Biomedical subjects

D G Walker

Publications and source records attributed to D G Walker.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1992

A comparison of hepatic glucokinase gene expression in high- and low-activity strains of mice.

1. Compared with the rat, mouse liver glucokinase activities show a different sensitivity to changes in insulin concentrations. When animals from a high glucokinase-high insulin level strain C3H/He are crossed with those from a low glucokinase-low insulin strain C58, individuals from recombinant inbred lines show non-parental phenotypes with high glucokinase activity but low insulin and vice versa. 2. Messenger RNA levels are greater in high-enzyme-activity mice strains than in low-activity animals, suggesting that differences in either transcription of the glucokinase gene or in mRNA stability occur between the two strains. 3. There is no evidence of a different number of glucokinase genes in the high- and low-activity strains. Differences in activity therefore suggest that dissimilarities in the regulation of the expression of these genes may well occur.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV I)-induced multifocal central nervous system (CNS) demyelination in mice.

Multifocal central nervous system (CNS) demyelination develops in the brains of SJL/J, PL/J, and A/J mice following lip inoculation with a specific strain of herpes simplex virus I (HSV I). The lesions in all three inbred strains of mice share similar characteristics including demyelination, relative preservation of axons, and a mononuclear cell (MNC) infiltrate. The lesions, developing during the early phase of demyelination, also appear sequentially in the CNS (trigeminal root entry zone of the brainstem greater than cerebellum greater than cerebral hemispheres) of all three strains of mice but differ in the time of their initial appearance following infection as well as their morphology. In SJL/J mice, new areas of demyelination are observed for only 24 days following lip inoculation with virus. Late stage multifocal CNS demyelination persists throughout 28 weeks postinoculation (pi) in PL/J mice while in A/J mice the development of new areas of demyelination are restricted to 8 weeks pi. Although mononuclear inflammatory cells are present in the new areas of demyelination in either PL/J or A/J mice, viral antigens are not detected in the CNS beyond 12 days pi. In contrast, in situ hybridization studies using 35S-cDNA HSV probes and performed beyond day 12 pi identify probe-positive cells central to a number of the multifocal CNS demyelinating lesions in A/J mice. Results from studies with inbred and congenic strains of mice indicate that the major histocompatibility complex (H-2) does not determine the development of multifocal CNS demyelination following lip inoculation with HSV I but does influence the morphological appearance of the lesions that do develop.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Cytomegalovirus infection of the developing brain alters catecholamine and indoleamine metabolism.

Tissue concentrations of noradrenaline (NA), serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA) and selected metabolites were measured in the spinal cord, cerebellum, cerebral cortex and caudate-putamen of developing mice following intraventricular inoculation with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) on postnatal day 10. MCMV-infected animals exhibited transient signs of neurological impairment, including apparent hypertonicity of hindlimb extensors and abnormal gait, beginning on days 14-16 and continuing for 3-5 days. At the onset of neurological impairment, tissue concentrations of NA were significantly reduced in the spinal cord (20%), cerebellum (32%) and cerebral cortex (40%) of infected animals. Levels of 5-HT were significantly increased in the caudate-putamen (50%), while 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) was increased in both the spinal cord (94%) and caudate-putamen (65%). The ratio of 5-HIAA/5-HT, which is frequently used as an estimate of turnover of 5-HT, was significantly increased in the spinal cord (90%) at the onset of neurological impairment. In the caudate-putamen of MCMV-infected animals, there were significant increases in the tissue levels of DA (37%), homovanillic acid (HVA, 41%) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC, 34%). All neurochemical parameters were normal in the MCMV-infected animals by postnatal day 70, approximately 50 days after the resolution of neurological signs. These results indicate transient alterations in monoamine metabolism in the developing nervous system during the pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus-induced movement and postural disorders.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Detection of the membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis (CD59) in diseased neurons of Alzheimer brain.

The membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis (MIRL) protects host cells from complement-mediated lysis. It was detected immunohistochemically in tangled neurons and dystrophic neurites of Alzheimer disease (AD) tissue in a pattern highly similar to that observed for the membrane attack complex of complement, C5b-9. MIRL was also detected in cultured IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells. The mRNA for MIRL was detected in RNA extracts of both AD and normal brain. These data provide the first evidence of brain neuronal expression of MIRL and its upregulation in neurons exposed to complement attack. They are consistent with the previously advanced hypothesis that complement-mediated neuronal injury may play a role in AD.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed1990

Herpes simplex virus type I infection of the CNS induces major histocompatibility complex antigen expression on rat microglia.

Rats were infected with herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) by corneal scarification. The spread of virus in the brain, the infiltration of leucocytes into infected areas, and the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) glycoproteins by brain cells were assessed as a function of time by immunohistochemistry. Virus moved along neuronal pathways, achieving widespread distribution in the brain by days 8-10 when the illness appeared most severe. Granulocytes, T-lymphocytes, and monocytes infiltrated the tissue matrix at sites of infection. Microglial cells were induced to express MHC class I and class II glycoproteins. Reactive microglia near the sites of infection most vigorously expressed such glycoproteins. At the peak of the infection they were detectable on microglia throughout the brain, including areas apparently separated from active infection. Evidence of viral antigens, as well as microglial MHC expression, had largely disappeared by day 30. Neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendroglial cells failed to express MHC antigens.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

A case of adult-onset dementia with argyrophilic grains.

A case of progressive dementia in a 68-year-old woman was characterized by the postmortem finding of widespread argyrophilic grains in the cerebral cortex. The grains consisted of 10- to 13-nm filaments in deposits ranging up to 9 microns in length and 3 microns in diameter. The grains stained positive with Alz-50 monoclonal antibody. Cortical brain tissue levels were minimally elevated for acetylcholinesterase, moderately reduced for choline acetyltransferase, and sharply reduced for glutaminase. Although the case was clinically indistinguishable from Alzheimer's disease, plaque and tangle pathological findings were absent. We confirm cortical changes of the type described by Braak and Braak and provide additional data on subcortical changes in this case.

Aged↗

PubMed1989

Thioacetamide-induced changes in hepatic hexokinase isoenzymes.

In the 48 h following a single i.p. injection of 200 mg of thioacetamide/kg body wt there is a progressive rise in low-Km hexokinase activity and a concomitant decrease in high-Km glucokinase activity. Loss of glucokinase activity occurs as a consequence of its predominantly perivenous zonal distribution in normal liver since it is hepatocytes in this region of the acinus that are selectively damaged by thioacetamide. Increased low-Km activity is mainly present in inflammatory infiltrates which invade perivenous and mid-zone regions in response to tissue injury. Low- and high-Km hexokinase activities return to control levels 10 days after thioacetamide treatment when the infiltration zones disappear and necrotic perivenous hepatocytes are replaced by cells with normal morphology. Changes in low- and high-Km hexokinase activities induced by thioacetamide thus appear to primarily reflect alterations in cell population rather than changes in gene expression within existing hepatocytes.

Acetamides↗

PubMed1989

Strategies for the identification of novel brain specific genes affected in Alzheimer disease.

The pathological changes that occur in Alzheimer disease (AD) brain lead to a large loss of various classes of neurons and the production of novel proteinaceous elements such as neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. For the neuronal loss to occur and these elements to arise, there must be a disturbance in the expression or regulation of genes that code for proteins required for normal cell maintenance, or perhaps even for the expression of genes unique to AD. We describe the construction of a cDNA library from the human substantia innominata and strategies for isolating genes that are expressed differentially between brain regions and which may be affected by AD. Some of the results obtained using these strategies and a preliminary description of a novel brain specific mRNA of 15.5kb, whose expression is increased in AD affected temporal cortex, are presented.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed1989

In situ hybridization analysis for herpes simplex virus nucleic acids in Alzheimer disease.

Histological sections of brain from patients showing evidence of advanced pathology of Alzheimer disease (AD) were examined for the presence of herpes simplex type-1 (HSV-1) nucleic acids by a sensitive in-situ hybridization technique. Samples from neurologically normal patients were examined in parallel. Sensitivity of the assay was verified by the detection of HSV-1 nucleic acids in neurons of trigeminal ganglia taken from cases of AD and normal controls. This indicated that the hybridization reaction was sufficiently sensitive to detect latent HSV-1 infections. Positive hybridization in the brain was only detected in a confirmed case of herpes simplex virus encephalitis. These results appear to confirm previous reports that HSV-1 infection is not directly involved in the pathology associated with AD.

Aged↗

PubMed1989

Increased uric acid in the developing brain and spinal cord following cytomegalovirus infection.

Tissue concentrations of uric acid were determined in the spinal cord, cerebellum, caudate-putamen, and cerebral cortex of developing mice following intraventricular inoculation with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) on postnatal day 10. Transient signs of neurological impairment were observed in MCMV-infected animals beginning on days 13-16 and continuing until days 19-21. At the onset of neurological impairment, uric acid concentrations in tissues from infected animals were 17-60-fold greater than in control animals. On postnatal day 70, 60 days after inoculation and 40 days after resolution of neurological signs, uric acid levels were still two- to threefold greater in infected animals. Histological examination revealed signs of focal ischemia in the cerebral and cerebellar cortices of MCMV-infected mice only at the onset of neurological impairment, with ischemic cell changes in some pyramidal neurons of the cerebral cortex. These results indicate that uric acid may be a sensitive marker of persistent vascular pathology resulting from cytomegalovirus infection of the developing nervous system.

Aging↗

PubMed1989

Examination of brains of AIDS cases for human immunodeficiency virus and human cytomegalovirus nucleic acids.

The role of direct virus infection as a determining factor in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) dementia was investigated using in situ hybridisation for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Four of the five AIDS dementia patients in this series demonstrated HIV infected cells distributed in widely different parts of the brain, but only one case showed HCMV infected cells. The greater abundance of HIV was in subcortical white matter in nodular areas consisting of monocyte/macrophage infiltrates. The cells were occasionally arranged as a multinucleated syncitium. In two cases, a few large cells with the appearance of neurons were positive for HIV hybridisation. By appropriate treatment with ribonuclease, it was shown that hybridisation was primarily to HIV RNA. HCMV infected cells were observed in small numbers in only one of the positive cases, suggesting that HCMV is not a determining factor in AIDS dementia. HCMV positive cells were located in the grey matter, with an appearance suggestive of neurons. Cells expressing the MHC-class II antigen HLA-DR, a marker of reactive microglia and macrophages, were observed to be extensive in affected brain sections in the one case examined. These cells were present in greater number than HIV infected cells. In this case, extensive numbers of HIV infected cells were noticed along the peripheral margin of the substantia innominata. This could indicate infection in this case of a critical brain region from the cerebrospinal fluid.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1988

The DNA-binding properties of immediate-early and early proteins of murine cytomegalovirus.

The DNA-binding properties of the immediate early (IE) and early proteins induced by the murine cytomegalovirus (Smith strain) in permissively infected 3T3-L 1 cells and nonpermissively infected J774A.1 cells were characterized. Eight of 10 IE proteins and 4 of 7 early proteins had affinity for DNA (native or denatured). A 96K IE protein was observed to have affinity for denatured DNA-cellulose when synthesized in J774A.1 cells but not when synthesized 3T3-L 1 cells.

Antigens, Viral↗

PubMed1988

Analysis in vitro of two biologically distinct strains of murine cytomegalovirus.

The two biologically distinct strains of murine cytomegalovirus, "Smith" and "K181", showed slightly different restriction-endonuclease profiles; but we could not detect strain differences in the numbers or sizes of the major immediate-early, early or late viral proteins. It is possible however that some of the minor late proteins may differ.

Antigens, Viral↗

PubMed1988

Further characterization of the murine cytomegalovirus induced early proteins in permissive and nonpermissive cells.

Some of the properties of the immediate-early (IE) and early proteins induced by the murine cytomegalovirus (Smith strain) were examined in permissively infected 3 T 3-L 1 cells, and in non-permissively infected J 774A.1 (mouse macrophage) and human fibroblast cells, in order to determine differences that could account for the restriction in virus replication in the latter two cell lines. The different virus induced proteins had distinctive partitioning characteristics between nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions. The 96 K major IE protein had an exclusively nuclear association, as did the most abundant early proteins of 39 K and 36 K. The other viral proteins however were evenly distributed between nucleus and cytoplasm. In general these patterns were also seen in the infected non-permissive cells. Several proteins showed more than one charge isomer on two-dimension gels, and in addition five IE proteins and two early proteins were phosphorylated. Only two differences between the permissive and nonpermissive infections were observed; the IE proteins of 100 K and 89 K when synthesized in the human cells had a stronger affinity for the nuclear fraction; also a phosphorylated form of the 30 K IE protein was not detected in MCMV infected J 774 A.1 cells.

Antigens, Viral↗

PubMed1988

Separation of large DNA restriction fragments on a size-exclusion column by a nonideal mechanism.

Double-strand DNA (dsDNA) restriction fragments were chromatographed on the DuPont Bioseries GF-250 column. Two anomolous chromatographic properties were observed. (1) A triphasic dependence of retention on dsDNA chain length was observed. Small DNA fragments (less than 500 base pairs) displayed typical size exclusion, intermediate size DNA (800-5000 base pairs) eluted in the void volume, and larger DNA fragments were increasingly retained. (2) The void volume for nucleic acids was less than that for large polypeptides. The retention of moderately large DNA fragments increased linearly as the square root of the chain length over the range 5.5 to 50 kilobase pairs (ca. 3-30 X 10(6) Mr). A number of eluant manipulations were carried out in order to examine the mechanism by which the larger DNA fragments were being retained and separated. Evidence was not obtained to support either ion exchange or reverse phase as the retention mechanism. The usefulness of such a column for molecular biological manipulations is illustrated by the rapid isolation of homogeneous viral DNA fragments resected from their cloning vectors with restriction endonucleases.

Base Composition↗

PubMed1987

Histochemical and biochemical observations on the cytotoxicity of paracetamol and its effects on glycogen metabolism in rat liver.

The effects of paracetamol overdose on glycogen metabolism in rat liver have been investigated and related to its cytotoxicity. Paracetamol was administered to male rats by gavaging after a 24-h fast and refeeding was not permitted. An early (9-12-h) increase in histochemically demonstrable glycogen phosphorylase alpha activity in perivenous hepatocytes preceded major loss of membrane integrity as assessed by serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) activity and uptake of trypan blue during perfusion. These changes occurred only after a decrease in the concentration of reduced glutathione, which is generally observed about 4 h after paracetamol treatment. The activation of glycogen phosphorylase in perivenous hepatocytes occurred concurrently with an increase in glycogen content of periportal hepatocytes, indicating a clear heterogeneity in the response of the two-cell populations to the hepatotoxin. The use of trypan blue perfusion together with histochemical techniques allowed changes in glycogen content and phosphorylase alpha activity of individual hepatocytes to be assessed with reference to the extent of membrane damage evident. The relevance of the results to possible mechanisms of hepatotoxicity is discussed.

Acetaminophen↗

PubMed1986

Histochemical evidence of changes in fuel metabolism induced in red, white and intermediate muscle fibres of streptozotocin-treated rats.

The present study provides histochemical evidence supporting the operation of the 'glucose-fatty acid cycle' in skeletal muscles taken 5 days after the administration of a single injection of streptozotocin. It also indicates that the cycle is more important in fast-oxidative-glycolytic (FOG) and slow-oxidative (SO) fibres than in fast-glycolytic (FG) fibres. Data from muscles taken 14 and 28 days after treatment suggest that lipid catabolism becomes progressively less important with time, and that muscles from longer-term diabetic rats rely on the aerobic and anaerobic breakdown of glucose by FOG and FG fibres to meet their cellular energy requirements. Although SO fibres appeared initially to be the least affected by streptozotocin-induced diabetes, the decline in their metabolic capabilities ultimately seemed to be greater than that in FOG fibres. Transformations in the biochemical characteristics of FOG and SO fibres occurred 14-28 days after streptozotocin treatment, in the absence of changes in actomyosin-ATPase activity. This supports the view that the division of skeletal muscle fibres into three or four distinct types on the basis of myosin- or actomyosin-ATPase activity is an oversimplification of the true situation.

Actomyosin↗

PubMed1986

The compartmentation of glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes in rat kidney and liver and its significance to renal and hepatic metabolism.

An indirect immunoperoxidase procedure has been used to demonstrate sites of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in normal rat kidney and liver. In kidney, the gluconeogenic enzyme fructose 1,6-biphosphatase was restricted to the proximal tubular epithelium, while the glycolytic enzyme hexokinase predominated in more distal segments. Intense staining for the biphosphatase in proximal convoluted tubular brush borders suggests that reabsorbed substrates may be used directly at this site in renal gluconeogenesis. In view of the high phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase activities present in collecting ducts, their relatively low hexokinase activities and their relatively pale immunostaining for hexokinase indicate that glycolytic substrates which feed into the pathway subsequent to the initial phosphorylation step, rather than glucose, may be the major energy source for the rat renal papilla. Immunostaining in the liver was consistent with the metabolic zonation of liver parenchyma, in that glucokinase occurred mainly in perivenous regions and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase in periportal areas. The presence of such metabolic zonation is difficult to reconcile with the widely held view that the majority of hepatic glycogen is derived directly from glucose. A model for hepatic glycogen synthesis is proposed which links the concept of parenchymal zonal heterogeneity with recent biochemical evidence concerning the 'glucose paradox' and with microscopical studies on the dynamics of glycogen deposition after refeeding.

Animals↗