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Biomedical subjects

S J Edwards

Publications and source records attributed to S J Edwards.

68 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Alpha-adrenergic receptors in rat skeletal muscle.

Sarcolemma-enriched preparations from muscles rich in slow oxidative red fibres contained specific binding sites for the alpha 1 antagonist, prazosin (e.g. soleus Kd 0.13 nM, Bmax 29 fmol/mg protein). Binding sites for prazosin were almost absent from white muscle. Displacement of prazosin binding from sarcolemma of soleus muscle (phentolamine greater than phenylephrine greater than idazoxan greater than yohimbine) suggested that the receptors were alpha 1. Binding sites for dihydroalprenolol (beta antagonist) were also more concentrated on red than white muscle and outnumbered prazosin sites by approx. 10:1. Binding sites for idazoxan (alpha 2 antagonist) were undetectable. Contamination of sarcolemma-enriched preparations by endothelial tissue indicated by the activity of angiotensin converting enzyme did not correlate with prazosin binding. It is concluded that post-synaptic alpha 1 adrenergic receptors are present on the sarcolemma of slow oxidative red fibres of rat skeletal muscle. The presence provides the mechanistic basis for apparent alpha-adrenergic effects to increase glucose and oxygen uptake in perfused rat hindquarter.

Animals↗

Anchoring a secreted plasmodium antigen on the surface of recombinant vaccinia virus-infected cells increases its immunogenicity.

We show that the subcellular location of foreign antigens expressed in recombinant vaccinia viruses influences their effectiveness as immunogens. Live recombinant viruses induced very poor antibody responses to a secreted repetitive plasmodial antigen (the S-antigen) in rabbits and mice. The poor response accords with epidemiological data suggesting that S-antigens are poorly immunogenic. Appending the transmembrane domain of a membrane immunoglobulin (immunoglobulin G1) to its carboxy terminus produced a hybrid S-antigen that was no longer secreted but was located on the surface of virus-infected cells. This recombinant virus elicited high antibody titers to the S-antigen. This approach will facilitate the use of live virus delivery systems to immunize against a wide range of foreign nonsurface antigens.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Goodpasture antigen of the glomerular basement membrane: localization to noncollagenous regions of type IV collagen.

The glomerular basement membrane antigen in Goodpasture syndrome is a collagenase-resistant molecule with a monomer molecular weight of about 26,000. Type IV collagen isolated from glomerular basement membrane contains collagenase-resistant sequences within its structure. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and chemical analysis were used to demonstrate that the collagenase-resistant sequences of type IV collagen contain Goodpasture antigen.

Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease↗

An examination of the selenium nutrition of sheep in Victoria.

The selenium nutrition of sheep throughout Victoria was assessed by a survey of the blood glutathione peroxidase activity in 708 flocks. It was shown that the blood glutathione peroxidase activity in sheep had a seasonal variation with lowest levels in the spring. The enzyme activity was correlated with the blood selenium concentration. Areas where blood selenium was less than 0.03 micrograms/ml in spring were defined. Sheep with low selenium nutrition were grazing pastures in the high rainfall areas on acid soils, particularly those derived from granite. Selenium concentrations in pasture samples examined were greater than 0.02 mg/kg, and it was found that superphosphate application had no significant effect on the selenium content of pasture. However, management practices such as high stocking rates and rates of application of superphosphate to pasture were associated with low blood glutathione peroxidase activities in sheep. It was concluded that the selenium nutrition of most of the sheep flocks in Victoria is adequate, and that the deficient areas are localised. There seems little requirement for supplementation of adult sheep. As the delayed type of white muscle disease in spring lambs appears to be the main selenium-responsive disorder, direct supplementation of lambs in the low selenium areas would be the most effective method of ensuring adequate selenium nutrition.

Animals↗

Blood glutathione peroxidase activity in horses in relation to muscular dystrophy and selenium nutrition.

The activity of glutathione peroxidase, a selenium containing enzyme, was measured in the blood of horses to determine its usefulness as an indicator of selenium status. In 15 horses the enzyme activity was positively related to the blood selenium concentration (P less than .001, r-0.98) over the range of enzyme activities of 8.2 to 140 units (mumoles NADP-oxidised/min/gHb) and selenium concentrations of 0.24 to 2.74 mumol/l. In a group of 8 horses which 2 foals had died with lesions of muscular dystrophy the enzyme activity increased from a mean of 11.8 units before treatment with selenium to 34.5 units after 2 intravenous injections of sodium selenite given one month apart. Another group of 8 horses grazing paddocks adjacent to this affected group did not receive any selenium treatment and had a mean enzyme activity of 11.9 units. Blood glutathione peroxidase activity was measured in 50 pasture-fed horses and 180 stall-fed horses. The range of activities found (7 to 158 units) indicated that selenium intake in horses varied widely between localities. All pasture-fed horses grazing areas where muscular dystrophy had occurred in foals had low activities (less than 20 units). In stall-fed horses the enzyme activity was influenced by selenium treatment, and horses which had been treated usually had higher activities than horses in the same stable with no history of selenium treatment. It was concluded that blood glutathione peroxidase is a suitable indicator of selenium status in horses.

Animals↗