Identification of two subclasses of type II cAMP-dependent protein kinases. Neural-specific and non-neural protein kinases.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to N Fleischer.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The role of thymic functions in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes was investigated in athymic nude (nu/nu) mice and euthymic heterozygous (+/nu) littermates of BALB/c origin treated with streptozotocin. The injection of a single high dose of streptozotocin (200 mg/kg body weight) induced rapid and permanent hyperglycemia in both nu/nu and +/nu mice. In contrast, the injection of the same total dose divided into multiple "subdiabetogenic" doses (40 mg/kg per day for 5 consecutive days) caused the development of delayed but progressive hyperglycemia only in the thymus-competent +/nu mice. Female mice of either genotype were significantly less susceptible to streptozotocin at both doses. Restoration of thymic immunity in nu/nu mice by thymus grafts also restored the susceptibility to the hyperglycemic effects of multiple low doses of streptozotocin. Moreover, splenic lymphocytes from +/nu mice previously made diabetic with the multiple low-dose injections of streptozotocin induced transient glucose intolerance in nu/nu mice. The ability of the diabetic spleen cells to transfer the diabetic state was abolished when the splenic lymphocytes were depleted of the T cells but not when they were depleted of B cells. These results provide direct proof that thymus-dependent functions play an obligatory etiologic role in the development of diabetes in mice treated with repeated subdiabetogenic doses of streptozotocin. These observations also add to the growing evidence that autoimmune amplification mechanisms may be critically involved in the etiology of juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus in humans.
Rats were chronically given 0.5 mg/ml Pb in drinking water. This produced blood and renal lead concentrations of approximately 30 micrograms/dl and 20 micrograms/gm, respectively, significant kidney swelling, but not change in body weight or hematocrit. After 6 weeks of Pb treatment and during ingestion of a sodium-free diet, PRA was elevated (controls: same diet, not lead), but there was no change in PRS. After 5 months the PRA was significantly higher in the lead-treated group even on a 1% NaCl diet, but the difference between groups disappeared on an Na-free diet; that is, the renin response to sodium deprivation was blunted. As early as 6 weeks after beginning lead treatment, the treated group manifested reduced ability to decrease Na excretion following removal of NaCl from the diet; steady-state sodium excretion was normal on either the 1% NaCl or Na-free diet. We conclude that changes in the renin angiotensin system and renal sodium handling the kidneys of rats.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Dispersed single cell suspensions of Syrian hamster insulinoma cells were used to study the effects of a variety of sulfhydryl-binding reagents on insulin release and 45Ca++ flux. Incubation of cells with several organic mercurials resulted in a rapid increase in 45Ca++ uptake as well as increased efflux in cells which had been prelabeled with 45Ca++. Concomitant with increased calcium uptake was a 4- to 5-fold increase in insulin released into the medium. Incubation with alkylating reagents such as iodoacetamide and N-ethyl maleimide or dithiol reagents such as 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) failed to stimulate either 45Ca++ flux or insulin release. Elimination of medium calscium or preincubation of cells with N-ethyl maleimide resulted in approximately 50% inhibition of mercurial-induced insulin release from these cells. 8-(N,N2-diethylamino)Octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate or alpha-isopropyl-alpha [(N-methyl-N-homoveratryl)-gamma-aminopropyl]3,4,5'-trimethoxyphenylacetonitrite hydrochloride, agents which block potassium (40 mM)-stimulated calcium flux and insulin release, failed to inhibit mercurial-induced calcium flux or insulin secretion. These results indicate that sulfhydryl-binding reagents, through their interaction with critical thiol groups, promote insulin release in these insulinoma cells by inducing changes in calcium fluxes. It is possible that these thiol groups regulate calcium metabolism and, thus, insulin release under physiological conditions.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were measured in response to luteinizing hormone-releasing factor (LRF), given as a 100 microgram intravenous bolus and/or as a 4 hour infusion of 0.2 microgram per minute to 27 normal menstruating women and 15 women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). In PCOS, LH response to bolus LRF was significantly greater than those of normal women at days 1 to 4 and 8 to 10 of the cycle, whereas FSH responses were similar in all women studied. Continuous LRF infusion resulted in a biphasic LH release pattern. In normal women, the early phase was low until days 12 to 14 of the normal cycle, whereas the second phase rose progressively from the early follicular to the periovulatory period. In PCOS, the early phase was relatively large and qualitatively resembled the normal periovulatory pattern. The increased pituitary LH response to LRF in PCOS is associated with a relatively large early releasable LH pool and a low FSH response.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In order to understand the mechanism by which cyclic 3':5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) regulates insulin secretion, cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation was studied in a transplantable hamster islet cell tumor. Single cell suspensions prepared by enzymatic digestion of the tumors released insulin into the incubation media. Glucagon (3 nM to 3 muM) stimulated cellular cAMP accumulation and insulin release in a dose-dependent manner and these effects were enhanced by 1 mM theophylline. 8-Bromoadenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (8Br-cAMP) (1 mM) increased insulin release. Somatostatin (10 mug/ml) inhibited basal and glucagon or 8Br-cAMP-stimulated insulin release without significantly lowering cellular cAMP in glucagon-stimulated cells. For analysis of phosphoproteins, cells were incubated with carrier-free 32Pi following which lysates were prepared and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate slab gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Of the numerous 32P-labeled protein bands found, only one (P1, Mr = 28,000) displayed a significant increase in 32P incorporation when cells were incubated under conditions that raise the concentration of cellular cAMP. Somatostatin did not affect 32P incorporation into P1 or any other protein band. When cells were incubated with glucagon, an increase in cellular cAMP was evident after 1 min, enhanced 32P incorporation into P1 after 1 to 5 min, and stimulation of insulin release after 5 to 10 min. Analysis of subcellular fractions led to the designation of P1 as a 40 S ribosomal protein. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of 32P-labeled basic ribosomal proteins showed two labeled proteins, P1 and P2, both of which were localized to the 40 S ribosomal subunit. Only phosphorylation of P1 was stimulated by cAMP. The cAMP-dependent ribosomal phosphoprotein, P1, may be identical with a ribosomal phosphoprotein demonstrated in a variety of tissues and species. Its physiological role remains to be established.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Immunization of guinea pigs with bovine cardiac cAMP-dependent protein kinase (ATP:protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37) resulted in the development of precipitating antibodies to the cAMP-binding subunit of the enzyme. Both the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated cAMP-binding protein of the protein kinase reacted with the antiserum. A radioimmunoassay was developed that detects 10 ng of holoenzyme and permits measurement of enzyme concentrations in bovine cardiac muscle. Bovine liver, kidney, brain, and skeletal muscle contain protein kinases which are immunologically identical to those found in bovine cardiac muscle. However, the proportion of immuno-reactive enzyme activity differed for each tissue. All of the immunologically nonreactive enzyme in skeletal muscle and heart was separable from immunoreactive enzyme by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. Rat tissues and pig heart contained protein kinase activity that crossreacted immunologically in a nonparallel fashion with bovine cardiac enzyme. These results indicate that cAMP-dependent protein kinases within and between species are immunologically heterogeneous.
Studies of TSH release and production were performed in short term monolayer cultures of transplantable, thyroid hormone responsive, thyrotropin (TSH) producing mouse pituitary tumors. These tumors contained large amounts of TSH, small amounts of growth hormone (GH) and no detectable luteinizing hormone (LH), indicating that the predominant hormone product of tumor cells was TSH. The TSH content per tumor cell was similar to that of the normal pituitary where thyrotrophs represent a small fraction of the total cells, suggesting that the TSH content per tumor cell was less than that of the normal thyrotroph. There was a time dependent release and production of TSH by tumor cells in monolayer culture. Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) increased the release into the media and the production of TSH in a dose dependent manner. Maximum effects were noted at 0.2 ng/ml. Thyroid hormones and somatostatin inhibited both basal and TRH induced effects on both TSH release and production. TSH release as induced by TRH was calcium dependent. TSH release was stimulated by ouabain (10(-3)M) and potassium (57 mM), agents known to promote cellular calcium uptake in a calcium dependent manner. These studies indicate that tumor derived cells function in monolayer culture in a similar fashion to normal thyrotrophs. Studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that TRH action is mediated by adenosine 3',5' monophosphate (cAMP). Dibutyryl cAMP (6 mM) and theophylline (10 mM) increased TSH release suggesting that cAMP is involved in TSH release. However, TRH had no detectable effect on tumor cell adenylate cyclase activity or levels of cAMP. In contrast, PGE1 (1-10 mug/ml) stimulated adenylate cyclase activity and elevated cellular levels of cAMP without increasing TSH release. Thus, we are unable to confirm the postulate that cAMP is the intracellular mediator of TRH action.
Integrated blood plasma levels of LH and FSH and their response to the iv administration of 100 mug synthetic LRF were studied in 29 normal subjects, 12 women with Stein-Leventhal syndrome, 8 subjects with primary gonadal failure, 7 women with Sheehan's syndrome, 20 subjects with pituitary tumors, 10 subjects with idiopathic gonadotropin deficiency and 5 subjects with hypothalamic tumors. Within each group there was considerable variation in the response of LH and FSH levels to LRF. In each group there was a statistically significant positive correlation between basal integrated gonadotropin levels and the response of the levels to LRF. Both within groups and between groups, the best indicator of the response to LRF was the basal levels of FSH and LH. In subjects with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism there was no significant difference in mean basal LH levels and mean response to LRF between patients with primarily pituitary disease (pituitary tumors or Sheehan's syndrome) and conditions which might represent hypothalamic disease (hypothalamic tumors or idiopathic gonadotropin deficiency). The response to an acute, single, injection of LRF appears to more directly reflect basal gonadotropin levels rather than disease category.
An insulin-producing islet cell tumor of the Syrian hamster has been studied in vitro for its capacity to respond to known stimuli of insulin release. Insulin secretion during short term incubation and perifusion of fragments of tumor was detected by radioimmunoassay. Insulin release was increased 2-4 fold by 40 mM potassium in the presence of calcium, glucose (22 mM), glucagon (0.3-3.0 muM), N6,02'-dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP; 6mM), and theophylline (10 mM). Concentrations of glucagon that induced insulin release were also effective in activating adenylate cyclase in the membranes of tumor cells. Thus, this tumor appears to possess a cAMP-mediated mechanism for insulin release. Somatostatin (0.8-25 mum) inhibited glucagon-induced insulin release without altering basal or glucagon stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. It would appear that inhibition of glucagon induced insulin release by somatostatin is not mediated by adenylate cyclase. We propose that insulin release by this tumor is sufficiently similar to that found in normal islets so as to make it a suitable model for biochemical studies that require large quantities of homogeneous tissue.
An insulin-secreting islet cell tumour of the Syrian hamster has been transplanted serially in the congenitally immune-deficient nude mouse, in order to test the potential usefulness of this mouse mutant as a graft carrier of heterologous tumours with stable differentiated phenotypes. The incidence of tumour growth was very high, and the hamster tumour retained its functional and histologic characteristics during consecutive passages in nude mice. These results show that nude mice may be useful carriers of differentiated tumours from non-inbred species including man, and for the isolation of cell lines from such tumours.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.