tumor are presented. Wilms' tumor (nephroblastoma) is a common renal tumor of childhood but is extremely rare in people over 15 years old. The histologic analysis of the patient's tumor, including both light and electron microscopic analysis, indicated that this tumor satisfies the histologic criteria for an adult Wilms' tumor, namely, blastemic cells that are immature renal parenchymal cells, embryonic tubular structures, and a scanty stromal component consisting of loosely arranged spindle cells. The tumor showed several ultrastructural features characteristic of adult Wilms' tumor, namely, markedly elongated mitochondria, autophagic vacuoles, and intracytoplasmic filaments. Karyotypic analysis was performed on the patient's peripheral leukocytes and tumor cells. The leukocytes showed no significant increase in gaps and breaks, and the patient appears to have a normal male karyotype. Some interesting chromosomal anomalies were observed in the cultured tumor cells: at least one chromosome 13, both chromosomes 22, and the X chromosome are missing, three markers are present, and there is a possible deletion of 12p.

Chromosome Aberrations

A clinical analysis of hysteria and psychalgia.

A retrospective study of children presenting with pain to the Child Guidance Clinic, during 1984-85 revealed 101 cases of hysteria and 22 of psychalgia. Children in these two groups did not differ significantly with respect to sex, age, education or occupation of parent. Children with psychalgia presented significantly later, and more frequently complained of headaches and abdominal pain. Children with hysteria presented with seizures, abdominal pain and anxiety symptoms. Pain can be of psychological origin also. Early diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary investigations and reinforcement of the "sick role".

Adolescent