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Biomedical subjects

J Wheeler

Publications and source records attributed to J Wheeler.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Cell proliferation within Bowman's capsule in mice.

Crescentic glomerulonephritis in man, irrespective of aetiology, indicates severe glomerular damage and carries a poor prognosis. The importance of the presence of macrophages in the development of glomerular crescents is well established, but the contribution of cellular proliferation in both macrophages and epithelial cells has received little attention. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a model of crescentic glomerulonephritis in mice, which will be suitable for cell kinetic studies. Preliminary studies are described, involving immunization with rabbit anti-mouse glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antiserum after pre-immunization with rabbit immunoglobulin G, both with and without treatment with a fibrinolytic inhibitor, Cyklokapron. Extensive glomerular damage, with crescent formation, was induced with four daily intravenous injections of rabbit anti-mouse GBM antiserum, after pre-immunization with rabbit IgG. The effect was shown to be dose dependent and was seen within 3 days of the last injection. Linear deposits of rabbit IgG were detected in all glomeruli by immunofluorescence and both linear and granular deposits of mouse IgG were also found. There was a significant increase in glomerular size and in the numbers of cells in Bowman's capsule (P less than 0.01), and increases in mitotic indices to 0.8 per cent were seen by day 13.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Rising from a chair. Influence of age and chair design.

We studied the effect of age on the act of rising from a standard armchair in a younger (means = 24 years) and an older (means = 75 years) group of healthy adult women. Rising from a standard armchair and an armchair specially designed for comfort in sitting of the elderly was studied in the older group to determine the influence of the special chair. We used electrogoniometry, EMG, and videotape analysis to record the activity for both groups. The older group placed their feet farther back and showed greater vastus lateralis muscle activity than did the younger group to rise from the standard chair. These results suggest that rising from the standard chair was more difficult for the older than for the younger group. In the special chair, the older subjects showed even more vastus lateralis muscle activity, greater knee flexion, and greater trunk forward lean. Rising from the special chair, therefore, appeared to be more difficult than rising from a standard chair; this finding suggests that both comfort and function must be considered in chair selection for certain groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Variations of dietary-induced thermogenesis and body fatness with aerobic capacity.

Resting metabolic rate (RMR), dietary thermogenesis (DIT), aerobic capacity (VO2 max), and percent body fat were measured in a group of sixteen women and ten men. DIT was significantly positively correlated with aerobic capacity (r = 0.658). Percent body fat was significantly negatively correlated with VO2 max (r = -0.727). RMR was independent of VO2 max, or body fatness, but women had a significantly higher average RMR than men. Three men and three women participated in an endurance training program which significantly increased VO2 max. DIT was increased in proportion to the increase in aerobic capacity (rs - 0.924), RMR was unchanged, and body fat decreased in males but not females. The controversy surrounding "luxuskonsumption" may stem in part from not taking into account individual differences in aerobic capacity when measuring DIT.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1983

Comarital sexual behavior: individual and relationship variables.

This study contrasted the individual and relationship variables of 35 married couples who engage in comarital sexual behavior with 35 married couples who do not. The couples were matched on age, length of marriage, age difference between partners, marital satisfaction, and socioeconomic status. Each couple was administered a battery of personality and relationship measures. In comparison with control subjects, comarital subjects reported a higher need for social approval and more liberal attitudes toward heterosexual behavior. Comarital subjects also reported greater sexual satisfaction and pleasure from their sexual relationship. Comarital couples resolved conflicts less satisfactorily than the control couples; the comarital couples disagreed and interrupted more often and used problem-solving strategies less successfully. Future research should explore the characteristics of couples who engage in different forms of recreational sexual activities.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1981

Infection of cultured human pancreatic B cells with reovirus type 3.

The capacity of reovirus type 3 to infect insulin-producing B cells was studied in human pancreatic cell cultures. Antibody to reovirus was labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate and antibody to insulin was labelled with tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate. By using a double-labelled immunofluorescent antibody technique, it was shown that only about 6% of the insulin-containing human B cells in culture became infected when inoculated with unpassaged reovirus type 3. However, by repeated passage of the virus in human pancreatic B cell cultures, the percentage of infected B cells increased to 27%, and the virus titre in cultures rose from 8.0 X 19(4) pfu/ml in the first passage, to 4.9 X 10(6) pfu/ml in the 5th passage. As measured by radioimmunoassay, the intracellular immunoreactive insulin began to decrease at 24 h after infection. This decrease roughly paralleled the increase in virus titre. In contrast, there was relatively little change in immunoreactive insulin in cultures inoculated with unpassaged reovirus type 3. These studies show that the ability of reovirus type 3 to infect human B cells is enhanced by serial passage in human pancreatic cell cultures and that the infection resulted in the destruction of B cells and release of insulin.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1981

Isolation of alpha 1-protease inhibitor from human normal and malignant ovarian tissue.

Proteolytic enzymes are associated with normal and neoplastic tissues. Therefore protease inhibitors might also be involved in the control of cell function. alpha 1-protease antigen and antitryptic activity have been found in normal and neoplastic human ovarian homogenate. The inhibitor has been localized to ovarian stromal cells or tumor cells by immunoperoxidase staining. The protein was purified to apparent homogeneity as judged by alkaline gel and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis. Immunochemical studies revealed antigenic similarity of plasma alpha 1-protease inhibitor by double immunodiffusion and similar mobility on immunoelectrophoresis and two-dimensional electroimmunodiffusion. The molecular weight was similar to that described for plasma alpha 1-protease inhibitor: 60,000 by gel filtration and 53,500 by SDS electrophoresis. Furthermore, the phenotypic pattern as determined by acid starch gel electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation was PiMM, which is the predominant genetic variant in normal plasma alpha 1-protease inhibitor. An inhibitor ws isolated and purified from an ovarian carcinoma that exhibited functional, immunochemical, and physical similarity to the normal ovarian alpha 1-protease inhibitor. alpha 1-protease inhibitor from normal and malignant ovaries competitively inhibited bovine pancreatic trypsin at incubation times of 5 min at 30 degrees C. Inhibition constant (Ki) values were calculated at 0.67 and 0.51 inhibitory units, respectively. The alpha 1-protease inhibitor in malignant cells may be a factor in the control of proliferation in this tissue. Since ovulation is in part a proteolytic event, the alpha 1-protease inhibitor in ovarian cells may play a role in the control of this specialized tissue. Persistance of this protein in malignant ovarian tissue may be a vestige of its differentiated origin.

Epitopes↗
PubMed1981

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for circulating anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the quantitative determination of anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies in human sera, which is both sensitive and reproducible, is described. The test detected circulating antibodies in each of seven patients with active anti-glomerular basement membrane disease, whilst sera from 42 patients, with a variety of other glomerulonephropathies, were negative by the test. It has also been possible to demonstrate a good correlation between the levels of circulating anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies and the clinical course of disease in one patient with Goodpasture's syndrome.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1980

Production of group C streptococcus phage-associated lysin and the preparation of Streptococcus pyogenes protoplast membranes.

Optimum conditions of pH, temperature and multiplicity of bacteriophage infection for the production of phage-associated lysin from Group C streptococci were defined. Lysin obtained by the optimum method was used to make protoplast membranes of Group A type 12 streptococci. These membranes consistently contained very low concentrations of rhamnose, indicating minimal cell wall contamination. The development of such a reproducible technique for the preparation of protoplast membranes will permit more meaningful studies on the involvement of these membranes in the pathogenesis of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Bacteriolysis↗
PubMed1979

Comparison of cowpox-like viruses isolated from European zoos. Brief report.

Poxviruses isolated from captive carnivores in Russia (Moscow virus) and elephants in Germany (elephant virus) were very closely-related to cowpox virus. Immunological analysis with absorbed sera separated elephant virus but not cowpox and Moscow virus, whereas polypeptide analysis separated cowpox but not elephant and Moscow virus. A combination of biological tests separated all three. The epidemiological implications are briefly reviewed.

Animals↗