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Biomedical subjects

C J Lynch

Publications and source records attributed to C J Lynch.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Mouth versus deep airways absorption of nicotine in cigarette smokers.

Nicotine from the alkaline smoke of cigars is absorbed through the buccal mucosa, but such absorption from the more acidic smoke of American cigarettes has not been reported. Forty-one male and 52 female smokers were studied under normal ventilation and smoking conditions, and under high ventilation and controlled smoking conditions that restricted intake to the mouth only, with no inhalation. The major finding is that there is virtually no intake of nicotine through the buccal mucosa while smoking American cigarettes. Confirming prior reports, plasma nicotine and expired CO levels showed no correlation with the analytical yields of nicotine and CO of the cigarettes smoked. Fifteen nonsmokers (7 male, 8 female) participated in this study as controls. Data from these subjects provided additional information regarding absorption of nicotine and carbon monoxide during passive smoking. Within the highly ventilated environment, there was no significant change of CO and nicotine levels of nonsmokers. However, within the normally ventilated environment, there was minimal increase in both substances, statistically significant only for nicotine. These results suggest that nicotine may be a better indicator of exposure to second-hand smoke than carbon monoxide.

Absorption↗
PubMed1986

Decline of U.S. cancer mortality rates: expert estimates of past underreporting.

Regulatory and public health policies in the United States are predicated on the uncritical acceptance of an alleged explosion in cancer mortality rates. In reality, several studies offer evidence that cancer mortality went underreported as one goes back in time, due to progressive deficiencies in diagnostic and registration practices. Because the absence of historical records precludes a comprehensive direct verification, a group of experts were polled to estimate the impact of this bias on U.S. cancer mortality statistics. The nature of this exercise speaks against a numerical interpretation of the results; however, their broad analogic meaning suggests that age-adjusted mortality and probably the incidence of leading cancers have significantly declined for decades, with the major exception of respiratory tract cancers.

Biometry↗
PubMed1986

Differences in the role of Na+/K+-ATPase during alpha 1-adrenergic events in rat and rabbit aorta.

Transport activity of the Na+/K+-ATPase was studied in rat and rabbit aorta under basal and agonist-stimulated conditions. Basal ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake was 2.9-fold higher in rat tissues as compared to rabbit tissues. This higher uptake in the rat was associated with a greater sensitivity to the Na+/H+ exchange inhibitor amiloride. Stimulation of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors by norepinephrine (NE) or phenylephrine (PE) resulted in an increase in ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake, whose temporal pattern differed between arteries of the two species. In rat aorta the increase was maximal during the first 2 min of agonist exposure reaching approximately a 50% higher rate of uptake than controls while rabbit aorta exhibited a steady rise in 86Rb+ uptake. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ by EGTA (1 mM) for 10 min resulted in an activation of Na+/K+-ATPase-related 86Rb+ uptake after which PE was still capable of causing a further increase, suggesting that Ca2+ influx is not responsible for the receptor-induced stimulation. Removal of extracellular Na+ reduced the PE-induced stimulation, while amiloride did not block the agonist effect. To characterize the role of the Na+/K+-ATPase during contractile events, receptor-induced 45Ca2+ uptake, 45Ca2+ release and contraction were compared in rat and rabbit aorta following Na+/K+-ATPase inhibition. Rat responses to PE were readily inhibited by ouabain or K+-free conditions, while rabbit responses were relatively resistant. 45Ca2+ extrusion and relaxation following alpha 1-adrenergic receptor stimulation were both highly dependent on activity of the Na+/K+-ATPase in rat aorta. These species' differences in Na+/K+-ATPase transport activity and its role in the regulation of contractility illustrate an example of heterogeneity in the ionic control of arterial tone.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Effect of islet-activating pertussis toxin on the binding characteristics of Ca2+-mobilizing hormones and on agonist activation of phosphorylase in hepatocytes.

Islet-activating protein (IAP, a Bordetella pertussis toxin) was employed to test the hypothesis that the inhibitory GTP-binding regulatory protein of adenylate cyclase (Ni) mediates GTP effects on the binding of Ca2+-mobilizing hormones to liver plasma membranes and is involved in calcium mobilization stimulated by these agonists. IAP added to normal liver plasma membranes catalyzed the incorporation of radioactivity from [32P]NAD into a 41,000-Da peptide (presumably the alpha-subunit of Ni). However, no such incorporation was observed in liver membranes prepared from rats 24 hr after intraperitoneal injection of IAP. Angiotensin II attenuated glucagon-stimulated increases in cAMP in hepatocytes prepared from control but not IAP-treated rats. In contrast, following IAP treatment, no changes were observed in the ability of glucagon, vasopressin, angiotensin II, or epinephrine to activate phosphorylase; nor did this treatment alter [3H]vasopressin binding or epinephrine displacement of [3H]prazosin binding. However, IAP treatment decreased [3H]angiotensin II binding affinity when studies were performed in the absence but not the presence of 5'-guanylylimidodiphosphate (GppNHp). This shift was small and represented only 5-8% of the shift in apparent Kd elicited by GppNHp in untreated membranes. In vitro studies with IAP confirmed the results of the radioligand binding studies using in vivo IAP treatment. The effects of NaCl on [3H]angiotensin II binding were also tested but were not typical of other receptors which couple to Ni. The data suggest that, although a small population of hepatic angiotensin II receptors couple to Ni and attenuate glucagon-stimulated increases in cAMP, vasopressin, alpha 1-adrenergic, and the majority of angiotensin II receptors do not interact significantly with Ni. Thus, although there is evidence that agonist-induced Ca2+ mobilization requires a GTP-binding regulatory protein, this protein does not appear to be Ni in rat liver.

Adenylate Cyclase Toxin↗
PubMed1985

Inhibition of hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic effects and binding by phorbol myristate acetate.

Treatment of isolated hepatocytes with the tumor-promoting agent, 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate (PMA) produced a time- and dose-dependent, non-competitive inhibition of alpha 1-adrenergic responses, including the activation of phosphorylase, increase in Ca2+ efflux, increase in free cytosolic Ca2+, and release of myo-inositol-1,4,5-P3. The actions of [8-arginine] vasopressin (AVP) on liver cells were also inhibited by PMA, but the inhibition could be overcome by high AVP concentrations. No significant inhibition of beta-adrenergic and glucagon-mediated activation of phosphorylase was induced by PMA and no inhibitory or synergistic effects of PMA were observed on the dose-dependent activation of phosphorylase by the Ca2+ ionophore A23187. In radioligand binding studies, PMA did not directly interfere with [3H]prazosin specific binding, the displacement of [3H]prazosin by (-)-norepinephrine nor with [3H]AVP specific binding to purified liver plasma membranes. Plasma membranes prepared from livers perfused with PMA exhibited a 30-44% reduction in [3H]prazosin binding capacity. Under identical conditions [3H]AVP binding was unchanged. The alpha 1-receptors remaining in membranes from PMA-treated livers had equivalent affinities for [3H]prazosin and (-)-norepinephrine, and were unaffected in terms of coupling to guanine nucleotide-regulating proteins as indicated by the ability of guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imido)triphosphate to promote the conversion of the remaining alpha 1-receptors into a low affinity state. These data indicate that tumor promoters are potent antagonists of alpha 1-adrenergic and vasopressin (low dose) responses in liver. It is proposed that PMA acting via protein kinase C (which presumably mediates the action of PMA) exerts its inhibitory action on alpha 1-adrenergic responses at the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor itself and also at a site close to or before myo-inositol-1,4,5-P3 release.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Evidence for a decrease in the efficiency of beta-receptor coupling to adenylate cyclase in liver membranes from sucrose-fed rats.

Sucrose feeding has been shown previously to alter the plasma concentration of several factors which may regulate beta-adrenergic receptors, including corticosteroids and insulin as well as altered sympathetic nervous system (SNS) tone. For this reason we initiated a study of the effects of sucrose feeding on the beta-adrenergic receptor-adenylate cyclase system in rat liver plasma membranes. Beta-Adrenergic responsiveness was monitored by measuring isoproterenol stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity, while beta-adrenergic receptor characteristics were evaluated by analyzing [125I]iodocyanopindolol [( 125I]CYP) binding. Rats fed rat chow ad lib. supplemented by drinking water containing 10% sucrose solution exhibited a 50-75% reduction in hepatic isoproterenol-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity. This effect of sucrose was also observed in adrenalectomized (ADX) and 6-hydroxydopamine-pretreated animals, ruling out a causal role for corticosteroids or the sympathetic nervous system respectively. No effect was observed on basal, glucagon-, fluoride- or GTP-stimulated adenylate cyclase. A small but significant decrease in [125I]CYP specific binding capacity was observed in liver membranes prepared from sucrose-fed ADX rats, whereas no change in [125I]CYP binding capacity was observed in in sucrose-fed normal rats. These observations suggest that beta-receptor to adenylate cyclase coupling efficiency is decreased by the sucrose diet. The activities of two membrane-associated phospholipid methyltransferases and the content of endogenous S-adenosylmethionine in liver were reduced by sucrose feeding, implying a defect in the methylation pathway for phosphatidylcholine synthesis. The possible relationship between this latter finding and the observed decrease in beta-adrenergic receptor to adenylate cyclase coupling efficiency is discussed.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1985

Studies on the hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic receptor. Modulation of guanine nucleotide effects by calcium, temperature, and age.

The effects of guanine nucleotides on the hepatic alpha 1-adrenergic receptor were studied using norepinephrine (NE) displacement of [3H]prazosin binding to rat liver plasma membranes. Nonhydrolyzable GTP analogues caused large rightward shifts of norepinephrine displacement curves of [3H]prazosin binding in EGTA-treated membranes, but only small shifts in membranes prepared with Ca2+. The effect of a brief Ca2+ exposure on NE displacement curves was not reversed by adding excess EGTA prior to binding experiments. Analysis of the curves showed that the EGTA membranes had an increased number of high affinity agonist sites (Kd, 42 nM) and that guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate (GppNHp) converted these to low affinity sites (Kd, 1039 nM). When binding was carried out at 2 degrees C, the norepinephrine displacement curves were shifted to the left, and GppNHp was without effect. Neither EGTA, Ca2+, nor 2 degrees C treatment altered [3H]prazosin binding per se. Attempts were made to differentiate the potency order of GTP analogues which alter glucagon receptor binding (presumably mediated by the stimulatory GTP-binding protein, Na, of the adenylate cyclase system) from the potency order of GTP analogues which alter alpha 1-receptor agonist binding (presumably mediated by a yet uncharacterized GTP-binding protein which some have speculated may be distinct from Ns). However, the potency series of GTP analogues to alter norepinephrine binding was GTP gamma S greater than GppNHp greater than or equal to GTP greater than or equal to GDP greater than or equal to GppCHp greater than GMP (where GTP gamma S represents guanosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) and GppCHp represents guanyl-5'-yl (beta, gamma-methylene)diphosphonate) and was identical to that for inhibition of [125I]iodoglucagon binding. The ability of GppNHp to alter norepinephrine displacement of [3H]prazosin binding increased with the age of the rat from which membranes were prepared. This was due to the fact that juvenile rats (50-75 g) had few alpha 1-receptors in the high affinity state, whereas in old rats (430-490 g) more of the receptors were in this form. Age has previously been shown to increase alpha 1-adrenergic stimulation of cAMP in isolated hepatocytes (Morgan, N.G., Blackmore, P. F., and Exton, J. H. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 5103-5109) but did not affect the dose-response curves for norepinephrine-induced Ca2+ mobilization and phosphorylase activation in these cells. These data suggest that alpha 1-adrenergic receptors can become coupled to a guanine nucleotide-responsive moiety in hepatic plasma membranes and that this may be similar to Ns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Aging↗
PubMed1985

Analytical cigarette yields as predictors of smoke bioavailability.

The smoke intake of 865 undisturbed smokers of over 10 cigarettes per day was measured using plasma nicotine and cotinine, and expired carbon monoxide (CO) as markers. While nicotine yields, according to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) analytical standards, varied 16-fold from 0.1 to 1.6 mg/cigarette, the corresponding plasma nicotine values varied from around 25 to 45 ng/ml, and estimated mean nicotine intake of smokers varied from around 0.75 to 1.25 mg/cigarette. Expired CO and plasma cotinine values also varied in similar proportion, but mean daily cigarette consumption was independent of the FTC nicotine yield of the cigarettes smoked. The results indicate that pharmacodynamic satiation causes behavioral regulation, and that smokers of very high yield brands compensate downward, and vice versa. The ratio of tar yield to nicotine yield usually increases with increasing tar yield; therefore tar intake is likely to increase at higher tar yields, even though the increment of nicotine intake is small. It follows that FTC analytical determinations are poor predictors of relative intake of nicotine, CO, or tar, while rankings based on mean tar-to-nicotine ratio of a brand's smoke could be more meaningful. Moreover, the considerable variation of individual smoking behavior suggests that precise numerical rankings of cigarettes are not justified. An analogic ranking of cigarettes into a few broad classes would better reflect the realities and expectations of average consumers.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The relationships between receptor binding capacity for norepinephrine, angiotensin II, and vasopressin and release of inositol trisphosphate, Ca2+ mobilization, and phosphorylase activation in rat liver.

Concentration-response relationships for norepinephrine-, angiotensin II-, and vasopressin-stimulated changes in cell Ca2+ content, phosphorylase activation, and cytosolic free Ca2+ and myo-inositol-P3 levels were examined in isolated hepatocytes. The specific binding of radioligands to alpha 1-adrenergic, vasopressin, and angiotensin II receptors was also examined in rat liver plasma membranes. Disparities occurred between the concentration-response curves for myo-inositol-P3 formation and the Ca2+ and phosphorylase responses, with the greatest difference being observed with vasopressin and the smallest with norepinephrine. It was also observed that all three agonists produced the same maximum changes in phosphorylase, cell Ca2+, and cytosolic Ca2+, but the maximum capacity of each agonist to generate myo-inositol-P3 varied greatly and was correlated with the maximum receptor binding capacity. The data indicated that a very small and submaximal elevation of myo-inositol-P3 was sufficient to maximally elevate cytosolic Ca2+ and activate phosphorylase. In addition, the relationship between the accumulation of myo-inositol-P3 and the elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ was similar, irrespective of whether the agonist was norepinephrine, angiotensin II, or vasopressin. It is proposed that the large differences between the concentration-response curves for myo-inositol-P3 formation and Ca2+ and phosphorylase changes observed with vasopressin and angiotensin II are due to the higher density of their receptors on liver cell plasma membranes compared with alpha 1-adrenergic receptors.

Angiotensin II↗
PubMed1984

Lack of correlation between [3H]ouabain binding and Na-K ATPase inhibition in rat aorta.

The binding of [3H]ouabain to intact strips of rat aorta was compared with the ability of ouabain to inhibit the uptake of 86Rb by the same preparation. When a cold temperature wash was used to process tissues after binding of [3H]ouabain, a class of relatively high affinity binding sites was found (KD = 1.2 X 10(-7) M). Binding was saturable and sensitive to both ATP depletion and elevated potassium. Elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels by phenylephrine or c-AMP levels by theophylline and terbutaline had no influence on [3H]ouabain binding. Ouabain inhibition of 86Rb uptake progressed to 60% of the total 86Rb uptake at 2 X 10(-3) from a threshold of about 10(-5) M. Half-maximal inhibition by ouabain occurred at a concentration of 10(-4) M. The disparity between [3H]ouabain binding and inhibition of 86Rb uptake indicates that the high affinity binding site in the rat does not contribute to inhibition of Na-K ATPase function.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Effect of sucrose feeding on alpha 1-adrenergic responses in rat liver.

A sustained increase in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity was induced by substituting a 10% sucrose solution for the drinking water of rats fed laboratory chow ad libitum. The effects of increased SNS activity on alpha 1-adrenergic processes in liver were examined by evaluating three alpha 1-responses, namely, phenylephrine-stimulated ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake, 45Ca2+ efflux, and glucose release. Sucrose feeding abolished phenylephrine stimulation of ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake and 45Ca2+ efflux and induced a three- to fourfold reduction in the ability of phenylephrine to stimulate glucose release from liver slices. Pretreatment with 6-hydroxydopamine markedly reduced liver norepinephrine content. When 6-hydroxydopamine was used to prevent the sucrose-induced increase in SNS activity, the changes in 86Rb+ uptake, 45Ca2+ efflux, and glucose release that otherwise followed sucrose feeding were not observed. Sucrose feeding did not alter binding of the alpha 1-antagonist [3H]prazosin to liver cell membrane alpha 1-receptors or displacement of [3H]prazosin by the alpha-agonist epinephrine. These observations suggest that sustained increases in SNS activity may have profound effects on liver alpha 1-adrenergic events that occur subsequent to hormone-receptor interaction.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Release of a common source of intracellular Ca2+ by alpha-adrenergic agonists and dinitrophenol in rat liver slices.

The effects of alpha-adrenergic agonists on 45Ca efflux from slices of rat liver were studied and the results compared to earlier studies on the rabbit aorta. Norepinephrine and phenylephrine (PE) cause a stimulation of 45Ca efflux which was due to alpha 1-receptor activation. The mitochondrial uncoupler dinitrophenol (DNP) also stimulated 45Ca efflux while caffeine had little or no effect. PE and DNP effects were due to the release of intracellular 45Ca stores, and both agents released a similar quantity of Ca2+. 45Ca/40Ca exchange in both PE- and DNP-released sources was similar (t1/2 approximately or equal to 16 min). DNP and PE effects were not additive, and previous exposure to one agent reduces the response to the other. These results suggest that alpha 1-agonists and DNP release a common source of intracellular Ca2+ in rat liver. Since in rabbit aorta alpha-agonists primarily release Ca2+ from a nonmitochondrial source, our results suggest alpha 1-receptors act via the generation of a Ca2+-releasing substance which subsequently mobilizes Ca2+ from different organelles in different tissues.

2,4-Dinitrophenol↗
PubMed1983

Simultaneous loss and reappearance of alpha 1-adrenergic responses and [3H]prazosin binding sites in rat liver after irreversible blockade by phenoxybenzamine.

The relative influences of the in vivo administration of phenoxybenzamine on in vitro binding to alpha 1-adrenergic receptors and alpha 1-receptor-mediated responses were studied. Phenoxybenzamine treatment reduced maximal specific binding of the alpha 1-selective antagonist [3H]prazosin to liver cell membranes. This response was rapid (less than 90 min) and half-maximal following a phenoxybenzamine dose of approx. 10 mg/kg. A similar decrease in the ability of phenylephrine to stimulate glucose release and 45Ca2+ efflux from liver slices was also noted after phenoxybenzamine treatment. During the recovery period following administration of 30 mg/kg phenoxybenzamine, [3H]prazosin specific binding and phenylephrine-stimulated glucose release and 45Ca2+ efflux returned to their respective control levels with t 1/2 values of 42, 49 and 38 h, respectively. At all times studied during the recovery period, alpha 1-binding and both of the alpha 1-responses were similar fractions of their respective control values. These observations indicate that a close relationship exists between the density of [3H]prazosin binding sites and the ability of rat liver to respond to alpha 1-stimulation. We suggest that the binding sites identified in studies using the antagonist [3H]prazosin and those through which the agonist phenylephrine stimulates glucose release and 45Ca2+ efflux are either identical or in equilibrium with each other.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Smoker intake from cigarettes in the 1-mg Federal Trade Commission tar class.

Cigarette yields measured by the standard analytical procedures of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may not be sufficiently informative to smokers of low-yield brands because actual intake is likely to depend mainly on the aggressiveness of personal behavior. This study determined intake in smokers of 1-mg FTC tar class cigarettes, as they switched brands. Plasma cotinine levels, used as a marker of intake, spanned over a similar range of values from nondetectable to about 800 ng/ml in all brands tested. Pharmacokinetic considerations suggest that smokers of these brands--as a group--intake nicotine in excess of posted FTC values. However, mean values across smokers for each brand, as well as the brand differences in individual smokers, were closely proportional to the analytical differences of FTC nicotine yields for each brand smoked. Thus, standard analytical values may not predict absolute intake of smoke, but they appear to inform about the relative intake smokers can expect from different brands in the 1-mg FTC tar class.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Histocompatibility antigens in progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS; scleroderma).

Patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS; scleroderma) were typed for the HLA-A, -B, and -DR antigens. No significant differences in the frequencies of any HLA-A or -B antigen were found. In the subgroup of patients with PSS and diffuse scleroderma (PSS-DS), the frequency of Bw35 was increased (0.30 vs 0.17 in controls; p less than 0.005, corrected P greater than 0.2). Although patients with PSS-DS also had an increased frequency of DR1 antigen (0.27 vs 0.12 in local controls; P less than 0.005, corrected P less than 0.05), no association between Bw35 and DR1 antigens could be detected. We found no increase in the frequencies of the DR3 or DR5 antigens in patients with PSS. However, in a subset of PSS patients with pulmonary fibrosis, an increase in DR3 and a decrease in DR4 antigens (P less than 0.005) were observed. Serum antibodies to centromere occurred more frequently in DR1-positive than DR/-negative patients (0.46 vs 0.18; P less than 0.005). This study of a large number of patients with PSS failed to confirm previously reported associations of PSS with the HLA-B8/DR3 haplotype of HLA-DR5 antigen.

Adolescent↗