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Biomedical subjects

A Cerami

Publications and source records attributed to A Cerami.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Control of cachectin (tumor necrosis factor) synthesis: mechanisms of endotoxin resistance.

Cachectin (tumor necrosis factor) is a macrophage hormone strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of endotoxin-induced shock. The availability of a DNA probe complementary to the cachectin messenger RNA (mRNA), as well as a specific antibody capable of recognizing the cachectin gene product, has made it possible to analyze the regulation of cachectin gene expression under a variety of conditions. Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages obtained from mice contain a pool of cachectin mRNA that is not expressed as protein. When the cells are stimulated with endotoxin, large quantity of additional cachectin mRNA is produced, and immunoreactive cachectin is secreted. Macrophages from mice of the C3H/HeJ strain do not produce cachectin in response to endotoxin. A dual defect appears to prevent cachectin expression. First, a diminished quantity of cachectin mRNA is expressed in response to low concentrations of endotoxin. Second, a post-transcriptional defect prevents the production of cachectin protein. Macrophages from endotoxin-sensitive mice do not produce cachectin if they are first treated with dexamethasone, apparently for similar reasons. These findings give new insight into the nature of the C3H/HeJ mutation and suggest an important mechanism by which glucocorticoids may act to suppress inflammation.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Role of nonenzymatic glycosylation in atherogenesis.

This review summarizes progress in nonenzymatic glycosylation research of potential relevance to atherosclerosis using a hypothetical model based on current concepts of atherogenesis. Recently, new information has been presented showing that the initial Amadori product undergoes a series of further reactions and rearrangements to form adducts, called advanced glycosylation end products (AGE). These products are irreversible and accumulate indefinitely on long-lived molecules. These AGE covalently trap soluble plasma proteins, act as signals for macrophage recognition and uptake, and induce mutations in double-stranded plasmid DNA. Covalent trapping of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by AGE on collagen or elastin could promote lipid accumulation in the arterial wall, whereas AGE trapping of von Willebrand factor would increase platelet adhesion and aggregation leading to intimal smooth muscle cell proliferation. Recognition and uptake of AGE-proteins by scavenging macrophages could further contribute to the process of atherogenesis by stimulating release of macrophage secretory products such as macrophage-derived growth factor. Accumulation of AGE on smooth muscle cell DNA might also enhance arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation by increasing the rate of mutations affecting growth controls. This model should provide the basis for future experiments.

Arteriosclerosis↗
PubMed1986

Structure of lysine adducts with 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone and cortisol.

Recent studies indicate that steroids containing a vicinal hydroxyketone moiety can react with proteins both in vitro and in vivo to form covalent addition products. This reaction is non-enzymatic and occurs via the Heyns rearrangement of an initial Schiff base adduct between the steroid carbonyl and the epsilon-amino group of lysine residues. The present study describes the synthesis, isolation, and structural analysis of model adducts prepared by the incubation of 16 alpha-hydroxyesterone or cortisol with NaCNBH3 and lysine derivatives blocked in the N alpha-position. The product formed from the reaction of 16 alpha-hydroxyesterone and lysine was found to have the structure predicted for a reduced Schiff base between these molecules. A stable, cortisol-lysine adduct was similarly synthesized and isolated. This conjugate was found not to be the expected reduced Schiff base but rather a C-20 cyano amine. This compound most likely was formed by the nucleophilic addition of cyanide during the course of the incubation. The observation that the cortisol-lysine Schiff base is not reducible with NaCNBH3 accounts for the observation that the incorporation rate of glucocorticoids into proteins is not increased by the presence of NaCNBH3.

Estrone↗
PubMed1986

The biosynthesis of trypanothione and N1-glutathionylspermidine in Crithidia fasciculata.

Studies on the biosynthesis of trypanothione [N1,N8-bis(glutathionyl)-spermidine] in the insect trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata have led to the discovery of an additional sulfur-containing peptide conjugated to spermidine. Labelling studies with [3H]spermidine show that 50% of the total intracellular spermidine is incorporated into peptide conjugates, the major component being N1-glutathionylspermidine. This compound has previously been identified in Escherichia coli, as the principal low molecular weight thiol in stationary phase, but not the logarithmic phase of growth. In contrast, in C. fasciculata, this compound is present in all phases of growth. In the presence of glutathione and ATP, extracts of C. fasciculata can catalyse conversion of spermidine to N1-glutathionylspermidine and trypanothione. Both N1- and N8-regioisomers of glutathionylspermidine will replace spermidine in the reaction, suggesting they may be intermediates in the biosynthetic pathway to trypanothione. The antiprotozoal drugs berenil, pentamidine, ethidium bromide, imidocarb, methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) and 1,3-diacetylbenzene-bis(guanylhydrazone) had no effect on the synthesis of N1-glutathionylspermidine or trypanothione in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Reduced plasma lipoprotein lipase activity in patients with malignancy-associated weight loss.

Post-heparin plasma lipoprotein lipase activity was measured in 28 cancer patients with varying degrees of weight loss, and in 16 normal volunteers. Total lipoprotein lipase activity was decreased by 35.4% (P less than 0.001) in the cancer group. The component lipase activities, hepatic (HLPL), and peripheral (PLPL), were decreased by 40% (P less than 0.001) and 38% (P less than 0.005) respectively. In addition, the level of total peripheral lipoprotein lipase correlated well with the percent body weight lost by these patients (r = 0.6, P less than 0.01). Regardless of extent of disease, patients with lung cancer showed the lowest enzyme activity (mean 191 mU/ml +/- 30 SEM, P less than 0.001) and the greatest percent of weight loss (mean 16%), while patients with breast cancer had nearly normal lipase activity (mean 315 mU/ml +/- 50 SEM, normal 340 mU/ml +/- 22 SEM, P less than 0.10) and minimal weight loss (mean 8.4%). Fasting serum triglycerides were significantly elevated in the patient group (mean 120 mg/dl +/- 9.7 SEM) as compared to normal (mean 71 mg/dl +/- 7 SEM, P less than 0.001). The mean fasting insulin level was elevated in the patient group (13 mU/ml +/- 3.0 SEM), although in the majority of the patients it was found within the normal range (4-24 mU/ml). We conclude that the significant decrease in the total LPL activity may be responsible in part for the characteristic hypertriglyceridemia present in cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Identification of a common nucleotide sequence in the 3'-untranslated region of mRNA molecules specifying inflammatory mediators.

Recently, cDNA sequences have been reported for both human and murine tumor necrosis factor (TNF; cachectin). The coding region of the TNF genes is highly conserved between man and mouse; 80% homology is apparent at the amino acid level. We now observe that a 33-nucleotide sequence, comprised entirely of A and T residues and located in the 3'-untranslated region, is conserved in toto in the murine and human TNF mRNAs. Since the 3'-untranslated region is normally not conserved, we reasoned that this sequence might play a regulatory role. We identified a consensus sequence (TTATTTAT) present in the 3'-untranslated region of both human and mouse TNF mRNAs, as well as the mRNAs encoding human lymphotoxin, human colony stimulating factor, human and mouse interleukin 1, human and rat fibronectin, and most of the sequenced human and mouse interferons. All of these mRNAs, except the lymphotoxin mRNA, lack homology to the TNF mRNAs in the coding region. The consensus sequence is uncommon among mammalian mRNAs in general, but it appears with a frequency greater than chance alone would dictate, suggesting that it may serve a specific regulatory function among the mRNAs in which it is found. It is particularly prevalent among mRNAs encoding proteins related to the inflammatory response.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Trapped immunoglobulins on peripheral nerve myelin from patients with diabetes mellitus.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is characterized by endoneurial capillary closure and by segmental demyelination and axonal degeneration in a spatial pattern consistent with ischemic damage. The increased permeability of human diabetic endoneurial capillaries to plasma proteins may contribute to the pathogenesis of these structural changes in peripheral nerve by further accelerating the rate at which plasma proteins are trapped by reactive nonenzymatic glycosylation products on long-lived proteins such as myelin. We have measured trapped immunoglobins (Ig) G and M on peripheral nerve myelin from diabetic and nondiabetic patients by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine whether plasma proteins accumulate on nerves as they do in the glomerular matrix of diabetics. The amount of trapped IgG on brain myelin from these subjects was also determined. Peripheral nerve myelin from diabetics had on average greater than 14 times the amount of trapped IgM found in identically prepared samples from nondiabetics (0.90 +/- 0.2 vs. 0.06 +/- 0.004 OD/micrograms myelin protein) and greater than 4 times the amount of trapped IgG (6.40 +/- 1.92 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.25 OD/micrograms myelin protein). In contrast, no significant trapping of IgG was detected in any samples of brain myelin. This most likely reflects effective exclusion of IgG by the blood-brain barrier. These data suggest that excessive trapping of Igs and other plasma proteins by diabetic peripheral nerve myelin may contribute to the development of peripheral nerve damage, whereas the lack of such trapping by brain myelin may partly explain the rarity of diabetic central neuropathy.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Nonenzymatic glycosylation: role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications.

Prolonged hyperglycemia is the primary metabolic abnormality responsible for the development of irreversible tissue damage in chronic diabetes. However, patients with similar levels of chronic hyperglycemia can differ markedly in their susceptibility to diabetic complications. Among the mechanisms by which hyperglycemia may lead to tissue damage, nonenzymatic glycosylation involves excessive chemical attachment of glucose to proteins without the involvement of enzymes. The early Amadori products, resembling hemoglobin A1c, slowly give rise to complex irreversible glycosylation adducts. Only these post-Amadori products accumulate in diabetic tissues over long periods. However, early nonenzymatic glycosylation or Amadori product formation can alter such physiological processes as enzyme activity or binding of regulatory molecules. Advanced glycosylation end products can covalently trap extravasated serum proteins to the extravascular matrix, and thus may contribute to capillary closure in the retina and glomerulus, and to arterial narrowing in the coronary, cerebral, and peripheral circulation. Although a macrophage receptor system may antagonize this glycosylation-mediated accumulation of proteins by recognizing and ingesting those proteins with advanced glycosylation end products, excessive formation of those proteins in diabetes may saturate the capacity of the macrophage removal system.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1986

Host-associated iron transfer factor in normal humans and patients with transfusion siderosis.

A low molecular weight iron-binding substance that promotes bacterial growth in vitro by increasing iron availability was identified in human blood and urine. Partial purification and physical characterization indicate that this factor is similar to the host-associated iron transfer factor (HAITF) previously isolated from mammalian tissue. HAITF was found to be significantly elevated in the blood of patients with thalassemia who have transfusional siderosis. The level of HAITF in the blood of these patients was also found to correlate with that of serum iron and serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) but not with that of serum ferritin. Thus, elevated blood levels of HAITF may explain the increased susceptibility to infection seen in patients with iron overload. Its physiologic role, however, may involve the transport of iron within cells.

Aspartate Aminotransferases↗
PubMed1985

Cachectin/tumor necrosis factor stimulates collagenase and prostaglandin E2 production by human synovial cells and dermal fibroblasts.

Cachectin/TNF (tumor necrosis factor), an endotoxin-induced murine macrophage hormone implicated in the pathogenesis of cachexia and shock, has been found capable of stimulating collagenase and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production by isolated human synovial cells and dermal fibroblasts. This bioactivity associated with cachectin is comparable to that observed with the monokine interleukin 1 (IL-1), previously suggested as the major mediator of proteolysis. The ability of cachectin/TNF to stimulate collagenase and PGE2 production suggests that it may play a role in tissue destruction and remodelling, as these processes occur in inflammatory diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

A macrophage factor inhibits adipocyte gene expression: an in vitro model of cachexia.

Certain infections and malignancies in mammals cause the development of a condition known as cachexia in which the animal continues to lose weight, often while consuming an adequate diet. When macrophages are stimulated with an endotoxin, they produce a factor or factors, termed cachectin, that inhibits the activity of fat-producing (lipogenic) enzymes in cultured adipocytes. This effect may reflect one of the physiological bases for cachexia. In the present study, clones of complementary DNA from genes whose expression is increased during the differentiation of adipocytes were used to study the molecular basis of cachectin's actions. In the presence of cachectin, the expression of the corresponding genes was reversibly and specifically inhibited. Furthermore, when mature adipocytes were exposed to cachectin, the messenger RNA's of those genes diminished and rapidly approached the levels present before differentiation.

Actins↗
PubMed1985

Detection of an advanced glycosylation product bound to protein in situ.

Protein amino groups can react with glucose without the aid of enzymes to form stable Amadori products containing 1-amino-1-deoxyketose residues. These adducts can undergo subsequent rearrangements and dehydrations to form various brown and fluorescent pigments. Recently, a chromophore, 2-(2-furoyl)-4(5)-(2-furanyl)-1H-imidazole (FFI), was isolated from acid hydrolysates of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and poly-L-lysine which had been incubated with glucose. To confirm the presence of FFI in situ, a radioimmunoassay was developed. A derivative of FFI, 4-furanyl-2-furoyl-1H-imidazole-1-hexanoic acid, was coupled to BSA and used to immunize rabbits. A radioactive FFI derivative was synthesized by reaction of 2-furyl-glyoxal with gamma-amino-[2,3-3H]butyric acid to form FFI-[3H]butyric acid. The resultant antiserum showed binding affinity to FFI and cross-reactivity for related compounds. FFI bound to proteins was liberated by acid hydrolysis or digestion by proteinase K prior to measurement. A linear relationship was seen between the amount of FFI equivalent detected and the amount of acid hydrolysate or enzymatic digest assayed. Poly-L-lysine and BSA incubated with glucose showed a time-dependent increase in the amounts of fluorescence and FFI equivalence. The detection of a time-related increase in the amount of FFI or a closely related structure in enzymatically digested proteins implicates it as an in situ product on proteins which have undergone the Maillard reaction with glucose. Of physiological significance is that FFI could also be detected in human globin and serum albumin from normal individuals. Thus, proteins exposed to glucose in vitro and in vivo form FFI as an in situ glycosylation product.

Fluorescent Dyes↗
PubMed1985

Isolation and characterization of a proteolytic enzyme from the adult hookworm Ancylostoma caninum.

The adult hookworm Ancylostoma caninum releases a proteolytic enzyme which is thought to be essential for its adaption to parasitism. The protease was purified from parasite extracts by ion-exchange chromatography followed by gel filtration and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The purified enzyme exhibited a molecular weight of 37,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and had an NH2-terminal sequence of Arg-His-His-Gln-Pro-Lys-Val-Ala-Leu-Leu-Gly-Ala-His-Gly-Gly-Ile. Using 125I-fibrin as substrate, the enzyme displayed optimal activity at pH 9-11 and was inactivated by dialysis against EDTA. The enzyme degraded [3H]elastin and both elastin and trypsin-labile glycoproteins in a rat vascular smooth muscle extracellular matrix. Antiserum raised to the protease in rabbits cross-reacted with extracts from the infective larval stage of A. caninum, suggesting that the production of the enzyme begins in an earlier developmental stage of the parasite life cycle. The role of the protease in the histolytic and anticlotting processes of the hookworm and its importance in immunity to ancylostomiasis is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Carbodiimide-mediated O-sulfation of hydroxy-amino acids and peptides: a reaction suitable for radiolabeling.

Carbodiimide-mediated sulfation of hydroxy-amino acids, peptides, and proteins can be accomplished in dry dimethylformamide by incubation in a 20-50 molar excess of sulfuric acid and various concentrations of dicyclohexyl carbodiimide [(1-ethyl-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide or 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholoethyl)carbodiimide p-toluene sulfonate)] at 4 degrees C for 2-4 h. Under these conditions, hydroxy-amino acids are quantitatively converted into O-sulfates, while cysteine yields the S-sulfonate. Other amino acids, including tryptophan, do not react and are recovered quantitatively. Porcine sodium insulin yields a product that can be separated into six bands by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Radiolabeling of peptides by this method can be carried out with a high degree of efficiency if the added [35S]sulfuric acid is used carrier free with an acid excess provided by trifluoromethyl sulfonic acid. Under these conditions, over 60% of [35S]sulfuric acid was incorporated into insulin and bovine serum albumin. This method may prove useful in the radiolabeling of other peptides and proteins.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1985

Purification of cachectin, a lipoprotein lipase-suppressing hormone secreted by endotoxin-induced RAW 264.7 cells.

Previous studies have indicated that endotoxin and other bacterial and protozoal products can stimulate macrophages to produce a factor that can suppress the activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL), in vivo and in vitro. In the present report we describe the purification of this factor, cachectin, to apparent homogeneity from the conditioned medium of endotoxin-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The isolated protein has an isoelectric point of 4.7 and a subunit molecular weight of 17,000. Although cachectin's isoelectric point and molecular weight are similar to those described for interleukin 1, pure cachectin has no leukocyte-activating factor (LAF) activity. Cachectin at a concentration of 10(-11) M has the ability to suppress the LPL activity of the 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell line by 80%. Binding studies using radio-labeled cachectin and 3T3-L1 adipocytes and C2 myotubules revealed approximately 10(4) high-affinity receptors per cell on both cell types (Ka, 3 X 10(9]. Cachectin receptors were also present on liver membranes but were absent on erythrocytes and lymphocytes. The isolation of cachectin and characterization of its receptor should facilitate further investigations into the role of cachectin and other macrophage mediators in the metabolic derangements that occur during infection and cachexia.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1985

Trypanothione: a novel bis(glutathionyl)spermidine cofactor for glutathione reductase in trypanosomatids.

Glutathione reductase from trypanosomes and leishmanias, unlike glutathione reductase from other organisms, requires an unusual low molecular weight cofactor for activity. The cofactor was purified from the insect trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata and identified as a novel glutathione-spermidine conjugate, N1,N8-bis(L-gamma-glutamyl-L-hemicystinyl-glycyl)spermidine, for which the trivial name trypanothione is proposed. This discovery may open a new chemotherapeutic approach to trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis.

Animals↗