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Biomedical subjects

A Rubio

Publications and source records attributed to A Rubio.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Thyroid hormone and norepinephrine signaling in brown adipose tissue. II: Differential effects of thyroid hormone on beta 3-adrenergic receptors in brown and white adipose tissue.

UNLABELLED: beta 3-adrenergic receptors (AR) are predominantly expressed in brown (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT), being more abundant in the former. There is growing interest in these receptors because of their potential to be pharmacologically targeted to control energy expenditure and lipid accretion. We have examined, in BAT and WAT of rats, the effect of thyroid hormone on the expression of beta 3-AR and their contribution to cAMP generation. Receptor density was assessed with the nonselective beta 3-AR ligand [125I]-cyanopindolol ([125I]-CYP) and the highly selective beta 3-AR agonist CL3216,243. beta 3-AR messenger RNA (mRNA) was analyzed by Northern blotting of total BAT and WAT RNA. Generation of cAMP by brown adipocytes in response to norepinephrine (NE) and CL316,243 was measured by RIA. In BAT, beta 3-AR can account for as much as 50% of the maximal cAMP response to NE, whereas in WAT these receptors probably account for all the effect of NE. In hypothyroidism. BAT beta 3-AR number is increased, as are beta 3-AR mRNA (4- to 6-fold) and the relative contribution of these receptors to the maximal cAMP production. In contrast, both beta 3-AR number and mRNA levels are reduced in WAT of hypothyroid rats. The injection of T3 to hypothyroid rats reverts the changes in beta 3-AR within 24 h, and T3 excess causes a greater than 90% reduction in beta 3-AR mRNA in BAT but a 5-fold increase in WAT. In both tissues, hypothyroidism is associated with a marked reduction in the capacity to generate cAMP, but this is not completely restored even after 2 days of a receptor-saturating dose of T3. CONCLUSIONS: 1) thyroid hormone differentially affects the expression of beta 3-AR in BAT and WAT; 2) these effects of T3 are both rapid and marked and seem to take place at a pretranslational level; 3) in both tissues there is a postreceptor defect in the generation of cAMP that is corrected by T3 much later after the changes in beta 3-AR are reversed; and 4) thyroid hormone is among the known factors that most vigorously affect the expression of beta 3-AR.

Adipose Tissue↗

Classification of red blood cells as normal, sickle, or other abnormal, using a single image analysis feature.

Sickle cell anemia is a disease for which there is currently no effective treatment. One method of evaluating clinical status is the counting of cell types based on morphology. There is a need for a rapid, reproducible method, superior to human inspection, for classification of these cells. Quantitative digital-image analysis is being applied to this need. Blood from 24 patients with sickle cell anemia (SS) and SC disease and ten hematologically normal volunteers (AA) was stressed by bubbling with nitrogen. One hundred fifty cells were analyzed from each sickle specimen, and 100 were analyzed from each nonsickle specimen. Expert observers classified each cell as normal (N), sickle (S), or other abnormal (A). Cells were analyzed with a custom, high-resolution image-analysis instrument. A total of 42 features including metric, optical density-derived, and textural features were extracted. The metric feature Form Factor (4 pi Area/Perimeter2) was selected by recursive partitioning analysis as the sole feature needed for segregating cells into the classes of N, A, and S. The agreement of automated classification (using cutpoints determined by recursive partitioning analysis) with a human expert for specimens from individuals with sickle cell anemia was 89% for N-, 73% for A-, and 92% for S-classified cells. For specimens from AA individuals, the agreement was 92% for N and 76% for A. For specimens from individuals with sickle cell anemia, rates of agreement between two human experts were compared and found to be 86% for N, 84% for A, and 80% for S. For specimens from AA individuals, the agreement was 90% for N and 87% for A.

Adolescent↗

Hemangioblastoma of the optic nerve.

A 43-year-old woman presented with progressive loss of vision in the right eye. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a prominently enhancing lesion of the optic nerve, thought preoperatively to represent an optic nerve meningioma or optic neuritis. Histological examination of the excised tumor showed this lesion to be hemangioblastoma. Her family history was unremarkable. However, subsequent review of the preoperative MRIs and postoperative imaging studies showed two small cerebellar lesions, probably hemangioblastomas, and renal, pancreatic, and adnexal cysts, establishing the diagnosis of von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Adolescent↗

Preliminary study of treatment of sulphuric pickling water waste from steelmaking by bio-oxidation with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.

This report looks at the laboratory-scale recovery of iron oxides (alpha Fe2O3 type) through bio-oxidation with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans of the ferrous sulphate contained in steel industry sulphuric pickling liquors. This is done by calcining iron sulphates and iron and ammonium sulphates obtained from the crystallization of the oxidized solution. The products of the bacterial reaction and the iron oxides are then studied according to calcination temperature. The process carried out produced 50 kg of alpha Fe2O3 per m3 of waste pickling liquor at 700 degrees C with 99.8% weight iron recovery.

Ferrous Compounds↗

Potentiating effect of phenylephrine on isoproterenol activation of thyroxine type II deiodinase in the pineal gland of adult rats.

In the present study we show, for the first time, that phenylephrine (PHE), an alpha-adrenergic receptor agonist, potentiates the effect of isoproterenol (ISO), a beta-adrenergic agonist, in activating pineal type II5'-deiodinase (5'-D) activity. The potentiating effect of PHE was observed only at doses of ISO which induce submaximal activation of the enzyme. However, at doses which lead to maximal activation of the enzyme, PHE was ineffective. The results suggest that not only beta-, but also alpha-adrenergic receptors, are involved in the sympathetic noradrenergic regulation of pineal 5'-D activity in the adult rat.

Animals↗

Effect of chronic ethanol administration on the rat pineal N-acetyltransferase and thyroxine type II 5'-deiodinase activities.

Chronic ethanol intake resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of ponderal growth and an impaired nyctohemeral profile of pineal N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity. In ethanol-treated animals, the onset of the nocturnal NAT increase is delayed by 2 hours when compared to control animals. Moreover, pineal NAT nocturnal peak was reached at 4 h (2 hours later than controls), while pineal type II thyroxine 5'-deiodinase (5'-D) nyctohemeral profile was not modified by ethanol administration. The effect of ethanol administration (12 weeks) on 5'-D activity in different tissues was also studied. Ethanol induced a 5'-D activity increase in hypothesis and brain frontal cortex, when compared to control animals. No change in 5'-D activity is observed in either pineal gland, Harderian gland, or brown adipose tissue. Since basal values of 5'-D activity in hypophysis or brain frontal cortex are particularly dependent on serum thyroxine (T4) concentration, the effect of chronic ethanol administration on thyroid hormone levels was studied. Serum T4 levels in ethanol-treated animals were significantly decreased when compared to controls at any time point studied. However, no change in serum 3',3,5-triiodothyronine (T3) levels were found.

Alcoholism↗