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Biomedical subjects

R J Roberts

Publications and source records attributed to R J Roberts.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Glutathione dependent metabolism and detoxification of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal.

The involvement of glutathione (GSH) dependent processes in the detoxification of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4HNE) was investigated using Chinese hamster fibroblasts and clonogenic cell survival. GSH reacted, in a dose-dependent fashion, with 4HNE in phosphate buffer at pH 6.5, leading to the disappearance of 4HNE. The addition of glutathione transferase activity (GST) facilitated a more rapid disappearance of 4HNE but the reaction was still dependent on the concentration of GSH. When cell cultures were exposed to the reaction mixtures, 4HNE cytotoxicity was also reduced in a manner which was dependent on the concentration of GSH. When 2.16- or 1.08-mM GSH were incubated in phosphate buffer with 1.08-mM 4HNE in the presence or absence of GST, then mixed with media and placed on cells for 1 h, the cytotoxicity associated with exogenous exposure to free 4HNE was abolished. GSH depletion (greater than 90%) using buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) was accomplished in control (HA1) and H2O2-resistant variants derived from HA1. GSH depletion resulted in enhanced cytotoxicity of 4HNE in all cell lines. This BSO-induced sensitization to 4HNE cytotoxicity was accompanied by a significant reduction in the ability of cells to metabolize 4HNE. The magnitude of the sensitization to 4HNE toxicity caused by GSH depletion was similar to the magnitude of the reduction in the ability of cells to metabolize 4HNE. These results support the hypothesis that GSH and GST provide a biologically significant pathway for protection against aldehydic by-products of lipid peroxidation.

Aldehydes↗
PubMed1991

Dichotic listening failure in dysphoric neuropsychiatric patients who endorse multiple seizure-like symptoms.

In the present investigation, the dichotic word listening performance of a sample of 25 dysphoric neuropsychiatric patients who endorsed multiple partial seizure-like symptoms was compared with that of matched samples of normal controls and patients with mood disorders who did not endorse multiple seizure-like symptoms. Eighty percent of the patients who endorsed multiple episodic phenomena failed the dichotic listening task, compared with 8% of normal controls and 28% of patients with typical mood disorders. After treatment with carbamazepine, a subsample of polysymptomatic patients manifested significantly fewer seizure-like symptoms. This clinical improvement was typically associated with markedly improved dichotic listening performance in most cases. The results are consistent with our previous hypothesis that "subclinical" electrophysiological dysfunction may severely disrupt the normal transmission and processing of auditory information. Because it is sensitive to this type of presumed cerebral dysfunction and relatively specific, impaired dichotic listening performance is likely to be a useful clinical marker for this complex neuropsychiatric syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Spontaneously productive C-type retrovirus infection of fish cell lines.

The spontaneous production and release of morphologically typical, 85 to 90 nm diameter C-type retrovirus particles from four cell lines derived from three species of warmwater fish have been identified. Virus pellets from cell culture supernatants showed high levels of Mn(2+)-dependent reverse transcriptase activity at 24 degrees C. Peak enzyme activity was associated with a 1 x 16 g/ml sucrose gradient fraction. All four isolates induced a cytolytic infection of a bluegill fry cell line within 6 to 10 days.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Allopurinol-induced effects in premature baboons with respiratory distress syndrome.

To test the hypothesis that administration of allopurinol could modify the response to prolonged hyperoxia in premature baboons (140 days gestation) with respiratory distress syndrome, we evaluated physiological, pathological, and lung biochemical parameters in groups of premature baboons treated with mechanical ventilation and exposed to various amounts of oxygen for 6 days. Three groups of experimental animals were studied, including animals that received oxygen as needed to maintain arterial oxygen between 60 and 80 Torr [inspiratory O2 concentration- (FIO2) PRN], animals that received 100% oxygen continuously but also received allopurinol intravenously at a dose of 10 mg.kg-1.day-1 (FIO2-1.0 + allopurinol), and animals that received 100% oxygen continuously and the vehicle for allopurinol administration (FIO2-1.0). Pathological examinations of the experimental animals showed evidence of lung injury in both 100% oxygen-exposed groups, but the allopurinol-treated animals had findings more compatible with the FIO2-PRN group, with relatively few macrophages or polymorphonuclear lymphocytes being present in lung tissue. Lungs of animals treated with allopurinol were also more distensible and had a trend toward decreased lung water compared with the FIO2-1.0 group. Allopurinol-treated animals were able to induce lung glutathione concentrations and glutathione-related and antioxidant enzyme activities compared with the normoxic control (FIO2-PRN) group. Ventilator pressure requirements were also decreased in the allopurinol-treated animals compared with the FIO2-1.0 controls after 42 h. These data suggest that treatment of hyperoxia-exposed premature baboons with allopurinol for the first 6 days of life results in significant changes in lung responses and antioxidant defenses compared with vehicle-treated baboons exposed to 100% oxygen for the same time period.

Allopurinol↗
PubMed1990

Sequence specificity of the human mRNA N6-adenosine methylase in vitro.

N6-adenosine methylation is a frequent modification of mRNAs and their precursors, but little is known about the mechanism of the reaction or the function of the modification. To explore these questions, we developed conditions to examine N6-adenosine methylase activity in HeLa cell nuclear extracts. Transfer of the methyl group from S-[3H methyl]-adenosylmethionine to unlabeled random copolymer RNA substrates of varying ribonucleotide composition revealed a substrate specificity consistent with a previously deduced consensus sequence, Pu[G greater than A]AC[A/C/U]. 32-P labeled RNA substrates of defined sequence were used to examine the minimum sequence requirements for methylation. Each RNA was 20 nucleotides long, and contained either the core consensus sequence GGACU, or some variation of this sequence. RNAs containing GGACU, either in single or multiple copies, were good substrates for methylation, whereas RNAs containing single base substitutions within the GGACU sequence gave dramatically reduced methylation. These results demonstrate that the N6-adenosine methylase has a strict sequence specificity, and that there is no requirement for extended sequences or secondary structures for methylation. Recognition of this sequence does not require an RNA component, as micrococcal nuclease pretreatment of nuclear extracts actually increased methylation efficiency.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1990

FseI, a new type II restriction endonuclease that recognizes the octanucleotide sequence 5' GGCCGGCC 3'.

A Type II restriction endonuclease, designated FseI, has been partially purified from a Frankia species (NRRL 18528). This enzyme cleaves Adenovirus 2 DNA at three sites, but does not cleave the DNAs from bacteriophages lambda, T7, and phi X174, the animal virus SV40, pUC18 and pBR322. FseI recognizes the octanucleotide sequence 5' GGCCGG decreases CC 3' and cleaves as indicated by the arrow. The frequency of occurrence of FseI sites within sequenced regions of the human genome is similar to that for NotI sites.

Adenoviruses, Human↗
PubMed1990

Cytotoxicity and metabolism of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and 2-nonenal in H2O2-resistant cell lines. Do aldehydic by-products of lipid peroxidation contribute to oxidative stress?

Toxic aldehydes, such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4HNE) and 2-nonenal (2NE), formed during lipid peroxidation have been isolated and implicated in the cytotoxic effects of oxidative stress. We have investigated the cytotoxicity and metabolism of 4HNE and 2NE in control (HA-1) cells and in two H2O2-resistant Chinese hamster fibroblast cell lines. The H2O2-resistant cells were found to be significantly more resistant than HA-1 cells to the cytotoxicity of 4HNE, as determined by clonogenic cell survival (dose-modifying factors at 10% isosurvival of 2.0-3.0). The H2O2-resistant cells demonstrated a significant 2-3-fold increase in the amount of 4HNE removed (mol/cell) from culture media containing 72 microM-4HNE when compared with HA-1 cells. The enhanced ability of H2O2-resistant cells to metabolize 4HNE was abolished by heating the cells at 100 degrees C for 45 min. Similar results were obtained with 2NE. Total glutathione and glutathione transferase activity, believed to be involved in cellular detoxification of 4HNE, were found to be significantly increased (2-3-fold) in the resistant cells when compared with the HA-1 cells. These results show that cell lines adapted and/or selected in a highly peroxidative environment are also resistant to the cytotoxicity of aldehydes formed during lipid peroxidation. This resistance appears to be related to increased cellular metabolism of these aldehydes, possibly through the glutathione transferase system. These findings suggest that the formation of aldehydes due to lipid peroxidation may contribute significantly to the mechanisms of oxidant-induced injury and the selective pressure exerted by H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity in culture.

Aldehydes↗
PubMed1990

Cloning and characterization of the HpaII methylase gene.

The HpaII restriction-modification system from Haemophilus parainfluenzae recognizes the DNA sequence CCGG. The gene for the HpaII methylase has been cloned into E. coli and its nucleotide sequence has been determined. The DNA of the clones is fully protected against cleavage by the HpaII restriction enzyme in vitro, indicating that the methylase gene is active in E. coli. The clones were isolated in an McrA-strain of E. coli; attempts to isolate them in an McrA+ strain were unsuccessful. The clones do not express detectable HpaII restriction endonuclease activity, suggesting that either the endonuclease gene is not expressed well in E. coli, or that it is not present in its entirety in any of the clones that we have isolated. The derived amino acid sequence of the HpaII methylase shows overall similarity to other cytosine methylases. It bears a particularly close resemblance to the sequences of the HhaI, BsuFI and MspI methylases. When compared with three other methylases that recognize CCGG, the variable region of the HpaII methylase, which is believed to be responsible for sequence specific recognition, shows some similarity to the corresponding regions of the BsuFI and MspI methylases, but is rather dissimilar to that of the SPR methylase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Editorial.

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Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Primary sequence of the EcoRII endonuclease and properties of its fusions with beta-galactosidase.

The EcoRII endonuclease cleaves DNA containing the sequence CC(A/T)GG before the first cytosine. The methylation of the second cytosine in the sequence by either the EcoRII methylase or Dcm, a chromosomally coded protein in Escherichia coli, inhibits the cleavage. The gene for the EcoRII endonuclease was mapped by analysis of derivatives containing linker insertions, transposon insertions, and restriction fragment deletions. Surprisingly, plasmids carrying the wild-type endonuclease gene and the EcoRII methylase gene interrupted by transposon insertions appeared to be lethal to dcm+ strains of E. coli. We conclude that not all the EcoRII/Dcm recognition sites in the cellular DNA are methylated in dcm+ strains. The DNA sequence of a 1650-base pair fragment containing the endonuclease gene was determined. It revealed an open reading frame that could code for a 45.6-kDa protein. This predicted size is consistent with the known size of the endonuclease monomer (44 kDa). The endonuclease and methylase genes appear to be transcribed convergently from separate promoters. The reading frame of the endonuclease gene was confirmed at three points by generating random protein fusions between the endonuclease and beta-galactosidase, followed by an analysis of the sequence at the junctions. One of these fusions is missing 18 COOH-terminal amino acids of the endonuclease but still displays significant ability to restrict incoming phage in addition to beta-galactosidase activity. No striking similarity between the sequence of the endonuclease and any other protein in the PIR data base was found. The knowledge of the primary sequence of the endonuclease and the availability of the various constructs involving its gene should be helpful in the study of the interaction of the enzyme with its substrate DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Toxic effects associated with the administration of deferoxamine in the premature baboon with hyaline membrane disease.

We hypothesized that administration of the iron chelator deferoxamine would inhibit iron-catalyzed free radical generation and lessen the severity of oxygen-induced pulmonary injury. To evaluate its efficacy and safety in premature infants, we administered deferoxamine by intravenous infusion to five premature baboons with hyaline membrane disease supported with conventional ventilation and 100% oxygen for 6 days. Seven animals served as controls. Deferoxamine treatment was initiated at 10 mg/kg per hour but, after the precipitous death of the first animal, was progressively reduced to 1.25 mg/kg per hour in the other animals. Four of five deferoxamine-treated baboons developed cardiovascular collapse and all five died by 42 hours. Five of the seven control animals survived the 6-day experimental period. Since cardiovascular toxic effects have not previously been reported, these findings suggest unique vulnerability of the immature cardiovascular system to iron chelation.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Oxygen toxicity in control and H2O2-resistant Chinese hamster fibroblast cell lines.

Following exposure to 95% oxygen, clonogenic cell survival was assayed and qualitative morphologic changes were observed in a Chinese hamster fibroblast cell line (HA-1). The time in 95% O2 necessary to clonogenically inactivate 90% of the cells was inversely related to the cell density of the cultures at the beginning of hyperoxic exposure (from 1 to 6 X 10(4) cells/cm2). The O2-induced loss in clonogenicity and evidence of morphologic injury were shown to be significantly delayed (17-22 h) in an H2O2-resistant variant of the parental HA-1 cell line. After the delay in onset of clonogenic cell killing or morphologic injury, the process of injury proceeded in a similar fashion in both cell lines. The H2O2-resistant cell line demonstrated significantly greater catalase activity (20-fold), CuZn superoxide dismutase activity (2-fold), and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity (1.5-fold). The greater activities of CuZn superoxide dismutase and catalase were accompanied by similarly greater quantities of immunoreactive protein as determined by immunoblotting. These data demonstrate that the cells adapted and/or selected for growth in a highly peroxidative environment also became refractory to O2-induced toxicity, which may be related to increased expression of antioxidant enzymes. However, the magnitude of this cross-resistance to O2 toxicity was less than the magnitude of the cellular resistance to the toxicity of exogenous H2O2, suggesting that in this system the toxicity of 95% oxygen is not identical to H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Presidents Test performance in varieties of diffuse and unilateral cerebral disease.

Two studies addressed issues concerning the validity of the Presidents Test. The results of Study 1 substantiated that generalized impairment for recent presidents occurs frequently in the context of multifocal and diffuse cerebral disease. Performances of normal elderly (n = 31) on all four Presidents subtests were superior to those of patients with confusional states (n = 7), uncomplicated dementia (n = 24), and dementia with confusion (n = 20). Overall, 88% of the combined sample was correctly classified (control v. diffuse cerebral disease). In Study 2, generalized memory impairment for recent presidents was found to be rare among samples of patients with unilateral right- and left-hemisphere lesions (n = 40 each). A selective impairment in temporal sequencing was preferentially associated with right-hemisphere disease, whereas verbal deficit patterns were more common in patients with left-sided lesions. These findings further document the validity of the Presidents Test as an efficient, objective method for assessing recent memory impairment due to widespread cerebral disease and suggest that qualitative analysis of performance patterns may be useful for detecting certain nonmnemonic cognitive defects in patients with focal brain disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Dichotic listening and complex partial seizures.

This study reports on 24 patients with multiple symptoms of untreated complex partial seizures (CPSz) who performed poorly at baseline assessment on a brief dichotic word listening task and subsequently improved following successful anticonvulsant therapy directed at treating seizure symptoms. These preliminary findings suggest that, in the absence of macroscopic structural lesions, dynamic electrophysiological dysfunction may interfere with the processing and transmission of simultaneously presented auditory information.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

In vitro and in vivo assessment of lipid peroxidation of infant nutrient preparations: effect of nutrition on oxygen toxicity.

Commercial infant formulas, human milk, and lipid emulsions were analyzed for evidence of naturally occurring lipid peroxidation and for susceptibility to an in vitro oxidative challenge using neonatal rat lung, liver, or intestine homogenates. Peroxidation was assessed by quantitation of TBA reactants, diene conjugates, lipid peroxides, and ethane and pentane hydrocarbons. The peroxidation of commercial formulas and human milk was influenced by the nutrient composition, as PUFA and iron enhanced while vitamin E inhibited one or more of the peroxidation pathways. Formulas and lipid emulsions differed in their response to a biological oxidant challenge. Neither neonatal rat lung nor liver tissue were effective in peroxidizing the formula or human milk in vitro, but both formula and human milk were peroxidized by exposure to neonatal rat intestinal tissue. The lipid emulsion was readily peroxidized by neonatal rat lung, liver, and intestinal tissue. The influence of nutrition on survival in hyperoxia was also studied by exposing newborn rat pups to either air or greater than 95% oxygen in the course of feeding Ringer's lactate, Similac 24 + iron, human milk, or Intralipid 10%. The survival of newborn rat pups exposed to air or greater than 95% oxygen was affected by the type of diet received.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Toxicity studies of intravenous vitamin E in newborn rabbits.

This study was designed to investigate the toxicity of intravenously administered alpha-tocopherol, alpha-tocopheryl acetate, and a polysorbate vehicle similar to that used in a commercial preparation of alpha-tocopheryl acetate intended for intravenous administration. Cesarean-delivered newborn rabbits fed intravenously were administered 100 mg of either alpha-tocopherol or alpha-tocopheryl acetate in a polysorbate vehicle, or the vehicle only, or no treatment for 6 or 7 days. Two intravenous diets were employed which differed in nutritional content and were termed low energy (LE) and high energy (HE). High concentrations of alpha-tocopherol were present in the tissues of all pups that received either treatment with alpha-tocopherol or alpha-tocopheryl acetate in the polysorbate vehicle, irrespective of the nutritional regimen. Pups in all treatment and control groups which received the LE diet had hepatic centrilobular degeneration, necrosis and pigment accumulation, which was attributed to malnutrition. No additional toxicities could be attributed to the vitamin E or polysorbate treatments. Administration of the HE diet eliminated the nutrition-related centrilobular degeneration, and revealed treatment-related liver changes. HE pups treated with alpha-tocopheryl acetate in the polysorbate vehicle had microscopic evidence of mild bile stasis and had elevated serum bilirubin. Minimal lipidosis or fatty change in the liver was observed only in alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopheryl acetate-treated pups. Lipidosis in the spleen was moderate in the alpha-tocopherol group and minimal in the alpha-tocopheryl acetate group. Lipidosis also occurred in the adrenal gland primarily in the alpha-tocopheryl acetate group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Research survey.

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Research↗