Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B Price

Publications and source records attributed to B Price.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Scrape-loading of Swiss 3T3 cells with ras protein rapidly activates protein kinase C in the absence of phosphoinositide hydrolysis.

Scrape-loading has been used to analyse the biochemical function of purified p21ras protein. We have shown that scrape-loading oncogenic p21ras into quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells causes morphological transformation of 90% of the cell population within 15 h. Since large numbers of cells can be loaded with p21ras, early induced biochemical changes can be analysed. In this way we have shown that oncogenic p21ras causes rapid activation of protein kinase C five minutes after introduction of protein, but that ras protein fails to stimulate measurable inositol phosphate formation. It appears, therefore, that the stimulation of protein kinase C activity is due to a ras induced increase in diacylglycerol from a source other than inositol phospholipids. Efficient stimulation of DNA synthesis by oncogenic p21ras only occurs in the presence of insulin. This stimulation of DNA synthesis by ras is absolutely dependent on functional protein kinase C activity.

Cycloheximide↗

Proteolysis of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase-II attenuates its ability to be inhibited by compounds which exert positive inotropic actions in cardiac tissue.

Extraction of frozen canine cardiac muscle rendered soluble over 90% of the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. The residual activity was membrane-bound. Ion exchange chromatography of the soluble activity on DE-52 allowed for the resolution of three distinct cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase fractions termed PDE-I, PDE-II and PDE-III in order of elution from the column by a linear NaCl gradient. The relative ratio of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity exhibited by these three peaks was 1:0.65:0.82 and of cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activity was 1:0.52:0.05 for PDE-I, PDE-II and PDE-III respectively. PDE-II and PDE-III were further purified by re-chromatography on DE-52. Fractions PDE-II and PDE-III were thermolabile at 50 degrees, decaying as single exponentials with half lives of 180 sec and 77 sec respectively. All three species exhibited non-linear Lineweaver-Burke plots for the hydrolysis of cyclic AMP, exhibiting both high and low affinity components. Hydrolysis of cyclic GMP by all three components obeyed normal kinetics, yielding linear plots. PDE-I was a Ca2+/calmodulin-activated species which exhibited a low Km for both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP but hydrolysed cyclic GMP with a higher Vmax than for cyclic AMP. PDE-II exhibited a much lower Km for cyclic AMP than for cyclic GMP and a much higher Vmax for the hydrolysis of cyclic AMP. PDE-III exhibited a low Km for both cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP, however, its Vmax for cyclic AMP was about 40-fold higher than for cyclic GMP. Cyclic GMP acted as a potent inhibitor (IC50 = 6.3 microM) of cyclic AMP hydrolysis catalysed by PDE-III but not of the hydrolysis of cyclic AMP by PDE-II (IC50 = 33.2 microM). The phosphodiesterase inhibitors milrinone, CI-930, UK-35,493, carbazeran and buquineran acted as potent inhibitors of cyclic AMP hydrolysis catalysed by both PDE-II and PDE-III enzymes. They did not inhibit PDE-I activity. PDE-II, when prepared in the absence of protease inhibitors exhibited a reduced potency to inhibition by these compounds. Treatment of purified PDE-II with trypsin caused a reduction in enzyme activity and reduced dramatically the sensitivity of PDE-II activity to inhibition by these various compounds. The action of proteolysis in attenuating the inhibitory effect of these compounds on PDE-II was most dramatic with CI-930, milrinone, amrinone, buquineran and UK35,493 and least dramatic with carbazeran and IBMX.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases↗

First impressions: paradigms for patient assessment.

The interview that the nurse completes with a patient on his admission to hospital may be seen as one more negotiated step within a patient career that may span many years. Nevertheless, the nurse's assessment of the patient marks a key point in this career, his entry into a formal institution. It also marks the starting point of a planned intervention on the part of the nurses involved. Whilst such interviews have traditionally not been seen as important as that with the consultant, they are likely to have a significant effect upon how patient and nurse subsequently interact. This paper describes a research project which sought to identify the ways in which student nurses formulate an assessment of a patient on admission. A qualitative research methodology was used and a symbolic interactionist perspective employed.

Adult↗

The clinical value of free phenytoin levels.

The relationship between total and free phenytoin levels and drug toxicity was studied in 80 patients. Twenty-four were taking phenytoin alone. Drug toxicity was assessed by a "blind" rater using an eight-point standardized scoring system. The mean free phenytoin fraction was 0.076 in patients taking phenytoin alone or phenytoin and carbamazepine and 0.11 in patients taking valproic acid (p less than 0.001). The free fraction did not change with the total level over the range tested (6.7 to 39.9 micrograms/ml total phenytoin). There was a strong correlation between free and total levels (r = 0.84). Both free (r = 0.59) and total (r = 0.49) phenytoin levels were positively correlated with the toxicity score. Only total phenytoin levels showed a weak positive correlation with decreasing seizure frequency. Our results suggest that routine free phenytoin level monitoring is not necessary in most clinical situations.

Adolescent↗

The effects of vagal nerve stimulation on endoluminal release of serotonin and substance P into the feline small intestine.

Endoluminal release of serotonin (5-HT), substance P (SP), and motilin was quantitated after thoracic vagal nerve stimulation in the cat. In duodenum and jejunum, simultaneous release of these compounds was observed. In contrast, vagal stimulation did not augment the rate of luminal secretion of either 5-HT or SP in the distal ileum. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated 5-HT in both enterochromaffin (EC) cells and nerves throughout the small bowel. However, we were unable to visualize any SP-containing EC cells in the cat, which suggests that the source of luminal SP in this species must be intramural nerves.

Animals↗

Heat capacity microcalorimetry of the in vitro reconstitution of calf brain microtubules.

The self-assembly of calf brain tubulin, purified by the modified Weisenberg procedure, was examined in an adiabatic differential heat capacity microcalorimeter. Tubulin solutions at concentrations between 6 and 17 mg/mL were heated from 8 to 40 degrees C at heating rates between 0.1 and 1.0 deg/min in a pH 7.0 phosphate buffer containing 1 X 10(-3) M GTP, 1.6 X 10(-2) M MgCl2, and 3.4 M glycerol. The heat capacity change, deltaCp of the microtubule growth reaction was found to be -1600 +/- 500 cal/(deg mol) per 110 000 molecular weight tubulin dimer incorporated into microtubules, in agreement with the reported van't Hoff deltaCp value of -1500 cal/(deg mol) [Lee, J.C., & Timasheff, S.N. (1977) Biochemistry 16, 1754-1765]. The assembly reaction is characterized by a complex heat uptake pattern comprising both endothermic and exothermic processes.

Animals↗

Prediction of treatment effectiveness in a drug-free therapeutic community.

Treatment effectiveness for drug dependance is evaluated and compared with success rates reported in the literature. Program differences and varying follow-up procedures make assessment difficult. Identical pre- and posttreatment quantitative adjustment indices are recommended in order to improve the measurement of improvement. Education and length of stay in treatment are among the most important predictors of posttreatment drug usage and work akjustment. Education and improved treatment success with lower class youth are discussed.

Adult↗