PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M C Powanda

Publications and source records attributed to M C Powanda.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Stress protein synthesis in human keratinocytes treated with sodium arsenite, phenyldichloroarsine, and nitrogen mustard.

Cells from bacteria to man respond to sublethal thermal and certain chemical stresses by synthesis of heat shock, or stress, proteins. The human epidermal keratinocyte is a target for a variety of cytotoxic substances. One response of cells exposed to such agents may be the synthesis of stress proteins. Human epidermal keratinocytes were treated thermally (43 degrees C) or chemically with sodium arsenite and the skin irritants phenyldichloroarsine and mechlorethamine. Proteins synthesized by keratinocytes were radiolabeled with [35S]methionine, separated on polyacrylamide gels under denaturing conditions, and visualized by fluorography. Quantitation by computer-assisted densitometry of fluorograms revealed different patterns of synthesis of two heat shock proteins (hsp's) with apparent molecular weights of 70 and 90 kDa after treatment with heat, sodium arsenite, phenyl-dichloroarsine, or mechlorethamine. Sodium arsenite induced the highest levels of synthesis of these two proteins, approximately 10-fold and 3-fold increases in hsp-70 and hsp-90, respectively. Phenyldichloroarsine at 0.5 microM produced a 2-fold increase in hsp-70 but no significant increase in hsp-90. Mechlorethamine, in contrast, had an apparent inhibitory effect on hsp-70 synthesis. These results suggest that some but not all skin irritants induce the synthesis of heat shock proteins in human keratinocytes.

Arsenic↗
PubMed1979

Differential effect of clofibrate on inflammation-induced alterations in plasma proteins in the rat.

Daily intramuscular injections of clofibrate begun 6h before the initiation of inflammation induced by the subcutaneous injection of turpentine exerted a differential, dose-dependent inhibition of the anticipated acute-phase globulin response. Specifically, clofibrate at 140mg/kg muted the increase in alpha(2)-macrofoetoprotein, but did not affect that of seromucoid or haptoglobin and only transiently inhibited the rise in copper and the rebound in transferrin. A higher dose, 280mg/kg, markedly suppressed alpha(2)-macrofoetoprotein appearance and the rebound in transferrin, somewhat inhibited the increase in seromucoid and haptoglobin and only transiently affected the rise in plasma copper; 420mg of clofibrate/kg very nearly abolished the appearance of alpha(2)-macrofoetoprotein, markedly suppressed the transferrin rebound and the increases in seromucoid and haptoglobin and again only transiently affected the increase in copper. Clofibrate did not diminish the localized inflammatory response, did not cause microscopically detectable liver damage and did not prevent the hypozincaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and enhanced amino acid uptake by liver usually associated with inflammation. Thus it is unlikely that clofibrate exerted its dose-dependent selective inhibition by muting the initial stimulus or by impairing hepatic metabolism. This seemingly selective action of clofibrate on plasma-protein alterations during inflammation may provide a means of elucidating the function of individual acute-phase globulin during disease. Clofibrate of itself, apart from inflammation, produced decreases in plasma zinc, copper, transferrin and seromucoid and an increase in hepatic amino acid uptake that were to some extent dependent on the dose of the drug.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1978

Nonhuman primate model for the study of respiratory Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

Squirrel monkeys were inoculated by the intratracheal inoculation of 700 Klebsiella pneumoniae organisms and developed lobar pneumonia in about 24 h. Characteristic clinical findings were fever, anorexia, and coughing. Laboratory findings included leukocytosis or leukopenia (with the latter more prominent in ultimately fatal infections), bacteremia, and shedding of bacteria into the pharynx. Infected monkeys showed increased plasma lysozyme activity as well as increased plasma ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin and alpha1-antitrypsin. The mortality rate was 60%, and the mean time of death was 50.5 h. Pathologically, the disease spread by means of Kohn's pores and other pathways that generally did not involve airways as a means of dissemination until about 30 h. Squirrel monkeys seem to be better models for human respiratory K. pneumoniae infection than rats or mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Host metabolic alterations during Venezuelan equine encephalitis in the rat.

Although an effective vaccine exists to protect against VEE, not all persons who may be exposed to this disease are likely to be vaccinated. The disease most often presents as a short febrile illness but the convalescence period may be protracted, and death due to encephalitis does occur in a small percentage of those infected. Knowledge of the metabolic alterations which occur during VEE may materially aid in its treatment. Use of the V-198 strain of VEE in the rat produces a uniform model in which to study metabolic alterations. Changes that occur early in the disease include viremia, neutrophilia, a decrease in plasma zinc and transferrin, and increased amino acid uptake into liver. Plasma zinc depression persists into the later stage of the disease, but to a lesser degree. Increases in plasma copper and seromucoid occur late in the disease, concurrent with the development of pronounced encephalitis. Hypoalbuminemia and decreased ketonemia occur during both the early and late stages of the disease. Taken together, these metabolic alterations appear to chronicle the development of VEE in the rat. If these metabolic alterations can be linked to specific pathogenic processes, they may be useful as prognostic indicators, in formulating supportive therapy, and as monitors of potential antiviral therapy.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1977

Systemic metabolic alterations associated with repeated injections of a modified polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid complex.

Polyriboinosinic acid-polyribocytidylic acid complexed with poly-1-lysine and injected intramuscularly into rats (0.3 or 3.0 mg/kg) produced fever, altered leukocyte count, slightly depressed plasma zinc, increased amino acid uptake into liver, and increased plasma acute-phase globulins two- to threefold. It is suggested that these systemic metabolic alterations are indicative of a mild inflammatory response to this drug. The metabolic alterations may have to be taken into consideration when polyriboinosinic acid-polyribocytidylic acid complexed with poly-1-lysine is used in therapy.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1977

Pathogenesis of respiratory Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in rats: bacteriological and histological findings and metabolic alterations.

Gram-negative bacterial pneumonias have been increasingly important as nosocomial infections. The following model was developed to study the pathogenesis and evaluate therapy of such infections. Intranasal instillation of rats with a suspension of 5 x 10(6) Klebsiella pneumoniae caused bronchopneumonia with 24 h. Bacteria were isolated from the lungs in large numbers (greater than 10(5) colony-forming units [CFU] for at least 13 days after inoculation. Thereafter, the viable concentration decreased to about 10(3) CFU at 21 days but increased to 10(4) CFU at 25 days. Mortality rarely exceeded 25%. Plasma zinc concentration decreased, and plasma seromucoid, lysozyme, and alpha2-macrofetoprotein increased during respiratory K. pneumoniae infection in rats. There seemed to be a linear relationship between seromucoid concentration and the concentration of K. pneumoniae in the lung expressed in log10 units. Plasma zinc, alpha2-macrofetoprtoein, or lysozyme levels, however, did not change until the concentration of bacteria retrieved fron lungs exceeded 4 to 5 logs, Analysis of blood samples obtained serially from the orbital sinuses revealed that rats that succumbed to infection had significantly higher levels of seromucoid, alpha2-macrofetoprotein, and lysozyme and lower levels of plasma zinc than infected rats that survived. Progressive increases in seromucoid and particularly in lysozyme and alpha2-macrofetoprotein appeared to be predicative of death. It is postulated that the threshold effect observed for alpha2-macrofetoprotein and lysozyme reflect significant damage to lung tissue, and thus these two variables are good indexes of the severity of this infection. We propose that this model may be of value in elucidating the pathogenesis of respiratory K. pneumoniae as well as in assessing various models of therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Role of zinc in the abatement of hepatocellular damage and mortality incidence in endotoxemic rats.

Intraperitoneal administration of zinc (ZnIP) as zinc chloride prior to or simultaneously with a lethal quantity of intraperitoneally administered Salmonella typhimurium endotoxin significantly protected rats against toxin-induced mortality and hepatocellular damage. Pretreatment with amounts of zinc chloride ranging from 0.4 to 2.0 mg/100 g of body weight resulted in 80 to 100% survival compared with 10% survival in untreated control rats at 24 h after endotoxin treatment. Zinc chloride treatment in excess of 2.0 mg/100 g of body weight appeared to be toxic and provided diminished protection. In contrast with the protection obtained with ZnIP, intravenously administered zinc did not provide protection. The effectiveness of ZnIP to enhance survival if it was given after endotoxin was greatly diminished as a function of time after endotoxin. The extent of hepatocellular damage was assessed at various times after endotoxin administration in ZnIP-treated and untreated rats by measurement of plasma ornithine carbamoyltransferase activity and histological examination of liver sections. Endotoxin absorption from the peritoneal cavity and hepatic uptake were studied by using 51Cr-labeled endotoxin. ZnIP pretreatment significantly reduced 51Cr-labeled endotoxin content of blood and liver when compared to untreated controls, and effectively prevented endotoxin-induced elevations in plasma ornithine carbamoyltransferase activity and hepatic tissue necrosis. These data indicate that protection afforded by ZnIP treatment results as a consequence of the ability of zinc to diminish absorption of the toxin from the peritoneal cavity and subsequent hepatic uptake.

Absorption↗
PubMed1977

Effect of leukocytic endogenous mediators on endocrine pancreas secretory responses.

Crude mediators from stimulated rabbit peritoneal leukocytes (LEM) engender numerous physiologic alterations in rats, which are similar to those observed during infection. One hour after the intraperitoneal injection of crude LEM, plasma insulin and glucagon concentrations are elevated; at 2 h the hormonal alterations are manifested by a 30% increase in hepatic cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP), glycogen depression, and uptake of 14C-labeled nonmetabolizable amino acid analogues (AA). Plasma hormone concentrations reach maximum levels by 5 h and decline by 24 h. The hepatic concentrations of AA parallel the insulin and glucagon responses and correlate with the inverse of insulin/glucagon molar ratio. In spite of mobilization of hepatic glycogen evident at 5 h, plasma glucose concentrations were transiently depressed. Plasma insulin, glucagon, and hepatic AA concentrations were dose dependent. Plasma insulin and glucagon responses to crude LEM may explain increases in hepatic cAMP, uptake of AA, and glycogenolysis as well as hypoglycemia. These data partially characterize the role of crude LEM, provide an explanation for the stimuli-inducing hyperglucagonemia and hyperinsulinemia during infection. They implicate the endocrine pancreas as a factor regulating the host's metabolic response to infection.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1976

Protein synthesis in zinc deficient rats during tularemia.

The effect of zinc deficiency on protein synthesis in rats during tularemia was studied. Five weeks prior to infection with the live vaccine strain of Francisella tularensis, rats had been assigned to one of three dietary groups: zinc deficient (-Zn), pair-fed (PF) or ad libitum (AL). Within 4 weeks, zinc deficiency manifested itself by diminished growth rate, decreased serum and liver zinc concentrations and alopecia. By 18 hour post infection, rats of all groups were febrile and exhibited an increased hepatic uptake of zinc. Despite initially lower concentrations of seromucoid in the PF and -Zn groups, infection elicited an increase in seromucoid concentration as well as enhanced incorporation of 3H-leucine into this fraction of comparable degree in all dietary groups. The same held true for ceruloplasmin. Alpha 2-macrofetoprotein also increased to the same extent in all dietary groups. Infection was associated with a decrease in extractable albumin in ad libitum and pair fed control groups. Only the -Zn group showed a significant decrease in specific activity suggestive of diminished albumin synthesis. Zinc deficiency of itself did not cause a decrement in radiolabel in muscle protein. Thus, despite documented zinc deficiency, rats subjected to the stress of infection respond by synthesizing increased amounts of acute phase globulins apparently at the expense of serum albumin and muscle protein synthesis.

Alopecia↗
PubMed1976

Alterations in plasma copper, zinc, amino acids, and seromucoid during Rocky Moutain spotted fever in guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs inoculated with virulent Rickettsia rickettsii responded with a significant increase in plasma copper concentration within 1 day, preceding fever and detectable rickettsemia by 2 and 4 days, respectively. A decrease in serum zinc concentration coinciding with peak rickettsemia was detectable on Day 5. Evidence of altered host nitrogen metabolism during this illness included a doubling of plasma seromucoid concentration and a significant rise in the plasma phenylalanine/tyrosine ratio.

Amino Acids↗