Biomedical subjects

B De Vries

Publications and source records attributed to B De Vries.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Effects of fenoterol on beta-adrenoceptor and muscarinic M2 receptor function in bovine tracheal smooth muscle.

Prolonged (18 h) incubation of isolated bovine tracheal smooth muscle with the beta2-adrenoceptor agonist fenoterol (10 microM) induced desensitization of isoprenaline-induced adenylyl cyclase activity in bovine tracheal smooth muscle membranes, characterized by a 25% decrease in maximal effect (Emax) (P < 0.05), while the sensitivity to the agonist (pEC50) was unchanged. The Emax value of isoprenaline-induced smooth muscle relaxation of submaximal methacholine-induced contractile tones was similarly reduced by about 25% (P < 0.001), while the pEC50 value was diminished by 1.0 log unit (P < 0.001). As determined by 30 microM gallamine-induced muscarinic M2 receptor antagonism and pertussis toxin-induced inactivation of G(i alpha), muscarinic M2 receptor-mediated functional antagonism did not play a role in isoprenaline-induced relaxation of bovine tracheal smooth muscle contracted by methacholine, both in control and in 18-h fenoterol-treated tissue. In line with these observations, we found no enhanced muscarinic M2 receptor-mediated inhibition of 1 microM forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity after 18-h fenoterol treatment. These data indicate that 18-h fenoterol treatment of bovine tracheal smooth muscle induces beta2-adrenoceptor desensitization and reduced functional antagonism of methacholine-induced contraction by beta-adrenoceptor agonists, without a change of muscarinic M2 receptor function.

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin↗

PubMed1996

Dictyostelium discoideum contains three inositol monophosphatase activities with different substrate specificities and sensitivities to lithium.

The small ion lithium, a very effective agent in the treatment of manic depressive patients, inhibits the mammalian enzyme inositol monophosphatase, which is proposed as the biological target for the effects of lithium. In this study we investigated Dictyostelium discoideum inositol monophosphatase activity. Partial purification of the proteins in the soluble cell fraction using anion-exchange chromatography revealed the presence of at least three enzyme activities capable of degrading inositol monophosphate isomers. The first activity was similar to the monophosphatase found in mammalian cells, as it degraded Ins(4)P, Ins(1)P and to a lesser extent Ins(3)P, was dependent on MgCl2 and inhibited by LiCl in a uncompetitive [corrected] manner. The second enzyme activity was specific for Ins(4)P; the enzyme activity was not dependent on MgCl2 and not inhibited by LiCl. The third monophosphatase activity degraded especially Ins(3)P, but also Ins(4)P and Ins(1)P; increasing concentrations of MgCl2 inhibited this enzyme activity, whereas LiCl had no effect. In vivo, LiCl induces a reduction of inositol levels by about 20%. In [3H]inositol-labelled cells LiCl causes a 6-fold increase in the radioactivity of [3H]Ins(1)P, a doubling of [3H]Ins(4)P and a slight decrease in the radioactivity in [3H]Ins(3)P. These data indicate that the biological effects of lithium in Dictyostelium are not due to depletion of the inositol pool by inhibition of inositol monophosphatase activity.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Alternating hyperphoria. Dissociated vertical deviation (DVD) 'occlusion hyperphoria'.

Alternating hyperphoria (synonyms: dissociated vertical deviation (DVD) or occlusion hyperphoria) and variants like 'unilateral patching hyperphoria' ('periodic vertical squint') and monocular vertical nystagmus, which may arise after strabismus operations or loss of the function of one of the eyes, have dynamic properties which differ from those of the vertical vergences or fusional movements in normal binocular vision. Alternating hyperphoria is the result of an early intense disturbance of binocular vision, leading to the absence of vertical fusional vergence or the detection of disparity necessary for this. Vertical disparity vergence is essentially a stabilizing and adaptive system.

Adolescent↗