Effect of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on steroidogenesis in women

The VIPergic nervous system appears to be the major peptide-containing neuronal component in the female genital tract. Evidence has been put forward that exogenous VIP is able to stimulate progesterone secretion. In the present study the effect of human VIP (900 pmol/kg body weight per h i.v. during 30 min) on steroidogenesis in six female volunteers was investigated. The experiments were performed between the 6th and 14th day of their menstrual cycle, and peripheral venous blood was collected before, during and after infusion of VIP. The concentrations of VIP, oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione (AD), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and cortisol were measured. The infusion of VIP was accompanied by a 15% increase (P less than 0.05) in serum oestradiol concentrations, from a mean basal concentration of 0.58 nmol/l. The concentrations of testosterone and DHT also increased significantly. No effect of VIP on progesterone, AD, DHAS, SHBG or cortisol was observed. In the light of the presence of VIP in nerve fibres of the steroid producing tissue, this stimulatory effect of VIP might reflect a direct action on the ovary or the adrenal gland.     

An intron in a ribosomal protein gene from Tetrahymena

We have cloned and sequenced a single copy gene encoding a ribosomal protein from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. The gene product was identified as ribosomal protein S25 by comparison of the migration in two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels of the protein synthesized by translation in vitro of hybrid-selected mRNA and authentic ribosomal proteins. The proteins show strong homology to ribosomal protein S12 from Escherichia coli. The coding region of the gene is interrupted by a 979-bp intron 68 bp downstream of the translation start. This is the first intron in a protein encoding gene of a ciliate to be described at the nucleotide sequence level. The intron obeys the GT/AG rule for splice junctions of nuclear mRNA introns from higher eukaryotes but lacks the pyrimidine stretch usually found in the immediate vicinity of the 3' splice junction. The structure of the intron and the fact that it is found together with the well described self-splicing rRNA intron is discussed in relation to the evolution of RNA splicing.     

Cat pancreatic eicosapeptide and its biosynthetic intermediate. Conservation of a monobasic processing site.

Pancreatic eicosapeptide is synthesized together with the hormone pancreatic polypeptide in a common precursor in the major endocrine cell type of the duodenal pancreas. This processing has been previously demonstrated in man and in the dog. In the present study the cat pancreatic eicosapeptide and a C-terminally extended form of this were isolated and characterized from acid/ethanol extracts of pancreas by gel filtration and reverse-phase h.p.l.c. The sequence homology in the C-terminal part of the eicosapeptides from different species was shown to continue to the other side of the monobasic cleavage site in the extended intermediate form, whereas the end of the extension differed both in chain length and amino acid sequence. It is concluded that the processing site in the intermediate form of the pancreatic eicosapeptide is an example of a proline-directed monobasic cleavage site that has been conserved during evolution.     

Fluid balance in exercise dehydration and rehydration with different glucose-electrolyte drinks

After exercise dehydration (3% of body weight) the restoration of water and electrolyte balance was followed in 6 male subjects. During a 2 h rest period after exercise, a drink of one of four solutions was given as 9 X 300 ml portions at 15 min intervals: control (C-drink), high potassium (K-drink), high sodium (Na-drink) or high sugar (S-drink). An exercise test (submaximal and supramaximal work) was performed before dehydration and after rehydration. Dehydration reduced plasma volume by 16%, a process reversed on resting even before fluid ingestion began, due to release of water accumulated in the muscles during exercise. After 2 h rehydration, plasma volume was above the initial resting value with all 4 drinks. The final plasma volumes after the Na-drink (+14%) and C-drink (+9%) were significantly higher than after the K- and S-drinks. The Na-drink favoured filling of the extracellular compartment, whereas the K- and S-drinks favoured intracellular rehydration. In spite of the higher than normal plasma volume after rehydration, mean heart rate during the submaximal test was 10 bpm higher after rest and rehydration than in the initial test, and was not different between the drinks. The amount of work which could be performed in the supramaximal test (105% VO2max) was 20% less after exercise dehydration and subsequent rest and rehydration than before. This reduction was similar for all drinks, and may be due to a decreased muscle glycogen content (70% of initial) at the time of the second test.     

Similarities of adenosine uptake systems in astrocytes and neurons in primary cultures

Uptake of extracellular adenosine was studied in primary cultures of astrocytes or neurons. Both cell types showed a high affinity uptake. TheK _m values were not significantly different (6.5±3.75 M in astrocytes and 6.1±1.86 M in neurons), but the intensity of the uptake was higher in astrocytes than in neurons (V _max values of 0.16±0.030 and 0.105±0.010 nmol×min^–1×mg^–1 protein, respectively). The temperature sensitivity was similar in the two cell types. Adenosine uptake inhibitors and benzodiazepines inhibited the adenosine uptake systems in both astrocytes and neurons with IC₅₀ values in the high nanomolar or the micromolar range and the rank order of potency was similar in the two cell types. In both cell types the (–) isomers of two sets of benzodiazepine stereoisomers were more potent than the (+) isomers. Dixon analysis showed that dipyridamole, papaverine, hexobendine and chlordiazepoxide inhibited the adenosine uptake competitively and clonazepam noncompetitively in both cell types.     

Effect of captopril on kidney function in insulin-dependent diabetic patients with nephropathy.

The influence of angiotensin II on kidney function in diabetic nephropathy was assessed by studying the effect of 12 weeks'' monotherapy with captopril (25-50 mg twice a day) in 16 hypertensive insulin dependent diabetic patients with persistent albuminuria. In an initial one week randomised single blind trial of captopril versus placebo, captopril (for nine patients) reduced arterial blood pressure from 148/94 (SD11/6) to 135/88 (8/7) mm Hg (p less than 0.05) and albuminuria from 1549 (range 352-2238) to 1170 (297-2198) micrograms/min (p less than 0.05), while glomerular filtration rate remained stable. No significant changes occurred in seven patients treated with placebo. During the 12 weeks of captopril treatment arterial blood pressure in all patients fell from 147/94 (11/6) to 135/86 (13/7) mm Hg (p less than 0.01), albuminuria fell from 1589 (range 168-2588) to 1075 (35-2647) micrograms/min (p less than 0.01), and glomerular filtration rate fell from 99 (SD19) to 93 (25) ml/min/1.73 m2 (p less than 0.01). The renin-angiotensin system showed suppressed plasma concentrations of angiotensin II and increased concentrations of angiotensin I and renin. The study showed that glomerular filtration rate is not dependent on angiotensin II, that captopril reduces albuminuria, probably by lowering glomerular hypertension, and that captopril represents a valuable new drug for treating hypertension in diabetics dependent on insulin with nephropathy.     

Differentiated inhibition of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis in L1210 cells by 8-methoxypsoralen

The synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein was measured in L1210 cells following treatment with 8-methoxypsoralen in combination with long wavelength ultraviolet irradiation. The results show that the DNA synthesis is strongly inhibited (approximately 95%) at 200 ng/ml reaching a minimum within 2 hours while RNA synthesis is only weakly affected at this concentration (approximately 40% inhibition). At 2 micrograms/ml the RNA synthesis is inhibited approximately 90%. Even at this concentration only a moderate effect is seen on the protein synthesis. These results strongly indicate that the phototoxic action of 8-methoxypsoralen is primarily due to inhibition of DNA synthesis.     

Isolation of an actin polymerization stimulator from bovine thyroid plasma membranes

An actin polymerization stimulator was purified from bovine thyroid plasma membranes by DNase I affinity column chromatography. Although the molecular weight of the protein was about 42,000 (42K) by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, it did not comigrate with actin. In the presence of 30 mM KCl, the 42K protein facilitated formation of actin filaments when analyzed by a centrifugation method, accelerated the initial phase of actin polymerization as measured in an Ostwald viscometer and increased the length of filaments as shown by electron microscopy. The 42K protein also accelerated the initial phase of actin polymerization in the presence of 100 mM KCl and 2 mM MgCl₂ but did not affect the final viscosity. The effect of the 42K protein was diminished by 5 uM cytochalasin B or 1 uM cytochalasin D. This 42K protein may anchor actin filaments onto the thyroid plasma membrane.     

Relationship between plasma volume reduction and plasma electrolyte changes after prolonged bicycle exercise, passive heating and diuretic dehydration

Plasma volume was decreased by prolonged bicycle exercise, by passive heating in warm water, by sauna dehydration, and by diuretically induced dehydration in eleven well trained subjects. Blood samples from an arm vein were taken before and after this pre-treatment, as well as after a subsequent standard exercise test (SET) on a bicycle ergometer (50%, 70% and 105% of max VO2; the SET with no pre-treatment was used as a control condition. The changes in plasma concentration of Na+, K+ and Cl- were not proportional to the calculated plasma volume changes. The Na+ and Cl- concentrations always increased in the plasma, while plasma potassium concentration was increased after prolonged exercise, but decreased after the other types of dehydrations. The standard exercise test produced a pronounced fall in total calculated plasma potassium and in K+ concentration measured 3-5 min after exercise in all types of experiments. In the standard exercise test the calculated water loss from the plasma volume was relatively large. It amounted to about 2/3 of the total water loss in the standard exercise test and was independent of the pre-treatments.