Effects of progesterone and estradiol on the proliferation of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human lymphocytes

In this paper we report on a study to elucidate whether the response of human lymphocytes to mitogenic stimulation was modified by physiological changes which occur during the menstrual cycle. Experiments with untreated cultures showed intra-individual variation to mitogen stimulation in female lymphocyte cultures, but a significant correlation between the menstrual cycle and the proliferation kinetics of lymphocytes was not found. Consequently, we performed experiments in which two of the hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle in women, estradiol and progesterone, were added to cultured human lymphocytes obtained from both men and women. The results indicate that both hormones at physiological concentrations have the capacity to modify the proliferation of PHA-stimulated human lymphocytes. Therefore, both hormones could play a role in the induction of the intra-individual variation observed in the untreated female cultures. However, in vivo other factors could also modify the proliferation kinetics of human lymphocytes preventing the demonstration of the effects of a single factor, such as the hormonal changes occurring during the menstrual cycle.     

Serotonin and γ-Aminobutyric Acid Turnover After Injection into the Median Raphe of Substance P and D-Ala-Met-Enkephalin Amide

The raphe nuclei [which contain serotonin (5-HT) cell bodies] are also known to contain axons that store substance P, met-enkephalin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). We have previously shown that GABA has a tonic inhibitory action on 5-HT turnover. To examine other possible interactions of these neuronal systems, we assessed the effect on 5-HT turnover of injecting substance P and 2-D-ala-met-enkephalin into the median raphe nucleus, and the effects of substance P on GABA turnover. Serotonin turnover was increased by 30% in the hippocampus after the injection of substance P (4 micrograms) into the median raphe, indicating an excitatory effect of substance P on the raphe-hippocampal system. Local injection of the metabolically stable metenkephalin analog 2-D-ala-met-enkephalin amide (10 micrograms) increased the hippocampal steady state content of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) by 60%. The data suggest an excitatory effect of met-enkephalin within the raphe nucleus. We attempted to estimate GABA turnover from the rate of disappearance of GABA after inhibition of glutamic acid decarboxylase by isoniazid and by the rate of accumulation of GABA after inhibition of GABA transaminase by gabaculine. Isoniazid, which is a competitive inhibitor, had too short and incomplete an action to be of use when injected intranuclearly. Gabaculine, which is an irreversible inhibitor, induced a rapid-onset increase in GABA content. This accumulation was linear up to 90 min. The injection fo gabaculine (80 ng) into the raphe increased GABA content by five times the control values, but hippocampal 5-HT and 5-HIAA contents were not significantly changed. Substance P injection increased the GABA turnover by 30%. Gabaculine seems a promising tool for detecting changes in GABA turnover.     

Membrane adenosine triphosphatase of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. Isolation of two forms of the enzyme complex and correlation between enzymatic stability,latency and activity.

Summary Two new forms of the plasma membrane ATP-ase ofMicrococcus lysodeikticus NCTC 2665 were isolated from a sub-strain of the microorganism by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. One of them had a mol.wt of 368,000 and a very low specific activity (0.80 µ mol.min^–1.mg protein^–1) that could not be stimulated by trypsin. This form has been called B^I (strain B, inactive). If the electrophoresis was carried out in the presence of reducing agents (i.e., dithiothreitol) and the pH of the effluent maintained at a value of 8.5 another form of the enzyme was obtained. This had a mol.wt of 385,000 and a specific activity of 2.5–5.0 µ mol.min^–1.mg protein^–1 that could be stimulated by trypsin to 5–10 µ mol.min^–1.mg protein^–1. This preparation of the ATPase has been called form B_A (strain B, enzyme active). The subunit composition of both forms has been studied by sodium dodecyl sulphate and urea gel electrophoresis and compared to that of the enzyme previously purified from the original strain (form A). The three forms of the enzyme had similar and subunits, with mol.wt of about 50,000 and 30,000 dalton, respectively. They also had in common the component(s) of relative mobility 1.0, whose status as true subunit(s) of the enzyme remains yet to be established. However, subunit, that had a mol.wt of about a 52,500 in form A (Andreu et al. Eur. J. Biochem. (1973) 37, 505–515), had a mol.wt similar to in form B_I and about 60,000 in form B_A. Furthermore B_A usually showed two types of this subunit ( and) and an additional peptide chain () with a mol.wt of about 25,000 dalton. This latter subunit seemed to account for the stimulation by trypsin of form B_A.Forms B_A could be converted to B_I by storage and freezing and thawing. Conventional protease activity could not be detected in any of the purified ATPase forms and addition of protease inhibitors to form B_A failed to prevent its conversion to form B_I. The low activity form (B_I) was more stable than the active forms of the enzyme and also differed in its circular dichroism. These results show thatM. lysodeikticus ATPase can be isolated in several forms. Although these variations may be artifacts caused by the purification procedures, they provide model systems for understanding the structural and functional relationships of the enzyme and for drawing some speculations about its functionin vivo.     

Water permeability and lipid composition of toad urinary bladder: The influence of temperature

Summary The water diffusional permeability, its activation energy and the lipid composition were studied in urinary bladders from toads adapted to different temperatures. It was observed that the unidirectional water flux greatly depends on the temperature at which the experiments are performed. This dependence is greater in the animals adapted to higher temperatures. Toads adapted to cold show strong reduction in the activation energy for water diffusion permeability (from 11.4±1.9 kcal·mol^–1 to 4.4±1.1 kcal·mol^–1) and an increase of 30% in the amount of total lipids from bladder epithelial cells. There were no significant changes in the phospholipid/cholesterol ratio, composition of the paraffinic chains or protein concentration between toads adapted to both temperatures. The possibility that water translocates through the mucosal border of the toad bladder by partitioning in the polar zone and diffusioning between the hydrocarbon chains of the membrane lipids and that cold adaptation would induce a stronger packing of lipids in the membrane is discussed.     

Confomational and molecular responses to pH variation of the purified membrane adenosine triphospate of Micrococcus lysodeikticus

A preparation of ATPase from the membranes of Micrococcus lysodeikticus, solubilized and more than 95 %. pure, showed two main bands in analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. They did not correspond to isoenzymes because one band could be converted into the other by exposure to a mildly alkaline pH value. The conversion was paralleled by changes in molecular weight, circular dichroism and catalytic properties. Denaturation by pH at 25 °C was followed by means of circular dichroism, ultracentrifugation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A large conformational transition took place in the acid range with midpoints at about pH = 3.6 (I = 10^?4 M), 4.3 (I = 0.03 M) and 5.3 (I = 0.1 M). The transition was irreversible. Strong aggregation of the protein occurred in this range of pH. The final product was largely random coil, but even at pH 1.5 dissociation into individual subunits was not complete. However, partial dissociation took place at pH 5 (I = 0.028 M). At this pH value the enzyme was inactive, but 20–30 % of the activity could be recovered when the pH was returned to 7.5.In the alkaline region the midpoint of the transition occurred near pH = 11 (I = 0.028 M). The pK of most of the tyrosine residues of the protein was about 10.9. The unfolding was irreversible and the protein was soon converted into peptide species with molecular weights lower than those determined for the subunits by gel clectrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Conventional proteolysis did not account for the transformation.     

Membrane bound and soluble adenosine triphosphatase of Escherichia coli K 12. kinetic properties of the basal and trypsin-stimulated activities

Basal and trypsin-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activities of Escherichia coli K 12 have been characterized at pH 7.5 in the membrane-bound state and in a soluble form of the enzyme. The saturation curve for Mg2+/ATP = 1/2 was hyperbolic with the membrane-bound enzyme and sigmoidal with the soluble enzyme. Trypsin did not modify the shape of the curves. The kinetic parameters were for the membrane-bound ATPase: apparent Km = 2.5 mM, Vmax (minus trypsin) = 1.6 mumol-min-1-mg protein-1, Vmax (plus trypsin) = 2.44 mumol-min-1-mg protein-1; for the soluble ATPase: [S0.5] = 1.2 mM, Vmax (-trypsin) = 4 mumol-min-1-mg protein-1; Vmax (+ trypsin) = 6.6 mumol-min-1-mg protein-1. Hill plot analysis showed a single slope for the membrane-bound ATPase (n = 0.92) but two slopes were obtained for the soluble enzyme (n = 0.98 and 1.87). It may suggest the existence of an initial positive cooperativity at low substrate concentrations followed by a lack of cooperativity at high ATP concentrations. Excess of free ATP and Mg2+ inhibited the ATPase but excess of Mg/ATP (1/2) did not. Saturation for ATP at constant Mg2+ concentration (4 mM) showed two sites (groups) with different Kms: at low ATP the values were 0.38 and 1.4 mM for the membrane-bound and soluble enzyme; at high ATP concentrations they were 17 and 20 mM, respectively. Mg2+ saturation at constant ATP (8 mM) revealed michealian kinetics for the membrane-bound ATPase and sigmoid one for the protein in soluble state. When the ATPase was assayed in presence of trypsin we obtained higher Km values for Mg2+. These results might suggest that trypsin stimulates E. coli ATPase by acting on some site(s) involved in Mg2+ binding. Adenosine diphosphate and inorganic phosphate (Pi) act as competitive inhibitors of Escherichia coli ATPase. The Ki values for Pi were 1.6 +/- 0.1 mM for the membrane-bound ATPase and 1.3 +/- 0.1 mM for the enzyme in soluble form, the Ki values for ADP being 1.7 mM and 0.75 mM for the membrane-bound and soluble ATPase, respectively. Hill plots of the activity of the soluble enzyme in presence of ADP showed that ADP decreased the interaction coefficient at ATP concentrations below its Km value. Trypsin did not modify the mechanism of inhibition or the inhibition constants. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (0.4 mM) inhibited the membrane-bound enzyme by 60-70% but concentrations 100 times higher did not affect the residual activity nor the soluble ATPase. This inhibition was independent of trypsin. Sodium azide (20 muM) inhibited both states of E. coli ATPase by 50%. Concentrations 25-fold higher were required for complete inhibition. Ouabain, atebrin and oligomycin did not affect the bacterial ATPase.     

Body size clines in the European badger and the abundant centre hypothesis

Aim To test the abundant centre hypothesis by analysing the physical and climatic factors that influence body size variation in the European badger (Meles meles). Location Data were compiled from 35 locations across Europe. Methods We used body mass, body length and condylo‐basal length (CBL) as surrogates of size. We also compiled data on latitude, several climatic variables, habitat type and site position relative to the range edge. We collapsed all continuous climatic variables into independent vectors using principal components analysis (PCA), and used a general linear model to explain the morphometric variation in badger populations across the species’ range. Results Body mass and body length were nonlinearly and significantly related to latitude. In contrast, CBL was linearly related to latitude. Body mass changed nonlinearly along the temperature (PC1) gradient, with the highest values observed at mid‐range. Furthermore, body mass, body length and CBL differed significantly among habitats, with badgers showing larger size in temperate habitats and core areas relative to peripheral zones. Main conclusions Our analysis supports the nonlinear pattern predicted by the abundant centre hypothesis only for body mass and body length. These results imply that individuals are largest and heaviest at the centre of the climatic range of badger distribution. Variation of CBL with latitude follows a linear trend, consistent with Bergmann’s rule. Our results provide mixed support for the abundant centre hypothesis, and suggest food availability/quality to be the main mechanism underlying body size clines in this species.     

Cortactin Controls Surface Expression of the Voltage-gated Potassium Channel KV10.1

K_V10.1 is a voltage-gated potassium channel aberrantly expressed in many cases of cancer, and participates in cancer initiation and tumor progression. Its action as an oncoprotein can be inhibited by a functional monoclonal antibody, indicating a role for channels located at the plasma membrane, accessible to the antibody. Cortactin is an actin-interacting protein implicated in cytoskeletal architecture and often amplified in several types of cancer. In this study, we describe a physical and functional interaction between cortactin and K_V10.1. Binding of these two proteins occurs between the C terminus of K_V10.1 and the proline-rich domain of cortactin, regions targeted by many post-translational modifications. This interaction is specific for K_V10.1 and does not occur with K_V10.2. Cortactin controls the abundance of K_V10.1 at the plasma membrane and is required for functional expression of K_V10.1 channels.     

The protection against gentamicin nephrotoxicity in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat is not related to gender.

Since gender can influence the renal toxicity of a drug in a given species, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of sex in the protection against gentamicin (G)-induced nephrotoxicity afforded by diabetes mellitus (DM) in the rat. We have compared the effects of administration of G (40 mg/kg/day, for 14 days) on male and female DM Sprague-Dawley rats. Non-diabetic animals of both sexes receiving identical doses of G served as controls. At the end of the experiment on day 14, both female (F) and male (M) control groups had similar and marked evidence of nephrotoxicity: elevation of plasma creatinine (F 1.7 +/- 0.7; M 2.8 +/- 0.6 mg/dl), decrease in endogenous 24-h creatinine clearance (Ccr) (F0.3 +/- 0.1; M 0.2 +/- 0.1 ml/min/100 g BW), and histological evidence of severe acute tubular necrosis. In marked contrast, the DM rats showed no functional or morphological evidence of renal damage throughout the study regardless of their gender (day 14: plasma creatinine: F 0.2 +/- 0.03; M 0.2 +/- 0.02; Ccr: F 1.2 +/- 0.1; M 1.6 +/- 0.1 ml/min/100 g BW), and they also accumulated less G in their kidney cortex than the C rats. The male controls exhibited higher renal cortex accumulation of G than the female controls (p < 0.05), whereas the opposite occurred in the DM groups (p < 0.01). Because the validity of using Ccr for the evaluation of GFR changes in experimental nephrotoxicity has been questioned, we have compared, in a separate experiment, three different methods of estimation of GFR (simultaneous short clearances of inulin and Ccr, and 24-h Ccr) in conscious female Sprague-Dawley rats undergoing the same treatment with G described above. At no time during the study did the method used for estimation of the GFR influence the results. We conclude that male and female Sprague-Dawley rats with diabetes are functionally and morphologically equally protected against G. Furthermore, no gender-related differences in the magnitude of G-induced nephrotoxicity was demonstrated in the non-diabetic control animals.