Effect of endothelin-1 on release of arginine-vasopressin from perifused rat hypothalamus

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an endothelium-derived vasoconstrictor peptide with potent pressor activity. We studied the effect of ET-1 on release of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) from perifused rat hypothalamus. ET-1 (10(-10) to 10(-8) M) significantly stimulated AVP release. The ET-1-induced AVP release was completely blocked in the presence of nicardipine. Our results suggest a possible involvement of ET in the regulation of AVP release.     

Determination of octopine by pre-column fluorescence derivatization using benzoin

A sensitive fluorimetric method for the determination of octopine, a member of opine family, is presented. The method is based on the formation of a fluorescent derivative of octopine with benzoin and the separation by high performance liquid chromatography using a reversed-phase column (Kaseisorb LC ODS-300) within 20 min. The octopine derivative is completely separated from other guanidino compounds including arginine which is generally very high in marine invertebrates. This method gives higher sensitivity, 5 pmol minimum detection, and better reproducibility than the electrophoresis method and colorimetric method.     

Immunochemical studies on lactate dehydrogenase A subunit deficiencies.

In lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) A subunit deficiency, is there not only a lack of activity but also a lack of subunit production? We demonstrated three remarkable points to answer this question: There are no proteins that immunologically react with anti-A subunits. There are no heterotetramers that react with anti-B subunits. B subunits seem to be genetically produced at normal level, and all of them form only one isoenzyme, LDH-B4. From these points, we concluded that there is a complete lack of A subunit production or production of incomplete A subunits that can neither react with anti-A subunits nor form heterotetramers.     

Properties and activities of aminopeptidases in normal and mitogen-stimulated human lymphocytes.

Human peripheral lymphocytes were found to contain at least two distinct aminopeptidases, designated cytosol aminopeptidase and microsomal aminopeptidase, which differed from one another with respect to intracellular localization, substrate specificity, metal-ion activation, Km value and electrophoretic mobility. No change in these aminopeptidase activities was observed in cultured lymphocytes in the absence of mitogen throughout the cultivation period. The addition of phytohaemagglutinin or concanavalin A to the culture medium caused, in dose-dependent manner, a significant increase in cytosol aminopeptidase activity in lymphocytes. On the other hand, no increase in microsomal aminopeptidase activity was observed under the same conditions. The biochemical properties of aminopeptidases in stimulated cultured lymphocytes were identical with those of the enzymes in peripheral lymphocytes and unstimulated cultured lymphocyte. The phytohaemagglutinin dose-response curves for lymphocyte activation as measured by the DNA synthesis rate and for cytosol aminopeptidase activity were observed to be similar. However, when DNA synthesis was temporarily blocked by hydroxyurea, the rate of increase of aminopeptidase activity was unaffected. Pokeweed mitogen only slightly increased the cytosol aminopeptidase activity in cultured lymphocytes, although the lymphocytes were highly activated.     

Smooth muscle gelsolin and a Ca2+-sensitive contractile cell model

Smooth muscle gelsolin, termed smooth muscle 90-kDa protein in our previous paper (Kanno et al. FEBS Lett. 1985; 184:202-206), was purified from bovine aorta. Antibody prepared against smooth muscle gelsolin was used to detect the presence of gelsolin in human lung fibroblast MRC-5 cells permeabilized with Triton X-100 (MRC-5 cell models). These cells contracted in the presence of MgATP and Ca2+ in doses over 1 microM. Immunofluorescence microscopy using phalloidin and antigelsolin antibody showed that gelsolin was distributed along the stress fibers, except for a marginal bundle of cells, when MRC-5 cells were growth-arrested in serum-depleted medium. Making use of immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence techniques, we demonstrated that gelsolin is not retained in the MRC-5 cell models. We used purified smooth muscle gelsolin as a specific agent to sever the actin filaments. Preincubation of MRC-5 cell models with gelsolin led to a destruction of stress fibers, in a dose- and Ca2+ -dependent manner. The contractility was also lost, in the same manner described above, thereby indicating that a continuous distribution of actin filaments within the stress fibers is required for cell contraction. Treatment of MRC-5 cells with the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 induced an extracellular Ca2+ -dependent contraction but not a massive destruction of stress fibers, thereby indicating that most of the endogenous gelsolin was inactive under these conditions. Our interpretation of these results is that increases in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentrations are sufficient for the contraction but may be too transient to activate endogenous gelsolin and thereby disrupt the stress fibers. Indeed, the inhibition of contraction of the MRC-5 cell, as induced by smooth muscle gelsolin, required preincubation in the presence of Ca2+, before the addition of MgATP. These results suggest that destruction of the stress fibers by endogenous gelsolin, which leads to inhibition of cell contraction, may occur if the cytoplasmic Ca2+ is maintained at high concentrations for a few minutes.     

Detection and characterization of new genetic mutations in individuals heterozygous for lactate dehydrogenase-B(H) deficiency using DNA conformation polymorphism analysis and silver staining

In northwest European countries maternal age is increasing. This will lead to an increase of the prevalence of Down syndrome conceptuses. Meanwhile, the increased use of prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis (PCD) will lead to a decrease in the prevalence of Down syndrome among livebirths. We were interested to know what the result of these two opposite developments would be in the near future, and we describe here a model to quantify these processes and the resulting livebirth prevalence of Down syndrome. The model is demonstrated for The Netherlands from 1992 to 2001. The predicted livebirth prevalence for The Netherlands in 1992 is 1.36 per 1000. Demographic factors will cause an increase to 1.76 per 1000 in 2001 with present indications for PCD and a utilization ratio of 50%. An increase of the utilization ratio to 90% in 2001 will lead to a prevalence of 1.22 per 1000, a little less than the present prevalence. Alternative screening programs, including maternal serum screening, could lead to a further decrease of the livebirth prevalence. The model described here can be used for evaluation of the consequences of alternative forms of Down syndrome screening.     

Some Electrical Properties of a Nuclear Membrane Examined with a Microelectrode

Electrical potential and resistance were measured with microelectrodes in in situ and isolated nuclei of gland cells of Drosophila flavorepleta. The nucleus-cytoplasm boundary was found to be rather impermeable to ion diffusion. It presents a resistance of the order of 1 Ω cm² and sustains a "resting" potential, the nucleoplasm being about 15 mv negative with respect to the cytoplasm. Both the resistance and potential appear to be associated with the nuclear membrane: the potential declines to zero and the resistance to a fraction of its original value, when the membrane is perforated experimentally.     

Tauropine dehydrogenase from the sandwormArabella iricolor (Polychaeta: Errantia): Purification and characterization

This is the first report of the purification of tauropine dehydrogenase (NAD: tauropine oxidoreductase) from a polychaete worm. In the sandwormArabella iricolor Montagu (Polychaet: Errantia), two forms of TaDH were detected: major component (pl = 7.5) and minor one (pI = 6.4). The major TaDH component was purified to homogeneity by means of (NH₄)₂SO₄ precipitation, anion-exchange, affinity, chromatofocusing and hydrophobic chromatography, and characterized. From the molecular mass of 43.7 kDa obtained by rapid gel-filtration and that of 43.5 kDa by SDS-PAGE, the sandworm enzyme appeared to be a monomeric protein. Maximum rates of reduction of pyruvate and oxidation of tauropine were observed at pH 7.0 and 8.5, respectively. Pyruvate and taurine were preferred substrate for the enzyme. Apparent Km values determined using constant co-substrate concentrations were: 35.7 mM, 0.34 mM, and 0.036 mM for taurine, pyruvate and NADH, respectively, in the tauropine synthesizing reaction; and 4.8 mM and 0.051 mM for tauropine and NAD⁺, respectively, in the tauropine oxidizing reaction. The tauropine synthesizing reaction was subject to substrate inhibition by pyruvate: maximum rate was observed at 2.5–3.0 mM (inhibitory range of pyruvate concentration producing half-maximal rate was 26.8 mM).     

A unique electrophoretic slow-moving glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase variant (G6PD Asahikawa) with a markedly acidic pH optimum

Summary A new glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) variant associated with chronic nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia was discovered in Japan. The patient showed hemolytic crises after upper respiratory infections. The enzyme activity was about 3.8% of the normal. The partially purified enzyme revealed slow anodal electrophoretic mobility, high Km NADP, marked thermal-instability, and increased affinity for a substrate analogue (deamino-NADP). A particular characteristic of this enzyme was a biphasic pH curve with a greatly increased activity at low pH values. From these results, this variant was clearly different from hitherto observed G6PD variants, and was designated G6PD Asahikawa.