Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R J Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to R J Johnson.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

Ontogeny and secretory patterns of plasma insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations in meat-type chickens.

The ontogeny and secretory pattern of plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in relation to GH secretion were studied in meat-type (broiler) poultry during pre-pubertal and post-pubertal growth. Male and female broiler chickens of two commercial strains (strains A and B) were reared from 1 to 198 days of age. From 1 to 49 days of age birds were reared in raised-wire cages and thereafter in deep-litter pens, with food available ad libitum. Blood samples were taken at regular intervals during growth, and at 29 and 43 days of age representative birds were cannulated and serial blood samples taken at 10-min intervals for 5 to 7 h. Plasma concentrations of GH and IGF-I were measured by radioimmunoassay. Birds of strain A were heavier (P less than 0.05) than those of strain B from 12 to 35 days of age. In general, male birds were heavier (P less than 0.01) than females from 12 to 35 days of age. Plasma GH concentrations were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) from 12 to 35 days of age, while plasma IGF-I concentrations were lower (P less than 0.05) from 6 to 21 days of age in male compared with female birds. Plasma IGF-I concentration increased with age, reaching a plateau at 28 days of age, while plasma GH concentration declined over the same period. Plasma IGF-I concentrations declined in a linear manner from 49 to 198 days of age, and there was no evidence of a pubertal increase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aging↗

Growth hormone increases insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and decreases IGF-II in plasma of growing pigs.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-II have been measured in plasma obtained from male and female pigs of two strains during daily administration of pituitary-derived porcine GH (pGH; 100 micrograms/kg) from 60 to 90 kg body weight. Each plasma sample was first chromatographed to separate the IGF from binding proteins in order to obtain reliable measurements. IGF-I concentrations showed no differences between strains, but were higher in untreated males (497 +/- 43 (S.E.M.) micrograms/l) than females (299 +/- 15 micrograms/l). GH-treated animals had two-fold higher concentrations of IGF-I. IGF-II concentrations were not significantly different between sexes or strains, but were decreased in pigs treated with pGH (299 +/- 28 micrograms/1) compared with controls (431 +/- 32 micrograms/l). Binding protein concentrations, measured as interference in the IGF-I and IGF-II assays, were not different between sexes or strains, but were increased in pGH-treated animals. Taken together, these results indicate that in addition to the expected increase in IGF-I concentrations, exogenous administration of pGH to pigs leads to an increase in IGF-binding protein and a depression in IGF-II concentrations.

Animals↗

Plasma clearance of chicken and human insulin-like growth factor-I and their association with circulating binding proteins in chickens.

We have investigated the clearance of 125I-labelled chicken and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) from the circulation of chickens as well as the role that IGF-binding proteins play in this process. Analysis of plasma samples by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) neutral gel permeation on a TSK G3000SW column indicated that the i.v. injected radioactivity was rapidly partitioned between at least three pools. Most of the radioactivity occurred in a complex with binding protein(s), while smaller amounts of radioactivity chromatographed in the free IGF-I peak or appeared as low molecular weight degradation products. The labelled chicken and human IGF-I were rapidly cleared during the first 90 min. The calculated half-life for total labelled IGF-I during this period was 54 min for the chicken tracer and 33 min for the human tracer. The clearance was monitored for 10 h during which the human tracer continued to be cleared more rapidly than the chicken tracer. The proportion of radioactivity appearing as low molecular weight degradation products increased with time. Acid gel permeation and reverse-phase HPLC of the binding protein-associated radioactivity demonstrated that the labelled IGF-I bound was intact IGF-I. Sephadex G-200 gel permeation chromatography of chicken plasma samples at pH 7 x 4 showed that the binding protein complex labelled in vivo with chicken IGF-I tracer had a molecular mass of 55 kDa. Furthermore, the tracer associated with the binding protein coeluted with the major peak of endogenous IGF-I, suggesting that the tracer was bound to the physiologically relevant binding protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Interaction of dietary protein content and exogenous porcine growth hormone administration on protein and lipid accretion rates in growing pigs.

Sixty-six intact male pigs were used to investigate the relationships between exogenous porcine growth (pGH) administration (0, excipient-treated, and .09 mg recombinant pGH.kg-1.d-1) and dietary protein content (8.3, 11.4, 14.5, 17.6, 20.7 and 23.8%) on protein and lipid accretion rates over the live weight range of 30 to 60 kg. Feed intakes were restricted (1.84 kg.pig-1.d-1) and pGH was administered daily by i.m. injection. Rate of protein deposition increased with increasing dietary protein up to 17.6 and 20.7%, respectively, for control and pGH-treated pigs; both growth and protein deposition were enhanced by pGH on the four higher protein diets but remained unaffected by pGH administration to pigs given the two lowest protein diets. Plasma IGF-I concentration was elevated by pGH administration in pigs given the four higher protein diets but unaffected by pGH with the two lowest protein diets. Rate of fat deposition was depressed on all dietary protein treatments by pGH administration; carcass fat content of control and pGH-treated pigs declined with each increase in dietary protein up to 17.6 and 23.8%, respectively. The results demonstrate that pGH acts independently on protein and lipid metabolism.

Adipose Tissue↗

Effects of gender and genotype on the response of growing pigs to exogenous administration of porcine growth hormone.

Sixty crossbred pigs (Large White x Landrace) were used in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment to investigate the effects of gender (intact males vs females) and strain (A vs B) on the response to exogenous porcine growth hormone (pGH) administration (0 [excipient-treated] vs .1 mg pGH.kg live weight-1.d-1). All pigs had ad libitum access to their diet; pGH was administered daily from 60 to 90 kg live weight. All aspects of growth performance and body composition were affected to different degrees by gender and pGH. Strain A pigs had a higher capacity for protein accretion, superior growth performance and contained less fat in the eviscerated carcass and empty body compared with Strain B pigs. Within each strain, intact males ate more feed, had a higher rate of protein deposition and exhibited faster and leaner growth than females. Exogenous pGH administration increased average protein deposition and growth rate by 84 and 34%, respectively, and reduced average feed intake, fat deposition rate, feed:gain and carcass fat content by 14, 59, 37 and 33%, respectively. The magnitude of the changes in growth performance, tissue accretion rates and body composition elicited by pGH were independent of strain. However, within each strain the improvement in feed:gain and reduction in carcass fat measurements elicited by pGH were proportionately larger for females than for intact males.

Animals↗

Platelets mediate glomerular cell proliferation in immune complex nephritis induced by anti-mesangial cell antibodies in the rat.

We investigated whether platelets, which are rich in growth factors, could mediate glomerular cell proliferation in immune complex glomerulonephritis (GN) in the rat induced with an antibody directed against the Thy-1 antigen present on mesangial cells. Rats were depleted of platelets (mean platelet count less than 20,000/mm3) with goat anti-rat platelet IgG before induction of GN and platelet depletion was maintained for 48 hours. At 72 hours sections were immunostained for cyclin, an S-phase-related nuclear antigen, to identify proliferating cells, and for the common leukocyte antigen (CD45) to identify infiltrating leukocytes. Platelet depleted rats had fewer proliferating resident glomerular cells (CD45-, cyclin+) compared to controls (0.8 +/- 0.5 vs. 2.8 +/- 1.4 cells/glom cross section, P less than 0.01) and better renal function (creatinine 1.07 +/- 0.12 vs. 1.27 +/- 0.15 mg/dl, P less than 0.05). These effects were not due to changes in circulating or glomerular leukocyte counts, complement, or glomerular antibody binding. These studies provide the first direct evidence that platelets mediate glomerular (probably mesangial cell) proliferation in antibody-mediated GN.

Animals↗

The legacy of stress research. The course and the impact of this journal.

The Journal of Health and Social Behavior (JHSB) is examined to determine its relative stature and impact in the social science community. We conducted both empirical comparisons of average impact (based on the Social Science Citation Index) and content analysis. Over an 11-year period beginning in 1977, JHSB has maintained an enviable position among sociology journals, ranking significantly higher than the American Journal of Sociology and Social Forces. In addition, it ranks quite favorably when compared with the dominant journals of the allied social science disciplines. The preeminence of the JHSB is attributed to the legacy of stress research that was perceived to dominate this period. Ironically, the recently mandated change in editorial goals eschewing such an identification with stress research has begun to undermine the overall stature of the journal, primarily by reducing the impact of articles on stress that appear in it. We discuss the mechanisms that have influenced the course and the impact of this journal.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

Stability of psychological symptoms: drug use consequences and intervening processes.

We integrate aspects of coping response, impaired ability, and motivational explanations for the causes and consequences of drug abuse, all which were cast previously as competing or alternative paradigms. We projected a model of 1) continual daily drug use as a consequence of early adolescent psychological symptoms and 2) continual daily drug use as an influential variable in maintaining or exacerbating these symptoms over the young adult life-course. Gender, race, and education also were modeled explicitly according to their presumed theoretical importance. Finally, we modeled contemporaneous factors such as physical health and employment status as the common consequences of the shared independent variables in order to reduce bias in the estimated structural relationships. We found that continual daily drug use is significantly dependent on early psychopathology and increases psychological symptoms significantly. Daily proximate drug use has direct negative effects on education. Education, in turn, improves both mental and physical symptoms significantly. During young adulthood, psychological symptoms are related significantly to contemporaneous unemployment and physical health limitations; thus modeling these symptoms as common consequences reduces potentially biased estimates of the effect of shared independent variables.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Anatomy and biomechanics of the menisci.

The shape of the menisci and the orientation of the collagen fibers are optimal for weight bearing and shock absorption. The menisci are of clinical importance to knee biomechanics as they function to maintain knee joint stability and congruity, resist capsular and synovial impingement during knee motion, support the screw home mechanism, and distribute load over a large area of the articular surface. Because of these vital roles, an attempt should be made to save viable meniscus when performing knee surgery.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

Fractures in the skiing athlete.

Although certain fractures occurring in skiers have increased or decreased in incidence over the years, it is reasonable to expect that as long as individuals continue to challenge the slopes, fractures will occur. Skiers are healthy, motivated, and have high expectations regarding their recovery. These qualities make them good surgical candidates. Although closed treatment methods are adequate for most fractures, the examples presented in this article serve to illustrate the concept that an aggressive approach to more complicated fractures employing modern techniques generally yields the best results in skiers.

Fractures, Bone↗

Using death certificates to estimate the completeness of AIDS case reporting in Ontario in 1985-87.

The completeness of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) case reporting in Ontario was assessed by reviewing all AIDS death certificates compiled by the Registrar General between Jan. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 1987. Several demographic variables were used to match death certificates with cases reported to the provincial AIDS registry. The completeness of case reporting was then estimated by examining the ratio of reported deaths of patients with AIDS to the total number of deaths reviewed. The estimated completeness of case reporting was 81.1% in 1985, 71.5% in 1986 and 75.4% in 1987; the overall rate for 1985-87 was 75.2%. The difference in the completeness of case reporting from year to year was not statistically significant. There was a significant increase from 1985 to 1986 in the proportion of unreported cases in people who had never been married (p less than 0.02). Reporting was not associated with the patient's age, sex, occupation or place of residence. The deficiency in AIDS case reporting could adversely affect the long-term planning of health care resources and the development of programs to prevent and control the spread of AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Retinal oxalosis. A clinicopathologic report.

A 55-year-old woman with chronic renal failure treated with hemodialysis had severe bilateral visual loss develop due to retinal ischemia. Ophthalmoscopy showed crystals in the distribution of the retinal arteries, but not veins, and this led to a diagnosis of systemic oxalosis. Factors contributing to systemic oxalosis in addition to renal failure were ascorbic acid dietary supplementation, pyridoxine deficiency, and ileal resection. Histopathologic findings showed ocular calcium oxalate deposition limited nearly entirely to the walls of retinal blood vessels.

Adult↗

Binding of double-stranded DNA to glomeruli of rats in vivo.

In vivo binding of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) to renal glomeruli of rats was examined. 125I-dsDNA (600 basepairs) was perfused with 131I-IgG as a blood marker into the right renal artery of normal rats, and blood flow was restored. After 10 minutes, isolated glomeruli showed a specific uptake of DNA, which increased in a saturable fashion with increasing doses of administered DNA. To exclude the possibility that 125I in the glomeruli represented only DNA breakdown products, we extracted the DNA from the glomeruli for analysis by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The extracted DNA was 120-200 bp in size, which is large enough to bind antibodies to DNA. In contrast, the radioactivity of DNA taken up by the liver or renal tissues other than glomeruli was predominantly trichloroacetic acid soluble, i.e., less than 15 bp. Immunofluorescence studies showed that antibodies to DNA, administered after DNA, were present in glomeruli. Our data indicate that dsDNA binds to glomeruli in vivo in a saturable manner, and remains large enough to be antigenic. Therefore, the binding of DNA to glomeruli, followed by interaction with antibodies to dsDNA may be a mechanism for DNA-anti-DNA complex formation in glomeruli in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Animals↗

A subline of the Brown Norway myeloid leukemia in the Lewis x Brown Norway rat: in vivo growth characteristics and development of an in vitro clonogenic assay.

A subline of Brown Norway (BN) acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) which can be propagated in suspension culture (designated IPC-81) is described. Injection into Lewis x BN F1 hybrid (LBN) rats resulted in a log-linear correlation between tumor cell dose and time till death from the onset of leukemia even after multiple (greater than 16) passages in vitro. An in vitro clonogenic assay for IPC-81 colony formation (CFU-leuk) was developed with excellent cloning efficiency (55-82%). Colonies grew without the addition of specific growth factors; syngeneic spleen-conditioned medium inhibited CFU-leuk by 40%, but co-culture with untreated normal LBN rat bone marrow cells had no effect on CFU-leuk. CFU-leuk could be detected in the bone marrow 7 to 10 days before morphologic detection of leukemia in injected animals. This cell line should prove useful in the preclinical evaluation of new strategies for treating AML and evaluating new bone marrow purging methods.

Animals↗