Cell stress and implications of the heat-shock response in skin

Heat-shock proteins (HSPs), or so-called stress proteins may play an important role in cutaneous pathophysiology. HSPs are a group of highly conserved molecules that are expressed by all cells when subjected to heat or other forms of physical or chemical stress. The physiological roles of stress proteins are varied and are important in stress and nonstress conditions. They bind to other cellular proteins and participate in protein folding pathways during stress and also during the synthesis of new polypeptides. HSPs are also essential for thermotolerance and for prevention and repair of damage caused in DNA after ultraviolet exposure. Although HSPs are expressed in the skin in both epidermis and dermis, HSPs may influence many other cellular processes in the inflammatory and immune skin response. Many authors have speculated on a link between HSPs and human skin disease characterized by inflammation and proliferation.Abbreviations HSP heat-shock protein - IL-1 interleukin-1     

Cortical hypometabolism in injured brain: New correlations with the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems and with behavioral deficits

Changes with time after injury in behavioral deficits, as determined by the Morris swim test, and the in vivo specific binding of HEAT, a selective ₁-adrenoreceptor ligand, were compared with the time-course of development of cortical hypometabolism in rats with focal freezing lesions. In our trauma model, cortical hypometabolism was detectable in the lesioned hemisphere at 4 hr, became maximal (50% of normal) at 3 days and diminished towards normal on days 5 and 10 post-injury. Progressive impairment of acquisition of the Morris water maze task was demonstrated up to day 3 post-lesion with improvement thereafter. On day 3 the latency to reach criterion was 60% longer in lesioned animals than in corresponding sham-operated ones. An increase in the volume of distribution of HEAT, limited to cortical areas of the lesioned hemisphere, was demonstrable at 4 hr post-lesion and reached its maximum on day 3 (200% of normal) with subsequent return toward normal on days 5 and 10. Several types of drugs were shown previously to modify the cortical hypometabolism associated with cerebral injury. The present data indicate that the same drugs also modify the in vivo binding of HEAT and the behavioral deficits induced by brain lesions. Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, p-chlorophenylalanine, an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis, ketanserin, a specific 5HT₂-receptor antagonist, and prazosin, an ₁-adrenergic receptor blocker all normalized the in vivo binding of HEAT in the cortical areas of the lesioned hemisphere. All groups of animals treated with these drugs also showed subtle, but statistically highly significant improvements in latency to locate the platform in the Morris water maze. Taken together these results show good correlation between behavioral deficits, changes in ₁-noradrenergic receptor binding and cortical hypometabolism in injured brain. This supports the hypothesis that post-injury cortical hypometabolism is a reflection of cortical functional depression in which both the serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmitter systems play a role, compatible with their inhibitory effects in the cortex and their postulated involvement in cortical information processing.Special issue dedicated to Dr. Leon S. Wolfe.     

Differential modulation of carbachol and trans-ACPD-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover following traumatic brain injury

In the fluid percussion model of traumatic brain injury (TBI), we examined muscarinic and metabotropic glutamate receptor-stimulated polyphosphoinositide (PPI) turnover in rat hippocampus. Moderate injury was obtained by displacement and deformation of the brain within the closed cranial cavity using a fluid percussion device. Carbachol and (±)-1-Aminocyclopentane-trans-1,3.-dicarboxylic acid (trans-ACPD)-stimulated PPI hydrolysis was assayed in hippocampus from injured and sham-injured controls at both 1 hour and 15 days following injury. At 1 hour after TBI, the response to carbachol was enhanced in injured rats by up to 200% but the response to trans-ACPD was diminished by as much as 28%. By contrast, at 15 days after TBI, the response to carbachol was enhanced by 25% and the response to trans-ACPD was enhanced by 73%. The ionotropic glutamate agonists N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and -amino-3 hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA), did not increase PPI hydrolysis in either sham or injured rats and injury did not alter basal hydrolysis. Thus, hippocampal muscarinic and metabotropic receptors linked to phospholipase C are differentially altered by TBI.Abbreviations used TBI traumatic brain injury - EAA excitatory amino acids - PPI polyphosphoinositides - IP inositol phosphates - NMDA N-methyl-D-aspartate - AMPA -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate - trans-ACPD (±)-1-Aminocyclopentanetrans-1,3-dicarboxylic acid - LTP long term potentiation     

内皮衍生舒张因子对缺血（缺氧）,再灌注（复氧）心肌的保护作用

血管内皮产生的内皮衍生舒张因子（ｅｎｄｏｔｈｅｌｉｕｍ－ｄｅｒｉｖｅｄ ｒｅｌａｘｉｎｇ ｆａｃｔｏｒ,ＥＤＲＦ）即一氧化氮（ｎｉｔｒｉｃ ｏｘｉｄｅ,ＮＯ）本工作分别在大鼠Ｌａｎｇｅｎｄｏｒｆｆ离体心脏灌流模型和培养的大鼠心肌细胞上观察了ＮＯ、ＮＯ的前体物质Ｌ－精氨酸（Ｌ－Ａｒｇ）、ＮＯ的前体物质Ｌ－精氨酸（Ｌ－Ａｒｇ）、ＮＯ的合成阻断剂Ｌ－硝基精氨酸（Ｌ－ＮＮＡ）对心肌缺血（缺氧）再灌注（复氧     

大鼠胸部照射后支气管肺泡灌洗液成分和肺组织纤溶活力的变化

大鼠胸部照射γ射线２０Ｇｙ,照射后观察支气管肺泡灌洗液（ＢＡＬＦ）中蛋白质含量、细胞总数和分类及巨噬细胞存活率,肺指数及肺组织纤溶活力,并做了大体解剖和组织学检查。结果为：照射后２周开始ＢＡＬＦ中蛋白质含量、细胞总数和中性粒细胞即明显增多,照射后１——２个月持续处于高水平,高峰在１．５─２个月,照射后３─４个月有所下降,肺指数有相应变化;肺组织纤溶活力则相反,从照射后２周开始持续下降,至照射后２个月已降至最低,接近于零。形态学观察也见到有早期肺水肿和晚期肺萎缩等变化。由上结果可见,大鼠胸部照射后的早期主要为渗出性病变和纤溶活力的降低。文中讨论了照射后血管内皮细胞的损伤在放射性肺损伤发病中的作用。     

Role of ascorbic acid in metabolism of rat testis and epididymis in relation to the onset of puberty

The metabolism of ascorbic acid, cholesterol, serum testosterone level and activities of 3Β and 17Β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases were studied in testis and Cauda epididymis of prepubertal, pubertal and postpubertal (5, 15, 30, 45, 55 and 60 day old) rats. The data showed that serum testosterone levels and 3Β and 17Β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases were increased with the age. The ascorbic acid metabolism was found to be stabilized in testis at day 30 being comparable with the adult, whereas a spurt in its metabolism occurred by day 45 and a significant depletion in ascorbic acid content in relation to the passage of the first wave of spermatozoa through cauda epididymis. The results of this study clearly elucidate that ascorbic acid is involved in metabolism of testis and epididymis in developing postnatal rats, in relation to the increasing demands for attaining a stable hormonal milieu, and the onset of puberty and the passage of the first wave of spermatozoa,via the formation of its free radical monodehydroascorbic acid and charge transfer complex mechanism     

Relationship of scrotal circumference and testicular volume to age and body weight in the swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Scrotal circumference (SC) and testicular volume (TV) were measured in 65 swamp buffalo bulls ranging in age from 7 to 60 months and weighing 130 kg to 560 kg. Ages and body weight (BW) were recorded for each male at the time of measurement to find out if they correlated with SC and TV. SC and TV increased linearly and correlated significantly with age and BW (SC vs age: r = 0.74, p<0.01; SC vs BW: r = 0.88, p<0.01; TV vs BW: r = 0.82, p<0.01). SC measurements ranged from 15.1 +/- 1.1 cm to 24.0 +/- 0.4 cm for ages ranging from 10.0 +/- 0.6 to 48.5 +/- 6.3 months, revealing that testicular size in swamp buffaloes was very much smaller than domestic cattle. The SC norms distributed with age would be useful in the evaluation of swamp buffalo males for breeding soundness.     

Effective cryoprotection of thylakoid membranes by ATP

Freezing of isolated spinach thylakoids in the presence of NaCl uncoupled photophosphorylation from electron flow and increased the permeability of the membranes to protons. Addition of ATP prior to freezing diminished membrane inactivation. On a molar basis, ATP was at least 100 times more effective in protecting thylakoids from freezing damage than low-molecularweight carbohydrates such as sucrose and glucose. The cryoprotective effectiveness of ATP was increased by Mg²⁺. In the absence of carbohydrates, preservation of thylakoids during freezing in 100 mM NaCl was saturated at about 1–2 mM ATP, but under these conditions membranes were not fully protected. However, in the presence of small amounts of sugars which did not significantly prevent thylakoid inactivation during freezing, ATP concentrations considerably lower than 0.5 mM caused nearly complete membrane protection. Neither ADP nor AMP could substitute for ATP. These findings indicate that cryoprotection by ATP cannot be explained by a colligative mechanism. It is suggested that ATP acts on the chloroplast coupling factor, either by modifying its conformation or by preventing its release from the membranes. The results are discussed in regard to freezing injury and resistance in vivo.Abbreviations CF₁ chloroplast coupling factor - Hepes 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid - PMS phenazine methosulfate - Tris 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propandiol     

Diisopropylfluorophosphate-interacting proteinases of nuclei of rat testis cells

Nuclei and chromatin of seminiferous epithelial cells of rat testis contain acid-extractable and non-extractable proteins which interact readily with [³H]DFP (diisopropylfluorophosphate). Proteinase activity is closely associated with these DFP-interacting proteins, and the proteinase activities are inhibited by DFP and PMSF. DFP-interacting proteins of testis chromatin increase greatly in amount at 26–32 days after birth when spermatids are appearing in increasing numbers. In nuclei separated by zonal centrifugation on sucrose gradients, the DFP-labeled proteins are highest in activity in the elongated spermatids at the stage in spermiogenesis at which histones are being replaced by testis-specific proteins and protamines. Electrophoresis in SDS-polyacrylamide gels reveals the presence of three species of DFP-interacting proteins in nuclei of seminiferous epithelial cells of the testis. The chromatin of epididymal spermatozoa of the rat contains three or four species of DFP-interacting proteins by SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis and some of these labeled proteins co-migrate with two of the three basic proteins which are observed during electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels in Triton-urea.     

The human rete testis

Summary The human rete testis was examined with regard to 1) the number and distribution of entrances of seminiferous tubules, 2) the light microscopic topography and 3) details of the passages as revealed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In a newborn 1474 entrances were counted, approximately 50 % entering from the right and 50 % from the left of the central long axis. Three major subdivisions of the rete were distinguished and described: a septal (or interlobular) part represented by tubuli recti, a tunical (or mediastinal) part which is a true network of channels, and an extratesticular part characterized by dilatations (up to 3 mm wide) which we have called bullae retis. In SEM, cylindrical strands running from wall to wall in the tunical and extratesticular rete spaces are a prominent feature. We have called these chordae retis. They are covered by epithelium and are 5–40 m wide and 15 to more than 100 m long. They contain a peculiar tissue consisting of central myoid cells in a fibroelastic matrix. The smaller chordae are avascular. In the light of these findings the rete is interpreted as a highly complex myoelastic sponge. Its function is discussed.Supported in part by USPHS Grant HD-03752 and by a Senior Scientist Award from the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung which made the co-authorship possibleSupported by a grant from the Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftFor their kind support in supplying us with material, we are indebted to Dr. Janssen (Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität Hamburg), Dr. Mairose (Zentralkrankenhaus der Justizbehörde, Hamburg) and Dr. Hubman (Allgemeines Krankenhaus St. Georg, Hamburg). We thank Dr. Kaiser (Zoologisches Institut, Universität Hamburg) for his friendly, generous and competent help with the scanning electron microscopy. Ms. Joanna Davis gave invaluable help with the laborious reconstruction of the rete entrances