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Biomedical subjects

A Markham

Publications and source records attributed to A Markham.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Bay K 8644, modifier of calcium transport and energy metabolism in rat heart mitochondria: a new intracellular site of action.

1. The dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel agonist Bay K 8644 (10-200 microM) produced a concentration-dependent increase in State 4 respiration in the rat heart mitochondria with the highest concentration (200 microM) increasing the rate from 33.1 +/- 0.7 to 187.0 +/- 13.3 ng atoms O2 consumed min-1 mg-1 protein. 2. Bay K 8644 (200 microM) reduced State 3 respiration from 247.2 +/- 11.7 to 174.4 +/- 0.06 ng atoms O2 min-1 mg-1 protein, reduced the respiratory control index (RCI) from 5.3 +/- 0.45 to 1.1 +/- 0.03 and reduced the ADP:O ratio from 2.75 +/- 0.03 to 1.3 +/- 0.15. 3. A similar, but smaller, stimulation of State 4 respiration was seen with nitrendipine (25-200 microM), the rate increasing from 22.6 +/- 1.0 to 33.1 +/- 1.8 ng atoms O2 consumed min-1 mg-1 protein in the presence of 200 microM nitrendipine. 4. Bay K 8644 (10-60 microM) increased the total Ca2+ uptake into rat heart mitochondria, the total increasing from 248.8 +/- 8.4 to 406.9 +/- 17.6 ng Ca2+ mg-1 protein at 60 microM Bay K 8644 (EC50 = 18.9 +/- 1.4 microM). 5. Bay K 8644 (10-60 microM) produced a concentration-dependent reduction in the Ca2+ influx rate (IC50 = 52.5 +/- 2.8 microM). Similar effects were seen with (+)-Bay K 8644 and (-)-Bay K 8644. 6. Nitrendipine (40-120 microM) stimulated Ca2+ efflux from mitochondria preloaded with the ion; the efflux rate increasing from 2.9 +/- 0.05 to 114.2 +/- 6.2 nmol Ca2+ min-1 mg-1 protein (EC50 = 57.3 +/- 1.3 microM). 7. These data indicate dihydropyridine-induced changes in the activity of the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2 . antiporter pathway; nitrendipine causing stimulation and Bay K 8644 causing inhibition.

3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethy↗
PubMed1990

Determination of the extent of ischemic damage and the effect of the calcium antagonist, verapamil following coronary artery ligation in the rat.

Apart from pharmacological interventions, four methods can be used to induce myocardial damage in the isolated, perfused heart. These are (i) total global ischemia, where perfusion is stopped completely; (ii) partial ischemia where perfusion is restricted; (iii) regional ischemia, produced by occlusion of the coronary circulation, and (v) hypoxia where the oxygenated buffer is replaced with a buffer bubbled with nitrogen. Using rat hearts, coronary artery occlusion was found to have potential as a screening device for antiischemic compounds. In these studies 45Ca uptake and enzyme release were found to increase with ligation time. The inclusion of the Ca2+ antagonist verapamil (0.01 to 1 microM) resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of 45Ca uptake (IC50 = 68 nM); however the proportion of tissue damaged remained unchanged. Similar findings were obtained in the presence of the dihydropyridine Ca2+ antagonist nicardipine (0.1 or 1 microM). Measurement of enzyme release during the reperfusion period confirmed significant correlations between levels of either lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) or creatine kinase (CK) and 45Ca uptake. Studies involving LDH show that cation uptake precedes enzyme release (r = 0.93; p = less than 0.001).

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Palmitoyl carnitine: an endogenous promotor of calcium efflux from rat heart mitochondria.

The effects of the fatty acid ester palmitoyl carnitine (PC) on mitochondrial Ca2+ handling and ATP synthesis are described. At low concentrations (5-40 microM) PC was found to produce changes in mitochondrial Ca2+ handling, the most significant effect (P less than 0.05) being the promotion of Ca2+ efflux (EC25 = 1.19 +/- 0.11 microM). Studies on mitochondrial substrate oxidation in the presence of either glutamate plus malate, or succinate, confirmed the ability of PC (10-100 microM) to cause loss of respiratory control as shown by reductions in the Respiratory Control Index for each substrate. It was concluded that the effect of PC on Ca2+ transport was due to a direct action on the Na+-Ca2+ antiporter system, whilst the effect on respiration was due to an uncoupling action.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Action of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, flufenamic acid, on calcium movements in isolated mitochondria.

The anti-inflammatory agent flufenamic acid was found to inhibit calcium uptake in isolated mitochondria at low concentrations (IC50 = 7.2 microM). Similar concentrations were required to promote the release of calcium from mitochondria preloaded with the cation (EC50 = 3.5 microM). Identical actions were found with diflunisal, mefenanamic acid and 2,4-dinitrophenol. It was concluded that flufenamic acid was affecting calcium movements across the mitochondrial membrane by virtue of its ability to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation.

2,4-Dinitrophenol↗
PubMed1988

Normal keratinization in a spontaneously immortalized aneuploid human keratinocyte cell line.

In contrast to mouse epidermal cells, human skin keratinocytes are rather resistant to transformation in vitro. Immortalization has been achieved by SV40 but has resulted in cell lines with altered differentiation. We have established a spontaneously transformed human epithelial cell line from adult skin, which maintains full epidermal differentiation capacity. This HaCaT cell line is obviously immortal (greater than 140 passages), has a transformed phenotype in vitro (clonogenic on plastic and in agar) but remains nontumorigenic. Despite the altered and unlimited growth potential, HaCaT cells, similar to normal keratinocytes, reform an orderly structured and differentiated epidermal tissue when transplanted onto nude mice. Differentiation-specific keratins (Nos. 1 and 10) and other markers (involucrin and filaggrin) are expressed and regularly located. Thus, HaCaT is the first permanent epithelial cell line from adult human skin that exhibits normal differentiation and provides a promising tool for studying regulation of keratinization in human cells. On karyotyping this line is aneuploid (initially hypodiploid) with unique stable marker chromosomes indicating monoclonal origin. The identity of the HaCaT line with the tissue of origin was proven by DNA fingerprinting using hypervariable minisatellite probes. This is the first demonstration that the DNA fingerprint pattern is unaffected by long-term cultivation, transformation, and multiple chromosomal alterations, thereby offering a unique possibility for unequivocal identification of human cell lines. The characteristics of the HaCaT cell line clearly document that spontaneous transformation of human adult keratinocytes can occur in vitro and is associated with sequential chromosomal alterations, though not obligatorily linked to major defects in differentiation.

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1987

Two regions downstream of AATAAA in the human antithrombin III gene are important for cleavage-polyadenylation.

We have investigated the sequence requirements for the cleavage-polyadenylation reaction in the human antithrombin III (ATIII) gene. A series of 5'-3' and 3'-5' deletions were produced around the AATAAA site using Bal31 nuclease. Ligation of appropriate pairs of such mutations resulted in the generation of varying sized deletions or duplications of sequences either upstream of, downstream of, or within the region encompassing the poly(A) site. Whereas a large deletion 3' to the AATAAA signal abolished cleavage and polyadenylation of ATIII transcripts, smaller deletions, all of which were subsets of the large one, did not. This indicated that the ATIII gene contains at least two independently acting poly(A)-cleavage signals 3' of AATAAA. When one of these signals was eliminated and the other was partially deleted at its 3'-end, we were able to disrupt the normal spacing between AATAAA and the cleavage site without substantially affecting the efficiency of the cleavage reaction. This suggested that the distance between AATAAA and the cleavage site is determined by the same sequence which, along with AATAAA, specifies cleavage and polyadenylation. The duplication of regions either upstream or downstream of AATAAA affected neither the efficiency nor the site of cleavage of the ATIII transcript. When a duplication included a large region containing AATAAA as well as downstream sequences, both sites were chosen for cleavage reactions. With a more delimited duplication, which included AATAAA but not the downstream cleavage signals, both sites were again used. However, two new cleavage sites were now detected. These results suggested that the distance between AATAAA sites and critical downstream cleavage-spacing sequences may also be important in determining the site of cleavage. This may in part stem from spatial constraints imposed by RNA-protein complexes which have been postulated to be critical in catalyzing the cleavage-polyadenylation reaction.

Antithrombin III↗
PubMed1986

The effects of cadmium on succinate and NADH-linked substrate oxidations in rat hepatic mitochondria.

Low concentrations of cadmium (3.3-40 microM) inhibited State 3 NADH-linked respiration in rat hepatic mitochondria, but failed to release oligomycin (1 microgram) inhibited State 3 respiration, or to significantly change the State 4 rate. In the presence of succinate, 40 microM cadmium inhibited State 3 respiration by 89%, while concentrations between 3.3 and 13.3 microM stimulated State 4 respiration. Higher concentrations caused marked inhibition. In the presence of succinate, cadmium released oligomycin inhibited State 3 respiration. Cadmium (0.001-1.0 mM) did not stimulate mitochondrial ATPase activity or inhibit ferricyanide reduction, but stimulated NAD+ linked mitochondrial dehydrogenase activities and NADH oxidation. These results indicate that cadmium interacts with either the NADH dehydrogenase complex or other NADH-dependent enzymes and not solely by an uncoupling action.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1985

The nuclear location signal.

A short sequence of predominantly basic amino acids Pro-Pro-Lys-Lys-Lys-Arg-Lys-Val from SV40 Large T is responsible for the normal nuclear location of the protein. Alteration of Lys-128 to each of six different residues other than Arg renders Large T cytoplasmic, whereas single amino acid changes in the surrounding region impair but do not prevent nuclear accumulation. When transposed to the amino terminus of cytoplasmic Large T species, or Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase or of chicken muscle pyruvate kinase, the sequence around Lys-128 of Large T is able to direct the recipient protein to the nucleus. This demonstrates that these amino acids can be sufficient for nuclear location and can act as a nuclear location signal. A computer search of over 2500 proteins reveals that some other nuclear proteins (for example, BK virus Large T, SV40 VP2 and adenovirus 72kDa DNA binding protein) contain very similar basic tracts, but so too do some presumed non-nuclear proteins (for example, poliovirus VP3). We suggest that the related sequence acts as the nuclear location signal in the other nuclear proteins but that the sequence does not function in all cases, perhaps because it is not accessible. A similar, but shorter or less basic sequence, was detected in a number of other nuclear proteins, for example, polyoma virus Large T, SV40 VP1 and several histones. However, such sequences were also found in many other proteins. Perhaps the shorter basic sequences can also act as nuclear location signals, but to be functional they need to be exposed (for example, at the amino terminus of the protein as in SV40 VP1) or to be present in multiple copies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1985

The mechanism of inhibition by 2,2'-pyridylisatogen tosylate of NADPH-linked enzyme activities in microsomes isolated from rat liver.

Microsomal preparations isolated from rat liver were used to study the action of 2.2'-pyridylisatogen tosylate (PIT) on aniline hydroxylation, cytochrome c reduction and NADPH oxidation. PIT was found to inhibit both the NADPH-dependent (5-100 microM, PIT) and the NADPH-independent (0.05-2.5 mM, PIT) hydroxylation of aniline, but had no significant effect on either the NADPH-dependent oxidation of hexobarbital, or the NADPH-independent hydrolysis of glucose-6-phosphatase. PIT was also found to inhibit cytochrome c reductase competitively (Ki = 35 microM) and to stimulate NADPH oxidation (ED50 = 6.5 microM) PIT and aniline were both found to bind to the microsomal haemoprotein cytochrome P-450 and produce Type II spectral changes. It is proposed that PITs ability to bind to the haemoprotein and its ability to accept electrons from the microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c reductase system leads to the inhibition of aniline hydroxylase activity.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1985

Gene K of bacteriophage phi X174 codes for a protein which affects the burst size of phage production.

Site-directed mutagenesis has been used to produce a T----A change at nucleotide 70 of phi X174 genome. This generates an am codon, TAG, in the gene K reading frame without affecting the amino acid, leucine, encoded by the overlapping gene A. The gene K mutant produces small plaques on su- hosts. It has an identical latent period, but a more reduced burst size than that of the wild-type phi X174. The reduced burst size in the gene K mutant suggests that the gene K protein, although not essential, has a role in increasing infectivity by increasing the burst size three- to sixfold.

Bacteriophage phi X 174↗
PubMed1983

The mechanism of inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent diflunisal.

The anti-inflammatory agent diflunisal was found to induce a progressive loss of respiratory control in tightly coupled rat liver mitochondria, starting at low concentrations (3.3 microM). This loss of control was accompanied by a stimulation of state 4 respiration in the presence of either succinate or glutamate plus malate as the respiratory substrate. The inhibition of state 3 respiration by oligomycin was released by diflunisal. Mitochondrial ATP hydrolysis was stimulated by diflunisal over the same concentration range that affected state 4 respiration: the stimulation was inhibited by oligomycin. It was concluded that diflunisal was acting as an uncoupler of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. An identical action was found in mitochondria isolated from the livers of mice, rabbits and guinea-pigs. Potencies similar to diflunisal were found with flufenamic acid and mefenamic acid, but other anti-inflammatory agents were either less potent or inactive.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1983

The isolation of cDNA clones for human apolipoprotein E and the detection of apoE RNA in hepatic and extra-hepatic tissues.

We have isolated cDNA clones coding for apolipoprotein E (apoE) from a cDNA library prepared from adult human liver mRNA. Mixtures of 128 different oligonucleotides, 17 residues long were synthesised to be complementary to regions of the mRNA corresponding to amino acids 1-6 and 151-156. Five independent apoE clones were selected by direct screening of 5000 recombinants with the two oligonucleotide mixtures. Two overlapping clones contain the 3'-untranslated sequence, the entire coding sequence and an additional 30 bases 5' to the amino terminus of the mature protein. The DNA sequence has been determined spanning the known sites of amino acid substitutions which account for the observed protein polymorphism of apoE. Using the clones as probes in Northern blot analysis of total human liver and kidney RNAs and leucocyte poly(A)+ RNA we have detected a single species of mRNA in liver and kidney of 1.2 kb and two larger species in leucocyte RNA. The level of expression of the mRNA in kidney is approximately 10% of that in liver while the level of apoE RNA sequences in the leucocytes is less than 1% of that in the liver.

Adult↗