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Biomedical subjects

W L Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to W L Anderson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A segmented attenuation correction for PET.

A segmented attenuation correction technique has been developed for positron emission tomography which computes attenuation correction factors automatically from transmission images for use in the final image reconstruction. The technique segments the transmission image into anatomic regions by thresholding the histogram of the attenuation values corresponding to different regions such as soft tissue and lungs. Average values of attenuation are derived from these regions and new attenuation correction factors are computed by forward projection of these regions into sinograms for correction of emission images. The technique has been tested with phantom studies and with clinical cardiac studies in patients for 30- and 10-min attenuation scan times. This method for attenuation correction was linearly correlated (slope = 0.937 and r2 = 0.935) with the standard directly measured method, reducing noise in the final image, and reducing the attenuation scan time.

Heart

Aminoglycoside uptake increased by tet gene expression.

The expression of extrachromosomal tet genes not only confers tetracycline resistance but also increases the susceptibilities of gram-negative bacteria to commonly used aminoglycoside antibiotics. We investigated the possibility that tet expression increases aminoglycoside susceptibility by increasing bacterial uptake of aminoglycoside. Studies of [3H]gentamicin uptake in paired sets of Escherichia coli HB101 and Salmonella typhimurium LT2 expressing and not expressing tet showed that tet expression accelerates energy-dependent [3H]gentamicin uptake. Increased [3H]gentamicin uptake was accompanied by decreased bacterial protein synthesis and bacterial growth. Increased aminoglycoside uptake occurred whether tet expression was constitutive or induced, whether the tet gene was class B or C, and whether the tet gene was plasmid borne or integrated into the bacterial chromosome. tet expression produced no measurable change in membrane potential, suggesting that tet expression increases aminoglycoside uptake either by increasing the availability of specific carriers or by lowering the minimum membrane potential that is necessary for uptake.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Polymer modification of antibody to eliminate immune complex and Fc binding.

Antibodies are currently being explored as highly specific reagents for delivering toxins, drugs or radionuclides to a variety of cell populations including tumors. These in vitro and in vivo antibody techniques are however associated with several problems which must be overcome prior to the routine therapeutic or diagnostic use of antibody reagents. One of the major problems is that cellular Fc receptors can interfere with the specificity of binding. This report describes the use of covalent modification with monomethoxypolyethylene glycol as a method to suppress Fc binding and other non-specific interactions of antibody molecules. The results demonstrate that modification of less than 20% of an antibodies exposed lysine residues with the polymer eliminates Fc-dependent binding to a murine macrophage cell line and prevents non-specific and Fc-dependent binding of fluoresceinated antibodies to mouse splenocytes.

Animals

An N-terminal domain of the tetracycline resistance protein increases susceptibility to aminoglycosides and complements potassium uptake defects in Escherichia coli.

Expression of extrachromosomal tet genes increased the susceptibility of gram-negative bacteria to specific aminoglycoside antibiotics. The magnitude of the increase in susceptibility was dependent on the amount and the class of the tet gene product (designated Tet) and the bacterial species in which the tet gene was expressed. Truncated Tet proteins that contained more than the first 33, but not more than the first 97, N-terminal amino acids of Tet also increased the susceptibility to aminoglycosides and complemented the potassium uptake defects in Escherichia coli. The primary structure of this N-terminal Tet fragment has the hydropathic characteristics of a multimeric, transmembrane structure and is highly conserved in three different classes of Tet proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence

Preparation and characterization of copper-67 porphyrin-antibody conjugates.

Methods were developed to label antibodies with copper-67, a potentially useful medical radioisotope, using the porphyrin chelating agent N-benzyl-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) porphine. The porphyrin was activated for coupling using either (1) 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide HCl and N-hydroxysuccinimide or (2) 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole. The coupling reactions were optimized as a function of activation time, coupling time, coupling pH, and reagent concentrations to achieve maximum coupling to IgG monomer. Sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to determine coupling yields. After purification by gel filtration, the antibody-porphyrin conjugates were labeled with copper-67 in aqueous solution. The coupling protocols were used to label antibodies from several species, demonstrating the general utility of these methods. Characterization of the conjugates indicated that the porphyrin label was attached randomly to the IgG molecule. Antigen binding capacities after conjugation were unaltered or slightly lowered as determined by a competitive ELISA.

Animals

Suppression of antibody responses to topically applied antigens by ultraviolet light irradiation. Induction of phototolerance.

C3Hf/HeN or BALB/c mice, exposed to acute ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and skin-sensitized through the irradiated skin site with soluble protein antigens, exhibit humoral tolerance to subsequent systemic challenge with antigen. We have termed this phenomenon "phototolerance" (PT). With the doses of UV radiation used, PT induction is restricted to the irradiated skin site and is observed only if sensitization is performed via the cutaneous route. PT is antigen specific and operates at the afferent level of the immune response. While single PT induction regimens result in transient humoral suppression, multiple inductions before each systemic challenge can maintain the response at low levels. The capacity to induce PT to a variety of soluble protein antigens may have potentially important clinical applications.

Animals

Interaction of estrogen receptor of calf uterus with a monoclonal antibody: probing of various molecular forms.

A monoclonal antibody to estrogen receptor (JS34/32) is able to recognize, in the calf uterine cytosol, a protein (approximately 65 000 daltons) giving a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Two molecules of this antibody are able to simultaneously interact with the native 8S form of the receptor present in the calf uterine cytosol ("twin antibody" assay). This indicates the presence of two antigenic determinants on the "low-salt" 8S form of the receptor. This form of the receptor shows an increase in Mr from 345 000 to 665 000 after interaction with the soluble antibody. Dissociating agents that induce the dissociation of the 8S form to smaller forms also induce the dissociation of the two antigenic determinants. The 4S "high-salt" form of the estrogen receptor has one determinant per molecule, appearing to be the smallest form of the receptor not containing repetitive structures associated with the steroid binding site. The nuclear receptor also shows the presence of more than one antigenic determinant on its molecule.

Animals

Suppression of lymphocyte proliferation by copper-albumin chelates.

The copper-albumin chelate (Cu2+-Alb), at concentrations less than 100 micrograms/ml, has potent noncytolytic antiproliferative activity for murine splenocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin-M, lipopolysaccharide (Escherichia coli 055:B5), or allogeneic cells and for phytohemagglutinin-M-stimulated human leukocytes. Inhibitory effects on the incorporation of [3H]leucine into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable protein is observed only at concentrations of Cu2+-Alb above 1 mg/ml. Only albumins with a histidine residue at position number 3 (rabbit, human, bovine) which bind one copper molecule at a high affinity site are capable of eliciting Cu2+-dependent suppression. Canine albumin, which has a tyrosine residue at position 3 and does not bind Cu2+, is nonsuppressive . Copper-albumin is suppressive in both the G1 and S phases of the cell cycle, thus clearly differentiating its suppressive activity from that of normal human plasma. It is not clear, however, if the Cu2+-Alb chelate is the active suppressive species or whether albumin is more efficient than other Cu2+ chelates in donating Cu2+ to another suppressive molecule. The biological significance of Cu2+-Alb-induced suppression is unknown. Although several possibilities are discussed, the potential to generate "artifactual" suppression by the formation of Cu2+-Alb chelates as a result of protein isolation procedures using Cu2+-contaminated reagents is considered to be an important potential problem.

Albumins

Transferrin support of stimulated lymphocytes.

Transferrin was tested for its ability to replace serum in supporting mitogen and allogeneic cell stimulated human lymphocyte proliferation. Although transferrin, at concentrations greater than 5 microgram/ml, was incapable of completely replacing the serum used to support phytohemagglutinin, Concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen, stimulated human lymphocytes, in the absence of serum it significantly augmented the proliferative responses observed for mitogen, yet not allogeneically-stimulated cells. Augmentation is not due to a nonspecific protein effect and appears to be independent of the metal content of transferrin. The mechanism of growth support appears to involve an effect of transferrin following the G1 phase in the initial cell cycle.

Cells, Cultured

Inhibition of L-cell growth in agarose (ILGA): a simple inexpensive method for the detection and quantitation of factors inhibiting tumor cell growth.

By taking advantage of the ability of L-929 tumor cells to grow in agarose, we have developed an in vitro method for detecting tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a potent inhibitor of tumor cell growth. When placed in a well cut in agarose containing L-cells, TNF inhibits L-cell growth in the area adjacent to the well. The size of this area of growth inhibition is proportional to the amount of TNF placed in the well. The size of this area of growth inhibition is proportional to the amount of TNF placed in the well. This assay can be used to monitor TNF activity during purification procedures and may also prove useful in the analysis of other factors interfering with tumor cell proliferation.

Animals

Identification of high affinity estrogen binding sites in calf uterine microsomal membranes.

Membrane-associated binding sites with high affinity and specificity for estrogens have been identified in calf uterine microsomes. The binding of 17 beta-[3H]estradiol is specific and saturable at low hormone concentration (2 nM) of high affinity (Kd = 0.5 nM) and sensitive to trypsin and other proteolytic enzymes. Binding of [3H]estradiol to membranes is inhibited by low concentrations of unlabeled 17 beta-estradiol and diethylstilbestrol (50 to 100 pM) while high concentrations of nonestrogenic steroids have little effect. The nondisplaceable binding is low and never exceeds 15% at the half-maximal point of specific binding. The maximum amount of ligand bound per mg of membrane protein is in the range of 0.4 to 1.0 pmol. Specific estradiol binding associated with microsomal fractions varies between 7 to 15% of the total binding sites. Estradiol appears not to be metabolized to any significant extent after binding to uterine membranes. Whereas the affinities of the estrogens tested are similar, the affinity of the antiestrogen, Tamoxifen, for the cytosolic receptor is at least 10 times higher than for the microsomal binding sites. In contrast to rat uterus and ovaries, the microsomal membranes from various nontarget rat tissues do not show any specific binding.

Animals

A new lymphocyte surface protein present in normal urine. I. Isolation and physicochemical properties.

A lymphocyte surface glycoprotein designated urinary acidic antigen (UA) has been isolated from normal urine by a combination of preparative isoelectric focusing and ammonium sulfate precipitation. It has an m.w. of 14,000 to 17,500 daltons, and is approximately 60% carbohydrate and 40% amino acid in content. The protein exhibited the following physical properties: S20,omega = 1.24; v = 0.693 ml/g; E1%1 cm, 278 nm = 2.08; and pI-2.5. It appears to be unrelated to beta 2-microglobulin, protein HC, urinary proteose, microglobulin, or any previously described normal urine or human serum protein.

Amino Acids

A new lymphocyte surface protein present in normal urine. II. Cellular distribution and biologic properties.

A protein component present in normal human urine has been found on the surface of epidermal cells and lymphocytes. This protein, called urinary acidic antigen (UA), can not be detected in concentrated fractions of normal human serum by double immunodiffusion, suggesting that it is quickly cleared from the circulation. It is readily detected, however, in sera of patients with renal failure. Although it can be eliminated from the cell surface by repeated washings with PBS, it was shown to cap with anti-UA-specific antiserum. Anti-UA suppresses PWM-induced proliferation, but not the lymphocyte response to PHA, Con A, or allogeneic cells. Thus UA appears to have a specific relationship to the pokeweed response. Whether it is a structural component of the PWM receptor is uncertain.

Animals

Quantification of non-specific immunosuppressive factors.

A simple, reproducible and quantitative method for evaluating certain non-specific immunological inhibitors in a variety of biological fluids is described. Human lymphocytes were stimulated with PHA in the presence of colchicine. Phytohaemagglutinin stimulated a large percentage of cells and colchicine's selective blockage of mitosis limited the stimulated cells to one S phase. These conditions effectively established a maximum amount of DNA synthesis within each culture. Quantification of suppression was then achieved by measuring a decrease from this maximum. The PHA-colchicine assay was successfully used to quantify inhibition by normal plasma, normal mouse sera, mouse neonate sera, murine Ehrlich's and sarcoma I ascitic fluids and an immunoregulatory alpha-globulin peptide preparation. Because of the ability to obtain a specific inhibitory activity for the suppressive factors, this assay was particularly suited for following the isolation of inhibitors during the fractionation of suppressive substances from complex fluids.

Animals

The folding pathway of reduced lysozyme.

Studies on the mechanism of the glutathione regeneration (Saxena, V.P., and Wetlaufer, D.B. (1970) Biochemistry 9, 5015-5023) of hen egg lysozyme have been carried out. The first two stoichiometric disulfides in lysozyme are formed about 8 times more rapidly than the second two. Almost no enzymic activity is regained until the first two disulfides are formed, thus ruling out an all-or-none mechanism. The disulfide peptides formed early in the regeneration have been isolated and identified. The results show a limited search of folding intermediates, and outline a folding pathway. The early disulfides involve cysteinyl residues III, IV, V, and VI. At the same time cysteinyl residues I, II, VII, and VIII are still reduced, as demonstrated by their isolation as S-alkylated derivatives. At slightly later times a peptide is found which contains the (native) disulfide between cysteinyl residues II and VII. It is likely, but as yet unproven, that formation of disulfide I-VIII completes the cross-linking of lysozyme.

Amino Acids

Spontaneously and pharmacologically provoked coronary arterial spasm in Prinzmetal variant angina.

Eleven of 21 consecutive patients with Prinzmetal angina (PMA) exhibited no significant fixed stenoses of the coronary arteries. Spontaneous coronary arterial spasm was demonstrated in 3 patients. Ergonovine maleate produced near-total occlusion of a major vessel in 3 of 4 other patients with PMA, but did not provoke spasm in 10 without PMA. The current study documents spasm as the mechanism of myocardial ischemia in some patients with normal coronary arteries and provides initial and favorable diagnostic results with provocative pharmacoangiography in this entity.

Angina Pectoris