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Biomedical subjects

J Flores

Publications and source records attributed to J Flores.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

The protective effect of hyperosmotic mannitol in myocardial ischemia and necrosis.

Morphologic and hemodynamic changes that occur following coronary occlusion are examined. The effectiveness of hyperosmotic mannitol in lessening the extent of myocardial damage is assessed and mechanisms for its action discussed. Forty and 60 min of coronary vascular occlusion followed by 15 and 45 min of reflow were associated with a persistence of ischemia following reflow of blood, as established by infusions of silastic into the aortic root. Electron microscopic studies demonstrated myocardial and endothelial cell swelling at the end of the reflow period. The process of cell swelling appeared to be initiated during the period of arterial occlusion. This cell swelling was reduced by elevation of serum osmolality by 30-40 mOsm above control with the administration of mannitol during and following occlusion. There was an associated 40-50% reduction of vascular resistance following occlusion if mannitol was administered. In addition, the extent of necrosis, which was widespread in untreated hearts 12 hours after occlusion, was strikingly less in the hearts of dogs which received mannitol. Thus, in ischemic myocardium, elevation of osmolality by mannitol reduces myocardial necrosis, probably through its restoration of normal cell volume.

Animals↗

Activation of adenylate cyclase by cholera toxin in rat liver homogenates.

The effect of cholera toxin on adenylate cyclase from rat liver has been studied in a broken cell preparation. The activation of the enzyme in this in vitro preparation requires the addition of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) to the incubation medium and the presence of cell components other than the membrane-bound adenylate cyclase. Once the activation of the cyclase is produced, the effect persists despite repeated washing or solubilization of the enzyme. The effect can be obtained with concentrations of cholera toxin as low as 0.4 nM after 15 min of incubation at 22 degrees C, and stimulation can be detected after only 5 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. The activation of the enzyme is still apparent after at least 2 h at 0 degrees C. Preincubation with choleragenoid in vitro does not interfere with this effect of the toxin. Animals pretreated by an intravenous injection of cholera toxin do not respond to the in vitro addition of cholera toxin and NAD to the same extent as untreated animals; i.e., the effects overlap to suggest that the in vitro effect is the same as that in vivo. Responses to isoproterenol, glucagon, and NaF were also similar in the in vitro broken cell-activated system, as previously reported for the enzyme activated in vivo.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Sequence of events in the activation of adenylate cyclase by cholera toxin.

The toxin of Vibrio Cholera causes fluid secretion from the small intestine by stimulation of adenylate cyclase and elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP concentrations. The toxin is a protein composed of subunits responsible for binding to cell membranes and a subunit responsible for the activation of adenylate cyclase. The binding subunits (B) are non-covalently bonded to the active subunit (A). The latter is composed of two polypeptides A1 and A2 linked by a disulphide bridge. Exposure of the intestine to toxin results in rapid binding to the brush border membrane. Thence follows a gradual increase in adenylate cyclase activity, and stimulation of electrolyte and fluid secretion. Enzyme localization studies show that the brush border does not contain adenylate cyclase. Thus the stimulation of adenylate cyclase by toxin which interacts with the brush border must be indirect. From recent studies it seems that an activator of adenylate cyclase can be found in cytosol from toxin-treated cells. Incubation of toxin with cytosol or dithiothreitol results similarly in the formation of an activator. Preincubation of toxin with cytosol results in more rapid activation of adenylate cyclase in liver cell membranes than direct addition of cytosol and toxin. Preincubation of cholera toxin for activation, by cytosol, is presumed to be due to the splitting of the disulphide band between the A1 and A2 components of the active subunit. The stimulatory ability resides in A1 and both A1 and NAD are required for the activation of adenylate cyclase. The toxin-stimulated adenylate cyclase has similar characteristics to the enzyme stimulated by non-hydrolysable analogs of GTP such as guanylylimidodiphosphate (GppNHp). Stimulation by either cholera or GppNHp is irreversible, the responses to catecholamines are enhanced and the enzyme can be solubilized in the activated state.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Effects of hyperosmotic mannitol in reducing ischemic cell swelling and minimizing myocardial necrosis.

Impaired metabolism interferes with the active extrusion of intracellular sodium and results in intracellular edema. In the brain and regionally in the kidney, elevation of extracellular osmolality is accompanied by a reduction of ischemic cell swelling and improvement of reflow of blood after arterial occlusion. Studies were therefore performed to examine the effect of elevation of extracellular osmolality on ischemic myocardial physiology and by morphologic examination on the extent of acute injury and subsequent necrosis. Under conditions of controlled hemodynamics, administration of hyperosmotic mannitol resulted in improvement of function of the canine heart with regional ischemia, a lessening of the extent of ischemic injury assessed by electrocardiographic ST segment mapping, and improved total and collateral blood flow. Metabolic studies under conditions of controlled hemodynamics revealed that hyperosmotic mannitol reduced the myocardial oxygen requirement of the ischemic heart. Mannitol dilated large collateral conductance vessels in addition to improving blood flow through the region of myocardial ischemia. Under conditions of ischemia induced by a prolonged reduction in coronary perfusion, hyperosmotic mannitol attenuated the progressive rise in vascular resistance. Direct morphologic examination of areas of myocardium subjected to total interruption of blood flow followed by reflow of blood revealed swelling of both myocardial and capillary endothelial cells early during the reflow period. The extent of swelling was substantially reduced with elevation of the extracellular osmolality with mannitol. Simarilty, osmolality elevation strikingly reduced the extent of eventual myocardial necrosis following prolonged periods of reflow of blood.

Animals↗

Stimulation of osmotic water flow in toad bladder by prostaglandin E1. Evidence for different compartments of cyclic AMP.

The effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on osmotic water flow across toad bladder and cyclic AMP content of the mucosal epithelial cells has been determined under basal conditions and in the presence of either theophylline or antidiuretic hormone (ADH); Under basal conditions and with PGE1 concentrations from 10(-8) to 10(-5) M no evidence of stimulation of water flow was observed, and with 10(-7) M PGE1 a significant inhibition was foundmcyclic AMP content under control conditions was 8 pmol/mg protein. It was 9 at 10(-8) M PGE1, 13 at 10(-7) M, 16 at 10(-6) M, and 23 at 10(-5) M. In the presence of theophylline, 10(-8) and 10(-7) M PGE1 inhibited the theophylline-induced water flow as expected. In contrast, 10(-6) and 10(-5) M PGE1 enhanced the rate of water flow. Theophylline increased cyclic AMP content from 8 to 18 pmol/mg protein. PGE1 in the presence of theophylline caused marked increases in cyclic AMP content; The content was 23 at 10(-7) M, 41 at 10(-6) M, and 130 at 10(-5) M; Thus PGE1 stimulates theophylline-induced water flow at cyclic AMP concentrations somewhere between 23 and 41 pmol/mg. Further evidence along these lines was obtained from experiments in which the effects of PGE1 on ADH-induced water flow were studied. Inhibitory effects of PGE1 were not observed at concentrations of PGE1 which raised the level of intracellular cyclic AMP to 30 pmol/mg protein or higher. These results were obtained despite the fact that all four concentrations of PGE1 tested were found capable of inhibiting ADH-induced water flow under appropriate conditions or, in other words, were inhibiting the adenylate cyclase controlling water flow, Thus the increase in cyclic AMP content in response to PGE1 is not derived from this enzyme. Thus the stimulation of water flow by PGE1 in the presence of theophylline is thought to be caused by cyclic AMP spilling over from one compartment to the water flow compartment. No evidence was obtained to directly suggest spillover into the sodium transport compartment. Furthermore evidence is discussed to suggest that most of the cyclic AMP generated in the tissue does not originate from the enzyme controlling sodium transport. As cyclic AMP-stimulated water flow and sodium transport are thought to occur in one cell type, the granular cells, distinct pools of cyclic AMP are thought to be present in one and the same cell type. Thus one pool controls water flow and one controls sodium transport. With high concentrations of PGE1 in the presence of theophylline or high concentrations of ADH, the adenylate cyclase responsible for water flow is inhibited; However, PGE1 can stimulate a tissue adenylate cyclase to sufficiently high levels that cyclic AMP spills over into the "water flow compartment" and thus stimulates water flow.

Animals↗

Effects of cholera toxin on adenylate cyclase. Studies with guanylylimidodiphosphate.

Similarities exist between the properties of adenylate cyclase after stimulation by cholera toxin and after stimulation by guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp-(NH)p). Thus a strong stimulation is achieved by both agents, the stimulation is essentially irreversible, the action of certain hormones is enhanced and the enzyme can be solublized with Lubrol PX in the activated state. Because of these similarities the interaction of cholera toxin and Gpp(NH)p on adenylate cyclase was examined. It was found that prior activation of rat liver adenylate cyclase by cholera toxin in vivo, or by cholera toxin and NAD in homogenates, blocked the stimulatory effect of Gpp(NH)p. Furthermore under conditions in which the effect of Gpp(NH)p was less than that of cholera toxin, inhibition of stimulation by cholera toxin was seen. Stimulation of adenylate cyclase by maximal concentrations of Gpp(NH)p, but not by submaximal concentrations, blocked the stimulatory effect of cholera toxin. The mutant interference of the actions of these two agents suggests a common target in the regulatory mechanism of the adenylate cyclase complex.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Studies on the mode of action of cholera toxin. Effects on solubilized adenylate cyclase.

To gain further insight into the mechanism of action of cholera toxin, solubilized preparations of adenylate cyclase from control and toxin-treated rat livers were studied. Adenylate cyclase activity was measured in both particulate and solubilized form in rat liver under control conditions and after intravenous injection of cholera toxin. Cholera toxin caused a 3.3-fold activation of adenylate cyclase in the particulate preparation and a 5.8-fold increase in the solubilized preparation. Thus, the ability of cholera toxin to stimulate adenylate cyclase is present even when the enzyme membrane environment is disrupted. Furthermore, the solubilized enzyme, after treatment with cholera toxin, retained its ability to respond to catecholamines, but not to glucagon. In contrast, the control enzyme lost its responsiveness to catecholamines and glucagon after solubilization.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

The role of cell swelling in ischemic renal damage and the protective effect of hypertonic solute.

The failure of blood flow to return to the kidney following a transient period of ischemia has long been recognized. The cause of this "no-reflow" has been investigated in the rat after a transient period of total obstruction of the renal arteries. The vascular pattern of the kidneys as visualized with silicone rubber injection shows a diffuse patchy ischemia throughout the kidney, which persists after release of the obstructed renal artery. Electron microscopic studies of ischemic kidneys showed that all cellular elements were swollen and limiting the available vascular space. Functional studies revealed an increase in plasma urea nitrogen and creatinine after 1 hr or longer ischemic periods. The ischemia, cell swelling, "no-reflow," and subsequent renal dysfunction occurring after obstruction to the renal arteries were corrected by the administration of hypertonic mannitol, but were unaffected by an equivalent expansion of the extracellular fluid volume either with isotonic saline or isotonic mannitol, showing that the osmotic effect was primary. The hypothesis is presented that ischemic swelling of cells may occlude small blood vessels so that recirculation does not resume even after the initial cause of the ischemia is no longer present; solutes which do not penetrate cell membranes are able to shrink swollen cells, increase the available vascular space and thus permit reflow of blood to the ischemic organ.

Animals↗