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Biomedical subjects

G Weber

Publications and source records attributed to G Weber.

At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Direct assay method for inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase activity.

A rapid microassay method for the accurate measurement of the activity of inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase in crude tissue extracts was described. [8-14C]IMP and the radioactive products were separated by high-voltage electrophoresis in 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, for 45 min. This separation method provides an analysis of the possible interfering reactions such as the metabolic conversion of the substrate IMP to inosine and adenylosuccinate, and the loss of the product XMP to xanthosine or GMP and to other metabolites. Low blank values were consistently obtained with this method because the XMP spot moves faster than the IMP spot. The major advantages of this assay method are direct measurement of IMP dehydrogenase activity in crude extracts, high sensitivity (with a limit of detection of 5 pmol of XMP production), high reproducibility (less than +/- 3.6%), low blank values (60-80 cpm), speed (2 h per 30 assays), and capability to measure activity in small amounts of tissue (10-50 mg wet wt).

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1985

Observations on the effects of some antiaggregating drugs on platelet specific protein discharge after a very weak stimulus.

Platelet adhesion, aggregation, secretion, and survival have been shown to be changed in atherosclerosis disease and thromboembolic phenomena thus further increasing interest on antiaggregating drugs. In this paper we present some evidence that 8-chlorocarbochromen and carbochromen are significantly effective in preventing the discharge of platelet specific proteins from platelets subjects to a very weak stimulus while acetylsalicylic acid and aminophylline are ineffective in this regard.

Aminophylline↗
PubMed1985

Regulation of purine and pyrimidine metabolism by insulin and by resistance to tiazofurin.

The purpose of this investigation was to elucidate the factors that regulate the pattern of gene expression in purine and pyrimidine metabolism in normal liver and hepatoma. For this purpose, the action of a hormone, insulin, and the development of resistance to a chemotherapeutic agent, tiazofurin, were studied. This investigation brought detailed evidence showing that in the rat insulin exerted a profound effect on liver purine and pyrimidine metabolism by regulating the concentrations of nucleotides through controlling the activities of strategic enzymes involved in their biosynthesis. When rats were made diabetic by alloxan treatment, in the average liver cell concentrations of ATP, GTP, UTP and CTP decreased to 66, 62, 54 and 63%, respectively, of those of normal liver. Administration of insulin for 2 days returned the hepatic nucleotide concentrations to normal range; further insulin treatment for an additional 5 days raised the concentrations of ATP, GTP, UTP and CTP to 197, 352, 412 and 792% of values observed in the liver of diabetic rats. In diabetic rats the hepatic activities of OMP decarboxylase, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase, uridine phosphorylase, uridine-cytidine kinase and uracil phosphoribosyltransferase decreased to 44, 48, 70, 36 and 41% of the activities of normal liver. Insulin treatment for 2 days returned activities to normal range. Continued insulin treatment for an additional 5 days increased the enzymic activities to 3.9- to 5.3-fold of those of the liver of the diabetic rats. The regulation by insulin treatment of the activities of enzymes of de novo and salvage synthesis of UMP should explain, in part at least, the decline and increase of the uridylate pool in diabetes and after insulin treatment. In the diabetic rat hepatic CTP synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme of CTP biosynthesis, decreased to 53% and insulin administration for 2 days restored activity to normal range. Insulin treatment for an additional 5 days increased the synthetase activity to 4-fold of the values of the diabetic liver. Thus, the behavior of liver CTP synthetase activity is tightly linked with that of the CTP pool. In the diabetic rat liver, the activity of IMP dehydrogenase, the rate-limiting enzyme of GTP biosynthesis, decreased to 24% of that of the normal liver. Insulin administration for 2 days returned the activity to normal range, yielding a 4.5-fold increase in the activity from the diabetic to the insulin-treated state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Targets and markers of selective action of tiazofurin.

The molecular correlation concept proposed that IMP dehydrogenase activity should be a sensitive target of chemotherapy. This hypothesis received support from an array of evidence. IMP dehydrogenase has the lowest activity in purine biosynthesis; it is the rate-limiting enzyme in GTP production; the enzymic activity is transformation-and progression-linked; it is elevated in all examined animal and human neoplastic cells. The activity of GMP synthetase and the concentrations of GMP and dGTP were increased in cancer cells. Whereas guanine salvage has a high potential activity, the low guanine content may well curtail actual salvage capacity. Ribonucleotide reductase activity was two orders of magnitude lower than that of IMP dehydrogenase. Tiazofurin, a C-nucleoside, had marked cytotoxicity on hepatoma cells in vitro and was the first drug that as a single agent profoundly inhibited the proliferation of the subcutaneously inoculated solid hepatoma 3924A in the rat. The impact of tiazofurin administration in hepatoma cells was revealed in a cascade of biochemical alterations involving primary, secondary and tertiary targets and markers of this drug action. The primary target was IMP dehydrogenase where the active metabolite of tiazofurin, TAD, was thought to be absorbed to the NADH site of the enzyme. As a consequence, the enzymic activity declined rapidly to about 30-40% and returned to normal range by 36 to 48 hr after injection. The secondary targets and markers are the profoundly decreased pools of guanylates (GMP, GDP, GTP). Concurrently, the concentrations of IMP and PRPP were increased 8- to 15-fold. The elevated IMP pools were attributed to the de-inhibition of the AMP deaminase activity subsequent to the decline in GTP concentration. The rise in PRPP pools was attributed to the selective inhibition of GPRT and HPRT activities by the high IMP pool which did not affect APRT activity. This interpretation is supported by the 6- to 8-fold increase in the concentrations of guanine and hypoxanthine and the lack of change in the adenine pools inthe hepatomas after tiazofurin administration. The marked drop in NAD concentration which was drug dose- and time-dependent is attributed to the competition for NAD pyrophosphorylase activity by the precursors of NAD and tiazofurin monophosphate. The tertiary targets were dominated by the profound alterations in the concentrations of the dNTPs. This was characterized by a rapid and persistent drop (for 3 days) of the dGTP pool. The concentrations of dATP and dCTP also declined, but these alterations were less pronounced and the pools returned to normal after 2 days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1985

Inactivation by acivicin of rat brain CTP and GMP synthetases and depression of CTP and GTP concentrations.

Evidence was provided that injection of acivicin (25 mg/kg, i.p.) into the rat inactivated brain CTP and GMP synthetases. Under the same circumstances, CTP and GTP concentrations in the rat brain decreased following the decline in the activities of CTP and GMP synthetases. The decrease in enzymic activities and nucleotide concentrations progressed with time. The decline in CTP and GMP synthetase activities and CTP and GTP concentrations caused by acivicin occurred more slowly and to a lesser extent than in liver and hepatoma 3924A. The delay in the expression of acivicin action in the rat brain was attributed to a possible slower entrance of acivicin and the lower concentration than might have been attained in the rat brain. These considerations are based on the rapid disappearance of acivicin from rat plasma noted earlier. The decline in CTP concentration in rat brain might interfere with neuronal function. The decline in GTP concentration might be expressed through the depletion of biopterins which are generated from GTP in the brain. The possible relevance to the biochemical basis of paranoid schizophrenia which occurs reversibly after high-dose acivicin or tiazofurin treatment was discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Delayed experimental atherosclerotic involvement of cerebral arteries in monkeys and rabbits (light, sem and tem observations).

In monkeys (Rhesus and Cynomolgus) and in rabbits on atherogenic diets, the experimental atherosclerotic involvement of cerebral arteries is strongly delayed. When extracranial arteries appear already heavily involved, no or minimal involvement of intracranial arteries is found even at scanning and/or transmission EM examination. The Concanavalin A reactivity, which is positive at the endothelial cell surface in other arterial districts, is lacking in the cerebral arteries of monkeys and rabbits. The possible significance of these findings is evaluated.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Prebioptic psychological characteristics of breast cancer patients.

63 women were examined the day before breast biopsy using psychological ratings, speech analysis and questionnaire testings. Ratings revealed differences (benign vs. malignant, a = 5%) in 8 of 10 scales, cancer patients being inaccessible, altruistic, suppressing feelings, rationalizing and harmonizing. The biopsy's result was predicted in 75% of all cases. Questionnaire testing showed differences in 7 of 16 scales. It proved cancer patients to be more dependent, anxious, aggressive, health-conscious, family-bound and antisexual. A discriminant analysis correctly identified 77% of cancer and 87% of benign patients. Speech analysis (Gottschalk-Gleser) revealed only minor differences: fewer aggressive and more anxious utterances from cancer patients. Conclusions are drawn for the care and treatment of breast cancer patients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1985

[New systemic therapies of psoriasis].

The metabolic-pathophysiological pathways are of prime importance when considering psoriasis therapy. Present-day concepts recognize that central growth hormone controls the metabolic route and that the peripheral pathway is under the control of several growth factors. Both the central and peripheral pathways induce pathological proliferation. A selection of six routine drugs, all with specific biochemical properties, induced part to total remission in about 75% of the 442 psoriasis patients.

Albuterol↗
PubMed1985

[Assay of trace elements in the serum by the PIXE method in patients with Crohn's disease].

Concentrations of trace elements were determined by the PIXE method (particle induced X-ray emission) in 43 serum samples from 29 Crohn's disease patients and compared with the results obtained from a control group of 100 healthy subjects. Most of the patients were outpatients whose disease was quiescent or moderately active. Half of them had a good nutritional state. Mean serum selenium level was significantly higher in the Crohn's disease group than in the control group. A negative correlation was found between serum selenium and C-reactive protein levels. Mean serum bromine was normal in the Crohn's disease group, but there was a positive correlation between serum bromine and fibrinogen and C-reactive protein levels and leucocytosis. Mean serum copper concentration was higher in women than in men in both groups. In Crohn's disease patients, copper serum concentration was increased and correlated positively to fibrinogen and C-reactive protein concentrations, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and thrombocytosis, and negatively to hematocrit. Copper serum level could be used as a marker of Crohn's disease activity. Mean serum zinc level was decreased in the Crohn's disease group. There was a positive correlation between serum zinc level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fibrinogen concentration.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Atherosclerosis of the microcirculation in the femoral head: based on a study by optical and electron microscopy of femoral heads removed at operation.

The authors studied 56 femoral heads removed at operation, using dissection stereoscopic microscopy and electron microscopy. They were able to demonstrate atherosclerotic lesions involving the microcirculation in the femoral head. Atheromatous changes in the external iliac and profunda femoris arteries have already been documented, but similar changes in the small vessels within the femoral head have not previously been noted in the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Purine enzymology of human colon carcinomas.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the purine enzymic programs of human primary colorectal carcinomas. Marked alteration in the enzymology of the human colon neoplasm clearly distinguished it from that of the normal colon mucosa. In the human colon mucosa, the activities of ribonucleotide reductase, inosine phosphate dehydrogenase, formylglycinamidine ribonucleotide synthetase, guanosine phosphate synthetase, and amidophosphoribosyltransferase were 0.042, 5.2, 5.6, 8.2 and 36.0 nmol/h/mg protein, respectively, and in the colon carcinomas the activities increased to 755, 575, 295, 280, and 294% of the normal values. The activities of the salvage enzymes, adenine and hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferases, were 310, 249, and 602 nmol/h/mg protein, respectively, whereas in the tumors, only the activity of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase was increased (2-fold). The markedly higher absolute enzymic capacity for salvage in the tumors accounts, in part at least, for the lack of chemotherapeutic success of inhibitors of enzymes of de novo synthesis that have been used in the clinical treatment of colorectal carcinomas. Combinations of inhibitors of de novo biosynthesis and blockers of the salvage enzymes or of salvage transport (e.g., dipyridamole) should improve the chemotherapy of colon neoplasms. Since in the colon carcinoma the activities of glutamine-utilizing enzymes (guanosine phosphate and formylglycinamidine ribonucleotide synthetase and amidophosphoribosyltransferase) were markedly increased, and the glutamine concentration was decreased (50%), treatment with an antiglutamine agent (e.g., acivicin) should be of relevance. Since the activity of ribonucleotide reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of nucleic acid biosynthesis, was markedly increased in the colon neoplasms, combination chemotherapy might include drugs against this enzyme.

Colon↗
PubMed1985

Increased carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase II concentration in rat hepatomas: immunological evidence.

Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase II (glutamine hydrolyzing, EC 6.3.5.5) (synthetase II), the rate-limiting enzyme of de novo uridine monophosphate biosynthesis, was purified 230-fold to apparent homogeneity from rapidly growing rat hepatoma 3924A. The antiserum (produced in rabbits against purified hepatoma 3924A enzyme) yielded a single precipitin line with crude and partially purified synthetase II of normal liver and three hepatomas. In hepatomas of slow (20), intermediate (7787), and rapid (3924A) growth rates, synthetase II activity was elevated 1.5-, 2.3-, and 7.9-fold, and the amount of antiserum required to inactivate the activity was 1.6-, 2.3-, and 8.2-fold higher than that in normal liver. Thus the increase in synthetase II activity in the tumors was due to an elevation in the amount of the synthetase II enzyme protein.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Tiazofurin-induced selective depression of NAD content in hepatoma 3924A.

The NAD content in hepatoma 3924A was approximately 40% of that in the liver of ACI/N rats bearing this hepatoma. Treatment of tumor-bearing rats with tiazofurin decreased NAD pools in the hepatoma, but no change was apparent in the liver. In a dose-response study, injection of varying amounts of the drug decreased NAD pools in the hepatoma in a dose-dependent fashion. In time-sequence studies, a single drug dose (200 mg/kg) depressed NAD pools in the hepatoma from 2 to 24 h after injection to approximately 50% of control at the lowest point before returning to control range at 48 h. The tiazofurin-induced depletion of NAD pools in the hepatoma to approximately 20% of that of normal liver might play a role in the anti-cancer action and toxicity of this drug.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Modulation of IMP dehydrogenase activity and guanylate metabolism by tiazofurin (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide).

Tiazofurin, a C-nucleoside, was cytotoxic in hepatoma 3924A cells grown in culture with an LC50 = 7.5 microM. In the culture, a closely linked dose-related response of tumor cell-kill and depletion of GTP pools was observed after tiazofurin treatment. In rats carrying subcutaneously transplanted hepatoma 3924A solid tumors, a single intraperitoneal injection of tiazofurin (200 mg/kg) caused a rapid inhibition of IMP dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.14) activity and depleted GDP, GTP, and dGTP pools in the tumor; concurrently, the 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) and IMP pools expanded 8- and 15-fold, respectively. Tiazofurin decreased tumoral IMP dehydrogenase activity and dGTP pools in a dose-dependent manner over a range of 50-200 mg/kg; by contrast, the depletion of GTP and the accumulation of IMP and PRPP pools were near maximum at 50 mg/kg. The increase in PRPP pools may be attributed to an inhibition by IMP of the activity of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.8). The IMP dehydrogenase activity and the pools of ribonucleotides returned to the normal range by 24-48 h after the single injection of tiazofurin. However, the markedly depleted dGTP pools remained low for 72 h. Tiazofurin treatment resulted in significant anti-tumor activity in rats inoculated with hepatoma 3924A. The decrease in GTP levels and particularly the sustained depletion in the dGTP pools may explain, in part at least, the chemo-therapeutic action of tiazofurin on hepatoma 3924A. This is the first report showing that a marked therapeutic response was achieved against rapidly growing hepatoma 3924A by treatment with a single anti-metabolite.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Preliminary observations, at the ultrastructural level, on the reactivity of cerebral arteries from New Zealand rabbits to combined atherogenic stimuli (hypercholesterol diet and hypertension)].

Both in monkeys (Rhesus and Cynomolgus) and in New Zealand rabbits fed an atherogenic diet, a marked delay in the appearance of atherosclerotic lesions of the cerebral arteries in comparison with other arterial districts has been observed. This appearance has been described in monkeys as relatively earlier if hypertension is added to the atherogenic diet. Preliminary observations on a little group of rabbits on a 3 months hypercholesterolic diet, subjected to Goldblatt aortic coarctation, have shown an increase of blood pressure and a severe gross atherosclerotic involvement of aorta, resembling the one obtainable after 6 months of atherogenic diet. Histologically, the aorta predominantly shows lesions of the fatty streaks type with necrotic areas in the deep; the carotid lesions show some lipid in smooth muscle cells disseminated in a sub-endothelial "edematous" space (rich in protein). The cerebral arteries do not show any lesion. At TEM, the aortic lesions look sometimes as advanced plaques with an initial fibrosis at the surface; the carotid lesions are characterized by a granular deposit in the sub-endothelial space in which some smooth muscle cells (with lipid in the cytoplasm) are present; in the cerebral arteries only the presence of collagen fibers among the smooth muscle cells of the media, never observed in the animals fed the atherogenic diet alone, has sometimes been noted.

Animals↗