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Biomedical subjects

W B Elliott

Publications and source records attributed to W B Elliott.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1983

The Hospital Capitation Payment Project: new incentives and tools for cost containment.

Blue Cross of North Dakota, Blue Cross of Massachusetts, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, along with 10 hospitals, developed and implemented the Hospital Capitation Payment Project as a novel approach for containing escalating hospital costs. The hospital is paid a prospective, fixed amount for each person covered; in exchange, it assumes responsibility to provide or pay for all covered services needed by that individual. This responsibility extends to payment for covered care provided by other hospitals. The new tools and incentives created by the program, notably an innovative management information system, are designed to help hospitals better manage the health care needs and related costs of a defined population.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans↗
PubMed1980

Observations on the oxidoreduction of the two cytochromes b in cytochrome c-deficient mitochondria and submitochondrial particles.

1. In cytochrome c depleted mitochondria cytochrome bT is reduced rapidly upon addition of ATP or slowly during state 4 respiration, but cytochrome bK is effectively reduced in such mitochondira respiring upon glutamate plus malate in all energy states. In mitochondria or in submitochondrial particles oxidized NADH or succinate, cytochromes bK and bT were always reduced and oxidized independently. 2. Difference spectra for the two b cytochromes were obtained in the presence of respiratory chain inhibitors. Reduced cytochrome bK in the presence of cyanide can be reoxidized by CoQ2. Cytochrome bT reduced in the presence of antimycin can be reoxidized by O2 if rotenone is added to an NADH-reduced sysem or malonate to a succinate-reduced system. There is no evidence for electron transfer between the two b cytochromes. 3. It is suggested that there is no electron transfer from cytochrome bT to cytochrome bK, but that a cytochrome bKbT dimer accepts electrons from the CoQ pool jointly with cytochrome c1 and another acceptor, perhaps the FeS centre. The major steady state species is b2K+b3T+, and a Q-loop occurs with reduction of CoQ by the fully reduced species b2K+b2T+. All proposed interactions between CoQ and Complex III are 2-electron processes and the change from 2-electrons to 1-electron transfer occurs within Complex III itself.

Antimycin A↗
PubMed1980

Inhibition of electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation in plant mitochondria by gladiolic acid and structurally-related aromatic ortho dialdehydes.

Gladiolic acid (GA, 4-methoxy-5-methyl-0-phthalaldehyde-3-carboxylic acid), an antifungal aromatic ortho dialdehyde produced by Penicillium gladioli was found to be a potent inhibitor of electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation reactions in sweet potato and mung bean mitochondria. Similar results were also found with the naturally occurring ortho dialdehydes, cyclopaldic acid, quadrilineatin, and flavipin as well as the synthetic dialdehydes, 3-formyl opianic acid and 0-phthalaldehyde. Because of their highly reactive ortho-diformyl grouping, GA and structurally related dialdehydes apparently act as multisite inhibitors affecting electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation (at each coupling site). Gladiolic acid has no uncoupling effect like 2,4-dinitrophenol and does not have the same point of interaction in the energy transfer process as oligomycin. Several "partial" reactions of phosphorylation (Mg+2-DNP-stimulated ATPase; ATP-Pi exchange) were strongly inhibited by the various dialdehydes. Flavipin and quadrilineatin are potent inhibitors (80% at a concentration of 25 microM) of site III phosphorylation. Gladiolic acid and related ortho dialdehydes inactivate the catalytic activity of native cytochrome c in vitro. Lysyl epsilon-NH2 rich cytochrome c may be a major site of GA action in the intact mitochondrion. In view of the high chemical reactivity of the orthodiformyl group, it is suggested that mitochondrial function may be affected by aromatic ortho dialdehydes through a combination of reactions involving cross-linking of amino groups on membrane polypeptides and monofunctional reaction with free amino groups important for enzyme function, including epsilon-NH2 groups on cytochrome c. Cross-linking in mitochondrial membrane systems might affect function by interfering with molecular motion in the operation of the terminal portion of the electron-transport chain. The primary toxicological mode of action of GA and related dialdehydes appears to be due to inhibition of mitochondrial function.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1979

Immunologic and biochemical evaluation of the potency of whole insect body extracts.

Recent studies have indicated that currently available whole body extracts have little potency and are ineffective for diagnosis and treatment of stinging insect allergy. Pure venom is a potent effective allergen but is difficult to obtain in sufficient quantities from all Hymenoptera species. In these studies, an attempt was made to prepare a potent whole body extract. Whole bee body extracts were prepared with different extraction periods and at cold and room temperatures. Potency was examined biochemically by measurements of phospholipase A (PLA) activity and immunologically by PLA and bee venom radioallergosorbent test (RAST) inhibition experiments and gel diffusion studies with the use of rabbit antisera. All extracts prepared in the laboratory had some potency, indicating that it is possible to make a whole body extract containing small quantities of PLA or bee venom. However, the potency of these extracts was minimal as compared with bee venom. Three commercial extracts were almost devoid of detectable immunologic activity. While further attempts may be made to prepare a potent whole body insect extract, these results suggest that it is necessary to obtain venom in relatively pure form for the diagnosis and treatment of stinging insect allergy.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Mitochondrial antibodies--heterogeneity and effects on mitochondrial respiration.

Sera containing antimitochondrial antibodies (MTA) were tested for binding to intact mitochondria, sonic fragments (SMP), Complex I + III and to oligomycin sensitive ATPase (OS-ATPase) from bovine heart by indirect immunofluorescence. Antigens capable of binding to MTA were present in mitochondria and its fragments tested. Maximum binding was observed with SMP. It appears that one or more antigen binding sites are present on the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane or some location exterior to the inner membrane. Normal human serum or sera containing MTA did not effect the respiration of intact mitochondria or sonic particles. However, NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity of complex I + III was enhanced by 10-60% by sera containing MTA antibodies.

Absorption↗
PubMed1976

Evidence for the presence of di- and triphospho pyridine nucleotide dehydrogenase derivatives as consistent contaminants of purified beef heart cytochrome-c oxidase.

Purified beef heart cytochrome-c oxidase preparations derived by three different laboratories contain NADH-K3 Fe (CN)6, NADH-nitrobluetetrazolium, and NADPH-nitrobluetetrazolium reductases. This is true of preparations exhibiting heme aa3 to protein ratios considered indicative of an excellent purity. An apparent association of cytochrome-c oxidase and one or more of the contaminants persists through immunodiffusion and nondenaturing electrophoresis and, in addition, in one instance copurification of NADH-K3Fe(CN)6 reductase and cytochrome-c oxidase to a constant ratio of specific activities was demonstrated. Cytochrome-c oxidase can be freed of the contaminants by equilibration with an NAD+-affinity matrix. As aconcomitant of equilibration with the matrix, the KM of cytochrome-c oxidase for ferrocytochrome-c is invariably decreased. Rat constants at low ferrocytochrome-c concentrations are consistently enhanced in all oxidase preparations upon equilibration with the NAD+ matrix. However, the effects of such equilibrations on the extrapolated Vmax varies from one preparation to another. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in SDS-urea systems establishes that each of the preparations contains a minimum of three contaminants, each of an apparent formula weight of greater than 40,000 Daltons. NADH-NBT reductase was found to have a formula weight of approximately 46,000 Daltons. Their properties establish that NADH-K3Fe(CN)6 and NADH-NBT reductases are separate proteins; the separate identity of NADPH-NBT reductase has not yet been determined.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Immunologic comparison of phospholipases A present in Hymenoptera insect venoms.

A comparative study was made of the effect of anti-bee venom phospholipase A2 serum and anti-bald face hornet venom serum on the activity of phospholipase A2 present in yellow hornet, yellow jacket, bald face hornet, and honeybee venoms. Activity of phospholipase A2 present in the venoms was measured titrimetrically using egg yolk dispersion as the substrate. Antiserum against pure bee venom phospholipase A2 activity completely suppressed bee venom phospholipase A2 activity but failed to inhibit phospholipase A2 activity in yellow jacket, yellow hornet, and bald face hornet venoms. Anti-bald face hornet venom serum suppressed the activity of phospholipase A2 present in the four insect venoms with the inhibitory effect decreasing in the order: bald face hornet greater than yellow hornet greater than yellow jacket greater than honeybee. A combination of immunoelectrophoresis and immunodiffusion techniques gave indication of common antigenic sites in a component of yellow hornet venom and a component of bald face hornet venom. The results suggest that IgG antibodies against pure bee venom phospholipase A2 may not give any protection against the reaction(s) due to the phospholipase A2 in yellow hornet, yellow jacket, and bald face hornet venoms, while antibodies against bald face hornet venom phospholipase A2 may give some cross-protection.

Animals↗