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D M Templeton

Publications and source records attributed to D M Templeton.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Absorption and retention of nickel from drinking water in relation to food intake and nickel sensitivity.

Two studies were performed to examine the influence of fasting and food intake on the absorption and retention of nickel added to drinking water and to determine if nickel sensitization played any role in this regard. First, eight nonallergic male volunteers fasted overnight before being given nickel in drinking water (12 micrograms Ni/kg) and, at different time intervals, standardized 1400-kJ portions of scrambled eggs. When nickel was ingested in water 30 min or 1 h prior to the meal, peak nickel concentrations in serum occurred 1 h after the water intake, and the peak was 13-fold higher than the one seen 1 h after simultaneous intake of nickel-containing water and scrambled eggs. In the latter case, a smaller, delayed peak occurred 3 h after the meal. Median urinary nickel excretion half-times varied between 19.9 and 26.7 h. Within 3 days, the amount of nickel excreted corresponded to 2.5% of the nickel ingested when it was mixed into the scrambled eggs. Increasing amounts were excreted as the interval between the water and the meal increased, with 25.8% of the administered dose being excreted when the eggs were served 4 h prior to the nickel-containing drinking water. In the second experiment, a stable nickel isotope, 61Ni, was given in drinking water to 20 nickel-sensitized women and 20 age-matched controls, both groups having vesicular hand eczema of the pompholyx type. Nine of 20 nickel allergic eczema patients experienced aggravation of hand eczema after nickel administration, and three also developed a maculopapular exanthema. No exacerbation was seen in the control group. The course of nickel absorption and excretion in the allergic groups did not differ and was similar to the pattern seen in the first study, although the absorption in the women was less. A sex-related difference in gastric emptying rates may play a role. Thus, food intake and gastric emptying are of substantial significance for the bioavailability of nickel from aqueous solutions.

Absorption↗
PubMed1998

Long-term safety and effectiveness of iron-chelation therapy with deferiprone for thalassemia major.

BACKGROUND: Deferiprone is an orally active iron-chelating agent that is being evaluated as a treatment for iron overload in thalassemia major. Studies in an animal model showed that prolonged treatment is associated with a decline in the effectiveness of deferiprone and exacerbation of hepatic fibrosis. METHODS: Hepatic iron stores were determined yearly by chemical analysis of liver-biopsy specimens, magnetic susceptometry, or both. Three hepatopathologists who were unaware of the patients' clinical status, the time at which the specimens were obtained, and the iron content of the specimens examined 72 biopsy specimens from 19 patients treated with deferiprone for more than one year. For comparison, 48 liver-biopsy specimens obtained from 20 patients treated with parenteral deferoxamine for more than one year were similarly reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 19 patients treated with deferiprone, 18 had received the drug continuously for a mean (+/-SE) of 4.6+/-0.3 years. At the final analysis, 7 of the 18 had hepatic iron concentrations of at least 80 micromol per gram of liver, wet weight (the value above which there is an increased risk of cardiac disease and early death in patients with thalassemia major). Of 19 patients in whom multiple biopsies were performed over a period of more than one year, 14 could be evaluated for progression of hepatic fibrosis; of the 20 deferoxamine-treated patients, 12 could be evaluated for progression. Five deferiprone-treated patients had progression of fibrosis, as compared with none of those given deferoxamine (P=0.04). By the life-table method, we estimated that the median time to progression of fibrosis was 3.2 years in deferiprone-treated patients. After adjustment for the initial hepatic iron concentration, the estimated odds of progression of fibrosis increased by a factor of 5.8 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 29.6) with each additional year of deferiprone treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Deferiprone does not adequately control body iron burden in patients with thalassemia and may worsen hepatic fibrosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Cadmium and calcium-dependent c-fos expression in mesangial cells.

Cadmium is a carcinogenic metal known to increase the expression of several protooncogenes in a variety of cells. although the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Renal mesangial cells are smooth muscle cells in which Ca2+ signaling pathways regulate the induction of c-fos through both cAMP-dependent and mitogen-activated protein kinase- (MAPK-) dependent pathways. We report that c-fos is induced in these cells by both protein kinase C- (PKC-) dependent (phorbol ester, platelet-derived growth factor), and independent (serum, ionomycin) mechanisms. In all cases, prevention of an increase in cytosolic [Ca2+] with the chelator BAPTA prevented this induction. CdCl2 (10 microM) caused an accumulation of c-fos mRNA over 30 min that was sustained for at least 8 h. Cycloheximide inhibits turnover of c-fos mRNA and shows a synergistic effect with Cd2+ on transcript levels. Together with a similar half life of the transcript whether accumulated in response Cd2+ or induced by phorbol ester, this suggests induction of c-fos by Cd2+ rather than an effect of Cd2+ on transcript stability. Cadmium increased MAPK activity by 5 min; this was sustained for at least 8 h, consistent with the time course of c-fos mRNA accumulation. The MAPK kinase inhibitor PD98059 caused a marked decrease in the induction of c-fos by Cd2+, but did not eliminate the phenomenon completely. Although Cd2+ has been reported to activate PKC in vitro, no effect was found on PKC activity in Cd2+ -treated cells, indicating the activation of MAPK by Cd2+ is through an unidentified PKC-independent pathway. We conclude that Cd2+ can cause a sustained induction of c-fos in part through sustained activation of MAPK, that contrasts with the transient activation of these species in response to physiological mitogenic stimuli.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Heparin inhibits Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II activation and c-fos induction in mesangial cells.

Like vascular smooth-muscle cells, rat mesangial cells (RMCs) display an anti-mitogenic response to heparin. In particular, heparin partially suppresses the ability of quiescent RMCs to enter the cell cycle and induce c-fos expression. When the mitogenic stimulus is serum, phorbol ester or platelet-derived growth factor, this response appears to result from the ability of heparin to suppress activation of the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase family of mitogen-activated protein kinases. However, we have also shown that heparin suppresses c-fos expression in response to ionophores such as ionomycin, an event independent of mitogen-activated protein kinase [Miralem, Wang, Whiteside and Templeton (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 17100-17106]. Here we identify this second heparin-sensitive pathway as involving Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMK) II. Ionomycin (100 nM) caused a transient rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in quiescent RMCs to 386+/-55 nM, with an increase in CaMK II activity that peaked 30 s later. The accumulation of c-fos mRNA that ensued 30 min later was prevented when the increase in [Ca2+]i was prevented with the intracellular Ca2+ chelator, 1,2-bis-(2-aminophenyoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetra-acetic acid. The broad-specificity CaMK inhibitor, KT 5926, inhibited ionomycin-dependent c-fos induction at a concentration at which it was without effect on induction by serum or phorbol ester. The CaMK II-specific inhibitor, KN-93, likewise inhibited c-fos induction by ionomycin, but not by serum or phorbol ester. ML-7, an inhibitor of the CaMK-related myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK), was without effect. Heparin (1 microg/ml) suppressed ionomycin-dependent c-fos induction. It was without effect on [Ca2+]i, but inhibited the development of autonomous CaMK II activity. However, when heparin was added to the CaMK II assay solution in vitro, it was without effect on autonomous activity. Furthermore, heparin did not prevent full activation of CaMK II by the Ca2+-calmodulin complex in vitro. Heparin did not affect myosin light-chain phosphorylation or RMC contraction, processes mediated by MLCK. We conclude that ionomycin induces c-fos in RMCs through the CaMK II pathway, and that heparin prevents CaMK II activation by an indirect process mediated by other cell components. Heparin does not affect activation of the closely related CaMK, MLCK.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Induction of c-fos proto-oncogene in mesangial cells by cadmium.

Cadmium is mitogenic under some circumstances and has been shown to cause accumulation of transcripts for several proto-oncogenes in a variety of cells, but the mechanism(s) remain to be delineated. Here we show that CdCl2 causes an increase in c-fos mRNA within 30 min of exposure of mesangial cells. At 10 microM Cd2+, this increase persists for at least 8 h in both rat and human cells. The half-life of c-fos mRNA is the same whether it accumulates following 4 h of treatment with Cd2+ or is induced transiently by phorbol ester. Cycloheximide, which stabilizes the transcript, causes a synergistic increase when administered with CdCl2. Nuclear run-on analysis confirms that Cd2+ causes transcriptional activation of the c-fos gene. Calmodulin and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase, and classical protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms represent two Ca2+-dependent signaling pathways that can lead to induction of c-fos, and Cd2+ has been shown to activate both calmodulin and PKC in vitro, possibly by virtue of the similar ionic radii of Cd2+ and Ca2+. Therefore, we investigated the effect of Cd2+ on these pathways in vivo. 10 microM CdCl2 did not increase total PKC activity or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II activity and inhibited the latter at higher concentrations, ruling out either pathway in the Cd2+-dependent induction of c-fos. However, Cd2+ did lead to a sustained activation of the Erk family mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) that correlated with induction of c-fos. A specific inhibitor of the MAPK kinases, PD98059, partially inhibited the induction of c-fos by Cd2+. We conclude that Cd2+ induces c-fos at least in part by causing a sustained activation of MAPK independent of its ability to activate PKC and calmodulin in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Inactivation of kinase cascades in mesangial cells grown on collagen type I.

Growth on collagen type I gels is known to suppress the mitogenic responsiveness of mesangial cells. Because these cells proliferate in some renal diseases and themselves synthesize collagen type I, we examined the influence of growth on collagen upon several kinase signaling cascades involved in mesangial cell proliferation. Quiescent mesangial cells grown on collagen type I and then stimulated with serum showed a markedly diminished induction of the protooncogene c-fos, compared with their counterparts on plastic or fibronectin. This effect was accompanied by decreased activation of mitogen-activated (Erk family) and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases. Cells on collagen showed lower basal protein kinase C (PKC) activity and diminished levels of PKC-alpha and -zeta isoforms. Global phosphorylation of tyrosine residues was diminished on collagen, and tyrosine phosphorylation of Erk and focal adhesion kinase in response to serum was not detected, in contrast to cells on plastic. We conclude that attachment of mesangial cells to collagen type I results in a broad suppression of protein phosphorylation that is reflected in diminished induction of the c-fos gene and probably underlies the conversion of cultured mesangial cells to a nonproliferative phenotype.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Chelation of intracellular calcium prevents mesangial cell proliferative responsiveness.

Mesangial cell transformation into a proliferative phenotype, observed in many glomerular diseases, occurs in response to growth factors and cytokines. This study tests the hypothesis that intracellular calcium is necessary for stimulation of mesangial cell proliferative responsiveness to a variety of growth factors. Furthermore, these experiments tested whether nonspecific calcium entry via a calcium ionophore was sufficient to elicit the same response. Rat primary mesangial cells (passages 5 to 10) were growth-arrested for 48 h in 0.5% fetal bovine serum (FBS), then stimulated with 0.1 microM endothelin-1, 1.9 microM platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, 0.5% FBS, or 0.1 microM ionomycin, with or without the intracellular calcium chelator 1,2-bis-(2-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetra-acetic acid (BAPTA). Calcium signaling was measured in Fura-2-loaded cells on coverslips by dual-wavelength spectrofluorometry and in Fluo-3-loaded cells by confocal fluorescence laser microscopy. [3H]-Thymidine incorporation was measured after 12 to 24 h of stimulation with each test agent. Expression of c-fos mRNA was analyzed by Northern blot. All test agents stimulated a significant increase in cytosolic and nuclear calcium, which were both effectively inhibited with BAPTA. All agents stimulated a significant increase in [3H]-thymidine incorporation and enhanced c-fos mRNA expression (no detectable c-fos mRNA was observed in quiescent cells). BAPTA prevented the enhanced [3H]-thymidine incorporation stimulated by endothelin-1 and PDGF, and partial inhibition of FBS-stimulated incorporation with BAPTA was observed. BAPTA inhibited c-fos expression observed in response to these agents. Phorbol ester induction of c-fos mRNA in the absence of raised cytosolic or nuclear calcium was also suppressed by BAPTA. Cell viability as measured by thiazolyl blue and trypan blue was not altered by BAPTA. It is concluded that normal regulation of intracellular calcium is necessary for mesangial cell proliferative responsiveness.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Characterization of Fe2+ and Fe3+ transport by iron-loaded cardiac myocytes.

Plasma iron overload causes cardiac iron accumulation leading to toxicity and organ failure. In order to understand the basis of iron acquisition, we examined mechanisms of Fe3+ and Fe2+ uptake in control and iron-loaded cardiomyocyte cultures. Iron loading increased rates of Fe3+ and Fe2+ uptake, primarily by increasing Vmax. Inhibition of Fe3+ transport by impermeable Fe2+ chelators and the presence of a cell surface ferricyanide reductase activity are consistent with a role for redox cycling in Fe3+ uptake. However, flavoproteins and copper-dependent oxidases known to be required for redox-active iron transport in yeast do not appear to be involved in iron uptake by cardiac myocytes, nor do the abundant cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels. The data suggest that both redox states of iron contribute to cardiac iron accumulation in iron overload.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Heparin inhibits mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent and -independent c-fos induction in mesangial cells.

Heparin suppresses mitogenic responses in renal mesangial cells, and when quiescent mesangial cells are stimulated with serum, heparin blocks the induction of c-fos seen at 15 min. Because heparin is taken up by cells over a much longer time course, we addressed mechanisms whereby extracellular heparin might suppress c-fos induction at such early times. Quiescent cells were treated with serum, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, or low concentrations of Ca2+ ionophores that produced increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the physiological range. Each treatment caused an increase in c-fos mRNA, but they did so by different mechanisms. Serum activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and increased [Ca2+]i without affecting protein kinase C. Activation of protein kinase C with phorbol ester activated MAPK without much effect on [Ca2+]i. Ionophores increased [Ca2+]i without affecting basal levels of protein kinase C or MAPK. Heparin (1 microg/ml) suppressed the induction of c-fos initiated by all three treatments. It did not affect the activity of protein kinase C, but inhibited activation of MAPK by either serum or phorbol ester, suggesting a common site of action at or below the probable convergence of the induced signals at Ras/Raf-1 activation. Heparin also inhibited the serum-stimulated entry of extracellular Ca2+ to the same extent as verapamil, consistent with the ability of verapamil to block L-type Ca2+ channels and the known presence of these channels in mesangial cells. However, this effect does not appear to be related to heparin's ability to inhibit induction of c-fos. First, verapamil had no effect on induction of c-fos by serum. Second, heparin had no effect on changes in [Ca2+]i achieved by ionophores. We conclude that heparin suppresses induction of c-fos in mesangial cells by blocking at least two different points in signal transduction cascades, one upstream of MAPK and the other independent of MAPK, but dependent on intracellular Ca2+.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Calcium-independent effects of cadmium on actin assembly in mesangial and vascular smooth muscle cells.

Several metal ions are known to cause depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton under some circumstances. We found that in renal mesangial and vascular smooth muscle cells, micromolar concentrations of Cd2+ result in loss of phalloidinstainable filamentous (F-) actin. The decrease in F-actin was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in G-actin. The decrease in total actin could be accounted for in part by an inhibition by Cd2+ of total protein (and actin) synthesis after 6 to 8 h without an effect on actin degradation, and the equilibrium between F- and G-actin was shifted to maintain near-constant levels of G-actin. However, Cd2+ caused significant decreases in F-actin at earlier times, indicating effects on the polymerization equilibrium independent of those on actin synthesis. Only picomolar concentrations of free intracellular Cd2+ occur in these experiments. However, it is this Cd2+ pool which is responsible for F-actin depolymerization because equal cellular concentrations of cadmium delivered as Cd-metallothionein have no effect. The effect is also very specific for Cd2+ and under the same conditions neither Mg2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, nor Hg2+ result in any loss of F-actin. Addition of Cd2+ to mesangial and vascular smooth muscle cells had no immediate effect on free intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) even though Ca(2+)-signalling pathways were intact as shown with vasopressin and endothelin. Exposure to 10 microM CdCl2 for 8 h nevertheless caused an increase in [Ca2+]i to > 250 nM and increases in [Ca2+]i achieved with ionophores alone were sufficient to decrease F-actin concentrations. However, a rise in [Ca2+]i is not necessary for actin depolymerization. Depletion of cellular Ca2+ by treatment with thapsigargin did not protect F-actin against Cd2+; the effect of Cd2+ was enhanced in cells unable to increase their [Ca2+]i. We conclude that depolymerization of F-actin by Cd2+ in smooth muscle and mesangial cells is metal-specific, Ca(2+)-independent, and accompanied by a depletion of total actin protein.

Actins↗
PubMed1996

Cellular factors mediate cadmium-dependent actin depolymerization.

Cadmium exposure produces depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton in several cultured cell lines, and we have previously shown that in renal mesangial cells this effect is caused by picomolar concentrations of cytosolic Cd2+. The present study was undertaken to explore further the basis of this action of Cd2+. Skeletal muscle actin was labeled with pyrene and rates of polymerization and depolymerization were followed in vitro by changes in fluorescence. Concentrations of 100 microM or higher Cd2+ increased the rate of polymerization while lower concentrations stabilized actin filaments. Because this is in contrast to the observation that Cd2+ favors depolymerization in cultured mesangial cells, we examined the role of cellular factors in modifying the actions of Cd2+ on the polymerization/depolymerization equilibrium. Inclusion in the in vitro polymerization assay of cytosol from mesangial cells pre-treated with 5 microM CdCl2 caused a decrease in the rate of polymerization and an increase in the rate of depolymerization, relative to cytosol from control cells. EGTA normalized these rates, indicating involvement of Ca2+-dependent factors. Likewise, cytoskeleton from Cd2+-treated cells caused a Ca2+-dependent decrease in actin polymerization. Ligand blotting with [125I]actin revealed loss of binding of a 93-kDa protein from the cytosol and an increase in binding of a 49-kDa protein in the cytoskeletal fraction upon treatment of mesangial cells with Cd2+. Based on their electrophoretic mobility and Ca2+ dependence of actin binding these are tentatively identified as members of the gelsolin and severin families, respectively. Thus, Cd2+ may exert its effect on the mesangial cell cytoskeleton by altering the levels or actin-binding activity of actin-associated proteins.

Actins↗
PubMed1996

Posttranscriptional effects of glucose on proteoglycan expression in mesangial cells.

Hyperglycemic conditions are known to increase mRNA and protein levels of several extracellular matrix molecules in cultured mesangial cells, but accompanying increases in proteoglycan mRNA have not been found, and there are discrepant reports of normal or decreased proteoglycan synthesis with or without undersulfation in diabetic kidneys and hyperglycemic cultures. We examined the effects in proliferating cells of glucose on [35S]Sulfate incorporation into heparan and dermatan sulfates and on mRNA levels of decorin, biglycan, and basement membrane perlecan. In both mesangial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, 30 mmol/L glucose caused a decrease of 15% to 25% in the amount of sulfate incorporated into each proteoglycan in cultures confluent for 1 to 4 days, compared with 10 mmol/L glucose. The effect showed no specificity for the class of proteoglycan and was not a consequence of changes in total protein synthesis, which increased, or cell proliferation, which was unaffected. No decrease in charge density of any of the proteoglycan fractions was observed by ion-exchange chromatography. Therefore, the decrease in labeling was due to a decrease in synthesis and not undersulfation. mRNA levels for biglycan and perlecan increased slightly and transiently, and these changes cannot account for the decreased synthesis. Decorin mRNA was detected only in smooth muscle cells, where it and biglycan were differentially affected by glucose, apparently at the transcriptional level; stabilities of the two messages were unaffected by glucose. Although transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) mRNA levels increased in response to glucose, the cytokine did not appear to regulate proteoglycan synthesis, because structural changes in proteoglycans elicited by addition of TGF-beta 1 to the culture medium did not occur in the hyperglycemic cultures. On the other hand, inhibition and downregulation of protein kinase C (PKC), while decreasing net sulfate incorporation into mesangial cell proteoglycans, prevented the effect of high glucose. We conclude that a high glucose concentration causes a general decrease in the synthesis of all classes of proteoglycans at a posttranscriptional level, and can do so without affecting the charge density of individual proteoglycan molecules.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Sample collection guidelines for trace elements in blood and urine. IUPAC Commission of Toxicology.

This paper presents an organized system for element-specific sample collection and handling of human blood (whole blood, serum or plasma, packed cells or erythrocytes) and urine also indicating a proper definition of the subject and sample. Harmonized procedures for collection, preparation, analysis and quality control are suggested. The aim is to assist scientists worldwide to produce comparable data which will be useful on a regional, national and international scale. The guidelines are directed to the elements aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, lithium, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium and zinc. These include the most important elements measured for their occupational or clinical significance, and serve as examples of principles that will guide development of methods for other elements in the future.

Blood Specimen Collection↗
PubMed1996

Inhibition of mitogenesis and c-fos induction in mesangial cells by heparin and heparan sulfates.

When rat renal mesangial cells (RMC) or vascular smooth muscle cells are released from quiescence by serum stimulation they express c-fos mRNA transiently at 30 to 60 minutes and progress in synchrony to S phase. Heparin causes significant suppression of [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA in S phase and a decrease and delay of entry of cells into S/G2. Added at the time of serum stimulation, heparin (1 microgram/ml or less) causes a decrease in the subsequent expression of c-fos mRNA in RMC, and a similar effect is observed with heparan sulfate chains isolated from RMC-cultures themselves. Although these cells internalize and degrade heparin, the timing of the maximal effect indicates an extracellular action of heparin. In keeping with this idea, 125I-heparin binds specifically to a single class of high affinity sites on the cell surface. The effect of heparin on c-fos induction may be independent of interaction with cytokines or cytokine receptors; its magnitude is not diminished when heparin-binding substances are removed from serum by heparin-Sepharose. Furthermore, direct activation of protein kinase C (PKC) with a phorbol ester in the absence of serum likewise induces c-fos and 1 microgram/ml heparin inhibits this response by 65%. Phorbol ester caused an increase in the proportion of histone H1-active PKC associated with the cell membrane fraction, from approximately 25% to 70% of total activity. Heparin affected neither the total activity of the kinase nor the proportion associated with the membrane. When PKC was inhibited with staurosporine, only very low levels of c-fos were induced by serum. We conclude that low concentrations of heparin and heparan sulfate suppress the mitogenic response of mesangial cells to serum and inhibit c-fos mRNA induction through an effect of cell surface-bound glycosaminoglycan on a signalling pathway downstream of PKC.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Collagen type I enhances endothelin-mediated contraction and induces nonproliferating phenotype in mesangial cells.

Accumulation of glomerular extracellular matrix is a characteristic accompaniment of mesangial cell proliferation in progressive renal disease. We examined how growth on several matrices affected the proliferative phenotype of cultured rat mesangial cells. Compared with growth on plastic, Matrigel, or mesangial matrix, collagen type I caused a decreased cell number at 72 h, decreased total DNA per culture, and a decrease in the incorporation of [3H]thymidine during S phase in cells released from quiescence. These antiproliferative and antimitogenic effects of collagen type I required growth on a collagen gel; soluble collagen or collagen fragments were without effect. Because a number of agents elicit both proliferative and contractile responses in mesangial cells, we examined the effect of growth on collagen on contractility. Compared with plastic, cells grown on collagen type I were more contractile, showed a higher Ca2+ signal in response to endothelin, and responded to endothelin with a more rapid myosin light-chain kinase-dependent phosphorylation of myosin light chain. We conclude that growth on a collagen type I gel uncouples contractility from a proliferative response in mesangial cells, suppressing proliferation while enhancing contraction and Ca2+ signaling in response to endothelin.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1995

Modulation by iron loading and chelation of the uptake of non-transferrin-bound iron by human liver cells.

Hepatic non-transferrin-bound Fe (NTBI) flux and its regulation were characterized by measuring the uptake of Fe from [59Fe]/nitrilotriacetate (NTA) complexes in control and Fe-loaded cultures of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). Exposure to ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) for 1 to 7 days resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase in the rate of NTBI uptake. In contrast to previous studies showing a dependence of the rate of Fe uptake on extracellular Fe, this was positively correlated with total cellular Fe content. The Fe3+ chelating agents deferoxamine (DFO), 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (CP 020) and 1,2-diethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (CP 094) prevented or diminished the increase in NTBI transport when present during Fe loading and reversed the stimulation in pre-loaded cells in relation to their abilities to decrease intracellular iron. Although saturation of the Fe uptake process was not achieved in control cells, kinetic modelling to include linear diffusion-controlled processes yielded estimated parameters of Km = 4.3 microM and Vmax = 2.6 fmol/micrograms protein/min for the underlying process. There was a significant increase in the apparent Vmax (31.2 fmol/micrograms protein per min) for NTBI uptake in Fe-loaded cells, suggesting that Fe loading increases the number of a rate-limiting carrier site for Fe. Km also increased to 15.2 microM, comparable to values reported when whole liver is perfused with FeSO4. We conclude that HepG2 cells possess a transferrin-independent mechanism of Fe accumulation that responds reversibly to a regulatory intracellular Fe pool.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1995

Iron-chelation therapy with oral deferiprone in patients with thalassemia major.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether the orally active iron chelator deferiprone (1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-pyridin-4-one) is efficacious in the treatment of iron overload in patients with thalassemia major, we conducted a prospective trial of deferiprone in 21 patients unable or unwilling to use standard chelation therapy with parenteral deferoxamine. METHODS: Hepatic iron stores were determined yearly by chemical analysis of liver-biopsy specimens or magnetic-susceptibility measurements. Detailed clinical and laboratory studies were used to monitor safety and compliance. RESULTS: The patients received deferiprone therapy for a mean (+/-SE) of 3.1 +/- 0.3 years. Ten patients in whom previous chelation therapy with deferoxamine had been ineffective had initial hepatic iron concentrations of at least 80 mumol per gram of liver, wet weight -- values associated with complications of iron overload. Hepatic iron concentrations decreased in all 10 patients, from 125.3 +/- 11.5 to 60.3 +/- 9.6 mumol per gram (P < 0.005), with values that were less than 80 mumol per gram in 8 of the 10 patients (P < 0.005). In all 11 patients in whom deferoxamine therapy had previously been effective, deferiprone maintained hepatic iron concentrations below 80 mumol of iron per gram. CONCLUSIONS: Oral deferiprone induces sustained decreases in body iron to concentrations compatible with the avoidance of complications from iron overload. The risk of agranulocytosis associated with deferiprone may restrict its administration to patients who are unable or unwilling to use deferoxamine.

Administration, Oral↗