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Biomedical subjects

H B White

Publications and source records attributed to H B White.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Parallel evolution of pairs of dehydrogenase isoenzymes.

Lactate dehydrogenase and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase are metabolically coupled by the anaerobic dismutation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and by the NAD redox state. This causes the concentrations of lactate and glycerol 3-phosphate to accumulate proportionally during anaerobic muscle contraction; these concentrations are high relative to those in aerobic tissues such as liver. We show that the isoenzymes of lactate dehydrogenase and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase from chicken breast muscle have Km values for lactate and glycerol 3-phosphate, respectively, that are 10-fold higher than the Km values measured for the lactate dehydrogenase and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase isoenzymes from chicken liver. The association of proportionally higher Km values with the potential for proportionally higher accumulation of substrates suggests that the isoenzymes of lactate dehydrogenase and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase from chicken muscle have evolved in parallel as a coupled metabolic unit distinct from the coupled isoenzymes in liver. The parallelism observed for the reduced substrates extends to the oxidized substrates, and to the coenzymes, NAD+ and NADH.

Animals↗

Preparation of lipid-free protein extracts of egg yolk.

1-Butanol extraction of chicken egg yolk homogenates containing 1 M NaCl yields lipid-free aqueous solutions of egg yolk proteins. These solutions, after dialysis, can be applied to a variety of chromatographic media without clogging. Although some proteins are denatured by this procedure, most of the water-soluble proteins remain in solution, including biotin-binding protein and riboflavin-binding protein.

1-Butanol↗

Odd-and even-numbered fatty acids. Their contrasting behavior in normal and fowlpox virus-infected epithelium.

Upon infection with fowlpox virus, the amount of odd-numbered fatty acids in chick scalp epithelium shows a significant decrease compared with control values. This effect begins quite early and progresses throughout the period of infection. Individual members of the odd-numbered family (C15--C27 inclusive) were quantitatively related to the group as a whole during most of the infection. Experiments involving the administration of labeled acetate in vivo demonstrated an increase in the synthesis of even-numbered fatty acids and a decrease in the synthesis of odd-numbered fatty acids in infected epithelium. The reduced synthesis of odd-numbered fatty acids in infected epithelium could also be demonstrated with labeled propionate. The influence of the alpha-oxidation pathway was assayed in chick scalp epithelium in vivo by the administration of [1-14C,9,10-3H] stearic acid. The C17 acids formed had a 3H/14C ratio similar to that of the C16 acids, indicating that most label incorporation into C17 was due to beta-oxidation to acetate followed by resynthesis into fatty acids. C17 fatty acids from control and infected epithelium had similar 3H/14C ratios, indicating that the alpha-oxidation pathway probably does not contribute to the differences in odd-numbered fatty acid content observed. In assays for fatty acid synthetase activty, both [14C] acetyl-CoA and [14C]-propionyl-CoA were used as initial acceptors. The specific activities of preparations from infected scalp were similar to those of control preparations with both substrates. These results suggest that there is no decline in the ability to utilize propionate for fatty acid synthesis in infected epithelium.

Acetates↗

Eye tracking in relation to age, sex, and illness.

Impaired eye-tracking performance in psychotic patients has been previously demonstrated. Nine groups of ten patients each were used to determine if, when equated for age and sex, some of the eye-tracking dysfunction observed by others could be alternately explained in terms of aging, sex, or the presence of Parkinson-like symptoms. Horizontal eye tracking was recorded while patients visually tracked a target moving at 5degrees/sec and 20degrees/sec. Both sinusoidal and triangular target movements were used. Results indicated that Parkinson patients were the poorest eye trackers and that young normal men were the best. Additionally, men were better eye trackers than women and normal controls were better eye trackers than were schizophrenic patients or their parents.

Adult↗

Biotin-binding protein from chicken egg yolk. Assay and relationship to egg-white avidin.

1. Biotin in chicken egg yolk is non-covalently bound to a specific protein that comprises 0.03% of the total yolk protein (0.8 mg/yolk). This biotin-binding protein is not detectable by the normal avidin assay owing to the biotin being tightly bound. Exchange of [14C]biotin for bound biotin at 65 degrees C is the basis of an assay for this protein. 2. Biotin-binding protein from egg yolk is distinguishable from egg-white avidin on Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, although the sizes of the two proteins appear quite similar. 3. Biotin-binding protein is denatured at a lower temperature and freely exchanges biotin at lower temperatures than does avidin. 4. The biotin-binding protein in egg yolk is postulated to be responsible for the deposition of biotin in egg yolk. D-[carboxyl-14C]Biotin injected into laying hens rapidly appears in the egg bound to yolk biotin-binding protein and avidin. Over 60% of the radioactivity is eventually deposited in eggs. The kinetics of biotin deposition in the egg suggests a 25 day half-life for an intracellular biotinyl-coenzyme pool in the laying hen.

Animals↗

Coenzymes as fossils of an earlier metabolic state.

A metabolic system composed of nucleic acid enzymes is proposed to have existed prior to the evolution of ribosomal protein synthesis. Vestiges of these nucleic acid enzymes persist in contemporary coenzymes. This proposal rationalizes the fact that many coenzymes are nucleotides or heterocyclic bases which could be derived from nucleotides.

Biological Evolution↗

The effect of essential fatty acid deficiency upon fatty acid uptake by the brain.

Young adult rats, either control or essential fatty acid deficient, were administered either [3-H] oleic acid or [3-H] arachidonic acid by stomach tube. In addition, a group of control rats was given [3-H] palmitic acid. The rats were killed at various times therafter, and the radioactivity of the lipids of brain and plasma was examined. In confirmation of previous work, the blood lipid label was found to rise rapidly and then fall, wheras the activity of brain lipids increased slowly and did not show a decline through the 24-h period studied. Analysis of the brain uptake data according to first-order kinetics confirmed the impressions gained from visual inspection of the data. The initial rate of uptake of arachidonic acid was about 4.5 times that of oleic acid in control animals and in deficient animals. Essential fatty acid deficiency, however, did not induce an altered rate of uptake for either oleic acid or arachidonic acid. The rate of uptake of palmitic acid by control rats was not significantly different from that of oleic acid. Even though the initial rates of incorporation of oleic and arachidonic acids were not changed during essential fatty acid deficiency, the final levels of radioactivity obtained in brain lipids were higher in deficient rats with both fatty acids. The plateau value obtained with oleic acid was 1.5 times higher in deficient animals, while the plateau value for arachidonic acid was 1.7 times higher. An experiment in which deficient animals were allowed access to a control diet for 12 or 24 h prior to the labeling experiment suggested that the higher levels of radioactivity found in brain lipids of deficient animals was not due to an isotope dilution effect. Such animals still displayed the labeling pattern of deficient animals with arachidonic acid, while the results with oleic acid varied somewhat. Our results suggest that essential fatty acid deficiency does not alter the ability of the brain to take up the fatty acids studied. However, the fatty acids, especially arachidonic, are retained in the brain to a greater extent in the deficient animals.

Animals↗

Role of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in glyceride metabolism. Effect of diet on enzyme activities in chicken liver.

1. The metabolic role of hepatic NAD-linked glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.8) was investigated vis-a-vis glyceride synthesis, glyceride degradation and the maintainence of the NAD redox state. 2. Five-week-old chickens were placed on five dietary regimes: a control group, a group on an increased-carbohydrate-lowered-fat diet, a group on a high-fat-lowered-carbohydrate diet, a starved group and a starved-refed group. In each group the specific activity (mumol/min per g wet wt. of tissue) of hepatic glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase was compared with the activities of the beta-oxoacyl-(acyl-carrier protein) reductase component of fatty acid synthetase, glycerol kinase (EC 2.7.1.30) and lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27). 3. During starvation, the activities of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, glycerol kinase and lactate dehydrogenase rose significantly. After re-feeding these activities returned to near normal. All three activities rose slightly on the high-fat diet. Lactate dehydrogenase activity rose slightly, whereas those of the other two enzymes fell slightly on the increased-carbohydrate-lowered-fat diet. 4. The activity of the beta-oxoacyl-(acyl-carrier protein) reductase component of fatty acid synthetase, a lipid-synthesizing enzyme, contrasted strikingly with the other three enzyme activities. Its activity was slightly elevated on the increased-carbohydrate diet and significantly diminished on the high-fat diet and during starvation. 5. The changes in activity of the chicken liver isoenzyme of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in response to dietary stresses suggest that the enzyme has an important metabolic role other than or in addition to glyceride biosynthesis.

Animals↗

Proportional activities of glycerol kinase and glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in rat hepatomas.

The activities of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.8), glycerol kinase (EC 2.7.1.30), lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27), "malic' enzyme (L-malate-NADP+ oxidoreductase; EC 1.1.1.40) and the beta-oxoacyl-(acyl-carrier protein) reductase component of the fatty acid synthetase complex were measured in nine hepatoma lines (8 in rats, 1 in mouse) and in the livers of host animals. With the single exception of Morris hepatoma 16, which had unusually high glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, the activities of glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glycerol kinase were highly correlated in normal livers and hepatomas (r = 0.97; P less than 0.01). The activities of these two enzymes were not strongly correlated with the activities of any of the other three enzymes. The primary function of hepatic glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase appears to be in gluconeogenesis from glycerol.

Animals↗

Marijuana: heart rate and EEG response.

The present experiment examines changes in heart rate (HR) and EEG under different doses of marijuana and delta9THC. The design differs from earlier investigation in that (1) the subjects (Ss) were kept constantly alert by being involved in problem-solving tasks; (2) HR and EEG recordings were analyzed by time-locked evoked averaging techniques; and (3) the presentation of each problem task was under computer control and depended on the Ss' return to base-line level of physiological functioning. EEG and ?HR patterns were shown to be significantly related to dose levels and to the different tasks being performed. In addition, the results suggest that marijuana interferes very little with cognitive functions except for impairing short-term memory at all dose levels of marijuana. The procedure described for the measurement of Ss' HR and EEG changes while they are alert as they respond to various perceptual stimuli, and for the analyses of these changes, offers a particularly powerful technique for looking at subtle drug treatment effects not only of marijuana but also of other drugs.

Adult↗