Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

O Larsson

Publications and source records attributed to O Larsson.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Sulfhydryl oxidation induces rapid and reversible closure of the ATP-regulated K+ channel in the pancreatic beta-cell.

Effects of sulfhydryl modification on the ATP regulated K+ channel (KATP channel) in the pancreatic beta-cell were studied, using the patch clamp technique. Application of the sulfhydryl oxidizing agents thimerosal and 2,2'-dithio-bis(5-nitropyridine) (DTBNP), in micromolar concentrations, caused complete inhibition of the KATP channel, in inside-out patches. The inhibition was rapid and was reversed by the disulfide reducing agents dithiothreitol and cysteine. Thimerosal, which is poorly membrane permeable, inhibited channel activity, only when applied to the intracellular face of the plasma membrane. In contrast, DTBNP, which is highly lipophilic, caused closure of the KATP channel and consequent depolarization of the membrane potential, also when applied extracellularly. Our results indicate the presence of accessible free SH groups on the cytoplasmic side of the KATP channel in the pancreatic beta-cell. These SH groups are essential for channel function and it is possible that thiol-dependent redox mechanisms can modulate KATP channel activity.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Isoprenoid regulation of cell growth: identification of mevalonate-labelled compounds inducing DNA synthesis in human breast cancer cells depleted of serum and mevalonate.

Growth arrest induced by serum depletion and/or treatment with mevinolin (an inhibitor of mevalonate synthesis) in the human breast cancer cell line Hs578T was overcome by exogenous mevalonate, indicating that some product or metabolite of mevalonate may be involved in the mediation of serum-regulated growth of these cells. In the search for such compounds we first tested a variety of known end products of mevalonate with respect to their ability to counteract the inhibition of DNA synthesis caused by serum-free medium and mevinolin. Thereby high doses (10 micrograms/ml) of dolichol-20 were found to cause a partial counteraction. After straight-phase HPLC purification of endogenous lipids, isolated from 3H- or 14C-mevalonate-labelled Hs578T cultures, we found that non-sterol lipids co-eluting with dolichols efficiently induced DNA synthesis. After further purification with reverse-phase HPLC it was confirmed that virtually all of this effect was achieved by compounds(s) (seen as a single UV and radioactive peak) co-eluting with dolichol-20. Nanogram doses, at most, of this (these) compound(s) elicited a substantial stimulation of DNA synthesis. The lipid(s) also counteracted the inhibition by mevinolin of N-linked glycosylation, indicating that it (they) also interfere(s) with this processing. Since treatment with tunicamycin (an inhibitor of N-linked glycosylation) abolished this growth-stimulative effect, N-linked glycosylation seems to be a necessary event in the processes leading to lipid-induced initiation of DNA synthesis.

Blood↗
PubMed1993

A cell cycle study of human mammary epithelial cells.

The growth regulation of human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) cultured in a growth factor/hormone-enriched (e.g. EGF, insulin) medium with bovine pituitary extract as the only undefined supplement was studied. The doubling times of the cultures, in which the cells appear in colonies, was 55-72 h, and a considerable intercolonial heterogenecity in proliferative activity could be demonstrated. However, every colony, irrespective of the size of the growth fraction, comprised a sub-population of rapidly growing cells which had a mean generation time of approximately 22 h. When insulin was removed from the culture medium, HMEC proliferation was inhibited. This growth inhibition was shown to be a result of a cell cycle-specific block.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Growth-regulatory properties of G1 cells synchronized by centrifugal elutriation.

In this study we investigated whether early G1 cells can be collected by the method of centrifugal elutriation, and in particular whether the stringent growth regulatory properties characteristic of early G1 cells really are preserved in elutriated cells. We compared the cell cycle kinetics of elutriated Swiss 3T3 cells with unperturbed cells which had been analyzed by time-lapse video recording. Our data show that centrifugal elutriation yields a good synchronization of early G1 cells. However, from a strict cell cycle kinetic point of view the elutriated cells preserve their growth regulatory properties to a variable extent. This fact was explained by the finding that the early G1 cells tend to undergo a temporary G0 arrest as a result of the elutriation procedures.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1993

Demonstration of a novel apamin-insensitive calcium-activated K+ channel in mouse pancreatic B cells.

The whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique was used to characterize the biophysical and pharmacological properties of an oscillating K(+)-current that can be induced by intracellular application of GTP[gamma S] in mouse pancreatic B cells (Ammälä et al. 1991). These K+ conductance changes are evoked by periodic increases in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and transiently repolarize the B cell, thus inhibiting action-potential firing and giving rise to a bursting pattern. GTP[gamma S]-evoked oscillations in K+ conductance were reversibly suppressed by a high (300 microM) concentration of carbamylcholine. By contrast, alpha 2-adrenoreceptor stimulation by 20 microM clonidine did not interfere with the oscillatory behaviour but evoked a small sustained outward current. At 0 mV membrane potential, the oscillating K(+)-current elicited by GTP[gamma S] was highly sensitive to extracellular tetraethylammonium (TEA; 70% block by 1 mM). The TEA-resistant component, which carried approximately 80% of the current at -40 mV, was affected neither by apamin (1 microM) nor by tolbutamide (500 microM). The current evoked by internal GTP[gamma S] was highly selective for K+, as demonstrated by a 51-mV change in the reversal potential for a sevenfold change in [K+]o. Stationary fluctuation analysis indicated a unitary conductance of 0.5 pS when measured with symmetric (approximately 140 mM) KCl solutions. The estimated single-channel conductance with physiological ionic gradients is 0.1 pS. The results indicate the existence of a novel Ca(2+)-gated K+ conductance in pancreatic B cells. Activation of this K+ current may contribute to the generation of the oscillatory electrical activity characterizing the B cell at intermediate glucose concentrations.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Cell cycle-specific growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells induced by metabolic inhibitors.

Proliferation of exponentially growing breast cancer cells (line Hs578T) was blocked specifically in G1 by 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl Coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibition, as well as by inhibition of N-linked glycosylation. As a consequence of these inhibitory conditions, the cells were synchronized in the G1 stage of the cell cycle. The similarities in the kinetic responses point to the possibility that the two different types of metabolic inhibitions block cell cycle progression by common mechanisms. One possibility is that the inhibition of HMG CoA reductase activity also leads to a depressed rate of N-linked glycosylation, which in turn may constitute the critical event for cell cycle progression and cell growth. In order to investigate whether this relationship exists in breast cancer cells, cells synchronized in G1 by mevinolin (an inhibitor of HMG CoA reductase) were used. Upon addition of mevalonate, whose endogenous synthesis is catalysed by HMG CoA reductase, the cells entered S phase after a 4 h pre-replicative period. Mevalonate stimulation also led to a rapid and substantial increase in N-linked glycosylation, measured by determining the uptake of radioactive glucosamine. This metabolic event was found to be of critical importance for the initiation of DNA synthesis. However, as soon as the cells had entered S phase, they were independent of the level of N-linked glycosylation.

Antimetabolites↗
PubMed1993

Modifications of Ca2+ signaling by inorganic mercury in PC12 cells.

The effects of different levels of inorganic mercury (Hg2+) on depolarization- or agonist-stimulated Ca2+ signals were studied in PC12 cells. Exposure to 50-300 nM Hg2+ did not alter the resting cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), but enhanced the Ca2+ response to KCL-induced depolarization. Patch-clamp experiments revealed that these Hg2+ concentrations increased the voltage-dependent Ca2+ current through L-type channels. Also, Hg2+ treatment amplified the intracellular [Ca2+]i transients elicited by extracellular ATP. In contrast, the Ca2+ increase stimulated by bradykinin was unaffected. At slightly higher concentrations (1 to 2 microM), Hg2+ caused a sustained rise of the resting [Ca2+]i. This increase did not occur in Ca(2+)-free medium and was prevented by pretreatment with NiCl2 or with the L-type Ca2+ channel blockers, verapamil and nifedipine. Hg2+ did not mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular stores sensitive to thapsigargin, 2,5-di-(tert-butyl)-benzohydroquinone, or caffeine. At 2 microM, Hg2+ inhibited the [Ca2+]i transients elicited by bradykinin, ATP, or KCl-induced depolarization. The loss of the intracellular Ca2+ response to bradykinin was independent from the Ca2+ overload elicit by Hg2+; instead, it was associated with inhibition of polyphosphoinositide generation. Exposure to the lower Hg2+ concentrations (0.3-0.5 microM) greatly potentiated NGF-induced PC12 cell differentiation. Conversely, treatment with 2 microM Hg2+ caused cell death. Our results show that inorganic mercury has selective and different effects on Ca2+ signaling in PC12 cells depending on the concentration, within a narrow range.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Stimulation of the KATP channel by ADP and diazoxide requires nucleotide hydrolysis in mouse pancreatic beta-cells.

1. The mechanisms by which ADP and the hyperglycaemic compound diazoxide stimulate the activity of the ATP-regulated K+ channel (KATP channel) were studied using inside-out patches isolated from mouse pancreatic beta-cells maintained in tissue culture. 2. The ability of diazoxide and ADP to increase KATP channel activity declined with time following patch excision and no stimulation was observed after 15-40 min. 3. Activation of KATP channels by ADP required the presence of intracellular Mg2+. The stimulatory effect of ADP was mimicked by AMP but only in the presence of ATP. Replacement of ATP with the non-hydrolysable analogue beta, gamma-methylene ATP did not interfere with the ability of ADP to stimulate KATP channel activity. By contrast, enhancement of KATP channel activity was critically dependent on hydrolysable ADP and no stimulation was observed after substitution of alpha,beta-methylene ADP for standard ADP. 4. The ability of diazoxide to enhance KATP channel activity was dependent on the presence of both internal Mg2+ and ATP. Diazoxide stimulation of KATP channel activity was not observed after substitution of beta,gamma-methylene ATP for ATP. However, in the presence of ADP, at a concentration which in itself had no stimulatory action (10 microM), diazoxide was stimulatory also in the presence of the stable ATP analogue. 5. The stimulatory action of diazoxide on KATP channel activity in the presence of ATP was markedly enhanced by intracellular ADP. This potentiating effect of ADP was not reproduced by the stable analogue alpha,beta-methylene ADP and was conditional on the presence of intracellular Mg2+. A similar enhancement of channel activity was also observed with AMP (0.1 mM). In the absence of ATP, diazoxide was still capable of stimulating channel activity provided ADP was present. This effect was not reproduced by AMP. 6. In both nucleotide-free solution and in the presence of 0.1 mM ATP, the distribution of the KATP channel open times were described by a single exponential with a time constant of approximately 20 ms. Addition of ADP or diazoxide resulted in the appearance of a second component with a time constant of > 100 ms which comprised 40-70% of the total number of events. Under the latter experimental conditions, the open probability of the channel increased more than fivefold relative to that observed in the presence of ATP alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Exocytosis elicited by action potentials and voltage-clamp calcium currents in individual mouse pancreatic B-cells.

1. Measurements of membrane capacitance, as an indicator of exocytosis, and intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were used to determine the Ca2+ dependence of secretion in single pancreatic B-cells. 2. Exocytosis was dependent on a rise in [Ca2+]i and could be evoked by activation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents. The threshold for depolarization-induced release was 0.5 microM [Ca2+]i. Once the [Ca2+]i threshold was exceeded, exocytosis was rapidly (< 50 ms) initiated. When individual pulses were applied, exocytosis stopped immediately upon repolarization and the Ca2+ channels closed, although [Ca2+]i remained elevated for several seconds. 3. During repetitive stimulation (1 Hz), when [Ca2+]i attained micromolar levels, exocytosis also took place during the interpulse intervals albeit at a slower rate than during the depolarizations. 4. Exocytosis could be initiated by simulated action potentials. Whereas a single action potential only produced a small capacitance increase, and in some cells even failed to stimulate release, larger and more consistent responses were obtained with > or = four action potentials. 5. Comparison of the rates of exocytosis measured in response to depolarization, mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores or infusion of Ca2+ through the patch pipette suggests that [Ca2+]i at the secretory sites attains a concentration of several micromolar. This is much higher than the average [Ca2+]i detected by microfluorimetry suggesting the existence of steep spatial gradients of [Ca2+]i within the B-cell. 6. Inclusion of inhibitors of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the intracellular solution reduced the depolarization-induced exocytotic responses suggesting this enzyme may be involved in the coupling between elevation of [Ca2+]i to stimulation of the secretory machinery. 7. The size of the unitary exocytotic event was 2 fF, corresponding to a secretory granule diameter of 250 nm. 8. Over short periods, exocytosis may be extremely fast (1 pF/s or 500 granules/s), which is much higher than the rate of endocytosis (18 fF/s or 9 granules/s). Since the latter is in better agreement with the maximum rate of insulin secretion from islets (approximately 2 granules/s), we suggest that membrane retrieval may set an upper limit on the rate of exocytosis during extended periods of secretion.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗
PubMed1993

Utilization of glutamine and of TCA cycle constituents as precursors for transmitter glutamate and GABA.

In the present review evidence is presented that (1) glutamine synthesis in astrocytes is essential for synthesis of GABA in neurons; (2) alpha-ketoglutarate in the presence of alanine (as an amino group donor) can replace glutamine as a precursor for synthesis of transmitter glutamate, but maybe not as a precursor for transmitter GABA; (3) differences exist in the intraneuronal metabolic pathways for utilization of alpha-ketoglutarate plus alanine and of glutamine, and (4) alanine also functions as a substrate for oxidative metabolism in glutamatergic neurons. It should be emphasized that the supply of precursors for transmitter glutamate and GABA in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons depends on metabolic processes in astrocytes regardless whether glutamine or alpha-ketoglutarate plus L-alanine function as the transmitter precursors. The key reason that an interaction with astrocytes is essential is that both pyruvate carboxylase, the major enzyme in the brain for net synthesis of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, and glutamine synthetase, the enzyme forming glutamine from glutamate, are specifically located in astrocytes, but not in neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Selective killing induced by an inhibitor of N-linked glycosylation.

Treatment with a low dose (0.5 microgram/ml) of tunicamycin (an inhibitor of N-linked glycosylation) blocked the cell cycle progression of both normal Balb/c 3T3 cells (A31) and their SV40-transformed derivatives (SVA31) specifically in early G1 (0-3 h after mitosis). Upon release after an 8-h treatment the A31 cells returned to the cell cycle via a 9-h recovery phase, indicating that they were arrested in G0. The A31 cells were fully viable after this treatment. In contrast, the postmitotic SVA31 cells, which were unable to arrest in G0, did not divide after the removal of tunicamycin. Instead, these cells died but this did not occur until 22-34 h after release from the treatment. SVA31 cells that had passed the postmitotic phase of G1 survived during the parental generation and divided normally. However, a large portion of these cells died during the next cycle, and in total during a 48-h period approximately 50% of the cells were killed as a consequence of an 8-h exposure to tunicamycin. In contrast, treatment with inhibitors of protein synthesis and HMG CoA reductase activity as well as inhibitors of modification of N-linked oligosaccharide chains did not result in cell death.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Elevated uptake of low density lipoproteins by human lung cancer tissue in vivo.

In order to explore new treatment modalities for cancer, it is important to identify qualitative or quantitative differences in metabolic processes between normal and malignant cells. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that acute myelogenous leukemia cells have elevated receptor-mediated uptake of low density lipoproteins (LDL), compared to normal WBC. High receptor-mediated uptake of LDL by certain cancer cells in tissue culture and experimental tumors in animals in vivo has also been demonstrated. The present study was undertaken to compare the in vivo assimilation of LDL by human lung cancer tissue with that by surrounding lung tissue. Ten patients with newly diagnosed lung tumors, scheduled for surgery, received an i.v. injection of [14C]sucrose-labeled LDL. Following cellular uptake and degradation of the LDL particle, the radiolabeled sucrose moiety remains trapped in the lysosomal compartment, making this labeling technique useful for in vivo studies of tissue uptake of LDL. Radioactivity was determined in plasma and in tissue biopsies obtained at surgery 1-3 days after injection. The uptake of radioactivity in lung cancer tissue was elevated (1.5-3.0-fold), compared to surrounding tissue, in 7 of 9 patients with primary lung cancer. The most rapid preoperative disappearance of radioactivity from plasma was found in 2 patients with large tumors exhibiting high LDL uptake, relative to normal lung tissue. These findings support the hypothesis that the selectivity of cytotoxic agents can be enhanced also in nonhematological malignancies by administering the drugs incorporated in LDL particles.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Protein kinase C activity affects glucose-induced oscillations in cytoplasmic free Ca2+ in the pancreatic B-cell.

Acute stimulation of protein kinase C (PKC) inhibited glucose-induced slow oscillations in cytoplasmic free Ca(2+)-concentration, [Ca2+]i, in mouse pancreatic B-cells. In PKC-depleted cells glucose induced rapid transients in [Ca2+]i, lasting for approximately 10 s, superimposed on the slow oscillations in [Ca2+]i. It was demonstrated that the transients did not occur in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. Each transient typically was preceded by a slow increase in [Ca2+]i, representing the rising phase of an ordinary glucose-induced slow oscillation, and the [Ca2+]i, immediately after a transient was lower than just before the spike. These data further emphasize the interplay between voltage-dependent Ca(2+)-channels and the phospholipase C system in the regulation of B-cell [Ca2+]i-oscillations.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Cytoplasmic calcium transients due to single action potentials and voltage-clamp depolarizations in mouse pancreatic B-cells.

Changes in the cytoplasmic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in pancreatic B-cells play an important role in the regulation of insulin secretion. We have recorded [Ca2+]i transients evoked by single action potentials and voltage-clamp Ca2+ currents in isolated B-cells by the combination of dual wavelength emission spectrofluorimetry and the patch-clamp technique. A 500-1000 ms depolarization of the B-cell from -70 to -10 mV evoked a transient rise in [Ca2+]i from a resting value of approximately 100 nM to a peak concentration of 550 nM. Similar [Ca2+]i changes were associated with individual action potentials. The depolarization-induced [Ca2+]i transients were abolished by application of nifedipine, a blocker of L-type Ca2+ channels, indicating their dependence on influx of extracellular Ca2+. Following the voltage-clamp step, [Ca2+]i decayed with a time constant of approximately 2.5 s and summation of [Ca2+]i occurred whenever depolarizations were applied with an interval of less than 2 s. The importance of the Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange for B-cell [Ca2+]i maintenance was evidenced by the demonstration that basal [Ca2+]i rose to 200 nM and the magnitude of the depolarization-evoked [Ca2+]i transients was markedly increased after omission of extracellular Na+. However, the rate by which [Ca2+]i returned to basal was not affected, suggesting the existence of additional [Ca2+]i buffering processes.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Effects of acute and long-term atropine treatment on levels, release and response to VIP and PHI in the submandibular gland of cat and rat.

We have studied the effects of acute and long-term treatment of cats and rats with atropine on the levels, release and effects of two peptides, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI), that probably co-exist with acetylcholine in the parasympathetic nerves supplying the submandibular gland. Atropine treatment (progressively increasing doses from 2 to 15 mg kg-1 injected s.c.) for 14 days did not alter the contents of VIP- or PHI-like immunoreactivity (-IR) in the cat submandibular gland or in three other tissues (nasal mucosa, trachea and tongue). Acute as well as long-term atropine treatment decreased the vasodilation following low-, but not high-, frequency parasympathetic nerve stimulation. During prolonged stimulation (60 min) there was a decreased vasodilatation response following both acute and long-term atropine treatment. The overflow of VIP-IR and PHI-IR following parasympathetic nerve stimulation was markedly increased by acute, but not by long-term atropine treatment. The VIP- or PHI-induced stimulation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation in the cat submandibular gland was not altered after long-term atropine treatment. Similarly, treatment of male Sprague-Dawley rats with atropine (20 mg kg-1) or imipramine (20 mg kg-1) for 14 days did not alter the sensitivity to VIP or to PHI of cAMP accumulation in the submandibular gland, nor was there any change in VIP-IR or PHI-IR content. In conclusion, although atropine treatment causes an acute increase in the overflow of VIP and PHI evoked by parasympathetic nerve stimulation, there is no depletion of peptide stores upon long-term treatment, nor is there any change in the effect of exogenous VIP and PHI on cAMP-accumulation.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1992

Dolichol delays G1-arrest for one cell cycle in human fibroblasts subjected to depletion of serum or mevalonate.

It is well-established that some product(s) or metabolite(s) of mevalonate is (are) critical for growth of mammalian cells. In the search for this (these) compound(s) it seems meaningful to distinguish between compounds needed for cell cycle progression in proliferating cells and compounds needed for growth activation of arrested cells. By using time-lapse video recording we have studied the possible regulatory role of cholesterol, dolichol and mevalonate in the cell cycle of human diploid fibroblasts (HDF). HDF, which are serum-dependent, were rapidly growth-arrested in the first part of G1 upon removal of serum factors. They also responded to mevinolin (an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor) by a similar G1-block, indicating that a mevalonate-derived product is involved in the G1-located cell cycle control of HDF. Interestingly, dolichol counteracted the G1-block caused by both types of treatment. Hence, the early G1-cells could traverse the remainder of the cell cycle and divide despite depletion of serum or mevalonate. We also demonstrated that addition of dolichol resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of protein degradation. This protein stabilizing effect may constitute the mechanism by which dolichol delays the G1-arrest of HDF.

Cell Cycle↗
PubMed1991

Characteristics of endothelin A and B binding sites and their vascular effects in pig peripheral tissues.

The characteristics of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and endothelin-3 (ET-3) binding, and their relationship to second messenger formation in vitro and vascular effects in vivo were studied in the pig. Specific high-affinity binding sites for [125I]ET-1 and [125I]-ET-3 with extremely slow dissociation rates were demonstrated in membrane preparations from the spleen, lung, kidney and spinal cord. Displacement studies showed that receptor populations with much higher affinity for ET-1 than for ET-3 (ETA type) were present in the spleen and renal arteries, while in the whole kidney and spinal cord, receptor populations with similar affinity for ET-1 and ET-3 were found (ETB type). In the lung both receptor subtypes may be present. The precursor forms big ET-1 and big ET-3 were poor ligands although big ET-1 was more active on the ETA site than big ET-3 on the ETB site. Scatchard analysis revealed linear plots in all tissues studied. Both ET-1 and ET-3 increased formation of inositol phosphates in the lung, while ET-1 but not ET-3 was effective in the spleen. Neither ET-1 nor ET-3 were observed to influence basal or stimulated cyclic AMP formation in lung or spleen. ET-1 caused a much more potent and long-lasting increase in splenic and renal vascular resistance in vivo than did ET-3. On the other hand, ET-1 and ET-3 decreased vascular resistance with almost equal potency in the bronchial circulation.

Animals↗