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Biomedical subjects

S B Smith

Publications and source records attributed to S B Smith.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Lipid synthesis and adipocyte growth in adipose tissue from sheep chronically fed a beta-adrenergic agent.

The effects of the chronic ingestion of the beta-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol on ovine sc adipose tissue were investigated. Three groups of 10 wether lambs with an average initial weight of 22.7 kg were used as experimental animals. After culling 2 to 3 animals per group, one group of eight sheep was slaughtered (initial). The remaining two groups of sheep (control, n = 7 and clenbuterol-fed, n = 8) were fed either a control, high-energy diet or one containing 2 ppm clenbuterol for 40 to 44 d. At slaughter, sc adipose tissue was obtained from all animals for assays in vitro. Subcutaneous fat accretion observed over time in the control sheep was due primarily to an increase in the number of lipid-filled adipocytes. This phenomenon was not observed in the clenbuterol-fed sheep. The incorporation of acetate into lipid increased in the clenbuterol-fed group relative to the initial group and was numerically greater than the rate observed for the control group. Similar results were observed for lipogenic enzyme activities and fatty acid-binding protein activity. Palmitate esterification in vitro tended to be elevated in the clenbuterol-fed group, relative to the control group, suggesting increased triacylglycerol turnover. The in vitro data indicate that clenbuterol did not decrease sc fat accretion in sheep by inhibiting lipogenesis.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1988

Glycerolipid biosynthesis in porcine adipose tissue in vitro. I. Assay conditions for homogenates.

Previous studies on glycerolipid biosynthesis in swine adipose tissue in vitro resulted in synthesis of primarily phospholipid, whereas triacylglycerol represents the vast majority of adipose tissue lipids. The objectives of this research were to maximize synthesis of triacylglycerol in vitro using the 700 x g infranatant fraction of a swine adipose tissue homogenate as the enzyme source. The capacity for total lipid synthesis was increased by greater than 50%, and the proportion of lipids synthesized as triacylglycerols was increased by increasing the length of incubation time from 20 to 60 min and the concentration of enzyme in the incubation from that obtained from 33 to that obtained from 120 mg adipose tissue. It is recommended that glycerolipid biosynthesis be assessed using two assays. An assay of up to 10 min was linear with incubation time and measured the initial incorporation of glycerol-3-phosphate into the pathway (GPAT); this incorporation was mostly into phospholipids. An assay of about 60 min was not linear with incubation time, but incorporation into total lipids (LSC) was predominantly into the triacylglycerol fraction. Although the LSC assay was not linear with time, it represents steady-state conditions that more closely typify conditions in situ. Oleate at .6 mM was inhibitory with enzyme extracted from 33 or 75 mg adipose tissue, whereas palmitate was not. Palmitoyl-CoA was not a suitable substrate because it produced low LSC and little triacylglycerol. Fluoride increased LSC but inhibited conversion of phospholipids into triacylglycerols, so its presence is not recommended.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1988

Glycerolipid biosynthesis in porcine adipose tissue in vitro. II. Synthesis by various types of cellular preparations.

Glycerolipid biosynthesis by porcine adipose tissue homogenates did not yield the 90+% triacylglycerol observed in situ. Consequently, we compared intact tissue slices and various subcellular fractions to characterize the usefulness of such systems to assess glycerolipid biosynthesis in vitro. Glycerolipid biosynthesis by porcine adipose tissue homogenates was measured in vitro using either [14C]-fatty acid or [14C]-glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) as a radiolabelled substrate. Removal of residual 14C-labelled fatty acid from lipid extracts was difficult. Because G3P is soluble in water, residual [14C]-G3P separated easily from the glycerolipid-containing organic phase and, thus, was the preferred radiolabelled substrate. With tissue slices, glycerol and G3P were minimally incorporated into lipid so that [14C]-fatty acid was the preferred radiolabelled tracer. A washing procedure followed by thin layer chromatography was devised to separate residual [14C]-fatty acid from glycerolipids, including phospholipids. Fatty acid esterification into glycerolipids in tissue slices yielded about 4% phospholipids, whereas with homogenates, esterification yielded up to 50% phospholipids. Comparison of several subcellular fractions indicated that microsomes contained most of the glycerolipid biosynthetic activity when activity was expressed on a protein basis. However, when activities were expressed on a tissue wet weight basis, the 700 x g infranate and the 10,000 x g supernate had about equal activity that was far greater than the microsomes. The 700 x g infranate was the preferred enzyme preparation for assay of the entrance of G3P into the pathway as well as the capacity to synthesize triacylglycerol. Several methods of freezing and storing tissue or 700 x g infranates were not acceptable. Freezing of the 700 x g infranate in liquid N2 with storage at -80 degrees C may be an acceptable procedure.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1987

Late-onset cerebellar degeneration in mice induced transplacentally by methylnitrosourea.

A late-onset degenerative disease in the cerebellum was produced in the offspring of mice exposed to 1 mg/kg of the direct-acting DNA alkylating agent methylnitrosourea (MNU) on day 16 of gestation. This intrauterine exposure to MNU also provoked a progressive retinal degeneration that was described elsewhere. Mild ataxia in the MNU-exposed animals was expressed by 20 weeks of age. Although animals appeared normal in the immediate post-natal period, quantitative histological evaluation of cerebellar coronal sections indicated that MNU-exposed animals had a significantly greater number of pyknotic Purkinje cells than age-matched controls. The number of pyknotic Purkinje cells declined with age in the drug exposed animals; however, the percentage of pyknotic Purkinje cells to total number of Purkinje cells still was greater in MNU-induced animals at 36 weeks than in controls, suggesting that a slow degenerative process was ongoing in the MNU-exposed animals. Furthermore, the folia were grossly disrupted in 90% of the older MNU-exposed animals (ages greater than 12 weeks), suggesting permanent cerebellar disruption macroscopically. Such intrauterine exposure to low doses of alkylating agents may be potentially useful in modeling degenerative neuronal diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Surgical management of proboscoid herniae.

The management of a large proboscoid umbilical hernia presents challenging problems to the surgeon. As children and parents are concerned with the appearance of the actual hernia they are also intensely interested in the postsurgical result. Presented is a simple one-stage umbilicoplasty that allows repair of the fascial defect and the management of the redundant skin in such a way as to produce a "scarless" and natural-appearing umbilicus.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1987

Fatty acid-binding protein activity in tissues from pigs fed diets containing 0 and 20% high oleate oil.

Eight pigs (four sets of littermates) were allotted to either a control sorghum-soybean meal diet or a test diet containing 20% canola oil. The pigs were slaughtered at approximately 100 kg live weight. Subcutaneous adipose tissue, longissimus dorsi muscle and liver samples were collected immediately after slaughter. Fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) was measured in 104,000 x g supernatant fractions. Characterization of the FABP assay with liver supernatants indicated that FABP exhibited sigmoidal kinetics, with an apparent Kd of 0.75 microM. Doubling the protein amount in the assay did not affect the FABP activity. FABP was demonstrated in liver, with an activity of 3448 pmol bound/g liver, and in adipose tissue, with an activity of 276 pmol bound/g adipose tissue. No activity was observed in the muscle tissue. FABP activity of liver and adipose tissue from swine fed 20% canola oil was higher on a per gram tissue basis than that in tissues from pigs fed the control diet.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of a rapid screening immunoassay for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii.

A total of 349 human serum samples were examined for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies by the Murex Single Use Diagnostic System (SUDS) qualitative screening test, indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA), and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Concordant results with SUDS and IHA were obtained for 91.9% of serum samples; 8.9% were SUDS+ and IHA-; none were SUDS- and IHA+. Comparison of the SUDS assay with IFA showed a concordance of 95.3%, with a sensitivity of 97.5% and a specificity of 94.7%. Moreover, the positive and negative predictive values were 84.9 and 99.2%, respectively, when results of the SUDS assay and IFA were compared. The SUDS assay is a rapid, simple test requiring no instrumentation and can be performed on 50 microliters of serum, features which make this an excellent screening test for detecting anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, particularly in outpatient settings.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Growth and adipose tissue metabolism in young pigs fed cimaterol with adequate or low dietary protein.

The beta-adrenergic agonist, cimaterol, was fed to young growing pigs to determine whether the carcass compositional changes observed in finishing pigs fed a beta-adrenergic agonist would be manifest in young animals. Furthermore, because cimaterol increased the deposition of lean mass in finishing pigs, it could have a protein sparing effect in young pigs that are rapidly accreting muscle mass and have a high dietary protein requirement. Pigs were fed cimaterol (at 0, .25 and .50 mg X kg-1 diet) and either an adequate (18%) or restricted (14%) protein diet from about 10 to 60 kg body weight. Pigs that were fed the 14 compared with 18% protein diet grew slower and ate less but had the same gain-to-feed ratio. These pigs also had shorter carcasses, less lean muscle and more fat deposition (assessed by carcass measurements and carcass chemical composition) than pigs that received adequate protein. Plasma protein and albumin concentrations were greater and plasma cholesterol, triglyceride and fatty acid concentrations were lower in pigs fed high compared with low dietary protein. Dietary cimaterol had no effect on any of the growth or carcass variables or on adipose tissue metabolism. When fed the high protein diet, cimaterol-supplemented pigs had smaller livers and stomachs. Dietary cimaterol did not have any major detectable effects on these young pigs, nor was there any evidence for a protein sparing effect.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1987

Lipogenesis in adipose tissue from ovariectomized and intact heifers immunized against estradiol and (or) implanted with trenbolone acetate.

Forty-two heifers were allotted randomly to six treatment groups: intact controls, intact heifers implanted with trenbolone acetate, ovariectomized heifers, ovariectomized heifers implanted with trenbolone acetate, intact heifers immunized against estradiol and intact heifers immunized against estradiol and implanted with trenbolone acetate. Blood titers of estradiol-17 beta were increased over 100-fold in heifers immunized against estradiol in Freund's complete adjuvant or saline:squalene/arlacel containing Mycobacterium. Lipogenic enzyme activities and acetate incorporation into fatty acids were increased in subcutaneous adipose tissue obtained at slaughter from heifers receiving immunization or the combination of immunization and trenbolone acetate. The increased lipogenic capacity was not reflected in either cell diameter or cells per gram adipose tissue. Ovariectomy in combination with trenbolone acetate caused the lowest activities for all enzymes measured. This treatments also caused the greatest decrease in cell diameter, which resulted in the largest number of cells per gram of adipose tissue. Trenbolone acetate alone had no detectable effect on lipogenesis in the intact heifer, but the combination of ovariectomy and trenbolone acetate caused substantial decreases in enzyme activities, in most cases a significant decrease as compared with ovariectomized heifers. The data suggest that trenbolone acetate is able to depress lipogenesis only when not competing with the effects of circulating estradiol.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1987

Growth and carcass traits of heifers as affected by hormonal treatment.

Seventy-seven heifers weighing about 200 kg were assigned randomly to intact control (C), ovariectomized (OVX) immunized against estradiol (BSA-E), BSA-E + trenbolone acetate (BSA-E + TBA), TBA or ovx + TBA groups. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of ovariectomy, immunoneutralization of estradiol and trenbolone acetate treatment on growth rate and carcass merit. Heifers were fed a corn-corn silage diet and were slaughtered when treatment groups attained live-animal weights of 433 kg. Observations of rate of growth, efficiency of feed conversion, characteristics of carcasses and characteristics of organoleptic properties of the cooked meat were made. Average daily gains (ADG) were similar in the control and OVX groups and tended to be less than in other treatment groups (P less than .36). Although not statistically significant, the observed mean for the BSA-E + TBA treatment suggests improved ADG and TDN per unit of gain, indicating a possible immunization X TBA interaction. Data also suggested that heifers implanted with TBA had increased ADG and efficiencies of gain. Possibly, immunoneutralization of endogenous estradiol can improve ADG as compared with control and OVX groups. Treatments had no effect on color or texture of lean muscle at the 12th rib interface. The OVX + TBA group had less (P less than .01) 12th rib fat cover than other groups and lower percent fat in the rib than C. The BSA-E + TBA and TBA groups also possessed larger (P less than .02) longissimus muscle areas than the control group. Observations of juiciness, tenderness and flavor were similar among all treatments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Fatty acid profiles and sensory and carcass traits of tissues from steers and swine fed an elevated monounsaturated fat diet.

Twelve Angus X Hereford steers were assigned to either a control high-energy diet or a test diet consisting of 20% rapeseed at the expense of 20% corn. Twelve pigs were allotted to a control diet and two test diets containing either 10 or 20% canola oil (CO). Both CO and oil in the rapeseed contained 60 to 64% oleic acid. Cattle fed rapeseed exhibited little effect from the diet due to apparent indigestibility of the rapeseed. Total saturated fatty acids decreased from 40% in adipose tissue of the control pigs to 15% in the 20% CO-fed pigs. The ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fatty acids (M/S) increased from 1.19 in adipose tissue from control pigs to 3.63 with the addition of 20% CO to the diet. In muscle, the M/S ratio increased from 1.21 in control pigs to 2.46 in the 20% CO treatment group. The percentage of the saturated fatty acids in muscle decreased from 42% in the control to 23% in the 20% CO treatment. Significant increases in "oiliness" and decreases in fat firmness were observed when increasing levels of canola oil were fed. Sensory traits, cooking loss and shear-force values of pork chops were similar among treatment groups. In conclusion, monounsaturated fatty acid content can be elevated substantially in pork without adversely influencing the quality of the meat, thus producing a product perceived to be more healthful by the consumer.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1987

Effects of adrenergic agonists and insulin on porcine adipose tissue lipid metabolism in vitro.

Because this laboratory has been able to demonstrate only a small and somewhat inconsistent stimulation of glucose metabolism by insulin in porcine adipose tissue in vitro, the tissue was preincubated with insulin to attempt to enhance the hormone effect. Preincubation with or without insulin did not increase insulin stimulation. Furthermore, insulin did not stimulate triacylglycerol biosynthesis. Adrenergic hormones stimulated lipolysis in porcine adipose tissue in vitro. Several analogs of norepinephrine incubated with porcine adipose tissue in vitro did not inhibit glucose incorporation into CO2 or total lipids, in contrast to inhibition observed in adipose tissue from other species. Isoproterenol inhibited glycerol-3-phosphate incorporation into lipids; the maximal inhibition was 50% for the initial stages of the pathway. Palmitate incorporation into lipids also was inhibited 50% by isoproterenol but this may have been an artifact. Preincubation of adipose tissue, with no exogenous hormone, might decrease the concentration of endogenous adrenergic hormones and thus make the tissue more responsive to exogenous adrenergic hormones. Preincubation of porcine adipose tissue did not consistently lower the basal lipolytic rate but enhanced the stimulated lipolytic rate; the mechanism is not known. These experiments provide no evidence that preincubation is beneficial to measurement of lipolysis or glucose metabolism in porcine adipose tissue in vitro.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1987

Ionic strength and myofibrillar protein solubilization.

Myofibrils from bovine longissimus muscle were obtained at 2 h postmortem and incubated in .10 to .35 M ionic strength buffers under various conditions in vitro. Increasing ionic strength or increasing the incubation time from 1 to 72 h decreased the turbidity of suspensions of myofibrils and increased myofibrillar solubilization (P less than .01 for both measures). The use of KCl or NaCl to elevate ionic strength gave essentially identical results, but lactate generally was ineffective in changing either the percentage myofibrillar solubilization or the turbidity of suspensions of myofibrils. Gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions indicated that KCl was more effective than NaCl in causing the release of C-protein from myofibrils, and both salts were quite effective in dissociating M-protein, actin, troponin-T, tropomyosin, myosin light chain-3 and a 30,000-dalton molecular weight protein from myofilaments. Small increases in alpha-actinin also were observed, especially in samples incubated for 72 h. Substantially more myosin light chain-3, tropomyosin (or paratropomyosin) and troponin-T, and less actin and the 30,000-dalton protein, were released in samples incubated at pH 5.5 than at pH 7.0 (P less than .05). Electron micrographs indicated loss of thick filament ultrastructure after incubation for 24 h in either .1 or .3 M ionic strength, but the Z-lines were largely unaffected. In samples that had first been incubated with trypsin for 10 min, the Z-lines were virtually indistinguishable at .1 M ionic strength, and absolutely no myofibrillar structures could be discerned in samples incubated in .3 M ionic strength buffer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Carcass composition and adipose tissue metabolism in growing sheep.

Experiments were conducted to investigate biological variables that influence fat accretion in growing ram lambs. Carcass composition and adipose tissue development were measured in Columbia-sired ram lambs from 32.0 to 73.9 kg body weight. Five or six ram lambs were slaughtered every 2 mo, from 4 to 10 mo of age. The percentage of carcass fat-free dry matter decreased with age from 30.9 to 27.5% (P less than .05), while the percentage of carcass fat increased from 17.7 to 33.4%. Similarly, offal fat-free dry matter decreased with age (from 24.5 to 21.5), and there was nearly a threefold increase in the percentage of offal fat (P less than .05 for both measures). Subcutaneous adipocyte diameter and lipogenesis in vitro increased from 4 to 6 mo of age, and did not increase further with age. A bimodal distribution of adipocytes was apparent in the 4-mo-old lambs, but was not observed in any other age group. The presence of glucose in incubation media stimulated acetate incorporation into fatty acids in vitro in adipose tissue from 8- and 10-mo-old lambs. However, glucose did not affect the rate of lipogenesis from lactate. The data indicate early, rapid increases in carcass fat accretion, which corresponded to similar increases in lipogenesis and lipogenic enzyme activities.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1986

Retinal degeneration in the mouse. A model induced transplacentally by methylnitrosourea.

A model of retinal degeneration has been developed in mice which is induced by the DNA alkylating agent methylnitrosourea. Pregnant mice were injected with various doses of this potent teratogen on day 16 of gestation, a time of differentiation of numerous cell types of the mouse retina. Histological examination of retinas from offspring exposed to 20-, 10- and 5 mg kg-1 doses demonstrated retinal rosettes, a pathology similar to retinal dysplasia. The 1 mg kg-1 dosage did not produce rosettes; in fact, retinas appeared morphologically normal early in life. Control and treated animals were studied at specific age intervals: 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 36-, 52 weeks. Measurements of the overall retinal width and five retinal layers were made to quantify the degeneration. Results indicate a thinning of the retina begins at 4 weeks and worsens with age. These results are discussed with respect to the potential of low-level exposure to environmental toxins as a possible cause of retinal degeneration.

Aging↗
PubMed1986

Herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus antibody titres in sera from schizophrenic patients.

Serum antibody titres to herpes-simplex (HSV-1, 2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen (EBV-VCA) were determined in 38 unrelated chronic schizophrenic patients, 11 nuclear families with at least 2 schizophrenic members, and 2 control groups. The distributions of antibody titres to herpes simplex and cytomegalovirus were similar among all groups. Patients had higher anti-EBV-VCA titres than non-hospitalized controls; however, hospital staff members in contact with the patients also had significantly higher antibody titres to EBV-VCA. Antibodies to EBV early antigen (EBV-EA) were also determined for 27 unrelated patients and 24 mental hospital employees. The schizophrenic patients had significantly higher antibody titres to EBV-EA than the hospital worker control group. These data do not support the hypothesis that herpes viruses are associated with the aetiology of schizophrenia. Although elevated anti-EBV early antigen titres may suggest persistent active EBV infection, it is unlikely to be related to the aetiology of the disorder, since discordance for EBV seropositivity was present among sibling pairs concordant for schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Comparisons of lipogenesis and glucose metabolism between ovine and bovine adipose tissues.

Studies were initiated to compare glucose and lipid metabolism in vitro in subcutaneous adipose tissue of mature sheep and cattle. Mean adipocyte volume was significantly less in subcutaneous adipose tissue of sheep than in adipose tissue from cattle. The presence of acetate and lactate in the incubation medium increased total glucose utilization two- to three-fold in ovine adipose tissue, but had no effect on total glucose utilization in adipose tissue from cattle. Acetate provided 72-82% of the acetyl units to lipogenesis, depending on species and substrate concentration. There were no significant (P greater than 0.05) differences in the contribution of the pentose cycle to the provision of reducing equivalents to fatty acid biosynthesis, based on the incorporation of label from [3-3H]glucose into fatty acids. In ovine adipose tissue, acetyl-CoA carboxylase appeared to be rate-limiting to lipogenesis, while in bovine subcutaneous adipose tissue, the activity of fatty acid synthetase may have been the limiting step in lipogenesis. In addition, the low activity of ATP-citrate lyase, especially relative to aconitate hydratase, probably limited the conversion of lactate to fatty acids in ovine adipose tissue. It is unlikely that ATP-citrate lyase activity was rate-limiting to lipogenesis from lactate in bovine adipose tissue. The data indicate that extending the results obtained from adipose tissue from one species to lipid metabolism in ruminants in general may not be valid.

Acetates↗