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Biomedical subjects

M Schwartz

Publications and source records attributed to M Schwartz.

At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Sprouting inducing activity of human sera: low capacity in sera from patients with cranial polyneuropathy.

Cranial idiopathic acute peripheral facial nerve paralysis (Bell palsy) has been used as a model disease in the present study mainly to investigate trophic capacity of serum components. The ability to induce sprouting from chick embryo dorsal root ganglia was used as the bioassay for trophic activity. Sera from normal patients induce neuritic outgrowth from dorsal root ganglia of chick embryo in the absence of any exogenous factor. Sprouting, to a very limited extent or none, has been induced by 80% of the sera derived from the Bell palsy patients. Further analysis of the biochemical nature of the reduced activity has revealed that in sera of Bell palsy patients the substances that are fractionated within the Ig fraction are responsible for the reduced capacity to induce sprouting without loss of supportive molecules.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Phage lambda receptor (lamB protein) in Escherichia coli.

The main properties of the lambda receptor are summarized in the table. Because these can be studied by a combination of genetic, biophysical, and biochemical techniques, the lambda receptor now appears to represent one of the best systems for study of structure-function relationships in a membrane protein. In addition, as explained in this volume, it also constitutes a good system for study of the export of proteins to extracytoplasmic locations.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗
PubMed1983

Systemic humoral factors participating in the course of spinal cord injury.

Systemic humoral factors have been studied in traumatic, chronic and acute spinal cord injured patients. Antibodies specific to nervous system autoantigens were detected in a majority of the sera obtained from these patients, at different periods after injury. Limited in vitro sprouting of dorsal root ganglia in chicken embryos was observed in the presence of serum from these patients. The possible association between growth inhibiting factors and the presence of antibodies against nervous tissue autoantigens is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Cerebral glucose utilization, as measured with positron emission tomography in 21 resting healthy men between the ages of 21 and 83 years.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scanning with 18F-2-deoxy-D-glucose was employed to examine hemispheric and regional rates of cerebral glucose utilization in 21 resting healthy men between the ages of 21 and 83 years. The eyes of the subjects were covered and the external auditory canals were plugged with cotton in the 45 minutes following injection of tracer. Mean hemispheric cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (CMRglc) averaged 4.3 to 4.4 mg x 100 g-1 X min-1, and mean hemispheric grey matter glucose utilization, (CMRglc)grey, averaged 5.2 to 5.3 mg x 100 g-1 X min-1. Neither parameter was correlated significantly with age, nor were their right/left ratios correlated with age (P greater than 0.05). The mean ratios, furthermore, did not differ significantly from 1. Regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose, rCMRglc, at each of 31 identified midline and bilateral structures also were not correlated significantly with age. Mean rCMRglc ranged from 2.6 mg X 100 g-1 X min-1 at the centrum semiovale to 6.2 mg . 100 g-1 X min-1 at the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe and precuneus of the parietal lobe. The results indicate that the cerebral metabolic rate for glucose is not correlated with age in healthy men.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Monoclonal antibodies reveal lamB antigenic determinants on both faces of the Escherichia coli outer membrane.

LamB protein is involved in the transport of maltose across the outer membrane and constitutes the receptor for phage lambda. In this study we characterized six previously described anti-LamB monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Four of these, the E-mAbs, recognized determinants that were exposed at the cell surface, whereas the other two, the I-mAbs, recognized determinants which were not exposed. Competition experiments demonstrated that the domains recognized by these two classes of mAbs were completely distinct. In addition, the E-mAbs prevented LamB from neutralizing phage lambda in vitro and protected LamB against proteolytic degradation, whereas the I-mAbs had no such effects. The E-mAbs have been shown previously to constitute two classes: some E-mAbs inhibit maltose transport in vivo, and others do not. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that the I-mAbs also define at least two types of determinants. One of these, which is accessible in membrane fragments from a mutant (lpp) devoid of lipoprotein but not in membrane fragments from an lpp+ strain, probably corresponds to a region of LamB that is involved in the interactions with peptidoglycan. The other determinant, which is fully accessible in LamB-peptidoglycan complexes and in LamB-containing phospholipid vesicles but only slightly accessible in membrane fragments from an lpp mutant, is probably located very close to the inner surface of the outer membrane. LamB also contains at least one additional determinant, which (i) is exposed at the inner surface of the membrane, (ii) is accessible to antibodies in membrane fragments from an lpp+ strain, and (iii) may be involved in the interaction of LamB with the periplasmic maltose-binding protein.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1983

Expression of a gene in a 400-base-pair fragment of colicin plasmid ColE2-P9 is sufficient to cause host cell lysis.

The colicin E2 immunity (ceiB) and lysis (celB) genes of colicin plasmid ColE2-P9 were cloned as a 900-base-pair insert under the control of the lac promoter in high-copy-number plasmid pUR222. Hosts carrying this plasmid were immune to colicin E2, produced increased amounts of immunity protein (molecular weight, 9,000) and two smaller proteins (molecular weights, 5,000 and 3,000), and lysed when incubated in medium containing isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). A 400-base-pair lacp-distal fragment derived from the insert in this plasmid was recloned in the same orientation into pUR222. Although hosts carrying this plasmid also lysed when grown in the presence of IPTG, they were sensitive to colicin E2 and produced increased amounts of the 5,000- and 3,000-molecular-weight proteins (but not the full-length immunity protein) when treated with IPTG. The results were consistent with the idea that expression of celB (production of the 5,000- and 3,000-molecular-weight proteins) is sufficient to cause host cell lysis in the absence of colicin production and derepression of the host cell SOS system.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1983

Mechanisms responsible for SCN increase in resistance of in vitro frog gastric mucosa.

Thiocyanate (SCN) inhibits H+ secretion and increases the resistance and potential difference (PD) of the gastric mucosa. These results support our separate-site electrogenic theory of HCl secretion. Recent work shows that an ATP-driven mechanism in the gastric mucosa can produce H+ by a neutral exchange of K+ for H+. The SCN increase in resistance and PD, if due to an inhibition of a high-conductance mechanism(s) in the secretory plasma membrane, is not easily compatible with the neutral mechanism. Therefore, the possibility was examined that SCN induces the increase in resistance by other mechanisms. The HCl and NaCl concentration profiles in the pit and tubular lumina were calculated. The effects of SCN were determined with isotonic, hypotonic, hypertonic, buffered, and high [H+] secretory solutions. The results indicate that SCN produces an increase in resistance of about 130 omega. cm2 of the plasma membranes of the tubular cells. A scheme is proposed that incorporates the neutral K+-H+ mechanism into an electrogenic system.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Anomalous potential difference responses to changes in sodium concentration in the antrum of frog stomach.

Previously, an electrogenic Na-Cl symport was found in the fundus, and the question arises of whether there is one in the antrum, a tissue that does not secrete acid. In an in vitro preparation of the antrum of Rana catesbeiana, we found that when the [Na+] in nutrient solution was decreased (choline for Na+) the transmucosal potential difference (PD) decreased (the positivity of nutrient side decreased), and when the [Na+] was increased the PD increased. These PD changes were anomalous for Na+ but not for choline. A linear relationship for PD versus log [Na+] and not versus log [choline] excluded a choline conductive pathway. The anomalous PD response was decreased but not abolished by 10(-3) M ouabain. Normal PD responses resulted from [Na+] changes in Cl--free (SO2-4) solutions. PD responses to changes in nutrient [Cl-] were normal but decreased in the absence of Na+. Data are compatible with a passive electrogenic Na-Cl symport with more chloride than sodium ions transported per cycle, as in the fundus. Symport conductance-to-total Cl- conductance ratio is higher in antrum than in the fundus. Data from the luminal side were compatible with apical membrane conductances for Na+ and Cl-.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Quantitative aspects of chemical carcinogenesis and tumor promotion in liver.

Chronic exposure of rodents to high dose levels of drugs, food additives and environmental chemicals frequently results in liver enlargement. Several of these compounds have been found to enhance the incidence of liver tumors in animals briefly exposed previously to hepatocarcinogens. Accordingly, it has been advanced that these agents act as tumor promoters. This contention has remained subject of controversy following reports that these substances may also cause liver tumors in noncarcinogen-treated rodents, particularly in those characterized by a relatively high incidence of "spontaneous" liver tumors. Since many of these chemicals are in common use, a crucial question would seem to be whether such effects are due to facilitation of the expression of pre-existing oncogenic potential, i.e., to tumor promotion, or to the synergistic action of weakly carcinogenic agents. As a result of mechanistic differences tumor promotion and syn-carcinogenesis must exhibit different dose-time-response characteristics, and, accordingly, it should be possible, in principle, to discriminate between these phenomena. However, since tumor manifestation periods in low-dose groups frequently exceed the animals average lifespan, this approach may not always yield conclusive data, unless a sensitive early marker of carcinogenic activity can be employed. There is evidence that enzyme-deficient preneoplastic areas in liver can be used for this purpose. A strong quantitative correlation between carcinogen dose, the extent of ATPase deficient areas, and the subsequent appearance of tumors has now been established for a number of hepatocarcinogens. Experimental data are consistent with the concept that two critical events (hits) are required for induction of ATPase deficiency in hepatocytes. The first hit is carcinogen-dependent, whereas the second hit would seem to be due to time-dependent event(s). Tumor-promoters, such as phenobarbital, were found to accelerate and increase formation of preneoplastic islets. This evidence, together with data indicating that the compound is devoid of carcinogenic potential, suggests that phenobarbital may be operative at relatively early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis by increasing the probability of the occurrence of the time-dependent second hit. Such effects are dose-dependent and appear to be related to the induction of liver enlargement. The changes in hepatocellular ploidy status and atypical nuclear figures observed during phenobarbital treatment and cessation thereof, suggest that this compound might induce abnormal redistributions of genetic material. It is postulated that these cytological changes may result in phenotypical manifestation of recessive oncogenic information.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1983

Fracture of the radius with instability of the wrist.

Review of 190 consecutive fractures of the distal radius revealed 14 instances of ligamentous carpal instability (7.4%). Instability was more likely to occur in older patients but was not related to the degree of fracture displacement. There was an association between instability and radial styloid fracture, and in five of nine Colles fractures a separate radial styloid fragment was present, suggesting a component of avulsive force. The relatively common coexistence of fracture and instability is not generally appreciated, and the findings of instability often are overlooked.

Humans↗