Osteogenesis imperfecta: a heterogeneous morphologic phenotype in cultured dermal fibroblasts

Summary Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a phenotype with clinical and biochemical heterogeneity. We report here that expression of the OI phenotype extends to the level of dermal fibroblast morphology in vitro. Growth characteristics and morphology of control (n=6) and OI cell strains (n=10, representing the four major OI categories, Sillence classification) were compared by measuring the following: (i) days required in culture to reach confluence after plating at uniform density; (ii) cell density at confluence; (iii) width and length of cells (measured on phase contrast micrographs at 300xmagnification). Our results show that: (i) OI fibroblasts take longer (11–27 days, mean 20 days) than control cells (10–19 days, mean 16 days) to reach stationary phase; (ii) all OI phenotypes achieve a lower cell density (0.87x10⁶ cells/P60, range 0.3–1.6x10⁶) at stationary phase relative to control cells (2.2x10⁶ cells/P60, range 1.7–2.6x10⁶; F_4,77=56.1, p<0.01, indicating that OI cells are larger than normal). Cell shape (expressed as the width: length ratio) was also abnormal in OI cells. (F_4,730=37.6, p<0.01), types I and II OI cells have significantly increased ratios (p<0.01) relative to control, type III, and type IV cells. Intra-group phenotypic heterogeneity was also apparent in the OI categories and also within the control population. These findings confirm deviant morphologic phenotypes in OI dermal fibroblasts and further demonstrate interindividual heterogeneity in the expression of genes that determine size and shape of dermal fibroblasts in both OI and normal donors.Publication No. 84013 from the Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute     

Effect of Cimetidine and other antihistaminics on the elimination of aminopyrine,phenacetin and caffein

Cimetidine is widely prescribed for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease and has recently been shown to inhibit the metabolism of warfarin, antipyrine and diazepam. To further examine this phenomenon we investigated the effect of various doses of cimetidine and other related drugs on ¹⁴C-aminopyrine, ¹⁴C-phenacetin and ¹⁴C-caffeine breath tests. Cimetidine caused a dose-related inhibition of the metabolism of aminopyrine and caffeine but had no effect on the phenacetin breath test. Metiamide, H₁-antihistamines, phenothiazines and local anesthetics also inhibited the aminopyrine breath test. Cyproheptadine had no effect on either phenacetin or caffeine elimination. This study demonstrates a complex drug-drug interaction which may have widespread clinical implications.     

Enhancement of α-lactalbumin-like activity in mammary explants from pregnant rats in the absence of exogenous prolactin

Mammary explants from pregnant rats showed a progressive increase in α-lactalbumin activity during culture with insulin, hydrocortisone and prolactin. Unexpectedly, culture with only insulin and hydrocortisone produced a similar rate of increase of α-lactalbumin-like activity, but this increase commenced about 24 hr later. The delay suggests that the enhanced activity effected by insulin and hydrocortisone is not a reflection of carry-over of endogenous mammotrophic hormones. Insulin plus hydrocortisone did not stimulate casein or fatty acid synthesis by pregnancy tissue, and did not enhance α-lactalbumin-like activity in virgin rat mammary explants. Enhancement of this activity by insulin plus hydrocortisone in pregnant tissue was constant over a wide range of glucocorticoid concentrations, but was inhibited by progesterone. Available evidence indicates that the active factor in extracts from insulin-hydrocortisone-explants is a heat-stable protein which is either α-lactalbumin itself, or another molecule with similar specifier properties.     

Development of a diagnostic test system for detecting soluble staphylococcal antigens by an immunoenzyme method

ELISA is used for detecting the soluble staphylococcal antigen in patients with purulent septic infections. The optimum conditions for the assay have been established: the dose of staphylococcal gamma globulin for plate sensitization should be 5.0-10.0 micrograms/ml, the pH of the buffer solution 9.6-10.0, the time and temperature of incubation 18-20 hours at 4 degrees C or 5 hours at 37 degrees C. The possibility of using plates manufactured in the USSR has been shown. The sensitivity of the above diagnostic test system is 0.005 microgram/ml.     

Effects of okadaic acid on insulin-sensitive cAMP phosphodiesterase in rat adipocytes. Evidence that insulin may stimulate the enzyme by phosphorylation.

Okadaic acid, a potent inhibitor of Type 1 and Type 2A protein phosphatases, was used to investigate the mechanism of insulin action on membrane-bound low Km cAMP phosphodiesterase in rat adipocytes. Upon incubation of cells with 1 microM okadaic acid for 20 min, phosphodiesterase was stimulated 3.7- to 3.9-fold. This stimulation was larger than that elicited by insulin (2.5- to 3.0-fold). Although okadaic acid enhanced the effect of insulin, the maximum effects of the two agents were not additive. When cells were pretreated with 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), the level of phosphodiesterase stimulation by okadaic acid was rendered smaller, similar to that attained by insulin. In cells that had been treated with 2 mM KCN, okadaic acid (like insulin) failed to stimulate phosphodiesterase, suggesting that ATP was essential. Also, as reported previously, the effect of insulin on phosphodiesterase was reversed upon exposure of hormone-treated cells to KCN. This deactivation of previously-stimulated phosphodiesterase was blocked by okadaic acid, but not by insulin. The above KCN experiments were carried out with cells in which A-kinase activity was minimized by pretreatment with H-7. Okadaic acid mildly stimulated basal glucose transport and, at the same time, strongly inhibited the action of insulin thereon. It is suggested that insulin may stimulate phosphodiesterase by promoting its phosphorylation and that the hormonal effect may be reversed by a protein phosphatase which is sensitive to okadaic acid. The hypothetical protein kinase thought to be involved in the insulin-dependent stimulation of phosphodiesterase appears to be more H-7-resistant than A-kinase.     

Role of different lymphoid tissues in the initiation and maintenance of DNA-raised antibody responses to the influenza virus H1 glycoprotein.

Antibody responses in mice immunized by a single gene gun inoculation of plasmid expressing the influenza virus H1 hemagglutinin and in mice immunized by a sublethal H1 influenza virus infection have been compared. Both immunizations raised long-lived serum responses that were associated with the localization of antibody-secreting cells (ASC) to the bone marrow. However, the kinetics of these responses were 4 to 8 weeks slower in the DNA-immunized than in the infection-primed mice. Following a gene gun booster, the presence of ASC in the inguinal lymph nodes, but not in other lymph nodes, revealed gene gun responses being initiated in the nodes that drain the skin target site. Both pre- and postchallenge, the DNA-immunized mice had 5- to 10-times-lower levels of antibody and ASC than the infection-primed mice.     

Accuracies in Po-210 determination for lead-210 dating

Various laboratory techniques have been utilized worldwide for measuring lead-210 in sub-recent deposits through its grand-daughter product polonium-210. Isotope dilution alpha spectrometry proved a suitable tool for absolute determination of lead-210 for the dating of aquatic deposits. Moreover, isotope dilution alpha spectrometry along with speciation experiments can be used to resolve depositional anomalies arising from supported lead-210/Ra-226 disequilibrium levels and unsupported lead-210 mobile fractions. Isotope dilution alpha spectrometry of sub-recent sediment and peat deposits has been critically evaluated for more than ten years. Our results show that type, size and composition of deposits analyzed as well as radiochemical procedures used, together with alpha counting techniques, are important factors influencing lead-210 determinations and tailing corrections using its granddaughter product polonium-210. Optimization of these parameters is of prime importance to achieve economic and accurate analyses, especially at low lead-210 concentrations and small sample sizes.