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W C Owen

Publications and source records attributed to W C Owen.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Expression of the human placental folate receptor transcript is regulated in human tissues. Organization and full nucleotide sequence of the gene.

The primary structures of the human KB cell (FR-KB1) folate receptor (FR) and of a human placental (FR-P2) FR, proteins important in cellular accumulation of folates, have been deduced from cDNA sequences. Herein, we report a novel human FR cDNA (FR-P3) isolated from a placental library and the chromosomal organization of the human FR-P3 gene. Compared to the FR-P2 cDNA, the composite 1084 base-pair (bp) FR-P3 cDNA is homologous, but contains a unique 5' terminus and sequence differences within the open reading frame (ORF) and at the exon I-II junction. Polymerase chain reaction and RNase protection assays demonstrate that the FR-P3 cDNA represents the major transcript, and suggest that the FR-P2 cDNA is encoded by an independent FR gene. The nucleotide sequences of two non-overlapping human genomic clones contain the FR-P3 gene, which spans 5148 bp, is composed of five exons, and is polymorphic relative to 5' restriction sites. The transcript size (1084 bp) predicted from structural analysis of the FR-P3 gene correlates with the size (1100 bp) determined by Northern blots. Based on RNase protection assays, both FR-P3 and FR-KB1 transcripts are expressed in human fetal and adult tissues, and the abundance of each transcript varies among the tissues studied. These results indicate that the FR transcripts are products of independent, conserved genes; that neither FR gene is preferentially expressed during fetal development; and that specific FR transcripts are differentially expressed in human tissues, suggesting that transcription of each FR gene is regulated independently. The isolation of the FR-P3 gene will permit functional analysis of the cis and trans regulatory elements of the FR-P3 gene and the mechanisms involved in tissue-specific FR gene expression.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Lack of association between neutropenia and the incidence of bacteremia associated with indwelling central venous catheters in febrile pediatric cancer patients.

To assess the incidence of bacteremia in pediatric cancer patients with indwelling central venous catheters with fever, we reviewed the records of all 67 such patients sequentially admitted during a 10-month period at our institution. There were a total of 140 episodes of fever in these 67 patients. In 55 of the episodes (39%) patients were nonneutropenic (absolute neutrophil count, greater than 500/mm3); 85 episodes (61%) were associated with neutropenia. Twenty-four percent of all episodes of fever in nonneutropenic patients were related to bacteremia vs. 9.5% of episodes of fever in the presence of neutropenia (P less than 0.05). When clinical evidence of an exit site infection was absent, the incidence of bacteremia in the neutropenic and nonneutropenic groups was similar (11% in the neutropenic group; 10% in the nonneutropenic group). We conclude that bacteremia is frequently observed in febrile pediatric cancer patients with indwelling venous catheters who are not neutropenic, particularly if there is clinical evidence of an exit site infection. Thus empiric antibiotic therapy is warranted in all pediatric oncology patients with indwelling catheters who develop fever.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1971

Ethanol-induced hyperlacticacidemia: inhibition of lactate utilization.

The effects of oral ethanol administration on blood glucose and lactate concentrations, lactate inflow and outflow rates, and lactate incorporation into glucose were investigated in eight human volunteers. Lactate incorporation into glucose, lactate turnover, and lactate inflow and outflow rates were determined during an 8 hr constant infusion of 100 muCi of lactate-U-(14)C. Ethanol was administered by mouth at hourly intervals, 60 ml of bonded whiskey initially and 30 ml/hr thereafter. Blood lactate concentrations increased precipitously after the administration of ethanol, reached a plateau within 120-180 min, and remained constant thereafter despite the continued administration of ethanol. Before ethanol, the lactate turnover rate was 0.76 mmoles/kg per hr +/-0.05 (SEM) and lactate inflow and outflow rates were closely balanced. During the administration of ethanol, the lactate inflow rate was unchanged, but the lactate outflow rate was significantly inhibited, decreasing to 50% of the inflow rate. Despite the continued administration of ethanol, equilibrium between lactate inflow and outflow was restored within 120-180 min and coincided temporally with establishment of a constant blood lactate concentration. Lactate oxidation was unaltered by ethanol, but lactate incorporation into glucose was significantly inhibited. Lactate incorporation into glucose was reduced within 30 min of the administration of ethanol, and nadir values were reached within 120-180 min. Lactate incorporation into glucose remained constant thereafter at rates that were only 30% of those observed in the absence of ethanol. The results of these studies indicate that ethanol-induced hyperlacticacidemia is due to decreased lactate disposal rather than increased lactate production.

Adult↗
PubMed1971

Glucose-lactate interrelationships: effect of ethanol.

The effect of ethanol on the interrelationship of lactate and glucose metabolism was investigated in eight human volunteers. Lactate and glucose kinetics and intervconversion rates were determined by the sequential administration of L-(+) lactate-U-(14)C and glucose-1-(14)C over an 8 hr period. After a 12 hr fast, the glucose turnover and recycling rates were 94.0 +/-3.8 (SEM) and 13.7 +/-1.1 mg/kg per hr, respectively. Approximately 50% of the glucose turnover or 40.7 +/-2.1 mg/kg per hr was converted to lactate, accounting for 50% of the lactate turnover rate. Lactate turnover and lactate conversion to glucose were 81.8 +/-6.2 and 16.7 +/-1.1 mg/kg per hr, respectively. Approximately 20% of the glucose turnover was derived from lactate under these conditions. During the administration of ethanol, the blood lactate concentration doubled and the lactate turnover rate declined slightly. Lactate conversion to glucose was markedly inhibited, decreasing from 16 to 5 mg/kg per hr, and the per cent of the glucose turnover derived from lactate decreased from 18 to 6. Despite the marked inhibition of lactate conversion to glucose, neither the blood glucose concentration nor the glucose turnover rate changed. Both glucose recycling and glucose conversion to lactate were decreased, indicating that ethanol inhibited peripheral glucose utilization. There was no difference in the degree of inhibition of lactate incorporation into glucose produced by ethanol when nonfasted subjects were compared with two subjects who had fasted for 48-72 hr despite the presence of hypoglycemia in the latter. These results indicate that starvation is not a prerequisite for ethanol inhibition of gluconeogenesis from lactate in humans but is necessary for the development of hypoglycemia. Inhibition of lactate incorporation into glucose in nonfasted subjects is probably masked by a concomitant increase in glycogenolysis which prevents hypoglycemia. Ethanol decreases glucose conversion to lactate as well as lactate conversion to glucose, thus inhibiting the Cori cycle.

Adult↗