Autoradiographic localizatio of [125I]-C-ANP compared to [125I]-ANP in rat tissue

Summary Whole-body autoradiography demonstrated the different distribution of [¹²⁵I]-C-ANP and [¹²⁵I]-ANP to rat tissues. Highest enrichment of radioactivity of both labelled peptides was found in the kidney. In some organs we found remarkable differences between [¹²⁵I]-ANP and [¹²⁵I]-C-ANP. In the kidney cortex, especially in the glomeruli, as well as in the endocardium, the zona glomerulosa and the medulla of the adrenal gland, where high levels of radioactivity after [¹²⁵I]-ANP administration were detected, no or just few radioactivity was found after administration of [¹²⁵I]-C-ANP. On the other hand in the kidney papilla and the outer subcortical medulla, characteristic blackening was found after [¹²⁵I]-C-ANP administration. Those differences might be important for the understanding of pharmacological actions of ANP analogues.This work is part of the doctoral thesis of Frank Heidemann to be presented at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, FRG     

Autoradiographic localization of [125I]-C-ANP compared to [125I]-ANP in rat tissue.

Whole-body autoradiography demonstrated the different distribution of [125I]-C-ANP and [125I]-ANP to rat tissues. Highest enrichment of radioactivity of both labelled peptides was found in the kidney. In some organs we found remarkable differences between [125I]-ANP and [125I]-C-ANP. In the kidney cortex, especially in the glomeruli, as well as in the endocardium, the zona glomerulosa and the medulla of the adrenal gland, where high levels of radioactivity after [125I]-ANP administration were detected, no or just few radioactivity was found after administration of [125I]-C-ANP. On the other hand in the kidney papilla and the outer subcortical medulla, characteristic blackening was found after [125I]-C-ANP administration. Those differences might be important for the understanding of pharmacological actions of ANP analogues.     

Relationship between [125I]RTI-55-labeled cocaine binding sites and the serotonin transporter in rat placenta

We investigated the characteristics of cocainelike binding sitesin rat placenta using[¹²⁵I]RTI-55.[³H]paroxetine bindingand immunocytochemical staining for serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] and for the 5-HT transporterwere also used to obtain evidence for rat placental 5-HT uptake.[¹²⁵I]RTI-55saturation analyses with membranes from normal gestational day 20 placentas yielded curvilinear Scatchard plots that were resolved intohigh- and low-affinity components (mean dissociation constants of 0.29 and 7.9 nM, respectively). Drug competition studies with variousmonoamine uptake inhibitors gave rise to complex multiphasicdisplacement curves, although the results obtained with the selective5-HT uptake inhibitor citalopram suggest that the 5-HT transporter isan important component of placental high-affinity[¹²⁵I]RTI-55 binding.The presence of a rat placental 5-HT uptake system was additionallysupported by the[³H]paroxetine bindingexperiments and by the presence throughout the placenta ofimmunoreactivity for 5-HT and the 5-HT transporter. Immunostaining withboth antibodies was most intense in the junctional zone, whereas thedensity of[¹²⁵I]RTI-55 bindingsites was greater in the placental labyrinth. This discrepancy may bedue to the fact that[¹²⁵I]RTI-55 appearsto be labeling additional cellular components besides the 5-HTtransporter. The presence of cocaine- and antidepressant-sensitive 5-HTtransporters in the placenta has important implications for thepossible effects of these compounds on pregnancy and fetal development.

     

Acetylation of chromosome squashes of Drosophila melanogaster decreases the background in autoradiographs from hybridization with [125I]-labeled RNA.

DNA in prepared chromosomes from the larval salivary glands of Drosophila melanogaster was hybridized with [125I]-labeled 5S and tRNA from the same organism. Autoradiography revealed that radioactivity was frequently bound to all regions of the slides, masking labeling of the chromosomes. Acetylation of the preparations before hybridization prevented the formation of this background and revealed the specific chromosomal sites.     

Utility of [16 alpha-125I] iodoestradiol for autoradiography for the study of cellular and regional distribution of receptors

We demonstrate the utility of [16 alpha-125I]iodoestradiol for thaw-mount autoradiography with 2 micron and 4 micron thick sections of rat and mouse uterus, pituitary, and brain after in vivo administration. Under the conditions of the experiments, short-term autoradiography with exposure times between 3 and 14 days provides optimal cellular resolution, whereas long-term autoradiography with 1-2 months of exposure may be used to obtain topographic-regional surveys of distribution.     

Measurement of brain tyrosine hydroxylase concentrations by quantitative autoradiography after transfer of soluble proteins to nitro-cellulose

An improved quantitative immunochemical determination of tyrosine hydroxylase brain concentrations was designed by using direct transfer into nitro-cellulose from 20 micro-m thick brain sections followed by immuno-detection and quantitative radioautography.     

Differentiation of cartilage cells studied by quantitative [3H]thymidine autoradiography in vitro

The apical segments of the mandibular condylar cartilage of newborn ICR mice, containing the intact zones of progenitor cells along with a few rows of chondroblasts were initially prelabelled in vitro with [3H]thymidine and were subsequently chased and cultured for as long as eight days. Such explants underwent a process of tissue regeneration, as after three days in culture they reconstituted the original structure of the organ, thus resembling the in vivo appearance of neonatal mandibular condylar cartilage. Cellular proliferation with subsequent differentiation in the regenerating tissue was followed by means of quantitative autoradiography. Immediately after labelling, the autoradiography-positive grains were confined exclusively to progenitor cells. The latter revealed a substantial ability to proliferate in vitro, a fact that was manifested by a progressive increase in the labelling index along the course of the culture. The latter process was followed by cellular differentiation thereby obtaining hypertrophic chondrocytes. The increase in the rate of labelling index and in the total number of [3H]thymidine-labelled cells was significantly correlated with the overall growth of the regenerating explants.     

Treatment of neuroblastoma with [125I]metaiodobenzylguanidine.

To find a treatment that may be effective against micrometastases of advanced, stage III or IV neuroblastoma, [125I]metaiodobenzylguanidine (125I-MIBG) was used in a phase I toxicity trial. In seven patients, thrombocytopenia was encountered with absorbed whole body doses of 85-135 rad from 125I-MIBG, but the dosimetry was imprecise in predicting bone marrow injury. Three patients survived for over one year, results that may indicate efficacy of 125I-MIBG therapy.     

Class I HDAC imaging using [3H]CI-994 autoradiography

[³H]CI-994, a radioactive isotopologue of the benzamide CI-994, a class I histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), was evaluated as an autoradiography probe for ex vivo labeling and localizing of class I HDAC (isoforms 1–3) in the rodent brain. After protocol optimization, up to 80% of total binding was attributed to specific binding. Notably, like other benzamide HDACi, [³H]CI-994 exhibits slow binding kinetics when measured in vitro with isolated enzymes and ex vivo when used for autoradiographic mapping of HDAC1–3 density. The regional distribution and density of HDAC1–3 was determined through a series of saturation and kinetics experiments. The binding properties of [³H]CI-994 to HDAC1–3 were characterized and the data were used to determine the regional B_max of the target proteins. K_d values, determined from slice autoradiography, were between 9.17 and 15.6 nM. The HDAC1–3 density (B_max), averaged over whole brain sections, was of 12.9 picomol · mg⁻¹ protein. The highest HDAC1–3 density was found in the cerebellum, followed by hippocampus and cortex. Moderate to low receptor density was found in striatum, hypothalamus and thalamus. These data were correlated with semi-quantitative measures of each HDAC isoform using western blot analysis and it was determined that autoradiographic images most likely represent the sum of HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC3 protein density. In competition experiments, [³H]CI-994 binding can be dose-dependently blocked with other HDAC inhibitors, including suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). In summary, we have developed the first known autoradiography tool for imaging class I HDAC enzymes. Although validated in the CNS, [³H]CI-994 will be applicable and beneficial to other target tissues and can be used to evaluate HDAC inhibition in tissues for novel therapies being developed. [³H]CI-994 is now an enabling imaging tool to study the relationship between diseases and epigenetic regulation.     

Hydrophobic photolabelling of sarcoplasmic reticulum with [125I]TID

[125I]TID, a small photoreactive lipophylic reagent, was used to label intrinsic proteins of rabbit and rat sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes. A 160,000 glycoprotein, the Ca2+-ATPase and polypeptides of mol. wt 53-55,000, 30,000, 20,000 and 6000 dalton were labelled suggesting that these proteins are integral membrane components.     

Iodotyrosylation of peptides using tertiary-butyloxycarbonyl-l-[125I]iodotyrosine N-hydroxysuccinimide ester

A rapid method for the iodotyrosylation of peptides using tertiary-butyloxycarbonyl-l-[¹²⁵I]-iodotyrosine N-hydroxysuccinimide ester is described. The method, like that of Bolton and Hunter (1973, Biochem. J.133, 529–539), uses nonoxidizing conditions, is applicable to tyrosine-free peptides, and results in an easily isolated product with decreased cationic charge. The present method has the additional advantage that the derivatized peptide is readily deblocked to form a radiolabeled product with the same net charge as the starting material.     

Purification of [125I]-vasoactive intestinal peptide by reverse-phase HPLC

VIP was labeled with sodium ¹²⁵iodide, and ¹²⁵I-VIP was purified by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Optimal separations of ¹²⁵I-VIP and unlabeled VIP were obtained using two C₁₈-Novapak columns in series and a gradient of acetonitrile in triethylamine phosphate for elution. The specific activity of the ¹²⁵I-VIP was 1.99±0.21 Ci/μmole, approaching the maximum specific activity of monoiodinated VIP (2.26 Ci/μmole). Radioimmunoassay and radioreceptorassay for VIP were more sensitive (2.6-fold, and 2.5-fold, respectively) using ¹²⁵I-VIP purified by HPLC compared to ¹²⁵I-VIP obtained from an open-end cellulose column. These results demonstrate the advantage of preparing purified ¹²⁵I-VIP by HPLC for the accurate assay of VIP and VIP-receptors in tissues and biological fluids.     

Antibody accumulation in small tissue samples: Assessment by quantitative autoradiography

Uptake of radiolabeled ¹²⁵I monoclonal antibodies in small metastases can only be characterized by autoradiographic techniques. To obtain quantitative data out of autoradiographic images, a transformation of the essentially two-dimensional signal into the Bq per unit volume information is needed. Part of the calibration problem could be solved by using tissue-equivalent standard preparations. However, when aiming at a quantification of radioactivity in small areas (⩽- 2 mm diameter), special criteria had to be expanded upon for the reconstruction of the area in the dose matrix and for the correct integration of the radioactivity content.     

Labeling of the proteins at the surface of the pancreatic zymogen granule using diazotized [125I]iodosulfanilic acid

Purified pig and rat pancreatic zymogen granules have been covalently labeled with the membrane impermeant agent diazotized [125I]iodosulfanilic acid. Following alkaline lysis, the radioactivity was almost entirely (92%) recovered in a dense protein pellet designated as the 1 M sucrose pellet. The rest (8%) of the label was recovered in the membrane fraction. The specificity of this procedure in labeling the cytoplasmic aspect of the granule is demonstrated by the absence of label from granule content proteins and by the removal of iodinatable proteins following protease treatment of intact granules. No characteristic integral membrane proteins were labeled. In the pig, four major protein bands were labeled in both subfractions at Mr of 15,000, 33,000, 35,000 and 38,000. In the rat, a similar set of protein bands was labeled except for that of 15,000 Mr which was poorly labeled. Due to their location, it is suggested that these proteins may play an important role in the recognition between the granule membrane and the cell membrane and thereby the control of the exocytosis process.     

Calcium-induced phosphorylations and [125I]calmodulin binding in renal membrane preparations

Calcium-induced phosphorylated intermediates and calmodulin-binding proteins in membrane preparations from th renal cortex were analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at low pH, protein electroblotting and [¹²⁵I]calmodulin overlay. Two calcium-induced phosphoproteins were found, with a molecular mass of 135 and 115 kDa, respectively. By comparing different preparations characterized by marker enzymes, it was shown that the 135 kDa phosphoprotein is localized in the basal-lateral fragment of the plasma membrane, whereas the 115 kDa phosphoprotein is more pronounced in preparations containing a high proportion of endoplasmic reticulum. A prominent calmodulin-binding protein comigrated with the 135 kDa phosphoprotein; there was no calmodulin binding to polypeptides in the molecular mass range of the 115 kDa phosphoprotein. Partial proteolysis by trypsin and the effect of $\text{20 μ}\text{M La}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}$ on the formation of phosphoproteins before and after trypsinization support the conclusion that the 135 kDa protein can be identified with the plasma membrane calcium pump, whereas the 115 kDa phosphoprotein is the phosphorylated intermediate of a different type of calcium pump probably originating from the endoplasmic reticulum. Calmodulin binding in renal membrane preparations analyzed on Laemmli-type slab gels revealed that there are many calmodulin-binding proteins in our preparations. We have identified one band with the renal calcium pump localized in the basal-lateral membrane. Another calmodulin-binding protein migrating at 108 kDa, is not localized in the basal-lateral membrane and could be one of the calmodulin-binding proteins originating from the cytoskeleton.     

Calibration of the emulsion layers in quantitative electron microscopic autoradiography]

The quantitative results in electron microscope autoradiography are affected by many factors. The principal problem of this method is a low mechanization of all the operations made. This paper gives a short review of technical improvements. The use of a calibration permits to except those factors which exert their influence on the sensitivity of the method. Tritium sources were used for the determination of the sensitivity of the method.