Biomedical subjects

R Smallridge

Publications and source records attributed to R Smallridge.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

The first epidermal growth factor-like domain of the low-density lipoprotein receptor contains a noncanonical calcium binding site.

Removal of cholesterol-containing particles from the circulation is mediated by the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. Upon ligand binding, the receptor-ligand complex is endocytosed, and the ligand is released. The important biological role of the LDL receptor (LDLR) has been highlighted by the identification of more than 400 LDLR mutations that are associated with familial hypercholesterolemia. The extracellular region of the LDLR is modular in nature and principally comprises multiple copies of ligand binding, epidermal growth factor-like (EGF), and YWTD-type domains. This report describes characterization of the calcium binding properties of the tandem pair of EGF domains. While only the C-terminal EGF module contains the consensus sequence associated with calcium binding, a noncanonical calcium binding site in the N-terminal domain has been revealed using solution NMR spectroscopy. The calcium dissociation constants for the N- and C-terminal sites have been measured under physiologically relevant pH and ionic strength conditions using a combination of solution NMR, intrinsic protein fluorescence, and chromophoric chelator methods to be approximately 50 microM and approximately 10-20 microM, respectively. Identification of the novel calcium binding motif in LDLR sequences from other species suggests that it may confer specificity within the LDLR gene family. Comparison of the K(d) for the C-terminal site with the calcium concentration in late vesicles indicates that the binding properties of this module may be tuned to titrate upon endocytosis of the LDL receptor-ligand complex, and thus calcium binding may play a role in the ligand dissociation process.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

A small fortune.

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Animals↗

PubMed2001

Jelly belly.

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Animals↗

PubMed1999

Hyperthermia prevents functional, histological and biochemical abnormalities induced during ileitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease is associated with altered intestinal motility and epithelial damage. Hyperthermia induces heat shock protein expression, components of a basic cellular defence mechanism, and consequently prevents ischaemic damage. Here we investigate whether hyperthermia may prevent altered smooth muscle function as well as underlying inflammation in a model of inflammatory bowel disease. Ileal heat shock protein expression was induced in rats by hyperthermic shock (41.5 degrees C; 5 min). Two hours after heating or sham treatment, ileitis was evoked by TNBS. Ileal samples were taken 4 h later to determine the contractile response of circular muscle strips, and to measure heat shock protein expression, LTB4 generation and damage/inflammation. Ileitis was associated with an increase in the contractile response of circular muscle to substance P but not neurokinin A or nerve stimulation. Hyperthermia induced heat shock protein expression and also prevented this functional change as well as TNBS-induced LTB4 production, subsequent infiltration of neutrophils and epithelial damage. Thus, intestinal inflammation is associated with alterations in tachykinergic control of smooth muscle as well as inflammatory changes. Hyperthermia prevents these changes and induces heat shock protein expression. Pharmacological induction of these proteins may offer a novel clinical strategy in treating both of these aspects of disease.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Anti-inflammatory effects of U74389F in a rat model of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of eicosanoid generation and neutrophilic infiltration in the protective effects of U74389F against ischemia/reperfusion injury in the small intestines of rats. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled study. SETTING: University research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 200 and 300 g. INTERVENTIONS: Groups (5-8) of rats treated with U74389F or vehicle were subjected to a sham operation and 30 mins of ischemia by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery or 30 mins of ischemia followed by 60 or 120 mins of reperfusion. U74389F (2.5 mg/kg i.v.) or vehicle (citrate buffer) were slowly injected 2 mins before ischemia. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ischemia significantly (p < .05) increased mucosal injury (0 [normal] to 5) in both U74389F and untreated rats. In contrast, U74389F significantly (p < .05) attenuated the severity of injury after reperfusion. In vehicle-treated rats, ischemia/reperfusion significantly reduced villus height in both U74389F and untreated groups. However, the surface epithelial layer was intact in the U74389F but not in the vehicle-treated group. In addition, compared with the vehicle-treated group, U74389F significantly reduced neutrophil infiltration and prevented the increase in leukotriene B4 and prostaglandin E2 in response to ischemia and reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the mechanism of U74389F against mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion includes a delay and reduction of neutrophilic infiltrate, an inhibition of leukotriene B4 production, and a facilitation of mucosal restitution.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

A Gly --> Ser change causes defective folding in vitro of calcium-binding epidermal growth factor-like domains from factor IX and fibrillin-1.

The calcium-binding epidermal growth factor-like (cbEGF) domain is a common motif found in extracellular proteins. A mutation that changes a highly conserved Gly residue to Ser in this domain has been identified both in the factor IX (FIX) and fibrillin-1 genes, where it is associated with relatively mild variants of hemophilia B and Marfan syndrome, respectively. We have investigated the structural consequences in vitro of this amino acid change when introduced into single cbEGF domains from human FIX (G60S) and human fibrillin-1 (G1127S), and a covalently linked pair of cbEGF domains from fibrillin-1. High pressure liquid chromatography analysis, mass spectrometry, and 1H NMR analysis demonstrate that wild-type cbEGF domains purified in the reduced form and refolded in vitro adopt the native fold. In contrast, the Gly --> Ser change causes defective folding of FIX and fibrillin-1 cbEGF domains. However, in the case of the factor IX mutant domain, a Ca2+-dependent change in conformation, identified by NMR in a proportion of the refolded material, suggests that some material refolds to a native-like structure. This is consistent with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis of FIX G60S from a hemophilia B patient Oxford d2, which demonstrates that the mutant protein is partially recognized by a monoclonal antibody specific for this region of FIX. NMR analysis of a covalently linked pair of fibrillin cbEGF domains demonstrates that the C-terminal domain adopts the native epidermal growth factor fold, despite the fact that the adjacent mutant domain is misfolded. The implications of these results for disease pathogenesis are discussed.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

PubMed1997

Induction of the heat shock response prevents tissue injury during acute inflammation of the rat ileum.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if prior total body hyperthermia protected against subsequent acute ileitis induced by the cytotoxic lectin, ricin, in rats. The time course of heat shock mRNA and protein expression in the ileum was determined. The effects of heat stress on small intestinal mucosal integrity, arachidonic acid metabolism, and neutrophilic infiltrate were compared in heated and nonheated rats receiving vehicle or ricin intraluminally. The effect of hyperthermia on the circulating neutrophil superoxide production was also evaluated. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: University research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Forty-one adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 150 to 250 g, and 32 adult, inbred, male Fisher 344 rats, weighing 175 to 250 g. INTERVENTIONS: Exposure to whole body hyperthermia and production of acute ileitis. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into four experimental groups: nonheated control group, heated control group, nonheated ricin group (1 mg/mL water, intraluminal), and heated ricin group. Sprague-Dawley rats in a separate study were assigned to seven groups based on the time of removal of the terminal ileum following hyperthermia: 0 min, or 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hrs. Inbred Fisher 344 rats were allocated to the heated and nonheated groups for peripheral neutrophil superoxide generation studies. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Whole body hyperthermia to a rectal temperature of 41 degrees C to 42 degrees C for 15 to 20 mins: a) was associated with marked mucosal cytoprotection against subsequent ricin-induced ileitis (Injury grade [from 0 = normal to 5 = severe]: 0.4 +/- 0.1 vs. 2.5 +/- 0.2, p < .001); b) prevented the ricin-induced reduction in villus height to crypt depth ratio (2.4 +/- 0.1 vs. 1.9 +/- 0.1, p < .01); and c) significantly reduced the number of infiltrating neutrophils when compared with nonheated ricin-treated rats (11 +/- 2 vs. 32 +/- 3 neutrophils/high-power field, p < .001). The hyperthermia-induced peak increase in heat shock protein (HSP)-70 mRNA at 2 hrs preceded that of HSP 70i at 4 hrs. Heat shock significantly reduced the ricin-induced increase in both basal (8.0 +/- 1.9 vs. 33.0 +/- 8.1 pg of leukotriene B4/mg protein, p < .05) and ionophore-stimulated (16.0 +/- 4.9 vs. 80.0 +/- 15.5 pg of leukotriene B4/mg protein, p < .001) generation of ileal leukotriene B4, but did not alter the cyclooxygenase product, prostaglandin E2. Hyperthermia did not alter peripheral neutrophil superoxide production. CONCLUSIONS: This study assessed the effects of heat shock in the normal and acutely inflamed intestine. These data suggest that heat stress and increased expression of HSP 70i protect against acute intestinal inflammation. This protection is associated with significant reductions in ileal leukotriene B4 generation and neutrophilic infiltrate. Hyperthermia did not alter circulating neutrophil superoxide production. Thus, the mechanism of heat stress protection against acute ileitis may involve local intestinal inhibition of leukotriene B4 production and subsequent neutrophilic infiltration without altering the ability of systemic neutrophils to be activated.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Induction of heat-shock protein 72 protects against ischemia/reperfusion in rat small intestine.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Induction of heat-shock protein 72 is associated with enhanced tolerance to subsequent nonthermal stresses. This study evaluated whether induction of heat-shock protein 72 protects against intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury. METHODS: Groups of nonheated and heated rats underwent sham operation, 30 minutes of ischemia by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, or ischemia followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion. Whole-body hyperthermia to a core temperature of 41.5-42 degrees C for 15-20 minutes was followed by passive cooling 2-3 hours before the experiment. Samples of small intestine were obtained for determination of heat-shock protein 72 production and ex vivo generation of prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene B4 and for histological assessment of mucosal injury and number of neutrophils. RESULTS: Hyperthermia significantly increased heat-shock protein 72 production and significantly reduced ischemia/reperfusion-induced mucosal injury, neutrophilic infiltration, and leukotriene B4 production. Levels of leukotriene B4 and numbers of neutrophils were well correlated in nonheated (r = 0.72) but not in heated groups (r = -0.16). The elevation of prostaglandin E2 levels in response to ischemia and reperfusion was unaltered by hyperthermia. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism of heat stress-induced protection against intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury involves inhibition of leukotriene B4 production and subsequent prevention of neutrophil activation and chemotaxis.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Ricin and lentil lectin-affinity chromatography reveals oligosaccharide heterogeneity of thyrotropin secreted by 12 human pituitary tumors.

Some patients with thyrotropin (TSH)-producing pituitary tumors are more hyperthyroid than others despite similar TSH levels in serum, suggesting that qualitatively different TSH molecules with differing bioactivities may be secreted by different tumors. We used ricin and lentil lectin-affinity chromatography to test whether the TSH oligosaccharides varied among 12 patients with TSH-producing tumors. We found that each tumor secreted heterogeneous isoforms of TSH that differed in their extents of exposed galactose (Gal) residues, and their degrees of sialylation and core fucosylation. These biochemical parameters also varied markedly for TSH secreted by different tumors. Isoforms appeared to reflect poor sialyltransferase activity in two tumors and efficient sialyltransferase in the remainder. TSH secreted by tumors was more fucosylated than TSH secreted by control euthyroid persons. There was an inverse relationship between the sialylation and fucosylation of tumor TSH. No simple relationship between TSH oligosaccharide structures and bioactivity was evident, although mixtures of isoforms having the least and most sialylated TSH seemed to be the most bioactive clinically. In three patients from whom serum and medium TSH were both available, TSH in serum was more sialylated than TSH secreted by the tumor in vitro, perhaps reflecting slow clearance of sialylated isoforms from the circulation. Core fucosylation of serum TSH was less than that of medium TSH. These data prove that human tumors secrete TSH with heterogeneous oligosaccharide structures.

Adult↗