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Biomedical subjects

H Wu

Publications and source records attributed to H Wu.

At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Conformational changes of melittin upon insertion into phospholipid monolayer and vesicle.

Two model systems were used to study the conformational changes of melittin upon insertion into phospholipid. The first model system is phospholipid monolayers with different surface pressure. The second one is small unilamellar vesicles at above or below their phase transition temperature. The conformational changes of melittin upon insertion were elucidated by employing a combination of monolayer technique, fluorescence technique, CD, and FTIR. The results showed that melittin adsorbed on the lipid layer surface contains less alpha-helix than its counterpart inserted into the lipid layer. As the penetration depth of melittin increases, more ordered structures (alpha-helix) appear. A possible molecular mechanism underlying melittin insertion is proposed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Penetration of piperacillin-tazobactam into cancellous and cortical bone tissues.

The penetration characteristics of piperacillin-tazobactam into cortical and cancellous bone tissues were investigated in 10 patients undergoing total hip replacement. The concentration ratios of piperacillin/tazobactam were 9.4 +/- 1.8 in cancellous bone tissue and 8.0 +/- 2.2 in cortical bone tissue, which were close to the 8:1 ratio of drugs administered. The mean ratios of drug concentrations in bone and plasma for cancellous and cortical tissue were 23 and 18%, respectively, for piperacillin and 26 and 22%, respectively, for tazobactam. The concentrations of tazobactam achieved are sufficient to exert anti-beta-lactamase activity and supportive of clinical trials involving bone and joint infections, including those caused by beta-lactamase-producing pathogens.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Combinatorial interactions between AP-1 and ets domain proteins contribute to the developmental regulation of the macrophage scavenger receptor gene.

Macrophage development is regulated by a complex set of hormone-like molecules and cell adhesion events that control the growth and differentiation of progenitor cells. The macrophage scavenger receptor (SR) gene becomes markedly upregulated during the final stages of monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and provides a model for the identification and characterization of transcription factors that control this process. In this report, we have identified three genomic regulatory elements that are required for transactivation of the SR gene in the THP-1 monocytic leukemia cell line following induction of macrophage differentiation by tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate. Each of these regulatory elements contains a near-consensus binding site for members of the AP-1 gene family, while the two most quantitatively important elements also contain juxtaposed binding sites for ets domain transcription factors. We demonstrate that tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate treatment results in a marked and prolonged increase in AP-1 binding activity on these elements, which can be accounted for almost entirely by c-jun and junB. These proteins in turn form ternary complexes with additional factors that bind to the adjacent ets recognition motifs. Several indirect lines of evidence indicate that ets2 represents a component of this ternary complex. The combined expression of c-jun, ets2, and a constitutive form of ras result in synergistic increases in transcription from promoters containing the SR regulatory elements. These observations suggest that SR gene expression is regulated via a signal transduction pathway involving ras, AP-1, and ets domain proteins and imply that at least some of the signalling components involved in ras-dependent growth are also utilized to promote the expression of genes involved in terminal differentiation.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Cell-specific expression of the macrophage scavenger receptor gene is dependent on PU.1 and a composite AP-1/ets motif.

The type I and II scavenger receptors (SRs) are highly restricted to cells of monocyte origin and become maximally expressed during the process of monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation. In this report, we present evidence that SR genomic sequences from -245 to +46 bp relative to the major transcriptional start site were sufficient to confer preferential expression of a reporter gene to cells of monocyte and macrophage origin. This profile of expression resulted from the combinatorial actions of multiple positive and negative regulatory elements. Positive transcriptional control was primarily determined by two elements, located 181 and 46 bp upstream of the major transcriptional start site. Transcriptional control via the -181 element was mediated by PU.1/Spi-1, a macrophage and B-cell-specific transcription factor that is a member of the ets domain gene family. Intriguingly, the -181 element represented a relatively low-affinity binding site for Spi-B, a closely related member of the ets domain family that has been shown to bind with relatively high affinity to other PU.1/Spi-1 binding sites. These observations support the idea that PU.1/Spi-1 and Spi-B regulate overlapping but nonidentical sets of genes. The -46 element represented a composite binding site for a distinct set of ets domain proteins that were preferentially expressed in monocyte and macrophage cell lines and that formed ternary complexes with members of the AP-1 gene family. In concert, these observations suggest a model for how interactions between cell-specific and more generally expressed transcription factors function to dictate the appropriate temporal and cell-specific patterns of SR expression during the process of macrophage differentiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Cell type-specific gene expression in the neuroendocrine system. A neuroendocrine-specific regulatory element in the promoter of chromogranin A, a ubiquitous secretory granule core protein.

The acidic secretory protein chromogranin A universally occurs in amine and peptide hormone and neurotransmitter storage granules throughout the neuroendocrine system. What factors govern the activity of the chromogranin A gene, to yield such a widespread yet neuroendocrine-selective pattern of expression? To address this question, we isolated the mouse chromogranin A gene promoter. The promoter conferred cell type-specific expression in several neuroendocrine cell types (adrenal medullary chromaffin cells, anterior pituitary corticotropes, and anterior pituitary somatolactotropes) but not in control (fibroblast or kidney) cells. In neuroendocrine cells, analysis of promoter deletions established both positive and negative transcriptional regulatory domains. A distal positive domain (-4.8/-2.2 kbp) was discovered, as well as negative (-258/-181 bp) and positive (-147/-61 bp) domains in the proximate promoter. The proximate promoter contained a minimal neuroendocrine-specific element between -77 and -61 bp. Sequence alignment of the mouse promoter with corresponding regions in rat and bovine clones indicated that the mouse sequence shares over 85% homology with rat and 52% with bovine promoters. DNaseI footprinting and electrophoretic gel mobility shift assays demonstrated the presence of nuclear factors in neuroendocrine cells that recognized the proximate promoter. We conclude that the chromogranin A promoter contains both positive and negative domains governing its cell type-specific pattern of transcription, and that a small proximate region of the promoter, containing novel as well as previously described elements, interacts specifically with neuroendocrine nuclear proteins, and is thereby sufficient to ensure widespread neuroendocrine expression of the gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Glucocorticoid activation of chromogranin A gene expression. Identification and characterization of a novel glucocorticoid response element.

Glucocorticoids regulate catecholamine biosynthesis and storage at several sites. Chromogranin A, an abundant protein complexed with catecholamines in secretory vesicles of chromaffin cells and sympathetic axons, is also augmented by glucocorticoids. This study reports isolation of the rat chromogranin A promoter to elucidate transcriptional regulation of chromogranin A biosynthesis by glucocorticoids in neuroendocrine cells. Endogenous chromogranin A gene expression was activated up to 3.5-fold in chromaffin cells by glucocorticoid, in time-dependent fashion. Inhibition of new protein synthesis by cycloheximide did not alter the rise in chromogranin A mRNA, suggesting that glucocorticoids directly activate the chromogranin A promoter; nuclear runoff assays confirmed a 3.3-fold increased rate of initiation of new chromogranin A transcripts after glucocorticoid. Transfected rat chromogranin A promoter/luciferase reporter constructs were activated 2.6-3.1-fold by glucocorticoid, and selective agonist/antagonist studies determined that dexamethasone effects were mediated by glucocorticoid receptors. Both rat and mouse chromogranin A promoter/luciferase reporter constructs were activated by glucocorticoid. A series of promoter deletions narrowed the region of glucocorticoid action to a 93-bp section of the promoter, from position -526 to -619 bp upstream of the cap site. A 15-bp sequence ([-583 bp] 5'-ACATGAGTGTGTCCT-3' [-597 bp]) within this region showed partial homology to a glucocorticoid response element (GRE; half-site in italics) consensus sequence, and several lines of experimental evidence confirmed its function as a GRE: (a) site-directed mutation of this GRE prevented glucocorticoid activation of a chromogranin A promoter/reporter; (b) transfer of this GRE to a heterologous (thymidine kinase) promoter/reporter conferred activation by glucocorticoid, in copy number-dependent and orientation-independent fashion; and (c) electrophoretic gel mobility shifts demonstrated binding of this GRE by ligand-activated glucocorticoid receptor, though at 2.75-fold lower affinity than the glucocorticoid receptor interaction with a consensus GRE. The rat chromogranin A GRE showed functional and structural similarities to GREs in other genes proportionally regulated by glucocorticoids. We conclude that a discrete domain of the chromogranin A promoter is both necessary and sufficient to confer glucocorticoid regulation onto the gene, and that the activity of this region also explains the degree of activation of the endogenous gene by glucocorticoid.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Increase in caudate nuclei volumes of first-episode schizophrenic patients taking antipsychotic drugs.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the pathomorphology of the caudate nuclei in first-episode schizophrenic patients with minimal previous neuroleptic exposure. METHOD: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was used to examine longitudinally the caudate pathomorphology in 29 first-episode schizophrenic patients and 10 healthy comparison subjects. MRI scans were obtained after the subjects entered the study and at 18-month follow-up. The patients were treated with standardized neuroleptic regimens during the 18-month period. Volumetric assessments of the cerebral cortex, lateral ventricles, and caudate nuclei were performed on T1-weighted coronal brain sections. In addition, the patients were systematically evaluated for psychopathology at baseline and during treatment. RESULTS: Caudate volumes increased 5.7% in the patients during the 18-month treatment interval, whereas they decreased 1.6% in the comparison subjects over the same time period. Greater amounts of antipsychotic medication received by patients before the first scan and younger age at the time of the first scan were associated with larger increases in caudate volume. CONCLUSIONS: Caudate enlargement occurs early in the course of treatment in young first-episode schizophrenic patients. This may be a result of an interaction between neuroleptic treatment and the plasticity of dopaminergic neuronal systems in young patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Absence of regional hemispheric volume asymmetries in first-episode schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine whether patients experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia differ from healthy subjects in regional cerebral hemispheric volumes or asymmetries. METHOD: Regional volumes corresponding to prefrontal, premotor, sensorimotor, occipitoparietal, and temporal lobes in each hemisphere were measured on contiguous coronal magnetic resonance images in 70 patients experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia and in 51 healthy comparison subjects. RESULTS: Patients did not differ from the comparison subjects in regional or total hemispheric volumes, but they had abnormal hemispheric asymmetries. Subjects in the comparison group had significant lateral asymmetries in each region: their occipitoparietal and sensorimotor regions were larger on the left, and their premotor, prefrontal, and temporal regions were larger on the right. Patients lacked lateral asymmetries and showed significantly less asymmetry than healthy subjects in occipitoparietal, premotor, and prefrontal regions. Absence of the normal asymmetry was more common among patients initially diagnosed with the undifferentiated than with the paranoid subtype of schizophrenia and was associated with more severe negative symptoms among men. Asymmetries were related to sex and handedness regardless of diagnosis; specifically, dextral men showed more asymmetry than nondextral men or dextral women. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of normal hemispheric asymmetries suggests an anomaly in the development of laterally specialized cerebral systems in schizophrenia, and this may be associated with an initial presentation of nonparanoid psychosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The protein tyrosine kinase substrate cortactin is differentially expressed in murine B lymphoid tumors.

Src family protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) actively participate in signal transduction during lymphocyte activation. However, little is known about the roles of PTKs and their substrates in lymphocyte differentiation. To identify PTK substrates that may be differentially expressed during B lymphopoiesis, we screened a panel of murine B lymphoid tumor cell lines representing various developmental stages using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for pp60src substrates. A MAb specific for cortactin, a filamentous-actin binding pp60src substrate, immunoprecipitated proteins from murine plasma-cytoma cell lines but not from pre-B cell lymphoma or B cell lymphoma cell lines. We have cloned a murine cortactin cDNA which encodes a member of a family of proteins distinguished by amino-terminal repeat domains and carboxy-terminal Src Homology 3 domains. Two members of this family (cortactin and HS1) were differentially expressed in murine B lymphoid tumor cell lines; both were detected in plasmacytoma cell lines, however HS1 was additionally detected in pre-B lymphoma and B lymphoma cell lines. Cortactin RNA was detected in most murine tissues, but was not detected in B lymphocytes or plasma cells. We hypothesize that cortactin expression is associated with transformed plasma cells and not with the terminal differentiation of normal B lymphocytes to plasma cells.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1994

[A genetic study of adult polycystic kidney disease].

The 3'HVR has been considered as the most useful probe in making the linkage analysis of adult polycystic kidney disease (APKD). We examined three APKD families using this probe. Their polymorphism information was then computed for linkage study using LINKAGE package and computer programme HOMOG for homogeneity test. One family was defined as non PKD 1, because the disease locus was failed to show linkage to the 3'HVR marker. Of the other two families, one can still not be identified as non PKD1, but had distinguishable meiotic recombinations, another was in favour of linkage to 3'HVR and therefore judged to be PKD1. The presence of genetic heterogeneity could significantly reduce the value of linked probe analysis as a tool for gene diagnosis of APKD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Comparative study of organ storage solutions for rat liver preservation: effects of HX and Collins I solution on sinusoidal lining cells and hepatic functions].

The liver sinusoidal lining cell injury and biochemical function changes were studied with isolated perfusion after rat livers had been preserved in HX solution or in Collins II solution. Seventy inbred Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 10), group H (preserved with HX solution, n = 30), and group C (preserved with Collins II solution, n = 30). The effects of the storage solutions were assessed by measuring the sinusoidal lining cell mortality (SLCM), Krebs-Henseleit perfusate ketone body ratio (PKBR), the hepatic sugar release (SL), and the number of livers secreting bile during isolated perfusion. The results suggest that the HX solution be much superior to Collins II solution in preventing sinusoidal lining cell injury and maintaining normal hepatic functions.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[The effect of Pinellia processed by ginger juice on gastric and intestinal function of animals].

The experimental research has shown that neither pinellia processed by ginger juice and alum nor pinellia boiled by ginger juice have any marked influence on the secretion of PGE2 in rat gastric juice, or on the activity of gastric proteinase in rats. Both the processed products of pinellia can obviously inhibit the gastric and intestinal motility in mice. Raw pinellia can strongly inhibit the secretion of PGE2, gastric acidity and gastric proteinase in rats, but acts not so heavily on their gastric secretion and appears rather harmful to the gastric mucosa in rats. Raw pinellia can also obviously accelerate the gastric and intestinal motility in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Symptomatic hemodynamic and hormonal effects of intravenous captopril in patients with heart failure.

Since only oral preparations of captopril are clinically available, intravenous captopril was studied in 10 patients with mild heart failure and in 20 severe. The results showed that intravenous captopril may rapidly reduce cardiac preload and afterload, increase cardiac output, inhibit renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and depress plasma levels of catecholamine. After captopril infusion, a rapid symptomatic improvement occurred and the infusion could be well tolerated in patients with acute or severe heart failure. In addition, reversing hyponatremia and hypokalemia or improving azotemia may benefit the patients with acute or severe heart failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Comparison on the kidney nourishing and yang strengthening functions of three different species of herba Cistanches].

Oral administration of water extraction of three kinds of herba cistanches can increase the weight of young mice, prolong the duration of swimming and promote anoxia tolerance in mice. These water decoctions can also increase the body weight, the activities of SOD in serum and the lifespan of "Yang insufficient" model mice induced by administration of hydrocortisone acetate.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Effect of processing on the alkaloids in Strychnos nux-vomica L].

The contents of strychnine, brucine, isostrychnine and isobrucine in different processed products of Strychnos nux-vomica were determined by TLC-densitometry. The relationship of the contents of strychnos alkaloids with processing methods was studied.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗
PubMed1994

[Evaluation of echocardiography for determining left ventricular function].

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was calculated by echocardiography and gate blood pool (GBP) in 33 patients including those with coronary heart disease, acute and old myocardiac infarction, cardiomyopathy or mitral prolapse. Fourteen of the 33 had segmental wall motion abnormalities and 19 had non-segmental wall motion abnormalities. The results of comparing echocardiography and GBP showed that the former could substitute for other invasive and expensive examinations to determine LVEF (r = 0.804-0.964 in the 5 echocardiography methods used). Mod-Simpsons method of cross-sectioned echocardiography was the most accurate echocardiographic method (r = 0.964, sensitivity 90.9%) in all patients. The Teich method of M-mode echocardiography was useful in patients who had non-segmental wall motion abnormalities only (r = 0.957, sensitivity 94.7%) but not in patients who had segmental wall motion abnormalities (r = 0.703, sensitivity 42.9%).

Adult↗