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Biomedical subjects

R Carlsson

Publications and source records attributed to R Carlsson.

83 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Chemical constituents, in vitro protein digestibility, and presence of antinutritional substances in amaranth grains.

The chemical composition, content of antinutritional factors, and the in vitro protein digestibility of grains of the pseudo-cereal Amaranthus were analyzed. The plants were grown in Brazil (without fertilizer), Puerto Rico (100 kg N/ha), and California (200 kg N/ha). The seed analysis gave the following values (%DM): 14.4 - 16.9 protein (N X 6.25), 4.8 - 6.8 fat, 2.5 - 3.9 ash, and 2.3 - 2.9 crude fiber. The trypsin inhibitors, phenolics and saponine contents were low, and the phytohemagglutinin activity, fairly low. The in vitro protein digestibility was 61 - 76%. Digestibility was not correlated to the analyzed proximal composition nor to the antinutritional factors. The grain composition indicates a food value equivalent to that of conventional food grains.

Amaranthus↗
PubMed1986

Amino acid composition of some Amaranthus sp. grain proteins and of its fractions.

This study was carried out to determine the protein content of several Amaranthus sp. grains. Findings revealed this has a high lysine (5.3 to 6.3 of the protein) and sulphur amino acids content (3.4-4.0%), while leucine could well be limiting when those seeds are used as a sole protein source in food. Using the correction for in vitro protein digestibility, the chemical score varied from 50 to 67. The calculated protein efficiency ratios and biological values ranged from 1.39 to 1.80 and 53 to 68, respectively. Considering that amaranth grain is a good supplement to cereal grain, the protein of A. hypochondriacus HH5 (yellow seeds) and A. anclancalius (black seeds) was fractionated into albumin, globulin, prolamin and glutelin. The average proportions between those soluble proteins were 65:17:11:7, respectively. Albumin had the highest lysine content (7.3-8.2%), and globulin the highest methionine (4.1-5.3%) and phenylalanine (6.0-6.1%) content. Prolamin had the highest threonine (4.6-5.4%) and leucine (6.8-6.9%) content, while glutelin had a very low methionine content (0.6-1.0%). Based on the above-mentioned findings, the authors conclude the variation in the amino acid composition of the protein fractions can be used for genetic protein improvement.

Amaranthus↗
PubMed1985

Histamine modulates the production of interferon-gamma and interleukin-2 by mitogen-activated human mononuclear blood cells.

Histamine inhibited the production of interferon-gamma and interleukin 2 (IL-2) induced in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA) but had no effect on the expression of IL-2 receptors. The effects on lymphokine production were dose dependent with maximal inhibition occurring at histamine concentrations of 10(-4) to 10(-6) M. The H2-agonist 4-methylhistamine but not the H1-agonist 2-methylhistamine modulated lymphokine production in a similar manner as histamine. Histamine at concentrations of 10(-3) to 10(-8) M had no inhibitory effect directly on the activity of admixed IL-2 containing medium. The inhibitory effects of histamine could be reversed by the H2-antagonist cimetidine but not by the H1-antagonist diphenhydramine. This indicates that the inhibitory effects of histamine on lymphokine production are mediated through H2-receptors on mononuclear cells.

Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic↗
PubMed1985

Kinetics of IL-2 and interferon-gamma production, expression of IL-2 receptors, and cell proliferation in human mononuclear cells exposed to staphylococcal enterotoxin A.

Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA) at picogram amounts induces high levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon in human mononuclear cells. SEA is a stronger inducer of IL-2 than phytohemagglutinin, leukoagglutinin, and concanavalin A. The IL-2 induction is very rapid with maximal levels being reached after 18 to 24 hr. The IL-2 concentration decreases rapidly and almost no IL-2 activity can be detected in supernatants of cells cultured for 3 days or more. Maximal DNA synthesis is recorded 3 days after maximal IL-2 levels have been reached in the culture medium. The DNA synthesis shows a 24 hr delay as compared to the expression of the IL-2 receptor during the initiation phase. An increase in the level of IL-2 receptor expression is apparent as early as 12 hr after stimulation with SEA and maximal expression is reached 48 to 72 hr after stimulation. The percentage of cells expressing the IL-2 receptor is maximal at 96 hr after onset of culture but the surface concentration of the receptor is lower than at 72 hr. The decline in expression of the IL-2 receptor is accompanied by a decline in mean cell size and in DNA-synthesis. The concentration of the T-cell marker T11 increases in parallel with the growing expression of the IL-2 receptor. It remains increased over a longer period than the IL-2 receptor and is still significantly augmented after 10 days' exposure to SEA.

DNA↗
PubMed1984

Staphylococcal protein A (SpA) does not induce production of interferon-gamma in human mononuclear blood cells.

Preparations of protein A (SpA) from Staphylococcus aureus and low-molecular-weight SpA induce production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and are potent mitogens when added to human lymphocytes. The IFN-gamma-inducing and main mitogenic activity of these preparations can be separated from SpA by gel filtration and affinity chromatography. These activities can also be partially inhibited by antiserum to staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) in a specific manner. It is concluded that the IFN-gamma-inducing activity and most of the mitogenic activity of SpA preparations are not attributable to intact or low-molecular-weight fragments of SpA but depend on the presence of SEA and other non-SpA products in the preparations of SpA.

Chromatography↗
PubMed1981

Laminin and fibronectin in cell adhesion: enhanced adhesion of cells from regenerating liver to laminin.

Laminin, a basement membrane glycoprotein isolated from cultures of mouse endodermal cells and rat yolk sac carcinoma cells, promoted the attachment of liver cells obtained from regenerating mouse liver. Cells from normal mouse liver attached readily to dishes coated with fibronectin but attached poorly to surfaces coated with laminin. Both proteins efficiently promoted the attachment of cells from livers undergoing regeneration. After regeneration, the attachment to laminin returned to the low levels found in animals not subjected to partial hepatectomy but attachment to fibronectin remained high. Immunofluorescent staining of sections of normal liver with antilaminin revealed the presence of laminin in or adjacent to the walls of the bile ducts and blood vessels. After induction of regeneration by partial hepatectomy, increased amounts of laminin appeared in the sinusoidal areas. After carbon tetrachloride poisoning, staining for laminin was especially pronounced in the necrotic and postnecrotic areas around the central veins. This additional expression of laminin was transient. It reached a maximum around 5--6 days after the injury and then gradually disappeared. These findings show that laminin is an adhesive protein. The increase of laminin in regenerating liver and the adhesiveness of cells from such livers to laminin suggest a role for laminin in the maintenance of a proper tissue organization during liver regeneration.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Telomerase regulation and telomere dynamics in germinal centers.

Telomere length maintenance, usually executed by telomerase, is a prerequisite for an extended or infinite division potential. Nevertheless most telomerase positive normal cells exhibit telomere shortening. This study details the telomerase expression and telomere dynamics in purified tonsil B cell subsets during the germinal center (GC) reaction. Significant telomere lengthening was observed as naive B cells matured to centroblasts and when centroblasts matured further to centrocytes, resulting in an increase in telomere length of about 4 kbp determined by Southern blotting. Immunopurified cell populations were also studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization and flow cytometry (flow-FISH) confirming that the GC B cells exhibited lengthened telomeres. These data were further verified in unpurified tonsil cells by combining flow-FISH and immunophenotyping using selected surface markers. Centroblasts expressed high levels of telomerase activity, which was increased in centrocytes, whereas resting naive, activated naive and memory B cells were telomerase activity negative. Expression levels of the catalytic subunit (hTERT) RNA paralleled the telomerase activity levels. The unique telomere elongation in GC B cells permits extensive proliferation during the GC reaction and provides the memory cells with a substantial increase in division potential. Understanding the telomere biology of GC cells is important in defining requirements for telomere elongation in vivo, with implications for the normal immune system as well as for lymphomas, and could provide insights into how the division potential of cells can be manipulated in vitro.

Antigens, CD↗