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Biomedical subjects

K Muralidhar

Publications and source records attributed to K Muralidhar.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Studies on buffalo pituitary lutropin (LH): physicochemical and immunological properties.

Physicochemical and immunological properties of buffalo pituitary lutropin (buffalo LH) are reported here. The preparation was shown to be homogeneous by several physicochemical criteria. The molecular weight was found to be 30,000-40,000 by SDS-PAGE, GP-HPLC, and ultracentrifugation analyses. It showed certain interesting features, such as anomalous sedimentation behavior, microheterogeneity due to sugar-linked sulfate, and weak immunogenicity in rabbits. The subunit nature of the hormone has been confirmed. Sugar composition showed similarities as well as differences with LH of other species. Preliminary data on the homologous and heterologous RIAs, using iodinated sheep LH and buffalo LH and the respective antisera, have also been given.

Animals↗

Tension pneumocephalus following posterior fossa surgery in sitting position. A report of 2 cases.

Tension pneumocephalus is a rare complication of posterior fossa surgery in sitting position. We encountered 2 patients with this complication amongst 60 patients operated during the past 2 years. All 60 patients had some amount of intracranial air at the end of surgery. The causative factors of tension pneumocephalus are briefly reviewed. Prompt recognition of this complication is very important. Diagnosis and management are discussed.

Child, Preschool↗

Effect of LH-RH on the release of sulfated lutropin: a potential in vitro bioassay for LH-RH.

Sheep pituitary cells prelabelled with radioactive [35S] sulfate (35SO4(2-)) were incubated with different concentrations of LH-RH and the release of LH (lutropin) into the medium was monitored in terms of immunoprecipitable [35S] sulfated LH radioactivity and estimation of LH in the same sample by radioimmunoassay. A dose dependent response was obtained with a maximum of a 16 fold increase in immunoprecipitable 35SO4(2-) -labelled LH radioactivity in the medium which was confirmed by radioimmunoassay. Similar results were also obtained for Buserelin, a well known superactive analogue of LH-RH. However, the half maximal response for Buserelin was obtained at 3-5 nM in comparison to 80.5 nM for LH-RH. After the maximal response to LH-RH as well as Buserelin, a further increase in the concentrations caused a decrease in the release of immunoprecipitable [35S]-sulfate labelled LH into the medium. Differential labelling of stored and newly synthesized LH with radioactive [35S] sulfate and [3H]-labelled leucine revealed that there was a dose dependent increase in the [35S] sulfate labelled LH into the medium whereas the release of [3H]-leucine labelled newly synthesized LH did not show a parallel increase either at different concentrations of LH-RH or at different time intervals. The above observations strongly suggest the possibility of sulfation of LH being the potential signal indicating the storage of LH in sheep pituitary cells. Another important observation in our study was that the dose dependent response of LH-RH in the form of release of [35S]-sulfate labelled LH, which was monitored by immunoprecipitation with specific LH antiserum, can be used in an in vitro bioassay for LH-RH. We believe that a new cheap and sensitive in vitro bioassay could be developed on the basis of this observation.

Animals↗

Presence of tyrosine-O-sulfate in sheep pituitary prolactin.

When the metabolically obtained 35S-labelled sheep pituitary prolactin-rich fraction was subjected to chemical deglycosylation the radioactivity was retained in the immunoprecipitable prolactin. 35S-labelled prolactin-rich pituitary extract was fractionated on SDS-PAGE and protein was extracted from prolactin positive bands. When the extracted 35S-labelled prolactin was hydrolysed by alkali and then chromatographed on a thin layer of silica, it showed the presence of a radioactive compound which had an Rf value identical to the standard Tyr-O-SO4 synthesized and characterized in our laboratory.

Animals↗

Are sheep and buffalo prolactins sulfated?

Radioactive sulfate (35SO2-4) has been shown to be incorporated into immunoprecipitable prolactin-like material from incubated minces of sheep and buffalo pituitaries. The 35S-labelled prolactin could be purified by standard procedures. On SDS-PAGE, the 35S-labelled prolactin rich fraction gives two major Coomassie blue bands around 25KDa and these on Western blot analysis gave positive bands. Radioactive [14C]- mannose was also found incorporated into the prolactin like material. The nature of sulphate link to the peptide is not known. It could be sugar-SO4 and/or Tyrosine-SO4.

Animals↗

Functional relationship of ammonia to DNA, RNA and protein in brain.

The functional significance of the production of ammonia during neuronal activity is not known, although a number of studies are available concerning the mechanism of of ammonia toxicity in brain. Hyperammonemia without behavioural change was induced in experimental rats by i.p. administration of either a single dose of ammonium acetate or 6 doses with an interval of 1 h during the day or one single dose daily for 7 days. No significant change was observed in the content of DNA, RNA and protein in cerebral cortex, cerebellum and brain stem following the administration of a single dose. There was a marked decreased in the content of DNA in all three brain regions after the administration of 6 hourly doses of ammonium acetate. Under these conditions the RNA was found to increase in all three brain regions. A decrease in the content of protein per gram wet weight was observed in cerebral cortex and brain stem while the change in cerebellum was found to be insignificant. However, the content of RNA and protein was found to show a very significant increase when expressed per microgram of DNA for each region under these conditions, indicating an increase in RNA and protein in the cells surviving the toxic damage caused by ammonia. A marked and significant increase in the content of RNA and protein was observed in all three brain regions following the administration of a single dose per day for 7 days. These results are discussed not only with respect to toxic damage to the glial cells by ammonia, but also with respect to the probable effect of ammonia liberated during neuronal activity on inhibition of lysosomal degradation of protein, and on its stimulatory effects of transcriptional and translational activities. The increased RNA and protein under these conditions may be contributing not only in the proliferation of glial cells (Alzheimer Type II cells) but also in the dendritic spinous growth.

Acetates↗

Incorporation of radioactive 35SO4(2-) into immunoreactive pituitary lutropin.

The terminal hexosamines of bovine pituitary lutropin are thought to contain a sulfate moiety. In order to test this, a biosynthetic approach was adopted. When rat and buffalo (bovine) pituitaries were incubated with radioactive 35SO4(2-) for 2 h in vitro it was observed that radioactivity test incorporated into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable proteins. When the radioactive proteins were treated with an anti-sheep lutropin serum, radioactivity was found in the immunoprecipitate. The incorporation into rat lutropin like material was very marginal while it was very significant in the case of buffalo lutropin.

Animals↗

Ability of human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit to inhibit the steroidogenic response to lutropin.

Ability of the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin to inhibit the response to lutropin (luteinizing hormone, LH) was tested in the immature rat ovarian system and pregnant-mare-serum-gonadotropin-primed rat ovarian system with progesterone production being used as the response. Human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit was found to inhibit human and ovine lutropin-stimulated progesterone production. At a constant dose of lutropin, inhibition was dependent on the concentration of beta-subunit. When concentration of the beta-subunit was kept constant at 5.0 microgram/ml and the concentration of lutropin was varied, the inhibition was maximum at the saturating concentration of the native hormone. The alpha-subunit of the human chorionic gonadotropin did not inhibit the response to lutropin. The lutropin/beta-subunit ratio required to produce an inhibition of response was much lower than that required to bring about an observable inhibition of binding.

Animals↗

Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin and ovine luteinizing hormone on rat ovarian macromolecular metabolism.

Administration of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) or ovine LH to immature rats primed with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) stimulated the rate of synthesis of polyadenylic acid (poly A)-rich RNA in the ovaries. The rate of total RNA synthesis was not affected significantly by hormone treatment, whereas protein synthesis was enhanced. The increase in the rate of synthesis of poly(A)-rich RNA in the ovaries could be inferred as induction of messenger RNA synthesis after the hormone treatment. The poly(A)-rich nature of the isolated RNA was established by oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography, binding the Millipore filter disks and hydridization with [3H]polyuridylic acid. The level of cyclic AMP in the ovaries of such rats was also raised after administration of LH, the increase coincided with the increase in the rate of synthesis of poly(A)-rich RNA. The implications of these results are discussed in the light of the biochemical basis of luteinization and the action of LH.

Animals↗

Inhibition of in vivo pituitary release of luteinizing hormone in lactating rats by exogenous prolactin.

The mechanism whereby the reciprocal relationship between the plasma levels of prolactin and HL is maintained in lactating rats under different degrees of suckling stimulus has been investigated in the present study. Plasma levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) in lactating rats suckling two pups could be reduced significantly by injecting prolactin (PRL). This reduction was also evident in ovariectomized and ovariectomized-adrenalectomized lactating rats, thus excluding mediation of the inhibitory effect by steroids from end-organs. The in vivo response of the pituitary to exogenous LHRH was lower in rats suckling eight pups than those suckling two pups. Prolactin administered prior to LHRH caused an inhibition of the response of the pituitary to exogenous LHRH in rats suckling two pups. These data provide evidence for the hypothesis that in the lactating rat, in the presence of minimal suckling stimulus, the causative factor for reducing serum LH levels is prolactin, which acts by altering the pituitary responsiveness to LHRH.

Adrenalectomy↗

Studies on rat ovarian receptors for lutropin (luteinizing hormone). Applicability of radioimmunoassay to measure lutropin bound to receptors.

Measurement of receptor-bound unlabelled physiologically active lutropin (luteinizing hormone, LH) was possible by a modified radioimmunoassay. The conventional radioimmunoassay conducted at 4 degrees C was inadequate, whereas the modified assay performed at 37 degrees C could measure receptor-bound lutropin. The radioimmunoassay at 37 degrees C takes only 36h for completion compared with 5-7 days at 4 degreesC. The sensitivity and range of dose-response curves are, however, unaltered. The validity of the technique was established by a number of criteria.

Animals↗

Studies on rat ovarian receptors for lutropin (luteinizing hormone). Factors influencing binding and response.

The interaction of rat ovarian receptors with lutropin (luteinizing hormone, LH) in vitro was rapid and reversible. The degree of binding was saturable and susceptible to changes in the concentration of lutropin in the medium. The concentration of lutropin receptors in the ovary increases during the natural pubertal period and also in immature rats given pregnant-mare-serum gonadotropin and human choriogonadotropin. In the latter case, the increase in lutropin receptor, after injection of pregnant-mare-serum gonadotropin alone, could be detected only if the ovaries are freed of the bound gonadotropin before exposure to lutropin. The concentration of lutropin receptors was higher in the luteal compartment of the ovary than in the non-luteal parts and increased slightly in aged corpora lutea. Correlation between binding of lutropin to the ovary and the ovarian response to lutropin in terms of cyclic AMP production was found only in prepubertal rat ovaries and in young corpora lutea and not in aged corpora lutea, suggesting the non-equivalence of binding in vitro and ovarian response.

Age Factors↗

Studies on rat ovarian receptors for lutropin (luteinizing hormone). Interaction with beta-subunit of sheep lutropin.

By using radioimmunoassay, the interaction of sheep lutropin (luteinizing hormone, LH) beta-subunit with rat ovarian receptors was investigated. The binding of beta-subunit was specific, although of much lower order than that of lutropin. Sheep lutropin beta-subunit effectively inhibited the binding of human choriogonadotropin (chorionic gonadotropin, gCG) to the ovary, showing that both occupy the same sites. The binding of sheep lutropin beta-subunit to ovary was not followed by any detectable increase in cyclic AMP. The ovarian response to lutropin in terms of cyclic AMP production was inhibited in the presence of free beta-subunit. The alpha-subunit of lutropin, when used at concentrations where contamination with whole lutropin was negligible, enhanced the degree of binding of beta-subunit; this did not lead to increased cyclic AMP in the tissue. Surprisingly, the binding of beta-subunit in vitro was drastically decreased by the prior removal of all endogenous rat lutropin bound to receptors. The implications of these data are discussed in the light of the reported biological activity of the beta-subunit.

Animals↗