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Biomedical subjects

H Yang

Publications and source records attributed to H Yang.

At least 937 records · Page 52Linked to original sources

Application of the polymerase chain reaction to the ribonuclease protection assay.

We have developed a modified RNase protection assay in which the antisense RNA probe is prepared from a PCR-amplified DNA template rather than from a linearized plasmid DNA template. In this assay, an RNA polymerase promoter sequence is attached to the 5' end of the antisense PCR primer. Using this modified antisense primer in conjunction with the paired sense primer, PCR amplification generates a linear DNA template that includes an RNA polymerase promoter sequence. Transcription in vitro initiated by the incorporated promoter in the presence of RNA polymerase and ribonucleotide triphosphates produces a radiolabeled run-off antisense RNA transcript, which can then be used as probe for RNase protection analysis. Probes generated by this method obviate the need to subclone DNA sequences into transcription vectors for synthesis of antisense transcripts. Due to the simplicity of its design and the lack of need for subcloning, this strategy offers greater flexibility than conventional methods for the production of single-stranded RNA probes, and thus facilitates the implementation of the ribonuclease protection assay.

Animals↗

Utilization of methoxylated aromatic compounds by the acetogen Clostridium thermoaceticum: expression and specificity of the co-dependent O-demethylating activity.

The aromatic CO-dependent O-demethylating activity of Clostridium thermoaceticum was evaluated. Secondary aromatic substituent groups (-OH, -CO2H, -CH2OH, and -OCH3) were critical to O demethylation. O-demethylating activities and specificities were similar from cells grown at the expense of different methoxylated aromatic compounds; all O-methyl-grown cells catalyzed the same sequential O demethylation of multi-methoxylated compounds, suggesting that a broad specificity O demethylase was involved in O demethylation. In cell-fractionation studies, CO-dependent O demethylation was catalyzed by membrane-associated components.

Anisoles↗

Human high-molecular-weight melanoma-associated antigen mimicry by mouse antiidiotypic monoclonal antibody TK7-371.

Since the human high-molecular-weight melanoma-associated antigen (HMW-MAA) represents a useful target to implement active specific immunotherapy with mouse antiidiotypic monoclonal antibody (mAb), the present study is aimed at developing and characterizing mouse antiidiotypic mAbs which bear the mirror image of the determinant defined by the anti-HMW-MAA mAb TP61.5. To this end, a BALB/c mouse was immunized with the syngeneic mAb TP61.5. Screening of the 703 generated hybridomas showed that 13 of them secrete antiidiotypic mAbs which inhibit the binding of the immunizing mAb TP61.5 to melanoma cells by at least 75%. The dose of antiidiotypic mAb required to inhibit by 50% the binding of mAb TP61.5 to melanoma cells ranged between 4 and 200 ng. The 13 antiidiotypic mAbs recognize conformational idiotypes, since they did not react in Western blotting with the heavy and light chain of mAb TP61.5 isolated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. Furthermore, the 13 antiidiotypic mAbs did not react with 23 mAbs which recognize 13 determinants of the HMW-MAA distinct from that defined by mAb TP61.5. Analysis of the 13 antiidiotypic mAbs for their ability to elicit cellular and humoral anti-HMW-MAA immunity showed that only mAb TK7-371 elicited a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to HMW-MAA-bearing cells in syngeneic hosts and anti-HMW-MAA antibodies in BALB/c mice and in rabbits. Since rabbits express the HMW-MAA, the present results indicate that the antiidiotypic mAb TK7-371 can induce humoral immunity to self HMW-MAA. Therefore, the antiidiotypic mAb TK7-371 may be an efficacious immunogen to implement active specific immunotherapy in patients with melanoma.

Animals↗

Human high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen mimicry by mouse antiidiotypic monoclonal antibody MK2-23. Characterization of the immunogenicity in syngeneic hosts.

Previous studies have shown that the mouse antiidiotypic mAb MK2-23 elicited with the syngeneic anti-human high molecular weight melanoma-associated Ag (HMW-MAA) mAb 763.74 elicits anti-HMW-MAA antibodies in syngeneic hosts and in patients with melanoma. The present investigation has characterized the fine specificity of antibodies elicited by mAb MK2-23, tested its ability to induce delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to HMW-MAA-bearing melanoma cells and analyzed the variables that influence the immunogenicity of mAb MK2-23. The anti-HMW-MAA antibodies elicited by mAb MK2-23 recognize the same population of molecules recognized by mAb 763.74, react with the same (or spatially close) determinant(s) and express the idiotopes recognized by mAb MK2-23 in their Ag-combining sites. The antiidiotypic antibodies that bind to HMW-MAA have a lower titer than those that do not. These results in conjunction with those obtained in mice using a suboptimal immunization schedule suggest that the idiotope(s) that mimic(s) the mAb 763.74-defined determinant of the HMW-MAA is less immunogenic than those that do not. mAb MK2-23 induces a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to HMW-MAA-bearing melanoma cells. Therefore, mAb MK2-23 represents the first example of mouse antiidiotypic mAb that induces a cellular and humoral immunity to a human tumor-associated Ag (TAA), because the previously described mouse antiidiotypic mAb that bear the mirror image of TAA have been shown to induce only humoral anti-TAA immunity. The immunogenicity of mAb MK2-23 is markedly enhanced by its conjugation to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and its administration with FA. Furthermore, the number of immunizations and the doses of mAb MK2-23 injected influence its immunogenicity, although to a lower extent than conjugation to a carrier and mixing with an adjuvant. The information derived from the present investigation represents a useful background to optimize the immunization schedule with mAb MK2-23 in patients with melanoma.

Animals↗

Tenascin localization in skin wounds of the adult newt Notophthalmus viridescens.

Earlier studies have shown that the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein tenascin (TN) is present between uninjured epidermal cells of urodele appendages, but is absent from most of the mesenchymally derived ECM. Following appendage amputation, this distribution is reversed. TN is lost from the epidermis and appears in the ECM of the stump and the regeneration blastema. In the present study, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to TN were used to localize this protein immunohistochemically in limbs of the adult urodele Notophthalmus viridescens at various stages following skin removal with or without damage to underlying muscle to determine 1) if the loss of TN by the epidermis and its gain by mesenchymal tissues occurs in wounds that do not require regulation by epigenetic mechanisms, and 2) if TN is present in the provisional wound matrix beneath migrating epidermal cells. In addition, skin explants were cultured on TN-coated dishes to learn if TN possesses active sites that can support epidermal cell migration. The results indicate that simple wounding leads to the same TN patterns as occurs following limb amputation. Tenascin loss from the epidermis could be seen as early as 6 hr after wounding, a time during which migrating epidermal cells are moving over the wound bed. During this period, there was no evidence of TN in the provisional wound matrix. In contrast to collagen, which supports considerable epidermal cell migration from skin explants, TN allowed no more migration than did the inactive protein, myoglobin.

Animals↗

Cancer promotion in a mouse-skin model by a 60-Hz magnetic field: II. Tumor development and immune response.

This paper describes preliminary findings on the influence of 60-Hz (2-mT) magnetic fields on tumor promotion and co-promotion in the skins of mice. The effect of magnetic fields on natural killer (NK) cell activity in spleen and blood was also examined. Groups of 32 juvenile female mice were exposed to the magnetic field as described in part I. The dorsal skin of all animals was treated with a subthreshold dose of the carcinogen 7,12-dimethyl-benz(a)anthracene (DMBA). One week after the treatment, two groups were sham exposed (group A) or field exposed at 2 mT (group B) 6 h/day for 21 weeks, to test whether the field would act as a tumor promoter. No tumors developed in these two groups of mice. To test whether the magnetic field would modify tumor development by directly affecting tumor growth or by suppressing immune surveillance, two additional groups of mice were treated weekly with the tumor promoter 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and then either sham exposed (group C) or field exposed (group D). The time to appearance of tumors was shorter (but not statistically so) in the group exposed to magnetic fields and TPA. Some differences in NK cell activity and spleen size were observed between the sham- and field-exposed groups.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

In vivo determination of triglyceride secretion using radioactive glycerol in rats fed different dietary saturated fats.

Our objective was to determine the relative rates of in vivo triglyceride (TG) secretion and the composition of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) in rats fed different dietary saturated fats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (150-200 g) were fed diets containing 16% corn oil, or 14% butterfat, 14% beef tallow, 14% olive oil, or 14% coconut oil plus 2% corn oil for 5 wk. Changes in plasma TG specific radioactivity were determined in individual, unanesthetized fasted rats after injection of 100 microCi [2-3H]glycerol. Nonlinear regression analysis using a 2-compartment model was used to determine the fractional rate constant for TG turnover in plasma. The plasma TG pool was 33-40% larger with beef tallow than with corn, olive or coconut oil feeding (p less than 0.05), and 20% larger with beef tallow than with butterfat feeding. The rate of TG secretion into plasma (mg/min/100 g body weight) was 60% higher in animals fed beef tallow than corn or coconut oil (p less than 0.05) and 26-33% higher in animals fed beef tallow than olive oil or butterfat. Differences in VLDL composition (% wt) were also noted. Our data suggest that greater TG secretion is the primary factor contributing to the larger TG pool with ingestion of beef tallow relative to butterfat, corn or coconut oil. These results suggest that different dietary saturated fats have unique effects on TG metabolism in rats.

Animals↗

[The growth and morphological characteristics of human and rabbit corneal endothelium in tissue culture].

In in-vitro culture, we have found that corneal endothelial cells exhibited membranous growth character in tissue culture. The cells were polygonal in shape. When human corneal endothelium grew in single layer, we found the phenomenon of amitosis. Scanning electronmicroscopy showed the microvilli of endothelial cells in vitro were more than in vivo. Transmission electronmicroscopy demonstrated a lot of intercellular desmosome and many fibrillar structures accumulated into bundles, curly-hair-like in shape and distributed reticularly around the nucleus. The cells were rich in organelles. We have also discussed the regenerative ability and some biological characteristics of corneal endothelium. It may be suggested that human corneal endothelia exhibit the proliferative ability in some condition. However, their proliferative form remains to be further studied.

Adult↗

T-URF 13 Protein from Mitochondria of Texas Male-Sterile Maize (Zea mays L.) : Its Purification and Submitochondrial Localization, and Immunogold Labeling in Anther Tapetum during Microsporogenesis.

The protein T-URF13 (URF13) is specific to mitochondria of maize (Zea mays L.) with Texas (T) male-sterile cytoplasm and has been implicated in causing male sterility and susceptibility to T-cytoplasm-specific fungal diseases. T-URF13 was purified from isolated mitochondria from maize (line B73) with T cytoplasm by gel filtration and a quasi two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system. Antibodies to the purified and denatured protein were produced in rabbits. Anti-T-URF13 antiserum was used to show that T-URF13 is in the inner membrane of mitochondria and behaves as an integral membrane protein when mitochondria are fractionated with sodium carbonate or Triton X-114. The antiserum and protein A tagged with 20-nanometer-gold particles were used to localize T-URF13 in T mitochondria by electron microscopy of sections of isolated mitochondria from etiolated shoots and sections of roots and of tapetal cells at pre-and post-degeneration stages of microsporogenesis. The microscopic study confirms that T-URF13 is specifically localized in the mitochondrial membranes of all of the T mitochondria tested, notably those in the tapetum from the meiocyte stage to the late-microspore stage. No change in the amount of labeled T-URF13 protein in the mitochondria of aging tapetal cells was detected.

Journal Article↗

Prolonged and potent therapeutic and prophylactic effects of (S)-1-[(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxy)propyl]cytosine against herpes simplex virus type 2 infections in mice.

The acyclic nucleotide analog (S)-1-[(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxy)propyl]cytosine (HPMPC) is a potent and selective inhibitor of herpesviruses. Cells preincubated with HPMPC are refractory to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection for several days after removal of the drug from the medium. A single administration of 30 mg of HPMPC per kg of body weight 4 days prior to virus infection intraperitoneally with HSV-2 (strain G) completely protected mice from death, and the protective effect was dose dependent. HPMPC was equally efficacious in protecting mice when the same total amount of the drug was administered as a single dose as when it was given daily in several smaller doses (5 mg/kg with treatment initiation at 3 h postinfection [p.i.], 90 versus 80% survival, respectively). In contrast, ganciclovir [9(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl)guanine] was more efficacious when it was given daily than it was when it was given less than daily in a late stage of HSV-2 infection (100 mg/kg; when mice were treated 96 h p.i., 80 versus 50% survival, respectively; when mice were treated 120 h p.i., 60 versus 20% survival, respectively). Therefore, single doses of HPMPC were more effective than ganciclovir in protecting mice from death (80 versus 20% survival, respectively; P less than 0.05), whereas there was no difference when the drugs were given daily (50 versus 60% survival, respectively). Our studies suggest a potential of HPMPC for conventional and prophylactic treatments of herpesvirus infections with infrequent drug administration.

Animals↗

Circus movement atrial flutter in the canine sterile pericarditis model. Differential effects of procainamide on the components of the reentrant pathway.

To evaluate the mechanisms of action of procainamide on the components of the reentrant pathway, drug-induced changes in activation patterns, effective refractory periods (ERPs), and stimulation thresholds were analyzed in nine dogs with sterile pericarditis and sustained atrial flutter. Activation maps were based on 127 close bipolar recordings from a special "jacket" electrode. From the control map, 22 +/- 2 sites covering the slow zone and the normal zone of the reentrant circuit were selected to measure ERPs and thresholds. The excitable gap was estimated from the longest ERP during pacing at the tachycardia cycle length. During atrial flutter, epicardial activation proceeded as a single wave around an arc of functional conduction block in the proximity of the atrioventricular (AV) ring or around a combined functional/anatomic obstacle, with the arc being contiguous with one of the venae cavae. An area of slow conduction, which accounted for 53 +/- 15% of the revolution time within 35 +/- 15% of the total length of the reentrant pathway, was bordered by the arc of block and the AV ring or a caval vein and the AV ring, respectively. Procainamide (5-10 mg/kg i.v.) prolonged the cycle length of atrial flutter from 144 +/- 17 to 190 +/- 24 msec (p less than 0.05) and then terminated the arrhythmia in all studies. The increase in cycle length was due to an increase in conduction time in the slow zone by 37 +/- 11 msec (86 +/- 17% of the total cycle length increase). During the last reentrant beat, conduction failed in the slow zone, with the arc of block joining the AV ring. At termination, procainamide had prolonged conduction time, stimulation threshold, and ERP in the normal zone by 11 +/- 18%, 40 +/- 80%, and 5 +/- 15%, respectively, compared with 51 +/- 16%, 86 +/- 93%, and 14 +/- 21%, respectively, in the slow zone (p less than 0.05 for all three parameters). The duration of the excitable gap did not change significantly. We conclude that procainamide preferentially affected the slow zone of single loop reentrant circuits. The drug terminated circus movement atrial flutter without abolishing the excitable gap, and its effect on conduction seemed the major determinant of the antiarrhythmic action.

Animals↗

[Chemiluminescent immunoassay for insulin].

In this paper is reported solid phase chemiluminescent immunoassay for insulin with N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol (ABE1) labelled antibody and a double antibodies sandwich procedure. ABEI-CoCl2-H2O2 was used as the chemiluminescent system and the linear range of insulin was 0.3-150 microU/tube. The correlation coefficient of the log-log regression equation was 0.985 and the absolute limit of detection 0.32 microU/tube.

Humans↗

[An observation on growth hormone levels in patients with chronic renal failure].

Serum levels of growth hormone (GH) in the fasting and postprandial state were observed in 27 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) [and in 27 normal controls. The results showed that serum levels of GH were significantly higher in CRF patients than in normal controls. Most patients exhibited a "paradoxical rise" of GH following an oral glucose load. There was no difference between GH concentrations in those with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) in the CRF cases. Elevation of GH could be returned to normal by kidney transplantation with the disappearance of the "paradoxical rise" of GH. The mechanism of these abnormalities and the relationship between abnormalities of GH and IGT were discussed.

Adult↗

[Small-airway lesions induced by inhalation of asbestos dust in dogs--pathological and aetiological studies].

This paper presents the pathological changes of the small airways of dogs inhaling asbestos dust in the workshop of Xin Kong Asbestos Mine for 1 to 3 years. Dogs of the experimental group showed that variable degrees of dust deposition and fibrous tissue reaction were found in all the three types of the small airways-respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts and membranous bronchioles of both lungs. The lesions in the lung increased with the duration of exposure. These changes in the canine small airways resulting from asbestos dust were very much similar to those of the humans. In addition, deposited dust collected from the workshop of the asbestos mine, and 50 dust particles selected randomly in foci were identified in situ by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Findings demonstrated that the majority of the dust particles in the foci was principally mixed silicate dust. Among them asbestos dust predominated absolutely, and there were more amphiboles than chrysotiles. Therefore, it is concluded that the small airway lesions induced in the dogs are mainly due to mixed asbestos dust, and that there appears to exist a dose-response relationship.

Animals↗