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S Peacock

Publications and source records attributed to S Peacock.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Placenta previa and prior cesarean delivery: how strong is the association?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occurrence of placenta previa following a cesarean delivery. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study using 1984-1987 Washington state birth certificate data. Analysis was restricted to women who reported one or more previous live births. The study population included 490 women with a pregnancy complicated by placenta previa and 1477 randomly selected controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratio for placenta previa in association with one or more previous cesarean deliveries was 1.48 (95% confidence interval 1.13-1.95). CONCLUSIONS: Women with a history of cesarean delivery are 50% more likely to have a subsequent birth complicated by placenta previa than those without such a history. This magnitude of excess risk is lower than the relative risks reported in previous studies.

Abortion, Induced↗

Cyclic AMP and long-term potentiation in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus.

Bath application of dibutyryl cyclic AMP, 8-bromo cyclic AMP or forskolin to hippocampal slices caused a short-lasting decrease, followed after washout by a long-lasting increase in the amplitude of population spikes recorded in area CA1 in response to 0.05 Hz stimulation of the Schaffer collateral/commissural pathway. Population spike depression lasted only as long as the cyclic AMP analogues were present in the bath, while the potentiation lasted for at least 2 h after they were washed out. Population excitatory postsynaptic potential amplitude was depressed while dibutyryl cyclic AMP was present in the bath, but after washout it was not significantly different from baseline amplitude. The population spike depression caused by dibutyryl cyclic AMP was prevented by the adenosine antagonist 8-p-sulfophenyltheophylline, but the long-lasting potentiation was not. Thus the transient depression induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP was probably caused by an action of the drug or its breakdown products as adenosine agonists. The long-lasting potentiation is caused by a different mechanism. Occlusion experiments were performed to examine the relationship of the long-lasting population spike potentiation caused by dibutyryl cyclic AMP to the population spike long-term potentiation caused by high-frequency stimulation. High-frequency stimulation delivered after the population spike potentiation caused by dibutyryl cyclic AMP was established did cause a further potentiation, but only up to the level caused by high-frequency stimulation alone. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP administered after high frequency stimulation-induced long-term potentiation was established had no further potentiating effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Placental previa in relation to induced and spontaneous abortion: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of induced abortion and spontaneous abortion on the occurrence of placenta previa in later pregnancies. METHODS: A population-based, case-control study was conducted using 1984-1987 Washington state birth certificate data. The study population included 486 white women with a pregnancy complicated by placenta previa and 1598 randomly selected controls without placenta previa. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding variables, the odds ratio in association with one or more induced abortions was 1.28 (95% CI 1.00-1.63). For one or more spontaneous abortions, the odds ratio was 1.30 (95% CI 1.01-1.66). CONCLUSIONS: Women who report one or more induced or spontaneous abortions are 30% more likely to have a subsequent pregnancy complicated by placenta previa than women without such a history. The results should not be generalized to areas where suction curettage is not the preferred method of induced abortion.

Abortion, Induced↗

Escherichia coli integration host factor inhibits the NusA stimulation of RNA polymerase sigma subunit synthesis in vitro.

As reported previously, Integration Host Factor (IHF) stimulates cII expression but the stimulatory effect is prevented by the NusA protein (Peacock and Weissbach, 1985, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 127, 1026-1031). The interaction between IHF and the NusA protein has been investigated further in studies on the in vitro expression of the genes for the beta (rpoB) and sigma (rpoD) subunits of RNA polymerase, both known to be stimulated by NusA. The NusA stimulation of rpoD expression can be prevented by IHF, but IHF has no effect by itself on rpoD expression. IHF does not influence rpoB expression either in the presence or absence of NusA.

Bacterial Proteins↗

IHF stimulation of lambda cII gene expression is inhibited by the E. coli NusA protein.

The effects of E. coli proteins Integrative Host Factor (IHF) and NusA on the regulation of lambda cII gene expression are presented. As reported previously (Peacock et al. [1984] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 6009-6013), IHF stimulates the DNA-directed in vitro synthesis of cII protein or its first dipeptide, fMet-Val. Whereas NusA, by itself, has no effect on cII expression, the presence of NusA inhibits the IHF-mediated stimulation of cII synthesis.

Bacterial Proteins↗

In vitro stimulation of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase sigma subunit synthesis by NusA protein.

A simplified DNA-directed in vitro system which measures synthesis of the NH2-terminal dipeptides of gene products has been used to study the expression of rpoD, the gene coding for the sigma subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. The rpoD gene is part of a complex operon which also includes the genes for ribosomal protein S21 (rpsU) and primase (dnaG). Primary promoters have been identified upstream of the structural genes, but there are secondary (internal) promoters within the dnaG gene that are involved in the expression of rpoD. Significant expression of the rpsU and rpoD genes was observed in the in vitro dipeptide system using plasmid pBS105, which contains both external and internal promoters. With plasmid pMRG-1, which contains only the internal promoters, only rpoD expression was observed. From either template, synthesis of the NH2-terminal dipeptide of sigma, fMet-Glu, is stimulated about threefold by the E. coli nusA gene product. In addition, NusA protein stimulates synthesis of the entire sigma protein in a defined in vitro system. NusA protein has no effect on the expression of the upstream gene rpsU, and the stimulation of rpoD expression by NusA protein is at the level of transcription. The results are consistent with the known role of NusA protein in modulating transcription at pause or attenuation sites.

Bacterial Proteins↗

In vitro regulation of phage lambda cII gene expression by Escherichia coli integration host factor.

The effect of Escherichia coli integration host factor (IHF) on phage lambda gene expression has been examined in a simplified DNA-directed in vitro system that measures the formation of the first dipeptide of the gene product. Plasmid pKC30cII, which contains the phage lambda genes N, cII and O, under control of the PL promoter, was used as template to study the expression of the first dipeptide of the gene products--i.e., fMet-Asp for N protein, fMet-Val for cII, and fMet-Thr for O. Purified IHF stimulates the DNA-directed synthesis of fMet-Val (cII) and fMet-Thr (O) 2-3-fold but has no effect on the synthesis of fMet-Asp (N). In this in vitro system, the stimulation by IHF of cII and O gene expression is at the level of transcription. Phage lambda repressor completely inhibits dipeptide synthesis in the presence or absence of IHF. The results are consistent with a role of IHF as a transcription antiterminator, perhaps functioning at or near the tR1 site preceding the cII gene.

Bacteriophage lambda↗

Translational control of the expression of the beta subunit gene of E. coli RNA polymerase.

Using the plasmid pNF1337 as template, a mRNA preparation has been obtained that directs the in vitro synthesis of fMet-Val, the N-terminal dipeptide of the beta subunit of RNA polymerase. RNA polymerase holoenzyme specifically inhibits the mRNA-directed synthesis of fMet-Val showing that the autoregulation by RNA polymerase of beta, beta 1 synthesis is at the level of translation. L factor (nusA gene product) stimulates the synthesis of fMet-Val from a DNA template but not from mRNA. Rifampicin has no effect on the mRNA-directed synthesis of fMet-Val or the ability of RNA polymerase to inhibit fMet-Val synthesis.

Bacterial Proteins↗

In vitro synthesis of the first dipeptide of the beta subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.

Plasmids pNF1337 and pNF1341, which contain part of the L10 operon including the RNA polymerase beta-subunit gene, have been used as templates in vitro to investigate expression of the beta-subunit gene. For these studies, the synthesis of the first dipeptide of the beta subunit, fMet-Val, was measured instead of that of the entire protein. By using this dipeptide system, we studied the effects of RNA polymerase holoenzyme and L factor (nus A gene product) on fMET-Val synthesis and compared the relative effects of the primary and secondary promoters in the L10 operon on expression of the beta-subunit gene. The results show that the inhibitory effect of RNA polymerase on beta-subunit synthesis and the stimulatory effect of L factor occur before formation of the first dipeptide bond. In this in vitro system, the secondary promoters account for about 50% of the total fMet-Val synthesized. Although the primary promoter is sensitive to guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate in vitro, the secondary promoters are not affected by this nucleotide.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Pathological aspects of immunization of mice against influenza virus infection.

Groups of mice were immunized against influenza Ao/NWS virus by a single intranasal administration of inactivated homologous virus, by 2 intranasal doses of vaccine separated by an interval of 2 weeks, or by 2 intraperitoneal doses of the same vaccine. When subjected 2 weeks later to a standard challenge of 6 x 10(5) egg infecting units Ao/NWS virus instilled intranasally, mortality fell significantly from 64% in unimmunized mice to 39% in mice given a single intranasal dose of vaccine and to 29% in animals which received double intranasal vaccine. The best protection was conferred by double intraperitoneal immunization, after which mortality was 10%. Immunity waned with time, since the mortality of mice doubly immunized by the respiratory route and challenged 30 weeks later was 49%. Intrapulmonary lymphoid tissue developed in large amounts in a proportion of mice immunized by all methods and challenged after an interval of 2 weeks. Attention is drawn to this reaction as a possible unfavourable consequence of vaccination. There were no lesions in the lungs or central nervous system after immunization without subsequent challenge. The importance of histopathology in vaccine trials in experimental animals is emphasized by the consistently higher detection rate of lesions in lungs by histological examination than by visual inspection alone.

Animals↗