PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

V Marks

Publications and source records attributed to V Marks.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of staphylococcal protein A (SpA) present as a trace contaminant of murine immunoglobulins purified on immobilized protein A.

A specific non-competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed for detecting and quantifying protein A (SpA), present as a trace contaminant of therapeutic murine monoclonal antibodies (McAb) purified on immobilized SpA preparations. The assay employs a microtitration plate system, in which affinity-selected chicken anti-SpA antibodies from the egg yolks of immunized hens provide a specific capture antibody, followed by the addition of standards or sample with a McAb concentration of 1 mg/ml, in conditions unfavourable for Fc binding, and finally an affinity-selected rabbit anti-SpA peroxidase label. The working range of this assay is between 0.5 and 10.0 ng/ml (CV less than 5%), with a lower limit of detection of 0.2 ng/ml (CV less than 10%). This assay was used to evaluate SpA leakage when purifying a serum-free murine IgG1 cell culture supernatant using SpA immobilized on agarose (Protein A-Sepharose CL-4B) or controlled pore glass (Prosep A, high capacity). These gave average antibody SpA contamination levels of 6.7 +/- 1.6 and 2.4 +/- 0.5 (mean +/- SD) parts per million respectively.

Animals

Alleviation of non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia by growth hormone therapy is associated with changes in IGF binding protein-3.

The hypoglycaemia caused by non-islet cell tumours is often associated with an increase in plasma insulin-like activity. In many cases there is a relative if not always absolute increase in plasma insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II). Growth hormone (GH) secretion is almost invariably depressed as is the plasma insulin response to oral glucose. Despite the high concentration of IGFs (i.e. IGF-I and IGF-II) normally found in the plasma of healthy people their potential hypoglycaemic effect is not manifest due to the tightness with which they are bound to specific binding proteins (IGFBPs). Plasma levels of the major binding protein (IGFBP-3), which is GH-dependent, were depressed in three patients with tumour induced hypoglycaemia. Treatment with biosynthetic GH restored IGFBP-3 to levels which were approximately equimolar to total plasma IGF concentrations, alleviated the hypoglycaemia and restored the plasma insulin responses to oral glucose. We suggest that after GH treatment IGF-II is sequestered by stimulated IGFBP-3 in association with a pre-existing acid-labile subunit to form high molecular weight complexes which prevent IGF-II gaining access to tissues receptors through which it exerts its hypoglycaemic effects.

Aged

Stick testing.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Chemistry, Clinical

Hypoglycaemia associated with anorexia nervosa.

A 41 year old woman with severe emaciation due to longstanding anorexia nervosa presented with recurrent hypoglycaemia. During an episode of hypoglycaemia, serum insulin and C peptide were undetectable and plasma beta hydroxybutyrate, free fatty acids and lactate were inappropriately low. Response to intravenous glucagon was poor. Muscle enzymes were grossly elevated until she gained weight. Hypoglycaemia was abolished by weight gain.

Adult

Effect of the entero-pancreatic hormones, gastric inhibitory polypeptide and glucagon-like polypeptide-1(7-36) amide, on fatty acid synthesis in explants of rat adipose tissue.

The effect of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-1(7-36) amide, (GLP-1(7-36) amide), glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), glucagon and insulin on fatty acid synthesis in explants of rat adipose tissue from various sites was investigated. GIP, GLP-1(7-36) amide and insulin stimulated fatty acid synthesis, as determined by measuring the incorporation of [14C]acetate into saponifiable fat, in a dose-dependent manner, over the concentration range 5-15 ng/ml (0.87-2.61 nmol/l) for insulin and 0.5-7.5 ng/ml for GIP (0.10-1.50 nmol/l) and GLP-1(7-36) amide (0.15-2.27 nmol/l). Insulin and GIP caused a significantly greater stimulation of [14C]acetate incorporation into fatty acids in omental adipose tissue than in either epididymal or subcutaneous adipose tissue. Both GIP and GLP-1(7-36) amide had the ability to stimulate fatty acid synthesis within the physiological range of the circulating hormones. At lower concentrations of the hormones, GLP-1(7-36) amide was a more potent stimulator of fatty acid synthesis than GIP in omental adipose tissue culture; the basal rate of fatty acid synthesis was 0.41 +/- 0.03 pmol acetate incorporated/mg wet weight tissue per 2 h; at 0.10 nmol hormone/1 1.15 +/- 0.10 and 3.40 +/- 0.12 pmol acetate incorporated/mg wet weight tissue per 2 h for GIP and GLP-1(7-36) amide respectively (P less than 0.01). GLP-2 and glucagon were without effect on fatty acid synthesis in omental adipose tissue. The study indicates that GIP and GLP-1(7-36)amide, in addition to stimulating insulin secretion, may play a direct physiological role in vivo, in common with insulin, in promoting fatty acid synthesis in adipose tissue.

Adipose Tissue

On the reactions of superoxide with keto enols, aci-reductones and ascorbic acid derivatives.

The superoxide-mediated base catalyzed autoxidation of alpha-oxo enols is initiated by the deprotonation of the labile hydroxyl group. Thus, the reaction of O2-. (generated from KO2/crown ether in aprotic media) with 3-hydroxycoumarin (1), followed by a CH3I-workup, generates products 2-4 via a deprotonation-oxidation sequence complicated by a competing saponification of the lactone linkage. The related coumarin reductone (alpha-oxo enediol) 8 is rapidly oxidized by O2-., HO- and t-butoxide to the corresponding triketone, which in turn undergoes further oxidation and rearrangement ultimately yielding (upon methyl iodide workup) products 9-14. When the O2-. mediated oxidation is carried out under argon in completely degassed solutions, large amounts (greater than 20%) of monodeprotonation product (detected as 9) accumulate. These results are discussed in light of the differing mechanisms proposed by Sawyer and Afanas'ev for the interaction of O2-. with the reductone ascorbic acid.

Alcohols

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for caffeine.

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay suitable for the measurement of caffeine in plasma and serum has been developed. Sheep immunised with an immunogen prepared by coupling 7-(5-carboxypentyl)1,3-dimethylxanthine to egg albumin produced antibodies with little crossreactivity with the metabolites of caffeine. The enzyme label was prepared by coupling 7-(5-carboxypentyl)-1,3-dimethylxanthine to peroxidase using the mixed anhydride method. The assay, which has a sensitivity of 0.01 mumol/l, permits direct measurement of caffeine in plasma and serum samples. 50 plasma samples measured by ELISA and by an established radioimmunoassay showed a correlation of r = 0.97 (P less than 0.001).

Caffeine

The effect of synthetic very low calorie diets on the GH-IGF-1 axis in obese subjects.

IGF-1 concentrations were measured in plasma from 20 obese patients and 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects all of whom were fasting. Plasma IGF-1 concentrations were lower (p less than 0.05) in the obese individuals than in the controls. Plasma GH and insulin responses to stimulation with oral glucose were measured in 7 healthy normal weight individuals and both before and after energy restriction in 7 obese individuals. Before treatment the obese individuals were hyperinsulinaemic (fasting and integrated stimulated concentrations p less than 0.05) and showed attenuation of the plasma GH response to stimulation (peak and integrated stimulated values p less than 0.05 and less than 0.005, respectively) following oral glucose when compared to normal weight controls. Plasma insulin levels fell (both fasting and integrated concentrations p less than 0.05 and less than 0.005, respectively) and stimulated plasma GH responses increased (both peak and integrated values p less than 0.01 and less than 0.05, respectively) in the obese individuals following 3 wk treatment with a synthetic very low energy diet. Plasma IGF-1 concentrations remained unchanged during energy restriction. These results fail to support an endocrine IGF-1 mediated feedback inhibition on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis as the cause of the attenuated release of GH in obesity.

Adult

The effect of soluble- and insoluble-fibre supplementation on post-prandial glucose tolerance, insulin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide secretion in healthy subjects.

Six healthy non-obese male subjects were given three test meals containing 100 g carbohydrate and 1.5 g soluble paracetamol, supplemented on one occasion with 10 g guar gum and on another with 10 g sugarbeet fiber. A further six subjects were given the same test meal supplemented on one occasion with 10 g soya-bean-cotyledon fibre and on another, 5 g glucomannan. Venous blood samples were taken before, and at intervals for 180 min following the meal, and analysed for insulin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and paracetamol (as an index of gastric emptying). Arterialized blood samples were taken and analysed for glucose. Meal supplementation with both guar gum and sugar-beet fibre improved glucose tolerance, but circulating glucose levels were unaffected by the addition of either soya-bean-cotyledon fibre or glucomannan to the meals. Supplementation with guar gum and glucomannan lowered post-prandial insulin levels. Insulin levels were enhanced by addition of soya-bean-cotyledon fibre to the meal and unaffected by sugar-beet fibre. Post-prandial GIP levels were lowered in the guar-gum-supplemented meal and augmented with sugar-beet fibre supplementation. Addition of glucomannan and soya-bean-cotyledon fibre did not affect circulating GIP levels. The study failed to confirm previous reports of improved glucose tolerance following glucomannan and soya-bean-cotyledon fibre supplementation. The failure of sugar-beet fibre to reduce post-prandial insulin secretion despite improved glucose tolerance may be due to the observed increased secretion of GIP. The increased insulin levels seen following soya-bean-cotyledon fibre supplementation cannot be attributed either to changes in glucose tolerance, GIP secretion or gastric emptying.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetaminophen