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Biomedical subjects

L Liu

Publications and source records attributed to L Liu.

At least 1,189 records · Page 66Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Serum concentration fluctuation and bioavailability comparison between indomethacin sustained-release and conventional capsules during steady state.

The comparison between indomethacin conventional capsule (CC) po 25 mg q 8 h or 25 mg tid and indomethacin sustained-release capsule (SRC) po 25 mg bid in human by crossover design showed that both maximal serum concentration (Cmax) and fluctuation index (FI%) of SRC were significantly lower than those of CC during steady state (P < 0.01). No practical differences were observed between the 2 preparations in the trough serum concentration (Cmin) and area under serum concentration-time profiles (AUC0-tau) (P > 0.05). The time period reaching maximal serum concentration (Tmax) of SRC was much more delayed than that of CC (P < 0.01). It suggested that SRC possesses a better controlled release property and could avoid a higher serum peak concentration of CC.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Effect of electrical and L-glutamate stimulation of nucleus raphe obscurus on phrenic nerve activity in rabbits].

Experiments were performed on 45 urethane-anesthetized, vagotomized and spontaneously breathing rabbits. By electrical stimulation of or microinjection of L-glutamate into nucleus raphe obscurus (NRO), the following results were observed: (1) A long stimulus train (50-200 microA, 100Hz, 4-6 s) delivered to NRO resulted in a decrease in integrated phrenic amplitude (IPA) or complete cessation of phrenic nerve discharge. The decrease of IPA was dependent upon current intensity and frequency of stimulation. (2) Short train stimulation (100-200 microA, 50-100 Hz, 5-20 pulses) delivered to NRO during the inspiratory phase terminated this phase prematurely, i.e., inspiratory off-switch (IO-S). The IO-S time varied according to the current intensity and the delivery time of stimulation in the inspiratory phase. (3) Microinjection of L-glutamate (1 mol/L, 1 microliter) into NRO caused a transient depression of phrenic nerve activity followed by a shortening of inspiratory time (Ti) and a lengthening of expiratory time (Te).

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Prenatal and postnatal development of the CGRP-immunoreactive innervation in the rat kidney.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactive afferent nerves were seen intrarenally by prenatal day 16. They grow rapidly and CGRP positive nerves are observed at birth associated with the arterial and venous vascular tree, forming a rich plexus in the pelvic region and in the connective tissue located near the corticomedullary region. The distribution and extent of CGRP immunoreactive nerves suggest that at birth the rat is able to provide information on the status of the kidney to be integrated in the mechanisms of body fluid homeostasis.

Aging↗
PubMed1991

Identification and molecular cloning of a soluble human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plays an important role in hematopoiesis and host defense via interaction with specific cell-surface receptors in target tissues. We identified a truncated, soluble form of the low-affinity GM-CSF receptor (GMR) in chorio-carcinoma cells. Low-affinity GMR cDNAs encoding both the membrane-bound and soluble receptors were obtained by PCR using primers corresponding to the published sequence. Clones encoding the soluble receptor were identical in sequence to the membrane-bound form but contained a 97-nucleotide internal deletion. The amino acid sequence of this deleted cDNA predicts a protein that lacks the 84 C-terminal amino acids of the membrane-bound receptor, including the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, and contains 16 different amino acids at its C terminus. Expression of the soluble GMR cDNA in murine psi-AM cells as well as GM-CSF-dependent myeloid 32Dc13 cells produced a secreted protein that retained its capacity to bind GM-CSF in solution. RNase protection analysis indicates that this variant cDNA is derived from a naturally occurring mRNA. Soluble receptors have been identified for several other hematopoietin receptors and may be a general feature of this class. The striking similarity between the soluble form of the GMR and other hematopoietin receptors suggests that soluble binding proteins may play an important role in regulating the broad spectrum of biological responses mediated by these cytokines.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

IGFBP-1, an insulin like growth factor binding protein, is a cell growth inhibitor.

A novel cell growth inhibitor, IDF45 (inhibitory diffusible factor), was recently purified to apparent homogeneity. It is a bifunctional molecule: able to bind Insulin like growth factor (IGF) and to 100% inhibit DNA synthesis stimulated by serum in fibroblasts. It was of interest to verify whether other members of the IGF-binding protein (IGFBP) family show the same bifunctional growth inhibitory properties. In this paper we show that purified IGFBP-1 derived from amniotic fluid is a cell growth inhibitor. In chick embryo fibroblasts, it inhibited DNA synthesis stimulated by serum. However the stimulation was maximally 60% inhibited and half of the inhibition was observed with 100ng/ml IGFBP-1. So the specific activity of IGFBP-1 is lower than that of IDF45. IGFBP-1 also reversibly prevented the CEF growth. In the same cells IGFBP-1 inhibited DNA synthesis stimulated by IGF-I. We demonstrated that the same protein IGFBP-1 is able to inhibit DNA synthesis stimulated by serum and by IGF-I. The possibility that IGFBP-1 is a bifunctional molecule is discussed.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed1991

The use of contingent water misting in the treatment of self-choking.

A 25-year-old, deaf-blind, mentally retarded male was treated for chronic self-choking using water mist treatment and positive reinforcement. During pre-treatment baseline, self-chokes occurred at a rate of 2.09 per minute. During treatment sessions each self-choke was followed by water misting of the subject's face paired with a forceful "No!". Periods of 20 sec absent of self-chokes were positively reinforced with liquids and/or social contacts. Treatment procedures were generalized from the initial therapists, location, and absence of other clients and staff to other locations, and the presence of other clients and staff. Water mist treatment was associated with at least a 10-fold and as much as a 100-fold reduction of self-choking (i.e. to 0.02-0.20 self-chokes per min) across treatment and generalization phases. Eight-month follow-up observations showed that self-choke rates were at zero.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Distinctive patterns of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) distribution in degenerating and regenerating areas of dystrophic (mdx) striated muscles.

Mdx mice uniquely recover from degenerative dystrophic lesions by an intense myoproliferative (regenerative) response. To investigate a potential role of endogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in injury-repair processes, we investigated its localization in several striated muscles of mdx and control mice using immunofluorescence labeling with specific antibodies. Basic FGF was localized consistently to the myofiber periphery and nuclei of intact myofibers, as well as in single, dystrophin-positive cells in close association with the myofibers (potential myosatellite cells). In mdx mice, actively degenerating skeletal or cardiac muscle fibers presented intense cytoplasmic anti-bFGF staining prior to mononuclear infiltration. Small regenerating fibers in mdx skeletal muscle exhibited greater bFGF accumulation than adjacent larger myofibers. Strong nuclear anti-bFGF immunolabeling was frequently observed in mdx cardiac myocytes at the borders of necrotic regions. In agreement with differences in intensity of immunolabeling, extracts from slow-twitch muscles contained higher levels of bFGF compared to those from fast-twitch muscles, in both control and mdx mice. In addition, bFGF levels were consistently higher in extracts from all mdx tissues compared to those derived from their control counterparts. Our data suggest that bFGF participates in the degenerative and regenerative responses of striated muscle to dystrophic injury and also indicate a potential involvement of this factor with the physiology of different striated muscles.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Inhibition of the metabolism and genotoxicity of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) in rat hepatocytes by (+)-catechin.

(+)-Catechin is a plant flavonoid which decreases the mutagenicity of several mutagens and carcinogens. In this study, we have investigated how (+)-catechin could inhibit the metabolism and DNA damage induced by 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a tobacco-specific carcinogen. Addition of 5 to 1000 microM (+)-catechin to rat hepatocytes cultured with 4.5 mM NNK caused a concentration-dependent reduction of alpha-carbon hydroxylation which is the activation pathway of NNK. Under the same conditions, (+)-catechin had a less significant effect on pyridine N-oxidation, which is a deactivation pathway. Reduction of the carbonyl group of NNK was not inhibited by (+)-catechin. We had previously shown that NNK induced single-strand breaks (SSBs) in primary culture of hepatocytes. In this study, we observed that 1.0 mM (+)-catechin inhibited the DNA SSBs induced by 1 mM NNK by 31%. With 1 mM N-nitrosodimethylamine, the inhibition of DNA SSBs was 30%. We concluded that (+)-catechin selectively inhibits the enzymes involved in the activation of NNK. Rats were gavaged with (+)-catechin (1.5 mmol/kg), injected s.c. 1 h later with NNK (0.39 mmol/kg) and killed 4 h after NNK treatment. (+)-Catechin significantly reduced DNA SSBs induced by NNK. Rats were injected s.c. with 0.39 mmol/kg NNK. (+)-Catechin reduced the methylation of liver DNA at the O6-guanine and N-7 guanine sites by 28 and 34% respectively. These results demonstrate that (+)-catechin inhibits the formation of DNA-damaging intermediates by selectively impairing the enzymatic activation of NNK. They suggest that (+)-catechin could be an effective preventive agent against NNK hepatocarcinogenicity.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Synchronization of hormonal time series: analytical approaches.

Comparison of the patterns of episodic secretion of two or more hormones measured simultaneously often suggests that peak levels tend to occur at around the same time. This visual impression can be misleading, however, as some peaks will occur simultaneously due to chance alone. Traditional cross-correlation methods are suitable for evaluating linkages among circadian and other smoothly varying rhythms, but are less well suited to correlating ultradian peaks. This paper proposes a method which entails identifying peaks of hormone secretion as discrete events in several different series, and counting the frequency of simultaneous and near-simultaneous peaks in temporal 'windows' of increasing width. The expected rates of random coincidences can be assessed by a variety of methods, including simulations and probability calculations. The method described utilizes simple techniques which make few assumptions about the character or stationarity of the series, comparing coincidence rates in the appropriately paired series with those in which a series in one subject is deliberately 'mismatched' with that of another subject. Using this approach, a significant excess of simultaneous peaks of luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin was found in normal subjects as compared with mismatched series (17% versus 6%; p less than 0.05). Hypogonadotrophic men treated with pulsatile gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) have an even higher coincidence rate (26%). By contrast, the rate of coincidence between pulses of LH and cortisol is not significantly greater than that which would be expected due to chance.

Circadian Rhythm↗