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Biomedical subjects

M G Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to M G Wilson.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Trisomy 14 mosaicism with t(14;15)(q11;p11) in offspring of a balanced translocation carrier mother.

A 2-year-old girl with growth and developmental retardation, minor facial anomalies, asymmetry of face and body, tetralogy of Fallot, and reticular hyperpigmentation of the skin was found to have mosaic trisomy 14 involving a t(14;15)(q11;p11). The patient showed mosaicism for 46,XX cell line, apparently resulting from a break of the translocation chromosome and a subsequent loss of 14q. The mother has a balanced translocation t(14;15)(q11;p11). Inherited trisomy 14 has not been reported previously.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Simultaneous heat and tension measurements from single muscle cells.

Simultaneous force and heat measurements were made in single cells from skeletal muscle of the frog during isometric twitches and tetani at 10 and 0 degree C. A Hill- Downing type thermopile of low heat capacity was used. In twitches, peak force development was found to be well correlated with heat production at both temperatures, during posttetanic twitch potentiation (at 10 degrees C) and during posttetanic twitch depression (at 0 degree C). In a twitch at 0 degree C, heat production started less than 14 msec after the stimulus had begun, before force development. As in whole muscle, the heat during a tetanus could be separated into two components: an early component produced at an exponentially decreasing rate, labile heat, and a steady rate, stable maintenance heat rate. Increasing temperature from 0 to 10 degrees C doubled the stable maintenance heat rate. At the higher temperature the time constant of labile heat production was halved and the quantity of labile heat decreased. When two tetani were given at 10 degrees C, a 5 min rest interval was required before the second tetanus produced the same force and heat as the first. At 0 degree C this interval was at least 10 min. With shorter intervals, both heat and force were depressed. At 10 degrees C both were depressed equally but at 0 degree C the effect on heat was greater than on force. At both temperatures labile heat was depressed to a greater extent than the stable maintenance heat rate. Results are interpreted in terms of possible calcium-parvalbumin interaction during a tetanus.

Animals↗

Comparison of expression of the fragile site at Xq27 in T and B lymphocytes.

We compared the fragile X (fraX) expression in T and B lymphocytes from four hemizygous males with fraX. Blood cultures were stimulated with a T cell mitogen (phytohemagglutinin:PHA) and with a B cell mitogen (pokeweed mitogen:PWM). A significant decrease in fraX expression was observed in cultures stimulated with PWM when compared to PHA-stimulated ones.

Adolescent↗

Ultraviolet light and mitomycin C induced sister-chromatid exchanges in fibroblasts from patients with retinoblastoma.

Ultraviolet light and mitomycin C (MMC) induced sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were investigated in 6 diploid fibroblast strains derived from 3 patients with deletion 13 and retinoblastoma, one patient with a hereditary form of retinoblastoma, one patient with trisomy 13, and one normal control. Two fibroblast strains with del(13)(q14q22) showed a significant increase in SCEs compared to the control after UV and MMC treatments. In contrast, cell strains with del(13)(q12q14) and trisomy 13 did not show increased SCEs. The frequency of SCEs in fibroblasts from a patient with autosomal dominant retinoblastomas (no deletions) was significantly increased by UV, but not by MMC. The results suggest that cell strains with different deletions of chromosome 13 have different SCE responses to UV and MMC inductions. The cells with del(13)(q14q22) may have a DNA-repair defect.

Chromosome Deletion↗

An in vitro and in vivo study of a BrdU-sensitive fragile site in the Chinese hamster.

The frequencies of chromosome aberrations and development of the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-sensitive fragile site were studied in vitro in Chinese hamster kidney and bone marrow cells and in vivo in Chinese hamster bone marrow cells. Chromosome aberrations in these cell systems were measured in response to different concentrations of BrdU, fluorodeoxyuridine, or both. The fragile site was found in both homologues of chromosome 1 at 1q22. Treatment with BrdU in vitro but not in vivo produces significant chromosome aberrations. About 50% of chromosome aberrations found after treatment in vitro were at the BrdU-sensitive fragile site compared with 12.5% after treatment in vivo. These results show that BrdU is much more potent in vitro than in vivo in inducing both chromosome aberrations and the expression of the BrdU-sensitive site.

Animals↗

Lahaut's operation for rectal prolapse.

Thirty-four patients with complete rectal prolapse were treated by Lahaut's operation in which the mobilised rectosigmoid was implanted in the posterior rectus sheath. There were no prolapse recurrences, but one patient died postoperatively. Of the 12 patients with incontinence, 11 were improved by the procedure. Lahaut's operation is a simple and effective procedure which avoids the potential problems associated with a surgical implant of Ivalon or Teflon.

Adult↗

Nonimmune fetal hydrops and Down syndrome.

Six infants with nonimmune fetal hydrops (NIFH) were found to have trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). A cardiac malformation was present in three of these infants. The manifestations of Down syndrome was obscured by the generalized edema at birth. The association of Down syndrome and NIFH emphasizes the need for chromosome analysis in the workup of infants or fetuses with NIFH.

Down Syndrome↗

Ullrich-Turner syndrome associated with interstitial deletion of Xp11.4 leads to p22.31.

The full phenotype of the Ullrich-Turner syndrome (UTS) is thought to be due to loss of the short arm of X. We report a 16-year-old girl with lack of secondary sexual development, amenorrhea, and short stature. She had thyroiditis and numerous other UTS manifestations and was found to have a non-mosaic 46,X,del(Xp) chromosome abnormality. Breakpoints occurred at p11.4 and p22.31, with a loss of the intervening segment.

Adolescent↗

Sister chromatid exchanges and chromosome aberrations in fibroblasts from patients with retinoblastoma.

The frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and chromosome breaks were investigated in five diploid fibroblast strains derived from three patients with deletion 13 [del(13)] retinoblastoma, one patient with a hereditary form of retinoblastoma, and one trisomy 13. The fibroblasts with del(13)(q14q22) showed slightly increased SCEs (at a P level of 5-10%), but the others, including del(13)(q12q14), the hereditary form of retinoblastoma, and trisomy 13, did not have increased SCEs as compared to normal controls. No increase in chromosome breaks was found in these fibroblasts. The results suggest that retinoblastoma is not associated with spontaneous increased chromosomal instability.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

Duplication of the segment q12.2 leads to qter of chromosome 22 due to paternal inversion 22(p13q12.2).

A 1730-g male infant, born at 37 weeks gestation, had multiple congenital anomalies, consisting of microcephaly, hypertelorism, bilateral cleft lip and palate, micrognathia, low-set ears, and cryptorchidism. Chromosome analysis showed a recombinant 22 derived from the paternal inversion (22)(p13q12.2). The proband's karyotype is 46,XY,rec(22),dup q,inv(22)(p13q12.2)pat, which has a duplication of q12.2 leads to qter. An identical recombinant has been reported in a female infant in Mexico whose mother was a carrier of the inversion. Similar congenital anomalies present in these two patients demonstrate the phenotype of duplication of the distal long arm 22. This report also documents the occurrence of an identical inversion in two apparently unrelated Mexican families.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

The sequence of DNA replication in an iso-dicentric X-chromosome in peripheral blood lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts from the same individual.

A comparison of the sequence of DNA replication in an isodicentric (idic) X chromosome was made between peripheral blood lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts from a 33-year-old female with primary amenorrhea, somatic stigmata of Turner syndrome, and normal stature and intelligence. The patient had a karyotype 45,X/46,X,idic(X)(q27.1) to lymphocytes and 46,X,idic(X)(q27.1) in skin fibroblasts. Both centromeric regions of the idic X showed C-staining but only one primary constriction. BrdU-33258 Hoechst-Giemsa techniques were used to analyze regional DNA replication patterns. The idic X chromosome was always late replicating in lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts, except that about 1-2% of cells completed replication simultaneously in both normal and idic X chromosomes. Fifty-six percent of the asymmetric patterns in lymphocytes showed an equal proportion of early and late functional and non-functional centromere halves. In skin fibroblasts, 60.8% of cells were asymmetric: the functional half tended to replicate later than the non-functional half. Some differences were observed between these two cell types. As examples, band q23 was late replicating in lymphocytes, but early replicating in fibroblasts; q25 was intermediate to late replicating in lymphocytes, but one of the last bands to complete replication in fibroblasts. Thus, different cell typed influenced the replication kinetics of the idic(X). Furthermore, several variants of the replication sequence were found in both cell types. The findings support the hypothesis that the control of DNA replication in the inactive X chromosome is multifocal, and suggest that the active idic X chromosome replication may reflect a relative lack of self-control or heterogeneity of cell population.

Adult↗

The role of magnesium adenosine triphosphate in the contractile kinetics of insect fibrillar flight muscle.

The changes in tension produced by small step or sinusoidal changes of length have been measured for chemically skinned flight muscle fibres of the giant tropical water bug Lethocerus at MgATP concentrations in the range 0.1-10 mM. In the presence of calcium ion concentrations of about 20 microM, the rates of the rapid mechanical processes observed were found to increase with increasing MgATP, exhibiting saturation with an apparent half-saturation constant lying between 0.1 and 1 mM MgATP, depending upon the conditions used. Under the same conditions, an increase in MgATP concentration was found to lead to a slight decrease in the isometric tension generated by the preparations. The results are discussed with reference to some current crossbridge models of muscle contraction.

Actomyosin↗

A comparison of order and orientation of crossbridges in rigor and relaxed muscle fibres using fluorescence polarization.

Information has been obtained concerning the spatial disposition of the fluorescent reagent 5-(iodoacetamidoethylaminonaphthalene)-1-sulphonic acid bound covalently to muscle proteins in chemically skinned fibres of rabbit psoas muscle, using a novel time-gated fluorescence detection system to reject scattered incident light selectively. The results are consistent with a model of muscle crossbridge organization in which a particular crossbridge axial angle is strongly favoured in the rigor state. The structure in relaxation is less well ordered, but the favoured axial angle appears to be very close to that in rigor. This conclusion does not depend upon which of the models of crossbridge organization considered here is chosen, and is essentially unchanged if results obtained using a different fluorophore are analysed in the same way.

Animals↗

Three-dimensional disorder of dipolar probes in a helical array. Application to muscle cross-bridges.

Fluorescence polarization and EPR experiments on azimuthally randomized helices bearing extrinsic (dipolar) probes yield information about the axial orientation and order of the probes. If the orientation of the probe on the structure bearing it is known and disorder is absent, the orientation of the structure may be ascertained. For cases where less probe orientation information is available and/or disorder is present, the available structural information is correspondingly reduced. Here we examine the available data on probes attached to cross-bridges in muscle fibers: four plausible cases of three-dimensional cross-bridge disorders are numerically modeled muscle in states of rigor and relaxation. In rigor, where the reported probe disorder is small (Thomas and Cooke, 1980), it was found that the cross-bridge disorder was also small. On the other hand, for the relaxed state where the probes are found to be completely disordered, the cross-bridges may have a considerable amount of order. This possibility is in concert with the results of x-ray diffraction, in which the presence of well-developed myosin-based layer lines indicates considerable order in relaxed muscle.

Animals↗

The response of plasma immunoreactive adrenocorticotropin, beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin, gamma-lipotropin and cortisol to experimentally induced pain in normal subjects.

1. We examined the effect of ischaemic pain and sustained isometric muscle contraction on plasma immunoreactive gamma-lipotropin (gamma LPH), beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin (beta END/beta LPH) and corticotropin (ACTH), which are all synthesized from a common precursor (pro-opiocortin), and plasma cortisol in 10 normal subjects. 2. Experimental pain was produced by inflation to 250 mmHg of a sphygmomanometer cuff, placed above the elbow of the 'dominant' arm, after which the subject squeezed a hand dynamometer, loaded to 12 kg, 20 times at 2 s intervals. Blood was drawn before, after 5 and 10 min of pain, and 30 min after release of the cuff. In a control session, the subjects were asked to squeeze the handgrip alone for 5 min at 30% of their maximum strength, a procedure which elevates the blood pressure without causing pain. 3. One subject had unexplained high (30--71 pmol/l) baseline peptide concentrations. Baseline values for the nine other subjects were: ACTH, 7.3 +/- 1.9 pmol/l (mean +/- SEM); gamma LPH, 18.6 +/- 1.0 pmol/l; beta END/beta LPH, 10.0 +/- 1.1 pmol/l; cortisol, 599 +/- 55 nmol/l. Neither procedure significantly increased the plasma concentration of ACTH or any other peptide, whereas plasma cortisol was significantly increased at both 5 min and 10 min. Plasma ACTH was positively correlated with plasma gamma LPH (r = 0.701; P less than 0.001), beta END/beta LPH (r = 0.970; P less than 0.001) and plasma cortisol (r = 0.758; P less than 0.05). 4. The present study demonstrates that, in normal man, plasma endorphins do not change with experimental ischaemic pain. The rise in plasma cortisol without concomitant rise in ACTH is not explained, but suggests the action of some other agent at the level of the adrenal cortex.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗