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Biomedical subjects

S Melmed

Publications and source records attributed to S Melmed.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Human insulin-like growth factor I receptor 950tyrosine is required for somatotroph growth factor signal transduction.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), a growth hormone (GH)-dependent growth factor exerts feedback regulation of GH by inhibiting GH gene expression. IGF-I inhibition of GH secretion is enhanced 3-5-fold in GC rat pituitary cells overexpressing the wild type 950Tyr human IGF-I receptor which autophosphorylates appropriately. To determine the critical amino acid sequence responsible for IGF-I signaling, insertion, deletion, and site-directed mutants were constructed to substitute for 950Tyr in exon 16 of the human IGF-I receptor beta-subunit transmembrane domain. All mutant transfectants bound IGF-I with a similar Kd to untransfected cells but had markedly increased (7-34-fold) IGF-I-binding sites. GH responsiveness to IGF-I was tested in mutant transfectants. Overexpressed site-directed and insertion mutant IGF-I receptors exhibited a modest suppressive effect on GH in response to the IGF-I ligand, similar to that observed in untransfected cells. Deletion mutant (IG-FIR delta 22) (amino acid 944-965) did not transduce the IGF-I signal to the GH gene. Site-directed and insertion mutants therefore did not enhance the IGF-I response of the endogenous rat receptor, unlike the 950Tyr wild type transfectants which enhanced the IGF-I signal. All mutant transfectants, except the deletion mutant, internalized radioactive ligand similarly to 950Tyr wild type transfectants. 950Tyr of the human IGF-I receptor is therefore required for IGF-I signal transduction in the pituitary somatotroph, but not for IGF-I-mediated internalization.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Human insulin-like growth factor I receptor function in pituitary cells is suppressed by a dominant negative mutant.

Hybrid receptors were studied in GC rat pituitary cells overexpressing either wild-type 950Tyr (WT) human insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptors or mutant human IGF-I receptors truncated at position 952 in the beta subunit transmembrane region (952STOP). 125I-IGF-I binding was increased in both 950Tyr (WT) (14-fold) and truncated human IGF-I receptor (952STOP) stable transfectants (50-fold), when compared to untransfected cells that contained endogenous rat IGF-I receptors. Metabolic cell labeling followed by immunoprecipitation with monoclonal alpha and beta subunit-specific antibodies revealed the presence of hybrid rat/truncated human receptors, truncated transfected human receptors, and WT human IGF-I holotetramers. Both mutant and hybrid receptors were degraded slower than 950Tyr (WT) receptors (> 16 h). Despite their markedly increased ligand binding and prolonged receptor half-life, 952STOP transfectants failed to transduce the IGF-I signal to suppress growth hormone (GH). Also, they neither underwent autophosphorylation nor phosphorylated endogenous proteins. The expected suppression of GH by endogenous rat IGF-I receptors was completely abrogated in 952STOP transfectants (P < 0.001 compared to untransfected cells). Mutant 952STOP cells were therefore completely devoid of biological signaling to GH despite the presence of endogenous rat IGF-I receptors. Thus mutant IGF-I receptors block ligand-mediated endogenous rat IGF-I signaling by functioning as a dominant negative forming nonfunctional human/rat hybrid receptors. Defective IGF-I receptors may function therefore as dominant negative phenotypes which suppress normal receptor responses in pituitary cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Somatostatin analog induces insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) expression in human hepatoma cells.

As the somatostatin analog octreotide suppresses pituitary GH secretion and circulating IGF-1 levels, we examined its effects on human hepatoma (hep G2) cells which selectively express IGFBP-1. Octreotide (60 nM) stimulated IGFBP-1 up to 4.1-fold (p < 0.001 after 24 hrs). Induction of IGFBP-1 was first detectable after 12 hrs of 6 nM octreotide (1.5-fold, p < 0.03), and was confirmed by ligand blotting. Cholera toxin and forskolin induced IGFBP-1 independently and were also additive with octreotide. IGFBP-1 mRNA expression was induced 2.7-fold by octreotide. Thus, octreotide induces basal and stimulated IGFBP-1 in hepatocytes independently of insulin and GH. As IGFBP-1 may regulate peripheral IGF-1 action, induction of IGFBP-1 represents a novel pituitary-independent mechanism for octreotide action.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed1992

Rat somatotroph insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) signaling: role of the IGF-I receptor.

The anterior pituitary contains insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) and expresses abundant IGF-II-binding sites, but the IGF-II signaling pathway in the pituitary has not been defined. We, therefore, tested the effects of recombinant human IGF-II on pituitary function by assessing the GH responsiveness of the primary rat somatotroph to IGF-II. IGF-II (3.3 nM) suppressed GH secretion by 50%, similar to the effect elicited by equimolar doses of IGF-I. In contrast, a low concentration of IGF-II (0.2 nM) did not attenuate GH secretion, while a similar IGF-I dose was sufficient to produce 50% inhibition of basal GH secretion. Fifty percent competition for [125I]IGF-I binding by IGF-I and IGF-II in GC rat pituitary cells demonstrated a 14-fold lesser affinity of the IGF-II ligand for the IGF-I receptor compared to IGF-I; therefore, the binding affinity of IGF-II for the IGF-I receptor correlates with the concentration of IGF-II required for 50% GH inhibition. Transfected GH-secreting cell lines derived from GC cells overexpressing intact human IGF-I receptors exhibited enhanced responsiveness to IGF-II. In contrast, cells transfected with a truncated IGF-I receptor cDNA lacking the cytoplasmic receptor beta-subunit (952STOP) failed to transduce the IGF-II signal, indicating that functional IGF-I receptors are required for IGF-II signaling. In addition, a mutant IGF ligand, [Leu27]IGF-II, which selectively exhibits high affinity for the type II receptor, but only minimal binding to the IGF-I receptor, did not attenuate GH secretion. However, the analog [Arg54,Arg55]IGF-II, which exhibits high affinity to the IGF-I receptor, but no binding to the type II receptor, appropriately suppressed GH secretion. This unique model of somatotroph signaling provides evidence for IGF-II regulation of polypeptide hormone secretion mediated by the IGF-I receptor.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Octreotide stimulates insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1: a potential pituitary-independent mechanism for drug action.

As the long-acting somatostatin analog octreotide attenuates polypeptide hormone hypersecretion, it has recently been used to effectively treat acromegaly and gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors. Most growth-promoting actions of GH are mediated by insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), which circulates complexed with multiple binding proteins (IGFBPs). IGFBP-1, a nonglycosylated peptide, competes with the IGF-I receptor for ligand binding and also regulates IGF action. To examine GH-independent mechanisms for octreotide regulation of the GH axis, circulating levels of IGFBP-1 were measured hourly after sc octreotide or saline administration in normal and GH-deficient adults. As IGFBP-1 is inhibited by insulin and GH, the dynamic pattern of alterations in GH and insulin levels was also assessed. After octreotide (100 micrograms) administration to 10 normal subjects, mean IGFBP-1 concentrations were stimulated from 23 +/- 4 to 72 +/- 18 micrograms/L (P < 0.007 vs. saline) after 2 h. Maximal induction of IGFBP-1 levels occurred after 3 h (325 +/- 115 micrograms/L; P < 0.02 vs. saline) and remained elevated (P < 0.005) for 6 h. IGFBP-1 was induced by octreotide in all subjects and was confirmed by Western ligand blotting. Insulin and GH levels preceding the rise in IGFBP-1 were unaltered by octreotide. Octreotide stimulated IGFBP-1 5-fold during a sustained fast in 4 normal subjects, despite equally suppressed insulin levels in both saline- and octreotide-treated groups. In 4 GH-deficient adults, IGFBP-1 levels were stimulated by octreotide from 16 +/- 3 to 146 +/- 36 and 154 +/- 28 micrograms/L after 3 and 4 h, respectively. In conclusion, the somatostatin analog octreotide induces IGFBP-1 independently of GH and insulin. As IGFBP-1 regulates the action of IGF-I, octreotide stimulation of IGFBPs may represent an additional pharmacological mechanism for attenuating the GH-IGF-I axis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Etiology of pituitary acromegaly.

Pituitary tumors secreting growth hormone are clonal neoplasms that may arise following a somatic mutation within the somatotroph cell. Promotion of tumor growth also appears to be regulated by hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone, which exerts a trophic action on the pituitary cell. Unraveling the mechanisms of pituitary tumorigenesis will facilitate the application of novel therapeutic techniques, genetic screening, and follow-up of tumor responses.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1977

Bacterial and fungal meningitis in adults: a 22-year survey in a large community hospital in Israel.

The etiologic, bacteriological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of 95 cases of bacterial or fungal meningitis in adults seen in a large community hospital were reviewed. The study was limited to non-neurosurgical patients in whom positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures were obtained. Overall mortality was 40%, with no appreciable change during the 22-year period. The most common causative organism was the pneumococcus, with a 45% mortality. There were no deaths among the patients with meningococcal meningitis. Cryptococcus neoformans was the third most common single organism encountered. Meningitis due to uncommon organisms usually developed in debilitated or immunologically compromised patients, and had a poor prognosis. Advanced age, underlying debilitating disease and severly impaired consciousness on admission were associated with a high mortality. Bacterial and fungal meningitis in adults remains a serious life-threatening disease, despite advances in antibiotic therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Streptococcal pancarditis.

An unusual association of pancarditis due to Streptococcus viridans is described. The pathologic findings appear to indicate that the myocardial infection and pericarditis were blood borne.

Endocarditis, Bacterial↗