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Biomedical subjects

K Erickson

Publications and source records attributed to K Erickson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Nitrovasodilator effects on intraocular pressure and outflow facility in monkeys.

The nitrovasodilators nitroglycerin (NTG) and hydralazine (HZN) were investigated for their effects on intraocular pressure (IOP) and outflow facility in the cynomolgus monkey eye in vivo. Fifty microliters of 0.1% HZN were administered topically in masked, randomized, crossover, placebo controlled trials, and by intracameral perfusion. Both NTG and HZN decreased IOP (mean IOP decrease with NTG 4.40 +/- 2.11 (S.E.M.) (+/- 4.7, S.D.) mmHg, P < 0.01, n = 5, with HZN 3.15 +/- 0.85 (S.E.M.) (+/- 2.3, S.D.) mmHg, P = 0.01, n = 7). Outflow facility increased by 92% (P < 0.05) after intracameral bolus injection of 10(-3) mol l-1 NTG, but not at lower doses. Intracameral HZN caused a significant increase in facility of outflow of 28% (P < 0.05) when perfused at a constant concentration of 10(-5) mol l-1, but not at certain other concentrations. These results demonstrate the capacity for topically applied NTG and HZN to reduce IOP in the living primate eye. They further suggest that, at certain drug doses, but not others, the IOP reduction may be mediated, in part, by an action on the outflow apparatus.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Adrenergic regulation of aqueous outflow.

Epinephrine increased outflow facility and cyclic AMP in the in vitro perfused human anterior segment with a maximal facility increase of 44% occurring at approximately 2 x 10(-5) M. Cyclic AMP measured in the perfusate from anterior segments increased by 12-14 fold after administration of 10(-5) M epinephrine. Both the facility increase and cyclic AMP rise were blocked by the beta-2 selective antagonist, ICI118,551. While there was a correlation between the facility increase and elevation in cyclic AMP levels, the rise in cyclic AMP preceded the facility increase by about 1 hour, suggesting that the ultimate effect of epinephrine involved a rather slow event such as synthesis and release of prostaglandins or protein synthesis. Subsequent perfusion studies showed that very large concentrations of indomethacin were necessary to block the outflow facility effect of epinephrine, suggesting that prostaglandin synthesis did not underlie the facility effect in this system. However, 5 x 10(-5) M cyclohexamide blocked the effect on outflow facility of both epinephrine and forskolin, but did not block the rise in cyclic AMP. These studies suggest that protein synthesis may play a role in the epinephrine-induced facility increase at some point beyond the second messenger level.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1994

The lcrB (yscN/U) gene cluster of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is involved in Yop secretion and shows high homology to the spa gene clusters of Shigella flexneri and Salmonella typhimurium.

Virulent bacteria of the genus Yersinia secrete a number of virulence determinants called Yops. These proteins lack typical signal sequences and are not posttranslationally processed. Two gene loci have been identified as being involved in the specific Yop secretion system (G. Cornelis, p. 231-265, In C. E. Hormache, C. W. Penn, and C. J. Smythe, ed., Molecular Biology of Bacterial Infection, 1992; S. C. Straley, G. V. Plano, E. Skrzypek, P. L. Haddix, and K. A. Fields, Mol. Microbiol. 8:1005-1010, 1993). Here, we have shown that the lcrB/virB locus (yscN to yscU) encodes gene products essential for Yop secretion. As in previously described secretion apparatus mutants, expression of the Yop proteins was decreased in the yscN/U mutants. An lcrH yscR double mutant expressed the Yops at an increased level but did not secrete Yops into the culture supernatant. The block in Yop expression of the ysc mutants was also circumvented by overexpression of the activator LcrF in trans. Although the Yops were expressed in elevated amounts, the Yops were still not exported. This analysis showed that the ysc mutants were unable to secrete Yops and that they were also affected in the negative Ca(2+)-regulated loop. The yscN/U genes showed remarkably high homology to the spa genes of Shigella flexneri and Salmonella typhimurium with respect to both individual genes and gene organization. These findings indicate that the genes originated from a common ancestor.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1992

Photoinactivation of lymphohemopoietic cells: studies in transfusion medicine and bone marrow transplantation.

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation affects eukaryotic cells in numerous ways. Exposure of blood transfusion products to UVC (200-280 nm) or UVB (280-320 nm) reduces or abrogates their immunogenicity and thereby prevents allosensitization and transfusion refractoriness in several models. Although the exact mechanism is not known, in vitro studies suggest that UV exposure results in a loss of class II histocompatibility antigens from the cell surface, alterations of calcium homeostasis, and a lack of interaction between antigen presenting and responding cells. In the UVB and UVA (320-400 nm) range, lymphocytes appear to be more sensitive than hemopoietic cells. In murine transplant models, UVB irradiation of spleen and marrow cells can be used to prevent the development of graft-versus-host disease while allowing for complete hemopoietic reconstitution. Furthermore, in clinical marrow transplantation, pilot studies of UVA in conjunction with psoralen administration have yielded encouraging results in patients with steroid refractory graft-versus-host disease of the skin. Thus, UV irradiation provides an interesting tool to study cell/cell and donor/host interactions and may have some applications in transfusion medicine and bone marrow transplantation.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Characterization of the yellow pigment in the axanthic mutant of the Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum.

The yellow pigment observed in older axanthic (ax/ax) mutant Mexican axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) was analyzed by thin layer chromatography and by spectrofluorometry of its acetyl derivative. Ethanol extracts from the skin of axanthic animals were acetylated and the chloroform-soluble portion of the product mixture was compared with a chloroform solution of an authentic riboflavin tetraacetate standard prepared in the same manner. The pigment in these two solutions behaved identically on thin layer chromatograms and in fluorescent emission spectroscopy. This confirms that the yellow pigment seen in these genetically axanthic animals is riboflavin and, since it cannot be synthesized by the animal, must be derived from the diet.

Ambystoma mexicanum↗
PubMed1988

The WHI1+ gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae tethers cell division to cell size and is a cyclin homolog.

WHI1-1 is a dominant mutation that reduces cell volume by allowing cells to commit to division at abnormally small sizes, shortening the G1 phase of the cell cycle. The gene was cloned, and dosage studies indicated that the normal gene activated commitment to division in a dose-dependent manner, and that the mutant gene had a hyperactive but qualitatively similar function. Mild over-expression of the mutant gene eliminated G1 phase, apparently entirely relaxing the normal G1 size control, but revealing hitherto cryptic controls. Sequence analysis showed that the hyperactivity of the mutant was caused by the loss of the C-terminal third of the wild-type protein. This portion of the protein contained PEST regions, which may be signals for protein degradation. The WHI1 protein had sequence similarity to clam cyclin A, to sea urchin cyclin and to Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc13, a cyclin homolog. Since cyclins are inducers of mitosis, WHI1 may be a direct regulator of commitment to division. A probable accessory function of the WHI1 activator is to assist recovery from alpha factor arrest; WHI1-1 mutant cells could not be permanently arrested by pheromone, consistent with a hyperactivation of division.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1979

Studies of congenitally immunologic mutant New Zealand mice. II. Absence of T cell progenitor populations and B cell defects of congenitally athymic (nude) New Zealand Black (NZB) mice.

Congenitally athymic (nude) mice on an NZB, NZW, and BALB/c background were produced by repetitive selective backcrossing. F'12 generation nude mice of these three strains were compared to their littermate nu/+ controls with respect to survival, histology, blood counts, splenic surface markers, response to mitogens, spontaneous plaque-forming cells, and appearance of naturally occurring thymocytotoxic antibodies (NTA). Under specific pathogen-free conditions, NZB nude mice survive less than 3 weeks, dying of a runting-like disease with infection by local normally noninvasive organisms. A contributing factor to his premature death is the relative absence of T cell progenitor populations in the NZB nude vs NZW nude or BALB/c nude groups. Furthermore, NZB nude mice have a significantly earlier appearance of NTA than nu/+ littermates and likewise appear to have heightened spontaneous polyclonal B cell responses against the haptens dansyl, nitroiodophenyl, trinitrophenyl,2,4 dinitrophenyl, and sulfonate. It is suggested that NZB mice have several critical immunologic defects, including abnormalities of thymic epithelial cells, T cell differentiation pathways, and chronically polyclonal activated B cell populations. These defects interact to produce the clinical expression of autoimmunity.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Enhancement of heterotransplanted human tumor graft survival in nude mice treated with antilymphocyte serum and in congenitally athymic-asplenic (Lasat) mice.

The latency period, success rate, and minimal cell inoculum size required for transplantation of continuously passaged human tumor lines into congenitally athymic (nude) mice, antilymphocyte serum (ALS)-treated congenitally athymic (nude) mice, and congenitally athymic-asplenic (lasat) mice were compared. The 11 tumor lines studied included examples of breast adenocarcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma, osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, malignant melanoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. Of these 11 tumor lines, 3 were successfully transplanted into nude mice, compared to 5 of 10 tumor lines in ALS-treated nude mice and 9 of 11 lines in lasat mice. Moreover, the latency period was shorter and the minimal cell inoculum size was lower for lasat mice than for either nude or ALS-treated nude mice. Despite this enhancement of heterotransplantation into lasat mice and despite the growth of large local masses, no evidence of distant metastases was found.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Research priorities and plans for the International Space Station-results of the 'REMAP' Task Force.

Recent events in the International Space Station (ISS) Program have resulted in the necessity to re-examine the research priorities and research plans for future years. Due to both technical and fiscal resource constraints expected on the International Space Station, it is imperative that research priorities be carefully reviewed and clearly articulated. In consultation with OSTP and the Office of Management and budget (OMB), NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) assembled an ad-hoc external advisory committee, the Biological and Physical Research Maximization and Prioritization (REMAP) Task Force. This paper describes the outcome of the Task Force and how it is being used to define a roadmap for near and long-term Biological and Physical Research objectives that supports NASA's Vision and Mission. Additionally, the paper discusses further prioritizations that were necessitated by budget and ISS resource constraints in order to maximize utilization of the International Space Station. Finally, a process has been developed to integrate the requirements for this prioritized research with other agency requirements to develop an integrated ISS assembly and utilization plan that maximizes scientific output.

Advisory Committees↗