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Biomedical subjects

D Banerjee

Publications and source records attributed to D Banerjee.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Biosynthesis and metabolism of metallothionein in rat during perinatal development.

Although high concentrations of zinc (Zn) and metallothionein (MT) have been detected in the livers of many newborn mammals, the factors affecting the biosynthesis and metabolism of MT are not yet clearly defined. In rat liver, MT levels rise sharply at the 18th day of gestation and continue to increase into the neonatal period. In late gestation, MT serves to bind Cu and Zn from the pre-existing pools of these metals, as well as to accumulate additional amounts of Zn. The high levels of Zn and MT are maintained for about two weeks in neonates and then decreased to adult levels at weaning. Perinatally, the Zn/MT ratio remains constant for several days, suggesting a carefully regulated process. Injection of ZnSO4 into newborn rats results in increased accumulation of Zn and induced synthesis of MT in liver, while injection of CdCl2 has no effect. When pregnant rats are fed with a Zn-D diet, there are marked reductions in the levels of both hepatic Zn and MT in neonates. Similar studies with copper and iron deficient diets have no effect on high hepatic MT and Zn levels in newborn rats. Immunohistochemical localization of MT using a specific antibody to MT shows a progressive increase in cytoplasmic MT with the appearance of nuclear MT by day 20 of gestation in fetal rat liver. The presence of MT in the nucleus of hepatocytes is maintained in neonates for several days and later MT is detected in the cytoplasm during postnatal development.

Animals↗

Cross reactivity of a monoclonal pan T-cell antibody (anti-Leu 4) with prostate epithelium.

Cross reactions between monoclonal T-cell antibodies and non-lymphoid tissues have rarely been reported. In this study 28 samples of prostatic tissue obtained at the time of autopsy or surgery, two samples of metastatic prostatic carcinoma and a series of other tumours were snap frozen and sections reacted with a series of monoclonal antibodies directed against the following antigens: Leu 1, Leu 4, T3, T8, T4, T11 and B4. Reactions were detected with an indirect immunofluorescent method. In 10 of 11 normal prostates, 15 of 15 with nodular hyperplasia and 3 of 4 prostatic adenocarcinomas a strong positive reaction occurred with anti-Leu 4. All other antibodies tested were negative. Other tumours tested, including primary carcinomas of lung (2), kidney (3), stomach (1), colon (1), pancreas (1), breast (2), urinary bladder (1), esophagus (1), larynx (1) and malignant melanoma (2), were negative with all antibodies. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of cross reactivity between a monoclonal pan T-cell antibody and epithelium. This cross reaction may be related to a shared antigen between T-cells and prostate epithelial cells or, more likely, it represents reactivity with a shared epitope. Knowledge of this reaction will prevent possible misinterpretations in the evaluation of undifferentiated neoplasms.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

The role of insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of myotonic muscular dystrophy.

A study of glucose, insulin, lipids and lipoproteins in myotonic dystrophy (MyD) has shown elevation of fasting plasma insulin, triglycerides and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) but no significant difference from normal in the fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol or low and high density lipoproteins. Elevation of the total triglyceride and VLDL levels showed a direct relationship to hyperinsulinaemia. Insulin binding to cultured MyD fibroblasts under optimal conditions was significantly reduced but there was no difference in receptor affinity between MyD and control cells. In contrast to insulin binding, LDL binding to MyD fibroblasts was normal although there was a tendency to reduced LDL binding at 37 degrees C that may reflect mildly reduced lipid metabolism. The alterations in lipids and insulin in MyD are compatible with insulin resistance. Laboratory and clinical findings in MyD were compared with other inherited insulin-resistant diseases. MyD showed marked similarity to a group of disorders that have mild insulin resistance and mildly elevated plasma insulin in contrast to others with severe hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance. It is suggested that at least some clinical features of MyD may be due to diminished overall effect of insulin or other trophic factors on cell metabolism.

Adolescent↗

Immunohistochemical localization of metallothionein in cell nucleus and cytoplasm of fetal human liver and kidney and its changes during development.

The distribution of metallothionein (MT) during human development was investigated using both immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. The level of MT in the fetal liver was higher than the adult liver levels. Higher levels of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were also detected in the fetal liver compared to the adult liver. Although cadmium (Cd) was present in detectable levels in the human adult liver, none was detected in the human fetal liver. MT was localized in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of human fetal and neonatal hepatocytes, using a specific rabbit antibody raised to rat liver MT. In the adult human liver cells, MT was localized mainly in the cytoplasm. In the fetal and neonatal human kidney, MT was localized mainly in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of the proximal tubular epithelial cells. In the adult kidney, in addition to nuclear-cytoplasmic localization of MT, intraluminal localization was also observed.

Adolescent↗

Phenotypic and functional analyses of tumour-infiltrating Leu 7 + natural killer-like cells in non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Biopsy specimens of lymphoid tissues were analysed by two-colour flow cytometry to determine the proportions and phenotypes of natural killer-like cells present in the lesions. No significant difference was found between the proportions of Leu 7+ cells in reactive and malignant nodes. Low numbers of Leu 11+ cells were found in both benign and malignant nodes. The most common phenotype among the tumour-infiltrating Leu 7+ cells in the malignant nodes was Leu 7+OKT3+OKM1-. Only low numbers of Leu 7+ cells in malignant nodes coexpressed OKM1. Isolated Leu 7+ cells from four out of five malignant nodes were unable to lyse autologous B lymphoma cells in vitro. However, in one of five malignant nodes tested, autologous B lymphoma cells were lysed by isolated tumour-infiltrating Leu 7+ cells but not by Leu 7- cells. These observations indicate that tumour-infiltrating Leu 7+ cells are infrequently capable of lysing autologous lymphoma cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Immunohistochemical localization of metallothionein in human thyroid tumors.

High levels of metallothionein (MT) are present in the developing mammalian liver; however, a remarkable decrease is observed during postnatal life after weaning. This developmental profile is similar to that of certain oncofetal gene products such as alpha-fetoprotein, which is used as a tumor marker. This study deals with the reexpression of MT genes in thyroid tumors. With an immunohistochemical method, the presence of MT was investigated in tissue sections of normal and neoplastic human thyroid glands. Tissue sections of 34 thyroid tumors and 10 normal human thyroid glands were studied by means of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. MT was localized in 31 of the thyroid gland tumors. MT was also present in two of the normal thyroid glands. These findings indicate that although high levels of MT are mainly found in the fetal liver, it may also be expressed actively in certain human thyroid neoplastic tissues, and occasionally in normal thyroid tissue.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Regulation of apo-A-I processing in cultured hepatocytes.

Apo-A-I, the major protein component of high density lipoproteins, appears intracellularly as an intermediate precursor (pro-apo-A-I) with a hexapeptide extension (RHFWQQ) at its amino terminus. Proteolytic processing of pro-apo-A-I to apo-A-I has been shown to occur extracellularly in cell and organ cultures from rat and human tissues. Recently, however, intracellular conversion has been detected in chickens. To determine what distinguishes and regulates these two processing methods, the proteolytic processing and secretion of apo-A-I was studied by metabolic labeling in chick hepatocytes and in Hep-G2 cells (derived from a human hepatocellular carcinoma). The proportions of intracellular and secreted pro-apo-A-I and apo-A-I were measured by sequencing NH2-terminal portions of the proteins and determining the location of radio-labeled amino acids. Chick hepatocytes cultured in the absence of hormones or fetal bovine serum secreted primarily processed apo-A-I (83%). In the presence of serum these cells secreted only pro-apo-A-I, whereas incubation with a combination of hormones (insulin, triiodothyronine, dexamethasone) resulted in secretion of a nearly equal mixture of the pro- and processed forms of the protein. In contrast, Hep-G2 cells, maintained in the absence of serum, secreted only pro-apo-A-I; when grown in the presence of serum these cells secreted a mixture of pro- and processed apo-A-I. Under conditions in which chick hepatocytes and Hep-G2 cells secreted both forms of the protein, a mixture of pro- and processed apo-A-I was also found intracellularly; when only the pro-form was secreted, the cells likewise contained only pro-apo-A-I. Under all the above conditions, the secreted apo-A-I exhibited similar isoform patterns in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. These data show that both chick hepatocytes and human hepatoma cells are capable of intracellularly processing pro-apo-A-I to apo-A-I, and that the extent of intracellular processing is controlled by the cell's hormonal environment.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The heat-shock response in vivo: experimental induction during mammalian organogenesis.

According to the embryonic stress hypothesis of teratogenesis, anatomical malformation can be the consequence of the induction of a heat-shock response (HSR) in the embryo at some critical stage during the determination or differentiation of organs. This hypothesis states that a teratogen is any agent that is capable of inducing a HSR and that can reach the developing embryo. As a first step in determining whether the hypothesis is tenable, it was necessary to determine whether the embryo in fact is capable of making the HSR during the period of organogenesis. Pregnant mice were treated with two classical inducers of the HSR, one a physical and the other a chemical agent--namely, hyperthermia and sodium arsenite. The embryos, while still in the living mouse, responded with heat-shock protein induction, as did control bone marrow.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

Ability of oncogenically transformed cells to grow without anchorage correlates with phosphorylation of a group of cell surface membrane proteins.

Anchorage-independent growth in vitro is strongly correlated with cellular malignancy in vivo and it has been shown that retinoic acid (RA; a vitamin A analog) inhibits anchorage-independent growth of a wide variety of oncogenically transformed cells (RA-sensitive cells). We report here that decreased or lack of phosphorylation of a group of low molecular weight (20-30 kD) cell surface membrane proteins, particularly one of Mr 28 kD, correlates strongly with RA-induced loss of anchorage-independent growth of RA-sensitive cells. Our studies also show that this group of proteins are not phosphorylated in non-transformed cells which do not grow in an anchorage-independent manner. Analysis of [35S]methionine-labeled proteins revealed that these polypeptides are present in both RA-treated and untreated cell surface membranes. This suggests that modulation of phosphorylation rather than lack of synthesis of these proteins is correlated with anchorage regulation of cells. V8 protease mapping of the 28 kD phosphoprotein from transformed cells, irrespective of their origin or of transforming agents, revealed complete fragment homology. Furthermore, the 28 kD phosphoprotein was found to be phosphorylated exclusively at threonine residues. The data obtained from this study suggest that the ability of cells to grow without anchorage is correlated with the phosphorylation of a group of cell surface membrane proteins and RA inhibits anchorage-independent growth by interfering with the phosphorylation rather than synthesis of these proteins.

Animals↗

Transferrin receptors in the human gastrointestinal tract. Relationship to body iron stores.

Fluorescently labeled antibodies were used to identify transferrin receptors and mucosal transferrin in human gastrointestinal biopsy sections. Transferrin receptors were evident in the villous epithelium and the crypt areas of duodenum, ileum, and colon, predominantly in the basal-lateral area. In 7 subjects with low iron stores, the intensity of duodenal villous staining for receptor, on a scale of 0-4, was 2.1 +/- 0.3 (mean +/- SD). This value was significantly higher than the value in 13 subjects with normal iron stores (1.1 +/- 0.4). In 5 patients with hereditary hemochromatosis, duodenal transferrin receptor staining was not significantly different from that in the subjects with normal iron stores. Transferrin staining was found in the apical cytoplasm of epithelial cells in the duodenum, ileum, and colon, but observer assessment was not sufficiently reproducible to make a quantitative analysis. Our results suggest that iron deficiency is accompanied by an increase in transferrin receptors in duodenal absorptive cells, and the genetic lesion in hemochromatosis does not involve an increase in transferrin receptors in the intestinal mucosa compared with subjects with normal iron stores.

Adult↗

Hyperinsulinemia in myotonic dystrophy: identity of the maternal factor causing the neonatal myotonic dystrophy syndrome.

An environmental factor acting on the fetus is thought to cause a neonatal syndrome characterized by marked muscular hypotonia, lack of respiratory drive and feeding difficulties, in some infants born to mothers with myotonic dystrophy. Mortality is high, especially amongst those babies born prematurely, but muscle strength and tone improve rapidly in survivors. Nevertheless, most survivors have physical deformities and mental retardation and are thought to develop myotonic dystrophy later. We propose that alterations in maternal insulin secretion (usual in myotonic dystrophy subjects) alter fetal blood glucose and amino acid levels and retard growth and maturation of fetal skeletal muscle. This leads to severe muscular hypotonia in affected infants. Also, we suggest that infants who die during the perinatal period may not have inherited the defective autosomal dominant gene that causes myotonic dystrophy.

Female↗

Biosynthesis of high density lipoprotein by chicken liver: intracellular transport and proteolytic processing of nascent apolipoprotein A-1.

To study the in vivo processing and secretion of Apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I), young chickens were administered individual L-[3H]amino acids intravenously and the time of intracellular transport of nascent Apo A-I from rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) to the Golgi apparatus was measured. Within 3 to 9 min there was maximal incorporation of radioactivity into Apo A-I in both the RER and the Golgi cell fractions. By contrast, the majority of radioactive albumin was also present in the RER by 3 to 9 min, but did not reach peak amounts in the Golgi fraction until 9 to 25 min. Both radioactive Apo A-I and albumin appeared in the blood at about the same time (between 20 and 30 min). NH2-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of nascent intracellular Apo A-I showed that it contains a pro-hexapeptide extension identical to that of human Apo A-I. After 30 min of administration of radioactive amino acids radioactive Apo A-I was isolated by immunoprecipitation from the liver and serum. NH2-terminal sequence analysis of 20 amino acids indicated that chicken liver contained an equal mixture of nascent pro-Apo A-I and fully processed Apo A-I, whereas the serum only contained processed Apo A-I. Further studies showed that the RER only contained pro-Apo A-I, whereas a mixture of pro-Apo A-I and processed Apo A-I was found in the Golgi complex. These results indicate that, in chicken hepatocytes, there is a more rapid transport of Apo A-I than of albumin from the RER to the Golgi cell fractions, and that Apo A-I remains in the Golgi apparatus for a longer period of time before it is secreted into the blood. In addition these studies show that the in vivo proteolytic processing of chicken pro-Apo A-I to Apo A-I occurs in the Golgi cell fractions.

Albumins↗

Altered processing of a major secreted phosphoprotein correlates with tumorigenicity in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed mammalian cells.

Anchorage-independent growth is highly correlated with neoplastic growth in vivo, and the retinoids (vitamin A and its analogs) inhibit this property in a wide variety of oncogenically transformed cells. We report here that retinoic acid-treated Rous sarcoma virus-transformed rat (RR1022) and vole (SR-1T) cells, which show reversible loss of anchorage-independent growth and assume nontransformed morphology, secrete a major 69-kilodalton phosphoprotein (pp69) instead of the 62-kilodalton phosphoprotein (pp62) secreted by their untreated counterparts. As determined by V8 protease mapping and by two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis, this 69-kilodalton polypeptide was indistinguishable from the pp69 released by nontransformed normal rat kidney cells. Neither retinoic acid-treated RR1022 cells nor normal rat kidney cells secreted pp62, and retinoic acid treatment did not have any significant effect on the synthesis, subcellular localization, or phosphokinase activity of pp60src. Furthermore, treatment with retinoic acid did not alter the synthesis of the transformation-specific 53-kilodalton phosphoprotein (p53) and secretion of the transforming growth factors in RR1022 cells. Our studies showed that there is a clear correlation between the release of pp69 or pp62 and the ability of cells to grow in vitro with or without anchorage. This may provide an important clue for elucidating specific biochemical events involved in anchorage regulation of growth.

Animals↗

Metallothionein synthesis and localization in relation to metal storage in rat liver during gestation.

The metallothionein (MT) content of fetal rat liver was measured daily during the final week of gestation, by both cadmium saturation and polarographic methods. MT levels rise sharply at day 18 of gestation and continue to increase into the neonatal period. In late gestation, MT serves to bind Cu and Zn from the preexisting hepatic pools of these metals, as well as to accumulate additional amounts of both metals. The fetal MT is similar to the adult rat protein both in terms of its protein composition and metal-binding properties. Perinatally the Zn/MT ratio remains constant for several days suggesting a carefully regulated process. At birth, most of the hepatic Zn and a significant amount of hepatic Cu are bound to MT. Immunohistochemical localization MT shows a progressive increase in cytoplasmic MT with the appearance of nuclear MT by day 20 of gestation in fetal rat liver. The results are discussed in terms of a model for regulation of MT synthesis and for the metal storage role of MT in perinatal development.

Animals↗

Responsiveness of human T-lymphocyte subpopulations in autologous mixed-lymphocyte reaction using xenoprotein-free separated cells: autologous reactivity lies chiefly in a low density T-cell fraction.

The responsiveness in the autologous mixed-lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) by human T cells separated using two different methods not involving xenoantigen contract was examined. Although T cells from nylon-wool columns were active in AMLR, T cells separated by a Percoll gradient method responded poorly. Further separation of T cells from nylon-wool columns into low density (TL) and high density (TH) fractions by Percoll revealed that TL was enriched, while TH was depleted, in AMLR responsiveness. This difference could not be accounted for by differences in the helper or suppressor cells in the fractions. Moreover, TH responded well in secondary AMLR. Therefore the T cells reactive in AMLR reside chiefly, although not exclusively, in the low density fraction.

Cell Separation↗