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Biomedical subjects

J Feng

Publications and source records attributed to J Feng.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Absence of troponin I degradation or altered sarcoplasmic reticulum uptake protein expression after reversible ischemia in swine.

The findings of troponin I (TnI) proteolysis (in isolated rat hearts) and induction of selected sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium-regulatory genes (after repetitive total coronary occlusions in swine) have given rise to the hypothesis that the time course of functional recovery of stunned myocardium reflects the resynthesis of reversibly damaged proteins. Although stunning occurs after brief total occlusions and prolonged partial occlusions (ie, short-term hibernation), the time course of functional recovery varies from a few hours to several days, suggesting that the severity of protein damage or mechanisms responsible for the dysfunction may differ. To study this, we examined SR gene expression and TnI degradation in stunned myocardium produced by 10-minute total left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusions (n=4) or 1-hour partial LAD occlusions, in which flow was reduced to approximately 50% of control values for 60 minutes (n=6) in swine. One hour after reperfusion, LAD wall thickening was severely depressed in both models despite normal perfusion and no triphenyltetrazolium chloride evidence of necrosis. Normal myocardium exhibited TnI immunoreactivity at 31 kDa and a weak secondary band at 27 kDa. Irreversible injury or calpain activation in vitro produced a marked increase in the intensity of the 27-kDa band, consistent with TnI degradation. Stunned myocardium demonstrated no change in the 31- or the 27-kDa band, and the percentage of the 27- to 31-kDa band remained constant after 10-minute total occlusions (LAD, 5.9+/-0.9%; normal, 4.9+/-1.6%) and 1-hour partial occlusions (LAD, 8.5+/-1.9%; normal, 7.3+/-1.4%) and in sham controls (LAD, 10.9+/-1.5%; normal, 9.8+/-1.4%). Northern analysis showed no alterations in TnI or SR gene expression, but the stress protein HSP-70 was variably induced. Thus, stunned myocardium occurs without TnI degradation or altered SR gene expression, indicating that additional mechanisms are responsible for the reversible dysfunction after single episodes of regional ischemia in swine.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Regulation of Ca2+-independent smooth muscle contraction by alternative staurosporine-sensitive kinase.

It is well known that inhibition of myosin phosphatase induces smooth muscle contraction in the absence of Ca2+. We characterized the kinase(s) which plays a role in Ca2+-independent, microcystin-LR-induced contraction in permeabilized smooth muscle of the rabbit portal vein. Assessments of various protein kinase inhibitors revealed this kinase(s) (1) was sensitive to staurosporine (1 microM), but resistant to other agents including wortmannin (10 microM), Y-27632 ((R)-(+)-trans-N-(4-pyridyl)-4-(1-aminoethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxamide+ ++, 100 microM). HA1077 (1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-homopiperazine, 100 microM), H-7 (1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, 100 microM), and calphostin C (100 microM), and (2) induced phosphorylation of 20 kDa myosin light chain at serine-19. We concluded that other kinases exist which phosphorylate myosin light chain at serine-19 and induce Ca2+-independent smooth muscle contraction, distinct from Rho-associated kinase, myosin light chain kinase, and protein kinase C.

Amides↗
PubMed1999

Adrenergic control of the ultrarapid delayed rectifier current in canine atrial myocytes.

1. The effects of adrenergic stimulation on the ultrarapid delayed rectifier K+ current (IKur,d) of dog atrial myocytes was studied with patch-clamp methods. 2. Isoproterenol (isoprenaline) increased IKur,d in a concentration-dependent fashion with an EC50 of 7.3 +/- 0.8 nM. The effect of isoproterenol was blocked by propranolol, mimicked by forskolin and 8-bromo-cAMP, and prevented by inhibition of protein kinase A. 3. Phenylephrine (in the presence of propranolol) increased IKur,d with an EC50 of 0.49 +/- 0.06 microM. The effect of phenylephrine was blocked by prazosin, prevented by inhibition of protein kinase C, and mimicked by activation of protein kinase C with phorbol ester. 4. Phenylephrine significantly abbreviated canine atrial action potential duration in the absence of tetraethylammonium (TEA). When TEA was present under both control conditions and in the presence of phenylephrine, phenylephrine failed to alter canine atrial repolarization. 5. We conclude that beta- and alpha-adrenergic stimulation increase IKur,d via protein kinase A and C, respectively, and that the induced changes in IKur,d may play a role in adrenergic control of canine atrial repolarization.

8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate↗
PubMed1999

Dephosphorylation of distinct sites on the 20 kDa myosin light chain by smooth muscle myosin phosphatase.

The dephosphorylation of the myosin light chain kinase and protein kinase C sites on the 20 kDa myosin light chain by myosin phosphatase was investigated. The myosin phosphatase holoenzyme and catalytic subunit, dephosphorylated Ser-19, Thr-18 and Thr-9, but not Ser-1/Ser-2. The role of noncatalytic subunits in myosin phosphatase was to activate the phosphatase activity. For Ser-19 and Thr-18, this was due to a decrease in Km and an increase in k(cat) and for Thr-9 to a decrease in Km. Thus, the distinction between the various sites is a property of the catalytic subunit.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Potential molecular basis of different physiological properties of the transient outward K+ current in rabbit and human atrial myocytes.

The properties of the transient outward current (Ito) differ between rabbit and human atrial myocytes. In particular, rabbit Ito is known to recover more slowly than its human counterpart and to show much more frequency dependence. To assess the possibility that these physiological differences may reflect differing expression of K+ channel subunit gene products, we used a combination of whole-cell voltage-clamp, heterologous expression, pharmacological, antisense, and Western blot techniques. The inactivation of Ito in rabbit atrial myocytes was significantly slowed by hydrogen peroxide, with human Ito being unaffected. Use-dependent unblocking with 4-aminopyridine was not seen for rabbit Ito nor for Kv1.4 currents in Xenopus oocytes, whereas human Ito showed strong use-dependent unblock (as did Kv4 currents). Western blots indicated the presence of Kv4 proteins in both human and rabbit atrial membranes, but Kv1.4 was only detected in the rabbit. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides directed against Kv4.3, Kv4.2, or Kv1.4 subunit sequences significantly inhibited Ito current density in cultured rabbit atrial myocytes, whereas only Kv4.3 antisense significantly inhibited Ito in human cells. Neither mismatch oligodeoxynucleotides nor vehicle altered currents in either species. We conclude that, unlike human atrial myocytes, rabbit atrial myocytes express Kv1.4 channel subunits, which likely contribute to a number of important physiological differences in Ito properties between the species. To our knowledge, these studies constitute the first demonstration of a functional role for Kv1.4 channels in cardiac membranes and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of an important cardiac repolarizing current.

4-Aminopyridine↗
PubMed1999

Rho-associated kinase of chicken gizzard smooth muscle.

Rho-associated kinase (Rho-kinase) from chicken gizzard smooth muscle was purified to apparent homogeneity (160 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and identified as the ROKalpha isoform. Several substrates were phosphorylated. Rates with myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1), myosin, and the 20-kDa myosin light chain were higher than other substrates. Thiophosphorylation of MYPT1 inhibited myosin phosphatase activity. Phosphorylation of myosin at serine 19 increased actin-activated Mg+-ATPase activity, i.e. similar to myosin light chain kinase. Myosin phosphorylation was increased at higher ionic strengths, possibly by formation of 6 S myosin. Phosphorylation of the isolated light chain and myosin phosphatase was decreased by increasing ionic strength. Rho-kinase was stimulated 1.5-2-fold by guanosine 5'-O-3-(thio)triphosphate.RhoA, whereas limited tryptic hydrolysis caused a 5-6-fold activation, independent of RhoA. Several kinase inhibitors were screened and most effective were Y-27632, staurosporine, and H-89. Several lipids caused slight activation of Rho-kinase, but arachidonic acid (30-50 microM) induced a 5-6-fold activation, independent of RhoA. These results suggest that Rho-kinase of smooth muscle may be involved in the contractile process via phosphorylation of MYPT1 and myosin. Activation by arachidonic acid presents a possible regulatory mechanism for Rho-kinase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Reversible long-term toxicity of epristeride in beagle dogs.

Epristeride (17beta-N-t-butylcarboxamide-androst-3, 5-diene-3-carboxylic acid) is an uncompetitive inhibitor of steroid 5alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and has been shown to retard the growth of hyperplastic prostates. The objective of the current investigation was to research the toxic effects of epristeride and to demonstrate its reversible. In the experiment, 18 beagle dogs (male, about 6 months old) were used and divided into six groups, with each group containing three dogs. Groups A and B were placebo-treated for 180 and 240 days, Groups C and D were treated with 10 and 100 mg/kg epristeride for 180 days, and Groups E and F were treated with 10 and 100 mg/kg epristeride for 180 days and then were placebo-treated for 60 days (total 240 days), respectively. Routine analyses were performed at the 1st, 30th, 90th, 180th, and 240th days, and the dogs were autopsied at the 180th or 240th day for systemic examination and measured for relative DNA content in single prostatic epithelial cells. Each prostate was fixed with 4% Formalin, embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 6 micron, and immunohistochemically stained for assaying the relative content (transmittance) of prostatic specific antigen (PSA) and DHT (%) with a microspectrophotometer at 650-nm wavelength. The results were that 180 days of toxicity with epristeride (100 mg/kg) on interstitial cells of testes and DNA in prostatic epithelial cells couldn't reverse during 60 days of convalescence and that the DHT and PSA levels in the gland, the volume of the gland, glandular epithelial cell height, and acinar luminal area could reverse to normal during the same convalescence. To our knowledge this is the first study documenting the toxicity of epristeride. It is necessary to further study the molecular and clinical toxicity of epristeride.

5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1999

Highly sensitive mutation screening by REF with low concentrations of urea: A blinded analysis of a 2-kb region of the p53 gene reveals two common haplotypes.

Restriction endonuclease fingerprinting (REF), a hybrid modification of single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and restriction endonuclease digestion, has been used previously to detect mutations in 1- to 2-kb segments of DNA. This paper demonstrates that fragment resolution, and thus sensitivity of REF, can be markedly improved by electrophoresis under partially denaturing, rather than nondenaturing, conditions, for genes with a high G+C content. A 2. 1-kb segment of the p53 tumor suppressor gene (54.5% G+C) containing exons 5-9, including the intervening introns, was screened in a blinded analysis of 48 samples from human breast tumors containing known wild-type or mutant p53 genes. In gels containing 0.5 M urea, 97% of the mutant samples were detected correctly, and more than 80% of the mutations were localized within a 200-bp region. In the process of this methodological analysis, it was discovered that: (1) there are two common and four uncommon haplotypes; (2) the two common haplotypes occurred in the three races examined, suggesting an ancient origin; and (3) haplotype II is of substantially higher frequency in the Chinese relative to Japanese (P = 0.023) and Caucasians (P = 0.005). Two other improvements in the REF procedure included (1) the selection of an optimal set of restriction endonucleases by new software (REF Select) developed recently in our laboratory; and (2) the addition of an oligonucleotide "tail," containing two recognition sequences for restriction endonucleases, to the PCR primers to prevent coterminal fragments at the end of amplified products. These modifications facilitate the use of REF for efficient and sensitive mutation screening in p53 and other genes with a high G+C content.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1999

Bradykinin pretreatment improves ischemia tolerance of the rabbit heart by tyrosine kinase mediated pathways.

BACKGROUND: Depressed myocardial performance is an important clinical problem after open-heart surgery. We hypothesized that: (1) pretreating the heart with bradykinin improves postischemic performance, and (2) bradykinin activates protein tyrosine kinase (TK). METHODS: Twenty-seven adult rabbit hearts underwent retrograde perfusion with Krebs-Henseleit buffer (KHB) followed by 50 min of 37 degrees C cardioplegic ischemia with St. Thomas' cardioplegia solution (StTCP). Ten control hearts received no pretreatment. Ten bradykinin-pretreated hearts received a 10-minute infusion of 0.1 microM bradykinin-enriched KHB and cardioplegic arrest with 0.1 microM bradykinin-enriched StTCP. Seven others received 40 microM Genistein (Research Biochemicals, Natick, MA), a selective inhibitor of TK, added to both the 0.1-microM bradykinin-enriched KHB and 0.1-microM bradykinin-enriched StTCP solutions. RESULTS: Bradykinin pretreatment significantly improved postischemic myocardial performance and coronary flow (CF) compared with control (left ventricular developed pressure: 53 +/- 5 vs 27 +/- 4 mm Hg; +dP/dt(max): 1,025 +/- 93 vs 507 +/- 85 mm Hg/s; CF: 31 +/- 3 vs 22 +/- 2 mL/min; p < 0.05). Inhibition of TK with Genistein prevented this improvement in myocardial function, resulting in recovery equivalent to untreated controls. CONCLUSIONS: Bradykinin pretreatment may be an important new strategy for improving myocardial protection during heart surgery. The molecular mechanism of action may be similar to those activated by ischemic preconditioning.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The voltammetric behavior of bone marrow of leukaemia and its clinical application.

The electrochemical voltammetric behavior of bone marrow of leukaemia has been investigated by a self-devised cytosensing system. The two anodic peaks of erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBC) in bone marrow of leukaemia appeared at 0.73 +/- 0.03 and 0.83 +/- 0.02V vs. SCE, respectively, on the first scan. The anodic peak of leukocytes (white blood cells, WBC) appeared at 0.32 +/- 0.03V vs. SCE. The anodic peak of RBC at 0.83V disappeared when the patients were cured. The experimental results show that the voltammetric behavior of erythrocytes is in constant contact with the initial stage of leukaemia. The cyclic voltammetric behavior of 40 cases of leukaemia including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and 10 cases of healthy volunteer peripheral blood was studied. The cyclic voltammetric behavior of erythrocytes may provide a simple and specific marker for diagnosis of leukaemia.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1999

Voltammetric behavior of mammalian tumor cells and bioanalytical applications in cell metabolism.

The voltammetric behavior of human mammalian cells was studied by choosing human leukemia cells (HL60) and human erythroleukemia cells (HEL). The voltammetric response of the cells was found having relation with cell metabolic viability in culture course. For example, the fluctuations of peak currents of HL60 were parallel with the nutrients replenished or not, which can reflect cell health state; the voltammetric response of HL60 regulated by the anti-metabolic drug 5F-Uriacil (5F-U) in culture course behaved in a much decreased manner, by which a voltammetric method for evaluating cytotoxicity is proposed. In this paper, the relation between HEL cell metabolism and the activation of receptor Mpl by its ligand TPO was also studied. Moreover, the mechanism of cell voltammetric behavior was discussed.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed1999

Calcium Quantitation with a Parallel Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy/Cooled Charge-Coupled Device/200 keV System.

: We evaluated factors affected the accuracy and precision of quantitating trace concentration of Ca with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). These factors include internal reflection in the spectrometer, precision of correlation between standards and experimental spectra, and radiation damage-induced spectral changes. We present methods of correcting for these effects and improving the reliability of trace Ca quantitation. A two-step fitting procedure is described that improves the retrieval of small Ca signals from the large background common to biological specimens. After optimizing the experimental conditions and data processing procedures, our current system can detect about 2.2 mmol/kg Ca in a 730-Å thick specimen at a total dose of about 410 nA. sec at 95% confidence level by fitting the first difference spectra. Because of the 0.1% residual gain variation after gain normalization, the first difference spectrum fitting is still the preferred method for trace Ca quantitation. Our study also demonstrates the clear advantage of using a 200 keV system, instead of 120 keV or lower accelerating voltages, for EELS analysis of relatively thick biological cryosections.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Protein phosphatase 1 modulation of neostriatal AMPA channels: regulation by DARPP-32 and spinophilin.

Modulation of AMPA-type glutamate channels is important for synaptic plasticity. Here we provide physiological evidence that the activity of AMPA channels is regulated by protein phosphatase 1 (PP-1) in neostriatal neurons and identify two distinct molecular mechanisms of this regulation. One mechanism involves control of PP-1 catalytic activity by DARPP-32, a dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein highly enriched in neostriatum. The other involves binding of PP-1 to spinophilin, a protein that colocalizes PP-1 with AMPA receptors in postsynaptic densities. The results suggest that regulation of anchored PP-1 is important for AMPA-receptor-mediated synaptic transmission and plasticity.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The effects of tetramethylpyrazine on the incidence of arrhythmias and the release of PGI2 and TXA2 in the ischemic rat heart.

Pretreatment with tetramethylpyrazine (TMP, 12 mg/kg/day), a drug originally derived from the rhizomes of Ligusticum wallichii, significantly reduced the incidence of ischemia-induced ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation (VF) from 100% and 50% of control hearts to 41% (p < 0.05) and 0% (p < 0.05), respectively, in the ischemic rat heart. TMP also diminished the incidence of reperfusion-induced VT and VF from 100% and 100% of control hearts to 33% (p < 0.05) and 41% (p < 0.05), respectively. Pretreatment with TMP produced a slight, but significant increase of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and a decrease of TXB2 production during aerobic perfusion. Ischemia and reperfusion markedly increased the release of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TXB2. Pretreatment with TMP significantly enhanced the release of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and diminished TXB2 outflow following left coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Output of a neuronal population code.

In the population coding framework, we consider how the response distributions affect output distribution. A general theory for the output of neuronal population code is presented when the spike train is a renewal process. Under a given condition on the response distribution, the most probable value of the output distribution is the center of input-preferred values, whereas in the other cases the most improbable value of the output distribution is the center of input-preferred values or there are no most probable states. Depending on the exact form of the response distributions, the variance of the output distributions can either enlarge or reduce the tuning width of the tuning curves.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Transmembrane ICa contributes to rate-dependent changes of action potentials in human ventricular myocytes.

The mechanism of action potential abbreviation caused by increasing rate in human ventricular myocytes is unknown. The present study was designed to determine the potential role of Ca2+ current (ICa) in the rate-dependent changes in action potential duration (APD) in human ventricular cells. Myocytes isolated from the right ventricle of explanted human hearts were studied at 36 degreesC with whole cell voltage and current-clamp techniques. APD at 90% repolarization decreased by 36 +/- 4% when frequency increased from 0.5 to 2 Hz. Equimolar substitution of Mg2+ for Ca2+ significantly decreased rate-dependent changes in APD (to 6 +/- 3%, P < 0.01). Peak ICa was decreased by 34 +/- 3% from 0.5 to 2 Hz (P < 0.01), and ICa had recovery time constants of 65 +/- 12 and 683 +/- 39 ms at -80 mV. Action potential clamp demonstrated a decreasing contribution of ICa during the action potential as rate increased. The rate-dependent slow component of the delayed rectifier K+ current (IKs) was not observed in four cells with an increase in frequency from 0.5 to 3.3 Hz, perhaps because the IKs is so small that the increase at a high rate could not be seen. These results suggest that reduction of Ca2+ influx during the action potential accounts for most of the rate-dependent abbreviation of human ventricular APD.

Action Potentials↗