Enantioselective inhibitory effect of nicardipine on the hepatic clearance of propranolol in man

The influence of a single oral dose of 30 mg nicardipine on the pharmacokinetics of (R)- and (S)-propranolol, given orally as rac-propranolol 80 mg, was studied in 12 healthy volunteers. The plasma concentrations were higher for the (S)-enantiomer than for the (R)-enantiomer. The Cl_o and the Cl′_intr of (S)-propranolol were significantly lower than the Cl_o and Cl′_intr of (R)-propranolol. The unbound fraction of (R)-propranolol was significantly higher than that of (S)-propranolol. Coadministration of nicardipine significantly increased the AUC and C_max and significantly decreased the Cl_o and Cl′_intr for unbound drug of (R)- and (S)-propranolol. These changes were more important for (R)- than for (S)-propranolol. The protein binding was not altered by nicardipine. The enantioselective effect of nicardipine on the metabolic clearance of propranolol appears to be due to an interaction at the level of the metabolizing enzymes. The effect on blood pressure of rac-propranolol was little affected when nicardipine was coadministered with rac-propranolol, and its bradycardic effect was reduced. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Production of a membrane-bound proteins,the human gamma-glutamyl transferase,by CHO cells cultivated on microcarriers,in aggregates and in suspension

Recombinant Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, engineered for the production of human gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), have been grown on Cytodex 1 microcarriers, as aggregates, or as single cells in suspension after adaptation. GGT is a membrane bound enzyme which was not secreted during the culture period. The maximal enzyme activity was found to be directly related to the achieved maximal cell density. Culture of CHO on microcarriers yielded the fastest growth, with a specific growth rate of 0.04 h^–1, the highest cell density (near 1.3×10⁶ cells ml^–1), and the highest enzyme activity around 300 mU ml^–1, which corresponded to a specific cellular level of 20 mU 10^–5 cells. GGT could also be produced by growing CHO cells in suspension as single cells or as aggregates. Under these conditions, however, the specific CHO growth rate was significantly slower and the GGT level per cell was divided by a factor 6. Growing CHO cells without microcarriers also resulted in differences in cell metabolism, with a higher conversion yield of glutamine into ammonia, and a higher cell lysis. The catalytic kinetic constants of the enzyme were found identical for the three culture systems.     

Scale-up of the adenovirus expression system for the production of recombinant protein in human 293S cells

Human 293S cells, a cell line adapted to suspension culture, were grown to 5×10⁶ cells/mL in batch with calcium-free DMEM. These cells, infected with new constructions of adenovirus vectors, yielded as much as 10 to 20% recombinant protein with respect to the total cellular protein content. Until recently, high specific productivity of recombinant protein was limited to low cell density infected cultures of no more than 5×10⁵ cells/mL. In this paper, we show with a model protein, Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1C how high product yield can be maintained at high cell densities of 2×10⁶ cells/mL by a medium replacement strategy. This allows the production of as much as 90 mg/L of active recombinant protein per culture volume. Analysis of key limiting/inhibiting medium components showed that glucose addition along with pH control can yield the same productivity as a medium replacement strategy at high cell density in calcium-free DMEM. Finally, the above results were reproduced in 3L bioreactor suspension culture thereby establishing the scalability of this expression system. The process we developed is used routinely with the same success for the production of various recombinant proteins and viruses.Abbreviations CFDMEM calcium-free DMEM - CS bovine calf serum - hpi hours post-infection - J+ enriched Joklik medium - MLP major late promoter - MOI multiplicity of infection (# of infectious viral particle/cell) - q specific consumption rate (mole/cell.h) - pfu plaque forming unit (# of infectious viral particle) - Y yield (g/E6 cells or mole/cell)     

Arrest of somatic embryo development in grapevine: histological characterization and the effect of ABA,BAP and zeatin in stimulating plantlet development

In an effort to understand the causes of arrest of somatic embryo development, generally observed in grapevine (Vitis sp.), histological studies were undertaken, using two cultivars (CH76 and 41B) which differ in their ability to develop into plants. Embryos with a high conversion rate (70%; CH76) formed a well-structured and functional shoot apex between two thread-like cotyledons. In contrast, embryos with a low conversion rate (10%; 41B) formed a normal root apex but lacked a well-structured shoot apex and developed a wide range of aberrant forms in the intercotyledonary area: uncontrolled cellular proliferation, formation of adventitious buds, over-growth of cotyledonary or leaf meristems. ABA increased the conversion rate of 41B embryos from 10% to 20%, but failed to improve embryo morphology. Zeatin and BAP promoted growth of 41B somatic embryos, but generated a high level of abnormalities and failed to improve conversion rate. Applied in combination with ABA, these PGRs increased the frequency of cotyledonary embryos, but decreased the conversion rate.     

Cellular Quantification of Tyrosine Hydroxylase in the Rat Brain by Immunoautoradiography

Abstract: We developed a rapid and sensitive radioimmunohistochemical method for the quantification of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) at both the anatomical and cellular level. Coronal tissue sections from fresh-frozen rat brains were incubated in the presence of a TH monoclonal antibody. The reaction was revealed with a ³⁵S-labeled secondary antibody. TH content was quantified in catecholaminergic brain areas by measuring optical density on autoradiographic films or silver grain density on autoradiographic emulsion-coated sections. Regional TH concentrations determined in the locus ceruleus (LC), substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC), and ventral tegmental area (VTA) were significantly increased by 45% after reserpine treatment in the LC but unchanged in the SNC and VTA. Microscopic examination of TH radioimmunolabeling showed a heavy accumulation of silver grains over catecholaminergic cell bodies. In the LC, grain density per cell was heterogeneous and higher in the ventral than in the dorsal part of the structure. After reserpine treatment, TH levels were significantly increased (57%) in the neurons of the LC but not in those of the SNC or VTA. The data support the validity of this radioimmunohistochemical method as a tool for quantifying TH protein at the cellular level and they confirm that TH protein content is differentially regulated in noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons in response to reserpine.