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Biomedical subjects

J K Walker

Publications and source records attributed to J K Walker.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Renin-angiotensin system stimulates respiration during acute hypotension but not during hypercapnia.

We reported that intravenous infusion of angiotensin II (ANG II) stimulated ventilation (VE) in conscious dogs. Other studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that increases in respiration occurred in association with activation of the renin-angiotensin system during acute hypotension and during hypercapnia. Therefore, in conscious dogs (n = 5), we examined the effects of ANG II receptor blockade with intravenous saralasin (0.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) on respiratory responses during progressive nitroprusside-induced hypotension and during the ventilatory response to increased inspired fraction of CO2 (VRC). During hypotension (mean arterial pressure decreased approximately 20%) combined with ANG II receptor blockade, VE, heart rate, and arginine vasopressin increases were attenuated compared within unblocked studies. With ANG II receptor blockade during hypotension, alveolar ventilation and arterial PCO2 (PaCO2) were unchanged, which contrasted with a doubling of alveolar ventilation and a decrease of 4.8 +/- 1 Torr in PaCO2 in unblocked studies. During hypercapnia, the slope of the VRC was not affected by ANG II receptor blockade, but with 6.5% inspired CO2 fraction, VE and PaCO2 were lower than in unblocked studies. These results indicated that ANG II contributed to the respiratory response to a modest hypotension but did not affect respiratory sensitivity to CO2.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

Relationship between the oxidation potential of benzene metabolites and their inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis in L5178YS cells.

The effects of benzene and its metabolites on the rate of DNA synthesis were measured in the mouse lymphoma cell line, L5178YS. The direct toxicity of benzene could be distinguished from that of its metabolites since bioactivation of benzene in L5178YS cells was not observed. Cells were exposed to benzene, phenol, catechol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, or 1,2,4-benzenetriol over the range of 1.0 X 10(-7) to 1.0 X 10(-2) M for 30 min, and the rate of DNA synthesis was measured at various times after chemical washout. Cell viability and protein synthesis were determined by trypan blue dye exclusion and [3H]leucine incorporation, respectively. Effects were designated as "DNA specific" when DNA synthesis was inhibited in the absence of discernible effects on cell membrane integrity and protein synthesis. Concentrations of benzene as high as 1 mM had no effect on DNA synthesis. Comparison of the effects at the maximum nontoxic dose for each compound showed that catechol and hydroquinone were the most effective, inhibiting DNA synthesis by 65%. Phenol, benzoquinone, and benzenetriol inhibited DNA synthesis by approximately 40%. Maximum inhibition was observed 60 min after metabolite washout in each case. Benzoquinone was the most potent inhibitor of DNA synthesis, followed by hydroquinone, benzenetriol, catechol, and phenol with ED50 values of 5 X 10(-6), 1 X 10(-5), 1.8 X 10(-4), 2.5 X 10(-4), and 8.0 X 10(-4), respectively. Cyclic voltammetric experiments were performed on the hydroxylated metabolites of benzene to assess the possible involvement of a redox-type mechanism in their inhibition of DNA synthesis. The ease of oxidation of these metabolites correlated with their ED50 values for inhibition of DNA synthesis (r = 0.997). This suggests that oxidation of phenol or one of its metabolites may be necessary for production of the species involved in inhibition of DNA synthesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Structure of a pleiomeric form of poly d(AT):poly d(AT).

A chemically simple polynucleotide duplex, poly d(AT):poly d(AT), has been trapped in a fibrous form with a complex helical secondary structure with a large (7.4 nm) axial repeat 24 nucleotides long. The motif which is repeated by the symmetry elements is a hexanucleotide in which two residues (both TpA) have the less common gauche minus conformation at C3'-O3' and consequently distinctive phosphate orientations. This reinforces earlier conclusions that PypPu nucleotides tend to have different shapes from PupPy nucleotides and that DNA surfaces may signal what base sequences lie beneath them. The morphological differences between this pleiomeric DNA polymer and closely-related, but more symmetrical allomorphs are just as great as those observed in short DNA fragments in crystals.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1983

Wrinkled DNA.

The B form of poly d(GC):poly d(GC) in orthorhombic microcrystallites in oriented fibers has a secondary structure in which a dinucleotide is the repeated motif rather than a mononucleotide as in standard, smooth B DNA. One set of nucleotides (probably GpC) has the same conformations as the smooth form but the alternate (CpG) nucleotides have a different conformation at C3'-O3'. This leads to a distinctive change in the orientation of the phosphate groups. Similar perturbations can be detected in other poly d(PuPy):poly d(PuPy) DNAs such as poly d(IC):poly d(IC) and poly d(AT):poly d(AT) in their D forms which have tetragonal crystal environments. This suggests that such perturbations are intrinsic to all stretches of duplex DNA where purines and pyrimidines alternate and may play a role in the detection and exploitation of such sequences by regulatory proteins.

DNA↗
PubMed1983

New wrinkles on polynucleotide duplexes.

Most fibrous polynucleotides of general sequence exhibit secondary structures that are described adequately by regular helices with a repeated motif of only one nucleotide. Such helices exploit the fact that A:T, T:A, G:C, and C:G pairs are essentially isomorphous and have dyadically-related glycosylic bonds. Polynucleotides with regularly repeated base-sequences sometimes assume secondary structures with larger repeated motifs which reflect these base-sequences. The dinucleotide units of the Z-like forms of poly d(As4T):poly d(As4T), poly d(AC):poly d(GT) and poly d(GC):poly d(GC) are dramatic instances of this phenomenon. The wrinkled B and D forms of poly d(GC):poly d(GC) and poly d(AT):poly d(AT) are just as significant but more subtle examples. It is possible also to trap more exotic secondary structures in which the molecular asymmetric unit is even larger. There is, for example, a tetragonal form of poly d(AT):poly d(AT) which has unit cell dimensions a = b = 1.71nm, c = 7.40nm, gamma = 90 degrees. The c dimension corresponds to the pitch of a molecular helix which accommodates 24 successive nucleotide pairs arranged as a 4(3) helix of hexanucleotide duplexes. The great variety of nucleotide conformations which occur in these large asymmetric units has prompted us to describe them as pleiomeric, a term used in botany to describe whorls having more than the usual number of structures. Pleiomeric DNAs need not contain nucleotide conformations that are very different from one another. On the other hand, DNAs carrying nucleotides of very different conformation must be pleiomeric. This is because 4 nucleotides of different conformation are needed to join patches of secondary structure which are as different as A or B or Z. Differences in nucleotide structures may occur also between chains rather than within chains. In poly d(A):poly d(T), the purine nucleotides all contain C3'-endo furanose rings and the pyrimidine nucleotides C2'-endo rings. Analogous heteronomous structures may exist in DNA-RNA hybrids although these duplexes are also found to have symmetrical A-type conformations.

DNA↗
PubMed1981

Coronary collateral response and myocardial function.

Two hundred and twelve patients with recognizable coronary artery block and no other pathology were selected using an interactive computer data retrieval system. The relationship of coronary artery collaterals to left ventricular (LV) dysfunction was investigated. Analysis revealed the significant role of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery and collateral development to the preservation of LV function. This study underlies the value of radiological observation when subject to statistical scrutiny.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Angiocardiography with metrizamide in the neonate and infant.

The non-ionic contrast medium metrizamide was compared with a routine ionic medium (sodium methyl-glucamine diatrizoate) in a series of 16 patients with congenital heart disease, all under 11 kg body weight, undergoing angiocardiography. Despite a higher viscosity, metrizamide yielded images of equal quality to those of the ionic medium, and was clinically better tolerated. Metrizamide produced a significantly lesser effect on plasma osmolality, a parameter closely related to contrast medium toxicity. Other biochemical parameters showed insignificant changes. Metrizamide is therefore a more suitable contrast medium for angiocardiography and despite its cost should be considered for patients with serious congenital heart disease who are in poor clinical condition.

Angiocardiography↗
PubMed1976

The prognostic significance of coronary artery calcification seen on fluoroscopy.

Fluoroscopic detection of coronary artery calcification (C.A.C.) has no prognostic significance. Of 440 patients screened 78 were found to have C.A.C. The five year survival of this group was the same as that of a control group. Age, sex, distribution, and extent were also without significance. Improved equipment available today allows recognition of smaller areas of calcification which may have clinical significance.

Adult↗
PubMed1968

The bisection of a spatial interval by the pigeon.

Pigeons pecked two response keys to move a white dot until it was equidistant from two other dots on a screen. Continuous records of dot position showed the effects of reinforcement and stimulus parameters upon the accuracy with which the dot was positioned. The method may prove useful for studying the perception of distance in non-human organisms.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Respiratory effects of pressor and depressor agents in conscious rats.

We hypothesized that the respiratory baroreflex in conscious rats is either more transient, or has a higher pressure threshold than in other species. To characterize the effect of arterial pressure changes on respiration in conscious rats, ventilation (V) was measured by the plethysmographic technique during injections, or infusions, of pressor and depressor agents. Bolus injections of angiotensin II (Ang II) or arginine vasopressin (AVP), transiently increased mean arterial pressure (MAP; mean +/- SE) 43+/-6 and 28+/-5 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 133.3 Pa), respectively, and immediately reduced tidal volume (Vt) and, in the case of AVP, V. In contrast, by 10 min of a sustained elevation of MAP (40+/-3 mm Hg) with infusion of Ang II, Vt, f, and V were not different from control levels. Bolus injection of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) to lower MAP (-28+/-3 mm Hg) immediately increased breathing frequency (f) and V, whereas sustained infusion of SNP to lower MAP (-21+/-3 mm Hg) did not change for V at 10 and 20 min. In conscious rats, both injection and infusion of the pressor agent PE (+40 to 50 mm Hg) stimulated f and V; this contrasted with anesthetized rats where PE inhibited f and V, as reported by others. In conscious rats, respiratory responses associated with baroreflexes adapt rapidly and, in the case of PE, can be overridden by some other mechanism.

Angiotensin II↗