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N H Shomer

Publications and source records attributed to N H Shomer.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Divergent effects of the malignant hyperthermia-susceptible Arg(615)-->Cys mutation on the Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) dependence of the RyR1.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) release channel (RyR1) from malignant hyperthermia-susceptible (MHS) porcine skeletal muscle has a decreased sensitivity to inhibition by Mg(2+). This diminished Mg(2+) inhibition has been attributed to a lower Mg(2+) affinity of the inhibition (I) site. To determine whether alterations in the Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) affinity of the activation (A) site contribute to the altered Mg(2+) inhibition, we estimated the Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) affinities of the A- and I-sites of normal and MHS RyR1. Compared with normal SR, MHS SR required less Ca(2+) to half-maximally activate [(3)H]ryanodine binding (K(A,Ca): MHS = 0.17 +/- 0.01 microM; normal = 0.29 +/- 0.02 microM) and more Ca(2+) to half-maximally inhibit ryanodine binding (K(I,Ca): MHS = 519.3 +/- 48.7 microM; normal = 293.3 +/- 24.2 microM). The apparent Mg(2+) affinity constants of the MHS RyR1 A- and I-sites were approximately twice those of the A- and I-sites of the normal RyR1 (K(A,Mg): MHS = 44.36 +/- 4.54 microM; normal = 21.59 +/- 1.66 microM; K(I,Mg): MHS = 660.8 +/- 53.0 microM; normal = 299.2 +/- 24.5 microM). Thus, the reduced Mg(2+) inhibition of the MHS RyR1 compared with the normal RyR1 is due to both an enhanced selectivity of the MHS RyR1 A-site for Ca(2+) over Mg(2+) and a reduced Mg(2+) affinity of the I-site.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Cholangiohepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease induced by a novel urease-negative Helicobacter species in A/J and Tac:ICR:HascidfRF mice.

Helicobacter bilis and H. hepaticus, both urease-positive intestinal helicobacters of mice, have been shown experimentally to induce proliferative typhlocolitis in scid mice. We recently isolated a urease-negative Helicobacter sp. (H. sp.) that also induced proliferative typhlocolitis in pilot studies in scid mice. To determine the pathogenic potential of H. sp. in immunocompromised and immunocompetent mice, 5-week old male A/J or Tac:Icr:Ha(ICR)-scidfRF mice were inoculated by intraperitoneal (IP) injection with approximately 3 x 10(7) colony-forming units (CFU) of H. sp. Mice were necropsied at various time points postinoculation (PI). Sham-inoculated mice had no clinical, gross, or histopathological lesions. In contrast, scid mice inoculated IP with H. sp. had severe hemorrhagic diarrhea and decreased weight gain at 2, 7, and 18 weeks postinoculation (PI), with severe proliferative typhlocolitis, phlebothrombosis, and hepatitis. A/J mice had no clinical signs, but had mild to moderate proliferative typhlocolitis and moderate to marked cholangiohepatitis at 7 and 24 weeks PI. A/J mice infected with H. sp. developed robust immune responses of a predominant Th1 type. This report demonstrates that infection with a urease-negative helicobacter can cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and hepatitis in scid and immunocompetent A/J mice. These results provide a new model of IBD and cholangio-hepatitis associated with a specific urease-negative, novel H. species.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Hypotensive infarction of the spinal cord in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta).

A 6.5-year-old male rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) was presented with acute paraplegia following a surgical procedure. During surgery, he experienced an acute hypotensive episode that required 3 hours of supportive therapy before hemodynamic stability was restored. Paraplegia remained unchanged until euthanasia 72 hours later. At necropsy, spinal cord segments T10-S3 had acute, massive panmedullary necrosis, which involved most of the central and middle spinal cord, sparing the peripheral white matter. Additional lesions included arterial border zone necrosis of the brain, centrilobular hepatic necrosis, and proximal renal tubular necrosis. The histologic findings of central spinal cord necrosis with a preserved rim of white matter is consistent with severely decreased flow in the anterior spinal artery. Such lesions can result from episodes of generalized hypoperfusion. Possible factors contributing to the hypotensive episode in this case included the addition of xylazine to ketamine and atropine in the preanesthetic medication, positioning during anesthesia, and decreased blood pressure during surgery.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMed2001

Enrichment-toy trauma in a New Zealand White rabbit.

An injury was caused by an enrichment toy (a whiffle ball, which is a perforated hollow ball made of hard plastic) that led to its removal from the rabbit enrichment program. Manipulata and food treats form the basis of the Yale rabbit enrichment program. All singly housed rabbits are given toys such as balls, chains, wood blocks, PVC tubing, Nylabones, and corrugated plastic tunnels. Before they are used, all potential enrichment devices are reviewed for safety and potential veterinary problems. The whiffle ball had been considered safe because it was made of hard non-toxic plastic, had no sharp edges, was too large to be swallowed or inhaled, and was judged too sturdy to be broken by the rabbits. However, the ball became lodged in the incisors of an adult female New Zealand White rabbit, preventing her from eating or drinking for 12 h and causing marked trauma to her gums. Removal of the ball necessitated anesthetizing the rabbit and using bone cutters to cut away the ball. Ideally, environmental enrichment should increase species-specific normal behavior and minimize stereotypies and self- and conspecific-directed abusive behavior. This case illustrates that safety assessments for an enrichment device must include both the inherent properties of the device and the risks if the toy is misused or damaged. Considerations for safety assessment are discussed.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1999

Colonization and tissue tropism of Helicobacter pylori and a novel urease-negative Helicobacter species in ICR mice are independent of route of exposure.

BACKGROUND: In humans, Helicobacter pylori is known to colonize the stomach and to induce persistent gastritis; selected reports also suggest it causes extragastric disease, including hepatitis. H. pylori and a novel urease-negative Helicobacter sp. induce gastritis and typhlocolitis, respectively, when inoculated orally into mice. Experimental typhlocolitis and hepatitis have been caused by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of H. hepaticus, H. bilis, and the novel Helicobacter spp. However, the route by which i.p.-inoculated organisms localize to specific areas of the gastrointestinal system is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine whether Helicobacter spp. can be isolated from blood, can preferentially colonize specific tissues, and can cause pathological changes, we inoculated 6-week-old outbred mice orally or intraperitoneally with H. pylori or a novel Helicobacter sp. RESULTS: When these mice were inoculated by the i.p. route, H. pylori was cultured from lungs, spleen, liver, cecum, and stomach on day 1 after inoculation, from liver and stomach mucosa on day 3 after inoculation, and from the stomach on day 30 after inoculation, suggesting preferential colonization of the stomach. After inoculation by the i.p. route, the novel intestinal Helicobacter sp. was cultured from the blood, lungs, spleen, liver, kidneys, cecum, and feces but not from stomach mucosa on day 1 after inoculation. By day 30 after inoculation, the novel Helicobacter sp. was cultured from cecum and feces only, suggesting that it had preferentially colonized the lower bowel. By the i.p. route, the novel Helicobacter sp. induced hepatitis that persisted for 30 days after inoculation. Though mice inoculated intraperitoneally with H. pylori developed an acute hepatitis, the liver lesion began to resolve 30 days after inoculation. Mice inoculated orally with either H. pylori or the novel Helicobacter sp. did not have hepatitis on day 30 after inoculation but developed 100% colonization of stomach and cecum, respectively. CONCLUSION: The isolation of H. pylori and the novel Helicobacter sp. from multiple tissues infers that a transient helicobacter bacteremia occurs when Helicobacter spp. are injected intraperitoneally, but organisms are cleared rapidly from nontarget tissues and preferentially colonize specific regions of the gastrointestinal tract.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Experimental Helicobacter pylori infection induces antral gastritis and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue in guinea pigs.

Humans infected with Helicobacter pylori have abnormally low levels of the antioxidant vitamin C, which protects against the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines, in gastric juice. Guinea pigs, like humans and nonhuman primates, have a dietary requirement for vitamin C. As such, these species have gastrointestinal vitamin C transport systems not found in other animals. We have developed and characterized a guinea pig model of chronic gastric H. pylori infection with the rodent-adapted Sydney strain of H. pylori. At 4 weeks postinfection, five of six animals of the infected group and zero of two animals of the control group were positive for H. pylori as determined by culture or PCR. At 15 weeks, six of six animals of the infected group and zero of two animals of the control group were positive. H. pylori-specific seroconversion was observed among infected animals. There were no histologic abnormalities in the gastric antra or fundi of control guinea pigs. In contrast, there was multifocal, mild to moderate lymphohistiocytic antral gastritis and formation of antral lymphoid follicles in H. pylori-infected animals. The lesion distribution in the gastric antra paralleled that observed in H. pylori-infected humans. The H. pylori-infected guinea pig should prove useful in modeling the interaction of helicobacter and vitamin C in gastric carcinogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Helicobacter bilis/Helicobacter rodentium co-infection associated with diarrhea in a colony of scid mice.

An outbreak of diarrhea spanning 3 months occurred in a breeding colony of scid/Trp53 knockout mice. Approximately a third of the 150 mice were clinically affected, with signs ranging from mucoid or watery diarrhea to severe hemorrhagic diarrhea with mortality. Helicobacter bilis and the newly recognized urease-negative organism H. rodentium were isolated from microaerobic culture of feces or cecal specimens from affected mice. Dual infection with H. bilis and H. rodentium were confirmed by culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in several animals. Both Helicobacter species rapidly colonized immunocompetent sentinel mice exposed to bedding from cages containing affected mice, but the sentinel remained asymptomatic. Mice with diarrhea had multifocal to segmental proliferative typhlitis, colitis, and proctitis. Several affected mice had multifocal mucosal necrosis with a few focal ulcers in the cecum, colon, and rectum. Mice with diarrhea were treated with antibiotic food wafers (1.5 mg of amoxicillin, 0.69 mg of metronidazole, and 0.185 mg of bismuth/mouse per day) previously shown to eradicate H. hepaticus in immunocompetent mice. Antibiotic treatment resulted in resolution of diarrhea, but not eradication of H. bilis and H. rodentium; mice continued to have positive PCR results after a 2-week treatment regimen, and clinical signs of diarrhea returned in some mice when treatment was suspended. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of natural infection with either H. bilis and/or H. rodentium causing acute diarrheal disease and suggests that H. bilis and/or H. rodentium can be an important pathogen for scid mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Helicobacter bilis-induced inflammatory bowel disease in scid mice with defined flora.

Helicobacter bilis has been isolated from aged inbred mice with multifocal chronic hepatitis and from scid mice with diarrhea, proliferative typhlitis, and colitis. To determine the pathogenic potential of H. bilis, we inoculated 4-week-old female Tac:Icr:Ha(ICR)-scidfDF mice by intraperitoneal injection of approximately 10(8) CFU of H. bilis in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (n = 15) or PBS alone (n = 10) and necropsied them at 7 weeks postinfection. Sham-inoculated mice had no significant gross or histopathological findings. In contrast, all 15 experimentally inoculated mice (confirmed to be H. bilis-colonized by culture and PCR of cecal contents) exhibited varying degrees of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Proliferative typhlocolitis was characterized by focal to segmental areas of crypt hyperplasia and a predominantly histiocytic inflammatory cell infiltrate. Labeling indices for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation were increased approximately 2.5-fold in the ceca and colons of H. bilis-inoculated mice. This is the first study to demonstrate experimentally that infection with H. bilis causes IBD in scid mice with defined flora. This result both confirms a pathogenic role for H. bilis in mice and provides a new model relating a specific microbial agent and IBD.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Phosphorylation of nodulin 26 on serine 262 affects its voltage-sensitive channel activity in planar lipid bilayers.

Nodulin 26 is an symbiosome membrane protein of soybean nodules that shows ion channel activity in planar lipid bilayers. Serine 262 of nodulin 26 is phosphorylated by calmodulin-like domain protein kinase. To study the effects of phosphorylation, nodulin 26 with Ser, Ala, or Asp at position 262 were expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed protein possessed a histidine-rich leader sequence for purification by Ni2+ chelate fast protein liquid chromatography. Upon reconstitution into planar lipid bilayers, the recombinant proteins showed a large single channel conductance (3.1 nanosiemens (nS) in cis0.2M/trans1.0 M KCl and 1.6 nS in cis 0.2M/trans0.2 M KCl) and weak anion selectivity, similar to native soybean nodulin 26. Nodulin 26 with Ser- or Ala-262 occupied the maximal open conductance state greater than 97% of the time (3.1 nS in cis0.2M/trans1.0 M KCl) regardless of applied voltage. However, nodulin 26 with Asp-262 showed increased gating and preferential occupancy of lower subconductance states (1.8 and 0.6 nS in cis0.2M/trans1.0 M KCl) at high applied voltages (e.g. 70 mV). In situ phosphorylation of Ser-262 of nodulin 26 by calmodulin-like domain protein kinase also resulted in increased voltage-dependent gating and preferential occupancy of lower subconductance states. These results suggest that phosphorylation of serine 262 of nodulin 26 modulates channel activity by conferring voltage sensitivity.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Ca2+ release channels of pigs heterozygous for malignant hyperthermia.

Porcine malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting from a mutation in the skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release channel. The Ca2+ release properties of SR vesicles isolated from pigs heterozygous for the MH gene have been demonstrated previously to be intermediate to those of vesicles isolated from MH-susceptible (MHS) and normal pigs. The Ca2+ release channel is tetrameric, so the intermediate Ca2+ release properties of heterozygous pig SR preparations could result either from populations of MHS and normal homotetramers, or populations of heterotetrameric Ca2+ release channels with properties unique from those of the two types of homozygous channels. To discriminate between these possibilities, the single channel percent open time (Po) and channel dwell time distributions of SR Ca2+ release channels were analyzed. These data suggest that the heterozygous porcine Ca2+ release channel population must contain heterotetramers with properties distinct from those of either MHS or normal channels. The data also imply that the Ca2+ release channel population in MHS humans who are heterozygous for a dominant mutation in this protein also contains heterotetrameric channels.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Cyclic ADP-ribose does not affect cardiac or skeletal muscle ryanodine receptors.

The cardiac muscle isoform of the ryanodine receptor/Ca2+ release channel (RYR) has been proposed to be an important target of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) action in mammalian cells. However, we now demonstrate that neither cADPR (0.1-5 microM), nor the related metabolites beta-NAD+ (0.1-30 mM) and ADP-ribose (0.1-5 microM), affected cardiac RYR activity as determined by [3H]ryanodine binding to cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles. Similarly, cADPR (1 microM) failed to activate single cardiac RYR channels in planar lipid bilayers. Skeletal muscle SR [3H]ryanodine binding was also unaffected by cADPR (up to 30 microM). These results argue against a direct role for the well-characterized RYRs of cardiac or skeletal muscle in mediating cADPR-activated Ca2+ release.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗
PubMed1994

Nodulin 26, a nodule-specific symbiosome membrane protein from soybean, is an ion channel.

Nodulin 26 is an integral symbiosome membrane protein of nitrogen-fixing soybean nodules. Nodulin 26 is a member of a family of structurally homologous membrane proteins with diverse transport functions. Thus, it has been proposed to be involved in symbiosome membrane transport. Despite this claim, there has not been any evidence that nodulin 26 has a transport activity. In this study, nodulin 26 was purified from soybean nodules by a non-denaturing protocol and was reconstituted into liposomes for channel studies in planar lipid bilayers. Nodulin 26 readily incorporated into bilayers, forming single channels with a maximum unitary conductance of 3.1 nanosiemens (nS) in a recording buffer of 20 mM 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonate-NaOH, pH 7.4, 1 M KCl. Nodulin 26 also exhibited multiple, discreet lower conductance states ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 nS. Nodulin 26 channels were voltage-sensitive. The maximal 3.1-nS state was preferentially occupied at lower applied voltages, whereas the lower conductance states were more frequently occupied at higher voltage potentials. Nodulin 26 channels transported both cations and anions, but showed a weak selectivity for anions. These results represent the first purification and functional characterization of the nodulin 26 channel and support a role for this protein in symbiosome membrane transport.

Ion Channels↗
PubMed1994

Regulation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum ryanodine receptor by inorganic phosphate.

To better understand the mechanisms regulating myoplasmic Ca2+ during muscle activity, we have examined the effect of inorganic phosphate (P(i)) on the ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca2+ release channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). We report that P(i) at concentrations reached in exercising skeletal muscle (3-30 mM) produced a dose-dependent stimulation of ryanodine binding to skeletal muscle SR. Ryanodine binding was increased by 84% in the presence of 30 mM P(i) with half-maximal stimulation at 4 mM P(i). In contrast to its effect on skeletal muscle SR, ryanodine binding to cardiac muscle SR was not stimulated by P(i) (3-30 mM). Stimulation of ryanodine binding to skeletal muscle SR was maximal in the presence of micromolar Ca2+ and was associated with an increased affinity of the RyR for ryanodine (Kd = 204 nM in the absence, versus 107 nM in the presence of 10 mM P(i)). P(i) (10 mM) also increased the rate of Ca2+ release from 45Ca(2+)-filled skeletal muscle SR vesicles by 50% in the presence of micromolar Ca2+. Conversely, arsenate and sulfate (10 mM) had no effect on either ryanodine binding or Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release, demonstrating the specificity of the P(i) effect. Single-channel recordings of purified skeletal muscle SR RyR incorporated into planar lipid bilayers showed that addition of 10 mM P(i) to the cis chamber increased the open probability of the channel by 91%. These results demonstrate that concentrations of P(i) which occur in vivo during exercise significantly stimulate the in vitro activity of the skeletal muscle RyR Ca2+ release channel.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Ion selectivity of porcine skeletal muscle Ca2+ release channels is unaffected by the Arg615 to Cys615 mutation.

The Arg615 to Cys615 mutation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release channel of malignant hyperthermia susceptible (MHS) pigs results in a decreased sensitivity of the channel to inhibitory Ca2+ concentrations. To investigate whether this mutation also affects the ion selectivity filter of the channel, the monovalent cation conductances and ion permeability ratios of single Ca2+ release channels incorporated into planar lipid bilayers were compared. Monovalent cation conductances in symmetrical solutions were: Li+, 183 pS +/- 3 (n = 21); Na+, 474 pS +/- 6 (n = 29); K+, 771 pS +/- 7 (n = 29); Rb+, 502 pS +/- 10 (n = 22); and Cs+, 527 pS +/- 5 (n = 16). The single-channel conductances of MHS and normal Ca2+ release channel were not significantly different for any of the monovalent cations tested. Permeability ratios measured under biionic conditions had the permeability sequence Ca2+ >> Li+ > Na+ > K+ > or Rb+ > Cs+, with no significant difference noted between MHS and normal channels. This systematic examination of the conduction properties of the pig skeletal muscle Ca2+ release channel indicated a higher Ca2+ selectivity (PCa2+:Pk+ approximately 15.5) than the sixfold Ca2+ selectivity previously reported for rabbit skeletal (Smith et al., 1988) or sheep cardiac muscle (Tinker et al., 1992) Ca2+ release channels. These results also indicate that although Ca2+ regulation of Ca2+ release channel activity is altered, the Arg615 to Cys615 mutation of the porcine Ca2+ release channel does not affect the conductance or ion selectivity properties of the channel.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Caffeine stimulation of malignant hyperthermia-susceptible sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel.

The altered caffeine sensitivity of malignant hyperthermia-susceptible (MHS) muscle contracture is one basis of the diagnostic test for this syndrome. To determine whether the Arg615-to-Cys615 mutation of the porcine sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release channel is directly responsible for this altered caffeine sensitivity, the single-channel kinetics of purified MHS and normal pig Ca2+ release channels were examined. Initial studies demonstrated that decreasing the pH of the medium in either the cis- or trans-chamber decreased the Ca2+ release channel percent open time (Po). The half-inhibitory pH of MHS channels (6.86 +/- 0.04, n = 17) was significantly different from that of normal channels (7.08 +/- 0.07, n = 14). At pH 7.4, in either 7 or 0.12 microM Ca2+, MHS channel Po was not significantly different from that of normal channels over the range 0-10 mM caffeine. Although at pH 6.8 in 7 microM Ca2+ MHS channel Po was greater than that of normal channels over the range 0-20 mM caffeine, the difference could be eliminated by dividing each mean MHS Po by a scaling factor of 3.2. Thus the MHS Ca2+ release channel mutation does not appear to be directly responsible for the altered caffeine sensitivity of MHS pig muscle contracture. Rather, this altered caffeine sensitivity may result from an altered resting myoplasmic Ca2+ concentration or the altered pH and Ca2+ sensitivity of Ca2+ release channel Po of MHS muscle.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Reconstitution of abnormalities in the malignant hyperthermia-susceptible pig ryanodine receptor.

Malignant hyperthermia-susceptible (MHS) pigs homozygous for the Cys615 ryanodine receptor allele demonstrate altered sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) ryanodine binding and Ca2+ release channel regulatory properties when compared with normal pigs homozygous for the Arg615 allele. While solubilized in 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate, the purified MHS and normal ryanodine receptors had a similar dissociation constant (Kd) for ryanodine, maximum binding, and Ca2+ concentration for half-maximal stimulation and inhibition of ryanodine binding (Ca2+(0.5)); however, after reconstitution into proteoliposomes, the purified MHS and normal receptors had Kd values for ryanodine of 75 and 150 nM, respectively, which were significantly different. The purified MHS and normal porcine ryanodine receptors also had similar single-channel Cs+ conductance, optimal cis-Ca2+ for channel opening, and cis-Ca2+(0.5) for channel activation. Significantly, at inactivating levels of cis-Ca2+ (> 0.1 mM), MHS channels had a greater open probability, a higher cis-Ca2+(0.5) for inhibition of channel opening (250 vs. 75 microM for MHS and normal, respectively), longer mean open times, and shorter mean closed times than did normal channels. We conclude that the mutation at residue 615 causes a detectable alteration in ryanodine receptor/Ca2+ channel activity and thus may represent the primary defect responsible for the altered SR Ca2+ regulation characteristic of MHS porcine muscle.

Animals↗