Amino acid analysis of bone from a possible case of prehistoric iron deficiency anemia from the American southwest

It is possible that dietary conditions can result in the production of abnormal bone protein. For example, a heavily maize-dependent diet could be deficient in one or more essential amino acids necessary to normal human biochemistry and consequently necessary for normal bone protein synthesis. Amino acid analysis of bone tissues, thus, could provide a useful diagnostic tool in paleopathology. To test this potential we have compared the amino acid analyses of bone samples from a prehistoric Southwest Indian child exhibiting porotic hyperostosis with samples taken from (1) two children's skeletons lacking bone lesions but from the same area and time, (2) a modern child who died from accidental causes, and (3) adult human compact bone. Analytical results of the nonpathological prehistoric specimens were virtually identical to that of the modern infant, indicating remarkable preservation of bone protein. The pathological bone sample differed from the three control specimens by having as much as 25% less of those amino acids containing hydroxyl group and acidic side chains. We interpret the amino acid profile for the diseased child as indicating the presence of a greater proportion of helical protein (or less noncollagenous protein) as well as a lowered degree of hydroxylation of proline and lysine. One explanation for our data is that protein biosynthesis is altered in the child exhibiting porotic hyperostosis, and either some proteins important in the early phases of mineralization are not produced in sufficient quantity, or some necessary enzyme cofactors (e.g., dietary ferrous ions) are missing. We conclude that our data are compatible with, but do not prove, the hypothesis that the porotic hyperostosis exhibited by the Southwest Indian child is the result of iron deficiency anemia.     

Antagonism of kainic acid lesions in the mouse hippocampus by U-54494A and U-50488H.

A morphometric study of kainic acid- (KA) induced lesions was designed for the study of the interaction of the diamines U-5449A and U-50488H with excitatory amino acids, and the dose-response relationship thereof. IC50S determined for binding at the kappa receptor and other opioid receptors demonstrated the lack of kappa activity of U-54494A, a structurally related analog of U-50488H. Both opiate kappa receptor related anticonvulsant diamines were tested for their ability to protect the mouse hippocampus from the cytopathological changes induced by KA in neurons and glia. The damage observed with i.c.v. KA in mouse was restricted to neurons of the CA3 pyramidal region and glia of the hippocampus. It involved massive cell loss and shrunken neurons with dark cytoplasm and nuclei. Groups treated with combinations of KA and U-54494A or U-50488H showed scarce damage, but patches of necrotic changes were still observed. Control animals treated with saline (i.c.v.) and U-54494A (s.c.) or U-50488H (s.c.) did not suffer any noticeable alterations of the polymorphic layers of the hippocampal formation. Image analysis of the CA3 area of the hippocampus was used to quantitate the vacuolization induced by KA lesions in the control and treated groups. By this method, both U-54494A and U-50488H were shown to protect this area in a dose-related fashion as evidenced by reduced vacuolization. The anticonvulsant properties of these compounds may result in the antagonism of the excitotoxic lesions. More specifically, the ability of these diamines to block depolarization-induced influxes of Ca++ may protect the CA3 cells from the cytotoxic effects of persistent depolarization.     

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Global Epidemiology

A total of 62,811 cases of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported to the World Health Organization from throughout the world. Extensive epidemiologic studies have shown that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are transmitted by three routes: sexual, parenteral and perinatal. Three geographic patterns of transmission have been defined. In pattern I, transmission occurs predominantly among homosexual and bisexual men and urban intravenous drug abusers; transmission via blood products has been controlled; the male:female sex ratio is 10:1 or more; population HIV seroprevalence is low, and perinatal transmission is uncommon (for instance, United States, western Europe). In pattern II, transmission is predominantly heterosexual and perinatal; transmission via blood products exists but is being reduced; unsterile needles and other skin-piercing instruments cause some parenteral transmission (magnitude not known); the male:female sex ratio is 1:1, and population seroprevalence often exceeds 1% (central Africa, Haiti). In pattern III, AIDS cases are just being documented and are generally due to sexual exposure abroad or imported blood products (Middle East, Asia).     

Use of the granulosa cell aromatase bioassay for measurement of bioactive follicle-stimulating hormone in urine and serum samples of diverse species

Ovarian steroids and growth factors are intragonadal modulators which augment a key endpoint of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) action in granulosa cells: the induction of aromatase activity. Studies of these paracrine hormones that enhance FSH-stimulated estrogen biosynthesis by cultured rat granulosa cells, have led to the development of a sensitive and specific bioassay for FSH. This newly developed granulosa cell aromatase bioassay (GAB) allows for the measurement of bioactive FSH levels in serum and urine of humans and animals with various physiological and pathological conditions. These studies have demonstrated that the GAB assay is useful in detecting possible changes in the molecular forms of FSH. The adaptation of this method for urine samples allows for the measurement of bio-FSH levels in situations where venipuncture is not practical or in species for which specific radioimmunoassays are not available.     

C-band polymorphisms of chromosome 9: quantification by Ce-bands

Summary C-band polymorphisms of chromosome 1 can be quantified by C_e bands visualized using oblique epi-illumination. In this paper the polymorphic region of chromosome 9, including variants such as 9qh+, inversions, and translocations, was analyzed in a total of 1860 chromosomes from 20 individuals and 8 fetuses. In this sample we found between zero and five C_e bands on 9q and between zero and four C_e bands on 9p with a maximum of five C_e bands per chromosome. On the basis of these observations at least 19 different polymorphic patterns can be expected theoretically, 15 of which were observed in our sample. Among these, five polymorphic C_e-band classes were distinguishable by the method presented. Considering both homologues, 5²=25 quantitatively discernible chromosome 9 pairs may exist.     

Amino acid specificity of the Na+/alanine cotransporter in pancreatic acinar cells

The method of tight-seal whole-cell recording was used to study the amino-acid specificity of the Na+/alanine cotransporter in pancreatic acinar cells. Single cells or small clusters of electrically coupled cells were obtained by enzymatic dissociation of mouse pancreas. Inward currents were measured under 'zero-trans' conditions, i.e., at finite concentrations of Na+ and amino acid at the extracellular side and vanishing concentrations at the cytoplasmic side. The cotransporter, which corresponds to 'system A', as previously defined in the literature, was found to exhibit a wide tolerance to neutral amino acids (L-cysteine, L-serine, L-alanine, glycine, L-phenylalanine). Competition experiments with 2-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB) indicate that for glycine a second electrogenic transport system exists in pancreatic acinar cells.