Spontaneous cyclic embryonic movements in humans and guinea pigs

Motility assessment before birth can be used to evaluate the integrity of the nervous system. Sideways bending (SB) of head and/or rump, the earliest embryonic motility in both humans and guinea pigs, can be visualized sonographically. We know from other species that early embryonic motility is cyclic. This study explores the distribution of SB-to-SB intervals in human and guinea pig embryos before the appearance of more complex movements such as general movements. We hypothesized that the activity in both species is cyclic. We made 15-min sonographic recordings of SBs between 5 weeks and 0 days (5wk0d) and 7wk0d conceptional age (CA) in 18 human embryos of uncomplicated IVF pregnancies (term 38 weeks) and in 20 guinea pig embryos between 3wk4d and 4wk0d CA (term 9 weeks). SB-to-SB interval durations were categorized as long (≥10 s) or short (<10 s) intervals. For human embryos, the median values for long and short intervals were 61 s (range, 10-165 s) and 3 s (range, 1-9 s) respectively; for guinea pigs 38 s (range, 10-288 s) and 5 s (range, 1-9 s), respectively. During development, the duration of long intervals decreased while the number of short intervals increased for both species. The earliest embryonic motility in the human and guinea pig is performed cyclically with distinct developmental milestones. The resemblance of their interval development offers promising possibilities to use the guinea pig as a noninvasive animal model of external influences on motor and neural development.     

Intestinal protein synthesis in guinea pigs infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis

The fractional synthesis rate (FSR) and daily synthesis of protein were measured in the small and large intestines of infected guinea pigs and uninfected animals fed ad libitum or quantitatively reduced rations. The FSR of the infected and parasite-free parts of the small intestine was unchanged but was increased by about 40% in the large intestine. Daily protein synthesis (mg/g body wt.) by infected guinea pig was greater by about 24% in the entire small intestine and by over 70% in the large intestine. These increases were not due to anorexia since the FSR and daily protein synthesis by the small and large intestines of the reduced ration animals were less than those of the infected group. Greater weight of the small intestine may explain increases in daily protein synthesis in the small, but not in the large intestine where weight was unchanged. Responses which may affect protein synthesis in the infected and parasite-free intestines are discussed.     

Intestinal expression of genes involved in iron absorption in humans

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC) is one of the most frequent genetic disorders in humans. In healthy individuals, absorption of iron in the intestine is tightly regulated by cells with the highest iron demand, in particular erythroid precursors. Cloning of intestinal iron transporter proteins provided new insight into mechanisms and regulation of intestinal iron absorption. The aim of this study was to assess whether, in humans, the two transporters are regulated in an iron-dependent manner and whether this regulation is disturbed in HHC. Using quantitative PCR, we measured mRNA expression of divalent cation transporter 1 (DCT1), iron-regulated gene 1 (IREG1), and hephaestin in duodenal biopsy samples of individuals with normal iron levels, iron-deficiency anemia, or iron overload. In controls, we found inverse relationships between the DCT1 splice form containing an iron-responsive element (IRE) and blood hemoglobin, serum transferrin saturation, or ferritin. Subjects with iron-deficiency anemia showed a significant increase in expression of the spliced form, DCT1(IRE) mRNA. Similarly, in subjects homozygous for the C282Y HFE mutation, DCT1(IRE) expression levels remained high despite high serum iron saturation. Furthermore, a significantly increased IREG1 expression was observed. Hephaestin did not exhibit a similar iron-dependent regulation. Our data show that expression levels of human DCT1 mRNA, and to a lesser extent IREG1 mRNA, are regulated in an iron-dependent manner, whereas mRNA of hephaestin is not affected. The lack of appropriate downregulation of apical and basolateral iron transporters in duodenum likely leads to excessive iron absorption in persons with HHC.     

Synthesis of tritium labeled cortoic acids

A procedure is described for the microsynthesis and purification of the high specific activity tritium labeled cortisol metabolites, 20 alpha- and 20 beta-cortolic acids and 20 alpha- and 20 beta-cortolonic acids.     

Intestinal water absorption from select carbohydrate solutions in humans.

Eight men positioned a triple-lumen tube in the duodenojejunum. By use of segmental perfusion, 2, 4, 6, or 8% solutions of glucose (111-444 mM), sucrose (55-233 mM), a maltodextrin [17-67 mM, avg. chain length = 7 glucose units (7G)], or a corn syrup solid [40-160 mM, avg. chain length = 3 glucose units (3G)] were perfused at 15 ml/min for 70 min after a 30-min equilibration period. All solutions were made isotonic with NaCl, except 6 and 8% glucose solutions, which were hypertonic. An isotonic NaCl solution was perfused as control. Water absorption (range: 9-15 ml.h-1.cm-1) did not differ for the 2, 4, and 6% CHO solutions but was greater (P < 0.05) than absorption from control (3.0 +/- 2.2 ml.h-1.cm-1). The 8% glucose and 3G solutions reduced (P < 0.05) net water flux compared with their 2, 4, and 6% solutions, but 8% sucrose and 8% 7G solutions promoted water absorption equivalent to lower CHO concentrations. Water absorption was independent of [Na+] in the original solution. In the test segment, 1) Na+ flux correlated with net water flux (r = 0.72, P < 0.01), K+ (r = 0.78, P < 0.01), and [Na+] (r = 0.68, P < 0.001); 2) Na+ absorption occurred at luminal [Na+] as low as 50 mM; 3) glucose transport increased linearly over the luminal concentration range of 40-180 mM; and 4) net water flux was similar over a range of glucose-to-Na+ concentration ratios of 0.4:1 to 3.5:1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Site of intestinal absorption of ascorbic acid in guinea pigs and rats

The site of absorption of ascorbic acid by the small intestine was studied $\text{in vivo}$ in guinea pigs, normal and hypophysectomized rats after oral application of ¹⁴C-ascorbic acid. A species-specific difference was revealed. The site of absorption in the guinea pig was located in the duodenal and proximal small intestinal wall, whereas the rat showed highest absorption in the ileum. Hypophysectomy in rats caused a shift of the absorption site from the ileum to the jejunum. No absorption was observed in the duodenum and ileum. A regulatory role of the pituitary gland in the absorption of ascorbic acid by the small intestine is discussed.     

Preparation of GDP-D-mannose specifically labeled with tritium in the D-mannosyl moiety

A method, called “bidirectional transfer”, has been described for the transfer of DNA and RNA from agarose or polyacrylamide gels onto diazobenzyloxymethyl (DBM)-paper or nitrocellulose filters. The gels were sandwiched between either two nitrocellulose filters or two diazobenzyloxymethyl-papers. Next, the nucleic acids were allowed to diffuse out of the gels onto the filters. In this way, duplicate blots were obtained from a single gel. The bidirectional transfer of DNA or RNA from 0.5 to 1% agarose gels was complete and nearly quantitative after 1 h of transfer. DNA fragments from 5% polyacrylamide gels were efficiently blotted after 36 h onto nitrocellulose filters using bidirectional transfer. The fragments were transferred with good resolution and were shown to be efficient substrates for homologous [³²P]DNA probes.     

Nasal glandular secretory response to cholinergic stimulation in humans and guinea pigs.

A guinea pig model of nasal secretory responses was developed to assess the contributions of vascular permeability and glandular secretion responsible for the production of cholinergically stimulated nasal secretions. The nasal secretory responses to provocation with saline, methacholine, and atropine on the ipsilateral (challenged) side and contralateral (reflex) side were analyzed by measurement of total protein (Lowry method), guinea pig albumin (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), 125I-labeled bovine serum albumin after intravenous injection, and alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity in nasal fluid. Alkaline phosphatase was found to be localized to submucosal glands by zymography. Topical methacholine challenge increased the secretion of total protein, alkaline phosphatase activity, and albumin on the ipsilateral challenged side, whereas the percentage of total protein represented by albumin was not increased. This response was totally prevented by atropine pretreatment. Serial provocation with methacholine resulted in progressively reduced amounts of both the total protein and alkaline phosphatase in secretions. The observation that repeated challenges produced progressively smaller responses was also examined employing human nasal provocation. Repeating methacholine (25 mg) challenges four times at 10-min intervals in six human volunteers revealed that the initial challenge produced the largest response as reflected in total protein, albumin, lysozyme, lactoferrin, immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA, and secretory IgA secretion. When the constituents in secretions were analyzed in relationship to the total protein, the two vascular proteins, IgG and albumin, demonstrated the greatest decrements with repeated methacholine challenges. The glandular proteins, lactoferrin, lysozyme, and secretory IgA, either remained constant or increased in their relative proportion to total protein. Thus, cholinergic stimulation causes glandular secretion from both the guinea pig and human nasal mucosa.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Directed biosynthesis of prostaglandin F2 alpha multiple labeled with tritium

By selecting specific activators of PGF reductase and determining their optimal ratio, we have performed the directed biosynthesis of PGF2 alpha with a 45-50% yield. With the use of [5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15-3H8]arachidonic acid, multiple-labelled PGF2 alpha with molar radioactivity 6.1 TBe/mmol has been synthesised.