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Biomedical subjects

M Ding

Publications and source records attributed to M Ding.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Dorsal root ganglion nerve cells transiently express increased immunoreactivity of the calcium-binding protein S-100beta after sciatic nerve transection.

Transiently increased immunoreactivity of the calcium binding protein S-100beta was demonstrated in spinal ganglion nerve cells after sciatic nerve transection. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), normally not seen in these nerve cells, appeared concomitantly. The transiently elevated co-expression of S-100beta and NPY is proposed to reflect an increased demand of neurotrophic and neuroprotective compounds in reactive neurons, tentatively regulating calcium ions.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Mechanical properties of the normal human tibial cartilage-bone complex in relation to age.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the age-related variations in the mechanical properties of the normal human tibial cartilage-bone complex and the relationships between cartilage and bone. DESIGN: A novel technique was applied to assess the mechanical properties of the cartilage and bone by means of testing the cartilage-bone complex. BACKGROUND: Up to now, mechanical testing of cartilage and bone has been reported separately, and little is known about the mechanical behaviour of both tissues when examined as a unit. METHODS: Cylindrical human proximal tibial cartilage-bone complex specimens from 31 normal donors aged 16-83 years were tested in compression. The deformation was measured simultaneously in bone and cartilage to obtain the mechanical properties of both tissues. RESULTS: The stiffnesses and elastic energies of both cartilage and bone showed an initial increase, with maxima at 40 years, followed by a steady decline. The viscoelastic energy was maximal at younger ages (16-29 years), followed by a steady decline. The energy absorption capacity did not vary with age. Stiffnesses and elastic energies were correlated significantly between cartilage and bone. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that similar age-related trends were seen in cartilage and bone, as if they behaved as a single mechanical unit. RELEVANCE: The basic information presented here on the mechanical properties of cartilage and bone and the correlations between them reveals the unit function of both tissues that are of importance for the understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of degenerative joint diseases, such as arthrosis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Changes in the stiffness of the human tibial cartilage-bone complex in early-stage osteoarthrosis.

Cylindrical human tibial cartilage-bone unit specimens were removed from 9 early-stage medial osteoarthrotic (OA) tibiae (mean age 74 years) and 10 normal age-matched tibiae (mean age 73 years). These specimens were divided into 4 groups: OA, lateral comparison, medial age-matched, and lateral age-matched and were tested to 0.5% bone strain with a novel technique to obtain the stiffnesses of both cartilage and bone simultaneously. We found a pronounced reduction in the stiffnesses of OA cartilage and subchondral bone when compared with the medial age-matched group. OA cartilage was significantly thinner than that of the lateral comparison and the medial age-matched control groups. However, this reduction in thickness was not correlated with the reduction in stiffness for OA cartilage. The stiffnesses did not correlate between OA cartilage and bone, whereas the stiffness relationships between cartilage and bone remained significant in the three control groups. Our findings suggest that both cartilage and bone in early-stage OA are mechanically inferior to normal, and that OA cartilage and bone have lost their unit function to mechanical loading.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Acute effects of carbofuran in workers of two pesticide plants.

This paper investigates the acute effects of carbofuran in workers of two pesticide-formulating plants. Mean airborne carbofuran concentrations ranged from 0.025 to 1.115 mg/m3 in plant A and from 0.018 to 0.067 mg/m3 in plant B, respectively. In workers of plant A the post-shift blood cholinesterase activity was significantly reduced, compared to pre-shift values. No difference in blood cholinesterase activity was found between pre- and post-shift values in workers of plant B. During the investigation, 25 cases of acute carbofuran poisoning were diagnosed by their clinical picture and depressed cholinesterase activity in blood. Usual symptoms included dizziness, weakness, blurred vision, nausea and sweating. Pallor, epigastric pain, vomiting and chest tightness occurred only in a few cases. Myosis was recorded in 24 cases. Fasciculation of muscle gastrocnemius induced by percussion was found in 6 cases, and four of them had also fasciculation of muscle orbicularis oculi. Inhibition of cholinesterase activity in the blood was related with the clinical features; however, the inhibition was rapidly reversible. In most cases, recovery was complete within 2-3 hours, with or without atropine treatment, after the subjects were removed from exposure. Rapid onset, mild illness and quick recovery are typical characteristics of occupational acute carbofuran poisoning.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

[Simultaneous analysis of organic acids and inorganic anions in alcoholic drink (dongjiu) by ion chromatography].

An ion chromatographic method for the simultaneous analysis of organic acids and inorganic anions in Dongjiu (alcoholic drink) was developed. An anion exchange column Shim-pack IC-A1(100 mm x 4.6 mm) was used. In non-suppressed anion exchange chromatography, potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHPh) is used as eluent most widely. However, there are several problems in this eluent for the analysis of Dongjiu (alcoholic drink) sample, such as the influence of a negative peak to the determination of acetic acid, ascorbic acid and lactic acid, the non-resolution of ascorbic acid, and lactic acid, and part overlapping of the peak of acetic acid with water peak. In order to solve these problems, a mixed eluent of 0.50 mmol/L KHPh and 0.25 mmol/L phthalic acid(H2Ph) was used in this work. The main organic acids and inorganic anions in Dongjiu were separated without interference peaks. The detection limits obtained by using the mixed eluent were 0.05-0.13 mg/L, several times lower than those obtained by using single KHPh eluent. This method, being without pretreatment, is simple to operate.

Acetic Acid↗
PubMed1998

[Study on the retention behaviour and mechanism of organic acids on an anion exchanger].

The retention behaviour and mechanism of organic acids on an anion exchange column Shim-pack IC-A1 (Shimadzu, Japan) have been studied. The retention valences (x) of organic acids on the anion exchanger were measured based on the following equation: logk' = -(x/y)log[Eluent] + constant By using the linearity of logk' vs log[Eluent] and the retention valences, the retention mechanisms of organic acids can be predicted. Acetic acid eluted as the non-dissociated form by a non ion exchange mechanism, because its retention valence was only 0.21. In this work, the multi-peak for one organic acid was observed. The chromatograms of citric acid obtained using PyA eluent with different concentration were showed. Two peaks were observed. As eluent concentration decreased, the detection sensitivity (peak area) was increased due to the decrease of the background conductivity. The multiple peaks of citric acid were also observed when the mixture of phthalic acid(PhA) and trihydroxymethylaminomethane (TRIS) was used as eluent. The multi-peaks for one organic acid result from the fact that different forms of the organic acid can be separated each other on anion exchanger by ion-exchange mechanism. The two peaks of citric acid were caused by separation of mono- and divalent citrate anion.

Antiporters↗
PubMed1998

[The envelope formation of AcMNPV and the location of envelope protein gp64 in host cell].

Electron Microscopic study on the recombinant AcMNPV infected Sf9 cell showed that the virus has at least two forms of envelope formation: one is budding from plasma membrane and the other is enveloping in the nucleus by membrane structure. An additional possible pathway is budding from nuclear membrane. The envelope formation of AcMNPV in Sf9 cell line and its relationship with the envelope protein gp64 were investigated by using immunofluorescence techniques. The results showed gp64 was mainly located on the plasma membrane and nuclear membrane of infected cell. Whereas, there is no gp64 on the envelope of OV virus particles in the nuclei. This pattern cause the differences in envelope composition between the virus particles that budding from plasma membrane and nuclear membrane and those that enveloping in the nucleus.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Direct evidence for an important role of sphingomyelinase in ultraviolet-induced activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase.

Sphingomyelinase (SMase) and its product ceramide have recently attracted a great deal of attention because of their possible role in the signal transduction pathway. However, the role of sphingomyelinase in UV-induced c-June N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation is still unclear. Thus, we investigated this issue directly using a genetic SMase-deficient (2 approximately 3% residual acid SMase activity) lymphoblast cell line, MS1418. The results showed that while UV irradiation markedly induces JNK activation in a normal human lymphoblast cell line, JY, it induces only weak JNK activation in MS1418 cells. This difference of JNK response to UV irradiation between these two cell lines was further observed in time course and dose-response studies. In contrast, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced JNK activation could be observed in both JY and MS1418 cells. Furthermore, significant JNK activation can be observed in MS1418 cells by exposure of the cells to SMase or C2-ceramide, whereas phospholipase A2 or phospholipase C did not show significant induction of JNK activity, and C2-dihydroceramide and sphingosine induce only much weaker JNK activation in MS1418 cells than that by C2-ceramide. These data demonstrated that SMase plays an essential role in UV-induced JNK activation.

Cell Line, Transformed↗
PubMed1997

Inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide production by oligodendrocytes.

It has been previously demonstrated that microglia and astrocytes produce micromolar amounts of nitric oxide in vitro. In this study, we demonstrate that primary rat oligodendrocytes can be stimulated to produce iNOS mRNA as detected by Northern blot and in situ hybridization analysis and a 131-kDa iNOS protein by Western blot analysis; protein was also detected in cells by single- and double-label immunohistochemistry for iNOS and the oligodendrocyte-specific marker CNPase. NO/NOS are produced as a consequence of activation of the gene encoding the inducible nitric oxide synthase as determined by inhibition with actinomycin D and cyclohexamide. The iNOS is functional, leading to calcium/calmodulin-independent NO production in these in vitro cultures.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Inducible nitric-oxide synthase and nitric oxide production in human fetal astrocytes and microglia. A kinetic analysis.

The understanding of the induction and regulation of inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) in human cells may be important in developing therapeutic interventions for inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we not only demonstrated that human fetal mixed glial cultures, as well as enriched microglial cultures, synthesize iNOS and nitric oxide (NO) in response to cytokine stimulation, but also assessed the kinetics of iNOS and NO synthesis in human fetal mixed glial cultures. The iNOS mRNA was expressed within 2 h after stimulation and decreased to base line by 2 days. Significant levels of iNOS protein appeared within 24 h after stimulation and remained elevated during the culture period. A dramatic increase in NO production and NO-mediated events, such as the induction of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), NADPH diaphorase activity, and nitrotyrosine occurred 3 days after stimulation, a delay of 48 h from the time of the first expression of iNOS enzyme. This delay of NO production was altered by the addition of tetrahydrobiopterin, but not by the addition of L-arginine, heme, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), flavin mononucleotide (FMN), or NADPH. These findings suggest that a post-translational regulatory event might be involved in iNOS-mediated NO production in human glia.

Astrocytes↗
PubMed1997

Partial characterization of the MPM-2 phosphoepitope.

The MPM-2 monoclonal antibody recognizes a distinctive group of proteins that are associated with structural components of the mitotic apparatus. These proteins become phosphorylated and MPM-2 reactive during M-phase and appear to be required for both the onset and completion of M-phase. Based upon the analysis of reported MPM-2 reactive sequences, we have developed a model for the essential elements that comprise the MPM-2 epitope. This model was tested by employing a series of synthetic phosphopeptides. We show here that a 14 amino acid synthetic phosphopeptide, derived from a potential MPM-2 site on human DNA topoisomerase II, is recognized by the MPM-2 antibody. This phosphopeptide was sufficient to compete for MPM-2 antibody recognition of (1) an isolated native mitotic MPM-2 antigen on dot blots, (2) proteins on immunoblots of mitotic cell lysates, and (3) specific immunostaining of mitotic cells. These results indicated that the topoisomerase peptide contained all of the essential elements of the MPM-2 epitope. By substituting selected amino acids with alanine, we were able to examine the contribution of different amino acids to the binding between the MPM-2 antibody and the epitope. Changing the amino acid that was adjacent to the phosphorylated threonine residue on the C-terminal side (the +1 position) had no effect on MPM-2 antibody binding. However, substitution of aromatic amino acids at either the -2 or +2 positions reduced antibody recognition. The aromatic amino acid at the -2 position appeared to be the most critical residue of those tested that influenced antibody binding. These results provide information required for the molecular definition of the MPM-2 epitope and should aid in the identification of potential MPM-2 reactive sites on other mitotic phosphoproteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Sequence characterization of the 5' noncoding region of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus.

The nucleotide sequences of the 5' noncoding region of the GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) were determined in 18 isolates from the United States. Two genotypes have been classified based on the sequence heterogeneity within the 5' noncoding region of GBV-C/HGV. The most distantly related isolates between the two genotypes were 84.6% identical. Sequence identity of the isolates within a genotype was 95-99%. The 5' noncoding region of this virus contains four highly conserved domains. These conserved elements would facilitate the selection of optimal primers for the sensitive detection of GBV-C/HGV RNA by PCR. In addition, they suggest a crucial role for this region in viral replication and/or gene expression. Detection of genotypic variation among GBV-C/HGV infected individuals may provide further insight into the possible pathogenicity and into the transmission of the virus.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Dlx-2 homeobox gene controls neuronal differentiation in primary cultures of developing basal ganglia.

Homeodomain-containing genes of the Dlx family are expressed in the developing basal ganglia. To investigate the role of Dlx genes during development, we studied their cellular localization in primary cultures of embryonic basal telencephalon, and examined the changes in cellular phenotypes resulting from blockade of Dlx-2 expression. Cells containing Dlx-1, Dlx-2, and Dlx-5 mRNAs are immature cells of the neuronal lineage expressing the microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) MAP1B and MAP2, but not glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Treatment of these cells with antisense oligonucleotides targeted to Dlx-2 caused a specific decrease of Dlx-2 mRNA and protein. This decrease in the Dlx-2 gene product was associated with a decrease in the expression of MAP2, a protein localized in neuronal dendrites, along with a smaller decrease in the 200-kDa neurofilament subunit (NF-H). Proteins expressed preferentially in axons were unchanged. This reduction in MAP2 expression was associated with a decrease in dendrite outgrowth and an increased level of cell proliferation. None of these changes were elicited by antisense oligonucleotides targeted to Dlx-1. We suggest that the Dlx-2 gene product regulates two interrelated aspects of neuronal differentiation: the exit from the mitotic cycle and the capability to grow MAP2-positive dendrites. As such, this gene product may be important for the establishment of neuronal polarity, setting the stage for afferent synaptic connectivity.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

ITIH1*Q0iwate, a null allele of inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor H1 caused by deletion/frameshift mutation.

The molecular characterization of the first example of null allele in the inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor H1 (ITIH1) system, ITIH1*Q0iwate, encountered as apparent inverse homozygosity of ITIH1 phenotypes between mother and child in a paternity case, is described. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and subsequent sequencing showed that deletion of a single nucleotide in the codon for Lys87 results in a frameshift causing a terminator codon downstream of the deletion. This leads to premature termination of ITIH1 protein translation at amino acid 128, resulting in a truncated protein.

Alleles↗
PubMed1997

Distribution of prostaglandin E receptors in the rat gastrointestinal tract.

AIMS: In order to study the role of prostaglandin in the regulation of the gastrointestinal functions, gene expression of prostaglandin receptors along the rat gastrointestinal tracts were investigated. METHODS: Rats were used for the study. The combination of counterflow elutriation separation of mucosal cells and Northern blot analysis was used to detect the gene expression of prostaglandin receptors in gastrointestinal tracts. RESULTS: In small intestine and colon, prostaglandin E2 EP1 and EP3 receptor mRNAs were mainly localized in the deeper intestinal wall containing muscle layers. EP4 receptor gene expression, on the other hand, was detected in the intestinal mucosal layer. In the stomach, EP1 mRNA was detected in gastric muscle layers, whereas EP3 and EP4 receptor gene expression was mainly present in the gastric mucosal layer containing epithelial cells. In gastric epithelial cells, parietal cells were found to have both EP3 and EP4 receptors. At lower concentrations, prostaglandin E2 inhibited gastric acid secretion by parietal cells probably through EP4 receptors. At higher concentrations, however, it stimulated it. On the other hand, mucous cells possessed only EP4 receptor mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, it is suggested that prostaglandin E2 modulates gastrointestinal functions through at least three different prostaglandin receptors (EP1, EP3, and EP4), each of which has a distinct contribution in the gastrointestinal tract.

Aminopyrine↗
PubMed1997

Gender differences of inducible nitric oxide production in SJL/J mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

We identified gender related differences of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and NO production in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). When myelin basic protein-specific T-lymphocytes derived from female mice were transferred, the female recipients developed more severe EAE and expressed higher levels of iNOS and NO than male recipients. When the T-lymphocytes derived from males were transferred, severe EAE was induced in neither female or male recipients and neither iNOS nor NO were detectable. These data show an association between No production and EAE severity, suggesting a possible role of NO in the pathogenesis of EAE.

Animals↗