Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H J Roth

Publications and source records attributed to H J Roth.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

5-Lipoxygenase inhibition by antifungal azole derivatives: new tools for immunosuppression?

The effect of novel azole derivatives (itraconazole and fluconazole) on 5-lipoxygenase activity was examined using human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) as the enzyme source. The novel imidazole derivative itraconazole proved to be a potent inhibitor (IC50 2 X 10(-6) M) of 5-lipoxygenase activity. In contrast, fluconazole, an antifungal agent with bistriazole structure, had no effect on the Ca2+ ionophore A 23187-induced formation of 5-lipoxygenase metabolites in PMNL.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed1988

Determination of picogram amounts of lipoxin A4 and lipoxin B4 by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

A new method for the determination of lipoxins with electrochemical detection after high-performance liquid chromatography is described. The half-wave potentials of lipoxin A4 and lipoxin B4 at a glassy carbon electrode and a mobile phase of methanol-water (65:35 v/v) and 1 mM trifluoroacetic acid was found to be +1.14 V versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The use of trifluoroacetic acid instead of sulphuric acid and lithium perchlorate led to a background current of 6-8 nA at +1.20 V. The detection limits for both lipoxins, based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1 were found to be 5-10 pg (15-30 fmol). The new method was applied to an extract of human polymorphonuclear granulocytes, preincubated with 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid and stimulated with Ca2+ ionophore A23187.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1988

L-ascorbic acid modulates 5-lipoxygenase activity in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a metabolite of the arachidonic acid pathway mediated by 5-lipoxygenase, is released by stimulated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNL) and has been postulated to be an important mediator of the inflammatory response. Extracellular L-ascorbate at concentrations in the range of 0.5-5.0 mM effectively inhibits the biosynthesis of LTB4 and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) stimulated by the calcium ionophore A 23187. The ionophore-activated LTB4 production is reduced after incubation of PMNL with opsonized zymosan as a phagocytic stimulus. Extracellular L-ascorbate at concentrations above 0.1 mM reverses the zymosan-induced deactivation of 5-lipoxygenase, resulting in significantly higher LTB4 and 5-HETE yields. The inhibitory effect of zymosan preincubation on LTB4 production is independent of calcium or free arachidonic acid in the incubation medium. Interaction of L-ascorbate with the catabolism of LTB4 was excluded by measuring the trihydroxy metabolites which were unchanged. Furthermore, the formation of glutathione derivatives of leukotriene A4 can be excluded due to the lack of glutathione transferase activity in PMNL. In order to link the intracellular function of L-ascorbate with the serum level, the ascorbate uptake has been studied in more detail. The L-ascorbate transport into PMNL is stereospecific and can best be described by kinetics consisting of a saturation part, Km and Vmax being 39 microM and 0.28 nmol/10(8) cells.min, respectively, plus passive diffusion, the diffusion coefficient P being 1.75 microliter/10(8) cells.min. Furthermore, the uptake is inhibited by the isomers D-ascorbic acid and D-erythorbic acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase↗
PubMed1987

Evidence for the expression of four myelin basic protein variants in the developing human spinal cord through cDNA cloning.

Four human myelin basic protein (MBP) variants with molecular masses of 21.5, 20.2, 18.5, and 17.3 kilodaltons (kDa) have been identified in the developing human spinal cord and their structures determined through an analysis of cDNA clones of their mRNAs. The 20.2-kDa MBP mRNA encoded a novel MBP variant, the structure of which has not been reported in any species. Its amino acid sequence was identical with that of the 21.5-kDa MBP except for a deletion of 11 amino acid residues encoded by exon 5 of the MBP gene. All four human MBP variants were identical except for the insertion of deletion of two peptide fragments corresponding to those encoded by exons 2 and 5 of the MBP gene. In this study, no mature human MBP cDNAs missing exon 6 sequences were identified. This suggests that, unlike the mouse, the four human MBP mRNAs encoding these MBP variants arise by the alternative splicing of only exons 2 and 5 from the primary MBP gene transcript. This indicates that the predominant MBP splicing pathways in human and mouse are different. Immunoblots of human fetal spinal cords (11-21 weeks) indicated that MBP expression turned on abruptly between 14 and 16 weeks. Expression of the 20.2-kDa MBP variant was most evident at 16 weeks and its relative proportion declined thereafter, suggesting that its expression was developmentally regulated.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Studies on the metabolism of aristolochic acids I and II.

1. After oral administration of aristolochic acid I (AAI) and aristolochic acid II (AAII) to rats, the following metabolites were isolated from the urine and their structures elucidated: aristolactam I, aristolactam Ia, aristolochic acid Ia, aristolic acid I and 3,4-methylenedioxy-8-hydroxy-1-phenanthrenecarboxylic acid (metabolites of AAI); or aristolactam Ia, aristolactam II and 3,4-methylenedioxy-1-phenanthrenecarboxylic acid (metabolites of AAII). A further metabolite of AAII having a lactam structure has not yet been isolated in pure form. 2. The metabolic pathways have been elucidated by administration of various metabolites. 3. The principal metabolite of AAI in rats was aristolactam Ia; 46% of the dose was excreted in the urine in form of this metabolite and 37% in the faeces. The other substances were minor metabolites. Those metabolites of AAII whose structures have been elucidated were minor metabolites; the largest proportion consisted of aristolactam II, which accounted for 4.6% in the urine and 8.9% in the faeces. 4. The mouse was the only animal which had the same metabolite patterns of AAI and AAII as those found in the rat. Not all the metabolites listed above were found in urine from guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs and man.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Expression of myelin protein genes in the developing brain.

The major myelin proteins fall into two classes, the basic proteins and the proteolipid proteins. In mice, five forms of the myelin basic protein (MBP) have been identified with apparent molecular masses of 21.5 kD, 18.5 kD, 17 kD and 14 kD. The 17 kD MBP variant consists of two molecular forms with similar molecular masses but different amino acid sequences. Cell-free translation studies and analyses of MBP cDNAs have shown that each of the MBP variants is encoded by a separate mRNA of approximately 2 000 bp. The five mouse MBP mRNAs appear to be derived by alternative splicing of exons 2, 5, and 6 of the MBP gene. cDNAs encoding four forms of MBP have been isolated from a human fetal spinal cord library. The mRNAs corresponding to these cDNAs are probably derived by alternative splicing of exons 2 and 5 of the human MBP gene. Proteolipid protein (PLP) cDNAs have been isolated from several species and used to establish that the size of the major PLP mRNA is approximately 3 kb. Multiple size classes of the PLP mRNAs exist in mice and rats whereas the 3 kb mRNA is the predominant form in the developing human spinal cord. In normal mice, maximal expression of the PLP gene lags behind that of the MBP gene by several days. Studies on dysmyelinating mutants have determined some of the molecular defects with respect to these two classes of myelin proteins. For example, there is a deletion of a portion of the MBP gene in the shiverer mutant. In the quaking mutant, the expression of both classes of myelin proteins is significantly reduced prior to 3 weeks. However, after 3 weeks, MBP expression approaches normal levels but the newly synthesized protein fails to be incorporated into myelin. In the jimpy mutant, although the expression of both classes of proteins is reduced, PLP expression is most severely affected.

Animals↗