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Biomedical subjects

D C Williams

Publications and source records attributed to D C Williams.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

The subcellular location in rat kidney of the peripheral benzodiazepine acceptor.

In rat kidney high-affinity binding sites for [3H]Ro-5-4864 and [3H]PK-11195 with the properties of the peripheral-type acceptor were found enriched in mitochondrial (M) and light-mitochondrial-lysosomal (L) fractions on differential centrifugation. When the combined M and L fractions were subjected to sucrose density gradient centrifugation, these binding sites were found enriched at a density of 1.155 g/ml coincident with a population of light mitochondria, whereas a population of heavier mitochondria (rho = 1.175 g/ml) had few or no binding sites. Transmission electron microscopy showed that whereas the heavier mitochondria appeared highly pure and intact, the lighter mitochondria appeared less intact and to be contaminated with vesicular structures. After fractionation of the light mitochondria and vesicles by centrifugation, both fractions showed the same ratio of [3H]Ro-4864 binding sites to monoamine oxidase activity consistent with the vesicles being of mitochondrial outer-membrane origin. Digitonin pre-treatment had no effect on the density of acceptor-rich fractions on sucrose density gradient centrifugation. However, pretreatment with succinate/iodophenylnitrophenylphenyltetrazolium (INT) perturbed equally the density of acceptor-rich fractions and mitochondrial marker enzymes. When mitochondrial fractions were subjected to sonication prior to density gradient centrifugation the binding sites were now found highly enriched in a much lighter fraction coincident with the monoamine oxidase activity and thus consistent with being outer-membrane vesicles. When a mitochondrial fraction was subjected to hypotonic treatment before assay no evidence for activation/unmasking of binding sites was found. The hypotonic treatment did not release any inhibitor of the binding sites. These results are consistent with the peripheral benzodiazepine acceptor having an outer-membrane location on a sub-population of rat kidney mitochondria. Those mitochondria showing high levels of the acceptor are either light mitochondria or appear more susceptible to osmotic damage than those mitochondria in which the acceptor is absent or at low levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Rat liver uroporphyrinogen III synthase has similar properties to the enzyme from Euglena gracilis, including absence of a requirement for a reversibly bound cofactor for activity.

Uroporphyrinogen III synthase purified from rat liver is a monomer of Mr 36,000 by gel filtration and 28,000 by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The enzyme exists in two interconvertible forms separable on h.p.l.c. Both forms of the enzyme could be renatured with full activity after SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, demonstrating the absence of a reversibly bound cofactor. The enzyme activity could be inhibited by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate in the absence and in the presence of NaBH4, consistent with (an) essential lysine residue(s). The enzyme thus shows great similarity to that from Euglena gracilis.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

A simple rapid purification scheme for hydroxymethylbilane synthase from human erythrocytes.

Hydroxymethylbilane synthase from human erythrocytes was purified 47,000-fold to greater than 95% homogeneity and 7.5% yield by a simple and rapid procedure using heat treatment (80 degrees C, in the presence of proteinase inhibitors, to convert one of two chromatographically separable forms into the other), DEAE-cellulose and Cibacron Blue F3G-A-Sepharose chromatographies and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. The purified enzyme was similar to the enzyme purified from other species in showing hyperbolic dependence of velocity on substrate concentration, a non-linear progress curve for uroporphyrinogen appearance, and was monomeric, having an Mr of 44,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and h.p.l.c. and an Mr of 45,000 on SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The enzyme showed a sharp pH profile for Vmax, and various folates were shown to accelerate neither the enzymic formation of hydroxymethylbilane nor ring-closure of hydroxymethylbilane.

Ammonia-Lyases↗
PubMed1988

Isolation and characterization of insulin-like growth factor-II from human bone.

Human bone was sequentially extracted with 4 M guanidine hydrochloride to remove nonmineralized tissue components, 0.5 M EDTA to dissolve the mineral phase, 4 M guanidine hydrochloride to remove matrix associated proteins and finally a combination of 4 M guanidine hydrochloride and 0.5 M EDTA to remove residual proteins. The extracts were examined for the presence of factors that were able to stimulate the incorporation of [3H] thymidine into DNA and [14C] leucine into protein in a cloned rat bone cell culture system. The majority of the bioactivity was found in the first guanidine hydrochloride extract (59 +/- 12%) while the second guandine hydrochloride extract contained 27 +/- 8%. In addition to several known growth factors already reported to be present in bone (transforming growth factor-beta and insulin-like growth factor-I) insulin-like growth factor-II was identified by its chromatographic, electrophoretic and immunological properties as well as by N-terminal sequence data. The insulin-like growth factor-II levels (802 +/- 112 micrograms/kg wet weight bone) were 10 fold higher than that found for insulin-like growth factor-I (84 +/- 23 micrograms/kg wet weight).

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Kinetics of the interaction of sertraline with the human platelet plasma membrane 5-hydroxytryptamine carrier.

Sertraline, a new selective 5-HT uptake inhibitor showed a mixed pattern of inhibition of human platelet 5-HT uptake with a Ki value of 2.5 nM and K'i value of 25 nM. Imipramine and alaproclate were found to be fully competitive inhibitors of 5-HT uptake with Ki values of 8 and 130 nM respectively. Sertraline was a fully competitive inhibitor of high-affinity [3H]imipramine binding to platelet membranes with a Ki value of 1.3 nM, as was alaproclate and 5-HT with Ki values of 170 and 800 nM respectively. Both sertraline and imipramine, at a concentration of 10 microM caused a fast monophasic dissociation of [3H]imipramine from platelet membranes in contrast to serotonin which caused a slow monophasic dissociation.

1-Naphthylamine↗
PubMed1988

The effect of Triton X-100 on bovine brain synaptic membranes.

Bovine brain synaptic membranes which were frozen and then extensively washed showed low affinity [3H]muscimol binding. These membranes contained GABA and calmodulin, apparently tightly bound within the membrane fraction. Membranes which were additionally treated with the detergent Triton X-100 showed high affinity [3H]muscimol binding. These membranes did not appear to contain GABA or calmodulin. Transmission electron microscopy studies demonstrated that the washed membrane fraction contained many synaptosomal and vesicular structures. Triton treatment led to the extensive rupture of these structures. These studies explain the well-reported findings of tightly bound GABA and calmodulin in brain membrane fractions, as being due to the entrapment of these compounds inside sealed membrane-bound structures which are still present after a freeze-thaw and extensive wash treatment, their complete removal requiring Triton-treatment to rupture the vesicles.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Antisera raised against the drug imipramine.

Antisera against 2-aminoimipramine covalently coupled to albumin have been raised in two rabbits. Both antisera bind imipramine and related tricyclic compounds as if to a single class of sites with high affinity and high titres. Displacement/inhibition assays showed that the affinities of various tricyclic compounds for the antisera showed a good correlation with the affinities of these drugs for the tricyclic antidepressant inhibitory sites on plasma-membrane 5-hydroxytryptamine carriers of human platelets and rat brain cortex. 5-Hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine-uptake-selective drugs did not inhibit [3H]imipramine binding to antisera. The anti-imipramine antibodies were purified using imipramine-Sepharose affinity chromatography and were shown to be IgG class by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and protein A-Sepharose precipitation.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Encephalocele of the middle ear.

A case of congenital encephalocele of the middle ear presenting as a conductive hearing loss is reported. In retrospect it is possible that CT scanning with metrizimide contrast studies may have been helpful in establishing the diagnosis (Cooper and Kassel, 1982). However, it is stressed that even in the absence of radiological abnormality of the temporal bone, surgical exploration of the middle cranial fossa should be undertaken.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Measurement of nicotine in building air as an indicator of tobacco smoke levels.

Humans apparently differ greatly in their sensitivity and tolerance to tobacco smoke, thereby creating conflicts in the workplace. Resolution of conflicts in a large office complex at the authors' institution required an objective measure of smoke levels. A gas chromatographic technique was devised for collection and analysis of nicotine concentrations in the building air as an indicator of tobacco smoke pollution. Segregation of smokers and nonsmokers in the large office complex still resulted in substantial exposure of the nonsmoker to tobacco smoke, although a gradient of exposure was certainly observed. Passive tobacco smoke consumption in the smoking area of the office complex was calculated to be equivalent to 1.1 cigarettes per 8-hr period, and nicotine density in this area was 1.96 microgram/m. The restriction of smoking to a foyer area outside the office complex resulted in a slow but eventual reduction in nicotine concentrations in the office complex. Observed "background" nicotine concentration levels corresponding to 4 to 7% of those encountered in smoking areas demonstrate that central air circulation systems and people movement increase the nicotine level throughout all rooms of a building, regardless of the smoking policies of an individual office complex. Recent documentation of the relationship between passive smoking and cancer, heart disease, pulmonary dysfunction, and allergic responses argues for restriction of smoking to building exteriors.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1984

Characterization of the multiple forms of hydroxymethylbilane synthase from rat spleen.

Phenylhydrazine treatment induced hydroxymethylbilane synthase activity (EC 4.3.1.8) in rat spleen, erythrocytes and liver by 40-fold, 7.5-fold and 6-fold respectively. Five multiple forms of the enzyme were resolved by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. In the presence of phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride only three forms, two major and one minor, were resolved by the fractionation, suggesting that two of the original forms arose by proteolytic modification. Heat treatment (70 degrees C) in the presence of proteinase inhibitor converted one of the major forms into the other major form. Product isomer analysis suggested that this heat-labile form represented an enzyme-substrate covalent intermediate and not a hydroxymethylbilane synthase-uroporphyrinogen III synthase complex. Identical elution profiles and kinetic properties of the enzymes from rat spleen and erythrocytes suggested that the enzyme isolated from spleen was possibly from stored erythrocytes. Sephadex G-75 chromatography of the heat-stable DEAE-cellulose-purified form yielded pure enzyme as judged by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The Mr was found to be 43000 +/- 1500. Initial-velocity studies on all enzyme forms showed a hyperbolic dependence of velocity on substrate concentration, demonstrating the existence of a displacement-type mechanism. For the heat-stable form Vmax, varied with pH as a typical bell-shaped curve, indicating that two ionizable groups with pK values of 7.4 and 8.8 are important for catalysis. Km decreased with decreasing pH on the acid side of the pH optimum, suggesting the absence of ionization of a group with pK 7.4 in free enzyme or substrate.

Ammonia-Lyases↗
PubMed1984

Binding of [3H]imipramine to human platelet membranes with compensation for saturable binding to filters and its implication for binding studies with brain membranes.

Apparent specific binding of [3H]imipramine to human platelet membranes at high concentrations of imipramine showed deviation from that expected of a single binding site, a result consistent with a low-affinity binding site. The deviation was due to displaceable, saturable binding to the glass fibre filters used in the assays. Imipramine, chloripramine, desipramine, and fluoxetine inhibited binding to filters whereas 5-hydroxytryptamine and ethanol were ineffective. Experimental conditions were developed that eliminated filter binding, allowing assay of high- and low-affinity binding to membranes. Failure to correct for filter binding may lead to overestimation of binding parameters, Bmax and KD for high-affinity binding to membranes, and may also be misinterpreted as indicating a low-affinity binding component in both platelet and brain membranes. Low-affinity binding (KD less than 2 microM) of imipramine to human platelet membranes was demonstrated and its significance discussed.

Binding, Competitive↗