[Use of 3-GS as an anticoagulant in hemodialysis: effects on serum lipoproteins].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Characteristics of G-proteins were studied in renal medulla of rats and mice of different ages. It was established that G-protein alpha-subunit gene expression has a specific dynamics with maximum on the 5-8-th day of life and at the end of weaning. It was shown that vasopressin does not stimulate G-protein GTPase activity in membrane preparations from immature kidneys. The differences of G-protein chromatographic characteristics were revealed. It is suggested that the development of vasopressin sensitivity of the kidney is related with the changes in G-protein system.
Increasing reports of gentamicin-resistant bacteria contaminating donor corneas and causing endophthalmitis have indicated that preservation of corneal storage media with 100 micrograms/ml of gentamicin alone needs reevaluation. We investigated the stability and possible cytotoxicity of streptomycin as a supplement to gentamicin in Optisol corneal storage medium. The combination of gentamicin and streptomycin in Optisol solution was stable at room temperature for at least 4 weeks and inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, alpha hemolytic streptococci, Streptococcus Group D, Propionibacterium acnes, Escherichia coli, and diphtheroids, but not Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The addition of vancomycin did not significantly improve the antibacterial effectiveness of the gentamicin and streptomycin combination when stored at 4 degrees C. The growth of 15 of 20 clinical ocular isolates of Ps. aeruginosa was suppressed by the gentamicin-streptomycin combination. Streptomycin in concentrations of up to 1,000 micrograms/ml did not decrease the mitotic activity of corneal endothelial cells as evaluated by the in vitro incorporation of tritiated thymidine or cause cytotoxicity. The addition of 200 micrograms/ml of streptomycin to Optisol corneal storage medium containing 100 micrograms/ml of gentamicin may significantly improve activity against gentamicin-sensitive and gentamicin-resistant contaminants.
The effect of in utero exposure to cocaine on striatal dopamine receptors was assessed at postnatal days 10 through 100 by examining receptor-mediated increases in GTP binding to G alpha proteins. Pregnant Dutch-belted rabbits were injected with 4 mg/kg i.v. of cocaine HCl twice a day on gestational days 8 through 29, and striatal membranes were prepared from their progenies on days 10 through 100. Dopamine-stimulated [35S]GTP gamma S binding to membrane alpha subunits was measured and found to increase binding to G alpha s and G alpha i. Pharmacological characterization of the dopamine response revealed that enhanced [35S]GTP gamma S binding to G alpha s is associated with D1 receptor stimulation, whereas binding to G alpha i is linked to D2 receptor activation. The abilities of dopamine to stimulate the binding of [35S]GTP gamma S to G alpha s but not to G alpha i was reduced in striata obtained from cocaine-exposed animals when examined at 10, 50 or 100 days of age. Similarly, prenatal cocaine exposure also reduced dopamine-stimulated [alpha-32P]GTP binding to G alpha s without influencing binding to G alpha i. Fetal cocaine exposure did not change carbachol-induced increases in [35S]GTP gamma S binding to G alpha i and G alpha o. Immunoblot analyses showed no changes in the amounts of these alpha subunits in membranes from cocaine-exposed animals vs. controls. Moreover, prenatal cocaine did not affect [3H]SCH23390 binding to D1 dopamine receptors in the caudate, putamen or substantia nigra.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
To examine the effect of isoproterenol on Cl- current and its signal transduction pathway in beta-intercalated cells (beta-IC cell), peanut agglutinin (PNA) positive cells in culture were studied by the whole-cell clamp technique. We identified these cells as beta-IC cells by PNA-binding, cell alkalinization induced by Cl- free in the superfusate, and an increase in intracellular cAMP concentration by isoproterenol, but not by vasopressin. Application of isoproterenol in the voltage-clamp mode induced an activation of Cl- current in a dose-dependent fashion and its threshold concentration was in the order of 0.01 microM and ED50 was about 0.1 microM. This effect of isoproterenol was inhibited by atenolol, a beta-adrenergic blocker. Either extracellular application of forskolin or intracellular application of cAMP mimicked the action of isoproterenol. In the presence of forskolin or cAMP, isoproterenol caused little further activation of Cl- current. A synthetic inhibitor of protein kinase A (5-24 amide) inhibited the Cl- -channel activation by isoproterenol. Isoproterenol failed to activate the current in the presence of intracellular GDP beta S. By contrast, intracellular application of GTP gamma S rendered irreversible the Cl- -channel activation by brief exposure to isoproterenol. The present studies provide direct evidence that in the PNA-binding cell, probably the beta-IC cell, the stimulation of beta-adrenoceptor activates Cl- current through the signal transduction system involving G-protein, adenylate cyclase, cAMP, and protein kinase A.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
We have identified the palmitoylated cysteine residues of alpha q and alpha s, alpha subunits of two heterotrimeric G proteins. Mutational substitutions of serines for cysteines 9 and 10 in alpha q and cysteine 3 in alpha s profoundly alter behavior of the subunits expressed in HEK293 cells. Neither mutant alpha subunit incorporates palmitate; both mutant proteins are found in the soluble rather than the particulate fraction; mutant alpha q or alpha s cannot couple a co-expressed receptor to stimulation of phospholipase C or adenylylcyclase, respectively; cysteine substitution prevents a mutationally activated alpha q (R183C) from stimulating phospholipase C directly, and reduces but does not abolish the ability of a similarly activated alpha s (R201C) to stimulate cAMP synthesis. Substitution of a myristoylation sequence for the palmitoylation sites leads to labeling of alpha q and alpha s by myristate, rather than by palmitate. Myristoylation restores the abilities of both nonpalmitoylated alpha q and alpha s to attach to membranes and, in the case of alpha q, restores its ability to stimulate phospholipase C, whether triggered by the R183C mutation or by receptor activation. These findings identify palmitoylation as a critical determinant of membrane attachment for alpha q and alpha s and show that this modification is required for normal signaling by these proteins.
Defects in the androgen receptor cause a spectrum of abnormalities in genetic males ranging from phenotypic women with testicular feminization to men with minor defects in fertility and/or virilization. The diagnosis of androgen resistance can be quite cumbersome, including analysis of the family history, karyotyping, endocrine studies, measurement of androgen binding in genital skin fibroblasts, and, in some instances, sequencing of mutant cDNAs. Furthermore, androgen-binding studies may be normal in patients with qualitative receptor abnormalities or mutations in the DNA-binding domain of the receptor. To circumvent these difficulties, we have used a recombinant adenovirus to deliver an androgen-responsive reporter gene (mouse mammary tumor virus-luciferase) to fibroblasts cultured from genital skin from 12 normal controls and from eight individuals with complete testicular feminization. Following incubation with androgen (2 nM mibolerone) for 72 h, luciferase activity in normal fibroblasts increased > 10-fold (range 11-200-fold) in a manner that corresponded with the level of androgen receptor detected in ligand-binding assays. By contrast, luciferase activity increased negligibly in fibroblasts from individuals with testicular feminization (average = 1.2-fold increase). This assay permits a direct assessment of endogenous androgen receptor function in cells and should be a powerful aid in the diagnosis of androgen resistance.
Although G protein alpha subunits are known to regulate such cellular functions as growth and enzymatic activity, the ability of these proteins to regulate target gene expression has not yet been directly investigated. Transient expression in GH3 pituitary cells of a target rat prolactin promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct, (-1957)PRL-CAT, was increased by coexpressed constitutively active alpha s mutant Q227L-alpha s but not by wild-type alpha s. Thus activated alpha s but not basal state alpha s can stimulate prolactin promoter activity. Q227L-alpha s also stimulated expression of construct (-187)PRL-CAT, showing that only the proximal prolactin promoter region is required for a response to activated alpha s. The promoter specificity of the transcriptional influence of activated alpha s was demonstrated by the inability of either Q227L-alpha s or wild-type alpha s to stimulate expression of control target constructs containing either the rat growth hormone promoter or the thymidine kinase promoter. Previous studies have shown that the most proximal prolactin promoter binding site for the pituitary-specific transcription factor pit-1, site 1P, can act as an independent response element for either thyrotropin-releasing hormone or Ca2+. Two copies of site 1P conferred upon a heterologous metallothionein promoter a response to Q227L-alpha s. This implies that site 1P can also serve as an independent response element for alpha s and suggests that pit-1 may be a mediator of the cellular regulation by alpha s of the prolactin promoter.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
There are at least four subtypes of prostaglandin E (PGE) receptors. The EP1 and EP3 receptors are coupled to Ca2+ mobilization and the inhibition of adenylate cyclase, respectively, and the EP2 and EP4 receptors are coupled to the same signal transduction pathway, stimulation of adenylate cyclase. To identify the functional differences between EP2 and EP4 receptors, we examined agonist-induced desensitization of these two receptors using Chinese hamster ovary cells, which stably express these receptors. The EP4 receptor underwent short term agonist-induced desensitization, but no such desensitization was observed for the EP2 receptor. In contrast, the EP2 and EP4 receptors displayed similar patterns of down-regulation in response to prolonged exposure to PGE2. On the other hand, PGE2 is rapidly metabolized to 15-keto-PGE2 and, subsequently, to 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGE2. Thus, we compared the sensitivities of the two receptors to these two metabolites. The EP4 receptor markedly lost the response at the first metabolism, whereas the EP2 receptor gradually lost the response according to the degree of metabolism, having higher sensitivity to the first metabolite, 15-keto-PGE2, than the EP4 receptor. Therefore, the physiological significance of EP2 and EP4 may lie in their different sensitivities to agonist-induced short term desensitization and their differential susceptibilities to the metabolic inactivation of the agonist.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Glutamine synthetase (GS) is a glucocorticoid-inducible enzyme that has a key role for glutamate metabolism in the central and peripheral nervous system. In this study GS activity was measured and the amount of immunoreactive GS (ir-GS) cells in the rat anterior pituitary gland was quantified as a function of age. In addition, the effects of GS inhibitors, glucocorticoid administration, and adrenalectomy on GS activity were examined. Some of the ir-GS cells were also immunoreactive for S100 protein (ir-S100) which is a known marker for folliculostellate cells (FS) in the anterior pituitary. FS cells expressing GS were first detected in 3-d-old rats, and this cell population, expressed as the immunostained cell area divided by a standard unit area, increased as a function of age. The percentages of FS cells also expressing GS were 0.2, 6.4, 25 and 74% at 3 d, 30 d, 60 d and 2 y of age, respectively. GS enzyme activity also increased in parallel with the increase of ir-GS cell population maturation. The subcutaneous injection of methionine sulphoximine, a GS and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase inhibitor, reduced pituitary GS activity by 83%, but increased the population of ir-GS cells 3.5-fold in 30-d-old rats. Buthionine sulphoximine, a specific inhibitor of y-glutamylcysteine synthetase, had little effect on GS activity or the ir-GS cell population. Neither methionine sulphoximine nor buthionine sulphoximine changed the population of ir-S100 protein cells (FS cells). Dexamethasone and hydrocortisone increased the population of ir-GS cells by 3.1 and 4.2-fold, respectively, within 12 h after administration. A significant increase of GS activity due to the injection of glucocorticoids was observed in the anterior pituitary, but not in the brain, retina or liver of immature rats. Adrenalectomy did not cause decrease of pituitary GS activity, and dexamethasone administration increased GS activity in both adrenalectomised and intact rats. In the monolayer culture of anterior pituitary cells, glucocorticoids increased GS activity by x 1.5, and methionine sulphoximine reduced the activity by over 94%. These results demonstrate that GS in folliculostellate cells is a glucocorticoid-inducible enzyme in vivo and in vitro, and that the age-dependent increase of GS activity is independent of endogenous adrenal glucocorticoids.