The distribution of basic (b) fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in growing and growth-arrested human placental tumour cells, as well as normal placental villous trophoblasts, was studied by immunofluorescence microscopy with antibodies to the amino terminus of bFGF. Placenta (FAR, FEG-3), breast (MCF-7, T-47D), cervix (HeLa) and uterine (HEC-1-A) tumour cells showed the same two patterns after immunofluorescent staining with antibodies to bFGF: (i) a perinuclear pattern and (ii) an intense homogeneous staining of the nucleus and cytoplasm. The homogeneous bFGF staining pattern was associated predominantly with actively dividing cells, observed at different stages of mitosis and cytokinesis. Placental (FEG-3) cell division was inhibited with methotrexate (MTX), a chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of placental tumours. MTX-treated FEG-3 cells as well as 'normal' non-proliferative placental (syncytiotrophoblast) cells from term placentae, showed perinuclear staining with antibodies to bFGF and immunofluorescence microscopy. The nuclear localization of bFGF in dividing but not non-dividing placental cells, suggests a role for bFGF in cytotrophoblast proliferation in vivo.

Cell Nucleus↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of salsolinol excretion in alcoholics and nonalcoholic controls.

Salsolinol was measured in urine of alcoholics after one through four and after 21 days of withdrawal, in nonalcoholic controls with and without ingestion of alcohol and in young children. HPLC equipped with fluorescence detection was employed. There were no significant differences in salsolinol excretion rate between alcoholics and controls one day after alcohol deprivation. A significant difference in salsolinol output in urine of alcoholics between the first and the twenty-first day of withdrawal was found, but salsolinol output expressed as creatinine-related output did not change. There was no trend of urinary salsolinol excretion rate by alcoholics during the first 4 days of abstinence. The results indicate that the urinary salsolinol excretion rate and the creatinine-related salsolinol output are insufficient to distinguish between alcoholics and nonalcoholics.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

56K fibroblast protein not specific for Duchenne muscular dystrophy but for skin biopsy site.

Recently, we reported the detection by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of a 56,000 (56K)-molecular weight polypeptide that was present in cultured skin fibroblasts from normal males but was not detectable in fibroblasts from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. Since then we have established that the 56K polypeptide is not present in skin fibroblasts from normal females, DMD carrier females, or in normal male fibroblasts obtained from sources other than the Repository for Mutant Human Cell Strains, Montreal. Further inquiry has led to the discovery that all the normal male fibroblast cultures obtained from the Montreal repository had been established from preputial skin. Fibroblast cultures from DMD patients, DMD carriers, as well as other normal individuals, had been derived from non-genital skin biopsies. Thus, the absence of the 56K polypeptide is not specific for DMD, but rather is related to the site of skin biopsy.

Biopsy↗