The effect of carbohydrate depletion on procoagulant activity and in vivo survival of highly purified human factor VIII

Human factor VIII procoagulant protein (factor VIII) was purified using a modification of our previously described method, in which Sephacryl S-400 elution, rather than QAE-cellulose chromatography, served as the final purification step. The protein had a specific activity of more than 2500 U/mg and consisted of a single polypeptide (Mr 100 000) when analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Factor VIII was shown to be a glycoprotein by staining with periodic acid-Schiff's reagent following electrophoresis. Treatment of factor VIII with a mixture of exo- and endoglycosidases caused a reduction by about 50% in the intensity of periodic acid-Schiff staining, as determined by scanning densitometry, and an increase in electrophoretic mobility (equivalent to a new Mr 95 000). Removal of this portion of the total carbohydrate had no significant effect on factor VIII clotting activity or on thrombin potentiation of clotting activity. The in vivo survival curves of a native and sugar-depleted 125I-labeled factor VIII both showed similar patterns of initial rapid decay to 60 and 40% activity, respectively, followed by a one-half decay time of 4 h for both. These results suggest that the carbohydrate portion of human factor VIII does not contribute significantly to either clotting function in vitro or to biological turnover in vivo.     

Hyperoxia causes increased albumin permeability of cultured endothelial monolayers

The effect of phasic eye movement activity on ventilation during rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep was studied in seven healthy young adults by use of the respiratory inductive plethysmograph. Mean ventilation (VE) and ventilatory components during REM sleep were not significantly different from that seen in either stages 1-2 or 3-4 sleep. The percent of rib cage contribution to ventilation in REM sleep, 29.3 +/- 5.1%, was reduced compared with 54.4 +/- 5.8% in stage 1-2 and 52.2 +/- 4.3% in stage 3-4 sleep (P less than 0.005). When one separated breaths by the degree of associated phasic eye movement activity, it became apparent that breathing during REM sleep is very heterogeneous. Increasing eye movement activity was associated with inhibition of ventilation with a reduction in VE from 5.1 +/- 0.3 to 3.8 +/- 0.3 l/min. Tidal volume and frequency both fell, whereas inspiratory duration was unchanged. Compartmental ventilation was also affected, with the fall in the rib cage contribution from 37.8 +/- 6.4 to 15.3 +/- 5.6%. Chest wall and abdominal movement became more asynchronous as phasic-eye-movement activity increased and frank paradoxical breathing was seen.     

A numerical taxonomic study of Actinobacillus, Pasteurella and Yersinia

A numerical taxonomic study of strains of Actinobacillus, Pasteurella and Yersinia, with some allied bacteria, showed 23 reasonably distinct groups. These fell into three major areas. Area A contained species of Actinobacillus and Pasteurella: A. suis, A. equuli, A. lignieresii, P. haemolytica biovar A, P. haemolytica biovar T, P. multocida, A. actinomycetemcomitans, 'P. bettii', 'A. seminis', P. ureae and P. aerogenes. Also included in A was a composite group of Pasteurella pneumotropica and P. gallinarum, together with unnamed groups referred to as 'BLG', 'Mair', 'Ross' and 'aer-2'. Area B contained species of Yersinia: Y. enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. pestis and a group 'ent-b' similar to Y. enterocolitica. Area C contained non-fermenting strains: Y. philomiragia, Moraxella anatipestifer and a miscellaneous group 'past-b'. There were also a small number of unnamed single strains.     

An isocitrate lyase of higher plants: analysis and comparison of some molecular properties

A new purification procedure for isocitrate lyase from Pinus pinea is reported. The final preparation shows charge homogeneity and a purity degree higher than 95%. It is possible to remove catalase completely by exploiting the high hydrophobicity of isocitrate lyase. The enzyme has a Mr of 264,000 and is likely composed of four subunits, each with a Mr of 66,000. The binding of radioactively labeled oxalate revealed four catalytic sites per oligomer. These data suggest that isocitrate lyase subunits are similar, if not identical. The Michaelis constant for isocitrate is equal to 33 microM; molecular activity is about 2670 mol X min-1 X mol of enzyme-1. The amino acid composition of the enzyme was also determined. Isocitrate lyase appears resistant to proteolysis by carboxypeptidase A. Hydrazinolysis, Edman degradation, and dansyl chloride treatment indicate that both carboxy and amino terminals are probably inaccessible or blocked.     

In vivo experimental modelling of the infectious process caused by stable L forms of the causative agent of typhoid

To simulate the infectious process and to study the persistence of L-forms, rabbits and guinea pigs were infected with S. typhi stable L-forms. The materials presented in this work indicate that both subconjunctival and intraperitoneal infection led to the development of the clinically indistinct, but morphologically pronounced pathological process with characteristic localization and typical changes in the gastrointestinal tract. The typical features of the process were the generalized immunomorphological reaction of the lymphoid apparatus with the appearance of light-colored reticulomacrophagal elements, the signs of the activation of humoral and cell-mediated immunity and the formation of small epitheloidocellular granulomas. The results of the investigation indicate that the stable cultures of S. typhi L-forms are highly pathogenic and capable of inducing the infectious process in experimental animals.     

Potassium depletion selectively inhibits sustained diacylglycerol formation from phosphatidylinositol in angiotensin II-stimulated, cultured vascular smooth muscle cells

Potassium depletion decreases blood pressure in vivo and blunts the pressor response to angiotensin II (ang II) without down-regulating the receptor. In cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells, the ang II-induced signaling sequence is biphasic with rapid hydrolysis of the polyphosphoinositides producing an early (15 s) diacylglycerol (DG) peak and a transient rise in inositol trisphosphate (IP3) and more delayed phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis resulting in sustained DG formation (peak at 5 min). Exposure of intact vascular smooth muscle cells to low potassium growth medium for 24 h or acutely potassium-depleting cells with nigericin causes selective, marked inhibition of late DG formation (5-min peak inhibited by 60 +/- 8% and 84 +/- 7%, respectively). The early cell response, namely polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis, inositol bis- and trisphosphate production and the 15-s DG peak, is not affected. Analysis of 125I-ang II-binding data reveals no significant differences in either receptor number or binding affinity (Kd) in potassium-depleted cells. Together with its marked inhibitory effect on sustained ang II-induced DG formation, acute potassium depletion effectively blocks internalization of 125I-ang II: there is no significant internalization of the ligand after 5 min at 37 degrees C versus 64 +/- 7% internalization in control cells. Thus, potassium depletion does not alter ang II binding or initial membrane signaling in rat aortic smooth muscle but blocks ligand internalization and selectively and markedly inhibits the development of direct PI hydrolysis and sustained diacylglycerol formation. These findings suggest a role for ligand-receptor processing in generating the sustained cell response and potentially explain the lower blood pressure and decreased pressor response to ang II seen in hypokalemic states in vivo. Furthermore, the ability of K+ depletion to alter secondary signal generation may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the K+ dependence of a variety of cell functions.     

Reassessing Neotropical angiosperm distribution patterns based on monographic data: a geometric interpolation approach

Monographic data rely on specimens deposited in herbaria and museums, which have been thoroughly revised by experts. However, monographic data have been rarely used to map species richness at large scale, mainly because of the difficulties caused by spatially heterogeneous sampling effort. In this paper we estimate patterns of species richness and narrow endemism, based on monographic data of 4,055 Neotropical angiosperm species. We propose a geometric interpolation method to derive species ranges at a 1° grid resolution. To this we apply an inverse distance-weighted summation scheme to derive maps of species richness and endemism. In the latter we also adjust for heterogeneous sampling effort. Finally, we test the robustness of the interpolated species ranges and derived species richness by applying the same method but using a leave-one-out-cross-validation (LOOCV). The derived map shows four distinct regions of elevated species richness: (1) Central America, (2) the Northern Andes, (3) Amazonia and (4) the Brazilian Atlantic coast (‘Mata Atlantica’). The region with the highest estimated species richness is Amazonia, with Central America following closely behind. Centers of narrow endemism are located over the entire Neotropics, several of them coinciding with regions of elevated species richness. Sampling effort has a minor influence on the interpolation of overall species richness, but it substantially influences the estimation of regions of narrow endemism. Thus, in order to improve maps of narrow endemism and resulting conservation efforts, more collection and identification activity is required.