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Biomedical subjects

J He

Publications and source records attributed to J He.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

The contribution of urinary cations to the blood pressure differences associated with migration.

People living in unacculturated societies have a low average blood pressure and little rise in blood pressure with age. In a community-based survey in southwestern China, the authors assessed the contribution of urinary cation excretion to differences in blood pressure between an unacculturated group (Yi farmers) and migrants to an urban environment, as well as urban controls from a different ethnic group (Han). In March 1989, blood pressure and overnight urinary electrolyte levels were measured on 3 consecutive days in 313 Yi farmers, 265 Yi migrants, and 253 urban Han residents, all male. Of the urinary electrolytes, a higher sodium:potassium ratio best explained the higher blood pressure in the migrants. Yi farmers had lower systolic (106.7 mmHg vs. 114.8 mmHg, respectively) and diastolic (66.2 mmHg vs. 71.3 mmHg, respectively) blood pressures than Yi migrants. However, even after adjustment for age, body mass index, alcohol intake, and urinary sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium excretion, Yi farmers continued to have lower average blood pressures than Yi migrants. In pooled analyses of all three groups, urinary sodium and calcium were positively related and urinary potassium and magnesium were inversely related to blood pressure. Migration is associated with a higher blood pressure that is only partially explained by higher levels of adiposity and alcohol and sodium intake and lower levels of potassium and magnesium intake.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Effect of long-term zidovudine exposure on salvage and de novo purine and pyrimidine nucleotide syntheses.

Salvage and de novo purine and pyrimidine nucleotide syntheses were studied in H9 (a human lymphoid cell line) and H9-AZT cells (chronically zidovudine-exposed H9 cells). H9-AZT cells incorporated 18% and 27% more hypoxanthine and uridine, respectively, than H9 cells. The incorporation of the formate and bicarbonate was similar in both cell lines. Purine and pyrimidine de novo synthesis was inhibited by hypoxanthine and uridine, respectively. Hypoxanthine and uridine salvage pathways, however, were not affected by formate or bicarbonate. Short-term AZT exposure of cells had no effect on nucleotide synthesis. Some of the problems encountered in the studies of purine and pyrimidine synthesis are also discussed.

Bicarbonates↗
PubMed1995

Altered subcellular location of an activated and tumour-associated epidermal growth factor receptor.

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is a membrane bound tyrosine kinase whose activity is initiated by ligand binding. The malignant brain tumour glioblastoma frequently shows amplification and rearrangements of the EGF receptor gene that are associated with the synthesis of a constitutively activated tyrosine kinase, lacking amino acids 6-273 near the protein's N-terminus. When expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, this mutant receptor (p140EGFR) displays ligand-independent tyrosine kinase activity, stimulates DNA synthesis, and promotes cell proliferation. Here, we investigate the subcellular location of p140EGFR in CHO cell transfectants as well as in human glioblastoma tumours. p140EGFR had an intracellular location that contrasted sharply with the plasma membrane location of the wild-type EGF receptor. Endoglycosidase H sensitivity analysis and the pattern of p140EGFR immunoreactivity suggested that the aberrant tyrosine kinase resided primarily in the endoplasmic reticulum. The half-life of p140EGFR in the endoplasmic reticulum was extended several-fold over that of the ligand-activated wild-type receptor. The altered subcellular location of p140EGFR in combination with its prolonged half-life suggest that this activated tyrosine kinase may escape the regulatory mechanisms utilized for the attenuation of wild-type receptor signaling. Therefore, the previously reported growth stimulatory property of the ligand-independent p140EGFR may be attributed to a sustained tyrosine kinase activity resulting from an altered subcellular location.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Sequence specificity and transcriptional activation in the binding of lactoferrin to DNA.

Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein found in high concentrations in human milk and other epithelial secretions and in the secondary (specific) granules of neutrophils, is thought to be responsible for primary defence against microbial infection, mainly as a result of lactoferrin sequestration of iron required for microbial growth. Many other functions have been attributed to lactoferrin, including immunomodulation and cell growth regulation (reviewed in ref. 4). Some of these functions appear to be at least in part independent of the iron-binding activity of lactoferrin. It also has been consistently observed that lactoferrin interacts avidly with nucleic acids. Lactoferrin enhancement of the activity of natural killer and lymphokine-activated killer cells in vitro is inhibited by RNA and DNA. Lactoferrin taken up by K562 human myelogenous leukaemia cells appears in the nucleus where it is bound to DNA. We report here that binding of lactoferrin to DNA occurs under stringent conditions with distinct sequence specificity, and that interaction between lactoferrin and these sequences intracellularly leads to transcriptional activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Significance of the spinal cord position in spinal cord stimulation.

The effects of the antero-posterior and medio-lateral positions of the spinal cord in the dural sac on the perception threshold and paresthesia coverage in spinal cord stimulation were analyzed. The distributions of the dorsal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) layer thickness, measured from transverse MR scans of normal subjects at various spinal levels, were used to calculate the distributions of threshold voltages for the stimulation of spinal nerve fibers by a computer model. These theoretical threshold distributions were shown to fit well to the corresponding distributions of perception threshold measured in patients. It is concluded that the thickness of the dorsal csf layer is the main factor determining the perception threshold and paresthesia coverage in spinal cord stimulation: an increasing thickness raises the threshold and reduces the coverage, and vice versa. The effects of an asymmetrical electrode position with respect to the spinal cord midline were also analyzed by computer modeling. It is concluded that a lateral asymmetry of less than 1 mm gives a significant reduction of perception threshold and may result in unilateral paresthesiae.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

cDNA sequence and differential mRNA regulation of two forms of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor in Schwann cells and rat skeletal muscle.

Total RNA from rat Schwann cells grown in culture and adult rat skeletal muscle was reverse transcribed, amplified for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) messenger RNA (mRNA) using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the PCR products sequenced. Two forms of GDNF were detected in the PCR step, one of a predicted size (GDNF633) and a second smaller form missing a 78-base pair sequence (GDNF555). Sequence analysis demonstrated that GDNF633 is similar to the published sequence of GDNF differing only at three nucleotides. Southern and Northern blot analyses reveal that the two forms are probably derived from a single RNA species that is alternatively spliced. Interestingly, GDNF633 mRNA was found to be selectively upregulated in denervated rat skeletal muscle at 1-2 weeks following axotomy, providing evidence that the innervation status of the muscle may determine the expression profile of the two alternatively spliced forms. Given these findings, we suggest that GDNF may function as a target-derived trophic factor for neuronal populations innervating skeletal muscle, including sensory neurons and spinal cord motoneurons.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effect of propylene glycol 1,2-dinitrate on cerebral blood flow in rats: a potential biomarker for vascular headache?

Two measurable indices of toxicity that can be correlated with exposure to propylene glycol dinitrate (PGDN) were evaluated along with its metabolism. Propylene glycol dinitrate was administered by rapid i.v. injection to male Fischer-344 rats. These rats demonstrated a dose-response of blood pressure (BP) to doses of PGDN ranging from 0.1 to 30 mg/kg; the maximum fall in systolic BP occurred within 1 min of dosing. The i.v. administration of PGDN to separate groups of animals resulted in an increase in cerebral blood flow that was correlated with the dose, but a clear dose-response was not obtained.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Exercise-induced changes in R wave amplitude and heart rate in normal subjects.

An intermittent exercise protocol on a treadmill was used to examine six healthy subjects, and a steady protocol was applied to three of the subjects before and after short-term training. The peak blood velocity in the common carotid artery increased by 73.1% during the intermittent protocol and recovered to resting level within 3 minutes, while the heart rate (HR) remained high even 5 minutes after exercise. R wave amplitude (RWA) increased significantly from 1.40 +/- 0.39 mV at rest to 1.59 +/- 0.33 mV (P < .05) immediately after the start of walking, and decreased gradually to 1.46 +/- 0.36 mV (P < .05) during 3 minutes of walking. Thus, it decreased significantly to 1.31 +/- 0.40 mV (P < .01) during the interphase from exercise to rest, and increased again during recovery or rest periods in the intermittent protocol. The results suggest that an increase in the venous return per heart beat at the start of walking induces the increase in RWA, and that its abrupt decrease at the end of walking induces the decrease in RWA. Subjects with a higher HR response and recovery slopes have smaller abrupt changes in RWA at the interphases between rest and walking. The gradual decrease in RWA during walking may be related to a gradual increase in HR and a gradual decrease in systemic peripheral resistance, and the gradual increase in RWA after walking may be related to a gradual decrease in HR and a gradual increase in systemic peripheral resistance.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Assembly of VP26 in herpes simplex virus-1 inferred from structures of wild-type and recombinant capsids.

The 1250 A diameter herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) capsid shell consists of four major structural proteins, of which VP26 (approximately 12,000 M(r)) is the smallest. Using 400 kV electron cryomicroscopy and computer reconstruction, we have determined the three-dimensional structures of the wild-type capsid and a recombinant baculovirus-generated HSV-1 capsid which lacks VP26. Their difference map demonstrates the presence of VP26 hexamers attached to all the hexons in the wild-type capsid, and reveals that the VP26 molecule consists of a large and a small domain. Although both hexons and pentons are predominantly composed of VP5, VP26 is not present on the penton. Based on the interactions involving VP26 and the hexon subunits, we propose a mechanism for VP26 assembly which would account for its distribution. Possible roles of VP26 in capsid stability and DNA packaging are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Oats and buckwheat intakes and cardiovascular disease risk factors in an ethnic minority of China.

The relationship of oats and buckwheat intake to cardiovascular disease risk factors was studied in 850 Yi people, an ethnic minority in southwest China. Blood pressure was measured on 3 consecutive days. Serum total cholesterol, high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured after a 14-h fast. Oats and buckwheat intakes were assessed by questionnaire. In multiple-regression analysis, oats intake (100 g/d) was associated with lower body mass index (-0.25, in kg/m2; P < 0.05), systolic (-3.1 mm Hg, P < 0.001) and diastolic (-1.3 mm Hg, P < 0.01) blood pressure, and HDL cholesterol (-0.13 mmol/L, P < 0.001). Buckwheat intake (100 g/d) was associated with lower serum total cholesterol (-0.07 mmol/L, P < 0.01) and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.06 mmol/L, P < 0.05) and a higher ratio of HDL to total cholesterol (0.01, P < 0.05). These findings suggest a role for oats and buckwheat consumption in the prevention and treatment of both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Dietary macronutrients and blood pressure in southwestern China.

OBJECTIVES: To study the relationship between dietary macronutrients and blood pressure. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Liangshan, southwestern China. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred and twelve Yi farmers living in a remote mountainous area, and 264 Yi migrants and 251 Han people living in an urban setting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Blood pressure and dietary nutrient intake, obtained by asking the subjects to recall their nutrient consumption during the previous 24 h, were measured on three consecutive days. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, body mass index, alcohol use, urinary excretion of sodium, total energy intake and area of residence and after correcting for the effects of regression dilution bias, a 1 SD higher intake of dietary total protein (39 g) was associated with lower systolic (-3.55 mmHg), and diastolic (-2.16 mmHg) blood pressures. Likewise, a 1 SD higher fiber intake (10 g) was significantly associated both with a lower systolic (-2.20 mmHg) and with a lower diastolic (-2.08 mmHg) blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Diets higher in protein and fiber content are associated with a lower blood pressure in the present population sample. The present results indicate that dietary intake of macronutrients might be important in the development and prevention of high blood pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis E virus among healthy individuals in southern Taiwan.

The seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among 997 healthy individuals aged 6 to 84 years, collected between July 1993 and June 1994 at Kaohsiung-Pingtung area in Southern Taiwan was studied. Of the study populations of vegetable farmers, elementary school children, volunteer blood donors and college students, the prevalence of IgG anti-HEV ranged from 6.4% to 8.8%. In suburban elemantary school children of Mang-Chou Village at Pingtung-Hsien, the seroprevalence rate (9.6%) was significantly higher than the positive rate (1.5%) found in rural aboriginal elementary school of San-Min Village at Kaohsiung-Hsien. IgG anti-HEV antibodies were widely distributed among all age groups, with a significantly higher percentage (13.1%) in the age group of 46-55 years old.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Purification of a baculovirus-expressed hepatitis E virus structural protein and utility in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

We report on the purification of the full-length structural protein encoded by open reading frame 2 (ORF-2) of hepatitis E virus. The ORF-2 protein, expressed in Sf9 cells by using a recombinant baculovirus vector system, was successfully purified to homogeneity. Gel electrophoresis of the purified ORF-2 protein showed a single polypeptide of 75 kDa by Coomassie blue staining and by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis. We demonstrated that the partially purified ORF-2 protein could be used successfully in a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies to hepatitis E virus.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viral protein R (Vpr) arrests cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle by inhibiting p34cdc2 activity.

The Vpr accessory gene product of human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 and simian immunodeficiency virus is believed to play a role in permitting entry of the viral core into the nucleus of nondividing cells. A second role for Vpr was recently suggested by Rogel et al. (M. E. Rogel, L. I. Wu, and M. Emerman, J. Virol. 69:882-888, 1995), who showed that Vpr prevents the establishment in vitro of chronically infected HIV producer cell lines, apparently by causing infected cells to arrest in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. In cycling cells, progression from G2 to M phase is driven by activation of the p34cdc2/cyclin B complex, an event caused, in part, by dephosphorylation of two regulatory amino acids of p34cdc2 (Thr-14 and Tyr-15). We show here that Vpr arrests the cell cycle in G2 by preventing the activation of the p34cdc2/cyclin B complex. Vpr expression in cells caused p34cdc2 to remain in the phosphorylated, inactive state, p34cdc2/cyclin B complexes immunoprecipitated from cells expressing Vpr were almost completely inactive in a histone H1 kinase assay. Coexpression of a constitutively active mutant p34cdc2 molecule with Vpr relieved the G2 arrest. These findings strongly suggest that Vpr arrests cells in G2 by preventing the activation of the p34cdc2/cyclin B complex that is required for entry into M phase. In vivo, Vpr might, by preventing p34cdc2 activation, delay or prevent apoptosis of infected cells. This would increase the amount of virus each infected cell produced.

CDC2 Protein Kinase↗