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Biomedical subjects

S Soboll

Publications and source records attributed to S Soboll.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Potential improvements in medical education as retrospectively evaluated by candidates for specialist examinations].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: As part of the new regulations for licensing doctors there have been numerous attempts at reform by many medical faculties to consider interdisciplinary linkage of the curriculum with emphasis on teaching of small groups of students. This study was undertaken to help answer the question of how much weight should be given to the various subjects and what resources are needed for any reformed curriculum and what key areas of competence need to be given greater importance. METHODS: 1029 candidates of specialist examinations of the Medical Council of North-Rhine in 2002 and 2003 filled in questionnaires to evaluate retrospectively the actual relevance of individual preclinical and clinical subjects, courses and areas of practical competence to their further medical education and related potentials for improvement in their studies. The participants were from 5 medical faculties in the North-Rhine area of Germany. They were also asked about methods of examination that were effective in aiding their learning behaviour. RESULTS: Those answering the questionnaire considered especially chemistry and physics as well as environmental, occupational and forensic medicine, bio-mathematics, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine among the less relevant subjects. On the other hand, anatomy, physiology, internal medicine, pharmacology and surgery were considered especially relevant. CONCLUSION: The greatest deficiencies in most of the medical curricula as taught in the North-Rhine medical courses are in the areas of competence in communication and practical clinical skills. Members of this group also pleaded for an increased use of standardized objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE).

Certification↗
PubMed2001

Cardiac creatine kinase metabolite compartments revealed by NMR magnetization transfer spectroscopy and subcellular fractionation.

In the perfused rat heart NMR inversion transfer revealed the existence of a compartment of ATP not exchanging through creatine kinase (CK), as demonstrated by an apparent discrepancy between the forward (F(f)) and reverse (F(r)) CK flux if this compartment was neglected in the analysis [Joubert et al. (2000) Biophys. J. 79, 1-13]. To localize this compartment, CK fluxes were measured by inversion of PCr (inv-PCr) or gamma ATP (inv-ATP), and the distribution of metabolites between mitochondria and cytosol was studied by subcellular fractionation. Physiological conditions were designed to modify the concentration and distribution of CK metabolites (control, adenylate depletion, inhibition of respiration, KCl arrest). Depending on cardiac activity, mitochondrial ATP (mito-ATP) assessed by fractionation varied from 11% to 30% of total ATP. In addition, the apparent flux discrepancy increased together with mito-ATP (F(f)/F(r) ranged from 0.85 to 0.50 in inv-PCr and from 1.13 to 1.88 in inv-ATP). Under conditions masking the influence of the ATP-P(i) exchange on CK flux, the ATP compartment could be directly quantified by the apparent flux discrepancy; its size was similar to that of mito-ATP measured by fractionation. Thus NMR inversion technique is a potential tool to assess metabolite compartmentation in the whole organ.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2001

Acetyl-L-carnitine treatment stimulates oxygen consumption and biosynthetic function in perfused liver of young and old rats.

The effect of treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine on hepatic mitochondrial respiration and biosynthetic function in perfused liver from young (90 days) and old (22-24 months) rats was studied. Rats were given a 1.5% (w/v) solution of acetyl-L-carnitine in their drinking water for 1 month and oxygen consumption together with the rate of gluconeogenesis, urea synthesis, and ketogenesis with and without added substrates were measured in perfused liver. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption was also assessed in liver homogenate and isolated mitochondria to determine the maximal capacity for oxidative phosphorylation. Acetyl-L-carnitine treatment almost completely restored the age-dependent decline in oxygen consumption, gluconeogenesis, urea synthesis, and ketogenesis found in perfused liver of old rats to the levels found in young rats. In addition, acetyl-L-carnitine treatment increased oxygen consumption and biosynthetic function in perfused liver from young rats. After acetyl-L-carnitine treatment, we found detectable 3-oxoacyl-CoA-transferase activity associated with a consumption of ketone bodies in young and old rats. Finally, oxygen consumption measured in homogenate and isolated mitochondria did not change with age and acetyl-L-carnitine treatment. Our results show that in perfused liver, acetyl-L-carnitine treatment slows the age-associated decline in mitochondrial respiration and biosynthetic function. In addition, treatment of young rats with acetyl-L-carnitine has a stimulating effect on liver metabolism, probably through an increase in ATP production.

Acetyl-CoA C-Acyltransferase↗
PubMed2000

The use of in situ haemoglobin-free perfused liver in metabolic-control analysis.

In this study the network of ATP-consuming and -producing reactions, interacting via the cytosolic ATP/ADP+P(i) system, was studied for the first time in an intact organ, the isolated perfused rat liver, using top-down metabolic-control analysis. Flux control in the metabolically resting state (only oxidative phosphorylation and ion pumps active) was only in the ATP-consumers, whereas in the metabolically active state (biosyntheses and ion-pumping ATPases active) most control over oxidative phosphorylation was in itself and some control was in ion-pumping ATPases. All ATP-consumers had high control over themselves, and ion-pumping ATPases had high negative control over the other ATP-consuming branches. Oxidative phosphorylation had high positive control over ATP-consuming reactions except for ion-pumping ATPases. It is concluded that in the active state ATP-consumers compete for cytosolic ATP, but as the ion-pumping ATPases and oxidative phosphorylation are less sensitive towards the cytosolic ATP, other ATP-consumers have low control over these pathways.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1999

Octamer-dimer transitions of mitochondrial creatine kinase in heart disease.

Mitochondrial creatine kinase (Mi-CK) occurs in dimeric and octameric forms, both in vitro and in vivo. The Mi-CK octamer, however, is the predominant form in vivo and is important for various functions of the protein. In the present study we show for the first time a significant decrease of the octamer/dimer ratio in vivo, related to ischemia-induced damage, and a similar decrease of octamer stability in vitro, induced by peroxynitrite (PN) radicals. We used animal models to induce ischemia in two different ways: acute ischemia in intact heart (Langendorff perfusion) and chronic ischemia in vivo (LAD-infarction). In both models, impairment of heart function and mitochondrial energy metabolism was associated with a significant decrease of Mi-CK octamer/dimer ratios and of Mi-CK activities. These findings, together with recent data showing that the formation of PN is induced in ischemia and that Mi-CK is a prime target of peroxynitrite (PN)-induced damage, suggest that oxygen radicals generated during ischemia and reoxygenation could be an important factor for the decreased octamer stability. To test this hypothesis, we studied the effect of PN on pure Mi-CK in vitro, both on dissociation of octamers and reassociation of dimers. At 1 m m PN 66% of Mi-CK octamers dissociated into dimers, whereas octamerization of PN-modified dimers was already completely inhibited at 100 microm PN. Our data indicate that PN-induced damage could be responsible for the octamer-dimer transition of Mi-CK in ischemia. A loss of Mi-CK octamers would impair the channeling of high energy phosphate out of mitochondria and hence heart function in general.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Stimulation of oxygen consumption following addition of lipid substrates in liver and skeletal muscle from rats fed a high-fat diet.

We studied hepatic and skeletal muscle metabolic activity in rats fed a high-fat diet. Rats were fed a low-fat or high-fat diet for 15 days. At the end of the experimental period, full energy-balance determinations together with serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), leptin, and free fatty acid (FFA) measurements were performed. In addition, we assessed fatty acid-stimulated oxygen consumption in perfused liver and in skeletal muscle homogenate. Rats fed a high-fat diet showed a significant increase in energy intake but no variation in body energy gain, due to a significant increase in energy expenditure. Serum FT3 and FFA levels significantly increased in rats fed a high-fat diet versus rats fed a low-fat diet, while no variation was found in serum leptin levels. Perfused livers and skeletal muscle homogenates from rats fed a high-fat diet exhibited a significant increase in fatty acid-stimulated oxygen consumption. Our results suggest that the enhanced fatty acid oxidation rates in liver and skeletal muscle contribute to the maintenance of fat balance in response to increased fat intake, preventing excess fat deposition.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Determination of mitochondrial creatine kinase fluxes in intact heart mitochondria using 31P-saturation transfer nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Forward (-->ATP) and reverse (-->CrP) fluxes through the creatine kinase reaction were determined in isolated rat and bovine heart mitochondria and with soluble MM-CK from rabbit skeletal muscle, using 31P-saturation transfer NMR. With soluble MM-CK forward and reverse fluxes were identical in the absence and presence of BSA or rat liver mitochondria. Addition of liver mitochondria decreased fluxes with increasing mitochondria concentration. The fluxf/Vmax(f) ratio was 0.006 with 10 mg BSA and 0.04 with 10 mg rat liver mitochondria, respectively. With heart mitochondria, fluxr was considerably higher than fluxf and the fluxf/Vmax(f) ratio was 1.7 for rat heart and 0.22 for bovine heart. It is concluded that in the presence of isolated mitochondria, the flux through the creatine kinase is driven by the mitochondrial ATP-ADP turnover. Therefore the fluxf/Vmax(f) ratio is highest for rat heart mitochondria with a high ATP-ADP turnover, intermediate for bovine heart mitochondria and low for MM-CK in the presence of liver mitochondria. It is lowest with MM-CK alone, where the creatine kinase reaction is at equilibrium and external ATP-ADP turnover is absent. The higher reverse than forward fluxes of mitochondrial creatine kinase determined at steady state by saturation transfer NMR, are caused mainly by a high ATP<-->Pi exchange in heart mitochondria preparations, having a high ATPase activity, compared to liver mitochondria.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1998

Control of oxidative phosphorylation, gluconeogenesis, ureagenesis and ATP turnover in isolated perfused rat liver analyzed by top-down metabolic control analysis.

We have analyzed the control exerted by the pathways of oxidative phosphorylation, gluconeogenesis, ureagenesis, and maintenance ATP consumption over each other's rates in isolated, perfused rat liver using top-down metabolic control analysis. The livers from fasted rats were perfused with 3-hydroxybutyrate as respiratory substrate, lactate as substrate for gluconeogenesis, and ammonium as substrate for urea synthesis, in conditions where these pathways were only linked by their common intermediates: ATP, ADP, and Pi. The rates of oxygen consumption, glucose and urea synthesis were measured continuously. The pathways were perturbed either by adding specific inhibitors or by adding new pathways that consumed ATP, and the relative changes in pathway rates were used to calculate the flux control coefficients of each pathway over all pathway rates. When the liver was in a relatively inactive metabolic state, where ATP was only being used by the maintenance ATP-consuming pathways, then essentially all the control over ATP production and consumption was located in the maintenance ATP consumers with ATP production having no control. Whereas, when the liver was in a highly active state using extra ATP for both glucose and urea synthesis, then ATP production (from oxidative phosphorylation) had strong control over its own rate and the rates of glucose and urea synthesis, but gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis still had strong control over their own rates and negative control over each others rates, i.e. they competed for the limited ATP supply. The rate of the maintenance ATP consumers is remarkably insensitive to changes in ATP production and consumption, but exerts considerable control over all other pathways. These results indicate that the general assumption that the rates of ATP production and consumption are controlled exclusively by ATP consumers is false under conditions where a significant amount of ATP is used for biosynthetic processes, such as glucose and urea synthesis, and indicate that the latter processes may be partly controlled by regulators of ATP production and by other ATP-consuming pathways.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗
PubMed1998

Oxygen consumption and biosynthetic function in perfused liver from rats at different stages of development.

Changes in mitochondrial function were studied in perfused liver from rats aged 24-365 days. Oxygen consumption together with the rates of gluconeogenesis, urea synthesis and ketogenesis were determined. Basal mitochondrial respiration as well as the ability of the liver to synthesize glucose, urea and ketone bodies declined from 24- to 365-day-old rats. On the other hand, on transition from 24 to 60 days the liver oxidation rate of hexanoate, sorbitol and glycerol is enhanced, but not of ketone bodies or palmitate. Our results show that the transition from weaning to middle age is accompanied by defined changes in hepatic substrate oxidation. From the observed time course of the decrease in basal and substrate-stimulated oxygen consumption, it is concluded that in rat liver cells a decline in respiratory chain function, long-chain fatty acid and ketone body metabolism, gluconeogenesis and ureogenesis occurs at a relatively early life stage.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

Steady state changes in mitochondrial electrical potential and proton gradient in perfused liver from rats fed a high fat diet.

In this work the protonmotive force (delta p), as well as the subcellular distribution of malate, ATP, and ADP were determined in perfused liver from rats fed a low fat or high fat diet, using density gradient fractionation in non aqueous solvents. Rats fed a high fat diet, despite an enhanced hepatic oxygen consumption, exhibit similar delta p to that found in rats fed a low fat diet, but when we consider the two components of delta p, we find a significant decrease in mitochondrial/cytosolic pH difference (delta pH(m)) and a significant increase in mitochondrial membrane potential (delta psi(m)) in rats fed a high fat diet compared to rats fed a low fat diet, which tend to compensate each other. In rats fed a high fat diet the concentration ratio of malate and ATP/ADP does not reflect the changes in delta pH(m) and delta psi(m), which represent the respective driving force for their transport. The findings are in line with an increase in substrate supply to the respiratory chain which is, however, accompanied by a higher energy turnover in livers from HFD rats. By this way the liver could contribute to the lack of weight gain from the high caloric intake in HFD rats.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1997

Uptake of creatine phosphate into heart mitochondria: a leak in the creatine shuttle.

CrP uptake into isolated rat heart mitochondria was studied using silicone oil centrifugation. Further, the involvement of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase was examined by measuring CrP accumulation in mitochondria in the presence of substrates and inhibitors of the ATP/ADP-carrier and by investigating uptake kinetics in liposomes reconstituted with purified bovine heart adenine nucleotide translocase protein. CrP is accumulated in the matrix space of isolated rat heart mitochondria and mitoplasts. The uptake is inhibited by carboxyatractyloside, a specific inhibitor of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase, and by ADP, phosphoenolpyruvate, 3-phosphoglycerate and pyrophosphate, compounds which are able to bind to the carrier. It is not inhibited when the mitochondrial membrane potential is decreased. CrP is transported into reconstituted liposomes at a rate which is about 3 orders of magnitude lower than the rate for ATP uptake. The transport is sensitive to temperature change and to carboxyatractyloside. It is concluded that CrP is specifically taken up by heart mitochondria via the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase. The transport in mitochondria in situ is facilitated by the close local and functional interaction of the mitochondrial creatine kinase and the adenine nucleotide translocase within contact sites between inner and outer mitochondrial membrane. A certain amount of CrP synthesized by the mitochondrial creatine kinase thus escapes its usage at cytosolic energy consuming processes.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1995

The content of glutathione and glutathione S-transferases and the glutathione peroxidase activity in rat liver nuclei determined by a non-aqueous technique of cell fractionation.

Hepatocellular nuclei require glutathione, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPx) for intranuclear protection against damage from electrophiles or products of active oxygen. Data so far available from the literature on nuclei isolated in aqueous systems range from glutathione, GSTs and GPx either being absent altogether to being present in quantities in excess of those in the cytoplasm. This paper describes a small-scale preparation of a nuclear fraction from rat liver by a non-aqueous technique, designed to retain nuclear water-soluble molecules in situ, since low-molecular-mass compounds can diffuse freely into other compartments during aqueous separation. This non-aqueous procedure shows the nucleus to contain glutathione at 8.4 mM and soluble GSTs at 38 micrograms/mg of protein, the enrichment over the homogenate being 1.2-1.4-fold. Se-dependent GPx activity was also present in the nucleus (56 m-units/mg), although with slightly lower activity than in the homogenate (0.7-fold).

Animals↗
PubMed1995

In vitro determination of creatine kinase substrate fluxes using 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance.

Forward (kf) and reverse (kr) rate constants and the corresponding flux rates of the creatine kinase catalysed reaction between creatine phosphate (CrP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP); CrP + ADP<-->kf kr ATP + Cr were measured in vitro at 295 K. Both rate constants were determined using magnetic resonance saturation transfer techniques. To study the dependence of kr and kf on the creatine kinase concentration, the creatine kinase activity was varied from 2400 to 75 U.ml-1. At equilibrium and high creatine kinase activities, the forward to reverse flux rate ratios are close to 1. A dispersion in the reaction rate constants was observed at activities < or = 600 U.ml-1. We measured kr > kf for all enzyme activities below 600 U.ml-1. This observation could partially be explained by the presence of ATPase contamination in the enzyme. These findings are relevant for the in vivo studies of creatine kinase activity in the presence of multi-site phosphate exchange in cellular ATP-pools. As mitochondrial creatine kinase is not in equilibrium these results are also of interest in this area.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Regulation of energy metabolism in liver.

Energy metabolism in liver has to cope with the special tasks of this organ in intermediary metabolism. Main ATP-generating processes in the liver cell are the respiratory chain and glycolysis, whereas main ATP-consuming processes are gluconeogenesis, urea synthesis, protein synthesis, ATPases and mitochondrial proton leak. Mitochondrial respiratory chain in the intact liver cell is subject to control mainly by substrate (hydrogen donors, ADP, oxygen) transport and supply and proton leak/slip. Whereas hormonal control is mainly on substrate supply to mitochondria, proton leak/slip is supposed to play an important role in the modulation of the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1995

cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of cytokeratin in hepatic inner mitochondrial membrane.

The phosphorylation pattern in mitochondrial fractions isolated from hepatocytes, preincubated with 32P-phosphate and stimulated with glucagon and calcium mobilizing hormones, was studied. Only in mitochondria from glucagon treated hepatocytes two phosphorylated protein bands were observed, one with a molecular weight (MW) of 54 kDa in the outer membrane fraction which, according to the literature, is suggested to represent protein kinase A; one with a MW of 20 kDa in the inner membrane fraction which has not been described earlier. Electroelution and digestion of the 20 kDa protein band yielded two tryptic peptides which were identified as fragments homologous to human cytokeratin type II (the sequence of rat cytokeratin type II is not known). From the amino acid composition and sequence, and from the known structure of type II cytokeratins, it is concluded that the 20 kDa phosphoprotein is composed of amino- and carboxylterminal proteolytic fragments of rat cytokeratin C8 which are tightly anchored in the inner mitochondrial membrane. The physiological significance of the possible interaction of cytoskeletal proteins with the mitochondrial inner membrane and its hormonal regulation are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Catabolism of 5-aminolevulinic acid to CO2 by rat liver mitochondria.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), the heme precursor accumulated in plasma and several organs of carriers of acute intermittent porphyria, hereditary tyrosinemia, and saturnism, was previously shown to yield reactive oxygen species upon metal-catalyzed aerobic oxidation and to cause the in vivo and in vitro impairment of rat liver mitochondrial functions. We have studied the uptake and catabolism of [5-14C]ALA to CO2 by isolated rat liver mitochondria (RLM) with the aim of determining whether possible ALA-driven oxidative injury to mitochondria can also occur into the matrix. Using silicone oil centrifugation of [5-14C]ALA-treated RLM, ALA was found to partition evenly into the intra- and extramatrix space of the mitochondrial preparations. The yield of evolved 14CO2 is very low (0.2%), responds to the concentration of added ADP, and is inhibited by malonate (75% at 2 mM), iproniazid (45% at 2 mM), beta-chloroalanine (36% at 1 mM), and aminooxyacetate (55% at 0.1 mM). With both iproniazid and aminooxyacetate, the percentage of inhibition is the same as that observed with the latter inhibitor alone. These data indicate that ALA decarboxylation by the Krebs cycle is a minor process and that it is initiated enzymically (transaminase) and not by metal-catalyzed ALA autoxidation.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗
PubMed1993

Long-term and short-term changes in mitochondrial parameters by thyroid hormones.

In the hyperthyroid state, delta psi m, delta pHm and therefore delta p are increased in rat liver. An enhanced delta p accords with a higher energy output. The subcellular distribution of adenine nucleotides in different thyroid states does not reflect the driving force for mitochondrial adenine-nucleotide translocase (that is delta psi m). Therefore, a change in delta psi m cannot be solely responsible for the postulated stimulation of adenine-nucleotide transport by THs. This is also the case for the changes in delta pHm, and in the subcellular distribution of malate, 2-oxoglutarate and glutamate, that are observed under the influence of THs. T3 induces calcium influx into the liver cell within minutes. It increases respiration and gluconeogenesis with the same kinetics. Therefore, it is suggested that, as with glucagon and vasopressin, calcium is the mediator of these changes. The delta p is increased with T3 and glucagon treatment but not with vasopressin. The changes in delta psi m and delta pHm appear to be the result of the individual actions of these hormones on ATP-consuming and ATP-producing reactions. The delta psi p is only increased with T3 treatment. This is related to the different mechanisms of enhancing intracellular calcium that are used by vasopressin, glucagon and T3.

Animals↗