Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Watson

Publications and source records attributed to A Watson.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources

Regeneration of subnormally innervated axolotl arms.

Forearms of juvenile axolotls contain about 5000 axons, of which only 25% are myelinated and visible by light microscopy. Virtually all the axons degenerate after transection of the brachial plexus, but repeated operations fail to keep the arm completely denervated. Regrown nerve fibres were detected by electron microscopy after 6 weeks of attempted denervation and related to the quantity usually considered necessary for limb regeneration. Such arms regenerated quite normally, provided their innervation had been depleted for several weeks before amputation. Among other ways of reconciling these observations to the neurotrophic theory of limb regeneration, it is suggested that tissues can adapt to deprivation of their nerve supply.

Ambystoma↗

Complement inhibitors and immunoconglutinins in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

The serum concentrations of the complement inactivators C1INH, C3bINA and beta 1H have been determined in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and their correlation with C3 and properdin factor B examined. The incidence of immunoconglutinins (1K) in these patients was investigated. Raised serum concentrations of C1INH and C3bINA have been found in patients with active disease, but no significant alteration was found in serum concentration of beta 1H. An increasing incidence of positive 1K titres was found with increased length of disease history. These results suggest continuing complement activation in these diseases.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗

Influence of bronchomotor tone on airway dimensions and resistance in excised dog lungs.

In 10 excised dog lobes we measured total lobar resistance (Rlo) by forced oscillation at various transpulmonary pressures (Ptp) before and after bronchodilators and obtained simultaneous tantalum bronchograms in 5. Mean airway diameter increased up to a Ptp of 30 cmH2O, although the increase was greater between 0 and 10 cmH2O. In contrast, Rlo decreased between 0 and 10 cmH2O but increased again between 10 and 30 cmH2O. At a Ptp of 30 cmH2O, the mean diameter of small airways (< 2 mm) increased 31%, that of large airways (> 7 mm) 2% after aerosolized bronchodilators. At a Ptp of 1 cmH2O, increases were 44 and 15%, respectively. Values of Rlo were reduced at all Ptp after bronchodilator, but minimum Rlo occurred at lower Ptp than before, and the absolute increase in Rlo at greater Ptp was preserved. In four additional lobes, we partitioned Rlo using a retrograde catheter. All of the increase in Rlo at large Ptp was peripheral to the retrograde catheter. We conclude that excised lungs have bronchomotor tone that narrows airways even at high Ptp and that loss of tone magnifies the relative increase in Rlo at high Ptp, supporting suggestions that the increase is due to tissue resistance and hysteresis.

Airway Resistance↗

Molecular relationships between large membrane proteins (LMP) expressed on T and B lymphocytes.

Clones prepared from day 5 mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) were examined for the expression of large (170,000- to 200,000-dalton) membrane proteins (LMP), found on bulk cultures of resting and allogeneically activated T lymphocytes. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of these proteins indicates both bulk populations and noncytotoxic clones express LMP of similar m.w. Peptide mapping further indicates that LMP of 187,000 (187K) and 200K daltons, found on T cells from bulk cultures or clones and the 220K dalton LMP from B cells, all appear to have a very similar peptide composition. This suggests a single protein (or series of closely related proteins) is differentially processed in functionally disparate populations, and hence may serve as a differentiation antigen for these populations.

Animals↗

The availability for recognition of normal H-2 antigens by cytotoxic T lymphocytes on a Rauscher-virus-transformed cell, RBL-5A.

The availability for recognition of cell surface H-2Db antigenic determinants on RBL-5A cells in comparison to normal C57BL/L cells was investigated by an in vitro immunological assay. No differences in the immunological recognition of the H-2Db antigens on RBL-5A cells compared to normal C57BL/L cells were detected. This assay system, however, readily detected changes in the H-2Kb determinant profile on target cells from the C57BL/L H-2Kb region mutant strains H(zl) and H(zl70) when compared to normal C57BL/6 mice. The result obtained with RBL-5A target cells therefore suggests that Rauscher murine leukaemia virus transformation does not induce, either genotypically or phenotypically, an immunologically recognizable alteration of the H-2Db antigen profile on this cell.

Animals↗

Duplicated axolotl regenerates.

Three series of palette stage regenerates were prepared by amputating both arms of juvenile axolotls in the mid-forearm, above the elbow, or close to the shoulder. Within each series, excised regenerates were replaced in their original orientation (as a control) or rotated at 90 degrees intervals about the proximodistal axis, or were transplanted to the contralateral arm with identical rotations. Control grafts occasionally caused the formation of a single extra digit. All experimental rotations provoked duplicate or triplicate structures, ranging from accessory digits to extra forearms. Shoulder level grafts were subject to a pronounced correctional derotation and yielded a variable proportion of duplications. Forearm and elbow-level rotations invariably yielded duplications, which therefore result from an axial discrepancy rather than complete axial opposition between graft and host. These results are incompatible with the clockface model of positional information and demand a modification of other current models. The recorded frequency and orientation of duplications suggest that a limb contains at least two polarized transverse axes which cannot be respecified during regeneration. A substantial discrepancy on either axis reduces the normal regulative interaction between graft and host, allowing either of them to regenerate independently.

Ambystoma↗

Studies of louping-ill virus (Flavivirus group) in wild red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus).

Studies were made to find evidence of louping-ill virus infection in free-living red grouse and relate this to their breeding success. In areas where ticks were abundant 61 (84%) adult grouse had antibody to the virus compared with 1 (10%) in areas where ticks were relatively scarce. Of 162 chicks tested 25 were shown to be viraemic. Infected chicks were of significantly less weight than comparably aged uninfected birds and the probability that they died was much greater than that of uninfected birds. It is concluded that the relatively poor breeding success in areas of high tick numbers was principally due to infection with louping-ill virus. The susceptibility of the red grouse to infection is discussed.

Animal Population Groups↗

Association of mouse major histocompatibility and Rauscher murine leukaemia virus envelope glycoprotein antigens on leukaemia cells and their recognition by syngeneic virus-immune-cytotoxic T-lymphocytes.

Physical association was measured between MLV gp70, the envelope glycoprotein of Rauscher murine leukaemia virus (R-MLV), and serologically defined H-2 antigens on the surface of R-MLV transformed C57BL/6 (H-2DbKb) mouse leukaemia cells (RBL-5A). Capping and patching with antisera against H-2Db caused specific co-capping and co-patching of R-MLV gp70 antigens as seen by fluorescence microscopy. Despite the physical proximity of R-MLV gp70 and H-2Db antigens, high titre alphaR-MLV gp70 sera had no effect in blocking syngeneic T-lymphocyte mediated cytolysis of RBL-2A cells whereas alphaH-2Db sera were effective.

Animals↗