Biomedical subjects

T Kappel

Publications and source records attributed to T Kappel.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Gangliosides affect membrane-channel activities dependent on ambient temperature.

1. The functional properties of biological membranes depend on their molecular composition. In regard to this, charged glycosphingolipids play an outstanding role in the functional adaptation of membranes to different temperatures. 2. In order to shed some light on the respective functional properties of complex membraneous glycosphingolipids, the effects of altered temperatures (5-40 degrees C) on planar lipid bilayers made from diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and alamethicin as an ion channel was analyzed in the presence of either a sialoglycosphingolipid (less polar disialoganglioside GD1a or highly polar tetrasialoganglioside GQ1b) or phosphatidylserine (PS; as control). 3. Different to the control bilayers made from DPPC or DPPC + PS, the bilayers containing gangliosides had specific maxima in alamethicin conductance and stabile life times. Changes in pore-state conductances indicate structural effects based on an interaction of the large (negatively charged) ganglioside headgroups with the alamethicin pores. 4. The results concerning open time and closed time of channels seem to be based on the gangliosides changing the viscosity of the bilayer and possibly introducing phase transitions. 5. Thus, the findings suggest that gangliosides (1) directly affect channel molecules via their headgroups and (2) may additionally affect the fluidity of membranes in order to maintain membrane homeoviscosity in areas surrounding ion channels independent from the environmental temperature. 6. The effects of gangliosides may be of special interest in describing the ability of neuronal adaptation of vertebrates to temperature and more general regarding the functional adaptation of neurons.

Alamethicin↗

PubMed1999

The asymmetrical growth of otoliths in fish is affected by hypergravity.

Size and asymmetry (size difference between the left and the right side) of inner ear otoliths of larval cichlid fish were determined after a long-term stay at moderate hypergravity conditions (3g; centrifuge), in the course of which the animals completed their ontogenetic development from hatch to freely swimming. Both the normal morphogenetic development as well as the timely onset and gain of performance of the swimming behaviour was not impaired by the experimental conditions. However, both utricular and saccular otoliths (lapilli and sagittae, respectively) were significantly smaller after hyper-g exposure as compared to parallely raised 1g control specimens. The asymmetry of sagittae was significantly increased in the experimental animals, whereas the respective asymmetry con-cerning lapilli was pronouncedly decreased in comparison to the 1g controls. These findings suggest, that the growth and the development of bilateral asymmetry of otoliths is guided by the environmental gravity vector.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Differential involvement of gangliosides versus phospholipids in the process of temperature adaptation in vertebrates. A comparative phenomenological and physicochemical study.

The data presented support the idea that gangliosides are involved in thermal adaptation of neuronal membranes. Brain ganglioside patterns from cold-blooded vertebrate species living in different climates and from mammals during ontogenetical or seasonal changes in their body temperature were compared. The general rule "the lower the environmental temperature the more polar is the composition of brain gangliosides" as derived from these data was confirmed by the changes in ganglioside patterns evoked by experimentally induced cold acclimation of fish. To assess whether gangliosides are able to modulate the temperature-dependent properties of membranes, artificial mono- and bilayer membrane model systems were used. Incorporation of gangliosides in the model bilayer membranes evoked drastic changes in the dynamics of a peptide channel, suggesting that gangliosides are able to modulate basic membrane properties. In addition, data on thermosensitivity of ganglioside-calcium interactions and on surface behavior of gangliosides in monolayers are reviewed.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1998

Morphometry of fish inner ear otoliths after development at 3g hypergravity.

Size and asymmetry (size difference between the left and right sides) of inner ear otoliths of larval cichlid fish were determined after a long-term stay in moderate hypergravity conditions (3g; centrifuge), in the course of which the animals completed their ontogenetic development from hatch to freely swimming. Neither the normal morphogenetic development nor the timely onset and gain of performance of swimming behaviour were impaired by the experimental conditions. However, both utricular and saccular otoliths (lapilli and sagittae, respectively) were significantly smaller after hyper-g exposure compared to 1g control specimens raised in parallel. The asymmetry of sagittae was significantly increased in the experimental animals, whereas the respective asymmetry of lapilli was pronouncedly decreased compared with the 1g controls. These findings suggest that growth and development of bilateral asymmetry of otoliths are guided by the environmental gravity vector. Some of the hyper-g animals revealed a kinetotic behaviour on transfer to normal 1g earth conditions, which was similar to the behaviour observed in previous experiments on the transfer from 1g to microgravity (parabolic aircraft flights). The lapillar asymmetry of kinetotic samples was found to be significantly higher than that of normally behaving experimental specimens. No differences in asymmetry of sagittae were obtained between the two groups. This supports an earlier theoretical concept, according to which human static space sickness might be based on asymmetric utricular otoliths.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Fine-needle aspiration of epithelioid sarcoma.

The cytologic appearance of epithelioid sarcoma in fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has not been extensively described. The authors report the cytologic findings in one case that metastasized to a lymph node. The cells are characterized by irregular nuclei, nuclear folds, macronucleoli, and a high nucleus-cytoplasm ratio. The cells vary in shape and occur singly and in clusters where intercellular spaces are uncommon. The findings allow the diagnosis of malignancy but are nonspecific. History, immunocytochemistry, and tissue cores are helpful in the differential diagnosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Variability in brain ganglioside content and composition of endothermic mammals, heterothermic hibernators and ectothermic fishes.

Content and composition of brain gangliosides were compared among endothermic mammals, heterothermic hibernators and ectothermic fishes from habitats with extreme ambient temperatures (tropic vs. antarctic waters). In general the content of brain gangliosides in fishes is significantly lower and exhibits a greater variability than in mammals. The composition of brain gangliosides was investigated using both one- and two-dimensional High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). Both techniques showed a remarkable increase in the number of individual ganglioside fractions and an additional increase of higher polar fractions in fishes as compared with mammals. The 2D-HPTLC revealed a significant decrease in the relative proportion of alkali-labile gangliosides in the course of evolution from fish to mammals. Moreover this decrease in alkali-lability is correlated with the state of thermal adaptation (antarctic fishes, 53-66%; tropical cichlid fish, 35%). These results provide additional evidence for the notion that the extremely high polarity of brain gangliosides, especially of cold-blooded vertebrates, reflects a very efficient mechanism on the molecular level to keep the neuronal membrane functional under low temperature conditions.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1993

Orientation of small specimens for cryosectioning.

A simple technique is introduced to achieve symmetrically oriented frozen sections of small specimens such as young fish or frog larvae. Small samples are especially difficult to orient if they are already frozen to the chuck in a freezing microtome. Orientation of the sample in a mold filled with embedding medium prior to freezing permits sectioning as well as easy labeling and storage of the specimens. The use of a stereo microscope during orientation is optional.

Animals↗