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Biomedical subjects

J Philippe

Publications and source records attributed to J Philippe.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Bone and renal components in hypercalcemia of malignancy and responses to a single infusion of clodronate.

Increased bone resorption (BR) and increased renal tubular reabsorption of calcium (TRCa) may both be involved in the pathogenesis of hypercalcemia of malignancy (HM). We have evaluated the relative importance of these two mechanisms in 33 patients with HM after extracellular volume expansion and after single infusion of clodronate (C12MDP: 500 mg iv over 8 h). The fasting urine Ca/creatinine ratio was taken as an index of BR (BRI). An index of TRCa was calculated (TRCaI) from a nomogram based on the relationship between urine Ca excretion per unit of glomerular filtration rate and plasma Ca (PCa). Mean (+/- SEM) PCa fell from 3.29 +/- 0.07 to 2.69 +/- 0.05 mmol/l three days after C12MDP (n = 33, p less than 0.001), a response similar to that obtained with repeated daily iv injections of 500 to 1000 mg C12MDP. The pathogenesis of hypercalcemia varied according to the type of neoplasm. BRI was the highest in multiple myeloma and breast tumors. TRCaI was markedly increased in squamous-cells lung, bladder, kidney and liver carcinomas, reaching levels observed in primary hyperparathyroidism. TRCaI was normal in most cases of multiple myeloma. Breast tumors appeared to be heterogeneous with respect to TRCaI. The fall in PCa in response to a single infusion of C12MDP was usually most marked in cancer patients with elevated BRI and normal TRCaI. It was very modest in patients with high TRCaI and slightly elevated BRI. In conclusion, this study confirms that stimulation of bone resorption is not the only mechanism of the maintenance of hypercalcemia of malignancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bone Resorption↗
PubMed1988

Alpha-cell-specific expression of the glucagon gene is conferred to the glucagon promoter element by the interactions of DNA-binding proteins.

The glucagon gene is expressed specifically in the alpha cells of the pancreatic islets. We show here that 300 base pairs of the 5'-flanking region of the rat glucagon gene, linked to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter plasmid transfected into islet cell lines of different hormone-producing phenotypes, directs transcription only in glucagon-producing islet cells. Deletional and linker-scanning mutations and DNase I footprinting assays identify three transcriptional control elements within these 300 base pairs. Two of these elements (G2 and G3) independently display enhancerlike functions on both homologous and heterologous promoters in glucagon (alpha) cells, but only on heterologous promoters in insulin- (beta) and somatostatin- (delta) expressing cells, and not in non-islet cells. The proximal promoter element (G1), characterized by low intrinsic transcriptional activity, is critical for specific expression of the glucagon gene in alpha cells. However, nuclear extracts prepared from all three islet cell phenotypes give similar protection to the three control elements of the glucagon 5'-flanking sequence. We conclude that these phenotypically distinct islet cell lines all contain regulatory DNA-binding proteins interacting with the three control elements of the glucagon gene, but that factors interacting with the glucagon promoter result in transcriptional activation only in alpha cells, to restrict glucagon gene expression to these cells. These observations suggest that interactions of nuclear proteins with cis-control elements are involved in the programmed developmental expression of the islet polypeptide hormone genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Proglucagon gene expression and posttranslational processing in a hamster islet cell line.

Expression of the gene encoding glucagon was studied using a BK virus-induced glucagon-producing hamster islet cell line, InR1-G9 cells. Southern blot analysis of InR1-G9 DNA demonstrated that glucagon gene sequences are not amplified, yet appear to be hypomethylated compared to hamster liver or kidney DNA. Northern blot analysis of RNA from InR1-G9 cells detected a single glucagon mRNA species of 1300 basepairs. Phorbol esters and sodium butyrate, agents that increase glucagon gene transcription in RIN1056A cells, have no effect on glucagon mRNA levels in InR1-G9 cells. Posttranslational processing of proglucagon, as analyzed by gel filtration chromatography and RIA, resulted in the liberation of glucagon, glucagon-like peptide I, and glucagon-like peptide II, partially mimicking the processing of proglucagon in pancreas and intestine, yet differing from that previously observed in RIN1056A cells. Secretion of glucagon and the glucagon-like peptides was stimulated 3-fold after 1-h incubations with phorbol esters. These observations suggest that the determinants of glucagon gene expression and the posttranslational processing of proglucagon are highly cell specific and provide a new model for the study of proglucagon biosynthesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Sodium butyrate increases glucagon and insulin gene expression by recruiting immunocytochemically negative cells to produce hormone.

Current evidence suggests that a multipotential endodermal progenitor cell may give rise to all islet cell phenotypes. We characterized two hormone-producing rat islet (RIN) cell lines derived from a radiation-induced islet tumor by immunocytochemistry, Northern blot analysis, and radioimmunoassay of secreted hormone. Using antisera to glucagon, insulin, and somatostatin, we found that less than 15% of the cells in any of these three islet cell lines contained immunopositive cells. The number of cells staining for the hormone correlated with mRNA levels and immunoreactive secreted hormones. Sodium butyrate, a short-chain aliphatic fatty acid, slowed cell growth and increased dramatically the percentage of cells staining for glucagon and insulin. The increase in immunopositive cells was accompanied by an increase in glucagon and insulin mRNAs and secreted glucagon and insulin. These observations indicate that sodium butyrate increases glucagon and insulin gene expression by recruiting previously immunonegative cells to produce hormone. The relationship of DNA synthesis and hormone production was assessed by pulse-labeling RIN cells with [3H]thymidine, which was followed by autoradiography and immunocytochemistry. [3H]thymidine incorporation was observed in a lower percentage of immunopositive compared with immunonegative cells. Furthermore, sodium butyrate reduced the number of [3H]thymidine-labeled cells and increased the number of immunopositive cells. These observations suggest that sodium butyrate differentiates the islet cells and thereby increases the expression of the glucagon and insulin genes.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗
PubMed1988

Expression of peptide hormone genes in human islet cell tumors.

The embryogenesis of the pancreas suggests the existence of a common stem cell progenitor of the four islet cell types (insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide). We investigated whether neoplastic islet tumors express multiple hormone-specific cellular phenotypes of the islets. By analyses of RNA transcripts and immunoreactive peptides in four human insulinomas and one glucagonoma, we found that the insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon genes were coexpressed in all tumors. The expression of the three hormone genes in a lymph node metastasis of a glucagonoma reduced the possibility that contamination of tumor tissue by normal islets occurred. These observations lend further support to the hypothesis of the multipotentiality of neoplastic islet cells for the expression of genes encoding several different islet hormones.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗
PubMed1988

[Anhydrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Apropos of a case with severe ocular complications].

The anhydrotic ectodermal dysplasia are malformative syndromes involving the ectodermal components of the organism. They may be associated with very varied ocular manifestations. We described one sporadic case of anhydrotic ectodermal dysplasia in a twenty-four year-old man, involving the following ocular manifestations: severe and bilateral keratopathy corneal hypoesthesia involvement of the lacrymal system horizontal nystagmus and a high rate of antilens antibodies not yet reported a far as we know in the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Glucagon gene 5'-flanking sequences promote islet cell-specific gene transcription.

Glucagon, a peptide hormone which regulates hepatic carbohydrate metabolism, is processed from a larger precursor, proglucagon. The gene encoding proglucagon is expressed at high levels in the A cells of the pancreatic islets and the L cells of the intestine, indicating that specific factors present in these two phenotypically distinct cells direct cell-specific expression. To characterize the factors that mediate glucagon gene transcription, we analyzed the 5'-flanking region of the rat glucagon gene for the existence of cis-acting sequences that promote glucagon gene transcription. A series of fusion genes containing sequentially shortened 5'-flanking sequences of the rat glucagon gene were constructed and fused to the coding sequence of the reporter enzyme chloramphenicol acetyltransferase. Analyses of the transcription of these fusion genes after their transfection into choriocarcinoma cells, fibroblasts, and islet cell lines of different phenotypes indicate that cis-acting DNA elements promote glucagon gene transcription only in islet cell lines. Transcriptional activity was much higher in glucagon compared to insulin-producing islet cell lines with fusion genes containing 249 or more base pairs of glucagon 5'-flanking sequence. Deletion of DNA sequences upstream of -168 abolished the preferential expression in glucagon-producing cell lines, however glucagon-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion genes containing 168 base pairs or more of 5'-flanking sequence remained transcriptionally active, but only in islet cell lines. Fusion genes containing 115 base pairs of glucagon gene 5'-flanking sequences were transcriptionally inactive. These studies indicate that cis-acting DNA sequences present in the 5'-flanking region of the rat glucagon gene mediate islet cell-specific gene transcription.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Glucagon gene transcription in an islet cell line is regulated via a protein kinase C-activated pathway.

Proglucagon is a polyprotein precursor containing not only glucagon and glicentin, but glucagon-like peptides-I and -II and an intervening peptide (IP-II). The glucagon gene is expressed in both pancreatic islets and neuroendocrine L-cells of the gastrointestinal tract. We have recently cloned an islet cell line from a rat pancreatic islet cell tumour that simultaneously expresses the glucagon, insulin, somatostatin, and angiotensinogen genes. We investigated the potential role of "second messenger" pathways in the regulation of glucagon gene expression. Both the tumor promoter agent phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and a diacylglycerol analog, 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol, induced a 2.7- and 2.5-fold increase in steady-state glucagon mRNA levels at 24 h, respectively. The increase was progressive up to 24 h and was specific for glucagon mRNA; the insulin and somatostatin mRNA levels remained unchanged. An inactive phorbol ester, 4 beta-phorbol 12,13,20-triacetate, was without effect. The glucagon mRNA increase induced by PMA was mediated through an increase in glucagon gene transcription reaching maximal stimulation at 30-60 min. Glucagon mRNA half-life was similar in both control and PMA-treated cells, approximating 12 h. The stimulation of glucagon gene transcription was accompanied by a corresponding 3-fold increase in proglucagon biosynthesis. Neither dibutyryl cAMP nor glucocorticoids affected glucagon mRNA levels, while inducing a 5-fold increase in somatostatin mRNA levels and 4.8-fold stimulation in angiotensinogen mRNA at 24 h, respectively. We conclude that expression of the glucagon gene in this islet cell line is regulated at the level of transcription through a protein kinase C (Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme)-activated pathway.

Angiotensinogen↗
PubMed1987

Glucagon-like peptide I stimulates insulin gene expression and increases cyclic AMP levels in a rat islet cell line.

Insulin secretion is controlled by a complex set of factors. Although blood glucose levels serve as the major stimulus of insulin secretion in mammals, insulin release is also modulated by amino acids, catecholamines, glucagon, and other, intestinal hormones. The identification of factors that modulate insulin production has engendered much interest because of their potential importance in the altered dynamics of insulin secretion in response to glucose characteristic of maturity-onset diabetes mellitus. Decoding of the glucagon gene has uncovered two additional glucagon-like peptides encoded in proglucagon, the polypeptide precursor of glucagon. One of these peptides, glucagon-like peptide I, is processed from proglucagon in two forms, of 31 and 37 amino acids. We report that the smaller of the two glucagon-like peptides potently increases cAMP levels, insulin mRNA transcripts, and insulin release in cultured rat insulinoma cells. These results indicate that glucagon-like peptide I may be a physiologic modulator of insulin gene expression.

Actins↗
PubMed1987

Transcriptional regulation of genes encoding insulin, glucagon, and angiotensinogen by sodium butyrate in a rat islet cell line.

The state of differentiation of various neoplastic cell lines is inversely correlated with the rate of cellular growth. To delineate the changes in hormone gene expression associated with an induced decrease in the growth rate of rat insulinoma cells, we studied the effects of sodium butyrate on the expression of the genes encoding insulin, glucagon, and angiotensinogen. Sodium butyrate inhibited cellular proliferation and decreased levels of c-myc mRNA. Concomitantly, steady-state levels of mRNAs encoding insulin and glucagon increased by 10- and 8.5-fold, respectively, as a result of a specific increase in the transcription of both genes. Sodium butyrate also inhibited angiotensinogen gene expression, which was ectopic in the insulinoma cells. These observations suggest that sodium butyrate induces a pattern of events leading to the differentiation of the rat insulinoma cells.

Angiotensinogen↗
PubMed1987

Multipotential phenotypic expression of genes encoding peptide hormones in rat insulinoma cell lines.

The developmental origin of the four phenotypically distinct hormone-producing islet cells (insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide) is unclear. To investigate the potential for phenotypic differentiation of islet cells, we prepared several clonal cell lines from a radiation-induced rat islet tumor and analyzed them for insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin gene expression by cDNA hybridization, immunocytochemistry, and radioimmunoassay. We found expression of all three genes in the tumor and in the parental cell line and mixed variable phenotypes in the clonal lines derived from the parental line. We also observed the ectopic expression of the angiotensinogen gene in the tumor and the cell lines. The relative levels of hormonal gene expression differed among the cell lines but remained fixed during continuous passage. The three islet hormone mRNAs were larger compared to the pancreas owing to longer poly(A) tracts. These observations indicate that neoplastic islet cells retain the potential to differentiate into hormone-specific cellular phenotypes and may mimic developmental pathways of the pancreatic islets.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗
PubMed1987

cis-acting DNA sequence controls glucagon gene expression in pancreatic islet cells.

Our studies show that cis-acting DNA sequences present in the 5'-flanking region are important for the promotion of glucagon gene transcription in islet cell lines. Deletion of all but 292 bp of 5'-flanking sequences results in no major change in the relative magnitude of transcriptional activity in glucagon-producing RIN1056A cells. Moreover, transcriptional activity of the GLUCAT fusion genes is consistently greater in glucagon-producing than in insulin-producing islet cell lines. The cellular specificity of glucagon gene transcription is further emphasized by the lack of transcriptional activity following transfection of non-islet cell lines (BHK, HeLa, and JEG cells) with five different GLUCAT plasmids. These observations suggest that trans-acting factors present in islet cell lines interact with DNA sequences in the 5'-flanking region of the rat glucagon gene to mediate islet cell-specific gene transcription. These studies should provide a useful model for the isolation and characterization of the trans-acting factors important for glucagon gene transcription.

Animals↗