Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K M Halprin

Publications and source records attributed to K M Halprin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

The effect of histamine on epidermal outgrowth: its possible dual role as an inhibitor and stimulator.

We have investigated the effect of histamine on pig epidermal cell outgrowths in vitro. Histamine inhibited the epidermal cell outgrowths (and also mitosis). This inhibition was partially counteracted by a specific H2 antagonist, cimetidine. Inhibition was maximal at a histamine concentration of 10(-4) M and was less at 10(-3) M. These histamine concentrations respectively coincide with the optimal concentrations for accumulating intracellular cyclic AMP (via H2 receptors) and cyclic GMP (via H1 receptors) in the same pig epidermal slice system. 4-Methyl-histamine, a pure H2 agonist, which only increased the intracellular cyclic AMP level but not the cyclic GMP level, caused a maximal outgrowth inhibition at 10(-3) M. Attempts to counteract the histamine effects due to cyclic GMP accumulation by various H1 antagonists (so that 10(-3) M histamine would have caused maximal outgrowth inhibition) were unsuccessful, since the addition of each H1 antagonist alone strongly inhibited the outgrowth. These data strongly suggest a dual role of histamine through the cyclic nucleotide system; i.e., histamine inhibits epidermal cell growth by elevating the intracellular cyclic AMP level via an H2 receptor, while histamine at high concentrations (10(-3) M) partially counteracts the inhibition by increasing cyclic GMP via an H1 receptor.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Inhibition of epidermal adenyl cyclase by lithium carbonate.

An in vitro floating system was used to investigate the effect of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) on the activity of adenyl cyclase in normal pig epidermis. Li2CO3 decreased the responsiveness of adenyl cyclase to stimulation by histamine, adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and epinephrine. This abnormality is similar but not identical to the previously described impaired responsiveness of adenyl cyclase to epinephrine and PGE2 in psoriatic plaques compared to normal adjacent skin. Involved and uninvolved skin from a psoriatic on lithium therapy demonstrated decreased responsiveness to in vitro stimulation by epinephrine, histamine and adenosine when compared to skin from psoriatics who were not on lithium therapy. These results are consistent with the observation that lithium therapy worsens psoriatic lesions.

Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1981

Ultraviolet light treatment delays contact sensitization to nitrogen mustard.

Contact sensitivity to nitrogen mustard was delayed after first treating patients with u.v. light. While the number of patients becoming sensitive to nitrogen mustard after ultraviolet light exposure was not significantly different from the control, the number of patients who became sensitive in the first 30 days was significantly less than the control group. It is postulated than this delay in sensitization is due to an alteration of the patients' epidermal Langerhans cells, produced by the u.v. light exposure.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Inhibitors of epidermal cell DNA synthesis in surviving pig skin in vitro.

Keratome slices of domestic pig skin were used to study the DNA synthesis phase of epidermal cell DNA synthesis. Cyclic AMP and agents which elevate intracellular concentrations of cyclic AMP have no direct effect on the "S" phase of DNA synthesis. Theophylline, isobutylmethylxanthine, and adenosine inhibit DNA synthesis immediately by a mechanism which is reversible and is not dependent on cyclic AMP. This inhibition is not associated with an increase in intracellular thymidine phosphates. Hydroxyurea, however, inhibits DNA synthesis immediately and does produce an elevated pool of thymidine phosphates.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1980

Stimulation of protein phosphorylation by epidermal growth factor in pig skin (epidermis).

Incorporation of 32P-orthophosphoric acid into pig epidermal proteins was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The incorporation was observed in 2 major and 2 minor peaks with approximate molecular weights of 52,000 and 27,000, 17,000, and 12,000 respectively. Treatment with epidermal growth factor (EGF) consistently increased 32P incorporation into all 4 peaks. The stimulation was both time- and dose-dependent, and was not inhibited by the simultaneous addition of cycloheximide. In our previous study (submitted to J Invest Dermatol), we observed that EGF increased the cyclic GMP level in the same pig skin (epidermal) system. The possibility that the increased cyclic GMP leads to the protein phosphorylation observed in the present study was considered but ruled out because (1) the addition of cyclic GMP does not mimic the EGF treatment, (2) simultaneous addition of EGF and cyclic GMP stimulate phosphorylation to the same degree as the addition of EGF alone and (3) EGF stimulates phosphorylation in 20 min whereas the EGF induced increase in the cyclic GMP level takes 60 min.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Cyclic GMP system in the epidermis.

A great deal of knowledge has been gained concerning the activation of adenylate and guanylate cyclase in epidermal cells. Adenylate cyclase is activated by 4 different independent receptors-responding respectively to catecholamine (beta), to prostaglandins (E), to histamine (H2), and to adenosine and it phosphorylated derivatives. Upon activation, each of these receptors becomes unresponsive to further stimulation by its specific stimulator. Guanylate cyclase, on the other hand, is activated by histamine (H1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Unlike EGF, the histamine activation is extremely rapid (less than 5 minutes). Epidermal cells are permeable (leak) to cyclic GMP but not cyclic AMP. When the skin is traumatized or injured in any way (even by intradermal injection) there is a sudden catastrophic change in the intracellular levels of the cyclic nucleotides (and of ATP). Cyclic AMP rapidly rises to perhaps 5-10 times its normal resting level while cyclic GMP falls to 10-20% of its level in vivo. The rise in cyclic AMP is due to activation of adenylate cyclase while the fall in cyclic GMP is due in major part to activation of cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase (and perhaps the fall in ATP is due to activation of ATPase). The changes in ATP and cyclic AMP can be reversed by incubating the tissue in a buffered salt solution containing glucose, but this does not normalize the cyclic GMP content. The fall in cyclic GMP can be prevented by a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (IBMX ). This series of events has been called the "ischemia effect." However, it implies that a lack of oxygen is at fault, and that has not been shown to be the case. Its underlying cause and possible physiologic significance are not known. Do these changes in cyclic nucleotides have effects on epidermal proliferation? And does EGF? Agents which increase cyclic AMP do inhibit the epidermal outgrowth and mitotic activity of explant cultures of pig skin. Cyclic GMP does increase outgrowth at a particular concentration. Histamine, which elevates both cyclic nucleotides, has a biphasic action depending on its concentration. These findings imply that these nucleotides do act as one of the controls of epidermal proliferation. The action of cyclic GMP is not accompanied by detectably increased phosphorylation of epidermal proteins. On the other hand, EGF action which also enhances epidermal outgrowth is characterized by an increased protein phosphorylation that precedes any increase in cellular cyclic GMP. We conclude that the action of EGF is independent of the cyclic nucleotide system.

3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases↗
PubMed1980

Epidermal cyclic AMP is not decreased in psoriasis lesions.

The cyclic AMP level in epidermis of psoriatic patients was reappraised with a highly sensitive radioimmunoassay method in conjunction with an improved skin biopsy technique to avoid any artificial rise of cyclic AMP due to ischemia. Local intradermal injection before biopsy was avoided, since even saline injection caused a clear-cut ischemia effect. The results concur with our previous study: i.e., on a tissue dry weight or protein basis, the cyclic AMP level in the involved epidermis is 20% higher than that in the uninvolved spidermis of psoriatic patients, and on a DNA basis, there was no significant difference. The cyclic AMP level in normal epidermis from non-psoriatic subjects is the same as that in the uninvolved epidermis of psoriatic patients. Such characteristics in psoriatic lesions as the increased mitosis, incomplete, differentiation and increased glycogen content cannot be simply related to a cyclic AMP deficiency.

Cyclic AMP↗
PubMed1979

Cyclic GMP System in epidermis: I. Effect of ischemia.

When keratome-sliced pig epidermis was floated on Hank's balanced salt solution, we observed a rapid decrease in the intracellular level of cyclic GMP. A portion of the lost cyclic GMP was detected in the incubation medium. When the epidermis was kept in air at room temperature, the cyclic GMP level also decreased rapidly but to a lesser degree. Incubating the epidermal slice at 37 degrees C in Hank's balanced salt solution with the addition of 3-isobutyl-1-methyl xanthine (IBMX) prevented the decrease. Also, after the cyclic GMP level had fallen, it could be raised to be the in vitro level by the addition of IBMX. Increased amounts of cyclic GMP were detectable in the medium in this case. These data indicate that the decrease in cyclic GMP in ischemic epidermis is due to sudden activation of epidermal cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase and also in part due to leakage of cyclic GMP extracellularly. In contrast to the rapid decline in the cyclic GMP level, ischemia caused a rapid and transient increase in epidermal cyclic AMP. This confirms previous data by ourselves and by others (Br J Dermatol 92: 249-254, 1975; J Invest Dermatol 68:125-127, 1977). These "ischemic effects" must be avoided in order to measure the "in vivo level" of cyclic nucleotides in epidermis.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗
PubMed1979

A combined alkali extraction--ethidium bromide technique for the measurement of DNA in small pieces of tissue.

Alkaline solutions (0.1--0.5 N NaOH) at elevated temperatures can be used to extract DNA from small pieces of tissue. RNA is destroyed by the treatment. In tissues which have been previously exposed to tritiated thymidine, aliquots from the extracting solution can be used directly for the determination of DNA by ethidium bromide fluorescence and radioactivity in both DNA and the nucleotide pool.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Epinephrine activation of pig skin adenylate cyclase in vivo and subsequent refractoriness to activation.

Epinephrine injected intradermally activated pig skin adenylate cyclase and increased the epidermal cyclic AMP level in vivo. This biphasic response reached a maximum in 5 min and gradually decreased thereafter. The simultaneous injection of a cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, isobutyl methyl xanthin (IBMX) potentiated the increase. The simultaneous injection of a specific beta-adrenergic receptor inhibitor, propranolol, inhibited this accumulation of cyclic AMP. After the first activation by epinephrine in vivo, there was a marked refractoriness of the skin (epidermal) adenylate cyclase to subsequent epinephrine stimulation vivo and in vitro. This refractoriness was specific for catecholamine stimulation as responses to histamine were normal. Recovery from refractoriness started at 48 hr and was completed at 1 week after the injection of epinephrine.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗