Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Simantov

Publications and source records attributed to R Simantov.

121 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Morphine-like peptides in mammalian brain: isolation, structure elucidation, and interactions with the opiate receptor.

A substance that competes for opiate receptor binding has been isolated from calf brain and identified as two pentapeptides, H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-OH (methionine enkephalin) and H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu-OH (leucine enkephalin), with about four times more leucine enkephalin than methionine enkephalin. Sodium and manganese effects on opiate receptor interactions show that both peptides are agonists, whereas leucine enkephalin may be a "purer" agonist than methionine enkephalin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Temperature sensitivity of cyclic-adenosine-3':5'-monophosphate-binding proteins, activity of protein kinases and the regulation of cell growth.

A clone of neuroblastoma cells has been selected for its ability to survive and multiply at 40 degrees C. This temperature-resistant clone, like clones of neuroblastoma cells selected for resistance to dibutyryladenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (Bt2-Ado-3':5'-P) showed an increased tumorogenicity in animals and an increased saturation density at 37 degrees C. The Ado-3':5'-P-binding proteins and Ado-3':5'-P-dependent protein kinases from the temperature-resistant and non-resistant cells have been partially purified by chromatography on a DEAE-cellulose column. The Ado-3':5'-P-binding proteins from temperature-resistant cells were more sensitive to temperature than the binding proteins from non-resistant cells. After incubation of binding proteins from resistant cells at 37 degrees C, the specific activity of Ado-3':5'-P-binding to proteins was decreased about 50% and the apparent association constant (Ka) for Ado-3':5-p-binding was decreased from 7.4 X 10(7)M-1 to 4.4 x 10(7)M-1. There was no such decrease with binding proteins from non-resistant cells. A decrease in the activity of binding proteins from the temperature-resistant cells, but not of those from non-resistant cells, was also found when the proteins were stored at 2 degrees C. Treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol made binding proteins from the resistant cells less temperature-sensitive. In the absence of added Ado-3:5-P the protein kinase activity from the temperature-resistant cells was about 50% of the activity from non-resistant cells. Kinase activity was increased by addition of Ado-3:5-P and there was a greater increase with kinases from resistant cells. The maximum protein kinase activity was found in the presence of 10muM Ado-3':5'-P for the temperature-resistant cells and 0.1 muM Ado-3':5'-P for the non-resistant cells. The results indicate that the temperature sensitivity of Ado-3':5'-P-binding proteins, and the activity of protein kinase from cells selected for resistance to high temperature, are similar to those of cells selected for resistance to Bt2-Ado-3':5'-P. It is suggested that the temperature sensitivity of Ado-3':5'-P-binding proteins and the activity of Ado-3':5'-P-dependent protein kinases are involved in the regulation of malignancy and of cell growth at different temperatures.

Binding Sites↗

Induction of polyadenylate polymerase and differentiation in neuroblastoma cells.

Treatment of neuroblastoma cells with dibutyryl-adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate or adenine induced axon formation and a three-fold increase in the polyadenylate, poly(A), content of the polysomal mRNA. The extracted poly(A) contained 90% adenylic acid and showed a mobility of 6--7 S in dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Treatment with dibutyryl-adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate or adenine, also induced a 4--6 fold increase in a nuclear enzymic activity that incorporated [3H]ATP to an acid-insoluble polymer in a cell-free system. This polymer, like poly(A) extracted from the polysomal mRNA, was bound at high salt concentration to nitrocellulose filters. [3H]ATP incorporation was Mg2+-dependent, sensitive to ribonuclease and EDTA and resistant to deoxyribonuclease and actinomycin D. There was no incorporation of [3H]UTP or [3H]dTTP and addition of TUP, CTP and GTP did not increase the incorporation of [3H]ATP. 5-Bromodeoxyuridine induced axon formation of neuroblastoma cells and poly(A) polymerase activity, without increasing the poly(A) content in the polysomal mRNA. The results indicate that induction of axon formation of neuroblastoma cells is associated with an increase in the activity of poly(A) polymerase. It is suggested that the induction of this enzyme may be generally involved in cell differentiation.

Adenine↗

Regulation of acetylcholine receptors in relation to acetylcholinesterase in neuroblastoma cells.

Purified alpha-toxin from Naja nigricollis snake venom labeled by [(3)H]acetylation binds specifically to the acetylcholine receptors of mouse neuroblastoma cells. Toxin binding was inhibited by inhibitors for nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Clones of neuroblastoma cells were selected for low acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7) activity with antibodies against this enzyme. Selection for an 80-fold decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity was not associated with any decrease in the number of acetylcholine receptors (3.4 x 10(7) per cell). Removal or inactivation of 80% of the acetylcholine receptors by proteolytic enzymes or by compounds that block sulfhydryl groups did not change the activity of acetylcholinesterase on the cell surface. In addition to these results on the separation between acetylcholine receptors and acetylcholinesterase, a common regulation was found in that both the number of acetylcholine receptors and the activity of acetylcholinesterase were increased 5- to 10-fold when the cells stopped to multiply or were induced to differentiate by dibutyryl-cyclic AMP. It is suggested that there are different genes for the acetylcholine receptor and acetylcholinesterase, and that both are regulated during growth and differentiation by a common regulatory gene.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Enkephalin and alpha-adrenergic receptors: evidence for both common and differentiable regulatory pathways and down-regulation of the enkephalin receptor.

Several clones of neuroblastoma-glioma NG108-15 hybrid cells were used to reveal whether the regulation of opiate receptor density interacts with the regulation of alpha-adrenergic or acetyl-choline receptors. Low density of alpha-adrenergic receptors in 3 selected clones was accompanied with similar reduction in the density of enkephalin receptors but not in muscarinic acetyl-choline receptors. Yet opiate antagonists that increased the number of opiate receptors in the parent NG108-15 cells in a stereospecific manner had no similar effect on the number of alpha-adrenergic receptors. Moreover, the stable enkephalin analogue D-ala-2-methionine enkephalinamide, but not the opiate alkaloid morphine, decreased the binding of 3H-DAMEA to the membranes and induced down-regulation of enkephalin receptors. Yet DAMEA had no effect on the binding of the alpha-adrenergic antagonist 3H-yohimbine. The study suggests that alpha-adrenergic and enkephalin receptors may share some common regulatory pathways but opiate peptides and antagonists selectively decrease or increase the density of enkephalin receptors, respectively, with no effect on alpha-adrenergic receptor density.

Animals↗

Pharmacokinetics of intraperitoneal piperacillin/tazobactam in patients on peritoneal dialysis with and without pseudomonas peritonitis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetics of intraperitoneal (IP) administration of the antibiotic combination piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) to patients on chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) with and without pseudomonas peritonitis. DESIGN: Open-labeled study. SETTING: The study was carried out in the CAPD unit of Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Six patients participated in the study, 4 had pseudomonas peritonitis, all were given an IP loading dose of 4 g/0.5 g PIP/TAZ. Twenty-four hours after the initial dose, a maintenance dose of 0.5 g/0.0625 g PIP/TAZ was administered with each dialysate exchange for a period of 1 week. The patients without peritonitis received only the loading dose. High performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the concentrations of PIPITAZ in plasma obtained at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 360, 480, 600, 720, and 1440 minutes after administration. Samples of the dialysate fluid for determination of PIP/TAZ concentration were collected at 6,10,14, 24, and 72, 120, and 168 hours. RESULTS: After the loading dose, the highest plasma PIP concentration (Cmax) was 51.6 t 21.25 Lig/mL and appeared at 1.5 = 0.45 hours (t,,a). During the maintenance period plasma PIP concentration was 5.2 t 4.75 Lg/mL. Tazobactam was detected in the plasma of 1 patient only. The concentration of TAZ in the dialysate fluid during the maintenance period was 2.3 t 0.5 ig/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Piperacillin administered IP at 4 g reached plasma concentrations comparable to intravenous administration and considered therapeutic (above the MIC90 for Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in CAPD patients with or without peritonitis. The maintenance dose, however, should be augmented. Tazobactam could not be detected in the plasma of most patients and the therapeutic implications of IP administration of TAZ cannot be directly correlated to intravenous administration.

Aged↗

Thrombosis and malignancy: pathogenesis and prevention.

An increased incidence of thrombosis has been observed in cancer patients for over a century. The hypercoagulable state of malignancy results from multiple mechanisms including activation of the coagulation cascade and alterations of cellular blood components and endothelial cells by tumor cells. Studies have been done to determine the role of prophylactic anticoagulation therapy in cancer patients, and have shown to reduce safely the incidence of thrombosis in patients receiving treatment for metastatic breast cancer and in patients with implanted upper extremity venous catheters. Further studies are needed to determine the contribution of newly described genetic risk factors for thrombosis in order to stratify the risk for thrombosis in patients with cancer.

Blood Coagulation↗