An approach to the optimization of preparation of bioprosthetic heart valves

The stress and strain states of the valve leaflets during fixation with glutaraldehyde affect their final mechanical parameters. Comparative studies of the stress-strain relationships of aortic valve leaflet strips from fresh, statically and dynamically fixed porcine and human valves were made. Static pressures of 5 mmHg, 16 mmHg, and 95 mmHg result in stress-strain relationships which are in a region between that of fresh porcine and fresh human leaflet strips in the circumferential direction, while they are far from that of fresh porcine tissue (larger strains) in the radial direction. Leaflet strips, fixed under dynamic loading between zero and a predefined maximum load, set at an early post-transition state, give parameters not significantly different from those of human valves.     

Purification and properties of an ethylene-forming enzyme from Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2.

A novel ethylene-forming enzyme that catalyses the formation of ethylene from 2-oxoglutarate was purified from a cell-free extract of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2. It was purified about 2800-fold with an overall yield of 53% to a single band of protein after SDS-PAGE. The purified enzyme had a specific activity of 660 nmol ethylene min-1 (mg protein)-1. The molecular mass of the enzyme was approximately 36 kDa by gel filtration and 42 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The isoelectric point and optimum pH were 5.9 and ca. 7.0-7.5, respectively. There was no homology between the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the ethylene-forming enzyme of Ps. syringae pv. phaseolicola PK2 and the sequence of the ethylene-forming enzyme of the fungus Penicillium digitatum IFO 9372. However, the two enzymes have the following properties in common. The presence of 2-oxoglutarate, L-arginine, Fe2+ and oxygen is essential for the enzymic reaction. The enzymes are highly specific for 2-oxoglutarate as substrate and L-arginine as cofactor. EDTA, Tiron, DTNB [5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoate)] and hydrogen peroxide are all effective inhibitors.     

Interaction of CD2 with its ligand lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3 induces adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate production in T lymphocytes.

CD2 (T11, the T cell E receptor), a nonpolymorphic 47- to 55-kDa glycoprotein, is a T cell-specific surface protein that plays an important role in T lymphocyte adhesion, signal transduction, and differentiation. A natural ligand of CD2 is lymphocyte function associated Ag-3 (LFA-3 (CD58)), a widely expressed glycoprotein of 50 to 70 kDa. The physiologic interaction of CD2 with LFA-3 functions to increase intercellular adhesion and plays a role in T cell activation. This interaction, however, in the absence of other stimuli, has not previously been shown to induce intracellular signals such as Ca2+ mobilization or IL-2 production. To investigate whether cAMP may play a role in ligand-triggered CD2-mediated signal transduction, we have studied the ability of purified LFA-3 and anti-CD2 mAb to induce changes in intracellular cAMP content in murine Ag-specific T cell hybridomas that stably express wild-type and mutated human CD2 molecules. By using a RIA sensitive to the femtomolar range and specific for cAMP, we demonstrate that purified LFA-3, like anti-CD2 mAb, is capable of inducing marked, transient increases in the intracellular concentration of cAMP. Presentation of purified LFA-3, like anti-CD2 mAb, is capable of inducing marked, transient increases in the intracellular concentration of cAMP. Presentation of purified LFA-3 alone to CD2-expressing hybridoma cells, however, did not stimulate phosphatidylinositol turnover nor IL-2 production. The cytoplasmic domain of CD2 is necessary for these ligand-induced cAMP changes, demonstrating that LFA-3 binding to CD2 transduces a signal to the cell. Experiments using the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine showed that CD2-mediated regulation of cAMP levels occurs primarily by the stimulation of cAMP production rather than by the inhibition of cAMP degradation. These results demonstrate that the interaction of LFA-3 with CD2, in the absence of other stimuli, is capable of initiating intracellular biochemical changes and suggest that CD2/LFA-3 interactions may regulate T cell function at least in part through the generation of intracellular cAMP.     

Apparent convergence (at 2-monoacylglycerol level) of phosphatidic acid and 2-monoacylglycerol pathways of synthesis of chylomicron triacylglycerols

Dietary fats are converted into chylomicron triacylglycerols via the 2-monoacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid pathways of acylglycerol formation. In view of the known positional and fatty acid specificity of the acyltransferases, the triacylglycerol structures resulting from the two pathways would be expected to differ, but this has not been demonstrated. We have performed stereospecific analyses on the chylomicron triacylglycerols from rats fed menhaden oil and the corresponding fatty acid alkyl esters, which would be expected to be assimilated via the monoacylglycerol and the phosphatidic acid pathways, respectively. The results show a remarkable similarity between the two triacylglycerol types in the fatty acid composition of the sn-1 and sn-3 positions, along with marked differences in the composition of the sn-2 positions. The triacylglycerols from rats fed oil retained about 85% of the original fatty acids in the sn-2 position, including a high proportion of the long chain polyunsaturates (e.g., 5-7% 20:5 and 4-5% 22:6). The triacylglycerols from rats fed the alkyl ester contained large amounts of endogenous fatty acids in the sn-2 position (e.g., 18% 16:1, 14% 18:1, 14% 18:2, and 2.5% 20:4), which approximated the composition of the sn-2 position of the presumed phosphatidic acid intermediates. The sn-1 position contained a much higher proportion of polyunsatured fatty acids (e.g., 12-13% 20:5, 5-6% 22:6) than the sn-2 position (e.g. 2-3% 20:5, 0-0.6% 22:6) of triacylglycerols from rats fed the ester. We conclude that the chylomicron triacylglycerols arising via the 2-monoacylglycerol and the phosphatidic acid pathways differ mainly in the composition of the fatty acids in the sn-2 position. The similarity in the acids of the sn-1 and sn-3 positions of the chylomicron triacylglycerols from rats fed oil or ester is consistent with a hydrolysis of the acylglycerol products of the phosphatidic acid pathway to 2-monoacylglycerols prior to reconversion to triacylglycerols via the monoacylglycerol pathway and secretion as chylomicrons.     

Ejaculations induced by p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) in rats, hamsters and mice.

The ejaculatory response induced by p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) in male rats, hamsters and mice was observed during 2 hours after the injection. The animals were treated intraperitoneally with PCA at doses ranging from 0.78125 to 160 mg/kg. The ED50 (effective dose in 50% of animals) values of PCA for the initiation of ejaculation in rats and hamsters were 1.3397 (1.0732-1.6725) and 0.1105 (0.0802-0.1522) mg/kg, respectively. On the other hand, no ejaculation was observed in any mice at any doses examined. So we concluded that there are species differences in the ejaculatory response, induced by PCA, among rats, hamsters and mice.     

Characteristics of interleukin-6-enhanced lymphokine-activated killer cell function

To study the effect of IL-6 on the development of cytotoxic cells, we examined lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity generated from human nonadherent PBL. Addition of rIL-6 at the initiation of 5-day PBL cultures significantly increases LAK activity in the presence of low concentrations (between 5 and 25 u/ml) of rIL-2. RIL-6 alone induces no PBL LAK activity but at doses as low as 0.8 u/ml rIL-6 enhances LAK activity with optimal enhancement of LAK at 5.0 u/ml of rIL-6. This enhancement is independent of effects on cells growth as rIL-6 did not affect the cell recovery of PBL cultured in rIL-2. RIL-6-enhanced LAK is mediated by the same type of effector cells as those of LAK from rIL-2 alone with effector cells primarily generated from large granular CD3-negative E rosetting lymphocytes. RIL-6 does not change the time course of LAK development and pretreatment of PBL with rIL-6 has no effect on the PBL response to subsequent rIL-2 induction of LAK. Addition of rIL-6 to LAK cultures 2 hr before the cytotoxicity assay shows equal enhancement as addition at the initiation of the culture. However, rIL-6 requires the presence of both rIL-2 and another factor in the supernatant from LAK cultures in order to enhance LAK. Our results indicate that IL-6 can modulate LAK activity at a very late stage of LAK development, and that the enhancement by IL-6 is dependent on the presence of IL-2 and another soluble factor generated during rIL-2 culture.     

When beef-heart mitochondrial F1-ATPase is inhibited by inhibitor protein a nucleotide is trapped in one of the catalytic sites.

Inactivation of the isolated ATPase portion of ATP synthase from beef-heart mitochondria (F1) by its natural inhibitor protein (IP) during steady-state ATP hydrolysis is accompanied by a trapping of 1 mol nucleotide/mol F1 in one of the catalytic sites. The trapped nucleotide is not released during incubation of IP-inhibited F1 in the presence of MgATP at pH 8.0 for at least 20 min, indicating a very low turnover rate of the IP.F1 complex. The ATP/ADP ratio of the trapped nucleotides is higher than that found for transitorily bound nucleotides under the same conditions but in the absence of IP. The IP impairs the acceleration of ATP hydrolysis and product release steps that results from the binding of ATP to an alternate catalytic site. It also inhibits ATP hydrolysis by a single catalytic site or shifts the equilibrium toward ATP formation from bound ADP and Pi. At high pH, an active acidic form of the free IP is transformed to the inactive basic one with a half-time of 3-4 s. This process seems to be prevented by IP binding to F1. The inactive basic form of IP does not compete with the active acidic IP for the binding to F1. The data do not favor the existence of a long-lived catalytically active IP.F1 intermediate during IP action on F1. The reactivation of IP-inhibited membrane-bound F1 by energization may be due to a conformational change in the IP.F1 complex allowing the transformation of IP into an inactive basic state that rapidly dissociates.     

Chromosomal behavior in starfish (Asterina pectinifera) zygotes under the effect of aphidicolin, an inhibitor of DNA polymerase

When calf thymus histones were labeled fluorescently and microinjected into oocytes of the starfish, Asterina pectinifera, the labeled histones visualized chromosomes during maturation division and cleavage. In doing so, we confirmed the previously reported phenomenon that chromosomes became incompetent at the first cleavage in the aphidicolin-treated egg, although cleavage itself took place. Moreover, we found that chromosomes were aligned at the equator of the metaphase spindle of the first cleavage and that they did not separate into two groups at all, but made a lump in the middle of the spindle. Chromosomes finally entered one blastomere, although they did not participate in the following karyokinesis. DNA and microtubules were examined by cytochemistry and immunofluorescence in order to investigate the relation between chromosome movement and the microtubular cytoskeleton. The mitotic apparatus developed and grew in the aphidicolin-treated cells in the same manner as those in normal cells without normal chromatin condensation or chromosome movement during the first cleavage. However, the mitotic apparatus consisted of two asters without the spindle formed at subsequent cleavages. Electron microscopic study revealed that chromosomes did not condense normally and kinetochores were not detected during the first cleavage. These results indicate that the dynamic changes in microtubular structures during mitosis have poor relation with the chromosome behavior such as prophase chromosome condensation and anaphase chromosome movement.     

Protein kinase C of a human megakaryoblastic leukemic cell line (MEG-01). Analysis of subspecies and activation by diacylglycerol and free fatty acids

Protein kinase C (PKC) from a human megakaryoblastic leukemic cell line (MEG-01) was resolved into two fractions by hydroxyapatite column chromatography, which are indistinguishable from the brain type II (beta I/beta II) and type III (alpha) subspecies, by biochemical and immunoblot analysis. In the presence of both phosphatidylserine and diacylglycerol, several free unsaturated fatty acids (FFA's), such as arachidonic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids, further enhanced the enzyme activation, and allowed the enzyme to exhibit almost full activity at nearly basal levels of Ca2+ concentration. The concentration of unsaturated FFA's giving rise to the maximum enzyme activation was around 2 x 10(-5) M. Palmitic and stearic acids were inactive. The result implies that, in addition to diacylglycerol, the receptor-mediated release of unsaturated FFA's from membrane phospholipids may also take part in the activation of PKC.     

Characterization of sequences involved in mediating degradation of ornithine decarboxylase in cells and in reticulocyte lysate

Mouse ornithine decarboxylase is a 461-amino-acid protein that is extremely labile. A set of contiguous in-frame deletions were introduced into its C-terminal hydrophilic region. The resulting mutant proteins were expressed in cos monkey cells using an expression vector based on simian virus 40 (SV40) or by in vitro translation in reticulocyte lysate. The degradation of wild-type and mutant proteins was determined in transfected cos cells and in a degradation system based on reticulocyte lysate. Deletion mutants lacking segments of the C-terminus (amino acids 423-461, 423-435, 436-449 and 449-461) were converted into stable proteins in both experimental systems. The mutant lacking amino acids 295-309 was significantly stabilized in transfected cos cells, but was rapidly degraded in reticulocyte-lysate-based degradation mix. Our results suggest that the carboxyl-terminal region encompassing amino acids 423-461 and perhaps also amino acids 295-309 may constitute a signal recognized by the proteolytic machinery that degrades ornithine decarboxylase.